#Tod dropped his body

[lurochar]

Bad Habit

So I recently read somewhere that Alastor pulls out his hair as a stress reliever? Not sure if it's actually canon, but I thought it was interesting, so here we are!

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You feel bad, guilty.

Horrible even.

It is why you are currently sitting on Alastor’s bed, waiting for him to come back from wherever he had disappeared into the shadows.

It was okay, Alastor had given you permission to come into his room and the magic that served as his room's lock allowed your presence inside, despite how uncomfortable you felt being in the room regardless.

It hadn't been the first time you had turned down his offers of protection, companionship, and whatever else you desired. If you wanted, he would grant it to you.

Was that worth your soul?

You were scared, terrified even though Alastor assured you again, again, and again that he would never abuse your soul and it would be his greatest treasure. Hell, he had even written a contract of rules on himself pertaining what he could and couldn't do to your soul.

And tired of being frightened by this overwhelming strange one-sided courtship, you fled.

You weren't sure why Alastor allowed you to flee to begin with, perhaps he was giving you space to sort out your thoughts, but you had unconsciously glanced back towards him when you did run.

You had never seen such an expression like that on Alastor’s face before.

You couldn’t get that expression out of your mind and so, only a few hours later, you found yourself in the last place you wanted to be: Alastor’s bedroom.

Still, you couldn't describe that expression.

Irritation, anger, vexedness, longing, agitation, hunger, stress?

It floored you that Alastor could even feel so many of those emotions considering you knew his background. It stunned you even further he felt them for you since you believed he was interested in you because you were the only female deer demon – the only doe – in his territory.

Was Alastor interested in you beyond your demonic characteristics?

You jump when the shadows in the room flicker around and Alastor materializes, clearly taken back by your presence as he takes a step backwards when his red eyes land on you.

You stand from the bed, ready to apologize. “Alastor, I'm sorry about tod–” You pause, eyes widening when you notice something. “Y-your hair…!”

A large chunk of his hair is missing. It looks as though it's been torn out.

“Did you get into a fight?!” You quickly move towards him to get a better look, vaguely noting Alastor’s smile is tight and he almost resembles a trapped animal with his tense posture. “Are you hurt anywhere else, Alastor?”

Alastor stares down at your sweet concerned face and almost lets a sigh escape him. “I am fine, my dear Doe.” He resists the urge to bristle defensively when you try to get closer to where his hair is torn. “I did not go on a rampage today.”

You blink. “If… if you didn't fight anyone, what happened?” You looked back to his hair and winced. It looked painful.

Alastor’s smile widens to grotesque proportions. “I did this to myself.” His eyes watched you heatedly as you stumbled back in shock at his confession. “It's a bit of a habit, you see. I tend to rip out my hair when I'm feeling stressed to the point that even slaughter will not relieve it.”

Your ears drop.

“I never thought you would run from me, dearest. Now tell me,” Alastor’s hands are creeping up towards his head as his eyes cloud with fervour, “why are you so afraid of me?”

“Alastor!” You rush forward, clumsily pressing yourself against him and grabbing his hands with yours before he can tug at his hair again. You lace your fingers with his longer ones, feeling your face burn hotly as your body shook nervously. “W-why do you need my soul? Can't we do it all without me giving you my soul?”

Alastor tightens his fingers around yours. “I admit I am a complete novice in the area of… romance,  but is it not a romantic gesture? I would give you my soul if I were able.”

You couldn’t help but to laugh and Alastor raises a brow. “If that's what you think, then you have thousands of spouses already, including Husk.” You snicker again when Alastor’s eye twitches. 

“Husker.” Alastor utters in disbelief. “My spouse?” He looks as though he just swallowed rotten meat.

“Romance can be almost anything if the partner appreciates it.” You smile. “A flower. A walk together. Dinner with each other. Stargazing. Anything really as long as you enjoy their company.”

Alastor raises your hand slowly towards his lips and you shiver (and not from fear) as he places a gentle kiss on the back of your hand. “My lovely Doe, would you care to accompany me on a walk in my bayou?”

Your face softens as your eyes move towards Alastor’s missing chunk of hair. “As long as you come talk to me when you get to that point again. I don't want you hurting yourself, especially over me.”

“It's not a big deal, Darling. My hair will be grown back by tomorrow morning.” Alastor lets out a hum at your glare. “But I suppose I can if you wish.”

As long as he got his sweet Doe in the end.

[saucyexe]

Imagine:Lab Partner Viktor.

Lab partner Viktor: who is already not delighted about the project but he’s definitely not excited about being paired up and sitting next to somebody he doesn’t even know.

Lab partner Viktor: when you first meet him and exchange numbers for then project proceeds to leave your message asking when you should meet up on read for hours. Only to respond at 2:37 am with, tomorrow.

Lab partner Viktor: who ignores your entry to the study hall and your wave until you are standing right next to him, Hi Viktor I’m happy we were able to work tod-, I think I should do the research and you should do the slides.

Lab partner Viktor: who looks at you so plainly as if he didn’t just basically call you stupid. Where does he find the nerve? Sure he may be top of the class but that doesn’t mean you’re an idiot! You almost wanted to slap him then and there but you kept your cool, deciding it wasn’t even worth it. Sure viktor, that sounds delightful.God he looked so smug.

Lab partner Viktor: who meets up with you several more times, not understanding why you were so interested in every tiny detail about him, you might as well being asking for his diet as well. He shuts you down of course giving short blunt responses

Lab partner Viktor: who can’t understand why his mind is plagued with the thought of you, of your smell, your hair, the swell of your hips as you walked, the arch of your back as you leaned over the table, and the curve of your smile when he said something you thought was funny. His mind was filled with thoughts of you, and his body was filled with reactions to these thoughts.

Lab partner Viktor: who thinks if he just throws himself into the project and ignores your presence, that it will all go away, so he does. He works and works and yet all he can think about is you.

Lab partner Viktor: who decides it’s time to finally own up to it, so he decides to text you and see what you’re doing.

Viktor stared at the phone in his hand, he had proof read the message multiple times; no spelling errors or grammar mistakes, and yet he struggled to press send. His lips held firm in a straight line, he was an inventor who had overcome so much in his life, he could message one pretty girl, so he did. As his finger finally pressed the send button he reread the message, Would you be able to meet up tomorrow? He clicked his phone off and set it down on his nightstand as he played back in bed when his phone started to ring. He picked it up to see it was your contact, he definitely wasn’t expecting you to answer immediately, he picked up the phone and pressed it to his ear,

Hello?, he was meet with a weird clapping noise until he heard a man’s voice

Why are you texting her? Are you her boyfriend or something? The unknown voice said.

No, I’m sorry who is this?

The voice chuckled, I’m the man that’s balls deep in your girl friend right now.

Viktor jaw dropped, balls deep? Were you being? It all made sense, the clapping noise. God, you were being fucked right now.

He heard a shuffling sound as the man spoke up.

Tell him how much you love it. A woman’s voice, you spoke up. I-I love it. A pornographic moan followed after which viktor quickly hung up.

He placed his phone on his bedside table as he tried to relax, his raging boner noticeable under his sheets. God, why did that turn him on so much. You sounded so blissed out he could imagine that your face was probably in the pillows as you arched up. His hand traveled to his pants as he continued to think.

Your lips were probably parted and your face tear stained. Your hair snarled from being tugged on and your ass read from being slapped. He could imagine the way your mewls and moans would get louder as the thrust got deeper and quicker , his strokes getting faster, and faster. Your little pleas the way you would say his name when you cum. He groaned as he imagined the way your body would convulse as your released wrecked through you, his own releases coming causing him to spill onto his hand with your name on his lips.

As he looked down at his cum stained hands his resolve hardened even more, he needed to talk to you tomorrow.

[imsilay]

I need to get this out my system or else I'mma lose my shit... What about in Mania pt 3( don't know if you'll have one) but what about König hair pulling y/n? Him just cooing as she's babbling shit and overstimulated. (+Slide some belt there if you wanna) huehuehuehue. You get the rest! Imma go to Mars and come back after you post it! Love youn babyeee!! Ajsbsjamajshjssh

people are so wei- jk we’re equally horny i love you anon.

MANIA pt.3

obsessive love; very possessive and often jealous.

word count: 1.3k

read first chapter here

summary: König doesn’t wants you to leave him, even for a second. he finds excuses and makes it your problem so he could fuck you until you’re too sore to leave again. (he could destroy me and i would thank him fr.)

mdni NSFW! +18, cw: hurt/comfort, possessiveness, size k!nk, fem!reader, obsessive König, dom!König, manhandling, hair pulling, overstimulation.

art cr: @kinky-thirsty-reader

His hips slammed to yours as he grabbed your thighs and gave them a squeeze, his big palms causing your sore muscles to ache. But he made it up to you by kissing your g-spot repeatedly. It made your eyes roll back and pussy clench around him. He groaned and pushed your thighs to your chest, still thrusting into you without mercy. “You take me so well, Hase.” his eyes were focused on how your greedy cunt sucked him in. “Ich schwöre bei Gott, you love my cock more than you love me, Hase” with a light chuckle continued to watch it, it amused him that how your tight cunt get used to his shape. He used you at his heart content, your little body was like a putty in his hands. He would mold you into the perfect toy for him. Needy and dependent. Maybe then you wouldn’t have a thought about leaving him.

“Kö-König!” was all you could push out from your lips when he didn’t even consider slowing down. Your legs aching and causing so much pain but the pleasure he fucked into you was all you could think and feel. His hips slamming to yours and making the bed shake with the force. “Ja, Hase?” The way you slurred his name was turning him on even more. You were a moaning mess, mind too foggy to remember what you wanted to say. “Faster.” you gripped the bed sheets for dear life, squirming and sobbing while he pounded into you hard. “Du wirst mein Tod sein.” (You will be the death of me.) he mumbled before pounding into you harder and making you gasp. When you said his name, he thought you would beg him to slow down but it was his mistake to forget how needy you already are. Your walls clenched around him and your hips desperately rolling to meet his, that’s when he knew you’re close.

He didn’t stop or slow down. Continued to thrust into you as he tilted his head back and let out a low groan. Your moans and sobs was mixed with his low curses and groans. “I know you’re close Hase. Cum for me.” he looked back to your face. His heart dropped at the sight. Your addicting lips parted and face twisted with pure bliss as you cum on his cock without needing any further stimulation. “Scheiße.” he dug his fingers into your thighs as he couldn’t contain himself and cum deep inside you. “Oh my-“ you whimpered when you felt him unexpectedly fill you up with his hot semen. He pulled his cock out and released your thighs. His hands immediately find your face and pulled you up to meet his lips halfway. The kiss was rough like he was mad at you for making him cum. “You should be punished for the expression you made when you cum.” he whispered after the kiss and bit down your lower lip. You whined and shook your head in protest when he let go of your swollen lip, unable to form a proper sentence as you felt the arousal dripping from your cunt to your thighs.

His hands found your clit and rubbed with enough pressure to make you squirm again. “Wrong answer, Hase. Try again.” he whispered, his eyes filled with nothing but pure lust and want to possess you. Your hips twitched and rolled foward to his fingers, chasing the any friction you could get. “So verdammt süß.” he gritted his teeth to stop himself from devouring you whole. He teased your folds with his fingers, fingering you with the both of yours cum still inside you. You shuddered and grabbed his forearm when he hit that sweet spot. “Fuck.” you cried and threw your head back, another orgasm building within you.

He felt your walls tightened around his fingers. He smirked and tilted his head to the side. “Again? Already, Hase?” he purred then curled his fingers so he hit that spot he already knows by heart, his other hand on your waist to keep you still. He knew all your weak spots and the places that made you squirm. You were already overwhelmed with the all pleasure he was giving to you. “gonna… please-“ you moaned as your eyes rolled back to your skull and legs trembled. “Braves Mädchen.” he cooed when you cum again, harder than before. You collapsed back to bed, legs still trembling and aching. He watched the mess he made out of you with a satisfied smile. His hungry gaze locked with your pleading one, his fingers leaving your cunt and finding his mouth to lick his fingers clean. The sight of him tasting your arousal made your stomach do a flip, earning a needy whine. “I’m not done, Hase.” he whispered to your ear, his voice stained with want. The want to take you over and over, the want to make you his, the want to make you stay with him. He took of his mask. As much as he wanted to fuck you with his mask on, he couldn’t resist your trembling lips. His lips found yours in a passionate make out session. His fingers traced back to your breasts kneading and making you squirm again.

He didn’t even let you recover or take a break. After leaving you breathless with his lips he flipped you over and grabbed your hips to hold you up. Your breath hitched when he pressed his rock hard cock against your ass. You tried to escape his grasp but it just earned a low growl from him. “Where do you think you’re going?” He hissed and grabbed a fistful of your hair, yanking it back and looking into your eyes. Your blood ran cold when you saw his icy-blue eyes, and you realised that you had managed to anger him. “Du wirst mich nicht verlassen.” (You’re not leaving me.) he murmured as he pressed your face to the mattress and lifted your ass up. Positioning you into however he wanted to take you. Ass up, back arched perfectly and chest pressed against the mattress. He continued to murmur the same thing repeatedly as he stretched you open with his thick cock and pounded into you rapidly. You were already a blabbering mess, begging and sobbing as he fucked the breath out of your lungs. Your legs trembled and gave up eventually, the only thing holding you up was his hand on your lower belly. He adjusted you again with his hand on your belly and carried you without effort. With his hand pressing on your belly he could feel himself moving inside you. With each thrust of his pushed you closer to edge, milking him as you cum again. He suck in a sharp breath and grabbed your hair firmer, yet he didn’t cum until you begged him and promised to not leave. Your cries increased by the time he cum inside you filling you up with his hot seeds all again. He gave you last a few slow thrusts overstimulating further both of you with his each thrust.

He pulled out and then flipped you over onto your back again. “Aww mein kleiner Hase… Don’t cry. You did so good f’me.” he kissed your cheeks and wiped the tears. “You know i love you so much.” he soothed you with pulling you onto his firm chest and massaging your sore legs. As your sobs came to a stop. He then prepared a warm tub for the both of you, filling it with your favourite essences. Carefully placing you into the water then pulled you into his lap in the tub, his body taking up the majority of the space. He began to massage your thighs as your head dropped onto his shoulder. "I'm not going to leave you." you whispered by the end of the day. He pulled you even tighter into his embrace and planted kisses on your neck. “I know.” he mumbled softly.

a/n: please support me by reblogging, if you liked it <3

a/n: also i post everyday -sometimes 2 posts in a day- so if you follow me i won’t disappoint ;)

AND HUGE THANKS TO @lunanilla FOR HELPING ME WITH GERMAN <3

[mischiefmaker615]

Hello, I am not sure if you are currently taking requests for your music based one-shots, but I would like to request one for either "Heart" by The Pretty Reckless or "You" by The Pretty Reckless please and thank you! 💜

Song Request: "You" by The Pretty Reckless 

Requester: @stilleobjection

Rating: PG14 (hints of being dark tbh?) 

Summary: "I long for you to want me the way i've wanted you..''

Note: I listened to both and picked "You" but if you squint, i suppose the one shot could work with both songs Lol

''Loki?... Loki... Loki!''

Frigga's sharp voice startled the second prince of Asgard, causing him to jump and move his eyes away from the open window to find his mother's arms crossed and brow raised.

"I suppose we should continue this perhaps another day..'' she sighed, shutting the book and rising from the couch in the study, making her son quickly shake his head and reach out.

''no no- I'm sorry I'm just.. a little distracted today.. we can continue, mind spells.. right?" he asked sheepishly, feeling the pull of his eyes to try to look back out the window while his hands clenched at his sides, looking down at his lap on the couch.

Frigga raised a brow, clearly finding that not to be the right answer while she goes over towards the window. ''my son, what has you so distracted tod-''

''nothing mother-'' he says quickly and got to his feet to step in front of her, arms spread as if to help block her ''it was merely a snake-''

Her eyes gave him a cross look before sneaking a glance around him quick enough forward her eyes met his, finding them guilty while hers filled with amusement. ''..have you spoken to her before?"

''who?" he asked a little to quickly before the look in his mother's eyes had him sigh and look down, arms dropping to his sides. ''of course not.. we are not to speak to the maid's that don't involve orders...''

''you follow your father's rules to much, they are people just like us and value connection.'' Frigga shook her head while Loki straightened a bit to his full height, just barely looking down his nose at her.

''following father's rules will get me much closer to gaining the thro-''

''showing compassion and connection to the people of Asgard is of much importance to be a good king Loki.'' She spoke gentle, his eyes trailing off to the books in the study in thought before he felt her hand begin to carefully adjust the clasp of his cape upon his shoulder. ''..a king also will need a queen..''

Loki couldn't help but snort while his mind seemed elsewhere ''it is also forbidden to court outside of royal lines..''

Frigga couldn't help but smile as she placed her hands on his chest at last and looked up at him gentle. ''well, rules can always be adjusted by their ruler. That will be all my son, we will continue our lesson tomorrow.'' She said before she left with the door gently closing with his eyes following her.

His fingertips seemed to tingle, shifting in place while he resisted the urge to continue is distracted behavior earlier, but with a short-lived debate, he sat himself by the window once more with his eyes gazing out towards the gardens.

She was beautiful.. how her hair seemed to sway in rhythm of her hips when she walked. how her dress hugged her body in all the right ways, it might as well have been a ball gown than a maiden's uniform. How her laugh seemed to make others smile and how she seemed to always finish her tasks fast enough to be able to help others. She was smart, held conversation and shy at the best of times. At least.. from what he's seen..

Loki's chin rested on his palm while his elbow supported him with his eyes watching her. right now she was picking flowers- for the banquet table no doubt. Her eyes seemed to be in full concentration, searching for the right ones in a very few patches. The fluttering feeling in his chest returned, hesitation in his actions while he practically glanced behind him to make sure he was alone. Drawing a deep breath, his eyes closed for just a moment before his fingers flexed and lightly dug into his palm, a shimmer of green flashing amongst the grass before exotic flowers bloomed just beside her.

He made sure she would never notice.. father would have his head if he heard of the second prince of Asgard helping with the chores. Who knows what punishment would be bestowed upon her.. they'd believe she had asked him for assistance rather than the truth.. it was better this way..

Her eyes lit up once she turned, finding the new batch in which to pick with the slightest hesitation in his eyes as if to remember if it had been there just a moment ago. Loki felt a smile tug at his lips at her happiness. He barely heard the servant behind him before he quickly snapped out of it and stood, seriousness coming over him with his usual intimidating attitude, making the male servant take a hesitant step back with eyes to the ground while he spoke.

