#I'd be on a fucking train back to my parents' house

[sera-wasnever]

bro I need outtttttt

[the-monstermash]

UNBROKEN BETROTHALS pt. 2

Aemond Targaryen x Reader

Synopsis: After running away from an unwanted proposal, you find yourself working in a brothel as a cook. When a certain guest takes an odd liking to you, secrets are revealed and betrothals unbroken

Warnings: Angst, Brothels, Mature, 18+, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language

Word Count: 3,754

A/N: I’ve been contemplating cutting this into two parts all day, but fuck it we die like men

The next moons were spent silently. Perhaps the entire situation had blown over, with Aemond taking the refusal as it was, and moving on to the next, or perhaps staying with Sylvi. Maybe that was for the best, as it would keep all the other girls housed.

The brothel had been closed for the day, the recent event had been enough for many businesses to close their doors. A war had been declared with the murder or Jehaerys, and with the dragons looming in the sky, it promised to be bloody. Of course, special allowances were made for soldiers and high-born, a back alley entrance just as suiting as a grand one when desperation calls.

Today was particularly slow, many lords stuck in meetings and soldiers in training yards. The girls took to mostly laying around, sipping wine and eating cheeses while they joked and told old stories.

"Where would you be, if not here in this brothel? If you'd taken a different path, made a different decision, what would you be doing right now?" Someone had asked, and after a contemplative silence, finally people began to speak up.

"In another brothel, perhaps." Earned many laughs.

"I'd be married to some disgusting old man, I'm sure of it. Fucked full of halfwit babes and barely surviving." You'd spoken up. "I heard my parent arguing in the night about a proposal they'd received from King's Landing. I knew it must've been some old Lord, looking to perverse himself on a young girl. That was the night I'd left."

"You ran to King's Landing to escape a life in King's Landing?" Maria questioned flatly.

"It was the last place I thought they'd look. And if they did look, they'd never find me, hidden in a whore house." The girls laughed and shared their own answers before moving on to a new topic.

The conversation was cut briefly to a halt when the door was heard slamming shut. All heads turned in time to see the curtain move and reveal none other than Prince Aemond himself. His eye scanned the room silently, lingering a moment more when he found me. I turned away and sighed, looking to the ground. Another girl jumped up and quickly ran to fetch Sylvi.

"Your highness, we did not expect your patronage this evening." Lauryn spoke up, laid on her side on one of the sofas we all surrounded. Mischief twinkled in her eyes as she met your gaze for a second before looking back to him. "Have you come for Sylvi? Or have you come for something...fresh." The other girls giggled. "New, perhaps? I would be more than happy to make a suggestion."

"Girls, do not tease our prince. It's very rude." A girl sighed and shook her head. "Will you please show Prince Aemond to Sylvi's rooms?"

The room fell silent as everyone looked to me. To refuse in front of him could be seen as disrespectful, and in a time of such uncertainty with the royal family, it would not do to test his standing. Especially with the almost forgotten history between you, that you would much rather pretend doesn't exist. If you were the one to guide him to Sylvi's room, however, it would not bode well with her.

"I think Lina had gone to fetch her, she should be here any moment." Maria spoke up, sensing your discomfort.

"I require her now, I do not have much time." Aemond finally spoke, hands clipped behind his back, and eyes unwavering. "Take me to her."

You sighed and moved to stand, dusting your hands off on your thighs and giving the girls a lasting glare that had them avoiding eye contact.

"Your highness." You mumbled as you passed him and headed towards the hallway. You did not hear him follow you, but you felt his presence, and gaze, burning into your back. You were quick to make your way to Sylvi's room, knocking and announcing your visitor.

"Surely she is here, I do not remember her mentioning any errands." You turned at her knob, to find it locked, a sure sign that she was out at the moment.

You were alone with him much to your chagrin, and his pleasure, you were sure. It had almost seemed like a setup, if not for the impossibility that Sylvi would ever agree to it. You had to admit, it was all rather flattering, the feeling of his eyes trailing your body in desire, but you could not entertain him.

"She is not in, your grace. I can leave a message for you, or I can see to her whereabouts, if the matter is urgent." You turned around to him, but did not look him in the eye, not wanting him to see anything more in your gaze than there was.

He was silent, looking at the door as if expecting Sylvi to manifest at any moment. Your eyes began darting about the hallway, looking for an out so you could get away from him and go about your business, particularly somewhere with witnesses.

"Your highness." You murmured the words to remind him of where you were, standing in a hallway in complete silence with no task at hand, and no end in sight. He still did not respond, only not he stared at your face, his eyes soft, but unnerving all the same.

"If you'll excuse me." you moved to pass him, but he grabbed your arm and placed himself in front of the exit, blocking you from leaving. 

The action stirred something in you, though you weren't sure if it was fear or desire. Aemond was handsome, you had to admit, but knowing who he was and what desiring him would mean for you was enough to swallow and pull away from him.

"I require refreshment."

"I'll have wine brought to you, would you like a room?"

"I'll take it in the kitchen, thank you."

A chill ran down your back at the thought of him, gracing your kitchen once again with his daunting presence, looming over your home and your peace. You swallowed the lump in your throat and nodded, moving to pass him again, this time he allowed and followed you. When we passed the girls again, Maria watched with a hawk's eye, and sensing the tension, rose to follow us to the kitchen, the savior she is. You fetched the wine for him, and some bread and cheeses, dressing a small tray for him to enjoy and setting it at the table. 

He drank and pecked at the food, slowly savoring each bite, his eyes flickering to Maria every now and then, before returning in your direction. You could tell her presence bothered him, even if he did not say it. He could've ordered her out of the room, if he'd wished to. In truth, he could've ordered you to sleep with him if he'd wished to, but he didn't. Instead, he ate, and looked at the two of you, one with longing, and the other distaste.

"I was sad to hear about your nephew, Prince Aemond." Maria addressed him politely, likely attempting to lighten the tension in the room. She did not take on her same even, monotonous tone that she used with the girls. Instead, she purposefully lightened her voice and spoke with grace and propriety.

"Yes, as was I."

"They were there looking for me. I feel an immense guilt for it, knowing if they'd found me first, he would still be here."

The admission was surprising to the both of you. How did one respond to such a personal statement. Maria was better versed with loss, having mourned her mother and been separated from her siblings when her father sold her to Sylvi. But still, she did not respond, only looking at him with a pitying look before chewing her cheek and looking away. He looked sad, and that look did not suit him. You wanted to comfort him, to reach out and pet his snowy hair, but instead you refrained.

"I attended his funeral march. He was a beautiful boy, and he looked very sweet."

He reached out to grab my hand, and pressed a light kiss on the back of it, rendering me speechless.

"What will we have for dinner tonight?" Maria broke the silence, addressing only you.

"Likely bread and broth, we are low on meat with the war. I'm sure Sylvi will want to save it for working nights." You took your hand lightly from the prince to turn more fully towards Maria.

"Are you not well rationed for the war?" Aemond spoke up, if you could call it that. His voice was low, as seemed to be the standard for him.

"With the soldiers coming in, all the meat is sent to the castle, and what little we get is three times what it's worth. Those who can afford it are hoarding it away."

"I can have pigs sent from the castle."  He spoke with finality, as if there was no discussion about it.

"I'm sure Sylvi is managing it. She likely is out now, fetching more food for us." Maria answered for me, but he waited for me to answer, acting as if he hadn't heard Maria speak. "Times are hard us smallfolk."

"We are well, my prince. Sylvi takes care of us." You agreed, and turned away from him, busying yourself with small meaningless tasks that were obviously a ruse to get out of the conversation with him. He moved to speak, but was interrupted by one of the girls bursting into the kitchen

"Sylvi has returned, your highness. You wished to see her?"

"I'll find her myself, thank you." He stood to leave, and left us in silence.

Aemond did return on the morrow, with men in tow with meat and fresh ingredients. They loaded up the kitchen to your specifications, Aemond overseeing the entire thing, standing as close as you would allow and stealing glances to watch for your reaction.

"We've not had food so fresh for many moons, my prince, I cannot thank you enough." You curtseyed to him, imagining all the possible meals for the girls. A few girls lingered in the kitchen as well, clearly pleased with the food, but especially with the men who delivered it, who they ogled and catcalled openly. The men were obviously intrigued by the girls, many not having the chance to visit in a while. The tensions were clearly rising in the small kitchen, and it was quickly overwhelming your space.

"Please, put the flour bags on the floor, so I can scoop it out without lifting." You attempted to break the heat in the room, Aemond's eye shooting to you at the sound of your voice.

Aemond seemed to sense your anxiety, because he spoke up and dismissed the men, with confirmation that you could manage the rest. The men quickly left, and the girls followed in pursuit. 

"I truly cannot express my gratitude." You turned away from him to begin putting away the last few boxes of food.

"If the whores are well fed, they work better for the men. It keeps morale high." He explained, stepping with you around the kitchen. "And it made you happy, so I am happy to do it."

That rendered you silent, and you resigned to swallow and nod.

"I'm sure you know by now that I spoke to Sylvi about you." You winced at the prospect of the turn this would take, now that you were all alone with him and no Maria to mediate. "She said you do not..." He let the sentence die. "Are you a maiden?"

You shot around to look at him, surprised by his boldness. He was a prince, however, and the blood of the dragon. Boldness was his very being, so it should only have surprised you that it took so long for him to make his intentions more public. Turning back to the food, you gave a timid nod, knowing that he would not let the question go unanswered.

"And you are resigned to cook for the rest of your life? For whores?" You scoffed, turning back to your tasks and refusing to meet his eyes again.

"These girls are my family. Sylvi..." Your heart stuttered just at her name. The though of her knowing you were there, alone with the man who'd announced his desire to her so plainly. "Sylvi gave me a home when I needed one, she took me in when I was lost in a foreign place. I owe her my life, and she only asks that I earn my own way. I am lucky that I can provide food, and not what so many have to sacrifice."

"My family have forsaken me in many ways as well."

"Your family put you in a castle, on a dragon, feared by any man you come across. It is not the same, my prince." He was silent at that. "And my family did not forsake me, I left them."

"Why would you do that? Did they mistreat you?"

"Not particularly, no. I just didn't find happiness in the Riverlands, and I didn't want to spend my life there."

"You're from the Riverlands." He nodded, as if committing the information to memory. "Sylvi doesn't have to know." His unrelenting bargaining was quickly running sour with you.

"So that's what this is about? You've brought food to win my favor?" You turned around to find him much closer than you had anticipated, looming over you and trapping you against the table. You pressed your hands to the edge to brace yourself, and his eyes flickered to the motion before looking into your eyes.

"I do not like the thought of you unsatisfied. Hungry with no way to satiate your needs." The double meaning was not lost on you, and the words admittedly did something to your body that you did *not* expect.

"I have always managed."

"I can give you more. And I'll ask you for so little." He ducked his head down towards your face now, his voice lowering into a husky drawl that made your mouth fall open.

The desire was there, you could not deny. But there was too much hanging in the balance, too much at stake. Your home, your pride, the only semblance of family you'd ever had. And this was one of the few things you had left that was truly yours. You had your maidenhood, and you had control over who would have it. What good could it possible do to throw it all away just to fill the whims of some spoiled prince? No matter how handsome that prince may be.

