#ON MY KNEES PRAISING SAINT KITTEN

[sstar-ggirl]

nah I'm definitely normal abt this fic (OH MY GOD IM FROTHING AT THE MOUTH FOR HER??!!? SHES SO HOT AND ID LET HER TOP ME ANY‼️DAY‼️OF‼️ THE ‼️WEEK‼️)

pleasee do a dom!kitten x sub!reader

thank u so much for requesting! i've been planning on doing purely dom!kitten for a while <3

dear mistress

dom!patricia 'kitten' braden x f!reader word count: 1.7k tags: dom/sub dynamics, mistress kink, teensy bit of fluff, established relationship, vaginal fingering, choking, p in v, unsafe sex

(ao3)

Kitten comes up behind you, trapping you in her tight embrace, "Hey, pretty girl."

You smile coyly, rubbing her arms that are wrapped around your chest, "Hello to you too, little miss handsy."

Her height difference was stark whenever she wore her platforms, such as now, and you adored it. She kisses the top of your head, humming in contentment, "I missed you, doll. You been good for me?"

Your flush with warmth at her words, "Of course, Kitten. Aren't I always so good for you?"

"Don't push it, you know you have a tendency to be… naughty," she puts an emphasis on the last word, her breath hot on your ear.

Kitten traces your body's curves with her hands, feeling each contour through your thin clothing. You moan under your breath, leaning into her touch. 

"I wouldn't ever disobey you, my Kitten."

She tightens her grip, "I'm not yours tonight, doll. You're mine."

You pick up on her meaning, and smile widely, excited for her next move. It had been so long since she took the lead.

"Undress yourself for me, dear (Y/N)."

Kitten lets go, and you turn around to face her. She's wearing her faux fur jacket, along with her floral bell bottoms, both an obnoxious yellow. Her hair was in brown curls, acting as a halo framing her face, where lips were adorned with a coral color.

You bite your lip as you look her up and down, and you begin to unbutton your dress. It was simple, just a multicolor paisley pattern, but Kitten always said it suited you.

Revealing your matching bra and panties, she smiles, "All done up for me… how precious is that?"

She admires your lacy white get-up, moving to embrace your warm chest in her cold hands. You bite back a whimper when Kitten squeezes, and she giggles.

“Don’t get shy on me now, love,” she starts to unclip your bra, “Lay down for me.”

You quickly set yourself down on the plush duvet, stripping yourself of your bra in the process. She mimics your movements, unzipping her yellow jacket, and unbuttoning her blouse. As she tosses both to the ground, you look up at her with lusty eyes.

“Oh, little (Y/N), what am I going to do with you?”

“Anything you’d like… Mistress.”

Kitten’s eyes sparkle at your honorific, and she moans gently, “Naughty, naughty, naughty…”

She opens your legs suddenly, revealing the spot of wetness on your otherwise pristine panties. Her mouth opens slightly, in awe of your desire for her. A manicured finger gently presses against you, and your hips buck up.

“Now, now, you said you’re always good, right?” You nod, “Then keep still while Mistress plays with you.”

Obeying, you feel her begin to pull your panties to the side, revealing your wetness to the cool air. You shut your eyes tightly at the feeling of her slowly spreading you open with her fingers, and Kitten takes quick notice.

“Look at me when I touch you.”

As quickly as you shut them, you open them even quicker, matching her darkened gaze. You love seeing her take control.

“Good girl,” she smiles softly, her soft lips curling, “Now, what would my good girl want?”

“I…” you try to answer, but she’s started kissing up your thighs, “I want you to make me yours, Mistress.”

Nodding, she nips at your soft skin, “I wouldn’t expect anything else from my perfect little pet.”

She pushes two fingers inside of you, and you whimper gently at the very welcome intrusion. Curling as she thrusts them in and out, you feel a familiar warmth slowly growing.

The obscene noises being created from her thrusts were delicious, and caused Kitten to rub her thighs together, unbeknownst to you.

Her fingers filled you up so well, and she could tell from the nonsense falling from your lips. She rubs her thumb around your clit, and you almost fall apart right there.

“Oh, fuck… Mistress, you’re good, so good, yes!”

“Is my pretty (Y/N) going to come all over her Mistress’ fingers? I haven’t even added a third yet…”

She adds another finger as she prompted, and you know for a fact you’re close.

“I wanna come for you, please, please…”

“Poor girl,” Kitten hums, feigning pity, “Let go for me.”

Your mouth falls open, releasing a long whine as your body shudders. Her fingers stay curled inside of you, helping you ride out your orgasm. She only relents when you grasp her wrist pleadingly.

Kitten rubs your thighs as she gets up to tower over you, her lips millimeters away from yours. You don’t dare close the gap, for fear of punishment. Luckily, she doesn’t make it hard for you.

She crashes her lips onto yours, and you savor the taste of cigarettes and lipstick. Her tongue seems to claim every inch of your mouth, and you adore it. Her little moans mixed with yours sounded heavenly.

Separating from you momentarily, Kitten’s eyes look wild with desire, “Pretty girl… let me make you feel even better, yeah?”

