#Like I don't think she realizes that I was starting to feel a little stable and then throwing rent at me (which is a fair thing to do)

[asidian]

One thing I haven't seen talked about is Crystal's character arc, and specifically the way the timing of it interacts with Charles' arc. They stumble over each other in the worst possible way en route to their respective character growth, and from a narrative perspective, it's absolutely genius.

I'm going to preface all this by saying: none of this is a criticism of Crystal. Part of what makes her such a dynamic, refreshing character is that you don't get to see women in fiction written the way she's been written. You don't get to see women with her flaws that aren't throw-away mean girls or villains. You especially don't get to see women with her traits who learn and grow and become better people. So yeah, I'm going to talk about Crystal's character flaws. No, this isn't Crystal hate. We love our girl in this house. Okay? Okay. Let's start.

Crystal's character arc, at its heart, is all about her learning to be a better person because she has good influences that love and support her for the first time.

When the show starts, Crystal is not a nice person. She's abrasive in a way that's specifically designed to push people away. She's used to getting her own way, and it shows. She's used to having no meaningful connections with anyone, and it shows. She's breathtakingly selfish, in the very literal sense of the definition. She is focused on her self. Her problems are front and center to her; everything is about what she needs, and what she wants, and how she's struggling.

Jenny calls her out very early on. In episode one, Crystal is complaining about the boys, and Jenny, for all her cynicism, strikes right at the heart of the problem. She tells Crystal, "Everybody is always thinking about themselves, all the time." People only care about their own problems. And she says, correctly, that that's what Crystal is doing, too.

This moment is a revelation for Crystal. For the first time, she considers what her behavior looks like from another person's perspective. As she says, she gets mad at herself over it, and that awareness allows her to do something selfless for the first time in the series. She takes a step back and insists that instead of focusing on her problems, they go to help a little girl. It's a big moment for her.

But importantly, she's not done growing as a character here. She's only just getting started.

On my first watch through, I didn't realize how often, over the next few episodes, Crystal redirects things to her problems during conversation, but it's quite a lot. She's still focused on herself – selfish, in that most literal definition of the word. The issues most important to her are her issues. She's starting to learn to think about other people, but she's not there yet. The process is still underway.

Which brings us to Charles.

Charles' arc is a different sort of self-reflection. He's terrified that he's a bad person the way his father was and the way the boys that killed him were.

During the course of the show, he gets systematically stripped of his confidence and made to feel helpless, and just like Crystal needs outside influences to help her reach a more stable place, Charles does, too. He desperately needs reassurance that he isn't everything he's afraid he is.

But my goodness, the timing in their arcs is such a trainwreck when you put them together, and it is brilliant.

Let's start with the Devlin House.

Crystal has some amazing character growth here. She displays genuine concern about Charles, makes an attempt at comforting him, and learns to work with Edwin even though she still doesn't particularly like him at this point.

Charles, meanwhile, is beginning to fall apart. He's just had the worst night of his afterlife. He's been viscerally reminded of how helpless he is. He couldn't stop the Devlins from being killed over and over, just like he couldn't stop his own father's abuse. He messed up his attempted rescue so badly that he was completely out of commission until the case was finished. He managed to help not one single thing. He made no impact at all. He couldn't help those girls any more than he was able to help himself, while he was still alive.

So they get back to the butcher shop, and what do we see? Monty immediately coopts Edwin. Niko doesn't know what's happened because she wasn't there and Charles has been all fake smiles with her. And Crystal goes off with Niko, leaving Charles to flounder on his own in the wake of everything. She's still learning how to support other people. She isn't there yet, and it's extremely on display in this moment.

Then we get the lighthouse episode, and they both get put through the wringer here. Crystal gets her hopes and expectations jerked around by the Night Nurse in the very worst way, and Charles gets hit with a whole pile full of trauma. All that helplessness wells to the forefront again. Combined with being forced to relive some of his worst memories and the desperation to keep Edwin safe from hell, Charles lets himself act on his anger for once.

And what does he get in the aftermath? Horror.

Everyone who cares about him is horrified by what he's done. Edwin goes so far as to call it extreme. They don't know the half of it, of course; they haven't seen what the Night Nurse just put him through. But in this moment Charles is at his absolute lowest, and all he sees is confirmation that he's exactly as terrible as he thinks he is.

That's why Charles shrugs off Edwin's attempt at comfort, here. When he needed to be able to do something to protect Edwin and also himself – when he needed to believe that he could be better than what his father always was – all he sees is the confirmation from the people he cares about most that when push came to shove, he really is a bad guy.

Then comes the aftermath. And this moment is such a brilliant, awful clash of both of their character arcs. It is so delightfully messy.

Because Charles starts to open up to Crystal here. He starts to lay himself bare, the way he ends up doing with Edwin in episode 5. He's on the verge of admitting something that he's been worried about for literal decades. He tells her, "I've been angry for such a long time."

And what does Crystal do? She's still in the midst of her own character growth. She's still struggling to support other people. She's still learning how to. In a lot of ways, though she's made progress already, she's still that selfish girl that Jenny called out in the very first episode.

And she shows it here it with the absolute worst possible timing. No sooner has Charles started to talk about what's bothering him than she cuts in with her own problems. She's tired of riddles and spirits and demons and not knowing who she is. And the look on Charles' face. The moment when he visibly sets aside his own problems, because Crystal doesn't need any more disasters on her plate? It's heartbreaking. You can actually track the subtle change in his expression there. The actor does a phenomenal job.

And then comes the kiss. And what spurs it? Crystal saying she needs something real.

This moment isn't about light-hearted attraction, the way the earlier flirting is. It's Charles setting aside what he needs – comfort and reassurance and a moment to talk through the things that have been tearing him apart – to give her what she says she wants. He can't even feel it. And Crystal isn't far enough along in her character growth here to realize how selfish she's being. Like Jenny said way back in episode one, she's only thinking about herself.

And then comes the absolute unmitigated disaster of episode 5.

Straight out the gate, Charles leans in for a kiss. From his perspective, they have something together; there's affection there. Charles "I think I'd miss kissing" Rowland, who has been starved for meaningful physical contact for thirty years, is not in a hurry to give this up.

But Crystal is fresh out of a nightmare where she conflates Charles with her abusive ex. She withdraws; she calls what they had a distraction. She cuts it off almost as soon as it's started, so focused on her own worries here that she misses how damn fake Charles' smile is, to cover up that he's coming to pieces.

To be clear, she's absolutely not in the wrong here. It is 1000% her prerogative not to jump into a relationship again while she's still struggling to work through what happened with David. But the arc of her narrative is still early enough that she does it all without so much as the awareness that her focus on her own issues has hurt Charles terribly.

And then the episode really kicks off, and both of them are in shambles in very different ways.

Crystal is projecting her issues with David onto Charles. She has a lot of history, and David seems as though he's exactly the right sort of toxic to leave lasting a lasting impact. But Charles hasn't done anything to deserve her assumptions, and he takes the brunt of her temper here and throughout the episode.

Charles is desperately projecting onto the dead jocks. He very badly wants them to be good guys, because he sees himself in them and he needs himself to be a good guy. He snipes back at Crystal for the very first time in this episode, and he does it in the worst way possible, accidentally prodding her where it will do the most damage.

They're both hurting. They both say some truly painful things to one another.

She does not need to hear that she has unsorted hangups about David still plaguing her while she's unable to move past them. He desperately does not need anyone to tell him that he has rage issues while he's still struggling to think of himself as a decent person.

They apologize, in the end. They start to move past it.

But it's telling that Charles doesn't try to open up to Crystal again. He goes to Edwin instead, even though Edwin is the one who called his actions regarding the Night Nurse extreme. He gets the reassurance he needs so badly; he gets the connection he was looking for with Crystal from Edwin, instead. (I have a lot of thoughts on why Charles initially tries to open up to Crystal so quickly, but it is very much an aside, and this is already extremely long, so it will have to wait for another write-up.)

But the important thing here is, Edwin is the one to offer Charles what he needs to overcome the self-doubt eating him alive. Edwin provides the physical affection Charles was seeking in the form of that long-overdue hug. Edwin is the one who's able to reaffirm for him that he's not just a good guy, he's the best person Edwin knows.

And for all intents and purposes, Charles' major character arc ends here.

Charles has a few last little moments to go on the path to rebuilding his own self-image, after this, but for the most part his concerns have been resolved. He saves Crystal in episode 6 and Edwin in episode 7, proving to himself that he's able to make a difference in the face of overwhelming odds. He's not helpless, no matter what the Night Nurse told him; he can be a force for good in the world. By the end of the series, his crisis of self-doubt seems to have been largely overcome.

But it's the conversation with Edwin at the end of episode 5 that really allows him to work through his most pressing issues. Edwin is there to help support him when he stumbles. Edwin provides him the comfort he was looking for while Crystal was too worried about her own problems to notice how badly he needed the help.

Crystal, meanwhile, still has a ways to go after episode 5. The last three episodes are where she does her most important character growth.

In episode 6, she learns some hard lessons about keeping secrets and letting people help and appreciate you even when you can't offer them anything in return. And Charles, importantly, is there for her every step of the way. He consistently offers her physical and emotional support. He models for her, in a very real way, what it looks like to have someone prop you up when you need the help.

And in turn, Crystal steps in to save the boys. She's the big damn hero at the end of this episode.

The breakthrough continues into episode 7. She's so intent on helping to get Edwin out of hell that she literally goes to face her own demons, not for herself for once – not for her own purposes or needs or wants – but because she wants to help someone else.

And episode 8, at long last, brings her to the culmination of her character arc.

Crystal is at her absolute lowest here. Her family, the people who were supposed to love her unconditionally, didn't even realize she was gone. Her precious memories, that she's spent the entire series trying to regain, have showed her that she's not the person she hoped she would be. She's overwhelmed enough that she means to flee, to cut herself off from her new friends entirely.

Then the boys get kidnapped. And just like that, she makes up her mind.

For the first time since the start of the series, she sets aside her most important issues in order to let what other people need take precedence. She disregards all of her own personal concerns and focuses instead on others. She's finally stepped out of those selfish impulses that Jenny calls her out on, all the way back in the first episode. She's finally learned how to support other people when they need it.

Crystal has finally figured out how to be there for others, despite having troubles of her own.

It's a lovely arc, and it's beautifully done.

Charles' is just as touching.

And god damn, but it was a brilliant narrative choice to have their character arcs line up in exactly the wrong way.

[jessjad]

Rightfully deceived

Chapter 5

Summary: When a marriage promise forces Y/N to step up for her younger sister, she gets something she always wanted. But when the truth comes out, her new husband Dean is not so happy about the mix-up. Will she loose it all? Or will she be surprised in the end?

Pairing: AU!Dean Winchester x Reader

Word Count: 5355 (Sorry! 🙈)

Warnings: 18+ only!!! arranged marriage, some tension, angst, perilous situation, smut

A/N: This is a long one, guys. But I didn't want to split it up again. All mistakes are mine! Enjoy!

Series Masterlist My Masterlist

Running down the stairs Y/N saw Millie standing at the bottom who called after her, but she could not stop. She told her that she needed a minute and kept running out of the castle. She did not care about the looks from the others as she ran towards the staples. But she did not stop there.

Benny called after her, Sam too who stood next to him, but Y/N gave them no reaction. After she left the stable behind her, she just kept running. Up the next hill as far as her feet would take her and until the castle was no longer visible. Y/N first stopped again at a small group of trees where she could hide inside. She needed time to think and just wanted to be alone. At least for a little while.

Here, her tears could fall freely and her heart could break. Another crack breaking the smooth red surface. She just didn't know what to do anymore. Dean wasn't on her side. No, he preferred another woman. And of course she understood his anger, but it had been over two months now. He should slowly get used to it or at least try to understand her side. It wasn't easy for Y/N either.

The fact that she loved Dean didn't make it any easier. His distance and that cold shoulder hit her hard. It could be so easy, if only he saw her as more than the woman who had robbed him of his happiness. He didn't mention Helena anymore, but sometimes she had the feeling that he looked at her and saw her sister's face.

Maybe she should just walk away, pack her things and disappear. Unfortunately it wasn't that easy. She had no money of her own and there was no question of her taking Dean's money. And she couldn't and didn't want to go back to her father. She missed her clan and the life she was used to for so long, but she actually wanted to start over here with Dean. She loved him and that was the problem. Deep down, she just couldn't leave him. She was hopelessly lost.

A cool wind rushed through the branches and leaves, swirling the fabric of her dress. If only she had grabbed a coat. She found a moss-covered spot near the roots of a large tree, where she sat down and leaned her back against the trunk. She wasn't ready to go back yet.

Dean had just stared after Y/N before the anger caused him to sweep his desk empty with his arm and knock any objects onto the floor. He took a few deep breaths before took to his heels and ran after her. At the bottom of the stairs, Millie was standing exactly as he had left her before.

"Where is she?" he asked and Millie pointed a finger to the door.

"She went out."

So Dean made his way towards the entrance of his castle, but Millie hold him back.

"Dean, wait!" she lightly grabbed his arm to stop him. "Don't go after her. At least not right now."

"What?" his brows furrowed. "But I need to talk to her."

"I know her, Dean, believe me. She was so upset... give her some time to calm down. No matter what you said to her now, she would take it the wrong way."

"I... I don't like that. I should talk to her right now. There was a misunderstanding that needs to be cleared up."

And by that he meant the last sentence that slipped out of his mouth. He shouldn't have said that and he had to clarify that. But he also had to clarify other things. Y/N's words had made him think and he had realized that his behavior towards her simply wasn't fair. However, he had been staying away from her for different reasons than she probably assumed.

"What happened up there?" MIllie asked.

Just as Dean was about to tell him about the package, the door opened and Benny and Sam walked in. So the two men were also brought up to date and then Dean expressed Y/N's suspicion that it was Cassie. Sam and Benny exchanged a look that didn't go unnoticed by Dean and Millie looked down so as not to reveal that she knew about this assumption.

"What? You already knew about it?" he asked incredulously.

"Dean..." Sam started. "Cassie always wanted to marry you."

"So what? That's her motive? She knew that I was going to marry someone else."

"Yeah, but she was not happy when she heared that Y/N is not the right woman." Benny said.

"I mean... you only need to look how she behaves infront of you." Sam pointed out.

"And how she behaves towards Y/N. She makes it pretty clear that she is not happy that Y/N is here."

Well, that were news to Dean. But on the other hand, he had been gone for a while. He had never noticed that Cassie avoided Y/N like that. No matter who he saw Y/N with, they all seemed to like her now and she seemed to get along with everyone. She fit the bill really well.

"Okay. This is not happening. Not under my watch." Dean said and made his way back up the stairs. "Call everyone into the dining hall!" He had to do something.

Fifteen minutes later all the clan members were gathered around the large table, at the head of which Dean stood, the package in his hand. A murmur went through the crowd as no one could really explain what the problem was. Dean looked around and saw Jo and Alex standing with Cassie. Benny was standing near the door and Sam was across the room from him. Millie had fought her way to Jo without Cassie or Alex noticing her.

