#It makes me want to get one of every xxx dragon and do this myself

[dramioneasks]

what tags would i look under for any simp draco fics? 🫶🏼🧎🏻‍♀️

No tag, but here are some:

A Simple Reparo by Dizzle00 - E, one-shot - He stepped closer to her, tilting her chin up, and she saw anger there as he spoke in a tight voice. “Granger. You. Were everything to me. You were my family.” Hermione caught the grief and pain in his eyes, and it hit her, hard. She knew he was being sincere, but she didn’t know what to do with that information. Besides, it wasn’t the time to think about it. She had a wedding to attend. Best Woman duties to see to. It was going to be the best day of her best friend’s life, even if it fucking killed her.

Seven Minutes in Heaven by allofthelights11, AutumnWeen - M, 2 chapters - Draco's house arrest was finally over with the conclusion of his N.E.W.T.s, but the challenge he would face next was even more daunting: Hermione Granger wanted him. She had no idea he was a virgin. or The time Draco fainted at a house party.

Sapphire and Silver by dolcescar91 - E, one-shot - Draco buys Hermione birthday gifts, and she gets mad at him. Shenanigans ensue.

Ridgeback by honeysuckledreamer - E, one-shot - After a long week of working along side Dragon Keeper Granger at the Norwegian Dragon Sanctuary, Malfoy smokes and drinks a little to relax and finds himself in deep reflection over the mistakes he made in his youth, and eventually at Granger's door.

XXX by ofsirenx - E, 5 chapters - There wasn’t hunger in his expression, not right now anyway. It was a predator stalking, lying low in wait, gathering information about the subjects before him. / Or: Draco and Hermione are tasked with locating and capturing a rogue vampire terrorising muggle and wizardkind alike. What transpires in pursuit is as undesirable as the Undesirable himself.

A Fruit in Season by Ohmorefina - E, 13 chapters - “Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand.” -- Mother Teresa Draco cannot seem to get a certain image of Hermione Granger out of his head, which has made working with her a challenge. With his new obsession affecting his ability to focus, he decides to try to woo the troublesome witch and rid himself of his infatuation altogether. But, how is he supposed to court a witch who doesn't like flowers? Or... Draco tries to woo Hermione with Fruit -- and it's effective.

A Proper First Date by Wanderingfair - E, one-shot - When he entered the fire-lit room moments later, he nearly dropped the antique china and gâteau au chocolat. She was divested of her dress, standing in front of the bookshelf leafing her fingers through a tome he’d absconded with from the manor with her tastes in mind. He stood speechless, and she took the opportunity to close the book and return it to the shelf. “You said to make myself comfortable.” OR Draco Malfoy plans the perfect first date.

-Lisa

[little-diable]

Potter - Draco Malfoy (angst/smut)

Request by anon: Hello. I love your imagines! Can I request a Draco smut? The reader and him are in a secret romance due to her being Harry's sister. She is Harry's stolen object in the second task, but she doesn't know how to swim. Draco saves her and has soft smut in the Prefect bathroom with multiple "I love you"s.

Hope this is what you had in mind. Enjoy my loves. xxx

“Sh, don’t want anybody to hear us, do we?” His lips nibbled on her neck, hands massaging her skin, leaving a few hidden marks, something he’ll be able to admire later on. His scent filled her nostrils, the faint green apple aroma made a homey feeling overcome her, trying to pull her love even closer. 

“My gorgeous love,“ Draco breathed out, smiling at her, those bright eyes twinkling in the darkness of the storage room, he loved to feel her close, pressed against his chest, shuttered breaths leaving her swollen lips, begging for more. 

“We need to leave,“ (y/n) mumbled, she couldn’t miss her brothers first task, still shaken up from the way he had whispered “dragons” just last night. Her first instinct had been to tell him to quit, she couldn’t endure watching him struggle against something that deadly, but soon enough the (y/h/c) haired Potter girl realized, she couldn’t do anything, besides cheering for her brother, supporting him no matter what. 

“Fucking Potter,“ Draco muttered under his breath, groaning as his girlfriend slapped her hand against his abdomen.

„Don‘t Draco, he’s my bother,“ (y/n) reminded him once again, as if he wasn’t struggling with the sober truth every single day.

Draco and (y/n) had crossed paths years ago, eyes gazing at each other as the hat sorted them into their houses. A Malfoy would naturally be placed into Slytherin, just like (y/n) followed her brother into Gryffindor. Draco could still feel the uneasy feeling rising in his stomach as the hat called “Gryffindor”, he had deeply wished for her to follow him into Slytherin. 

It had taken (y/n) and Draco a few years to finally find each other, coming clean with their emotions, hiding their relationship from curious eyes, especially the ones of Dracos so called enemy, Harry Potter, (y/n)s brother. 

“He’ll be fine, don’t worry.“Draco kissed her forehead, running a hand through his bright blonde hair, trying to lace his voice with any sympathy, struggling to do so. “I’ll find you later on,“ and off he went, blending in with the rest of the students, cheering for anybody who didn’t carry the name Potter. 

His bright eyes would unintentionally find her (y/e/c) ones from time to time, checking to see, if she was alright, his heart was clenching at the sight, she was trembling, hands interlaced with Hermoines. Draco wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her, his mind was coming up with all the supportive things he’d whisper into her ear. 

He caught himself admiring her features more than once, proud that he was the one, that got to call her his girlfriend, he’d do anything to show her off to all those students, if his bloodline and her brother wouldn’t stand in their way. 

Even Draco felt scared, just for a second though, but his emotions were pure, watching Harry disappear, chased by the dragon, praying that he’d make it. Harry couldn’t leave (y/n) behind, he was the only true family member she had left, not as if she’d ever call her uncle and her aunt her family. 

“God, Harry,“ she fell into her brothers arms, a relieved sob left her lips, (y/n) inhaled his scent, the all too familiar calming sensation overcame her, made her sink into her brothers embrace even further. “I’m alright, don’t worry,“ he kissed her hairline, hands tightly squeezing her before he let go of her, ready to celebrate his victory. 

Harry and Draco would cross paths once that evening, Harrys eyebrows would furrow together as he caught the blonde Slytherin staring at his sister, the almost lovingly seeming smile he shot her made Harry frown. 

“(Y/n), love, look at me,“ Draco had her pressed against the cold wall, hands wrapped around her trembling frame. „He won’t leave you, Harry will survive this tournament.“

An exhausted expression grazed Dracos features, both, (y/n) and Draco hadn’t caught much sleep these past few days, she’d seek him out whenever another nightmare would haunt her, not able to keep on sleeping without him near. 

“Sorry,“ (y/n) hiccuped, fingers grasping the fabric of his sweater, too scared to let go of him. She admired him, truly did, thankful for muttering those sweet words to her, obviously trying to swallow down his hatred for her brother. “Don’t be,“ he kissed her forehead, dipping his head down to pull her into him. 

“I love you,“ she mumbled against his lips, kissing him one last time before she disappeared into the darkness, creeping down the hallways, finding her way back to her dorm, praying for at least a few hours of sleep. 

But as (y/n) had been woken up from her sleep early in the morning, she cursed herself for ever leaving the comfortableness of her bed, desperate to find her love, not able to calm the raging storm inside her mind herself. Hermoine and Ron had dragged her to where they’d meet with Dumbledore, getting initiated into the next task. 

An uneasy feeling settled inside her bones, (y/n) had never liked the water, never felt calm in the crashing waves of the ocean, so she refused to learn how to swim, she wouldn’t need to swim anyways, well, how wrong she had been. 

Neither the teachers nor Ron and Hermoine spared her protests any mind, trying to bribe her into it, telling her how much she’d help her brother with it, since everybody knew, that (y/n) would give her all for Harry, even her last breath. 

“No, absolutely not,“Draco muttered, arms crossed in front of his chest, staring down on his girlfriend. „I don’t have any other choice,“ she sounded just as unconvinced, her mind was racing, anxiety nestled in her, god, she prayed that Harry would be able to rescue her. 

“I’ll only give him a few minutes, otherwise I’ll step in,“ Draco left without kissing her goodbye, too enraged to even think straight, not noticing her sad eyes on him, aching for his touch. “I love you,“ she whispered into the hallway, eyes set on the spot where Draco had just been standing on a few moments ago. 

With trembling legs she stood in front of the old wizard, hopeful eyes were gazing at her. “It will be alright Miss Potter, don’t worry,“ he winked at her. She shot her friends one last glance before she got put into her trance, disappearing down the lake, darkness engulfed her, lulled her in. 

Dracos hard eyes were focused on the lake, he kept on tapping his foot, counting the minutes, cold sweat was breaking out on his back, he felt scared, truly scared, for the first time in his life. “What’s going on with you Malfoy?” Goyle chuckled, teasing his distressed friend. 

The prince of Slytherin pushed him out of the way as Harry broke through the lakes surface, (y/n) nowhere to be seen. “Where is she?” Draco spat, eyes finding Harrys shivering frame. „I don’t know,“ Harry stuttered, he hadn’t noticed the way she had struggled underwater, hadn’t noticed her letting go of his hand. Only now he seemed to realize, that his sister was actually not by his side. 

Blood was rushing in Dracos ears, too many thoughts and emotions crashed upon him, his limbs began to tremble, scared of losing his one true love. Curious eyes watched him pull off his coat and shoes, drowning out the cheering for the other contestants.

“Fucking Potter,“ Draco spat, diving headfirst into the black waters, he’d rescue her, no matter what. His heart was pounding against his ribcage, Draco tried to calm himself down, knowing that it would take him a while to find his girlfriend. Glad for all those hours his parents made him take swimming lessons, diving for hours on end, looking for random objects underwater. 

His bright eyes found her unresponsive figure on the lakes ground, tears were welling up in his eyes, blurring his already limited vision. Draco wrapped his arms around her frame, with his last breath he pulled themselves up the water, gasping as he broke through the lakes surface. “Don’t touch her,“ he growled at Harry, placing (y/n) down on the wooden stand, desperately trying catch her (y/e/c) eyes staring at him. 

Draco shook her a few times, cradling her cold frame in his arms, a relived sigh made it past his lips as she began to cough up the water in her lungs. “Finally,” he breathed into her ear, wrapping his coat around her shivering limbs. He didn’t let Harry near him, silencing him with a simple “not now Potter” every time he tried to apologize to his sister. 

“Come on, let’s take a bath my love,“ Draco was still carrying her, glad to finally be back at the castle, walking up to the perfect’s bathroom, knowing that they’d find some peace up there. “Let me help you,“ he slowly unbuttoned her blouse, eyes focused on hers, drops of water were dripping down from her tips, her lips were slightly blue, (y/n) wouldn’t let go of his hands. 

Draco had to bite down the “I told you so”, that was about to spill from his lips, but her dilated pupils were enough to shut him up, enough to pull her against his chest, kissing her forehead over and over again. 

She was placed on his lap, front pushed against his, hands tangled in his hair, the warm water engulfed them, calmed their shivering limbs. “I’m sorry for scaring you like that,“ (y/m) mumbled against his neck, her heart felt heavy, she didn’t care about almost drowning, didn’t care that Harry forgot about her, only cared about the way Draco felt, the anxious feelings, that ran through his veins. 

“Don’t apologize, it’s not your fault my love,“ Draco grasped her neck, pulled her in for a kiss. „I’ve never been that scared. It made me realize, that I can’t be myself without you by my side, you’re my everything and I truly love you.” Draco confessed, chuckling at the smile, that tugged on her lips. 

“I love you too,“ she whispered, pushing her lips against his, dipping her tongue into his mouth, deepening the sensual gesture. Both were in their own little bubble of calmness, relishing in being that close to one another, set on making them feel as loved and appreciated as possible. 

Dracos hands found her wetness, he growled into her mouth, fingers dipping into her heat, spreading her open. “So pretty,“ (y/n) gasped at his praising, nails clawing into his shoulders. „Make love to me Draco,“ she moaned, desperate to wrap her walls around him. 

She sunk down on his hard length, he filled her in every right way, deliciously stretching her. “Draco,“ (y/n) cried out his name, his hands placed on her behind, stabilizing her movement. (Y/n) kept on gridding her core against his length, slowly bouncing on his member, engulfed by the hot water. 

Their pent up anxiety, frustration and love began to spill out of them, pushing them closer to the edge faster than ever. “I love you,“ both moaned at the same time, chuckling as their lips found one another. 

Draco thrusted his hips upwards, meeting her wetness, burying himself even deeper, stretching her even further, making her fall right into the crashing wave of her orgasm. “Fuck so good,“ Draco moaned, releasing himself into her heat, forehead pressed against hers, hands not letting go of her skin.

“I love you,“ Draco repeated, (y/n) ran her hands through his hair. „I love you too Draco Malfoy.“

[star-trekkin-across-theuniverse]

Worthy (pt4)

Author’s note: I am crappy at tagging people. Inbox me if you want to be added, and just keep poking me if I keep forgetting to add you. <3  @rampant-salamander @bolontiku​

I had to wonder if the powers from Thor’s hammer included allowing me to disappear into the floor so I would not have to face the source of my embarrassment again. I wanted to slam the bathroom door and lock it and hide until Thor left. But I somehow guessed his sense of chivalry would be too great to just leave me to die of embarrassment and he would do something stupid, like breaking down the door, to ensure I was okay, instead of just understanding I needed to lick my wounds in private. Particularly when he thought humans were prudish about nudity. Did they walk around in Thor-land buck naked all the time? I mean, if they all looked like Thor that might not be a bad thing. I was far too conscious of my lumps and cellulite and stretch marks to be okay with joining them in the nude party though. 

I dropped the towel and looked at myself in the floor to ceiling mirror, trying to guess what he must have thought when he hauled me off the floor. I was pale. I’d been far too busy finishing my thesis to be out in the sun in the spring, and it was obvious by the way my arms were the same fish belly white as my stomach. The time spent in the lab showed on my tummy and hips and thighs, all of which were broader than they’d ever been before. My roommate had said curvier was a nicer word, but I knew exactly how many slices of pizza had contributed to each new curve, and the fact that none of that skin had seen the sun in months made me feel bigger. I couldn’t lie and say I was completely unsatisfied with my body. I was just bigger than I’d been, and more uncomfortable in my skin. I’d promised myself I’d find some sort of activity to balance with my work life, for no other reason than for my health. I just didn’t buy into hating myself because I didn’t belong on the pages of a magazine. My body housed my brain, and my brain was pretty awesome. The rest was just packaging and resources for keeping my brain safe and at optimal function. But that was what I thought. I cast a critical eye on myself trying to figure out what Thor would have thought seeing me bare-assed on the floor. Given his impatience with my modesty, he probably hadn’t thought much at all.

I pulled my pyjamas on, and had to laugh at myself. The spaghetti strapped tank-top and boxer shorts didn’t cover much more than my towel had. But I couldn’t cross the living room again to find something else if I ever wanted to get rid of the man-god sitting in my living room.

I steeled my courage and opened the bathroom door. He’d figured out how to turn on my television, and had stopped on what appeared to be a documentary about the Avengers Initiative. He laughed at the television and shook his head, then clicked it off when he realized I’d come into the room. 

“Do you want something to drink?” I offered.

“I rather think you do not wish for me to stay that long, Ella Carmichael.” He pushed himself off the couch and walked into the kitchen where I was refilling my wine glass.

“You know, you can just call me Ella. It’s weird to use someone’s first and last name,” I commented. “Are you sure you don’t want a drink? I hate to drink alone.” I held the bottle up in offering. I could see him hesitate for a moment, probably contemplating the honour involved in drinking wine or something.

“If you insist,” he smirked. I poured him a glass and came around the kitchen island to hand it to him. When he took the glass from me, he narrowed his eyes and took my wrist into his hand. He turned it over, palm facing up and ran his thumb across it. I’m not ashamed to admit I got goosebumps; it was more intimate than I’d been touched in recent memory. 

“Have you always had that mark?” I realized he was running his thumb around my left hand in a pattern. I looked down, but couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

“I can’t see any mark.” I pulled my hand away and held it under the bright light over the island. Nothing. Thor took my hand again and looked closer, and traced the design out again on my palm. He was seeing something that I was not. He dropped my hand and picked up the hammer from where he’d placed it on the floor by my front door. He put it carefully down on the granite countertop of the island, and pointed at a big fancy three pointed knot on the face of the hammer.

“This is called a triquetra. It is also on your hand. I would know how long it has been there,” he explained. I shrugged.

“Well, I can’t see anything at all. But that’s the hand I picked up myewlnor with. Maybe it left a mark?” I knew I was completely butchering the name of the hammer, but god knows I couldn’t remember how to say it.

“Mjolnir.” Of course he would correct me.

“Mee-owl-neer?” I tried again.

“Mjolnir.”

“M-yol-neer.” I was reasonably sure I had it right that time. He nodded, and took my right hand in his, flipping the palm up. He traced his thumb around in the same pattern.

“It’s on this hand as well. This is a mystery. I do not know you well, Ella, but Tony seems to think you quite intelligent. Intelligence is not all there is to worth. But it is perhaps somewhere to start,” He pondered. I bit my lip.

“I don’t know how you judge worthiness where you’re from, but I’m not anything special. I don’t run around rescuing kittens from trees, or saving maidens from dragons, or curing cancer. I can’t even donate blood. I have some weird antibody.” I protested. Thor’s mouth cocked to one side in a grin.

“I have never done those things myself, and yet I am worthy. I will speak to my father,” he determined. He finished his glass of wine.

“You appear well. Your colour has come back, and you no longer show the signs of shock. I bid you good rest, Ella Carmichael. Thank you for sharing your libation with me, and for indulging my concern,” he bowed his head a little, hefted the hammer and turned. I followed him to the door. He turned as he crossed the threshold and placed a hand on my shoulder. “I will bring news once I have more understanding of what has happened.”

XXX 

“So Thor saw me naked last night.” It was quite possibly the best first-line I’ve ever had. And I got to drop it on Angela as we walked through the build-a-Belgian-waffle line. She dropped her fork on the floor with a loud clatter.

“What? Naked? How?”

“Well, it all started when I had no clothes on,” I began.

“Seriously, Ella. What happened?” She demanded.

“Seriously. I was taking a bath and he knocked on the door. I figured it was you with the passcard, even though I’d said it could wait. So I wrapped my uber-skimpy-Stark-Industries-micro-towel around me, figuring I’d be opening the door a crack and accepting a passcard from you. He was at the door. And he just invited himself in, plain as you like. Said he was concerned about me,” I started. Angela shook her head, and as we walked through the waffle decorating station, I finished filling in all the details. 

Once we were seated at a table, she took one of my hands and looked at it.

“I don’t see it either,” she sighed. “Do you suppose he has weird powers that let him see through things? Maybe that’s why he didn’t care that you were naked. Maybe he sees all of us as naked all the time.”

“You’re confusing him with Superman,” I laughed. “He has x-ray vision.”

“Superman is a comic book character! Thor is real! Who knows what all his powers are.” She cut her waffle up and started in on it. I pushed my waffle around the plate a little and drank my coffee. I didn’t like waffles. At all. I ate the mountain of fruit I’d piled on top of it, but couldn’t bring myself to get into the waffle itself.

“Well, not making a big deal about naked women is one of them. He made it clear he thought my prudishness was weird.”

“He’s weird. Most men would be hard pressed to not scope you out, regardless of how cool they tried to appear,” she stated, and then made a gesture that looked a little like jazz-hands. “Oh-em-gee! Boobies! Play it cool, dude. Play it cool, and she won’t cover up and then?  More Boobies!” Her fake-guy voice was hilarious.

I snorted on my coffee. “I’m hardly in peak physical condition. He probably was just horrified by the wiggly bits and stretch marks.”

“I don’t think they see past the boobies, to be completely honest,” she laughed. I shook my head and finished my fruit. I’d effectively smushed up the waffle until it looked like I’d eaten some of it. 

“What is on the agenda for me today, boss?” I changed the topic and drank my coffee. Angela pulled out a tablet and flicked through it.

“More orientation stuff. We’re going to go to distribution, and learn how to requisition things for your project. And how to req for your apartment too. And how different the two forms are and how important it is to make sure you use the right form,” she started. “Here’s a hint. The importance of using the correct form is inversely proportional to how similar the forms are to one another. You won’t believe that will take most of the morning, but it will. Then you’re seeing Markus after lunch.”

“Can I order bigger towels from distribution? Because the towels in my apartment are ridiculously small.”

“I don’t think so. But you can also requisition outside items from your in-suite purchasing app. Or I can just take you to Macy’s after work,” she suggested. “Are you not going to eat the waffle?”

“Confession?” I made a face. She nodded. “I hate waffles. They’re like a pancake with a skin disease. Disgusting.”