"You ask for everything." You closed your eyes and turned your face away from him, unable to breath in his scent any longer. "And I cannot give you what you want at the risk of all I have-" His lips were on yours before you could turn away from him, and his hands were on your hips, pulling you to him.

You tried your best to pull away, whimpering into his mouth and pushing against him. Your hands found his chest and you pushed your upper body away, which only served to push your hips further into his, against the hardness he now sported and gladly rubbed against you. When he seemed satisfied with your kiss, he pulled away, moving to kiss at your jaw and neck.

"Stop." You were breathless and still pulling from him, but he was not hearing. "My prince, someone could hear!" He finally relented, ceasing his kisses but still holding you to him.

"I'm not here as your prince. Call me Aemond."

"I cannot, your highness. You must leave now, please." Your pleas went ignored. "You will ruin everything!"

"I will give you anything. Name it and it's yours, I swear." You sighed, shaking your head.

"I don't understand why you can't choose another. There are women here in excess. Exotic, talented beauties that will do anything you ask for."

"Have you not been listening to me? I am not some cunt-drunken fool, I want you." His declaration struck you dumb, and you jerked back at his admission.

This was somehow worse than if it'd just been some lust-driven obsession, the thought of him imagining a life with you or all people. You, the lover of a prince. Would you move to the castle? Become a mistress? A wife? Impossible, the crown would never allow it. Sylvi would have your head for it. If the thought of you fucking him had her so bristled, the thought of him loving you would raise her hackles. It was what finally gave you the strength to squeeze past him, still awestruck by what he'd just said, and in desperate need of distance.

"And what would that be like? I'd be a mistress to you? Would we have little half blood babies, with half a claim to the iron throne, and I spend my life worrying for their safety?"

"I would bring you to the Keep, and plead my case to my brother. I am his blood, he would not deny me a wife of my choosing." You scoff in disbelief and put your hand over your chest, sitting against the table again for support.

"You've lost your mind." You shook your head.

"Let me ask my brother. If he says yes, will you come with me?" His voice was desperate and low. A certain vulnerability hid in his eye, and he pressed himself to you once more, though this time in search of comfort instead of relief.

In truth, it would be a better life then you could ever have here. You would dine on food you did not prepare, and drink wine from foreign countries and wear dresses of the finest material, instead of the itchy rags you tolerated now. And more importantly, Aemond seamed sure in his love for you. It was quick, to be sure, and without much to sustain, but you could always relish in the idea of a man's devotions. Especially someone as powerful as Aemond. Not all marriages were born of love. Most were convenient, and you could always grow to love, if you both nurtured the relationship and allowed it to grow.

But wasn't that the very thing you'd ran away from? To dishonor your family as you'd done, and then turn around and do the very thing they'd asked of you? How could you justify it? Marrying a prince would certainly put you back on their radar. If they found you again, what could you say for yourself? That it was different, because it wasn't their decision? It would break their heart, and likely yours as well.

"It would not matter, I'm afraid. I cannot marry you for my own reasons, and there's simply nothing that can change the circumstances." Distancing yourself from him was hard, and seeing the downtrodden look quickly pass his face was harder.

He collected himself, cleared his throat and returned to the same look he'd first given you. Looking down his nose, hands clasped behind his back, eye staring through you.

"You are a foolish girl." His statement shot a look of surprise to your face. "You do not know what is best for you. You ran from the Riverlands at the idea of a proposal that would have given you stability and a title, because you were too stubborn to accept a marriage you did not choose, and you do the same now."

"How dare you? You know nothing of my situation-"

"I know well enough about you to know that you are incapable of making beneficial decisions. I've allowed your adventures and you've lived your life, it is time for you to grow up and be my wife as you were meant to be."

Oh.

The silence was disastrous. You could only look at him with wide eyes, though you could not see him. You were back to that night, the last time you'd seen your family. Listening from outside their rooms as they spoke so gleefully about your proposal, and how they could not accept it fast enough. How honored they were to be considered, and how well suited you were for this man.

Could it have been Aemond's proposal? Surely you would've known. Your mother would not have waited to share this news with you. A prince asking for your hand? It would've been a triumphant win for your family. You were no great prize, the daughter of a decently wealthy house in Saltpans. A prince would raise your station farther than you could every dream, not that it was ever something you worried about. More importantly, though, Aemond was not some old Lord wanting to steal a girl away from her joys. Aemond could have made you...happy. Or at least, content.

"You sent the proposal? All those years ago?" You questioned him, but the answer seemed plain to you.

"My father sent it. I was unaware of the plans until the message returned with news of your disappearance. A girl who would spurn the chance to marry a prince, it was unspeakable. Humiliating. But I could not fault you. You were confused, and scared. You did not know me, so I sought you out. Then to find you here, pretending you do not know me. I gave you another chance, why do you not want me?"

"I didn't...I didn't know." You felt as if you could not speak, your whole life had been laid out based off this very important event. To know you'd gotten it wrong was earth shattering.

"What didn't you know?"

The room melted in the corner of your eyes, distorting your view. You held your stomach to quell the nausea riding, and went to step away from Aemond, only to trip and fall down, sitting on your calves.

Aemond knelt immediately to hold you up, calling to someone for aid. Black patched clouded your vision, but you squeezed your eyes, hoping to eradicate them.

"What's happened?" Sylvi's urgent voice snapped you back to consciousness, at least enough to push away from Aemond. "Aemond, what have you done to the poor girl?"

"I am okay, I just...want to lie down. I need to leave here, I need my rooms."

"Some water for the poor girl." Sylvi ordered someone, and you were helped up and ushered away to your room, where the girls doted on you, whilst questioning what caused such an episode.

@mamawiggers1980 @dahlias-and-marigolds @staarflowerr

[nemesis-writer]

[Unwanted Ransom(Chapter 6)]

Masterlist Oxytocin

TW- some shows of mental illness

10 years ago...

"Xerxes come on say something this is a safe place."

"Then why is there a camera?"

"It's there just in case you get-"

"I get what, crazy? Yeh, lady I know the drill"

"It says in your file that you have gone through multiple doctors in the past since your mother's death."

"And what makes you think you can fix me?"

"Because you are special, you have so much potential, and you put it all to waste."

"Who cares? My so called 'family', if I can recall they abandoned me, neglected me, and one of the little brats scarred me." Yep you obviously know who I'm talking about

"Xerxes, don't put the blame on others."

"You've been married for 15 years, three kids, one teen, one toddler, and one infant.

You're parents are divorced and no matter how many times you and your husband hate each other you wanna stay married in order to prevent the same trauma you had pass on to your kids.

Did I get it correct? Oh wait don't answer that I'm always correct." I sighed laying my head down.

"And you've become observant when it comes to hurting others, see I've studied your pattern of behaviour based on the reviews all your other doctors have represented to me before I took this case. And boy was it a long read.

Technically I'm entitled to tell you anything that could help you. And you thought that you could go through me?"

"I don't give a fuck what people say, who do I trust? No one, if a friend wants to jump on train tracks, don't expect me to hold their hand.

I don't give a damn what they insinuate about me anymore, I am an Amala never a Wayne, so I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to." And with that I abruptly stood up and grabbed my bag, I head out there.

The only reason I went there because, my 'dad' heard that I got into a fight and handcuffed the brat in the janitor's closet.

Just suck it up Xerxes, in a few years, you can finally escape them.

'Just suck it up' That's the advice I'd always tell myself no matter how much I cried, scream, or hurt myself.

Present...

"AHHHH, PETE, THERE IS A FUCKING BUILDING!!!!" I screamed as I held on tight to him.

"JENNY MOVE YOUR HAIR, OH SHIT!!!" he lost a bet so he had to swing me from Vincent's house to dad's. When we finally descended, I sighed and laid on the floor for a while.

"Y'know MJ would normally puke with this." He sighed.

"I'm built different" And I walked normally inside my house, I didn't feel any signs of...

fuck

oh wait

Oh shit

never-mind

I rushed to my bedroom's toilet and hurled a lot. Gosh, I should've listened to MJ. With that I washed my face, and brushed my mouth. I went down-stairs ignoring my surroundings.

I kinda had a crush on Pete for a while, but then I met Vincent and felt like Pete is a brother to me.

"AYOO, PETE LET'S GO WATCH SAW 2-" I immediately cut myself off when I saw, something I thought was a dream.

oh wait

it can't be

tell me I'm dreaming.

OH SHIT....

"Hey baby bird-" Richard stuttered, and tried to hug me.

"Back off Grayson, dad what the fuck is going on."

"Xerxes-"

"Who said I was talking to you limp-dick? Now dad seriously what the hell is going on here?" I looked at dad with puppy eyes, gosh I'm so adorable.

"Now, they just came here to drop your stuff." He explained.

"They are not my things they are Xerxes' things, I only things that I need are what I have now." I stated, as I looked at the cunt who ruined my life, I only sighed.

"Xerxes-"

"Zip it Timothy, or I'll tear you're tongue from your head." I stated, I've been watching the Originals again, and might I add, Nikklaus' has been looking good.

"Xerxes-" Jason tried to start. But I cut him off with a glare, he then corrected himself.

"Jennifer, we miss you and we apologise-"

"For what? Neglecting me? Abandoning me? LEAVING ME TO DIE?"

"We didn't mean to." They all protested.

"Bullshit!"

"Language!" Dad sighed.

"When is my birthday?"

"January 7?"

"No, it's September 8, what the hell is wrong with you people?" I was eager to run and ditch these people and run up to my room.

"Xerxes, you're my sister come on." He tried to grab me, but I dodged it and grabbed his hand spinning him downwards. Thanks Nat.

"Touch me one more time, and your arm won't be the only thing that will hurt."

I immediately rushed upstairs and ran to my room, locking it, which activates voice-recognition. Gosh, I was so angry with them. I started to get really angry and accidentally punched a hole in my wall that was connected to Morgan's room.

"JENNY!!!" Oh fuck.

"SORRY M! I'll fix it later." And with that I just dropped onto the bed. I grabbed my phone and texted Vincent.

Jinx- Hey V

V- Hey Jen, how r u?

Jinx- My previous fucked-up family is back now

V- damn, wanna hang tommorow? 🙂

Jinx- Sure, but I gotta lotta hw tho 😢

V- call me if you can then 🤙🏻

And with that I decided to lay down and wonder how fucked up my life could get. I started to fall asleep so I decided to shut down all of my devices, in order to avoid the annoying sound of the 'Brady Bunch' trying to text me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N- It could've been longer if my dumbass didn't accidentally delete my first draft, could've been so much better.

Taglist

@lunayaps, @not-aya, @iluvcatzz, @vanessa-boo, @ivyrose9194

[warnersister]

I Remember Everything

bradley ‘rooster’ bradshaw x mitchell!reader

Inspired by the song ‘I Remember Everything’ by Zach Bryan -> you and Bradley were only together back then to piss off your dad.. right?

Flashbacks & song lyrics in italics

top gun masterlist

“What can I get ya?” You ask, back turned to the patron but you could feel their expectant presence behind you. “Rotgut whiskey's gonna ease my mind” your breath hitched in your throat as you recognised the voice, pivoting to the voice you used to yearn for just to comfort your own sanity. “Bradley.”

