#The Man with the Deadly Lens

[e-louise-bates]

Definitely adding more action to the final quarter of Magic Most Deadly than there was in the original version. Len just punched a butler in the nose and then locked him in a telephone cabinet.

[danmei-confessions]

I think we should talk about Wu Zetian, China’s only female emperor, who historically has been regarded as a horrible and brutal leader.

She was born a commoner, became a concubine to one emperor, married his son and then took the role of emperor for herself when he died. She was politically adept, highly ambitious and extraordinarily intelligent.

History has accused her of smothering her newly born daughter and blaming a rival for her death. She had that rivals hands and feet cut off and then had her thrown into a vat of wine in which she was left to drown. She gouged out another rivals eyes and had acid poured down her throat. She wiped out 12 entire branches of a clan. She poisoned her mother. Just how accurate these things are is up for debate, but while these things might not all be true, she certainly did have several family members killed. And she did deal with her rivals and her detractors ruthlessly. Yet none of these things would have attracted criticism if she had been a man. She was no more scandalous than any other ruler during that time period.

But! Her rule was peaceful and prosperous. She avoided wars and welcomed ambassadors from as far away as the Byzantine empire. She changed laws so common people could be chosen for roles in government for their abilities rather than their name or status. She acknowledged and acted on criticisms from her retainers. She built watchtowers along the Silk Road so merchants wouldn’t be harrowed by bandits. Her reign saw women given more freedom(the ability to divorce, hold government positions, travel, hunt and ride horses, to be recognized by scholars).

She supported Buddhism and helped the religion spread and grow through commissioning temples, monasteries, and even a statue of the Buddha said to be carved in her own likeness. In the eyes of the common people, she likely would have been an incredibly popular ruler.

She remains a controversial figure primarily because of stories about her personal actions against her rivals by male Confucian officials who were prejudiced against strong and ambitious women and while they undoubtedly exaggerated aspects of Wu’s life, there is still substantial verifiable evidence of her ruthlessness.

We should also be aware that although she allegedly held her power through murder and merciless, according to Confucian philosophy, ‘while an emperor should not be condemned for acts that would be crimes in a subject, he should be judged harshly for allowing the state to fall into anarchy’ and viewed under this lens, Wu did effectively fulfill her duties as a ruler.

So we have a leader of ancient china who had two faces, one who committed acts of vile cruelty against her family and rivals and one who gave her citizens peace and prosperity.

Through a modern lens she can be viewed as an evil woman who rose from humble beginnings and coldly and calculatingly murdered her way into arguably the most powerful position in the world. A rich woman who threw crumbs to her peasant people while she lived luxuriously. She is a deadly woman, a black widow, an evil stepmother, a kinslayer. But according to historians, “without Wu there would have been no long enduring Tang dynasty and perhaps no lasting unity of China.”

The comparison to a modern mr beast obviously doesn’t hold water, but we can certainly analyze jgy to a more comparable historical figure and argue more accurately in a historical context if jgy was a good leader as the de facto emperor as the cultivation worlds Xiāndū.

It’s easy to see the comparisons between Wu and jgy, both were undesirable and deemed unfit by society. But both were politically adept, highly ambitious and extraordinarily intelligent. Both had family members murdered, perhaps sharing between them filicide. Both had a clans murdered to a man. Both are thought to have had their faces carved on religious relics for their narcissistic pleasure. Both had watchtowers built as a defense for their people. And both were torn down by the men following after them, vilified and distorted. Both forever destined to be speculated upon and misunderstood. Both of their legacy’s destroyed by rumor and falsification. It would not surprise me in the slightest if mxtx didn’t draw on Wu at least a little bit in the creation of jgy. Both Wu and jgy are culpable for some pretty heinous stuff, that can’t be denied. But like Wu, jgy also has a second face.

Moral bias and character motivation aside, his efforts to build watchtowers, his patronage of religion in the building of Guanyin temple, his fight against political corruption, his years long peaceful reign, his charity, all these things lead to the conclusion that under the rule of Confucian, he more than aptly fulfilled his role as a leader for his citizens.

And if you really want to look at Jgys leadership through a modern lens, we really don’t have to look much further than Ingersoll. “If you want to find out what a man is to the bottom, give him power.”

And really that’s part of the tragedy of his character. Because of his background he excelled when he was in a role of leadership. He was good at it.

Whether or not jgy as a literary character is a good person, is subjective and should not be used to measure his role as an effective leader.

All of that being said, jgy is my bestfriend and I love him and would I die for him.

.

[pricegouge]

the welly boot incident, a silly little meet cute inspired entirely by this post here cause i'm an absolute slut for the swamp thing look.

pricegaz x fem!reader one shot. A little bit of subspace as a treat but nothing explicit. Still mdni please

"Brassard, what the hell am I looking at?"

It's been a shit job from the start. Bad contractor, bad intel, bad campaign all around. John supposes he can only be happy that for once in his life, the quality of intel seems to be off in the 'right' direction - which is to say he'd rather be posted up in a field for hours with too much manpower than not enough. He's got Gaz on his right, deadly still and silent despite being hours past projected time of contact with no sign of the target. Price is spotting, growing more irritable by the minute. There's supposed to be a watch up on the south ridge to announce any incoming traffic - op related or otherwise - but the sudden arrival of one garishly dressed civilian meandering through the meadow toting a Hubble sized macro lens seems to suggest that while eight hours of fruitless vigilance may not test the most seasoned of soldiers, it is enough to beat the handlers hired to assist them. 

The silence on the comms grows long enough to get even Gaz squirming, a subtle rotation of his boot the first move he's made in hours. In his ghillie, the movement is swallowed by the shifting of grass in the wind.

"Brassard?" Price growls, inspecting this newcomer through his scope for potential threats. She certainly looks unassuming enough, as he's never known any faction of armed services to issue woven fuschia caps, long purple cardigans, or yellow welly boots. Still, confirmation on anything useful like 'where the fuck she came from,' 'was she driving a civilian car?', or 'should we take the fucking shot?' would be ideal.

"Cap?" Garrick's voice is low, smothered, cheek sealed against his rifle even after all these hours. Still lethal and ready to trust his captain's call.

John waits another beat, hoping for some forthcoming intel. Doesn't get any. "No."

"She's gonna blow our spot."

'Against who?' John wants to ask, but the question of where their overwatch disappeared to is a toss up, and while every hard-won instinct in his body tells him this whole mission is a bust and the man likely fell asleep, the paranoid option must always outweigh the most likely if one wants to see the next sunrise, and it's entirely possible the man was eliminated. 

"Well, shooting her won't make her any less hi-vis," Price sighs. Abandoning his lens, John raises his head enough to take in the whole scope of the meadow. They're posted on a small hill, sights trained down into the shallow basin where a derelict road ambles parallel a small brook, currently overflowing with springtime runoff. It's beautiful, really, dotted here and there with early blooms which nod in the gentle breeze. With the low ridge to the south simultaneously blocking most of the sun's glare and offering a great position for extra coverage, the area had presented itself first and foremost to him as a sniper's delight; but faced now with an artsy-type civilian wandering around and looking for all intents and purposes to be in her natural element, he supposes his assessment probably laid outside the norm.

"We could use her like dazzle camo," Gaz suggests instead and John's mustache twitches with a suppressed snort. It's almost tempting, except if the target does ever drive through, John doesn't trust him to simply be confused and gape at the spectacle uselessly.

John drums his fingers off the dirt irritably, returns to his scope to see if he can pick out where their backup is situated. "Shit," he hisses, taking in Brassard's limp form up on the ridge.

"Dead?" Gaz asks, voice returning to the low hum that tells Price he's slipping back into professionalism.

"Looks like," John confirms, disassembling his tripod. 

"We retreating?"

"'Course not. We're containing the civilian." Beginning to crawl forward, John spots Gaz break his scope seal for the first time since establishing it out of the corner of his eye. 

"How?"

"Physically."

***

You never even see them coming. One minute you're humming to yourself as you stage a close up of a bee and the next you're squawking and thrashing while being pulled to the ground by your ankle. Before you can even make sense of what's happened, a man settles his considerable weight onto you and clamps a hand over your mouth. "Easy," he murmurs into your ear as a mass of twigs and grease paint pulls up next to him. "Not gonna hurt ya, darlin'."

You only realize how hard you're shaking when the man next to you starts setting up a tripod and the kind of gun you've only ever seen in movies and your teeth rattle behind the calloused grip that covers them.

There's a hand on your head, palm flat and heavy as it pulls your hat off. The weight above you shifts, hips digging briefly into your ass as he moves to pocket your cap. It's slow, movements steady and calculated as the voice that continues in your ear. "I'm Captain John Price. This is my sergeant, Kyle Garrick, and unfortunately you've found yourself in a bit of a pickle."

Next to you, the man with the gun - Kyle - spares a small, commiserating smile. It does not calm you.

"If I take my hand off your mouth, you gonna stay quiet?"

You're nodding before you can even think it through, surprising yourself when your new found freedom only draws rapid pants from you instead of screams for help. 

"There's a good girl," John rumbles, lips still pressed close to your ear. His voice is low like oncoming thunder, and despite yourself, the next shudder that racks your body isn't entirely fear based. He's got a mustache of some sort, bristles soft where they press against the shell of your ear. You were set up for failure, really.

"Can you get off me?" You mean it to sound pricklier, blame it on all the hyperventilating when your voice comes out breathy.

John huffs, breath warm as it fans down your neck. He's wearing some sort of armored vest from the feel of it, but you can still feel the abs of his lower belly jump with his laughter. "What's your name, darlin'?" You don't answer him at first, still weighing whether or not you believe him. "How 'bout 'flower', hm? Look like one out here in all these colors."

"A buttercup, in those wellies," Kyle agrees and you side eye him, for the first time noticing how upsettingly handsome he is under all that grease paint. Full, pretty lips and the kind of big soft cow eyes that always turn you to putty. If you find out the man on top of you is also handsome, you're toast.

"Right, those bloody boots." John's weight shifts off you a bit and you try to scramble forward. You make it maybe an inch before he plants a wide palm on your back and pushes you back to the ground. "Hold still, flower," he rumbles and you're helpless but to comply as he kicks at your boots with his own. You ask why he's stripping you but he ignores the question, reaching back to snatch up your discarded shoes instead. "Clear?" he asks, and Kyle takes a minute to swing his scope around.

"Far as I can tell."

And then John tosses your boots into the nearby brook with an unceremonious plop.

"Hey!" you gripe, only to be silenced by John's hand clamped over your mouth again. 

His voice is sterner now when he speaks, the low murmuring from before replaced with a harsh grumble. "Hush now petal, we have to be quiet. Look at me, yeah?"

You regret it the second you do. Like Kyle, John's covered in leaves and debris and greasepaint. His eyes glint menacingly from the depths of the shadow cast by his low brim, his chops a thatch of hair only distinguishable from the mass of brush that covers him by the fact it's too well-kept. He looks like a swamp thing. He looks like the earth itself come to swallow you whole.

"I'm gonna take my hand away now, but you're going to be a good little flower and stay quiet, yeah?" You nod. His grip is so strong on your jaw that you drag his hand along with you. When he calls you a good girl this time, you can't help but melt into the grass beneath you. John seems to take your laxness for acceptance of your situation and he squeezes the nape of your neck when he pulls his hand away to set about erecting some sort of tiny telescope. He murmurs to you as he works, voice gone back to the quiet, calming rumble from before. 

"I can't get off you because you're not wearing appropriately camouflaged clothes. Even if I were to strip you of this fucking cardi, you'd still stand out like a sore thumb. That's why the wellies had to go in the stream. No good place to hide 'em." You frown back toward the brook, watch as one of your shoes goes bobbing along out of sight. The other probably sank already.

"My car's too far away to walk barefoot."

"I'll carry you," John suggests casually. He's got his little scope established now and when he lowers his eye to it, his cheek sits flush against yours. "This position is shite," he grumbles.

Kyle hums in agreement. When he speaks, his voice is teasing. "We could carry petal here back up on the hill."

"Watch it," John warns. Kyle doesn't so much as smirk. Their talk turns mostly technical after that, muttering about degrees and cardinal directions, calculating inclines. You let it wash over you in favor of contemplating your predicament. 

You trust they're military, at least. Kinda hard to fake the funk to this extent. That fact doesn't necessarily soothe you, but knowing this about them is at least better than knowing nothing about them. You suppose it doesn't matter either way though, as there's not a whole lot you can do to get yourself out of here if the way John bears down on you every time you try to wriggle out is any indication. Sometimes he breathes soothing words against your cheek. Most times, he just ignores you.

They slip into silence eventually, which makes the long, boring minutes drag even worse. You know enough to figure this is a sniper mission which means it's possible you'll be here a while, but that doesn't make you physically prepared for it. You check the positioning of the sun from time to time, but frown when you find it unchanged. You tell yourself it's only because you don't actually know how to gauge time like this.

