#I had a lot of fun with this one. unlike the one 2 years ago haha

[l-inator]

Willow enjoys the snow for another Christmas redraw!

[niennanir]

Listen to your elders

So last week I posted abut the importance of downloading your fic. And then three days later AO3 went down for 24 hours. No one was more weirded out by this than I was. But while y’all were acting like the library at Alexandria was on fire I was reading my download fic and editing chapter eight of Buck, Rogers, and the 21st Century. And also thinking about what I could do to be helpful when the crisis was actually over.

So first off, I’m going to repeat that if you’re going to bookmark a fic, you really need to also download the fic and back it up in a safe place. I just do it automatically now and it’s a good habit to get into.

But let’s talk about some other scenarios. Last October I lost power for over a week after hurricane Ian. Apart from not having internet or A/C I did find plenty to do, I collect books so I had plenty to read, but maybe, unlike me, your favorite comfort reads aren’t sitting on a bookshelf. So let’s do something about that, shall we?

In olden times many long years ago around 1995 we printed off a lot of fic. It was mostly SOP to print a fic you planned to reread and stick it in a three ring binder. And that’s totally valid today too, but you can also make a very nice paperback with a minimum amount of skill and materials.

Let’s start with the download; Go to Ao3 and select your fic, we’ll be working with one of mine. This method works best with one shots, long fic tends to need a more complicated approach. Get yourself an HTML download

Open up the HTML download and select all then copy paste into any word processor. Set the page to landscape and two columns, then change the font to something you find easy to read, this is your book, no judgement. This is all you have to do for layout but I like to play a little bit. I move all the meta, summary, notes to the end and pick out a fun font for the title: 

No time like the present to do a quick proofread. Congratulations, you’ve just created your first typeset. On to the fun part.

Now you’re going to need some materials:  8.5x11in paper ruler one sheet of 12x12 medium card stock (60-80lb) scissors pencil pen or fine tip marker sheet of wax paper white glue two binder clips 2 heavy books or 1 brick butter knife

You’ll also need a printer, if you’re in the US there is almost a 100% chance your local library has a printer you can use if you don’t have your own. None of these materials are expensive and you can literally use cheap copy paper and Elmers glue.

Print your text block, one page per side. Fold the first page in half so that the blank side is inside and the printed side out:

use the butter knife to crease the edge. Repeat on all the sheets. When you’ve finished, stack them up with the raw edge on the left and the folded edge on the right. I used standard copy paper, because you’re only printing on one side there’s no bleed to worry about. Take the text block and line everything up. Use the binder clips to hold the raw edge in place.

Wrap the text block in the wax paper so that the raw edge and binder clips are facing out. I’m going to use my home built book press but you don’t need one, a brick or a couple of books or anything else heavy will work fine.

Once the text block is anchored down, take off he binder clips and get out the glue.

You can use a brush but you don’t need one, smear some glue on that raw edge.

Go make a margarita, watch The Mandalorian, call your mother. Don’t come back for at least an hour

In an hour smear some more glue on there and shift your brick forward so that the whole book is covered. This keeps the paper from warping. While glue part 2 is drying we’ll do the cover. Get out your 12x12 cardstock

Mark the cardstock off at 8.5 inches and cut it. Measure in 5.5 inches from the left and put in a score line with the butter knife (the back edge not the sharp edge)

Carefully fold the score line, this is your front cover. You have some options for the cover title, you can use a cutting machine like a cricut if you have one, you can print out a title on the computer and use carbon paper to transfer the text to the cardstock. I was in a mood so I just freehanded that beoch. Pencil first then in pen.

Take your text block out from under your brick. Line it up against the score mark and mark the second score on the other side of the spine

Fold the score and glue the textblock into the cover at the spine. Once the glue dries up mark the back cover with the pencil and then trim the back cover to fit with your scissors.

Voila:

I’m going to put this baby on the shelf next to the Silmarillion.

The whole process, not counting drying time, took less than an hour.

If you want to make a book of a longer fic, I recommend Renegade Publishing, they have a ton of resources for fan-binders. 

[elexuscal]

So just over a year ago, I made a resolution to myself to get better at Fitness, since I was getting older and i knew if i didn't, the Consequences would begin to manifest. One problem? Historically i have always hated working out.

i knew there were two main reasons why: 1. lingering trauma from the usual Fat/Neurodivergent Kid Mistreated In PE Class Experience 2. oh my god it's so so so boring i would rather do anything more entertaining.

So. I'm not an expert, and i'm definitely not a professional fitness instructor, BUT i have genuinely come to not just tolerate but actually enjoy exercise this past year. So if these are any problems you personally have contended with, these strategies May Help.

One: Remove Barriers

a lot of flavours of neurodivergence struggle with switching between tasks and executive function generally, especially towards something you don't find fun. So first you gotta identify any barriers keeping you from exercising, and removing or mitigating them.

For me, a hurdle i recognised is that if I could not easily access the equipment, I was unlikely to use it. honestly if i couldn't see it i would probably forget it was there. So my first order of business was making a Work Out Zone. I unrolled my yoga mat and gave it a near-permanent place in my room. my weights came out of the closet and placed on a low shelf where i could easily access them, as did my resistance band. now they were always Right there.

I also realised something I detested was the general feeling of sweaty clothes, and in particular, having to change out of them. So Gross. so i started scheduling my work outs for in the the morning after breakfast or right before my nightly showers, aka: when I am changing in and out of my PJs. I'll do my routine (mostly) naked and not have to contend with the extra steps and laundry that sweaty clothes bring.

two: secondary entertainment

like i said: i found exercise very boring. and while i've gotten better over the past year, and can find it meditative, i still prefer having something else to catch my attention.

i used to like to put on video essays. but then i realised i was so often pausing my work outs because the particular video ended, or the pace got slow, or the topic turned to something dark and depressing out of nowhere and killed the vibe, so then i had to stop to find something else--

No. You need something that will keep you in the zone, and won't knock you out of it. I didn't used to listen to music much, but this year i took advantage of a Spotify subscription my sister gifted me (😔) and started just putting on upbeat rock, hip-hop, and pop mixes. it doesn't need to be my favouirte music ever it just needs to Keep Going.

i do find the loud, rhythmic music is really good for keeping my pace up, but if music doesn't do it for you, you might find audiobooks or autoplaying favourite old tv shows/sitcoms might scratch that itch.

Three: Find Other Motivators

Or, "if you can't make your own motivation, store bought is fine"

Gameification is really good here. You might be someone who'll benefit from a pedometer or step-counter app. I have a friend who swears by the Switch Ring-Fit, and I've also heard of folks who use games like Just Dance, Zombies, Run! and Beat Saber to rely on the sweet sweet endorphins generated by hitting a high score.

(BUT: do beware the dark side of gameification, which is the risk of demotivation if you don't hit your goals. For example, after doing GREAT on exceeding my step goal for a month, I got hit with COVID. For about a week and a half I was barely moving beyond the kitchen and back. My step counts plummeted, there was no way to edit the record out, and that made it harder to get back into the groove. Be mindful relying too much on gameification!)

Even outside of literal games, there are ways to scratch this itch. I used secondary objectives as a way to encourage me to keep up with my daily walks. Walking my roommate's dog when he was working long days is an obvious one, but we don't always have a furry friend at our disposal. Then I would rely on mini-challenges like, "pick up 10 cool rocks to paint", "fill this bag with wood for the fireplace", "take 10 pretty pictures", or "get to the corner store to get more milk".

And of course, consider team sports! Many folks I've talked to feel having set training/play times with a team that relies on them crucial to keep them on track!

Four: Don't Measure Success By Weight Loss

I know. I know. Easier said than done. It does not help that like 80% of workout resources online are going to mention this. but above all else, you must resist the beast. (and while not as dicey, measuring success by visible muscle gain can fall into a similar trap).

The biggest benefits to exercise are invisible. it improves cardiovascular health, brain function, tissue regeneration, immune system function, lung capacity, energy levels, literally our whole body. no matter what external changes your body does or doesn't go through, you're still going to be benefitting from exercise, and you do not want to get demotivated chasing unrealistic/irrelevant goals.

Instead, to track your progress, focus on questions like these:

How is exercise impacting my mood? Do I feel less stressed or anxious?

Am I sleeping better?

Is my balance improving?

Is my stamina increasing?

Am I becoming more flexible?

Can I lift/carry heavier weights?

Is my breath control improving?

Over the last year, I've seen marked improvements in all of these. My joints don't hurt as much; it's easier for me to to get up and move; I don't get winded as easily; I generally feel more relaxed and cheerful. Those are all amazing outcomes, and I hope that everyone on their own fitness journey can find the same joy there as I have.

[kp-alice]

The Puppy With an MAcc

Summary: Despite officially retiring as a professional dominatrix months ago, there's one client you've decided to keep. Maybe it's because of the generous amount he pays, or maybe, just maybe, it's more than that. With the lines between the two of you continuously blurring, you can't help but return every time.

AKA a hopelessly devoted accountant!sub!Yunho x hesitantly-in-love!dom!f!reader

Word count: 5 150

Warnings: non-sexual dominance (kneeling, various acts of service, pet names - Miss, Puppy, etc.), crying, implied minor age difference (like 3-4 years but both characters are in their 20s), basically just two cowards in love who are too scared to admit their feelings to each other but love to indulge in non-committal domesticity

A/N: This fic is the second part of my sub!Yunho Kinktober 2024! The event's masterlist can be found here.

A/N 2: MAcc = Master of Accountancy (I think?? if I got it wrong, please correct me!!)

Your "dominatrix era", as your close friends liked to call it, was pretty short-lived, to say the least.

Well, it's not like you intended on making it your full-time job for the rest of time, anyway. Really, at the core of it, it was mostly just curiosity you wished to sate before getting out into the real world after university. Because of this, you didn't exactly focus on "expanding your empire", keeping only a handful of clients you'd found nice enough to deal with on a semi-regular basis.

The first few months were fun, to say the least. After all, how could you not feel excited at the thought of ordering wealthy men around for money? It made you giddy just thinking about it - you, a normal uni student, making powerful guys crawl around like dogs and thank you for it at the end of each session. Not to mention how good it felt to see them enjoying it too, all that stiffness in their shoulders and the frowns on their faces vanishing a minute into your session. And though a lot of what you did could be described as sexual in nature, you never actually had sex with anyone, keeping things as professional as can be. In a weird way, all of it felt more like a therapy session than stereotypical sex work.

But, as with everything else, even your little side gig had to come to an end a little less than a year later. Because while everything was fun and paid more than enough, you really couldn't see yourself doing this work long-term. Even with just a handful of clients, eventually, taking care of them started to take a mental toll on you. You tried to separate work from personal life, you really did, but as time went on and you got to know them a bit more personally, it was just not possible anymore. Even outside of your dominatrix persona, you felt burdened with each client's struggles and stories, eventually overwhelmed to the point of quitting.

And so, after a few weeks of careful consideration, you finally sent out your goodbye letters to all of them.

Well, all of them except one.

Jeong Yunho was one of the last clients to request your services, sparing him your initial awkwardness when you were just starting out. The first thing you noticed about him was his age - in comparison to your other clients, you were surprised to learn he was just three years older than you. The next thing was his profession. Despite his relatively young age, he had already established himself as the local manager of one of the biggest accounting firms in the country, earning him both a nice sum of money as well as unbearable loads of stress.

Which is exactly what brought him to you.

Unlike your other clients, Yunho didn't overload you with random bits of his tragic past and complaints about his depressing marriage. No, no, his case was much simpler than that.

"I don't know," Yunho shrugged nonchalantly at your question, letting you tuck him into bed, "I get really stressed from making all the big decisions at work and I love powerful women. It just felt natural to combine the two."

Somehow, it was exactly that reasoning that had made you keep him even months after quitting.

You didn't tell him he was the only one left, though. Didn't want to make it weird or make him think there was something deeper to your decision. Your dynamic was perfect just the way it was, and despite its deep and stable foundations, you still didn't dare risk breaking it in any way.

Another thing that set Yunho apart were his requests. Unlike your other clients, his preferences had stayed pretty much the same since the first time you'd talked to him. He liked it when you visited his apartment instead of just some random hotel, and when you wore clothes that could pass as everyday attire rather than the stereotypical leather and latex. His scenes were nothing short of domestic, either. You always felt like a husband from the 50s, coming home to his loving and generous wife after a long day of work (classes) and letting her shower him with affection and praise.

Much like today, as you yet again found yourself on an all-too-familiar doorstep. It had been a few weeks since your last visit, and you had to admit, you'd really missed Yunho during that time. The longer pause wasn't intentional on either side, mind you. It was just a case of his busy schedule clashing with your finals week and the mandatory week-long recuperative period that followed. Now that you were back, however, you couldn't help the small smile on your lips, looking forward to whatever awaited you inside.

Not to mention this visit would mark your first anniversary with Yunho as your client (though you couldn't dwell on that too much in order to keep those incessant butterflies in your stomach at bay).

You didn't have to knock or ring the doorbell. Instead, you fished out your very own key that Yunho had given you a few weeks back. A sign of his trust and how welcome you'd always be in his home, as he'd described it.

Any other potential thoughts were quickly halted, though, as the door suddenly swung open, revealing a very excited-looking Yunho.

"You're here!" He exclaimed excitedly, flashing you a big grin. He stood like that for a second, just watching you in what appeared to be awe before suddenly straightening up again and stepping to the side. "Oh, right, sorry. Come in!"

You let out a small chuckle at his antics, an undeniable warmth blooming in your chest at the mere sight of him.

The next steps were pretty much automatic at this point. First, Yunho helped you remove your coat and hung it up for you. Then, he knelt down, letting you lean on his shoulder for support while he slipped your heels off and neatly set them aside.

"Good boy," you cooed enthusiastically, moving your hand up from his shoulder to ruffle his hair slightly. "Always so happy to see me, hm? Are you all ready for tonight or should I go wait in the living room?"

He quickly shook his head at the suggestion. "No, no, it's okay! Everything should be ready, me included. Oh, and I made you your favorite today, just how you like it! You know the one, the- the..."

You watched him try to finish his thought, but it was too late. In just a few moments, Yunho's eyes glazed over the same way you'd witnessed many times before. He was still present, yet his gaze grew a bit distant, retreating into himself to adjust to the sudden change. A change he clearly needed a lot, considering all it took for him to slip into subspace was the small ritual he'd always done to welcome you into his home.

But just as quickly as his voice trailed off and his eyes lost focus, he snapped back to reality, almost startled by the sudden clarity in his mind.

And there it was. All of his personal and work-related worries had been set aside, making his head feel almost overwhelmingly light and empty in comparison to his day-to-day state.

"What is..." He began, making you follow his line of sight, "what's that?"

A fond smile spread across your lips at the innocent curiosity in his eyes, realizing he was looking at the gift bag in your hand.

"Just a small gift I got for you, Puppy," you spoke softly, watching his eyes widen.

"Wait, for me?!" He asked excitedly, though you could sense a hint of uncertainty in his voice as if he didn't dare believe it just yet.

