#Please I need people to bother/encourage me into finishing it

[naurielrochnur]

WIP tag game

RULES: Post the last sentence you wrote (fanfic / original / anything) and tag as many people as there are words in the sentence.

Thanks for the tag, @tragediegh

Is anyone actually posting just one sentence? I'm sure not. I'm working so hard to pull this fic kicking and screaming from my brain, so you're gonna enjoy a whole ass snippet whether you want to or not. This isn't the last thing I wrote, but its close enough and it'll make more sense out of context. Also, I like it better. I do what I want.

This is from a fic I am writing about the Fool's early days at Buckkeep. I am forever thinking about his relationship with Shrewd, and wanted to explore more deeply how he came to love his king so much that he was willing to abandon everything he worked towards to be by his side.

“And so you propose to be rid of him? To murder my grandson?” “Better now, when I can ensure a peaceful end.” Chade says quietly. “Leave him, and I may be forced to resort to more violent means. A man is much harder to kill than a boy.” “I do not like it,” Shrewd murmurs, and yet he seems to be considering the option. The child is gripping the poker he never put down, his entire body thrumming with tension. The intricately carved handle presses indents into his flesh, but he does not notice. This is the nexus he has Dreamed of, the one where he can save his Catalyst. He knows it as intrinsically as he knows his own name. All around him the possibilities unfurl into a multitude of futures. He saves his Catalyst, but only the first time. He loses his Catalyst, and then himself. He saves his Catalyst, again and again, but it is not enough, and his icy end fills him with despair. He loses his Catalyst, but he himself lives on, and on, and on, and the everyday the empty skies remind him of his failure. And, following the thinnest of paths, brilliant in its possibility and yet so fragile, he saves his Catalyst, and his Catalyst saves the world. The Path divides again from there, and in his favorite divergence, as he lays dying, he can just make out the shapes of dragons flying overhead through the ice of his grave.

I need more writer friends who haven't already been tagged. If you're seeing this and have a WIP you want to share, consider yourself tagged!

[libidinous-weeb]

i’m sorry, i didn’t realize my comment would upset you. it wasn’t my intention, so i will delete it. next time just @ me directly or DM me if you have an issue and i will take it down or make my own post.

Asmo's outfit looks the best to me here out of them all. Though I might be bias since I love him so much pff. I like everyone else's outfits though too! 💕

source

[byoldervine]

Motivation For Writing

Getting Off Your Butt:

1. Aestheticise it. Let the light in through the curtains, turn on your fairy lights, lay a blanket over your lap, light some candles, whatever you need to do to feel like a writer. The right vibes can go a long way

2. Picture that one scene. There’s almost always a moment you’re super excited about that basically inspired the whole book. Picture it, play it out in your head in full cinematic fanfare, gush to yourself about how cool it is and how everyone will love it, picture a future fanbase going nuts for it. You might get excited enough to go back to writing

3. Set a word count goal. During NaNoWriMo this year I think I wrote more than I ever have in one go. The thing that kept me coming back was the desire to not fall behind. I ended up with ~45K words after some complications irl caused me to drop off in the final few days, and that’s all just because I was adding up the 1667 a day word count goal and realising where I needed to be at to keep up. I definitely can’t stay as rigid as I did with 1667 words every single day, but seeing that you’re only a few hundred words off of a goal is super motivating - just be sure to set realistic, easy to achieve parameters for just general use, like 1000-2000 words per week. I know 200 words per day is a popular one for people trying to establish a writing routine that can’t dedicate forever to the craft

Maintaining Motivation:

1. Writing sprints. Writing sprints are a godsend for me, I like to set myself up in the living room with Abbie Emmons’ writing sprint video on. The video lasts two hours and is broken up into two parts; 25 minutes to write and 5 minutes for breaks between writing, so four 30 minute sprints overall. Having the timer and countdown with peaceful music and an aesthetic background is both relaxing and encouraging, as well as giving me a specific time for how much longer I have to push through. It’s easier for me to say “Okay, only ten more minutes, then you can take a break” then it is to say “Just keep going, we’re not stopping until I say so” which is too arbitrary for my brain to accept

2. Give yourself a choice. If you’re struggling to keep your focus, come up with a finish line and tell yourself you don’t have to do any more work once you’ve reached that point. Finish the paragraph, go for another five or ten minutes, keep it up until your next scheduled break. Whatever sounds realistic and doable without being overwhelming. And once you’ve met this goal, ask yourself if you still want to stop. With any luck, you’ll have gotten back into the zone and will choose to keep going. Maybe you’ll want to take a quick break but you’ll come back later on. And maybe you’ll decide that now actually is a good stopping point. Just remember that, if you do still want to stop, don’t force yourself to keep going. You can’t strike deals with yourself if you know you won’t keep your word and all you’ll end up doing is burning yourself out, which will lead to even less writing getting done

3. Try a new angle. If you can’t be bothered to write anymore, is there anything else you can do for your book? Plotting, editing, worldbuilding, character sheets, one-shots all that sort of thing can still be productive for your book while still being different enough to give your brain a slight respite. It also means less work in that particular area later on

Afterwards:

1. Organise. Clean up your workspace and put everything away so it’s nice and neat for when you come back to it. Or if you don’t need to pack things out the way, set it up in an aesthetically pleasing way so it will tempt you back next time. Let it give you the writer vibe

2. Take care of yourself. Get a drink, have a snack, walk about, stretch your limbs, take a breath, cuddle your pet. Something that gets you away from straining your eyes looking at text for a bit. This is also a good time to reward yourself if positive reinforcement is something you use on yourself. If you always feel shitty after your writing sessions, you won’t want to go back to it

3. Positive reflection. Make sure to tell yourself you did good, even if you didn’t get as much done as you would’ve liked or it isn’t up to a standard of quality you’re aiming for. That can all be fixed later on, and you’re infinitely better off than you would’ve been if you didn’t do it. Be proud of yourself. Tell yourself you’re proud of your hard work and your dedication and your effort. Remind yourself that this is a fun thing you like to do. Marvel over how insane it is that you’ve gotten this far - not many people do - and that you’ve got all this tangible work to prove you’ve accomplished something so many people wish they could pull off. If this isn’t fun overall, there’s no point

[raynesbunny]

WHAT MAKES THEM EMBARRASSED?

Mashle headcanon!

💌: GN!reader, fluff

⚠️: Ooc and maybe cringe, slight suggestive on Orter's part?

Requested by: @rainee-da

Characters: Orter Madl, Rayne Ames, Abyss Razor

Others: Guess who's back! I was thinking of finishing all the short stories before going back, though— but I don't want to keep you guys waiting! I'll feel very bad if I do so｡:ﾟ(;´∩`;)ﾟ:｡ Angst Rayne A. x reader coming soon! Still fixing a lot of errors<33 Enjoy reading, pookies!(≧▽≦) (this is my first time writing a headcanon so please do leave a message if there are errors!)

—

Orter Màdl

♡ It's almost impossible to make this man feel embarrassed; he hardly shows any expressions regardless of what others do—always wearing a straight and serious face! Many have attempted to make him laugh and smile, but their efforts have always been in vain, no matter how much they've tried. It almost seemed like expressing emotions is against the rules to him!

♡ And then there's you, his dearest, his partner, his beloved, his darling, his sweetheart, his sunshine, his angel, his lover, the one who melted his icy heart and kept it warm—the only one capable of evoking emotions within him that he never thought he would experience someday. (although, this rule-obsessed man cannot bring himself to admit it openly!)

♡ If there's one thing that can make Orter feel embarrassed, it would be your unexpected, sneaky and quick yet soft kisses and pecks!

♡ Whenever you peck his cheek, his brain momentarily stops functioning, and his heart flutters. His body freezes (and a faint blush is visible on his cheeks) at the touch of your soft lips against his skin.

♡ Your innocent and delicate feathered kisses drives him wild, but he would never dare to utter a word about his longing for more of those adorable little kisses!

Extra:

♡ Today was another busy day for the young man, Orter Màdl. Well— busier than usual that he had forgotten to bring his lunch with him.

And here you are, now in his office to deliver the homemade lunch to your hard-working lover, along with an encouraging letter you poured your heart into creating!

Upon noticing your presence, Orter averted his gaze from his work and looked up at your approaching figure with a small bag in your hand.

"What brings you here?" he asked.

"You forgot your lunch at home, and I won't allow my man to work with an empty stomach, so I decided to bring it here to you," you replied.

Orter remained silent, choosing to turn his focus back to his paperwork. However, his shoulders seemed more relaxed now, and his facial expression had softened. That sight alone was enough for you to know that he was grateful, and he doesn't need to express it through words or pay you back.

(The pile of paperwork on his desk bothered you. You seriously wanted to help, but this stubborn boyfriend of yours would not let you, and you were left with no choice.)

(Last time, you tried helping him, but it only ended up with you wrapped in his sand magic.)

"Here's your lunch, by the way. Don't forget to eat it at lunchtime," you said, placing the small bag with his lunchbox inside on his desk. When you heard no answer, you glanced at him, seeing that he was focused on his work.

This seemed to be the perfect time to take the chance and sneak a kiss.

As your lips were about to reach his cheek, Orter turned around (on purpose), causing your lips to meet his instead.

You were about to pull away immediately, only for the desert cane to grab your wrists, pin you down on his desk and deepen the kiss, preventing you from moving and keeping the kiss from breaking. Leaving you breathless and blushing, a flustered mess.

—

Rayne Ames

♡ Just like the rule-obsessed divine visionary, he's often cold and serious. But believe me when I say that he isn't cruel! He's just having a hard time expressing that he actually cares for the people, especially those whom he's fond of, interested in, and of course- you.

♡ Speaking of you, you are his everything. He'd do anything to keep you safe, make you feel loved, respected, and comforted! Even with his busy schedule, he'll find a way to prioritize you, no matter what. (You matter the most in his life, aside from his rabbits and Finn, of course he'll prioritize those who are important to him.) Though, there are times that he must attend to his duties first, but he'll be sure to make it up to you! It just takes some time, and hopefully you'll understand.

♡ And when I say you're his everything, I mean; you're his joy, his comfort, his warmth, his flower, his world, his dream, his reason to smile, his strength, his motivation, his star, his light—

♡ If there is something that makes this man embarrassed, it's the way you know or understand what he wants (sometimes mentioning it) and letting him know that you have given him your consent!

♡ He will hesitate at first, but will give in as soon as he knows that you are certain. Like those days where he was staring down at your lips with a troubled expression, and this will never go unnoticed by you.

♡ You held yourself back from laughing, it was truly an adorable and amusing sight!

♡ You would press your forehead against his, your lips parting to mutter the words that you have given him your consent.

♡ Rayne's face would turn bright red, his gaze snapping to you with a look of embarrassment. He cannot believe he got caught again!

♡ You chuckled at the expression on his face, but your laughter died down when Rayne immediately brought his lips to meet yours in a gentle yet firm kiss, the contact sending a warm shiver down your spine.

Extra:

♡ You were playing with Rayne's pet rabbits in your shared room, wearing the comfortable rabbit hoodie that matched with your boyfriend but in your favorite color.

"There! All done!" You chirped and stroked Usao's fluffy fur, staring at all the rabbits decorated with ribbons in awe.

"[Name.]"

At the sound of his voice calling your name, you turned around to face him. Once you did, you're met with himself close to you, the sudden closeness making your eyes widen in surprise and confusion. "Is something the matter?"

(It was hard reading him this time, not even a single clue was visible! Is he doing this on purpose?)

Said boyfriend shook his head before gently taking your hand in his, caressing it tenderly.

He closed his eyes and brought your hand up to his lips for him to place a soft and long kiss.

