#and I think it does that well and ends in a way that makes sense for the most part!

[tbaluver]

AH-AH-APHRODISIAC?!- The Love And DeepSpace Men

pairings in order: xavier x fem! reader, zayne x fem! reader, rafayel x fem! reader, sylus x fem! reader, caleb x fem! reader summary: you and your lover accidentally eat chocolates with aphrodisiacs on valentine's day night tags: small plot, p in v , desperate hot n needy a/n: hihi my lovelies! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂)⸝♡ here are my (late) chocolate gift to you for valentine's day! this one is a lil rushed bc i wanted to have a fluff and a smut written for this holiday so apologies! thank you to my beta reader @ilovemitsuya mwah ily (ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ)♡ anyways i hope you all enjoy reading ! (∩˃o˂∩)♡ cr. to the banners cafekitsune ! any likes and reblogs are always appreciated! enjoy!

⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆

Xavier:

He closes his eyes, parting his lips slightly as you gently place the chocolate in his mouth, watching him savor the taste as he guesses what flavor the luxury Valentine’s chocolate box. With each correct guess, a kiss is exchanged but whoever gets it wrong has to eat another chocolate that they didn’t like. As the game progresses, each sweet kiss becomes more lingering and more urgent. The box sat untouched and the game remained forgotten as you both have something better to eat in mind.

-

It’s hard to think about how much exactly chocolates you and Xavier ate when you he’s fucking into your swollen pussy. He groans, spreading your legs to expose your wet cunt, your inner thighs coated with his cum. Your clit glistening in the moonlight as he circles it softly with the sensitive head of his cock, dragging it up and down. It hasn’t even been a minute until your bodies are set ablaze again, growing intense with every passing second you two aren’t connected. You both were so needy for each other, your senses completely heightened than any time you two were intimate. His hot girthy dick stretches you out so deliciously that it's gonna leave an imprint on your stomach. 

Both your bodies are on fire as he desperately thrusts in and out of you as hard and fast as he can, tangled limbs just holding on to whatever you can hold as long as you’re touching each other.

His cock, pistons in and out of your weeping cunt at a relentless pace, both your visions fogging up with no thoughts other than relieving each other. A chorus of obscene noises spill out of both of you, all of it incoherent. Remnants of his cum seeps out of you due to the pacing of his thrusts, your cunt mercilessly filled.

You’re clamping down on his cock with so much desperation as you feel your orgasm approaching. They way you’re creaming on his cock, clenching around him with trembling legs, was sight only he can see and hear. He planned to make you see the stars but he saw them shining in your eyes instead, the tears welling up your eyes as he sets the animalistic pace over and over again until the burning heat dies down between you both.

Zayne:

Valentine's day, the day where you exchange and share one or two or maybe the whole box of chocolates together. You and Zayne swapped a few sweets and chocolate gifts but on your end, you ended up letting him indulge in his sweet tooth, giving him more than just a couple boxes. Neither of you gave much thought to the luxury box cover when you picked it up. One by one, each chocolate disappears from the box as you pick one up, taking a bite as you pass him the other half as he does the same for you.  It didn’t long for the sweetness of the chocolate to go away, the heat in each other’s bodies growing every second as you both craved for something much more sweeter, abandoning the box of chocolates.

-

Clearly one or five more rounds wasn’t enough for this burning ache to go away. Minutes turned into hours as he poured his cum into you, dripping down to his balls and down to your thighs. No amount of position could put an end to the heat that seemed to crawl deeper into your core every second he pulled away from you. Your body temperatures together were so high it turned you two into a muddled mess. How could he possibly ignore his lover sobbing for him, begging for more, when he needed you just as much as you needed him?

He hovers over you, trying his best not to crush you in his hold. The once composed and restrained doctor has vanished tonight, both your senses completely heightened as he desperately explores the familiar path of your body. 

His delicate, practiced and precise hands from years of surgery, rip and tug at your clothing, the urgency from the heat building in him. Each one of Zayne’s and your clothing were carelessly thrown across the house, leaving a messy trail to your shared bedroom. Marks and scratches cover his body as you try to reach for more, as if the hold you had on him wasn’t enough.