You crack after what feels like an hour but is probably only fifteen minutes. "What are you guys supposed to be doing here, anyway?"

"Classified." John's eye is still glued to his scope, barely giving you the time of day. 

Should've figured. "Aren't I going to see it unfold anyway?"

"Might not." You're not quite sure what that means, but something about the tone makes you nervous.

"Are we gonna be here all day?"

"Hot date?" Kyle's also still glued to his scope, but something about his tone is less dismissive so you latch on.

"Yes, actually."

Finally, a break from contact as John pulls away from his scope to look at you. There's a spot of paint missing just above the trim line of his beard and your stomach flips in guilty excitement when you realize it might have transferred to your skin. Of course he ruins it, "In a fuschia cap?"

"I'll have you know I made that cap," you squawk and John only needs to twitch his mustache at you to get you to shut up. He may also raise a brow. Hard to tell under the low angle of his brim.

It's Kyle who apologizes. "It's a lovely hat, flower."

John grumbles while you thank his friend, returns to his scope as he mutters about it still not being good date attire.

"I was going to change first." You're not sure why you care what either of them think of your date outfit, but you do what the record to show you're capable of dressing sexy when needed.

"What you're wearing now looks nice." Kyle's cadence is complementary, but it's the same tone he had used to pick on John earlier so you know he's referring to the absence of one cap and a pair of silly wellies.

Well, you can be quippy, too. "Think I'm currently wearing your boss."

Both men laugh. Kyle takes his eye off the scope to take in the spectacle on his left for the first time since setting up. "Like I said, looks good on you," he winks.

"Eyes on the prize, Gaz."

"Were, sir." Kyle - Gaz?- cackles when you have at him, but ducks back to his scope and you huff, already bored again.

John notes your frustration and decides to make it worse. "Might not make your date, flower. At this rate we'll be here all night."

"'Course," you mutter, tucking a bit of bramble more thoroughly into the netting that adorns the sleeve in front of you. "First date I land in months, and then comes you lot."

"Sure he'll understand." John sounds distracted. When you glance at him, he's staring down at the way you're weaving into his equipment.

"He'll understand I got pinned under an army sniper?"

"Could tell him you got laid up with -."

"Shouldn't you be keeping quiet, sergeant?"

"Sorry, sir."

You glance between the two of them, but they're both resolute in their professional silence now. You sigh again, folding your arms under yourself to rest your head on. 

A moment passes. Another.

"Got a fox in my shot."

"Two o'clock?"

"There 'bouts, yeah."

"Saw 'im poking 'round a moment ago."

You nearly knock John's chin with how quickly you raise your head. "I wanna see."

"Hush," John instructs dismissively. 

You huff, and then remember you don't need him anyway. Wriggling your hips what little you can, you feel the hard cylinder of your lens press against your right thigh and you squirm around until you can feel it under your fingers.

"What're you doin?" John's lifted slightly off you, but you think it's a move probably rooted more in curiosity than an actual desire to make your task easier. Still, you'll take it.

Grinning triumphantly, you pull your camera up until it rests next to John's tripod and then frown, dejected, when you spot the snap halfway up the barrel. "Must've fell on it," you pout.

John is unsympathetic. His hand is big enough to encase the whole unit when he grabs it, flinging camera and all into the stream with another disheartening splash. 

Your cry dies in your throat this time, the fight gone out of you. When you slump back onto your arms dejectedly, John pats your elbow. "Material could've caught the light, flower. Had to be done."

You pout anyway. "Bloody expensive."

"I'll buy you a new one."

"You will, cap? Or will the service?"

"You will, if you don't shut up." 

"Wouldn't mind. Get 'er a real nice one. Anything you've had your sights on recently, buttercup?" 

"Don't have my sights on anything, currently," you snark and you can practically feel John roll his eyes. 

"Christ, here." He fiddles with the device a bit, then leans back enough he can guide your face up to the viewfinder. You keep a squeal of delight bottled in your throat when John's hand lingers over your jaw, reminding you how you need to keep quiet.

You watch the fox happily for a moment, content to let the boy's low conversation wash over you as you let this new amusement pass the time. Except then the fox wanders out of frame and when you move the scope in order to follow, you only seem to muck it up more. 

"Give me that," John grumbles, not unkindly. You slump back down anyway, like a child.

"Forearms, cap," Gaz drawls and you see John peel away from his scope long enough to look down at you. He grunts in acknowledgement, fiddles with his tripod, and then lowers himself even further onto you, wrapping one scraggy arm around your own to block you in completely.

It's so much worse. John runs hot, apparently, and without the breeze on your face at least, you're sweaty within minutes; or maybe hours, hard to tell. 

You've nothing better to do so you try synching your breathing with John's, thinking maybe that's the secret to his seemingly infinite patience. It's hard work, though, his breaths somehow both shallow and slow, and you wind up counting them instead to pass the time. 

Eight sets of one hundred later, Gaz breaks the silence with a low murmur which may as well be an explosion with how much it startles you out of your reverie. 

"Gotta piss." 

Your voice is floaty when you complain, head wobbling up to eye him. "Ew." 

John's stern chastising Kyle, calm when he brushes his lips against your ear. "Quiet, sergeant. Go back under, petal." You hum in agreement, duck into his arm, count his breaths again.

You lose track after another five hundred, content yourself to feel the warmth of him contrast with the cool damp of the soil underneath you. You remember the sight he makes above you, a rolling crest of greenery pulling you under. You blame your sleepy state when you begin to fantasize about it like some old myth; Hades collecting his dues. When he does speak again it's low enough you're not sure it actually comes from above you, half convinced you're hearing the movement of tectonic plates deep below instead. He sounds pissy though, despite his low, soothing tone, and you try to blink yourself into wakefulness, peering around to find Kyle unloading his gun with distractingly deft fingers.

"What's wrong?" You ask, dumbly, and John drops his hand from his radio back to your shoulder, rubbing at you with a heavy, steady hand. 

"Nothing, flower." To Gaz he adds, "Liked him better when he was dead,"

Gaz side eyes him, begins to load his gun back up. "Say the word, cap." His voice is so serious you only figure he's joking when John puffs a laugh across your cheek. 

You watch as John disassembles his own equipment, the weight of him almost fully pressing down on you now that both his arms are raised and busy. It's strange but you're almost sad it's over; it had been oddly relaxing, tucked away underneath him.

"You awake yet?"

"Wasn't asleep." He keeps pulling away from you, but the ground is cold so you get your hands underneath yourself and push up, following.

"Right. You ready to get up, then?"

John's movements are still slow and heavy. When you nod, he levers himself up to a kneeling position, wraps his hands around your tummy to bring you up as well. He sits there a minute while tucking various tools and things into his pockets and placing your cap back on your head. It takes you a moment to realize the way he's seated has him straddling your calves. He doesn't seem to mind how you lean back into his chest. 

"What time is it?" 

"Still hoping to make your date?" Gaz teases. He gets his equipment settled and holds out a hand to you to help you stand. When your feet catch on John's big boots, the captain steadies you with a hand on your back.

You'd nearly forgotten about the mousey little man who would likely be left waiting for you downtown. He doesn't hold much appeal anymore but you lie anyway and tell Gaz yes.

"More bad luck there, petal," John commiserates. His voice should be further away now that he's not laying on you, surely? When you turn you find him standing far too close, somehow seeming even larger now despite no longer crushing you into the ground. Gaz is tall too, you note, and between the two of them in their ghillies, you imagine you look like some illustration from a fairytale book: the barefoot maid and her two elements, maybe. It's silly, distracting, which is why you've already forgotten what he's talking about when John continues, "'fraid you still got debrief to sit through." 

"Huh?" You ask stupidly, and then yip when John throws you over his shoulder.

"Debrief. Could take all night," Gaz winks. "Looks like you're ours for the evening, flower."

"Oh. Well, you do still owe me a camera."

Gaz laughs, neat white teeth splitting his face in a handsome smile. "That's right, and cap here owes you some boots."

"Any color you want, flower," John agrees.

next>>

[cera-writes]

Could I request Scott summers x reader with a similar eye mutation. The reader has a gorgon mutation and can turn people to stone, and they meet/ bond over not being able to see properly, eventually getting into a relationship.

A/N: I love this idea! It's so sweet! Tags: just sweet fluff with a shared understanding

A Shared Burden

The sterile walls of the X-Mansion medbay felt like a cage after the chaotic awakening of your mutation. Professor Xavier had explained the X-Men, a sanctuary for mutants like you. But 'sanctuary' didn't quite describe the prickling anxiety that crawled under your skin after Beast's in-depth examination of your petrifying gaze.

Hank had loaned you a pair of mutant specialty eyewear. It was a revelation that dawned on you now. You'd never be able to take them off with turning someone into a slab of concrete; or at the very least, controlling your deadly eyesight.

The door creaked open, revealing a tall man with a kind smile. "Hey there," he said, his voice gentle. "You must be (Y/N). I'm Scott, Scott Summers. Cyclops is fine too."

You offered a weak smile. "Nice to meet you, Scott. Though I wouldn't exactly call turning people to stone a mutant power you'd advertise in the brochure."

He chuckled, a sound that eased the tense knot in your stomach. "Yeah, well, Hank can be a bit… thorough. But hey, at least you get a cool codename out of it. Any ideas?"

You shrugged, a touch of self-deprecation tinging your voice. "Haven't really thought about it. Maybe something Gorgon-related, considering I turn people to stone with a glance. I mean, Medusa would be way too cliche."

Scott's smile softened. "Your power… it's tough, I imagine. But you're not alone. We all have things to deal with here." He gestured towards his head, the unspoken reference clear.

A silent understanding bloomed between you. Scott knew what it was like to live in a world where you had to be constantly on guard, where your very nature made you an outsider. There was a shared burden in his gaze, a quiet empathy.

"How about we get you settled into your room?" Scott suggested, his voice warm. "Maybe tomorrow we can start figuring out how to control your… uh… petrifying gaze."

The following days were dedicated to navigating your mutation. Scott, ever patient, was your guide. You practiced focusing your gaze, not on turning things to stone, but on dampening the overwhelming sensory input that triggered your power. He understood the struggle to keep your emotions in check, the constant battle to avoid accidentally turning someone into a statue.

Slowly, with Scott's steady support, progress came. You actually did learn to somewhat control the intensity of your gaze, to filter the world through your special glasses that dampened your mutant sight but allowed you to function.

One evening, after a particularly grueling training session, you and Scott found yourselves on the balcony overlooking the X-Mansion grounds. You leaned against the railing, a comfortable silence settling between you. The setting sun cast a warm glow on the world, a world you could only perceive through a muted lens.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Scott said softly, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

"They say it is," you replied, a tinge of wistfulness in your voice.

Scott turned to you, a sincerity in his voice that resonated with you. "Maybe someday you'll see it all, (Y/N). But for now, you have something just as valuable."

He reached out, his hand hovering near yours. You mirrored the gesture, the space between your fingers tingling with unspoken emotions. "What's that?" you asked, a whisper that carried on the cool evening breeze.

Scott's smile, though unseen, was evident in the way his eyes crinkled at the edges. "Understanding. You're not alone. We both carry burdens, burdens that make us different, but also burdens that connect us."

In that moment, amidst the muted colors and the filtered light, you felt a warmth bloom in your chest that had nothing to do with the setting sun. You realized, with a jolt, that the hours spent training with Scott weren't just about mastering your power, they were about finding solace in shared experiences. The man beside you, with his unwavering support, was a beacon in a world that often felt isolating.

Weeks turned into months, and your bond with Scott deepened. You found comfort in his quiet strength, in the way he understood your struggles without needing words. You learned to communicate through subtle gestures, stolen glances, and shared laughter. One crisp autumn evening, as you sat by the window, a comfortable silence settling between you once more, Scott spoke.

"We may not see the world in the same way, (Y/N), but we see each other. And that's all that truly matters."

His words, laced with a quiet sincerity, sent a shiver down your spine. You met his gaze, a spark of understanding dancing in your own eyes. Perhaps you didn't need to see the world perfectly to find beauty. Perhaps the most vibrant colors existed in the warmth of shared understanding and the quiet promise whispered in the space between. As you leaned closer, the world blurring at the edges, you knew you had found a connection that transcended sight.

[drivinmeinsane]

COLT SEAVERS {Scene Partner}

{ drabble } ※ { masterlist }

※ Pairing: Colt Seavers x GN!Reader

※ Summary: The stunt guy gets recruited to stand in for your scene partner during a sex scene for a highly anticipated blockbuster.

※ Rating: 18+ for highly suggestive content (simulated sex)

※ Word count: 1,157

“If I’m not going to be the main focus of the lens, then forget it! I spent too long in the gym to get sidelined like this.”