"When I came back from my business trip today, I actually had the impression that everything was fine. But then Y/N found this in our bedroom." and with a thud he dropped the package onto the table after removing the lid.

The severed cat's head almost fell out of the box, causing shocked exclamations among those present.

"This is a threat that should go to Y/N. But this threat also goes to me and I cannot and will not accept that. Y/N is now my wife and I had the impression that you all received her well But apparently I was wrong."

An incomprehensible murmur now went through the crowd, accompanied by the underlying question of who could do such a thing. Dean observed the reactions of the different people, but couldn't notice anything unusual, not even with Cassie.

"So that's how it's going to go here now." Dean raised his voice a little so that everyone would really listen to him. "Whoever did it has the opportunity to own up to it and admit it now. However, if that person doesn't speak up and I find out who it was...then God have mercy on him."

It was slowly getting dark and the temperature had dropped noticeably, but Y/N still couldn't go back. She had seen Sam and Dean riding horses across the countryside, calling out to her. She could also hear Benny, who was probably looking for her somewhere near the stables. Still, she couldn't reveal herself.

If Dean confronted her now, she would probably pour her heart out to him. She had noticed one thing in the last few hours. Her nerves were pretty thin and she wouldn't be able to handle any further rejection of her confession. She still hadn't completely calmed down. So she would now wait until the men gave up their search for the day and then sneak into Arrow's stable.

It took a few hours until Y/N felt safe enough to head back. By now it was pitch black and the cold was now creeping into her bones. Even though she was probably no longer visible, she walked slowly and deliberately. Always keeping an eye on the castle and its surroundings while she ducked again and again.

A lantern was burning in the stable and the candle wouldn't last much longer. However, it still provided enough light for Y/N to find the right box. As soon as Arrow recognized her, he whinnied happily and raised and lowered his head. She immediately tried to calm him down so that he wouldn't give her position away. However, that took a few moments.

"Oh Arrow. What am I supposed to do?"

The horse pushed Y/N's head closer to him as soon as the young woman stood in the box with him. As if he understood her words and recognized that she was struggling inside. She hugged him back, enjoying the feeling of safety and familiarity in that moment.

"That came from the stable! I think it was Arrow!"

Suddenly she heard Benny's voice, which seemed to come from the castle. But he wasn't alone.

"I'll take a look!" Alex called back, seemingly closer.

Oh no, she didn't want to be discovered yet. But after looking around and not really finding a place to hide, Y/N went to the end of the box, sat on the floor and piled the hay up above her. She tried to hide under it as best she could and just hoped she wouldn't be noticed.

Then she heard footsteps coming towards her. She could still see a little through the pile of hay above her head and at some point she saw Alex's legs and how he was walking through the stable. He stopped briefly at Arrow, spoke a few words to him and then went out again.

"She is not here. Everything looks normal." Alex stated as he seemed to walk back to the castle.

Relief flooded through Y/N ​​and she was able to release the breath she had previously been holding. Quietly and carefully, she dug herself out of the hay again. The candle in the lantern barely gave off any light now. Arrow came over and sat down next to her, resting his head on her lap. Y/N also leaned into him a little.

"Just a little longer." She whispered while petting Arrow. "I'll just stay with you a little longer and then I'll go back."

Dean paced around the bedroom. It was already the middle of the night and Y/N still hadn't returned. A bad feeling slowly began to spread within him. After all, it was his fault that it had gotten this far. He had scared her away and made her feel like running away was the only solution. His absence and the silence with which he had punished her had been too much.

And yes, he now knew that he had unconsciously punished Y/N with his behavior. He hadn't married the woman he wanted and in a way Y/N was to blame. But that wasn't really why he had acted like that. Because now he also knew that there was an even more confusing reason for him. He stopped in front of the window and looked out into the cold, dark night.

Back then he had already imagined everything in his head. What the wedding with Helena would be like, their life afterwards here in his castle. What the next five years could have been like. The first child, then the second. For a long time these had just been fantasies for him, but after he got to know Helena, he could easily imagine that the fantasies could be true. He had really had feelings for the young woman.

But then the wedding night was over and in the next morning came disillusionment. He hadn't married Helena, but Y/N. That really threw him off track. And yet there were parallels between him and his wife. That's why he took her with him. And actually he had planned to just see how it goes. It was just the way it was now.

But the journey back to the castle alone had been a challenge. As soon as Y/N sat in front of him, his penis began to stir again. Her soft, round ass against his hips, the scent that wafted from her hair into his nose, had inevitably brought back the images of their night together.

And from then on, every night had been difficult for him. Every minute he had been alone with Y/N ​​he had had to pull himself together. So often his fingers had itched to hold her in his arms or even kiss her. But he wasn't sure if she would have wanted that. After all, she had married him out of necessity and not because she wanted to.

So he went on business trips. But the distance didn't make things any better. When he lay in bed at night and let his thoughts wander, he always saw Y/N in front of him. He thought of her, of the things she had told him and of their night together. She had really caught him off guard and made him long for her. How crazy was all that?

He couldn't stay in the room any longer. With his coat in hand, he made his way back downstairs. The castle lay still and quiet, peaceful, as if nothing had happened. He opened the door and stood on the stairs, his gaze turned back to the dark landscape. His wife was out there somewhere and he was just hoping she would come back so he could talk to her and explain himself. So he could finally do it right.

"Dean?"

Slightly startled, Dean turned to the voice and recognized Ellen, who was standing in front of the kitchen with a candle in her hand and looking at him in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" she asked and came over to him.

"Y/N is still out there somewhere. She still hasn't come back." his gaze turned back.

"But she will come back eventually. She probably just needed time. After what you told me, Dean... you really made a mistake."

"I know!" he exclaimed angry at himself. "But I'm hoping it's not to late now."

Ellen didn't say anything else, but her heart ached a little for Dean. She was also worried about Y/N and hoped that she would show up again soon. She placed a warm hand on Dean's shoulder, showing him her silent support. After a few minutes, however, she broke the silence again.

"Has anyone come forward about the allegations yet?"

"No. And it looks like noone will either."

"She was really on edge last week. Whoever followed her had made her feel really uneasy."

"You also knew about it?" Dean asked surprised.

"Yes. She told me about it."

"Did she also tell you that she that she suspected Cassie?"

"No. But that does not surprise me." Dean looked at Ellen questioningly and she smiled a little. "Have you ever seen how she looks at you? She's jealous. And she's ignoring Y/N since the moment she came here. It would make sense."

With that Ellen was right, but he could hear a 'but' in her sentence. So he asked he to explain.

"when you called the meeting this afternoon and showed us what it was about, Jo overheard Cassie talking to Alex."

"And?" Dean now was eager to know.

"She wasn't as shocked as everyone else about the contents of the box, but she was probably still surprised. And then she said to Alex that she thought the act was good and that it was a shame that she hadn't thought of it herself."

"So she indirectly admitted that it wasn't her... And Jo believes her?"

"Yes. And I believe that too, by the way." now Dean looked surprised and Ellen explained her statement. "She once helped me in the kitchen and was supposed to pluck a chicken. She almost vomited. And the animal was already dead."

"So she couldn't have killed the cat." Dean mused.

"No. Not her. Unless she had an accomplice. But I believe Jo that it wasn't Cassie. My daughter has known her longer than I have."

That made sense in Dean's eyes. "But who was it then?"

"That's exactly the question, Dean. Who did it?"

Early the next morning Benny made his way to the stable. He hadn't been able to find any real peace either. So he wanted to check on Arrow. The sky slowly became brighter, making last night's frost glitter like stars. It had been the coldest night yet. He lit the lanterns and then ran the boxes. Everything seemed quiet, but when he glanced into Arrow's box, he had to do a double take.

There, right next to Arrow in the hay, lay Y/N and she was pretty pale. Benny walked straight towards her, which startled the horse, but it remained calm on the ground. Upon closer inspection, Benny saw that Y/N had sweat on her forehead and her lips were blue.

He didn't have to think about it for long. Benny lifted her out of the hay into his arms and made his way to the castle. She urgently needed to get somewhere warm and Dean needed to know about it too. He hadn't left the stable when Alex stood in front of him, looking quite frightened.

"Go call Dean. Tell him I found Y/N and that she needs help." Benny ordered, but Alex didn't seem to be able to move. "GO!"

Suddenly the young man came back to life and turned around to run back into the castle. Benny also hurried to get there while speaking quietly to the woman in his arms. He noticed how she was shaking and the cold radiating from her body worried him deeply.

He was just walking in the door when Dean appeared in front of him and took Y/N into his arms. But the two were not alone. Apparently Alex had woken up half the castle.

"Benny, ride off and bring the doctor here immediately! Don't take any detours and if he refuses, then tell him that money doesn't matter!" Dean called over his shoulder as he hurried up the stairs with Y/N.

Millie followed Dean straight up the stairs and opened the bedroom door for him when they reached the top. After they entered, Millie pulled back the covers so Dean could lay Y/N there and tuck her right back in.

"Millie, can you please get a few more blankets from the guest rooms? I'll light the fire in the meantime so that it gets warm in here."

"Of course." Milllie said and set off straight away.

After Millie disappeared from the room, Dean looked down at Y/N. Her face was so pale that her blue lips formed a shocking contrast. God, this was all his fault. Just because he once again spoke first before he could think about his words. So he did something useful and started the fire in the fireplace.

Still, it took over an hour for Benny to get back. Only he didn't have the doctor with him, but someone else. A thin man with dark skin sat on another horse. Not as dark as Cassie's skin, but different nonetheless. He wore a turban on his head.

“Doctor MacGregor wasn’t home. He was called to an emergency in Dundreggan last night. But his guest from India is also a doctor." Benny pointed to the man next to him and introduced him. "This is Mr. Gupta. He's an... ajurwedish doctor. Correct?"

"Yes." the man said with an strong accent. "And I'm here to help. If you're willing to let me."

For a moment Dean was skeptical, but then he remembered that every second counted. And so he gave the man his hand and explained the situation to him as they made their way up to Y/N. He saw the concerned and puzzled looks from some of the others they passed, but he ignored them.

Mr. Gupta examined Y/N thoroughly, explaining every step and his findings to Dean. They had already done the right thing by wrapping her up warm and heating the room well, but that wouldn't be enough.

"She is hypothermic. Her body temperature is already in the critical range. Under no circumstances should the room lose heat. At some point she will try to free herself from the blankets, but that must not happen either."

Meanwhile, Millie was back in the room and she and Dean took in all the information and agreed on care for Y/N in the next few days.

"In addition, I will prepare a decoction and a warming paste for her. If used regularly, her condition should improve in the next week. But it will take time."

But Dean didn't care. The main thing is that Y/N would feel better soon. He wouldn't lose her like this. That was out of the question.

Y/N felt weird. She felt hot and cold at the same time, her head was pounding and she was shaking. She noticed noises but couldn't identify them. In general, she didn't know whether she was dreaming or awake.

Whenever she tried to free herself from the sea of ​​blankets under which she felt buried and was sweating from the heat, Dean's face appeared above her, encouraging her to stay under the blankets.

Other times, when the cold made her shiver and she felt the blankets being pulled away, she tried to bury herself under them again. But even then Dean's face appeared, reassuring her that it wouldn't take long as he caressed her. But when he stopped, these parts of his body became really warm and drove away the cold.

And sometimes she had a terrible spicy taste in her mouth that made her thirsty. Then Millie was with her to help her drink. Or were those just dreams too? She simply couldn't tell the difference and so she always hoped that her consciousness would just slip back into the silent nothingness where she could no longer feel anything.

The next time Y/N woke up she felt different. More awake with a clearer mind. She was still cold, but she finally felt like herself again. And she realized that this wasn't a dream. She was really awake. With tired limbs, she moved slowly and moaned slightly.

"Y/N? Y/N!" She heard Dean's excited voice and searched for him with her eyes once she got used to the brightness.

"How are you? Do you need anything?" suddenly he was at her side, holding her hand.

"No, I... I'm fine. I'm just... a little tired and I'm still a little cold." She said quietly, wondering what even happened.

But it didn't take long for the memories to catch up with her again. She didn't go back the night after she escaped. She had fallen asleep at Arrow's side and had lain in the freezing stable all night. It had been her own fault.

She saw Dean take a deep breath and close his eyes briefly before speaking again. "Stay there. I'll call Millie and the doctor." and then he disappeared through the door.

Half an hour later, Dean made his way outside and walked over to Sam, who was chopping firewood. With a firm step he ran towards his brother, who looked at him worriedly after noticing him. Sam put down the axe.

"Dean? Is everything okay?"

"Yes. Yes, everything is fine." answered the older man, took the ax in his hand and began to boldly chop wood.

"Are you sure? Is something wrong with Y/N?" Sam probed.

"No." he swung the axe. "She woke up and was lucid again." again the ax thundered downwards. "She's doing much better than she has in the last few days." with the third blow the log was split.

But then Sam realized what was really going on with his brother. He had seen how the guilt had eaten away at Dean over the last few days. He had made huge accusations against himself, even if he hadn't admitted it. So Sam left him alone with the firewood, knowing that Dean would have to use it to release his pent-up emotions. But still the hope spread within him that this was finally the turning point.

An hour later, most of the firewood had been cut down and Dean was sweaty and exhausted. But he felt better. Now it was time to start all over again.

He made his way back into the castle when Mr. Gupta came out. Dean thanked him for his help and said goodbye to him with kind words. The doctor had made another decoction and prescribed Y/N two more days of bed rest in addition to a hot bath, but he was sure that she would recover completely. She just had to take it slowly and Dean would make sure of that.

When Dean came into the bedroom, it wasn't as warm as before and Y/N was still sitting in the hot tub. She was slightly startled when she saw Dean come in, but didn't say anything. That hit Dean a little, but he could also understand her behavior. After all, he was guilty of it himself and it was entirely up to him to change that.

He undressed and walked towards the tub. Y/N scooted forward to make room for him and once he was in the tub, she wanted to get out. But Dean stopped her and made her sit back down. He picked up the bar of soap that was lying on a small stool next to the tub and immediately recognized the scent. That's why Y/N always smelled so seductive.

By now the bar of soap was pretty thin and he made a mental note that he needed to bring her some again. After Dean had cleaned himself up, he leaned back in the tub and gently pulled Y/N along by the shoulders. She reacted a little stiffly at first, but quickly relaxed again and secretly enjoyed the feeling of finally being able to be so close to Dean again.

When the water slowly got cold, they got out of the tub again. Dean first so he could grab a towel for Y/N. He held it out to her openly after Y/N also had both feet on dry land and wrapped it around his shoulders. Suddenly they were so close. Body to body, face to face that Dean cleared his throat and had to take a few steps back so he didn't do anything rash.

"Dry yourself off and then go back to bed. I'll get you some real food." Dean said as he quickly got dressed and then disappeared from the room.

Later that evening, when Y/N was slowly making her way to dreamland again, Dean sat by the fire and looked over at the bed. Y/N lay there with her eyes closed, cheeks rosy, hair down and a relaxed expression on her face. And for the first time in days, Dean was able to breathe deeply.

After he had brought his wife and himself something to eat upstairs and they were sitting together, he remembered a situation that had happened in his childhood. On one of their trips when he and Sam were younger, his brother once fell into a frozen lake. Her father noticed immediately and didn't hesitate for a second to pull him out and Sam was quickly fine again.