Yourself and Bradley went way back. Back further than you wanted to admit. You started fraternising with him when you were freshly eighteen, pissed off at your father, Pete Mitchell. And as president of the ‘Pete-Mitchell-Hatred Club’, Bradley was more than happy to oblige. He himself was 25, finally managing to begin his naval training without any support of his surrogate uncle, and he’d just dumped you in California and fucked off to the dessert for annoying some admiral, leaving you with Penny despite your argument that you were old enough now to make your own decisions.

Bradley was at a two month station at top gun, not to train; no he wasn’t at that stage in his naval aviation training yet, but to boost morale and promote dog-fighting initiative amongst the new recruits. To throw them in at the deep end and put them up against the best.

You knew the two of them didn’t get along and you knew how your father yearned for a relationship with Bradley, so it was the perfect was to get under his skin in a way that would truly aggravate him. Being with Bradley.

At first, the reason Bradley even entertained your behaviour because he knew how it would get to maverick and how, realistically, Maverick had absolutely no say in what you did anymore. Because you were an adult making your own choices, and he surrendered any parental ties on Bradley when he withdrew his papers. It was a win-win situation as far as he was concerned, that was until he really started to fall for you.

It was a hot day in mid-July and Bradley had a day off so he opted to spend it with you, honking his horn twice in his Bronco, right outside Maverick’s house as you came running out and your dad shouted after you - regardless of the fact you were always in the passenger seat. You made it to the beach but ended up in Bradley’s military accommodation, as per usual. He watched the way your hair whipped as you observed passers-by, in nothing but a bikini as your beach towel rests on the dryin’ line.

He approached you and rested his head on your shoulder, hands on your hips as he followed your eye-line to where you were watching a couple of golden-coast born boys playing volleyball on the beach.

“Do I remind you of your daddy in his ‘88 Ford?” He asked as you handed him his whiskey from across the bar. You scoffed. “You were like a Labrador hanging out the passenger door” he continued, reminiscing on the way you used to hang your body half out of the window to feel the humid breeze against your skin, a panicked Bradley with his knuckles going white as his fingers grasped at the loop holes of your worn denim shorts to keep you in the vehicle.

The sand from your hair was blowing in his eyes. He’d blame it on the beach, grown men don’t cry. He knew what you wanted out of this: a bit of fun, a dig at your father. And he knew that he shouldn’t be feeling the way he did, a sense of growing adoration for you and your company. Your constant sleep overs and loving attention.

“Do you remember that beat down basement couch?” He asked after the silence and for the first time since you looked at him, you smiled. “God I loved that thing, of course I do Brad” you say in an almost accidentally small voice. “I'd sing you my love songs and you'd tell me about how your mama ran off and pawned her ring” you nodded “I remember,” you began with a steady inhale “I remember everything.”

You worked at the hard deck over the summer while you waited on news from the colleges you’d applied to, Bradley always overstaying his welcome despite you giving a cold shoulder at closing time, before he’d approach you and manage to coax you away from the bar for the evening.

“You were begging me to stay 'til the sun rose” you remembered with a grin, thinking back on all the times you’d given into him. Bradley could hardly muster any sort of words, unable to string a sentence together as he realised you really did appreciate his first summer in North Island; strained words come on out of a grown man's mouth when his mind's broke. Thinking of the pictures and passing time, all these years apart. He wondered if you were married now, if the hard deck was what you actually did for work, if you had a man, a child, a life without him, before you broke the silence with your realisation. “You only smile like that when you're drinking” you tell his dopey grin. “I wish I didn't, but I do… remember every moment on the nights with you” he tells you.

You begin to wipe down the counter, questioning his reiterative choice of beverage. “You're drinkin' everything to ease your mind?” You asked, rhetorically. “But when the hell are you gonna ease mine?” He retorted in question and you creased your brows. He peered around the bar, it still technically closed, being only 4pm, but you couldn’t deny Bradley entrance. Not after your history together. Acknowledging that there was nobody else, he took it in his stride to zip around the bar to you, trapping you against the bar and leaning closer, you could smell the Rotgun whiskey on his mouth. “You're like concrete feet in the summer heat” he tells you with a shake of his head, laughing sarcastically as he throws his head back “It burns like hell when two souls meet”.

You look up at him and trace his moustache with your thumbs, hands cupping his chiselled jaw. “No, you'll never be the man that you always swore” you tell him, reminding him that he was nothing like your father, but you nod to the familiar Bronco in the parking lot “but I'll remember you singin' in that '88 Ford”, you smile.

“Are you gonna give me a cold shoulder at closing time?” He asked “are you gonna be begging me to stay ‘til the sun rose?” You ask in response. “You of all people know that strained words come on out of a grown man's mouth when his mind's broke” he whispers, moving to bury his head between your collar and jaw. “I still think about the pictures and passing time” you tell him, threading your hands into his hair.

You feel his brows raising “what? So I wasn’t just a way to get back at your daddy?” He asked and you shook your head. “What? I thought I was a way for you to get back at him. No, you were everything to me Bradley. Everything. You just happened to be there when I wasn’t getting along with Mav” you tell him and he takes his head from the crevice of your neck to give you a boyish smile as he realises after all this time, his feelings were always requited. “You only smile like that when you're drinking” you tell him. “I wish I didn't, but I do remember every moment on the nights with you” you tell him and he creases his brows.

“Now why’re you tryna forget me, honey?” He asked, nose almost pressed against your own. Almost. “Well you’re probably married now, kids, job, everything.” You say meekly. “And I never moved on.” His breath caught in his throat. “Darlin, I ain’t married. Ain’t got no kids or anything, no girl, no nothing. I never got over you” he tells you. “No one was ever as good as you Brad, no one made me feel the way you made me feel” you tell him as he inches dangerously close.

“Well can I give you something to take the edge off, princess?” He asks, eyes meeting yours after fleeting between them to your lips for the past few moments. “Rotgut whiskey's gonna ease my mind” you tell him as he finally leans into close the gap between the both of you, tasting the bitter sweetness on his tongue and the smell of the liquor on his moustache.

You pull away and become acutely aware of how he’s only in his swim shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, as his beach towel rests on the drying line. “Do I remind you of your daddy in my '88 Ford?” He asks as he leans his forehead against yours and you nod, with a jokingly “Labrador hangin' out the passenger door.”

“Why’re you still in North Island, sugar? Still working the Hard Deck?” He questions as he nips your neck with his teeth. You stop him and pull his head from where it was taunting against your sight. You hold his head in your hands as you shake your head with a serious look crossing your face. “Bradley I’m only helping Penny clean up. I’m stationed here for the foreseeable.” You say, as the obvious dawned on him. He hadn’t seen you since that summer before you started college “you’re in the navy?” He asked “aviator.” You replied and he grinned to pick you up and sling you over his shoulder as you yelp with surprise.

“Bradley! What are you doing?” You ask with a breathless laugh. “Got a lot to catch up on, sugar.” He tells you as you approach his Bronco. “How about an all night revival?”

[awriterinthenight]

"It's ok love", Part 2-Anthony Lockwood

requested: anonymous

words: 3255

warnings: reader's family being horrible, people judging her job and body and how she isn't married, slight misogyny, swearing. (I had a lot of fun writing some of the family dynamic and making up reader's story about her family and I have so much more of her back story to reveal and I'm so excited. Also all of my stories are usually female reader unless otherwise stated, or sometimes no gender is mentioned if I can, but I just prefer to write it like that) thanks for reading, enjoy. Please enjoy, my laptop decided to combust twice while writing this and this took me like 2 hours.

summary: Anthony and reader have arrived at reader's family's place. Anthony is gone for his job and reader is stuck with her family. He comes back to her crying in her room after her family dinner.

The train ride from hell finally ended with Anthony waking me up, telling me we'd arrived at our stop. I got up groggily, reaching to grab my bag, but Anthony stopped me.

"I've got it love," he said, grabbing mine and his bags, carrying them off of the train.

I couldn't help but smile at his act of service. I'd known him long enough to know there was no stopping him when it came to him helping people. He loved it. Doing acts of service for people was his love language, so I never stopped him when he did stuff like this for me.

Leaving the train, we called a cab, and I gave them the address to my parents place. I was nervous the whole ride. Mostly because of how Anthony would react to seeing how rich my family truly was. I know it sounds dumb to be embarrassed by being rich, but it was more of the fact that people would judge me for it and the fact I chose to be an agent. Everyone would always say how dumb I was for running away from such a lavish life, and how becoming an agent, potentially almost dying everyday, instead of staying safe in my family's house and wealth, was such a stupid idea. It was even worse when they would add that I only did it because I was 'rebellious' or 'just a kid' who didn't know what they were doing.

But it's the exact opposite. I'd rather be using my talent for something good than wasting it away. Why sit around doing nothing my whole life, when I can go out and help people. It felt like what they probably told Maria Anna Mozart, when they told her to stop making music, and that she had to marry someone and give up on her dream, or telling Van Gogh to just sit in his depression rather than work his way out through art.

Then again, I was only one agent amongst thousands, but I still believed I could potentially make a difference. Part of the reason people would say stuff like that to me was mostly because I was a girl. I was the oldest too, so I was expected to marry rich, find a good husband, and continue the family legacy. Not, run away at 15 and join an agency, where I could potentially die. Which is also a bad thing according to my family, since because I was the oldest I was their heir, or something like that.

I was so consumed in my self deprecating thoughts, that I didn't notice we had arrived until Anthony leaned over asking, "Is this really your family's house?" he asked, seemingly shocked by the estate and the rather vast size.

I let out a long sigh, "Yup, this is it," I confirmed, opening my door, leaving the car and walking towards the door.

"I knew you said your family was well off, but that seemed to have been an understatement," he said, breathing out a laugh at how big my family's place was.

Moving towards the front door, I take out my keys, unlocking the door, "Well my family had a decent amount of wealth on both sides, which then basically doubled when my grandparents married, then again when my mom and dad married. Then when the problem came around, they were some of the first people to create flares specialized for ghost hunting. Once that made a shit ton of profit, they then sold it making even more, so yeah my family is fucking loaded," I exclaimed, bitterly adding the last part as I unlocked the door.

"Seems like the next seven generations of your family are set for life," he joked, leaning against the wall.

I let out a small laugh, "Try more like ten maybe," I added, opening the door to the place, "And, this is only the east wing we're in. Wait till you see the entire main house."

His eyes went wide at my mention of this only being part of the place, "If this is only part of it, I can't even imagine the rest of the house," he said, in utter amazement of how my family lived.

I opened the door, letting us in as I turned on the lights, "Well, make yourself at home," I told him, walking toward the stairs in the front to head to the bedroom, "This part is actually quite small. Only two bedrooms, or actually more like one. I turned the other one into my own little space for random hobbies, so there's only one bedroom, but it'll be fine," I said, realizing we would be in the same room.

Climbing up the staircase in the entryway, we reached the 2nd floor, turning left towards the bedroom. The room was fairly big, there was a fireplace, a couple couches, a bay window, a desk covered in papers and pens I left, and the massive bed in the middle. Of course the room was painted my favorite color, and had some of the decorations I left. Alongside the posters on my wall that I didn't take down when I ran away.

