#I hate the nails that grow in upon sets

[blackfinchart]

I don’t like hands

Drawing them is ok it’s not that hard or anything

I just don’t… liiike them e_ e

Spindly fingers full of bone and tendon capped with spooky hard-but-not-really-that-hard nails and they’re eerily expressive and blegh

I like holding hands but I don’t like thinking about hands holding. I like touching stuff n being touched but I don’t like thinking about human hands doing it

They get injured so easily and they’re also the most likely appendage to be in the way of harm. Chilling. I’ve even sliced right through my own fingers a few times (accidentally) and I don’t have feeling in two of them cuz of it. So many scars and cuts and swells oh my god aaaaaa

…

I sound like a Shakespeare character who is about to fully murder their friend or king or something I promise I’m fully ok

[helaintoloki]

The Unbearable Truth

pairing: Five Hargreeves x reader

warnings: angst with no happy ending, spoilers

notes: so i actually hated this storyline in the show but i also recognize angst potential when i see it so here’s this

summary: after getting lost in the subway system, Five comes to a grave realization

Five Hargreeves doesn’t love you anymore, and you’re completely oblivious to the fact.

You’re in the kitchen of Lila’s home baking holiday treats with your niece while awaiting the arrival of the rest of your family to begin the festivities. You smell of cinnamon and pinecones, and for the first time in years you actually feel content and happy with where your life is now. Sure, there’s technically a looming apocalypse hanging over you right now, but it’s nothing you haven’t handled before. You’re actually part of a family now with a man who adores you, and it’s all you’ve ever wanted.

“Alright, Grace, would you like to do the honors of putting the gumdrop buttons on the gingerbread men while I check on the sugar cookies?”

“Yes, aunt y/n!” The girl exclaims cheerfully before immediately diving into the candy bowl. You laugh at her eagerness and turn towards the oven only to be met with the sight of Five in the kitchen doorway. He looks disheveled and unnerved, but you’re too engrossed in your own joy filled bubble to pick up on it right away and instead mistake him for being tired and overwhelmed with the situation surrounding Ben and Jennifer.

“Hey, you made it!” You say with a smile as you press a chaste kiss to his cheek before turning your attention to the sugar cookies. Five can only stand there stiffly as he clings onto the ghost of your lips against his skin. He had hoped that by seeing you again, by being in your presence and showered in your love for him, the feelings he once held for you would return.

But as he stands there in the middle of the kitchen watching you run about, he realizes that he feels absolutely nothing.

Initially, he had wanted nothing more than to return home to you and his siblings. Five had fought tooth and nail trying to figure out a way to get out of that damned subway system so he could have you in his arms again and tell you how much he missed you even if for you he had only been gone a couple hours. But a man could only take eating so many subway rats and being shot at so many times. He had grown tired, weary, and depressed. For a moment it seemed they’d be stuck there forever, and so he decided that maybe it was time to make the most of it.

What he didn’t expect was to fall in love with his brother’s wife.

A woman he had once hated with his entire being now was his sole companion, and whether it was due to some sick twist of fate or a moment of weakness, he had begun to look at her the way he once looked at you. With complete adoration and care as well as a fierce need to protect her and keep her safe. He knew the chances of ever seeing you again were highly unlikely, and the next logical step would be to move on. So he did.

But now here he is, back in his original timeline left to deal with the aftermath of his decisions.

In what was seven years for Five and three hours for you, the boy has fallen out of love with you. Your smile still may be as beautiful as ever and your scent of red berry plum and jasmine may be intoxicating to any other man, but he feels absolutely nothing when he looks at you. The spark is gone, and unbeknownst to you your relationship is about to fall apart.

“Where did you run off to?” You ask him after setting the freshly baked sugar cookies onto the cooling rack nearby.

“I had an… errand to run,” he utters carefully, growing stiff when you wrap your arms around his torso and rest your head upon his shoulder. Calculatingly, Five hesitantly rests a hand on your back while the other comes to comb his fingers through your hair. It’s a familiar motion that he is easily able to replicate in order to portray himself as the same doting partner you know and love. Lila had sworn him to secrecy, but he wasn’t sure just how to break it off with you without telling the truth. So for now he would go through the motions and hope to god you didn’t pick up on the fact that something was completely wrong.

“I’m happy you’re here,” you profess earnestly, peering up at him with fluttering lashes and a devoted smile. “I love you, Five.”

His chest tightens in agony at your words, his hold on you tightening in an attempt to ground himself as he harshly swallows down his discomfort. He meets your adoring gaze and smiles, carefully tilting your chin upwards to meet his lips in a tender kiss. It’s believable enough to keep you feeling secure and oblivious to his detachment, and he hopes that maybe if he keeps this up he can forget all about Lila and go back to normal.

Even if it means he’s just playing a part.

Pulling away, he meets your loving stare and offers you a small smile. Hesitating, as if he has to force the words out of him, Five murmurs out a quiet, “I love you, too.”

And you believe him.

[meanbossart]

Okay but I would love to hear your thoughts on the other spawn

Twirling my hair shifty-eyeing to the side OKAAAYYYYY WELL IF YOU INSIST 🛀

(This is a continuation of this post where I go into some detail about my thoughts on Dalyria, Violet, and Leon ((or "Leonard" as I apparently dubbed him as by mistake))

Let me start with the one I love the most after my sweet well-meaning-child-murdering-doctor Dalyria: Pale Petras.

First of all, just look at this fucking guy. What a goober.

I pretty explicitly go off-canon when it comes to my theories about Petras. According to him, he has been with Cazador for a hundred years - I find that very, very difficult to believe. Whether I would scrap that line entirely or just tack it as hyperbole is irrelevant - though he does seem to have a knack for the dramatics, or at least he tries to.

Petras immediately strikes me as a newcomer in the group. He's the most lively out of the spawn we chat with and seems to still retain what is a pretty strong, bold personality. He's antagonizing towards Astarion and pretty much sides with Cazador up until his life is on the line - and, most interestingly to me, his immediate reaction after being freed if you instruct them to lead the spawn into the Underdark seems to be one of fear and reluctance, unlike Dalyria who almost immediately takes the responsibility upon herself and seems warm towards Astarion and the player for what they've done.

Abusive relationships don't start abusive. If you've ever been friends with someone who's hooked up with a known serial abuser, chances are that you have had to sit through their attempts at justifying their behavior as foretold by previous partners - "oh, they just weren't a good match", "they both enabled abuse towards each other", "his ex was just crazy, man." This honeymoon period can last anywhere from a few weeks, to several years - until said friend inevitably finds themselves in the exact same cycle that said ex escaped from.

That's Petras. Petras is fresh meat. He's compliant. He's gullible. As a human in a world where you're surrounded by races that live up to several hundreds of years, he's attributed power to longevity - he loves being a spawn. He loves knowing that he will never lose his youthful looks and that his newly-acquired "curse" makes him desirable in it's own, odd way. He thinks this gig is easy - go out, get laid, get fed, rinse and repeat. Sure, sometimes there's a misunderstanding and he gets his joints broken or nails ripped out, but whatever! They grow back! To a vampire with powers of regeneration, dismemberment and scalping might as well be equivalent to ten belt-smacks to the backside just like his father used to give him as a child. Plus, it's never really his fault - If Master knew the truth, he would never set his goons on him at all!

And Oh, he adores Cazador. Not as a friend, a lover, or even a family member - but an aspiration. He sincerely believes that through hard work and resilience he can one day also have his status and fortune. And it shouldn't even be hard to stand out among this angsty little crew - what are they so bent out of shape about, anyway If they spent less time moping and more time working, maybe they wouldn't have such a tough time. Especially -

Astarion.

While it is likely incidental, I find it very ironic that Petras was put in Astarion's early-access outfit. And much less accidental than that: his mannerism and word-choice are a blatant imitation of Astarion's behavior. The flair, the flirting, the flattering and the abrasiveness; I've heard it theorized that this must be how all of the spawn act - I disagree. Petras is the only one we see exhibit that type of demeanor. I think he actively models himself after Astarion because as thick as he might be, he did catch onto the fact that his master has a particular interest in the white-haired elf.

And, of course, Petras hates Astarion for it. He sees him as someone who could have had it all, but gave up on it in favor of being bitter, angry, and naively wistful over his lost life. He has the looks, he has the charm, he had his master's favor, they go out and Petras watches men and women alike swoon over him and laugh at his shitty jokes, to then return home with a long-faced, bratty little shit-head of a toddler-man who would never even understand what the paralyzing loom of mortality is like in the first place - an ungrateful, nepotistic bastard whose had it all handed over to him by daddy, who was loved and fed and given a well-paid job fresh off his teens - but now he has to put a little work in. Now he has to do things that he might find unpleasant. And all he fucking does is whine about it.

Astarion is the personification of everything Petras ever wanted to be before being turned into a spawn, and he accidentally wears it on his sleeve day in and day out. I have no doubt that Astarion is blatantly aware of that fact and it makes his skin crawl - but Dalyria tells him that Petras is too young. Too new. Cut him some slack.

And frankly, I don't think he's evil, either. He strikes me as naive and star-striken. I don't know how long he's been with the Szarrs for, but certainly the light in his eyes would eventually fade over time and he would have had all the zest beaten out of him, same as the others. But, for now - he just doesn't know his own luck.

Admittedly, I have much less to say about Yousen and Aurelia. We don't hear as much as a word out of Yousen, but I've chosen to read the silence of and about his character as indicative that, maybe, he was able to hold onto his sanity and honor the best out of all of them. He had to do what he had to do to survive, but he did it while attempting to withhold any standards allowed to him for his own peace of mind - I like to imagine he had a lot of sincere empathy for all of the spawn, and, while they were never close, him and Astarion exchanged sincere words about their situation a few times during their stay at the palace; just enough to remind the elf that he wasn't alone, but never so much that Yousen would intrude into his space, or add strain to his already fragile state of mind.

And Aurelia... She strikes me as so young and already so beaten. I'd wager that what was once a sweet tiefling girl is now a terrified animal who does absolutely whatever she can to avoid pain and punishment - the snitch of the group, the reluctant ass-kisser, the one who desperately clings to any relief in whatever form it may come - be her master's approval or the shoulder of a sibling she has damned to the kennel more than once out of fear for her own life. Everybody has been hurt, betrayed, and irritated by her - but she's just so god damn pitiful that they can't push her away forever. While she would live, I believe she would have the hardest time adapting to freedom after Violet - just completely dependent on others and burdened by what she's had to do.

[chmpgneprblem]

SNOWFALL OF HEARTS ; CORIOLANUS SNOW

pairing: coriolanus snow x tribute!oc part: two summary: coriolanus is torn between his harsh pursuit of victory and the growing warmth in his heart for erykah, his tribute from district 9 warnings: ooc coriolanus a/n: this series is gonna be super fluffy so if you're looking for angst I am not the person to go to!! idc if snow ends up being a little shithead I hate writing angst previous parts: one word count: 1.6k join taglist!!

A peacekeeper led Erykah to a train car. She climbed up and surveyed the area for her district partner. He was sitting in the corner waiting for her. She sat beside him for the ride, hoping that he would be an ally.

“That was your sister right? The one you volunteered for.” He inquired. The question woke Erykah up. “Yes, it was.” She mumbled, hoping to herself that she was doing okay. “I wish I had somebody that would do that for me…” the boy muttered more to himself than to Erykah. She didn’t question him further and instead rested her head on the boy’s bony shoulder.

She hadn’t seen her family before she left. That could be the last time she sees her sister. Why did I ignore her? She thought of her mother. What is she going to do without me? Will she take good care of her, or will she mess it up like last time? She tried to push her worried thoughts to the side as she picked at her nails. Please take care of her while I’m gone, she whispered to herself.

Coriolanus stood nervously at the train station waiting for his tribute. His heart was beating out of his chest as he paced alongside the train, hoping to see Erykah or the male tribute from her district.

At that moment he saw Panlo jump out of one of the train carts and lift his hands to Erykah’s waist to set her on the ground. Coriolanus was getting worse. He touched his blonde curls, hoping it would calm him down. It was no use. His heart was beating so fast he thought he was about to have a heart attack.

Erykah dusted her dress off after getting out of the train cart. She looked over at him with a confused look before turning to Panlo. “You can go along without me.” She muttered to him, smoothing her slightly frizzy hair before walking over to Coriolanus.

He nervously reached a white rose out to her, hands slightly shaking. “Welcome to the Capitol” He uttered to her with a grin. She took the rose out of his hand, brushing her fingertips against his. The feeling made him shiver. 

She took a long smell of the flower before questioning him, “Why are you here?” Although the question sounded rude, her sweet voice showed she was just curious. “I’m your mentor… for the games” He answered her, nerves starting to slightly dissolve. She nodded slowly, seeming to be thinking to herself. “Well what can you do for me as a mentor other than bring me roses?” The brunette tilted her head slightly as she asked him.

“I do my best to take care of you”

She blushed a little upon hearing that from him. The comment gave her comfort. She smiled widely, “Well that’s very sweet of you…?” She paused, realizing he never told her his name. “Coriolanus. Coriolanus Snow.” He answered her question, not as nervous as before.

“It’s been great talking to you Coriolanus, but I’ve got to go!” She announced with a big toothy grin on her face. A peacekeeper had shown up behind her, pushing her toward a different vehicle, one Coriolanus recognized as a cattle car. 

He sauntered after her as she got in the car. He walked along the train asking peacekeepers if he could ride with them. The two that previously stood outside the doors of the car, were now running after one of the male tributes that attempted to get away. Now was the chance, he thought to himself as he trod onto the car.

As soon as he got in, all the tributes were looking at him. Some with bloodthirsty eyes. Some with expressions of fear.

He stood there nervously as they continued to stare. “What’s wrong pretty boy? You in the wrong cage?” A man Coriolanus recognized as the tribute from district eleven asked him mockingly. “Get him Reaper.” He heard one of the other tributes mutter to him as Reaper strode up to Coriolanus, slamming him against the back wall of the car. 

“I’ll kill you right now.” He declared aggressively. Some of the strong looking tributes got out of their seats and announced they all should. “Nothing left to lose now.” The tribute that tried to run away earlier stood up cracking his knuckles with a scowl on his face, seeming to be moments away from beating up Coriolanus.

“You got any family at home? Friends, maybe even a pet? They’ll be killed if you hurt him. Then you.” Erykah interrupts their conflict, attempting to defend Coriolanus. “Besides, he’s my mentor; I might need him,” She adds with a barely noticeable smile.

“How come you got one?” A girl with a short dark red haircut asks. Erykah didn’t know the answer, turning her gaze to the blonde for help. “You all get one.” He tried to comment calmly as Reaper was still pushing him against the wall.

“Well why aren’t ours here? How come flower girl here gets special treatment? Is it cause she volunteered?” She talked fast, poking fun at her for the incident at the reaping. “It doesn’t have anything to do with me volunteering. I guess yours just wasn’t inspired.” Erykah smarted back at her with a smirk.

The red haired girl looked like she was about to lunge at her when the cart started to shake. Everybody started to panic as the shaking got more and more aggressive. Coriolanus hung onto the back as it started to tip over. Erykah rushed out of her seat to get to him. She latched onto his right arm, he put that same arm around her waist to keep her from falling.

The cart tipped over completely. Coriolanus’ grip on the back of the cart loosened as he and Erykah fell down.

His eyes adjusted to the brightness of the outdoors as he realized where he was, the Capitol zoo. He looked around panicked, eyes meeting Erykah’s as she searched for his rose from earlier. 

A man doing a news report seemed to finally notice his presence. “Excuse me sir! Who are you, and why are you in there with them? We’re live.” He gestured to the camera recording him.

Coriolanus panicked as he stood up. Erykah grabbed his arm bringing him back to reality. “Own it,” She muttered, looking up at him with big eyes as he breathed heavily. He nodded slightly at her, trying to calm himself down.

He took the rose from her hand and snapped the stem. He grabbed the loose curls on her face, tucking them behind her ears before putting the rose behind her ear as well. She gave a small smile up at him before taking his hand in hers.

They walked up to two young kids in the crowd, seeming to be siblings. “Hi there, what’s your name?” She knelt down to the children's level, still holding Coriolanus’ hand. “My name is Pontius, that’s my little sister Venus. She’s only four.” The young boy told Erykah. “I have a little sister too. She’s quite a bit older than yours though.” She told Pontius with a slightly sad smile.

“That’s really cool that you took her place. Someday I want to be as brave as you.” The little girl, Venus, spoke to Erykah. “Well you can be anything you want to be sweetheart.” She gave the girl a big smile. She reminds me of Maggy, she thought to herself. 

She stopped her conversation with Venus to turn to the reporter. “And who might you be?” She questioned the reporter with a smile as she stood up, her hand letting go of Coriolanus’ to move to her hip.