You’re leaning against a headboard on the movie set watching as your co-star throws another tantrum. This is just another one of the many that he’s had over the course of filming. It’s been a rough two months and you’re already behind schedule as it is due to his theatrics. You groan and sag against the mattress. You hadn’t even particularly wanted to do the scene with him, but at this point you would gladly let him flex and posture all over you just to get it done so everyone could move forward.

The director desperately tries to talk him down, but he keeps shouting at her. Finally, he throws his hands up and loudly announces that he is not getting in bed shirtless with you because it won’t be a glamorous sex scene. He actually walks off set entirely.  There are a few tensely quiet moments while his agent chases him down and tries to beg the actor to set aside his arrogance and come back on set. The moment the agent returns empty handed with a defeated shake of his head, chaos erupts around you. 

They scramble to find a solution. Two of the crew are sent to find another blond man who could plausibly stand in as a body double for the scene. While they are away, the director and the writer desperately think if there is any possible reworking they can do for the script. Can they make this a solo scene? Edit your partner in later? And on and on they go.

The crew members come back shortly and they’re not alone. With them is a blond man, taller and broader than your co-star. He introduces himself as Colt from the stunt department. He’s distractedly handsome in a rugged sort of way. The stuntman is nothing but polite when he shakes your hand and greets you personally. His eyes crinkle when he smiles at you. You instantly agree to work with him.

The two of you get into position after he’s been prepped by the intimacy coordinator and had a brief explanation of the scene’s requirements. Your hands are on his waist, resting on the leather of his belt. He, for his part, has his fingers pressing into the arc of your spine, coaxing you towards his body with the lightest of touches. He looks almost shy. His hair is falling into his eyes in a way that makes you want to brush it back for him.

“Be gentle. It’s my first time,” he jokes.

You don’t have time to laugh before the scene director is calling quiet on set. You wipe the smile off your face and relax. Colt sobers up as well, looking deadly serious, like he is about to do something life threatening.

“Action!” The clapperboard snaps closed.

The scene starts with the two of you all but lunging towards each other. You meet in a kiss and your scene partner’s beard is rough against your face. His mouth is soft, he’s kissing you like he means it. Your hands clench on his waist and he moves things right along. The stuntman walks you back into the door that is pivotal for the scene. He kicks it open, hard, too hard. It slams into the wall with enough force to knock a hole into the plaster. You gasp into his mouth. A quiet groan answers it. 

Once in the room, you break the kiss and start fighting to get his shirt off. His hands meet yours and you’re working together to pull it over his head. The minute the garment is off and tossed aside, Colt is crowding against you, catching your mouth in another kiss while your hands splay across his chest. They're going to have to edit out his piercings, you realize faintly. If you were touching him under different circumstances, you would explore him in earnest. Learn everything there is to know about his body.

The backs of your knees hit the edge of the bed, and your mind short circuits when Colt wraps his hands around your waist and tosses you back onto the mattress like you weigh nothing. That had not been in the script. You’re not sure if you’re breathless from the impact or because he is suddenly crawling onto the bed after you. Your legs fall open automatically at the sight of him. For the scene, you’re wearing  modesty undergarments and an oversized shirt that suggests that it’s actually the only thing you have on. 

He slots himself easily between your spread legs and braces himself over you. He rests his forehead against yours and rolls his hips. The pressure is barely there from all the intimacy padding but all the same, the action has you clamping your thighs tightly against him. Irrationally, you wonder what he would feel like for real. You’re barely aware of the cameras, barely aware that this is a scene. It feels too real, too good to be acting. 

The blond man tucks his face against the side of your neck, hiding it from the camera’s eye. You feel the press of his mouth against your skin as he kisses the juncture of your shoulder. That wasn’t a necessary action, but you can’t find it in yourself to care. You bring a hand to the back of his head to encourage him, clenching your fingers into his hair. You feel more than hear the moan he makes when your nails scratch lightly over his scalp. Heat floods you at his indication of pleasure and-

“Cut!” The director’s voice cuts through whatever was building. “Excellent work, everyone. I think we got it.”

Colt lifts off of you and rolls to the edge of the bed where he sits for a brief moment before standing. You catch the barest glimpse of a scar on his back before the stuntman is on his feet and getting decent. By the time the director and supervising staff let you get dressed and off set, your impromptu scene partner is nearly out of sight. 

You take off running, ignoring the startled looks of the crew. You might be a total fool, but it had felt like there was something between the two of you in that fake bedroom. Weaving through the milling production staff, you get within yards of him before you slow down. 

“Hey, stunt guy!” You yell, winded.

He stops, startled, and turns to look back at you. He’s not the only one staring. It feels like everyone in the vicinity is watching the performance you’re putting on. You close the gap even further, coming to stand in front of him.

“Hey.” His tone is soft, questioning.

“I think we probably should have had dinner first, but will you accept after?”

He laughs, eyes squinting with the width of his answering smile. “I would like that.”

[doamarierose-honoka]

Batman is back with a vengeance. Three years after HBO Max and Cartoon Network first announced Batman: Caped Crusader — the adult-oriented animated series that was eventually canceled by the since-renamed Max streaming service, only to then be picked up at Prime Video — the new Batman TV show is about to hit the small screen. Set in 1940s Gotham City, Caped Crusader is described as "a reimagining of the Batman mythology through the visionary lens" of executive producers Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond), Matt Reeves (The Batman and The Penguin), and J.J. Abrams (Alias and Lost).

"We are beyond excited to be working together to bring this character back, to tell engrossing new stories in Gotham City," Timm, Reeves, and Abrams said when announcing the series in 2021. "The series will be thrilling, cinematic and evocative of Batman's noir roots, while diving deeper into the psychology of these iconic characters. We cannot wait to share this new world."

Below, ComicBook is shining the Bat-Signal on everything we know so far about Batman: Caped Crusader, including the voice cast, release date, and the rogues who will populate the first solo Batman animated series in more than a decade.

Where Can I Watch Batman: Caped Crusader?

To watch Batman: Caped Crusader on Amazon's Prime Video, you'll need either a Prime Video subscription ($8.99 per month with ads, or $11.98/mo for ad-free) or an Amazon Prime membership ($14.99 per month with Prime Video ads, or $17.98/mo with ad-free Prime Video).

Batman: Caped Crusader Release Date

All episodes of Batman: Caped Crusader will premiere Thursday, August 1st, on Amazon Prime Video.

How Many Episodes Is Batman: Caped Crusader?

Batman: Caped Crusader season 1 consists of 10 episodes. In 2023, Prime Video announced a two-season order for the new series.

What Is Batman: Caped Crusader About?

The official description: "Welcome to Gotham City, where the corrupt outnumber the good, criminals run rampant and law-abiding citizens live in a constant state of fear. Forged in the fire of tragedy, wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne becomes something both more and less than human — the Batman. His one-man crusade attracts unexpected allies within the GCPD and City Hall, but his heroic actions spawn deadly, unforeseen ramifications."

Who Voices Batman in the Batman: Caped Crusader Cast?

The Batman: Caped Crusader voice cast includes Hamish Linklater (Midnight Mass) in the title role as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets) as Catwoman/Selina Kyle, Jamie Chung (Gotham) as Harley Quinn/Dr. Harleen Quinzel, and Diedrich Bader — a DC veteran whose credits include episodes of Batman Beyond, 2006's The Batman, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and the Max adult animated series Harley Quinn — as Two-Face/Harvey Dent.

Announced cast members in as-yet-unrevealed roles include Mckenna Grace (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), Toby Stephens (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), Reid Scott (Venom), Dan Donohue (For All Mankind), Gary Anthony Williams (Hailey's on It!), Jason Watkins (The Crown), John DiMaggio (Futurama), Krystal Joy Brown (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power), Michelle C. Bonilla (9-1-1: Lone Star), Eric Morgan Stuart (Fallout 4), Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants), and Minnie Driver (The Witcher: Blood Origin).

Batman: Caped Crusader Villains

A cast announcement video revealed Linklater's Batman voice and the Dark Knight's rogue's gallery: The Penguin, Catwoman, Two-Face, Harley Quinn, the pyromaniac Firebug, Natalia Knight (in the comics, a reformed career criminal with photosensitive skin known as Nocturna, the mistress of the night), the phantom criminal called Gentleman Ghost, and Clayface (the Golden Age Clayface of the 1940s was Basil Karlo, a once-famous character actor and makeup expert turned costumed killer). Caped Crusader reimagines Dr. Harleen Quinzel as Asian American — and Bruce Wayne's psychologist. Here, her alter-ego as the jester-costumed Harley Quinn is independent from the Joker, who is noticeably absent from the roundup of Batman characters.

Batman: Caped Crusader Characters

Batman – A cold, remorseless avenger of evil, seemingly more machine than man. Forged in the fire of tragedy, every fiber of his being is dedicated to the eradication of crime. (The Batman suit is influenced by the character's earliest appearances in Detective Comics, by creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger, with longer, narrow ears, a collared cape, and with black gloves rather than the original purple.)

Bruce Wayne - To the public at large, Bruce Wayne is a shallow dilettante, apparently wasting his parents' vast fortune on frivolous pursuits and hedonistic pleasures. In fact, he's an elaborate facade, carefully constructed to divert attention from his activities as Batman.

Selina Kyle / "Catwoman" – Selena Kyle is a blithe and pampered heiress whose family lost their fortune after her father was imprisoned for embezzlement. Despite having the silver spoon yanked from her mouth, Selina refuses to quit living in the lap of luxury and becomes Catwoman as a "fun" way to maintain her lavish lifestyle.

Dr. Harleen Quinzel / "Harley Quinn" – Despite a personable and bubbly demeanor, Dr. Harleen Quinzel is a brilliant psychiatrist who treats some of Gotham's elite. However, as Harley Quinn, she is a different person, entirely. A creepy, quiet, calculating menace who secretly dispenses her twisted justice to the truly despicable among her elite clientele.

Commissioner Jim Gordon – Former beat cop close to retirement, Gordon was hired to play along with the corrupt system and run out the clock till he can draw a pension. But they've sorely underestimated Jim Gordon. His unassailable character brings him into conflict with dirty cops and crooked politicians, alike. Not to mention, he has to reckon with a deranged vigilante beating up Gotham's criminals.

Clayface – Thanks to his "unique" facial features, screen actor Basil Karlo has been forever typecast as a B-movie heavy. Frustrated by the limitations his appearance put on both his career and personal life (he fell hopelessly in love with his co-star), Karlo turned to an experimental serum that promised to change his face. However, not only does this serum ultimately disfigure his face, but it ruptures the last of his sanity – creating the tragic, vengeance seeking villain, Clayface.

Batman: Caped Crusader Creators

Batman: Caped Crusader comes from Warner Bros. Animation (My Adventures with Superman, Bat-Family), Abrams' Bad Robot Productions (Lovecraft Country, the Star Trek films) and Reeves' 6th & Idaho (2022's The Batman, The Batman – Part II). Along with Abrams, Reeves and Timm, Batman: Caped Crusader executive producers include head writer Ed Brubaker (DC's Batman comic, Gotham Central), James Tucker (Justice League Unlimited), Daniel Pipski (The Penguin), Rachel Rusch Rich (Castle Rock), and Sam Register (Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One and Part Two).

[vampiric-hunger]

⊱─ 𝕕𝕒𝕣𝕜𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕤𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟: 𝕔𝕙.𝟙 - 𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕥 ─⊰

➺ 𝕡𝕒𝕚𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘: Ascended Astarion x f!reader

➺ 𝕥𝕒𝕘𝕤: no y/n is used, rating - E, TW: mentions of childhood sexual abuse, general sexual abuse and mentions of sexual slavery (all of those happened in the past AA is not doing this to reader). PIV, creampie, blood drinking.

➺ 𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪 𝕤𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪: you're skilled, driven and most importantly - ambitious. but even as someone in your position, a trained assassin and a leader of your own Guild, you still lend yourself to jobs that are of importance. even if those jobs sometimes mean attending parties. tonight - it's a masquerade and you're bored out of your mind, until the man who hired you to protect him leaves you alone, at the mercy of a stranger who suddenly took a keen interest in you.

this is a 7 chapter fic exploring Ascended Astarion through a lens of 7 deadly sins.

➺ 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕕 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥: 4,129

𝕒𝕦𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣 𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕖: as voted by my readers - here's Ascended Astarion and my take on 7 deadly sins that i looked at through his character. enjoy! <3

➺ 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥: [link]

Another boring party, another boring masquerade.

Your eyes sweep over the crowd but nothing seems unusual for the time being. People dancing, people chatting, people drinking. Most of them you recognize even behind their masks. Simple mannerisms, voices or even who they are spending time with tells you more than they probably would want to let on. It’s not hard for you to tell who’s who. After all, you worked for so many of them already.

Tonight you work as a guard for especially paranoid noble. Normally you don’t let yourself get hired for tasks, you have your whole Guild of experienced thieves and assassins to do all the minor and major works, but when the richest of Baldur’s Gate want your services specifically – you comply. Not only they pay handsomely, you also make connections among the patriars that do pay off in a long run.