I watched as Anthony took in the room, "This feels like a toned down version of you," he said, since my room at home was comprised of my favorite color walls that I begged Anthony to let me paint, more decorations than were in here which was saying something since my old room here was still somewhat fully decorated, posters on all the walls, and my room at home always had fresh flowers, since Anthony would buy them for me, even though I never asked him to.

"Well I couldn't take all my stuff when I left, so a lot of it stayed here," I told him, finally walking into the room, after just leaning against the doorway.

Anthony looked at me, then the floor, then me again, "If you don't mind me asking," he started, clearing his throat before continuing, "Why did you leave a place like this?"

I could feel myself partially freeze. I told him that I hadn't really told anyone else, but I never told him anything about why I left, or my family before I ran.

Taking in a deep breath I finally spoke, "I think that's a story for another time. Plus you have a job to get ready for," I told him, changing the subject.

He nodded, not pushing any further, "I should probably start heading out. I'll go call a cab," he said, moving closer to me before leaving, "Have fun, and don't worry about anything, okay," he told me, grabbing me by my waist, planting a soft kiss on my forehead. He rarely ever did this, only when he knew I was anxious or sad.

"Okay," I said, taking a calming breath in and out.

He then left, calling a cab, leaving when it arrived. I could hear the door close and that was when I knew I was alone for a little bit before my family showed up.

Usually before something big like this they liked to spend the day out. Letting the cooks and the rest of the staff prepare, undisturbed by my family's loudness. I took this time to unpack my clothes into the dresser, since I was gonna be here for a couple of days. Tonight was our families dinner, then tomorrow night was the actual party, and the day after would be when the immediate family stays and just congratulates my sister as we all prepare to make our departure for those leaving.

***

It had been about an hour since Anthony left when my family started to arrive. I could see through my window them entering the house, filling in one after the other. My sister getting married was a big deal to them, so everyone from my mom and dad's siblings, to their cousins, to my cousins, to great aunts twice removed, was here to celebrate.

I took a big sigh before heading down to the main house where everyone was. Making sure I looked good enough in my fairly new black dress, smoothing down my hair, and having to tone down my makeup since I was supposed to look like I wasn't wearing anything to create some illusion, or something. I don't actually know, I didn't pay attention when my mom was talking about that.

Opening the door basically alerted everyone of my presence. I entered the reception room where everyone was hanging around in, having a few drinks, and making the same small talk to the people they could and couldn't tolerate.

The first to notice me was my sister who came running at me, as if I had come back from the dead, "Oh I'm so glad you're here," she exclaimed, squeezing me so hard I think she forgot that I had to breathe.

"I'm happy to be here too, especially for you," I said, though she knew the first part was a lie, but definitely not the second part.

She finally pulled back, her eyes widening in happiness, "You have to meet my fiancé," she practically screamed, with a smile so big I'm surprised her face didn't hurt.

I smiled too, since her smile was always infectious, "I will soon, let me just make my way around the room before grandma writes me out the will for not greeting her the second I walk in," I joke, since I was probably actually already written out of multiple wills for running away.

"Okay, okay, I'll let you go, but you have too. Plus I think she'd rather give the dead hamster in the backyard more than us when she dies," my sister adds jokingly, referring to the hamster we had to bury when I was 7 and she was 5.

I take a deep breath, starting to move around the room. The second I see champagne, I quickly grab a glass to help encourage me to stay here and not just run out. Like I said, I started by greeting my grandma on my dad's side, who mentioned how I was 'too muscular' since I was an agent and being in top condition was basically a requirement if you don't like dying. My grandma on my mom's side was actually a lot nicer. Complimenting my hair, asking who my stylist was. She was never horrible, we just didn't talk much since her and my mom didn't get along well. My grandpa on my mom's side was nice too, admiring how I was an agent, and how I was in his words 'saving the world' which I thought was an overstatement.

Next came all the aunts and uncles. If I was lucky I could avoid the bad ones, or keep the small talk to a minimum, only spending time with the decent ones. On my dad's side I had three aunts and one uncle who were blood related. I caught up on some of my family's life from two of my aunts, and got more comments on how 'they could never possibly work such a vigorous job' and how 'I will one day realize how I made the wrong decision. I left those two quickly, heading to my favorite aunt who greeted me with open arms.

She filled me in on the actual family drama, who was mad at who, who divorced who, who was seeing who. She was an amazing aunt, and the only I truly remembered fully by name, the others I only really remembered when asked, or if they were at an event with me. But my aunt Kathy was amazing and always slipped me a couple of extra bucks, or nice shoes.

Soon I had to leave her and head towards more of my mom's side. My mom's side was...well...scary to say the least. They very much believed that I shouldn't be working, especially in a job like being an agent, so I knew I was in for some passive aggressive comments. My mom's side had three uncles, one of them being adopted, and two aunts who were like Madeline and Louise. They always gossiped, but not in a fun way like my aunt Kathy. More in a deceitful way, both of them were on their 4th divorce. I stopped keeping track at some point. Both talked about how my job was a crazy thing to do, and how they remember their teenage rebellious phase.

I left them before I got a headache, moving onto talking with my uncles. Besides that the two blood ones were a tad misogynistic, they were okay. They mostly talked about business, and how sales for equipment for agents was at an all time high, to which I just smiled and nodded, not really knowing what they were talking about.

The adopted one was my favorite uncle. While he wasn't blood related, he was the best in the family. He was always joking, and talked about how his sister was also an agent before losing her talent and becoming a secretary. We talked for a little bit till I spotted the person I was looking for.

My cousin Jade. I found her semi-hidden behind a plant, holding two glasses of champagne, mouthing the words to 'Maneater' as she hid her device that was playing the music she was listening to. I walked up behind her asking, "Are you listening to Maneater at a family party," which startled her.

"Christ, I thought you were one of the aunts coming to scold me," she said, relieved it wasn't one of our aunts, "And yes, it was. Its better than listening to stuffy small talk all night."

"You're not wrong," I said, agreeing with her statement, "Then again, drinking the fountain water is better than small talk." We continued our conversation for a while till we were all called for dinner.

The main dining room was big enough for both my mom and dad's side, plus their partners, and some of the older cousins from each side. The younger kids were sent to the other smaller dining room, where they were served their own stuff, and away from all the adult talk.

Dinner started off somewhat nicely. I stayed talking to Jade, who was next to me, my grandma from my dad's side on my other side, but she ignored me for the most part. Everything was going great, conversation was flowing, the food was nice, and everyone was giving my sister nice compliments and congratulations.

It was perfect, until it wasn't. My grandma who I was sitting next to had to pipe up and say, "You should take less food, no man would want someone built like you," while I was grabbing another piece of chicken.

Almost everyone either quieted down or went silent as her voice projected through the room. My uncle soon defended me, "There's no need to talk like that, let the girl eat." Sadly though that wasn't the end of that.

"Well, if we let her keep being like that then no man will marry her. Especially at this age, her sister is already getting married, and she doesn't even have a boyfriend," she said, meaning every word she said. I was only 20, my sister was 19. It was a one almost two year gap, yet she was still getting married young and before me. I chose my career over marriage, something I apparently wasn't supposed to do but did anyway.

Now others started talking. My two gossiping aunts said how, "Someone would probably marry me. I have to do something once my "talent" fades," putting talent in air quotes, as if my ability was nothing, or how, "Maybe he won't be rich like she was supposed to marry, but maybe she can trick some somewhat handsome guy."

"She's the one who's supposed to inherit their fortune?"

"I'd rather live in a swamp than look like her."

"At least I can get a boyfriend, and not have a job. She can't even get one and her job is just sad." My cousins said, insulting me like I wasn't there.

Everything felt surreal. I could feel Jade rubbing my arm trying to comfort me as she was talking to me, and on the other side of me was my grandma berating me for basically just existing. All the chatter around me of everyone pointing out my mistakes, and how I wasn't married felt overwhelming, making me want to cry.

What was worse though was how my parents didn't say anything. At least my sister tried to shush people and get them to stop. My parents did nothing though, maybe even added to the chatter.

I eventually got up, leaving the room. Tears stinging my eyes, the feeling almost as bad as the one my family made me feel. Jade tried grabbing my arm to get me to not leave, but she let me go, not following so i could have my space.

The second I walked into my part of the house and into my room, I could feel the tears pouring. I was leaning against my bed, trying to let everything process fully.

I didn't think I was that bad looking. I was usually complimented on my style or looks, even hit on once or twice, which I really didn't like, but still I thought I was still decent looking. My job wasn't the worst either. Especially at my age, most agents lost their talent by now, but I still had mine and it was working better than ever. Yet, no matter how much I tried to reassure myself, their comments still got to me.

I didn't even hear Anthony enter the house, or even my room. But the next thing I knew, he was right in front of me, holding me, asking what was wrong. I told him everything. I don't think I'd seen someone more shocked before.

He shook his head, looking me in my eyes, "Your family is wrong. You're gorgeous, don't listen to them," he said, trying to comfort me, "And, you're one of the best agents in the world, and I say that with full confidence. You're amazing, please don't listen to them darling." He held me for a little bit longer, continuing to comfort me.

Soon he got up, getting ready for bed, as I did the same. We got situated in bed for the night. There was only one bed, but we decided to be mature about it and just sleep in the same bed. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, and it's just for two nights.

We were originally somewhat far apart from each other, before I turned towards him, "Anthony," I said, my voice rather small.

He turned towards me, "Yes, darling," he said, his voice low and tired.

I took a breath before I asked, "Did you really mean what you said?" thinking that maybe he only said it to be nice.

"I meant every word, love," he told me, moving his hand to wrap around my waist pulling me close to him, "Why don't you get some sleep. Don't worry about it, I'll take care of it in the morning," he told me.

I didn't know what he meant, but I was tired from the day's events, and drifted off into sleep in his arms. He held me close the entire night, my head on his chest, with his arms wrapped around my waist.

Taglist (ask to be added)

@almost-gabrielle @scarlett-8 @archiveoftara

[amiserableseriesofevents]

I just saw this GIF of Austin and my mind immediately went to this pic of Callum, and inspiration was just around the corner like that so here's a little Drabble set in the Such Stuff universe, a few years in the future ♡

John slumps in the armchair with an annoyed sigh, checking the clock on the screen of his laptop for the umpteenth time; Buck is late, and it's getting more and more frustrating with every passing minute. They had agreed for eight o'clock where John is, seven for Gale; it's now closer to eight thirty, John is hungry, but he can't possibly leave the laptop unattended to fix himself dinner because Buck could call any minute now.

He's beginning to understand how Buck feels when he's the one away from home, jumping from one city to the other while on tour. And for the same reason he knows he can't be offended if Buck is late, because he's away for work too – some kind of training course for high school teachers, four days out of state on a full-paid trip. Buck couldn't refuse of course, he was actually pretty thrilled about it, and John told him he could hold the fort for a few days without him.

And he has, without a problem, thank you very much. He's cleaned the house, he's been out with Meatball and his other two parents, he's read his lines, he event went to the gym. But now it's the evening, and John is lonely, and Buck is fucking late to their videocall.

John almost whoops out loud when the screen finally comes to life and he sees Buck's little icon pulsating at the center – a pic of Saturn, his favorite planet.