Nevertheless, he had told Y/N about it and she seemed to just absorb his words. So he didn't stop talking. He told her about many things and she literally hung on his every word. Why hadn't he done this before? It was so easy to confide in her and even though he didn't like talking about himself in general, he felt comfortable with Y/N in doing so.

The tiredness slowly overcame him and so it didn't take long until Dean settled down in bed. Moving close to Y/N, he quickly fell asleep too.

But just a few hours later, Dean woke up with a start. He didn't know why, but his hand immediately searched the side of the bed next to him, expecting to feel Y/N. But her side was empty and already cold.

“Y/N?” he exclaimed, sitting up at the same time.

"I am here. I couldn't stay lying down anymore." She replied quietly with a smile and his eyes found her directly.

She was sitting by the fire, her hair falling over her shoulders and she had a book in her hand. But Dean couldn't take his eyes off of her. The orange glow of the flames painted her face and made her appear almost angelic. Dean's breath caught in his throat and he sank back onto the bed.

'God, she is so beautiful. Why didn't I notice this before?' he thought to himself.

After a moment he straightened up slightly and looked over at Y/N again.

“Will you please come back to bed?”

Y/N looked at him a little surprised, but then nodded. "Okay."

She put her book aside and came back to the bed. Dean had already lifted the blankets, implicitly inviting her to slide closer to him. Y/N was very happy to accept this offer. Once she was at his side, her head on his chest, he covered them both again.

"You really scared me." Dean said shortly afterwards into the comfortable silence.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." Y/N replied quietly.

Dean looked down at Y/N. "Please don't just run away again. Not until I can talk to you."

Upon those words Y/N looked up at Dean. "I won't. I promise." and she meant it, because she wouldn't be able to go through this again.

They looked deeply into each other's eyes and suddenly it was as if time stood still. Dean couldn't hold back anymore. With a hand on her cheek, he leaned down to Y/N until his lips were on hers. He kissed her carefully at first, but Y/N didn't seem to mind the kiss. And as soon as Dean felt her tongue on his lower lip, he was done for.

He deepened the kiss and turned a little more towards Y/N, who was able to put her leg on his hip. His hand moved up her thigh until it came to rest on her ass.

She buried her hands in his hair and began to slowly rub herself against him. She moaned slightly into his mouth while his hand, which was on her butt, went back to wandering. The nightdress that Y/N was wearing had slipped onto her own hips. With his thigh he opened her legs a little more so that his already stiff cock could nestle against her warm center.

Dean could already feel how wet she was and he had to hold himself together not to just push into her. But when Y/N's hand landed on his ass shortly afterwards and she pushed him closer to her, he literally slid into her. So he turned her so that she was lying on her back and sank his last few inches into her.

They both groaned and Dean wasted no time. He moved slowly but forcefully inside her. He carried out each of his thrusts with passion as he uncovered Y/N's breasts and caressed them there with his mouth. He licked her nipples and bit them tenderly, making her moans grow louder.

At some point he picked up the pace a little and licked from her breasts over her collarbone to her neck. That bittersweet pressure built up inside Y/N again and she searched with her lips for Dean's, who was only too happy to kiss her back.

He felt Y/N start to throb around his cock and began to chase his own orgasm. Y/N moved with him, holding onto his shoulders and as she jumped over the edge, he followed her just seconds later. He poured himself deep and hard into her while Y/N enjoyed the aftershocks.

They both looked deeply into each other's eyes as their pulses slowly calmed down. But neither really wanted to let go of the other. So they lay there entangled in each other and fell asleep together again.

A/N: I told you that everything would get better again. Let's just hope it stays that way. 😶 Let me know what you think. Feedback is very much appreciated! 💜

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[amourdivine]

୨ ♡ ୧ DOES YOUR CRUSH LIKE YOU BACK? ୧

Hello everyone! Happy December and welcome to another pick a card. This pick a card reading is all about your crush and whether or not they like you back. Feedback, likes and reblogs help me grow my platform and are highly appreciated! If you liked this reading, please consider tipping me at @ amourdivinetarot@gmail.comvia paypal! xo ♡

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›    none of the images are mine unless stated otherwise. ›    personal readings are available!

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR PILE.  take a few deep breaths and look at each picture separately. see which one brings you to a feeling, a place or a memory. take your time and feel free to come back to it later!

𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄 ༉ ‧ guardian of the memory.

king of swords, five of pentacles, seven of swords rx. bottom of the deck: two of cups.

This is such an interesting pile and I do not say that very often. So, your channeled song is a very, very dear song to me which is from a game soundtrack, it's traditional Chinese, but the story is about a mermaid and a time lord who fall in love. She gives up their memories of each other to save their lives, so they eventually forget one another and once they re-encounter, there are bitter feelings and they dislike each other, but there's a lingering feeling of something familiar, something more, something which they do not acknowledge or cannot express, despite the ambiguity and the coldness of their relationship.

For your crush, they may have rejected you, but much like the story from the song, it's getting hard to deny that they like you, that there is something more. This person cannot stop thinking about you and the truth is starting to come out. If they have treated you coldly, ignored you or simply seemed aloof, it is because they're trying to distance themselves from these feelings. Your crush may have self-sabotaging tendencies. To some, I'm picking up their love language is sarcasm (lol).

This person tends to be more on the rational side, they could be an air sun, rising or mercury and therefore, it's hard to pick up on their feelings. No wonder why you're here, pile one! But rest assured, their feelings are catching up to them and it won't be long until this person realizes the feelings are very, very mutual. Yes, they do like you back - just wait a little until they come to terms with it.

channeled songs and messages. mutual by shawn mendes, avoidant, left on read, 5:55, on your door, drive by, 2016, instagram filters, situationship, "i need to know", "in my feels", drake, rap, kendrick, fool for you.

𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐖𝐎 ༉ ‧ never gonna give you up.

the well, knight of pentacles, three of swords. bottom of the deck: judgement.

You're not getting rick-rolled, pile two. The song above is a cover by Hazlett, with a very gentle, soothing melody. Yes, this person does like you back but they are recovering from a very painful heartbreak. Although they want to come towards you, they're taking their sweet time because they don't want to make the same mistakes.

When this person loves, they love deeply, they pour and pour onto others. This time around, they want to make sure this connection is worthwhile. This person is not looking for a fling, for a one night stand or a situationship. They want something solid but they're evaluating you first in order to make sure this new love won't bring back old feelings.

They could be going through a major change in their life and for most of the people in this pile, it seems an internal change. They want to make sure they've learnt from their lessons and will not dive into anything headfirst. Therefore, expect slow movement for this person. If you're okay with that, then it shouldn't be a problem. Approach them with pure intentions and honesty. Try to show them you have character, that you can be a good friend and partner to those around you. They do not like mind games and want something stable, long-term for themselves.

channeled songs and messages. mature, old enough, "your man", r&b, bruno mars, "got game", bouquet, flowers, knight in shining armor, traditionally masculine, beard, dark brown hair, side profile, drawings, 777.

𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 ༉ ‧ just to feel your touch.

six of cups, four of wands, page of pentacles, the star. bottom of the deck: wheel of fortune.

So many cards wanted to pop out, lol. You even got an extra one. So, this pile is oddly specific and may not resonate with everyone. Therefore, if it's the case, please feel free to choose another pile!

This crush of yours is someone you have known for quite some time, years or at least seven, eight months. They could be close to your family or you and this person feels like home to you, they bring you safety and comfort. This may also be a queer relationship and therefore there's hesitation, hopeful thinking involved.

Both of you are too scared to cross the line at this point because there's no telling what the future will hold. You are mirroring each other, worried about blurring the lines between romance and friendship because there are some risks involved - your family or theirs may not approve, you'll face prejudice or straight up be rejected by one another (even though both of you are on the same page). Maybe they're in a relationship and you don't want to be disrespectful.

Regardless of the specifics, this person does like you back, very, very much. You fill them with fondness and soft feelings. Whatever the future holds is not yours to control. This relationship is very positive and healing. The odds are in your favor, pile three!

channeled songs and messages. "best thing", "mine", country songs, 2006, 2007, nostalgia, childhood, y2k, banter, play fighting, youtube, camera records, liminal spaces, weirdcore, nostalgiacore.

𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑 ༉ ‧ always thinking about you.

death, the hanged man, the hierophant, ten of cups. bottom of the deck: the magician rx.

This is another highly specific scenario, so take only what resonates for you. It seems your crush is already in an established relationship already, some kind of commitment that makes them very happy. Regardless, they do not really know how to feel about you, pile four, to be honest. You may be the third party in this situation and they may have promised to end their relationship to be with you, but this person is procrastinating making a decision between you and someone else.

There is trickery, deception and not-so-pure intentions here. If they are single, then this person may have alluded to something more with you, perhaps a family, or a relationship, something stable and long-term, but they do not intend to follow through. While you may have had something, their feelings for you have changed and they're not being quite honest about it.

I get a really two-faced feeling from this pile. This person could do and say something, but do something entirely different in the next. Even the channeled song says "I'm making for the door / you're making other plans". They could be trying to juggle you or someone else, as I mentioned, but it seems like they've got other plans and they're not being fully honest with you about it. I'm sorry, pile four, you deserve better!

channeled songs and messages. "double talk", secrecy, obsession, the devil, "what are you up to?", moving on, doe eyes, gemini, libra, taurus, aquarius, baby on the way.

amourdivine. 2021 - 2024 © do not copy, redistribute or edit my content!

DISCLAIMER. tarot is a divination tool, it’s not a substitute for medical and professional advice, nor is it meant to be taken as such. i don’t take responsibility for any choice(s) made by you or others regarding my readings. be mindful ♡

[honeybeezgobzzzzz]

𓅨 How to Unintentionally, Get An Endless To Marry You: Chapter Two

How to Unintentionally, Get An Endless To Marry You: After saving a strange man from a fishbowl cage, you earn yourself a favor. When you cash in said favor, you don’t realize that you and the man aren’t on the same page on what you need from him.

Warnings: None.

To Note: Morpheus x Afab!Reader

Word Count: ~2.7k

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You walk through grand hallways, Matthew perched on your shoulder. The palace staff meet you at the entrance of the baths. Two women in flowing, ethereal gowns greet you with picture perfect smiles. Is everyone in this place inhumanely beautiful? They are making you feel self conscious!

"Welcome," says one, her voice like a soft lullaby. "We are here to help you relax and unwind." Oh really? How are you supposed to unwind when you feel every bit self conscious as you look?

The other gestures toward a large door that opens with a quiet whoosh, revealing a sprawling bathhouse filled with steaming pools, intricate mosaics, and soft, ambient light. The scent of lavender and eucalyptus wafts through the air. Okay, perhaps you can relax, this is a spa on steroids.

"This way," one of the maids says, leading you to a changing area. "We’ve prepared everything for you."

You nod and as Matthew takes off, you follow her, taking in the opulence around you. Slipping into the robe they provide, You run your hands over the softest material you have ever felt, and are then guided to one of the pools. You put on this heavenly robe only to have to take it off? Oh well, you’ll snuggle with it after your bath. So grudgingly removing the heavenly robe, you step into the warm water and instantly feel your muscles relax. You would kill to have your baths feel like this every time.

One of the maids brings over a tray with various oils and scrubs. "Would you like to try our special blend?" she asks, holding up a small vial that sparkles under the soft light. They glimmer with what looks like stardust. Given how this realm seems to run, you don’t doubt that they are stardust.

“Okay,” you respond, you eyes trailing the sparkles within the vial. They begin to massage the oil into your skin as another maid starts humming a tune that makes goosebumps ripple over your skin.

"You must have many questions," a maids asks as she kneads your shoulders. Wowza, free massage? You want to think that this might be a little too much, but at the same time, you are melting into the tub in a puddle of bliss.

"Yeah," you sigh, your mind struggling to keep itself together and not turn into mush like the rest of your body. "I don't really know much about Morpheus and I really don't know anything about this realm. What’s it like working here?" Or just being here in general?

"Oh, it's quite an honor," she responds with a bright smile. "We’re dreams and nightmares given form, serving in Lord Morpheus’ palace is a privilege."

"And everyone here is... happy?" you ask hesitantly.

"Mostly," she says thoughtfully. "There are always challenges, especially since Lord Morpheus returned. There have been many changes to the realm, and our work. But we take pride in what we do.”

"It’s not just work for us; it’s our purpose. Helping dreams take shape or ensuring nightmares don’t go too far." Another maid piped up with an equally glowing smile. So everyone here is annoyingly beautiful…

"So," you say as another maid hands you a cup of herbal tea, "do all dreams serve Morpheus?"

"Some do," one answers while combing your hair gently. "But others wander freely across realms. We prefer to stay close; it’s more stable here. Our jobs are grounded within the Dreaming. Dreams seldom thrive in the Waking.”

“What about nightmares?” You broach, noting that they only seem to speak of dreams. The maids pause and share a brief look before returning to what they are doing.

“Nightmares thrive, however it is not their place to exist within the Waking World.” You can sense an undertone of apprehension and something left unsaid about Nightmares, so you don’t push the topic and sip the tea. It tastes like liquid sunlight, and you have no idea why you think it does so. At the very least, it is everything you need with your mother breathing down your back.

"Thank you," you say quietly. "This has been... amazing. I really needed a time out from my life.”

The maids exchange knowing smiles as they continue their work, creating an experience so luxurious it feels like drifting through a dream within a dream.

A maid begins to comb through your hair with delicate fingers, untangling knots with barely a hint of tugging. The sensation is almost hypnotic, each stroke of the comb sending ripples of relaxation down your spine. Your eyes flutter shut, the warmth of the bathwater lulling you into a state of near-dream. You don’t care about the inception-like vibes this is giving you, you just want to be at peace!

After what feels like an eternity of bliss, the maids help you out of the bath. They wrap you in that heavenly robe once more and you practically melt all over again as it slides against your skin. One of them gathers your now silky-smooth hair and wraps it in another soft towel.

"This way," one of them gestures, leading you through another door. You follow her into a room adorned with mirrors and soft lighting, where an array of elegant gowns awaits. You blink at them an nearly come to a screeching halt in your steps.

"We've selected some outfits for you," she says with sparkling eyes, motioning toward the dresses. "Lord Morpheus thought you might appreciate something special, but close to home."

Close to… home? You’ve never worn anything like that in your entire life! But you want to be a good guest so you keep your mouth shut and walk over to the dresses. When your fingers brush against the luxurious fabrics—silk, velvet, satin—your eye twitches and you wonder how much even one of these dresses cost. Each gown is more stunning than the last!

Another maid steps forward with a smile. "May I help you choose?"

“That would probably be for the best,” you reply, slightly overwhelmed by the choices and the sinking feeling that the gemstones embedded in fabric aren’t costume.

She picks up a gown made of deep blue silk that seems to ripple like water as she holds it up. "This would complement you beautifully."

You nod, entranced by the fabric's fluidity. “Okay, that sounds good.”

