#I still enjoy opposites-attract that fight or challenge each other but I certainly have a favorite approach right now.

[screwpinecaprice]

Basically how I began my connverse phase.

Opposites-attract trope has been my favorite dynamic, but, like, I never actually considered the characters being not at each other's throat and instead have their opposite-ness comfortably bounce off or complement each other.

[fontofmercy-archived2]

Do people really not see the appeal of enemies-to-lovers? I keep seeing these ridiculous posts about how Problematic it is that people are shipping people who *gasp* have fought in canon *clutches pearls*. It’s totally fine to not enjoy the trope, but to pretend like it’s some ridiculous new idea that “silly 14 y/o fangirls” have made up and it has no appeal outside of a “bad boy kink” (which is very patronizing and sudetly misogynistic phrase) is extremely disingenuous. ‪Enemies-to-lovers is one of the oldest and most enduring fictional stories of all time, and for good reason. Because many, many people enjoy it for many, many different reasons. I’m going to focus on het enemies-to-lovers and the female gaze because that’s where I see the most controversy happening. Although there certainly is a lot to be said about slash/femslash enemies-to-lovers, especially how it can be used to explore internalized homophobia and the gay experience, and I may make a follow-up post about that.

What baffles me the most is people that accuse enemies-to-lovers of being inherently abusive or abusive when there’s any actual conflict (like, you know, stories have) beyond something boring that no one would write like they stepped on each other’s toes in a movie theater. This extreme purity police attitude shows a lack of any understanding about storytelling and what like...fiction is. But diving even deeper into this claim, enemies-to-lovers is in dynamically the exact opposite of an abusive relationship, and that in of itself is a large part of its appeal for a lot of people. No intimate abuser will announce themselves as your sworn enemy, they will present themselves as everything you have ever wanted and the most perfect partner you could imagine. Instalove, the exact opposite of enemies-to-lovers, is actually the trope that resembles love bombing aka how most abusive relationships start. One of the reasons enemies-to-lovers can be so appealing, especially to women and people who have been in toxic relationships, is because when the enemy becomes your lover - you know they mean it. You know how they behave with their enemies, you know the darkest part of them and you don’t need to worry about what is lurking beneath the surface because you’ve already seen it and battled it and gotten past it.

As far as being misogynistic, enemies-to-lovers is literally a power fantasy for the female gaze. It’s the idea of someone who once opposed you being so enamored by you in your most unfiltered, non-seductive form that they listen to you, see things from your perspective, and ultimately align their strength with yours. Women are told that we need to make ourselves small and inoffensive and perfect to attract men or anyone or anything positive, so of course the idea that someone could become deeply enamored, almost against their will, with you when you are actively fighting them, arguing with them, challenging them etc. that those qualities, that being opinionated and angry and passionate and strong, could be the very thing that attracts them to you is a subversion of that idea. And enemies are equals, for a woman to be considered a worthy adversary to a man (and not by becoming a man to him or a sexual “temptress”) means the woman is being respected as his equal. This is a dynamic entirely based on equality, it relies on both characters being of equal strength, much more so than most romance tropes.

This is not exclusive to the female gaze though, in general it’s a fantasy that many can appreciate. Everyone has insecurities and bad moods, and intimacy is difficult for everyone (to varying degrees). In an enemies-to-lovers ship, the lovers have already seen each other in their most unromantic state. They have seen each other screaming with the rage of battle, have seen each other’s scorn and sneer, have seen each other so intimately that once they enter “lovers” and even “to”, there is nothing new to discover except the good parts. Imagine if you could get into a relationship where you don’t have to worry about what your partner’s hiding or if they will reject you because you always know the worst of each other, have already accepted it, and now get to fall in love discovering only the good parts. It creates a very intimate and intense dynamic.

On the other hand, there’s the appeal from the perceptive of the antagonist. Some people prefer to identify their trauma or pain or insecurities with antagonists rather than protagonists because they don’t see that part of themselves as the hero and/or they don’t want to have to hold that part of themselves up to some pristine standard. Some people want to see the dark part of themselves go full dark and then be loved anyways. The idea that you can always change for the better, that you are always worthy of love no matter how damaged you think you are. The idea that someone bright and good could see the most angry, hurt, ugly part of you and still love you. That is a very hopeful and positive message to a lot of people. I will never understand these types of people’s hateful opposition to redemption and healing, because I truly think that’s one of the most beautiful and powerful messages a story can have when it’s done right. The obsession some people have with punishment and condemnation simply is not healthy or productive.

Also, if people could stop infantalizing women as if we can’t differentiate reality from fiction with our silly girl brains, and also stop demonizing girls/women for exploring their sexuality in fiction by calling every goddamn thing “fetishization” - basically just stop being misogynistic af, yeah that’d be great thanks.

[sakurawarfare]

Amidst the golden blossoms (Lumine x Childe oneshot)

Olah! I'm back~!

First off, thank you so much for all the likes and love that you've given for my first oneshot 🥺

I'm sorry for not posting anything new for almost a month and honestly, writing this one was a real doozy. Regardless, I hope you all enjoy it and again,

Thank you very much and have a nice day!

-Sakura

Exploring Liyue was certainly a challenge. Given how the terrain is a mix of tall mountains, wet marshes and winding paths that go over and under the surface, it was completely different from that of Mondstadt. Though of course, the monsters here were a lot tougher and certainly became a pain in the ass when all she wanted was to explore this new land. 

However, Lumine would always marvel at how everything is so yellow here. In many of the worlds they had visited before, yellow always symbolizes joy and light. In Teyvat, it represented the Geo element, loyal and grounded as it painted the trees, leaves floating in the breeze and the flowers that bloomed almost everywhere she went, resonating with the power of Geo that once lorded over this vast domain.  

Though perhaps, it was the color she was most of as it that reminded her most of her beloved brother.

The girl let out a sigh as the Ruin Guard finally collapsed, fading to blue dust as she continued on her afternoon stroll. Nearing the clearing, she noticed the golden spiral she had discovered just a few days ago. 

She remembered how beautiful it had looked from afar as she first saw it atop the mountain near Guili Plains. It was fascinating to say the least, as she glided down to examine it even further. Unfortunately, she was interrupted by some hilichurls nearby that somewhat soured her mood. Even after that, once she'd activated the elemental monuments, she was ambushed by an Eye of the Storm that she disposed of with some difficulty given that she only had Fischl as her team’s archer. 

Yet at this moment, it seemed that what truly caught her eye was a blot of orange and gray that stood out from the golden landscape.

Deciding to take a closer look, she slowly approached with her footsteps slow and steady. When the figure finally came into focus, she tried to ignore how her heart skipped a beat.

Standing there was no other than Childe, or rather, Tartaglia, the eleventh Harbinger of the Fatui. 

She quietly ducked behind the rock near her, peering out enough just to see. What was he doing here?

Their last encounter had not been so pleasant. After all, she had to defeat him three times and even after that, she had to clean up after him as he decided to summon an ancient god in the midst of a temper tantrum and beat the crap out of countless of his lackeys. 

Looking at him like this seemed weird, listless and silent.  It was certainly different from the Childe she knew, given how she was well aware that underneath that boyish, annoyingly handsome exterior lay the fearsome spirit of a bloodthirsty warrior. 

He was still staring up at the sky when she heard him speak. "Like what you see, ojou-chan?" Her eyes widened, somewhat startled. "You could take a picture you know, that way it'll last longer."

She clicked her tongue. There was no point in hiding anymore. She got up from her spot and strode near him seeing as he stood in the center of the spiral. 

“So what brings you here?” he said with his usual, playful tone, a major difference from when he spoke during their final battle in the Golden House. His eyes were focused on her now, a smirk adorning his face.

“ I could ask you the same thing,” she huffed. She reminded herself to be on guard, after all this is the very same man who threatened to wipe out dozens of innocent people with zero hesitation. 

He chuckled in reply. “Staying inside a stuffy bank the whole day just isn’t my style, you know?” He placed an arm on his hip and she noticed how the action made his top rise a little bit, giving her a peek of his well-toned abs. 

He was a bloodthirsty warrior, yes, but an attractive one nonetheless.  

He continued, “Plus, it’s amazing to see how different Liyue is from Snezhnaya.”

That statement certainly piqued her interest as she asked him with genuine curiosity. She was a traveller at heart after all. “Really? How so?”

Childe looked at her, somewhat surprised. She tilted her head a bit, somewhat bemused by his reaction until she realized the absence of caution in her words. “Shoot,” Lumine thought. “I-I mean-”

“ You know that there’s no harm in me telling you about my homeland, right?” he turned to her, crossing his arms. 

She took a step back, “You can’t exactly blame me for not trusting you after you threw a whale at me. Twice.” 

The girl was surprised to see him frown, eyes lowering a bit narrowing slightly.

Since when was he so emotional? Lumine thought this is definitely a big contrast to the Childe, or rather, Tartaglia, she was familiar with. 

Although, she can’t deny that a part of her wanted to say sorry. It certainly wasn’t nice of her to treat him so coldy, especially now when he seemed to resemble the look of a kicked puppy. Sad but oddly cute. She immediately stopped her train of thought. She shouldn’t think that this man could be in any way adorable. 

He sighed. “Then how about a spar? If you win, I’ll tell you all about Snezhnaya,” she noticed how his eyes gleamed at , “but if I win, you’ll share stories about your place.”

She blinked. “ I don’t see how this benefits you at all.” Given her time with Zhongli, she knows that there should be more to their deal than just stories.

He simply shrugged. “I mean I do get a good fight out of it and honestly, I’d really want to get to know more about you, ojou-chan.” There it was again, that impish, boyish smile that made her heart flutter slightly. 

She put a hand to her chin, a vain attempt to hide the growing warmth on her cheeks.  Although some part of her told her she certainly shouldn’t be fraternizing with the enemy, there was no harm in a little sparring session. After all, she had beaten him before and this also seemed like a good chance to know more about the Tsaritsa too, if she could figure out a way to worm it out of him. 

She wouldn’t dare to acknowledge how her heart did a little dance at the thought of getting to know more about him though. 

She gazed at him, the small smile from earlier returning. “Fine, we have a deal.”

That seemed to have cheered him up as he quickly ran to one side of the spiral with her following suit and taking her place on the opposite end. 

Even as the sun began to dip in the horizon, she could see glimmer in his eyes, blue orbs glowing in the faint sunlight. There seemed to be no trace of his gloomy disposition earlier, and she could almost imagine him with a tail that swung back and forth, much like how a puppy would greet its owner.

She shook her head. She really should stop with the dog similes.

She was immediately brought back to the present when an arrow whizzed past her, the sound ringing in her ear. She tried to mask her surprise with a straight face, eyebrow raised as she summoned her sword.

“Hey, eyes on me ojou-chan,” she didn’t miss how his voice sounded deeper, huskier, almost like a low growl. Pushing that thought away, she rolled sideways to dodge the incoming arrows then lunged, quickly closing the distance between them.

She wasn’t surprised to hear the sound of metal and water clashing, as she tried to push against him. She was forced to jump back when he switched to a spear, slicing a wide arc in front of him.

He continued his offense, switching again to his blades this time. He gave her blow after blow, leaving little room for her to maneuver in. She parried his every thrust with her own strikes, matching his speed and power. Lumine scanned his movements, eyes calculating for an opening.

Just as she expected, he became more apparently irritated with her sticking to defense.

“Come on, it isn’t fun when-” Lumine quickly cut him off, releasing the Anemo energy she had secretly been building up with her other hand in front of her, making him stumble slightly as she pressed on with her own barrage of attacks.

Even as he stepped away, she made sure that the last swing contained a small gust of wind that managed to graze his cheek. As he caught his breath, she tried to mimic his own cocky smirk. “Eyes on me, Childe.”

She had meant to mock him for earlier but instead she heard him laugh, a sweet, melodious sound that resonated within her. A voice in her head kept reminding her to stay on guard, that she should take the first chance to strike back.

But seeing him like this, eyes filled with so much light and a wide smile adorning his handsome features, filled her with a sense of satisfaction that tugged at her heartstrings. 

“Ojou-chan," his laughter slowly calming, "you are simply adorable."

Lumine felt her cheeks flush as the grip on her sword tightened. "H-hey!"

"Alright, alright." His laughter finally died down as she saw him return to his former stance, his predatory gaze set on her once more yet the smile never left his lips. "Let's have some fun."

~

Their battle lasted until the moon had settled in the sky, bathing the land in its iridescent glow.

A strike here, a hit there, the two exchanged blows with no hesitation. The young warriors fought amidst the golden flowers, filling the air with the sounds of their blades clashing as the yellow petals glided along with them.

Time was lost to the two as they continued in their own world, a dance that only they knew as they kept up with each other's paces, making sure to keep the other on their toes. 

But as always, Lumine was once more the victor, her blade pressed closely to the Harbinger's nape, successfully trapping him underneath her.

He was panting quite loudly, his chest rising steadily against her own. "Fine, you win." He let his blades melt away, hands raised in defeat. 

Lumine smirked at his surrender as she could finally focus on steadying her own breath, willing her sword away as she huffed. 

"Though I've gotta say," his eyes peeked downward then back to her, "I didn't expect that you'd want to go for another round."

She raised an eyebrow in reply, continuing to stare at him in confusion. That is until she glimpsed in the same direction, finally noticing how her legs were straddling his hips as she sat on top of his stomach, the heat emanating from his body seeping into her.

"Ah!" She immediately scrambled to get off of him, trying desperately to mask the crimson that bloomed on her cheeks by sitting a few meters away. Though some part of her missed his warmth, the rational part of her brain shoved that way back inside the depths of her thoughts.

Lumine noticed from the corner of her eye that he was gazing up at the sky. Feeling her blush slowly dissipate, she moved a little closer.

"So, what do you want to know first?" He was lying down now, his blue eyes shining underneath the moonlight.

She laid down next to him, her back slightly tickled by the blades of grass underneath her as they both stared up at the sky in silence.

"Can you tell me about your favorite places there?" She faced him, trying to mask the enthusiasm in her voice.

"From what I can remember…" he muttered, "We had this huge marketplace in the center of the city where my father would always take me and my siblings to buy all sorts of trinkets and goodies for mother. Afterwards he'd take us to an old bakery that also sold Sharlotka."

"What's that?"

"It's this really fluffy cake with apples that melts in your mouyh while you eat it. The apples give it a tart, fruity taste that also balances the sugar dusting on top." He sighed. "Man, I should really make some sometime."

"Hmm, where else...Oh, we also used to go to this frozen lake just a few minutes from our house where my father taught me how to ice-fish." He smiled at the thought. "My old man would make a competition of who got the biggest fish, and he'd always say these really corny jokes just to make me laugh when I had a bad day."

"Those were definetly simpler times." He looked wistful as he spoke.

Noticing how his mood lowered, Lumine spoke in a teasing tone, "you sound just like Daddy's little boy.

He was quick to return her taunt.  "On the contrary, I'm actually a proud Mama's boy," he smirked, "where do you think I got my passion for cooking?"

"Oh?" Playing along, she rolled her eyes. "So you're saying that your cooking tastes better than mine?"

"Girlie, I'm not saying. I know that I'd wipe the floor with just my own version of a Sweet Madame."

"I'd like to see you try, water boy." She laughed.

Their playful banter died down as they continued to watch the starry sky, the two basking in comfortable silence.

Childe was the first to speak. "Perhaps when you get there, you'd need someone who could show you around the city, maybe a few spots outside it too."

She smiled. "That does sound nice." 

There it was. An unspoken promise that they would make plans to spend time with each other, not as Tartaglia and the Traveller, but as….friends? 

She huffed slightly, friends was one way to put it. She was supposed to be wary of him, push him away and strike him down when the chance presented itself. He was a bad guy after all.

Yet somewhere in her heart knew that there was more to this man than his thirst for battle and his honey-sweet tongue. 

"Lumine?"

"Hm?" Turning to face him once more, her eyes widen slightly at the foreign sight before her. For the first time ever, Childe's eyes looked unsure, perhaps even a little shy.

"Thank you for tonight." Never would she imagine that she would hear those words from him. 

"What for?" 

"It's been a while since I've shared something that wasn't work related…" he grinned, though she noticed it didn't reach his eyes this time, "I don't exactly have anyone to talk to about these things."

It finally dawned on her as she continued to stare at him, astounded at his confession. He was a lone soldier facing the world with nothing but his own strength to rely on. He was fierce and merciless, a force to be reckoned with.

Yet the Childe that she was talking to right now was the complete opposite. He was lonely. Vulnerable.

 Lumine tried to speak, but she couldn't think of the right words to say. Instead, she reached out a hand to cup his cheek, breaking him from his stupor.

This was too risky. Too bold of a move that broke all the rules she had followed this whole time. Aether would warn her not to get attached for a traveller will never linger in one place for too long.

However, here she was stuck in an unknown world, comforting one of the most dangerous people in all of Teyvat.

"Well," she whispered, "you have me."

She expected him to laugh, to scoff at her and remind her that they were on opposite sides of a war. She thought he would pull away, and turn around to leave her there.

To her surprise, he squeezed her hand in his, relishing the warmth of her palm as he gazed at her with...Was that fondness? Were her eyes playing tricks on her or was his face turning pink too?

She squirmed underneath his stare. Why was she feeling so weird tonight?

Lumine couldn't stop a yawn from escaping her lips as she tried to fight off the wave of exhaustion that overcame her. Her whole body ached from their little skirmish earlier, on top of that she still couldn't make sense of all the emotions that swirled inside her head. 

"Hey, stay with me." 

Even though her mind screamed at her to move, her body struggled to do anything in her tired state. Her eyes were becoming heavier by the second as she struggled to stay awake. It didn't help that his voice sounded so calming, echoing in her ears until she was lulled to sleep.

~

Lumine opened her eyes as light illuminated her cozy room. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, confused as to how she ended up here.

She wondered why she felt warmer than usual when a red cloth fell from her neck. She pulled it away, finally recognizing it as the scarf that Childe always wore.

He had brought her here. He actually went out of his way to make sure that she was safe despite how late it was. The thought warmed her heart a little more than she would have liked but she welcomed it all the same.

The girl looked around, wondering just where her flying companion was, cheeks warming as she took in the scent of his scarf. 

It reminded her of an ocean breeze, salty and strong, with a hint of lemon as well. Wild and full of energy, just like him.

She shook her head out of her thoughts. It was too early for her to be so sappy.

Though try as she might, she couldn't seem to wipe off the wide smile on her face as she looked forward to the day ahead of her.

[tokoyamisstuff]

Just My (Blood) Type - Hisoka x Ghoul! Reader⭐️—__—💧

A/N: I’ve started to rewatch HxH again, and you guys need to suffer for it. Sorry. That stupid Crossover-idea had been stuck in my mind for some time, and October a fitting time for a reveal, right?

Of all the f/o I ever had, that damn Clown is my guilty pleasure.

Summary: At first sharply cutting off Hisokas flirtatious advances, you soon realize that there’s more to him than just a repulsive murderer.

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of past abuse, Blood.

Noticeable: Gender Neutral! Reader (not 2 GIFs tho), POC suitable (no mentions of blushing, etc...), I used all the Hisoka GIFs I could find

Fandoms: HxH, Tokyo Ghoul (kinda)

Words: ~2400

“The second participant to arrive at the goal is No. 13, Y/N Y/L/N” a robotic voice announced via speakers. “It took 3 hours and 27 minutes.”