No, you’re no Nine-fingers Keane, not yet at least, but you have gathered a respectable resume of deeds that are well known in the underbelly of Baldur’s Gate. You have a goal and that goal is simple – to control every Guild by taking over and uniting them. You’ve been working for years to make this happen and you built yourself from the ground up. Just like you escaped slavery in Hells, so will you become what you want to be – the ultimate ruler of Guilds of this godsdamned city that betrayed you before.

But you won’t let these thoughts distract you, not tonight. Not that you expect anything to happen in the first place. It’s a masquerade after all, who would even target the patriar you’re accompanying is beyond you. He’s a man who is scared to step on anyone’s toes, let alone anyone’s who could be a danger to him. Alas, he hired you and he’s paying so well you couldn’t refuse the offer. So now you’re here, in your best dress, with a domino mask on your face and a glass of wine in your hand. And, of course, couple daggers hidden under your dress. You are always prepared.

The patriar in question, one exalted Lord Goldbrith, is by your side and chatting with gusto to a young man. You suspect he brought you here not only to guard his life, but perhaps to help him disperse the rumors surrounding his sexuality. Not that most would judge in the first place, nobles and patriars probably are the most relaxed people when it comes to sexual liberty. However, Goldbrith’s issue is that his father wants an heir and if your little ‘prince’ over there leaves no such possibility by admitting that he’s not interested in women, well… then he risks losing the inheritance. And you’re not sure this man knows how to tie his own shoes, being pampered like a child all his life.

You almost roll your eyes, thinking how this is the worst some people have to deal with. No, they will never know what it is to be molested by their father and brother, no, they won’t know what it is to be sold to a brothel as a ten-year old and used. No, they won’t know what it’s like to be sold to Hells only to continue being a slave of desires of others just as you have been up here. You don’t scowl, but when you look at these spoiled men and women you feel disgust and anger.

No, stop, inhale… exhale. Your past is your past, but you’re stronger now, better. And you will have Baldur’s Gate by the throat eventually. You just have to be patient, have to spread your connections wider and have as many people indebted to you as possible. So that you can use them when the right time comes.

Again you inhale and slowly exhale, calming yourself. When you become the Guild Leader of Baldur’s Gate then each and every person in this room will have to treat you with respect. And most of them already do because you have made a name for yourself in these past years, for what it counts.

“Dearest, do you mind if I accompany this fine gentleman to the restroom? He says he cannot find it.” Lord Goldbrith is now talking to you, making you snap out of your bitter thoughts, and you look at him.

“Alone?” you ask and the man now seems flustered.

“Yes. There’s no need for you to come along, I think I will be perfectly safe. And it’s not far, if something happens - I’ll shout for you.” a nervous smile, intertwined fingers, yes, you know exactly what he’s going to be doing with this so-called fine gentleman. After all, he hired you to protect him and if he temporarily doesn’t need it…

“Very well, find me when you return, I shouldn’t stray too far.” you respond and Goldbrith pats your hand holding the glass of wine.

“I’ll be fine. Go, dance, mingle. Seems this event is quite safe for me.”

Sure it is, you think to yourself. You see his anxious desire to depart immediately from your company and you have no reason to hold him. He paid you already, after all.

“Of course, Lord Goldbrith.” you nod again and a smile of relief forms underneath his mask, you can see it in how the corners of his eyes crinkle.

“I’ll find you when I’m back.” his hand leaves yours and you watch Goldbrith navigate the crowd with his newest boy toy.

You can’t help but smile to yourself. At least he’ll be happy tonight and it won’t harm you to assure others he’s here with you if anybody asks. When you are paid so handsomely - you will tell people the sky is brown and grass is red.

“I saw your companion leave. Curious to ask why.” a voice you don’t recognize asks for your attention.

You turn to see a man standing close to your left side. His silver hair is immaculate with flowing locks and the domino mask that he’s wearing is bejeweled with what like looks actual gems. Behind the mask you see red piercing eyes. The man smiles and it’s more of a smug smirk than a heartfelt expression. It looks so natural on him that you are sure this is his default expression. A dangerous smile. A smile that spells ruin for those who scorn him; you’ve seen smiles like this before. 

“If you’re curious, why don’t you follow him and ask yourself?” you lift your glass to your lips and take a sip, keeping your eyes on him. 

“I’m not in a habit of following men.” elf responds, his tone of voice is cocky and the implication of his words is clear - he’s the one who leads and not the one who follows. 

Problem is, you don’t recognize him. Even with the mask on, you can tell that he’s a man of beauty, surely you must’ve heard of him even if you haven’t met him. But this is a masquerade, people don’t share names until midnight and there’s still couple hours left on the clock for that. You think how you can get his name out of him but your thoughts get interrupted because this mystery man steps even closer to you and glances at your glass. 

“More wine, my dear?”

Tsk. How much you despise nobles thinking they can use pet names on you. But you bite your tongue.

“I can serve myself if needed.” you step back from him and see his curious eyes examine your masked face. What does he even want?

Your gaze snaps down the moment you see him reach out. His fingers bear silver rings, some of them have gems, you recognize each and every one of those gems even before he steps closer again just to take your hand in his slender, manicured fingers.

“I thought maybe you could grant me a dance since your partner seems to be busy with a gentleman.” a pointed tone that his words carry tell you everything – he knows about the arrangement you have with Lord Goldbrith. How - you have not even a slightest idea, but he knows.

Except you’re not concerned that he knows, instead you notice his warm and soft touch when he raises your hand and leans down to meet it with his lips. Something that should be only a small peck gets prolonged and it’s as if he’s testing you because his eyes meet yours while his lips are still on your hand. It’s a long moment. Too long to be appropriate but you don’t pull your hand away.

“A dance? Perhaps I can do that.” you answer and offer the mysterious white-haired man a smile. He smiles too and straightens his back but keeps holding your hand.

“Wonderful. I think a waltz is about to start.” he says in a voice like honey. He’s interested in you, you can tell that much.

So maybe you could use him, just to relieve some pressure. It doesn’t have to be serious, these types of trysts never are. And you have been with couple other patriars like this before. Sneaking away from the main room, finding an empty study or an unused stairwell, quickly satisfying your needs and his without any need to talk about it afterwards. No strings attached, just pure carnal lust being gratified with a willing partner. This handsome elf could become this type of partner, if only for tonight.

You nod to him and put away your goblet to a nearby table, then feel him tug at your hand. You follow him to the ballroom and instead of staying at the edges of the dance floor as not to interrupt other twirling couples, this noble leads you right to the center. You don’t shy away when there’s attention placed on you, but tonight you are on the job and you would prefer if you weren’t noticed. Nonetheless, once more you let him do as he pleases and don’t pull your hand from his firm grasp or don’t try to hide away.

If he wants a dance with everyone watching – you will give him that dance.

When people part giving him and yourself the way to the center of the floor, this mysterious man finally stops and looks at you with a smirk. Even with the mask covering half his face you can see confidence, no, arrogance etched in every expression he makes. You don’t mind that. Something about arrogant men always intrigued you. Maybe because you too are full of pride, and you think that if only these men knew what you’re capable of, they wouldn’t be so self-assured around you. It gives your ego a boost, feeding your own arrogance, making you almost fearless no matter the situation, no matter the opponent or, just like in this case, no matter the partner. A dancing partner, at that, at least for now.

The man pauses, the music stops for a moment while musicians adjust for the upcoming tune and he steps closer, now pulling you closer with practiced ease. His hand on your lower back push you against his chest and you raise your eyebrows even though he cannot see it because of your own mask. Waltz is not danced chest to chest but it looks like he doesn’t care about etiquette or social manners. You don’t mind that at all, you like a man who knows what he’s doing.

And then the music starts again.

Your partner eases into the music with grace, his steps are easy, fluid and you follow him with as much grace as you can. It’s not your first waltz but he’s obviously a better dancer than you can ever hope to be.

“You know people are watching, right?” you say to the elf, bringing attention to how close he’s holding you and he scoffs arrogantly.

“We’re beautiful together, of course they are watching.” his hand on your lower back pushes slightly harder and you nearly lose your step.

A cocky grin on his face tells you that it was intentional. You smirk back to him because you know what he’s doing or at least trying to do. He’s sparring, trying to establish himself as superior to you in this setting. Maybe he’s trying to show that he’s superior over everyone in this ballroom. You’re not sure nor you care.

“I would like to know your name, darling.” your dancing noble says again when you don’t reply quick enough and you slightly smile, he’s getting impatient.

“It’s a masquerade, Lord. My name’s a mystery just as yours.” your reply rewards you with a chuckle that you feel reverberating from his chest against yours.

“Very well.” the man says and you can feel his fingers give yours a short squeeze. “But I will want to see what’s behind that mask once midnight strikes.” again his eyes pierce into yours and for just a split second the world around you melts away.

The chatter and laughter of patriars disappears, the music is all you hear. You feel the fabric of your dress brush against your legs and his as you both spin in motion to the rhythm of waltz. His hand so warm on yours, so warm even through your dress on your back. At last it feels like you both dance with the grace of gods themselves as he leads your steps. And you realize that you don’t want to wait until midnight to rip his mask off and see what’s underneath.

Yes, he will serve well to satisfy your lust, to help you take off the edge. You smile to him.

“Maybe we don’t have to wait for midnight after all.” you tell him and see a flash of surprise that turns into smugness. You also realize that waltz is coming to an end, perfect timing.

Before the elf replies the music tapers off and you step back from him despite his attempt to keep your body close to his, then you do a proper curtsey in thanks for the dance. Mystery man bows too, one hand behind him, but his eyes never leaving yours.

After you both stand tall again, you turn from him and walk off, sensing rather than knowing that he’s following. No one seems to be paying attention anymore, now that your dance is over and another one begins, and you weave through the crowd with easy expertise of an assassin. Passing unnoticed and uninterrupted. But you do quickly glance back to the spot where you were standing earlier, to check if Lord Goldbrith returned but seeing no sign of a man you turn your attention to the hallway for which you are aiming.

Soon enough you turn a corner but don’t get far before you feel yourself being pulled back by your wrist. You stop and look behind you only to see that the elf indeed has followed you. He tugs at your arm just like he did when leading you to the middle of a ballroom and you smirk, pressing your palms against his chest to soften the impact of your body against his.

He leans closer, his lips seeking yours yet you push away from him, seeing questions in his eyes, but instead of answering you grab his hand and make him trail after you in hurried footsteps. To your relief the elf doesn’t utter a word and you pass couple of doors before you stop and push at the third one, hoping that this room is potentially unoccupied, since you assumed the first two would be. That’s how it usually goes during these types of noble parties.

Yes, the room is empty and the silver-haired man follows you inside hurriedly, pushing the door closed behind him. When you stop he stops too and you release his hand, turning to him. For a moment you look each other in the eyes, you feel your heart beating heavy and fast in your chest. And then both of you step to each other at the same time as if you both heard a silent permission.

He grabs at your mask and you grab at his, pulling them away from your faces just a split second before your lips meet. You kiss him almost harshly, your desire taking control of you and he responds with same passion, pushing his tongue into your mouth in an instant. The masks drop to the floor and he steps forwards with you, pushing you backwards with his hands on your hips and your arms around his neck, until you bump into the bookshelf behind you.

Elf’s hands begin clawing at your dress, lifting the skirts up in a hurry and your hands blindly find their way to the buttons of his pants. The kiss is deep, the wine you taste on his tongue is even better than one from a glass. For a moment your tongue catches on his fang but you don’t have the time to wonder what’s that about. No, this moment is about getting and giving in equal measure.

The kiss breaks for a moment, you feel elf’s breath on your mouth and gasp softly when you feel his fingertips trace the outline of your underwear. You open your eyes and find him looking at you with intense lust-filled gaze, at the same time you finally manage to slip your hand into his pants. As you reach down, his precum stains your fingers and you smirk, palming his hard erection.

But your smile gets wiped off your face as the handsome elf pulls at the hem of your panties and slides two fingers down your slit, dipping just the tips of them into your core. He exhales with obvious lust and removes his hand, grabbing your hips as if preparing to lift you. You don’t waste time and you free his cock out of its confines. The moment you do that, the man lifts you by the hips. Immediately you wrap your legs around his waist, your hands gripping his shoulders for purchase. Without delay you feel your panties being pulled to the side and smooth tip of elf’s erection pressing against your soaked cunt.

No words are needed and no time is wasted. He thrusts into you with force and you moan, throwing your head back from the pleasure of him filling you and stretching you in most wonderful way. You quickly bite your lip down, trying to silence any forthcoming cries but you are not successful because when he starts pumping - it’s hard and demanding.

