#I didn't get a second reflection though so i can't awaken it ;-;

[link-lonk]

WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[atamascolily]

Poor Sayaka is really going through it in Walpurgis no Kaiten. First, she loses her healing abilities and gets so badly beaten she has to wear bandages across her face, then her memories start coming back and she has to cope with the fact that her entire life is a lie and she should actually be dead. Talk about trauma!

This shot suggests to me that Sayaka will go on some sort of internal quest to confirm the truth. This show being what it is, it's difficult to say if this scene represents an "internal" journey into Sayaka's mindscape, similar to Homura's first awakening in Rebellion, which features a mosaic of mirrors, or if this is more "external" venture into the Law of Cycles, of which Sayaka is still technically a part, but it's probably "both/and" rather than "either/or". The blue color scheme makes me think the former, but the piles of books with information about witches makes me think the latter. Is the sculpture a representation of Sayaka or is it the "emptiness" of the Law of Cycles without a human avatar?

Comparable scene in Rebellion? Also, I just now noticed that either the mosaics are rotating around Homura, or something very strange is happening in space. Probably both!

I can't find the interview at the moment, but I recall someone at SHAFT discussing how girls taken by the Law of Cycles aren't running around in Valhalla, as fans once thought, but are asleep and unconscious. (Cf. Homura calling it "the salvation of oblivion" in her opening monologue in Rebellion.) In one of my fanfics (itself inspired by a gorgeous series of fanart), the Law of Cycles is an art museum; here, it looks like SHAFT has made it a library, with each "book" containing information about the infinite number of girls and witches in all the parallel universes Madokami oversees. There's a very "Library of Babel" feel to this shot from the trailer that fills me with glee.

It's unclear if the parallel universe thing will come up in Walpurgis no Kaiten, but people have already spotted Magia Record witches in the trailer, and the entire game takes place in a single aberrant timeline, so if it's in the library, the library has to contain everything. How this works when MR has the doppel system, I have no idea, but also MR likely didn't exist in its current state when Urobuchi originally wrote the WnK script in 2014-5, so this is just Inu Curry taking the opportunity to squeeze in some more witches they designed for the game.

However, the MR anime, which Doroinu directed, ends with the doppel system collapsing and Iroha giving the "book" that represents her story to Madokami, appropriately titled "Magia Record". The title of the episode is "No One Knows Our Record", the implication being that magical girls are completely unknown except to the Law of Cycles.

One detail I like is that the English title is "reflected" in dark witch runes like shadows.

This book had a different cover and design than the books we see in the WnK trailer, but I think the general idea is the same--these books contain information about the witches (remember, "Magia" is also the name of the music that plays during witch battles in the original series) and are thus "records" of their existence. We see more of the books in a different shot,and some covers are quite elaborate, and others are a simple gold border; none appear to be "named" like the Magia Record book, or at least their titles are not visible in this shot.

It sure looks like this girl is rifling through the books to find something, doesn't it? Hmm....

The shot of one of these books opening in the second WnK trailer and runes spilling out suggests that more witches have emerged to complicate matters for Homura and the main cast, though "how" and "why" are open questions at this point. However, it's unclear if the books actually contain the witches/familiars themselves or merely information about them.

I think this shot could appear in a cryptic opening sequence that retroactively explains the entire plot, similar to Homura's soul gem falling through the window at the beginning of Rebellion, although the background lighting suggests it takes place in the same "blue" location that Sayaka is in above. TBD!

Giving away the entire plot in the beginning, but in a way that isn't obvious until afterwards, is a Madoka Magica tradition at this point.

Anyway, this is all a very roundabout way of saying that I think that when Sayaka starts having flashbacks about Oktavia, she's going to the library to do some research! And what she finds there will confirm her worst suspicions and likely trigger a whole new personal crisis where her loyalties will be tested and she is going to have to make some difficult choices.

[dross-the-fish]

Colorized Hyde paced around the makeshift lab, wondering how Adam Frankenstein had assembled such a busy workshop without the aid of an assistant.  “Does Dr Watson know you have all this?” he asked, peering at an assortment of organs in flasks.

Adam shook his head, “He does not and I'd be grateful if you didn't reveal my secrets. I like Dr Watson and I know he won’t approve of my work,” he strode over to a large vat filled with liquid in the middle of the room, "If we bring Miss Morris back he may forgive me, if not I'll simply defy him. I accept no masters and though I owe him much he will not command me in this," he pulled a lever and sparks of electricity crackled down the wires connecting to the vat, charging the liquid. He waited a full minute, counting the seconds before he shut off the power.

Hyde nodded, he saw no reason to do Watson any favors or derail Frankenstein's projects so he found himself agreeable "Mum's the word, old chap, I don't see any reason why he should be in the loop,” He tapped the vat with his cane. "What's in here,"

"A compound of chemicals Victor used to submerge me in while he ran the current through my body. This, "Adam made a sweeping gesture over the vat, "Is the elixir that rejuvenates the dead cells and primes them for the electricity to do its work. it took me forever to figure out how to make it but thanks to Dr Watson granting me access to all of his medical tomes my methods may surpass even that of my maker’s," his even white teeth flashed sharply against the harshness of his black lips in a gruesome, self-satisfied grin. He imagined Victor would have been horrified to see his creation carrying on his work, but Adam had not time for guilt or self-reflection now, a life hung in the balance, waiting to be plucked back from the grave and restored.

He was almost giddy with anticipation. He had not disclosed to Hyde that the consciousness that awakened might not be that of their companion. He himself had no memories of a time before his birth and there was just as much likelihood that she too would return as a blank slate. That was not ideal, he admitted, but he could not think such a thing to be a total loss. To have another like himself would be adequate consolation for the loss of Ms Morris. Whatever was brought back, Adam swore to himself that he would not turn his back on his creation. He would do better by his progeny than his own father. Of that he was certain.

"You've resurrected people before?" Hyde's voice intruded as the small man wandered across the lab peering at the glimmering, viscous, liquids that funneled into the vat with interest.

"Not people, but I've brought back several frogs, two cats and a dog," said Adam, "It works and I think perhaps better for my access to the advancement in medicine since my makers time,” He turned to Hyde, "Now, before we begin, did you get the heart?"

Hyde drew a jar from his coat, a perfectly preserved human heart sealed within. Adam nodded in satisfaction, "Excellent, I'm not going to ask where you got it, frankly I do not care so long as it is in good condition and fresh."

"Oh it's fresh alright, and in excellent condition, I tested the donor's constitution myself before the harvest," Hyde chortled as he handed the jar over.

"Mmm, let's not tell Miss Morris that when we bring her back. I don't know how she'd take to finding out you killed someone to get a new heart for her," Adam pursed his lips, he was not legitimately displeased as fresher parts guaranteed a higher chance of success. He looked down at Hyde curiosity scrawled across his features, "Why are you so keen on helping me with this? I know you don't like Watson but this can't all be spite."

"It isn't," Hyde confirmed, "I am genuinely curious to see if this works. I am a scientist at heart after all. More to the point, I liked Miss Morris, she was the only one in our group who doesn't have a stick up her arse and she was good at cards. Besides if I’m stuck with no one but you, Watson and that sanctimonious little shit Harker then I’m going to make damn sure that you’re all as miserable with my company as I am yours. “

"You are, perhaps, the most hateful creature I have ever met...and I am myself, a vile devil," Adam remarked passively as he laid Selma's body on the table and handed Edward the scalpel, "This is your job. I could possibly do it but, I believe, you are an actual doctor and you have the learning and the experience that I lack. I trust you can transplant the heart?"

Edward frowned, "I can, though the task requires a certain level of detachment and patience. That was always Jekyll’s domain…I’ll do my best.”

Adam readied the apparatus that would bring Selma Morris back to life while Edward prepped himself for surgery. As he was washing his hands a small trickle of fear ran down his spine. Could he really do this? It was one thing to patch a small wound but a major surgery, even on a cadaver, required attentiveness and delicacy, those traits did not come easily to him without Henry’s temperance. His head swam, what if he made a mistake? What if he botched it up and they really lost her forever? He felt suddenly nauseous as he picked up the scalpel and prepared to make the first incision.  As the blade hovered over the corpse’s chest he froze, paralyzed by an overwhelming uncertainty. His anxiety built to a point that he found himself fighting the urge to slash into the body and start hacking away. Smash the lab, destroy it all and rip everything apart then burn it to the ground as long as he didn’t have to face the risk of failure.

Did he really want that? He didn’t know…that was the rub of it. Indecision held him pinned and he could feel his control begin to slip.

"Give me the scalpel, Edward," a calm voice in the back of his mind said firmly just as he was about to plunge the instrument into the dead woman’s chest, "you're too shaken up. Let me take over,"

"I'm not letting you out Henry, you tried to kill us and I haven't forgiven you! I know as soon as you're free you'll try to lock me away again!"

"No Edward, I won't. I'll transplant the heart and then I'll let you have control again. I give you my word."

"You mean that now but I know once you're out you'll be tempted! You’ll feel all of those things again that I keep at bay! Shame and sorrow will eat us if I let us be you again! We’ll want to die and we can't resist temptation no matter which of us we are!"

"Isn't Miss Morris worth the risk? I liked her too Edward. If she can be brought back then shouldn’t we try? Listen to me Edward, we don’t want to fail. We want to give this its best chance, let me have the scalpel."

Hyde resisted only briefly before he shuddered, closed his eyes and retreated. Jekyll took a moment to get his bearings, nod at Adam, who was staring at him in confusion, and then swiftly, cleanly, he made the first incision. .....

My players accidentally got an NPC killed and begged me to bring her back. This scene was the result.

[senblades]

hi! i love fftsr and i really enjoy the dynamics between everyone and their personas so i wanted to ask how you decided to characterise the personas/their dynamics and if you had envisioned how the other thieves interact with their personas as well?

sorry if this question is weird 😭 keep up the good work!!

interesting question...

(uhhh I didn't think this would happen with this question but SPOILERS FOR UP TO CHAPTER 46 OF FFTSR)

To be honest, the ony dynamic that I put a real degree of thought into is the Akechi & Robin & Loki dynamic- I wanted neither persona to be entirely good or rational, or one side representative of 'being evil' or whatever. Akechi's problem, is that his thoughts, feelings, and ideas so often contradict eachother, and he is entirely unable to reconcile that. So even when Robin and Loki do agree, Akechi is more likely to ignore them than take thier advice.

Of course, just because I didn't put too much thought into it doesn't mean I'm pulling all the other dynamics out of my ass lmao:

Sumire takes second place for "Persona who talks the most"- Ella, for the most part, is a supportive force that also isn't afraid to call Sumire on her bullshit. Whether or not Sumi listens is another matter entirely. This sort of stems from how Sumire's third awakening is her final resolve to stand on her own, to reject Maruki's reality despite all it could give her, to be unapolagetically Sumire for the rest of her life- So her persona is a force to remind her of that vow, when she starts slipping into her anxieties and her tendency for avoidance.

Haru doesn't get a lot of POV scenes, but her awakening was very fun for me to write. Since I've taken Haru in a direction that is distinctly angry, I wanted Milady's words to reflect that anger at her circumstances, and the need to break from it.

Ren doesn't chat with Arsene often enough for me to remember much of what he says HAHA- he doesn't have the same influence on Ren's character the same way that Akechi and Sumire's persona's do. When he does talk, however, it's usually to quip or be a smartass- a trait which I've quietly yoinked from how people tend to characterise Arsene/Shadow Ren- as, simply, the essence of Joker.

And, now that Ren has also resolved the whole Crow situation, his dynamic with Metatron is pretty much that Metatron is a forceful reminder of the kind of thinking that got Ren to make poor descisions in the first place. Metatron often speaks up any time that Ren tries to justify taking Maruki's deal, spoken with all the snark and fury of the real Akechi.

Most of the PT haven't had POV scenes, but Futaba and Makoto certainly have!

For Futaba, any time Necronomicon speaks up is usually when Futaba is trying to avoid something. Stemming from her awakening, Futaba's vow to never allow lies to decieve her again is reflected in her persona, and especially when she tries to decieve herself.

For Makoto- I actually can't remember if Johanna has spoken in a previous chapter, or if she's going to speak in an upcoming one, but Johanna's shtick also stems from Makoto's awakening. Makoto's vow was to not be trampled by authority, to ensure that she can be herself even in a society that aims to push her in a box. Johanna will speak up if Makoto is becoming complacent, if she tries to take the easy way out.

Uhh that's pretty much it! For the other PT's personas, I would similarly draw from their awakenings to decide what I would want them to say. For the most part, though, everyone's personas start getting chatty when their wielders aren't being true to themselves.

FUCK I FORGOt about Maruki. HAHA I wrote Azathoth as being a cryptic peice of shit, mostly. That kind of 'cult leader talk' is the kind of shit he pulls in canon, and I saw no reason to change that.

Shadow Maruki, on the other hand, is a more true reflection of the man himself- an echo of who he was in the original timeline. Shadows and personas are two sides of the same coin, but how they present themselves does vary. They're archetypes, rather than a 1:1 of their wielder's personality.

aaand that's all I got! ty for the ask! <3 <3 <3

[mermaidsirennikita]

I was shocked they chose A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare over A Week to Be Wicked, Any Duchess Will Do or The Duchess Deal. Obviously Tessa is incredibly talented but I don’t feel like that’s one of her best (or even most popular) books. What was the selection process like???

Lol yeah that was when I went "... hmm." It's like, they wanted to be approachable, and yet they DIDN'T, and it really comes off as so low effort. I appreciate the nod towards racial diversity (though it could still be better) BUT I also found that the queer representation was very lacking, and virtually everything is tradpub, and monogamous, and it's overwhelmingly cis.

Not only does this not reflect where romance is GOING (not just in terms of diversity, which it still needs a lot of work on and you get that work done in part by PROMOTING AND ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO BUY DIVERSE BOOKS; but also in terms of the increasing presence of indie/selfpub influence) but it's not going to appeal to people who need to see themselves in the genre.

So yeah now I have to break it down

Cecilia, P&P, Friday's Child--I honestly find it very difficult to reconcile any book written before the 20th century with genre romance. Haven't read Cecilia, to be honest. P&P is social commentary with a romance subplot—a great one, but it's not genre romance, and tbh I wouldn't even call it Austen's most romantic book.

