#a side effect? something that just happened to me? instead of something i'm allowed to feel pride in?

[transcarcinization]

been closeted in my new job and i am discovering very violently how different being a gnc woman is to being transgender, mentally

[holymusicalmothman]

I Can See You - Live Action!Sanji x Reader

Saw a post about wanting a fic with Sanji and this song that @its-a-show-stoppin-number posted and I knew I wasn't gonna get anything done until I wrote this. I've never written anything like this before to be honest. I kinda word vomited in a sense. The story just exited my fingers and here it is.

Warnings: Suggestive, kissing, secret relationship, nothing explicit, only implied, objectification of Taz Skylar's jawline, like. Why’s it so fine. Like. Dear lord.

No use of y/n, or those weird descriptor things, reader is gender neutral. Reader is however you imagine them

Word Count: 1.5K

Main Masterlist

It wasn’t something you had seen coming. It wasn’t like you, to be honest.

But he was just so damn charming. How were you supposed to resist?

Sanji hadn’t been part of the crew for long. A few weeks at most. But you had been watching him from the moment the crew walked into the Baratie. 

Tall. Strong. Nicely dressed. Polite. Respectful. Suave. Not to mention good looking. That jawline–in your defense, you HAD tried to ignore the blatant attraction.

Fleeting glances for almost a week, brushing past each other in the ship’s hallways. Fantasies filling your head. One specific dream of exchanging heated kisses in a dark corner had your mind racing whenever you were in the same room as the chef. 

It was impossible to function properly. 

Your job aboard the Going Merry was to document the events that occurred. Luffy thought it would be perfect to write down all of the adventures that would eventually lead to him becoming King of the Pirates.

And writing anything was impossible.

Blond hair and grey blue eyes kept your mind far too distracted.

So you decided to do something about it. 

Especially since you had caught his eyes on you repeatedly throughout dinner. 

So you took your time eating. A phrase which here means wasting your time until Luffy, Usopp, Zoro, and Nami had vacated the kitchen for the evening. Leaving you alone with Sanji.

As he stood to clear the dishes, your hand shot out, grabbing his sleeve and stopping him in his tracks.

You looked up into his eyes, your own wide with adrenaline. 

"Please tell me it's not all in my head." You said softly. "If it is, I promise, it'll be like this never happened."

"And if I say it's not all in your head?" He murmured the words, the tension so thick someone could have cut it with a knife. 

"Then I'd ask if you'd worry what the others thought. I'm not sure if relationships between crewmembers are allowed here. They weren't on my last crew. And I'm not too keen on asking Luffy if I'm entirely honest." You took a deep breath. "But I can't get you out of my head. It's like I'm addicted."

Sanji moved to rest his hands on either side of your chair, effectively caging you in. "So more like a secret mission. Just the two of us." He bit his lip and watched your eyes zero in on the action, a smirk spreading on his face instead.

You nodded, knowing you were in too deep to back out now.

Sanji continued, despite the fact that his eyes flicked down to your lips every few moments. "Everything professional, except when it's just the two of us."

You nodded again, your heart racing and palms sweating as the object of your desire leaned forward a little more, waiting for you to reach across that last gap separating the two of you.

Your eyes fluttered shut as that gap closed. 

As your lips careened into the chef's, he exhaled heavily through his nose, pulling you up to stand and then closer so you were pressed to his chest, your hands flying to tangle in his hair. 

The world around the two of you was a blur as you lost yourselves in each other. Clothes were shoved unceremoniously to the floor as you each tried to pull the other closer. You barely registered Sanji lifting you to sit on the kitchen counter, much less registering when the two of you had even moved from the table to the counter.

"You sure you want me sitting here?" You asked breathlessly, your newfound lover placing kisses down the length of your throat.

His laugh was husky against your throat. "It's a kitchen, darling. All the best meals happen in a kitchen."

That moment was the first of many. You had never regretted sharing a room with Nami more. While there were many kitchen escapades after that first one, the two of you still found a little thrill in having your secret. 

You spent time talking as well. You learned about each other. Likes and dislikes, pasts, dreams of the future. Sanji told you about his childhood with Zeff and his quest for the All Blue. You told him of your dream to be a famous poet one day and of your life on the sea. 

Something changed along those talking sessions. Something you liked. You wouldn’t call it a friends with benefits situation. You both knew it was something else, something deeper. 

Those words were just waiting to be said.

You two would lock eyes at random moments throughout the days and his eyebrow would quirk and you'd look away.

Nights would be spent with each other, sometimes words weren’t even exchanged. 

It was bliss.

One afternoon caught the two of you on the lower decks, encased by shadows. You had originally been working on writing down events in the logbook, but your lover had sought you out. 

Sanji had you caged up against the wall, kissing you with a fervor. As if you were the last meal he'd ever receive. 

He always kissed you like a starving man. 

However, you heard Usopp's voice getting closer to your hiding spot, calling for Sanji, and the two of you quickly separated and righted yourselves. 

He winked at you as you adjusted your skewed shirt. "You'll tell me more about how that dream of yours went later, right, darling?"

You smirked. "You wouldn't believe half the things I see inside my head." 

Sanji grinned, unable to resist capturing your lips in another kiss before slowly pulling away and heading down the hallway.

Nami cornered you later that day. 

"You've been hard to find lately." She stated. 

You shrugged. "I've been hiding away trying to find a quiet place to work on the log." This was the go to excuse. 

And Nami wasn't buying it. "It's been hard to find Sanji too."

Your eyes met her brown ones in questioning silence.

"I knew it." She muttered. "Sanji left his jacket on the floor in the hallway the other night. You do know we're not like other pirates, right? Nobody's gonna care if you two get together. 'Sides, pretty sure the only ones who haven't figured it out are Luffy and Usopp. But that's just a matter of time."

You were flabbergasted. "How in the--"

"You guys aren't very sneaky. Zorro found you two the other day. Plus the jacket."

Of course Zorro would find out first. But knowing that a relationship would be fine was also a relief to hear. 

You had just finished telling Nami about your's and the chef's so-called "secret mission" when Sanji brought lunch around a few minutes later. When he got to you, he handed you your food and your logbook. "You left this in the kitchen." And with a wink he walked away. 

"He's not even subtle about it." Nami stated.

You laughed. Sanji hadn't been subtle from the moment you met him at the Baratie. He had only stopped calling you 'madame' because you told him it made you feel old. 

He had immediately switched to darling, being far too suave and charming for his own good. 

You opened up your logbook. It had gotten easier to get back to your job lately. Apparently the dark hallway meetings and late night rendezvous worked perfectly in helping your focus.

You immediately noticed his note. 

"Meet me tonight"

You snapped the notebook shut, grinning like a schoolgirl,and Nami only rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You two are the weirdest." 

It was late when you began to make your way to the kitchen that night.

He must have been impatient, because you found him waiting down the hallway, still dressed in his suit and necktie. 

You never knew blue could feel like fire, but his eyes were smoldering as they met yours. He had you up against the wall in moments, his lips on your own.

He never did anything halfway, it was all or nothing. That thought crossed your mind as you began to lose yourself in the way he kissed you. In the way it was tender and yet passionate. In the way he caught your lip with his own. In the way he would sort of nudge his jaw forward in little movements. In the way his tongue always seemed to ask permission by gently touching your own lips and leading you into deeper and deeper kisses. 

You could drown in this man. 

The words slipped out in between kisses before you could stop them. 

"I love you."

But he just grinned. A smile so bright, were the sun out it would have felt threatened. Remarkably sweet for the heated exchange that had been occuring only seconds prior.

"I love you, too, darling."

And the heat was back. His hands, which had been holding you gently at your hips, slipped to lift you and press you harder into the wall as the passion returned. 

Only to come to a screeching halt as someone cleared their throat. 

Luffy stood a few feet away, struggling to mask his shock.

"While I'm happy for the two of you, maybe the hallways are not the best for such...activities?" he said.

You both nodded, mildly embarrassed to have been caught. 

As your captain disappeared further down the hallway, a laugh bubbled out of you.

Sanji turned to look at you, bewildered. 

Grabbing his hand, you led him away. "You heard our captain, gotta go somewhere other than a hallway."

Understanding spread across his face in the way of a knowing smirk. "I completely understand, darling."

I can see you, waiting down the hall for me, I can see you, up against the wall with me.

I can see you, throw your jacket on the floor, I can see you, make me want you even more

[g1rlw1th0n33ye3]

When the sun goes down.

Summary ~ Aegon Targaryen II x reader ( no use of y/n cause noo) Aegon finds out something unexpected during his most recent visit to the street of silk.

Warnings- Dubious consent, Drunk sex, its Smut so like yuh know 🧍🏽‍♀️

Also, this is my first fic ever so be nice, please!! I had a day off and a bottle of pink Whitney so here we are! I hope you enjoy also Aegon isn't complete scum of the earth in this story because no that face to pretty for that bad writing and he's not married either Helena and Jace are married and the twins are Jace's kids instead of Aegon's for plot reasons ok enjoy my baby dolls and lemme know if you want a part two!! 🫡

The hour was late as Aegon made his way through the tunnels of Megors holdfast intent on getting to the street of silk as fast as he could he needed something to destress after another unbearably dreadful family dinner they'd been happening more frequently since Helena had given birth to another baby boy this one with bright white hair unlike the two twin babes heads full of brown curls like there father she had given birth to two years earlier it seems his mother has finally accepted that the delusional idea of annulling the marriage was no longer possible now the two sides would favor being intertwined whether she liked or not though her new urge for family dinners to try and bring the family together prove her delusion is not fully gone. Aegon thinks to himself as he slides himself past the guards. Dressed in his usual common clothes disguised for sneaking about so as not to raise any suspicion to the roaming gold cloaks he kept his hood placed high on his head to hide his white tresses as he bobbed and weaved through the huddles of small folk through the streets of flea bottom till he reached his favorite brothel on the street of silk though he hadn't frequented it in awhile a new brothel full of women from Essos had been keeping him otherwise occupied but tonight he wished to be in the place he called closest to home as he entered hood down looking a disheveled mess the madam had immediately come up to him ready to shoo him off till he took off his hood white hair flowing freely that she stopped in her place and instead ushered over the cupbearer and grabbed a glass of wine from the girls tray and holding it out for Aegon

" my prince we haven't been graced with your presence in some time what a pleasure what can i do for you this fine night my prince" the madam spoke with almost an unnerving smile Aegon looked about the room taking it all in before speaking to the madam "I don't know about a fine night but just keep sending pretty girls to fill my cup for me and I'm sure soon it will be " he said before grabbing the wine and making his way to the pile of pillows and blankets strown around a little make shift stage with a dancer atop as he settled down and began chugging his wine beginning to feel the effects of his drink the whole room starting to feel like a warm mix of colors when he finally gazes upon the dancer he's settled Infront of taking in her beautiful face and body adorned in jewels she looked strangely familiar like a face he new but hadn’t seen in a long time the longer he watched you move the more he feel like he was falling into a dream the way you danced around swirling silk scarves in every direction pulling him in that mixed with his cup of wine the bar maids made sure to never let empty he was sure he was in a dream now, he was suddenly snapped out of his trance when he saw you dismount your makeshift stage and make your way for the stairs that led to the back rooms where the girls slept men weren’t allowed back there cause that’s where many of the other girls left the children to sleep while they worked if he didn’t get to you now you he would be out of luck for the rest of the night, he quickly got up and moved as fast as his drunk limbs would carry himself to get to you before you slipped through his grasp “ you there stop “ he said somehow out of breath from simply getting up to cross the room .

