#Mari had encouraged me to finish this and I finally did it

[sugugasm]

DAZED ! - FUSHIGURO TOJI

SYNOPSIS : ❝ what the fuck was in that strain ? ❞

FEATURING : plug! toji x fem! reader

— CONTENT WARNING : minors do not interact !!, black reader written in mind, use and mentions of mary jane, dominant toji, female! reader, whiny toji bc i need it so bad, hair pulling, spanking, squat-riding, blowjob, fingering, use of profanity and pet names such as ᰔ slut, sweetheart ofc, baby ᰔ

— AUTHOR’S NOTE : hiiii. excuse any mistakes !! this was supposed to be out sooner but i haven’t been feeling the best :/ i’ve come around to finishing this thingy so here you goooo !!!! i hope you all enjoy. reblogs and interactions earn you a smooch.

YOU LOVED YOUR BOYFRIEND.

not only did he take care of you, tend to your every want, and give you the entire world— but he had one of the best jobs ever…in your opinion. being a dealer and all, he was always the first of the first to receive and test only the finest of products.

tonight was one of those nights — the testing nights filled with back to back experimental phases within putting his product to work.

a recent partner he’d just adopted to the group had dropped off one of those familiar, brown boxes you always saw him organizing here and there. the moment he brought it through the door, he practically tore it open like a ravaging animal hungry for prey.

you could remember how excited he was to show you the new items that would soon be appearing on his roster, but you also remembered how much of a character he was when he was high. not only did he get giggly, chattier than usual, and playful— but he also got painfully horny. any little move or phrase leaving your lips had his cock thumping against his briefs at a rapid pace.

kind of like right now.

you’re seated on his lap, eating from the bowl of popcorn you'd made moments before as some cheesy action movie drew your attention. the edibles you'd eaten earlier had finally kicked in, followed by the sudden hunger you'd gotten.

after a few bites, you can feel toji shifting uncomfortably beneath you. your mind immediately goes to the thought of his legs falling asleep, but that thought quickly fades as toji begins to grip your hips even tighter than before, “are you alright, baby? am i hurting you?” you inquire, tilting your head to the side and looking sympathetically at him. toji shakes his head, still remaining silent as he begins to slip his hand between your pants and underwear.

your eyes roll, “tojiii, you said it was movie night,” your whines only encouraged him more. he starts to rub circles around your clit, your dampened panties eventually stringing his fingertips with your slick.

“did i say that? i don’t remember.”

without another thought, your head is flung back. his quick fingers felt too good against you, causing your body to jolt. “we’re going to miss the good parts,” you complain, but he snatches his hand away from your dripping cunt and places a light smack on it instead.

“stop talking. watch the movie.”

his harsh tone unintentionally causes your eyes to return to the action-packed scene that has been causing commotion throughout your home. the weed in your system was already sending shivers down your spine, but his fingers playing a sweet melody with your pussy was causing much more.

“t-toji, please—“

your pussy receives yet another slap, leaving you itching and craving more. “be quiet. do you really wanna’ misbehave right now?” his question and subsequent finger entering your pussy caught you completely off guard, making your chest rumble with a loud moan.

“can you be good for me, sweetheart?” he asks, and you rapidly nod your head as an answer, “use your words. don’t play with me.”

toji deliberately thrusts upward slowly, allowing his hips to move to the point where his covered cock rubbed against your exposed folds. even though his fingertips are still fully plugged into you, you start to grind back onto him— eager to feel something more than just this.

“can't hear me or somethin’? you’re doin’ all that movin’ like you wanna’ cum, but you’re not listenin’ to me,” he stresses, moving his fingers around to meet the rhythm of your hips.

“toji, you’re being mean—“ after two minutes of trying to get an answer out of you, the third smack to your cunt gets it. you try to pull him from between your legs by closing your eyes and grabbing his wrist, but he manages it for you.

as he begins to lower his pants, you’re ifted from his lap. he motions for you to kneel, and you naturally do so. you give your boyfriend one last glance before snagging his cock with your hand as your knees come into contact with the cool flooring. his skin was soft despite the fact that he was hard in your palm. “open,” he murmurs.

and you do.

toji reaches over and pulls a pre-rolled blunt from his ashtray before lighting the end as it sat between his lips. he takes a pull, gathering as much as he could before swiveling it around in his mouth as if it were mouthwash. you assumed he was doing some sort of trick, but he catches you off guard when he grabs you by the chin.

he lifts your head up to meet his gaze and leans in for a kiss, but he stops before his lips could touch yours. you then close your eyes as you feel toji begin to blow the smoke into your mouth.

gladly taking it, you pucker your lips to inhale it better. this almost immediately turns into a heated makeout session, but toji becomes a bit too impatient for your touch, “c’mon. put your mouth on it.”

“you started it,” you giggle and that’s when he stuffs your mouth full. he smiles down at the way your lips wrap around the head— so full and soft, gliding up and down his length and taking him down your throat with such ease and greed.

the back of your thighs rest on your calves as you gulp as much of his cock down as you could. drool trailed from the corners of your mouth and spattered onto the floor beneath you as you whimper and gag from the tip of him hitting the back of your throat.

“f-fuck, yn. your throat is so warm, baby.”

the sounds of your gawking and his moaning was enough to make toji fuck your face. there wasn’t much warning, but the tip of his cock hitting your tonsils told you just how needy he really was. his hands find their way to the pretty locs you’d gotten not too long ago— his personal favorite hairstyle of yours— and twists them into his fist as he bobs your head up and down, “a-ah shit. just like that— fuck yes.”

you continue your rhythm, head circling as you slurp the mixture of precum and your own saliva from the base of his cock. the grip he has on your hair is tight— painful, even, but you wanted nothing more than to see him cum.

“make me fuckin’ cum, yn. daddy’s so close, just let me cum for you, why don’t ya’?” he bites down on his lower lip, yanking your head between his legs as the fire in his lower abdomen begins to come to light, “g-god that shit feel’s s’ good.”

he was close, closer than ever. he knew it would only take one last lick of your tongue before— “ah, ah, f-fuck. i’m fuckin’ cumming,” he warns. before you knew it, warm ropes of toji’s seed fills your mouth. a string a groans followed by the sound of him calling out your name repeatedly, holding onto the back of your head as he empties every last bit.

he stretches his arms above his head as his legs continue to shake from the powerful orgasm he just had. you lift from your knees, beginning to straddle him, and although toji was already sensitive enough, he need to be inside of you.

“open up for me,” he demands this while his hands sit on your lower back. his fingers draw circles on the arch in your spine as you tease your entrance with his tip. hissing, you slowly ease down onto your boyfriend’s lap. the veins that decorated his girth carved their shape along your walls, your stomach fluttering.

you begin to bounce and toji chuckles at how greedy you’d gotten. you were pulling at his hair, biting at his neck, and sucking him in all at once while still trying to beg for more, “i-it’s so deep toji! nnn- you feel so good,” you whine.

you feel his lips smearing kisses all over your chest and neck, brushing and leaving love bites here and there. the sounds of the movie you were once watching is now drowned completely out, the only sound being skin to skin and groans. the sticky mess along with the sweat dripping from your bodies was creating a steamy, out of body sensation.

“i love this slutty little pussy,” he expresses with a gutteral moan, hips still rutting into you, “make us cum, i know you can do it.” between his thrusts into and your slams onto him, you’d be cumming in no time. he just fit so well. toji was the perfect shape, perfect length— he was made for you.

“tojiii, m’ close.” your breath hitches and so do his thrusts. toji’s palm moves to the back of your head, holding you close enough to feel his breath trickling your top lip. he holds eye contact, his dark irises almost piercing a hole through you. this is when toji takes notice of the light tears streaming down your face as your orgasm, and his own, funnily catch up to you both.

he smashes his lips against yours and bites down on the bottom. he tastes the tang of the tears that’d reached your swollen mouth, “cum with me, baby. please fucking cum w-with me.”

beyond gorgeous.

“fuck! ooh— m’ cumming! m’cumming!” you chant, and when you do, he finishes too. you feel his warmth spurt into your belly as toji clutches on to you as if his life depended on it. you feel him completely empty himself inside of you with pure glee spread across his face.

once he diles down, he brings his eyes back to yours. toji’s head rests on your chest as he catches his breath, “guess that strain was pretty strong, huh?”

©️ SATORUBI 2023 please do not copy, or repost as your own <33

[poisonlove]

The Ghost of halloween p.2 | A.D

Pairing: Astrid X reader

Astrid pov's

"Is it this way?" my mother asks with a small smile on her lips.

I nod without answering, pressing my lips together and turning my head toward the window.

I didn’t want her to see how uncomfortable I felt. We had argued again, and as always, she had decided that moving was the only solution. Panicking, I had told her I had a date today.

"It's really nice here," Lydia Deetz says, looking at the neighborhood decorated for Halloween: gardens filled with decorations, skeletons hanging from trees, and people in costumes getting ready to celebrate.

When we arrive in front of the house, her eyes land on a lit window.

"Oh... it's a girl," my mother exclaims in surprise.

"Mom..." I whisper, feeling my cheeks flush.

"She's very cute," she adds with a mischievous smile, giving me a sidelong glance. I feel my face heat up even more.

"Okay, bye," I finally say, my voice tense, as I open the door.

"I’ll pick you up at 10. Have fun, sweetheart!" she calls out, her voice happier than ever. I shut the door with a loud thud, the sound of my mother’s car driving away echoing.

I sigh and close my eyes for a moment, clutching the bag full of candy and snacks. Then, with hesitant steps, I head toward the porch of the house.

I raise my hand and knock on the door.

I waited nervously for the door to open, my heart pounding in my chest. When I finally see Y/n, a smile spreads across my face. I’m wearing a long, puffy dress in a pale gray, as if it had been corroded by radiation, perfectly embodying Marie Curie. The high collar and puffy sleeves give me an elegant yet eerie appearance.

Y/n looks me up and down, and her smile widens. "You look beautiful," she says, her eyes shining. She was wearing the same clothes as yesterday.

I feel my face heat up, blushing fiercely. "I'm Marie Curie," I say, trying to mask my embarrassment. I’m not sure if she got my reference.

"The scientist who died from radiation, I know." Y/n’s response surprises me.

I smile, incredulous and happy, as the tension in me melts away.

"Is that bag?" Y/n asks curiously, leaning slightly toward me.

"I thought we could eat some junk food and watch some movies... You know... it’s Halloween," I say timidly, feeling my cheeks flush.

Y/n smiles, and her enthusiasm encourages me. "Sounds like a great idea, come in."

I enter, glancing around curiously, immediately noticing a strange but oddly comforting silence.

"How come there’s no one here?" I ask curiously, following Y/n upstairs.

"Oh, my parents aren’t home," she says simply, guiding me to her room.

Once inside, I look around, noticing the 90s posters and details that make the room feel so cozy. "What movie do you want to watch?" Y/n asks, approaching the shelf of films. My eyes land on a book on the table: The Handbook for the Recently Deceased. I smile amused. "What a strange book," I comment.

"I found it at a stall," Y/n replies distractedly.

As she scans the titles, I feel a mix of anxiety and excitement. "Maybe something horror?" I suggest, a shy smile on my face.

"Perfect," she says, but then slowly moves closer.

Our hands brush, and in an instant, she leans in and kisses me. Her cold lips against mine are unexpected, but I feel a warm explosion of emotions. When I open my eyes, a smile spreads across my face, but right after, I realize we’re floating. The joy vanishes, replaced by a grimace of terror.

I quickly pull away from her, the disappointment clear in her eyes.

"Are you a ghost?" I say in disbelief. Are my mom’s crazy ideas real?

She nods, and my heart races.

"Why didn’t you tell me? How did you die?" I ask, incredulous but curious.

Y/n sighs, her face growing serious.

"I didn’t want to scare you, I haven’t had a decent conversation in years... And it was my father... After he killed his partner with an axe, he finished me off too, his only daughter. Then he died from poisoning." She slowly lifts her shirt, revealing a deep cut on her stomach.

The sight of that mark makes my blood run cold. I can’t believe what she’s saying, yet I can’t look away.

"Why did you lie to me?" I ask, my voice strangely calm despite the turmoil I feel inside.

Y/n scratches her head, her face turning a little red with embarrassment. "I told you, I wanted company... and I also wanted to surprise you," she finally confesses, her shyness evident in her tone.

I raise an eyebrow, confused. "A surprise?" I repeat, trying to understand where she’s going with this.

"I know we only met yesterday, but... you’re a good person, Astrid. And I... wanted to help you see your father," she murmurs, her voice fading as if it was hard to admit.

