#She is very down despite having had children without her consent

[starlytenight]

Galacta and Orion's bio-mother, Cosmina! Yes, they're half Fecto! :D

She also has an older brother named Loki who basically works in the upper power of Fectos, his wife Lamia, and their daughter Selena. Lamia and Selena are "Flora Fectos" being more plant-based than mammalian.

Oh and small bonus.

[everyonewooeverywhere]

Heheeee so as promised~

🍂✨️ feral girl fall thoughts ✨️🍂

You know what clip inspired this Maleficent ish au fae prince Yunho who uses a binding contract that he tricked out of the human princess when she was a child to kidnap her and keep her when she was being sent away by her father to be used for a political marriage.

He doesn't do anything to her without her consent, never even lays a hand on her, but he's not the warm, smiling boy she remembers playing in the woods with before her father found out, told her what he was, and prevented her from seeing him again.

This man, if you could call the horned creature a man. On the days when he's home he barely pays her any mind, and when he does look at her it's with a sort of blank, burning intensity she can't quite place.

Despite his indifference, any attempt to leave the house and escape is met with failure. Her body is no longer her own in those moments, and she finds herself turning back and just sitting at the dining table or living room sofa. It makes her wary of his magic but confuses her a little because it's never harsh or painful. If anything, the sensation that overtakes her is almost comforting, gentle despite its firmness and how hard she fights against it.

Her confusion is only deepened by the few times a day when she finds herself genuinely in his company: during mealtimes. That same magic will push and nudge her to the dining table where a meal is laid out, and though it never forces her to eat through physical control, he doesn't allow her to leave till she's had at least a few bites, and eventually she decides she might as well eat anyways. She needs her strength if she wants to escape.

But the more time she spends there.... the less she really wants to. Yunho isn't chatty, but little bits of conversation are exchanged here and there, starting with small questions like her asking what a particular food on the table is, good mornings, passing commentary on the books the other happens to be reading. She slowly gets to know the other people who come and go from the house; a shape-shifting corvid by the name of wooyoung who drops by every other day to "keep her company" and talk her ears off, a kind-eyed changeling named Mingi who's always there to see Yunho, two river nymph twins that go by Seonghwa and Yeosang that're always arguing with Jongho (a sleepy carpenter who, as far as she can tell, is just as human as she is.)

These interactions eventually lead to her leaving the house after a particularly warm, cozy summer nights brings out the sentimental side of them both, and an evening spent recalling their time together as children leads to her mentionihow much she misses the woods. Seonghwa and Yeosang take her to the river the very next day.

Call it Stockholm syndrome, but little by little she starts to feel at home with these strange people. Realising that despite the fact that she still can't leave his garden without one Yunho himself or one of the others accompanying her, she still has more freedom here than she ever did in the castle she was raised in. Running barefoot down grassy hills with Wooyoung and his friend San tumbling down beside her, perched comfortably in Seonghwa's living room while the nymph shows her how he weaves cloth on a traditional loom, sitting in a corner of Jongho's workshop playing chess with yeosang while he sands and chisels away....... curling up on the rug in front of Yunho's bookcase to read while he's sat in his usual spot pouring over spellbooks...... going for walks with him and the others and seeing how well loved he is by the fae folk, seeing that bright happy smile she remembers on his face as a boy....... realising one day when you tell Yeosang that you'll have to settle for 8-17 because you need to head home that.... that it is home. You feel more at home there in those woods than you ever did in the palace. You always had.

And when your father attacks the forest to get you back, unable to sit quiet when his allies begin to question his strength, how he could let the newly crowned faerie prince kidnap his own daughter (that in their view he "owed" to the kingdom he'd made a deal with all those months prior), you see a side to Yunho and the others you'd never really expected.

On your knees in the grassy fields separating the humans from the fae, cheek stinging from your father's slap when you hadn't thanked him for "saving" you, when you'd snapped at him for pretending he'd done it for your sake when you *knew* he hadn't, you watch in chilling awe as Mingi carves through your father's men with ease, as Yeosang and Seonghwa dismantle the circle of mages controlling the enchanted fire set on burning the forest down in perfect synchronisation, as wooyoung laughs gleefully after swooping in and knocking a few unsuspecting soldiers to the ground.... and behind them all, Yunho. A picture of calm, walking through the chaos almost callously, directing parts of the battle with a flick of his wrist, eyes burning straight through your soul every time they meet yours.

When he finally makes it to you and your father, asking the king to return "what's his."

And when the king tries to argue that you're HIS daughter? That your life belongs to your kingdom? Yunho holds up a hand, easily stopping him from lunging for you as Yunho helps you up off the ground with hands that remind you of the magic that once kept you bound to his home. He sets you upright, eyes softening when they search yours for only a moment before going cold when he looks up at your father again, saying that it's you're choice who you belong to, really. And he asks you to choose.

Needless to say, I can’t write smut for shit but I imagine that if you were to say that you choose him, his realm, the forest, your newfound friends.... he'll be eager to take you home, tension crackling in the air when the door closes behind him and he wraps you up in his arms, no longer maintaining the distance between your bodies that he's kept so carefully till now, asking you if you mean it..... if you'll really be his.....

I went a little overboard with this but oh well 😭😭 I know you don't mind ajdvsjdgsj

~lyra ( @ateez-main-yapper )

(your brain is a fascinating place. kinda wanna curl up in a ball and live in there 🫠)

and of course i don't mind 🤭 i live for this shit~

i can't help but imagine just the softest, sweetest love-making possible. he has the fireplace going, and that's the only light in the room. his touches are gentle and careful, not because he fears that he'll break you but because he wants you to know how soft you make him.

the KING of body worship, too. his hands are everywhere and kiss lips follow as he mutters sweet little praises about how much he loves your thighs, and your belly, and your chest. he wants you to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he wants you to be his and he wants to be yours. so he just whispers over and over again how much he loves every part of you.

and he's absolutely gonna maintain eye contact. even when you try to look away, he grasps your chin and tells you to "look me in the eyes, angel." he won't let you look away because he wants to watch your cute little expressions every time he hits a sweet spot inside you. the way your eyelids flutter. the way your eyes roll back when he fills you up all the way.

and speaking of filling you GOD he's so gentle. nothing about his thrusts are rushed or hurried. he wants to enjoy every moment of it. every little gasp, every claw of your nails in his back, every arch of your back. if he could watch it all in slow-motion he would, because he wants to cherish this moment because he can't possibly know if this will ever happen again.

and when you finally come undone (the first time 😏) he'll hold your hand through it. and he'll whisper into your ear "that's it, angel." "let go for me." "oh you look so pretty like this, my love" again, he's just so gentle and sweet. he just wants you to feel loved and cherished by him.

also aftercare. lots and lots of aftercare. mostly in the form of snuggles. he may not look it, but he loves cuddles. he loves the non-sexual touches as much as the sexual ones. he'll hold you close if your up for it, or he'll rub your back and play with your hair until you eventually fall asleep in his arms 🫠

[whereianonymouslypostfics]

Growing Pains Part 4

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x reader

Word count: ~9.2k

Summary: Little Nat is almost 13 and school’s a bitch. Retired mob boss turned stay-at-home mom Wanda has to figure out how to deal with bullies at her daughter’s school. 

A/N: Credit to @rianncreates for this fic idea. Sorry for not writing much. I've been very unmotivated and kinda depressed, but I'm working on it!

Warnings: Fluff, teen angst, injury, reference to previous injury/trauma, bullies, and pranks

It’s almost 1 in the morning and sleep isn’t coming easily for you tonight. The usual culprit, your chronic pain, isn’t to blame tonight for once. You are thinking about what Natalya had asked tonight, and how you suspect that she was unintentionally, possibly coming out to you. Despite your claim of not caring one way or another, you’d love to know if she liked someone. Especially if that someone was a friend.

After considering this for too long you start to worry that your daughter was being bullied. It seemed like a stretch just going off of what she’d mentioned tonight, but as you rolled it around in your brain it didn’t seem unreasonable. She was shy and a bit awkward when she wanted to be, and you and Wanda loved her for it. That said, if someone found out that she had a crush especially on a friend you could see them taunting her about it. 

You hate to think that your daughter could be targeted like this, but you blame your restlessness for the current spiral. Nat would tell you if she was having trouble. Wouldn’t she?

“You’re tense, detka. What’s wrong? Are you hurting?”

You’d failed to realize as you got more anxious, that your body was starting to reflect this without your consent. Given that Wanda’s in her usual spot right snug up against your side, she can feel how you grow stiff beside her. She shifts carefully in case you’re in pain, so she can see your face. Or at least try to. She sees that you’re looking down at her with a caught expression, and given that it’s late you don’t waste precious time trying to deceive your too smart wife.

When you don’t respond immediately Wanda frowns as she starts to sit up. You don’t let her go far as you tighten your hold on her with a shake of your head. 

“No, Wands I’m fine. I was just thinking about Little Nat.”

This surprises Wanda for a couple of reasons. Usually, you can’t sleep because of your pain or you had caffeine too close to bed. She hadn’t guessed that you were worrying about their daughter and she wonders if she missed something earlier tonight.

You don’t let her fret too much as you kiss her head and take a deep breath before shifting to get more comfortable. You’re a little cold and pull the covers up higher as you shiver beneath them.

“She seemed concerned about facing more people like that woman today, and I just can’t help but think she was trying to tell me something.” 

Wanda doesn’t say anything at first, and the silence leaves you time to continue thinking about what you might be missing. Wanda’s mind is working in a similar way, and she frowns at the thought that she’s missed something important with her daughter. She’d believed Natalya when she said she didn’t like any of her friends, but she allowed her faith in her daughter to blind her to the simple fact that Nat may have just been scared. Wanda hated to think that her daughter could fear her in any capacity. If she wasn’t being truthful because she feared her reaction then Wanda had failed as a mother. 

She feels you squeeze her arm and she turns to see you with a knowing look. You shake your head before leaning in to kiss your wife’s hair with a smile. 

“You’re a wonderful mother, Wanda. Anyone with eyes can see how good you are to all of our children.”

Wanda sighs in defeat and she shifts so she’s facing you as she tangles your legs together. 

“You’re a little biased, detka.”

You don’t get to refute this before Wanda’s voicing her fears, stopping you short from responding with a joke. You frown at the thought of Wanda thinking of herself as inadequate when she’s no such thing. You never thought you could love Wanda more than when you’d married her, but then seeing her become a kind, fair, and loving mom had proved you wrong. 

“If I’m such a good mother, why doesn’t Natalya trust me?”

Your heart sinks and you’re twisting in Wanda’s grasp so you can be face to face. Despite struggling with this question a little  yourself, you really just had to remember how you’d first felt when you had a crush on someone. Regardless of who it was, you’d been terrified to consider the truth and you’d lied to multiple people just to keep your secret. You don’t know if Natalya’s doing the same, or if she even has a secret, but you have to believe that she’s just scared like a teen tends to be when something seems daunting. You know that Wanda has experienced similar fear, but now she’s also contending with her desire to have Nat tell her everything, and it’s making things complicated. 

Wanda grumbles in annoyance as you move out of her arms, but you continue to sit up so you’re hovering over her. She can’t see your face anymore because it’s obscured by darkness but she hears the smile in your voice as you offer her reassurance that she’s not a shitty parent.

“My love, it’s not about trust. You know Natalya trusts you with her life, but she’s a teenager, and things were scary back then if you recall.” 

The memory of one of her most terrifying high school experiences makes her practically recoil. You have a point. Everything at Natalya’s age seemed too daunting to commit to. It was a time that was supposed to be exciting and new, but for some it was overwhelming and terrifying. Trying to figure out who you were and what you wanted from life was a task that couldn’t be taken too seriously. It was a sure-fire way to psych yourself out and become totally apathetic. 

Wanda realizes that her daughter has a lot on her plate, and that she shouldn’t take this personally. Knowing that and accepting it however are two different things. She sighs heavily before she reaches out for you wordlessly. You take her hand in yours but she just shakes her head as she pulls you closer until you’re almost face to face again. You hover over her feeling her breath against your cheek as she speaks up. 

“That was a long time ago, Y/n.”

Wanda’s tone tells you that she’s accepting what you’ve said and that she doesn’t want to dwell on it. She’s changing the subject and you’re more than willing to go along with it if it means you can go to sleep soon. You shake your head before leaning in to kiss your wife chastely. You pull back just enough to respond and you feel Wanda’s hands fall to your waist. 

“Not so long, beautiful. That was what? 20 years ago?”

You don’t need to be able to see your wife to know that she’s rolling her eyes as she huffs in disbelief. She squeezes your sides which makes you flinch and laugh from the ticklish feeling. The sound makes her heart swell and she kisses your cheek in thanks before urging you closer. 

“You’re either really bad at math or you’re full of shit.”

“Why not both?”

Instead of responding and continuing the banter, Wanda decides she’d like to do something else. It’s late and you have work tomorrow, but it’s been a while since the two of you had done more than kiss and cuddle. Most of their time at home together was spent with their daughter which they loved, but it was nice to have time alone occasionally. You can tell what your wife is after as she pulls you close and then flush against her front as she captures your bottom lip between hers. You groan as you deepen the kiss and shift so you’re settled more comfortably on Wanda’s lap.

“I love you.”

Your hands begin to wander to your wife’s soft stomach, and you run your fingers along the faint stretch marks that you committed to memory long ago. You wish you could see your beautiful wife, but for now you’ll settle for touching her and holding her close as you make her writhe and gasp in pleasure. By the time you’re satisfied and Wanda’s left feeling boneless, it’s almost 3 in the morning. You’re exhausted and you’re pretty sure that Wanda’s already asleep where she clings to you. You sigh quietly as you lay your head on your pillow and try to get some sleep. Tomorrow you’ll figure out what you’re going to do for Natalya.

The next morning, Nat’s bruise has darkened and looks a little purple when she comes downstairs for breakfast. You watch as Wanda sets her coffee down and grabs the plate of food she’d made for Nat. The younger Maximoff yawns before she walks up to you and then Wanda for a hug. 

“Hi moms.”

When your daughter pulls back, you take a moment to look at her face and you can’t help but frown slightly. You gently brush her cheek before setting her off to get her breakfast. 

“How’s it feeling?”

She shrugs as she walks back around the counter to where her other mom is, and she has to resist the urge to grab her food and immediately start eating. She looks up at her redheaded mom because she’s certain she’d like to look at her eye as well. Natalya lets her mom fuss for a bit before she hugs her while taking her plate with a grateful smile. 

“I’m really fine, Moms. It’s just another reminder to pay attention.” 

Wanda frowns at this and you can’t help but roll your eyes as you watch your daughter sit down at the table. She’s already dressed for school and Wanda double checks to make sure Nat’s lunch is all set before joining the two of you at the table. You’re grateful for the cup of coffee Wanda brings you with a knowing smile, and you just shoot her one of your own before you turn to Natalya who’s practically scarfing down her breakfast. 

“Slow down, kiddo. You’re going to choke.” 

“You have plenty of time before we need to leave.” 

This comment from Wanda makes Little Nat pause and her fork stops halfway to her mouth as she realizes she’s caught. She tries to resume eating like nothing is amiss, but her parents had been watching her closely and it was impossible for them to miss her reaction. You raise an eyebrow at your daughter who’s failing to look nonchalant, and Wanda decides to broach the subject before you head out to work soon.

“What is it?” 

Natalya pauses as she considers how to tell her parents that she’d come home and immediately texted Taylor about coming up with a plan to get Stacy off her back. She had agreed to come to school a little early, but she didn’t want to tell her parents about this. She tries to come up with a believable lie on the spot. Something she’s never successfully done. 

“I just might need to go to school a little early.” 

The vague answer makes both of her moms frown, but Nat focuses on her breakfast and tries to buy herself time. 

“I forgot about a science project that I was supposed to work on with Taylor, but we’re meeting before school to do it.” 

Wanda immediately checks the time and sees that there is less than an hour before the first bell rings. She’s not sure how Nat thought this would work out, but she’s already worried for her. You’re a little more focused on the fact that Natalya hadn’t mentioned anything about this last night. You’d asked her twice once she was finished with her work if there was anything else that she had to do. You knew that your daughter could be forgetful, so you just try to ignore your nagging suspicion and try to believe that she’d simply forgotten. 

“When’s it due? Are you going to have enough time to work on it? What is the project about?” 

Natalya quickly finishes the rest of the breakfast before addressing her mom who was already stressing out. She shakes her head before realizing that she should have come up with a different lie, but it was a little late for that. She smiles at the duo before she shrugs and mentions that it’s not a big deal. 

“It’s due today, but at the end of the day. It’s just a presentation about an element from the periodic table. It’s a little dumb honestly. We just have to list different things that are made from silver.” 

This does sound a little pointless to you, but Wanda’s more focused on the fact that their daughter apparently completely forgot about an assignment. This hasn’t happened in a while because Wanda made a point of getting Natalya a planner that helps her keep track of all of her assignments. She takes it to school every day and she’s gotten in the habit of taking it out for each class and writing anything she’d need to do for it. 