Stopping in your place as you adjust your robe you had finished your final dance of the night and were ready to rest your tired legs on your bed when you hear some drunk fool calling out behind you surly following you to ask for a night of your company though your surprised when you turn and are instead met with a drunken prince falling over himself to get to you. “ My prince i was just about to retire to my chambers but i’d be happy to find you another to serve you for the night” you say forcing a smile on your face “ you look familiar have we met before though i don’t think i would have forgot a night with someone as enticing as you” he whispers the honey laced words to you as he comes closer you try to back up to keep a respectable distance but he’s right on your tale “ y…yes my prince we did spend a night together some three years ago i was much different looking then so it’s understandable your memory fails you and well you were also quiet drunk m’prince “ you reveal hoping it will get him off your back men rarely want the same thing twice in a place like this a shame “ a shame i can’t recall though it just gives us more reason to make new ones “ he’s says leaning in to whisper in your ear his warm breath the smelled of honeyed wined fanning your face words catching in your throat at the way he pressed his nose to the side or your face to breathe in your smell “ I’m sorry to disappoint M’ prince but i’m just a dancer now my company is unfortunately not for sale and the madam would be upset with me for taking client from her actual girls but id be happy to help you find one of them “ you feel him pull away at your words a grunge pained on his face “ I didn’t ask for some other girl i asked to spend my time with you and i don’t see the madam here making sure her costumers are tended to so why don’t we just keep it between us and i give you all this gold i have here one this sack and this here “ he says handing you a fully stuffed bag of gold dragons and the golden ring that adorned his middle finger your jaw particularly drops at the sight of all the gold “ for you just for you not the madam what she knows won’t hurt her and will certainly help you “ he says with a mischievous glint to his eyes you look back down at the small fortune he’s handed you it nearly enough to get you out of this dreadful city

“we can do whatever you want “ he speaks one more time trying to convince you a hopefull drunk sloppy smile painted on his face even you can’t deny is charming “ I… alright”

You led him down the stairs by the hand to your small chambers at the very end of the long hall that held all of you and all the other girls' rooms you quickly pulled him in and turned to lock the door to avoid any prying eyes though it was unlikely anybody would be around at this hour non of the other girls usually made it back to there chambers before the sunrise when you turned from the door you found him sat at the edge of your bed taking off his heavy boots and placing them to the side before getting up and beginning his exploration of your room " did you spend all that coin just to gaze upon my perfumes and lotions " you finally speak trying to break the tension, he chuckles to himself before speaking " Mayhaps I did i mean I did say we could do whatever you wanted so you tell me what I paid for " he says looking at you with that tempting smirk of his " Whatever you'd like to m' prince" you say as you remove your robe to be only left in your dancing clothes if they could even be called that it was two simple strips of silk one covering your breasts and one covering your bottom all connected with a strip of jewels to make a sheer dress. You watch as he watches you as you remove your robe before stalking over to you trapping you between the door and himself. The moment Aegon pinned you between the door and himself, the air crackled with an electric tension. His violet eyes gleamed with mischief as they took in the sight of you, draped in the delicate silk of your attire, expertly designed to entice. “Call me Aegon,” he said softly, his voice low and enticing. “There's no need for formality here, pretty girl.” You tilted your head slightly, a playful smile gracing your lips. “Aegon,” you replied, letting his name roll off your tongue with a hint of teasing. It felt daring, refreshing, in a world filled with whispers and expectations. “What do you want?” he asked, leaning in just a fraction closer, his breath warm against your skin. You could feel the weight of his presence, drawing you in like a moth to a flame. A smirk danced across your face as you countered, “What do you want, Aegon?” It was a bold question, not typically asked of a prince, but you had learned to navigate these encounters with a blend of charm and confidence. He paused, a glimmer of surprise flashing in his eyes. “I want to know you—beyond what I see in this place. For tonight, I want to escape the constraints of my title and be just a man in your presence.” Your heart raced at his words, intrigued by this unexpected vulnerability. “Then let’s embrace that freedom together,” you suggested, eager for an evening untethered from convention. With a swift, graceful movement, you stepped closer, the silk of your dress brushing against him. “I must admit, I don’t often get to entertain a prince,” you said, your voice rich with playful mischief. Aegon chuckled, clearly delighted by your banter. “I’m not like the others, I assure you.”

As the tense atmosphere thickened between you, you could feel your pulse quickening. Every heartbeat echoed the electric pull between you—a magnetic attraction that begged to be explored. “Can I…?” he began, hesitation lacing his voice as he searched your eyes for permission.You nodded, breath catching in your throat. “Please,” you whispered, excitement pooling in your stomach. Aegon leaned in, capturing your lips with his in a soft but eager kiss. The taste of him sent shivers racing through your body, igniting a flame of desire that radiated from your core. You melted against him, feeling his warmth envelop you as he deepened the kiss.His hands found your waist, fingers sliding under the silk of your dress, caressing your skin with a slow, tantalizing touch. You gasped into his mouth, a mixture of surprise and longing coursing through you.

“Beautiful ,” he murmured against your lips, his breath hot as he pulled back just enough to search your eyes. With a surge of confidence, you leaned in, kissing him again, more fervently this time, deepening the connection that was rapidly spiraling into something primal. You could feel his heartbeat racing alongside yours, the tension thickening in the space around you. As he kissed you, his hands traveled further up your sides, gripping your waist with a firm but gentle hold. You arched into him, yearning for more, your body responding instinctively. Aegon used the momentum to press you back against the wall, the solid surface grounding you as he pressed his body closer, molding you against him. “Do you want this?” he whispered, his lips brushing against your ear, igniting a rush of desire. “Yes,” you breathed, feeling the heat flush your cheeks. “I want you.” His gaze ignited with hunger at your words, and he captured your lips again, kissing you deeply, as if he were trying to consume you whole. “Let’s move to the bed,” he suggested, voice gravelly as he pulled back, clearing the space to carry you. Without waiting for an answer, he swept you off your feet, lifting you into his arms effortlessly. You gasped, your heart racing as he carried you to your simple bed draped in soft, inviting silks to seem more lavish . He gently laid you down on the mattress, hovering above you, his violet eyes burning with fervor. The anticipation making your body ache for his touch as Aegon slipped lower, trailing kisses along your body. He kissed down your neck, over your collarbone, and down to the swell of your breasts, but he didn’t stop there. His eyes darkened with desire as he made his way down your torso, his lips leaving a trail of fire in their wake. “Let me taste you,” he murmured, glancing up at you for permission. The intense anticipation made your breath hitch, and all you could do was nod, overwhelmed by the way he looked at you, like a man starved.

He nestled between your legs, and as he kissed the soft skin of your inner thigh, your body tingled with excitement. The heat of his breath against your most sensitive areas made you squirm, the anticipation driving you wild. With teasing slowness, Aegon’s mouth found your core. The moment his tongue made contact lapping t your senstive bud, a gasp escaped your throat. His tongue moved with a masterful grace, licking and swirling, expertly coaxing pleasure from you. “Oh, Aegon,” you moaned, your fingers tangling in his short curls as he pressed closer, the sensations building rapidly within you. He drank you in, sounds of your pleasure encouraging him, urging him to explore further. “Just like that,” you gasped, hips instinctively rocking against him. The pleasure he gave you was overwhelming, a wave of ecstasy that swept through you, threatening to consume you. He moved with determination, using his tongue to tease and tantalize, exploring every sensitive spot with the precision of a skilled lover. Each flick sent jolts of pleasure sparking through your body, pushing you closer to the edge. You could feel your breathing becoming erratic, each gentle stroke igniting an inferno deep inside you. “I’m so close,” you gasped, unable to restrain the sounds bubbling from deep within. Aegon heightened his pace, his mouth working you to the brink, the pressure building so exquisitely that you could hardly believe it. The world faded away, leaving only the two of you, lost in an intimate dance of pleasure. With a final surge of intensity, you cried out, your body arching as waves of bliss crashed over you, holding you captive in a sweet surrender. The sensation consumed you, leaving you breathless and blissfully spent. He emerged from between your thighs, a smug smile gracing his lips as he wiped them with the back of his hand. “You taste even better than I imagined,” he teased, his eyes sparkling with satisfaction. Now, with your body humming from pleasure, you pulled him in for a hungry kiss, tasting yourself on his lips. The heat between you flared back to life as your bodies tangled, the urgency of your connection surging once more. With renewed desire, you whispered, “Now I need you inside me.” His eyes darkened with longing at your words. “I can make that happen,” he replied, his fingers hastily shedding his trousers, to release his aching cock. He hastily positioned himself at your entrance, rubbing his leaking cock head over your weeping slit before slowly, achingly, pushing his cock inside you, breaking through the last barriers that kept you apart. You gasped, a mixture of pleasure and fullness consuming you as he filled you so completely. With a deep, primal urgency, he began to thrust, the rhythm of your bodies a perfect match. Each movement sent shockwaves of pleasure radiating through you, driving you both toward the brink. “Just like that,” you urged, feeling the tension within you build with every thrust. “Tell me how good it feels,” he demanded, his voice low and gravelly as he continued to drive into you, at a frantic pace

“It feels … uh soo good, Aegon i’m so close ,” you moaned, feeling your body tighten around him, welcoming him deeper. “ Me to sweet girl, me too “ he panted into your neck as he continued to pound into you cunt your sweet little sounds spurring him on the heat between you both intensified, and with one final thrust, you both reached your peak, aegon not bothering to pull out as his cock spent itself inside you continuing his thrusts till he could no longer handle it falling flat on top of your sweaty form cock still sheathed inside your cunt you can hear his panting breathes beginning to even out and him began to drift away to slumber your about to protest and tell him he’s crushing you and he can’t sleep here when he scoops you up flipping you both over so your rested on top of him instead head placed right over his heart the soft beating lulling you away to. Just one moment like this wouldn’t be so bad you think to yourself just a minute and you’ll wake him up and tell him he has to go but for now you will enjoy the warmth of his body and the soothing rhythm of his heart beat lulling you to bed.

The soft hues of morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the lavish room. You slowly stirred awake, wrapped in the comfort of the sheets, a sense of bliss enveloping you as memories of the previous night flooded your mind. Aegon lay beside you, his face relaxed in peaceful slumber, the warmth of his body a comforting presence.

You couldn’t help but smile, feeling a mix of affection and excitement. Last night had been a whirlwind of passion and connection—something you hadn’t anticipated when you first saw him. Stretching slightly, you turned to him, admiring the way the morning light danced on his features. But as the reality sank in, urgency washed over you; you had to get Aegon out of here before anyone else in the brothel woke up. “Aegon!” you whispered urgently, gently shaking his shoulder. Before he could fully process your words, the door flung open with a loud bang, and an adorable little girl burst into the room. She had bright, tousled white hair and wide, lilac eyes that darted around, filled with a mix of anxiety and determination. “Mama!” she called, her voice filled with sweet yet panicked urgency. The sight of her jolted both you and Aegon wide awake. He shot upright, confusion etched on his face as he took in the scene before him. “Who is that?” Aegon asked, his voice laced with shock, turning from you to the little girl. You felt your heart race. “Anya, honey, what are you doing here?” you asked, trying to maintain a calm demeanor. “I woke up and couldn’t find you!” she said, her tone shifting as she caught sight of Aegon. “Who’s he, Mama?” Aegon’s brow furrowed as he took in Anya's features, realizing that she had the same bright white hair and lilac eyes as him . “Anya?” he murmured, a sense of recognition dawning on him as he thought out every possibility of who the girls father could be but Daemon hadn’t been to kings landing in Five years since jace’s wedding and this girl couldn’t be older then three, aemond was to preoccupied with his old bat to be fathering bastards and there was no way his father was visiting the street of silk in his declining health there was only one answer . “Is… is she mine?” You felt the weight of the unsaid truth crush you. “….Yes,” you confirmed, your voice barely above a whisper. “But this isn't the right time to discuss it. Aegon, you need to leave!” His expression shifted from shock to something deeper—fear mixed with a desperate need for understanding. “Leave? I can’t just leave without knowing the truth! Three years ago… that night—” he stumbled over his words, his hands clenching into fists, eyes wide with anxiety. “Is she really…? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Mama, why is he scared?” Anya asked innocently, her small hand gripping the edge of your dress, sensing the rising tension.

“Aegon,” you urged, feeling panic swell within you. “Please, I promise I’ll explain everything, but not here. She shouldn’t hear this right now.”

But Aegon wasn’t backing down. “I can’t just disappear, not when I might actually have a daughter. What if I never get to know her?”

