#also i have quite a few asks in my inbox right now so answers will take longer than usual !

[soaps-mohawk]

I'm going to be honest

I'm having a genuinely hard time making this post. I've been fighting with it for a couple weeks now, but I think it's time I finally make it.

I'm not having fun on this blog anymore.

It sounds bad, but honestly, it kind of is.

I think a lot of it started from the very beginning with the precedence and expectations I put on myself. I've always tried to respond to every comment I get. Even from the beginning. It's just a polite thing to do since those who leave comments took the time to write out what they think of my fic, even if it's just a keysmash. I've always felt the need to thank those who leave comments or reblog my writing or (now that tumblr has it) replied to my fics. It worked fine before because none of my fics were particularly popular. Even my most popular fic (at that time) didn't get as much attention as CRCB has. I've never had a "big blog" before, nor a fic as popular as CRCB has gotten.

It was fine at first, responding to everyone, engaging with everyone. I was riding that high of omg so many people are reading and enjoying my fic! I've never had anything quite like this before.

Now...it just feels more like a chore. I set this precedence on this blog that I respond to everyone and I know a lot of people have said that they're surprised I responded to them and to everyone, and now I'm getting why a lot of writers don't. I'm exhausted. I feel like I've just been robotically saying the same thing over and over trying to respond to people now. I used to love seeing asks in my inbox and reblogs and replies but now? All I feel is dread because I have to respond to all of those.

Turning anon off was a big help. It lessened the sheer volume of asks I was getting a day. And while I do feel bad for all of my anons who prefer to stay anons, with everything that happened (the multiple incidents) with anon that kind of started to suck the joy out of everything. That paired with the obsessive need to constantly have my inbox cleared and make sure everyone gets a response...I can understand now too why big blogs will have 200+ asks in their inbox. It's hard and it's exhausting and I'm burning out.

First it was the fic that was burning me out. Things have gone on far longer than I planned and I just wasn't prepared for this fic to go on and for a while there it was dragging. I'll admit that. If I could go back, I'd speed up a few things, but it's done, it's posted there's no going back. I kind of hoped I would have the mental capacity to upload more than once a week too, but I just couldn't. I still can't.

I've come to dread posting chapters because I know I'm going to have to reply and respond to everyone. The only thing keeping me posting is the fact that we're in the part of the story I've been excited about since the beginning and also because I keep leaving everyone on cliffhangers and I love torturing y'all with all of them.

So that being said, this is in no way to shame anyone for interacting with me, anyone leaving comments or replies or sending asks. Don't feel bad about doing it please. I appreciate all of you that have engaged with me and it really means so much to me. Honestly, earlier this year, if I didn't have this fic and everyone on this blog, I might not have made it to now. It's been a really rough year and it's still going to be into next year. It's just getting to the point where I need a break.

I've needed a break for a long time. I thought taking days off the blog would help, and it did for a couple of weeks, but now even on the days I'm supposed to be on the blog and engaging, I just find myself queueing stuff up and just being offline most of the day still.

I'm tired. That's the best reason I can give. I'm tired and burned out on life and I'm tired and burned out on this blog.

So...I think I need a break. I need to not keep responding to every single reply and reblog every chapter. I need to not force myself to answer every ask right away, no matter how much I want to. I feel bad, but I know everyone would rather have me here and enjoying the blog than forcing myself to interact to the point where I'm dreading it and just robotically repeating myself over and over with every reply and answer and comment.

I won't be pausing the fic, I won't be not uploading. I'll still be posting chapters, I just might not be interacting as much as I have been. It's just putting such a mental strain on me still, even with anon off, even with days off. And with things getting busier for me, it's going to be too much to try and deal with irl stuff and write and try to be super active on the blog. There's going to come a point where I have to sacrifice the writing or the blog and I'd rather sacrifice the blog to keep myself sane, and also to keep trying to finally get this fic done. I love this fic, don't get me wrong, but I'm just burning out.

I'm already burned out in a lot of ways.

I was planning kinktober this year but honestly I'm considering not doing it because I know interaction is going to be insane and it's going to be a lot to keep up on. Plus trying to write that many fics is hard and I'm not sure I have the ability to do it. I have a few done but now I'm just like...is that something I want to do on top of irl stuff and CRCB.

There's just no joy in it anymore. It's not anyone's fault but mine. I put the pressure on myself, I held myself to that standard for this long despite the fact I knew it was draining me. I've tried to push through when I should have prioritized myself. I feel so guilty not responding to everyone. I feel so guilty being a day or two late responding to everyone.

I want to be here and interacting and responding to things but I just can't bring myself to anymore. It's no one's fault, and this is not a drag on anyone, or an attempt to make anyone feel bad or guilty for interacting or sending asks or anything. I'm just airing out the truth and saying what I need to say because I feel like I've been so robotic and lifeless with my responses these last couple weeks and I feel like I need to explain why. It's nothing anyone has done. It's my fault. It's 100% my fault.

Things have just gotten to be too much and it's my fault for forcing myself to be so active. The social battery has dropped into the negatives. I'm not a social person. I can only handle so much interaction and I've pushed so far beyond that, that things have gotten to this point. I want to be here and I want to have fun and I want to use this as an escape but I just don't feel that way about it anymore. It's a chore for me, a job, something I feel like I have to do and it's my fault that I feel that way. It's my own standards and expectations I set on myself, and my expectations on what I think my followers want and deserve and now I feel like I've gone on too long like this that I can't change things without hurting anyone's feelings. I don't want people to think I'm ignoring them in favor of others because I know there's writers out there that do that. They only respond to a certain group and ignore others that comment and reblog. I don't want to make anyone feel like I'm doing that to them and that's now led me to here.

I'm forcing it and I'm tired.

It's been hard these last few weeks. The life has just been draining and draining continuously. The joy and the love I have for this blog and my followers and the interactions and the fic. The last anon bullshit that happened was just kind of the last nail in the coffin so to speak. The straw that broke the camel's back. Things stopped being fun. It made me feel bad (and not in the guilty way, though that was a part of it) and I'm honestly just over it. I'm over the blog, I'm over interacting, I'm over life at this point. August is a hard month for me and every year it seems to get worse and worse. A lot of it is unrelated to anything online and I was going to make a post about it but honestly I just don't want to. Those that know, know. Those that don't...it doesn't matter.

I'm getting annoyed by the blog, I'm getting annoyed every time I look in my notifications and see an ask or a reply or a comment. I'm getting annoyed by some of my followers and that's not fair to you. Everyone always talks about how nice and kind and patient I am when I'm really not. I'm not the person I present myself to be on this blog, the way I mask myself so I can present myself as being a normal, kind human being. The mask is coming off because I'm so tired I can't keep it up anymore. It's happening here and it's happening in real life. I'm tired and I'm frustrated and I'm angry at a lot of things and the last thing I want is to start taking it out on my followers. You don't deserve that, especially when it's not your fault, it's nothing any of you have done. It's all me.

It's not you, it's me.

So for the sake of not burning this whole thing to the ground, I'm going to take a break. I'm not replying to everyone, I'm not responding to every reblog, I won't reply to every ask I get right away, if at all because sometimes I just don't have anything to say in response and I need to learn that's okay. It's nothing against you. It's not aimed at anyone specifically, I'm just trying to put myself first and stop things from escalating. I need a break and I'm going to do something selfish and I'm going to take it.

Don't apologize because it's not your fault. Don't apologize because you think you might have contributed to this because you didn't. It is no one's fault but my own.

I'm the one that needs to apologize to all of you because I've just not been myself because I've been forcing myself to be someone I'm not. I've been very unfair to a lot of people over the last seven months that this blog has been active and I've held a precedent that is not sustainable in the long run and made everyone believe that I was capable of maintaining that kind of interaction when I'm not.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry I've been putting everyone through this. I'm sorry I've been so detached and robotic and ingenuine. I'm sorry I led everyone to believe I'm someone I'm not. I'm sorry I've dragged this on this long that it's gotten to the point that I have to make this post.

I considered just disappearing but that wouldn't be fair to you either. I don't want to put you through that, so I'm pouring all of my thoughts out and making you read through this fucking novel of a post. If you've made it this far, then congrats I guess. Gold metals to you who bothered reading this far.

Anyway, all of that aside, I'll still be posting chapters. I'll have them scheduled and I'll probably come on and add links places to keep things current. I'll respond and reply and answer asks when I feel like it. You don't have to stop sending them, but just don't expect them to be responded to right away anymore. I'll probably still be here reblogging things I want and doing things when I feel like it.

I just need a few weeks to myself. Time I don't have to care about the blog at all and keeping up with it. Anon will remain off for the sake of keeping asshole trolls away, and also so I don't open tumblr and have 200 asks in my inbox after a week. Sorry to my anons but it's just the way it needs to be right now. Maybe once this break is over and I've dealt with irl stuff, I'll consider putting it back on. I just can't after everything I dealt with recently on anon.

It'll be the same on Ao3, for those that follow here and read there. Comments will probably sit for a while. They won't be answered right away anymore unless I get the energy to burn through them. Even then I won't try to answer them all at once like I did this last weekend.

I'll try to reblog something every day so y'all know I'm alright. I don't want y'all to panic and it's not fair to put you through that, especially those that might not see this or bother reading it. Those that follow simply for the fic and nothing else. I'm here, I'm just not...here.

This week's chapter is in the queue to be posted tomorrow as usual. Chapters will still come out as planned since I'm not stopping writing, just taking a break from the blog itself.

Thank you those of you who stuck through to the end here. I appreciate all of you so much. You have no idea. I'm sorry I let things get to this point and I'm sorry to anyone that I've gotten rude or snappy with because I couldn't be selfish and put myself first. I'm sorry to anyone that got a robotic, repeated response to something they were probably excited to share. I'm sorry I've been so unfair to everyone and I hope you can forgive me.

Take care and I'll talk to everyone when I have the energy to.

[mxtantrights]

Jason as red hood dropping off lost animals at a shelter and being smitten by one of the volunteers?

a/n: thank you anon for sending this in I could marry you!!! love love love this idea and If you want more.. my inbox is open!! <33 I hope you like it, enjoy!!

You think you'll have a door just for him. Only he can go through it, only he would have the keys to it. And he could come by as he pleases.

Yeah.

It's late at night when he comes in. The bell over the front door rings out and takes you out of your late night work. You were filling up needles for the night crew and also filling out paper work from earlier in the day.

"I've got another one." he says.

You lay down the needle and jog over to the front door. Jason Todd walks in with a cat in his arms. It seems calm and unmoving. It's white fur dirty and a bit matted.

"Highway?" you ask.

You take out your flashlight and carefully look at her pupils. They dilate to the light and track it as your move it around. No signs of a concussion but a scan would really answer that question.

"Yeah, she was doing cars left and right. Didn't seem hurt but you usually do scans right?" He asks you.

You look up at him.

You nod your head, "Yeah I can do an ultra sound...do you mind staying?"

In that moment, you try to dissect the way he's looking at you. No, you didn't mean for it to come out like that. But you did mean to ask. He's the one that saved her from the highway. His presence could help her stay calm.

Jason clears his throat, "Yeah I can, I can stay. Sure."

"Okay, follow me."

-

The cat, who Jason is calling Ziggy, is resting peacefully in a pen on her own. You close the gate gently and lock it after. You turn and look at Jason now.

He's standing a few feet behind you with his arms crossed over his chest. A serious look on his face.

"You know sometimes, it's not always a bad story. Sometimes its a good one." you speak.

"A cat on a highway dodging cars is a good story?" he asks you.

You sigh, "I've had some come in this office with extensive injuries and they were dumped on the highway. In a bag or no bag. Just left to fend for themselves in a dangerous environment."

"How do you do it?" he asks.

"Me being here makes a difference. I'm here when someone like you shows up with an animal in need. You make a difference too Jason." you answer.

He shrugs his shoulders, "I'm just doing what I can."

"Which is more than most do. So give yourself some credit."

"I don't really do that." he says.

"Well, you keep coming around here I'll do it for you." you reply.

He doesn't really answer. He just hums a response. An approving and a quite silent hum. But a hum nonetheless. You smile at that.

You remember the first time he came here and dropped of a lost bird. He barely said more than four words to you. He told you about the bird and then he parted ways. You didn't expect to see him again but he keeps showing up.

And you want him to.