My eyes widen, taken aback by her words. "Is it possible?" I ask, the emotion clinging to my chest, making it hard to breathe.

Y/n nods, serious, and a part of me, the part that never stopped hoping, starts to believe it’s true.

An unexpected joy bursts inside me. Before I can stop myself, I approach and hug her tightly, but the moment my arms touch her, her body passes through mine as if made of smoke. The sensation leaves me stunned: cold and insubstantial, yet with a certain warmth, a distant echo of humanity.

"Sorry," I mutter embarrassed, while she laughs softly, not making a big deal out of it.

Without saying a word, Y/n steps away and heads toward a corner of the room. She bends down and picks up a small white object, lifting it toward me with a knowing smile. "A piece of chalk?" I ask, squinting in confusion, but without taking my eyes off her ethereal figure.

She nods and, with precise movements, draws a door on the wall of her room. When she finishes, she stands next to me, looking at the drawing with a strange satisfaction. The drawing almost seems to pulse with life, as if an unknown force was stirring behind that simple figure.

"It’s the door to the other world," she says with a small smile, her tone light as if she were talking about something trivial.

I feel my heart race in my chest. "And what am I supposed to do?" I ask, even more confused, staring at the drawing with evident skepticism.

"Knock," she says calmly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Hesitantly, I approach the drawn door, my hand trembling slightly. I knock, feeling ridiculous. Who knocks on a drawing? But a moment later, a dull sound echoes beyond the wall, and before I can react, the drawing comes to life. The door creaks open with a chilling sound, revealing a passage that emits thick, glowing smoke. A cold breeze wraps around me, along with a spectral light, like that of an old neon sign.

I stand still, my mouth open in amazement. In front of me unfolds the world of the dead. It’s exactly as I imagined: chaotic, grotesque, yet strangely fascinating. The walls seem to be made of a material never seen before, a mix of rotting flesh and crumbling concrete, covered with drawings and graffiti that shift shape before my eyes. Indistinct shadows move at the edge of my vision, as if the world itself was breathing. The sky above us isn’t a real sky: it’s an endless ceiling of greenish mist, studded with metallic pipes and flickering light bulbs.

In the distance, I hear the hum of old fans and the sound of distorted laughter, like an echo from a forgotten cabaret. Creatures of all shapes wander in what seems to be a surreal public office, each with a more bizarre appearance than the last: some have gigantic heads, others are reduced to walking skeletons, and still others seem to melt into goo. The world feels like a collage of forgotten things and distorted memories, a mix of the surreal and the macabre.

"Welcome," Y/n whispers beside me.

I turn to her, still in disbelief, but my heart is pounding, full of a hope I can’t suppress. Maybe, in that chaotic madness, I’ll finally get to see my father.

(...)

As we walk through the world of the dead, my head spins as I try to catch every detail, but everything is so surreal that it feels like being trapped in a nightmare. The gray and decaying offices are populated by grotesque figures moving with indifference. Faceless shadows wander the hallways, and distorted laughter continues in the distance.

"It's... strange," I whisper, my voice tense, "This place... how can it exist?"

Y/n glances at me, but before she can answer, a chilling sound fills the air. A shrill, metallic alarm starts echoing everywhere.

"ALERT! UNAUTHORIZED HUMAN PRESENCE!" A robotic and sinister voice booms through the walls.

Y/n’s eyes widen, her face pale. "Oh no... the human alarm!"

"W-what?" I stammer, but before I can grasp what’s happening, Y/n grabs my wrist, pulling me forcefully.

"We have to go! Now!" she yells, starting to run towards the exit. The creatures around us freeze, some turning with ravenous eyes, others beginning to move towards us with eerie slowness.

We race through the hallways like two shadows, our footsteps echoing as the sound of the alarm grows louder. The lights flicker, and I can hear the frantic pounding of my heart in my ears. Every corner seems to distort, making it hard to tell which way is out.

We turn a corner down a long corridor and stop abruptly. In front of us are two familiar figures. One is my mother, Lydia, with her unmistakable black bob and stern look. But the figure next to her leaves me breathless: a man with messy hair and a black and white striped suit, with a mischievous and cocky expression. Beetlejuice.

"Y/n?" says Beetlejuice, his eyes widening in surprise. "What are you doing here, kid?"

Y/n grits her teeth, her voice a tense whisper. "Dad..."

I feel a lump forming in my throat as my mother and I turn to each other, both of us with mouths agape in shock.

"Dad?" I repeat incredulously, my eyes wide as I look at Y/n.

Lydia doesn’t have time for questions. She grabs both of us by the arms. "We have to go, now!" she shouts, and we start running, with Y/n still pulling me even harder.

Behind us, the alarm continues to blare, and the footsteps of the authorities from the world of the dead begin to echo closer. Beetlejuice lags behind, chuckling as if this were all a game to him.

We run towards a door, but when Lydia flings it open, instead of finding a way out, we fall into the void, tumbling into scorching sand. I hit the ground hard, raising a cloud of dust, coughing from the impact.

"No... no, no, no!" Lydia screams, scrambling to her feet. "We’re in the sandworm desert!"

I struggle to stand, but panic takes over when I see the ground shaking beneath us. In the distance, the giant sandworm emerges from the dune, speeding towards us at a terrifying pace. Its long, scaly body slithers through the sand like a dark shadow.

Y/n grabs my hand and starts running, dragging me along with her. "Come on! We can't stop!"

Lydia follows close behind, her face twisted in fear, but the worm is too fast. I can feel it getting closer, its gaping mouth emitting a piercing scream, ready to devour us.

"It's too close!" I cry, my breath short, but just then, a miracle happens.

From the sky, a door of light suddenly opens above us, and a hand reaches out from nowhere, grabbing each of us. First Y/n, then me, and finally Lydia. With a yank, it pulls us up, taking us away just as the worm opens its jaws beneath us.

The world flips for a moment until we find ourselves on a cold floor, safe. I gasp for air, trying to catch my breath, as Y/n looks at me with concern.

"W-we made it..." Y/n murmurs, still in disbelief.

I look up and see my father watching me with pride. His skin is greenish, with some fish stuck in his hair, but he's smiling all the same.

My eyes fill with tears. "Dad..." I murmur before throwing myself into his arms. "Sweetheart..." he whispers, hugging me tightly. I pull away with a smile I can't hold back.

"I saw Lydia and decided to follow you... But what are you wearing, sweetheart? You look like Marie Curie!" he says with an amused grin, glancing at me. I giggle and nod.

Then, his gaze shifts beyond me, and I notice Lydia approaching. My father smiles at her, reaching out an arm. "Lydia, come here," he says warmly. he embraces her without hesitation. "I miss you ," he whispers, his voice full of affection and gratitude.

Lydia smiles shyly as she returns the hug.

"I miss you too " she replies softly, her voice breaking with emotion.

They separate, and my father turns back to us. "You have to go," he says suddenly, his tone serious.

He puts an arm around my waist and takes my mother’s hand with the other. "You have to go. Now," he repeats urgently, pulling us toward a staircase that seems to materialize out of nowhere.

"I love you, Dad," I say, tears filling my eyes.

"I love you too," he replies, his gaze veiled with tears and a bittersweet smile on his lips before he slowly vanishes.

My mother starts climbing the stairs, but I stay behind, waiting for Y/n.

"Go," she suddenly says, with sadness in her voice.

"Come with me," I say, confused, my heart pounding.

"I don’t know, Astrid... I’m tired of wandering. Maybe my place is here," she replies, her voice trembling.

My heart stops for a moment.

"Don’t be silly, we’ll find a solution," I say, a lump in my throat, and my chest aching.

She shakes her head, resolute.

I feel a sharp pain in my chest, but I move closer to her and grab her hands. Her touch is cold, almost as if there’s nothing to hold onto, but I don’t let go. "I need you. I... I want you," I confess, my cheeks flushing red.

"Astrid..." she murmurs.

"We’ll figure it out, okay? But I need you," I repeat, with all the sincerity I can muster. Y/n looks at me for a few seconds, then sighs and slowly nods.

My face lights up in a huge smile.

Y/n Pov's

Days later, the light of the sunset fills my old room with a warm, orange hue. Everything seems so normal, yet the tension in the air is palpable. Astrid and I sit on the floor, surrounded by lit candles, while her mother draws a complicated circle of runes on the wooden floor. It seems absurd to think that it's really possible, that I can come back to life. And yet, here we are.

The book her mother holds is ancient, its pages worn and yellowed with age. The runes and symbols I see seem to pulse with their own energy, as if the text is more than just paper and ink.

Astrid is close to me, sitting by my side, her gaze serious but kind, just as it always is when she wants to show me that everything will be okay. She was the one who insisted on finding a solution, and when her mother discovered this ancient ritual, she didn’t hesitate. The thought of coming back to life fills me with hope, but also fear. It’s like jumping into the unknown.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” I ask, searching her eyes.

She looks at me without hesitation. “There’s nothing I want more in the world.” Her hand finds mine, warm and reassuring. “I want you here, with me.”

Her mother finishes drawing the circle with white chalk and stands slowly, her gaze focused and attentive. “This is the Rite of Essence Binding,” she says, her voice firm but carrying a gravity I can't ignore. “An ancient practice that binds the soul to the body. But it’s a delicate process. Y/n, you’re suspended between two worlds. This rite will bring your essence back to the living world.”

Her words make my throat tighten. I know something big, something irreversible is about to happen. I feel Astrid squeeze my hand tighter, and I look at her, finding all the courage I need in her.

“Step into the circle,” her mother orders calmly.

Astrid and I stand and position ourselves in the center of the rune drawing. The floor beneath our feet seems to vibrate slightly, as if the ritual had already begun just with our presence. Her mother begins to mutter ancient words that echo in the room as if carried by an invisible wind. The runes drawn on the floor start to glow with a deep, pulsing blue light, and the air becomes thick, charged with energy.

“During the rite, your soul will try to reconnect with your body, but it might face resistance,” her mother explains, not stopping the incantation. “Astrid, you must be her anchor. The bond between you is what will allow the rite to work.”

Astrid never lets go of my hand, and I can feel her strength flowing into me. Every word spoken by her mother pulls me in a different direction, as if my being is divided between the world of the living and the dead. Then, the pain begins.

It’s a deep pain, starting in my chest and expanding into every cell of my body. I feel like I’m being torn in two, as if something is trying to pull me away from reality. But I don’t let go. I hold onto Astrid’s hand with all the strength I have.

The runes beneath our feet shine brighter, the blue light rising like flames around us. I feel my heart beating in my chest, strong and fast. It’s a real, tangible heartbeat. My essence is returning.

“Don’t let go of me,” Astrid whispers, her voice broken with emotion.

“I won’t,” I manage to reply, as the pain intensifies even more, becoming unbearable.

Her mother’s words grow louder, faster. The energy in the room is almost suffocating, and everything builds to a climax. I feel immense pressure, like the entire world is crushing my body, but then, suddenly, the pain shatters, leaving only peace.

The runes glow for one last moment, then the light fades, and with it, silence envelops the room.

I breathe. My chest rises and falls regularly. I feel my heart beating, I feel the blood coursing through my veins. My body is alive.

I look at my hands, incredulous. They’re warm. Truly warm.

“You’re here… You’re back,” Astrid murmurs, her voice filled with emotion.

Her arms wrap around me in a tight embrace, and I return it, finally feeling the warmth of her body against mine. Her hand strokes my back, and I know that, this time, I’m really here.

Her mother closes the book and sighs deeply. “It’s done,” she says, with a small, tired smile. “Y/n, you’re alive.”

All I can do is smile, in disbelief, as I hold onto Astrid, feeling my heart beating strong against hers. I’m no longer a shadow, a memory. I’m real. I’ve come back. And with her, I feel like I can face anything.

"Astrid..." I whisper, my voice trembling but full of emotion. I can’t say more because she suddenly moves closer, her eyes shining with something I’d never seen before. Before I can even realize it, her lips are on mine.

The kiss is sweet, intense, full of everything we’ve felt during those days of waiting and hoping. I feel her warmth, her life melding with mine, and for the first time in a long time, I feel whole. The world around us seems to disappear: it's just the two of us, in that moment.

When we pull apart, her eyes find mine, full of a joy that manages to warm me from within. She smiles at me, and I can’t help but smile back, even though a small corner of uncertainty still lingers inside me.

“You’re back,” she murmurs, as if afraid I might disappear again.

“Yes,” I reply, still in disbelief. “Thanks to you.”