Your mind raced, torn between the instinct to protect Anya and Aegon's desperate plea for answers. Anya looked up at Aegon, her bright eyes shining with curiosity. “You look like me!” she said, a huge grin spreading across her face. “You have my hair and eyes!”

Aegon knelt down, his expression softening as he glanced at her. “You’re right,” he said, the fear in his voice giving way to wonder. “You’re beautiful, just like your mama.”

A wave of emotions washed over you as you watched them together. The reality of this moment settled heavily in your chest. “Aegon, if you’re going to be in her life you have to do what best for her and right now isn’t the time to put this all on her give me a day or two to talk to her then you guys can meet properly” you say trying to give him something “ Alright he says two days I'll be back “ he says not looking away from your daughters face before trapping her in a hug you can see the tears in his eye as he grabs his cloak and shoes layed about the room so he can go not forgetting to leave you the sack of coin and all the rings on his hands before he leaves before you can protest he speaks “ For anything you and her need I'll be back i promise “ he goes to close the door and leave you before turning back around to speak once more “ Goodbye Anya it was a pleasure to meet “ you can here him holding back tears as he speaks only going when Anya waved him off with a toothy grin and a bye bye “ He was nice mama” Anya says when he’s finally gone you smile at her words coming down to her level to meet her bright lilac orbs “ Yes.. yes he was sweet girl now should we get something to break our fast “ you say reaching out for her little hand.

[romanoffsbish]

The Ultimate Prize

Wanda Maximoff x Reader (No pronouns or gender specific body parts used)

Prompt Request (done backwards 😳🙃) | Wanda decides to challenge your resolve | WC: 2,416

Smut: Oral | Fingering | Glass Dildo / Temp Play | Choking | Degradation / Praising | Overstimulation | Squirting (W)

18+ | Minors DNI

"I'm bored," Wanda bemoaned, you didn't even spare her a glance so she raised the stakes, "Wanna play?"

You hummed, the only answer she'd get so early in the morning. Wanda practically squealed at your attention, but she didn't, instead she somehow kept her cool, sliding into your lap as she seductively dropped her tone, "First person to become turned on loses."

——

You ruminated on her taunting words for a few moments, waking up the rest of the way for the sake of the proposition at hand, you could already feel her heat. You leaned in closer, lips softly brushing as you chuckled, "Wouldn't you be winning though?" Wanda tilted her head, amusing you further. "If you so much as smell needy, I'll devour you whole pretty girl."

Wanda whined, she'd already failed before the game even began, she felt her panties sticking to her core. She'd had quite the dream about you, and the thoughts had yet to cease to flow through her conscious mind. It was something you'd picked up on, actually, it was her prior squirming that roused you into consciousness.

You kissed her right then, with so much force that you had to wrap your arms around her curvy figure to keep her from falling. Wanda gasped in fear at the sway of her body, allowing you to slip your tongue right over hers before it caressed the back of her teeth. You let her suckle on your muscle as you laid her flat on the mattress and slid your knee between her silky thighs.

"How bad do you want me, my love?" Wanda couldn't speak, she sinfully whimpered, pressing her core into your knee as she did, like a desperate whore. You chuckled devilishly in reply, "I'm gonna do the type of things that happen in your dreams."

The witch gulped as she saw the intensity in your eyes, a spark of fear shot throughout her body and she was squirming on the bed. The need was palpable, and you almost wanted to tease her, but you were just as horny, so you chose to jump straight into action instead. The redhead gazed up at you in wonder, eyes tracking the way your tongue wet your upturned lips. You were so cocky sometimes that it made her feel embarrassed.

This effect you had on her was borderline sinister, but fuck if it wasn't everything she needed, you were her addiction, and you very well knew it. "Open your legs wide for me darling," you purred and they instantly fell slack against the mattress, her hips stopped gyrating down and she waited for instruction. "What a good girl, who could've guessed you'd also be such a slut."

There were no more words, only direct action from you. Wanda cried out as you folded her body like a pretzel, her lower spine curved off of the mattress, her knees now settled on either side of her head and your tongue dove as deeply as it could into her warmth.

The sounds you made as you moved your head about while sucking and licking were lewd, and profitable. You couldn't help it, it was a purely carnal response. It was like heaven on earth, no one could ever compare to your beautiful, sweet witch. The one that would cook you a five star meal, and when you'd let her she'd feed it to you, but truthfully you always preferred dessert, usually before the entree; she never seemed to mind.

Your girlfriend was insatiable, just the same as you. Most mornings, if she actually made it to the kitchen, you'd find her cooking breakfast, in nothing but panties and an apron that read—Kiss the Chef, with an arrow that pointed down, an open invitation of sorts.

One that you dutifully accepted every single time.

Even with her body twisted, ankles crossed over one another behind your neck, Wanda was meeting your tongue with thrusts of her own, proving her strength went beyond her powers, her abs were well toned.

Wetness smeared all over your face, and you prayed that your pores would hold onto her scent for a while. People ask you for your skincare routine all the time, but nobody ever believes you when you say Wanda. They usually laugh it off, and you would just follow as it saved you the trouble of any forging competition.

You weren't exactly worried, listening to the way your girlfriend moaned your name was enough reassurance, but it was nice to know no one was trying to take her.

Wanda was too lost in the pleasure to feel the way you possessively gripped her thighs as your thoughts ran, holding her open so that you could devour her wholly. Nobody else could ever match your efficiency as you had her crying out, that gorgeous body of hers writhing in the air as her pussy creamed in mere minutes.

The witch wasn't ever going to leave, she found solace in your eyes, and unbound pleasure on your tongue. It truly was, as the people say, the best of both worlds.

As your lovers back curved in a downwards slump you knew it was time to offer her strained spine reprieve. So, with a far more gentle touch you lowered her onto the mattress, allowing her legs to unravel, milky thighs touched base with the sheets and she sighed in thanks as your lips continued to make out with her lower set.

A hum of satisfaction left you as her arousal continued to seep from her, the sticky remnants dribbled down your chin and soaked into the fabric of your nightshirt, which felt uncomfortable against your skin now, but you couldn't be bothered to stop what you were doing. Far too engrossed in the feeling of her walls trying to suck your tongue back inside, Wanda whined in unison, shamelessly expressing her need. You met her frustrated cries with two fingers that entered her and you immediately scissored them, stretching out the walls that worked overtime to keep them restrained.

With every thrust into her she became increasingly mindless, the most powerful, feared being on any Earth, and yet she crumbled so easily for you. You chuckled at the endearing thought, adding to her pleasure as your lips were wrapped around her clit.

Your free hand had been groping her breasts, deft fingers pinched at her nipples, your eyes peered up to see the fruits of your labor unfold; she looked ethereal, her mouth permanently agape, eyes crossed with beads of sweat illuminated beneath the early morning rays.

This unrelenting urge to be closer to her overtook you, even with your fingers buried deep inside her it wasn't enough, it never was. You briefly paused, ignoring her groans as you tore your own shirt off, and found that alone calmed the witch. Her glossy eyes ran over the nudity she'd been yet to see, and she smiled tiredly. You winked, enjoying the way her cheeks somehow managed to darken, as if being caught was a crime.

Wanda was always shy like this, even in the midst of passionate moments, she never lost the bashfulness. It was overall adorable, sometimes distracting, but not in this case because just as quickly as you'd pulled away you were back on her. Entering her with the addition of two more fingers, and with wet, plump lips that were more than prepared to catch her moans as they were violently ripped from her constricted throat. You felt the way the muscle bobbed beneath your hand and couldn't help but to grin against her lips and cheek.

The redhead had casually mentioned wanting to be choked a few months back, but up until now you'd only ever teased her. Whether that be when she asked you to help her with her necklace before a party, and you jokingly placed your hand there instead, or when you two would make love, your fingers would wrap around her throat, but never offered the pressure she craved.

Until today, when you made all her dreams come true.

Wanda came with a choked down scream, no sound left her but you felt the pleasure against your palms. There were no aftershocks, only continued writhing as you sought to overstimulate her, she whined, and weakly pushed at your chest, but you were determined.

"You asked for this baby, so take it like a good girl," you purred against the side of her neck, kissing over the red lines you'd left behind. Your lips trailed over her perfect jawline until they were back against hers where she sloppily kissed you. Her fingers dug into your shoulder blades as another wave of warm arousal gushed out of her, and pooled in your palm.

Wanda was panting wildly, in need of a minute, so you softly kissed all over her face to give her one. Without much effort you reached beside your marital bed and into a mini fridge, designated only for a variety of toys and mini waters. You pulled a bottle out, and took a long swig down before giving her the remaining sip. Wanda groaned in satisfaction, the cool liquid helping to ease her parched throat, but it dried up once more. Tired green eyes had found yours, and she knew it wasn't time for a nap, the darkness that enveloped your orbs meant she unlocked your true potential.

Then she felt it—a chilled tip against her warm hole. For a moment she wondered if it was you who could read minds, because her wet dream was unfolding in perfect harmony. You'd yet to tell her that she talks in her sleep... The way she moaned was a distinct praise.

The chilled glass dildo you used was unlike any other you two had used before, Wanda could tell you'd updated your inventory. This one was crafted with red and white swirls, almost like a candy cane but without the curve. It was undeniably thick too, you struggled to enter her, pushing beyond the resistance, which meant she felt every groove as it prodded against her used walls. Even with her slick, it got caught on her entrance as the icy layer offered further resistance to your harsh push. Wanda had to wait for reprieve, she needed you to pull out and ruthlessly ram it back inside repeatedly, but you were making her wait for the toy to warm up.

Every time she's complained before you just go slower, so she just took this time to breathe, especially since you've already given her three toe curling orgasms.

Her slow breathing actually helped in allowing a few inches of the glass to slip in with ease, Wanda shivered, from the cold or pleasure you weren't too sure, until a soft whimper left her cracked lips to insinuate both.

"Does it feel good baby?" Your voice was silky smooth, and sensual enough to make her cunt swallow the rest of the dildo up. Wanda swore in Sokovian under her breath as soon as she felt the fullness, her mind was too hazy to actually register your words cognitively. "Answer me, or I won't move." That she did hear, and she wracked her brain for the prior sentence, offering you a meek, "So good," just to get you to make it better.

You chuckled, "there's my good girl," a deep raspiness enveloped your words and made her walls flutter as you began to pick up a steady pace. In, out—in, out that's the way you did it until she was too used to the pattern. Her body was engaged, her slick seeping into the sheets beneath her proof enough, but it wasn't thrilled, so you swirled the dildo every few entries.

Her hips would jolt up with each swirl against her spot, just for you to press them back down to make sure she took it only as you intended. Wanda began to scream out her Sokovian expletives the more you gave, her eyes crossed and blurred whenever you bottomed out.

"Oh fuck," she cried out, hands clawing into your sides as she needed something to ground her. "You're doing so good for me baby, your pretty pussy's loving this." You winced against the skin of her neck, and bit down into it as her nails dragged down your sides, it was too much, your teasing words, and the mix of sensations.

It was jarring, really, the way that everything was contradicting, one second her body was frozen as the frigid cold encapsulated her senses, then it was like fire was blooming throughout her body with the friction. Wanda mewled as your tongue hotly slid up her throat, collecting the drops of sweat that began to roll, her skin so hot that the action actually cooled her down.

The pleasure that came from such a mix of feeling pushed her over the edge, hard. Her cunt sounded off, warm slick sloshed all over your exposed abdomen and you both groaned at the feeling. Everything went dark for the witch, her body all but shutting down as yours became more lively. You peered down to watch her arousal pour out of her aggravated hole, it had pulled the dildo in further before repelling it back out.

"You are just perfect," you keened while kissing her roughly. You tossed the glass piece onto the sheets somewhere while your lips moved with hers. It was a slow, sensual process the way you kissed her down from her high. Your hips softly ground into her pelvis, but you were careful not to push her too far, just moving enough to finally relieve your own aching sex.