“You're here!�� John says the moment the call goes through, unable to bite back a smile.

Gale appears on the screen, a little blurry at first and then in his full splendor with a blue shirt that compliments his eyes, behind him what little John can see of the room they've put him in – a canopied bed, a cream colored wall and a few paintings. Buck looks tired, but happy. “Sorry I was so late, the last speaker really couldn't stop talking,” he says with a smile stretching to the side. “You miss me?”

“I'm coping,” John blatantly lies, and by the way Buck's smile widens he knows he doesn't believe him. “Why all the stretching? Are you ok?”

“Just stiff, been sitting on my ass all day. I could use one of your massages,” Buck tells him with a knowing smirk.

Oh, so this is how we're doing it? Ok.

John grins right back at him. “Don't worry Buck, I'll take care of ya when you come back. I'll take care of ya real good,” he tells him, lowering his voice a little in the way he knows Buck likes.

“Oh yeah? I'm probably gonna need it, I'm so stiff... so sore...” Buck trails off with the fakest sigh John has ever heard. “What do you think I'd need to feel better?”

John leans forward, arms crossed on the table, a fond smile on his lips. “I'll tell you all about it in a bit, Professor Cleven,” he says, relishing in the way Buck's breath hitches at those words even through the screen. “But first, I wanna know everything about the evolution of algebra. Tell me, how is she?”

[fleetingcalypso]

I am very sorry to bother you, but a very sweet prompt fleeted into my mind as I prepared myself to come out to my parents, and I'd thought I'd share it in the sheer hope you'd read it, enjoy the thought and perhaps write something based on it, if you're comfortable.

Just imagine, you're very close to Sirius Black (you can choose to which degree, platonically, romantically, interested but not together yet, preferably the last because hehe). You've known for a while you were transgender (FtM) but never had the strength to come out, fearing rejection and alienation from the friend group. Just a sweet little comfort fic because I'm anxious as fuck.

≋ What you're doing is extremely brave, I'm so very proud of you. I wish you the best, friend. Know that whatever goes down, you'll never be judged or rejected here. I'll pray your coming out will be met with love and affection.

≋ Sirius Black x TransMasc!Reader ≋

≋ Word Count: 2285 words.

≋TW: Dysphoria, Misgendering (not done by Sirius)

Hogwarts seemed intimidating, more than anything. Eleven year old me, sitting in that train, chewing my nails and staring out at the moving scenery, had not the slightest idea that finding friends would be as easy as breathing. At least it is when four troublemakers decide to adopt you into their friend group, barely a week after classes started.

‘The marauders’ they’d call themselves, not so slowly becoming every professor’s nightmare.

They each had something that made them so intriguing. The four of them were attached at the hip, and with me being dragged into their pranks and escapades things only got more entertaining. Even as my house was far away from the castle we studied at, every day I got to spend with them made it feel like I was home, with their jokes and their being able to light up a dull moment with only a couple of words. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter welcomed me in, as one of them.

In the midst of my lowest moments I wondered, would they still accept me if I let my walls down? I sprinkled seeds of the truth here and there: I cut my hair short, I opted for pants instead of the usual skirt, I was at my happiest during winter - when finally I could show off the baggiest of sweaters to conceal the appendages on my chest. It’s not purely a physical discomfort, though. It’s in the little things, small seemingly meaningless moments that no one appears to notice but me. 

People perceive me differently based on how I move even the tiniest of muscles, it is painfully obvious. The boys have never done it, not once, they’ve always treated me as one of them. Never has one of them implied me being weaker, more delicate or called me ‘sweetheart’ in that obnoxious way lots of people do when they’re trying to put me back in my place.

 My head constantly feels underwater with the knowledge that if I were to sit wrong I’d be labeled as a girl, if I walk in a specific way it’ll put attention on my hips, even just standing, unmoving, gives me anxiety. The most insignificant of movements could shoot down the image of me that I want people to see whenever they lay eyes on me.

I feared the worst each time I let my mind tug me into a daydream. Deep down I knew, they’d never turn their back on a friend, but fear nipped at my heels every day. Not only was I hiding who I was from them, but I was lying to their faces about it as well. What hurt me the most, though, was not being able to admit my identity to Sirius.

Sirius Orion Black, he’s been the one that made sure I felt safe around him and the lads. More than once I caught myself being entranced by his words as he let the rest of us know what a nightmare his family life was. He was the total opposite of what his mother wanted him to be, yet that didn’t stop him from being his pure unfiltered self, if anything he enhanced each trait she found disgusting. Sirius wasn’t scared to be his true self, even if it meant going against his blood.

It sparked something in me. My heart has been his, for a long time now.

Sirius, with his raven locks, smooth skin and ever present smirk on his face is the one and only subject of all my dreams. He constantly looks as though he knows everyone’s secrets. The thought makes my stomach twist. When I awake, with the moon still high up in the sky, I almost turn to the pillow beside me, to take a peek at him, they’re that realistic. 

At any rate, if there’s someone that I feel should be the one to know the true me, it is him. I contemplated asking all four of them to meet me, but I don’t think I could rip the bandaid that easily. I want to talk to the one who knows -somewhat- how it feels to have expectations placed on oneself, the one who knows that being someone you’re not is more painful than the Crucio curse itself. Of course our situations are oceans apart: he doesn’t deal with having the need to hide certain parts of my body, or with the numerous wailing moments caused by being born in the wrong body, but I think he'd be the first one to accept me.

I had a whole speech prepared, a letter pages and pages long that I was going to give him, so he could read it without my presence, but as I hear his footsteps approaching me, I can imagine him already. His wand resting behind his ear and tie loosened, hands comfortably and nonchalantly situated in the pockets of his jeans with his luscious hair possibly styled into a bun.

“You’ve been rather gloomy lately, mate.” His foot taps my leg, before he lowers himself to sit next to me. We’ve always enjoyed sitting in the astronomy tower together, in the short span of time between a prank or two. Here, we don’t have to worry about being something else, we’re just humans admiring the stars. In hindsight, I should have figured out he knew I’d be hiding out here, as for my ‘being gloomy’, well, I thought I’d done a good job pretending. Apparently not. It makes me wonder if he’s seen through all of my white lies.

“You know how it is, life is hard.” I turn to him, expecting a silly joke like ‘Life is hard, but I’m harder’, something stupid to cheer me up as he usually does, but said joke never makes it into reality. He’s not even smiling, his lip is caught between his teeth in a clearly troubled look, it doesn’t suit him. No trace of a bun holding his luscious hair in place, what a shame.

“Are you okay though?” He whispers, even if we are the only beating hearts in the room and the sincerity in his voice almost brings me to tears. “I mean it when I say you haven’t been yourself lately.” I haven’t fully been myself for ages, but he doesn’t know that. Of course he doesn’t. I’ve been everything but myself. Oh, how many times have I hoped I could just rip my chest apart and rid myself of this body that doesn’t belong to me, before emerging from the depth of it as the man I know I am.

My tongue is threatening me to run faster than my mind. ‘I’m a man’ I want to shout, ‘I have always been a man, from the moment I was born, and I hope you can accept me for what I am.’ It sounds so easy in my head, which is why I hate it more than anything when my throat dries up as soon as I part my lips. His gaze falls to them, but it comes back up to meet my eyes when only a sigh escapes from them.

In being faced with my hesitation he speaks again, a subtle comforting smile on his face, “Hey, I’m not holding you hostage. You don’t have to talk about it, if you don’t feel like it.” His elbow meeting my side in a gentle shove sends my heart ablaze, it is just a simple touch, not even skin on skin, yet it makes my entire body warm up.

“If one day you woke up and saw that you were trapped in a cage, what would you do?” I tentatively ask, testing the waters of the ocean I know I am going to dive in today. My question causes a corner of his lips to tilt upwards, “I’d pick the lock,” He says, as if the solution would be that easy. I foolishly hope it was.

“What if there is no lock to pick? What if you could escape it, but you’d have to face one of the biggest fears in your life in order to do so?” 

His answer, before I can even finish the last syllable, “I’d do it. If it means freedom, I’d do anything. You know it.” His hand rests on my shoulder, I can feel his thumb pressing into my muscles, more than anything I want to hug him and confess my reality with my face hidden in his neck. But I don’t. I’m tired of hiding. My life has turned into a twisted version of hide and seek, where I’m both the seeker and the one hiding. I seek a day where I won’t have to hold back anymore, a day where I’ll be able to use a masculine pronoun without expecting weird looks towards me, yet I hide away in the darkness, afraid of the future, afraid of losing everything I’ve built so far. 

I’ve built mansions, cathedrals, palaces with precarious foundations and I think the time has come to fix that. 

“What’s with all the philosophical talk today? Cages and fears and whatnot. Is it a new idea for a prank? Because if it is you need to hear one James had just a while ago-”

“I’ve been lying to you, Sirius.” I confess with the taste of bile in the back of my throat. The letter I had prepared and read so many times I’d memorized it sits deep in the pockets of my pants, I’m running on no script and no idea of where this conversation will bring us. I have no patience to hear what he might say, so I don’t even stop to breathe before I speak again.

“I’ve been lying to all of you, even to myself at times. I want to preface this by saying that I understand if this is confusing to you, or if you don’t understand where this is coming from but I am not the girl you boys befriended all those years ago. I’ve never been a girl, not once, but this doesn’t mean I’ve been faking to be your friend. I’m still the friend that helped you get out of detention, I’m still the friend that sent professors down the wrong hallway when they would ask for you mid prank preparation, I’m still the friend that would do your essays for you in exchange for part of your food at lunch. I’m still your friend, just not the friend you thought you had.” The words flow out like a river overflowing, it is only as I say the last word that I notice the tears rolling down my cheeks, “I’m not a girl,” I say again, my voice cracking in a sob, “I’m a guy.” 

The grip he had on my shoulder tightens for a moment before he lets out the loudest sigh of relief I’ve ever heard, “By Merlin’s beard, you scared me half to death there.” His other hand rests on his chest, most likely trying to relax his beating heart that, if it’s pounding half the speed of mine, then it must be fighting tooth and nail to escape his ribcage. Something halfway through another sigh and a chuckle comes from him as his head shakes, “So, you’re a bloke, huh? Is that what you’re telling me?” 

I nod, swallowing the gulp stuck in my throat, I can’t force myself to make a sound. The arm wrapping itself around my shoulder and pulling me into Sirius takes me by surprise, “You were always one of the lads, mate.” He says, grinning ear to ear, “Thank you for telling me. I can’t imagine this was easy for you…” The weight on my back does not abandon me completely, it is only the tiniest amount lighter. The first step is taken, there is no going back, little by little he’ll be able to uncover all of me. One small step at a time. Now it is no time to let him know how the only things I smelled while brewing amortentia was his cologne, butterbeer and the occasional cigarette. 

I don’t know what else to say, it feels like I just lept from a flying broom awaiting contact with the ground, but the crash never comes, my bones never break and no absurd pain breaks through me. “Thank you for still being here.” I choke out. His thumb runs over the corners of my eyes, the silver rings on his fingers graze my hot skin, “Thank you for telling me.” He repeats, dragging my body closer to his in a warm hug, “I want you to know, telling the others, that’s your choice. I won’t say a word. There’s no rush. I’ll even hold your hand while you do it.”