The kiss lasted for a while and it took you some time to process what just happened. When you did, you found yourself stunned and flustered.

—

Abyss Razor

♡ Believe when I say THAT THIS MAN GETS ALL FLUSTERED WITH EVERYTHING YOU DO. (You were just too much for his heart to handle, he might explode in embarrassment.)

♡ Even the simplest, smallest things you do, like getting close to him, holding his hand, or even a gentle poke on the cheek, headpats, or your compliments, cause him to freeze in embarrassment or leave him trembling and a stuttering mess. (Even your smile and voice!)

♡ The last time this happened was when you were combing his hair and you stopped when you caught a whiff of the scent of his hair.

You drew closer to him, hoping to smell that pleasant fragrance again.

"Say, Abyss, what shampoo do you use?"

♡ He responded with silence, you were just too close to him! Close enough that his brain stopped functioning!

♡ Abyss.exe has stopped working.

♡ You are welcome to shower this lover of yours with affection, but please have mercy! He has zero experience when it comes to this! (Your affections for him might be the cause of his death /j)

♡ He is so adorable, please don't ever hurt him. Cherish him with all your heart, for goodness' sake! He deserves all the love and care.<33

Extra:

Your fingers brushed the silky strands of your lover's hair, tucking it behind his ear before clipping it with a ribbon. (I live for the coquettish display<33)

Once you were done, you gasped at the sight of your lover with his hair neatly down and a ribbon clipped in place.

"My goodness! You look beautiful, my love, as always!"

"Even with my cursed evil eye?"

"Nonsense! I find your evil eye unique and beautiful! Even with or without that, you will always be a beauty in my eyes, both on the outside and the inside!"

Just as he was about to respond, you gently placed your finger on his lips and embraced him, burying your face in his stomach.

"Hush! Don't even think of saying those words. Your cursed evil eye has nothing to do with who you are! You have done nothing wrong! If no one else will accept the whole of you aside from Abel, then I WILL. I do not care what that evil eye of yours will do to me, I am willing to embrace everything in you. I will always love you, even with all your flaws. Nothing and no one can change my mind and my heart—"

You stopped yourself from rambling when you felt a sudden drop of liquid fall on top of your head.

"Abyss?"

You sat up to check on him, only for panic to rush through you as your eyes met his face that is soaked with tears.

"Did I say something wrong? Please, don't cry and tell me what's wrong! It pains me to see you in tears!" (You might cry too /j)

Receiving no response from him, you were left with no choice but to embrace him in a hug, hoping that it could provide him solace.

Abyss wrapped his arms around you in return, his tears soaking the fabric on your shoulder. (Which you did not mind at all.)

He could never be more grateful than being accepted despite the flaws he bore, especially his very own evil eye.

—

I'll add a few more characters for this headcanon after writing the second angst I'm planning to write! I hope you enjoyed reading my first headcanon! Have a great, wonderful day or night, lovelies!💌

[xaharadesert]

Super Chatty MC - Headcanon

Arcana Characters (Main 6) x MC

A/N: For another lovely anon! I wasn’t planning on writing 2 days in a row, but this was a super cute and simple one, so I had a lot of fun with it! Please let me know if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes (it’s 4am as I finish this, so I’m sure there’s plenty of errors) requests are open!

❤️Julian❤️

He’s undeniably verbose himself, so he’s in no position to judge

There may be moments where you’ll be in the middle of a rant and he’ll accidentally cut you off because you’ve reminded him of one of his own adventures

He will apologize of course, and encourage you to continue what you were saying, but he hopes he’ll get the chance to tell you the story later

Unfortunately he is prone to getting distracted while you’re talking, so while he would love to actively engage with all of your ideas, his mind is too busy making connections to other topics

But even if he struggles to pay attention, he’ll never grow tired of your boundless energy

🧡Portia🧡

As long as the topic is interesting, she doesn’t mind at all

She’s a big fan of gossip, so she’s always listening in to your latest rambles, even if they’re not directed at her

She has a way of needling her own thoughts into your rants and turning it into a proper conversation

You’ll hardly even notice since she matches your energy so well

It might be a bit of a pain for the people around you if you’re in public, but you two seem so happy in your own little world that no one has the heart to bother you

💛Lucio💛

This man has never been an active listener in his life, and as much as he loves you he is not about to start

He won’t stop you from rambling, but he’s definitely not paying attention to what you’re saying unless it’s directly related to him in some way

He’s mostly just thinking about all the things he’s gonna say when it’s his turn to talk again

It’s almost like a competition over who gets to speak; every time one of you pauses for too long, the other gets started on a topic that might not even be related

That being said, when you two are mutually interested in a topic (particularly drama), the conversation can last hours with full investment from both sides

💚Muriel💚

He’s really not a talker, so you’ll never be in competition with him for talking time

That being said, he’s not much of a listener either; he tries his best to pay attention to what you’re saying because he wants to show that he cares for you and your thoughts, but he gets tired quickly

He’s not really used to the constant noise, and it can stress him out sometimes, so he’ll not so subtly shoo you outside to go chat to the chickens

That does make him feel a little bad, and he hopes you understand that he doesn’t have any ill intentions

He just needs a bit of alone time to recharge so he can be the best version of himself for you

💙Asra💙

He loves to listen to the sound of your voice even if the topic isn’t interesting

After knowing you for years, he seems to have some sort of sixth sense that tells him when he actually needs to be paying attention to what you’re saying

You’ll never be able to tell if he’s actually listening though, because he always looks like he’s in dream land (whether he’s gazing at you with a dreamy look in his eyes, or staring off into the distance like he sees an entirely different world, Asra always looks like he’s got more going on in his head than he lets on)

Occasionally he’ll mention some obscure detail that you spoke of maybe once like a month ago just to throw you off track when you think you’ve got his listening patterns figured out

It’s really not something to stress over; he makes it clear that he loves you, and loves your chatty nature even if he seems distracted day to day

💜Nadia💜

She is perhaps the only person in Vesuvia with enough mental power to always pay active attention to what you’re saying

Being a politician has given her plenty of practice at effectively dividing her attention, so she can listen to you while still completing other tasks and even holding other conversations

Just when you think you’ve lost her, she’ll ask a relevant question to assure you that she’s invested in whatever you’ve been ranting about

It’s not always an easy task for her, and she does need a bit of quiet at the end of the day to recharge, but she understands that you have no ill will

In fact, she occasionally takes advantage of your chatty demeanour and sends you out to distract various important individuals who she doesn’t really want to talk to herself (with your knowledge and consent, of course)

[hyunniesgirl]

So, I know you saw Minho looking so delicious at the VMA's yesterday 🤤. Could I request a blurb of reader and Minho after the show. It can be fluff, smut or whatever you like! I just can't get that man off of my mind, I'll take whatever you give me 😭🫠🫠

Girllllllllll you have great taste and you know it, thank you so much for your request. I hope you enjoy what I did here and please give me some feedback of what you think I should improve.

Summary: Lee Know gets overwhelmed easily when surrended by so many people in an unfamiliar place, though when he sees you all hot and bothered after their performance he thinks of a way to recharge his energy.

Words count: 1,501

+18 MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

Warnings: unprotected piv(use protection people), throat fucking, blowjob(m receiving), pulling hair and dirty talk.

You were acting weird, you knew it and Minho knew it too. It started when he showed up at your hotel room, he was looking absolutely sinful and you were uncommonly embarrassed of the unholy thoughts running through your mind.

You were staring so intensely he had to snap his fingers in front of your face taking you out of your deep dirty thoughts, a smirk on his lips, "Do I look that good?", he already knows the answer and you nod automatically. He tilts his head cockily. "That's good to know"

After he leaves, you just know you're going crazy tonight. You two couldn't go together to the award event because other than the members no one knows you're dating, so you have to sneak into the backstage to watch their performance.

The problem and what put you in trouble is that you weren't expecting THAT performance. Of course you know they're good but that stage was something absolutely divine, they looked so powerful, so charming, showing everyone how talented they are and Minho was spectacular, looking delicious with his stage outfit.

So after they were finished most of the guys changed and went back to watch the rest of the show. But not Minho, he was seated on a chair with his legs spread looking extremely tired.

"Are you not going to get changed?", you ask, putting your hands on his shoulders trying to massage him.

"I just need a moment", he says, giving a tap on his thigh for you to sit and you do it without even thinking, sitting on his lap and laying down on his chest, resting your head on his shoulder.

Minho starts to caress your thigh getting up and up, until he has his fingers pressing against the material of your panties.

"What's this?", he asks, making you blush, "why are you completely soaked?", he knows it's not just from the little contact you had with him in the few minutes he was in there.

You hide your face on the crook of his neck, you don't want to talk about those dirty things you were thinking, but he knows you so well, he might have an idea.

"If you don't speak I'll think you had someone over to satisfy your greedy pussy", he answers with his voice low and you flinch, sitting straight and looking shyly at him.

"Don't say something like that, Min, you're the only one for me"

"Then do as I say, or are you trying to be a disobedient little whore? Huh?"

You fidget with your fingers and he puts his hand on the small of your back caressing it so you could feel his encouragement.

"You just looked so good", you say blushing, he's your boyfriend you shouldn't be shy when saying this things to him but you never spoke about your desires with him looking at you with such a serious face, "you looked mad all night and I know it's because you were nervous and overwhelmed but I couldn't help to think how I wished I were the one you were mad with so you would bend me over and relieve all your stress on me"

Minho keeps silent, you're afraid to look at him. He looked so anxious before and now you are here talking about being a horny mess.

When you feel the hand he had on your back sliding up, your head snaps at him. You see his eyes dark like the night sky, full of the most pure desire you ever saw, he grabs your hair and pulls your head back exposing your neck.

"Hm, I was so nervous thinking about how I could calm down but I guess you can help me, right, beautiful?", he kisses your cheek.

"I can do anything you want, Min", you say and he smiles, that mischievous smile that shows up when you're in trouble.

Minho starts undoing his belt with just one hand giving a quick nod to the floor, you get on your knees understanding exactly what he wants.

You begin opening the zipper of his pants, but you're trembling so much it's difficult, his eyes never leave you as he follows your every move.

So when you free his hard cock a proud smile grows on his lips and you lick yours in anticipation.

"I don't have all the time in the world", he cocks one of his brows looking impatient.

Hurrying up you put his cock in your mouth taking it all the way to the back of your throat and pulling it out, you feel him twitching and the sound of a really dirty growl grace your ears.

Minho doesn't dare close his eyes or take them out of you. He puts his hand on your head guiding you to the speed he wants and moments later he begins thrusting, holding your head still so he can finally throat fuck you. His moans are music to your ears.

"You're such a good girl, letting me fuck you like this"

You keep looking at him, staring at his handsome face. You want to slide your hands into your pussy and touch your sensitive clit but you know better, if you're good enough he will fuck you so hard you're not going to be able to walk out of that room.

Just as you had that thought he pull your head out of his cock, "get up, I want you in front of that mirror, hands up front and ass up"

You abide by his order walking to the mirror, legs almost giving out not sure how you're going to keep standing when he fucks you.

You see him taking his jacket off and walking to you,  you're already a mess, your lipstick is blurred, your mascara staining your cheeks and your hair all out of place.

You feel Minho's hand on your thigh, his fingers going up taking your skirt together, you see his reflection raising his hand and smacking your ass making you whimper.

"Minho, please, can't you fuck me already?"

He smiles caressing the red mark of his hand on your skin.