"Yes, hun, for you," you confirmed, unable to stop yourself from ruffling his hair again with your free hand. "But we'll get to that later, okay? How about you show me what you cooked for us tonight first?"

It didn't surprise you to find out Yunho had already eaten before you arrived. Sometimes, if he was still lucid enough, he'd eat alongside you and chat about random things that came to mind. Usually, though, he'd just eat in advance so that he could fully relax and focus on you only.

You sat at the small dining table, zeroed in on the delicious dish in front of you. Over time, as Yunho began cooking for you more and more frequently as a show of gratitude, you noticed a considerable improvement in his skills. Not that he was bad before, of course not, but now? It almost felt illegal to be paid for your services in both money and food this good.

In Yunho's eyes, though, it was all worth it. The time he'd spend cooking for you helped him ease into the scene, in a way. Even just preparing all this for you felt extremely calming, knowing how much you'd always compliment him and how appreciative you were.

Much like right now, as he sat on the floor next to your chair, cheek resting against your thigh. His eyes were closed as you ran your hand through his silky hair, muttering small words of praise every now and then. This part of your evenings was one of his absolute favorites, as he truly got to just think about nothing. No work or family issues could reach him here. All he had to do was just lean against you and focus on your soft voice and loving touch.

Sometimes (not that he'd ever admit it), when he couldn't sleep at night and felt extra lonely, he'd try petting his hair just like you always did. He'd try to think about your words of praise to force out all the negative thoughts clouding his mind. And yet, it could never compare to the real thing. The warmth of your fingertips just felt different and he could never quite replicate your voice in his head for it to be satisfying enough.

After a while of not thinking at all, Yunho liked to talk. A lot.

While he cleaned up in the kitchen, you let yourself get comfortable on his couch, propping your back up with some extra pillows since you knew you'd be here a while. Like usual, you'd put on a skirt today too, knowing it was the most convenient option considering what was in store for the two of you.

A minute or two later, Yunho emerged from the kitchen, the content smile on his lips spreading even wider at the sight of you. Without an ounce of hesitance, he walked up to the couch, looming over you with his tall self for just a second before dropping down to his knees again.

This, too, was one of Yunho's interesting, distinct traits. Whenever he could, he'd find himself on the ground, looking up at you with nothing but utter devotion.

"People always marvel at how tall I am," Yunho muttered, nuzzling his face into your hand while you finished your meal. "And it's really flattering, don't get me wrong! It's just that... sometimes, I also want to feel small, you know? Even if it means I have to literally kneel down in front of someone."

"So? How have you been?" Yunho began, flashing you a bright smile. As tentatively as always, his hands reached for your left foot, giving you enough time to stop him (even though you never did). "I want to hear everything."

You groaned. "Ugh, don't even get me started. Remember the professor I told you about last time and how he can never grade our papers on time? Guess what? We're still waiting! I swear we've collectively sent him like a hundred emails already and he's still acting like he doesn't see them."

Yunho hums thoughtfully at your words, brows furrowing as he keeps massaging your leg, going up to your calf now. "That really sucks, I'm sorry. I'm sure it's gonna be fine, though. He'll probably be more lenient because of the delay, not to mention you always ace all your classes anyways."

Your leg involuntarily jolted as he grazed a particularly ticklish spot, making him giggle. "Thanks, I really hope so too," you replied, trying to stay focused despite his skilled hands. "It's still nothing in comparison to our dorms, though."

Yunho shot you an inquisitive look, urging you to keep going.

"I mean, it's nothing too shocking, they're just raising the rent again for the second time this year. I really shouldn't be surprised at this point, but just- I wish they were at least honest about being greedy instead of making up random excuses as to why we have to pay even more outrageous prices than before."

"You know I'd love to help you with that if you want-"

"Puppy," you warned in a stern voice, making him immediately hush and drop his head. "We've talked about this, remember? You already pay me more than enough, I can't ask you for any more than that. Besides, the rent thing is an issue of principle, not finances."

"I know," Yunho sighed, halting his movements. "I just want you to be happy and pursue your dreams without having to worry about things like money."

"Yuyu," you cooed, leaning down to tuck his hair behind his ear. "I know you want to help, but please believe me when I say you're already doing more than enough. Not just because of the money, but because of your company in general, okay? I always look forward to spending time with you and I'm really thankful we get to meet like this. Seeing you happy makes me happier than any sum of money you could possibly offer."

There was silence for a moment as Yunho took your words in, still gently holding onto your foot to stay grounded. But even with his head dropped down, you could see his lips begin to tremble, fighting back tears.

It had been a while since he'd got to talk to someone so openly and vulnerably. To just say whatever was on his mind without fearing it would be somehow used against him later. To be appreciated so genuinely without any ulterior motives from the other side.

Sniffling quietly, his hands resumed their work, taking hold of your other leg to massage it as well.

"Thank you, Miss," he said in a mere whisper, afraid his voice would break if he spoke any louder.

"Of course, Yu," you muttered back. "You'll always be my good boy, always," you reassured him lovingly, giving him a playful nudge with your now-free foot. The effect was immediate as a small smile spread across his lips, lighting up his teary eyes again as he looked up at you adoringly.

Oh, how he'd missed you.

After a good while of just talking about anything and everything that came to mind, the two of you settled into a comfortable silence. Yunho's hands rested on your shins while you pet his head on your thighs. His breathing had evened out over time, and you could see the way his eyelids were beginning to grow heavy. It was time to sleep.

This was usually considered the end of your sessions, where you'd help him get dressed for bed and caress his hair until he'd doze off. He always felt really sad when you left and he hated going to bed alone, so this solved both of those issues. Besides, you had to admit that the sight of someone as overworked as him sleeping so peacefully did something for your soul as well.

"Alright, Puppy," you began softly, making Yunho lift his head up, "let's get you to bed, shall we?"

Ever the good boy, he gave you a sleepy but content nod.

Happy with his agreement, you were about to stand up and lead him to the bedroom, but quickly paused in your tracks.

The softest kissing sounds echoed through the living room, one for each of your knees.

Yunho quickly sensed your tension and looked up at you in confusion, which then turned into alarm.

"I-I'm so sorry Miss, I should have asked for permission!" He rambled in panic, leaning back on his haunches to give you as much space as he could. "I guess I spaced out a little too much and forgot myself for a moment, it happened without me meaning to, I'm really sorry-"

"Yuyu," you interrupted him gently, fighting the smile on your lips, "relax, it's okay."

Yet another thing you really cherished about the man before you. No matter what, he always asked for permission when trying something new. Sometimes, he'd even ask with things you had already agreed on in previous sessions, just to be sure. So to see him get flustered the one time he accidentally got too carried away and forgot to do so? It was strangely endearing, to be honest.

Had you had any suspicions that this wasn't a mere accident, that this was simply Yunho's way of "sneakily" pushing your boundaries, your reaction would have been much more different. You weren't afraid of stopping a session mid-way through and banning your client on the spot; you'd done it before.

But seeing the genuine panic written all over the man's face, clearly scared of upsetting you? He was nothing short of adorable, looking like a small, frightened animal.

"But- but I," Yunho tried again, but stopped at your firm gaze.

"I said it's okay, you're not in trouble," you repeated. "...Besides, it was actually quite cute. Maybe I'll even let you do it again in the future."

Oh God.

After calming your precious puppy down, you walked him down the hall to his bedroom (well, you walked; he decided to crawl instead - after shyly getting your permission, of course).

"Think you can change yourself, hun?" You asked him as he sat down on the bed, patiently awaiting further instructions.

While he always tried to be good for you and not feel entitled to anything, he visibly deflated at your words. "Why? I mean- I definitely can if you want me to, but..."

It took all your willpower not to cave at his puppy eyes.

Alas, you had more important things to sort out.

"The gift, remember?"

And that was all you needed to say for Yunho to immediately jump into action.

The second time you entered his bedroom, this time with the gift bag in hand, Yunho was tucked in bed and ready to go. His clothes were neatly folded on a nearby chair, exchanged for a set of comfy-looking pajamas. He perked up at the sight of you, sitting up and making more space for you by the edge.

"Ready for your present, Pup?" You asked giddily, wanting to hear him say it out loud despite the obvious curiosity and excitement in his eyes.

"Yes, please!" Yunho beamed at you as you sat down next to him, trying to resist peeking into the bag before he was properly allowed to.

But as you finally handed him the bag, his features turned sad, a small pout on his face.

"What is it, Yu?" You asked, worried at the sudden change in tone.

He let out a deep sigh, cheeks warming. "I'm sorry I didn't get you anything back. I wasn't sure if it would be appropriate and the internet didn't give me a clear answer either so I panicked. I hope it doesn't look like I don't appreciate your services or anything, that's not it at all, I swear!"

You let out an amused chuckle. "Sweetheart, I'd never think that about you. You already show me enough gratitude as is. Besides, this wasn't even supposed to be a gift exchange in the first place. I just saw something online and it made me think of you so I bought it. I'm not expecting anything in return."

Whether you said something after that or not, Yunho wasn't sure. His mind had already stopped at the mention of you thinking about him outside of work.

Sure, he did that all the time when it came to you, using you as a source of comfort to cling onto whenever he had an especially hard time at work. Whenever he had to stay in his office late into the night, or heard his subordinates gossip about him, only to give him smiles and compliments the second they noticed him, thoughts of you were the only thing that could ground him again. And even when he was doing alright, he still liked to think about you, reminiscing on your past sessions and looking forward to the next. But to have you do the same with him?! Yunho's heart felt like it would leap out of his chest if he didn't calm down soon.

"...Well? Aren't you gonna open it?" You nudged his thigh with your hand, a playful glint in your eyes. "You looked so excited before, don't you want to see what's inside?"

Yunho didn't need any further enticing, flashing you a big grin before he finally reached into the bag. Inside, he found a pretty, dusty pink box with an unknown brand name embossed into its center.

With shaky hands, he lifted the lid.

"What do you think?" You asked, nervously scanning his face.

Yunho was frozen, stuck staring at the custom-made leather collar. Attached to it was a silver tag gleaming in the dim bedroom lights, the word "YUYU" engraved into it staring right back at him.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" You spoke again, trying to hide your growing concern. "We can totally return it if you don't like it, I won't be-"

All the words died in your throat as Yunho suddenly lifted his head, looking right into your eyes as his bottom lip trembled, fighting back tears. The second he spoke, however, they spilled over anyway.

"It's perfect."

"Oh, Puppy," you cooed as a sob ripped through him, bringing him into a tight embrace. The anxiety weighing down on your chest immediately dropped at his words, making you sigh in relief. His hands clutched at your shirt, almost desperately so, wetting your shoulder as he sniffled in your hold.

You stayed like that for a moment or two, soft snivels and affectionate whispers filling the room.

"I- I've never," Yunho began, but quickly stopped again, hiding his face in the crook of your neck some more. It was right then that you'd noticed the unusual proximity between the two of you, never staying this close for more than a second or two when he occasionally hugged you goodbye instead of you tucking him in. But now, it felt as though you were enveloped in him, his comforting warmth and light cologne all around you.

"It's okay, hun," you encouraged him gently, "take your time."

Yunho exhaled heavily, as if steeling himself for whatever he was going to say next.

"It's just- this is everything I've ever wanted but never actually dared wish for, and now that it's real, now that you're real, I don't even know what to say."

Reluctantly pulling away from your embrace, he reached back to retrieve a few tissues from the bedside table. "Every day, I have so many people relying on me, so many people waiting for me to make a mistake so that they could take my place, have to deal with so many awful clients while acting like none of it affects me, and it's just- it's so hard. I've always wanted to have someone who I could be vulnerable with, who I could confide in without fearing they'd use it against me later, but it always seemed too good for me. And then you appeared, and you've made my life so much more bearable, made me look forward to every day because it meant I'd get to see you soon again. No amount of words or money could ever match just how thankful I am for you, seriously."

"Yunho..."

Stunned by the sudden confession, you silently sat and processed his words. Yunho just smiled at your shocked expression, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I know this is a lot to unload on you so suddenly, so please don't feel like you have to respond to any of this right now. We can just brush past this and never discuss it again, I won't be upset. It's just something I've been thinking about a lot lately, and seeing you care for me so honestly made me finally tell you, I guess. Like I said, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to, but just know that if there's anything, and I mean anything, that I could do for you, just say it and I'll do it. Even if it's something small, like confiding in me the way I do with you, I'm always here for you."

You couldn't help but chuckle at his offer, unconvinced. "I'm not really sure you want that, Yu. All of my problems are pretty repetitive and boring, not to mention how annoying and stubborn I can get when stressed. Wouldn't want to break the illusion you have of me, you know?"

...A hand gingerly grabbed yours.

"And what if I tell you that's exactly what I want?" Yunho challenged, a more genuine, playful smile on his lips this time. "I'm not stupid, Y/N. I know you're much more than the persona you put on when you visit me. I want to know the real you, good and bad included - if you'll let me, that is. You already have the keys to the apartment, don't you? My home is open to you anytime, even outside of our sessions."

Just as Yunho had said, this was a lot to unpack on the spot.

And yet, somehow, deep down in your heart, you already knew your answer to his confession, even if you didn't fully want to admit to it just yet.

"I mean," you began hesitantly, mulling everything over as carefully as you could, "there's no harm in trying it, right?"

Yunho's eyes lit up at your words, looking at you hopefully.

"Besides, I come here so often it feels like a second home anyway."

He gave you a thoughtful nod. "Yeah, same here."

"What do you mean?" You asked, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"Exactly what I said before - you." His grip on your hand tightened, the other pointing to the collar sitting in front of him. "I've found my second home in you."

Silence.

It felt as though the Earth had stopped spinning for a second. Everything around you faded into nothingness, leaving you to stare into his eyes.

You don't know for sure how his lips ended up on yours, but judging by the surprised noise coming from him, it must have been you who'd initiated the kiss. Not a second later, however, he replied with matching enthusiasm, resting his palm against your thigh to lean in even closer.

In spite of every cell in your body screaming at you to stay, you eventually pulled away, giving the two of you a chance to breathe. Yunho's gaze was nothing short of reverent, looking at you like you've hung the stars in the sky.

"So? Would you like to try on your present?"

Yunho refused to believe any of this was real.

No matter how much you tried to convince him to take it off, Yunho refused to sleep without his collar. Looking at the way it pressed into his neck when he lay down, you knew there was no way it could be comfortable to sleep in. And yet, Yunho insisted that it was fine, that it actually felt nice despite the way it was smothering his Adam's apple. In the end, you had no option but to concede, tucking your overgrown puppy into bed with the collar still around his neck.

But as you were about to get up to turn the lights off, a hand grabbed yours to stop you. You looked back down at Yunho, being met with his signature pout and teary eyes.

"I know this is a lot to ask, especially considering how much I've asked of you today already, but... stay? Please?"

You gave him a long look, considering your options. Or pretending to consider them, rather, since there was no way you'd be able to deny him anything right now.