“I’m Lucretius ‘Lucky’ Flickerman but more importantly, who might you be; Erykah from district 9.” He spoke to her in a very newscaster voice. “Well as you know my name is Erykah Thorpe. I do a little singing at a local bar in nine… Not much to know about me, I suppose!” She giggled and looked over at Coriolanus to see him with a smile.

“Well I’m sure the people in the Capitol would love to hear you sing, I know I would!” He talked to her enthusiastically. “I would love to!” She told him, partially for the cameras. Despite her love for music, the thought of singing for the Capitol made her feel weird.

“Do you know my mentor? He says his name is Coriolanus Snow, and I must have gotten the brightest star in the Dipper cause none of the other mentors decided to show up.” She told Lucky with a smile, grabbing Coriolanus and moving him lightly forward, attempting to change the subject.

“The game makers did tell you to jump in the cage with them…?” Lucky questioned Coriolanus. He tensed up at the comment. “They didn’t tell me not to. They just said that it was a mentor’s job to introduce our tributes to the citizens of Panem.” The way he spoke to Lucky almost sounded sarcastic. Erykah could tell the game makers got on his nerves. “And I thought if Erykah is brave enough to be here then why shouldn’t I be too.” He stopped talking to look down at her, who gave him a smile and a nod.

“Well it looks like you're about to be whisked away young man.” Lucky informed him in a slightly sarcastic voice. Coriolanus turned around to see two peacekeepers about to pull him away from the conversation. But Erykah stopped them, grabbing onto Coriolanus’ arm to say one final thing to him.

“Can you get me some food please? I haven’t eaten since before the reaping.” She asks Coriolanus, practically pleading with him. All he did was give her a soft nod, and he was pulled away. Can I really win this? She thought to herself as her only chance of survival walked away from her.

tags: @kkmikayla @specialk6802

[anemptypuddingcup]

I don’t like you.

Yandere!Zoro x Female Reader.

Luffy’s ver. Zoro’s ver. Sanji’s ver.

Yes ma’am, I’m writing yandere fics for the monster trio.

Y’all do know that these are not as dark due to my rules, I’ll test something out eventually.

Contains: Yandere!Zoro. Obsessive and Possessive Yandere!Zoro. Reader’s in denial of her feelings for Zoro. Reader pushing Zoro away. Reader’s a bit aggressive. Tsundere Reader?? Zoro adores Reader. Jealousy. Mention of Sanji nearly getting killed. (Just a slight mention that isn’t directly said) Mentions of stalking. Dirty talking. There’s definitely some frustration from Reader. Rough sex. Edging. Zoro realizes Reader’s feelings through sex. Zoro and Reader end up together in the end. Yep, this one’s also long.

How did such a man squeeze your heartstrings like he did?

It was so confusing to you how he was the only one who played with your heart without realizing it. Tossing it around in his hand like a little bean bag to play with before he’d eventually throw it out into the sea.

Though you thought incorrectly of Zoro when he showed signs of him liking you.

You didn’t like him at least that’s what your brain was telling you, but your heart couldn’t help but to have an attraction to the moss-headed man. You seen his stares and you’d seen him following you whenever you went. He would even try his best to pair up with you when it came to exploring islands.

He knew that you felt some type of way, you kept ignoring him or trying to stay away from him. He wasn’t going to allow that though, he made sure that he’d be near you at all times regardless of how you felt about him. The furrow of your brows whenever he’d gotten close to you signalized a feeling for him, knew it was a hint of something other than whatever this was that you were feeling.

It was hard for him to talk to you when you gave him the cold shoulder for hours on end. So he never got the chance to really have a proper and loving conversation with you.

That’s where the jealousy began to brew.

He’d noticed how you’d stare or speak to that curly-browed idiot, the one person who he just couldn’t get along with on the ship. He hated how he was the one who got your attention, how he was the one who could have a good conversation with you. It pissed him off just staring at you and watching you enjoy talking to him.

Eventually after putting much thought into it, he decided to finally speak to you and prevent you from ignoring him any longer. An idea that he was forced upon due to your stubbornness and negligence. You tried your best to avoid him at that time but he seems more eager to get you within his grasp.

He peeks in through your doorframe, his big figure blocking any light that was shining through. You freeze and turn over to him before realizing that it was him standing there. “Hey. Can I talk to you?” He asked nicely, deciding to start off with a nicer approach.

You trembled against your bedsheets before you scoot back, your heart fluttering and pounding from your chest with heavy nervousness. “Z-Zoro.” You say his name out shakily, a bit of adrenaline rushing through your veins as you felt slightly panicked.

He slowly walks in and closes the door behind himself, locking it before he walks over to your bed and softly sets himself on it. He pulls you closer to him and you grow hot from his sudden touch, his large rough hand against your waist.

“What do you want?” You asked firmly, averting your eye contact from him. He peers down at you before smiling, his hand trembling against your body as he finally got to touch that sweet soft skin of yours. “You were ignoring me, so I came directly.” He confesses, his other hand playing with your pretty strands.

You let out a little sigh before you begin biting at your nails, your lashes fluttering as you slowly grew aroused just from his touch. “Why do you keep ignoring me? I just want to speak to you but you keep dismissing me.”

“I don’t want to talk with you.”

His brows raises and he chuckles at your obvious lie, sliding his hand up higher along your body.

“Well I want to, I want to hear you talk.” He says, his lips moving in closer to your neck and pressing smooches against your sweet skin. You let out a sudden mewl as you felt his lips against your skin.

“W-Why does it matter!? Why do you want to speak with me so badly!? If I don’t want to talk I don’t want to-“

“You and I both know why I want to talk to you so badly. Isn’t it obvious? I like you. No, I love you ________.” He confesses to you.

Your eyes widens from his words and you feel your heart pound out of your chest as he said such words to you.

“You always avoided me, you always ignored me. Why couldn’t you see that I wanted to talk to you?”

“I nearly got my hands on that shitty cook when I realized how much more attention he’d got instead of me. How much you enjoyed talking to him but never me!”

“Can’t you see it ________? I want to fucking be with you. I’ve always wanted to be with you.”

You shivered against him after hearing his confession and your body slowly begins to burn up from taking in his words. Though Zoro wasn’t done speaking in fact he was just getting started.

“I’ve dreamt about you…I’ve dreamt about us. How happy we could be together.” He begins, his eyes looking down at your flustered expression. He presses his hand against your chin, turning your head to face him and forcing you to look at him.

“I’ve dreamt about giving it to you good…I’ve dreamt about fucking you to the point where you’d grow drunk on my cock, your face all scrunched up and becoming a mess for me.”

Your face turns a deep red as you listened to his lewd words, your breathing growing more heavy yet shaky as you struggled to inhale and take deep breaths.

“I want to give it to you, I want to fuck you so badly.” He whispers into your ear, his chapped lips pressing against the shell of your pretty little ear.

“I want to hear you scream my name. Regardless of whose hears or who comes in, I’d still keep fucking you until you’ve melted in my grasp and constantly cry out for more.” He whispers, his hand trailing up to your breasts up under your shirt.

You moan out as you feel his fingers pinch your hardened buds, your smaller hands pressing over his as he did. You wanted him you really did, your heart wanted to be with him but your mind didn’t want him near you. You’ve realized that you couldn’t put up much of a fight if he was doing this to you.

“Z-Zoro~ Please~” You whisper out, a little whimper leaving you as you felt your heat beginning to brew within your lower tummy. You clench your thighs together tightly as you felt your cunt beginning to pulsate and grow out of control.

“You feel the same don’t you? Why not tell me?”

“Because I don’t! I don’t feel the same way!” You gasp out, a few whimpers leaving you as your chest began to heave from your heavy breaths

Zoro stares at you blankly before sighing. “Stubborn girl aren’t you?” He huffs.

He removes his hands from your shirt and pins you against the mattress in one swift motion, a little gasp leaving you as his large hands held you in place. You stared up at him as he hovered over you, a little smirk appearing across his face as he stared at your messy little face.

He presses his hands up against your thighs and pushes them far up, your ankles meeting your head. “Cmon~ Say it and I’ll go easy on you~” He teases you, a little chuckle leaving him. “Fuck you!” You whine out shakily as you feel him yank your shorts off, his fingers just pulling your panties out of the way before he spits out onto your cunt.

He rubs the natural lubricant in with his fingers, rubbing all along your entrance.

He hisses as he unbuckles his belt and unbuttons his jeans, the imprint of his cock poking out through his jeans making you tremble. He pulls his cock from his briefs and slaps it against your pussy, causing you to moan out.

“You don’t know how long I’ve waited. How long I’ve waited to feel your fucking pussy~” He breathes out shakily, his thick cock pulsating against your cunt. You let out a shaky gasp as he slides his length along your bare cunt, his breathing growing shaky as he struggles to control himself. “Do you want me? If not, I’ll just leave.” He asks firmly, his eyes glaring down at you.

You hesitate to answer him but you absolutely wanted him. All of his teasing and dirty talk made you grow warm within your lower tummy. His length laid there hot against you which made you only crave him more. You sigh heavily before you finally answer him. “Y-Yes…I want you.” You say firmly, finally admitting defeat.

He smiles and he’s ecstatic.

Pressing his hips up against yours, he aligns his cock with your entrance before he slowly pushing into you, a moan leaving you as he stretches you out. You mewl as you felt his length stretch you out and fill you up to the brim, his cock going deep into you and practically shoving into your cervix.

He breathes out heavily before looking at you, a smirk across his face as he stared down deep into your eyes. “You’re so much better than I imagined.” He admits, his hands gripping your hips. You turn away from him and avert eye contact as he slowly begins to thrust into you, doing gentle thrusts to make sure you weren’t in pain with his large dick inside of you.

Zoro could already feel his mind growing cloudy as he rutted into your cunt, his eyes growing half-lidded while he began to swirl far into the pleasure. You gripped your shirt tightly as he thrusted into you, his cock now hitting you way deeper than just your cervix.

He smiles as his face contorted with the pleasure, his thin brows furrowing as he feels your cunt tighten around him. He pulls your hips a bit farther and you could swear that he was practically in your stomach by now.

“Mmgh~ H-Hah~” You bite your bottom lip to suppress yourself, trying to cover your moans and not wanting to gain any attention to your room while Zoro fucked you deep into your mattress. You cover your mouth and his thrusts begins to grow more rapid. The sound of his skin slapping against yours echoing throughout your small room.

He smiles as he watches your face contort while you struggled to keep your moans in. His hands reaches out to you to grab your wrists. Gripping your wrists, he holds them tightly and moves them from your mouth, pulling them down against him so you couldn’t suppress your noises.

You couldn’t help but to whine out as he decides to fuck your harder, purposefully trying to get you to make some more noise.

“Mmgh~ M-Mhmm~ Z-Zoro~ L-Let go o-of my w-wrists!~” You whine out, your head laying against your soft pillow as he now pounds into your cunt. Zoro could only stare as he watched you take in his cock so wonderfully, your face turning into more of a mess for him.

“Ain’t that humiliating? You can’t even express how much you like me so I have to fuck it out of you.” Zoro teases, a sly grin spread across his face. Your eyes widens and groan angrily.

“F-Fuck you! I’ll fucking kill you!” Your brows furrows in frustration and arousal as you grit your teeth from his words. Your mind cloudy and frustrated as he fucked you so deep. Zoro’s eyes widens and his smile grows wider and a bit more crazily as he shove his cock farther into you, making those words shatter into pieces with a loud moan.

“MMGH!~ S-So deep…i-inside!-“

“I’d like to see you try. What makes you think you can do that huh? How’re you gonna kill me when you’re falling to pieces on my cock!?” He chuckles, his hand gripping your chin tightly to keep you facing him while his remaining hand held both your wrists. You grit your teeth before biting your lip once again, a heavy gasp leaving you as you felt yourself wanting to cum.

“Ahh~ F-Fuck y-you- M-Mhh~” You whine out, your cunt clenching around Zoro’s length tightly. Your fingers gripping his haramaki as your toes curled from the pleasure. You gasp out heavily as you felt yourself ready to cum on his cock and he could tell that you were on the edge.

“What wrong? Gonna cum on my dick now?” He asks, his hips coming to a halt before pulling his cock from you without warning. You breathe heavily and your moans quickly stop, his grip on your hips now growing softer before he lets go of them, edging you and leaving you there.

“N-No! Don’t stop Zoro!” You whine out, wanting him to help you finish and reach your climax. “Now you don’t want me to leave? You’re so indecisive aren’t you woman?” He says, staring at you.

“I didn’t want you to leave in the first place!”

You trembled under him, a few tears brimming at your eyes as the frustration quickly brewed back up inside of you. You wanted to release and you wanted to feel him again. You wanted him to fill you up and fuck the frustration away.

Zoro stares at you with slight shock in his eye before he lets out a heavy sigh. His hand reaches up to your hair and he cradles your head before staring into your eyes. “See? That wasn’t so hard now was it?” He asked, slowly stuffing his cock back inside of you.

You moan out shakily as he presses his body against yours, your legs wrapping around his hips tightly as you yearned for him to move. He quickly begins to thrust back into you, not wanting you or him to wait any longer. You moan out as he ruts into you, your arms wrapping around him and gripping his shirt while he had a grip on your hair and hip.

“You’ll be mine right? After all of this you’re going to be with me, yeah?” He growls in your ear, his breathing growing heavy as he thrusted hard into your aching hole. “Yes! Yes! Yes of course I’ll be yours!~” You gasp out, your nails giving him new scratches against his tanned skin through his shirt.

“And you’ll take my dick like my good little girl won’t you? Hm? Won’t you?” His hand pulls on your hair, causing you to moan out loudly while you took his rough thrusts.

“Yes Zoro!~” You moan out, your back arching off of your bed as you felt your orgasm rising back up. The mattress squeaked under both of your weight and the headboard was practically slamming against the wall with the way Zoro was fucking you.

Zoro could only smile upon your words and moans, hearing you whine like a little needy whore for him turned him on more and made him more rough. Your eyes begins to roll back as you finally feel yourself ready to cum once again.

“You gonna take my cum now? You want me to fill your little pussy up with my cum?” He asks through a groan, his cock now beginning to twitch inside of you. “Y-Yeah! Yes! P-Please fill up my pussy Zoro!~” You whine out shakily. “As you fucking wish.” He groans before get gets up onto his knees. He pulls your hips far against his, a heavy gasp leaving you as he goes deeper into you.

He grips your hips tightly before his thrusts go at an inhumane pace, biting his bottom lip as he lets out heavy groans. “Cmon, Cmon!” He huffs before he finally bursts inside of you. You moan out practically screaming as you gush on his cock, your orgasm hitting hard like a brick as your walls fluttered and twitched around his length.

Zoro’s eye widens as he watches you gush all over him, releasing all of the pent up stress and frustration that you had. He trembles before letting out a groan and cursing under his breathe.

“Fuck, there you fucking go.” He huffs heavily, his cum coating your walls and filling you up. A little bit spills out of you as he grinds his tip far against your cervix. “You were pent up weren’t you baby girl? You practically soaked my shirt and your sheets.” He teases, sweat falling from his body and onto yours. You whimper out to him before you feel your vision falling blurry, your mind growing dizzy from your orgasm.

“Ah…Ahh~ Z-Zoroo…” You whine out softly yet shakily to him. He stares down at your twitching frame and pulls you into his arms. “M-M’sorry Zoro…I-I’m sorryy…” You apologized, your arms holding on to him tightly.

Zoro presses his thumb against you glossy lips before finally giving you a kiss, his chapped lips pressing softly against yours. “Shh…It’s fine. I understand.” He whispers to you. Your face softens up and you let out a relieved sigh.

“So it was true the whole time, wasn’t it?” He asked to you. You nodded softly, your eyes now averting contact with him again. “You do like me…You just tried to keep it suppressed and hidden…” He says to himself, his eye softening towards you.

He grips your chin to keep your gaze towards him. “Come on, look at me.” He demanded, his soft gaze calming you down. You turn over to him and he presses another kiss to your lips. “You’re mine okay? From this day on, you’re my woman and no one else’s. Got that?” He says to you. You smile softly to him and nodded to him.

“Yes Zoro, I’m yours now..”

Hearing the words fall from your lips had sealed your own fate. You’re Zoro’s now and that’s a promise that shouldn’t be broken. He could only stay smirking as he heard the words leave your own mouth.

It was gonna be easier to keep you within his grasp now, because now you absolutely couldn’t get away.

[ageofevermore]

PRACTICED DANCE

SUMMARY — though your first time with wanda isn’t exactly what you expected, you wouldn’t change anything about it

WARNINGS — smut 18+ only, literally just pwp, dom!wanda, fingering, degrading, heavy on the praise kink, teasing, choking, soft toward the end… i think that covers everything

AUTHORS NOTE — i got carried away, and kind of hate everything about it… but enjoy!

“Are you sure?”

The night had simply fallen away from you. The chocolate covered strawberries that coated her kisses in sugarcane had completely dismantled the boundaries you’d set when you agreed to this. You were still early in a relationship, seven months and still her touch was still so foreign to you, so sacred. You had no mind to rush anything physical, and she was respectful of that. You wanted to savor her, and she wanted to cherish you.