"You're so beautiful I can't help admiring you", he says, "you're lucky I can't take it anymore"

He takes his hard dick on his hands and jerks it a few times leading it to your entrance. You feel like you're going to explode with pleasure when he finally thrusts into you, you scream so hard you hope the music outside was loud enough so no one heard you. You can't help moaning again seeing Minho's face, he has his eyes shut and his teeth biting his bottom lip.

"You feel so good, just being inside you is like heaven", you whimper when he begins moving, his hips bucking into yours with the most sinful sound of skin clapping.

He slides his hand to your stomach leading it to your clit and making circles on the sensitive spot, you moan throwing your head back and closing your eyes.

"Look at me", he grunts between thrusts, "look at how good I fuck you, don't take your eyes of me, you're mine", you know he's close because he's trusts are faltering and you sure are no better.

"Please, please, please", you're almost choking on the air, you can't breathe, your orgasm is so close.

"T-that's right, my p-pretty slut should beg", he stammers smacking your ass once more, the moan that scapes your lips is the final straw for him, soon after you feel his hot liquid inside of you. "Fuck"

He doesn't stop the circles on your clit making the knot on your stomach grow bigger and bigger so when you see him lusting after your reflection in the mirror you can't take it anymore moaning loudly as your release takes control of you. Your legs give out but he catches you before you can fall.

He carries you to the chair he was seated before and tries fixing the messy hair sticking in your face. You're breathless with no strength at all. Minho find some napkins and use it to clean you up, you don't even want to think about how you're going to get out of there without people realizing you're fucked out.

"I love you", Minho whispers, trying to fix your outfit too.

You nod, whispering that you love him too and without realizing you closed your eyes letting the fatigue take control.

The next day you wake up feeling like you were run over by a train, aching in every part of your body. You take a look at your phone and see it going off with messages.

Your friends sent you a link to an article and you gasp when you open it. There are pictures of Minho caring you out of the event and putting you in his car with the title "Stray Kids Lee Know caring non identified woman in his arms, dating rumors surface on the internet"

"We are in trouble", you whisper to yourself.

[xximpressions]

The Duchess (8)

Anthony Bridgerton x Duchess!reader

Series Summary: After coming into a title you did not expect, you have a chance encounter with a handsome rescuer.

Chapter Summary: A plan is hatched

Word Count: 1,161

A/N: Shout out to @urfavnoirette and @itsprashimusic for letting me know I have true fans out there!!! You're the reasons this chapter happened 😊😘

Bridgerton Masterlist

Previous | Next

____________________________________________________________

With confusion clouding your mind at the comment the Lady of the house just made, you were forced to say in order to gain some understanding,

“Forgive me…but how do you mean, your Grace?”

With a hint of coyness still twinkling in her eyes and tone, the last one to speak raised her hand first and said with a kind smile,

“Please, call me Daphne!”

Before she proceeded by saying,

“And I simply meant that if you were to engage in a similar ruse with say, my brother here, then maybe, this pesky brother-in-law of yours will take the hint that his constant attentions are not wanted.”

The casual shrug she added to the end of her sentence was convincing enough that you really believed she was simply making a good suggestion that surely was only made to help you our of your concerning predicament.

But in the mind of the Viscount seated next to you on the couch, he was very aware that this suggestion was anything but innocently said and was failing to keep his mind from racing at such a thought.

And as he struggled, you responded with,

“Well, I suppose I can see how such an idea has merit, but however would we pull it off?”

And luckily, the Duchess seated across from you was only to happy to explain.

“All you would need to do is pretend to form an attachment with my brother then your brother-in-law will realize that you are no longer available and will back off! It is the perfect plan that will surely work for you as it surely did for me.”

And after hearing such a follow-up explanation, you could admit you were intrigued when you responded with,

“But how would such a plan work? My brother-in-law is quite tenacious, so I am not sure how we would be able to convince him to give up his pursuits…?”

You finished hesitatingly, but Anthony was only too happy to reassure you with an idea of his own.

“We could host a ball! Here at Clyvedon!”

He said with excited determination.

“Then he, along with the rest of the ton, can witness our ruse of being romantically involved with one another. That way, this man will stop bothering you, and all the debutantes in polite society will stop bothering me. Daphne is right, it is perfect!”

And though the Viscount understood why he had to hide how hopeful he was that you might accept such an idea, you had to hide the fact that such an idea made you quite giddy on the inside to know it would make you spend more time the presence of this kind and generous person.

So without further thought, you agreed by saying with an accepting and excited smile, 

“Well, I suppose we should get started then!”

By the end of the conversation, all of the details had been finalized amongst you all as you sat around the fireplace. 

By the end of the week, invitations had been sent out in time for guests to be in attendance for a grand gathering at the Clyvedon estate in time for the next weekend.

And by the beginning of the ball, your ruse had also been allowed to start as you stood next to the Viscount and his mother near the entrance in order to help greet your guests as they began to show up.

Though it was the other Duchess who originally suggested you and Anthony pretend to form an attachment specifically for this gathering, it was actually their mother who had the foresight to have you stand with them as the attendees arrived.

“If you want people to think you will soon be an addition to this family, then you must help the ton to believe such an idea by playing your parts correctly.”

She had explained with an encouraging and sly smile as the guests started to show.

And you had to admit, the more time you spent greeting each person along with the Viscount, the Duke, and Daphne, the more you could feel people’s curiosities were growing since no official explanations were offered whenever a person inquired about your particular presence.

“Oh, I am just returning the favor to my generous hosts by assisting them with this magically grand endevour. I hope you enjoy your time here tonight as much as I have!”

Would be the typically vague response you gave if and when someone asked what your role was in this lighthearted event that was actually strategically taking place.

After a while, with the ballroom crowded with various Lords, Ladies, and gentlemen, you mentioned to Anthony that you would be stepping away for a moment just to get something to drink and left to find the refreshment table amongst the throng of people gathered for a night of fun.

Upon reaching it, you allowed a small, private smile to grow on your face as well since you could admit to yourself that this was the most amusement you have had in a while as you neared the table holding a bowl of punch and other light snacks.

But you supposed all good things must come to an end when you heard an unfortunately familiar voice say behind you,

“Well, you certainly look ravishing tonight, your Grace.”

Turning to see your inebriated brother-in-law stood behind you, a shiver of disgust had to be suppressed when his eyes obviously took the time to rake up and down your clothed body in order to take in the exquisite gown you were wearing to match your status as a Duchess.

Continuing his inappropriate ogling, the pathetic excuse for a man went on to say,

“Do me the honor of a dance, your Grace?”

With his hand being the last thing you wanted to touch, you tried to minimize the way you wanted to recoil when he then held it out to you.

Whether it was held out as an invitation or as a demand, you would never know.

Because thankfully, at that exact moment, your official ruse partner came to your rescue once again.

“My apologies, Sir. But you see, the lady has already promised me her first three dances, and the rest are promised to my brothers.”

Gladly taking the Viscount’s extended arm, you were grateful when he disingenuously said,

“But better luck next time!”

Finishing with a false smile, he then led you away from the drunk that was left behind speechless, jealous, and without another word.

That smile remained in place until you were far away enough from your brother-in-law that he could not hear Anthony quietly but determinedly say to you from the side.

“It seems we are going to have to get creative if this is to work properly.”

Before directing a coy but reassuring grin your way.

And upon seeing it, you found it a little easier to smile yourself as you neared the dancefloor for the first time of the night.

Previous | Next

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@itsprashimusic | @urfavnoirette

[l1llina]

"Huh, me? Like him ?"

Alhaitham x Fem!Reader

18+, Minors dni

Synopsis: The Akademiya is pushing a big project to fight the Abyss Order. You along with the other students are assigned to work on it. This project will bring you and Alhaitham closer.

It’s another day, another day of zoning out. What annoyed you even more was this really stuck up guy in your class. He always seemed to look down on everyone else, including you, and you’re a sensitive bitch so this bothered you a lot. 

One day, the school reveals that every student will play a part in building a machine to fight the Abyss Order specifically the Abyss Prince. The pressure and excitement in everyone was of course very high almost overbearing. You couldn’t believe it. This was... amazing. Big ambitious projects with the whole help of the school. The school officially recruited everyone and everyone became an employee for the Akademiya.

Unfortunately, the way they assigned divisions were by class, this was all planned by the day you enrolled. The leader of your division who could order you to do anything he wishes was.. Alhaitham urgh. This went from being your dream to a nightmare. 

He actually didn’t put many rules but the goal for that semester was to finish an elemental laser gun. Surprisingly every person in the class had a different role. You received the Casanova role but why did they need one ? At first, you pondered maybe they just didn’t want to hurt your feelings but then you guessed it was because they still lacked sufficient funding for such a project so you were the leader of your own little crew. The marketing crew!

Your job was to convince people to invest in such a project, and honestly who better for the job hah. Additionally the school encouraged the students to actually date and find love within other similar types. You were kind of manipulated into dating the heads of the project. Since production would go up if a Casanova and Leader got along well.

You were “advised accordingly” to go on a date with Alhaitham, your enemy. You didn’t have any romantic/sexual feelings for him before the date but during the date, he seemed a little obsessed, a little too happy to be here. 

The Akademiya issued Friday to be a day to deepen relationships between the students. Admittedly they cared more if you had sex. They didn’t give the opportunity to buy condoms, since they hoped the students could bear kids to continue the project if the parents died. 

Alhaitham urged you to take a sip of wine, you did out of politeness and out of curiosity to see what he’d do. You didn’t want your gut feeling to be right, to think he’d do something terrible, however when you came to, you were in white lingerie in Alhaitham’s dorm. 

“Hey.. Y/N, I’m sure you know why I abused my position of power to get you here. You teased me on purpose huh, wearing that short pencil skirt. I don’t like helping the school with their corrupt ways but I can’t help but want to keep you to myself so let’s bear a child and we’ll rule the school”

He began teasing you, bouncing you on his thigh, you muffled your moans, refusing to yield to this asshole’s demands, but slowly, after being edged for so long, you started losing your rationale and following his demands. He worshipped the body that would give him an heir and the woman who clouded his mind for years. 

“I saw how you looked at me in class, such hatred and disgust, there’s nothing more satisfying than triumphing over my enemies but in this case, you’re my doll now and don’t worry doll I’ll make sure to treat you right and please you accordingly”

You thought he’d stop at grinding you on his laps but he got down on his knees and started stuffing your tiny hole and circling your clit with his tongue. Urgh the only thing that’s stopping you from giving yourself to him fully is your pride. If you gave in, he’d win and there’d be no guarantee you’ll find real love with him.

“Why are you still holding back, do you think I’ll hit you ? Insult you ? Never, not to the girl I’ve respected for so long”

“W-What, re-respect hngh..?”

“Yeah, you’re a little stupid but you always kept your promises and showed your hatred for hypocrisy and oppression of the system. You’re exactly my type, I love your character and I hope even after this little stunt, you can find a place in your heart to love me too”

“Al.. I didn’t wanna give in because I don’t like losing.. These past few years, I always thought you were an asshole, even now you’re proving my point but right now I couldn’t care less, you being an asshole also ties with your ambition and I couldn’t find anything more attractive than that, well devotion too but you’re that too so. More so, you’re fucking hot.. Are you kidding me ?”

“So, we’re a thing then ?”

“Yeah.. now fuck me with your cock already, just so you know though I don’t really like kids but I still wanna have sex with you right now”

He plunges his cock and makes you cum many times that night. The next day your dorm changed to Al Haitham’s and you shared a dorm now. Outside of school hours and even during, you would be in his office, dating and fucking him” 

At night, you found a new nerd pal to geek out with but he sometimes takes it too far and it ends up in passionate makeout sessions. The next morning, the cycle continues

TBC <3 Pls don't hate me

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

If You Can't Dance 2

Warnings: dubcon, noncon, other possible triggers. Proceed with caution.