The room fills with pants and groans and you close your eyes, feeling the man’s lips on your neck, kissing and tasting your skin with his tongue. You whine with each snap of his hips, with each claim of his to your body, and you let go of his shoulders, your fingers reach over your head and to your sides, looking for a shelf to grasp onto, but for a while you only find the spines of books, pulling at them and making them drop to the floor with silent thuds.

Then your eyes snap open as pain briefly shoots through your shoulder but you immediately realize what’s going on. Of course he’s a vampire. The crimson eyes, the fangs, strange you didn’t realize it earlier. You let your eyelids drop as the vampire sucks on your blood while relentlessly pounding into you at the same time, and you have to clench your teeth to prevent yourself from shouting into the ceiling. It’s not your first time sleeping with a vampire so you’re not afraid, if anything it gives you a thrill of danger that you never get from other patriars in such short-term arrangements.

You feel the fangs leave your neck and a greedy tongue laps at the bite marks left behind while you finally manage to grasp onto the shelves, clinging for your dear life. You crane your head and look at the elf, seeing that his eyes are on you, then he catches your lips in a scorching kiss, his teeth tugging at your bottom one and you mewl at that, it’s harder and harder for you to keep silent as your pleasure begins to build. Your partner in this quick tryst pounds himself so religiously into you that you are beginning to feel sore already and that only adds to the pleasure.

For a moment the elf just keep thrusting while biting on your lower lip and when you look at him he keeps an eye contact with you, but then his teeth part and he presses his face to the side of your neck that doesn’t have his fresh bite mark. You hear him gasp for air and you know he’s close too. You release the shelf with one hand to tangle your fingers into his hair, grasping firmly just before you close your eyes again and let go.

A deep thrust, another one, then another one - your mewls follow each other of them and your mind swims just before your orgasm overwhelms your senses. You don’t know how loud you are or how hard you are gripping vampire’s hair, all you know is pleasure and his cock pushing you to your limits. You don’t even know how long the waves of pleasure rip through you, making your cunt clench on his shaft so deliciously, as if on a quest to milk him sooner than he wishes. You hear him grunt something, a word, maybe two, you’re not sure and it doesn’t matter.

When your bliss begins subsiding and your mind starts to clear you find yourself still being fucked. You whimper, sore and satisfied, but pull at elf’s hair, making him look at you. His face is sweaty, his teeth are clenched, showcasing his fangs, and you see that he’s close. You heavily kiss him but he doesn’t respond. Instead he grunts against your mouth and then moans, his thrusts becoming erratic at the same moment as he begins spilling himself deep inside of you. You slide your tongue against his teeth, your eyes heavy-lidded from your own pleasure and additional satisfaction seeing that he seems to be enjoying this too, like it’s a compliment to you. And then his hips finally stop, his grip on your hips is slippery and he’s digging his fingers into your flesh, leaving bruises for the future.

The elf opens his eyes to look at you, he’s utterly out of breath but you don’t let him say anything, you just kiss him again and he responds, albeit less energetically now. You had a moment to recover while he just rode out his orgasm to the fullest. With a smirk you lean your head back and push at him slightly, making him set you on the floor. The white-haired man looks disheveled and you most likely look the same, but you just smirk to him, taking in his appearance, the messy hair, the open pants and his softening erection, still leaking last drops of cum. A wonderful view and a state that you like seeing men in.

With sweaty palms you smoothen out skirts of your dress and pick up your domino mask from the floor, then give him a wink, walking out of the room. You don’t see the look the man gives you: one of shock and partial anger that you’re leaving without another word. As if he’s realizing it is you who used him and not the other way around. Your arrogance leaves him stumped. But you finally know who he is: Lord Astarion Ancunin.

With a satisfied grin you walk back to the ballroom, trying to ignore your underwear that’s getting soaked with his seed and your own arousal, but you know he won’t follow you right now, most likely too insulted that you used him to get relief. You put on your mask again and enter the ballroom, immediately seeing Lord Goldbrith impatiently tapping his foot at the same spot where he stood last before leaving with a young gentleman. When you approach him he looks irritated.

“Let’s leave.” he demands and you raise your eyebrows but you don’t argue. If you can leave early and go home to wash up that’s all the better. After all, the moment Lord Goldbrith is in his carriage your job is done and you won’t argue against a short night.

“As you say.” you nod and Goldbrith curtly nods in response, then marches towards the main exit.

You follow him but give one more glance behind you before you leave the room. You notice white curls and a crimson-eyed intense, angry gaze in your direction just before dancing couples hide all of it away.

You smirk to yourself. You have a suspicion you will meet him again.

[chocmoon-latte]

Another reason why I think Hancock would have a crush on the Sole Survivor besides the obvious fact that you're out here helping the people of the Commonwealth, or how he thought you were an innocent vault dweller who needed protecting, is the fact that he's finally got someone he can be emotionally vulnerable with. Being the mayor of such a dangerous place like Goodneighbor means he needs to keep up a reputation to match it. There's no room for him to be soft or emotional in a place like this.

He's happy when strangers know who he is for having reputation that precedes him for being deadly because it eliminates any chances of someone out there possibly getting the idea that he might actually have a sweeter, more caring side. That's one of the main reasons why he even killed Finn in the first place. But he WANTS to be able to express softness. The problem is just that Goodneighbor isn't the place to do it, and a lot of the kinds of people you find in the Commonwealth in general aren't really the greatest types to be emotionally open towards anyways. In a world like this, it's something that could very easily be held against him.

He tells you that it's lonely being mayor and that he's running out on the good things and people he's got. He tells you that he's always been the one telling others to keep the emotion out of relationships in the past, but here he is being open and emotional with you. He says that everyone is entitled to some softness, himself included… but after he opens up to you about running out on the good things in his life, he asks you not to tell anyone else. Not necessarily because of the fact that it's personal, but because of the fact that he's afraid of word spreading around about this more emotionally vulnerable side of him and that people will think he's crazy for it (and as a side note, let's be honest, we've all seen how society on a larger scale views emotionally vulnerable men as weak).

A lot (not all) of his contradicting ideals when you first meet him make so much more sense when you look at him through the lens of a man desperately trying to conceal and repress the more sensitive side to him. The way he just lets you get away with so much during The Big Dig questline, even if you take your time to do every little thing against him. It's obvious that he doesn't really care all too much about punishing you - he just likes knowing he still has the power to make people frantically scramble to please him, because it helps uphold his reputation.

If there's one thing Hancock hates being more than anything, it's being powerless and weak. His biggest traumas come from how he was unable to protect the ghouls in Diamond City from being exiled or protect the drifters in Goodneighbor from being abused by Vic. If people in the Commonwealth knew there was a softer side to him, a large majority of the more dangerous organizations, especially the ones operating in his town, would consider him weak. If Hancock was considered a weak leader, then he wouldn't be considered fit to protect the innocent people that he so sworn to protect.

It's always baffled everyone how Hancock doesn't show any sadness when it comes to the death of Fahrenheit or finding out his brother was replaced by a synth and killed years prior, but I'm starting to wonder if we've been looking at it the wrong way this entire time. Maybe Hancock's lack of being visibly upset over them had nothing to do with Bethesda making poor writing decisions (they kind of do tbh), but had everything to do with him repressing his emotions.

So when he gets to travel with YOU the player, who has no prior knowledge of him, his reputation or past (and you aren't just another citizen he has to put on a show for) he feels like he can let his walls down around you. He's allowed to be emotionally vulnerable because he doesn't have to pretend to BE someone for you, and in turn, he feels like he doesn't have to run anymore.

(That was a lot sorry but I tend to get my thoughts out better in the form of long ramblings. Honestly there's so many ways he can be interpreted though, but I guess this is just somewhat of an analysis/me theorizing a little)

[sinisteryanderescribe]

::: An Interesting Encounter :::

…………………………………………………………………………….

In the aftermath of a devastating apocalypse that has shattered society and left deadly diseases and infections rampant, a group of survivors has emerged, characterized by their cold and harsh demeanor. The destruction and isolation wrought by the apocalypse has taken a heavy toll on the group, leaving them distrustful, weary, and hardened by their experiences.

The survivors' harshness can be attributed to the trauma and loss they have endured, as well as the constant struggle for survival in a world that has been torn apart. Their cold and distant nature may stem from a need to protect themselves emotionally, as forming attachments could potentially lead to further heartache in their precarious circumstances. Additionally, the pervasive threat of deadly diseases and infections has likely instilled a sense of hypervigilance and wariness within the group, further contributing to their guarded behavior.

Despite their tough exterior, their demeanour is a coping mechanism, born out of necessity rather than malice. Their experiences have forced them to adopt a pragmatic, survival-focused mindset, prioritizing self-preservation above all else. This has inevitably led to an erosion of trust and empathy, as the group has learned to view the world through a lens of skepticism and caution.

As the group of survivors patrolled the desolate and ruined landscape, they stumbled upon a building where they heard the moans and cries of your voice who was trapped under a pile of rubble. The group, though initially wary and distrusting, ultimately decided to help the injured individual. As they carefully approached the source of the agonized sounds, they discovered you pinned beneath the debris, clearly in need of assistance.

Of course you would be startled at first with their sudden appearance but hope was the next feeling that filled your eyes.

The rescue effort was led by a man dressed in all black, wearing a gas mask to protect himself from the contaminated surroundings. With caution and precision, he skillfully maneuvered the heavy and sharp rocks that had entrapped you, eventually managing to free you by carefully pulling you out by the waist.

you find yourself being cared for by a white-haired woman with red tips at the end of her hair. Like the rest of the group, she wears a gas mask, a necessary precaution in the hazardous environment they inhabit. Her gentle but methodical touch conveys a sense of expertise and experience as she tends to your wounds, her eyes expressing though was emotionless and hard concentrated on wrapping up any deep wounds which you were thankful for.

Meanwhile, the man who had pulled you from the rubble takes on a more guarded stance, his gaze unwavering as he begins to question you. It's clear that he's maintaining a vigilant watch over you, wary of any potential threat you might pose. His demeanor makes you nervous, but you understand the necessity of his caution given the harsh reality of the world you now find yourself in.

Despite the tension, you answer his questions, providing information about your background, your profession as a doctor, and any other pertinent details. It's a relief to see a flicker of recognition in his eyes as he introduces himself as Luchino, acknowledging your responses with a measured nod. His name carries a weight of authority within the group, and you sense that he plays a significant role in their dynamics.

In a gesture of cautious camaraderie, Luchino proceeds to introduce you to the others, each member donning a mask like his own, their eyes reflecting a mix of wariness and curiosity as they take in your presence.

As Luchino introduces you to his group, you learn that the woman tending to your injuries is Ada, her white hair with red tips marking her as a unique presence within the group. With each careful movement, she conveys both expertise and a sense of intelligence , her focused attention speaking volumes about her dedication to aiding you in your time of need.

Meanwhile, a woman named Xiao Loa stands guard, her figure cloaked in a striking white dress coat. You notice her brief glance in your direction, though it's clear that her interest lies elsewhere, her demeanor exuding an air of detached indifference. Her inscrutable gaze leaves you with a sense of unease, as you wonder about the complexities hidden beneath her composed exterior.

Standing slightly apart from the others is Frederick, his posture exuding an aura of reserved scrutiny as he appraises you with a probing gaze. The intensity of his scrutiny puts you on edge, yet you find yourself captivated by the striking depth of his eyes, their beauty a stark contrast to the harshness of the world surrounding you.

After Ada finishes tending to your injuries, the group gathers to discuss whether they should take you with them. They huddle together, their expressions a mix of hesitation and uncertainty, each one silently weighing the implications of adding another member to their already burdened group. Ada, recognizing the value of having another doctor among them, seems to have no qualms about bringing you along, her practicality overriding any reservations.

Luchino, while acknowledging the usefulness of your medical expertise, remains uncertain, his guarded nature leaving room for doubt. Fredrick and Xiao Loa, on the other hand, make no effort to conceal their displeasure at the idea of adding another member to their ranks. To them, your presence represents an additional burden, a potential obstacle that could slow them down and complicate their already precarious existence.

Despite the reservations, the group eventually reaches a consensus, recognizing the practical advantages of having a doctor in their midst. Luchino takes charge, lifting you up as he hurriedly guides you to a waiting black truck, the others falling into step behind you. Once at the vehicle, Luchino gently places you in the back seat, where you notice a scruffy-looking young man whose tense demeanor and averted gaze hint at his unease with your arrival.

You would occasionally shift feeling slightly intimidated by some stares here and there but it’s better than slowly rotting and dying of starvation under a pile of rock and rubble.

As the journey begins, you find yourself surrounded by a group of individuals whose guarded nature and complex dynamics mirror the harsh realities of the world they inhabit. The subtle undercurrents of tension and uncertainty within the group offer a glimpse into the intricate web of relationships and conflicts that define their shared journey, hinting at the potential for both camaraderie and discord in this unforgiving post-apocalyptic landscape.

[revenantlore]

. WIP Introduction .

