#and Lost Boy is done beautifully also

[multishipperbish]

and if i were to write a LOTF fanfic inspired by Peter Pan (the story by l.m. barrie) and also partially Lost Boy (by Christina Henry) what then. huh chat

[whatudowhennooneseesyou]

Just saw someone rating Ateez fits and referred to Mingi’s fit as an “omega cosplaying as an alpha” and I absolutely lost it. Also those photos on the couch that he posted… I’m a heavy sub leaning switch but Mingi being submissive and breedable will shuck my corn any day. Save a horse ride a slutty cowboy until he cries✨

𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙩𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙧 2024: 𝙎𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧

Pairing: Sub!Mingi x Dom!fem reader

Word Count: 2.7K

Tags Include: protected sex (yay!!!), feminisation, edging, reader calls Mingi 'princess', mistress kink, praise, edging, overstimulation, dollification (kinda), slight humiliation, dacryphilia, nipple play, lotus position, face riding, cum play, kissing, aftercare. 18+

Mingi looked absolutely adorable in his pink tutu and matching tiara, the soft fabric contrasting so beautifully against his tall, muscular frame. His dark hair framed his face, sticking to his skin where tears of frustration and pleasure gathered at his flushed cheeks. The bright pink lipstick you’d applied earlier was smeared down his mouth, a messy testament to the way he had desperately kissed you before.

He whimpered, his large hands gripping at the hem of the tutu, struggling to stay still as you watched him with a sly, teasing smile. His neediness was intoxicating, the way he always craved your touch, your approval, your praise. The sight of him like this, so vulnerable, made something stir deep within you.

'P-please,' Mingi's voice trembled, his lip quivering as his wide, tear-filled eyes searched yours. 'I-I can't take it anymore... please.'

The sound of his begging sent a thrill through you, his whines like music to your ears. You let out a soft hum, stepping closer until you were just in front of him, your fingers trailing down his chest, over the soft pink fabric. He shuddered at the contact, a needy little moan escaping his lips, his entire body trembling under your gaze.

'Shh,' you whispered, cupping his face with one hand, your thumb brushing over the smeared lipstick. 'You look so pretty like this, baby. My pretty boy.'

He whimpered at your praise, leaning into your touch as if he couldn't get enough, his lips parting slightly as he let out a shaky breath. His eyes fluttered closed for a moment, overwhelmed by the attention, but you weren’t finished teasing him yet.

You gently pulled away from his face and watched as Mingi’s body instinctively followed, his hips shifting slightly as he tried to press himself closer to you. His whiny, clingy nature made your heart race. He was completely devoted to you, every bit of him responding to your commands, your control, your dominance.

'You're not done yet,' you whispered, running your fingers over his lips, the sticky remnants of his lipstick coating your skin. 'Not until I say so.'

Mingi moaned, his thighs twitching as he squirmed under your touch, desperate for more. He was so close to breaking, and yet you held him there, right at the edge, teasing and toying with his needy body as he begged for release. His pretty, pink tutu ruffled with every movement, adding to the absurd yet enticing scene of his utter surrender to you.

'You can take it,' you cooed, your voice soft but commanding, tracing your fingers down his jaw and over his throat. 'You're my good boy, aren’t you?'

'Y-yes... ' Mingi gasped, his voice thick with emotion, the tiara slipping slightly on his head as he nodded eagerly. 'I'm your good boy... please, I-I’ll be good.'

You smirked, running your hand down his chest, feeling the rapid rise and fall of his breaths. His whole body was trembling now, his need for you so obvious, and yet you weren’t quite ready to let him have what he wanted.

Your fingers trailed lower, brushing over the waistband of his tutu, teasing him further. Mingi let out a sharp whine, his hips bucking slightly as he pressed himself into your hand, chasing after your touch. The tears gathered in his eyes spilled over, his makeup now a smudged mess of desperation and need.

'Look at you,' you murmured, cupping him through the soft fabric of the skirt, making him shudder and moan. 'So pretty, so needy... you really can’t do anything without me, can you?'

'N-no...' he whimpered, his voice small and breathless, completely overwhelmed by the combination of your praise and teasing. 'I... I need you.'

'That's right,' you whispered, leaning in close, your breath hot against his ear. 'You need me. And you’ll wait until I say so.'

Mingi let out another desperate moan, his hands clinging to you like a lifeline, his entire body shaking with the effort of holding back, of being good for you. You relished in the sight of him, so beautiful, so utterly devoted to you in every way. His dark hair was damp with sweat, his lips parted in quiet gasps, and his teary eyes were filled with nothing but adoration for you.

You gave his cheek a gentle pat, a teasing smile tugging at your lips. 'Good boy.'

The praise was enough to push him further, another needy whine escaping his lips as he trembled beneath your touch, his grip tightening on you. He was so close to falling apart, but you weren’t ready to let him have that release yet. Not until you had teased every last whimper and plea out of him.

Mingi's whimpers echoed in the room, his voice soft and needy, as you finally allowed him a taste of what he'd been begging for. You stood, your fingers tugging at the waistband of the tutu before sliding it down his thighs, exposing the growing hardness he'd been trying so desperately to contain. He shuddered under your touch, his dark hair sticking to his damp forehead as his gaze locked onto you, full of longing and desperation.

'Please... I need you,' Mingi whispered, his voice trembling with anticipation, his hands gently resting on your hips as you straddled him, your body pressing close to his. He looked up at you with wide, tear-filled eyes, the smeared lipstick on his lips a testament to the way you'd teased him so thoroughly. His large hands gripped your waist as you settled yourself over him, your core brushing against his erection, sending a jolt of pleasure through both of you.

'You’ve been so good for me,' you murmured, leaning down to press a soft kiss to his lips, your breath mingling with his as he let out a shaky moan. 'But just one more thing'

You were wearing nothing but a baby pink silk nightgown to match his tutu, a pearl necklace adorning your neck where the string fell between your breasts, slowly and torturously removing your chemise so you were naked, confidence swirling through your body as Mingi looked at you with absolute desire and desperation to have you.

'I'm not wet enough baby, can I sit on your face? You're going to be nice and stretch me with your fingers? Use your pretty mouth on my clit so let me slide all over that cute nose of yours?'

His eyes widened as you approached him and he nodded with fever, his voice husky, broken, laced with submissive desire and eagerness.

'Pleassse lemme do it, wanna taste you, want you to cum all over my face and cock, I'll be a good princess, I promise'

You smirked at his words and wiped the drool away from the side of his mouth before leaning in and kissing him, pulling away before Mingi could use his tongue, smiling at the slight whine you heard from his aching for you.

He grabbed the plush of your thighs with eagerness as he maneuvered you onto his face, your whole body shaking as he licked over your clit with intensity, the tip of his tongue circling around the bud before pulling it in his mouth and sucking it.

'My mistress...thank you...I'm so grateful for tasting you, could lick you every day'

He spoke words of praise and gratitude with every lick and suck, moaning in pleasure as he ate you out like a man starved of affection, like he needed to taste you to survive.

It was messy as he prepped you, using the strawberry flavoured lube you had placed next to his face to stretch you with his fingers, feeling him spread your labia apart as he licked you messily, the rumbles of his voice on your skin further enhancing your pleasure.

'Oh Mingi- right there, don't stop' You threaded your fingers in his hair as you pressed his face further against your clit, your back arching as his fingers expertly prodded against your g-spot and he flattened his tongue against the underside, reaching your peak rather quickly.

Minutes later you climaxed from your clit being sucked in between his teeth, your muscles spasming as he removed his fingers, his tongue dipping into your entrance to taste your release as much as possible.

'Did I do a good job?' Mingi asked with hesitation as you stared down at him, gazing down at the mascara tracks on his face and his cheeks and nose stained with copious amounts of pink blush and your slick.

'You always do, you make feel so good whenever I'm with you my princess'

His eyes beamed with the praise before closing at the feeling of your tongue licking your cum off his cheeks and the tip of his nose, your hands on his chest as you kissed him messily, swiping your tongue over his so he could taste you again, a throaty moan leaving his chest as you did so.

When you finished making out, you lifted yourself off him to grab the condom and the baby pink vibrator off the bedside table, moving yourself back over his crotch and placing them next to you.

'Does my big princess want his reward?'

Mingi nodded eagerly, his lips parting as a quiet whimper escaped, his body trembling beneath you in anticipation. He was so devoted, so completely yours, and the sight of him like this — needy, desperate, and beautiful — made your heart race with desire.

'Pleeasseee mistress, I'm so hard it hurts, need to be inside your pussy now, I've earned it haven't I? Haven't I been a good boy?'

You chuckled lightly at the pleading as you pushed the tutu up and around his lithe waist, staring down at how angry and dripping his thick cock was.

'Awww, that look like it hurts doesn't it, princess?'

The slight taunting caused Mingi's lip to quiver and his eyes to become glassy with unshed tears, you knew he was reaching his limits and decided to throw him the lifeline he had been so generously pleading for.

You tore open the wrapper of the condom, the latex a baby pink that matched the tutu and the vibrator, opening the cap of the lube and pouring a drop into the tip of it so the slide felt better.

'My princess deserves to be taken care off', you cooed whilst fisting his cock with your free hand, sliding the condom over the tip and shaft, hearing him hiss at the sensation.

'Ready for me?' You asked one last time as you straddled him, placing the tip near your entrance.

'Yes, yes YESSS, I've been ready, so fucking ready' He whined out, his chest flushed and littered with lipstick stains, his crotch grinding slightly against the friction of you on him.

'Then what my princess wants, my big princess gets'

You slowly lowered yourself onto him, feeling the stretch of his length filling you completely, and Mingi's head fell back with a loud moan, his fingers digging into your hips as he struggled to control himself. His lips parted, eyes squeezed shut as his hips instinctively bucked up into you, desperate to feel more of you, more of the warmth that surrounded him.

'F-fuck...' Mingi gasped, his voice cracking with the intensity of the pleasure that washed over him. His large hands guided your movements, holding you close as you began to ride him, your body moving in slow, deliberate motions, savoring every second of his needy whimpers and moans.

You couldn’t help but let out a moan of your own, the feeling of him inside you, combined with the desperate way he clung to you, sent waves of pleasure coursing through your body. Mingi, ever so eager to please, sat upright, his lips pressing to your chest, kissing and sucking at the soft skin. His kisses were sloppy, frantic, as if he couldn’t get enough of you, his whimpers vibrating against your skin as his tongue flicked over your nipple.

'You feel so good... so perfect,' he murmured between kisses, his voice rough and trembling. His lips were a mess of smeared lipstick and desire, but all you could focus on was the way he worshipped you with every touch, every kiss, his need for you spilling over in every moment.

'Mingi...' you whispered, your voice breathless as you moved faster, grinding your hips down against him, each motion sending sparks of pleasure up your spine. His hands gripped you tighter, guiding your rhythm as he pressed his lips harder to your chest, sucking marks into your skin, desperate to leave his mark on you.

'I'm yours right?' Mingi moaned against your skin as his lips latched around your nipple, his hips fluidly rolling against yours as the tutu provided further stimulation to you both.

'Of course...you're my princess..my big boy' You whined out as his teeth scraped around your other nipple, frantically trying to reach down to find the small vibrator amongst the sheets.

You felt your release building, the tight coil of pleasure winding tighter and tighter with every movement, every moan that fell from Mingi's lips. His dark eyes fluttered open to meet yours, full of pure, unfiltered desire, his lips parting as another broken moan escaped.

'I... I'm close,' Mingi gasped, his voice thick with need, his grip on you tightening as his hips jerked up into you, chasing his own release. 'Please... let me...'

The vibrator against your clit was felt without warning, maybe you could punish Mingi later for his sneakiness but right now, you didn't care about the initiative, hell-bent on getting the thigh-quaking orgasm you both deserved, roughly twining the ends of Mingi's hair as you pushed him further into the plushness of your breasts.

You moaned loudly at the sensation and your eyes rolled back, feeling your own orgasm approaching fast, the pleasure overwhelming as you moved faster, riding him with a new urgency. The room was filled with the sounds of your shared moans, your bodies moving together in perfect sync, each thrust bringing you both closer to the edge.

With one final roll of your hips, the coil inside you snapped, and you cried out, your body trembling with the force of your orgasm. Mingi followed soon after, his grip on you tightening as he buried his face in your chest, his own release hitting him hard, his body shaking as he spilled inside you.

You both stayed like that for a moment, your bodies pressed close together, hearts pounding in unison as you caught your breath. Mingi's lips remained on your chest, pressing soft, lazy kisses to your skin as he came down from his high, his arms wrapping around you in a protective embrace.

'You’re amazing,' he whispered, his voice soft and full of awe, his hands gently caressing your back. 'So perfect... I don’t know what I’d do without you.'

You smiled, brushing a hand through his dark, sweat-dampened hair, your fingers tracing the curve of his jaw. 'You did so well, Mingi. My good boy.'

He let out a soft, satisfied hum at your praise, his lips pressing one last kiss to your chest before he pulled back to look at you, his eyes full of nothing but adoration. You could still see the remnants of the smeared lipstick on his lips, the tiara slightly askew on his head, but to you, he looked perfect — completely and utterly devoted to you, just the way you liked him.

'Let's have a shower you whispered, your voice gentle as you shifted to pull away from him, your body still tingling from the aftershocks of your orgasm. 'After I get the feeling back in my legs'

Mingi smiled, his arms wrapping around you once more as he pulled you close, holding you in his strong embrace as you both basked in the warmth of each other’s presence.

He gazed up at you with glassy eyes, spit-stained reddening lips and his cheeks flushed and skin stained with sweat, his voice sex-laced and hoarse as he had one final request.

'Can I fuck you in the shower?'

I swear to God, if this fic doesn't entice people to think Mingi's a switch but sub leaning, I don't know what will (especially after the couch photos like come on???)

I feel like I just released layers of pent-up intrusive thoughts, until next time...bye!!!

Taglist: @youre-alittle-taste-of-hell @sugarnspice630 @mykryptonitelight @scuzmunkie @umbralhelfwolf @starsareseen @lino-jagiyaa @mrcarrots @staytinyinmybpack @necessiteez @wooyoungmybelovedhusband @anyamaris @hexheathen @michel-angelhoe @justaaveragereader @ja3hwa @abby-grace @wisejudgedragonhairdo

[inactiveobeymeblog]

The Brothers Cock Warming M!MC

Probably has been before but oh well. I wanted to add my own little pizazz to it. Also not a lot of male mc.

Tags: the brothers are on the receiving end, cock warming, praise kink, degradation kink, office sex, male mc/AMAB reader, teasing, and edging. Read at your own risk!!

Lucifer

This man is so hard to get away from his work

He’s practically married to it (and maybe Diavolo)

The moment you walk into his study he immediately tried to dismiss you, thinking you are one of his brothers

Boy was he ever so wrong

“Luci.” You would call out

His head immediately shoots up and he drops his pen

He would be so happy to see you he wouldn’t be able to help the corners of his lips curving upwards

You’d walk over to him and waste no time in kissing him

He’d kiss back and your plan is set in motion

Time skip to when you’re shedding his clothes off of him

If you really want him to cockwarm you, you have to get him in the mood

It’s pretty easy to do, too

Start by slowly undoing his tie and slowly unbuttoning his vest while softly kissing his nape

He’ll get impatient but he’ll also be curious

“You know, I haven’t seen you all day. I’ve missed you.”

Find any excuse to praise him

Whether if it be complimenting his looks or complimenting his behavior; it gets him riled up and ready

But what he doesn’t expect is when you both are only sitting there, cock fully sheathed inside him

He gets confused but catches on pretty quickly

He picks up his pen gets back to work

But let’s be real here

He’s not getting anything done

Not when you have the chance to screw with him in the best way possible

You’d start by wandering your hands all over his body while nipping at any reachable exposed skin

Then you’d move on to shifting slightly on purpose so you’d move inside him

You’d continue this until he gets fed up

“You’re being very annoying today.” He’d say a few minutes before he rides you completely

He’d get so lost in the feeling of you filling him up he forgets about his work for the rest of the day

He’s not going to stop riding you until you beg for mercy

Prepare to have a sore dick the next day

Mammon

Finding Mammon is easy

But if you can’t find him, just text him a “I need you. Come here now.” And it doesn’t matter where he is, he’ll be there in 2 minutes flat.

You get straight to the point

You tell him to undress while you sit in his bed, watching him obey your command

You find it endearing

So you reward him by stuffing him full with your cock

“Look at you taking me so beautifully. So perfectly. Almost as if you were meant for this.”

Praise him but lightly degrade him if you want to reward him

But if you want to punish him? Don’t say anything and watch him squirm on your unmoving length

But it’s only a matter of time before you snap and can’t handle how hard he’s clenching you

Before you knew it, Mammon was on all fours getting pounded into his own mattress

You love the noises that come from his mouth so much you have to praise him for it

“Such a good boy. Taking me with such little effort. Such a good boy for me.”

Praise him and he’s spilling on the sheets while screaming your name

It’s long last an hour before you finish inside him

You love him so much you found it in you to clean up everything (and find a healing spell of some sort bc let’s be honest here. He’s ruined.)

When you’re done with aftercare, you pull the second eldest close to your chest and fall asleep until you wake up a few hours later to do it all over again

Mammon loves it when you do that

Leviathan

Levi lost a bet against you while playing a video game

He lost and now he has to face the consequences

Sitting on your cock while he plays a game with a few online friends

Oh, and open mic, too

“I might not be at my best this time, guys.” He’d say as the round starts bc he knows you aren’t letting him off easy

He lost, remember?