"Only because you've been such a sweet boy today, okay?" You said, trying to sound reluctant even though you weren't fooling anyone.

You quickly excused yourself to the bathroom, boldly taking one of Yunho's sleep shirts with you to change into.

Despite his eyelids growing heavier by the second, Yunho bravely fought to keep them up until you'd arrive, sighing in relief when the bathroom door opened again.

No more words were needed as you plopped down next to him, joining him under the blankets before moving to rest your head on his chest. Despite no visible reaction from him, you could hear his racing heartbeat below you, making a soft smile creep up on your lips.

Within the next two minutes, you heard his heart eventually calm down again, breaths evening out as he fell asleep. It took you a while longer to follow, mind struggling to relax with so many thoughts racing through it. What did all of today mean for your relationship? How professional will you be able to stay with him after this? You should probably tell him you haven't had any other clients for months now, shouldn't you.

No use worrying about it now, you suppose. All of those concerns can be solved only once Yunho wakes up again. And until then, you have no choice but to enjoy whatever it is that you have right now, no matter how ambiguous.

Snuggling further into his chest, you finally doze off as well.

Whatever this is, it's perfect.

taglist: @justconniez @domribo @another-random-fanfic-blog

Thank you for reading! And remember, feedback is always very appreciated! <3

[vesperaink]

Friends, my necromancer!Tango/grimreaper!Jimmy, Team Rancher modern with magic apocalypse AU, Graveyard Shift, for @mcytblraufest's Reverse Big Bang is here!

But wait there's more--go read chasing crimson written by @aliferous-ly, beta'd by @dibs2win, my fantastic team for aufest. If you love enemies to lovers, unlikely partnerships, and the power of soul-bound magic weapon contracts, this hilarious + dramatic 22.9k fic kicks off from this comic!

chasing crimson

Jimmy Solidarity works for the esteemed god of Death, reaping lost souls and taking care of unsavory characters. He's recently finished his training, and is determined to do well on his first solo mission. Perhaps this "Tango" would be a good start. Only, the god of Death disappeared years ago, and Necromancer Tango Tek's long since discovered a way around dying. He can't say he enjoys Jimmy swinging through and killing him where he stands, though.

Thank you to my team for being as feral about this AU as I am, and kicking everything about it up to 110. I had so much developing this world with them!

Thanks to @onawhimsicot for helping me with the comic's dialogue, fixing my composition woes with "just add more smoke," and encouraging me to complete it in full color! Check out Cadence's aufest fic, I take it back (ill follow till I fly or till im dead), a Cult of the Lamb AU about follower!Tango and Lamb!Zedaph, the meaning of devotion, silly experiments, eldritch transformations, and...the most platonic slowburn ever?

Lastly, thank you to the aufest team for another wonderful event! I had a blast again, and was giggling kicking my feet at everyone's reactions during claims, I loved every single one of them. Graveyard Shift is definitely an AU I'm coming back to. As always, my askbox is open if you'd like to chat, and I'd love to be tagged if anyone makes anything <3

Timelapse / AU art chatter under the cut!

While Graveyard Shift is the amalgamation of many of my interests, the main premise for this AU is loosely inspired by the webcomic, I'm the Grim Reaper, in both its apocalypse themes and its aesthetics! Not a required read, but highly recommend if you enjoy this au, as well as the anime and manga, Soul Eater!

I came up with a lot of AUs for this event but necromancer!Tango and reaper!Jimmy have been rattling around in my brain in separate AUs since before I started brainstorming for aufest. So I smashed them together, naturally.

(Unfortunately I didn't record all of my process, but most of it is here! CW for flashing; song is Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene by Hozier)

I could go on forever about concept art and character design if anyone's curious but here's some fun bonus details about this comic:

Originally, Tango's outfit was going to be more like his Dungeon Master outfit but I wanted the setting to be more modern and Jimmy stole the fantasy cloak vibe from him already lol

Jimmy's entrance of lightning is my nod to the Life Series final death sound

The scarf Jimmy's wearing is designed to be a boneyard shawl

The panel of strange text reads "Protection Three" in Galactic :)

+ The name "Graveyard Shift" was thrown at me by Cadence in like 3 seconds flat after i spent 2 days agonizing over a name for this au LOL

[thecapricunt1616]

Pink Pony Club (Richie Jerimovich one-shot)

♡ One-Shot Inspo: Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan "I'm up, and jaws are on the floor. Lovers in the bathroom and a line outside the door. Blacklights, and a mirrored disco ball Every night's another reason why I left it all" ♡ Summary: You're an Exotic Dancer / part time house mom at The Pink Pony, and end up falling for a man that is probably old enough to be your father. ♡ W/C: 2.9k ♡ Poste Date: 06/10/2024 ♡ A/N: Hello all! again, for the asks that are atp starting to mold in my inbox - imma get to you. This specific dirty old man in a suit has been making me feel things lately, so naturally I had to write some porn about it. Asks are still open even though I cant promise it'll be done snappy. Hope everyones week is off to a great start so far!! Tagged those who commented on the post saying this would be a good idea just so you could see how it came out, hope you like :) ♡ Warnings for BTC: Age gap relationships (R is in her mid-to-late 20's, mentions of sex work, Club environments, swearing, smut, rough sex (Richie likes to be slapped around sometimes, kay?) lowkey simp!Richie, no use of Y/N - pet names only, readers stage name is Pixie Polestar , unprotected sex, not edited, we die like men!

♡ 𝐌𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬 ♡ ➵ 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 ♡ ➵ 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞-𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 ♡ ➵ 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 / 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘵 ♡ ➵ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 ♡

You had met Richie just about 2 months ago. It was safe to say, life had chewed him up and spit him out lately. 

If he was being honest with himself, the dating pool wasn’t exactly rich at 46 years old. He could count on almost two hands how long it had been since he got his dick up for more than just the binightly pornhub browser. 

That led him into the Pink Pony Club one fateful August night. You were working your usual shift, Pixie Polestar. You - unlike some of the other girls - really enjoyed your job. At least, the aspect of having fun on stage, doing cute, sexy little acrobat-like tricks on the pole while horny men paid you to take more of your clothes off?

Yes please. 

You weren’t a back room kind of girl, usually. That was because the amount of money you made from tricks on the pole was more than a lot of the girls you worked with made in a whole shift while you just worked the 45 minute trick-filled stage set then would give a few $400 lap dances depending on your mood, before skipping on home, taking a hot shower, and slipping in your silk sheets with your air conditioner turning your bedroom something akin to an ice box. 

That was how that night was supposed to go. 

How the night really went, was some loud borderline obnoxious man at least 15 years your senior, had found his way into the Pink Pony. He was wearing a pressed navy blue suit, that complimented his pretty blue eyes. That was the second thing you noticed about him while he loudly whistled for Krystal who was currently doing her set. 

You weren’t really supposed to be here anymore - well- you didn’t have to be here. You had found yourself a solution, a real career path if you will. But you enjoyed your time on the pole because it was art, and dancing was a confidence booster for you. In any regard, you were going to get older, you were going to pass your prime as the house mom was always telling you girls, so you needed another stream of income. 

Of course, being a … *eh-hem* - exotic dancer was the word you preferred, stripper just sounded trashy to you, did come with its negative stereotypes, one of which being no where will rent to you - because you had terrible credit. So, naturally, being the resourceful woman you are - you walked your happy ass to the open house of a for sale by owner showing, and told the nice realtor you’d take it. 

Boom. Done, you had a place to live in 3 weeks, when you closed on it. Then, it dawned on you. The other girls you worked with had the same issue you did. So, you found another house, saved another 25k for the amount to put down, and rented it to your coworkers. 

It was the perfect system, because you knew you’d get your rent. You knew exactly how much money each girl made because you watched them make it, you knew where they lived, and they had to look you in the eye every night. So it’s easy to say no one ever tried you. The only real reason you hung around The Pink Pony anymore was because you wanted to keep an eye on your girls and dancing was fun too. 

When he first laid eyes on you, it was something akin to a cartoon character when their pupils turn into hearts. It wasn’t too abnormal, you were one of the more bombshell-esc dancers at the club, and that isn’t to say that you outdid anyone it was all based on preference. Some men loved plain Jane’s, and the plain Jane’s were just as beautiful as any of the other girls, but the reaction of men basically tripping over their feet to try and come talk to you was more likely going to happen to you then anyone else.  

But he…didn’t come over, that was interesting to you. So, you being the master of customer service you were, took your drink and kept your eyes locked on his as you made your way across the room, and plopped right in his lap. “Never seen you here before sweetheart” your manicured hand found the back of his neck, gently caressing over his skin. 

He tried to play it cool, but your tits we’re basically in his face, he could smell your perfume perfectly, fuck he genuinely can’t believe that a girl so beautiful just sauntered over and sat in his fucking lap. Was he dreaming? He found his mind racing, and for once in his 46 years he was dumbfounded and couldn’t find anything to say. 

“Cat got your tongue honey?” You smirked a bit, gently cupping his stubbly cheek and rubbing your thumb over his bottom lip, pulling it gently before letting it snap back into place. He swallowed thickly, his hand resting on your bare thigh, just below the white glittery mesh coverup you were wearing. 

“I’m Richie.” He blurted out, his cheeks felt like they were on fucking fire, any blood that wasn’t rushing there was rushing to his cock and he found himself wondering when the last time he’d gotten hard so easy was. 

“Well hello Richie. I’m Pixie, what brings a handsome man like you in on a Friday night mm, no big plans?” You absentmindedly played with his chain, pretending to pay no mind to the long length that was hardening in the curve of your ass. All you would have to do is shuffle just a tiny bit and his cock would be nestled between your cheeks and the itty bitty powder pink g string that you wore beneath the tiny mesh piece of fabric that was basically for show and no use to cover anything. 

“I guess I was lookin’ f’some entertainment. Think I found it” he spread his legs more, causing you to sink further into his lap and his hand found the curve of your waist, his thumb rubbing little up and down strokes over the smooth skin. He never believed that the sheer triple x rated porn movie he was creating in his mind would become a reality that night but man did it. 

It was also his first night taking the dreaded viagra prescription his doctor had given him when he got real about his … shortcomings as of late. The man isn’t what he used to be stamina wise, okay? Nonetheless - he still rocked your shit - well, more like you rocked his. 

Who knew this foul mouthed, old school, borderline toxic masculinity-entrenched motherfucker would get so much pleasure from your palm coming across his cheek just hard enough it left a yummy sting and telling him “My eyes are up here you old pervert” as you bounced on his cock with a rhythm he couldn’t bring to the table himself anymore, and that in turn causing your tits to bounce like a fucking hentai film less then a foot from his face. 

Something about a younger girl calling him old and smacking him around all while using his cock to get herself off, babbling about how good he makes her feel made him more confident then he had been in years.

He often would find himself feeling a little pang of sadness after you started seeing eachother, in moments where you two were laughing a way he only ever did with Mikey before you came around, and making him feel like he was in fuckin’ High school again with how giddy he was to see you after every shift. All of it would just remind him how bad he wishes you could have met Mikey, and how bad he wishes he could tell Mikey. 

Richie knows, he would be so jealous, but in a brotherly way - that such a young hot piece of ass, a young smart, hot, funny, piece of ass was calling him daddy, told him he was ‘her mans’ whatever the fuck that meant. He assumed girls today call their boyfriends that, there were a lot of little phrases and lingo you had to explain to him and would always make fun of him for being old after doing so. 

He would tease you too, having some late 80s early 90’s radio station on (because the old head didn’t understand what streaming was) while he drove you around of course since he had learned from you that you were his ‘passenger princess’ and saying something like ‘oh babygirl this is before your time, this is from my day” before cranking up the radio and serenading you with Bad Girl by Madonna, belting it in such a silly, dramatic way between drags of his cigarette you couldn’t help but burst into giggles and kiss him at the next red. 

You had told him that when you used to do private dances that Like a Virgin was one of your favorite to dance to for the ‘older’ gentleman, he spanked you playfully when you said his crowd was older as he usually did, and of course later that night he had you perform for him and you ended up getting your back blown out to material girl since you had been streaming the song from your phone and didn’t care to find it and turn it off. 

When Tina had played it jokingly at family dinner one night, he couldn’t help the smirk that came to his lips at the memory. Funnily enough, she was the first person to find out about you. Of course, he didn’t divulge anything other than he was finally seeing someone consistently, nothing about your age or profession. Based on the way Tina had reacted with clapping and kissing his cheeks, gushing “I’m so proud of you papa! That’s so good, this is so good for you! You need to get out there more” he was reevaluating his social life or lack there of and telling himself he needed to get out more, which lucky for him you were young and bubbly so you could get him out of the house. 

The next person he told, he really told, was Carmy. Well- technically Syd too, but she just happened to overhear. 

“W-wait wait” Carmy pinched the bridge of his nose how he did when he was baffled and confused, brows knitting together as he shook his head. “Lemme- lemme just get this straight - y’datin a…..” 

“Ex-o-tic dancer, cousin. It’s 2024, fuckin hell. Women dance and get paid for it - no big deal.” He repeated, emphasizing each sound as if what he was explaining was the most casual thing in the world, which - you had explained to him it should be so he took that and ran with it. 

“You’re fucking…a stripper- a stripper that’s what they’re called when they dance naked -  and how old did you say she was?” Syd questions. 

“Hey- she leaves her panties on she’s only naked top up, and plus she doesn’t even have to anymore she does it for the art.” He points the spoon he was wiping down at Carmy “this new NOMA bullshit we’re doin’ here isn’t the only art, Cousin. Shes an artist” he dropped the spoon in the bucket with the rest of the pristine ones he’d worked on. 

“Sure- and she’s fuckin younger then me” Carmy replied. “She could be y’fuckin-“

“Yeah, yeah - whatever she could be my fuckin daughter where’s your girlfriend huh? I don’t see anyone linin’ up to fuck you. She’s nice, and into me - and - and she’s funny and smart. So see already 2 qualities named that I don’t see much of around here so excuse fuckin me f’wantin to be happy when I’m not in this shithole” he teased 

“So- this not even 30 year old, she is gonna be y’date to the thanksgiving friends and family night - the one your daughter and ex wife are attending - and you think that will be a good idea considering tiff’s track record with girls you bring around” Syd questioned. 

“Yup” was all he said before taking the now finished bin of spoons to be put away, glad for the conversation to have finally been over. 

He rehashed the whole conversation with you later that night as you slowly rolled your hips into his, your skin sticking to his, both of you covered with a thin layer of sweat. You had his hands pinned next to his head, fingers interlaced with yours, practically speaking into your mouth as you kissed him sloppy and open mouthed, obsessed with eachothers taste. You always tasted of bubblegum, a habit you’d carried with you since childhood, he always tasted of cigarettes, a habit he had carried since high school. 

“Baby with my job I’m used to people not understanding me - I didn’t expect your friends to like me. My job - it can make people uncomfortable. But fuck them. You know how we feel huh?” You picked up the speed of your hips, using the curly deep brown patch of hair at the base of his cock to cause the most delicious friction with each thrust on his cock as you chased your orgasm. 