I struggle with Heyer, because her books are beloved and readable, and she is a huge influence. However, I first think that any "read romance right now" list meaning to get people to read the genre shouldn't feature books because they're influential. This is not an academic list lol. Recommend books that give people what the genre is more recently, what will HOOK them. And I struggle with Heyer because she was a major antisemite, so.

The Price of Salt--obviously very influential; would not consider it a romance despite that, and we could've recommended an explicitly sapphic ROMANCE. If this is about influence, where is Gaywyck?

Lord of Scoundrels--it's a classic, Loretta is one of the GOATs, I've never been in the right mindset to read this but I'll try again soon

Indigo--a mega classic and a great representation of what makes Bev so great, I'd recommend this to anyone

If Only It Were True--never read but ngl the summary makes me skeptical

Jewels of the Sun--Nora is another GOAT, but uh, this??? WTF??? Nora has written SO diversely in terms of subgenre, and you could pull from literally hundreds of books, and THIS is what you choose??? Okay lmao nah

The Viscount Who Loved Me--let us be real, it's a Bton book. Not the best in the series, but the second best, and if Bton had to be here (I wouldn't put it there whatever) this is one of the ones I'd choose. People who loved s2 might be startled.

Twilight--lmao crazy, not only does this not represent the genre well, but it's essentially Mormon propaganda that leads to a massively racist subplot that is even more problematic when you consider the history of Mormonism and indigenous people. Also, I say this as someone who considers Twilight a formative part of my girlhood.

A Hunger Like No Other--An amazing book, love it, a fab representation of early 2000s PNR, however I do think it will be a shock to the system for many readers due to how intense it is and how much Lachlain... doesn't respect consent. Nonetheless, I adore this book.

Devil in Winter--obviously a banger and a great representation of Kleypas's work. I think it's hard to recommend as a standalone as it functions better IMO after Autumn, BUT. Otherwise, no notes.

Lover Awakened--I've never been able to get into JR Ward, but I'm gonna try again someday, she's obviously very influential

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh--a really good book and a great intro in my experience

All Through the Night--I've never read this so I can't speak to its romance quality, but it's so weird to me that the summary talks about it being one of the first romances with a gay main character and then discusses the protagonist and his female fiance as the main couple...? I am... confused. Is it a queer romance? It doesn't sound like it. Is it supposed to be a representation of queer people in romance...? Just recommend a queer romance.

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake--great, awesome intro to MacLean

A Night to Surrender--I feel like they literally recommended this because it's the first Spindle Cover but you literally don't have to read them in order lmao read A Week to Be Wicked??? And I say this as a series reader? If you can only recommend one, recommend that?

Crazy Rich Asians--not a romance, basically satire, next

The Lotus Palace--haven't read this yet but I adore Jeannie Lin

The Luckiest Lady in London--a great intro to Sherry and a great book

To All the Boys I've Loved Before--YA coming of age girlhood with a romance subplot imo

All In--never read it

An Extraordinary Union--need to read

Wildfire--never read

Intercepted--couldn't get into

The Wedding Date--Jasmine Guillory's comments about being like... the first Black woman to write romance... make me upset... but also, her books are terminally unromantic to me

Ayesha At Last--haven't read, heard great things

Forget Me Not--haven't ready, happy to see Brenda Jackson here

Get a Life, Chloe Brown--love, great intro to Talia

Red, White, & Royal Blue--I get why it's here... I like the movie a LOT more

The Bride Test--this is very good, would definitely recommend The Kiss Quotient as your Hoang intro

The Flatshare--I didn't find this romantic

Xeni--I hate to say it, but I couldn't get into this

Boyfriend Material--I love Alexis Hall so fucking much. Glitterland was RIGHT THERE. A Lady for a Duke was RIGHT THERE. For the love of God, streeeetch a little

The Duke Who Didn't--haven't read, have heard great things

You had Me at Hola--I won't lie, I don't looove this, but I respect it

It Happened One Summer--apologies, I'm not a Tessa Bailey girly but I know how popular this is

Last Night at the Telegraph Club--Malinda Lo is a talented writer... I've never considered a book of hers romance so much as a book with a romance subplot... and I'm curious to see if this is different. If not, it's kinda depressing that this is one of a couple sapphic books here and isn't romance.

Seven Days in June--this is well-written and I get it, I could not get into it

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris--love this book, deserving, can't help but wish An Island Princess Starts a Scandal was here for more sapphic rep

Before I Let Go--this is so good and Kennedy should be here; I would've chosen Reel, personally, for several reasons

Book Lovers--y'all know I don't like Emily Henry's books

Dating Dr. Dil--haven't read, Nisha is very talented

Honey & Spice--have heard great things

Icebreaker--... choices!

Part of Your World--the one Abby Jiminez book I read was not for me

The Very Irregular Society of Witches--haven't read

The Vibrant Years--haven't read, Sonali Dev is very talented tho

Chef's Choice--I really like this book! It's so good. But I would've picked Triple Sec for a few reasons. If they were looking for their One Romance About People Who Aren't Cis... you still get it with that book...

Love, Theoretically--was my favorite Hazelwood until Bride and Not in Love! I get why she's here

[elmaxlys]

Go TS main5, Senya and one more character from TSA of your choice for character ask. Yes a lot. Yes no TS-Juo. Yes I'm merciless =D

Hahaha alright I'll do my best! xD

one aspect about them i love

Yuri: how despite it all she still deeply remains a 16yo girl and how even her trauma and reactions to it reflect that

Nise: her thing with Hayabusa

Yu-chan: his fear of heights. hard same, big man. it puts everything differently for him like, everyone else is like uwaah it's high and the lad is 10 seconds away from passing out and still kicking ass hard

Kuon: the way she's ruthless in a way even the villains find disturbing. I suppose it's not surprising coming from me but it's really what makes her character so compelling 🙏

Rika: I love everything about him help god if I have to mention only one here.... his unconditional love for Yuri. He'll do anything for her. He'll brag about her to near strangers. He'll die if it means protecting her. He's ready to lay down his life if it means she won't be abandoned the way he was. He taught her everything. She means everything to him. He's just. He's so!! you know?

Senya: his obsession with space!! The way he goes ":O an alien!!" at literally anything. Cutie.

Shika: she's the only person that asked to be taken. She didn't know shit about what was on the other side she just knew Shintarou had disappeared and she wanted him back and that was enough. Impulsive but oh so badass.

one aspect i wish more people understood about them

Yuri: She's only 16!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cut her some slack!!!!!!!!!! I hate how people (irl/fandom) judge her actions when!!!! they make sense? regarding 1) her age, 2) her personality, 3) it was in the heat of action most often than not. Of course she's imperfect! She's a 16yo kid tasked to keep the entire world running!! Bitch!!!

Nise: she has extensive traumas from before the realm and she's more than just a "knife lesbian"

Yu-chan: he's completely and utterly pathetic (I say this with love). Also. very important to me. He's not a fucking perv. He kills pervs. Come on!!!!

Kuon: she is absolutely and completely terrifying

Rika: he is the damsel in distress. He is the Mary Sue. He is the coolest. He's everything fandom has pushed onto the other mains 😤 (still accurate but slightly more desperate answer: he exists in the story. haha. *cries*)

Senya: I don't know how to say this. I haven't seen a lot of people talk about arrive, apart from you and Choco. I saw some complaints once but I don't remember them much, only that my reaction to them was he's 14. he's a baby. he's a freaking KID. So there you go.

Shika: never saw anyone talk about her i have no idea what way people misinterpret her :v

Globally, though, what I wish people would remember are the characters' age. A lot of actions they take make sense once you keep their ages in mind. And from the way they're written, it's clear Miura keeps it in mind - so y'all should too.

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character

Yuri: "what's the point of being bi if you only like boys who look like girls" (aka she is weak for pretty boys)

Nise: post-canon the Honjo fam take her and Hayabusa in until she can accomplish her dream of having her own place. She then stays friendly with them (Honjo parents) throughout her life

Yu-chan: caffeine addict. He spends the entire time in the high-rise world with a killing headache bc unlike his cigs he can't get his coffee fix

Kuon: After all is said and done she starts experimenting with her appearance in the psychic realm. What's the point of being incorporeal if she can't have fun with that

Rika: He wants to get in law so that situation with his father's will doesn't happen again. (flimsy hc i have thought about exactly once in my life but it's the only one that comes to mind atm)

Senya: Has cried to his parents to "buy a star" at some point (you know that program that lets you buy/name a star? that.)

Shika: metalhead just needing the slightest push to awaken

one character i love seeing them interact with

Yuri: I'm not gonna lie, nothing beats seeing her with Rika

Nise: Sniper. Besties material.

Yu-chan: yeah, I'm going with Nise too

Kuon: Yuri

Rika: :3 You Know. Everyone Knows. I have to say his name at least once, JUO.

Senya: Mochizuki. Wish we had more...

Shika: I can count the times they were together on the fingers of one hand but. with Shintarou. I love themmm

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more

Yuri: Faceless-kun. Can't explain this one

Nise: Kuon, for the "more" category

Yu-chan: White Feather. Raised in foreign countries solidarity

Kuon: yeah, Nise. also Juo.

Rika: Aikawa's angels post canon. I am so curious. (also, the other Juo. I have to see that.)

Senya: Oribe

Shika: SHINTAROU

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character

Yuri: she never gets over her Sniper trauma but it gets slightly better once he starts going without mask

Nise: she becomes very protective of Mayu and treats her like she would a younger sister.

Yu-chan: He and Nise have silent hanging out times where she sits with her knives and he reads

Kuon: I want to say something about Nanami here but the most I have are static noises

Rika: he desperately wants a talk with Yuri about the whole siblings thing but she won't let him and it's killing him. He wants to apologize but she doesn't mind; he wants to explain but she already know. It changes nothing for her so that's a relief to him but still, you know?

Senya: he'd be friends with Yoshida is what I'm thinking

Shika: all my hcs here depend on whether she's Shintarou's in-law or step sister....

-----

Give me a character and I will give you my thoughts on

[quirkthieves]

He visibly flinches when Shoto points out Re-Destro's absence, curling in on himself tighter.

"Well, I have to stay strong. Just in case he comes back." It's a desperately petulant idea, on the verge of delusional, and his voice almost seems to reflect how pathetic it is. The question perks him back up, though.

"He trained me. When the family collapsed, he's the one that took me in. He's going to Liberate everyone." A pause. "He's really smart. Even Skeptic thinks he's a genius. He knows the names of everyone in town. And he gives a lot of second chances. Sometimes more than they deserve, I think." He fiddles with his hands.

"He's one of the strongest people I know. Second only to Shigaraki, but he knows that. That's why he made the call to make him the new commander. It takes a lot, to be able to acknowledge your superiors that way. He's not an egoist. His meta lets him turn stress into power. It manifests physically, you see. You should see it in action. His control is impeccably precise, too. He can choose to only utilize it on certain areas of his body at a time, which can be difficult for psychogenic self-modifier emitting meta abilities. He's trained his whole life, just like me." Of course, the difference being that Re-Destro had the opportunity to do things other than train. But still, Geten's getting excited talking about his quirk.

"He understands the power of Meta Abilities of all kinds. His ability to recognize and utilize the strengths of others is amazing. He picked me because he knew that a civilian militia would need a pillar of combat expertise when it came time for battle, because otherwise they might fall apart. He's the reason my meta awakened at all." He rocks in place a bit, and then looks around as he remembers anything else he can share.

"He likes piano. And wine. He gets sad when Trumpet can't visit him. He builds things sometimes, small things. Little... little machines? I don't really understand them. He wears polka-dots because it makes his secretary smile. Sometimes when I do a job well, he lets me sit with him in his office. He likes to look out over the city from the tower. Sometimes he drinks too much coffee, and Trumpet doesn't like Claustro, 'cuz they both make him stressed, but stress is his power, so I guess it has to happen. I get worried too, though. His mission is important." He rocks a little more, and then unfolds his body, leaning over to put his elbows on his knees while his legs bounce.

"I owe him everything. I failed him. That's why I can't see him." The reason he couldn't see Re-Destro was because it was decided to be too much of a liability as well as detrimental to the deprogramming plan to allow them to speak, but Geten appears to have turned that information elsewise in his mind. "He wanted me. He picked me. He didn't know if I'd be strong or not, but he trained me so I could be. If you met him, you'd get it. You'd want to be Liberated too."

"Having focus and clarity is strength. My effort is undivided."

However, he does go quiet for a bit. As of late, he hasn't been so interested in arguing ideologies. Not like before, anyways, in long tirades about Liberation and spewing survivalism.

"Re-Destro is strong and kind. More than your friends, I bet." The former commander of the Meta Liberation Army had remained a powerful presence in the mind of the villain young man. "I am cruel to repay his kindness and to protect him from anything that may threaten that kindness. If I become kind, I will become weak. If I become weak, there is no point in living."

[mylevisdontfitanymore]

can I have all those fat merman Steve thoughts? 👉👈🥺

I love him and your writing and this AU is so good it needs to be shared!!

❤YOU SURE FUCKING CAN ❤

Warnings for VERY self indulgent content below the read more cut including: unbeta'd, extreme weight gain, belly kink, immobility, merman × light-house-keeper stucky AU, some kind of plot (spooky and also incredibly rare here), etc.

Backstory for everyone but us two lunatics 🤣:

This AU idea sparked from a conversation between Dumpling and I about belly kink awakening content from our childhood's. I opened the conversation with the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and then later re-disovered another picture book I read that Made Me Feel Things lmao

That second book was about these mermaids, little girls, who decided to not listen to their father and go talk to humans. Their Dad warned them that, hey, humans are bad and will trick you. Don't. But they didn't listen! And the two mergirls make friends with two human girls on the shore. These human girls then introduce the mergirls to human food (among other things) and they hang out everyday for a few days, swimming home in time to not get in trouble every time except-! Eventually, the human girls bring tons and tons of different food to give the mergirls rather than splitting half of their picnic lunch with them as they had before. And the mergirls eat all, all of the food. Eating and stuffing their faces until they're so heavy that they can't swim home. And they have to sleep on the shore for the night, returning in the morning to their ocean kingdom. The mergirls are then "punished" for endangering themselves with the humans as well as for their gluttony.

I never knew why I liked it so much as a child, reading and rereading, until I suddenly remembered it and connected my love of it to, well... the content on this entire blog 🤣🤣

But yes yes yes, personal backstory aside, now time for the AU backstory:

Bucky is the lighthouse keeper.