For the first game you’re completely content, but the second game you get a little more teasing

You start lightly rocking your hips upward and running your hand gently up and down his waist, sometimes squeezing

Each time you do, Levi tries to compose himself by sharply inhaling and keeping his voice down

The next couple games you’re now thrusting a couple inches inside him, enjoying the way he struggles to focus and keep quiet

The next few games you’re now kissing up and down his exposed back while still pumping the same two inches inside him at the slowest pace you could manage

It was starting to make him squirm under you and letting out small breaths and quiet whimpers

You both stay like this until his friends go offline and Levi crumbles as he switches to his demon form

He’d somehow turn around with you still inside him and start bouncing away

His tail comfortably wraps itself around your leg and his hands are on your chest

Each time Levi lowers himself, you raise your hips to meet him halfway

You hit his sweet spot every time

It’s only a small amount of time before he’s gone and spills over both of your chests

You flip him around and start pounding into him

A few thrusts later and you’re stroking yourself, shooting onto his balls

You both quickly recover and clean up before you play another game with him

Levi would be distracted the entire time as he replays what happened mere moments ago in his mind

He looses again

Satan

This nerd immediately knew what you were trying to do

So he wasted no time in tying you to his bed and siting comfortably down onto your length with a book in hand

You’re still inside him when he lays back against your chest while reading the rest of his book

He could spend hours just sitting on your dick and you’d be helpless just laying there, hard, inside him for hours on end

Eventually though, he’d get bored and turn his body around to face you, book placed down beside you

“I’m going to make you feel so good you will never want to leave.”

He’d say something so hot you twitch so violently inside him he squeaks quietly

You find it cute

But your little smirk turns into an open ‘O’ when Satan brutally starts bouncing

He’s slamming himself down so hard you’re moaning with him

He wouldn’t stop there either

He’d play with your nipples, pinching and licking them whenever he wants

It’s not a shocker when you’re the one unloading inside him first

Your mind gets so clouded with lust you start to raise your hips in time with Satan’s bounces but the demon wouldn’t allow it

He’d force your hips down and get even more rough, his ass jiggling from how much force he’s using

You cum a second time before Satan cums once

Taking advantage of Satan’s brief break, you take the moment to look down at yourself

Your chest is cover with bite marks and hickeys

The same goes for your stomach, except it’s now coated with Satan’s cum

You’re hard again inside him and Satan smirks

“I’m not stopping tonight. I’m going to put you in a wheelchair by morning.”

He wasn’t wrong

You could barely feel your legs and it felt like yo were missing your pelvis completely not to mention how sore your dick was

You’d wait awhile before attempting something like that again

Satan comes up with an idea to wear cat-themed lingerie next time

He’s sure you’d get a kick out if it

He’d have a blast showing it off to you before brutally riding you all night again

He’d accidentally rip the fabric of the lingerie and get sad

He was really happy with the look of it too

Oh well

He’ll buy another piece

Asmodeus

If you thought you’d be in control, you’re sorely mistaken

Similar to Satan, he’s tying you up to his bed

But he’s not just going to cockwarm you

He’s going to edge you beyond humanly possible

He’d start by rolling his hips in a circle before rolling them up and down

Then he’d wiggle his ass a little and delightfully watch you squirm under him

He repeats this more than enough times to start getting you to beg

He hears you but ignores you

He’s too busy with rolling his hips and sucking your nipples and cupping your balls

He’d pleasure you until you feel that knot in your stomach tighten

Then he’d lift himself off your dick and sit on it until you start pouting

Then he starts the process all over again

This time he starts touching himself

He strokes himself in time with his rolling and your moans and desperate cries for more

But he ignores you and says not until he’s climaxing on your chest

And so that’s exactly what happened

He moans your name and spills on your stomach, some shooting onto your face and chest

He licks his mess up before lifting himself off your cock and crawling backwards while still making eye contact with you

Before you know it, your cock is in his mouth as you’re face fucking him stupid

Your length reaches the back of his throat and he happily accepts it

Asmo’s throat game is god-tier

He knows when to swallow around you and when to use his tongue

It’s not long before you’re spilling everything you’ve built up down Asmo’s throat

Asmo smiles and licks his lips before undoing your bindings

“Let’s do that again sometime. I enjoyed it.”

Beelzebub

If Beel is going to cockwarm you, it’s with his mouth

You’ll most likely find him in his shared bedroom (alone most of the time considering Belphie doesn’t sleep in one spot too often)

You find him there and you lean against the door, watching him finish the last of his midnight snack

You smirk to yourself and muster up the most not-sexual tone you could manage

“Still hungry? I have a snack just for you if you are.”

You’d walk over to him and sit down on the bed and he’d look at you with a confused look

He looks adorable when he does that

You lean back with one arm supporting you and use your other to lift your shirt up and all Beel could do to respond was nod with a smile

And getting on his knees in between your legs

You both have done this a handful of times before, he knows you like it and he’s happy doing it for you (he’d be lying if he said he didn’t feel aroused himself)

So Beel got to work immediately

Undoing your belt (if you have one on) and unzipping your pants to pull your hardening length out through the hole

Beel grabs the base of your shaft before licking your tip

It takes all your strength not to fuck his face

Then he engulfs your entire length in one go, down his throat

Your hand immediately finds is way to his hair and your hips start to grind against his throat

You can’t help but groan when he swallows around you

The warm wetness of his mouth combined with how skilled his tongue swirls around you send heatwaves throughout your loins

You get to full mast after a couple minutes of throbbing in Beel’s throat

By now you’re panting lightly and running your hand through his orange locks

“You’re so good at this, Beel. Oh Shit. Can I?” You’d ask him and he’d hum around you, giving permission

Then, next thing you know you’re holding his head with both hands as you fuck his throat

Surprisingly, no matter how hard you go, he never chokes or coughs

He just swallows all of you

And the thought of that is what sends you over the edge and you’re unloading down his throat

You collapse on the bed behind you

Beel will patiently wait for you to recover before you sit back up again and kiss him

You cup both of his cheeks with your hands and kiss him with such fever it almost felt like a desire. A desperate need

You pull away and grin

“My turn, babe.”

Belphegor

Belphie loves to cockwarm you

It doesn’t take up too much energy and he doesn’t have to do much

You two are normally cuddling when this happens

You spoon him as you two nap on his bed, still inside him

Usually, quite surprisingly, Belphie is the one to wake up first

And being the little shit he is, he loves to mess with you

So he’ll start slowly rocking his hips back against you to wake you up

Once you are awake, you hold him closer to you

“You’re being naughty today, Belphie.”

So you start rocking your own hips against him as you reach around and cup his balls with your hand

Belphie makes little, quiet sounds as you tease him

“So full, love. We’re you having a nice dream?”

You start to whisper dirty things in his ear and he starts to moan more freely, albeit quiet

You still love to here his voice

While still cupping his balls with your hand, you use your other one to stroke him

You stroke at a painfully slow pace, making Belphie thrust himself lightly into your hand and back against your cock

You start leaving kisses on his neck and shoulder, sometimes biting

Over time, you slowly start to increase your stroking pace and thrust speed

The combined pleasure from your cock and you stroking him soon sends him into his climax, spilling onto your hand and the sheets below him

You soon quickly finish off as you pick up your pace thrusting inside him

When you pull out of him, you turn him to face you and you kiss him

“You did wonderful, love. Like always.”

You smile and kiss him again

“So did you.”

Belphie’s words made you feel butterflies in your stomach

He was so cute

It almost makes you want to smother him with kisses

Oh wait

You can

And you do

You kiss him until both of your lips are numb

“I love you, Belphie.”

“I love you, too.”

End.

A/N: Sorry if there’s any typo’s! This took me several days to make considering I didn’t have any motivation to continue working on it until now (and I don’t have the energy to revise and edit any of this). But it’s here and I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know if y’all want more or not. I’m always open for requests! I tried to keep everyone canon-accurate so I hope it is. Thanks for reading :)

[knightjpg]

landslide | chapter 3

chapter tags: (light) stalking, alcohol/alcohol consumption, reader has a toxic boyfriend

prev | next

Just the one time. 

You won't even notice, Ghost reasons to himself. He'll just be another spectre haunting London; a phantom passing through. Just once. Just to see— 

To soothe. Yes, that's what it is. He's just fulfilling a final duty, a tribute to the woman who made his brother smile like he'd never seen a day of hardship in his life. 

It's not hard to track you down. Years may have gone by, but Ghost has a photo, a name, and a bloodhound's tenacity for sniffing out the details. The anonymous bustle of London loses out against his patience, and really, people are creatures of habit. They seek comfort in the known; in their routine. 

Ghost observes yours. From afar, at first—a shadow lurking in alleyways you give a wide berth to. This is good. This is how it's meant to be. We get dirty, Price's voice echoes in his skull. So the world stays— 

After a week it gets harder to justify. You're alive and well. Have a steady job and a roof over your head. A boyfriend. You're not rude enough to drunk twats calling after you when get off work, but you clutch the closest thing to pepper spray in your hand after dark.  

Smart girl. 

It's time to step away. Simon died; a tombstone doesn't fit into the constraints of your daily life. He's let go before. He can—has to—do it again. 

“Sure, honey. Whatever you say.” 

... 

Just— 

Just the one time. 

Ghost pretends he's doing a stakeout. There's a mission, and there's a target. Simple. Easy. Muscle memory. 

When you walk through the café door, bell jingling against the wood, he's supposed to be casual. Uninterested; aloof—just another guy getting his daily fix. He knows he stands out with his bulk, but it's London: who's going to care? No one's going to think twice about his being here. He just has to keep it cool, go through the motions of reading his book without picking up any of the words. Then, naturally, look up— 

(sure, honey—) 

—and. Fuck. He is so unprepared. 

You keep your hair a little shorter these days. Still no ring on your finger—Simon breathes out slow—but a pendant around your neck has taken up a fixed presence. A gift? It's hard to tell. 

You're a little older, sure, but you're so— 

You're so... 

He ducks his head just in time, ballcap throwing his face into shadow to avoid your curious glance. Caught staring. He curses at himself—is he a fucking professional or what? 

Your name is called out, and you take your order with a grateful thanks. Ghost chances a peek while you're preoccupied. 

Christ. You're so pretty. 

Not just pretty—beautiful. Not like how he remembers, but also exactly how he remembers. The way you shift your weight, the quick gesture of your head when you shake the hair out of your face. Your smile, a flash of teeth. 

It's a perfect fit. A lost puzzle piece slots into place, lines up a bridge between the past with the present— 

“Oh, I'm so glad you're here,” you tell him with a sigh, plopping down heavily in the chair beside him. “If anyone asks me to dance I have a sprained ankle, okay?” 

Simon gives you a solemn nod, eyes sliding from the dancefloor to your figure bending down to untie your shoes. Your hair is done up beautifully for today, and he's overcome with the desire to reach out and touch the nape of your neck. 

He forces it down and watches Tommy and Beth swaying to a slow song, eyes closed. You sigh, flexing your toes. 

“Hurt?” Simon asks. 

“Just tired,” you smile. “Beth's cousin are nice, but every time I sit they—oh, God, there's one of them.” 

You unsuccessfully try to hide behind Simon's broad shoulders. One of your hands presses against his arm for balance, small imprint of warm through his nicest white blouse. 

Simon's heart lurches. He leans into your touch like a lodestone. 

“She's got a sprained ankle, mate,” he tells Beth's cousin before he can open his mouth. “Gotta rest.” 

The boy swallows a thinly veiled tsk when Simon speaks up, then tries again. “I'm sorry, love, was I too rough on you? Do you want me to get you ice? Or a drink? Or—” 

“Got it handled here,” Simon cuts in curtly.  

Simon likes Beth. Likes her family fine, too—he and Tommy grew up on a low bar, but still he can see they're alright folk. And Simon would never start shit on their wedding day. He's got better manners than that. 

But people get caught up in weddings, spurred on by booze and a festive mood. They grow loose-lipped, handsy, jovial. 

Simon's more than happy to put cousin what'shisname in his place should he forget it. 

The cousin lingers for a moment, but eventually tucks his tail between his legs and sets off to the drinks bar. Simon eyes his retreat warily. 

“Oh,” you sigh, sagging against Simon's back for a moment before pulling yourself upright. “Thanks so much. You're my hero.” 

—a wildflower in his barren desertscape. 

 

He'd wondered if it would hurt any more than it does every other day of his life. A living, breathing reminder of everything that he's lost; Ghost is not immune to pain. Even corpses bleed. 

He finds it doesn't matter. Whatever he might have felt is drowned out by something else, a lighthouse smacking him in the face with the same blinding light he chased when he crawled out of the dirt— 

Familiar. Quickly followed by, mine. Something that earns its intimacy simply by being known; hauntingly so, but he wants it. Wants to have it, wants to allow himself this smidge of nostalgia. 

(You're my hero.) 

Self-denial pushed to the extreme rebounds off the wall and crashes against him like a wave. Saltwater mixes with old dusty sediment, rips out dead old roots as it pulls him down, a landslide— 

And it's trouble. Ghost knows it. But— 

He's always had an appetite for the thrill of danger, careful, might get hurt;  

and he figures one more scar won't make much of a difference. 

----------

The alcohol tastes bitter on your tongue. You swirl the liquid in your glass and wish you could jump into the miniature whirlpool; to simply let the disappointment and the hurt and the insecurity all be washed away.  

Your phone beep...beep...beeps until: 

“The person you are attempting to call cannot be reached at this time. To leave a message, press—” 

You shove it back in your pocket with an angry twist of your mouth. That's four times for this month alone. How many was it last month? And the one before that? 

Maybe you should stop counting. 

The alcohol does the opposite from soothing your bad mood. You know your limits and steer clear of that line; over the years you've found it's never worth the headache or the nausea the next day.  

Another drink and things will start getting fuzzier, which means it's time to call a friend or a cab and leave. Be smart. Be careful. 

Your fingers dig into the glass. You stay seated on your stool.  

Maybe you should've accepted when a bloke offered you a drink. Sorry, you'd smiled. Waiting for my boyfriend. 

Fuck your boyfriend. 

The spite sours as soon as it wells up, leaving guilt in its wake. What's wrong with you? You'd never cheat on Dave. You've been the subject of that kind of betrayal too often; know the pain too well. You won't be that kind of person. 

You down the last of your drink, just about to get up when a large man wearing a dark hoodie seats himself on the stool next to you. 

You pause. It's not busy; there's plenty of empty stools to choose from. Coincidence or a sign of interest? Would it be rude to leave immediately after he's sat down?  

Would it be worse to wait for him to say something instead? 

Hesitation lies heavily in your stomach, alcohol and loneliness making you feel unsure, slow. The indecision keeps your eyes down on your empty glass while you fiddle with a coaster and tell yourself to stop being so self-absorbed. It doesn't mean anything; it's not about you. People can come to the bar just for a— 

“Drink?” the stranger asks you. 

Your eyes flit up. 

He's wearing a ballcap—go Manchester—which, under the dim lights of the bar, obscures most of his features. Still, you catch the end tail of a nasty scar running down his cheek. 

This is where trepidation should come in. A sixth sense of self-preservation telling you in red letters do not touch. Do not go here. 

Do not trespass. 

But: 

something about him is familiar.  

Maybe that's why you're less guarded. Less careful. You're lonely, abandoned, stood up; one last drink won't hurt. Will it? Because, really— 

It's just a drink, you tell yourself. If he tries anything you'll make a scene.  

God knows you've got plenty of pent-up anger to let loose. 

“Sure, okay,” you say, and the man waves the bartender over. You watch him pour the drink, and offer the stranger a half-hearted smile as you raise your glass in cheers. 

“You alone?” 

“I have a boyfriend,” you say, trying for casual nonchalance and ending up somewhere close to abandoned cat on the roadside. There's even a tremor at the end of your voice to go with it. 

And you thought tonight wouldn't get any more pathetic. 

The man tilts his head. “He gonna come pick y’up?” 

You tap your phone's screen out of habit: no notifications. You shake your head. The bar suddenly feels too loud, too sharp; too real. You realise that until now you'd still clung to the idea that Dave's caller ID would pop up any moment, that any second the next face walking into the bar would be his. 

It's not going to happen. 

You know it's not. But all by yourself you could still believe—lure yourself into the protective delusion that Dave wouldn't stand you up again. Not after missing your anniversary dinner, surely. 

Your throat closes against a sob clawing its way up. Christ. You try to wrestle it down, cover your quivering lips with a hand. You're drunk. Drunk and acting like an idiot— 

Your stranger does a little hum. “He a twat?” 

The delivery is so dry you hiccup a strange laugh-sob. “Some—sometimes. Maybe it's my fault. I don't know what I—” You stop yourself and breathe. Cling to the shred of sobriety left in you. “Sorry. You don't care about any of this.” 

The bloke shifts on his stool, turning his torso more towards you and leaning one of his big forearms on the tacky bar as he does. The end of a tattoo sleeve peeks out from his hoodie, abstract lines old and sun-faded.  

“Could listen.” 

You blink, and— 

there's your apartment, your front door, the jingle of keys. Body moving on autopilot, dropping bag and shoes and slumping onto your bed. 

Your mind is slow, hazy; muddled by fatigue and cocktails. How'd you get home again? 

A flash of obnoxious radio music. The dangle of car freshener against a dark windshield. 

That's right. Had one drink too much, and called— 

You frown against your sheets. Called... 

A low voice in your ear, telling you to mind your feet. Not Dave—bigger than Dave. One strong arm keeping you from wobbling, and the other opening the door to a cab. Smelled nice. Safe. A friend? 

“I saw Simon's boots in the hall. Did he stop by?” 

“He did. Came to save me from Tommy's hovering.” 

You finish pouring Beth's smoothie—thick, fruity, calorie-dense—and hand it to her. She sighs in relief, carefully shifting in her seat so she doesn't jostle Joseph while she's breastfeeding. 

“Thanks so much. God,” and she takes a big sip, “that's good. Everyone tells you breastfeeding makes you hungry, but oh my god, it makes you hungry.” 