“Ye’ fuck em baby- shit- so fuckin tight- all mine right?” He breathed, mouthing over the bruises he’d left on your breasts a few nights ago. That was one thing about your job he had a bit of difficulty getting past, but you assured him you had no feelings for any clients and that you weren’t doing lap dances anymore only your stage set and otherwise you were just there to be more of a second house mom. But still, he was a man after all. He was possessive, a little jealous sometimes. So he loved to hear that you were only his during moments like this. 

“Yes daddy- all yours. You own this- you own me” you kissed his hand before bringing it to your breast and then using his shoulders as leverage to bounce further up and down, the action causing his head to fall back and jaw to fall slack. 

“Just like that - god- fuck - holy shit baby- shit-shit- y’fuckin close? How fuckin long has it been?” He pinched your nipple lightly, causing your pussy to clench around him and a pornstar like whine to leave your lips 

“It’s been 15 minutes- Christ you’re like a teenager. Can’t even last 30 minutes?” You teased, leaning in and kissing his neck, biting and nibbling the skin as you circle your hips, essentially jutting the tip of his cock into your g spot and that floaty feeling sneaking up on you as you feel him shoot rope after rope of arousal, painting your pretty, gummy walls a milky white and his stomach muscles clenching at the overstimulation. 

The grunts and moans that left his lips when you got him here were some of the hottest noises you’d ever heard a man make before, you were always sure to file them away in a special little folder in your brain for a rainy day he wasn’t able to get you off himself. “Feel good daddy?” You asked sweetly, sitting up and resting your hands on his hips so you could look down and watch as your mixed arousals gush out of you and around him, thick strings breaking with each slow, purposeful roll of your hips 

“So fuckin good baby- Jesus gonna finish soon? Dunno how much more I can do” he said, voice breathy, blissed out, nearly whiny. 

“Mmhmm few more minutes daddy- god we’re so pretty, I bet we taste so good mm?” You swipe the pad your forefinger over your clit, gathering the sweet and bitter white, making a show of rubbing it over the hardened bud of your nipple “feels good, too, wanna tell me how it tastes?” You leaned in and he nearly groaned as he took your breast in his mouth, crystal like eyes seeding into your own gaze as he flicked his tongue gratefully around the sensitive nub. 

You whined hotly, the sight of your tit in his mouth mixed with the feeling of his pants huffing through his nose and fanning over the swollen flesh as his tongue swirled and licked and flicked and drove you over the edge. You cried out, hips stuttering as you rode out your orgasm. His hand found your heat, rubbing with scissored fingers over your clit and meeting around his cock before dragging his fingers back up to repeat the assault. 

The action had you gushing around him, the contractions of your heat getting stronger causing him to groan into your skin and that vibration just added more stimulation. “Fuck yes- god daddy- always make me feel so good, no one understands how good we make eachother feel hm? Nothing else matters, baby, as long as you feel good, right?” 

You pulled him in for a sloppy, hot, passionate kiss. A kiss that made his heart do flips, and his stomach flutter, and made him feel way lighter.

Richie thought to himself in that moment he may be falling in love again, and he was equal parts fucking terrified, and excited to see where things with you went. 

He just had to get over ripping off the very last bandaid, and then you could really be together -

And that bandaid was Tiff.

@aestheticaltcow - @myszie - @wtfsteveharrington

[cobaltperun]

Genius (2) - Restless

Cairo Sweet x female (G!P) Reader

Summary: It was such a cliché, a reunion she didn’t expect to ever happen, let alone six years after she last saw you. It was supposed to mean nothing, a bit of nostalgia, maybe a brief catching up while waiting for class, it was supposed to be a small wave of nostalgia, not a tsunami that disrupted her entire life. You were her opposite, and as hard as she tried she couldn’t resist your pull.

Story masterlist / Previous part / Next part

Word count: 3.2k

-What time is it now where you are? We follow beats with different drums. We're looking at the same star-

Once upon a time you were precious to Cairo, her best friend, someone she played with, someone she read with, someone she read to, someone she could trust. She didn’t exactly meet you, you’ve been a part of her life way before she understood anything about the world around her. You came into her life as the daughter of her parents’ friends slash colleagues. A way for her parents to show their dominance, she supposed. Your parents weren’t as wealthy, as successful, or influential as her parents, and looking at it now, there may have been some envy and or superiority complex from one pair of parents to another.

It didn’t influence the two of you, you were just kids who happened to spend time together and have fun. She was a lonely child, as not a lot of kids wanted to even get close to Lovell Hill, but seeing as your parents kept bringing you along you didn’t have much of a choice in the matter at first.

Everything was much simpler before the two of you started going to school…

~X~

Clumsy.

That was the word she would have used to describe you back then.

“I don’t like it here, Cai,” you were smaller than her back then and you were frightened of the forest surrounding her house, even if you were close to the road. Insects freaked you out, you jumped at the smallest sounds, you were so easy to scare, but Cairo really wanted to show you something nice in the forest, to show you it wasn’t all bad.

She’s been holding your hand, pulling you along through the dark forest, unlike you she wasn’t afraid or freaked out by the forest. It was a part of her world, unapproachable, haunting, yet beautiful at the same time. Of course, back then she just took it for granted, it was around her house so of course she didn’t mind it.

“Cai, come on, let’s go back,” you tried again, but you still went along with her whims.

“C’mon, it’s close!” she was excited to take you to the bush of wild roses she came across a few days ago.

You groaned, but didn’t put up a fight and then, just as she was supposed to see the bush, she dropped your hand, and you stumbled right into her. But she didn’t get annoyed, she was too confused, too distraught by the sight of an old tree that fell over the bush.

“Sorry,” you mumbled, yet she still didn’t respond. “Cai? Cairo?” you probably followed her line of sight, as you let out a small ‘oh’ a few seconds later.

She wasn’t that smart back then, she didn’t funny understand what she was feeling, but looking back at that moment now she figured that was the first time she began understanding the nature of her home. A beautiful flower growing despite harsh environmental conditions, only to be crushed by an old decaying good for nothing tree way past its prime. The forest around her house, the whole village, functioned the same way. And though she longed to be free, to spread her wings, to bloom outside of the restraints placed upon her by her surrounding, she couldn’t. She too, much like the rose bush she failed to show you, didn’t know how to escape the earth she was stuck in.

‘I’ll do it before I start high school,’ she thought, but didn’t know where to start, and she didn’t have anyone to do it with.

‘I’ll do it during high school,’ she thought, but she never had the courage to even get on a bus to the nearby town.

‘I’ll do it after I graduate,’ was her newest mantra, but deep down she feared what was to come.

She’s been told repeatedly that she was exceptional.

It was easy to be exceptional when everyone around her seemed content with their lives here. Never striving to stand out.

But, she didn’t understand that as a six years old girl standing in the middle of the forest with you by her side. But she did feel like something was breaking her heart.

“Hey,” you took her hand ad for once you were pulling her away from the crushed rose bush, as if understanding somehow that she didn’t want to stay there, even if she didn’t move on her own. Your hand was warm, though not nearly as warm as the tears falling down her cheeks, and she often wondered what you felt at that moment? What did you see when you looked from the roses on the ground to her? Did it change you in any way? Or was it just another day or you? Something you forgot within days, or even hours.

She never really asked you, but the sight stayed burnt in her mind and she still hated how well she could visualize it if she only thought back to it.

~X~

You stopped complaining about the forest after that, you still didn’t like it, but, she didn’t have to drag you along anymore.

“Get it off me!” you cried, but still ran away from her. You were panicking about a spider that fell on your shoulder.

“So, stop running!” Cairo laughed, running after you to ‘save’ you from the evil monster that attacked you. It wasn’t even a big spider, it was tiny!

“Fine, but hurry up,” you whined, finally stopping and letting Cairo catch up to you.

Cairo looked you over, but didn’t see the spider. “It’s not here? Maybe it fell off?” she guessed. Well, with how you were running it wouldn’t be a surprise.

“Really?” you asked as she sat down on the grass.

“Yeah, come on and sit down,” she needed to catch her breath or a bit.

You just shook your head. “No. Bugs!” you pointed an accusing finger at the ground and as usual refused Cairo’s offer to sit with her.

Why did she even bother to ask you? She knew you’d say ‘no’. “Oh,” her eyes widened slightly when she saw the spider crawling back up to your shoulder. “Guess it didn’t fall off after all,” she chuckled uneasily.

“What?” you shrieked and looked to the side. “Cairo you meanie!”

Cairo just laughed as she finally got up and removed the small spider from your shoulder.

She was still six, and there, in the dark, spooky forest where a rose bush could never thrive, things were still simple.

~X~

At nine years old she was spending time at your house every now and then. And on one stormy day, when the two of you had no idea what to do, since you couldn’t go outside and the power was out, she just passed time by looking over the books your parents owned.

Finally, her eyes landed on Jules Verne’s “Around the World in Eighty Days,” and she reached up for it. The world. How she yearned to explore it, to see something beside the village she lived in, to see the huge cities, to go to the biggest amusement parks, to visit the best bookstores, to experience things she couldn’t in this village.

So, yearning for the experience the book title promised, she brought it over to you and sat down. “Wanna read?” she offered, her big eyes pleading or you to say yes.

You looked a bit uncertain, but eventually you just nodded and lit a candle so the two of you could read.

Cairo hugged you briefly and pulled you to the floor so you could lie down and read together. She was mesmerized, amazed by the idea, eager to read more and mentally pleading for you to read faster, but, by the time she would finish two pages you’d just start reading the second page.

“Sorry, I’m not a fast reader,” you apologized when you noticed she was waiting to turn the page.

It wasn’t that you read slowly, you read about as fast as anyone could expect from an eight year old, it was Cairo that was reading faster than she was supposed to. “Would you- I don’t know, read it to me? I think that might be quicker?” you suggested.

Cairo thought it over and nodded happily. Maybe it wouldn’t be as fast as if she only had the book for herself, but she wouldn’t have to pause. So, you rolled onto your back and put your arms behind your head as she began reading from the very beginning.

And to show just how much both of you enjoyed the book you kept reading, even as the power came back on and the rain stopped. It didn’t matter, you were still stuck in your book.

“Everything, it said, was against the travelers, every obstacle imposed alike by man and by nature. A miraculous agreement of the times of departure and arrival, which was impossible, was absolutely necessary to his success,” Cairo read as your mother came in with glasses of juice and some snacks for the two of you.

“What are you two doing?” she asked, curiously looking at the open book in front of Cairo.

“We’re reading, ma’am,” Cairo said politely as your mother crouched down next to you.

“Reading? This one as well?” your mother nudged you gently and you grinned.

“Everything, it said, was against the travelers, every obstacle imposed alike by man and by nature. A miraculous agreement of the times of departure and arrival, which was impossible, was absolutely necessary to his success,” You repeated word for word the last line Cairo read, and she and your mother just looked at you. “What? I was listening,” your grin dropped and you pouted slightly.

That was the first time Cairo realized that while she could remember almost anything she saw you could memorize sounds just as well.

~X~

It was simple and nice for another two years, and then it began shifting slowly. For the first time in her life Cairo didn’t get an A, she didn’t even get a B, but rather a C, but it would be fine, right? She was still the best in her class, seeing as only her and you got Cs, and it was a difficult test, the teacher said so as well!

She came inside to find her parents looking over some papers. A new case probably. “Father, mother,” she said a bit too quietly for her own liking. “I got the results for my test. I did my best and studied as much as I could, and the teacher said it was a-“

“Get to the point, Cairo,” her father cut her off.

Cairo looked down, test in hand. Why did the furniture around her suddenly look so much bigger than her. It felt like everything was looming over her, and just for a moment she remembered the sight of that rose bush crushed under the fallen tree. “I got a C,” she told them timidly.

Her mother finally looked at her. “A C? Are you stupid? How could you get a C?” Cairo winced at that but hearing that wasn’t nearly as bad as looking at her mother and seeing just how disappointed she was.

“We’ve given you everything, Cairo, and you’re wasting it playing all day long!” her father raised his voice, angry, furious even and she just looked down. “You are grounded, go to your room and fix this disgrace!”

She nodded, not daring to meet his eyes and began climbing up the stairs.

“Wait, what did L/N’s girl get?” her father suddenly demanded.

“A-a C as well,” she said and all hell broke loose as she curled up on her bed and tried to ignore her parents yelling, she was a disappointment, a burden, wasting their time and efforts, an ungrateful brat that would rather waste time running through the woods than study.

Unknowingly to her, you were having a much different conversation with your parents.

~X~

“Y/N,” your mother began once you were done eating dinner.

“Hm?” you looked away from the paper you were doodling on and turned to her.

“Did you get your test results?” she asked, smiling when you nodded.

“Yup! I got a C!” you exclaimed proudly causing both of your parents to look at you to see if you were joking with them.

“A C?” your father repeated, and you just nodded with a large grin on your face. “And you’re happy?”

“Yeah, it was really hard, even Cai only got a C!” you ran over to your schoolbag to show them the test.

You mother chuckled softly. “Well, if even Cairo got a C,” she smiled as you handed her the test. “I’m proud of you as long as you did your best,” she kissed your cheek softly.

~X~

When tomorrow came and you sat down next to Cairo she wanted to say hi, she wanted to talk to you like she usually would, she wanted to go and read with you again, but she still remembered the anger on her father’s face, the disappointment on her mother’s face, her blurry vision as she cried in her room.

She yearned for the attention of her parents, to have them talk to her, to take her to different places, to take her along with them at least every now and then, yet being the best student in her class wasn’t enough, and the mistake she made wasn’t to be tolerated.

“Hey, wanna play hide and seek later?” you asked between classes.

“Sorry, I have to study,” she muttered.

“Oh, tomorrow then?” she wanted to, she really did, but she didn’t want to get yelled at again.

“I don’t have time,” Cairo told you, making her tone as cold as she could.

“Cai, what’s wrong?” you were too perceptive for your own good.

“Don’t call me that,” she snapped, she didn’t mean to, she loved the nickname, it was the only nickname she ever had.

You paused, startled by her reaction. “Right, sorry,” you looked away.

“Just leave me alone, I’ll come to you if I feel like it,” she pushed you away, physically and stomped away, just so you couldn’t see the regret or tears in her eyes.

~X~ Present day ~X~

Cairo looked at you, her eyes wide in utter disbelief. You listened to her back then, you didn’t try to talk to her, you were waiting for her to come to you. Back then she wished she did that, she wished to do it every day. At the same time she wanted you to forget what she said, to approach her and get her to talk to you, to grab her hand and stop her from leaving. You never did that. So, a week passed, and she was still stubborn.

A month passed, and she was no longer stubborn, but she was worried you’d be angry that it took her so long.

Half a year passed, she turned twelve and spent her first birthday without you around, and that worry turned into spite. Out of spite she kept you at a distance, not even saying ‘hi’.

And then, shortly after that you moved with you parents and she wanted desperately to cry, but that would only make her parents angry at her again.