He lives alone on his little island with supplies and a few animals, mostly a bunch of birds he feeds, the flock depends on the season. Also though, he has a cat, Alpine. She hunts mice occasionally (when they become a problem) but otherwise she sticks to her fancy wet food. The little princess.

There's a boat or two dragged up from the dock at the rocky island shore to the land. He has to have some way to get back to the mainland.

And while the island is little compared to, like, fully established island nations, it is more than big enough for a lighthouse, garden, and plenty of open space.

Bucky loves his garden and grows all that he can- there's not a lot to do but cook and clean. He mostly cooks a lot before a trip back to the mainland when he drops all his treats off with friends and family.

Picture this Bucky:

(Personally I'm thinking modern-ish era but... eh, either way, 1940s or 21st century, choose your own adventure)

And STEVE

Merman Steve!

This Steve is pre-serum looking, very thin, petite, his ribs sticking out everytime he breathes in deep, underwater or on land. He's the "runt" of the pod of merpeople he's apart of and on top of that, this winter has been hard... its been Extra difficult to find food.

But, Steve,, Steve's eyes are hypnotizingly blue. As are his scales, his tail so so blue, the webs between his fingers blue tinted, scales at his elbows, the edges of his fan shaped ears, etc. His skin is so pale that it's nearly see-through. He probably, definitely has freckles... when you look close enough at least. Otherwise he's too pale for anyone to notice them. And Steve's hair is so, so blond. Underwater it looks platinum blond with the sunlight and water reflecting but above water it's wheat-golden, the longer hair at the top of his head juuust long enough to fall into his eyes.

Enough backstory! Onto the story-story!

Steve is no match for the late winter storm that centers over that patch of ocean one night. He gets bashed up against the rocks at the shore of Bucky's island. Getting bruises and thankfully only minor cuts. Mostly he's just confused as to where the fuck he is, currents pulling him this way and that. When Steve finds a smooth wooden surface to cling to instead of rocks... he stays put.

That surface is Bucky's modest dock.

And that same winter storm night Bucky feels his house tremble and shake around him. The lighthouse attached to his home is fine but... he feels as if he'll blow away in the wind! Alpine spends the night weaving nervously in and out of his legs as he walks around his home, heating up soup for dinner, taking a shower while listening to the rain batter the sides of his home and the howling of the wind beyond.

In the morning, the storm clears.

Bucky goes about the island ensuring everything is in one piece and investigating what might've been blown ashore in the night.

He finds Steve.

And...

Maybe it's the cabin fever talking; a result of being alone for so long on the island but... coming along just in time to watch this shaking, trembling creature (beautiful creature) crawl up onto his dock, battered and bruised, thin enough that Bucky might be able to snap him with his bare hands, Bucky feels the urgent need to help him.

Bucky has never seen a mermaid before.

Steve has never seen a human before.

"Are you okay?" Bucky asks.

Steve... Steve pauses and for a moment Bucky is pretty sure that he doesn't speak English but then- "I... I dont know."

"Can I help?"

Steve nods.

Bucky helps by telling Steve to stay there while he runs home to fill his bathtub with sea water since when he asks if salt or fresh water matters, Steve cocks his head and says he doesn't know what fresh water is. Isn't all water fresh? Bucky runs back and forth from the shore to his house, dumping buckets of sea water into his tub. Then-

Bucky gets a wheelbarrow, originally for his gardening needs, and easily lifts Steve up into it, rolling him home.

"What's your name?" Bucky asks, rolling him over the grassy meadow back to the lighthouse.

"Steve."

"Steve, hi, my name is Bucky."

"Bucky? Is that a common human name?"

"Not particularly, it's a... a modification of my middle name."

"Your middle name? You have a beginning and ending name too?"

"Yeah, kind of, I have a first and last name too. James Buchanan Barnes. Bucky comes from the middle name, Buchanan. Buchanan is waaaay more common then Bucky."

"I'm just Steve."

"Well, okay, I like the name Steve."

Then-

At home, with Steve now resting in his sea water filled bathtub, Bucky cleans up the worst of his cuts and bruises with antiseptic after using some soap to scrub off the mud and seaweed- "are you sure this is helping?!" Steve asks, whining,"it hurts!"

"I promise it helps."

Steve might complain about the ache of cleaning his wounds but he does the exact opposite when Bucky feeds him afterwards...

Tail splashing water as he flicks it every now and again, first Bucky has him try some leftover but reheated cooked fish with lemon and garlic butter. Steve wolfs it down so fast and so eagerly (three whole big fillets!) that seconds have to be in order afterwards! Bucky cooks too much for himself anyway and just looking at how thin Steve is, Bucky wouldn't mind cooking more just for him. He can have more than three fillets. Seconds are a few homemade scones slathered in jam. Thirds are plenty of strips of smoked ocean salmon. Fourths are more scones on account of Steve's request.

But by the time he's done eating everything Bucky gives him, barely taking enough time to mutter a thank you before tearing into whatever it is, the meal (or meals rather) are visible on Steve.

Visible in how his stomach pushes out from his ribs harshly. Unnaturally almost- so large and round that Bucky thinks about asking if merpeople have stretchy stomachs before he reels himself back in. That's a rude think to ask. In human culture but also probably merperson culture.

Either way, Bucky keeps looking, hiding in plain sight of just being a curious human. His belly... it's so stretched. Pink and taut.

Steve stretches out, sloshing some water over the side onto the floor, and moans. "God, if I could eat like this all the time, I would! And I'd never swim again..." he chuckles, "I'd sink like this I think," he slaps a hand over his stomach, forcing a burp out of himself.

Bucky laughs to cover his own moan but can't help continuing to stare at how Steve's webbed hands rub his swollen stomach. And without another actual thought, beyond ohohohohoh Bucky adds, "i-if you can't swim tonight, that's okay. You can stay here. If. Uh. If you want to. I'm not- not trapping you here. You are free to leave but if you want to-"

"Oh, yes, thank you-" Steve murmurs, still rubbing his own impressively large stomach, eyelids drooping as he turns his head to look at Bucky.

Bucky stares back and puts his foot in his mouth again, asking, "do you want help?"

Fuck. Oops.

"With what?"

"That-" he chokes out after a moment of stuttering, eyes flicking to his tortured, bloated stomach.

"Uh, I guess, how'd you be helpi-?"

"Like this," Bucky interjects to lay his hands on his skin, fever hot and thin, stretched over the rock-hard mass of food inside him.

Steve moans. He struggles to lift his hips up into the touch too.

Bucky has never felt more- more electric. Since the moment he first spoke to Steve he knew he was special and he liked him but touching him... fuck. Bucky is pretty sure he's in love with him. He's beautiful and smart and-

Full.

(Bucky later jokes to Steve that if he had known better and been more guarded he might've thrown Steve out with accusations of him being a siren, not a normal merman. Or maybe he wouldn't've... he might've been too hypnotized.)

But... it goes on like that, Steve lives in Bucky's bathtub, eating as much as Bucky will feed him. Probably even more than Bucky would've give him, if not for his asking for more. But sometimes Steve gets into a fit of feeling like he's too reliant on Bucky for everything or whatever and will ask to be put back into the wheelbarrow and taken back to the ocean. They say goodbye but he never really leaves. He stretches his fins in the ocean for a while. Staying low enough that Bucky can't see him from the shore or lighthouse but never returning to the ocean depths. Eventually, sheepishly, Steve turns up back on Bucky's dock.

They don't make comments on how or why he's back. Bucky is simply happy to have him back.

Steve gains weight.

It usually doesn't hit Bucky, how Steve is changing, until he takes him from the shore back to his home with him after his adventure alone. He stops looking for the signs of his changing body when he's always in the tub, day after day...

He really does change though. First, he gains enough weight that Bucky can no longer spot and count each of his ribs but instead looks healthy. Then he looks a little husky... some of the weight goes to his muscles, sure, but calories seem to favor becoming fat when in his body. Then he's chubby. His stomach rounds out first, a little pot belly that grows larger until its a gut, but subtlety, all the while, his hips and tail catch up to his gut by filling out wider and wider with blubber. His pecs fill out too. Little chubby tits that match his swollen tummy and his thick tail. He gains weight until he looks so soft that Bucky kind of wants to either grab him and sink his fingers into his blubber or he wants to bite him. To feel how soft he is.

He gains and gains, stuffing himself with human food and hardly swimming. Just sitting and plumping up in Bucky's tub. Waited on hand and foot (tail?), stuffed with more food than he could ever hope to catch.

And Steve. Well, Steve just eats and responds to Bucky's prompts or questions or general conversation between bites. Bucky leans against the bathroom wall or the side of the tub and talks between his trips to the kitchen. He never gets tired of feeding Steve or talking to him.

Somewhere along the way, they also become Bucky and Steve. Getting together. Bucky doesn't really know when or how that happens. He's very glad it does though...

Once, when Steve genuinely wants to stretch his fins and isn't pretending to go back into the wild, Bucky struggles to lift him up. He's truly fat now. He forgets how fat he's gotten. It seems like that stick-thin, angular merman is so far away. Besides, Steve looks much more like himself fat. Its hard to describe but fat Steve looks more like Steve than a half-starved, haunted merman.

Steve gets into the wheelbarrow with Bucky's assistance, he swims for a hour or so (only an hour?? he felt like it was so much longer... has swimming always been that exhausting?!), then returns to the tub and, oh-

He doesn't fit very well in the bathtub anymore.

Fat belly. Fat tail. Fat tits. Fat arms. Fat. Fat. Fat. Steve is fat. Too fat for Bucky's bathtub, evident by the tight feeling of his big body pressed against the cold porcelain. Too fat to swim away from sharks or predators but also too fat too catch fish in the ocean. He's no longer slim, no longer slipping quickly through the water. He lumbers now, especially on land. Clumsy and fat.

😳😳

Both Steve and Bucky pause, staring at each other. Steve wedged in the tub. Bucky bent over him, looking down at the mountain of blubber he makes. His tummy especially.

Fuck.

It's been an entire year since they've known each other now, winter melting into spring, hinting at summer all over again, and Bucky promises that come spring and summer, he'll begin digging out an in-ground pool for Steve to live in. Something he can't outgrow.

"I'll have my own zoo then, huh? A live-in zoo with my pet whale. All to myself to spoil and play with, yeah?"

Steve squirms where he's wedged. His blush works down from his forehead to his soft chest. His nipples are hard. His belly has had time to digest from his swim and he aches to have Bucky stuff him full again. He wants to be rock-hard under his layer of blubber. Bloated and stuffed so full that Bucky can press down with his fingers and feel it.

He wants to be fed so big that Bucky won't be able to pick him up. Outgrown the tub and wheelbarrow...

By the time the pool is dug and water is rushing into it, ground water and salt water and rain, near the end of summer Steve really can't fit himself in the tub. His fat sides squish out over the edge. His tail is about as wide as the tub and sticking his ass down into the tub, then moving, creates suction. So much so that he almost can't shift in the tub without help. His gut and incredibly intensely stretch mark-ed sides are always dry, sticking out of the top lip of the tub. He is huge. A whale. Not a little mermaid, slim and svelte as he was when he first showed up. Now he's covered in bubbler and stretch marks and fat and rolls and he has trouble swimming. He has trouble moving, with or without Bucky's help. When swimming, Steve can't really dive, his blubber makes him too buoyant. But he can float on his back, like an otter. Belly to the sky.

His belly is his biggest part of him. To the point that he looks SWOLLEN. Pumped full. Strained around the constant snacks and meals and desserts.

Everyday when Bucky finishes cooking breakfast, he greets his boyfriend by humming, "good morning, whale," and every time it makes Steve shudder inside, hot for it.

He might already be a whale but he's seen bigger whales. He wants to be bigger.

The move from tub to pool is extremely slow and strenuous. They have to stop twice to get Steve snacks before they're done. Bucky jokes that it's unfair that he's so hungry because it means that he's heavier for the rest of the journey to the pool 😤

Not that Bucky doesn't want him bigger or heavier, of course.

Steve loves his pool (other than the part where he has to swim more often but don't worry, he just starts eating more and he gets some muscles under all of that fat)!! He gets to feel the sunshine and breeze and he keeps getting all the same amount of food too. It's lovely. He's even happier. A little ball of lard. Endlessly round with roll after roll, stacked up around his dome of a gut. He's more fat than anything else, spending his days in the shallow end of the pool with Bucky feeding him until he literally can't eat another bite, moaning and surrendering.

Bucky climbs on top of him like that, Steve so fat that he's held down to the bottom of the pool, even in a few inches of water, heavy, and straddles his tail. Rutting his dick against his blubber-thick tail and burying his face in Steve's obscenely round belly (his arms have to be spread wide to reach the ground around his round gut). Stuffed, PACKED full of his love in food form.

Bucky gasps and moans and works himself into a frenzy on top of him. And all the while Steve simply enjoys, drunk on food and arousal, wet with burning hot desire but... again, he's food-drunk, body slugging through all the fat and grease and flavor, so he can wait while Bucky gets himself off.

Bucky could fuck Steve, his slit gets wet and would hold the shape of him sort of like a vagina but usually he can't wait. Bucky needs it now.

Bucky mouths at his soft fat over his hard, packed tight belly, and humps him. Splashing water all over. About to come and muttering, crazed, about how big his whale is. His prized whale... whining about how blubbery and huge his trophy whale is. Bigger than everyone else and yet he's still going to get bigger. A growing, greedy whale. Bucky keeps going, winding himself and Steve up by promising that he's going to go to the town on the mainland next time and buy everything he can, every type of food, and stuff all of it into him so he can make more blubber. Get bigger. His whale. He loves his big, fat, huge whale. Fat enough and full enough that he can't even swim. He can't move. All he can do is get bigger, fatter, larger. His whale.

Bucky comes, splattering messily over Steve's gut. The part of his whale he's made the largest. Steve moans because as crazed as Bucky is for this, Steve is more. He's the one who's put on so much weight that he's unrecognizable. He is the one still opening his mouth.

So, yeah, extremely fat merperson Steve 🥵

[stxvercgersslut]

Love Without Doubt

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Female Reader

Part 1: It’ll be over and I’ll Still Be Asking When

Other people mentioned: Natasha, Tony, Clint, Wanda & others

Warnings: Mentions of death, heartache, language like normal, angry reader, sad steve, dead Tony, smut in the future, pregnancy, a whole load of angst and a whole lot of fluff in future parts.