You laugh a little, patting her leg. “You're doing great, mumma.” 

“I hope so.” Beth looks down at Joseph, stroking his blond wispy hairs. “We're thinking about moving. Not for a while, but—maybe next year.” Beth gestures to the little flat apartment. “Tommy's been doing really well at work, and we want Joseph to be able to run around in a yard.” 

As if summoned, the front door opens and closes. Boots thump against the doormat; the coathanger rattles with the weight of thick padded jackets. 

“I think that's a lovely idea,” you smile. “Just let me know and I'll help.” 

Beth's face softens. “Thank you.” 

She looks exhausted, but extraordinarily happy at the same time. You're so happy for her—so happy for both of them—yet can't help the occasional tug of envy. You're not sure if you want children, not yet, but the look of devotion in Tommy's eyes when he crosses the room to kiss Beth and Joseph's cheeks is hard not to want for yourself. 

“Alright?” 

You lift your eyes to Simon. He looks freshly windswept from their walk, hair mussed and cheeks ruddy. For some reason it makes you feel— 

You duck your head, nodding. “Yeah.”  

You suddenly feel a little shy, out of place. To give yourself something to do you collect empty cups to put away—and stumble on one of Joseph's toys lying around. 

Simon's arm shoots out to steady you, and in your attempt to balance yourself you bump headfirst into his chest. You quickly remove yourself, cheeks burning. 

“Thanks...” 

In between dreaming and waking, the memory of a voice murmurs in your ear;  

“Steady now.” 

----------

Ghost watches the cab drive away with a pensive expression. 

You're not happy. 

He watched you for over an hour, his pretty lonely girl sipping fruity cocktails at the bar. Waiting for the ungrateful cunt to bother showing up. 

Because your boyfriend is an ungrateful cunt, going by the way you nearly cried into his arms. Simon hadn't been privy to the details, lived off second-hand stories from Tommy and sometimes Beth, and there's too many gaps in his memories to be sure. 

But he knows— 

I'm tired of the shitty boyfriends. 

Beth's playful smile loops in his head. Ghost feels sorry for you, and yet— 

some sick part of him is pleased.  

Relieved. 

You need him. Haven't learned yet to winnow the wheat from the chaff; can't see that your precious time and effort is wasted on undeserving shits. 

Tonight was supposed to be the last time; a final goodbye. Closure for the dead. That last push he needed to stop himself from reaching out and saying it's me— 

Simon. 

But this changes things. Ghost turns his back on the night, and disappears into the shadows. 

It's time to make some phone calls. 

[wanderinginksplot]

What to watch during the writer's strike:

Don't pay attention to companies who blame writers for delayed movies and television shows! The WGA strike comes from people who are trying to make things better - not only for themselves and other writers, but the films and tv shows we all love.

While we wait for a resolution, I thought I would share some existing television shows that I enjoy. I didn't bother with too much well-known stuff. Instead, I focused on shows I feel many people missed because of the glut of content that all premiered at once over the last few years. (I may make another one of these for movies later on, but this one is about tv.)

[Update: Movie version here]

Feel free to add on! Just try to give a quick, spoiler-free synopsis for the show and the streaming service where it can be found.

List under the cut!

Netflix:

The Good Place (2016-2020) - A 'bad' woman is accidentally sent to heaven. She and her moral philosophy professor of a soulmate try to save her soul by making her a better person. Genre: Comedy with deeper implications and one of the best endings in television history.

Russian Doll (2019-2022) - When Nadia dies at her birthday party, she's more than a little confused to come back. Especially when it keeps happening. Genre: Time loop drama with a wicked sense of humor and a dash of theoretical physics. Potentially not ended?

Narcos (2015-2017) - The fight of the American DEA and the Colombian army against cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar and his reign of terror. Genre: Drama with thrilling elements. Lots of violence, some sex and language. Lots of subtitles. Features Pedro Pascal and Boyd Holbrook, if you need some extra incentive.

Derry Girls (2018-2022) - Five teens grow up in Derry, Ireland in the 1990s, amid the final years of the Troubles, a low-level war that lasted roughly 30 years. Genre: Comedy. Some sexual content, some religious content, less violence than you would expect, and the best nun ever to appear on film.

Arcane (2021-?) - Two sisters are alienated when one accidentally kills their adoptive father. Their different paths threaten the fragile peace of a city already on the breaking point. Genre: Drama with elements of action-adventure. Though it's animated, Arcane's animation is beautifully done with tantalizing steampunk elements that will keep you invested.

Disney+:

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020) - If you haven't seen any of the Star Wars animated series, this is a good place to start. Set in the time gap between Episode II and Episode III, this series helps flesh out Anakin Skywalker and the Jedi. It is also a great introduction to some of the characters and plots of The Mandalorian. (Star Wars: Rebels is another good choice.) Genre: Adventure with some drama. Violence and death are a large part of The Clone Wars, but it's usually appropriate for children. The clone troopers will steal your heart!

Gravity Falls (2012-2016) - Dipper Pines and his sister Mabel are sent to Gravity Falls, Oregon to live with their great-uncle for their summer break. But when Dipper finds a mysterious book in the woods, the pair find that Gravity Falls is far more mysterious than it seems... Genre: Adventure with a lot of comedy. Though it's billed as a children's cartoon, Gravity Falls is an intriguing watch with mystery subplots that will keep anyone guessing. It also features a famously strong and cohesive series ending. I was in my late 20s when I first watched this and I was still invested!

Daredevil (2015-2018) - After being blinded as a young boy, Matthew Murdock trained his other senses to replace the sight that he lost. He uses his skills to protect the helpless in the New York City neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen. Genre: Action and superhero. Features a lot of incredibly choreographed violence. (Jessica Jones is also an excellent show to watch, especially if you think of David Tennant as the consummate 'good guy'. He's got range!)

HBO Max (Just 'Max' now, I guess):

Ghosts (2019-2023) - Petty roommate squabbles don't stop just because you're dead! Alison and her husband Mike inherit a house, then a near-death experience allows Alison to see its ghostly inhabitants. Chaos and humor ensue as the ghosts try to adjust to the house's new owners. Genre: Humor. Ghosts is a British sitcom, but since the writers are comedians (writing and performing in Horrible Histories), the show is done in a style that feels more natural to American viewers. Hint: watch the BBC version, not the American one. They're fairly similar, but definitely not the same!

Pushing Daisies (2007-2009) - A pie-maker with the ability to bring back the dead helps to solve murders. He's helped by his once-dead childhood sweetheart. Genre: Comedy with some dramatic elements. Some of the CGI-heavy moments haven't aged particularly well, but the show has a unique premise and an incredibly talented cast!

Hulu:

Abbott Elementary (2021-?) - This mockumentary series showcases an inner-city elementary school in Philadelphia. The teachers and administration do their best for the kids, but they're constrained by budgets and the limitations of the educational system itself. Genre: Comedy mockumentary. Though Abbott Elementary is fictional, some of the issues brought up are all too real. This is a funny and incisive look at the American public school system.

Amazon Prime:

Fleabag (2016-2019) - The unnamed protagonist of the show struggles through life on her own with limited support from her alienated family and the memories of her recently deceased best friend. Genre: Comedy with lots of dramatic elements. Lots of sexual content and references, some language, breaking the fourth-wall, and several characters you just long to hit. I watched the second season in a single day, that's how good this was.

Unknown Streaming Service:

Black Sails (2014-2017) - This prequel to Treasure Island features elements from the book, original characters, and real pirates from history in a setting that emphasizes realism. Captain Flint and his crew search for a legendary prize... one that might allow them to claim Nassau for their own. Genre: Action and adventure. Think Game of Thrones, but with pirates. Incredibly well-written and well-acted with gorgeous scenery, LGBTQ representation, and just enough historical accuracy to keep things grounded. Black Sails also boasts one of the best endings ever given for a television show.

Like I said, please feel free to reblog and add your own television show recommendations onto this list! There are plenty of things to watch and plenty of ways to support the WGA strike that don't involve giving in to big studios.

[picnokinesis]

flux adjacent fic recs

in media res by wreckageofstars (3k, 1 chapter, gen) summary: “Well,” she said. “Now you know what the mattress is for.” Dan shifted. “And the trampoline?” “Best not ask about the trampoline.” //I think this is probably the first Dan pov fic I ever read, and it’s absolutely brilliant. This author gets the character voices down so perfectly it’s unreal, and the whole thing is just so wonderful to see from Dan’s outsider perspective. It’s set in the immediate aftermath of Once, Upon Time, and it does a fantastic job of exploring the impact of what happened in that episode – both from a whump perspective and an emotional one. Angsty, but also funny in the worst kind of way – someone please go give Yaz a break, she REALLY needs one. Anyway, it’s great, everyone go read it right now.

Hearts of Stone by weirdpug (previously xhonia) (1k, 1 chapter, thoschei) summary: The Doctor loses herself. The Master finds her. //Ohhh this one this one, it’s SO awesome – it’s one of those fics that does really cool things with the formatting? Which works great here, because it’s a weeping angel!13 fic and wow, wow! Extremely awesome indeed, and just beautifully written – the prose is just so full of character, even when the Doctor is losing herself and it’s so well done.

Divination by WalkerLister (6k, 1 chapter, gen) summary: “There was a name for someone similar to me once. They called them the Valeyard. You can call me that, if you like. I quite like it, it’s suitably eerie. Little bit of drama never hurt anyone.” //Right, so we all remember what happened when War of the Sontarans aired…we got that ‘next time’ trailer of Once Upon Time…and all collectively lost our minds over the inverted dark coat. Since then, I feel like everyone has been finding really creative ways to get it into fanfics, and this is a wonderful example. And, well, if the promise of dark coat!13 wasn’t enough, this fic is just an absolutely fascinating look at the concept of the Valeyard in the context of the fobwatch from Flux, but focused on Yaz and her relationship with/perception of the Doctor. It’s such a good concept and so so wonderfully done! (also, if you’re a fan of thasmin, this author has a ton of stuff, so definitely go check it all out! For the less thasmin-inclined folks, I highly recommend Ipesity, which is one of my favourite post-TTC fics)

three points where two lines meet by Ymae (4k, 1 chapter, gen) summary: The Doctor tries to get those memories back, and breaks herself, bit by bit. //Oh man. This fic. I still remember when this one first posted and hoooooo boy, it is a hell of a gut-punch and absolutely wrenched my heart right out of my chest but HHHHHHHHH wow!! WOW. Genuinely, I think this fic rewrote my brain a little bit. It's set in the immediate aftermath of Once, Upon Time where the Doctor makes some very unwise decisions about trying to tug at her timeline and it's absolutely incredible. Very angsty, very whumpy, and full of a HUGE amount of the Doctor messing with timelines and very visceral, tangible descriptions of her timesense. It is such a treat, guys. And if you like this one and want something with similar vibes, I also highly recommend this post-flux fic by the same author!

Sheer Poetry! by Papapaldi (57k, 5 chapters, gen) summary: Trapped within her own mind, the Doctor travels through an impossible house, with everyone she has ever been locked inside. Her body is an unresponsive, useless bag of flesh somewhere far and away in reality. The part of her brain that she knows, where her past resides, sits somewhere else entirely within the old machine. The Ravagers eat, buried memories beckon, and the Doctor's faith is shaken to its core. She will never be the same – but that's what she's all about, right? Incredible change. //oh my days. THIS FIC, guys - look, I see the word count, I know, I know. This fic is a serious undertaking, but like so many things in life it is soooooo so worth it. Bucket loads of absolutely ASTOUNDING imagery, more references to Lungbarrow and Timewyrm Revelation than you can shake a stick at, BUT you don't need to have read those stories at all to enjoy this absolutely fantastic saga (put it like this - I've not read those books, and I had a whale of a time). Incredibly poetic, a little nonsensical in the best kind of way (it IS a mindscape fic) but startlingly funny and so beautifully in character. I laughed, I cried. This fic is just a love letter to everything Doctor Who, weaving all of canon into this beautiful, cohesive tapestry. I highly recommend. (and, if you're hungry for more and want tpotd content, there's an excellent sequel as well)

every step i choose to take (begins to set the world aflame) by SleepyMaddy (12k, 1 chapter, thoschei) summary: In a spaceport lost in a remote quadrant of interstellar space, a Doctor who doesn’t know herself anymore runs into a Master who doesn’t know himself yet // Ok so the sheer concept of this one ALONE is absolutely brilliant – the Doctor, escaping from the Division and half out of her head, bumps into the Master, who’s not long regenerated from Missy. And, guys. It’s fascinating. Seeing the Master right at the start, before he finds out everything that comes to define him in this era, and then having him meet a version of the Doctor who is quite a lot further along than him and just completely out of it? It’s like catnip to me, guys. And, of course, it’s all helped by the fact that the writing is absolutely brilliant – the characters are just absolutely spot on, which is quite an incredible feat seeing as they are both in very different places to where we see them in the show, yet they still manage to ring true throughout the whole thing. And also the mindscape imagery? The psychic whump? The emotional gut-punch that is the entire fic? Absolutely unparalleled. (also, if you’re a spydoc fan? Just help yourself out and read this author’s entire set of works, because it’s all fantastic)

see me bare my teeth for you by picnokinesis (16k, 1 chapter, gen) summary: “Do you know your mission?” //This is a bit of a cheeky self-rec, but, in my defence, if you're looking for flux fics, then I think you'll enjoy this one. I wrote it in the week after Village of the Angels aired, and it's basically all my thoughts and theories about what was going to happen in Survivors of the Flux thrown into a 16k oneshot. I was...mostly wrong HAHA but I’m still really proud of it. If you like division!doctor, then this one is for you

we're only dreaming (tell me who i am) by SpaceBetweenGalaxies (2k, 1 chapter, gen) summary: more the-memory-house-is-Lungbarrow clowning //ok, so if you were like me when flux was airing and absolutely lost your MIND over the illogical house which was a bit too on the nose regarding Lungbarrow related things, then THIS FIC IS FOR YOU. Absolutely brilliantly done, with some gorgeous imagery that I'm still thinking about to this day, and just a wonderfully unsettling exploration of the Doctor and how she picks at those cut off memories in the aftermath of the Flux

the stars are bound to change by emptypockets (9k, 1 chapter, gen) summary: Being trisected across the universe has unexpected consequences for the Doctor, and Yaz is tasked with the responsibility of keeping her awake. //ohhhhhh this fic is so wonderful!! It's that weird sweet spot of 'soft angst', where it hits where it hurts but at the same time the whole thing feels like it's wrapping you in a warm blanket. Augh!! Such a lovely portrayal of the Doctor and Yaz's dynamic - I adore how this author writes these two so much. An absolutely lovely (but angsty!) character exploration, with a healthy dose of whump and sleepiness on the side. What more could you want?

Everything by rowanthestrange (24k, 13 chapters, thasmin) summary: In which Yaz wants to know everything, and the Doctor finally wants that too. //Ok, so full disclosure, I don't read that much thasmin, but this fic, guys. It's just gorgeous. A beautifully written exploration of Yaz and her relationship with the Doctor in the aftermath of Flux, which explores the years Yaz spent in the past and how that changed her; the Doctor grappling with her identity issues and how that's changed her; as well as all sorts of other wonderful things besides. Another fic that had tears streaming down my face (the TARDIS chapter got me...). It's such a poignant, emotional fic, and it's very focused on character in a way that I really adore. If you like thasmin, this is an absolute must-read. If you're not a fan of thasmin, I recommend it anyway (- signed: a thoschei shipper) because it's just such a brilliant portrayal of these two.

[sparklypinkflightsuit]

Stars Align: Part 1

Pairing: Bradley Bradshaw x Reader

Summary: Bradley was your best friend throughout high school, and you were madly in love with him. Bradley had no idea how you felt, and had eyes for someone else, much to your dismay.

You move away after high school, and gradually lose touch with your best friend, however years later you happen to bump into the new and improved Bradley Bradshaw, and can hardly believe it's the same man. He can also hardly believe that the beautiful, grown up woman in front of him is the same dorky best friend he had all those years ago. Will things ever become more than they were in that past, as you rekindle your friendship and make up for lost time? And can you both overcome certain dark truths that come to light?

Warnings: Slow burn, Angst, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Violence, Mentions of Abuse, Angry Bradley, Alcohol misuse, Swearing, Awkward Adolescence.

_____________________________

This entire series is 18+ ONLY

_____________________________

Past:

You walked down the unfamiliar corridor, past blue and red lockers as you desperately searched for the correct classroom. It was your first year at a new school, and although you’d done this so many times before, you hated being new, and the unknown terrified you.

You were already late, having struggled to find your home room, and panic was creeping up your chest like hot acid threatening to burn through your sternum.

You took in a shaky breath as you reached the end of the corridor, still having not found the correct room, and you turned around to recheck the ones you’d passed.

As you turned, you bumped into someone and stumbled back slightly. Once you'd steadied yourself, you looked up.

“Sorry…” the tall boy mumbled. A smattering of small scars adorned his chubby face, the makings of facial hair beginning to show themselves on his chin and upper lip, well into the beginning of puberty. He looked at least a year or two older than you, and he was so tall you had to crank your neck to look at him. “Are you new?”

You nodded awkwardly, too shy to utter a word. You were already nervous, but boys made you even more so.

“Ok, what room are you looking for? I can take you!” He offered, a cute smile now spread across his face.

You smiled, holding up the piece of paper that showed your schedule, “Thank you, it’s Mrs Carters room, I’ve looked everywhere but I can’t find it.” You blushed.

“Ah, yeah so Mrs Carters isn’t actually in the main building, she’s over at the Art Block.” He explained, beginning to walk to the exit, you followed.

“The… the art block?” You queried.