Note: this is what you get when you encourage me. Please leave any and all feedback! 🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷

Part of The Club AU

The man lets you go as the bouncer approaches again. He hands over a green bottle of Perrier. The stranger uncaps it and offers it to you as the carbonation hisses from the open neck.

“Have a drink,” he says gently.

You take the bottle and gulp, the bubbles nearly choking you. He looms there with you, watching you drink. You pop your mouth off the bottle and stare at his lapel.

“I'm sorry,” you gasp, “I think I'll be okay now.”

“No need to apologise,” he assures you. “I'll stay with you until you're better.”

“You don't…” he leans in again and your breath catches, “you don't have to do that.”

“Oh, I couldn't leave you. Go on, have some more water,” he says, “Jonathan, by the way, I'm afraid our introduction was lacking.”

You're confused. You don't know this man. Why is he so interested? You glance over at the pretty girls in their mini skirts and strappy dresses.

“And you?” He prompts.

You give your name to the brim of the bottle before you swig again. You rub you cheek then let your hand drop to your stomach. You cringe at the gurgle in your stomach. 

“Have a bit much to drink?” He asks.

“I don't… I don't drink,” you answer, “but… they gave me it.”

“They? A friend?”

“Coworker.”

“Ah, a work outing. Rather odd choice for that but who am I to say? I was lured here upon the premise of business myself.”

You hand the bottle back to him and hug yourself. He twists the cap on as you peer down the street. They probably won't even notice you're gone.

“I should go,” you stand up, “thanks, uh, sir, for your help.”

“Go? Are you driving?”

“Yeah, my car is over…” you trail off as you brave a glance up at him. His blonde hair is tidy and his eyes are a perfect shade of sky blue. “...there.”

“You can't drive, you said you've been drinking,” he tilts his head.

“Oh, uh, I guess,” you peel around, keeping your arms crossed, “a taxi…”

“We could share? I have an early morning meeting so I'll be off about now.”

“Oh, no, that's fine–”

“I don't mind. In fact, I'd be more bothered to send you of not knowing if you got home safe,” he intones.

“But… you don't know me.”

“Well, you can't get to know people if you don't start there,” he chuckles lightly, “how are you feeling now, then? Calmer?”

You nod. He holds out the bottle. 

“Keep it. Finish it if you can. It will help sober you up,” he lets you take the bottle before he turns and raises his arm, hailing down the street for the approaching headlights. You'd be on the curb for a while before anyone saw you jumping and waving. That would be embarrassing. 

“Dear,” he looks back at you as a yellow cab approaches.

“I said…” you don't bother repeating yourself. People don't hear you. It's why you prefer email or IM.

The driver is there. That's a safeguard, right? The man, Jonathan, opens the door for you and you get in. He goes around the other side and gives his address, “but first…” he gestures to you.

You say your own address as you place the water bottle in the cup holder and buckle in. You stare out the window and watch the street roll by as the car pulls out. You keep yourself nestled into the door, making yourself as small as you can.

“So… coworkers… what do you do for work?”

“Code.”

“Ah, interesting, valuable skill set. I have many coders on my team. Always reliable, always honest.”

You nod. What do you say? Your work isn't exciting and the few times you worked with other coders were less than pleasant.

Silence. A strangling dearth of sound. You fidget, wiping your sweaty palms on your skirt. You just want to get home. The prospect of having to pick your car up the next day adds to your anxiety.

“I am rather too talkative for my own good,” he chuckles.

The driver seems to take a hint and flips on the radio. You exhale, relieved for the white noise, and refocus out the window.

It's an odd end to the night. You knew going out would probably be unsettling but this is all so strange. You suppose you've been in your own space for too long. You've never been good with other people.

As you recognise the street you're one, you sit up. Jonathan inhales and hooks one leg over the other. The driver steers around the corner sharply and nearly has you falling across the seat. You slap a hand on the leather and resist the physics. 

You peek up and meet Jonathan's eye. An accident that has you boiling and looking away. You see your house and lean forward.

As the driver stops, you pull at the purse slung around your body. You look at the meter and search for your wallet in the slouchy body of the bag. Jonathan tuts and flutters his fingers at you.

“My treat. Please, save your money.”

“But–” you gulp back a response. You should pay but you also shouldn’t argue with kindness. That’s what your mother always said.

You click the seat belt and let it recoil. Your hand is already on the door as you’re ready to run and hide. The man says your name. You pause and look back, not wanting to be rude.

“Well, have a good night,” he drawls.

“Oh, uh, thank you, you too,” you pull the handle.

“Very nice meeting you,” he calls softly, right before you close the door.

[suntoru]

hello!

I'm super stressed atm, have an exam on Tuesday, and I need a bit of motivation because I really doubt myself sometimes although I'm trying very hard 😭😭

do you think you could write a short piece about one of the genshin boys (heizou, tighnari, cyno, scara, childe or one of your choice instead) comforting a reader in the same situation? if not then I totally understand (couldn't find whether or not your requests are closed so I hope I'm not bothering you) thank you so much <3

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ heizou + childe w/ stressed out reader!!

summary: reader is stressed out bc of exams!! what do the boys do to help?

a/n: hi luv!! basically my requests are actually closed but i decided to make an exception just this once <3 u got this, dw too much!! i hope i was able to bring u some comfort

wc: 655 words

warnings: burnt out reader, overworking, mostly comfort n fluff, maybe a bit of swearing?

─ ✰ HEIZOU

mr. smartass here does not get the definition of stressing over work istg he’s too intelligent for his own good

at first, he supports you a lot, he encourages you to do better too. he likes that you’re working hard to reach your goals <3

he does his own work beside you, so you can study together!

type to help you and tests you on the questions

however, after a couple days, he starts to notice you’re not doing so well. you’ve got bags under your eyes from skipping out on sleep to study, you’re more grumpy than normal, and you just look stressed.

that’s when he makes the connection that a), you’re overworking yourself, and b), you’re stressed about this.

to be honest, i don’t think he’s the type to directly confront you about this unless it becomes too much, he’s more of the subtle type.

he’d definitely ask if you’re okay in a lighthearted manner, but you can tell he’s serious. welp now he’s monitoring you on a daily basis

“y/n, do you wanna take a break and go get some food?” “you’re gonna do so well, don’t worry.”

but if you choose to talk to him about your worries, he’ll listen silently, only nodding his head to show he’s paying attention. he’ll wait till you’re finished until he speaks.

he pulls you into a tight hug, cradling the back of your head as he comforts you. his voice is laced with confidence and you can tell he means what he says.

“babe… i know you can do this. there’s no one i believe in more than you. you’ve worked really hard for this, and that’s all i need to know. and even if you don’t meet your expectations, i’ll still be proud. i’m here for you if you need anything, anything at all.”

makes sure you’re getting enough rest, you’re eating enough and taking breaks.

when the day of your test comes, he gives you a confident smile, and a kiss on the cheek as he winks.

“i’d say good luck, but i know you’ve left nothing up to chance.”

whatever the outcome is, he takes you on a date after <3

overall 7/10

─ ✰ CHILDE

…run.

bro does not understand the term ‘busy’. he thinks your attention should always be on him.

worst study buddy 😭 type to end up distracting you instead of actually helping

ANYWAYS.

one of the first people to speak up about this, solely because you aren’t spending a lot of time with him anymore.

not slick with it either, just full on blunt.

this dramatic ahh collapses in your lap on the brink of tears, shiny puppy dog eyes staring straight into your soul.

“do you still love me anymore?”

explain to him that things exist other than him

please do tell him that you’re just worried and stressed though.

if you end up crying, his personality does a full 180. you’re now situated on his lap, his fingers brushing away any tears.

he feels guilty he didn’t notice sooner, he cups your face gently.

“hey, hey… i’m sorry. i didn’t realize this was so important to you… i’ll help you study, okay? for real this time.”

to the best of his ability, he helps explain concepts and showers you with praise if you answer correctly.

makes you flash cards with cute doodles (mostly him)

on the day of your exam, he picks you up and twirls you around.

peppers kisses all over your face.

“my scrunkly baby, you’re gonna do so well!! my smart precious clever genius… i might not be there with you, but take my luck!! well, not like you need it <3”

whispers in your ear before you go:

“…and don’t forget… a mark on a piece of paper doesn’t define you.”

takes you shopping and buys you whatever you want after, super clingy for the next couple of days

4/10 but he’s trying

©kaeffeinee 2023. do not copy, repost, or translate any of my works on any platform.

[acey-wacey]

Hi, hi, hi! I just read your love triangles headcanons and rushed to check if your requests were open and to my delight they were! I absolutely loved your headcanons, so can I request headcanons for reactions of Leona and malleus if the reader decides to choose Leona?

Here you are, my Leona lovers!

...

🦁 Leona Kingscholar 🦁

~~at the winter ball~~

You clutched the skirt of your billowy gown as you descended the steps into the ballroom.

You gasped lightly at the sight of the glorious throng of colorful dresses and suits, perfectly tailored to be fashionable and warm for the chilly season.

A few of your first year friends approached you to make conversation and compliment your dress.

Apparently, Ace, Deuce, and Jack could clean up nicely when they wanted to.

You'd already seen Epel and Sebek in formal wear due to their dorms' policies but you didn't deny them any share of compliments.

Once you'd politely excused yourself, you made your way around the perimeter of the ballroom, looking for one particular lion.

You didn't bother surveying the crowd since you knew he wouldn't be there, instead opting to search every hidden nook and cranny that was sufficiently private and conveniently located so you could find it.

You deducted that Leona would be waiting for you somewhere since you were the only reason he even dressed up and came.

Though you weren't exactly sure if he had dressed up or if he had come at all.

It didn't take long for you to make your way to the overhanging balcony.

The staircase to the balcony was magically sealed to prevent party-goers from causing mischief but the enchantment had already been broken.

Sure enough, Leona was waiting for you at the top of the steps, looking quite dapper and quite uncomfortable in his formal dashiki.

"Took you long enough."

You chuckled as Leona raised an eyebrow.

"I noticed you removed the enchantment just to get up here. Headmaster Crowley will not be pleased."

"Since when do I care what that mangey bird thinks?"

"Since he pays my bills. I may not respect him but not causing trouble equals getting that bag."

"Then why are you here, herbivore?"

You grinned and leaned on the stone railing next to Leona.

"Because I like a little danger."

Leona scoffed with a smile and ran a hand through his hair.

"And maybe I like you, just a little bit."

Leona gave you a side eye without any other visible reaction.

"Maybe?"

"Uh-huh."

"Just a little bit?"

"Hm. Bat your eyes real pretty and I might make it a little bit more than a little bit."

You didn't have to look over to tell Leona was smiling. Or that he was staring at you.

You sighed and lowered your head.

"You don't have to say anything."

"I don't really like people, Y/N. You know that."

"I do. Which is why you don't have to say anything."

"Let me finish. I don't really like people which is why it's so strange that I like you so much. What makes you so special? Why do you make me actually want to try at stuff?"

"I am very encouraging."

Leona took your cheek and forced you to look at him.

"I love you, Y/N. I don't even care what you're gonna say now but I need you to know that. Fighting with that dragon b1tch made me realize that I need to step up or I'm gonna lose you."

You smiled and leaned into Leona's hand.

"You're not going to lose me, Leona, because I love you too."

The two of you smiled at each other, listening to the sweet tune of the music below.

"And if this is all about Malleus, I swear to Seven..."

Leona cut you off with a groan and pulled away.

"It's not about Malleus, I swear! It has nothing to... Okay, it has something to do with him but not much."

"You're ridiculous."