Description: Losing Tony Stark was the worst thing to ever happen to you. But finding out that you were 3 months pregnant with your late husbands baby hit the nail on the head. You were alone, heartbroken and Scared. Steve’s riddled with guilt, knowing you were out there alone and pregnant hurt him, how could he leave you like that? Exactly he couldn’t.

A/n: I know the pictures are of a white girl but this is by no means a white girl fic. In fact this is reader insert! Meaning that you get to imagine yourself in this fic as y/n, so I will not be addressing the colour of her skin because that is for you to do! :) I know that this chapter is just a short one but this is the prologue. I didn’t think it needed to be that long.

A/n: ahhhh it’s been a while. I’m sorry for my absence I didn’t really plan on writing this again. But after a lot of thinking 🤔 came to the conclusion that I honestly adore this fic too much not to continue it.

Positive.

Shit!

'No no no no no! Y/n this can't be happening right now! How on earth could you let this happen?' You screamed in your head. Just some of the thoughts that were running wild in your brain as you continued to stare hundreds of tiny little holes into the pregnancy test.

Tony had always wanted kids, ever since the pair of your had begun to date those long 7 years ago he'd been open with you about his longing for children. But now the moment you should have shared with your loving husband was shared with you and your reflection in the mirror. The man you loved would never get to meet his beautiful baby and that fact alone was enough to shatter your heart into slivers. There truly was no coming back from this pain.

How could this be happening right now? More importantly, how could this be happening to you right no! After everything you'd been through the world just wouldn't give you a break?!? With Tony gone how on earth were you even going to provide of a baby? Let alone looked after it on your own!

As these questions continued to race around your brain at 100 miles an hour, your hands began to shake uncontrollably whilst tears began to fall from your eyes. It was no surprise that you were understandably distraught with the cards you'd been dealt by the world.

————————————————————

Despite your pain, Steve was going through heartbreak just as much as you were, completely traumatised due to being forced to watch one of his best friends sacrifice himself in order to save not only the world but also the universe it's self. Not only did he have the trauma but he also had the guilt of your pain looming over you.

Due to what he'd witnessed Steve would find himself experiencing nightmare after nightmare every single night, barely managing to sneak in any sleep before the images of his former best friend, Tony Stark, dying in front of him reappeared in his brain for what felt like the millionth time. It had only been 3 days since that dreaded day yet he'd been tossing and turning ever since. Living alone in his currant state was never a good idea. But since he had no one to help him through the PTSD he had to just struggle on through.  With all his failures coming back to haunt him it was tough but he had to try. Otherwise what was the point in anything?

As the early hours of the morning sunshine began to shine through his half open curtains, Steve jolted awake. Once again awakened by the deadliness of his nightmare. However, this time, unlike any other time, he woke up with an overwhelming sense of guilt towards you. His entire heart burning from what you must have been going through.  After all he knew exactly how close you and Tony use to be, how could he have been so cruel to rip that away from you when you'd been so happy?

Knowing that you'd be all alone in that huge cabin, alone with your thought eating you alive just like his were, truly didn't sit right with him. It was just in his blood to help people, whether or not they actually wanted his help was a different question but if someone was in distress, which he somehow had a feeling you were, he had to at least try and help.

Grunting, the still slightly panicked soldier stretched out his limbs, releasing all tensions from the night before as he did every morning even before the blip. It was just apart of his routine now and he'd never be able to stop that.

'Alright, time to get up I guess' the male mumbled to himself as his feet met the hard wood of his apartment bedroom floor. Ever since the blip Steve hadn't been able to stay at the Avengers compound, too afraid of having to relive all of those failures again. Now, with the compound completely and utterly destroyed, it was just an added reason for him not to go back there. Especially with everything that had gone on in there before.

He may have looked okay from the outside but on the inside? Oh he was a broken man alright. What did anyone expect from a super soldier who'd been through as much trauma as him?

As the male prepared his morning coffee his mind wandered back to you, wondering what on earth you could have been doing in a cabin all alone by yourself. Maybe you were still asleep in bed , shaking off all the loneliness and all the heart break with as much sleep as you could? If that was the case then maybe Steve could rest easier knowing that for the most part you were okay. Maybe he would have been able to forget about you if he knew for certain that you were able to slip into a state of peace when you fell asleep.

But for some reason Steve just couldn't shake the idea of you maybe crying yourself to sleep every night. Or even worse, what if you were listening to that damn hologram again? Or his voicemail again? What if you still hated him? Oh he had to put this right.

Deep down Steve knew you hated the way that he'd handled things, the way he'd brutally dragged your husband away from you. Bursting the bubble surrounding the two of you in the process. But if there was any possible way that he could put all the heartbreak right and ease his Conscience in the process then he had to try right? No matter how much you hated him right now he knew that you'd need a friend right now.

So without a second thought, the super soldier poured his morning coffee into a travel mug (one Bucky had bought him one year), threw on a t-shirt and jeans, grabbed his leather jacket as well as his keys and left the house. There just had to be a way to put this right.

As Steve made his way to the cabin that used to be shared by you and Tony, he couldn't help but lose himself in deep thought. Struggling to comprehend how life had just fucked everyone over so awfully. Yeah they managed to get their lives back and bring everyone home in the process. But what good was that when Tony didn't arrive back home to you safely? What use was bringing all the blipped back when Steve had to explain to you that your husband was never coming home. The world was cruel, that he knew for certain.

It hadn't taken him more than an hour to finally arrive at your cabin, sucking in a deep breath as he slowly exited him car and made his way up to the front door.

Was he really about to do this? Was he really about to attempt to talk to you even though he knew that you most likely hated his guts?

Apparently so since his he curled his hand into a fist and gently knocked on the door, staring is hung that he could hear the sound of joyful laughter. But in reality all he could hear was painful sobs. That was the hardest part, hearing you sob was already breaking his heart. It was times like these he truly did wish that his hearing wasn’t as strong as it happened to be.

With one more breath, Steve finally pulled himself together and knocked 3 times, hoping you’d opened the door for him.

————————————————————

You'd been so caught up in your emotional agony that you'd barely had enough time to hear the first couple knocks, but by the third knock your senses seemed to finally come back quick enough to only slightly hear the very last knock.

After straightening yourself up a little you finally made your way towards the door, dreading the panic attack that was most likely coming your way after everything you’d gone through. However, nothing had prepared you for who you found at the door upon opening.

“Steve?” You groaned almost angrily; practically spitting it out.

Tags: @jtargaryen18​ @chuckbass-love​ @et-lesailes​ @harrysthiccthighss​ @cevans-fics​ @dwights-new-plague @sweetllamaparadise @jessyballet @lharrietg @patzammit

[iwillsearchtheuniverse4u]

See You In My Dreams, Stranger

Sik-k smut | khh smut

Warnings: SMUT! ORAL! (f and m receiving) PUBLIC? (not really tho)

Preview: Meeting a stranger on my night walk down the river turns out to be one of the best nights of my life.

It was one of those restless nights that I’ve been dreading ever since I started attending university. I couldn’t sleep, the thought of not knowing where my life is headed keeping me awake every single night. I couldn’t concentrate, I couldn’t brush my teeth or remember to drink water, I just felt like existence was so utterly useless when all my dreams have been swept under a rug somewhere because I was too afraid to act upon them. I’d been dreaming of becoming a translator but all the odds of the world were against me so I chose some apparently more ‘useful’ business degree that I hated with all that I had in me. Because of my perfectionism I had been attending all of my online classes and excelling at them but I felt empty, I felt like I had been contributing to everything I hated the most in this society. At the same time I was just too afraid to change my major because I felt like I had to do something impressive to the outside world, something that would make people respect me.

Just another night of endless tossing and turning, tears streaming down my face, wondering if life does ever get better than this. I couldn’t take it anymore. I got up, took a few steps towards the light switch in the corner of my one room apartment and pressed it. The cheap yellow light bulb lit up the room. The floor next to my mattress was covered in books I was trying to study from and my notes covered in smudged ink. I had a bad habit of crying while studying, sleeping, listening to music and showering, every activity that demanded me to be alone in my little space that had never really felt like home at all. Not much else was in that room apart from a small refrigerator, a microwave oven, my mattress, a closet and a wooden bookshelf. I also had a tiny bathroom that always smelled a bit moldy if I forgot to spray the air freshener three times a day.

I decided to go for a walk along the river as it became clear I wasn’t getting a second of sleep in that night. I hastily put on my black leggings and a hoodie with my high school’s logo on it. I desperately needed to get away from my own thoughts so I grabbed my phone and my earphones that were tied into little knots as always. I couldn’t afford the wireless ones because my scholarship was kept safe in my bank account where I was saving every last cent just in case I decided to drop out and go move to...run away to a foreign country where my name sounds like a whisper of the distant wind. As I was locking my door I heard one of the neighbors flush their toilets. Most of them were students like me or people living on part-time jobs, I never really met any of them, they were just familiar faces I would probably forget in a year after moving out.

The streets were quiet, only the sounds of air conditioners and an occasional motorbike or a car passing by me. I checked my phone to see the time, the picture of my favourite singer’s face lighting up my screen: 3.30am. Of course other parts of the city were probably very much alive at this time of the night but my area was populated only by grocery stores, cafes and libraries, not a single club in sight. The only lights I could see where streetlights and some LED signs. I headed towards the river trying to untie my headphones. I put them in my ears and decided to lose myself in the beats of one of those hyped-up rap songs. I put the volume up just so it was a bit uncomfortable and let my ears adjust to the blasting music.

I finally reached the riverside and started walking along the flow of the water. I couldn’t hear it but it still resonated with my mind better than the rustling sound of the city. There was a road along the river that ended somewhere within the green forest because the are was populated with some important bird species that I could never remember the name of. I sat on the bench at the beginning of that forest, my mind still dissolved in the loud beats coming out of my earphones. Even though my ears were covered with a thick layer of my long brown hair I was sure the music could be heard by anyone standing within a 1 meter ratio. I didn't mind, it was 4 am, people were either asleep or sloppily making out in a club somewhere far away. Thinking about the things I was missing out on started to become louder than the music and I let my tears fall. I was overworked, overwhelmed and empty, I couldn't keep it in. Not that I ever tried. I had never been good at hiding my emotions.

Looking at the night view of the city on the other side reflecting on the surface of the river, getting lost in my thoughts, I felt the bench move ever so slightly under my body. I looked to the side and almost fainted at the sight of a dark shadow sitting beside me. My heart started beating and I stood up to leave in case it was a stranger trying to talk to me in the middle of the night. As I took my first step away from the bench the person lightly touched the fabric of my sleeve. I looked back at him. I was certain it was a man judging by his broad shoulders and a black cap on his head. I removed my headphones, my heart still beating as if I had been running for the last 3 hours. "Excuse me. I wasn't trying to bother you or anything. I just like to look at the city at night when my head gets all crowded and I can't think straight. Don't go just because of me." His voice was deep and raspy but had an elegant tone to it, it felt  calm but distant as if he had been lost in thought. He was looking at me and the lights of the city were playfully jumping around in his eyes but his expression was the complete opposite. He seemed broken. I couldn’t let myself leave him, partly because he seemed significantly depressed and partly because he was astonishingly beautiful. My feet were unable to move, I stood there for a moment contemplating my options but my gut feeling sat me down next to him.

As we were sitting, each on one side of the bench, looking at the sparkly surface of the river my heart calmed down and minutes passed, none of us speaking, just the sound of the river mixed with my music flowing through the night air. "You were crying." He stated with a regretful tone, almost whispering. My cheeks flushed with warmth, I looked at his profile, him still staring at the waves. "I just thought I was alo-" "Don't. Feelings aren't something to be ashamed of. They're just as much a part of you as your legs and arms are. If people feel burdened it's usually their problem because they've never been faced by their own emotions. They just don't know how to act and feel uncomfortable." He talked slowly and didn't bother looking at me. It felt like his words were directed at the universe or at himself just at the general direction he was speaking, he looked so lost. I didn't notice I was staring until he looked at my eyes and smiled. It was one of those crooked smiles, filled with a certain type of worry I couldn't identify. "You can tell me why you were crying. I probably won't remember tomorrow anyway. I can lend you my ears for tonight, maybe I'll forget all about my own problems." His gaze moved back to the view as he sat back and crossed his arms on his chest. At that moment I felt like telling him every little thing about my life. It had been so long since I had anyone who would just listen without the constant urge to solve my problems but just LISTEN. I stopped myself. "I won't let you get off the hook that easy. I have a feeling that you're the one not facing your own problems. Why don't you lean on someone for a change?" I said, determined to make him speak. He looked at me from the side and his head slowly followed his gaze, his eyebrows furrowing just so much I could notice. The anticipation of hearing his raspy voice that felt so familiar and kind made me turn off my music. This man that sat next to me just a moment ago suddenly awakened my curiosity. It took a while for him to speak as we were maintaining a really intense eye contact for what felt as hours. I was able to inspect every milimeter of his dark cat-like eyes. "You're good at reading people, I'll give you that." He smiled and turned back to face the view. "I'm just under a lot of pressure. People expect a lot from me, that's all...and sometimes it can get really frustrating when I can't really reach those expectations. Sometimes it feels like there are so many people doing my thing better than me, it scares me." He put his hands in the pockets of his black sweater still staring at something in the distance. I wasn't sure what to say but he also didn't expect me to say anything. He needed someone to listen and I was there to supply. I asked: "And what would your 'thing' be exactly?" in an effort to get to know more about this mysterious creature in front of me. "Music. I make music for a living." His eyes now focused on his shoes while he bit his lips in an effort not to smile. I finally realized why his voice sounded so familiar, it was freaking Kwon Minsik, Sik-k, Korea's best rapper, sitting next to me staring at the Han river. My hand automatically covered my mouth as I inhaled. I was trying to calm myself down. He probably heard my playlist which was full of his songs and it made me feel so embarrassed, my cheeks flushing with heat again. He tried really hard to hide his cocky smile as he turned his face away from me, looking into the woods on the other side. After a few minutes he asked: "So now are you going to tell me why you were crying?" He was facing me, looking at my eyes attentively like a little boy waiting for instructions from his teacher. I was still to shy to maintain eye contact so I looked at my hands on my lap. I told him my story about how lost and useless I felt in life. I told him about feeling lonely and scared about my future. I told him everything.

