#and who knows how many others over the course of that year

[wtfaniii]

Can you pleaseeee do a Namgyu x reader story where he’s your mean ex boyfriend that secretly still wants you 🙏

Of course! That man has something and you know it girl

From love to hate

Nam-Gyu (player 124) x reader // you

Fem reader!

Summary: You were so miserable that out of 456 people in this game you met again with the man who made your love life miserable a year ago.

Warning: Some emotional abuse, unstable relationship on both sides.

Note: I understand you girl, that boy has something that makes him attractive, I hope this is to your liking and meets your expectations!

The second game was over, the girl just wanted to calm her nerves sitting silently on her bed but she was startled a little when Thanos appeared next to one leap.

—Get lost —she said, rolling her eyes and continuing to play with his fingers.

—How pretty —he said sarcastically.

—You were nicer before —Gyu said, coming to her left side.

She sighed and got out of bed ready to move out of there, she wanted to have zero contact with him after having found in bed with her best friend.

—Fuck you

—¿You kiss with that vocabulary? —Nam-gyu hurried to stop her from escaping and stood in front of her.

—¡Move! ¡I don't want anything to do with you!

Yes, the guy was an idiot, he acted like an idiot throughout their entire relationship and he would always be an idiot.

She thought could tolerate him, she loved him enough to do it but there was a limit she wasn't going to cross, infidelity was something she was never going to get over.

Nam-gyu wasn't going to give up now that he had her so close, she was the only one who loved him just the way he was and even though he had made a mistake by getting between the legs of her slut friend he still couldn't stop thinking about her.

He took her arm with a little more force than he should have, it was inevitable, he wanted to tell her to please stay but instead he said something more hurtful.

—Stop being such a bitch and listen to me.

In his mind he wanted to regret it but the laughter deep inside Thanos made his ego as a man grow.

That was one of his many problems, the influence that third parties managed to have on him.

However, he couldn't think of anything else when he felt the girl's hand crash into his cheek, both becoming the center of attention of the other players.

—If you call me a bitch again, I'll kick you where it hurts the most —she warned him, pointing a finger at him in a threatening manner, to which Nam-gyu raised his hands in a sign of peace while backing away.

—She's a real sweetheart —Thanos said for the second time, amused and sarcastic.

—You have no idea....

[...]

It was time for the third game, the girl managed to overcome each and every one until it was time to pair up and take a cubicle before the rest.

She was alone, she thought that this time it would be the end for her.

Meanwhile Nam-gyu and Thanos had already managed to get an empty cubicle but just before closing the door 124 stopped at the entrance and looked in all directions.

—¡¿What the hell are you doing?! ¡Come in already!

But he ignored it completely, the drug in his system raised his adrenaline and clouded his judgment but the only thing he was quite clear about was that he had to make sure his damn ex-girlfriend was still alive after this.

Seeing her disoriented in the crowd, he didn't think twice and ran towards her, hearing Thanos shouting at him but he kept his eyes on the girl.

As soon as he got close to her, he took her by the shoulders and led her to a cubicle where, after having beaten the players out, he managed to close the door with her.

She was just about to thank him when Nam-gyu waved his hand at her to shut up.

—Not a word —he said, taking deep breaths.

—I was going to tell you that you are an idiot.

He gave her an annoyed look, but she was actually grateful even though she wasn't going to say it out loud.

Despite hearing the screams and gunshots through the door, the tension between them was also palpable.

They had so many things to say to each other but it was neither the time nor the place, Nam-gyu only needed to be so close to death to know that among so much shit in his life she was the only one he needed.

Their relationship had been so close and strong that all it took to end it was a one-night stand with another woman, and now he regretted it.

—I was drugged when I slept with her —he said without turning to look at her and watching through the small crack in the door as the pink soldiers collected the corpses of the eliminated players.

—That doesn't make it better —she replied without much enthusiasm.

Just by hearing her voice he knew that she had not let go of the past either, he knew her well enough to realize that the feeling of wanting to return was mutual.

But neither of them took the step that was required.

Once the doors opened, they both silently left there, Nam-gyu was the first to go towards Thanos who looked at him with his eyes half closed.

[...]

During the voting, the players looked at each other with hatred and other mixed emotions, Nam-gyu's gaze remained on the girl who was on the side of those who had chosen the tag, it was curious how now he too was questioning whether he should choose the circle again or this time make the decision to end the games.

—¡Press the circle! —Thanos shouted euphorically, bringing him out of his thoughts.

Min-su was slightly startled by the sudden shout, "Pathetic" Nam-gyu thought but he also felt somewhat pressured to make a decision.

After Thanos went to vote, he approached the poor trembling boy and spoke into his ear.

—If you don't press the circle you will be left alone without anyone to defend you.

It seems that this was enough to keep the 125 votes in his favor, with that they would win and continue participating, but when it was his turn his hand deviated towards the huge check mark.

He clearly heard Thanos' frustrated groan.

He took the red badge that the guard gave him and stood next to those his companion so hated.

—I honestly thought you would vote to keep playing —the girl murmured, standing next to him —¿What made you change your mind?

—Shut the fuck up —he mumbled angrily.

She still smiled softly at him and took his hand, a simple but meaningful sign that she was still by him side. Just as she had promised him since they met

The votes ended in a tie and now Nam-gyu had to continue playing and tolerating the irritable Thanos, he did not consider him his friend but his partner, he only hoped that this decision making would not influence their bond of trust too much.

Unfortunately, that was not the case and the tension between both sides of players increased with every second in the men's room.

—I'm not mad at you —230 said, approaching him while splashing some cold water on his face —I would also bend over backwards for a hottie like her.

He wanted to avoid fights but 333 butted into his conversation.

—Stop bothering others, you must understand that not all of us want to die in here.

Thanos laughed amused. —Oh look! The two lovebirds want to get out of here just because their girlfriends asked them to!

—I think we've collected enough money —Nam-gyu interrupted with a stern expression and a defensive posture. —Friend, we can still get out of here.

Maybe if 230 hadn't been under the influence of drugs he would have listened to him and they would have had a formal conversation where everyone would have come out a winner.

But that wasn't the case, instead he blurted out the following words.

—¿Why don't I just let you two die in the next game? You two can relax, I'll take care of your girlfriends so they won't be alone, if you know what i mean...

He barely finished the sentence with an arrogant smile when 333 threw a punch that Thanos managed to dodge.

He was going to make fun of it if it hadn't been for Nam-gyu punching him in the face, leaving him stunned and unleashing a fight between the Circle team and the X team.

Nam-gyu may have been a jerk to her, but she was still his girl and even if he had to kill other contestants, he would make sure they both came out alive and with a good amount of money.

Yeah... he did love her.

[lennadanvers]

The Heartbreak Chronicles

 Edward The Freak Munson was your first love.

(In more than one way).

(None of them ended up well).

High school Edward was something. Jean and leather, band t-shirts and patches. The shiny chains were still there. He had picked up guitar and stuck with it, as you found out at the talent show. His hair and his opinions had grown.

And his big, sad eyes were still there.

He had a reputation now: dangerous, freaky, dark. Maybe it was true. Maybe it had always been. It was just that people took a while to realize. He was the same over dramatic, fun, imaginative boy you had lost. Except that he took his drama all the way up to the tabletops of the cafeteria now.

It was hard not to enjoy the show. It was even harder to wonder how would it be to know him again. He had so much determination and sarcasm, he was so over the way the world worked, so full of disdain and passion… As someone who had served under the Queen’s orders- even if it was a fantasy queen, years ago, in the battlefield that was kindergarten-, you wanted to be loved by him.

How would anyone not want to be worthy of his love?

You knew better, of course. He had distanced himself. And yeah, maybe it had been a long time ago, but why should you give him another chance? No, sir. You didn’t have many things, but your pride was something no one could take from you.

Besides, he had never asked for another chance.

But he was fucking everywhere. He had founded the coolest club in the whole state. His van took up half the parking lot, a lighthouse in the middle of a naked shore. His hair was impossible to miss in the hallway, and your lunches were plagued by him and his stupidly interesting speeches. He even showed up at every party, ready to supply the sheeples with the only best weed in Hawkins.

And not once, in any of those scenarios, were you the object of his attention.

You could have stayed away, of course. It was just a matter of willpower. But your curiosity was bigger. Also, the sheet to sign up for Hellfire Club ended up being taped to the wall right next to your locker. It had to be a sign, if fate could be any more literal: just sign the sign.

It was a terrible idea. Made your nerves skyrocket and your appetite disappear, and your hands were trembling more than usual. You promised yourself you wouldn’t go back if it turned out to be as awful of an experience as you feared.

It was much, much worse: your first day at Hellfire was amazing. You had actual fun- something you hadn’t had in years, if you were honest. The boys were nice in a warm way, talking over each other and, frankly, more excited about the game than you. It was great, because it didn’t make you feel like a guest, but like you belonged.

And Edward welcomed you.

After years without talking to you, without even glancing at you, he smiled and bowed, arms wide as if to show you his kingdom.

“Be welcome to our humble table, mighty lady. Be prepared to face more adventure than you’ve ever heard of, more danger than you can fear and to conquer more victories than anyone can dream.”

He acted that way with everyone. And he lied.

You had heard of that much adventure, sure as hell. Actually, some of his adventures sounded familiar- they were detailed evolutions of childhood games.

But you fell for it anyway. It was good to be back home.

Even if he stabbed you in the back every now and then.

After the first session, as everyone was tidying up, he had cocked his head at you.

“We used to play together when we were kids, didn’t we? You’re not as boring as you look.”

And he had the audacity to wink, as if it would do anything but burn. So you punched back.

“Oh… Did we? I have a pretty bad memory. Sorry.”

Cue innocent and nonchalant shoulder shrug, finished off with a tight lip smile.

The second time Edward Munson broke your heart was worse, because you saw it coming. And you still followed him, like a reflection on a dark mirror, like you had no choice but to help him shatter you.

Second part! The next one is Eddie's POV! Please comment or reblog if you like it, that really motivates me to keep writing! Also, my inbox is always open (not just for requests and ideas about fics, you can also come say hi and tell me about your day or whatever you want to talk about). If you want me to add you to the taglist, just let me know!

Taglist: @arabellagreenleaf , @stylesxmunson , @am0iur

[linskywords]

2024 HRPF recs

As has become my wont, I spent the last few weeks trying to catch up on some of the new fics in the hockey RPF tag that I missed over the course of the year. I definitely didn't get to everything, or even all of the most popular ones; there may also be a bias towards shorter fics here, as I was trying to get through a lot. 😅 But I hope you enjoy, and possibly find a gem or two that you missed!

First, some general favorites:

Scoring Effects by @helenish (McDrai, 30K): Ah, Helenish. A goddess among us. I love a good mistaken identity story, and this is a GREAT mistaken identity story.

barons by dilangley (MattDrai, 43K): Future fic in which Houston gets its own expansion team, Matthew coaches it, and Leon and Trevor Zegras play on it. Gorgeously done. The Trevor POV section broke me a bit, but it was worth it.

Living Things by @makeit-takeit (TK/Patty, 115K so far): I am so deeply invested in this series. It's very real and vivid-feeling future fic that does an amazingly thoughtful job exploring the NHL wife-and-kids pipeline and what happens when that doesn't fit you as well as you thought it would. The stories that are written so far feel nicely complete, but if you'd rather hold out for the full HEA, you can check out her Wild Ice for a different highlight from the past year.

put the stars in our eyes by @notthequiettype (McDrai, 17K): the McWedding story that I wish I had written. I thought it was going to destroy me, and instead it left me all warm and fuzzy.

Lost and Found by angry_geno_is_score (MattDrai, 2K): angry_geno_is_score had so much to choose from this year, as always, and I loved this as a microcosm of the hurt/comfort they do so well. If you like it, you know where to find more from them!

Next, we move to the irresistible new Sharks babies. I'm not sure I can oversell how hot these three stories managed to be:

come on (leave me breathless) by countthestars @moondoggiestyle (Will/Mack, 10K): I've already talked about how much I loved this one. There can never be too many stories of one player catching the other getting off in the shower, especially if they're as hot as this.

revising the shoreline by ohyellowbird @teex (Will/Mack, 6K): another super well done exploring-their-sexuality-while-not-talking-about-it story, aka my kryptonite.

teamwork makes the dreamwork by canary @bigdogenergy (Will/Mack and Will/Mack/Ryan Leonard, 19K): I'm sure a lot of you have already read this in the last week or so, but I couldn't not recommend it. Mack goes into heat and Will needs an alpha to help him out. Who to call but the ex?

And then we enter the realm of vaguely devastating but gorgeously written JDTZ trade fics:

home by now by donderwolk @donderwolkenblog (Jamie/Trevor, 6K): The moment they found out about the trade, and a little bit after. Brilliant, impeccable, ruinous.

heat check by jolach @hyggles (Jamie/Trevor and also Carts/Richie, 4K): Outsider perspective on Jamie and especially Trevor as they deal with the aftermath of the trade, through the eyes of Mike Richards, who may have some experience in the area. I don't know how anyone writes this well, honestly.

Finally, one of my favorite things about reading through the past year's fics is finding a prolific new author I love who I had totally missed in my year of mostly reading people I'm already subscribed to. This year it was unsay (@tungpin). They seem to have started writing HRPF this year, and they tend toward the kind of complicated sometimes-ambiguous stories that I never manage to write but love to read. Here are a few of my favorites of theirs from this year:

malt (MattDrai, 4K): Leon meets Sasha Barkov and has feelings about how he wants to be more serious than Matthew does (OR DOES HE).

accessory to the rockstar (McDrai, 5K): once again we have Leon having thoughts about how he feels more than the person he's into, this time about Connor. Bittersweet and lovely.

the care and keeping (Jamie/Trevor, 12K): in which Trevor's friends get on Jamie's case about neglecting him post-trade, and Jamie does something about it.

That's it from me, at least for now! I know there were many excellent stories this year I didn't get to, especially the long ones that I just didn't commit to while reading for this list. Perhaps this is the year I do what I've been telling myself to do for the past two years and keep track of what I read and love throughout the year. We can only dream. 😅

Happy reading!!

[4linos]

the one that got away

han jisung x fem!reader (hint of hyunjin x reader)

synopsis: jisung struggles with his unspoken love for his best friend as new year’s eve reveals that he’s too late.

wc: 926

(a/n: my late nye post. i’m sorry it’s angsty too. 😢)

Jisung's heart was pounding steadily, drowning out the wild laughing and pounding music from the party. The air felt too heavy and suffocating. He had been looking for you for what seemed like hours, but time was running out, and the countdown was already beginning. He needed to find you. He had to tell you. For years, he had buried it. The feelings. The slight aching that had developed in his chest whenever you mentioned another guy.

Jisung would grin and nod whenever you talked about how much you liked someone or how you were falling for them, his voice composed and his face neutral. But inside? Each word from you was like a blade twisting deeper into his chest.

Tonight, though... Tonight, he planned to say it. He wanted to confess tonight, with the promise of a fresh start with the new year. He was not going to hide anymore. He was not going to let you slide through his fingers one more year. He needed to be brave.

And so, when he finally saw you, laughing brightly within the crowd, his stomach twisted in an unfamiliar way. You weren't alone. Hyunjin was there. Of course he was. Hyunjin, with his effortless charm and that goddamn smile, had everyone swooning. Jisung stood still, staring at the two of you, feeling a weight in his chest that he had never experienced before.

You were talking to him in the same way you had with so many others before: joking, teasing, lighthearted, and carefree, but it wasn't just that. It was more than just the playful back and forth. It was the way you touched his arm, your fingertips lightly brushing over his sleeve, and the way Hyunjin's gaze stayed on you, soft and centered. Jisung's chest squeezed severely as he stood in the corner of the room, feeling isolated in his own existence.

He couldn't move. He could not even breathe. It wasn't meant to be like this. You were not supposed to be so perfect with him. Not with Hyunjin. Not like this.

Even though he was only a few steps away, the distance between you widened as the countdown began. You were still so lost in him, and for a moment, Jisung felt crushed by the weight of his own emotions. He shouldn't have let things get this far. He shouldn't have let himself love you in this way. He had always been worried of ruining what the two of you had together. But now, it felt like everything was slipping away.

The clock struck midnight, the world erupted in cheers, and Jisung's world collapsed in the form of a kiss. Your lips touched Hyunjin's in front of him, and everything stopped. The sound of fireworks outside seemed to fade into the background. It was only you. It's just you and him. The two of you were caught in that kiss, the kind that people only share after they've passed that boundary and know who they are to each other.

Jisung had no idea how long he'd stood there, staring. He had no idea how much of his heart had broken in that one second. All he knew was that it felt like someone had ripped a huge, raw hole in him that he couldn't ignore. His thoughts raced around in circles, too rapid and furious.

This isn’t what I thought it would be. This isn’t what I imagined. This wasn’t how I planned for it to go. 

When you moved away from Hyunjin, your gaze fixed on him. You smiled softly, with your brow furrowed in anxiety.

"Jisung?" you asked, your voice soft. "Are you okay?"

He wanted to scream. He wanted to say no, to tell you that he wasn’t okay, that everything in him was breaking. That he was never okay, that he had never been okay, as he’d watched you walk past him for years, falling for everyone but him.

But the words didn’t come. The lump in his throat was too heavy, his chest too tight. He swallowed, hoping to force the emotions down, but they just surged harder. He couldn’t do this. Not now. Not like this.

Instead of answering, Jisung did the only thing he could do. He turned away, his body moving on instinct, unable to stand there anymore. He couldn’t bear the sight of you, the sound of your voice, the warmth of your concern, when everything in him screamed I’m the one who’s been here all along. I’m the one who’s always loved you.

His feet carried him out of the room, out of the party, out of everything that felt like it might shatter him even more if he stayed.

The cool air hit his skin, sharp and biting, but it couldn’t touch the rawness inside him. He needed to get away, to disappear into the night, because the image of you with Hyunjin, your face lit up with joy, your heart elsewhere was suffocating him.