Another court meeting to attend. Loki sighed and waved him off, stealing one more glass at lady Y/N before he turned to leave, having missed the small sneeze that over came her while his swept off into the halls.

~

Y/N lay in bed, her body taken over with exhaustion by her daily work yet sleep would not be coming for her soon. She was within the in-between, kept up by her mind yet just barely at the door to slumber.

Her bed almost felt huge, despite it being in the servant's quarters. She stayed in the one closest to the window, having it opened a smidge where the morning sun may warm her when it came time. Her skin was gently illuminated by the moonlight, highlighting ever curve and limb while she turned onto her back with a sigh.

She was beautiful.. her simple nightgown teasing just enough of her intimate areas where it might as well have taken just a simple breeze to uncover the rest. Her lips were parted while her breathing stayed even. Her eyes closed while they fluttered every now and again with a particular thought that threatened to wake her.

Still, she remained still.

Her arms were resting above her head, the sheets draping just over her mid-section while her silky hair lay just surrounding her face. Beautiful..

Beautiful how the goosebumps seemed to spread while his fingertips just ghosted over her skin, having started at her palms and made a path towards her shoulders. On instinct, he would have pulled her straps back up, while they had fallen just down her arms mid-way, by the best of them left them alone.

The mattress had dipped where his knees were placed, just on either side of her hips while he hovered his weight to barely touch her. he remained still in his straddling position, looking down with his soft eyes while he hunched over her, his arms having stretched out to have ghosted over her arms in their beginning trail.

He wondered how her dainty wrists would feel if he would just enclose them in his slender hands, how much her strength would show if she were to try to pull them free in her perfect position right now. His palm then left her shoulder to rest above it onto the mattress, allowing his weight to rest while his other hand continued to explore.

Of course.. this wasn't the first time. He had practically memorized everything she had to show, but only what she had shown. Not once had he found her with her skirt bunched up, nor the sheet below her hips. His eyes would flicker down any time she would shift in her sleep, grateful for what he had but begging for more of her.

his fingertips trailed now along her collarbone, every now and again his eyes would look up into hers in which they would still be remaining shut before he would follow his own hand again. His favorite spots was where it would hold the perfect place to sink his teeth into, the area just between the neck and the shoulder. Oh how she'd squirm if he decided to follow through, perhaps even tease with his tongue with whatever he felt like that day. She always seemed so ticklish when his fingertips would brush against her there, or the tip of his nose and lips, but he did not kiss her yet.

No.. her lips would be the first he planned on pressing down on with his own when the time came close.

She let out a sigh then, her face turning to look towards the window yet her eyes remained closed while she exposed more of her neck to him. he had half the mind to press his thighs together, feeling the strain in his pants as he watched her but had to remind himself to keep his body still, not at all wishing to wake her.

What would she do? Finding the second prince of Asgard hovering over her like this.. would she scream? Fight? Freeze? Perhaps she wouldn't do anything at all.. after all, in her position she had no right to refuse him as a royal. One wouldn't believe her anyway.. but the mere thought of fear in her eyes, hate, disgust maybe, had in chest tighten and his fingers curling into the sheet below him.

She perhaps couldn't want him the way he wanted her.. steal her the way she had stolen him.. need him the way he needed her..

His lips parted in a soft sigh, the feeling of longing filling his eyes as he gazed at the very creature he watched whenever he got the chance. In the gardens at noon, in the hall ways in the morning- despite the brief passings. Beside the corners of the banquet hall at dusk while she waited to fill yet another glass of wine. In the night was the only real time he could truly look upon her, closer, ensure she was comfortable and safe, despite her many questions in the morning towards her work mates.

She'd wonder how the flowers had sprouted so fast. How she enquired another blanket in the night. How her chores seemed to be less tedious as if someone had done them just a moment before her. her meals would be fulfilling and her sleep was restful. He couldn't help but feel the tug at his lips when she had even mentioned perhaps an angel from Valhalla was watching over her, granting her luck and protection.

Her breath hitched, his hand stilling until she regulated her breathing much more before he continued to glide his fingertips within her cleavage; the in and out motion matching the rhythm he's countless times imagined his cock filling her perfect cunt.

Ohh how he longed to see it.. to kiss it.. taste it.. fill it.. he'd ask for nothing else in this lifetime if only she'd grant him the promise and privilege..

What she offered in her sleep, was what he would accept. Perhaps Frigga was right.. a king may have the power to change the rules in which it would involve royals and lower class. Would she want to be with him? truly? Overlooking the privileges and want him for him?

His eyes looked over her face as if she would answer, read his mind while he lowered himself ever so slightly, pausing in which his clothed cock brushed up against her below him before he moved slower to just lower his mouth. A hand gently swept a lock behind her ear, the smile tugging at his lips while he just barely pressed his lips against her cheek and tightened his fingers against the sheets for self-control once more.

''until tomorrow once more, my Flower..''

~

Y/N bit her lip as she stood just outside Loki's door, nervousness growing by the second while the guards seemed to take their time fetching him inside. She had never seen his room- his chambermaids telling her countless stories of how scary or how grand it was.. the tales were different with each replacement..

Why her? why had she requested to see her? they've never even spoken before.. had she made a mistake? Forget to bow when he had passed the last time? Her mind ran through so many possibilities of what she may have messed up on, the sound of the door had her jumping in freight.

''you may enter now.'' The guard told her, stepping back to his post just beside the door while he held it open for her.

''thank you-'' she said quietly, her fingers gripping her dress at her sides nervously while she stepped in.

Loki stared out the window, his body tall and cape moving ever so slightly at the gentle breeze that came in. he knew she was there, every ounce in his body screamed for him to turn, to smile, to embrace, to follow his instinct, but the logical half knew this would be a delicate process while he remained still. His silence was crucial, knowing she was nervous right now because.. she didn't know of their history.

The door was heard closing behind her and she remained where she was while she bowed low in respect, eyes to the ground with a careful breath. ''you wished for my presence, my prince?"

''my prince, you deem me as yours, Flower?" he smirked, his eyes closing as he listened and imagined how red her cheeks must be right now while he dared give her the nickname he'd called her so many times before in his mind.

''I'm- sorry.. I did not mean-''

''it is of no offense darling, I do hope you plan on relaxing here once you've found yourself comfortable.'' He tutted, finally turning himself to face her while his fingers remained clasped behind his back. His eyes were gentle, hiding the longing in his eyes with authority and a mask. She had no idea how he felt for her.. not yet..

''..i do not think I understand..'' she said quietly, raising herself from her bow while she stayed with her fingers grasping the fabric at her sides. Her eyes shyly rose to his own, her heart racing faster with each step he took towards her. it was difficult to pinpoint his mood, his expression.. his intention. So many stories came from all maidens who encountered him- it was impossible to know what was true or not.. what would be hers?

''you are to replace my chambermaid. She has fallen ill and proposed perfect timing to find a new replacement anyway. Your things shall be moved to the guest room just along the way here, your duties will start immediately.'' He said carefully, his heart racing just as much as hers while he stared down at her.

Oh how happy he was.. to have her finally close to him.. she will be safe, in his sights and care at all times- though needless did she know or not. In time, perhaps she'll learn his endearment towards her, maybe even return them as well..

She had too..

Loki didn't know he had been holding his breath until he had realized she hadn't spoken. ''I expect gratitude has left you speechless.'' He chuckled, exhaling while his shoulders threatened to dip down with relief. All morning he had looked forward to believing the news, and by this, he granted himself the pleasure to dip his eyes down just below her collarbone- a privilege and expectance towards one who held his position.

She shifted a little, her arm muscles flexing to stop herself while she fought the urge to cover her chest by his wandering eye. He looked upon her with lust- no.. something more hidden behind his eyes.. what intentions did he hold? She couldn't help but flinch when he suddenly reached out to grasp her hands, earning a small chuckle from him while he leaned down to be more nose to nose with her.

''and yet I still expect an answer, Flower.''

''thank you my prince- I am nothing but grateful..'' she put on a smile, a strange sensation washing over her at the feeling of his hands.. like a familiar feeling like his touch was not new..

''I expect nothing but the very best darling, I do tend to always get what I want..'' he smirked, his thumbs brushing over her skin while she looked up at him, something.. strange in his eyes seeming to cloud over to what seemed like a man hungry.. lustful.. possessive.. his grip tightening ever so slightly at the small feeling of her trying to return her hands back to herself, not at all ready to let go.

''and I promise to take very good care of you..''

Note: LOL sorry.. not sure why my writing tends to turn dark *sweats*

~DM a song for your own Loki Musical Mischief one shot :D

Tag List: @foxherder13 @asgards-princess-of-mischief @fire-in-her-veinz @nervouseden @kathren1sky-blog @eleniblue @lokiswife-dark-fox-queen @queenofstarsign85 @slytherinqueen4life @soulpiercing

[dreaming-of-mossballs]

First Date..? - (Gepard x florist!reader)

Summary: Gepard, after becoming ill to the point of passing out, asked you to go on a tour of the Belobog History and Culture Museum with him. Today is that day!

▸ Genre(s): fluff, a sprinkling of angst

▸ Word Count: 5.5k

▸ Tags: Gepard x reader

▸ Warnings: food mentions, mentions of domestic abuse

A/N: MY LAST POST SHOWED IN THE TAGS!!!! It brought a ton of new people in <3 hello gepard fans, this is a part of my series! You can find more in the masterlist. (Or don’t. I try to make it so you can start wherever.)

the dividers are being stupid but i decided to keep them

MASTERLIST

Gepard, the heir to the Landau name and a sworn Silvermane Guard, wasn’t sure if he had ever felt this nervous in his life.

From his first interview as a cadet to the ceremony promoting him to the position of “Captain,” his heart had never beat as loudly as it did that day. It sent tremors through his chest that traveled all the way to his throat.

He stood resting an arm on the counter of the Neverwinter Workshop reception desk, paying no mind to his sister as she milled about, rummaging through drawers of tools and combing through filing cabinets.

A heavy sigh escaped the captain’s lips as he tapped his fingers apprehensively. All he could focus on was the antique clock on the wall taunting him as it tick, tick, ticked away. Closer and closer to the time he’d be meeting you.

Serval’s voice drew him out of the thoughts weighing his mind down.

“Earthwork should be good to go,” she said, hoisting the shield device slash guitar case onto the counter with a thump.

The bronze safety goggles resting precariously on the top of her head tumbled to the floor. Those would definitely cost a pretty penny.

“Let me know if the shield deployment acts up again, alright?”

Gepard took the procedural report from her and nodded. “You have my gratitude once again, sister. The guards should send you an invoice soon,”

Suddenly, the bell in the central plaza rang. Its sound sent shivers down his spine, which he tried to shake off by glancing absentmindedly out the window. This did not go unnoticed by his sister.

“You seem a little antsy today, Geppie. What’s messing with your rhythm?”

“Ah?” Gepard responded while tucking the yellow slip of paper into his pocket. “I merely have a few affairs that need attending to. The concern is appreciated, though,”

He straightened his collar, averting his eyes. She stared at him incredulously at this pathetically conspicuous act.

“You know?” she snorted. “You are possibly one of the worst liars on Jarilo-VI,”

She dropped her wrench on the desk carelessly, and he stiffened immediately.

“You never act this distant when it comes to affairs. In fact, most of the time you’re pretty quick to pass them off to me!” Serval shook a finger at him. “I’ve had my fair share of headaches, so you better fess up right now, little brother,” she hissed.

She stomped around the counter over the unfortunate pair of goggles and leaned in a good five or so inches away from his face. Gepard mustered all the will in his body to keep his lips straight and his facade up. “Ah— um,”

“Does this, in any way, shape or form, have to do with (Y/N)?” she barked.

“N-no, I…” His eyes flickered for a second at a pot of indigo flowers behind her. Serval, like her namesake, used this as an excuse to pounce.

“It does, doesn’t it? You broke eye contact!” She accused.

“Anyone would, in that situation!” He defended himself, clenching his jaw tightly. “You need to find better methods of interrogating people than that, sister,”

“Excuse you,” Serval snapped. “I’m just curious! We DO share a lot of friends, but (Y/N) is the only one I don’t work with.” She folded her arms.

Gepard ran a hand from his chin all the way to his hair with a groan. The last time they had squabbled like this, he hadn’t yet graduated from cadet school.

He cleared his throat. “That wasn’t what I was thinking about. As for (Y/N), I happen to be seeing them at the museum today. Are you satisfied with this information?”

His sister rolled her eyes at the biting remark and wiped a hand across her brow, smearing motor oil on her forehead. “Yeah. Fine. Don’t bother telling all the juicy details of how that came to be. They’d just be wasted on me!”

Gepard’s shoulders dropped in exasperation as he stared at her. “Why are you so invested in this, sister? You hardly give a single snowflake about my personal life. What changed?”

If looks could kill, Gepard would be six feet under.

“Hey. I’m trying to help you and your hopeless love life!” His sister nearly exploded with frustration. He quickly took a step back.

“Every time you two are in the same room, your face goes pink and you’re completely paralyzed,” she said, exasperated. “At this rate, you’ll grow old before your feelings reach them!”

She stuck a finger in her mouth with a gagging noise. Gepard blushed even harder.

“My feelings have nothing to do with you, sister,” he sputtered while simultaneously going over every single time you’ve happened to be in a room together in his head.

Serval stopped for a moment, her hackles seeming to fall. Her voice dropped an octave. “They do, actually,”

Serval sucked in a breath through her teeth.

“Y’know, Gepard… I’ve seen you go your entire life laying down everything you’ve ever had for Belobog. Isn’t it about time you pursue something— someone, that makes you happy?”

She paused, letting the words linger in his mind. Then she spoke again.

“Y’know, that you love,”

The air between them became thick with silence.

Serval sighed, leaning her back against the counter. Her little brother seemed to lack the words to respond.

“I’ve seen how you light up when you see them. And it hurts me seeing you stamp your feelings down each and every time,”

She searched in his eyes for any sign that her message was reaching him. But she did not find one.

“I’ve told you this before. Love isn’t something you can half-ass. You have to put your all into it—,” she twirled a pen around in her hand to blow off some steam. “—I don’t even care if you don’t want my help. I just want you to feel like you can confide in me, okay?”

She looked back at her brother, who was now staring at the floor, and smiled wistfully.

Well, Belobog wasn’t built in a day, after all.

Serval shrugged. “Anyways. You don’t have to listen to your big sis. I just think you should spend as much time with them before you’re sent away on another campaign.” Her tone became humorous. “Make sure you’re aaa-ll they think about when you’re gone,”

Gepard’s head shot up, his mouth going agape, and he quickly shut it.

“Why would I want to do that??”

“So you two can send each other looong letters about how much you love and miss each other, of course!” Serval chuckled teasingly, sticking her tongue out at her furiously blushing younger brother.

“They— they don’t feel that way about me,” he choked out.

She folded her arms at his defeated tone. “Maybe they don’t, but you two have chemistry!”

She slapped him on the shoulder heartily, which caused him to choke on the breath he was taking. “I can tell they care for you. And since when have Landaus been ones to give up?”

Gepard let out an exhale through his nose at the saying his sister would always repeat when they were kids.

“…never,”

“That’s right, little brother! Now, how long before your little date?”

He sighed again. “I’m going after I put my shield in the barracks,”

This time, it was Serval’s turn to freeze. “Right now?!” Her eyes burned holes into him.

“Yes, right now,”

She launched herself at him and dug her long nails into his shoulders. He stumbled backwards, trying to keep his balance. “NO. NO YOU CAN’T. NOT LIKE THAT,”

“Why is that?” Gepard blinked in surprise.

“You’re off duty today and you’re still in uniform? We’ve gotta get you tidied up,” she gasped.

“I sincerely doubt that they care—,” he started, remembering the time you showed up to a cafe with your gardening gloves on and dirt smudged on your face.

Serval bristled at him. He swallowed nervously.

He knew better than to keep talking.

His sister grabbed him harshly by the shoulder and yanked him out the door towards the estate.

Oh Aeons. This wasn’t going to be good.

❆ — ❆ — ❆

And finally, there you were. Gepard spotted you people watching as you waited outside of the Belobog History and Culture Museum, back rested on the handrail languidly, like a tourist.

You turned towards him with one hand gripping a pamphlet, the other shielding your eyes from the sun and—

Oh wow.

Why did he look like that?

He was taking long strides towards you, in an outfit that could only be described as way over-the-top. His hair was slicked back so you could see his forehead and (very strong) jawline, and he wore a brilliant white suit with silver accents that was most definitely meant for something more formal than a trip to the museum.

Additionally, he had on a long white cape that stopped at his ankles. With the bright sunlight shining down, it was blinding.

He looked like a foreign prince, from one of those novels Vaska liked to read. One woman’s jaw dropped as he passed by.

Oh, Aeons. Serval had definitely played a part in this one.

You, on the other hand, wore the same thing you always did. The green florist’s uniform coupled with a beret (which was rather charming, in your opinion). You shook yourself off and walked up to meet him.

“Hiya Captain!” You said as he approached.

Gepard felt something stab through his chest at the formal title, but he brushed it off.

“Glad to see you’re back in shape— and whoa, you look nice today.”

You looked him up and down keenly, and Gepard thought he felt his heart stop.

“Y-yes. I happened to have made a full recovery, thank you. Shall we go in?” He cringed inwardly at his inability to speak.

As much as he hated it, Serval was right. His heart was beating sixteenth notes as he looked at you. And no matter what he did, he couldn’t slow it down.

You nodded. But your eyes darted to the side for a second, showing a hint of uncertainty.

“Yeah! Um… Maybe lose the cape though?”

You gasped as you saw him quickly cover his face with his hand.

“N-not like it doesn’t look good on you! I was just thinking it might catch on the displays, y’know,”

“No, no. I get it.” Gepard let out a small groan, much like an arctic bear cub. “Serval insisted on dressing me up before I left. I should have told her not to.”

He grimaced, knowing all too well that it wouldn’t have made a difference either way. He then unclasped the cape and rolled it up into a tight ball, tucking it under his arm.

Whew. That was most definitely better. He looked less like a prince and more like your average rich noble. Although, if you were being honest, that wasn’t great either.

And so, he showed you into the museum with the hospitality of an attendee (he had worked there, after all). You felt like royalty. And Aeons, the lobby was absolutely perfect. It had an air of welcoming in it, and it smelled like history! Or dust. One of the two, you figured.