In the crumbling heart of the metropolis known as Nocturna City, a sinister drug known as Noxiglow has taken root. Those who dare to indulge in its seductive embrace are transformed into a new breed of vampires—neon-bleeding creatures with supernatural powers.

This results in unspeakable carnage and alarm erupts throughout the city, leading to an immediate lockdown that few abide by despite the costs.

Detective Vektor “Vex” Graves, a jaded and relentless investigator, is thrust into the neon-lit abyss of Nocturna's underworld. With his AURAndroid partner, Detroit, they embark on a perilous journey to uncover the dark origins of Noxiglow and put an end to the escalating chaos and death it leaves in its wake.

As Vex delves deeper into the investigation, he infiltrates the illicit world of Nocturna's vampire nightclubs, where neon-blooded addicts revel in their newfound powers. Undercover as a hopeful vampire fledgling, Vex encounters Nokia, a captivating and mysterious vampire, and the lines between duty and desire blur.

Vex's attraction to Nokia grows, casting him into an emotional whirlwind as he grapples with the complexities of his feelings for a man he should view as an enemy and not a lover, on top of the confusion he endures over his “relationship” with Detroit.

The neon world is fraught with danger and temptation, and Vex must navigate a treacherous path to maintain his cover while unraveling the secrets behind Noxiglow's creation.

In a city where neon-lit darkness conceals deadly truths, Vex and Detroit must race against time to expose the malevolent forces behind Noxiglow and confront their own inner demons.

Characters :

Vektor “Vex” Graves

Vex's day doesn't truly begin until he's had his fifth cup of coffee, though his job seldom allows him time for more than two. Coffee is a constant warm companion, helping him stay alert during long nights on the job and tiresome investigations, and some days it's the only warm companion he allows himself.

Other days, he finds himself warm under the sheets beside his work partner, Detroit.

Despite his sharp mind, Vex struggles with impatience and indecision. He can be quick to jump into action but often finds himself overthinking choices, caught between a desire for immediate results and a nagging need to weigh every option. Having Detroit as a partner ready and willing to knock some sense into him is a blessing he sometimes takes for granted.

In and outside of work, Vex is drawn to the hidden corners of Nocturna. Urban exploration comes as both a passion and an escape, allowing him to immerse himself into the quiet mysteries of decaying buildings and forgotten spaces-occasionally stumbling upon an equally decaying body along the way. And despite his advanced mechanical eye, Vex prefers to capture the essence of this dilapidated world through the lens of an old, beat-up Polaroid he found at a junk-lot.

D3TRO-17 “Detroit”

D3TRO-17 is a top-of-the-line AURAndroid [Artificial Unification & Reconnaissance Android] hired on to work alongside Detective Vex Graves. Meticulous and prone to getting caught up in the small details, having a human for a partner makes work a lot easier.

Underneath the occasional biting sarcasm and unwavering honesty, Detroit harbors a soft side that manifests in his appreciation for life's smallest joys. He finds wonder in the most simple and mundane aspects of human life, the intricacies of insects, and possesses an endearing quirk for collecting seemingly trivial objects.

If asked, he would say dandelion wishes and pinky promises are his favorite aspects of life.

Though much of his knowledge is crammed into his internal database, Detroit favors tangible objects.

Much like a teenager from a time long past who might pin media posters to his walls, Detroit's walls are adorned with scraps of paper torn from history books, loose cards from old trivia games, and dried flowers he finds between the cracks of old buildings.

Detroit longs for a sense of belonging and humanity he fears he may never achieve.

Mattix Nysoth

Mattix Nysoth is an enigmatic hermit who exists on the fringes of society. They lead a transient life, wandering wherever the night guides them, finding shelter in abandoned buildings once full of life that Mattix tries to emulate through imagined scenarios brought to life with paint and calloused fingers.

Mattix's existence is an intricate dance with danger and survival, marked by a series of illegal and improperly installed implants that are both a lifeline and a curse.

Their body bears a patchwork of these hazardous implants, each representing a desperate attempt to gain an edge in a world that often leaves them behind.

While these enhancements provide occasional advantages, they come at a steep cost, in both health and legality.

Though Mattix's demeanor is often abrasive, it is more a defensive mechanism forged from years of solitude and abandonment than a representation of their true self. Trust is a rare commodity and they've learned to keep others at arm's length unless it serves them in some form or another. However, beneath this tough exterior lies a deep desire for connection.

nokia grimoire info to come eventually

[yunarim]

🥀 DAUGHTER OF EVIL | RIDDLE ROSEHEARTS

The flower of evil sweetly blooms with maddening color // Although it's a very lovely flower // Indeed, there are too many thorns to touch it

ʚ🌹ɞ — ever since little you’ve been a servant of evil famous for an unswerving loyalty and devotion to the queendom’s only ruler, a crimson tyrant named riddle rosehearts. his every complaint, his mere whimsies — you’ve made those all come true, had he only snap his fingers. and now, witnessing the end of both of you — you wonder, what kind of future awaits you two?

✎ tags : gn reader, saga of evil inspired, reader as len (aka servant of evil but not riddle's twin, reader and riddle are not siblings in any ways), can be read as platonic, angst throughout the fic, mentions of death, happy ending

▸notes : lmao i actually re-entered my vocaloid obsession phase and decided to give it go. i kinda have all the dorm leaders assigned to the 7 deadly sins series, would you be willing to read everyone else's parts? ㅋㅋㅋ ✦ W.C. : 2.8K

“So, shall we start?”

Riddle crosses his legs, a high heel pointing at the lowly being in front of his eyes begging for something ever so utterly insignificant it’s boring. Ah, no, there’s another emotion making his blood boil in his vessels — annoyance.

“Your majesty,” a plowman swallows under Riddle’s sharp gaze and folds his hands in a prayer gesture, falling to his knees. “I h-have no right to beg, b-but the field can no longer be plowed, it has exhausted all its resources. A-and it hasn't rained in the kingdom for a long time…”

“Ha,” Riddle lets out a provocative laughter. “So? You know you can’t beg me, but came here just for that purpose?”

“P-please, if only you could cast a rain!.. I will repay you twice, no, thrice as hard!! P-please, your majesty, I!—”

“To think that you expect me to excuse you for ruining the field!” He laughs, the hoarseness in his voice rises with a playful tone gliding around him. “Ha!! You insolent brat. You’re forgetting I sorely despise such ignorant fools like you. Off with your head!”

You know what follows this line. You see a collar of an unbelievable beauty, yet also of an eeriness no one would ever want to experience. The collar clasps around the man's neck thin from starving, and wants to dart your glance somewhere else but him, knowing exactly well that you can’t. 

“N-no…” a plowman cries. “I’m begging you, your majesty!! Please, anything but my magic!—”

“Take him away,” Riddle sighs, unamused. “I can’t stand these wails anymore.”

“As you wish, your majesty Rosehearts.”

Riddle follows your figure with a concentrated gaze fixed on your movements, and frowns at your actions. You tell the guards to get rid of the man that instant, no emotions flowing in the gleam of your eyes, and he wonders… How could you fit him so well?

There’s an absolute silence when you return and stand beside him at his right, a strong aroma of roses lingering around. It’s deceptively alluring, yet you feel like your skin could crumble just by standing here a second longer, though you also admit there’s no choice other than bowing your head so low it’s painful. 

“Yuu,” you don’t dare to shift your eyes to him, nor to move an inch. 

“Yes, your majesty Rosehearts?”

“How many times have I told you to stop calling me that?”

 “You’re my sublimity, my only light and meaning of my lowly existence,” you answer unswervingly. 

“Haaa,” Riddle sighs, pressing a hand to his forehead. “Want to be beheaded so much?”

“I am very sorry, your majesty.”

“You don’t look sorry at all.”

You finally move, ready to fall on your knees, but he rises from his throne and waves a hand, stopping you from doing anything absolutely ridiculous. Ah seriously, did he hurry when thinking you fit him so much? 

Can’t you see he’s being different to you?

“Yuu,” his voice is suddenly low and dark. “Drop your act immediately, I know you’re a terrible actor.”

“In order to be an exceptionally flawless servant to you, your majesty Rosehearts, I must—”

“Enough!!”

You finally look up at him, witnessing his frown.

“It’s Riddle for you.”

You jolt when hear his heels echoing in the hall, and turn around to raise an objection, but then again who are you to have the right to do that? 

The bells ring with deafening blows of the striker against the bronze walls, and Riddle turns to you, meeting your lost glance.

“Oh, it’s tea time.”

“I’ll prepare everything.”

You bow as lowly as you can, and ask to excuse you for leaving, and go back to the kitchen as if nothing ever happened a few minutes ago.

He’s always been like that. You remember him since you were born. You, a child of a counselor close to the previous king, possessing an enormous amount of magic within, and Riddle, future kingdom’s ruler. Despite your family losing all its value and status, you were assigned to being Riddle’s servant, thanks to the devotion of your ancestors. 

Every other servant would often ask you how come you just didn’t abandon your position with the magic of your level or why wouldn’t you just kill him. 

You don’t know yourself. If it was that easy to answer, you wouldn’t be here in the first place, and yet an image of Riddle’s genuine smile with a child-like playfulness splashing in the corner of his small red lips was fathoming you with a happiness blossoming inside. 

Your heart aches whenever you remember Riddle mother’s strict yells and slaps she gave for mistakes at the age of five. You remember him sneaking out to eat a strawberry tart you bake, you also can’t forget the scars she left on you for being so lenient and exceeding your authorities—to think you dared to try helping him. 

After all that,

Was there even a way to betray that smile that shines on his face when he looks at you?

“Oh, Yuu.”

You bow to Riddle when you see him approaching you riding a horse. His intimate tender smile who no one ever managed to witness, the smile he demonstrated exceptionally to you. 

You can’t help but smile at him in return and jolt right after, remembering you have no right to do that.

“Ah,” he says, jumping off the horse with a light elegant move, and comes to you. “Why did you stop?”

“Stop?” You echo him. 

“Smiling. It suits you.”

You swallow painfully, lowering your head and hearing an annoyed sigh from him again.

“Well then,” his hands land on your waist, causing you to gasp. “I just have to make you smile again.”

“Y-your majesty Rosehearts?..”

“Josephine,” he calls his horse and smiles. “Help me out.”

Josephine lowers slightly to make it easier for you to get on, and Riddle tries unsuccessfully to put you on. 

“Your majesty Rosehearts, let me…”

You follow his silent request to get on the horse, and look at him with a confused gaze. Everything becomes more complicated when he jumps right after, making your back touch his chest, and he grabs the reins. 

“Y-your ma!—”

“Ha-ha!” His laugh is clear and genuine, he smells like roses even on a horse, and you can’t help but smile. “I always wanted to ride with you.”

“With me?..”

“Indeed. You’re different from them.”

“Yes?” 

“You…” A strong wind current makes you close your eyes and grab the reins in order to not fall, and feel Riddle pressing his whole body to yours, making sure you will hear him almost whispering in your ear. “Never speak bad about me behind my back.”

You don’t know how to respond, but Riddle doesn’t look like he would be happy to hear your reply in any case, so you let yourself enjoy the ride for a minute, and then turn to him, your heart skipping a beat at the sight of his pinkish cheeks. 

“I have something to report—”

“Yuu!”

You hear two familiar voices, and ask Riddle to dismount. He helps you to get off the horse, and those who called you by your name run to you, welcoming in a warm embraces.

“Ace, Deuce,” you greet them calmly, despite your heart beating much faster. “I apologize for meeting you in such an unpleasant state of mine.”

“Nonsense,” Ace laughs off. “You’re just as silly as ever!”

“He’s right,” Deuce joins him and pokes your cheek. “We missed you!”

“I…” You turn to Riddle.

He’s not frowning, he’s not annoyed, he’s… You know that emotion. Disdain.

“Good afternoon, your majesty,” Deuce welcomes him, bowing, and Ace follows him not so eagerly. 

“Ignorant as you ever were.”

“Your majesty Rosehearts, I wanted to report that Ace Trappola and Deuce Spade came in order to negotiate regarding the distribution of magical resources.”

“That is right, your majesty,” Deuce says. “And we have to proclaim the most important decision we had to make.”

You feel Ace grabbing you by the shoulder and look at him as if he lost all of his mind. And maybe he really did.

“We need to take Yuu with us as the only person left in the whole Queendom of Roses with such an enormous magical energy in order to provide them a promising future.”

You met Ace and Deuce while going shopping in the Clock Town, running out of magical artifacts, and instantly felt an unknown warm feeling growing in your chest. Red roses of happiness blossomed within, when you recognized that you can actually feel the emotion of being loved by your friends. You genuinely enjoyed the times you happened to meet them in the town. 

And even though you knew they, like all of people in the Queendom of Roses, couldn’t stand Riddle Rosehearts’s tyranny and frivolous restriction of other people's magical abilities, you were predestined to have an exceptional enormous magic flowing within you, which Ace and Deuce were interested in. And unlike others, their unrotten desire was to make you happy, to let you study magic just as freely as you wished. 