So this was the end of the Trick Tower already, huh?

Not really as great a challenge as you hoped for, but whatever. That fact really wasn’t a surprise, considering that you were a Nen-User.

This whole exam up until now was a piece of cake more than anything else. Nothing exciting or challenging at all for a change.

You sighed loudly, your audible disappointment echoing through the great and almost empty hall. 

Only a dim light would brighten up the prison cell, and there didn’t really seem to be anything to kill time. So you sat down right where you stood, back leaning against the cold stone wall.

At first, you wouldn’t even bother asking yourself who had entered the goal first - until you heared an all too familiar voice.

“Congratulations. ★ I’ve expected nothing less of you.”

Goddamn it.

Before you could even find a sassy remark, the man itself already stood in front of you. Looking up, nothing less than a broad welcoming smile was playing on his lips.

“Mind if I take a seat?”

Your posture immediately stiffened as you pulled your knees tightly against your chest. 

“Yeah. And now get lost!” At least he didn’t underestemate you - otherwise it could mean your imminent death.

He wouldn’t even try to conceal his bloodlust, does he?

Ever since you first met, you gave it your best to not cross his way throughout the whole Hunter Exam - yet for some reason, he seemed to be enjoying your presence, almost as if searching for you.

“My, my...” Instead of keeping his distance, the man just sat down right next to you, making himself at home. “May I ask what I’ve done to deserve such hatred directed at me?”

Only now you realized that the Nen you emitted was an open book to your feelings.

Hopefully he didn’t notice that you were afraid of him...any hint of weakness, and you’d probably be done for.

Yet still: Hisokas voice had always been so tender and kind - a huge contrast to his true self, you thought.

That was not the only contradiction surrounding the mysterious magician. And you knew a things or two about that kind of behaviour yourself.

Only one thing was sure to you: That man was dangerous.

It was obvious what kind of monster was right next to you - his prey. How could this man stay so perfectly calm and contain himself, considering the fact that he radiated this huge amount of bloodlost?

This could only mean this was his natural state of being - and the fact alone made you shiver.

Not answering him, your eyes wandered everywhere but his direction. You remained silent as you scanned the room for any exits, but to no avail.

The two of you were all alone - for 68 hours at max.

Only god knows when the other participants will arrive and end your misery of that unsettling closeness.

“Rumor spreads that you’re planning to become a Head Hunter” the magician tried to engage in a smalltalk, putting his hand on his chin. “Why would that be?”

“Don’t play the fool, Hisoka.”

You were sure that he saw you using nen back in the Milsy Wetlands at least once, so it should be pretty obvious to him: There simply wasn’t any other choice for you to live without a guilty conscience.

“No, I honestly don’t understand” he chuckled, trying to get your attention. “Why someone so innocently looking would want such a profession, I mean.”

Gulping harshly, you now dared to meet his glare. “Look: Stop fucking with me. If you want to kill me, do it quick - but stop strolling for time, or whatever wicked game you’re playing right now.”

Of course you’d struggle, maybe even put up a fight - but in the end, Hisoka was so much more experienced than you.

And you knew damn well opposite to you, he was enjoying spilling the blood of innocents if it had to be.

For a brief second, all of his pretence dropped and he looked shocked, a little bit offended even.

“And why should I do that?”

“Drop the act” you retorted harshly, “It’s annoying. I know all stories about you, even saw you kill before my very eyes. You’re a murderer. I bet, for the likes of you, killing comes to you like breathing.”

“You’re one to talk” he answered, not sounding any less polite, “I could feel your bloodlust throughout the whole tower.”

Now your face dropped as well, and only now you felt how you were shaking - not out of fear, but anger.

“I took that as an invitation” the mage spoke playfully, letting his tongue run over his lips. “Your bloodlust lures me to you every time. We’re not that different, are we? I knew from the very first second.”

What a pain in the ass. And you were not talking about his demeanour. No.

You were simply disappointed in yourself.

For years and decades, you had principles goddamnit! Certainly you’ve never really been a saint, but...well, ever since you first found yourself lost in those golden eyes, you threw your moral compass overboard.

How could you dare to betray yourself like that and feel anything else than remorse for such a vile being?

Why the hell did you feel so damn attracted to someone you simultaneously wanted to either punch or run away from?!

“And what the hell do you want from me, then?! Why are you telling me all of this?”

“I’m just curious” he smiled, face leaning closer to yours.  “That’s all.”

You crossed your arms, now awkwardly relaxed yet still annoyed. Furrowing your brows, you just had realized that Hisoka actually managed to engage in a conversation with you.

“You first” you almost gnarled, staring him down expectantly.

“Why not?” he shrugged as he began shuffling his cards in the meantime. “There’s no greater reason behind my doing, my dear. It’s true: I enjoy killing. But I don’t do it all random. I have standarts too, you know? The people you saw me kill in here were an exception: They were way weaker, but they surrounded and attacked me first. Simple self-defense.”

Yeah. Of course.

It would’ve been way too easy for him to simply escape or at least make them unable to fight without decapitating them, but he chose otherwise.

Hisoka wrang out a twisted sound, almost like a cruel laugh as he awaited your reaction.

“Sounds like a cheap excuse. A murderer is still a murderer.”

“Tzch. What a shame.” Your words didn’t really touch him - not that you expected them to awake any kind of regret in him. “I thought you to be different than the others. Smarter.” 

You had to admit: Usually, Hisoka won’t lay a finger on innocent or weaker people. Most of the time - if he needed something from them, at least - he was very curteous, even. Or he’d simply act like they didn’t exist, sparing them from a cruel fate.

But that was part of his facade, too: A selfish man who could both be pleasure and doom, considering what would be to his favor.

“And what would that ‘standarts’ be?” You rose an eyebrow, still irritated that you kept conversating about such a useless topic.

“Good you ask” he pointed his index finger in the air, almost as if lecturing you. “I think most people are like me in a way, maybe just not so extreme. They desire to compete with powerful enemies.”

Yeah, that much is probably true - especially in the world of a Hunter.

For some people, there’s nothing better in this world than the adrenaline rush of a real fight. Especially when they need to get all out - mentally as well as physically - to survive.

You on the other hand wished you even had such a choice, and if you had, you’d obviously choose a peaceful life instead of that of a suicidal idiot.

But to each their own, right?

“Want to help me out?” He meant the card house he was building, handing you over some cards as he continued explaining. “I’d never simply kill a person that isn’t prepared or doesn’t accept a challenge. An opponent needs to give it their all - it has to be a battle between equals.”

A shaky moan escaped his throat, face tiwsting in excitement - almost seeming aroused - as he stated “My greatest pleasure comes when such people crumple to their knees and look down upon their disbelieving faces as their plans fail!”

“You really are creepy” was your plain answer, placing the last layer of the card house on top. “Do you know that?”

“Of course. I’m mad, not stupid.”

So this is what this is about.

“Now’s your turn, dollface.” The fact that he still maintained his usual, sly attitude, as well as the nicknames made you more flustered than you wanted to admit.

“I’m not human.” You revealed this fact as if it was nothing, throwing your hands into the air as if you had been catched. “At least not fully. Not anymore. It’s hard to explain, really.”

“I’m listening.”

That caught you off guard: You just dropped this huge bomb of a fact - and instead of being taken aback, he’s intrigued more than anything?!

Well - it’s Hisoka. Why are you even surprised?

It took you a while to collect all of your thoughts, since this was the first time you’d ever tell someone about your past. And gladly, Hisoka just sat there in silence, invested in his cards until you were ready.

“Long story short: I was a child slave. No need to spit out all the details, but you can imagine. Hard times, torture, abuse...I was on the brink of death when my Nen manifested as some kind of defense-mechanism.”

Now you felt like you were experiencing a headache. It was nothing new to you - this happened whenever you tried to surpress the flashbacks.

Burying your head into your hands, tears of regret filling the rim of your eyes, you forced yourself to continue.

“I knew nothing about Nen, yet as if naturally, I made a Restriction and Pledge on that day: The blood of the guilty must be shed. I’d do anything to get the power to achieve this. And whatever kind of higher might determinds the conditions, it took that sentence of mine very literal.”

“So you’re-”

“...a Ghoul, yes. My hatred was powerful enough to save my life, yet the price I had to pay for this power is something I can’t take to this day. So I’ll become a Head-Hunter and still my thirst for blood only on the bodies of criminals worthy of death.”

You’ve expected any kind of reaction: Disgust, scorn, scolding you for doing something so reckless - even attacking you right here.

However, the mage suddenly broke out in huge amusement, his muscular chest having as he laughed loudly and heartily. “You’re not very good of a story-teller.”

There was no time to react, your baffled self only able to look as Hisoka grabbed one of the cards out of a whim, infusing it with Nen.

But instead of attacking you, he cut his wrist without even twitching: Deeply enough to draw blood, yet not to leave a scar.

“Well, you must be hungry, right? Long day, many fights...”

You wanted to object, but instead of syllables your throat suddenly felt dry as if strangulated with barbwire: Seeing him licking his own blood from the card turned this invitation into sweet torture.

Usually it was no problem for you to hold back, even for weeks if it had to be - but for some reason, you desired his blood more than anyones ever before.

“No need to be shy” the man cooed, presenting his wrist to you. “When was the last time you ate?”

The blood was already dripping to the floor, making you desperate as you closely watched every drip. “W-Why are you doing this?”

“I want to see it, Y/N. Do both of us a favor, won’t you?”

There was no use in struggling against your instincts - and as soon as your tongue gently incorporated the red liquid, there was no going back.

Involuntarily, your fangs dug deep into his flesh, yet all that came out of Hisoka’s mouth were ecstatic groans - you weren’t quite sure if it was because of the pain or the strenght of your Nen.

How humiliating.

You despised that appearance of yours: Red irises, the rest of your eyes just a black pit. Together with those flame-like wings made from Nen, most people would say you came from hell itself.

But Hisoka wasn’t disgusted in the slightest - no, quite the opposite.

“Beautiful.💖”

You felt a pet on your head, long fingers digging into your hair as you finally let go off of his arm. “No, you can keep going until you’re satisfied. I heal quick, it’s no problem.”

He didn’t mean your appearance - to Hisoka, only power was attractive.

But still: Never before someone had seen you the way you were now and called you something else than a monster.

Licking your lips, you noticed that his blood tasted sweet: A lot like bubble gum. That was a surprise.

Pulling you over to his lap, Hisoka’s lips needily crashed over yours - and you didn’t reject, rather melting into his touch while he explored your mouth, tasting his own blood on your tongue.

His grip was tight and gentle at the same time, fingernails digging deep inside your flesh so he’d be able to control his murderous instincts.

He felt warm. And somewhat safe, even though that sounded ridiculous considering the situation.

After a while, your bodies would finally part again, leaving you both to gasp for fresh air. Your mind was still clouded by all those confusing emotions - yet Hisoka, pleased by the outcome, seemed to be very much petrified:

“This may be the beginning of a wonderful friendship.”

[readingsbylibramc]

synastry chart reading for @sandrinepalma

hello! welcome to your reading. I'm going to give you a quick overview of what I'm going to analyze about your synastry chart: in-depth analysis of house overlays with major aspects, potential of the relationship, soulmates indicators, possible marriage indicators, possible issues and struggles of the relationship, intimacy and physical attraction, what they feel when they see / think about you, in-depth analysis of fate, love and marriage asteroids. of course, if you have any questions, feel free to ask! my dms are always open. now let's get into the reading!

PARTNER A: she/her | capricorn sun, libra moon, libra rising

PARTNER B: he/him | gemini sun, sagittarius moon, capricorn rising

PARTNER A

🌞 partner a's capricorn sun in his 1st house

your partner probably thought that you were very attractive when he first saw you. you may meet his ideals of beauty, he sees you as his type of girlfriend. he likes the way you move, the way you speak and present yourself, or even just the way you look physically, he may like your face and body. he may even be more straight-forward and approach you first, he may often spoil you with compliments and you don’t step back from them. you appreciate the way he looks, or even stare at you. actually, you may even crave his attention. your partner, aside from admiring you deeply, may even take you as a role model, he may desire to be like you, especially in your way of approaching the world. same thing goes for you: you also appreciate the way your partner lives his life, his achievements, his goals, his ideals, and so on. luckily, there aren’t other negative placements that interfer with this mostly-positive aspect. in fact, this aspect could possibly bring a feeling of competition between you two, as instead of admiring and appreciating the other, you may start hating yourselves because you think the other is better.

🌙 partner a's libra moon in his 9th house

you see your partner as someone mature, wise, brilliant... basically a role model. they have a lot of influence on you, they’re a sort of inspiration. you may share the same ideas and views of the world, maybe politcally or even about music genre for example. overall, this placement indicates that you perceive your partner as someone powerful and distant from you, someone elevated and far away from you that you can't seem to reach. perhaps, it could also be that you two are physicaly separated, he may live abroad or still somewhere far from where you live, making it hard for you to meet each other. you admire him deeply, and thr flip side to this is that your partner may become too dependant of your compliments, of your opinion of him, and hence a break-up would be fatal for his self-esteem. the 9th house represents sagittarius, which is all about exploring and knowledge, you know? therefore, you may want to get to know this person in-depth, you’re curious about their habits, their talents, their secrets... you want an authentic, reliable vision of him. you never get tired of talking or even just thinking about this person, learning about his persona amuses you. last but not least, this person makes you crave a stable relationship with him; you may see as someone perfectly wise and mature for a long-lasting relationship, you see him as the ‘end of the race’, someone perfect to commit to.

partner a's libra moon square partner b's cancer mercury: this placement is quite challenging to deal with. it could be that you don't really see eye to eye with your partner on certain matters, he could be a bit too critical or judgmental in your opinion, and hence you may end up feeling a bit sensitive when you're around him. you certainly want to meet his standards, you truly care about what he thinks of you, and hence you could get hurt easily when he disagrees with you. as a result, your partner could possibly see you as over-sensitive, a bit too dramatic as he sees it as if you tend to overreact a little bit. because of that, there could be struggles between you two when it comes to communication. you may overthink each other's words a lot and possibly argue about it, it could be quite stressful actually as you could possibly feel misunderstood by the other. in particular, you may take any sort of criticism or of disagreement as something personal, and hence it can seriously harm your mood. my opinion on this is that you need to understand that your other half doesn't have to be your exact copy. tale advantage of this aspect, combined with your 9th house overlays, to learn something new and broaden your mind instead of fighting.

🗣 partner a's capricorn mercury in his 1st house

with this placement, you probably also fell for your partner for the way he talks, he exposes his thoughts, his choice of words. you may even be literally into his voice, you like the way it sounds, you thought it was attractive when you first heard it. you may even see your partner as someone smart and intellectual who has a way with words, someone that  can achieve whatever he wants thanks to his witty intellect. you may also enjoy his sense of humor, you probably don’t force your laugh when you’re around him because you find him genuinely entertaining. as for your partner, he may also be into the way you think and talk, he could be fascinated by your ideas and creativity. in addition, mercury is all about curiosity, and hence he may be curious to get to know you. when you first met him, he felt this sudden urge to get to know you, he could’ve been the first one to randomly approach you, and he started making random questions just to hav ìe a conversation with you. even more simple things like “What is your favourite food?” looks fine to him, as long as he learns something new about you, he cares about this kind of stuff. this placement can surely make good friendships, as you two are able to have an amusing conversation, even though it may be more casual rather than deep. you probablty wouldn’t talk about the meaning of life with him, to make it simple, but rather about your hobbies, your passions.

partner a's capricorn mercury opposite partner b's leo venus: this is another tricky placement that also involves communication. just like you feel as if your partner doesn't really understand your emotions deeply, your partner may also feel as if you don't understand his feelings. I feel like this is the type of placement that made you think that he didn't like you at first, or maybe viceversa. perhaps, since your partner is the venus person, he may be more straightforward with his feelings, while you may appear a bit more reserved or logical. it also indicates, on a positive note, that you two enjoy talking to each other, expressing your opinions. you probably talk a lot, you may even be the type of couple to talk about even stuff that others find boring like homework, work, etc... yet, be careful because you may have the tendency to cut each other off, and hence you may give the other the impression that you don't really care about what he's saying and viceversa. instead of switching immediately to another topic, you should try to show through words your feelings, or a few misunderstandings may arise.

❤️ partner a's capricorn venus in his 1st house

this placement indicates that you most likely find each other extremely attractive! you probably fit his beauty standards, you find him very charismatic and charming, it's hard for you not to stare at him. basically, he's your type. also, aside from being into his looks, you may also be fascinated from the way he presents himself in general: you may like his fashion sense, his manners, the way he approaches people, the way he speaks... bascially, everything about the outer him, it was likely love at first sight, or at least you instantly felt strong attraction to this individual when you first met him. also, this placement also indicates that you may inspire your partner in an artistic way, and viceversa. for example, let's suppose you like writing; you may feel inspired by your partner to write books about him, or perhaps poetry or song lyrics. you see your partner as someone aesthetically pleasant, basically as a piece of art. this feeling is mutual. overall, you both feel flattered and loved by the other, you may often compliment each other and that will be a complete self-esteem boost for both of you. feeling loved by your partner and viceversa inspires you to love yourself, and as a result you feel more beautiful.

partner a's capricorn venus conjunct partner b's capricorn mars: in astrology, this is considered to be the ultimate physical attraction aspect! in fact, you two probably find each other very attractive and magnetic. I don't think this connection started off as a friendship, and if it did then it was probably unbearable, as the attraction and chemistry between you two is just way too much to handle. you two most likely are a very touchy couple, not necessarily in a sexual way but you find it hard not to stare, touch each other; physical contact is key in this connection. this is another placement that makes me think that you are the dominant figure in your relationship, you could be the one to approach this person first for instance. in general, you tend to be the one who takes the initiative in any context. your partner appreciates your partner, and he may feel romantically attracted to you, you probably fit his ideals when it comes to looks, personality, etc. this placement probably makes this relationship so intense and magnetic that it will be hard to forget, even if you two don't end up together. this is certainly a soulmate / twinflame connection. I'm sure you're both going to learn a lot from this connection.

☄️ partner a's aquarius mars in his 2nd house

this is a very sensual placement in synastry! aside from finances, the 2nd house also deals with self-love. hence, you two feel very loved when you're with each other, you feel worthy, and so you also feel more confident in yourself. usually, this placement even bring dependency to the house person. that is, he may start being too attached to your opinion of him, and hence if you two broke up he's self-esteem would probably go very down. yet, since your mars is in aquarius I don't really think it's your case; you listen to each other's advices, but you don't obsess over each other's thoughts, you still manage to think individually, making this a very healthy connection. in addition. you may feel very attracted to your partner, there's lots of sexual attraction between you two for sure. you could both be very touchy, not necessarily in a sexual way but even during cuddles. you probably enjoy physical touch a lot, and you may even show it around. you two easily stimulate each other's emotions and sexual drive through physical connection. you could even be the type of couple that loves spending free time together, you could be into cooking or even just taking a nap is fine for you, as long as you're together. you're certainly very close, maybe even clingy at times.

