#also there’s just something about having your therapist say ‘I’m upset for you’ as you’re unpacking all the things you wee subjected to

[themoonunderstoodmydadjokes]

Unpacking religious trauma and abuse in therapy today in light of last weeks events is wild 🫠🫠🫠

[gallavichsreddie1128]

Different Universes (Hannibal)

Description: Y/N ends up in the Hannibal universe and Hannibal falls for her

Warning: Smut, Cheating (sorta)

Word Count: 2,526k

Request: could you write a fanfic where the reader is a big fan of the Hannibal series, just goes about her day normaly,falls asleep and then wakes up in the Hannibal universe. She tries to figure out where she is (without knowing that she is in an alt. universe) and witnesses an actual murder, but manages to escaped unscathed with her knowledge of the Hannibal universe. After that she is contacted by the FBI, who want to interrogate her and this is how she ultimatly meets Dr.Lecter, who will be her therapist.(with her realising who he is).He quickly gets intrigued with her and wants to get to kniw her. Would it be possible to end it with some smut? Sorry, if this a really odd request.

Author’s note: I changed some things up but I really like these sort of requests. Also I work all day tomorrow so I will post two fics today.

Being married to a celebrity had it’s pros and cons. Cons being that fans were everywhere and so was paparazzi. You could never get a break. But the fans are what made Y/N’s husband who he is today and his talent of course. Pros being that the one person everyone thirst for on the internet you have. They love you and that it makes you feel like the luckiest person in the world. And of course when you see them on TV it’s like watching your husband. Oh wait, it is. Y/N and Mads have been together for 5 years, married for 1. They were 20 years apart but that didn’t mean anything to them. Y/N is a fan of Hannibal and watches it all the time, like right now.

She always wondered what it would be like to be in the show. It was something that crossed her mind often. She even read fanfic about her husband’s character. She would give anything to be in that universe even for a day. So When she wakes up outside Hannibal’s house, she isn’t too upset. At first she didn’t realize where she was, but it looked familiar. It took a minute but she gasped so hard she started choking once she realized it. She was outside Hannibal Lecter’s house. She looked around in awe, she couldn’t believe that she was here.

She walked around his house for a little bit, exploring the place. “Can I help you?” She heard it was her husband’s accent. She turned towards the voice and gasped. It was Mads except it wasn’t, it was Hannibal. “You look lost.” He stated as she looked at him in awe. She couldn’t say anything, too shocked. “Can you talk?” He asked after a while of silence. “Yeah I uh yes.” She said, making the man chuckle. “Are you okay?” He asked. “I don’t know.” She answered, she really didn’t. “Come inside. I’ll make you something to eat.” She got excited at first but realized that Hannibal was a cannibal.

“Uh I’ll just take some tea.” She said as they walked in his house. His house looked like it did on the show. He poured the tea and she watched him. “Can you tell me why you were outside my house?” He asked as he handed her the tea. “I actually don’t know. One minute I’m on the couch in my house watching TV, the next I’m here.” He hummed at her words. “So you sleep walk?” He asked. She shook her head, “No.” He looked at her as she drank from the cup. She was beautiful and he felt like he knew her. “I feel like you do and don’t realize it. Have you ever woken up in a weird place before?” He asked, she shook her head. “No. This is a first.” She said.

He got up and walked upstairs leaving her there in her thoughts. Moments later he returned with a notebook. “I thought I recognized you. You’re my new patient. Y/N.” She looked at him confused. “Patient?” She asked. “Jack Crawford assigned you to me after you witnessed a murder.” She had no memory of this. “Um okay.” She said still confused but realized that she had woken up in this universe and this wasn’t a dream. She was a part of this show. Though she had no memory prior to waking up outside his house. “Right. Sorry I just forgot.” She lied. He nodded and opened the notebook. “I guess we can start our session now. Wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.” He said. She looked at him as he wrote some things down. “Okay Ms. Y/N tell me what you remember about the murder.” She was fucked.

After the session was over she realized that she probably couldn’t stay here even though she hadn’t had a place to go. “I will see you next week.” He told her as she walked out of his house. She didn’t know what she was going to do. She had no memory of anything that he said. So she certainly doesn’t remember where her home would be. As she left his house she thought of what she could do. Thought of going back and falling asleep by his house but what would she do for a week? She huffed as she walked back to his house and rang the door bell. He answered and she sighed, “Can I stay the night?” 

It was beyond her why he agreed without explanation. She sat in the bed that he gave her and just thought. Thought about how crazy this was and how apart of her wants to go back to her universe. As she sat on the bed thinking she heard a knock. “Come in.” She said and Hannibal walked into the room. He saw how distraught she looked and he sat by her. “You okay?” He asked, concerned in his eyes. She looked at him, god he looked so much like her husband. She knew that he basically was but he wasn’t. “I don’t know.” She whispered. “Is this about not having any memory at first?” She wanted to tell him. She wanted to tell him the truth, that she wasn’t from this universe and that she’s married to his actor but he would probably think she’s nuts. But she couldn’t live in this world alone.

“I’m gonna say something and it’s going to sound crazy but I need you to bare with me.” He nods. She lets out a sigh and looks away from him. “I’m not from here.” She says. He looks at her confused, “What do you mean?” “Like this universe. I’m from a different one and in that universe this is a tv show called Hannibal. If i’m not mistaken given what you’re wearing this is season two and Will Graham is in prison for crimes he did not commit. You committed them but don’t worry I won’t tell. And your actor is my husband Mads Mikkelsen.” His jaw dropped and he looked at her in shock. He wasn’t quite sure he believed her. But how did she know that he was the killer? “Mads Mikkelsen?” He asked. She raised an eyebrow at him.

That’s really what he got out of all of that. “Yes that’s my husband, that’s you just in a different universe.” He didn’t know what to say, she sounded crazy. “I know I sound crazy.” “Well I wouldn’t say that.” He tried, she rolled her eyes. “But i’m telling the truth. That’s why I don’t remember anything from here like the murder or the FBI.” “But you told me the story.” “I lied.” He nodded. “I’m sorry Hannibal. I know this is a lot to hear.” “I’m a TV Show character and my actor is married to you and you are well aware that i’m the killer.” He summed up what he could.

She looked at her hands, “You have to believe me.” He looked at her. She had to be crazy, none of it made sense. Though he could read people very well and she didn’t seem like she was lying. “Do I ever get caught?” He asked. She looked at him, “Yes but you escape.” He nodded. “With Will. I mean you two are basically in love.” He gave her a weird look. “I’m not in love with Will.” She looked at him with a “really?” look. “I’m not.” He said. She shook her head, “yeah whatever you say.” “Does he love me?” She chuckled at the question but nodded. “One might say he does but you guys don’t get together. You almost kiss but that’s it. You might be together after the show ends. There isn’t a fourth season.” She tells him. “This is unique.” He told her and she laughed. “I know but it’s all true.” “So since the man you call Mads? Plays me do you find me attractive?” He asked. She looked at him, red in the face.

“I mean yeah. Of course I do.” She said. “So then if I kissed you, you’d be okay with it?” Her jaw was on the floor. “I uh I mean yeah. Yes, I would like that.” She said. He leaned in and kissed her. She was shocked that it came down to this moment but she wasn’t complaining. She kissed him back and cupped his face. Their lips moved in sync as thoughts were racing through both of their minds. This was all crazy. She got up and straddled him, pulling him closer. His hands were placed on her hips as she deepened the kiss. Her hands ran through his hair. “Have you always wanted to do this?” He asked against her lips. She nodded out of breath. “Yes.” He smirked and ran his fingers over her lips. “Have you thought about having sex with me?” She nodded and pushed him down so he was laying on the bed. His hands went under her shirt and she pulled it off her body revealing a red lace bra that she had on. His hands immediately went to her boobs. “You’re so beautiful.” He tells her and removes the bra.

She lets it fall off her before she throws it with her shirt. Her hands travel down his white shirt that he was in. He looked so good in PJ’s. “Take this off.” She tells him. He leans up and takes the shirt off, throwing it with her things. He didn’t have abs per say but he was still the hottest man she’s ever seen. She gets off him to remove her panties and he removes his PJ pants and boxers. She straddles him again and looks down at him. He looked up at her like she was his whole world, in her universe she was. His hands pulled her hips closer to where she was almost lined up with him. She looked down and saw his hard dick. Same size and thickness as her husband. He watched her as she lined herself up and slowly sat on his dick. He felt her walls taking him in like they were made for each other. She let out little moans until he was all the way in her.

His hands held her hips again and she began riding him. She went slow at first building up the pleasure. They didn’t break eye contact as her jaw dropped. It felt so good. He could feel her walls clenching him and it made him groan. How was he supposed to be in love with Will when she was here? Her hips started moving faster and faster making the pleasure more intense. Both of them making noise now, enjoying the moment. She leaned down and kissed him, silencing her moans. Their lips moved together in a sloppy kiss. It wasn’t a neat kiss, it was tongue and teeth and everything was put into it. Hannibal’s hands gripped her back as he felt himself getting closer. She gasped into his mouth as she felt her high near. Her eyes rolled back as her hips went faster.

He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her face, it was like a pretty painting that he longed to see. She was so close she could taste it. “Are you going to cum, pretty girl?” He asked her. That’s all it took. She was cumming all over him with whines of his name. Seeing her cum, made him cum even harder. With a groan of her name he released inside of her. Her hips slowly move to ride out their orgasms. Her moans die down and her hips stop. She looks down at the man still shock that he’s Hannibal fucking Lecter. He stares back at her with a look in his eyes she knows all too well. It’s the same look her husband gives her. Is this man in love with her? 

She had to get back to her universe. This was so nice but she didn’t belong here. She belonged with Mads not Hannibal but since Mads plays Hannibal she does love him. But the time she has spent with him has been amazing and she didn’t wanna leave but she also wanted to get back to her life. Hannibal was a killer after all. She knows how this story ends and she truly thinks Will and him are meant to be.

As much as she loves him she doesn’t wanna change that. But these past few weeks have been amazing. She laid her on Hannibal’s chest as they just talked. “Is your universe different from this one?” He asked. It kinda was in a sense that the issues going on in this universe were the only focus and in her universe they aren’t just main focuses like that. Everyone has got their own problems. “It feels the same but from watching it on TV no.” Will’s powers that he has as well. “And Will’s visions.” “Now I definitely believe you.” He joked and they both laughed. This was nice. Not having any actual problems besides to get back to her universe. “When does Will get out of prison?” He asked. She shouldn’t tell him. “Soon.” Was all she said. 

She sat at the table as she watched him make dinner. It was like a routine. She loved doing it but as she watched them cook, she realized that this was the stuff that her and Mads did. They had a life together and this reflected that. “I’ve really enjoyed our time together, Hannibal.” She said with a smile as she drank from her wine glass. He smiled and gave her a plate. “I have to.” Her smile dropped slightly as she looked up at him. “I uh wish I could stay.” She said. “You can.” He told her. “I can’t though. I have a husband and life to get back to.” She told him. “I’m your husband though. I mean technically.” She looks at him and sighs, “You are but you aren’t. My husband isn’t a cannibal. He just plays one on TV.” “So I’m just a TV character to you.” That knocked the wind right out of her.

That was something she never thought she’d ever hear. She loved fictional characters so much and they were so much more than that but hearing that question made her sick. “No Hanni you’re not you’re so much more than that but you gotta look at it from my perspective this wasn’t supposed to happen. I don’t even know how it happened.” She told him. “To you it wasn’t. But this to me was a blessing.” He took her hands. She looked up at him from her seat. “Stay with me, Y/N. I can give you all he can.” But he couldn’t and they both have different endings that don’t include each other. “Hannibal you’re amazing but we aren’t meant to be together.” She said. “Then how come you’re here?” She didn’t have an answer for that. She truly didn’t know. Luck? She didn’t have an answer to his question but all she knew was that she had to get back to her universe

[livums]

Liv’s {Totally Optional Non-Mandatory Completely Voluntary} Pointers for Fleshing Out Character Relationships

Hi I’m liv e. and by middling demand I am going to blab a liiittle* bit about relationships.

So I will start by saying that I’m trained & licensed as a marriage and family therapist. So this is kind of what I do all fucking week. And I like this whole writeblr thing so why not make it fun and about fiction instead. LOL.

The purpose of this liiiiittle** post is to offer some ways in which you, a writer (great job btw!), might deepen your own understanding of the relationships between two or more characters in your writing. More specifically, by thinking a little deeper about how relationships function in real life.

These are ways in which I might conceptualize a relationship between people who seek my services as a clinician.

A small disclaimer: the VAST majority of my work is with couples (because I. prefer to see couples over families, lol), so this advice is coming from that perspective. Please keep in mind also that there are certainly infinite other ways to think about relationships. This is just the way I was trained. Or at least, the parts of my training that resonated with me the most, especially as I began writing more seriously.

My hope is that reading and practicing/toying around with these tips will help add another dimension to how relationships play out in your writing. So um. Cheers! Let’s chat.

*it’s not a little. it’s a lot.

**it’s a long post.

i. What I Say vs. What I Mean

When was the last time your partner or good friend pissed you off?

Maybe they were flippant about your feelings. Maybe they blew you off to hang out with someone else. Maybe they keep loading the dishwasher like a neanderthal.

And did you say to them, “Baby/honey/sweetums/bestie, it really upsets me when you load the dishwasher like that. I’ve asked you to do it X way several times, and it feels like you’re not listening to me, or that you don’t care about how I feel” ?

Probably not? Because, hello? (If you did, first try, then, wow! you’re a better person than i’ll ever be.)