Before I knew it tears started to emerge from my eyes again and I tried really hard not to look at Minsik who was still facing me, one of his arms resting on the back of the bench. I cracked. I cracked in front of a man I respected the most. It was embarrassing but also liberating, I was done trying to impress the world. I dropped my head, defeated. Next thing I felt was his warm hand on my cheek, gently wiping the trail of my tears. I froze for a bit, my eyes widening at the sudden proximity of his body. I didn't even notice him getting closer before he put his hand on my face. He was sitting right next to me, the sides of our thighs touching ever so slightly. I could hear my heart rate getting faster and louder. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t control it. I looked at him and he removed his hand, still looking at me with his furrowed eyebrows, a concerned expression drawing on his face. "I'm sorry. You probably think I'm just being childish, crying at something as trivial as my major." I said with a shaky voice. "Don't ever say sorry for your feelings ever again, you hear me? And besides, I don't think it's stupid, I think it's just very important to you. You want to set goals for yourself but you're too afraid that you're not going to reach them so you just let them go. I would obviously tell you to go for what feels right and figure it out but that won't make you feel secure and I bet a lot of other people in your life told you this before." He replied with his deep raspy voice that I loved so much. He was so close. I could feel every breath on the surface of my cheek, his left arm was lying behind me on the back of the bench, it was almost like a hug. I couldn’t think straight anymore, my thoughts were intertwined with the smell of his cologne and the heat of his body so close to mine. He didn't feel like a stranger, he felt like someone who'd known me for years. I buried my face into my hands so I wouldn't make any thoughtless mistakes. Suddenly, he moved away from me, I couldn’t feel the proximity of his body anymore, the cold night air embracing my whole being. I peeked up from my palms. He was still looking at me with concern in his eyes, saying: "Sorry, I probably got too close for comfort, I'm not used to this kind of emotional thing, you know?" I felt a desperate need for physical touch, maybe it was the cold air, the anxiety or his perfect stature or maybe it was a mix of both but I straightened my back and looked directly into his eyes. It was so unlike me to be this bold but my body automatically moved closer to his.

He didn't move even when my face was only ten centimeters away from his. His expression changed, his forehead relaxing, his eyelids closing halfway when I suddenly felt his hand on my thigh. He grabbed onto it like he was holding on for his dear life and it made me want him more. I stopped, looking down at his lips when he pulled himself closer. His smooth lips crashing into mine made me lean back but he was only getting closer until he pinned me to the wooden bench beneath us. It was a passionate kiss, his hands didn't limit themselves to my thighs but discovered the hot surface of my skin under my hoodie. I felt a certain kind of euphoria, the kind you only get to experience when you do something completely out of character for you but turns out to be the best thing you could have possibly done.

As our kiss was getting more heated and his hands were groping my breasts for a couple of minutes the heat between my legs was getting unbearable. I could feel one of his hands roam down to my thigh and up to my ass where he got the grip to grind against me. Our lips and tounges still inseparable, I played along and grinded my heat against his growing buldge until I heard his raspy growls which sent shivers down my spine. As our tempo aligned we started breathing heavily and his lips left mine but relocated to my neck, definitely leaving more than just the incredibly pleasing pain. There was only a couple of pieces of clothing seperating us but the longing was excruciating. I started tugging on the collar of his black hoodie, trying to stop him as his lips attacked my collarbone. "Stop...I can'...I can't take it." I said with a soft voice in between my moans. His hips stopped moving immediately and he pushed himself above me so we were looking face to face, his body still on top of me. The loss of friction left me feeling needy. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to be this fast, I just thought-" I got up and laid a small kiss on his lips mid-sentence. "Come to my place." I whispered in his ear. I hadn't gotten to know this part of me before but that night felt different. Maybe it was the stream of emotions I had just shared with this stranger on top of me or the tone of his voice or the feeling of the cold night breeze but I didn't want to spend this morning alone.

When we finally arrived at my door he was standing so close to me I almost held my breath trying to get myself to collect my thoughts. I swear I could hear his heartbeat like it was my own, his lips suddenly tracing the curve of my neck as I was trying to insert the right passcode. I couldn’t even focus in my own hands as his were holding me around the waist so it took me a few moments to find the right digits. When the holy sound of the door lock unlocking echoed in the hallway he already pressed the knob in a hurry and pushed me inside. Because my one room apartment was so small it only took our intertwined bodies a solid 30 seconds to hit the mattress. He was planting sloppy kisses down my collar bone as I was tugging at his hoodie, trying to set him free of it. He stopped for a moment only to get up and remove it. The moonlight from outside my small window caressing his elegant body, lighting him up from the back like he was some beastly creature of the night taking advantage of my sadness. I couldn’t move, he was sitting on top of me, his face was covered in darkness but I knew he was watching me. "Do you have any idea how freaking beautiful you look in this light?" His raspy whisper made me quiver. I smiled and looked away while my body was hungry for his touch. I wasn't ready to show it.

He slowly got up with his hands trailing the shape of my thighs until he was holding me behind the knees, still looking at me. I felt his hands pull my leggings of as if it was the easiest thing in the whole entire world. He then proceeded to playfully pull at my panties, rubbed my knot and lowered his face to blow at my growing heat, my legs almost immediately trying to close at the sudden pleasure. He held them open while licking my folds twice, trying to see my reaction. I couldn’t hold in my moans and my spine curved in-synch with my breathing. It was something I haven't felt in forever, not like this, not this strong. I grabbed onto his hair and he seemed to read the ques as he got rid of the piece of fabric. His tounge was doing circles around my clit making me see fireworks and probably tugging at his hair with both hands so much that his scalp was in pain. He got me shaking in a matter of minutes and it was the best high I've ever experienced, sending all kinds of shivers down my skin, leaving me panting. He was far from done though.

"You taste so good, baby girl," he said unknowing of the affect it had on me. I got up to unzip his pants (which he more than willingly helped me with). I traced my fingers down his perfect abs to the hem of his boxers and lower, tracing his hard member while inspecting his face. As soon as I grabbed it through the fabric with my whole hand his eyelids shut closed and his head fell back in pleasure. I pulled him to the mattress and got on top of him trying to grind at his boxers, making them soaking wet. Then I got up to remove the rest of his clothing. I proceeded to trace my tounge along his shaft and sucking on his member, enjoying his growls. His hands were grabbing the sheets and the veins on his forearms and neck were starting to protrude. Every now and then a soft "fuck~" escaped his mouth, motivating me to keep going. Then he suddenly stopped me, saying: "I need to come inside of you, grab my wallet." Instead, I got up to open one of my drawers where I was saving a pack of condoms, praying they would fit him. I handed one to him and he was so quick about it, it got me thinking just how many girls he gets to play around with like this every night. The thought escaped my mind when he stood up to hold me around the waist, slowly pulling me back to bed with him. He undressed me, pulling my hoodie over my head only to discover I wasn't wearing a bra underneath. His dark eyes glowed with passion as he greabbed one of my nipples, tugging at it while kissing me sloppily. He threw me on the mattress and got on top of me. My body was heated up completely, I couldn’t even feel the night breeze coming from the opened window. He licked my sensitive nipples a few more times before aligning himself with my entrance and pushing inside of me. The fireworks from before were nothing compared to the utter pleasure I felt at that exact moment, Sik-k filling me up perfectly. My head fell back in moans and my back curved up again. I could have sworn I saw stars playing in the darkness of my eyelids. All I heard him say was: "Fuck..." He took his time waiting for me to adjust and started to quicken his pace while adjusting the angle. One of his hands was stroking my stomach and the other was holding onto my ass. I tried to mimic his movements, increasing the fraction of our bodies. The moans escaping our mouths felt so unholy they made it even more passionate. "I'm going to- I'm close!" I squealed throught the moans which made him go even harder and faster. My whole body tensed up and I grabbed onto the bedsheets pulling them off. His dick was starting to twitch inside of me, hitting all the right spots and I knew he was trying his best to make me come first which was a rare experience. I opened my eyes seeing him focused on me with his furrowed eyebrows, sweat dripping down the side of his jawline. My body was caught up in a wave of shivers, the walls of my pussy tightening so much it got him shaking as well. We were both just trying to ride out our highs with the last strenght we had. It was sweaty and suffocating but liberating at the same time, all of our thoughts disappearing for these unthinkable moments of pleasure. His hot body collapsed on top of me, both of us trying to catch our breaths again. "This was amazing." I told him in between breaths. He rolled over me to remove the condom and, to my surprise, came right back to lie beside me, his arms hugging me from behind. He kissed my neck and whispered in my ear: "See you in my dreams, stranger."

[iturbide]

distractions huh? SO [chinhands] tell me your most and least favorite aspects of the fe16 lords and fe13 main character (which i’m saying Lissa counts for this because she deserves it)

Lissa is absolutely a main character and to imply otherwise is a travesty

but oh we're gonna go deep huh

okay so starting with the 3H Lords (I'm sticking to the House Leaders because I can't really count Byleth as a Lord)

Most Favorite

Claude: I mean. I love everything about Claude, you know? If I had to pick one favorite thing, though, it's how kind he is. He had a rough past of his own, and he could very easily have decided to take that out on others -- but instead, he sets his sights on changing the world so that no one else will ever have to suffer the way he did. He might be secretive and keep his cards close to the vest, but strip away the mystery and he's an incredibly good person.

Dimitri: The fact that his mental health is taken seriously. Dimitri has some pretty extreme trauma in his past, and it's implied that even after he's able to face some of that, his mental health struggles will continue for the rest of his life. And that's amazing, given how mental health problems are usually just hand-waved away in media as "cured" by something when that's not how it works in reality. It's just really nice to see.

Edelgard: I actually really like how driven she is. She is a woman who has the will to change the world and she refuses to stop until she does that, even if it means getting her hands dirty in the process. That is a gripping trait and one that can be fascinating in a well-nuanced character but IntSys dropped the ball on that.

Least Favorite

Claude: I have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find anything I don't like about Claude at all. I do roll my eyes at IntSys' implied history for him in some magazine or something: having lots of half-siblings and getting pushed around by the family, which doesn't exactly reflect well on his dad in my view, similar to the whole Concubine Wars thing that Garon could have addressed but didn't which led to lots of child murder. But thankfully that's not canon as far as I'm concerned so I can safely complain about it and then re-write it to be better.

Dimitri: The effective 180 turn in Dimitri's mindset after Rodrigue's death. I love the actual arc of Dimitri's story, the generally positive approach to mental health issues and managing them, but having his sudden improvement be linked to Rodrigue's death...if not counter-intuitive, then questionable, given how well he knew the man and how deeply traumatized he's been by similar deaths in his presence (including Rodrigue's elder son).

Edelgard: The gross obsession with Byleth that IntSys wrote into Crimson Flower. I hate that so much. It makes sense to me that the war gets deadlocked in other routes (the Alliance is laying low while the Kingdom and Empire go at it in Verdant Wind, the Empire is struggling against terrain and weather conditions while trying to root out Kingdom holdouts in Azure Moon), but the heavy implication in Crimson Flower is that Edelgard's effort stagnated because she was so focused on finding Byleth rather than actually doing anything. That's an absolute travesty to me, given how interesting her character could be.

And as for my Awakening mains (Lucina's technically the tritagonist right? so she's in here too):

Most Favorite

Chrom: I love how open he is to people. This man has made so many ill-advised recruitment decisions including: A) an amnesiac Plegian, B) a thief that infiltrated Ylisstol Castle as part of an assassination mission, C) an enemy Plegian mage who didn't throw a fireball at him, and D) a second Plegian mage that just showed up out of nowhere with a bunch of birds. He doesn't cast aspersions, he doesn't judge based on past or occupation or heritage, he's just "welcome aboard, please don't stab me in the back." Also his unshakeable faith in Robin even after Validar forces them to steal the Fire Emblem from him gets me every damn time.

Robin: I love that Robin and Grima are linked. I love this so much, because while there are tons of different interpretations for what that link is, one hard fact is that Robin is an incredibly kind person who cares deeply about people and wants to keep them safe. No matter how evil Grima might be, the irrefutable fact is that Robin -- who is directly linked to the fell dragon -- is a kind and caring person, meaning Grima's direct presence is not corrupting or a sign that someone is evil.

Lissa: I love the dichotomy between her bright, cheerful personality and her deep-seated insecurities about her absent Brand. She's so energetic and so fun, a bit of a prankster and insistent that she's not delicate and therefore doesn't need to be coddled -- but deep down, she's clearly worried about her place in the family because she doesn't have the Brand her brother and sister do. The fact that Owain's Brand surfacing led her to cry for an hour speaks volumes about how that issue affects her, and I just love how both of these things exist in the same character.

Lucina: I love how strong she is. This is a young woman who has lost most of her family, whose world has fallen to ruin, and who now struggles to survive -- and rather than give into despair in the face of all these horrors and losses, she instead leads those able to fight against an undead threat and protect those who cannot defend themselves from that same danger. I have no doubt that she relies heavily on her closest allies (much as her father did before her), but she has shouldered this role without flinching, and it speaks volumes about her personal strength.

Least Favorite

Chrom: I've mentioned this before, but I'm really disappointed that we don't get full follow-through on his character when it comes to absorbing Emmeryn's lessons. We got to see him reach out and try to talk Walhart down! That was a great moment, even though it failed! But we never get to see him do the same with Grima -- and I have a feeling Emmeryn would still have tried to speak with the fell dragon, just as she tried to speak with Gangrel at the Border Pass early in the game. It just feels like they dropped the ball at the end, and that's a shame to me.

Robin: This is petty and minor and technically a wider issue than just Robin, but I kind of hate that Robin in canon is so pale-skinned. Robin is Plegian, they were born in a desert nation, their father is very dark-skinned, and then here's Robin, pale as a ghost. This affects Henry and Tharja, too (Gangrel could use further work, too, though I tend to think he's actually part Feroxi), and carries with it some really uncomfortable implications given that our evil Plegians are dark-skinned (Gangrel's a weird case again, given that he's kind of grey-looking for some reason???), but all our recruitable ones are pale. Seriously, IntSys, what the fuck.

Lissa: This is a personal thing but I'm disappointed in her Supports with Robin. Like, sure, the whole pranking thing is entertaining, but especially given the fact that they can have an S support, that's really shaky ground. I wish they could have had something more poignant, something with more meaning -- my first preference is, as always, a discussion of Brands, even if Robin's didn't come up -- rather than it just being a prank war ending in a stalemate. That doesn't even feel like a recipe for friendship.