“Just touch me. Wands, please.” Breathy whimpers escape you, sweaty hands braced on the silky rounds of your girlfriends muscular shoulders. All that training with Steve and Natasha is beginning to show, and the feel of her triceps and deltoids tensing beneath your needy fingertips is breath-stealing. Your nails create crescents upon her sweaty slick skin, thighs squeezing her impossibly close to where you need her, but you want her closer. “I need you.”

“You need me, huh?” Wanda taunts. Her satin sounding voice sends shivers down your already flushed spine and ignites a deep tension in your belly that’s growing to be unbearable the longer she teases. “I thought you didn’t want this, pretty girl. Thought you could handle waiting?”

Wanda twirls a strand of your hair between her calloused fingers, and then traces a path almost menacingly down the curve of your jaw that began to tremble at her weightless caress. She brushes the pad of her gentle thumb across your bottom lip, whispering a string of delicate praise into the space between you before she pushes the pad of her thumb past your lips to rest heavy on your tongue. Your tongue flicks across the round of her thumb, and its sweet enough to entirely disrupt her original plan to take things slow. Forget cherishing you, she wants to ruin you.

She drops her face into your neck, teeth biting down onto the sensitive skin of your exposed collarbone, taunting you. The whine that falls from your lips is heavenly, a sweet melody that Wanda needs to hear again. Over and over. You're putty in her clutches and she’s trying to sculpt the finest china.

“What was that, detka? Don’t have anything to say for yourself?” Wanda teases, pushing the pad of her thumb heavy against your tongue, cursing into your neck when she feels you resist to gag. “Good girl. Such a good girl for me, yeah? Gonna be a good girl and take me? Right here? Right in this little pussy? God you’re so fucking wet. What's got you so wet, baby? Huh? Go ahead, you can tell me. What’s got my girl so worked up?”

Your panties are soaked through, sticking to your heat near uncomfortably at this point, after so long of her teasing. Wanda takes no pity on your embarrassment either, pulling her thumb from the warmth of your mouth and cynically spreading the weakness across your exposed and vulnerable chest that’s been bruised from her insistent kisses and love bites. Your nipples pebble at the action, your hips searching for friction as they arch further into her.

“Suck a dirty girl.” She clicks her tongue at you, taking a gamble on her actions, though you show no disinterest in her albeit cruel taunting, if anything, it turns you on tenfold and she takes a note to really test your limits. The hot muscle shoots out to soothe the bites that shes left across your body, strands of red hair tickling your skin as she works. Her fingers work at removing the soiled garments from between your legs at the same time, and when she pulls away from you entirely, you’re forced to watch her bring the damp panties to her face and inhale the scent of your arousal. A whine is trapped between your lips as you gnaw at them with lustful impatience. Your body feels like its burning up at the sight of her.

“Wands, please. No more teasing. I just want to f-feel you. P-please.” In time with your begging, like it's a practiced dance between the two of you, your girlfriend makes quick work of finding your heat with her fingers. She’s talented in her methods, collecting the slick from your throbbing pussy and spreading it easily over your button, watching you closely for any sign that she should slow down or give you a minute to breathe. As rough as she is, Wanda is nothing but gentle.

“You wanna feel me, sweet girl?” Wanda's fingers leave your cunt, teasing up your thighs before her sticky fingers wrap around your neck loosely. Your eyes go wide, a gasp falling from your lips that part instinctively, complete submission clouding your mind. Your hand comes up to curl around her wrist, your eyes fluttering like the wings of a butterfly in the breeze as you try to keep a handle on your surroundings, wanting nothing more than to melt into the feeling of her hands on you and the beautiful ache in your center. “You want to feel me in this little pussy? Is that what you want? I need words, petal.”

Tears spring in the corner of your eyes, overwhelming your sight as you try to relieve the ache between your legs but arching up into her. You nod your head, incoherently babbling almost the only audible sound over your panting and whines. “Please, Wands. I need you. I need your fingers.” You whine, gentle eyes searching your girlfriends. The beautiful shade of hunter that sticks out like supernova in dark rooms is now almost completely black with lust. It was almost scary, how beside herself she looked in her domination, but it was beautiful all the less. She was beautiful.

“Get them wet for me, angel.” Wanda relinquishes her hold on your neck to push his fingers ito your mouth. She works your mouth like she would your pussy, her own eyes pinching shut as she tries to keep her own desire at bay. This moment is about you, she can sort herself out later. “Good girl. So fucking good, for me. Just for me, yeah? Go on, spread your legs for me, pretty girl. Let me take care of you.”

Wanda pulls her fingers from the hot confines of your mouth, smiling at you so innocently its a harsh contrast to the blackness of her eyes. She removes her own shirt from her body, finally allowing you to see all of her chest and toned ab muscles. Clothes are scattered around your candle-light apartment, the chocolate covered strawberries you made earlier in the afternoon completely forgotten about and feeling like decades ago as they rest on the ottoman.

For the first time since she’s worked you up to this point, Wanda’s lips settle on yours in a delicate embrace that takes your breath away all over again. She’s filled with nothing but complete admiration for you, and the gentle way her tongue swipes across your bottom lip has you falling deeper and deeper into a puddle of lust. Her fingers continue their exploration, down the valley of your breasts and over your belly until they get to where you need her most.

“I love you.” You gasp out just as her fingers enter you again, arching up into her chest as she eases you into this slowly. Two fingers stretch you perfectly, and the gentle pace she’s working on is enough to put static between your ears and nothing else. Your walls flutter around her fingers, silky and hot and perfect to her. You throw your arms around her neck, tangling your fingers into the root of her red locks, pulling at them firmly as she picks up for pace.

Wanda moans against your mouth, the muscles in her biceps flexing and tensing as she keeps gong at a sharp pace. Her chocolatey breath fans across your face as she smiles, and pecks your nose in the softest kiss. “I love you too. I love you so much, Y/N. You’re doing good for me, so fucking good.”

You both lose yourself in the pleasure, kissing and panting, biting and scratching, Wanda helping you reach your long desired high with whispers of passionate affection against your skin. Blood bubbles across her back, your nails ripping into her skin as your walls tighten tellingly around your fingers. Wanda curses, the pain only fueling her as she eases another finger into your sopping wet entrance and curls them against that beautiful spot inside of you. She’s reduced you to screaming whimpers and insatiable begging.

“Let me hear you. That's it, malysh. Such a perfect girl for me, darling.” Wanda continues drilling her fingers inside of you, scissoring your walls apart as they fight to keep her fingers still and inside of you, and her other hand snakes around to soothe the ache in your hips as your legs squeeze her close to you. Her lips are heavy against yours, and as she kisses you deeply, its like your tongues are dancing a ritualistic dance that you’ve practiced before. “Let go for me, angel. cum for me. Let me feel you.”

“Please.” Your walls squeeze her fingers tightly, spasming around the digits that repeatedly hit your favorite spot over and over again with pristine accuracy. Her scent is all around you, and the way her hair tickles your skin and falls around your face to capture only the two of you in this moment is almost entirely out of a fairytale. “Wanda.” You tug at the roots of her hair, attempting to both meet her calculated thrusts and wiffle away from the intense pleasure she’s providing you.

“Don’t run from me, baby.” Her voice is soft, a teasing giggle in her words as she works you closer to your high. “Just like that, baby. You’re doing so well for me. You gonna cum? Gonna let me feel you?” She coos, her hand leaving your hips to brush strands of sweaty hair away form your hair. Her thumb collects the tears that escape your eyes, brushing them away with a gentle smile. Her fingers keep drilling into you, her thumb coming up to swipe at your clit and send you tumbling over the edge before you could warn her. She smiles, pecking your lips over and over again as she mumbles her blessing. “Cum for me, sweet girl. Thats right. Let go. It’s okay.”

Pleasure surrounds you, your orgasm powerful and the best you’ve ever had. Youre seeing white as she rides you through it, your body tightening as you just feel what she’s giving you. Wanda’s bottom lip is caught between her teeth, her eyes gentle as she watches you thoroughly, wanting to remember this in the front of her brain for the rest of her life.

She pulls her fingers out of her, wiping them off on her legs as she shushes your whines at being empty. Her arms circle around your waist, her face buried in your neck and breathing in your scent as your chest rises and falls in the aftermath of your orgasm. Your body is hot, sweaty, but she presses against your impossibly close and smiles lazily. You return the smile, eyes blinking sleepy up at her as she tingles her fingers into your hair and tucks it behind your ears.

“I love you.” She reminds you, kissing you gently.

You giggle, pressing your forehead against hers. “I didn’t think our first time would be on the couch next to an audience of strawberries.” You admit, though nothing in your tone indicates any regrets. Wanda laughs beautifully, nuzzling deeper into you.

“It was perfect.” She enlightens, “But how about we take round two into the bedroom.”

[plush-rabbit]

Word Count: 3.5K A/N: No name again!! Part Three this time. Woo! Um, I just miss writing. I have some request that I wanna do, and like honestly, i need to make time. And I'm slowly making time! So, one day. I wanna write an Adam chapter, but like idk. Like I could. I'm the writer, but like also, I wanna do this other one, and like i thought it was gonna be super quick, but ya know me. I like words and sounding deep. So who knows. It gets like updated whenever its slow at work, so one day.

-

You pace around the room that you occupy. It doesn’t feel like home. You’re afraid nothing will ever feel like home again. You look at yourself in the mirror, and trace your tongue over your sharpened teeth, and you can’t recall the change to them- whether they grew into fangs during your fall, or when you were in your unconscious state. 

“‘S probably why my jaw hurt so much,” you mumble to yourself.

Despite not showing much interest in most things, Lucifer has brought it upon himself to make your room as comfortable as possible. He’s brought candles, and pillows to add color. He’s brought you different types of creams and perfumes for you to try, telling you to let him know what scent you like best. The shower adjacent to your room is kept clean, and stocked full of sweet smelling soaps. Your closet is full of clothes, so soft that you played with the fabric between your fingers until you feared you’d ruin them with your nails.

While your back no longer aches like it once did, you still avoid looking at it. The morbid curiosity to touch it grows every second, but you can only let your fingers ghost against the edges of the scars, feeling the pulled skin against yours, chills making your body rise. You feel bile in your throat when you touch a scar that runs thin and farther down your back- skin that stayed stuck and only released when it was far too thin and weak to hold on any longer. 

It’s sensitive, and almost ticklish. The tags of shirts make you uncomfortable, and you gently pat yourself dry after showers. You stare at the fogged mirror after every shower, and you have yet to wipe it clean and turn around to see what you’ve lost.

Lucifer has assured you that it’s not nearly as rough as it once was. Perhaps he’s right about that. Yet, you hate that he knows what you’re going through. You hate that you can’t be angry at him, that you can’t throw a fit and tell him that he doesn’t understand. But he does. He’s one of the few that will understand what you’re feeling, and you can’t bring yourself to talk to him.

There’s a knock on your door, and you look away from the mirror. “Come in,” you say out loud, already knowing who is on the other side- speak of the devil, and he shall appear. You give a small smile as Lucifer walks in with a tray of food, taking careful steps to not let the drinks topple over. 

“I brought dinner,” he says with a smile. 

You sit on the bed, legs crossed and watch as he places the tray over your lap. “Thank you, Lucifer,” you say. There are two plates, two sets of cutlery, and two drinks. Once again, he’ll be having dinner with you in the confines of your room. 

Lucifer takes his place in the chair beside you, and with a wave holds the plate in his hand, carefully balancing it as he holds the silvered fork in the other hand. Your fingers wrap over the silver, as you poke and prod at the food. 

“I hope you like it,” he says. “It’s been a while since I cooked anything, so I’m hoping it’s good for you.”

You pierce the food with the prongs of the fork. “I didn’t know you cooked,” you mumble, before taking a bite of your meal. The taste is savory, melting on your tongue, and you cut another piece before even swallowing the first one.

“It’s been a while.” Silver clinks against porcelain in a melody, behind his words. “It’s been ages since I’ve had proper meals.” You catch his eye, and he clears his throat. “Running Hell is a bit of a task. Hardly ever lets me enjoy my peace,” he says quietly, nudging his food with the sharpened point of the fork. 

“I can’t imagine the type of work it takes to run it all,” you reply, wrapping your lips around another forkful of food. 

Lucifer hums in response, and you take a sip of your drink. He hardly ever talks about Hell in detail. He’ll focus the conversation on you, trying to pry out your interests and likes. At times, he’ll talk about his daughter, Charlie. He tells you how she’s off somewhere in the Pride Ring, about how she was when she was young, how he would have her sit on his lap and watch as he’d tinker in his office. The stories are always in past tense, and you never like hearing the sorrow that are entangled in his words. Not only that, there’s a lack of mention of his wife, despite the ring that he still wears. 

The conversation comes to a still, and you frown. 

Dinners in Heaven were hardly ever quiet. There’d always be some type of noise, some gentle hum of a song, laughter, talk about slaughter that made you queasy. You’d eat with Adam most nights. Some nights you were accompanied by Lute and you always welcomed those shared meals, where she’d sit beside you, her wings folded neatly behind her, compared to Adam’s prodigious wings which graced the floor. She’d remove her mask when dining, and would grace you with a gentle smile. 

Home was the only place you’d ever see Adam without his mask. The horns curved and the bright lights a warning against others, looking down on others with heavenly light. He’d wear his mask in public, it was loud and showed who he was. Newer souls always looked at him with awe, and he hungered for the way that they would trip over themselves to speak to him. They may not have known his title, but they knew he was important, they felt the power that he held, the authority that he carried. He was someone to be admired. He was someone that you wanted to be around with. 

Even though you were just an angel, you didn’t hold power that others didn’t already have. But Adam still chose you, and you chose him. 

You should have chosen to run away when you had the chance.

The food tastes bitter, and you drop the fork, the clinking making your flinch and turn your head. Your name is whispered, and a hand places itself over your arm. Your eyes are shut tight, and you feel like a fool. “Are you all right?” Lucifer asks in a soft voice.

You suck in your lip, teasing it between your teeth. “No, I’m sorry, Lucifer.” You shake your head and blink back the tears that threaten to spill over. Turning to him, you wipe at your eyes with the back of your hand. “I’m fine, I’m sorry. I was-” your voice wavers, and you cover your eyes with your hand- “remembering Heaven. I remembered how my meals-” tears drip down, and you wave your hand. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t mean to cry.”

With a wave of his hand, the tray of food, and his own plate disappears from your sight. It’s quiet for a moment, and he pushes his seat closer to your bed before breaking the silence. “Do you think of Heaven often?” Shamefully, you nod. “What do you miss?” 

Adam. You peek at him between your fingers, and when he hands you a tissue, you take it wordlessly. “The view,” you answer. The tissue dabs at your eyes, and you let your hands fall beside you. Fingertips nudge against your hand, a silent encouragement to continue to speak. Your fingers jump, and there’s a sudden urge to take his hand in comfort. Rather, you let your nails scrap against the bedsheets.

“When I was still-” Lucifer’s voice pauses to take a breath- “I would sneak off to this forest. I’d watch all of his creations frolic among the fields. I’d have a few of my own creations rest against me. It was serene.”

You stretch your legs, and pull the blanket over your lower half. “I was a lower rank angel,” you start. “No one hardly needed me unless they wanted me to fetch something. But there was-” you bit your bottom lip and flicker your eyes towards Lucifer who listens with his attention on you- “an angel who would take me to see the stars.” You smile softly, and rub the corner of the tissue between your index and thumb. “It was a vast space, where the sky was lit by the radiance of the stars. It was the first time anyone thought of doing something for me,” you say out loud. 

“You were an angel, were you not?” Lucifer asks, his body leaning towards you, a hand wrapping around your wrist, and you let him take your wrist.

“Just an angel, nothing more. I don’t even know why he was so nice to me.” You smile at him, but you look away, smiling at the end of the bed. “I still don’t get it.” He was praised for so much, given everything and perhaps that’s what made his ego bigger than what it needed to be. “But he was kind to me.”

“Another angel?” He sounds surprised. You wonder what angels were like back in his days.

“A higher ranking than I,” you shrug with your answer. There’s a reason why he was able to get away with so much.

“For all that Heaven was, the views were ethereal.” You hum in response. It’s silent, and his shoes tap against the floor. “I’m sorry that Hell doesn’t have views like those.” His thumb arches over your wrist, and you dig your nails into your palm.

You stay silent beside him. Heaven’s land and warmth, nothing but a memory for you to return to. The room smells of rosemary and wine, and your blankets are thick in the stench of it. You turn to him. “Lucifer, why don’t we eat at the table?”

He stiffens at your voice, his mouth opening and closing without an answer. “I didn’t know you wanted to,” he replies.

“I’m stuck in this room all day, I want-” more is what you want, more than the four walls of your bedroom- “I want to see the other rooms. I’m not like I was before. I can move now.”