You might’ve said “Dude, stop cramming shit in the dishwasher like it’s a fucking suitcase,” or “Haha, wow, again with the dishwasher. Awesome. No, it’s like, whatever.“ Or you might not’ve said anything at all, on purpose.

There is a tension that exists, there, in the CONTRAST between what we are thinking/feeling/meaning (e.g., I love you/I miss you/You hurt me) and what we are communicating via our words and actions (e.g., You never make time for me/You’re so lazy/You’re such a(n) [expletive of choice]).

That tension is ... really fucking interesting to read, huh!

Personally, I have a lot of fun watching the needs/wants/feelings of a character (that we might be privy to, as readers) get filtered through their unique... voice.

So say you write a character who is quite rough around the edges, and not very skilled in affection. They have a deep yearning to be close to [love interest], but they just aren’t accustomed to languaging their true feelings. Maybe we see how scared they are of putting their feelings out there. It’s vulnerable. It’s terrifying.

So instead of “I really care about you, [love interest]”, maybe it comes out something more like “Don’t you have anything better to do with your time than follow me around all fucking day?”

And we, the readers, are like, wow! That’s not what you were thinking at all man! You’re so bad at this, that’s awesome.

So the point of all this is that it’s very helpful to clarify for yourself, in any meaningful interaction between characters in or soon-to-be-in a relationship:

What are the characters individually thinking during this interaction? What are the emotions that are present? How does it show in their body or their movements? Are they careful not to let these things show, or do they not notice at all?

How are they expecting this interaction to go? (Are they afraid something might go wrong? Are they looking for a certain reaction from each other?)

What DON’T they know about what the other person is thinking? What are their assumptions about how the other person perceives them--in general, and in this moment?

What is the GAP or the CONTRAST between all of the above and what actually ends up coming out of their mouth? Or what actions they end up physically taking (or not taking)?

Are the characters aware of their own contrast, here? How do they feel about it? Or, do they think they are being perfectly congruent?

In this way, you have the ability, as a writer, to create some devastatingly (or delightfully) poignant moments between characters. These are the moments that can really sell the reader on the relationship--its importance (why are you showing us this?) and its appeal (thank you for showing us this, this blew our tits off, etc).

ii. Tender Spots and How to Attack Them for Fun and Profit

So we’ve got issues.

What are the things that really fuckin get at you? Those topics that, when brought up, make you really upset and really defensive at like, mach speed. Maybe you’re insecure about your skills. Maybe it really bothers you when people see you as weak/unintelligent/a burden/unattractive. Maybe you have a rough and complicated relationship with a family member.

So these can be thought of as, like, tender spots (lol). You can also think of them as “raw” spots, sensitive spots, or triggers.

Figure out what your characters’ are!

This is another key way in which you can create deep and believable interpersonal drama--Character A (accidentally or intentionally) stomps all over Character B’s sensitive spots. So to speak.

A very cursory and relatively uncomplicated example of this in action:

Tasha and Mimi are two adults in a committed partnership.

Mimi’s got a real fucking chip on her shoulder about being seen as a burden--her father always went to great lengths to make sure she knew just how much he did for her, just how many opportunities he passed up in order to raise her, just how great his life would have been if she’d never been born.

Tasha is the oldest of five siblings. She was frequently tasked with their care, growing up. She did her best not to complain, as her parents were always very busy working to keep a roof over their head. So, Tasha did her part. She would’ve loved to rest and play and goof off like other kids and teens, sure, but it never felt possible with all of her responsibilities.

Mimi is suddenly injured and is unable to do certain things on her own that she had been doing before. Tasha goes about taking care of these things as well as taking on certain other tasks on her own that the pair of them may have tackled as a team before. Tasha feels stretched very thin by the workload, but is deeply concerned about how Mimi feels. There’s nothing to be done about the situation, she reasons, so there’s no point in complaining about how stressed out she is.

Mimi offers to help to the best of her ability, but Tasha is very concerned about her, and insists that Mimi rest and not exert herself. Mimi insists back. Tasha insists back back.

Mimi points out how stressed Tasha must be. Tasha agrees that she is stressed, but does not elaborate on her feelings. Mimi assumes that Tasha must think that she is a burden.

Mimi then becomes very emotionally activated--she is reminded, consciously or unconsciously, of how shitty it felt to have her father tell her over and over again what a burden she is, and how better off he would be without her. So this must be how Tasha really feels about her, Mimi accuses.

Tasha, who is very stressed but who cares very deeply for Mimi and her well-being, and who does not see Mimi as just a burden, becomes very activated in turn--she feels maligned and misunderstood. And now she certainly can’t talk about how stressed out she is, because it will only convince Mimi that she is right.

So Tasha is now convinced that she must continue to hold her feelings in in order to keep the peace--she’s reminded of her childhood spent taking care of others, and how she never felt allowed to express herself.

This example is obviously from a very zoomed-out view, chronologically, and is not exactly the way we would see it written in fiction (fiction is much more moment-by-moment and, well, exciting, usually). BUT we can see where Tasha and Mimi’s sensitivities lie, and how they specifically hurt each other with their behavior (unintentionally, in this case) by stomping RIGHT ON those sensitivities.

Readers love drama. And drama makes the plot go ‘round! So don’t be afraid to lay it on them!

In your (very good and compelling) writing, ESPECIALLY if you want to write engaging relational conflict, you would do well to clarify what your characters’ deepest sensitivities are. Consider the following:

What needs went unmet for them, growing up? A very cliche therapist-y question, but for good reason--our upbringing is where many of our deepest insecurities originate.

Additionally/alternatively, what do your characters understand to be their role in relation to other people? E.g., are they always the caretaker, the burden, the comic relief, the heartbreaker, the lonely hero, the boss? How did they first get this idea of who they’re ‘supposed’ to be towards others, and how was this reinforced throughout their life? Are they satisfied or dissatisfied with their ‘lot in life’? What do they hate about their ‘role’, if anything?

What sorts of situations might remind them of what they hate most about this role? E.g. ‘I enjoy taking care of others, and I’m good at it, but my partner gets upset if I discuss how stressed I get sometimes--I’m never allowed to express myself.’ How can you incorporate these situations into your story to create conflict?

How does your character respond when these sensitivities are triggered? Do they lash out? Do they retreat and get quiet? Do they ghost people altogether?

What do they think will happen if they are unwilling or unable to fulfill this role in their relationships with others? E.g., ‘My partner will leave me if I am not a good caretaker’, ‘Nothing will get done right if I’m not the one taking charge’, ‘If I don’t keep others at arms’ length, even if they say they love me, I’ll end up hurt.’

This is another way in which you can help your relationships really come to life! Anyways. Read on for more cheer and relational joy!

iii. We’re Attracted to What Hurts Us Sometimes, AKA Oops! I Ran into the Knife, Ten Times,

(less of a part 3 and more a part 2.5, but it was simply too long. so,)

So maybe you have a good idea of what your ideal partner/bestie looks like. It’s probably any number of positive traits: kind, considerate, good sense of humor, shapely posterior, ambitious, active, fun-loving, studious, etc.

What probably don’t make the list are things like: emotionally distant like my mother with whom I long to have a reparative experience.

Maybe you’ve witnessed (or been in) a relationship wherein all parties can be described as ‘just so bad for each other’. And maybe this relationship should not have lasted as long as it did (or shouldn’t be lasting as long as it is). And maybe you’re like--’Why are these assholes still together?’ Or, importantly: ‘Why did these assholes get together at all?’ The answer may surprise you! But more likely, it won’t.

Sometimes, we pick people on purpose specifically because they stab us right in the sensitive spot (again. so to speak).

(i should clarify before moving on: I am specifically NOT talking about relational abuse, here. That’s kind of an entirely different subject that is like. the cousin of this subject. In this discussion, I specifically mean relationships in which there is no major power differential--you’re just bad for each other. These relationships can be what we might call ‘toxic’, sure, and painful, but not abusive. The distinction is important, moving forward. ok ty)

[Author’s Note: I need everyone to know that I wrote and subsequently deleted 700 words here because I realized they didn’t make any fucking sense ok. let’s try this one more time.]

Essentially, it’s a known phenomenon among humans that, when we have experience with relational distress in the past (e.g. a partner who neglected you emotionally, or parents who disregarded boundaries you tried to set), we like to seek out similar people with whom to form relationships. Weird! But not really.

The human brain seeks closure and resolution--where we couldn’t get things to work out with our parents, or our exes, we try to get the same situations to work out next time, with someone new.

Let’s look at another example, together. Take my hand,

Suppose you write a character (Character A) whose mother was in and out of their life from a young age, and never seemed to prioritize them. Now suppose you are looking to craft a fraught or tragic or dramatic romance (or other relationship) with this character. Using what you’ve written of your first character’s backstory, you can do just that!

It’s perfectly believable, you know now, for your Character A to pursue a love interest (Character B) who has a tendency to... not want to stick around. Maybe this love interest seems to fear commitment and intimacy.

Now, maybe Character B in actuality has a very dangerous profession that requires that they maintain the utmost discretion, and be ready to flee anywhere at a moment’s notice. Maybe the fate of the city/kingdom/nation/world relies on B’s profession.

It probably doesn’t make them leaving all the time hurt A any less, though.

Character A, unconsciously or not, is determined to make things work this time around. As the relationship deepens, B is faced again and again with the choice--stay, for your love, or go, as duty commands. Maybe they’ve taken a vow for their profession that is no light thing. They leave, time and time again.

Character A, unconsciously or not, remembers this feeling--it’s an old one. Mother, time and time again, chose something else over them. It would be understandable for A to feel a deep anger towards Mom and B both. Maybe A takes drastic action to get back at B (action that is also, symbolically, retaliatory towards Mom)--maybe they cheat on B, or do something that endangers their own safety.

When all they really want is just to get B to stay.

It’s probably very clear now why it’s not so simple a thing for A to choose to date someone more consistent--this is something that goes beyond B alone.

In this way, you can very easily weave themes into the relationship(s) of your main characters. Maybe the story of A explores the pain of abandonment, or loneliness. If B is the protagonist, maybe the story explores the way we excuse our shitty behavior in relationships (maybe the job is a pretext--maybe they really are scared of commitment), or maybe it’s about the dilemma of duty over love.

Relationships don’t always make sense. Or rather, they do make sense, just in a different way than we might expect. You can use this understanding now to intentionally explore a number of complex relationship dynamics, and to create nuanced (but sympathetic) characters. As you do, consider:

In your existing characters’ relationships--what keeps these assholes together? Why do they have to be with each other, as opposed to anyone else? This is important, again, for selling the reader on the relationship, especially if it’s your work’s main relationship.

What initially attracted your characters to each other? Consider again from the previous section (what is this, a fucking textbook?) the historically unmet needs of your character(s).

How do your characters go about expressing their needs? Think again about CONTRAST here--what is the discrepancy between what the actual need is, and how the character seeks to fulfill it? E.g. ‘I need to keep B from leaving me, because it really hurts me when they go, so I’ll go risk my life just to keep their attention (rather than express this pain to them).’

What similarities, if any, exist between your MC’s relationships with the people in their present lives, and your MC’s childhood relationship(s) with their caregiver(s)? Could you expand on/deepen any similarities in your writing? What themes might emerge if you did?

iv. Change / The Arc

So you’ve got your work’s central relationship. It’s believable, it’s just the right amount of dramatic, it’s suitably tragic, and just all-around devastating. People will cry. Great job!

Now what?

Well, that depends--what ending do you envision for your relationship?

If they remain together, do they get the happily ever after? The happy-for-now? Is the reader left to wonder about whether or not their relationship will survive?

Do they not make it at all? Are they separated by tragedy? Do they crash and burn? Or maybe they try their best, but despite how badly they love each other, it’s just not enough?

Whatever the Point B of the relationship is, if it’s central to the work, you’re gonna want to have a clear arc in there. Or not, idk, I’m not your mom.

You might already know, if you inhale every piece of writing advice you come across (like me), what makes a compelling character arc. The good news is that it’s much the same with relationships! Kind of.

Systems (relationships) tend towards homeostasis. Without deliberate intervention, relationships want to remain the way they’ve always been. Just like people!

And just like characters, relationships need a reason to change. Like a catalyst, or a motivation. Whatever the hell you wanna call it.

It’s not always, like, complicated to figure out the driving force behind change in your central relationships. Sometimes the pieces fall together!

Pay attention to the characters within the relationship--as your characters progress through their arcs, their relationship will naturally shift. It will probably not look exactly the same as it did when it began--there might be similarities, of course (they’re not entirely different people.. usually. And there’s a beauty to bookending a story with the familiar, certainly). But in this case, the relationship can be thought of as an extra character, almost. It’s unsatisfying to read a whole story wherein a central character stays exactly the same. It’s further strange and incongruent for a relationship to stay exactly the same while the characters have like, achieved actualization or whatever.

Outside events can force change on a relationship, just as they do individual characters. A couple that’s close to Characters A and B get married--and A & B start to wonder what their future together even looks like. B’s company hires a fiiiine honey, who’s exactly B’s type, and A starts steaming about it. A pandemic ravages the nation, and to prevent the spread of the virus, A and B have to stay inside togeth

YOU GET IT ok anyways I’m fucking tired of writing. If you’re wanting to develop the arc of your MCs’ relationship(s), think on some of this:

Do your characters see any problem(s) present in their relationship? Are they all equally aware of the problem(s)? Do they agree on what the problem(s) are?

How secure are your characters in their relationship? If anything could possibly cause doubt and conflict to arise, what is it?

Where do your characters see their relationship going in the near future? In the far future? Do their visions align? If not, how do they differ? Do they even want the same thing?

Is the arc of the central relationship congruent with the arcs of the characters who comprise it? I.e. does the relationship remain exactly the same as it was when it started, despite the characters undergoing wild metamorphoses? Is the reverse true?