[heyhoeudoin]

do u have general kink hcs for aged up!karma akabane? :’> he’d be such a kinky bastard and i’m such a brat so i’m just over here like 👀

A FUN DISCOVERY

“Karma's Kinks...”

pairing: aged up!karma akabane x reader

words: 0.9k

genre/s: mature, MINORS DNI!

warning/s: swearing, kinks, sex, mentions of dick, no pronouns (unless i slipped)

synopsis: karma's kinks... plus you

masterlist

a/n: answering this before any of the other asks in my inbox right now is unfair (because i just got this the other day), but when i read karma akabane and kinks; something awoken in me. hope you're happy with this because i don't delve with anything sexual and this my first attempt (we ignore the deku's and shoto's headcanon; i wrote that sht when i was a dumbass).

karma akabane is one sadistic hot bastard and so i'm very sure that's a big part in his sexual desires. i also think this guy has a good amount of common kinks, but also has these specific wants during sex.

kinks i'm sure that he'd have:

bare backing (having anal or vaginal sex without a condom)

cum marking (letting a man's semen visibly dry on your skin or keeping a man's semen inside of you via plugs)

the feeling of him raw inside of you just makes it better for him. would he cum inside though? no because he'd rather see his cum sprayed all over you; on your face, on your stomach, on your back, on your ass... anywhere on you. just the image of it makes him all hard again.

begging kink (begging and pleading to have sex, for release/orgasm, to perform an act, etc.)

controlling orgasm (different from orgasm denial/delay because in this your partner gives you all the reasons to cum, but when you are close, they ask you to hold it which can get quite exciting if properly executed and done)

orgasm denial/delay aka edging (type of play where someone's orgasm is denied entirely, limited/ruined or delayed)

are you guys seeing my vision yet?

he loves it when you beg him to cum already. he loves to tease you and making you suffer relentlessly especially when it comes to you finally getting that sweet sweet release. when you tell him that you're about to finish, he suddenly stops all together and waits for a few seconds as you whine loudly to him.

karma loves hearing that whine come out of your mouth and that moan you make after he takes his entire dick out and pounds it back into your hole.

sadism (the kink for providing pain)

an obvious kink of his, but there's layers to it.

bitting (the act of bitting or nipping the skink whether it is to break skin or leave marks) or leaving marks in general

choking

degrader (like to degrade and humiliate their partner either by acting upon them in a degrading way or by forcing them to do things they consider degrading)

face slapping

rigger (likes to restrain their partners, either by physical item [cuffs, ropes, etc.] or instruction [known as mental bondage]. restraint can be full-body, or involve a single body part. bondage may include furnitures and devices)

spanking

he loves leaving marks on you, any kind of marking whether it'd be bites or a shit ton of hickeys. choking you while degrading you is one of his favorite things to do. also slapping your face, especially when you're giving him a blow job. your face turning red from the multiple slaps he'd given you. it makes it look like you're flustered. he also loves spanking your ass since every time he does, you'd make a moan.

but here's some next level sadism (in my opinion):

electric play (playing with electricity and tame shocks well above the lethal level)

wax play (playing with molten hot wax)

he definitely tried other types of plays, but these two are the ones he likes the most. he likes using electricity on your nipples because he loves to watch you bite your lip in pain and let out an airy moan once you get used to the pleasurable pain (he likes watching your nipples slowly perk up as well).

some times when he pounds you from behind, he'd hold a candle above your back and let the wax fall and land there. every time you fell a hot wax drip on your back, you'd arch your back further down and let out a cry of pain that then turns into pleasure.

loud moaning

being dominant

brat tamer

he likes being in control and touching you and making you scream which is why i think he wouldn't like voyeurism because he'd rather do you himself than watch.

public sex

here me out...

he loves to tease you right?

the biggest tease is him fucking you in public. works especially well if you work in the same building/company as him. the thrill of being in a public place where anyone could catch him pounding himself into you. you trying your best to scold him by saying "karma, we're in public!" but ultimately gets shut up by his mouth and/or dick.

that type of excitement; he just can't get enough of it.

and then a kink that i'm not sure he'd have, but it'd be pretty fitting if he did:

crying ("i love to see you cry")

i think that once you start crying either from begging or from something else, he'd fuck you like there's no tomorrow.

crying would be his ultimate turn on (and i'd be fucking terrified).

the first time you cried is when karma tried hot wax on you for the first time (only because you weren't a masochist yet) (yet because karma made you into a masochist).

he watched the wax melt off of the candle and drop onto your exposed back. you cried in pain as your reflexes took over and you flipped yourself onto your back. you stared at karma with tears threatening to fall out of your eyes.

"what the fuck was that?" you asked with a shaky breath as a tear rolled down your cheek.

karma blinked owlishly. then, in a quick second, he hooked his arms under your legs and slammed your back against the wall. his hands flat against the wall, pushing you against it as much as he can. he slammed his dick back inside you and pounded in devilish speed (you cried a bit more, which just fueled him a lot).

let's just say it lasted until the next morning.

masterlist

a/n: i'm very shocked with how this turned out. i actually quite like what i wrote here.

[lowkeyremi]

hey hey! May I ask for a choso x fem!reader in where user is also like choso—a half curse; but she’s stronger than choso.

Thank you if you do this and have a great day <33

Mysteries choso x fem!reader

note: of course, lovely!! choso is always welcomed in my inbox!!!! also i'm not sure if this is what you wanted i hope this is okay :)

content: reader is a little bit cocky, but choso is down for that, getting together, fluff

The first time you two crossed paths it wasn't a big deal. You were headed to see some old friends and he was headed to see his brother. That first time you saw him he was at the mall with his brother. You couldn't help but stare because he stuck out like a sore thumb, in an attractive kind of way though.

This time though, you're walking down a busy street when he bumps into you and keeps walking like he hasn't just almost knocked you down.

"Uh excuse me?" You wasted no time catching up to him, once you realized it was him it gave you an excuse to talk to him.

"Huh?" He asks not even sparing you a glance. There was something about this guy that just struck him as odd.. he definitely isn't a human. At least you don't think he is.

The man in question is a bit taller than you are, his shoulders stiff and he's even hunching a little bit. Wanting to get a better look at him you pull him down an alleyway, which causes him a little bit of shock.

"How did you-"

"You're not human, are you?" The question that's been plaguing your mind for only a few seconds finally surfaces. Something in your brain screams, "jeez let the guy breath before you harass him with questions!"

His eyes widen giving you his answer but he avoids your question by asking the one he was previously going to ask, "How did you pull me with such little force?"

"Training. Answer my question." It causes him to wonder, just what are you?

"You're not human either." He accuses, which is true...

"For your information I am half human. My father was a curse." You respond with sass and the man in question stares at you wondering if he should tell you what he's thinking.

"I'm half human too.. I haven't met many like me. My father was a curse.. well rather taken over by a curse and it's what created me."

You both stare at each other for a while in awe at being one in the same. People passing the alley might think you two are crazy or homeless but what does it matter?

"Well Mr. half and half, what's your name?" He raises a brow, a question already at the tip of his tongue, "What's yours?"

"I asked first!" And while it's true, this man is quite stubborn. "I won't tell you mine until you tell me yours." His voice is lower than before. It's obvious that he is trying and failing to intimidate you. Maybe if you were any other person you'd be scared but you find it adorable how he scowls at you because it looks more like a pout.

"Fine. I'm [name], who are you?" You place a hand on your hip and the guy finally decides to answer after a long exhale.

"I'm Choso." You wait for him to continue but he doesn't. He just stares at you and you stare at him.

"Well... uh. I'll be going now." Your brain starts to panic as he walks away so on instinct you grab his wrist and pull him toward you with so much force it causes him to fall on top of you.

"Uh.... sorry. I forget how to control my power sometimes.." The wild wide eyed look he's giving you makes you a little shy all of a sudden.

Without thinking you lean in to "inspect him a little better" but you momentarily close your eyes and he gets the hint. His lips meet yours halfway, and it's a gentle experimental kiss.

When you pull back you stare in shock and wonder, "I just kissed a stranger.."

"That's what you were implying right? That would be very embarrassing if I read that wrong." He sputters out of nervousness and maybe embarrassment. Choso looks anywhere but at your face, suddenly the old brick wall was very interesting to him.

"No yeah, I uh- think that's what I wanted? I mean. It was nice. I liked it." Clearly you had no fucking clue what you were doing so you were ranting to make it seem like you planned that out.

"Um.. here's my card. Call me!" And you're the one to run off leaving Choso wondering what the hell just happened in the span of seven minutes. Yuji would probably tease him and say, "YOU? You played seven minutes in heaven with a stranger!!???"

He would have to remind the younger that it was NOT a game and just a random by chance kiss. He carefully placed your card in his pocket. Maybe he'll get to see you again one day, and he'll kiss you for real.

[storm-angel989]

Don’t try to force yourself to make content, okay? Self care is way more important than putting stuff out, even if it makes others happy! Us fans will gladly wait until you’re mentally and emotionally ready!😉 Also drink water and eat real food, not just snacks!!!

Hi Friend,

Thank you so, so much for your kind words- I read your message as soon as it popped into my inbox and I did exactly as you said <3 I took the weekend, had some real food, rode a few horses and all of the sudden, a story I've been working on clicked (and I wrote a few more!)

As with all things, I expect it to ebb and flow but I appreciate everyones love, care a support more than words can express! Please enjoy below story and thank you again so so much for your love and patience!

<3 Mandy

Angel recognized the sound, and apparently Valentino did too. 

The noise in itself was a concern. But it was Valentino’s reaction to it that interested Angel the most. In the middle of what was supposed to be an important shoot, Angel watched Valentino rush off down the darkened hallway only to reappear moments later with a look on his face Angel couldn’t quite distinguish. Softness, maybe? Whatever it was, it disappeared the moment Valentino sat back down.

“Angel, what the fuck are you doing?” Valentino snarled as he raked his glowing eyes over the set. “Lay down and read the fucking lines.” 

As with all things, Angel obeyed. 

Now, as Angel stood in the entryway to his dressing room, that same noise from the week prior floated down from the hallway. Soft, childlike giggles in an empty studio. A sense of unease washed over Angel.  As abusive as Valentino was, he still had boundaries- and allowing kids in his studio was a hard one. Surely, Angel had to be hearing things. Maybe an actor or actress with a childlike voice. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. If there was, in fact, a kid running around in here it would be easy to get lost. Hell, sometimes he even found himself turned around and he had spent years here. 

Hesitantly, Angel walked down the familiar labyrinth of halls and rooms. 

“Hello?” he called out softly. 

Silence answered him.

“I have gotta stop drinkin before shoots,” he muttered to himself as he turned away.

“Papi?” A girlish voice came from behind him. “Papi!” 

Angel jumped and whirled around as tiny arms grabbed at his waist. Blonde hair, blue eyes, human like- Angel couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He opened his mouth to ask her who she was, but she began before he could get a word in.

“You’re not Daddy. You’re a stranger,” the child shouted as she jerked away from him. “I want Daddy.” 

Angel bit back his surprise. “Does..does your Daddy have a name?”

“Daddy.” 

Of course. Typical kid answer. Angel wracked his brain as memories flooded through. Images of his own baby sister, from his human life, floated through. Painful reminders of a distant past he tried to keep pushed down. With a deep breath, he knelt down to her level. 

“Okay kid, what does your daddy look like?”

“Daddy is tall. And he wears heart shaped glasses. And a big cozy red coat. But only when he goes to work. And I think this is Daddy’s work.” She answered confidently.

Angel felt his stomach drop. Val had a kid? Fuck, Val had a daughter? Shit. What should he do now? If he brought her back to Valentino, would he get punished? Forced to work extra hours for daring to find out his secret? But as he looked at the little girl, the sinking feeling grew sharper. He couldn’t leave her here. It wasn’t safe. And if he tried to send her back to where she came from, she’d probably end up lost- or worse. Seeing no other option, Angel took a deep breath.

“Come with me then, kid I’ll take you to yer dad. You got a name?” He offered her his hand. 

To his surprise, the little girl took it and walked next to him. “Reader. What’s yours?”

“Angel,” he replied as he focused on the hallway ahead. The feeling of her small hand in his, the familiarity of a tiny voice, a little human by his side. Flashes of his own past, his human life. Painful fragments that shattered through his mind like glass shards. He tried to swallow them back with each step they took towards Valentino’s office. 

“Daddy!” 

The little girl’s yell jerked Angel back to attention. He let go of her hand as she raced across the empty studio and to his shock, she jumped into Valentino’s arms. Angel watched as the overlord of lust and depravity wrapped the little girl up and kissed her on the forehead. 