I take a deep breath and decide to stand up, to take a step forward, to feel the floor beneath my feet again. But as soon as I try to move, my body seems to give way. My legs tremble, weak and unsteady, and the whole world seems to sway around me. Before I can process it, I’m falling forward, my knees giving out beneath me.

Astrid grabs my waist just in time, holding me in her arms. My heart races, not just from the panic of losing my balance. "Hey, take it easy," she says softly, rubbing my back to reassure me. "You have to get used to it again. It’s not easy coming back to normal."

“I didn’t think... walking would be so hard,” I say, trying to laugh but feeling the embarrassment take over. I look at my legs, still trembling slightly, as if they aren’t responding to my commands.

Astrid helps me sit down again, her touch always gentle but firm. “It’s normal, it’ll take time. You have to get used to being alive again,” she says, smiling at me like it's the most natural thing in the world.

Her mother approaches with an understanding expression. “Your body has gone through a shock, Y/n. Even though your soul is back, you have to give your body time to readjust. Move slowly, one step at a time.”

I nod slowly, feeling the weight of those words. Astrid is still beside me, her arm around my waist, ready to support me at any moment.

“I’m here,” she says softly, stroking my face. “I’m not letting go.”

I take a deep breath, and even though my legs are weak, I know that with her by my side, I can do this. I lift my gaze and meet her eyes. "One step at a time," I repeat, squeezing her hand. "Together."

Astrid smiles again, and in that moment, I feel like I can conquer the world.

[thedeviltohisangel]

All The Things I Did (2): It's All Around, It's All The Time

a/n: wanted to end with angst but i'll save it. send in blrub reqests for these idiots falling in love

The more he thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea. All he had to do was ask. He had asked plenty of girls and women out on the town before. All of them had blushed and giggled and obliged with a twirl of their hair and a bat of their lashes. But this one. Cass. She was something else entirely. 

John didn’t ever think about deploying overseas resulting in him standing outside the mess hall, hat in hand and a bouquet of flowers sweatily gripped in his hand, pacing and muttering self-encouragement under his breath. You’ve done this a million times. You just ask. So what if she says no? There are a million girls trotting around here you’ve already charmed.

“Major Egan?” Shit. He had thought she was already in there, now he looked panicked and not at all manly. “Am I late?” She checked the watch on her wrist, knowing she would never not be on time down to the minute.

“No I thought you’d be early so I was out here talking myself into asking you to dinner.” There was no better way to say it than to just say it. He expected her to look shocked or abhorred. Anything but the look on her face that made it seem that is exactly what she was expecting. 

“Are those supposed to go with the offer?” she asked as she motioned to the grouping of wildflowers he had tasked the children who followed Lemmons around to help him pick. He held them out sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as she lifted them to her nose.

“They’re not much-”

“They’re lovely.” She smiled, a real smile, and he felt a weight lift off his chest and his own smile spread across his face in kind. “Is dinner here or somewhere else?”

“Was thinking somewhere off base. Show you the John Egan worth knowing.”

“You’ll pick me up?” He nodded emphatically. “Then I will see you at 6.” That would give her enough time to finish her work day and get physically and psychologically prepared for whatever John Egan had in store.

“I’ll see you then,” he spoke with a hint of reverence in his tone, unable to even blink as she held the flowers to her nose again and damn near floated past him into the mess hall. Yes. Something else entirely.

----

She was nervous and she hated it. Hated that she was fretting over a fly away piece of hair only visible if the sun hit it just right. Hated that she only had two tubes of lipstick to choose from and neither of them were the right color. Hated that she had only reconciled breaking the rules to sneak out in anything other than her uniform to avoid Major Egan looking at any other girl in a pretty dress.

“Lieutenant Cooper, Major Egan is here for you.”

“Thank you, Mary.” Cass squared her shoulders and took one last steadying breath. She had faced down much worse. German border guards. Handsy bankers. Her mother when she enlisted instead of marrying Sidney Landry.

“You’re out of regulation,” were the first words out of his mouth when she finally stepped outside. 

“Astute.” He opened the Jeep door for her, helping her in before rushing to his side.

“You look lovely.” He meant it sincerely. One of the most beautiful sights he had seen even before the war. And he was sure she would be even for long after.

The ride to a local pub was pleasant enough, John laughing at her earnest attempts to keep her hair in place in the breeze, making her laugh with her whole heart as he sang along to something on the radio. Sang or yelled, the verb was up for debate. He was a perfect gentleman, opening doors and pulling out her chair. 

“You’ve given me plenty of grief over my debutante manners all in the hopes of covering up your own,” she mused as he returned from the bar top to their table with a couple of glasses. Coca-Cola for her, a pint for him.

“I’m not a neanderthal,” he quipped back. John went to raise his glass to his lips when he stopped, her hand resting lightly against his wrist.

“Not before a toast.” She cleared her throat. “To kicking Hitler’s ass and looking damn good while doing it.” The beer almost couldn’t get between the lips of his smile. 

“You’re very surprising.” Cass hummed in acknowledgment. “I like it.”

“Like it? You like an ice cream flavor over another or you like the color of the tie your parents buy you for Christmas.”

“Well, love is a bit presumptuous, Lieutenant, but if you’re that taken-”

“Smitten. Tell me you’re smitten with me.” There was a dare behind her eyes. Daring him to dip his toes into shark-infested waters. 

“I’m smitten with you,” he relented. John thinks she blushed. But before he could tease her about it, a pile of fish and chips was being placed between them.

“Miss Cooper, I wasn’t expecting you tonight! I got a fresh batch of my sponge in the back. Make sure you save room.” 

“I will, Patricia, thank you.” John smiled at the interaction, enjoying this version of Spook. She was much more free off base. Captured the attention of everyone she came into contact with. He could only assume these were natural attributes for her job. Alleged job.

“How do you do that?”

“Do what?” she asked with a pop of a chip into her mouth. 

“Wrap everyone around your finger in an instant.” He reached for her hand halfway across the table, Cass offering it instantly, filling the gaps in between her fingers with his own to emphasize the point. 

“I could give you the same answer I told an empty suit in Washington a few years ago but the answer you want, it’s something I think you have to answer yourself, Major Egan-”

“John, please, Cass.” He was drowning in whatever this was. Needed her to give him an inch just to stay above water.

“John.” He brought her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles one by one.

“Again.” She swallowed, mouth running dry and eyelids feeling heavy.

“John.” He could feel her pulse in her wrist. Flickering quicker ever so slightly. He thinks he could lose himself in this game. Willingly go insane if it meant having her look at him like this. “I’m smitten with you, too.”

----

Somewhere between the fish and the chips and the sponge and the more than a few pints, John had decided those two bikes out front were going to be his. And they weren’t for sale. So he had to earn them. Why not have some fun in the process?

“Aren’t you going to tell him he doesn’t have to do this?” Cass had thought about it but enjoyed the look on Bucky-no that was too much-John’s face to stamp out the fire.

“Major Egan, it’s just a stupid bet,” one of the British soldiers tried to reason with him. 

“I have to do it now. Can’t look like a man who doesn’t follow through on his word in front of my girl.” My girl. That had slipped out when he was refilling his pint glass two or three pours ago. She was still tingling with the warmth it had provided. 

“Who’s it gonna be then, Major?” Everyone echoed the call. 

“I’ve played everyone,” he paused to hiccup, “and you Irish are about as good as hitting that bullseye as you are hammering your nails.” He pointed at a gentleman named Tommy and called him the best darts slinger in all of East Anglia, grabbing the apple to ready himself for the shot. Cass had resigned herself to the corner, content with watching John from afar. 

“You two have been so cute together all night! Why don’t you go give him a good luck kiss?” A group of girls, around her age, had been at the pub either with their own soldier or hoping to find one. They had been longingly admiring the interactions between Cass and John. Like they were in their own little world in the corner of that pub. 

“I don’t want to distract him,” Cass protested but she was already rising from her chair and smoothing her skirt. 

“I’m sure he will find it a worthy distraction.” The cacophony of giggles followed her to her Major, Cass plucking the apple from his hand purposefully. 

“Don’t go losing an eye,” she whispered. 

“Fond of them already?” Her lips pressed together to block her words of agreement from slipping out. “Tell you what. I win those bikes from him but I want a kiss from you.”

“A kiss? That’s hardly a prize. Last I counted, you’ve kissed me plenty.” It was true. When she hadn’t rebuked his lips against her knuckles, he had moved to her palms and her wrists and had taken on the habit of kissing the top of her head every time he stood to refill their drinks. God, he had even allowed himself a sinful press of his lips to her forehead when they had swayed to the record playing in the corner only a handful of moments ago.

“A real, proper sweep you off your feet and make your head spin kind of kiss.”

“Then I guess that is worth playing for.” She handed him the apple and pressed a lingering kiss to his cheek either way. 

“Alright, Tommy, just not the eye.” Cass held her breath as the dart sailed through the air and let it go once it lodged neatly into the apple on John Egan’s head. The whole place erupted and she watched with a smile and a shake of her head as he hoisted Tommy into the air. He caught her eye and smiled like a champion, straightening his jacket before walking towards her. Her arm extended to hit his chest once he was within reach. 

“Outside.” The air inside was suffocating, especially under John’s lovestruck gaze. Her head already felt like it was spinning and he hadn’t even tried to kiss her yet. 

“This seems sturdy enough,” he said with a wave of his hand towards a stone wall lining the road.

“Sturdy enough for-” she gasped as his hands grabbed her waist and lifted her on top of it. Their height leveled within a few inches. Instinctually, her fingertips found the hair at the nape of his neck and found purchase. He leaned forward until there was no moonlight between them.

“Can I kiss you?” he whispered. She chased his question with her own answer, her lips meeting his and a symphony echoing in her head. John met her in kind, cupping her cheek in the palm of his hand and stroking his thumb once, twice, three times. 

“John.” It was a near moan. She wanted more, more, more. Her shoes fell off her stockinged feet, heels digging into his back to bring him closer. 

“You’re going to be the fucking death of me.” He said all the words with one breath to minimize the interruption to the havoc her lips were wreaking on his heart. His arms wrapped tighter around her waist, lifting and turning so he was on the wall and she was on his lap. Cass relished the change in position. Mewling when his hands slid up from her ankles to her thighs and settled at the hem of her dress.

“I need to catch my breath.” She pulled away slightly and pressed a teasing kiss to the tip of John’s nose. 

“That feels nice.” She giggled and kissed him again. “You all caught up on your breath?” Cass nodded and with a smirk, she crashed against him over and over again. And if he whispered again how he was smitten with her. And if she rubbed her nose against his with something more than smitten in her intention. And if John Egan looked back on that night from the confines of a POW camp in Germany, that was just between them, the moon and the stars.

[colourstreakgryffin]

omg haiii it's my first time making a request😶‍🌫️ can u do a Douma x afab reader that is part of his cult? got an idea from one of the stories my mom used to tell me as a kid

It's called "Scheherazade" :DD The Sultan maries women at night and then unalives them by morning. So Scheherazade devised a scheme. She would tell a story every night and leave it on a cliffhanger every time. After 1001 stories, he made the decision of keeping her.

basically- before reader is supposed to ascend to paradise (get eaten alive lolol), she does that ^ so that he'll spare her and let her entertain him every night with her very intriguing stories until he finally doesn't even care about eating him until he doesn't even feel like eating her anymore👍

What’s Afab? Oh, nevermind! I’ll find it out myself with my magic ✨G O O G L E✨ hands! Okay. Hmm, I hope I can do this exactly as you want

Douma- Fascinating Tales

“Aaah~ really? Continue!” Douma hummed excited, tapping his mighty clawed hands on his dark Hakama pants rhythmically as he continues to flash his somewhat manipulative beam before you, encouraging you on pinpointing the interesting details of your next wild tale. Sat on your knees in front of his glamorous, shiny throne, Douma egged you on to speak once again in your immersive tone like you did just before

Your situation with the one and only Upper Moon 2, Douma was a truly fascinating one. More fascinating than the many stories you told him at the peak of black night. You were a prideful follower of the Eternal Paradise Cult, unaware of the fact you were truly in danger until the very final day you were a faithful sheep to the women body-loving demon. Your beloved leader, Douma himself on one faithful day, selected you as the special one to “ascend to paradise”, the special treatment he always spoke about

You, however, weren’t a fan of being eaten alive by your admired leader so you indirectly fought back on his offer and decided to stall his greedy need to devour you, such a pretty woman, by telling him a story so intriguing that he just couldn’t resist but let you finish up, sparing your life in the process. This precisely developed strategy always saved you from meeting a painful and cruel end as Douma grew eager to hear your far tales and kept you alive slowly to satisfy his curiosity

Over many months, you seemingly never ran dry of your tales and Douma’s almost mind-swallowing desire faded away into nothing, at his own surprise. He didn’t want to eat you anymore, he couldn’t really see you as a another walking lunch but as his all-so-interesting story teller, someone who comes into his throne room at a very precise time and tell him a new fantasy narrative that’ll shake his thoughts for hours on end afterwise

You couldn’t believe your efforts genuinely worked as you gently smiled back at Douma, parting your lips to persevere the lead you were weaving and Douma was all for it with every fibre of his bean. Even if you were to lose your material and spark, Douma knew he wouldn’t want to kill you. You don’t seem like you would taste appeasing to him and he was feeling a little but meaningful flame of passion for you burn within him. He wanted to keep you alive until you perished at natural means, he didn’t mind

He could always have you read him written books if you had nothing left to entertain him with. Douma traced his otherworldly beautiful rainbow eyes over your face, your cute defined face and those pretty sparkling eyes. He always found himself amused by your voice and your passion as you explained the plots to him. Douma found you adorable in every form

“Oh, right~? Is that so? What happened to the siblings after they traversed the woods, Dokusha, my dear~?”

