#THEY were robbed (they robbed themselves and each other and also us)

[thetarttfuldickhead]

But the day it suddenly occurs to Roy just how fun it would have been to play football with Jaime, if Jamie hadn’t been such a colossal prick back when they were on the team together? Like, of course he’s always known that Jamie was great and all, but the whole ‘makes me want to puke’ thing really obscured the fact that it could have been brilliant.

But it wasn’t, and then Jamie was gone and Roy retired and then Jamie was back and Roy returned as a coach and he never thought too much about what could have been, until one day when he sees Jamie and Richard or whoever pull some truly spectacular, nigh on telepathic shit on the pitch and he’s suddenly stunned by the realization that I fucking missed out on that.

It pisses him off a bit (as most things are wont to do), so he confronts Jamie about it, like, “Why the fuck did you have to be such a prick, we could have been fucking fantastic together?”

Jamie makes a face, because hello, random and uncalled for? “Um, why did you have to be such a nasty old bastard, mate? It takes two to tangle, like.” And before Roy has time to tell him that it’s tango, you dolt, Jamie adds, “Besides, doesn’t matter how nice I’d been about it, you’d still have been proper bitter about me being better than you.”

And that’s… a little bit true, maybe, because Roy did fucking love being the best on any team he ever was one, and he was fucking bitter about slowing down and growing old. But even so…

“Would have been fucking worth it,” Roy decides.

Jamie nods, slightly subdued, perhaps. It would have been. And it’s a sorrow, the fact that they wasted that opportunity on hating each others’ guts – but isn’t it a wonder, too, that they found their way past all that?

“We’re pretty fucking fantastic together now, Coach,” Jamie says, gently bumping his shoulder against Roy’s.

Roy grunts, in the way that means yes.

[in1-nutshell]

With you now having young justice could you do them meeting a mutant buddy with the personality and powers of gambit from the x-men? (Also love justice league unlimited)

Mutant Buddy has entered!

Hope you enjoy!

Mutant Buddy with Gambit's powers with Young Justice

SFW, Platonic, Mutant reader

YOUNG JUSTICE

Buddy had been recruited to the Young Justice League after an incident with Gorilla Grod.

One that ended up a slightly sizzling gorilla, a laughing Flash, and a slightly burnt Lantern.

It was the two leaguer that managed to convince Batman to put them on the team after demonstrating their mini explosions with their deck of cards.

It might have also helped that Buddy managed to steal Green Lantern’s ring without him noticing it and giving it to Batman.

Despite all the confidence they rode on when Flash and Green Lantern introduced them, Buddy was anxious to be in front of these seasoned ‘sidekicks.

Their anxiety only grew with the looks and silent faces they were making at each other.

Thankfully, Buddy did know one of them.

He was their classmate in school.

And just so happened to be the one member who had just arrived late.

Kid Flash, Wally West.

He would later become the ‘olive branch’ to bring Buddy into the group.

Team that takes an almost instant liking to the newest member

These members believe that what Wally says about them being good is true straight away. While they are a bit cautious, they quickly learn that Buddy isn’t some one who would strike fear onto anyone. If anything, the only thing they are striking is their cards to any unsuspecting member who gets on their last nerve. Doesn’t happen often, mainly to Wally when his flirting and comments get out of hand. The members appreciate how Buddy balances the seriousness of certain situations while letting some fun lines slip every now and then. These members end up picking up a habit of carrying a few playing cards around in case Buddy needs them.

Kid Flash

Aqualad

Miss Martian

Buddy: “All right! 1…2…” M’gann from a safe distance: “Go!” Buddy starts throwing cards left and right while Wally tries dodging them. One manages to knock him off balance. Buddy walks up and offers him a hand up. Wally: “No fair! You put more kinetic energy in that last one!” Buddy: “Did not.” Wally: “Did too!” Buddy: “Did—”

SPLASH! Buddy and Wally blink feeling the water seep into their costumes. They look up to see a slightly giggling M’gann and smiling Kaldur raising another water ball over his head. Kaldur: “How about you continue with today’s training?” Buddy and Wally look at each other before smiling. Buddy getting their cards ready: “Oh, you came into the wrong game Kaldur! Ready West!” Wally stretching his arms: “Born ready!”

Team that takes a bit more time to get used to the newest member

These members take what Wally says with a grain of salt. They keep their distance from Buddy and their mini explosions. Since when does a hero do good with explosives? Some members have a personal distaste for the explosions near them. Once Buddy finds out their distaste for the explosions near them, they stop almost immediately. It’s a slow process which involves some missions and training time to finally get used to the newest member. These members try and teach Buddy different ways to defend themselves, so they don’t have to rely solely on powers to win.

Robin

Artemis

Superboy

Buddy looks a bit uneasy at Conner on the other side of the training mat. Dick and Artemis were watching from the sidelines. Buddy: “Listen Rob, with all due respect, WHY?!” Dick: “Everyone has to fight everyone Buddy.” Artemis: “Its good practice for future scenarios.” Buddy shuffling their cards nervously while looking at the Super: “Yeah but when am I supposed to fight a feral Conner? Conner’s a nice guy! Why would he attack his teammate?” Conner, Artemis and Dick look at each other: “…”

Buddy: “… My goodness… did that actually happen?!” Dick: “Buddy—” Buddy: “How many of you guys went feral on someone else?!” Artemis getting her comm line ready: “Buddy it’s okay—” Buddy: “What?! The next thing you’re going to tell me is a what if scenario where we fight the Justice League?” Everyone: “…” Conner: “Let’s just focus back on the training.” Buddy: “…Nope!” They throw a card to the wall and make their escape through the hole. Artemis: “Wally! Get your friend back here!” Buddy from down the hall: “I swear no one tells me these important details! I deserve to know!”

[hijinxinprogress]

YJ being awful at sharing things (mostly bc they’re used to handling things themselves bc there was no one for them to depend on during their childhood)

YJ is great at subterfuge and lying but they keep unnecessary things on a need-to-know basis like their favorite colors so when people are like “why didn’t you tell me?? I can help! I hope you know you can come to me if you need anything” and yj responds like a stray animal being shown affection for the first time “with what?? nothing’s wrong…go away…” but they’re always injured or about to be whether it’s physical or psychological 

Cissie didn’t tell anyone she was allergic to walnuts until Oliver almost killed her at a mandatory family dinner (they also didn’t know she was in the Olympics or dating Kon until they were cornered by reporters in public who wanted to know if Kon was aware she had a relationship with Oliver Queen) (Roy had a very one sided beef with Kon for about three weeks once he saw the interviews)

Yj is outed for smoking when Bart gets caught with weed and the jl (mostly Barry) are lecturing him about the dangers of marijuana and Wally’s yelling bc they thought it was the titans smoking while bart just shrugs and he’s like “I thought you knew, it’s not like we were hiding it” they call a meeting w/ yj but Cissie’s just like “I mean what are you gonna do about it? You’re a couple years too late to be concerned” and behind them, an irritated Kon passes a handful of bills to a smug Anita

Or Tim’s been stabbed for the 5th time this week (and didn’t tell anyone bc he’s Tim) Cassie tries to hand him tequila and Bart looks at them like they’re stupid “he can’t drink that” and dicks in the background “no he can’t bc he’s literally a baby and so are all of you!!” and Anita reaches over to Kon who’s not paying attention and he’s like “yeah, rob got stabbed like an hour ago and didn’t say anything bc he’s a squirrelly little shit” and dick launches himself across the room holding 17 medical packs (he was supposed off planet for the next three months)

Diana hears yj refer to Cassie with they/them pronouns and pulls them aside to ask if they want to change their name (hero and civilian) and why they didn’t feel comfortable sharing their identity with her and Cassie just goes “I didn’t think it was a big deal”

Most people think that Anita’s raising her children so older heroes with make comments about her being too young to be a parent or being irresponsible for being a parent so young along with how it makes them unable to trust her judgment as a hero (Steph once made an offhanded comment about Anita being a real hero for raising twins after she cussed out an older hero) but no one outside of yj learns the truth until dr. fate shows up talking about irreparable damage being done to the timeline (the nearest speedster gets dirty looks despite not being at fault this time)

Yj invites Greta to the watchtower and she meets Constantine who starts going on about her being death-touched, possessed, and rambling about dark magic so he ends up calling the rest of jl dark which is how the jl finds out about Secret years after the fact

Kon casually makes jokes about Lex’s attempts on his life, Lex and Clark attempting to win him over to get one over on each other, Lex or Clark disliking him, his death, and the period of time Kon was homeless which is usually how anyone outside of yj finds out about things going on in his life

The jl loses their shit when they learn how often yj hide each other in their homes when they don’t have anywhere else to go (batman buys trackers in bulk when he finds out Tim has a secret house) 

[sprout-gt]

here are some angsty g/t prompts to feed the brainworms

(come get y'alls juice.)

recently shrunken/borrower friend who has had to lower all defenses around someone so utterly terrifying to be around simply because of how much them there is. learning how to develop a relationship with someone capable of any amount of destruction with minimal effort. the truth that, for some things, they are completely dependant on the giant. over the course of days/weeks/months fragile trust is slowly cultivated as they both learn how to adjust to each other's presence, only for it to be shattered in a moment due to a giant's carelessness. a voice raised too loud, a hand slammed a little too close, a grab just too tight. and ultimately, no amount of guilt or remorse will fix the damage done.

the utter helplessness of size shifting. like, i know size shifting is a popular concept for g/t scenarios, but if you think about it- it's legitimately body horror. consider it, a signifigant aspect of your physical body robbed from you over the course of a few moments. the rushing feeling of anxiety crashed with the abject panic knowing that the world around you is going to transform, that you are going to change. overwhelming vertigo as the ceiling begins to stretch above you, as your surroundings change from a neutral space to an immense and overwhelming enclosure. even the most banal and mundane items are now obtacles, if not actively dangerous. shifting somewhere you can't leave, shifting somewhere you shouldn't leave. shifting somewhere where you can't reach someone you trust.

tinies discovered by someone curious and stolen away from their trusted giants in a moment. the tiny has to endure this new giant that is over ten times their size and unconcerned with their wellbeing like their friend/partner, while the giant spirals into panic searching for their vulnerable friend/partner who trusted them- blaming themselves all the way.

tinies stuck in thunderstorms. the sky roars with claps of deafening thunder as they scramble to find cover against the frigid, heavy raindrops that pound against them. their vision is nonexistant as they stumble through the soft earth, unsure of where they are running towards but just hoping its somewhere away.

the prompts below are a little more intense/whumpy fyi!!

borrowers caught in traps intended for pests. maybe they were being careless or overconfident - maybe they just weren't paying attention... until the metal bar of a mousetrap snaps over their ankle or they find themselves stuck in a glue trap, pinned in place and in the open. they can't cry out in pain in fear of being discovered, while also knowing it's inevitable. injured and growing more panicked by the minute, they hear the resounding sounds of a giant approaching them.

tinies locked in things. bird cages, jars, drawers, lockboxes- take your pick. bonus points if it's claustrophobic. bonus bonus points if its pitch black. bonus bonus bonus points if the tiny has no idea how long till they get out and can breathe again.

g/t fearplay lightning round: giants that love to see how little they need to do in order to panic a tiny, tinies being tossed around like keys, rubber bands used as restraints, shock collars, tinies held out over tall heights, the works

it's ok though because in all of these scenarios they end up being taken care of by a gentle and caring giant because i'll be damned if this hurt isn't eventually going to have comfort.

[apiswitchcraft]

protecting your space

hi all! i just moved and was cleansing my new home; prepping it to be lived in and all that. i got to thinking about what other people do for themselves and, well, that's where this came from! the order of step one and two is unimportant, plus keep in mind that everyone does things differently. every culture has their own idea about how to cleanse a space/person, and none of them are wrong.

STEP ONE: CLEANSING

Immediate Disclaimer: Anyone/anyplace that uses the term "smudging" (using it out of it's cultural context) is a source you should be wary of. Smudging is a set of very specific rituals that were created and are used by indigenous americans. The use of sage, palo santo, sweet grass, hawk feathers, evil eyes/hamsa are all practices specific to certain cultures. If you're just someone not of those cultures trying to cleanse your space, I recommend the following techniques.