“Yeah, she teaches art, but she’ll be your home room teacher this year. My home room teacher is Mr Dent, he’s the head of the Maths department, I hate him, blegh.” The boy mumbled as he walked. “I’m Bradley, by the way.” He stuck out a hand to you.

“I’m Y/N.” You offered, and gave his hand a little shake.

“Aw, you’re so gentle. Like a little bird. I think I’ll call you that.” He chuckled.

“L-little bird?”

“Yeah, lil bird.”

You grinned and nodded, as you crossed the small lawn between the main building and the Art Block. The Art Block was beautifully decorated, a variety of flowers and insects painted onto the brick, a colourful contrast to the pale grey building behind you.

“Hope you like art, and crazy people. Mrs Carter’s nuts.” He laughed, stopping at the door.

You nodded, “Thanks for saving me.” You joked.

“Any time lil bird. If you need anyone to sit with at lunch, I usually sit by that tree over there.” He pointed. “My friends spend breaks with their girlfriends, and they get all gross so I’ve taken to eating alone.”

You chuckled and nodded, as Bradley walked back to the main building. You watched as he left, and then took a deep breath as you pushed open the big doors to the Art Block building. Your nerves were now considerably less frazzled, and the rest of the day didn’t seem to be as scary a thought as you’d imagined it would be.

————————————

Present:

“That’s the last box, can we go get a drink now pleeeeassee?” Gabby begged you as she plonked down on your new sofa.

You chuckled, wafting your t-shirt to allow some cool air to touch your sweaty skin. The climb from the street below to your apartment on the 5th floor, multiple times with heavy boxes, proved to be all the exercise you’d need for the year.

“Yeah we can go get a drink now. Can I at least shower first?” You panted, closing the front door.

“Sure, I’m gonna take a nap in that case.” Gabby laughed, laying down and closing her eyes, as her breathing returned to normal. Gabby loved fitness, and was in much better shape right now having done similar exertions every day, but you were a panting mess as you climbed into the shower and washed the sweat off of your skin.

Once you’d finished, you wrapped a towel around your body and walked back into the lounge to fish around a box for something to wear.

Gabby was snoring now, her arm draped over her eyes to block out the light from the many lamps you’d plugged in.

“Gabby.” You whispered loudly. “Gabs, wake up, I need your help.” You whispered louder.

Gabby snored away, so you sighed and walked over to her. “Pssstt!” You hissed in her ear, nothing.

You sat down on her and that did the trick, she woke up with a “ooph!” And gave you a dirty look.

“Whaaaaat? I was having such a good dream about that guy at the coffee shop.”

“Ew, not on my sofa please. I need you to help me decide on what to wear, you can borrow something too.”

Gabby got up and helped you rifle through your boxes.

“Ohhh, you always look hot in this.” She took out a dark green satin cowl neck dress and threw it at you, and you held it out to look at.

“Where exactly are we going drinking? I was thinking a nice little bar somewhere, but this dress screams filthy club.” You grimaced.

“Okay fine, what about… yeah this is super cute, kinda classy too.” She held out a lacey little black dress, it was still small enough to leave little to the imagination, but was classier than the green dress.

“Okay, that’s better I suppose.” You nodded and she threw you the dress.

“I’ll take the satin.” She winked, taking the green dress and changing in your living room.

You slipped into the black lace and brushed your hair out into neat waves. You quickly put on some makeup and heels, and you were both out the door.

The street was now packed, a Saturday night in the city meant party time, and that’s certainly what Gabby had in mind as she dragged you to the bustling heart of the city.

————————————

Past:

The first few days passed in a blur, and you were thankful for Bradley being there. He grounded you when your mind was going a mile a minute, and helped you find all of your classes. He ate lunch with you every day under the big oak tree, and you learned about his life bit by bit each time.

You knew his dad had died, and his moms name was Carole. You knew he was an only child and that meant he could be lonely some times, so you began to meet up with him after school most days to do homework together. Bradley would come over to your house often, where you introduced him to your younger brother and sister.

Bradley also connected with your dad, possibly due to not having had a father figure in his life since his God Father wasn’t around much.

Your dad taught Bradley to drive, and helped him fix up an old car once he’d gotten his licence. Once Bradley could drive, he picked you up all the time to just drive around, and you now had a personal chauffeur to drive you to school and back each day. You two became joined at the hip, inseparable outside of your classes.

As the years passed, Bradley was even allowed to sleep over, once your parents had realised there were no ulterior motives. You would play pranks on one another, and on your siblings. You would tell one another everything, but you found that there were some things you'd rather he didn't tell you.

"I think I'm in love, lil bird. She's so hot! Ever since she came back from summer break, it's like she went to model camp or something." Bradley raved.

"Gross, I don't wanna know that." You flushed red, whether out of awkwardness or jealousy you weren't sure. Bradley had developed a crush on Michelle Jennings around the same time you'd developed a crush on Bradley, and the fact that she was so much prettier than you did little for your confidence, so you kept quiet about your feelings.

Bradley had asked Michelle to prom, and as he'd begun to develop some muscles, and his facial hair had filled out, he was beginning to look less dorky, and more like a young man, so she said yes. Bradley was elated.

“I told you, Brad, I don’t wanna go.” You mumbled, shoving your prom dress into the bottom of your wardrobe and skulking over to where Bradley stood by your bedroom window.

“C’mon. Please! What if things get awkward between me and Michelle? I won’t have anyone to run to.” He pouted.

“No, Bradley. No one’s asked me to go and I’m all… ugly and stuff.” You groaned, looking at your skin in the mirror. You had reached that awkward stage where pimples were flaring up every day and your hair was unruly. You hadn’t exactly blossomed like some of the popular girls had. The ones who’s parents could afford expensive dermatology appointments and the newest straighteners. You simply had to make do with cheap spot treatments and a thousand hair clips.

“You’re not ugly, don’t be stupid. No one looks good when they look THAT close in the mirror.” Bradley chuckled, walking over to you. “And who cares if you don’t have a date? I can have two dates, there aren’t any rules against it.”

You shot him a glare, “Yeah, I’m sure Michelle will be happy about that. You’ll spend the entire evening making out with the girl of your dreams and I’ll be awkward third wheel.” You rolled your eyes.

“Birdy, please.” He gave you soft eyes and his tone was genuinely pleading.

You sighed as you looked at him, and then at your wardrobe. “Okay, fine. Can you pick me up?”

Bradley grinned, and rushed over to envelope you in a bear hug. “You know I will, I’ll see you at 7.”

—————————————

Present:

Your skin had cleared up and your hair tamed slightly over time, you had finally come into your own as a woman and you looked damn fine. You were almost unrecognisable apart from your smile and your eyes, and so you’d made it your life’s mission not to let anyone in your new life see pictures of you in high school. You were a different person entirely, more confident, more fun, and much smarter.

You had met Gabby after you moved away, and she had taken on the role of best friend. A role you so desperately needed filling without the tall boy in your life anymore. You and Gabby both went on to study at the same university, and then you took jobs at the same school, Gabby as coach for the junior girls soccer team, and you as a Biology teacher.

You fell into a happy rhythm, and started dating one of the other teachers in the biology department, Jacob, and before long your daily thoughts of Bradley turned to weekly thoughts, and eventually you barely thought of him at all, occasionally dreaming of the best friend you’d once had and loved so dearly.

You moved in with Jacob and life continued, however things began to turn sour, and you called quits on the relationship.

Gabby had found a new job at a prep school in New York, and a few months later when a vacancy for a Natural Sciences Educator opened up, she begged you to take it. The pay was so much better, and best of all you'd be with Gabby again.

You weren't thrilled to live in such a large city, much preferring a quiet little town and more relaxed lifestyle, but you missed your best friend, and the town was becoming more and more hostile after things with Jacob had gotten out of control.

You applied and got the job due to your stellar recommendations and flawless interview. You moved not long after and there you were, with Gabby, about to have your first taste of city life.

"I feel underdressed now." You sighed, everyone was dressed to the nines, and Gabby had unwittingly dragged you to a nightclub rather than bar.

"Don't be silly, you look incredible in that dress, men are gonna be drooling over you." She smacked your butt playfully and you glared at her. "C'mon, I know the bouncer."

Gabby took your hand and waltzed over to the front of the long line.

Gabby was incredibly stunning, long blond hair and an athletic body that could make anyone do a double take, so when she walked up to the bouncer and purred a 'Hey Ronnie, is there any chance we can skip that long old line tonight, I'm so thirsty.', it was no surprise that Ronnie grinned and let you both right in.

"That... was incredible. Can I take you with me next time I go to the bank?" You chuckled.

"You know I'll do anything for you." She winked.

You made your way to the bar and Gabby squeezed through, flagging down a bar tender. She was in her element, but you felt as out of place as a polar bear in a desert. You looked around the packed night club at the patrons, all wearing Prada and Gucci, hair styled so perfectly that it didn't move when they danced, expensive perfumes choking you as they wafted past. You felt like an imposter in your cheap dress, regardless of how beautiful you looked.

Gabby handed you a glass of wine and you thanked her. She craned her neck in search of an empty table. As she found one she summoned you to follow her through the crowds.

You stayed as close as you could but inevitably got separated as a group of women danced in your path. You politely moved around them, just as a tree of a man stepped in your way and you bumped into one another. You bounced off of his hard body and lost your balance, flailing backwards as your heels wobbled beneath you.

Just as you had accepted your fate, a strong pair of arms shot out and caught you, pulling you back up before your body had the chance to make contact with the hard, sticky floor below.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry." He said loudly over the booming music. You would recognise that voice anywhere, but as you looked up, the voice did not belong to the face you were so used to it being attached to.

You gulped, and as his eyes made contact with yours, he recognised you suddenly.

"Little Bird?" He breathed in disbelief.

"Hey, Bradley."

__________________________________

-- Part 2 Here --

[misguidedasgardian]

The Dragon's mistress (15.1)

15. The End of the Beginning part 1

MASTERLIST

Summary: Finally you reach a breaking point

Warnings: cursing, mentions of war, mentions of death, humiliation, use of the word bastard and traitor, incest, heavy angst, pregnancy, polygamy, poison, blood, might miss some warnings

+18, MINORS DNI

Wordcount:  2,5 k

Notes: the first part to the end! muahaha YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHERE THE POISON ENDS UP IN!

Aemond waited patiently, as the maester, (one chosen by him), examined Floris as bitter tears fell down her eyes.

“The Queen is with child, my lord, congratulations”, whispered the old man, and exited the chambers 

Aemond and Floris looked at each other, she was scared, he was incredible conflicted, he had laid with her, yes, he had given her the tea, most of the times, seems his seed was strong… that thought made him smile

Two heirs

He had no reason to quarrel, he had two wives, with babies in their bellies each 

He was happy, the Baratheon threat became the least of his concerns by now

“Good”, is the only thing he said to her

If you had a boy and Floris a girl, or vice versa, he would betrothe his children amongst each other, so there will be no quarrel, if both had boys, yours would be the first born, so he would be the King one day, and if both were girls, he could easily try again, this time, only with you. Floris would be done for. 

Soon he became ecstatic

“I am pleased, my queen”, he said, forgetting all about the promise to Corlys, “you shall remain here, with your position in this court, and by my side, as (y/n) will”, he continued, Floris only nodded, from this day on, a new found respect and fear for her husband was born in her.

After you received the news of Floris state, it as weird to focus on one feeling, for once, you were scared, of what was going to happen if she had a boy and you a girl, for example, and then, you felt relieved, and then, you felt fearful again

But there was nothing you could do, so… more weeks passed, and you paid no mind as you took care of yourself, your own baby inside your belly, and your baby brother, who you loved with all your heart, and now, little Jahaera was trusted to your company and specially the one of Viserys. 

“She cries a lot”, whined Viserys, “she is weird”

“She is not weird”, you chided lightly, “she had suffered a lot, she lost her mom, and dad…”

“I lost my mom and dad too”, he pointed out, and you only sighed, “and I’m not crying all the time”

“She is different from you, we are all different”, you consoled

Jahaera was a sweet child, but like Viserys had said, she was sensitive, cried all the time, and you understood it, she was a couple of years older than Viserys, she remembered all more vividly. The children were put together so they can share, you had encouraged it, they were of similar ages, of royal blood, they needed to be together. Alicent, weirdly, also encouraged it, you believed it was because of Viserys’ name, as you had glimpses of the Queen looking at your brother with longing in her eyes, perhaps he reminded her of her other grandchildren that had passed. 

Viserys seemed miserable when he played with the little princess, but he was a sweet child, he was trying, and poor Jahaera was so young, she needed a new life, even after, especially after what happened to your entire family. She was too young to be so miserable 

As she had been called, Jahaera entered your chambers after being announced by Steffon the King’s guard, the little girl barely raised her gaze from the tiles in front of her, you heard your baby brother sigh, and you looked at him with a warning in your eyes 

You were seven moons along now, and you had grown beautifully -according to Aemond- you could even tell it was an energetic baby, always making his presence known by his little kicks, specially at night, where he most nights prevented you from sleeping.

Even though now you had your baby brother and your own baby to occupy most of your thoughts, the people of court and in general still gave you the side eyes when you walked by, you tried to ignore them for the sake of your baby brother, distracting him by playing in the gardens with him or reading to him in the big library.

But still, it hurt

And you could see that aggression trying to poke into your brother as well, and that is what truly concerns you.

That your brother could sense that you both were not welcomed here, that he was unwanted, that he could be treated unkindly

He was only a boy and you didn’t want him to grow up knowing resentment and unkindness, that could do very badly to a boy that is soon turning into a man.

Your train of thoughts were interrupted when Aemond entered your chambers, you looked at him immediately, he seemed to have come here to talk to you about something bad and important, you could see it in his face, but as soon as he looked at the children playing together by your feet with wooden dragon figurines, his face softened, he then his eyes trailed to your baby bump, and then finally to your face, and that made him cave completely 

“Good afternoon, my beautiful family”, he said, Jahaera was the one to raise her silver haired head, smiling shyly at him

“Good day uncle”, you could tell that she loved his uncle Aemond, you didn’t know what to do with that.

“Why don’t you both go out there and play, you could go to the gardens”, urgent Aemond, both children didn’t think about fighting him, Viserys out of fear, and Jahaera out of devotion, but children exited the room nonetheless

“How is my heir treating you?”, he asked teasingly, you frowned, touching your big belly

“She or he is fine”, you warned, paying no mind to his insinuations about your child 

You knew what Aemond expected, he wanted a male heir, you wanted it to be a girl just to spite him, just to make him mad

A little girl to look similar to your mother, that would be something wouldn’t it?

But Floris was pregnant too

And you didn’t want to think about it but, if she had a boy and you a girl, you were going to be in trouble, her child was going to be a problem for you, but you didn’t want to think about that, really. But you also had to be realistic.

“Is there something you wanted to tell me, my King?”, you asked him, the frown return to his face

“Yes”, he said then, pacing about, “you still are not completing your duties as Queen”, he continued, and your gaze went to your lap, avoiding him

“those tasks you gave, they…”

“You haven’t completed them”, a Queen had tasks, she was the mother not only to the heirs of the Kingdom, but for every person in the realms, her duty as to care for the common folk, and Aemond had given you small tasks, such as revising old laws about women in the different Kingdoms, and also organize charities in the city.

You tried to comply

You did

But you came across awful impediments, the small folks hated you, angry mobs would stop your carriage in the streets and they would scream at you awful things, and also, the small council, the masters of law and even the maester would ignore you when you tried to speak to them, not letting you do your job

“I’m very sorry”, you whispered, but by only looking at your face, he could tell what was the real reason

“I told you, to let me know if someone…”

“It’s alright”, you whispered, “I don’t want to create animosity between you and your people”, you whispered, and he sighed loudly

“You are not doing your part, the people will never take to you if you don’t do your duty”

“i know”, you couldn’t care less, about the people, or the council

You just wanted to go home

Now more than ever, I you wanted to be safe, in peace and quiet, with your baby brother, and your child, but Aemond was never going to let you go, ever 

You both were interrupted by the captain of the King’s guard

“My King, my Queen, there has been an incident in the gardens”, you stood up quickly from the longchair you were sitting in, and followed the knight outside, followed closely by Aemond 

If a Mester hasn't been called, it meant that your brother was somewhat fine, so you weren’t that scared, but to “grab” both King and Queen for a child, it had to be something serious 

When you arrived in the garden, there was already a small audience, of people of court, lords and ladies

“I didn't!”, you heard Viserys say

“you did!”, accused Jahaera, the people quickly got out of your way to let you trough, as you could reach both children

“This is treason!”, said one lord

“There are only children!”, said another

“He is a threat! they will always be a threat!”, said someone else

“that’s true, they will never be loyal to the real King”

“What happened?”, demanded Aemond

“Little Lord Viserys referred to the late Usurper as Queen Rhaenyra”, explained one of the Kingsguard, and you paled, as your mothers name was like an unforgivable curse around the castle. 

“She was my mom!”, he fighted, “A queen!”, you rushed to him and grabbed his hand, and shushed him, you looked around to see the entire court gazing back at you, hate in their eyes

“He is just a child”, you defended, Aemond looked at you, like pondering what to do, “I shall talk to him”, and before something else happened, or someone else said something, you grabbed your baby brother and rushed away from the gardens, and away from the situation

“I spoke the truth!”, he fought you, luckily he wasn’t that strong, so you kept a tight grip on him as you walked back to your chambers

“I know”, you whispered back to him, but said nothing else utility ou were back under the protection of the walls of your room 

“You cannot said such things”, you said firmly

“Jahaera said he missed his mother the Queen, and I also said that I missed my own mother, who was also a Queen”. Your eyes filled with tears and you whimpered and hugged your brother by your side

“I know, my love, I know”, you whispered with a broken voice, he was only a boy, but to keep him safe, he had to know what happened, not in detail, of course, but he had to know the danger he was in.