It was subtle until you moaned into her mouth, the way your body shivered atop of hers enough of a sign. It was hot, and Wanda wanted to flip you over, but she was too tired. There was however a tease on the tip of her tongue, but you cut her off with your own as you laughed, "Looks like you failed." Wanda blinked harshly in disbelief, she truly thought she could hold up the illusion for a bit of teasing, yet she didn't even kiss you into mutual desperation. "What's my prize?"

"You can do whatever you want to me Y/N," Wanda gave up her illusionary grip on control, even if the truth was clear that you both lost. "Whenever I want?" She nodded rather enthusiastically, you grinned and softly pecked her lips. "Oh, you beautiful fool..."

——

[litnerdwrites]

Did Jack Barlow Know? If so, who else knew and how?

Okay, so hear me out! We know this likely means that either Andarna is linked to this mysterious weapon. We don't know if means she knows where to find it/activate it, if she is the weapon, or if a rider that bonded her species of dragon was what wiped them out. Either way, it's safe to say that it all relates back to her in some way.

We also know that Jack Barlow was a Venin before he crossed the parapet, right? And in Kaori's classes, he was very interested in Tairn. Then, during Threshing, his number one goal was to kill Andarna (which isn't smart given where he was). Also, by the end of Iron Flame, he was somehow controlling Baide. Not, seemingly, dissimilar to how Varrash described influencing a dragon instead of allowing it to influence you.

His interest in Tairn is most likely because he wanted to bond a powerful dragon for the Venin to use, or for him to control. He wanted to influence Tairn the way he did Baide, maybe even syphon power from him, and by proxy, Sgaeyl.

He was also weirdly obsessed with Killing Andarna during Threshing, which, at the time, just could be attributed to arrogance, disrespectfulness and self-centredness, which was on brand for him. But now that we know what he is, and what he was doing all along, it's safe to say there could be other Venin in the wards.

There's so much speculation regarding Violet's potential Venin heritage, from either her mother or father's side. Lilith's rank and position means that she and Violet's dad had been close to the hatching grounds for a while. Violet's father specifically was researching Feathertails, and he died one or two years before the start of the book, when Violet was about 18. What else happened when Violet was 18? Andarna. She hatched when Violet was 18, possibly before her father even died.

Who's to say how many other Venin there are within the Wards. There are likely to even be a couple, like VIolet's dad, that were within a four hour flight radius to said wards. If Volet's dad felt Andarna hatch, then any other near by Venin could have too. Going back to his research for a moment, it's worth mentioning, how would he be able to study Feathertail effectively? The only way for there to be information about them in his research that isn't common knowledge, is either, a) he had access to very restricted texts (like the King's personal collection), which seems unlikely, or b) to have seen a feathertail.

If nothing else, I think Andarna knows something of the research he did. Perhaps he even met her for himself. When Varrish was questioning Violet about it, Tairn confirms that he doesn't know about it, but Andarna? The author makes a point to tell us that she went silent. Not that she wasn't there, or grew uninterested, or even went to sleep. She was there, she was listening, but she didn't respond.

By now, I think it's safe to say that she knows something. Throughout the books, Andarna drops hints to her secrets, without outright saying them, or lying about them. She prefers lying by omission, which, towards the end of the first book, Tairn points out to her, can be just as bad. It still seems to be her preferred method of secret keeping, though. Like how she's not like the other juveniles, or how she'd be the head of her own den, all indicating that she really isn't. She's a whole other species, and already the head of her own den.

I think Andarna knows something about the Venin, and about Violet's dad, in which case, it's possible he also knew, somehow, that Andarna would chose Violet. I'm not sure how likely that would be, and would depend on how much Andarna knows of this research.

However, I'm confident that she's the key to stopping the Venin in one form or the other. I also think that, somehow, the Venin knows this too. Either through Violet's dad, who may or may not have had contact with Andarna, or knew of her, at the very least, or through another Venin in Basgaith.

So, finally, going back to Jack Fucking Barlow, the root of this discussion, did he know about all of this? We know he was sent to destroy the wards, but was hellbent on killing Andarna during Threshing.

Powerful dragons can tell what a hatchlings colour will be, before they mature. Is it possible that powerful Venin can too? If there was a Venin near the wards, powerful enough, would they be able to tell as well? It's possible that a Venin inside the wards reported back to a higher rank, about Andarna's hatching, or that a Sage or General to learn about the dragon hatchlings through other Venin, or people like Violet's dad.

If they did, then they could Know what Andarna is. They'd know how she's different, how she's the key to stopping them, and perhaps even the key to their victory. Could it be that the Venin sent Jack to, not only destroy the wards, but to kill Andarna before she became a threat? If the higher ups amongst Venin didn't know, then did Jack figure it out on his own, and do it to earn The Sage's approval? Based on how desperate they are to capture Violet for The Sage, they seem pretty obsessed with proving themselves. Jack might have wanted to become a strong rider to gain the acknowledgment or promotion from The Sage, and later decided to kill Andarna while he was at it.

It's possible that that's the reason that The Sage wants Violet so badly. If you can't beat them, join them. Or have them join you by turning the love of their life into a monster, and using him to kidnap or manipulate them into joining your cause because they're the biggest threat to you and your kind. Perhaps they want her to manipulate Andarna the way Jack did with Baide or Varrish claimed to do with Solas, since it was Andarna, or her kind, that ended the war 600 years ago.

[acapelladitty]

Oswald Cobblepot/Reader - Teasing 💖🐧

Summary: A commission for the absolutely lovely @nygmanotnashton in which Oswald Cobblepot finds himself on the receiving end of some fun teasing.

A surprisingly warm late afternoon had forced a full retreat to Ozzie's office as it was one of the few areas within the Iceberg Lounge to possess enough tasteful luxuries to make the suspicious heat seem bearable.

As always, Ozzie had immediately taken up residence in his favourite chair, more of a throne really, while you settled yourself comfortably against the solid oak desk, perched with your legs hanging off the side to block the stack of drawers which were built-in to the furniture.

Ozzie's thick fingers move with surprising dexterity as he taps away on his phone with a casual pace. A soft silence hangs in the air as you split your attention between your hanging legs, bouncing off the small brass handles of each drawer, and the uncomfortable way in which your shirt is clinging to your sweat-slicked back. The evening plans were long set and a gentle rumble in your stomach sparked a fresh excitement for the restaurant which Ozzie had booked for you both.

An Italian with a four month advance in bookings.

Well, four months to anyone who wasn’t Oswald Cobblepot and his plus one.

"You're quiet." Ozzie mutters, catching your attention with a quick nudge of your leg.

Looking up, you met his gaze and the questioning look there forces a small smile to tug at your lips as you pick up on his unspoken concern.

"I'm just thinking, Oz." You answer, tapping the heel of your foot against the wood. "Nothing too fun or exciting."

"What would it take to make my pretty bird sing then?" He hummed in response, running his finger along your clothed knee until his palm enclosed the joint to rub at it gently. "A new foreign car? Some expensive trinkets? Or should I say, more expensive trinkets? How about a full inch?"

"Only an inch?" You cut in quickly while your body shifts, ghosting your shoe along the bulge in his slacks as you tease him with a sudden playfulness. "Now i’m worried. What happened to the rest of it?"

Ozzie’s laughter is easy and open, his large chest shaking with the effort as he fixes you with a heated glance.

"Keep your foot there and you'll be seeing it sooner than you think, dear."

He leans forward and makes to reach for the drawers which are hidden behind your legs. Sensing another opportunity for some fun, you spread your legs for him to reach between, rather than moving them off to the side. A salacious move which nets you another small chuckle as he presses his knuckles to the inside of your thigh before pulling free the middle drawer.

Unable to see what he's doing, you instead allow your eyes to wander past him to the extravagant fish tank which sits behind his desk. Fish of many colours and sizes flutter around the water with the casualness of creatures that know they're well fed and taken care of.

A feeling you know well, and one which makes a goofy smile tug at your mouth as you drop your eyes to Ozzie once more and lean forward enough to run a gentle finger along the back of his exposed neck.

"You're trying to kill me today." He growls, shuddering at the soft touch. His neck had always been particularly sensitive, and you exploited that fact with unrivalled joy.

Leaning back, his thick body filling his chair like the king he were, thick fingers produced a stack of crisp, neat bills which were wrapped together by a straining rubber band; the heft of the bills easily sitting at over an inch wide as he quickly thumbed through the money to ensure it was all there.

"Would this be enough?" A teasing smile touched at Ozzie's thin lips, the edges curling upwards as he held the stack of money out.

"Hmm," you pretend to think it over for dramatic effect, "I could probably buy something nice to wear out for dinner and then something even nicer for you to rip off after."

Reaching for the money, you find it snatched away in an instant.

"Hey-"

"Nothing for nothing, my darling."

"Ozzie, please. You don't have to-"

"Nothing for nothing." He repeats, the words gruff yet bordering on a sing-song quality as he reclines in his chair even further.

Grumbling playfully as you were forced from your comfortable perch, you join him on his chair - carefully placing your knees on either side of his bulging frame as you lean gently against his expansive chest.

Catching his lips in your own, he tastes of red wine and you groan into his mouth as he reacts to you immediately; wrapping an arm around your waist to hold you in place as he enjoys the messy kiss. His presence envelops you and you bite at his lower lip until you pull away to catch your breath a little.

"Maybe I should treat you to something nice. I think the King of Gotham deserves a little something for being so kind and generous to a poor little waif like me."

"Poor little waif." He repeats with a squawking guffaw. "You're too cruel for such a title. Besides, don't waste my money on me. Treat yourself and show the world that Oswald Cobbelpot knows how to keep his little bird sweet."

Dropping your hand to his crotch, you roughly cup at the heft of his bulge through his slacks.

"I wasn't talking about money." You growl into his ear and a satisfying delight washes through your overheated body as he visibly shivers in response to your unspoken promise of a much more physical treat later in the evening

[luminousdryad]

to make things brief cause I suck at organizing what I have to say, the live action was definitely Something™.

Cast: 10/10 kinda biased personally but yall can't take this from me

Gordon as Aang and Dallas as Zuko were the standouts imo. Gordon needs some direction on line delivery and the angstier scenes but overall he's very charming and I'm so proud of him for getting so much exposure!

Ian as Sokka was great, I just wish he was allowed to be more...messy? like Sokka pretends to be chill and all that but he's actually dramatic so I hope that gets improved in the next season if there is one

speaking of improvement, Kiawentiio as Katara brought out a softer side to the character but sadly diminished her spark and passion. I like that Katara now actually feels like a younger sister, it makes sense within the context of the story that Sokka and Gran Gran would shelter her after what happened, but as someone said, her anger is so central to her character and I just wish that got shown more. It's more of a script and direction problem tbh, if you look at Kia's interviews she has the sass and feistiness Katara needs

Lizzy as Azula is great, the writing is a bit clunky though so she did the best she could with it. Can't really comment on Mai and Ty Lee yet because they're kinda just there but it's a nice setup

Maria as Suki? perfection show stopping never the same she is a queen and I love the tidbit of Suki backstory which she never really had in the og show. I love her being such a loser around her crush we love to see girlfailures girlfailing. I wish the writers didn't make them KISS though 😭 slowburn ftw

the adults were great

Writing: 6.5/10

There were genuinely good moments and I love the concept of mixing up certain plot points to condense the story

But they just suffered from too much Telling instead of Showing WRITERS PLEASE LISTEN TO THE CRITICISM YOU HAVE TIME TO IMPROVE PLEASE

Omashu, mechanist, and Jet plot mixing as a concept was fine, but it dragged on and my friends and I got bored of it. I like it in theory but if it was going to take THAT long couldn't they have just separated one of those storylines for a different episode?