-Burning lavender, rosemary, or cedar bundles

-Burning incense

-Burning frankincense/myrrh

-Putting salt at the boundaries of your home, inside or out

-Putting ground eggshells at the boundaries of your home, probably best to do this outside for the smell

-Actually cleaning your home

-Sprinkle essential oils on the corners of a room or in doorways

-Selenite is also a great cleansing stone, although I usually use it for individual items instead of a whole space

-Moon water can also be a good replacement for essential oils

-Ring sacred (to you) or enchanted bells throughout the home

STEP TWO: WARDING

This is a step that varies a lot more from person to person. There are certainly plenty of spells out there available to you, but some people have created their own spells, others will use certain iconography, herbs, etc. Either way, know that it is not necessary for you to do every one of these things--I honestly doubt a space will get any more or less safe depending on how many of these you do. Also, for your own safety, make sure you're doing the appropriate non-witchy things to keep yourself safe. Just because you have a nice sigil above your unlocked door doesn't mean that someone will be automatically unable to rob you. Anways, here are just some of my ideas.

-Put a bundle of rosemary above a doorway

-Create a spell jar/bag with any of these materials or these, I also recommend including some of yourself in a jar like this

-Sprinkle black salt around entryways

-Use a spell like this or this

-Draw a rune (i use algiz) on entryways (i use essential oils and blood for this, but to each their own)

-Draw a sigil like this or these on entryways

-Pray to a certain deity for protection, or put their iconography up (for example, an ansuz rune for odin)

-Burning incense and using essential oils will ward away negativity, but they don't last for long periods of time in my experience

-Make use of a crystal grid to manifest your intentions

-Salt and eggshells also help to ward off negativity entering your space!

STEP THREE: UPKEEP

Now, how do we keep the wards and cleansing sustained? Well, there are a variety of methods. A lot of these can be done as your intuition tells you they need to be renewed, or done at a regular interval that works for you. Still, upkeep is important!

-Redo the spell you did every full moon or at another important time for you

-Refresh herbs and salt/eggshells when they get old or fall apart

-Break open your spell jar/sachet and recleanse the ingredients or just add new ones

-Clean up any salt/black salt/eggshells and put down new lines

-Add more essential oil/moon water to the locations you put them in before

-Redraw sigils/runes when they fade or get scratched off

-Pray to the deity who is looking out for you often/do devotional activities

-Burn more incense, herbs, or frankincense/myrrh, or cleanse with bells again

-Clean your room/house/depression hovel

[sweet-as-an-angel]

Helloo !! ^^ Its me again ahaha 🙈

Feeling you with the number of RQs ! (': i have a lot of unfinished ones too, and I FEEL SO JORRIVLE FOR SENDING ONE in knowing that💔💔😭😭😭😭😭😭, but this has been in the forefront of my mind 😵‍💫. Please don't feel pressured to respond! 🫣 I won't blame you if you'd rather not to ☺️🙌//

...

Yandere Outlaw, having abducted reader, not at all having had anticipated the strength of their connections.

While reader isn't necessarily strong themselves, they have a strong family, a line of uncles and brothers that are feared across the West for their brutality, their violence, and most notably, their loyalty. This is especially jarring given that reader is the youngest in the family, so of course they would be overprotective over them, as weren't they just the baby of the family, their sweet lil pumpkin?

It's why they are second only to Outlaw himself in terms of criminality, notorious instead, however for how they are willing to kill for blood feud, and to wreak havoc in a bid to avenge anyone that crossed the path of their family member(s).

Now picture this: having heard of reader's abduction, to describe their reaction as fury, rage, even wrath, would all be an understatement. They would be getting together, coordinating a plan, and intending to shoot the damn bastard dead, as scum like him should pay for messing with the wrooong criminals.

Now this brings me to my question: what would Outlaw's reaction be to waking up one day to see not a trace of their darling, their hostage rescued by their cowboy brothers and uncles? (Or something more creative than this,, ^^"" ", i doubt that theyd leave him with lungs and eyes, let alone ALIVE after locating his whereabouts and saving their sweet lil pumpkin, thw baby of the family. My imagination can only take me so far an idk 😓💔)

Would Outlaw go after each individual member of the family down, on a furious witch-hunt in a bid to rescue their darling? After all, Outlaw has been on countless raids riding solo with nothing aside from a horse and his trusty shotgun, became infamous for being the West's deadliest gunslinger, has eliminated the wealthiest businessmen and robbed them of all their money, and made a career out of being a criminal.

Or would he accept defeat? This is clearly not a family to mess with, and it was a miracle that they hadn't put his beheaded head on a stake and set it on fire, condemnimg his corpse. He'd have to be a fool to risk this, wouldn't he? Was reader, his darling, really worth that risk?

Would love to hear your thoughts ! ☺️💞

ALSO SORRU FOE THE REALLY LONG ASKS I FEEL SO BAD BC I GDT CARRIED AWAY JDJSJAJAJASSS 😭😭🙏 PLS FORGIVR ME AAAAAAARRHEHSS

My sweet Anon, we simply must find a name for you ! Your ideas cannot go without an identity to which we can attribute their creation ^^. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful mind with us <3 !

♡ This occurrence is very in-character for the Outlaw to encounter; albeit never on such an intimate level.

♡ He’s made enemies out of every criminal in the West – namely for resigning them to a life imprisoned while making off with his loot, gifting them a sentence he’d have served himself were he not so adept at the skill of escapism. In the early days when he first started working with other criminals, at least; he’d never make such a mistake now.

♡ You see, the Outlaw is the very definition of work smarter, not harder. So while he may seem as if he’s given up his pursual of you by hanging back, letting you go back to your family and re-integrate with civilised life, he’s tracking you. Watching you. Anticipating your every move.

♡ He’ll find you – eventually – but he won’t swoop in to retrieve you at the first opportunity; he knows that this will simply incur another rescue effort and his imminent execution.

♡ He’ll start to pick off the male authority figures in your family, starting with the weakest (however large and imposing they may be). 

♡ He knows that, without the leader, the pack will scatter, meaning that there will still be some of your family he missed during his executions – members who could still come looking for you upon discovering your kidnapping (again).

♡ Sure, picking off the weakest ones will put the strongest on-edge, but it keeps them packed together – around you – right where he wants them.

♡ The Outlaw knows of the Reader’s family’s reputation. He’s even met them during the occasional heist; opportunists by trade in their willingness to jump upon the corpse of the Outlaw’s victories as soon as his back is turned. But he also knows none are as keen and accurate a marksman as he, and he uses this to his advantage.

♡ While the Outlaw specialises in short-range firearms, he is more than capable with long-distance ones, too. And, once he lures your protectors away from you, he’ll ensure their execution is swift and unforeseen. He’ll perch atop a sturdy tree branch and steady himself, bringing the head of whoever fell for his diversion into the sights of a Whitworth he dusted off and brought from home.

♡ The minute he knows you’re all alone – that your uncles and brothers and cousins are too busy painting the town red with their bodies to stow you away – is when he’ll swoop in, plucking you out of bed and slinging you over his shoulder as he had all those months ago during your first meeting, winding you as he throws you atop his horse and bolting off into the horizon.

♡ So, to put it simply, Anon: yes. To the Outlaw, you are absolutely worth the effort.

Masterlist Yandere AI Masterlist Masterpost

AO3 Wattpad Tumblr Backup Account

[scotianostra]

On August 27th 1788 the trial began of Deacon William Brodie, a respected pillar of Edinburgh society by day, a thief and housebreaker by night.

Brodie is said to have been the inspiration of Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, which was published a century later.

The prestigious title of deacon did not refer to religion, as many assume, but instead to his presidency of one of Edinburgh's trades guilds. His trade was as a cabinet-maker and his position as deacon of the Incorporation of Wrights made him a member of the town council.

The trial of William Brodie for breaking into and robbing the General Excise Office for Scotland took place at Edinburgh on 27th and 28th August, 1788. The story of his strange career is as enthralling as any romance. The double life which he so long and successfully led – as a respected citizen and town councillor by day, and by night the captain of a band of housebreakers – was the wonder of the country at the time. Nowadays you would call it a celebrity trial.

Brodie was quite rich with 10,000 pounds and three houses that he inherited from his father. He also inherited the business, allowing him to sustain the wealth. Traveling in the highest social circles, Brodie had the key to almost all of the richest people’s houses. Literally. No wealthy Edinburgh resident would ever think that such a respected man would keep a copy of their key in his drawer and that he would slip inside their homes after nightfall to steal everything worth taking.

During the day, he was a well-known gentleman who shared jovial times with his rich customers and enjoyed the company of highly respected persons such as himself, but during the night, Brodie could be found gambling in the dark corners of Edinburgh, accruing debts that forced him to consider a life of crime, and so, he became a thief.

After installing a lock in a rich man’s home, Brodie would also make a copy of the key for himself. Not because he collected souvenirs, but because he intended to visit those homes again, some other night when a burglary without breaking in but entering the house with a key would be his tactic. In this way, the man had supplemental payment to support his double life as a gentleman by day and a gambler in the evenings. On top of everything, Brodie had to support his five children by two mistresses who didn’t know of each other’s existence.

Allegedly, his criminal career began around 1768, when he stole 800 pounds from a bank that he sneaked into during the night by using a key. The Deacon’s nightlife was filled with gambling, robbing, and stealing. He didn’t mix his daily business and finances with his nightlife. Whenever he would fall into debt while gambling, he had the “ace key” that would pay off his debts.

Another source says that although Brodie had already robbed a bank, his real criminal career began in the summer of 1786 when he met George Smith, an Englishman. Brodie and Smith got into business together, targeting the rich people’s homes in Old Town. By the end of that same year, the duo had successfully robbed a tobacconist and a goldsmith’s.

Soon, the Deacon and the Englishman recruited two other members to their group: Andrew Ainslie, a shoemaker, and John Brown, a thief. In 1787, the gang stole tea from a grocer’s store in Leith. Back then, tea was a valuable commodity, a luxury that only members of the elite could afford to buy.

Encouraged by their success, the gang, led by the Deacon, decided to steal the revenues of Scotland from an Excise office in Chessel’s Court on the Canongate. They organized an armed raid, and for the first time, instead of welcoming themselves inside with a key, they broke in. However, they managed to steal only 16 pounds when they were caught. The unsuccessful robbery led Brown to claim the King’s Pardon the same night and named Smith and Ainslie as the culprits.

When his partners got arrested, Brodie traveled to London, and from there he boarded a ship to Amsterdam. But, since there was a reward for Brodie, he was tracked down in Holland and shipped back to Edinburgh. He and his friend Smith were tried on August 27, 1788. Although at first there wasn’t any strong evidence against Brodie, he was convicted after a disguise, pistols, and of course, copied keys were found in his workshop. After a trial that lasted only 21 hours, Brodie was hanged in front of 40,000 people on October 1st that very year.

You can read an account of his trial here https://archive.org/.../trialofdeaconbro00brod_djvu.txt

[heartpiratedrabbles]

Insecurities Part 3

Part 1 Part 2 ~ Part 4

Buggy X Fem Reader

The twins, were now 5 years old and you were still hanging around the same island. The only difference being you’ve made it your home base now. You changed your name to outsiders and started a show called ‘Zazel’s Dazzling Circus’ and it had drawn in quite a crowd, the past two years were filled with traveling with your group to other islands but always returned home after a week or two.

        The friends you made were delighted when you had told them you were staying and even when you moved out of Gin’s house, opting to live in the circus itself, he made sure you knew you were always welcomed back and that he’d always be willing to watch the boys. Even going as far as getting a bed for both of them whenever they’d spend the night.

        Throughout the years you had slowly let your appearance go back, no longer dying your hair, and wearing the revealing performance clothes again. You couldn’t be happier with how it was going. There were times when you’d look at your boys faces and be reminded of their father, missing him and wishing to contact him but you’d push the thoughts to the back of your head. You’d kept tabs on him throughout the years, keeping newspapers clippings and bounty posters, being proud of your former Captain every time he made the front page. You didn’t mean to make a scrap book of him, but overtime you had amassed enough too and thought it easier to hide a book over a box of loose papers.