It helped her organize her sometimes jumbled thoughts, and both you and Wanda started to notice that she was forgetting fewer things. 

“Have you started on it at all, milaya?” 

Wanda was a little anxious about this, but her daughter, just like you, smiles at her and insists that it was fine. She had it covered. 

“Yeah, it’s easy! A lot of things are made of silver. Jewelry, knives, swords, bullets…” 

Wanda’s frown deepens at the fact that Natalya basically just named all weapons for some reason, but you just shake your head as you set down your empty mug. You’ll need more coffee given your late night, but you’re going to take it to-go at this point. You stifle a yawn as you sit back in your chair and look to your daughter with a small smile. 

“Bullets aren’t made of silver, Little Nat. Unless you’re a vampire hunter.”

Wanda rolls her eyes at this comment and is about to make one of her own about your priorities, but Natalya beats her to it. You don’t seem particularly thrown by her question, but Wanda holds her breath as she waits to hear what your response is. She tries not to think about the dozens of guns in the basement that she needed to get to her brother asap. 

“How do you know that, Mom?” 

You realize your mistake fairly quickly but luckily you have an easy answer for this question that doesn’t include bringing up Wanda’s past. You had learned a lot about guns during your years with Wanda, but it had been a very long time since you touched one with the intent to shoot it. 

“When dogs are accidentally shot while hunting, they’re brought in for lead poisoning. Not silver.” 

Natalya stops short of petting Boone and thinks about this with a frown. She supposes it makes sense that her mom would see a couple of these cases at work. They live in the mountains, of course people are going to hunt. Her frown quickly turns to a smile as she scratches her panting dog’s head. He’d come up to check and see if she has any leftovers, but unfortunately for him she’d eaten everything. Nat’s distracted by Rogue coming around too, so she misses the quick exchange between her parents before Wanda decides to get things moving. If Natalya really needs to be at school early, she might as well get ready now. 

“Okay, Natalya. Go on and clean up so we can get ready to go.” 

Little Nat nods before she goes off to do as her mom says. She hugs her vet mom bye in case you leave before she comes back, and you wish her good luck on her project before watching her retreat to the kitchen. You turn your attention to the furry head nudging your leg before smiling at your wife. 

“What do you have planned for today, Wands?” 

Your wife has to think about this because she hadn’t really gotten any further than taking Natalya to school. She doesn’t have too many errands to run today. She just went to the store, but she supposes she could run by the pharmacy and the dispensary for both yours and her medications. She shrugs before finishing off her coffee with a smile as she thinks of one more thing she can do. 

“Just a couple of errands. Might stop by Piet’s to give him some boxes.” 

You immediately know what she’s talking about, and you smile as you steal a glance at the basement door that you made sure had a lock on it years ago. Although it was mostly an out of sight, out mind type deal, occasionally you or Wanda would think about the guns down there and worry about Nat finding them. Despite the fact that she used to have nightmares about the basement, Natalya wouldn’t avoid it forever, and you’d rather not have to explain what was in the heavy, locked boxes that certainly were covered in dust and spiders. 

You stand up to get more coffee and you grab Wanda’s cup as well with a questioning look. She smiles in thanks and you plant a quick kiss on her lips before going to see how Nat’s doing. She’s finishing up with her dish as you arrive, and you laugh as she hugs you one more time before running upstairs to get ready. Regardless of what they’d be doing, she’d promised Taylor she would be there in about 20 minutes, and she had to leave soon if she didn’t want to be late. 

“Bye Mom! See you tonight. I’ll be right back!” 

When you return to the table, Rogue is trying to climb in Wanda’s lap and Fletcher has jumped up on your chair. You shoot her a glare, but you don’t move her because you’re about to head to work anyway. Still you give her a hard time before you set Wanda’s cup in front of her with a sigh. 

“Fletcher, you’re the worst.” 

Wanda shoots you a look that you just smile at before you bend over to kiss her goodbye. You need to head to work soon, and you forgot that you’d agreed to have someone shadow your appointments today. You need to be slightly more prepared than usual, and this would require a little extra time this morning. Wanda catches your chin as you try to pull away and gives you one more kiss before smiling at you. 

“If you’re not too busy for lunch today, let me know?” 

You nod in agreement before you head upstairs to finish getting ready. You walk past Natalya’s room and she nearly barrels you over as she comes running out with her backpack slung over her shoulder. You cringe as she slams into you and the sound catches Wanda’s attention from where she’s petting Fletcher who’s still sitting in your spot. She sees you stumble slightly before you hold up your arms to steady your overly enthusiastic daughter. 

“Oh, sorry Mom!” 

You shake your head as you offer your daughter a stern look that is softened by your small smile. You take a deep breath and pushed away the soreness you feel before waving Little Nat downstairs and heading to your bedroom. 

“Slow down, kid. You’re going to hurt yourself.” 

Natalya just nods before hugging you quickly and hurrying down the stairs, only a little slower than what she’d originally intended. You just roll your eyes before retreating to your room, and Wanda stands up at the sight of her daughter ready to go. 

“Ready?”

Taylor arrives at school before Nat, and she heads to their meeting spot on the hill outside of school. It’s nice out and she can tell it’s going to be cooler than it was yesterday. She’s glad because she doesn’t want to sweat too much at practice when she’s barely able to bend over. She’d taken something when she’d gotten home from the game last night, and she’d iced the largest bruise on her side before going to bed. However, she woke up stiff and angry all over again at the fact that she’d been body slammed with zero consequence to the other player. 

She took another pain reliever and tried to forget about it as she got ready for school early this morning. She’d agreed to meet Natalya to talk about what she wanted to do regarding Stacy’s continued bullying. Taylor was ecstatic that her friend was going to do something about it, and it took a lot of self-control to not tell Luke and Alyssa too. She wonders what the other brunette had come up with. Or maybe this would be a brainstorming session. 

When it’s almost time for Nat to get here, Taylor decides to go wait for her at the car circle. She’s a little antsy and wants to get started on plotting Nat’s revenge. She finds herself pacing as she waits for her friend, and at the sound of a car pulling up she’s immediately turning to see who it is. 

“Taylor!” 

She smiles at the sound of her friend’s voice and she hurries to greet the brunette who’s practically out of the car before it’s stopped.

“Hey, Nat. Mrs. Maximoff. How are you?”

Nat resists the urge to roll her eyes as Taylor smiles at her mom. She grabs her backpack before closing the door behind her and getting out of the way so the two can chat. 

“Hi Taylor, I’m well, how are you? Ready for your presentation today?” 

Nat stiffens and Taylor looks a little confused before she turns to Nat for a split second. She realizes she’s missing something and she decides to try to cover this up as best as possible. She offers the older Maximoff an awkward smile before her gaze shifts back to Natalya. 

“Umm, I thought this was a paper?” 

Nat just sighs in defeat and she doesn’t have to turn around to see her mom’s suspicion. She instead groans under her breath and opts to take advantage of her friend’s comment. She shoots her mom a sheepish smile before grabbing Taylor’s arm and leading her away. 

“Clearly, we have a lot of work to do. See you later, Mama!”

Wanda is still frowning as she watches Nat lead her friend toward school. She notices that Taylor’s hunched over slightly so she can listen to whatever Nat’s saying, but Wanda definitely can’t hear it. She decides to just let it be and check in later. For now, she’s going back home to sit with her cat for a bit before figuring out what to do with her day. She’d like to get around to planting the few vegetables she’d bought for her garden. It was supposed to be a nice day, and given that she’d put this off for a bit, she had at least a dozen vegetables to plant. 

She thinks about what she’ll be able to harvest, if anything, on the way home. She yawns before getting out of the car to greet Rogue who as usual was waiting for her return. He wags his tail, and Wanda scratches his head before she steps into the house. She looks around at the kitchen and the living room, and she heads toward the couch when she sees Fletcher sitting on one of the pillows. She sits down beside her and pats her lap with a smile. Her cat gracefully makes her way over and plops down in her lap with a loud purr. Wanda pets her for a while and scratches Rogue where he sits at her feet. 

She grabs her phone and texts her brother while she’s still thinking about it. If she remembers correctly, he’s busy for most of the day, but she’s in no rush to get this done. She considers what she could do with the basement after it’s cleaned out. Their house already has everything they could want, and far more than they could need. What could they put downstairs in a dark room? 

This thought makes Wanda realize that she can change this if she wanted to. She shakes the thought away for the moment because she wants to get outside before it gets too hot. She decides to go upstairs and get changed and then take Rogue with her to the garden. She would let Fletcher go, but she’s sure to just run off and Wanda was too high anxiety to let her cat just wander the woods. 

When she’s dressed and ready to go, she opens the back door and waits for Rogue to follow her out before she heads toward the shed. The very large backyard that basically extended toward the woods was empty for a long time. You and Wanda just enjoyed the natural beauty of the place when you first moved here. You loved seeing how the grass stretched out to the trees, and you hadn’t wanted to change that. Five years ago, Wanda had brought up the idea of having a garden where she could grow flowers and food. You’d mostly been interested in the food and after Wanda had told you her plans to grow a bunch of vegetables, you’d been game. You and Steve had built the garden according to Wanda’s carefully laid plans, and over the years you’ve only had to make a few modifications. 

Wanda had grown a majority of the vegetables you ate, and the extras went to their friends. During late summer, she’d grow pumpkins that are ready for Halloween so Little Nat would have them for her pumpkin carving contest. First it was a thing between the family, but she’d since introduced the idea to her friends and given her creativity she usually won.

When Wanda arrives to the garden, she’s smiling as she opens the gate and lets Rogue amble through first. He’s been in here many times and he knows that there are only three rules. Don’t step on the plants, eat the plants or pee on them. One of the modifications you’d made includes a small area for Rogue to sit comfortably while still watching his mom closely. He loved spending time here with her, and despite the temptation of the food grown, he was well behaved. Although he couldn’t eat any of the plants, Wanda sometimes fed him some of the veggies, mostly carrots after she washed them. Boone was less interested in the view of the garden and more interested in the food, and after trying to eat one of the tomato plants, he wasn’t allowed in for long and without direct supervision. 

“What should we do first, bud? Plant or pick?” 

After receiving no answer from the shepherd, Wanda decides to plant the tomato plants she’d bought recently along with some flowers. She’s almost finished when she hears her phone beep from her pocket. She takes off her gloves and wipes her sweaty forehead with a sigh before she reaches for her phone. She’s surprised to see a text from her brother already, but she’s quick to text back when he suggests stopping by this afternoon to pick up the guns. Wanda sends him a smile and agrees to 3pm before she puts her phone up and checks on her dog. He’s napping beside some lettuce and Wanda can’t help but smile widely at him. 

She picks up her trowel before adjusting her hat with a frown. It’s predictably gotten sunnier, but it’s still pretty nice out so she decides to keep going. After the last plant is in place in the bed, she grabs one of the baskets and decides to start picking some of the ripe vegetables. 

“Rogue, are you ready for the fun part?” 

He stands up excitedly and pants as he follows her lead along the paths. This was his favorite part because he got to follow her to each bed and sniff the food that she picked. She grew things all year round, but honestly summer was her favorite season because of the food she grew. She knew you liked it too, and she fills an entire basket with kale and okra. She’s going to need to grab some more soon, but she stops to take a break when she gets another text message. She hadn’t realized how much time had passed and it’s nearly 11 when you text her. 

I’ll be free for lunch, if you’re still interested?

Wanda considers this carefully as she looks around her garden. She still has a lot to do, but she supposes it can wait until tomorrow. She’d rather have lunch with you, and if she can bring you something that she’s made from the garden that will just be a bonus. She starts to text you before she has to scold Rogue for pawing at the basket she left at her feet. He knows that anything on the plant is off-limits, but once it’s in the basket or on the ground, he thinks of it as fair game. 

“No, bud. You’ll get some later, okay?” 

He only whines and lays his head on the ground before Wanda turns back to her phone. She smiles as she types out a response before getting to her feet. She’ll go find another basket and finish up with the tomatoes and green beans before leaving the rest for later. 

I’ve been in the garden all morning, so I’ll bring lunch.

When you see this a little later you can’t help but be excited. You loved when your wife brought you lunch, but when it was something she made you knew it would be amazing. You text her back before returning to your last couple of appointments before lunch. You’re certain that your mind will be on food until your wife comes to visit, but luckily these last two appointments should be pretty straightforward. 

Thanks, Wands. I’m already excited. 

Once Wanda’s finished gathering the ingredients for lunch, she washes just what she’ll need before she puts it in the fridge for a few minutes as she jumps in the shower. She only does it so it will be out of Rogue’s reach, but she’d cut up a carrot for him and put it in his bowl, so hopefully that will keep him happy. She doesn’t wash her hair, but she makes sure to get rid of any dirt and sweat from her time outside before she gets ready to cook. 

Rogue sits outside of the kitchen watching her carefully as she prepares a salad and a few things to go with it. Wanda has to shoo Fletcher away a couple of times, and when she bats at a carrot on the counter, she has to banish her to the living room. It’s 12 when Wanda finishes up packing everything for lunch, and she checks her appearance in the mirror briefly before she kisses her pets goodbye. 

“I’ll be back soon, kids. Be good.” 

She supposes she could take Rogue, but he’d spent a lot of time out in the sun this morning, and she wanted him to relax. She also didn’t want you to have to leave him alone anywhere in the office because he undoubtedly would complain. He could always hang out with Boone but that required their supervision and maybe they could save that for next time. 

When lunchtime rolls around at school, Nat’s smiling as she meets Taylor, Luke, and Alyssa at their normal spot. She and Taylor had discussed their plan at length, and after getting everything set for phase one before the first bell Nat was near giddy in anticipation. Taylor had to remind her to tone it down or else she’d risk tipping someone off. The brunette knew her friend was a shit liar and would probably spill everything. She loved her for her inability to keep a straight face, but it would not help in this situation. She’d done a lot of things like this, which is why she had the necessary supplies in her locker already, and Taylor was used to just watching and waiting. 

“You know, this is the first time that you’ve done something like this, isn’t it?” 

Taylor was mostly musing to herself, but when she thinks about it a little more she can’t help but smile. Her friend has always been one to abide by the rules which is something she respected, but didn’t concern herself with nearly as much. She got in trouble more, but it was never for serious things. The worst had been when she’d been accused of fighting. Both of her moms had shown up, as well as the parents of the boy she’s smacked and they’d all had it out before it was decided that she acted in self-defense. Either way, Natalya had only ever gotten in trouble for forgetting an assignment, but nothing that was really noteworthy. If everything went according to plan, she also wouldn’t get in trouble for this, but they’d just have to see. 

Surprisingly, Natalya just smiles widely before nodding in agreement. She was a little terrified, but also, she feels eager to see how this all plays out. It’s only the first step of several, but with her friends’ support and her newfound albeit tenuous confidence, she was going to get Stacy to leave her alone. 

“It is! It might sound dumb, but I am really looking forward to this.” 

The trio all shake their heads at the thought. They’re still a little surprised by how long Nat’s gone without putting her foot down or seeking help. They felt guilty for not stepping in earlier, or convincing her to do something, but they were making up for that now. They would have the brunette’s back, and they were also looking forward to what happened next. 

Luke’s smiling the widest because he’s imagining how Stacy will react to what Taylor and Nat had done. She was always a bit of a drama queen, and he knew that he was going to flee and encourage Nat to do the same if it came down to it. 

Alyssa had been against the idea because it seemed like they were asking for trouble. She knew that Nat was against going to anyone for help, but this was just going to cause a confrontation that she probably wasn’t ready for. If she was lucky, it wouldn’t involve her parents, but if she was particularly unlucky, she’d have Stacy’s there too. Still, she decided to keep her objections to herself because she really hadn’t seen Nat like this in a while. At the risk of losing their sleepover privileges this weekend, she was going through with this. 

“When do you think she’ll go to her locker?” 

It was almost as if Alyssa had summoned her by asking this, and the group sees an irate Stacy burst through the cafeteria doors at the bottom of the hill. They can hear the faint sound of muffled laughter as the door closes behind her and she immediately searches for them. Nat has to stifle her laughter at the sight of the blonde’s face. Her anger was less amusing than the fact that she was covered in silver and gold glitter. 

She and Taylor had gone back and forth with the idea of a while before she’d decided to go for it. She hated glitter because it never went away, and she refused to open gifts that were wrapped in glitter paper if she didn’t get gloves. You found it ridiculous, but Wanda seemed to understand and avoided the decoration like the plague. She mostly realized how much of a pain it was to get out of the carpet, and she didn’t want to worry about it. The one year that Fletcher had been covered in it made her reluctant to cuddle with her until she got a bath which neither of them enjoyed. 

“You little shit!” 

Nat was already standing up to avoid getting any glitter on her, and her friends followed suit as the brunette started to back away. 