I appreciate that they tried to develop the water siblings' relationship by making them the stars of the Secret Tunnels, but I would've changed the way they "conquered" the problem (really? badgermoles respond to love? cute in theory but like why). If anyone's watched Barbie: A Fairy Secret there's a part where Barbie and her frenemy accuse each other of why their friendship failed, and it helps them make up and breaks the curse put on them. So that's what I would've done, force them in a life or death situation in which they have to say the unsaid things, maybe hug it out and boom

The way they handled Koh and the Spirit World was a Mess™ but the effects were decent

Zhao meeting horrible ends in every incarnation is so deserved

Yue having more agency was a welcome change AND I LOVE THAT SHE WATERBENDS. Then waterbends even when the moon is gone. It's such a nice visual nod to the fact that she has the moon spirit within her

That said, the show could definitely use more visual storytelling, less weird dialogue. Like it's so strangely common for shows or adaptations these days to exposition dump. Like they did not have to make Yue say that the ocean spirit was angry, literally just show me the dead moon fish and I'll get the idea. Then Iroh says "That's Wrath" that's just redundant now isn't it

I like that they saved Katara bringing Aang out of the Avatar State until last even if it could've been done better

HOW DARE THEY MAKE ME LIKE HAHN HE WAS A JERK IN THE SHOW BUT THEY MADE HIM A GENUINELY GOOD CHARACTER. Yes to brown men not being portrayed as jerks but also in the original it was a nice contrast to how far Sokka had come because Hahn reflected who he used to be. But live action Hahn </3

I like that they showed the deaths and blood. I wanted a live action that was both lighthearted but more realistic when it came to the injuries and death, and that'd kind of what I got

Other thoughts + overall

You can tell they put so much heart into this show, watching the bts, the bending boot camp with the correct martial arts, the easter eggs, the nods to the comics, the beautiful adaptations of Cabbage Merchant and Secret Tunnel nomads, there's so much passion behind the show it's a shame it suffered in its writing

which is why if they read reviews and criticism from the bigger name fans (TheAvatarist, HelloFutureMe, etc.) it would really help them improve for future seasons! The cast is stunning already and they have great chemistry (hopefully gets improved too!)

The live action is just a different angle to the show. And I'm saying this as an Avatar fan–the original wasn't perfect, either. I had some problems w it but the overall show was genuinely so good and heartfelt, those problems weren't glaring enough to put me off (unlike The Dragon Prince, sorry). The live action definitely wasn't perfect, but it tried to give us a new look into Avatar. Again, no adaptation will ever be a 1:1 remake and none should be. Where's the fun in that? But while the show is so full of heart and with actual fans working behind the scenes, I doubt if they listen to any criticism that they can't pull this off better next season.

[moonstonediamond]

I had a weird lucid dream about Undertale last night

So this dream played out like I was playing/stuck in a VR Undertale Fangame, my dream self didn't feel trapped though it was like the dream version of me knew it was a game and I could take off the headset if I wanted to but it felt like my dream self's physical body was actually in the game it self (Think like the anime Sword Art Online or like I was in a Lucid dream within my lucid dream) The dream is under the cut

I never went into any of the rooms in my dream but my subconscious seemed to have just left one of the test room (it was like when your watching a movie and they start off in the main setting and hint to something happened off screen to explain the plot)

The dream started with my character in the last corador, there was a NPC Sans that was there but I wasn't fighting him. The room looked more like a title/character select screen. There was also test rooms to practice/test the abilities of each soul color (Red = Reload/Reset, Blue = Gravity Manipulation, ECT).

When I was done in the testing room I decided to try to leave the corador but as I got closer to the exit I felt my body getting heavier as I got closer to the doorway, my subconscious knew that the feeling was familiar so I looked over at the only other Character in the room (NPC Sans) but his eyes were normal

As I got closer my movement was slowed down to a crawl, while I was crawling to the exit, NPC Sans walked past me to block the doorway so I crawled back to recollect myself and he followed, walking back to his original spot

I started to feel panicked and just walked back but as I was walking back my subconscious thought "Wait didn't the developer say that there was a secret in the game that they were surprised no one has found yet, what if this was it." So I turned around and tried again

I sat there for a bit thinking "This is definitely blue magic, maybe if I run I can get there before I get Gravity Manipulated"

So I tried doing that and it kinda worked, I got farther then I did walking but I still got effected and slammed onto my stomach. I continued to crawl which was when I was put into a cut scean that I could still interact with

(I don't fully remember the cut scean word for word so most of it won't be in quotes also I'm just going to say screen cause it honestly felt like I went from living/being trapped in a game to just playing it)

As I crawled out of the door way my speed went down to 0 the only thing I was able to do was blink and move my head around, that was when the Sans walked into fraim on the left hand side

NPC Sans (Which for some reason had a outfit change, he didn't change out of his normal clothes he just had a black cowboy hat on) walked over to me explaining that I was determined but I'm not allowed to leave the character select screen, like this.

I kept crawling ignoreing more of his warnings which is when a HP Bar showed up on my screen and it was draining out, fast (The HP was draining like the purple karma/poison that's in Sans' fight but for some reason it was blue instead of purple and it only went down the closer I got to the exit)

He explained that he was giving me 8 chances to play the game properly, (I coincidentally had 8 HP left) then a screen with different AU Sanses showed up, now giving me control to select a character

It was in order from eather when each Sans was first created or When the developer of the game discovered them (I'm honestly not sure) I was on the first page out of infinity and it started with Classic, Fell, Swap, Horror, Swap Fell, Fell Swap, Ink and Error (There was more on the screen but I don't remember all of them)

I thought about just selecting a Sans which is when I noticed that the selections were going down, what was once first page out of infinity was now first page out of fifty I felt a bit curious to find out what would happen if I didn't choose to wich I was promptly flicked twice again, this time the Sans didn't say anything

I didn't say or do anything so NPC Sans flicked my nose twice saying "that was your first and second chance." I tried to say something but I couldn't, I then tried to stand up or crawl back to the corador but I still had 0 movement speed, he then flicked me again saying there goes 3 and 4 your half way through your chances buddy

I looked at the screen again, Ink and Error were crossed out, I couldn't select them I thought maybe I should select someone I don't know what would happen if I don't. What if the game didn't let me back in the select screen I was flicked again but just once my screen going blank I heard npc sans speak again saying "look i don't want to do this, im giving you one last chance"

The screen flip back on (like I just opened my eyes) except now I saw I was in a third person perspective and the character I've been playing this whole time was a blank slate Sans

I looked back at the screen 1 HP and the only sans left was Classic Sans I thought Okay I should pick a character now, what if I can't re-enter the game later (Of course at this point my subconscious mind figured out I was dreaming so I was really telling myself hey this dream is cool AF don't wake up so we can see what happens next)

But before I had the chance to select my character the select character options disappeared NPC Sans sighed then walked to what would have been the center of my screen (if I was still in first person) he said something about how I was the first one to have made it this far he then moved his hand to the blank Sans' face saying sorry bud before just flicking his nose

And that was when I woke up, in my bed, and on my stomach

I have no clue what that dream ment, if it ment anything at all. And I'm still pretty upset my subconscious realized it was all a dream and kicked me out because I kinda wanted to know what would have happened if I selected a character and what was the deal with (who I'm now dubing as) NPC Sans

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

Doting husband being over protective? Yes please. Thank you!

It was taking an absurd amount of effort not to growl or glare. Bruce had to content himself with standing behind your chair and rubbing your shoulders.

You'd warned him what was going to happen. The endless demands and the frankly ridiculous comments. You'd warned him and yet- nothing could have prepared him for it.

"Dad, It's fine it doesn't have to be-"

"It's not fine. You're going to wind up getting divorced and you're not moving back home when it happens."

And that was the least offensive thing. Neither of them were happy for you. And he could feel the weight of all their expectations for you, bearing down on you. You were physically trembling under the pressure. You were the scapegoat and the golden goose at the same time. The one that was the cause of and solution to all of their problems.

"If that happens," Bruce said intervening, "she won't need to. I had her write the pre-nup herself." He hadn't. But if you wanted to he would have. Anything you wanted at that point. Instead you'd had a third party do it- worried about conflicts of interest. And the rumors that you were a gold digger.

"Maybe you're not as stupid-"

"Stop," Bruce said, his voice sinking into a growl. Just enough to make your father flinch. You didn't talk much about what growing up had been like. Not much beyond a few little funny stories. But. He'd done his homework. And he knew. And he wanted Rex to know he knew. "You're not going to talk to her like that."

"You want to make something of it?" he challenged.

"I'll let you swing first," Bruce said calmly- it wouldn't take much. Even if his public persona wasn't much for fighting. Rex was only tough enough to pick on little girls. People who weren't going to fight back.

"Probation, dad," you sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose. "If you go back you go all the way back and I JUST got you off your tether."

Rex growled but turned away, "C'mon Reyanne," he said.

"Thanks," she huffed following her husband as he stalked out of the room. "Next think you'll want me to wear pink to the wedding. Gag me."

For a moment, when they leave. As you listen to them bicker their way back out the front door, Bruce doesn't know what to say.

"Sweetheart I'm-"

"Don't apologize," you murmur. "I've had a lot longer to build up a callous. And a lot longer to wrap my head around the fact that they see love as transactional."

"You warned me," he said, kissing the top of your head. "I guess I just- didn't believe it."

"I've spent my whole life trying to make them love me," you say, voice wooden. "Like there's some kind of secret code that will make them act like parents but-" You break off and shrug. "I haven't found it yet... if getting engaged to a billionaire doesn't do it nothing will."

Bruce snorted and took a seat next to you, pulling you against his side, "Their loss, Sweetheart."

"I think you're biased-"

"Do you know how many people I went to school with whose parent's would KILL, probably literally, to have a kid that works as hard as you do?" He chuckled. "You're amazing. One of a kind... And I hate that they don't treat you like that. I'm just sorry I lost my temper."

"Please don't actually fight my dad."

"No promises," Bruce said lightly. "If I ever hear him call you stupid again he'll be lucky if he doesn't need a feeding tube."

"Bruce-"

"Of course it's not me doing it if Batman-"

"Bruce."

He heaved a put upon sigh and cuddled you closer, "Fine. Only because it'll upset you."

For a long moment, he let's you sit in silence. Stroking your hair and reminding you that he's there. Comforted that he knew you weren't with them. That you hadn't been alone and sad after they left. That you knew he wouldn't allow their worst behavior. "Are you hungry, Sweetheart? You hardly ate dinner."

"Just tired," you tell him. "They make me so tired."

"Let's go take a hot bath, huh?" Anything to have his girl feel better. And if it had the side effect of getting you naked well- he wasn't going to complain.

[autisticlilith]

Something that always struck me about this 'fight' is that it felt really one-sided. Not because the Raven Beast is bigger, but because she's also way more aggressive. We see throughout the show that Eda in her Owl Beast form acts mostly on instinct (and her inner beast, once she starts talking to it, seems to just be hungry or cranky most of the time). We don't get much insight into how Lilith copes with the curse (like none at all after this), so this is going to be a lot of inference.

Off the top, I would like to reiterate that Hayley Wong has repeatedly asked that nobody repost or edit her art without permission. I'm going to be referring to stuff from the boards in this post, so here's the link if you want to look for yourself.

So, in this episode, Eda and Lilith are both angry—specifically at Gwendolyn, and with good reason. They both end up turning into beasts due to a combination of that anger, stress, and the fact their mom thought she was "helping" by taking away their medication.

But here is where they differ. Eda was angry about the current situation: her mom refusing to respect her choices, and causing unnecessary harm to her all day. And Luz even joined in. As Eda says, she has a right to be upset, though I don't think she meant to lose control over the beast.

That's just what happens when she reaches her limit. And she knows her limits, she's been dealing with this curse for 30 years!

Meanwhile, Lilith has been dealing with the curse for... a few weeks, at most? Unless you count dealing with the guilt of cursing Eda as part of that. We see that she's quite unaware of the effects of the curse, as she experienced some symptoms for the first time this very day. She essentially gets told to take an elixir if she starts feeling stressed, and then is left in the house to stew in her guilt and insecurity all day.

Gwen's lukewarm greeting, and the realization that she's paid consistent visits to Eda over the years, is enough to send Lilith into a downward spiral. She starts stress-eating ice cream, and makes cruel comments about King's dad abandoning him (a clear case of projection, and I don't think he really internalizes it after this episode, but seriously that's no way to talk to your 8-year-old nephew), and unfortunately the only voice of reason around is Hooty. Well, he tried.