“I take back every nice thing I said about you. Waffles are amazing. Those are flavour pouches.” The look on her face was enough to make me bite my lip to prevent the laughter from slipping free. She was gripping her table knife like she might actually stab me. It would be a sticky ignominious death by maple syrup.

“Flavour pustules, maybe. So gross. I’m more of a bacon and eggs girl,” I admitted. Angela shook her head, her eyes cast downward in disappointment. She finally cracked the tiniest grin.

“Damn good thing you’re funny. Because that might be a deal-breaker otherwise. Come on. Bus your table. Let’s get you off to distribution so you can learn about the pedantry of requisitions.” She winked and grabbed her tray, leading the way over to the kitchen cart before directing us back to the elevator.

Distribution might not have been mired down in red tape, bureaucracy and shenanigans if they’d had a single window. But they were located in a sub-level of the building, below the parkade, completely walled in. There was a single door in, and it was right beside the loading bay. The staff kind of looked like they were a lost race of mole people. They were pale, suspicious of visitors and seemed a little paranoid that the rest of the company was out to make their lives miserable on purpose. The main stock clerk all but hissed at us when we came in. 

Angela made quick work of running through the requisition forms. There was a single line that delineated personal requisitions from project reqs, and it was required for payroll deduction where appropriate. It was fair enough, but wouldn’t it have been simpler just to colour code the forms? I asked Angela as much and she clamped her hand over my mouth.

“Do you want to be barred from ordering things? Don’t rock the boat!” She hissed. “If you can control yourself, I want to show you heaven. This is the one thing that distribution does right.” She led me over to a table that had a pile of different catalogues on it. “This is the only part of Stark Industries that is still analogue because catalogues are so much easier than websites. And here’s where your colour coding idea comes into play. Blue catalogues are filled with workplace supplies, divided by shade of blue. The light blue cover is office supplies; the dark blue cover is electrical doodads, etc. You’ll learn them as you need to. The yellow covers are personal items. Light yellow is Stark Industries branded stuff. I do most of my Christmas shopping in the light yellow. My dad has a thing for polo shirts and golf balls. Goldenrod is household items that are covered by your living allowance. Stuff like bedding, kitchen utensils, towels. I think there’s a surround sound upgrade in there.” She handed me a pencil and flipped the Goldenrod covered catalogue open to bathroom stuff. The towel page was dog-eared. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who hated the mini-towels that came standard in the room. I filled in a requisition for towels and a plush bathrobe. 

Angela brought me back to the stock clerk’s desk and walked me through the process for submitting the order. It was complicated. I almost expected to need to know a secret handshake to complete the transaction.

“So that should all be delivered before the day is over.” She led me back out of the department. True to her word, the distribution department and requisition in-service had taken us almost to lunch. We stepped off the elevator on the floor for my research division. “I figured I’d show you your desk before we eat lunch.”

We rounded a corner into the lab area. The space was wide open, from window to window. There were workstations at the periphery of the room. I assumed the conspicuously empty one was mine, but Angela walked right past it to a desk that was covered in stuff. There was a pile of paperwork on one corner that at first glance I thought was probably the information relating to my proposals. The desk itself was one of the Stark Industries touch responsive computers that I’d been desperate to try since the first time I saw one. The monitor was carefully suspended from the ceiling, keeping the desk as clear as possible. On the far side of the desk was a small cactus with a little plastic welcome stick pressed into the dirt, and a box of office supplies.

Angela made quick work of logging me into the computer. The log in sequence unlocked the desk drawers, so I was able to clear my desktop with one sweep of my arm into the top drawer. Angela sucked in her breath in response to the action.

“I will organize myself later. For now, that desk needs to be clear, if I’m ever going to work at it,” I explained. She grabbed the cactus protectively and held it away from my reach. 

“Promise you won’t hurt the plant,” she demanded. 

“Sure,” I agreed. She put the plant back down and disappeared across the lab, quickly returning with what looked like a shelf. While I watched, she mounted it to the window behind my desk. How she did it was a mystery, it looked like it was just hanging there. Some sort of mysterious Stark Tech, I suppose. She took the cactus and placed it on the corner of the shelf, her shoulders square in defiance of my otherwise blasé organizational skills. As though she already knew that I wasn’t going to organize my desk drawers later. I looked over at the desk beside me and saw that all the way down the bank of windows, there were shelves mounted against the windows, holding the various personal treasures of the employees assigned to each desk. My shelf looked kind of boring with just the cactus on it.

“Okay, let’s get lunch. You’ve got your meeting with Markus in 45 minutes.” Angela steered me back out of the lab and over to the elevator.

[sergeantsporks]

Douxie Appreciation Week Day 5: Lost Family

No!

Beast.

Hisirdoux!

Jim!

I’m sorry! This is my fault!

Jim!

Our redemption.

I love you, Jim Lake Junior.

Jim snapped awake, blinking at the ceiling, disoriented. Not again. Not… he didn’t have any recollection of what had happened when he’d turned into that monster. Not really. But his nightmares seemed fond of reminding him.

Jim closed his eyes, but all he could see was the afterimage of every single friend he’d hurt, burned onto the back of his eyelids.

“Figure it out,” he told himself, “Note down what happened.” Jim took a deep breath, running through his nightmare. Arthur. Of course, that was how it always started, with Arthur taking control. Destroying the amulet. Usually the next thing was attacking Claire. This time, though… he’d been lurking in the shadows, had pounced, pinned Douxie and Archie down. Then…

Surrender Nari or the boy dies.

A sick feeling washed over Jim. He’d… held Douxie and Archie hostage. The Order had used him, had used Douxie, to try and force Merlin’s surrender. Merlin had died. Merlin had died in front of Douxie, who thought of him as a father. Jim had held Douxie down and made him watch while Arthur killed Merlin. Jim’s head spun, and his chest grew tight. He’d held a hostage. He’d used someone’s loved one against them.

He needed to talk to someone—it was like he couldn’t breathe, and he needed to talk to someone. He glanced at the clock. Five AM. Too early for anyone in Arcadia to be up, and he wasn’t going to make anyone wake up just to talk to him. He pulled out his phone, staring at his contacts list without scrolling or calling anyone, just feeling sick. Finally, he pulled up the internet browser.

What time is it in New York?

Xxx

Something was buzzing near Douxie. He sleepily batted at the air around his head. “Go ‘way, bees,” he mumbled.

“’s your phone,” Archie informed him.

Douxie rolled over, picking it up and blinking blearily at the screen. Who would be calling—Jim? “Hey, Arch? What time is it in Arcadia?”

“Five. Why?”

A jolt of panic shot down Douxie’s spine, waking him up more effectively than caffeine ever could, and he answered the phone. “Jim?!”

Jim’s voice crackled over the line, dejected and tired. “Hey, Douxie.”

“Is everything alright?! Is anyone hurt, is Claire okay?!”

“No—sorry, didn’t mean to make you worry. Everyone’s fine.” There was a beat, and then almost so quietly Douxie didn’t hear it, “Everyone but me.”

“Jim?” Douxie asked softly, “Is something wrong?”

There was another beat, then, in a burst. “Douxie, I remembered what happened when Merlin…” Jim broke off.

Douxie felt like the wind had been knocked right out of him. “Right,” he managed, “Hang on a second. I’m coming to you.”

Xxx

The call ended, and Jim sat there, wondering how Douxie could possibly—

A puddle of glowing blue magic appeared on the ground, and then a glowing blue Douxie popped out of it. Jim yelped, falling backwards over the edge of his bed.

“Sorry! Didn’t mean to startle you!” magic Douxie peered around the bed. “It’s an astral projection. I did one before, but you were… you don’t remember it,” he finished awkwardly. “I’d offer you hand up, but…” he swept one hand through the dresser, going right through it like a ghost. “Probably wouldn’t be much help.”

Jim scrambled up to his feet. “Douxie… what are you doing?”

“I… sort of thought you wanted to talk. I can leave, if you want.”

“No!” Jim rubbed his arms. “No. I… I had a nightmare.” Saying it out loud suddenly sounded so… insignificant. He was wasting Douxie’s time—it was just a bad dream.

“Y’know,” Douxie said, not quite looking him in the eyes, “I met some blokes in Egypt once that said dreams were a way for the spirit to travel.” He gave Jim a tiny grin. “I guess I’m saying not to blow them off, eh?”

Jim sighed, sitting down on the edge of his bed. “I think… it’s like everything that happened when I was…”

“Not yourself?” Douxie offered kindly.

That was a nice way of putting it. “Yeah. Everything that happened when I was… not myself… is trying to crowd in on my dreams, and…” Jim started to feel queasy again. “Douxie, did I… hurt you?”

Douxie shifted uncomfortably from one astral foot to the other. “You fought all of us. Just bruises, nothing serious.”

“Yeah, but I mean…” Jim sucked in a deep breath. “I kept you back. When Merlin was in danger, and I held you hostage and used you against him, and… he died because of that.”

Astral-Douxie seemed to stutter for words for a second, then sat down next to Jim, floating just above the bed. “When that… happened… Merlin didn’t give up. You held me hostage, yes, Jim, but… that didn’t stop Merlin. He didn’t surrender, he just fought to get me back. And Jim?”

“Yeah?”

Douxie gave him another tiny smile. “You didn’t squash me.”

“What?”

“Merlin fought back, he didn’t surrender. But you, you didn’t pop me like a grape when he did. Maybe Arthur was controlling you. But if he’d been controlling you all the way, you would have killed me when Merlin attacked. You didn’t have enough control to break free. But I think you had just enough not to kill me.”

Jim felt dizzy, like a giant pressure had just lifted off of his chest. Had he had any control? Just enough to not seriously hurt someone? Douxie had said that it had just been bruises—he’d thought it was luck before, but maybe… maybe it hadn’t been an accident. “You think so?”

Douxie nodded. “Besides,” he said softly, “if anyone’s to blame for Merlin’s death, it’s me. It was my plan.”

Wait—no, he hadn’t been trying to make Douxie feel bad! “We could play the blame game all day,” Jim hedged, “Maybe we should just blame the order?” He sighed. “I’m sorry. I know Merlin was sort of your only family.”

Douxie stared up at the ceiling. “A dragon told me once that family isn’t just who you have. It’s who you’re with. So… my family’s a lot bigger than Merlin.”

“You meet a lot of weirdly wise people.”

Douxie chuckled. “Comes with the territory of being a wizard, I suppose.” He got up and stretched. “I should probably get going. Don’t want Nari and Archie to wonder why I’ve been staring blankly at a wall for thirty minutes.”

“Hey, Douxie?”

“Mm?”

“Thanks.”

Douxie gave him a lopsided grin. “Sure thing. You ever need to talk, just give me a call.”

Xxx

Douxie opened his eyes to find that Archie had decided to sit on his head while he’d been absent. “Hey!”

The familiar leapt down. “How’s our favorite ex-trollhunter?”

Douxie tapped one foot. “He’s starting to remember what happened while he was the beast.”

“Is that good, or bad?”

Douxie shrugged. “I think it just is.”

Maybe we should just blame the order?

Others—Archie, Nari, Claire, had told him not to blame himself for what had happened to Merlin. None of them had offered anything else—just told him to stop blaming himself.

Blame the Order.

It wasn’t your fault what happened to Merlin. No one would have been in that situation in the first place if Bellroc and Skrael hadn’t put them there.

He didn’t feel angry. Or sad, or… he just felt… relieved, maybe? It wasn’t his fault. Not all problems could have a clear person to blame. But this one, this one did. It wasn’t completely his fault, the order was at fault as well. Maybe his plan hadn’t gone as… well, planned, but that didn’t mean that everything that had happened afterwards was his burden.

Thank you, Jim Lake Junior.

@moppetwithamanbun, @einahpetsyarcip, @ohfuzzbuckets

[ronnie-azumane]

Kitten?

This is something I came up with at midnight while trying to complete my numerous missing assignments. I apologize in advance

Summary: Tsukishima Kei is a mod of a discord server And with his luck, he finds his first love on the server he runs. He falls head over heels, and vows to fulfill all her needs. However, not everything is what it seems.

Tsukishima was a simple man with simple likes. Granted, However, these likes weren’t as commonplace among his peers.

Sure, he moderated a Discord Server full of people of all ages. In said server, they would play games and talk about the various shows they watched together, some of which were considered children shows.

“Anyone catch the new episode of My Little Pony?” someone on the server would ask.

Tsukishima would bat in immediately, saying, “Remember the two-week spoiler warning, everything else must be covered and properly tagged.” He was the perfect mod, as he was both online all the time he didn’t have school or practice, as well as he was a stickler for the rules. Plus, he had only recently gained access to last week’s episode not long ago, therefore, he had not seen the new episode.

Another thing he liked to do on this server was talk to others on the voice call feature. He enjoyed talking to the many people who decided to join the server, even making a couple of friends, which he refused to believe for the longest time.

One of these many friends was a user that went by the name of gamergirl05. She was a peculiar person, only logging in late at night and logging out early in the morning, only to be away from her computer until late that night again.

She intrigued Tsukishima. Not only was she one of the only girls on the server, she always seemed to be on the voice chat. She never typed messages, never spoke, unless she was spoken to on the voice call. 

Her voice was soft and breathy, with a medium pitch. Her profile picture was a white cartoon cat against a pastel pink background. Sometimes, when playing videogames, you could here her grunt in frustration every once in a while.

Tsukishima couldn’t help from gaining a crush. 

She didn’t seem clingy, she seemed rather chill and independent, it was like God itself sent this woman into Tsukishima’s life. 

She was perfect.

Tsukishima couldn’t help but get excited whenever he saw that she was online. He would always join the voice call whenever he saw she was online.

They would have meaningful conversation. Tsukishima would learn much about her. She was living in Tokyo. She was a year older than Tsukishima; a second year in high school. She had been playing videogames for as long as she could remember. She has an overactive imagination, pretending that she was getting chased by dragons and facing checkpoints every time she walked to school in the morning. She wasn’t popular, but had a couple of close knit friends.

The more they talked, the more Tsukishima fell head over heels. However, the more he started to fall for her, the more he realized that he didn’t know how to express himself in a positive way. He was known as a negative nelly most of his life, with his relationship with the fellow members of the Karasuno volleyball club solidifying that feeling of disgust he felt toward others. Ever with his best friend Yamaguchi he was unable to show positive feelings toward, even though he didn’t feel anything negative toward his best friend.

Unknowing what to do, he looked up online ‘how to show someone you like them,’ only to come up with a website offering a free test to those wondering what their love language was. perfect.

Tsukishima took the test, answering each question as truthfully as he could, even asking his mom what she thought of him for one of the questions.

After thirty minutes of reading, understanding, and clicking, Tsukishima gat the result he was looking for- his love language.

His love language was gift-giving.

He knew exactly what to do at that point. 

Later that night, he stared at the voice call box, waiting for a certain someone to join the call. At 11:00pm on the dot, gamergirl05 joined the call. Tsukishima joined the call soon after.

“Um, hey, uh, how was your day?” Tsukishima asked her.

“My day? I guess it was okay,” she replied. Her voice was still light and breathy as usual. Not too high-pitched as to make Tsukishima believe that she was fake, and not to low to make her sound unattractive to him. The perfect voice for arguably the perfect human.

“Do you have Nitro by any chance?” Tsukishima asked her.

“No, I don’t see the benefit for paying for it myself,” she replied.

“If someone got it for you, would you use it?”

“Sure, I don’t see why not.”

“I-I Don’t mid gifting it to you, if you tell me your Venmo, Ill send the money right now!”

“Ok.” 

She read off a couple of letters and numbers, spelling out her Venmo for him to gift money to. Tsukishima used his mom’s credit card to send her over $50, with the unspoken promise of paying her back one day, even though she didn’t even know her youngest son stole her card.

They talked the rest of the night, until Tsukishima had to go to bed.

XxX

Tsukishima didn’t let up on his gifts to gamergirl05, or Cat as she started referring herself to. Anything she mentioned offhandedly form a new skin to a longing for a fast food meal, Tsukishima sent her the appropriate funds needed to retrieve that item. 

Each monetary gift he sent on Venmo was given a reply of the kissing face emoji.

Tsukishima was over the moon. Not only was he becoming better at volleyball every day after school, but he was also getting closer and closer to Cat. When he found out that he was going to Tokyo for a training camp, he excitedly went online that night to tell cat about how he was going to be in Tokyo and that maybe they could meet up.

“Sorry, but I have plans for that weekend,” Cat said. Tsukishima sighed, but figured as much. He was disappointed, but not surprised.

However, he picked himself up by the bootstraps and packed up his stuff to go to Tokyo for the training camp.

XxX

The weekend was tough. Karasuno faced loss after loss against the Tokyo powerhouse schools. However, the team had learned a lot about both themselves and their offensive and defensive power.

After a long weekend of training, all the guys were sore. All their muscles were aching and screaming, begging for some relief.  The coaches complied, supplying all the players with all the watermelon they could eat.

All the players gathered into groups, talking within each other’s friend groups. Tsukishima kept his distance from the others, with Yamaguchi joining in with them. They talked about various topics here and there, but nothing too serious.

Tsukishima was starting to zone out, thinking about Cat, and what she may or may not be doing. He hated to admit it, but he was head over heels in love, even though he had never seen Cat in a picture, much less in person.

While Tsukishima was zoning out, thinking of his unofficial lover, Hinata, Kenma, and Lev gathered nearby, talking loudly about who knows what. Tsukishima wasn’t paying attention, until the topic of discord came up. All his focus then went into listening in on this conversation.

“So you guys are on discord? What servers are you guys in?” Hinata asked.

“Not too many, I bet Kenma’s on a couple though,” Lev replied, only for Kenma to grunt in reply.

“Oh really! What servers are you on, Kenma?”

“Ehh, just a couple here and there. I frequent a My Little Pony server because a mod there gives me money a lot.”

Tsukishima felt a shock run throughout his body. A My Little Pony server? Maybe he was on the same server as him. He would never bring it up, but he was glad to know someone on the server; talking to 12-year-olds all day did get old.

“Wait, someone pays you to be on a My Little Pony server?” Lev asked.

“No, I think he is somehow attracted to me, every time I mention something I want, he sends me money.” Kenma replied, taking a massive bite out of his watermelon slice.

‘That’s kind of odd, who would give money like that to a guy like Kenma?’ Tsukishima thought.

“How did you do that, Kenma? I could sure use the extra cash,” Hinata asked.

“Well, Kuroo taught me to raise my voice like this to sound like some kind of gamer girl,” Kenma explained in a girly voice. Not too high to sound fake, not too low to sound unattractive. Perfect.

Just like Cat.

‘This has to be a coincidence, there’s no way that Kenma and Cat are the same person’ Tsukishima desperately thought. 

“Oh, do you guys want to be friends on Discord, so we can keep in contact?” Hinata asked.

“I guess. I’m gamergirl05#0000,” Kenma replied, essentially murdering Tsukishima with his response.

Tsukishima stood up from where he was sitting. Forgetting the fact that he was still supposed to be in a conversation with Yamaguchi, he left the area, trying to find a secluded area, eventually settling for a small ally in between two of the gyms.

Once making sure he couldn’t be seen, he let all his held-in emotions out. He screamed up to the sky as the threw his watermelon rind against the wall, watching it break into numerous pieces. 

“My Heart!” he screamed out, “I loved her!” He sank to the ground and let the tears flow. As he wailed out in despair, he covered his face with one hand while knocking his fist against the grass with his other.

Yamaguchi, who saw this all go down, ran up to go comfort his best friend. He didn’t know what was going on, other than the fact that his best friend was a mess on the floor.

How was Tsukishima going to tell his mom, who was already suspicious of him stealing her credit cards, that the money wasn’t being spent on her future Daughter in law? How was he going to log back in on the server, knowing he was cat fished?

He didn’t know what tomorrow would bring. All he knew at that moment was the soft an warm hand of Yamaguchi softly rubbing his back in an attempt to calm him down.

[atinyrabbit]

love/hate songs

Since 8tracks is messed up and playmoss is gonna disappear and Spotify doesn't have many songs, I’m posting some of my playlists here. This is a list of songs about love/hate relationships for pairings. Enemies to lovers, tsundere personalities, hero/villain couplings, opposites attract, loving someone you know you shouldn't. This list is several years old so the songs are older and kinda ‘scene.’

Major trigger warnings for the lyrics of these songs. Some songs have violent lyrics. This playlist romanticizes conflict.