“Hey, Stace, I love what you did with the…” 

She gestures vaguely to the blonde’s face, but she continues to back away from the glitter that she did not want to get on her. She watches her friends back up as Stacy comes storming up the stairs leaving glitter in her wake. She starts to run at Nat and the brunette quickly turns tail and runs. She has a destination in mind and she hopes that she makes it there scot-free. 

“Get back here, bitch!” 

Wanda arrives to your work a little after noon with a bag of food to find you waiting at the front desk. You are talking with one of the receptionists, but as soon as you see her you trail off with a smile. You move forward to greet her with a kiss on the cheek before you look toward the bag curiously. 

“Hey, Wands. Glad you could make it.” 

Wanda just rolls her eyes before she’s kissing your cheek and grabbing your hand. She’s reaching out to hand you the bag so she can fix your hair that’s a little all over the place. She doesn’t have time to ask before you put an arm around her waist and lead her back toward your office. Wanda smiles as you attempt to explain your appearance, but she honestly doesn’t mind. She feels like she looks a little rough too.

“Follow me, my love. Yeah, sorry, I had a puppy in my hair earlier.” 

Wanda doesn’t even have time to ask as she follows you up the stairs and past a few assistants that she just offers a smile. She visits a couple times a month probably. She is free to do it more often, but she doesn’t want to get in the way or disturb you while you work. She knows it’s important for you to have your time at work without her, and she wants you to have that. That said, sometimes when days are hard or you’re freer than usual, you’ll ask her to lunch like you did today. 

“That’s adorable. You’ve had a good day so far?” 

You hold the door to your office open for your wife before following her in with a nod. You shut the door behind you and quickly clear a spot on your desk for the bag of food that Wanda brought. You resist the urge to dig in immediately as you explain how most of your day had been very good so far. You were glad that Wanda was visiting too, and you move over to the small couch along the wall that you’d bought after Wanda mentioned that having a place to sit together would be nice. The first couple of times, Wanda had just sat in your lap or you’d borrowed a chair, but this was so much better. You hold your arms out for your wife and she obediently grabs the bag and sets in at the end of the couch before sitting beside you. 

“It’s been great. Nobody’s been sick yet which is nice. What about you? Did Rogue behave while you worked?”

Wanda smiles at this as she nods and curls up beside you with a sigh. She’s glad to take the time to relax after being on her knees in the dirt for so long, and she stretches out before offering you a response. She doesn’t notice that you’re just smiling at her as she thinks about her dog that she left at home. 

“He was very good. Only tried to eat out of my basket a couple of times.” 

You laugh at this and the image of Rogue scrounging for food in the garden. Boone was banned from it for a while since he dug up nearly a whole row of carrots. You sit up when Wanda reaches for the bag she brought because she knows you’re hungry. You probably have been for most of the day. She takes out the first container that has your lunch and then a smaller one that contained dressing. You smile and accept it with a kiss and a thank you as you take a peek at what’s inside. 

“Wow, this looks so good. Thank you.”

Wanda just nods as she takes out her own lunch which is basically the same as yours, but with chicken instead of salmon. You open the container and have to hold back a moan at how good the salad looked. You loved that your wife enjoyed growing food. It was your favorite thing, and you swore if you had the time and patience for it, you’d join her. 

“Of course, detka.” 

You two eat in silence for a minute and you hum happily as you spear another green bean through a leaf of kale. The excited noise you release as you realize you’ve snagged a tomato too makes Wanda smile widely at you. You’re so adorable she can’t stand it sometimes. 

“So is everything else looking good?” 

Wanda smiles at your predictable question, and she tells you about how the other vegetables are growing. You didn’t help much in the garden, that was Wanda’s thing, but sometimes when it was time to change crops you would pick up seeds or dirt for her. One time when the fence had been destroyed by something looking for easy food, you’d had to rebuild it, but beyond this you mostly just benefited from Wanda’s hard work. 

“It’s all looking great. We’re going to make Nat a fan of cauliflower in no time.” 

You laugh at this because despite your daughter liking a lot of different foods, this is the one vegetable that she couldn’t stand. She could tell if it was in a dish even in the smallest amounts and she wouldn’t eat it. It was almost a game to you sometimes. You were trying to get her to like one of your favorite vegetables by exposing her to it more, but so far, you’ve failed. 

You’re still eating and plotting how to make this happen when Wanda’s mind wanders to the only other thing she had to do today. She’ll go home and finish in the garden before organizing the boxes in the basement to help Pietro out. She doesn’t worry about that now though because she wants to run something by you. 

“How’s the rest of your day look, doc?” 

You smile before shrugging and only glancing at your computer for a second.  Your afternoon will be a little busier than this morning, but that’s fine you’ll be ready now that you’re well-fed and motivated by the fun appointment you get to see at the end of the day. You tell Wanda this and she smiles before setting her mostly finished lunch aside for a minute. She wants to ask your opinion on something, and she waits until you’re in between bites. 

“What about you, Wands? Any plans?” 

This is the perfect opening and Wanda nods before telling you her plan to have Pietro come over and remove hopefully all of the guns that they had down in the basement. You’re happy to hear this and you wonder what Pietro’s going to do with them. You and your friends didn’t go into details about how they were going to leave their mob lives behind. The general consensus though was that they would lay low and not walk around armed anymore once the dust settled and they seemed to be in the clear. You and Wanda had packed all of your guns away and you are pretty sure Steve and Bucky did too, but you couldn’t but sure about Nat and Yelena. That said, you and Wanda were the only ones who really had to hide your guns from anyone, namely Nat. Although she sometimes visited her relatives, she never stayed long enough to find any of the guns they might have lying around. 

Wanda would make sure that these stayed locked up or at least out of reach of her daughter if she ever visited Pietro in the future. 

“Now that it’s cleared out, I was thinking about doing something with it.” 

This catches your attention, and after you finish chewing you shoot your wife a curious look that she only sees out of the corner of her eye as she looks down at her hands. 

“What were you thinking?” 

Wanda hadn’t really come up with anything yet. She thought that it could be a work out room, or a movie room, although that’s what the den was for, so she wanted to ask you if you had an opinion. Maybe it could be a game room, or another bedroom. 

Wanda shrugs as she mentions her plans, or rather lack of plans, and you just nod before trying to think of something that could be done. The house had anything that any of you could need, and you’re not sure what would be worth doing. 

“If the dogs handled stairs better, I’d suggest giving them a floor of their own. Confine the dog hair to one place.” 

Wanda rolls her eyes at this because even if the dogs were younger and spryer, you would never try to keep them tucked away downstairs. Sure you would consider giving them extra space, but you wouldn’t want the door closed so they could come and go as they pleased. Still, Wanda imagines what this room would look like and she’s sure you would like it as much as the dogs. 

“Maybe 5 years ago. We could have built them a pool.” 

You freeze with your fork halfway to your mouth and Wanda frowns as she considers what she just said. You’re smiling by the time she looks at you and she can’t help but return it as she quickly wonders what all of this would involve. 

“A pool?”

“A pool.”

Natalya curses as she turns down the hallway back toward the main office where the principal spent most of her time. She hadn’t been to the office except maybe once in her first year here, and she hopes it’s still in the same place. She doesn’t have time to think much about it before she hears Stacy at the end of the hall accompanied by her friends’ voices. Natalya barely waits after she knocks on the principal’s door before she’s opening it and apologizing. Her heart is thundering inside her chest from the run here and her nerves now that she’s arrived at her destination. 

“Sorry, Ms. Lewis! I just had to tell you before she--.” 

Natalya’s cut off and she mutters a curse in Sokovian under her breath as she’s tackled from behind. She puts her hands out to stop herself from falling on her face, but she still feels the carpet rub uncomfortably on her cheek as Stacy pins her down.

“You’re dead, Maximoff!” 

“Ms. Jenkins!” 

As Nat continues to struggle beneath the blonde, she hears new voices and she’s lifted off the ground slightly as someone tries to get Stacy off her. Nat’s trying not to think about the glitter that she sees falling on the carpet and her clothes. She squeezes her eyes shut as she waits to be freed from underneath the irate teen. She could get her off if she really wanted to, but she was trying to appear like the passive party, and it only took a few seconds for Luke and Taylor to yank Stacy off. 

“Get off of me!”

“Chill, Stace. You’re getting glitter everywhere!”

Luke backed away from the copious amounts of glitter flying everywhere, and he’s almost out the door when their principal speaks up again. She’s a little bewildered by the sight in front of her. She wouldn’t have expected to have the daughter of the PTA president and quite possibly the quietest student in school in her office together, and she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. 

“Everyone sit down now! Explain to me what’s going on, please.” 

Wanda’s back at home and in her garden again when her brother arrives. She’d taken Rogue back outside and with her sunhat, and his umbrella, they both got to work. Well, she did most of the work, but Rogue supervised her and sniffed every basket she laid nearby him. 

The sound of a car coming up the road catches the shepherd’s attention, and Wanda hears the sound of a car door slamming. Rogue starts to get up to investigate, but Wanda shakes her head before telling him to stay put. She texts her brother that she’s in the garden, and less than a minute later, the older Maximoff is appearing from over the fence. 

“Hey there, sestra. Looking good.” 

Wanda rolls her eyes but says nothing as Rogue stands up as soon as Pietro walks through the gate. He sniffs him before huffing and turning back to his mom who had three baskets full of vegetables that she’s picked. 

“I didn’t realize how late it was. I just have to finish this section, and then I can help you.” 

Pietro shakes his head as she watches his sister cuts a few stalks of asparagus before tossing them in a basket. He’s always found his sister’s interest in gardening fascinating. He was mostly interested in the food, but he knew that his sister had it down to a science after all these years. He walks over to where one of the baskets is and glances at Rogue before he starts to pick it up. 

“It’s fine. I can take these in and then meet you there?” 

Wanda just nods before she finishes up and wipes her gloved hands on her already dirty pants. She’d changed again after getting back from lunch with you, and she would need another shower before she made dinner tonight. She watches Rogue follow her brother who’d grabbed two baskets before she collects her tools and goes to put them in the shed. She walks back into the garden as her brother’s returning and she hands him a basket before grabbing the last one and shutting the gate behind her. 

“Thanks for coming by, Piet. This is definitely overdue.” 

Pietro smiles at his sister’s visible relief at getting all, or at least most, of the guns out of her house. They’ve been in the basement for years and he knew that this was an important thing that kept his sister from being comfortable with guests. Sure there were other reasons, but the two dozen guns definitely stressed her out and would require an explanation if anyone stumbled upon them. 

“Of course. I hope you know they’re just going in my basement.” 

Wanda laughs at this as she follows him into the house. She takes off her shoes and shakes her head at the idea of them being so similar. She’s seen his basement and it’s more of a man cave, but there’s a huge vault down there as well behind the water heater that holds his guns and other illegal, valuable things. Wanda sets her hat down on a nearby table before she runs a hand through her hair and heads for the stairs. 

“I’m going to get the key. I’ll be right back. I made some chicken earlier if you want some. It’s in the fridge.” 

Pietro barely waits until his sister’s finished speaking before he’s searching for the leftovers from lunch. He’d eaten already, but he can always eat more and he’s on his second piece by the time Wanda reappears with some keys on a chain. In addition to the basement key, she has keys to several cars that she’s kept but not used often, in the safe. She knows she’ll probably have to part with them at some point because she pays more for the maintenance than she should, but she can’t help but be a little nostalgic.

“It’s six boxes, right?” 

Wanda nods as she unlocks the door and flips on the light with a sigh. She hasn’t been in here in a while so she’s not surprised by how dusty it is and she hides a grimace before she starts to walk down the stairs. 

“Yeah, did you bring the truck?” 

Pietro nods even though she can’t see it but she figures that he wouldn’t bring his sportscar to move all this. She was a little surprised when he’d arrived at her house one day with a giant pickup. She had wanted to give him grief about it, but apparently, he’d gotten it to go camping with Natalya. They’d done it a couple of times and it was always a struggle to pack everything that Pietro wanted including a list of nearly 40 items. Natalya had been so young she could barely get in the truck without help and Wanda couldn’t help but imagine her daughter just disappearing under it. 

One time you’d gone with them and brought the dogs and it was apparently a lot of fun. This is what Natalya claimed anyway, but you and Pietro were less vocal about your opinions to the point that Wanda had to ask you later what had happened.

Apparently the two of you had been surprised by a bear the last night and your two dogs had chased after it leaving you to chase after them. You haven’t gone camping since, but Pietro tried to take Little Nat out a couple times a year. 

“It’s filthy down here, Wanda.” 

Wanda just nods in agreement because she’s sure there are plenty of things living down here that she doesn’t want to know anything about. She knows she’s going to have to deal with it if she really wants to build a pool down here, but that’s a task for another day. 

“I’d be surprised if it wasn’t, Piet. Let’s get these upstairs.” 

It only takes a few minutes with the two of them working together before the boxes are stacked in the foyer ready to be taken outside. Wanda wanted to clean them off first, but Pietro argued that there was really no point. They were just going to another dusty house and she eventually acquiesced when she heard her phone ring as she stepped out of the house with their third box. 

“Shit, I should get that sorry.” 

Pietro sighed dramatically, but he lifted it just fine on his own and headed to the truck while Wanda went back inside. It stopped ringing as soon as she got there, but she only got to see the number of the caller before they were calling again. 

It was Natalya’s school. 

Wanda didn’t hesitate to answer and she completely ignored her brother as she listened to the woman on the other end of the line. Her jaw continues to drop with each thing this woman, her daughter’s principal says and she’s already looking for her keys when she’s told what is needed of her. 

“Mrs. Maximoff, if you and your wife could come at dismissal for a meeting, I’m hoping we can resolve this issue.” 

Wanda’s so stunned by what Natalya apparently did today at school that she can’t answer immediately. It’s not until she sees her brother shooting her a confused look that she gathers her wits and nods in understanding. 

“Of course. We’ll – I’ll call her and we’ll both try to be there.” 

Wanda honestly doesn’t hear the woman say anything in response before she just stares at her phone after the call’s ended. What the hell was going on?

Masterlist

[vxsellie]

okay so i talk abt loving hozier all the time but i never rlly delve into how fucking significant his music is. and i think, in light of the recent election, it’s time to do so

so here’s my analysis on hozier’s song “swan upon leda”

(ignore if some things are worded weirdly, this was initially written for my sister & my sister only. so it might seem like i’m talking to u as a friend, that’s why!) also if there are any inaccuracies in the myths' interpretations, PLEASE lmk!

anyway here it is!!!

So, before we get into the lyrics themselves let’s take a little peeksie at the song’s background!

Not only is this one of his most political works, but it was also published three years after he literally ghosted the world. And that only makes its debut so much more significant seeing as he’d taken the time to make sure he’d have everyone’s attention when releasing it.

Also, the title is so so so fucking important to take into account when studying this piece of fucking ART. It’s based off of the Greek myth ‘Leda and the Swan’. In this tale, Zeus is heavily attracted to a woman named Leda and transforms her into a swan before raping and impregnating her.

In turn, Hozier connects this story (and also the overarching theme of Zeus being the most powerful god despite being a rapist and child predator COUGHTRUMPCOUGH) to the way women are denied their reproductive rights & how these horrid occurrences effect all of those involved, not just the woman who bears the burden.

A husband waits outside A crying child pushes a child Into the night She was told he would come this time

He paints a picture here, putting an unnamed protagonist into a modern-day tale of patriarchally inflicted torment. The waiting husband symbolizes Zeus in the ancient context as well as an unnamed rapist in modern context. He waits and waits, never acting. He stands outside, so very close to where the problem lies and yet does nothing.

The crying child is inspired by Leda & made into the song’s protagonist, depicted as underage and therefore not able to give her full consent to this outcome. The child she pushes is the one that had been forced upon her, it going into the night symbolizing an untold future. Something she hadn’t asked for and yet is thrusted into doing. Her fear means nothing to the waiting husband & means even less to society as a whole. So, she does it scared. She does it with tears streaming down her face because deep, deep down she knows she has nobody to aid her in this despite having been promised to have help; having been promised that he would come this time.

Without leaving so much as a feather behind To enact, at last, the perfect plan

This illustrates the parallelism of Leda having been turned to a swan and the unnamed child having been forced into the life of a mother. Not leaving a feather behind, to Leda, represents the lack of proof she’d had to Zeus’s cruelty. He’d simply found her, transformed her, impregnated, transformed her back, and left. Now, had a feather been left, she’d have had proof. She’d have been believed. But that kind of miracle never happens for rape victims, now does it? No, instead she was forced to carry a ton more children by a husband that didn’t believe that she’d been raped by Zeus. This, in many ways, connects to real day occurrences that I don’t believe I need to digress on each individually. Though, I happily would if it proves my point mores.

The perfect plan he speaks of is the men getting away with it. In every tale, in every real-time situation, the men get away. They get what they want from the woman, leave her (and their newly formed fetus) to rot, and leave to return to their wives. The perfect plan, is it not?

The gateway to the world Was still outside of reach of him Would never belong to angels, Had never belonged to men.

This. This is why I love Andrew Hozier-Byrne, ladies and gentlemen.