PARTNER B

🌞 partner b's gemini sun in her 9th house

this placement indicates that you two may learn a lot from this relationship. you two may come from different cultural backgrounds, or if you don't you still have a fresh vibe to you that brings something new to the other, a fresh perception of things. you may share the same ideas regarding politics, economy, or even about things as simple as music taste or movies. you see eye to eye on almost everything, and if you don't, you're still able to understand the other's view. you two are able to broaden each other's horizons, this relationship could introduce you to a new way of seeing and reacting to things, it's very beneficial as it opens the mind of both of you. this sense of knowledge and constant learning makes both of you achieve more security, and as a result you may feel more confident when you interact and just spend time together in general. you could also travel a lot, or perhaps you may attend the same school. if this relationship lasts, then you'll most likely explore the world together, you're going to be very adventurous, even if you normally don't really step out of your comfort-zone, as your partner gives you strenght and vice versa. this placement alone isn't extremely romantic, but combined with the rest of your synastry it surely is a great addition. in fact, this relationship is very mature, but not the capricorn type of maturity which can be quite boring at times. it's a type of maturity that is born from making experiences together, and hence you'll probably make loads of pleasant memories with this person.

partner b's gemini sun trine partner a's aquarius mars: this one is such a pleasant aspect to have in a synastry chart! you two are very direct and straight-forward with each other, but not in a blunt way. you two feel extremely comfortable with each other, it comes easy for you two to understand each other's needs. neither of you feels insecure or blocked by the other, you fine yourselves quite similar and hence you're not afraid to show your taste, to express your will. you are also the type of couple to hype each other up, you boost each other's confidence and you also like to cheer each other on your goals, it's a very energetic and refreshing feeling that makes you both feel very satisfied. because of that, you two are also able to lift each other up whenever you feel sad, I feel like you could be the type of couple to play around to cheer up rather than relying on empathy and deep talks. your partner, the sun person, most likely loves your strategies, the way you think and act, and he probably also looks up to you, you get on very well. as for you, you're probably completely into him, he fits your ideal type for sure, even though it could be that you didn't realize it as soon as you met him.

🌙 partner b's sagittarius moon in her 3rd house

you probably feel very energetic when you're with your partner. even if you're introverted, he probably stimulates you to talk, to socialize. you never feel bored when you're around your partner, you always find your conversations together extremely interesting, and hence you keep wanting more and more everyday, you're never tired of him and viceversa. this placement is also extremely favourable for you two in this chart, as it helps you dealing better with your moon square mercury aspect. in fact, you two feel comfortable talking together, you could find each other to be your comfort spot. whenever something good, or even bad, happens to you, you immediately say it to your partner and viceversa, as you truly understand each other. you're also the type of couple to give each other advices, you like helping your partner and so does him. you could also be attracted to each other's voices, and hence you just like hearing each other talk in general. especially your partner, he probably admires your ideas and your intelligence, he sees you as someone extremely smart and witty. you understand and perceive this feeling of love, and as a result you love being around him. it's definitely a positive placement for communication and ease.

partner b's sagittarius moon conjunct partner a's sagittarius pluto: this placement is very intense, and it makes you two extremely immersed in this relationship. in a certain sense, it's like you two are obsessed with each other. you probably love each other so much that you'd never replace the other, as you didn't just fall for his personality, for his manners, for his looks, but for his soul. it's a life-changing relationship, and it's probably also a twinflame or soulmate connection, you definitely have a past life together if you believe in that type of stuff. there's a strong mutual understanding between you two, to the point that you may even feel exposed to your partner, but with your 4th house overlays you most likely are fine with that. you feel at ease when you're together, and so it's no problem for you to be so exposed to the other, there's a strong foundation of trust in this relationship.

🗣 partner b's cancer mercury in her 10th house

this placement, combined with your 4th house mars overlay, contributes to make this relationship even more stable. in fact, aside from family and children, you two are also very invested in your finances. you may often talk about your goals, about how to deal with your money and maybe even about your work. you possibly decide to open a business together, or perhaps you may start working in the same field or workplace. your partner is most likely very polite, and hence he also speak highly of you, you two have a very good reputation as a couple. he may even be able to give you career advices and help you feeling more secure and confident, not just in your skills but even in your looks and personality, there's a very healing connection between you two. you get to learn and improve yourself a lot, even if it ends you'll most likely always have a good memory of this person and so will him.

❤️ partner b's leo venus in her 10th house

with this overlay, there's lots of admiration from both parties. more specifically your partner probably looks up to you, he agrees with your ideas and he's fascinated by your drive. he may be very attracted to your looks, to the way you treat people, to the way you present yourself, he may even see you as superior to him in a certain sense. with this placement, if you and your partner get together he'll surely treat you like a living goddess!! this admiration is obviously mutual, you're also attracted to your partner, you may see him as a stable point, a safe spot. of course, since the 10th house is also the house of career and work, this relationship could also be beneficial for each other's jobs and goals. you are probably very emotionally supportive of each other's dreams, or perhaps you may even help each other in a more concrete way. overall, you may appear as the perfect couple when you're together; you're probably not afraid of pda, and hence you may have lots of eyes on you. luckily, though, I don't see you attracting much jealousy or any kind of malicious feeling.

☄️ partner b's capricorn mars in her 4th house

this placement is certainly good for a long-term relationship. in fact, mars in the house of family, makes your partner want to live with you, he wants to become a part of your family. you may even be amused by the idea of builing a family together as well, it's certainly a children placement. aside from that, the 4th house also indicates the deeper, private self, and hence if you share a 4th house overlay there's strong empathy between you two. you may not be able to express with words your feelings due to your moon square mercury aspect, but you still understand each other. there's lots of empathy and compassion between you two, it's like you've known each other for your whole time. or perhaps, maybe you actually know each other since your childhood. you could even remind him of one of his parents, or viceversa. yet, even though it is certainly healing, it could be triggering in a certain sense. perhaps, you find that your partner awakens a part of you that you'd rather keep buried, and as a result you don't feel comfortable with him, but of course it's just a possibility. as a result, you can both end up having arguments due to disagreements.

partner b's capricorn mars square partner a's libra moon: this placement may cause some troubles, as you may often be blind to your partner’s attitude. you may sometimes idealize your partner way too much when he’s not actually who he seems to be. at first you may be okay with his behaviour, after all you have lots of similar signs and positive aspects that make you two get along. yet, as time goes by, you may start feeling constantly contradicted, arguments could be more frequent as you may misunderstand each other. more specifically, you start realizing that your partner’s nature is slightly different from yours, and while there are many other aspects that could mitigate this effect, you may still feel as if it’s impossible for you to have a long-lasting, healthy relationship in these occasions. especially your partner, he may often hurt your feelings with his words. on the other hand, this placement also has a positive side! you are strongly attracted to each other, you both feel attached to the other with glue, and that’s exactly why this relationship could become unhealthy, because you may struggle to let go of the other if necessary. your bond is so strong that you can’t manage to separate, even when there are so many hardships and conflicts. 

ASTEROIDS & CO

partner b's sagittarius juno conjunct partner a's sagittarius pluto: another long-term indicator!! this one placement is often present in charts of married couple, as it makes your bond very strong, deep and intense, making it pleasant and, above all, interesting for you two to live together. it's a connection that makes you two constantly improve, transform and discover a part of yourselves that you didn't know existed. you also feel the urge to protect each other, he truly feels like family to you and viceversa. in addition, this is also a strong karmic indicator. as I've already said above, you two definitely have a past life connection, you two are soulmates.

this is it! thank you again for booking a reading, let me know if you have any questions :)

libramc xx

- not corrected yet -

[buckybabybaby]

Not So Bad

A/n: this is my one shot for @firefly-in-darkness's summer challenge. It's a couple of days late, I'm so sorry!! I wrote most of this in one go on Friday, which is the most I've written in months, so hopefully I can keep that up.

Proof read by way of a text-speech device.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes/reader (gender neutral)

Word count: 1998

Warnings: none :)

Plot: stuck on a beach awaiting pick-up after a mission, you and Bucky have an interesting conversation. (Enemies to friends (to implied maybe lovers later))

Masterlist

*****

The steady lapping of the waves washing up onto the sand below is the only sound breaking the silence between you and Bucky. Seated at opposite ends of the last bench on the promenade, you are seriously considering typing up your notice the minute you get back home and walking away from The Avengers if this is the way you're going to be treated. Not only have you had to spend the last two weeks acting all lovey-dovey with Bucky for the sake of a mission, but now it's over you're stuck on a beach with him as you wait for a pick up. Because, apparently, a domestic flight back home would be too risky.

A light flickering in the distance catches your attention, and you raise your head to watch as the illuminations strung along the closest pier are extinguished one by one, until only the hazard warning at the very end remains lit, plunging the beach further into darkness.

“That'll be midnight then.”

It shouldn't, but Bucky's voice coming from beside you for the first time in hours makes you jump. Sitting up straighter, you attempt to hide your shock as you ask, “What will be?”

“The lights. The pier closes at midnight. I guess it's just you and me now.”

Looking away, you roll your eyes; this mission hasn't been easy for you, and you've had to hold yourself back from repeating that action many times during the last fortnight. Normally working with world-saving heroes is the dream job, but normally you're not sent out undercover with the formal Winter Soldier, forced to act like a honeymooning couple to infiltrate a people smuggling ring operating out of an exclusive Floridian beach resort. Though it wasn't hard to get people to talk and the mission was a success, you feel little joy in the outcome.

The reason is currently huffing next to you.

“Stop that!”

Bucky looks across at you, raising his eyebrows at your outburst. “Stop what?”

“Breathing so heavily!”

“Oh, you want me to stop breathing?”

“I wouldn't complain.”

“That'll be a first.”

Refusing to rise to the bait, you turn back to staring out to sea. How you survived pretending to be married to this man for fourteen long days, you may never know. Maybe you were an actor in another life, because every time you're alone with him it usually leads to petty squabbling, but you somehow managed to fool multiple people into believing that he was your 'amazing husband' who you were madly in love with.

To be fair to Bucky, he was very good at pretending too. The little glances and touches that made it convincing, the way he memorised your back story perfectly and never slipped up when questioned, how he succeeded to completely hide his disdain for you the whole time, it was all truly impressive. Even in private he didn't drop the act, on the slim chance of being caught out, leaving you flustered and confused.

Hence why you're sitting as far away as possible on this weather beaten bench.

As soon as the all clear had been given that you could go home, you couldn't get out of there fast enough, desperate to sleep in your own bed alone and not share one with the furnace in human form that is Bucky. Apart from the comment about the pier, he's been completely silent as you waited for the rescue boat to arrive, a jarring contrast to earlier in the day as you checked out of the hotel.

You don't like the way you miss his gentle hold and soft words. A fortnight living together has warped your emotions beyond recognition, and the return to normal life is most welcome.

From somewhere deep in the pile of luggage on the beach your phone buzzes twice, and you jump up to grab it, groaning in frustration at the message it contains.

Bucky senses the cause. “Delayed?”

“Hmm.”

“Cool.”

He says it so casually and it's like you snap. It's been ages since the two of you have been alone without the threat of eavesdroppers, all that pent up tension exploding in a mini rant.

“Well it might be cool for you, but excuse me for being annoyed. Not everyone wants to be stuck on a beach in the middle of the night.”

He shrugs, unaffected. “You kept saying you wanted to go to the beach.”

“Yeah, but not at midnight! And certainly not with you!”

“Wow, ouch.”

The genuine hurt on his face surprises you. He has always given as good as he gets, never seeming fazed by the verbal abuse you throw his way. “What, Bucky? Don't act like we get along. You hate me!”

If anything, the look of hurt deepens at your words. “Hate? I don't hate you.” He rises to stand with you on the sand. “Y/N? Is that what you think?”

You can't keep eye contact. “Why would I think anything else? We can't spend ten minutes together without arguing.”

“It's just friendly bickering.”

“Friendly?” Scoffing loudly, you walk back up to the bench, flopping down in a slouched position and resigning yourself to the wait. “If that's your idea of friendly I worry about your actual friends.”

Bucky's stood frozen where you left him but you pay him no mind. As the clouds clear above and the stars become visible, the temperature starts to drop. Shivering, you curl into a ball on the seat, too lazy to search through your suitcase for warmer clothes.

“Here.”

Blinking, you're met with Bucky's outstretched hand and the offering of his coat.

“What.” You say flatly.

“So you don't freeze,” He explains, shaking the jacket a little in your face.

You snort at his act of chivalry. “Oh, please. It's okay, the shows over. You don't need to pretend any more, we haven't got an audience here.”

He visibly holds his tongue. “Will you just take it? Stop being so stubborn.”

“Well, what about you? Don't you need it?”

“Super soldier, doll. We tend to run hotter.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” You mutter under your breath, not quietly enough.

“Oh, you did? Must have kept you nice and warm huh?”

The smirk you know so well is back and you fight your smile at the familiar tone in his voice.

“More like sleeping with a damn heater. You're lucky I didn't kick you out every night.”

“As if you could.”

“You know I could.”

He nods in agreement, remembering all the times you've beaten him in combat training. “Suppose you could've. But you didn't. That's something.”

Placing the jacket over your shoulder when you sit up, Bucky pulls it round to the front to fasten the top button, allowing you to do the rest yourself as he takes his place back on the bench. You are much closer now as you chose to sit in the middle of the seat, but you stay put as it feels rude to move away when he's been so nice.

The air is once again full of only the sounds of nature. It was true you had wanted to visit the beach during this mission, the long stretches of white sand calling your name from the hotels bedroom window, but you hadn't got the chance as the suspects you were tailing stayed around the bar and pool. As you breathe in the salty air, you decide the pain of the last fortnight was worth it for this moment, even in the middle of the night and without the longed for ice cream.

Glancing over to Bucky's relaxed form, you study his profile. Whilst you've seen it a lot recently, it still shocks you how defined his face is and the way his hair always seems to fall perfectly, no matter the time of day or weather. Even his early morning bed-hair could be classed as a tousled style others would take hours to achieve, and you can't believe you've never noticed how attractive he is. And it's not just his looks, if the way he acted his role is anything to go by. This mission has taught you one thing; who ever Bucky does end up marrying will be the luckiest person in the world.

You think of your previous conversation, still lost. Since your first meeting it's been the same, sharp tongues flinging insults at each other whenever you meet, and the others in the tower have learnt to avoid the two of you when you get going. Does Bucky really think that that's all been in jest?

Eventually, the curiosity gets the better of you. “Do you really not hate me?”

He takes a few seconds to reply, not looking at you as he says quietly, “No, of course not.”

“Okay.” You don't bring up your regular fights as evidence to the contrary, instead asking, “And you actually enjoy my company?”

“Why do you think I volunteered for this?”

“Volun-what?” That really wasn't what you expected when you started on these questions. You stare at him wide-eyed with disbelief, sure you've misunderstood. “I thought we were assigned? I definitely didn't choose to be here.”

“You were assigned. They thought you'd blend in well with the crowds here, they just needed someone to be your husband and... Here we are.”

“Huh.” You blow out a breath, overwhelmed.

“I thought it would be a way to spend time together without the usual spats.”

“That's an extreme way to spend time with someone.”

He sighs. “I know.”

“But why? With me?”

“'Cause you're fun to be with?”

“Are you telling me or asking?”

“Telling. I want to be better, nicer to you, but any time we're together, you get all defensive, and I can't help returning the sentiment.”

“So, it's my fault?”

“That's not-” He cuts himself off, stopping the argument before it can begin. “I'm sorry.”

“No, I'm sorry.” You smile at him for the first time. “You're going to have to give me a while to get used to this. I'm finding it kinda hard to believe you don't actually hate my guts.”

His own smile drops. “I'm so sorry.” Dragging a hand through his hair, he gazes at you intensely. “This is... I honestly had no idea you thought our arguments were serious. I thought-” He swallows, a self conscious grin tugging at his mouth. “Is it awful that I thought we were flirting?”

Your cheeks heat up, but you shake your head to reassure him. Thinking back, you can see why he believed that. There is a fine line between hate and love, and it makes sense now why you sought him out so often, why you gravitated to him even when it would be so easy to avoid contact, and why, if you're being honest with yourself, you didn't despise the last two weeks at all.

“So, where do we go from here?”

“First, we go home.” He gestures to the vessel you hadn't noticed bobbing in the surf, waving at the captain as the speed boat is launched to retrieve you and your belongings. “And then? Whatever you want.”

“Can we start just being proper friends?”

He reaches for your hand to help you up. “I'd like that.”

Stretching, you follow him across the beach in the gloom. Picking up your holdall and rucksack on the way, you dump them into the bottom of the boat and climb in, sitting close together on the narrow bench. The crew shout at each other over the engines roar once you're both safely on the yacht, but you tune them out, choosing to stay on deck and admire the lights along the coast. Bucky joins you after you tire of his hesitation and tug him down into the seat to you. 

As the boat starts the journey back north he glances at you through the spray of salt water, the small smile you share feels so much bigger, and your letter of resignation couldn't be further from your mind.

[eryiss]

Summary: Freed and Gajeel were total opposites in every way, only connected by the guild. When they were forced to train together under Makarov's orders, they expected antagonism and mistrust. Instead, they were given a lesson in how quickly opposition can turn to attraction. The issue: let the budding relationship simmer away, or let it explode. [Freed x Gajeel Multi-chapter]

Notes: Hi everyone. Strap in for character development, and the ridiculous lengths that are needed to cause the development. Hope you all enjoy.

Links: FFN, Ao3, Chapter List

Chapter Four - Fighting In The Moonlight

Day Three: Wednesday

When Freed woke the next day, he wasn't surprised to find he didn't suddenly like Gajeel Redfox. The last few days of pointless antagonism and ridiculous challenges didn't slip his mind, and the stalemate between them was as tenuous as it could possibly be. This was what he expected; a weak apology after an argument was hardly going to fix everything that had happened between them in such a short time, and the overwhelming dislike they held from each other. That wasn't how emotions worked, and it certainly wasn't how Freed worked as a person.

Though, the multiple blow-ups that Freed had indulged in were hardly how he acted either. Maybe Gajeel had knocked him off kilter more than he thought.

The rest of the last night had been awkward; perhaps the most awkward situation they had been in yet. At least before, they'd had their anger and resentment to focus on, but their conversation seemed to take that away. For the rest of the night, they were two men who had a lot of issues and no way to voice them, healthily or otherwise.

A few times, Freed had considered apologising. Then, he told himself that he had nothing to apologise for, and that Gajeel was the one in the wrong. That left him with a sickly feeling in his stomach, because he knew it wasn't entirely true.

Dammit. Freed wasn't particularly fond of emotional exploration, and Gajeel had somehow forced it on him.

"I know yer awake," Gajeel grumbled, voice more sleepy than angry. Freed opened his eyes slowly to see the sun in its mid-morning state - it still annoyed him slightly that Gajeel was an early riser while Freed was fond of sleeping in - and Gajeel sitting by a fire. "I made you breakfast."

With a little frown, Freed sat up as he blinked away the sleep. He had been doing all of their cooking since they had arrived, partially because Gajeel wanted to test him and partially because Gajeel clearly liked what Freed could do with fish. This was one of the aspects of the week Freed had actually liked, as cooking in multiple situations with limited resources was something he found oddly fun. Still, he wouldn't complain if Gajeel was going to take over the chore in some kind of peace offering. He looked at the breakfast offered to him and scrunched his face in confusion.