You nod quickly, not wanting her to get any other ideas. Grinning, she pulls down your underwear fully, tossing it on the slowing growing clothing pile. Kitten rids herself of her bell bottoms, leaving her bare, minus her skimpy panties.

Of course, they matched the rest of her now discarded outfit, with lacy yellow detailings. She was always a stickler for color coordination. Normally, you would appreciate her style sensibilities, but seeing her hardness straining against the fabric, there were other priorities.

“Take them off for me, pretty.”

You jump to fulfill her request, and slowly pull down her panties. Her length bobbing up to hit her stomach, she smirks at your stunned reaction.

Biting your lip, you watch Kitten push you back onto the bed, her body moving hypnotically. She kisses your forehead rather sweetly for the mood that was set, and moves back to kneel in front of your wide open legs. 

She stares adoringly at your wetness, nearly dripping onto the duvet, and tuts, “So messy for me.”

You flush warmly at her comment, but can’t focus on that for long when she starts to tease you with her tip. Your breath catches in your throat, and you can barely hold back a whine of pure need.

Once Kitten decides her length is prepped well enough, she pushes in slowly. You will never get used to that feeling.

Her mouth hangs open, eyes lidded, but still staring at her entering you, “Good God, you’re tighter than ever, my (Y/N)...”

You exhale slowly once she bottoms out, feeling a certain kind of fullness only she could provide.

“Kitten…”

She raises an eyebrow, stilling any possible movements, “Pardon?”

Your eyes widen at your mistake, “Mistress, mistress!”

“That’s right, you don’t get to call me that right now, little one,” Kitten manages to push even deeper into you, and you stifle a groan, “Be good for me, and I can overlook that little… mix-up.”

You nod vehemently, and she smirks. Beginning to thrust in and out of you, painfully slow, her breathing is ragged. She was just as lust-drunk as you were. Emboldened by this, you clench down on her length, eliciting a high pitched moan from her.

“Naughty little (Y/N)... I love it.”

Kitten’s movements pick up, and she reaches a hand to cup one of your breasts. Arching into her touch, she kneads in time with her thrusts.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

Your string of curses made her chuckle darkly, “Don’t be so crass while I’m treating you so nicely.”

She pinches your nipple to punctuate her words, and fucks you in earnest. You practically mewl at this, and it only increases her desire to ruin you.

You try to resist meeting her thrusts, but you just can’t when it feels so good. Kitten doesn’t stop you, but instead grabs your hips to force you to properly meet the movements. You loved the feeling of being used by her like this, you would give anything for her to feel the same level of pleasure she was giving you.

“Mistress, I’m close again, please don’t stop…”

“You’re not coming again before I do, greedy girl,” she maintains her rhythm, accompanied with her nails digging into your hips.

Kitten’s movements seemed frantic and desperate as she fucks into you. You grab at one of her hands on your hip, emboldened by the pleasure. Before she can protest, you bring it to your neck.

She smirks, and begins to wrap her hand around you, adding just enough pressure for you to feel every inch of pleasure heightened.

“So pretty like this, all desperate for me,” her voice cracks mid sentence, “Gonna fill you up, yeah? Make you all mine…”

You moan as loud as you can with the hand wrapped around your throat, and feel her stutter inside you. Kitten stills, all the way in, and you feel her release.

Just as quick as she stilled, she starts to move again.

“Good girl, waiting for me,” she tightens her grip, “Come for your Mistress.”

You shut your eyes tightly, feeling another wave coming on. In a flurry of ‘thank you’s’ and ‘mistress,’ you feel that coil in your stomach unfurl suddenly.

As you come down from your high, you see Kitten above you panting just as hard as you.

“Thank you, thank you, Mistress…”

She smiles tiredly, and lays against your chest, “No need to thank me, doll, you did absolutely amazing.”

You smile into her embrace, and you begin to pet her brown curls, causing her to hum contentedly. If you died in this moment, you would be okay with that.

“So good to me, Kitten,” you kiss the top of her head, “Can’t believe I’m all yours.”

“You had better believe it, love, cause you’re gonna be mine forever.”

She sits up, and slowly pulls out, making sure to not overstimulate you too much. Wincing, you feel her release dripping from you.

“Oh, my…” Kitten kneels to be eye level with your entrance, “So much dirtier than I thought, pretty girl. Guess I have to clean you up, hm?”

[tiktokitssinoclock]

(nsfw) hello! could you please do a series of the valorant girls' s/o eating them out?

Ah yes, my first NSFW lady agents request! I absolutely can, Anon, thank you so much for requesting!