Song list under read more:

Love to Hate You - Erasure Nicotine - Panic! at the Disco Don't Let It Go To Your Head - Fefe Dobson Your Love Will Kill Me - Daniel Lavoie Bruises and Bitemarks (Remix) - Good With Grenades October & April - The Rasmus feat. Anette Olzon Violator - Son of Rust Sick Amore - El Creepo Disgusting - Ke$ha Dangerous - Depeche Mode Oleander - Mother Mother Fear & Delight - The Correspondents Love is a Suicide - Natalia Kills Sex as a Weapon - Pat Benatar I'd Love To Kill You - Katie Melua Before I Ever Met You - Banks Rent - Pet Shop Boys Helpless When She Smiles - Backstreet Boys Holy - Zolita Strangelove - Depeche Mode I Won't Say (I'm In Love) - Susan Egan Can't Feel My Face - The Weeknd Only You - Ellie Goulding Devil Devil - Milck Livin' In A World Without You - The Rasmus  

Hate Love - Adelitas Way Suddenly - Peter Heppner Sick and Twisted Affair - My Darkest Days Radioactive Mirrors - Amazinglyjon Dangerous - Cascada Violence (Club Mix) - Grimes & i_o This Is Love - Air Traffic Controller Make Hate To Me - Citizen Soldier Gently Break It - Beck Pete Portrait of a Female - Cruel Youth This Could Be Love - Alkaline Trio Lie, Lie, Lie - Myra You Give Love a Bad Name - Bon Jovi I Only Wanna Be With You - Volbeat Maybe You're Not the Worst Thing Ever - Cast of Galavant I've Got You Under My Skin - Seether Human - Oh Land Le Bien Qui Fait Mal - Mozart, L'Opera Rock Can't Help Falling In Love [Light x Dark Remix] - feat. Brooke Tommee Profitt Fell For You - Green Day Stupid Grin - Dragonette Broken - Lauren Hoffman Take Me to Church - Hozier Super Psycho Love - Simon Curtis Whip - Mr.Kitty   Get You Off - Fefe Dobson Crazy Girl - Ke$ha Vice - POP ETC Cannibal - Silversun Pickups Rest in Peace - Original Cast of Buffy The Vampire Slayer Hem of Your Garment - Cake Tear You Apart - She Wants Revenge Truth Or Dare - Marianas Trench We Sink - CHVRCHES Gingerbread Man - Melanie Martinez You Stupid Girl - Framing Hanley   Die For You - Red F*cking Boyfriend - The Bird & The Bee Mean - Nicole Dollanganger Must Be Crazy for Me - Melissa Etheridge That Girl - Alexz Johnson FMLYHM - Seether Bad Romance - Halestorm Aquarius - Within Temptation Flirt (With Me) - Zeromancer I'm With Stupid - Pet Shop Boys Stop This Song (Love Sick Melody) - Paramore Trying Not To Love You - Nickelback Kill for You - Zolita A Love Like War - All Time Low You Need Me - SWANS Hatef--k - The Bravery Bottled Affection - Cold War Kids True Love - ThouShaltNot Terrible Thing - Ag I Can't Decide - Scissor Sisters Exit Wounds - The Romanovs Gun - Chvrches Every Breath You Take - Chase Holfelder Whole Lotta Love - Smash Mouth Bloodsport - Sneaker Pimps XXX - Imran-C Bitter Rivals - Sleigh Bells Destruction Of Us - Mr.Kitty Teeth - 5 Seconds of Summer Love Me Dead - Ludo Paralyzed - The Used River - Bishop Briggs Neon - VERSA Sucker For Pain - Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons I'm Your Villain - Franz Ferdinand Beautiful Monster - Ne-Yo I Own You - Birgit Let Me Be Your Armor - ASSEMBLAGE 23 Perfect Enemy - t.A.T.u. Straight for the Knife - Sia One More Night - Maroon 5 I Hate You (Don't Leave Me) - Ke$ha The Moth - Aimee Mann Mad Love - The Veronicas Toxic (Acoustic Britney Spears Cover) - Johnny Goth Bad Intentions - Digital Daggers Shut Up - Nick Lachey Soldier - Bitter Ruin First Bad Habit - Vanessa Hudgens In The Darkness - Dead By Sunrise Tearin' Up My Heart - *NSYNC You'll Be Back - Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton & Jonathan Groff Crazy In A Good Way - VERIDIA Combat Baby - Metric In Bluebeard's Castle - Unwoman When Doves Cry - Prince State of Seduction - Digital Daggers Whataya Want From Me - Adam Lambert Broken Inside - Broken Iris Murder (feat. Minx, Chilled) - Boyinaband Why Do You Love Me - Charlotte Lawrence Follow You Home - Nickelback Love To See You Cry - Enrique Iglesias Impressed - Natalie Imbruglia Die For You - Megan McCauley Your Kind (Speak to Me) - Danger Radio Tyrant - The Bravery Violent Games - Polica Toxicated Love - NEO Nemeses (feat. John Roderick) - Jonathan Coulton Miserable - Lit Running From My Shadow - The Velvet Teaparty Barricade - Stars Trouble (Stripped) - Halsey Brutal Hearts - Bedouin Soundclash Desire - Meg Myers Sticks And Stones - The Pierces Just the Girl - The Click Five Himerus and Eros - The Spill Canvas Blood - In This Moment I'm Insane - Myah Marie Fiction (Dreams In Digital) - Orgy Whore - In This Moment Monster - Ryan Adames Foundations - Kate Nash Only When I Lose Myself - Depeche Mode Hatchet - Archive The Beginning of the Twist - The Futureheads Change - Deftones Trust Me - Marc Senter Love Me Hate Kiss Me Kill Me (Scndl Remix) - Fukkk Offf Big Bad Handsome Man - Imelda May The Mighty Fall - Fall Out Boy My Obsession - Cinema Bizarre Stitches - Orgy Miss Kiss Kiss Bang - Alex Swings Oscar Sings! Sweet Dreams - Beyonce Fuel To The Fire - The Maine Closer (Nine Inch Nails Cover) - Niki Barr Band Clueless - Orla Gartland Devil Woman - Cliff Richard Hatefuck - Motionless In White I Love You But I Don’t Like You - Molly Moore Overpower Thee - AUF dER MAUR Get Down On Your Knees And Tell Me You Love Me - All Time Low Post Blue - Placebo Genghis Khan - Miike Snow Poison - Alice Cooper I Know I'm A Wolf - Young Heretics Little Toy Gun - honeyhoney I Miss the Misery - Halestorm Dirty Sticky Floors (radio mix) - Dave Gahan Clarity - Zedd I Get A Kick Out Of You - Frank Sinatra I Hate Myself for Loving You - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Die for You - Otherwise Labyrinth - Oomph! Black Black Heart - David Usher I Want to Destroy Something Beautiful - Josh Woodward I'm a Priest - Daniel Lavoie You Need Me - SWANS Afraid of the Dark - Phildel Virus - Ryan Adames I Wanna Be Your Dog (remix) - Emilie Simon Hello Goodbye - The Beatles Sarcasm (Album Version) - Get Scared Use Me - Hinder Poison & Wine - The Civil Wars Pretty When You Cry - VAST Tainted Love - Soft Cell Scream - Avenged Sevenfold Think About It - Danger Radio Gallery Piece - Of Montreal Bang Bang Bang Bang - Sohodolls Little Girls - Say Anything I Hate Everything About You - Three Days Grace Love Runs Out - OneRepublic Disarm - Smashing Pumpkins Hit Me Like a Man - The Pretty Reckless Bang Bang (feat. Adam Levine) - K'naan Hurts So Good - John Mellencamp Addicted - Kelly Clarkson Whiplash - FEMM Paralyzer - Finger Eleven Crime - Temposhark Misery Loves Company - Emilie Autumn It Was Good for You Too - Marian Call Price Of Company - The White Tie Affair Burn! - Kobra And The Lotus I Love My Lawyer - Ofelia K I Want Blood - empires (I Always Kill) The Things I Love (ft. The Real Tuesday Weld) - Claudia Brucken Misery (Cutmore Radio) - Maroon 5 Fire and Ice - Pat Benatar I Lust You - Neon Neon Pistol Whipped - Marilyn Manson Bitches Brew - Crosses A Formidable Marinade - Mikelangelo And The Black Sea Gentlemen Control - Puddle of Mudd Scary Love - Skye Sweetnam Loveyouhateyou - Sad Robot Untangle Me - Snow Ghosts A Little Taste - Skyler Stonestreet E.V.O.L - Marina and the Diamonds   (You're the) Devil in Disguise - Elvis Presley Shut Up & Kiss - Me Orianthi Cool for Chaos - Nostalghia Oyeme - Enrique Iglesias I Hate You - Sick Puppies GirlShapedLoveDrug - Gomez You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk - Pet Shop Boys Need You Like A Drug - Zeromancer Werewolf - Cat Power Bathwater - No Doubt Bad Dog - Neon Hitch Guns And Horses - Ellie Goulding Rev 22-20 - Puscifer Won't You Please Be Nice - Nellie McKay The Perfect Drug - Nine Inch Nails Until The Day I Die - Story of the Year Womanizer - Britney Spears Build Me Up Buttercup - The Foundations I Think I Love You David Cassidy Stalkers - Mindless Self Indulgence   Kill Me Every Time - Blue Stahli Preface - FKA twigs Every You Every Me - Placebo Want - Disturbed Spit It Out - IAMX Destroy Me - Mr Kitty My Sweet Prince - Placebo Psycho - Imelda May Monster - Meg Myers Figured You Out - Nickelback Suffocated Love - Tricky Satisfy Me One More Time - Frank Sinatra This Love - Maroon 5 Miss Jackson (feat. Lolo) - Panic! At The Disco Fire and Ice - Pat Benatar Every Other Time Lyte - Funky Ones How Do You Love Someone - Ashley Tisdale Poison - Gin Wigmore Bitter and Sick - One Two The Outsider - Marina & the Diamonds True Love (feat Lily Rose Cooper) - Pink Bad Boy - Cascada Irresistible - Temposhark Painkiller - The Queenstons Born to Die / Russian Roulette - Amazinglyjon Like Sugar - Matchbox Twenty Mad About You - Hooverphonic Stupify - Disturbed Problems - Mother Mother What Is Love - Haddaway Animal - The Cab Marionette - Antonia I Hate You But I Love You - Russian Red Carve A Name - Mother Mother Criminal - Britney Spears Danger - Hilary Duff Fell in Love w/an Android - Simon Curtis Demon Lover - Róisín Murphy Always - Saliva Too Close - Alex Clare Little of Your Time - Maroon 5 Sex and Violence - Scissor Sisters Electric Storm - Delta Goodrem Black widow - Susanne Sundfør Dangerous Kind - Rasmus You've Really Got a Hold on Me - The Miracles Over and Over - Three Days Grace Devour - Marilyn Manson Nature of Inviting - IAMX The Odd Couple - Weezer Hurt Me Harder - Zolita Terrible Love - The National Mad Love - Jojo Boomerang - Reliant K Bad News - Sleeper Agent I Was An Island (EP Version) - Allison Weiss Rock Bottom - Hailee Steinfeld You’re the One That I Want - Lo Fang Poison - Rita Ora Kill For You - Skylar Grey ft Eminem Wouldn't Be Love - Ritual Hate Me - Nico Collins Irresistible - Fall Out Boy I Love You... I'll Kill You - Enigma

[gloves94]

Kingdom of the Sun [Fire Lord Zuko] 1

Story Warnings: Violence, NSFW, Smut Chapter Warnings: None Rating: M Pairings: Zuko/OC Summary:  It has been three years since the end of the war. Fire Lord Zuko has his Empire to reconstruct and multiple assassination attempts to worry about. Across the sea Tsai is occupied with the Restoration Movement in the new Republic of Nations. Together they must: define their relationship, push some boundaries, bring down a dangerous enemy and most importantly work together to restore order and prosperity to this new world. Kingdom of the Sun MASTERLIST Last Airbender MASTERLIST My MASTERLIST

- SEQUEL to: SUNBURN . You don’t have to read Sunburn to enjoy this story, but if you want go ahead. - This story is loosely based on the ATLA comics, so don’t read if you don’t want spoilers. No Korra spoilers since I haven’t watched it myself.

AN: Woo!! We are finally here. I’m really excited about this story (also kind of very nervous, it’s going to be pretty different from Sunburn so let me know how I do!) I’m almost done writing it and it should be about 10 chapters long or so.

xxxxxx

Zuko lay awake in his bed.

It was a cold night despite the spring season that graced the Fire Nation's capital. He let out a miserable long sigh before turning to face the empty side of the bed. It was then that a rustling behind the bedroom’s maroon curtains nearby caught his attention.

Paranoid, he quickly sat up glaring in the direction where he could've sworn, he heard an intruder's movements. His eyes scanned the darkness of the room, heart at his throat as he held his breath waiting for his attacker to show.

It was then that he felt it, the blade pressing tightly across his neck. It seemed the assassin had finally gotten to him. His body was stiff for a moment before relaxing into the knife. He let out a deep breath and allowed the blade to take him…

Xxx

Zuko awoke alone and cold still heaving from his night terror. His eyes danced around the room fearfully scanning every possible nook, cranny and hiding place for an assassin. He sat up and ran a hand through his sweaty bangs pushing them back, catching his shaking breath. It wouldn't be the first time somebody broke into his room and tried to pull a stunt like that…

He exhaled a sharp breath and again collapsed back on his pillow. He couldn't believe he had caved into the assassin's blade like that. It had only been a dream, but still... For a moment he had forgotten his will to exist. After all, did anything matter? Every day was the same over worked routine of a Fire Lord having inherited a monarchy on the verge of a colonial disunion and at the end of a lost war. Not to mention the frequent assassination attempts he had to endure from the New Ozai Society. A group of loyal members of the Fire Nation mainland who were still supportive of his father and wanted to see Zuko dead and off the throne. But worst of all was that he had never felt as alone as he did now… He was cold, alone, unhappy… Did anything really matter?

His eyes turned to look at the painting he had framed next to his bed. It had been the last painting that him and Tsai had gotten. He wore his royal garments and head piece, she sat next to him hugging his arm. It had been painted that day the two saw “Love Amongst the Dragons,” the last time they saw each other...

He missed her. He needed her in his life now more than ever.

He dreaded the morning that was to come. He already knew he had a mountain of work to do, but the worst part about it were the Fire Sages. He did not want to be in the same room with a handful of them and a dozen of elite Fire Nation women who were all considered 'fit' female suitors eligible enough to one day take seat next to him as the Lady of the Throne.

"Will you be making your decision today Fire Lord Zuko?" One of the Sages had inquired hiding its hands in his sleeves. It had been weeks now and all those old crones did was pressure him into seeing these girls.

Traditionally Fire Sage's were the advisors to the crown and all royal marriages were arranged. However, considering there was no former Fire Lord in power to order such decree no such arrangements could be made.

His eyes glazed over the nervously fidgeting dark haired women before him. Some looked awfully nervous, others giggled at the situation hiding their blushing smiles before waving fans.

He was silent, his eyes boring ahead.

"I already know the one for me."

Xxx

"Wake up!" A loud voice shouted.

"Wake uuuup!" The voice repeated in an even louder tone.

Tsai lay exhausted and alone in her bed. She let out a grown and pulled the sheets over her head. "Get out of my room Mecha!" She shouted loudly at her older sibling. However, he had no mercy, he ripped the covers off her waking her up.

She glared at her brother upset.

"You overslept, again." He said with his arms crossed over his chest. The scarred man glared down at her. "This isn't like you," he said frowning slightly.

She ran a hand through her messy hair in hope of taming it down a little. "I was up late last night," she grumbled. "Has there been another bombing? Another protest?" She asked more accustomed to being awoken due to the sporadically protest of the Anti Revolutionary Movement that was against the independence of the Fire Nation’s colonies.

"Oh yeah?" He challenged arching an eyebrow, ignoring her questions. "Doing uber important things like midnight snacking or writing sad poetry about your ex-boyfriend?"

"Out!" She roared throwing her pillow in his direction.

He caught it with ease. "Be ready." He said cooly sounding like their over-bearing mother and throwing it back in her direction with all of his strength making her slightly jerk back.

She sighed hugging the pillow and hunching her shoulders over. It had been three years since the One Hundred Year War was over and since the Fire Nation colonies had been liberated, and lot had happened since then. Ever since, her family had renounced to all of their royal titles, after all the Vice-Royal Colony of Yu Dao was no more. Instead now this territory belonged to the sovereignty of the United Republic of Nations. After losing his position her father had become… She didn't even want to think about it. Thankfully, her mother had forgiven her for everything that she had done during the time of war and her family now focused on running the United Republic of Nation's first newspaper. She did that and also working as an ambassador for the young nation, attempting to solve the thriving nation's issues a strong leader of the post-war restoration movement.

She had also ended her brief relationship with Zuko. You think dating is hard, imagine when your ex-boyfriend is the Fire Lord? She let out an exhausted breath and looked up to see the painted portrait of the two of them that hung on her wall. It was small and simple, her red head and broad cheesy smile standing out as she hugged onto his arm. He wore a smile as well and wore his hair down and wasn't wearing his royal robes. He was like she remembered him, he was simply Zuko, he wasn't his Lordness. She couldn’t even remember when they had gotten that painted. It had been a little more than a year since their breakup and she missed him dearly…

Dating of course had been an option but nobody had come close to filling the void she felt inside when she thought of him. She would never admit it out loud but a part of her was miserable without him in her life.

She missed him.

The memory of their breakup still fresh, she shook her head and clapped her cheeks lightly hoping to smack some sense into herself and push that depressing memory back in the attic of her brain. She didn't want to think about what had happened in the Dragon Catacombs the last time she had been in the Main- in the Fire Nation. She corrected herself.

Xxx

"Aang! Katara!" Tsai stood in what was now the former palace's tearoom as she welcomed her friends. She embraced Aang and then Katara tightly. She had been happy to have kept in contact with them after the war. Katara was usually traveling between the Republic of Nations and the South Pole to visit her family, so they would see each other whenever she was in town. Aang was pretty much the same, except his travels were more worldly, after all, he was the Avatar. The bridge in between all nations as well as humans and the Spirit World. Tsai's mother had arranged for an elaborate tea party for just her children and their two friends. It was very over the top with teas, pastries and decorations, but then again, that was just the type of woman she was.

"It's so great to see two!" She said. Her brother greeted them both with a rough hug and took a seat next to his sister.

Aang was taller, fitter, and looked more mature. However, he was still his same goofy self and wore his nation's symbolic colors of yellow, ochre and orange in traditional robes. Katara had grown to be even more beautiful, her hair was longer, and she still wore her trade mark hair loopies. The two of them had been inseparable and had started dating at the end of the war and were still together. Distance and other factors not str Tsai poured a brewed floral tea and the four made idle talk catching about what the most recent news in town were, trending restaurants, theater, each other travels and what not.

"So, we've come with news!" Aang said excitedly shifting on his seat. He hadn't even touched his tea. Katara smiled at him lovingly and hugged his arm taking his hand in her own. "Shall we tell them together sweetie?"

Tsai arched an eyebrow, she mentally gagged at Katara's pet name for her boyfriend. Yikes, those two were so sappy. She took a sip from her tea to hide her smile.

They spoke loudly in unison. She wasn't sure if she had heard right. She was only aware of the sacred sin she had just committed. She spit out her tea in surprise spraying the couple before her who were overjoyed and simply laughed at her surprised reaction.

"Congrats!" Mecha stood up from his seat and walked around the table to give the couple a congratulatory pat in the back.

Tsai still sat stunned unsure of how to process the news.

AANG AND KATARA WERE GETTING MARRIED? Was Aang a child bride? Sure, he was now past sixteen, the customary marriage age, but really what was the rush? She shifted uncomfortably in her seat before realizing she had to say something to them.

"Congratulations!" She said sincerely excited going around the table and hugging the both of them again. "Katara, let me see your necklace!" She said inquiring about the engagement jewelry that Aang had made for her. It was a traditional Water Tribe necklace that had carved the Air Nomad's symbol in the middle. It was very cute.

"We'll be sending invitations out soon, but we wanted to tell you two in person." Aang explained.

"We were both very moved by your family," Katara began. "I know it's not usual for people to have interracial marriages, but when I saw your family- Your mother being from the Earth Kingdom and your father's side being from the Fire Nation. I saw what my future with Aang would be like." She said once again hugging his arm, he smiled at her and kissed the top of her head.

Both siblings noted how she mentioned her "father's side" and not the monster himself but said nothing.

"We are getting married here in the Republic of Nations. However, Gran Gran is getting a little too old for travel so we're having a ceremony in the Southern Water Tribe and we'd love for you two to come!" Katara beamed.

xxx

"You have to go." Her brother insisted chasing after her as they walked back to the dining room where they would now be joining their mother for dinner. "No. I don't. I have work." She barked back; fists clenched at her sides. "No," he drawled out stepping around her stopping her walk. "I'm staying so you can go. Besides, you already agreed. You can't back out now."

Tsai glared at her older brother; he could be such a pest sometimes. "I only said that to be polite!"

"Come on," She lowered her shoulders her brown eyes meeting her brother's forest green ones. "I look like crap- and well you know he's going to be there."