So you told him, without much detail, what happened in the war, and what side won, and which side lost. 

He has been a different boy since then, looking at your belly with sadness, knowing who made you pregnant, the man that did terrible things to your family.

“Why don’t we leave?”, he asked then, looking up at you

Yes, why don’t you?

You send Viserys to his chambers, to be prepared for Aemond’s daily visits, that happened at night. 

You found it strange when a maid you had never seen before brought you your nightly tea, to soothe your worries and let you sleep, you barely took a sip, a small one, when you were interrupted by Aemond

“What happened today”, he started, you left the cup aside and faced him

“It will never happen again”, you said firmly, “please don’t punish him”, you continued, “he is a child, he has suffered enough”

“I wouldn’t dream of hurting him”, he assured you, “but I have to take measures…”, you gulped, as your eyes filled with tears

“please let us leave for Dragonstone”, you begged him, and he got angry, very quickly

“Again with this nonsense?”, he spitted, “I said a million times, no, you are mine, that child is mine, you are staying here”

“How long must I suffer, the people HATE me Aemond, is not going to be long before someone tries to…”, you stopped yourself when you felt a warm liquid fall from your nose, scared, you touched it with the tip of your fingers, to look at it and realize it was blood. Your eye-seight began to tunnel, and you believe to have heard Aemond calling your name from afar.

The floor called you as you couldn’t stand any longer, but your body never touched the ground as Aemond catched you in his arms

“CALL A MAESTER! NOW!”, he screamed at the top of his lungs.

He would never admit it, but he had never been more scared in his life. And you fell unconscious in his arms.

A day and a half you were unconscious, Aemond was pacing in the floor of the room as the maesters woke you up with strong-smelling herbs

You struggled to open your eyes, that felt as heavy as rocks 

“The princeling within the Queen’s belly is fine, your grace”, said the maester, as his assistants woke you up, “she had presented no bleeding, and there was movement… so we can tell it's fine”

“Good”, Aemond muttered, his eye stuck on your barely waking form

“We should thank the gods you entered the chambers when you did, because she only drank little poison”, Aemond then looked a thim

“Poison?”, he asked, alarmed, the maester paled

“I believe someone tried to poison the Queen, and almost succeeded”

An emergency small council meeting was held, and the only thing that made Aemond leave your side was the rage and the drive to find whoever did this to you

“The Queen was poisoned!”, Corlys screamed, enraged, punching the table, “an exhaustive investigation had to take place to discover who was it”

“It is not strange, the are still many loyal to the Baratheons, and many know what his grace did”, pointed out the Lannister

“If it was not for the amount she ingested, she could be dead, this was an inside job, nobody is safe!”, continued the Sea Snake, “she must be placed somewhere safe”

“Various poisons are missing from my cabinets”, lamented the maester, “this as well might be only the first attempt”, everyone was unbelievable disgusted with the situation, and somewhat scared, if you could get poisoned, it meant nobody was safe

“Who delivered the tea?”, asked Aemond

“A girl, but we cannot find her, it seems she was only here to deliver the poison and then ran away before anyone could realize what had happened”, Aemond looked at some point in the wall, his hand made a fist over the table

“The first priority is the Queen”, said Corlys, “we have to keep her and the princeling safe”, he continued, “they are the priority”

“I agree”, said the Lannister, “we have to send her away”, he was not helping your cause, but wanted you out of the way, and that, also helped you

“What are you saying?”, asked Aemond

“Your grace”, muttered the Maester, who weirdly, was a biased voice in all of this, “if the culprit is still at large, we must keep the Queen safe, and it would be best if she is send somewhere safe”, he continued

“If the objective of whomever did this to get rid of the Queen, and by sending her away, we are agreeing to those sick terms”

“But we need to be smart”, said someone else

Wanting to get rid of you or not, the stars seemed to align for you, to give you a hope of escape. 

[ghostieblr]

My thoughts about Agatha All Along ep 8 & 9 below the cut, because omg what a finale!!!

Nicholas Scratch, because he was made from scratch. Not just from the magic of life, but from literal magic. Agatha's magic, the one that made her own coven, her own mother hate her to the point of burning her alive. Y'know, the most painful way to die? Especially as a Witch?

Nicholas Scratch was born by Agatha's own magic, the one she takes (has to take to survive) from other witches, and then when she's giving birth to him, his other mother, THE Green Witch, the literal embodiment of life and decay, the entity that ensures the balance of the literal magic of life, who also happens to be Agatha's lover, comes towards her and that is enough to know he is destined to die. Agatha had the power to create him, but not enough to help him survive. And now Rio is there to take him, except she loves Agatha, and by extension this little boy that is almost as good as her own child, and she heeds the painful, desperate pleading of Agatha, and gives them an indefinite amount of time.

And Agatha uses this time to survive. They lure and kill. Nicky is the bait and Agatha is the Coven Killer, and he doesn't know any better, and she doesn't have a choice.

She kills for her son to survive, and the one day he doesn't become the bait, the one day he doesn't go as per the plan, and Agatha doesn't get her powers — he doesn't survive.

Rio comes to take him in the dead of the night because she couldn't face Agatha, she wouldn't; she already knows Agatha hates her, now, so why see the way her love would turn into hatred? How her affection would turn sour with resentment over something that is Rio's sole purpose, to maintain the balance of the universe? So Rio comes in the dead of night, and Nicky knows what this is. He complies with her and kisses Agatha twice on her left cheek and then takes Rio's hand as she leads the way.

He was made with love and power, and Rio's love for Agatha got him time, and Agatha's thirst for power kept him alive. But not forever. Agatha's power lessened, and despite Rio's affection Agatha lost him.

And now? All she had was power. And she can't die — she cannot face her son. Even at the end of the show, she cannot, and it's been centuries. This is why she is a coward; why Rio calls her so.

So Agatha continues to lure, trap, and kill. She becomes the villain her first coven told her she was.

This was so beautifully done. This show is amazing, and I've always loved character driven shows where the plot revolves around their motivations and backstories, and Agatha All Along is a show that has done itself and its characters a great goddamn justice.

[jbaileyfansite]

Ariana Grande interviews Jonathan Bailey for VMan Magazine (2024)

Jonathan Bailey’s acting career began at the age of eight when the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company cast him in a role coveted by all little boys who like musicals: Gavroche in Les Miserables. Since then, he’s starred in contemporary plays, refined his iambic pentameter flow via several Shakespearian productions, and, in 2019, won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his work in the gender-swapped revival of Company. In other words, Bailey is a theater nerd. 

This made his upcoming role as Fiyero Tigelaar in the movie adaptation of the Broadway hit, Wicked, all the more unbelievable to him. Over Zoom, with co-star Ariana Grande, Bailey admits that he’s only recently had the space to fangirl over the reality that he’s playing the lead in a musical that rocked his world when he first saw it at the age of 15. Tuning in from Thailand, he and Grande chat about his upcoming project, another adaptation, Jurassic Park, and the memories of Oz that he (reportedly) carries in his pocket.

Ariana Grande: Hi, good morning. What time is it for you?

Jonathan Bailey: It’s 8am. Feeling pretty fresh.

AG: You look beautifully fresh. Just for context, for people reading, Johnny, you’re currently in Thailand. What are you up to over there?

JB: I’m on a really long holiday in the jungle, pretending to run away from fake dinosaurs… Um, no, I’m filming Jurassic Park.  And there are massive links between it and Wicked because it’s got so many of the same crew.

AG: Yes!

JB: The bereavement of leaving Wicked behind has been sort of solved by the fact that so many of them are still here. So, I’m keeping the Wicked dream alive, but with dinosaurs. 

AG: That’s so beautiful. You’re so lucky to have a little piece of Oz with you still every day.

JB: I carry Oz in my pocket. 

AG: Yes. How is it going? 

JB: I am loving it. We’re doing a whole new version of the Jurassic Park franchise.

AG: What can you say about your character, about this new franchise?

JB: I can say that it’s written by David Koepp, who wrote the original. It feels like it’s in ultimate hands to bring it back to what the original achieved. (Jurassic Park) was the first film I went to see with my whole family, and I was way too young, I was terrified. There is a similarity between doing this and Wicked, I also saw the original run of Wicked in London. 

AG: I would love to touch on Fellow Travelers, which was such an emotional and expansive project. What was the process of taking on a character like Tim, whose story is told over several decades? 

JB: Fellow Travelers will always be something that I’m incredibly proud of. For me it [was] the most fulfilling creative, emotional, and spiritual thing I’ve done. Tim and Hawke (leads in Fellow Travelers) are allegories. So many men that lost their lives. It’s never lost on me, all the other actors that couldn’t come out or were vilified for being caught having sex in toilets. All the horrific ways in which a pure thing like man-on-man love has been misconstrued.

AG: It was absolutely palpable. 

JB: I had this amazing weekend in Bangkok and I met this group of Malaysian dudes who were just so brilliant. They were doctors and they were really bright, intelligent, kind, sweet men who were having such a brilliant time. We ended up having dinner and, after a few drinks, they were telling me that they come over from Malaysia to Bangkok because they can’t be out to their families.

AG: My God.

JB: It’s so painful.

AG: I was gonna say, this leads us beautifully into The Shameless Fund, your foundation that you launched actually this week, congratulations. How does it feel that it’s finally out there in the world?

JB: It’s been a labor of love for about two years. When the second series of Bridgerton came out, I was suddenly aware of an increased platform, especially the fact Bridgerton is viewed in multiple territories where being gay is different. So, I just sort of fused the two together—

AG: It’s a beautiful way of making sense of it all. 

JB: Thank you for being an icon and an ambassador for the Shameless Fund.

AG: I’m so proud of you and I love you and your heart so much. Okay, moving on. I was wondering what things have helped you recharge your human battery?

JB: I’ve adapted my life slightly. I don’t live in a city anymore, I do a lot of swimming and gymnastics, which is something that I’ve done [since] I was younger. I [also] think it’s friends, which I know is such a sort ofeye roll [answer]. I’ve got amazing friends, they’ve always been there and I’ve been friends with them for so long.

AG: And me, for 2 years. 

JB: I’ve spiritually known you for 20 years.

AG: Yeah, 100. Let’s move on to Wicked. How did you prepare for the role of Fiyero? 

JB: I mean, it’s a complete dream come true. The preparation started when I listened to the soundtrack when I was like 15. And I remember viscerally; it sent ripples through culture. Also, I remember hearing the orchestration. I hadn’t really heard the synth-meets-full-orchestra-meets-syncopation.

Something about it just completely grabbed me. My best friend from school, me and him went to go and see it together—we were soulmates through school. And it was so funny that, like, two lads just went with it. I think the themes of Wicked have probably expanded, and that’s what I’m really excited about with the film.

AG: Yeah, it feels like it needs to be now more than ever before, perhaps.

JB: I went to go meet Jon (Chu, director). We chatted for about two and a half hours and it was really emotional. The one thing that we talked about with Fiyero: everything is so easy to him. How do you tell the story of someone who seemingly doesn’t care? What’s he frustrated by? We discussed it and found quite a human thing, I think. And, obviously, with our film, it represents extreme privilege and it’s about his bubble needing to pop. 

AG: I think our characters share that in a big way, Elphaba comes along and pops both of our bubbles. Perhaps for the first time we both are able to look at things differently. And it’s not that we’re not loving, heartful people. It’s just that we’ve never had to look outside of what affects us until we meet her.

JB: Exactly. And anyway, it was Jon. Basically, the answer to every question about Wicked is Jon Chu. Don’t you think?

AG: Yeah, I do. I think we were very spoiled to have done this with him. It felt like a teeny, little secret student thing—its intimacy. It felt so small and private until all of a sudden, we were outside, and the Daily Mail was hand gliding over our set—oh, he should play the pterodactyl in your film. 

JB: I think he’s actually hovering over right now.

AG: Can you explain what this was, please? 

JB: It was a man on a massive kite, floating around with his legs hanging down.

AG: I couldn’t believe my eyes. Well, firstly because I don’t have the best eyes. But secondly, because there’s no way. There’s no way! I was like, ah, guy on a hand glider.

JB: With a GoPro. With a GoPro on his toes.

AG: With a GoPro on his toes. Was your experience filming Wicked at all what you expected it to be?

JB: There were certain elements of it that I was incredibly impressed by and I think that is because of the love and care of Mark Platt and Jon Chu. Obviously we’ve grown up loving theater and musical theater, I always felt attached to that wonderment. I think my expectation might have been that somehow in the making of something, you lose that. But we were on those incredible sets. 

AG: Oh my gosh. Best in the world.

JB: I think I was in Wicked fan survival mode for the last 18 months. I’m starting to really get excited about it.

AG: It takes a certain amount of time to grieve something like that. I mean you’re already in Thailand and a whole different person, but it’s interesting how it takes a while and then it hits you.

Source

[sena-seastar]

The Dragon's Gold

Chapter One

Pairing: Aegon II Targaryen x Aerys Reyne (male oc)

Summary: Aerys Reyne, son of Naerys Targaryen, the second-born daughter of King Viserys and Queen Aemma, has been best friends with Aegon since childhood. As boys, they had been inseparable. Many said that it reminded them of the early days of King Jaehaerys reign. When the princes Aemon and Baelon were still children. Wherever one boy was, it wasn't long before the other came running behind him. That was until forbidden desires of the heart forced a wedge between them. After the death of his grandsire, King Viserys, Aerys finds himself torn between two sides: stand by his oldest friend or stand by the only mother he has ever known.

Words: 7385

a/n: Dialogue in italics means that the characters are speaking in high valyrian. I was just too lazy to attempt to translate it. Though, there may be some high valyrian thrown in here and there. No beta, so I apologize for any or all grammar and spelling mistakes.

Aerys

Aerys sat on the dirt, sketching in the large leather-bound book sitting across his knees. Agana lay before him, resting her head on the dirt. The sun reflected beautifully off of her aquamarine and silver scales. Aerys’s eyes shifted quickly back and forth from the dragon to the book. The sound of laughter alerted the she-dragon and her rider. Agana let out a low rumble as she stretched her neck up. 

“Don’t worry Agana. We’re done for today,” Aerys smiled as he stood.

He ran his fingers over the dragon's scaled neck. She let out what sounded like a purr as she relaxed under his touch. Her emerald green eyes stared at him as he pulled away. She lowered her neck to nuzzle her head against his chest. Aerys laughed as he patted her muzzle. 

“I’m sorry, I have to go. We’ll go for a ride later,” he smiled.

He stepped back and picked up the brown leather bag on the dirt. He lifted the strap of his head to let it sit on his shoulder. Aerys rubbed Agana’s muzzle one last time before he called out to the dragon keepers. Aerys waved his hand until he lost sight of the dragon. It pained him to leave her chained up in this place, but he had no other choice. His grandfather, King Viserys, had told him the chains were mandatory. 

“Make sure she gets a good meal, please. I’ll return later on today. It’s been a few days since she’s gotten to spread her wings,” Aerys said as he walked with the dragon keepers. 

“Of course, Lord Reyne.” The dragon keepers bowed their heads.

The familiar sound of laughter caught Aerys’s attention. He followed the sound until he reached the two brown-haired boys. His younger cousins, Jace and Luke. Luke noticed him first and immediately ran to his side. The boy was jumping up and down in excitement.

“Mother is having the baby! We’ve picked an egg for them!” He exclaimed as he took hold of Aerys’s hand.

The older boy allowed himself to be pulled along. Aerys could feel the heat from the warming chamber without it even being opened. Ser Harwin was standing beside Jace, with an absentminded smile on his face as he watched the boy look at the large bronze-scaled egg sitting in the warming chamber.

“Jace, let me pick it on my own!” Luke smiled.

“You did good, Luke. I’m sure your mother will love it.” Aerys smiled as he patted Luke’s head. 

“Alright boys,” Ser Harwin interrupted, “You should get that egg to the castle.”

“Will you come with us?” Luke asked as he ran to cling to the gold cloak. Harwin had a look of uncertainty on his face.

“That would be safest,” Aerys shrugged. “It’s not every day an egg leaves the dragon pit right?”

Harwin stared at the older boy for a moment before he nodded. Aerys was no fool. He understood why the man cared so much for the two boys. He had heard the whispers that spread through the castle like wildfire. Ser Harwin also did not do a great job of hiding his fondness for Aunt Rhaenyra’s children. However, it was mostly the boy’s colors that gave it away, brown hair, brown eyes, and pale skin. Whatever Velaryon blood they had in their veins was quite. . . distant.

Bastards, people whispered. The first time Aerys had heard that, he threatened to feed the little pompous Frey boy to Agana. Who the boy’s father was did not matter to Aerys. The boys were still his family, his blood. They had dragons. If that did not prove they were true Targaryens , Aerys did not know what would. 

The boys made their way back to the Red Keep. They were escorted by Ser Harwin, a few gold cloaks, and Ser Lorent. Ser Lorent was the sworn shield of Aunt Rhaenyra. Luke was practically bouncing up and down the entire trip. He was excited to meet the newest edition of the family. He couldn’t decide which he wanted more, a brother or sister. He then began ranting about the pros and cons of both. Aerys sat quietly, simply listening to the little boy ramble. The boy thought of his brother, Robb, the current Lord of Castamere and head of House Reyne. Robb was his half-brother, born five years before him. He wondered if he had been as excited about his birth as Luke was about his new sibling. 

Aerys hoped the babe would not cause his aunt too much trouble. He understood how dangerous the birthing bed could be. His mother had nearly died giving birth to him. Aerys had wished to remain at her side, but it would not be appropriate. So he had decided to spend the day with Agana, to keep himself distracted.

The castle seemed to be even more crowded than usual. Though the crowd moved to clear a path as the boys made their way through. Aerys went first, allowing the boys to follow behind him. The group made their way to Nyra's apartments easily enough. Nyra had yet to return to her chambers, so Aerys decided to return to his bedchamber to clean himself up. 