“Bebita princessa, where were you? You have your Uncle Vox all worried!” Valentino scolded in a voice Angel had never heard him use before. 

“You promised Daddy! You promised a piggy back ride and you left!” She shrieked in response as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “You promised!” 

Angel thought for sure Valentino would hit her. Or at the very least, scold her the same way he did his employees. Instead, he watched Valetnino’s expression soften. 

“I know mi amore, I’m sorry,” he told her, “but you have to go up to Uncle Vox now, Papi has to work. Later tonight, I promise.” 

Suddenly, as if he instantly became aware Angel was watching, he jerked his head up. Their eyes met and Angel couldn’t read the expression on Valentino’s face. Anger? Appreciation? 

“So, uh, you have a kid?” Angel asked as he crossed his arms. “I, uh, found her in the back. Down the hallway. She was lookin for ya.” 

Valentino’s expression changed to one Angel knew inherently well. Cold, merciless impassion. 

“If you tell anyone, I will fucking kill you,” he stated. “Don’t think I won’t.” 

That, Angel didn’t doubt. He opened his mouth to promise he wouldn’t, but before he could get a word in, Reader’s voice floated through the empty room. 

“Daddy? What’s fucking mean?” 

Angel watched as Valentino’s expression went from cold to…unsure? Uneasy? Angel couldn’t tell. 

“I, uh, don’t worry about it baby, it’s,” Valentino stammered.

“An adult word. Only adults can use it,” Angel answered quickly. 

To Angel’s surprise, Valentino looked relieved at his explanation. The ping of the elevator and Valentino turned away. 

“Angel. Don’t be here when I get back.” Valentino said sharply. “I’ll call you when I need you again.”

“Does that mean I get the night off?” Angel called to the retreating figure. 

No answer. Angel shrugged and back in his dressing room, he pulled on his jacket. Might as well spend the rest of the night at the hotel. After all, Fat Nuggets could use a little extra attention.

[moodymelanist]

if you are accepting smut requests for a nessian drabble, could we get cassian buying a new vibrator for nesta 👀 thank you!

happy sunday! you absolutely can hehe. my inbox is open all month long for other ideas 🫶🏽

For the vibrator in question I was thinking something like this.

Cassian had been home for nearly an hour, doing his best to stay quiet about his little surprise while Nesta enjoyed a book on the couch next to him, when he finally cracked. “I got you something while I was out.”

“Hmm?” Nesta said, not quite looking up from her book. That was alright; he’d have her full attention soon enough anyway.

“I said I got you something,” he repeated. Just like he thought, she immediately moved her bookmark so she could look up properly. “You wanna come see?”

Cassian had been out running some actual errands — mostly buying some new clothes for work and picking up his and Nesta’s dry cleaning for the week — when he’d just so happened to drive by his favorite store. They’d also just so happened to have some new vibrators in stock, and he’d been in the mood to see how long it would take to get Nesta off using one of them.

Not that Nesta had any idea of that at the moment, anyway. But Cassian knew his wife, and he knew she’d be more than willing once he did fill her in on his plans for the afternoon. It hadn’t been hard to sneak the bag inside with all the other things he’d been carrying, and it had only taken him a few minutes to wash his newest purchase, lightly pat it dry, and plug it in to make sure he could use every minute of that battery life.

Nesta’s eyes briefly narrowed as she tried to figure out just what Cassian had in store for her, but he wasn’t giving anything away. After a few moments, she just sighed and closed her book properly. “Fine. Lead the way.”

“Mhmm.” Cassian grinned before leaning in to steal a kiss, thoroughly enjoying the way Nesta parted for him. “Follow me.”

Once they were in their bedroom, Cassian didn’t waste any time. “Take off your clothes.”

“And they say romance is dead,” Nesta replied with a roll of her eyes. Cassian grinned before he closed the door and leaned against it, his pants already tightening as he watched her shrug out of her loungewear. “Now what?”

“You could at least fold your clothes,” he answered, his grin widening as her eye gave a slight twitch. “Whatever you’re thinking about doing, I wouldn’t.”

“I’m not thinking about anything except being good,” she told him a bit too innocently. She bent down and collected her clothes, making a big show of folding them nice and neatly before laying them on top of the dresser. “See? All done.”

“Gold star,” he responded, pushing himself off the door so he could pull her into a kiss. Her skin was so soft and warm under his hands it was a miracle he could stay focused on the task at hand, but he somehow managed to remember his actual goal after a few moments. “Mhmm. Lay down on the bed, I’ll be right back.”

“With my surprise?” she asked. “It better be a good one with all this buildup.”

“Be a good girl so I don’t have to blindfold you,” he said, nipping at her lower lip before letting go of her. “Don’t make me think of something actually mean.”

“Whatever you say,” she said back. She slid a hand down his body to cup him through his pants, a satisfied little noise escaping her as she squeezed his rapidly hardening cock. “Mhmm. Don’t keep me waiting that long.”

“Whatever you say,” he repeated, teasing her just a little. He swatted her ass lightly in retaliation before actually taking a few steps away from her. “Bed. Now. I’ll be right back.”

Nesta pouted a little but turned to do what he said. Cassian allowed himself one last look before he went into their bathroom, pleased when he saw the new vibrator was fully charged. It wasn’t anything fancy — just one of those vibrators that offered both internal and external stimulation — but that hadn’t been the main reason Cassian had picked it up.

That honor belonged to how the vibrator had a remote control function. Cassian and Nesta weren’t in a long-distance relationship, but he was sure thankful to the people who were so that something like this could even exist. He took a final moment to make sure everything was set up correctly on his phone, and then it was go time.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Cassian asked as he entered their bedroom, stopping in his tracks at the sight before him.

“You were taking so long,” Nesta answered, spreading her legs even wider as she continued to pump two fingers into her cunt. “I couldn’t help myself.”

“I’m sure you couldn’t,” he replied. He closed the distance between them and kneeled on the bed, reaching out with his free hand so he could grab her wrist. “You’re lucky I’m feeling nice.”

“I’m always lucky,” she told him, gasping as he pulled her fingers out to replace them with two of his own. She took him easily, silently asking for more by the way she rolled her hips, but he wouldn’t get distracted so close to the finish line. “Cassian…”

“Hmm?” he asked, slowing down just enough to frustrate her. It was hard feigning nonchalance with her spread bare beneath him like this, but they both enjoyed it that way. “Did you need something?”

“You know what,” she answered. She knew better than to try and speed up the pace herself, but he could tell how bad she wanted to.

“Yeah, I do,” he said, just a little mean. “You’re getting something else today. Open up, sweetheart.”

Nesta didn’t hesitate to open her mouth, and Cassian’s cock twitched in his pants as he watched her accept his fingers. She swirled her tongue around them the same way she’d do to his cock if he gave her the chance, and God did he want to let her.

Not now, though. This was about her; he’d get his opportunity some other time.

Once his fingers were licked sufficiently clean, Cassian pulled his hand away from Nesta’s mouth and sat down on the bed properly. He was still holding the vibrator in his left hand, so he transferred it to right hand so he could finally unveil his plan.

“You ever tried one of these, Nes?” Cassian asked. At the shake of her head no, he continued on. “It vibrates on both ends.”

“Where are the buttons?” Nesta said, eyeing him suspiciously.

“You don’t need them right now,” he said back. “I’ll control the speed through my phone.”

“Oh.” She subtly opened her legs even further, and he knew he’d won. “What are you waiting for?”

“A ‘please’ would be nice,” he retorted, smirking as he placed the tip of the vibrator against her cunt. She was so wet it wouldn’t take much to push it inside her, and

“Please, oh please, would you torture me with your new vibrator,” she replied flatly. It didn’t land as hard given the way she gasped as he pushed the vibrator inside her, but it was cute that she thought he wouldn’t take her at her word.

“Be careful what you wish for,” he answered, opening his phone and getting all the settings just right before he turned the vibrator on.

“Cassian, I was kidding,” she tried to backtrack immediately, but the damage was done. He just smiled at her before hitting the on button. “Cass— oh, fuck!”

He’d put it on the second-highest setting just to prove a point, only letting her writhe on the bed for a few moments before turning it down to a much more reasonable halfway point. She was breathing hard from the sudden vibration, a delicious flush spreading across her cheeks, and he wondered how many times he’d have to make her come before he could make it spread further down.

“I’m not feeling as nice anymore, sweetheart,” Cassian said once she’d calmed down a little. “Give me a number.”

“What?” Nesta said back, her eyes a little dazed. She was rocking her hips, chasing the vibration against the clit while trying to fuck the vibrator a little deeper, and while he respected her eagerness, he needed her to listen to him. He reached out and pinched her thigh hard enough to make her squeal and she finally said, “I — I don’t — um, six?”

“Six?” he repeated calmly. “You’re sure about that?”

He hadn’t quite made up his mind about whether it would be six orgasms, keeping the vibrator at the sixth setting all night, or edging her six times, but it sure was fun watching her squirm on what she thought he would do. “Um. No. Seven?”

“Lucky number seven,” he replied. Orgasms it was. “That’s how many times you’re going to come tonight.”

“Oh, fuck,” she moaned, immediately stopping how she was rocking her hips to try and hold back her impending orgasm. “Does— does this one count as one of them?”

“I don’t know,” he pretended to muse as he unlocked his phone. “It feels a little… unfair, doesn’t it? What do you think, Nes?”

“I think it’s perfectly fair,” she answered through gritted teeth.

Cassian upped the intensity to the next level, smirking as Nesta tried to fight the vibration’s inevitable conclusion. “I mean, you did have a bit of head start.”

“Cassian, please,” she moaned, trying to arch away from the vibrator. Unluckily for her, there was really nowhere to go. “Fuck, I’m so close, I can’t—”

“I guess we can count it, then,” he told her with a put-upon sigh. Sensing the was really at the end of her rope, he leaned forward and pressed the vibrator harder against her clit, thoroughly enjoying the way she cried out at the added sensation. “Come for me, sweetheart.”

Nesta’s entire body tensed as she came, and she moaned something that sounded like a mix of several curse words combined with his name. Cassian didn’t turn the vibrator completely off, but he took a little pity on her and decided to turn the vibrator down to the lowest setting.

“There’s one,” Cassian murmured, gently rubbing circles into Nesta’s ankle.

He couldn’t help but chuckle to himself as he waited for her to catch her breath enough for them to continue. It was going to be a long night.

tag list: @perseusannabeth | @bookstantrash | @fieldofdaisiies | @goddess-aelin | @c-e-d-dreamer | @talkfantasytome | @whyisaravenlike-awritingdesk | @sv0430 | @talibunny30 | @unlikelypersonalknight1 | @champanheandluxxury | @lilah-asteria | @burningsnowleopard | @sayosdreams | @readskk | @simpingfornestaarcheron | @bellaful08 | @readergalaxy | @podemechamardek | @pearlfortears | @nerdperson524 | @jmoonjones | @kale-theteaqueen | @autumnbabylon | @hiimheresworld | @illyrianshadowhunter | @dustjacketmusings | @live-the-fangirl-life | @that-little-red-head | @sweet-pea1 | @brieq | @queercontrarian | @jsmelodies | @afflicted-with-wanderlust

[sugurugetofavoritemonkey]

Hi, Tatsuo! This has been in my head for quite a few times, may I request a story when suguru's s/o who's a sorcerer asked him, "If I were just a normal human, would you let me live?"

considering their relationship and how much they love each other 🥹 thank you very much!

Welcome my love ! 💗 I absolutely adooooore this request and was very inspired by this idea so thank you a lot for coming in my inbox with that wonderful story ! I hope I did good with the little thing that I wrote and don’t hesitate to come back here to tell me if you liked it, have a very nice day/night 💓

You were peacefully resting your head on Suguru’s lap, his monk attire feeling soft under your cheek as you felt your soulmate tenderly caressing your hair while he hummed calmly to you. And before you know it, the question escapes your lips in a whisper.

« If I were just a normal human, would you let me live ? »

Suguru’s hand stilled in your hair at the question, and at this exact moment you were afraid of the sheer honesty of his answer, closing your eyes in prevention. But when his hand started to caress your head as gently as before, you opened them back again.

« I know that the answer I should give you is no, I know it…after all I…I…killed my parents…I had to…I really had to….I had to », Suguru repeats these same words as a way to persuade himself, his voice sad and strangled as he tries his best to hold his ground, he couldn’t waver in front of you he thought, as he must be strong for you in order to protect you. You hold his free hand tighter, effectively soothing his pain away. His voice then starts to be perfectly clear and confident with his honest answer to come, the only one that Suguru knows to be real.