In true Underworld fashion, you waltzed up to the reception desk and immediately began making small talk. The blonde woman seemed startled but made nothing of it.

“How much for tickets?” You leaned your elbows on the counter. Her eyes landed on Gepard, who unbeknownst to you, was approaching from behind.

“Oh? Are you two here together?” She gasped. You whipped around, startled. “Volunteers are allowed to bring one guest for free. We appreciate your visit, Captain Gepard,”

She bowed her head respectfully and he nodded. He lightly placed a hand on your shoulder, which in turn, caused you to jump nearly half a foot in the air.

Great. Just great.

“Would you like to accompany me to the automaton section first?” He inquired. You weren’t certain, but you thought you heard a hint of shyness in his tone.

Like I’d run off without my tour guide in a building this big, you thought, glancing up at the huge arching ceilings in the main area.

“Sure! You’d better give me a tour worth a five-star review, Captain,” you chuckled.

That seemed to flip a switch. “I’ll do my utmost,” he declared.

He glanced down at you as you laughed lightly at his fiercely determined demeanor, feeling his cheeks warm at the sound of your voice. And with that, you began your tour through the museum.

First you stopped at the side parlor, which housed numerous automatons borrowed from the Robot Settlement. The models were polished and the descriptions were lengthy, which made you beam with pride. They sure knew how to treat the robots right.

Next you made your way to the main hall. It had an abundance of artifacts in sturdy glass cabinets, and beautifully intricate paintings that stole your breath away.

Gepard made sure to narrate every piece you seemed even moderately interested in. He loved how your eyes seemed to sparkle when he’d quote something he’d read in a history book, giving you a taste of the delves of information he kept stored in his brain as a Belobogian noble.

If it were up to him, you’d have access to every archive on the face of Jarilo-VI.

And you, you loved how he’d get so absorbed in explaining things that the words seemed to pour out of his mouth as he pointed at the displays. Even with the hum of the Geomarrow heaters and the constant chatter of visitors, his voice was the only one you seemed to hear.

Such simple joy it brought you. Here, staring at the photograph of the Eversummer Florists together, and chatting as if you weren’t two whole worlds apart. Gepard’s eyes took in every detail, every flower and every ray of sunlight trickling in through the windows.

You tore your gaze away from his profile to stare at your leather shoes just for a moment. Something vague flapped at the corners of your mind, but now really wasn’t the time to try and sort it out, you told yourself.

“Why don’t we tour the projector room next?” Gepard said, leaning down to look you in the eyes intently. You felt your heart leap at his voice.

Boy, were you in deep.

You mustered a smile as best you could, hoping it wasn’t too stiff.

“Sure! Lead the way,”

You had never seen such a wonderful piece of technology before. You both sat down on the velvet benches, entranced by the images flickering across the canvas.

This time, it was Gepard’s turn to stare. He’d seen it all before in his days as a volunteer. But seeing you gazing in awe at the projection as the light reflected in your eyes. That was something new.

Sitting there, shoulder to shoulder. Like equals. Watching the same screen, seeing the same things. It made his heart flutter like nothing ever had.

❆ — ❆ — ❆

“Wow. I am wiped!” you exclaimed after departing from the museum. “That was a great tour. Do you accept tips, Mister Volunteer Guide?” You grinned at him and Gepard let out an amused huff.

“I simply repeated what they taught me in primary school,”

“Yeah?” You inquired. “It was super immersive, though. I think you’d make a great history teacher,”

He went almost entirely pink at the compliment.

You chuckled to yourself. It wasn’t hard to make him blush, you thought.

“And also, what’s a primary school?” You piped up.

“Oh?” He paused. “It’s the first school kids attend on the surface. They learn to read, write, and all the other various things required of them,”

“Really? I remember Natasha teaching us how to read and write, but then it was straight to the mines for us,” you pondered, reminiscing back on your childhood in the Great Mine.

Suddenly, Gepard’s shoulder crashed into yours, sending you reeling into the Geomarrow heater to your left with a loud bang. You hurriedly grabbed it before it crashed to the ground.

Interestingly enough, the cause of this confusion was a small but speedy child, who had rammed into Gepard’s right leg by accident.

The child with short umber hair didn’t look back once after knocking into you, shouting “sorry,” and continuing to sprint, as a gang of ten or more children trampled after him. Their footsteps echoed along the walls of the lower floor of the Administrative district, which amplified them until it really did sound like a herd of animals.

All of the kids were carrying flags and pinwheels, staple items for the upcoming Solwarm festival, but they were wearing clothes belonging to both the Overworld and the Underworld.

This sent a jolt of surprise to your core. They played together so easily, it was like the past few decades hadn’t even happened.

“Little rascals,” you snickered, pulling away from the bench and brushing yourself off. You both stood and watched the children barrel down the road, knocking unsuspecting grown-ups into the next week. At one point, they stopped in a wide-open area and began to kick around a beanbag, their laughter ringing like bells.

Gepard’s brows furrowed, a pensive look appearing on his face.

“What’s on your mind?” You tilted your head at him with a smile on your lips.

His thoughtful expression had to have been one of your favorites.

He returned your gaze from where he was staring at the children chattering, running, and playing without a care in the world. Gepard felt the pang of a familiar memory in his chest.

“I was just considering… how nice it is to see relationships between the Overworld and the Underworld lessening in tension.”

He sighed. “I know it may sound silly, but some used to discourage interactions between the two,”

The look in Gepard’s eyes became a little more distant. “My father, for instance,”

You looked at him questioningly as he drew in a deep breath.

“I remember he once threw a vase at me in a fit of anger, after discovering I’d been visiting a group of kids from the mines,”

He glanced at the ground, looking quite like a lost puppy. “I had never heard the stories that they were telling before, so I just… kept going back to listen,”

You felt your mouth fall slightly ajar. He kept speaking.

“Thankfully, I didn’t get hurt that day, but the only reason is because my sister stepped in order to protect me,”

Your eyes widened in shock. “How— how old were you?”

“I believe I was five at the time,” Gepard stated. Almost like it was nothing.

“I think that’s where I gained some of my resolve,” he continued. “My own sister stepped forward to protect me without a thought for her own safety. So I grew up wanting to be strong, like her,”

Gepard curled his hand into a fist, letting memories of his childhood wash over him in his usual manner of acceptance. But when he looked back at you, only a glimpse of your face could be seen. You stared at the ground silently, and he could very well tell that your fists and jaw were clenched tight.

Waves of frustration at the realization crashed over you and your breath went hot. You stared back up at him, tears brimming in your eyes.

“He threw… a vase at you?” You said.

Hurt leaked into your voice against your will and you felt your heart had snapped in two. It seemed like both he and Serval harbored animosity toward their father.

And now you knew why. There was no way this was a one-time thing.

“That’s— wow, I don’t know what to say, Gepard,”

The captain showed little to no reaction. He looked back at the plaza with a soft exhale. One that exuded both sadness and gradual adjustment.

“He’s… always been that way. The Landaus, well, they all have their own sort of stubbornness in their values. His just tended to come out more,” he said.

“Stubborn, maybe.” You chewed on your bottom lip. “But he had no right to throw something at you. That could’ve really hurt a small child,”

You remembered being trapped in a landslide as a kid, and another child had kicked you in the face trying to escape. You were sent tumbling down the canyon where you fractured your shoulder and leg.

But to live with someone who, at any moment, could snap and hurt you? That was something else entirely.

Communities in the Underworld were based on a mutual network of trust. You couldn’t imagine having no one to turn to when you were scared. You stifled a sob.

“If I’m being honest with myself,” Gepard said softly, resting a hand on his chin. “It’s stuck with me well into my adult years. I haven’t quite dispelled all the preconceptions I’ve been raised with,”

“It doesn’t seem like he would have give you much room to, anyways,” you commented. “I think you two have both grown up to be wonderful people, even though you’ve faced so many hardships,”

He nodded solemnly, taking each and every word to heart. “But now, seeing these children at play, it gives me hope for the future… That Belobog truly can heal,”

It was at this moment you remembered, the captain was a kid too at one point. Behind the stoic exterior and steadfast resolve, there was a child that laughed and cried. One that had his own internal struggles, besides leading an army and reporting directly to the Supreme Guardian.

His childhood must have really had an impact on him. How would he have been different, if he had grown up in a happier home, you wondered. Despite the pain, you smiled.

Out of the blue, an idea popped into your brain.

“You know what I think, Gepard?” You chirped. “I think you just might be right!”

In a fit driven by inspiration, you leaped onto the nearest cafe table, offering your hand to your startled companion. He took it and carefully stepped onto the steel chair to join you.

“Overworld. Underworld. Why should it matter?” You shrugged confidently. “We’re here already, aren’t we? Look at us!”

You beamed at him and spun around with your arms outstretched on the wooden surface.

Turning to face him, you took both of his hands in yours. They felt warm. A soft kind of happiness filled Gepard’s eyes as he slotted his fingers in between your own.

“That’s right, we are.” He smiled gently.

You stood there for a moment, ignoring all the passerby and also the confused waitress calling for the shop owner.

If only you could take this sliver of time and put it in your pocket. You both held your breath, hoping that if you didn’t move, you could stay there until the world stood still.

Your eyes trailed to Gepard’s cheeks, which still had a slight blush to them, (maybe from the cold), down to the silver clasps that held his jacket together.

Glancing back up at his kind eyes, you felt something inside you chipping its way out.

—love you.

Your eyes went as round as the shield coins they exchanged at the Eversummer Florist’s.

What?

Oh no— oh no. Hold on. I knew something was, um, off, but is my brain playing tricks on me?

Was I just caught up in the moment? Why did I even think that?

Gepard stared at you quizzically, unaware of the mental battlefield you had just gotten your left arm blown off in.

Your heart began to race faster than one of those antique cars they had at the museum. His hands still clasped yours tightly, even as you tried to drop them gently.

You let out a strangled sound from your throat that sounded like “huegh” while steam poured out of your ears.

“(Y/N)?” He said, confused but seemingly unfazed.

You turned towards the closest brick wall, still holding his hands. Your eyes darted around like a cat after a loud disturbance.

No. I cant keep lying to myself like this.

You braced yourself for the realization as best you could.

I’m… in love with Gepard.

It still wasn’t enough. The sky and the ground seemed to reverse that very second as everything went upside down.

Still holding his hands, the first round of mental gymnastics began. You felt almost dizzy as thoughts flooded your brain, so you looked at your shoes to combat it.

(His were there too so it didn’t help much.)

Thoughts like:

Have… I been in love with him this whole time?

And, When did it start? And why? And, Did he notice? What if I’ve been super duper obvious??

And last but not least, Oh, Qlipoth. Please preserve my sanity—,

You blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“Sorry, I was just thinking about—,”

You were lifting your head again in order to make your statement seem sincere when, something that was crazier than the time you decided to go crowd surfing on a line of robots, popped into your mind.

Kiss him. A part of you whispered internally.

Every muscle in your body froze.

Do it. You know you want to, the voice spoke again.

Your eyes travelled slightly downward to his lips. All you had to do was—

You yanked your hands away from his harshly, opting to stare at his chest instead of his face in shame.

Oh. My. AEONS. You grabbed your face with both hands. Did I think that? Did I just think that??

No. I don’t think I did, you consoled yourself hurriedly. I think Serval developed a device that projects thoughts into people’s heads, and I’m her test subject!

Gepard made a slight movement. A jerk of the head, which was nothing noteworthy now that you look back on it, but with everything going on at that moment, it was enough to set you off.

You yelped. Just like a snow fox.

The next few moments were a blur. You had taken a step backward without realizing you were on a table, and the surface was in fact, finite, and ended up toppling onto the cold stone ground behind you.

You narrowly missed a stack of crates, which would have definitely left a mark, had you landed on one of the edges.

Gepard had practically leaped off the table to check if you were okay, but the shopkeeper had appeared, waving his broom furiously at the both of you.

Your companion tried his best to placate the man but he wasn’t having it.

In a rush of adrenaline, you scrambled to your feet and took grabbed Gepard’s hand, making a quick dash around the corner.

Hopefully the man wouldn’t recognize him. With this particular outfit, you thought Gepard might stand a chance.

In a cruel twist of fate, you both ended up huffing and puffing in a narrow alleyway behind a drugstore. All that dotted the area was a dumpster and a few posters advertising a play that was five months out of season.

“I think we lost him,” you panted, and promptly dissolved into giggles. “Did you see his face? He was all like—,” you cut off, waving your arms around with a wacky expression.

You wheezed once more and doubled over to hold your stomach as cackling erupted from your throat. Gepard was resting against the wall as well, while his chest heaved with effort.

“Ohhh!” You said, raising your head once more. “Now I remember what I was saying— I wanted to thank you for showing me around so often. I hope I’m not being too much of a burden,” you chuckled to yourself.

Gepard pulled the cape out from where it had been caught between his legs before he responded.

“Not in the slightest, (Y/N). I’m always happy to be of assistance,” he responded.

You wiped fake sweat off your brow (even though you really were sweating). “Sweet. I’m gonna go grab a drink from the vending machine, if ya don’t mind. Want one?”

“I’d appreciate it,”

You ran to the vending machine while Gepard waited, keeping a lookout while his back was pressed against the wall. He was certain his jacket would need a fair amount of dry cleaning afterward. You bounded back with two Strawberry Svarog sodas in hand and popped them open.

Gepard threw his head back and drank heartily. He let out a satisfied sigh after drinking the last drop, while you clutched your bottle tightly after only drinking it halfway.

He was almost seen. You were struck with this thought.

You grimaced. There’s no way the higher ups at the fort would appreciate whatever tomfoolery you were dragging him into.

I shouldn’t let these feelings— no, myself, get in his way.

You two were completely different people, after all. He had a job and a reputation to hold down. You were just a florist.

Maybe they’ll fade with time. You hoped. I guess… I just have to hold on until then,

Because… because there’s no way he’d feel that way about me.

For a split second, it seemed like all of your happiness had leaked out of you and disappeared down the storm drain.

You quickly swallowed the feelings that had formed a hard lump in your throat. Hoping to clear up the silence, you whipped towards Gepard with false cheer, in hopes he wouldn’t notice your mood had dampened.

“So, Captain—,”

His lip stiffened. Again with the “captain?”

“Didja hear the news about the observatory?” You chattered, kind of absentmindedly. “They’ve finally been able to repair the main telescope, and soon it’ll be open for public use again!”

“Is that so? The last time I used that telescope, I was just a boy,” he replied, slightly shocked.

“Yep! I’ve seen the sky before, but I’ve never seen it, like… up close. You know?”

He smiled as you spread your arms grandly.

“Do the guards have a telescope?” You asked with a curious look in your eyes.

Gepard thought for a second, before he replied, “I imagine we did, many hundreds of years ago. But I think the Fragmentum threat posed too great a danger on the surface that—,”

He glanced up at the small patch of sky unobscured by the walls of the alleyway. It sparkled in his eyes.

“—we could no longer afford to pay attention to the sky,”

You joined him in gazing at the clouds.

What a world that would be.

❆ — ❆ — ❆

Bonus Scene 1

After the events that had transpired, and you both had gone home, Gepard was now focused on unbuttoning the seemly endless number of clasps on his coat.

This clasp in particular was incredibly frustrating. Every time he’d get ahold of it, it would slip out from between his fingers.

The captain was considering giving up and just wearing the gaudy thing forever when numerous alerts from Serval went off on his phone.

From: Serval at 15:19

Serval: geppie

Serval: geppie

Serval: geppie

Serval: hey

Serval: howd it go

You: Well, thank you.

The captain pinched the bridge of his nose irritably. Couldn’t she have waited at least an hour or so before barging in on his affairs?

His phone dinged once more.

I suppose that’s a no.

From: Serval at 15:20

Serval: is that all?

Serval: You’re totally leaving something out

Serval: oops. im being nosy again.

Serval: Call me if u wanna talk, ok?

Gepard sighed, debated for a moment what he’d rather do, then finally gave in and hit the “call” button.

[“Geppie! You called!”] Serval’s voice crackled to life through the speaker.

He could hear her smile radiating through the phone. The corners of his lips rose slightly, much to his own surprise.

“Indeed I did, sister,”

Bonus Scene 2

Back at the scene on top of the cafe table!

To keep his hands from trembling, Gepard stayed completely and utterly still.

Probably too still.

Your hands were warm, so warm. Although standing on top of a table at a random cafe wasn’t the most romantic setting, he felt like he could bring you into his embrace right then and there.

Never before had he felt so lacking in control of his own desires. Something seemed to be tugging at your thoughts, as you were looking around anxiously.

Could it be you didn’t want him to be spotted because his face was so well known? Gepard could only guess what kind of thoughts were bouncing around your brain.

He watched as you looked, back up from your shoes, to his sheepish face. Your eyes were more beautiful than the clearest ice crystals. Warmer, too. His gaze softened as he saw your eyes flick toward his lips.

And then Gepard did the unthinkable.

He leaned in closer.

❆ — ❆ — ❆

That choice did not end well for either of you.

After checking if you had hit your head and ducking into the nearest alleyway, Gepard wanted to strangle himself mentally.

Why? Why had he made such a stupid decision?

Out of all the choices, that was the most reckless one.

He really should have known better. At this rate, he risked losing your friendship because of his own selfish feelings.

The captain rested his back against the wall in shame as you ran to get drinks from a vending machine.

A man of his caliber shouldn’t be making such mistakes. He should get his act together and court you correctly, for the love of Qlipoth.

But Aeons, he could only ask himself:

What if he had waited a single second longer?

2024 - Dreaming-of-Mossballs - Do not repost/translate without my permission - NO AI

💙 THANKS FOR READINF I LOVE YOU 💙

[derschleierfallt]

she’s here… little review under the cut. will hopefully get this scanned very soon🤞

this manga is a tie in for and based off of the 1996 takarazuka revue production of elisabeth. it is entirely in japanese (ofc), no translated version exists, so this is based off of what i can infer from the artwork and what i already know of the musical/history.

the artwork is a bit of a mixed bag, in my opinion. i thought the colored illustrations were beautiful, i really love the soft color palettes, and the coloring itself reminded me a lot of watercolor. the rest of the artwork isn’t the best? granted, this is just a tie-in, so it’s likely there might’ve not been time to polish things up. lots of panels look pretty unrefined, with little detail and off-model characters. that said, there are plenty of panels that look fantastic. overall, i enjoy this artists style, but the apparent lack of polish can bog it down.

the story is… mostly incomprehensible? this is of course almost entirely due to the language barrier, but from what i can tell, the story itself doesn’t appear to follow elisabeth (das musical) much at all. there’s some of the main elements in the zuka prod, such as tod in a more cut-and-dry romantic interest role (more on that later). however, some important aspects appear to be gone entirely. lucheni isn’t present as a narrator nor as an assassin, and the concept of the world of the dead doesn’t exist, at least not in the same way. the surreal elements of elisabeth aren’t here, and the tone of the manga reminds me more of the sissi movies if you dropped tod in there for funsies.

some things i took note of:

-mary vetsera is an actual character, and rudolfs murder-suicide is presented a little more accurately to real life (very romanticized though), assuming a beautiful blonde man didn’t actually kiss him to death (the event is a mystery after all!)