[verfound]

FIC: "Of (Maybe, Finally) a Wedding" (MLB; Lukanette; LBSC Lukanette Month 2024)

@lovebugs-and-snakecharmers is doing a Lukanette Month for September 2024, and we all just kinda tossed some prompts in the disco to compile a list?  We ended up with 71 prompts, so I decided I’d roll some dice to pick a prompt, do a twenty minute (ish, bc we all know sometimes they run away from me) sprint, and try to get some short fics out this month?

The last in the series, I swear

Read on Ao3

Prompt 57: Fortune

This could not be happening again.

There was no way in hell he was this unlucky.

He was marrying Ladybug – Lady Luck herself! – in just under an hour!  He could not be this cursed!

“…she’s going to kill me,” he groaned as he stared into the definitely, very, no doubt about it empty box in his hand.  He dropped back onto his old bunk, barely aware of the rock of the boat around him.  Barely aware of anything beyond the fact that he had lost the fucking ring.

Again.

“Bullshit,” Juleka said, peering over his shoulder.  “She hasn’t yet, and you’ve given her ample reason to.”

“Thank you so much, beloved sister, you are encouraging as ever,” he groaned, slumping forward to land his head in his other hand.  The one holding the empty ring box dropped between his knees, and he groaned as his fingers twisted in his bangs – then groaned again when Juleka batted at his hand, trying to stop him before he undid all her hard work.  “Juleka!”

“Luka!” she snapped back.  “Do you have any idea how much product I had to use to get that damn cowlick to stay flat?  I’m not about to let you mess up your hair now.”

“Yeah,” Dingo snickered from the other side of the cabin, where he was busy adjusting his tie.  “That’s Mari’s job later.”

“…disgusting,” Juleka sniffed.  “But accurate.”

“I don’t think either of us are really going to care about my hair in…oh my God. Thirty minutes.  Thirty minutes,” he gulped, looking up and staring in horror at his best men (well, technically Juleka was his best man, but no one had been able to convince Dingo of that).  “She’s going to be here in thirty minutes and I lost the fucking rings.”

“Breathe, dumbass,” Juleka sighed, rubbing his back.  It felt too stiff, but that might have been the suit.  Why had he agreed to this it was all going to pot Marinette was going to take one look at the too-stiff suit and ringless box and leave him on sight.  “Where do you remember having them last?”

“In the box!  Last night!” he cried.  “I was double-checking everything just so this didn’t happen!”

“So is it possible maybe you grabbed the wrong box?” Dingo asked.  Luka blinked at him, his eyes narrowing, and he shrugged like it was a perfectly valid option.

“Exactly how many ring boxes do you think I have lying around, Dingus?” he asked.

“Oi, now, no need for all that,” Dingo said, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he walked over.  Luka wondered what it meant, if both Dingo and Juleka looked better in their suits than he did.  Even the mohawk – which usually clashed with everything – was working with the dark blue color.  “’Sides, don’t Mari make jewelry, too?  You could have a lot of extra little boxes lying around.”

…he had a point, but Luka wasn’t about to admit that.  Besides, all of Marinette’s extra little boxes were usually kept in her studio, and the rings hadn’t been in her studio since…well, since the night she had finished them and first tasked him with keeping them safe until the ceremony.

He’d had one job, damn it, and he’d gone and fucked it up.  Again.

“Maybe they fell out?” Dingo continued, poking the empty box.  “They’re probably back at your flat, Lulu.  I can pop over lickity-split and be back in plenty of time for the vows.”

“…the vows,” Luka gasped, his eyes widening again.  Oh God, the vows…Marinette was going to hate his.  He was terrible with words – what was he thinking, opting to write his own?!

“…ooook,” Dingo said, nodding.  He looked up at Juleka, who looked entirely too amused for her own good.  “You make sure he doesn’t jump ship.  Handle…this.  I’ll go get the rings.”

“Good luck,” Juleka said, though from her tone – from the absolute wreck losing his shit on the bed – Dingo honestly wasn’t sure which one of them needed it more.

– V –

Two.  Hours.

The wedding was supposed to start two hours ago.

And Luka was no calmer than he had been half an hour before it was supposed to start – or even at the exact time it was supposed to start, when Dingo still hadn’t made it back and he was getting a text from Marinette claiming there had been a slight emergency, no need to panic, she’d be there soon.

And Juleka had received a text from Rose ordering her to stall, they needed more time, get Jagged playing or something!

He supposed he should be grateful it was a small wedding on his ma’s boat, and that the only guests were a handful of family and close friends, but that wasn’t stopping the panic from clawing at his throat.

Marinette was standing him up.

She’d heard about the rings, realized he was a lost cause, and…

“Sorry!”

His head snapped up as he stopped his pacing, and there she was.

…dress-less?

She was…running towards him in the most bizarre getup.  She was…still wearing her pajamas?  The ones Rose had specially bedazzled for their hen night, with the pink tank top with the rhinestone BRIDE stamped across the chest.  (He did not know about the matching rhinestones on her ass, which had their guests cackling as she raced forward with PROPERTY OF L.L.C. stamped across her backside.)  And pink, fuzzy flip-flops.  Her veil was blowing behind her as she ran, one of her hands holding it in place as she waved at him, and then she was there, grabbing for his hand and grinning.

“You are never going to believe the day I’ve had,” she said, leaning up to kiss his cheek.  She turned out to the small gathering, all staring at her with wide eyes and open mouths, and waved.  “Sorry, everyone!  I know, I know – I’m so late.  Classic Marinette, right?”

There was a smattering of laughs, but she still winced as she turned back to him.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, stepping closer.  “There…was a series of accidents.  You would think Plagg had a field day at Juleka and Rose’s – the fire was the least of problems.  Jocelyn’s impending termination and murder are still on the table.”

“…fire?” he asked, his mouth dropping open.  Like a fire – and not Marinette threatening to murder her beloved assistant – was what had really shocked him.  She reached up to close it, her smile softening as her finger ran along his chin.  “Marinette –”

“We’re all fine,” she said.  “The dress…is not, and I’m sorry for that.  Well.  It might still be – the backup dress was the one that caught fire.  My actual dress…”

She bit her lip and looked down, shaking her head as if she was trying to erase some unpleasant memory.

“Marinette?” he asked, laying his hand on her cheek.  She shook her head again and grinned at him.

“Joce will find it,” she insisted.  “It’s not her fault I stupidly put it in one of my usual garment bags.  Anyone could have made that mistake, right?”

“…she gave your dress to a client?” he asked, his eyes widening again.  She shrugged as if it didn’t matter, but he knew her.  He knew it had to be killing her – she had worked so hard on that dress.  He hadn’t even been allowed to see the designs for it, because ‘bad luck’ or whatever.

“I was really looking forward to you seeing it,” she sighed.  She leaned up, and he bent obediently so she could whisper in his ear.  “I was really looking forward to you removing it.”

…she had tried to say it low enough that only he could hear, but his ma had damnably good hearing for a former rock star who should have gone deaf years ago and had heard every word.  She threw her head back with a raucous laugh, but Marinette was still grinning at him as her cheeks turned pink.

“…nevermind,” she said, tucking some hair behind her ear.  “She’ll find the dress, and we can worry about it later.  This will have to do for now, right?  At least I’m here.  So…can we just get married already?”

…and yeah, she was there.

But Dingo still wasn’t.

“I’d be more’n glad to, lass,” the Captain laughed as Marinette turned towards her.  He shot a desperate look over Marinette’s head to his sister, but Juleka just rolled her eyes and gestured for him to turn like the missing rings didn’t matter.

The hell they didn’t…

“Wait!” he cried, tightening his grip on her hand.  She turned back to him, frowning, and he sighed.  “We can’t.  Not…not yet.”

“Luka?” she asked, squeezing his hand.  “What’s wrong?”

“Just marry her already, dumbass,” Juleka hissed, but he shook his head.  “Before she gets smart and changes her mind!”

“Marinette…darning…I…” he started, but then Dingo was swinging onto the deck like a bad Tarzan impersonator????

…he was a Couffaine.

Chaos was in his blood.

But surely there was a point where…well…wasn’t this too much chaos?

“Not objecting!” he hollered as he landed on deck.  He held up the rings, his manic grin somehow even more insane than usual.  “Got ‘em, mate!”

“…what?” Marinette asked as Luka groaned, dropping his head into his hands.  Dingo blinked at her before lifting his shades – a custom blue and pink pair he had ordered just for their wedding.  They even had ‘BEST DINGO’ stamped along the legs (in rhinestones, of course, thank you, Rose).

“Ain’t you a bit underdressed, baby girl?” he asked, squinting at her pajamas.  “Pretty sure you’re supposed to be the one in the big, fancy dress.”

“We’re not talking about the dress!” Rose screeched as she came running up the gangway.  “Oh my God, what is wrong with this city?!  Traffic –”

“I know, right?!” Dingo cried, turning to her.  “Stupid Mayor Bourgeois and his reelection parade – nobody wants you anymore, André!”

He had spun back towards the shore, raising a fist to shake at the city, and Luka wondered if he’d be justified in shoving his Best Dingo overboard.

…after he got the rings back, of course.

“…oi, lads,” the Captain whispered, leaning over to the bride and groom.  “We sure this not be the dress rehearsal?”

Marinette shook her head, laughed, and grabbed his hands.  And suddenly, with her smiling at him like that, the rest of it just…didn’t matter.  Because it was her – it was them – and what more had he ever wanted?

“…I forgot the rings,” he whispered, leaning in.  She laughed, and if that wasn’t his favorite sound in the entire world…

“Star,” she whispered back, dipping her chin towards her chest, “I forgot my entire dress.  I think we’re good.  You ready to do this?”

…God, yeah.  He really was.

(Later, after one hell of a kiss and too much cheering and not enough cake, she’d chide him for freaking out about the rings again.

“You know I’d have my craft bag on me,” she’d tell him, rolling her eyes.  “Or the Captain would have some spare rope somewhere.  I could have whipped something up until we found the real things.”

He supposed he should have known that, in the end.  He was marrying Marinette Du…Couffaine, after all, and she was just kind of amazing like that.)

[yourlocalbrokefangirl]

Being a Crew of the Revenge

I finished watching OFMD season 2 finale months ago but I haven’t fully recovered from it. Other than the fact that it brings such unique love story, it also serves my hunger for found family trope (that I do not realize I had one until now). Aside from that, I want to talk about how Stede Bonnet’s people management techniques impressed me to the point that I want to be one of his crew of the Revenge.

I fully admire the way Stede manage to keep the boat floating (as we all know he is not the strongest pirate) while maintaining a positive connection with the crew.

In the opening scene, we get to see how the crew have not really accept the presence of their captain, despite the salary that they got without needing to do anything. I do understand that even though we can call it as ‘easy money’, the crew wanted more action on piracy.

Back to Stede’s people management style, coming from a wealthy and noble family, he is not fully in to the abusive culture of piracy, therefore he implement new style in captaining pirates.

‘Talk it through as a Crew’

A rhyme that was introduced to the viewers in the first episode that is meaningful to Stede’s status as the Captain of the Revenge.

He encourages his crew mates to be more open with their feelings and giving more constructive criticism to one another in order to fully become one as a crew (and eventually as a family). We can see the importance of effective communication for him being a captain as well as being a friend (and later a partner to Ed) throughout the series.