Lucina: I really wish we'd seen her grow more. I know we only get her halfway through the game, but that's more than enough time for her to see how Chrom and Robin act and interact, how they trust each other, and how much they mean to each other, regardless of marital status. The only way that Lucina will falter in her judgment is if Robin is her other parent or if she's married to Robin, which makes it feel like she's missed a lot of her father's best lessons. I really wish she'd faltered even in the normal version, been unable to bring herself to take a life even believing that it was the way to save her father.

[iguessweallcrazyithinktho]

A starting point

Summary: Chris met a shy girl in Congress while doing work. He's instantly drawn to you.

Warning: Fluff

Pairing: Chris Evans x female! reader

Masterlists | request closed momentarily

Please don't post any of my content anywhere else without my permission. Comments and reblogs welcome!

He couldn't get you out of his head. Every now and then he would look up at you. Your eyes met his sometimes and it made him get butterflies as well. It was hard trying to work with you in the room. 

Chris' eyes landed on you and he swore he stopped breathing. You looked beautiful even though you were doing absolutely nothing. You looked from your clipboard and made eye contact with him. The sleeping butterflies in your stomach awaken. It took you everything to tear your eyes from his. A blush spread across your face. Chris chuckled softly and turned his attention back to his work.

-

Chris managed to not look at you for a good 5 minutes before he peaked back up. You were gone. A frown spread across his face. He searched every corner of the room, you were nowhere to be seen. Chris' heart dropped a little, he wanted to get to know you and maybe he just lost that chance. 

"Chris, you okay man?" Joe looked down at Chris seeing how pissed he looked. Chris looked up at him and used his acting skills. "Yeah I'm good. I'm going to go to the bathroom actually." Chris stood up and walked across the room. He turned around one more time before he left. "Be back in a sec."

The day went on and Chris hated it. He would look up every few minutes hoping you would magically appear, but you didn't. His hopes, he didn't want to give them up, but he had to. 

Chris walked to the bathroom, feet dragging on the floor. He cursed himself mentally, if there were people around he would have done it verbally. He pushed the bathroom door open and walked in. He didn't need to use the facilities, he just needed to breathe for a second.

His reflection stared back at him. Bags were under his eyes from all the staying up, grey hairs filled his beard. Maybe that's why you didn't want to be around him.

But that was far from the truth. You wanted to know him, but your anxiety was getting to you. You're a shy person and Chris looking at you was enough to make you weak and sweaty. You had to regain control of yourself before you could walk back out and look him in the eyes again.

"Get it together." You told yourself before you walked out of the door. Chris needed to get back before people started finding it suspicious that he's gone for that long. He walked out the bathroom just as you were. Your eyes met again and you both froze. Chris let the door close behind him, a smile coated his face.

"Hi." You smiled at him, "hi." Chris' gaze fell to the ground, so did yours. "How are you?" He asked. You looked back up at him. "I'm okay." You exhaled shakely. Chris heard your uneven breath and looked up at you

"You okay." You quickly nodded. "Yeah, just my anxiety. You looking at me made me nervous." You admitted. Chris smiled, "that's a good thing?" You laughed, "Yes actually." 

Chris  breathed out a sigh of relief, it wasn't him. "I think we should get back to work." Your voice was soft, sorta like a symphony to his ears. 

"Yeah," he cleared his throat before continuing. "That's a good idea." You turned to walk down the hall, Chris followed beside you down the hall. You looked up at him smiling, god he could get used to that. He smiled back in return as you both reached the room. Chris being the gentleman he is, let you walk in first before he walked in.

You stood back in your little corner, watching Chris get to work. He looked hot doing what he loved. His eyes never failed to look up at you every chance he got. You were like a drug to him and he barely knew you. 

-

The day came to a close and Chris got all the things he needed. You stood and waited for the congresswoman you're working with to get their stuff. Chris needed to get your number, he just had to. He worked up his courage before walking up to you. The Boston boy stood in front of you clearly nervous. "Um I was wondering if I could um, get your number? Maybe we can go out on a date if you'll like."

You laughed slightly and nodded. "Sure, I don't mind." Chris smiled widely and pulled out his phone. You gave him your number and he gave you his. After exchanging numbers, Chris had to leave. He wrapped his arms around you, drowning you in his warmth. 

When he pulled away, he looked down at you. "Ok, I'll talk I guess." You nodded slightly. "Yeah."

He pulled away and walked to the door. Before he could leave your view, he turned around and winked at you. A blush creeped up on your face. You turned and gathered your things, before you and the congresswoman Walked out. 

-

Later that night you were sitting in your bed in the pitch dark room, staring up at the ceiling. You tried to go to sleep, but Chris flooded your mind. His beautiful eyes, smile, voice, they never left your mind. You turned onto your left side and shut your eyes, hoping sleep would take over. Before you could even get close to falling asleep, your phone chime. You picked it up and read the message. 

I can't wait to get to know you, sleep tight beautiful

It was a starting point!

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭ 。.・

@chris-butt @princess-evans-addict @patzammit @bval-1 @irespostthingsiwanttoseelater @raveviolet @rynabarnesrogers-reading @enn-j @london-dreamer71 @harrysthiccthighss @captainamerica-is-bae @la-cey @weirdowithnobeardo @lovepeacefood @baby-i-am-fireproof @denisemarieangelina @evans713 @smyfmj @thereisa8ella @jillanaholland @rororo06 @briannab1234 @keiva1000 @ughitsnic @kianifan @adriannajackson @savannah-elliott @onetwo3000

[azulazenin]

Fire Lilies

Summary: A flower it's just a flower anywhere in the world, but in the Fire Nation, the smallest gestures can hide bigger meanings. Even for the princess.

Paring: Azula x Ty Lee

A/N: This was originally written in portuguese for the tyzulaweek challenge, and posted on my wattpad account. I tried my best to translate it, so take it easy on me, english it's not my first language 😅

The first memories Azula had around fire lilies came from her early childhood, a time where everything was simpler, when her only concerns involved play with her friends and bully her brother. In that time, Azula was already a terror, a little adorable beast who liked to use the poor plants to train her fire aim, only for the pleasure of watching the immensity of black petals reduced to a pile of ashes. "They deserve it, they're not as pretty as the others." She always thought to herself, but that little act of rebellion didn't last long, Zuko exposed her bad behavior, and Ursa forbade her of keep on destroying the royal garden.

Not that Ursa was capable of stopping her daughter of doing what she likes, but anyway, the flowers did not suffer again in the hands of the princess, and the responsible for that was Ty Lee, by bringing a whole new meaning for the fire lilies in Azula's life.

— You wanna do what in my hair? – Azula was reluctant on letting someone touch her hair, especially the topknot.

— A wreath of flowers! – Ty Lee proclaimed in an adorable enthusiastic sound. — Please Zula, I already asked Mai and she didn't let me. I'm gonna do your hair just like mine, you're going to be so pretty! Well i'm not saying that you aren't already pretty, but…

— Ok! – the princess gave in, fearing that Ty Lee kept on talking all day long. — Just do the goddamn wreath.

Azula sat at the edge of the corridor stairway that connected all the courtyards in the palace, Ty Lee one step above her. With half hundred fire lilies, the little acrobat worked her way through the princess' dark hair, arranging the flowers into a arc to keep bangs away from the eyes and a cascade down a long braid. When finished, Ty Lee was so proud of her job she almost cry out of happiness.

— See? I told you it was going to be gorgeous! – she spoke between leaps, crushing Azula into a hug and giving little kisses across her face.

Azula felt her cheeks burning red and butterflies in the pit of her stomach. Her body used to react like this when she was angry, but she never had those two symptoms at the same time before, and never accompanied by that itch on the left side of her chest. Definitely, it wasn't anger what she was feeling.

— Y-yeah sure, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. – Azula babbled when she saw her reflection through the water of the fountain and stepped away from her friend, desperately trying to get rid of those scary unknown emotions.

But she didn't managed to do it, not that day, nor the days ahead of her. Azula was yet to young to understand that weird feeling close to her heart, to small to know why she always revive it whenever she was close to Ty Lee or fire lilies. But eventually she learned to disguise, to ignore the cold in her belly and sent away the redness of her face, though it was really difficult to pretend her heart wasn't beating like crazy when her friend was close with flowers on hands or asked to touch her hair.

Years later, when Azula was in her early teenage years, her father entrusted her with the biggest mission of her life, and the princess knew very well she could only count on two people to help her. All she had to do was ask, the authority of her title would do the rest, as it was the case with Mai in Omashu, but she didn't want the things to be like that with Ty Lee too. After spending such a long time away from her friend, Azula needed to know if the fire lilies had on Ty Lee the same effect they had on her.

— What an exquisite performance. – Azula said when she entered dressing room after the show, placing the bouquet of black flowers on the table. — I can't wait to see how you'll top yourself tomorrow.

Azula faced the acrobat through the mirror, trying to study her reaction, but apparently, the princess' ability of reading other people's emotions was useless on Ty Lee, 'cause she ended up losing herself in other details. There was no deny that her friend was beautiful, the brown hair and that pair of gray eyes might not be such a big deal in other countries, but in the Fire Nation, it turned her beauty in something rather rare. A woman like that, in the non humble Azula's opinion, should be on a palace surrounded by servents tending to her needs, not in a filth circus at the ends of the world.

— I'm sorry Azula, but unfortunately it won't be a show tomorrow. – Ty Lee responded, awakening the princess out of her trance.

— Really? – the surprise was genuine, but Azula tried hard to pretend otherwise. Not even the conquering of Ba Sing Se could make her so happy as the realization that Ty Lee somehow corresponded those weird feelings.

— Yes, I wanna join you in your mission.

The next time Azula was close to Ty Lee and fire lilies at the same time, the circumstances weren't the best ones. The war was over and lost, her throne usurped by her brother, her facilities were a room that could easily be taking by a cell. Her only company was Zuko – when his duties as Fire Lord allowd him to remember he had a sister – the psychiatric hospital team, and of course, her little acrobat.

Sometimes, Azula was still tempted to hit Ty Lee with lightning as a punishment for her betrayal, but when she stop to think clearly, she comes to realize that she can't have the luxury of cutting from her life the few people that remain.

— Happy birthday, Zula. – Ty Lee wished during one of her weekly visits, handing to the princess a single fire lily through the bars. — I would've bring an entire bouquet, but the doctors didn't allow.

Azula held the freshly harvested flower, breathing the smell that brought back the memories from a childhood that seems to have been lived ages ago. She felt like crying, wishing to be a kid again. If she could go back time, she would've been nicer to Ty Lee, and wouldn't pretend she didn't like when her friend adorned her hair with a wreath of flowers.

— Thank you, Ty. – she said, holding against her chest the flower she would keep until the petals turnes to dust. — Come closer, I wanna tell you a secret.

There was no secret, not anymore at least. There were no expectations to be met nor goals to achieve, only a birth title that no longer stands for anything. There was nothing to hide, and as ironic as it could sound, it was behind those bars that Azula was finally free to do what she spend years wanting to do.

When Ty Lee approached her painted face with the Kyoshi Warriors colors, Azula did not pity to ruin the perfect makeup by sealing their lips with a kiss. Ty Lee frozed for a second, but she soon find out there was no escaping from what she too desired and kissed the princess back until she lost her breath.

— When I leave this place… – Azula said with a determined expression. — I will kiss you every single day of my life.

[dross-the-fish]

Hyde paced around the makeshift lab, wondering how Adam Frankenstein had assembled such a busy workshop without the aid of an assistant.  “Does Dr Watson know you have all this?” he asked, peering at an assortment of organs in flasks.

Adam shook his head, “He does not and I'd be grateful if you didn't reveal my secrets. I like Dr Watson and I know he won’t approve of my work,” he strode over to a large vat filled with liquid in the middle of the room, "If we bring Miss Morris back he may forgive me, if not I'll simply defy him. I accept no masters and though I owe him much he will not command me in this," he pulled a lever and sparks of electricity crackled down the wires connecting to the vat, charging the liquid. He waited a full minute, counting the seconds before he shut off the power.

Hyde nodded, he saw no reason to do Watson any favors or derail Frankenstein's projects so he found himself agreeable "Mum's the word, old chap, I don't see any reason why he should be in the loop,” He tapped the vat with his cane. "What's in here,"

"A compound of chemicals Victor used to submerge me in while he ran the current through my body. This, "Adam made a sweeping gesture over the vat, "Is the elixir that rejuvenates the dead cells and primes them for the electricity to do its work. it took me forever to figure out how to make it but thanks to Dr Watson granting me access to all of his medical tomes my methods may surpass even that of my maker’s," his even white teeth flashed sharply against the harshness of his black lips in a gruesome, self-satisfied grin. He imagined Victor would have been horrified to see his creation carrying on his work, but Adam had not time for guilt or self-reflection now, a life hung in the balance, waiting to be plucked back from the grave and restored.

He was almost giddy with anticipation. He had not disclosed to Hyde that the consciousness that awakened might not be that of their companion. He himself had no memories of a time before his birth and there was just as much likelihood that she too would return as a blank slate. That was not ideal, he admitted, but he could not think such a thing to be a total loss. To have another like himself would be adequate consolation for the loss of Ms Morris. Whatever was brought back, Adam swore to himself that he would not turn his back on his creation. He would do better by his progeny than his own father. Of that he was certain.

"You've resurrected people before?" Hyde's voice intruded as the small man wandered across the lab peering at the glimmering, viscous, liquids that funneled into the vat with interest.

"Not people, but I've brought back several frogs, two cats and a dog," said Adam, "It works and I think perhaps better for my access to the advancement in medicine since my makers time,” He turned to Hyde, "Now, before we begin, did you get the heart?"

Hyde drew a jar from his coat, a perfectly preserved human heart sealed within. Adam nodded in satisfaction, "Excellent, I'm not going to ask where you got it, frankly I do not care so long as it is in good condition and fresh."

"Oh it's fresh alright, and in excellent condition, I tested the donor's constitution myself before the harvest," Hyde chortled as he handed the jar over.

"Mmm, let's not tell Miss Morris that when we bring her back. I don't know how she'd take to finding out you killed someone to get a new heart for her," Adam pursed his lips, he was not legitimately displeased as fresher parts guaranteed a higher chance of success. He looked down at Hyde curiosity scrawled across his features, "Why are you so keen on helping me with this? I know you don't like Watson but this can't all be spite."