Giving them Head - The Valorant Gals (p.I)

NSFW // MINORS AND AGELESS BLOGS, DNI // YOU WILL BE BLOCKED

Viper

Viper is usually the one in control in the bedroom, an arrangement you're both quite pleased with

The case is no different when she's receiving oral

There are days when you'll find her waiting in your room, perched on the edge of your bed wearing nothing but the necklace you previously gifted her

It doesn't matter if you just got back from training and desperately want a shower or if you were gearing up to get paperwork done

She'll drag you down by the shirt and greet her with a searing kiss before guiding you to your knees, her legs already spreading open

All other thoughts go out the window the second you're able to run your palms appreciatively over the creamy skin of her legs

She's never hated the way you dote on her, placing gentle kisses up and down her inner thighs

When she starts getting a bit impatient, however, she'll guide you to where she wants you most

You'll lavish her clit with attention from your tongue, paying attention to her near-silent sighs and the way she appreciatively rolls back her head

If you're keeping up a pace she enjoys, she'll gently run her fingers over your scalp

Need to slow it down? She's grabbing the hair at the nape of your neck and pulling you back slightly

Not going fast enough? Viper will hold you in place and grind against you, unafraid to chase what she needs

When she's getting close, she'll gesture for you to give her your hand

It's sinful the way she wraps her lips around your digits, earning small moans from you as she makes sure they're thoroughly coated in her saliva

Not long after you started pumping them in and out of her wet heat, she's clenching down on you with breathless words of praise

She's more than happy to return the favor as well, especially when she gets to join you in the shower

Jett

Jett very much enjoys being on the giving end of things

The feeling she gets when she watches you fall apart, especially at the efforts of her own tongue, is indescribable

She loves getting to make you feel good

When the roles are reversed, however, she almost feels out of her element

She'll hardly ever let you go down on her, but she allows it every now and then if it seems like you really want to

And with Jett, less truly is more

All it takes is soft kitten licks around her clit and the occasional direct brush against it to make her stomach jolt

You get the feeling she wants to tangle her hands in your hair while you're going at it, but she never lets herself

She typically settles for clutching the bottom of her shirt, her knuckles going white whenever you do something she really likes

While she won't be waxing poetic about how good you're making her feel, the occasional 'oh' or hushed sigh will let you know you're doing just fine

When she gets close, her fists will start to tremor ever so slightly

Following a desperate mantra of your name, she'll come around your tongue and stop herself from using her legs to bring you closer against her

You've always been one to initiate cuddles with your partners after going down on them, but Jett usually beats you to the punch

She's already guiding you up by your shoulders and pulling you on top of her, her hands rubbing softly up and down your back

As you cuddle into her chest, she'll give you quiet words of thanks

Sage

When it comes down to what you two get up to in the bedroom, you are typically the one leading things along

It's no different whenever she accepts your offer of oral

Sage is no saint, like, she definitely has experience from past relationships

But that doesn't stop her from squirming around like it's her first time feeling someone else's mouth on her

You love to drag slow, tantalizing strokes along her inner labia, just pulling away when you get near her clit

When she's least expecting it, though, you'll press it flat against that little bundle of nerves and slowly move it up and down

The way her legs quiver around your head is addicting, and whenever she instinctually jerks her hips away from you, you have an excuse to grab a firm hold of them and pull her closer

Her hands will be splayed across the bed, her hands fisting the sheets as she wriggles where she lays

She tries her best to keep quiet, but the occasional whimper will break through the sounds of her labored breathing

The more often you're treated to those choked whimpers, the closer you know she's getting

Despite her best attempts, her hands will finally settle on your head where they'll give feather-light tugs on your hair

You love that shit

She'll helplessly buck up her hips to meet the heat of your mouth and with a cry, she'll finally come

After you've had your fill of her release, you'll crawl over her and liter her in kisses

She enjoys the feel of your weight against her, relishing the way your bodies press together

Neon

Kind of like Jett, Neon loves it when you're the one squirming beneath her

Unlike Jett, though, she basically jumps at the opportunity to reverse the roles

She thinks its super hot when you're the one going down on her every now and then

Her favorite place for you to go down on her is the shower, because oh my

The way you willingly get on your knees and look at her with pure adoration just melts her heart

Neon will lean against the wall for support as you wrap your lips around her clit, applying light suction and rapidly flicking your tongue across it

She often has a firm grasp of your hair while you go down on her, using it to angle your head this way and that or pull you slightly away when it becomes too much

When your hands wrap around the backs of her thighs and squeeze them to pull her close, she almost swoons

Lots of praise and unfiltered groans, which is why Reyna has had to hammer on the door multiple times to get you two to quiet down

Once she gets to the point where she's chanting a chorus of 'Fuck, fuck, fuck', you'll know she's getting close

When she finally does come, you'll slow down your movements and stay lightly latched onto her until she's bucking away from overstimulation

She'll pull you up and pepper your face with kisses, telling you how good you did and admiring the tile markings pressed into your knees

Fade

Translations:

aşkım - my love

Fade isn't exactly shy about bedroom matters, hell, she usually prefers initiating those kinds of things with you

When she wants you to go down on her, though, it's a little bit different

Her eyes get hungrier, her gaze darker, and she seems to constantly vacillate between maintaining eye contact with you and dropping her attention to your lips

It never takes long for you to put the pieces together, and Fade almost always seems to pick out the exact moment you do

"You're not gonna make me beg, aşkım, are you?"