You once said you can’t betray your master, and the following question ‘Why is that?’ was absurdly reasonable, and yet you couldn’t bring yourself to answer. 

There was no such reason. Nothing except for Riddle’s warm smile, his lenient approach to you and the way his cheeks grew red when he was trying to impress you with gifts. You couldn’t dare to imagine deceiving his rapid heartbeat whenever you two studied magic together.

But Ace and Deuce were adamant to the point they wanted you to be free even and tyrant to be dethroned miserably. Despite knowing the state Queendom of Roses was in, how people starved and died after their magic being restricted which led to rain no longer falling and soils drying out forever, you still were… selfish.  

And maybe your friends were too when deciding they could just rip you off Riddle’s strong chains.

“Make sure the Clock Town is badly stirred.”

You fell on your knees, your mind filled with void, and the only thing you could think about was to execute an order Riddle gave. 

Your hands were shaking, you couldn’t hold the magic pen properly, and the flames of red flew everywhere around the Clock Town. 

Heart-rending screams filled the entire space. You did not notice how the cinders and burnt dust filled your lungs; hysterical crying and crackling sparks of fire rang in your ears, but you mindlessly walked forward, squeezing the magic pen in your fingers.

“Yuu…” Deuce heard you, turning around.

He threw his head up, and a new stream of unrestrained tears gushed from his clear teal eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Remember me and Ace love you.”

He chuckled before you casted a magic spell devouring him.

“Goodbye, my dear best friend.”

You closed your eyes, dropping the pen and letting out an uncontrollable wail.

The servants ran away as time was short. You watched Ace leading the opposition, magic traces so obvious it could be seen in the air with the flows of bright crimson, ashes surrounding every inch of the castle, and you drew the curtain. 

“Your majesty Rosehearts, you should run!”

“To hell with running away! I’m not a coward! I want to protect you!!”

“Y-you majesty Rosehearts,” your voice trembled at how genuine Riddle sounded, and you bit your lip, kneeling before him.

“Before long, the angry townspeople will probably overthrow us. Even if we so rightly deserve this. Despite this, I will still defy them.”

“Don’t you dare!! It’s an order, Yuu!”

You turned to him, his eyes glowing with unconcealed sadness and rage at once, tears sliding down his cheeks. 

“Off with your head!”

You reflect the spell he tried casting on you, gifting him with an apologetic smile, and Riddle sees how much blot you accumulated.

“Yuu… no… you can’t…”

“Riddle.”

He rose up his head and felt air hitching in his throat, not allowing him to say anything to you. 

“I’ll cover as you, and you use all the magic remaining to cover as me. You need to escape immediately, this would be my one and only wish. You remember I never asked for anything? Now it’s time for you to finally grant me your safety.”

Wave of magic enveloped you, and the second after Riddle was staring at the copy of himself, an ink embracing your limbs, and he felt pathetic for leaving you in that state. 

“You… you ignorant… brat… How could.. you!” Sobs prevented him from speaking clearly, squeezing his throat with burning rods, but he could not go across your last request, waving a magic pen, and taking on your appearance. “If it’s to protect you, I will even become evil.”

Even if the entire world becomes his enemy, I will protect you, so just be there smiling and laughing. 

You feel like burning, ashes and magic currents no longer feel familiar, it’s a deadly fire to your skin, and you see Ace screaming when flames envelop your body, and you physically feel how phantom rips off your body, the threads of your connection dying out. You use your last remaining powers to let the cover be saved to the very end, even when Ace’s hateful odious gaze filled with poison towards Riddle fixes on you.

It’s painful. It’s painful to the point you want to let your cover wear off, to beg Ace to save you from this burning hell, and the glimpse of familiar crimson hair locks somewhere behind the wall of dust chains you up to the conscious state for a moment. 

Ah… right. The very reason you feel like disappearing is him. 

You smile at him, seeing his teary eyes, and want to run closer, to ride Josephine together one more time, to sneak out and eat a strawberry tart, to practice magic together, to—

To envelop him in your warm embrace and to never let him go. If I could be reborn, at that time, I’d like to play with you again.

You press a hand to your forehead, wondering how in the world did you end up transmigrating to the other dimension. It was pretty much fine minding your business on Earth, why would you suddenly transfer here? And what is here actually?

You hear people whispering something about you—magicless human, blah-blah-blah or whatsoever—is magic really a thing here? You suddenly feel a viscous feeling tiring you out when you think about using magic. How peculiar, given you don’t even know what it would be like.

“To think you presume you would run away from me.”

You blink absentmindedly when you hear the voice so oddly familiar and strangely endearing, despite the situation not being conducive. 

“Off with your head!”

The tone, the hoarseness in this voice makes you jolt and swallow, you don’t realize you’re shivering. 

“You okay?” Someone asks you but you don’t hear anything despite the voice.

You follow its source with your concentrated gaze and finally find the boy with bright red hair and gray eyes, an annoying gaze of which is aimed at the creature who introduced himself as Grim, who caused the commotion.

“As wonderful as ever. Any and all magic gets sealed by your Unique Magic, Riddle-san.”

Riddle…

How come you know his name despite never having met him before?

“Hmph,” the boy shrugs it off. “Of course I— Huh?”

You feel his gaze landing on you, and he drops his magic pen, looking straight at you. Indescribable feeling fills you up instantly, and you suddenly just know your skin feels like it's burning, and somehow there’s a rose aroma lingering in the air.

“Yuu?..”

“Huh? You know them?” The other boy asks when Riddle parts his lips.

“I am not… sure?”

“You’re,” you approach him, subconsciously feeling a strange urge to embrace him. “Riddle Rosehearts.”

“You’re correct, indeed, but how in the world… Ahem.”

He coughs and stretches out a hand to you to shake it.

“Nice to meet you. Please call me… Riddle.”

“What?! Did dorm leader Rosehearts just say to call him only by his name… this magicless human?!”

You don’t know what you are getting down on your knees and taking his hand, pressing an ephemeral kiss on its back. 

“W-wha?!—”

“Oh!” You raise up instantly, realizing what you just did. “I’m sorry, it was an… instinct?..”

“Is that so…” 

Somehow… you don’t understand what is that exceptionally majestic about him, but you smile and see how his cheeks grow red.

“Riddle,” you say his name out loud quite awkwardly, as if trying to roll it on your tongue and taste how it sounds, and he blushes. “I know it’s sudden, but would it be okay to eat a strawberry tart together after this all will be solved?”

“I… don’t mind.”

If I were to be reborn... it'll be nice if we'll meet again.

© yunarim 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝. 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲, 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐲, 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧.

[hlficlibrary]

✤ Crime Fics ✤

A series of posts with the top five fics of each category by kudos plus five more hidden gems from that category! Remember to leave kudos and a comment on the fics you enjoyed to show your appreciation! You can find our other recs here.

- Top 5 H/L Fics -

1️⃣ my heart, in deadly rhythm by orphan_account (M, 42k)

There exists somewhere a very, very small list containing the names of people who don’t want Louis Tomlinson dead. Harry Styles may or may not be one of those people.

(or a Spies!AU in which Liam is the Wade to Louis' Kim Possible, Zayn seduces people for intel, Niall is an expert at blowing things up, and Harry is more than a bit famous in his particular field... or infamous, actually. And Louis? Well, Louis just wishes people would quit trying so bloody hard to kill him all the time.)

2️⃣ A Rose, By Any Other Name by iwillpaintasongforlou / @canonlarry (E, 10k)

“I don’t understand, Mr. Tomlinson,” Harry says quietly.

“You don’t have to understand, sweetheart.” Louis reaches over and runs his thumb across Harry’s cheekbone, watching the boy’s breathing pause as he dares not move beneath the touch of this strange, imposing man. “All you need to know is that you work for me now, and that I’m going to keep you safe from all the bad people in this city, you hear?”

Louis Tomlinson is the head of New York City's mafia, and Harry is the beautiful boy from Texas who falls in with the wrong crowd (which turns out to be the right crowd).

3️⃣ Little Cub by aace1234 (NR, 68k)

Harry is head of the underground, he's ruthless, possessive, feared and powerful.

Louis is a student, his dad works for Harry but Louis has no idea about the underground world.

What happens when Louis Dad causes trouble and Harry kidnaps Louis for revenge.

4️⃣ we've got the world in our hands by sarcasticfluentry (E, 54k)

A mutants/superpowers AU. Louis and his friends attend the Cowell Institute for General Education and Mutant Training in London; when Louis meets Harry, the newest student at the Cowell Institute, he immediately recruits Harry to help play matchmaker for his friend Zayn. Harry and Louis are so caught up in meddling in Zayn's love life, though, that they don't notice that their own friendship is progressing into something more. Meanwhile, an ominous threat up north grows slowly until suddenly, no mutant - or human - is safe.

5️⃣ Watch Him As He Goes by LoadedGunn (M, 14k)

It's why Harry loves assignments with Louis; they're thrilling in a way. It's like he never rests. He's this animated, gorgeous guy who's all over the place and Harry actually has to work hard just to catch up to him.

It kind of reminds him of trying to stalk a predator stalking its prey, with his old 70-300 mm lens. Only the predator is a cheeky arsehole. "Come along Harold, I know you usually wait for your zebras to pose for you but here you've got to think on your feet," Louis yelled one time, before disappearing to interview Detective Payne. Never mind the fact Harry was slow in the first place because of Louis' tight jeans.

Or, the AU where Louis' the best police reporter in the country, Harry's the new photographer who is more used to penguins than human subjects, and also there are superheroes.

HIDDEN GEMS:

💎 this charade (was never going to last) by @scrunchyharry (E, 68k)

On the surface, CitizenX, an international caritative nonprofit, looked like any other nonprofit, funding humanitarian missions worldwide and striving to make the world a better place, one donation at a time.

At least, that was what Harry thought, until he was hired as a computer specialist for a spinoff agency called carish, whose true purpose was to reveal CitizenX’s tangled web of lies.

As if the whole ‘industrial spy’ business was not stressful enough, Harry found himself in a hatred-at-first-sight relationship with one of his new coworkers, Louis, a man intent on detesting Harry.

When the worst happened and Harry and Louis found themselves thrown together in hiding, with only each other to rely on, Harry never could have predicted the turn their relationship would take.

Nor could he anticipate that it would all be taken away from him and he would have to decide how far he was willing to go to get Louis back.

💎 All My Roads Lead to You by @dandelionfairies (M, 41k)

Harry’s stuck in a life he didn’t choose after leaving home at eighteen. Bartending and running drugs were never on his list. Louis is an undercover cop sent in to figure out exactly what’s going on inside of the bar. Neither could have known they’d be drawn to each other.

It’s obvious to Louis that Harry isn’t aware of everything that happens in the backroom. It’s obvious that Nick [Grimshaw] has used Harry’s vulnerability, insecurities, and naivety to keep the man exactly where he wants him.

Harry has never admitted to anyone who he is. They wouldn’t accept him. In fact, he has no doubt that if anyone found out he’s gay, he’d be dead. He doesn’t want to let that wall down for Louis. Because no one can know. But that’s easier said than done. Louis is everything Harry could have ever pictured.

💎 Cowboy Like Me by Rearviewdreamer / @all-these-larrythings (M, 29k)

Going legit and starting over in a small town was supposed to solve all of Harry’s problems. That was until a string of robberies in wealthy towns brings him face-to-face with his rouge ex-partner and their dicey, unresolved past.

💎 Tonight's the Night by @jaerie (E, 24k)

Tonight’s the night. The night Harry has been waiting for. Everything has been carefully planned, nothing left to chance, the scene set and waiting for their arrival. It’s time.

Harry lives a double life. During the day he's Harry- trusty blood spatter analyst, at night his darkness comes out to play. So far he's been able to act his way through a normal life without drawing attention. What happens when that is no longer the case?

Or a Dexter AU where Harry is Dexter, Liam is Doakes, Niall is Masuka and Gemma is Deb.

💎 Harry, That Kills People by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup (T, 2k)

If there’s one thing that Harry hates, it’s getting his clothes dirty.

If there’s one other thing that Harry hates, it’s murder.

Unfortunately, right here and right now, Harry’s clothes are dirty, and he’s murdered someone. So. It’s not a great day.

“Ugh,” says Harry. “Yeargh. Bleh.”

[very-grownup]

NUMBER 1

Do you want to date the man who has it all?

Yes.

Even if "it all" includes the enmity of the emperor and so, so many other people?

Probably still yes.

Do you deserve to date the man who has it all?

Believe in yourself, because confidence is key if you want to date Xiao Duo.