His eyes scan over your body, and with a nod, he clears his throat. “Okay,” he nods once more. “Breakfast will be in the dining room. I’ll be here to walk you at the usual time that I arrive.”

“Thank you, Lucifer,” you say kindly, a smile ghosting over your lips.

“You’re welcome,” he says your name softly, twisting meaning into the syllables and letting it fill the air.

-

Your room is shrouded in darkness, vast and consuming. Perhaps it’s because you’ve spent so much time awake in the night, that you can recognize what’s beside you, or maybe it’s your vision, heavenly eyes now able to see in the night, almost as if it were day. You aren’t sure which option brings you more comfort- that you’ve spent so long in a place that you should call home, or that parts of your angelic nature have contorted into something else.

Sleep has yet to take you into its arms. You lay awake, unable to do much else, hoping that if you’re still long enough then maybe you rest. However, you do nothing all day but read and draw in a book Lucifer had given you. The television remains in an opened box, pressed against a wall. He had attempted to attach it to the wall, but grew frustrated when he could not figure out the wiring. When you offered that he call someone who could, he just placed everything back in the box grumbling under his breath.

His pride is the reason you still rely on books and his company for entertainment. 

The scars on your back are no longer tender as they once were. They’re soft, and ticklish. You squirm against the cotton of the bed and feel a chill pass when you think of them for too long. Your arms coil themselves around you, fingertips tracing over the scarring lines. You wipe your hands on the comforter, filth still etched into you.

Your legs kick the bed, and you find yourself unable to sleep. If it were Heaven, you’d have Adam beside you. It would be hours until he finally rested, staying up until dawn peeked through the blinds in gold. He’d keep you company. Even if he was tired, he’d grumble and whine, but would continue to hold a conversation with you until he could no longer. 

Truth be told, it was rare for you to struggle to fall asleep. You had no trouble resting your weary head, but when you did, you at least had Adam with you. 

As much as other angels complained about not being given bigger tasks, you hardly minded them. You had no real power over anyone, no real responsibilities. The only real duty that you were given, was to calm Adam when he became crass- at least more so than usual. Heaven was blissful, the only worry being whether Adam would call you a crass nickname in public.

He hardly listened to anyone. He might have quieted down when a Seraphim or even Lute would give him a look, but when it came to you, he would mumble under his breath, still simmering, but at least he'd hold your hand. A chill runs through your body. In quiet moments, you can feel the weight of his wings over you, the heaviness, the softness of his feathers, how they would cover you like a blanket. 

Moments with him were plenty, never did you ever have to miss him unless he was called out. The few times you both were separated, he was bitter- snapping and complaining to anyone who was unfortunate to speak to him. and you felt pride at being the one that he wanted, being the one who could calm him. All these weeks- conscious and unconscious- is the first you’ve ever spent without him- without knowing that you would see him again. You wonder what he’s doing. The thought hurts, a sharp pain in your chest that makes it difficult to breathe. 

You wonder if he’s upset with Lute. A part of you wants him to be, to know that he did care for you, enough to be upset at another for hurting you. And the other part, hopes that he isn’t. You hope that he understood that it was a task given to her, that he doesn’t hold it against her. You hope that she doesn’t hold it against herself. You close your eyes, and your hands scratch against the comforter. 

You need to think of something else.

There has to be something else that you can think of. Something that doesn’t have to do with him. Anything at all would work. 

Mornings. 

How the sunlight would cast gold in the room, peeking between the blinds and making his wings shimmer. The warmth of the light would only encourage you to dig deeper into bed, pulling yourself closer to him. Your wings would brush under his, and they were never as grand as his were. Where yours were iridescent, and fit to your body perfectly, his shined in gold, carved by Father and molded to be fitting of the first soul to ascend to Heaven. 

You cry, and a sob escapes, whimpering past your lips. You need another distraction. 

Your wings. 

Think of how your wings were ripped from you. How Lute was the one to perform the severance and how Adam was adamant to watch. How he wanted to be there for you. You think of how you’ll never have your wings again. You’ll never fly again. There will  always be a scar to serve as a reminder of what was taken. And despite not having them, you can still feel them. You feel their weight, and in the mornings, you can feel a ghost of an ache, as if you’d slept on them wrong.

You sob, crying like a child and you press yourself against a pillow, trying to dull the cries. You can’t recall ever being so teary-eyed, so sad and lonely. Even after your creation, you were greeted with love and open arms, and past the time when you were simply an angel, you at least had Adam and Lute to keep you company.

Crying seems like a foreign concept. You never cried much in Heaven. Not out of sadness, at least. You hadn’t realized how exhausting it was to cry. You heave, whimpering and clawing at the bed sheets. Your chest is tight, bones constricting themselves around everything delicate, gold burning inside of you. When you laid in bed with Adam and spoke of your fate, and even when your wings were removed, you hadn’t cried like this. You shed tears, and you begged for forgiveness under your breath, but you accepted it until you cast out. Some nights, you wake up and you think it’s all been some horrid dream, only to be reminded when you wake to a ceiling that is not yours. 

Your door swings open, the back of it smacking against the wall.

“What’s wrong?” Lucifer asks, his voice tense. His presence serves as a reminder of where you are, and where you can never return to. “Are you okay?” He’s inside your room, and the door closes with a smack the further he goes. 

You are unable to answer him through your cries, mumbling incoherently. A hand places itself over your arm, and flutters away when you flinch. He sighs your name, and the side of your bed dips under his weight. “Do you want to be alone?”

You hiccup, and after a pause, you shake your head.

“Is it okay to touch you?

You nod, and turn over. Your hands grasp and pull at his clothes, you make a note that he hasn't changed out of his daytime attire, and that his eyes sag with exhaustion. Despite it all, you need him here. You want him here. His hand cups overs, and he lets his thumb arch over the back of your hand. Lucifer shifts under your touch, unable to be comfortable in your bed. Your nails scratch against the fabric of his clothes, fisting the shirt in your hand, and you need him to stay. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” he promises, another one of his hands cupping over the corner of your head, gently stroking you. “Just cry it out,” he whispers.

You cry beside him, the touch of his clothes barely enough to keep you satisfied. Your face is barely hidden between the pillow and the mattress. You weep, unable to catch a breath, unable to think of anything more than just missing home. 

“I hate crying,” you mumble, hiccupping and hiding your face.

“Yeah,” he breathes out, tracing shapes over your forearm, “you get used to it.” Your body still shakes, whimpers and other pathetic sounds filling the room. “I- Um, I remember that angels were rather touchy- always together in flocks, and never really alone, so I-” he clears his throat, and you peek up at him through teary eyes. “I hope I’m not overstepping, but do you want a-” His face deepens in color, and he squeezes your arm, unable to manage the word out loud. “Or I can get you a pillow or something?”

Your hands let go of him, and the push against the mattress. “Lucifer?” You say softly, picking yourself up. He hums in response, his eyes wide and focused on you. “Can you hold me?” You gasp, your chest tight. 

“Yes- Yeah,” he croaks. “Of course. Whatever you need- Oh!” He gasps, when you cling to him, your arms snaking around him, pulling at the fabric of his clothes. You hide yourself in the crook soft curve where his neck and shoulder meet, your dewy face kissing his exposed skin. “It’s-” you can feel his hands pat nervously at your back- “okay.” You pull him closer to you, desperate to not have him leave you. “You’re-” at the sound of another of your cries, his arms tightening around your shaking figure, hands pressed into the soft of your skin- “You’re okay. I got you, you’re safe,” he coos. 

He’s warm, and he holds you close to him, his head knocking gently against yours. Your cries soften into whimpers, gasping breaths tickling over his skin. In a room where the glow of red peeks into the room, letting glass and skin flame under a dim hue, you find yourself reminded of home. You find comfort in someone holding you, you find yourself held together by sin, stitched and handled with care. Hands are gentle against your back, the pressure against the scars enough to make you crave for more, to have him touch more of you. You let your eyes close, and you tell yourself that you’ll ask him to leave, but you need a few minutes where you can feel safe, where you can feel wanted.

[hotpinkboots]

Hiiii So I'm super Excited that I found you're blog!!! Because I LOVE Bellatrix So much😍 I was hope maybe could you do a TeenFemReader × Aunt Bella One shot where Bella is just having a bad or a Nightmare or maybe on her Priod (Your choose) And R gose and Comforts her and thay just cuddled in bed and Bella is just all soft and Loving and maybe thay Watch Kitchen Nightmere or Hotel Hell (I feel like Bella would like that) or even Bluey! I just think there isn't enough Soft Bella × Reader Fics❤ Thank you so much! Also I hope this is Enough to go off of😅🤗

~~~~~

~Aunt!𝕭𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖆𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖝 𝕷𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖊 x Teen!Fem!Reader~

(Platonic fluff oneshot, comforting Bellatrix on her period)

AHH YES I AGREE WE NEED MORE SOFT BELLA 🥺🥺🥺

She's so excited for menopause here LMAO let's be honest we're all looking forward to that

Note(s): Bella's a bit OOC to make this more fluffy (she willingly indulges in muggle entertainment and reluctantly agrees to take ibuprofen), this is set in modern times (2024), I watch Hotel Hell, Hell's Kitchen, and Kitchen Nightmares every day and she would 100% love it but I thought Bluey would make it more wholesome

How long it took to write: 4 hrs

~~~~~

𝕭𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖆𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖝 would look absolutely furious if she weren't so exhausted. Everything in her body hurt, so much to where it would tire her just to pull one of her maddened expressions. So, she settled for only looking grumpy and uncomfortable. She had gone the entire time in Azkaban without any sort of pain relief for her periods; she'd feel weak if she suddenly decided to use any sort of of reliever for the cramps and back aches.

She played stubborn, lying in bed miserably, unable to decide if she wanted somebody to come along and pamper her, or if she wanted to be left alone. The decision was made for her when a voice called at her from the doorframe.

"Aunt Bella?" You asked hesitantly, eyeing how still she was. Bellatrix quickly looked over at you with a tired smile growing on her lips, and dark chocolate eyes that brightened upon your arrival.

"Hello! Hi, sweetie, come here!" She waved you into the room, sitting up as best she could by propping herself up with pillows for support. Bellatrix pat the bed, offering you to sit beside her. Usually, she would've hugged you, but this was unfortunately out of her physical comfort zone at the moment. She made up for the lack of hugs by nudging you closer to kiss your cheek a few times, each kiss marked with a "mwah!" for the sole purpose of your amusement.

You smiled widely, pulling away from the swarm of kisses with a delighted squeal, only to be pulled back for one more smooch. Bellatrix turned her head and tapped her own cheek with her nail. "Give Auntie a kiss," she teased. Bellatrix very much enjoyed playing the overbearing Aunt that smothered you with her affection. She was very proud to call you her niece. You leaned in and returned the kisses by pressing a few to her pale cheek, in return earning a sweet, "Thank you, lovey!" from the witch.

Bellatrix then attempted, yet again, to settle down comfortably- which, unsurprisingly, she could not. For any which way she sat, she could not find a position that her aching body was content with, and every position somehow seemed to be more uncomfortable than the last. You could only observe as your Aunt struggled, watching her eyebrows furrow and her mouth turn into a thin-lipped grimace.

"Do you need anything?" You asked in concern, to which Bellatrix waved dismissively and shook her head. "No, no, just lay here with me. I could use some company, I hate sitting still for this long-" She broke off when you reached over to the nightstand and picked up your purse. "What is that?" Bellatrix mumbled, eyebrows furrowed as you turned it on and unlocked the device. Her eyes widened when the screen lit up. She gasped. "Is that some sort of muggle technology? (Y/N)! Get rid of it this instant!"

Your eyes flicked to Bellatrix. If she were a cat, her fur would be bristling. She looked confused and upset, staring at your phone as though she was on the verge of breaking it in half. You chuckled under your breath and shook your head, swiping and clicking the Disney+ app. "Wait, wait, just watch!" You defended quickly. Bellatrix grumbled something incoherent, and it sounded resentful and annoyed. Still, she decided to humor you, as you were her niece, and if you wanted to show her something, she wanted to see it.

You scooted closer to your Aunt, while she gave a delighted hum in response and rested her cheek upon your shoulder. You held the phone up and clicked on an episode to watch. While it loaded, Bellatrix stared at it judgmentally. "Is something supposed to-" She began impatiently, though she was interrupted by the theme song, which caused her to flinch in surprise.

"Oh, no, it's for children!" Complained Bellatrix in dread. She wanted to fire questions at you to understand what she was witnessing, but she didn't want to tear down something you liked. So, the witch sat quietly and watched in confusion, even if she found the show to be annoying. A few minutes in, Bellatrix was watching more intently. She occasionally smiled at the antics and jokes in the show. Moments later, she gave a little gasp when Bingo trotted into the frame. Bellatrix pointed to her. "Oh, how adorable! I like that one. It reminds me of you!"

You laughed and asked why. Your Aunt glanced up at you sweetly. "I don't know! It's cute, and so are you." She lifted her hand to run the pad of her index finger down your nose bridge playfully, before turning her head to look at the screen again. You beamed happily at the gesture.

While her cramps and aches were still raging, this was a nice distraction. However, her breathing was still heavy and deep, and her hand still rested on her lower belly in an attempt to self-soothe the pain. Once again, you reached over to grab something off the nightstand. A bottle of ibuprofen, this time. "What are you doing now?" asked your fluffy-haired Aunt. "I don't remember having that."

"It's ibuprofen, it'll make the cramps go away," you reassured her, tilting the bottle and tapping the side of it until two tablets dropped into the palm of your hand. Yet again, Bellatrix decided to whine and refuse, accusing the pain reliever of being poisonous or something of the sort. You decided to prove her wrong by taking a dose for yourself, to rid the dull headache that had been bothering you since that morning. "No, no, what if- (Y/N)!" Bellatrix snapped, snatching the bottle away from you and scolding you. "You don't know what's in it, sweetheart, you can't just take something like that!"

"It's fine!" You stressed, encouraging her by holding her water glass and the two tablets of ibuprofen out to her. Bellatrix huffed. She glared at the medicine like she hated it. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" You coaxed it towards her again. She stared at the pills through narrowed eyes, hesitantly popping them in her mouth, and washing them down with water. "...If those do anything to me, I'll have your wand, girl." Of course, she didn't mean that, for she really didn't believe you'd give her anything that could hurt her, let alone take it yourself. So, she relaxed against the headboard and continued to watch Bluey with you, worry eating at the back of her mind over the fact she had just taken some muggle pill without doing any sort of research on it.

Eventually, after awhile of laying there and watching the show with you, she felt herself perk up, and was finally convinced that the ibuprofen hadn't done anything awful to her. She thanked you with more kisses. "I think whatever you gave me worked, I feel better. Thank you, sweetheart!"