He had made toast. Had he made bread somehow? No, that was ridiculous.

"It ain't poisoned," Gajeel continued speaking. "I ain't pissed on it or anything."

"That didn't once cross my mind," Freed croaked a little as he spoke. "I was confused as to where you got the bread from."

"There's a village with a bakery half an hour's walk away, stopped by and got some supplies," Gajeel shrugged, and Freed frowned. Surely that went against the entire point of this survivalist retreat. Gajeel seemed to preempt the question. "The whole living off the forest thing was because I didn't think you could handle it. Sounds petty when I say it out loud," He chuckled. "But a mage can't stay in a hotel - I thought that's what you were doin' - so I wanted to make sure you could handle yerself. You can, so no point in eating fish again when we don't have to."

Oh, that was shockingly mature. Both the admission and the reasoning for stopping the survivalist aspects of the training. Perhaps Gajeel had more emotional maturity than Freed was giving him credit for.

Perhaps it was his time to make an effort too.

"That's reasonable," Freed agreed, taking the toast before speaking again. The next sentence he had to force out before annoyance at Gajeel filled him again. "I must admit, if we're being honest with one another, I have found your exercise to be rather genius. I'm quite impressed."

Oh, he actually meant that. That was unexpected.

"Genius?" Gajeel scoffed. "You makin' fun of me?"

"Not at all," Freed corrected, because if he actually did think Gajeel was impressive then he wasn't going to recant on his words. "The fact you've essentially made a gymnasium out of things you can find in a forest is impressive itself. It allows for the benefits of specific exercise, while also lowering the limitations. You could learn to swim in a pool, for example, but learning in a lake adds the complications of pond life, temperature, shorelines and distractions. You could weight train with barbells, but doing it with the tree trunk means you're ready to lift things that aren't meant to be lifted and will offer less support," He took another bite of the toast. "You've essentially replaced the comfort of a gym with the practical requirements of a mission environment. It's quite impressive."

"Oh, shit," Gajeel grumbled a little, and looked away. "Thanks."

"There's also your intention to push my limits," Freed saw Gajeel tense just a little. "If I were the type of man you wanted me to be, I expect this would have been torturous. So not only did you make a practical training environment, you found a way to do it while also making me uncomfortable as you could," He smirked a little. "You're smarter than you look, Gajeel."

"Can't tell if yer complementin' me or not."

"I am, if a little backhandedly," Freed commented, and Gajeel hummed a little.

They sat beside one another for a short while, and Gajeel wordlessly handed Freed a small metal mug filled with coffee. It wasn't the type of bean that Freed would have chosen for himself, but there was a certain satisfaction in the burn on his tongue. He also normally would have added some milk, but this particular roast didn't seem to need it. He would have to look into it.

When their breakfasts had been finished, neither man spoke for a few minutes more. Freed still expected Gajeel to have some sort of challenge or task ready for him as he had the previous two days. Eventually, once the quiet had begun to unnerve him, he spoke again.

"Other than the fight, what have we planned today?"

"Kinda thought that was all we needed," Gajeel shrugged, not looking towards Freed as he kicked dirt onto the fire to extinguish it. "Maybe we could go back before it gets dark? I dunno."

"Right," Freed was speaking quietly. Something was clearly wrong with Gajeel. "If you wish."

"Ain't got anything else planned," Gajeel stood as the fire burned away.

"Right," Freed repeated, disbelieving. Had he hurt Gajeel's feelings? That didn't make him particularly good. It didn't make him feel guilty, exactly, but it wasn't great. "I'd like to stay until the evening at least. Maybe returning to Magnolia at night would be good for us both; I don't typically travel at night so perhaps it will help broaden my horizons."

"If you want," Gajeel still wasn't looking at him.

"So, if we've got most of the day with nothing to do, perhaps we should go with what you planned originally," Freed suggested, and Gajeel glanced towards him for a moment. He looked away quickly. "I expect it would be equal parts humiliating and exhausting."

"Oh yeah," Gajeel chuckled a little. "You would've cried."

"Would I?" Freed challenged. "Maybe you should prove it."

"Maybe I should."

When they looked at each other again, they both wore the familiar edge of challenge in their eyes, but this time the reasoning behind it was different. Not kind, not friendly, but not hateful either. An odd middle ground, one that they could work with.

——

"On the count of three, we fight," Gajeel stated, and Freed gave a nod.

It was evening now, with the moon high in the sky and the stars illuminated the darkness. As they had for the last three days, Freed's muscles ached from a day of physical activity and a variety of challenges. Today, though, had been a little different. While the challenges were clearly designed to prey on Freed's supposed weaknesses, Gajeel approached them with an attitude almost teacherly in his helpfulness. An entirely reluctant teacher who had lost all enthusiasm for his job, but a teacher nonetheless.

They had made camouflage for themselves, which consisted of covering their exposed skin in mud and leaves. Freed suspected that if they'd done it the day before, Gajeel would have sat back and watched with Freed amusement. Instead, he showed Freed what to do, and led by example.

Next, they'd made a boat out of dead wood, originally to highlight the lack of practical skills Gajeel thought Freed had. But under Gajeel's tutelage - he'd done this many times before meeting Pantherlilly, so was proficient at it - they managed to make a working raft.

After that, Gajeel had lifted the no magic rule. He thought that, for their fight, they should know their opponent. They had taken turns showing off their magic, using it against a tree. Freed had been pleasantly surprised by the range of spells that Gajeel possessed. He had thought the man could only turn his body to iron, so to see what he was capable of was enlightening.

Honestly, it has been a good day. Maybe the other days would have been good if they hadn't been determined to hate one another.

"Three," Gajeel said, voice low. "Two. One."

They both lurched forward, Gajeel with iron crawling up his arms to replace his skin and Freed with runes spiralling down his sword. They were both fully dressed in their normal clothes - their coats had been essentially abandoned on the first day, so the extra weight was a little unfamiliar - so that they could battle in the same conditions they would in a mission environment. Now that he had a glimmer of objectivity, Freed could admit that Gajeel really had thought this out well. Tactically, he was bordering on genius.

An extended fist cast in iron shot towards Freed, and he pushed his sword to parry it. He was knocked back, but managed to stay on his feet. With a muttered spell, the runes swirling around him shot forward, plastering themselves onto Gajeel's metal skin.

The yelling of pain was cathartic, and Frees watched with a grin as Gajeel recoiled.

Still, Gajeel clearly wasn't the type to let some pain runes stop his stubbornness. He gritted his teeth and lurched forward, arm mutating into a blade of black steel. The magic used to cast the spell must have overwhelmed the pain runes, as they shattered on his skin, and Freed cussed under his breath. Dragon Slayer magic was inherently powerful, so simply plastering the man with runes until he could no longer stand wouldn't be enough.

Gajeel ran forward with his sword arm extended, and swung for Freed's gut. Freed lowered his sword to protect himself, and saw that Gajeel's sword arm wasn't as sharp as it could have been. More a baton than a blade.

How considerate.

For a while, all they could do was parry one another. Freed needed to reevaluate his strategy while Gajeel needed to build up to something more powerful. Freed was a better swordsman, and until Gajeel had enough energy to use his ranged spells, they were at a stalemate.

Metal beat against metal as they battled, cutting through the relative silence of the forest. The moonlight and the stars illuminated the battle, dancing off the nearly stilled lake they had chosen to fight beside. Were there any wildlife nearby, they had decided to scarper away, no doubt sensing the overwhelming magical energy emanating from the two fighting men.

Freed's sword met Gajeel's, and the sparks that flew made both men wince and recoil a little. They both jumped back a few steps, panting and taking a moment to recover.

"Sword ain't just a prop, huh?" Gajeel huffed. "If my skin wasn't iron, you would've got a few cuts in."

"And if you hadn't dulled your arm perhaps you might have to."

"Couldn't risk cutting yer perfect skin," Gajeel taunted, but it didn't feel as cruel as his other comments had been intended to be. "Basically all you've got, isn't it?"

"We'll see," Freed retorted.

With a sweeping motion of his sword, Freed quick-casted a perimeter of runes around them. They implanted themselves in the dirt before glowing bright and magical. Walls shot upwards and the effect took place, lifting both of them off the air as the effect of gravity lessened. Gajeel seemed taken aback, stumbling in the air that lifted him and looking for something to latch onto. He found nothing, and Freed smirked a little.

Freed cast his own wings to counteract the gravity spell. Runes now flying around him, he forced his magic outwards and sent tendrils of power towards his opponent. Normally this combination of spells would have been too taxing, but three days without had given him an excess of power.

Iron cut through his runes, and Gajeel's extended fist slammed into Freed's face in a vicious punch.

Dazed, it took him a moment to see what had happened. With his left hand, Gajeel had made multiple strands of iron and buried them into the ground, allowing himself to be anchored in place. He had pulled himself down so that he was on the ground again, albeit a little unsteady on his feet. With this stability, he was able to essentially make Freed's gravity rune useless.

A metal hand wrapped tightly around Freed's neck, and pushed him into one of the large trees in the rune perimeter. Freed gasped a little, his throat being crushed as Gajeel pushed forward. Even knowing the man would stop before seriously injuring him, Freed began to panic. A tingling of brimstone rose over his skin.

Instantly, he cast a spell. The reversal of the gravity spell, that doubled the pressure rather than halved it. They were both flung to the ground, and Gajeel's extended arm retreated to prop him up.

Both men struggled to keep themselves from collapsing, and Freed felt the magic flowing through him. Powerful and relentless, he quickly tried to utilise it. Tentacles of runic streams shot forward, all meant to hurt their target. They wrapped around Gajeel's arms, legs and neck, burning into him and making him yell in pain.

Scales formed on Freed's arm, but he didn't notice.

"Iron Dragon's Roar!" Gajeel yelled over the pain runes, and a flurry of magic filled the space between them.

The spell hit Freed like a truck. The dominating burn of powerful magic hit him, the pain tripled by the barrage of metallic shrapnel cutting away at his skin. A dragon slayer's roar was an experience that Freed had so far avoided - when he trained with Laxus, the other man refused to use the spell for fear of hurting his teammates - and the unfamiliar sensation was hellish. He was knocked off his feet, flung backwards and pinned against the wall of runes by Gajeel's magic. He knew he was yelling in pain, but couldn't hear himself.

Seeing it as his only next step, Freed cut the gravity runes entirely. For a moment he was forced back further by Gajeel's roar, and he yelled in pain as his back cracked against a fallen log. At least the change of gravity had thrown Gajeel off balance, as his roar cut through the trees, and into the sky, parting the clouds.

Brimstone. Fire. Darkness. They all coursed through Freed's veins.

He didn't notice it, though. The pain from the spell and subsequent fall was all-consuming, meaning the mutation of the skin on his right arm turning to scales went unnoticed, as did the burning in his throat.

Gajeel, apparently less affected by the fight than Freed, was on his feet and running towards Freed quickly. He had turned his arm to the sword again, and Freed could see he was grinning through red tinted eyes. Gajeel clearly thought that this fight was already finished, and Freed felt a rush of anger flow through him.

He would not lose a fight to Gajeel Redfox.

He would not lose a fight to a man who had tried to humiliate him.

He would not lose a fight to a man who had disrespected him.

He would not lose a fight to a man so inferior to him that he shouldn't be breathing the same fucking air to him!

Oh. It was too late, wasn't it.

Without control of his body, Freed raised his arm. It had been fully transformed into it's demonic counterpart, and Freed could only watch as magic crackled and formed at the end of his claw. He couldn't stop it now, it was too late for that. His attention had slipped, and Gajeel's parting of the clouds had allowed for direct moonlight to hit him, strengthening the demon inside of him enough for a minor takeover,

A beam of concentrated darkness flew from his claw, hitting Gajeel directly. The spell was an amalgam of every rune Freed had: pain, torment, trauma, paralysis, unconsciousness, poison. In a word, the spell was hell.

It hit Gajeel right in the heart, and Freed watched with wide eyes.

The ensuing scream sent a chill through him.

Gajeel flew backwards, and Freed watched as his eyes closed and he was knocked out. With heavy breaths, Freed forced his arm upwards and shot as much magic through his claw as he could. It was a foreign and horrible sensation, turning his runic magic into darkness, but he needed to do it. He was burning through all the magic that the demon had taken from him, exhausting himself to the point where the demon's influence would have to die out. The magic ripped away at him, and the claw began to shrivel.

The exhaustion hit him in waves, and his bones felt like they might break. He panted and heaved, nausea hitting him as he closed his eyes. It was only when he heard a loud, echoing splash that he forced his eyes open again.

Gajeel was in the lake, unconscious and with his energy sapped from him.

With as much energy as he could muster, Freed ran towards the lake and dove in. The cold hit him and woke him slightly, and he pushed on to swim towards where Gajeel had landed. The ripples were still breaking the surface, acting like a beacon for Freed to find him. He pushed on despite his aching arms, gritting his teeth as the creeping of brimstone ran over the back of his exposed neck.

Gajeel wasn't floating. He was sinking. Ignoring the demon fighting for his body, Freed submerged himself in the water and began to swim down. He saw Gajeel's body and quickly hooked his arms around the man's chest. He was limp, and Freed was quickly pulling him to the surface.

Dragging him to the shore was hellish. His body screamed in protest, but he kept going until they were on the rocks that bordered the lake. Freed wanted nothing more than to lie down and let his exhaustion take over, and he very

Gajeel was still unconscious.

Putting him on his back with his head tilted back slightly, Freed pinched Gajeel's nose and brought his mouth to Gajeel's. He breathed in heavily, forcing air into the man's lungs as best he could. He alternated between that and chest compressions, arms still burning as he forced his hands on the other man's chest.

Eventually, Gajeel spluttered out and spat water towards the side. He coughed and groaned, throat hoarse and eyes unblinking. Freed wanted to explain, or at least to help Gajeel further with his recovery, but felt exhaustion overtake him. He quickly wrote a rune to heat and protect them, before his eyes fluttered shut.

——

"You lost control, didn't ya?"

Gajeel's words cut through the silence of the train ride to Magnolia. From the moment Freed had woken up half an hour ago, their conversation had been limited. They had discussed if they were both healthy and uninjured (they were, more or less) and how they should get home in their exhausted state. Freed had teleported them both to the train station, and runed their carriage so Gajeel wouldn't be overly affected by his motion sickness. That had been it for conversation.

Freed had hoped to keep it that way. His relationship with Gajeel was tense enough before he attacked and nearly killed him, he now expected a verbal and perhaps physical assault from the other man now. He would have deserved it as well. But Gajeel had said nothing, as if he didn't have the energy to be angry,

"Excuse me?" Freed asked, pretending as if Gajeel wasn't entirely right.

"You didn't mean to do that spell, probably didn't mean to transform yer arm either, did ya?" Gajeel shrugged, as if the statement was both uninteresting and unimportant. When Freed said nothing, he continued. "You looked scared. Scared of yerself when you hit me with the spell, and scared for me when you resuscitated me."

"I didn't want to see you injured," Freed brushed off, Gajeel did not need to know about this. "Perfectly rational."

"If you didn't wanna injure me then you wouldn't have used the spell," Gajeel shrugged, looking at Freed as Freed looked out the window. "I deserve to know what happened, City-Boy."

Freed wanted to scoff, but perhaps Gajeel was right.

"No, I didn't intend to use the spell on you," Freed admitted, watching as the night rolled past them. "You have my apologies."

He wouldn't meet the man's eyes, because he didn't need to dammit. Gajeel had spent the last three days - well, two days, since he'd changed his mood today - tormenting Freed in whatever way he could. The entire point of this exercise had been to make Freed feel small, and pathetic; well, maybe not. He could have been crueler, and he did seem to have a flimsy reasoning behind everything he had done. Either way, Freed using a single spell on him didn't suddenly make them best friends, and it certainly wasn't enough to make Freed forget what had happened throughout the week.

Frankly, perhaps Gajeel deserved it. He might have deserved to be left in the lake!

Gods.

The realisation hit Freed with force. The attempts by his demon to possess him brought a lot of anxieties up to the surface, mainly about the possibility of losing control of his body. It was a valid concern - the demon would kill everything in its way if in control - but often made him forget about the smaller repercussions of his demon's growing power.

It wasn't just physical, the demon's effect was emotional. While it grew in power, it's cruelty infected the mood of him and everyone around him. It was why he had exploded at Gajeel so many times, and perhaps the reason Gajeel was hell-bent on making this horrid for him.

Dammit, he should have known this. He should have told Gajeel that this might happen!

"I can almost hear ya thinkin'," Gajeel commented. "And I know I ain't been fair in ya, but I don't think yer some kid without restraint. So you wanna explain what happened?"

Maybe he did owe Gajeel that.

It was comical really. Now he knew his demon was to blame for his foul mood, he suddenly saw how ridiculous it all was. Gods, how hadn't he realised it before.

"My demonic take-over isn't exactly like that of the Strauss'," Freed sighed, looking towards Gajeel again. "Rather than being born with a demonic alter-ego, like Mirajane, I have a living demon inside of my soul. Technically speaking, I'm being possessed at all times, I simply have the right magic to stop it from taking over."

"Oh," Gajeel grunted, because he clearly couldn't think of anything else to say. Freed expected that, most people didn't know how to react when they were told a demon could overthrow the man next to them. "Shit."

"It is," Freed agreed. "Typically it isn't an issue. It gets stronger around the full moon, and around the shortest day of the year. When they happen to coincide, it's power grows and incidents like that happen. I should have warned you, I'm sorry."

Gajeel didn't say anything. He looked Freed up and down, clearly worried. Freed understood that.

"It won't happen again," He assured, though it wasn't exactly a promise he could keep,

"You really got a demon living in you?" He asked, and Freed nodded slightly. "How the hell did that happen?" They weren't there yet. Freed tensed a little, and Gajeel seemed to know that was a limit not to push. "You gonna be okay to keep going with this? I know I was trying to push you around but if we need to call it in, I don't think Makarov's gonna be too bothered."

"It should be fine," Freed said firmly. "It only happened tonight because I lost concentration. I won't allow that to happen again."

He wouldn't. The demon was not going to control him, nor his life.

"Well, now I know what to do if it happens again," Gajeel said, and he was smirking now. Not a condescending one, nor particularly cocky. It was to break the tension. "So if yer voice gets all creepy and yer eye all glowing, I'll knock yer ass right out before y' can blink."

"You have my eternal thanks," Freed drolled.

"These runes are fucking amazing y'know," Gajeel turned the conversation away. "Ya think you'd be able to teach the bookworm how to cast 'em. Don't think I'm gonna get on a train without 'em anymore. Finally understand why people find it relaxing."

"I don't expect so," Freed chuckled a little. "They're more complex than you'd think. Levy might not be prepared for a spell like it just yet."

"Say that to her and I think she'd hit ya," Gajeel laughed. "But if that's the case, then I might have to kidnap ya for my next mission. Ain't a problem right?"

"Well, if you're being so kind as to offer to knock me out, then I suppose I owe you," Freed smiled a little.

"Damn right ya do," Gajeel grinned right at him, sharp teeth so clearly visible. "Especially after the fun couple days we just had."

For the first time, the two men shared a laugh together.

[roidesrosette]

Blood donation? Blood donation.