They help you into the gown with deft hands, fastening buttons and adjusting seams until it fits perfectly. As you stand before the mirror, you hardly recognize yourself. The dress hugs your curves in all the right places, flowing elegantly to the floor.

One maid steps back to admire their work. “Oh it fits you perfectly! You look stunning."

Another brings over a selection of jewelry—delicate chains adorned with gemstones that sparkle like stars. Oh no.

"Would you like to add some accessories?" she asks, hopefulness glimmering within her eyes. You nod again, dazed by the transformation taking place. Is this all really necessary? It is just dinner… Right?

They drape a necklace around your neck and fasten earrings that catch the light just so. A final touch—a pair of matching shoes—completes the ensemble. You know you are dreaming when the beautiful shoes feel like clouds clinging to your feet.

You needed to stop thinking about how unusual this all is because this isn't the waking world. So you take a calming breath and turned towards the dreams that had tended to you with such exuberance.

"Thank you," you say softly, genuinely grateful for their care and attention. “I appreciate your help and skills.”

You follow the maids through a labyrinth of corridors, each more ornate than the last. The sound of your footsteps echoes softly against marble floors. You can feel the gown flowing around you, a luxurious rippling weight that does little to enforce surreal quality of this place. The Dreaming feels like a dream. Your head hurts just thinking about, so you decide to stop questioning everything that defies physics. Finally, you reach a pair of large, intricately carved doors that swing open effortlessly with a single touch.

Inside, a grand dining room unfolds before you. The ceiling stretches high above, adorned with celestial frescoes that seem to shift and shimmer as you move. The room is lit by chandeliers that twinkle like constellations, casting a soft, ambient glow.

At the center of the room stands a long table draped in an opulent tablecloth. It is set with an array of dishes that look both sumptuous and otherworldly—foods you recognize and some you can't quite identify. Yet, there is only one dining set placed meticulously at one end of the table. Are you… eating alone?

Morpheus stands near the head of the table, his dark presence stark against the light-filled room. His eyes find yours immediately as you enter, and a faint smile tugs at his lips.

"You look radiant," he says, his voice like velvet in the still air.

"Thank you," you reply, feeling a flush creep up your neck. "This is all... incredible."

He gestures toward the lone place setting. "Please, sit."

You walk over to the table and take your seat, smoothing out your gown as you do so. Morpheus remains standing, his gaze never leaving you. The food in front of you looks tantalizing, but there's an odd sense of dissonance—you're here in this lavish setting, but your host won't be joining you in the meal.

"Are you not eating?" you ask, trying to bridge the gap between this reality and your own. Does he even eat?

"I do not partake in mortal sustenance," he responds simply. "But I wished for your comfort."

A servant appears beside you, filling your glass with an effervescent liquid that sparkles like captured starlight. You go to take a sip, it's sweet and refreshing, unlike anything you've ever tasted. Or ever will for that matter.

Morpheus watches intently as you begin to eat, each bite an exploration of flavors both familiar and alien. He seems content just to observe, his presence both comforting and slightly unnerving.

"This is amazing," you say between bites. "But… why go through all this trouble?"

His eyes flicker slightly as he steps closer to the table. "Because your happiness matters," he states as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

You swallow hard, feeling a strange mix of emotions swirling within you. This was supposed to be fake—a ploy to get your mother off your back—but sitting here under his intense gaze makes it all feel unsettlingly real.

As if sensing your turmoil, Morpheus leans down slightly. "Relax," he murmurs softly. "Tonight is for enjoyment and for us to learn of each other." Right. You need to learn how to act with each other if you are going to fool your mother into thinking he really is your husband! This is actually rather smart on his part, your mother is studious and it will take a great act to pull this off.

You pick up your fork again, trying to ignore the way Morpheus' eyes follow your every move. A nearly impossible task.

"So," you say between bites of something that tastes like roasted nectarines but isn't quite. "I suppose we should get to know each other better."

Morpheus inclines his head slightly. "Indeed." He does wish to know his wife after all.

You take another bite, savoring the burst of flavors before continuing. "My mother... she's something else. Very overbearing and pushy. Always has been."

His gaze remains steady. "In what ways?"

"Well," you start, choosing your words carefully, "she's always been obsessed with the idea of me getting married. It's like she can't see me as an individual until I'm someone else's 'better half.' Every conversation circles back to it, no matter what."

Morpheus listens intently, his expression thoughtful. "That must be challenging for you."

You nod vigorously, feeling a rush of relief at his understanding. "It's exhausting. She sets me up on these endless blind dates, each one more disastrous than the last. And when I finally thought I'd had enough and told her I am married..." You trail off, the heat of embarrassment climbing up your neck once more.

His eyes flicker. "You invoked my name."

"Yes," you admit, feeling a bit sheepish. "It seemed like the perfect solution at the time. You seemed... unreachable enough to be convincing."

Morpheus remains silent for a moment, absorbing your words. He is honored that you chose him. Then he speaks softly, "I see why you sought an escape."

You let out a breath you didn't realize you were holding. "Exactly. But now she's even more insistent on meeting my 'husband.' That's why I needed your help."

He nods again, "Your mother seeks control through her demands," he observes.

"Yes," you agree quickly, glad he understands so clearly. "She can't stand not being in control or not knowing everything about my life."

"And this," he says slowly, his eyes never leaving yours, "is your way of reclaiming some autonomy."

"Exactly," you confirm, feeling a strange sense of validation from his words.

He stands closer to the table now, looking down at you with an intensity that makes your heart skip a beat. "Then we shall make sure it is convincing," he declares firmly.

You nod again, feeling more resolute than ever before as you continue to eat the otherworldly meal set before you. Morpheus watches silently but with an air of approval that somehow makes everything feel just a bit more bearable.

You take a delicate sip from your glass, the sparkling liquid dancing on your tongue. You glance up at Morpheus, who remains a stoic figure despite the warm glow of the room. "So," you begin, setting down your glass with a soft clink against the table, "if we're going to be convincing, I should probably know more about you. My mother will ask a million questions."

Morpheus folds his hands behind his back, and for a moment, you wonder if he'll dismiss your request. But then he nods, a cascade of raven hair shifting with the movement. "Very well," he concedes. "Ask what you wish to know."

"Let's start simple," you say. "What do I call you? Morpheus? Dream? Lord Shaper?" You try to keep your tone light, but there's an undercurrent of eagerness to your words. You do actually want to know more about him.

"Morpheus will suffice," he replies. It would be odd for his wife to call him anything but.

You nod and cut into another exotic dish. If only you could have cooking like this everyday. "And what do I say about what you do?" The question hangs in the air like an early morning mist.

"I am the custodian of dreams," Morpheus states simply. "I oversee the realm where humans wander in their sleep."

"That sounds... poetic," you murmur, trying to imagine how to translate that into something your mother would understand without sounding like you've completely lost touch with reality. You'd tell her that he is a sleep doctor or something like that, she'd like that you have married a doctor. That sounded plausible.

He inclines his head slightly. "It is one of my many responsibilities."

"And what should I say about how we met?" Your heart beats a little faster with this question; it's personal and could unravel everything if not handled carefully.

A flicker of something passes through his eyes—amusement perhaps? "Tell her we met in dreams," he suggests. "It is not untrue."

You chuckle softly at that. "Right, because that won't raise any eyebrows."

Morpheus regards you for a moment before continuing. "We can say that our paths crossed during one of my... excursions into the waking world."

"Excursions?" Your curiosity piques as you take another bite, this time from a fruit that bursts with sweetness.

"Yes," he confirms. "I occasionally walk among mortals to better understand them."

"Okay." You let out a slow breath, trying to commit each detail to memory. You met in a park. "Anything else I should know? Any hobbies or interests that might come up?"

Morpheus pauses before answering, as if considering what might be relevant. "I have an affinity for creation," he finally says. "The crafting of things both tangible and ephemeral." You'd tell her that he liked to make sculptures or something. She wouldn't be too interested in the details, just about his skill level and with the way he speaks, well… you would have no problems.

You nod again, it's an answer that gives enough away without revealing too much—a perfect balance for this charade. You look up at him with renewed determination.

"Alright," you say firmly. "Let's make sure we have our story straight."

Date Published: 12/11/24

Last Edit: 12/11/24

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[nonuniverse-tarot]

How Does Your Person View You?

This reading is the subjective point of view from your person. It might be or might not be true.

Pile 1. Pile 2. Pile 3.

Pile 1:

You're always on the move and not very emotional. You go and get what you want and aren't afraid to fight for it. You defend your point of view/ believes , but you don't go out of your way to start conflicts. If you're being attacked, then obviously you'll defend yourself.

They see you're up in your head a lot. Very dreamy, imaginative, full of ambition. A little stubborn at times, but with reason. To them, you're standing on stable ground and have valid reasons to be stubborn.

They see you as a knowledgeable person and that you have so many opportunities to succeed in whatever you put your energy in (however they view success).

They don't see you as an emotional person because you haven't really let them see that part of you. When things are getting too personal, you might change the topic and revert back to the composed you.

They admire you. They see you so high up and that you are capable of achieving anything and everything. For most of you, your person has seen you evolve into this 'new' you. They want to know you better, including your emotional side.

Songs: More Than A Friend - girli | Washing Machine Heart (Speed) - Mitski | Two - Sleeping At Last

Pile 2:

An old soul. You're not new in this world let alone, in this universe. They feel like you've gone through so much, but that you've learned from that and continued your path. You're not living in the past. You reflect a lot, but they see you applying what you have learned, into the present.

They think you're a bit lonely, even misunderstood, for some of you. You're so in tune with nature/universe/spirit - what that might look like for your person. You know what you're feeling, why you're feeling it, and what you'll do about it. They see you as a calm collected person.

There's this fear of getting close to you because they don't feel that they're at your level. They view you as knowledgeable in regards to spiritual topics and your person thinks they aren't so spiritual. They are open to it, but there's this irrational fear of you looking down on them for not knowing much.

Regardless of gender, they view you as a masculine person. You make decisions and act upon them. They're amazed by you and they think that you don't think very highly of them. You might have a bit of a resting bitch face without knowing.

Songs: She Likes A Boy - Nxdia | Miss You - Louis Tomlinson | Magia Blanca - Hermanos Carrion

Pile 3:

You limit yourself a lot but they also see you so free, flowing, and in tune with yourself, but for some reason, you limit yourself so much. Your person is frustrated. They don't know what they can do to help you realize this.

"Why do they stop themselves so much? Why do they hold themselves back so much? Why do they hide so much? Why aren't they showing their authentic self, their talents, their light to the world?"

From their point of view, there's nothing holding you back from doing anything. The Devil and 10 of Swords are in reverse - meaning you are free to do what you wish, but you think so low of yourself for a reason they don't understand or see, causing all those opportunities and freedom from happening.

It seems that you're open and trust your person, that's why they see all these amazing things about you. They have strong feelings towards you, but they feel that if they let you know, you'll reject them because of your poor self-esteem.

You think you're the worst being in the world, but they don't understand why you would think such a thing. They see you as the brightest light. The brightest of them all.

"Why are they looking for a devil that isn't there?"

Songs: I Really F**ked It Up - girli | Chance With You - mehiro | Drinking With Cupid - VOILÀ

~*~*~*~

I hope you liked the reading! Thank you for being here!

[drdemonprince]

what was your journey from libertarian to leftest/anarchist like?

well, as a teen i hated authority and society and wanted complete freedom so i was a libertarian. then i realized i was gay and trans and libertarianism weren't gonna do shit for me. when obama won in 2008 i noticed that i felt relieved, even though i had not voted for him. I went away to academia shortly after that, and became surrounded by liberal people, all of them doing research with a liberal point of view, and what do you know, product of my social environment and queer and desperate for acceptance among the group that said they cared about me, I became a liberal too.

over time academia mistreated me and rejected me for who i really was, and i started to transition and realize that i was disabled. i became more left-leaning frankly because it seemed like that was the only way to be able to survive as what i was, identity wise, and find anyone at all who would correctly gender me or tolerate me. if you want to be able to hang out with other trans people and have them treat you right, there are values you basically have to say that you subscribe to. anyone who didn't subscribe to those political values was mistreated, viewed skeptically, talked to like they were dumb, and ostracized. and some of those values did make sense to me, whereas others didn't.

i saw people pushed to the social margins for being libertarians, for instance, as if that is a political ideology that carries any danger when some random trans woman with a very weak social support system says in a support group that she maybe kinda subscribes to it. i was even terrified of people finding out that i used to believe in anything "wrong" according to the social dogma, for a while. but i tried to make the most sense of the confusing tangle of community held beliefs as i could, so that i wouldnt be completely ostracized from both straight and queer society at once. and so I was vaguely leftist, but with a confused understanding of systemic oppression based on identity (among lots of other things, like abolition and anti-colonialism), and a deep terror of ever saying anything that would ever get me criticized/cancelled/viewed as a bad person.

and then the pandemic happened and i wasn't so beholden to mass community scrutiny anymore. i read a ton i looked at how politics actually plays out, and i got a little bit more capable and secure in myself and came to similarly feel awed by how much people are really capable of when they aren't being controlled or dependent upon approval in order to survive. and anarchy basically asserted that it had always been there in me, i just hadn't known the name for it. and by then i felt safe and strong enough and had enough faith in others to decide it was okay to have opinions that others disagreed with, and that i wouldn't starve out in the cold if i gave voice to them.

like a lot of people, i had misconceptions about what anarchism really was and writers like Graeber, Wengrow, Solnit, etc really disabused me of that notion and made me understand that it wasn't a scary worldview at all, it was the most human and accepting one there really was out there.

My political journey has not been especially principled or philosophical, it has been emotional, intuitive, and rooted in a lot of social influences. i think that's what most political ideologies are about for people, ultimately, belonging and safety.

I was originally a political scientist by training and in that field's body of research we see that most people do not have consistent political belief systems, they agree to a mish-mosh of statements and support various policies that don't all add up in a logically explicable way. they also don't tend to have stable views over time. just as i think morality is a pretty bad explanation of why humans do what they do, and why we help eachother and avoid doing harm, it's very evident that political ideology is a piss poor predictor of political behavior or affiliation. the far clearer explanation far more consistent with the evidence is that people politically align themselves based on their social milleu and their feelings.

this is why i always feel myself holding back from dying for a cause, and blanch when MLMs start talking about needing to do all they can to bring about communism with an almost religious fervor (beyond the fact that such thinking also doesn't line up with a lot of communist thought and theory about how capitalism falls anyway). i dont think that any of these ideologies really carry all that much weight or influence people's actions, affiliations, or political behavior on the level we all pretend that they do. i dont think they're "real". anarchy is more of a philosophy of how to relate to other people in daily life, for me, rather than a religion about how the world needs to be or where we specifically need to be heading. it's more big-I Ideological for plenty of other people, and again, i blanch when they start preaching about it as if their whole life is in service to the idea of it. I think we do anarchism by living as if we're free, every day. and that's what i care about, if i'm being honest. feeling free, safe, and cared for by some other people, without conditions, right now.