When you think about their relationship, INDEPENDENT of any ending you may already have decided, where do you see it going? Like, where do these people feel like they’re headed, realistically? Does this align with the ending you’ve decided on for them? If not, this doesn’t mean you’ve written a bad relationship or anything, it’s just a possible sign that some really intense shit might have to happen in order to shift their course, y’know? Or not--the world is your oyster and you are the God of your own creation!

What are you trying to say with your story, and do the arcs of the central relationships reflect that message?

final thots

If you read all that shit, thank you. I wrote it all in one sitting and posted it without proofreading 💜

In all seriousness, I want to emphasize that, although some of these aspects of relationships are most visible in rels with a lot of anguish and maybe even some toxicity, you by no means have to write this kind of relationship in order to make use of these tips. You could write a very Normal couple!

The idea is to offer you some avenues through which to consider aspects of your characters’ psychology and personalities, and how they mesh or clash with their partners’ or besties’.

Anyways I hope this was helpful. I love talking about relationships I could literally go on and on all day. Which I kind of just did so. lol.

I’ve been liv and I’ve got two main WIPs I’m working on right now: The Romance of the Demigods and The Marking Blood and they’re full of really really super normal relationships and examples of me definitely taking my own fucking advice.

Cheers and happy writing! 💖💖💖

[emilem-forevermore]

hey! intro post here :)

are you having a panic or anxiety attack? or just feeling upset? tap or click here

here is a link to the trevor project (a helpline for queer youth) if you are struggling. remember you deserve love and recovery :)

okay, a bit about me:

my name: you can call me em, ollie, or oliver!

my pronouns: he/they, for the most part, but i actually really like fae/xe/ey too :)

terms you can use for me: masc stuff is great, gender neutral good too! sir, mister (mr), boy, bro, dude, mage (mg), handsome, cute, manly, masc, and pretty/beautiful is okay

a few labels i use: bisexual, genderfluid, transmasc, demiromantic, and i think polyamorous!

my age: i am a minor. don’t be gross.

DNI: if you’re sending asks for donations, pedophiles, just here to be mean, sex blogs

my birthday: april 8th! i’m an aries :3

i also have a poetry blog! @emilems-poetry

some other stuff you might want to know:

i’m 5’0!

i earned a black belt in taekwondo.

single, but in a situationship

collection of nicknames/silly labels: emilem, gay little frat boy, catboy tea

i cannot play any instruments but would like to learn guitar one day

i’m a norwegian forest cat therian (i think) but i’m fine with being called human/person too - i have a therian blog. you'll find it.

adhd, autism (undiagnosed) and therapist says i might have ocd

if you want my spotify or pinterest (or scratch) dm me (it's something i'm willing to share but not like with the entire world lol)

music i like: harry styles, 1D, hozier, noah kahan, chappell roan, sabrina carpenter, taylor swift, the amazing devil, + a lot more

fandoms i am in: gravity falls, warrior cats, heartstopper, brooklyn nine nine, only murders in the building, a good girls guide to murder, the hunger games, ride the cyclone (kinda), + more

some of my interests: poetry, drawing, digital art, writing, reading, french, veterinary sciences, the human body, psychology, hebrew, spanish

PLEASE:

ask me stuff! i love answering questions

message me if you think i’m cool!!

send me art and poetry!!! it’s so awesome to look at :3

interact w me! i love talking to yall and i don't bite that often

if i say/do something that upsets you, let me know! i try to do my best to be inclusive and kind but sometimes i mess up so help me out :)

this is my favorite post on this website, a slight tw for self harm, but aside from that it might help if you're feeling down :)

i think you’re pretty awesome!! :) (especially trans, intersex, aromantic, agender, and asexual individuals!)

i love my moots more than the world!!!

here's a list of some of them

@hotteststar my first moot and fellow bisexual :)

@rins-batcave my reason /p

@raeprise mon cœur /p

@sparky4577 my brother (not irl but i wish)

@star-dust-shark and @crowwolf8 my favorite animals fr

@crowofthestars just really fuckn cool. go follow them!

@thecrazyalchemist my bestie with the coolest name(s) ever

@mrblazeflappybird my cool uncle essentially

@wishiwereheather13 my really cool moot im too nervous to talk to (your banner is so cool btw. just sayin.)

@boldofyoutoassumeicanspell my wise gal i should talk to more

@holiday-spice my favorite seasoning (get it. cause his name is spice. lol.)

@daggerhobbit where i'd get a dagger if i needed one. very cool

@aflairforthemelodramaticc my father :)

if you'd like to be added to (or removed from) this list lemme know! i have so many mutuals and i love them all beyond words <3

[cloudcountry]

you don't have to leave.

Genre/Tropes: No notable ones!!

Summary: Can I have a soft angst with happy ending of Mc getting ready to go home but jade doesn't want them to so he does everything he can think of to make us stay and we decide to stay?