        Gin recognized your kids features almost immediately but had never pushed you on the matter. He still took care of them when you were away and loved them as an uncle would. And he never told the kids of their father either, which you were thankful for. You’d tell them when they were older, or when they’d ask you about it, whichever came first you supposed. They didn’t seem to much care about not having a father figure, after all they had plenty of role models in their life.

Benji had perfected the art of knife throwing and pick-pocketing already, opting to be a little thief despite having everything he could want. Azure on the other hand had taken after you with his contortion and acrobatic skills, using them to distract people for Benji or to even squeeze in through open windows to steal. And as much as you wanted to raise them right, you couldn’t help but encourage their sneaky ways, also teaching them how to defend themselves in case things went awry. You were, after all, a pirate for most of your enjoyable life, and would rather them be prepared if they decided they wanted to go out to sea one day.

One of your favorite acts to watch from afar was when your two boys would freak strangers out who hadn’t known there were two of them. The shock value of one of them disappearing and the other appearing behind the stranger was perfect to rob them blind. Most of the time the people who so impressed and confused they wouldn’t even notice the missing items at all.

What’s more, your circus had brought some fame to the island and caused more travelers to visit and see the show. It brought you great pride in seeing how successful it had become. As the ringmaster and headliner, you were ecstatic at the applause each night and the berries you were raking in.

Another gig on a different island was coming up and this time you’d be traveling with the crew; your circus had grown enough to be in 2 places at once and you had trusted members who took care of the other act when you were away. Still though, the twins were too young and oblivious to bring to another island to wreak havoc on, so you left them with Gin who’d happily look after them. Using his time with them to teach them more about sailing and pirating.

As you were saying goodbye to your boys you had noticed Benji playing with face paint, curious you walked behind him to see what he was doing. But as you walked closer your mischievous son noticed and quickly hid a paper in the drawer of his vanity, “You can’t see yet!” He had yelled all flustered. Azure snickered behind him and made a comment of not being subtle at all.

“Well I’ll be back in a about a week, can you show me then?” Your curiosity getting the better of you. You son nodded and you smiled before he got up from his chair to join you in a hug Azure following suit. “I’ll miss you boys alright? Don’t forget that if you do do anything to not get caught.” They groaned in acceptance before you departed.

~~~

        Cabaji roamed the tent, fitting in perfectly with the people around him, A traveling circus had come to town and piqued his interest, they weren’t common Afterall and he’d like to see how this one worked. He hadn’t made the show itself but had gotten there just as people were leaving as the clean-up process unsued. Strangely enough he felt a sense of calm as the chaotic backstage seemed to run near the same way as Buggy’s own circus.

        “Hey, I haven’t seen you before. Why weren’t you at rehearsal?” A man approached him much to his dismay. “When did Mistress Zazel hire you?” He leaned in closer to Cabaji.

        “Oh, I was called here to audition and lost my way” He gestured to the unicycle he was carrying and the man sighed.

        “I’ve told her to schedule auditions at better times than right after shows but she never listens. Follow me, I’ll take you to the small performance tent” The man believed him easily and Cabaji seemed pleased with himself. He could meet this Zazel and perhaps talk to Buggy about how she runs her show to him.

~~~

        “Mistress Zazel another auditioneer is here for you. I put them in the normal tent,” Your stage manager Hendriks called out from behind the curtain, you were cleaning off the make-up and glitter on your face.

        You don’t remember scheduling an audition but it had been such a hectic arrival that you could see yourself telling someone in passing to come after the show. You sigh standing up, putting your mini top hat back as you walk towards the tent. Hendriks told you of how he was carrying a unicycle with him and seemed to already be in a costume. You did enjoy the enthusiastic people the most. As you open the curtain you look ahead of you to see the back of a familiar man, causing you to slam the curtain shut quickly.

        Hendriks looked at you quizzically as you peaked in again. The man in question had already started balancing on his singe tired bike as though it was as easy as walking and despite the years that had gone by you could tell it was him. Blood rushed out of your face as you turned back to your stage manager, “Tell him I’m sorry but that there are no spots open at the moment.” And you quickly walk away.

        Back in your own personal tent you start pacing, it had been years. Years. Why was a former crewmate here of all places? And asking for an audition? What was he up too? You take out your transponder snail to call Gin, “Gin someones here. I don’t know why but I’m worried he’s-“ You babbled out as fast as the speed of light.

        “Y/N calm down. What wrong? Who is there?” Gin interrupted you and as you tried to catch your breath he continued, “…Is it Buggy?”

        That seems to hitch your breath again, you hadn’t even thought about the whereabouts of your former captain, “I. I don’t know. Cabaji is here though and I’m worried. I left on such awful terms” You were starting to panic, sitting down only to stand back up again.

~~~

        Cabaji sighed, his plan had failed and he was sent away. The man didn’t escort him out though so he had decided to take the scenic route and look around. As he continued he heard an oddly familiar voice and went to investigate. “Y/N why don’t you just cut the trip short, have Xavier fill in for you-“ The voice was clearly from a transponder snail but was more interesting was the name used. Did you truly run away to another circus? Buggy would be intrigued.

        Deciding to not get ahead of himself he listened in more, and your voice, a tad tired and more worried had reverberated through his head. This had to be you. He had to tell Buggy as soon as possible. Although he hadn’t seen your name in the program so it was clear you went under a different name now adays.

        “I’m going to the show tomorrow to confirm it captain.” The blue-haired clown had nearly screamed when he heard the news and promised he’d be there in no more than 3 days. “She might be leaving so at the very least I can see what her alias is based on who this Xavier plays tomorrow.” It was the happiest he had heard his captain in a while.

        “I’m stopping at a port tomorrow before heading to where you are. Update me the second you think she’s somewhere else, it’s the closest we’ve come to finding my doll” His captain had cooed out. The past five years had been weirdly restless, traveling and conquering areas that made the world government fear Buggy, but little did they know it was all in pursuit of a single person.

~~~

        The next morning Gin had gathered the boys to tell them that their mom was coming home early, it wasn’t unheard of but it didn’t happen often either. “Was she run out of town?” “Did she start a fight?” “Is this like the time she set fire to a bar?” The questions poured in and Gin pushed them off as much as possible.

        “Why don’t you get your mother something nice before she arrives? She should be getting back sometime tonight or early tomorrow,” Gin knew they wouldn’t buy something, instead opting to steal from a rich person, but as long as they didn’t get caught it didn’t matter, and with Azure’s planning skills and Benji’s knife skills, he wasn’t too worried about the boys as they ran off to scope out the area.

Gin was a little worried of how’d you react when you come home to find Benji’s poorly copied version of Buggy’s face paint, but decided to add more to your plate when there was nothing he could do. He did warn the boy to wash his face before you arrived though. Benji, on the other hand, had known you wouldn’t be too happy to see him in this face paint. Despite your efforts at hiding it the boys had seen you look at a wanted poster, sometimes crying, and Benji being a snoop, had nabbed one of the posters and immediately loved who he saw.

Azure did make fun of him this morning for how sloppy it looks, but for a first attempt at the full look he was quite happy about it. Azure deciding a much more subtle look of a ponytail with a small hat, and a scarf covering his face. He wasn’t ashamed of his nose, but it was much easier to hide from unwanted attention when the most obvious part of his appearance was hidden. Now though, it was time to find a present. Azure deicing to scour out the new arrivals of boats as Benji took to the crowd immediately, stealing petty berries as he got closer to the dock.

The people who called the town and port their home weren’t surprised to see either of the boys snooping around, and no one tried to stop them from swindling strangers either, sometimes even going as far as to cover for the boys if a particularly angry person didn’t enjoy there disappearing act.

Benji stopped in an alleyway, rummaging through his bag to look at the score so far when he saw his brother out the corner of his eye. “An interesting ship arrived just now, we should check it out” Azure hinted, this could only mean 1 of two things, a rich passenger ship had come through, or a weird ship that was out of normal had made it’s way to the dock. Benji nodded and shooed Azure to make a distraction.

        He turned the corner and hid behind a barrel near the ship he was certain Azure was talking about. A large circus tent was on the main deck that memorized both boys for a second before they got back to work. Another circus coming to town? The pride of the act and the anger of stolen spotlight mixed as both boys thought the same thing, steal from the first person to walk of the boat.

        Even if they wanted to explore another realm, they knew better than to get on any ship for any reason. The chances of being whisked away or caught skyrocketing when they were no longer on their home ground. As they waited, a man got off the boat wearing a captain’s hat and a large fur coat. This was it. Benji couldn’t get a good look at the mans face but there would be no need. Azure cause a small harmless explosion further down the dock, causing people to look and walk towards the area, and just as expected the man followed suit.

        Benji, taking the opportunity ran and ‘bumped’ into the stranger grabbing a rather large coin purse in the act. He was a few paces away when he turned back to bow his head as a fake apology when he froze. The face of the man had looked exactly like that of the poster, although a bit older than the version he had.

        Azure seem to have noticed his brother and started making his way through the crowd yelling his name. Hearing his name be shouted he realized his mistake and quickly started to go further, but the man had already spotted him. Despite being so far away he felt a tug on his unruly hair, “Where do you think you’re goin brat?” The captain had barked out, not amused in the slightest, “You makin fun of me with that awful getup?” Benji cried out at the slight pain and quickly grabbed a dagger, opting to cut his hair from the disembodied hand as his brother grabbed his arm and darted through the crowd.

        They could both hear the shouts of the man behind him but thankfully the people of the port had decided to try and hide the boys, a bookshop keep ushering them into the back room until the coast was clear.

~~~

        “What’s up your ass?” Alvida quipped as the clown angrily walked by.

        “Some brats makin fun of my look. One of ‘em even wore a wig and did an atrocious job my make-up on their grubby face” Buggy sat down opening a bottle.

        “You sure that’s not just because there’s a circus on this island? Coulda been admirers” She sipped on her own wine leaning back.

        “Sure, if you count them also stealing some money. The one kid came outta nowhere to save the stupid twerp too, they even cut their wig just to get away from me,” A huff, “And don’t get me started on that stupid fake nose he wore.”

        “Well I’m not condoning beating up kids, but if you want revenge your best bet would be going to the show and lookin for them there.”

~~~

        “He looked just like the man in the poster!” Benji and Azure were arguing on just who the man was. The blue hair looked a little too similar for Azure’s taste and the nose was already a telling feature.

        “I swear the man in the picture isn’t just a clown what if he’s-“ They both shut up when they hear the door creak open, “Hi Uncle Gin!” Benji quickly slides the poster under a bed and looks up at the man.

        “Should I ask what happened to your hair?” A rather large chunk was missing, making the uneven cut all the more noticeable, “Your mother won’t be too happy with me about it.”

        “We didn’t get in trouble if that’s what your asking,” Benji grinned up, ignoring the warning glance from Gin, “Well it was a quick escape. They didn’t get us though see!” The boy stood up, pulling his brother with him, and did a twirl to show no injuries on his body. Azure slowly also twirling around.

        Gin smiled, it was times like this where he was reminded they were still just small children, “Uh-huh, as long as you’re both safe. “How bout you two stay in for the night and wait for your mom?” The question was innocent enough but Gin had heard a bit of their conversation and didn’t want to risk anything. “And remember to wash your face Benji.”

~~~

        “Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to Zazel’s Dazzling Circus! Due to an emergency I’ll be filling in for our wonderful Zazel-“ Cabaji looked up amused, he hadn’t expected this. This Xavier fella was front and center starting the show himself instead of the normal Ringmaster.

        He wondered slightly if it was a mistake, if Xavier was filling in for more than one act, but it quickly became apparent that his only role for the night was ring master, and that the big show of the dangerous trapeze had been opted for a different act to suit his skills. So our little Y/N started a circus of her own huh? Buggy will certainly be ecstatic over this.

        After the show he got ahold of Alvida, Buggy decidedly off in his own world, “Yea he’s checking out this circus in town, what do you want?” She barked out impatient.

        “I thought I’d let him Captain know of Y/N Alias” He heard Alvida knock a few things over.

        “How are you sure it’s her?” After explaining the situation even Alvida was getting giddy over seeing her friend again, “Well spit it out Cabaji, what’s the name?”

        “Zazel-“

        “Like Zazel’s Dazzling Circus?” Alvida interrupted him quickly standing up at the news, after a quick confirmation she was beaming.