She said referring to Zuko, a thought that made her stomach twist nervously at the thought of seeing him again.

"So? Are you scared of him?" Her brother scoffed. "What's the worst that can happen?"

She remained silent.

"Who knows," he began moving out of her path. "You know he is married to his work, just like you. Odds are maybe he won't even show," Mecha said optimistically.

'Maybe… Just maybe he was right?'

next: https://gloves94.tumblr.com/post/624849870080131072/kingdom-of-the-sun-firelord-zuko-2

[anathtsurugi]

A Gentle Nudge - A Kalluzeb Ficlet

Hey all! Still alive up in here. Surgery recovery is going well, but yeah, that’s definitely why the delay in the latest chapter of TCTW. In the meantime, have some more ficlet.

 I am a Jedi. My patience is without limits.

 "Zzzzz."

 I will not be moved to anger. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.

 "Zzzzzzzz."

 Though I'd say you're already suffering pretty hard, a second, snide voice in his head adds.

 I am one with the Force, the Force is with me. I am one with the Force, the Force is with me. I am one with the kriffing Force, and the kriffing Force damn well better be with me!

 "ZZZZZZZ."

 Kanan Jarrus gave up on sleep with an enraged cry, sitting up in his bedroll. In all his travels throughout the galaxy, he had thought he'd come up against the worst snorers the stars could show him.

 Then he had met Garazeb Orrelios.

 This fool Lasat could snore louder than a sonic buzz saw and nothing could seem to wake him once he'd fallen asleep. Kanan had tried shoving him, poking him, shouting as loud as he dared, even tried some less than gentle Force prodding. Nothing. His companion was dead to the world. There was nothing for Kanan to do but spend the night on forced watch, because there was no way he could sleep with that racket in his ears, and he couldn't quite talk himself into smothering their new companion.

 He would just have to suffer through it in grudging meditation...and vow never to go on a night run with Zeb ever again.

XxX

 Just go to sleep. You've heard worse.

 "Zzzzz."

 Seriously, if you can sleep on the streets, you can sleep anywhere. This sleemo's not gonna get to you.

 "Zzzzzzzz."

 You're not gonna blow this by complaining to Hera the first kriffing night!

 "ZZZZZZZ."

 "I give up!" Ezra Bridger snarled miserably, curling into a ball and burying his head beneath his pillow.

 In the alleys and slums of Capital City, he had heard all different kinds of snoring, from the tiny and petite to the loud and monstrous. But nothing, nothing he had ever heard in his young life came anywhere close to the sound of Zeb Orrelios snoring. Forget the scent, forget the grudging, growling anger and snide comments and threats of bodily harm. Nope. He could handle all of that.

 It was the snoring that would drive him crazy.

 He didn't doubt they'd put him, the new kid, in a bunk with Zeb for a reason. Well, if they were trying to smoke him out, they had another thing coming. He was sticking this out. But just because he had tried everything he could think of to get the snoring to stop short of outright shoving a pillow in his bunkmate's face didn't mean he couldn't make Zeb pay for his own lack of sleep come morning.

 Where was it Sabine kept those spare paints again?

XxX

 Just another tired soldier.

 "Zzzzz."

 He needs his sleep same as you.

 "Zzzzzzzz."

 Bear up, Captain. You got through Echo's and Wolffe's snoring. You're gonna get through this, too.

 "ZZZZZZZ."

 "Oh, for the love of kark, Zeb!" Rex snarled as he sat up beside the slumbering Lasat, delivering a blow to his massive shoulder that did nothing whatever to interrupt his sleep or his snoring. "Guess now I know the reason Kanan refused to do these overnighters with you."

 The only response he got was a warbled binary chuckle from Chopper as the snarky astromech rolled through the little camp.

 "No, you can't poison him," the old clone scolded...

 ...tempting as the offer was at this exact moment.

XxX

 If the Spectres had learned anything about Kallus in the weeks since he'd properly joined up with the Alliance, it was that he was a supremely light sleeper. It wasn't possible to enter a room without waking the man if he happened to be catching a few moments' sleep. Ezra had once attempted to wake him and had gotten a hand at his throat for his troubles.

 He hadn't made that mistake again.

 None of them had asked questions when Kallus and Zeb had begun to spend more and more of their down time together...nor when they'd even begun to hear certain noises from behind Zeb's closed and sealed bunk doors.

 No.

 The question they all really wanted to ask was...what would happen to this burgeoning relationship of theirs when Kallus' light sleep came up against Zeb's infernal snoring?

 And that answer came on a routine supply run.

 Awaiting their contact planetside, the team had set up something of a camp beneath the Ghost. After fighting off a local gang to prevent the discovery of the drop off point, Zeb and Kallus were both plainly exhausted and had fallen asleep together near the heating unit Hera had going, facing each other with their arms loosely around one another. And of course, as they all knew he inevitably would, Zeb began to snore.

 "Zzzzz."

 "Oh, boy," Kanan muttered.

 "Zzzzzzzz."

 "Here we go," Ezra said nervously, eyes flitting to the napping pair.

 "ZZZZZZZ."

 As if set to a chrono, Kallus started awake, eyes darting about for danger, but he quickly realized it was only the sound of Zeb snoring. Smiling easily at the Lasat, he shook his head and pressed a kiss to Zeb's forehead. Then he began to push him and they all tensed, waiting for the inevitable struggle that would ensue.

 But it never came.

 With Kallus' gentle nudging, Zeb simply rolled onto his other side and fell silent. And for a moment, the Spectres all reveled in the sudden silence of the camp, all shocked beyond words. But before Kallus could fall back asleep, they were all on him.

 "How did you do that?" Sabine demanded in a hiss.

 "I- I'm sorry?" the ex-Imperial started, looking up at all of them.

 "I didn't think that was physically possible," Kanan said.

 "Did I miss something?" Kallus continued to ask in bewilderment.

 "Alexsandr Kallus, you are a miracle worker," Hera declared with a smile and a small shake of her head.

 "What?" he tried again, still unable to make heads or tails of their amazement in the blissfully silent atmosphere.

 "No one in the galaxy has ever been able to get Zeb to stop snoring. And then you just waltz in here and give him a little nudge and that's the kriffing end of it?" Ezra demanded. "I call bantha poodoo! You come into my house-"

 "Shush," Kallus pleaded with a small smile, understanding beginning to dawn. "You'll wake him."

 "Mating krayt dragons couldn't wake Garazeb Orrelios," Rex put in. "Doubt even you're gonna change that."

 "Well...we'll see," the ex-agent said tenderly, more for a different pair of ears than theirs. Kissing one of those ears, he smiled and tucked himself back in against Zeb, wrapping an arm around him and spooning him from behind. Zeb himself just gave an easy sigh, smiling peacefully in his sleep.

 No one else commented on it again. They all simply sat back and relished the unexpected peace and quiet of the night.

So I feel like I should probably tell the story that had a hand in inspiring this little piece.

I have, historically, always been a very loud snorer. My wife's a very light sleeper herself and she quickly discovered that the best way to alleviate my snoring was to give me a little push so I would roll over and cut that shit out.

Some things I suppose I should point out here are that I am, A. a damn heavy sleeper, and B. one stubborn bitch. I've never considered myself a particularly accommodating person. When I dig my heels in on something, they will stay dug, come hell or high water. Neither of these things are true with my wife. Where a combined earthquake and hurricane could never wake me, she can wake me with a few gentle touches and a whisper. And when she wants me to roll over, all it's going to take is that little push.

Everyone else? Ehh...they're not so lucky.

When I was waking up from my recent gallbladder surgery, I learned from the nurses that they'd had to fight me every step of the way to keep me lying on my back. Apparently I had done nothing but try to curl up on my side. Probably could've saved themselves the heartache and just gotten my wife down to recovery. Heheh.

[sworntoprotect]

THE MEGA RP PLOTTING SHEET / MEME.

First and foremost, recall that no one is perfect, we all had witnessed some plotting once which did not went too well, be it because of us or our partner. So here have this, which may help for future plotting. It’s a lot! Yes, but perhaps give your partners some insight? Anyway BOLD what fully applies, italicize if only somewhat. Long post!

MUN NAME: Pie     AGE: +25       CONTACT: IM, Ask, Discord (mutuals only, by request)

CHARACTER(S): Cullen

CURRENT FANDOM(S): Dragon Age

FANDOM(S) YOU HAVE AN AU FOR:  I have a modern verse for everything not Dragon Age, but I might add some actual alt verses for other fandoms

MY LANGUAGE(S): English (native), Spanish (intermediate), Korean (baby lol beginner), bits and bobs of other languages (namely French and French Patois)

THEMES I’M INTERESTED IN FOR RP: FANTASY / SCIENCE FICTION / HORROR / WESTERN / ROMANCE / THRILLER / MYSTERY / DYSTOPIA / ADVENTURE / MODERN / EROTIC / CRIME / MYTHOLOGY / CLASSIC / HISTORY / RENAISSANCE / MEDIEVAL / ANCIENT / WAR / FAMILY / POLITICS / RELIGION / SCHOOL / ADULTHOOD / CHILDHOOD / APOCALYPTIC / GODS / SPORT / MUSIC / SCIENCE / FIGHTS / ANGST / SMUT / DRAMA / ETC. (I started this and realised I’d be bolding almost everything, so: EVERYTHING)

PREFERRED THREAD LENGTH: ONE-LINER / 1 PARA / 2 PARA / 3+ PARA / NOVELLA. / ALL

ASKS CAN BE SEND BY: MUTUALS / NON-MUTUALS / PERSONALS / ANONS.

CAN ASKS BE CONTINUED?: YES / NO / OCCASIONALLY   - only by Mutuals?:  YES / NO

PREFERRED THREAD TYPE: CRACK / CASUAL / SERIOUS / DEEP AS HECK. / ALL

IS REALISM / RESEARCH IMPORTANT FOR YOU IN CERTAIN THEMES?:   YES / NO.

ARE YOU ATM OPEN FOR NEW PLOTS?:  YES / NO / DEPENDS. (after my paper is submitted, yeah sure)

DO YOU HANDLE YOUR DRAFT / ASK - COUNT WELL?:  YES / NO / SOMEWHAT. (irl makes coping difficult sometimes)

HOW LONG DO YOU USUALLY TAKE TO REPLY?: 24H / 1 WEEK / 2 WEEKS / 3+ WEEKS / MONTHS / YEARS. / DEPENDS ON MOOD AND INSPIRATION, AND IF I’M BUSY 

I’M OKAY INTERACTING WITH: ORIGINAL CHARACTERS / A RELATIVE OF MY CHARACTER (AN OC) / DUPLICATES / CROSSOVERS / MULTI-MUSES / SELF-INSERTS / PEOPLE WITH NO AU VERSE FOR MY FANDOM / CANON-DIVERGENT PORTRAYALS / AU-VERSIONS.

DO YOU POST MORE IC OR OOC?: IC / OOC. (I strive for more IC over OOC, but my queue does a lot of work too)

ARE YOU SELECTIVE WITH FOLLOWING OTHERS?: YES / NO / DEPENDS.  

BEST WAYS TO APPROACH YOU FOR RP/PLOTTING:  Talk with me over IM, asks, or Disco. I’m down for almost anything as long as I see it’s feasible.

WHAT EXPECTATIONS DO YOU HOLD TOWARDS YOUR PLOTTING PARTNER:  Transparency. If you have an idea, let me know! If you’re stuck, let me know! If you want to start something new or scrap something or whatever...LET ME KNOW! I promise I don’t bite and I understand.

WHEN YOU NOTICE THE PLOTTING IS RATHER ONE-SIDED, WHAT DO YOU DO?:  I’m not very good with coming up with plots myself, so I’m typically the weak link when it comes to that. Sorry! But you bet I’ll pull up a plot generator and start throwing things down to see what sticks haha.

HOW DO YOU USUALLY PLOT WITH OTHERS, DO YOU GIVE INPUT OR LEAVE MOST WORK TOWARDS YOUR PARTNER?:  I’m all about equal opportunity, so I try not to leave the plotting work to my partner. Let’s negotiate and find something that makes both of us happy. That’s the point after all.

WHEN A PARTNER DROPS THE THREAD, DO YOU WISH TO KNOW?:   YES / NO / DEPENDS. - AND WHY?: If you want to drop a thread, I’m completely fine with it. I want to know so that I don’t end up replying to something you have no interest in anymore. Saves both of us the time.

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY LEAD YOU TO DROP A THREAD?:  If drafts eat it (as they are wont to do these days) or if I feel it has reached a natural conclusion. I rarely, if ever, drop a thread in the middle. I’ll just let you know I’m going to finish it on my side and allow you a chance to finish on yours if you’d like.

WILL YOU TELL YOUR PARTNER?:   YES / NO / DEPENDS.

IS COMMUNICATION IN THE RPC IMPORTANT TO YOU? YES / NO. - AND WHY?: You don’t need to chat with me every minute of every day, but I like knowing the people I’m writing with. Discerning your personality and your approach to your muse gives me a much stronger understanding of how to write with you, and what vibes between us. Plus, it’s easier to remember different people’s boundaries if I talk with them a lot, too.

ARE YOU OKAY WITH ABSOLUTE HONESTY, EVEN IF IT MAY MEANS HEARING SOMETHING NEGATIVE ABOUT YOU AND/OR PORTRAYAL?: I am all for constructive criticism. Even if you think it’s nitpicky, it’s going to be a great help. Good crit allows us grow as writers and as people in general. However, I am not for baseless accusations, childish name-calling, or outright insults under the name of “constructive crit”. Remember the “constructive” part: we need to build each other up. 

DO YOU THINK YOU CAN HANDLE SUCH SITUATION IN A MATURE WAY? YES / NO.

WHY DO YOU RP AGAIN, IS THERE A GOAL?: I love a good story. While I don’t agree with everything Cullen does (and no one should, for anyone real or imagined), his story is intriguing. He’s a deeply flawed, deeply broken man. I love to take on a character, toss them in every situation I can think of, and watch them evolve and grow.

WISHLIST, BE IT PLOTS OR SCENARIOS:  A real redemption arc, for one. A realistic struggle with substance abuse and recovery. A future of happiness.

THEMES I WON’T EVER RP / EXPLORE:   Rape or sexual assault, unless being spoken about as a past event (as I truly believe that Cullen was sexually assaulted at Kinloch along with the other psychological and physical torture he endured). In-game racism is baked in, unfortunately, but it’s not something I seek out to roleplay as a PoC myself. Finally, while I play Cullen as canon-straight, I will not play out homophobia and most definitely not transphobia. If he rejects your muse for hitting on him, it’s not because he’s being homophobic: he’s just not interested. That also doesn’t mean he’ll never be interested; people can and do change, and I ship chemistry overall. He doesn’t hate your muse for their gender, orientation, or sexual preferences. I feel like I really have to spell this out for people who don’t understand. If you feel personally insulted by this somehow, feel free to address me directly, off anon. It’s probably an issue of fuzzy wording that I’m 500% willing to fix and talk about.

WHAT TYPE OF STARTERS DO YOU PREFER / DISLIKE, CAN’T WORK WITH?: I love starters that set the scene and provide plenty to work with, be it in terms of interacting with the environment or with the other person. If your muse shows immediate disinterest in communicating (and I don’t mean argumentative, which is perfectly fine), I am not going to respond. I might politely ask for more if I feel like it’s a salvageable interaction.

WHAT TYPE OF CHARACTERS CATCH YOUR INTEREST THE MOST?:  Stoic soldier types, bubbly short girls, and semi-mad scientists.

WHAT TYPE OF CHARACTERS CATCH YOUR INTEREST THE LEAST?:  Characters that come across as Mary-Sue / Gary-Stu types. No flaws and barely any room to grow. 

WHAT ARE YOUR STRONG ASPECTS AS RP PARTNER?: I'm very easy-going and I have an unearthly level of tolerance for almost everything. I try to provide partners with as much to work with as possible IC, and will pretty much support your very existence OOC. I believe in open communication so you’ll know what’s going on with me and/or our threads. Also, I typically reply within a week or two. Currently I’m tethered to finishing a big paper so I’m not a good example of that right now.

WHAT ARE YOUR WEAK ASPECTS AS RP PARTNER?: I can get overwhelmed by too much which slows my pace down considerably. I’m also a bit distant and do shut down on occasion; that’s usually no fault of my partners, though. Just my brain being a dick.

DO YOU RP SMUT?:  YES / NO / DEPENDS. (the closer we are OOC, the easier getting here will be)

DO YOU PREFER TO GO INTO DETAIL?: YES / NO / DEPENDS. (it’s not going to be XXX but it will be descriptive)

ARE YOU OKAY WITH BLACK CURTAIN, FADE TO BLACK?: YES / NO.

WHEN DO YOU RP SMUT? MORE OUT OF FUN OR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT?: I prefer to write smut for character development and to mark a progression in a relationship. Plus Cullen is not a ���one and done” guy so getting to the smut stage will take a bit of build-up.

ANYTHING YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO RP THERE?:  Hmmm things that he personally wouldn’t go for I guess? Honestly I don’t know. And obviously, no rape/animal abuse/predator nonsense.

ARE SHIPS IMPORTANT TO YOU?:   YES / NO Ships are a great way to further explore a character and their motivations. People do not exist in pure isolation, so I don’t believe characters should, either.

WOULD YOU SAY YOUR BLOG IS SHIP-FOCUSED?: YES / NO. I bolded both because the focus of the blog isn’t ships, but this thirst trap guy is really easy to ship with other people I tell ya hwat. I am severely picky with romantic ships for Reasons, but I don’t eschew any other types of ships. I encourage them!

DO YOU USE READ MORE?:  YES / NO / SOMETIMES WHEN I WRITE LONG STUFF.

ARE YOU:  MULTI-SHIP / SINGLE-SHIP / DUAL-SHIP  —  MULTIVERSE / SINGLEVERSE.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE TO EXPLORE THE MOST IN YOUR SHIPS?: Characters who challenge Cullen into revising his point of view and force him to be a better person. Also, characters who understand his past and they are in no ways obligated to forgive it, but do recognise that he’s struggling very hard to mend whatever mistakes he can and is willing to pay the price for his decisions.

ARE YOU OKAY WITH PRE-ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIPS?: YES / NO / DEPENDS.  - Be a good salesperson and I might buy it.

► SECTION ABOUT YOUR MUSE.

- WHAT COULD POSSIBLY MAKE YOUR MUSE INTERESTING TOWARDS OTHERS, WHY SHOULD THEY RP WITH THIS PARTICULAR CHARACTER OF YOURS NOW, WHAT POSSIBLE PLOTS DO THEY OFFER?: Cullen is a massive stick in the mud, which means it’s incredibly easy to taunt him and get him flustered all at the same time. He’s loyal, he’s intelligent, and he’s largely self-aware. He likes swords and using them. Anything your character hates about him, he most likely hates about himself 100 times more.

WITH WHAT TYPE OF MUSES DO YOU USUALLY STRUGGLE TO RP WITH?:  Those from the start that show absolutely no interest in speaking with/interacting with him. Mun and muse are going to struggle to stick around. I’m not going to fight for attention and neither is he.

WHAT DO THEY DESIRE, WHAT IS THEIR GOAL?:  Redemption. He wants to be a better person and make up for the past as much as he can.

WHAT CATCHES THEIR INTEREST FIRST WHEN MEETING SOMEONE NEW?:  He can sniff out a fellow Templar a mile away (or several miles, in the case of Samson). 

WHAT DO THEY VALUE IN A PERSON?:  Honesty, a strong will, devotion (not necessarily to the Maker or the Chantry, but to a just cause that focuses on protecting others).

WHAT THEMES DO THEY LIKE TALKING ABOUT?:  War stuff, chess, books, trebuchets, dogs.

WHICH THEMES BORE THEM?:  Lectures about anything. He did his time in Azkaban in the Circles. No more. Please no more.

DID THEY EVER WENT THROUGH SOMETHING TRAUMATIC?:  His parents died trying to escape the Blight, he was tortured for weeks/months on end by blood mages, almost all of his friends died because of it, he was manipulated and brainwashed by his superior, he was forced into a near-debilitating substance addiction by his workplace... yeah just a few things.

WHAT COULD LEAD TO AN INSTANT KILL?:  Darkspawn and abominations. 

IS THERE SOMEONE /-THING THEY HATE?:  Darkspawn and abominations. Blood mages on principle. Regular mages (but he’s working hard to remedy this extremely bad and prejudiced thinking). Himself.

IS YOUR MUSE EASY TO APPROACH?: YES / NO.    - BEST WAY TO APPROACH THEM?:  Just be polite and he won’t turn you away. He’s guarded, yes, but not impossible to talk to.