Jisung sobbed in the dark, alone with his thoughts. He didn't want anyone to see it. He didn't want you to know how much it hurt, how much he wanted to be the one you kissed. How he had waited so long for that moment, only to find you in the arms of another.

He'd passed up his chance, hadn't he? He'd let his fear rule him, let his own damn self-doubt stop him from taking the risk. And now the world felt too heavy.

Happy New Year, Jisung.

It wasn’t, though. Not for him. Not anymore.

//

masterlist

[genderqueerdykes]

I can't reply to the post directly but I saw a post where you were talking about trans masc erasure especially when you were in college and like....I feel it. I started college in 2003 and identified as a cis butch lesbian because I didn't know there was anything else to be, but also MOST IMPORTANTLY because my "resources" and info on trans men were basically Boys Don't Cry, which every lesbian I knew referred to as a lesbian film and Brandon Teena as a lesbian. There were also vague comments from time to time about Chaz Bono at some point, but again, everyone around me was referring to him as a "confused lesbian". What's frustrating these days is that while there is more information out there and more spaces, there still isn't enough. Like, I learned basically everything I know about my body from Gen Z friends who had better education and affirming teachers. And also finding space when you're almost 40 is an impossible task sometimes. At almost every trans masc group I've attended I've been the oldest by almost 10 or sometimes almost 15 years. It's a really lonely experience. A handful of times we've had moderators who are young and not trans masc and they've talked over me and tried to "correct" the language I use to talk about my experiences - for example, I call myself FTM, and I also say things like "when I was presenting as a woman" or "when I thought I was a lesbian". I use this language intentionally because there were over 30 years of my life where I had no idea of the possibility that I could be anything but a woman and that IS how I identified, and there are over 30 years of experience with that identity that I am still recovering from and that shaped the course of my life in a way that's difficult or impossible to explain without acknowledging it. Part of our erasure unfortunately comes within the community and people not listening to the experiences of others whose journey doesn't line up with the plot beats of a cinematic, linear coming out story (not to knock that if someone has it! But leave room for those of us who don't!). Even though I'm on T and have had top surgery, there's still so much I've had to figure out myself and it's a lonely life. I don't know how to date or make connections (or even if I should! I'm aromantic which I think complicates things sometimes). Anyway I don't know if any of this is relevant but like. I just wanted to say I relate to the erasure stuff. Wouldn't change who I am for anything, but I would change the world in which I had to figure it out.

im really sorry you can relate to this, it affects so many people and a lot of people are proud to say they don't care. it's not okay. trans men and mascs need community irl. i'm bet things were way harder back then, i can't even imagine how hard it must've been to talk about being transmasculine in 2003.

im going to keep my reply brief because i do not want to distract from your experience

[mimikyusrealform]

six degrees of separation

Spencer Reid x Reader. Word Count: 1781. Summary: While circulating the photo of a serial killer around a bar in New York, Spencer gets distracted by the sight of someone who used to only exist in his memories. Notes and Warnings: Set around Season 2 before Revelations, because S2 Reid is the loveliest he's ever been. There's a bit of cussing, and mentions of bullying (not particularly explicit), so read at your own discretion.

The man in front of you is familiar. It's better to say that his face is familiar to you, but not the man himself.

He's asking something, “Have you seen this guy?” In a nervous way, his left hand's fingers, the ones not holding up a fairly young guy's picture, twist and untwist. It's like there's electricity under his skin, and a fuzz in his head. He can't stay still. “Ma'am?” he prompts at your silence.

“What did you say your name was again?” you are asking before you can think it over.

“Uh, I'm Doctor—but you don't have to call me that, it's optional, actually, forget that—Spencer Reid.” He is flustered. You can tell it's not because of you, but because you're a person. Still looking at him, you sip from your Gin and Tonic. His brown hair is smooth and carefully parted, no apparent use of gel, but brushed nicely so it shines, even under the bar's poor lighting. He wears professor clothes: a brown vest, a white button-up and low-rise slacks. He's sinewy and wiry, and you wonder if his bones are naturally thin or it's because he doesn't eat enough. You guess that it might be both.

“Are you from Las Vegas?” you ask him.

“Y-yeah.” He's changed the picture to his left hand, and his right one rubs at the back of his neck. “How did you know? Nevermind. I need to know if you've seen this man?”

It clicks, then. You think it's because of that gesture. You squint your eyes at the picture. “No, I haven't.” You stab him in the chest with your index finger. He recoils as if you had actually stabbed him. “Doesn't matter. It's you who I've seen before; I remember now. You're that kid that graduated from high-school at twelve years old. I was a freshman when that happened.”

He blinks owlishly; it's kind of cute. Then, he blinks again, and a third time. With a start, he miraculously says your name. “I didn't recognize you,” he admits shamefully; you wave your hand dismissively. “I-it's good to see you.”

It truly is—good to see you. Spencer doesn't have many fond memories of his time in high-school. But you're certainly one of the few. He never imagined you would remember him, though, he wasn't important to you the way you were, are to him.

You were short, once, this he can picture clearly, with round and rosy cheeks, and crowded teeth. You must have gone through braces, he notes. That, too, he can picture clearly; well, imagine it. You've grown up. Of course, you've grown up. It's such a menial observation that it makes him embarrassed, somehow. You're a good memory that he's kept dearly, close to his heart. After all, you saved him, twice. Twice! The first time from himself, and the second time from others. How he hadn't immediately recognized you, it was beyond him. You are just as pretty and impossible as an adult as when you were a kid.

The first time, he had been walking out of school with a dejected drag of the feet. Mary Clarkson had made fun of him in Math class, because he stammered when answering a complex question, and that had been enough to dim the sun in the sky. He needed to cross the street, and he vaguely checked both ways, head still hung low, before attempting to cross. And then, a hand pulled him by the scruff, harshly and violently, almost throwing him over his back on the ground. He reacted accordingly, jolting out of the hold, thinking he was about to get beaten up. But what he came face-to-face with was your scowl at the same time that behind him, a car exceeding the speed limit whipped through the street.

You had said, in an extremely high-pitched voice while digging your index finger into his chest, “Are you actually dumb? They say you're a genius, but geniuses look both sides before crossing the street! You're just silly, after all!” Your intonation was kind of obnoxious, but then you grabbed his wrist, the right one, pried his fingers open and gently deposited a Hershey's Kiss from your backpack on his palm. “Get better,” you had said, and bolted away to join your own friends, who were all giggling at the display. He always looks both ways after that. And sometimes, he feels true warmth in his chest, where your fingertip had marked him an eternity ago.

The second time was just a month before senior graduation. His senior graduation. Mark Brown and his two friends-slash-lackeys had been throwing him around the lockers, and everyone else either ignored them or hid their smirks behind their hands. Brown was saying something like, “C'mon, I got to teach you. You like learning, don't you, freak? Hold him, you gu—” Brown was a senior, so he was about seventeen years old, almost eighteen. And you were just a freshman, freshly fourteen-years-old. And yet you had walked up behind Brown, gripping the straps of your backpack between your bony fingers, and hurled it at the back of his head, almost knocking him down. Spencer vividly remembers the tingle that ran up his spine at the sound of your shrill yet demanding voice telling Brown to, “Move out of the way, skank! You're crowding my goddamn locker! Filthy, stupid bitch, are you blind or did your junkie father finally beat all the braincells out of your head?”

Then, you forcefully hit the other two guys with your backpack as well until they dispersed. Years later, Spencer would come to know why Brown couldn't hit you. Why Brown would never hit a girl, and instead of fighting you, he scattered. You had placed your hands on your hips and glared at him, before saying, “If you like to learn so much, then why don't you learn how to throw a punch? How to kick a roundhouse. No school director is expelling you. Or, at least, learn how to talk back at stupid skanks. If you can not be stronger, then be smarter, silly.”

Silly, silly, silly. That was the second time you called him silly, the second time you saved him.

“Is that so,” you are saying now. “Then, I suppose it's nice seeing you, too. Who's that man, anyway?”

He glances down at the picture in his own hand, like he had forgotten it was there. “Oh, yeah. Um, this is a suspect in a case I—”

“Are you the police?” you interrupt.

“O-oh, no. No, I'm not. FBI,” he explains, pulling out his badge and showing it to you. 

There's a glint in your eyes. “FBI,” you repeat, voice a tiny bit as shrill as he remembered it being. “How old are you?”

“I'm twenty-four,” he tells you earnestly. Does that impress you? It embarrasses him how much he wants it to impress you. “I, uh, joined when I was twenty-two.”

“I'm twenty-six,” you tell him, expectantly.

He isn't sure how he knows what you want him to say, but he says, “Congratulations. You look younger.”

You don't preen at his words, but you smile at him, and it's the first time he's seen your smile, despite having daydreamed about what it would look like many times before. It's nothing like his imagination. It's not wide and smooth nor is it sweet. It's lopsided, crooked; and he can see your canines are a bit askew and sharp. When you turn your head to the side to take a sip from your white-night drink, he memorizes the planes of your profile. The valley of your cheek, the crest of the bone under your eye, the cliff of your nose bone. He sees the very naked neck, the precipice between your collarbones. Your face is lovely and curious, and so is the slope of your bare shoulders. He wants to run his fingers down the spaghetti-straps of your dress, that dig into your skin. He wonders if the straps are drawing red lines.

He wants to say something, maybe all he wants is for you to listen to him, but then he hears Morgan calling him.

You hear it, too; you don't know who's calling for him, but you know it's more important than you. So you tilt your head towards him in acknowledgement that he has to go. “Goodbye, Doctor,” you say, smiling again. “Goodbye, silly.”

“No, wait,” he stumbles. “We—I still have some time. Let me—”

“Time?” you interrupt him again. “Funny business, time. It delights frustrating your plans. Don't you know?”

His brain catches up to the reference before himself. “The Seventh Doctor,” he mutters. He sounds surprised to his own ears. “From Dragonfire; Season 24, Serial 4. Broadcasted from November 23 to December 7 of 1987. I was six years old when it came out. The Doctor said it to Mel at the end of the third part.”

You are looking at him with amusement at the same time Morgan calls for him again. “What, do you think I can't like Doctor Who?”

“No, not at all,” he recomposes himself, clears his throat, and almost trips back when you grab his wrist, the right one. “W-what are you doing?” His voice is a couple semitones higher.

You don't answer him. Instead, you take a pen from your dress' pocket and write something on his soft skin.

When he lifts his hand in front of his face, he blushes terribly at the sight of what he assumes—hopes—is your phone number.

“Call me,” you say. You pause, and then add, “Don't be silly and start overthinking it. Good night, Doctor.”

You leave after that.

He's left dazzled and dazed, standing there. He feels like a raw wire, and there's a pleasant flow of warmth spreading through his body from where your fingers curled around his joint.

He runs away when he sees Morgan's arched eyebrows and mirthful expression. Not before catching the mocking mimic of, “Good night, Doctor.” He groans a quick shut up in his haste to leave the establishment.

He's such a coward. But he's not coward enough not to call you later that night during the flight back to Quantico. He texts, “Who's your favorite Doctor?” And feels like kicking himself. Who starts a conversation like that? Before he can delete it and disappear, you reply, “I'm not sure, Dr. Reid. I don't think he exists yet. Why, did you want me to say you are my favorite Doctor?”

Morgan laughs the whole flight after reading over his shoulder.

Surprisingly, he finds he can't be embarrassed about it. Not when you spend the rest of the night texting him.

[wixhing0nastar]

From Hound to Hawkeye: The Evolution of Vi's Protector

I remember when I first saw the interview lines from Amanda Overton post-S2 talking about Vi's character arc this season and feeling a little confused by them at first. Who is Vi when she doesn't have anyone to protect? The type of person to fall in love. Which while beautiful, begged the question in my mind; what about Caitlyn?

But the more I've thought about it in the interim the more obvious the answer has become. Vi doesn't have anyone left to protect because Caitlyn doesn't need Vi to protect her. In fact, over the course of the show Caitlyn undergoes a journey to become Vi's protector. Specifically, Caitlyn steps in and fills the hole, that need for love and protection, that was left behind after Vander's death in Vi's youth.

And once I made that connection it was suddenly really easy to start noticing all of the parallels between Caitlyn and Vander, especially when it comes to their interactions with Vi.

Caitlyn's journey on the path to becoming Vi's protector started in Stillwater, when she first freed her, but this arc doesn't really kick off until after Vi gets stabbed while fighting Sevika at the end of Episode 5 and she's then forced to depend on Caitlyn for safety, on account of the whole being stabbed thing. And that's when the Protector Arc, and the Caitlyn/Vander parallels, begin in earnest.

~Both lecture Vi for her impulsiveness before/while tending to her wounds~

Even this early on Caitlyn already cares for Vi's safety (a trait we quickly learn applies to most people) and we get the very obvious, show makes sure we know it's a parallel to Vander, Caitlyn telling Vi that she has a good heart.

This is quickly followed by her leaving to find Vi some type of medicine which leads to the next big parallel between Vander and Caitlyn.

~Both sacrifice their weapons in a dangerous situation to keep Vi safe~

Vander drops his gauntlets on the bridge in the middle of the fighting (even if it was dying down), sacrificing them in order to pick Vi and Powder up and take her to safety. In the same vein, Caitlyn sells her only firearm in the middle of a dangerous environment while tracking down a terrorist with almost no bureaucratic support to get Vi a cure for being stabbed.

Shortly thereafter we get the whole escape from Silco/finding Jinx sequence which isn't relevant except for how it leads to the next parallel when Vi and Caitlyn get captured by the Firelights.

~Both attempt to sacrifice their freedom for Vi's~

Now, Caitlyn's already captured here but I think it counts. Before the reveal that Vi's on good terms with the Firelights, Caitlyn is seen fighting tooth and nail to get them to release Vi and keep her in Vi's stead. Vander on the other hand willingly turned himself over to the Enforcers in Vi's place to keep her from having to spend who knows how many years in Stillwater.

~Both went to bat for Vi against politically powerful opponents~

Caitlyn immediately goes toe-to-toe with Cassandra when she makes it back topside, demanding assistance and offering reproachful glares whenever someone says something remotely offensive about Vi (honestly everything with Ambessa also fits here but she's later). Vander on the other hand was trying to juggle Silco's schemes (that he didn't even know about), Marcus' impudence, and Sevika's betrayal while trying to keep Vi's life unaffected.

After this there's only one major parallel between Caitlyn and Vander until the end of S2A2, but there's some other fun Protector Things to talk about in S2A1. Specifically, how Caitlyn steps up and becomes Vi's protector in the wrong way during this act.

There's this specific old-timey usage of Protector that's popular in like... period romances(?) I was a lit major but I didn't specialize in period romances lol to refer to an influential individual (typically a man) who bestows financial and social protections on someone (typically a woman) without granting them the legal protections of marriage.

This is, essentially, what's happened with Vi and Caitlyn in the first act of the second season. We know that Vi's not living with Caitlyn but she also doesn't seem to be working, so the logical conclusion is that Caitlyn is handling her accommodations. In terms of social we know Caitlyn went so far as to threaten to pull her family's funds from the city if they didn't, basically, treat Vi as an equal citizen instead of the sister of a terrorist. But they aren't together romantically and they aren't living together with any of the implied legal protections one might have as an actual ward of Caitlyn's house.

Which leads up to the next one:

~Both lash out in their grief at the wrong people~

And more specifically, they lash out at the wrong person who was sort of a tangential cause in the death of a loved one. Vander attacks and blames Silco for Felicia's death and while she's primarily holding herself responsible, Caitlyn is also aware that she would have stopped Jinx without hesitation if she wasn't Vi's sister; if Vi hadn't made her second guess herself and show mercy... well Cassandra might be alive.

There's also a very specific parallel between S2A2 Caitlyn and Post-Bridge Vander. Both allow an outside force (the Enforcers/the Noxians) to have unfettered access to the Undercity in the hopes of preventing escalating violence, only for things to continue to get even worse.

~Vi is able to pull them from the dark/reestablish their humanity~

When Vi reunites with both Vanderwick and Caitlyn in S2 Act 2 they've both completely lost themselves down darker paths. Vander's mind is being destroyed by Shimmer and he barely remembers he's a person and is largely just Warwick at this point while Caitlyn is lost in a sea of guilt-driven revenge and is donning the title "Commander" like a cloak of self-flagellation. And Vi's able to cut through Warwick to Vander and The Commander to Caitlyn because of their deep rooted love and need to protect her.

Then we get Caitlyn betraying Ambessa and the fight at the commune and I'll come back to this with the last parallel but first I wanna talk about the decisive moment where Caitlyn became Vi's protector, for real this time.

~Both choose to sacrifice revenge in order to save Vi~

During the fight at the commune, Vi is horribly, life-threateningly injured. As folks have noted before, Jinx gives Caitlyn a clear shot at her back while she's distracted (while there's enough chaos for it to be realistic for her to get caught by a stray bullet) and Caitlyn completely ignores her in favor of rushing to Vi's side. Plus she continues to put aside her feelings about Jinx in order for them to get Vi topside safely, and eventually allows Vi to free her when she willingly surrenders. Meanwhile, Vander pulled the same sorta deal in Episode 3 when the factory was about the blow up. He had a moment he could have gone, was going to go after Silco but realized the building was collapsing and Vi was still trapped inside after having a beam dropped on her. Naturally Vander rushed to save Vi, which allowed Silco to escape.

For Caitlyn, however, this is the exact moment she basically takes Vi properly under her protection. In fact, going back to the "old-timey romance novel" version of Protector. The way in which Caitlyn allows Vi to free Jinx, in addition to the fact they are living together post-canon, show that Vi now has legal protections and those protections come from her implied position as a Kiramman.