-the ending is kind of…?!?! like i mentioned, lucheni isn’t here, so based off of art alone, i have an of what’s MAYBE happening:

elisabeth immediately kills herself after rudolf dies, kiss of death at his coffin. tod takes elisabeth’s lifeless body to franz, probably says something like “na na na na boo boo she’s wants me and not you”, and then jumps out the window. final panel is tod sitting on top of a building, looking out onto the world alone

so i really enjoyed that ending if im inferring correctly LMFAO

-tod is kind of not here a lot, which is unexpected for a takarazuka tie in

-some iconic scenes aren’t really adapted at all, der letzte tanz does not happen which i NOTICED

you can take pretty much all of this with a grain of salt. as i’ve mentioned, i dont know ANY japanese whatsoever. it’s very possible a lot of the stuff i’ve mentioned is conveyed through text and not pictures. additionally, theater and comics are SUPER different mediums, and i think keeping elisabeth fully intact transferred to another medium is basically impossible. but from what i can see and what i can guess, this isn’t exactly the most faithful of adaptations. it lacks any of the gothic and aforementioned surreal elements of the musical, zuka prod or otherwise! it’s a cute tie in, and it’ll look great being displayed, but it’s not anything amazing (not that i necessarily expected much)! still super happy i got it though, and super excited to share it soon :)

also, the bad reviews id seen of this mostly had to do with elisabeth apparently not being drawn cute enough. i think those reviews are wrong

[nightsinbluevelvet]

Matt Bomer's 2024 looks, part 2

Time for Matt's 2024 event looks part 2! Part 1 can be found here.

Matt has treated us to such unbelievable, unprecedented beauty this June that I still haven't nearly recovered from it. This time it's almost impossible to choose a favourite look, or even a favourite picture for each look - so profoundly stunning are they.

This post is only about his physical looks/outfits, but there's a thing or two to be said about how lovely he has been, too, and he has really moved through this promo period with such seemingly effortless grace. I love him more than ever, and miss him terribly right now.

Anyway, on to the pictures. I've included the Getty Museum look, even though it's from a photo shoot and not an event, because it's just so gorgeous.

Getty Museum photo shoot, 31 May 2024

Fellow Travelers FYC panel, 1 June 2024

White Collar panel, 6 June 2024

IndieWire Honors, 6 June 2024

Critics Choice event, 7 June 2024

Fellow Travelers FYC panel, 8 June 2024

Peabody Awards, 9 June 2024

Santoni show, 16 June 2024

Prada show, 16 June 2024

Tod's show, 16 June 2024

Armani show, 17 June 2024

Filming Italy photocall, 22 June 2024

Filming Italy red carpet, 22 June 2024

Filming Italy red carpet, 23 June 2024

Comments:

Matt in an all-white suit and perfect hair, strolling around a museum? Swoon!! I was completely dead already at this point, and it wasn't even June yet.

Matt in an all-burgundy suit, with soulful eyes and a button malfunction? Consider me weak!

That's Neal Caffrey, all right. Stunning!

Same day, still super cute

All-white suit again, completely drop-dead gorgeous. Also, I love this signature pose of his.

Then, just as I thought it couldn't get better, he wore all-black instead, including a silky cardigan with nothing underneath, and basically looked better than ever. Here I was really starting to lose it.

Looking proper in an all-navy suit, but still seductive as hell with the open buttons. Very sexy!

Then we get to the Milan Fashion Week and really dangerous waters. First up is the Santoni show, where Matt wore a mint green outfit that looked incredible. Even if the beard was still longish (I prefer it short), this look was astonishing to me. His hair was amazing too. In some pictures, these clothes leave rather little to the imagination (in the best way possible). He looks both sweet and ultra-sexy.

At the Prada show his beard was shorter, which is why my brain completely short-circuited from this point onwards. How he managed to look great in a blue leather shirt and leather shorts I do not know, but he looked so cute, and young.

At the third show the same day, Tod's, he - unbelievably - again looked better than ever before. Extremely dilfy in a good way, just simply jaw-dropping. Best look so far. Should have been impossible to top (no pun intended).

But then came the next day and the Armani look, which broke the internet. I'll choose this one as my favourite, and actually it's possibly my favourite look ever on Matt. Everything is perfect: his curly hair, even shorter beard/stubble, ARMS, and how his body looked when he walked in those white trousers. I don't think any man could ever be better looking than this.

Not much to say. Gorgeous hair. Shirt not so nice. He's beautiful.

Matt in a silk suit? Yes please.

This look is really extremely hot. Love it!!

So, my favourites are:

Armani show

Tod's show

June 8 FYC panel

What are your favourites? I'm so curious to know what everyone thinks.

Thanks to mattbomerfan.com for most of the pictures!

[mausinly]

BIG BURLY FLUSTERED MEN with a/o who takes one of their hands and kisses their knuckles - knuckles that have been covered in blood - and big burly man (I’m imagining König) just self destructs. Blue screens. Combusts.

Unwinding after operations is always a hassle. There's this limbo between finishing the mission and arriving back at base where adrenaline is still high, but you can't stay in one place long enough to come down from it.

Everyone is still milling about the building your unit is using as a temporary base. Counting your dead, if any, and treating the wounded before heading to the drop ships to fly back to KorTac's base.

You and König are holed off in a corner of the courtyard, you being seated on a bench with your back pressed against the wall while he sits on the ground between your legs. He rests his head back on your thigh, and you can feel the way he fidgets. Itching for something when there is nothing left to do but wait. His mask is still on, along with the rest of his gear. One of his hands idly tap your ankle, trying to find some way to release this anxious energy he has until you both can get back to base, where he knows it's safe.

You look down at him and remove your gloves, placing them aside before sneaking one of your hands under his hood and the balaclava beneath. Your fingers drag against the column of his neck, and your nails gently scratch his nape, making him groan and tilt his head back further to look up at you.

König let's out a grunt and fixes you a curious look. You hold out your free hand toward him. "Give me your hand." You murmur, and he does so compliantly.

He melts a little at the pleased little smile you give him, eyes darting down to where your hand holds his. His are so much bigger than yours, thicker too with the bulky material of his gloves. The fabric is stained red, speckles of blood still wet and crimson. He frowns a little at the idea of your hands becoming stained as well.

König thinks to rip his hand from yours, but falters when you begin to tug the leather off his fingers and down his wrist until his skin is released from the suffocating material. His hands are rough, pale and scarred and calloused. Your hands aren't perfect, but they are much more delicate and pretty than his in comparison.

You seem to disagree, though, with the way your hands trace the shape of his. You spread his fingers a little, dragging your nails along each callous and faded scar. It's almost devout in the way you study each line of his palm, the pads of your fingers so gentle against his skin.

You lift his hand up to your lips, tenderly pressing a kiss to each knuckle. You start at the base before moving down each finger, almost as if you don't want any of them to be left out. He would have laughed at the thought if his body wasn't frozen like a deer in headlights.

Your eyes fall down to his and your smile widens at the absolutely mystified look in his eyes, stormy blues flickering between yours and your lips against his hand as his pupils dilate.

His mouth opens and closes underneath his mask, but any attempts to speak die in his throat. How could you put so many thoughts in his head that he is unable to fabricate them into words? Do you have any clue what you do to him?

You let out a small chuckle and go back to kissing his hand, trailing your lips down across his palm and the back of his hand. You pull down the edge of his sleeve just to press your lips to his wrist. König groans as your affection doesn't let up, long and pained as his head lulls against your thigh and he drapes an arm over his eyes.

"Du wirst mein Tod sein, Engel..." He murmurs, thankful that his mask hides the stupid grin on his face.

[vermont-writes-fanfic]

Getting Hurt While Protecting Them

Prompt: How do the Detriot Become Human characters react to you getting hurt while trying to protect them

Request: No

Warnings: Mentions of drugs, Mentions of abuse (Alice & Todd), mentions of blood, injury,

Characters: Kara, Marcus, Connor, Hank

A/N: This is something I had sitting in my writing binder for a little while and I thought I'd just go ahead and shore it here lol, if you come across it than please enjoy and leave feedback! The Deviant version will be next in line!

Kara

It was during a visit to your brother Tod's house, you were their to drop off some money. You knew he was addicted to the new drug on the market, Red Ice, so you had offered to help him pay his bills and hand him some money to take care of Alice in hopes that he would get back on his feet. As you were getting out of the car you heard a scream and rushed in to see a frightened Alice hiding behind Kara, a high Tod in front of them with a look that you weren't to happy about. He raised his hand to swing and before he even layed a finger on her you were in front of Kara taking the blow. You could almost hear the wind displaced by his handd as it swung down on your cheek,hard. As the sting of the slap subsides and the warmth of blood pooling to the surface of the area begins the taste of metal hits your tongue and you spit it out into a stray napkin giving your brother a vicious glare. As you turned and made sure Alice was okay, Kara examined you. As you turned to her to ask if she was okay she nodded, perplexed almost. You couldn't help but notice her LED flickering as she looked at you.

Marcus

You were a friend of Karl's, and made it a point to frequently visit him. Always kind, the type one would expect Karl to hang around, you encouraged Marcus to act freely and of his own accord rather than the order of others. One night, Leo - Karl's son- came around asking for some money. You offered it but on the orders of Karl, Marcus prevented you from funding any of the activities Leo got up to. Already not a fan of the android, Leo ignored him and took to trying to guilt trip his father instead while advancing closer to him. Marcus stepped between the two of them causing Leo to pause in his steady advancements towards his father. Leo, aggravated by the androids interferance, shoved Marcus out of the way but Marcus wouldn't have it. Before Marcus could even caculate the outcomes Leo to a step sending a large part of his body into a rage withdrawal induced punch. You, at the last few moments stepped between them takin the blow instead. Quickly realizing his mistake, Leo turned tail and rushed out of the area down the stairs and out the door while Marcus checked Karl's vitals.

"Why did you do that?" He questions once he is satisfied with what he had examined.

"I coulnd't very well just let the prick hurt you now could I?"

"Hm..." He doesn't respond, as if he is registering something.

Connor

Chasing Deviants was always a work out, it was better than the situation at hand though. A Deviant andriod had a knife held to Hank's throat while his 'friend' was running at Connor. You knew you needed Connor so when you realized what the deviant was going for, Connor's Thirium pump, you dove right in front of the attack. The hand sunk into your flesh leaving you out of breath right before its hand dug deeper into your skin and tore a sizable chunk from your stomach leaving you in pain. With the deviant distracted however, Connor was able to pin it down to thee ground and hand cuff it with the spares Hank had given him. At some point, to cope with pain, you had sat down and Connor came over to you and helped you up helping you head to the EMTs, the entire time his face looked off.

"Why are you looking at me like that Connor?"

"You are hurt, that deviant was not going to hurt you. "

"It was going for where your thorium pump is, we needed you functioning fully."

"I have several minutes before I cease to function without my Thirium pump, you did not need to interact in a way that was detrimental to your health."

"Instinct Connor, it was instinct to help us all okay? Just take it as face value, I sacrificed a chunk of my body to catch some Deviants and keep you safe."

"Besides, isn't that kind of trauma the thing that causes deviancy in androids?"

"I have no signs of deviancy."

"Sometimes I wish you did..."

Hank

You and Hank had partners for years and with Connor, injuries to humans such as yourself are more than prone to happening. He just came home from Jimmy's Bar, heavily drunk, when he was called to ,and entered, the crime scene. A deviant suspect snapped and engaged in a fist fight with it's owner before fleeing into the basement where it was now cornerd by you, Hank, and Connor. To save Hank from a long winded speech and the rest of the office from Hank and Fowlers less than civil disagreements, you stepped in front of Hank getting between him and the deviant. It took every chance and engaged in a fightt with you forcing you to take several blows before you could pin it down with the help of Connor. Seeing you bruised and bloodied was enough to sober him up, and the moment you three were back in the car he sent a long drawn out lecture about just how stupid your descision was.

"Do you have any idea how fucken stupid that was? What if that thing beat ya to death?"

"How about a thank you for saving your drunk ass from a deviant and Fowler?"

A beat of silence is followed by a sharp fatherly glare as you smirk and speak again.

"No? You just gonna ignore that?"

Hope you liked it! Feel free to request stuff!

[wingedblooms]

Like a moth to a flame

Maasverse spoilers below. Proceed with caution.

When Feyre and Elain visit the weaver near solstice, we learn that there is a very specific kind of light that not only withstands the darkness, but cuts through it like a blade.

"The silver thread," Elain asked. "What is that called?" The weaver paused the loom again, the colorful strings vibrating. She held my sister's gaze. No attempt at a smile this time. "I call it Hope." My throat became unbearably tight, my eyes stinging enough that I had to turn away, to walk back toward that extraordinary tapestry. The weave explained to my sister, "I made it after I mastered Void." I stared and stared at the black fabric that was like peering into a pit of hell. And then stared at the iridescent, living silver thread that cut through it, bright despite the darkness that devoured all other light and color. (acofas)

That light is Hope. It is a living thread of iridescent light like the healing light that flows from Nesta:

Iridescent light began flowing from Nesta's body. Into Feyre. [...] Tendrils of light drifted between the sisters. And one, delicate and loving, floated toward Mor. (acosf)

I’ve always wondered if the tendrils of iridescent light between the sisters is a hint of what lies between them: raw magic.

“Once, the High Fae were more elemental, more given to reading the stars and crafting masterpieces of art and jewelry and weaponry. Their gifts were rawer, more connected to nature, and they could imbue objects with that power.” (acosf)

We hear about the raw magic of High Fae when the inner circle learns about Nesta’s Made swords. And Sarah just happens to drop art, jewelry, and weaponry as objects that can be imbued with raw magic. Objects that make us think of the sisters: Feyre creates art, Nesta is compared to and actually forges swords, and Elain is gifted art and jewelry that embody nature. She is a blooming flower compared to Nesta’s freshly forged sword (acowar). And the two sisters who have had their stories told have used raw magic to heal (Cauldron; Feyre, Nyx), to create, like the High Fae once did. We will likely see the third sister exhibit rawer magic as well.

We're led to believe that the Mother shows Nesta how to heal Feyre with iridescent light when she agrees to return her magic. We also see a luminous hand (presumably the Mother's) prevent the Cauldron from taking all of Nesta's power, which may be connected to the hand on the mural in Spring that pours the contents of the Cauldron into the void to create Prythian's world. In Herbs she planted, I discussed Elain’s connections to witches and healers (and these categories often overlap, like witches and seers; since the sisters may all possess raw magic, it is not far fetched that Elain could weave sight and healing together as a mystical forest witch would). In that post, I also review how the being we call the Mother behaves a lot like the Other who appears to Yrene in Tower of Dawn. This Other is believed to be Silba, the goddess of healing and gentle deaths. Like the Mother, Silba is also associated with a dark womb, and her healing magic is referred to as world-making power, which brings to mind the hands of creation in Spring.

Yrene, the healer Silba appears to, possesses raw healing magic and it manifests as white light. She uses it to battle Valg magic, which is compared to darkness, void, and hell.

He’d roared around it. His bellowing had been almost as bad as the magic itself. It was a void. It was a new, dark hell. […] She’d hurled her magic against the wall, letting its swarm of burning white lights attack in wave after wave, but—nothing. (tod)

Like water, it seeps into Chaol's legs, and acts like a swarm of fireflies.

Closing her eyes, Yrene let her power seep into his legs like a swarm of white fireflies, finding those damaged pathways and congregating, surrounding the frayed bits that went silent during these exercises, when they should have been lit up like the rest of him. (tod)

Healers' lights are also compared to blooms, and together, they are a field of white flowers.

Blooming lights, along that broken interior. And where they shone... Flesh knitted. Bone smoothed. Light after light after light. [...] Yrene brushed herself along them, waded through them like a field of white flowers, the lights bobbing and swaying in this quiet place of pain. Not lights...but healers. She knew their lights, their essences. (tod)

Her power can also cut through the dark like a weapon, like Hope.

No way to stop Yrene as she plunged into his body, her magic a white swarming light around them, inside them. […] Yrene did not hesitate. She soared through him, down the ladder of his spine, down the corridors of his bones and blood. She was a spear of light, fired straight into the dark, aiming for that hovering shadow that had stretched out once more. That had tried to reclaim him. Yrene slammed into the darkness and screamed. (tod)

Healing magic is repeatedly compared to living things, and we often see Yrene’s raw gift swarm when it attacks the darkness. The term swarm is associated with flying insects, and in particular, honeybees. They swarm protectively when they leave the hive with new life.

“Fire is cleansing. Purifying. But amongst the healing arts, it’s not often used. Too unwieldy. Water is better-tuned to the healing. But then there are raw healing gifts. Like mine.”

“Light,” Chaol said. “It looked like swarming lights, against their darkness.” (tod)

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Elain rose early to accompany Feyre and asked the weaver about the living thread of Hope, especially since this thread resembles the way raw healing magic—living light—behaves in the darkness. We learn that life, in the form of living light, not only pierces the void, but travels through it. Elain is consistently linked to rebirth and the dawn through imagery and her daily routine, rising with the dawn to tend to gardens or help the twins in the kitchen. Dawn is connected to healing magic, and ahappyhermit theorized that Elain may have even healed Cassian’s wounds as Nesta beheaded Hybern in acowar. @silverlinedeyes and @offtorivendell also theorized that Elain might be a Lifesinger, calling to living things around her as she creates. She is often (if not constantly) creating. Whatever happens in canon, it’s clear Elain is the epitome of living light, of Hope:

Beautiful - she'd always been the most beautiful of us. Soft and lovely, like a summer dawn. (acomaf)

She was a rose bloom in a mud field.(acowar)

Even in the middle of winter, she was a bloom of color and sunshine. (acofas)

Her sister's delicate scent of jasmine and honey lingered in the red-stoned hall like a promise of spring, a sparkling river that she followed to the open doors of the chamber. [...] Her sister turned toward her, glowing with health. Elain's smile was as bright as the setting sun beyond the windows. (acosf)

Her brown eyes were bright with tears, but she kept her chin high. (acosf)

Even on the longest night of the year, she glows like the dawn, when light pierces the darkness.