I melt in his arms. His last remark, as teasing as it was, is enough to pull a smile out of me. “I’ll make sure to let you know whenever I’m ready so you can wash your hands first. Who knows what you’ve touched.”

“Wow, rude much.” Sirius holds me for what feels like a lifetime. They say Hogwarts is the safest place there is, but I think I’ve found a worthy adversary to that claim. We don’t say anything, I said my piece and he listened. That’s all that was important. One day I’m going to have to tell James, Remus and Peter as well, but that can wait for now. The worst is done. 

“Do you feel a little more free now?” He murmurs in my ear, “Has that cage began to feel like something you could escape from?”

“Yes.” And I mean it when I say it. The future looks brighter than it ever has.

[mossyivy]

(If u already mentioned something about this then pls ignore this)

But the dynamic between Leon, his wife, and the kids it’s giving me — his wife’s mom loves him soo much/smothers him and same with the grandkids. While the wife’s dad…whenever they’re alone there’s that tension. That “oh, so you’re the one dating —err my daughter’s husband despite Leon and his wife being married for ever how long 😂 there’s always that dynamic lol.

Imagine they’re visiting the grandparents house. Kids excited. Violet acting like she’s not (she is), Cecilia happy and kicking her feet because she knows granny makes the best cakes/pastries, and Scotty..well whatever babies do. Babble.

While Leon is out here sweating and his wife all happy seeing her parents again.

Timeline establishing moment: they met in late '07- early '08. Got married in late '10 and conceived Violet on their honeymoon (they weren't fucking around with having babies). So if we're going by current times of '24 they've been married 14ish years...

Readers parents I'd imagine we're an old fashioned couple. Her father probably an Ex military general. Like, Leon even in the Army heard stories of this guy but never got to meet him until you brought him home to your folks. Your mother was just a homemaker raising her daughter on the words of Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem. Raising a strong woman with the love/compassion of her mother and the strong will/ambition of her father.

But yes! His wife's mother absolutely ADORES Leon. Every time they visit she immediately starts fussing at him about taking care of himself too along with the family. Probably shoves food on him like a dealer trying to sell drugs. Literally will not stop giving him kisses on his head and calling him "the perfect son she always wanted". Insists on him calling her Mom which he happily obliged. She's so happy you married a good man like Leon and gave her 3 beautiful grandbabies.

Her father... Oh God... The moment Leon hears his father-in-law mutter "Hello Leon." He's immediately like misses puff...

Leon is PETRIFIED of this man. Always calls him Sir. Even when her father calls him Leonard (literally not even his name...) The only bonuses Leon has going for him is working for the government (good pay and job security), can protect his family/army training and giving them grandkids.

But grandpa with their grandbabies... COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MAN. Super gentle and sweet, especially towards his granddaughters. Constantly slips them money. Grandma is doting over Scottie, she loves babies, and taking him off their hands.

Violet is constantly acting like she doesn't want to be there, but the second grandpa shows up it's like she's 5 again she's so excited. Cecilia too, running at top speed to throw herself at him. He slips them both $20, Cecilia excited that she got money runs back to her parents... So grandpa slips Violet another $20 cause he knows she's older. Knows the worth of money and before they leave they always get a fat check for each kids college funds their grandparents opened for them as soon as they found out they existed. (Ofc grandparents spend their retirement on their grandbabies)

Cecilia gets to go home with half a cake from grandma and frozen cookie dough because as good as a baker daddy is grandma's still the best (🙄)

Violet gets her money and a new crochet hat every visit. She has a collection of them that she keeps her pin collection stuck to.

Scott gets toys, a trunk load of toys and clothes that he can grow into. Plus a lot of advice on raising a baby... Like you two hadn't already been raising 2 girls but okay.

[hrts4hanniehae]

clutch || two

there are written parts :)

warning: mentions of parental abuse (emotional), mental breakdown, blood

her move into her new shared apartment was fairly quick, considering all her stuff were still in boxes at minghao's house.

"luckily you found a new place the same week jun is moving in with me." - minghao

"my only friend abandoned me for his boyfriend. i'm so sad." - yn

he dropped a box into her arms. "i'd have let you stay longer, you know? but luckily my friend wonwoo had a room free."

"how do you know him anyways?" - yn

"we were schoolmates from high school all the way to college. he studied computer science in university so we split up." - minghao

"so what do all your friends do now?" - yn

"seungcheol is a rapper under woozi's production label. jeonghan is a model. joshua owns a company that makes jewellery. jun is an actor, hoshi is a dancer/choreographer." - minghao

"i've met hoshi before, right?" - yn

"while he was drunk, yes. wonwoo is a gaming streamer, woozi is a music producer and co-owns an entertainment company with hoshi. mingyu is a celebrity chef. dokyeom is a florist and a theatre actor. seungkwan is a model and a show host, and vernon is a model. dino is a soloist under woozi and hoshi's company." - minghao

"ah. so you all have faces blessed by genetics... great." - yn

amid her rant, she could feel herself begin to cry. where did it all go wrong? she was just a girl who wanted to be an artist. she didn't ask to not be "pretty" according to her mother.

she was a child born to be an experiment. her parents experimented with parenting on her. she was the 1.0 -- the start but never the finish.

in her rage, she threw her phone at the wall and punched a hole in her sculpture. but before she could succumb to her pain and just cry... her phone chimed.

"well, that was weird..." he muttered to himself, but he started his stream anyways.

gam3boiftw: HE'S BACCKKKKK

wonwoono.1fan: life update!!!!!!

"you want a life update? okay. so this streaming site decided to take 30% of my earnings every stream, and my apartment's rent went up so i've been busy dealing with that. it's okay now though. seollie is still very healthy... and i may be doing a vlog when i meet up with my friends next week. that's it."

gamegamebo1: play valorant.

gam3boiftw: no he should play a relaxing game

wonwo0o0o0o: nah he should play a gacha game.

"i'll play a few rounds of valorant... then maybe cookie run kingdom if it's not too late. don't blame me if i lose because i'm rusty."

-

obviously, he won all the games he played.

fbwovbero: no move the tree left some more. align it with the train

rebveornvp: no move it to the right!

"chill i know what i'm do-"

"OH FUCK!!"

a sudden shout from the room opposite his scares the daylights out of him.

gam3boiftw: wtf was that?!?!??!

fkbnenveln: help??!??!?!

"sorry i think that was my neighbour. let me go check it out, give me a few minutes."

while shaving down the side of her wood carving, she was distracted and sliced the knife along her palm, splitting it open. deep.

"OH FUCK-" oh shit. she slapped her hands over her mouth at her outburst, smearing blood all over her face. she didn't mean to shout so loud.

"oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god what the fuck do i do??????"

her door suddenly burst open.

"what h- oh my god are you okay?" - wonwoo

"i'm so sorry for shouting. i'm fine. i'll just go sort my hand out. go back to your stream." - yn

"the blood isn't from your nose?" - wonwoo

"why would the blood be from my nose?" - yn

"there's blood all over your face." - wonwoo

"OH MY GOD- oh shit sorry. i'll just go deal with this. i'm so sorry." - yn

she pushed past him, running to the bathroom to examine her cut. it was deep and bleeding non-stop.

"what the fuck do i do..."

"i ended my stream. let me drive you to the hospital." - wonwoo

wonwoo was standing in the doorway of the toilet.

"do you mind?" - yn

"you're injured. of course, i don't mind. safety first." - wonwoo

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ💓ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ badum.

ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ

synopsis: wonwoo is a popular streamer known for his incredible gaming skills and good looks. He turned heads. but he hates the attention. he just wants to play games and earn money. one day he receives a letter. his apartment’s rent has almost doubled. no warnings at all. his current paycheck from streaming can’t shoulder those bills. he has no choice but to rent out his spare room. to who? a fresh art university graduate who has… 1. a stable job ✅ 2. talent for art and sculpting ✅ 3. many friends ❌ 4. social anxiety ✅ 5. no filter ✅ when his iconic cat logo gets copystriked, she comes to the rescue with a new logo for him. when his apartment’s walls start peeling, she fixes it. whatever he used to struggle with… the empty space... was now filled by her. so what does he *last player standing* do when her ex *enemy spotted* tries to take her back? heh. *clutch* he clutches.

inspired by wonwoo's gam3bo1 streams, falling into your smile & gogo squid (has hints of valorant)

pairing: streamer!jeon wonwoo x fem!artist!reader (ft. jeongcheol, soonhoon, junhao, seoksoo, verkwan)

genre: fluff, comfort, slowburn, comfort, pining, bestfriend!minghao

warnings: stalker ex, toxic ex, mentions of abuse, guns (game), cursing, hate comments, panic attacks

started: 28.12.23

ended: ?

taglist: join from my masterlist

main masterlist

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tags! @fairyofhour @megseungmin @sun-daddy-yoriichi @woozixo @euphoric-univers @christinewithluv @haowonbins @ocyeanicc @asyre @cynthiaaax13 @superhoshisvt @bangantokchy @chimmy-bts @angelarin @daisawa @writingbarnes @jeonghansshitester

@belladaises @wonwootakemyheart @wonwooz1 @luchiet @kookssecret @caratsland @peachescreamandcrumble @thepoopdokyeomtouched @isabellah29 @leah-rose03 @yandere-stories @coupshour @heesbees

[randobisexual]

Bg3

I'm bored, so I'm gonna do this with bailey

"Hey, I'm Bailey, a Mephistopheles tiefling, and i'm a monk. I'd say I'm lawful neutral."

"I was collecting herbs right outside mine and my sister's house. Heard some shouting from my sister and rushed home to see her being nabbed, and I was taken soon after."

"Hah! Well, I romanced my beloved lae'zel. She's stunning in my eyes. Ari's type is more so goth girls with a soft side, so she's into shadowheart. Quite the fight broke out when shadowheart tried to kill my love."

"My bestie... besides my sister? Well, that's gotta be karlach!"

"Well... a few of my disciples who lived in rhe outskirts of riverwood passing my teachings onto those that wanted to learn martial arts were killed by orin... i didnt take it too well. Gave them a proper funeral. My sister said i held myself together well enough, but on the inside i hurt like hell. A part of me felt some satisfaction seeing orin get her just desserts."

"Great! I'm helping my beloved with her rebellion, and am raising our son xan with her. I also occasionally visit my sister and shadowheart, who got married, and had adopted yenna, and are also planning on having more kids."

"Well, I've got my parents at baldur's gate, and my sister is traveling with me."

"Hah! That's gotta be fist of unbroken air or sphere of elemental balance. "

"When lae'zel and I became official, I felt I could take on the world. I was so damn happy."

"I don't really have a favorite outfit. I don't like fancy clothes. When traveling I'm wearing my standard attire, but when in camp, I swap to my normal clothes."

"Well...I like being home with my family. We don't get together as often as I'd like since we lead different lives. Sister has shadowheart as a semi-retired married couple with yenna, I'm still traveling the realms killing the occasional kith'rak and dragon with lae'zel and I'm trying to teach xan how to fight just incase the absolute ever comes back, and mom and dad are living in baldur's gate and helping out at halsin's orphanage."