As he speaks of a “gateway to the world”, he’s referring to childbirth. To bring a child into the world is a gateway, correct? It’s a bit of inexplicable divinity, pregnancy. To create an entire being with naught but your own bodily organs and cells? Those of which had been made by a woman before you? Yeah, it’s pretty fucking insane to me. Anyway.

Okay back on topic. The point is, this amazing occurrence he discusses is said to still out of reach to “him���. This unnamed male figure can be both Zeus in the myth or the husband in the modern altercation. This means that, despite them having forced themselves upon these beautiful souls, they haven’t a say in gateway. They don’t have a single fucking important role to play in the birth itself. They’re just the sperm.

And then Hozier goes even further. Not only does he say that the rapists are unfit for the sanctitude of childbirth, but heaven itself is unfit. The angels up above. Zeus. God. Whatever religious aspect you want to praise; it doesn’t hold a candle to the divinity that is a woman. As are the men. All men. Mankind itself, if you will. Regardless of your role or title or holiness, you’re all fucking useless when it comes to the sacred act of conceiving, creating, then bearing another human.

After the first chorus, the image alters to another scenario:

A grandmother smuggling meds Past where the god-child soldier, Setanta, stood dead Our graceful turner of heads Weaves through the checkpoints like a needle and thread

This shows a grandmother stealing medicine for an abortion, likely for a daughter or granddaughter. This shows the generational struggle to make the right choice. As it feels both revolutionary and also something she’d been doing her whole life. Fighting for rights.

Now, Setanta, as referred to in the song, is based off of an Irish myth. In this myth, Setanta is the name of a child who had killed Culann’s guard dog in self-defense and therefore felt guilty. In a fit of grief for the life he’d stolen, Setanta offered to take its place and thereby became known as the “Hound of Culann”. His story is actually really interesting to read about, but I won’t go into too much detail on every depicted myth. As Hozier refers to the checkpoint soldiers as Setanta, he claims they’d “stood dead” at their watch — which goes to show that these soldiers are young (as Setanta had been) and he therefore protests against the way they’re surrendering their full lives to this ruined system of oppression that they enforce.

Someone’s frightened boy waves her on She offers a mother’s smile, and soon she’s gone. The gateway to the world The gun in a trembling hand

This right here is absolutely fucking amazing. Hozier connects both oppressor and oppressed, humanizing the grandmother to be retrieving meds for an unplanned pregnancy & also personifying the young boy as someone’s child who needed something so simple as a mother’s kindness to keep him going.

The way he does this goes to show what a talented person he is. Being able to make your audience sympathize with both the boy and the grandma is fucking magic. Rather than making the soldiers wholly evil and merciless, he made them children. The same children the lady is trying to prevent bringing into this world.

When nature unmakes the boundary The pillar of myth still stands The swan upon Leda Occupier upon ancient land

While the first chorus is a reminder of childbirth’s right to be protected and not put in the hands of religion or men, the second chorus ties it all together by showing the repetition in history and how it’s bound to repeat itself so long as man remains lustful for power. This shows that greed and brutality is an undeniable way to keep this horrid pattern living on. He laments that nature did not intend to have one rule over another (men over women; society over youth). And yet, somehow, it’ll forever remain unavoidable.

The pillar of myth still stands. That crumbling foundation it had been built o remains, standing tall as more and more men come to repeat it. And, in all honesty, I doubt it’ll ever end. The child will continue to push the child. The husband will continue to wait. The grandmother will continue to smuggle her rights. The boy will continue to tremble. And mother nature will continue to watch with a frown on her face as mankind sets more pillars atop her divinity.

All in all, Hozier is awesome sauce!!!

[sanityshorror]

Heyyy, I'm not the person that send the original ask but I'm really curious as to why Julius is so against kids.

Hope ur doing well!! ^^

[Part 2] A Summary of Why Julius Hates Babies and Children:

[Read Part 1 First] The number of the explanation correlates to the reasons listed in Part 1:

1.)

His confusion comes from Julius having no concept or understanding of childhood. At only four years old, the following all began: working in the coal mines (keep in mind Julius was born in 1874), neglect resulting in him having to fend for himself, severe, constant abuse and trauma of every kind.

This all accumulated in Julius having almost no memories prior to the age of 13, and even after he has a very foggy memory of his life. He does not understand children or childhood at all, let alone a happy one.

The ultimate result is confusion, that quickly turns into Julius becoming extremely distraught, leading him to lash out about something unrelated to disguise his true feelings, then run off and self-destruct.

2.)

Julius becomes extremely jealous seeing happy children and families because he never experienced a semblance of a childhood and he was raised in an incredibly abusive and toxic environment. He doesn't understand why some children seem so happy yet he couldn't have that.

His logic just makes the jealousy escalate to rage, his thoughts being, “The world – all of reality – revolves around me, right?! My upbringing was normal, right?! So why the fuck do these people with such a strange, abnormal life get to be so happy?! Why aren't they miserable and suffering and being hurt?! Pain is perfection, right?! How the fuck can things be so perfect without pain?! It HAS to be a facade like it was for me! …Right…?! Why are their smiles real but mine never was?! Why did I never get that childhood when I'M supposed to be the center of EVERYTHING?”

Julius can't handle thinking about it further, a mental block goes up, he forces a convincing and warm smile but quickly retreats – unable to stand thinking any longer and either destroys things in a rage once alone or more likely …finds some poor undeserving random person to take his rage out on.

3.)

I've never released this information before despite it being part of Julius’s canon for well over a year now. This is the reason Julius was so traumatized by having his children with Emily.

When Julius was 15 in the asylum, he wound up having a 16 year old girl as a roommate due to the only bed being open – and Julius being admitted in an emergency – the two wound up being roommates despite different genders.

To make a long story short (Hellbound gets much deeper into this however and explains everything, including why she had the thought process), he did not consent to her climbing top of him nearly every night for months. As we all know, bodies react beyond our control and very commonly happens to AMAB folks during unwanted sexual contact. Julius had that experience of his body reacting despite him not wanting it - which only made it more traumatic. His roommate very wrongfully had the interpretation Julius enjoyed it and she was making him happy.

Killian is the only one who knows and only because he saw the interaction. Bringing it up to Julius is just an absolute no, under no circumstances.

When Julius was 17, she showed up at the pub he was working at…with a baby. Memories came flooding back that Julius had suppressed because Julius had developed the automatic coping mechanism of shutting down and dissociating the second he was touched in an unwanted way.

Understandably, he flipped out and said she had the wrong person. Unnecessarily, he threatened to end her and every person she cared about if he ever saw her again, and flashed his pistol. Then immediately ran off to the place he always went when he was upset.

The experience was so traumatic especially due to all the abuse by Lucien he'd been put through while at the asylum as well was just too much to handle. The fact there was a living person out there – and now likely descents of the person – is a constant reminder of that time.

Julius lived in fear of ever seeing her or the child ever again – and now fears running into descents. He never did see her, the child, and to his knowledge has never seen any descendants of said child. All babies and children remind him of all this all too vividly.

• Again, I need to specify a few things:

And now you know!

A.) Julius doesn't hate teenagers; therefore this does not reflect how he feels about teenagers. He mainly just finds teenagers annoying and avoids them because of this.

B.) Julius doesn't target children or teenagers as victims. He avoids even being near children (as I'm about to explain) and avoids teens as I mentioned above. Additionally, they just are utterly irrelevant to his MO as a serial killer.

C.) This doesn't mean he cares about them at all.

D.) During his time as a human, he was psychologically and physically abusive towards his own children – though he was absent and negligent more than anything. He has not intentionally and/or directly harmed any other minors (excluding when he was a minor himself).

[uefb]

Chapter 7 of Older, or Two Brothers and a Train Station up now :)

Summary: In which the Scamander parents get a bit too busy for caretaking; the extended family proves themselves rather useless at babysitting without inflicting borderline-trauma; and Theseus finds himself handling the unwieldy consequences (e.g., Newt). (yes, this is the lull before the storm...)

Excerpt:

In retrospect, Theseus maybe should have noticed earlier than he did that he had been very seriously tasked with watching his little brother on and off for the majority of the summer, far more than his usual elder brother duties. And it wasn't like he was tasked with it because he did not have anything else better to do himself , but because, by July, their parents—almost overnight—became truly and impressively and inordinately busy. 

…Really busy.

With Muggle London’s recent fascination and consequent reliance on the electric tram [4], Helios was dealing with an influx of opportunistic magical troublemakers that pulled him out on investigations and into raids at every hour of the day and night; while Rowan had become rather single-mindedly preoccupied with several of her hippogriff mares (who were having a difficult laying season), all on top of her other preexisting business and family commitments [5]. 

At first, Rowan had roped her younger sister Willow—a mediwitch at the St. Mungo Children’s Ward—into helping Theseus with Newt a few afternoons and evenings a week, but after several attempts at having him stay over at hers entirely on his own (particularly on the nights before his appointments), that method quickly proved disastrous. Newt apparently did not like that he was unfamiliar with Aunt Willow’s flat and customs; and Aunt Willow was disturbed by waking up every morning to a childless cot, which forced her to search Newt out in a state of panic until she stumbled upon wherever he had tucked himself away the night before [6, 6a]

(Theseus never really thought he’d have to listen to anyone receive a lecture on why sleeping in the broom closet or the bathtub or on the floor behind the wood-stove instead of a perfectly suitable mattress was inappropriate, but Newt did a lot of things that made him question his previous understanding of the world.)

Before Helios and Rowan consented to explicitly using Theseus as a full-time third parent, however, they had tried Helios’ siblings. Both sets of grandparents were out of the question because Grandfather Ptolemy was about as warm with Newt as their father’s brother Hesiod was; and Rowan’s mother was frailer even than their Longbottom great great grandparents—even Newt seemed to tiptoe about her house (even if he did so exceedingly unsuccessfully) whenever they visited…

And that left only Helios’ older sister Hippolyta, down at the border of Devon and Cornwall at Rame Head [7].

Theseus knew the very moment his parents decided to ask her that sending Newt there would absolutely not work (which was unfortunate, for Newt could have been very entertained on the Sound under different circumstances)... But, because Aunty Hippa had always adored her youngest brother, she immediately said yes anyway, despite the fact her formerly aristocratic husband Arundel Helston Mount-Edgecombe was—according to Helios—a “piece of work” [8]; and even though Theseus and Newt’s only real cousin Eloise (a very pretty, very poised, and very disturbingly intelligent nineteen-year-old witch) was almost always in as much trouble as Newt was, if for remarkably different reasons… 

Not the ideal location for an inquisitive six-year-old with very little regard for hierarchical respect or social niceties, Theseus personally thought.

But, because Theseus was just fourteen-almost-fifteen, he could only watch as Helios and Rowan approached Newt where he sat on a small boulder near the treeline, gently tugging the illustrated copy of Black Beauty out of his hands—(a book which Aunt Willow had bartered for him at a Muggle Curiosities shop while he stayed with her, in an attempt to bribe him into compliance)—and nudging him until the he’d made room for them to flank him on either side [9, 9a]. They explained in clear and calm language that Aunty Hippa had asked for his company for a few weeks, after which Newt asked if they still lived near the sea, and, upon hearing the answer—while still looking minorly concerned—nevertheless leapt off the rock to tear past Theseus and disappear into the house, where he proceeded to scour every shelf and trunk for "the book about oceans!" and Theseus' now-too-small bathing costume, from when they'd still lived in Dorset [10].

It was very clear his little brother was under the impression he might get to meet a sea serpent, and Theseus wasn’t cruel enough to disavow him of that belief if it made him happy enough to venture off the farm without complaint. Neither of their parents did anything to dampen his spirits either. In Newt’s wake, in fact, Rowan simply caught Theseus’ eye with a wink and a shrug, and then turned back to Helios briefly—letting him tuck an errant curl behind her ear—before rushing off after Newt to supervise his attempts at packing.

Newt was gone the next morning. Beaten-up binoculars hanging off his neck—a crab net woven through the front straps of his pink linen dungarees [11, 11a]—he had tolerated Theseus’ affectionate attention for a full half minute, even promising to write (with Eloise’s help, of course).

Not that the child even had time to fulfil that promise, though, for the owl Theseus received from Eloise six days after his little brother’s departure only proved his initial instincts unfortunately correct… 

[killed-by-choice]

Dawn Ravenell, 13 (USA 1985)

Dawndalea Ravenell, who went by Dawn, most likely would have had a bright future. She was a 13-year-old musical prodigy on the honor roll at school. She loved to sing —especially gospel music— and sang with her school’s glee club. Her parents were the pastor and minister at their church and had a family singing group. With her love of music, Dawn was the lead singer. She had parents who loved her dearly and was very close to her family. She had 3 biological siblings and 2 adopted siblings. The family of 8 was very happy together. Dawn’s mother remembers that Dawn would help with the cleaning and helped take care of her younger siblings.

Up until her death, the only real issue between Dawn and her parents was her relationship with her steady boyfriend for the last part of her life. He was 15 years old. Mrs. Ravenell was concerned about their relationship, which seemed more serious than she would expect from a couple at that age, but Dawn thought her mother was being old-fashioned. Eventually, her parents dropped the subject because there didn’t seem to be any problems with the two teenagers.

But when she was in 8th grade, Dawn got pregnant. She was too embarrassed to tell her parents, so she turned to a school counselor. Under New York laws, the counselor was not even allowed to give a student an over-the-counter pain medication without written permission from their parents, but it was legal for the counselor to secretly arrange for a 13-year-old girl to have an abortion.

Dawn was 21 weeks pregnant when she and her boyfriend took the subway to an abortion facility called Eastern Women’s Center (EWC also killed Dawn Mack and Venus Ortiz). The young couple didn’t know the danger Dawn was in and did not have informed consent for the risks. They were two minors alone in New York City, their parents didn’t even know where they were and Dawn was about to have an invasive operation.

Dawn’s boyfriend used a relative’s credit card to pay the hundreds of dollars to the abortion facility. Apparently nobody cared that a teenage boy was using someone else’s credit card to pay for an operation. Even though Dawn was terrified, the abortionist inserted laminaria dilators and told the children to return the next day. When they did, the abortion facility didn’t bother to record her weight or age. Despite the fact that Dawn was 13 years old, they made her sign a consent form to be put under general anesthesia and have a second-trimester abortion. Dawn was also not told in advance not to eat or drink, which is crucial for anyone about to be put under general anesthesia. As attorney Thomas Principe suing for Dawn's estate, later told the jurors, "This child was just another piece (of meat) on the assembly line."

Dawn’s abortion began at 1:10. She was given only half of the anesthesia needed for a 10 to 15 minute operation. Only 5 to 7 minutes after the abortion started, Dawn woke up on the operating table.

The poor girl was terrified. Because she was not given any instructions on what to do before the anesthesia, her stomach was full. She choked on her own vomit, which aspirated into her lungs. The abortionists quickly gave her a higher dose of anesthesia and shoved a 75 cent plastic tube down her throat. It would later be discovered that body parts from Dawn’s baby were left inside of her after the abortion.

At 1:25, Dawn was placed in a recovery room and left completely unattended. Nobody even bothered to remove the plastic tube from her throat.

Soon, Dawn woke up again. She was once again left choking and gagging on the plastic in her throat and the stomach acid in her lungs. This time there was nobody there. The terrified 13-year-old choked on her own vomit, literally drowning in it. In the process, she suffered cardiac arrest and extreme brain damage from oxygen deprivation.

Eventually, a nurse noticed what was going on and called 911. It was much too late.

Dawn was rushed to the hospital and put on a respirator. Then she was transferred to St. Luke's Hospital, which contacted her family.

Dawn’s parents were never even told that she was pregnant until the hospital called them and told them that Dawn was in the ICU. The family rushed to see her. At St. Luke's they encountered Dawn's boyfriend, who was scarred for life and sobbing uncontrollably. The traumatized 15-year-old had not had any warning that Dawn could be killed.

Even though Dawn was placed on a respirator, it was too late to save her. She was brain-dead. After 18 days without the slightest response or brain activity, she was removed from her life support.

Her heartbroken family sued for Dawn’s painful death. The trial was painful for the Ravenells. One of the more horrible bits of trial testimony occurred when a lawyer cross-examining Klein(one of the abortionists), asked whether Dawn's age bothered the abortionist. Klein callously replied, "Oh, no. I've done 13-year olds before. When they're 10, maybe I'll notice."

Although the Ravenell family originally asked for a verdict in the amount of $1,000,000 against defendants Klein and Augente (the two abortionists who killed Dawn and her baby), the jury declared Dawn's death "an abomination," and returned a verdict of $1,225,000. Klein was held liable for 20% of the award and Augente for 80%. The jury award was also the highest amount ever won in the state of New York for a wrongful-death abortion case, eclipsing the previous record by more than a half million dollars.

Unfortunately, the trial judge felt the amount was excessive and reduced the award to just $400,000, which the bereaved parents decided to accept instead of enduring another trial. Unlike the abortion clinic itself, Klein and Augente both carried malpractice insurance and their insurers paid the damages.