Author's Comments: I loved writing this one, I think it may just be my Octavinelle bias but I also think soft Jade deserves rights. ALSO FLOYD CALLS THE READER CLEANER SHRIMPY BC THEY HAVE A MUTUALISTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH MORAY EELS mc upgraded once they started dating jade.

~~~~~

“I found a way for you to go home.”

You looked up at Crowley, shock on your face. You didn’t think he’d taken the search to send you home seriously, and for a second you thought he was joking. Grim squirmed a bit in your lap at the news, but was clearly just as surprised as you since he didn’t say anything.

“Really? I can go home?” you asked, relief and anxiety crashing on you in waves.

“Henchhuman-!” Grim sat up, his paws resting on your shoulders. His expression was frantic for a moment, but it quickly shifted to sadness, “You...You can’t go!”

“In my infinite kindness, I will give you a week to decide. You may stay here and continue to work under me, or end your studies and go home. Ah, I’m such a generous Headmage!” Crowley hummed, beaming at his words, “Now run along! I am a very busy man-”

You walked out of his office in a daze, images of the home you’d occasionally forgotten during your stay here. The second you started on the path to Ramshackle, Grim started pawing at your shoulders again.

“You can’t go! If you leave then I’ll get kicked out!” Grim insisted, his eyes frantic.

“Relax, Grim. I’m sure Crowley will let you stay.” you set him down, continuing on your way, “I need to clear my head for a bit...this was so sudden...come on, I’ll get you some tuna-”

You turned to look back at Grim only to find the path empty. A brief sense of panic overcame you, but then you realized. You were going home. Grim was no longer your responsibility. Besides, he’d show up later for food. He always did.

You entered Ramshackle with a sense of finality, figuring it would be the last time you had to sleep in this dump. You’d gotten so caught up in Overblots and playing therapist for everyone that you’d forgotten how homesick you were. With no wallet or phone you had no photos of your family, just memories.

The sound of the front door bursting open ripped you out of your thoughts. You didn’t even get to turn around until Grim was clinging to your ankle again, two hands grasping at your shoulders.

“Hey Prefect, what gives? You’re going home?” Ace was just as panicked as Grim, his eyes wide as if you’d suggested something horrible.

“I mean! I understand why you want to go home! Of course I do! But...it won’t be the same without you! Nothing will.” Deuce looked like he was about to cry, clinging to your arm like you were his lifeforce.

“Guys! Stop crowding me. I haven’t even thought about it. I just got the news.” you pleaded, squirming out of their hold, “I can’t get peace to think about this for five seconds?! Just give me some time. I don’t want to leave you guys! You all are my friends and I care about you. Just let me be for a bit...”

You were finally able to breathe once the trio let you be. They were quiet, as if they hadn’t said anything at all. You left like you were about to cry as they moved towards the couches, Grim clinging to Ace’s pant leg. Your heart was lodged in your throat as they all sat down, back facing you.

They were giving you space.

You knew they weren’t mad or giving you the cold shoulder. They understood the choice you had to make.

Then why were you so upset?

Jade, your brain whispered, You needed to go see Jade.

Jade Leech, the Vice Housewarden of Octavinelle, had been your partner for a while now. You’d stumbled upon him in the greenhouse about two weeks after you’d shown up, trying to get a better idea of the campus layout. He’d been polite towards you, though now you knew he was trying to determine how interesting you would be. To be fair, you’d thought he was interesting too, and kept trying to find him. You learned his name, the fact that he was his dorm’s Vice Housewarden (which earned him a frantic question of whether he cared for formalities or not. He did not.), you learned he was in Octavinelle and worked at the Mostro Lounge, which is where you found your feet taking you. You had wanted to calm down and collect yourself there before telling him, but things never worked out the way you expected them to in Twisted Wonderland.

The second you stepped into the Lounge, Floyd popped up in your field of vision.

“Hey little cleaner shrimp!” Floyd beamed, “Are you here to see my brother?”

Good, Floyd was happy. If he was in a bad mood today this could have gone a lot worse.

“Yes. Do you think he could get a bit of a break for like...an hour?” you asked, hoping that Floyd would give you even a fraction of that time.

“Sure thing. He’s on break anyway. Probably making tea or looking through his mushrooms.” Floyd wrinkled his nose.

“Thank you, Floyd.” you reached up and patted his head gently.

You headed to the small break room behind the counter as Floyd giggled, continuing on his way to serve customers. The door opened with a slight creak, and you shut it quietly behind you.

“Hello, dear.” Jade hummed, appearing next to you so quickly you would think he teleported, “Did you come all this way just to see me?”

“Jade, I have something to tell you. It’s important.” you said, your stomach twisting in knots.

He blinked, surprised. The look didn’t last.

“Okay. What is it?” Jade smiled, taking your hand in his.

“Crowley found a way to send me home.” you confessed, meeting his gaze.

Silence.

Jade’s smile twitched a bit, his eyes never opening. He chuckled, but you could tell there was a troubled undertone now. Being around Jade for so long helped you pick up on those little things that only Azul and his brother could decipher.

“Would you like some tea?” he hummed, turning away from you, “I have a new blend. I’m sure you’d love it.”

“Jade.” you stood your ground, watching as he stopped in his tracks.

He didn’t turn around.

“Would you like sweets instead? We have a new dessert you can try. I submitted the recipe myself.” he hummed, starting towards the small table without looking at you again.

“Jade, please look at me.” you pleaded, “I wanted to talk to you to clear my head. You’re the only one I can trust to do that right now.”

“What is there to discuss? Do you want to hear about the new mushroom species I’ve found? I can’t say I blame you, it’s certainly fascinating.” he finally looked at you, that smile still plastered on his face.

“Jade, I don't know what to do.” you reached for him, but he didn’t meet you halfway.

“About the mushrooms?” he turned away from you, pouring a cup of tea, “I can teach you how to take care of them. Then you can forget about this going home nonsense.”

“But Jade...I care about you.” you murmured, staring at your lap. That last comment was like a knife in your heart—you knew Floyd and Jade were blunt people, but you expected a little more communication from him.

“And I you, dearest. But I’m afraid that doesn’t matter anymore.” Jade handed you your tea, his eyes finally meeting yours, “You’ve got your home back, and it would be selfish of me to stop you.”

“That’s not what you’re thinking and you know it. You’re teasing me right now. You want me to stay and I know that, Jade.” you barely restrained yourself from slamming your tea on the table.

He briefly looked taken aback before he began to chuckle, his hand rubbing the top of your head.

“Well, it seems you haven’t lost your touch. I would not be myself if I were not selfish.” Jade retracted his hand, still managing to keep his distance despite the fact that the two of you were so close just moments before, “But you’re wrong. I am being selfish. Now, would you like to see those mushrooms? I submitted a new recipe to the lounge, too. You can tell me recipes from your home and we can make them here. You don’t have to go back when you’ve found another home here.”

“But it’s my home.” you breathed, heart twisting painfully in your chest.

“But am I not also your home?” Jade’s eyes flashed as he leaned down to your seated position, unexpectedly close, “I was under the impression that I was just as important to you.”

“Don’t guilt me. Don’t make this harder.” you mumbled, tearing your gaze away.

“How do you think I feel?” he asked.

“The same. We feel the same, I think.” you mumbled, “I…I think we’re both making a decision that might leave a home behind.”

Jade said nothing for a few beats. You didn’t either. He stood up straight again, sitting down across from you as he poured himself a cup of tea. The silence was suffocating as you two sat across from each other.

“I knew this day would come.” Jade hummed, “I just did not expect it to be so soon.”

“That makes one of us. Crowley can be so incompetent sometimes that I just... assumed I’d never go back.” you confessed.

Jade made a soft noise of interest, but changed the topic again.

“I’m going on another hike tomorrow. I hope you will be there to join me.” he stated, plunging the both of you into an awkward silence for the rest of your meeting.

You received his silent message.

Make a decision by then.

🍄

“Whaaat? You’re going back into the mountains again?” Floyd huffed, glaring at the small pile of Jade’s gear.

“Of course. At this time of year, certain species of mushrooms are thriving. It'd be foolish not to take advantage of it.” he hummed.

“Gross. Just don’t bring any of those weird things back, okay? I hate them.” Floyd grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I’ll bring back whatever I please.” Jade laughed softly, hoisting his gear on his back and opening the door.

“You better not!” Floyd shrieked as he shut the door, ignoring his brother’s plea.

The walk to his usual hiking trail was more thought provoking than he was used to. Jade, for once in his life, had no idea what you were going to do. After all, your entire motive during this school year was to get by and go home. Who knows if a few connections would be enough to soften your heart? Jade thought it would, but with your indecisiveness yesterday, he couldn’t be sure.

He couldn’t be sure until he saw you waiting for him at the trail.

Was it just his imagination, or was the walk taking longer than usual? He checked his watch and blinked a few times when he saw that only a few minutes had passed. It wasn’t taking slower than usual. Laughing quietly under his breath, Jade found himself intrigued with this feeling.

Anticipation.

What would you choose? Would you choose him (and your little Heartslabyul friends too, he supposed they’d be included as well) or your home?

The last stretch of trees before he turned on the trail seemed to drag on. Jade purposefully slowed his pace, the anticipation welling up in his chest. There was some sort of enjoyment he found in this unpredictability, even if it was you. He hoped you’d forgive him for being late if he ever saw you again.

He turned down the path, eyes immediately sweeping the area.

He almost laughed when he saw you, sitting down, leaning against a tree. You were examining a map of the trails with a furrowed brow, and he remembered the first time he’d taken you up here. He’d let you navigate for the fun of it, and you both had gotten lost. Jade was far more happy about it then you were, and he’d had camping supplies prepared. This earned an enraged exclamation from you because you thought he’d packed those thinking you’d get lost. He’d told you that no, he’d packed those because he knew you’d get lost.

To this day, he thought your angry face was cute.

“I’m glad you decided to stay.” he placed a hand on your head, making you jump.

“Jade! I didn’t even hear you!” you stood up quickly, dusting yourself off, “Um...Ace and Deuce wouldn’t leave me alone. And I have Grim to take care of. And...I don’t think I’d want to go home if I couldn’t take you with me. I think this place feels more like home than anywhere else. Even if I miss some people from my world...I found more people here. It wouldn’t feel right leaving them.”

Jade laughed, sweeping you into a hug. You buried your face in his neck, clinging to him tightly.

“You’re so cute, my dear.” he tilted your chin and kissed you gently, one of his hands cradling your face as the other held you against him.

Breaking away, he relished your flustered expression.

You chose him.

[ilikekidsshows]

Apparently I'm going to jump aboard the 'frustrated with Marinette train,' feel free to ignore this if there's been too much recently. But I'm tired of Marinette's tendency to bemoan how terrible she is when she realizes she's hurt someone. This in and of itself is fine, being self-aware when you've made a mistake is a good first step. What bothers me is, often she never goes beyond the self-flagellation, and sometimes it's the person she's hurt that then must emotionally console her. Like???

---

Oh, yeah, that trait of Marinette’s frustrates me so much. Like, I know she isn’t doing it on purpose, because she doesn’t have enough emotional intelligence to manipulate people like that even if the writers thought she’d be morally right to do so, but, like, it’s an actual manipulation tactic to start saying blatantly untrue, awful things about yourself when you’re caught doing something wrong, so the person who caught you, if they’re a bit more of a soft touch, feels the need to go: “You’re not that bad, it’s okay.”

I’ll say this, though: genuinely going on a self-flagellation trip over every one of your mistakes actually stops you from improving your behavior. “I’m so awful, I’m a terrible person, I might as well not even try to do better,” is an actual thought process people can have. Even a lesser habit of calling yourself stupid or a failure over every mistake during a task just makes you miserable and want to avoid said task instead of motivated to try again. It’s genuinely bad for your mental health. If you find yourself doing this, try to counter it by giving yourself a compliment on what you did right. If your friend failed at something, you’d focus on what they did right too. Talk to yourself like you’d talk to someone you care about, and you’ll notice yourself being a lot kinder to yourself and feeling better about life overall.

Once again, the Miraculous writers write something that looks like it's actually saying something meaningful about how we handle our problems for a moment, but it's an accident. Marinette's self-flagellation isn't meant to be read as an avoidance tactic or an actual sign of her poor mental health, even though the writers admit she's mentally unwell. The self-flagellation is meant to make us feel sorry for Marinette and forgive her. So I guess it is actually a purposeful manipulation tactic, but only metatextually; it's the writers trying to manipulate the audience to get us to go: "Oh, poor thing, she doesn't deserve to feel so bad!"

Basically, in universe Marinette bemoaning what an awful person she is every time she makes someone upset is just freeing herself from responsibility. She’s an awful person, so she can’t help acting awful. But it also ties into how I describe post retool Marinette as unmotivated. She’s unmotivated to improve her behavior, even when she acknowledges that she isn’t treating people around her the way they deserve. She just flagellates herself to give the audience the illusion of working on improving, even though she isn’t, because she’s too busy feeling bad to actually be a better her. It’s another sign Marinette needs professional therapy instead of her unqualified boyfriend acting as her therapist.

This whole tendency is one of the reasons I find Kuro Neko one of the worst episodes of anything I’ve ever seen, because Marinette got this close to becoming self-aware, but had to throw a pity party for herself and Cat Walker/Cat Noir threw aside his justified feelings to cater to hers and tell her she’s so perfect and amazing, which leads to Marinette acting like she doesn’t even need to apologize to Cat Noir for the rest of the episode. Like, that episode ruined Marinette for me.

[junicult]

Speaking of fiances and marriage, can you imagine Harvey's reaction to seeing someone talk to his partner, they're a stranger to him but obviously know Y/N, who looks really annoyed, obviously not wanting to talk to the person

So he steps in, introduces himself and ask "and who might you be?" And the stranger goes "oh I'm Kyle, their fiance" and Y/N just, very, very quickly fixes him and just "ex-fiance"

Apparently Kyle came crawling back but Y/N wants nothing to do with him, obviously, they've got a cute man now! Also Kyle is cringe

Kyle: I'm Kyle, the fiance

Harvey, ABSOLUTELY heartbroken: What?

Y/N: Ex-fiance, ex. It's there for a reason don't forget that, Kyle

🦂

contains ; entirely sfw. (nameless) male ex bf. fem!farmer. new bf!harvey. harvey being the sweetest (as usual.) short drabble.

note ; ok i’m going to bed. i’ll proofread this in the morning (no i won’t)

aw i love the idea of harvey being protective over u.

he’s still pretty reserved, he’s not going to start problems unless he absolutely has to. & he definitely can’t handle confrontation, that’s for sure. obviously, if you’re upset he’s trained and prepared to help you feel better. he’s not a therapist by any sense, but if you just need comforting, he’d be one of the best to go to.

let’s say it’s the very beginning of your relationship. i’m talking you’ve only made it official a couple weeks ago, still in the earlier stages where you get butterflies whenever you see him, and you get all nervous and stuff like that.

you haven’t had the time (or energy) to disclose your last relationship with him just yet. you know he wouldn’t be upset or anything, you just haven’t talked about it.

which is why your ex coming to see you at the farm—WHILE YOUR WORKING—became a huge shock.

you’re easily frustrated. i mean, he’s getting in your way while you’re trying to work so, maybe the easiest option would be to just give him what he wanted—a chance to talk.

he’s talking, in fact he probably won’t even shut up, while you’re watering your plants and listening all annoyed.

“my mom’s still super pissed, she wants to talk to you,” he complains.

“i’ve been pretty busy lately. i already gave you the ring back, what else do you want?” you counter, clearly exhausted.

“i love you, you know that. i think we can work this out, you just need to talk to me!”