One that intrigues me the most is the fact that when he found out about the man that he loved was killed by his crew mates, he did not blame them rather acknowledge that Edward was to blame for getting himself killed.

His positive personality really warms my heart especially in the scene where he and Edward were having a heart to heart conversations in Anne and Mary’s house. He even said something like ‘you tried to kill me once and I got over that pretty quickly’ and that cracks me up because what he said does make sense. When Ed opens up about his plan to kill him in season 1, there were no negative reaction from Stede, as he believes that Ed is a very good person at heart and will never cause harm to him in purpose. He never blames anyone other than himself for all of the bad things that came to him and his crews.

Being a leader takes up a lot of qualities of a person. Even though Stede may not be suitable as a pirate captain, he surely is fit to being a leader. He is all ears when it comes to his crew, listening to their suggestions and always seeks to learn new opportunity to grow. He leads people with kindness (and plans on kill people with kindness too, but that’s a different point) and he tries to make his crew felt heard.

Growing up as someone who are very closed to people, I admire the way he creates a positive environment in his ship. I always imagine that Stede will be able to make a reserved person like myself feel comfortable talking about our feelings without the fear of being judged. One of the reason I kept my feelings inside is because I am afraid that people will not accept the feeling that I felt.

The fear of being judge because we feel certain things that eventually led to blaming ourselves for having feelings like sadness or anger.

From what I saw in the series, Stede makes a room for people to have those feelings, to talk it through and to give space for people to actually feel their feelings and I really admire that. With that, I think though the pirate life will be uncomfortable because of the hot scorching sun, at least I can be myself knowing that people among me will accept me for myself, and it is nice to think of that. Therefore, that reason alone can make me sign up as Stede’s crew.

Thank you for listening to my thoughts.

[buckysdolls]

Your Archer of Infamy (Priest x You) Series

TW: Kissing, Swearing, Touching

Chapter 2

“No, absolutely not!”

“Oh c’mon Lewis?” You chuckled light heartedly at your brother’s response. He was Lewis to you, but Elton Prince to everyone else. You surprised yourself that you were actually sitting discussing this over breakfast. Potentially going on a date with Waller like you actually cared about it.

“You’re not dad, you can't be the big man and pretend like you know what’s best”

“Errr, actually ever since dad left to go to the shop for milk and surprisingly has never returned, that makes me the man of the house and that makes me the decider of your little escapades.”

“Shut up Lewis!” You glared in disbelief at him letting a little chuckle out.

“Fine! But Everybody hates him” 

“That’s true” Sam (Kit Wilson), your brother’s best friend piped up scoffing his face with scrambled egg, you looked over at him in confusion as to his role in the discussion. The two of them together were known as Pretty Deadly and had debuted on TV a couple weeks ago. It was nice to have your brother on the road, you had the reassurance of family around you but he was also like a beady eyed hawk watching your every move and even though he was the younger one his ‘sister protection’ radar never faulted.

“That’s not what Damain said.” You thought back to what Damian said last night calling Waller ‘fine’

Lewis and Sam looked at each other and laughed. “Damian’s lying then.”

“I thought you wanted to hook up with Damian anyway” Sam asked you, you choked on your water in surprise because there were only two people who knew that and it definitely would not have been Rhea who blabbed about it to Sam.

“You told him?” You looked around the cafeteria frantically to make sure no one was staring or heard what Sam had just said. You leant over the table, your face clearly showing annoyance as you whipped your hand on Lewis’ chest to which he flicked your hand away.

“And I don’t want to hook up, I really like him” The final words of your sentence came out softer and mellow.

“Don’t worry I wont tell anyone” Sam did his little finger wiggle at you, it was one of their character taunts. You raised an eyebrow at him as if to say you weren’t impressed.

“Sorry force of habit” Sam panicked sensing your irritation. 

“Use your big girl words and speak to Damian… about how you really feel.” Lewis scruffed up your hair as he rose from his seat and they left you alone with your thoughts, yourself questioning why Damian would tell you Waller was fine when he didn’t really think it. You found Priest in make-up, having his eyes darkened in preparation for tonight's show he was sat next to Rhea who was having her Judgement Day scales painted onto her face.

“Did you really mean what you said about Waller?” You asked, Mary the make-up artist stopped working sensing there might be some awkwardness in the way you bluntly approached Damian. 

“Oh sorry, Mary, please carry on” You warmly encouraged Mary to continue working on Damian and moving out of her way. Priest couldn't help but adore how pleasant you were even though he was beginning to get rattled by the conversation topic being Waller again.

“What?”

“You said Waller was fine. You didn’t mean it did you?” Your hands were folded over your chest, ready to interrogate him. 

“No. I don’t know”

“But I value your opinion, why lie to me?” 

“I thought it was what you wanted to hear”

“Well it wasn't…” The silence was deafening… the conversation had reached a pit stop like a Formula One car, it was time to regroup and think logically.

“I care about your opinion” You faintly said stepping closer to Priest now Mary had finished, Priest opened his eyes for the first time.

“Look, Waller’s a rat, always will be.” Priest’s tone of voice was snappy.

“Then why did you say he was fine and lie?” 

“Because your love life is irrelevant to me alright, there you go, that’s my opinion ” Your mouth hung open at Damian’s words, you slightly nodded your head in acceptance and frowned at him, narrowing your eyes. You had no words for Priest’s outburst, his reaction shocked you. Embarrassed, confused and ready to burst into tears you turned your back and walked away. Within an instant Priest had stood up from his chair in a desperate attempt to reach out for you before it was too late.

“Shit” he mumbled under his breath, knowing he’d probably gone a step too far and pushed you away.

“You don’t have to be a dick.” Rhea piped up having experienced the rollercoaster of a conversation that it was.

“Why is she asking me about Waller then?” Priest uttered in vexation as he turned to Rhea.

“Men really don’t get women do you?”

“We’re not mind readers Rhea!”

“Everyone can see it between the two of you Priest!”

“See what?” He asked as if he was oblivious but he knew what she was talking about. As he thought about it he was able to understand why he couldn't express his feelings towards you. He'd been with other women before and was able to tell them, but that had been meaningless sex and boring relationships. The excitement and affection he felt towards you was different and something he didn’t want to tamper with incase you didn’t feel the same. He’d rather have a friend in you if it couldn’t be nothing more and now it seemed like he had neither.

“The tension, the way she looks at you, the way you look at her. They way you get mad when another guy is talking to her or when she talks about another guy”

“Yeah cause I think I’m falling in love with her but she’s banging on about Waller.”

“Yeah, to make you jealous you donut.”

“Yeah she’s doing a good job of it then!”

“She wants you to get jealous so you open up about your feelings towards her! She’s into you. She may not be saying it but I am and she’s told me so many times that she’s into you…do with that what you will.. See you in the gorilla.” 

You hadn't spoken to Priest since yesterday's conversation and it was all you could think about whilst you were sitting alone, feeling utterly humiliated. You aimlessly bounced the straw of your drink up and down, flicking the dregs of your drink in your glass. You attempted to look calm and collected with straight posture and one knee crossed over the other but in reality you wanted the world to open up and swallow you whole as you began to realise Waller had stood you up…You couldn't quite believe it, you actually gave the guy a chance…albeit out of spite towards Priest and he was a no show. Waller no showed you. Waller no showed you whilst you looked absolutely fucking incredible, wearing your silver sequined crop top, black leather mini skirt and suede knee high boots. Waller no showed you…and you were pissed! Grabbing your purse from the table you leaped up from your chair ready to ditch your lonely date when a body stood in front of you blocking your way. Looking up you were greeted by Waller, who was wearing a look of disappointment and seemed a little nervous as he rubbed the back of his neck. Your lack of smile and your arms folded over your chest told him you were not impressed.

"Forget about our date?" You asked with a firm tone.

"Erm…shit. Look I'm going to be honest…"

"How thoughtful of you" Your words oozed with sarcasm.

"Priest asked me not go"

"Kinda threatened me not to go" Waller quickly changed his words.

Your eyes squinted, your mouth hung open a jar as you tried to comprehend Waller's words. Priest had told him not to go? 

"If Priest told you to jump off a cliff, would you do it?"

"Maybe. Look, no girl is worth getting pounded in the face by a six foot five machine like Priest alright."

"That's what he said?" You questioned Waller.

"Yeah and I don't want to have heat backstage, if there's something going on with you and Priest. You could have just told me'' Waller stuffed his hands in his jean pockets before rolling his lips inwards and walking away. You felt as though Waller had knocked the wind out of you, unsure if it was because you'd been turned down or because of the shit Priest had pulled. You frustratedly walked as fast as you could in your boots, taking the elevator up to the second floor of the hotel on a mission to find Priest. Knocking on Balor's door you hoped to see if Priest had been chilling out with him.

"Is he here?" You tried to look over Balor's shoulder to see if you could catch a glimpse of inside. Balor widened his eyes at your abrupt and not so warm welcoming hello.

"Hi to you too…"

"Sorry Balor" You changed your demeanour realising you'd been rude in your approach.

"You look nice…" Balor looked you up and down appreciating your appearance. 

"Thanks…it was for a date… that I got stood up on. Is Priest here?" 

"Erm no… he's three doors down,  227. Look, about what he said the other day, you should talk to him about him. Try to sort it out?"

"Don't worry I'm going over to talk to him" The smile you put on your face was pure mockery.

"Great. He's had a face like a slapped arse recently"  Balor didn't seem to sense the bitterness in your words and he seemed chuffed that you'd decided to talk to Priest.

"Well get used to it…" You announced walking away from Balor's room ready to confront him. He watched as you banged on Priest's door. Priest answered the door, your mouth suddenly began to dry up, your heartbeat increased and you felt your body heat rising to the temperature of a sauna. Priest was standing in just a towel, the drips of water made his body glisten in the light and you couldn't help but let your eyes flutter across his chest.

Standing your ground you shoved past him to allow yourself entry into his room and once you were far enough in the room you stood in the centre with crossed arms over your chest and raised brows ultimately telling Priest something was not right. He observed you, firstly sensing your displeasure at something, your breath hitched as he began to walk towards you… you watched him and noticed how his eyes danced across your body, admiring the stunning view that had graced him. Priest had listened loud and clearly to Rhea's advice.

"Why did you do it?" Instead of sounding powerful the words that left your mouth were whimpers, you tried to hold back the tears that wanted to break free. Priest sensed your change in demeanour and hated seeing you breaking down in front of him, you were now cuddling yourself as if to protect yourself from him. He reached out to put the palm of his hand on your cheek in an attempt to comfort you but your instant reaction was to take a step back to create some separation. You closed your eyes and singular tears leaked, you must have looked helpless to him as you stood staring at the ground.

"It was embarrassing sitting alone, I felt so stupid! I'm wearing this and having nobody show up made me look like an idiot. Why did you do it?" Priest realised you weren't here to talk about your previous falling out,  it was the other thing he’d done and Waller had snaked him out. Priest dumped himself on the edge of the bed with a heavy sigh, running his fingers through his long wet locks, trying to find the right words to say to you. 

"I'm sorry I told him not to show… you do look incredible by the way"

"Don't try to flirt with me right now" you spoke as you sat next to him on the edge. 

Priest turned to look at you "I'm serious. You're far too beautiful and loving and caring for someone like Waller"

"That's for you to decide is it?"

"No but I…"

"You can't ruin my date because you don't think he's good enough. At least he's asked me out… and keeps asking like he knows he wants me. He's got the balls to ask unlike you "

"Is that what you want?"

"What?" You shook your head in confusion.

"Do you want me to ask you out?"

You weren't sure if he was serious or playing games with you. He stood up from the bed and stood in front of you, he took your hands and pulled you up, your body now touching his. He placed your arms around his shoulders and traced his fingers down your arms, you closed your eyes as he learnt his forehead on yours, you enjoyed his fingers now brushing up and down your sides till he finally settled his hands on your hips. 

"Is this what you want?" Priest voice was low and sensual. All that escaped your lips was a groan in pleasure. Priest’s forehead left yours and he slowly worked towards your neck, planting gentle kisses in the crevices of it. He then worked a trail of kisses towards your chest.

"Tell me this is what you want…" He paused his kisses for a moment. Your fingers had tangled up into his hair as you clutched onto him in desperation. Priest had hoisted you up and tenderly placed you down on the bed now hovering over you. 

"Is this what you want?" Priest asked again, his hand pulled your leg up which allowed him to trace his hand up it then stop as he reached the fabric of your underwear.