Being a man disguised as a eunuch in pursuit of revenge for his murdered brother means Xiao Duo hasn't had a lot of time for romance, although he knows what it is, at least through the lens of court intrigue. You won't need to teach Xiao Duo about dating although you may need to be the one to kindle his interest in the idea of dating. Luckily, if Xiao Duo is the man for you, the best way to get his interest is to be your unfiltered self. Are you a disaster, a gremlin, a seed of chaos in the garden that is your life? Because Xiao Duo may not realize it, but that is his type.

Even if you aren't the perfect storm of trouble, be yourself, flaws and all, with Xiao Duo. His job involves dealing with backstabbing, front stabbing, underground stabbing, and stabbing from directions you don't even know exist. Unvarnished honesty will be refreshing and relaxing for Xiao Duo, even if the rest of dating you isn't.

Don't worry about being "too much". Xiao Duo will always rise to the occasion and the more you are, the more he's likely to pull his attention from his schemes and potentially deadly goals and focus on goals you can both enjoy, like finding the best spicy chicken takeout, buying and furnishing a recreation of your dream home, ensuring the care and well-being of your dog child, and learning to make kites.

Dating Xiao Duo doesn't involve him calling all the shots and doing all the work while you're being pampered, although he may profess a preference for that kind of relationship. Xiao Duo thrives on conflict; ideally there should be healthy push and pull between you. Xiao Duo wants a partner, not a dependant. Of course he'll protect you, but when he sees you've solved a problem on your own, especially if you've ruined someone else in the process, well. That's about as hot as you can be in Xiao Duo's eyes.

Xiao Duo is a tragic orphan, but if your relationship becomes serious you will be inheriting a significant number of Loyal Guys who may start looking to you as an alternate parental figure and general source of authority. Try not to think about how this might be dozens of human beings; pretend they're moderately smart dogs and Xiao Duo is just a guy with hoarding tendencies.

The hoarding may be the biggest problem with Xiao Duo. As a formerly poor tragic orphan and a man used to moving through the lives of the imperial family, Xiao Duo may tend toward excess, especially in the things he wants to give you to show his affection and prove he can take care of you. Never be afraid to tell him it's too much: too much food, too much jewelry, too much property. If there's a problem, tell him. It will be healthy and probably sexy to deal directly with your issues, communicating like adults.

Sex will be a fundamental part of your relationship with Xiao Duo. He's very excited by the opportunity to stop taking ancient Chinese t-blockers and if it takes some work to get the piece up, he probably knows a lot about achieving pleasure while keeping pants on.

You would be lucky to date Xiao Duo and should jump at the opportunity if it's presented.

Go back to Number 2?

Or return to the beginning and the polar opposite of Xiao Duo?

[cantsayidont]

July 1983 to October 1986. In 1983, DC lured Doug Moench away from Marvel and books like MASTER OF KUNG FU and MOON KNIGHT to take over BATMAN and DETECTIVE COMICS under the editorship of Len Wein. Their run, which lasted 40 months, was the final phase of the Bronze Age Batman continuity; although it continued for some months after the end of CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS, everything through DETECTIVE COMICS #566 and BATMAN #400 is functionally part of pre-Crisis continuity, in particular most anything to do with Jason Todd becoming the second Robin. (Jason debuted during the end of Gerry Conway's run in early 1983, but it was Moench and Wein who oversaw Jason's actually becoming Robin.)

From 1981 to 1986, there was a tight continuity between BATMAN and DETECTIVE COMICS: a story begun in one book would continue in the other two weeks later. This was something new for Batman; there had been occasional multi-issue storylines for years, and Steve Englehart and Len Wein had introduced a certain amount of Marvel-style continuity in the late '70s, but having around 40 story pages per month allowed more room for character-driven stories, supporting characters, and subplots. When Doug Moench arrived, a central focus was on leading up to Jason Todd becoming Robin, but there were also numerous other major and minor subplots, from Alfred's attempts to connect with his adult daughter, Julia Remarque (introduced by Conway in 1981), to Gotham's messy city politics and various deadly underworld power struggles.

In MASTER OF KUNG FU, Moench's signature storytelling preoccupation had been "kinky weirdos hurting each other's feelings," and his initial run on the Bat-books also featured a series of messy, sometimes bloody romantic triangles, the most important of which involved Batman; the now-reformed Catwoman; Nocturna (Natalia Knight), a pretentious Goth burglar who attempted to adopt Jason Todd; and Nocturna's adoptive brother Anton, who became a cat burglar out of deranged obsession with Natalia and later tried to kill her so no one else could have her. It was all very grandiose and inevitably somewhat florid, but then expecting gritty, understated realism from a comic book about a man who fights crime dressed as a bat is itself pretty silly.

The strongest story in this run actually has little to do with that soap opera: "What Price the Prize?" in BATMAN #372, is an intelligent, grounded drama about an up-and-coming young Irish boxer maneuvering for a bout with a Black champion obviously inspired by Muhammad Ali, featuring some of Don Newton's finest Batman art; the conclusion in DETECTIVE #539 isn't quite as sharp, but is still one of Moench's best. Other highlights include a clash with Catman (BATMAN #371/DETECTIVE #538) in which Thomas Blake's determined belief in the magical power of his costume nearly gets both him and Batman killed over and over; a wistful story about the private life and hidden depths of boorish Harvey Bullock (DETECTIVE #549); a delightful one-shot (BATMAN #383) in which Batman repeatedly tries and fails to get some sleep; the debut of Black Mask (BATMAN #385–386 and DETECTIVE #553); a comedic tale of Batman and Catwoman on an actual date, in costume (BATMAN #392); and a distinctly '80s-Bondian espionage adventure reuniting Moench and artist Paul Gulacy (BATMAN #393–394).

Artistically, the run got off to a good start with Don Newton on BATMAN (inked by Alfredo Alcala) and Gene Colan on DETECTIVE (generally inked by Bob Smith). Newton's departure in 1984 hurt, leading to a period of artistic musical chairs and some really bad early Pat Broderick art, followed by Tom Mandrake taking over BATMAN. Mandrake gets a bad rap in some quarters, mostly because his style is looser (and about two steps further in the direction of Gene Colan) than many comics fans care to tolerate, but his work here is mostly fine, and certainly an improvement over Broderick's. The Annual has some very nice early Denys Cowan pencils, inked by Alcala, and BATMAN #400 is an all-star extravaganza art-wise.

Maddeningly, DC has never properly reprinted a lot of this material, which I think is badly overdue. If it's not as epochal as some more familiar periods both before and after, the median level of quality is pretty decent (and certainly no worse than the 1987–1991 period, which has now been reprinted in its entirety); its emphasis on characterization wouldn't be matched again in the Batman titles for many years. Denny O'Neil supposedly hated much of what Moench had done (Moench has said O'Neil especially loathed Nocturna, whom he flatly refused to revive in any form), but Denny is dead now, and in any case, his Batman stories include their share of stinkers as well as gems. I don't know that DC has any kind of real reprint strategy anymore, but I hope they won't wait until Doug Moench is dead to properly remaster and collect these issues. Doing them all (BATMAN #360–400 and Annual #10, DETECTIVE #527–567) in something akin to Marvel's Epic Collection format would probably take four volumes — there's around 1,800 pages of material, more if you include Moench's Superman/Batman stories from WORLD'S FINEST — but why not?

[dailyjsa]

The New Golden Age Continues...

Beginning in October, DC will be releasing three six-issue mini-series featuring founding JSA members Alan Scott, Jay Garrick, and Wesley Dodds.

Alan Scott: The Green Lantern by Tim Sheridan (Flashpoint Beyond) and Cian Tormey (Superman: Son of Kal-El) will be Alan Scott’s first solo title since 1949. Through a twist in the timeline, Alan Scott: The Green Lantern revisits and recontextualizes the origins of the first Green Lantern through the lens of our modern understanding of the man. The story, which begins in the 1930s, is about an old flame – the kind that burns eternal – and the sometimes head-on, single-track collision of our personal and professional lives. This is Alan’s coming-of-age, in which he must embrace the man he is, to become the hero he’s meant to be. In the end, he’ll have gained a greater understanding of himself and his gifts – as he unlocks a new, previously unknown ability that could make him the most powerful Green Lantern in existence!

Jeremy Adams (The Flash) and Diego Olortegui (Aquaman: The Becoming) are teaming up for Jay Garrick: The Flash. It’s hard being a parent, especially when your kid is a speedster! Jay Garrick has been reunited with his long lost daughter, Judy, but figuring out how to connect with her is proving to be difficult. They’ll need to work to find common ground when a mission that started in Jay’s early days as the Flash comes roaring to today. But will The Flash and The Boom be able to thwart a plan that’s been in the works for decades?!

Wesley Dodds: The Sandman by Rob Venditti (Superman ‘78) with art from Riley Rossmo (Harley Quinn) shows the titular character as a pacifist. He has given up on the hope of a peaceful world, but he hasn’t stopped believing that people can be better to each other, if they’re only given the right tools. Possessing a scientist’s optimism and romanticism, he is convinced that humanity can invent cures for its own ills. Having learned about the battlefield horrors of World War I from his father, he sought to create a sleep gas that would allow for “humane” warfare. During his research, he recorded all of his attempts in his science journal - even those with horribly deadly consequences - swearing to never show them to the world. Now his journal has been stolen, and he must find the culprit and stop them before his deadly mis-inventions fall into the arsenals of the belligerent nations threatening to pull the United States into the next world war.

(Images and descriptions were taken directly from DC's press release)

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4.5/5

Book Blurb:

The special first edition hardcover will include a gorgeous, shimmering jacket with effects, brilliantly illustrated four-color endpapers, striking and detailed-stained edges, and a beautiful foil-stamped case.

Infused with magic and romance, this sweeping fantasy adventure inspired by the legend of Mulan follows a young woman determined to choose her own destiny—even if that means going against everyone she loves. The Three Kingdoms are at war, but Meilin’s father refuses to answer the imperial draft. Trapped by his opium addiction, he plans to sell Meilin for her dowry. But when Meilin discovers her husband-to-be is another violent, ill-tempered man, she realizes that nothing will change for her unless she takes matters into her own hands.

The very next day, she disguises herself as a boy and enlists in her father’s place.

In the army, Meilin's relentless hard work brings her recognition, friendship—and a growing closeness with Sky, a prince turned training partner. But has she simply exchanged one prison for another? As her kingdom barrels toward destruction, Meilin begins to have visions of a sea dragon spirit that offers her true power and freedom, but with a deadly price.

With the future of the Three Kingdoms hanging in the balance, Meilin will need to decide whom to trust—Sky, who inspires her loyalty and love; the sea dragon spirit, who has his own murky agenda; or an infuriating enemy prince who makes her question everything she once knew—about her kingdom and about her own heart.

Review:

A fantasy story inspired by Mulan? Oh hell yeah. Meilin is a girl being forced to be married to an abusive man by her equally abusive father but saves a prince... and discovers that maybe she can use her martial art skills to enlist in the army and pretend to be a man to escape from her forced marriage. Meilin yearns for freedom, but being a woman in this time gives her very few options. When she enlists in the army in her father's place the last thing she expects is to be in the same platoon as the very prince she saved. Prince Sky begins a friendship with her and a true partnership between them begins... but when she is captured by the enemy kingdom.... Meilin's secret is exposed and she meets Lei, a prince with his own agenda who seems to have a soft spot for Meilin. Meilin finds herself trapped between two princes, a prince who offers her everything she could ever want but that means going against her kingdom and everything she thought she wanted and the prince who was her partner and friend... yet puts duty and honor above all... even if it might cost him her. On top of that Meilin has begun hearing voices in her head and her own abilities have grown.... a much larger game is afoot and everyone is searching for powerful jade seals... and Meilin is not the only individual with gifted abilities and powers... and if her secret is revealed to all she will be executed. What path will she take and who can she trust when she is being pulled in every direction? This is the first book in a series and the ending has me beginning for the second book. This is definitely a unique and fun take on the legend of Mulan and I loved the twist and turn at every part. You feel for Meilin as she gives her trust to others and is constantly betrayed... all except for Lei who keeps playing her game and trying to warn her (oh how I loved Lei). Honestly I can't wait for the second book and i just know Meilin will be out for revenge (as she should). This is such a fun read and I would absolutely recommend it!!'

*Spoiler: Meilin and Len spend 40 days together and end up hooking up... only for Meilin to steal her jade back from him. She had helped Sky and co escape... only to later kill the third jade holder (the chancellor). Meilin has the voice of a dragon spirit talking to her and telling her to get the jade. Meilin is gifted with the ability to compulse people to do as she waants. Lei is captured during the battle against the chancelor... and when it is revealed to the emperor that Meilin is a woman he gives her two options: give up being a soldier and be forced into a marriage or be imprisoned, she picks imprisonment. Before this lei warns her not to trust anyone especially those closest to her (her two soldier comrades rat her out and betray her while Sky doesn't really do anything to stop what is happening), The book ends with both Lei and Meilin imprisoned by the emperor and Meilin vowing to get out and seize her fate.

Release Date: July 2, 2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*