his delusions make you even more frustrated, pausing mid pout to take a deep breath—but before you even have the time to yell, you’re startled by the only man you’d actually wanna see at the moment.

“hello…am i intruding something?” harvey asks, standing only a couple feet away. you were too distracted to even see him approaching.

your ex just stays silent, looking him up and down while you blink in surprise.

“no, actually. he was just getting ready to leave.” you sigh, shooting him a pleading look that he doesn’t miss.

“oh, ok! i’m harvey, it’s nice to meet you. she’s a little busy, so maybe you can give her a call later?” harvey smiles, and it almost eases you entirely. his approachable demeanor is making it easier for him to walk closer to him—more importantly you in case he needed to reach for you. but that was just in the back of his mind.

“then why’re you here?” your ex spits, taking him by surprise but certainly not you.

harvey’s the kind of guy that means no trouble. if anything, he just wants the best for everyone.

which is why it’s your turn to blink in surprise when your sweet, peaceful boyfriend’s smile falls just a little, and his eyes squint with a certain sass, saying, “who are you, again?”

it’s pathetic seeing your ex laugh like he has any right, taking a step closer as if to challenge someone who doesn’t even want one.

“her fiancé. who the hell are you?”

“ex,” you waste no time, rolling your eyes. “he’s my ex-fiancé. we lived in the city together months ago.”

whether or not harvey is shocked to learn that, he doesn’t show it. maybe it’s because of your clear distaste to even hear the nickname, but either way, he knows better then to ask any questions right now.

“well, it was a pleasure to meet you. i think maybe we both should probably leave her to finish work. she’s got a busy schedule, anyways.”

you’ve never seen harvey so authoritative, subtle with the intent to get this man who is clearly stressing you out, away from you. his smile still seems so kind, and he’s clearly prepared to step in the way in case your ex counters with some excuse to stay.

“yeah, it’s a bummer you didn’t check to see if she was free today before you came all the way down here.”

“well i tried, but she won’t answer my calls.”

“hm. weird. anyway—!”

you almost feel sick with how much your stomach swells seeing the most amazing boyfriend handle a stressful situation as such so easily for you. he doesn’t even as so crack his exterior while he guides him away, still showing decency just to avoid a scene, which you couldn’t be more grateful for.

it was almost so baffling how easily he handled it. and attractive (needless to say.)

but you still felt so guilty, seeing him after the crisis was averted.

“i’m so sorry, i was going to let you know. i promise i wasn’t trying to keep a secret from you,”

and because of how understanding, and kindhearted he is, it’s easy to melt into his touch when he pulls you in and presses a soft kiss to your forehead.

“oh, i’m not mad at you! i’m just glad you’re okay. he seems like a real jerk.”

knowing him, his main priority will always be the most important task at hand. but of course, you know him well enough that he can’t help but have questions.

so when you get your chance to explain, you know to reassure him with your soft touch, rubbing your thumb over his knuckles and kissing his cheek to show how much he means to you. especially after that.

“i’m sorry you had to go through that,” he frowns, sympathizingly.

“no, it’s okay. the ring didn’t even fit me anyways. and besides, i’m with someone much better now.”

he smiles at your reassurance, not that he really needed it because—well, he knows already.

“me too,” he kisses your cheek. “and don’t worry, i won’t make that mistake.”

[rashomonss]

A HUMANS WRATH

Part IX

previous part

taglist: @miridiums-writing, @zerchlia, @aeongiies, @xmoogx, @coffeeandtealol, @food-lover9000, @l0diluvs, @vichsy, @valeriele3, @entolomaeden, @acaribeau, @sillybeanzo, @jessiegerl, @capricorn-anon, @crescentworld, @g-l-1-t-c-h-3-r, @chumbinhoeba, @chaos-n-kindness, @strawberryfire17, @zenxvii, @misscaller06, @luminarysol, @simpinginthecorner, @your-next-daydream, @bontensbabygirl

a/n: omg y’all I’m going to cry, I just posted something not to long ago about reaching 300+ followers, but now I’m almost at 400! I love you all sm I swear (╥﹏╥) idk what i’d do without y’all seriously, you all are absolutely amazing and don’t you forget that! love ya ♡

oh and before I forget we’re changing perspectives back to the original Mc

warnings: mentions of love bombing, manipulation, yelling?, angst, the usual yk

how far can you push someone until they break?

Suffocating.

It was as if you were being followed and dragged along by everyone.

Everyone was too overbearing.

You began to feel suffocated with their presence.

It was cute how they acted at first, and honestly you understood why they were so clingy. Their version of you never gave them any human affection since the incident, and of course they would soon grow touch starved. You understand where they were coming from, you really do.

But, it has come to the point where you’re not even able to go to the restroom alone without one of them freaking out. They had to be with you, they had to be touching you, they had to be talking to you.

They needed you to function.

But you didn’t need them, and they didn’t understand that.

And if you weren’t with one of the brothers then you were with the prince and his butler. As of this week you’ve been to the Lord Demons castle four times, and it’s only the middle of the week. It was tiring.

What was even more tiring was playing nice with this Diavolo and Barbatos, even though you found them to be shadier than the ones from your timeline.

The long continuous walk to the castle started hurting your feet. The walk to RAD tired you out since you spent all your energy entertaining the brothers, making sure they all had equal amounts of attention. The heavy workload of classes was also tiring to keep up with. And lastly, making sure everyone was happy had to be the most exhausting.

And lately you couldn't even enjoy the comfort of your own bed alone because Belphie found that to be his favorite resting place.

They were suffocating you.

What was even worse is that they began to become emotionally dependent on you for things as well. You’re not a therapist for crying out loud.

You have problems too, you’ve been through stuff as well, but just like your demons they push your needs to the side.

You were becoming fed up with them.

You sighed as you rested onto the couch in the music room. You felt your body relax as you sunk into the plush fabric, leaning your head back you hoped none of the brothers would find you in here. You needed peace and quiet just for a few moments.

You soon realized that you found yourself doing more here, with these brothers than you were doing with yours.

You didn’t like it.

You didn’t like how much of a pushover you were. Were you really always like this?

You didn’t like how easily you fell back into your routine again.

You didn’t like not being able to have any alone time, but you couldn’t help it. No matter how fed up you became you never learned how to say no to them.

They had constantly bombarded you with expensive gifts, or even food. And if you told them to back off they did, if you told them you were busy they wouldn’t bother you, but they always were together with you later. And because of this it was harder to get upset at them because in their eyes they were just being nice and you were in the wrong.

As you tried to think about what to do Mammon suddenly opened the doors to the music room and ran towards you.

“There ya are! Come on everyone’s waitin’ for ya” he said grabbing your hand and dragging you off the couch

You groaned at the loss of comfort from the couch and followed him anyway.

Everyone’s waiting? What did he mean by that? You questioned.

Looking down at his hand you felt a sense of unease. Mammon’s touch had never bothered you before so why now? Why did you want him to let go?

Why did your skin feel so unnerved by a single touch?

“Here we are!” Mammon said, leading you into a dark room.

“What-?”

“Surprise!” was shouted at the top of everyone’s lungs, as the lights turned on to reveal some confetti and what looked to be party decorations.

“A party?” You questioned looking at the seven demons in front of you.

“Yeah it’s for you darling! Do you like it? Were you surprised?” Asmo gushed.

“We spent the whole night setting up so you wouldn’t notice,” Levi smiled.

“We also made a bunch of food for us to share” Beel then said, looking towards the feast at the table.

“I hope the decorations are to your liking, I picked most of them out.” Satan said.

Smiling at all of them you decided to ignore that unsettling feeling. “So what’s this party for exactly?”

“We just wanted to throw a party to show you how much we appreciate you Mc” Belphie smiled.

You felt your heart throb. Perhaps you were being too harsh, maybe they only meant well and you were just being dramatic.

“Well that’s part of it, yes, but we can discuss the other details later. We should start eating before Beel explodes.” Lucifer said, eyeing the sixth born.

“Mc sit next to me!” Mammon yelled as everyone began to take their seats.

You did as he asked and all of you enjoyed delicious food not only from the Devildom, but from the human realm as well. The table conversation was nothing but eccentric like usual, but you kept up; still smiling and laughing with (your demons) them.

They continued to shower you with praise and many gifts well throughout the evening as they each spent individual time with you after the party.

It was as if you were forgetting something important. You could feel it, but again decided to ignore it.

Next came your time with Lucifer.

You met him in his room this time, however he was way more relaxed then you had ever seen him. It made you a bit nervous.

As you joined him and talked you soon found yourself in a comfortable state completely forgetting why you were so nervous in the first place.

It was always nice talking to Lucifer because he always had good advice to give no matter the situation.

So when you asked about this unsettling feeling that you had been getting lately, he claimed that it could be due to all the stress from the mix up and everything you had experienced these past few weeks.

“Some rest would do you well. It’s important to take breaks, you know, humans can’t function like us demons so I wouldn’t want you working yourself too hard.” Lucifer smiled.

You nodded and thanked him for the advice. As your conversation progressed you couldn’t help but let your eyes wander to his lips. When was the last time you had kissed him?

Of course with these brothers you continued your morning and night kisses like you did with yours, but nothing more came from that. It was as if they were too scared to be intimate with you.

Lucifer took notice of your wandering eyes and leaned a bit closer at his next response to your last statement. Eventually you two got closer than ever and began to stare into each other's eyes.

“Mc, could I ask you a question?”

“Of course” you replied, hoping that you were correct with what he was implying.

“I know we’ve talked this over before but this time I really would like to get a solid answer from you.”

“Okay…?”

“Will you make a pact with me?”

Your heart sank to your stomach.

“What..? Why are you asking that again?” You questioned, moving the slightest bit away.

“Because last time I asked you, you said you would consider it. So have you reached a conclusion?”

You bit your lip trying to figure out what you should say. How could you nicely decline him? Of course under any other circumstances you would have made a pact with him, but this isn’t your choice.

It’s up to you from this timeline to make that decision, besides you already had a pact with Lucifer from your timeline, so you were perfectly fine with just him.

“Um Lucifer, I-“

“Your times up Lucifer, I’ve been waiting for Mc for the last three hours now so give them up.” Belphie said, knocking at the oldest door.

Lucifer sighed and looked annoyed. “If we ignore him he’ll just leave”

You mentally cursed at him because you didn’t want to go back to your previous conversation. “Well yeah he might leave, but I haven’t hung out with him at all tonight so it’ll just be for a little while, is that okay?” You asked.

Lucifer sighed and nodded his head. “If that’s what you wish to do then go ahead. However after you’re done with him please make your way back over here so we can go finish our conversation”

You nodded and darted towards the door a bit faster than you would have liked, it didn’t matter though, because the second you opened the door the youngest yanked you out and shut it behind you.

Throwing you over his shoulder he walked towards the planetarium. Sometimes you forget how strong he actually was.

You shouldn’t get too comfortable, after all he crushed your throat like a twig.

Shuddering at that thought you then wondered when you suddenly began to think like that.

“Here we are,” Belphie said, placing you down on one of the nice couches.

“Thanks”

“So how was your time with that grumpy old man? I hope he didn’t bore you to sleep” Belphie asked, turning towards you.

You laughed in response and told him about your time with Lucifer and even the others.

Belphie liked watching you talk now. You had a glimmer in your eyes whenever you spoke about things that interested you. It was nice to see sparkling eyes for a change, he had begun to be annoyed with your dead ones after all.

The you from this timeline hated him, and he greatly disliked them in return.

No matter how big or grand of an apology he gave to them they never accepted. Instead they liked to harass him and pick on him. This made the youngest upset because the only one who could stop you front belittling him was Lucifer since the two of you never had a pact.

But if he wasn’t there then it was hell for Belphie. Because if any of his brothers tried to step in as you would scream at him they were met with the pain of your pact.

So Belphie disliked the other you, but he couldn’t bring himself to hate you, not like he previously did.

So he waited and hoped that one day, just once, maybe you would finally forgive him.

And that day came when you arrived.

You showed him compassion and even kindness the other you refused to give. You were intelligent and knew a great deal about the Devildom stars, (which he found quite attractive). But lastly what he favored the most was the fact you forgave him.

Well he believed you forgave him.

As he was thrilled with forgiveness, you were still longing for an apology.

“Look Mc, the sky is shining down upon us tonight.” He smiled.

You looked up and awed at the beautiful stars littering the dark Devildom sky. Sometimes you forgot how truly beautiful the Devildom actually was.

“The stars reflect off of your eyes beautifully” he said, leaning in closer.

You smiled and rested your head on his shoulder. Belphie sighed and rested his head on yours, then waited a moment before speaking.

“You know Mc, I really adore you. These past couple of weeks have been lovely and I’m so glad you’ve come to the Devildom”

“Thanks Belphie, I’m glad you think that '' you replied, however you again felt that unsletting feeling that he wasn’t telling you everything.

“Of course. But can I ask you something? And can you promise to fulfill my request?”

You lifted your head up to face him and gave him a confused glance. “It depends on what the request is Belphie.”

“It’s a surprise. So I don’t want to ruin it, however you have to promise me you’ll fulfill it”

You gave him a look and then sighed, what’s the worst that could happen?

“Fine, I’ll fulfill your request”

Belphie smiled and then grabbed your hands, holding them in his. “Mc thank you for everything so far, so to repay you I’d like to offer myself up to you.”

No.

He said those lines too. When he made a pact with you he said he wanted to offer himself to you.

“Belphie…I can’t. I’m sorry” you replied.

His face shifted from admiration to annoyance, and you remained on guard.

“And just why is that? Sure you can refuse Lucifer, but me?”

“Because this isn’t my timeline. I can’t make that choice because this isn’t my actual body.”

“But you can now,” he smiled.

“What exactly do you mean by that?”

“Well I wasn’t supposed to tell you because it was a secret, but everyone here feels that you should stay here with us and forget about your timeline.”

“What? No I can't! I have to go back eventually Belphie, they need me.” You said, raising your voice the slightest.

“Do they really need you? All the time you’ve spent here not once did they even try to contact you. Face it Mc they don’t really care about you over there so just stay here with us, please.”

“Belphegor enough. I’m not doing this with you right now.”

“Mc please, you promised remember!”

“I did that to make you happy! I never actually meant it” you screamed.

“What…but you said-“

“I was lying Belphie! I am only nice to all of you because you look like them. But none of you are actually my demons! I only accepted your apology so that you would stop throwing a pity party for yourself and actually move on with your life”

“I’ve never actually loved any of you.” you spat.

After the words left your mouth you remained still, shocked even at the fact you said that to him. You didn’t mean it, it was just a heat of the moment thing. Right? You had never been that rude to any of them before, not even Belphie. But in a sense it felt good for once to let out a bit of anger.

Belphegor stood there in disbelief looking over you trying to process your harsh words. He then walked up and harshly grabbed your wrist, almost twisting it in the process.

“How dare you” Belphegor said, voice laced with venom.

“Mc you don’t really mean that do you..?” Asmo said, opening the door to the planetarium.

He had tears streaming down his face as he looked at you. They were all listening…

You looked towards the brothers as some wore sadness and others wore anger. You had to choose your next words carefully, otherwise forget about going home to your timeline, you might not even make it to tomorrow.

“Asmo listen I-“