God bless @narekashi​ for coming up with this genius name and enabling me to do this, i dont blame you thou i have a lot of fun

Yes, it’s me with another of my (mayhaps) contentless OC, please enjoy while it last– Jkjk, I’ll try to throw more content of her on here instead of Discord next time :’)

BLOOD DONATION:  Salvie/Salva/Sal, short for Salvatore

Age: ??? Gender: Salvie doesn’t like to define herself as anything  Birthday: 6/24  Height: 160cm  Status: Got revived as a vampire 

PHYSICAL  Appearance: Black hair usually tied in a ponytail, red eyes, sharp teeth, a constant “you dare challenge your god?” mocking expression (but doesn’t have the intention) 

Accessories: Poker case set, saber and gun

SOCIAL  Affiliation: On her own Occupation: Salvie runs a casino and is involved in a mafia Relationships:

Count: First met him when she was “adopted” by the bunch of vampires. He was offering to give them residence, but they all turned him down. Met him again when she was touring the world alone and made him an acquaintance, they became really good friends after that.

Leonardo: Met him when she was touring in Italy with Count. He kept treating her like a small child (still do), and they would drag each other like how he and Count would. He likes messing up her hair, she likes stepping on him when he’s asleep. Also a pair of good friends.

Arthur: Arthur was interested in Salvie and find her dominating personality challenging, but he knew well enough not to lay a finger on her. You just don’t simply go against someone who could lop off your head and had associations with the mafia. On the other hand thou, they were drinking buddies, and sometimes Salvie would pick up girls with him. They gamble a lot together too.

Dazai: They have an odd relationship. It might be because they’re somehow similar in a way, they know what line not to cross. They just have this weird bond that no one can put a finger to determine what it is.

Isaac: They don’t really talk much, she only knows he really likes apple from what she heard from Dazai, but that’s probably a lie…

Theodorous: God how Salvie loves to tease and sass him. Much like Leo, they would banter every time they met, but Theo always ends up leaving, flustered. He was too young compared to her, maybe a couple more years and his bantering skills might improve. They weren’t really on good terms, especially with how Salvie was involved with Shakespeare and the goddamn mafia, plus how close she and Vincent is.

Vincent: Pure, innocent baby boy. “I’ve only met Vincent for 15 seconds and if anyone hurts him I’ll kill everyone in this room and then myself.” Absolutely adores him and prefers him over Theo. Salvie admires how innocent he was, and that nature of him would always make her worry about him. She will also give him everything he wants or needs, just to see him smile.

Sebastian: When Count first brought him to the world, she was intrigued by the human who managed to charm him. So she would frequently visit just to see how Sebas works… Until he starts digging her information. She knew his passion well and understood that, but she would prefer if Sebas exclude her from his mysterious notebook.  

Napoleon: Salvie was very interested in him, being a demi-vampire, but she does not question him about it. If he isn’t willing to say, then she had no reason to pry. Along with Jeanne, the three of them practiced sword fights from time to time. Salvie would always be fascinated by both of their skills. You could say that their relationship is quite well.

Mozart: Salvie does not talk much with Mozart, but lowkey likes his performance. She would always attend a ball or an activity if Mozart is the one playing the piano. Salvie also finds his prickly attitude fun to tease, but would rather see Arthur tease him. They would only exchange words when it comes to music and that’s it.

Jeanne: Aside from sparring with him, Salvie also supplies weapons to him. She doesn’t question why, as that was the nature of her business. She couldn’t refuse too, since business is business, and he was a resident of Count’s, which she promised the dad before that she would sponsor his residents too, because he was a friend of hers.

Shakespeare: Basically (kinda) love at first sight. Both of them were born with chaos in them, and so they attract each other. She did not meet him when he became the first resident of Count, but she did hear about it. She met him in a ball. It’s a long ass story how they get together but yeah, these two dumbasses are doing fine and dandy as a couple, have their banters and bickers sometimes but all is well. Unless….?

Paired with: William Shakespeare (Maybe…?)  

PERSONALITY 

Likes: Gambling, attending balls (especially masquerade balls), hunting, going off adventures with her beloved horse, sword fight, overly sweet stuff  

Dislikes: Following a schedule/orders, getting treated like a feeble maiden/young child, proper meal, proper sleep  

Strength: She’s superb at gambling and swinging her sword, mediocre at drinking, she aced in “not giving a shit” 

Weakness: Hides her feelings a lot, tends to distance herself from people who know her to a certain degree, can’t sleep in peace ever

Personality: Let’s just start with: Salvie is chaotic. Very chaotic. Even the name “Salvatore” already tells you she spells trouble. She doesn’t like being bound by rules, schedules or anyone’s orders, she’s a free soul who decides every step. However, she isn’t reckless, each action she took is calculated and rationally think through, as she does not wish to take a step she regrets. That careful and meticulous approach made her seem wise–despite how young she looks–mature even. Well, but sometimes Salvie could be bratty too, since “her adorable looks is the biggest fraud” (quoted from Leo). She also has a bold personality, and that results in her sassing the great men fearlessly, yet that doesn’t mean she doesn’t respect them, in fact, it’s the opposite. She looked up to them greatly, as they were awesome enough to get their name engraved in history.  

Her biggest charm is definitely her carefree attitude. She’s just, y’know, damn chill. Salvie doesn’t have a care towards anything, therefore her pronouns and attire choices. Although her easy-going characteristics is an appeal, it’s sometimes a flaw as well. It made it difficult to get along with her as the specifics about her is unclear. Since she was so chill with everything, it’s certainly hard to pin down what are her favourites and stuff. Contradictorily, that light-hearted manner doesn’t apply to people. She unintentionally looks after people, even if she doesn’t want to care, she would still unknowingly do something for them, like leaving them a cup of tea on the table every morning. 

On the other hand though, kinda like Dazai, Salvie’s breezy and free demeanor makes it hard to grasp her true character, not mentioning the fact that she tends to sweep everything under the rug. She has a way with words that always, somehow, avoid the topic about herself, and that made her mysterious in a way. She was very quiet of her thoughts, especially things on her mind, rarely talking about her problems. She would tend to fend off questions about that with a gentle reassuring smile and a wispy attitude, as she disliked someone poking into her problems (and of course because she didn’t want to seem weak). 

HISTORY 

Backstory: Salvie was not recorded at any point in history, yet she was revived. She did not know why and did not question so. When she was first revived, she did not remember anything except her name. Dozens of questions were in her mind, yet there was no one to answer her. For what feels like an eternity, she wandered on the streets aimlessly until she met her kind. They were strong, independent, and raised her as if she was a newborn. Well, she was, kinda. The days gradually passed, and she too, came to understand that she had been reborn into a person–no, an immortal with unrestrained freedom, with unlimited time (not really, but you get the idea). As soon as she came to that conclusion, she bid goodbye to her friends, (guardians maybe?) and took a flight to achieve her dreams–to live how she wanted in her previous life. 

Family: Salvie doesn’t remember (or rather, it was insignificant to her) her family in her previous life. She only recognized the group of vampires that took her in as her guardians. 

Other history: How Salvie was involved in the mafia is… Well, chaotic. She was supposed to be on the tour with Count to Italy, to visit his long lost friend Leonardo, but along the way she somehow stumbled into an illegal gambling den, challenged the don (with very extreme conditions), defeated the don and accidentally become the new don of the mafia. After going through all the messy procedures, the news about a new mafia boss named  “Lord Salvatore” quickly spread through Italy. His nature was depicted as cruel and ruthless as he gets anything he wants, and no one stands in his way. Yet what’s weird was that the “Salvatore Family” was rumored to be civilized and noble, as they were ordered that no blood should be drawn unless it was required to. You can imagine the horror on Leo and Count’s face when they heard about this, and the compliments from her guardians. 

TRIVIA

Special abilities: None. (Her face as an instrument of deception)  Pet(s): A white horse named Vlad. Hobby: When she isn’t gambling or drinking, she will be out doing mafia business or just wandering somewhere else  Secret(s): Had a past lover who she later recalled and somehow disliked that shares the same name with her horse (which she then became devastated knowing that she named her horse after her past lover)  Habits: When she’s stressed or troubled, she will smoke from a pipe 

[incvndescvnt]

⋆ ◦ ° ☾ aubrey joseph + cis male + he/him — have you seen ignatius ‘nate’ caito? they sure have been hanging out at raceway a lot recently. they are a twenty-one year old known as the thrill seeker, and they currently work for the savages as a race driver, which they’ve been doing for six months. a bisexual sagittarius, they are alluring + bright, as well as audacious + sardonic. smoke in the air, no speed limits, sketch books.

hello, hello ! i’m bea and i’m super excited to be here. i’ve had a few busy days, but i’m finally bringing this messy boy to all of you. i would love to plot with everyone and get some pre-established connections for him, so if you’re interested hmu ! if you’d rather talk on discord i’m a culpa é do cabr*l#9208.

i. stats !

FULL NAME: ignatius noah caito

NICKNAMES: nate, iggy, nate, jr.

DATE OF BIRTH / AGE: december 2nd / twenty-one.

ZODIAC SIGN: sagittarius.

HOMETOWN: valdez, co.

ALIGNMENT: chaotic neutral.

MBTI: estp.

ENNEAGRAM: type 8.

TEMPERAMENT: choleric-sanguine.

AFFILIATION / POSITION: savages / race driver.

ii. background !

ignatius is the son of balthazar caito, leader of the savages, and natalia woods, a civilian with a family filled with cobras. it wasn’t exactly a relationship, but more a series of encounters best kept secret, which is why before she even started showing, natalia left valdez under the pretext of a job opportunity elsewhere. about a year and a half later, she dropped nate with balthazar at the caito mansion.

his childhood wasn’t exactly the most conventional, if you consider he was surrounded by gang members, but it worked well for him. he had always known his family was different, but it wasn’t until he was around ten that he truly understood who his father was. he had always looked up to his father, and this certainly didn’t change anything.

he grew up as a troublemaker, getting mixed into things he shouldn’t and more interested in his father’s doings each day. school wasn’t a priority, but he dealt with it and was bright enough not to have much trouble keeping his grades up. once he graduated, he went to college less because he wanted and more because his parents did.

what he really wanted, though, was to join the savages officially, and that happened about six months ago and he took the position of one of the savages race driver. and a damn good one. he has always enjoyed cars and speed and just about anything that can get his adrenaline going and offer high potential for injuries or death, so it worked perfectly.  

things were going well, until this past october. his father’s death took him hard, he knew the lifestyle wasn’t exactly safe, but balthazar had always been larger than life in his eyes, untouchable. to die in a hit and run, it just didn’t make sense. but more than confused he was angry, and that anger had a perfect target. for the next weeks, he mourned by getting into as many fights as he could with cobras.

he’s grown a lot more reckless and restless, which isn’t a good sign.

iii. personality !

alluring & loyal: nate is an extrovert, he enjoys being around people and he has a way to lure people in with a cocky smile and the right words, skirting on manipulative. he grew up knowing how important loyalty is in this kind of business and it has been ingrained in who he is. he would die and kill for those he holds close, especially his family.

bright & determined: he’s a smart guy, intuitive and perceptive, and is also stubborn and tenacious, once his mind is set on something, there’s no dissuading him. if he puts himself into it, he won’t stop until he gets exactly what he wants, however it happens.

audacious & impulsive: he is a cocky little shit who thinks he’s invincible and can get away with anything. he doesn’t like waiting and is a true leap before you look kind of guy. he loves anything that gets his adrenaline going, whatever makes him feel alive, maybe he just likes challenging death.

temperamental & sardonic: nate has a bit of a temper. he can be all smirks and congeniality until someone says or does something wrong and he’s all fists instead. holds a grudge like no one else too. very sarcastic and blunt, he won’t sugarcoat anything to make someone feel better.

iv. wanted connections !

childhood best friend: they were attached to the hips when they were kids, but things have changed. maybe they’re a civilian and don’t like the whole gang life nate is a part of. or maybe your muse ended up joining the cobras when they grew up and now they’re on opposite sides.

best friend: this is the ultimate bro! they would have known each other for years now, they’re best friends and everyone knows it. gimme me a bromance, guys! (maybe there could have been something else between them? maybe one drunk night something else happened?)

sibling like: someone who’s very much like an older brother/sister to him. very protective over each other and maybe someone who can get him to listen. it could be cool if they were part of the savages. or maybe they are civilians and trying to be a good influence on nate?

ex too good for him: they dated and it was clear they were two very different people. nate was already too involved with the savages way of living and your muse was the nice, law-abiding type. a true case of opposites attract. it lasted for a while, but ultimately their differences put an end to it. maybe there are still some lingering feelings, though?

toxic ex / on & off: they’re not together, but sometimes it’s hard to tell because they’re still very possessive over each other. they are not good together and it’s clear on the way they’re always on and off. everyone and their mom has told them to just put an end to this but somehow they always find themselves back in each other’s arms.

secret fling: these two act like they hardly know each other, but the minute people look away they’re all over each other. we can decide the reason to keep it a secret together. maybe could be a family thing? or a gang thing? maybe your muse has a s/o already and they’re cheating with nate?

friends with benefits: another self explanatory one. nate would most likely have multiple of these. just friends who hook up and haven’t blurred the lines between the physical and emotional connection. it’s easy in a very no-strings-attached sort of way, but it doesn’t mean they don’t care about each other as friends.

frenemies with benefits: these two cannot stand each other and are always arguing. like everyone knows that they dislike each other. but it’s like one second they’re screaming at each other and the next they’re taking off their clothes and hate sex issues. and then they’re back to hating each other and telling each other that the sex wasn’t even that great (which btw is the biggest lie)

racing rival: this could be more of a friendly rivalry where they give each other shit and try to egg each other on, but it could also be more serious (maybe even throw in some sabotage?). whichever we go with it, they’re constantly battling each other for that win.

mutual dislike / enemy: these two do not like each other and will tell that to anyone who wants to hear. the reason behind it can be discussed. maybe nate slept with their s/o? maybe it goes back to when they were kids and they don’t even remember anymore? it could be a cobra x savages? but they have probably gotten into a more than just one fight.

[algaecoma]

This started as me thinking about what I loved most about Emori and turned into Clarke shaming, Bellamy justification and Murphy appreciation, so ...

I love how the other characters love Emori’s shamelessness. How they’ve all done things that make them ashamed and how she’s there refusing to let anyone else judge her. (My thoughts on why I think Jasper and Emori would have been great friends is a subject for another time.) Spacekru needed a serious dose of self-love and allowing them to accept their shame.

Clarke does not, quite the opposite, or at least to stop feeling shame about being ashamed of herself. Which honestly I think is one of the major factors in Bellamy’s self-improvement kick. He’s letting himself feel guilty about the bad things he’s done, similar to how Murphy started doing that after Raven in the dropship in season two. Clarke stopped letting herself feel guilt, because she didn’t have anyone who knew enough to tell her ‘yeah, you’re Wanheda, but we kinda love you anyway.’

Bellamy has always forgiven Clarke too easily and honestly, Clarke has always forgiven Bellamy too easily. I very much hope it’s Raven who gets to do the ‘you messed up, we’re super pissed, but like, you’re still family’ speech.

Then again, I think Murphy would be the one Clarke would most want to.

The stories she told, Madi found that her favourite was Octavia and I think that’s because Clarke was framing Octavia as both of them. Obviously Madi was Octavia, that parallel was painfully clear, but I think Clarke is too.

She’s been protected by others her whole life, sheltered from consequences, only now there isn’t anyone to protect her and she gets reckless. What Clarke needed was a Lincoln, someone who wouldn’t protect her from other people, but would protect other people from her. Not an Indra, who wouldn’t protect her or others, but would teach her to protect herself, Clarke’s problem has never been not knowing how to protect herself.

Instead of that, Clarke got another Octavia. One who also knew how to protect herself from others and Clarke got focused on making sure Madi knew to protect others, because that was what *Clarke* was missing in that timeskip.

Madi’s recklessness comes in the service of other people. Clarke’s season 5 recklessness comes in the service of Madi. (Her earlier recklessness has always been in the service of as many as possible.)

Bellamy is reckless too, but it’s controlled. His difference is that what he was lacking was self preservation and the ability to protect others from himself. With none of the others in Spacekru needing him to protect them from an external threat, he found himself well outside his comfort zone. Bellamy still has next to no self preservation, but he’s been learning from people who people need protecting from.

None of Spacekru are willing to hurt each other, so they turn that dangerousness inwards. Bellamy has six case studies to see what works and what doesn’t. He’s something of a chameleon

Harper turns her guilt at surviving into a desire to see Spacekru survive, that works, so Bellamy turns his guilt at killing into a desire to see Spacekru survive. Monty turns his guilt over not saving Jasper into a desire to look after Spacekru, that works, so Bellamy turns his guilt at not saving Clarke into a desire to see Spacekru survive. Raven throws herself into her work, that doesn’t work, so Bellamy takes time to rest. Emori throws herself into learning a new skill, that works, so Bellamy does the same.

And then, because he’s all about protecting others over himself, he tries to do something about those it hasn’t worked for. The ones isolating themselves.

He allows Raven to work, because she’s essential to getting them back to the Ground, in a sense he sees her productivity as healthier than Murphy’s laziness. Neither are great, mental health wise. Besides, Raven isn’t isolating herself, she’s got Emori, she’s just not resting. Bellamy does a bit, makes her sleep and eat and do other stuff and Raven listens to him and everyone else follows his example, so she’s kind of good, frustrated by the impossible problem, but managing. It keeps her busy, not having anything to do would leave her in the same state as Murphy.

So, Echo is throwing herself into her fight training. Maintaining a skill that won’t be useful for five years and maybe not even then. Bellamy looks at that and goes ‘uh, no, not healthy’ and joins her. Offers to show her how to use a gun, she offers to teach him how to use a sword, they wrestle a lot ... Bellamy makes sure to include her and eventually one of the others (I suspect Harper was the first, not having a specific purpose/role) comes and joins their training sessions and she’s got some tips on fighting a stronger opponent and would like to see how they do with thrown projectiles and Echo brings out a bow and Bellamy gets hold of a baton. The others join them for their own reasons, that’s a genuine success and Bellamy just forgets about Murphy for a while?

Especially once he and Echo start sleeping together because they’re stressed, they’re hot, they’re surrounded by couples, they’re in close physical proximity, they’re wrestling, they’re pretty evenly matched, Raven doesn’t make a move for either of them, they genuinely enjoy each others company outside of just physical attraction, they appreciate what the other has done for them and for Spacekru, they need to know they can be forgiven - there’s a million reasons they got together and they both have the fear that it’s temporary, that the moment they get back to the Ground it’ll turn out the other was just with them because it was convenient. That fear has very much not turned out to be true.

Anyway, Bellamy’s basically notices Murphy’s absence. Like something reminds him Murphy exists and he’s like ‘Murphy’s been ... quiet. That’s suspicious. Murphy doesn’t do quiet.’

And he starts asking and no one knows anything more than that. Monty’s been avoiding him after the algae incident, knowing Murphy doesn’t forgive. Harper never much liked him, about their only interaction was him hitting on her as an insult back on the Ark. Echo’s only concern was that he wasn’t making trouble (as had Bellamy’s been). Raven has never had the patience for Murphy’s bullshit and she certainly doesn’t now with way more important concerns and frankly she’s tired of hearing Emori complain about him.