[archangeldyke-all]

rough sex with cowboy sevi after an argument 🫣🫣

i miss cowboy sev

i was just thinking about cowboy sevika omg

men and minors dni

the bar's been suspiciously quiet this evening.

you put the girls to bed around eight like you've been making a habit of doing: you read somewhere once that giving kids a steady schedule makes them feel secure. you don't know if it's true, you've only been doing this parenting shit for a year, but you and sevika are trying your best.

still. despite their usual bedtime, both girls are restless sleepers. most nights, one or both of them will make several trips down from their room in the inn upstairs to sit at the bar for a while, watching you work and entertaining the locals who've come by for a drink.

tonight, you haven't heard a peep from either.

and most nights, after the girls finally settle down and all your patrons either head up to their rooms or stroll home, sevika will finish her share of the night-chores and then meet you in the bar. it's your nightly tradition: you pour her a whiskey, make yourself whatever you're in the mood for, and the two of you sit side by side, chatting and laughing and occasionally slow-dancing in the moonlight to the sound of sevika humming a tune.

but tonight, sevika doesn't come find you.

you do a final sweep of the floor, wipe off the bar one last time, and take off to find your wife-- assuming she's fallen asleep somewhere or is in the girls' room.

only, as you climb the stairs to the second floor, you realize that the linen closet at the end of the hall hasn't been replenished with fresh towels and sheets for tomorrow's guests. you pause, looking out the window and huffing at the sight of the sheets blowing on the line in the night breeze.

stomping back down the stairs, you march outside and snatch the linens off the line. on your way back inside-- you realize the chicken's coop is still open. you groan as you climb into their pen and close up the coop, careful not to let the bundle of sheets in your arms touch the shitty, hay covered ground.

these are sevika's chores. this is the shit she's supposed to be doing all night while you're taking care of the customers. tonight, it seems, she's decided that you can take care of it all.

you expect to find sevika in bed, you're a little worried she might have a fever or something. she's usually so good about doing all her chores-- the only time she doesn't is when she's sick or the kids are bugging her.

but, after twenty minutes of folding and stacking the laundry and a quick check in on the girls, you get to your room only to find it empty.

your heart sinks. you stumble out of your room and down the stairs, checking the girls' room again-- thinking maybe your eyes had missed sevika slumped to sleep in the reading chair or one of the girl's bed on your first check.

but when you push open the door and take a real good look around the room, you nearly shit yourself when you realize that the twin lumps in vi's bed aren't your kids: they're a lump of pillows with the comforter on top.

your mind starts to go a mile a minute. there's no way something's happened to your family... right? there were people here all night, someone would've said something if they saw sevika or the girls in trouble.

but then... where are they?

as you descend to the main floor, you start to choke with panic.

sevika's got a shady past and a whole lot of enemies-- people who are willing to do evil things in the name of revenge.

and you still haven't figured out what really happened with the girl's birth-parents. for all you know: they could've been killed because they were in some kinda trouble themselves-- there could be people out there you don't even know about looking to hurt violet and powder.

you're on the verge of tears by the time you reach shimmer's stable.

but when the sound of giggles and whinnying reach your ears, relief floods your body.

you pull open the stable door with a slam, glaring at sevika where she's helping the girls off shimmer's back. three pairs of guilty eyes snap up to look at you, and sevika whispers a 'fuck' under her breath. violet muffles giggles at the curse.

"where the fuck have you three been!?" you cry.

powder springs off of shimmer's back-- fearless of the fact that she falls a distance twice as tall as her tiny body, and runs up to hug your legs, defaulting into puppy-eyes as her defense. "don't be mad." she pouts, blinking up at you.

"i couldn't sleep, so sevika took us out to see the stars." violet cuts in as she cautiously jumps down from shimmer's back to wrap her arms around your waist. "we thought you wouldn't notice..." she says guiltly, rubbing the back of her neck.

the anger and panic in your body leaves momentarily. you can't be mad at the kids-- not when they're so fucking cute. you roll your eyes at their pouts, then ruffle their heads and nod your head toward the inn.

"go wash up and get in bed. y'all better be sleepin' by the time i come in." you threaten, kissing both their heads and gently pushing them out of the stable. violet jumps up to kiss your cheek, then takes powder's hand and drags her out of the stable: aware that sevika's in the doghouse and not wanting to catch any stray punishments.

you turn your loving gaze away from the kids, the anger in you picking back up as you glare at your wife. sevika shrinks on herself.

"sevika, what the fuck!?" you shout. she cringes and sighs.

"i'm s--"

"i thought something bad happened sev. i come up to bed and my wife's not there-- then i check on my kids and they're fucking pillows under the blankets-- sevika, i thought--"

"darlin', i'm so sorry." she cuts you off, reaching forward and trying to touch you. you smack her hand away, snarling at her. "i thought we'd be back way sooner! we got distracted-- there were so many shootin' stars tonight-- it musta been a meteor shower or som--"

"sevika!" you cut her off. she cringes again. you smack her shoulder, then turn around to storm back inside.

"where're you goin?!" sevika calls after you as you walk out of the stable.

"inside!"

"i'm not done putting shimmer to bed!" sevika says, reaching out and grabbing your wrist.

"i don't give a fuck, sevika--"

"well i do!" she cries. she spins you around in her arms, her grip on your upper arms strong and solid. you couldn't squirm away if you tried. "i'm not lettin' you go to bed mad at me, baby, i'm not breakin' our wedding vows. so come back to the stable while i finish up with shimmer, and you can scold me all you want."

your nostrils flare a bit, and sevika raises an eyebrow at you. you're simultaneously furious and touched-- sevika's sweet words making you fall all the more in love with her even though you wish you could smack her right now. eventually, you sigh. "fine."

sevika tries to bite back her smirk, but you still elbow her ribs anyways-- seeing the way her lips twitch at the corner as she guides you back to the stable with a hand on the small of your back.

you push her off of you when you're back inside the stable, not yet ready to give up being mad at her and knowing you'll be putty in her hands if she keeps touching you. "sevika, do you know how fuckin' scared i was?" you whisper.

sevika sighs, hanging her head as she walks toward her mare. "i'm sorry. really. i didn't even think how spooked you'd be if you caught us-- i didn't think you'd catch us at all!" she defends.

you scoff an exasperated laugh. "just-- next time you fucking kidnap the kids, leave me a note?" you ask.

sevika huffs, pulling the saddle off of shimmer's back and shooting you a little glare. "it's not kidnapping to take my own kids out." she grunts. you roll your eyes.

"you know my point--"

"--and maybe, if you let them ride with me in the first place i wouldn't have to sneak 'em out!" she shouts.

you groan. "oh, for fuck's sake sevika, not this shit again."

"they need to learn!"

"they're too fuckin' small to even get on the horse!" you cry. "they're babies sevika, you don't put a baby on the back of a wild animal!"

"shimmer is not a wild animal!" sevika shouts, stepping into your space, backing you against the wall with her glare. "and i'd been riding for years by the time i was their age! you're just scared about the horse 'cause you can't ride."

"you left the fuckin' linens out!"

sevika falters, her glower cracking for a moment as a smile pulls at her lips. you try to ignore the urge to giggle at the way sevika's lips twitch-- you want to be mad goddammit-- but you let a little huff of laughter out despite yourself.

"that's what this is all about, huh?" sevika teases, tentatively. "mad you had to do the laundry?"

"fuck off-- i'm mad because--"

"take your fucking shirt off." sevika grunts.

it's your turn to falter, blinking up at your wife in surprise. her gaze is hot and heavy, her tongue darts out to lick her lower lip as her eyes catch on your own mouth. you gulp.

"w-what?" you squeak.

she smirks, then reaches out to cup your face, ducking down to gently kiss your jaw, your neck, your shoulder. you gulp. "i really am sorry, darlin'." she drawls, nipping your earlobe. "i didn't wanna scare you. just wanted to do somethin' special for 'em."

you relax a bit into her touch, then shove her away. sevika stumbles backwards and lands in a haybale, blinking up at you in shock. you smirk down at her. "you're cute." you say. sevika gulps. "but if you're gonna try 'n talk you way outta this one, i got a much better place for your mouth."

sevika whimpers, and then she's clawing at your hips, getting your lower half bare while she simultaneously tries to pull you up to straddle her face. you chuckle above her, shuffling a bit as you remove your garments, then sinking your fingers into her hair.

she looks ravenous. her eyes are locked on your cunt, her tongue licking her lips as she squirms beneath you, anxiously waiting for you to sink down onto her mouth.

"say it again." you demand. sevika blinks up at you, confused.

"say what?"

"apologize."

sevika grins. "i'm so sor--mpf--" you chuckle as you sink down onto her mouth, cutting her off mid sentence. her eyes roll back in her head, and her fingernails sink into your hips as she moans against your cunt.

you pull up for just a moment, watching her gasp for air beneath you and giggling. "what was that, baby?" you ask.

sevika's responding grin is dazzling. in the back of your mind, it occurs to you that this is probably not a very effective punishment for your wife-- if anything you might be giving her incentive to piss you off even more. "i'm sorry, darlin'." sevika repeats, blinking her eyelashes at you. you giggle. oh, well, you think as you sink back down onto her mouth.

sevika's tongue is devious, you have to bite the back of your hand to keep from screaming and waking up all your inn-guests just a few yards away.

"shit-- you know i hate folding the sheets." you grunt as you grind against her face. she laughs against your cunt. "i got chickenshit all over my good shoes closin' the coop, too-- fuck, baby, just like that." you whine.

one of sevika's hands sneaks up from your waist to start palming your tits under your shirt. you groan.

beside you, shimmer makes a little grunt, like she's disgusted. sevika just flips her horse off before putting her hand right back on your tits.

you burst into giggles, on the brink of cumming and worked up from the spat you'd just been in, and then sigh. "fuck, i love you, sevika."sevika groans underneath you, shivering and shaking, and when you realize she's cum in her pants, you fall apart on top of her. "i love you, i love you, i love you, i love you, baby, fuck!" you cry.

you're not sure how long you grind your hips against your wife's mouth as you chase your orgasm, but eventually she pushes you away and takes a big gulp of air-- so you assume it was long enough to suffocate her.

still, she looks pretty happy about almost being killed underneath you.

you laugh down at her, then crawl down her body to press your lips to hers, licking the taste of you from her tongue. she hums against you, her hands groping your bare ass as you lazily kiss.

"how much d'ya wanna bet you woke up a guest?" she asks.

you groan, hiding your face against her throat in embarrassment. "i wasn't that loud, was i?"

"sev! sev! sev, i love you, you're so good, you're the best wife in the world--" you shove your hand against her lips, cutting off her horrible impression of your own voice.

"i do not sound like that!" you squeal.

sevika smacks your ass as she laughs. you smile at the sound, pressing kisses agianst her throat as you both catch your breath.

"thank you." you mumble eventually. sevika picks her head up from the hay bale to stare down at you like you're crazy. you laugh.

"for scarin' the shit outta you?" she asks. you giggle.

"no, jackass. for makin' us fight it out-- makin' sure we didn't go to bed angry. fuckin' me so well." you list off. sevika snorts, and presses a firm kiss to your head.

"'s my pleasure, darlin'."

taglist!

@fyeahnix @sapphicsgirl @half-of-a-gay @thesevi0lentdelights @sexysapphicshopowner @shimtarofstupidity @chuucanchuucan @badbye666 @femme-historian @lia-winther @gr0ssz0mbi3 @ellsss @sevikaspillowprincess @leomatsuzaki @emiliabby @sevikasbeloved @hellorai @vikasub @glass-apothecary @m0numents @macaroni676 @vixel352 @artinvain

[bonny-kookoo]

Hey, I found Sweet Tooth and absolutely loved it.

I wanted to ask you if you'd write an intermediate scenario or something before she's warmed up to Yoongi, where she throws a tantrum and hurts herself, and they go to the doctor, where she overhears someone advising Jimin that it's totally normal to let go of a problematic hybrid or pet especially if your partner doesn't like them, and there are shelters that take them in?

And with her heightened Cat hearing it freaks her out into shutting her tantrums down long term - but jimin is oblivious to her fear because things are going so well with Yoongi?

"So, just for protocol, how exactly did it happen?" A nurse asks, while you're being treated in another room, door slightly opened just in case she's needed at any point.

"She.. her living situation changed quite drastically. And she has trouble adapting." Jimin admits to her gently, tone soft to not be heard by you. "My partner and her.. don't get along very well. And she sometimes acts a bit out, which causes accidents like this." He further details, sighing. "They were fighting over something, and my partner accidentally closed the door on her tail as she went out. It was absolutely not intentional!"

"Hm, yeah, it's sometimes hard for hybrids to adapt. You also have another hybrid?" She asks, reading your medical info on the computer screen while she taps away some more info.

"Yes, my partner's. A canine hybrid." He informs her, and she nod.

"You know, it's a totally reasonable thing to think about moving one out." She suggests to jimin, who's face starts to become a little confused and irritated. "Giving her past history, she's a bit problematic, so her behavior is quite natural. There's tons of good places for hybrids like her though- since it's generally recommended to keep hybrids of both her category and behavioral issues in stable families as a single hybrid."

"Thats.. no, she's just.." jimin stammers, having never even thought about it once. But how are you feeling right now? Is he really doing the right thing, or is he just being selfish by hoping you'll adapt at some point?

And will you really adapt, or just admit defeat?

"I'll write down some numbers, alright? It's your choice to make." She suggests gently. He can sense that she really only has your best interest in mind. "This down here is Dr. Kim Taehyung, he's an expert in hybrid behavioral therapy. He might even take her in himself!" She suggests, before giving jimin the note. "Think about it."

He doesn't have to. He could never give you away like that.

Back home, something's definitely wrong though, ecer since that incident. You're quiet, detached, don't even interact with Jungkook anymore- the poor canine hybrid having tried everything from your favorite snacks to a collection of his personal favorite plushies. Nothing seems to get a reaction out of you anymore.

And what's the oddest, is how you just.. listen to whatever yoongi tells you to do.

Wash the dishes? You'll do it, quietly. You'll even dry them and put them away to your best abilities.

Make your bed? You even do laundry if he tells you to, even though you struggle to memorize all the different settings and programs.

Set the table? You'll just do it, robotically, not even a roll of your eyes.

One might think yoongi would enjoy this new, quiet side of you- but he doesn't. The guilt about accidentally hurting you that day still eats him alive, the sound of your painful cries still haunting him in his sleep.

Jimin, however, doesn't seem to realize the secerity of the situation. He tries to reassure his partner by saying that you'll just need some time, that hospitals just spook you, and that you maybe just want to be a good girl for once.

But Jungkook especially, is concerned. This isn't like you, and it's not a normal change of mind either. No one just flips around like a switch over night like that.

"I'll go to work now, yeah?" Jungkook tells you- but you just nod, no protest coming from you. Jungkook's ears droop down, tail limp behind him as he throws Yoongi a helpless look, before he leaves for work, leaving you and the oldest human alone in the house.

"Alright, I'm done with this." He says, and you look at him at that, fearful.

He hates it. Why are you scared of him?

"I promise you, I didn't mean to hurt you that day." Yoongi runs a hand through his hair, before he sits down on the couch next to you, with respectful distance. "I'm sorry. I really am."

"Its fine." You just state, but he shakes his head.