SOMETHING YOU MAY STILL WANT TO POINT OUT ABOUT YOUR MUSE?: You’ll find out by writing together! ;D

CONGRATS!!! You managed it, now tag your mutuals! ♥

tagged by: pirated tagging: anyone who actually read this

[kitkat2cats]

2017 – 2018

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  On 12 October 2017 Dear Elgar, I think you are too young to realise that humans are not as well adapted as we felines. They do not seem to have our ability to just let go and curl up and sleep. They mainly seem to sleep when it is dark. Poor things, I think it’s because their eyes are not as good as ours.You must be aware that if you want her to go on serving you let her have a good night’s sleep. I speak from experience. Purrs from Quintus.

13 Oct 2017 ​Dea-purr Quintus she says I is to say thank you for your email even though I felt you were tellings mes offs. Iz gets excited when zshe turns overs in bedz – I think she mights swant zto tickle my belly so I goes ands nuzzles her, somesztimes she pulls my next sto herz which makes me purrrrrrrrrrrrr lotz, butz Iz sdnont understands whys shes cross wiv me & like today at lightening ups inz the zskys wiv birdies teaszings mees she putz me out of her room nd shutsz door on me. I is cryings & puts my paws (thayz be bigg paws I haz *purrrrrrrrrr*) ins gapz under doors but she ignores me. I waz veryz sad nd I cryyd. I is confoozd I just brought her a prezant of birdzy nd she pickd meez up nd putz me outz de door! I  brought zit backs again but now shez stopped me comings in. Meow, 😦 I donts understands) Mew mew meow, moarghomew Elgar xx

On 13 October 2017 Dear Elgar, I was not trying to tell you off, more just trying to make you understand that humans are rather unlike us. I’m sorry yours was so misunderstanding of you. It is hard I know. For  some reason mine get narky when I get on the table. They don’t seem to realise it seems natural to me. They will spray me with water. Can’t understand why. Purrrrs and a nose rub, from Quintus.

25th Nov 2017 Dear Elgar, I hope your human is feeling a bit better. My human has thought of her lots, she has told me about her. I understand you are bigger than me. How is that for you are still not much more than a kitten?Though you do seem quite adventurous, and an expert at hunting. They do not always seem to appreciate this. They do seem to have some funny ideas, mine seem to get cross when I get on the table. It is such a good place to see will is going on, and I can even see out of the window if I face that way. She sometimes sprays me with water which I think is unnecessary, unkind. Funny things humans. Purrrrrrs to you and my aunty Muffin, and Arya, Quintus 

Dearapurrr Quintus I iz understanding yous – this one had a shock last nights (purr purr purr miaowwwwwwwwwww!! So funny) I had posted a toad through the slightly blocked cat flap (I has got Muffin to type – much faster & I am licking her ears) but my hooman didn’t know until she came to lock up last night. She was squealing (I don’t think it was with delight though 😦  ) as she had to pick it up & put it out of the flap – I was watching & it kepts leaping all over the place she got it onto the cat flap door but as she tried to put it out it jumped at her – she said some words I don’t hear very often – Muffs sez it’s shwairing – it took hooman over 5 mins to get toady out the hole! I waz giggling inside so much I fellz over n my legs were in the air!

Poor you being shqirted wiv water – not nice ats all! My hooman makes a noise like a snake which I knows is bad so I always try to gets as flats as possibles as snakes are naszty thhngs . sometimes I has to run away, but so far no sprayz wiz water. I got my hooman up today at 8am (so she sez) its waz urlier az dem birdiez wer teasing me so muches.

I is off to getz more birdz I thinks – I don’ts knows waz the problemz iz about it coming ins the house to be eats – after all my others foods are INDOORS – silly hooman! Purrs n no fleas (I don’t like havings that stuff on my neck but the bittings has stopped so I gez its a goods things reeelys) Speaks soon Elgar xx *purrrrrr*

On 27 Nov 2017

Miaowy greetings Uncle Quintus 

I is finally able to get my paws on hooman’s computery thing. Thank you for your writings. My hooman has been very poorly mother says & I am supposed to be keeping her warm, buts this is difficults at times as she moves me off, or says “Feet” – I knows I is meant to sits on her feet as they get cold (I never has cold feets have you?) but they are bony & she wriggles so I need to pounce, then she gets cross with me.

I sometimes worry about this thing of my hooman getting cross. Yesterday she smacked my nose! I was not happy at all with this, and the only reason was I was trying to clean out her breakfast bowl before she had finished – I don’t think I was unreasonable as she had taken HOURS to eat it…

Last night Aunty Muffin boxed my ears – I was just supporting her in keeping our hooman warm, I can’t help it if I am a bit bigger than Aunty Muffin – she needs to let ME have some room so I can be comfy shouldn’t she?

Hooman have me a deep groom this morning – she has taken her time over it! I like them every other day – but at least I has had one now. I stretched out for her, but something happened & I forgots – I puts my teeth & claws into my hooman. She put the furminator away & left the bedroom where we was. I got lonely & I still wanted my belly tickled! Such unreasonable behaviour from her at the moment.

She is also very smelly now, & has a REALLY noisy thing that she uses which makes her look like a dragon smoking (I has heard of these mystical creatures – I would like to grow up & be a dragon I think, does you know how I grows up to be a dragon?) she also coughs really loudly at times – so much so I have fallen off her legs – how is I supposed to do my “job” as foot warmer if she kicks me off?

I is in a mess here I thinks. nothing is going the way it should be. I is not worshipped – although my hooman does get me excellent food I suppose. So far she hasn’t sprayed me with the wet stuff deliberately – how bad is your hooman!?! That’s such an insult (unless you wanted some water – we does not have a table as far as I knows.

Right I has better sends this to yous before she comes back from the little room. Aunty Muffin is now sitting where I WANT TO SIT. It is just NOT FAIR! I is the biggest, bestest & only boy cat – surely they should treats me the bests? I is still only a baby in age.

I found a small squeaky thing outside – but it had a pointed nose – my hooman says its a shrew – & that it wouldn’t make good eatings – she knows about stuff like that so I left it on the mat in the kitchen for her. She didn’t say thank you. it’s all too confoosing for me.

Am I at the worst home ever?

sadly love Elgar xXx

28th Nove 2017 Purrrs Elgar, That was a good piece you sent. I will try to answer your questions First I don’t think your home is bad. There are many worse I understand, where you are not fed well and can be shut out when you want to go in. Humans are funny strange animals. They do odd things like getting wet all over in a thing called a bath, but seem to be almost afraid of rain. I don’t like rain much myself but it is natural.

My human tortured me the other day and said it was for my own good. First I was wound up in a towel, and held by the other human in my house, but I got free, cos I’m strong, but it was no use for the door and window was shut so they got me again. So undignified, I think I deserve more respect. Some fur was cut on my neck and some horrible stinging stuff put on. I got out as soon as the window was opened after I had given her a killing look, and almost decided not to go back but I got hungry.

I am training her, I just look at the food in my dish  but I will only eat it if she adds some of my treats, this way I get a few extra, which is good. She says I will get too fat and already looking fatter. It’s only my winter fur is thick, I don’t have to put on funny clothes and she puts on on lots if it is cold then SHE is fat. I guess your human is in a funny mood because she is not well. I would not leave until she is better, if she is still odd then you could visit me, I hope things improve soon. Purrrs , Quintus 

On 29 November 2017 Dear Elgar,Your message was very kind, but really my humans are not really that bad, and I am still training them. I have always plenty of dry food available, and water to drink, though I prefer the water that is outside. I too get treats every evening, and have trained her to give me extra sometimes.

I don’t usually sleep on my humans bed, but do sometimes. I prefer to be where I can roam as she keeps her door shut at night. At the moment my favourite place is a chair half way up the stairs. I can keep an eye on what is happening, though this cold weather makes me sleepy. Today I only went out for short times.

I have not heard about this dreadful monster but maybe I will stay in, especially she says it will be freezing tonight. Even with my thick fur I can not like that much cold. I am glad your human is a bit better.  I think you are all looking after her very nicely. Just remember not to wake her up.  Many purrrrrs to you, Quintus.

2nd December 2017 Dear Elgar, You send very good letters. Thanks. Presents are things that you give or receive. The food you sent me was a present, sometimes to make things complicated it is called a gift. Humans seem to like having different words for the same thing. Very odd. I still have a little of your special food for it is given to r almost like a great, though more than a great. It sounds fun that you search for yours. Mine are put in a special little dish. The special ones for cleaning my teeth are put there too, but at a different time. Yes, it is too cold.  I usually go out lots, but I suppose staying on my chair much of the time. I think I will go out and do, but come in again very soon. I am intrigued , what is a furminator? I think you must be cleaver to hold it. I have you are kind to warm your humans bed, but I guess it is a comfortable place for you too. My human has a cold but she thinks it is almost better, so maybe she will see you on Monday. Purrrr from Quintus, and to Aunty. Muffin and your mother too.

6th December 2017 Purrs Elgar, I am sorry your human is unhappy. I hope she is feeling better today. I nudged my human and she weighed me. She says I am 12lbs, but our scales are not as good as yours. We will try again. My last letter was a bit funny. Maybe the cold does not suit me! I know I have been indoors much more than usual. Fresh air is good for my thinking. (But not too cold).I hope Aunty Muffin is more happy . I s she sick too or just worried about your human. My human says yours has got pneumonia. Perhaps it’s called that because it makes them feel moany. Is yours moany or just sad? Please give Aunty Muffin a nose rub from me, and of course to you. Lots of purrs, Quintus

Oooh Elgar, what do you think of this white stuff they call snow? When I was a kitten I liked to play in it, but this morning I only stayed out briefly, It is still snowing and the trees look as if they are dressed in white, though I am going to curl up on my chair soon. A time called Christmas will be here soon I think. Maybe you will get a present then. I was given a funny mouse like thing but it was not alive, but it had a wonderful scent, which made me play with it as if it was alive. The humans have more things but I liked the paper and ribbon best, and there can be a useful box. They do odd things like put a tree inside and then hang things on it. I thought these were for playing with, but my human says NO! She  was very cross when I tried to claim the . (But that was when I was a kitten). I still play with the hanging things when there is no-one there, though usually they shut the door. I don’t think you should try to climb the indoor tree if you have one as I think you would be too heavy for it. I look forward to hearing your you. Purrrrrrs to Aunty Muffin and your mother, and a nose rub to you. Quintus.

10th December 2017 Dear Uncle Quintus Thank yous got your letter. It is very cold outside isn’t it? Mother, Aunty Muffin & I stayed with our hooman for a Very long time – she didn’t go to sleep very early – not su/purrre why, but she’s kept us all up until about birdie time – but I waz on her lap downstairs whilst she was awake so I go so many cuddles that I ignored the birds & we all slept in until this afternoon. Hooman is cross with herself for not sleeping at what she thinks are the right times to sleep – I don’t understand this as any time is a good time for 40winks! I has been better behaved & have been rewarded for it – so until it becomes boring I will carry on – last night I was chasing treats all around her bedroom! The girls were boring on the bed eating their pile so delicately! Pooh girls are silly! I think it is much more fun to chase my bits of treats – sometimes I miss a bit & find it later!

Hooman wants to know how much of my special food you have left? She said something about presents – which I am confused about a bit – but I think you will get some for your present. I tried to help her do some drawing yesterday – but it seems my paws are just a bit too wide to hold a pencil – I can hold the furminator and it remove some loose fur around my face – I is very clever to do this – neither of the girls can do it! I’m off upstairs to preheat the bed – hee hee what she doesn’t see she can’t worry about! miaory purrs  – Keep Warm Elgar XXX

Dear Elgar,

I think you are too young to realise that humans are not as well adapted as we felines. They do not seem to have our ability to just let go and curl up and sleep. They mainly seem to sleep when it is dark. Poor things, I think it’s because their eyes are not as good as ours.

You must be aware that if you want her to go on serving you let her have a good night’s sleep.

I speak from experience.

Purrs from Quintus

These are letters from Quintus son of Tinto, sister of Muffin. Q is the 5th kit in her litter. He chose to reply to a kitten called Elgar(son of Arya) who was very confused about Humans (hoomans). Their letters span several years 2017 - 2018 On 12 October 2017 Dear Elgar, I think you are too young to realise that humans are not as well adapted as we felines.

[cchellacat]

Unexpected

Lance Tucker x Reader

Fluff

Drunk Drabble:

Prompt: Awkward kiss with Lance

The first part of this was written for @book-dragon-13 as part of her birthday drabble, the longer second part is a direct response to a drunk drabble prompt.  I hope everyone will enjoy this very fluffy Lance Tucker story! xxx

Honestly, sometimes you wondered why you bothered with Lance.  This was the third time in a month that you’d had to come pick him up from a bar.  Things hadn’t gone well for him after the accusations of knocking up his gymnast came out.  He’d pretty much been barred from the sport and no one was looking for him to coach their kids after the alleged affair had had the newspapers.  Truthfully, you felt sorry for him.  Unfortunately, his reputation as a ladies man was not working in his favour.   You knew it wasn’t true of course.  Lance was many things, but even he would never cross the line and sleep with his pupil. He took coaching too seriously. Took the whole sport too seriously to ever tarnish it or himself that way. 

You walked into the bar and spotted him right away.  Gone was his usual outfit of choice, now he sported dark jeans and a black leather jacket, his hair which he had always took so much  pride in was a tousled mess, no product to keep each errant curl in place.  In a way you thought he looked better like this, less slick and prepared, more bad boy walking.  He was slumped over the bar, head resting on his folded arms.  The bartender looked up and gave you an apologetic smile.  

“Lance…”  you poked his side and he turned his head to glare at you briefly.

“What are you doing here princess?”

“Bailing your ass out, again.  Come on, I want to go to bed, it’s nearly two and I have a gym to run in four hours.”

He groaned and ran a hand through his hair, it only made it worse.  God his hair looked sinful like this.  You rolled your eyes at your own thoughts and hauled him off the bar stool.

“Come one drunkie, you can sleep on my couch tonight, pick up your car tomorrow.”

The bartender held the door for you as you helped him to the car, passing you Lance’s keys as you left.

It wasn’t a long drive back to your home, but the six steps up to the porch and through the door were nearly impossibly with Lance an almost dead weight at your side.

Finally getting him on the sofa you pulled off his shoes and jacket and gave him a cushion for his head.  You grabbed some water and pack of Tylenol and placed them on the side table, he’d need it when he woke up. 

Looking down at him, half sleeping, his brow still furrowed, you gave in to the temptation to kiss him good night, the light kiss pressed to his head, smoothed out the lines.  Before you could stand back up, his eyes opened, catching you in the grip of his impossibly blue gaze.

“I’m sorry I���m such and ass, you should just leave me, I don’t deserve you princess.”

“No, but I’m here anyway…”  You trailed off, freezing as his hand cupped your face.  In the stillness of the moment you forgot to breath.  You didn’t resist as he brought you down into a sloppy, wet kiss, it wasn’t mind blowing or earth shattering, but you kissed him back, just for a brief moment, let yourself pretend.  He’d forget he’d done it in the morning.  

You pulled away and tucked the blanket around him. Smiling sadly as he drifted off to sleep. The tiny truth that you kept to yourself, that you loved this asshole, locked up back tight in your heart.  It’s why you always came for him, why you would always help.  But it was best that he never knew, you couldn’t stand the thought of him rejecting you, no matter how kindly he might do it.  Lance Tucker, heart breaker and love of you life.  

 Three months later…

The double doors of the gym flew open, causing you to startle bad enough to break your concentration.  It was after hours, you’d stayed to do some practice, even though your competition days were long behind you and coaching had become a passion rather than a chore, you still loved to have the gym to yourself, a chance to run through old routines and keep yourself challenged.

Your arms dipped as you briefly lost your grip on the bars, only the momentum you’d built, holding you up long enough to fix it and throw yourself far enough to execute a sloppy turn into a blind landing.  You knew before your feet hit the mat that you’d either fall or twist your ankle from the impact.  Strong arms caught you, slowing the landing enough that neither happened, instead you found yourself nestled carefully in Lance’s strong chest.

“Fucking hell, B, what the fuck!  You know you’re not meant to be doing this shit, especially not without someone to spot you!”

Instant embarrassment swept through you, but it swiftly turned to annoyance.  You pushed away from him, angrily unfastening the grips from your wrists.

“I’m not twelve Lance, I can do a few simple routines without a babysitter, besides, I’d have been fine if you’d came in like a normal person instead of making a friggin entrance to an empty gym!”

Lance cocked his head to one side, lips drawn in a thin line and crossed his arms, staring you down.

“You’re only mad that I’m right.  You know the damn rules, you’re the one that made them after all.”

“Yeah, well, it’s my gym, I get to make the rules, I don’t have to follow them.”

“How’s that working out for you Princess?”

“Fuck you Lance!”

“Working on it, cupcake.”  He grinned at the stunned look you gave him before winking and heading back to grab the bag he must have dropped when he’d made his way over to catch you.

Unzipping the beg, he pulled out a bottle of Champagne and smiled blindingly at you again.  That’s when it hit you.  You hadn’t seen him look this relaxed and happy in over a year.

“You know what this is Princess?”

Opening your mouth to reply, he cut you off before the question left your lips.

“This is victory!”

“Victory? Lance… what the hell is going on?”

“Just got back from a meeting with my lawyer.  The DNA test came back.”

“Oh.. wow.”

It had been a tough year since he’d been accused of sleeping with his athlete and getting her pregnant.  The courts had insisted on a paternity test at Lance’s stubborn denial but Maggie had fought against it tooth and nail.  

“I can finally clear my name.”  his eyes were bright and for a moment you could see the struggle behind them, the vulnerability that he was so good at hiding.  

“Lance, that’s amazing!”  the genuine happiness that spilled out in your smile reached over the distance between you and he quickly made his way back over to you.

“I’ve been saving this for the right moment.”  He told you, lips crooked wryly.  “I knew there was only one person I wanted to open it with.”

You let out a short laugh and shook your head.

“Me?  Come on Lance, why on earth would you come here? I thought when this day came you’d be straight back out there, crowing your victory down at the Lounge.”

But even though you were disbelieving of his words at first, the strange quiet that rose between you seemed to carry the sort of weighty sincerity you so rarely saw in him.

“Come on.”  He grabbed your hand, dragging you up to your office as he explained the chain of events, ignoring your denial of his initial words.

Popping the cork, he grabbed the two chipped mugs you both used for coffee and poured the sparkling fizz with a grand flourish.

“Now, you’re going to sit there, Princess, and listen, don’t expect me to get this mushy ever again.”

You accepted the mug quietly, managing not to drop it when his finger brushed yours and sat gingerly on the edge of the desk.

“I pride myself on being the biggest asshole in the room. I’m fucking good at it.  I never needed anyone, I’ve always been my own cheerleader, didn’t need someone to do it for me or believe in me…  but.”  He stopped for a second, pausing as he kept his eyes on yours a sudden seriousness overtaking his cocky bravado.  “It didn’t gain me any friends.  Didn’t know I’d need one so I never really tried to make any.  Then all the shit with Maggie went down and no one believed me, not even my own mother.  I was drowning in legal fees and no one would hire me to clean a locker room let alone coach any kids.  But you did. You gave me a job and you didn’t believe all the bull-shit Maggie and the media were pushing and you never made me feel like I didn’t deserve to still be doing what I loved, and I know this gym took a pretty big hit financially because of it, that your reputation was questioned too.  You’ve been there every time I fucked up for the last year and you didn’t cut me loose. I don’t think I’ve got enough words to tell you how much it meant, how much I appreciate it and how god damn lucky I was that you stood with me when you didn’t have to.”  He raised his mug to you. “So, here’s to best woman I know, thank you for never letting me down, even when I let you down.”

His words washed over you and tears pricked your eyes.  You squashed the wave of affection down with great effort and took a breath before setting down your mug and hopping off the desk.

“Good god, who knew Lanck Tucker could be such a sap.”  The words spilled out shakily as you blushed and did your best not to cry.  It was the nicest thing anyone had said to you, let alone Lance.  Throwing caution to the wind you threw your arms around his neck and hugged him.  He pulled you tight into his embrace and buried his face in your neck.

“No one will ever believe you.”  He quipped with a mock growl and you giggled as you breathed in the clean scent of him.

Just before the hug could become weird you began to pull back, giving him a soft smile of understanding.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret.”  You told him with a conspiratal look.  His eyes crinkled in response and you turned your head away, unable to hold his gaze for too long, afraid you would give how you really felt away, which was the same moment he’d decided to kiss your cheek.  His lips landed on yours awkwardly, making you freeze, eyes wide with surprise.  You couldn’t breathe, a million thoughts running through your head.  Instead of pulling away completely, his hands tightened on your waist, his lips still inches from you own.  

Deep blue eyes regarded you, a hint of a frown on his pretty face before he seemed to decide something and he leaned back in capturing your lips softly with his own. This wasn’t a drunk sloppy kiss or even the awkward meeting of lips from seconds before, it was something altogether different.  