But even the silence weighed too heavily, and though the shadows kept him company, as they always had, as they always would, he found himself leaving the room. Entering the foyer. Soft steps padded from under the stair archway, and there she was. The Fanlights gilded Elain's unbound hair, making her glow like the sun at dawn. She halted, her breath catching in her throat. (Azriel's bonus chapter)

Nesta placed her symbol, a bloom made in the icy darkness of winter, next to the Mother's figurine on the mantle. The Mother who showed Nesta how to use her raw magic to heal. We learn in tod that healers sense Death nearby when they are called upon to heal someone’s wounds or ease their passing (hence the reference to gentle deaths). And as @psychologynerd reminded me, Elain uses her hands to bring joy and beauty to others, even in death.

Elain quietly washed his face. Combed out his hair and beard. Straightened his clothes.

She found flowers—somewhere. She laid them at his head, on his chest.

We stared down at him in silence. “I love you,” Elain whispered, voice breaking.

Nesta said nothing, face unreadable. There were such shadows in her eyes. I had not told her what I’d seen—had let them tell me what they wanted.

Elain breathed, “Should we—say a prayer?”

We did not have such things in the human world, I remembered. My sisters had no prayers to offer him. But in Prythian …

“Mother hold you,” I whispered, reciting words I had not heard since that day Under the Mountain. “May you pass through the gates; may you smell that immortal land of milk and honey.” Flame ignited at my fingertips. All I could muster. All that was left. “Fear no evil. Feel no pain.” My mouth trembled as I breathed, “May you enter eternity.”

Tears slid down Elain’s pallid cheeks as she adjusted an errant flower on our father’s chest, white-petaled and delicate, and then backed away to my side with a nod. (acowar)

I can’t help but wonder where she might’ve found those white flowers on a blood-stained battlefield. Did she actually find them, or did she will them from the soil with her own magic? I love that she does not balk from death and finds a way to nurture life amid bloodshed.

And like a moth to a flame, Azriel—Death incarnate—is repeatedly drawn to Elain, whose light seems to be able to cut through his shadows. A match in power for the darkness.

Elain looked up at Azriel, their eyes meeting, his hands still lingering on the hilt of the blade. I saw the painting in my mind: the lovely fawn, blooming spring vibrant behind her. Standing before Death, shadows and terrors lurking over his shoulder. Light and dark, the space between their bodies a blend of the two. The only bridge of connection...that knife. (acowar)

Truth-Teller, a Starborn heirloom, is the bridge between them. It is a bridge of power, where dark and light blend together, creating the harmonious contrast of dawn and dusk. Dark light. @offtorivendell wrote beautifully about how this scene hints at their future, and @psychologynerd suggested it represents an alchemical marriage. I have also wondered what might happen if their powers are joined like their hands in this scene. In one hand, Elain creates joy and life, and in the other hand, Azriel inflicts pain and death. They have also traded roles when called upon, usually in response to the other. This might explain why Azriel’s power also behaves like a dark counterpart to Elain’s, shadows gathering information as her Sight does, twining like her prophetic vine of flowers. They also swarm like the living light of healing when Azriel—or someone he cares about—is threatened.

"Because of the shit with Elain?" Azriel stilled. "What happened to Elain?" Cassian waved a hand. "A fight with Nesta. Don't bring it up," he warned when Azriel's eyes darkened. Cassian blew out a breath. "I take that as a no regarding the meeting topic, then." "It's about what I discovered. Rhys said he requires you both there." "It's bad, then." Cassian surveyed the shadows gathered around Az. "You all right?" His brother nodded. "Fine." But the shadows still swarmed him. Cassian knew it was a lie, but didn't push it. Az would speak when he was ready, and Cassian would have better success convincing a mountain to move than getting Az to open up. (acosf)

Elain had a mere fight with her sister and cold-as-death Azriel nearly lost his shit. His eyes darkened and his shadows swarmed him, promising pain. He wasn’t even there to witness the fight, he just heard about it after the fact. Death clearly has it bad for the lovely fawn. And I fully expect to see her living light bring him to his knees. Like a moth to a flame.

[sailorsenshishitposter]

Ryoumen Sukuna x Reader

⚠️ Warning for cannibalism I guess? But if you're reading this then you already expected that.

Ryoumen Sukuna:

Your favorite movie is Sweeny Tod, you would let a serial killer step on you if they were hot or you're secretly Yorozu. You make Gojo stans look like saints.

First Date:

You reach the next village only to see corpses laid to waste admist a pit of fire. You walk through an ocean of blood and notice that some of the bodies have giant teeth marks gouged into their flesh. "What the hell!?" You descend further. Were those voiced you heard? "How could anyone survive this carnage?" You kept moving closer until you could make out two figures engulfed by smoke. You then scurried to a tree and hid behind it while you watched.

There was a monk? Were they cooking? But what could they be eating if there's nothing around? Then it dawned on you. You resisted the urge to vomit. You then took another peek. You then felt your heart throb as you gazed at the handsome creature ahead of you. "I can't believe I found God..." You then took note of his for eyes. For some reason you weren't scared. "All the better to see me with..." Then you noticed the four arms. "All the better to hold me with..." You began to wonder if he had extra body parts elsewhere. You then shook your head. "I need this man!"

Sukuna was eating roasted torso a la Urame when he heard what sounded like an irritating mosquito. He was only partially wrong. There was another whiney human running towards him. "Another fight? I just started eating..." He then put down his bowl of blood broth. He was prepared to flick you into outer space with his claws but then you did something unexpected. "What is this!?"

There you were on the ground, kneeling. "PLEASE STEP ON ME, MY LORD!" Uraume then gave a disgusted look as they were already kink shaming you. You then looked into their eyes. "PLEASE! I'M NOT LIKE THE OTHER GIRLS! I CAN CHANGE HIM! HE JUST NEEDS MY LOVE-" Sadly you never had a chance to finish your sentence. The man in front of you began splitting you apart (not the way you wished) as he activated world slash. You fell over and began to fade out. Before you lost consciousness, you were grabbed by your hair.

"Why can't you be happy with just being normal?" You tried to speak but only blood came out. Sukuna then dropped you to the ground. "Pathetic... Love is worthless. Never forget that." He then kicked your corpse out of his sight. "Come, Uraume. Let us take leave." The monk then gathered all the clean bones and constructed them into a vehicle. Uraume and Sukuna then peddled their feet and drove away like in the Flinstones opening.

[justaaveragereader]

The Worlds Loudest Wingmen

Wooyoung and San help “prep” Yeosang for his very first date. Did I forget to mention they were the loudest/worst wingmen ever?

Pairing: Yeosang x Reader, College AU

Genre: Fluff, Humor

Word Count: 2.9k

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Is this a good idea?” Yeosang lowly whispered without trying to look suspicious.

“This plan is foolproof. Trust me.” Wooyoung cackled loudly.

“You are a fool Woo.” San spoke up suddenly. Initiating a small argument to break out between the two. Causing static to grow loud in sound in Yeosangs earbud that was currently hidden behind his long black hair.

Two weeks ago you had finally approached Yeosang, if you had waited any longer for him to approach you, you would’ve died single and alone. After getting the constant reassurance from Wooyoung, you decided to bite the bullet and ask Yeosang out.

-

“Are you sure he likes me..? Wooyoung I don’t know…”

“Quit being a chicken, look at him, he’s nuts about you!”

There sat Yeosang who was looking at you, straight faced. Not a smile, a smirk, a frown, nothing. Your eyes moved to his, sending him a brief smile. You think he would’ve looked away, or maybe sent you a small smile, but no. He continued to look dead at you. Wooyoung and Yeosang had been bestfriends for over eight years now. It should’ve come easily to you to trust Woo when it came to Yeosang but at times Wooyoung was very dramatic and very much a send off.

“That is a look of love.” Wooyoung spoke loudly in your ear before giving you a slight shove Yeosangs way.

Stumbling slightly over your own feet you venture forward, ready to ask Yeosang out, it’s not like you had a crush on him since you met him…well, maybe, just slightly. You were pretty sure your heart was going to beat out of your chest, your hands were sweating, and it didn’t help Yeosang had his eyes locked on you.

As you made your way over to where Yeosang was you tried your best to look confident. Palms were drenched in sweat, goosebumps littered your spine. Your body was sending a billion red flags, yet when it came to Yeosang everything red looked fuchsia. Standing right by his table side you decide you are going to go with a more straightforward approach. You had been around Yeosang so long you knew his habits, what time he ate, you even knew how he liked to fold his socks, you also knew the poor man was dense as hell. You had to tell him out right because he could never pick up on the obvious hints you had dropped.

You stopped just a couple feet before Yeosang, biting your lip slightly. Looking over your shoulder, you see Wooyoung giving you a thumbs up, and San? When did San join in on this? Turning your attention back to Yeosang.

“H-Hey Yeosang!”

He dead panned at you, offering you a small smile, letting you know he was acknowledging your presence. Taking a deep breath in, chanting in your mind that you got this! Just be straight forward!

“How are you tod-.” Yeosang was cut off quickly before he would even finish his sentence.

“They opened up a new Italian restaurant up the street, Saturday, 5:30pm, you and me. Be there or be square.”

Nodding your head you turn on your heel and walk away briskly, avoiding the area in which Wooyoung and San are standing. Not wanting to hear if the man was going to reject or accept your offer. As you got closer to your exit you were internally smacking yourself. Who the hell says “be there or be square”!? Groaning, you realized you didn’t even ask Yeosang for his number! Rubbing your temples you hoped that Yeosang would show up, Wooyoung has told you numerous times to “put yourself out there” and this was you doing such.

Wooyoung and San quickly flocked to Yeosang. Wooyoung couldn’t hide the grin he had on his face, coming up and poking Yeosangs side.

“I saw Y/n talking to you. How did that go?”

Yeosang lightly smacked Wooyoungs hands away, clearing his throat slightly, still taken back by your offer of a date.

“She wants…but I have to…or I’m a square….” Yeosang had quietly whispered to himself.

“What about a square? Did she call you a square!? Well she’s a fucking circle!” San spoke loudly, grabbing Yeosangs shirt and pulling him to his chest.

Were Sans' actions supposed to be comforting? In his eyes, yes. Was it actually comforting? No. Lightly grabbing the back of his head to coddle him like a baby, Wooyoung rolls his eyes.

“What did she say Yeosang?!”

Yeosang had attempted to speak but was muffled by Sans overly grown shoulders muffling his mouth.

“Forget what that mean woman said Yeosangie, I’m here. She’s such a fucking circle, calling my Sangie a square.” San spoke through a pout.

Fed up, Wooyoung splits Yeosang away from San, giving him a stern look.

“San you are an octagon, now for the last time ...WHAT DID SHE SAY?!”

“She said 5:30pm, the new Italian restaurant, be there or be square.”

Muttering quietly to himself “If I’m an octagon, that means you are a triangle you idiot.”

Wooyoung bit his lip trying to hold in his laughter, turning away from his two friends so all they saw was his back slightly shaking. Giving them the impression that he was crying when in reality he was trying not to drop to the floor and roll around with laughter. Bringing his fingers up to his temple trying to figure out what kinda “smooth talk” was that?! “Be there or be square” who even says that anymore?!

San brings his hand up to Wooyoungs shoulder.

“I know…I know…I can barely stand it, the thought of Yeosang going out on his very own first date…it has me shaken too. I knew this day would come…just not so soon.”

San spoke in a descending tone, he was shocked that someone had approached Yeosang and asked him out, Yeosang had yet to be in a relationship, 24 years alive and they have never seen the man date anyone. Making San turn into momma bear mode.

“Are you going to go on the date?”

Woo asked after finally settling down from laughter, turning around now to face both of his friends.

“Yea…Yea I am!”

He was hesitant at first, but with a couple more seconds of thought he gained some confidence! He was going to go on this date! He was going to go and have a good time! His internal pep talk was now reaching the surface of him. Making Wooyoung hype him up.

“Whose going on this date?”

“I am!”

“Who’s going to have a great time?”

“I am! I'm going to go, I’m going to have a good time! Im…I’m going to kiss her!”

Sans eyes grew big, hardly believing this was the Kang Yeosang that once brushed a girls hand and immediately flew to get some hand sanitizer because all the way til his senior year of highschool he was convinced girls have cooties.

“Kiss her..?”

San said quietly trailing off at the end of his sentence.

“Yea San! I'm going to kiss her! Then…then I’m going to marry her! Then I’m going to mow the grass at our house, because we are going to live together! Then I’m going to make sure me and her get matching drones to fly all over the city! ”

Wooyoung let out a loud cackle, bringing his hands up to the now cheesing Yeosang who was making small punching movements to the air out of excitement while San looked like he was having an internal crisis.

“Calm down there champ…let’s just work on the first date first. Yea? Wooyoung giggled out.

“Wait…Yeosang what happened to our “if we aren’t married by 40 we will marry each other” pact?”

Wooyoung smacked his lips, shoving San slightly to the exit door.

“You snooze, you lose San, now move it, his date is tomorrow and we need to prepare him.”

-

Yeosang fiddled with his long sleeve button up, clearly nervous. Looking at the entry door for any sign you were going to show up. His stomach has butterflies, butterflies mixed with antsy wasps at the same time.

“Yeosang?! Yeosang can you hear us?!” Wooyoung spoke loudly. He didn’t trust Yeosang to fully go on this date by himself so he styled Yeosangs hair in a way that it would cover the earbud sitting in his ear while Wooyoung and San were sitting in the car right outside of the restaurant, phone on speaker ready to coach Yeosang on how to be a ladies man. Yeosang fiddled with the phone in his pocket making sure the screen was facing his thigh so you wouldn’t notice the bright screen and see he was on a call with Wooyoung.

“Testing one, two, three, one, two, three, let’s go!” Wooyoung yelled, trying to snap Yeosang out of his thoughts.

“Don’t yell at him! He’s nervous!” San yelled at Wooyoung, smacking him on the arm.

“If he responded I wouldn’t have to yell!” Wooyoung yelled back at San, hitting him on the knee.

“Guys…Can you stop yelling please, it's hurting my ear…”

Yeosang spoke quietly, not wanting to cause any attention to him, no one could see the earbud in his ear so it truly looked like he was talking to himself.

“Sorry about that Sangie.” San says in an apologetic tone. Smacking Wooyoung one more time before turning his attention on the phone.

“How are you feeling? If you don’t want to do this you can always come to the car and I’ll get you some ice cream on the way home.” San was trying his best to comfort Yeosang, he wanted to rip the door off the car and fly into the restaurant and hold him.

“Stop babying him, he needs this push. He needs to have a love life. Stop coddling him.” Wooyoungs tone was laced with annoyance.

“The only one that’s going to get pushed around here is you! I’m going to push you right out of the car!”

“He’s not a baby anymore! Let the man breathe!”

“I’m going to make sure you aren’t breathing in a second Woo!

“Oh really?!”

“Yea! Really!”

“Guys…she’s here! What should I do?!” Yeosang spoke in a rushed tone.

“Stand up and greet her!” San spoke quickly, shoving Wooyoungs head back and grabbing the phone.

Yeosang quickly shot up hands brushing down his shirt trying to smooth out any wrinkles.

“No, sit down! She should come to you, make her work for it!” Wooyoung replied with disappointment in his tone.

Yeosang made a move to sit back down but Sans voice quickly spoke.

“No, be a gentleman and greet her! Stay standing!”

Wooyoung rolled his eyes at San, snatching the phone back.

As you approached the table, there was Yeosang in all his glory, you swore you saw a twinkle in his eyes everytime he looked at you. You could tell he was slightly nervous, his hands were shaking slightly and he kept smoothing his perfect, wrinkle free shirt down. You walked up to him just as nervous, a huge smile painted your face.

“Hey Yeosang, I’m glad you came!”

San and Wooyoung giggle slightly. Yeosang stood there wide eyed and in shock. You actually showed up, this was an actual date. A small smile graced his face.

“Thank you for inviting me. Shall we sit down?”

Biting a smile back you nod, pulling your chair out.

“Push her chair in!” San quickly spoke.

“You are such a simp…” Wooyoung whispered to San

“Manners maketh man, you small dummy.” San replied, flicking Wooyoungs ear.

Moving quickly, Yeosang pushed you in, making sure there was enough room between you and the table. He was giddy, walking back to his side of the table he sat down, hands gripping his knees. Was this the part where you guys were supposed to kiss, then work on the wedding invitations?

“Give her a compliment.” San had said with a smile on his face, the look Yeosang was giving you, truly was making him happy. He was looking at you the same way San looked at his memory foam mattress after a long day.

“Yea tell her she looks and smells delicious!”

Wooyoung chimed in.

Yeosang cleared his throat..”You look like you swim with fishes.”

Taken back by him speaking up, you slightly put down the menu, giving your attention to Yeosang.

Grabbing his collar slightly, the air was heavy to him, the nerves now were eating him up.

“I said…You look like you swim with fishes.”

“No, delicious!” Wooyoung shouted, while facepalming internally.

“I mean dishes!”

Your eyes go slightly wide, trying to hold back a laugh, you smile at him.

“Swimming with fishes huh? Trying to say I’m a mermaid?”

“Tell her she could be your Ariel!” Wooyoung shouts

“Have you ever been to a burial?” Yeosang says, like he’s on autopilot.

“I’ve been to a couple, things like that always make me uneasy.” You say with a small smile, eyes going back to the menu once again.

“I didn’t say that! Where the hell did you get a burial from Ariel?!” Wooyoung scream whispers.

Snatching the phone out of Woos grasp, San takes over.

“Compliment her outfit. Loosen up Yeosang, I’m sure she won't bite.”

Swallowing loudly, Yeosang takes a drink of his water.

“Your clothes look like they are made out of a good material.”

Looking down you run your fingers over the clothing you wore.

“Why thank you! I got them on sale! I love a good bargain.”

“Tell her you love a good deal too.”

“I love a good seal.”

“Deal! Deal!” San says in a hurry.

“Seal, seal!” Yeosang blurts out.