So Bellamy gets the story out of Emori, who he’d avoided asking because of the certainty that if Murphy was up to something she’d be his partner in crime and finds Murphy is ... lying around on the opposite side of the Ring watching TV.

Dastardly.

So Bellamy tries very hard to do the same thing he did with Echo and bring Murphy into the group. It doesn’t work, because Bellamy is improvising and has zero actual understanding of what Murphy’s problem is.

Murphy needs to eat, when Raven needed that, Bellamy made them eat together as a family. Murphy eats, but he won’t eat with them.

Murphy needs a purpose, when Harper needed that, Bellamy asked her what she was good at. Murphy is good at things, but he won’t tell Bellamy what they are.

Murphy needs people, when Echo needed that, Bellamy joined her at the thing she was already doing. Murphy sits around watching films, he tells Bellamy to float off when he tries to join him.

When we rejoin them in canon, Bellamy is at the point of assigning spending time with Murphy as a punishment and being the only one of the entire group who’s still willing to try. He tries ordering Murphy back, refusing to leave, telling him he’s not useless, telling him the others miss him, telling him he needs to train, bribery, threats, pleading -

Nothing works. Except Murphy is right there literally telling Bellamy what he needs. We see Bellamy finally get to the point where he’s so stuck for ideas he’ll go with Murphy’s suggestion. He challenges him to a fight. Puts terms on it, winner gets to decide what Murphy does. Murphy agrees to those terms, fully aware that Bellamy has always been a much better fighter than him. Plus, Bellamy’s been training with an Azgeda assassin and someone who knows all the tricks a less strong fighter can use.

Murphy doesn’t stand a chance.

Murphy knows that.

Murphy is essentially asking to be forced to do the thing he wants to do.

Now the reason I think Murphy is the one Clarke most needs a pep talk from is because he understands completely. He’s remarkably good at empathy, see Ontari and Jaha for examples of when that goes badly for him and Indra and Pike for examples of when that goes well. (Major problem is that he understands and empathises with those that hate him and after his mother has trouble believing those that love him aren’t going to change their minds. Emori’s unconditional love is the cure to that one.)

So, Murphy gets it. He knows exactly how easy it is to cut off from the guilt and just be the monster. It’s what he did on the Ark. It’s what he did under Bellamy’s command. It’s what he did after Bellamy betrayed him and he was tortured.

What it took to knock him out of it was Raven. Her complete lack of sympathy, her demand that he stop feeling sorry for himself, her refusal to say that the bad things he’d done were allowed because bad things had been done to him. And he listened and he acted on that and she saw he had worked hard and he apologised and she told him that it wasn’t the apology that made her forgive him.

I don’t think Raven can do the same for Clarke. Not this time. She’s already forgiven Clarke. Because Clarke saved Shaw, because Clarke was willing to give her life for Spacekru, because Clarke remembered her family was bigger than just Madi, because Raven failed to find a way back to the Ground, because Raven failed to save Eden, because Monty and Harper died to find an alternative.

Raven needs her own damn pep talk.

Murphy as family therapist sounds absurd, but ... it’s useful. Corrupting Jordan just enough his innocence doesn’t get them killed. Hating Bellamy just enough his love doesn’t get them killed. Loving Emori just enough her ruthlessness doesn’t get them killed. Believing in Raven just enough Raven’s fear of failure doesn’t get them killed. Amusing Madi just enough her loss of childhood doesn’t get them killed. Challenging Echo just enough her confidence doesn’t get them killed.

Shaming Clarke just enough her arrogance doesn’t get them killed.

And I think Monty knew that, why Murphy was the one he mentioned to them. It wasn’t just Jordan he was asking them to take care of, those two who love far too much, far too hard, far too easily. He was telling them to take care of Murphy, too.

So that Murphy could take care of them.

[coolseanobuseng]

New Post has been published on https://legitlover.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-overcoming-myths-about-men/

Everything You Need To Know About Overcoming Myths About Men

This article about everything you need to know about overcoming myths about men won’t disappoint.

Have you ever found yourself making the same mistake over and over simply because you didn’t know any better at the time?

We’re all human’s from time to time we unintentionally make the occasional blunder due to a bunch of mistaken assumptions running in the back of our mind.

These false beliefs keep us blissfully unaware that our ill-informed decisions will actually lead us to disaster!

And you know what? This isn’t a bad thing in itself because learning from our mistakes adds to our body of knowledge. However, wouldn’t you want to AVOID making these boo-boos if you COULD?

This is why you need to UNLEARN any incorrect notions that could cloud your better judgment.

Sometimes, it just takes another pair of eyes to identify the mindsets that could drive you towards perfectly preventable mistakes. Gain some fresh insight by going here:

https://www.meetysweet.com – Everything you need to know about overcoming myths about men.

How many times have you gotten into a situation that yielded bad results? Because you had the wrong ideas in mind?

Certain perceptions of men can mess up your chances of having a great relationship with them. When we assume given things about the opposite sex, your actions could PREVENT the relationship from going in a healthy direction.

Everything you need to know about overcoming myths about men.

Thus, let’s take a look at a couple of the most common myths about men which you need to steer clear of:

#1: Guys are into “low maintenance” women.

Actually, this wouldn’t be a problem if the term “low maintenance” wasn’t misconstrued in the first place. Oftentimes, when some misguided women hear this adjective, they equate it to having no opinion of their own. And being a complete PUSHOVER.

This attitude reminds me of the 1950’s housewife archetype often portrayed in TV sitcoms of the same era.

You know what I’m talking about: Sugary-sweet on the outside, but brimming with unspoken emotions on the inside.

She’s the one who’s afraid to mess up a perfectly good relationship by speaking up too much. This is the kind of girl who has regrettably shut off her ability to express her feelings in a healthy way.

Sadly, this glaring misconception is unconsciously driving many women to behave in a very NEEDY way. In the back of their minds, they take the idea of being low-maintenance to such an EXTREME. That they’ve become a mere shadow of their former selves.

Being ‘low maintenance’ in the truest sense of the word is defined by REALISTIC qualities.

This is a well-adjusted, reasonable person who doesn’t throw a fit when her partner unwittingly makes the occasional offhand remark.

(And I emphasize ‘OCCASIONAL’, as opposed to ‘habitually’, but anyway’)

This is also the kind of girl who can properly manage her feelings MOST of the time. And keeps emotional meltdowns to a reasonable minimum. When it comes to mood swings, low maintenance women don’t often have these and only under the most stressful of circumstances.

All in all, this is an ideal picture of what low maintenance is all about.

Therefore, it’s NOT about being so laid-back to the point where you’re frazzled and out of breath from trying to please a guy’s every whim’ ‘or even TOLERATE selfishness.

And being low maintenance is definitely a far cry from transforming into a disturbingly submissive version of yourself.

Remember, there’s a difference between a cool girl that doesn’t get upset over the little things’

‘and the emotional SLAVE who doesn’t have any purpose aside from sacrificing her dignity and independence in the name of ‘love’.

The mentality you should have is that a relationship is NOT the only thing you have going for you.

If you would make a map of your life right now, would you say it’s dominated by huge chunks of land exclusively reserved for a boyfriend?

Or does this map have equally allocated areas meant for your family, friends, career and hobbies?

Even though we’re always talking about how to get into a good, healthy relationship, you have to understand that this is only ONE PART of your multi-faceted self.

The SUM of your pursuits in life defines who you are.

If you build your universe around whether you’re single or not, your resulting actions will create a very unattractive impression of neediness.

You wouldn’t want anyone to believe that having a boyfriend is the ONLY thing that motivates you in life, right? You know you’re TOO GOOD to act like that.

Don’t get me wrong ‘ it’s WONDERFUL to have a partner who adores and respects you. That crazy rush you feel when you fall in love can greatly inspire you. To great things in the other areas of your life.

However, my point is that you should still retain a good sense of PERSPECTIVE when you *do* get into a relationship. What that means is that you’d be just as fine even if you didn’t have a boyfriend at the moment.

Life was just as fine before you met him, and may certainly leave if you’re not being treated the way you should be.

Of course, I don’t mean this in an arrogant way nor am I suggesting that our partners should be the pushovers instead!

Please leave the comfort zone of your relationship if it isn’t helping your personal growth.

Also, in no way should you cover up your true feelings by waiving your right to SPEAK UP if you need to (i.e. when the terms are unfavorable).

A good relationship is always a TWO-WAY street, so don’t let the low-maintenance myth (or rather, misconception) tell you otherwise.

You may want to try these Love Texts to send to him. They’ll show you everything you need to know about overcoming myths about men.

#2: Falling in Love is Eternal Bliss Guaranteed

The other common trap women fall into is the assumption that those butterfly-in-the-stomach feelings you first get when you meet someone will remain CONSTANT in the relationship.

However, this just isn’t going to happen. Even happily married couples who’ve been together for decades know that their initial infatuation for each other evolved. Evolved into a deeper and more MATURE sense of loving.

This kind of love goes beyond the initial rush that all new couples go through. The love that’s weathered countless emotional storms, power struggles and other CHALLENGES.

The end result is a rock-solid relationship that doesn’t constantly require you to feel the heart-quickening rush found in infatuation.

But there’s no reason to panic over this fact of life. Can’t be afraid of outgrowing this primary stage in your relationship. Better things are headed your way.

Over time, the falling in love stage will eventually be replaced by something more powerful in the long run. It’s just that you’re going to go through a series of trials as a couple before you get there.

Don’t buy into the myth that loving your guy as you do now will be enough to get you through the years. Remember that neither of you are perfect; somewhere along the way, your ‘little’ differences are going to catch up to you.

(I’ve heard of couples breaking up over their brand of toothpaste, but hopefully your own relationship won’t go to that extreme!)

I’ll be honest with you here. You’re going to FIGHT tooth and nail over things like this, and you’re going to wake up and smell the coffee sooner or later. But power struggles are NORMAL after the familiarity settles in.

If you can accept the reality that love will inevitably undergo a transformation over time, then you’ll have no reason to worry about the growing pains in your relationship.

Otherwise, insisting that everything will run smoothly or take care of itself will BLIND you to speedbumps in the future.

Of course, I’m not saying you shouldn’t enjoy the moment because being HAPPY is the point of having a relationship, right?

You just have to be aware that things will change eventually. However, you can stay happy as long as you’re cool with having to deal with the reality check phase in due time.

(No need to worry your pretty little self about stuff UNTIL you have to!)

All in all, finding happiness in a man’s arms is best done by keeping a REALISTIC perspective. No matter how head over heels you may feel at a given moment.

There are a lot of impractical beliefs and notions that we women are unnecessarily exposed to in these modern times. Like it or not, picking up unrealistic perceptions of love and dating is just a TV show or DVD rental away.

In this confusing sea of misinformation, a sassy girl definitely needs to keep her wits afloat!

For the most part, whatever is read in books or see onscreen are distilled versions of life at best. It doesn’t necessarily reflect what happens in REAL situations!

So we can’t project unrealistic fantasies onto real life and NOT expect to run into problems!

The real world naturally includes the complexities of human behavior. You need to keep this in mind when considering what men want from us and what we should expect from them. Hope you enjoyed everything you need to know about overcoming myths about men.

—————————————————————————

This article comes to you courtesy of www.meetysweet.com

Are you serious about changing your love life success? The first step on your journey of self discovery needs to be with Meet Your Sweet’s Get a Guy Guide.

If you want genuine men, and not just any man, let Mirabelle Summers and the team challenge your beliefs. Yes, about love and attraction, and show you the way to become a seduction success story.

No games. No scripted lines. Real life dating advice for real women!

[bradshawsophia]

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[eryiss]

The Good Doctor - Fraxus

Summary: Laxus doesn’t like doctors. After contacting an endless amount of them to visit his sick grandfather because of a lack of money, his hatred has grown for them. Then he meets Freed, a handsome, young doctor defying all the stereotypes Laxus has come to expect. [Fraxus Victorian AU]

This is a gift for @furidojasutin who’s a great writer, RPer and overall lovely person. You can read it on Archive Of Our Own, FanFiction or under the cut. I hope you enjoy. ^.^

Chapter One - Meeting 

“Are you sure you don’t wish for me to walk you home, Evergreen?”

Adjusting and straightening out his coat, Freed placed his hand on the cool metal door handle. He was looking over his shoulder to his receptionist, who was returning the typewriter back into its case. The woman looked up with a grin on her face, placing the expensive piece of equipment under the desk, out of harm’s way.

“Are you implying you don’t think I can walk home on my own, doctor? Because I can assure you, if anyone tried anything with me, they would be harmed more than me.” She spoke with a challenging tone, hands on her hips.

“Quite the opposite. I merely wanted to make sure that, if somewhere were to attempt anything untoward against you, that I could be there to help keep the man alive, stopping any pesky murder charges from arising.” He chuckled, opening the door. “I’m fully aware that you’re capable of looking after yourself.”

Content with the man’s reply, Evergreen shrugged on her own coat and walked from behind the desk of the doctor’s waiting area. She walked through the door that Freed held open for her, waiting patiently as he closed it behind him and locked it. The cool winter air struck her face, contrasting the heat brought upon by the now extinguished fireplace of the waiting room. If she didn’t like the snow so much, she would have definitely called winter her least favourite season. But that was a title held by the rainy English spring.

“Goodnight, Doctor Justine.” She smiled.

“Goodnight, Miss Evergreen.” He smiled back, slipping the top hat over his long green hair.

The two turned and walked away from each other on the frosty cobbled streets, illuminated by the flickering flames of the streetlamps above them. Freed felt his posture relax slightly, the stresses of the day leaving him as the lure of his warm bed came to taunt him.

Some may call it mad to work the hours that he did, Evergreen most likely being at the front of the queue considering her work hours needed to mirror his work hours. Yes, perhaps working for twelve hours a day, starting and ending at seven, was obsessive. But he’d grown to handle it by now. And, he reasoned to himself, it was easier to look a dishevelled and tired man in the mirror at the end of the day than it was to look at a sick man at his doorstep as he refused to help.

Adjusting the top hat slightly so the falling snow wouldn’t get into his eyes, he quickened his pace. Perhaps he could indulge himself in a cup of tea and a slice of Eccles cake before he retired to bed tonight. He had, after all, been forced to abruptly end his lunch when a drunkard stumbled into his office and began to demand treatment for symptoms that didn’t exist.

Of course, Evergreen hadn’t managed to put her self-defence skills into practice when she was eating a salad, he thought with a small chuckle.

Spurred on by the thought of a hot drink and food, Freed looked forward and walked in the direction of his home. He lived a short while away from his office, but the journey was scenic and both his house and office were luxurious enough to justify the half hour walk. He hardly had reason to complain, at least he had a warm home to return to and a stable job to leave for in the morning, many people didn’t and he counted himself lucky.

As he walked along a small stream that would eventually meet up with the Thames river, he saw a middle-aged couple walking towards him. By the look of their clothes and the cane the man held, they were wealthy. Perhaps on the same level as Freed, but most likely a little higher.

When they got closer, Freed managed to hear a snippet of their conversation, unintentionally of course. The woman, who he assumed was married to the gentleman, seemed extremely annoyed by something. The husband apparently shared this sentiment.

“What a revolting man.” The woman huffed. “Using such language. In a public place, no less. Should be kicked off the streets in my view, sent to a work camp. Some hard work and discipline, that’s when men like him need.”

“You can’t expect anything more from their kind.” The man agreed. “Just be glad we have the status to distance ourselves from that part of London. A man like that wouldn’t dare step a foot near a manor like ours.”

Resisting the urge not to roll his eyes at the arrogance of the two people, he tipped his hat and nodded at them as he walked past. The husband of the two returned the gesture, apparently holding him in a higher regard than he did the man who was the topic of their discussion. It was laughable really, how the fact that he was wearing a long coat and carrying a briefcase gave him an amount of respect that others didn’t have. For all this man knew, Freed was a very good pickpocket who had earned these by stealing from this man and his friends.

The classist views of his social status confused him. Despite having grown up in a rich environment, his parents had made sure to teach him that money didn’t equate to happiness. To him, it made no sense that somebody could turn off their moral compass and treat people like dirt because they didn’t own any land or run a factory. But that was the reality, he couldn’t fight it.

But still, perhaps this wasn’t the normal class based nonsense. The woman claimed she had a reason for her annoyance: this man’s language. But still, the rich were overly sensitive, who knows what this man had actually said.

‘Most likely something about feeling under the weather, which she twisted into a graphic description of his explosive diarrhoea.’

He smiled at the thought, eyes landing on the gently flowing water. The small amounts of snow fall and the flickering candle light from the street lamps really did make this a very scenic location. One of London’s many little treasures that would most likely never be seen by the masses. It was elegant, calm and peaceful.

“Damn it. Damn bugger shit. Shitting shit!”

Or perhaps not.

Looking to the left where the cursing was coming from, he saw a large man punching a wall quite brutally. He was in an alleyway, unaware that he had attracted an audience in the doctor. Freed watched for a few moments, the man not showing any signs of stopping his tirade of swearing and yelling. Freed huffed and walked towards him.

“What on earth do you think you’re doing? Children could here you!” Freed hissed, attracting the attention of the man at last.

He was blonde, broad shouldered and had a scar across his face that slightly resembled a lightning bolt. His face was flushed with apparent exhaustion, a tiny layer of sweat across his brow. He was looking at Freed expectantly, almost as if he wished to intimidate Freed into going away. Well, if he thought a staring contest would intimidate the doctor, he clearly didn’t know him.

“Well, why are you using such language in public?” Freed demanded.

The blonde man didn’t reply, just continued to look at Freed. The doctor broke the eye contact with the man, looking over his body with a quick blink. He immediately focused on the man’s left hand, which was dripping with blood. More blood than just a little cut, that was clear.

He walked to the larger man and took his bleeding hand, looking down at it with wide eyes. It was a rather nasty gash, he was shocked that the man wasn’t in visible pain because of it.

“What did you do?” He looked up, unwavering at the confused and angered expression on the blonde’s face. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, I’m a doctor. Now tell me what you did to cause this and I’ll bandage it up for you. And give me your name, as well.”

“Laxus.” He grunted, grinding his teeth slightly when the doctor’s fingers gently pressed against the wound. “And I got into a fight.”

“Well you lost then, that’s clear.” Freed muttered, gently applying pressure to the wound to test the amount of pain that it was causing Laxus. Well he wasn’t crying out, that was good.

Laxus looked down at the green haired man with a lot of confusion. He was well dressed and holding a leather briefcase, so clearly had a fair amount of money. Which is what confused him, since men with money usually avoided men like Laxus as if they were riddled with the plague. And they certainly didn’t offer to sew up their hand after a fight, they’d usually tut and tell them that they shouldn’t have gotten into a fight and that it was their own fault.

Freed didn’t notice the questioning gaze of the man, looking over the little alleyway. He saw a large barrel beside the left brick wall, a few bottles placed on it. He removed the bottles and brushed off the dirt with his gloved hand.

“Sit.”

Laxus raised an eyebrow, doing as he was told. He wasn’t the type to get ordered about by a rich guy who didn’t have a concept of reality and usually he would have told the guy where he could shove that barrel. But he didn’t, which slightly confused him. It was probably because of the lack of blood and the fact the other man didn’t treat him like a pile of day old crap.