Yes, absolutely yes it was what you wanted. It was a head versus heart moment. Your head was telling you to stand up for yourself but your heart had wanted this for so long.

[artsy-the-little-pink-pencil]

Ok guys, I thought about this and I decided to redo how my au goes, Artsy isn’t a Mary Sue that gets thrown in the cellar anymore XD Have fun reading!

After all 9 episodes of TADC, the gang is sick and tired of being cooped up in this circus and want to go home more than ever, so after the final adventure, they all go into Kinger’s Fort to brainstorm ideas, Artsy writing them down. They spend hours and hours trying to come up with ways to get home, but with nothing to use, after Pomni’s arrival, Caine fixed the exit door mishap, now the exit door is never visible to the members. Artsy suddenly comes up with the idea to draw a new exit door! They immediately try it but can’t open it, so Jax tries every single one of his keys to open it, but to no avail. The gang is heartbroken at their failed experiment, but Ragatha says not to give up hope, they at least have the door now. Gangle then suggests Artsy to draw a key, so Jax immediately takes her and draws all sorts of keys, but once again, none will work. They try all sorts of stuff, using Gangle’s now broken comedy mask, Zooble’s parts, Ragatha’s sewing needles, Kinger’s little trinkets, ect. After a while of this, they finally give up and go to bed. But not Artsy and Pomni, they keep working all night to open the door, but they only stop when Caine wakes them up for the next adventure. But Pomni and Artsy stop him and ask if he can open the door. Caine freezes and says again that the exit isn’t finished but Artsy instead insists that he finishes it, with her being a pencil, he can draw anything and that today's adventure could be to finish the exit, getting everyone to work on it with him. Everyone agrees, except Caine, he hates the idea and sends everyone to their rooms and locks them there. While he’s alone in his thoughts, he wonders how this happened, he made sure to get rid of the exit door! How did they find another door?! Then he realized, it was pink, the original door is red. It was the pencil. He immediately teleports Artsy to him and demands how she drew an exit door. She told him that Pomni told her how it looked and she drew it. Caine then made Artsy’s pencil tip unsharpened, just a regular, default pencil, but what Caine failed to realise was that Artsy gave Pomni a piece of her wax. Now they only have this tiny piece of pencil wax left and they had to use it very wisley. Artsy was furious, she hated her new form, having to hop to places, being carried if she got tired, adventures became horrible, she couldn’t draw anything. Overall, life was miserable for her, and Caine did nothing, he ignored her and her problems, just like everyone else in the circus. Artsy had become resentful and started disobeying Caine, acting out constantly, and encouraged the others to do the same, which they did. Soon, all hell broke loose in the circus, Caine couldn’t control his circus members anymore, they never went on adventures anymore, and he knew they were acting like this because they wanted the exit, so Caine finally backed down and agreed to Artsy and Pomni’s original idea, they’d all work on the exit together. Caine gave Artsy her original form and the work finally began. After all these years, they were going to go home. The exit soon became a funhouse tunnel of rooms, each character had their own rooms to go through, and at the very end was a memorial for those who had abstracted, a shrine for all of them was on all sides of the rooms, and the final door to go home. But before they all went through, they needed to decide how they’d find each other in the real world. They decided on going by their Circus names, saying, “Hi I’m, (real name), but my friends call me (circus name). It was flawless. So finally, Caine said his final goodbyes to everyone, but Artsy and Pomni felt pity for the ringmaster, so they both promised to come back and visit him every once in a while. Caine was satisfied with this and they went back home. When they got back to the real world, they found that they were all together! They reunited quickly and tried to leave the office complex. What they didn’t know was that it had been abandoned, everything was dingy and dirty and just completely run down. As they left the complex, they found one

single man standing in the lobby. Kinger immediately recognised him as the owner of the C&A company, Mr. Miller. Miller immediately recognised him too and told everyone how Kinger made the game, instantly making him look bad. Artsy defended him by saying that he didn’t know he’d be trapped in the game as everyone agreed, and stood by Kinger’s side. Miller had enough and demanded they put the headsets back on. They protested and made it clear that they’d never go back in that game. Miller then brought up how Artsy and Pomni promised Caine, and tried to put the headsets on them himself! The gang quickly took him down and called the police. He was later arrested for multiple felonies and fraud charges. As the gang realised how long it’d been since they first came into the circus, they decided to live together so they could figure out how to navigate the world together, except Jax, he was the only one who went back home. So now the gang is doing their best to reintegrate into society all while figuring out how the world works. Pomni and Artsy do visit Caine and somehow managed to convince the others to join them.

TL;DR

The gang is tired of being trapped, they have Artsy draw a door, nothing will open it, they ask Caine for help, he refuses, they rebel and Caine gives in. They make the exit maze to their liking and Artsy and Pomni promise to visit Caine. They go into the real world and the place is abandoned. The owner, Mr. Miller tells them that Kinger made the game and tries to put the headsets on them again. They take him down and call the police and have him arrested. The gang decides to live together (except Jax) and Artsy and Pomni convince the others to visit Caine with them.

[matt0044]

So... “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” is a bop, right?

It’s firmly supplanted “Let It Go” as Disney’s latest ear-worm until the next one comes along but it’s more than just a catchy ballard. It spells out how the Family Madrigal view him as a blight on their family name, especially when they’ve been a pillar of their community.

It also describes how rather than dealing with his problem and maybe helping him through it, they opted to just let him retreat into his room never to be seen again. Better to sweep it under the rug. However, this also proves to be a root in while the house is coming undone.

The message is clear: a family can’t stay as one so long as they can’t talk about their problems with each other. It’s why Mirabel doesn’t get a gift so she can be the outsider looking in.

Where is this going? Well... somebody just finished Voltron: Legendary Defender... and enjoyed it.

Here me out before you scroll away.

I had finished up to Season 7 along with Teen Titans three days before Season 8 dropped. I knew that fandom discourse would be a bear and opted to let the season simmer before I viewed it for myself a few Watch Lists down the road.

What I couldn’t have known was this overwhelming hate for Season 8. I was on Twitter where handles were being altered to include #FuckVoltron and the like. I glimpsed spoilers of what happened in the finale without getting into the dirty details.

Thus I decided to put it off until the heat died down. A whole half decade at that. With Fandom Drama down to near non-existent, I decided to return and engage with Voltron on its own terms from the start. No shipping drama, no expectations for how it should go, no accusations of problematic behavior and no Purple Lion conspiracies.

And... I liked it. I highly encourage those scared off by the drama or felt Season 8 did it dirty to give it a(nother) shot. It deserves a full on renaissance the way Twilight got.

Why? (spoilers ahead).

I was sold on Allura and Lance’s relationship. I loved how he went from being a flirt to genuinely admiring Allura as a leader and Paladin, encouraging her in the season 4 finale without trying to get anything out of it.

I liked the tonal shift around Season 7 where the ultimate Golion homage is made with the Space Explorers coming home to a war ravaged Earth.

I liked how human Lotor and Honerva were as villains coming after Zarkon. I can see why there’s a whole ass conspiracy framed around him actually being in Season 8. Also them taking that “Your mother was an Altean bitch” like and running with it for Hagger was brilliant.

Keith becoming the Black Paladin after Kuron’s reveal was well done and felt weirdly natural in retrospect. He feels like he can’t measure up to Shiro and learns more discipline from

Allura sacrificing herself to restore all realities felt a lot better with the knowledge of spoilers. It helps that the ending went with a more noble feel than angsty, showing how the Paladins strove make sure that her actions set an example for years to come.

I love that they got creative with the multiple alien species and kept the Alteans from being just humans in space like in the original. It really took inspiration from Vehicle Voltron with more aliens in the mix.

Shiro the Hero, as Crazy Coran put it. What can I say except that he’s the kind of character you call a Mary Sue if he wasn’t a guy. Always calm, always perservering, putting the mission first and being a pillar the team can lean on. He even creates his own Voltron out of the Atlas

Honestly, the whole Adam thing isn’t something I fully blame the writers given the producers pushing back. Mind you, I feel like Keith would’ve made a good endgame pairing with him if they had even out their ages when they first meet, both as teenage proteges.

Studio Mir was amazing, especially with the space battles. Honestly, if Robotech managed to make a comeback, I could totally see them being tapped to match the classic Anime style.

So... yeah. Voltron good actually.

[buttertheflame]

A List of Things To Come

*a long post*

I was on hiatus for about 5 years, but I think it's worth the risk of coming back. These are some thoughts and hot takes I've had since then up to now. My professional life is busy, but when I have the time, I'll share. Anyone interested?

Here's a preview, categorized by fandom:

A Song of Ice and Fire:

For asoiaf canon, I’ll speculate on what Jon and Val could have been, and what they could have had together, if he had not kicked the bucket. I’ll also contrast it with Jon's dreams of a life with her, and why he put the torch to it. :( Because of the root of her dislike of Mel and Shireen, I figure she will not be pleased with un-Jon.

Game of Thrones:

In GoT canon, Jon did not love Dany as much as the script suggested he would. In fact, they both failed to take responsibility for the other person. I haven't seen anyone make a statement like this before. (The PTSD is real.) But fic writers did pick up on this and tried to fix it in canon compliant stories, with a lot of success.

Supernatural:

In Supernatural s12-s14, Mary should have found her sons to be way more weird, specifically with each other. But given what we see of her in s6, her characterization is consistent. She would have, and did, ignore the red flags for an idea of family.

I’ll share approving thoughts on Sam and Dean's relationship in the final seasons, disapproving thoughts on the final season of Supernatural, and how I speculated it would either go Gencest or Destiel. We know what happened. No one walked away happy and I think the fandom was all the better for it.

Destiel is not canon. It only became a one-sided love confession. (I know there's a lot of speculation on what happened b/w the studio, the writer's room and the post-production team. Idc. Not gonna touch it.) Thoughts on how I think SPN could have made Destiel go 100% canon involve tweaking the execution and balancing out the themes of Sam and Eileen's love story, the big bad plot, and Dean and Cas's 'love' story.

Outlander:

Outlander (show-only) thoughts, foremost on Roger Mackenzie. He has vexed me from the first time he appeared on screen. I love him dearly, but he vexes me, for how he consistently affects the plot and how that defines his role among the main cast. Later on, I'll run through my favorite moments, episodes and narrative arcs.

Miscellaneous:

I'll share a list of favorite ship-centric fics I've collected over many, many, many years. (Gotta be over 10 years' worth). Along with blurbs that explain my recommendation in a non-spoilery way. Fandoms include: Harry Potter, LOTR, Supernatural, The Walking Dead, ASOIAF, Game of Thrones, Star Wars (Sequel Trilogy), The Flash, Shadowhunters [look away book fans <3], Hannibal (show-only).

I'll also post drafts of fics I never got right and never finished. Mostly GoT-canon divergent Jon/Dany fics.

Most importantly, some very dear friends have encouraged me to vent and hype up my Jonerys fic series "We Could Live Together" as I write it. It's GoT-canon divergent, but I alter some of what occurred before 6x09. Then the story re-enters book territory and moves toward ADOS conclusions. I'd also love to break down and discuss songs from the playlists when it strikes me.

This is the summary of Part 1, "A Long Way Home" (published):

After the Battle for Winterfell, Jon was captured by Bolton men then later found by Daenerys not far from Dragonstone. Their meeting blossoms into the most honest love--until Jon suddenly leaves for Winterfell, only to return to Dragonstone months later with more terrifying tales of dead men and Winter storms. When Daenerys chooses to send her armies north to fight the dead, all is certain but the matter of their bond. After the pain they'd endured, can they come together again? Or will separation be too powerful to overcome? *or* A romantic tale of choice and second chances.

This is the summary of Part 2, "Awake For Ever In Sweet Unrest" (in-progress and unpublished):

Winter has come and further fractured the realm. Yet Jon and Daenerys's betrothal and alliance is well known throughout the Seven Kingdoms. The secret that threatened to break them has made their love stronger, casting a fragrance of hope that draws to the last Targaryens all who seek refuge from political turmoil. Cersei Lannister has fled King's Landing in favor of establishing a bank in Lannisport, to guard against her deposition by the Iron Bank. Euron Greyjoy has set up a naval blockade at Oldtown, yet manages to beguile the Hightowers. And Walder Frey's sundown years threaten to pull his House into a civil war. From the Wall, Jon and Daenerys begin to wage war on the Others. Yet the age of wonder and terror, of gods and heroes, leads them and their enemies in the least expected ways. It begs the question: does all happen the way it must? *or* A romantic telling of the new War for the Dawn.