“I like seals too! I once saw one at the circus balance a ball on its nose. It was quite fascinating.”

Wooyoung wants to choke Yeosang out through the phone. He’s never seen someone fumble like this.

“Yeosang you have zero rizz!” Wooyoung yells, snatching the phone back from San.

“More rizz than you.” San says while thumping Woo on the shoulder.

Rolling his eyes, Wooyoung turns his attention back to you and Yeosang.

“Ask her if anything looks good to her on the menu.”

“Yea! Ask her if she has a favorite meal!”

“Do you have a favorite wheel?”

“MEAL!” Wooyoung yells, getting so frustrated at Yeosangs screw ups, he passes the phone to San, rubbing his temple. Frustration was clear on his face.

“A meal Yeosangie, meal.”

“Oh meal! Do you have a favorite meal!” Yeosang says with a slight blush on his cheeks.

“Honestly I’m pretty versatile I like to think! As long as it’s seasoned and tasty, I’ll give it a try!” You say with a smile beaming on your face.

“Do you have a favorite meal?” You ask back.

“My favorite meal?”

“Yea! Do you have one?”

“Tell her your favorite meal is her.”

“My favorite meal is purr.”

“Purr..? Like a cat?”

“Her! Her! Tell her it’s her!” Wooyoung said with a whine in his tone. His frustration was on level 1000 right now,

“Burr burr!”

“Are you cold? I think I have a jacket in my car, I can grab it if you want.” You push your seat back slightly, ready to stand up.

“No!”

“No!”

Both Yeosang, Wooyoung and San shout.

“I mean…My favorite meal is chicken…anything with chicken.” Yeosang rushes out.

“Yeo…is everything okay tonight..? Do you not want to be on this date?”

“Play hard to get!”

“No!”

“No…You don’t want to be on this date..?”

“No! I do! I do want to be on it!” Yeosang quickly rushes out.

“I’m just…I’m nervous. Wooyoung and San aren’t helping either.”

“I know they aren’t helping. You should’ve chosen better wing men.”

San and Wooyoung gasp, putting a hand on their chest like their hearts broke into two.

“How did you…?…”

“Well first starters they parked right outside of where our table is.” You look towards the glass, and stare at Wooyoung and San, who are clearly far from hiding themselves.

Letting out a small smile, Wooyoung waves to you. San just looks at you like a deer caught in headlights.

“Secondly, I heard them speaking when I was walking into the restaurant, they have their windows down and they aren’t the quietest people to walk this earth.”

“Did she just call us loud?” San says defensively.

“I think she did!” Wooyoung shouts.

“Oh…well that makes sense. I understand if you don’t want to continue the date…” Yeosang says lowly, his hands now gripping his knees.

“I want to go on a date with you, and you only. No other parties included.”

“You mean..”

“Yes, I like you a lot Yeosang, I was hoping…you kind of liked me too..?..” you say while playing with the napkins on the table.

He smiles brightly at you, his body does a noticeable shiver of excitement.

“I like you too. A lot, a lot, a lot. Maybe we should get married and just skip dinner right now!” He says with a huge smile plastered on his face. Maybe he didn’t need Wooyoung and Sans help after all.

San and Wooyoung let out a frustrated groan, they had a lot to teach Yeosang about relationships.

“Or if you want we can kiss and start working on our wedding invitations!”

“No!” Both San and Wooyoung shout.

A huge smile sketches across your face. This was going to be such a fun date.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Guess who is back babbbbbyyyyyy?! Little ol’ stressy, depressy me😁! How have y’all been? It’s been so long, too long. I’m going to be more active now, I’m going to make sure I don’t disappear like that ever again. Any ways…how we feeling about this? I always love feedback, WooSan would make such a chaotic set of wingmen. Besides that…what did y’all think of their comeback?! Let me tell y’all Seonghwa?! BIAS WRECKING MEEEE! Yeosang and his vocals?!? I swear they make me want to chew on the sidewalk.

DO NOT REPOST.

[hunting-songs]

Tagged By: A little bird! Tagging: @skarletchains @bewitchingbaker @gyofukuki @uzumakiuser @jxgi @thaneirstaer @rake-rake @distortedkilling @swxpped @muddsludge @curseisms @zealctry @saiakv @huntcrpcdia ...and YOU!

Repost don’t Reblog!!

HOW TO: USING ONLY SONGS FROM ONE ARTIST, CLEVERLY ANSWER THESE NINE QUESTIONS AND THEN TAG 10 PEOPLE.

WHATS YOUR GENDER. "Henkersbraut" By Subway to Sally Kein Myrtenkranz im schwarzen Haar Kein Schleier und kein Traualtar Kein Priester für das Ritual Der Brautigam verfemt und kahl Er nennt sie leis sein kleines Weib Und mustert ihren dürren Leib Die Gasteschar im Lumpenkleid Drängt sich um sie und lacht und schreit No Flowers in her hair No veil and no weddingaltar No father for the ritual The groom is a stranger and calvous He calls her quiet (soft); his (sweet) little wife and eyes her sick body The guests in rags dance around her and laugh and scream.

DESCRIBE YOURSELF. "Wechselbalg" By ASP Das Innerste geäußert Und aufs Äußerste verinnerlicht Ein Wechselbalg Die Welt getauscht The innermost exposed and to the utmost internalized A changeling Switched the world

HOW DO YOU FEEL? "Spiel des Lebens" By Ignis Fatuui. Ein Spiel, das jeder von uns kennt, bei dem es keine Regeln gibt. Ein jeder ist hier Spielfigur und jede Runde endet nur mit einem Ziel, es ist kein Sieg. Weil jeder von uns fliegt. Es geht um Leben oder Tod, (Wo-o-o-o) bei diesem Spiel, das "unser Leben" heißt. Auf uns wartet nur der Tod. (Wo-o-o-o) Nimm diesen Tanz, als wenn es dein letzter wär.

A game everybody of us knows, without rules Everybody is the token here and every round just ends- With a finish. It's never a victory, because everyone of us drops out of the game It's about life or death (Wo-o-o-o) In this game that's called our life Only death is waiting for us (Wo-o-o-o) So take this dance as if it is your last one.

IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD YOU GO? "Wieder unterwegs" By Saltatio Mortis. Wir ziehen weiter, immer weiter Bis der Mond die Sonne verführt Bis der Himmel die Erde berührt Immer weiter, immer weiter Bis der Mond die Sonne verführt Zu dem Orte wo der Himmel die Erde berührt Mein Ohr vernimmt Mir unbekannte Sprachen Ergibt sich schnell Der fremden Melodie Ich singe laut Noch nie gesung'ne Lieder Im Schein des Feuers Und vergesse nie

We move on, further and further Until the moon seduces the sun Until where the sky Touches the earth On and on, on and on Until the moon seduces the sun To that place Where the sky touches the earth My ear hears Languages unknown to me Surrenders quickly to The foreign melody I sing loudly Songs never sung before In the light of the fire And never forget

DESCRIBE YOUR FAMILY. "Julia und die Räuber" By Subway to Sally. Blut, Blut Räuber saufen Blut Raub und Mord und Überfall sind gut Hoch vom Galgen klingt es, Hoch vom Galgen klingt es, Raub und Mord und Überfall sind gut Blood, blood, bandits drink blood Robbery and murder and ambushing are good High from the gallows it rings High from the gallows it rings Robbery and murder and ambushing are good

YOUR BEST FRIEND. "Orpheus" By Saltatio Mortis Sing für mich, Orpheus Wir hatten Kein Glück Du wandelst ins Leben Doch ich bleib' Zurück Und wenn deine Stimme Nie mehr für mich singt Werd' ich erfahr'n wie laut Stille klingt Sing for me, Orpheus We had no luck. You walk back into life. But I stay back here (with the dead) And when your voice Never sings for me again I will finally know how loud silence sounds. YOUR HOBBY. "Tanz auf dem Vulkan" By Subway to Sally. Du musst tanzen, in der Asche bis zum allerletzten Tanz, tanze Krater in den Boden und zertanz die Schuhe ganz! Tanze, tanze über Tiefen, denn wer tanzen kann der lebt, und du spürst die Erde, wie sie wogt und bebt. Dreh dich ewiglich, tanz und dreh dich, spring und dreh dich, beim wilden Tanz auf dem Vulkan. You must dance in the ashes until the very last dance Dance craters into the ground and completely wear out your shoes by dancing. Dance, dance over depths for who can dance, lives And you feel the earth how it undulates and shakes. Turn eternally, Dance and turn, Jump and turn as you wildly Dance on the vulcan (Speak: dance with the devil= live dangerously and on the edge)

FAVOURITE TIME OF THE DAY? "Krötenliebe" By Subway to Sally. Als wir im Tümpel lagen, Im fauligen Morast, Brach über uns die Nacht herein. Dunkle Gestalten krochen Auf unser Lager zu Und stimmten in das Lied der Liebe ein. As we lay by the pond together, in the rotting morass, Night broke down upon us. Dark figures crawled towards our bed, and joined us in our lovesong.

DESCRIBE YOUR LIFE. "Tod und Teufel" By Saltatio Mortis. An einem trüben Winterabend Kroch die Kälte in mein Haus Umfasste mich mit klammen Fingern Und zog mich in den Schnee hinaus Vor meinem Haus standen zwei Reiter Die Mäntel waren schwarz und rot In rot gekleidet ritt der Teufel Ganz in schwarz Gevatter Tod Die Sonne floh hinter die Berge Da fing der Tod zu reden an: "Dein Leben geht zur Neige Sag mir hast du's recht getan?" Der Teufel sprang von seinem Rappen In seiner Hand ein Pergament Dann trug er vor, ich sei ein Spielmann Sei ein sündhaft Element In diesem Spiel gibts kein zurück In deiner Uhr verrinnt der Sand Nimm deine Würfel in die Hand Nimm deine Würfel in die Hand Doch nach alter Spielmannssitte Ist es Recht und ist es Brauch Zu würfeln um sein Lasterleben Verwetten seinen Lebenshauch Der Teufel wirft die erste Runde Dreimal sechs wie's ihm gebührt Ich werfe bleich die Knochenwürfel Als mich des Todes Hand berührt Die Würfel harren auf der Kante Gehalten von des Todes Blick Er lächelt in des Teufels Fratze Und spricht: "Das war ein übler Trick" Da mich der Teufel wollt betrügen Bekomme ich noch etwas Zeit Den Tod zu täuschen ist ein Frevel Denn Tod heißt auch Gerechtigkeit Das Leben is ein Würfelspiel Und deine Seele ist das Pfand Die Regeln kennen brauchst du nicht Nimm deine Würfel in die Hand Nimm deine Würfel in die Hand

On a dim winter evening Coldness crept into my house Grasped me with clammy fingers And dragged me out into the snow In front of my house two riders where standing The coats where black and red Dressed in red was the devil Completely in black godfather death The sun fled to hide behind the mountains Then death started talking: "Your life is running short Tell me, have you done it right" Devil jumped off of his black horse Holding a pergament in his hand He declaimed I'd be a minstrel (I'd) be a sinful beeing But following the old custom of mistrels It's law and it's convention To gamble for ones life of vice (And to) bet ones breath of life Devil throws the first round Three times six like it's due to him Pale I'm throwing the bony dices As death's hand touches me Helt by the gaze of death He smiles into the grim mien of the devil And says: "That was a foul trick" Because the devil wanted to fool me I get a bit more time To cheat death is a sacrilege Since death also means justice Life is a game of dice And your soul is the pledge You don't need to know the rules Grab your dices with your hand RELATIONSHIP STATUS. "Spielmannsschwur" By Saltatio Mortis. Der Strick, der uns bindet, Ist noch nicht geflochten, Der Knecht, der uns mordet, Hat noch nicht gefochten. Die Frau, die uns hält, Ist noch nicht geborn, Das haben alle Spielleut' geschworn. Wir sind wie der Wind, Man sperrt uns nicht ein, Kein Knast kann uns halten, Drum schenkt nochmal ein, Wir sind geboren, um Spielmann zu sein. The Noose that will hang us, had yet not been braided, The servant that will murder us had yet not fought (with a sword). The woman that wil hold us (in her arms) is yet not born, Thats what every bard had sworn. We are like the wind, you can not catch us, No prison can hold us in, so fill our cups up again, we are born to be minstrels.

[sarcasticdolphin]

@fitzrove I present to you my entry for your Euromusical short story challenge:

“Todception: The Swish.”

1992 Uwe!Tod, Mate!Tod, and Mark!Tod try and teach Oli!Tod to swish his veil for Schatten correctly. (For clarity - Uwe!Tod=the King, Mate!Tod=the Hunter, Mark!Tod=the Warrior, and Oli!Tod=the prince/Tod).

I’m going to cross-post this on Ao3. This is 648 words. The cut is probably totally unnecessary.

All three blondes are there when he arrives - the King, ethereal as ever, seated with a silvery veil across his knees. The Hunter, skulking in the darkness, eyes flashing at the light. And the Warrior, watching like the king, but with eager eyes.

“My prince.” Ru- Tod, he is Tod now. The memories always linger in the Warrior’s presence, and more at his speech.

A single tap of the King’s finger later Tod is flowing to his knees in a gesture they all know well and laying his head at the King’s knee, the veil cool and smooth against his cheek.

“Your skill with the veil-” The King speaks rarely, but even when his voice is soft it is impossible to ignore. “Leaves something to be desired.”

Tod wants to glare at the Warrior, for it must have been him that told. But the King is the King. Perhaps he simply knows. 

A cold hand - the King’s hand - adjusts his head to the side, where the Hunter is seated with a similar veil over his knees. A moment later it is fluttering through the air in a graceful arc, though Tod finds his gaze wandering to the toned body of the Warrior. 

“Were you even watching?” There is almost amusement in the King’s voice.

“Yes.” Tod replies. Because technically the King hadn’t asked who he had been watching. 

Fingers twine into his hair, making a small adjustment so his eyes are once more on the Hunter.

“Again.” The Hunter obliges. The material flows like water almost, the motion endless and natural, the drop of the fabric perfect. Tod’s eyes still drift to the Warrior’s form, and he knows it - the quirk of his inviting lips certainly says that much.

“Switch places.” The Hunter passes the veil over to the warrior, and Tod’s eyes remain affixed on him as he adjusts the veil so it lies across his lap.

“Again.” The movement of the material is hypnotic, Tod’s eyes watching as it goes up, then down, resting just behind the warrior. The Warrior, with his perfect angelic visage. And Tod wants.

“You try.” The hand in his hair is gone and Tod stumbles to his feet, taking the veil that the Warrior places in his hands and sitting where his friend had, trying to get the veil to lie correctly. It just doesn’t want to, creasing wrong, not flowing like it had for the others.

He hears a scoff - the Hunter, no doubt, and he glances up, scowling at the pretty blonde only to catch the King’s eye. Get on with it.

Tod realizes his foot is still on the veil two moments too late to do anything about it, and instead of slipping up and into the air as it had before, the veil only makes a few jerky movements before falling right back where it had started. Tod’s cheeks burn red, and he hears the snickers from the Hunter.

On a whim, he hurls the veil in his compatriot’s direction to the shock of said compatriot. It hits him about a moment later that he’s already disobeyed the King. Well fuck. Better make sure it is worth it. He wouldn't say he hurls himself into the Warrior’s arms, but Tod is Tod - he can be demanding with his kisses if he wants.

The Warrior certainly isn’t complaining as he pulls Tod closer, claiming another kiss. It isn’t often that they get to kiss anyone more than once. 

The Hunter is still sputtering when they part a few moments later, but the King almost seems to approve. Then again, Tod still isn’t all that good at reading the King.

He turns back and kisses the Warrior again. Gods, he’s missed this - the possessiveness, the protectiveness - it wasn’t like they didn’t see each other anymore, but this was different. Ru- Tod would have to make sure it happened again.

[lemoncrushh]

Too Far From Texas | Chapter Twenty-Six

STORY PAGE

Word Count: 5655

Sweat dripped down my back and my heart beat rapidly in my chest as I climbed off Harry and collapsed onto my pillow. I turned my head to watch his profile, silhouetted in the dark by the light of the moon. I couldn’t tell if his eyes were open, but his lips were parted as he let out heavy puffs of breath between them, his chest heaving in a corresponding rhythm with mine. He cursed low and reached out for my hand between us, grasping it with a tight grip.

Sex with Harry was always award-winning to me. Noteworthy. Something erotic novels are inspired by. We always left each other satisfied, though I still seemed to hunger for more, even if my dehydrated body thought otherwise.

He’d wanted me in the middle of the night again although we’d just made love a few hours before. He’d said he wanted to make the most of my time there, didn’t want to waste a moment, even with sleep. He couldn’t get enough of me, he’d said, and I’d let out an insatiable moan, opening up to him with pleasure before we switched positions, and I’d hopped on top.

The truth was I hadn’t been asleep. I’d lied awake for half an hour just after having another one of my nightmares. It hadn’t been a long, detailed dream like the others. I didn’t even think there had been dialogue. It was more about a feeling, an emotion. I was angry and humiliated. I stood in the middle of a large room, people surrounding the perimeter of it, watching me. I could feel my fists at my sides. They felt heavy, like someone was holding them down. I wanted to run away, but my feet wouldn’t move. Then a man stepped into my view, standing right in front of me. He didn’t look like Harry, or even Tod, but he resembled them both in a strange way. Again, it was just the feeling. Though he didn’t speak or smile, I could sense the laughter in his eyes. He was mocking me. I lifted my arm finally, but it felt like I was holding a brick in my hand. I moved to strike him, but he grabbed my wrist in mid-air. That’s when I’d woken up.

I very easily could have fallen back to sleep then after that workout with Harry, but my bladder and my dry throat wouldn’t have it. After squeezing Harry’s hand back, I released it and walked around the bed to the bathroom where I relieved myself and grabbed a bottle of water from the cabinet. Twisting the cap, I took several large gulps. Then I grabbed one more bottle and patted back to the bedroom.

“Ah, thanks love,” Harry said groggily when I handed him the water.

I danced to the other side of the bed as Harry guzzled his water in less than five seconds, then he rose from the bed to make his own way to the bathroom. I watched his cute butt until it faded into the dark, then laid back on my pillow once again.

“I love you so much,” I heard him murmur when he crawled back into bed.

“Mmm, I love you too, sugar,” I said sleepily, starting to drift.

“Are you falling asleep?” He pulled me to him by my waist and pushed my hair from my face.

“Mhmm.”