Your lips constantly chase after each other, pulling away just to catch your breaths. He rolls his hips against yours, the room filled with the sounds of your combined moans and the rhythm of your entangled bodies. His cock makes you spill sounds that you didn’t even know could come out of your mouth. Chest pressed against each other, everything had your head spinning, both of you full of primal need. His cock strokes all the right places inside you, his heavy balls smacking wetly against your cunt with every deep thrust he gives you. His thick pink sensitive head of his cock rubs your sweet spot so perfectly, sending waves of pleasure over your body. Hours and hours with no other thoughts than anything other than making you feel good and making that heat go away was his only priority.

Rafayel:

He bought you the most expensive box of chocolates, not looking at the brand or the printing on the packages but because he saw it was filled with pictures of assortment of sweets you’d love. He thought they were overpriced because of the luxury design and the fact that it was for Valentine’s day but with each bite, he found himself caving in for more. You both felt so warm, the warmth surging through your bodies that traveled down to your lower half. The more you both indulged, the more you both seemed to need something that was a much more sweet temptation.

-

You both were so hot, more than you two have ever been that the heat was enough to stop the cold weather from making you shiver. His eyes clenched shut as hot pants slip past his pretty lips, his mind fogging up as he feels your warm cunt wrap around him so perfectly, like always. 

The only thing in his mind is you, your sweet cunt squeezing his cock like heaven sent and how you roll your hips against him oh so right. 

He thinks you’re truly a work of art, filled with marks of him. You look so perfect whether it’s in front of him or behind him, painting such a pretty picture with your face in all the right angles as your face contorted in absolute pleasure.

You both roll and shift on the blanket, finding the perfect position that hits the right angles to relieve the throbbing heat between your legs. Everytime you take his buckets of his white warm seed, the burning ache always seems to come back. There is not a single part of your body that isn’t drenched from your mixed sweat, arousal or his cum.

Did someone bewitch you two? Did they think- Nevermind, he can’t think properly when you’re clenching down on him like this. He feels the way you flutter around him. Every squeeze of your cunt as he drags his cock along your walls, every drip of your arousal that coats his length, is as if he was truly part of you. 

His skin tingles irritably, aching desperately for your touch even after a second without it. Even the small sounds that escape past your lips lure him in like a sailor listening to a siren's song.  His thrusts grow faster, his hips slamming over and over again against yours as if his life duty was to repopulate Lemuria.

Sylus:

The night grew uncomfortably hot for you two, the ache between your legs was relentless and impossible to ignore. The cold breeze from the new city you two traveled too for a small getaway was not helping at all. You two didn’t drink much but the chocolates you were both gifted, disappeared between you both. Each bite melted in your mouths but soon the warmth settled over you both. The anticipation back to the suite was palpable, both of you greeted by a romantic rose trail scattered across the floor that led to a heart-shaped arrangement on the shared bed. As much as you wanted to appreciate this, you both seek- craved a remedy only you two could provide each other.

-

It didn’t take that long for that rose petal trail to be forgotten, scattered and kicked aside as you both stumble towards the bed, your lips hungrily chase after each other. Needy hands rip each other’s clothes off while your blazing bodies smash against each other, the rose petals jump off the bed once it feels the weight shift of you two fall onto it. He groans into your lips, pulling away to leave a wet trail down your neck, collecting the expensive perfume he’s gotten you on his tongue.

Sylus loves to take it slow with you, his favorite thing to do is explore your body as if he hasn’t before. But tonight, tonight his movements are rushed, desperate to see you, to feel you. Pure love still in his eyes, needy hands never really able to linger on spot for too long. No other thoughts but just you and how his body craves more and more.

The tip of his cock pushes his hot sticky mess back into your sopping cunt, groans escaping past his lips. Your walls were so sweet, so velvety, so intoxicating that the thought of those chocolates has given him an addiction from how much he can’t seem to pull away from you, brushes away from his mind.. How overpowering his deep thrusts would be, not caring at all if this bed broke or how the building shook.