~~~

        Buggy was wandering the circus for any signs of the brats from earlier huffing a bit. This place seemed like a paradise, freaks walking everywhere and different acts happening constantly in different tents, a main tent for the main show once or twice a night. Some people were whispering while glancing his way and Buggy just seemed as though it was people recognizing his greatness.

        After wandering for a while, he stops in front of a booth where a man is organizing shelves, Not bothering to look at Buggy he calls out, “You can buy tickets for the main act 6 tents down from here.” He nods his head in a direction ignoring the clown behind him entirely.

“I’m not here for that. Is there a brat with blue hair red nose parading around?” Buggy huffs out, a little annoyed at the disrespect.

        “Ah you’re probably lookin for the twins. I don’t think they’re here tonight but if they are they’d be in a practice tent or around the main acts for the night.” The man didn’t even bother looking over his shoulder as he answered, Benji and Azure got in enough trouble that it was just common ground to reveal where they were at the circus. Besides this was their home turf, no one would dare cause trouble to them here.

        Buggy mutters a thanks while walking away, twins huh? Heading towards what he believed to be the rehearsal/practice tents. Searching around, not bothering to ask again. If they weren’t here for the afternoon, it wouldn’t do much to keep asking, but it is a good idea to scope out the area.

[varpusvaras]

*strolls into your yard* hey so what if bail had spent years pretending to be a corrupt senator so he could work on disrupting them from the inside but then the clones happen and suddenly he's being invited to abuse the corries and is expected to participate would that be fucked up or what

Ohh, that is such an interesting concept! How would he have operated, and what would've even happened for him to decide that it was the best course of action. Of course, it would probably be not so dissimilar from him working for the Imperial Senate while leading the Rebellion (aint that a depressing thought...), so the realisation that the Republic and the Senate were corrupt enough for more drastic measures must've set in much earlier in this scenario. Breha would've also be involved in this plan, because Bail is representing her world and thus also herself, and they cannot make themselves too unpopular within their own population, or the whole thing would not work. Also, Bail would probably have to have some allies still in the Senate that know what he is doing, so he can coordinate how to do this efficiently. All of this would mean that they must have a good plan, and also boundaries on what they are allowed to do- for Pre-War Bail many things probably did not come easy, and there would've been a lot of things he just was not willing to do.

But he is making it work. It is a miserable job to do, and sometimes he doubts if he is even doing the right thing.

Then the war happens.

Somehow, all of this has still kept him within the inner circle of the Chancellor, and that is raising some red flags with him. Palpatine's persona and politics should be the exact opposite from the ones that Bail is doing. How is he still here?

The Clone Army is suspicious. Entirely too suspicious. Bail hates the whole thing, though he is able to mask it, and whatever criticism he voices are made to sound like he is merely doubting the abilities of the clones, like he thinks that they are just not high enough quality. This immediately sets him as someone who thinks the clones are beneath him in the eyes of others, even if he never says or does anything else.

He manages to keep himself away from the whole thing. Would it be better to just avoid all of them altogether, so he doesn't have to be cruel to them, even a little bit? He doesn't know if he can treat the clones as not people when he is face to face with them. He doesn't know if he can rob them of even one, slightly positive interaction.

He cannot do it. So he makes a plan.

He contacts the Commander of the Guard, and he tells him some things that he knows. That there is corruption in the Senate, that there are suspicions of treason, and that he is trying to uncover them from the inside. He asks the Commander for help with this, and promises that he will try to help them otherwise whenever he can.

The Commander, eager to be of help and to serve the Senate and the Republic, agrees to this.

He is a good man, the Commander. Bail likes him a lot. They establish a good working relationship, and things do work out for them. They don't interact publicly, and do not acknownledge each other beyond yes, Sir and yes, Senator when others are present. They have their own private, secure channel they use for messaging, and they use aliases when communicating in any way - just simple B and F. The Commander is hard working, intelligent and loyal, and shares a very similar sense of humor as Bail does, though sometimes he thinks that Breha would find some of the things he says even funnier than Bail does.

Bail really likes him.

Bail hears about the abuse. Of course he does. It did start very light, but it sounds like it is ramping up, and he is just happy that he has been able to avoid witnessing the more egregious things so far.

He is in a meeting one night. Well, it is less of a meeting, and more of them sitting around, having drinks and exhancing information and few other things. Bail holds back his grimace whenever Padmé and Mon are being talked about. The amount of vitriolic misogyny is staggering. But Vice Chair Mas Amedda is there, and Bail needs to hear what he has to say to a lot of things, so he bears it. It is a bit disturbing how easily he is able to do it, these days.

The discussion comes to a halt for a moment when the Commander comes in. He has something for Amedda. Bail pretends he is not looking, when Amedda puts a datastick into a pocket inside of his robes.

The Commander has already turned to leave, when one of the other Senators tells him to stop. Where is he hurrying to? Come back in here, you meat-droid.

Bail feels cold dread growing inside of him.

The Commander does come back in. He walks with his back straight to the Senator who had called him back. The Senator tells him to take off his helmet. He wants to see if there is anything underneath it, because all the Corries wear their helmets all the time.

It's a mockery, they all know it. The Commander takes off his helmet anyway.

It takes exactly nine seconds for him to be struck for the first time that night.

This was all a mistake, Bail thinks. This was all a mistake. He should've never done this. He should've never put himself in a position where helping someone would destroy years of work.

This was a mistake.

A second hit comes. The Commander is not reacting to it. He stays silent, and he just takes it. This is riling everyone up. Look at it, not reacting. Does it even feel it? Of course not, it's not actually a person, is it now?

The next hit makes the Commander stagger. Bail jumps up from his chair before he can even think about it, just as the Commander falls down onto the floor, right at his feet.

Bail freezes.

C'mon, Organa, someone laughs. Give it a little kick. Show it where its place truly is.

The Commander lifts up his head.

Bail looks at Fox.

Fox looks right back at him, with grim determination in his eyes.

Don't ruin this, he says to Bail, without uttering a word. Don't ruin what we have worked so hard for.

Bail hates it.

He hates himself.

This was all a mistake.

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

The Right Place in Time

Summary: What if Steve was in the woods with Chrissy and Eddie to buy weed for his headache?

Chapter one

Steve’s in the woods, watching Eddie and Chrissy flirt at the picnic table. He flirted enough, even when he flirted badly, to know those two people were flirting. Chrissy and Eddie? They were definitely flirting. No one hides behind their hair like that and not absolutely be smitten with the other person. Who could blame him, though? Chrissy Cunningham was extremely cute and so sweet. They ran in the same crowd a while back, and before she started dating Jason Carver, they used to talk about their parents whenever they found themselves alone. If she hadn't started dating Jason, he would have asked her out.

Steve’s head was killing him, and he really needed weed, but somehow, he still managed to find Eddie turning himself into an idiot to make Chrissy smile very endearing. He winced and smiled, trying not to come off so agitated, but he didn't think it was working. He sighed loudly.

"Something up your butt there, Harrington?" Eddie asked.

"Just waiting for you guys to get done flirting," Steve scoffed.

"Aw, you feeling left out? Chrissy, I think he's feeling left out," Eddie said.

"He's definitely feeling left out," Chrissy giggled.

"You know, I could flirt with you too, if you need me to," Eddie said coyly.

"Keep it in your pants, Munson," Steve blushed. "I'm only here for weed."

"Well, if you ever want anything else, like what it's in my pants, then I charge extra," Eddie said and leaned toward Chrissy. "For you, Chrissy, you still rob me blind."

"Hm, gonna have to keep that in mind," Chrissy grinned.

Chrissy soon parted ways with them, letting Steve get to his own drug deal. She blew them both kisses before bouncing off into the woods. Steve plopped down in her seat. Much to his surprise, Eddie had given him the same deal that he had given Chrissy. Not long after that, they started to leave the woods together. A fallen tree was laying in their path, and without thinking, Steve held out his hand to help Eddie over. Eddie gladly took his hand and hopped over the tree.

"Very gentlemanly of you, Harrington," Eddie said with a grin and held out his hand.

Steve grinned, took his hand, and leaped over the tree. Suddenly, a green and white blur jumped out at them, hollering. Steve and Eddie both screamed, holding onto each other's hands tightly.

"CHRISSY?!"

"JESUS H CHRIST!"

"Oh, your faces!" Chrissy laughed.

"Why?!" Eddie asked.

"You said that I wasn't mean and scary," Chrissy said and growled at him.

"Yeah, okay, very mean and scary," Eddie said, laughing. "Also, very adorable."

"Aww. Are you guys holding hands?" Chrissy asked. "That's a good idea."

She took Eddie's lunch pail and replaced it with her hand, so three of them were holding hands as they walked through the woods. She giggled as Eddie started swinging both hands wildly.

"So, Chrissy, you still dating Carver?" Steve asked.

"I, uh, actually broke with him before lunch," Chrissy said.

"So, should I say sorry or offer my congratulations?" Eddie grinned.

"Definitely congratulations, I hated that guy," Chrissy said. "He was so - so - "

"Full of himself? Yeah, I'm surprised he never made out with his own reflection," Steve snorted.

"He actually did that once when he was really drunk," Chrissy frowned.

"So, Harrington, how much time do you spend on your own hair?" Eddie asked teasingly.

"That's different. My Grandpa Otis used to love working with hair, and he would get up early to fix his. Sometimes, I would get up with him to watch, and he'd look so happy doing it that I decided I wanted to join. Every morning, we'd get up, put on some music, and we would do our hair together. We did that until. . .until he died. I haven't stopped doing it because when I do, it feels like he's still there with me," Steve shrugged.

"Aww, Steve," Chrissy said softly.

"Well. Now I feel bad," Eddie said.

"Don't be," Steve shrugged.

"You know, I grow out my hair because I look more like my mom when I do," Eddie said, sharing a smile with Steve.

Steve and Eddie gazed at each other, their cheeks pink. Chrissy leaned against Eddie's shoulder.

"You guys are so sweet," Chrissy said softly.

There was a comfortable silence as they walked through the woods together. Once they made it to the treeline, they dropped their hands. Chrissy gave Eddie back his lunch pail.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow, but alas, we must," Eddie said.

"We should all hang out, you know, soon," Chrissy said eagerly.

"Chrissy Cunningham, are you asking us both out on a date?" Eddie asked in amusement.

"You know what? Fuck it. Yes, I am," Chrissy said.

"Well, hell, I'm in," Eddie said. "What about you, big boy?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm in," Steve said with a smile.

"Great," Chrissy said with an excited grin. "I'll see you guys later to talk about the details."

She skipped away and nearly tripped over a root. They watched in amusement as she cursed at it and walked off in a huff.

"You better step up your hair game for our big date, big boy," Eddie said.

"Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint Chrissy," Steve said, and Eddie laughed.

Steve walked away from Eddie with a smile and a spring in his step. His headache was still there, but it seemed like it hurt less. He never thought about dating two people at the same time before, but as long as everyone involved was okay with it, why couldn't it be done? As he thought about Eddie and Chrissy's smiling faces, Steve believed that it really could be done. As he arrived at his car, he spotted Dustin and Mike running around like they were chickens with their heads cut off.

"What the fuck?" Steve squinted.

He approached Dustin, Mike having run off before he could catch him.

"Steve! I tried calling you at work, but you didn't answer!" Dustin exclaimed. "Wait, what are you doing here?"

"I left early. I came here to pick up something for my headache," Steve said. "What are you doing?"

"Did you buy drugs from Eddie?" Dustin whispered.

"Yes," Steve whispered back. "By the way, you were right. We totally did get along."

"Awesome! So, does that mean that you will play with us tonight?" Dustin asked.

"You mean D&D?" Steve asked.

"Yeah?!" Dustin asked, excited.