Dawn Ravenell was killed by an abortion done without her parent’s knowledge or consent. Parental consent laws and restrictions on abortion could have saved this bright young singer from an excruciating death choking on her own vomit.

[opinated-user]

I heard in this blog that lily is aphobic, Could I see how? since she's now mention sex repulsed people and asexuals in her anti kink discourses

if you had read this blog then you'd know why already, but assuming this is still being asked in good faith. off the top of my head: -disrespecting canon ace/aro characters. Elethyn is an ace character that Lizzy made and LO comissioned to have SA by dogs behind Lizzy's back. she ships Lilith from the toh with Hooty, a bird like demon creature. see a pattern of her putting these ace women in sexual situations with non human creatures? -for years she didn't tag her nsfw content until she was nagged enough to do it. for years she has openly spoken about her sex life, her sexual practices and kinks without any warning. three times this woman was stripped on youtube without a proper warning. even after supposedly getting over her kinks because of the miraculous work of her supposed therapist, she still talks incredibly gross and vomiting inducing sexual jokes involving underage characters. this is the same person who said she wanted her brownfacing avatar to be sexualized while she talks about cartoons for children. this is not a woman that has ever cared about people uncomfortable with sex or didn't consent to be a witness to it. -the only ace character in pokemadhouse that doesn't represent a real person is G. G, the character that has been call out countless times for taking advantage of a sleeping child as a full grown adult, a pedophile in fact, only to later keep chasing that child into adulthood to reciprocate her romantic feelings despite being turned down multiple times. LO wrote this pedophilic groomer and then, to try to downplay it, said this same character was an sex repulsed asexual all along as if that it's meant to make the grooming and pedophilia any better. do i need to explain how terrible that is? -the fiasco romancegate. LO attempted to scam her audience into doing free labor for her as usual, asking for a very specific kind of story she could have commissioned if she wanted to, without any mention of an actual prize. when people started questioning what were exactly her expectations, it quickly became apparent that LO was only interested on a very specific kind of identities to be represented. not non binary women, not trans women and definitely not ace or aro women. she made people with these identities feel like they weren't good enough and she has never owned up to it. -the only times she even talks about ace/aro characters is to say that representation isn't good enough... without ever bringing up "good" ace/aro characters as any alternative, either because she actually doesn't know or doesn't care. in any case... why does she even think she has any authority to define for ace/aro people what is good representation for them? -(allegedly, i wasn't there for this so take it with a grain of salt) she went to stream to claim that another youtuber was lying about being LGBT, despite never claiming as such, and about only ever feeling attraction towards his wife because, quote, "everyone wants to fuck."

i'm sure there are more examples someone else can bring up, but these are the one i can immediately remember.

[moonstonedrawsrandomly]

The Heretic 2

Redemption Au

Noelle comes back from a long day. She throws herself onto her bed and sighs.

“Can this day get any worse?”

She says. Today was stressful. While walking home from work, she was summoned today by Goddess Fernilla for a meeting.

“It must be to honor you for your hard work for the colony!”

One of her friends said. Noelle could honestly believe that. But at the same time she was worried. She never rewarded anyone outside of her little group.

What that meeting was about was the stressor. Moses. And what has conspired without her consent.

“I’m so happy you both decided to join together in a courtship”

She said gleefully. Noelle had no idea what was happening so she , innocently, corrected her.

“Forgive me my goddess, but I don’t have a courtship with anyone. You must be mistakenly thinking of someone else”

“Oh? That’s not what Moses said. He said that you both are so in love that he decided to get the courtship underway for you”

Noelle can feel Moses’s eyes on her neck. If she does speak up, what will he do to her, but if she doesn’t …

“Me and Moses were never in love. At all. It seems like he’s- there’s been a miscommunication. We are merely acquaintances.”

Noelle had to be very careful how she chose her words for the goddess. Sure Fernilla would kill her in an instant, but Moses likes to make his victims suffer. At least that’s what she’s heard.

“Oh…is that so? Would you like to date Moses, then?”

Now they were going in circles. Despite Moses looking at her with hatred in his eyes, he genuinely wanted a courtship with Noelle, however, the way he went about it was completely wrong. And this comment broke the camel’s back.

“-but I’ve always heard you say you want to have a husband and children! Here’s Moses! Moses is a Ram! Your an Ewe! Make it happen!”

“I understand how you got to that conclusion, but…I’m…not…attracted to Moses. I already have someone I’m fond of, like Lucas”

Moses clenched his teeth so hard that goddess Fernilla heard it.  Lucas is a herbalist that works for the clinic she works at. He’s kind and sweet and quite the leader when she needs help. He is the polar opposite of what Moses is

“Ah. Well, I’m dissatisfied with your answer. Lucas is a dog and you are a Lamb, how do you expect that to work?”

This was getting too invasive, and she didn’t want to drag poor Lucas into her mess. This isn’t even HER mess! She kneels to leave.

“I don’t expect it to work when it comes down to children, but it is my choice. And that’s really all, my goddes Fernilla. If that is all, then I will take my leave”

She said and turned to leave. She didn’t even look at Moses. She knew if she did, who knows what would’ve happened.

Going back to her house, laying on her bed. She decided she wanted to see Lucas. He always knew how to handle Moses. Luckily for her, he just returned from a trip to the Medicinal herb forest and was willing to give her some advice on how to deal with Moses.

“He’s just a big bully…don’t let him get you upset. I don’t mind you using my name as an excuse, just be careful now little lady”

He said. Noelle sighed in relief.

“I’m glad, I wish I didn’t have to always bring you in like this.”

“It’s alright…actually, can I ask you a favor?”

Lucas said. Noelle doesn’t see it but Moses was in the trees, stalking the pair. Since he wanted to be a creep, might  as well ask her

“I heard the beef shop is open into the night now, you wanna grab a bite to eat?

Lucas said. Noelle blushed a bit

“Like a date?”

“Sure, I’ll pay”

He presents his arm and she holds onto it as they walked towards the town, Moses gripped the tree he was watching them from so hard that it splintered the bark.

“…he needs to go…”

He said devilishly. No one can have Noelle…no one…and he picked up a very bad influence draped in white.

TBC

[corner-master]

people in the comments be saying "she was 16, she didn't have parental consent, so the contract was null and void", but that's a relatively modern thing (as in, within the last century and such). In the time period this movie was set in,->-> if Ariel had been born a human woman, <-<- she wouldn't have had the right to do anything her father didn't allow her, not because he was a king, but because as the male head of the family Ariel would have legally been considered his property. Even if she was of legal age, she would have still been his property until she was married... then she would be her husband's property.

couple of important notes before I continue:

1)In the states, the Married Women's Property Acts, which allowed married women to keep their own wages and to own property in their own name, only really got started in New York in 1848. Prior to this in 1839, Mississippi allowed women to own property with their husbands permission.

2a) in 1875, Minor vs Happersett, the Supreme Court declares that despite the privileges and immunities clause, a state can prohibit a woman from voting.

2b) 1890, Wyoming becomes the first state to allow women to vote in all elections.

3) 1981, Kirchberg vs Feenstra overturned the state laws designating a husband "head and master" with unilateral control of property owned jointly with his wife.

This, and many more laws and acts and declarations that gave and took away rights, is just what happened within the US. Which I'm pretty sure is not where the little mermaid took place, but I also don't have a clear view of other countries women's rights laws, so this is what you get. Point is, it wasn't until certain points in history that women gained specific rights equal to men. And it took a hella long time to get there.

The only way she could have circumvented this and made her own discissions was if she abandoned her home, forfeiting all rights of protection and safety that came with belonging to a family... which she did.

Ariel gained her Legs because she wanted to go to the surface and, under the romantic reasoning pushed by children's movie logic, be with the prince. Big Problem here is that Love had very little to do with marriage back then. If your parents genuinely cared about you and your thoughts and feelings, they would take your declarations of love into consideration but still have to weigh whether such a union would be beneficial to the family as a whole. Eric, being a prince, would have already had an arranged marriage with someone of presumably equal standing to strengthen his Kingdoms ties with other nations. This is supported by the original Little Mermaid where the prince had to refuse Ariel's advances and she pretty much dissolves into sea foam.

Given this was set in a fictional world with fictional ways of life, you can't really apply more than the pretty basic laws and rights attributed to those settings. Only the narrative really gets to tell you how things are and how they will go. So in the original, Ariel was denied true love so she shriveled up and blew away in the wind. In Disney's version, she married the prince.

Now, How does all this apply to Ursula?

In the Disney Version, Ursula was undoubtedly the Villain. She used predatory tactics to lure Ariel into signing a contract without understanding entirely what she had done, and then tried to hedge the deal in her favor. All of this under the premise of gaining ownership of Ariel to get back at Triton.

The problem with all this? As scummy as it was, it was all Legal. Whatever laws that may have existed in that world- in Triton's domain- meant in this instance, Ursula was in the right.

Triton literally tried to strike Ursula down, but the contract itself shielded her from the trident's power. The most powerful weapon at his disposal could do nothing against the power of the contract. The King of Atlantica, presumed ruler of the entire sea, didn't have the ability to break the contract. The only thing he could do? Was make another deal to pay the price himself.

Which was a monumentally stupid thing to do given he had six other daughters who were now also in as much danger as his 7th, let alone his kingdom and the numerous denizens that resided within the sea. Hate to break it to you all but Triton was not a good or wise ruler because he put his family, his interests, before the safety of his people.

The only reason they defeated Ursula was because Eric was able to murder her. Not sure if it was because it was a mundane object (the ship) instead of a magical one, the contract wasn't big enough or present to save her, or because Eric himself was outside the terms of the contract (meaning Triton and presumably anyone affiliated with him couldn't retaliate against her under the binding of the contract).

So what can you take away from this spicy take?

Ursula was a business woman that used cut-throat tactics to get what she wanted. It may have been morally wrong but legally she was in the right?

Society as a whole should strive to better educate themselves and their children on the risks and dangers of entering predatory contracts without looking for and understanding the hidden stipulations within said contracts and what consequences may then befall them? Especially when that deal is made with a shady woman living out in the boonies with clear signs of horrific moral integrity?

The Monarchy of the sea was ruled by a man who often made impulsive and careless decisions that negatively affected his people's lives and should not have been allowed to retain his position?

Triton was the King, But I sure didn't vote for him.

[barnulv23]

She said yes

Story :   The surprise was well planned. Søt was very patient, but that didn't stop him from being overexcited. He had prepared his most wonderful plant-based meal for his beautiful ladylove. Vegan (in this world, meat comes from human beings) and very respectful and concerned about the living beings around him, he prepared everything with care and love. Kjeare didn't suspect anything. She had prepared her gifts for Søt with great attention as well, hiding her ideas throughout the year, which might please her boyfriend. After enjoying their meal together, and washing the dishes for his girlfriend, Søt made her a coffee and ordered her to go rest on the couch while he finished. She couldn't wait to open her presents, and so did he, but when he returned and sat down next to her, in front of their window where it was visible that the landscape was covered in a snowy white sheet, under the lights from their plastic tree, decorated by them, Søt took Kjeare's hand. -We have been together for 5 years, said Søt, 5 wonderful years that I will never tire of remembering. He smiled at her, which earned a small laugh from Kjeare. -And despite the world we live in, with all these environmental problems...it's hard sometimes to find a smile or to be happy. But I'm only happy by your side. He reached into the back pocket of his pants and pulled out a small red box. -So I would like to end my life by your side. Would you marry me? Kjeare's heart began to beat so fast that she thought she would faint, before she said: -Of course I want it ! The two kissed, before the Border Collie put the ring on his beautiful amber-haired girlfriend. She couldn't believe her eyes or her ears. She who was only a dancer in a cabaret where she met Søt. She never imagined she would find herself here today. Søt placed the box on the sofa and gently caressed the hand of his fiancée, who began to sob as she was overflowing with happiness. She said yes.

Commentary :  

Here is your Christmas drawing with a small surprise ;'D Søt was my first official original character, when I was younger. He spent his life in school with me, where I was drawing him on every pages of every book. I was imagining what life he could have, where he would work, what he would love.  The more I drew him, the more I thought maybe he deserved company, and so he got friends, ennemies, but especially...a love.  Kjeare was one of the last one from that world that I created and boy I'm glad I created her.  I hoped for Søt to grow up incredible journeys, getting married, getting children, living the perfect life. The most stable and happy character I could ever have.   And so let's say for Christmas he finally decided to take Kjeare's hand. :3   I'm really happy for them, look at them ;-;

Character (c) : BarnUlv23 ​Art (c) : BarnUlv23 © copyright BarnUlv23. You may NOT use, post, replicate, manipulate, or modify this image without my explicit written consent.   

Tumblr : Youtube : ToyHouse : Alternate ToyHouse : Selling Account : ​Interested in a commission ?

[thelightofthebane]

through the good and bad and all in between

Summary: Magnus was born a warlock. Magnus became a mundane for love and by self-sacrificing tendencies. Magnus turned into a vampire after an act of spite and revenge.

A story about survival, new identities, love through adversities, and accepting changes.

Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: s03e17 Heavenly Fire, Vampire Magnus Bane, Turned without consent, Major Character Undeath, Immortal to Mortal to Immortal, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Good Boyfriend Alec Lightwood, Soft Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Cat & Alec friendship, Domestic Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Fluff and Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending

Rating: E

Chapters: 10

Words: Around 23k~

This fic was created for the Shadowhunters Mini Bang 2023: Presented by the @malecdiscordserver

You can read it on AO3 or the last chapter below ~

Chapter 10 - I need you here 'til the very end

Seven years later

By some miracle, things settled for a long time.

No more catastrophes. No more Greater Demons or madmen. No more jealous ex-girlfriends. No more near-death experiences.

Jia and Lydia had become a refreshing powerhouse for the Clave. A rewriting of the Accords was even in the plans, and this time there would be more Downworlder representatives than before.

Alec had been helping Lydia with a project that would spread the idea of Downworld Cabinets for all Institutes, as well as some really needed reeducation regarding Downworld culture. Surprisingly, Alec chose Clary to be aboard in the project, and her suggestions of Mundane culture have been really interesting and useful for once.

The New York Shadow World was thriving too. Alec not only reformed the Institute and made sure no one under his leadership would mistreat a Downworld ever again, but he also put into action new ideas - like a mixed school for Shadowhunters and Downworlders’ children to learn together.

Magnus was…

Magnus was much better. His nightmares were still present, but few and far between. He seemed more settled in his new role, and despite missing his magic a lot, he could now think about it with fondness instead of grief.

They had married two years after Alec’s proposal. Jace and Clary married a year later. Simon and Izzy, four years later.

Jace and Clary became parents around the time Alec and Magnus celebrated their 5th anniversary. It also lit up a tiny flame inside Alec’s chest that wished the same with Magnus. Maybe it was time to have the adoption talk.

Well, if another disaster wasn’t about to happen, but judging by Izzy’s serious face, Alec didn’t want to push his luck.

“Please, don’t tell me you found out about another secret experiment by the Clave.”

Isabelle cracked a tiny smile, shaking her head.

“It’s something personal, actually.” She closed the door and went to sit on the chair in front of him.

“Are you okay? Did you and Simon fight?”

“No, although it has to do with him.”

Alec frowned in confusion. She smiled a bit more genuinely this time.

“I bet no one could’ve ever imagined that us both would end up in a committed relationship with vampires.”

Alec snorts. 

“Understatement.” He went back to write on a report mission, letting his sister to take her time to tell him whatever has been bothering her. However, when after ten minutes nothing more was said, he decided to push her a little bit. “What’s your point, Iz?”

“Have you ever thought about staying?”

The pen halted on the paper, and Alec needed a moment to comprehend what Izzy was saying. When it finally hit him, he put the pen down and looked at her.

“Yes,” he croaked, his eyes automatically straying for a drawer containing books and years of research. “Since Magnus was turned.”

“Did you find something?”

“Besides becoming a vampire? No.” Alec huffed, frustrated with the lack of alternatives.

“And that would be too bad?” Izzy mumbled, but her brother heard anyway and looked a bit spooked.

“W-What?”

“Look, it was one thing before when Magnus was still an immortal warlock. But he’s a vampire now. Would it be that bad to be the same as him?”

Alec’s frown only deepened.

She… had a point.

He was so worried looking for answers, he had forgotten that Magnus changed. He was still immortal, but a different kind. And if Alec did become a vampire, the only thing he would be sacrificing is food. He was sure that if he asked Jace, his brother wouldn’t mind giving him his blood, too.

“Oh…”

“Yeah, oh.” Izzy smirked, but it was slightly shaken.

“Is this what you want?”

The woman released an equally shaken breath and looked directly at her brother’s eyes.

“I do. Simon is… Simon is right. You know I’ve never cared much about love, but something in him makes me dream about things I didn’t dare before. He makes me happy in a way that hurts, you know? A good hurt, the kind that fills me up and makes me stronger and braver.”