His thick cock engulfed into the warmth of your clenching walls, his large hands intertwined with yours as he swallows all the sweet and pretty sounds that escape past your lips with the shove of his tongue, taking him deeper than you possibly could. His balls ram into your remorselessly, placing hot wet kisses down your neck. Your words are jumbled due to his cock pumping and out of you relentlessly from your heat as if it were to split you in half.

Your orgasm hits you hard, his following right after. His face contorts into pure pleasure, one of the best images to grace your eyes and ears as you breathlessly chant his name. While you take your time catching your breath, he’d let his fingertips graze your arm, hand cupping the side of your face while his thumb rubs along your cheek, feeling his dick twitch inside you again.

Caleb:

Dinner was going by smoothly, key word was, until something shifted in both your bodies. The special Valentine’s Day meal he prepared for you was devoured, your bright smile whenever you bit into the food was proof enough that each bite hit the spot. Until you both got to the desert, the chocolate covered strawberries recipe he found online he rushed while prepping dinner. A few bites in, the room seemed to grow hotter, your appetites shifting and craved something much more enticing.

-

He’s already a whimpering mess once you pull away from his lips, feeling like the distance between you two were a million miles apart. The touch of your needy hands to try and rip his clothes off was painfully slow. He needed more and he knew you did too. 

What was in that recipe? How much did he eat? His dick is so hard he thinks it might just explode before he even has a chance to feel your soaked walls. His desperation was so palpable that his needy whines ring in your ear as he slips it in, ripping off your panties beforehand while babbling ‘sorry sorry need you please please’ and that he’ll promise to get you new ones next time. You barely catch any of his words, your mind fogging with each drag of his cock against your sweet spot. Breathless praises for you slip past his lips, fanning your ear with his warm breath, making your velvety walls flutter and tighten around him in response.

His hips increase in speed and power, his name breathlessly escaping your lips as he knocks the air out of your lungs. His cock rubbed your walls so deliciously, making you forget the heat for a second, just for a second.

Spurts of his hot white cum into your body was not enough to please the ache in your bodies. Caleb only whines your name, pounding into your poor pussy with a merciless pace. He feels so guilty knowing he takes his time, he always takes his time with you but he’s chasing a high so desperately that his body is on autopilot, moaning pathetically into your ears. The sounds of wet skin and skin fill the kitchen for hours and hours, the special dinner he planned in mind growing cold but the one he held in his embrace growing hotter by the minute.

a/n extra: hihi again! here is my fluff valentines day headcanons and kinda where the scene in the story takes place: Valentine's Day

my past works: masterlist pg. 1 , pg. 2

[kneebie]

there's a book i like that's called "When Prophecy Fails: A Social and Psychological Study of a Modern Cult That Predicted the End of the World." It's an actual study, with follow ups on a cult in Michigan, I think it was? It's hella dry, but it does a good job explaining the history of doomsday cults before diving into the modern ones

One of the first anecdotes of the story is the anabaptists, some four to five hundred years ago. When the bible was first translated, Martin Luther said, "hey btw your personal interpretation? That's also a correct interpretation, because it is a divine script," or something along those lines, and people went NUTS.

One particular experience is recollected in which a dude strolls into town after the second failure of the world to end, and a random villager calls out, "HEY, JOHANNES! WHERE IS YOUR WIFE? WAS SHE RAPTURED WITHOUT YOU?" which really goes to show Twitter has existed in us throughout all of the ages, even without the tech

And ALSO goes to show that the thing that kept those doomsday cults going was that, at the end of the day? People weren't there to hash it out. People were there to say fuck off with your heretical views, etc. And so a large amount of outreach was completely neglected because, like, why would you? They're silly. They're stupid. How could they even believe such a thing?

Except, and here's the thing, and it's all over this website: we are not immune to cults. People get caught up in echo chambers all the time, and it's nice to finally have that sense of belonging. You go out of the group, and what do you find? Oh man, people are HELLA mean outside your own ingroup.

This is basically what grifters and cults have in common. Some cults can be relatively benign. Grifters? Much, MUCH more rarely. And so, consciously or not, Trump's counting on the fact that when his tariffs raise the price of, say, eggs, we are all going to yell "HEY JOHANNES WHERE IS YOUR WIFE," all over again. And so people who are seeing signs of shit being bad will go OH, NOT SAFE IN THE OUTGROUP, GONNA GO BACK TO THE INGROUP, and reinforce their worldviews from inside their own heads, rather than with external observations. Cause the external observations are generally brought on by dicks and jackasses more interested in saying "I WAS RIGHT" than "hey man yeah, you're right, the price of eggs has gone up for those reasons and it does kind of suck."