This is what I've been doing the past few years: working, (dating lol), re-reading the books and joining theory discussions on other sites. What touched my heart was readers asking for me to continue the fic series. Even as I considered it, I was conflicted. Since the show and book canon are so enmeshed, I think we were really vulnerable to being whipped and scored by D&D. But we all found ways to lick our wounds. I'm grateful we were able to become closer and stronger. I'm glad to be a part of it.

So that's my preview. If you've read this far, thank you. <3

There's more to come.

[amethystandemma]

Just finished writing this little bit for the Captain Marvel family! Please tell me what you all think!

. . . . . . . . . .

Ages

Mary and Max: 16

Pedro: 15

Billy and Freddy: 14

Eugene: 11

Darla: 9

. . . . . . . . . . .

Ding dong.

Mary Bromfield looked away from the bathroom mirror at the closed door, still holding her pink hairbrush. Did she hear the doorbell, or was it her imagination?

Ding dong.

"I'll get it!" Mary yelled as she threw down her brush. She opened the door and started sprinting down the stairs.

Sitting on the couch engrossed in a computer game was her youngest foster brother, Eugene Choi. He was oblivious to the world around him thanks to his headphones. A gun could fire right next to him and he wouldn't bat an eye. That meant he wasn't a threat.

But he wasn't the only person in the house. There were others that she had to worry about.

Ding dong.

Mary pushed a strand of her brown hair behind her ear and took a deep breath. She opened the door.

Standing on the doorstep was who Mary thought was the most handsome boy in the entire world: Max Mardon. He had fluffy dark brown hair that curled behind his neck, a nice build from playing baseball, and a tender smile that was almost always on his face. What Mary most liked was his kind purple eyes.

"Hey Mary," Max greeted. "I brought you these." He handed her a bouquet of red roses.

"They're lovely," Mary said, blushing.

Mary heard more footsteps and grew tense, knowing what was coming next. A manicured hand gently patted her shoulder.

"Mi Vida, you didn't tell me that you had company coming over!" Rosa Vasquez, Mary's foster mom said.

More footsteps.

"Company?" Victor Vasquez, Mary's foster father asked. "Why don't you come in?"

"I don't want to intrude-" Max started.

"That's right, he doesn't." Mary interrupted.

Victor either didn't hear her or he ignored her because Max was inside the house before Mary could protest more.

"I'll make some tea." Rosa said with a smile, walking off to the kitchen. Victor made an "I'm watching you" motion at Max before following his wife.

Mary sat down on the sofa with a sigh. Max stood next to the couch, looking around the cluttered house. Eugene didn't even notice the movement around him.

"Sorry about the mess," Mary said. "We have a lot of people living here."

"I don't mind," Max smiled. "I actually find it charming. My mom doesn't let anything stay out of place."

"That's dumb." Freddy Freeman, another one of Mary's foster brothers said.

"Yeah, it kind of is." Billy Batson, the newest foster brother, agreed.

Mary glared at both of them. Freddy smiled innocently and leaned on his cane while Billy stuck his tongue out.

Boys, Mary thought with an eye roll.

"Mind if I ask you some questions?" Freddy asked.

"I-"

"Good." Freddy sat down on the armrest where Eugene sat playing his game. "Sit."

Max moved to sit next to Mary. Billy jumped in front of him and sat down on the sofa.

"Sorry, this seat's taken," Billy said, motioning to the open living chair. "You're welcome to sit there though."

Max shrugged and sat down.

"I'm sorry." Mary mouthed.

"It's fine." Max mouthed back, giving her a thumbs up.

"Oh, so you're throwing gang signs?" Freddy asked. "In a house with children present?"

Billy pointed at the archway where Darla Dudley stood watching everything while eating a banana.

"Don't you guys have something better to do? I mean, we don't need an interrogation." Mary said, crossing her arms.

"Mary, Mary, Mary," Freddy tutted. "If this was an interrogation we would be establishing background first."

"I stand corrected." Mary rolled her eyes. "C'mon Max, we're leaving."

Mary stood up just as her final foster brother, Pedro Peña, walked into the room.

"Oh, there you are Mary," Pedro said. He held up a notebook. "Can you help me with this equation real quick?"

Mary glanced at Max. He gave her an encouraging smile and started to do a thumbs up before looking at Freddy. He put his hand down.

"Sure Pedro, I can help." Mary said.

She walked up the stairs. Pedro started to go after her before turning around and giving the "okay" sign to Freddy. Freddy smirked, nodding.

"Oh, so he can do gang signs?" Max asked with a half-hearted laugh once Pedro was gone.

Neither Freddy nor Billy laughed. They just stared at him. Max wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans.

"Look, we're just going out for a movie," Max said. "I promise I won't hurt her."

"How do we know you can trust you?" Billy asked.

Max threw up his hands. "I don't know, you could trust Mary's judgment?"

"Please, when a female is in heat they rely on instinct, not thought." Freddy said.

"Dude." Billy gagged.

"Gross." Max added.

Freddy turned to Billy. "You're taking his side?"

"Well, yeah when you say stuff like that!" Billy yelled.

Mary popped her head out of the stairwell and quickly waved at Max. He glanced at the two bickering boys before running towards her. She grabbed his hand and ran out the front door.

"Sorry," she said. "They're... insane."

Max laughed, kissing her hand gently. Mary blushed.

"I love crazy," he said. "Now, let's go catch that movie."

[arcplaysgames]

Writing all of this up to the tune of "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" because it felt suitable.

Reverie heads over the Junes food court one more time and as destiny would have it, the team wants to have a final meeting.

How fucking convenient. You know, if the Midnight Channel birthed itself with conception-via-rumor, that would be remarkably fitting given the game's obsession with rumors.

But man, this conversation with the team is great because I HAVE BEEN BITCHING ABOUT THESE QUESTIONS FOR WEEKS NOW.

Who created the Midnight Channel and how did Namatame, Adachi, and Reverie all get the power of Persona to start off?

SPEAKING

OF

ADACHI

Adachi spent his cigarette money on some stationery and stamps apparently. He sent a letter to Reverie and what's striking is the coolness, the resignation, the lack of his previous simmering anger. Reverie told Adachi he could still change and personally I wasn't sure but who knows!

But Adachi writes to be helpful, because he's clued into all the supernatural elements of this case and one thing has been haunting him: he cannot remember where he first heard of the Midnight Channel either. Just a rumor, just a whisper.

Genuinely: Adachi is a top tier gaming villain. Huge fan.

PFFFT HAHAH. THANKS MAN! APPRECIATE IT.

lmao Chie, a little known localization of fucking Cassandra I guess.

The game encourages me to try and figure out the first thing that happened to Reverie in this game, what happened upon arriving in Yasoinaba. Which.... the very first thing was meeting Marie, but I'm not allowed to go into the Velvet Room yet for some reason, so I head over to talk to Dojima and Nanako instead.

...........

hold please.

Hang on a fucking minute. Are you serious right now.

After a brief detour to my favorite liminal limo of the mind--

Also, this only occurred to me now.

You frequently visit the Velvet Room in dreams and it's associated with the hero's unconsciousness. Is Igor's red-veined eyes meant to be a nod to the idea that he is a warden of the sleeping world and as such he never sleeps himself? Or am I reading too much into it.

Actually who knows, this game loves the Jungian collective subconsciousness shit, Persona and the Nonary Games are making out in Philosophy 101 talking about the Morphogenetic Field.

Anyway. I see the Velvet Room folks and go to the gas station.

And this gas attendant has been hanging out on every rainy day since the start of the game, and all of a sudden,t he weather shifts from bright and sunny to rain.

da fuck

excuse me i finally figured out that fucking voice, that's Karen Straussman, aka fucking AEGIS FROM PERSONA 3 jfc no wonder hearing it tickled my fucking brain so aggressively, i had JUST finished P3P

They put the Sagiri into-- wait. Oh my god. Is that why Namatame's whole shadow situation was so fucking weird?

if they put the Sagiri into Adachi and Namatame, then what did they put into Reverie????

LITERALLY NO IDEA, I AM CURRENTLY CONTENDING WITH THE DUBIOUSNESS OF "it was the gas station attendant" RIGHT NOW

....... oh the.... the weird inexplicable and suspicious lecture on the creation of Japan by Edogawa all the way back in Iwatodai. okay. Izanagi and Izanami. So Reverie has the subconscious imprint of Izanagi in him, the person who locked Izanami in Yomi.

/blows out a breath

okay

YEP I SURE DO

lmao my feelings on this ending are in progress and I wanna see how this all falls into place before having an opinion

[imapuppy5000]

Mary’s return part 3

Probably only one part left

Rosalina belongs to @mirconreadzztuff22

Sage belongs to @theacedragon0w0

Hazel belongs to @puffymucher



The next day Vlk was out of the tower and never came in for work, the polycule obviously assuming the worst, went on a search for her. Hazel and Sage went down to the hotel and Rosalina and Velvette headed down to the fox’s old apartment. They had already scavenged the studio only to come up short.

Rosalina knocked on the door, crouched at a weird angle due to the short ceilings. There was a groan followed by a sharp, “Fvck off I’m busy!” That clearly resembled Mary’s slightly reptilian accent.

Velvette knocked louder and more aggressively, pounding on the door until finally it was opened. Mary’s hands were bloody as she glared at the two, “What do you want?! I said I'm busy!”

“Where’s Vlk?”

“She’s inside. Currently she’s got a gash in her back that won’t stop bleeding so if you’ll excuse me, I have to go deal with that.” Mary’s attempt to close the door got nowhere as Rosalina barged in and Velvette stamped on Mary’s already broken ankle, earning a curse and a cry.

The pair rushed to the bathroom and saw Vlk sitting on a stool, looking tired. She glanced at the mirror and startled. “Hey.” She said awkwardly, immediately grabbing a towel and wrapping it over herself to hide her cut. “What are y’all doing here? Oh what time is it?! Am I late?!”

“Yes, you never showed up, we were worried sick about you! What happened, let me see.” Rosalina insisted, pulling on the towel.

Vlk held tighter, blushing, “No, No it’s okay. It’s just a little scratch. Mary was just patching me up.”

Rosa looked over her, concern evident in every wrinkle.

Velvette shook her head. “Tell us what that b-ch did.”

“That b—ch did nothing, thank you very much.” Mary growled, holding onto the door frame for support. “She got into a fight at a bar and asked me to come patch her up cause I know how to suture wounds. Now if you could let me finish so she doesn’t continue to bleed out that’d be nice.” Mary shoved her way into the room and limped over, sitting on the toilet and tugging on the towel. This time Vlk let it slide off, which did hurt her partners a little.

“I didn’t want you guys to worry.” Vlk muttered, looking astray as Mary picked up where she left off. “And Mary is good at patching me up so I was just gonna have them do it and pretend it never happened.”

Rosa and Velvette glanced at each other before Velvette asked, “What were you doing at a bar, you never drink.” To which Mary laughed loudly.

“What’s so funny?” Velvette growled.

“I used to struggle to keep her out of the alcohol cabinet, no way in hell she got better about it while she was literally in hell where vices are encouraged.”

“I don’t need to drink anymore.” Vlk hissed, ears flat. “I’m on meds that help.”

“Really? The thing I tried to get you on for years?”

“Yes.” Vlk’s voice was tense. “I tried them and they worked and I’ve been on them since. You should be happy I’m not constantly depressed anymore.”

“I- I am but why didn’t you change with me?! What’s different now? You’re in hell you should be living it up like you wanted to, going out killing whoever you want, getting wasted, the whole thing. Instead you’re here getting better?”

Vlk looked at her partners and her face softened slightly before turning back to Mary. “Yes. They encourage me to get better. Unlike you who always brought out my worst flaws.”

“Your best traits.” Mary corrected. They reached over and washed their hands as Velvette asked, “So why the bar?”

“I was in a mood and looking for a fight. Emotions were high, is all. Bar fights are safest ‘cause a bouncer will stop the fight before someone dies.”

Mary hummed and nodded at that.

“Well whatever the reason, I think it’s time to go home. Everyone’s worried about you.”

“Okay. Just let me get dressed.” Vlk smiled softly and carefully made her way to the dresser.

As she was getting dressed Mary and Rosa stared at the other. “I guess that’s my cue to leave?” Mary asked, breaking eye contact and pulling a bottle out of a drawer. She popped one of the pills and put it back before grabbing a makeshift cane and trotting out of the building.

Vlk was brought home and fussed over. Her partners found a few more cuts and bruises that were hidden and a few very distinctive bite marks but didn’t ask questions. Vlk was glad for it as she doubted she could make up another lie.