“How could you be so cruel to us? Don’t you think we’ve been through enough with our Mc? Now you have the audacity to do something as horrible as this to us!” Levi cried.

“Humans are worse than us demons, they only care about themselves and hold no regard for others around them.” Satan said, raising an eyebrow in your direction. His glare was ice cold.

“You’re the worst! After all, we've been through together! After all the things I’ve opened up to you about, you mean to tell me this was all a lie” Asmo yelled.

“Are we some sort a joke to ya human? Was all that crap you fed us just to make us feel better?” Mammon said, not even turning to face you.

“Mc, I thought we were finally becoming close…but I never knew you could be such a heartless person.” Beel sighed.

“Mc…how do you feel now that you’ve made a fool of us all? Does it make you feel better about yourself? Does it? Please do enlighten us.” Lucifer spat.

“I hate you.” Belphegor said softly.

“Everyone listen I-“ you tried to say.

They had all cut you off to begin yelling at you again. Like always, them and your demons constantly dismiss your feelings.

“This is all your fault!”

“After everything we’ve done for you?”

“After how close we’ve all gotten?”

“Humans are horrible creatures”

“We should’ve sent you back to your timeline if we knew you’d cause this much trouble”

“We shouldn't have been so naive to trust them.”

“We should’ve just left you to die.”

Your throat felt dry at that statement.

Their words kept coming one after another; and they were harsh at that. Each insult resulted in you blinking repeatedly trying your hardest not to cry.

Cry…

Cry?

Why should you cry? They're the ones that are at fault for this, not you. They’re the ones who have been constantly love bombing you these past few weeks, along with draining every ounce of energy you had left. They’re the ones for your constant stress. They’re the reason why you don’t stand up for yourself.

“You need to stop being so pathetic and start being selfish for once.” A voice said. It was the same one from the time you had a breakdown in Lucifer’s office. It was your voice.

They were right.

If you continue on this path of trying to please everyone, you’re the only one who’ll get hurt in the end.

“Shut the fuck up.”

You hadn’t even yelled, yet your command shook the demons willpower, well the ones you had a pact with. The other two watched as their brothers began to fall silent.

“You want to see horrible? You want to see cruel? Fine then I’ll show you horrible and cruel.”

“Kneel”

The five of them fell to the floor as the other two stepped in front of their brothers protectively.

“Lucifer make a pact with me.” You said.

“Excuse me-“

“Now. Or would you like me to knock the shit out of Mammon?”

The second born tensed up as you mentioned his name and Lucifer gave him a quick glance.

“Fine.” He responded.

And the pact was made.

“Belphegor your next.”

“Don’t think you can threaten me with Mammon, because that won’t work” he spat.

“Sure it won’t. But what about your twin?” You asked.

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me” you respond, grabbing a fistful of Beelzebub’s hair, yanking him forward in the process. “What’s wrong, weren't you so eager to make a pact with me a few minutes ago?”

“Fine I’ll make a pact with you just let go of Beel.” Belphie yelled, slightly panicked.

And again the next pact was made.

Admiring your arms you saw the new pacts glow on your body and looked up at the seven demons now kneeling.

“You may have experienced the wrath and pain of your Mc, but you’ve never experienced mine.” You started.

The anger and frustration you had been building up had finally reached its breaking point, and your willpower wasn’t strong enough to hold it back this time.

“If you continue like this you’ll be the only one hurt in the end”

That phrase played in your head again.

Maybe it was time to actually stop being such a pushover and actually realize you’re more than a therapist for these demons, along with your own.

As you looked down at each of them they stayed silent. However your next words shook them to their core.

“Have you ever felt the true wrath of a human?”

Next part

[gallavichsreddie1128]

One Touch (Hannibal Lecter)

Description: Y/N’s drops her cousin off at her therapy session only to find that her therapist is her soulmate.

Word Count: 616

Request:

Heyyyy,

I love your stories, especially the latest ones.❤️ Could you please write a soulmate au with Hannibal next? People can‘t see colour until they had touched their soulmate. The reader is an FBI agent and dropped off her cousin at Hannibal‘s office for therapy and when get‘s introduced to Dr.Lecter. After shaking hands their world is suddenly full of colour, but she runs out of his office, because she is not fond of the idea of a soulmate&is running late for work. Hannibal later sees her on a case, talking to the team and starts envying them.After talking however, they clarify stuff and the reader makes it up to Hannibal. (smut with dom! Hannibal?)

Y/N saw black and white her entire life. At first she was saddened by it because everyone around her saw colors but she never did. Her cousin who had been seeing a therapist asked her for a ride. Her cousin also still saw black and white but cared more than Y/N did. She hated that she still hadn’t found her soulmate. Y/N felt bad for her and wished her the best. “You should come in and meet him.” Y/C/N suggested.

Y/N was never a people person so she wanted to complain but decided against it. She got out of the car and stared in awe at the big house that was his. “I know it’s crazy. He’s rich!” Y/N could have guessed that. They walked up to the door and knocked. “You should have knocked he might not have heard-” But the door opened before she could finish her sentence. A handsome man in his late 40’s opened the door. Y/N stared at him as he greeted them and asked Y/C/N who she was. “This is Y/N.” She said. “Nice to meet you Y/N. I’m Hannibal.” He put out his hand for her to shake.

It was like slow motion as she reached up and grabbed his hand to shake. She felt the world stop and everything around them disappeared. It seemed he thought the same as they both for the first time in their lives saw color. Y/C/N saw the reaction but didn’t know what was going on. “Well it was nice meeting you.” She said and ran back to her car. “You’re going to pick me up right?” Y/C/N yelled and Y/N nodded.

Hannibal was in awe at the woman who made him see colors.  He snapped out of his thoughts and invited Y/C/N in. Y/N sat in her car and just thought. Her cousin’s therapist was her soulmate? What are the odds? She looked around and saw all the beautiful colors that she’s heard so much about her entire life. Hannibal looked around his house and was amazed by all the colors. He was upset that she had ran away before he could say anything else or at least share the moment with her.

He thought about Y/N every night after that. How could he not? She was beautiful and that he thought before finding out that they were soulmates. Y/N worked for the FBI and that was something Y/C/N never mentioned. Hannibal had never seen her around before or at least he never noticed. That was until now when he walked in and saw Y/N and Will talking. He showed little to no emotion as he saw the two not realizing they knew each other.

Truth be told Will and Y/N hadn’t known each other for very long but she was recently transferred over to this area. Y/N turned to walk away but saw Hannibal. Hannibal didn’t move, he just stared at her. Y/N truly felt bad for running away like that. She was shocked and frankly never thought it would be her cousin’s therapist that would be her soulmate.

She walked up to him as his eyes never left her. “Hey Hannibal right?” She asked. He nodded. “Look I’m very sorry for running away when we found out that we are each other’s soulmates. I was just shocked and did not expect it to be my cousin’s therapist.” She explained. He gave her a small smile, “I suppose I understand. I too was in shock but perhaps you can make it up to me over dinner this Friday?” He asked her. She didn’t even have to think about it. “Yes. I would love to.” She said and gave him a smile.

[wrathofrats]

more pebble and ivy hc to add to the collection? Pls?

Hiii for more info on my pebble and ivy headcanons please see these two posts and also if you’re wondering who the fuck pebble and ivy are

I need everyone to know I’ve been talking about them for months in private, and I have like 4 fics lined up for when I decide everyone is ready for them. They’re my stupid secret obsession.

Ok now that that’s all out of the way, have some random shit I’ve thrown into @divine-misfortune DMs for the past month

-

Therapist: so pebble how do you feel about this relationship

Pebble: great. Thats my twink I own him.

Therapist: uh …… ok Ivy how do you feel about that

Ivy: I’m his twink he owns me

Therapist, about to call Terzo to warn him: ok!

-

Pebble w rock magic making ivy such pretty jewelry and he’s always like

“I made this super rare demantoid garnet to match the vibes of your aura”

And ivys just like “WOOO SHINY AND GREEN”

I think pebble is gods biggest rock nerd because it’s very on the nose and I think he deserves to be a stupid nerd about something under his dumbass personality

I think mist half flirts with ivy to fuck with him and pebble and ivy just goes wide eyed and stares at the ground and stutters and mist is like “??? Alright loser” and pebbles like “😍😍😍😍”

The insane amount of pathetic awkwardness is rizz to pebble

-

Pebble: hold on I have to water my house plant

Mist: your boyfriend has a name you know

Ivy: yay water (:

-

Oh my god

Ivy trying to impress pebble, he just desperately wants to hear that laugh, be the cause of it, so he tries to play some stupid prank on alpha or omega but it’s just …

Wrong

Because he doesn’t fully grasp the idea

And pebble can’t help but laugh at him anyways because the attempt was cute enough

Im thinking the poor thing literally writes “stupid” on a piece of paper and tapes it to alphas back

Pebbles never been more in love.

-

And something nsfw bc (:

Ohhhhhh alpha is the fucking worst

Don’t think he would go as far as fucking ivy given the chance but he absolutely acts like he’s going to because god it’s fun to watch pebble fume

(Also maybe it’ll get him to actually make a move because all this yearning is going to make alpha sick)

It’s small things a first, maybe crowding him against the counter, tipping his head and saying he’s pretty before letting him go

And it’s not even the move that makes pebble upset it’s the fact that is so very clearly worked ivy up beyond belief. Had the poor thing blushing so hard you’d think he was sick and quickly walking out of the room with his shirt pulled down over himself

Ohhh do you think alpha teases pebble about it? Holds it over his head?

Maybe gets pebble pinned against a wall somewhere with his legs wrapped around alphas waist so he has to rely on him for support, just a normal thing they do

Until alphas whispering how pretty ivy is into pebbles neck

shouldve seen him when I almost got a finger in his mouth, practically drooled over it the pathetic thing

And pebbles begging him to shut the fuck up, growling and digging his claws into his back.

wonder if he would’ve let me. Just allow me to fuck his pretty little mouth with my fingers in front of everyone? He seems pretty easy, I’m sure he would’ve loved it

[effyrosemary]

oh my god unethical priest marius you're a genius!!!!! do you think armand resists the idea that letting his priest fuck him is totally okay in the eyes of god or is he relieved to finally let go and give into his baser desires.... or both! do you think it makes him less guilty or more? god and imagine if marius were to weaponize armand's guilt in order to keep him even more trapped, like yes you are so bad for this and i'm the only one who can absolve you. i'm so invested LOL if you have any hcs of how it would play out i'm aaalll ears

Omg! thank you! To answer your question:

I think it’s both kinda. I think for Armand it would be so liberating to finally give in to these desires, and I think the shame is also kind of what gets him off (it’s the classic “oh no this is so wrong, but it feels so good!”). But I also think that there’s still a small part of him that genuinely feels it’s wrong to do these sexual things. Armand desperately wants to believe in something, I think, and to have that stability so he can have a space for himself to rebuild and to trust again. (don’t get me started, I have this whole fic idea of Daniel trying to provide Armand with a cozy little home and emotional support and stability so Armand has a space to heal, but that’s another story for another day) But I also feel like Armand is very nihilistic in some ways, so maybe he feels guilty but he also goes against the guilt on purpose, to feel that hurt and to feel that shame, I don’t know if you’re following me hahah

And omg, Marius weaponizing the genuine guilt is so wrong and so deliciously GOOD. (idc! it’s fiction! they’re not real people! let us have our dirty thoughts OK!)

When I first saw “unethical therapist Marius” on @monstersinthecosmos I was so immediately hooked. (I then sent this anon bc I needed to talk about it lmao, I was still not familiar with tumblr again after being away for a long time and I thought maybe people will think I’m weird but now I say fuck it bc Anne Rice never shunned away from people thinking her stories/characters were strange/too much.)

Marius is always so seemingly in control, and I love when he’s fooling himself that he’s doing the right thing when he KNOWS he’s not. That’s also why I like Pandora and him together, she kinda sees through his mask. Spoiler: I still remember that one part in Blood Communion after Marius kills Arjun where they’re all sitting around the table and Marius is furiously talking to Pandora and Lestat says: “I had never seen him so angry”, in other words; Lestat has never really seen Marius’ mask break like that, except now that he is upset with/about Pandora. Or when he’s helped out of the ice by Pandora and Santino in QOTD where he childishly snaps at her and says “I can walk unaided, thank you!” when Pandora reaches out to touch him, and she just gives him a shove and is like ‘“Fine girl, walk then lmao”

He wants to be this voice of reason, this stability etc, and he is, but he’s also human. So I love it when those kind of characters secretly give in to their bad side and try to justify it! I also love it when usually reserved people finally snap and can’t control themselves anymore when they finally get what they want, it’s my favorite thing. (There is this beautiful fic by @0junemeatcleaver0 where Marius kinda loses his composure at some points and he gives in to what he really wants and it’s so good. Highly recommend that fic in general.)

I LOVE headcanons, please tell me if you have some! These are some of mine regarding priest!marius:

- Marius has to actively restrain his thoughts from going wild when he sees Armand on his knees, or when the boy is reaching up to clean a shelf and his shirt rises and Marius can see the silky skin of his lower back. He’s practically drooling :)

- Armand secretly kind of knows the relationship between them is wrong, but he tries to test Marius by experimenting. (Sitting next to Marius and accidentally letting their knees touch etc that sort of thing, playing it dirty but also safe you know)

- Armand gets turned on when Marius is preaching in front of the crowd (idk how that shit works I’m not even religious, I never grew up religious lmao! how bad I am!) because Armand loves to see Marius in a position of power, and he loves how the people of the church look up to him.

- Armand has definitely thought about sucking Marius off under his robes when he’s speaking in front of a church full of people.

- At night, when Marius can’t think of nothing but Armand’s shapely legs and his lovely mouth, he turns to his Bible with the stubborn will of A Good Man and tries to ignore the insistent throbbing between his legs. And he can manage it, at least for a while.

- But then one night, he walks in on Armand praying on his knees and he walks up to tell the boy to go on home because it’s late and he should get some sleep, and the boy looks up from where he’s kneeling and says in a small voice, cheeks blushing; “I can’t, father. I’ll have sinful thoughts when I’m trying to sleep, I need to pray first.”

- And Marius offers he can help Armand with these thoughts, if Armand is willing to learn how to be a proper man of God.

- Nothing gets Marius more worked up than the idea of Armand calling him ‘ Father’ when they’re getting dirty together, it drives him feral

Alors… as Armand once told David Talbot; “Look, I’m deranged x”

* English is not my first language so apologies if there are some typos. Edit: I can’t believe I forgot the word “not” in the previous sentence for DAYS I have No Brains

[janeway-lover]

Dying is nothing like going to sleep. Except for the part where you open your eyes.

Abby knew that would happen, knew there was something after death. She hadn't been looking forward to it by any means, but she knew it would happen.

She hadn't been expecting this, though. An office, decorated in deep reds and dark neutrals. It looked almost like Linda's office, if it had been mixed with her dad's aesthetic. That was, of course, when it clicked.

"Oh, damn it. Hell? Really?" No one answers her; the room is empty, other than her. She paces, back and forth, until the door opens, and a woman steps into the room.

"Sorry, I'm late, my last appointment ran a little long. I'm Doctor Ramirez, I'm sure you have lots of questions."

"Not really. I know where I am." The therapist looks surprised.

"You - you do?"

"Oh, yeah. Hell's pretty identifiable, you know." Abby shrugs. "I'm not happy about it, by any means, but I know what's going on."

"Well. Okay then. Let's get started, shall we?"

"No, no, you misunderstood me. I know what's going on, I'm not going along with it." She paces some more, then stops. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm being rude, aren't I?” The other woman nods. “Sorry about that. I need to make a call; can I borrow your phone?”