Alec smiled, his eyes now finding the photo frame on his desk. Magnus and he were holding each other under a Sakura tree in full bloom, petals falling over them in a pink rain. They were both laughing, blissfully happy.

Yeah. He knew perfectly what Izzy was talking about.

“Besides, it’s not only about him. I… There is so many things I want to do now, and I think a single lifetime will not be enough. The project draft I showed you last week regarding more secure and efficient weapons, as well as high-tech shields… It’ll take years to heave at least one prototype done. I want to see this to its end, big brother.”

Alec hummed. Getting up, he got around the desk and crouched next to her. “Let me ask you again. Is this what you really want?”

Isabelle straighted up her shoulders and nodded with a fierce glare, full of determination and stubbornness that was practically a Lightwood trait at this point.

“Yes.”

“We have a lot to plan, then. But first, we need to talk to our parabatais, then our family. Simon and Magnus should come last, because they’ll be the most difficult.”

“I know… But you’ll be with me, right?”

“Always, Iz.” Alec grinned then. “Forever.” 

~*~

As Alec expected, talking to Magnus didn’t start well.

“Absolutely not! If… If I were still a warlock or you could stay as a Shadowhunter… But a vampire? No. Never.”

“Why not? You’re one!”

“You’ll have to die, Alec!”

“You died!” Alec yelled and suddenly a heavy silence wrapped the room, only their gasps filling the air.

Then, Alec sobbed, frustration and guilt still weighting his heart.

“You died… And I couldn’t do anything.”

But Magnus was equally stubborn.

“I can’t stomach the idea of you dying. Even if your intention is to come back.” He shook his head, shuddering. “Alexander, we don’t know if it works for Nephilim. Mundane blood is one thing. Even if you derune yourself so the runes won’t interfere, we don’t know what your angel blood might do. What if doesn’t work?”

“It does. Izzy and I researched. There are some cases of Shadowhunters who were attacked in patrols and turned, and some that turned willingly.”

They spent a couple of minutes just staring at each other, neither of them willing to back down.

Until Magnus deflated at last.

“You’re really serious about that, aren’t you?”

Alec nodded with certainty. Soon enough, though, his forehead creased in concern, a huge lump in his throat.

“Unless… Unless you don’t want me forever. Unless only a mortal lifetime would be enough–”

“Don’t you dare! Don’t you dare imply that I wouldn’t want you for all eternity. I’m not ready to lose you now, and I’m sure I’ll never be. But I don’t want you to regret this, Alexander. Immortality is a curse. I… I don’t want you to resent me over time for this burden.”

“I won’t.”

“You can’t be sure.”

“But I am, Magnus.”

“How so?”

“Because there isn’t a lifetime or universe where I would regret choosing you, Magnus Bane. You’re it for me. You’re mine and I’m yours.”

Magnus’ eyes fluttered, his eyelashes already damp although no tears had fallen yet.

“What about your family? Your parabatai?”

“I’ve already talked to them. Jace gave me his blessing, Max was totally chill about it, and my parents struggled a bit but agreed in the end without any fuss. And Izzy… Izzy will stay. With us. For as long as I live, I’ll have the love of my life and my baby sister with me.” Alec smiled.

“And Simon?” Magnus tried to joke, but his voice cracked with all the emotions currently overwhelming him.

“If it’s the price for Izzy’s happiness, I can tolerate him.” Alec shrugged. “He is your family, too.”

“I can deal alright with Sherman.”

Alec grinned, approaching Magnus and pressing their foreheads together.

“I promise I want this, Magnus. Trust me.”

“I do… It’s just… I’m afraid. You know how become a vampire is like a gamble. You either turn or your soul is trapped forever at the in-between.”

“I know. So, will you be my sire?”

“Oh god, I forgot about that. Yes, of course, but…” Magnus bit his lower lip. “Should I look for a way to…” He choked. “...to kill you quickly and painlessly?”

At that, Alec stepped back and looked horrified at him.

“Are you crazy? I won’t let you kill me! You already have enough nightmares for many lifetimes, Magnus. I won’t give you one more.”

“You should not die alone, Alec! It’s awful, believe me. I can’t let you take your own life either. I won’t!”

“Magnus!”

“Alexander!”

.

.

.

The immortality talk was never an easy one.

Even if they were sure about the ‘why’, they argued for weeks about the ‘how’.

It was Catarina who offered them a solution.

~*~

“Oh wow, we are going to be four!” Simon blabbed, all excited like a kid at a candy store. “We can already form our own club, The Daylighters.”

Magnus cocked an eyebrow and Alec narrowed his eyes. It was the same bullshit from his wedding-that-wasn’t with Lydia.

“You’re so lucky that Izzy loves you.”

“Of course I am. Actually, talking about her, what if we went on double dates after you two turn? I heard about this blood bar near Times Square that sells these cocktails with different blood types, and they have this tiny umbrellas made of-”

“Oh my God! I’m going to look for Jace and spar with him.” Alec groaned and left before Simon finished.

“He still hates me, doesn’t he?” Simon chuckled, this time without much humor.

Magnus’ eyes softened.

“Relax. You know how Alexander is. He might not say out loud, but he already considers you family.”

“Really?” Simon’s whole face lit up. “Then, we’re not going to be just a club. We’re going to be a family of Daylighters!”

And wasn’t that a whole concept?

Sometimes Magnus couldn’t believe that despite all the suffering, all the pain, all the choices taken from him… He could still have this.

A big family.

At first, it was only him, Ragnor, Cat and Raphael.

Then, they lost Ragnor. And Raphael was now a mortal, so their time together was limited.

But for the centuries to come, more people became part of their small, special bunch of immortal troublemakers.

Madzie, Simon.

Very soon, his husband and sister-in-law.

Maybe in the future… Their own kids.

Jace and Clary were okay with their mortality and opted to die as Shadowhunters. Furthermore, considering their extra angel blood, neither of them wanted to gamble with a high probability of failure. What if their super angelic blood burned the demonic virus and they remained dead? No, it was too dangerous to even try. But the Herondale-Fairchild clan would forever be assisted and protected by them, never letting Jace and Clary’s legacy to be forgotten.

They would all be okay.

“Yes, Simon. We’re really going to be.”

~*~

It took a couple more of years before they went forward with it.

Alec still had some last arrangements to do before retiring from the Institute and starting his new life as a vampire. Isabelle had already gone through the process, and it was her former parabatai's blood that turned her into a Daylighter.

Now, in his late 30s, it was Alec’s turn to take this unchangeable step.

They went back to Ragnor’s home, where everything has started. They dug a hole right next to Magnus’ grave, and stocked the place with bags of blood. Cat was there too, but this time she would wait inside the house until it was time to bury Alec’s body. They all agreed that, no matter the end result, it was better to not leave Magnus alone. What they were about to do wouldn’t be easy for either of them, but Magnus refused to let Alec be by himself.

“Do you think Ragnor would mind having me here too? I know you three agreed to be buried together, but maybe a Shadowhunter would be too much for him.”

Magnus smiled softly. “It was Ragnor that actually convinced me to fight one more time for us on that day of your wedding with Lydia. I’m pretty sure Ragnor would allow you here knowing you are the one whom my heart belongs to.”

Alec flushed, a boyish smile adorning his face. Oh… It was going to be the last time Magnus saw that pretty pink color on Alexander’s cheeks.

Well, it was okay, he thought.

Alec was still full of things Magnus absolutely loved. 

Under a big oak tree at Ragnor’s garden, they shared some more words and kisses, showering each other in promises and love.

They kissed for a long time, until Magnus slowly started a trail of open-mouthed kisses down to Alec’s neck. He licked and nibbled the sensitive skin around the deflect rune. Then, without holding himself any longer, he bit hard, breaking skin and making his husband bleed. Latching at it, Magnus drank the Nephilim blood, losing himself for a moment.

Alec tensed, feeling pain and fire and death under his skin, but soon his thoughts halted and his mind went numb.

Magnus was delighted, feeling how that was better than any blood he has tried. So delicious and addictive and his, only his.

“M-Magnus…” Alec whimpered, enough to break through the fog on Magnus’ mind. Alec’s blood dripped from his lips, the marvelous taste still exploding on his tongue. “I- Your… I need your blood…” Alec was paler, but he held himself with the determination of a man in a mission.

Magnus nodded, and using his fang, cut his own wrist and put it near Alec’s lips. A bit sluggishly, he also drank Magnus’ blood, grimacing at the metallic taste.

“There, you are doing great, my darling,” Magnus cooed, nuzzling Alec’s cheek until he reached the other side of his neck and bit there too, drinking more.

A moan and weak tap on his arm forced Magnus to stop again and look at his love. Alec’s eyes were glazed, half-hooded and dull. If Magnus still had a beating heart, it would’ve certainly stopped for a moment.

“Now… please…” He could see that Alec was barely holding up now. Quickly, he fished out from his pocket the potion Catarina made especially for that occasion. It would accelerate Alec’s death while he slept. Quick and painless.

Magnus helped Alec drank the murky green liquid, and soon enough the Shadowhunter’s eyes were dropping.

“L’ve… you…” He forced a breath. “See’ya… soon…”

“I love you too. I will be here, I promise.” Magnus took Alec in his arms, holding his husband with all the care and desperation in the world.

Alec’s heart started to slow down, the beats stuttering.

Please…

Slowly, slowly stopping.

Come back.

His breath turned into tiny huffs of air until it was gone.

You have to come back to me, Alexander.

A last beat.

Please.

Silence.

Please.

.

.

. 

Later, while waiting beside Alec’s grave, when a hand with a beloved and familiar wedding ring emerged from the dirt, Magnus knew everything was going to be all right.

They were going to be all right.

[itsgameofthronesimagines]

Hi! Can I request an Alicent Hightower x female reader imagine? Someone to hold her and comfort her ❤️ Do you do headcanons, and can you include a NSFW section? ❤️

(Gifs not mine)

Fandom: House of the Dragon

Pairing: Alicent Hightower x Fem!Reader

Warnings: nsfw, smut, dni unless 18+, oral, female!receiving, fingering, mentioned sa, female masturbation, thigh riding