"Its not fine. Nothing is fine at all." He denies. "Is there anything else that happened? Something bothering you?" He asks, but you just shake your head. "If you don't want to talk to me, then talk to Jimi-"

"He wants to give me away." You say, pulling up your legs to yourself.

"...what?" Yoongi asks in disbelief. Jimin loves you- he'd never give you away- he'd probably much rather admit defeat in this relationship than give you up.

"The nurse and him.. talked about stuff." You mumble into your knees. "He got like.. she wrote down some numbers for him. One of them a doctor.. for behavior problems and stuff.." you explain, tail wrapping around yourself in comfort. "Because it's alright to give up shitty hybrids like me. You know." You shrug. "Cause I'm supposed to be alone."

"Thats bullshit." Yoongi declines, crossing his arms. "Everything about this. He'd never give you away, and neither are you shitty or supposed to be alone." He denies, getting up to get his phone- accidentally digging in the pockets of the wrong coat, fingers finding a note instead.

Three numbers. One of them labeled 'Dr. Kim Taehyung'

..are you possibly telling the truth? Does jimin really want to go this far just to save his relationship with him? He knows he should probably feel flattered. But he doesn't.

Not one bit.

"Its probably the best." You say from the couch still, looking over the backrest of it, ears down low. He's never seen you this.. insecure before. Vulnerable. "Then you'll all be happy. And maybe I can get fixed." You shrug, when Yoongi walks closer, hand on your head making you look up.

"There's nothing wrong with you." He denies, note clenched in his fist as he just crumples it up. "And you're not going to be alone." He says, walking upstairs into his office.

And you swear, just for a second, his eyes seemed to sparkle a little from unshed tears bubbling up.

[possamble]

Do you have any headcanons or thoughts about Falin having a crush on Marcille pre-canon? Especially during her later years at the school/the years she was with Laios.

Just full on "awkward and slightly gnc teenage lesbian has a massive crush on the touchy-feely girly girl straight best friend" tropes everywhere. Even better bc it's the "best friend is also the popular girl while lesbian is the slightly ostracized quiet one" dynamic in school. Falin gets so so so good at not having a heart attack every time Marcille gets in her personal space. But she's so resigned to never saying anything bc why would a girl as blinding as Marcille ever like her back. She also doesn't make an effort to get over it either, she's just content to be trapped in that stable dynamic of silently being in love with Marcille while getting to enjoy CLEARLY being Marcille's favourite person. She gets so used to it that it's almost just background noise most of the time-- it would have to be, unless she wanted to be freaking out 24/7 bc Marcille is so goddamn affectionate.

Her feelings also definitely change throughout the time that they're in school together-- at first it was this "whooaaah pretty older girl" puppy crush that you can clearly see developing in the flashbacks we get (I think she doesn't even like... realize her fixation on Marcille is romantic at all until years after it starts, when she's 12-14 ish and all the other girls around her are talking about crushes). But then they get closer, over the years Marcille starts getting really attached and letting down her guard, and Falin gets to see the ridiculous side of her. She gets to calm her down from her tantrums when experiments don't work out, or help her clean up when something explodes in her face. I feel like the progression of her feelings from "schoolgirl infatuation" to "unrequited love" probably almost exactly corresponds to how slowly Marcille goes from trying to keep Falin at a polite but friendly distance (like she does with everyone else) to her facade completely eroding as she becomes her cheerful and ridiculous self again for the first time since her father died.

That's probably the saddest part: Falin knows that she's clearly Marcille's favourite person on the surface level, but she doesn't quite fully grasp the enormity of what that means to Marcille. She doesn't get that she's the person who made the world colorful again for Marcille, that she is the first person outside of Marcille's family to really and truly make her laugh. She just thinks she's the beloved but dinky little short-lived sidekick, one of many that Marcille has had and will have.

Part of it is that, despite Marcille becoming such a clingy and affectionate best friend, I think her initial demeanour already did its damage. You see Falin being super adventurous and weird at first, bringing Marcille berries and other stuff, only to be rebuffed by Marcille exasperatedly saying she's working or looking kind of put off by it. And by the time you see her a little older, shes already quieter and better at masking -- and I'm not saying that that's entirely Marcille's fault (being the weird girl at an all girls academy for almost the entirety of her teenhood must have been brutal, my god) but she definitely learned that she's a potential nuisance to Marcille if she doesn't tone herself down. She learned that Marcille most likely sees her as a weird little kid following her around bc she has no other friends. And for the most part, she was never given any reason to unlearn any of that.

And that all very very smoothly transitions into Marcille being her "first love that was never meant to be anyway" when she leaves the academy. Chapter closed in her mind: she loved and pined from a distance and that was that. Every now and then she'll see another woman with Marcille's build or her shade of hair and be like ":( I miss her..." But then just kinda move on with her day. Same with when she's going through her own spellbook and finds a note that Marcille left her/correction that she made-- she'll smile fondly and reminisce about how much Marcille doted on her, and then move on.

Sometimes she thinks about contacting Marcille but convinces herself that it's too late (she spent too many months focusing on getting Laios healthy again and didn't mean to go no contact, but ah well). It's only when she has a practical reason to be reaching out that would also benefit Marcille ("Marcille is studying dungeons and we need a trustworthy mage to go with us to the dungeons") that she feels like she's allowed/that it wouldn't just be 100% a nuisance.

I almost think she didn't expect Marcille to reply at all, only to get a telegraph (or some in-universe equivalent of express mail, maybe magical pigeon carrier) that's like. EN ROUTE TO ISLAND. LETTER TO FOLLOW. and she freaks out like AAAA LAIOS SHE SAID YES WE HAVE TO CLEAN UP NOW.

I do think getting a response accidentally sparks a little hope in her, judging by the way she acts in the chp 57 flashback-- she's pouty that Marcille sees her as a kid, gets really worked up about being presentable, and then tries to play it cool when she actually meets Marcille (as if she didn't freak out and force Laios to shave while rambling a mile a minute about Marcille). She's an adult now, really and truly, and she's seen and survived things that her 18 yr old self would have never even imagined-- then all of a sudden, the person she was in love with since she was ten years old appears, and she's so desperate to be seen as mature and competent. She's trying soooo hard to impress Marcille with her newfound combat and dungeoneering experience...

Only to fall right back into their old dynamic. RIP. At least she gets the girl eventually, even if it takes dying twice and being the core catalyst behind an almost-apocalypse.

[moonspiritmars]

ope I just realized a big reason I was feeling really frustrated/angry on behalf of Evan with the discourse surrounding if K asked for consent or not to fix Evan's arm was because as an autistic person, Evan reads very autistic to me. So when I see people say K asked for consent and then go back and watch the scene and the words "can I try to fix that poorly healed bone," are not explicitly said, I think about all the times I have been harmed by people being vague (both on purpose and not) and not saying what they really mean. The amount of times people have said that I gave consent for something when I very much did not, because they interpreted what I said as consent to fit their narrative and actions is much too many, and for so long people wrote it off as me being naive, turned it around on me, made it my fault when I was the one harmed, the one with my boundaries violated. Oof.

I have had this happen with malicious people and I've had it with non-malicious people, and that's important because K is not malicious, I think they just care so much that sometimes they don't know where to put all that love and care. Also, I read K as neurodivergent/could see them being neurodivergent too, so this isn't me saying they were acting like a neurotypical person, I just think that even neurodivergent people sometimes get really wrapped up communicating in their own ways and forget that for some of us our understanding of language is deeply literal and reading between the lines/interpreting our words differently than what was explicitly stated can be really, really harmful for all parties involved. (sometimes I can hurt people too with my literalism! it's not all black and white obviously)

Like I said, I feel deeply for K because deep down at their core I truly believe their actions aren't about seeing people/things as objects needing to be fixed (despite it coming off that way sometimes), I just think they see themselves as inherently worthless if they are not always using all of their energy trying to help. I get that, and how it feels like you're drowning when you're not giving yourself away to people and causes because theres too much, always too much, love and care and concern and it makes you feel like you're going to implode. One of the hardest lessons I've learned is that sometimes my need to help, to fix, to care, to give, is a little bit more about having control than it is just wanting to help. When you grow up with chronic instability you claw and scratch at anything that might anchor you, and often it's the need to feel like you have worth, you mean something to other people, and you're willing to give yourself away as long as it means you have stable footing beneath you. All of that is to say that I do not blame K (or other people with similar circumstances to mine) for having an unhealthy relationship to control, it's just that in learning so many of my actions are also attached to deep insecurity I've been allowed to finally start healing the way I deserve to heal, and I just want that for others too.

Anyway I need to get my Sam post out before the next episode because I didn't finish it and then watched last nights episode and that was a huge mistake because now I have even more I wanna write about. She is such a complex and beautiful character and every single one of her actions speaks to who she is at her core and I just wanna give her a hug. Truly feels like the peak example of being alone doesn't always mean you're lonely, and being lonely does't always mean you're alone.

anyways pls don't get mad at me I'm sorry if anything came off wrong, all I was hoping to do was explain why I was feeling the way I was in case it helps others understand why they were feeling similar/different things during that scene. Like I said, I love K, and also this wasn't slander towards anyone who isn't autistic (also autism manifests in different ways), I just realized how my experience as an autistic person with adhd always really shapes how I view the media I consume and found it illuminating in this scenario especially.

(can you tell I've been chronically misunderstood my entire life by the way I'm prematurely apologizing also people being upset with me makes my tummy hurt because I take it really personally and would rather keep the peace than hold firm to my opinion at times)

((but I mean if I said something wrong I wanna know asddfgjrlgk wow y'all are learning a whole lot about how my brain works through a lil post about dnd oops))

[badmuni]

↺ jay as a boyfriend ↻

jay is straight forward when it comes to his desires.

so once he sets his goal, it's done. he doesn't give up until he gets what he wants

and as he wanted you, jay invested in all the way

buying things, planning dates, and mainly, trying to help and support you in all aspects.

he doesn't say but he likes the chase. nothing too crazy, but he likes he idea of making you fall for him. that's why he gave so much of himself since the start

but the funny thing is, he fell hard before even you

and everybody knew about it.

jay, without realizing it, was talking about you all the time. literally anything reminded him of you

“oh... i feel like eating cookies” sunoo says randomly. “oh really? y/n loves eating cookies...” jay said from across the room and the boys started to laugh. “oh gosh he's putting y/n in the conversation again...” sunghoon responds. “until the end of the day we will know everything about y/n, for real” jake complained.

it was indeed true.

when you and jay became a couple, you inevitably became close with his friends, because he likes to show you off

also keeping you around him.

and since jay likes to keep you close, he would want to take you anywhere with him

because he has a busy life, jay thinks that any moment with you is precious, so even if he needs to go to the dentist, he asks “y/n do you want to come with me?”

sounds hilarious, but it's just the way he takes things.

jay values the closeness, the moments and every little efforts

he's a devoted man.

the type to buy you flowers, expensive jewelry and call you his love

cause being with jay you would never not feel safe.

he is always true, never hiding anything or lying to you

he brings all the stability to the table.

thinks about the future and isn't afraid to tell you the things he thinks you can achieve together

.... he wants his last name on yours (or your last name on his?)

it's that type of love.

exclusively, jay is very patient with you

if you don't know something, he'll teach you, or show you how to take it, and he will love to do that

jay feels good when he feels needed by you

the guidance role—loving you with all his heart like he never loved somebody before, and making that clear for you.

deep talker—who might whisper words like, “you. you're the only one for me. the only one i want and desire.”

jay can be very intense with his feelings and emotions

and because of that, jealousy brings out the worst in him

he may, perhaps, be jealous constantly...

if you look at other man, he would automatically feel bad

starts to overthink, “is she still in love with me?”

so you gotta give him reassurance.

just like heeseung, words are very important to jay

he likes to be listened just as much he likes to listen to you

if there are a lot of people around, and you're talking but they don't seem to be paying attention, that wouldn't be a problem, because jay would be there attentive to your every word.

when it comes to arguments, things can get complicated

jay is very stubborn...

he has many opinions and it's too hard to change his mind

since jay is talkative, i know, you know, that when he's stressed he might talk nonstop

keeps trying to prove you his point of view;

things can end up chaotic because of this

he is understandable though...

if he sees you don't want to talk, he gives you space, and may even pull away to give you some alone time

but he always comes back

jay can't stand being away for that long so he always comes back with the excuse, “i can't do this anymore, let's work this out, my love”

jay offers a lot of his affection as a form of apology

even prepares a bathtub with scented candles around it so you can relax

give you massage, or prepare some food for you.

even though jay is so good he also expects to receive the same good treatment

he likes it when you pet him, stroke his hair and tell him you love him

this is the moment he feels the happiest.

overall, jay is a loyal, stable, and undeniably... husband material boyfriend

who would always try his best to make it work, and give you the love you deserve.

୧୨

[ ★ ] — notes: pls pls, tell me if you find mistakes !

# masterlist

© badmuni, 2023

[lily-fics-11]

Maybe I Just Like Seeing You Fired Up (Ellie Williams, TLOU)

This is my first time writing Ellie so I hope you like it. Lmk what you think:)

Inspired by a prompt by @remy-lupin

CW: Not beta read, profanities, sexual undertones, mention of injury, pet names

You rarely got assigned to patrol with Ellie, which was no coincidence. The two of you have a tendency to butt heads. You by no means hate, or even dislike her, you just operate in different ways. Your social circles didn’t overlap, she was a little younger than you. So the only time you had ever spent with her was on patrol, where disagreements were consistent. It only got worse over time. After many others had observed your bickering, the two of you stopped being scheduled together. 

Unfortunately, a few minor injuries had been sustained when an unexpected storm rolled in during a scouting trip yesterday. You hadn’t been there, and neither had Ellie. You were more than willing to pick up the extra shift that they asked you to. 

After emerging into a clearing from some densely packed trees, you look over at Ellie. Her toned arms are crossed and you can tell by the look on her face that she is also pondering what move to make. You run a hand through your hair in frustration, knowing that this would most likely cause the first of many disagreements. 

Ellie is the first to share her thoughts. “That hill looks pretty rocky, we should probably dismount and check how stable the terrain is before trying to take the horses over it.”

Not what you were thinking, but you had been begged to play nice.

You nod at her, “we can do that.”

“Oh really?” Ellie asks smugly.

You dismount your horse and straighten up your posture. “That’s why I said it.”

“I’m just surprised.” Ellie snickers.

You put your hands on your hips. “This shouldn’t take more than a few hours, and we are both adults. I’m sure we can manage to cooperate knowing we shouldn’t have to do this again any time soon.”

Ellie hops off her horse. “I actually agree with you for once.”

“Good, let’s keep it that way.”

The two of you approach the bottom of the hill. The incline is mild, so if the rocks aren’t loose, the trek over could actually save some time. The two of you start to kick and pull at rocks.

At the same time that you say “I’m not so sure about this,” Ellie declares “seems alright to me.” She’s always been a risk taker. 

You look over at Ellie and roll your eyes which causes her to sigh. “So much for getting along,” she mumbles. 

“Come on Ellie, the rocks are stable right at the bottom but there are a few loose ones as you go higher up and for all we know it could get worse.”