“I can’t - you’re not allowed to do that, unfortunately.”

“Hmm. I thought you might say that.” She paces more, trying to think. All of a sudden, a tremor runs through the entire office, through the entirety of Hell, in fact. “Oh, there he is. That didn’t take long.”

“What - do you know what that was?” Abby nods.

“My father is looking for me, and unless you want him to tear this whole place apart, I need to borrow your phone.” With shaking hands, the woman hands over her phone.

“It’s only set up to call the office. You won’t be able to call…whoever your father is.” Abby just shrugs as she dials the only number saved in the phone.

“I can work with that.” The phone rings, and rings, and keeps ringing. “Pick up the damn phone,” she says under her breath. She doesn’t have her powers anymore - she’s dead, after all - but the secret to getting things to work in Hell has nothing to do with miracles and everything to do with confidence.

“Listen, I do not have time to get you whatever it is you need,” a voice on the other end of the call says. “Satan is currently on a rampage looking for who knows what -“

“He’s looking for me,” she says, smoothly interrupting. “And if you’d like him to stop looking for me, you’re going to tell him where I am.”

“You’re not Doctor Ramirez.”

“No, I’m not. I’m Abigail Morningstar.” There’s a gasp on the other end of the call, followed by muffled muttering.

“Okay, well, how exactly do you want us to let him know, hmm? It’s not like I can transfer this call to him.”

“I know you have spotlights. Make a damn BatSignal or something. Or send whoever your boss is to let him know where I am, because I know that you are not the one in charge and that you can trace this call.” There’s silence for a moment. Abby just waits.

“It’s not a BatSignal if it’s not summoning Batman.”

“Of course, my apologies. I take it we’re going with a DevilSignal, then?”

“I hate you.”

“You’re not the first. And don’t worry, I won’t tell him you said that.” She hangs up on the sound of sputtering, then hands the phone back to the therapist. “Thank you so much, ma’am.” Another tremor shakes the room; it’s stronger this time.

”Did you say they’re sending the Devil here?”

“Yep.” She sits down on the couch, keeping her eyes on the door. “He might look a bit…on edge when he gets here, but really, he’s a big softie. Also a massive nerd.”

“The Devil?”

“Ma’am, you work in Hell, why are you surprised?”

“I’ve never met him! They told me he was retired!”

“Oh, yeah, that’s because he is. I imagine he’s just very upset about the fact that I ended up Down Here.”

Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear. The door to the office slams open, revealing one very angry, very red, very demonic-looking Lucifer Morningstar.

“Abby.”

“Hi, Dad. You can put the horns away, you know, I’m fine, really.” She would have kept rambling, but she’s cut off by her father pulling her into a hug as his demonic features melt away.

“You’re okay. You’re okay, right?”

“Other than being dead, yeah.” Lucifer pulls back from the hug and gives her a Look. “What, it’s true!”

“You weren’t in Heaven, I checked.”

“You - you thought I’d be in Heaven?” Her voice suddenly seems so small. "You looked for me?"

"Well, of course I did, sweetheart. I certainly didn't want you to end up Down Here."

"Oh. I - I didn't mean to come here." She avoids looking at Lucifer, and he frowns. (At her desk, Dr. Ramirez is frantically scribbling something on her notepad.)

"I don't think many people plan to come to Hell. Father knows you've given me plenty of heart attacks coming Down Here before, but I doubt that was your plan this time." She still doesn't look at him. "Are you quite sure you're alright, Abby?"

"Yeah, of course I am. When am I not alright?"

"Child, I know you are aware that I can sense lies. Try again."

"I'm fine, really." He raises an eyebrow and her resolve crumbles. "I - I don't want to be stuck Down Here forever and I'm sorry for letting you down and I didn't even mean to end up here and -"

Once again, Lucifer cuts off her rambling by pulling her into a hug. She clings to him, still unwilling to cry.

"Oh, Abby. Did you think I was going to leave you here?"

"I - what?"

"I came Down Here to get you, I thought that was rather obvious. Especially considering how I came in."

"But...isn't that against the rules?"

"Just appreciate the nepotism for once, please. Hell still listens to me, and I say we're getting you out of here. Now, come on." He gestures to the door.

"Oh, okay." She waves to Dr. Ramirez as she heads out the door. "Uh, thanks for letting me borrow your phone!" The therapist waves back, confused.

"One more thing," Lucifer says. "Whatever you were writing down? I'd suggest getting rid of it."

"Of course, sir," she stammers. He flashes her a grin before following Abby.

(Shout out to Ro, who singlehandedly changed the course of this by saying that Luci would definitely just drag Abby out of Hell.)

[chocotonez]

“bad day?” (txt)

a/n: hopefully the self indulgence isn’t obvious in this one </3, also thank you so so so much for 250+ followers! it’s absolutely mind boggling that I’ve gotten so much support, I’m so happy to know that many people enjoy my writing! I’m so incredibly thankful to have so many amazing people support me :)

warnings: cussing, crying, txt is comforting u after a bad day, reader can’t express their feelings in kai’s, listened to lizzo while writing this so it’s not that sad

yeonjun

-immediately realizes something’s off the second you open the door to your apartment

-he was there 2 bring you dinner and he honestly wasn’t even planning on staying but your ~~vibes~~ were just TOO off!!

-becomes a private investigator, probably subtly checks your private social media stories to see if you complained about anything during the day and not so subtly brings it up

-“hahaha so any weird peers that pissed you off because-“

-realizes you probably just want comfort and is like oh don’t worry bb <3

-I think he’ll say “chill” in that GRATING ABSOLUTELY MONTONE DEADPAN PATRONIZING tone the first few times there were bad bumps in ur relationships but over time he learns to comfort u and how to best communicate w u :]

-lets you rant and listens, never gives you unprompted advice and likes to make stupid innuendos to make u feel a teensy weensy bit better

-needs to see you at least smile once

-will hold and rock you in his arms while you sob your heart out, cooing and playfully calling you his baby

-says he’s not a simp but will run to the nearest convenience store because you wanted a specific snack and he just wants to make his baby happy <3

-even if no problems were fixed, as long as you go to sleep happy, satisfied, and okay, he’s okay <3

soobin

-I feel like he texts you in regular intervals during the day asking if ur okay, so he knows before u get home because you spent your whole lunch break ranting about your day :0

-manages to SCRAMBLE home b4 you to run a hot bath (after nearly breaking down in a self care store because how the hell were there so many options for a bath bomb), make dinner (he heated up takeout), and some flowers from the local grocery store <2

-it meant the world to you though, you got to cry in a bathtub while eating takeout and complaining to Soobin about how horrible everything is and u just wanna curl up in a ball and like cry

-he’s nodding and listening the whole way through, offers advice and reassurance, he’s no therapist but he somehow helps talk you through ever incoherent sad thought u have

-he’s very grounding as well, if he recognizes you’re overreacting he’ll try to like…make you think straight LMAO

-he’s so…comforting….he can just sit there and you’ll feel okay around him, it’s one of his best traits.

-lets u hold Odi or shows you cute odi pics if ur rlly sad, talks about the stupid shit beomgyu did today, he wants you to think of happy things, he doesn’t want you to sit on a problem 4 too long

-once it’s fixed, put it behind you! he’ll do everything to get you out of ur little rut, the light at the end of the tunnel <3

-sobbing. he probably sends motivational gifs like the dork he is </3

-once you’re both in bed and u thank him for being the best boyfriend in the world, he’ll just kiss the crown of your head and hold you closer

-he’ll take on any problem with you, for you

beomgyu

-dawg doesn’t even realize ur upset and accidentally pokes a bit too far

-he’s kinda sensitive and he notices u came home very resigned and quiet, so he worries he didn’t something wrong or ur ignoring him, so he kinda annoys you by poking and tickling u until u literally start crying and he feels like the worst boyfriend ever

-immediately cradles u and is panicking wondering what to do and he’s just like “I’m so sorry baby, I’m sorry, are you okay? Did something happen? Was it me?”

-wikihow 2 comfort ur romantic partner is the first thing in his search history tbh

-once he realizes thank god it wasn’t him who made you cry, just a bad day, he is here to save the day!! he pops on your favorite show/movie, gets your snacks, and holds u all close and snuggly till you fall asleep

-if you want to talk, he suggests going on a walk. he’ll hold your hand the entire time, or he’ll find a playground and you two will sit on the swings while u let it all out

-he wants you to feel heard, but he mainly just wants to see u smile, so he’ll do his best to take your mind off it. he’ll play games w u, tell you stupid stories, make dumb jokes, etc etc…

-he’ll stay up all night w u until you feel better, except he might accidentally fall asleep during an episode of your favorite show and when you wake him up he’ll be like “I was awake the whole time!! tf!!”

-sigh. what a loser (endearingly)

-at the end of the day, all he wants is for you to completely forget about your day and just focus on having a super great rest of your night!

taehyun

-he’s very emotionally intelligent, so not only does he pick up on it, he works to fix it almost immediately

-he’s kinda pushy but in a healthy way, doesn’t let you run from your problems especially if you can fix them

-but he knows when he needs to push you and when he needs to just lie stagnant with you, reassures u it’s okay to sit on your problems, you have time! use it!

-lays on the floor with you and lets u rant and cry, you don’t really have the energy to climb to the couch and he doesn’t wanna force you any more than necessary

-“man, you will not believe what this bitch said to me, she said-“ and he’ll back you tf up “what did that bitch say??”

-but he’s kinda mean and will make u recognize when you’re being the problem, but he’ll always side w you if that makes sense?? Like, he’ll tell you that you’re the one causing trouble, but he’ll also be like “that’s ok tho bb you deserve the world”

-at some point he just picks u up and drops you on the bed, helps you change n stuff, and just holds you. it’s comforting and quiet, but his hugs r healing I swear

-rubs soothing circles into your back and strokes your hair, the sound of your heartbeat lulling you to sleep, GAWD youve reached true peace

-tells you that everything will be okay rather than everything is okay cuz he recognizes problems in the moment like that </3 love him

-also if ur NOT the problem and that coworker Vanessa is causing problems he will not hesitate to shit talk someone he’s never met!!

-but at the end of the day, he’s just this big supportive rock you can always lean on

-he reminds you he’s always there for you, even when you’re being a little bit silly teehee

hyuka

-kinda suspects something’s up but doesn’t want to push you, he gets that some people need their space. but when it’s starting to interfere with your night routine and you keep shooting down all his attempts at asking if ur okay, it’s time to bring out the big guns

-there are no big guns. he just wants you to feel safe enough to talk, and if you don’t want to talk because you a.) don’t know how to express itself or b.) you don’t want to, he’ll still comfort you

-but like, casually…yknow? sends you funny tik toks, cuddles you 10x more, brushes your hair for you, etc…But it doesn’t feel patronizing, not from him

-kai just has this angel energy so it doesn’t feel like he’s pitying you, it just feels like you’re having a fun night :>, he’ll do clay face masks w u and paint ur nails and gossip about the latest news, let’s you cuddle any one of his plushies and kisses you all over ur face because you look adorable

-if you feel ready to talk, then ok! he’s here to listen! probably not the best at giving advice, but he really makes it a point to make you feel heard at least. he wants you to know he’s there for you, even if he kinda struggles w it :,)

-at the end of ur extra fun night, he’ll reassure you and tell you how much he loves you, he hopes all this will give u a base for a better day tmrw

-falls asleep holding you tight, giving you lazy kisses from time to time

-he just wants you to feel loved and happy <3

[livin-like-larry413]

I am also a former supporter but I took time off this weekend to speak to a therapist cos it also fucked me up and to actual friends who work in the field of both healthcare and law enforcement. They IMMEDIATELY mentioned HIPAA laws that would result in both jailtime and hefty fines for any health care or crisis worker "breaking laws" to access this "military database" which doesn't exist - and also pointed out after I showed them sheheal's blog that no crisis worker worth their salt would insert + elevate themselves in this process the way sheheal claimed to be - and the final straw which enraged my actual licensed therapist friend is even making the initial offer to "DM people the family's contact to verify" this - offering strangers on the internet a supposedly grieving veteran's family's contact so people could believe SHEHEAL was legit? prioritizing her reputation over care?

I was chagrined and since then shutting up and clowning myself really for jumping to put my heart over my brain.

next time I'll use both and I hope you do too.

Taking time away and seeking therapeutic help is honestly the best step that anyone can take in situations like this, no matter what end of the road that you come from or are even just a bystander. This is an emotion driven situation no matter what, so I’m happy you’re in a better place, relatively, and I hope you continue to find your peace. That’s all that matters in the end. And for reference, I do use the “general, you” when speaking, so I’m not singling you out, anon, I’m just speaking to an invisible audience. I hope you’re feeling better.

And on the whole “how” they got all this information and their “crisis work”—If you know what to look for, and honestly, a lot of people don’t cause they just don’t know the information and that’s okay, it’s very obvious to see where they lie and where they pull lies from to be more likely to be taken seriously. I’m also old enough and have been in my own set of career fields to be able to spot a HIPPA violation from the start, which was also an obvious thing to see if you know where to look, but here’s the thing—I don’t care if she lied about how she got the information. Who they are will always be a mystery because no matter what they says and who they says they are, no one will ever be fully convinced because it started from a lie.

The lie could be the crisis work in itself, and wanting to be taken seriously in their investigation—it could be a relative that Myka reached out to after going offline, a hurt relative at that if she has indeed taken her life—we don’t know. It’s in a Schrödinger’s box right now, because of the nature that being online creates. You don’t truly know who someone is until you’re given vital information on them and their life, and this situation? We don’t know who sheheals is. Is them being hurt and lashing out appropriate right now? Maybe not if they’re not close to Myka. But if they are, then absolutely they’re allowed to be upset.

And honestly—I just don’t care for the reason, because that’s not the issue at hand that people are losing site of. The issue is people misusing their internet privileges to act immature online and spout whatever first comes to their mind without thinking of the consequences of saying these things. No matter what happened, or what is going to happen, people need to STOP for a minute and just think. Word have always had the power to influence, it’s why they’re more effective than actions most of the time, because they have an impact. People die from these impacts, no matter what, and no matter who you say it to.

People will lie about anything and everything, but it’s always for a reason. We don’t know it, and can only speculate the reason, because something else: no matter what’s said now, everyone that was involved can be thrown the “Well, why should I believe you?” line for various reasons. And that sucks. It’s become such a needlessly convoluted situation that it’s past the point of “Person A said something that incited [this] reaction, Person B said something vilifying and wrong to Person A for it—this had an unfortunate butterfly affect that unknowingly formed a witch hunt on Person A that no one was really predicting to happen”

Except, I will say—they should have predicted it. This has happened enough in this singular fandom in the last barely 3 years of it being heavily active, that they should have seen something like this happening when they chose to be cruel. If I, someone who has never interacted with this fandom, was able to see the state of it from afar and hear about everything that happens here from the grapevine, and then be able to see the extent of it myself in my own research, that is a dastardly huge issue of massive proportions.

People are refusing to accept that fact, because they either don’t see it as that big a deal, or they feel horrible for taking part in it, but don’t want to face the consequences of what has happened. You can feel bad about causing a butterfly effect that ends horrible, you are allowed to be sorry, and feel responsible if that’s how you chose to see it, but to ignore it and then turn around and continue to attack an account that you “suspect” to be an alt isn’t the appropriate response. Unless you start pulling illegal spyware out from your pocket and reverse search every single blog that you suspect to be Myka in disguise’s IP, that is, but I doubt people will go that far just to be proven right. (I will eat my entire house if that ends up happening, and then refer back to everything I’ve just said here, because honestly what the fuck)