Of course you don't

Most of the time you find yourself laying on your stomach, head buried between her legs with her fingers run through your hair

You'll let your hands wander, squeezing her thighs or trailing up and down her rib cage as she falls apart on your gently prying tongue

Sometimes she's a bit more active during the act, her hips rolling with your movements and stomach trembling beneath your fingers while she gutturally moans

Otherwise she's content with just whispering praise to you, her whole body seeming to arch up when she finally comes

You'll finish off with a parting kiss or two to her inner thighs before sitting up, lips still glistening with her arousal

The sight almost unlocks something feral in her, her pupils seeming to blow even wider

Fade is one to always return the favor, too

[worlds-smallestviolin]

Mother

Masamune x MC

genre: angst/fluff

word count:2208

summary: retelling of Masamune’s love’s union gacha story from MC’s POV

a/n: It always bothers me how MC just decides to stay in past without care about her family, so for stories sake let’s assume Sasuke went back to the future.

           With everyone asleep, Aoba was a quiet place; quite a contrast compared to how loud and lively it was during the day (it is Masamune’s castle, after all). Having changed into my sleeping robe, I was sitting on the futon, waiting for my lover to join me ( I’d say to sleep, dear reader, but we both know that would be a lie.).And my handsome Masamune was still at his desk, working despite the late hour. He may be a wild tiger, but he took his responsibility as a head of the clan very seriously. He did everything he could to make life easier for the people of Oshu. And I’m not just talking about him going to war or battling demons of paperwork. I mean little things as well, like cooking a meal for his men on patrol, or writting letters to his vassals to thank them or simply talk about what’s been going on lately. “You shouldn’t write in the dark. It’s bad for you’re eye.”, I broke the silence hoping to convince him to put down the brush for tonight. “I know, I know. I’ll be done in a second. You just wait for me like a good kitten”, he said, raising his head to flash me a smile that made my heart skip a beat or two. “Meow!”, My god, I’m such a dork. I hugged my knees to my chest, rocking back and forth. Masamune returned his attention to the letter he was writing, and again silence settled in.

Having nothing else to do but wait, I soon got lost in my own thoughts. Some time has passed since I started living here in Aoba. It still surprises me how quickly I’ve gotten used to the life here. Masamune encouraged my worked as a seamstress. He had a room prepared for me, where I could sketch and make clothes; I already had a few clients. He would often keep my drawings to hang on the wall, always repeating how much he loved my art. I’ve made friends with maids, and Kojuro and guys were always there to lend a helping hand. I spent my free time with Masamune, getting into all sort of adventures, and sometimes troubles. We would go for a ride, or a walk around town, we ate delicious food, we cooked together, we laughed and we made love. All in all, life was good. I remember how nervous I was in the days before we left Azuchi, worrying if I would be accepted in Oshu as I was among Oda. Not to mention that I’m still not completely used to the life in Sengoku period. Yes, things are great so far. But from time to time, I can’t help giving voice to my old insecurities. What happens if this doesn’t work out? The picture of my parants forms in my mind, only to slowly morph into that of Masamune and I. And their insults and shouts fall from our lips, that so far know only sweet kisses and sweet nothings. No, I don’t want to think of that.

I quickly try to banish those thoughts back into the dark corners of my mind. Luckly for me, a voice calls from outside our room. “Pardon me for the intrusion this late at night, my lord. There is a letter from Lady Yoshihime.” Masamune receives the letter and tells both man to get some rest. Once we are alone again, I couldn’t help voicing my curiosity: “Who’s Lady Yoshihime?” “My mother.”, he says, and something about his indifferent voice makes me feel uneasy. “I’ve noticed she doesn’t live in the castle with us…”The first day I came here they held a feast to celebrate Masamune’s return and my arrival, where Masamune introduced me to a lot of people that are important to him. You’d think that his mother would be among them. “She poisoned me when I was young. There’s messy politics with her side of the family, so it seemed best we live apart.”, he said it as if he was informing me about the weather outside.“I’m sorry, WHAT?” I misheard that, right? He did not just say his mother tried to have him killed. I stared at him, trying to process what he just told me. “It’s not that strange. When it comes to the succession of a clan, things often get ugly. With the loss of my eye, she must have thought I wasn’t fit to be the head of the Date and decided to take matters into her own hands.” Shock quickly turned into anger. She tried to kill her own child because of something that wasn’t his fault, something he couldn’t change. For a moment, I thought of my own mother, who believed motherhood to be the most sacred and joyous role a woman could have, who loved and supported unconditionally and would give up anything and everything for her children. I could not imagine how difficult it must have been for Masamune, being sick and losing your eye. And the one person who was supposed to love him more than anyone betrays him like that. My heart filled with sorrow. It must have shown on my face, because Masamune tried to reassure me with a smile: “I barely remember it. Must not have been that bad, or I wouldn’t have forgotten, right? If I let it trouble me, I wouldn’t be fit to be a lord, and that would only prove my mother right.” His words reminded me of what Master Kosai told me about Masamune. “One who would stand above others must be most strict with oneself. They must work as hard as their hardest workers and be always deserving of the praise their station affords them. Their pain they must learn to bear with on their own, for they will at times be alone. Those were the lessons I instilled in that young child. He survived by embracing what I taught him. So much that he no longer needs to ‘act’ to be the ideal leader from his lessons. But our nature is unchanging. In the deepest part of Masamune’s heart that injured young child remains.