A/N: Ohhh Nonny you've unleashed something I've been dying to write. Seven blessings to you ✨️

~~~

SFW:

You first met Alicent after she had been crowned Queen Consort to Viserys.

Your family, wanting to gain favor with the Crown, sent you to King's Landing to become one of Alicent's ladies-in-waiting.

So sweet and innocent, Alicent was graceful, pure, and beautiful to the public eye. And even though you agreed with those statements, you quietly observed that behind closed doors, she was merely sheltered and oblivious.

Under her father's watchful eye, you easily deduced that she was a pawn in a bigger game that was completely out of her control, but that didn't stop you from trying to disuade her from the dark path she was no doubt going down.

Out of all of her ladies-in-waiting, you pushed yourself into close contact with her out of all of them. Whether she knew your intentions or not, she only pretended to entertain the idea of being friends.

At least at first. Over time, you both actually grew to become close and entrusted friends, especially after Alicent became pregnant for the first time.

You were very supportive throughout her whole pregnancy. Despite the Grand Maester and the midwives trying to dismiss you, Alicent demanded that you stayed by her side as she went into labor.

Alicent began to notice her heart speeding whenever you were around and the feelings drove her into confusion. Ashamed of her feelings, she tried pushing them down at first.

But it's hard to do that when you were there for all of her pregnancies and spent more time with her children than anyone.

Even though it was your duty, you took great care in tending to Alicent. Her heart would race as you brushed her hair, her face turns red when you help her dress/undress. If you stood too close and she could feel your breath on her skin, her legs squeeze together without her consent.

She wanted to believe it was a childish, innocent crush. Something she felt when she was still close friends with Princess Rhaenyra, but this was much more than that. Alicent always wanted to be in your presence, to make you laugh, to talk to you with confidence, or even cry in your arms. She trusted you full heartedly. 

Alicent would touch you whenever it was appropriate, but tried to linger as long as she could.

You first assumed that Alicent was just lonely. She didn't have any friends and she was still young. Your hugs would last longer than expected, your scheduled tea time just as long.

When she started asking you to read to her as she settles down for her afternoon nap, you began to suspect that this was something more.

Alicent needed an excuse to watch your lips move and listen to the sounds of your voice, so she started asking you to read to her. That way, you would never notice her staring.

Out of the corner of your eye, you started to notice her stares, and the back of your neck began to feel warm. The days pass, and you continued to read to her every time she laid down to rest, until one day you tried to place a small kiss on her forehead when you thought she was asleep.

She wasn't, and the kiss ignited a fire inside her instead of quenching it. Now knowing how you felt, Alicent began to sneakily return the favor. She began to brush your hair after you did hers, listening to your own troubles, walking the gardens with you, and sticking flowers into your braids while muttering ‘beautiful’ under her breath.

To the public eye, the two of you were just close friends. Young women confiding in each other. Behind closed doors, Alicent has started asking you to lie next to her in bed as you read out loud. 

After a few more weeks, she grew bolder and would tell you to lie still as she experimented kissing you.

Knowing what she's been through, you let her be in control of her feelings and what she wanted to do. You didn’t respond to these otherwise small and innocent kisses, per her demand. You didn’t dare refuse her, not because she was the Queen, but because you didn’t want to frighten her. One day, she asked you to kiss her back and that sealed your fates.

It wasn't like you need to meet each other in secret. You were her lady-in-waiting and her best friend. All you had to do was wait for the other servants to leave the room before you could be left alone. No sneaking around was needed.

NSFW BELOW THE LINE

NSFW:

You know for a fact that she's never had a proper orgasm before you're a shitty husband, Viserys, I'm glad Aemma no longer has to deal with you.

At this point, you knew you loved her, and you also wanted her to feel relief for once in her life. One particular night, you decide to take the next step in seducing the Queen when she returned to her chambers, irritated and heartbroken about how Rhaenyra lied to her about losing her maidenhead. Even though she didn’t lose it to Daemon like she was originally accused of, it still hurt Alicent when the princess lied to her face.

After a glass of wine and venting her frustrations, Alicent consents for you to touch her, and you slowly guide her dress down to her feet while keeping your eyes locked, waiting for her to tell you to stop. But it never happened.

When she’s fully undressed, you show her how sex can be enjoyable for a woman. Being one yourself, you know just how to make her writhe and sigh in bliss.

After your very first night together, Alicent forgot why she was angry with Rhaenyra in the first place. With her sexual desires now forming in her mind, she understands that Rhaenyra was equally just as young and wanting to explore her urgent needs.

Almost every night after the first, you and Alicent make love, trying new things to heighten the pleasure.

Knowing that she has the worst experience being on her back, you positioned yourself on yours, practically begging her to sit on your face. You made a snide comment about your face being her rightful throne and you watched as her blush ran from her face and down her chest with amusement.

It takes some coaching, but eventually she lowered herself onto your face and although it felt strange for her at first, in minutes she was clinging onto the headboard with her head thrown back, moaning up at the ceiling.

With all embrassment thrown out the window, she rode your face for multiple orgasms, finally letting you properly breathe when everything becomes too sensitive and she collapsed in bed beside you.

Knowing she was still exhausted, you finished yourself off while staring into her eyes. Your back arched from how fierce your climax approached.

The start of your sex life was still rocky, with Alicent feeling too new and embarrassed by all of it. It didn’t help that once in a while, Viserys would summon her late at night to his chambers, and you’re forced to dress Alicent into something seductive and rub perfume onto her shoulders. 

On those particular nights, you’d kiss her until her lips were swollen, trying to melt the memory of you into her skin so those nights with the King are bearable.

When she returns the next morning, you draw her a warm bath and treat her like glass, her walls closing back up and not wanting to be touched.

But you take your time, and neither of you push each other into anything you’re uncomfortable with.

As years stretch on and Alicent comes out of her shell, she starts dropping her feigned love for her husband. She stops pretending to love Viserys and spends her time either raising her children or being with you.

She also becomes a little more demanding in your sex life.

If she asks you to go to her chambers and lay naked on her bed until she can join you, by the gods you better do it.

It doesn't matter whether she's top or bottom. Once she's comfortable and more outgoing, she's going to tell you what to do.

"Flip onto your front, my love, and spread your legs."

You did so obediently, and nearly let out a squeal when she grabbed your hips and lifted them up into the air until you were on your knees, spread open and exposed to the cool air. With one hand, she continues to push the top half of you into the mattress while the other hand trails shapes into your lifted ass and down your inner thighs. She teases circles around your clit until you're wet with anticipation, then her fingers go agonizingly slow into your fluttering pussy.

She ordered you to stay in that position despite making you orgasm three times, the oversensitivity plus your exhaustion driving your legs to shake uncontrollably, your face pressed into the pillow to muffle your screams of ecstasy.

She finally lets you collapse onto the bed but doesn't let you fully rest. She flips you over onto your back and pulls you down until your legs hang off the side of the bed. Being already wet and aching from torturing you with orgasm after orgasm, Alicent grinds onto your thigh through completion, both of her hands holding your breasts as she cries out.

Alicent becomes a lover that needs to be in control, for once in her life. To have a partner who will gladly hand her the reins because you trust and love her helps her remember that she’s more than just a pawn. Now, she’s the Queen.

Woo, be still my beating heart. It's been a while since I wrote smut so I hope it's okay. Hope you enjoyed!

[queenoftheworldisdead]

Could you maybe write something with dark dark Steve who has a huge size kink and crying kink and loves to humiliate?

School Days

Note: sorry it took so long. been kinda down. also hope i did OK with humiliation.

Summary: Co-worker makes you feel uncomfortable.

Warning: 18+Only, short reader, size kink, crying kink, humiliation kink, non consent, forced fingering and cock warming i think

Dark Coach Steve x Short Teacher Reader

📚

You had always had a love of teaching. Growing up your friends would always groan when it was your turn to pick what to play, because you always chose to play school.

You knew exactly what you wanted to do when you got to college. You wanted to shape young minds. It was fascinating watching them grow and learn right before your very eyes.

Shelby elementary hired you two years after you received all of your certificates. Replacing their beloved Mrs.Pepper Potts after she moved out of town with her husband.

You taught first graders. You preferred teaching the lower grades. The higher grades were a bit difficult. Competing for attention when most of the students where dealing with raging hormones proved an exhausting endeavor. Your short stature became a reoccurring issue too. During your student teacher days you realized the taller they got the more they seemed to not take you seriously.

At least working with the lower grades you were less likely to be confused as a student. You had lost track of how many times you were stopped in the hall by a colleague. With the lower grades you towered over your class and commanded respect with little effort.

📚

You felt exhausted. Your first parent teacher meeting was over. It was endearing and encouraging that so many parents had so many concerns about the development of their little ones. But their critiques on your credentials didn't fail to strike a nerve, an issue new teachers faced all the time. You smiled through it as you normally did. Letting them have their back handed remarks as you answered and waited out the clock.

When it was all over you needed a drink. You cleared up the mess they left for you, a preview of what to expect from their spawn.

When everything was in its place you tackled the blackboard. Taking out your stool you stood on tip toes erasing. You had the bright idea of outlining your curriculum on the board for all the parents to view. It was hard getting it all on the massive board, but with your step stool you got as high as you could go.

"Hey! Whoa you know that's dangerous." A voice rushed to your side as your stool tilted.

"Are you OK little one?" he asked helping you down.

God he's tall. You barely came eye to eye with his chest. You tensed in his arms and when he realized his mistake he released you.

"Oh sorry" he rubbed the back of his head slightly embarrassed. "I'm Steve Rogers." He reached out a hand for you to shake. You took it and introduced yourself. His firm grip swallowed your hand, when he squeezed you held in the hurt from the pressure.

Steve's presence was intimidating despite the smile he wore. When he released your hand, you took as step back, but he stepped forward.

He is just a close talker. Don't over analyze.

"Sorry again with your clothes I just assumed you were..." He motioned at your clothing.

Taking inspiration from Ms Frizz, your favorite animated teacher, you always wore colorful puffy skirts that depicted various things related to education or fairy tails. The look kept the attention of the youngsters, but it certainly didn't look childish.

"It's OK, but I am afraid you are a bit late for the meeting."

Spinning away you move to the other side of your desk to give yourself more space. "If you wouldn't mind filling in your information, encase of emergencies or special needs. I know you probably filled it out for the front office, but I like to have my own copy." You explained as you handed him a pen and the piece of construction paper with the other parents info.

He took it and filled it out. "I just erased the curriculum, but I can email you a copy."

"Did you also used to teach at Camdien?" Steve inquired, bending over your desk as he wrote. While you waited you packed up your belongings.

"Um yes I was a student teacher there. Did you have a child there too?"

"I coached there actually. Well was." He rose and approached you. Slipping your purse straps on your shoulder, you tried to remember if you seen his face before. You didn't recognize it. As striking as he was you doubted you would forget it.

But the athletic department lived in a world separate from the teachers. Their multiple championships brought in funding that went to their brand new athletic facility. The highly coveted building allowed them to live above the peasant class of the faculty. You had even heard a nonsensical rumor that they even had a Starbucks and onsite masseuse.

When he handed it back you reached out, but Steve pulled the paper just out of reach. Hovering it over your head like a bully playing keep away. You huff and frown after two attempts. You were not a child and would not be treated as such. Pursing your lips you made a move to leave. You would just go through the admin office to get the information.

"Aw don't pout, but I must say you do look adorable when you do." He smiled down at you as he blocked your retreat. His wholesome grin did not match the darkness in his eyes. There was a disconnect somewhere. You felt like a mouse before a lion. Were the other teachers like this? You were so eager to get started working you did little research in the school that so swiftly hired you. "Here you go."

Snatching the paper away you say, "thank you." It sounded slightly annoyed, but you did your best to choke down the edge.

Unhooking the lip of your bag you placed it with the others as his shadow clouded you. Ignoring it you side step him.

"Yeah I remember. I used to see you at Camdien." Steve recalled, blocking you once more. You stopped just short of bumping into him as you closed your bag. "Cute little thing, roaming the halls." Steve informed you, stepping closer once more, making you take a step back. The alarm bells blared in your head at that comment.

"Boy wasn't I relieved I wasn't crossing the line with all the thoughts I had." He chuckled as your back hit the chalkboard. You had to strain your neck to look him in the eye this close.

The principal was making his rounds soon. He wouldn't try anything right?

"Mr. Rogers-"

"Coach" he interrupted. He didn't touch you but that fact gave you very little relief. You felt your nails dig into your palm as you gripped the thin strap of your bag. Your arm the only barrier between you two. "Just call me Coach."

"Rogers!" Your saving grace, Principal Barnes, exclaimed from the door. Steve's body blocked you from James. "There you are. Nice to see your getting to know your colleagues."

"Yeah, just sharing stories from Camdien" Steve stepped aside to greet Principal James. His hand landed on the top of your head, messing your hair as he patted you playfully like a dog. You swallowed the discomfort as he moved to talk to James. You gathered the rest of your things as they focused their attention on each other.

"Oh yeah I forgot you both came from their."

You took that opportunity to make your exit. Walking fast mumbling a 'goodnight,' you bolted toward the door. They replied back, but you ignored it, allowing their chatter to fade the further down the hall you got.

📚

The first week of school was hectic. Lost students, late students, little accidents here and there, it ran the gambit. But nothing worried you more than P.E. period.

Steve was listed as your classes gym teacher and made the drop-off a chore. It surprised you how increasingly inappropriate he was becoming. Always stretching out your name flirtatiously in front of the children causing them to taunt you with 'OOO's, and pepper you with questions about the nonexistent relationship until you departed.

They stayed in line as you approached the double doors that led to the gymnasium. He was there, dressed in his sweat pants, gym shirt and the whistle dangled from his lips.

As you ushered them inside he caught site of you as he wrangled another group and smirked. It was unnerving especially when your students egged him on by making kissy noises loudly when they noticed him too. On one occasion he sent a note with one of your students asking you out. You ignored it.

You should've reported him you know, but what would they say 'Oh he was just being friendly' or any number of things to justify his behavior. You'd been in enough situations to know without evidence that met their standards nothing would happen.

📚

In the teachers lounge Steve made his presence known. You stared at your custom coffee mug as it sat high on the edge of the third shelf. You had half a mind to take and break his, as it taunted you from the first. You were growing more and more tired of his antics. This wasn't the first time and you knew it wouldn't be the last.

Two arms planted themselves on either side of you as something rested on your head.

It was him you knew it. Who else would it be?

"Need some help little one?" He hummed.

"God damn it Steve get off me" you barked You elbowed him, but the mountain of a man didn't budge.

"No need to be nasty."

You felt him push you into the counter, crushing you against it as he reached for your cup on the high shelf.

"Here you go" he said placing it daintily in front of you.

Calm down don't blow your lid he is doing this to fuck with you.

"Shouldn't you be watching my class?" You asked as you waited for him to move out of your way.

"Student teacher got me covered. You remember what that's like? Give them the work while we teachers kick back and relax."

He backed away allowing you to get the coffee, but stayed glued to your side. You ignored him, pulling out your phone and flopped on the couch, waiting for gym time to end.

Steve of course sat next to you crowding you into the corner. He boldly placed a hand on your thigh, you brushed it off, cursing at him to 'go away'. If you got up he would only follow so you crossed your legs and leaned into the arm of the couch. Don't let him get to you.

Steve stretched out his arm on the back of the couch. Even sitting next to you he towered over you. His arm wrapped around your shoulder, pulling you in snugly. Your head resting against his tone chest. "God your so adorable."

"Steve!" you almost shriek at him as his other hand slyly crept under your skirt. "Jesus Christ what the hell is wrong with you."

You try to stand suddenly, but get jerked back down. Landing in the same awkward situation as before.

"Fuck you let me go" you hissed at him. He only chuckled as you tried to stop his hand from advancing up your skirt again. You became panicked the further he got.

Clamping your thighs tightly together as he wedged between your crossed legs. Your eyes shifted to the door before you, the couch sat across from the only entrance. If anyone came in they surely would be under the wrong assumptions.

His arm refused to budge as you attempted to pry him away. Steve was nothing but muscle, struggling was getting you no where, each shift pressed him hard against your sensitive area.

📚

"You know I've been nothing, but nice to you" Steve sounded disappointed.

"Stop please" you sounded panicked and desperate. Your nails dug into his arm as you tried to fight back an ache that taunted you as he teased.

"But you always give me attitude." He stated casually.

You slapped him. The sound loud in the empty room. Your eyes blurred with tears of frustration. Your hit did nothing, only leaving his cheek red, but from the smile on his face he liked it.

"And violent too. Hope you don't act that way around your class" he tsked while poking hard at the growing wet spot. You felt your spine curve and breath become heavier, your toes curled in your shoes as he increased his friction.

"Oh look at you. You like that don't you" he teased rubbing circles after noticing the tension in your legs relax. You cocked back to slap him again, but stopped when you felt his other hand at the back of your neck. It squeezed softly, but it was a warning nonetheless. You felt defeated. Not only was Steve bigger than you, he was stronger. Tears of frustration finally fell as you lowered your hand and let him do as he pleased.

"God your even cuter when you cry." He preened. "Tell you what. Since we don't have that much time....Kiss me and I will stop." You bristled as you felt him peel your panties to the side.

He didn't wait for your reply. Steve crashed his lips on to yours without warning. You flinched expecting pain, but it was soft. It was so tender that with anyone else they would given and close their eyes, accept it, but you couldn't.

"Stop..Steve.. Please" You panted over his lips, pushing at his chest as his fingers pushed into you. He didn't stop, the kiss only embolden him to go further. You whimpered and moaned as he took from you.

"Give me your panties" he asked pulling away from you, but his fingers still curled inside. "You promised you'd stop" you remind him, wiping away tears.

He wasn't going to relent, you could tell by the determination in his eyes. You felt exposed and embarrassed. Anyone could walk in at any moment and he knew it. He would probably get a slap on the wrist while you would need to find employment else where to escape the shame.

"I promise this time" he said lowly. "No tricks."

Swallowing your pride you lifted in your seat, he moved just enough to let the fabric pass. Rolling them down your knees quickly you hand them over. His hands slipped from you as you pass it. He held them up to the light and examined the wetness he created. Wiping away tears, you stood and bolted toward the door, but stopped when Steve whistled loudly.

"I think you forgot something."

You turned to find him pointing at your discarded mug.

"If you leave it, I leave this in it", he waved your shame in the air.

"Don't forget to wash it....don't want it to leave a stain" he ordered from the couch. You walked back on edge. Snatching the mug from the other side of the table. You rushed to the sink and rinsed your cup. More tears fell as you felt the wetness between your legs. The mirror mounted above the sink allowed you to examine yourself. Your mascara bled a bit and lipstick smeared, but nothing that couldn't be fixed with a dab of a napkin.

You swore to never step foot in the lounge ever again. If you needed to eat you would do it in your car or at your desk. This was supposed to be a magical time for you, but with Steve it had turned into a nightmare.

You sniffed as you blinked away the tears, forcing yourself to stop crying. Gym time was almost over and you needed to pull yourself together and collect your class.

"You know how often I wonder about you" Steve said rising from the couch, you watched him carefully from the mirror. You fumbled your mug, the water splashing back at you.

"Steve you promised" you said meekly, utterly defeated. He stared at you through the mirror, you felt his eyes watch your discomfort as you picked up the cup.

"What would the parents think if they knew their kids teacher walks around the class with no panties on" he tutted. You hung your head low and noticed your panties balled up in his hand as he rested it on the counter.

"I also wonder" He said pressing you into the sink. You felt his resolve through his sweat pants. "Do you fit?"

Fit?

Then it became clear. You felt his cock against your backside. You tried frantically to flea, but Steve caught you by the neck.

"I'm willing to bet you can't even fit half of me inside" he whispered in your ear as he bent you over the sink, crushing. "If I'm wrong I will let you go." Your eyes rounded as he hauled up your skirt. You whimpered as the cool air of the staff room tickled your exposed rear.