You and Bellatrix continued to lay in bed together and watch Bluey. She would've told you to go get some sleep, but what was the harm in you staying up late for once? Narcissa would most certainly scold the two of you tomorrow, and Bellatrix was already thinking of an excuse to give her sister. Perhaps something to get on her nerves a bit, such as, "She simply adores me! It's not my fault that I'm such a great Aunt."

~~~~~

Request Guidelines!

~Love, PinkBoots

[lolasimms]

a lots gonna change pt.9

Summary: Married life isn’t great, infidelity ensues, and things change

I’m all of you guys’ mother and I will continue to feed you, also please don’t hate me :)

next chapter

The past four months and a half had been torture for you, it was as if there was an ongoing battle occurring in your brain. You were stuck between a rock and a hard place. The question; "Should I stay or should I go" engrained itself in your head. When finally you'd decided to go through with the divorce.

You'd had the support from your family and friends who assured you that you were doing the right thing. You'd gotten yourself a place not too far from your ex, to ensure Lila wasn't far from her. You had Lila during the week, with Ellie occasionally taking her for weekends, just until your custody date was settled. You'd both come to a mutual agreement that the best thing for the two of you was to seperate. However Ellie still had moments in which she would spiral and try and get you to take her back, but you never complied.

Your sister Nara took it upon herself to fly out to come support you and you couldn't have been happier to have her with you. With the support of her, Joel, Dina and Jesse you felt like a weight had been lifted off your shoulders,like you wouldn't have to be doing it all alone anymore. You also began seeing a therapist, except this time it was on your own, her name was Francine, and she was the best piece of solace you'd had. She'd truly made you feel like you'd be able to heal from all the damage that had been done.

Work was a great distraction, at first Abby had kept her distance and respected your need for space. Until you'd realised she only wanted to be there for you. You'd let her in, little by little only wanting to take things slow. Nothing sexual had happened between the two of you, as you still didn't feel right being touched by anyone other than Ellie. For years she was the only person you'd grown accustomed to and it frightened you to think about letting anyone other than her in.

Going through with the divorce was difficult but you only wanted what was best for Lila, and that was ending the relationship between you and Ellie and beginning a healthy co-parenting one. You knew getting back with Ellie would only mean you'd be in a relationship where you struggled with trust issues and insecurity. You just wanted the two of you to remain civil. That was exactly why you had decided not to fight Ellie for full custody, you'd give her an equal opportunity to bond and build a relationship with her daughter.

-

You can just take a seat over here Ms. Y/LN."  You we're still growing accustomed to not going by Ellie's last name, yours sounding foreign. The attorney as motions to the chair on his right. You hesitantly take a seat, then steal a quick glance at Ellie who is sitting across from you, her lawyer is seated to her left.

"Alright, we may start the proceedings now, Mr. Reynolds would you like to start" her defence asks, as he looks up at your lawyer.

"Sure, as displayed here my client is set on joint custody, with no asks for alimony or spousal support, she want's this to be fair and easy"

Ellie looks up at you in relief and visibly relaxes in her seat. You steal a glance at her but quickly look to the floor, to avoid making any further eye contact. You were a nervous wreck, the lump in your throat making you feel the need to scratch yourself, bite your nails, anything to make time pass.

"Ok, well if that is the case, Mrs. Williams would like to have her daughter on Friday to Sundays, due to work scheduling, is that okay with the defendant?" You nod your head at your lawyer, and he proceeds.

"Yes, my client is okay with that, however I'd like to discuss the deeds of the house. The two of them bought this house with the intent of sharing 50-50 assets, her name is on the papers so how would the defendant like to settle that?" You finally bring your gaze up to see Ellie, who's eyes were already on yours. She was fidgeting with her wedding ring, which she was still wearing despite your divorce being finalised weeks ago.

"My client doesn't mind, Mrs. Williams says Y/n can have the house, after all she will be the primary caretaker of their daughter" her lawyer says and you finally take it upon yourself to be vocal.

"I don't want it" you say, voice low and barely above a whisper, and your attorney turns to you with a glare. "We talked about this Y/n, this is a great deal for you" he whispers and you shake your head.

"No, I'd like for her to keep it, and I want my name off of the papers" you say aloud, and Ellie's hands visibly tense. It was the first time in months she had heard you speak more than three words. You try fighting back tears, but of course they come, flowing freely down your face and you wipe them in embarrassment.

"Alright, then that's settles it, anything else you'd like to discuss?" Her defence asks and your lawyer shakes his head no. The both of them stand up and shake hands, and your lawyer walks you out of the room, to congratulate you.

-

"Thank you Mr. Reynolds, I'm glad you were able to make it as easy and as fast as possible" He smiles and pats your shoulders.

"Please, call me Matt and its what I do, I'm just glad you got your clarity" his phone begins to vibrate and he picks it out of his pocket to respond.

"Im, sorry Y/N but it's my sons school I've got to get going, but I'm glad everything worked out in your favour"

"Thats fine, and once again thank you so much for everything" you wave him goodbye as he speed walks down the steps of the courthouse and you are left standing there in the heat, as you wait for your sister to come pick you up.

"Y/n?" you know who's voice it is, never in a million years would your forget her voice, and immediately you tense up at the touch of her hand that was on your shoulder.

"Can we talk?" Ellie asks, and you promptly remove her hand from your shoulder, leaving her red from embarrassment.

"I said everything I needed to, inside there Ellie" you refuse to make eye contact with her and she sighs desperately. She wears a simple black suit, the button of her blazer was left unopened and she had cut her hair a tad bit shorter than usual.

"I'm sorry, I don't know how many times I have to say it but I truly am sorry, I love you Y/n" she whispers, with tears in her eyes.

"You lied to me Ellie, we went to therapy and the whole time you were lying to me, you made me feel like a fool"

"I was doing it for your own good, I thought what you didn't know couldn't hurt you" You scoff and take a step down the stairs, desperately needing some space.

"Yeah cause it was 100 times easier to hear of your infidelity from Amelia" you spit, with sarcasm, the disdain for her ex-lover evident in your voice.

"I- Y/n she didn't mean anyth-" she tries but you cut her off swiftly.

"Don't fucking lie to my face and tell me she meant nothing, cause I know she did" Ellie sighs in frustration and runs a hand through her hair.

"I'm sorry" she whispers again, for what felt like the 1 millionth time.

"You can say sorry as many times as you'd like but I won't forgive you. You got the house, you've got your sanity and you get to see Lila, just let me be." You say and before she can continue, you get a message from Nara telling you she was here.

"I'm leaving now Ellie, I hope you're happy"

-

"Why the fuck, did you let her take the house?" Your sister was grilling you as the two of you sat on the balcony of her hotel room, sipping on red wine.

"Nara, that house, I couldn't take even if I wanted to, the memories are just too much." You confess, as you glance at the view of the waterfront. Her words are tuned out as you gaze at the sailboats, as they paraded down the canal. One by one, they went and you watched in awe as the catamaran's glided on the dark blue body of water.

"Y/n?"

"Y/n?" Nara calls a second time, but you are entranced by the sailboats.

"I think I wan't to buy a catamaran" you blurt out, as you are broken out of your trance and she stares at you in disbelief.

"You hate the water" she laughs as she pours, more wine into your half empty glass and you bring it to your lips, taking a sip.

"People change" you mutter under your breath, she proceeds to put her hand in yours and the rest of your evening is spent in comfortable silence, indulged in glasses of wine, and the sound of crashing waves and friendly chatter from the hotel bar.

-

"Momma, when is mommy coming back?" Lila questions, from the sofa, where she was seated with a small brown doll in her lap.

Ellie looks up from her laptop, where she was completing some documents from work and swallows thickly. This was the part that you and her hadn't discussed, the part where you find the right thing to say to your 3 year old kid.

"Mommy's not coming honey, she'll come pick you up tomorrow" she shuts her laptop lid, and walks over to the sofa to sit with her.

"But mommy and momma sleep together and I sleep in my bed?" She mumbles, the young girl trying to piece together why her mothers had stopped sleeping in the same house and bed.

"Now mommy and momma sleep in their own beds, my love" Ellie soothingly rubs her back and lifts her into her lap. Where the rest of the movie they watch is complete in sheer silence. Lila falls asleep, on the sofa and she takes her up to the room, to sleep with her as she couldn't bare the feeling of being alone.

"I love you honey, when I'm awake and when I sleep, I love you" she whispers into her daughters hair, as she kisses her goodnight.

-

"Pink please, momma" Lila says as she holds her hand out. The two of them had been playing all afternoon and she couldn't have been happier. If it weren't for the time she got to spend with her daughter she wasn't sure she'd survive the separation.

"Here you go baby" Ellie immediately grabs the thick crayon and places it in the toddlers hand and she accepts it graciously.

"Ok, almost done, don't look yet" she says in a serious tone, and she knows to not look, as the last thing she needed was a tantrum from her sassy daughter.

"Pleaseee, can I look now?" She asks and Lila sighs dramatically and lifts the paper quickly to her chest.

"Ok fine, ready?" Ellie nods and when Lila turns the paper towards her with a nervous giggle.

"Wow... it's beautiful honey" She can feel tears brimming from her eyes and she has to fight to keep them from spilling. She had drawn a messy yet clear picture of the three of you holding hands. With the labels "Momma" "Mommy" and "Me".

"Do I get to keep it, baby?" She asks as she lifts her from the stool and pulls her into her embrace and she nods with a wide grin on her face.

Shortly after she had packed up the crayons and began to pack up her toys, Ellie was startled by a few knocks at the door. Lila perks up from the couch and runs over to the door and she has to speed walk to stop her from answering it.

"Mommy!" The toddler screams as she reaches her hands up for her mother and you instantly pick her up, showering her in kisses. She then notices her aunt and does the same, to which Nara pecks her cheek and smiles.

"Hi Y/n, Nara good to see you again" Nara ignores her and you mutter a simple "Hi" as you avoid eye contact, something you had started doing ever since the day you had found out about her cheating.

"Is her bag packed?" You ask and she mentally curses herself for forgetting that you'd be coming to pick Lila up so soon.

"Uhhh no, but I can do it real quick"

"It's fine, she'll get them next time" you trail off as you nervously look too your sister who nods. She looks at the both of you and you hand Lila to Nara.

"Lila say bye to your mom" Nara finally speaks and the young child kisses Ellie goodbye and is led off to the car by her aunt.

"Can we talk Ellie?" You ask and her heart rate speeds up, she's not sure if you had forgiven her, or if you had changed your mind on the divorce but she had positive hopes, as this was the first time since the split that you had asked to speak to her alone.

-

"So you bought a house?" She tries to make sense of your words.

"Yeah, it's not far from here so we don't have to drive too long and it's close to her preschool." She nods at your words and shifts uncomfortably, the silence killing the both of you.

"So I'll be coming back tomorrow to come pick up all my stuff, her stuff can stay here, I'll buy her new shit that'll stay at my place" you say.

"I wish you didn't have to do all of this, Y/n" she finally breaks her silence and you're left scoffing.

"I did this? That's rich coming from the person who cheated on me" you laugh maniacally as she looks at you in disbelief.

"I know, it's my fault. I can't even apologise because I know it won't make a difference but I won't stop fighting to get you back." You shake your head and get up, having had enough of her words.

"I mean it Y/n I'm not going to stop until I get you back"

"Good luck with that Ellie"

-

Abby was in her office when she'd gotten a text from your personal contact. You'd never texted her from your personal phone before so she was surprised. The past few months the two of you had spent friendly time together. She knew you'd wanted space, to take things slow, so she gave you exactly that. She didn't want to screw her only chance up.

'Can you come to my office please, it's urgent.'

She was worried something had happened so immediately she got up and rushed to your office down the hall. She knocked on the door and heard a light "Come in" As soon as she entered you'd gotten off of your seat walking towards her. You grabbed her face down towards yours and began kissing her fervently. She was stuck in place, not believing if this was real or she was dreaming. You were desperately clawing at her biceps, pulling her towards the sofa that was against your office wall.

"What's this about?" She mumbles into your mouth as you push your tongue into her mouth, grinding against her vigorously.

"It's a celebration, I'm a free woman and I think it's time I let you fuck me" Her stomach lurches at your words and she can't help but let out a hard moan.

"Should we be doing this here, what if someone comes in" she smiles as she unbuttons your satin blouse, peppering kisses against your neck.

"We can discuss all the ways that this is wrong after you've thoroughly fucked me" you don't know what's gotten into you, but you needed to feel her inside you or else you’d combust.

You were tired of waiting. Ellie had had her fun for five months straight, so why couldn't you? You'd waited until your divorce, kept Abby hanging but that was not how things were going to go now. It was finally time you focused on what was good for you.

taglist;

@moonlightdivine @maybe-cece @macaroni676 @sawaagyapong @katiemars @ellieseater @dakota-dream @joliettes @hebrokeimup @bratydoll @wakasaaa @catostrophiclesbian @l0v3e1i @dinas-a-bird

[barrenclan]

ok ONE more music ask bc i think this is the third one i’ve submitted for the new issue so far:

so i went back & read issue 37 while listening to “drunk walk home” by mitski (both the original and the live at palisades version), timing my reading with the listening so that certain panels & passages would line up with the right points in the song, and dear. fucking. LORD. i wanna make a rainhaze pmv with this so badly. the only question is which version of the song to use

so the best way i can explain it:

*drumbeat intro* - the title page

“i will retire to the salton sea/at the age of 23” - that comic panel at the beginning showing how much he changed

“for i’ve started to learn i may never be free/but though I may never be free/fuck you and your money/i’m tired of your money” - idk exactly how it’d line up with the issue but something something him being influenced by defiance & ranger, something something “you can love someone and still hate/hurt them”

*guitar picks up* - the canine realization and/or slug’s reaction to the murder reveal. some combination of the two.

“and i sit on the curb ‘cause it’s the prettiest night/with no one else in sight/don’t you know i wore this dress for you/these killer heels for you” - rain gets all defensive & tries to justify the murder with the sleep thing & the hypocrisy

“see the dark, it moves/with every breath of the breeze” (+ the buildup before the guitar solo) - “convince them…okay”

*guitar solo* - slug attacks him, big fight scene

and of course the screaming at the end correlates to him screaming as he’s gutted like a baked potato

Nice!! I always love how much thought you put into song choices.

As a Johnny Cash enjoyer I must say I do prefer his cover but of course I love Nine Inch Nails too. More dark and gritty does fit Rainhaze better.

I've never actually listened to or seen Repo, but it does seem like something that would be up my alley. It does fit him too, driving in what he's done and forcing him to remember killing Asphodelpaw.

I remember every dying whisper Every desperate murmur I remember when I gaze upon her She looks just like you I remember, I remember

I like this from Rainhaze's perspective, like he's constantly trying to guess what Ranger wants from him, how much he has to hurt himself to please Ranger.

The waves suck you in then you drown If like, you'd just stay down with me I'll swim down with you Is that what you want?

You hang the anchors over my neck (Saw your end) I liked it at first but the more you laughed The crazier I became

Haha aww, Pinepaw.

I lost some weight from anxious pacing talking on the telephone If I look cool I'm fooling you At any point you can assume My mind's computing every path that screws up what I wanna do

The things that I can't shoulder well I pass onto my older self And hope I learn to cope so I don't end up broke or overwhelmed 'Cause vocally, I'm not the best

Poinsettia is an interesting pull, but I can see it. I hate to say Rainhaze once again but yknow... kinda Rainhaze...

The feelings of regret And now I'm running to forget But know, the consequence of imagination's fear I met a man downtown the other day With ruby eyes that took my life away

Thе antidote we look so hard to find To purge yourself of fear, relax your mind But heaven only knows Where my mind leads, the feeling grows

Someone has actually recently made an incredible animatic set to Ptolemaea, actually! You can see it here.

That's alright, I usually do all the lyric quoting!

Pick up another cigarette Smoke it now and soon you'll forget If only your silver lining had better timing 'Cause there's no crown for one on the way down

Your dull blade and your dusty attire Can bring back all those burning desires So go back to the pit or roll over

I'd love to see the animation if you ever make it! It does have big synergy with "The Death of BarrenClan" event.

Heed the sirens, take shelter, my lover Flee the fire that devours But the sight held me fixed like a bayonet against my throat

It was a pale white horse With a crooked smile And I knew it was my time

Not a song in the world that doesn't make me think of Rainhaze... anyways, I always like a good Hoosiers song.

Everything you love turns to dust, You'd make more of it but you felt rushed By all that's periphery, You held tight, but on the contrary

Don't look your life passed you by, 'Cause you're too attached to it, Don't look your life passed you by, 'Cause you're too attached to it

[s0ft-d3cay]

I'll Lend You My Heart While It's on My Sleeve

Mike Schmidt x Male Reader | Hope you all enjoy!! The voted one shot will be the next post I make, just fyi.

WARNINGS: Aunt Jane, arguments, reader comforts Mike, reader is very snappy with Jane, Aunt Jane gets read like a book, reader and mike hold hand the entire time, reader is VERY protective of Mike, Reader has scary dog privileges, Reader is encouraging to Mike the entire time, A serious conversation between Mike and Aunt Jane, reader and Mike hug at the end(<3), use of Y/N, not beta read

WC: 1,866

It was clear, Aunt Jane was not expecting Y/N to defend Mike. Glaring daggers at the man in pure disgust, practically shaking in anger. The man had been pointing out things she could've done while Mike and Abby. "That doesn’t give him the right to disrespect me...he should be respecting me regardless because I’m still his aunt!" The woman demanded. Not used to being on the receiving end of her wrath, the woman was desperate to fight the man back.