"No, because I'm going to Lucas's game tonight," he told him. "Why aren't you?"

"Eddie's been working hard on this campaign. He's not going to post pone it because Lucas decided to join the dark side," Dustin scoffed.

"Is that what Eddie said?" Steve asked furiously. "Just when I was starting to like the guy."

"Are you mad?" Dustin asked wide eyes.

"I'm mad at Eddie. I'm disappointed in you," he sighed. "My headache is getting worse, so I'm going to leave now."

Steve turned and walked away, shaking his head. His stomach churned with anger. The dark side? Seriously? Does Eddie not know what he's doing by putting a wedge between them? Lucas shouldn't have to choose. Steve cursed. It looked like he was going to have to break the date with Chrissy.

Chapter two

[samgirl98]

Mending a Family 44/?

Prev | Next

Two days after Tim left, Jason regretted giving him his phone number. Not because the kid was trying to convince him to return to Gotham but because he would text him at the most random times with the most innate things. Seriously, did he ever sleep? Why was he trying to find out who robbed a store and took only the left socks?

Okay, the last one was interesting, but why was he doing it at 2:42 a.m.? Go to sleep!

Jason rubbed his eyes and continued setting up the snacks for the first book club meeting. Ghost Writer was literally glowing at the prospect of the first meeting. Jason constantly reminded him to stop lighting up if he didn’t want to freak people out. After telling him the sixth time, Jason wondered if meeting in Ghost Writer’s bookstore was a bad idea.

He sighed, “Too late, now.”

Jason had used the bookstore’s website so people who signed up could also vote from six choices. It had been a close call, but most people chose Sense and Sensibility. Jason couldn’t overstate his happiness that the first book would be an Austen novel. Jason might not have read it in a while, but he had it almost memorized and found himself more engrossed than usual in the novel. They only had to read the first five chapters for the first meeting, but Jason couldn’t help but finish it in one sitting while Jazz had had the kids.

Jason looked up as the bell over the door rang. A middle-aged woman entered the bookstore. Jason recognized her from the school and greeted her warmly. Then, an older lady entered. She had curly, short silver hair and thick glasses that made her eyes look huge. Jason greeted her and pointed her toward the snack bar. Next was a couple who bickered with each other. It wasn’t loud, but it felt overwhelming in such an enclosed space. Jason hoped that they wouldn’t continue arguing with each other the whole time.

Next, a young woman who looked to be college-aged showed up. Her hair was in a bun, and she was dressed as if she were going to an interview. Jason looked down at his ratty T-shirt and holey jeans and suddenly felt ragged. A few minutes later, a guy with a bushy beard and covered in tattoos entered. He looked like a biker.

Jason couldn’t help but be excited as he talked to the people who had entered. Barring the couple, everyone seemed happy to be there. Jason heard the bell ring once more. His smile fell when he saw the person who had entered.

Avril fucking Dubois. Fuck.

Jason ignored Avril as much as he could. He refused to let her ruin this for him.

They went around and introduced each other. The couple, Henry and Vanessa, went first. Halfway through introducing themselves, they started bickering. Jason quickly went to the next person.

The older woman was Agnus.

“I’m so glad this book club started. I love literature, and most of the people I used to talk to are gone now. I hope being around you young people will give me new perspectives.”

“Welcome, Agnus,” Jason said. He had a feeling he would get along with her. Next was the college student.

“My name is Charlotte. I’m here to find like-minded people who enjoy reading as much as I do. I can bring new insights and hope to learn from other people’s points of view. I hope to be a good asset to this club.”

“Um,” Jason had no idea what to say in response to that introduction. “Well, welcome; just having you here is awesome.”

“Hello, Jay. I know you know me, but for everyone else, my name is Carrie. I love to read but have very little time to do so with my children. I decided I needed some ‘me’ time, so I joined. I can't wait to discuss literature with other like-minded people.”

“Name’s Jerry,” Biker dude said, “I’m here to broaden my horizons and to see more of the world through books. Happy to be here.”

Jason smiled warmly toward him. He loved that Jerry didn’t fit into the stereotypical bookworm category. It made Jason feel validated somehow. Of course, Avril had to ruin by sniffing at Jerry’s introduction and haughtily introducing herself.

“My name is Avril Dubois. I’m the president of the PTA at my children’s school.”

Why would anyone care about that?

“I studied literature and English in college, so I thought this club would be a good way to continue my love of literature and help spread what I know. It’s certainly nice to meet such a…interesting band of people.”

Jason gritted his teeth at Avril’s blatant insult and decided to introduce himself.

“Hello, my name’s Jay. I started this book club so I can talk and discuss with others the books I read. I am so glad to have so many people here who share my passion for the written word. I would also like to thank Mr. Edwards for letting us use his bookstore for this little club.”

Ghostwriter waved a hand and sat by Jason. Thankfully, he looked like a very pale man and wasn’t glowing.

“I put a little poll online, and Sense and Sensibility won. I’m excited to talk about this book. Austen is one of my favorite authors. So, did everyone read the first five chapters?”

The discussion started, and Jason had to admit (at least to himself and not Roy) that this was a good idea.

Jason couldn’t help but feel joy being in a group of people arguing whether or not it was Mrs. Dashwood’s fault that Elinor had to have sense and had become a parent due to Mrs. Dashwood’s habit of letting her emotions take over.

Even the couple stopped bickering with each other to gang up on Jerry and Agnus. At one point, Jason and Avril were on the same page. Well, weirder things, he guessed.

When the first meeting ended, Jason felt his core humming with happiness.

Jason personally saw everyone out—even Avril.

“Well, I was pleasantly surprised, Jay. Who knew you had some knowledge of Austen? Don’t be late to the PTA meeting tomorrow, if possible.”

Even Avril’s backhanded compliment didn’t bring Jason’s spirits (ha!) down. He couldn’t wait for the next meeting.

Quick disclaimer: I have never read Austen.

I tried to read it for this chapter, but it's not my cup of tea, so I did something I have never done before: I used cliff notes, lol. I kinda wish I could've gotten into it because I see so much of Jason in Marianne. For example, Jason uses his emotions to live his life, and it has caused him problems with his family

Likewise, I see bits of Jazz in Elinor. But since I can't really go into it I decided to put it here on the notes.

anyway, enjoy

@itsberrydreemurstuff @idontgetpaidenoughforthisshit @skulld3mort-1fan @theauthorandtheartist @emergentpanda-blog @jaggedheart11 @fisticuffsatapplebees @booberrylizard @fantasticbluebirdfan @thegatorsgooseoose @cyrwrites @kjoboo91 @crystallicedart @amaramizuki666 @spekulatiusmuffin @meira-3919 @kilasmess @bubblemixer @lexdamo @wonderland-daisy @mj-arts-n-stuff @amyheart19 @dolfay @the-church-grimm @undead-essence @aph-mable @lizisipancardo @purrloin77 @writer-extraodinaire @charlietheepic7 @sinfulloccultist @nootherusernameworked @coruscateselene @chaoticchange @itsberrydreemurstuff @gmkelz11 @feral-bunny31 @paroovian @thatonegaybitch68 @d4ydr34min9 @overtherose @fandomwandererer @vipower001 @thordottir45 @blackrabbitt3t @rosecinnamonbun @bianca-hooks123 @epilepticnerd @dat1angel @consouling @flamingenchiladadragon @all-mights-asscheeks @ender-reader @fuyu-bitch @ravenswife @randomafterthought @chaos-and-wtv

[hinamie]

Not trying to start anything but is there a reason why you want Yuuji to have kept his injuries so badly? /gen

a ! part of it is the fact that I spent so long figuring out how I wanted to implement yuuji's scars into the way I draw him, n now to have had all that effort be for naught is salt in the non-existent wound :'> there were so many of them that I was pretty proud of myself when I settled on something I was happy with,,,, not to mention they looked so cool cries i was ROBBED

but even from a non-petty non-aesthetic standpoint i have some thoughts on why i think yuuji should have kept the scars. SPECIFICALLY the right eye injury. don't get me wrong megumi having the facial scars that echo sukuna's mask does look cool it's nice and angsty he looks good i do Like it. HOWEVER. i think from a narrative standpoint, to have Yuuji be the one to lose the right eye or have a significant scar in that spot would have been Better visual storytelling. Not only does yuuji spend more time as sukuna's vessel comparatively but Yuuji as sukuna's vessel n foil is SUCH a key plot point (mans literally says "you are me" like>?>??????????) n i feel like the scars n what they represent in that regard are better suited to him. family resemblance if u will.

ik this isn't rly taking into account megumi's torso scars but personally i got no beef with those I think they make sense. he was punched out of sukuna, obv that's gonna leave a mark . "but by that logic couldn't you make the same argument for why megumi keeps the facial scars?", I hear you ask. and to that i say you /could/ but imo megumi's torso scars also carry a symbolism that makes it Meaningful fr him to have them. i'm mostly thinking here about yuuji being better able to Suppress sukuna's true form whereas megumi Couldn't and him having to wear the reminder on his body as a result. at the end of the day though my main gripe really just boils down to the fact that not only does megumi end up with /more/ sukuna-related scars than yuuji, but Yuuji straight up loses /All/ of his. As far as we know he has none now and that's SUCH a shame imo.

I think if megumi were to keep the torso scars + slits where the second eyes used to be (+ some other misc LEFT SIDE facial scars from the fight w gojo and the jacob's ladder attack), with Yuuji instead being the one to sustain the main right eye injury as a visual reminder of sukuna, that would be ideal for Me. Have megumi be an echo of the body, have yuuji be an echo of the face. That way there's good symbolism - the size/placement of their marks better corresponds 2 the nature of the time they spent as vessels + the weight of their respective relationships with sukuna. simple, effective, matching angsty bfs. AND they get to look at themselves and each other and be riddled with intense soul crushing guilt!!!!!

anyway scarred!megu nation we won but scarred!yuuji nation suffered for it and i'm not going to take that slight lying down.

[marshmallowprotection]

Sambucus

Pairing: Reader/[Suit] Saeran Fandom: Mystic Messenger. Description: A miserable boy who desperately believed in happily ever after knew he wasn’t meant to be the prince, no matter how much he dressed himself as one, after all. Word Count: 3,150

[Read On AO3]

His blood was burning hot in his ears.

How dare you not play along with his game? How dare you question him and ignore his warnings? How dare you act as though you saw a difference between him and Ray? 

The Savior herself didn’t care for the distinction, lauding them as she liked, using the name she wanted no matter who stood in front of her, thinking that would beckon him to come forward. That wasn’t how it worked, but she didn’t care, pressuring them to feel confused and also unsure of themselves when she used their identities against each other. Saeran knew who he was, he was a sword and a shield, standing in the way of every obstacle that even dared to think it could destroy him or his Ray. 

That was his duty. It was his purpose to be strong enough to survive in a place that crushed Ray’s dreams underneath its heel. Ray was their heart and soul. He was the only one who was allowed to believe in dreams and fairytales, whereas Saeran’s only choice was to grit his teeth and bear the pain to ensure they didn’t lose their faith in goodness. This was the true power of Mint Eye’s paradise. 

A strength built on survival of the fittest. 

The only way to live in the Savior’s world was to become no better than she was. 

Ray wasn’t built to survive in a place like this forever, and as the Savior said, it was only a matter of time until he was destroyed because of it. It wasn’t his world. It was the Savior’s world, and her world was built to do damage to a fantasy like his… and yet, he just couldn’t stop dreaming of a world where the damned liar and traitor hadn’t abandoned them to rot, a world in which he could be with his family and extend a hand to the doll he had ensnared into his gleeful web of happily ever after. 

That wasn’t a world Saeran belonged in. 

Saeran didn’t belong in a world of fairytales and fantasy. He wasn’t born to extend a hand to a prince or princess in distress. He wasn’t put on this planet to relax in a garden with your eyes watching his every move in the hopes of being his next touch. He wasn’t created for happily ever after in the castle Ray built for you and you alone. He wasn’t allowed to have the same dream as Ray, because Ray’s dreams were intended to be nothing… but an impossible fever dream held out like a carrot on a string to lure an unsuspecting person into the Savior’s clutches. 