Steve was really going to fuck you in the staff room. These walls were paper thin and he knew it. Your head swirled in panic as you pleaded with him to stop. He only chuckled and shimmied down his sweat pants as you swatted back at him.

He angled and aligned himself as you sobbed. The tip slipped through your wet thighs, finding the target of its need.

You choked down a guttural moan as he breathed out 'good girl'. He watched your face as every inch stretched through your insides.

"Its is too much" you gasped out, trembling from the pressure, dancing on your tip toes as you adjusted around him.

"Its all inside" he praised the accomplishment. Forcing you to look at the mirror. "You fit me so good...see."

The mirror reflected your assault to your horror. "All cute holding me inside, taking everything I got" he said while stretching you.

Shooting pains radiated from your core as sharp breaths escaped you.

"Look at you" he taunted "coming apart just for me.... "

You heard the door to the room open and close quickly as you panted wildly. Steve didn't pull out, unabashed, letting whomever take in his pale ass as he continued to stuff you.

You didn't know who saw you, you only hoped his massive body hid you and your shame.

📚

[merv606]

Hello! (>o.o)> ❤️

A/B/O Silverusso Matchmaker Au!

So Omegas of any gender are the lowest of the low in Society, and have very few rights. At the age of consent on their birthday, their picture/information are posted on the only Matchmaking site, essentially putting them up for auction to a Beta or an Alpha of they are desired enough. But the best Omegas are always claimed/reserved for an Alpha of any social standing, but the better an Alpha has done in life, the better the Omega they will get.

Alpha!Terry has done very well for himself - filthy rich, businessman, fit and handsome etc. - but has been searching for an Omega for a while as he wants to settle down, get married, and start a family. He goes to the Matchmaking site and no one catches his eye. Bored and annoyed, he goes to the Discount Section for Undesirable Omegas to amuse himself. This is a section for Omegas who have had a failed Match with a Beta/Alpha, who are older, plain, emotional issues, etc. That’s where Terry comes across Daniel.

Omega!Daniel is 20. At 18 he slept with another Alpha, but didn’t mate or scentbond with him, and the Alpha left him - and their daughter, Samantha, now barely 2. Daniel is poor, and with the few rights given to Omegas, struggling to make it with Sam. An Omega who isn’t a virgin, had a child without being Mated, didn’t scentbond, and is now without an Alpha is considered deeply shameful in society, little more than a common whore, an absolute pariah in every way.

But none of this deters Terry, who is immediately attracted to Daniel - the big dark eyes, fluffy brown hair, small build and sweet smile. Sam is very adorable too, and Terry finds himself looking at their pictures on the site, seeing from the pictures and blurbs how deeply Daniel loves his little girl. But Terry also picks up on Daniel’s personality - he comes across as very affectionate but also feisty. Kind, but proud. Poor, but determined. Most Omegas are so downtrodden, but Daniel is full of life and not shy. Terry doesn’t even realize how hard he’s falling - it’s happening so quickly. Terry also discovers that he and Daniel have things in common: an interest in karate, family life, being parents, etc. 

Terry immediately tells his secretary Margaret to set up an appointment. She, and many others, think Terry has finally lost it - why get a used no-longer-pure Omega with a child when Terry, considering his high social ranking and pure Alpha bloodline, can get any Omega he wants and have his own biological children? But what Terry wants, Terry gets.

Bonus points if Terry buys Daniel after only meeting him once because he’s fallen so hard for him. He has Daniel and Sam move in with him, but Daniel plays bratty and hard to get despite both of them immediately scentbonding with each other because he’s  frightened that Terry will abandon him and Sam. Terry’s not evil in this AU, so he waits for Daniel to come to him, knowing Daniel will fall for him and beg to be mated with him knowing Daniel is very attracted to him in every way. Meanwhile, Terry and Sam grow close, and Terry is deeply amused (Daniel horrified and embarrassed) when Sam innocently asks one when she’ll be getting a sister.

“S-Sam!” Daniel says, blushing furiously and looking so adorable that Terry just wants to knot him then and there.

“A sister? What about a brother?” Terry smiles

at Sam pouting on his knee, while Daniel continues to turn more red nearby.

“No, boys are gross,” Sam says frowning. 

“Really?” Terry looks over her head towards Daniel. “I find some boys to be very nice, you know. I like those boys very much.”

Daniel just looks away from Terry, cheeks red, pouting, and dangerously pretty. Terry just smirks, sniffing confusion, annoyance, and arousal from the Omega. Any day now.

HI ♥️

Honestly - sat on this for awhile and I have to admit, I have nothing to say to this that could possible add to it.

It’s perfection.

The idea / their personalities - 10/10 would recommend and read.

Imagine the reaction too - people are absolutely gobsmacked with how whipped Terry is - that an omega like Daniel managed to wrap Terri around his little finger without even really trying.

All the “better” omegas of good breeding - the ones who were told they’d get the best alphas - the ones who tried to shoot their shot with Terry and were rejected.

The scandal - the gossip.

Terry probably spends his time buying and shutting down any tabloid that bad mouths his mate 😂

Terry being equally charmed by Sam - Daniel’s mini me.

All of it 😻

[wri0thesley]

Nat. NAT. I just saw your concept about naoya "training" his wife by just throwing her in the room and just watching her struggle to defend herself... Until she ofc breaks and begs him to protect her🙈 you have a MASSIVE brain, the biggest and horniest brain nat can you please write this concept for the event😭😭 maybe w 45 and any other dark or spicy add ons that you see fit!

traditional discipline - naoya x fem!reader (3.3k)

naoya has had enough of you, and resorts to an unusual method of discipline.

warnings: not sfw/minors dni. DARK CONTENT. unhealthy relationship/marriage. fearplay, dacryphilia, finger-sucking, cock-sucking, punishment, threat of violence and death. dubious consent. afab reader with fem pronouns. 

[a/n: this concept literally wouldn’t leave me alone. i’m sorry to all of the readers who are naoya’s wife i’m always so horrible to them]

The room goes quiet as Naoya hauls you out of it by your upper arm.

It’s an easy mistake, a simple slip-up; accidentally talking over your husband. But it’s one in a slew you’ve been making recently, despite Naoya thinking that you were polite and well-bred and knew your place. He’s sick of it, to be quite frank; he doesn’t have time to be correcting you when you should already know how to behave.

You’ve done accidental, small things since the two of you were married. Denying him when he rolled you onto your back at night. Not standing quite as far behind him as you should. Pouring tea for other people before him. He’s given you swift reprimand with both his words and his hands, but . . . it’s clearly not sinking into your pretty little head, is it?

He warned you about this.

“Next time,” he’d growled to you, when you’d laughed too loud at a joke that one of his brothers had made and not laughed at one of his, “I’m going to teach you a real lesson.”

He tells you about the ‘training and discipline room’ on the Zenin estate later that night. A room that the family use for honing cursed techniques, both for practising and for learning purposes, when someone needs to be brought down a peg or two. It’s full of cursed spirits – all the way up to grade two, which makes your blood run cold.

Of course, you have cursed energy. You even have a careful little technique; one that would wrap your enemies up in vines, if you’d ever been allowed to train to use it for anything other than keeping your well-appointed garden neat and orderly. Naoya would not have married someone without either of those things, lest they not bear him fruitful children--

But you have never been allowed to use it for anything more.

The women of your clan are pretty decoration, with no need to learn anything other than how to behave and how to please their masters-and-husbands. You would be useless, thrown into the den of the wolves like that.

“Please don’t,” you’d said to him, your voice all soft and gentle, trying to be appeasing. “Please. I promise I’ll try harder.”

Naoya had taken your chin between thumb and forefinger, the grin across his face very sharp as his light eyes took in the pleading in your own gaze. You remember how the light had hit his earrings, the look of satisfaction at your begging and having you utterly and completely under his thumb.

“Be good,” he’d breathed, all slow and drawling. “And I won’t have to, will I?”

And he’d bid you to get on your knees for him and show you just how good you could be. Starting with your mouth.

So you know where he’s dragging you, down the labyrinthine halls of the estate. You try and pull back, feet sliding on the tatami mat, your voice pitching as you say;

“Naoya, please, I’m sorry--”

“Women should be seen and not heard,” he says to you. “Don’t make a fuss like that. You earned this.”

Your eyes are filling with tears, hot fear clawing its way up your throat.

“I’ll do anything,” you say to him, despite knowing that it’s a dangerous bargain to give him. He almost considers it for a moment, pausing – but then, his fingers just dig harder into the softness of your bicep (you’re going to bruise), and he tugs you.

“You’re making a scene,” he says. “If you don’t stop, I’ll leave you in there even longer.” You try to wrench your arm out of his grip, all of your self-defense mechanisms going into overdrive as you recognise the door he’s leading to you too. You’re breathless, so frightened you think that your heart might stop.

Naoya opens the door and pulls you in. You almost stumble at the flight of stairs, but he clicks his tongue at you in annoyance.

“So clumsy,” he drawls. “And here I was, under the impression I was marrying a graceful, lovely, credit to her family--” More steps, until he’s gotten you in the middle of the floor. He gazes around him, and you hear the low hum of a hundred cursed spirit’s voices murmuring the same things, over and over again. “The only time you’re a credit to them is with your legs spread.”

“Naoya,” you whimper, torn between pushing yourself into him for the comfort and protection that you know he can offer, or trying to tear away from him and escape the room yourself. You know the second option won’t work – he’s far faster, far stronger than you – but it’s hard to think of anything when you feel like your very survival is teetering impossibly over your head.

“If you run,” he says, still in that cold, uninterested drawl, “I’ll break one of your ankles.”

You don’t think he’s bluffing. Naoya says a lot of things, yes – but he’s also reckless and proud enough to mean them. You stand there, next to him, feeling yourself begin to tremble.

“W-why aren’t they attacking yet?” You ask him, voice very small. He looks at you pityingly.

“They’re afraid of me, obviously,” he says to you, very slowly, like he’s explaining it to somebody very stupid. “I didn’t get this good at everything by not training myself, darling.” He lets go of you, finally, a whistle escaping his pursed mouth as he rocks on the balls of his feet. He’s supremely unconcerned by your fear. “When I’m gone, they’ll come out for you.”

Your eyes fill with tears.

“What am I supposed to do?” You ask him, desperation leaking into your cracked voice. “I can’t—I can’t protect myself--”

Naoya narrows his eyes.

“You should have thought about that before you were such a pain,” he replies. And, without further ado, he turns around and begins to ascend the stairs again. You turn with him, moving forward, stumbling in your haste and ending up sprawled at the bottom of the stairs with your hand pathetically fisted into the hem of his hakama.

He looks down at you with a disgusted sneer on his face, and you hate that even with that expression his features are still unmistakably handsome.

“Let go,” he says. “Have some dignity.”

“Please,” you repeat. You can feel a fat tear spilling from the corner of your eye down the curve of your cheeks. You know the ‘dignity’ statement is a dig; the fact that you’ve heard his family members calling your clan power-hungry undignified gold-digging whores, but you can’t bring yourself to care when you can see the beginning of shadows spilling out too far into the main floor of the room. “Naoya. Please.”

He kicks out at your wrist, face twisted in distaste, and you let go to avoid it being stood on and crushed under his strength. You cradle it against your chest, looking up at him still all desperate and afraid.

“If I helped,” he said to you, “you’d never learn your lesson.” He takes a step up and turns away completely from you, as if you’re nothing more than an ignored child on the street. “It will be good for you, beloved wife. Character-building.” You hear the smirk in his voice and you hate him.

You want to strangle him. You want to beg him to protect you. You want to tear him limb from limb, but you want him to let you bury your head in his chest as he dispels the spirits with ease. You want--

The door slams shut behind him. He’s too cheerful as he throws behind him;

“Good luck!”

And you are left alone.

It takes a moment before anything slithers out from the shadows, and you clap your hand over your mouth to stop yourself screaming. The first cursed spirit is a hunched over creature with the face of a Pierrot clown, mouth stretched impossibly wide with gaping black abyss where eyes ought to be. It’s whispering something over and over to itself, but the wide mouth is so crowded with teeth that it comes out as an incomprehensible noise, dripping drool as it begins to move horrifically slowly towards you.

Oh, God. You’re not supposed to look at them, are you? You dimly recall something about many sorcerers wearing glasses so the creatures can’t tell where their gazes are, but this one has already got the scent of you; those dark pits staring at your crumpled form.

Everything you’ve ever been told in passing about jujutsu and cursed spirits and cursed technique just seems to flow out of your mind to be replaced by mind-numbing fear. You’ve not been trained for this; when your clan had arranged your marriage with Naoya, you know that they’d expected fine silken kimonos and traditional food and you being a pretty trophy on the arm of the future leader of their clan. You know they’d be horrified if they saw what was happening.

More of them are melting from the shadows, the whispering and moaning reaching a terrifying crescendo. You’re trembling. Your heart is beating so fast inside of your chest you think it might break free of your ribcage and sputter out onto the floor.

The Pierrot monster is close enough that you can see the six hands it drags on the floor are all tipped with claws that are sharp as blades. You scramble up the stairs on your ass, too afraid to turn your back on the creatures. You realise you’re shouting, but it seems just as blurred as anything that the cursed spirits are saying. You’re crying, too – howling, whimpering, so scared you’re surprised any noise is able to come out at all.

You’re going to die.

It hits you with cruel certainty as you reach the top and throw your weight at the door, only for it to not give an inch. You scramble at the heavy wood, not caring about your careful manicure (Naoya wants you to be a credit to him, and that means manicures and facial treatments and a fancy bathroom full of soaps and creams that he expects you to use and that he slathers, too, on himself). You hear a nail break but you can’t bring yourself to worry about that when the Pierrot monster is dragging itself up the flight of stairs, one step at a time. It makes a hideous sliding thump, like it’s both wet and heavy – and you notice, too, the scent of blood invading your senses.

Your tear-blurred eyes can see all of the other monsters, too – not quite as close, but still too close for comfort. Too many eyes and not enough eyes, too many legs, claws and teeth and misshapen bones and blood leaking from holes. What are you supposed to do?

Naoya has left you here, alone, to teach you a lesson. You hadn’t realised the lesson would culminate in your death, but with all of the spirits so close to you, you cannot see any other way.

All of the fight goes out of you and you sag against the door, a broken sob escaping your lips. Your throat is dry from hoarse screaming.

You are going to die. You hope it will come quick; you hope the Pierrot monster will tear you limb from limb and you’ll die in instants from the shock. Your voice whispers Naoya’s name one last, hopeless time.

Will he find another wife? Will they even bother covering up your death, or will they spin some rumour or lie to your family and the whole of jujutsu society that you brought it upon yourself?

You would do anything to be rescued right now. You would crawl on your hands and knees behind Naoya for the rest of your life, refer to him only as ‘Master’, fulfil every single thing he ever asked you with no more than a meek nod of your head. Pull out your tongue so you couldn’t make any more mistakes.

But the time for pleading seems to have gone entirely, and you are useless and stupid and weak as you run out of tears, eyes burning. All you can do, you think, is wait for death.

The door swings open behind you and you’re dragged backwards, onto tatami, by powerful hands gripping your shoulders as it closes once more with a massive clunk that echoes in your ears--

And you find yourself strewn out on the floor, face caked with dried tear-tracks, a trembling, pathetic mess looking up at your husband’s face.

He leans against the door, listening to you scream. He can hear his name mixed in with sobs and screams and pleading; saying that you’ll do anything, you’re sorry, you’ll never disobey him again you’ll take any punishment he metes out with a smile on your face, if he just helps you. He hears you call yourself weak and pathetic and useless around the tears clogging your throat; he hears the thump of you hitting the door and the sound of your nails scratching down the wood, uncaring of anything other than getting away from them.

Yes, he thinks as he opens the door for you and you fall, shivering and sobbing, in front of him. Yes, he thinks you’ve learnt your lesson.

You’re so pretty, he thinks, closing it once more (he sees the cursed spirits begin to creep back to where they came from at the very sight of him, now their preferred victim is protected), with your eyes all glassy and wet. You’re extra pretty looking at him like he’s a conquering hero who’s saved you from certain death – which he supposes he is.

You cling to his arm, pulling yourself up, burying your face in his chest as your hands cling to him like you’ve been lost and he’s the first familiar thing you’ve seen in months. Your tears soak his kimono, but . . . he finds himself not really minding, as big, lean hands pet you gently on the back.

“It’s alright now,” he soothes you, murmuring low. “Your husband has you.”

“Please, please, ‘m so sorry--” You’re mumbling into him, whimpering, your shoulders shaking. “Please never m-make me, again--”

“Shhh,” he continues, gently beginning to move towards his chambers. You cling to him, adrift in a sea of your own fears. “It’s better now. You’ll be better now, won’t you?”

He receives a fierce nod for that, your fingers twisting into his clothing. It’s nice, having you so wrapped around him; seeing him as the strong protector that he knows he is but you needed reminding of. You’re still mewling little pleas into him even as he unlocks the door to his bedroom and gently pushes you in. Letting go of him even for a moment seems to cause you physical pain--

Good. You should feel like that. You should feel incomplete without him at your side. Naoya rewards you with a rare, soft smile.

“You know why you had to be punished like that, don’t you?” He purrs to you, petting your hair and carefully drawing back so he can look at your face. Your lips are all swollen from crying and biting; he thinks you’ve never looked quite so kissable as you do right now.

“Yes,” you nod, fiercely. “I’m sorry. I’ll do a-anything, I promise. I . . .” You swallow, your eyes filling with tears again. Naoya has been hard since the moment he heard you call out his name from inside the training room, your voice filled with choked tears, and watching them well up again does nothing for the stricture against the fabric. “I needed you.”

“And I saved you,” he says, arching an elegant brow – to which you nod again, and your hands drift towards him like you’re aimless without him in front of you to serve. “I’ll protect you, darling, as long as you learn your place.”

“I will!” That’s said with such conviction that he can’t help the smirk that tugs at the corner of his mouth. “I will. N-Naoya . . .” Your voice trembles a little. “’m willing to do anything for you. J-just please . . . not again.”

“Shh,” he reaches out and deigns to touch you, to gently and soothingly rub his thumb over your cheek, where the tears have dried. “If you’re really going to be so good for me, I won’t have to, will I?” You stumble forward onto your knees and Naoya’s brows shoot up in surprise as your hands tug at his hakama.

“Please let me show you how grateful I am,” you whisper, your eyes wide and bright and desperate. “Naoya, please, please, please--”

Oh, there’s something so gratifying about you like this, begging to suck his cock. It stirs between his thighs again, reminding him that he’s painfully stiff; and you are here, a willing mouth, scared out of your skull and desperate to please him. He’s smirking at you but you do not register it as such; all you see is the smile of your rescuer.

Your protector.

Your husband.

“Say what you want to do to me, darling,” he tells you, keeping his voice as sweet as he can make it. “You’re a big girl. You can use your words. What do you want to do, to show me how grateful you are that I saved your paltry life?”

You’re pouting; your mouth is sweet, pretty. He wants to pry your jaw open and fuck the back of your throat, and his body roars as your fingers tug on the hakama again and your meek, soft voice whispers;

“Please let me suck your cock.”

“You have a dirty mouth,” he coos to you, leaning forward to brush a finger over your lower lip. “Not befitting of a woman of your station. I suppose that means that it’s up to me to keep you quiet, hmm?”

You obediently open it, letting his finger gently rest on your tongue for a moment.

Desperate to please, your mouth closes about it, your tongue gently swiping over the pad, your cheeks hollowing a little as you suck on the digit inside of them. Naoya’s smiling again, the victorious grin of someone who’s gotten exactly what they wanted. He pulls his finger out and thrusts back in with two, whispering to you;

“Do you think you deserve my cock, after what you put me through today?”

You shake your head, but you don’t stop lavishing attention on the fingers in your mouth, a string of drool falling from the corner of your mouth as he presses his third finger inside of it. So warm, and wet. He needs his cock to be inside of you or he thinks he may embarrass himself.

The fingers are pulled out, wiped on the hakama fabric, before he says (the carefully adopted tone almost disinterested);

“Take them off, then. Don’t make your promises empty words. I wouldn’t appreciate such thoughtlessness in a wife.”

You’re eager, stripping off his clothes. Your mouth practically waters at the sight of his cock; elegant, flushed, hard and straining with a light upwards curve that he knows will hit you in the right place at the back of your throat to make you gag.

“Wait,” he says, as you lean in to bring him to your lips. “What do you say, darling?”

Your eyes (still brimming with tears, he notices – and fuck, he loves how you look teary-eyed and pouting. He has to make you cry more often) meet his, but the look in yours is worshipful so he doesn’t chide you for having the insolence to meet his gaze directly.

“Thank you,” you breathe. “For saving me. For letting me suck your cock. For everything.”

Naoya is smiling.

“Good girl,” he says, placidly, as you place a delicate kiss on the head of his cock and slowly envelope it in the warmth of your mouth. “Very good.”