"Say it again and I won't kiss you."

"And you were planning on kissing me?"

"I was, but I don't know anymore."

"Oh, shut up, you."

You laughed before pulling his collar and smashing his lips into yours.

[vic-draws-sometimes]

What would Johnny do?

Or another brain dump y'all call fics, in which autistic Simon tries to take care of Johnny

He was a dog. A rabid dog, if you will.

A killing machine.

A ghost.

He tortured, stabbed, murdered... He didn't comfort.

Yet, as he was standing in front of Johnny, he suddenly wished that he was normal. Not just not a killer, but also... Not stupid, as so many would say.

Johnny had been acting weird for a week, now, but Simon, or anyone for that matter, bothered to do anything. It was unfair, really. Johnny was always the first to cheer someone up, to give them a hug or space when they needed. Ghost was the first to know that.

But when he started feeling off, no one approached him. Ghost included. And now he regretted.

Why didn't he talk to him sooner? Why didn't he take care of him? Offer him comfort like Soap does to him? He knew why, of course. He wasn't a comforting presence, it wasn't in his nature. Even if he tried, he was always too blunt, too straightforward, not reassuring.

But no matter, he should've tried.

Because now Johnny was curled up by the side of his bed, panting and holding his head. He barely noticed Simon coming in his room to give him paperwork, or even noticed him standing there like a fool for a good two minutes.

''Johnny...'' he tried, but couldn't find words. The smaller man jumped a bit at the sound, but didn't move. Ghost then approached him, putting the paperwork on his desk, forgotten already.

''m sorry, LT... I'll... I'll get back to work in a bit.'' Johnny said, much smaller than what Simon would like, and much more out of breathe.

Simon was so worried, he forgot to reassure him that he didn't need to work just yet.

What should he do? What did people do to comfort other people? Shushing them, pet them, smile... That didn't seem appropriate.

What did Johnny do, when he was in a similar state? He made him tea... Touched his arms and held him tight. He didn't ask questions, never did.

''Look, Ghost... Can you just... '' the scot trailed off, his voice trembling slightly. ''Go... Please.''

The last plea made Simon hesitate. Should he listen to him and leave? Rationally, he should.

But it hurt in a way Simon wouldn't be able to describe, seeing his Johnny in this state.

Finally, he sat next to Johnny, in silence. He held out in hand to him, not looking at his face. After a minute of further silence, Johnny put his hand in his, and Simon started to rub at his skin, massaging the many muscles.

They stayed like this for a long time, eventually Johnny put his head on Simon's shoulder.

''I feel shitty.'' was the first thing he said, sounding way too tired. Simon looked at him briefly, encouraging him but not forcing it out.

''Sometimes everything just gets too much, you know? I... I love the team, and what we do, but I always feel like the new one. I'm annoying people around me, I'm not as skilled... I get injured all the time, and make people worry. I hate it. I...''

Johnny sighed, leaning a bit more into the bigger man. Simon got the message and wrapped his arms around him.

''I'm pathetic.'' he finished, closing his eyes. Simon thought for a little while. How could he extinguish these thoughts?

''You're not.'' is all he ended up saying, a bit blunter that he would've liked.

''If you were that useless, we wouldn't keep you on the team. If you annoyed people so much, Price would've kicked you out... It's true that you get hurt a lot, though. I would like you to stop. '' his honesty mixed with that last comment extracted a little laugh from Johnny, it sounded like heaven after a week of not hearing it.

''Always the right words...'' he said, a little sarcastic.

''I'm sorry for being like this, I'll get myself together. '' he added, straightening up to get out of the hug. Except Simon held him tight.

''No. Take a break, rest. I'll make you some tea and stay with you for as long as you need. And stop apologizing, '' it once again came out more like an order than reassurance, but at least Johnny didn't take it to heart, scoffing.

''Make it a coffee, then we got a deal.''

''Got it.''

Ghost finally let him leave his arms. Soap got up, only to sit on the edge of his bed.

Like promised, Simon took back the paperwork and came back with a coffee. They spent the next hours in bed, cuddling and trying to ease the scot's worries.

''Why didn't you talk to me?'' Simon eventually asked.

''About what?''

''All of that. You've clearly been feeling like this for a while, so why didn't you come to me?'' Johnny took a second to think about it, drawing circles on Simon's chest.

''Didn't want to bother you...'' he murmured, but Simon heard.

''Bother me? You... You help me so much, yet you worry to bother me by asking for my help?''

''Yeah, got a problem with that?'' Soap tried to joke, but it didn't land, Simon was a bit offended.

''Yeah I got a problem with that. It's not fair that you see me at my most vulnerable and refuse to show a bit more of yourself to me. Am I not trustworthy?''

Both men were now silent. Suddenly Johnny sat upright to look at Simon.

''Yeah, you are. I'm sorry that I acted like an idiot, next time I'll talk to you. '' he offered him a small smile, to ease his worry. Simon wasn't sure he entirely trusted that he'd do that, but he'll stay alert for next time, as to not let it fester for a whole week.

''Good. ''

''Now... The coffee was good, but I know something else that would cheer me up...'' Johnny said, trailing his finger down Simon's chest. The bigger man only held him tighter in his arms.

''Not tonight. I told you to rest.''

''Aye...'' there was no disappointment in his voice as he got comfortable on his Lieutenant, ready for a good nap.

[celebrityxcrushes]

JEALOUSY, JEALOUSY pt. 2

-

Pairing: Lo'ak x (metkayina) f!reader

Word count: 1836

Part 1

-

For the fifth time that day, you made your way towards the Sully family's sleeping pod. Entering it, you let out a soft groan of disappointment at the sight of Neteyam.

"Happy to see you too," Neteyam retorted sarcastically. From your grim expression, it was clear to him that something was bothering you, and so he beckoned for you to sit down next to him.

"What's wrong?"

You had assumed that Kiri had filled him in about what had happened the night before, but perhaps you had been mistaken.

Deciding that you should fill him in, you let out a sigh. "It's Lo'ak."

It was obvious that Lo'ak was avoiding you. No matter how many places you looked, or how many people you asked, you had no luck in locating him.

Your village, albeit beautiful, was quite small. It should not be this hard to find someone. Especially not a member of the Sully family; since they, due to their lack of knowledge about the area, preferred to stay in the most populated parts of the village.

A few minutes later, you had finished retelling everything to Neteyam. For the entirety of your rambling, he had stayed quiet - letting you vent your frustration.

"Just relax," He finally spoke up. "You'll find him eventually, and then you can both confess properly and this whole thing can be forgotten about."

His words of encouragement, however, did nothing to ease your nerves. If anything, it increased your stress levels. Unlike Neteyam, you weren't so confident about this having a positive outcome.

"That will never happen!" You sulked. "Obviously he doesn't feel the same way, and tries to spare my feelings by avoiding me instead of outright rejecting me."

"No way." He shook his head.

He knew his brother better than most; perhaps even better than all. Despite Lo'ak's attempts of keeping his feelings for a secret, Neteyam could tell. It didn't matter that Lo'ak never outright admitted the crush. It was obvious.

"Look, I have no clue why my brother is avoiding you. That part is weird," he admitted, "but trust me on this - he likes you too."

Taking a moment to think, he started absentmindedly fiddling with the beads on his necklace. Not many seconds later though, he perked up.

"He has to come home at some point to sleep, or dad will seriously beat him. If he tries to disappear again tomorrow, Kiri and I will stop him. We'll help you."

Although you weren't all so sure about his plan, you gave him a hesitant nod. "Alright, thanks."

-

Early the next morning, the Sully siblings decided to launch their plan into action.

Immediately after breakfast, Lo'ak had stood up and tried to excuse himself. Neteyam, however, had been quick to interrupt his exit. "Actually, I need some help with this spear I'm making. Could you give me a hand first?"

With furrowed eyebrows, Lo'ak felt forced to agree to Neteyam's request. He didn't know why Neteyam would ask for his assistance on making a spear - as everybody knew Neteyam was the better at crafting things. But with his parents sitting right next to them, clearly expecting him to be a helpful brother, he couldn't deny.

"Uh, sure, I can try to help."

As the two brothers exited the marui together, Neteyam quickly signed for Kiri to also hurry along to get you.

Some minutes later, back in your own family's marui, your ears perked up as you heard rapid footsteps approaching.

"Y/N," Kiri shouted as she barged in.

Not even giving you the chance to reply, she grabbed your hand and started dragging you with her. "Come on, Lo'ak is finally free for you to speak with him."

You knew they meant well, both her and Neteyam, but you couldn't help but to feel like they overwhelmed you a bit. "Just slow down. Please."

With a roll of her eyes, she slowed down a little. "Do you want to talk things through with my brother or not?"

It really was more of a rhetorical question though, seeing how her hand was still tightly gripped around yours - forcing you to follow.

-

The two of you had sat across from each other like this multiple times before. Not once though, had it ever felt awkward. On the contrary; you and Lo'ak simply clicked from day one. It didn't take many days for you to consider him one of your closest companions. Whenever the two of you hung out, you would normally talk each other's brains out.

Up until now.

When you and Kiri arrived outside her family's pod, she and Neteyam immediately ditched and left you alone with Lo'ak. However, neither of you had spoken a word since they left - instead opting for an awkward silence.

"So," Lo'ak eventually spoke up. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

He didn't mean for the words to come out as harshly as they did; but he was avoiding you for a reason. Talking to you, and even simply being near you, hurts too much.

As he watched you nervously chew on your bottom lip, he wanted nothing more than to kiss you.

"Um.. Well, it's about what Kiri and I talked about in your pod." You noticed how Lo'ak seemed to look anywhere but at you, which made your voice falter slightly. "I don't know how much of it you heard, but-"

Sharply, Lo'ak interrupted you. "I heard everything."

"Oh." Another awkward pause followed.

A small part of you was disappointed. Deep down you had hoped for him not to have heard anything, and for his disappearance and weird behavior to have a completely different explanation. That way, this could all be forgotten about, and you could go back to hiding your feelings.

Taking a deep breath, you wiped your sweaty palms on your loincloth. 'Focus on the positive', you told yourself. At least this way you didn't have to confess your feelings to his face.

"Well," you tried to speak up again, "what do you think of it?"

Lo'ak was confused and annoyed, all at once. Was this what you needed to talk to him about? Your feelings for his brother? As if it wasn't bad enough that the two of you had betrayed him like this, you now had to corner him and flaunt it to him too?

Taking deep breaths, he tried his best to calm himself. He wasn't really angry with you, not really. Deep down he knew that neither of you technically had betrayed him. Neither of you knew about Lo'ak's feelings.

To be honest, he was only upset with himself for thinking that he even stood a chance with you in the first place.

"I don't really care," he shrugged, trying his best to appear casual.

Your entire posture faltered at his words. He didn't care that you had feelings for him. As much as it broke your heart, it also made you angry.

The two of you were friends. Even if he didn't like you back, you deserved a better rejection than this.

"You don't care at all? I find that really hard to believe."

"Okay," he agreed bitterly. He had tried his best to seem non-bothered. If you wanted to push him like this, then fine. "I'll be honest."

A small pause followed as he desperately tried to contain his emotions; but failed. "It makes me mad. I honestly thought you were better than this."

Lo'ak felt relief spread through his body. It felt good to let out the pent up anger he had been carrying the last couple of days.

"Wow, I never pegged you as such an ass."

You were absolutely livid. Albeit you hadn't expected him to return your feelings, this reaction was far from what you had imagined even as worst case scenario. Was he truly so disgusted by the thought of you liking him that it angered him?

Involuntary tears formed in your eyes, and you tried to blink them away. You were already humiliated enough, you didn't want to give him the satisfaction of making you cry too.