"Fucking hated it. Drew my weapon once he transformed and got ready for a fight. I refused his every offer and me and sis broke into the house of hope to steal the hammer. I felt utter satisfaction when my beloved put a greatsword in his back."

"I'm not particularly religious, though I do give kelemvor a prayer every now and again for guiding my older brother to a peaceful afterlife."

"Lived a simple life. Had a small garden I tended to for food, trained a few disciples in the ways of the four elements, sparred with my sister, and came home to get our burns and bruises patched up, had dinner, went to my brother's grave and prayed for him, went to sleep, and repeat."

"...balduran. looked up to him, i sure as hell did. Least, before I found out he became a mindflayer and took on the appearance of my dead brother to lull me into a false sense of security with him."

(I'll do ariadne later)

[neteyammeowmeow]

I don't think I've ever brought up Morro and Lloyd's bond which is actually really funny because if this was 2020, I'd write a whole paragraph about them. I still will anyways. (In the situation that if Morro were to ever return back to the living)

At first, they both avoided each other as if they were going to contract the plague. It became more of a competition eventually: Who will leave the room the fastest when the other walks in? Who's going to make up the best excuse? Lloyd doesn't want to talk to the guy that possessed him, threw him into the water, put him through the worst month ever. Morro doesn't want to talk to the guy that took his ambition, that he believed doesn't even deserve that title, that he died for nothing, and he doesn't even understand. Why should he?

It was easy during the first few months, not acknowledging the other at all. But then avoidance became difficult, how could he ignore the guy he hates so much, if he knows they're both not going anywhere from the house (monastery)? Tell him to leave? Where else should he stay? And then guilt starts to gnaw, maybe there are unspoken things that they should speak of, maybe they were brought together for, not a chance of redemption- but understanding.

That's how Lloyd finds himself fidgeting with a cracked chunk of the Monastery's stairs- until it cracks, and it became a pebble, and he's sitting beside the guy he did not imagine ever able to. It's really awkward, they want to leave, never speak again, but they just can't. Neither of them knows why.

"It sucks." Lloyd says, he was so quiet.

"`What?" Morro responds, his voice sounds like a snake about to bite, always does.

"Being the Green Ninja. It's not- it's not as great as you imagined."

"Obviously," Lloyd almost winced at how Morro spat those words. "It's you, because it's you. You didn't train for it, your uncle just unrolled a scroll and shoved your face on it."

"..." He looked at Morro, his fists were clenched, his face seemed calm but they both knew he was trying to hold back a punch. Lloyd almost wondered if Morro could've thrown him off the stairs, if he could. But- "You're right."

"What?" Neither of them expected that. But Lloyd found himself a revelation. Morro stared, waiting for him to answer, Lloyd thinks, That's the first time he's ever looked at me.

"You're right, I don't deserve it," Lloyd shrugged carelessly. "I don't deserve it as much as you, Morro. You were promised a destiny and you tried to live up to that expectation, you were ready to face the world but-" It was pointless in the end. The sentence hung in the air unspoken.

Morro looked at him but said nothing, and for the first time, there was no spite in his eyes. Nothing, just a blank stare.

"I think... I think if you were the Green Ninja, things could have been better." Lloyd said, he looked beyond, his gaze wandered elsewhere, he seemed distant. "At least you wanted it, right? I didn't have a choice, I don't think I did. My uncle just unrolled a scroll and shoved my face on it. I just wanted to be a boy, I wanted to cause trouble, I wanted to steal candy. But he told me that when I grow up, I had to beat up a bad guy- my dad- I thought I had to kill him and I- I was a kid."

Morro spoke nothing still.

"I thought I had time to spare, I thought maybe I could still be a kid, I could live with training and annoying. But I grew up, I didn't ask for that either, I never got to be who I wanted, and I still don't know what I want. I wasn't ready, but you were. Even if you don't agree, Morro, but you know what you were going to be."

They were once young birds, pushed off the nest by the parent. One, prepared to soar its wings, far too excited to realize the ground was before its eyes, the other so terrified it was able to soar as it needed to.

"I hate you." Morro's words were a whisper, but they held no disdain at all.

"I know."

"I really, fucking hate you."

"I know."

Yet, there was a gentle breeze that drifted past them anyways. It was so gentle, it felt like the softest hug. They sat in silence, adrift, there was nothing left to say.

Morro was the first to stand from either of them, he left without a glance to spare, he left without a smile, or a word. The breeze trailed after him, whether he knew or not, he did not care.

But nonetheless, Lloyd remained unphased, neither of them looked back. He did not feel upset, nor did he feel happiness, he felt relief. He smiled.

He wondered, if in another place, another time, maybe the bird who yearned to fly took its wings, maybe it caught its unprepared companion, maybe they soared together, soared like freedom.

[phantomofthefics]

dreams really do come true

pairings: cassian x nesta x azriel

summary: nesta's daydream of cassian and azriel comes to life in a style she never imagined

word count: 1.5k

content warnings: explicit sexual content, threesome, pet names, degradation, praising, oral (f!receiving), face-fucking, 18+

Feyre and Rhysand had asked Cassian and I to watch over Nyx for the past week. They visited the human settlements to help rebuild the post-war damage that seemed to go to no end. Why they chose us as the substitute parents for a colicky couple-month-old was beyond me. We hadn't been able to get out and train, or do anything besides bottle feed for that matter. We were in desperate need for a break, and honestly, a good fuck. Thankfully, Elaine offered to take him off our hands to let us have the weekend to ourselves.

It was the most surreal feeling after being mated. I had always taken back partners from the caverns but nothing had ever sufficed as much as Cassian. My need for him was uncanny. Feyre had explained that after the mating is accepted that for weeks--even months--the pair have to be with one another constantly in order to soothe the urges.

She also included how protective and jealous the men could get by another even glancing her way. Having Nyx in our hands had definitely thrown a wrench in our plans to say the absolute least. I was not fond of kids anyway; I just liked the process in which they were created, particularly with Cassian.

For my first mini-vacation day off from aunt duties, I decided I would stay in the House of the wind and read the books the house recommended me. Due to the day care services I apparently offer, the house had left me a stack as tall as myself to start my morning, with the fire place roaring and a piece of chocolate cake waiting for me on the side-table by my usual spot on the couch.

"You get me, house." I sighed in anticipation and relief. The candle on the side table lit in response.

I woke up to Cassian sprawled out on the chair across from me. His ankles were crossed, legs sprawled out on the ottoman in front of him while he was absentmindedly reclined while reading a book that appeared to be titled "Suriels and Syphons". I think I recall him referring to the book the other day when talking about needing to add yet another set of syphons to his seemingly ongoing array on his leathers. Perhaps it was the post-mating emotions that required a larger measure to hone in his power.

"About time you wake up." He said, interrupting my thoughts.

I flipped him the bird and turned over to face the back of the couch.

"Good morning to you too, sweetheart." He chucked sarcastically. I had completely lost sense of time yesterday caught up in my romance novels, I drifted off to sleep without even going to dinner. He continued, "Azriel and I are going to train on the roof. You can join us if you'd like."

"You two couldn't handle me in a fight if I was drunk, let alone a training."

"Oh, I think we could handle you really well." I voice chimed in from the door frame enveloped by shadows and Azriel's large wings. Damn shadows, I didn't even recognize he was there.

"So he speaks." I retorted. Honestly he also caught me off guard by his comment, that was quite balsy for him to be speaking to me that way. "Well I guess I could show you bastards how the Valkyrie do things. " They smiled and without hesitation each picked me up by an arm, and flew me to the roof.

After reading the all day yesterday, it was needless to say I had some pent up energy of my own to work out. When we arrived, in Illriyan warrior fashion, they took of their leathers to reveal their tanned, tattooed torsos that could have been chiseled from stone. Seriously, I don't think I'd ever get tired of it. Cassian was fire and Azriel was ice; they were both devastatingly sexy in their own ways.

"Come at us, Nes." Cassian said with a gravelly anticipate tone. He and Azriel were on either side of me, each with their own heated gaze.

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" I shot back, knowingly riling him up.

"Yeah. We would." Azriel stated confidently. Cassian and I both glanced at him, while I was flustered, Cassian was looking a bit territorial.

"Damn straight." Cassian replied in a sharp tone. They looked like predators while I was their prey, and honestly I was not complaining. While I had my guard down, Cassian swept me out from under my feet in one swift manouver, it landed me on my back with Cassian on top of me, my stomach to the ground and my hands pinned behind my back. "You want to take him or me, sweetheart?" Cassian asked looking annoyed, glaring up at Azriel who was looking quite pleased with himself.

Poking the bear, I said, "I know I can take the both of you, but I'm not in the mood to fight." I was able to roll over so that I was now on my back and my hands were freed. I trailed my hand down Cassians large frame above me, to arrive at an excited Cassian.

"So this is how you want to play?" Before he could react, Azriel pulled me out from under his friend and held me to where my back was against him, with the truth-teller held to my neck.

"Don't I get to join in on the fun?" He trailed the knife down my neck, outlining my form until he reached my ass, then sheathed the blade back to its home. A furious looking Cassian struck Azriel in the side with his fist covers with syphons, making him release his grip on me, allowing Cassian to pull me flush up against him.

"I'll share, but I get to be in her. She's mine."

I was secretly loving every bit of this, biting my lip to try to keep a poker face. "So, this is what you have wanted?" Cassian asked.

"I would have gladly joined anytime, Witch. You know where to find me." Azriel said with a smug look.

"Yeah, well, I didn't want you fellas to get off easy; it takes work to get me."

Azriel approached me and held my chin in his hands. "Look who wants the Illyrian bastards now."

I was sweating from nerves of feeling Cassians growth on my back and Azriel's on my stomach.

"Bend over, whore." Cassian demanded, certainly slightly annoyed about sharing, but too horny to object. I complied willing and earnestly. I gently got to my knees with Azriel's impressive package in my face and the heat of Cassian behind me.

"Good girl." They chimed. I unbutton Azriel's leathers while Cassian began unbuttoning his own, then moving to mine.

"Is this good, baby?" Cassian asked.

All I could do was nod out of sheer excitement and desire. Azriel's member sprung from his boxers and before I had time to react, I felt Cassians huge cock push into me filling me up in my inch. When I gained awareness, I took Azriel in my mouth which was an extreme feat. They were both huge, which explained their wingspans.

"Fuck." Cassian started moving in and out of me while moving to thumb my clit. My mouth moved on Azriel's cock and the pace I was taking Cassian. The feeling of being choked and pushed into was so overwhelming and filling tears were streaming down my face it was almost too much to take but somehow I needed more.

I couldn't help but let out a moan sounding like a cry which vibrated up Azriel, with this hand in my hair, fucking my face and muttering praises to me. His head thrown back, adam’s apple in view with a ladder of chiseled abs leading up to it, he was truly a sight to see.

Clearly becoming jealous, Cassian smacked my ass—hard. He then moved his hands from my clit and stomach to grab the sides of my hips to pull me even further into him at a faster pace. Azriel pulled my hair moving to the rhythm of my body while Cassian continued pounding me like he needed it, as if it were his only source of oxygen. I was seeing stars, and it was not from the Night court.