It was everything you’d hoped kissing him might be like, all that intensity and focus suddenly on you.  Feeling the purpose and certainty he seemed to embody with each brush over your mouth. Soft but firm, patient but purposeful. When you didn’t freeze or pull away he took it as the permission it was to coax the kiss further, deepening it the longer you stayed, fingers gripping his shoulders until the first touch of his tongue along the seam of your lips had you dissolve and melt into his arms, your hands moving to tangle in his hair as his hands moved, one low on your back pulling your hips flush with his and the other cupping your jaw, guiding you as he made you forget every last promise you’d made never to let him break your heart as he had so many others.

Time held no meaning while he kissed you, all the you knew was the way he made you feel like you were the only thing he could see, like the world meant less than nothing while he held you.  This, this was why you’d never let him know how you felt, because you knew one real kiss would ruin you forever.  But it had ceased to matter as the kiss grew more heated, as hands wandered and your head spun with a thousand possibilities.  When you both finally drew back, drawing in breathless gulps of air, you knew he’d see it in your eyes, you couldn’t hide it, the truth plain for him to see.  You tried to pull away, to avoid meeting his eyes, but he gripped your chin tightly and made you look at him.

“Princess, don’t hide from me.”

You forced a nonchalant smile and met his eyes, preparing yourself for pity or rejection or something, you’re not sure which.

Instead, steady blue eyes meet yours seriously, his gaze pinning you in place.  

“I’m a fucking idiot.”

You cringed at the words, pushing your hands flat against his chest, trying to escape the horrifying embarrassment, but he held you fast.

“I’m sorry…”

“Sorry?  What the fuck are you sorry for?  Princess, I’m a grade A asshole.  I’ve put you through the wringer for the last year, let you hold me up when I was drowning and completely missed the fact that I was falling in love with you.”

“What?”  you questioned him, incredulous, as he began to grin.

“I’m in love with you.”  

“You’re crazy.”

“Crazy in love with you.”

“Utterly mad.”

“Mad about you sweetheart.”

You were caught somewhere between disbelief and hysteria, he wasn’t serious, he couldn’t be, he was making fun of you.

“Don’t.”  Your tone was sharp with a hint of anger.

“I’m serious.”

The weight of this declaration felt heavier and truer than the teasing confession of love. Your heart skipped a beat and began to race.

“Your serious.” It wasn’t a question.  You bit your lip, allowing the hope and vulnerability to finally shine through.

“Completely.”

You relaxed, letting him pull you back into him.

“Give me a chance to show you.”  His voice held a softness as he pleaded into your hair, kissing the top of your head as you nodded.

“Okay.”

And you did.

@the-ss-horniest-book-club

@loricameback  @eurynome827  @lookwhatyoumademequeue  @southerncross47  @spacemansam  @jobean12-blog  @marvelous-meggi

[kpopisthereasonihavenolife]

Blight | V

BTS

Jeon Jungkook/Reader [F]

Genre: Dragon/Shapeshifter AU, Magic AU, Enemies to Lovers

Words: 5k

@tamedandscripted @syubcandy @cencoroil @kathrynwynterbourne @fireflower90 @bluegreenguppyfish @queen-pharaoh-hatshepsut @mygukandonly @ms-bookdragon @leemarkeurii @seaofsunbeams @astronomyturtle @v-reallife

“Y/n,” Jungkook called as he grabbed your right hand with your tattoo below your palm with his own left tattooed hand.  Holding it tightly he slumped over, putting his forehead on your shoulder as he sighed. It wasn’t a sigh of resignation, nor was it a sigh of someone who was being forced into a situation.  It was a sigh of comfort in which he breathed.

“Y/n,” he repeated as he held your hand in his own,  “I’m ready to be your Familiar now.”

XXX

“What?” You asked in a small, whispered breath.  Were his head not on your shoulder with his ear so close, you doubt he would’ve heard you at all.  “You’re ready- I- what? What do you mean?” You stuttered around your words, suddenly becoming far less fluent in the language you were speaking since you were young.  Jungkook remained silent as you soon grabbed his shoulders and pushed him off you, tearing your hand out of his grasp in the process.

As you held him away from you, his eyes seemed almost glassy.  Did admitting- saying that- make him emotional?  Did he regret it? Or was he lying to you and he couldn’t hold back? You retracted your hands slowly from his shoulders, dropping them to your lap.

“You’re a liar,” you accused.  Jungkook stiffened as he took a sharp intake of breath through his nose.  

“I’m a lot of things, Y/n,” he started with a firm voice, “but I am not a liar,” he defended himself.

“No. No, just- no.  You hated me two days ago.  So, you can’t just-”

“People’s minds can change.  Mine did.”

“Jungkook-”

“No, listen to me.  I mean it, Y/n. I do.”

You just huffed as you brought your hands to your face. Feeling the fabric of your bandage on your face, something occurred to you.  Sparked to your mind. “Jungkook,” you called as you lowered your hands from your face slowly. Your gaze locked onto your palms as your hands hovered in the air. “Are you just saying all this because of this,” you gestured to your bandaged, covered and infected left arm.  “Is… is this all just pity from you?”

Jungkook didn’t speak.  He wanted to refuse immediately, but his throat locked up.  It was like something had cursed him into silence when in truth it was just his conscience halting him and his words.  He wanted to deny it, wanted to say it was his own decision and now the fact that you got hurt that changed his mind. However, if he took a step back, that’s really how it appeared.

Jungkook’s attitude only changed on the courtyard, after you lost consciousness as your blight worked its way into you.  He changed when he carried you into Parrish’s medical room. He changed when you woke up and Yoongi was scolding you and he felt relieved.  He changed when you went to dinner as a group and he finally got to see you smile and actually talk to him as Jungkook, but not as the snotty, stuck up dragon-shifter.  Was it all for pity?

He shook his head.  No. Surely it’s not, it’s his decision and while he knows you’re injured, it wasn’t his fault.  There wasn’t anything he could’ve done to stop what Zaros did, and furthermore, there was no cure for a blight.  In this situation, he couldn’t do anything. Nothing but accept that he is your Familiar.

“It's… not pity.  It's not,” he whispered to you and to himself as well.  You doubted him and he could feel it. If he were you, he’d doubt him too. “Please trust me and listen.  I- yes maybe I felt bad when you got hurt, but that’s not the reason I’ve finally come to terms with all of this.  I’ve- for the longest time- hated Spellcasters and their system with binding a Familiar.”

“Yes, I’m fully aware.  You made that clear to me anytime you saw me.  And I mean anytime. You’d kick sand at me if you walked by me or called me something rude if you just barely saw me across the halls.”

Jungkook slightly winced.  Looking back on himself now, he really was horrible.  “I’m sorry about all that,” he mumbled.

“All is forgiven,”  you said calmly. “I didn’t help by adding fuel to the fire that was our relationship.  I was just as crude and uncivil towards you, so it balances out to a clean slate.”

Jungkook smiled small as his gaze lowered to the floor.  He sighed as he continued to try and convince you of his swapped opinion towards you and the both of your immediate partnership. “I always thought that Familiars were just an easy way out for your kind, so as someone who worked hard every day to get to where I am now… I don’t know, it just pissed me off.  They pissed me off.”

You tried to catch his eyes, gaining eye contact would help him try and defend himself and yet there he sat, next to you staring at the floors of this empty, locked classroom.   “So, you’re saying something changed your mind?” He shrugged before he nodded, an very unsure gesture to be fair. An equal action of ‘sure, that’s what we’ll say’. “What was it?”

Jungkook finally raised his head, connected his dark eyes with your own.  He could almost see the magic behind them, sparkling like pure energy. He had no doubt you could see the fire his eyes that flicked at the edge of his irises.

“You did,” he stated much bolder than before.  “I saw everything between you and Zaros,” you gasped lightly when he mentioned your father by name.  “When he froze everything. When he scolded and scorned you. When he cast that spell and how you tried to explain that the reason you came to him alone was that your Familiar didn’t want to be there at your side.”  He took a breath, “you got hurt because I was too afraid and stubborn to realize that not all Spellcasters are like that. You aren’t, and I don’t think Yoongi is either.”

Jungkook lowered his head towards you, placing his hands on the floor as he bowed deeply to you.  “I’m sorry for judging you all this time when all I’ve been is wrong,” he apologized. You panicked as you yanked the back of his shirt to sit him back up.  Your cheeks were flushed when he looked at you, clearly embarrassed from the public display of such a fond apology. He chuckled as you looked to make sure no one was peaking in any windows to see him in such a state.  

The renown wrestling team captain who literally throws men twice his size from wall to wall without breaking a sweat, bowing his head to the floor at an injured, blighted Witch.  It was a joke if it were to be seen for sure.

“Jungkook,” you started, “I’ll think about it.  I’ll give you time to really think over your decision.”

“I don’t need any more time.  I’ve thought it through already.”

You sighed as you stood up, Jungkook quickly following suit.  He stood above you as he watched as you smoothed out your clothes and grabbed your bag.  He watched as you rubbed and messed just slightly withed the edges of your bandage.

“Regardless, I’ll make sure that no one finds out about you being bound, especially to me.”  Jungkook furrowed his brows. “It’s a well-known fact that you don’t like me to the rest of our two buildings.  Not to mention your pretty infamous for being that one student who swore up and down he wouldn’t accept a contract.” He lowered your arm as you slung your bag over your shoulder. “I’ll think of some story to figure out so people won’t bombard you with questions.”

You turned your back, flicking the lock on the door open to step out before Jungkook yanked on your bag.  Letting out a small squeal, you stumbled backward a few steps before your bag was taken from you completely.  Whipping around you already had your mouth open to yell at Jungkook.

“Hush,” he told you as he set your bag on a desk and stripping himself of his hoodie.  Pulling it off his back, over his head and letting the sleeves drop from his arms, he held it out and practically tossed it onto your head.  Acting like a dog who got a blanket thrown over him, you swatted at the fabric and pulled it from you, leaving you a mess far to be desired.

“Just what is your problem?!”  You hissed as you held the hoodie he threw at you.  

“Your arm’s bothering you and it’s already been changed for the day.  So, cover it up. That hoodie isn’t very thick so the fabric shouldn’t mess with the bandages.” Jungkook took your bag back and held it at his waist, waiting for you to put the hoodie on.  With your bag held hostage, and the waiting glare in the eyes of the half-dragon, you merely sighed as you slipped the clothing over your head.

It wasn’t so much heavy as it was big, cover your arms and going well past your fingertips as the hoodie itself engulfed you.  Though, you couldn’t help the smile that grew on your face with how warm and comfortable it was. Jungkook quickly took your right wrist with his left, the same wrist that had his Familiar tattoo inscribed on your skin.  

“I’m fully prepared to be your Familiar.  When I say that, I mean it. I have no intention of hiding it or keeping it a secret should anyone ask me about it.  You shouldn’t feel the need to lie for me when I have no future intention of doing so.”

“Jungkook-”

“Furthermore, as your Familiar, I have a condition to watch over your well being. That includes making sure your magic isn’t overused.”  

You scowled at you as you rotate your wrist out of his grasp.  

“I’m not some doddering old lady you need to babysit.  I can take care of myself and contrary to what others think, I am capable of living without using magic.  I’ll be fine, so lay off.” Jungkook sighed. Your stubbornness was to be expected. What with how your previous interactions always were, this was at least a small step forward away from the past.  

He cupped his chin, trying to think of a way to get you to trust him.  He wasn’t lying and he really was willing to try and put in the effort to make this partnership work.  He just needed to do something grand enough to show that he trusted you so that you can trust him in return.  

He grumbled silently as you held your hand out for your bag.  He just shook his head as he handed it back to you, but only after an idea sparked into mind.

“After school, I wanna show you something.”  You raised your brow at his sudden smile and excitement.  “I have a secret place that I want to show you. It’s a place that no one knows about and I go there all the time to get my bearings.”

“Okay?  Why do I need to go?”

“So that you can trust me.  If I take you to my secret place, I obviously am willing to work together.”

“You’re awfully pushy about all of this.”  You sighed in defeat. “Alright, we can go to your hideout.  But only after school.” He nodded as he tossed your bag to you and trotted to the door, opened it before walking out.  You followed suit, shutting the door behind you before heading off in the opposite direction of Jungkook. Thinking about it, he had no reason to be in this part of your building.

How did he know you were even in that room?

XXX

It was already mid-afternoon when your classes had finished for the day.  With a stack full of spellbooks to research and study as well as homework from the day of casual classes you missed, you walked around the halls mindlessly as you dreaded unloading your bag when you dragged yourself back into your dorm. Where Yoongi would no doubt absolutely refuse to help you with anything.  A true snake.

You sighed as you heaved yourself to your locker and spun to lock dial to the left, then to the right and left once more before you unlatched it and swung the metal door open.  Tossing in your unneeded books and papers, you grabbed your essentials for home when your locker was then slammed shut. Nearly slamming your fingers in the metal door as you quickly yanked them back and out of the way.

Half expecting Jungkook to be the culprit, you opened your mouth ready to spout off some dragon related insult, but it died before it rolled off your tongue.  Before you were Elias, the student council president, and quite the royal pain in the ass. Inspecting his nails as if he had just lifted bricks instead of slamming your locker door- he seemed passive.  

You bit your tongue, keeping your composure as you turned to face him fully.  Arrogant or not, he was older than you and he technically was superior in regards to you and your standing in your division. Even if you were both B Ranks in your respective species- he was the student’s guide post; somehow.

“May I help you with something, Elias?” You bit back the sarcastic tone just begging to leap right out of your throat.  

“Perhaps,” was his dead, unamused reply.  He seemed so bothered like you sought him out instead of the reality being him stepping into your space and bothering you.  If he would just mind his business his attitude could be avoided. You just wanted to tell him to buzz off in all honesty. “I hear you’ve sustained a pretty nasty blight there, Salem.”  

You nodded as you unconsciously recoiled your arm back into the overgrown sleeve of Jungkook’s hoodie you still wore.  “I have. In the skirmish the other day, I got a bit too tackless and my actions wound up costing me.”

“I see.  You’re recovering well?” His tone couldn’t sound less caring if he tried.  He obviously didn’t want to be here in your presence, and the feeling was mutual.  He could be on his way any time now. The sooner the better.

“I am.  I’m receiving oversight and proper treatment. As well as I plan to have medical follow-ups weekly.”  You- giving up on the idea of getting back into your locker- slung your bag around your back and hoisted it up onto your shoulders.  “Is there anything else you’d like to speak to me about. If not, I’m quite busy. I have someone waiting for me as well as many assignments and spells to practice and study.”

You politely gestured to him as a means to get away and made it as far as his right shoulder before he grabbed you.  Yanking your wrist, he pushed you against the lockers, pinning your left shoulder down as he hardened his hand into stone.  

As a Gargoyle, he can solidify and stone any part of his body at any given time.  He can even become a living statue for a time if he wished. He had you basically tacked to the wall like a piece of paper to a cork board. You winced as the pressure his hand was pushing into your shoulder.  It made your bandaged, left art twitch, just itching to use magic to overpower him, but you didn’t. You had more self-restraint than that.

He lifted your right wrist up to his face, pushing your sleeve down as he inspected your Familiar tattoo.  His grey eyes narrowed as he twisted and rotated your wrist as he scanned your wrist like a barcode. You winced when he twisted it too far and pinched your skin between his fingers.  The halls had nearly cleared out, only a few people here and there but none would willing to intervene.

It was Elias after all, they couldn’t do anything even if they wanted to.  It didn’t help the slight annoyance bubbling in your gut though.

You felt your pride burning into your head as it nearly pushed you to cast a spell just strong enough to throw him back into the wall across the hall- maybe through it if it was cast carefully enough. You were at the edge of doing so, sparks of magic crackling at your fingertips when someone yanked Elias off you instead.  

Confused for a moment and slacking back against the wall without something pinning you, you nearly lost your balance from his rapid separation.  Elias, staggering backward was soon wincing as his arm that held you previously were now pinned behind his back.

Jungkook- with a frown etched into his face- pulled on his arm, pinning it on his back as he held Elias’s collar from the back, keeping him away from you. Jungkook stepped and mosied around to where his back was towards you and shoved Elias in the opposite direction.

The Gargoyle nearly tripped forward as he regained his balance and whipped around angrily to glare at Jungkook who just rotated his shoulder, you behind him.

“Jungkook, what are you doing?” You whispered to him but didn’t reply to you.  He just kept his sights on Elias as he stood back up to his full height and shook out his arm, trying to will away the pain. “Jungkook?”

“I’ll ask you once to keep your hands to yourself,” Jungkook declared as he stared Elias down. The two were both stubborn, hard-headed and arrogant.  At least Jungkook was able to bend down to a level of agreement most cases- even if he complained. Elias was no such man, he was as proud as the rock he could kick around the courtyard.

“I do hope you're not threatening me, Helios,” Elias sneered.

“And if I am?”

Elias only scoffed as a sly- seemingly upper handed- smirk grew on his face.  “Since when did the one infamous Shifter on campus who refuses to have anything to do with Spellcasters decide to protect one?  Really, are all reptiles this way?”

Jungkook clenched his jaw.  “Just once I’d like to knock you through the roof,” Jungkook muttered as you placed a hand on the center of his back, trying to calm him down.  He didn’t need to start a bigger scene already.

“You’re taking this far too seriously- almost personally.  How precious,” Elias teased.  You don’t know why per se Jungkook was acting so chivalrous- and though you greatly appreciated it, things were looking to get worse before better. 

“I have every right to take it as personally as if you were assaulting me directly.” Jungkook rose his wrist up, keeping it clear in Elias’s sight.  “If you continue to berate and antagonize my Master I’ll be forced to soundly take immediate- unpleasant- action.” Jungkook turned slightly, grabbing your hand that once rested on his back.  “Heed your actions, I’ve warned you once. There will be no second time.” Jungkook tugged you off down the hall, leaving Elias behind as he stomped away.

As you mindlessly let yourself get pulled along, Elias only scoffed as he then turned and went to be on his way.  Only to be stopped, frozen in his own shadow when Yoongi rounded the corner when you and Jungkook were well on your way out of the area.  Yoongi with a twisted smile on his face painted in annoyance with Jimin at his side with a scowl.

Even Elias felt fear, and Yoongi hit that fear on the head like an almighty hammer.  

“Let’s have a little chat,” Yoongi purred as Jimin even felt a shiver going down his spine.  Yoongi was nothing short of sadistic.

XXX

Jungkook had dragged you to a vacant hall of the building just before stepping outside.  He stopped as he kept a hold of your hand, turning to you and scanning your face that was etched in complete confusion.  He could see your mind whirling around what just happened and why. He slapped your forehead.

“Don’t think too hard.  Wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself,” he jested with a smirk.  You snapped to as you gasped and slapped your hand out of his own, face flushed in embarrassment and annoyance. He chuckled as you took your hand and slid it into your sleeve, hiding it from sight.  He took notice that you were still wearing his hoodie he gave you this morning. “You kept it on?” You look at him, a scowl pouting on your face. He reached and grabbed hold of the fabric of the hoodie, tugging a bit.  “The hoodie. I didn’t think you’d actually keep it on. I mean, you were more than allowed to take it off and throw it away when I left.” He smirked as you swatted his hand off of the comfortable piece of clothing.

“I- that’s not important right now,” your scowl softened as you looked at him.  “Listen, rumors are bound to spread about you being my Familiar now.”

“It’s not really a rumor if it’s true though.”

“Doesn’t it bother you? Even a little bit?”

Jungkook cupped his chin with his finger as he thought for only a few- almost comical- seconds.  “It doesn’t.”

“You say that with such confidence,” you deadpan as you quirk an eyebrow at him.  He smirked.

“That’s because I am confident.  My choice is final and it’s not going to change.”  He held out his left, tattooed, wrist. “I’m yours.”  You sighed in defeat. He put his hands on his hip as he huffed.  “Right, on to what we should be doing.” You looked at him as he turned and ran a bit away from you, telling you to stay put and that he’d need some room.  Only getting more confused, he turned back to face you- only yards away now. “I’m going to transform, try not to be too impressed!” He shouted as he cupped around his mouth.

“You’re going to what?!” You panicked as the earth began the smallest of tremors and the wind shifted. The smallest shine of a physical aura surrounded his body as the wind became visible and surrounded him in a cloud or whirlwind.  Holding your hair out of your face, you watched the wall of wind expand and grow larger and large. Growing tall towards the sky and wide to fill the area you stood in.

Soon, the wind began to break, small snippets opening to reveal scales and claws before dispersing with a gust strong enough to start you stumbling backward.  Once calm, it seemed as though the wind from before almost never happened- it was so silent. Silent save from the heavy breathing hovering high above your head.