Having read the letter, Masamune joined me on the futon. Smile on his face, he patted my head. But for a moment, a mere second, I saw something in the depth of his eye. You never tamed you’re demons, Masamune, you just kept them on a leash. And the wounds of heart are never quick to heal. You could try to ignore them, you might even forget them. But they remain there somewhere, waiting for a chance to overwhelm you. And if you cannot entrust them to anyone else, at least entrust them to me. So I pulled him down to bed with me, holding him close to my chest, his cheek resting against my breast. I run my fingers softly through his hair. “I want you to listen carefully to what I’m about to say. I love you, so you don’t ever have to hide how you feel when you’re around me. You’re not my lord, Masamune. You’re the man I love; a fun guy who acts all cool but has the most adorable blush, the one who can kiss my heart into a full stop and then restart it with a touch, someone who always protects me and encourages me. And I will always be here for you. So leave the perfect leader outside this room, and just be my Masamune.” He tried to protest but, I wouldn’t let him. Then he turned his face from me, and for a moment I thought he might cry. But after a while he met my eyes again. “I’ll try.”, he said with a smile. I guess old habits die hard. “That’s a start.” I kissed his forehead and continued running my fingers through his hair. Eventually I felt him relax as he drifted to sleep. But my brain was too busy for that. I was angry at Lady Yoshihime, I was sad for Masamune. And in the stillness of the night, my mind wandered to that dark corner again. I was afraid.

Hearing about Masamune’s mother made me think about my own parents. I knew they must be worried about me. Sasuke promised to deliver my letter. Hopefully, that will ease their hearts. It wouldn’t be the first time I disappeared of the radar. They were good parents, for the most part. Well, when it comes to my father, the best I can say is that he tried. He never failed to tell me he loved me. I never once doubted it. But he wasn’t the easiest man to get along with. He had his opinions and his expectations, and those were set in stone. Being his eldest child, the bar was set especially high for me. He worked two jobs to save money for my education. And though he never understood my passion for fashion, he supported me, so long as he didn’t have to listen to me talk about it. He never raised his hands on us, but his anger was something to be feared. My mother, on the other hand was a saint. I’ve never heard her raise her voice. No matter what troubled her, she always wore a smile. She was the one who took care of us when we were sick, fed us, helped us do homework or study for exam, attended every parents meeting, every school play… She was there to listen to us for hours and comfort us. She was there for every tear and every smile.

But as good as they were in their roles as parents, they were the worst couple I’ve ever seen. I could count the times I remember seeing them being affectionate towards each other on the fingers of my hands, if those hands were in a terrible accident and were missing a few fingers. Instead, there were fights and shouting, and then days of them ignoring each other, and us walking on eggshells around them. They would act more affectionate towards me and my brother, as if they were competing for our love. And it was always about something small and insignificant, a misplaced item or misheard word. It always ended with the ‘talk’ where my father would insist they just forget and move on. There were never any apologies, they never talked things through.

My parents didn’t marry for love, or at least if they did it was quickly spent. They did their best not to let their fights affect the kids. My childhood was for the most part a happy one. But the older I got, the more I noticed the cracks that began to show. They were not happy, although they stubbornly maintained that illusion. What makes someone choose to stay and live a life next to a person that makes them miserable? Why don’t you just leave him? I heard my aunt say to my mum one time. I do it for my children. I could never leave them. They are my everything. Maybe that was the moment when the fear was born, squeezing my heart each time she smiled. I was causing her pain just by being, a cage to a bird who otherwise could simply fly away. And I started to wonder if one day I too will be like that. “Mom, I love you. But I don’t want to become you.”, I said on the night before my cousin’s wedding, when the conversation inevitably turned into wedding talk, and I tell her I don’t ever want to marry. I see a heart breaking in those eyes. A single shard of glass melts and runs down her cheek; on its way, leaves my heart bleeding as well. Still she smiles: ” So long as you’re happy, I’ll be happy too.”.

The sky is still pale yellow-blue. I stared at the eye of a calm sea, and I felt calm as well; last night’s shadows fleeing before the morning light. Or maybe it’s Masamune’s touch that chases them away. He was always good at that, erasing my insecurities. Though I now know he was plagued by them too. Both of us are with hidden corners in our hearts, echoing with the words “You’re not good enough.” A doubt dwells in the back of the mind; his slumbers deep within, mine lingers just beneath the skin. Still I believe we’ll be alright. “ I want you’re face to be the first thing I see in the morning. Whether we’re at war, or everything is peaceful. I want that tomorrow, and the day after, and forever more.”, he brushed his finger along my cheek. I knew it won’t always be easy, I knew many things will try to break us apart. Still I believed in us. Whatever we might face, with you by my side, I was confident enough. “ My love for you will never change, Masamune.” He drew me to his chest, I felt his tears touch my head. The beating of his heart told me they were not tears of sorrow. I remained quietly in his arms, as another tear slides down my cheek. Mother, I’m happy now.    

[draw-you-coward]

ikael gets schooled

~*~

ao3

“… And those are the basics of the precipitation cycle. Now I would like for you to, on the worksheet that I have given you, outline the details of each step. You may use your textbook as reference, but remember not to quote directly.”