He had to promise Luke he would return as soon as the baby was here before the boy let him go. Ser Lorent had offered to accompany him but Aerys refused. Aerys quietly walked down to his chambers. A few maids giggled and whispered amongst themselves as they watched him pass by. He smiled politely and nodded.

“I’ll never understand why they flock to you.”

Aerys flinched and turned his head. Aegon was standing on his right side, with a childish pout on his face.

“Maybe if you showed them a little more respect they’d do the same to you,” Aerys sighed.

“Respect? They’re servants. They respect me.” Aegon scoffed.

“I’m sure they do,” Aerys hummed.

Aerys sped up his pace to get away from the boy. Though Aegon was quick to follow. Aerys felt a twinge of nervousness as Aegon walked closer to him. This time their arms pressed side to side, their fingers brushed against each other as they walked. Aerys had thought of stepping away but he could not bring himself to do it. 

“What’s the matter with you? Are you ill?” Aegon asked suddenly.

“What do you mean?” Aerys scrunched his face in confusion.

“Your face is red, and your hair is starting to stick to your forehead.” 

Aerys wiped his forehead with his sleeve. “It’s nothing, I'm just worried about Nyra.”

Aegon hummed, “Yes, I heard her labors had started. Mother said she would be shocked if the child wasn’t another bast- boy.”

Aerys shot the older boy a glare, his hands clenched into fists. He picked up his pace, ignoring the Targaryen prince’s pleas to slow down. Aerys finally made it to the thick oak and iron door that shielded his bedchamber. He opened the door just enough to slip through. The young man quickly moved around the door to push it close, unfortunately, he wasn’t fast enough. Aegon slammed his hand against the door to stop it. Aerys sighed and simply walked to the small desk sitting beside his bed. 

He dropped his bag onto the desk and took his seat. He ran his hand through his hair before dragging it down his face. He hadn’t gotten much sleep lately. The young man had known for days that Nyra was nearing the end of her pregnancy. Once again his worries began to overwhelm him. Surely she would be alright, this was her third child after all. Nyra had told him she had little to no trouble with Jace or Luke. So she expected this delivery to go smoothly enough. She had her handmaids and midwives to attend to her. Women who have much experience with delivering children.

“I’m sorry,” the prince apologized.

Aerys jumped slightly as he felt Aegon’s breath against his neck. He hadn’t heard the boy pull up a chair. He had been so caught up in his worries again. Aegon sat behind him, resting his head on Aerys’s shoulder. He could hear Aegon tapping his fingers against the chair, a nervous habit of his.

“I know, it’s just, you know how I feel about that. It’s bad enough they’ll have to deal with the realm whispering about them for the rest of their lives. They don’t need it from their family as well. Especially from you, they look up to you. It would crush them to hear it from you.”

“I know, it’s not their fault. I won’t say it again,” Aegon quickly sat up straight.

Aerys turned his head to see what he was doing. The older boy stood upright. He held his hand over his heart, a look of deep seriousness taking over his face.

“I swear it on my life.”

Aerys rolled his eyes but found himself laughing at the gesture. He lowered his head, not wanting to give Aegon the satisfaction of seeing him lose his composure. Aegon began laughing along with him. Aerys cleared his throat.

“How did it go with your mother this morning?” 

Aegon huffed and shuffled over to the bed, letting himself fall forward. His messy hair fanned out around his head. He buried his face deeper into the blankets.

“That bad?” Aerys questioned, as he stood to his feet.

Aegon said something but it was muffled against the blanket, so Aerys could not understand it. Aerys said nothing as he joined Aegon on the bed. Though he chose to sit with his back against the wall. After a moment of silence, Aegon rolled over with a groan. He turned his head up to look at Aerys. He scooted himself up, laying his head on Aerys’s lap. Aerys’s fingers immediately found themselves gently untangling Aegon's hair. Aegon closed his eyes with a tired sigh.

“She spent the entire time lecturing me on my duties, like always. It's like she thinks I’m some kind of idiot or something.” He scoffed.

“You're her firstborn son, mothers always expect the most of their first. It’s not fair, but that's the way it works.”

“It’s not like I asked to be born first.” He snapped, moving to sit up.

Aerys watched quietly as Aegon moved to sit at the edge of the bed. A deep silence took over the room. Aerys scooted down the bed to sit beside him.

“I’m sorry. Here I am complaining about my mother when you don’t even have one. Shit, that came out wrong, sorry...” Aegon apologized, dropping his face into his hands.

“You have nothing to apologize for Aegon,” Aerys smiled and shook his head. 

Aerys was thinking of what to say next when a loud knock came from the door. He stood quickly to see who it was. It was Ser Lorent, Nyra’s sworn shield. The older man had a smile on his face as he informed Aerys that the princess had given birth to another son. And more importantly that his aunt was alright.

Aerys dismissed the knight and quickly moved to change his clothes. He didn’t want to show up covered in dirt and charcoal. He had forgotten why he had returned to his chambers in the first place. Aegon had returned to lying on his back, glaring at the ceiling.

“I have to go, I promised Luke I would return to see the baby,” Aerys said as he finished lacing his boots. 

Aegon stretched his limbs and moved to stand up. He patted his hair down.

“You want to come? I’m sure Nyra wouldn’t mind.”

“No thank you, we need to be at the dragon pit soon. Mother wants me to stay close to Aemond. Plus, I have a few other things I need to take care of.”

Aerys let out a groan. He had forgotten all about their training today. Oh well, so he would have to be a little late.

“Alright, I’ll meet you there.”

The two nodded and headed their separate ways. Aerys wondered what Aegon was up to. He thought of asking for a moment but then decided he didn’t want to know. Knowing Aegon, it probably has something to do with some new childish game of his. Aerys shook his head and quickly made his way to Nyra’s bed chamber. As he neared, he noticed a few servants cleaning up what appeared to be a trail of blood. His heart began to race as he sped up his pace, but still being careful not to get in the servant's way. Ser Lorent was standing watch over the door and quickly moved aside to allow Aerys entry.

Aerys entered the room just as Laenor was handing the baby over to Ser Harwin. He congratulated Laenor before he moved to find Nyra. She smiled as he moved to sit by her side.

“Are you alright? I saw the blood. Should we send for a maester?” He whispered urgently.

She chuckled softly and shook her head. “I am fine, Aerys. I’m exhausted, but I’ll recover.”

He nodded in understanding, but his face must have given away his concern because she placed a comforting hand on his face. 

“I will be fine, I swear. Now, what would make me feel better is knowing you accompanied the boys to the dragon pit to keep an eye on them for me. The last thing I need is for them to get into trouble. We can visit more later alright?” Her thumb gently stroked along his face.

Aerys smiled and nodded in agreement. Laenor was trying to herd the boys together, mainly Luke, who was trying desperately to get his hands on the baby. Aerys quickly moved to help, gently pushing Luke along. He rode along in the carriage with the two Velaryon boys to the dragon pit. Luke had told him the baby had been named Joffrey. Aerys thought it was an odd choice of name, but he did not mention it. Jace seemed to be a little nervous. He was still learning how to command Vermax. Aerys could remember how he felt when he had begun training with Agana. However, he had very little difficulty with her. She learned everything quickly enough. He ruffled the older Velaryon boy’s brown hair to comfort him.

Aegon and Aemond had already arrived at the dragon pit before Aerys and the boys. Dragon keepers were awaiting them by the giant doors of the dragon pit. They followed them inside to meet with the other two princes. The dragon keepers decided that Aerys would go first. He waited eagerly for Agana to appear. The light gleamed off of her beautiful silver scales as she appeared from the darkness. She had grown much larger over the past year. Agana let out a soft growl as she moved forward.

“Serve! Halt, Agana!” Aerys quickly commanded.

The dragon came to a quick stop. She lowered her neck to press her head against his chest. He had been pushed back a few steps but he was quick to regain his balance. Aerys laughed as he rubbed his hand over the side of her face. 

“Well done.”  The old dragon keeper praised.

The sound of a bleating goat caught the dragon’s attention. She watched intently as the dragon keepers chained the goat in place, but she did not move from her spot. The dragon keepers quickly moved away from the goat. Aerys waited until they were at a safe distance before he gave the command.

“Dracarys, Agana!”

Agana quickly moved closer to the goat, raising her head back high. She let out a loud screech before a blast of flame shot from her mouth, engulfing the large goat. She scarfed it down quickly. When she was done, the dragon keepers escorted her back to her nest.

Aegon was up next, with his dragon Sunfyre. Sunfyre was truly a magnificent creature. His scales shimmered like freshly polished gold. Even the two long horns on his head seemed to shimmer. Aegon's lessons had gone by as quickly as Aerys. The two older boys had nearly mastered control of their dragons.

 Finally, it was Jace’s turn, he was the last one. Luke was still too young to control Arrax, and Aemond had yet to claim a dragon. Aerys nudged Aegon’s shoulder when the older boy let out a fake yawn. The old dragon keeper nudged the Velaryon boy forward. It was important for Jace to stay in control of his emotions. If he got too afraid it would agitate the already ill-tempered Vermax. Jace jumped back when the green dragon lunged his head forward, but he was quick to command him to halt. Which earned him praise from the old dragon keeper. Jace was practically jumping with excitement as he asked if he could give Vermax the command. There was a wide smile across his face as he turned to face the group. Aegon and Aerys nodded their heads in encouragement. 

“Dracarys, Vermax!”

The room lit up as the dragon fire consumed the goat. Aerys moved to stand beside Jace. They watched as Vermax quickly began to feast upon the roasted flesh. 

“You did well.” He praised the brown-haired boy.

Aerys turned his head as Luke began to run ahead. He moved to go after him but Aegon shook his head. Aerys listened quietly as Aegon went on about Aemond not having a dragon. He knew it was a sensitive topic for the young Targaryen. Aerys could not even begin to imagine what his life would be like without Agana. It pained him to think about it. He furrowed his brows in confusion as Aegon claimed they found a dragon for him. It did not take long to understand what was going on. 

Luke appeared from the darkness with a large pig by his side. The pig had wings tied to its body. The boys began laughing and taunting Aemond. Aerys found himself letting out a laugh, though he was quick to stifle it. The three boys ran away, leaving Aemond with the so-called pink dread. Aerys moved to stand by Aemond’s side.

“Don’t listen to them, Aemond. You still have time.”

The young Targaryen boy said nothing in return. Aerys placed a hand on his shoulder before he ran off to catch up with the other boys.

-

They had quickly returned to the castle after the dragon keepers had shown up with a very disheveled-looking Aemond. Luke and Jace waved as Ser Lorent escorted them back to their mother’s apartments. Aerys tried to wave as Aegon pulled him along. The two boys walked alone down the empty hall. Aemond had been sent to the queen as soon as they reached the castle. 

“What you did to Aemond was cruel.” 

“It was harmless fun. You laughed didn’t you?” Aegon turned his head to question him.

Aerys lowered his head to hide his smile. Aegon began to laugh. 

“That’s not the point, Aegon. It was still cruel.”

The two boys returned to Aerys’s chambers. Aerys rolled his eyes as Aegon gawked at the serving girl who brought them wine. The young woman was quick to bow and leave the room. Aerys handed a cup to Aegon, who had made himself comfortable on the bed.

“You could at least take off your boots, they’re filthy.” Aerys scoffed as he kicked off his boots.

Aegon huffed and lifted his right foot. Aerys chose not to argue and simply pulled off Aegon's boots. He dropped them to the ground and climbed onto the bed. The two boys lay beside one another quietly. Aerys groaned as he stretched out his limbs. Perhaps he could slip in a quick nap before he had to train with Ser Criston. Aegon slowly crept his hand closer to Aerys’. His fingers toyed with Aerys’s hand until the boy lifted it, allowing Aegon to intertwine their fingers. He turned his head to find Aegon already watching him.

“We should go to Essos,” Aegon said.

“Essos? What would we do there?” Aerys scoffed.

“We could do whatever we want. We have dragons, the people there would treat us like kings. We’d drink the rarest wines, dine on the finest food, and have all the beautiful women we could ever want.”

“If only it were that simple. Your mother would never let you go. She’d send Ser Criston after you.” Aerys snickered as he poked at Aegon’s side. 

The Targaryen prince swatted his hand away. “I doubt that. She’d probably cry tears of joy.”

Aerys laughed at the comment, making Aegon punch him on the arm.

“You could at least disagree!”

Aegon sighed and turned his head back towards the stone ceiling. Aerys began to think of what their life in Essos would be like. The idea did not appeal to the boy very much at all. His life and his family were here in Westeros. Wine, food, and women were not so important to him that he would abandon his family.

“I’m sorry, I’m sure she would be very distraught.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Aegon grumbled. “Forget I said anything.”

There was a sadness in Aegon’s voice as he turned his head away. His grip on Aerys’ fingers lessened and he moved his hand away. Aerys did not understand why the boy was so upset so he decided it was best to move on.

“Sunfyre has grown quite a bit,” He smiled. 

The mention of Sunfyre always seemed to perk up the elder boy’s mood, but Aegon only hummed in agreement.

“Perhaps you could join me later. Agana is growing restless, she needs to stretch her wings.”

“I would have to ask my mother first. You know how she is,” Aegon sighed.

An awkward silence filled the room as the two boys stared at the ceiling. Aerys struggled to find the right thing to say. Aegon could be very difficult when he got into one of his moods.

“So, tell me more about this street of silk. How was it?” Aerys asked.

The older Targaryen boy scoffed, but a sly smirk slowly crept onto his lips.

“Was it that good?”

“Good? Gods be good Aerys, it was riveting. The people are absolutely mad. The girls are willing to do anything for a bit of coin. You will join me next time.”

“No thank you, that’s your thing. I think I’ll stick to my boring late-night reading.” Aerys shook his head.

“It was not a request. We shall go tonight.” Aegon proclaimed as he stood up triumphantly.

Aerys’ protests fell upon deaf ears as Aegon pulled on his boots, murmuring about his plans for the evening. Aerys, deciding to stop wasting his breath, moved to sit at his desk once again.

“We shall meet tonight by Balerion’s skull.”

Aegon declared as he made his way out of the room. The thick wooden door slammed loudly behind him. Aerys let out an amused sigh as he shook his head. What has he gotten himself into now, he questioned himself. Aerys grabbed a hold of his leather bag to hang it on his chair. As he lifted it into the air the strap snapped off sending his belongings tumbling onto the floor. The clink of metal caught his attention first. He was quick to scoop the ring into his hands. His eyes trailed over the bejeweled ring for any sign of damage, before unclasping the hinges on the side.

“I apologize muna,” he whispered as his finger trailed lightly over the enameled portrait within.

The young man closed the ring and slid it back onto his finger. He had forgotten to put it back on earlier. He only took it off because it was a bit difficult to sketch with it on. A feeling of sadness began to creep into his mind. How desperately he longed to have his mother and father back. It has been a little over a decade and yet the wound remains fresh in his heart. Aerys could feel his lips begin to tremble and his eyes well up with tears. He quickly cleared his throat and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. There would be time for tears later. For now, he had to prepare for his training with Ser Criston.

-

Aerys sprinted through the halls of the castle. Trying carefully to avoid contact with the passing nobles. As he rounded a corner a woman appeared. He tried desperately to come to a halt but was too slow. Aerys was quick to grab the woman before she could fall, but the tray in her hand clattered against the stone ground.

“I apologize, Lord Reyne. It was an accident,” the young woman began apologizing profusely.

 She pressed her hands together as she prayed for mercy. Aerys shook his head. His hands gently closed around hers, as he tried to comfort her. He didn’t recognize her, Aerys assumed she must be new. The woman seemed to be around his age, maybe two or three years older. But she stood a head taller than him.

“It’s alright my lady, it is I who is to blame. I should know better than to be running around the halls at this busy hour. Come, let me help you.”

He smiled as he knelt to the ground. Fortunately, it was only cheese, grapes, and bread, so it was easy to pick up. The girl quickly knelt down and gently pushed his hands away.

“No-no my lord! I will clean it, don’t worry!”

“Nonsense, it's my fault.”

Aerys quickly snatched up as many of the fallen items as he could and placed them back in their bowls. It had almost turned into a competition. With everyone he reached for, the woman was quick to grab it first. When their work was done the woman quickly stood and bowed her head. Aerys watched as she scurried away, mostly likely back towards the kitchen. His gaze remained on her until she disappeared. He stood there for a moment longer before cursing under his breath. He was late.

By the time Aerys made it to the outer yard the rest of the boys were already swinging at dummies. Ser Criston spotted him first. Suddenly Aerys wished he hadn’t shown up at all. Ser Criston detests tardiness. The scowl on the white knight's face as he approached him filled his stomach with dread.

“Nice of you to finally show up, Lord Reyne, we feared you were unwell.”

“My apologies Ser Criston, I accidentally crashed into a maid on the way here. I had to help- my apologies.”

He silenced himself as the knight gave him a bored expression. Ser Criston nodded before nudging his hand towards the wooden swords. Aerys quickly took one before moving to the free dummy in the center. Aegon snickered as Aerys passed by him. Aerys swung his arms, striking the dummy with his wooden sword. He did this five more times before they began rotating. Aemond took his place as Aerys moved to take Jace’s place. Aegon groaned loudly as he struck the dummy with all his might. Aerys did the same. Aerys was not a fan of swords. He was adequate with a sword, but he did not believe anyone would be singing songs of his skills for years to come. His skill with a bow, however, was much better. However, sword training was a requirement. He had no say in the matter.

A quick thwack to the nape of his neck caught his attention. He turned his head to find the culprit. Aegon nodded his head ahead. Aerys followed his gaze to find two incoming maids. When they spotted the prince they quickly turned their gaze and scurried away. Aerys let out a weary sigh. He switched places with Jace again, moving away from Aegon. He gave the young boy a light pat on the shoulder as he passed. Ser Criston called for Aegon and Aemond to try and attack him. Aerys grabbed hold of Jace and Luke, gently pushing them back so they would not be in the way. 