Her words were harsh and degrading, not at all hold back her insults and negative comments towards her nephew. A hint of anger could be seen through Y/N's calm attitude, but no one except Mike would know that. Only imagining how much it would take for the man beside him to crack, he’s quite impressed with the amount of patience held. Feeling the anger boiling beneath his skin more and more as his aunt continues. In Mikes mind, she's getting herself in a grave with Y/N and that thought alone had him hiding a smug smile. Y/N was a stubborn man to his core and he'd go tooth n' nail to prove someone wrong.

"Mike and Abby don’t have to do anything regarding you, Jane. You’ve given them nothing but trouble, even now you still demand respect like a toddler. Respect is earned, not given out like free samples. Maybe if you didn’t waste your time on fake pearls and ugly clothes you’d actually find out what shutting up and listening will do for you. I mean…you’re already half-way there with the amount of times you’ve helped them out." Y/N snaps, effectively using his final blow of the ridicules argument. 

His sharp eyes turning to Mike and his conjoined hands, sitting back in his seat with a proud huff. He soon sends Abby's teacher an apologetic smile for his outburst. Jane let out a snare of annoyance as her eyes set on Y/N. Seething everyone else continues along with the meeting, leaving the woman absolutely fuming.

"We’ll meet you in the parking lot, Mike’s got a few things he wants to tell you." The woman's eyes narrow upon hearing what he said, once Abby’s teacher had concluded the meeting. Her jaw was still clenched tightly, not prepared to deal with her nephew’s ‘friend' had a pair of balls when speaking to her. Her eyes were staring him down, a hateful glare was on her face as she responded to him. "Is that right? Well, I don't see how me and him have anything else to talk about.” Y/N’s eyes sharpened as he replied. "I didn’t say anything about you talking, we’ll be waiting outside." He remarked bluntly, turning to walk out the room with Mike a few steps ahead. Leaving the woman no time to rebuttal him.

Y/N's blunt remark definitely made Mike's smile grow wider, now in the parking lot along side the other man. "You doing alright so far?" He asked, his voice softer with Mike. A totally opposite to how he spoke to aunt Jane not even minutes earlier, the man’s heart skipped a beat at that small change. "Yeah, I’m alright…" Mike replies leaning against his car, his own gaze wavering on Y/N. A tinge of thankfulness courses its way through him, with Y/N Mike would’ve kept his mouth and stayed quiet. But now…now he had support, someone willing to stand up for him. And that alone made a huge difference.

The two men leaning against the side of Mike’s car, a silence of unknown and understanding swirling around them as time passed. A breeze wafting pass the two, gently reminding Y/N of an idea. He smiles, looking over to Mike. "Hey just remember, after this we have nothing but cuddles and movies for us at home when we're done." Y/N brings up with a coy grin. The mention of cuddles and movies brought light to Mike's mood, a light chuckle escapes him. 

Mike brought both his hands to clasp over Y/N’s, their fingers sliding perfectly to clasped their palms together. "And the best kind of cuddles and movies to boot..." Bringing their intertwined hands up over his heart, lightly squeezing them. Feeling less anxious, even with the ever growing impatient footsteps approaching them. He couldn’t be bothered with Jane’s incessant need to be the center of attention. Mike had more important matters at the moment.

The calm silence is broken by her when she speaks up. "Let's get this over with." She declares to Mike in an insulting tone, speaking to him as if he was still a child. With her arms crossed and expression covered in boredom. Jane wanted nothing to do with the upcoming conversation. And that had triggered Y/N’s instincts, a flare of irritation spun into white hot resentment.

"Listen Jamie, if you’re not ready to have an adult conversation then you can fuck off." Y/N cuts in taking an intimidating step in front of Mike, standing tall to the woman with a grimace. Catching her off guard, once again not expect him to be the one to speak and take charge. Glaring back towards at Mike before returning her eyes to Y/N, as though she's trying to find an angle with the stubborn man. "And you? Do you feel like you're grown enough to talk to me like that? You think you're better than me somehow now because you're friends?”

"I know I’m better than you will ever be..." He states with a smug expression, watching as she essentially gets more and more annoyed with him. "But that’s not why you’re here, you’re here to listen and not talk. Am I clear?" He questions, voice full of authority and conviction. She wanted to retaliate, instead she found it wise to just obey this time around. Still spoke back in a condescending manner. "Crystal." She answers, her face still full of pure annoyance. Y/N takes a steps back against the car, turning to Mike with a kind smile. Giving him the floor as he playfully bumped his shoulder.

Mike clears his throat as he takes a step forward, preparing himself for things to go south. "I've done everything for Abby...and I will continue to do everything I possibly can to give her the life she deserves. And...I don't expect appreciation and help from you, nor do I need it. All I want is for you to stay out of our way and accept the fact that YOU are doing nothing to help her." His words hit a sore spot, her glare turned even more intense as she continued to stare right at him. Her expression morphed to alarm, taking back at the accusation. But he held his ground and spoke clearly and calmly, despite his trembling closed fists. 

He said what needed to be said, now she needs to accept her place in this situation. He was the one that stood by Abby through it all. He’s the one that stuck it out and he deserves more credit than she could ever give him. But Mike knows, she's not the type to acknowledge his efforts. No matter how badly he wanted to hear it, it would never be a reality…at least not for him.

Y/N watches in awe as Mike spoke, though voice shaky and hands trembling he pushed through it. The man couldn’t be more proud, knowing the weight of confronting an abuser was a heavy one. His eyes flickered between him and Jane, sharpening every time they landed on her.

Mike's voice remained firm as he spoke with a sense of finality. "I will never let you back into Abby's life in any way, shape, or form. We don’t want someone like you around us and...I never want to see you again." Done dealing with her, done listening to her just sat around and pretended like Mike hasn't done something useful. He’s done..

Jane stays silent, not knowing how to respond since being put in her place like this, speaking after a few moments. "Fine, I'll leave you three be." She responds stiffly, her glare still intense and a hint of anger in her voice. She couldn't admit that her nephew was right. Couldn't admit that she's at fault...couldn't admit that she's in the wrong.

Releasing a long sigh of exasperation before she decided to speak again. "But understand this, if I hear ANYTHING happening in that house of yours...I will be calling the authorities." Her tone condescending and desperate, throwing in one last warning. Having-no needing to make sure she had the upper hand in this situation somehow. 

At the note of the conversation ending, Y/N takes a step to stand beside Mike with a toothy dangerous smile, his own suspicion of her attempts on one upping the two men. "We’re sure you will…don’t do it to often or we’ll arrange a restraining order on you." The man states back bluntly with a smug expression, smiling with his teeth in a grimace towards Jane. Y/N's presence by Mike’s side definitely made the woman uneasy. The man definitely knew how to gain the upper hand with her. “Huh, you don’t even have the resources to even get a restraining order!" She scoffed mirroring Y/N's smugness, planning to challenge the man.

"Mike might not, but I do." He replies with the same amount of bluntness in his tone. Not taking her smugness lightly as he pushed on. "I think this conversation as reached its end, stop calling the house every week and stop pestering. We’re all adults here, so why don’t you start acting like one." Y/N dangerously offered to Jane, setting his expression to a blank one as he spoke his last statement.

Jane's smugness fades from her face, realizing she was not coming out on top of this conversation. Her grip on her purse tightened as she looked away, trying to hide the fact that she was a bit scared by him. “Whatever!” She quickly muttered, walking away from the two, back to her car.

Y/N waits until the woman dips in her car, speeding off. He gently grasped Mike's hand once again, allowing the silence and his spoken words to settle. Mike smiles at him after he took his hand again, his hands stopped trembling as his heart rate began to slow down. The entire encounter was nerve racking, but knowing that it was something that he needed to do in order for Abby made it feel worth it. Sighing out of relief once she had left, thankful that it was all over.

Mike moved closer to the other man and rested his head on his shoulder as his arms wrapped around Y/N, anxiety washing away through each exhale. His grip reconnecting to the man's hand, tightening slightly. The two now flushed to one another, feeling their combined heartbeats against each others chest. Mike took solace in Y/N, a victorious chuckle released from Mike. "Can we stay like this awhile longer? I…I just wanna hold you...” He whispered agains the Y/N's shoulder.

"I don’t mind it…" The other man responded sweetly. Wanting to give Mike as much comfort as he could, after the fact. "We can stay like this as long as you’d like…"

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights of any of the characters I write about, all the rights go to their respective creators

[imaginethezeldaverse]

Hi! Could I request a Ganondorf x fairy reader? Reader has always followed Ganondorf throughout time, and they are able to shift from a small fairy form to a human size fairy form!

Hope you having a wonderful day!

-the fairy anon 🧚‍♀️

Well hello, fairy anon! Please allow this fairy of fiction to fulfill your request! ✨ (I'm gonna make you a Great Fairy, but not exactly like the ones from BotW/TotK - you'll see what I mean)

To the naked eye, the small, zipping ball of light could easily be mistaken for a sunset firefly. Skittering around the desert may have been a little strange, but not wholly uncommon. For these facts, you were very grateful. On your tiny wings you flitted through the very open windows of top floor Gerudo bedchamber. You half expected it to be empty, a plan in mind to simply wait and surprise the person you'd planned on visiting - but fate would have other plans in store for you.

"To what do I owe the honor of a Great Fairy at my humble abode?" His tone was a mix of curious and cocky, with just a touch of threatening. With a quick spin, sparkles surrounded your body - and suddenly were a normal, human size. Rattling your wings gently to relieve them of any excess sand that clung to you, you simply made a sound akin to an interested huff. Your long lashes lifted to allow your sweetheart eyes to connect with fiery amber ones,

"Just stopped by to visit an old friend is all..." painted lips turned up in a minxish smile, "But then again...we weren't always only 'just friends' were we...Ganondorf?"

The Gerudo chief eyes you with suspicion, his originally smug expression faltering to something untrusting. You have information he clearly doesn't - a weakness that he doesn't like having exploited. Still, he approaches you, standing tall and wide to loom over your smaller frame. A full head taller than you are is he, yet that does not move you from where you stand. Peering down at you his voice evens out to a tone you can't read, "You speak as though you know me, sprite - but I don't recall ever knowing you."

There's a bitter chuckle in your throat, though you swallow it down. This is always the part you hated the most. You bit back a few oncoming tears, trying desperately to shrug away the hurt that hits you every time you hear an iteration of those same words. Ganondorf watches your eyes grow a tad misty, his brows furrowing at your sudden shift from your initially playful demeanor. "Not yet you don't," your wavering voice whispers up to him. You don't give him time to react, kissing the tips of your fingers and pressing them lightly to his forehead. Immediately Ganondorf jumps back from you, his head beginning to pound as visions bombarded him at full velocity.

"YOU!" he barks, pain swimming in his head. His vision flashes, your faye visage totally different now - soft green vines envelope the length of your body. He remembers vividly the fountain he'd always frequent to find you. Remembers the way your long nails felt against his scalp when his hair was much, much shorter than it is. He recalls sealing you away in a rage, the evil inside of him unable to fathom why you'd help the very person meant to be his downfall.

His skull throbs again, and suddenly he feels a salty breeze upon his face. He sees your iridescent skin, revels in the memory of how smooth you were against his ruggedness. He remembers telling you how much he'd missed you, and how the sea was lonely, but punishment in the sacred realm just without your reach was far lonelier. It comes back to him the nights spent watching the waves with you, your long illustrious locks floating about against the backdrop of the setting sun.

Once more the rush of pain stabs at his head, his visions swiftly reconnecting to a darker world. One surrounded in a shroud of twilight and deep hues of the chaos he had caused. He has your soft face in the palm of his hand - you look so scared - and yet you clung to him. He remembers promising you a new world at his side, you choose not to hear it. You've done this before - though he does not know this. Your big eyes brim with tears, but he brushes them away before they can fall. His memory jogs as he hears you tell him you love him, your luminous, opalescent wings flittering as your heart does. Ganondorf remembers sealing his lips over your own, pinning you to the nearest wall and etching a love on your skin that has transcended the many lifetimes he's lived already with you.

Suddenly the pain stops.

Ganondorf heaves, realizing he's been brought to his knees from this ordeal. His large hand clutches his head, thick fingers weaving through his long scarlet locks. There's a struggle to catch his breath, but he ultimately does as he blinks the scattered memories back into the confines of his mind. Lifting his head, he sees your tearful expression with all the recognition in the world. His steadying hand drops to his knee - he picks himself up. Heavy, thudding footsteps make their way toward you slowly, and judging by his hardened, blank expression, you're a bit fearful for what the sudden onset of several lifetimes' worth of memories could have done to him so you brace yourself - ready to transform and leave at a moment's notice.

You shut your eyes as he's suddenly in front of you, only for them to open once more. His hand caresses your cheek with complete tenderness, "You..." comes his strained voice. When your eyes meet, you see it: him. The Ganondorf who has loved you through every version of him that's existed. You lean into his hand, crystalline tears rolling down the gentle curves of your face, "Me..." Ganondorf wastes no time claiming your lips. A kiss that you very enthusiastically meet him halfway with. Before you know it, your legs are scooped up and wrapped around his waist, all while his lips are still connected to yours.

At your brief parting, Ganondorf lends you a genuine smile. He rests his forehead against your collarbone.

"You always know how to find me, my love. Faye of my heart, you've come back to me."

Arms coming around his head, you embrace him tight to your chest, "No length of time, nor change of your looks would ever keep me from finding you."

And you always would. You had found love once...with him. It made you thankful that you were blessed with eternal life; because although Hylia would strike him down at all costs; though you knew of the evil he truly was deep down; though you were sure the goddess would curse you for the atrocity of laying with her enemy - you would love him every time.

[dr0wning-in-hell]

One Of a Kind- Xavier Thorpe

Summary: Y/N is a rare creature, something that’s thought to be extinct. She’s hated by all Normies, and maybe even some Outcasts, but one Outcast in particular thinks differently of her.

Warnings: a bit of angst, some fluff, probably some cursing,

Word Count: 2.9k+

Characters/Pairing: Faye!Reader x Xavier Thorpe, Mentions of Principal Weems, mentions of Tyler

Prompt: simply that Y/N feels like the biggest Outsider amongst Outsider, but Xavier is there to prove her wrong and let her know that she’s just a one of a kind.

A/N: Reader is similar to Maleficent, but without the horns. :) Has magic and those giant wings that I freaking adore

New Masterlist| Color Prompts| Prompt List| buy me a coffee!!

Y/N had been found on the outskirts of the forests in Europe before she was sent to Nevermore. Principal Weems was the one who originally found her anyways, so she thought it was her duty to take care of her and give her shelter, not just because she was an Outsider who was hated by half of humanity, but because she was one of the rarest creatures she had ever laid her eyes upon. 

That was when Y/N was 12, until she was brought to Nevermore she had spent her time as a child hiding in dense forest areas that no one could possibly get to, secret caves that held her own hideaways far from the Normies of the world. When she was brought to the school for Outcasts, she felt like a freak. Everyone at the school was pretty, popular, they all looked semi-normal, but not Y/N.

No, Y/N had to have fangs, longer and sharper than any vampire’s, naturally long nails that should have counted as talons, and ginormous black wings that shrouded her body. Y/N was, in her eyes, a human bird. 

From the moment she stepped foot onto campus all eyes were on her. At that young of an age she was scared, she scared herself and everyone else, but as she grew up she turned that frightened little girl into a power to be reckoned with. As everyone at school watched her grow into this confident young lady, they also became less scared of her. She had her times where she’d lose her temper and lash out, her magic uncontrollable as she’d stomp away and wreck everything in her path, but they knew she was just like them in that sense. Unable to control how they felt because there was not a single person in the world that understood what it was like to be an Outcast. 

By the time Y/N was 16 she had learned that it was just better for her to stay on campus at all times than to go into town and try to be normal with everyone else. The Normies may be able to hide their hatred for the Outcasts at least somewhat decently with the others, but with Y/N she could always see the look of disgust on their faces from a mile away. Every time she’d try to go into town with a few people from school she was always picked on, bullied, and it wasn’t even just the Normies who did it. She’d be invited out as a joke several times, it wasn’t until the third time she was made fun of and abandoned in town that she realized no one would ever truly except her for what she was. 

Outreach day was approaching and Y/N was dreading going, but Principal Weems was making Y/N volunteer this year by having her paint a mural of Nevermore and the town of Jericho together in harmony. The thought made Y/N gag. Why would she want to celebrate such a stupid day that obviously had no meaning to anyone in the long run?

If this wasn’t mandatory then Y/N wouldn’t be going and setting herself up for embarrassment. Rude comments ran wild in her head as she mocked what some people in town were going to say as she showed up to celebration. 

She packed up her painting materials in a duffel bag and then headed to the Quad, where all the other students would be getting their assignments. When she walked into the Quad everyone had already begun hoarding together in their cliques, so Y/N just stood next to the wall and waited till they were all dismissed. One thing about having these giant wings was that she couldn’t ride on the bus with everyone else, instead she was going to have to fly herself down the town. 

Y/N’s eyes scanned the crowd of students, watching as they opened their assignment letters. Some students were happy but others seemed upset about what they got. One of those people was Xavier, someone that Y/N admired from a far but would never confront face-to-face. He must’ve been upset about what he got, the same going for his friend Ajax.

Feeling as though she had intruded on people’s private conversations, Y/N picked up her duffel bag and headed towards the front of the school. Little did she know that as soon as she walked away from the bustling students who were rushing towards the busses, Xavier had looked up from his assignment card and watched as the black winged beauty turned away and walked away. 