More to the point, the way in which Vi frees Jinx is reminiscent of how Caitlyn herself freed Vi back in Episode 5. With Caitlyn manipulating the pieces behind the scenes since Vi wasn't really aware she'd been granted Kiramman privileges yet. But to summarize:

Both were somewhere they weren't really supposed to be, but there wasn't anyone who'd question them (Caitlyn because she's a Kiramman, Vi because Caitlyn removed all the guards)

Both freed a prisoner unauthorized knowing hoping that someone higher up would have their back (Caitlyn knowing Jayce would have her back and Vi hoping Caitlyn would be willing to let Jinx help)

Both did indeed have someone higher up the food chain keep them from getting in trouble (Jayce covering for Caitlyn to Marcus and Caitlyn coming down to the cells to make sure she found/freed Vi before anyone else)

Another point in the "this is where Caitlyn becomes Vi's protector" agenda, but ever since that very first scene of the series on the bridge, Vi's always worn some sort of wraps right up until she wakes up in S2A3 in Caitlyn's bed.

Aka: she can finally put her weapon's down, because she's found herself placed firmly under Caitlyn's protection, which means she's finally, fully safe.

And then for the final (and this parts' going to be a dozy so buckle in) we can hop back to the battle at the commune and Caitlyn turning on Ambessa. And what I really love here is that Caitlyn, who has spent the last several months being manipulated at literally every turn, finds one single earnest, honest person again and is like

~Both are willing to start a war in order to protect Vi~

This parallel actually goes a little nuts. Because not only are both of them willing to start a war to protect Vi and her family, with Vander refusing to give the kids up to the Enforcers and nearly starting the civil war almost a decade early versus Caitlyn who refuses to give up Vanderwick real full circle moment here to Ambessa and Singed and actually starts a war with Noxus over it. No, they are both nearly killed in the fallout while taking a knife to the gut from someone they used to trust (Silco/Ambessa) after getting betrayed by someone they thought they could (Sevika/Maddie).

And Caitlyn actually does have to start and finish said war in order to protect Vi. Which brings me to my final point, which is actually something I've seen several complaints about but was really important for Vi's character arc.

Caitlyn needed to fight in the war without Vi. With Vi at a considerably safer location, all things told. Because an important part of Vi's arc is that she's just a normal girl who keeps getting caught up in matters far larger than her when really all she wants is to keep her little family safe, only to have it tragically clawed apart again and again.

So there are two parts to this. Firstly, why it was important for Vi to not need to be there. Because time and again Vi's watched as she'd failed to save her loved ones. Been feet away from them as they were brutally killed in front of her. Her being there hasn't ever been enough to save anyone. But with Caitlyn? Who's protecting not just Vi's fragile mortal form, but her battered, bleeding heart? Caitlyn didn't even need Vi there to come back alive (hurt, but alive).

Building from that we then circle back to the fact that, again, Vi's just your average girl from down in the lanes. There's a reason she nearly has a panic attack when she's sitting in on the war council and realizes how bad the situation is. And it's okay. In the end, Caitlyn and her people (well, mostly Mel) are able to handle Ambessa while Vi's allowed to basically focus on a family matter putting Warwick to rest with Jinx. Aka: Vi isn't responsible for dealing with the big major catastrophe and doesn't have to make it her priority. She can trust that Caitlyn's taking care of it and focus on taking care of her family, the thing she's wanted to do the whole time regardless of how it might have turned out.

While they don't really have a ton of screen time once they get together, the two scenes we do get also showcase this change in dynamics. Especially since, given Vi's affinity for fighting, most of the protection Caitlyn is providing at that point is emotional.

I just mentioned how Vi nearly had a panic attack in the war council, but note how it was nearly because Caitlyn immediately picked up on it (like, it took less than five seconds) and reached out for her, in an official, public setting mind you, to hold her hand and reassure her.

The final scene lends even further to this. Caitlyn is clearly hard-tuned in to Vi's emotional state. She's smirking and running off to see her after hearing her hum like, one line, clearly excited to witness some sort of levity out of her. And after Vi explains though Caitlyn offers some fairly non-evasive comfort (resting her head against Vi's shoulder and gently encouraging her to open up if need be) which serves as an invitation for Vi to choose to take more of said comfort, which she does, physically at least.

And it's such a perfect culmination of their respective arcs. Vi's a Lover, who's been forced to don a Fighter's mantle for years until nothing of her was left. While Caitlyn is a Fighter Protector who spent her whole life locked up in a gilded cage, desperate for more but constantly told her only role was to dance and sing for her public.

In the end Vi's allowed to start piecing herself back together, figuring out who the hell Violet is, while Caitlyn finally has a partner she can trust and rely on who does the same for her in turn.

Someone who sees her as an equal and loves her for herself, someone she can safely hand her heart over to.

And that's for both of them.

[viperify]

Smutmas 2024 | ᴛᴏᴍ ʀɪᴅᴅʟᴇ X ᴍᴜɢɢʟᴇʙᴏʀɴ ꜰ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

Celebrating Her.

Short summary: after spoiling you the entire day, Tom makes sure your special day ends in a blast.

Warnings: 18+ only! nipple play, fingering, slight degradation, choking, rough sex, unprotected p in v, ooc Tom but it’s okay because it’s my birthday.

A/N: leaving my teenage years behind. Today’s been super stressy, but I am happy to finally have time to post my birthday fic!!! Also happy birthday to my birthday twin aka Severus Snape 🫶🏻

wordcount: 2,2k

celebrating him.

London. He has taken you to London. To your favourite restaurant to be exact, one that you have not visited ever since you moved to the wizarding world. Tom wasn’t the person to go to the muggle world, not if he didn’t have to at that. Too many bad memories have been made there, especially back in his orphanage days. So, for obvious reasons, you were surprised when he told you where you were headed to.

The clock strikes 9pm when he waves a waiter over and takes the courtesy to pay. Not that he would let you pay anyway, especially on your birthday, but you are still grateful. You feel people’s gaze on you as you both get up, your burgundy, crystal plated dress easily catching people’s attention as you stand out from the crowd on this seemingly so ordinary day. Ordinary for them, anyway.

Your eyes meet Tom’s, who is matching your attire with a black suit. The corner of his lips tugs up just the slightest bit at the attention you are receiving, and his arm wraps possessively around your waist. “Ready to leave?” he asks smoothly, and you nod, following him towards the exit.

However, he doesn’t take you back home like you had expected. No, instead, you are strolling through the city, finding your way through the crowd of people waiting to get home after another long Thursday. There are entire queues waiting for taxis, and suddenly you don’t miss your former, “normal” life in the slightest. London’s always been loud and busy, so when you received your letter for Hogwarts and got to know the most magical, hidden place in the Highlands of Scotland—you wish you could have lived there since your birth.

Being a muggle born isn’t easy. It’s come with its challenges, especially back in your first year at Hogwarts. It took time for you to find friends, to adjust to the change. And God, you missed your parents. Then, being exposed to all the hatred and bullying muggle borns had to endure definitely didn’t make it any better. Especially if you end up falling for your tormentor.

Being in love with Tom Riddle as a muggle born isn’t easy. But you two had somehow—after years of bickering and rivalry—made it work. It wasn’t until your seventh year that you got closer and essentially ended up being a couple. And no, you couldn’t believe it either. Not in your wildest dreams would you have thought the day would come that your strongest feeling for Tom would be love.

It’s always been hate, after all.

It was subtle at first, from stealing glances in classes to blatantly staring at each other, to—well. Him cornering you when you exited the girl's lavatory, whispering a soft “What are you doing to me?” as he leaned in. And before you could react, his lips were on yours, capturing you in a heartfelt kiss, pouring his feelings into it like he had to prove they really existed—firstly to you, but himself as well. Even when, in the end, of course you did love him too.

Tom’s love often is rough, distant. But you make it work, and when he does soften up—it’s like a plant sipping its first drop of water after an agonizingly long drought. You relish in it, your dynamics making you a perfect match for each other. And just like that, the boy you once hated with every cell in your body turned into your lover you wouldn’t even think about letting go.

That’s how you ended up spending your 20th birthday in London. Away from the wizarding world for once, back in your home city. You almost couldn’t believe when he apparated you both to the restaurant your parents used to take you to for birthdays. Tom Riddle, organizing a birthday dinner in the muggle world. A subtle smile brightens up your face at the thought. He leads you through the crowd, arms still around your waist. It’s not until he stops that you realize where you are headed.

One of the finest hotels in all of London, if you may. And he doesn’t just stop in front of it, no, you enter. Tom doesn’t respond when you ask him what you are doing here, instead withdraws a card from his pocket and leads you up the marble stairs. The setting feels special, too special to be true. It’s silent besides the clicking of your heels as you ascend the stairs, a chandelier dimly illuminating the hallway. There is no one around, no receptionist, no other guests. It seems as though you two are there alone, the property reserved for solely you two.

It’s not long until you arrive at door 464. As soon as he opens it, a smell of roses and lit candles floods your senses. The room, kept in an elegant vintage style, is illuminated by candles, the high ceilings decorated with baroque carvings. With you trying to take in the magic of the room, you don’t realize Tom stepping further into the room. Only when you hear muffled voices, followed by soft strains of classical music, your eyes flicker to where he is standing—adjusting a modern radio.

“Tom Riddle using a muggle device? This might be my best birthday present yet.” you snicker, walking towards the brunette. It’s then when he turns around, his deep brown eyes meeting yours.

“First and last time.” he answers, his voice low as his hands settle on your waist. Leaning in, he places a soft kiss on your lips. Without another word, Tom’s left hand intertwines with your right, the subtle notes of a violin and a piano resonating through the room as he guides you into a slow dance.

You can’t help but wonder how he’d learned to do that. At the two yule balls you experienced, he had never asked anyone for a dance. As you sway to the gentle tones, a memory plays in your head, taking you back four years to your 5th year at Hogwarts.

Being asked for a dance by one of the most popular boys in Gryffindor had its perks—you had been the center of attention the entire evening. Many people asked you for a dance, complimenting your looks as they took in your sapphire blue dress, adorned with tiny crystals.

In a brief moment of solitude, your eyes swayed around the hall, just for you to lock eyes with Tom. Merely a split second later, he averted his gaze, though the intensity of his eyes on yours lingered—and for the rest of the night, no one else asked you to dance again.

“What are you thinking about?” he asks you, and you are forced out of your thoughts, returning to the present. The dim candlelight casts a shadow on his sharp features, and you once again get lost in his eyes.

“Was it you? Back then, at the ball?” you murmur, a slight smirk playing at the corner of his lips at the question, and it’s almost as if you could see the memory replaying in his eyes.

“Nobody touches what is mine, darling.” Tom replies, and there is this familiar possessiveness in his voice, the one that you have grown to love. Another kiss later and he is tugging at your zipper as he leans in, his hot breath on the tender skin of your neck sending a shiver down your spine. “Let me take care of you now, just like you deserve.”

You don’t complain as he is leading you towards the bed, dress long discarded on the floor. Tom’s hand wanders, slipping under the waistband of your lace underwear as he settles down beside you. Finding your swollen bundle of nerves, the pad of his thumb rubs tight circles on it, having you take a sharp inhale at the sensation.

His other hand frees your breasts, pushing the dainty material of your bra to the side. His eyes wander up and down your almost entirely exposed form, muttering praises under his breath before he lowers his head to trail gentle kisses from your collarbone to your breast, gently wrapping his lips around the hardened peak.

“Oh— oh Merlin, Tom—“

His tongue flicks over the sensitive skin, drawing small whimpers and moans from you as your fingers thread through his silky brunette hair. You tug on it slightly, massaging his scalp as he continues his ministrations, nibbling and kissing your skin.

Your fingers dig into the sheets, firmly clenching around the fabric as two of his digits slip inside of your tight heat. “So wet for me,” he groans lowly, moving at an agonizingly slow pace as the heel of his hand rubs on your clit with every thrust of his hand. The sensations he is providing you with, fingertips massaging the one spot inside of you that has you grow dizzy with pleasure, the coil in your stomach winds tighter and tighter, and you are just there on the edge when—

“No, no please! I want to— want you to—“ you gasp, hand closing around his wrist, attempting to still his movements. His dark eyes lock with yours then, and he stops. “Use your words, sweetheart. What is it that you want?”

“Want you inside of me, please.” you murmur, and his lips curl into a knowing smirk at your words, shaking his head just slightly. He withdraws his fingers then, a small whimper falling over your lips at the loss. It doesn’t take long until he has undressed himself, parting your thighs before he positions himself between them, hovering over you.

“I really wanted to be nice to you today, darling.” he remarks, though his tip nudging at your entrance has all sane thoughts leave your mind at an instant.

“Merlin— you know I don’t want you to be. Please don’t be nice.”

Tom’s hand snakes around your throat at your response, mumbling something inaudible under his breath as he presses down on the sides of your throat, slowly splitting you apart on his hard length as you both groan. “This better? Want to be fucked like a whore even on your birthday?”

All you manage is a nod before he buries himself inside of you completely, not letting you adjust before he sets a harsh rhythm, his eyes darting down to his cock disappearing in your heat. Tom’s lips part slightly at the sight, a low growl rumbling in the back of his throat.

The classical music playing in the background is a stark contrast to how he is fucking you, hips snapping into yours from an angle that has you see stars, your nails digging into his toned shoulders, sure to leave behind crescent marks.

“So— good!” you cry out, hands holding onto his biceps as he thrusts into you from above, the sound of your combined moans echoing around the hotel room. It’s not long until your pleasure is building again, eyes rolling to the back of your head as his tip brushes against your sensitive cervix.

“Eyes on me, darling. Let me see how good I am making you feel. Let me see you come,” he demands, hand squeezing down tighter on your throat. You do as he says, eyes fluttering open just for you to meet his stern expression, eyebrows furrowed in concentration as his brunette curls stick to his damp forehead. His gaze burns into yours, the limited blood flow making you feel just slightly lightheaded, intensifying the feeling of his length slipping in and out of your sensitive walls.

You’re right at the edge, your cunt greedily clenching down on his thick cock. Tom seems to notice, his free hand reaching between you two, softly swiping over your needy clit with the pad of his thumb. “Tom— please!” you cry out, and he lowers his head, resting it in the crook of your neck. “Go on. Come for me,” he groans, and that is all you need to finally tumble over the edge, the intense feeling in your lower stomach leaving you a trembling and whimpering mess beneath him. Tom follows soon after, emptying himself deep inside of your warm, welcoming walls with a low grunt.

He collapses on top of you to catch his breath, though soon after pulling out of you, getting up to fetch a warm, damp towel to clean you up. It’s not long until he scoops you up in his arms, entering the bathroom where an already filled bathtub awaits you, lowering your spent body into the pleasantly warm water. He soon gets in as well, massaging circles into your shoulders as your head rests on his chest. It’s mostly quiet between you two, savouring the moment of intimacy you only rarely get to experience with him.

Before you drift off to sleep, he places a tender kiss on your head.

“Happy Birthday, love.”

[gods-favorite-autistic]

Selkie Fabian with selkie Hallariel au you see the vision

Bill accidentally stole Hallariels pelt while he was pillaging in Fallinel and Hallariel fucking hunted him down

Bill fell in love the second she took his eye out but Hallariel only married him because he promised her a life of freedom and adventure on the sea something she’d never had before and she fell in love with him along the way

Telemaine was extremely protective of his daughter because he knew that like a half elf half selkie wouldn’t be very well received in Fallinel so she always hid her selkie-ness up until she left and stopped giving a shit about what Kei Lumennura thought

Part of why she left was because Telemaine refused to let her near the sea (he insisted that her mother learned to live without the sea to keep herself safe so she could too) but he finally caved after Bill stole her pelt because “I’m in danger either way at least I’m not miserable at sea”

She planned on only marrying Bill for a few years before going back home until she actually fell in love and then got pregnant

Fabian was allowed a lot more freedom than Hallariel had growing up but he was still told a bunch of horror stories about selkies getting their pelts stolen so he is very protective of his pelt

Like so protective that the Bad Kids didn’t even find out until like halfway through sophomore year (he only told them because Riz jokingly tried it on when they were all hanging out and Fabian snatched it away in a panic)

The main reason they have as big of a pool as they do is because Hallariel insisted on having someplace her and Fabian could shift

Fabian still misses the ocean terribly and travels down there on weekends he can get away

When Kalvaxus set their houses on fire he had to stop himself from running to check his room and find his pelt because his parents were in danger

When he got home after prom Cathilda immediately handed his pelt to him because she knew he’d be panicking about it

Cathilda knows about Fabian being a selkie (of course she does she practically raised him) but he didn’t realize she knew until he was about 12 (he thought he was being sneaky) so it became sort of a game for her to see how much she could tease him about it before he realized she knew

She insists on washing his pelt because he insists on storing it with the rest of his clothes and she doesn’t want it to get dirty (she always framed it as something similar to giving his selkie form a shower) but she has a rigorous washing process that she insists on doing every time despite it taking like an hour each time

The first week after she gets sober Hallariel takes Fabian down to the beach and gets in the ocean for the first time since she had him

Before Fabian she always insisted she would not become some trophy piece lying around Bill Seacasters house like most of the selkies she’d heard about who married pirates (and the she had Fabian and then…yeah)

Fabian and Mazey have a tendency to borrow each others clothes and it’s all great fun until Mazey takes his pelt without realizing thinking it’s just a regular coat (he is scared to death of telling anyone he’s romantically involved with that he’s a selkie cause, y’know, horror stories) and he has a genuine panic attack when he can’t find it

About an hour after this happens Riz (who Fabian had asked to find the pelt) shows up at Mazey’s doorstep demanding the pelt back and Mazey is just so confused

Fabian finally tells her like a week later and she feels just so bad

Hallariel doesn’t fully trust the Bad Kids until she learns they know Fabian is a selkie

Gorgug starts joining Fabian on his late night oceanside trips after they all find out (he says it’s because it’s not safe for Fabian to be out there alone but it’s really because he just wants to hang out with his friend)

So so many beach trips with the party over summer after junior year (would’ve been sophomore but yknow night yor-*I am shot in the head by Riz Gukgak killing me instantly*)

Kristen challenges Fabian to an underwater breath holding contest and like just to freak them out he just kinda stays under for like 5 minutes

He can stay underwater for a while when he has his pelt but when he got possessed on Leviathan sophomore year he had to leave it behind and when he doesn’t have it he’s kinda shit at holding his breath naturally (he never trained it because he assumed he wouldn’t have to deal with being in the water without his pelt a lot but he started training it after that)

He has control over how much he shifts when he’s in the water with his pelt so unless it’s been like a while and he’s craving the ocean he’ll usually go for just like patches of seal fur along his body and occasionally he’ll let his feet turn partially tail-like if he feels like swimming a lot

The Bad Kids think his patchy form is just so adorable (he would be fully human around them since he’s still not fully comfortable with it but the halfway form is kind of the lowest he’s able to dial it when he has his pelt in the water)

Jawbone finds out partway through junior year (Adaine makes an off handed remark about Fabian’s pelt and he was just very confused) and once he finds out he immediately starts researching the shit out of selkies

He finds out that there’s a support group at Aguefort for selkie students and he gives Fabian the information

Fabian very reluctantly goes and actually enjoys it a lot (it’s less like a support group like it says and just kinda like a place for selkie students to hang out and bond with other selkies) so he keeps going weekly

They were all very skeptical of him when he first showed up (I mean the most popular kid in school who is also the son of a world renowned pirate showing up to a selkie hangout when nobody knows he’s a selkie feels like a red flag) but he brought his pelt with him just in case to make sure they knew he wasn’t an enemy

At first he has a bunch of people giving him pity because they assume Bill basically abducted his mom but he shuts that shit down quick (“if my papa tried to abduct my mama she would’ve taken out his other eye and slit his throat”)

They are all so jealous of the fact that he actually lived on the sea for most of his life (they have a monthly trip to the beach because most of them aren’t able to go out that much and a good majority of the people in Elmville have lived there all their lives or most of their lives)

Ok yeah that’s it for now I just got selkie Fabian in my head and couldn’t get it out

[thedarkcircuswritings]

🎉 The (Late) New Years 🎉

Shadow Milk is definately very delighted when you want to spend New Year's Eve with him, mostly because he knows that you'll be his even after the ball drops.