« But I also know that I could never live without you from now on, I know it’s selfish and doesn’t make any sense with my plan, but…but…I would burn the whole world to the ground in order to save you, than to live a single day without seeing your pretty smile, or feeling your soft lips against mine, hearing you say that you love me or feeling your hand caressing my cheek when we look at each other in the night, that I am sure of. »

After Suguru has finished talking, you try your best not to let out all the tears that gathered around your eyes. And you could have, if Suguru wouldn’t have gently took your face in his hands in order to make you sat up and look at him. Just for you to notice that you weren’t the only one being moved by his declaration, a few tears rolling on Suguru’s alabaster skin, as he closes the gap between your bodies to kiss you fervently, his hands sitting on your jaw as a way to deepen the embrace even more. Suguru needed to feel your presence, to show you that he meant those words and that right now he was okay with being selfish if it meant that he could live the rest of his life kissing you everyday like he does at the moment.

🤍 Suguru Geto Masterlist 🤍

[ingravinoveritas]

Hello, lovely followers. I was traveling for work again in the second half of this past week, but I'm now home and looking forward to answering all of your Asks that I've been seeing in my inbox. I first wanted to reflect a little bit, however, because this trip was also a personal one for me.

This week's travels took me to Anaheim, California, which is where Disneyland is (I think I actually must've not been far from where David and Georgia just were, funnily enough, as my hotel was right by the park). It wasn't my first trip to Anaheim, though. The last time I was there was when I was 11 years old, on summer vacation with my dad in California while my mom was on a tour in Italy at the same time. As you'd expect, my dad wanted to take me to Disneyland...but I was too scared and overwhelmed, and we only ever got as far as the parking lot. The gates were visible, and I remember how they loomed, that feeling of something foreboding washing over me...but rather than excitement, my tiny body was filled with dread. I mentioned this while in conversation with one of the hotel employees during my stay, and he said, "What kind of kid doesn't want to go to Disney?"

What kind of a kid. Well, an autistic kid. A kid who was constantly anxious, emotional, and terrified of sensory overload. A kid who hated crowds and noise and rides. A kid who didn't travel well to begin with, because she was afraid of new places, anything unfamiliar, anything that wasn't safe and home.

A kid who was me.

Even before this, there were so many ways that the world had said "This is not for you." But still, there was something different about it happening there, in the bright California sunshine. My favorite Disney princess as a kid was always Belle, because she also loved to read and didn't fit in with the people around her. Belle connected more with books and animals than people, and that made me connect with her. But Belle was also beautiful (as Disney princesses tend to be), and thanks to the bullying from my peers, I was very aware that was something I was not. So no matter how much I wanted to be Belle, there was no way I could ever be a Disney princess.

This is not for you.

Thinking about all of this during my trip made me feel so many things, but I was most surprised to find myself feeling a sense of nostalgia in particular, a longing for the child I was, who I wish I could comfort. It also made me feel such sadness for that child and anyone else who finds themselves in a situation or a place where the world thinks they should be happy, but they're not. And there are few things more difficult than feeling that way in (of all places) "the happiest place on Earth."

I didn't end up going to Disney on this trip, even though I had a little bit of time to do so. It's still not for me, but the difference now is that I am okay with that. That need to be the kid who wants to visit Disney--the "good" child, the child who isn't "broken"--has gone away, and I'm more than happy being adult me, and finding a place that fits me, instead of the other way around.

And that was my nostalgia trip, in quite the literal sense of the phrase. I have a picture or two to share in another post, so stay tuned for that as well...

[honnelander]

Hi there! Hope you are doing well. I was just wondering if you quit the “go fish” series. If not— there’s no rush. I just wanted to check in and ask how you are and share my compliments for you. I really like your writing style and how you beautifully capture every moment. Sometimes I even go back to reread your go fish series and appreciate how well you paint the atmosphere and each character’s essence. Are there any authors you take inspiration from or books you recommend?

If you are nervous about finishing the series— don’t be. You’re clearly gifted and should trust your intuition. Remember to take care of yourself first. I think your audience will adore anything you post, so don’t stress over it. And if you have a writer’s block but are still pushing through it, good luck. Thanks again for sharing your meticulously crafted work with the community.

hi there 🥹 thanks for checking in (you and everyone else who has been kind enough to leave asks in my inbox and comments on my posts)

I haven’t quit the series, it’s just taking me a hell of a lot longer to finish it than I ever expected due to a lot of different things. I had hit a writer’s block, have scrapped what I’ve started a few times, or didn’t like the idea I had and I didn’t want to rush anything or put something out there that didn’t feel authentic to the series that has touched thousands of people 🥹😭 I want to get this right.

Since writing has been always something I’ve enjoyed getting lost in, I thought now would be a good time to get back into it, especially since I have a lot of personal stuff going on.

Monthsssss ago I had finally started writing the next part for go fish! that I absolutely loved and then, quite literally had forgotten about it. I just went back to my work and re-read it, and it’s already 4.9 k words! I would love to just post the parts that are finished, because the actual confession everyone’s been waiting for months for isn’t done and will probably be another 3,000 words or so. (I tend to get carried away 😅)

So let me know what you guys would prefer! The finished part is 2.3k words. Would you guys like for me to post that? Or just wait longer to read everything at once? It’s definitely be over 6k words, which is how massive the last part was….(I honestly just might post what’s finished bc I feel bad to have left everyone hanging for so long 🥲)

And thank you, thank you, thank YOU for your (and everyone’s!) kind compliments and high praise- I really don’t feel deserving of any of it but it all truly means so much to me. 🥹🤍

To answer your question, I actually don’t really have an author or inspiration that I draw from 🤔 I used to read a ton as a kid (books and fic) and I guess that has helped me find my writing style? I also write things in a way that scratches an itch I have when I look for fic to read. I want just enough details to set the scene and the feelings of the characters but not be bogged down with too much that it drags the pace down 🫠 I’ll never forget when I read IT by Stephen King and it just dragged on FOREVER bc he would write so much word vomit that (in my opinion) took me out of the story and frustrated me. I wanted to get to the good parts but also not miss anything important, so when I write I try to get to the point 😂😅

[quitealotofsodapop]

[You did send a less detailed version of this ask a few days ago, I just hadn't gone through my inbox enough XD] + [I love the detailed responses though! It's nice to see so much interest in my silly aus!]

okay! I thought I sent one but I couldn't quite remember if I did XD Sometimes I feel like I ramble too much so I'm glad you like these! if it's not to much trouble do you mind answer the og post, you don't have to actually make any comments on it contents but I'm keeping notes on Slow boiled au for the fanfic I'm writing and their might be some details in there I forgot about, thank you.

[Peaches. Some days his brain/body just decides "Eww no. bleh. Spit it out right now" and the nausea hits him hard. Wukong is dismayed whenever it happens.]

at some point in s3 MK walks in on Monkey King crying over a peach with a single bite taken out of it, Wukong having gotten emotional when he his body couldn't handle the peach + stress (I headcanon that part of his obsession with peaches are because peaches are a comfort food for him, so not being able to eat one when stressed hit him pretty hard).

[Think of it like the formation of a geode - it can do it either over a natural couple of centuries, or in a few months with intervention.]

the geode comparison is really cool! especially considering it's a stone egg.

[it's possible MK *remembers* being held by someone soft with a round belly + gold eyes. He assumes throughout his life that this person was his birth mother before he was given up/orphaned.]

imagine monkey king asking MK about his family, wantingto know how his brother's reincarnations are doing, and MK talks about them then mentions he was actually adopted and MK offhandedly mentioning the one memory he has of his "birth mother" to Monkey king and monkey king just being like "oh. oh no."

[So that Stone Egg been slow boiling from anywhere between 1394 to 1116 years. 0_o] + [Either way SWK has beaten Lao Tzu/Zi's mom (pregnant for 62-80 years), and def brags about that fact to whatever immortal will hear.]

honestly, after that long, he's earned bragging rights.

[DBK overhears LBD making threatening references to Wukong's conditon and immediately interrupts her villainy bs to yell at his sworn brother.]

LBD just giving up and leaving as the two bicker is hilarious. it also has the affect of eleveating some of Wukong's stress about LBD returning, and making him feel better about the rift between him and his brother once DBK accepts his proposal to be the egg's godparent. evn if offering such a title to someone other then Ao Lie leaves a bittersweet taste in his mouth. he knows Ao Lie would't mind him giving the title to someone he trusted, but he'd always been so sure that someone would be Ao Lie.

[After the initial shock wears off, PIF immediately summons a catalog to look for baby shower supplies. This is a monumentous occassion!]

all negitive feelings are forgotten when the excitement of a new baby within the sworn family is brought into everything + learning that Wukong very possibly could have lost his own child by helping with the Samadhi fire ritual, something he did becuase he was one of the few who could help them from losing their own child. from mother to mother(?), she understands how hard of a call that must have been to make.

[She ofc assumes it's Macaque's fault (she's not wrong XD) and that this might be her future sworn niece/nephew! She simply must organise everything for her idiot sworn brother and his mate!]

when Yuebei is born and has dark fur and glowing ears she feels it is confirmed that her assumption Macaque was the other parent was correct, no one corrects her about the bio parent situation.

[Red blinks in confusion before confronting the Monkie Kid gang about it later. Mei demands PIF's contact details right that second so that they can swap party ideas.]

red son is just going "WTH WTH WTH" the whole time as they explain, Mei would absolutely insert herself into baby shower planing the moment the idea is brought up.

[Macaque spends most of S3 trying to bat away any thoughts/predictive sounds of a happy domestic life him and Wukong cna have together.]

its dangerous to be thinking of such things with the lady bone demon breathing down his neck, but he can't help it. it gets overwhelming sometimes, the sounds of domestic moments from the past mixing with possible futures leave him questioning what it is exactly he wants anymore. but those are thoughts to process when LBD is defeated and the world isn't on the cusp of being destroyed. now of Wukong didn't put himself and the egg in one of the most compramising positions ever by being possessed in the meantime, that would be great. he makes up his mind the moment a just freed monkey king collapses into his arms crying like this is the only hug he's ever had in his life.

[Yuebei's first immortal kill is in fact LBD, preformed before she was even born. Once the switch "flipped" on the possesed SWK, the Egg recognised LBD as both a threat to her parent and a tasty source of Dao, hence; nom-nom-nom.] + [All thats left behind of the ancient bone demon is a picked-clean skull.]

not even out of the womb and already earning her "god killer" title. Wukong always guessed any kid that was solely his would be a menace, but now he's starting to get a little concerned.

I was doing some doodles for this au and I had the idea of Yuebei getting a staff of her own from her parents and I wanted it to have something to do with LBD's skull, but I couldn't make the design work. so I actually had the idea of her having her staff and wearing the front of LBD's skull like a mask. she legit wearing the skeletal face of her first kill, creepy, stylish, and effective at scaring off her enemies.

[Ah, a fellow party crasher, just like her baba.]

Wukong appreciates the hustle, but could she be a menace to everyone except him and is poor body please? he just got put through hell and now he's gotta get this egg outta him and that's probably gonna be less fun then getting possessed.

[Wukong and Macaque can barely enjoy the bowl of noodles they've stolen (in good humor) from MK when Wukong's face just drops from a shift in his body.]

Macaque feels Wukong's body suddenly go rigid and is confused, then he sees the look on Wukong's face and just knows. as soon as Wukong starts ordering Ne Zha to go get Guanyin he's instantly fussing and getting things ready for the undoubtedly long few hours ahead. surprisingly, the two monkeys are basically the only ones not panicking at this point, them and Guanyin once they're on the scene.

[Tang: "Oh gracious Buddha! The bodhisattva Guanyi herse-- oh gosh this is a lot grosser than I was expecting..." *gets woozy and hides face in Pigsy's chest*]

no matter the incarnation, every reincarnation of the golden cicada is squeamish.

[Imagine how much crying would be involved if little Yuebei just so happened to be born six-eared as well?] + [Hard to refute their claims when the little Monkey Princess has such lovely midnight-dark fur and glowing ears.]

I like to think that she wouldn't have his six sensitive ears because she didn't actually have the genetics for it, but her appearance could still be pushed so her ears do still glow a little.

even if their aren't six ears, the instant Macaque sees her ears glowing he would not be able to stop himself from squealing with joy and practically side tackling Wukong as he is incoherently babbling about how much he loves her.