Freed placed the briefcase on the floor, crouching down and opening it. After a small series of thieves had broke into businesses near Freed’s office, he had started taking the basics of what he needed to make diagnoses and help people home with him. That way, if the worst were to happen and the thieves targeted his office, he could continue his work to an extent. And thankfully, he had more than enough bandages to help with someone’s hand.

“Now, do you want to tell me why, after the fight that caused this, you thought it was a good idea to punch a wall and make a scene?” Freed said, pulling Laxus’ hand into a position where it would be easy to work on.

“No, not really. Sir.” Laxus grunted the last word. “Don’t know why I should.”

He sighed inwardly after saying that. Now he was probably going to be forced to listen to the stupid speech about respecting your betters and all that shite. He’d just had all of that from his damn boss. Well, ex-boss now.

“Because it’s clearly a very stupid thing to do and I need to know if that fight has affected your head and made you moronic.” Freed smirked slightly, pulling on a roll of tightly packed bandages.

Despite himself, Laxus found himself chuckling. Not laughing heartily or anything even remotely close, just a small chuckle. But it was more than he had ever given one of the rich guys, but rich guys tended to be unfunny twats who couldn’t bear to crack a smile if it was to save their lives. Maybe it was the shock at the attempted joke, mixed with the blood loss of course. It was weird how losing so little blood could cause you to be so damn stupid.

Distracting himself from the thin lie that he was telling himself, he looked down at his hand with another small hiss. Freed had begun to wrap the bandage around his hand, and it was hurting with the pressure that was applied to it.

“I didn’t get hit in the head, sir. My hand was just from a smashed bottle.” Laxus grunted again, ever so slightly red with embarrassment. Only slightly, however.

“You don’t need to call me sir.” Freed mumbled, pulling tightly on the bandages as he added another layer. He chuckled when Laxus groaned in pain. “Oh, stop it, you were punching a wall a moment ago without being in pain. Now you’re acting like a child.”

“Thought doctors were meant to have good bedside manners.” Laxus huffed slightly, free hand clenching against the barrel slightly.

“That’s true. But this is an alleyway, not a bed.” Freed grinned, looking into Laxus’ eyes before adding dryly. “And who said I was a doctor? An actual doctor would be able to do this without any pain. So, what you should be asking yourself is, who else would be walking the streets at night with the tools to mop up copious amounts of blood?”

Laxus slowly looked down to his hands, before his eyes shot up to the green haired man. He was met with an amused, yet gentle expression. He shook his head, cheeks reddening further. He joined in with the small laugh coming from the doctor.

“To put your mind at rest, I am a fully qualified doctor.” Freed chuckled.

“You aint anything like the doctors that I’m used to seeing.”

Freed raised an eyebrow at that, gently creating a tear on the bandage he was using and tying it tightly. He tugged at it a few times to make sure it was secure enough to keep the blood from coming out, eyes occasionally looking up to Laxus’ face from under the rim of his hat, making sure Laxus didn’t notice him.

His curiosity was rising at what Laxus had said, but he didn’t want to start prying. He knew that sometimes poorer people felt that, if they didn’t answer any questions of a richer man, they would be punished in some way. He didn’t want to unintentionally blackmail the man, but he was incredibly curious. Perhaps he was too curious for his own good…

“I try not to be, most doctors annoy me.” Freed couldn’t bite back his question. “So, you see a lot of doctors then? Are you sick?”

Laxus blinked slightly, realising his mistake. He let out a soft 'fuck’ as he brought his hand to his face and gently ran it over his scar, landing in his messy blonde hair. He leant back on the barrel, looking down at the doctor.

Freed was crouching down in front of his open briefcase again, placing the unused roll of bandages back into it. He shut it and clicked it shut, eyes glancing back to the broader man as he processed Freed’s question. He made sure not to push it, knowing some people didn’t want to discuss illnesses with strangers, even doctors. Although it was incredibly annoying when someone booked an appointment with him and then proceeded to waste his time refusing to tell him anything about his symptoms.

“You’re a clever guy, aint ya.” Laxus groaned. “It aint me who’s sick. It’s my grandad.”

“It must be bad, if you’re having to see multiple doctors about it.” Freed bit his gum slightly in annoyance at himself. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be prying.”

“Nah, you aint harming anyone.” Laxus sighed, getting off the barrel. “And it’s probably not that bad, I just can’t find anyone who’ll take a look at him. Turns out the people who’re meant to help you only do it if you pay 'em enough. No offence. No, actually, do be offended. Doctors are full of shit. They all talk about how damn good they are, act like they’re god’s gift to humans but don’t actually give a shit about people. Just the money.”

If it weren’t true, Freed would have disputed it. But practically all of his colleagues would rather treat a little cut on a rich man’s forehead than they would a poor man with a real sickness. All Freed could do was pat Laxus on the shoulder.

Laxus shrugged it off, not looking at Freed as he began to walk out of the alleyway. The doctors that he had met were bastards, not good men. He strode quickly down the side of the stream, ignoring how the pain in his hand had subsided slightly since Freed had bandaged it up. It was harder to ignore the faster steps that were coming up from behind him.

“Look, I’m sorry if I hurt your ego or whatever baut-”

“If you’d like, I can have a look at your grandfather at a discounted rate.” Freed cut him off.

Laxus stopped abruptly, causing Freed to do the same. The blonde looked over Freed’s face, for the first time. He didn’t have the same sneer of self-righteousness that most of the doctors he had met wore, and he was a hell of a lot younger as well. Truth be told, he was basically defying every stereotype that the doctors had set in Laxus’ mind. Even with the long green hair.

“Look.” He sighed loudly. “It’s a nice offer, but I just lost my job. Don’t really get how anyone can fuck up lifting barrels of booze in and out of a bar every night, but I managed to do it somehow. Typical really. Anyway, can’t afford to pay for it. Might be able to scrape buy on food until I find a new job, but even that’s a stretch.”

Laxus began to walk again, pissed. Of course, the once chance of getting any medical help at all was on the night where he lost the only fucking source of income. Why couldn’t he come weeks ago, when Laxus actually had the money to pay for it.

Freed sighed, walking briskly to catch up with the man again.

“Sir, what if I didn’t request payment and did it for free?” Freed offered, Laxus faltering in his step slightly again. “You clearly care for your grandfather a great amount, and I wouldn’t be anywhere near as good a doctor as I wish to be if I allowed a man to remain sick if I could have helped.”

“You’re gonna do your job for free? For a guy you’ve never met? Without questioning it at all?” For all Laxus’ questions, Freed nodded. “Did you get hit on the head and turned stupid?”

“I spend every day helping people who I don’t know, Laxus. And as for the money, I became a doctor because I wanted to help sick people. So I made a promise to myself, I’ll only overcharge the annoying rich people that I don’t like.” Freed smiled, electing a chuckle from Laxus.

“Good promise, shame more people aint like you.” Laxus smiled. “You sure about this? It feels weird accepting this kinda thing for nothing.”

“Well, if you need any medicine you will have to pay for that, but I shan’t charge you for my time and advice.”

Thinking for a moment, Laxus decided that he had nothing to lose. He sighed and began to walk towards his house again. This time, he made sure he was walking slowly enough for Freed to walk beside him. The doctor smiled and matched the pace, pleased with himself.

“If you turn out to be a murderer, I’ll damn kill you.” He grunted.

“If I am a murderer, you wouldn’t find out until you were dead. How would you kill me?” Freed teased.

“Well I’d haunt your stupid ass then.”

“You wouldn’t be the first ghost I’ve had to deal with. Probably not the last either.”

“Wait.” Laxus paused slightly. “You’re not actually a murderer, right?”

“No, of course not. On an unrelated note, there’s a new mass murderer killing blonde men. You should be on the lookout for him.”

“You’re a bastard.”

“I’m a doctor.” He grinned “The two are mutually exclusive.”

—–

Removing the stethoscope from the old man’s chest, Freed pushed his long hair form behind his ear and looked at Laxus. He had been in Laxus’ small house for half an hour giving Makarov, Laxus’ grandfather, a rudimentary check over. Currently, he was positioned beside the old mans bed while the blonde watched over him, leaning on the doorframe.

“Well, as you suspected, his illness isn’t all that bad.” Freed assured.

Laxus sighed in relief and pushed off from the doorframe, walking towards his grandfather who was giving him a toothy grin. It was made from pure smugness; the old man had been complaining to Laxus about his insistence on finding him a doctor for weeks.

“Told you, there’s nothing wrong with me. Fit as a fiddle.” The old man cackled. “Can I finally get out of this damn bed.”

“I wouldn’t advice that, not yet.” Freed replied, chuckling when he caught Laxus glaring at his grandfather for his use of the word 'damn.’ “Soon, however, that won’t be a problem. For now, I’d recommend as much bedrest as possible. And that means actually sleeping, not complaining about being in bed.”

“Hah. You managed to find the only human doctor in London, didn’t you boy?” Makarov cackled.

Running a hand through his hair in exhaustion and embarrassment about his grandfather’s behaviours, Laxus glanced down worriedly at Freed. He still didn’t know the doctor well and, despite how Laxus had been insulting Freed’s profession previously, he didn’t know if the doctor would begin to get annoyed at them and storm out. Thankfully, Freed seemed to be taking it in his stride.

Laxus excused himself from the room and invited Freed to do the same, claiming that they should leave Makarov to his rest. He closed the door to Makarov’s bedroom and walked into the small kitchen, sitting at the table and gesturing to the other chair for Freed to do the same.

“You sure he’s fine. You’re not just telling him that because you know whatever he’s got is bad and you don’t want to scare him?”

“I can assure you I don’t do that with my patients.” Freed smiled softly. “He almost definitely has the flu. It should steady itself out with time, however I can give you some advice to help move the process along.”

“Yeah, please.”

“Well, diet can be a big contributing factor. Lower his meat and bread intake, perhaps try and make a conscious effort to increase how much fruit he eats, aim for five different servings a day. And if that’s not possible, perhaps strive for one piece of citrus fruit a day. People claim us doctors are repelled by apples, but oranges are much more effective.” He smirked slightly. “Throwing them at us gets the job done quite well.”

Again, Laxus chuckled at the relatively funny joke. All the advice that he had been given was reasonably achievable, he was friendly with the local fruit vendor so could perhaps get some free produce. Makarov wouldn’t be happy with the lack of meat, but he would have to deal with it.

Looking at the doctor’s face, Laxus rolled his eyes. It was painfully obvious that the other man had some more advice but was hesitant to share it. Laxus had to wonder how he could be a doctor and tell people that their relatives were going to die with such an expressive face. Doctors typically didn’t have any emotion on their face. But, as Freed seemed persistent in proving, he wasn’t the typical kind of doctor.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Laxus demanded.

“You needn’t worry. The advice I’ve given you already will be more than enough to speed along your grandfather’s recovery.”

“I got in a fight today because I lost my job. You think I won’t get into another because you’re not telling me how to help my grandad?”

“I don’t doubt it.” Freed sighed, looking around the kitchen. “This house. I’m afraid to say that this form of environment isn’t going to help your grandfather’s recovery in any way. But I’m aware you won’t be able to change that.”

Laxus sighed. His house wasn’t good. It was small, bordered by three other houses on three sides of the wall and the bathroom was beginning to get mouldy. They shared it with one of Makarov’s old friend’s, Porlyucia, and her young granddaughter. They slept upstairs in the larger bedroom, Makarov took the smaller bedroom and Laxus slept in the sitting room couch during the day. Well, he used to. He would have to change that now he no longer worked in the nights.

It was obvious the house wasn’t the right place for a sick person. It was stuffy, overcrowded and cluttered beyond belief. But, as Freed said, he couldn’t change that.

The doctor looked a Laxus with restrained sympathy. It was obvious that, even if the larger man was too prideful to outwardly admit it, he would do anything to ensure his grandfather’s help. A drawback to being a doctor was defiantly having to look people who were desperate in the eye and say you can’t help them.

“Do you have any other form of income, or was your job at the bar it?”

“Yeah, I’ll go to the butchers and beg for something in the morning.” Laxus sighed at his own lie. Most places he could work at refused to give him work for one reason or another.

“I may have a position open for you. It might not be the most dignified for a man like you, however.” Freed offered cautiously.

“What is it?”

“I spend most of my waking hours at the office. Chores can often build up at home and bite into the time I should be sleeping. I’ve been meaning to hire someone to assist me with those chores while I’m at work. Perhaps prepare supper for when I return.” Freed explained, speaking with caution.

“A maid? You want me to be a fucking maid?”

“I was hoping to avoid using that term. But it is the most applicable term, yes.” Freed cringed slightly. “If it makes you feel any better, I will be the only person to know and I certainly won’t treat you with any less respect because of it.”

Laxus ran a hand through his hair in thought. A maid? Typically, maids wore frilly skirts and were, well, women. Laxus was pretty sure Freed would stay true to his word and treat him with respect, but still… On the other hand, he did need the money and, given he didn’t have any real education or experience in working, getting offered any jobs would be hard.

Shaking his head, he knew that he would have to take the job. His pride might be damaged and he knew his grandfather would have some mocking comments about being a maid, but this was what he need to do.

“One condition.” Laxus demanded. “I get to bring gramps. Get him out of this shit hole for a couple hours a day.”

“I won’t be there to stop you from bringing him and I certainly won’t be turning a sick man out in the cold when I return.” Freed smiled. “And, if you’re doing your job well, I won’t know if my spare bedroom has been used throughout the day.”

“Seriously?”

“Do your best to keep him in bed throughout the day and you have my blessing.” Freed assured. “The walk to my house and the fresh air will probably do him well.”

Laxus wasn’t sure what to do as Freed wrote down his address. This damn doctor couldn’t possibly be serious. He didn’t know him or his grandfather and he was willingly inviting them to spend time in his house throughout the day. Sure, he could probably get as many police officers on them if either Laxus or Makarov tried to steal anything, but he was still being incredibly trusting.

Freed handed Laxus the small piece of paper with his address written on it. He knew that this could be a risk but Laxus and his grandfather seemed trustworthy. It was obvious that Laxus cared for his grandfather and he doubted the blonde would risk his only form of income by doing something wrong.

“I leave for work every morning at half six in the morning.” Freed informed. “If you could arrive at my home at six I can show you your duties and give you a rudimentary tour.”

“Six huh?” Laxus grimaced slightly.

“Can’t you handle it?” Freed taunted slightly. “Tomorrow will be an anomaly. Your normal working hours will start at eight o'clock. I just wish to show you around before I go to my office tomorrow.”

Laxus nodded in relief, more than thankful that he wouldn’t be waking up every morning at an absurd time. He glanced down at the small piece of paper he had been given, recognising the street name, he could get there quite easily. It was a pretty nice place, he walked past it every time he walked to the market. Anytime he saw someone from the street they glared at him or wouldn’t create eye contact; it’d be hilarious to see how they reacted when he walked past them and into a respected doctor’s house.

Perhaps he should wear his coat that was covered in oil stains and patches of ripped fabric. That’d scare the hell out of those posh morons. And if they had a heart attack it’d give Freed some extra work, so there were no downsides.

Freed had picked up his coat and hat that had been slung across the back of a chair as Laxus studied the piece of paper with interest. Now adorning the clothing, he waited patiently for Laxus to look up at him; it would be rude to leave without addressing the homeowner.

“So, I start tomorrow then?”

“If that’s agreeable to you.”

“Yeah, that’ll be great. Thanks.” Laxus grinned as he looked up, realising Freed had put on his coat. “You goin’?”

“Yes, I’ve had a rather long day. I’m sorry for leaving so abruptly.” Freed smiled slightly. “I’ll see you tomorrow. And please take my advice in relation to your grandfather, it certainly will help his recovery.”

Laxus nodded as Freed turned around and began to walk down the small hallway beside the staircase, to the front door. With a mischievous grin, Laxus reached over and picked up a slightly rotting apple from the fruit bowl atop the table. Nobody was going to eat it and, out of curiosity, Laxus wanted to see just how well doctor and his new employer’s orange theory held up.

With a slight smirk, he threw the apple at the doctor. He was aiming to knock off his top hat, but had misjudged the distance and it was spiralling towards the back of his head. He cringed, knowing this was going to make his first day working for this man incredibly awkward. He immediately began to question why he had decided to throw some old fruit at the other man. A moment of stupidity that could easily ruin his chances of getting some money.

As Freed walked, he noticed the apple flying towards him in a dusty mirror besides the door. He turned around and managed to catch the airborne fruit before it hit him. He frowned down at it and placed it on the small wooden table beside the staircase.

“As I said, oranges are much more effective.” Freed smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Laxus.”

Freed had left the small house and was on his way towards his own home before Laxus could say anything, leaving the blonde with a content grin on his face. So, he hadn’t messed up his chance at the job and would be working for someone who didn’t get annoyed at every little thing.

He took the rotting apple from the little able, knowing he would get scolded by Porlyucia for leaving it there if he didn’t. After ridding himself of the fruit, he jogged upstairs to check on his grandfather. The moment he walked inside, the smaller man was looking at him with the widest grin that he had ever seen. It took a moment to see why.

“You’re finally here, maid.” The old man grinned. “Could you plump my pillows, maid.”

“You heard then?” Laxus rolled his eyes. “And I’m not a maid. I’m just doing the same things a maid does.”

“Try saying that when your new boss gets you in a skirt.” Makarov cackled.

“He doesn’t even see me as a maid, he’s obviously not gonna do that.” Laxus groaned when the old man laughed manically and began to wiggle his eyebrows at him. Bored with his grandfather’s stupidity, he closed the door and began to walk downstairs to prepare supper, muttering under his breath.

“Should’ve just let the old bastard die.”

[maychorian]

Weekly Voltron Fic Recs #33

The big 33! This is when Jesus and Alexander the Great died! I memorized a poem about that once. No worries, this list will go on, just like my heart.

Rules: You can find past weekly rec lists here, and non-list recs in my general fic rec tag. Also follow @maychorianrecs​ for individually tagged posts, the easier to search and reblog. This is stuff I like, and I have a huge bias toward Lance, hurt/comfort, and general fluff, in that order. Gen unless otherwise noted. Please comment on the fics if you read and enjoy them!

Devil May Care (Others Definitely Do) by EdgarAllenPoet for Silverheartlugia2000 Words: 2,601 Author’s Summary: “So it was a day just like any other. They were flying through the void of space, traveling from one distant planet to another, with dobashes of free time in between. Keith was in the training room after their morning team session, getting his ass handed to him by a very determined Antok.” My Comments: Rough at parts, but really great picture of Keith, Antok, and Red. I loved the imagery of how all the paladins bond, too, and the tag-team parenting between Red and Kolivan was hilarious and heartachey. Keith is not used to having so many people care about him all at once, but he’s getting there.

Makings of a Pilot by mckinlily Words: 2,561 Author’s Summary: “He’s the one we’re looking at,” says Iverson. “Shirogane. He’s the one for Kerberos.” Sam Holt isn’t quite so certain. After all, it takes more than good test scores and a charming smile to be a pilot. But Shiro’s got a habit of upsetting expectations. My Comments: Fantastic Sam POV, and fantastic backstory for Shiro and Keith. You can really see how that one little incident informs and changes who they are afterward. It’s a bit painful, but beautiful stuff.

Play by RottenMint Words: 1,197 Author’s Summary: Training with Antok reveals something Keith didn’t know he needed, as well as someone who can provide it for him. My Comments: This is adorable! Dads of Marmora are super good. All the play-fighting and giggle fits for Keith, please.