“Fine, give me a second to test that theory,” Ellie tells you, sounding a little annoyed as she starts to climb a little higher. 

“Ellie, that's not a good idea. The last thing we need is another injury.”

She gives you a sarcastic smile. “Don’t you worry about me, darlin’, I’ll be careful.”

“Why do you always feel the need to challenge me?” you scoff, head tilted to one side, taking a step towards her. To Ellie that was a challenge, igniting a fire in her emerald eyes. She moves forwards slowly, until your faces are mere inches apart, with a cocky grin on her face. “Maybe I just like seeing you fired up.”

That was not at all what you expected so you retreat a few steps to try and recollect yourself. “What’s that supposed to mean?” You inquire. Her statement was far more personal than anything either of you had ever said to each other, aside from the small talk before you realized that you clashed. From very early on things had been strictly business. Her mischievous eyes roll playfully. “Oh come on, I know you’re smarter than that.”

“Quit fucking around Ellie.” You check the time on your watch, getting impatient. 

“I think we should clear the air,” she suggests with urgency. 

“Of what?” You question, gesturing to the space around you. 

Ellie mimics you, which you do not appreciate. “This tension that we have. I know we don't see eye to eye, but I think there is more to it. How else would a little stubbornness escalate to keeping us separated all the time?” Your eyes wander around, looking for where she got the audacity. 

Ellie is still trying to prove her point. “Like I said, I don’t think that’s it.”

You put your hands up in the air. “I’m out of guesses here.”

“Everyone knows you like girls,” Ellie smirks, “I think you like me.”

“Oh really? I like girls so I must like you, is that it? Fuck off.” You turn away, back towards your horse but Ellie grabs your arm. You try to free yourself from her grip but it’s useless. You look at her over your shoulder. 

“Alright, maybe I’m projecting, but I’ve seen the way you look at me.” She says bluntly. 

You would be lying if you denied how attractive Ellie is. That her smile is endearing and you like how her eyes sparkle when she gets excited about something. You may have even had a bit of a crush on her before you met. But then you actually spoke to her. There was friction and there was another girl pursuing you, so you dropped it.

“But the only reason I’ve noticed is because I’m always looking at you,” Ellie admits, eyes softening as she bites the lips you've tried not to pay attention to. “Ellie, we don't have time for this.”

“Fine, I can wait. I’ll even make a deal with you. We do this your way, and we finish this conversation later.”

Standing on Ellie’s front porch, you hesitate to knock. This was bound to be awkward, like the rest of patrol had been. She had relinquished control and allowed you to call the shots. At least if she had challenged every call you made like she usually does it would not have been silent.

When Ellie opens the door she bites back a smile and lets you in. You follow her into the living room and sit down on her couch. You nervously try to get comfortable. Despite achieving physical comfort, you are anxious as hell. There are a lot of different ways this could go and most of them were bad. But when a girl like Ellie Williams notices you, that’s not something you can just ignore. And when a girl that looks like Ellie Williams asks you to do something, how could you ever say no?

Ellie sits with her legs spread, her elbows resting on her knees. At first she looked down at the floor, even though you were expecting her to talk first.

“So…” you say, trying to find a train of thought. 

Ellie’s glances over at you, looking a little lost at first. But after searching your eyes for a moment you can see her focus on you. “I’m sorry. I invited you here. How was the rest of your day?”

“Nothing special. Just spent some time outside reading.”

“Did you eat something? If not, I can make you something.” You really aren’t used to seeing this softer side of Ellie. Her shit eating grin had seemed to be a permanent fixture on her face. But her smile is sweet, her eyes are soft, and her cheeks are flushed pink. 

You know you are failing to hide your smile. “That’s actually very sweet of you, thank you, but I had dinner already.”

Ellie elbows playfully, “don’t sound so surprised.” You have to take a deep breath as you try and figure out how you feel about the physical contact.

Failing to look her in the eyes, you tell her that “you’re not exactly a ray of sunshine, Williams.”

Ellie gasps dramatically. “Really? I would describe myself as a radiant beam of light. Maybe if you gave me a chance you would know that.”

You rest your chin on your hand, ready to listen. “Then let me get to know you. I came here to talk, so let’s talk.”

“One night at the bar I saw you when you came in and I did a bit of a double take. That older girl, I can’t remember her name, but she works across the way at that little shop with her family. She had her arm around you.” Ellie is referring to your ex-girlfriend. A few years older than you, so a fair bit older than Ellie.

You nervously play with your hair. “We aren’t together anymore, things just… didn't work out.”

“Oh I know.”

“You do?” 

Ellie smiles and looks down at her converse. “I haven’t always, but I’ve been paying attention to you. It’s not that I had never looked at you before, I’d just never really seen you. It wasn’t until I saw you with another girl that I noticed all the little things. The way even plain colors bring out your eyes, the shadows that dim lighting create on your face. When you smile… your whole face lights up. And the way you laugh? You always scrunch up your nose and tuck your hair behind your ear. After that night my eyes always seemed to find you, in every room. I looked forward to seeing you when we still got put on shifts together, but I didn’t know how to act around you so I just ended up pissing you off and we both know how that ended. After that I had to settle for seeing you during briefs when we were working at the same time, before we got sent off our separate ways. If I got lucky I would see you when we happened to be in the same place in town at the same time. At first I thought I was crazy, until I realized you were actually looking back. You would glance over your shoulder or peek out of the corner of your eye, and smile when you looked away.”

“I guess I knew that I looked at you sometimes. But all those things that you noticed about me… I had no idea that you did. I had always assumed you never thought twice about me.”

Ellie looks deeply into your eyes when she tells you “I spend more time thinking about you then I care to admit. Ever since I found out about your breakup I’ve been wanting to talk to you. So when they told me I was going to be assigned someone different today, I asked for it to be you.

“You could have just talked to me.”

“How was I supposed to know that? You don’t like me. And you are intimidating. You aren’t just any girl. You are smart and strong-willed and passionate.”

The compliment takes you by surprise so you are unsure of how to respond to it. “It’s not that I don’t like you, I just disagree with you most of the time.”

Ellie bites her lip. “So what do you like about me?”

Unprepared for this question you mumble “um, your tattoo?”

Ellie crossed her arms, “I meant about my personality. But fine, we can start there. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy that you like it. Do you have any?”

“Yeah, vines, up the side of my ribcage. Do you want to see?”

“It’s on your… you’d have to take off your…” the panic in her eyes was obvious. 

You stand and slide your shirt up, just enough to show the entire tattoo. Ellie’s eyes widen and her jaw slightly drops. 

“That's…”

“Hot? That’s what people usually tell me.”

“Got a bit of an ego there, don't ya. But yeah, actually. Like really hot.”

“You can touch it, if you want,” offering it up because you feel a bit mischievous.

Ellie purses her mouth as she traces her index finger over the vine, starting just above your hip bone and going all the way to the base of your breast. Her long fingers almost graze over the edge of your bra but she quickly pulls away. 

You sit back down, much closer to Ellie than you had been before. Your eyes flicker between the way she is staring at you and the smile she’s failing to hide. Ellie slowly leans forwards until your noses are about to touch. You close your eyes, expecting her to kiss you, but you feel her tuck your hair behind your ear instead. She grazes her fingertips over your neck as she slides her hand around the back of it so she can pull you in. Her other arm, which feels as strong as it looks, wraps around your waist. Ellie kisses you gently at first, allowing the two of you to fall in sync with each other. But her hand creeps up and her fingers tangle in your hair. Her kisses are growing hungrier for you. You can’t get enough of her either so your hands wander over her body. One of your hands grips her upper thigh and she moans into your mouth. 

Ellie pulls away from you and smirks before laying you on your back with great care. Her tenderness continues to surprise you, so you expect her to continue kissing you roughly. 

Instead, she takes a moment to look over you with her dazzling green eyes. “You are… so beautiful.”

You don’t want to ruin the moment, but you can’t help but ask “is that why you bothered me, like a little kid does when they have a crush?”

Ellie’s soft disposition doesn’t falter, even for a moment. “I guess so. Never seen a girl like you in real life before. Had no idea what to do.”

Your breath hitches. This steamy encounter and that’s what gets you? Just goes to show how you had truly misjudged Ellie Williams. 

“I… uh…” you are really at a loss for words.

Ellie leans in, her lips almost touch your ear. You can feel her warm breath when she whispers “you don’t have to say anything pretty girl.” She starts placing soft kisses on your neck and you moan a little. You feel her chuckle against your skin, clearly pleased with herself. 

After leaving you wanting more, Ellie’s face hovers over yours and she tilts your head up by your chin and places one, seemingly shy, kiss on your lips before sitting back on her knees.

“We should stop.” Ellie sighs.

“Why?” You question, longing for more of her.

“I want to do this the right way. I respect you too much not to. I want to take you out on a date. Get to know you. I want you to know the real me. I’m really hoping something could happen between us, I don’t want to jeopardize that. That is if you are willing to give me, us, a chance.”

You sit up and cup her cheek in your hand. “Alright Williams. I’ll go home now, and you can come to my place tomorrow at 7 and pick me up for our first date.”

Ellie giggles, something you didn’t think you’d ever see her do. “Promise this will be the best date of your life.”

[livesworthlivingau]

Behind the Vale Chapter 26

Spoilers for ISAT/Two Hats below as usual!

"Here, go find these." [The Kid commands flatly, handing you a slip of paper without even looking at you. The both of you and Nille were out in the market for a little bonding time, trying to find the rest of the supplies for them to prepare Nille's favorite recipe as a bit of a celebration.]

"Bonnie!! Ugh... I'll go look for them, you two play nice while I'm gone, alright?" [Nille sighs, snatching the list out of their hand. You feel your heart sink as she walks away, worriedly looking down at the Kid. They crossed their arms and refused to look at you.]

"... Sooooo... How has your journey been since the loops?..."

"'sfine..."

"... Right, right... I heard Stardust-"

"His name is Frin!! Siffrin!" [They shout at you suddenly, clenching their fists tightly.]

"S-Sorry!... Names are... very hard for me sometimes, it's a star thing, sentimentality and all~." [You try to deflect explain gently, kneeling down and smiling softly to get to their level.]

"Is that why you only call Nille by her name?"

"... Sort of, yes..."

"'sstupid."

"What, are you jealous you don't get a special nickname~?" [You tease a little, but their reaction tells you all you need to know, a slight pang of jealousy before getting defensive again.]

"N-No!!! That's stupid!!!"

"Is that so? What a shame... I had just the name in mind~." [They perk up, again quickly trying to hide it behind their anger.]

"S-So?! was probably stupid anyways..." [They mumble before kicking a rock on the ground.]

"Is that so... Little Flare~?" [They almost jump at the name, taking a moment to process what they were just called, then finally turning to face you.]

"What's that?"

"Well, you see the sun up there? That's actually a big giant star, kinda like I used to be. A massive ball of fire, floating in the sky!" [You start to explain, Little Flare staring up at you in wonder as you do.]

"And sometimes the fire gets a bit wild, and it escapes, lashing out in a beautiful display~! Those are called flares, and you my dear..." [You lightly boop their nose as you go on.]

"are quite the little fiery thing, aren't you~? Escaped from the very sun itself~!" [They continue to stare up at you in wonder, their eyes sparkling.]

"Woah... I'm a flare!!" [They proclaim with their fists raised in the air.]

"Haha! That you are little one~." [You smile softly, trying so desperately to fight the lingering itch inside of you, not wanting to ruin this moment. Their expression starts to fall as they look down.]

"... Frin told me... without you, they'd never have gotten out of the loops... Is that true?" [Your heart absolutely sinks at that question. Keep it together Vale... We have to keep it together, we can't ruin this... Do it for Nille blind it... You breath in deeply, then sigh it back out, helping keep yourself stable.]

"... I think it might be Little Flare..."

"Why though?! Why couldn't we help Frin?!... Why didn't they just talk to us?..."

"It's... complicated... Stardust has a lot of trouble opening up, or... well they did at least, I guess a lot can change in a few decades."

"... stupidfrin..." [You can't help but chuckle a little at that.]

"He was pretty stupid back then, wasn't he?" [They stand there for a moment, arms crossed, looking on the verge of tears. Suddenly then tackle into you, arms wrapped around you in a tight hug... You blink and stay frozen in shock.]

"... Thanks for helping them..." [You're still in shock for a moment, slowly realizing you should return the hug. Your arms slowly wrap back around them, holding them close.]

"O-Of course..." [Your cheek feels wet...]

"Glad to see you both are getting along better!" [Nille's voice startles you. You quickly wipe your face as Flare breaks the hug.]

"Nille! I'm a flare!!! I escaped the sun!!!" [They cheer excitedly, holding their fists up again.]

"You sure did, but what the crab are you going on about?" [She asks with a confused chuckle. You clear your throat to compose yourself better, standing back up.]

"Just a nickname I thought they might like, Little Flare~. It means some fire that escaped a star's form." [You smile brightly, trying to hide all the other emotions you were feeling.]

"Awww, now ain't that just the sweetest thing. My fiery little flare~." [She says, patting Flare's head through their big hat as they smile up at her proudly.]

"Thanks, Vay... I really appreciate you trying so hard." [She adds in a quiet voice as she faced you. Your smile cracks the slightest bit but you hold firm. You perk up as you feel Flare tugging at your sleeve, looking back down at them curiously.]

"Y-Yes?"

"Were you always a star?" [You freeze for a moment. Why are we so blinding bad at thinking of a cover story?! Just... MAKE SOMETHING UP!! They're a child, they'll believe anything we say!!]

"Y-Yes! Of course~! It was my job to come down and help all those little Flares like you that get lost on their way~!" [You wink, booping them on the nose yet again. They giggle some but keep looking up at you in awe.]

"Is that why you helped Nille find us?!"

"A-Absolutely~! How could I let my favorite one go without their dear sister for another moment~?" [You look back over at Nille. Her face holds such a bright, warm smile. You could swear you even saw some tears starting to well up. You feel Little Flare wrapping their arms around your waist, hugging close as they look up at you again.]

"Thanks for bringing Nille back... but does that mean you're gonna leave now? Aren't there more people to help?"

"Well... My star duties have been... 'put on hold' lets say. So I intend to stay, at least for a little while."

"Good!... Frin needs you here... and Nille too I guess." [They grumble those last words as you perk up, starting to blush the slightest bit and glancing back over at her, her face darkened as well as she looks away.]

"Come on, let's get the rest and head back to the house, I'm sure everyone else is gonna be real hungry!" [Nille remarks, trying to move the moment along quickly. You finish gathering the supplies on the list and make your way to return to everyone else.]

[the-wandering-mage]

5+1 Danny Phantom x DC universe prompt

Five times The Teen Titans thought they were fighting a new bad guy and the one time they realized they were just trying to make a friend.

Had this idea don't know if I'll ever fully write it but here it goes for anyone else to use. As is Fanon ghosts socialize by fighting. Dani is sent to a dimension (clockwork identified as the safest for her or because it has a lot of young heros for her to make friends with and not enough healthy ecto to create ecto ghosts) her safety while Danny fights the whole war with the GIW and there is some political upheaval about how Danny is handling it. Danny doesn't want his child in the middle of it. Dani is sent with an emergency communicator, Cujo, a backpack full of things to help her, and most importantly a case with healthy ecto.