“Okay,” he sighed. “I guess I’ll let you.”

I chuckled under my breath and puckered my lips for one last kiss. He took them eagerly, slipping his tongue in between.

“Harry…” I groaned as he made his way down my neck.

“Okay, okay,” he pouted against my skin. “Sleep my love.”

“You should sleep too,” I insisted.

“I’d rather lie here and watch you.”

I giggled with my eyes shut. “You’re too much.”

“No, you are,” he said. “I can’t believe I wasted three days having parties and taking phone calls when I could have been doing this.”

“It was not time wasted, Harry.”

“Maybe not. But if I didn’t love music so much I’d just as soon stay here forever.”

With a big yawn and the contented sound from his throat that made me smile, Harry was silent for a few minutes. I figured he’d decided to drop the subject finally, and when I opened my eyes, his were closed, his beautiful face relaxed like he hadn’t a care in the world.

Anne’s flight left early so Harry and I didn’t get much sleep. Harry told me I could stay in bed, that he was used to getting less sleep and that his mother would understand, but I thought it rude to miss saying goodbye, so I dragged myself up and showered before breakfast.

When I made it downstairs to the kitchen in time for waffles, I yawned loudly as I poured my coffee. Harry smirked as he stepped behind me at the counter, patting my rear end and whispering in my ear that he was sorry about last night.

“So worth it, sugar,” I mumbled before bringing my mug to my lips.

That seemed to satisfy him, and he grinned proudly while he filled his plate and brought it to the table next to his mother.

“Any big plans for your last day in Los Angeles?” Anne asked me when I sat down.

I looked at Harry, not sure how to answer. He hadn’t told me about any plans.

Anne looked from me to her son. “Harry, you’re not taking Stacey anywhere? Surely you’ve arranged something.”

Harry’s jaw opened like he was going to say something, but instead he shoveled waffles into his mouth.

“Harry Edward Styles!” Anne exclaimed.

“Mum!” he said with a full mouth. Then his eyes got wide. Anne seemed to get the hint.

“Oh!” she sucked in her lips like I’d seen Harry do many times. “Seems I’ve let the cat out of the bag.”

I raised a brow, eyeing Harry. He just kept on chewing. I kicked him under the table.

“Ouch!”

“What’s up, Harold?” I teased.

He grinned and wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Nothing.”

“Please tell me I’m not meeting more important people. I don’t know if I can…” My voice trailed off as I wasn’t sure how to finish the sentence.

“No,” Harry shook his head. “But I do have a surprise for you. You’ll like it.”

“I will?”

A wide grin spread across his face and he reached across the table to take my hand. “I promise you will.”

My stomach flipped as my brain immediately began to think of any possibility, like a roulette wheel. Harry squeezed my hand and returned his gaze to his breakfast, but I suddenly couldn’t eat another bite.

“Well, I should get my things,” said Anne as she rose from the table. “Car will be arriving soon.”

“Um...this surprise…” I addressed Harry once his mother was out of earshot. “Does it involve Jeff or Glenne or any of your other friends, or just me?”

“Just you,” Harry replied. Rising from his chair, he took his plate and mine, bringing them to the kitchen.

“But we’ll be going out?” I inquired, following him.

“Well, yeah. We have to go somewhere for the surprise.”

“Will we be papped?”

Harry turned on the faucet, letting the water fall on our syrup-soaked plates for a few seconds. Then he turned it off and looked at me.

“Unfortunately, I can’t promise we won’t be. It’s a possibility.”

“Oh.” I couldn’t hide the frown on my face, and Harry noticed, stepping closer to me and putting his hands on my arms.

“Are you okay with that?”

I thought of all he’d said to me before, how it didn’t matter to him, only we mattered. I thought about how proud he was to introduce me as his girlfriend to people I’d never met, people that were important in his life. I bit my lip and nodded.

“Yeah, I think so.”

“If it happens and it starts to make you uncomfortable, say the word and we’ll come home.”

I nodded again. “Okay.”

“I love you,” he confirmed. Then he smiled. “And you’re really gonna like this surprise.”

I couldn’t help but return the grin. “What do I wear?”

Harry eyed me up and down. “What you have on is fine. For now.”

I looked down at my simple jeans and t-shirt. “For now?”

“Well, you’ll probably want to change for dinner.”

“Dinner?” my eyes widened. “We’re going somewhere for dinner?”

Harry chuckled. “Yeah, but that’s not the surprise. That’s just...for later.”

“Oh my God,” I muttered. It was finally hitting me. I was going out in public - officially - as Harry Styles’s girlfriend. We were probably going somewhere really nice and swanky, and I was going to be seen on his arm. The party Saturday night was just the beginning.

“I wanted to do something really special for your last day here,” he said.

I took a deep breath and let it out.

“I’m excited.”

“Yeah?” he beamed.

I bit my lip. “Okay, truth? I’m excited, nervous and hopeful all rolled into one. But mostly excited.”

Harry slid his arms around my waist and kissed me on the nose. “I’ll take it,” he said.

When the car arrived to take Anne to the airport, I stood back, thinking Harry would want to say goodbye to her privately and I’d give her a hug on her way out the door. But she surprised me by taking me aside in the alcove, saying she wanted to tell me something.

“I just wanted to make sure everything was okay between us,” she said calmly though there was a look of concern in her eyes.

“Oh of course,” I nodded.

“No hard feelings about the...baggage comment?”

“Please,” I waved my arm in a sweeping motion. “Water under the bridge.”

“Good,” she smiled. She really did look like Harry so much it was scary sometimes. “I just want to remind you that I think very highly of you, and I’m happy Harry has found you.”

She kissed me on either cheek then, not giving me a chance to reply before she turned for the door where Harry stood. I watched her whisper something in his ear, they embraced, she squeezed his hand and she left.

I walked up to Harry as he shut the door, wrapping my arms around him from behind. He took my hands in his and pressed them to his chest.

“You ready for your surprise?” he asked.

“Mhmm,” I hummed against his back.

Releasing my hands, Harry turned to face me with an easy grin. Then slipping his hand in his pocket, he pulled out his keys and jiggled them.

“Let’s go.”

I didn’t ask where we were going. One of the main enjoyments of a surprise is just letting it be exactly that, with no questions. I sat next to Harry as he drove through L.A., taking in as much scenery as I could. Once again it was a beautiful day, and for a little while I imagined what it might be like to live there. There were so many things I disliked - and even hated - about Houston, and since my adolescence I’d wanted to live in California. As we wound the hills and made our way to the freeway, I fantasized about bringing my girls out there one day. The cost of living was definitely higher in California than it was in Texas, but maybe after I published the second book, I’d have enough to get us a little apartment. Maybe Lorelei would feel like making the move too. We could go visit Harry when he was in town, Jaz and Em could swim in his pool…

My reverie was interrupted when Harry cursed, and I realized what was happening. There was a pile-up on the freeway, and we were stuck behind it.

“Just great,” Harry scowled under his breath.

I chuckled. “Looks like a typical day in Houston. Can’t get anywhere in less than an hour these days.”

“It’s typical here too,” he commented. “I was just hoping to avoid it.”

To ease his tension, I smiled and placed my hand on his thigh. He smiled back, covering my hand with his and threading his fingers through. We were both quiet for a bit, traffic moving slowly, but the melodies of Paul Simon and Kenny Loggins kept us company.

I thought again about my little California fantasy, but quickly erased it when I remembered I could never take the kids from Texas. As much as I still had ill feelings towards Tod and probably always would, I could never take the girls from their father. It was as simple as that.

Harry hummed along to the radio, his thumb drumming on the steering wheel as we inched along.

“You’re quiet,” he finally said.

“Hmm, so are you.”

He gave me a grin, eyeing me from the side. “Just thinking.”

“About what?” I shifted in my seat.

“Um...you tell me and I’ll tell you?”

“Yeah, but you first.”

Harry picked at his bottom lip for a while before speaking again. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, I guess so,” I nodded.

“You were upset last night. But you seem...different now.”

“That’s not a question.”

“Are you...okay now?”

I turned my gaze to the passenger window. “I mean...I’m not upset.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Well…” I let out a breath, “you know I’m gonna miss you, Harry. This is my last day with you for a while, and I’m trying not to think about it.”

Harry lifted a finger and scratched the tip of his nose as he steered the wheel with his knee, his other hand never letting go of mine. I thought he was going to ask me something else, but instead he cleared his throat and nodded. Traffic picked up for a few feet, but stalled again. I watched him, waiting for him to speak.

“I had a feeling something else was wrong,” he finally said.

“What?”

“I um…” he gave a short, nervous laugh. “I kept thinking maybe I’d gone about this all wrong, that if I just showed you last night how much I wanted you then everything would be okay.”

I pondered his words, trying to understand what he meant. “Are you referring to the sex?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he half breathed through his nose before he scratched it again.

I shifted in my seat again to where I was pretty much facing him. I frowned at him, my silence urging him to explain further.

“Baby, don’t misunderstand, please,” he squeezed my hand. “I do want you, and it’s not just about the sex. I just...was kinda worried.”

“About what?”

“About...losing you.”

I bit my lip, moisture threatening my eyes, so I turned back in my seat again and gazed out the window. I was worried too, but for different reasons than he thought.

“Your turn,” I heard him say.

“Hmm?”

“Tell me what you’re thinking, love.”

I looked down at my lap and felt a lone tear slip out of my eye so I quickly wiped it away. Traffic picked up again, so I hoped Harry couldn’t see me starting to lose it. I swallowed hard and tried my best to gather my thoughts.

“Baby?” he sounded.

“Why were you afraid of losing me, Harry?” I asked quickly.

“Well, because…” he hesitated, “because of our argument in the pool. And because even after I apologized, you seemed a little...distant.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“No, don’t be sorry. I just...I need to know what’s going on. I feel like we have this amazing connection and chemistry, but we don’t talk enough. Like really talk, Stacey. You know?”

I nodded, slipping my hand from his grip.

“No, baby, don’t…” he begged, reaching for my hand, but I’d already placed it in my lap. Then he cursed as he put on his turn signal. “Shit, that’s my exit.”

I rode in silence as Harry turned off the freeway. I could read the disappointment on his face which broke my heart. It seemed I was always pretty good at making people have that face. I recognized it and remembered seeing it on his face in one of my nightmares.

“I’m sorry, Harry,” I said again. “You’re right. But let’s talk later okay? I’m still excited for this surprise. Let’s not spoil the mood.”

Stopping at a red light, Harry looked over at me with a sigh. I reached for his hand again and gave him a weak smile.

“Promise we’ll talk later?” he asked.

I nodded. “Promise.”

“Okay,” he said giving my hand another squeeze before letting it go. Coming to a stop again, he parked on the side of the road and turned off the engine.

“We’re here?” I asked with wide eyes.

A grin slowly spread across Harry’s face before he cupped my chin, leaned over and kissed me.

“We’re here,” he said, his voice low.

I opened my car door just as he did, stepping out onto the sidewalk. All I saw were what looked to be older buildings, apartments or perhaps businesses. Harry crossed the front of the car and stood next to me, his hand on my back, then pointed up at the building to my left. My jaw dropped as soon as I read the sign.

“Recognize it?” he whispered in my ear as he wound his arms around me.

I leaned against him as I gasped, unable to voice a sound, let alone a word or two. I could only stand in awe. This was a place that to anyone else was just a building, but to musicians and music fans like me, it was legendary. Sound City. Some of my idols had recorded there.

“Wow!” I was finally able to croak out of my throat.

I felt Harry’s chest shake with laughter and he kissed the top of my head. “C’mon,” he said, taking my hand.

I stared at him. “You mean we get to go inside?”

Harry laughed harder. “Of course, baby. You didn’t think standing out here was the surprise, did you?”

Tugging my hand, he managed to pull my feet from the concrete, and I followed him through the carport to the back parking lot. I recognized the door for the studio from both photos and Dave Grohl’s documentary. Butterflies instantly filled my tummy as I sucked in my lips.

It was a dark, narrow hallway but a man greeted us as soon as we stepped inside. He shook Harry’s hand, then mine before he guided us further down the hall. I didn’t even catch his name because I was so equally excited and nervous, but apparently, he’d known we were coming. That part was no surprise.

The man showed us to the large recording room where a drum set sat in the middle. I spun around, taking it all in, just thinking in my head Stevie Nicks was here. We then got a tour of the soundboard, which I knew from the documentary wasn’t the original Neve board - Dave had taken it to his own studio - but it was impressive nonetheless. After I oohed and ahhed over it for a bit, Harry taking a seat in one of the cushy chairs, the man excused himself, saying we were welcome to spend some time checking everything out in private.

“So what do you think?” Harry beamed at me when the door shut.

“Harry! Oh honey, this is like...a dream come true for me. You have no idea.”

Harry giggled, sliding his chair closer to me. “I think I have some idea.”

I playfully swatted at him. “Oh, of course you do.”

“Surprise,” he wiggled his brows and reached for me, pulling me onto his lap.

“I’ll say,” I murmured. “It was a good one.”

We kissed for a minute or two until I remembered where I was, like it had just hit me all over again.

“Stevie was here, Harry!” I exclaimed. “She was in that room right there and recorded the Buckingham Nicks album with Lindsey and then again with Fleetwood Mac!”

Harry chuckled, amused at my enthusiasm.

“Pat Benatar recorded here,” I continued. “And Tom Petty. And Rick Springfield and fucking Nirvana!”

“I know!” Harry laughed.

“I love you,” I declared in haste, the moment getting to me.

“I love you, too,” he grinned. “Now, let’s go in here a minute.”

Climbing off his lap, I followed Harry back into the other room with the drums. He walked up to a row of guitars that were against the wall, picking up a pretty acoustic one. Then I saw him pull a guitar pick out of his pocket and strum a few chords. I watched in glee as he played the intro to one of his songs. I thought he might start singing, but instead he stopped, tilted his head, and began to play a different song I recognized. I smiled at the introduction to “Crying In The Night,” the Buckingham Nicks song we’d sung together over the phone many moons ago. Again, Harry stopped, walked over to where a microphone was set up and adjusted the stand. Then he beckoned me over.

“Stay right there,” he ordered before walking to the recording room.

Through the glass, I watched him press a few buttons on the sound board. Then he told me to speak into the mic. I did and he adjusted a few more knobs and buttons before giving me a thumbs up.

When he returned to stand next to me, he began to play the chords again and gestured to the microphone for me to sing. For only a split second I felt a ball of nerves, but soon I was singing the first lines.

She was that kind of lady, times were hard, woah She could come curling ‘round you like fingers

Harry smiled as he played the guitar, joining me on the chorus like Lindsey did Stevie. It felt so good. I wouldn’t be able to explain the feeling in words if someone forced me. It was just...magical. I knew I wasn’t the best singer, nor even came close to being as great as Stevie, but for a few minutes I felt like I was in my element - where I belonged. It was such a rush, and a dream come true.

And she’s looking around…

When the song was over, Harry grinned the sexiest grin ever before jogging back to the sound booth. Then he came back, laid down the guitar and pulled me into a tight embrace.

“That was so good, baby!” he cooed in my ear. “That felt great, did it feel great to you?”

“Yes,” was all I could say though I let out a loud fit of giggles.

“You’re so amazing,” he added. “Mmm, I love you so fucking much.”

He swung me around in his arms for a few moments before kissing me hard on the mouth. He didn’t let me go right away either, and for a second, I forgot where we were until I heard the clearing of a throat. Harry released me and turned around and I saw the man standing in the doorway. I blushed a bright pink.

“Oh hey, sorry, got carried away,” Harry explained, though I wasn’t sure if it was to the man or to me. Or both. The man waved him off though, like it was nothing.

“Looks like you had a good time.”

“Yes, again, thank you so much for letting us do this,” Harry said, shaking his hand.

“Anytime. Just let me know,” the man nodded.

I told him thanks as well and followed Harry out to the parking lot. The sun seemed brighter after being inside, and I leaned my head back and spread my arms, taking it all in. Then I took hold of Harry’s arm and hopped all the way to the car like a happy kid.

“I just sang where Stevie sang,” I danced as he opened the car door for me.

Harry chuckled. “I should have done this the first day you arrived. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you this happy. Even at the concert.”

“I was happy then,” I admitted. “But concerts make me emotional.”

“I noticed.”

Pressing me up against the car, Harry kissed me once again and I felt tingles down to my toes.

“Thank you for the surprise,” I murmured against his lips.

“You’re welcome,” he smirked before patting me on the butt and rounding the car to his side.

Once we were back on the freeway, Harry reached for my hand again and I gladly obliged. Adjusting my seat back, I got comfortable and let myself fantasize again, imagining that I was able to actually move to L.A., that Tod wouldn’t throw a fit over it, and Harry and I lived happily...ever...after…

“Baby…”

I felt a nudge on my shoulder and fluttered my eyelids open. Harry grinned at me, his hand on the steering wheel.

“We’re home,” he said softly.

“Home?” I blinked.

“Yeah. You fell asleep.”

“Oh,” I muttered, realizing I was still lying back on my seat, my seatbelt fastened. “Sorry.”

“No worries, love,” he cooed, pushing a curl from my face. “Did you want some lunch, or would you rather nap?”

“Nap?”

“In my bed of course,” he teased.

“Actually,” I groaned, sitting up, “a nap would be great. I don’t think I got much sleep last night.”

“I know, baby, I said I was sorry.”

“Shut up, Harry,” I quipped. “Never ever apologize for wanting me. Okay?”

Harry raised his eyebrows and puckered his lips. “Noted!”

“However, right now, sugar...I’m gonna use that bed for something else.”

Harry laughed as he opened the car door. “Also noted.”

We climbed the stairs together and when I reached his bedroom, I removed my jeans and bra and got into Harry’s wonderfully comfortable bed. He tucked me in, lying with me for a few minutes until my eyelids were too heavy to keep open.

“Sleep well my love,” he whispered.

I felt the bed shift as he stood, but I remembered nothing else after that until I awoke a couple hours later.

With a yawn and a stretch, I got up to use the bathroom. I felt a little revived though my stomach growled. It was nearly three in the afternoon, and I hadn’t eaten since that morning, and even then, I’d only nibbled at the waffles. Pulling my hair back in a ponytail, I slipped back into my jeans and made my way downstairs. I found Harry outside, sitting at the table, his phone to his ear. He smiled when he saw me, and I gestured toward to kitchen to let him know I was going to get something to eat. I was just placing a slice of turkey on the bread when I felt his arms slip around my waist.

“I would have made you something,” he offered.