"It isn't," Hyde confirmed, "I am genuinely curious to see if this works. I am a scientist at heart after all. More to the point, I liked Miss Morris, she was the only one in our group who doesn't have a stick up her arse and she was good at cards. Besides if I’m stuck with no one but you, Watson and that sanctimonious little shit Harker then I’m going to make damn sure that you’re all as miserable with my company as I am yours. “

"You are, perhaps, the most hateful creature I have ever met...and I am myself, a vile devil," Adam remarked passively as he laid Selma's body on the table and handed Edward the scalpel, "This is your job. I could possibly do it but, I believe, you are an actual doctor and you have the learning and the experience that I lack. I trust you can transplant the heart?"

Edward frowned, "I can, though the task requires a certain level of detachment and patience. That was always Jekyll’s domain…I’ll do my best.”

As Adam readied the apparatus that would bring Selma Morris back to life Edward prepped himself for surgery. As he was washing his hands a small trickle of fear ran down his spine. Could he really do this? It was one thing to patch a small wound but a major surgery, even on a cadaver, required attentiveness and delicacy, those traits did not come easily to him without Henry’s temperance. His head swam, what if he made a mistake? What if he botched it up and they really lost her forever? He felt suddenly nauseous as he picked up the scalpel and prepared to make the first incision.  As the blade hovered over the corpse’s chest he froze, paralyzed by an overwhelming uncertainty. As his anxiety built, he found himself fighting the urge to slash into the body and start hacking away. Smash the lab, destroy it all and rip everything apart then burn it to the ground as long as he didn’t have to face the risk of failure. Did he really want that? He didn’t know…that was the rub of it. Indecision held him pinned and he could feel his control begin to slip.

"Give me the scalpel, Edward," a calm voice in the back of his mind said firmly just as he was about to plunge the instrument into the dead woman’s chest, "you're too shaken up. Let me take over,"

"I'm not letting you out Henry, you tried to kill us and I haven't forgiven you! I know as soon as you're free you'll try to lock me away again!"

"No Edward, I won't. I'll transplant the heart and then I'll let you have control again. I give you my word."

"You mean that now but I know once you're out you'll be tempted! You’ll feel all of those things again that I keep at bay! Shame and sorrow will eat us if I let us be you again! We’ll want to die and we can't resist temptation no matter which of us we are!"

"Isn't Miss Morris worth the risk? I liked her too Edward. If she can be brought back then shouldn’t we try? Listen to me Edward, we don’t want to fail. We want to give this its best chance, let me have the scalpel."

Hyde resisted only briefly before he shuddered, closed his eyes and retreated. Jekyll took a moment to get his bearings, nod at Adam, who was staring at him in confusion, and then swiftly, cleanly, he made the first incision. ..... My players accidentally got an NPC killed and begged me to bring her back. This scene was the result.

[fleckcmscott]

To Have and To Hold

Summary: Y/N makes an oversight at work. The resulting extra hours with Arthur delight them both.

Warnings: Swearing, Smut

Words: 4,272

A/N: This story had been kicking around in my head for about two months, but I hadn’t been sure if I was going to write it. Then I read @sweet-nothings04‘s amazing Hand-in-Hand (which you all need to check out, if you haven’t), and knew I had to put it on paper. Thanks to her for the inspiration to finally develop this, and for the title, too!

If you have any thoughts or questions, please comment, feel free to message me, or send me an ask. Requests for Arthur and WWH are open! 

Perhaps it was the sunshine that stirred her. Or the horns of traffic on congested streets. The hammering of a distant construction site. The chatter and occasional yelling of passersby.  The hum of Gotham awakening.

Y/N blinked in confusion - how could it be so bright this early? - and squinted at the clock at Arthur's side of the bed. No numbers greeted her, just its blank, plastic display. Stretching, she reached to her left for her watch, in its spot by the beige rotary phone on the nightstand.

"Shit!"

Nearly knocking over her glass of water, she clambered off the mattress. Arthur had warned her the lights could go off in his apartment. Not often and not for long. But enough to annoy. Naturally, his building's shoddy electricity had to mess with the alarm today. When she'd stayed up too late. When he'd had to leave ahead of her to commute to the other end of the city for a rare winter gig. When her body had chosen to oversleep in the coziness of his blankets.

Her nylons had never been yanked on with such haste. Arthur had made coffee but she skipped it in favor of brushing her teeth. Pausing on her way out, she took a calcium supplement and grabbed a note from the counter. She read it while riding the wood-paneled, graffiti covered elevator: "Your presentashin will be great. You snored a lot. Good thing your cute. - Arthur." He always signed his name. As though she wouldn't recognize his scrawl. As if anyone else wrote her sweet, sassy missives. She grinned until she hopped on the for-once punctual subway.

The presentation he'd referred to was set for that afternoon. She was expected to discuss the evidence and court file for this week's contested hearing. Last night, she'd sat at Arthur's breakfast bar to compile the case's final details and finish prep sheets. Gently, she'd rebuffed his subtle advances. His attempts to draw her attention from work to him.

Excitement had been palpable as he'd hovered near her. She was fairly certain she knew the cause because it enthused her as well. In three and a half short weeks, he'd be moving in with her. They'd officially begin traversing whatever the future held for them together. Hesitation had been clear in his posture, his drawn shoulders when (after plenty of convincing on her part that yes, she really, really, wanted him) he'd finally accepted the key to her place. But since he'd added it to his own keyring, he'd brightened. Strode a little taller. Walked a little prouder. Touched a little bolder. As though the weight he carried had lessened, at least by a couple cinder blocks' worth.

At his slight pout, she'd decided to find a way to involve him. He'd perched on the stool next to her, rested his cigarette in the pink ashtray to the left, and taken the proffered exhibit stickers with a quirked brow. Y/N had handed him papers, which he'd added labels to for her to write on. Then she'd stacked them in four different piles according to type. It had taken longer than usual - she was faster alone. But the intimacy of sharing the professional elements of her life with Arthur (besides the office wear he liked, claiming it showed how "smart" and "pretty" she was) had tightened her chest. And the curved-up corner of his thin lips had reflected how pleased he was, too.

They hadn't been able to collaborate on everything, however. It was past midnight by the time she'd joined Arthur, who had retreated to the bedroom an hour or so earlier. He'd been sitting against the headboard, half under the cover. The harsh blue light emanating from the old black and white TV at the foot of the bed had sharpened his features. Deepened the set of his eyes. He'd stubbed out his smoke as she closed the door. "I taped The Honeymoon Game. We can watch it when you're here again." A beat. "If you're not busy."

"This is supposed to be my last big project for a month or so." Sighing, she'd gotten her nightgown from her overnight bag. "I didn't mean for it to take all evening." She climbed in next to him and threw her arm across his lap. "I'm sorry."

He'd been stiff. Unyielding. The telltale signs he was miffed or upset. But he'd twined her hair around his finger, let his touch fall to her brow bone. "It's okay," he'd said lowly, adjusting to lie alongside her. "I don't want to be... I'm not being fair."

"You don't have to pretend with me, Arthur. It's all right to be annoyed." Tiredness had pulled at her as she'd fought to watch the rest of Gotham Tomorrow Tonight. The contact of his socked toes to her bare ones had made her smile, though, and she'd nuzzled his bicep. "I missed you," she'd mumbled, then promptly passed out.

The squeal of wheels on metal tracks prompted her to sling her canvas tote onto her shoulder. Shaw & Associates was a short sprint from the nearest station. She was certain she looked ridiculous, running down the street in her high heels. But she managed to slip into the office with two minutes to spare. Once she poured herself a cup of joe and straightened her blazer, she settled in her cushioned chair to get started.

It was only when Matt told her he wanted to meet before lunch that she'd rummaged in her bag. And realized she'd neglected to bring the file. Recalled it was sitting on Arthur's kitchen counter.

Fuck.

Her nails tapped the wood surface of her desk. Excusing herself to the bathroom so she could go retrieve it wouldn't fly. Matt would send a search party. She could try to discuss everything from memory, tell him documents were still being gathered. But he wasn't that oblivious. She settled on owning her error. "It's at home." Her delivery was nonchalant.

He waited until she'd loaded her typewriter with paper, then responded wryly. "You're not supposed to take files home anymore. Remember what happened last time?"

She leaned back as he stepped in front of her. "There was the slew of family cases that came in. With Patricia on leave, I'm handling all our calls and mail. Not to mention paperwork on her filings. It wouldn't have gotten finished if I hadn't taken it." Snorting, she shook her head at herself. Heat bloomed in her neck. "Not that it matters when I don't have it."

Expression softening, Matt stuck his hands in his pockets and jutted his chin at her. "How long did you work on it?"

It was hard to discern if he actually cared about the hours she put in. Or if he merely wanted to gauge the possibility of her doing investigations off the books again, something he'd explicitly prohibited. "I don't know." She waved dismissively. "Three or four hours?"

He let out a huff. "You put in enough time already. Go home at noon. We'll get to it first thing tomorrow."

"I have a lot to do." Her eyes widened at the myriad piles of folders laying around. "And I can't imagine you playing operator."

"I've managed when you've both been in court or at appointments. Besides," he continued as he headed back to his office. "You never take days off."

Straightening, she wheeled her chair to watch him plop down on his leather seat. "I'm taking three days next month," she countered.

His glare contained an unequal mix of mirth and consternation. "Y/N?"

The phone started ringing. She succeeded in making one ear ignore it. "Yes?"