Dani wares a medical device that gives her transfusions of ecto and nutrients her human body needs to keep her form stable. Idk if a belt or a arm cuff I like the idea of better. I briefly thought a crown belt combo for the aesthetic but a princess crown would be really impractical.

So, to the meat of the story. Dani tries to make friends the only way she knows how from both her instincts and time spent in the realms before being basically witsec'd, she picks fights with them. Stealing their stuff to get them to chase her ect. A lot of taunting and shit talking and generally being a pain. Maybe even stealing food from stores because she needs it and knows Danny will pay them back. The teen titans think she's a villain she thinks they are really bonding. The more she evades them the more they get frustrated and uping the ante. They get confused when she actually helps them take out an actually baddy. Then she steals Robin's cape and they are right back to being pissed with her.

Then one day during one of their "spars" Starfire or someone else gets a lucky shot on her medical device which of course they think is just villain tech or something. Or alternatively she could just be running low and needs to refill if you want to be boring. Her medical device gives a warning beep and she calls time out. Now anytime she'd ever called time out it was a respected rule in the realms. In a play fight you call break everything stops so she is completely caught off guard when her new friends don't stop. They keep going and it's not fun anymore it's scary.

She starts crying and she gets hurt and doesn't understand why and is begging them to tell her why they are being mean. The team at first is annoyed and scoffs while thinking they finally got the upper hand and she is just trying to trick them with crocodile tears. Then she starts destabilizing. Then they start to freak out and realize that it's real. She calls Cujo to fetch her medkit with her ecto. They treat her and inbetween sobs and trying to help what they now realize is a scared little girl that they get she thought they were playing. Starfire and Robin are the first to figure out it's a cultural/species difference. The whole team feels super guilty.

Then scared when Dad Danny and Tucker show up having gotten an alert her medical device has malfunctioned. Danny explains everything and apologizes about the trouble. The team apologies for their side of things. Dani ends up with friends in the end and the team takes care of her and nicknames her princess. Funny beginning heartache middle and happy ending.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Hi! I'd like to hear more of your thoughts on Rebecca and Eric from "Luster" by Raven Leilani. I just reread it recently and yeah, it is incredible (saying this as an almost 23-year-old Black woman that sort of identifies with Edie).

I really enjoy both Rebecca and Eric as characters - and within their separate relationships to Edie. However, it's really hard for me to understand which scenes/instances - besides the obvious humiliation they both participate in in regards to Edie - that show explicitly Rebecca's issues with rage and Eric's more absolute loserish tendencies.

I mean, I'm not completely unaware of the unsavory ways in which they act; not going to list them all out. But some of the reviews - including yours - and even interviews with Raven Leilani that talk more about the characters, don't go as in-depth as I'm looking for. I feel like the ogre reading Joyce :(

[The lines from the book I've been thinking of most often - though not my favorites are Eric saying "I don't think of you as a person at all" and (I'm gonna get the wording kind of wrong, but) "I cry everywhere and often" near the beginning of the book]

I hope this is asking too much. I really enjoyed your review and I'm already kind of looking forward to reading it again because of it <3

hi anon,

well Rebecca, to me, is impossible to read as anything BUT a white woman hitting middle age and realizing that she made all the "right" choices - she has a job that pays well and she married a stable man and together they adopted a child and got a good house in a good (read: white) neighborhood - and still isn't actually happy with her life.

I mean, what does Rebecca actually have going on? she's exercising furious control over her body via furious physical activity because it's one of the only things she can feel in charge of. she pushes the same on her daughter, making a child count calories in a way that's absolutely going to give her a complex. she didn't want the child in the first place; she tells Edie verbatim that she never wanted to be a mother and while I do think she cares about Akila's well-being I think she also knows that she's wildly ill-equipped trying to parent a traumatized Black girl. she's in an "open" marriage that reeks of "we either had to open the marriage or get divorced" that she micromanages from afar so that Eric gets as little freedom as possible with Edie in the early stage of their relationship; Rebecca doesn't actually want Eric to fuck someone else, she wants him to get tired of trying and come back to her.

after the initial humiliation of trapping Edie at their anniversary party Rebecca remains emotionally distant towards her; even after she invites Edie to stay in her house she stays mercurial and her mood is subject to switch on a dime, always falling back into little power plays to remind Edie she's in charge, because Edie is a safer and easier target for Rebecca's pent up frustrations than her husband or daughter. she's exactly warm enough to Edie to make it hurt more when she's callous and mean, which I don't think is strictly intentional (I don't think Rebecca consciously knows what the hell she's trying to get out of their dynamic, either) but is still an extremely shitty way to treat a vulnerable young woman who's currently completely dependent on her for shelter.

arguably the most relaxed we ever see her is when she takes Edie to a mosh pit, because that's one of the only moments of unrestrained emotional authenticity that Rebecca gets to have - and it's wildly outside the norm of her day to day life, something that she's supposed to have left behind when she started dating Eric. Rebecca is so furiously dissatisfied with everything about her life and I frankly think she'd be happier if she disappeared in the night to go be a bartender or a roadie and never saw her husband or daughter again, but she'll never do that because you Can't do that, not if you're a respectable woman trying to cling to the signifiers of success that you worked so hard for.

re: Eric being a loser I really don't know what I need to cite other than him having a wife and a girlfriend and not treating either of them well tbh

[etfrin]

god okayokay

reader is dewey and gale's daughter and apart of the "core 5" (reader, mindy, chad, tara and sam) and dated amber freeman in the past. though has severe ptsd from what had happened a year ago (and the fact that reader saw her dad die and almost died with him, if it wasnt for the fact that they managed to stable her) and reader killed amber to avenge her father thinking by killing amber brutally would make up for dewey. thought if she hunted down her father's killer, she'd feel better.

present time, she's living with chad and ethan in their dorm. her and ethan are in a relatively healthy relationship, but she never opened up about amber or what exactly happened back in woodsboro because she wasnt ready. in fact, he never even seen her without a shirt on (because of the scars from amber and richie), but once he walked in at the wrong time while she was changing in complete accident (since they share a room) and he apologizes PROFUSELY but he cant help but stare. hes not even disgusted hes just kind of mesmerized by her. she gets insecure abt them and he lays her down and asks her abt them, how she got them. some scars were actually from stupid little things like slipping on a skateboard while carrying around a knife in a sheath that wasnt secured all the way so reader started carrying around switchblades after that (which she used to kill amber.) but he cant help but kiss them and tell her abt how beautiful she looks with them. so im just saying switch virgin! ethan and switch experienced reader (lost her v card to quinn first staying there but its a brief thing and isnt mentioned after that) just really soft sex between the two, ethan being a caring bf and after, realizes hes fucked up because hes genuinely fallen heads over heels for the girl he should hate. he knows he cant kill her, so now he doesnt know whats more important; avenging richie or being with the one he loves. choosing between his family, or choosing a life he wouldn't have with anyone else with someone that he loves more than life itself.

may had of gone overboard but im in love w this whole idea

↳❝Scars | Ethan Landry❞ˎˊ-

Warning - NSFW | p in v sex, fingering (f. receiving), creampie, unprotected sex (wrap it dumbfucks), loss of virginity (Ethan), mentions of murder, scars and Ghostfaces. | lmk if I forgot anything!

| masterlist | bc: @cafekitsune

A/N: okay so this was supposed to be a drabble then it was suddenly 1.6k words (don't ask me what happened), I hope whichever one of you requested this likes it, I TRIED I PROMISE and here's the link to request!

virgin! Ethan Landry x female! Reader

Ethan didn't ask about the scars for a week.

He didn't act any different despite seeing the ugly healed-up wounds all over your skin. Despite some of them being from playing around, most were from your fight with the Ghostfaces.

You thought he would be disgusted when he first saw them, the one second before he had closed his eyes, but there was no visible disgust on his face. Only concern.

And he had apologized so much that you practically pitied him.

Even now that you were on his lap, your lips tangled with his in a heated kiss. His hand on your nape, another hand on your hip. He hadn't ventured far yet, being as respectful as he could be.

All the while you felt yourself getting needy for his touch. After another heated kiss, you pulled back, a string of saliva connecting your lips. Ethan's face was flushed with a crimson red, breathless from the kiss.

The hand on your hip went near the hem of your shirt and you felt yourself tense. "Can I?" He asked softly. You give him a nod, anticipating this time, he would feel disgusted. That he would leave you heartbroken.

He took off the shirt, his breath caught in his chest as your scars came into view.

The gashes were all over your skin. White healed tissue tinged with pink. "How?" He lets out a choked whisper. "Would you mind telling me how?" He said, again, his eyes looking into your so tenderly with no hint of disdain.

Taking in a deep breath, you nod and begin to tell your story, everything from your father dying and you killing Amber to get revenge, for the wounds you got from the fight. Everything.

"I know they aren't the prettiest to look at," you whispered, "I know I understand if you don't want to stay with m-" "Don't even finish that sentence," Ethan interrupted.

"Don't," he said in a firm tone, making you look up at him. His eyes were filled with tears even if they didn't fall, he pulled you in for a hug. "You went through so much," he whispered, his voice filled with emotions, filled with care and love.

"Let me take care of you, they're not pretty but they're a part of you and I love these scars just as much as I love you." He said you felt yourself nearly getting to tears as well from his words but held yourself back.

"Okay," you whispered, "Take care of me."

And that's how you end up under him, bare for his lips to kiss all over your scarred skin. You let out encouraging purrs as his kisses travel down from your neck to your collarbone. A small cut was there due to negligence while handling knives. He licked the edges of the scar. You sighed as he continued to worship your body.

He finally reached your torso, and a huge gash was there. He had stopped kissing your skin now, staring at the pinkish tissue that was a huge contrast against your skin.

'Now,' you thought to yourself, 'He's gonna realize that you're just not worth it, not with all the baggage and the scars on your skin that come with it.'

"I wish I could kill them," he whispered, his lips brushing against the scar. His words made you melt because it was tinged with truth. There was no doubt in his mind that he would kill them if he had the chance.

He pressed wet kisses onto the scar, making you let out a small sigh. He then crawled on top of you again. His voice was filled with nerves as he whispered, "I have never done this before."

You cup his face with both of your hands and pressed a small kiss on his forehead. "I have," you whispered, you had lost your virginity to Quinn so you were at least aware of what you liked or not.

"I could teach you," you offered, "Figure out what we like or not together." His doe eyes fill with relief and he gives you a smile as an affirmation.

"I would love that," he said, leaning down for another kiss as his hand traveled down to your soaked panties. He lets out a gasp into your mouth as he feels the material cling to your fold.

He panted, "Oh- you're so wet. Is that all for me, darling?" The way he asked made your cunt clench, so breathless and in wonder. "Yeah, E," you whine as his fingers glide on your clothed pussy, the slight friction making you gush out more juices.

"Can I take it off?" he asked, and you nod. He slides down the panties, and throws them on the floor, making a mental note to take it for himself later.

He pressed his fingers to your folds, sliding them across your cunt until the tip of his finger finds your entrance. You let out a small gasp, feeling yourself clench. "Can I?' He whispered, and again you nod. "Go ahead, E," you whispered.

The first digit enters, making him whimper about how tight you are, and how warm your insides feel. Your inner walls pulsate around the single digit.

He pumps the digit in and out before his index finger also joins. A whimper escapes your lips as your pussy stretches to accommodate his digits. "Is it good?" He asked, the nervousness mixed with heat in his tone.

"Perfect," you assure him, "Just crook your fingers a bit and you'll find a spot, focus on that for me, E." He eagerly does what you asked, his fingers finding your G-spot and pressing into it every time he thrusts his digits inside.

You moan, your hips bucking into his touch. Getting a bit more confidence from your pleasurable sounds, Ethan goes even faster. Your walls begin to pulse with the familiar need to snap the tension that was building but you didn't wanna cum so soon.

"Stop," you whispered and Ethan pulled back immediately with a questioning gaze. "Did I do something wrong?" He asked, concerned, "Did I hurt you? I am sorry."

You chuckled, "Nothing like that, my love. I was close…" You bite your lip, hesitating about saying the words that you knew would sound crude, "Wanna cum on your cock for the first time."

His eyes widened at your request. He nods obediently, pulling off his shirt with one hand and taking off his belt so he can slip out from the rest of his clothes.

His cock looked painfully hard with his cockslit leaking pre-cum all over his length. He stroked his cock to elevate some of his own needs.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," he whispered, as he slotted his girth near your entrance. His cockhead getting coated into your slick. You shake your head, "I want it, Ethan. So much."

He gives you a nod. He buries his face into the crook of your neck as he slowly slides into your warmth. Inch by inch, his cock stretches out your pussy, your inner walls molding into the shape of his length. He lets out whines as his veins sizzle with pleasure.

You felt his dick pulse and twitch as he whined, "Gonna cum. Gonna cum. Fuck, fuck, fuck-" Your hand goes to his hair to harshly tug at the brown curls. Effectively distracting him from the overwhelming pleasure. "Sushh, baby," you whispered, "It's okay. It's okay." He groans, "Babe…" You hum in reassurance. You make your pussy clench around his dick. Your walls squeezing his cock so suddenly makes his hips jerk into you, his cockhead grazing your g-spot.

You moan near his ear. "Like that," you whispered, "Take care of me."

It took him a few more moments to get used to the vice grip on his cock, the wetness, and the warmth before he began shallowly thrust into you.

He pressed kisses all over your neck, your throat, your breasts. Marking the places near your scars so you can remember this night. Both of you let out noises of pleasure.

He begins to thrust deeper than before as your nails dig into his back and he gets faster as well. Humping into you now, his mind getting lost in the sensation of your velvet heat.

"Am I doing all right?" He whines as his hips keep meeting yours. "Perfect," you moan in reply. His hips begin to snap faster, his thrusts deeper than before, filling you up. You moan louder as you keep getting filled with his cock. Your pussy begins to spasm around his length as the heat fills your tummy.

You were getting close with each snap of his hips. "You getting close, baby?" He moans, his lips now brushing against yours. "Cum on my dick, please, babe!" He begs, as he gets more desperate, his thrusts getting sloppy and losing their consistent pace.

Your free hand goes down to your folds to find your clit. Your thumb rubs fast circles onto the bud. You felt the telltale signs of your climax. Your stomach is coiling, just waiting to explode.

"Please, cum on my cock," Ethan whines again, his lips crashing with yours in a filthy open-mouth kiss. That snapped the tension your body was holding, you moaned into his mouth as your pussy began to squeeze his cock repeatedly. Your cunt milking his cock for all its worth. As soon as he feels your inner walls spasm and contract with a shallow thrust, he begins to cum.

He pants as his cum leaks out, too fucked out to pull out. You were both tired. Both emotionally and physically drained, it doesn't take long for you to sleep.

Ethan lays awake though, feeling the heat of your body beside him. Hearing you breath. He closed his eyes, and an image was in front. In which you're dead and cold.

He couldn't have that. He can't kill you anymore. Not after this. Not after promising forever with you, not after marking you and kissing your every scar.

He would have to choose in the future and he would choose you.