Looking up with wide eyes, you saw the dragon that was once Jeon Jungkook.  A might dragon he was. Scales shining enough you could almost use one as a mirror.  He was giant, standing as tall as a three-story building and although he took up a grand amount of space, he was a slim dragon.  His tail whipped behind him, thinning to the barbed point at the tip. His wings were flat against his back and you could hardly make them out with them so well hidden when not in use.

Lowering his head towards you, his giant golden eyes took up the mass of your torso.  His three-horned head was almost intimidating- if you hadn’t known this was also the same geek who ditched class because he didn’t feel like attending. His claws at the base of his hind and front legs were massive, it was easy to see why Dragons became so endangered and protected in the past.  You could think of a lot of people who’d want something so rare and sturdy to create weapons and armor. His scales could easily be sold to a noble home for women to marvel at.

He opened his mouth, his fangs on display easily the size of your body. You could see the ridges of the tongue that sat still in his mouth- the same tongue that appeared to be more blue than pink.  

His entire color was a soft auburn, something you thought fascinating.  If you looked at it just right, he almost appeared the softest shade of red.  

“Are you going to gawk all afternoon?” You screamed as you jumped, no expecting him to be able to talk. His giant jaws didn’t even move as you heard his voice echo.  It almost sounded deeper? Perhaps the change alters the vocal cords, it would make sense you supposed.

“You- you can still speak like this?!” If he were in his human form, he would’ve rolled his eyes.  

“More telepathy than speaking. Now get on and hold onto one of my horns.  You’ve got a long flight ahead of us.” He lowered his head further, resting his jaws on the ground as his reptilian-like eyelids flickered with blinks and his black slit pupil shrunk and enlarged in his golden eyes.  

“Just… climb on?” You asked as you stepped towards him and placed your hands on the side of his head.  His scales were cool to the touch- at first at least. Once there a moment, you could feel a warmth run through his rough skin and into your own.  You had no doubt that was the fire in his soul that allowed him such a grand transformation.

“Yes.  I won’t let you fall, I promise.”  He chided with a deep, dragonesque chuckle.  You mocked him as you slowly- and as carefully as you could- climbed up onto his neck and crawled up to the crown of his head where you wrapped your arms around a horn of his.  It was about as thick around as a tree that still had half its life left to grow. It made wrapping your arms around it and interlocking your hands to secure yourself a great deal harder than you thought.

As a second-hand precaution, you made sure to lock your ankles as you wrapped your legs around the base of the horn as well.  

You jumped as Jungkook slowly started raising his head higher and soon you were above the trees and your sights grazed the top floors of the school.  The sun that slowly began to dip became warmer as the shade was eliminated from the equation altogether. You felt his shoulders move as you looked behind you, eager to see him spread his wings.  

When he did- when you saw how the sunlight hit them so that you could see the slightest outline of muscles and veins in his grey wings- you smiled in fascination.  

Maybe he was pretty cool but damned if you were going to tell him that.  

With a gust of wind as his two wings rose and pushed down, you closed your eyes as you held tightly onto his horn and soon you felt yourself and Jungkook rising.  Before long, he was hovering at the very top of the school and peeking over you could see the smallest outlines of people below, marveling at the dragon.

“Hold on,” he told you before he started off.  Higher and higher going past the campus, onwards past town and into nowhere you knew.  Soon, he even moved where you were fighting the best kind of chill as he flew you both through the cloud and soon even above him.  

The romance stories you’ve read never prepared you for the glory and pure beauty of the way the sun created so many pastel colors and how they blend into the sky and reflected in the clouds.  It was like you were part of a painting created by an artist known the world over.

It was so strange to touch a cloud and have your hand past right through it, whipping around the vapor filled cloud.  In cartoons, clouds always remained it’s puffy, cotton ball shape. This though wisped right through your fingers and felt like silk on your skin.  It was chilly but in the best possible way.

“It’s so beautiful,” you whispered to no one- not even yourself.  Maybe it was just your mind slipping out of your mouth subconsciously.  Though, whatever the reason behind your words was, it kept the fire in Jungkook chest burning as he took below the cloud not soon after.

You peeked around the horn that you held and saw him approaching a mountain top.  Typically speaking, going the steady route he was towards a peek of a mountain that clearly wasn’t going to move for him would be pretty anxiety-inducing.  Though, as you got closer, you noticed the peek was actually open and before long, he was arching and diving his way down.

His wings folded far closer to his body as he nose-dived into a cavern of rock and you held onto his horn for dear life as the free-fall took momentum. You ducked as lower as you could to prevent yourself from being flung right off him, eyes tightly shut.  

You squawked when you heard his wings open suddenly as the air caught them and suddenly you weren’t diving down some hidden, mountain top cavern.  Instead, you were hovering, basically floating in the air.

“Hey scaredy cat, open your eyes now,”  Jungkook spoke to you as you clicked your tongue and bit back at him.

“I wasn’t scared of anything!  I was worried about dust or rock.. getting in my… eye,” your voice that was biting and stern softened to a whispered as you looked below you.  It was a vast jungle, green and luscious and filled with life.

The waterfall Jungkook knew so well, the lake of healing properties.  The mysterious island with the throne and arch to match. The trees, weeping with greens, purples, and blues thriving and the echos of all the creatures and animals that lived here.  

This was Jungkook’s secret place, but he decided that he should learn to share some things- even if with just one person.  Who better to share with than his Master.

-TBC-

[spookyspaghetti-hcs]

I really didn't want to do this

But I gave Paula a ultimatum, she hasn't posted in 4+ months and keeps going missing, I can't run this blog by myself. While I won't really be opening Mod applications, I will be applying for something like. 1 step below mod. While I won't be giving out the password to the blog & It'll still just be me (and paula i guess) I will be hiring.. helpers for lack of a better term.

I can't keep writing everything by myself, this blog has over 2,300 posts, and probably about 2150 of those are fan content, and I'd say over 1750 of them are mine. The role of a helper: I'll create a side blog posting any new asks that we get that I think I'll need help with, them helpers will either submit or DM me their response to it. I'll then copy and paste (and do any editing I feel fit) whichever one I choose, going by standards like length, quality, and way of going about the request, with sometimes combining some. Every time I use a helpers headcanon, I'll give them credit (This was made by Helper xxx, with yyy making the last three!)

Other wants/needs can be discussed, but in summary, it's like being a mod except I control what is + isn't posted

Basic form: Name, pronouns, age, or as specific as you're willing to get (ie: "I'm 13-15" "I'm not a minor, I'm under the age of 30") and any credentials you may have.

As a basic prompt: give me some general fluffy headcanons (separate) about Jeff, Liu and Nina, Write some Tim x Brian headcanons, or some Ben & Sally sibling relationship headcanons. One of those three must be included for it to be considered, amount you do doesn't affect my decision, beyond showing me more of your work.

You can also inform me of anything else you feel fit. You must either A) Submit your application B) Send it in via asks off anon or with a special signature (ex: dragon, curse anon are reoccurring anons of ours that I recognize) AND a url I can DM to tell you my response to your application or C) DM me with your application.

I am currently taking on three helpers, though more spots may be added in the future, p o s s i b l y now if I truly can't decide due to a tie.

Good luck everyone!

[wilderwestking]

Wings of Fire Chapter 6 Read On AO3|FF

Summary:  Plagued by dragons, Berk offers a sacrifice. Astrid swears she will end the feared Dragon Master’s life, but when the Dragon Master’s war becomes her own, Astrid must figure out whose side she’s really on.

Rating: M

You like whump? Get ready for some whump. 

Chapter One| Previous Chapter

“I want to see it.”

Hiccup shot up in his bed, furs pulled to his chin modestly as he squinted at Astrid in the early morning light. “Wha—You want to see what? H—How did you even get up here?”

Beside him, Toothless snarled, ready to protect his Viking if needed. Lifting a hand to the dragon’s side, the growls softened.

“I climbed,” Astrid said, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. Cheeks red and slightly winded, her appearance told Hiccup she was telling the truth. His eyebrow raised.

“The dragons didn’t stop you?”

“They tried.” She said with a grin. Stepping forward with a swing in her hips, she leaned forward to pick up his prosthetic from its resting place on the ground. “Quickclaw was faster.”

In his bed, Hiccup eyed her closely. “Is this another murder attempt? If so, I must say your stealth  really leaves something to be desired.”

“Nah, I can’t kill you just yet.” She said, throwing his prosthetic to him. “Not until you take me to see the tyrant queen you told me about.”

Furs pooling around his waist, he fumbled to catch his prosthetic. “Great, a suicide attempt. Even better.”

Hiccup slid to the edge of the bed, his left leg resting over his right as he slipped on the wool sock that would cushion his stump in the clunky prosthetic. His eyes peeked up through his lashes to fall on Astrid.

For days now, she had noticed the odd way his eyes followed her. He watched her as though she wasn’t Berk’s finest dragon killer, soaked in the blood of a thousand dragons, but the young girl desperate to prove herself to her village from years ago.

Maybe she still was that girl to him.

All of her achievements and sacrifices had been forgotten the night Berk had tied her to a post and left her for the night.

Behind the green of his eyes was a desperate mix of hope and pity that sent her stomach turning the most awful of ways.

She hated his eyes on her.

She hated the way she would catch his eye in challenge, and he would respond with a half-smile, the corner of his lips tilting up ever so slightly, giving her the impression that he knew her better than she claimed to know herself.

Hiccup watched her as though he had a future with her. As though he could change her mind about dragons and make them friends or allies or something more that sent her reeling.

Something worth a second chance.

She turned to give him privacy. Walking to the wall of maps, Astrid distracted herself with the charcoal markers and symbols Hiccup had scratched along the lands, denoting places, dragon species, and people hat Astrid had never seen before.

A few moments of tinkering passed before the sound of metal on rock filled the cave with its gentle clicks. Turning slightly, she looked up at him. “You’re a traveler, yes?”

“I’ve been around. Why?”

“You’re a wanderer. You’re content to not have a tribe.”

“The dragons are my tribe.”

“But they’re not,” Astrid said. “As much as you want to be, you’re not a dragon, Hiccup. You can learn their language and build wings and spend all day in the sky, but you’re a Viking. You’re not a dragon.”

Hiccup’s expression turned cold. “I’m not one of you.”

“That’s just it, you’re a Viking whose content to be tribeless.”

“What’s your point, Astrid?”

“I’m not like that. I’m not content to be tribeless. I belong with Berk.”

“They sacrificed you. Left you to die.” He reminded her.

“Even so, I swore to protect them. If I have a chance to end the war that’s destroyed our—my—people for the last four hundred years I have to take it.”

“They left you. To die.” Hiccup emphasized. “Why are you loyal to them?”

“Because I swore an oath before Freya and because I’ve lived on Berk for the past five years while you hid away.. I’ve lived through the Dragon Master’s wrath. I’ve seen the destruction and desperation he’s brought.”

Hiccup sighed, the air heavy in his lungs.

“So,” She said, rounding to face him fully. “Take me to see this Queen of Dragons and I can put an end to both of our problems.”

“It’s too dangerous.” Hiccup said, pushing past her. Picking up a crumpled, wool shirt from the floor, he pulled it over his head.

“I’ve killed hundreds of dragons. Wings or tails or underbelly, they all have a weakness. Let me see this dragon and I’ll kill it like all the others.”

Fixing his shirt, he shared a disgusted look with his dragon. She stepped back to his side, keeping close and staring him down.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, “As grotesque as that it, you have no idea what you’d be up against.”

She removed his hand from her shoulder, pulling it back painfully and forcing him to the ground. “I can protect myself.”

Toothless’s growls filled the cave, reminding Astrid of his presence. Catching her by surprise, Hiccup swiped her legs out from under her.

She landed hard on her ass.

Standing over her, Hiccup looked down at her, his expression void of emotion. “The queen…she’s bigger than this cavern…A Boulder Class leviathan so large her tail could crush a dozen warships in a single swipe! I’m not putting you or Toothless in that kind of danger.”

“I have to see for myself, Hiccup. Please. ” She begged.

Berk was relying on her. Whether in her sacrifice or as a shieldmaiden, Berk relied on her to save them. If killing this alleged queen of dragons could accomplish that then Astrid had an obligation to try.

She looked up to Hiccup, his green eyes on her, arms folded defiantly across his chest. “No. And that’s final. I’m putting my foot down.”

xXx

“Remind me to never put my foot down again,” Hiccup muttered into Toothless’s ear as they flew over the ocean. Behind him, Astrid sat, a smug grin still on her face as the waves rose up to meet them.

Filling with air, Toothless’s wings pushed them up and over uninhabited islands. Astrid was filled with the warmth of homecoming. Although uninhabited and small, the islands were scrawled on the edge of every Berkians’ map.

Closer to Berk than she had been in weeks, she smiled. Clutching Hiccup for stability, she leaned down, peering at the islands.

Hiccup turned in the saddle, gently tugging her arms until she was in an upright position. Removing his helmet, he met her eyes. “When we get there, Astrid, we do this by my rules. You will do everything I say. Understand?”

She rolled her eyes, “Yeah, yeah. Everything you say.”

Hiccup’s hands tightened. “I’m serious, Astrid. If you don’t…if you make a mistake, you could get us all killed.”

“Don’t you think you’re being dramatic? I get that it’s a Titan Wing, but big deal. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”

“This was a mistake.” Hiccup groaned. “Oh, this was a mistake. Astrid, this isn’t a Titan Wing. It’s a Leviathan . It's fifty times the size of a titan wing!”

“I’ll believe it when I see it, Hiccup. I’m not going to be scared off by sailor’s tales.”

“Maybe you should be.” He said, turning in the saddle away from her. Patting Toothless’s neck, the two shared a look before angling down into the oncoming mist.

xXx

“Quiet now,” Hiccup ordered. “And hold on. Tightly.”

Astrid tightened her grip around Hiccup’s middle as Toothless plunged into the growing fog that seeped around them. It rose from the water and fell from the sky as though Niðavellir had cracked open, spilling like a yoke from an egg into Midgard.

Unable to see around her, she chose to keep her eyes focused on the black scales of Hiccup’s armor, tracing the rounded patterns with her eyes.

The air around her buzzed with unseen life. Dragon calls rang out, reminiscent of Hiccup’s sanctuary, but unlike his hidden world, the cries were those of despair and fear.

Beneath her, Toothless flew chaotically; dropping suddenly, twisting and turning through sea stacks, and barrel rolling to avoid dragons. Astrid clung tightly to Hiccup, her arms surely squeezing the breath from his lungs.  

Blind from the fog, Astrid relied on Hiccup to keep her steady. Gripping the saddle with his legs, he leaned low over the dragon’s neck, moving in unison as they cut through the fog.

Before them, an island came into focus. Desolate and bathed in fog, it rose so high its peaks blocked the sun.

Landing in a fluid motion, Toothless’s feet sank into the pebbled ground. Talons digging into the stones, Astrid noticed how the Night Fury's ears were pinned low to his head. Vibrating with anxiety, he warbled to Hiccup.

Hiccup leaned forward, offering Toothless a comforting scratch. Then, settling back, He looked at Astrid. “Don’t leave Toothless’s side. Understand?”

She nodded, the air around her uninviting and imposing.

The Night Fury’s shoulders shifted with each step, creeping closer toward the base of the mountain. Confused, Astrid leaned forward, resting her head on Hiccup’s shoulder. Mouth hovering delicately over his ear, she whispered to him, “Why aren’t we flying in?”

Beneath her touch, he shivered, chills running through his back. “It’ll draw too much attention.”

He pointed to the top of the mountain. “She has…generals of sorts. Brutal Titan Wing dragons that ensure no one enters or leaves without the queen’s permission. We’ll enter through the bottom where the dens are and fly up to the main cavern using the dragons as cover, bypassing the brute dragons.”

She nodded, her chin bobbing in the crook of his shoulder before she settled back in the saddle. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she ducked her head as Toothless pushed his way past boulders, dropping down into a tunnel devoid of light.

The heat hit her first. As they ventured deeper into the cave it grew hotter, wall after wall of heat hitting her and soaking through her leather armor. If Niðavellir surrounded the island than surely Milphehelm was held within its core.

Surrounding them, hundreds of dragons clung to the walls. More dragons than Astrid had ever seen gawked at the intruders. Likely more dragons than Hiccup’s sanctuary could ever hold, they cawed to one another and tilted their head for a better view.

Toothless barked a defensive growl, sending the boldest of the dragons back to the shadows.

Afraid of inciting them, Astrid kept her eyes forward.

Hiccup’s hands gripped Toothless’s rig tightly, gloved hands stretched tight. Sweat dripped from his mop of hair, the beads landing on his shoulder pauldrons.

Eventually, the tunnel opened into a large cavern where the wall of heat dissipated and more dragons cuddled together in giant heaps. Sleeping and lounging like giant, scaled cats in the afternoon heat, they paid the trio no mind.

Pushing her wet bangs from her face, Astrid leaned forward, noticing the tense expression on Hiccup’s face. “What now?”

“We wait.”

“Wait for what?”

“Dinner.”

xXx

Time passed slowly in the cavern. With only the gentle snores of the dragon to indicate time passing, Astrid had to fight herself to not dull her senses in the heat.

In the saddle, Hiccup remained alert, a hand outstretched to rest on Toothless’s forehead. The dragon, like his rider, never managed to relax, his tail flicking back and forth with the rise and fall of the sleeping dragons’ chests.

Then, after a lifetime of waiting, the room came alive.

Sleeping dragons rose to their feet, shaking the sleep from their bodies and growling to one another.  With a great whoosh of a thousand wings, the cavern emptied, the dragons flying into the many tunnels and disappearing.

Beneath them, Toothless hunkered close to the ground, a whine emitting that Astrid felt only Hiccup was meant to hear.

What could scare a Night Fury? Astrid thought, a shiver running up her spine.

Hiccup leaned close to Toothless’s ear frills, pressing his jaw against cool scales. “It’s you and me, bud. I’m here. We have this.”

As the last of the dragons exited the cavern, Astrid felt Toothless take intake a large breath before opening his wings and lifting from the ground.

Hiccup directed his dragon to follow the mass exodus, attempting to remain hidden amongst the wings and tails of the lagging beasts.

As they flew, the smell of fish and fresh blood filled the air. Around her, the dragons carried livestock in their talons. Fish as large as cattle, yaks, and sheep, bled from the claws of dragons, indicating fresh kills. Seeing a sheep, guts spilled across the claws of a Nightmare, bleating its death wails, Astrid looked away, sickened.

If the tunnels had been hot, the main cavern was the heart of Muspelheim. Unlike any heat Astrid had ever felt before, she grew dizzy under it's oppressive weight.

Settling on a rocky ledge, Toothless pressed his body against the wall, careful to remain hidden.

Hiccup dismounted first, raising a finger to his lips in show for Astrid to remain quiet. Toothless wrapped his tail around Hiccup protectively, the dragon’s eyes slits as he looked around the cavern.

Following after Hiccup, Astrid dismounted. Unlike the pair, though, she tip-toed to the edge of the outcrop, peering over into the basin. Steam rose in tendrils from the foggy bottom, but Astrid saw no leviathan dragon. Around the cavern, dragons sat on ledges and hovered in the air.

“I can’t see anything,” Astrid whispered in frustration. “Where’s the queen?”

“She’s here, step back from the ledge,” Hiccup instructed, motioning for her to move into the protective reach of the Night Fury.

“There’s a ledge below us. Maybe I could see better from the—”

“Astrid, no!” Hiccup hissed, reaching out an arm to grab her. Just out of his reached, Astrid waived him away.

“I need to see what Berk is up against.”

Kneeling to the ground, Astrid slid down the rocky ledge, careful to make little noise. A cloud of dust drifted skyward and pebbles dislodged, but their cover was secure.

Behind her, she heard a second slide of rocks as Hiccup joined her on the lower ledge. He turned to his dragon, who was about to leap down, and motioned for him to stay. The dragon whined with concern.

“You’ll be noticed, bud.” Hiccup whispered. “Stay there.”

Reluctantly, Toothless slunk back against the wall. Low to the ground, he paced like a worried jungle cat.

Under the Night Fury’s shadow, Hiccup and Astrid crept toward the edge, staying low on their haunches. Peering down into the heat of the mountain core, Astrid pressed her body behind a rock.

In the empty spot to her left, a Deadly Nadder landed, a bluefin tuna clutched in its talons. The dragon, turquoise and gold, rang familiar with Astrid. Hiccup must have seen the resemblance too, as he peered curiously at the dragon.

“Is that…?” Astrid asked.

“I…I think it is.” Hiccup whispered. “Poor dragon. I freed them the night I left, but I never thought of where they went.”

Hiccup extended his hand to the Nadder. In return, the creature peered curiously at the pair, tilting its head and twittering like a giant bird.  Finally, after deeming Hiccup to be of no threat, the dragon pushed its beak into his hand.