After all, who else would you rather be intertwined with other than the beastly jester himself?

Shadow Milk uses strings to wrap around your waist and pull you in close for the last kiss of the year.

After that will be the biggest party the jester has ever created! A party is needed for New Years, after all!

Even so, Shadow Milk still spends most of his time with you, giving you kisses all over and clinging onto you eagerly. Why would he ever want to leave the side of his doll?

He still hasn't let go of you, even when the party comes to an end.

Fancypants, of course, also holds a party on New Year's Eve, although it is something much more upper-class and luxurious, with sparkling water, the best foods chefs can offer, and even a front-row seat to a classy fireworks show.

Even with all of the sparkles and flashes, his eyes are still on his most expensive thing yet: you.

Fancypants is at your every beck and call, making sure everything is perfect for you on this night. After all, you deserve the world!

Starlo feels his heart skip a beat when you decide to spend New Years Eve with him, and he's one clingy cowboy for the night, smothering you with kisses and reminding you how much he loves you.

There's nothing too fancy for when it becomes the New Years, simply spending the night with Starlo, keeping him close, and wrapping each other up with sweet nothings.

Hornet doesn't exactly celebrate New Year's Eve or New Years, considering her society is much different than ours, but she does have something to show you when you decide to spend the night with her.

Instead of sparkling juice or loud fireworks, the night sky is lit up with soft fireflies that dance in coordinated precision, creating a quiet ballet for you and her to admire until the sun begins to rise.

When the morning sun hits your faces, Hornet bows to you and asks for you to be her first duel for the new year. It would be an honor to be her first fight to be with you, after all.

Lear has made many extravagant and luxurious preparations to this day. He's a prince, after all, he has to make all of these spectacular things happen... and yet his eyes stay on you for the night, and he can't pull his gaze away ever since you chose to spend your New Years with him.

Even as the cheers of trainers and Pokemon surround the night, Lear's mind is on you, wondering if this will be the year he could make you his royalty.

Lear doesn't want to outwardly show that to you of course- he's not blushing, it's just the light that's playing tricks on you!

Bill is both ecstatic and disappointed about the New Years. Ecstatic since his disciple chose to spend the time with him, but also disappointed since he was told that he couldn't plunge the world into complete chaos. But fine, if that's what you wanted...

...Although maybe he could bend time a little to spend more of it with you? Just a bit?

You're the one who chose him to be with, it's not his fault time decided not to start the New Years yet! Although Bill might have to answer to Time Baby later.

It's at least worth it for you, just so he could have you close and see you smile...

Maybe when the night does end, you can figure out how badly a triangle can actually blush.

Star Dividers: here!!

[osohchoso]

Blood and Chains

Chapter Seven- Behind Those Eyes

Choso x F!reader

Previous | Chapter Index | Chapter 8 coming soon!

Content: HEAVY LORE CHAPTER, flashback episode before he met you, Choso's POV, angst, blood, violence, minor character death

This story is set in a slight alternate universe from the real JJK, if you need a reminder on the lore please look at the prologue for a refresh :)

He was never supposed to love again. Not after everything that happened, not after her.

A year after the Shibuya incident, Choso was still adjusting to human society. It was hard for the half-curse to learn all the rules that accompany his flesh form. Not only did he have to figure out how to keep his body alive: food, sleep, warmth. He also had to understand the unwritten rules of society that come naturally for those born human. 

The first year wasn't just tough on Choso, but it was on Yuji too. Yuji was put in charge of him, expected to teach him everything he needed to know. Which is hard enough for a 15-year-old, but it was even harder with their originally rocky relationship. It took Yuji a few months to finally accept Choso as his older brother. 

Who could blame him with the family dynamic they have? Choso seemingly dropped from the sky into Yuji’s life. They tried to kill each other, of course their relationship would be strained. Thankfully, that period didn’t last long. The two brothers formed a strong bond within the first year. 

But not everyone trusted Choso. 

The higher-ups wanted him executed, a way to pay for his crimes in Shibuya. Choso would have accepted his fate too, he felt he deserved it for helping Kenjaku’s plot. To his surprise, many of the other sorcerers stood up for him, holding their ground against the decision. Without Choso, they wouldn’t have released Gojo from the prison realm that day, and there would have been many more casualties than there were. They saw value in him as a new ally. 

Reluctantly, the higher-ups decided on a new punishment. Sentenced to an eternal life serving as a Jujutsu Sorcerer. Hunting down curses until the end. In Choso’s eyes, it was justified, and he would carry out the sentence willingly.

Just to make sure he followed through; they tacked on an additional term. If Choso ever abandoned his post, ever betrayed them. He would be sentenced to death, with Yuji as his personal executioner. 

Which is why for the first year, he wasn't allowed on any mission alone. Every mission, even every walk out in the normal world, he had to be accompanied by Yuji or Gojo. Just in case he ‘went rogue’ as they said. The higher-ups still didn’t trust him, and they never truly will. 

After that first year was up, he was finally granted some freedom. Getting assigned missions alone and no longer needing an escort into town if he wanted an order of takoyaki. 

To celebrate his longer leash, he did just that. Walking into town and up to his favorite food stall, one him and Yuji frequent often. 

“The usual, Choso?” the elderly woman at the stand asked, already pouring the batter into the takoyaki maker she was hunched over. 

“Yes, please.” He responded with a polite nod and small smile. 

“No, Yuji today?” she questions as she flips the balls over in the pan. 

“Nope, not today.” He beams at her. Even though he loves coming to this place with his brother, he can’t contain the excitement he feels today. She smiles and transfers the cooked octopus balls to a paper tray, handing it to him. Choso fishes around in his pocket for the money but she shakes her head.

“Not today, this one is on the house. Enjoy the rest of your day dear.” She smiles at him.

“Thank you!” He smiles back, continuing on his stroll. He decided to make his way to the nearby park, just outside the city. Marching up a vibrant green hill and sitting underneath a shady tree. He stabs one of the takoyaki, bringing it in front of his lips and blowing on the steam. Then stuffing it inside his mouth, chewing thoughtfully as he hums. He continues to devour his snack as he overlooks the park. Kids playing, couples having a picnic, a man and his dog playing catch. Today really was the perfect day. 

He stabs his last takoyaki and brings it to his mouth. Before he can savor the last ball, it falls off the pick and begins its descent down the hill, rolling at an incredible speed. He can do nothing but watch it roll away, straight toward two girls who are sitting on the grass. The ball rolls right into one of the girl’s white purse, staining it with its brown sticky sauce. He can hear them gasp, one of the girls glaring back at him.

Yuji said you have to apologize, even if it was an accident. He reminds himself of one of the rules his brother taught him. Pushing himself off the ground and making his way down the hill. As he approaches, he can hear them bickering. The one without the ruined purse seems more upset than the other. By appearances, he can tell they are in their twenties and also look strangely identical. Both with unusual long, snow-white hair. Reminding him of a certain sorcerer he knows. The only way to tell them apart is one of the girls had dazzling flecks of gold on her irises. 

“Um…I’m really sorry.” He interrupts them, pointing to the stain. “It just…fell off” He fidgets a bit as they turn their gaze to him, scanning his facial features as he avoids eye contact by looking at his feet. One of the girls berates him for being so careless, hurling insults that he tries to ignore. Standing there like a wounded puppy, his pigtails drooping slightly. 

As she continues her rant, Choso wishes he could crawl away in shame. Tail tucked between his legs and run. Yuji never told him that strangers could be so mean. He dares to raise his face as her sharp words continue to cut deep, locking eyes with the other girl, gold dancing in her eyes. She smiles in return. A soft and kind smile, one opposite to her rude accomplice. And she was beautiful, more beautiful than anything he's ever seen. 

His heart thumps in a way he's never felt, vibrant blush spreading across his face.

“Sis, that's enough. It was an accident and you're just making him uncomfortable.” The nice one tells the mean one. 

“Y-yeah. An accident.” Choso echos quiet as a mouse. 

“Still, that was an expensive gift and-” 

“Lysithea! Stop!” She interrupts her sister before she goes back to reprimanding Choso. The mean one, Lysithea, closes her mouth. Lips in a tight line as she glares at her. “Ignore her…she's the evil twin.” She teases, turning back to Choso.

“I’m really sorry. I can replace it!” Choso blurts out, guilt eating him alive for ruining such a nice possession. She looks like she's about to object, then her lips curve into a cute smirk. Standing up in front of him. 

“Let me see your phone.” She asks, hand out waiting for him to oblige. Choso reaches a hand in his pocket and freezes. He left the stupid thing at home. In all honesty, he hated that confusing rectangle. Yuji gets so frustrated with him when he tries to show him how to use it, so he doesn’t even bother trying.

“I…Uh...” He stammers, not sure what to say. Cheeks still bright red as his eyes roam her pretty face. She lets out a slight laugh while shaking her head, bending down to retrieve something from her stained purse. 

“Let me see your arm.” Even though he's confused, he obeys. Sticking his forearm out in front of her. She grabs his wrist, the touch sending an electric shock through him. She pushes up his sleeve with one hand, her other uncaps a sharpie. Scrawling a string of numbers along with her name, ‘Lilith’, across his pale skin. She releases his hand, looking back up at him.

“Text me later, pretty boy?” Her words send an unfamiliar heat straight through him. He swallows hard.

“Yeah…I will,” he whispered hoarsely.

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★⋆.

It started with the purse.

Yuji helped Choso send the text, feeling a bit of pride. His older brother got a girl’s number all on his own, even if it was due to a silly mistake. The little brother also wanted to act as wingman, setting him up for his first time out with a girl. Even though Choso keeps telling him it isn't a date, Yuji continues to think otherwise. Sitting down and making the brother watch romance movie after movie, until he felt he was prepared. 

Choso never saw this as a romantic outing, it was just fixing his wrong doings. 

When he met up with Lilith at the mall, his heart skipped a beat. Wearing a casual and flowy maxi dress, not a hair on her head out of place. Suddenly, he wishes he had dressed a little nicer, instead of the tee-shirt and jeans he threw on in a rush. 

The pair went and found another purse, almost identical to the one she had before. With a large price tag. Choso didn’t mind though, this is what he promised to do. He can always make more money. 

Afterwards, he turned to her. Muttering an awkward goodbye before turning to leave. As he tried to walk away, she reached a hand for his, enveloping it in warmth.

“Wait…stay,” she urged him with a smile. A look of surprise washed over him, he expected her to leave once she got the replacement. Maybe there was more to this after all? 

So he stayed, the two spent the remainder of the day together. Shopping, eating, the whole time chatting and giggling. Staying out until the black curtain covered the sky and the moon illuminated the path. Choso walked her home, seeing her sister glare through the window, and thanked her for the fun day. 

He had never felt this way before, the way he felt with her. It was all a new experience. A feeling he wanted to keep chasing, and hoped she felt the same way. Luckily, she did.

Over the next few months, their relationship blossomed. Spending every waking moment together when they weren't working. Neither of them spoke much about their jobs, it didn’t seem important to ask and he didn’t want her involved in the dangerous daily life he deals with. All that mattered was each other. Going on dates to coffee shops, restaurants and movie theaters. Each more exciting than the last. 

They never put a label on their relationship, but Choso knew he was madly in love with her. Already imagining a future, her as his wife. He knew it was too soon, but he knew what he wanted. Her. 

Neither of them had explained their relationship to their siblings yet. She didn’t seem all that interested in telling her twin. Her sister who seemed to form a hateship with Choso the day they met. The closer she got to Choso, the less time she spent with Lysithea. On the other hand, Choso knew he would tell Yuji eventually but was waiting for the right time. His younger brother is getting sent on lots of missions lately now that he is a second year, finding less and less time to spend with Choso.

Lilith was a list of firsts with Choso. His first kiss, first date, first love. Unlocking each moment was more exciting than the last. He even lost his virginity to her, an experience that left her equally as breathless as him. The two had an insatiable hunger for the other. Every night together always seemed to end with their legs tangled around each other. 

Choso laid on his bed, naked and still coming down from the high of his last orgasm. Sounds of cascading water can be heard from the shower down the hall. His heavy eyelids flutter closed as he awaits her return. Listening to Lilith’s soft hums as he drifts off to a light sleep.

He didn't realize how long he closed his eyes for until he heard the front door close followed by his brother’s booming voice.

“Hey Choso, I’m home I- oh.” He stops mid-sentence. Yuji wasn't supposed to be home tonight. He hears the gentle voice of Lilith chatting with Yuji, the reality of everything shocks him awake. Leaping out of bed and scrambling to pull some clothes on until he's stumbling down the hall. Spotting his love wearing the clothes she arrived in, hair slightly damp from her shower as she speaks to his brother casually.

“Y-Yuji!” He stutters, interrupting their conversation. “What are you doing home?”

“Choso! Can’t believe you were keeping her a secret from me!” He exclaims, obviously excited that his older brother found someone special. The younger brother smacked shy Choso on his back a few times. 

“Sorry Yuji, I was going to tell you. I swear.” Choso defends sheepishly. 

“Well, it was nice to meet you, I was just about to head home.” Lilith interrupts, pushing forward to grab her shoes. Eyeing Yuji a few times like she was searching for something. 

“No! Stay!” Yuji begs. “I got out of work early today and picked up some food. I think I have enough for all of us.” He holds up a plastic bag to show it off. “Let's watch a movie, I want to know all about the girl Choso has been ditching me for.” He continues to tease.

So she stayed, joining the brothers on the couch as they ate and watched some movie Yuji swears by. The whole night felt fun, his two favorite people under one roof. Yuji would ask questions about her and in turn, she asked about him. Some of it felt a little odd and uncomfortable to Choso. Lilith was vague with her personal details when his brother asked, yet she asked him countless unnecessary questions. All that Yuji happily answered. 

That was the last night Lilith felt truly normal.

The month following, Yuji always seemed to be the center of every conversation with her. Asking more oddly personal details and questioning his whereabouts, his daily schedule, his fears. It made Choso feel a little uneasy, so he kept the answers vague and would try to steer it elsewhere when possible. Whenever he didn't give the details she wanted, Choso would come home to her waiting at his front door. Asking to speak with Yuji.

It felt obsessive, and he wanted to confront her. But he hesitated. Maybe she just really wanted to be friends with his brother, maybe she knew just how important Yuji was to him so she was trying her best to get along and learn everything there is to know about him. It was kinda sweet when he thought about it that way. So he kept his mouth shut. 

The days where she spent every moment possible with Choso were long gone. Now making excuses of why she couldn’t come over or canceling dates last minute. Now ditching Choso for her sister when it used to be the opposite way. 

The last time she had sex with him also felt weird, forced and rushed. None of the passion it used to be, he was struggling to understand what changed. Once the heat of the moment was over, she crawled off of him, quickly putting her clothes back on. 

“You're leaving already?” He blurts out, unable to hide his disappointment at her hasty departure. Was it so wrong to want to spend more time with her? 

“Yeah, sorry love…gotta go” She shrugs him off, pulling her shirt over her exposed flesh. Do you even love me? He wants to ask, biting his tongue to keep the spiteful comment to himself. She looks over at him, seeing the conflict creasing his forehead. “Hey? How about date night this weekend? My treat.” She offers, her voice a bit softer than before. 

“Yeah, I would like that.” He sighs. Maybe then he could bring up his worries, express his feelings and talk things through. That's what you do in a healthy relationship after all.  He doesn’t want to keep feeling so distant with her. 

“Okay. Dinner at that place we like? Friday?” she smiles, the genuine smile he missed so much. 

“Yeah, sounds good” He exhales, a small smile of his own the mask his uncertainty. 