"I couldn't take it anymore. I flush ran over my and my body began pulsing and tightening, and right at the moment, I felt both men cum inside of me.

I woke up to see Cassian sitting on the chair across from me. An open book in front of me. Sweating and flustered I looked intently at Cassian. " You were out all night. 'Must have been a good sleep. Dreaming about me again, Nes?"

"Yeah, something like that." I replied curtly. I looked over my shoulder to see Azriel propped against the door frame, shadows circling his form.

"Nesta." He nodded. I just stared at him in response, shaken up by my dream. I flopped back on the couch and shut my eyes.

- dividers by @/cafekitsune! thanks for reading!

[violet-prism-creatively]

My live reactions to Harrow the Ninth

Continued from my pre-reading assumptions and post-reading thoughts about Gideon the Ninth

Everyone who said "Harrow the Ninth will take a while to make sense, be patient and it will pay off" was absolutely right! I made a lot of notes throughout with predictions, some of which were correct and some of which were... not.

Theories that were wrong:

The Emperor wiped Harrow's memory of Gideon

Gideon has spoken with The Body

The Body's eyes now appear yellow because they're Gideon's eyes

Harrow only sees her own eyes as black because she wiped her memory of Gideon, everyone else perceives them as gold

The Sleeper is The Body

The Sleeper is Gideon

"Ortus the First" is Gideon (the Ninth)

Harrow is haunted by Gideon

The picture in Camilla, Coronabeth, & Judith's shuttle is of Gideon

Cytherea's body moving around is a hallucination

Gideon's sword is haunted by the lyctor who established the Ninth House

I also did make some pretty good guesses, though. Here's some more of my notes that are just fun reactions!

"Her parents had... found out... about what she had done" SHE DOESN'T REMEMBER GIDEON'S VITAL ROLE IN THIS

This Teacher is a lot more helpful

there are advantages to having God himself as a father figure

"the grey-wrappered figures of Camilla Hect and Palamedes Sextus laid on the slabs in the mortuary" NO :(

bookmarking this other incomprehensible clue

it's that graffiti S that everyone drew in elementary school lol

"You had noticed at previous dinners that he did not like some particular vegetables, so you had put them all in." that's so petty, I love it

"said Camilla Hect" YAY

"the skull of someone who, soon after death or symptomatically during, had exploded" Palamedes!

Harrow never got actual sword training as a lyctor, did she? Now Camilla can help her!

"Nobody had seen you walk through that door [to The Tomb]. Nobody had watched you leave." GIDEON SAW AND THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO CONVINCE HARROW THAT SHE'S NOT INSANE, EVENTUALLY

"What a destructive, romantic, ridiculous act. It was always a certain kind of ass who approached love like that" yeah it's a certain kind of stupid, heroic, selfless, etc. to make yourself forget the person you're in love with to protect them

"Harrow Nova" another alternate universe where Harrow is in Gideon's role?????

"they've got a hotshot new BARI star" oh my god it's a coffee shop au in space

SHE REMEMBERS GIDEON!!!!!!! (how??)

"You sawed open your skull rather than be beholden to someone. [...] Harrowhark, I gave you my whole life and you didn't even want it." AAAAAAAAA!!!!

"I was, and am, a grown man, and you both were neglected children" thank you Ortus for taking responsibility. actually a decent person

"What the fuck is going on?" yeah i feel u babe

"'The only thing that ever stopped me being exactly who I wanted,' she said, 'was the worry that I would soon be dead... and now I am dead, and I am sick of roses, and I am horny for revenge.'" hell yeah!!

oh Ianthe was gaslighting her. yeah Gideon wreck her!

"you'd kept my sunglasses" awww

"I never made her look like that. She can't love me, even if I'd wanted her to." aw :( and she's still so devoted anyway

"Your art, not my strength, was the ultimate source of our victory." so Ortus does get to be a hero after all, in his own way!

"Awake Remembrance of These Valiant Dead Kia Hua Ko Te Pai Snap Back to Reality Oops There Goes Gravity" I remember seeing posts about this name now! lol

yeah it's a weird chain of people in other people's bodies (Gideon would love the innuendo)

"We needed your, ahem, genetic material" Ianthe was right, ew. Also Gideon is the daughter of God I guess?

"You watched us kill our cavaliers in cold blood, and none of them had to die." ok that is a pretty bad thing for him to do

the tragedy that Gideon only had John as a father for a few minutes, while Harrow had him as a father figure for months but didn't want that

"'my necromancer started an affair with your mother... not knowing I'd also been doing the same thing, using his body.' // I said, 'What the fuck.'" extremely valid reaction from Gideon

"Oh, we'll still hate each other, my dear, we have hated each other too long and too passionately to stop... but my bones will rest easy next to your bones." that's kinda romantic in its own way

to be fair, if John dies, the entire solar system of Dominicus dies

"We died" no actually I think you might be alive and being saved

???????? Another alternate reality memory thing??

Multiple notes about how Harrow might just be the way she is because of growing up in a temple with strict routine, no social interaction, and no variety of sensory input... but I'm headcanoning her as autistic. Also headcanoning Gideon as ADHD, and autism/ADHD gay couples are my favorite ships.

Tagging people who have been following along. I'm going to switch to not tagging people anymore after this, but tagging all posts as #violet reads tlt, and you can follow the tag. @procrastinationaccount @vivaciouscynner @pearlofmydreams @cursed-druid-girl @ghostly-atv

[crazy-lazy-elder-sims]

I apologize to all my mutuals and discord servers and discord friends for not talking to anyone for months now, and not making cc and just not being as active as i used to

Im completely burned out on socializing as its been extremely stressful irl work is stressful and home like is extremely stressful and people stomp on my boundaries left nd right and keep talking to me no matter how many times i ak them not to

My parents dont care and keep forcing me to listen to them even if i have a spliting headache unfortunately as i live with them i cant exactly leave the room when i please as that will make them hurl more abuse towards me Which defeats the point, and im not kidding but sometimes i'd be sitting on the train and people start talking to me one lady kept pulling my headphones it was so fucking stressful

Everyone is utterly miserable here (rightfully so its very hard to even live or breath cause everything is so corrupted and expensive) but weirdly lately they will not hesitate to vent on literally anyone infront of them

Yesterday i was in a taxi and the driver made a pun about my home street's name and i laughed because it was funny and like i like the small pleasantries between people its harmless but i kid you not the next words out of his mouth were him complaining about everything under the sun and he got so heated that he was banging the steering wheel left and right instead of idk guiding it normally absolutely terrifying and i did not need him to dump his problems on me like that and i kid you not every fucking interaction i have is like that i was at the grocery store looking at coffee and some really old lady was like "prices are insane huh?" I didnt reply and focused on the coffee The next thing i know shes holding onto my arm tightly and telling me about how miserable thing make her it started with prices and ended with her dead husband its all like that if you even glance at people while passing by they start talking and it always leads to an angey vent.

I understand the frustration i am too frustrated by this life but idk why is this the norm now

And why me ? The most introverted person in the world i barley even have social battery for myself for my own things and now everyone has turned to consuming everyone elses social battery for thier own good its exhausting

I know i have to learn to say no and be assertive but As i said i already am a super introverted person (and this is not an exsagration i once only left the house for about 5 times total in 2 years i jut dont engage with the world much as it exhausts me)

But untill i get successful at pushing back against people and also the bigger problem my parents im gonna barely have any energy to talk to people online or in discord im sorry i can only do so much at once 😞

[proteusolm]

Pardon the complaining about health and financial stuff ahead.

I need to reign in my excitement about not needing surgery and therefore having tree planting not totally out of the picture this year. I'm still pretty unwell and I'm hoping things'll improve enough for me to start training for the season soon but... If it doesn't, I can't do it :(. Went for a light walk yesterday and was fucked, just completely exhausted after. I don't know what I'll do if I'm not well enough to plant. I'm in a shitty position. 2024 really fucked me.

Was not working so I could focus on finishing school on the spring. Was working early in the summer but broke my foot and had to stop, so I made like a quarter the money I anticipated for the season. There's no workers comp for people in seasonal positions. As soon as that was healed I broke my wrist which made getting hired impossible and also stopped me from getting my driver's license as planned in August. Now my wrist is almost healed but I don't have a license or vehicle so most jobs I'm educated for are out of the picture. I'm stuck at my parent's house and they're in a small town so the job options I can get to are like. Tim Hortons or Subway or the Shoppers Drug Mart. Who won't even hire me because there's hundreds of teenagers in town vying for the jobs at the handful of minimum wage businesses. I can't afford a car even once I do the driver's test and I can't afford an apartment in the city where I'd have more job options.

I don't know how to get my feet back under me without tree planting money. If I can do this season it'll give me the savings I need to move forward but if I can't... I really don't know.

Don't break your bones as a fresh college-graduated adult. Turns out it ruins all your momentum in life.

[undead-potatoes]

Been cooking Ronnie's backstory some more in my head, and I think I've got something I like?

She's still a former Orzammar noble, the only child of the head of a smaller noble house. Her parents were both strict and somewhat conservative growing up, and had already decided her future before she had the chance to: find a favorable match, get married, and further the family line like a good and dutiful daughter.

This was one of the reasons his parents never taught him how to fight. Not only should someone in his position never have the need to fight, but they couldn't risk their only heir losing his life to something like a proving or other such nonsense. Especially considering Ronnie's wilder nature.

Queue Auntie, the younger sister of Ronnie's mother, who joined the Silent Sisters when Ronnie was but a wee babe. She too had a rebellious spirit, and joining the Sisters was her own little act of rebellion as a young woman, something Ronnie's parents were terrified would rub off on Ronnie when they got older. Being part of the Sisters is of course a great honor in public, but there was quite a lot of discourse surrounding her choice within the family itself.

Teenage Ronnie, who both looked up to Auntie and had every instinct to oppose his parents whenever he could, begged her to train him in combat, and she was more than happy to oblige.

(I couldn't find much info about the Sisters, so I have idea how much freedom they have outside of the order, but I'm sure Auntie would sneak away once in a while for her favorite niece.)

You don't survive the Sisters for over a decade without being one hell of a fighter though, making Auntie both disciplined and relentless in her approach. Ronnie lost patience with her more than once, "giving up" and leaving her behind in anger, only to come back with their tail between their legs, asking for another chance. Luckily for them Auntie never gave up on Ronnie, and after years of frequent practice they'd become quite the fighter themselves.

His parents never knew about this arrangement, though I'm sure they were wondering why he was getting so swole all of a sudden lmao.

Auntie's fighting style was a little unusual by dwarven standards, focusing on agility and quick, rapid strikes rather than raw strength, which is why Ronnie is a rogue and not a warrior.

Archery was however something he didn't pick up until he became a surfacer, but he's had plenty of time to become a really good shot by the time of Veilguard. I'd like to think that he and Harding have little archery competitions when they're in combat, bragging about how many they've killed or when they hit a particularly well-placed shot (just some slight Legolas and Gimli vibes).

I rarely make my OCs out to be these amazing power houses in combat, rather attributing their success to things like being tenacious as fuck, but because of the way fighting looks in Veilguard I can't help but to make Ronnie one of my few OCs who are hyper-competent in a fight. She just looks so cool flailing about like it's nobody's business.