It was supposed to be impossible. 

You were never meant to return his fancy. 

And yet, you did. You clamored for his attention just as he did for yours. You smiled when he stumbled and offered your outstretched hand to let him see there was a gentleness in this world meant for someone as pitiful as him. You gave him something tangible, something he was never meant to have, the very carrot the Savior never intended to give him. All it took was a single bite of that damned carrot for Ray to consider changing his mind about paradise and their survival. 

You gave him hope. 

Hope was a dangerous, disgusting thing. Saeran knew it was incredibly risky to believe in a world beyond the walls of paradise. He'd like to tell himself it was safer to trust the devil he knew than the devil he didn't. It wasn’t hard to guess what the Savior wanted from them, and when he’d taken a moment to compare her familiar torture to the unknown of the agony Saejoong Choi might cause them if they left this place? It wasn’t hard to choose which one he thought he could handle for the rest of his days. 

They wouldn’t survive in the outside world for long, even if you’d given Ray that wretched hope to believe in circumstance rather than the odds of something going wrong, Saeran knew better than to believe you. 

After all, who was he if not the one who had been robbed of his hopes and dreams? Saeran was strong, Saeran was heartless, Saeran was cruel, and Saeran could chew up and spit out the monsters he feared the most because he listened to the Savior and did what had to be done. Now, Ray couldn’t do that. He couldn’t follow through, he could destroy plenty of enemies but he would never be able to get rid of them and send them to their graves. It was his disposition to believe in hope that caused that and it was Saeran’s job to shatter his little dreams before they became too big to control. 

They would ultimately survive to see the sunrise thanks to Saeran, but Ray wasn’t grateful for that. 

He sobbed, he cried, he wept, and he pleaded with Saeran not to destroy his things but if Saeran didn’t do so first, then the believers would, and if the believers didn’t crush him beneath their heel, then the Savior herself would take care of it. It was a nasty job, but a necessary one. Survival of the fittest, after all, didn’t care if you had hopes or dreams, it only cared if you could bare your teeth and fight to see the next day. 

Saeran made a grim tomorrow possible for the two of them, as much as Ray hated it, it was better to have a grim tomorrow than to have no tomorrow.

Saeran settled. 

Why couldn’t Ray?  

It was your fault, wasn’t it? You smiled brightly at him and told him he had a place in this world when no one else would. You fed him lies about the rest of the outside world, you told him he could survive as long as he held your hand, you told him stories of a world he dreamed of but could never have, and instead of crushing them as you were supposed to, you’d made him believe he could have everything he ever wanted in the palm of his hand if he just gave it a chance. 

A miserable chance? Saeran wanted to laugh in your face when you said those words. That world wasn't meant for us, and that was decided from the moment we were born. Do you think you can fill his mind with dreams he’ll never achieve to laugh in his face? How dare you tell him to believe in something we can never have? I’ll crush you beneath my heel and make you recant every. single. word. 

You refused to play his game in the chatroom, so he decided to take the game to you, instead. 

The door slammed open and shut as he entered your suite, “Princess, Ray’s face is here. Rise and welcome me, will you? I know you want to see your prince’s face.” 

You were pretending to be asleep in bed. His lungs were hot as he hadn’t stopped to catch his breath on the trek from his office to this room, but even as his chest rumbled with the burning ache for oxygen, he could see the way your body twitched in response to the thunder. It wasn’t just his body that was unable to stay still in the face of a threat, you weren’t that different than Ray was in that regard. You couldn’t hide your emotions… not even if you wanted to. 

Even if he didn’t know what those emotions in your eyes were, he craved to see them quiver in agony rather than stare at him in what he imagined to be contempt. You weren't as strong as you claim to be, and he wanted to make a show of it. He would prove to himself that you didn’t care for Ray, you only cared for the attention he gave you, and once he had that proof in hand, he’d know for sure what you were. 

A liar, no better than Jihyun Kim or Saeyoung Choi, and that very proof would assure him that he made the right choice in biting you. 

They wouldn’t survive if you weren’t what he knew you to be. You had to go for the sake of their survival if you were truly a weakness, but why did his chest ache at the thought? Was it jealousy? Was it knowing that the Savior would dispose of you in the days to come if he couldn’t figure you out? Was it the notion he wouldn’t be able to figure out what made you tick because he had to show you the survival of the fittest instead? It was a strange sensation, but what could he do except what he was created to do? 

Saeran growled, “Don’t pretend to be asleep. I saw you flinch. Are you tired of Ray already?” 

You sat up, and your eyes dug into him as you dangled your legs off the edge of the bed to address him, “You’re not Ray.” 

That was what you said in the chat room. You refused to play along with his game and confess how you felt about him. You wouldn’t dare look at him with the same eyes you used that night he first met you face to face… the same worried, gentle eyes that lured Ray in like a fish on a hook. The eyes that made him risk their livelihood. The eyes that saw something in a lovesick fool that tricked you from the beginning. The eyes that gave a liar a chance when you could’ve scorned him and abandoned this damn place with Jihyun Kim in tow. The eyes that… confounded and confused him. 

“But, Ray used to occupy my body,” Saeran tutted. His long legs carried him across the room as he stopped in front of you. You didn’t dare turn your head to look away from him. His palm cupped your right cheek as he cooed condescendingly. “Don’t we give out a similar vibe? After all, I think you know by now that we share the same face. That makes us one and the same in the Savior’s eyes.” 

A perplexing look washed across your features as you contemplated his words, whispering, “But, you’re not the same…” 

Saeran ignored those words. He gripped your face tighter, forcing you to look at him directly with nowhere to turn. He was in control, he was the one with all the power, and he wouldn’t dare be told what to do by that look in your eyes. You didn’t wince in pain, but your eyes looked pained, and that was enough to lead him to believe he’d drawn the right response out of you. 

You would admit it soon enough. 

Saeran knew it was only a matter of time until you shattered, and it was all the more reason he’d donned these clothes before he stormed out of his office. The magenta coat with a frayed blue rose pinned to the lapel, the tan pants that’d wrinkled without the aid of Ray’s iron to it, the old gloves that did nothing to stop him from chewing on his digits, and the tight vest that couldn’t hide how small their body had become while in Mint Eye. You would crumble at the very sight of Ray’s clothes and his oh-so-precious face. 

As he leaned over you, his form dwarfed yours, “Come on, look at me. Here’s Ray’s face. The face you love so much. Isn’t there a list of things you want to do to him? I seem to recall you whispering nonsense after you embraced him… telling him all the things you’d like to do to him if you had more time to show him what he did to you.” 

Your lower lip quivered. Still, all the same, you refuse to turn away from him. The believers didn’t dare look him in the eyes, but you? You always did. Even when you trembled in what he knew to be fear. Why? You had to give up one of these days and drop that mask. Drop the mask of lies… and wicked dreams that couldn’t ever be Ray’s… or his. 

“I—I said I wanted to share experiences with him. I would never do something to Ray… I wanted us to do everything together,” you said. There it was, he sneered, as your voice cracked and trembled beneath him. As if Ray could ever consent to those experiences you had in the back of your head. Why would he walk into torment knowing that it would be the death of him? 

A single kiss was almost the death of him. 

He couldn’t hide his weakness from the Savior, not when her agents were waiting around every corner, just waiting for him to slip up and reveal something that mattered more to him than paradise. A show of weakness, a show of desire, a show of temptation, all of that was what the Savior needed to spark a catalyst flame. 

Ray dared to reach out for something they were never intended to have, and where did that land him? He was wallowing deep within their tiny heart, begging and pleading for someone to put him out of his misery.  Even if the Savior let Ray get away with him at first, it wouldn’t change the ending, and they both knew that. 

A miserable boy who desperately believed in happily ever after knew he wasn’t meant to be the prince, no matter how much he dressed himself as one, after all. 

“Hahaha! What were you even thinking? Where did you let those stupid fantasies of yours take you?” He asked. 

You didn’t answer him. 

“What? Are you too shy to tell me? You’re a toy. You shouldn’t be feeling shy now. You shouldn’t be feeling anything at all, toy! You lost your right to have any emotion except for obedience when you failed your mission! Do you not understand your place? Are you going to keep your head up to the bitter end? Are you that delusional?!” 

You didn’t respond to that, either. 

He scoffed, “You’re too stupid for me to play with, toy. You’re no fun. Should I just throw you away? I can throw you away after playing with you in the basement. You should entertain me if you don’t want to end up there. That’s what happens to everything Ray cares about, toy. It’ll all be destroyed sooner or later. He was never meant to have anything in the first place! Now that I’ve explained it nicely, don’t tell me you still don’t get it.” 

Ray was never meant to be happy. 

Ray was never meant to survive. 

Ray was only meant to be given a carrot on a string to chase for the rest of his existence until the Savior decided Saeran needed to be the only one to exist. 

So, why? 

Why did you continue to believe in him? 

Why did you continue to affirm his existence? 

Why did you look at Ray with those hopeful eyes and not give him the same when he was no different than Ray at that exact moment? If he and Ray were the same just as the Savior said over and over again, why wasn’t it enough to wear his clothes and style his hair?

Why wasn’t it enough to receive the affection you lauded onto Ray? 

Ray was the only one allowed to experience your tenderness for a fleeting moment, and you’d given it to him without a second thought. Why did he earn your affection when he was never meant to have what he wanted to begin with? Why couldn’t Saeran be granted the same adoration you gave Ray? He was wearing Ray’s clothes, he styled his hair no different from Ray’s, and he’d given you every little detail to treat him the way Ray had been treated, and you refused! 

You refused to treat him as you treated Ray! 

This was the only way he would ever come close to understanding why Ray was willing to risk it all and you wouldn’t budge! You wouldn’t let him have a moment of tenderness under the mask that would give him a chance to taste it as far as the Savior was concerned! Saeran wasn’t meant to experience love and adoration, and neither was Ray, but Ray had been given a chance to embrace it, and how Saeran clamored to know what he felt as you cradled Ray’s face in your hands and kissed him over and over again before it was too late to ever know! 

The Savior would get rid of you soon enough and he wouldn’t know what it felt like to be wanted by you. 

The person with unbreakable eyes who saw something he couldn’t confess to himself. 

His words were almost desperate, pleading with you underneath what little venom he could scrounge up, “I’ll pretend to be Ray. So, do that thing again. You know, what you did in the garden. Come on. If you waste more time, something terrible will happen. I’m Ray, you stupid toy! Treat me like Ray!” 

Your breathless voice cut through his heart like a knife as you laid your hand on top of his and cradled it against your face. It was the first time he ever felt you touch him. “You aren’t Ray. It doesn’t matter if you try to force it, Saeran. You’ll never be him. I don’t want you to treat you like I treated him… it would be disrespected to you, Saeran. You’re Saeran… not Ray. He’s Ray, not Saeran. You’re not the same. You’re two people who I care for deeply, just because you share a face doesn’t mean you’re the same.” 

His eyes widened and his hands fell from your face. 

“I’m sorry, Saeran. I didn’t realize that’s what you’ve been asking for all along,” your eyes reflected a vision of a man in tears staring back at him. He hadn’t yet realized that the man in your eyes was him. “You don’t have to pretend to be Ray.” 

“Yes, I do!” The words tumbled from his lips in a heated shout. His head had begun to ache, pounding at the seams like it might split apart if that hidden truth escaped further. “Saeran isn’t meant to be loved! He wasn’t created to be shown love and tenderness! He’s only meant to be a sword for Ray’s survival and shield for all his beatings!” 

Your gentle hands then cradled his face and swiped away the flowing tears that burned hotter than any elixir in his throat. “I think Saeran deserves love just as much as Ray does.” 

Your words were the very reason the Savior wanted to destroy you because you not only gave Ray hope, but you gave it to Saeran, as well. 

[suzukiblu]

/squints at ceiling

I want to post more random excerpts but WHAT should I actually--oh right, weirdly emotional porn is an option.

Working title for this one: "Tim + clonecest". Read-more for the porn.