I want to note here that she doesn't cry. She mopes, she complains, she gets rude and cynical; these are all things we've seen her do before. But she doesn't allow herself to honestly express her feelings, her wants and needs. What's she gonna say? "Hey Mom, can you please pay attention to me?" You can't just ask for things like that. And she's a grown adult, she's more mature than this. She was the head of the Emperor's Coven, for Titan's sake. Didn't she get enough attention there to last a lifetime? And didn't she learn how to repress all her useless emotions and craft a perfect persona to hide behind until she could no longer tell the mask from her face?

She realizes she's indulged her worst thoughts a little too hard when the feathers start popping up, and goes to take an elixir and calm down...

And there are no elixirs.

And she panics. She has no coping strategies for this. She doesn't even know what's going to happen to her, only that it's going to be really, really bad.

It has to be terrifying, and painful... and maybe, just a little bit deserved? This is the fate she forced upon Eda, after all.

We don't see any signs that she damaged the house after she turned, unlike the havoc Eda caused back in The Intruder. King runs to get help, because Eda or Luz would know what to do better than he does, and Raven Beast Lilith seems to pursue him, but she's not after him. She goes after Eda directly. There is no distraction (King also notes that light glyphs had no effect on her), there is no behaviour that can be explained as animal instinct. There is a violent, visceral anger, and instead of addressing its source, she flies out there to take it out on Eda.

This is why I don't buy the interpretation that Gwen started favouring Eda only after the curse. By that point, Lilith was an older teenager almost out of the house, and it's completely reasonable for the parents to be focusing more on the younger kid with a new mysterious illness. I think Eda was always the favourite, or at least got more attention in ways that made Lilith feel overlooked. Part of it was that Eda got in trouble more, whereas Lilith was usually quiet and well-behaved, so everyone just decided that Eda needed more help (which she didn't necessarily want) and Lilith needed none. Lilith got very good at needing nothing. So good that instead of talking to her sister about their impending duel, she decided to curse her in the dead of night instead. And then to keep it a secret until she found a way to undo it, because she never wants to upset anyone or cause a scene. And then to give 30 years of her life to an evil man's crooked system for nothing—less than nothing, she's only going to realize later.

Lilith's breakdown isn't about the fact Gwen is paying attention to Eda again. That's just the trigger for a lifetime of repressed emotions bursting to the surface all at once, and it's been coming for a while.

The Owl Beast seems to be mostly defending herself. At a few points she tries to flee, but the Raven Beast catches her. The Raven Beast is malicious, with exaggerated expressions of rage and what can only be described as cruel glee when she inflicts pain. This seems to come out of nowhere... but only if you haven't been paying attention to Lilith.

We know what Lilith is like at her worst. It wasn't even that long ago she threatened Luz's life in order to capture Eda. All while convinced that she was doing the right thing. She doesn't even have that shield now. She doesn't have much of anything, really, except her sister who refused to leave her out in the cold even after everything she's done. And this is how she repays that trust...?

We also know that Lilith wasn't in control of her actions as the Raven Beast. But that doesn't mean the beast was just doing beast things. I believe it was acting directly on Lilith's intrusive thoughts. Hurting Eda was her greatest shame, and the idea that she could do it again is a constant fear that she has. Unlike Eda, who has long been seen by others as a monster and had to fight her internalized shame about it, Lilith considers herself a monster while everyone around her is unaware of her inner turmoil. She's afraid of herself; she thinks her feelings are ugly and violent and unmanageable. And so that's what they became.

There was a sequence in the storyboards that was cut from the episode, presumably for time, where Gwendolyn tries to use a beastkeeping spell in order to communicate with her beast-daughters. It proves completely ineffective, so she goes to plan B, which is just trying to talk to them like a normal person (also in the boards, Gwen summons firebees to lift roof tiles for her to walk on, which I'm glad got changed to the tiles themselves being flying creatures. it's less distracting). There was something really affecting about watching her try to do things her own way one last time before finally admitting that she's failed the both of them. It painted the picture of this whole family who never talk about anything that's difficult or painful.

Then the scene plays out the way it does: Gwen's words get through to Eda, and allow her to finally face the beast and have an important revelation about herself.

And Lilith? Well, for all the violence she just showed, she breaks down in tears the second she is shown loving care.

When they've changed back, her anger is gone. There is no sign of the monster; there is only a sad, lonely woman who hasn't allowed herself to cry in so long that she almost forgot how. But she's safe now, and she's seen, and she's allowed this healthy expression of emotion. She collapses in the arms of her mother and sister.

After this, Lilith and Gwen had an off-screen conversation, where Lilith admitted she was the one to curse Eda, and decided that she was going to move back home. I could write a whole other post on that first point, but we've reached the end of the episode. I think a major reason why Lilith wanted to stay with mom and dad instead of with Eda is because she's afraid of hurting Eda again. Any time the curse acts up, she becomes a danger to the people around her, but especially to Eda, because of how much of her energy and guilt and shame has been focused around Eda over the years. She needs some time away while she figures out how to deal with the curse, to recover and build up her own identity. And of course, to build the relationship with her parents that she needed as a kid. Better late than never.

[rex-meshla]

Steel Meets Silk

PAIRING | ARC Commander Colt x F!OC (Anastasia Husk) WORD COUNT | 2,7k PROLOGUE | CHAPTER 1

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

Chapter 2: Steel meets Silk

The silence of the estate wrapped around me like a thick blanket as I lay there, wide awake despite the hour. My mind raced, thoughts tumbling over each other in a chaotic mess I couldn’t quiet. Yesterday’s events lingered—my father’s insistence on a bodyguard, the strange unease that crept into my chest when he mentioned protection. And then there was the guard himself. Something about all of it felt… off.

I turned over on my side, my blankets twisted around my legs, but sleep still eluded me. I wanted to feel reassured, to trust my father's judgment—but something about it all unsettled me. I had spent my entire life shielded from the chaos outside, and now it seemed that chaos was invading my very home.

Sighing, I tossed the blankets aside and swung my legs over the edge of the bed, walking to the window in a vain attempt to gather my thoughts.

Sleep wasn’t coming, so I decided to get dressed. I was fastening the clasp of a bracelet when a knock sounded at the door.

I froze, my heart skipping a beat. For a moment, I just stared, still tangled in the haze of a sleepless night and unsure if this was real.

Another knock, louder this time, and I hurried to the door.

I opened it, and there he stood.

He was taller than I had imagined. Imposing, really. In full armor, with his helmet tucked under his arm. Despite his almost clinical appearance, I noticed the faintest hint of humanity in his eyes. He studied me with a quiet intensity that made my stomach tighten.

"Good morning, Miss Husk," he said, his voice deep but calm, like he'd been doing this for years. "I'm ARC Commander Colt. I'll be your personal security detail from now on."

I opened my mouth, but the words got stuck in my throat for a moment. I glanced him up and down, my mind struggling to make sense of what I was seeing. A soldier—a clone, for sure. But why did he have to dress like that?

"Excuse me," I said, trying to mask the edge of disbelief in my voice. "There's no way I'm going anywhere with you dressed like that."

His brow furrowed slightly, but he didn't seem perturbed. "I understand this might be... unexpected. But I'm here to keep you safe, Miss Husk. This is standard procedure."

I took a step back, my arms crossing over my chest. "Standard procedure?" I repeated, my tone sharp. "I'm not your client. I don't need to be babysat in full armor."

He didn't seem offended, just patient. "I respect your concerns, but this is the most effective way to keep you safe. If you'll allow me to explain—"

I cut him off. "No need. I'm not going anywhere with you dressed like that."

I knew I might seem unreasonable, but I couldn't have him shadowing me looking like that. I wouldn't be myself in his presence—not if I let him come as a soldier instead of my guard.

He paused, standing there with calm precision before saying, 'I’ll adjust, if that’s what it takes. But I’m not leaving your side, Miss Husk. My orders are to protect you.'

I rolled my eyes. "I can protect myself."

He didn't flinch at my words. "It's not about that. It's about ensuring nothing happens that you can't control."

I swallowed my frustration. "Fine," I muttered, "but you're going to have to take that thing off if you expect me to be anywhere near you."

He nodded. "Understood."

As he turned to step back out into the hall, I closed the door quietly, feeling a strange unease settle in my chest. This whole situation felt foreign, almost wrong. What had I gotten myself into?

I could feel the weight of Colt's presence beside me as we made our way to the transport. The air between us was thick with tension. He wasn't saying much, and neither was I, but both of us were sizing each other up, as if waiting for the other to make the first move.

Every now and then, I'd catch a glimpse of his profile—his sharp jawline, the set of his shoulders—and I wondered how much of it was just the armor or the man beneath it. He seemed so... composed, like he was always on alert. It was unnerving, really. I could feel his eyes on me, assessing, just like I was doing to him.

As we climbed into the sleek transport, I took a breath and glanced at him again, this time more boldly. He met my gaze, his expression unreadable behind that cold, professional demeanor. There was something about him—something guarded, something I couldn't place.

My mind was racing, and the silence in the air only made it worse. Finally, I broke it, my voice cutting through the stillness.

"Take a detour," I ordered my chauffeur, barely sparing a glance at Colt. "To the fashion district."

The transport made an immediate turn, and I felt Colt's gaze shift toward me. I didn't need to look to know he was probably wondering why I was dragging him on an unplanned stop, especially one that had nothing to do with his security duties.

"We're making a stop?" he asked, his tone even, no hint of emotion.

"I've decided you need some new clothes," I replied, without hesitation. "If you're going to follow me around, you should at least look the part."

He didn't respond right away, but I could feel his eyes on me. The silence stretched between us, but I wasn't about to explain myself further. If he was going to be around me all the time, he couldn't do it looking like a soldier straight out of a battlefield. He needed to blend in, look as refined as the world I came from.

When the transport pulled up in front of a boutique, I didn't wait for him to protest. I pushed the door open and stepped out, the familiar elegance of the store immediately soothing my frazzled nerves. Colt followed without a word, the clink of his armor and boots a stark contrast to the soft click of my heels.

Inside, the space was quiet, filled with the smell of fine fabrics and a low hum of luxury. I turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "I'm guessing shopping isn't something you do often," I said. "But today, you'll make an exception. And you're going to get something that doesn't scream military."

His eyes swept the racks, indifferent. “Armor’s usually enough,” he replied, his voice dry, though there was a glint of humor beneath.

"Armor" I repeated, the word almost dripping with derision. "That's exactly the problem."

The store's attendants were quick to assist, but I didn't need much help. I scanned the racks with a practiced eye, picking out a few suits in shades that would complement Colt's complexion—deep blues, dark grays, and even a touch of black. I chose styles that were tailored but not too flashy, aiming for something refined, but with a subtle edge.

"These should work," I said, handing the neatly pressed suits over to him. "Try these on." I pointed to the fitting rooms without waiting for an answer.

Colt didn't seem to object. He simply took the clothes, his posture as rigid as always, and disappeared into the fitting room. I took a step back, watching as the door swung shut behind him, and let out a small breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

A few minutes later, the door to the fitting room opened with a soft creak, and out stepped Colt. 

The suit was sharp and tailored perfectly, accentuating his broad shoulders without restricting him. He still held that commanding air, but there was an edge of sophistication now. He looked... unexpectedly good, in a way that caught me off guard.

“Better,” I said, my tone approving but casual.

Colt nodded, his expression remained neutral, but I could see a spark confidence in his stance.

“Noted,” he replied flatly.

I paid for the suits and made sure the bill went on Husk Corporation's tab. I wasn't in the mood for a lengthy discussion about it. It was just easier that way, and, honestly, it wasn't my problem—my father handled the finances, after all.

We left the boutique in silence, the tension settling between us as we made our way to the transport.

As we reached the office, the clock ticked closer to the meeting’s start time—I was already running late. We stepped into the lift, heading to the executive floor, where my father would no doubt be waiting, and the last thing I needed was a confrontation about tardiness.