Ryne nods and opens her textbook, running a finger down the page as she scans for a passage to start combing through. Ikael, watching her instead of their tutor for the day, wrinkles his nose.

No, this has gotten too complicated now. Ikael has changed his mind: he does not want to be educated anymore. Instead, he wants to stop the lesson and go do things that are more fun, like bake biscuits.

“Shtola, I have been working my brain very hard today I think and I need a break,” he entreats with the biggest, widest, most sincerest eyes he can muster. He even droops his ears for good measure—that is always guaranteed to work.

Y'shtola, however, only crosses her arms, raising one sardonic eyebrow until it disappears into her bangs. “Nice try. However, my name is not Thancred Waters, and I will not be so easily manipulated. Back to your worksheet, Kael, and when it is completely filled out and correct, I shall let you take your leave.”

Ikael whines. He does not appreciate Y'shtola’s unique ability to make him feel like a fumbling kit again, off threading dandelion crowns while the rest of his litter focused on the more practical skill of weaving baskets (Ikael can make baskets. He can make them by exchanging them for money, and it is a lot faster, not to mention better quality than what he would be able to do by hand). But after he had expressed a timid interest in joining Ryne in her studies, her nosy ears had perked up, and now she is busy bothering Ikael about rain and giving him headaches.

“The more you act like a petulant child, the more I will treat you like one,” Y'shtola says as if she can hear his thoughts. Her eyes soften, and she smiles gently. “Really, Ikael, if you are having trouble with the material, you need only ask for aid. There is no shame in it.”

Ikael bends his head, flipping open his textbook. She says that, he thinks as he skims through the pages without reading them, but he is sitting here with a child. The same child that he cooks dinner for, and takes care of when she is sick. What is worse is that he is not even caught up to her yet—she has a far better grasp of aetherical science than he does. And astromancy. And arcanima. And just about everything else.

“I’ve got it, it’s fine,” he says to Y'shtola. She is being exceptionally kind to him, taking the time to teach him as she is, and if he is being honest, she has the patience of a saint. He misses her dearly whenever he and Thancred are alone together for too long—they want greatly for her soothing rationality.

Ten minutes later and Ikael is still painstakingly scouring his textbook, brow furrowed. He slowly mouths the words of the current passage as he reads them, guiding himself by his forefinger.

“Y'shtola! I’ve finished.” Ryne sounds bright and proud next to him as she straightens in her seat. He hears her book shut, and swallows in an effort to ignore it, rereading the previous sentence about… evaporation for the third time.

“Very well done, Ryne!” he hears Y'shtola praise in a low voice. “Urianger was right, you are a star pupil. That is all I had planned for today’s lesson, so go enjoy the rest of the day off. Dismissed.”

Ikael’s ears pin to his head. Evaporation occurs when the heat generated by fire-aspected aether in the atmosphere vaporizes the surface of a body of water, he repeats to himself once more, slower and more firmly. Ryne’s chair scrapes back as she gets up, and he fights against a wince.

Evap—

“Ikael, do you want me to wait outside until you’re done?” Ryne peers at him from a few fulms away.

He makes himself look up and smile gently at her. “It’s alright, kitten. I may be a while, so go have fun, yeah? If I’m not back for dinner, tell Thancred to take you out.”

“Oh, I’m sure you won’t be that long.” Ryne leans forward, and he dutifully kisses her on the forehead. “Okay, if you’re certain. I’ll see you later, Ikael!”

He returns her cheery wave as she leaves, then turns back to his work. Where was he…? Oh, right. Evaporation.

Ten more minutes and twice as many glances at the chronometer later, he hears Y'shtola sigh softly. He doesn’t glance up as she walks over, her footsteps muted on the wooden floorboards.

“Ikael, I know you are determined to finish this only by yourself,” she says, her voice kind. “But truly, I am here only to aid you. We can work through the parts you are having trouble with together.”

Of course she knows this process as if it is a simple thing, because she learned it all when she was Ryne’s age, or perhaps even younger. Ikael swallows down a sudden lump in his throat, gripping his pen tighter. “I can do it,” he says. “Don’t you—you can—I can do it.”

Measured breath, in, out. Blink firmly. Evaporation… is part of the process through which rain is formed. He understands that. He knows how that works. He must, after today. He… he knows…

“I-I just…” he mumbles, then stops. No. He can do it by himself.

“What is it? What do you not understand?” Y'shtola immediately kneels at his table, ears pricked. “You can tell me, it’s alright. I will help you.”

Ikael finally caves. He sniffs through a dry nose. “I-I just do not understand how it—it happens. Everything. How the—how the—steps. Connect.”

Y'shtola makes a considering noise, spreading a hand over his barely-filled worksheet to check his progress. Ikael feels his eyes heat, although her expression holds no judgment as she reads through it.

“I-I’m sorry I’m stupid,” he whispers.

“Speak about yourself in that manner again, Ikael Jelaar, and I will bend you over my knee.” Y'shtola’s voice cracks like a whip. “You are not stupid. You are an incredibly intelligent, talented individual who only struggles with a few measly things, as everyone does. That is final, and I will weather no protests.”