[He def recorded a tape + wrote letters to Yuebei before she was born ala "For Steven" in Steven Universe... just in case his immortality didn't work in the end.]

he def let Guanyin know before hand so that if things did go wrong they'd know the tapes/letters were there to give to his infant.

[Little Yuebei spent so much time in the "final run" hearing show tunes, action movies, and the voices of Wukong's new found family/troop that she thinks theses are all "good noises"!]

this is super cute!

but to make a good thing angsty, what if she also has "bad noises" that she associates with certain things. what if when they first met Azure she was super aggressive towards him at first because she "remembers" hearing him being really mean and/or straight up hurting Wukong at some point in the journey. and what if she also isn't that trusting of macaque at first because she also only ever "heard" him when he was in the process of trying to hurt her baba and his friends, both in his first life and now in his second. this def upsets Macaque but also he did do that so he's the one who's gotta make up for it, luckily yuebei seems to warm up to him quickly when she sees him and Wukong being cuddly and reconciling.

[Yuebei decided that "Kitty" wasn't playing with her, wasn't holding her right, and wasn't even singing to her! And she wanted to make her frustrations known.]

c'mon Azure, if you're gonna hold a super strong baby that already doesn't like you the least you can do is try and keep her happy and preoccupied. he's got no one but himself to blame

sequel to this post!

Im uber excited to read more your fic btw!

[I headcanon that part of his obsession with peaches are because peaches are a comfort food for him, so not being able to eat one when stressed hit him pretty hard]

Wukong associates peaches with 1: Food security, 2: His Immortality, and most importantly, 3: His friendship/romance with Macaque. So his body deciding to reject peaches is a huge stresser for him, which leads to more stress and more nausea and less peaches, in an endless cycle. Peach chips at least dont seem to trigger the worst of his food adversion though, the crunchy chip texture seems to cancel it out.

[...MK talks about them then mentions he was actually adopted and MK offhandedly mentioning the one memory he has of his "birth mother" to Monkey king and monkey king just being like "oh. oh no."]

Oh MK sweetie no... :(

And the Monkey King is just silent cus he knows who MK is talking about [him], and even if SWK didn't create MK in the au, he was still the one to decide to send him to live among mortals for his own good. So the idea that MK potientially remembers Wukong from this time is a huge shock to him.

Wukong: "...your mother, what did they look like?"

MK, clueless: "Umm... their hair was a warm orange-y color. Like the sun. And I think their eyes was this really shiny yellow, or maybe amber colour? Oh! And they had this round stomach - I remember hugging it..." *gets kinda wistful* "I don't know why I'm not with them anymore, but hope they're doing ok if they're still out there."

Wukong, hand ghosting over his stomach: "You and me both bud."

[DBK accepts his proposal to be the egg's godparent. evn if offering such a title to someone other then Ao Lie leaves a bittersweet taste in his mouth. he knows Ao Lie would't mind him giving the title to someone he trusted, but he'd always been so sure that someone would be Ao Lie.]

Wukong def was hit hard by Ao Lie's passing. It pains him to give the godparent title to anyone else, but he knows when push comes to shove; his older sworn brother will be there to protect his infant. Ao Lie would just be glad that Wukong meant his offer all those centuries ago.

[all negitive feelings are forgotten when the excitement of a new baby within the sworn family is brought into everything + learning that Wukong very possibly could have lost his own child by helping with the Samadhi fire ritual, something he did becuase he was one of the few who could help them from losing their own child. from mother to mother(?), she understands how hard of a call that must have been to make.]

PIF has to give Wukong mega-respect; putting himself and his baby on the line for the health of her own. Even if she considers it so stupid to agree to such a dangerous ritual when Wukong knew he was carrying, PIF just looks over at Red Son, alive and healthy, and just hugs Wukong the next time she sees him. Although she hasn't been the most welcoming sworn sister-in-law, she vows to make it up to him for saving her child from the Samadhi Fire.

A decent proper baby shower is first on her list of repayments.

[when Yuebei is born and has dark fur and glowing ears she feels it is confirmed that her assumption Macaque was the other parent was correct, no one corrects her about the bio parent situation.]

PIF just side-eyeing Macaque whenever she sees him, convinced from the talk of the two's bad breakup + Macaque not initially knowing about the pregnancy; that her lil sworn bro is the baby-daddy. And when Yuebei is born having "imprinted" on Wukong's yearning/love for Macaque...

PIF: *seeing the baby's dark fur and glowing ears* PIF (whispering so not to wake the baby): "I fcking knew it." Macaque: *is too tired/proud to argue with her* "Yeaaah..." :')

[red son is just going "WTH WTH WTH" the whole time as they explain, Mei would absolutely insert herself into baby shower planing the moment the idea is brought up.]

Red has no idea what to do in response to all this baby talk, so he just; tries to apologise to SWK for setting him on fire a bunch as a toddler??

Wukong appriciates the effort.

Mei, PIF and Jiuweihuli get talking and soon Wukong is looking at a baby shower akin to a red carpet event.

[...but those are thoughts to process when LBD is defeated and the world isn't on the cusp of being destroyed. now of Wukong didn't put himself and the egg in one of the most compramising positions ever by being possessed in the meantime, that would be great. he makes up his mind the moment a just freed monkey king collapses into his arms crying like this is the only hug he's ever had in his life.]

Macaque spends episodes asking himself he truly wants to rebuild his and Wukong's relationship, and when the king holds him tight like he's about to disappear - Macaque decides to stay for good.

[not even out of the womb and already earning her "god killer" title.]

Imagine you're a random Celestial or demon and you hear the dreaded "God Killer" is gonna be at an event, and it's a tiny baby monkey in a papoose strapped to the Monkey King, or his many terrifying sworn family members.

You'd honestly be more afraid of that baby.

[I was doing some doodles for this au and I had the idea of Yuebei getting a staff of her own from her parents and I wanted it to have something to do with LBD's skull, but I couldn't make the design work. so I actually had the idea of her having her staff and wearing the front of LBD's skull like a mask. she legit wearing the skeletal face of her first kill, creepy, stylish, and effective at scaring off her enemies.]

Oh that sounds so cool!!! Her divine skull weapon being a mask made from the skull of her first kill that she uses to channel her deadly power - like turning the Medusa's head into a shield. Her staff being a gift from her parents that has no inate magic ability beyond the fact that she puts her trust in it as her first "real" weapon.

I can imagine she uses a glamour/quick magic to put the skull/mask on (like Dr Facillier in "Friends on the Other Side") as a way of saying "You're f*cked" to her opponents.

I'm excited to see how your drawings go!

[-the two monkeys are basically the only ones not panicking at this point, them and Guanyin once they're on the scene.]

Wukong and Macaque are def panicking, though its more an excited kind of panicking. Nezha and MK are def screaming. Guanyin is the only one with a cool head the entire time.

Pigsy is good at pretending he isn't worried, but he ends up tearing apart the campsight's kitchen in a hurry to make enough food for everyone. Especially when DBK and PIF realise what's happening, and are posted incase Wukong's baby causes as much trouble for him as Red did to them.

[I like to think that she wouldn't have his six sensitive ears because she didn't actually have the genetics for it, but her appearance could still be pushed so her ears do still glow a little.

even if their aren't six ears, the instant Macaque sees her ears glowing he would not be able to stop himself from squealing with joy and practically side tackling Wukong as he is incoherently babbling about how much he loves her.]

Oh gosh, Mac and Wukong just see Yuebei for the first time. She's still kinda gross, having *just* busted out of her thin ambiotic shell. Her fur dark... And her little ears glowing?! Both monkey parents are sobbing, especially when they learn that Yuebei was unconciously trying her best to look like Macaque's baby with the limited genetics available. Wukong has multiple centuries of love to dish out, and Macaque is catching up fast.

[he def let Guanyin know before hand so that if things did go wrong they'd know the tapes/letters were there to give to his infant.]

Guanyin has a secret stash in the Southern Ocean of all the letters and tapes (and even some drawings of what she might have looked like) Wukong ever made for Yuebei, in case he wasn't able to give them to her in person. Yuebei ends up finding them when she's a moody teenager, mad at her baba for something stupid.

Pre-series; In absense of any other godparent... I bet Wukong would have trusted Yuebei with Guanyin if possible. The goddess would have gladly taken the infant had Wukong not survived the birth, though it would pain her for many centuries to come.

[but to make a good thing angsty, what if she also has "bad noises" that she associates with certain things...] + [...and what if she also isn't that trusting of macaque at first because she also only ever "heard" him when he was in the process of trying to hurt her baba and his friends] + [...luckily yuebei seems to warm up to him quickly when she sees him and Wukong being cuddly and reconciling.]

ooohhhh :(

Wukong walks in after letting Mac take care of Yuebei while he was out, only to come back to see both of them crying. Yuebei is doing this sort of furious wailing while Mac just looks defeated.

Macaque: "She hates me!!" Wukong, picks up Yuebei: "No she doesn't plum. She cries at eveything." Yuebei: *calms down at sound of Wukong's voice* Macaque: "No! She started crying when I tried talking to her! And when I tried soothing her it just got worse and worse and-!!" (*Wukong places a soft hand on Mac's cheek, quieting him*) Wukong: "She'll warm up to you. Just be patient." Macaque: *leans into Wukong's hand, still crying." Yuebei: *looks confused before slapping a fat little hand on Mac's face in mimicry of her baba. chirping with delight* Macaque: :')

Once the relationship between Wukong and Mac improves, so does the baby's reaction to Mac's voice (symbolism). She finally starts to associate the "bad" voice with her bama, and soon it's not a "bad voice" anymore. Though there probably is a weird bridge-point where Mac has to put on silly accents/voices when he baby-talks to Yuebei or else she'll get mad at him.

[c'mon Azure, if you're gonna hold a super strong baby that already doesn't like you the least you can do is try and keep her happy and preoccupied. he's got no one but himself to blame]

I can just imagine Azure is too preoccupied with his plans for the Celestial Realm (and plans for Wukong), and fails to notice Yuebei getting more and more fussy as he holds her (poorly). Her face contorts like she's constipated and slowly gets redder and redder with anger.

Yellowtusk immediately notices and warns Azure to let the cub down so she can at least crawl and inspect her new surroundings. Peng laughs at the thought of letting "the hatchling" decide the terms of her imprisonment.

Then Peng feels a tiny, but powerful, hand grab their wing feathers...

Yellowtusk leaves before the carnage reaches him.

[violetasteracademic]

Hey bestie, was just wondering when chapter two comes out 🙂‍↕️ been refreshing ur page once an hour for dayyyyyys. 💓

Hi my friend!! So funny you should ask, it will be ready to go up by early evening tonight! I will let you know as soon as it is posted! (I'm in US central time zone. So about 6-7 hours from now)

I'm so honored and delighted to have you reading the new fic 🥹 I don't like to share toooo much of my personal life on here because this fandom is sadly not always kind to artists and writers when it comes to the hostility of the ship wars, but I do want to give a heads up that A Court of Twisted Fate will not be coming out *quite* as fast as Golden Doe in a Valley of Shadow. I blacked out and wrote almost 100k words of Golden Doe in a total disassociative bender in under a month and a half while I was in between homes, closing the final chapter of my old life after a long fought for divorce, and set aside my 10 year long business and career. I was in a weird little vortex and could easily get a chapter out every few days. I want to be honest with myself and all of you that I will not be able to match that pace right now without massively sacrificing on quality and thorough edits!

If I haven't said it enough, you guys truly have no idea what the response to Golden Doe meant to me. Writing that fic helped me survive a very difficult time. I had never written a fic before and didn't even have an ao3 account, I had to wait a few weeks to be allowed in. I had no idea anyone would read it, and sharing that story wound up being one of the most special and joyful times of my life, which seems impossible when I look back on what I was going through! I just... Thank you. I don't know what else to say. Thank you a million times, every day, forever.

I am starting life completely over in a new city and a 1940's bungalow that has had a few catastrophes since moving in 🫣 I'm hard at work job hunting in this nightmare economy and fixing up the urgent items in the house! So it's a different kind of busy filled with lots of fear and anxiety and mental exhaustion. Thus, I'm also trying to give myself lots of time to heal and recover. I'm hoping for a chapter once a week this round, but I might need some grace for up to two weeks!

This might be a good opportunity to answer some other questions I've gotten. Some have noticed the new rating is M instead of E. There WILL still be smut, but this is more of a dark and spooky old school style slow burn and very story forward. And while I hesitate to say the spice will be more vanilla, it is not as kink forward as Golden Doe! It will still be spicier and more detailed than what SJM would typically write (y'all she's tame in my book) but a different style. That being said, the piece is not finished. Sooooo.... 🦇 we'll see if kinky Azriel body snatches me again and demands that the spice be freakier and more frequent. In which case I'll update the rating.