The Camel’s Back by LdotRage (ObliviousInsomniac) Words: 3,310 Author’s Summary: From the moment he woke up that morning, Hunk knew it was gonna be a bad day. He was right. It is a bad day. Until his teammates catch on, at least. My Comments: Aw, Hunk. Sometimes it all gets to be too much. I love how everyone immediately realized that they had messed up and chased after him. Hunk deserves all the huggles.

Diplomacy by BombDiggityDog Words: 2,332 Author’s Summary: Lance knew diplomacy was hard, but he never knew it involved poison, traps, and kidnapping. My Comments: Nice little Altean!Lance snippet featuring Lance in danger and Keith and Allura as Big Damn Heroes, because of course they are.

Space Cocoa by midnightwaterlily33 for AceQueenM Words: 2,280 Author’s Summary: Keith hates sentimentality. He hates when they try to include him by forcing him to open up when sometimes he just… can’t. Not unless it’s done in the right way. Sometimes the help he needs comes in unexpected ways. AKA: Keith is upset, Hunk tries his very best, and then some emotional resolve is found in a cup of weird space hot chocolate. My Comments: Aw, Hunk is the sweetest and the best, and he was the perfect one to offer Keith some company and understanding. What good boys. Tagged possible romance, but reads gen to me.

Talent Shows and Technobabble by Theresalwaysamystery Words: 2,705 Author’s Summary: The Paladins are asked to participate in an exchange of talents to solidify their newest alliance- Pidge isn’t sure about her people skills and Hunk is right there to help her figure things out. My Comments: Pidge’s talent is so nerdy and perfect, and I love how everyone was helpful and supportive. Fun, sweet fic.

Positivity Day by MizuKitten Words: 1,593 Author’s Summary: Lance wakes up sick, and tries to go through his day despite the fact. It does not end well for him, luckily his friends are there to help. My Comments: Just a cute, fluffy little modern AU sickfic. Hunk is perfection, as usual.

This May Sting by Stratagem Words: 5838 (4/?) Author’s Summary: Lance gets appendicitis. In space! Cue a very worried team. Also, Alteans don’t understand why humans have apparently pointless body parts such as appendixes. My Comments: I’ve loved everything I’ve read from this author, and now we’re getting a long sickfic featuring Lance! I am so EXCITED.

Dislocation by Arisprite Words: 5300 (2/?) Author’s Summary: noun A disturbance from a proper, original, or usual place or state. Keith feels useless in the initial search for Shiro, and refuses to rest (since resting would mean thinking about the fact that Shiro was gone, had left him, again). Lance, fed up with the whole team not taking care of themselves, challenges him and Keith takes him up on it. Neither of them know that little competition will put both their lives in danger, but after surviving the night, they may understand each other a little better. My Comments: Great start to what promises to be a very fraught and angsty fic. Pretty angsty already, with everyone absolutely at the end of the ropes because of losing Shiro. And it looks like it’s going to get a lot worse. :D

This Is Where We Start by Agapostemon Words: 1,426 Author’s Summary: Sometimes you just need a few space mice to remind you how much you have in common. My Comments: Really sweet fic with Allura coming across a grumpy, strung-out Pidge and delicately making moves to bond with her. Also includes great use of the space mice! Lovely.

To Sorrow with Thee by Swiss Army Knife Words: 7,054 Author’s Summary: In which Lance becomes the Black Lion (and Keith’s) grief counselor. My Comments: This fic is beautiful, sweet but sad. A lot of gorgeous imagery, and I love how Lance and Keith found an understanding together.

Beneath the Champagne Sea by Swiss Army Knife Words: 14,980 (6/?) Author’s Summary: The paladins make a diplomatic visit to a planet with sexual dimorphism roughly opposite that of Earth. Women are larger and more powerful, while men are learner and smaller. Lance attracts more than his fair share of attention. My Comments: The worldbuilding in this story is off the CHAIN. So many beautiful sights and descriptions, though the sexism undergirding the world makes it a bit disconcerting. Lance just wants to have fun hanging out with someone who enjoys his presence, and I’m low-key (high-key) worried about what’s going to happen.

Spades to Start by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions) Words: 1,941 Author’s Summary: When you teach an Altean how to play poker, they’ll want to play a game-And that will just end poorly. My Comments: Absolutely delightful tomfoolery with Team Voltron and a game of chance, with a quite unexpected outcome. This story makes me grin every time, and I’ve read it multiple times.

Ten Days by WashiPuppy for onoheiwa Words: 4,081 (1/?) Author’s Summary: Most people never got to learn exactly what their mind is worth, how resistant it is. Lance knew now, and the answer was ten days. It only took ten days for something in him to break that he wasn’t sure he could get back.Shiro had survived a year and come out as someone still able to smile, to be kind and gentle with those around him. Scarred, but not shattered. Lance wore no new scars. But he still hadn’t made it ten days. My Comments: Tagged eventual Shance, but I’m in it for the bad trip Lance is about to have. Holy crow, this first chapter is already INTENSE. I love the worldbuilding already. The team is under a huge amount of stress and it’s pretty miserable to read, but I trust this author a lot. I’m in.

Happiness is a Bowl of Home by vikki Words: 1,026 Author’s Summary: The first time Shiro eats the food goo isn’t the first time Shiro eats the food goo. (What he wouldn’t give for a bowl of mac & cheese.) Originally written for the Shiro Zine organized by kayochins. My Comments: Very touching and poignant fic about Shiro’s issues with food, followed up with the team making it better. Lovely.

To Cradle a Baby by Helicopter_Buddy Words: 1,685 (1/?) Author’s Summary: Lance heard an explosion at the dead of night. He guessed it was Pidge’s doing, but he certainly didn’t expect this. My Comments: Pidge accidentally turns herself into an adorable, exhausted, frightened baby. Fortunately, Lance is there to cuddle her. It’s adorable, and satisfying as is, but I’m looking forward to more. Totes subscribed.

Earthquakes by Atalto Words: 5,578 Author’s Summary: His mother always used to warn him of tremors and buildings, of collapsing whilst the buildings around you stood strong. The signs are all there. The earthquake is coming. But he’s fine, really. My Comments: Hunk-centric hurt/comfort! Can I get a hallelujah? HALLELUJAH. It’s so good. Hunk is such a good good boy, and he helps everyone else so much all the time always, but sometimes he needs to be cuddled.

Of (Space) Dogs and Good Intentions by realityisiron Words: 7,753 Author’s Summary: When in doubt, get your friendly neighborhood Black Paladin a dog for his birthday. Well, considering you’re in a galaxy far far away, at least get him a space dog. Nothing will go wrong probably. My Comments: Absolutely precious and heartwrenching. The gang wants to make Shiro happy, so they get him a puppy, and hoo boy does it make him happy. Allura has second thoughts, it gets super angsty for a bit, but I super duper love the conclusion. Shiro gets some SLEEP.

Previously Recced Fics That Updated:

writterings’s When You Reach Me HapaxLegomenon’s The Machinations of Perception Eastofthemoon’s Towards The Sun MoonlitPaladin (MoonlitStardust)'s Gate Keeper tommino's Fighting the Surface (now complete) LonelyGirlInSpace's The Color Of Our Planet From Far Far Away (now complete) IcyPanther’s As Color Fades Away EdgarAllenPoet’s Down Time (Don't Let Me Down) Emerald_Ashes’s Coming Undone (now complete, and so satisfying) squirenonny’s Someplace Like Home Stratagem’s Water and Blood Mists’s Defying the Odds (I love this chapter so so so much) TheHomestuckWhovian's This Is New (now complete) buttered_onions’s The Size Of Our Actions achieving elysium (Ogygia)'s familiar WildWolf25′s Coran's Guide to the Care and Keeping of Earthling Humans

[supernaturallymarvellous]

My Renaissance Man

Author: @supernaturallymarvellous

Word Count: 

Warnings: None

A/N: This is my entry into Mimi’s Trope Challenge.  We all loved a good trope and mine was “Brother’s best friend”.

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I’ve known Dean Winchester for longer than I would care to admit.  We’ve been best friends for many years now; I know what he does and as long as he keeps doing it, I’ll be there to provide a safe haven whenever he needs it. He stops by every once in a while, takes a few days out of monster hunting and world-saving to stay with me and live a somewhat normal existence for a short time.  But, in all the time I’ve known him, I’ve never met his brother.  When Dean and I first met, Sam was off at Stanford doing his own thing, trying to have a regular life.  Then, after their dad died, they took off together, travelling the county, doing what he had trained them to do.  I barely saw Dean during that time.  We kept in touch of course – text messages, emails, phone calls – but it was a long time before he came back to me in person.  But he did and since then, we’ve gotten into a routine…it just so happens that said routine has never involved Sam.

So to get a string of texts from him asking me to meet him and Sam in a random location and bring a dress was weird to say the least.  Still, I trusted Dean with every fibre of my being – he had never steered me wrong before - so I didn’t hesitate to head out in my battered old truck and find out what exactly he was up to.  And he didn’t let me down…….the email I’d received set out details of what was sure to be a brilliant weekend, although not knowing Sam, I wasn’t sure how he would react Dean’s plans or whether he was even going to enjoy the time we’d all be spending together.  

****************************************************************************************************

A few days later saw me driving for a few hours and finally reaching my destination.  Pulling into a wooden area just off the main road, I jumped out of the truck and was immediately met with a cacophony of sounds.  Shouts and battle cries filled the air, along with the clanking of metal on metal and what sounded like the distant thundering of horses’ hooves.  Trust Dean to pick something that seemed a million miles away from anything he would usually be interested in.  But Dean…..well Dean is a man of hidden depths and as much as he tries to hide it, eventually he just has to let his inner geek free and where better to do so than at a Renaissance Fair.  

Quickly changing into the dress Dean had requested I bring along, I made my way towards the main entrance gate.  I knew the boys were already here as I had spotted the Impala a few spaces away from where I had managed to park.  You can’t fail to spot that car; she’s a thing of beauty and was certainly attracting the attention of everyone that walked past it.  Flashing my e-ticket at the attendant, I scooped up the trailing length of my dress into one hand while trying to manoeuvre across the mud-sodden pathway and shot a quick text off to Dean to let him know I’d arrived.  I soon got a response letting me know that he and his brother were currently watching the jousting event that was taking place in the main arena.  

Pushing my way through the crowds, I realised that finding them was going to be a little difficult than I had first anticipated.  The place was heaving and to add to the problem, I didn’t even know what Sam looked like, not even a vague description.  As I walked through the vaulted archway that would lead towards their general direction, I found myself scanning the throngs of people, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of my friend.  It was at that moment that my phone pinged, alerting me to the fact that Dean had sent another message.  It simply stated “under the red flag just left of centre. I’ll keep a look out for you”.  As I’d already started to head in the opposite direction, I turned on my heel and walked towards where Dean had said he was.  

When I found him just a few minutes later, I could barely contain myself.  I hadn’t seen him in months and practically threw myself into his outstretched arms.  

“Hey sweetheart, it’s so good to see you.  And you wore the dress as well – god, Sam is gonna love you even more now, especially since you’ve got the whole princess vibe going on.”

“What?! Why is he going to love me even more? I thought this was about cheering him up, not setting me up a date with your brother…..who I’ve never met!”

“Well……slight ulterior motive.  What better way to cheer him up than a date with a beautiful maiden?  Don’t worry, I told him all about you and he’s psyched to meet you.  You’ll be perfect for each other.”

Jesus, if I didn’t love him so much, I would have slammed my fist straight into Dean’s face. I wasn’t looking to start dating anyone, let alone someone in the same line of work as Dean.  I was just about to put up a fight, to start reeling off all of the reasons why this was a terrible idea, when a voice from behind me caught my attention.  

“You must be (Y/N).  I’m Sam.”

Spinning around, I was expecting to see a guy that was at least as attractive as Dean. Now don’t get me wrong, just because he’s my best friend doesn’t mean that I couldn’t see how good-looking Dean was – it’s just that he’s not my type.  He’s too sure of himself, too cocky for my liking and I know that it’s pretty much just a façade but I’m attracted to guys with a little less swagger about them. So when I turned and saw the man standing in front of me, I was knocked for six.  He was tall, taller than Dean, and while I could see a family resemblance, there was something there that I had never experienced with Dean – there was an instant attraction.  I don’t know how long I stood and stared at Sam but he was doing the exact same thing to me. It wasn’t until Dean said that he was going off to find “some typical medieval man-food” and walked away with a dumbass smirk on his face that Sam and I actually started speaking.  

“So, you’re Dean’s best friend.”

“And you’re his brother.  I can’t believe this is the first time I’m meeting you – I’ve known him for so long.”

“Me neither.  Seems like he didn’t want to share.  I’m sorry that he got you here under false pretences although I have to admit he was right – you being here has cheered me up.  Do you want to take a look around, find something fun to do?”

****************************************************************************************************

Sam and I had fun for those few days.  Our days were spent at the Fair, while nights were spent at the bar near our motel.  Every evening we stumbled out of the Fair laden down with souvenirs; I spent way too much money on replica dresses, while Sam bought me the most exquisite necklace.  In fact, we spent so much time together that we barely saw anything of Dean.  

It wasn’t until we were standing beside my truck ready to leave that one of us made a move.  As I went to climb up into the driver’s seat, he offered me a helping hand and as I sat down, I couldn’t resist going in for a kiss.  It was sweet, with a hint of an underlying passion that I started to desperately crave by the time the kiss ended; in fact, the only reason it ended when it did was because of Dean cheering and whooping from the Impala. The sheer embarrassment of that moment caused Sam and I to start giggling, me burying my face into the front of his shirt in an attempt to hide from the world.  

We hastily exchanged numbers and said our goodbyes.  As I drove away, glancing in my rear view mirror to see him standing there watching me leave, I knew that I would be seeing a lot more of Sam Winchester in the future.  

Tagging: @deansdirtylittlesecretsblog

[jeanbaltsubsta-blog]

Divorced dating tips

Dating Tips for Divorced Women Emotional trauma and stress are an integral part of all divorce proceedings.  Conclusion, the best revenge is when you improve your life so well that she realizes she made a big mistake.  And while the process is stressful and expensive , once the paperwork is officially signed, you're challenged with the task of building your life again.  Believe it or not, people are attracted by what they see.  So let these 10 key dating tips for a single or a divorced woman save you time, energy and heartache.  Know whether you are open to this or not.

How To Start Dating After Divorce And depending on how intense or exhausting, emotionally and physically, your divorce was, it may be several months until you're in the mood to meet a new person.  While you might be a little gun shy at first, one of the best pieces of dating advice for recently divorced men is just to get back out there and get to it.  So I decided to join the millions of divorced people searching for love online.  Is it because you feel inadequate or incomplete? The answer, is a very plausible 'yes'.  Have the right attitude: Having the right attitude will not only help you to date after a divorce but will also help you to become.  As no one goes into marriage with divorce in mind.

Important Dating Advice for Women After Divorce Dating is not a decision that should be made in haste.  Use this advice along with your good judgement and enjoy meeting people again.  Keeping tabs on a woman he no longer desires to be with only makes things harder for you.  Solely from the woman's point of view, is dating this man any different? Give importance to what you feel or disrespect you.  The two may still be in contact, especially if kids are involved.  Or they may adore him and want to spend lots of time with him.  If you're just looking for the most popular sites to get the most bang for your buck, consider options like and — or and if you're looking for a sexy fling more than a relationship.

Advice For Dating After a Divorce Many people have found their true love after divorce too so that you can do it as well.  It is also important however, to understand that dating after a divorce is unique and multifaceted.  You probably aren't even thinking about dating and you likely don't notice other attractive women who express an interest in you.  Also, take simple safety precautions like telling a friend where you are heading to, the name of the person you are going to see with their full details.  Creating a satisfying life as a single person is the most important thing we can do before we start looking for someone else.  Go into every situation with a positive attitude and lots of energy.  Enjoy the little things you were unable to do when you were still in a relationship.

Important Dating Advice for Women After Divorce The next hurdle is to create a profile.  It also makes you look like you know everyone in the room — always a social attractor.  Have you had less time nurturing your relationship? This is true no matter who you are seeking revenge on.  Not only has the way to meet people changed but you have probably changed quite a bit from when you were in your 20s or 30s.  This can all be part of the process of learning what it means to be single and dating again.  While certainly, we all seek those fireworks with a member of the opposite sex,.

Dating After 50: Rules, Advice & Tips That will make your dating after 50 more relaxed and fun.  People also use this precious small space to list what they aren't looking for.  Put the time into getting nice photos.  Indeed, if the two of you have children including adult children , this might not even be possible.  Analyze your previous mistakes to avoid new ones What went wrong with your previous relationship? The more clear you are about who you are and who you want in your life, the easier it is to find people who share your bigger life-vision.

Divorced Women & Dating Pushing him to be attentive towards your needs will drive him away, and frankly, it isn't even fair on either of you.  While some were lackluster because you weren't attracted to your date, others were negative experiences because the girl was just no-fun to be around.  Try online dating sites: The idea of online dating can be scary for people, especially for those that have never considered the prospect before now.  Otherwise, spend some time flipping through your phone to find those selfies that really make you shine.  A sound piece of advice would be to take each day as it comes, and not rush into anything, even if it feels like heaven every time you are together.  Desperation is never a quality people are looking for! Some men are good at making women feel wanted only to take advantage of them later.

14 Things You Should Know About Dating a Divorced Man A man who is constantly fighting with his ex is in no emotional space to handle a new relationship. Wherever you are — at the club, in the gym, or anywhere else that you may have an opportunity to meet someone, act confidently, even if you feel shaky inside.  Women who are somewhere on the midlife divorce recovery journey can share advice and personal experiences that are helpful to others just starting out on the dating scene.  But before you present your new man like a Christmas present to your offspring… Pause a moment.  Ah, if there was one tried and true piece of dating advice for women that would address this subject! When faced with a dilemma such as this, you'd rather give this man his space to sort out his life before he thinks of making you his companion.  You will get a pretty good idea of who he really is.  They may have problems that will make them fizzle out with time.

Dating After 50: Rules, Advice & Tips Learn from every interaction and date.  Either case, that's not a good sign for you, as it signifies that she's still on his mind.  Planning daily activities is a great way to do all of the activities that you wanted to do but was never afforded the opportunity.  Instead, try to set firm emotional boundaries: keep things cordial with your ex, but make sure to save the intimacy for your friends, your children, and, eventually, your new partner.  But character and attitude define a person and account for a successful and fulfilling relationship.  I ran into that man who stole my ex and I gave him a big thanks.  Much like grieving the loss of a loved one, can often feel like a death, as it severs not on a relationship, but family connections and the love that you once thought would last forever.

Dating a Divorced Man So do not go around looking droopy all the time.  People younger than 40 who grew up doing everything online are way more comfortable meeting potential mates online.  Think about it, how would you feel if you saw your soon-to-be ex walk into your favorite café with one of your work friends? I was 56 when I met my new husband, and my life is amazing! Dating is not only a way to find a partner or future spouse but is also a way for men to connect with women or create a social group.  If you'd like more tips from Cathy, visit her website: I really think that dating sites should require members to upload new photos each year.  They were divorced dads for the most part, who like me, were learning to navigate life as a single parent.