"I know you haven't forgiven me for that whole Renew Corp. thing." She flinched at the casual mention of the company she loathed. Of her failure. But she forced herself to listen. Matt picked up a pen and started writing. “Rather than being stubborn, try saying, 'You're right.'"

~~~~~

Y/N stood in front of the narrow, white stove, stirring the soup she'd thrown together using bouillon, carrots, onions, and pasta. Ingredients she'd found in Arthur's kitchen. Music poured, at a respectable volume, from the radio on the windowsill. Swaying out-of-time, she added a sprinkling of black pepper, one of the only three spices he had (along with powdered garlic and salt). Wearing a content smirk, she sampled the steaming broth.

When she'd left the office, she'd been frustrated at herself. Yes, she was human. Everyone made mistakes. But she wasn't the forgetful type. Particularly if someone was depending on her. However, as she'd stopped in Burnley for another change of clothes, hopped on the train to Otisburg, and pictured Arthur's reaction to finding her in his home instead of having to call to wish her sweet dreams, her disposition had improved. Not only would he have her for an extra night. He'd get a late lunch, too.

The click of the deadbolt and clank of his keys on the entrance table came the second she turned off the stove. She listened to his heavy exhale as his bag dropped to the floor and shut the door. In her peripheral vision he froze, then approached tentatively. She reveled in his delicate hold on the dip of her waist, the peck he planted on her cheek. The smell of greasepaint wafted to her nose. "I hoped I hadn't made this up," he sighed with what sounded like relief. "But your meeting."

She angled herself towards him, gaze roving over his red and blue plaid blazer. The painted-on smile. His irresistible brown curls, mostly flattened by the wig he'd worn. Fidgeting with the petals of the squirting flower on his lapel, she scrunched up her face. "This morning went to shit." She explained the power outage, the clock, her own stupidity at leaving the file in his apartment. "I've packed it. Don't worry."

His posture grew pensive. "Sorry. Maybe- Maybe we should have stayed at your place. Your building's better."

Him thinking her error was somehow his fault had to be nipped in the bud. "No," she said. "You asked to make more memories here before we move in together. I'm happy to do that."

He paused, long enough she could have sworn she'd heard the gears in his head grinding. "Are you in trouble?"

Not unexpectedly, he had put together her mistake and her early dismissal from work and assumed the worst. "If I wasn't fired for trying to stop the Waynes, it's going to take more than an oversight to get me thrown out on my ass." Her brow furrowed. She sneaked a hand under his jacket and placed her palm on his chest. "I just hate that I wasted last night for nothing."

Soft lips, slightly sticky with red paint, grazed her temple. "It's okay," he said. "You're here now. And I got to help you."

The balm of his kindness loosened her rigid stance. His zeal to assist her, to ask questions, to learn about every aspect of her branded her heart completely. She leaned into him, kissed the squishy fold of skin under his chin, and nudged his ribs. "Food's ready. Go change. I want to hear all about your day."

Arthur emerged from the bathroom within minutes, clad in his worn, blue house pants and toweling his hair. Dimples were on constant display while they ate. The glint in his eyes was the one he usually had if his act or a job had gone particularly well, if he was pleased with himself. Was the one starting to be an almost weekly occurrence. Was the one that made his green eyes sparkle and caused her stomach to flip. He inched closer to her with every sentence.

The kids at the new children’s medical center had liked Carnival, he said. They hadn’t minded that he’d "filled in" for Gary. The magic tricks had all gone without a hitch, and the clinic had provided the balloons, which was a savings. The nurses and doctors had been nice; they’d even asked for his card. He’d had to provide a slip of paper with his address and telephone number instead. But he was sure he’d be invited to perform again. And he asked Y/N for help writing Gary a thank you note for the referral, claiming, “You’re better at that than me.”

“You’re the one who journals every day.” Her bowl and spoon clattered in the sink. “And your letter to me was beautiful. Just let me proofread it.”

Soon they were reclined on the sofa, sharing the flat pillow he’d used when he’d had no choice but to sleep there. The tape he’d recorded yesterday was playing. The Honeymoon Game had been a casual watch before, he’d explained. Not a nightly ritual like Murray. Given that he had a girlfriend and was a boyfriend himself, it had become fun to view.

She was only half-focused on the TV’s talking heads. Her mind was drifting to moving day, which filled her with gladness. She examined the plaid walls, the white cream color ceiling, the knick-knacks strewn about in the glow of the setting sun. The lantern with an owl hanging in the corner; the green, plastic drawers by the television; the curio cabinet... They were all a part of 8J, but assuredly not a part of him. How much would he be bringing with him, she wondered. And what would he be leaving behind?

“With one sugar and a shot of milk.” Arthur’s lively voice broke through her contemplation. Ah. He was reacting to the questions posed to the contestants, and making the answers about her, as he was wont to do.

She nestled back into the pleasant warmth of his firm frame. “Three sugars,” she replied, confirming she knew how he took his coffee. They continued to play along, with him showing off everything he’d memorized about her, and her replying with what she’d gathered about him.

Eventually, he shifted behind her. Raised himself on his elbow. “How did you know you loved me?”

Her hum was soft. Short. Possible responses were multitude. She’d suspected she could fall for him early on. When he’d wanted to repay her for doing what anyone should have done on the subway. And the first time he’d had the courage to call her after they’d split a slice of pie, his slight stammer revealing his nervousness. Maybe she’d say it was how slowly he’d drunken his wine during dinner, initially squinting as he sipped, his inexperience with alcohol obvious.

But she chose to go with what she believed was truest. What she assumed he’d hear most keenly. “Before we slept together, I hadn’t been with anyone for four years. And even then, it was different.” His hand splayed on her abdomen, thumb dragging along the waistband of her green leggings. A delightful ache flared in her center. “When I woke up, I felt perfect.”

“You felt like you were perfect?”

“No, silly,” she laughed, batting his forearm. “I knew I hadn't made a mistake. I reached out to your side, first thing - I’d thought of it that way, even then.” At the sensation of his hardening shaft against her rear, she giggled. “You’d made me so happy. You always do. I wanted to you to bed me again.”

The round tip of his nose skimmed her cheek, and she shivered at the dip of his fingers into her panties. “I want to again,” he rasped, paraphrasing her. The grind of his length was making her light-headed, and she twisted her torso to look at him. “I’ve been thinking about it.” Cheekbones glowing, he averted his eyes. “Ever since I woke up.”

“My monthly started,” she said regretfully. His descent halted, and a groan of frustration left him as he lowered his forehead to her shoulder. She mused. While he was becoming more apt to say what he desired, it happened rarely. But she loved it and didn’t want to discourage him from letting himself be assertive. Would he be offended by her suggestion? “I freshened up before we laid down. I have a tampon in. There are other things we can do.” She pressed her lips together, hoping she didn’t sound presumptuous. “If you’re comforta-“

“I’m comfortable.” His mouth quickly claimed hers, opening on a sigh. The tip of his tongue laved at the seam of her lips, and his messy enthusiasm made her whimper. Leaving a scorching trail in its wake, his hand traversed to her upper leg, gliding over the crease where her thigh and vulva met.

Shallow breaths caressed the nape of her neck, stoking the heat threatening to consume her. But the studio audience blaring from the television’s mono-speaker kept wresting her out of her haze. She snatched the VCR remote from the coffee table and hit the pause button.

The tease of his fingertips at her dark curls caused the peaks of her breasts to stiffen. She gasped as the rough fabric of her sweater dragged along them. His fore- and ring fingers spread her outer lips and she shuddered. The leisureliness of his fondling didn’t detract from its intoxicating effect.

Though it was a tad rough. “You’re kinda dry. Hold on.” Swiftly, he brought his hand to his mouth and wet his fingertips. Y/N blinked at him. It was clear he thought nothing of it, which shouldn’t have been a surprise, considering he’d confided he liked going down on her. Still. Seeing this normally reserved man improvise so he could pleasure her made her center throb with need.

Y/N was doing her damnedest to get her leggings and underwear down. Arthur snorted at her spirited, failed attempt at kicking them away. “It’s okay,” he chuckled, pushing them off her ankles with his foot. Then his touch fluttered at her swollen folds. She arched into him, already feeling as though she would burst. Bent at the knee, her leg lifted until her foot was flat on the couch cushion, allowing him easier access. He took advantage, sweeping forward and back along the rigid line of her engorged clitoral hood. She rolled towards him subtly, her moans getting louder with each tap to her sensitive nub.

Still holding himself up, he cradled her head. "Your sounds make me crazy," he said lowly. Once his hips started following hers, faintly rutting against the flesh of her backside, she closed her eyes. Hurriedly, she reached behind her to yank at his pajamas. "What?" he asked.

"I want to feel you," she whispered. There was a huff and some fumbling. And moments later his cock was settled at the cleft of her bottom. She bit her lip, savoring the weight of him. God, he felt wonderful.

His fingertips whispered over her clit, daring to follow the edge of her inner labia. She heard him gulp. "How does it feel when we're together? When- When I'm in you?"

"Warm. Full. Like you belong there," she replied with a smile. That last part of her response must have been unexpected, given that his grazes ceased and he trembled. "Don't stop," she whined, placing her hand on his. "Please, Arthur. You know just how to touch me."

Groaning, he started anew, deftly swiping quicker and quicker. The undulations of her pelvis hastened unevenly, begging both for release and for their coupling to last forever. She ran her palm up her torso, kneading her breast and plucking at her nipple. He nuzzled at her ear, grunting low in the back of his throat. Winding her fingers into his loose waves, she tugged lightly. Her belly twitched. Her whole frame tingled.

His skillful touch. The love they had for one another. The noises he was making in the crook of her shoulder. They all combined to throw her over the edge, and a wave of pleasure crashed through her. She cried his name brokenly, feeling empty without him inside her. But he kept holding her, guiding her through the crests of her climax. She was gasping, struggling to suck in air. Surely, she thought, he could detect the thundering of her heart against her ribs.

Gradually, the quivering grip she had on his locks eased. The kisses he planted on her neck were open-mouthed, desperate. And he hadn't halted the ardent movements of his hips. Y/N turned onto her other side. Gazing at him, she raked his curls out of his face, caressed his cheekbone with her knuckles. His look was hungry, darkened with need. The creases between his brows deepened as her hand trailed through the sparse dusting of hair on his chest.

There was a youthful charm to this situation, she considered. To them craving each other but not completely joining. It reminded her of being a teenager. When she'd been curious and horny, but nervous and not quite ready to go "all the way" with her ex. Being with Arthur allowed her to do all that again. To relive those experiences, to explore and make discoveries with him. To fall further in love with him daily.

She tenderly pecked the freckles at the top of his sternum, nestled against the notch above his clavicle. "I'm lucky to have you."

He didn't miss a beat, even as she trailed past the ticklish spots on his flank. "I'm luckier."

"I disagree." She outlined the slender muscles of his stomach, the v-lines leading to his cock. Played with the springy, brown curls at the base of him. "Without you, I'd only have my work. Which was enough before. But not now." After a moment, she concluded she was being sappy. She had to change it up. "And I wouldn't be having the best sex of my life."

Clearly flustered, he muffled his laugh. "Really?" His blush was prominent, his grin ecstatic.

"Really." Groans short and sudden, he rocked into her touch when she encircled his ample girth. Her fingers danced along his shaft, marveling at the contrast of his velvety skin with how hard he was. Pumping up and down, she tugged at him, trying to match the speed of his thrusts. He nudged his nose to hers, gazing at her before his hooded eyes flitted to watch what she was doing. Then she looked, too.

The sight of him fucking into her hand made her dizzy with want, even though he'd just gotten her off. The crimson, swollen head glistened, slick beading generously at the tip. Y/N licked her lips and spread it around him with the pad of her thumb. Moaning sharply, he bucked harder. Her motions quickened, flicking repeatedly at the notch on the underside.

Demand was implicit in the grasp he had on her upper arm. And it strengthened as his hips' stuttered, becoming unpredictable. Ragged pants hit her face. "I'm- I'm gonna make a mess.”

"It's all right," she soothed. Keeping ahold of him, she lay on her back. He followed and settled on top of her. Whimpering her name, he rubbed himself against her labia. But she gently pushed him onto his knees and continued palming him, her fingers teasing the ridge on his erection. It wouldn't take long to make him come. She could see it in the clench of his jaw, the tightening cords in his neck, his abrupt, needy cries...

Plunging forward, he held himself in place, grunting, clutching her urgently. His release hit her abdomen, warm and wet, and she gasped, her body curving up towards him. The feel of him spilling onto her couldn't completely distract her, though. Not from the beauty of his parted lips. Not from the relief that gradually spread across his features. Not from the slackening of his muscles as tension ebbed.

Sweat had gathered on his forehead. A droplet ran from the end of a dark brow to his jawline. Then he kissed her, his mouth groping at hers. "I love you," he said. He gave her one last peck and sat up on his knees. Holding onto the arm of the sofa, he retrieved her underwear from the floor and wiped her belly off. "That was fun." He tucked his chin bashfully.

"I concur." She entwined their hands and sat, then stretched as she pushed herself to stand and walk to the bathroom. The washcloth he'd designated as hers hung on the hook by the towels. She cleaned herself, listening as Arthur started the show again.

A new round of questions was just beginning. "When you and your spouse first met," the host started, "what was your first impression?"

Arthur's answer was instant. "Nice."

Y/N said the first thing that came to mind. "Handsome."

She popped her head out of the room to find him leaning on the entrance of the short corridor, beaming at her with hitched giggles. He was probably waiting for his turn to clean up. Like he normally did. But she couldn't stop herself from staring at him. Loving eyes met hers and his brows lifted expectantly. "Yes?"

Smiling, she wrung out the washcloth and put it back in its place. She stepped to him with a smile and smoothed his hair back. The rush of happiness in her soul, one she wasn't even sure she had, enamored her. Not only at what they'd shared on his old, scratchy sofa. But at Arthur being Arthur. At knowing soon she'd get to sleep next to him every night. Build a life with him, one she hadn't dreamed of even six months ago. Nothing she could say seemed adequate. So she went with a kind gesture, one she knew he'd appreciate. "I'll make us some decaf. And I love you, too."

~~~~~

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[cakers-2000]

~Bungo Stray Dogs: What They’d be like as Boyfriends~

(NONE OF THESE GIFS BELONG TO ME!!!)

Chuuya:

There's only one way to describe your relationship with Chuuya

P R O T E C T I V E

But also very loving

First off you are, in his reality, his 'Princess'

And he is practically your 'knight in shining armor'

He protects you and keeps you safe as you aren't a part of the Port Mafia

He is a Tsundere and no one can change my mind

He had an extremely hard time picking up the courage to ask you out

And it turned out more like:

"You wanna be my girlfriend or whatever?"

You attacked him in a hug two seconds later out of joy. He called you a dumbass

To your friends and family he seems rude but you know he means well

Lord have mercy on anyone's soul who tries to flirt and or hurt you

Anyone who tries to flirt with you gets a rude awakening

He will beat a bitch

And if anyone gets too close to you or makes you uncomfortable he won't hesitate to confront and intimidate them

Even if it means pulling out his gun or knife, he'll do it

If anyone tries to hurt you though he loses complete control

He either murders whoever did it, or he's stopped by someone before he can kill them, there is no in between

He sees you as a precious baby that needs protecting

Honestly it kind of embarrasses you how much he babies you, but you know it's because he loves you

You spend a majority of your time with him as he hardly ever lets you leave his side

So at this point everyone in the Port Mafia knows you're a thing

And everyone knows not to fuck with what's Chuuya's

So most of the time his subordinates and other Executives won't even give you a glance other than to maybe say a quick 'hello' to you

Most of the other Executives will not hesitate to tease him about your relationship though

He does fire back, which has resulted in quite a few good comebacks on his end

Kajii: You've got (Y/N) with you again? Talk about needy Chuuya. You can't even leave your bedroom without your girlfriend with you? Pathetic

Chuuya: *Without even looking up from his paper* At least I have one. When was the last time you talked to a girl? Oh that's right, when that Armed Detective Agency girl kicked the shit out of you. (Okay but the fight between Kajii and Yosano is one of my favorites SHE'S SUCH A STRONG WOMAN I LOVE HER)

God you love him

You two practically share the same room

When it's just you two he's soft and likes to cuddle you as often as possible

You're always stealing his hat or coat so as a way to get back at you, while cuddling he refuses to leave your hair alone no matter how much you struggle or complain

It's now become a habit

The first time you pointed it out to him he refused any such actions but you found him doing it again while he wrote his paperwork, so you left it alone

Honestly he seems really cold on the outside

But in Chuuya's case it's all a facade

He loves you more than he thought he could love someone

You keep him sane, especially in his awful, bloody world

You're special to him and he loves you more than he could ever describe.

Akutagawa:

It's hard for him to develop any feelings towards anyone so when he started to develop some kind of feelings towards you he not only surprised himself but everyone around him

Kouyou was the one who instructed him on how to move forward with his emotions and persuaded him to ask you out.

He was very up front and didn't really ask, it was more like,

"Meet me at the front entrance of the headquarters at 8"

You were confused, but did as he said

The date was the first of many

He makes sure to take you on dates at least a few times a month

He wants you to always remember that he loves and cares about you

Akutagawa isn't afraid of anything, except for the thought of losing you

This is why he's such a try hard

He's scared to lose you because of his incapability to show emotions like love or kindness (though you know that he loves you)

He's scared of losing you to someone else

He's afraid of losing you in general

Because of this fear he hardly ever lets you do anything alone, he wants to be there to protect you

He spends almost all of his free time in your room (he sleeps there too)

100% likes to be cuddled by you (though he'd never admit that)

But when you fall asleep, and he's left alone with his thoughts he'll throw his arms around you and pull you close, a slight smile gracing his lips

He honestly doesn't know how he got lucky enough to be with you

To everyone else he seems cold, ruthless and mean. But you're the only person who gets to see his softer side, and it only makes you fall even harder for him

But yeah he loves you more than you'll ever know as he doesn't know how to tell you how much he truly loves you

Dazai:

Goofy and silly, but it's different then how he is with the agency

He's good at hiding his emotions, but when it comes to you, all of his walls fall

You gave him a reason to continue living and so he's VERY protective of you

He'll put his life before yours if it means you're safe

Doesn't show it on the outside but he can get jealous real fast

And he just kind of lets it eat away at him until you notice and reassure him

Unless of course he's suuuuuper jealous in which case he will definitely lash out at whoever he's jealous of

At home he's a teddy bear

Loves to cuddle with you/be cuddled

Sometimes he'll literally plop down on top of you to snuggle you, regardless of what you're doing

Will dramatically announce his love for you at random times, more often in public because he knows it embarrasses you

You always yell at him for it, but you love him and he knows that so he never stops

All in all he's very loving and goofy and you mean the world to him. You give him the strength and a reason to continue living through life.

Atsushi:

He's very smol and shy

Honestly Kunikida or Dazai probably had to point out your crush on him, and convince him to make a move

He was EXTREMELY nervous when he asked you out

But was very glad when you said yes

He hardly ever has the money for it but loves to spoil you

He 100% will even spend grocery money on gifts for you instead

And of course you chastise him for it

But you still appreciate it cause it shows how much he truly loves and cares about you

He is C L I N G Y

Especially if you're talking to another guy or something like that (which includes his coworkers)

His self esteem will be awful and you'll have to always reassure him that you love him

He'd protect you with his life though

Like if you're ever in danger he'll put his life on the line for yours

He loves you very much and tries to always remind you

At home he's a cuddlebug

Will get you whatever you want/need

Really just treats you like a queen

He loves you with his whole being and your entire relationship reflect those feelings