There is unfortunately racism in every community you find, no matter what, there’s always going to be someone creating an echo chamber of their own racist values who draw other racists in with them, but my god—the entire point of this whole string of threads is people not including POC characters into every interaction and every text meme is not the end of the world and it’s not racist. Calling someone racist as just a tag line and being a nasty individual to someone for not including POC to every single post they make is unrealistic and a form of harassment, because guess what? It’s never racist to have a headcanon that excludes POC, until the headcanon is a fundamentally racist one. That’s the only time it should be called out for what it is, but any other time, when it’s inconsequential like a stupid NSFW shitpost, is not.

This fandom has seen it happen time and time again, and that’s the point that people are still seeming to miss whenever I look up what other people are saying: Calling someone “racist”, or “a pedo” (If you remember Inquisitor) or any other type of label that has no basis of being truthful (remember, like Inquisitor), simply for the reason that they made something you didn’t like, that you could very much make yourself in response—you know what you’re doing. You know, in some way, you’re painting a target on someone’s back that doesn’t deserve it, simple because you’re mad. And that is such a shitty and irresponsible thing to do.

I know the people who unintentionally started this mess by doing so in the first place have apologized, however weakly or heartfelt they were, because there was two different ways they all apologized or haven’t apologized—I’ve seen both, and I’m gonna say it again for them specifically—because the last thing I want is to be misconstrued and have my words be overlooked when I say it: they should not have been sent death threats or harassed for what has happened either. No matter what issue arises, or what event takes place, death threats, harassment and other forms of torment are never appropriate.

Should they have known better? Sure, but they don’t control other peoples actions. They can’t control the people that make their own witch hunts and drive away the creators that these bloggers have beef with, just like they don’t control what people do or how people chose to respond to their cruel words. They’re not blameless, but they also aren’t in control of anyone but themselves. Because guess what death threats and harassment can lead to?

I’m so inclined to believe Myka’s passing because I’ve seen it in my real life, not just online. Situations just like this, over fandom drama that gets over inflated and taken way out of proportion until someone ends up passing away. It’s a very real and raw thing, and being on any end of this situation is gut wrenching. Guilt and shame are on both sides; guilt for starting it up, guilt for not being there to stop Myka and help her, shame for being so loose with cruel words, shame for not being so free with comfort. It’s complex, and some people are frustratingly content to keep it from being as complex as it is.

There are no sides to this, no matter what people will try to lead you to believe. At the end of the day, a life has been lost, and people still want a drama show from it.

[drdemonprince]

You want to cultivate an image of yourself as overly extended and struggling to prioritize the many expectations you’re facing — because that is, in fact, true. Don’t over explain, and do not apologize. Remember that your decisions are not subject to other people’s emotional reactions, and practice standing firm even when the other person gets upset and you feel distress.

Being in trouble is a fake idea. Just state the fact that you are not available, and trust that other people can strategize their own ways of seeking help. Some example scripts for you:

“It sounds like you’re really distressed. I can’t talk right now, but if you want to get how you’re feeling out on paper, I could read an email about it later this week.”

“I’m not comfortable talking about this subject anymore.”

“This subject is too heavy for me to process, with all that’s been going on in my life. Can we talk about something lighter, or watch a movie instead?”

“Sorry, I can’t make it! I have so much going on, it’s really been tough.”

“I don’t think I have anything else helpful to say about this situation. You know what I think about your boyfriend.”

“…” [No response is also a response! And an indicator of your priorities!]

The great thing about resetting expectations in this way is that sometimes it will inspire certain friends to show up for you more. Some people may have gotten so used to your seemingly effortless therapizing that the fact you’ve got your own problems simply hadn’t occurred to them before.

[honeybeezgobzzzzz]

𓅨 Your Fate is Sealed With Mine: Chapter Twenty

Your Fate is Sealed With Mine: Y/N Burgess is the granddaughter of Alex and Paul, and after having spent so many summers at their manor and always wondering why she was forbidden from entering the basement, she descends the steps into the world of the Order. She broke out the being that had been trapped in that glass cage, but what does he want with her now that he is free?

Warnings: Language, Reader Misunderstands Something and Doesn’t Give Matthew a Chance to Explain, The Bond Messes With Reader’s Emotions, More Therapist Matthew, Matthew Get’s Stressed Out Because His People Are Idiots in Love (Who Also Won’t Have A Proper Conversation About How They Feel).

To Note: Morpheus/Dream x Female!GranddaughterReader, based on Netflix’s ‘The Sandman’, Reader now has long-ish hair for plot reasons (Just so Morpheus can tug on it later). 

Word Count: ~2.2k

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You’d have thought that the hurt, rejection, and pain from the ruined dream would have haunted you into your waking hours upon waking up. But no, you felt numb inside and had very little to say to Morpheus as he prepared to retrieve his ruby. You hadn’t even the energy to tease or taunt him, nor did you feel like being spiteful for his actions. Morpheus was simply being Morpheus. Cold. Distant. Uncaring. The sooner you learned that the better off you would be. Starving for you be damned, you couldn’t let him play with your emotions like that! So when dawn broke and it was time to rise from the bed you were cocooned in, you didn’t. 

Matthew pulled the curtains back to reveal the grey foggy skies of London as he had previous mornings, but still, you remained in place. Several minutes went by without you moving from your spot like you normally would. That’s when he fluttered over to stand on the bedsheets in front of your face. 

“Ma’am?” His voice softly asked, Matthew’s head cocking to the side as he eyed you. You lifted your tired, red-ringed eyes to him. “Are you feeling okay? Usually, you’re up by now…”

“I’m—“ Not fine, you knew that much. You sighed and leaned further into the pillow. “I don’t feel like getting out of bed right now, Matthew.” 

“What did he do this time?” Matthew questioned, hitting the nail on the head. You didn’t even have the energy to respond with ‘what doesn’t he do?’. So you stayed quiet, your hand worming its way from the cocoon of blankets to grasp the ruby that still hung from your neck. Now that you had settled things with Lucifer, there was no point in wearing it. Not when Morpheus made it clear how he felt about you. You tugged on it. Ignoring the pain of the metal pressing into your skin, you pulled until the clasp broke and proceeded to chuck it away from you. It fell to the floor and skittered away. Matthew jumped in place, his head swiveling after the ruby. Matthew trotted closer and picked at the sheet partially covering your face, tugging it away. “Ma’am…”

“I really just don’t want to get up, Matthew. Please, leave.” His head moved side to side. 

“Yeah, I’m not doing that, whatever happened upset you. I know Lord Morpheus has been a little difficult lately—“

“Difficult?” You repeated, your eyes boring into Matthew’s small black ones. “He can’t make up his damn mind about me… and here I thought human men were difficult creatures to understand! I am not a toy to be played with! I have feelings that can be hurt and he most certainly done so!!”

“I can’t excuse his behavior,” Matthew told you, bending his legs and settling down on the mattress in front of you. It was an odd sight and you almost felt like smiling at the raven now sitting on the bed. You couldn’t bring yourself to. “He means well but we both know that he isn’t the best with words or consideration… or woman in general.”

“That would be an understatement.” You whispered, your nose twitching from the burn of unshed tears. You hated that one streaked down your cheek in front of the raven. Matthew ruffled his wings against his back, clearly uncomfortable with how upset you were. How could his boss have messed things up that quickly!? Hadn’t you two just started getting along? “I thought we were making ground with each other, you know, learning to deal with the bond and each other… but he ended up acting like I was poison in his mouth. Like the very thought of us actually getting along was repulsive.”

“No, no, Y/N, he doesn’t find you repulsive.” Matthew protested. You shook your head against the pillow and closed your eyes. 

“Look, Matthew, you said he’s got a consort, right? You said that in hell. I don’t care if he’s got a consort or even a queen in his realm waiting for him. We’re stuck together until the end of time, we— we need to get along with each other. We can’t do that if he keeps jerking my heart around like it’s on a leash. I deserve better than that, even if I am second to his consort.” 

“What!?” Matthew said in alarm. Holy shit he really had fucked things up in one night! “No! No, no, no, no, no. That’s not— Y/N, he doesn’t hav—“ 

You reached forward and dropped your fingers over his beak, indicating that you wanted him to remain silent. 

“This bond is tearing me apart at the seams, Matthew. I just need to learn how to get over the emotions I can’t control, so let’s drop this conversation. I beg you.” Matthew visibly deflated where he sat snuggled against the rumpled bedsheets. You were already giving up? Even after you had charged your way into hell and sassed the legit devil, just for Morpheus? A few tense seconds went by. 

“If that’s what you want, ma’am… but Lord Morpheus, he needs to explain some things to you about your position within The Dreaming.” You snorted softly. 

“If he ever finds the heart too.” You whispered, wondering if the Endless even had one. 

You and Gregory couldn’t keep the looks of mirth and mischief off your faces as he climbed into the sky, your teenage body perched atop his back. Cain and Abel had long since tried discouraging your fun and antics, but now that you were grown, your proclivity for adventure had only gotten more intense. Wings flapping to gain altitude, Gregory soared over a field of multi-colored flowers and you peered down at them. The Dreaming always looked the best from the skies. 

Your hair flowed behind you from the strong wind and you were thankful to have it pulled back because the last time you flew with the gargoyle and your hair wasn’t tied up? You ended up with a mouthful of strands. Lesson well learned and you hadn’t made that mistake again. Gregory soared to a height where he could glide and looking over his other side, you caught sight of the dark ocean Cain and Abel had given you plenty of warnings about. It was a place of dreams and past, waters that were governed much like the land, by the King of The Dreaming. The sea held dark secrets which most people wanted to stay buried and you hadn’t once dared to go near it. You were young, yes, but not stupid.

Your eyes lifted to the carpet of green on the other side, nature and life bloomed vigorously in the Fiddler’s Green. You were always envious of the variety. The House of Mysteries and the House of Secrets had lovely gardens, taken well care of by Cain and Abel, but nothing they did compared to the extravagance of the Fiddler’s Green. Gregory angled himself down to a clearing full of flowers in full bloom, coasting down in a spiral that gave you plenty of time to look for the best spot for a picnic. Hopping off of Gregory’s back as he neared the ground, you trotted forwards to find the best place to set up, kicking your shoes off to test out the soft grass underfoot. 

You stamped around, using your toes to find the softest grass and when you did, you conjured up a gingham blanket and laid it out. You kneeled down and clapped your hands together, thinking of all the best foods for a nice picnic. A tingling feeling ran through your body and upon opening your eyes, you saw a full spread with Gregory sitting on his hind, drooling over the Cornish pasties sitting on a platter right in front of him. You chuckled and gave the gargoyle a look. 

“I don’t think Cain and Abel would like it if I let you overstuff yourself on the pasties, Gregory, you know what happened last time you did so.” You chided him, watching as his ears drooped in disappointment. Your face softened. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t have one or two…” He perked right up, tail wagging. Stretching forwards, you grabbed one of the pasties and flung it in the air right in front of Gregory’s snout. He snapped it up in happiness. While you started nibbling on a biscuit, someone called overhead. 

“Yoohoo!” At hearing the call, you looked up to see Fashion Thing, or as you had called her since childhood, Fashie. Fashie liked to ride around on her broom, a drink in hand, singing off-key to song. She dropped from the sky and landed near you, lurching a bit and telling you that she had-had perhaps one too many drinks before she even decided to hop on her broom. 

“Have you been drinking and flying again, Fashie?” You asked, leaning back on your shins to eye the witch-like creature. Her swaying told you that she was indeed drunk already. You sighed. “I told you not to do that! What if you crash!?”

She waved off your concerns. 

“You know I fly better drunk!” Fashie then took another drink from her cup, crimson liquid dribbled down her chin. You eyed it, long having since learned that you probably didn’t want to know what was in her cup. Fashie stumbled over, sloppily patting Gregory on the shoulder as he happily beamed at her. Then she dropped down adjacent to you. “Ooh! I do love a good Eccles cake!” She started munching on one, crumbs sticking to the places her drink had slipped down her chin. Fashie beamed at you. “You do know how to conjure the best food in the realm!” 

You were the only one who could conjure food in the realm, so her words didn’t count for much. But it was nice that you could provide something for your friends when you depended on them so much here. They had looked after you ever since you stumbled into this place and you ought to return the favor when you could. Reaching for the thermos of tea, you poured yourself a cup of tea and dipped your half-eaten biscuit into the liquid. Fashie started rambling on about her latest adventures, most of which involved drinking and whatever she did as The Mad Yuppie Witch. She didn’t tell you a lot about what she did and you had a feeling that’s because it wasn’t exactly child appropriate. Not that you were a child, but most of the residents in The Dreaming had known you since you were very young and still treated you as such. 

“So my darling sweet, how did you get out here? Surely the brothers wouldn’t allow you to fly out here. Much too dangerous.” She had a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. You looked at her over your cup of tea and smiled. Fashie started to cackle. “Oh, you naughty thing! You flew out here by yourself!? My, my, you and Gregory are such partners in crime aren’t you.” 

Gregory let out a happy trill at being mentioned and gave the Cornish pasties another mournful look. You grabbed them and made them disappear, not wanting to torture the poor gargoyle when all they would do was upset his stomach. He let out a huff at you, clearly displeased by your motherly actions. 

“I’ll not have you sick from eating too many pasties!” You chided him, Gregory made a noise in the back of his throat, between a whimper and a growl. The gargoyle even had the gall to start pouting at you! Rolling your eyes, you turned to address Fashie once more. “Where have you traveled lately?” 

“I’ve been exploring The Land, there are plenty of people to meet,” Fashie answered, waving her polished nails over her cup. The red liquid inside rose to the brim once more. She drained the cup and refilled it. “I’ve also been crossing realms, meetings up with a few clients. I do have to make my living now don’t I?” 

“I don’t think I want to know what you do for a living, Fashie.” She nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders and reached for another Eccles cake. You shook your head and looked at the sky overhead. The bright, sunny day was slowly being overcome with chaotic dark clouds, blotting out the sun and everything you loved about Fiddler’s Green. Lowering your tea cup, you blinked as a speck of rain fell on your cheek. You lifted your hand and brushed the wet skin, looking at your fingers. It never rained in Fiddler’s Green. It never needed to. The plants flourished on their own, never needing to be fed or nourished. You lifted your eyes to look at Fashie as more droplets fell from above, soaking the food you had conjured and diluting your cup of tea. 

In seconds it was pouring, drenching everything and ruining the idyllic picnic and beautiful day. You sat in shock, not knowing what to do, or why this was happening. Fashie reached over and took your hand. 

“Y/N, I believe you should return to the House of Secrets. Take shelter there.” Rain slipped down your worried face as you nodded at her and rose to your feet. You and Gregory were quick to get into the air. 

Date Published: 10/21/22

Last Edit: 8/17/23

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