Lo'ak let out a sigh in frustration. Shit, he had made you cry. No matter how hurt he was, that was the last thing he ever wanted to do.

"Look," he softened his voice and shuffled slightly closer to you, "I'm sorry but I-, well it bothers me to think about you and Neteyam."

Your frown deepened, "Me and Neteyam? Lo'ak, what are you talking about? There's nothing going on between us."

Lo'ak blinked three times in a row, trying to process what you had just said.

He genuinely didn't understand what was going on. Could he have heard something wrong the previous night? But no, he was sure that you admitted to having feelings for-

Realization hit him like a punch to his gut. Kiri asked if you had feelings for her brother, but she never mentioned Neteyam by name. But if it wasn't Neteyam you had feelings for, that only left one other option...

"Wait, you have feelings for me?" He felt ecstatic at the mere thought of you returning his feelings.

"Why are you acting like this is brand new information to you when you just said you heard me and Kiri talking?" You scoffed and took a step back; as if you were planning to leave.

Lo'ak mentally cursed himself. How could he have been this dense?

"I did hear you talk, but I thought you were talking about Neteyam. Shit, I'm such a skxawng."

You merely shrugged at his words. "Well yeah, you can be one sometimes."

You probably should have stayed more mad, but you couldn't stop the intense feeling of relief that simmered through your body. His harsh words suddenly made sense. Lo'ak didn't hate you, he simply misunderstood the situation at hand.

"I'm so sorry, Y/N."

With no hesitation, you engulfed him in a hug. His loose braids tickled your neck as his familiar scent filled your nose. In that moment you felt so content that you almost forgot to wonder about why Lo'ak was so bothered about the thought of you and his brother together.

Almost.

Pulling back slightly, you looked into his eyes. "I forgive you, but only if you give me an honest answer on something."

Ignoring the nervous flutter in his stomach, he agreed with a nod.

"Why did it bother you so much when you thought I liked Neteyam?"

As you awaited his reply, it suddenly hit you just how close the two of you were. Your faces were merely inches apart; so close that you felt his breath softly hit your face.

[shadowbrightshine]

@marvelmaniac715 I just had an idea of what if the original people that lived on the Hatchetfield island were the ones who worshipped the Lords and the Waylons and Starry church married into the practices. Oh and you @notanerdyprude

And the reason the world didn't end for those people was they had a bunch of safety measures and rules in place and many rituals. Things that were lost when the hatchet men came and destroyed things.

And the black book is all that survived.

Gonna do a read more so people aren't discouraged from reblogging. Please do reblog I spent a long time typing and thinking this out. You guys can use this idea if you credit me!

I've been thinking about it. Like the life drain spell originally having been a sharing spell. Where a group would spread out the giving up of a few years for one person, greatly extending their life without massively impact a single other life. Or those close to the end giving up their last years for someone they love.

Maybe the trees growing from human souls, used to be a burial ritual. Where those who so chose would be buried to provide fruit for their families for years to come. And their leaves would change to the color of the respective Lord they followed when they wanted to be cut down and released from the tree. And they helped keep the power of the gift in the woods to make it more likely for the people who live there to get the gift. They weren't trapping the gift away from people, it was a blanket to encourage more gift given kids.

The reason everything grows so well is it was originally infused with the souls of willing people who wanted to provide for their people. And now the woods are full of trapped souls and fruit doesn't grow. Plants grow, but the trees refuse to fruit because why would they want to? You killed those people and planted them unwillingly.

The reason the Lords weren't able to take over the world was these people knew the risks and kept them from having total power. Like a minimum amount of people taking part in a ritual to spread out the wear on one's body. Maybe Pokotho's uniting force was used as a way to help empower and work to finish projects quickly as a group.

Nibilinephem and the harvest was a sacrifice, but not yearly. It was during droughts and the one willing to step up gave up their life so that everyone else could live. Not for wealth but say a lacking material, or something simple, like the rain. Maybe stronger building materials. It could also just have been a bad thing.

Bliklotep was called on to see visions of the future, or to see the world outside the island and learn from what other groups of people across the world were doing. They could pick and choose to make a missmash of technological items that best suited their needs. (Maybe something that CCRP has been trying to continue doing to make more money?)

T'noy karaxis could speed up time which is just very helpful. Or maybe he wasn't a very popular choice anyways and he was just obsessed with a different man who he trapped all the time. Or since he's outside of time he honestly could have just been torturing Ted since forever. He doesn't seem to bother other people until you call on him. Unless you're his Teddy Bear.

Wiggog'ywrath feels like he'd be called on for protection. A powerful God to protect the island. Of course it would be easy for his power to corrupt the user. That's why any time he was summoned there was a requirement of a certain minimum of people taking part to spread the influence out and keep it from concentrating into a big freaking problem.

It seems Webby was already forgotten but part of me likes the idea that she was the go between for the Lords and the people, or she was worshipped by a small pocket of people. She wasn't very powerful, but she was kind, and she didn't need as many regulations on summoning her. She could help keep the bindings of the magic on the people, strengthen their connection to the powers.

And then the hatchet men killed the Starry children and anyone connected to it. They destroyed most of the literature and rituals.

And the book, with what was left, no longer had all those safety measures. People got greedy. The sharing spell became a vampiric stealing ritual.

And now...

Now the Lords could have unrestricted access to Hatchetfield, and then the world started ending.

Tada!!! Please, please reblog this I've been thinking about it a lot and I spent a really long time coming up with this idea. You are allowed to use it if you want just credit that I came up with the initial idea.

Like I've been thinking that this had to come from somewhere. There had to be some reason that the Lords in Black didn't end the world much earlier in the timeline.

[pumpkin-cake]

U.A. Boys - Dates With Them

(includes izuku midoriya, katsuki bakugou, shoto todoroki, tenya iida, eijirou kirishima, denki kaminari, mezo shoji, fumikage tokoyami, mirio togata, tamaki amajiki)

warnings - none

midoriya doesn’t really need to do anything fancy to have a great time with you!

he’s up for whatever you feel like doing, whether that’s a movie date or going for a picnic.

during whatever date, he’ll always find a way to start rambling about whatever crosses his mind. Whether that be heroes or how incredible you are.

he is VERY stressed throughout

wants to impress you!

midoriya ALWAYS asks if he can initiate touch with you

“um…do you think we can hold hands..?”

“tch, a date? yeah, whatever. let’s just go to my place. we don’t need some fancy restaurant, i can do WAY better!!”

doesn’t let you lift a single finger while he prepares dinner for you

like midoriya, katsuki wants to impress you, but will never ever admit it

you eventually inquire why he was so persistent on cooking instead of just taking you somewhere

“oh please! i can make better food than whatever crappy place you probably wanted to go to!”

turns out, he was absolutely right

he smirks at the stars in your eyes when you take the first bite

“told ya.”

his brain froze

what did people do for dates?

immediately he texted midoriya

he was told to take you to a place you might like to go

maybe…the beach?

shoto regretted it as soon as you showed up

not because of anything bad!

you just looked amazingly stunning in your swimsuit- he didn’t think he could handle it

his eyes widened, quickly getting himself together as you came over to the spot where he had set up his own towel, an umbrella, and a cooler filled with drinks and snacks, just in case you needed them

you didn’t use the drinks much, instead requesting he use his right side to cool you off

you instantly shut down his idea of a study date

screw that, you wanted to do something fun!

iida insisted he treat you, so he took you to a restaurant

absolutely the best gentleman the world had ever seen

opening any door for you no matter what, kindly pulling out your seat, and asking frequently if everything was going alright or if you needed anything

when the food came out, he instantly noticed yours was wrong, and was highly puzzled when you started to eat it anyway

he called the waiter over politely, ignoring your pleas for him to just leave it

“excuse me, we’re sorry to bother you, but my partner here didn’t get the food they requested. may they get the correct dish?”

your face was beet red, extremely embarrassed, but the waiter was very apologetic, and your correct food was out very quickly

thank god for iida and his non-fear of socializing

GYM DATE !!!!!!!!!

he was so hyped, it was absolutely adorable

you weren’t as much of a gym-rat as eijirou was, but you were willing to let him teach you the ropes

his encouragement meant everything

“you’re doing so much better than i expected! well I obviously expected you to do great, but you’re doing AMAZING!”

you were very sweaty and gross, but he didn’t say a single word about it, making sure you stayed hydrated and spotting you during certain activities

when you finished your workout, he took you to a nice park and the two of you had lunch he had made, enjoying each other’s company

i have this headcanon that denki skateboards

skatepark!

luckily, it was relatively empty when you two arrived, and denki was immediately on his skateboard littered with stickers

you, with roller skates, followed him and the two of you were zooming around like nothing could stop you

unfortunately, something did, and some idiot ran right into you and caused you to fall and scrape your knee

kami was pissed

“HEY! watch where you’re going!”

quickly came to your aid and cleaned the wound with the water bottle he brought and make sure to take good care of you

shoji would rather cut off one of his arms than go out anywhere in public

he really hated people gawking at him due to his “ugly” quirk

so, the two of you had a nice movie date!

you had set up a huge blanket fort large enough to fit both you and shoji in it, and stocked up on snacks and drinks

after agreeing on a movie, the two of you got comfortable

eventually, you couldn’t keep your eyes open and shoji felt a sudden weight on his shoulder

while you peacefully slept, he gingerly took you in his arms, cradling your sleeping figure

when you woke up, you were in his dupli-arms, and he was fast asleep, so you chose to just go back to sleep too

dark shadow INSISTED you guys do something at night

he wanted to participate too!

after fumikage and dark shadow argued for a bit, you came up with the idea of a fireworks show that was coming up

both birdies compromised and agreed

although the fireworks show was very popular, and immediately dark shadow got uncomfortable with the crowd

plus, you could hardly even see the fireworks :(

“come on, we can get a better view”

without another word, dark shadow latched onto fumikage’s back and he grabbed you and held him to his chest, and the three of you flew into the air

you shrieked, but it was over fast as you landed on a building with the perfect view of the fireworks, and the three of you sat there in awe

it was like he turned into a ten year old

“LET’S GO TO AN AMUSEMENT PARK!!”

he excitedly rambled to you while he drove, talking about all the rides and games he wanted to do with you

it was so cute

you made sure to stop him and have him put on sunscreen before you guys went into the park

while mirio was chatting about where you guys should go first, you were actually taking the time to grab a map and plan everything out

you were convinced mirio would get lost if you didn’t have a plan

if you were afraid of any ride, he’d instantly encourage you that he would be there if anything happened

you had the time of your life on the rollercoasters with him, his infectious laughter filling you with pure joy the entire day

you weren’t a sadist, but it was quite funny seeing tamaki struggle at the ice rink

you convinced him to go ice skating with you, assuring him you would teach him and hold his hands on the ice

he was quaking as soon as his skates were put on, legs wobbling as he stood up on the blades

you offered your arm and he gripped it tightly, anxiously stepping with you to the ice

he about slipped as soon as he went onto the ice, and it took you about ten minutes to coax him off the wall

you skated backwards with both his hands in yours, calmly encouraging him and giving him tips on how to move his body

he eventually got the hang of it, and he upgraded to skating next to you while holding only one of your hands

once you stepped off the ice, he actually looked like he had fun, a cute smile on his face

“let’s go there again sometime..!”