When the door slid open to his office, Father looked up from his desk, his sharp gaze narrowing slightly as he took in the sight of us.

"You're late," he said, his voice even, not unkind but firm.

"We had a wardrobe malfunction," I replied smoothly, glancing at Colt's neutral expression beside me. It was a small jab, one I knew wouldn't go unnoticed. Father raised an eyebrow, his gaze flicking between us.

Underneath my calm smile, a familiar frustration simmered. Father had a way of asserting control, effortlessly bending any situation to fit his view of things, even when he wasn't in the room. No matter how independent I tried to be, his influence was always there, like a hand adjusting every detail to his standards.

But Colt was my guard now, and how he presented himself was my decision. I wouldn’t compromise on that.

"I hope my daughter isn't giving you too much trouble." He said, standing and extending a hand toward my new bodyguard

Colt stepped forward and took my father's hand, his posture rigid and professional, as always. "Not at all, sir," he replied calmly.

"Anastasia," he said turning back to me, his voice sharp and commanding, yet with a trace of affection. "I need you to meet with some investors this afternoon. I've already arranged the transport."

My stomach tightened. The last thing I wanted was to deal with more business. But I knew better than to argue with him.

"Investors?" I echoed, trying to mask my reluctance. "What for?"

He leaned back in his chair, glancing over the data on his screen. "We're looking at a potential merger with a group that's heavily invested in war-related technology. They're based off-planet, and it's important we make the right impression."

My father always had a way of making even the most stressful meetings seem essential. The investors he referred to were key players in the shifting tides of the war, and I knew that if he was sending me, it was no small matter.

"But why me?" I asked, crossing my arms. "I'm not exactly the expert on these kinds of deals."

He smiled knowingly, his eyes twinkling with that familiar confidence. "You're more capable than you give yourself credit for, Anastasia. And I trust you'll handle it with the grace and intelligence I know you have. Plus, your presence might help smooth things over with some of the more... difficult personalities."

I couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration. I had been hoping for a little more time before I was thrust into the chaos of these business dealings. But that was my life now, I supposed—always under scrutiny, always on call.

"Fine," I said, trying to hide my reluctance. "I'll go."

Before I could turn toward the door, my father added, "Oh, and Colt will be accompanying you."

I didn't have the energy to argue.

The sleek transport had whisked me away from the familiarity of my father's office to a high-rise building that felt even more distant from my world. The investors' names were familiar, but their presence felt... foreign. These were people who thrived on the uncertain tides of war, seeing it as an opportunity rather than a crisis.

Inside the conference room, I did my best to project confidence, my posture poised and my words deliberate as I began the presentation. I reviewed the key points my father had outlined for me, speaking about market projections and the potential benefits of the merger with the war-tech group. My voice was steady, my tone calculated—but inside, I was treading water.

The investors nodded as I spoke, their attention unwavering, but then the questions started to shift. They weren't about profits or logistics anymore.

"How does your company plan to adapt to the new demand for military-grade weaponry? The markets are fluctuating, but it's the technology that will win us the contract," one investor, a tall Twi'lek with sharp features asked.

I stilled, my eyes flickering to the datapad in front of me. This wasn't my area of expertise. My father had always kept the war-related aspects of the business separate from the more civilian operations, and I was well out of my depth.

"Uh... well, we're focusing on maximizing our core strengths," I replied, my voice a little shakier than I intended. "Our partnerships in the civilian sector should offer leverage for—"

Another investor, this time a grizzled human man with a deep scar across his cheek, interrupted me. "That's not what I asked. What about the combat-grade droid-tech? I heard you're looking at developing stronger countermeasures for Republic assault walkers. How close are you to a breakthrough?"

I froze. This was way beyond my scope. I glanced down at Colt, who stood silently by my side, his gaze scanning the room. I had barely noticed the way his posture had subtly shifted, as if he was preparing for something.

The silence seemed to stretch forever before Colt stepped forward, his voice smooth but firm. "If I may, sir," he said, addressing the group, "Husk Corporation has been working with several cutting-edge partners in that field. As of now, there's a focus on improving both offense and defense for walkers—countermeasures that would allow for faster mobility on unstable terrain. And regarding the droid-tech..." He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as he addressed the grizzled investor, "The key right now is stabilizing the power cores. They're testing new energy conversions that could potentially increase both endurance and reaction time."

I stared at him, my mind scrambling to catch up. He was speaking as though this was second nature, like he knew the ins and outs of war-tech as intimately as the financials of the business. His words were precise, confident, and his calm demeanor was in stark contrast to the way I felt—flustered and out of place.

"That's... very impressive," the scarred investor murmured, clearly thrown off by Colt's knowledge.

Another investor, a Twi'lek woman sitting opposite me, raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you so certain about these developments?" she asked, clearly intrigued by Colt's sudden appearance in the conversation.

"Experience," he replied coolly, the corners of his lips barely twitching. "I've seen the technology firsthand, and I've worked with it in the field. The possibilities are real, and the team you're investing in knows exactly how to implement them."

The room fell silent, and for a brief moment, I found myself in awe of the ease with which Colt handled the conversation. It wasn't just his knowledge—it was his command of the room. He had the kind of confidence that demanded attention.

"Miss Husk understands the significance of these developments better than most," he said, looking directly at the investor. "She's been well-prepared to make decisions in line with the Republic's expectations."

His words held an unmistakable edge—respectful, but firm—and his steady gaze left no room for the investor's doubt.

As the meeting came to an end, I gathered my things quickly, feeling the weight of the discussion still pressing down on me. The partners had all made their exit, and I turned to face the door, ready to escape the heavy air of corporate maneuvering.

"So," I said, crossing my arms, "you've decided to speak for me now?"

He straightened, clasping his hands behind his back. "Only when your authority’s questioned."

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that what it was?"

"It was," he replied. There was something raw in his voice, a reminder of what I suspected he held in his past—a life molded by discipline, hardship, and loyalty.

The silence stretched between us, heavy with something unspoken. For the first time, I didn't just see a soldier standing there, a dutiful shadow. There was a man behind those guarded eyes, one who, despite himself, might be beginning to see me as more than a figure to protect. And though I would never say it out loud, there was something grounding about his presence. Like steel to silk, cold to warmth, he was something foreign to me—and yet, in that moment, something I couldn't help but trust.

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

You can read the next chapter here and find my masterlist here x

[katieskarlette]

Long time, no ramble

I read The Calling, the new short story about Anduin. It was heart wrenching, emotional and poignant...but I couldn't stop thinking about how much I disliked the plot that sent him on this trajectory.

No matter how well Anduin's PTSD and guilt are handled, I can't forget that they stem from the train wreck of Shadowlands. He should never have been put in this position in the first place.

Just as Anduin was literally yoinked into the sky by the Jailer's minions to start the expansion, he was also yoinked out of his plot arc. He was starting to come into his own as a king, moving beyond his father's shadow bit by bit, finding the balance between his own peace-loving tendencies and the grim necessity of some violence in a world such as Azeroth. There were hints that he was struggling with the balance of Light and Shadow, as well. All of that character development came to a screeching halt when he got kidnapped and turned into Zovaal's puppet.

What made pre-Shadowlands Anduin unique was his stubborn insistence on empathy in a world full of bloodthirsty warmongers. The siege of Undercity at the start of BFA was the perfect microcosm of that: he set down Shalamayne and used the Light to heal/rez his soldiers instead. He was finding ways to lead that were effective but which allowed him to be true to his ideals.

There was nothing wrong with the way Varian led his people (or at least nothing that I want to get into right now), but that doesn't mean his style is the right choice for Anduin. I've always had a soft spot for characters who are like, "Yeah, I know the world is a cruel place. I'm not naïve. But that's all the more reason to spread hope and kindness."

I would have been fine with a plot where Anduin struggles to find a happy medium between "We must strive for peace" and "We need to mercilessly obliterate our enemies to protect innocent lives," and errs too much on the side of violence. He could feel the same remorse and lack of trust in himself as he does in the current canon, feel unworthy of the Light, think back on how Varian atoned for some of his misdeeds, and grow as a person. It would mean more if he was actually making choices and working through the consequences.

As it stands, Anduin is beating himself up over something that isn't his fault, even a little bit. I sympathize with him up to a point, but by the end of the short story I was frustrated and even a little annoyed with his stubborn self-hatred. He's not stupid, and it's not like being controlled by evil forces is a new concept for an Azerothian. He comes across as obtuse when he insists that he's indelibly tainted by what happened to him, when he personally knows people who have been in similar situations and did not become pariahs.

(Yes, I know trauma responses aren't logical. Irrational guilt and survivor's guilt exist. But realism doesn't necessarily translate into a satisfying narrative. And yes, characters need to change and face challenges, but when those challenges were born from atrocious writing it leaves a bad taste in the audience's mouth.)

Is there dramatic irony in the kind, altruistic character not being able to extend the same grace to himself? Of course. But is Blizzard's storytelling capable of that level of nuance? Forgive me for being skeptical. I'm sure he will find himself again and heal through the coming expansions, but, again, I'm not optimistic that it will be handled well.

I'm probably judging the story too harshly because my patience for WoW's story ran out during Shadowlands and I'm still bitter. If they had to try to salvage a halfway decent character arc from the bullshit of that expansion, this is probably the best way to go about it.

The new short story was well-written and tugged at the heartstrings. It just didn't win me back. I didn't expect it to, though. Instead I continue to mourn a franchise that captivated me for many years before its trip to the realm of Death meant the demise of my devotion. :(

Disclaimer: I didn't hate everything about Shadowlands. Sire Denathrius can read off a list of my sins anytime. Aww yeah. The rest can be retconned to oblivion, though. ;)

[pomrania]

A common problem I have is that my brain, with neither my awareness nor consent, will set up dependency chains for my actions, ie "I can't do THIS because I have to do THAT first", which is an issue because it can get so nested that there's a LOT of things I'd need to do "first", or there's something ranging from difficult to effectively impossible, effectively blocking everything off along the chain. And this takes place below my conscious thought, so often I don't even realize that it's happened.

Once I've realized it though, the problem's not over, because I can't simply break through it, any more than you can reach a hand through your body and out the other side; the stuff that says "you can't do this yet", is the same stuff that allows me to do ANYTHING. (So technically I suppose I could in fact just break through it, but it'd be dealing harm to my self.) If I'm lucky, but not unreasonably so, I can "negotiate" the dependency, switching it for another requirement that's more possible to fulfill. Sometimes I'll take a look at it, and note that circumstances have changed such that one of them no longer applies. And if I truly believe that a requirement is genuinely literally impossible, instead of just "something that I personally am unable to do", it wavers in such a way that the chain gets reconstructed from the bottom up, which might or might not end up as something BETTER but it can't get any worse than "impossible".

And sometimes, if I'm REALLY lucky, I'll look at something and have a moment of realization that it's NOT in fact barring me, I just have to go around it, I hadn't seen that possibility from my angle. Which isn't "lol you realized that you're not constrained by dumb things like that", because the if-then chains are necessary to do any action upon the environment when causality is a part of physics, the problem is only when they're overgrown; it's more like... somewhere between "pulling a door you'd previously been pushing and now it opens", and "checking a board you'd never checked before, to find out that it's loose and can easily be pried away". I never know if the option was there the whole time, or if things had changed so only NOW was the option available; it's pretty much impossible to prove either way, so it doesn't really matter.

[hazel-of-sodor]

Something Holy This Way Comes

Ch.17 Sarah

Other Stories

Other Chapters

That night a small form shot into the sheds with a cry of “Miss Screech!”, the Eldritch Titan catching the child effortlessly and setting her on her running board.

“Driver has told you about running in the sheds.” Screech rumbled admonishingly.

Sarah grinned unrepentantly and wrapped her arms around Screech’s nose, muffling Screech’s mock sigh.

“...it is good to see you again, little one.”

“Freda told her all the engines were done for the night and she was off before I could catch her..” Miss Lewis strode in, now wearing the Uman and Din drivers uniform, Freda, Gywn, and Miss Morgan following her.  