Am I saying that every single Trump supporter needs to be courted with lovely words and woo-ed back to share the same reality? No. Trump's actively courted white nationalists and armed militia members, as well as the people sympathetic to those causes.

Which is to say, there's a spectrum of Trump supporter. There's the ethnonationalists. And there's the people who kinda just don't give a shit, and haven't, and he said some words in some soundbites that sounded like it'd help with everyday problems they're facing. That's what a demagogue does. Just says shit and some of it sticks.

So instead of being like "JESUS CHRIST YOU RACIST," try and open a dialogue first. Figure out if they're the sort of person who hasn't given it much thought, or was tricked because they trusted the wrong source, or if they're part of the Proud Boys. Doesn't usually take long to figure that out.

And even then, when you're about to go attacking that white nationalist? The Republican party is the party of grievances. That's why it's one hundo percent culture war one hundo percent of the time. Just give a thought to how far you're personally going to fuel that grievance, since dogpiling one Republican can then reinforce HUNDREDS TO THOUSANDS of other Republicans, with the way Shapiro and other talking heads work.

I'm not saying don't! It's now more critical than ever to express dissent, and to show that not everyone agrees with the fascist in charge atm. Just know how they work, and how they're going to use your own good intentions, and make your own calculations on whether it's worth it to be a dick to someone online

Might I give some advice:

Not everyone has (or needs to have) the energy to thoughtfully respond to republicans on the Internet. You do not have to do that.

But some people do, and can. And I think we gotta let them.

An example:

I have a former teacher, I'll call her Grace, who is an incredibly kind woman in her 70s. Devout catholic, had voted for various parties over the years, but has been pretty strictly democrat over the past 15-20 because that aligns with her values of kindness and service.

She shared a post about the pope's recent letter and expressed that she agreed with his concerns about how trump is treating immigrants. A friend of hers commented a long paragraph basically saying "dear Grace I care for you but I don't understand how you can be a Christian and a democrat. Blah blah abortion blah blah gender blah blah drugs."

Grace replied "I'm very busy right now but I am going to respond to you soon with my thoughts". When she did it was an incredibly generous, rational monologue that connected with this person's humanity, their shared religious values, and made a beautiful case for why she supports who she does. I didn't agree with a good half of what she said as I am not a Christian, but the result was an expression of values that I think put her on the side of justice and compassion.

The person replied and thanked her and said she had a lot to think about. It was probably the best case scenario for a Facebook politics conversation

You know what came very close to ruining it? A bunch of (mostly younger) people piling on with "fuck you you racist maga pos" and "no one has to explain anything to you, go to hell" etc etc. Even after Grace wrote that she intended to reply herself.

I watched this republican respond to all the easy, quick insults by saying "this is why I don't think any democrats can be Christian, this is how you all speak to me." If Grace hadn't put so much work into writing her response in a way that was tailored to fit this person, I would not be surprised if that person left Facebook doubly certain that Christian nationalism is the way to go.

I'm not saying we can't cuss out jackasses. I'm not saying everyone needs to respond to bad faith arguments like Grace did or use their time like she did.

But this was on Grace's Facebook page, and interrupted the work she already volunteered to do. Just so these individuals could feel like they "did something" and got a shot off at an enemy.

I think that's selfish and childish and unproductive. They could have said anything they wanted in their own space, but they made grace's job harder for no fuckin reason. And then "loved" her reply and said "that was beautiful Grace, thank you for sharing your thoughts"

Like... Buddies. Pals. If someone volunteers to scrub the toilet fucking let them.