With that, she walks out of the bedroom. Choso pulls his own clothes back on, thinking she has exited the apartment already. A loud clatter tells him otherwise, he hurries out to the main area of the home. Seeing her bent over, a chair knocked to the ground and Yuji’s red hoodie on the floor. 

“Sorry” she says as she pinches the hood and picks the chair back up, placing the fallen clothing on the back of it. “Ran into it after I put my shoes on," she laughs. 

“Clumsy girl” Choso shakes his head with a smile, hugging her one last time before she leaves completely. 

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★⋆.

Choso sits at the table of the Thai restaurant they love. He made sure to dress nicer than usual, his loose long locks being the cherry on top to complete the outfit. He sips his glass of water, staring ahead at the empty chain in front of him. She was late. 

“Sorry!” she apologizes profusely when she finally shows up, 30 minutes after the date should have started. She didn’t offer any type of excuse as she settled into the chair, smoothing out the wrinkles in her dress. Her eyes avoid his as she reaches for a glass of water, taking a small sip.

“It’s fine,” Choso sighs. It wasn’t fine, but he wouldn’t let that show. Not when he practically had to pull her teeth to get some quality time with her. He didn’t want to push her away even more. 

“So, what do you want to order?” She asks, propping the menu up in front of her face. 

“The usual,” he mutters. He doesn't even need the menu, they order the same thing every time. She should know this. He rests his elbow on the table, placing his chin in his hand as he looks around the room. Other couples holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes. A sight that made his heart ache. He places his other hand on the table, sliding it across and hoping she will take the hint. She doesn't, still scanning the menu in front of her like she isn't about to order the peanut noodles with tofu.

Choso sighs and retracts his hand, feeling defeated once again. How could the girl he loved change so much? 

A vibrate in his pocket gets his attention, pulling his phone out. An incoming call from Yuji, odd. His brother knew Choso was going on a date tonight, he wouldn’t normally call if it wasn't important. He hesitates, knowing it’s rude to pick up while out with someone else. Sliding the phone back inside his pocket. Surly Yuji will text or call again if it’s urgent. 

Almost as quickly as he put it away, Yuji calls again. Now Choso is worried, scrambling to grasp the phone in a hurry to answer it. He’s about to press the answer-call button when his date’s voice cuts through to him.

“Don’t answer that.” She says sternly, setting the menu down and glaring at the still vibrating phone in his hand.

“Why? It might be something important, or maybe he got hurt.” Choso barks back, his fears escaping him in shrill whines.

“Am I not Important?” Her words stung hard, of course she is but so was Yuji. “You are supposed to be spending time with me. Your attention on me .” Her tone a harshness he isn’t used to, causing him to flinch. The phone silences again, missing the call a second time in a row. 

“Put the phone away” She tells him like a command, expecting Choso to obey like an obedient dog. 

“No,” he challenges. “Yuji is my brother, I need to make sure he's ok first.” Lilith swipes a hand forward across the table, trying to snatch the phone from his hand, but Choso is quicker. Leaning back and holding it above his head. By now, several patrons in the restaurant are watching their lover's quarrel. She retracts her hand as Choso shoots daggers across the table. What is wrong with her?

His phone vibrates twice more, alerting him of two incoming text messages. He quickly unlocks the device to read them. His heart pounding wildly with fear.

Yuji: [pinned location]

Yuji: BACKUP!!!!

His suspicions were correct. Yuji is in danger! His little brother needs help. The texts are vague, leaving Choso to wonder what he had got himself into. He jolts up from his chair, the sudden movement knocking it back to fall on the floor with a loud crash. Everyone in the restaurant stops eating to watch the scene he's causing. 

“I have to go,” is all he mutters, still angry about the way she has acted this evening. Her eyes on the floor, not even bothering to look at him as he departs. As he walks past, her hand catches his wrist, holding him with an almost crushing force. 

“Let go,” He growls out in warning. While he is mad, he still doesn't want to cause her harm. But if he has to pry her fingers off one by one, he will.

“Stay!” she growls back, once again in that hateful tone she has never used with him. This isn’t the woman he knows, isn’t the woman he loves. She is a stranger to him. Can’t even bother to look him in the eyes. He yanks his hand free, his raw strength easily outweighing hers. 

“Goodbye” he mutters, vein popping on his forehead as he strides for the door. Walking away from whatever their relationship is for good. Bursting through the front door and running to the location Yuji sent him. 

He made it to Yuji’s location in record time. The adrenaline and fear pushed him to move faster than ever before. He finds him in a dimly lit park, fighting a lithe figure cloaked in black. A hood up concealing their face. Yuji doesn’t appear to be in good shape, the younger sorcerer taking quite a beating as his opponent relentlessly lands attack after attack. Frozen in horror, he watches the enemy raise a sword, ready to deal the finishing blow. 

No! He can’t even bring himself to speak out. His body starts moving on his own, adjusting his stance and pressing his palms together. Posed to shoot a piercing blood attack before the blade can so much as touch his brother. He shoots the beam of blood, a powerful force that rips through the lower half of the attacker's body. A fatal wound no doubt. Their hand releases the sword, letting it crash to the ground with a metallic clang. Choso rushes forward to his brother’s side. 

The body of the attacker falls backward, hood flying off to reveal the snow-white hair and a familiar face. Lysithea? No. Even with the barely helpful flickering streetlights, Choso can see the shimmering gold in her irises. Lilith.

She was never the one at the restaurant with him tonight, the twins had swapped so she could go off on her own mission. One that involved killing his younger brother while he was distracted. A wave of emotions crashes over Choso. Anger, sadness, confusion. He can’t keep his tears at bay as he kneels down next to her, scanning her face. 

“Why? Why?” He repeats over and over, guilt swallowing him whole. He was happy to save his brother of course, but the shock of who he had to save him from started to dull his senses. He moves a gentle hand to cradle the back of her head, forcing her to look at him. Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat as he swallows hard, awaiting any type of answer. 

“I’m sorry…Choso.” She croaks between labored breaths, a hand pressed to her side that continues to leak fresh blood. She was way past the point of saving. “We deceived you. I used you.” 

The storm of anger grows in his stomach. Was anything real during these past few months? Every romantic adventure, every honeyed word, every time loving touch. Did it mean nothing to her? Just a way to gain his trust, to bring his guard down.

And he believed her. Everything felt so real with her, how could she fake it so well?

He’s unable to speak, still struggling to process the new information as it enters his brain. Acutely aware of his brother, injured, lifting himself off the ground and limping past. Speaking to someone who just arrived at the scene, another sorcerer for backup no doubt. Choso doesn't move, doesn’t even turn to see who arrived. Solely focused on watching the slow rise and fall of Lilith’s chest. 

“I’m sorry Choso,” She repeats sweetly with that happy smile she usually wears. She raised a bloody hand and pressed it to his cheek. He flinches at the contact. “I really did love you,” she whispered hoarsely, taking her last breath. Her cold hand falling limp away from his face, leaving a red imprint on his skin. 

The mental dam breaks, hurling Choso over the edge. Spiraling just as bad as he did in Shibuya when he tried killing Yuji. His stomach churning, he can't breathe. Someone was beside him trying to talk him down, but it wouldn't reach his deaf ears. The rest of the night a blur, feeling completely numb. 

The only memory he has during the ordeal was hearing her sister, Lysithea. She was detained by another sorcerer shortly after Choso fled the restaurant. He can’t remember how she looked at him, with her sister’s blood still stained on his face and hands. But the venom in her voice is something he would never forget.

“You're a monster.”

He convinced himself he deserved this. He doesn’t deserve happiness or love. He fell for the first woman who was kind to him, and this is where it took him. Down a path of pain and misery. He put his own brother in danger just for her, because he was so hopelessly in love with her. Maybe if this wasn’t his first relationship, if he wasn’t so naive, he would have seen the signs. But he didn’t. Playing a leading role that almost got Yuji taken from him, and playing the part of executioner to his first love.

Never again. To protect himself, to protect his only family left. He will never allow himself to love again. 

The following weeks meshed together for him. Days blending, not being able to tell apart if the sun was blazing or if the stars were shining. He drifted around the apartment like a ghost, all greasy hair and dark circles. Just a husk of his former self. It was starting to worry Yuji.

Lysithea was taken into custody, set to be questioned by the higher ups on their motive before she was also sentenced to death. Yuji filled Choso in on the details. Apparently, it took a great deal of torture for her to reveal anything, and she still didn’t give away everything they wanted. Some secrets left unanswered, clutching them to her grave. 

The twins were curse users who were working for Kenjaku. Their orders were simple: bring back Yuji Itadori, dead or alive. They used Choso, he was their ticket to get close to the younger brother. Stringing Choso along in their plot unknowingly. They had even placed a tracker in Yuji’s hoodie so they could bump into him with his guard down. Lilith was stronger, with a cursed technique more suited for combat. That is why she sent her identical twin to swap her place on the date, attempting to keep Choso distracted and away from saving his brother. 

To make matters worse, the higher-ups knew about this whole thing. They had the power to stop things before they got out of hand and chose not to. They couldn't care less if Sukuna’s vessel or the half-curse were taken out in the process. They just watched, waiting on standby as things unfolded.

The two things they really wanted to know, Kenjaku’s whereabouts and his next move, were something Lysithea refused to reveal. Leaving everyone at Jujutsu Tech clueless on how to proceed. 

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★⋆.

A part of him died with her that day. It took him a long time to recover, to return to himself again. It wasn’t until he met you that he realized how love should feel. You made him feel whole again, piecing together the still shattered pieces of his heart. 

He leans forward in his chair, watching the rise and fall of your chest as you rest in the hospital bed. It has been 7 hours, and you still showed no sign of waking. 7 hours he stayed awake, fighting the burning in his tired eyes as he refused to leave your side. Machines and cords hooked to you, steady beeps filling the air. Fluorescent lights illuminating the room, highlighting the fresh bandages that wrap around your body. One of his large hands firmly wrapped around yours. 

He wishes he could take everything back. Never met you, never started seeing you. Every kiss, every shared moment, he would undo it all if it meant he didn’t have to watch you suffer before his eyes. If it wasn’t for him, you would never have ended up in this situation. You would be safe at home, drawing in your sketchbook or out with your friends. He has ruined you.

Shoko healed you to the best of her ability, using both her cursed technique and medical expertise. You were alive, you were stable, but still not awake. Even though the blood he transfused to you did help until Shoko arrived on scene, it was attacking your body. She wasn’t able to fully flush that from you. 

“It’s up to her now,” Shoko told him after leaving the operating room. “She has to win the fight on her own.”

“She will” Choso assured her, you are stronger than you give yourself credit for. Even when everyone doubted if you could pull through or not, he refused to give up on you.

“Please, little flower.” Choso begged, scooting his chair closer to you. The legs screeching loudly against the hard tile floor. He rests his cheek on top of your chest, looking up at you with red and puffy eyes. “Wake up. Please wake up for me.”

dividers by @cyberangel-graphics

Taglist: @lavenderdaydream97 @angel04-01

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has read so far! With this chapter, we are now caught up to everything I have on my Ao3, which means it is time for new stuff to be released! The next chapter is written and will be uploaded sometime next week :)

[bigcitymac]

many, including myself, wonder how on earth the gang could've acquired a cybertruck. here's how:

mac and dennis were fucking nasty style in the back of a dubiously acquired cybertruck.

it was a bucket-list item, you see, to make love in a vehicle together. the fact of mac's having previously done so while he hadn't enraged dennis immensely, so he set about to righting the natural order of things. he needed to wash the memory of mac's previous vehicular endeavours from the other man's brain, so dennis planned an encounter so intensely sexual it would have to be excluded from the 'dennis reynolds: an erotic life' sequel (working title: 'dennis reynolds 2 erotic for tv') that was in the works. so dangerous and tantalizing that not even the triple x sites would have anything to do with it.

it was to be hot and wet and gut-wrenching, a decadent scene of slippery oil and blood and sweat and tears, that would blow any of mac's history out of the water. but it couldn't take place in the range rover, of course not, that was too high brow for the likes of mac and the things dennis would do to him. a cybertruck was the next obvious choice, and dennis knew just where to get it.

so, dennis made some calls, made some threats, and made some love, not necessarily in that order, but all the same it landed him inside the shockingly large-yet-cramped vehicle with mac utterly at his mercy. they were both lubricated up like marine birds after an oil spill, with vats of oil to spare in the truck bed, parked by a beautiful boat-ramp just off the river so they could make glorious, glorious love with a view of the sun setting over golden waves.

the cybertruck, not famed for its superior usability, encountered an issue where a software glitched caused the parking break to fail. so engrossed in their passionate lovemaking, neither mac nor dennis noticed the vehicle rolling until water began to rise against the windows. unable to withstand a single steel ball thrown with the measly force of a 50 year-old billionaire, the cybertruck's windows didn't stand a chance against the superior pressure of the schuylkill.

windows cracked and begun to leak, alerting the golden god and his most devout of their precarious situation. frantically they tried to plug the holes with some brand new, sweatshop-made paddy's pub official t-shirts (purchased for an unrelated scam but pertinent to the current scenario).

it was no use, the stainless steel monster was quickly taking on water. mac and dennis had no choice but to scramble through one of the broken windows, leaving their ill-gotten truck to sink beneath the unforgiving waves, oil, t-shirts, and all.

dripping in water, utterly nude, and not yet having reached the epic climax dennis had so carefully laid the groundwork for, the two men shared a knowing look as the enormous hunk of metal finally disappeared, shrugged, and, assuming the problem had taken care of itself, turned to find themselves a new car to break in.

what they didn't realize, however, was that the low quality oil perfectly preserved their fingerprints (and whole-body prints). that, alongside the dozen-or-so boxes of paddy's pub t-shirts, would be more than enough to convict not only the pair of them, but the rest of the gang, as well.

dennis had acquired the truck after blackmailing the owner of the company, the very man who he once had an erotic encounter with during their time at penn. once the glaringly shiny cybertruck was delivered, dennis of course was obligated to show it off to everyone, first and foremost, the gang. which he did with the utmost air of superiority, pleased that he had gotten himself (another) beautiful vehicle, but equally as pleased by getting to blackmail a scorned former lover. the gang were utterly awed and appropriately jealous, so dennis allowed them to check out the sweet ride before growing tired of their grubby hands all over his gleimmering new truck, and loading up with mac to go home.

the next day, as always, there was a scam to be done, so dennis, mac, and charlie climbed aboard the great, gleaming vessel and went about their plan. stop one was under the bridge to load up several large barrels of oil that charlie had stashed months previously -to what end, neither mac nor dennis could say. charlie and mac hauled in the oil while dennis watched from the sideline, critique their lifting form, ogling mac's muscled body, and examining his cuticles in turn.

charlie had some incomprehensible business to conduct with someone called 'shifty sullivan' and remained behind. mac and dennis left him behind with the twitchy-looking beanpole of a man and set off to their next stop; this being a back-alley between an illegally operating clothing manufacturer and a weed-infested strip of tarmac that was used for rickety, little, decades-old, private planes to take off from and land on. it was there that they picked up the boxes of paddy's pub t-shirts from a man with a thick accent who refused to let them inside the door.

goods acquired, mac and dennis patted themselves on the back and headed in the direction of home, closing the door on the man shouting after them about getting a 'guaranteed payment or else.'

their last stop was a boat-ramp not too terribly far from their apartment building.

a day after the sinking of the cybertruck, philadelphia residents began noticing a strange filmy quality to the water of the schuylkill river, absurd amounts of dead fish floating belly-up, and several heaping mounds of strange green material washing up on the shore. it was not long before police were called, and even shorter thereafter that a pair of tow-trucks hauled out the oversized, overweight, sunken cybertruck. the interior was oil-slick and stained with various bodily fluids, and a family of severely ill crabs living inside the open glove compartment.

in the frunk was a myriad of ropes, tape, zipties, and other items that police could only assume was supplies for a worryingly disturbing abduction.

understandably disturbed, philly's finest launched an investigation into their troubling recovery.

now, stainless steel is not fingerprint-resistant, so dee reynolds' abnormally large prints were not only highly prevalent all over the truck-body, but were, in fact, so large that it was not even a challenge for police to spot them.

charlie kelly's dna was retrieved from the several vats of oil in the bed. fingerprints, and strangely enough, dried saliva lined the rim of several of the containers.

an invoice issued to one frank reynolds was still perfectly preserved inside a plastic cover taped to the outside of one of the sodden cardboard boxes that also turned up ashore.

mac mcdonald was linked to the truck by way of an errant wallet containing: one expired id, three one-dollar bills, and a clearly aged business card from south philadelphia's leading gay bar with an out-of-service phone number scrawled on the back along with the message i won't tell if you won't ;)

dennis reynolds' name was on the ownership papers.

none of this investigation was actually needed, however, because a tall, slim, disgruntled man that claimed to be a mistreated business partner -from a business he adamantly refused to name- came to police unprompted to implicate all aforementioned criminals.

it was an open-and-shut case, in the end. the suspects were tried and sentence with expediency rarely seen from the philadelphia police and justice system. just like that, several misdemeanours were tacked on to the gang's already astonishingly lengthy records.

now, down one cybertruck and up 100 court-ordered hours of community service (and short one mind-blowing vehicular orgasm), the gang needed to find some suckers to scam into overstating actual served hours. it'd be tricky; there weren't that many people in the great city of philadelphia that remained un-scorned by the gang at some point or another.

within a few days, letters showed up, addressed to each of them, with a list of possible community service options:

1. volunteers at a fundraiser for children with terminal illness (rejected: 'what if we catch something and die!'),

2. collecting items and donations for the foodbank (rejected: 'i will not have people believing me to be one of the needy!'),

3. freeway cleanup (rejected: 'we did that already, boners. it blows. like mac.'),

4. volunteering at a local school (rejected: '100 hours with annoying little-- wait... you guys this actually might work!).

willard r. abbott elementary school: volunteer for a full day elementary school experience. engage in learning, games, activities and interact with both our bright young students and our passionate learning professionals. your time, skills and enthusiasm in volunteering, you help make our school and our city a vibrant and rewarding place to live, work and play.

it seemed too good to be true, a bunch of overworked teachers, too burnt out on dealing with their overflowing classes of ill-mannered children to spend too much time hassling volunteers. leaving said volunteers ample opportunity for various schemes and scams and slacking off in the background.