Golden Doe started as an M rating and 15 planned chapters, and we all saw how that worked out!

I'm pushing myself to create a unique world and characters that are not just a carbon copy of Golden Doe in a Valley of Shadow. Of course, it is still canon Elain and Azriel! But I'm focusing on different sides of them. I hope you all enjoy it just as much, but if it winds up not being your vibe, do know I have a few ideas bouncing around for Golden Doe continuations, additional Elriel fics, and my inbox is always open for ideas and prompts/requests!!

[apollosrambling]

Cold rain, warm comfort.

@real-levyanno Asked: Heyyo so I was reading a few of your posts and I am in awe of them. I was wondering, when and if you had the time, if you could do Slytherin-depressed-former prefect Reader x Twins? Maybe Pansy finds out Reader isnt a pureblood like everyone thought and so they all turn on him. He becomes depressed and his prefect badge given to Draco. No one seems to notice how affected he is until the twins find him trying to drown in the black lake and that's when they decide to help/confess their feelings?

It’s truly a mystery how long this has been sitting in my inbox. Sorry I made you wait 🤍🖤 also sorry it’s more of a warm up, I haven’t written anything other than AP style in years.

It’s been noticeable, the shift in your mood. The way you haven’t gotten up early to make sure the first years are awake and heading to breakfast, once of your favorite morning rituals. The way your smile doesn’t reach your eyes, or the way you brush off compliments like they’re meant to be deflected.

It’s impossible to know when it started, but the catalyst was that night in the common room, surrounded by your fellow Slytherin’s as the highlands rain beat on the windows.

“You’re a mudblood, aren’t you?” Pansy Parkinson had looked so proud of herself. The quiet laughter and chatter of your peers dying out.

Rather than answer, you stood and left. Only the cloak of night sheltered you, but it was two boys with red hair and blinding smiles who found you perched on the high docks of the lake. Teetering on the edge as you contemplate letting the wind push you into the black glass below.

You’re close to falling when a warm hand grabs yours, nearly searing after the cold that’s settled into your bones.

“What are you doing?” Fred Weasley is holding on to you like if he lets go, you’ll disappear. Maybe you would.

George, who was holding a warm blanket, slides to your side. Before you can protest, you’re bundled and sat. All three of your legs dangling over the docks edge, far enough away to not worry about wet toes.

“Looks to me like our favorite person was about to become an icicle,” George answers. It’s been so long since anyone spoke that you forgot Fred had asked a question.

“Yeah, maybe. Or perhaps he was trying to become one with the merfolk.”

“Stop talking about me like I’m not here.” Your voice isn’t as strong as you’d have prefer it been. The halfhearted kick at George’s feet does nothing other than cause the twins’ eyebrows to raise.

“We’ve noticed you’ve been a bit…” Fred trails off, as if he’s unsure the right way to deliver the blow.

“Sad? Quiet? Melodramatic and rather a downer?”

“That’s not helping, George.”

“Sorry, Fred.”

You watch them poke at each other. Reaching across you and shoving at each other as if their lives aren’t in danger. You worry they’ll accidentally knock each other off.

The absence of your head boy pin feels suffocating. You reach up to the empty space on your sweater, as if expecting it to come back. It won’t, though. It was now resting in Draco Malfoy’s hands, cold and stunned when you had wrenched it from your body and dropped it.

“I quit being head Boy”

The brothers freeze, looking at you with an uncharacteristically serious expression. George leans his body against yours.

“Why’d you go and do that?”

“Parkinson called me a mudblood. She’s right, I don’t even belong in Slytherin.”

The look on George’s face is downright foul. “That’s the biggest load of rubbish I’ve ever heard. You’re one of the most ambitious, determined people I know.”

“Yeah,” Fred weighed in, letting go of your hand to gesture into the air. “Everyone knows you’re the best Head Boy in the school. The first years love you.”

“They did,” you laugh a humorless thing, “they wont anymore. There’s not much to love.”

Now the twins look truly offended.

George doesn’t answer, he just takes your recently freed hands. Pulls your fingers from where they had been picking at your nails, and gently kisses your finger pads.

Fred runs a hand through your hair, fingers brushing along your jawline and the touch of stubble that threatens to poke through.

Having their hands on you is nice. It’s grounding, warm and pleasant in the cold air.

“There’s plenty of you to love.” Fred’s voice is quiet, almost a whisper.

“Some ancient opinion from old, dead wizards means nothing to us. You, though.” George leans close, his hair nearly tickling you. “You mean a whole lot.”

You hope the flush on your cheeks can be excused to the rain that’s slowed to a drizzle, but you know it won’t be.

“You’re just saying that-”

“No,” George is still holding your hand, still caressing your finger tips. “You’re incredible.”

“So kind,”

“And funny.”

“Yeah, Fred and I think you’re going to change the world.”

“Or rule it,” Fred jokes, before his face tightens.

“I’m sorry we didn’t say it sooner.”

“Say what?” You ask, leaning back a bit as the cool wind nips your face and their heat keeps you from freezing.

“That you’re damn near the most perfect person out there.” George’s words are soft but his lips are softer. It’s surprising, in a way. You half expected them to be chapped.

When George pulls away Fred takes your jaw, gently redirecting you to him.

“You’re wonderful.”

[annawayne]

Heeeello Anna! :3 I'm back to pester you in the inbox!

You may not have seen this, but this artist ask game... I've got questions for you!

1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 14, 15, 21, 34, 35

(ahahaha... That's a lot.... Ahaha.... Welp ....?)

But! No hurries, and I'm sorry if this eats at your precious time but I'd be happy to hear you talk more about your art! (Can never get enough tbh :3)

Hope you're doing a bit better now, Anna, please take care and you're loved!

Oh, Moon T^T

Hello, and you're right, I didn't even see this artist ask game (maybe, some time ago, so I don't even remember...), and thank you so much for thinking about me and for asking all this stuff T_T I have a lot of fun answering it, and it really distracted me from everything else going on in life since last weeks are quite difficult. But I'll be fine, and thank you for all of these questions, I appreciate you and your attention so much!

1 what medium do you use most (if applicable, what software)?

As I'm drawing now digitally, so I draw in Adobe Photoshop. I'm familiar with this software since my early teens, so it's very comfortable for me :D

When I was drawing traditionally, I primarily worked with pencils. I tried watercolour a few times, too. I have a very soft spot for oil - and I hope to develop this one day, too.

3 your favorite piece(s)?

Oh, what a question... I guess, for now, these ones:

4 piece you wish got more love?

All of them :D

I guess, these ones:

5 how would you describe your art style?

(I really want to joke and just refer to 21 question but well, let's take it seriously :D)

I guess, I can call it "cinematic poetry" - there's a very long way to go to really match the title, but this is what I aim for.

6 favorite thing to draw?

Oh, good question, Moon! As for the sketch stage, I really love to draw clothes, and when it comes to the stage of rendering - faces (primarily, eyes and hair, but I love the whole process and always try to improve my face renders skills...) and backgrounds!

8 thing you struggle to draw?

I think, when it comes to the rendering - HANDS. I think, my sketches of hands are not bad, but when I render them, oh boi, here comes the struggle. As a result, it seems fine, I suppose, but it's always a product of a lot of swearing and redrawing :D

14 whats your favorite thing about drawing?

Telling stories though different dimension. I like to combine in drawing both cinematography and literature, and it sounds a bit funny, because it's two different art directions, but still, I want to tell stories though a lot of things which combine these arts: details, emotions, lighting, and as if when you look at the art - you can hear all the vivid noises around the characters of life going one around and of characters themselves speaking, but then, as if they were caught in a moment, and then, I try to show this moment in my drawings. Or, when it's more of conceptual art, it also can tell a story, but differently - not like a frozen mundane life moment, but rather like a whole story behind it, and instead of these frozen ordinary life moments where the story is also told, here, the story told through not so evident details, starting from the pose to the colour palette itself.

I know I have a long way to go with it, but this is what I'm trying to improve and this is what I always aimed for.

15 least favorite thing about drawing?

Hm, very good question, to be honest. I thought about it for a while, since I can't really grasp if I can name such thing, but I think that it's both good and bad thing - that it's a lifetime commitment, that you should accept that you will study the whole life. From one side, it's wonderful and it's the whole fascinating journey, on the other hand - it can be really frustrating and draining not to be able to transfer your ideas from your head into the actual image, and while a lot of artists realize it, it doesn't make it easier to get disappointed sometimes. So, I would say, it's both good and bad thing, and how we look at it - depends on us :D

21 what do you think your artstyle would taste like?

I won't lie, this question sent me into a great reflection, and then I ended up questioning my art style in general, ha-ha-ha... But alright, hm, I think, croissant with orange jam? Don't ask. Just... Croissant. That's it.

34 whats something you still like from your old art?

Oh... Hm, I think from the beginning, they had great composition. I try to improve it now, of course, but I guess it was from the beginning a very great composition and "camera" shot. So this, this for sure!

35 if you had one piece of advice to give your younger artist self, what would it be?

Come, and do it, you're much stronger and braver than you think you are. It counts for many things, to be honest, and not only art, but yes, I would just hug my past self and tell myself that you're much more than you think you are.

Thank you so much, Moon, for all of it - for these questions, for your thoughts to ask me this in the first place and for your interest and support T_T It's priceless, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

P.s. I learned with this post that the post has a limited amount of images you can add... I didn't know we could add only 10 images... Woah...

[snippy-tano]

hey snips! I've noticed that you haven't written anything about good ol' sergeant Hunter and I was wondering if you could do a Hunter x female senator maybe? In which the senator is placed under the Bad Batch's protection and the sarg falls head over heels for the reader? Thx 💗

so. this one kind of got away from me.

i didn't realize how long it ended up being until the end. sorry not sorry. part of me was like, i should make this more than one part, but then i decided against it and just figured it would be a helluva a long one-shot. either way, i hope y'all like it!

this ask has been in my inbox for a while, so i apologize for that. maybe it's tbb being on that got me in a hunter mood. oh well. i'm not going to complain. i hope you like it anon! let me know what y'all think! or if you want to see more hunter! *wink wink*

((as some warnings, there are threats against the reader's life. nothing specific, but it is talked about quite frequently as there is someone out there threatening her life. also, someone does get injured over the course of this one-shot and there's some canon typical violence. just want to cover my bases!))

masterlist is here!

taglist is here!

tagging: @pro-fangirls-unsocial-life; @marvel-starwars-nerd; @mackstrut; @dissapointingpancake; @ahsokatano-thetogruta; @welcometothepedroverse; @lightningwolffe; @fractiouskat; @mandaloriandin; @lussyyung; @lowkeyodinsong; @str-wrs-fics; @bantha-shit; @badbatch-simp24; @katelynnwrites; @s1st3r; @leotatombs; @torchbearerkyle; @rain-on-kamino; @the-navistar-carol; @bombshe77; @arctrooper69; @social-mockingbird

--------------------------------------------------------

Of Senators and Sergeants

The threats against your life were just that, blank threats from individuals determined to slow you down. But they would never slow you down. The now near constant threats showed that you were on the right track. Clearly there were individuals who wanted you to stop digging, stop pursuing the answer, but that was never going to happen. 

They would have to make true their threats for that to happen, and you doubted they had the guts to do that. 

But your aides were worried. 

And because they were worried about the threats and your seemingly lack of interest in the threats, they reached out to the Jedi Council about providing protection. 

You didn’t like that. You didn’t need the protection and the Jedi were busy with the war effort. You were a senator from a small mid-rim planet with hardly any pull within the senate. You didn’t need a Jedi to be pulled from work that was benefiting the galaxy just to babysit you. 

Thankfully the Council expressed something similar, stating they didn’t have any qualified Jedi handy to keep an eye on you. Which was fine. You didn’t need to be watched. 

Unfortunately, they did assign a clone unit to act as your protection until the threats stopped. Apparently they had been on a few continuous missions and needed a “break” from the specialty missions they were always assigned to. 

You weren’t against the clones, not at all. You admired their skill and brotherhood. You only wished they weren’t forced to fight in a war. 

You were sitting at your desk when Hana, your closest aide, entered. “The unit assigned to protect you is here.”

You let out a sigh. “Show them in please.”

After setting aside your holopad and flimsi, you stood up just as the doors opened and four troopers walked in. You hadn’t been given much information on the men assigned to keep an eye on you. Just the name: Clone Force 99.