Xavier didn’t see Y/N again until everyone was in the town square to listen to Principal Weems and Mayor Walker go on about how important the day was and how they created a new statue in honor of the town embracing the Outcasts. 

It was complete bullshit and everyone knew it. Y/N must’ve gotten bored listening to their speech, because once they were all dismissed to go to their jobs for the day, the Faye was no where in sight. Xavier sighed as he trudged over to the Weathervane for his assignment. Working in the same café as Tyler, his tormenter, was not how he wanted to spend the day. 

When he walked into the café his eyes landed directly on the winged beauty. She stood in the corner awkwardly looking down at her phone as she waited for her order name to be called. Once she heard her name called out she went to grab her drink quickly and bolt from the small building. Y/N didn’t even look up as she brushed past Xavier and out into the open. 

The taller boy watched as she walked with her head low, going to the designated area for the portrait she was to draw. It was the same wall that Xavier had painted on last year, on this exact day. The thought of her putting all this effort into a portrait and then possibly having it destroyed just like he had done to him, angered him more than it should have. Taking in a deep breathe he walked over to Tyler, who also didn’t looked too amused that he was in this situation as well.  

An hour, maybe two at most had gone by before he saw what Y/N’s painting looked like. It was amazing, to say the least. The wall Y/N was using as a canvas was a mirror image of the town on that exact day. Both the town and it’s people joining together with the students of Nevermore in celebration of Outreach Day. The thing that pulled it all together? The heavily detailed painting of Joseph Crackstone in the center of the town. It was perfect for that day, and exactly what Principal Weems wanted out of the feather winged girl. 

As Y/N stood a few feet away from her painting, admiring it and criticizing it, she could hear the words that the towns folk were saying. 

“What a freak.” Some mumbled. 

“Who let the little birdy out of her cage?” Some would tease menacingly. 

“If there were a contest for being the biggest freak of all the freaks, she’d for sure win.” 

One would think that on a day like today, these small minded people would put their snide comments to the side and at least pretend to be decent, but no, in fact they were even worse. Usually she could handle those harsh words, but for some reason today was just the day for her to snap.

Bawling her fists she began to pack up her painting supplies, anger consuming her as she thought about all the horrible curses and spells she could use on these lesser people. Y/N was so overwhelmed with anger that she began to shake which caused her to drop some spay paint. 

Before she could reach over and grab some asshole had to kick it so hard that the can busted open, spraying Y/N and ruining the bottom half of her painting. With tears blurring her vision and anger blurring her judgment, she stood up quickly, her hands glowing a bright green as she threw the Normie against the wall opposite of her. She growled lowly, her eyes glowing the same green as she began to close off the person’s airway with her magic. If it weren’t Xavier to snap her out of her trance, Y/N for sure would have murdered the man. 

Y/N’s eyes stopped glowing, along with her hands, her gaze moving from the man she was choking to Xavier who was standing in front of her with a very concerned look. For a split second Y/N’s eyes looked at the man, her growl scary enough to send him hurling around the corner and down the sidewalk. 

Without a word she took a step away from Xavier and turned back to her supplies. She through the busted can into her bag, zipped it up, and then tried to walk away. As she was a few steps away from the tall blonde, he reached out and gently grabbed her wrist. Y/N stopped and turned to look at the boy, confusion grazing across her face. 

“What? You gonna make fun of me too?” Y/N’s words were harsh, but Xavier knew that she was still angry. 

Letting go of her wrist he lets out a soft sigh, “I was going to ask if you were okay.” He said looking at her and watching her expressions. 

Y/N looked taken back at his question, as if no one had ever asked her that before. “I’m fine,” Y/N huffed. She was clearly lying, but why on Earth would she open up to someone she barely knew, so easily? Xavier’s look on his face was basically saying, ‘really?’ He knew she was lying and was hoping she would just talk to him a little bit, even if this was their first time really talking. 

Letting out a huff of frustration, Y/N let her walls fall down as she looked away from the boy. “Fine, no, I’m not okay. I’m pissed.” She paused and waited for a response but only got a nod telling her to continue. “This is all just so stupid, it bullshit. No one cares about today, they just care about the money they get from this stupid day.” Y/N rolled her eyes as she looked up at Xavier. “No one actually cares, they never will. We will always be the freaks and outcasts to them, they will never see us as equals.” 

Xavier could practically see the steam rolling off her skin, seeing how angry she still was. He knew there was nothing he could say that would make her feel better, so instead he gently took her duffel bag from her and offered to take her to the Weathervane.  It took a moment for  Y/N to consider the offer, thinking that this was just going to be another joke, but once she realized that Xavier meant no harm she agreed and the two began the short walk to the coffee shop. 

It was a good thing that the café was slow that day, or else Y/N and Xavier probably wouldn’t have been able to talk as much as they wanted to. The other great thing about it being slow was the fact that wasn’t a lot of people around to gawk at Y/N and make rude remarks about her looks. The only other person in the building was Tyler, but he could care less what the Nevermore students were doing, especially Xavier. 

Xavier and Y/N sat at a booth close to the counter, both of them feeling the tension as they squeezed into their seats. Well, Y/N squeezed into her seat because of her wings, Xavier was fine. 

It was quiet at first, the two just looking around and avoiding each other’s gaze for the first few minutes before Xavier decided to speak up. 

“Your painting looks great, by the way.” He smiled softly, hoping that she’d realize he was here to talk to her and not belittle her. “The detail in it is amazing.”

Y/N was a bit taken back by the compliment. She wasn’t used to people saying nice things to her, let along talking to her at all. “Thanks, though I’d rather see that stupid statue burn than to paint it, thanks.” Anyone who was listening to their conversation would know that she was joking, she was being serious. 

Xavier chuckled a bit and nodded in agreement, “Trust me, I know how you feel.”

Y/N snorted at his response. How could someone like him? Someone who looks normal, understand how she felt? The only odd thing about him was his father, and the face that he could make his artwork move or come to life. Xavier looked confused at Y/N’s slight harshness and watched as tried to lean back a bit in the booth, crossing her arms as she looked at the wall.

“Hate to break it to you, pretty boy, but you most definitely don’t know how I feel.” Her words were harsh, and completely true. While Xavier could have anything he wanted and grew up only being know as the son of a famous Outcast, he would never really know what it’s like to feel like Y/N. To be tormented for how he looked. It’s never a problem that he has ever had to deal with.  

Silence filled the space between them once more, both of them unsure of what to say next. Xavier studied Y/N’s face, memorizing every curve, mark, and point there was. To him, someone she barely knew, he thought she was the most beautiful and unique person on this planet. Even though he didn’t really know her all that well, his heart wanted to know more so he could get closer to her and learn to understand her. 

Y/N’s eyes unfortunately wandered over to the window where she could see the townsfolk pointing and gawking at her. The anger that had slowly started to subside started to come back stronger than before, her eyes starting to glow that vivid green color. Xavier’s eyes followed hers and once he noticed what, well who, she was staring at, he immediately when to  calm her down. Without thinking or hesitation, his hands grabbed hers softly, like she was made of the finest porcelain and he didn’t want to break her. 

“Don’t worry about them,” he said softly, his thumbs rubbing small circles into the backs of her hands. The action startled her at first, but then she found it calming. Her eyes stopped glowing, her heart went back to normal and she no longer felt like ripping out those peoples throats.

“Why do you care so much?” Y/N asked with a tilted head, “You don’t know me, so why do you care so much?” It was a genuine question she wanted the answer to, but Xavier wasn’t sure if he could really tell her why he cared.’

The boy gulped, trying to find a way to word his thoughts in a way that didn’t sound creepy or stalker like. There was a long pause before he said anything, it was when she went to pull her hands away from him that he sputtered out the truth. “I’ve always liked you, thought you were the most mesmerizing being to ever lay my eyes upon. I’ve watched you, since the moment I started going to Nevermore, I- I just didn’t know how to approach you. I was nervous.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow at him, thinking he was joking and was put up to this as a joke. “You’re only saying that to say it, you don’t mean it.” Her eyes averted downwards towards her lap, trying desperately to focus on anything but the feeling of her hands still holding his. “No one thinks that of me, I’m a monster.”

Xavier’s gentle squeeze on her hands was enough to pull her Y/E/C eyes back up to his blue eyes. “I don’t think that.” The warry look on Y/N’s face was enough to tell him that she really had never been told that in her life, “I promise, if I truly didn’t think that, then I wouldn’t have said it in the first place.”

The shaky sigh that Y/N let out worried him. Had he gone too far? Did she find him repulsive now? Was this all too creepy?  

“I don’t think you understand how much that means to me,” When their eyes met he finally saw the tears that brimmed her waterline. Carefully, he reached up and swiped away the stray tears that managed to slip down her flushed cheeks. The soft smile that Y/N let Xavier see was something he’d remember forever. He’s the only one who’s seen her cry, who’s seen her smile, who’s been so kind and genuine to her. 

This was the beginning of something new, for the both of them. It would be rocky in the beginning for sure, but both teens could tell that they’d let out the best of each other in the long run.

[domfock]

Ayo, Bookclub, I am back with another information clarification post.

Today we're gonna talk about Chronica, Domina, and Plants in the universe, as well as looking at the timeline. A lot of this information is already given to us in Vol 12, and the rest will not really be any spoilers but serve to give everything mentioned later more weight.

Right off the bat, Chronica and Domina are both Independent Plants. They're now born with neural blockers that contains their powers and prevents them from fusing. It seems to be common place for Independent Plants to serve upon Earth vessels, which gives us insight that Independent Plants are not only trusted, but also admired and respected in these military positions, as we see the Captain always refer to Chronica for her analysis and expertise.

And about Earth. Information was obviously lost over time, so it is easy to imagine the people on planet No Man's Land just assumed Earth was gone, or simply didn't bother hope for anything beyond surviving to the next day. With Earth dying, they sent out fleets to colony other planets, not knowing if they would ever make it possible for finding each other again. All that mattered was that humanity had to survive.

In time, they managed to develop a better and more sustainable form of energy, both to preserve Earth and Plants, and this allowed humanity to also develop warp drives to easily travel the stars, finally making the dream of connecting all of humanity across the stars.

Also, with a quick look at the timespan and year we have, we can use the dates offered in the notes about Tesla to nail down a time period. Tesla was born May 3rd, 2405. She survived for seven month and a half months, making that some time in January, 2406.

An unspecified amount of time passed before Vash and Knives were born, but let's go with a year or so for simplicity, which is then in 2407. Add then the one year plus a few extra months for the time they grew up on the ship, making it 2408. Now we add the 150 or so years, making it 2558, give or take the about three years of the entire story, putting us at 2561 as the current year of the story.

Chronica than states that it's been over two centuries since they started colonizing the universe, setting the year for when the SEEDs ships left Earth at around 2361, give or take a couple of decades or so. Meaning the colony fleets flew through space for like fifty or so years, at least the one Rem and the crew was on.

There's an unknown amount of human colonies out in the universe, most likely doing better than our main planet, since they managed to land on suitable planets and didn't crash and lose all their tech and information like No Man's Land did because of Knives.

It seems the tech and understanding surrounding Plants was not fully understood by the time the colony fleets were sent out, making Independents an unknown whenever they would eventually happen to each fleet and/or colony. With all these unrestrained Independents Plants across the universe, it is no surprise that Chronica speaks about having faced similar situations.

From what Chronica states, non-neurally blocked Independent Plants have for the most part turned violent and dangerous, as well. Might be caused by the access to near-unlimited power, even if the Plant situations could look a lot better on other Planets. They could've been treated like subjects, like Tesla, and grown their hate this way.

This also suggest how much of an anomaly Vash is, having been raised like a normal child, with love and care, growing into a reasonable man. It is possibly other Independents out there shared a good childhood too, which is why Chronica says most unrestrained Indepedents are violent, but not all.

It's also worth noting, that despite Independents having neural blockers to prevent them from fusing, they can still be forcibly assimilated against their will through direct contact, as we saw happening to Domina. Another person in Knives' long list of victims whose autonomy was taken away and body invaded by him, because he cares so much about other Plants and totally not acting out of his own hate and fear.

I hope this cleared some stuff up for everyone. I for one absolutely love thinking about what the rest of the world could look like, considering the scope of the world.

[dreadsuitsamus]

I have a request! Remember the scene in the movie where Paragus uses the shock collar on Broly? Well, can I request a short one shot where he uses the collar, & the reader comforts Broly when the two are alone? Maybe a timeskip to his battle with Goku, where he sees the reader & calms down upon remembering the kindness she showed him? Please??

author's note: i hope you've been enjoying these! i assume you're the same anon since my only requests have been broly lol i ended up feeling very lovey for broly as i wrote this, as you'll find out when you read! i'm not sorry for being a romantic sometimes :p i created a bit of a new species in this and may expand on it in the future! i didn't expand on it very much so i apologize! i also have changed the prompt just a tad, as far as the timing goes when Broly calms down. also i'm very tired but wanted to write this story so if things don't make sense i am very sorry

pairing: broly x fem!reader

warnings: parental abuse, shock torture (as it is in canon)

Solace | Broly x Reader |

Broly sits by himself in an empty room, having managed to get away from his father and his new acquaintances. His father had shocked him again, but he couldn't understand why his father couldn't see what that awful man was trying to do. Broly had never voiced it to Paragus, he hardly ever even wanted to think of it in his own mind, but he hated how his father used that collar on him, and in his heart he harbored those deep feelings of hatred.

He looks up when the door to the room opens, the light flicking on. He immediately looks away from the person at the door, but even in his sadness from being electrocuted again, he takes note of the attractiveness of the stranger.

"This is new." You murmur and step in, setting your chestplate down. "Ah... You're the guy from the cafeteria, right?"

"My name is Broly." He murmurs softly. "Is... This your room?"

"Mhm." You slip off your boots. "You can hide out here though. After what the old guy did, I don't blame you for finding a quiet place to yourself."

Broly's lips quirk to the side. He's not sure what to make of you. You seem to... Be on his side and not agree with his father's actions. Cheelai had also seemed to feel that way. Perhaps... His father was the one in the wrong?

It felt like a sin to think of his father like that.

"Thank you very much." He says after a beat, remembering to mind his manners on his own, for once.

"Don't mention it." You're in your blue under-armor now as you sit at your small round table with him. "You're the only company I've ever had in here."

"How come?" As far as Broly is concerned, you're kind and beautiful, and he would visit you all the time if he were someone living on this ship.

You chuckle to yourself, tapping your nails absentmindedly on the mahogany table. "Because I hate everyone on this damn ship."

"Oh." Broly frowns.

"Not to trauma-dump, but I was sold about ten years ago by my own father and haven't been home since."

"Your father? He... Sold you?"

"Mhm. I didn't even know you could sell a thirty-year-old that doesn't live with you, but he did it anyway."

"I'm sorry he did that." Broly's brows come together in a deep frown.

You laugh a little, and even with his lack of social interaction, Broly knows it's not because you find anything humorous. "It was that or be pillaged by the pirates that invaded us. They were eventually killed by Frieza and that's how I ended up working under him. I only wish to go home."

"... My father told me about my species growing up. He says we're a proud race of warriors."

You nod your head. "What are you?"

"A Saiyan."

Your eyes widen. "Wow. I can't believe there's more of you besides Goku and Vegeta."

Broly looks down at the table. "My father and I were told about... that... when we were discovered..."

"Ah, man... I can't say much about the Saiyans since I was so young when Frieza blew up Planet Vegeta, but I'm sure you would've been a good fit. You look every bit a warrior."

"Really?" He looks into your eyes.

"Sure. Big, tall, with muscles that could break anyone in two... You don't got the scary, pillaging personality though." You wink. "So as far as I can tell... You're a pretty perfect guy."

Broly's cheeks heat up and he could never explain why, but his eyes dart to your chest for just a split second, and you can see just a bit of red on his tanned cheeks. You laugh softly and lean forward a little. "Now that I think about it, have you ever seen a woman until today?"

"I... N-No." Broly mumbles, looking away.

"Hmm. You're an interesting fella, Broly."

"Thank... You?" He's really not sure if that's a good or bad thing, so he figures that erring on the side of using his manners will be best.

"Tell me about you. What's that green pelt you're wearing?"

Broly quietly launches into the story of Ba, of how he was his only friend and how his father ruined it for him. In fact, every story he tells seems to end with Paragus somehow destroying happiness for Broly. At forty-one years of age, it doesn't sound to you like he's ever had one day to enjoy life. And with how horrible that planet he was stuck on was, you weren't surprised. He'd been attacked every day!

Your heart feels a pang of sadness at his story. Oh how you wish to bathe him in the love of your home planet...

You smile a little and stand up, heading to your small chest of drawers and pulling out a small pendant. "I doubt you're gonna be on the ship long, I may not even see you again, so... Here. To remember me." You bring it to him, setting the small thing onto his large palm.

Broly looks up at you for just a few seconds, taking in your smile and sparkling eyes and wondering how someone could be so charming, before looking at what you've gifted to him. It's a small, golden, diamond-shaped pendant on a golden chain, an engraving in the center of what looked like an elegant flower.