“I don’t need much,” I said. “A sandwich is fine since we’re going out to dinner later.”

“Okay,” he nuzzled my neck. “How was your nap?”

“Blissful,” I replied.

“Good. I just took a quick one on the sofa.”

I turned and looked at him. “You could have come to bed, silly. This is your house.”

“I know, but you’re my guest and I wanted you to have a restful sleep.”

“I sleep just fine with you, you know,” I smirked.

“It’s not you I’m worried about,” he teased, making a point to eye his crotch. I snorted and poked him in the side.

“You’re awful, Harold.”

“That’s not what you said last night. Let me see...I believe it was ‘Oh sugah, you’re so fuckin’ gooood!’”

If I wasn’t so completely mad about him, and he hadn’t just given me the best surprise ever, I would have mocked him for being so cheeky. Instead, I just winked, licked my top lip seductively and turned back to my sandwich. With a gleeful laugh, Harry grabbed a bottle of juice from the fridge and sat at the table. Cutting my sandwich in half diagonally, like I always did for my kids, I took a water bottle from the refrigerator and joined him.

“So where are we going tonight?” I inquired, taking a bite of my sandwich.

“You’ll see,” Harry said.

I pouted. “You said dinner wasn’t part of the surprise.”

“It’s not, but I still kinda want you to be surprised.”

“Well, fine, but I just wanted to know if I should wear my red dress or my blue one.”

“The red dress from Christmas?” Harry raised a brow.

“No, it’s a different one. But it’s more casual, like a sundress. I have a blue one that’s a little fancier; a cocktail dress, kind of like the black one I wore Saturday.”

“Hmm…” Harry sounded, picking at his bottom lip. “I think I’d go with the blue.”

Swallowing my food, I took a sip of water. “You got it,” I grinned.

“Oh,” he said, “I should probably tell you...before you find out anyway. We got photographed today.”

“Seriously?”

Tapping on his phone, Harry selected something and turned it to face me. Sure enough, there was a photo of us on the sidewalk, arm in arm.

“I’ll be damned,” I muttered.

“There’s another one of us snogging by the car,” he scoffed.

“How did they know?”

Harry shrugged. “Maybe the studio tipped them off. Maybe they recognized my car and followed us. They have ways.”

I made a face and rested my chin in my hand.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I guess,” I answered. “Nothing I can do about it anyway, right?”

Harry nodded.

“I just wish they weren’t so secretive. It feels...invasive.”

“Exactly. That’s why I need to know you’re okay with it. Because that was just a small outing. We’ll be among a lot more people tonight.”

“Yeah…” I sighed.

Harry didn’t say anything else. I noticed him looking through his phone, but he let me finish my sandwich in silence. I didn’t really know what else to say either. When I got up and put my plate in the dishwasher, Harry told me to follow him into the music room. I sat down on the piano stool while he scrolled through his phone. Choosing something, he plugged it into a USB, then adjusted some knobs on the sound system. My eyes widened when I heard the familiar strumming followed by my voice. I put my hand over my mouth.

“Oh my God,” I screamed behind my hand, but Harry just grinned and put his finger to his lips to shush me.

I covered my eyes, suddenly embarrassed at hearing my own voice through the loudspeakers. I felt Harry’s hands on mine then, trying to pry them away from my face. When he’d managed to do it, he knelt in front of me, his face intense, yet expressionless. Then he began to sing his part low, a small curve at the corners of his mouth.

“Sing with me,” he said.

So I did, softly at first, then growing louder as he urged me on. By the end, I was singing to him, him to me, our fingers intertwined.

“I didn’t realize you’d actually recorded it,” I remarked.

“I had it sent to me after we left,” he nodded.

“I guess I actually sound pretty good.”

“Are you kidding?” he smirked.

“Well, I’m not a professional,” I sighed, picking at a frayed spot in my jeans. “That dream is-”

“Shh,” he sounded, pressing a finger to my lips.

I shook my head, pulling his arm down. “You know it’s true.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Harry, c’mon.” I gave a fake chuckle. “I’m not a spring chicken. That ship has sailed...long ago.”

Harry looked down at the floor and back at me. Then he pursed his lips and rose with a sigh. Pulling out the chair from the desk, he sat down in front of me.

“I was thinking now might be a good time to have that talk.”

My body instantly tensed up, and I bit my lip. “Um...yeah...okay.”

“I think…” Harry let out a long, deep sigh. “I think maybe there’s some things that aren’t being said.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean...I can tell something’s on your mind, Stacey. I’m not stupid.”

I furrowed my brows. “I know you’re not, Harry.”

“But I’m also not a mind-reader. You’ve got to tell me, baby. You need to talk to me; I’m losing my mind here.”

I swallowed. “I don’t meant to make you-”

“I know,” he interrupted. “It’s partly my fault too. I keep wanting everything to be perfect, and I know it’s not. I realize this is all still so new to you. We’re no longer in that little bubble we were once in, where it was just you and me.”

“That’s just it, Harry,” I commented. “It’s not just you and me.”

“I know,” he nodded. “People know about you now, know who you are. I know it was a big adjustment for me in the beginning of One Direction and the X Factor, but that was me living my dream. I wasn’t riding along someone else’s.”

I chewed the inside of my lip as I stared at him for a second. Though what he said was true, he was missing the whole point. That wasn’t what I’d meant. But instead of voicing that aloud, I simply nodded.

“So, talk to me,” he urged again. “I know I’d said I needed to know that you were okay with all of this, and that was unfair of me to expect a direct response. But I’d still like to know how you feel, what’s on your mind. Please?”

Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly.

“Harry, I…”

MASTERLIST | KO-FI | FEEDBACK | PATREON

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Elisabeth das musical Plzeň production review

Date: April 28th 2023

Cast: Michaela Štiková-Gemrotová (Elisabeth), Pavel Režný (Smrt/Death), Martin Holec (Lucheni), Jozef Hruškoci (Franz Joseph), Renáta Podlipská (Archduchess Sophie), Pavel Klimenda (Rudolf), Tadeáš Prokop (little Rudolf), Jan Ježek (Max), Stanislava Topinková-Fořtová (Ludovika/Frau Wolf)

Review and thoughts below the page break:

• We don't start with a hanged Lucheni puppet, the entire time it's actually the actor, who's hanging off of the noose

• And he stays that way for most of the Prolog

• Death lurks in the background for a moment during Alle tanzen mit dem Tod before Lucheni notices him

• And Death cuts Lucheni down from his noose

• During Death's verse, we get to see how Death works in this production's world: he kills on merely touch, which is demonstrated by the dead flying at him with outstretched arms and he just gets rid of them

• Death does give Lucheni a dirty look after "she loved Heinrich Heine"

• Little Sisi comes in in a short skirt and bloomers and during the second verse of Wie Du, her governess comes in and to Sisi's displeasure puts a long skirt onto her

• We also get a glimpse of Helene in Wie Du (she is very blonde in this version) and that she and Sisi at this point have a good relationship

• Everyone in Schön euch alles zu sehen gets a tea cup with saucer and a spoon and they do a collective spoon drop when Ludovika announces Helene is to be empress

• We get a shadow play of Sisi balancing on a tightrope with an umbrella

• After she falls, they carry her out onto a sofa and everyone groups around her, only for her to come out from the wings, so KKOG is done with the context of Sisi's soul already separated from her body and her literally being a touch away from dying

• And she does get really close, but at the last moment, Death pulls away

• As she sings "Ich erkenn dich schwartzer Prinz", Sisi goes towards Death with outstretched arms ready for a hug and Death just gets this mini panic as he backs up

• I don't like KKOG as a song, but the mutual fascination Pavel and Michaela showed here was *chef's kiss*

• During Jedem gibt er das seine, Franz and Sophie are almost shrouded behind the austrian flag colored curtains, separated from everyone around them

• And once Franz rises from his table, he moves strictly in straight lines and 90° angles

• Also, the entire show, Lucheni watches what is happening onstage from the side, sitting huddled up next to one of the set pieces, so the Lucheni actor has very little break time

• And since we're here, Martin Holec as Lucheni is so wonderful. He is a sarcastic asshole, but an extremely sympathetic one with an underlying remorseful side to him. Like, you can't help but laugh and nod along with him

• And he gets some alternate costumes for So wie man plant und denkt: a coat, tophat and fishing rod for verse 1 and an apron for verse 2

• And he hands out tea for everyone during the second verse

• Franz and Sisi see one another before the family meeting and Franz just keeps on looking at her from the moment they meet

• Sophie: "What, her?" Franz, while holding onto Sisi's hand as he was instructed to do and completely visibly in love with her, with the proudest look plastered onto his face: "Yes..."

• Nichts ist schwer has Sisi and Franz act shy at first and they slowly warm up to one another, coming closer to eachother

• Sisi being extremely shy once she is put into her wedding dress

• Death observes the wedding from the side and once Sisi says yes, you can hear the sound of a bird taking flight and Death says yes back to her three times

• Sie passt nicht has Sisi and Franz taking audience with the nobles after the wedding and Sisi is trying to be nice and friendly to them but they progressively just start behaving more rudely and dismissively towards her and she just progressively wilts on spirit until Franz takes her to dance

• Also, Helene just straight up walks by Elisabeth and ignores her when she's supposed to congratulate her

• Lucheni strutting through the dancing ballroom crowd until Death shows up

• Death strutting in flanked by all the death angels was a serve

• Der letzte Tanz had Death dance around with some of the ballroom guests, thus slowly killing them and provoking Sisi with it

• Sisi does defend Franz by hugging him in front of Death

• And Death does have some telepathic powers in this version, so that's how he dances around with Sisi

• Liebe mit Gaffern got the ensemble grouped up and obsessively staring at Sisi from the side

• Sisi has a gorgeously long wig in Eine Keiserin muss glänzen

• Sisi rising on a hydraulic platform during the last part of Ich gehör nur mir

• We get Sisi doubles in the background during Stationen eine Ehe during Lucheni's parts, showing her current life situation

• Franz just straight up leaves on Sisi when she asks him to give her back her child

• When they come to Hungary, Sisi and Franz are followed by a lady in waiting carrying the bundled up little Sophie and Death slowly stalks towards them, killing the child by gently touching her forehead

• So far, with every person Death has taken, he was rather rough with them, either throwing them, strangling them or just roughly pushing them away, even if with one finger, but little Sophie is the first time we see a more gentle side to how he takes lives

• I got literal chills during Pavel Režný's Act 1 Shatten

• As the café guests keep on talking about the rumors about Sisi and gazing into their newspapers, her very visibly sad shadow can be seen passing along the backdrop and Lucheni tries to make some of the people notice her, but they keep on ignoring him

• Lucheni jumping through the café guests and leaping off of the tables when he talks about how Rudolf was born

• The playout for Fröhliche Apokalypse got some super interesing newspaper choreo, which ended with the newspapers being left tossed all over the stage

• The kid playing little Rudolf was super adorable

• Also, he is forced into the blue austrian uniform jacket and the poor little kid says "ouch" as he is forced into it

• Sisi in her room looks like she is trapped in it and only when she stands her ground, she leaves it

• So far, Sisi was the one to draw back once Death starts approaching her/he pushes her around the stage, but once she says no to him here, she intentionally pushes him back for the first time and Death just completely shook

• Milch had the ensamble come in from the sides of the audience

• And there was plenty of very agressive banging with the milk cans onto the stage

• Schönheitspflege has a Sisi double with her back to the audience in a bath up on a pedestal and the maids are brushing her hair and taking care of her

• Once Franz comes in, they draw a changing screen closed in front of her and it kinda looks like a triptych altarpiece

• And then it opens and she is there in her Star dress

• Death appears for the Act 1 finale on ground level and Elisabeth is higher than him

• Also, some of the ensemble angrily come in at the end of Act 1 finale in their Milch costumes, but they stop in admiration when they see Elisabeth

• Lucheni gets a black glittery frockcoat and tophat for Kitsch

• And he tries to sell his kitsch souvenirs to both the hungarian ensamble and the front row

• We don't see Franz and Elisabeth during Éljen, the focus is purely on the happy hungarian populace

• Wenn ich tanzen will has Elisabeth giving one massive fictive middle finger to Death with her teasing him by dancing with whichever man she pleases in front of him, while he can't touch her

• And Death is just so upset/infuriated by not being able to dance with her and he is just left alone on stage completely upset

• Also, paralel scene to Der letzte Tanz!

• Little Rudolf trying to hide underneath his blanket was so precious

• Death is just so fascinated by Rudolf wanting him to stay and he also looks at him kinda weirded out like this is his first time interacting with a child

• Also, Death does almost touch Rudolf's head to take him, but he holds himself back

• The mad woman in the insane asylum scene being carried around on the shoulders of other of the patients

• Elisabeth in this scene is so compassionate and trying to be so patient with everyone

• Wir oder sie had Sophie and the court men huddled around a dimly lit table to discuss

• Nur kein genieren was lit very red and the way they tilted the lighting rig was so interesting

• The ensamble for this scene was very stripy with a lot of colored tulle ruffles

• Also, Stanislava Topinková Fořtová as Frau Wolf? Slayed and ate

• Lucheni doesn't have as much chemistry with Frau Wolf as in the original, but he did get to fool around with some of the ensamble ladies

• Elisabeth falls down when she's attempting to excercise on rings, but she climbs up on a vault to get to them and falls down from there, so pretty big fall

• And they included a lot of coughing from Elisabeth's side

• Death gets a nice cloak and tophat as his doctor disguise! And it suprisingly had little gaping and the way he threw it off was so effortless

• Death and Elisabeth circling around the vault during Maladie

• Elisabeth ends up on the ground and Death goes down onto the ground to her, offering her his hand for her to take

• Elisabeth doesn't throw the necklace at Death, but onto the ground

• Death does come for Sophie in this production, but we don't see him touch her, just her visibly acknowledge him and he follows her offstage

• The passage of time in Rastlose Jahre was shown by little Rudolf first coming out and Elisabeth just breezes past him and then he went offstage and the next time, Rudolf came onstage as an adult

• We get a Fanny Feifalik namedrop from Lucheni!

• At the end of Rastlose Jahre, Lucheni holds up a picture of young Elisabeth next to her, but she snatches the picture from him, agressively stares him down while tearing the picture up and then she stuffs to torn up pieces into Lucheni's mouth

• Rudolf does give himself a dose of morphine on the side of the stage during Rastlose Jahre, so I'm guessing Shatten here is partially a drug induced fever dream

• Other than that, Pavel Klimenda's Rudolf is so goddamn tragically sad, desheveled, sopping wet, traumatized and affection starved, like, you just want to give his Rudolf a hug

• At the end of Rastlose Jahre, there is a tiny moment when Sisi notices Rudolf looking like a complete mess and he cries out to her, but she looks back at him with disgust and leaves him alone, crying

• Shatten had Death come in with a whip and kind of invite Rudolf onto a ride on his carriage (I'm saying kind of because it was very minimalistic in set)

• At one point, Death touches Rudolf with his whip by lifting up his chin and Rudolf snatches the whip from him, prompting a very "what is this weird kid doing now" look from Death

• Death gives Rudolf a gun at the end of Shatten and Rudolf does consider using it, he even puts it to his head while surrounded by the death angels, but he reconsiders and hides the gun

• Strait Vater und Sohn has Rudolf more upset than angry

• Hass was lit very starkly and dimly, so for a lot of the scene, you couldn't make out their facial features

• Death does appear during Hass, not directly involving himself, but banging a drum to the rhythm of the song in the background

• During Wie Du reprise, Elisabeth writes with a quill that looks like one of Death's feathers

• I almost cried during Wenn ich dein Spiegel wär

• Rudolf comes in with some papers, looking kind of ready to discuss his worries with his mother, but as soon as he is faced with her, he falters and lets go of the papers

• The entire time Rudolf begs Elisabeth for help, he is on his knees in front of her

• And she lashes out at him before leaving him alone

• Before Mayerling, Rudolf faces the audience and says "so, you will leave me alone in this", and he starts sobbing and curls up on the ground as the death angels come in and he cries out for his mom to help him

• Mayerling at first has the angels throw Rudolf around before Death starts dancing with him

• At the end, they touch/embrace and Rudolf ends his life

• Rudolf gets surrounded by the death angels, who create his grave with their wings

• Death looks very remorseful after Rudolf dies. This production doesn't really give us feral Todolf like the original and 1st revival, but Tod here is more like a guardian to Rudolf.

• Death remorsefully observes Elisabeth as she comes to lay flowers onto Rudolf's grave

• At the end of Totenklage, both Franz and Death are offering Elisabeth an embrace and Elisabeth starts leaning towards touching Death until he pulls away

• During Totenklage, Lucheni photographs the picture of Elisabeth weeping by Rudolf's grave, that he shows in Kitsch reprise

• And he tears the picture up during the song

• Boote in der Nacht had Elisabeth smoking a cigarette

• They reused the Achilleon set from Wie Du reprise/Spiegel and she had a ton of books lying around the set, which she kept on flipping through as a distraction from Franz

• Am Deck den sinkenden Welt literally had the stage looking like a stormy sea of waves just by using the hydraulic platforms in the stage and Franz was on the only stable part of the stage

• We actually got one of the ensamble ladies set on fire during the scene

• Death screaming at Franz from up on the hanging lighting rig!!

• Death doesn't throw the file at Lucheni, but the angels pass it to him across the stage

• The ensamble in their afterlife costumes stay on scene during the assasination

• Also, Death keeps on watching the scene from the lighting rig

• Once she is stabbed, Elisabeth stumbles offstage for a while and stumbles back in only to be surrounded by the ensamble as she dies

• And suddenly, she appears on the other side of the stage in her white nightgown

• The death angels drag Lucheni down and he tries to triumphantly laugh, but he is clearly conflicted and a little remorseful

• That moment when Elisabeth and Death finally touch and embrace <3

• The Der Schleier fällt kiss here was so full of mutual respect

• After Death kisses her, Elisabeth doesn't fall down dead, but she walks downstage and looks out into the audience as the curtain falls

• Meanwhile, Death through all this looks at her with such a loving and fascinated expression

• So, in this production, Elisabeth and Death stay together in the afterlife

• For the curtain call, everyone of the main cast got one of their character's songs played as they took a bow

• With Lucheni and Death getting to sing a bit of Kitsch and Der letzte Tanz each as they took a bow

• CONCLUSION: Holy shit, everybody in this cast was splendid. I honestly can't even decide who's would be the standout performance of the evening, because everyone was amazing.