Ikael swipes the back of his thumb over his eye. “Okay,” he mumbles.

Y'shtola smiles, and he smiles back tentatively. “Very well. Now it seems to me that the issue stems from you thinking of the process as a series of separate concepts, rather than an interconnected cycle. Let’s start at another step, and work through the rest.”

With the gift of Y'shtola’s elaborated explanations, nudges, and unending patience, Ikael slowly but surely makes his way through the worksheet. Half a bell later sees him carefully scratching out his last sentence, excitement at having finished tamped down in order for his handwriting to be more legible. Y'shtola had said that she can barely make it out with only her aethersight, and he feels bad.

They are interrupted by a knock on the door. It opens to pop Thancred's head out. “May I come in? I am here to collect,” he says.

Y'shtola beckons him inside. “We have almost finished,” she replies, and maybe Ikael is just imagining it, but he thinks there is a hint of pride in her voice. “Ikael has been working very hard.”

Oh, Ikael is going to cry again. He gives her a watery smile, which she returns warmly.

“Is that so?” Thancred wanders over. He glances at Ikael’s worksheet, wrinkled with eraser marks and a little damp in places. “Ah, the water cycle! Taking an interest in our elemental endeavors, are we?”

“I am almost done, wait,” Ikael mumbles. He takes a deep breath, frowns in concentration, and reads over what he wrote: … occurs when perpetchooal perpetual fire-aspected aether heats the water into vapour. Then it goes into the air to become

“Clouds,” he mutters, and writes that down.

He passes the paper to Y'shtola to check his work. She focuses for a moment, before a smile blooms across her face. “Excellent,” she praises.

Ikael flushes, eyes warming. Y'shtola smoothes down his ears, petting through his hair.

“I’ve been thinking,” she says to Thancred. “Perhaps… Well, I may as well ask him, since he is right here. Ikael, I think that perhaps you would benefit from having your lessons held separately from Ryne. Not only to deal with the issue of repeating material, but also to provide a more suitable learning environment. What do you think?”

Ikael could weep. “Yes,” he replies. That would help immensely. He is grateful Y'shtola is kind enough to not directly point out the most obvious issue: that it is more than a little humiliating, as a grown adult, to learn alongside to a young girl who is much farther along than he is.

However, this means at least double the time and effort taken from Y'shtola and Urianger, not to mention an additional schedule for Thancred to adjust around. Ikael looks up at him, ears folding.

“If that is… alright with you,” he says softly. “I understand if you think it is too much of a hassle.”

“Nonsense.” Thancred crosses his arms. “Nothing you deem worthwhile doing is a hassle, Ikael. What you want is as important to us, as a group, as it is to you.”

“To aid with matters of scheduling, and seeing as you suddenly have plenty of free time, Thancred, now that your business with Eden is for the moment concluded,” Y'shtola says, “I have a proposition. I would ask you to join Urianger and I to be Ikael’s tutor, at least in matters where you are passably proficient.”

Thancred's arms loosen. He blinks in surprise. “You think I could…?”

“I know you think it is terribly odious to be interested in academia, but you actually have quite a knack for some subjects. Or at least you have shown to when you let your ridiculous façade of impenetrable aloofness slip. Subjects other than espionage. Perhaps you could teach Ikael the basics of bioscience?”

Thancred opens his mouth, an odd expression on his face. He catches Ikael’s wide, hopeful eyes, and shuts it. “Bioscience,” he mutters. “The role and manipulation of the aether within one’s body. Yes, I suppose I could provide a bit of insight…”

“Please, Thancred,” Ikael blurts. “I will be very grateful and I will bake you everything you want all the time and I will tell everyone that you are very impressive and smart and cool instead of the story of when you lost your smalls at Clearmelt.”

“But you will tell me that one,” Y'shtola says. “Later.”

“I…” Thancred is looking at Ikael. He widens his eyes as much as he can, folds down his ears, sticks out his bottom lip just a little…

“Of course I will help you, Ikael,” Thancred says, exactly three and a half seconds later. A new record. “It would be remiss of me to deny your desire for an education. The three of us can meet later to discuss the splitting of subjects.”

“Wow,” says Y'shtola. “That is… actually quite impressive. I don’t think he even needed to say anything.”

Thancred glances at her. “Whatever do you mean?”

“Nothing.” She rises from her chair, ruffling Ikael’s hair one lats time. “You and I will hold a meeting with Urianger on how best to accommodate Ikael’s learning style. And how to unwrap you from around his little finger enough to not give into his every demand. He will want to spend the entire lesson talking about picking rolanberries instead of learning, and you will not let him, Thancred.”

Thancred scoffs, blissfully ignorant to how easy he is to manipulate. Ikael only stares up at him innocently, already thinking about how to wheedle his way into “compromises.” Yes, he is sure this will be quite fun.

~*~

[robertshugartca]

Confession: I’d been quietly Insta-stalking Sissy...