The two boys groaned as they threw their full weight into their attacks. Yet Ser Criston evaded them all, skillfully dodging every swing.

“You’ll have to do better than that,” he taunted.

The white knight quickly deflected Aegon's next blow. Sending the prince rushing forward. Ser Criston whacked the prince's bum as he stumbled. Ser Harwin called out to Jace and Luke. Aerys turned his head to listen as the gold cloak gave instructions. The boys followed his instructions, quickly lifting their swords. Aerys found himself doing the same. Ser Harwin’s gaze drifted over to Ser Criston. Aerys could feel the tension between the two men. It was no secret that there was bad blood between the two men. Though the reason why was unknown to Aerys, he knew it had something to do with Nyra. The white knight seemed to hold no love for the Princess.

“Seems the younger boys could do better with a bit of your attention, Ser Criston.”

“You questioned my method of instruction Ser?”

“Oh, I merely suggest that method be applied to all your pupils.”

Aegon and Aemond moved to stand with the rest of the boys. Luke smiled as he tried to taunt Aegon. The elder boy merely pushed him away. The young boy chuckled to himself. Aerys gave him a nod to get back in line. His smile slightly dropped as he moved to stand still.

“Very well,” the white knight replied to the gold cloak.

“Jaecaerys, come here.”

Aerys furrowed his brows as he watched the white knight grab Jace by the collar, roughly pulling him along with him.

“You’ll spar with Aegon.”

Aegon and Aemond chuckled to themselves. Aegon quickly fetched his sword before moving forward.

“Eldest son against eldest son,” the knight announced.

“Hardly a fair match-”

“I know you’ve never seen true battle Ser, but when steel is drawn a fair match isn’t something anyone should expect.” Ser Criston quipped.

Aegon gave Jace a pat on the back as he passed him. The two boys raised their blades as Ser Criston instructed.

“Engage.”

Aegon lunged forward with a yell. Jace was quick to deflect the attacks, but he was quickly becoming overwhelmed. Aegon forced him back with every blow. The elder prince moved his hand out, pushing the dark-haired boy to the ground. Aerys cursed under his breath. 

“Come on Jace,” he whispered encouragingly.

The brown-haired boy was quick to his feet. This time it was Aegon who was pushed back with each attack. Jace swung the sword with all his might. He was fast, so fast that as soon as Aegon blocked a hit, another was right behind it. Aegon, clearly growing frustrated, moved behind a dummy. Pushing it forward so that it nearly toppled onto Jace.

“Foul play!” Ser Harwin called out as he moved to advise Jace.

“I’ll deal with him,” Ser Criston retorted as he pulled Aegon towards him.

Ser Harwin smiled as he quietly advised Jace, his gloved hand gently holding Jace by the chin.

“You!” Aegon yelled, gaining the younger boy���s attention.

Once again the two began their dance. Aegon’s attacks were unrelenting. The younger boy struggled to keep up once more. Ser Criston yelled out instructions to the elder prince. Aegon raised his leg kicking Jace in the stomach, sending the boy to the ground. The brown-haired boy was forced to try and defend himself on the ground. The white knight refused to allow Aegon to ease off. Instructing him to keep attacking.

“Enough!” Ser Harwin yelled as he grabbed Aegon, pulling him away from Jace.

The prince struggled against the gold cloak’s grasp. Ser Harwin released him, sending the prince stumbling.

“You dare lay hands on me?!” Aegon howled in anger.

The noise made Luke jump and tense up. Aerys put a comforting hand on Luke’s shoulder. He moved to stand behind his cousin. Resting his hands upon the small boy's shoulder, keeping him close.

“Aegon!” The king called, from where he usually sat, watching the boys train.

“You forget yourself Strong, that is the prince.” Ser Criston voiced.

“Is this what you teach Cole? Cruelty to the weaker opponent?” Ser Harwin said as he picked up the wooden swords.

Ser Criston dropped the wooden sword he had been holding to his feet. Ser Harwin kicked it away, refusing to bend down and pick it up.

“Your interest in the prince's training is quite unusual, Lord Commander.” Ser Criston replied. “Most men would only have that kind of devotion towards a cousin, or a brother... or a son.”

Aerys could feel his breath get caught in his throat. Cole would be so bold as to say such a thing in public? He watched the two men with uncertainty. Ser Harwin was not known for his tranquility. Nor was Ser Criston. Aerys remembered hearing the tale about how the white knight beat a man to death with his bare hands. It was on the very same night that Nyra married Ser Laenor. The gold cloak paused for a moment before he lunged towards Ser Criston. His large gloved hand connected to the knight's cheek. Aerys quickly grabbed Jace and Luke, pushing them behind his back.

Ser Harwin landed another hit, sending the white cloak to the ground. Yet he refused to relent, quickly climbing on top of the man, and continuing his assault. Ser Criston did not even put up a fight against the gold cloak. It took four other white cloaks to pull Ser Harwin off of Ser Criston. Though they struggled to hold him back.

“Say it again!” Ser Harwin roared. “Say it again!”

The lord commander had to be dragged out of the outer yard like an animal. His reputation would certainly take a heavy blow. Attacking a member of the king's guard was madness.

“What do we do now?” Luke asked, clinging onto Aerys’ sleeve.

“Don’t worry, let’s get you both back to your chambers.” Aerys smiled as he pulled the two boys along with him.

Luke still held on tightly as they walked quietly down the empty hallway. Jace had yet to speak, choosing to keep his head down. Ser Lorrent walked ahead of them, escorting them back to the young boy’s chambers. Ser Lorrent pushed open the thick oak doors. He moved out of the way, allowing the three boys to pass. Aerys gave him a nod of appreciation before the white cloak closed the doors. It was just the three of them now. They were in Jace’s room. Luke’s room was next door, but the boy wished to stay at his brother's side.

“Is Ser Harwin in trouble? What will happen to him?” Luke asked.

Aerys looked down at the small boy. He used his right hand to ruffle the boy’s curly hair. Aerys was aware of how close the boys were to Ser Harwin. Luke practically idolized the man. Ser Harwin’s father was the hand of the king, surely his punishment wouldn’t be that severe. Aerys gave him the best reassuring smile he could muster.

“I don’t know Luke, but I’m sure everything will be fine. Why don’t we go play with your toys hmm?” 

Aerys waved his hand out towards the large wooden toy chest against the wall. Luke nodded before running off. Jace remained silent, staring at his shoes. Aerys placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder breaking whatever trance he was in.

“Come on,” he whispered, attempting to coax him into following Luke.

But the boy would not move. Aerys craned his neck to try and get a good look at the boy's face, but couldn’t. He finally placed a finger under the boy's chin, forcing him to look up. The poor boy was desperately fighting back the tears threatening to spill from his eyes. His trembling lips were curled upside down. Aerys kneeled on the floor to be at eye level with Jace. He placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder.

“What’s wrong Jace?” Aerys asked, as gently as he could.

“Is Ser Harwin my father?”

The young lord froze. He felt like he had been punched in the gut. His eyes glanced over to Luke, to ensure the boy had not heard the question. Fortunately, he seemed too preoccupied with his toys. At that moment it seemed like all the words he had ever learned were now lost to him. What could he say? What was he supposed to say? He supposed it was only natural for Jace to be curious. The boy was growing older. It was only a matter of time before the whispers of the court began weighing on his shoulders. He may still be young now, but he certainly was no fool. But it was not Aerys' place to confirm his suspicions.

“Ser Laenor has raised you since you were born. If that is not a father, I don’t know what is.”

“But Ser Criston said-”

 “The Velaryons have claimed you as their own. The opinions of others do not matter.”

The brown-haired boy went silent. The look on his face made it apparent to Aerys that his words did nothing to satiate the boy’s curiosity. But regardless, Jace nodded his head and moved to join Luke. Aerys remained on his knee, cursing himself in his head for his tone. He had snapped a bit after the mention of Ser Criston. It was not intentional, but the boy's questions had left him feeling like a trapped animal. He would have to apologize later.

-

Aerys used the tips of his fingers to light smudge the charcoal, giving the dragon’s wing a more blended finish. He could feel small beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead. Quickly, he used his sleeve to wipe them away. The young man had been working on this piece for nearly a week now. It was proving to be one of his greatest challenges yet.

“You’ve improved.”

Startled, he jumped in his seat. Aerys turned his head to find Nyra standing behind him. He hadn’t even noticed her come in. She gave him an apologetic smile as she gently rubbed his back.

“My apologies, I thought you heard me coming.”

“No worries, I just got a little distracted with this.” Aerys shrugged.

He turned his gaze back towards the drawing. Suddenly he was hyper-aware of all the flaws, little or imagined. Aerys moved to cover it but Nyra stopped him by placing a hand over his. Her eyes trailed over every inch of the dragon.

“Is that Syrax?”

Aerys gave her a simple nod. It was the first time he had ever drawn another dragon beside his and Aegons. Agana and Sunfyre were the perfect studies. They were able to lounge about for hours on end, allowing him to capture their magnificence. Aegon would mumble and groan every time Aerys dragged him along to the dragon pit just to sit there while Aerys sketched, but he always went along anyway. Though most of the time it would end in the two of them racing through the skies on dragonback. He had countless drawings of them, but Aerys wanted to do something different. In time he hoped to capture the beauty of all the dragons of the realm for his book. Dragon lore was scarce in this world. And who better to record it, than a dragon rider? Syrax was his next target. The she-dragon had recently brought forth another clutch. Before the new additions arrived, Syrax had become even more slothful than usual. So it was easy to sit and draw her while she lounged about in the dragon pit. 

“I love it. You’ve captured her perfectly.”

Nyra pressed a quick kiss to his head.

“Though there is something else I’ve come here to discuss with you, Aerys.”

The young man nodded before turning his body to face her. She looked tired, which was understandable. The woman had just given birth to a child. Something Aerys understood was much more taxing on women’s bodies than men gave them credit for. He stood to his feet, offering her his chair. Aerys waited for her to be seated before fetching one for himself.

“What is it?” He inquired politely.

“Laenor and I have decided to leave for Dragonstone. The ship is getting ready as we speak.” Nyra spoke gently, as she caressed the back of his hand with her thumb.

“Oh,” Aerys furrowed his brow. “Alright...it shouldn’t take me long to pack my things.”

Aerys moved to stand but Nyra stopped him. He tilted his head in confusion. There was a sadness behind her violet eyes. His body stiffened under her touch, as she held his hands in hers. A sharp ache stabbed away at his chest. That familiar burning sensation reached his eyes. And he struggled to keep the frown away from his lips. He pursed his lips and turned his face to stare at the desk beside them.

“You’re not taking me with you...” he murmured.

“The king wishes for you to remain at court.”

A pregnant pause filled the air. Aerys was unsure of what to say. He did not trust his voice, too scared of possibly showing his affliction. Rhaenyra owed him nothing. She was not his mother and he was not her son. The princess was not required to take him with her. He was the king's ward, not hers.

“But that does not mean we’ll never see each other again. We’ll exchange letters, and you’re always welcome to come visit when the king permits it.”

Aerys said nothing.

“You have friends here. I understand you and Aegon are...close. Surely he would be upset if you left. You’ll be happy here, just like you’ve always been.”

“Of course,” he smiled. “I wish you a safe journey, Princess.”

Her face fell upon hearing her title come from his mouth. She opened her mouth to speak when a knock upon the door stopped her. Aerys quickly called out to them to enter. He pulled his hands away and stood to his feet. It was Elinda Massey, one of Rhaenyra’s handmaids.

“The ship is ready, Princess.”

“Thank you Elinda.”

The woman bowed before taking her leave. Aerys still refused to meet the Princess’s gaze. Instead choosing to stare at the tapestry next to his door. It was a man, pale-skinned and bare. His long white hair flowed down his body, which was entangled with a green dragon. The soft click of her shoes echoed as she moved to stand in front of him. Her fingers gently brushed his hair away from his face, before trailing down to cup his chin. That sweet sad smile returned to her face.

“This is not goodbye Aerys,” she pressed a gentle kiss to the top of his head.

Something she had done a million times before. Yet now the kiss that had always made him feel so warm, so safe, left him with nothing but a hollow feeling in his chest. He gave a simple nod. It was all he could do to not beg her to take him. To plead with her to not abandon him in the stony confines of this castle. But alas, he would not. He was nearly a man-grown. A man of the houses Reyne and Targaryen. He must always act with poise and good deportment.

“Perhaps you would like to see the boys before we depart?”

“No,” he snapped. “I mean, the hour is growing late. You’ll have a long journey ahead of you. I’m sure you’re all anxious to get out onto the sea already.”

“Aerys,” she sighed, gazing into his iris-colored eyes. “I know-”

Another knock sounded at the door. This time it was Ser Lorent who entered.

“We must be going now Princess,” he declared.

Aerys used this time to step back, pulling away from the Princess’s grasp. The woman pursed her lips and gave the young man a small nod.

“Alright,” she whispered.

Aerys said nothing as he watched her walk away. Her white hair slightly swayed behind her as she walked. Aerys moved to call out for her, yet he could not speak. The young man moved back to his desk. Allowing himself to drop back into his seat. He was alone now.

A/N: If you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading my work!

[sanjisblackasswife]

How OP Men Ask to Be Your Valentines (SFW/Fuff)

Some are short and some are long. Also they all read poems.

Sanji, Zoro, Luffy, Usopp, Ace

Black Fem Reader in Mind

Luffy

Wellll….he didn’t even know that day existed.

He seen Sanji decorate the deck the day before with heart shaped tapestries and making love theme foods and he explained.

When sanji realized that Luffy didn’t know he then asked if he asked you to be his Valentines and he obviously said no after a following “what is that.”🧍🏽

Needless to say after some yelling Luffy went to go find you

It wasn’t the most traditional way, but Lord help him he tried.

He stole some cupcakes and cookies and even a balloon Sanji had put up in the kitchen and rushed over to you.

Unfortunately none of the sweets survived except half a cookie, but you still had a balloon though!

“Y/N! Tomorrow be my Valentines! Okay?”

Before you could say yes or no he shoves the cookie in your mouth and hands you the balloon. He’s so proud of his declaration you couldn’t be upset.

“Oh wait! Sanji said i need to tell you a poem!”

“Violets are red, Roses are blue, please be my Valentines or else…”

“….or else what.”

He just chuckles at you while squishing your cheeks.

You don’t know if he was actually threatening you or didn’t remember the poem.

Honestly you haven’t been more warmed in your tummy to see the slight blush in his face when you nod in agreement and kiss his chubby cheeks

9/10 would love to see again.

Zoro

Only knows about it because of how much you talk about the special love day.

Yet

Still manages to nearly forget to ask you.

All day you been hinting on him asking

“Sanji asked all the girls to be his valentines…”

“Pathetic.”

“…You don’t think it’s cute he asked them?…y’know…seems pretty cute.”

“He made a fool of himself.”

It irked you he didn’t even have a light bulb moment and just ask right then and there and ask. You would have appreciated it, but no.

Forgot.

It wasn’t until Robin and Sanji asked what did Zoro gift you to ask to be your Valentines and nearly smacked himself on the head for it.

“THAT’S WHY SHE WAS ASKING ME THOSE QUESTIONS?! WHY DIDN’T SHE TELL ME!?”

“CUZ IT’S YOUR JOB DUMBASS!”

Luckily Robin was going out to a floral shop and Zoro tagged along. She assisted him on what flowers to give you and even a card with a pretty gold necklace (he now is in debt from nami again)

You were in your room pouting up until you seen Zoro awkwardly walk towards you with something behind his back and plop the flowers and gifts on your side.

He then plops HIMSELF on your lap and buries himself in your tummy while wrapping his arms around you

“Read the card.”

And you do so

“Blood is red. My shirt is blue. Be my Valentines, but either way I’ll screw you.”

….

….

“I’mma beat yo ass, Zo.”

“WHAT! That is IS A WONDERFUL POE—OW!”

Usopp

Poor boy is a nervous wreck asking you (his crush) to be his Valentines.

All week he has been drawing you. You both took a picture together a few weeks prior and since then he has been struggling to draw you the perfect Valentines Day Card

Of course he draws you beautifully but that doesn’t stop him from being a little scardey cat about it

“Hey! Y/N! Uh…can i give you something!?”

You smile and nod. “Of course. You made a another contraption?”

He smiles timidly and shakes his head no before he got lost in thought.

You see a rose inside a pretty pink card and it says on the front “Please open!”

You do and its a small drawing of you, Usopp, and the Going Merry and it says:

“Just as I am brave and smart, you’re even more with your sweet, kind heart. It would be my honor to be your Valentines, and if that goes well will you eventually be mine(s)?”

It was written so funny so you chuckle a little, but you then gasp to see the art he done for you. It was so detailed and gorgeous in contrast to the tiny doodle he did inside the card

“Us….WAIT USOPP!”

Poor boy ran before you could answer

Luckily you caught him and let him know of course you can be his Valentines

And a little more too…because you felt the same way about him.

Sanji

Genuinely surprised why his birthday isn’t on Valentines Day but we move

Obviously Mr. Prince wouldn’t dare NOT to ask you for your hand in being his Valentines, especially since you’re his girlfriend.

He plans out the entire 2 weeks of spoiling you (more than usual).

He acts like youre ganna say no somehow when everybody knows youre not

Zoro absolutely cannot stand him all two week

Everything is heart shaped

The food

The snacks

The desserts

Everything all for you and everybody has to endure it

You swear his eyes are a Crimson pink now this entire month.

And by February 13th he takes you on the deck after dinner and hands you MORE gifts

“Ji! You can’t keep giving me—“

“Just read it.”