Lifting its head from his touch, the Nadder looked around them.

“What’s it doing?” Astrid asked.

“I think she’s looking for our offering.”

The Deadly Nadder snuffled at the ground their feet before pushing the tuna forward.

“We don’t need it, girl.” Hiccup said softly. “You keep it.”

The Nadder, seeming unsatisfied by the answer, pushed it further toward them before looking out toward the pit where the alleged queen of dragons lay in wait.  

Astrid frowned as the slimy body of the fish landed heavy on her feet.

Hiccup tried convincing her again, speaking in the dragon’s tongue and gesturing between Astrid and himself. Seeming to comprehend his words, the Deadly Nadder took its fish back, nestling down beside them like a giant bird as it waited.

Astrid watched the dragon, remembering her time in dragon training. In the time before the Dragon Master when she commanded the fire patrol and believed that she would champion the kill ring, she was certain the Nadder’s death would be at her hand. Looking closely at the dragon’s scaled rosettes, she vividly remembered smashing her shield across the dragon’s face.

If the dragon remembered her, it showed no anger.

Much like her, the dragon had aged to be taller, thinner, and with scars littered across a battle-worn body.

A rumble shook the mountain and Astrid’s bones alike. Around her, the cave exploded with life. Dragons cried out in fear, fleeing from their perches and hiding behind rocks as a head rose from the steam. As big as Berk’s mead hall and with six eyes, it peered hungrily around the cavern.

As the dragon rose up, every dragon shrank down, even the Night Fury that stood watch above them. The titan swayed its head back and forth before growling, deep and primal. At her call, every Zippleback in the cave dropped from their perches, swooping into the mist and dropping their offerings into her great maw. Those unable to present an offering were swallowed whole, much to Astrid’s horror.

Hands covering her mouth, she shrank back against Hiccup. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he squeezed it gently to remind her of the need for silence. Shocked by the cruel brutality of the dragon, she looked at him with wide eyes.

Unable to speak, they watched the other’s reaction as the Gronkles were called. Dropping yaks and fish into the Queen’s mouth, those unable to deliver were also snapped up.

To Astrid’s left, the blue and gold Nadder shifted nervously, peering down at her talons as if to ensure herself that the fish remained.

A third growl filled the air and the Nadder spread her wings, giving Astrid a view of the rosettes that graced the leather wings.

Keeping her eyes on the dragon as she dropped, Astrid watched as she dived before climbing up and over the queen’s open jaws.

But as the Nadder pumped her wings, hovering dangerously above the open mouth in preparation of dropping the fish, a larger Deadly Nadder slammed into her. Green and pink and double the size, the larger talons ripped the fish from her claws.

Crying in distress, the blue Nadder attempted to grapple the fish back. The claws of both dragons ripped into the fish, scales and guts falling from the carcass as the dragons dropped in their deadly dance.

Spiraling down into the awaiting mouth, the larger Nadder won the fish. Dropping the fish onto the Queen’s tongue, it flew back to the safety of the rocks, secure with the knowledge that it had survived another day.

Now without an offering, the blue Nadder hovered, shaking with fear.

From her perch, Astrid watched, enraged. Fists clenched, her nails dug into the skin of her palm painfully.

It wasn’t fair.

It wasn’t right.

She looked to Hiccup for an answer, but he only frowned, offering silent sympathies for the dragon.

“Do something!” Astrid hissed. “That Nadder shouldn’t die because someone stole its food!”

“Quiet!” Hiccup whispered. “There’s nothing we can do short of getting us all killed.”

“We can’t do nothing!”

The eyes of the great dragon turned on her.

“Oh, you’ve done something!” Hiccup shouted, voice cracking with panic. “Toothless! Toothless, get us out of here!”

Astrid could see the gasses building in the back of the beast’s throat and she could see the terrified look in Hiccup’s eyes as he realized Toothless wouldn’t reach them in time. With force fueled by fear, Astrid was shoved behind a wall of rock.

Thrown to the ground, she watched, helplessly, as Hiccup threw on his helmet and dropped to the ground, consumed by dragon fire.

[madamebaggio]

Chapter 10

“This is a terrible idea.”

Jon pinched the bridge of his nose. At this point he didn’t know if she truly thought that or if she was just trying to be contrary. He never knew with her.

“And why is that, Lady Susan?” He asked, but his voice made clear that his patience was hanging by a thread.

She arched that damned brow in his direction. “I understand that with the better weather conditions we’ve been having lately, the men might be a little… Eager to venture out, but this doesn’t mean it’s safe out there.” She indicated. “We haven’t been able to scout the region. There might be dangers there.”

“Like what?” Tormund wanted to know.

“The cold brings hunger, hunger makes people and animals desperate.” She spoke, her voice firm. “There might be people out there, doing whatever it takes to survive, there might be threats… Even animals. You yourself, Your Grace, spoke of an uncommonly large pack of wolves.” Susan reminded Jon.

“They’re nowhere near here.” Arya spoke before Jon could. “They’re closer to the Riverlands.”

Susan arched a brow. “How can you be sure?”

Arya just glared at Susan. “I just am.”

Susan took a deep breath. “My point remains. We have no idea of what is out there and we might not be prepared for it.”

“That’s another reason for us to go.” Davos interfered. “We need to know what is going on out there. We need information, we have no news of the Night King’s army.”

“Oh yes, and that’s a great way of finding out.” Susan scoffed.

“If it bothers you so much, Lady Susan, you don’t need to go.” Jon finally snapped.

She arched a brow at him again. “As your Grace wishes.” She replied, ice-cold, then got up and left the room.

“Oh… You’re fucked.” Tormund chirped.

Jon pinched the bridge of his nose again. Just great.

XxX

“So I heard you should be fleeing for your life.”

Jon sighed. He didn’t want to have this conversation, but if there was one person who had every right to come question his actions… Well, Edmund was definitely this person.

“Are you about to kill me for talking to your sister like I did?” Jon asked tiredly.

“Me?” Edmund snorted. “Lord, no. Susan will tear you down herself for that one. I’m not getting involved.”

“Very comforting of you.” Jon spoke dryly.

“It wasn’t supposed to be.” Edmund indicated, his voice devoid of any sympathy. “You acted like an idiot. Susan is a woman, Jon.”

“I’m quite aware…”

“No, I don’t think you are.” Edmund cut her. “Sansa and Susan have to fight double to be respected by the men around here. Arya and Brienne have their reluctant respect because they are fighters and walk around in breeches. And probably because the men are scared of them. Susan and Sansa -and even Lucy -give a gentler impression, they are more feminine. They’re just women.”

Jon was shaking his head. “They all respect them…”

“To some point, Jon.” Edmund cut him. “How many times has one of the lords asked Sansa about dinner? She’s your Hand, not the lady of the house. You treating Susan like a woman who has no idea what she’s talking about does her no favors. If the King sees fits to talk to her like that, what do you think the other lords will think?”

Jon groaned. “I’m so stupid.”

“No arguments there.” Edmund snickered. “It’s not that you can’t disagree of what she says, but snapping at her like that?”

“I’ll have to apologize.” Jon concluded.

“The faster the better.” Edmund had a small grin. “Before she decides to use you as target practice.”

“Your sister wouldn’t do that.” Jon murmured, eyes lost as he thought how he could apologize. “She’s not a violent person. If she’s angry at me she won’t shot an arrow at me.”

Edmund arched a brow. “Because you know her so well?”

Jon cleared his throat and decided to pretend he never started this topic. “I actually have a question to ask you.” He changed the subject without caring about how desperate he sounded. “What do you know about dragons?”

Edmund seemed totally thrown by the change in subject. “They are… Gigantic lizards that breathe fire?” It came out more like a question, than an affirmation.

“You’ve never seen one?” Now Jon was the one surprised.

“No. What kind of place do you think Narnia is?” Edmund snorted. “Dragons. As if. Wait.” He turned to Jon. “Your aunt has dragons.” Understanding spread through his face. “And you’re concerned about them.”

 “Shouldn’t I be?” Jon asked. “Dragons, Edmund. They used to be tales, stories to put children to bed. If she marches here with her army, with dragons flying above our head… I have no idea of what we can do.”

“Your fear is understandable.” Edmund put a hand on his shoulder. “You should talk to Sansa about it.”

“Why?” Jon asked confused.

“Because I’m pretty sure that, between trying to marry you off and running Winterfell, she and Susan have done something about this.”

“What?” Jon was shocked, to say the least.

“That you’ll have to ask her.” Edmund shrugged.

“I might as well just make Sansa the Queen and save myself the trouble.” Jon grumbled.

Edmund opened his mouth, then seemed to think better of it. “Let us live one day at the time. You might not even survive until tomorrow.” He was grinning.

“Thank you for your kind words, lord Edmund.”

XxX

Susan wasn’t a violent person. She thought violence was a pointless way to solve any kind of conflict, and she truly believed it to be sad that many things could only be solved through wars.

She’d fought more battles than she wished she had. Even what had happened with Rabadash was a thing she despised. Yes, she had acted in self-defense, and she’d do it again, not only to protect herself, but to protect any woman; but it was a horrible state of affair that things could get that far. That as a woman she had to be scared of things like this, perhaps for the rest of her life.

And that, the only way to protect herself, was killing a person.

In times of violence it was easy to think that killing was easy. It wasn’t. Even when you truly believed in your cause, even if it was against wicked people, even if it was in your defense… Killing left a mark on people’s soul. Of course, some did it for pleasure, but these people hardly had a soul to begin with.

Susan despised war, violence and killing.

That said…

She was considering killing the King in the North.

Sansa could take over the throne. Nobody would notice the difference.

She couldn’t believe the way he talked to her. Jon was a respectful man, he never made her feel like she was “just a woman”. She knew he listened to Sansa and respected her opinions and views.

Probably that was why it tasted even more bitter to be treated like that: because she never expected it to come from him. Jon had always treated them all the same.

Maybe it was about her.

“Lady Susan.”

Think of the devil…

“Your Grace.” She turned to him and curtsied.

Jon sighed. “I know you’re not happy with me right now, Lady Susan.”

She arched a brow. “It’s not my place to question the King.” She told him flatly.

“If I didn’t trust your judgment, why would I invite for council meetings?” He asked her.

“I was wondering exactly the same thing.” She replied, her voice dripping with sweetness. “I was starting to think it was to make the place more charming.”

Jon gave her a look. “Lady Susan…”

“Yes, your Grace?” She batted her eyelashes at him.

“What do you want me to say?” He huffed.

“Guess.”

Jon let out a dry chuckle. “Is it an apology?”

She just arched her brow a little more.

“You have to know how much I admire your intelligence.” Jon started.

“Actually, I don’t.” Susan cut him. “I have no idea how you feel about me, besides the fact that I annoy you sometimes. And I’m almost sure it was what happened today.”

“You do not…” Jon took a deep breath. “It is my fault for saying that in the first place.” He grumbled to himself. “However, you are a brilliant woman, Lady Susan, and I highly doubt you need my approval.”

“That’s where you are wrong!” She finally snapped. “That is what you fail to understand. I do need your approval, and so does Sansa. And even Brienne, Lucy and Arya. We need your approval to get at least some respect from the men around here. We’re just women, your Grace, and they love to remind us of that flaw.” She spoke the last part sarcastically.

Jon took another deep breath. Susan was imagining how much of his brooding time he was cutting down to try to communicate with her. “Susan, I am deeply sorry for the way I spoke to you earlier. It wasn’t fair of me, and I’m quite aware I don’t snap at people like that.  So I apologize for that.”

Susan was agape.

“And I do value your advice, like I value Sansa’s. And I truly believe you are an intelligent woman.” He finished.

Susan finally recovered some of her senses. “Thank you, your Grace.” She bowed gracefully.

“That said, I’d still like for you to accompany us tomorrow. We might need someone with such fine skills as yours.” He finished, the corner of his mouth tugging up slowly.

Was he…?

“Flattery will get you nowhere. Your Grace.” She added, as if it was an afterthought.

“Good thing I was merely speaking the truth then.” He nodded at her. “Lady Susan.”

As Susan stood there, watching him walk away, she thought -not for the first time -that the King in the North could become a problem for her.

She wasn’t exactly running in the opposite direction, though.

XxX

“We’ll leave early.” Jon informed the others. “I don’t want to spend too much time outside.”

“Looks like it might be another clear day.” Tormund commented. “We’ve been having a lot of those recently.” He threw a look at the Pevensies, but they didn’t comment.

The siblings were aware that the people in the North were starting to believe they’d bring spring sooner than what it was expected. They couldn’t claim to have this kind of power. What happened in Narnia was part of a big prophecy; they had no idea if the same thing applied to Westeros.

Maybe the Spring wasn’t coming because of them. Maybe the good weather was a very strange coincidence.

“You’re coming with us, Tormund.” Jon declared, ignoring the last comment. “Davos will stay, and so will Brienne and Lord Peter and Lady Lucy.”

Peter arched a brow. “You want me to stay, Your Grace?”

Jon took a deep breath, like it cost him to say something like that. “Yes. Lady Susan and Lord Edmund will come with us. I’d rather have some people stay behind and take care of Winterfell.”

Peter opened his mouth, but one look from Susan and he became quiet again.

“This should be interesting.” Arya commented, an amused smile on her lips. “Can you hunt, Majesty?” She asked Susan.

Susan gave her a flat look. “No. I used my bow as a decoration and to curl my hair.”

Arya snickered.

“It’s decided.” Jon stood. “Lord Peter, a moment, if you will.”

Peter frowned, but got up. “Your Grace.”

The two men left the room and started walking down the corridor. “I’m trusting you with the security of Winterfell.” Jon started.

“I’m honored by your trust, Your Grace.” Peter said honestly, not a trace of arrogance on his voice.

Jon stopped and turned to him. “That said… I trust you’ll know your place and keep a respectable distance from my cousin.”

Peter snorted. “So this is where this conversation is going.”

“I see how you look at her.” Jon growled at the other man.

“Well, perhaps not very well.” Peter replied before he could stop himself.

“What is that supposed to mean.” Jon demanded.

“I deeply admire your cousin.” Peter informed Jon. “A fact that she is well aware of. I have told her what I think and…”

“You what?”

“I have promised to treat her with all the respect she deserves.” Peter finished, like he hadn’t been interrupted. “Lady Sansa is a great woman, and she has my utmost respect. Another fact that she’s quite aware of.”

“I don’t like you.” Jon declared.

“That’s funny. Because I don’t like you either.” Peter threw back. “And I like even less the way you look at my sister.”

That gave Jon pause.

“So while you’re here, telling me to keep a respectable distance from Lady Sansa, remember: do the same with my sister; keep a respectable distance.”

“I would never impose on Lady Susan.” Jon told him firmly.

“Good.” Peter pulled an invisible lint from his clothes. “I’m glad we had this conversation, Your Grace.”

One of these days, Jon was going to kill Peter. He was sure Arya would help.

Notes: I hope you enjoyed that!

I guess you all saw the very fast, veiled reference to Nymeria’s super pack. Keep that in mind.

Jon and Peter are not going to be besties anytime soon… lol

Next chapter… The hunt!

Let me know your feelings!

[kittywildegrrl]

MAMA CAT AND THE LATEST

In Which MamaCat Temporarily Loses Momentum, but has a pretty good story to tell anyway.

Honestly, darlings, did any of you also get this email this week???

“I'm XXXXX XXX-XXX from Beijing Film Academy, A film production company based in Singapore.,I saw your posted on MN FILM TV and after reviewing your profile,i feel excited with your past experiences,Kindly confirm your availability and email your recent resume to(beijingfilmacademy777@gmail.com) so i'll get back to you with the job details.Your prompt response will be highly appreciated.Thanks and God bless.”

Make of it what you will. There really is a Beijing Film Academy but it’s a .edu, not a gmail.com. Just saying.

While Mother puts that research on the back burner, let me mention here that the whole #AllFemale1776In2020 idea is alive and kicking, even though it took a week off when MamaCat lost her elder cat (actual cat). Say hello or join up at www.happycatranchproductions.com and hit us up on the contact page. Don’t worry, we have not yet begun to ask for money.

Since last I wrote, darlings, we have had to bid our Lebowski goodbye, I did not get to start my latest temp job (so back to the interview & outreach phase AGAIN), the dryer broke so we have had to go to the laundromat, and there were some pretty nasty events in the TwitterVerse and the RacismVerse. Also the nastiest week of the hottest month on record, pretty much everywhere. AND THEN THERE’S THE “CATS” TRAILER.

So… yeah… let’s talk about showbiz and self-actualization and how cool it is when cool stuff happens... I’m just going to sit down here and think of beautiful unicorns who exhale love and fart glitter…

I had promised someone recently that I would tell this story: of how all of that traveling back and forth to and from various places, and focusing on what a sweet young Golden Girl can do to break through in her acting career, has begun to lead to some really cool stuff. Quick flashback montage to actual rooms in the actual 80s and things I actually heard: “You’re very funny but you don’t fit your type”; “We can’t cast you the way you are unless you want to go blonde and get a boob job”; “You’re very talented but you won’t work until you’re over 40”; “We just can’t cast flat-chested brunettes”; “You can always come back to the business when you’re older”…

So when I got older and got some theatre work and made some friends in New York City, I began to try to face my dragons and see where I can fit into the business as it exists in the 21st century. One of those dragons is called, A Camera. In younger days, I feared the Camera as some fear the dance studio mirror or monologue auditions. Whole lotta personal issues, cats and kittens. (News Flash: Actor Admits to Personal Issues! First Time in Recorded History! Ghost of Aristophanes Dies Laughing!)

I faced down the Camera Dragon by taking some classes through Actors Launchpad. I figured I’d be the oldest, or in the top 3 oldest, in every class – and I was right! And it was scary! But then in walks Amazing Casting Director, with a half-eaten wrap in one hand and a large nearly-cold half-finished coffee in the other. She greets me, recognizing me from a recent summer stock role, because she had made it her business to look up every one of us online prior to class. So in one movement, she simultaneously made me feel welcome and seen, and also gave me a big fast lesson in professionalism: look people up. Get to know them in advance. Start the relationships off on the right foot by acknowledging humans for who they are.

(I was suddenly REALLY glad that I already had looked her up in advance and gotten to know her work as a CD. See how that works?)

I held off in class as we began to do our on-camera readings. I wanted to see what the younger actors in the room were like, what the actors closer to my own age were like, what Amazing CD’s feedback was like… oh, BS. MamaCat was scared AF! I sat there watching my colleagues’ work while I was working on all the various breathing & centering exercises for calming oneself in the midst of trying something new with a lot of risk involved. And, as we went along, I thought to myself, I can handle this, I really can.

My scene was pulled from a crime procedural; I was playing some kind of DA or judge or something cool and authoritative like that. I had been studying the actors on Massively Successful Series (casting by Amazing CD), and the really tense, underplayed, authentic work they were doing. It translated perfectly as a guideline for my scene for class. I called upon the spirits of Streep and of Eastwood to guide me. My reading partner was a real talent who gave back as good as he got.

The scene ended. The room was silent. Amazing CD said, “YES, Diana!” The class applauded.

Not every class I took at ALP that first fall went that well, but I learned something every time, and I go back to Actors Launchpad every time I’m in the City. That’s one of the things I’m doing there in Gotham City, instead of the spendy, touristy stuff. And over time, it pays off in so many ways.

Fade out, fade in; Amazing CD has me in to read for an under-five for that Massively Successful Series. Then she has me in to read for Sitcom Pilot. She requests a self-tape here and a self-tape there. Then one day… she reaches out to me for a self-tape audition for an actual speaking role in an honest-to-Josh* feature film that will be shooting on location near me.

AND I BOOK IT.

Oh, the obstacles I had to overcome to get myself on-set for that glorious day. There’s a hilarious chapter about SAG-AFTRA and a lifetime of mistaken thingys. There was a serio-comic chapter about the non-union commercial spot shoot I had to back out of and the reaction that surprised me. It’s worth several more blog posts just telling those.

But here is the point of today’s missive: I faced down the Camera Dragon, learned from the experience, and by improving my skillset and my attitude towards booking work and where I want to go, things began to shift for me. I got my really and truly for realz SAG-AFTRA membership this year, working opposite the actual real-live Tony-Award-winning, Oscar-nominated, Mr. Frank Langella, he of Frost-Nixon and of Dracula, in a one-on-one scene in a real movie that will most likely really come out, and will most likely actually contain that scene.

Working with Frank Langella was like acting with someone you’ve known forever and been partnered with a million times. And now I am One Degree of Kevin Bacon.

There’s your lesson in courage and valor in the face of overwhelming odds, jazz babies and hepcats. You got this. In the words of Commander Peter Quincy Taggart, “Never give up! Never Surrender.”

 Meow, darlings.

 *See, “Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff,” by Christopher Moore. You’ll thank me later.