“Y/N,” she said uncertainly, despising how, even after so many years your name still fell so easily from her lips, how it still felt familiar on her tongue. You changed, grew up, grew taller than her, even if you were taller than her ever since the two of you were ten, now your height difference was noticeable even as you sat next to each other.

A cough broke her out of her thoughts. Right, the class just started. “I apologize,” she blushed a bit, thankful for the distraction. Thankful that she could listen to the author she admired, yet his words sounded so distant to her. You were right there, close enough to touch and Cairo felt hot and cold at the same time. She was happy, yet she couldn’t help but wonder how long ago you came back. Why didn’t you look for her? You said her name so softly, you didn’t make a scene, surely you weren’t angry at her, but why didn’t you try and visit?

It’s been years, surely you didn’t still intend to listen to her childish demand.

~X~

You could feel how tense she was throughout the whole class, glancing at you subtly from time to time and you wished to just reach over and place your hand on her shoulder. To ask her what was wrong. To not give up this time like you did all those years ago.

The bell rang but the two of you remained seated, neither truly willing to move, until finally, under Miller’s confused gaze, Cairo picked up her things and nodded at him to say goodbye.

“Cairo, wait,” you went after her and Winnie. “Let’s just grab a lunch, or old times sake?” you went straight to the point. This was Cairo, after all, she like subtlety, especially in books, but she also liked being direct when she wanted something. “I know a restaurant, I think you’ll like it,” you said when she looked at you.

“You had time to visit those, I see,” Cairo said, and you could have sworn she looked away almost bitterly.

“Cairo,” you tried, but she was already turning around to walk away. You felt as if something was squeezing your chest, a feeling of unease you couldn’t shake off, like letting her leave now, like this, would be a mistake you couldn’t come back from. And in that moment, you were reminded of you and her, years ago, as your friendship shattered. “I didn’t mean in the village,” you called after her, taking notice of the way Winnie froze and Cairo stiffened a bit.

“What?” she looked back, frowning as you closed the distance and offered her your hand.

“Let me take you out to a restaurant about an hour from here. Good food, peaceful, beautiful view, perfect for catching up. They even have live music,” you explained, just hoping she’d take your hand.

Winnie whistled at that. “Nice going new girl. Throw the girl a bone, Cairo,” she nudged Cairo a bit, but the girl remained silent, and you could almost imagine the gears turning in her head.

“Okay,” Cairo finally said, shaking your hand.

“Come on- wait, really?” Winnie looked genuinely surprised and just stared at your and Cairo’s connected hands.

“Thanks, Cairo,” you smiled softly.

“Is Saturday okay with you?” she asked, her expression softening as she took a small step closer to you. “Yeah,” the two of you just stood there, in the middle of the hall, in front of Miller’s classroom, as if captivated by one another to the point of forgetting the world around you.

Taglist: @deimaisgail @bee-keeping @marvelous-disaster @jmwetterlund

[zwolfgames]

|Mistakes|Platonic Yandere Alastor x fem!reader

Requested: /

Warnings: Alastor, condescending behavior (thats it for part 1)

Parts: Part 1 (you are here) , Part 2 , Part 3

(Takes place before the Hazbin hotel and before Alastors dissapearance. + You have jellyfish features cuz demons have those extra animal things idk.)

(3rd person POV)

Here you were, Y/N L/N. Or well, thats what your mortal name had been.

After twenty harsh years in hell you had just stuck with only Y/N. Died at twenty four, how sad.

Tough thats not your problem at the moment, the real problem is your current situation.

Extermination day.

It had started half an hour ago.. Angels poured from the skies like dark birds, bad omens. Angels of death.

Angelic blasts and weapons rained down upon your neighbourhood. The appartement you had worked so hard for to get was in ruins. Your ceiling had fallen down and blocked you into your windowless kitchen...

Your whole appartment must be destroyed... Just you and your kitchen... If you were lucky, the angels wouldn't search for any sinners here...

And maybe... your unexpected guest would be of aid if they did.

You hadn't dare speak to him.

Alastor... Radio Demon. An overlord.

The red, deer-like demon had shown up in your kitchen when the ceiling crashed down... Why? You didn't dare ask.

Surely he could do some wicked magic nonsese to get out, unlike you and your absolute lack of impressive powers.

Maybe he just tought this would be a good hidey hole. Or he saw you as his next prey... One's clearly nicer then the other.

The tall overlord simply hums in his radio accented tone. Looking at his sharp fingers with that same grin on his face.

It hadn't changed since he came in here. Just kept on smiling.

"Lovely day today, wouldn't you say?"

He spoke... The overlord spoke to you! Shit- now what? Smile and wave! Fall over and die!

"Couldn't be better..." You sigh in clear sarcasm. You don't know what compelled you to play jokes with mister 'could kill you in a snap'. But perhaps you felt doomed enough to just go for it.

Alastor chuckled rather charmingly. Still smiling. His sharp yellow teeth looked... scary, to say the least.

"My my, what positivity. You must be a wonderfull sinner." Alastor grins and looks down at your seated form.

You were simply sitting on the kitchen floor, knees to your chest as you leaned against the wall.

You hum in acknowladgement.

Alastor had eyed your features... You weren't the most common animal he'd seen a sinner be manifested as.

Sure everyone had their human like parts... but.. jellyfish? He's never seen a jellyfish sinner before.

A big, seetrough cap on your head, like that of a jellyfish. It must be attached to your head... Long glossy tendrils hang from it. Practically coating you in a protective curtain.

Alastor wonders if you sting...

"I like your cap. You look more serene then most sinners." Alastor atempts at conversation once more.

"Thanks... I like your horns." You reply, albeit a lot more awkard then he was. Cmon, you can't blame yourself. Overlords are scary!

Alastor keeps smiling. Atleast you were polite enough to compliment back. Your awkardness was amusing.

The clear struggle for survival was evident in your eyes. He liked the look. What? He's a sadistic killer.

"Whats your name, jellyfish girl?" Alastor asked, maybe in a little bit of a belitteling manner... but he was showing intrest. Who's he kidding, he's just bored and he'd rather chat with this sinner then face angels outside.

"Name's Y/N. You- I mean.. I know you- sorry." You retsrain from hitting yourself multiple times.

Alastor chuckles again. Oh how fun, you're getting so nervous just from his presence. Better then the usual fear or fawning tough... he can work with this.

"Alastor, dear. How about some bevarages as we wait out this extermination? Mhh? Im sure your little kitchen has something." Alastor suggests. Oh- hanging out with the Radio demon on extermination day, yea sure, why not?

"Oh.. sure.. I've got... water and fruit juice..." You trail of solemly at your.. clear lack of good options.

"Why, no alchohol, dear? You're a rare creature." Alastor hums in amusement as he takes in your sad fridge. Money came slowly when you were in hell! Okay?! You're not into any shady buisiness... so.

"So thats a no to drinks...?" You ask awkardly.

"I'll take water." Alastor answers.

You nod and serve him a glass of water. Atleast your fridge still works, so it's cold.

Alastor gently takes the glass and takes a sip. He sits down next to you on the floor. Albeit at a respectfull distance. Maybe cuz he just doesn't like being close... or he wants you to feel safe. Wich, good try but you don't.

"So, Y/N. Those tendrils of yours. Do they sting?" Alastor asks with a broad smile.

"Yup. From what i've seen, really badly." You nod, getting just a tad bit more comfrotable now since you two were just talking about random things.

Alastor raised a brow, and he does the dumbest thing you have ever witnessed... wich seemed highly unlikely of an overlord.

He grabbed a tendril... What is this dude thinking?!

You saw the signature 'zap' sparkle trough the overlord. His hair fizzed up and he was out like a light.

Did he take your defences as a challange or something? What now? You've accidently killed lower sinners with your sting but... an overlord would be fine... right?

He's just.. sleepy...

You sigh and lay him down properly on the floor and try to find something to cushion his head with... Not a lot of good options in your kitchen... a bunch of towels it is then!

You managed to make the unconcious Radio Demon atleast a little comfy.

You awkardly try to get his hair flat again so he wouldn't... remember, maybe?

You were mid stroke when Alastors red eyes shot open. You flinch back immeadiatly as he gets up.

Tough instead of striking you, he laughs.

"A dangerous little thing you are, mhh?" Alastor chuckles and observes you.

"I suppose so.. sorry." You rub your neck, hoping he wouldn't oblivirate you for... well him touching your tendrils. It's defenitly his own fault, but that doesn't work like that with overlords.

"Don't be sorry dear. I should have believed you. Is that the full extent of your powers?" Alastor muses and looks at you closer.

Atleast you knew that if he were to physically try and attack you, he'd just get zapped like everyone else, good to know.

"I.. think so. It's like a protective little shield.." You answer with a nod. Alastor seems amused by the way that action makes your jellyfish cap bobble along.

"I can see that... don't like being touched, do you, dear?" Alastor asks with a toothy grin. You nod again.

"May I know why?" Alastor follows up.

"..No." You decide.

Alastor let's out a dramatic gasp.

"Oh deer, such attitude." He smirks and looks upon your messed up kitchen.

Deer puns... wow...

Oh a little mystery. How fun. You deem to be quite amusing.

Alastor keeps staring at you. It's making you feel a bit intimidated.

"... Music?" You suggest quietly. Looking up at him carefully. Holding out an earbud.

"From this... thing?" Alastor narrowed his red eyes.

You nod. "It's an earbud. Connected to my phone... my whole living room is in shambles so... no other means of music.. listening?" Your words were getting messed up as you were set under this demons scruntionizing gaze.

"Fine.." Alastor sighs in distaste. You notice you've messed up so your music choice had to be top notch!

He's from 19... 20? Something? Old. He's an old guy... old music... What does your downloaded list have to offer.

Frank Sinatra...

Who doesn't love that guy! Best guess. All or nothing.

As Alastor tries his best to put an earbud in his strange deer ears, you play the music.

It takes a couple seconds but the deer demon seems... content. A little sparkle in his eyes!

Yes, you guessed right! Take that, anxiety!

First mistake: Sharing good music.

_____☆_____

I really like splitting one shots into parts on here and then just upload just one whole thing on Wattpad, its just so cool to see feedback.

[deathmetalunicorn1]

On my goodness, I loved how you wrote my ask about Mitsuri Reader, and I was wondering if you could right a part 2? (Not immediately, that would be crazy to ask you, since no doubt you have a lot of requests right now)

Part 2 Mitsuri Reader with Yandere Hades, Ares, Shiva, Jack, Huang, Hermes, Buddha, Zerofuku, Indra, Beelzebub, Tesla and Hajun (Hajun and Zerofuku split into separate entities and Y/N basically tamed him after their match, which is something even the Gods are very surprised, amazed and actually glad about since he’s not gonna cause any trouble as long as no one harms his wife)

And (None-Romantic) Aphrodite who loves to have Y/N at her salon to do her hair (She likes how unique her hair is) and pick out outfits for her to wear (And she’ll try to convince Y/N to wear more… seductive/revealing clothing since she has a perfect figure to show, which makes Y/N more embarrassed/shy)

I love that this was so popular! It was fun to write! The only person I won’t write romantically is Zerofuku, I will have him more in a sibling way for this request instead of romantic and include him in Hajun’s portion.

-You had done your best, defending a group of children against a demon, it was your job after all, as a Demon Slayer, the Love Hashira, but the demon was too powerful for even you.

-You had managed to hold him off until the others arrived, but your wounds were too grave, and you quietly passed away, hugging the child that you had taken a fatal blow for.

-When you awoke in Valhalla you were in awe, exploring all the new sights and getting to try so many tasty new foods and treats!

-There were also so many good-looking men, strong looking men! Your eyes were stars as you saw the variety available to you, both humans and gods, prime husband material!

-Despite your beautiful looks, large chest, and cheerful personality, many of the men you had your eyes on were not interested in a woman with such a large appetite and strong enough to easily beat them, leaving you disheartened.

-Old memories were quick to bubble back to the surface, remembering one of the men you sought you out when you were alive telling you that he didn’t want to date a woman like you, and that only a wild beast would want you as a bride.

-That’s when you heard about the yearly Ragnarok Tournament, a massive fighting tournament that spawned from the original Ragnarok years ago, a fight for humanity’s survival, but it was so popular that everyone had been returned to life and now it’s held yearly, being part of a massive festival.

-You were immediately accepted, which made you smile brightly, as your strength and skills as a Hashira were legendary.

-Unlike many of the other competitors, you were smiling warmly, speaking with Goll who instantly came to like you, little flowers surrounding you both in glee.

-Some of the other fighters didn’t know what to make of you, as you looked so dainty and weak, you were going to be killed by whoever you were paired up against.

-The fights were done completely at random, by drawing lots, showing only the match number you were going to be in, so you had no idea who your opponent was going to be until you walked into the stadium.

-Hades- Could see your glowing red face and pulsating hearts that were in your eyes, gawking at this hunky man before you! You could tell he was amazingly strong, but he was so gorgeous looking you couldn’t help but fall immediately in love with him! When the fight began you previous adoration on your face was replaced with a face of determination, a warm smile on your face as you grinned warmly, “You’re perfect to be my husband! Let’s see if you’re as strong as you look!” your words about marriage stunned him, but only for a moment as your speed stunned him more, as you lunged for him, managing to grab and snap his bident with one hand before kicking at his feet, which he dodged, his eyes widening as you broke the bricks beneath your feet.

-Ares- He was so massive, so strong looking and you couldn’t help but squealing, holding your cheeks, “You’re so strong looking! Let’s see if you’re worthy of calling yourself my future husband!” Ares instantly turned, like he was shy maiden, holding his cheeks as the roar of the crowds filled your drive, hearing your bold words. Ares slapped his cheeks harshly to get back in the game, the word husband flying around his head, making his eyes spin as he couldn’t believe you wanted to marry him! He charged at you, determined to show you how strong he was, and he was stunned when you met his punch with your own, your two hands meeting, causing a shockwave to ripple through the stadium. Ares could only gawk, seeing you were unharmed, in fact you were grinning brightly.

-Shiva- You had been concerned, only for a moment, worrying that he was a demon, remembering your time on earth, but you quickly learned that this was the Hindu God, Shiva. Your eyes sparkled as he was quite handsome looking and judging based on his cockiness, he was strong. You felt your cheeks warming before you paused, seeing three women cheering for him, all calling him their love. He had three wives already. Your cheeks immediately puffed up in a pout, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes before you charged with a punch that broke a huge hunk of the floor, but he had dodged, “Why are the good ones taken?!” your words stunned him and his wives as you continued to fight, shocking everyone with your incredible strength.