Broly rubs his thumb over it. "It's beautiful."

"Thank you. The flower is the one of my people. It can only be found on my planet. I'm sure if I could ever go back home that they'd be everywhere, just waiting to be picked and used for decoration, cooking, medicine..." You look out the window, Broly studying how wistful you look. He wonders what it's like to have a home worth missing, that wasn't uninhabitable and didn't attempt to kill him every day.

Broly holds the pendant back out to you, but you gently close his fist around it and push it to his chest. "Keep it. I'll always have home with me in my memories. And my body." You chuckle softly and pull your undersuit down enough to show him a tattoo at your collarbone of the same flower. "The zantedeschia stays with me always."

Broly reaches his hand out, and you allow him to touch your tattoo. He gently traces the elegant, black outline. "You're warm." He mumbles.

"So are you." You murmur, looking into Broly's curious eyes as he traces the zantedeschia tattoo. "So is Albomaculata."

"Is that your home?"

You nod, putting your hand on top of his. "We're a beautiful species. Home is so lovely, so nurturing, so gentle and romantic and different from anywhere else... We're not fighters." You mutter. "I suppose we're the opposite of Saiyans. We're lovers."

"Saiyans love too." Broly counters gently.

You smile and brush some hair out of his face. "Hmm... That's an interesting thought."

There's a sudden commotion outside, and you hear the voice of the old man from earlier, who you've assumed is Broly's father. You look back at Broly and swipe your finger down his nose playfully. "Guess you'd better go, huh?"

Broly scrunches his nose cutely, but does stand and gently remove his hand from your chest, instead moving it to the shock collar on him. Fear strikes in his eyes. "I.. I should."

"Goodbye, Broly. I hope we meet again."

He moves for the door, and when he turns around one last time, all he sees is your naked silhouette bathed in the light of the bathroom. He blinks slowly, committing the beauty to his memory before stepping out of the room and finding his father.

Broly's been thrust into battle sometime after he parted ways with you, and he's lost himself in his rage. His father is dead now, and it's probably all his fault. Before him is Gogeta, the fusion of the only other full-blooded Saiyans left.

You watch from the ship, scared for your friend as he faces off against the new challenger. He's losing badly, and it's looking like they'll kill him. And god dammit he doesn't deserve to die like this.

You push the two lower-ranking soldiers away from the Dragon Balls, ignoring their protests as you make your wish to the giant green dragon.

"Save Broly and send us to Albomaculata!"

You close your eyes, and within a flash, you feel yourself surrounded by the warm air of home. You open your eyes and look around for Broly, praying you weren't too late. You then see the glowing form of your new friend, his body smaller now and close to his normal size.

"Broly?" You whisper.

Broly turns with a shout, in between the beast within and his normal, gentle self. You hold your hands up and he pauses, the glowing fluctuating. You take a shaky breath and carefully ease down the undersuit, revealing your tattoo to Broly once again. "Broly... The zantedeschia stays with me always. And it can be with you too... We're on my home planet."

Broly's wide eyes look around and he realizes he's surrounded by several zantedeschia of many colors, ones he's never even seen before in his life. The planet is vibrant and the air around him is so clean and lovely it's intoxicating. He finally relaxes into his base form, falling onto the field of flowers, breathing heavily and still looking around.

"How...?"

You kneel between his legs and hug him tightly. "I made a wish. Those Dragon Balls are pretty handy... But we're here, Broly. My home." You smile, tears in your eyes. "We're safe here."

"You saved me?" Broly whispers, his hand coming to rest on your tattoo again. It's a comfort to him, your warm skin underneath his palm.

"Of course." You murmur. "You deserved so much more... I could only imagine showing you life on Albomaculata. No pain, no suffering... Just beautiful things."

"You are beautiful."

You smile at him and place a blue and white zantedeschia in his hair. He feels hazy and blinks slowly, drunk at the effects of the flowers and the air, not yet used to the romantic aura of the planet. He looks at you and smiles with hooded eyes. "The... zantedeschia is... with me?"

"Yes. And I'm with you too." You whisper, rubbing his chest and coaxing him to sleep. And when he wakes, you'll show him all of the love and life and colors he's missed out on. Your heart is already giddy at the thought of being home again and sharing it with Broly, giving him everything he's missed out on throughout his life.

[buryustogether]

WHO AM I RIDING ?

modern!au

modern!bad batch x reader

word count: 2.8k

summary: your night out at a bar takes a bad turn. luckily, your knights in shining armor show up just in time.

tags/warnings: consumption of alcohol, attempted assault, attempted drink drugging, some violence, mentions of war violence, suggestive content

Even you had to admit, perhaps this hadn’t been the best idea you’d ever had.

Tonight had supposed to have been about letting off some steam, about forgetting the worries and stressed and woes of the week, about maybe flirting with a few guys who would beg for your number as you walked out the door. You’d even convinced your best friend to accompany you to the bar, your anticipation for Friday night growing as it at last dawned upon you.

Yet here you were - sitting alone at the bar, heels tucked shyly beneath your stool and a glass filled with your preferred choice and melting ice sweating against your palm. With a small exhale, you checked your phone only to find an empty screen staring back at you. She stood you up - how charming.

Suddenly this Friday night seemed better for wallowing in your self pity at home than out by your lonesome at a bar filled with couples and friends. Yet for whatever reason you could not place, you decided to stay. Maybe some small, selfish part of you wanted the attention you were desperately craving. Maybe you just couldn’t stand the empty apartment waiting for you back home, the lights still dim you entered and the halls empty and devoid of any trace of life.

As you took a sip of your drink, you shut your eyes and rested your chin in your palm. The sharp aroma from freshly painted nails wafted up to your nostrils, causing them to crinkle.

It wasn’t much of a secret you were quite lonely in this little life of yours. Your parents still lived in your hometown - six states over - and you didn’t have any siblings. No significant other to share your nights with, not too many friends to laugh with over beers, even.

Oh, well, you thought as you took another sip. You were perfectly fine being on your own.

And yet you couldn’t ignore that small part of yourself that argued you weren’t fine with it.

Becoming bored with the sports game playing on the flatscreen against the bar wall, you cast a subtle glance around the rest of the building. It was a nice little place, rustic and wood-styled. Not the Ritz, but okay. It wasn’t crowded, even for a Friday evening. A couple laughed quietly over their drinks at a small table on their own. A number of young men conversed at a booth in the corner. A small crew of boys howled as they knocked pool cues against balls on the green felted table.

You pursed your lips as you made eye contact with one of the boys playing pool. He was attractive. Not particularly your type, but good looking enough to make you smile in return when he sent a grin your way. Unable to speak from across the room, he raised an arm and gestured to the pool table. He was offering you a spot amongst them.

Societal rules said you had to decline the first invitation. Dutifully, you shook your head and smiled. No, thank you. He tilted his head flirtatiously, then gestured again. You glanced down at your drink, then exhaled a small chuckle and got to your feet. Carrying your glass in one hand and your purse in the other, you made your way languidly toward the table. In response to your arrival, the boys whooped and hollered.

“Ignore them,” said the man who invited you over as he offered you a chair to put down your things. “They never matured past high school!” He yelled the last few words, receiving a few scoffs and swears in return. He passed you an extra cue, then leaned against his own and did that head tilt once more that - and you hated to admit it - got your stomach fluttering. “I’m Andy. Thanks for coming over.”

You told him your name. “Thanks for the invite,” you laughed and watched as one of the other boys set the balls up for a new round. “Though I can’t say I’m much of a player. My dad used to have a table, but I was more of a watcher than a participant.”

“Not a problem.” Andy waved and shot you a lopsided grin. “I don’t mind giving a lesson today. As long as you compensate, of course.” He chuckled. “Maybe your number?”

He was smooth, you had to admit it. Snorting, you watched as one of his friends took the first turn and broke the triangular shape of the balls. “We’ll see about that,” you mused, but you couldn’t stop the bout of excitement that swirled in the pit of your stomach.

Maybe this evening wouldn’t be such a waste after all.

An hour or so dragged on, and you continued to play pool with Andy and his friends in the corner of the bar. Things began innocently enough. Andy would show you how to hold the cue properly, how to piston it forward in order to strike the balls with enough force to score a few. But then things went… south.

At one point Andy was bending over the table with you, hand on your upper back as he pointed with a finger to the ball you were aiming for. Just as you pulled your arm back to shove the cue forward, one of his friends slipped his thumb under your skirt and brushed against the swell of your ass.

“Hey!” The game now entirely forgotten, you dropped the cue - ruining the balls and their positions on the table - and swirled around to face the man who touched you. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“Easy, sweetheart, it was an accident,” crooned the man, but you were able to tell from the crooked smirk that rested upon his lips it hadn’t been.

Andy raised a hand between the pair of you. “Cool it, Tom,” he said to his friend, then turned to you. His grip flexed around his cue. “It was an accident, you heard him. Let’s keep playing.”

Your blood boiled deep within your veins and you began to shove your way through the small group of men to get your drink and purse. “No thanks,” you hissed. “Suddenly I don’t feel like playing with fucking creeps.”

All that fire, all that fury and anger that was roiling in your systems - they shut down, now ice cold, when Andy grabbed your wrist in a white-knuckles grasp. He tugged you back into their little corner, holding you tight enough you couldn’t pull free without hurting yourself.

“Hey, calm down,” he said, then murmured your name. You wanted to tell him to spit it out, to never talk to you again. “We just wanted to have some fun. No harm, right?”

“Yes, there is!”

His grip around your wrist tightened, and you grit your teeth as you began to lose your balance on your heels. “Stay a while, yeah?”

“Take your hands off the lady,” said a new, unfamiliar voice from your left. You and Andy both looked up to find a small group of men staring you down - five of them, to be exact. The young men you’d seen in the other corner, in the booth. You would be lying if you said they themselves weren’t extremely intimidating.

The leader of their little pack, the man who’d spoken, possessed hair that fell in waves down his neck. The right side of his face was tattooed to resemble a skull. One had to be nearly seven feet tall, built with muscles the size of your head. One wore glasses made of thick, futuristic-looking frames and lenses. One sported fluffy blond hair and a crosshairs tattoo around his eye. And the last was paler than the others, prosthetics lining the majority of his well-built body. They all looked similar in a way, but nonetheless different and individual.

You felt Andy tense beside you as he took the pack of men in. Behind him, his friends gripped their pool cues tightly and took unconscious steps backward. “Look, we don’t want any trouble,” he managed to stammer out. “We were just having some fun.”

The man nearly as tall as a house and muscles the size of tires crossed his thick arms and switched his gaze to you. It was only then one eye was pure white - blind on one side. “You havin’ fun, sweetheart?” he asked you.

Numbly, you shook your head. “No,” you squeaked out. “I don’t want to go with him.”

“Right, then,” said Tattoo. He took a step forward and nodded at the place the hand was knuckles around your wrist. “Let her go, and no one has to get hurt here.”

“Yeah? What are you going to do, you fucking emo?”

It was a poor choice of words. One moment, Andy was attempting to pull you back to the pool table, and the next, Tattoo landed a strange-looking punch - in which he extended his pointer and middle finger - into the jugular of this throat. Andy released you to backpedal and you would have tripped over your heels, had Glasses and Prosthetics not caught and steadied you with gentle hands.

Behind you, Andy fell into his ass and struggled to pull in a breath, sputtering and gurgling. Tattoo sneered, then jerked his head to his companions - and you - and began to lead you all back to their booth in the corner.

The man with the crosshairs tattoo, who had been twiddling with a toothpick, grinned a sinister, Cheshire-like smile at Andy before he flicked the tiny piece of wood at him. It hit him in the dead-on middle of his forehead, plinking harmlessly to the ground as the blond strode to join the others.

The small group of saviors stopped just short of their booth, which, thankfully, was closest to the front door.

“You’re welcome to sit with us if you like,” said the man with prosthetics. His voice was low and kind, ginger in a way you didn’t think was possible based on the events that took place just seconds ago. “Or we can walk you out to your car. Probably not the safest to go alone this time of night, anyhow.”

Somehow in the small scuffle, you’d managed to grab your drink from where it had been sitting on the side of the pool table. You barely registered the cool glass in your hand as you glanced over your shoulder at your would-be attackers. “Uh,” you murmured softly, “I wouldn’t mind sitting with you all. I didn’t drive here, anyway. I was going to call an Uber to take me home.”

“You’ll sit with us, then,” said the crosshairs man, and placed a soft hand on your shoulder to guide you into the booth. It was not at all like the hand Andy had touched you with; this one was kind and well-intentioned. “At least while you wait.”

You sat at the middle of the booth, sandwiched between them as they all took up a rather protective position around you. If anyone wanted to get to you, they’d have to go through them.

“Jesus,” you murmured and lifted your glass. “Thanks for saving my ass.”

Before you could take a sip, Tattoo gently but firmly stole your glass from your hand and raised it to his own face. You nearly protested - before you saw what he was doing. He sniffed the alcohol inside for a moment before handing the glass to Glasses. “Tech,” he said.

Glasses - Tech took the container and took his own whiff. “Ketamine,” he confirmed, then shoved the glass to the end of the table. “One of the most common ‘date rape’ drugs. Usually purchased from dealers for a rather steep price.”

Your mouth hung agape, heart limping along uselessly, as you fixed your gaze on the glass. Those motherfuckers had tried to drug you.

“Fuck,” you said, then reached up to rub your temple with two fingers. Suddenly you felt like a child, having to be saved not once, but twice, all in the span of five minutes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin your guys’ night. I feel like an idiot.”

“Don’t blame yourself, sweetheart,” rumbled Muscles and tracked your movements with his eyes - both good and bad. “Weren’t your fault.”

“No offense meant,” said Prosthetics, nearly apologetically, “but what’s a gal like you doing alone in a bar like this? Doesn’t seem the speed of ladies of… well, your standard.”

You felt your face warming and you ducked your head for a moment. The bar wasn’t all that great, so… was he calling you pretty? “I was supposed to meet my friend here,” you said when you were sure the small smile had left your face. “But she never showed. Guessed I would at least have a drink before going home. It isn’t too much fun to get all dressed up for nothing.”

You didn’t miss the way a few of their eyes roamed over you, your outfit, your figure. Yet they all at once flashed back to your face when you reached up to fiddle with your necklace. Respectful. Still men, but respectful.

“Too bad,” huffed Muscles, then gestured to the others with a hand the size of your face. “We all just got home from leave.”

“You’re all military?”

“Mmm,” hummed Tattoo and nodded once. “Been away in Afghanistan for the last eight months.” He studied you for a moment, then quirked the corner of his mouth into a small smile. “I’m Hunter,” he said and shook your hand. “These are my brothers. Wrecker, Crosshair, Tech, and Echo.”

As much as you tried to hold it back, a small giggle escaped your lips. “Those can’t be your real names,” you said and leaned back against the booth.

“No,” said Tech. “They’re our call signs.”

“We’re part of an elite squad,” said Crosshair, having pulled out a new toothpick to chew on. He flashed you a small, barely-there wink. “Top secret.”

You laughed again, feeling your palms begin to sweat in your lap, and told them your name. You couldn’t lie to yourself in saying they weren’t attractive. Each and every one of them was nice to look at, individual aspects and details playing to his respective self.

“Five boys,” you marveled when Echo returned from the bar with a fresh drink for you. “Your mother must’ve had her work cut out for her.”

“Five boys and a girl,” said Tech and pushed his glasses up his nose. You just adored the factual, off-the-book way he spoke. “Our sister is about to begin the seventh grade.”

Wrecker added, “We promised her we’d be back by the end of summer, so here we are.”

You took a sip of your new drink, almost tentatively, but tilted it back further when it tasted just how it was supposed to. “What a bunch of sweethearts,” you cooed. Wrecker threw a bright, delighted smile Tech’s way. “As a thanks for coming to my rescue… next round’s on me.”

The rest of the evening was swept away as you and the brothers chatted for hours, exchanging personal stories and breaking into bouts of laughter. You told them about where you grew up, your family, your interests… and they told you about themselves.

Hunter was a decorated Sergeant at only twenty-six. Wrecker decided he wanted to become a demolitions expert when he set off his first firecracker at the age of six. Crosshair was a sniper - who could hit a dime flipping through the air from twenty kliks away. Tech had twelve PhDs. Echo had been caught in the detonation of a land mine, had lost three of his limbs, and still held the record in their platoon for fastest completion of training.

Finally, around two in the morning, the bartender announced to you all you’d have to move the party somewhere else. You glanced around; you hadn’t even noticed everyone leaving.

Outside, the brothers approached a set of five motorcycles lined up beside the side of the building, each with the same skull symbol painted onto the side.

“Thank you guys for tonight,” you said to them as you stopped on the curb. “I… I really needed it, to be honest.”

“Not a problem,” said Echo and hefted his helmet into his arms. He looked you up and down. “Need a ride home?”

You shook your head, already pulling out your cellphone. “Oh, no, I’ve already inconvenienced you guys enough tonight. I’ll call an Uber or something.”

“Stop being so stubborn and pick a bike,” said Crosshair as he straddled his motorcycle. You couldn’t help but stare at the way his ass slid over the leather seat.

Hunter grinned a lopsided smile at you and said, “We’ll take you home, beautiful.” He lolled his head slightly, catching Tech’s gleaming eyes. “Or, if you like…” His gaze, deep and steely and hot as all hell, flicked back to you. “We could continue the night at our place.”

Your heart skipped a beat or two when all their eyes found yours - each one of them neutral in your decision, and yet hidden beneath them was a sort of hunger that went straight to your core.

You glanced down at the phone in your hand, then back up at the brothers.

“Okay,” you said with a grin and stepped off the curb. “Who am I riding with, boys?”