Kon and Match are both laying on their backs on Tim's bedroom floor, shirts rucked up over their chests and jeans shoved down around their thighs, and Tim is kneeling between them and hasn't so much as taken off his gloves from patrol. There wasn't enough room in his bed for this, or at least he doesn't feel like there would be. Also, the bed might be too much to start anyway.

He should take off his gloves, really, but he doesn't want to.

Anyway, he's an unenhanced human and they're both invulnerable alien hybrids with impregnable force fields that they wear like second skins. It's not like they have to worry about chafing or anything.

He squeezes both their cocks. Kon and Match make the exact same sound, and Tim makes a little mental note of just the way he did it.

They both liked it, so of course he does.

"Rob," Kon pants, practically keening, and Match grits his teeth, though it looks more like he's baring them. Tim wants to see them touch each other, but he hasn't mentioned that yet. He's not sure how either of them would take the idea. Six and a half minutes ago he wasn't even sure how they'd take this idea.

He thinks Kon wants to be used like a thing, probably–wants to be useful, more like–and that Match doesn't know how not to be. He thinks they both probably don't have much grasp of what they really want.

He thinks he'd really, really like to help them figure that out.

Tim strokes them both; pushes his thumbs up over the heads of their cocks and across their slits. Kon groans. Match grits his teeth harder.

Kryptonian genitalia is functionally identical to human, but Kon was custom-designed to be scientifically "useful" and Match was made in his image, so they both have a little extra . . . well, extra. Their matching cocks are both hard and heavy in Tim's hands, big and gorgeous and tempting.

And their matching cunts are both pink and pretty and so, so inviting.

Tim hasn't touched either of them there yet. Kon had gotten embarrassed when he'd asked if he could, and Match had just looked irritated. Neither of them had actually said "no", though, so Tim had decided to just revisit the question when they were both a little more relaxed about all this.

Or a little hornier. Whichever.

Tim doesn't know if it's gender dysphoria or general self-consciousness or just some kind of nerves about offering up something more vulnerable-feeling than just getting jacked off, but he isn't going to push it, obviously. If either of them had actually said "no", he wouldn't even revisit the idea at all.

But they didn't say "no", and he knows how Kon at least gets when he's feeling self-conscious or thinks he was made wrong or that he isn't measuring up to expectations in some way. Match he doesn't know as well, obviously, but . . .

Well. Match didn't say "no" either, did he.

Tim didn't even know Kon and Match were built like this six and half minutes ago, but now he's fairly certain he'd chew broken glass to get either one of them to let him really touch them. Or to see them touch each other, or even just themselves. They're both gorgeous, their faces and bodies identical and their hair inversed and their so-telling eyes that couldn't be more different; Kon's skin all sunwarmed and soft and Match's tense and cool as moonlight. They're both wearing civilian clothes, and never mind the recent changes in Match's allegiances, it's still one of the only times Tim's ever seen him wearing an outfit he didn't put on in an explicit attempt to pass for Kon. They're still Kon's clothes, though–Tim recognizes the shirt and jeans and even the sneakers and–

Well. And the underwear.

Possibly Tim knows a bit too much about Kon, given this is the first time they've ever done anything like this. Then again, he likes to know things about Kon.

And he's liking learning things about Match, too. Like the fact that apparently he and Kon are both fine with sharing underwear.

Rao give him strength, Tim thinks while he's trying not to melt into useless incoherence over that particular thought. He's not any kind of Kryptonian himself, no, but he absolutely needs Kryptonian-level gods for that prayer.

He twists his hands on the next downstroke and Kon groans louder and Match's eyes screw shut tight. Tim might feel trusted, if he didn't know perfectly well that the other could still feel every single thing that's happening in the room with his TTK whether he's got eyes on him or not. If he couldn't feel the touch of that TTK all over his body, ready to throw him across the room the moment he does something Match doesn't like.

He doesn't take that personally. He'd be more concerned if Match could actually trust another person this easily, given his entire life experience so far.

He also doesn't doubt it's Match's TTK on him and not Kon's. There's just no comparison in how they feel.

"Rob," Kon pants again, his invulnerable body shuddering helplessly against the floor, and Tim thinks, clinically, that he probably should've kissed him before they got this far. Match probably doesn't care, but Kon . . .

Kon might, yeah.

[save-the-villainous-cat]

Hero x Villain where Hero kills out of anger and Villain sees then falls in love with their rage?

“Nah, sorry, champ. HQ’s orders,” the guard huffed.

With a push that not only looked personal but must’ve felt personal, they forced the protesting hero back into the cell, handcuffed and robbed of their superpowers. And there they were, the almighty, pushed to the ground by a mere servant.

The villain watched them, an intrigued and satisfied smile on their face. Lazily, they leaned their head against the glass, arms crossed over their chest, wondering if this was an act for their own entertainment or quite real. The hero. In a cell. Right next to them.

It was a terribly serious prison with military grade technology which made it rather fun to escape from. The villain was simple in that aspect, they couldn’t resist walking away from a good explosion at the end of the day. To their knowledge, there were countless of attempts every hour or so but only one had ever succeeded at escaping.

And that was the villain. A year ago or so, they had forgotten.

With no weapons, obviously, but also special equipment to stop superpowers to develop, the prison’s secrets had to be cracked with wits, not the supernatural. Not even cell mates where allowed which pestered the villain especially. They were rather fond of talking someone’s ear off.

For the past two weeks the villain had decayed in here yet again and this time, they had to admit, it was trickier to find a way out. They’d imprisoned the villain in the what the guards called Deadly District. It meant the glass was made out of AM-III, the hardest glass in the world. The glass that could scratch diamonds.

Cool.

But also not very helpful when one is trying to break out of it. Not very helpful when it was caging them. It was a fairly new advancement, a small attempt at being scary.

“Oh, this looks fun.” The villain tilted their head and gazed at the hero with half-lidded eyes. For their great escape plan to work, they had actually needed the hero. Had wanted to seduce them. But this was way better than studying the guards. “Cutting your wings off. Poor thing.”

“I am a lieutenant of the association,” the hero hissed at the guard. “Are you aware of the damage you’re causing to yourself?”

The guard chuckled.

“Sorry, boss. Told you this is an order from high up. Not your call anymore.”

“Ouch,” the villain said, head still leaned against the glass. The false sympathy in their voice wasn’t provocative enough. They longed for the hero’s attention but they were nothing but a spectator in this situation. The hero didn’t mind them one bit. “Very disrespectful, I wouldn’t let that slide.”

“Count yourself lucky, your whole department is probably dead by now. Fucking traitor.” The guard spat on the ground and it would’ve been a lie to say the villain wasn’t surprised by that development. The heroes tearing each other apart? Wonderful.

When the villain stopped their daydreaming and looked back at the hero, the temperature had dropped.

The hero looked terrifyingly determined, like a monster ready to claw the guard open. They didn’t look like themselves, as if a trigger had been pulled and propped up another version of them. Something unpredictable and…wrong.

“Someone will die for this,” they promised and before the guard could do anything, the hero broke the handcuffs. Hatred and revenge consumed them, corrupted them, fuelled their powers till they were too much to hold but what scared the villain was the fact that they didn’t use them.

They went for the guard with their bare hands.

They grabbed them.

In their lifetime, the villain wouldn’t forget the way the guard screamed, how panic mirrored in their eyes, how they tried to reach for the touchpad to close the cell, how they ultimately fell and tried to crawl away.

The hero stood above them, expressionless.

“I’m afraid it’s you,” they said calmly. They pressed their boot into the guard’s neck, pressing until they were gasping for air. Their arms were outstretched, reaching for the hero but never touching them.

Above all, the villain didn’t forget how the hero leaned down and let themselves fall onto their chest, knees first. And then they punched them.

Punched them until their own knuckles scratched open, raw flesh greeting the cool prison, punched them until the whimpers and pleads went silent. The hero didn’t stop when the guard’s face was unidentifiable and just a gory mess of cartilage and broken bone. They stopped when the alarms of the prison roared and they could stick their fist into the guard’s face deep enough to leave blood up to their wrist.

“Holy fuck,” the villain whispered and for the split of a second the hero looked at them the same brutal way. But then, their expression changed.

In horror, they stared at the picture they had painted, at the bloody hand.

And the villain stared not only in shock but also in amazement.

“You got a boyfriend? Girlfriend? Someone?” The hero tore their gaze off the scene and looked at the villain anew.

“N-no.”

“OKOK, cool…”

Both learnt soon enough that this was just a fraction of the darkness within the hero.

[flowerandblood]

Robbed and gifted (5/6)

[ arranged marriage • modern!Aemond x female ]

[ warnings: sex content, angst, smut, fluff ]

[description: (Anon Request) She and Aemond are faced with a situation, where they must form a fictitious marriage. They are complete strangers to each other, who cannot find themselves in a new reality. When his wife stands up for him at a family dinner, something changes between them. Smut, angst and a lot of sexual tension.]

* English is not my first language. Please, do not repost. Enjoy! *

Previous and next chapters: Masterlist

_____

Several weeks have passed since their mutual decision to try and give their marriage a chance. He was surprised at how effortlessly they slipped into everyday life where they were suddenly talking to each other. His wife respected his privacy and responsibilities, not disturbing him as he worked locked in his office.

They got to know each other slowly and unhurriedly, knowing that they had time. Both of them didn't want to burn out prematurely, to take a one step too much.

He was pleasantly surprised that his confession didn't cause her to bombard him with messages or questions. She didn't need to know right away how he lost his eye, what his relationship with his father was like, what his childhood was like, what his favorite color was.

They used to talk to each other over dinner about how their day had gone. He found himself complaining about clients and his job in front of her, finally having a person who would listen to him and not judge him.

When she didn't understand something she asked in-depth questions, which he answered willingly, glad that she was able to admit that she didn't know something. He delved into the subject of his interests and the complicated world of banking, loans, deposits and money laundering under the table.

She listened to him as she ate, carefully analyzing everything he said. She did not refer to business or banking solutions, because she herself admitted that she did not know anything about them, but she was talking about something else. About the experience with the client and the care and hygiene of work.

“Your fatigue will not increase your productivity. You are frustrated and tired. You are chasing results that are impossible to achieve. Even when you achieve them, your father will surely set you higher, even more unattainable." She said with a shrug, taking a piece of carrot into her mouth. Aemond stared at her intently, toying with his glass in his hand.

"What do you propose?" He said dispassionately, knowing somewhere in his mind that it was exactly as she said. He wanted to hear her fresh perspective on the whole thing. She sighed softly, looking down at her plate in thought. She didn't say anything for a long moment.

"I don't know what your relationship with your father is like. Honestly, I don't understand him and I don't know what he expects from you. Anyway, I think you should start thinking about yourself. Start working for yourself and your own satisfaction, because your father will never be satisfied. Let go of extra things, sitting after hours if you think it's pointless. Find time in life for your passions and self-fulfilment, because if you don't achieve what you wanted in life, what will you have left?” She asked, looking at him anxiously. She had been worried about his condition for a long time now, but she knew that it was a sensitive topic and tried to be careful with her words.

Aemond pursed his lips as he sipped the last of the wine from his glass. He looked to the side, thoughtful, pondering her words.

The truth was that he gave up all his passions for work and had nothing without it. He graduated from business studies even though he wanted to study law, because his father decided so. He worked in the family bank instead of as a solicitor, because that was also what his father decided. He recognized, embarrassed, that little in his life had been his decision. Even the marriage they were in was his father's will. He swallowed hard at the thought.

"My father told me that if I tried hard enough, he would hand over the company to me." He said suddenly, looking at her expectantly. He saw her mouth drop open in surprise and blink rapidly.

"Do you want this?" She asked quietly and uncertainly. He nodded slowly, determination in his eye.

"I want this so - fucking - much." He whispered.

He saw that she was slightly confused, not expecting such an answer. He wondered if it would overwhelm her and how she would act. After a moment's thought, she answered.

"Wait and do your thing. Just don't cause problems. Aegon is probably not taken into account because of the way he behaves. With Jace and Luke backed up by Daemon it only takes a moment for them to slip up. Make you the only sensible option by elimination. Don't be pushy and don't be desperate. Keep Jace and Luke close to know, what they're doing." She spoke with certainty as if she were telling him about a plan,that she had literally just hatched in her head.