[babybearnation]

Puppy dog labradoodle!Lando and bunny!reader ?

idk much about labradoodles so this may come across as very generic but i hope thats okay!

labradoodle hybrid!lando norris x bunny hybrid!gn!reader

cw: minor suggestive ending

everyone was positive this wasn't a good mix at first considering that dogs are predators to bunnies

but you and lando were still human, and therefore you didn't feel the same way about each other that real dogs and bunnies did

the two of you were shy and tentative around each other at first but soon settled into a familiar sense of safety

lando loved to groom you - taking gentle care of your soft rabbit-y ears and making sure your cottontail was fluffed to perfection

and you often returned the favour by gentle de-tangling the curls of fur lining his ears and tail (as well as his human hair, of course)

loves to puppy kiss you aka expect lots of excitable licks over your lips and cheeks from him because he has less control over his animal side than you do

not afraid to growl at anyone who crosses you, always making sure to cover your sensitive ears as he does so

might accidentally bite you every now and then but you do the same thing so it's fair and balanced

giggles whenever your ears tickle his skin but he'll get upset if you pull them away because he really loves the softness of them

can't fall asleep unless he has one of your ears in his grip, softly rubbing over it to soothe him to sleep

once softly chewed on your bunny ears without thinking about it and now he's addicted to doing it - will only do it with your consent though because he doesn't wanna play into the stereotype of dog hybrid hurts bunny hybrid

howls with excitement whenever he wins a race or gets on pole because he knows it makes you giggle and that's all that matters to him most days

has so much energy that he easily outpaces you - his enthusiasm is infectious but you only have so much energy and it's no where near as much as lando has

the first time you flopped over beside him, perfectly still and content, lando panicked and asked what was wrong until you told him that you felt safe and your bunny nature made you wanna flop over and snuggle close to him

loves to hear you chitter and squeak whenever he kisses all over your face because the sounds make him so happy - the serotonin it gives him is truly off the charts

always willing to defend you or protect you around predator animal hybrids because he knows you do still get a little bit scared around them (especially with bigger hybrids like lion!max or bear!ollie)

has to kiss your bunny ears before he gets in the car otherwise he cannot race - claims you're his lucky charm

loves to see you bouncin' on it

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hi! Could I request a Shadow Milk Cookie x gender neutral reader x Pure Vanilla Cookie?

Poly relationship please? Fluff hcs!

So this started out a little angsty,,, but there's more fluff towards the end!

.....

At the time of your adventure to the Spire of Knowledge Deceit, you and Pure Vanilla were already together.

Despite the Dark Flour War separating you two for many years, you somehow found your way back to each other, vowing to make up for the lost time...

Now your love was being put through another rigorous test within Shadow Milk's domain.

His games, his trials, and all his attempts to sway Pure Vanilla to his side ended up revealing how lonely the Beast truly felt deep down, and seeing you both persevere hand-in-hand didn't help matters.

Of course, being sealed away in a tree for eons would do that to any normal cookie.

So you had a little bit of sympathy for him...even though you initially hated him for turning your beloved into Truthless Recluse and tormenting you and your friends like this.

But you couldn't forget Pure Vanilla's words when he sensed that droplet of darkness in his other half, his desires to have someone to relate to, and the aching loneliness inside...

The next time you saw him, it was actually you who convinced him to join the Cookie Kingdom.

Of course he was against it, thinking it's another trick, until he comes to realize some painfully obvious truths:

His spire was in ruins, he's got nowhere else to run, his minions were acting insufferable, and he still couldn't get the two of you stupid Cookies out of his goddamn head...

So he agrees, but claims it's only to satiate his boredom until his powers return.

Pure Vanilla sees that he finally reconsidered that offer of friendship he previously denied, and that's good progress.

It's not a simple transition, of course, as during the first week or so, Shadow Milk behaves like a stray dog. One that only knew pain and felt like he'd be judged (especially if the other Beasts were already there).

He snaps at you both if you catch him showing vulnerability, vowing to spread devastating rumors and lies throughout the kingdom....

But neither of you are perturbed, and slowly that wall comes down with enough time and patience.

His yearning for companionship starts to show itself more and more, in the form of little puppet shows he does depicting you three.

For the Cookie Kids, it's silly and entertaining, but you and Pure Vanilla know their real meaning.

Eventually, after having a talk with your healer bf, you two approach Shadow Milk with an offer for him to join your relationship.

At first his face is deadpan, before he howls with laughter and asks what the punchline is....only to find out you're serious.