Of course you were beyond curious and spent many nights curled up in your apartment, when you should have been sleeping, researching the unit. You came to learn they handled incredibly specific missions designed for delicate care. It didn’t always turn out exactly like planned, but they had a near perfect success rate. Their unofficial name was the Bad Batch. 

Honestly, the more you read about them, the more curious you became. Maybe this wouldn’t be the worst outcome.

“Welcome.” You said with a smile, walking around your desk to greet the four men. “I may not agree with needing protection, but I appreciate your coming.”

“Just doing our job ma’am.” The one in the center said, his bucket tucked neatly under his arm. You met his gaze and gave him a smile.

“Thank you Sergeant Hunter.” 

“Wait, you know him?” The tallest (and biggest) man said, only to be elbowed by the one with a tattoo of a bullseye over his eye. 

You smiled softly. “Not officially. When I learned you were assigned to me, I did some research. It is nice to meet all of you. I again apologize you have to take a break from missions that actually matter to babysit me.”

“Every mission is vital to us.” The man with yellow goggles stated, Tech if you remembered correctly.

“You keep saying you were against protection, may I ask why?” Sergeant Hunter asked and you let out an empty chuckle. You waved to Hana who nodded before leaving. Then you headed back to stand behind your desk.

“I was against protection. Clearly I am on the right path with my inquiries and I do not believe I am in any real danger.” You said, picking up your holopad. 

“Your life has been threatened quite extensively. And the threats were incredibly descriptive and accelerating in quantity.” Tech said, looking up from his data pad. 

“They are just that, threats. I do not believe I am in any real danger. They are trying to get me to stop digging into their illegal exploitation of my planet and I will not be easily startled.” You stated. 

“What exactly are they doing on your planet?” Crosshair asked, playing with the small toothpick in his mouth. 

You sighed. “They have been smuggling spice through our agriculture exports. Normally, our police would have put a stop to this sooner, but I fear that the local police have been bought off. It was brought to my attention by several of my constituents who have been starving. With spice being moved instead of produce, their livelihoods have been disrupted. And with the added pressure of the war effort, my people have been suffering.”

“Isn’t that a job for your governor?” Sergeant Hunter asked. “I mean, you’re just a senator.”

“You’re right. This should be the governor’s responsibility. But the current governor could care less. As long as money is still moving and his expensive taste is quenched, he does not bother.” You said. “I am getting close to determining who is responsible, but I cannot quite seem to find the last remaining piece. Your assignment to me was urgent because I plan on returning home tomorrow. There is only so much I can do from my office here. I hope that by going home I will finally be able to put an end to this.”

“Tech, Hana has a copy of my itinerary. Right now, we have an official itinerary that is just a diversion. According to that, I am attending a conference on Naboo. My actual travel plans are only known by her and myself. If you would like copies of both, please see her. From what I read, you seemed to be the logistical member of your team.” You said, turning to the man who looked up from his datapad.

“Excellent observation. I am indeed.”

“More like the most annoying member.” Wrecker laughed loudly.

“I do not see how being logical is the same as being annoying.”

“That’s because you’re annoying.” 

“Alright. Tech, go get both schedules. Wrecker, go with him, but keep the arguing to a minimum. Check the hallways while you’re at it.” Sergeant Hunter jumped in and the two left, still bickering. “Cross-“

“-I know. Go check the departure location. There won’t be any surprises tomorrow.” Crosshair said before turning and leaving. The door shut behind him and you continued to flip through your flimsi.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Sergeant Hunter spoke and it startled you slightly. You let out a sigh, hands stilling. “I read some of the threats, Tech was being generous with his description. Anyone would be afraid or at least concerned.”

“I appreciate the concern but I am not afraid or concerned. They are just threats. It will take more than empty words to sway me. I will be fine once my people are no longer suffering.” 

He clearly wanted to pry further, but you quickly brought him up to speed on everything you had found so far. He didn’t quite buy your distraction, but didn’t fight it. You knew he would likely bring up your blasé attitude towards these threats again, but for now, he at least was offering some assistance. 

By the end of your work day, Sergeant Hunter and Wrecker accompanied you to your apartment. You waited patiently with Wrecker, chatting with him pleasantly while the tracking expert cleared your apartment. He returned a few moments later.

“I didn’t see anything. We should be alright to enter.” He said and you strode right past him.

“See? They’re just threats.”

You didn’t give him a chance to answer before you headed into the kitchen. You pulled out a few already prepped meals and placed them on the counter. “This is for you as well. Please make sure you get something to eat. I am going to wash up and get ready for bed.”

Sergeant Hunter nodded. “Wrecker will keep watch outside your apartment and Tech and Crosshair will be on a nearby rooftop. I’ll stay here to keep watch. You will be safe.”

You gave him a nod of thanks, grabbing a piece of fruit before heading for your room and closing the door. You slumped against the door, letting out a shaky breath. 

Was this really a good idea? Were you over your head and out of your depth? 

You shook your head before pushing off the door. Now wasn’t the time to think like that. You were so close to finding out. You couldn’t give up now. 

You spent the rest of the evening taking a long turn in the refresher, packing a light bag, and reviewing all the documents you had gathered up until this point. Earlier, you had sent the records to Tech after he assured you his datapad was unhackable and untraceable. It was nice to know that the Bad Batch was not only protecting you, but had realized they wouldn’t be able to stop you and had opted to assist you in your goal. You only hoped they didn’t end up regretting it.

There was a soft tap on your door just after midnight. You lowered your datapad and called them to enter. 

Sergeant Hunter stepped in, not fully entering and keeping his eyes downcast. “Everything seems to be clear. If anything happens or you think you hear something-“

“Don’t worry Sergeant. I will call for you immediately.” You reassured and he nodded once before closing the door. You took another deep breath before setting aside your reading glasses and datapad, flicking off the light.

Maybe tonight you’ll actually get some sleep. Although you weren’t holding your breath.

-----------------

You must have dozed because you awoke to the sound of scratching at your window.

It snapped you awake instantly. You have lived here for years. You knew what sounds to expect for the area you lived in. And those were not normal. 

Your heart began to race and you worked to keep your breathing even and not show signs that you were awake. Fighting against all of your instincts to act immediately, you slowly moved your hand under your pillow, fingers closing around the blaster you kept there. 

Your entire body was tensed, ready to move at a moment's notice. And then it came. You heard the sound of the window being opened and you moved. You rolled out of bed and immediately fired two shots at the window. There was a shout from the figure at the window and you were forced to duck down when they returned several shots. Your bedroom door burst open and more shots were fired. 

There was a brief break in the firing from the window and you peered back over the edge of the bed and fired. A body slammed into you and you were forced to the floor as more shots hit the wall opposite the window. 

“Tech! Crosshair! Do you have eyes on them?” Sergeant Hunter shouted near your ear and you winced. 

There was a muffled response and then silence. 

You let out a breath of relief, slumping further against the floor. You opened your eyes to see Hunter already looking down at you. His body covering yours.

“Still think they’re just threats?” 

You supposed you deserved that. 

-----------------

You didn’t sleep the rest of the night. Once Sergeant Hunter had deemed it safe, he let you up from the floor and quickly ushered you into the living room. A blanket had been placed around your shoulders and reports from the rest of the batch trickled in. 

They weren’t able to catch the culprit, but did find a few clues that may help point you in the direction of whoever hired them. Apparently even though they had been injured, likely from one of your shots, they were able to get away with help. The rest of the batch returned and set up a post much closer to the apartment. 

You didn’t report the attack.

Sergeant Hunter had insisted, but you didn’t want anyone finding out because then security would tighten around you. You needed the freedom to move around when you got to your home planet. He also tried to talk you out of continuing with your plan, but you promptly ignored him.

The plans however, did change. 

“I don’t like this idea, Hana.” You spoke to your closest aide who smiled sadly. 

“You don’t have to like it. But it is what we are doing.”

After Hana found out about the attack, she insisted the plans change. Your official schedule still reflected a trip to Naboo, but instead of just no one attending in your place, Hana had insisted she go in your stead. 

“Hana.”

“I am doing this Senator.” She said, placing her hand on your arm. “The guards will not know the difference. We need to make whoever attacked you think you are traveling to Naboo.”

You sighed. She was right, you just didn’t like it. It was one thing to place yourself in danger, it was another to ask a friend to do the same. “I spoke with Senator Amidala. Once you arrive, she will send for you and you will hide out at her private residence until everything has been resolved.”

“I appreciate that.” Hana turned to Sergeant Hunter. “Please make sure she does not get into any more trouble.”

“Hey!”

“I will ma’am.”

You crossed your arms, huffing in annoyance. Hana merely smiled at you. You pulled her into a quick hug. “Please stay safe.”

“You too, Senator.” 

You pulled back, sniffling. You turned to the Sergeant. “I’m ready.”

And then the pair of you left. You and Hana had swapped clothes before leaving, but you still pulled up your hood to conceal your face. With the attack the night before, it had been decided that it would be best for the Bad Batch to take you to your home planet themselves. They had their own ship and hopefully those who were trying to kill you didn’t know that they were assigned to your protective detail. It was easier to control the situation with their own ship versus risking public transport. 

Before you knew it, you were aboard their ship and on the way to your home planet. 

The Batch for the most part left you alone. Wrecker had made a big show of giving you the best seat on the ship, aka the empty bunk towards the back of the ship. It wasn’t much, but it was sweet of him to try to make things a bit more comfortable for you. 

About halfway through the trip, Sergeant Hunter came to check in on you. 

“That was some pretty good shooting.” He said, startling you out of your review of your findings so far.

You felt your cheeks warm involuntarily and looked back down at your datapad. “It could have been better.”

“You still managed to hit the assailant, which isn’t easy to do, especially without training.”

“Who says I’m not trained?” You replied and he chuckled once.

“You may have been taught to shoot a blaster and have pretty good aim, but there’s a difference between that and proper training.” He said, taking a seat on the steps that lead up into the bunk you were sitting in. 

“Is that a challenge, Sergeant?”

“Maybe it is.”

“Consider the challenge accepted. If I survive this, you’ll have to train me properly.” You returned to your datapad.

“Is there a reason you’re so set on proving this, even at risk of your own life? It seems you don’t care much for what happens to you.” Hunter said after a moment of silence and you clenched the datapad a little bit tighter.

“Incredibly bold of you to say Sergeant.”

“I’ve never been once to mince my words. Want to answer my question?” He countered and you let out a sigh.

“My people have always gotten the short end of the stick, ever since I was little. We always were the last to receive aid and no one really seemed to care about our concerns. I wanted to become a Senator so I could fight for my people the way no one else seemed to be willing. This is happening under my watch. I need to fix it for their sake. I don’t care what happens to me as long as my people can live without fear of starving or suffering.” You said, biting on your lip. “It’s foolish, I know, to think I can make a difference. But I have to try.”

“I think it’s admirable.” Hunter said and you looked up at him in surprise. “I don’t agree with your disregard for your own life, but I can admire your desire to give your people the best life they can have. We’ll do our best to help you and keep you alive to see the results Senator.”

You smiled softly. “Thank you Sergeant. Also, thank you for last night.”

Hunter shifted on the steps, clearing his throat and not looking at you. “It was no problem.”

“Still. If we all make it out of this, I will treat all of you to a meal. I promise.” 

He smiled and you could feel your heart stutter for a moment. But you quickly pushed it away. Now was not the time for heart skip at the smile of an attractive Sergeant. You had more important things to worry about. 

“Hunter?” Came Tech’s voice from the front of the ship. “We’ve arrived.”

-----------------

It was decided not long after landing that was best to split up, but stay relatively close.

Your research pointed to two possible locations of where the smuggling was centered. One seemed to be more heavily fortified and the other was just a hunch of yours and likely wouldn’t pan out. Sergeant Hunter had tried to convince you to stay behind, but you insisted on coming. Besides, if something happened when they were gone, you would be all alone.

Sure you could have handled it, but it was enough to convince Hunter to let you go along. Tech, Crosshair, and Wrecker would go for the more heavily fortified location of the docks. Hunter would accompany you to the location of your hunch. You didn’t know if it would pan out, but you had an unshakable feeling about the small seemingly normal storage unit. 

After promising to maintain communication, the groups set off. 

Your walk to the unit was quiet. It was late evening and most people had retired to their homes for the night. Which meant your walk was pleasant. Of course you were nervous of what you would find and hoped that you were right. Your people depended on it. 