[starlight-shades]

Called Home to the Depths of the Forest

• summary – Ghost, retired from the military, finds a pair of orphaned werewolf pups. He calls the only werewolf he knows for help. Soap and Ghost become (not so) reluctant dads. • rating – M • wordcount – 5.1k • warnings – Canon Typical Violence (there's some murder/gore), implied/referenced child abuse • This is my first fanfic, so please let me know if there's anything I forgot to tag. Feedback is welcome and encouraged

Read on Ao3

Chapter Two

People assume the woods are tranquil, peaceful, a quiet place to fall into oneself. And they are, but they’re also so incredibly alive. From the soil beneath the detritus of the forest floor, all the way up twisted tree trunks, and through the canopy of freshly revealed spring leaves, there is life. Simultaneously ancient and painfully finite. It’s one of the reasons that Simon chose to settle there.

He liked the unhurried pace of life he’d found in his cabin in the woods. It was just him in a home he had built himself, on land he’d bought with his savings. It wasn’t quite a single room. He’d indulged and built himself a bedroom and a modest kitchen with enough room in the pantry for his chest freezer. The bathroom wasn’t some piece of modern art, but it was functional, and his living room was just big enough to have a couch, a couple bookshelves, and an old iron stove where he could light fires to warm the place in the colder months. To some, the way he lived would be boring, but to Simon it was perfect. Another reason he chose this place was the fact that few neighbors meant that he could avoid social interaction for weeks if he chose to. Between his little garden and whatever his traps brought in, he had little need to trudge into the village for food. Unfortunately, there were some supplies that he couldn’t make or grow on his own (namely his favorite bourbon, or any bourbon really), so he would occasionally haunt the handful of shops in town.

Like always, his trip was uneventful. The most he had to speak to anyone was to the gossipy hens that seemed to have decided that he was their pet project. After a few years, one would think that the biddies would have figured out that their matchmaking attempts were in vain, but still they persisted.

At least this time, they weren’t trying to set him up with a woman.

But if he was pressed, Simon might admit that he didn’t mind their interference as much as one might expect. If pressed further, he might say that the fact that they bothered at all made him feel cared for at least a little, like he was part of the community. Not so much that he wanted to spend more time in the village, but still part of the community nonetheless.

By the time he was finished with his errands, he had filled his pack to the brim (he didn’t want to have to come back anytime soon), and it was nearing dusk.

“Och, dearie, it’s getting to be dark soon. You should see if Mac has a spare room at the inn, you shouldn’t be walking in the woods at night, it’s dangerous,” Mrs. Leeman, the woman who ran the garden supply, was saying. He had to stop himself from laughing. By his estimation, he was likely one of the more dangerous things in those woods.

“That’s alright, ma’am. I’ll take my chances,” he told her, slinging his pack over a shoulder.

“I know you’re a strong man, Simon, but people have been hearing wolves at night. Millie’s friend, Daisy, said she even saw one while she was walking home the other day. She said she’d never seen any wolf so big!”

He had a feeling he knew who she was talking about. What he didn’t realize was that he would learn just how wrong he was on his hike home.

It was dark by then, the sun having fully set an hour ago. The distance to his little cabin was quickly dwindling. He would likely be there in another thirty or forty minutes.

He had grown used to the soft sounds of the evening, the rustle of the wind through the trees, the fading bird calls, with the occasional burst of activity of an animal making its own way through the forest. It was all normal, all expected. Until it wasn’t.

Simon was jarred from the familiar headspace he had fallen into by the sounds of shouting and laughter. The crack of a gunshot was enough for him to drop into a crouch, immediately alert. With slow, careful steps, he crept towards the sounds. There wasn’t supposed to be any hunting in this stretch of the forest. It was too close to town.

“Oi, Jeffy, toss me your knife, I gotta finish off this one!”

There were at least two then. He was still just a little too far away to have a clear idea of the scene.

“What happened to your knife?”

“Stuck the big bastard over here with it. Must’ve hit bone cuz I can’t get it out.”

Simon’s heart stuttered. No. Please god no.

“Use Harry’s.”

A sharp whine cut through the air and spurred him forward, hand already brandishing his hunting knife, ready to sink it into the first body he saw.

The clearing appeared before him and he took it all in. There was blood, too much blood for just a normal hunt. There were three men, one hunched over the corpse of what appeared to be an abnormally large wolf, thick coat matted with its own gore. Simon could hear the wet snick of the knife as he seemed to be skinning the creature.

He felt like his stomach had completely fallen away, but no. It wasn’t him. The fur that wasn’t covered was too light to be him.

The other two men loomed over another wolf. It was more than half-dead, but still it moved as best it could to block their movement forward. Wild eyes, still bright, met his for a moment before shifting back to the enemies in front.

Suddenly, the wolf was no longer a wolf. All at once, her skin rippled and pulled and her bones crunched and rearranged themselves. A woman, naked and bloody knelt on the ground, her breathing labored. She was covered in wounds, some half-healed, but too many to recover from. Simon’s heart sunk. There would be no saving her.

“Please,” she wheezed, looking back at him again with blood dripping from her mouth, her teeth stained red. “Keep them safe.”

“What—“

Before any of them could process her words, she lunged forward, trying to take the knife, but the man, presumably Harry struggled with her for it.

“No!” Simon screamed, his knife already sunk into the man’s throat, his arm extended, but it was too late. The woman’s body slumped away with a blade sunk deep in her gut.

“Who the fuck are you?” Harry’s friend asked, but Ghost was already moving, retrieving the knife from the woman’s body and slicing clean across his neck.

“Martin!” the last man, Jeffy, screamed.

His reflexes has slowed as he had fallen out of practice, and as a result Ghost took a knife to his back, but he recovered quickly enough. Ripping it out, he slashed at his assailant. He missed by a hair’s breadth, narrowly avoiding getting socked in the face. Adrenaline doing its work, Ghost surged forward, kicking the man’s knee, forcing him to the ground as it snapped backwards with a sharp crack, and finally sinking the knife into his eye socket with a wet crunch.

As the red haze of the fight cleared, Simon became aware of the pained cries coming from somewhere behind him. He turned, and also became aware of the pain in his shoulder from where he was stabbed. With one hand pressing down as best he could over his wound, Simon headed back into the woods towards the sounds. What he found horrified him almost worse than the murder scene behind him.

Two sets of wide, frightened eyes stared at him from inside a cage set in the trailer hitched to an ATV. Little faces pressed to the metal bars, trying to get as close to the fallen woman as they could, paws scrambling to get through.

“Shit.”

Sometimes he worried that his time spent as a human weapon would have numbed him to the pain of others. Luckily it hadn’t, not completely, if the kennel in the corner of his living room was any indication. The door was unlatched and propped open, a blanket laid out in offering.

They were huddled in the back of the kennel together. Luckily they had stopped shaking for the most part, but they still watched him with guarded eyes.

Simon wasn’t completely sure what werewolf pups ate, but he wanted to offer them something as they waited. He checked his phone again, but there was still no reply to his earlier message.

Opening his refrigerator did not lead to any easy answers. The bulb flickered as he stood with the door open, the cold slowly seeping beneath his skin. With a sigh, he grabbed the venison he had been thawing for dinner.

Werewolf pups could probably eat the same thing as people or regular wolves… hopefully… He just hoped that these ones were old enough to be weaned, but he was man enough to admit, at least to himself, he had no idea what he was doing.

Simon kept half his attention on the pups in his living room who had snatched up the blanket, but retreated back into the kennel, and the other half on the thin slices of meat he had in his pan.

Was this enough food? What if they couldn’t eat solids? What if they didn’t like it? What would he do?

He just had to guess and hope that it was good enough.

Simon was pulled abruptly from his thoughts when the sound of his phone ringing cut through the otherwise silent cabin.

“Johnny.”

“What the hell are you on about? You found wolf pups?”

He relaxed marginally the moment he heard the familiar Scottish accent.

“You better get over here to have a look at them.”

“Aye.”

Briefly, Simon observed that Johnny never seemed to mind the way he ended conversations so abruptly before he shifted his focus back to plating the food he had prepared for his unexpected guests. He only had one set of everything in his kitchen, so the two would have to share, but somehow he didn’t think they would mind too much.

He walked across the hardwood in his socks and set the offering slightly in front of the kennel, shoulder twinging through the haphazard job he had done wrapping it. One of the first things he had done after getting them settled in the corner was taking off his boots that were caked in mud, and likely bits of gore he hadn’t noticed. While confident in his ability to tread silently to avoid startling them, from previous conversations with Johnny, he knew that werewolves had far superior hearing to anything he could understand, and he wasn’t sure what the bounds of that were. The only reason he knew anything at all was because of Johnny’s dogged persistence in his attempt to befriend Simon.

Slowly, as to avoid sudden movements, Simon backed away from the food and settled back in the kitchen. He was far enough away to give them space, but close enough that he could keep an eye on them while he waited. Light from the waning gibbous moon highlighted the dust motes floating through the air as it shone through the window. He sunk back into the headspace he utilized when he hunted, stilling his mind, his breath, his body, becoming a part of his surroundings.

After about ten minutes, he watched as one of the pups crept forward, snuffling towards the venison. He could see that she was the one with the friendship bracelet, which, as he observed more closely, he could see had a small charm. With a quick glance at him, as if to make sure he wouldn't take it from her, she snatched a mouthful without swallowing and shrunk back to the shelter of the blanket and the other pup. She dropped her bounty on the floor of the kennel and the two began devouring the meat. Simon felt his mouth twitch, as if to smile.

When the small bit of venison was gone, the girl went back for more, this time without another look at Simon, repeating the process until it was all gone. After a small whine, Simon got up to look through what other food he could give them. He emerged from his kitchen, this time with a handful of wild berries he had foraged. Moving slowly, he once again set them down on the plate in front of the kennel. Before he had even retreated back to his chair in the kitchen, he watched the girl once again dart out to gather them up and devour them with her companion.

The three sunk back into silence. As the night wore on, Simon watched as the pups reluctantly began to sleep, startling awake every few moments before settling completely. With no intention to sleep that night himself, he took to watching the steady rise and fall of their breathing, as well as he could observe from the other room and through the blanket they had burrowed into at the back of the kennel. After waiting long enough to be confident they wouldn’t wake, he settled closer to them on his couch, placing himself between them and the door.

In a departure from his usual style, Johnny announced his arrival not with an enthusiastic banging on the door, but rather with a more subdued knock. As Simon opened it, a cautious hand on the handle of the hunting knife sheathed on his hip, Johnny pushed past him with his face settled into a focused expression Simon rarely observed from him. His usual exuberance was absent, instead replaced by a steadiness that he had not expected if he was being honest.

With barely a look at Simon, Johnny made a beeline to where the kennel stood in the corner, crouching down to look at the pups who had startled awake at his arrival.

“Oh aren’t you wee ones a sight,” he cooed softly.

When he tried to reach inside, the shyer boy retreated even further back with a whine while the girl’s hackles puffed up. She snapped at Johnny with her baby-sharp teeth and a clearly unpracticed growl. He just let out a soft laugh.

“Aren’t you a good sister, protecting your brother like that.” Without turning to look at him, Johnny directed Simon back into the kitchen, and spoke his question quietly. “Where are their parents, do you know?”

“Are they yours?” Simon asked, not bothering to answer him directly. “They’re siblings?”

“Aye, they’re from the same litter, but I don’t know them. My pack isn’t exactly a traditional one. I’m the only wolf,” he explained with a soft sadness that Simon wasn’t sure he meant to reveal.

Simon was quiet for a moment. He hoped his suspicions weren’t correct.

“Their parents were killed. Came across some hunters on my way home.”

He startled as Johnny let out an unexpected snarl, whipping his attention to the not-quite-man. His face had shifted slightly, nose and mouth extending as his skull fought to change shape beneath his skin. Johnny’s pupils had shrunk to slits, and his eyes had changed to a sharper blue. As he fought to calm himself, Simon watched as Johnny gripped his arms, bulging in muscle, with fingers tipped with blackening claws. He could feel his heart racing in his chest, some primal part of him acknowledging his proximity to a more dangerous predator.