“You know better than to run in the engine sheds.” She said to her daughter.

Sarah ignored the reprimand, “I told you we would find her.”

Her mother shook her head fondly, “yes, yes you did.”

‘I sense this one is to be protected the same as Mali?’ the whisper asked lazily.

‘correct.’ Screech thought.

Mali poked her head out from where she was checking Avon’s lubricators, “what about me?”

‘she can hear me?’

Mali looked around in confusion.

“Apparently.” Screech said.

 “Mali can hear Screech’s whisper.” Cassandra explained to the confused engines and humans.

Mali wiped her hands on a rag as she came to the front of the shed, her tendrils floating around her head like she was underwater.

“You look like Screech!” Sarah exclaimed excitedly.

Mali smoothed down her tendrils self-consciously, “yeah, Screech made me like her to save me a few days ago…I’m still getting used to it.”

“It's been less than a week,” Abbey reassured her, “and you have as much time as you need.”

“Can you make me like you?” Sarah asked excitedly.

“No.” Screech said firmly. “It was only done to Mali out of desperation, and without Cassandra it would not have worked.”

Cassandra nodded, “Mali was already attuned to Screech beforehand, and had spent several hours being shielded by my light, and we still almost lost her.”

“We still don't know exactly how what happened will change me,” Mali said seriously, rubbing her arms as if to ward off the cold. Cassandra flicked her lamp on, warming her. Mali gave her a small smile of thanks before continuing, “all we know for certain is I'm not human anymore. Not entirely.” Her tendrils waved anxiously in a non-existent wind.

 Miss Lewis looked concerned, “what side effects have happened so far?”

“Besides the obvious?” Mali asked dryly as her eyes glew emerald, “I’m cold all the time, I don't weigh what I'm supposed to, I’m stronger than I was…Soot also wouldn't come near me for a bit.”

‘mrmmpt?’ said cat lifted her head up from where she was laid on Avon’s runningboard when she heard her name.

“What do you mean you don't weigh what you're supposed to?” Blaidd asked curiously.

Mali stepped out into the snow, but failed to sink into it, instead standing atop the snow.

“You're not entirely in this world.” Cassandra explained. “So not all of you is there to press down.”

“Well that’s comforting.” Meeka’s sighed.

Cassandra gave the engine equivalent of a shrug, “it happens with me whenever I use the Lady’s light. When I faced down the beast that wanted to hunt Stephen, it was able to knock me off the rails because of that. Luckily Gordon had heard my whistles and arrived just after.”

“You handled the creature in the scrapyard just fine.” Freda said curiously.

“Creature?” Miss Lewis asked.

Greda quickly explained about the fight with the remnant in the old scrapyard.

“You were all shielded,” Cassandra explained once she had finished. “Everyone there had spent enough time around Screech and myself to be more resistant to the effects of the Lady’s light, which allowed her to shield you from the fight.”

“The dome of light wasn't you. Not alone at least,” Gywn surmised.

Caomhnóir shook her head, “the Lady held it in place so I could focus on the fight without worrying about hurting you with her light. Driver’s clothes were burnt as is.”

Robert snorted, “Alice was not pleased to see them.”

Cassandra winced, “Sorry, I’ll…”

Robert cut her off with a snort, “she was upset with me, not you. Said I knew better than to hang about in such a fight.” He turned to Miss Morgan, “Speaking of, any luck getting permission to burn the yard?”

She nodded. “Everyone in Lloergan felt the remnant’s presence, they’re as eager to see the yard gone as we are. Saturday we’ll make sure nothing of value is left then, weather permitting, burn the rest where it stands.”

[pippytmi]

Kacy exes era was definitely something and so was your fic

All of those angsty prompts are sooooo good. The first one where it's late but you can't sleep so you show up at their door in pajamas 😭😭

Fully imagining Kate turning into peak Season 1 mean girl cause she isn't getting enough sleep and is making it everyone else's problem too and then Lucy also can't sleep and it's effecting her performance out in the field so Jane tells her to take a long weekend and catch up on sleep but she can't cause she can't sleep without snuggling right up into Kate

thank you omg i hope I lived up to the the angsty kacy post-exes era 🫡🫡🫡

and holy shit wait i can 100% see the vision for the sleep one? like. jane notices that lucy isnt doing her best and tells her point blank “whatever you need to get well-rested” so when kate opens her front door at midnight she is understandably very, very confused. totally imagine the scene going like this:

////

Kate answers the door with an (appropriate) amount of apprehension due to the time of night, but it melts away into soft, plain confusion when she sees Lucy standing there. “Lucy,” she says, quietly, sounding vaguely hopeful and relieved and—Lucy absolutely cannot allow that. 

(The hope, anyway).

“Hi,” Lucy says firmly, “I need to sleep here. Tonight.” She reconsiders her words a little and amends, “Please.”

“Is there something wrong with your apartment?” Now Kate looks concerned. “Are you okay?”

“Everything's fine. Can I—can we take this inside? Your neighbors will really hate me otherwise.”

“Yeah, of course.” Kate steps back to let Lucy in, watching her with that patient, perplexed furrow of her brow, and Lucy is extremely mad that she still finds it cute.

“Jane told me to come here,” Lucy says, once they're standing together in the living room and Lucy is pointedly avoiding eye contact. “Well not here specifically, she just made me take time off to get some rest and…well, she might have mentioned that you're a little off yourself. In her usual cryptic way.”

“Off?” Kate echoes, frowning. “Off how?”

“Well you've been a little—prickly. More than usual. At least, that's what my team has been saying, I haven't noticed anything.” That's a lie, but Lucy is trying very hard to show she doesn't care what Kate Whistler is up to nowadays. 

(Showing up today is just. A brief lapse in judgment). 

Kate crosses her arms. “I've been nothing but professional. If they sent you to complain—”

“That's not why I'm here, okay?” Lucy pauses to exhale deeply. “I can't sleep. I'm driving my team crazy and Jane finally told me to take some time off and…I think I just can't sleep without you.”

“Oh.” Kate blinks, outwardly stunned, and her frown falls entirely. “Does this mean—”

Lucy doesn't let her finish. “I don't want to talk about us,” she says. “I don't want to listen to you explain, or…or anything. I just want to sleep, and obviously, it needs to happen in your bed or it won’t happen at all.” She pauses. “If you’re fine with it, anyway.”

Kate just stares, for a moment. “Is this…wise?” she finally asks. “The ramifications of getting used to being around each other could be…” 

“Don’t analyze it,” Lucy protests. “And don’t look at me like I’m crazy. I just need one night of sleep or I’ll actually kill someone. Can we just, take it one day at a time here?”

“Okay.” Kate bites her lip, looks down and doesn’t look back up. “Sure. We can just stay together tonight and figure the rest out later.”

The act of giving in is very uncharacteristic for Kate Whistler, and deep down, Lucy knows why Kate is agreeing. She knows why Kate is so willing to let Lucy back into her bed despite their issues. And she knows why Kate is currently gently clearing off Lucy’s side of the bed that is so obviously slept-on instead of Kate’s usual side.

But Lucy pushes those thoughts deep, deep down, and instead buries her face into a pillow and listens to Kate’s uneven breathing. “I can hear you thinking,” she says, feels Kate shift behind her. “Relax, okay? We’re just two people…sleeping next to each other…to get one night of rest. It doesn’t have to be weird.”

Kate gives a huff of a disbelieving laugh. “Right,” she mumbles. “Not weird at all.”  

Already, Lucy feels like this is working, all exhaustion melting out of her body as she sighs. “You can touch me, you know.”

Kate coughs. “What?!”

“It it helps you sleep,” Lucy yawns, eyes already closed as she pulls the blanket a little tighter. She has an explanation on the tip of her tongue about how she knows Kate likes the grounding ability to touch, but it fades when sleep comes.

(She swears, though, that she feels the faintest brush of Kate’s fingertips at her waist right before it does).

[xnewtiebooty]

I've gotta say...I really don't like Teresa.

I knew going in she was a controversial character, and that may have coloured my perception of her negatively from the offset/made me biased. And I tried to like her, I really did. I'm trying to do the mature thing, to appreciate her nuance and complexity, but boy does she make it difficult. In fact I did like her in the first film, when she really was just a scared, guarded, but sweet and funny girl who didn't remember who she was.

And I can in fact understand and even appreciate her motivations for what she did. I realize it can't have been, and wasn't exactly easy for her, sacrificing her relationships to the people she was closest to, for the sake of everyone else. Throwing that all away, knowing they'd probably hate her. I appreciate her empathy for what other people were going through, on a worldwide scale. I really do.

But also...she strikes me as disingenuous. If her reasons really were so pure, why then was she alright with being in a lab coat, being on the other side of the glass, watching, actively participating while someone who was once her friend was suffering? (Along with others, *children.*) Why wasn't she the first to offer *herself* up to WICKD, to allow them to perform experiments on *her* and force *her* to endure what suffering they felt was necessary in order to achieve the desired results? Instead, she signed up her friends to do it. And yes, I realize she was clearly guilty, at least to an extent, and conflicted watching Minho be tortured. But that was directly a result of her doing. And ultimately, she stood by, and let it happen, watched. She, on some level, was okay with it enough to stand by and watch it happen. That's the difference between her and Thomas. Thomas wasn't.

Not to mention all the pain she caused, the domino effect it had. I mean...first off, in her doing what she did, she basically pissed on Winston's grave. He died directly as a result of them escaping from WICKD, again, and she was fully ready to deliver them all right back into the hands of their abusers. His death would have been for nothing, had all the others been caught.

Mary Cooper also died directly as a result of what she did. And not only was she an innocent woman who was wrongfully killed, but she was an invaluable resource. She was the one, aside from Teresa, who could make the serum amongst them.

Then, Minho was taken and tortured. What he went through was absolutely disgusting, and unforgiveable on it's own.

And with the ripple affect her choice had, she already (indirectly or no) caused Newt's death. And that is something I can never, ever look past or get over, can never forgive her for. Had she not turned them in, they all would have made it to the Safe Haven, together. Mary would still be alive, and even in the event that Newt still ended up catching The Flare later on, he could have easily been given the serum and cured.

Not least of all, the impact her betrayal had on Thomas, the way she hurt him. The chances of having a connection like what they did is often once in a lifetime, not something everyone even gets, and she completely threw all chances of a relationship away. She made Thomas completely question himself and his judgement, and feel stupid for trusting her.

Yes, I understand she tried to tell Thomas he could save Newt. I understand she tried to finally do the right thing (although I haven't failed to notice it was after Ava had already been killed and Janson, who was clearly corrupt, took over.) I understand she did help Thomas, and ultimately died doing so. And I don't necessarily even think she deserved to die, but it also doesn't undo what she did or the damage she caused.

Perhaps I'm not giving her enough credit. Maybe her reasons were completely selfless, and maybe there are legitimate reasons that can explain why she didn't offer herself up to WICKD as one of their subjects. If anyone has any answers or ideas I'm open to hearing them.

But ultimately, her seeing firsthand what WICKD did, what they were capable of, the absolutely horrific, dehumanizing ways in which they treated *children* who were unlucky enough to be born with the right genetics, should have been enough for her. I don't care what WICKD's reasons were, even if they were claiming to try to save humanity. If it's at the expense of a whole group of innocent people, treating them like chattel, is it even still worth it at that point? (And yes, I am aware of the Immunes producing the enzyme more quickly under states of stress. I understand why they were put through the maze trials, I just don't care.)

I should make it abundantly clear my dislike of her has nothing to do with my liking Newtmas either, or her "getting in the way." I'm aware Thomas and Brenda end up together in the books, and while I don't ship them, I absolutely love Brenda. She's one of my favourite characters.

I have nothing against people who do like Teresa, or who have a greater appreciation of her character, and I don't want this post to alienate them. I just had to get this off my chest.

That being said, from what I've seen floating around, she evidently is expanded upon more in the books and made much more likeable, so we'll see I guess. As for film Teresa, my point still stands.