The night was perfect, he was wearing a beautiful blue and black suit lighting up his cigarette with one hand as his other was still filled with another gift. He even got you the dress you’re wearing. You felt spoiled rotten. And you were. And Sanji knew that but he didn’t care.

He’d give you the world if you asked it

You open the pretty card and rose petals fall out and it says:

“My love for you cannot be compared. My love for you cannot be tested. My love for you cannot be measured. Even until the end of time my love for you shall never perish. You bring me light, you bring me joy, you are what I think about when I need remembrance of what I am fighting for. You are the calm in my chaos. You are my escape. My love. My Mademoiselle. I love you. -Your Prince, Sanji”

By the time you look up he is putting his hand out to you with warm cheeks and a smile,

“Be-“

“Yes! Sorry…i just..YES I wanna be your Valentines!”

You were overjoyed kissing your now bloodied nose man on the cheek and he hands you one last gift.

It’s a fake flower.

“I’ll stop loving you when that flower dies.”

Fuck he was corny but so romantic with it.

[demigoddessqueens]

the love letter

based off a movie recommendation from @whoviancumberbunny called The Love Letter

Summary: an enchanted desk where Person A leaves their letters and Person B finds and reads them across time/dimension (this is also the premise from the movie too)

Percy

Surprised at this little family secret hidden away in the house, and while he initially thinks it foolish, he sends one only to have your response back. In you, he finds a kindred spirit who he can speak with and he appreciates feedback from you if he ever sent

You two banter like long lost loves over your letters, made up nicknames for each other and countless “my loves” as well

Vax’ildan

Ok I’m gonna give my boi his much overdue happy ending and this is also kinda leaning into the movie’s plot too 😭💕🥹❤️‍🩹

He loves sending these letters back and forth you. It’s sweet, sensual and for the time he thinks he has, there’s a comfort in it that there’s someone he can look forward to

back in your world, the letters stopped coming from him and you were worried sick that something had happened to him. Your heart shatters when you receive word from those who call themselves his friends and they tell you of his fate. In the few days that follow after, you try to console a broken heart until you come across a stranger who makes you feel like you’ve met before. Tall, beautifully tanned skin, warm eyes and raven dark hair with a braid to his side. You’re both so lost in the surprise and familiarity of it all, you don’t notice the unseen golden thread of fate that binds you together.

Keyleth

At first she was surprised by Percy’s little magic desk and sent one just to see what would happen.

Writing back and forth to you was one of the greatest days of her life.

Scanlan

Though he’s never seen your face, it’s an old familiar feeling stewing within when you write back and forth to each other. If you’re a fan of music, he sends sheet music to you and loves the little love notes you make in the corners of pages

Vex’ahlia

Naturally curious, she sends a few letters just to see and is thrilled to see that you’ve written back. You always compliment her writing, how pretty she sounds in writing, and the back and forth of “(my) darling”

Grog

He’s excited like a kid and at times just shoved bundles of letters in one go, to which they explode all over your desk. Sometimes he’ll even leave a doodle here and there of what he’s done/seen on travels

Pike

She thinks this is an interesting find in Whitestone and sends one just to see what happens

After the first time, she’s always eager to check the desk almost everyday just to see what you’ve written back. It’s one of the highlights of her day

BONUS: I feel tho, that if you attached a Polaroid/photo of yourself, they’re holding onto that like it’s priceless because now there’s a face to a name and your letters

[lavellenchanted]

watching last week's and this week's episodes back to back was an absolute roller coaster of emotion and I have a lot of mixed feelings about all the changes they're making this season and how they're choosing to compress the campaign beats

incorporating zerxus was really interesting, although I'm assuming it's to set the stage for some things in c3 (which I am very behind on) rather than because it's going to pay off in tlovm so it feels a little bit gratuitous, but I enjoyed it

and it was a nice way to set up the vorugal vs demon fight although I did deeply miss it being VM's plan, because that was exactly sort of high-risk and insane idea that somehow pays off that makes D&D so fun and would have been nice to see on stream

also sad we lost the "where's larkin?" and raishan's more active involvement in helping them take down the conclave

and deeply sad there was no senokir

or kynan! give me my boy!

I'm really fascinated to see where they take this storyline with pike and whatever's going on with her blood, but I am .... not sure about her seemingly doubting/giving up her faith in the everlight? especially after her whole arc in s1 of rediscovering her faith and how to be faithful in a way that's true to herself. she's the chosen of the everlight! and sarenrae helped them out A LOT on stream!

SARENRAE PUNCHED A FUCKING DRAGON FOR THEM AND THEY ROBBED ME OF IT

the hatching of thordak's eggs and the attack on whitestone was a nice way to up the stakes and give percy a more urgent reason to go after ripley on glintshore

very mixed feelings on how glintshore was handled overall though - so much of the impact of that fight was everyone being there and witnessing percy's death but being unable to stop it

and I'm not sure I like percy dying because he offered anna mercy as opposed to his being determined not to let her go because he knows she's a threat that needs to be stopped

and while I assume we'll still get another confrontation with ripley, the party take-down of her was just. so good on stream because of the raw grief over percy's death, I don't see how a second fight with her can replicate that.

also, tbh, really didn't need the sad ripley backstory - I appreciate the subversion of her character but these are twenty-five minute episodes that are already struggling to contain everything and I'd rather the time taken for that flashback had been given to the relationships within VM and they'd just had ripley briefly namedrop the cerberus assembly if they wanted an easter egg for the mighty nein

my biggest criticism of this season is the fact that all the character beats are happening solely between the romantic pairings and we're missing so much of the dynamics between everyone else in VM

and I've got very mixed feelings on the change ups with the perc'ahlia romance in particular; while I love any interaction between them in isolation, I'm really not a fan overall of how they've switched up their narrative

they were the slowest of slowburns on the stream, and both of them kept their distance because neither of them believed the other one could love them; we're basically being given the total opposite here and while I still love them it just doesn't hit as hard

and I assume they're lining up all the resurrections to do at once because they think having multiple ones will cheapen them? buuuut I feel like we're going to lose the individual impact by doing it altogether

and I really hate that it means percy wasn't there for the final showdown with thordak

also kash better fucking be resurrected because if they perma-kill him I will never forgive them, how dare they do my boy like that

this all feels like a lot of criticism and I am still overall very much enjoying the show so GOOD THINGS:

the fight scenes are all beautifully done and so dynamic to watch

raishan. everything about her. I loved her on stream, love her in this, cree summers voice is perfect.

PIKE TRICKFOOT IS A MOTHERFUCKIN' MONSTAH

love love love that they're giving her so many badass moments to shine

vax's takedown of thordak was brilliant

the animation is beautiful, and the cinematography is gorgeous

music is a+, as always

loved suddenly hyper-competent grog coming up with the plan

percy and cass's perfect sibling dynamic

leader vex! leader vex!

I am very interested to see what they do with the final three episodes - taking down raishan and the resurrections presumably, possibly also taking down ripley (although they might leave her for s4?) and the bard's lament, maybe even a taryon appearance, and then a set up or tease for s4.

[moontyun]

Pairing: prince!Jungwon x peasant!reader Genre: romance, lost friends, attempted humor, attempted angst?, childhood friends to lovers Synopsis: People out grow each other all of the time. That was the natural process of life, but not for him. Everywhere he turned you were there. You were always someone he could not leave behind again. He'd lost you once, he wasn't going to lose you again. Word count: 1.1k Warning(s): possibility of death mentioned

Royalty and their rules

Bright white beamed against the blue sky. The castle shimmered in the early morning light. The lush greenery stretched for miles. Red roses glittering with morning dew. Heeseung was leading you down the stone pathway that led into the looming castle doors. You were not planning on Heeseung taking you to the castle. This was not what you had expected when you had told him you wanted help looking for the duck boy. Not to mention you didn’t think getting to the castle would take about a day and a half to get to. 

It all started two days ago, after you had told him you wanted him to help you look for the duck boy. Somewhere along the way in the story, Heeseung seemed to have misunderstood where you had met the boy. Were you going to correct him? No, this was the perfect opportunity to see the place he was the majority of the time. 

The castle was just as beautiful inside as the outside. The walls were beautifully decorated with painting and tapestry. White columns lined the way leading up the throne. There the king sat with his jewel studded crown. The king rose from his seat, a smile on his face, arms wide open. “Welcome home, Heeseung.” He was decorated from head to toe in an orange robe, detailed with gold thread and beautiful beading. 

Heeseung smiled back to the king, “Thank you, your majesty. I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine, (name).” 

The king was absolutely stunning, his gaze shifting to you as he stepped down to get a closer look at you. “Welcome, a pleasure to meet you. You will be joining us for dinner?” It wasn’t so much of an invitation as it was a demand. 

You looked down at what you were wearing. It wasn’t exactly appropriate attire to wear to a fine dinner like that. You chuckled shyly, not really knowing how to respond to him. You knew if you turned it down, it would look poorly on Heeseung. If you stayed, you’d be ashamed the whole time. “If that’s what you wish, your majesty.” You smiled weakly. That was the only response you could come up with. 

“Please drop the formalities, call me Sunghoon.” You batted your eyes in disbelief before quickly nodding, briefly looking to your friend who stood next to you. He looked just as lost as you were. Sunghoon smiled kindly at the both of you. 

“S-Sunghoon, there is a matter in which (name) needs to speak to you about. Hence the reason for their sudden arrival.” Clearly he was anxious calling him that. It was completely foreign to him, something that he had never done before. If he had, he hadn’t done it in a very long time. 

Sunghoon turned his whole attention to your friend, then back to you. “Oh what about?” He asked, before sitting down on the floor of the audience chamber. At this, you were the only one stunned by his actions. Heeseung quickly took a seat on the floor, also. Leaving you to slowly and awkwardly lower yourself to the ground as well. 

You smiled quickly, “Uh, well,” the nervousness was starting to set in. This was going to come out a complete mess. It was likely going to come out all wrong or completely rude. There was no in between. “There was this boy when I was younger. We used to play around in the field and the little pond that was there… um, he gave me this necklace years ago and I haven’t seen him since.” He nodded his head, honest concern gracing his face. It was making you more nervous. “I was wondering if, you know, you were him?” Sunghoon’s face sank. That gave you all the answers you needed. “Not him, got it. Thank you. I’ll be leaving now.” you attempted to stand up and dismiss yourself. 

Sunghoon quickly grabbed your wrist, sitting you back down, “No, I’m not him. But I know him. He used to talk about a kid about his age, who fed ducks with him all the time when we were kids.” To say you were shocked would be a drastic understatement. “But much like you, I have not heard from him in a very long time. I don’t know if he is even alive anymore” That was even more shocking. Disappointment was clearly written on your face, Heeseung ruffled your hair, trying to comfort you. “Don’t let that deter you from looking for him though. I admire you for trying.” 

Smiling weakly, you twiddled with your fingers anxiously. This was possibly worse than you imagined but you weren’t going to let this ruin your time here at a glorious castle. Eating nice food, enjoying the cushy life for a little. “I’ll keep looking then. Thank you for your help.” 

-

The sun had started to set. Oranges, yellows, and pinks started to form over the skyline. You were on the balcony, enjoying the view. He wasn’t dead. There was no way. He was strong and healthy. There wasn’t a doubt in your head he was still alive. You wanted to believe he was okay, you hoped he was okay. 

Sitting on the ground once more, you continued to enjoy the view. The door to the balcony creaked open behind you, you chose to ignore it. Sunghoon took a seat next to you. Silence enveloped the two of you for a little while. “You know, you can get a better view if you’re standing up and over the railing.” You giggled a little bit. “I’m sure he’s okay. He’s thriving and living a full life.” 

Nodding your head, you sighed. “I’m sure he is.” Your eyes started to water, quickly you blinked it away, “Anyway, enough about sad things. How’s Heeseung doing here? Does he like it here? Are you treating him well? Is he eating enough?” All of a sudden it was an interrogation on him. 

Laughing, Sunghoon answered you, “He’s doing well here. He’s eating and sleeping well. I’m lucky to have him as a friend and a knight.” 

“Why haven’t you let him have more time off?” 

“I’ve given him the time, he chooses not to take it.” 

That was Heeseung for you. Choosing to work rather than take a break and rest for a bit before turning back to the grind. It was a little pet peeve of yours he had but over the years, you had grown used to it. “And you? How are you liking being king?”

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I just finished watching Skam (Norway) today and let’s just say I’m not kidding when I say this is one of the BEST shows I’ve ever watched. I did take a lot of time to watch all the seasons (spanning over one year) but I enjoyed each and every moment of it. Well, some a little less than others. Hence, I have some thoughts and please forgive my yapping.

Okay so Season 1. I actually liked it quite a lot. The acting was good, and it gave a nice start to the whole story.

The getting together of the girls was the highlight obviously, but I really liked the portrayal of Eva in this, as a kind of lost teenager who doesn’t have a lot of direction in her life and is mostly dependent on her boyfriend.

I did think the Isak plot line in this was a little badly done, but I guess it was necessary for the big reveal in the end.

I think the fact that Eva was able to resolve things with Ingrid was very unrealistic, considering they had literally been besties and she basically stole her man. But really idk.

Talking about Jonas, he was majorly gaslighting Eva during the season so I think their relationship was a little immature. Classic right person wrong time.

Penetrator Chris is SO HOT. Especially in that mf smoky eye makeup istg. But he’s a giant asshole and we do not support him.

Season 2. Okay. First let’s start with the showstealer. Eskild my man. I don’t think Eskild is appreciated enough in the whole series but I absolutely love him!! He is so mature, and is such a good friend. I love the dynamic between him and Noora and even him and Linn.

Now let’s address the elephant in the room because why not? I did not like Noorhelm all that much. William never had much of a character development and we never get to see him expressing a lot of emotions. I forever stand by the opinion that Noora was too good for him. Many people talk about William’s support of Noora’s decision to not have sex, but really, that’s like settling for the bare minimum that can be expected from a decent person.

I think the dickhead of a brother had more personality than William. So in conclusion, season 2 did not really impress me but I’d watch it again for Eskild.

Eva hooking up with Chris?? The guy she cheated on her ex with? Can’t say I like this.

Season 3 is SO well done. There’s no question about it. I love Isak’s slow acceptance of his sexuality. From being a closeted gay guy who made homophobic comments to fit in, to a happy and out gay guy in a relationship.

Absolutely adore the boys. Jonas, Mahdi, Magnus. I especially loved Magnus and his take on the whole situation.

Eskild coming in and stealing the show yet again?!!

Emma and Sonja are VICTIMS. As much as I love Evak, they fucked their girlfriends over pretty bad and I hate them for it. Also, Emma is soooooooooo pretty.

The story of Even. His whole character portrayal. The picturisation of his mental issues. Chef’s kiss.

Minute by minute??? Are you trying to kill me here??? It is SO wholesome and they both have matured so much, especially Isak, dealing with his sexuality plus his boyfriend’s mental issues so delicately.

Their chemistry. Their chemistry. Their chemistry.

Sonja should NOT have apologised.

Overall, this season is tied with the fourth as my favourite.

Season 4. Sana is my favourite character hands down. She is portrayed so well, we see all her insecurities, beliefs so beautifully.

Yousana is my favourite couple. Evak is a close second.

The understanding between them, the intellectual conversations, the level of maturity. Just wondrous.

I did think the whole situation with the russ bus was overdone. I never really understood why Sana was so involved with it in the first place. This could easily have been summed up in one episode leaving time for more Yousana development.

Yousef is such a green flag omg. He’s literally the cutest out of all skam boys( my opinion). I just wish he had more screen time.

Elias and Sana??? Whatever bits and pieces we got to see of their relationship were GOLD.

I. Love. My. Girls. So. Much. I just wish Sana was shown interacting more with all of them, not just Noora. Also Yousef and Noora working together to thaw Sana??

I canNOT stress this enough. Yousef and Sana are the best couple ( besides Evak obviously). The chemistry, the flirting, everything was done so right that it got me blushing furiously through the screen. And they managed to do all this without showing any kind of physical contact. Just lovely. The way they counter each other’s opinions with such delicacy and respect makes me believe that they are definitely going to last.

The situation with Even and Mikael and all the balloon squad boys should have been given more screen time.

The way Sana’s faith and her relationship with her family were handled are commendable. We see the dilemma, the cogs of her brain working, and how she accepts her fate and doesn’t sway from her beliefs. I strongly believe that her and Yousef will handle their differences maturely and still come out to be a strong couple.

I SWEAR SHE AND I ARE SOULMATES?????? Cutest shit I’ve ever seen.

Sana and Isak’s friendship means so much to me. In Season 3, we see her rising above her opinions and respecting homosexuality. Here we see Isak figuring Sana out and helping her see beyond her strong opinions. And wdym Sana??? You are best buds.

Okay. The last episode. I absolutely loved it. It’s one of the best season finales I’ve ever watched. We go into the lives of all the girls and some of the guys too. I literally teared up at the Eskild and Linn part!!( idk why they still address Chris as penetrator Chris when his face is literally on the screen like people we know it’s not our girl?? Idk I find it extremely funny). I wish they had shown more of Vilde and Chris’ friendship in the past and not just the final episode. The Even part was absolutely incredible. His insecurities, his fears, and we see him pacifying Isak and not the other way around. Yousef texting Sana from Turkey?? And saying he’ll take her there?? My heart melted.

I literally don’t think Noorhelm is going to last long even though they have reconciled. Something just seems off. Joneva is back??? Didn’t really like the buildup but I guess they could be a good couple as they are more mature than the last time.

Okay. So that sums it up more or less. My favourite was season 4, closely followed by season 3. My favourite characters were Sana and Eskild, they were just so amazing. I related to Sana fiercely all through the show.

Thanks for coming to my ted talk. Feel free to give your own opinions please!!!!