You both arrived near the storage unit relatively quickly. Hunter held up a fist to stop you both and motioned you to follow quietly. Your hand tightened around your blaster as you followed. 

The storage unit area was empty, which was a bit strange. There was no one that you could see and you knew from your research that this place was usually pretty busy. It was enough to unnerve you. 

The unit you were looking for was towards the back and in a dimly lit area. Hunter again motioned you to stay put and you obeyed, knowing he had more experience than you in this area. He listened against the door to the unit, before coming back to where you hid. 

“I hear voices inside, but they’re faint. Almost like-”

“-there’s a secret unit and this is just the door.” You finished and he nodded. 

“I think your hunch was right.” 

That sent a swell of pride surging through you. You had been right. Something was going on and it did stem from here.

“Do we call the others?” You whispered, leaning closer.

He nodded. “I’ll send them a comm. We’ll wait until they get here and then investigate.” 

You were about to agree when the door to the unit suddenly opened. Hunter’s hand found your shoulder and pushed you down, him following the motion. You could feel him behind you, eyes trained through the small gap of the crates you were crouching behind. 

“-we need to move the supplies quickly.” came a voice and your blood ran cold.

Hunter must have felt you tense because he squeezed your shoulder. “What?” He breathed in your ear and you turned your head to look at him, nose brushing his chin.

“That’s the governor.” 

The only reaction Hunter had was squeezing your shoulder again. You turned back to listen to the conversation and heard Hunter tap at his comm unit. 

“Did you take care of the Senator?” The governor asked, clear disdain in his voice. 

You winced slightly. Sure the governor and you didn’t exactly get along, but you didn’t think he had this much contempt for you. You didn’t think he cared enough to want you dead. But maybe you didn’t really know him at all.

“They were unable to kill her, but they tracked her to Naboo and will act soon.”

You were moving before you realized it. Even Hunter wasn’t able to stop you in time. 

“It’s over, governor.” Your voice surprised the few individuals at the door to the unit, including the governor. 

His surprise was quickly swallowed when he sneered at you. “I shouldn’t be surprised you managed to sneak on to the planet, you always were a nuisance.” 

“You will be punished for this.”

He had the nerve to laugh. “No I won’t. Because you will never make it out of here alive.” 

The men who were with him reached for their guns and once again, you were faster. You had shot one down and were shooting at the next by the time they drew their weapons. Hunter appeared beside you, shooting at the men that must have come from behind. The governor turned and began to ran, several men flanking him.

“Hunter!” You cried and he turned to look. 

“Go! I’m right behind you!”

You moved immediately, chasing after him. For being such an old hermit, the governor sure moved fast. You caught up to him just outside of the units where a ship was waiting for him. You shot at one of the men with him, making them fall.

“Stop right there!” 

The governor stopped at your words, slowly turning. He was still sneering at you. 

“What do you hope to accomplish here? Even if I go down, the smuggling will continue. We are deeply entrenched here, nothing you can do will change that.” He said and you tightened your grip on your blaster. 

“Doesn’t matter. I will not stop until the people are no longer suffering.” 

He laughed.

“Hard to do that when you’re dead.” 

You saw a flash of light and tried to duck, but this time you weren’t fast enough. A blaster bolt hit your arm and you fell backwards. You heard your name yelled and blinked open your eyes to see the Sergeant. His arm was supporting your back and pressing down on your wound.

“Hunter, he-” You started only for him to catch your pointing hand.

“It’s alright, I got him. He’s stunned. You did it.”

You let your head fall back, relief once again washing over you. You lifted your head to see Hunter watching you with worry, his hand still clutching yours.

Another flash of movement caught your eye and you saw one of the criminals getting up and raising a blaster at Hunter’s exposed back. You lunged for Hunter’s discarded blaster and shot, striking the man down before he had the chance to take the shot. 

The Sergeant turned in time to see the man drop. He turned back to you as you dropped the blaster.

“Still think I need training?”

Hunter laughed and you felt yourself relax, vision starting to go dark. You could have sworn you heard him say something else, but it was lost to the ether as you slipped into unconsciousness. 

In the days that followed, a clone battalion was dispatched and began weeding out the corruption that existed under the governor’s guidance. It didn’t take long, once he realized he was done for, he practically outed everyone without stopping to breathe. 

Hana had commed you later in the days following to report that she was fine and would be returning to Coruscant to wait for you. You opted to stay a few days to make sure everything was taken care of. Your blaster wound was purely cosmetic, just a graze. It will likely scar, but you would have no other issues from it. 

The Bad Batch had stuck around to help as well and then offered to escort you back to Coruscant. You were going to decline, but they had insisted and you found it was hard to say no to Wrecker, so you obliged. 

It was your first day back at the Senate and your door was practically a revolving door with the amount of Senator’s coming to commend you on your actions. Some were genuine, some you could tell they wanted you on their side when it came to upcoming voting. You smiled at all of them and kept your answers as curt as possible. It was better this way. 

Late in the afternoon the visits finally stopped and you were able to get some actual work done. 

The door opened and you sighed. “Hana, please tell whatever senator that is here that I’m not here. Tell them anything, just let me have a minute to get some work done.”

“I’ll go if you want.”

Your head snapped up to see Sergeant Hunter motioning to the door. 

“No!” You said almost too quickly as you stood up. “It’s okay. I thought you were another senator.”

“Tired of their constant praises? You deserve all of it.” He replied and you cleared your throat, feeling your cheeks warm.

“No I just - I just want to go back to work. Go back to doing what I do best.” You said and he nodded as he slowly approached. 

“I understand that. I just wanted to stop by before the boys and I head out.”

“Another mission?”

Hunter nodded. “There’s always another mission.”

“I stand by what I said before.” You said, continuing when Hunter looked at you with eyes narrowed. “I want to buy you all a nice meal for your help. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.” 

“That’s not necessary ma’am.”

You said your name and he looked at you, surprised. “Please, call me by my name. I’d prefer it.”

He laughed lightly. “I think I can manage that.”

“Oh before you go.” You said, stepping around your desk and approaching Hunter. You placed a small piece of flimsi in his hand. “It’s my comm number. You did say you would train me.”

Hunter clutched the small piece in his hand before looking up at you with a faint smile on his face. “I’m starting to think you don’t need it. But name the time and place. I’ll be there.”

You smiled back. His hand enveloped yours and you squeezed his hand right back.

Sure your meeting was less than ideal and you did end up getting shot at the end, but you found that you’d do it all over again if it meant you got to meet Hunter. You didn’t know what came next, but you were excited to see where this went.

[nualaofthefaerie]

Hi! This might be a bit of a broad question but here it goes: What is it about Nuala that you love so much in particular? Is it a general appreciation of fairies or something that narratively you are drawn to re Nuala in Sandman?

Just asking because I’m always so in awe in how much love and care you have for the character and it’s overall such a nice vibe you bring to the fandom 🖤

What a truly wonderful question! Thank you so much!

I will do my best to answer, please bear with me.

First off, I have indeed always had fascinations with fairies. Ever since I was a child, my favourite characters were Tinkerbell and her gang, which at the time looked a tad different, but Tinkerbell was the very first character I fell in love with.

Both the old Pixie Hollow and later the new Pixie Hollow fairies were my chosen Disney poison.

(If anyone ever asks me, I will go into heavy detail).

Another big inspiration to my character love roster (please, bear with me, this is all relevant, I promise), was the original run of the WINX club.

And specifically from both, my favourites were Tinkerbell and Flora, respectively. Now, I am not saying, there is a pattern, but it is quite...on the nose.

The influence is undeniable, side by side.

Another favourite visual inspiration of mine is the Kpop girl group, Red Velvet. Nuala encapsulates a lot of their aesthetic, so that certainly was there as well. Especially, Wendy, is a very seemless Nuala stand-in to me. Because Nuala sings and there is no voice in the entire industry such as Wendy's. So yes.

However, it is certainly not enough. There a lot of beautiful women in the Sandman - Calliope, Titania, they are close to that concept, however why Nuala?

To me the answer is simple - Nuala is one of the very few modern female characters that encapsulates girlhood. She is not a girlboss, neither does she have it all figured out. Cluracan and by extension, Titania in combination with Morpheus, throw her in for a ride where she is forced to explore all that she is, reevaluate it and come on top of what makes her, her. I think this is such a human thing, where our environmental circumstances put us in situations where we are at a loss, so then we have to actually either adapt or lay down and die.

And that very thing, is what makes her the most unique Sandman character to me, alongside Morpheus. Nuala is diametrically opposed to Morpheus. Being put in imprisonment (Nuala was very much imprisoned in the Dreaming, I could write a whole post about that) Morpheus and Nuala react to their world differently. Of course, Morpheus was far more limited and yet, he could always reach out to those who would've helped him. He didn't. However, Nuala in complete opposition makes the best of her circumstances - she makes connections within the Dreaming, creates a "life" that wouldn't fill her with absolute dread, despite the crippling wish to be free. Morpheus believes he shouldn't bother anyone and hence always carries the world on his shoulders, while Nuala infamously says:

And I think THIS one, THIS panel right here, it made me fall in love with her helplessly. She opposes Morpheus by simply breathing, by simply believing no one has to be alone in this world. She is hope. She is kindness. She remains kind throughout everything that happens to her. And even though she cries for Morpheus, she also realises this os her right and it is her journey. And I think if people took her a bit more seriously, they will see what I see. That kindness is not weakness and kindness can be beauty.

But all and all:

"People need people."

Author Note:

I hope this answer made a smudge of sense.

My inbox is always open!

Love,

Li 🪷

[bloggingboutburgers]

Today you answered a lot of questions, so if you want this to just sit in your inbox it's okay

Not tryna burden you or anything, just wanted to wish you a good day, and tell you that I admire you and how confident you are with your identity. It's truly heartwarming for me from my little confused bicurious/bisexual demisexual genderfluid place (Ik, it's a lot), because I get confused and sometimes awkward when I doubt on whether what I am or what I'm not. Mostly because it discourages me a bit when I'm talking about my identity and the same friend jumps in and says "but weren't you *this* a few months ago?". She's very insensitive most of the time and questions me about my choices because she thinks I strictly have to have 'had a crush' on someone to be sure. Idk man, I just realized just now that when I was a kid I found Elsa from Frozen prettier than I did with other characters, shut up. I just know, but after being fed with that if I found them attractive (or rather, sexually appealing) then I had a crush on someone, realizing if I liked someone or not was a huge fucking struggle.

Whatever, I'm just ranting by now. Just wanted to thank you because thanks to you I felt like someone understood my situation because I had been wondering why I never had liked someone my whole life. Then I realized, I can, it's just that it takes a bit more than just finding them appealing to the eye for me. You gave me a safe space, where I could laugh and relate (or not, it depends on the context but I still nod and chuckle) to being ace.

Also, I could be asking on my main but I feel embarrassed to say this since we're mutuals and you probably know who I am, but I'm still shy :P

Have a good night :D

IIIIII have totally let this sit in my asks for quite a while because the stress of the visa process got to me... TwT Sorry it took me so long to respond! (...Tbh I haven't guessed who you are either TwT I'm so sorry, I hope that isn't too hurtful, I'm kinda stupid in that way...)

I feel you though. I'm lucky I myself have such a strong and stubborn sense of self that I can still be like "no I AM this because I know and naysayers can f off" even in times where there's ground for doubt, because it IS genuinely so hard to figure oneself out. First off, people impose on you, from your very childhood, the common denominator that everyone's heterosexual and heteroromantic. Next, and even stronger than that, people impose on you that everyone feels sexual and romantic attraction, and that if anyone likes anything at all, if any person interacts positively with any other at all, if any character shares screentime with any other at all, then it must mean they're romantically/sexually attracted, because that's all it ever can mean. No wonder it's a struggle!

It's an honestly unfair situation to always have to be surrounded by "yeah but"s from people who don't experience your experience yet somehow think they know better. It makes it so that sometimes, all you have to trust is your gut, and that's a tough pill to swallow in a world that tends to erase or disvalue your experience, and in a society where it's encouraged not to be too self-centered and seek other opinions for guidance, for valid reasons. But it's sometimes so tough to find support, that trusting oneself really IS what one needs.

Either way... I consider myself really fortunate in that sense, but I know it's definitely a tough one, and I sincerely wish you the best T^T I'm really glad if I can help, even a little! And please don't let external forces make you lose too much confidence in yourself, as honestly hard as it is at times TwT You're all good as you are and you have every right to be who you are! It sounds so obvious put that way but... Yeah TwT