-Jack- Bowed at the waist, taking your hand in his own, “My fair lady, I pray that this fight will end quickly. I do not wish to calm you an unnecessary suffering.” His words and actions quickly brought a blush to your cheeks, pulling back as you held your cheeks, “What a gentleman~ you’d make a perfect husband!” Your words stunned him, his mouth falling open as determination sparkled in your eyes. He put his hand over his mouth in a fist, coughing, trying to hide his own embarrassment before you both went to your respective sides of the stadium. He pulled out a rapier sword and you held up your bare hands in a striking stance, leaving your own sword sheathed, shocking him. He was very fast, going to end the fight quickly, but was stunned when you swung with a punch, easily breaking his sword in two before blowing him back, head over heels, sending him tumbling, his hat falling off. He rolled to his feet, his eyes narrowed only slightly, seeing that you color was a bright rainbow of determination, joy, and love.

-Huang- He was amused by you as you were gushing over his looks, he knew was attractive, but you were also very attractive, from your two-toned hair and bright eyes, you were stunning! He grinned, wanting to respect you, “I’m not going to hold back, just because you’re cute!” you squeaked, holding your cheeks before you instantly grinned, getting into a striking stance, “I won’t take anything else! If you’re a man who’s worthy to become my husband then I want everything you’ve got!” the crowd roared at your words, thinking you were a ballsy woman. He immediately dodged your first punch, which shattered the ground where he had been only moments before and jaws dropped all around, seeing that you were incredibly strong and not to be underestimated by any means.

-Hermes- You were surprised when your opponent was such a gentleman looking man, very handsome but polite as well, bowing at the waist in greeting, “My stunning maiden, may we both have an enjoyable battle!” tiny flowers surrounded you in glee, holding your cheeks as you beamed brightly before you punched your fists together, “I’m hunting for a man worthy enough to call my husband so please don’t hold back on me!” his jaw fell open and his eyes widened at your declaration as cheers rang out through the stadium. Hermes blushed only lightly, hearing both Zeus and Ares cheering loudly for him, wanting him to prove himself to you.

-Buddha- Your eyes were hearts, your heart in your ears as your hands covered your mouth at this man, he was so handsome, his muscles, his long hair, everything about him was stunning! He was the perfect husband for you! You grinned, holding your hands up in a striking stance before he grinned, seeing you get fired up, “You seem happy!” your grin widened before you charged, grabbing his prayer wheel, holding it with ease, shocking him that you were so strong, “Of course I am! I found a perfect husband!” you leapt back, taking the prayer wheel with you and Buddha couldn’t help but chuckle, seeing that you saw him as husband material and now you wanted him to prove it to you that he was good enough.

-Indra- Your faint blush and sparkling eyes were the last thing he expected to see on his opponent, especially a female as he took a drag of his cigarette before flicking the bud, “I’m not going to go easy on you just because you’re a woman.” Your elated smile threw not only him off, but many of the people in the stands as well, like you were excited, “Then I won’t go easy on you either! You need to prove yourself as husband material to me!” for the third time in mere moments, you stunned him, marriage was not even close to what was on his mind when he walked out here to face you, but your determination, the fire in your eyes, you were dead serious. He grinned slightly, amused by your words, curious as to what you meant before he got ready to charge at you.

-Beelzebub- He looked so stoic, almost like he was bored, looking at you from across the stadium, like he was underestimating you. Despite him being very attractive and mysterious looking, being underestimated was something you couldn’t stand. Your cheeks puffed up in a pout as he was quick to charge at you, and you easily dodged, flipping over him, your hand on his head before you hit back with a mule kick, sending him flying into the stadium wall behind you, stunning everyone in attendance. He crawled out of the rubble, in complete awe, you didn’t look strong, but you were incredibly strong as he dusted himself off, “Seems I underestimated you.” You folded your arms, your pout more prominent, “Yes you did! I’m looking for a strong husband but if you’re not going to take this seriously then you’re not good enough!” he was surprised to hear your reasoning for fighting, you just kept coming with the surprises.

-Tesla- Immediately he went to Heimdall, panicking, “I don’t want to fight a woman! I can’t even think about hurting a delicate flower like that!!” your hands came to your hips, your cheeks puffing up as your pouted, “Don’t underestimate! I’m way stronger than I look!” You could tell he didn’t want to fight you, looking nervous, which made your heart flutter, seeing that he was chivalrous, and you couldn’t fight the blush that rose to your cheeks. He was so handsome! Combining his good looks with his kind heart, he was perfect, now you just needed to see if he was strong enough. You shifted your legs to prepare to charge, “Please don’t hold back on me! My future husband needs to prove that he’s strong enough to handle me!” his own face flushed at your words, in disbelief that you were looking for a husband, and you wanted him to prove himself worthy to you. He could only give you his best!

-Hajun/Zerofuku- You were fully prepared to fight hand to hand, but when you saw this monstrous creature, you knew it was a demon, one that you needed to fight super seriously for, drawing your sword, eyes narrowed in determination. You fought him easily, stunning not only Hajun but those watching the fight, using your extreme flexibility to easily dodge his blows before you managed to grab his left arm and judo threw him over your shoulder, placing your foot on his chest once he was on the ground and you ripped his arm clean off. You gasped, not expecting to see the arm morphing into an unconscious older looking child, as many people screamed out the name Zerofuku in worry. You held the child under your left arm as Hajun was quick to stand, holding the bleeding stump, in shock that you, literally, disarmed him, but you also managed to separate both him and Zerofuku. His eyes narrowed, but was curious as to why a maiden like you was fighting, “What is your goal, swordswoman?” The fire in your eyes threw him off a little bit, “I’m looking for a husband! He needs to be strong so what better way to find one then in a fighting tournament!” he chuckled, as if amused, and charged at you again.

-You woke up in the infirmary, your body aching all over, several hours later, a bit confused on how you ended up there, “Oh~ did I lose?”

-A voice beside you answered, “No, it was a draw.”

-You looked over and your eyes widened, seeing your opponent in the next bed, banged up just like you were, as well as Brunnhilde, who had some questions for you.

-Once you were sitting up and several bowls of food brought out for the two of you as (Opponent) woke up shortly before you did and you surprised them both with your large appetite, eating several portions.

-You felt a bit shy when (opponent) mentioned it, holding your unwrapped hand to your cheek, “I’ve always had a large appetite, so I don’t really notice, but thank you for the light snack, Brunnhilde~”

-After being asked, you explained the reasoning behind your unnatural strength and flexibility as well as your large appetite, that your muscles are eight times denser than normal humans, and due to it you burn a lot of calories, which means you need a lot to eat to keep up with your body.

-Once Brunnhilde left you two, after you stood and sat in the chair she had been sitting in, sitting next to (opponent), after he asked you to come over, he spoke, “Why are you looking for a husband?”

-You smiled, almost sadly, “I want love, but every man I’ve come across gets too intimidated by my strength or my appetite, or my unusual hair. I’ve been told before that only a wild beast would want a monster woman like me. So that’s why I came here- to find a strong husband who could handle me!”

-Hades- His eyes were a bit sad before he patted the bed next to him and you were quick to move, taking a seat and you instantly flushed as his hand came to cup your cheek, “You’re not a monster, Y/N. You’re a lovely woman who just happens to be stronger than other men who are intimidated by that strength. Any man would be lucky to be your husband.” You pulled back, holding your cheeks as you flushed, little flowers of glee surrounding you which made him chuckle as he took a long strand of your hair, pecking it before letting it fall, “If I may, may I have the pleasure of take you out, once we’re out of here?” your arms lifted to the sky in victory, which made him laugh warmly as you couldn’t comprehend anything else before you leapt into his arms, hugging him tightly.

-Ares- Instantly was scowling, “Those cowards don’t know what they’re missing! You’re amazing Y/N! I’m the god of war and you kicked my ass! You even ripped one of my arms off with your bare hands! If you don’t think that I’m weak enough for you, will you marry me, Y/N?” your screechy squeal of delight and how you leapt up into his arms, hugging him around his neck was in answer, “I’m so happy! I’ll do my best to prove that I’m gonna be a good wife!!” he laughed warmly, leaning back into the pillows, holding you tightly, a soft smile on his lips, a sigh of relief leaving him, “Then I’ll do my best to prove I’m good enough for you!” you pulled back, a bright smile on your face as you promised each other.

-Shiva- His wives entered during your explanation about why you were looking for a husband, but you weren’t vying after Shiva, was he was already married, three times in fact, it reminded you of Tengen. You were surprised when you were instantly hugged by his three wives, all of them instantly doting on you, trying to reassure you, which surprised you that they were all so kind. You wanted to be good friends with women like them! Shiva pouted, glaring over at the four of you, “Hey I’m here too! I’m the one who got two arms ripped off!” you blushed cutely, holding your cheeks as you apologized for that, but Parvati teased him, sticking her tongue out, “Y/N is the one we want to dote on right now! How could men be so cruel to someone so pretty as you?” you twiddled your fingers, bashfully answering their questions. Shiva couldn’t help but grin, seeing the adoration in the faces of his wives before he spoke, “Then marry us Y/N! Become my fourth wife!” Your whole head, including your hair, turned bright red at his sudden proposal. There was only one moment of fear, as you were worried his wives would get jealous and angry, but they were all quickly hugging you again, cheering, immediately welcoming you, which warmed your heart.

-Jack- He held out his hand to you, for you to take and once your hand was in his, he pulled you so you would stand and sit next to him on the bed, pulling your hand up to his lips again, making you blush, as he kept ahold of your hand, “My dear, your desire for love is commendable, it breaks my heart to see a young lady such as yourself willing to go through such risks just to find love. What should matter is your heart, not your strengths and weaknesses.” His words made tears well in your eyes, which did make him panic, as he didn’t mean to make you cry before he coughed into his hand once more, “Miss Y/N, would you like to go out for tea later? I feel like I should properly court you before I propose marriage.” The color of your joy was nearly blinding as you immediately lunged into his arms, hugging him tightly, “I’m so happy!!” he chuckled softly, stroking your hair.

-Huang- Was instantly pouting, annoyed, “Those cowards rejected such a fine example of a woman such as yourself! Stupid! Absolutely idiotic! Anyone in their right mind would want someone like you by their side!” his rant did make you smile, making you feel a bit better, hearing that his opinion was completely different before he gave you a firm nod, holding out his hand for you to take, “Well then, Y/N, as emperor I should handle this immediately! When do you want to have the ceremony?” you were stunned, your eyes going wide before you immediately leapt into his arms, hugging him, “Really?! Really-really-really?!” he laughed warmly, hugging you back, his one good arm wrapping tightly around you, “Really! Let’s have a big wedding with an even bigger party!!” you squealed cutely in delight, cuddling him.

-Hermes- He smiled almost sadly at you, as he had seen what one of your exes had done, what he had said to you, it was awful that so many men had treated you so coldly, just because you were unnaturally strong and had a big appetite. He patted the bed beside him with his one good arm, as the other was in a cast, having been doodled all over by Zeus, and once you were sitting next to him, he reached forward and cupped your face, his thumb stroking your cheek gently, “Y/N, I know you kicked my ass an all, but would you still consider me worthy enough to be your husband?” your eyes widened as tears welled and your hand came to cup over his, holding it on your cheek as you smiled warmly, “Of course you are!” he smiled softly, seeing your happiness as he did his best to brush your tears away, even if they were happy tears. The door then slammed open, revealing Zeus, “When’s the wedding?!” Hermes just chucked a pillow at him, telling him to get out, which made you giggle.

-Buddha- He offered you a lollipop before patting the bed beside him, you held the candy in your hands, rather than eating it, not really feeling like eating anymore, now feeling rather melancholic, being reminded of your past history with men, something Buddha saw aa you sat down. His hand came to the top of your head, patting gently before he grinned warmly, “Do you want an indoor or an outdoor wedding? We could do something like the beach if you want?” your eyes went wide at his proposal and you instantly let out a cute squeak and leapt into his arms, ignoring both of your wounds as you hugged him tightly, “I’m so happy!!” he relaxed, leaning back while still holding onto you, feeling a sense of warmth filling his own chest, happy to see you so happy, ignoring the pain in the arm you ripped off. It was a good reminder you could put him in his place if need be.

-Indra- He was a bit grumpy, as he wasn’t allowed to smoke in the infirmary, but his anger grew, hearing how you, a maiden had been treated. He didn’t have that much experience with women, at least in serious relationships, but he knew that you had been treated horribly, and for something as stupid as being a big eater and being strong due to your muscles, which wasn’t anything that was your fault! He then remembered your words in the stadium, that you were looking for someone strong, someone who could handle you and he instantly sent you a grin, “So what about me? Did I prove myself to you?” you stammered, holding your cheeks as you blushed bashfully, making him chuckle before he reached out with his one good arm, as his other hurt too bad, since you ripped it clean off, “Marry me!” you blinked, almost like you were confused, like you didn’t register what he had said before you beamed, immediately leaping into his arms, shocking him, but he couldn’t help but melt into your embrace.

-Beelzebub- He was curious to know more about your muscle condition, he had never heard of such a thing, not with demons, gods, or humans. He wanted to ask you more questions but for some reason, he didn’t say anything about it, seeing that you were now hiding your pain behind your smile. He knew what it was like to be outcasted by others, just because you were different than normal women, he felt angry, to know someone like you, as you did have a kind heart, as you helped carry him to the infirmary despite being injured yourself before you passed out yourself. He felt Lilith’s curse shifting only slightly before it faded away, stunning him as he held a hand to where the tattoo had been, now knowing what Lilith had meant. He instantly held out his hand to you, “Marry me, Y/N.” you blinked at him in confusion, like you didn’t understand the words he just said to you before you immediately beamed, “Really?!” he couldn’t help but smile at you, giving you a nod before he let out a small ‘oof’ as you hugged him tightly.

-Tesla- He instantly shifted in his bed, taking one of your hands in his own, as the other was wrapped in a full cast, “Y/N! I don’t think you’re a monster at all! You are a stunning and strong woman! Anyone- any man would be lucky to call you his own!” you smiled brightly at him, feeling a bit bashful at his words, “Aww you’re so sweet Nikola~!” he smiled at your praise, his own cheeks turning red. He had never had much luck with women, being a bachelor his whole life on earth, but being here, with you, he had never felt happier, even when researching, inventing, anything to do with science, he felt so happy with you. His hand around yours gripped lightly, beaming at you, “Will you marry me, Y/N?! I promise that I will make you happy!” your answer was leaping into his arms, “Nikola!!!” he chuckled warmly, hugging you as you peppered his face with kisses, giving him your answer.

-Hajun/ Zerofuku- Before he could say anything to you, Zerofuku ran in, “Y/N!” you smiled warmly at Zerofuku as he ran, leaping into your arms, rubbing his cheek against your own, “I’m so happy you’re awake!” he had woken up in the middle of your fight, and almost freaked out to where he was before you calmed him down, protecting him. You giggled warmly, rubbing his cheek against your own, “I’m so happy you’re both okay!” Hajun was a bit surprised by your words, surprised to hear your worry for him as Zerofuku went to Hajun, hugging him next, as without Zerofuku, Hajun wouldn’t exist, the two separate now, but they had a connection with each other, brothers seemed to be the simplest way to describe it. Zerofuku grabbed your hand and pulled you onto the bed, surprising you but Hajun didn’t seem to mind as the younger looking god settled into your lap, enjoying your affections. Hajun then spoke down to you, “You said you were looking for a marriage partner. I will do it! And as long as none hurt you, I will behave and not cause trouble with the others.” This surprised you before you and Zerofuku both leapt up at him, shocking Hajun as he caught you, a soft smile appearing as you cheered, “I’m so happy!!” Zerofuku cheered as well, “Me too!!!” while Hajun just sat there, accepting the cuddles without any complaints.