(what wouldn't be in the fine print was the multitude of cameras present at the school, which certainly posed an issue for on particular member of the gang with several bench warrants for sexual misconduct, a notable history of felonious behaviour, and a face that has been in the past likened to registered sex offender wendell albright.

this would leave dennis stranded and hopping from closest, to bathroom, back to closet to avoid said cameras, and worst of all, this would force dennis to relinquish scheme lead to mac, who, like the cybertruck, was not famed for his superior skill set despite loudly and constantly claiming to be the best.

what could possibly go wrong?)

------

(i'll be honest u guys, this really got away from me. but i was loling the entire time anyway. insp by this post, several tweets and other posts wondering where tf the gang could possibly get a cybertruck, and my own ponderings about this set of freaks and their particular hobbies. but in any event, i hope u enjoyed)

[hailturinturambar]

Elrond's trajectory in The Rings of Power

This analysis, unlike the others, does not seek to understand a dynamic between two characters. But rather to understand who Elrond Peredhel is and what made him the character we know over the course of two seasons.

To understand who Elrond is and why he acted as he did, we need to go back in time and analyze this character's life. The answers, in general, always lie in the past.

Elrond was born a half-elven son of Elwing, who is the daughter of Dior, who is the son of Lúthien. He was also the son of Eärendil, who is the son of Tuor, who is the son of Huor.

In some narratives, Elrond was born an only child, in others he had a twin brother, Elros. I will analyze through the narrative with Elros, since Elros was important for great future events in Middle-earth.

Elrond's legacy was born of pain and grief. His father, Eärendil, left with his parents (Tuor and Idril) as a child in search of a safe haven. Tuor and Idril fled with the survivors of the Fall of Gondolin.

It is at this time that Eärendil and Elwing's paths cross, as she is fleeing after the destruction of her father and kin at the hands of the Sons of Fëanor. And Elwing had a one of the Silmarils, won by his grandfather, Beren.

When Fëanor's sons destroyed Elrond's home, and his parents were separated from the twins, Elros and Elrond were left alone in the world. However, after growing tired of all the harm they had caused and the weight of their oath, Maedhros and Maglor took the twins in and cared for them.

When the Valar listened to Eärendil and went to war against Morgoth, the Elves were allowed to return to Valinor. Maglor and Maedhros, succumbing to the weight of their oath, met tragic ends, and Elrond and Elros were left alone once more.

But as a reward for the help of Men, and for the half-elven nature of the boys, they were given a choice. Elros, who went with the Men and was numbered among them, went to Númenor and became the first king. Elrond, chose his Elven half and remained in Middle-earth.

To me, this must have been one of Elrond's greatest sorrows. Because he lost his mother, he lost his father. Then he lost the two elves who had cared for him and his brother. And in the end, all he had left was Elros, and he lost him too. Knowing that he would remain in Arda, while his brother would perish.

Thus ends Elrond's days in the First Age. In the Second Age, which we are introduced to in The Rings of Power, we have Elrond much changed, older and even wiser.

Elrond then lives in Lindon, the kingdom of the High Elves, under the command of Gil-galad. Elrond is the king's herald and responsible for the speech in honor of the great heroes who spent centuries hunting Sauron, and one of these is Galadriel, his closest and oldest friend.

Elrond is descended from kings in both his lines, being related to Thingol on his mother's side and to Turgon on his father's side. But his descent does not seem to matter, which makes sense when Elrond lost all his relatives and was left alone, less than a royal heir, more than an outcast.

Elrond is stripped of titles, which is remarkable when he cannot be present at the council, because it is only for Elven Lords. But Galadriel is there and it does not bother him so much. But, I believe deep down, Galadriel's vision worried him.

Galadriel is his beloved friend and he has not seen her for many centuries, but she is very changed. I believe that Elrond feared deeply for her.

Because he knows the shadow that surrounds her, the shadow of an oath made in love, for someone who has been lost. And how much that oath can cost. How much oaths like that have cost Elrond and his family.

In his attempt to help Galadriel, to ease her burden, he pushes her away, and when Elrond can no longer glimpse Galadriel heading towards Valinor, did he feel he was once again left alone in Middle-earth? Probably. Did he feel that the last person he had left had been separated from him for countless years?

Elrond then turns his attention to Celebrimbor, whom the King of Lindon has asked him to help. Elrond readily accepts, this task is a great honor and he accepts it with pride. Elrond has always admired Celebrimbor and he will prove that he is grateful.

Elrond has always admired Celebrimbor's achievements, but to him it is an honor to be able to work with the greatest of the Elven smiths. And Celebrimbor gently reminds him of his father.

And I believe that in that moment, like Galadriel looking upon Finrod, Elrond took it upon himself to protect Celebrimbor and fulfill his father's promise.

Elrond and Celebrimbor cannot build a new forge alone, not in such a short time. And Elrond remembered his great friend, Prince Durin. However, Elrond as an Elf, did not notice the passing of time as Durin. And Durin is heartbroken by Elrond's absence. As Durin says, he lived a whole life in the time Elrond was away.

I believe this is the first moment Elrond realizes how his elven side blinds him to the brevity of life. Elrond spent his entire life surrounded by Elves, eternal beings who would never die except by enemy spear or grief.

Elrond wants to make up for his mistake and assures Durin that it will be different this time. And he means it. Is this the moment when Elrond realizes he is not alone? Galadriel is gone, but he still has friends. He still has Durin. And he also has Disa and Celebrimbor now.

When Sauron spoke about Mirdania remind him of Galadriel, I remembered Celebrimbor noticing the resemblance between Elrond and his father. It's a powerful scene, very beautiful, in my opinion. But a very painful scene too. Because Elrond carries the grief of the loss of his parents, and it's obvious in his personality.

Does Elrond wear clothes that resemble bird wings, like his mother's wings? Elrond, it is important to remember, has a daughter, Arwen Undómiel, the Evenstar. The traces of his longing are there, present in everything that represents Elrond. Even in loss, he carries them with him.

So, I believe it was not easy for Elrond to accept Celebrimbor's request. To distrust Durin, to spy on Durin? It is a difficult task. Durin is his last friend and Elrond did not know that by helping Gil-galad, he could be compromising their friendship. Although he is Gil-galad's herald and his subject, Elrond promises to keep Durin's secrets.

But Durin III does not care about Elrond's promises, and Elrond fears that father and son will never understand each other. Elrond does not want Durin to feel what he felt when he lost his father.

Elrond's words about his father are painfully beautiful. And it is the moment of greatest clarification of the character's attitudes to the audience. Because Elrond was shaped by the loss of his parents, his adoptive parents, his brother, Galadriel, so many important people.

And he lives with this motto in his heart, to be good, to be pure, to be worthy of the love and respect of those who have passed away and who perhaps watch him from a distance.

Elrond presents Gil-galad's proposal to Durin and the prince accompanies him to Lindon. But it is not easy for Elrond, being forced to be the spokesman between the two sides, feeling that he is betraying his friend, as well as his kind.

It is a great weight placed on Elrond's shoulders by Gil-galad and Celebrimbor. Must Elrond betray who he is to save his people? Elrond understands the weight of the oath, as his protectors have felt for countless centuries. Because it is not always possible to keep an oath.

Fearing the destruction of the Elves not only of Lindon, but of all Middle-earth, Elrond must swallow everything he believes, everything he has promised and agrees to ask for Durin's help. I believe that Durin knew that Elrond never had bad intentions, and understands the dilemma of his Elf friend.

Elrond sets off for Khazad-dûm with Durin. Durin, like Elrond, needs to honor his oath. An oath that is not always easy, that is not always possible. One of the things I like most about Tolkien/TROP is how sacrifice is always a point, it is always something we do for those we love.

One of the obstacles in Elrond's journey is King Durin III. Durin III is cold and harsh at times, but he is a wise king and is trying to protect his people, fearing that the Elves will take advantage of his people and their resources.

As I see it, when Elrond gets down on his knees and announces his mixed race, Elf and Man, he has never been more like his father. Like his father who in Valinor spoke for the Two Kinds, Elrond does so now. For if the Elves depart from Middle-earth, all will be at risk.

Durin IV helps Elrond as much as he can, but his father and king does not allow Elrond to return and banishes him from all the Dwarves Mountains. When Elrond cries, holding the Mithril, we see how love and friendship are present in his heart.

Did Elrond remember of Maedhros and Maglor? That in the end, they fought for him and Elros, as far as they could bear? It's sad. Elrond's journey is marked by so much suffering and abandonment.

He has no choice but to return to Eregion and warn Celebrimbor. There is nothing the Elves can do and it is time to go home, back to the Realm of Light, where pain and suffering do not exist.

Everything changes for Elrond with the arrival of Galadriel. It is like an explosion of emotions. He has just been forbidden to be with Durin, but his friend has returned to him. He is no longer alone. And Elrond feels a lot of guilt for sending Galadriel away, even though he believed that this could have protected his friend.

Galadriel and Elrond try to find solutions with Celebrimbor, but Galadriel is not alone, she has come accompanied by Halbrand. Elrond had no prejudice against Men, he himself was part Man. Something, however, about Halbrand, never felt right to him.

At this point, Elrond's journey comes to a major halt. In his quest to save the Elves of Middle-earth, they have attracted Evil that should never have returned.

It was undoubtedly difficult for Elrond to realize that despite Halbrand's suspicious influence and intentions in the Rings, Galadriel persisted. This breaks something very fragile in Elrond, shakes his already fragile trust in others.

We're getting into dangerous territory now! I know many were angry with Elrond in season two and how he treated Galadriel. Elrond, however, wasn't being punitive, jury and executioner, his actions are completely understandable.

Elrond sets out for Lindon with the Rings in a desperate attempt to get Gil-galad to listen to him, to understand his fears. And he does, for a time. Galadriel and Gil-galad may despise Sauron, but they are both desperate for a solution, for a cure so they won't have to abandon Middle-earth.

Gil-galad desires the Rings and Elrond is once again alone. Like Galadriel in the first season while hunting Sauron. It's not easy being the last soldier standing. The only one fighting a losing battle.

It pains Elrond that Gil-galad would risk, in his desperation, accepting something that may have been influenced by Sauron. And it pains him even more that of all the Elves, Galadriel, who has suffered so much and fought so hard, should fall for Sauron's trick.

Círdan is his last hope. Another fleeting hope. Círdan, at least, understands Elrond's fear and the risk of the Rings. To Elrond, the Rings of Power are no different than the Silmarils. Objects of beauty and power that have cost many lives.

Elrond did not hesitate out of spite for Galadriel. But as someone who has suffered so much under the influence of the Silmarils, he understands the staggering risk they are all taking. Like his mother, Elwing, Elrond’s leap is one of desperation, of sacrifice.

Now the Rings are in Lindon and Elrond tries one last time to protect Galadriel. Yes, the Rings worked and their beauty enchants everyone, even Elrond.

This, however, does not make the Rings any less dangerous. The disappointment on Elrond's face is noticeable when he realizes that Galadriel succumbed so easily to the desire to wear the ring.

It is undoubtedly difficult for Elrond to remain in Lindon. The Elves are happy, the Rings have worked, and they are safe. This is not enough to assuage Elrond's fears. And given all he has been through, it is to be expected that he would feel this way.

Elrond remains firm in his beliefs, even though he is suffering from his separation from Galadriel. But Elrond was so young when he lost his parents because of the Silmarils, why would the Rings be any different?

I believe he did not want what happened to all those who touched the Silmarils to happen to his friends. But Elrond cannot forgive Galadriel, he cannot accept what she is asking. For him, if she accepted the Ring, she is accepting Sauron's influence.

Only Cirdan can convince Elrond and he does. He believes in Elrond and understands his fear, but asks him to understand that the Rings can and should be used for good, and that is why Sauron cannot touch them. Is it Cirdan's words that influence Elrond to leave with the retinue? I believe so.

The best way to define the relationship between Elrond and Galadriel in the next episodes is, as they say in my country, "A tail-puller." (it sounds better in my language) Which talks about two difficult people who are constantly at war, but never move away from each other.

In episode four, they are like two contrasting forces. Elrond has agreed to leave with the retinue only because he wants to protect Celebrimbor and end Sauron's rule. His motives and Galadriel's may be the same, but their motivations are not.

Elrond is firm with Galadriel, not giving in to her tempestuous and proud ways. She has agreed to be there, so she needs to take Elrond's advice. Since Elrond will not follow the Ring's advice.

And is he completely wrong? We, the viewers, understand that the ring is not compromised. That vision does not exist for the characters. And trusting in a Magic Ring is not trustworthy. Let's look at what happened to the Dwarves, to the Men. The fear of Elrond is equal to the fear of Durin.

Evil was in the forest, Elrond was warned. Who has never made a mistake by not listening to advice? Listening to the Ring's advice, for Elrond, would be like listening to the Silmaril's advice. It is a dangerous path that he does not wish to follow.

A choice that caused the loss of an Elf. However, in the fight against Sauron and the forces of Adar, it is as Galadriel said, many difficult losses would occur. It is clear that Elrond wants to listen to Galadriel, that he wants to trust her words.

He feels that she is being influenced by the Ring, and this impairs her judgment, or vice versa. No one can be completely correct in this story. Let us remember that Elrond is deeply hurt.

Did Galadriel sacrifice herself for the ring? For her friends? Both answers are possible, together or separately. They vary depending on how much you like the characters. What matters to me, however, here, is what Elrond felt. And he is so hurt that he prefers to believe that Galadriel sacrificed herself only for the ring and nothing more.

Even the lives of the Elves are about growing, maturing, and learning. Elrond is learning slowly. As Círdan said, they do not yet understand the Rings. It is to be expected that not everyone will agree at once.

But Galadriel's sacrifice, no matter how Elrond interpreted it, changed something in him. Elrond runs to Lindon and warns Gil-galad. Yes, Galadriel was right, and they need to send all their soldiers to Eregion. I think a lot about Elrond's words, when he talks about how the loss of Eregion would affect everyone.

Did he think of Doriath, of Gondolin? That is in his legacy. He cannot bear the loss of yet another great Elven kingdom to one of the Dark Lords.

It is time for Elrond to set out for the Dwarven Kingdom and seek help. Elrond, ever the herald of the Two Kinds, speaking for the Two Kinds.

Elrond once again sets out for Khazad-dûm. He knows that the Elves will be defeated without the help of the Dwarves. Elrond, like his father, has always known that one people alone cannot defeat such a powerful enemy. Only united are they strong enough.

Leaving with Durin's promise, Elrond returns to Lindon to fight on behalf of all Elves. He is determined, he will protect his people. Galadriel is his weak point. His friend is in the hands of Adar and he blames himself for this.

Elrond and Galadriel tend to say goodbye in moments of great intrigue. Seeing Galadriel in the hands of the enemy undoubtedly hurt him, he himself was once in the hands of the enemy, he was on the side of the hostages, he was a hostage.

Adar is as big a threat as Sauron. Sauron may be forging Rings to enslave Middle-earth, but it is Adar who is in Eregion with his Uruks destroying the Elven kingdom.

And Elrond needs to be strong once again. Elrond faces Adar, even though Adar disregards Elrond's ability as a warrior. Yes, Elrond lived behind countless books, but he always knew war, always understood it and faced it.

I'm going to get into another dangerous area and some of you will hate me (well, but analysis is how I interpret the show, so…) I consider Elrond and Galadriel's kiss very important and necessary.

I ship Galadriel and Celeborn, yes, I said that. But Celeborn is not here at the moment, I am talking about Elrond.

The kiss is a subtle and effective strategy that allows Galadriel to escape. However, I also see the kiss as a way for Elrond to show his love and affection for Galadriel, how he is regretting, how he blames himself for her being there, how he wishes things had been different and they could be at peace.

And perhaps it was also a farewell kiss. It is, after all, a war. Is it hard for Elrond to turn his back on Galadriel, to leave her alone in Adar's tent, to run away alone? I bet it is.

Elrond is back on the battlefield. It is a hard, ugly, cruel fight. Many lives are lost, Elrond is forced to watch his friends and companions perish in a cruel way at the hands of the Orcs. At the hands of his enemies. It is painful, it is always painful.

The final stab is Durin's delay. Did Elrond feel abandoned? In all the chaos, he cannot assimilate everything that was happening around him.

All he knows is that Durin is not there and they must fight. And here is Adar, taking Nenya from Elrond. The world is made of hope, but not for Elrond.

Loss is an interesting thing to interpret. Elrond lost many things, many people, during much of his life. It is no different now, with Eregion destroyed, with Celebrimbor dead. But the cruelest loss is memory.

What remains. It is devastating to Elrond that all the documents, the scrolls, all the memories of all those who lived in Eregion, who wrote down its teachings, were lost.

Why not just lose, but also lose memory? It is too much for anyone. All the knowledge of a people lost, forever. Which is a long time for an Elf.

Durin's arrival is a small comfort, until Elrond discovers that it is not Durin. The last of the Elves are being rescued, but to where? Eregion has fallen, there is nothing left for them, not there. Not in many places in Middle-earth.

Elrond is at a crossroads. Galadriel is dying, the darkness is too strong. Is it up to him to trust the Ring, to go against all his principles? In my opinion, this is the key point about Elrond's evolution in the second season.

Elrond was greater than his fear, greater than his fears, because it was better to risk using a Ring controlled by Sauron (whom he feared, obviously) than to lose Galadriel. After so many losses, it is easy to choose his friend over his fear.

The scene in which Elrond contemplates Eregion, once an imposing, majestic kingdom, completely in ruins is very sad. An entire kingdom destroyed by the desires of Sauron and Adar, so many lives, so much knowledge, lost for power.