He stared at her, a wide, dangerous smirk spreading across his face, that sent shivers down her spine. He tapped his fingers on the table, looking at her.

"Maybe you should work with me." He purred, squinting at her expectantly. She swallowed hard and shook her head, terrified.

“I would go crazy there. After all, you need someone who will look at the situation from the outside. I'll be your double agent." She said proudly, drinking the rest of the juice that she had in her glass.

He chuckled lowly at the thought, shaking his head in disbelief. She was the last person he would suspect of such words. Maybe that's why they got him like that.

She was willing to do anything for him, to support him in his plans. Her discernment mixed with her sweetness, her cropped t-shirt and shorts had him just taking her to bed.

True to his promise, he fucked her almost every day. Sometimes, when they came home tired from work, they simply fell asleep in each other's arms, unable to do anything else. She studied and prepared for exams in her room, but in the end she always came to sleep in his bed.

Even when he had had a terrible day at work and came home angry, he was comforted by the thought of falling asleep in her arms. He told her everything with frustration and resignation, and she stroked his hair, letting him talk and calm down.

It made his burden a little lighter.

He fell asleep cuddled against her chest, wrapped in her arms, protected from all the troubles that awaited him outside their bedroom.

One day, his wife came to him and gave him an envelope. He opened it, surprised, and saw a lot of bills inside. He furrowed his eyebrows at her in surprise.

"What is this?" He asked uncertainly. She smiled at him, obviously proud of herself.

"I'm giving you back some of my collage money. I will now give you a specific amount each month from my paycheck. It will take me a while, but slowly I will give you back everything." She said pleased. He looked at her like a madwoman.

"Are you crazy? I do not want it." He said, holding out his hand with the envelope to her, angry, but she stepped back, refusing to take it.

“Take it. I don't want to be in your debt." She said with confidence in her voice that surprised him. He sighed heavily.

"Do not make me angry. I changed my mind. After all, paying for your studies was part of our marriage contract." He said impatiently. She pursed her lips at his words.

"My uncle didn't tell me, who he was taking the money from." She said with genuine regret that made his impatience soften a little. He sighed softly.

"It does not matter anymore. I want you to study. Let me pay for it." He said a little calmer, looking at her expectantly.

"Why would you pay for my studies?" She asked, obviously distraught and surprised that he was resisting her so much.

"Because you are my wife." He replied softly, looking at her with an unreadable expression.

"What I did and said to you when we first met was cruel and stemmed from my own need to take it out on someone. I will probably never get rid of the shame that I feel for my behavior for the rest of my life." He said as he walked over to her, handed her an envelope and kissed her forehead tenderly.

"Keep it. Maybe we'll need it someday if I go bankrupt." He muttered under his breath.

She sighed heavily and gave up. Wanting to cheer her up and distract her a bit he asked her if she wanted to order something to eat. He suggested that they rest together, maybe watch a movie, and then go to bed. She pursed her lips at his words, shifting from foot to foot.

“I'm sorry, but I arranged to meet some of my college friends for a drink today. I thought that you'd be working late." She said hesitantly, glancing out of the corner of her eye at his reaction.

He felt a strange, unfamiliar sense of disappointment and a slight jealousy at her words. However, he decided that he had no right to change her plans and dictate her time as he wanted, since she approached his bizarre daily schedule with such understanding. He shook his head.

"No, it's okay. I didn't tell you that I had such plans. We can do it tomorrow, and today, indeed, I will finish some reports." He replied, trying to be light. She smiled broadly at his words, kissed his cheek, and went to her bedroom, not noticing his disappointed expression.

After a couple of minutes she left the room for the corridor, looking at herself in a large mirror. She was dressed in a light, girlish, cream dress that was nicely fitting her waist.

He pursed his lips, noticing from a distance, sitting on the couch with the laptop on his lap, that she wasn't wearing a bra as usual. For some reason this detail frustrated him.

The thought that other people, other men, would look at her breasts, which now belonged only to him, which he had caressed and sucked so greedily during the last weeks of their harmonious cohabitation.

"Do you want me to drive you?" He asked casually, wanting to keep her safe at the same time, but also to clear his head and see who she was meeting.

She looked at him with a smile, fixing a strand of her hair that had fallen out of her intricately arranged hairstyle.

"No need, don't distract yourself from work, I ordered a taxi. But thank you!" She said warmly as she picked up her small backpack, peering into it to make sure that she had her wallet and phone.

When she was sure she had everything, she glanced at him, wished him a good evening, and told him to call her if he needed anything. Then she just left.

He swallowed hard, feeling a tightness in his stomach.

He wondered why he felt so uneasy. He realized that she was a really wonderful girl, beautiful, intelligent and good. Every day he treated her with more and more respect, but he also felt that he was putting himself at risk of suffering.

He wondered what he had to offer her besides his money and problems. Will his eternal complaining and scheming not bore her.

He pursed his lips at the thought, trying to focus back on his work and the email he was replying to. He decided that he just had to trust her without a word just like she trusted him.

Take an example from her when it comes to patience.

However, he couldn't help but glance at his watch. After five hours, when it was late at night he began to get nervous. He was fighting with himself whether to write to her or not.

He hated imposing himself or asking someone to contact him. On the other hand, he thought that something might have happened to her. He decided to swallow his pride and write her a short message for his own peace of mind, to make sure she was okay.

A: Is everything alright?

He wrote and sent it, sighing heavily. He occupied his mind with tables in the program in which he calculated the creditworthiness of his client, but he nervously glanced at the screen of the phone, lying next to him on the table. He jumped in his seat when he saw after a few minutes that she had written back to him and quickly checked the message.

Y: Yes, we are waiting for a taxi. I'll be home in about 20 minutes.

He sighed softly, closing his eye. He was surprised how much relief he felt. He had to admit to himself that he was really beginning to care about her. He felt a pleasant shiver at the thought of seeing her soon.

Indeed, after several minutes he heard the sound of the lock turning on the door. He looked down the hall, sitting on the couch, watching her every little move. She smiled at him, her face all red and warm, her eyes dreamy slightly.

She was drunk.

"Aren't you sleeping yet?" She asked quietly, taking off her shoes with some difficulty.

She wasn't as drunk as he'd first assumed, but she'd definitely had a few coveted drinks. She pulled off her backpack, sighing heavily as if she had just shed a great deal of weight, and walked lightly into the living room, looking at him.

"Did you have fun?" He asked calmly, a little cooler than he'd like, but she nodded happily, glad he'd even asked.

She sat next to him on the couch and began talking quickly about her classmates, how funny their were, and how glad she was to have such a close-knit group in her year.

She finally pursed her lips as if it took her a moment to remember that she had been distracting him from his work.

"Oh, I'm sorry, you're still working. I won't disturb you and go to sleep." She said softly as she got up from the couch.

He felt a cruel sense of disappointment that made him coldly force out his next sentence.

"You're not even going to kiss me goodnight?"

She looked at him, surprised, completely not expecting such words from his mouth. He looked at her intensely, his lips pressed together. He thought he was a desperate idiot, like a child craving a parent's attention.

He felt embarrassed by his words and wanted to get back to work, but he saw out of the corner of his eye that she had turned back, walking slowly towards him again.

He looked at her in surprise as she gently took his laptop in her hands and placed it on the table next to him. He couldn't utter a word as she straddled him, running her hands over his chest.

He inhaled deeply as she began to rub her panties against his manhood, which pulsed hard in his pants. She smiled innocently at the feeling, her pretty, shiny lips parted slightly.

“Forgive me for not taking care of you properly today, husband. This is an unacceptable oversight.” She spoke softly, sensually, sweetly, her hands running tenderly over his face, neck and hair.

He felt a strong shiver go through his body at her words, his cock went completely hard. He pressed his bottom lip together, leaning his head against the back of the couch, looking at her expectantly, his hands gripping her hips, starting to massage her buttocks in circular motions.

"Indeed." He purred low and cold, raising an eyebrow as he saw her nipples harden at his touch. His one hand gripped her breast, his thumb pressed hard against her nipple, drawing a sudden, startled moan from her lips.

"Your colleagues could also look at your nipples in all their glory? Hmm?” He asked low, dangerously, his breathing getting louder as he felt her press against his cock harder and harder, her movements painfully slow and sure. She pursed her lips at his words, holding back a smile, her eyes sparkling.

"No. This is a view reserved only for my husband.” She whispered sweetly, licking her lip involuntarily, her tiny fingers slid to the belt of his pants, undoing him with a one, quick movement. With an ease that turned him on even more, she released his swollen, throbbing, hard cock, completely ready to possess her.

He inhaled loudly as he saw her rise, pushing the fabric of her panties to the side with her fingers, and began to lower herself onto him, causing them both to moan loudly and helplessly in pleasure.

He felt her hot and wet inside, his cock throbbing greedily inside her, demanding fulfillment. He began to pant softly and parted his lips slightly as she slowly began to rise and fall on his lenght, placing her hands on his shoulders on the supports, looking at him with delight written on her face.

"I promise that it won't happen again." She hummed, squeezing her eyes shut at the wonderful sensation. Her fleshy walls pressed against him, sending spasms of pleasure through him every time she lowered herself to the very end. His fingers gripped skin of her buttocks tighter.

"Yeah? Are you going to behave yourself?" He hissed, starting to push his cock deeper into her with confident, intense movements, his hands tightening around her waist, forcing her to speed up. They both began to pant loudly as she fell on him with a loud, wet slap of her juices. She looked at him with misty eyes.

"Yes, I'll be good. So, so good, my husband. Please, cum inside me as many times as you want." She mumbled and he moaned low at her words, surprised and even thirstier, thrusting into her with all his might, responding to the slightest movement of her hips, making sweet, helpless moans from her.

"Oh yes? Do you think, you deserved your husband to cum inside of you?” He was panting low, looking at her with delight, he had never seen her in such a state before, so confident, so dominant, taking what she wanted.

"Please, I need it, please, please, please!" She sobbed, her hips rising and falling against him in a fast, intense rhythm, his thighs responding brutally, filling her all the way, making her tremble and moan every time he entered her completely.

"Kiss me" He whispered, surprised at his own words, and she immediately leaned in, pressing her lips greedily into his, sucking and licking him with her tongue, moaning into his mouth.

He gasped loudly into her throat and cum inside her, his hand gripping her hair tightly, not letting her pull away, his other hand teasing her clit. A few moves were enough for her to sob into his mouth and come too, sinking into him with a sound of wonderful, hot relief that filled her body.

Only then did he let her pull away, her hot, shiny, swollen lips red from their kisses. They both panted, looking at each other contentedly. She smiled, resting her head on his shoulder, swallowing softly, still sitting on top of him.

"I love you." She whispered softly as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

He felt himself freeze for a moment, his heart pounding hard in his chest, his cock throbbing hard inside her. He stroked her hair involuntarily, pressing his cheek against her head, breathing unevenly.

Her contented purr answered him, the alcohol completely relaxing her and the orgasm made her drift even further, leaving her on the verge of dreaming and waking. He felt her fall asleep in this position. Only then he moved his lips to her ear to whisper a few words before he carried her to bed.

"I love you too."

_____

Aemond Taglist:

(bold means I couldn't tag you)

@its-actually-minicika @notnormalthings-blog @nikstrange @zenka69 @bellaisasleep @k-y-r-a-1 @g-cf2020 @melsunshine @opheliaas-stuff @chainsawsangel @iiamthehybrid @tinykryptonitewerewolf @namoreno @malfoytargaryen @qyburnsghost @aemondsdelight @persephonerinyes @fan-goddess @sweethoneyblossom1 @watercolorskyy @astral-blossoms @randomdragonfires @amirawritespoorly @apollonshootafar @padfooteyes @darylandbethfanforever9 @fudge13 @snh96 @diosademuerte @rwdkarla @echos-muses

Others: @thedamewithabook @godrakin @snh96 @statixcane @toodlesxcuddles @yentroucnagol @iloveallmyboys @echos-muses @jennifer0305 @shessthunderstoms @bbyaemond