With a steadiness he didn’t quite feel, Simon reassured him, “I dealt with them. They won’t be a problem.”

Johnny’s icy eyes snapped to his. “Where are they? I’ll make sure of it.”

“I left their bodies where they were about forty minutes south of here. I’ll have to go back and dispose of them soon.”

Before he could process the nod he got, Simon was alone again in the kitchen. His front door shut with a clatter.

Picking his way back to the living room through the tattered remains of Johnny’s clothes on the floor, Simon sank back down on the couch to resume his watch.

Eventually, the pups settled back down into a fitful sleep. He wondered how he could get them into a bath to wash off the grime they were covered in if they wouldn’t let Johnny even get close enough to touch them.

In the hours to sunrise, Simon occupied himself with the logistics of caring for these two little ones. If Johnny’s pack didn’t have any other wolves, would he be able to take them like Simon had previously planned? From what he had understood, Johnny had implied that werewolf packs were familial. Did that mean Johnny didn’t have any family? He felt a curious and uninvited pang in his chest at that thought. Were there even other wolves in the area who could take them in? Was there a supernatural sort of child services who could find them a suitable home?

He felt like he was floundering. It wasn’t like he was prepared to take care of human children, let alone any that came with additional attributes like sharp teeth and claws.

Before he could spiral further, Simon tried to find that stillness that he had fallen into earlier, but for whatever reason it was much harder this time.

Hours passed like that. Him on the couch, oscillating between a practiced focus, his mind blissfully clear, then a soft sound from one of the pups would send him rocketing back into all of the questions he had.

What if he found a home for them, but they were hunted again? Did the idiots he took care of have friends? More of them to wreak havoc on these little lives?

Before long, the light of the sunrise drifted through the windows, washing everything in gold.

It had been awhile since he had deliberately stayed up the whole night. Usually it was his night terrors that would keep him awake these days. Simon couldn’t say he missed it. He stood, his joints creaking.

“I’m too old for this,” he muttered under his breath as he made his way over to the coffee machine that looked like it had been through a war or two of its own. He rarely used it these days, usually preferring to wake up with a cup of his favorite black tea, but this morning he knew he would need the extra fortification, so he made the whole pot.

Reaching into his chest freezer, he pulled out a parcel wrapped in butcher paper. He figured since the pups seemed to enjoy the venison last night, he might try the bacon he had cured himself. As it thawed in the microwave, Simon started pulling out the rest of the ingredients he would need for breakfast. It wasn’t quite a full English, but toast, eggs, and bacon would have to be good enough for now.

He stared at the orange juice concentrate he kept for when he was craving it. Thinking for a moment, he made his decision and pulled it out. Simon prepared it according to the instructions, but instead of putting it in the single glass he had, he poured it into a bowl.

As he cooked, he periodically looked over at the kennel to check on his wards. The smell of sizzling breakfast seemed to be enough to rouse them, and bright, wary eyes gazed back at him from their blanket shelter. They seemed to have wrapped it completely around them sometime in the night.

“Apologies, I don’t usually have visitors, so I’m going to need that plate back.” Simon felt a little silly talking to what looked like a pair of overgrown husky puppies, but he reminded himself that inside those furry little things were thinking, feeling children.

He approached their kennel a little faster than he had last night, but still moving with a deliberateness as to not startle them. Picking up the plate, he noticed that there seemed to be a distinct lack of juices. They had apparently managed to sneak by him and lick them up.

Simon quickly retreated back to the kitchen, washing up the plate, and piling it high with breakfast cut into pup sized pieces. He set it back down in front of the kennel again, but this time it was accompanied by the bowl of orange juice. Using his cutting board as his own plate, he sat back down on the couch. Before long, both pups had emerged to sniff at the plate, and deciding it was acceptable, they dug in and ate with an enthusiasm that must be endemic to werewolves because he had only ever seen Johnny manage it before. He even spied some tentative wags.

Taking a sip of his coffee, he hissed as it scalded his tongue.

“Fuck!” He darted his eyes over to where the pups had frozen for a moment before eating again when they realized he wasn’t a threat. “I guess I should stop swearing around you, huh?”

Simon finished his breakfast in silence. He set the cutting board aside and sat back, watching as the pups lapped happily at their plate.

“At the very least, I probably need to get a few more dishes.”

Moving onto the orange juice, Simon watched as they made even more of a mess of themselves, taking big wet gulps, and getting the juice everywhere.

Taking advantage of their distraction, he slowly moved a little closer to them, sinking down to sit on the floor. When the girl noticed, she moved hesitantly toward him, watching for any movement from him. Simon had never sat so still in his life, a feat for certain considering his history. She got closer, making little snuffling noises as she sniffed him.

Keeping his voice low, Simon spoke to her. “Brave girl.”

She froze for a moment at the sound, darting her eyes up to him. When he didn’t make a move, she stepped closer to him, investigating everything she could find.

“I’m going to lift my hand to you, alright?” He figured announcing his movements might make her more comfortable.

Simon offered his hand to her, knuckles first, keeping his fingers curled in loosely. She sniffed at him and after a moment where she paused before making a decision, she pushed her head into his hand for pets. He chuckled, pleased that she appeared to be warming up to him. Her fur was a bit stiff from the mud and various other grime coating it, but Simon ignored it for the moment.

“I’m going to have to figure out what to call you both, huh?” he thought aloud, not really expecting any sort of response. His eyes were back on the boy who remained crouched in the kennel when he felt her push more insistently at his hand, not with her head this time, but with her paw. When he looked back at her, she held out the paw with the ratty friendship bracelet still tied to it. Carefully, he inspected it and the charm that dangled from it.

“Ailsa. That you?”

She gave him a nod that looked eerily out of place coming from what looked like an animal.

“And that’s your brother?”

Another nod. Johnny had already said they were siblings, but it couldn’t hurt to keep talking to her as long as she was interested in communicating in her own way.

“I’m Simon. Me and my friend, Johnny, are going to get you sorted. He’s a wolf like you. He was in here earlier.”

He wasn’t sure what else he should tell them. He wasn’t even sure how old they were or how much they could understand.

Now that he could see Ailsa better, he took note of her appearance. She was about the size of a medium-sized dog, with ears that seemed a little too big for her head. It was hard to tell what color her fur was or if she had any markings through the muck. Her eyes were a honey-amber color, and her nose had a charming little pink spot that stood out from its mostly dark brown color. He could see mixed in with the mud was a dark brown staining her fur that could really only be one thing. Simon’s heart ached for them.

She sat down next to Simon as he began to absent-mindedly stroke her ears. She looked back at her brother in the kennel and let out a small yip. He took it as his cue to hesitantly slink forward to sit with them as well. Like his sister before him, the boy sniffed at Simon, but much more tentatively.

With one hand still gently petting Ailsa, Simon offered him his other hand. After only a moment, he too pushed his head into Simon’s outstretched palm.

Unlike Ailsa, the boy didn’t have a helpful bracelet to identify him. He was in much the same shape as her, but Simon could tell he had a bit darker fur. He was also a bit smaller than his sister, but his paws were clearly growing faster than the rest of him.

After a few pets on the head, he pushed further into Simon’s side and curled up as close as he could get.

“A right cuddle-bug aren’t you?” he chuckled. “Oh! You too, Ailsa.”

She surprised him by sinking into his other side, laying her head in his lap for more pets.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, it shifted into place to cast light onto the spot where Simon sat on the floor with the pups. He could feel his eyes begin to drift closed as the warmth from the sun and the furry bodies cuddled close created the perfect storm. Exhaustion finally won out and they slept.

That was how Johnny found them.

At about midmorning, Simon awoke when his front door opened unexpectedly. With a reaction honed from his time as a soldier, he launched the hunting knife on his belt at the intruder.

“Bleedin’ Jesus, Simon!” Johnny yelped, moving with inhuman speed, he narrowly avoided the blade just before it sunk into the wooden doorframe where his head was a second before.

Without thinking, his body had already moved to push the pups behind him as Simon registered who was at his door.

“Why are you wet?”

Johnny looked awful. His stupid mohawk was flattened to his head and he was soaked, head to toe. His legs were absolutely covered in mud, but the rest of him appeared mostly clear of any forest-related debris. There were bags under his eyes that hadn’t been there before, and he looked haunted.

“What? No ‘Hello?’” he clearly fought for the smile that honestly looked more like a grimace that he had pasted onto his face.

Simon remained silent. He had one hand on each of the pups behind him, and he could feel the little boy shivering again. Turning back to him, he tried to soothe him with a few pets, and eventually the shaking dissipated. Johnny sighed and his shoulders dropped.

“I found their parents.” When Johnny cast a look at the pups, Simon knew there was more he would share with him later. “I gave them as proper a burial as I could manage. Took all night. Was dirty and didn’t want to come back all covered so I washed off as best I could in a stream on the way back. The shit-stains that did this have been taken care of.”

Simon nodded. While he was used to it, as Johnny tended to shift as he pleased around him, he noticed that there was a distinct lack of clothes on the other man. Belatedly, he gathered the pups closer and covered their eyes.

“Borrow some pants.”

He let out a laugh as he crossed over to the hallway that led to Simon’s bedroom.

“They’ve probably already seen it all, Si. Werewolves aren’t exactly embarrassed about nudity,” he called back.

He let out a long-suffering sigh, and looked down at the pups who had ducked the hands attempting to cover their eyes. Ailsa wiggled out of his hold while her brother sunk further into it. Simon wasn’t sure what had shifted during their nap, but they seemed to have decided he was alright in their books.

Something inside him settled.

Johnny emerged moments later, tying the drawstring of a pair of Simon’s sweatpants, and he dutifully ignored the way that made him feel.

“Johnny, meet Ailsa and her brother.”

The boy was still plastered to his side, but Ailsa cautiously approached Johnny who had crouched down and offered her his hand to sniff.

“Hey there, bonnie girl,” he said softly, in a tone that Simon was beginning to recognize that he reserved for children.

She sniffed Johnny’s hand in the same way she had Simon’s, but where she had pressed her head into his palm, she gave Johnny’s hand a little lick and retreated back to her brother’s side, keeping her eyes on Johnny the entire time.

“And little one, are you Duncan?” he asked softly.

Simon shot him an incredulous look, but his attention was quickly stolen back when he felt the pup move at his side. He was nodding slowly, letting out a whine that had his sister licking at his face in an attempt to comfort him. Simon found himself stroking his head again without even thinking about it.

“How the he—“ he had to stop himself, “heck, how the heck did you know that? Is that some wolf-y power I should know about?”

Johnny snorted. “I found some torn up clothes that had their names written on the tags. Smelled like them. How’d you figure out Ailsa’s name?”

Simon indicated the bracelet with his chin.

They were quiet a moment before a thought occurred to him. He spoke directly to the pups, hoping that they would acquiesce.

“Alright pups, you’ve been fed and we’ve had a nap. I think it’s time we get you into a bath.”

A chorus of whines erupted, and Duncan darted back into the crate, faster than Simon expected. Ailsa quickly followed, narrowly avoiding getting swiped up in Simon’s arms.

Johnny burst into laughter as he watched Simon struggle to convince the two skittish creatures to come out so they could get them clean. Eventually, he managed to find Simon’s stash of sweets he had tucked away in his pantry and used them to bribe Ailsa and Duncan into the tub, one at a time.

And that was how Simon found himself drenched, top to toe, alongside Johnny, with the smell of wet dog so entrenched in his bathroom that he feared he would never get it out.