As when the people of Gondolin fell, and the people of Doriath fell, Elrond had to start over. As when his parents fell, and ruin came to his people, he must start over. Ever forward, in search of better days. When everything is broken, we can only start over and move forward.

It is nice to see Elrond's last scene, where he holds Nenya without fear, without distrust (something that will be beautiful to see in the future, since he will also be a protector of the rings) and trusting Galadriel once again.

They are both at peace now. The surviving people of Eregion are at peace, as much peace as can be. The light is shining and a new day has dawned, for all of them, especially for Elrond, who in the Third Age will be one of the few to represent a light in the darkness of Middle-earth.

I really like the way Elrond is built in the show. It's great to watch and follow the growth of this incredible character, who is by far one of my favorites. I can't wait to see what his journey will be like in the upcoming seasons.

Don't forget that you all voted and the next analyses will also be about trajectories. (First Míriel, then Sauron.)

Tomorrow is my birthday, so I'm posting the analysis today! :)

[englandsgirl18181234]

Last one, I promise. Do Penelope and Odysseus ask new arrivals for news of Athena?

No, no, you're good, I swear!! I'll answer any questions you may have with absolute glee! This AU has consumed my soul and I have no one to talk about it with, and asks you send will be met with gleeful cackling as I type out my rambling thoughts!

And they absolutely they do! They take turns depending on who they're asking, though situations can vary wildly.

They've all gotten into more than one fight when the people they ask try and talk bad about her in front of them. They know she's done horrific things, she's a Goddess, divine beings are well known to do such things all the time for very petty reasons.

But they've all done terrible things as well. They not exactly going to judge her for it.

Penelope ignored how a few of the worst suitors were poisoned and many people that broke laws were executed at her word while she ruled in Odysseus's stead for 20 years. She couldn't do anything about the suitors because of Xenia, but the rest of the kingdom was under her rule and she made sure they knew it when they thought she was weakening.

Telemachus personally helped kill both the suitors and the servants that betrayed him and Penelope, and that's not including everything he did during his own reign as King.

And Odysseus both directly and indirectly slaughtered Thousands during the Trojan war, particularly with his Trojan Horse plan, to say nothing of everything that happened over the course of his journey!

They love Athena just as much as she loves them, which is Really Saying Something. They will absolutely fight Anyone that's badmouthing her in front of them.

In other words, yes they ask newcomers about her All The Time and they get into A Lot of fights over it.

Telemachus and Odysseus have actually gotten into several fights with well known historical figures over their love for Athena, particularly those from the Roman side of things. And they will get into Many more when they find out just how badly the Romans hurt her in their actions.

[violetasteracademic]

Yet again, a million years late but I cannot control when I must burrow in my hidey hole

2024 Fic Writer End of Year Roundup

Thank you for the tags, my beloved @rosanna-writer @foundress0fnothing @yourstarsmyscars

Answer and then tag three or more creators to keep the game going!

(If you're in my answers consider yourself tagged if you'd like to play!!)

1. How many words did you publish on AO3 in 2024?

This was my first year on AO3, and I posted 216,682 before the calendar year ended!

2. How many fics did you complete this year?

2, one longfic Golden Doe in a Valley of Shadow and a one shot, Before the Night Ends, made specifically for my beloved @theseersgarden and some beautiful Elriel art she had commissioned by Lulybot! (This one may technically not be finished... we shall see)

3. How many in progress or ongoing fics did you start this year?

Four in progress, all three parts of Velaris Memorial Hospital (which is kind of like one big intertwined Feysand, Nessian, and Elriel AU) and another long fic, A Court of Twisted Fate

4. What was your favorite thing you wrote?

Oh this is so hard. Everything I wrote was what I needed in the moment, so it's difficult to disentangle myself. But I do think Me, You and the Moon Part One and Two from A Court of Twisted Fate was one of my favorite experiences writing. Also some of my favorite things I wrote haven't been posted yet, so I can't share yet!

5. What piece was your most experimental or different from your usual style?

Absolutely Velaris Memorial Hospital. I have been writing third person limited fantasy and sci-fi for well over a decade, and have followed that in my fanfiction. Writing contemporary romance or modern AU in first person perspective was not something I ever imagined doing, but it has unlocked something in me. I am a huge contemporary romance reader, but writing has been an incredible new journey and I have so much newfound respect for first person perspective!

6. Did any fics surprise you - either while writing or their reception?

Again, Velaris Memorial Hospital. It is by far my smallest readership (which I expected, I am new to the Nessian and Feysand arena and of course there's a huge variety of ship and character preferences. Not everyone is a fan of all three brothers and all three sisters) but it has wound up by far being some of the most engaged and supportive readers, and I have been absolutely loving writing for it!

7. Do you have a fic you wrote and loved that went under the radar? (This is your sign to reblog/repost it!)

Hmmm it's a bit hard to say, I don't have have that many fics out and not a super good sense of this yet. I do think my Nessian fic, The Albatross has my lowest metrics overall. And writing for Nesta and Cassian has also unlocked something very deep and inspired within me. But VMH is an enormous project and kind of choose your own adventure, so I hope it gets some more love in the long run!

8. Who is an artist that inspired you?

Literally too many to count but I have to give the biggest shoutout to @elainemg97. Her artistry knows no bounds, and she is one of the best Elriel eggs out there. She is always kind and encourages positive fandom behavior, and is so encouraging and passionate about helping other artists grow and encouraging them on their journey! @stickyelectrons has such a beautiful eye for color, I just love what she manages (especially for Lucien) and I'm such a fan of @santkazoya and @tealeaves-and-rosepetals

9. Who is an author that inspired you?

Literally way way too many to count. @yourstarsmyscars, @rosanna-writer, @foundress0fnothing, @nikachansstuff, and citizenofvelaris are not only phenomenal writers but inspired beta readers and I feel so lucky to know them. @bloomingdarkgarden and @tealeaves-and-rosepetals are magic and pixie dust, truly phenomenal writers but also so available to support other writers and brainstorm and daydream with. I definitely have a lot more fic to read, I write much more often than I read so it leaves me pretty behind. But I'm sure I missed some and there are so many exceptional writers in this fandom!

Oh also, @tswaney17 has stepped away from fic writing but I'm SO excited for her journey repurposing I Do Bad Things With You into an original story for publishing!

10. Who is a new author you discovered?

See all of the above, but a special shoutout to @jasmineandcedar who writes such lovely short form pieces for Tumblr and did a Shakespeare inspired piece that had my jaw on the floor.

11. Did you do any collaborations? How did it start?

Before the Night Ends with @theseersgarden! It started just with @theseersgarden brainstorming ideas for a caption for an artwork in process, and trying to come up with a title/head canon/sweet moment to describe the scene. And then it spiraled into, wait a min... there's a whole ass fic here.

12. What accomplishments are you proudest of?

It has been really awesome to see how well received Golden Doe in a Valley of Shadow was. I try not to get too caught up in what fic is the most popular and whether or not I'm showing up on "best" lists, because art is subjective, and as I mentioned, I think some of my best work has had the smallest engagement. But Golden Doe in a Valley of Shadow was my first ever fic. I was a little baby on tumblr and thought maybe four or five people would read a few chapters. I had no idea it would take off in the way that it did, and it still stuns me to this day. Other than that, just writing consistently, and finding wonderful people who fill my cup and and are so supportive and encouraging.

13. What did you learn about writing or creating this year?

Fic writing is super different from original novel writing in a lot of ways, and I still feel like I'm getting my footing in a lot of ways. I find myself very often coming to my fellow writers being like- does this fly in fic culture? Am I overthinking this? But I think the heart of all creative writing is the same, which is trying to find the joy and a build a story that draws readers in and it's just a beautiful thing to invite people into the visions that take place in your mind, even if you are still learning and imperfect. Because you never know what will connect with someone. Also, shadows make great dildos.

14. Any advice you’d like to share with new or aspiring writers?

Don't be afraid of the work. Do not fear the muck. Lean into the trenches. I am a huge advocate for transparency in the writing process, and the writing world (fic especially) I think is extra guilty of uplifting the work that just flowed out of them and took no effort at all. Grabs face LISTEN TO ME. Your best work might be what you fought the hardest for. Your strongest scene might be the one that had you in a black pit of despair, extremely close to giving up. Writing is a craft. The only way to get better is to write, this is true. But many people write thousands and thousands of words and never improve, because of the notion that writing should be easy, that it can only happen when you are inspired and flowing and know what you are doing.

Do not fear the trenches. Do not shy away from the work. Not everything comes easily. That doesn't mean you are a bad writer or can't do it. DISPEL the ideas that writing should be easy or come naturally or not require deep effort and work.

15. What are your creative goals for 2025?

To focus back more on original work. I don't do well with working on more than one project at a time, and I really dug myself into it working on four stories at once. There is no room left for my novel writing, but I can't leave projects unfinished or they will weigh on me. Also continuing to figure out my place in fandom and sharing what I can while staying away from the things that drain me and take away my joy. OH and letting myself take more time. AO3 is an archive, the work will live on. Encouraging myself to be human and need rest and time away. It's so critical to detach from the need for a constant stream of validation, breathe, and focus on the work and your well being.

If you’re tagged in this, please consider yourself tagged for the game!

[marjoch]

FUTILE DEVICES

Jayce & Viktor attend a networking event. When Viktor leaves to catch his breath, he returns to find Jayce conversing with Mel. Viktor has a claim to stake.

“Are you ready?”

Dead of winter, Piltover. Partners in science Jayce and Viktor had been preparing for a networking event that occurred in the evening. Already dressed up, the pair of them had met in the lab to agree on any details they wanted to share with the people they would meet.

Jayce was the one who asked the question, walking alongside Viktor as they drew closer to the grand ballroom where the event was hosted. Viktor was hoping to stay by Jayce’s side most of the night, already overthinking the possibilities of conversation topics that could arise. “Ready,” was his simple response.

The doors were open, and someone was manning it. Viktor took note of the enforcers on either side of the entrance. Jayce was more focused on getting inside. He was immediately greeted by someone Viktor didn’t recognize, assumedly a diplomat or a politician.

“Jayce Talis! It’s been too long.”

“You could say that again,” was the response. Viktor took the moment to look around the ballroom. He’d been in here before, briefly, years prior. He’d never seen it in this context, hosting an event of this scale. The lights were bright overhead, illuminating a crowd twice the size he expected. Then again, he hadn’t been sure what to expect.

A hand on his back brought him back to the conversation. “—and this is my partner, Viktor,” Jayce was introducing.

The stranger extended a hand to Viktor, who shook it.

Jayce continued on. “We’ve got a lot of people to talk to, but hopefully we can reconnect before the night is over. We have some breakthroughs I’d love to share.”

“I look forward to it,” said the stranger. Viktor had missed his name in his distraction, and it was too late to ask, especially now that the stranger was walking away.

Jayce looked to Viktor. “Doing okay?”

Viktor wasn’t sure how aware Jayce was of his hesitations to be here, so he nodded. “Of course.”

They moved on. Jayce was having a great time gliding through the ballroom, stopping to speak to every face he recognized, introducing Viktor and explaining their work to whomever inquired. On the other hand, Viktor was holding it together being dragged from place to place and remembering far too many names to count.

At some point between ten and fifteen various conversations, Viktor was faltering. He was growing tired of moving around, his chest felt tight from anxiety, and he was counting the minutes until it was over. As Jayce said goodbye to someone and immediately waved at another from across the room, Viktor remained still. “Jayce.”

His partner turned to him, attentive.

“I’m going to find a bathroom. You go on.”

Jayce nodded, touching Viktor’s shoulder. “Okay. Come find me when you’re done?”

Viktor mirrored his nod. Jayce went his own way, drifting through the sea of bodies. Viktor watched him go, then turned around, heading out of the crowd.

The noise was worse without Jayce around. The constant talking, a hundred voices layered over one other in a horrible symphony. He’d never liked events like this. He’d gone to just one before, as Heimerdinger’s assistant, and he left early. This wasn’t something he could escape, though — he didn’t want to leave Jayce alone.

There was one thing he did know about this place, and it was where to find the bathroom. He’d ventured to it several times during the night he was here before, finding it was the best escape from the volume of the main ballroom. Right outside the bathroom was the perfect safe space: a comfortable bench up against the marble wall, shrouded by plants. It was almost a secret hideaway, one he’d hoped he wouldn’t have to return to.

Now that he had, he found a seat and rested his head back. The ceiling was just as ornate as the floors, etched with gold. He breathed, counting the seconds like he’d been coached by a kind stranger once upon a time. Within a few moments, the pain in his chest slowly subsided, and his heart rate returned to normal.

Feeling better was one thing. Returning to the event was another. He remained in his hiding spot until it was invaded by an excitable couple who decided mingling was second to doting on each other.

He set on finding Jayce, then. It was easier said than done, on account of Jayce’s constant movement. Viktor admired his ability to participate in conversation despite his introversion. Jayce told him once it was easier to behave extrovertedly in a professional setting, but Viktor wasn’t sure if he thought that was true.

Finally! On a balcony at the back of the room, Viktor spotted him. He made a beeline for Jayce, avoiding eye contact with anyone else to prevent from being stopped. As he got closer, he could see that Jayce was in the middle of a conversation with one person Viktor did recognize: councilor Mel Medarda.

Truth to be told, there was no reason for Viktor to dislike her. She carried herself with grace, she spoke with dignity, she even helped their cause in the past. She was a supporter of their work, and she’d done nothing to wrong Viktor in any way. Viktor had many thoughts on the matter, one of them being that he got the impression she supported Jayce, not the both of them.

Regardless of how true or untrue his assumptions were, he was behaving as if they were fact. He didn’t like the idea of someone taking up Jayce’s attention in the way she did. Viktor saw the way he looked at her, the way he spoke about her when she wasn’t around. It was everything he desired for himself.

Arriving at the scene, Viktor interrupted. “Councilor,” he nodded in her direction, acknowledging her presence without any further conversation. He stood close to Jayce, close enough for their shoulders to touch if either of them swayed.

Jayce looked at his partner, and smiled. “I’m glad you’re back. I was just telling Mel about our discoveries with hextech.”

So not only were they on a first-name basis, but Jayce was sharing information they hadn’t told anyone else. At this point in time, their innovations with hextech were concepts, something they’d barely given a name. They had not discussed disclosing this when they debriefed earlier.

He played it off well enough. “What did you think?” Viktor asked Mel.

“I think it has potential,” was her response. She never took her eyes off of Jayce, save for a fleeting glance. Viktor wasn’t unaware of the way she tended to look at Jayce when she was speaking to the both of them. “It’s ambitious, but don’t most important discoveries start off as such?”

Jayce opened his mouth to speak, but not before Viktor got a word in. “Ambition is the driving factor of all sociological improvements. Without it, these projects would never make it past the drawing board.”

Jayce looked back to Viktor. Viktor’s gaze remained trained forward, not looking away from Mel, who seemed focused on Jayce. Therefore it was a triangle of attention: confusion, tension, and intrigue, respectively.

“What my partner means to say is that we’re dedicated to this. We’ve spent countless hours getting to the point where we can share this with you, and will continue doing so to maintain your support.”

“You impressed me from the beginning, Jayce Talis,” was Mel’s response. “If not with wits, then with determination.” She moved forward, and Jayce made space between him and Viktor for her to pass. On her way through, she put a hand on Jayce’s shoulder. “I’m always willing to hear about your discoveries. You know where to find me.”

She disappeared behind them. Both of them watched her go, Jayce mesmerized, and Viktor irritated. Due to his detachment of her character, he ended up looking at Jayce before his partner was finished watching her silhouette blend into the crowd.

“Jayce.”

That earned his attention. “Viktor. What was that?” He sounded as irritated as Viktor felt.

“I should ask you the same,” was Viktor’s quick response. “We never agreed to share these findings with anyone yet. You didn’t even mention it to me.”

“It just came out,” Jayce argued. “If anyone should know, it’s her. She’s an asset as an ally.”

“You assume,” Viktor snapped. “Science is valuable. There are those who wish to capitalize off of-”

“You think Mel would do that?”

Viktor rolled his eyes. “I think Councilor Medarda has motivations, like everyone else.”

Jayce sighed loudly. “I don’t understand why you don’t like her.”

“It’s not that I don’t like her, I just…” Viktor trailed off as two other people walked out on the balcony, seeking a quieter place to converse. He shook his head. “We can finish this conversation later.”

“We can finish it now. I’m done here, if you’re ready to go.”

Viktor had no complaints, and no further words until they were outside. He took the lead this time, guiding them back out through the crowd. Once they were out the front doors, he confessed, “I was just waiting until you wanted to leave.”

“Sorry,” Jayce said, more sarcastic than genuine. Viktor knew it was because both of them understood this event was necessary to make connections that could further their research, and garner more support from the outside.

“I’m going back to the lab,” was Viktor’s next response.

Jayce raised an eyebrow. “Now? It’s late.”

“And there’s work to be done,” Viktor said.

“You should get some sleep.”

“You don’t have to come with me.”

Jayce, of course, was going with him. The rest of their walk was silent, with Jayce racking his brain to make sense of Viktor’s reaction at the event, and Viktor imagining what it would be like to have Jayce on his side all the time. When they arrived at the lab, Viktor wasted no time getting to work.

Jayce couldn’t comprehend Viktor’s level of determination. Each time he thought Viktor would hit his limit, reach a point where he needed sleep, falter in his pacing of problem-solving… he was proven wrong. Now was no exception.

“Will you pass me my notes?” requested Viktor, standing in front of the board.

Jayce obliged, but was far more focused on the subject they’d left hanging. “Why don’t you like Mel?”

Viktor looked over his notes, facing the board but reading through them. Conversing while he was working was an easy multitask for him. He’d mastered it since starting to work with Jayce. “Why do you like her?”