Confession: I’d been quietly Insta-stalking Sissy Sainte-Marie Chacon from the safety of my phone screen for over a year before I finally found myself in the same room as her. The L.A.-based stylist has worked with Who What Wear on several shoots, and on one such occasion, she was styling on set for this editorial shoot , and I was the editor on the story. Meeting her in person only grew my fascination with the particular brand of minimalist style she shares on Instagram .

Like most stylists, she works with many a designer garment, and, likewise, her closet is an enviable one. When I saw that she was singing the praises of a certain affordable shoe brand, I naturally took notice. Not only is Charles & Keith , a line of trendy shoes and bags from Singapore, stylist-approved, but you’d really never guess that each pair of its shoes clocks in at under $100 (some way under $100). It’s the reason Sissy finds herself placing orders for her upcoming shoots and when any outfit needs a quick update.

I know we all love an affordable shoe find here, so keep reading to see how Sissy is styling Charles & Keith shoes and shop the shoes (and bags and belts) currently in her cart (and soon in yours too).

“I could see myself styling an apparel lookbook with these square-toe flats. They’re chic, minimal and modern, as well as on trend, but simple enough to not steal the show.” “I own a pair of these and love to wear them with black wide-leg cropped jeans and a big sweater or a midi skirt and vintage blouse.” “I recently used these OTK boots to style a lookbook. I paired them with an emerald green shirtdress, black culottes, and also a burgundy midi skirt and pink chunky pullover knit.” “A versatile shoe like this lace-up kitten hee bootie is also great for when you’re styling a lookbook and need to edit down to only two to three footwear options. These pair well with everything from stovepipe jeans and a print shirt, a corduroy suit, and sailor pants and overalls with puff-sleeve blouses.” “These would be so cute styled with fuzzy white socks.” “I could see myself wearing these sandals all summer with my go-to uniform of midi skirts and bodysuits.” “I’m kind of obsessed with these lace-up boots. Something about this shade of purple, the curved heel, and the square toe is triggering major outfit fantasies.” “I want to style pretty much all dresses and skirts with knee-high boots like these lately.” “Need to find a wedge sandal in size 38 stat? You can quickly shop by size and style on the Charles & Keith website without having to pour through page after page of products.” “Some nights you need a bag just big enough for your phone, CC, and ID. An evening bag that isn’t a clutch is ideal since you can have both hands free. This butter yellow shade, irregular hoop handle, and stone enclosure are calling my name.” “At around $20 a pop, you can stock up your styling kit with plenty of cute novelty and classic belt options.” Next, the investment clothing essentials you’ll spend less than $50 per wear on .

source https://gothify1.tumblr.com/post/182752180075

[gothify1]

Confession: I'd been quietly Insta-stalking Sissy Sainte-Marie Chacon from the safety of my phone screen for over a year before I finally found myself in the same room as her. The L.A.-based stylist has worked with Who What Wear on several shoots, and on one such occasion, she was styling on set for this editorial shoot , and I was the editor on the story. Meeting her in person only grew my fascination with the particular brand of minimalist style she shares on Instagram . Like most stylists, she works with many a designer garment, and, likewise, her closet is an enviable one. When I saw that she was singing the praises of a certain affordable shoe brand, I naturally took notice. Not only is Charles & Keith , a line of trendy shoes and bags from Singapore, stylist-approved, but you'd really never guess that each pair of its shoes clocks in at under $100 (some way under $100). It's the reason Sissy finds herself placing orders for her upcoming shoots and when any outfit needs a quick update. I know we all love an affordable shoe find here, so keep reading to see how Sissy is styling Charles & Keith shoes and shop the shoes (and bags and belts) currently in her cart (and soon in yours too). "I could see myself styling an apparel lookbook with these square-toe flats. They’re chic, minimal and modern, as well as on trend, but simple enough to not steal the show." "I own a pair of these and love to wear them with black wide-leg cropped jeans and a big sweater or a midi skirt and vintage blouse." "I recently used these OTK boots to style a lookbook. I paired them with an emerald green shirtdress, black culottes, and also a burgundy midi skirt and pink chunky pullover knit." "A versatile shoe like this lace-up kitten hee bootie is also great for when you're styling a lookbook and need to edit down to only two to three footwear options. These pair well with everything from stovepipe jeans and a print shirt, a corduroy suit, and sailor pants and overalls with puff-sleeve blouses." "These would be so cute styled with fuzzy white socks." "I could see myself wearing these sandals all summer with my go-to uniform of midi skirts and bodysuits." "I'm kind of obsessed with these lace-up boots. Something about this shade of purple, the curved heel, and the square toe is triggering major outfit fantasies." "I want to style pretty much all dresses and skirts with knee-high boots like these lately." "Need to find a wedge sandal in size 38 stat? You can quickly shop by size and style on the Charles & Keith website without having to pour through page after page of products." "Some nights you need a bag just big enough for your phone, CC, and ID. An evening bag that isn't a clutch is ideal since you can have both hands free. This butter yellow shade, irregular hoop handle, and stone enclosure are calling my name." "At around $20 a pop, you can stock up your styling kit with plenty of cute novelty and classic belt options." Next, the investment clothing essentials you'll spend less than $50 per wear on .