-Once the two of you were healed and discharged, you started your relationship with each other, he found you to be a ray of sunshine, you were so sweet, sometimes a bit ditzy, not realizing how seductive you were being, but he was happy with you, and you were happy with him.

-A new voice called out after you and (opponent) left a tea house that had delicious red bean soup, wanting to treat him, “Y/N! Wait a moment!”

-You turned, seeing one of the suitors that you met here in Valhalla, one who rejected you coldly, “I saw you fight in the last tournament! You were amazing!!”

-You thanked him for his kind words, not realizing that (opponent) was glaring at him from behind you.

-Your ex then spoke, looking a bit bashful, “Do you…do you wanna get some tea?” (opponent) immediately stepped forward, “She’s taken.” He could see that your ex was only interested in your new popularity as a strong fighter, having gotten a draw with one of the strongest in Valhalla, not for you.

-Your ex stammered while (opponent) held you close to his side, making you blush from his affection before he turned, leading you away, sending a harsh glare over his shoulder at your ex who deflated in fear, seeing the man you were with now.

-Aphrodite: Your lover dropped you off at Aphrodite’s salon, as you were going to get your hair done, needing a bit more maintenance other than just a wash, both unaware of what she had in store for you. Your hair was done, washed, treated, and styled, your nails done, before, “Aphrodite! What is this outfit?!” she held her cheeks, gushing as you were now wearing a bunny girl outfit, one of the many outfits she wanted you to try on! She beamed, “You look so cute in this! You have such a good body for something like this!!” you were blushing bright red, panicking, “You said you wanted me to try on cute new outfits for dates! I can’t wear this on a date!!” Aphrodite held her cheeks, huffing slightly as she held her cheeks, looking aroused at your embarrassment, a grin appearing on her lips as she seemed to loom, holding up a maid outfit and a cat girl outfit.

[shakespearean-dream]

last of the big five yall!!!!

happy late fourth of july! remember to keep boycotting, speak out and listen to palestinians, the people of congo, native americans, queer/trans people and women currently being oppressed this independence day because america fucking sucks!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🦅🦅🦅🔥🔥🔥

here are a couple good places to donate! please remember to do your own research and take care of each other, it’s getting scary out here.

ohhhh nimdok, where to start with you….

i have been dreading doing him because he pisses me off so bad but i actually had some decent fun with him :D. designing him and branching out farther away from his canon self was nice, but im not touching his backstory or personality really, that stays about the same for me in my head.

speaking of whichhh! like benny, i understand how the game makers had a short amount of time to fit an entire character arc of an old man undoing his deeply internalized racism/xenophobia/ableism in a singular short scenario, but unlike benny i actually somehow like his better?? nimdok had a lot more to get over (well not saying being a dickhead murderer isn’t a lot but 😭) and i enjoyed seeing him actually help out the people he would’ve previously turned in. it still feels a little hollow/unrealistic because again, he’s been like this his whole life, but considering how much AM takes him away from the group to (most likely) psychologically torture him for his actions he’s probably had a bit of a revelation.

doing his scenario was unfortunately funny at times because of the strange way we had to go about redeeming him with the golem guy😭giving him a smooch caught me off guard but ykw? i’ll take it for being able to kill mengele like immediately afterward. also speaking of whichhhh…

i would go into more detail about nimdok and mengeles relationship to give it some depth because god i love me some queers, but that is??? a real fucking guy???? a real life monster???? im less than comfortable picturing the fucker in my mind, much less giving him depth with a character who i also don’t like. like why ship ur essentially OC with a REAL LIFE N/AZI??? just another one of the reasons harlan elision creeps me out. (if that just pissed you off google search him s/a-ing 2 people, marrying a 19 year old when he was in his 40s and defending a child r/apist i really don’t feel like arguing with you. the guy was a horrible fucking person and he makes me sick, i just like this franchise.)

i cannot cough up anymore thoughts about this fella pls forgive me; these past couple days have been rough on my 3 brain cells. AM will for sure be next and after that fully rendered/decked out full bodies are in order!! so look out for that:]]]] i may also start posting some art fight things since i was just complaining about the lag a post or so ago☺️ jk ily artfight. team seafoam lets goo

ok i love u guys!!! if u have any requests for me drop a comment or an ask, and thank you so much for the continued support on my art❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ lots of links on this post but one more quick reminder to take a look at my commission page if you’d like!!! yolanda is still in the shop because they cannot figure out what’s wrong with her :(

have a good night friends 🫶

[blingblong55]

Not the only one- Alejandro Vargas

A/N: something short...and a dream that came to me not too long ago

F!Reader, angst, established relationship, cheating

Two years of marriage and 5 years of dating all equal 7 years where love grew and grew, never seeming to end. But all great things in this world have to end soon, whether you want it or not it must all end.

The downfall of your love happened exactly 2190 hours ago. It was late November when he stumbled across her, he was working with 141 looking for El Sin Nombre when he found out that the woman he titled his first love was the 'man' they were looking for. Valeria Garza is the one to blame for the tears on your face and how as of right now you are in what was once called home. He swore he had moved on years ago, that it was the reason he fell for you and why you two started to process of creating a family.

All are ruined because of one weak man and his selfish needs. How did you find out? Simple, he left his phone with you, a message appeared on the screen, 'Just come over, tell her you have to go to base or something' the sender was named, "Rudy-new number". And you knew best, Alejandro always gave you Rudy's number because, in case of an emergency, he'd be the one you should contact if need be. So of course, the suspicion grew from then, you waited and waited until he made a mistake so you could call him out on it.

But the man is smart, never did he let the mask slip, always home on time, cuddles and kisses all the same, except for one thing, the rush of love you'd feel from each touch and kiss, all gone.

"What's wrong, cariño?" his voice called you back to your senses, you had been staring at the wall for nearly an hour, trying to deny the fact you finally had enough proof he had been unfaithful. One of the men that worked with him decided to speak up about it. He is an honest man, has a wife himself and knowing a friend of his was hurting a good woman such as yourself would not go unnoticed by him.

The proof consisted of videos and photographs of him and another woman. In a video Alejandro had been bragging about how he finally started to have fun with some woman, the other men cheered him on and he proudly took the compliments. Said soldier even apologised to you, 'No man or woman should be unfaithful to the one they claim to love, so I'm sorry, miss...I really am' the message read.

"Nothing, just a little tired." you finally respond to him, eyes teary and your only excuse was you hadn't blinked for so long they just burnt a little. "If you say so," he grabbed his mug and sipped from it. He had been home for nearly 2 hours before he had a 'meeting' he must attend. You knew where he would be heading to, decided to just let it be.

He kissed your forehead and soon drove away, with enough minutes left of sun you knew he'd be in her arms. Maybe she was an old lover, but you knew best. Old or new, feelings always get the best of any weak man or woman. You sat there, looking at old memories, thinking back to the days he promised you, you are the only woman for him. A wave of anger floods through you when you saw the jewellery he had bought for her in one of the pockets of his coat.

All the sweet nothings, vows and promises what were they said if only meant to be broken? They were all empty promises to him and to you, they were oaths. Kept every single one like your life depended on them.

By now, he is probably kissing her and holding her close like how he used to hold you, but one thing is different unlike with you, he means those kisses and touches. Valeria is a tough woman, she is capable of lots of things, and one of them is, slowly killing your heart, taking your soul and crushing it in front of your eyes. She is a cruel and cold woman, knows you exist in his life and will do any and everything to ruin that life you once had. Not that she is fully aware of the damages but she knows best. Women know best.

Maybe you won't be the one for him but it would've been fun if you could've been the one he loved, truly loved.

A/N: not much arguing between you two, but I think its at least good enough :)

[theyanderebin]

Yantober Day 2! Fate!

I had a bit of fun with this one! I like making creatures :)

A dress and some stockings are mentioned like once but other than that the reader gender is pretty ambiguous, i think-

(Prompt from @Ozzgin's Yantober list, it's a very good one, if you haven't looked you should go check it out!)

it's about 1.5K words

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How many? How many times!? How many times did it have to find you like this! Your body cold, lifeless. Blood pooling beneath your soft body. Your pretty eyes glazed over. It's blood boiled as it gently scooped up your corpse in it's large arms, silently carrying you away.

It buried you. Carefully and lovingly, in a delicately carved coffin. As it does every time. It stared out over the plot of land, grass a lively green. Unlike the stones laid in it. Each and every one, a grave of it's lover. A reminder of every time it was too late to save you. A low growl left it's snarled lips, thick tail whipped in frustration. It vowed not to fail next time. No matter what it had to do…

There's a prophecy passed through many generations. A cruel one, some might say. A prophecy of a powerful monster and it's lover. That if they were ever to reunite the world would crumble into an end, or so it says.

You're family, knew this prophecy well. Being that they were one of those to be tasked to destroy every reincarnation of it's lover and they did. Along with many other families, many times over. Despite your family heritage, your own training, you couldn't help but feel sour about the whole thing. "It kind of sucks, doesn't it?" You'd say to your siblings. They'd both only shrug, "That's just how it is." And you could only sigh in reply.

Your apparent sympathies for the monster had always drawn concern across your mother's face, her brows furrowed, lip pursed into a thin line. "We have to." She'd start, but by the second time you'd stopped her. "I know we have to, doesn't mean it sucks any less though…" Now only she could sigh "You're too good, for your own good."

It always took forever for the families to find each reincarnation. Even despite how wide spread they were, how many people were dedicated to staving of the crumbling end. Even so they managed. Your family having kept notes on small things about each and every version they'd slaughtered, did make it easier?

Well judging by the frantic energy, the answer would be. No. If anything you were beginning to think they were too obsessed with the little details. They found patterns in traits, likes, features, wherever they could. Kept drilling it all into each and every one of their heads. You'd found yourself staring into your grandmother's notes on few occasions, never particularly seeing whatever it is that they raved about. None of it ever really lined up for you. Clearly there was something though, right? They hadn't failed yet.

One thing that you'd noticed on your most recent perusal of the notes, flipping through old thin pages. The dates they had written, when they'd found and slaughtered the right person. They were becoming further and further apart. They were getting harder to find. "Maybe, we're a little too focused on the details?" You thought, "It's like they're all forgetting there's a picture at all…" You kept reading, noting briefly that man that's a lot of child murder- flicking the page to the most recently dated. A few weeks off 25 years ago. You huffed a laugh, "Wow, it's taking a real long time. At this rate I'll be dead before they figure out who it is." Closing the book, leaving on the table you meandered out of the archive room.

Weeks went by and before you knew it it was your 25th birthday. You looked yourself over in the mirror, outfit? Check. Personally you think you did an excellent job styling yourself. A cute dress and stockings that hugged your plump thighs. Picking up your bag off of the end of your bed. Phone, wallet and keys? Check, check and check! Phone pinging, you could hear the car outside.

Sat underneath an umbrella with your friends, at the outdoor table of your favourite lunch spot. The cafe wasn't exactly the busiest but the fact it was nice and kind of quaint was always what drew the lot of you to it. The outside of the cafe had a selection of garden bed with multitudes of flowers in a range of colours. You always made sure to put them in every photo you all took together. Even while you giggled and chatted away with the group. No matter what you did, something was off. An odd feeling in your stomach, it made the hair on your neck stand up. It was like something was watching. No matter what you tried, using your phone camera to look behind you. Nothing. Going inside to get a napkin. You could still feel eyes on you. No matter where you went. As long as you had people around you were good, right? It'll be fine. So you stayed with your friends all day, like you'd all been planning to. Listening to their shenanigans and ignoring the pit in your stomach. One of them lamented the time last week that they had to take their dog to the vet.

"I got in the car, started driving," She pushed her hair behind her ear, was that a shadow behind her? "And i drove myself all the way there. Like the full 45 minute drive. Without realising," Her roommate snickered and they shushed them. You could of sworn you just saw a pair of eyes around the corner of that building down the street. "The worst part. I'd parked and everything! Look back? Oh!" She throws up her hands, "No dog!" Their roommate giggling maniacally at her misery. "I'd just fully forgotten the dog! How do you even do that?" She huffed and you let out a small exhale.

The feeling never did go away. Instead it began to stay longer, like it was waiting for something. Out of the corner of you eye some days, there was something. You never managed to catch it. It never mattered how fast you whipped around. Your mother had seen you do it once or twice one day. "Are you okay?" She asked, her brows furrowed in worry. Never one to want to worry your mother "Uh! Yah! Yeah. I'm.. I'm good. just flies." You grinned awkwardly. Whatever it was you were pretty sure you could deal with it. "Flies?" Blinked your mother. "Yep." "Right… Well if something IS wrong you can tell me" She said, placing her hand on your shoulder "You do know that right?" "Yeah. Yeah um, thanks…" You breathed.

You never did end up mentioning it.

Breathing heavily you hauled yourself around the corner of a brick building, you weren't even sure where you were going. Everything was starting to blur into colours. Your lungs burned and your legs were going numb. Well if you survived this you'd have news for your family! It's resurfaced! The path changed around you. Unable to stop your momentum to put your hands out to cushion yourself and push off of the newly placed brick wall in front of you. Only you turned and collided with the fuzzy chest of the creature that was hunting you. "Shit." You thought. Fur coated reptilian tail wrapping around your waist, it's big arms enclosed around your shoulders, hand on the back off your head and pressing you closer to it.

You were the one. It could smell it. It could feel it. It could feel it in how perfect you felt in it's arms. You could only blink in confusion as a rumble emanated from it's warm body. It was kind of nice, almost comforting, familiar even… "Oh." You belatedly realised as it purred into you hair "Oh no." Your thoughts were very interrupted by it lifting you carefully off of the ground. "Finally…" It mumbled, "You are safe. I will protect you this time. I swear it" You tried to wriggle your way out of it's arms, this only resulted in it holding your soft round body that little bit tighter. Bordering on uncomfortable, it wasn't letting you go. It purred practically the whole time as it took you away, claws gently running over your scalp.

It kept you safe and tucked away in it's home, far into the woods. A simple home. You stayed there, far away from everything. The bed it gave you was far softer than anything you'd ever had in your life. Staying with you every night and curling it big fur covered body around you to ensure you're safe and warm. You weren't even sure of the actual state the world was in, you couldn't tell if anything had gone wrong. So you stayed and let it play with your hair and press kisses to you round face and chubby belly. You stayed and let it rest it's head on your thigh in the lounge room while you petted it behind it's ears that were somewhere between a fox and a cat's. All you felt like you could do was stay inside that house in the woods and let it love you almost reverently. Like the world was one big cat in a box that you didn't want to open.