He refused to call her by her first name. They were not close enough for him to earn the right, and he wasn’t going to do it behind her back. Plus, speaking her name invoked an additional awareness of the fact that she existed, and the mere thought was grating on Viktor’s nerves.

Jayce scoffed, but the prolonged silence before his answer spoke for itself. “I told you, she’s an asset as an ally, and she’s one of the only supporters we have on the council.”

“That’s not true,” Viktor said, turning. “Heimerdinger knows of our work, and waits for a demonstration. A goal we should be working towards.”

“A goal we are working towards,” Jayce spoke. Viktor hated the conviction in his voice. Well, he loved it, in another context. Now, it seemed like they were in a silent battle: Yes Mel versus No Mel. It was a position Viktor didn’t enjoy being in.

“Okay,” said Viktor, looking back at his notes and facing the board again.

Jayce sighed, watching him. “Viktor.”

“Hm?” Viktor was feigning focus on the notes, completely distracted by his blood boiling at the very thought of Jayce with another. Not fazed, Jayce walked over and took the notebook out of his hands.

“Jayce.” Viktor’s tone was clearly irritated, a reflection of his internal feelings.

“Come on, you have to talk to me. We’re partners.”

“Are we?” said Viktor. He was asking with the intention of suggesting they were partners in more than a scientific sense, but it flew over Jayce’s head, as most of Viktor’s suggestions of this sort did.

Jayce looked confused. While he spent seconds thinking about Viktor’s insinuations, Viktor took the notebook back and started working. Finally, Jayce had a question. “In what sense?”

Viktor close the notebook. “Asking real questions now.” He faced Jayce. “Do you like her?”

Jayce just laughed, but Viktor could tell he was nervous. That gave him the answer he needed, and he pushed the notebook to Jayce’s chest, turning back to the board.

“Take notes for me.”

Jayce hurried back to the desk. His immediate obedience earned Viktor’s gaze, but only when his back was turned. Viktor had been supposedly working the whole time when Jayce returned, pen in hand.

Viktor raised a hand to start solving the problem before them, one of many they’d had to work out. Jayce had the pen at the ready, prepared to write, when Viktor turned again. “You never answered my question.”

“Sure, I guess,” Jayce responded, almost afraid to admit the truth.

Viktor nodded. “Alright.”

Back to work. The back-and-forth was killing Jayce, who sighed loudly, a dramatic act. “I mean, she’s beautiful. She’s intelligent, and she’s an ally.”

“You have to stop using that word.” Viktor’s back was facing Jayce. “Ally.”

“It’s not untrue. She’s been there since the beginning, or did you forget she’s the reason we made it this far?”

“That doesn’t mean you have to fall in love with her,” said Viktor.

“As if love is a choice.”

Viktor agreed with that sentiment. There was no reason for him to find love in a science partner, someone who worked with him professionally. When he really thought about it, Jayce’s feelings for Mel were almost literarily equivalent to his for Jayce. It wasn’t something he wanted to admit unprompted, though. “You’re right about that.”

That gave Jayce some hope. Maybe Viktor had something going on with someone else, and seeing the ease between him and Mel was setting him off. “Who’s on your mind?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Viktor started to solve the problem, but then sighed in frustration and started over. His second try wielded worse results, if possible, and he tossed the chalk onto the ledge the board had at the bottom. Crossing his arms, he faced Jayce. “Does she like you the same?”

Jayce shrugged. “We haven’t really talked about it.”

Viktor nodded, looking at the floor, thoughts ruminating. His eyes met Jayce’s when he had something to say. “And there’s no one else on your mind?”

Jayce raised an eyebrow, oblivious as always.

Viktor was tired of waiting. Due to the proximity of Jayce’s dedication to document Viktor’s work, they were already close. He reached out for Jayce’s collar and pulled him closer.

He didn’t kiss him, yet. He only wanted Jayce to understand.

“Oh,” said Jayce, barely audible. Viktor could see the pieces falling together through the look in his eyes.

“Oh,” echoed Viktor, nodding. “I hate seeing you with her like that. I’m right here.”

With those words, Jayce made sense of it. “I think about it, too.”

He didn’t have the space to say anything else, because Viktor committed to the moment. Before Jayce could register Viktor moving, they were engaged in a brief kiss. Viktor didn’t want to drag him along until Jayce was sure, though, and this surety came in the form of a brief break.

Viktor looked up into Jayce’s eyes, and Jayce just gazed down at him. There was no thinking, just the attempt, and imminent lack thereof. In lieu of words, Jayce leaned back in, slow enough for Viktor to close the gap, which he did.

This kiss was much longer, and held deeper meaning. It was their first opportunity to explore each other, and they utilized it. Tongue on tongue, hands on arms, neck, hair, waist. Jayce tossed the notebook somewhere to their left to focus fully on Viktor, who was pleased to see that Jayce was equally intrigued by the prospect of furthering the depth of their relationship.

Jayce came up for air. Viktor had a steel grip on the back of his neck, asking a much-pondered question. “Do you dream about me?”

Jayce just laughed. It was a beautiful sound, but it didn’t answer his question. The truth was, Viktor had dreamt about Jayce for months. Each night when he fell asleep, he wished that Jayce would dream the same, just to make it even. It wasn’t fair for him to feel all the longing that could be split between them both. “Maybe.”

When Jayce leaned in for another kiss after that, Viktor leaned back. “Maybe?”

“Yes,” said Jayce, almost immediately. Viktor let him win, but the kiss was too short for Jayce, made clear by a disappointed huff when Viktor pulled away again.

That made Viktor smirk, just the slightest. He had a hold on Jayce, both physically and mentally. Viktor’s gaze wandered, from Jayce’s eyes to his lips, neck, even his chest, belt, before making their way back up again.

“Viktor,” Jayce said, a prompt that he was waiting.

“Jayce,” returned Viktor, allowing their short distance apart to fester. He wanted to see how long Jayce could go without engaging in another kiss.

In an effort to get Viktor to make the move, Jayce spoke his name again. “Viktor.”

Not giving up that easily, Viktor just smiled. “Jayce.”

That was all it took. Jayce’s hands found either side of Viktor’s face and pulled him in so hard that Viktor practically fell into him. Both hands up against Jayce’s chest, his cane clattered to the floor. Before his arms could reach up around Jayce’s neck for support, Jayce moved to grab his waist. “I’ve got you,” he murmured against Viktor’s lips, in-between the heated kiss.

Viktor could hardly repress a smile, knowing he had Jayce exactly where he wanted. Now that he was supported, he let his hands roam. There were so many things about Jayce to like, and one of them was his body, which Viktor had fantasized about more times than he would admit.

Lost in the moment, they continued on. They were voyagers in an unknown landscape, each of them discovering the other. At some point, Viktor’s urgency rivaled Jayce’s, and Jayce stumbled back. Before either of them knew what was happening, they were tumbling to the floor.

Jayce ended up underneath Viktor, both accidental and ideally strategic. He broke Viktor’s fall, an appreciated gesture, but hit his own head back on the ground. Viktor immediately put his hand upon the point of contact, cradling Jayce’s head from where he now laid on top of him.

“Are you okay?” Viktor asked.

“I’m okay,” Jayce reassured, before pulling Viktor’s face down to his lips.

Viktor adjusted his position, straddling Jayce and leaning down. Some minutes into their make-out, he interrupted. When he spoke, his lips touched Jayce’s, indicative of their closeness. “Is this uncomfortable? You’re on the floor.”

Jayce shook his head just the slightest, enough to emphasize his denial but not enough to separate them. “Are you comfortable?”

“I’m comfortable,” said Viktor.

“Good,” responded Jayce, initiating the kiss again.

God, it was everything he’d ever wanted. He couldn’t hide a moan of satisfaction if he wanted to, and upon hearing his affirmation, Jayce allowed his own. It was almost too much, turning Viktor from a scientist into something else entirely.

Jayce’s hands wandered, from Viktor’s face to his shoulders, eventually his waist, and even thumbs hooking into his waistband. Viktor let him, even allowing Jayce to go so far as to fiddle with the buttons that kept his pants together. When Jayce tried to undo it, Viktor stopped him, reaching for his hand.

“No,” Viktor said. “Let me do it.”

Jayce sighed, disappointed. The act earned another smile from Viktor, one that Jayce could feel against his lips.

“Unless you don’t want to,” Viktor remarked, knowing good and well what Jayce’s response would be.

“No, go on,” was the response. Viktor hesitated, one hand on Jayce’s cheek, the other halfway down his chest. The halt in motion made Jayce look up into Viktor’s eyes, and Viktor raised an eyebrow. Jayce sighed again, impatient. “Please?”

Viktor nodded, acknowledging the request, and kissed him again, letting his hand resume its path from Jayce’s chest to his belt. Before setting to work on it, he ventured even lower, feeling Jayce through his pants.

“God, Viktor,” Jayce groaned through their kiss.

“Shut up,” said Viktor, using his other hand to grasp Jayce’s chin, kissing him deeper than before. He wasn’t done messing with Jayce, continuing his quest to rile him up. When Jayce moaned again, he stopped all semblance of movement, save for their lips.

Jayce wasn’t amused, hips moving to try and simulate Viktor’s touch in its absence.

Viktor broke away from the kiss. “Jayce.”

“Viktor,” was the quick and breathless response. Viktor hid his excitability well, sitting up slightly and looking down at Jayce.

“Are you going to listen to me?”

Jayce nodded agreeably, and waited. When there was no response, he spoke. “Yes,” he acknowledged verbally. All it took was Viktor waiting for him to add, “Please.”

Viktor kissed him again, moving his hand, and then setting to work on Jayce’s pants. His shirt had to come untucked first, and Jayce did the same favor for him. Viktor got through the belt, into the pants Jayce was wearing, and paused again right before his hand made it all the way in. “You’re mine. Not hers.”

Jayce nodded again, urgently.

“Say it.”

“I’m yours, not hers,” Jayce said, without hesitation. “Only yours. Please, Viktor.”

Satisfied by that response, Viktor kissed him again, moving on. He liked to kiss Jayce through these moments, because it made it easier to tell exactly how Jayce felt. It was impossible to hide the hitches in his breath, the smallest slightest moans. Now was no different.

Viktor wanted him badly, but playing with Jayce was a kind of game. Seeing Jayce with Mel fueled some sort of animal in him, a possessive creature that was determined to stake his claim. This was his method.

His hands left Jayce, reaching down to work on his own pants. Jayce seems keen on helping, kissing Viktor fervently but moving his hands down to assist. Viktor paused his own efforts, pinning Jayce’s hands above him. “No,” he said again.

Jayce was frustrated at this point, shifting under him in an attempt to acquire the friction he missed.

Viktor laughed quietly. “You want me?”

Jayce sighed, almost irritated. “Obviously.”

Viktor just watched him. He didn’t have to say anything else to earn a response; the lack of action was enough.

“Please,” said Jayce, giving in. Whatever Viktor asked for in this moment, he would give him.

To be honest, Viktor had been the subject of Jayce’s dreams as much as it was the opposite. Jayce had awoken some mornings dazed, wondering how he could possibly go into the lab and face Viktor without any hints of what his mind imagined the night before. It was all irrelevant now that Viktor had him in this position.

Viktor listened to his pleads, making quick work of anything separating them. He touched Jayce carefully, slowly, paying attention to the way Jayce gasped, faltered, faced the ceiling in moments when he would otherwise be captivated by Viktor’s kiss. He leaned down to Jayce, bypassing his mouth for his ear while he was overcome. “Are you ready?” He whispered, a distant echo of Jayce at the beginning of the evening.

Jayce’s nod was all he required before Viktor continued to have the lead, guiding Jayce inside him, taking it slowly and exhaling in satisfaction while he adjusted. Jayce was louder than he was, much to Viktor’s amusement. They had yet to go further, and this is how he had him.

Slow but steady movements. Viktor was fully in control, and Jayce wasn’t raising any argument about it. If anything, he was in support, his hands finding Viktor’s hips.

Viktor’s hands were on Jayce’s chest, using him as a prop while he did the work for both of them. When Viktor could barely control his breathing, head thrown back skyward, Jayce thought he was the most captivating sight he’d experienced in his twenty-seven years of life.

At some point, one of Jayce’s hands reached up to Viktor’s face. His partner read his desire in the act, and leaned down to kiss him, elevating their experience. Each and every sound out of Jayce’s mouth was a part of the choir living in Viktor’s mind. He’d lived this before a hundred times in his dreams.

The near-silence in the room (apart from themselves) was imperceivable to either of them, each living their own symphony. Jayce could hardly believe his luck: this was the last thing he’d expected to occur, yet the first thing he’d desired.

On the other hand, Viktor could hardly believe this was the point they’d gotten to. He’d wanted Jayce for years, and to have heard his pleads not once, not twice, but quarce… he was almost pondering how many times he could get it out of him.

In his curiosity, Viktor broke the kiss, continuing the act they were partaking in without their lips touching. He hovered above Jayce, yet again pinning his arm above his head. The hand that was on his hip was fine to remain where it was, but anything beyond, he was determined to control in an attempt to hear Jayce again.

Jayce was already frustrated again by the restraint. It made Viktor more excitable, something Jayce would have noticed if he wasn’t so preoccupied with his own physical feelings.

Back to the game, as always. Viktor slowed their pace and leaned down, choosing to let go of Jayce’s arm, only to guide him back to his own hips. His lips lingered just above Jayce’s, close enough to touch within the constant motion. He purposefully kept them from connecting, and Jayce sensed it.

“Please, Viktor,” Jayce murmured.

Five times, then. Viktor gave into him, kissing him softly at first, intensifying it as he picked up the pace again. Jayce was bewitched, completely lost to anything apart from Viktor… just the way his partner wanted it.

The closer they got, the sweeter the kiss tasted. There was no scientific differentiation from the first kiss to now, apart from the feelings they shared for each other and the feelings they invoked through this behavior.

“You’re mine,” Viktor’s words were quiet against Jayce’s lips. “Not hers.”

“I’m yours,” Jayce responded, with a moan so loud that Viktor briefly considered the fact that they may be louder than intended. Who was nearby at this hour of the night, though? No one except for the two of them.

Viktor continued on, getting to the point where he couldn’t mess with Jayce anymore. The pleasure shared between them was too great for him to carry on. Jayce noticed this shift and moved his hand back up to Viktor’s face, brushing his thumb against his partner’s cheek.

Eyes closed, Viktor focused on keeping the motion going. His hand found Jayce’s on his waist, gripping his wrist tightly. He exhaled, heavy, and Jayce thought it was beautiful.

A slightly faster pace and opposite hand fully on Jayce’s chest steadied Viktor closer to the end he was bringing both of them towards. A minute or two into this, Jayce put both of his hands back on Viktor’s hips, assisting where Viktor wouldn’t let him before.

“Jayce,” Viktor began, about to complain about losing total control, but unable to get further than his partner’s name before an uncontrollable gasp interrupted his train of thought.

“Let me help,” Jayce insisted.

Those words alone brought Viktor back to the determination he’d had before. He was not about to give up on singlehandedly getting Jayce off, especially not after the dispute they’d had about Mel. He didn’t stop Jayce, but he maintained the pace, and therefore the control. He only faltered as he got close, leaning down to kiss Jayce again.

Jayce moaned against his lips, giving Viktor validation in his attempts. He could sense the end in sight and powered through, not letting up for a second. At some point near the finish line, Jayce gripped his hips tighter, and Viktor sensed the change. In an effort to prolong his own pleasure, he slowed the pace down.

“Viktor,” Jayce nearly immediately complained. “Please.”

Who was he to deny him? He returned to what he’d been doing before, much to Jayce’s approval. The obviously audible crescendo of sounds from Jayce was worth each moment leading up to this point. It wasn’t like he wasn’t getting off, either — he was having a great time, and he was on rhythm to finish with Jayce.

It worked out just as intended. Viktor felt himself nearing a climax and held out until he succeeded, hearing Jayce’s corresponding audible cue that he was also done. As if he couldn’t feel it.

When all was said and done, they were left with heavy breathing, shared sweat, and a laugh from Jayce as Viktor took a spot next to him on the floor. Viktor had a hand over his eyes, both shading from the light and from Jayce’s gaze. Jayce turned to watch him.

“You don’t have to worry about her,” he said.

Viktor turned to look at Jayce, then. “You don’t mean that.”

Jayce just smiled, reaching over to push a strand of hair out of Viktor’s face. “Whatever you want. I’m your partner.”

The look in Viktor’s eyes was some mix of satisfaction and disbelief, a feeling that getting what one wants often entails. There was comfort in knowing he’d achieved what he desired, but fear in the possibility of loss.

Jayce pulled him into an embrace, then, as much as an embrace as they could share on the actual floor. They didn’t have to exchange words to come to an agreement, one that Viktor couldn’t let live long before his own thoughts interrupted.

Viktor refastened his pants, sitting up and searching for his shirt, which was nearby. In his efforts to get rid of their clothing, the pile had remained close enough. “We should get some sleep.”

Jayce mirrored him, sitting up and hunting for the clothes he’d lost. He pulled them back on, but barely: the shirt unbuttoned, same with the vest he had been wearing, tie hung around his neck. No amount of disbelief could keep Viktor’s longing away.

Jayce stood, and picked up Viktor’s cane. Then and only then did he extend a hand to help his partner up, setting him up for success and support. Viktor was grateful despite his lack of explicit expression towards the matter.

“You can stay with me,” Viktor offered. He lived closer than Jayce, and he missed their closeness from before. “If you want.”

Jayce wanted. He nodded eagerly, and motioned to the door, prepared to follow Viktor out. Viktor led the way, abandoning the work he’d gone back to do. There was always tomorrow, right?

The pair of them individually sorted through their thoughts about the night. These ruminations came to a close when they made it to Viktor’s, laid down next to each other, and drifted to sleep. When Viktor woke, Jayce was holding him, just as he’d always envisioned to help him sleep during the rough nights.