She went to bed early, rubbing her arms tenderly.

“We’re not letting them get away with this, are we?” Hazel growled when Vlk had left.

“F—k no!” “Definitely not.” “No. I think it’s time we step in.”

“Good.” The hound nodded with an evil grin.

[jungle-angel]

Hullo, I want to see some content with the prompt I have rn. So, a pilot reader with top gun. Gets shot down and when falling, the reader gets flashbacks about their most traumatic crash and yells their old aircraft callsign "[---]IS DOWN!  I REPEAT, [---] IS GOING DOWN! WE NEED BACKUP!" Luckily, the reader worked in the same plane model, so during her panic, she gains a bit of control of the plane and actually lands, albeit scuffed. Any end you'd like.

-（。＾▽＾）anon

ps. i wanted to start writing fics

My lovely anon, thank you so much for being so patient with this, I'm so sorry it took so long for me to get to it, work and other things had gotten in the way of it, but thank you so, so much for being so patient. (Reader's callsign is "Thunderbolt")

You didn't know what was going on when the engines started to fail.....only that the memories of a past trauma had begun to surface.

You didn't even hear yourself yelling your old callsign. It was as if everything had deafened, save for the loud ring in your ears and the system recorder repeating the altitude warning over and over again.

"Backup!!" you seemed to shout, though no words ever seemed to escape your mouth. "Backup!! We need backup!!"

You gripped the controls, your knuckles going white. Your eyes grew wide with panic as the intense G-force seemed to tear through your whole body. You could feel a blackout coming.....you just knew it.

Yet when you opened your eyes you felt the plane leveling out somehow. You froze a little, wondering if this was some sweet dream or if you were already dead and in heaven.

"T......talk to me guys," you stammered meekly. "Say something....anything."

"Thunder, keep going, you're doing amazing."

You didn't expect Natasha, your best friend and roomie, to be the first one on the radio. Your mind had finally stopped its racing, long enough for you to see the carrier in the distance, just a small speck, but a welcome sight nonetheless.

"Bring'er around and we'll have the crew get the nets up," Rooster assured you.

"Keep your hands steady and you'll be ok," Mickey encouraged.

"You can do this Thunder, just keep it tight," Bob told you.

You took a long, deep drag of breath into your lungs before you pushed the throttle forward, the plane zooming into a hairpin turn before coming right around and leveling out to land.

"Oh Jeebus, Mary and Joseph," you groaned under your breath when you realized the stupid clunker didn't have any landing gear at the front.

The carrier pulled into view, inching further and further into your sight. This was gonna be a rough landing, but one that you had done loads of times.....just not in an F14.

You could see the crew just finishing pulling the nets up, scattering like ants on a sidewalk as your plane flew further and further down towards the runway. You stuck the landing without issue, the jet sliding across the runway with a few sparks flying underneath. Your head and your leg were absolutely killing you as the rest of the Daggers rushed for your plane, prying the canopy to get you out. As soon as Bob had lifted you out into his arms, you wrapped your own around his neck in a tight hug, relieved that you were alive and back with the others.

"You ok?" Mav asked.

"Yeah," you told him. "I'm ok. Leg hurts a little, but I'll be alright."

Mav had known about the incident two years before, knowing it well in the expression you wore just then. "You did good up there Thunderbolt," he told you. "I'm proud of you."

You couldn't have thought of anywhere else you'd rather been than in the arms of the people who had become your family. You had been to hell and back, but you were grateful for every last little bit of it, knowing that in the end, the Daggers were always there to back you up.

[verfound]

Dingo files... tie me up

🤣🤣🤣 Did you actually remember this one or did you just get lucky? Bc I'm pretty sure I only half remembered it. 😂

It actually ties into another DF, "Who's Mary?" That one is set before Dingo meets Marinette. Dingo spends the night on the boat when Luka has an explicit dream about Marinette. Luka may have said some things in his sleep, so the next day Dingo's giving him shit about Mary, the name Luka had been moaning in his sleep (Mari).

"Tie Me Up" goes into detail about that dream. Rereading what I have here, I'm not sure how much I actually like it. I still like the concept/set up, but this is probably gonna get scrapped/rewritten before y'all see the finished bit. 🤔

Luka didn’t usually dream about Ladybug.

Even having realized a long time ago who was under the spotted mask, Ladybug wasn’t usually the pigtailed, blue-eyed beauty playing the starring role in his dreams.  Especially his more…intimate dreams.  But as the two girls in question were in fact the same girl, it wasn’t completely unheard of.  It was just…not as common.

Luka wasn’t in love with Ladybug, after all.  He thought she was amazing and incredibly brave, sure, but if he loved Ladybug it was only because he had loved Marinette first, so Marinette was the one who usually showed up in some compromising state of dress or compromising position or…and that’s the way he preferred it.

But when Ladybug had been blasted by Heart’s Desire, an akuma who had received some bad advice from a tabloid column and was encouraging everyone she hit to go after what they truly desired, and had turned to Viperion, looking at him like he was her favorite snack and she couldn’t wait to devour him…well, Viperion had done what any sensible eighteen-year-old boy would do when confronted with his longtime crush turning on him like that.

He turned tail and ran.

And if Ladybug had shot her yoyo at him, tying him up and sending him tumbling to the ground before she’d pounced on him…well, he couldn’t be blamed if it had given his subconscious mind an entirely new avenue of fantasy fodder to explore.

…even if Marinette didn’t remember any of it.  Even if she couldn’t be held accountable for any of it, as everything she had done had been under the akuma’s influence.  Even if the akuma had been telling her to chase after her heart’s desire.

He hadn’t realized that was him.  As perceptive as he was, he had thought her sights were still set on blonde hair and green eyes and…but the akuma had set Ladybug after who she truly longed for, and Ladybug hadn’t tied up Adrien Agreste.

So when he’d gone to sleep that night and had a perfectly innocent dream of standing under the stars above deck, Claire slung over his neck and noodling the song he hadn’t been able to get out of his head since the first time beautiful blue eyes had stared at him in horror…it hadn’t really surprised him when a zipping whirr rang out above the chords.  It hadn’t really surprised him when Ladybug had landed on the deck not five paces away from where he was leaning against the rail, and it hadn’t surprised him when she’d stalked towards him, her yoyo still swinging by her side.

“I am going to tie you up, Luka Couffaine,” she’d purred, and Claire had disappeared in that way things do in dreams when Ladybug reached him, her fingers dancing up his chest.  His throat had bobbed as he swallowed, her eyes sinfully dark as she smiled up at him.  When her fingers had reached his shoulder, they’d slid up along his neck and into his hair, tugging his head down to crash their mouths together.  He was panting heavily when she finally pulled back, her teeth catching his lower lip to bite on her retreat.  “We were interrupted earlier.  I didn’t like that.”

His alarm had woken him up entirely too soon, and he had been painfully hard upon waking.  If he had rushed to the bathroom a little quicker than usual that morning, Juleka hadn’t said anything.

[pbandjesse]

Sadly baby mouse died overnight. I am not shocked after how quickly he deteriorated yesterday. I just hope he was comfortable in the end. I feel really bad. But I tried my best. I really did. I would bury him with his brother in the clover pot.

I felt sad this morning because of that. I hadn't slept bad. And let myself sleep until 9. When I woke up I had a sore throat. It's like deep in the base of my skull. Which might be be allergies but it for sure not comfy.

I got dressed. And tried to feel fine. I cleaned up all the mouse stuff. Said goodbye. Tried to feel normal.

I had a little breakfast. And I worked on the sweater project. I decided that it's not the right shape. Which is alright. It was a fun try and I will move on to the next project now. I am not sure what that will look like but I'm looking forward to trying to make something else

My hands need a little break I think though and I might do some sewing to get ready for the Christmas market. Or draw some new bears. We will see.

I would chill on the couch after I vacuumed up the yarn fluff I got all over the living room. I thought about cleaning but then I was just a bit paralyzed. I was tired and couldn't do anything. So I didn't. I had a deviled egg. I ran downstairs to get a package for a neighbor when the doorbell rang. I laid in bed for a little while.

I got up at 12 and finished getting ready. I put my shoes on. And I was off. I said hello to my neighbor outside. And drove to awah.

I put on music to hype myself up. And got there early. I was most of the way set up when Zoe got there.

It was a fun day. I was really pleased to see the sisters back from the spring who I really like. I also just really liked the project. We were talking about geometric shapes and colors and patterns. And everyone seemed really into it. Which I always love. I just want everyone to have fun. And this was a good one.

Me and Naomi also made some art to encourage the teens. One of the sister, Tiffany, loved the black outlines on my art and asked if she could do it too. Of course!! She seemed so excited, it was so sweet. Her sister, Sierra, held my hand and told me she was afraid of bees. She also was very concerned with the dates of the class which I think is very sweet. She just wants to know what's up, which I can absolutely relate too.

We had a lull between groups and were able to reset. I had a nice conversation with Mary Ellen about what puhtok does and the group I work with on Tuesdays with profoundly disabled students. She got a little misty! I was surprised but I also got it.

The adult class was fun. I had a nice conversation with Andrew and his dad about how Andrew has such a beautiful eye for color and his work reminds me of Hilma af Klint. Which I think made Andrew flattered.

I also just had some nice interactions with Richard and his aid. About pop art and painting. It was a fun class.

Me and Naomi would chat about her trip next weekend and how we have no class. It'll be nice to have a free Sunday. And we were pretty good at reminding people about it. Hate to mess up any of their routines, I know how important that is for them, but everyone seems mostly chill about it.

It would take a little bit to get all of the materials out away. Andrew and Brian had helped us bring things to the table and I got everything put away. Chatted with Andrew's dad. But soon it was time to go.

I remembered to alarm the building. And then walked to my car. Which was surprisingly warm. I took my sweater and socks off. And wrote my notes for the class while the ac cooled down the car.

I I went to target. I was originally going to go this morning but I am glad I waited. It was fun. But it was also incredibly busy. Target was having some kind of sale if you used the app. Which finally pushed me to download the app.

And I saved so much??? I had $18 in Cashback on my account I didn't know about and a $5 gift card, plus 30% off half my items. I ended up getting a $95 order for $58! That's crazy!

I did really good sticking to my list. But I also treated myself to a beautiful green fleece jacket that I love. Its so soft. And if we use girl math, with my discounts today I got it for free.

Of course it's way to warm to wear it. But in the coming weeks I am sure it's going to be great.

I paid after waiting on a very long line. Almost left the store without getting the security tag taken off the fleece but after the door beeped at me twice I went back and got it fixed. Oops.

I dropped off my purchases in the car and walked to five below. Which was also to busy but it was fine. I did not have luck finding what I was looking for. The final items on my list. Pimple patches and brown sugar chapstick. I still had fun looking around.

I remembered I had a $10 gift card for Ulta so I walked next door and had great luck. I found a new brand of patches that weren't expensive and the brown sugar chapstick! Which had a redesigned package so I'm glad I was able to find it even if it didn't look like I expected from the old packaging.

The girl at the counter was excited for me that my total was $4 after my gift card. Excellent. Love a deal. She also helped me fix my Ulta account that wasn't set up correctly. Why it had my Minnesota address and my brother's name I will never know. Weird weird weird.

I walked to the Michaels next. No luck on the strap material but I found a few other little things I was excited about. Some ribbon and super glue. A cup and a wall hook shaped like a heart. I had a coupon for there too. I was doing really good today.

I got a piece of candy while I was there and ate that while I walked back to the car. And then home.

It was a nice drive back. And I was really happy to be back. I was tired.

James was playing DND with their friends. I put things away and laid on the couch with sweetp. James said they would play for another hour. And once that hour was up I requested they get off and have dinner with me. So they did.

They would run to the store to get dressing. And then we had a salad, fries, and grilled cheeses for dinner. James just made one dinner that we shared and it was very sweet. I love my husband.

I have been hanging out all evening. Texting Celia about how whimsy is the best prevention for COVID. Sweetp was being a little cutie cuddling me. I got a shower. James and me are in bed now. I am very much ready for sleep.

James told me that they are very sorry that baby mouse died. But they feel like taking care of him healed something in them for the mouse tests they had to do in highschool. I am glad that we tried. I am sad but I know we showed kindness and that is important to me.

Tomorrow we are taking Sweetp to the vet for a check up. He is to fat so I am expecting them to tell us that. But besides that I think we are just having a chill day. I hope it is restful.

Sleep well everyone. Wash your hands and take care of eachother.