[lestappenforever]

My ask is maybe a bit silly, and would probably go in 'sanity check' category. It is about Max, and how he is perceived. If I understand correctly, it is said he is mad max, bad guy, aggressive… and similar. Now, I know teenagers are sometimes a bit crazy, and from what I read he was actually very badly treated by freaking adults, fellow drivers, when he first joined F1, so maybe then he was a bit aggressive, and it would be even understandable… but still it is difficult to even imagine that. Because Max I see (I am only following racing since last year) is nice, soft, funny, polite guy, still more looking like an innocent kid than an adult, even appearing naïve (unlike the sweet, adorable devil that is Charles!), and obviously so nice towards rookies (Oliver and Liam-who himself said it). So am I delusional and see what is not there or for some reason he is so vilified (I guess most coming probably from jealousy and Netflix crap…). Oh and one additional observation, he always looks so much softer and somehow cuddlier and cuter on photos from his streaming at home… What do you think? One final observation, then I will shut up  Sometimes it seems to me that all the Lestappen moments and specila connection maybe come from the fact that when Charles came to F1 Max finally had kinda his person there. Because he went form father abuse to fellow drivers abuse, but when Charles came to F1, he had someone he could have a real relationship with, even if they fought and were a bit sulky almost teenagers still in the beginning, they got over it as they grow up. But Charles is his genuinely healthy, good, fun, friendly relationship. Having spent time as kids growing up of course also deepens the bond and friendship, but also mutual respect and understanding each other’s qualities. I don’t know if explained it well enough… P.S. I LOVE your fics!!!!

Hi anon, and thank you so much for this ask! I don't think it's a silly ask at all.

All these "Mad Max", being too aggressive, being mean claims etc. stem from two things:

1. When Max made it into F1 almost 10(!) years ago, he was 17(!!) years old. He was a kid — a literal child. And he was a cocky, arrogant little shit at that, as any kid would be making their debut in such a prestigious sport at such a young age.

2. Max haters who will hate him forever, no matter what, no matter why. They don't even need a reason; they're just determined to hate him and will do so forever.

But the thing is, and his haters especially seem to love to ignore this fact, Max was seventeen years old when he made his F1 debut. He was, for all intents and purposes, a child. I watched Max make his F1 debut, and I watched and read the way he was viewed and the reception he received from his fellow drivers, the media, and fans alike. And I watched these grown-ass men already on the grid when Max joined welcome him by treating him like shit. These adults were so threatened by this kid who came into the sport without having to go through the same ranks almost every other F1 driver has to go through to get there, such as several years in F3 and F2 (Max only spent a year in F3 and skipped F2 altogether), that they did virtually nothing to make him feel welcome. Quite the opposite, in fact. It was so fucking sad and infuriating, and I lost a lot of respect for many drivers because of it. And if I'm being honest, anon, that's what made me decide Max would be my favorite driver. I can be incredibly spiteful when I want to be, and watching Max get slammed and slandered from so many directions from the very beginning made me want to be very spiteful. That's what made me decide that I was going to support that kid like hell. And I haven’t looked back or regretted it since.

I cannot stress this enough, and I know I've said it so many times before already, but: Max Verstappen was a child when he made it into the world of F1. But he's not a child anymore, which a concerning amount of people seem to be blissfully and willfully ignorant to. Max has grown and matured so much in the years he's been in F1. And, like most other people, Max Verstappen the adult is not the same person as Max Verstappen the teenager, or Max Verstappen the child. And he hasn’t been anything like his 17-year old self in a long, long time. But this, of course, is something his haters will never accept or acknowledge.

I truly believe, from the very bottom of my heart, that Max is always so nice and welcoming towards rookies, always willing to lend a hand or giving them advice, always going out of his way to praise and support them, because practically no one ever did that for him when he was a rookie. And that speaks volumes about his character and the kind of man he has grown into since making his debut.

You're not delusional at all, anon, and having only followed F1 since last year means it's not surprising that you don't see the very outdated and frankly incredibly incorrect persona the people who dislike Max will always keep trying to convince themselves and others is still him. Because it isn’t — not even close. Practically every single person who has worked with or been around Max in the past few years all say the same thing: that he's funny, easy-going, and one of the genuinely kindest people on the grid. And that means a hell of a lot more than the opinions of people who have never and will never know him, and have made it their personal, sad mission to hate him. So you keep holding on to the impression you have of him, anon, because that is a far more accurate representation than the image some people are so hellbent of painting of him. (He’s definitely not naïve, though, not even close.)

And I absolutely agree: he looks even softer and cuddlier when he's streaming at home! I love streamer!Max so much.

"When Charles came to F1 Max finally had kinda his person there". <- You are spot on with this, anon! I've talked about the special bond I think these two share in the past, like in this post, and so have many others. (@tsarinablogs @valyrfia @thearchercore to name a few - highly recommend checking out their blogs if you haven’t already!) It truly seems like they have never, and will never, see any other driver as a big a rival as the other, and the numerous accounts of their karting days from people who got to watch them battle first-hand from such a young age definitely backs up that claim. And I think that's so beautiful, and it's one of the many, many reasons why these two are so dear to me, and why other F1 ships will never be able to come close.

P.S. That makes me so happy to hear, anon, thank you so, so much. 🥹❤️

[goldengroovy]

you've actually given me tamaren brainrot i cannot stop thinking abt them now.. feed me your headcanons if you have any to share please

Renee x Tamarack Headcanons!

Author Notes at the bottom!

STEP 2

-> Tamarack and Ren were very distant with each other.

-> Tamarack had hidden herself from the world. Her shine was now dull, and unlike how she acted years ago, she was closed off to the world.

-> Ren noticed, because how could she not? She remembers the time that Tamarack had so boldly gotten into her face. Now, it feels like she'd apologize for even being in her line of sight.

-> Renee would smile at Tamarack whenever she'd see her. It's not exactly an apology for how she'd exclude Tam from the group for being a girl, but it was something. She wasn't brave enough to talk about it yet, and she felt like Tamarack didn't really want to talk to her.

-> Tamarack would try to smile back at her. It was different from the smile she wore when she was younger. Back then, she would smile so wild that you would see her gums. Now, she'd just perk up the corners of her lips. Ren didn't even notice that she had braces.

-> Ren was too scared to think about Tamarack. Tamarack was too busy thinking about how others perceive her to perceive Ren.

STEP 3

-> They're a little more at peace with themselves during these times. It's inevitable, they started talking.

-> Renee's more comfortable with the fact that she's a girl. Tamarack's more comfortable with the fact that she likes girls. This leads to.. flirting?

-> Tamarack thinks its a little funny on the fact that Renee strayed away from girls only to end up as one. She tries not to poke fun at it too much.

-> As they matured, Tamarack started hanging out with Qiu more. Renee happens to be in a lot of places where Qiu is.

-> Qiu is, unsurprisingly, the bridge between them.

-> The two start with awkward, friendly, compliments. But slowly, they start cracking jokes, and poking fun at each other. Somewhere along the line, Qiu doesn't need to be there for them to get along.

-> Renee is a little unsure of how she feels about Tamarack. She likes her. But how deep does that like go? Is it, like, a like like? Does Tamarack even like girls? Does she even like girls?

-> Tamarack is always sure of how she feels and what she wants. She's sure that she wants to kiss this girl and make her feel beautiful.

-> It doesn't need to be said, but Tamarack makes most of the first move. Renee however, is too flustered to reciprocate. She backs off, thinking Renee is uninterested.

-> Their relationship falters for a while, until Renee admits how she feels on a random tuesday during midnight.

"Have I ever told you how sorry I was for how I treated you when we were kids?"

"Like, a million times now Renee. Sweetheart, I appreciate the apology, but I forgave you long ago."

"Well.." She yawns. "Have I told you about how good you look in red."

"Hm?" Tamarack laughs. It's the nicest sound Renee has ever heard. "You're the one with red hair."

Renee's laying on her bed, phone in hand. She wonders if Tamaracks doing the same. If she closes her eyes as Tamarack speaks, it feels like she's right next to her.

She cuts off Tamarack as she rambles about her day.

"I missed you." She pauses. "I think I love you."

A/N: AUTHOR RIVSSS HERE. I AM GAY AND SLEEP DEPRIVED

I mayyyy or mayh not have gotten carried away.. like just a little. a tad. a smither if u will

cant believe my tamaren agenda is WORKING!!! if u make tamaren content i will literally write/draw u anything i am not joking. I LOVE THEMM!!

anyways wink wink ask me to draw / write more tamaren content and my life is urs!!!

[simpsdept]

Eda Clawthorne x GN reader (Platonic). Mother headcannons

(I wrote this like almost 2 years ago so it’s weird ik)

-You were friends with Luz and also had to attend to the summer camp where she was headed.

-This means that you also ended up in the boiling isles with her.

-This is when you met Eda the Owl Lady. She was a bit weird at first, but you eventually got use to her.

-She started to treat both you and Luz as her own before the events with the petrifaction.

-She knows that Luz has her mom back in the human realm, but you have never brought up anything about your family.

-Luz doesn’t even know much about it. She has tried to ask you about it before you two came to the boiling isles, but you always ignored her, so she just gave up.

-Eda wasn’t going to though. Now that you were in her care, she was genuinely worried for you. Yknow, those mother instincts.

-You do open up to her eventually though.

-If you don’t have a real family due to some past issues, then she’s more that’s happy to let you live in the owl house for as long as you need to.

-If you have a family but don’t come on best terms with them, then she will gladly be like a second parent to you. Or if you don’t wanna live with them anymore then she’ll just keep you there with her.

-Ever since that ‘chat’, you’ve gotten closer to Eda and actually started to think of her as your actual parent.

-Now I imagine that you’ve accidentally called her mom two or three times before and immediately apologized afterwards. But was only greeted with a ‘it’s alright kid’ from Eda.

-Ever since you got the boiling isles, Luz became more of a sister than a friend. So has King and Hooty.

-Speaking of King, he absolutely loves you! At first he seems like a little gremlin, but he was really sweet! Even if he was still a gremlin.

-You would listen to him speak about Demons whenever Luz or Eda were too busy. You would also fall asleep with him all the time on the coach.

-Eda has many pictures of you and king, and sometimes Luz or Hooty snuggled up on the coach sleeping. No I’m not kidding, she has so much that it scares you.

-Hooty was scary to you at first, but he’s actually a lot of fun to hang around with. Sure, he can be weird, but in a fun way right?

-You, King, and Hooty are a chaotic group. Eda can’t leave you three alone for more than five minutes or you guys would’ve blown up the house.

-One time, you three were having a ‘party’ between the three of you when Eda and Luz ran off to do some errands. Let’s just say you three had A LOT of cleaning to do that night.

-Eda would be quite protective over you. She would be the same for King, Hooty, and Luz too of course, but would be a little more protective over you then the others since she wants you to have a good life in the boiling isles unlike the life you had back home.

-Even though she cracks jokes or teases you, she doesn’t really mean it. So don’t take them to heart. But if you do get upset, she’ll stop and tell you that she’s sorry.

-She’s scared ti let the owl beast loose in front of you. Especially you. She doesn’t want you to be scared and feel like you don’t have a safe space to turn to.

-But once she gets it in control, she is happy to show you her harpy Eda.

-I guess if your sorta Eda’s kid you would also be the niece/nephew of Lilith.

-You didn’t like her at first since you found out she cursed Eda, but you found out that she was actually a pretty decent person.

-You’ve heard Eda talk about somebody named ‘Raine’ before, but never knew much about them.

-Once you joined the ‘C.A.T.T. s’, you finally got to meet them, and you loved them! They were friendly and you could see why Eda had a crush on them.

-Oh that’s right Eda, she thought that you wouldn’t notice her little (or big) crush on Raine.

-If you get stuck on the boiling isles when the Collector is free, then she will do everything in her will to protect you.

-If you went back to the human realm with Luz and her friends, then all she can do is hope you are all safe.

-If you want to move in with her after the events with Belos and the Collector, then she will gladly let you stay.

-But if you want to go home and just visit on a daily basis, then she would be fine with that.

-Since you sorta see her as your mom, you would probably see Raine as a parent figure as well. It would take a while to warm up to each other but all three of you will be like a happy family.

-Overall, Eda would be a great momma bird👍.

[markantonys]

Ngl I lowkey ship Adar and Elrond 🫶 (he's not Maglor right)

i'm right there with you!! they were already two of my favorite characters individually, and then they came together and their interactions were so powerful. adar/galadriel and adar/elrond are two interesting good flavors of a hero/villain ship: the former is a version where they have a lot in common and in a weird way can understand each other like no one else can, and the latter is a version where they are very very different and could both challenge each other to grow (elrond's early-season stance that nothing good can ever come from a bad creator would face a reckoning if he fell for adar and became Orc Stepdad, and as for adar, if he fell for elrond, well, then he would embark on redemption immediately because elrond being disappointed in you would be the literal most painful thing anyone could experience, i would kill myself if elrond was disappointed in me)

i know Literally Nothing about tolkien stuff, but i think i heard that maglor is elrond's stepdad?? in which case i also hope adar is not him haha but this raises an interesting point that i've been thinking about while reading all the Who Is Adar speculation! said point being: if adar is going to be revealed in the show to be a specific elf from the lore, the only option is celeborn. because no one else would mean anything to the general audience aka like 95% of viewers.

now, i don't really think adar is celeborn. i think that within the canon of the show he'll only ever be an OC and they'll never specify who he was pre-morgoth. or at most they might drop some kind of easter egg that would allow lore experts to definitively connect him with a certain elf from the lore, but without making a big Reveal out of it or spelling it out explicitly. and either way, people are having fun speculating who he could be and i'm all for that, knock yourselves out! but if we're envisioning an actual scene in the show where they go "drumroll please............adar is actually so-and-so!" it could only be either a) a specific named elf the general audience would be instantly familiar with (which i can't think of any examples of since there are no other Universally Known elves like elrond, galadriel, and arwen), because if they drop a specific name and it's not instantly recognizable to the majority of the audience, the drumroll would fall super flat.

or b) an elf who has a close connection with another character we already know AND, ideally, who was mentioned already in the show. they could be like "drumroll please..........adar is actually elrond's stepdad! or gil-galad's brother!" and the general audience would be like "oh! okay. uhh since when did elrond have a stepdad or gil-galad a brother though?" but if it was "drumroll please...........adar is actually galadriel's missing husband!" then the general audience would go wild because we already knew she had a husband who disappeared and we've been wondering what might've happened to him. (okay a lot of people who watched s1 2 years ago have probably forgotten all about that haha but at least a good chunk of us would go wild! and the rest would soon follow once they'd gotten their memories jogged.)

anyway! i got so off-topic djfkg but i've seen so many lore-knowers speculating about adar's elf identity that i thought it might interest some of you to see a show-only perspective on The Only Adar Identity They Could Reveal That Would Be Interesting To Us General Audiences. but i still think it's very unlikely he's celeborn and he will simply never be specifically identified in the show!