He didn't like the idea of sharing a partner, much less with the one who has his soul jam, but once you begin showering him with attention and affection...he finds himself warming up to you surprisingly fast.

It just clicks that he didn't have to put on a show or make up lies about himself so you'd like him---he could just be, well, himself, and that was enough.

And he finally gets to be with Pure Vanilla, the only one who actually did understand him.

He still thinks you two are foolish to forgive him, considering he tried tearing apart your relationship, but you assure him that's all in the past.

He might not be entirely good, but he can always be better. And he's shown that he wants that.

Once the relationship becomes more established, you begin seeing the stark contrasts in how they each spend quality time with you alone.

You've known Pure Vanilla as a gentle soul who'd take walks through the gardens with you, have deep discussions about life and how much the kingdom has grown since you both had your memories and powers restored, care for the cream sheep and all animals who reside on the kingdom grounds...

And now you've come to know Shadow Milk as a clingy jester who drags you into (harmless) games of chess, cards, etc., convinces you to assist him in pranks, and leaves gifts from the other-realm by your nightstand (mainly plushies and other trinkets resembling himself).

While it was unusual for Black Sapphire and Candy Apple to see their master act this way...he's come to accept it quicker, seeing that his happiness is genuine, while she pouts from time to time about no longer being the "favorite", always giving you the side-eye, but you won her favor after insisting that Shadow Milk paid attention to her at least once in a while.

Eventually, you come to learn of his touch-starved nature, as he frequently shapeshifts into some fluffy animal to cuddle with you and/or Pure Vanilla (and you both know it's him 100% of the time).

He doesn't know how to ask for a hug without sounding pathetic. But you get tired of waiting.

So one day, you just drag him onto the bed for cuddles, giving him no time to disguise himself, and at first he gets upset, especially when the healer walks in and asks why he felt the need to always do that...

Until he realizes how warm and comfortable your embrace is; and with Pure Vanilla on the other side of him, his dough nearly turns to putty, and before you could let go, he clings to you both tighter.

Does he cry into your arms? Yeah. But he won't admit he's crying even if there's tearstains on your clothes and makeup running down his face.

Still, you and Pure Vanilla won't say anything about it and just let him hold you for as long as he needed, happy that he's finally willing to accept this one simple truth into his heart:

The truth that he belonged here and was meant to be with you both.

[fairestwriting]

Hi! Hope you're doing well! I love your writing, I got so excited when I saw you're rqs were open!!!

Could i request dorm leaders w/reader who sang a break-up song while they're dating w/a happy ending? not for a performance or anything, just listening to music and singing along and a mob character passing by heard it. then suddenly there's rumors around the school saying their relationship is falling apart. the reader doesn't know. the boys don't realize that it a big misunderstanding and think that the reader might not be happy with their relationship and they desperately try to make it up to the reader.

Kind of like this one including malleus and azul https://www.tumblr.com/coralinnii/697097733985730560/singing-a-break-up-song-while-dating-feat

sry for rambling, i really love the way you write the characters, if it's too much, don't worry about! thank you!

fjfejf thank you i hope you enjoy your rq too <3 this one takes me back…. throwback sunday

(Also happy (late) valentines day everybody! i wanted to post that that on time for it but it got. so long

𐙚 Riddle Rosehearts

Ironically, you might have even shown him that song before. Riddle is pretty out of the loop, so he’s always curious about what you’re listening to. He never thought that your enjoyment of the song had anything to do with your relationship. It’s just a song, right? And at first, he thinks the exact same when the rumor arrives at him through Cater, chastising him for spreading such baseless claims.

…But it doesn’t take too long for it to get to him. And wasn’t that one of your most listened songs too? He can never remember the titles very well. His uncertainty feeds on the words of others until they make complete sense to him. If you were really happy, why would you be so obsessed with that specific song, after all? Riddle starts to pick apart his own actions, trying to find what could have made you so unhappy… And the truth is, everything is not only going well, but he probably mixed up the song from the rumor with an unrelated song you’re actually obsessed with. His entire issue is built around an impression that you’ve been secretly wallowing all this time, all due to some awful thing he’s supposedly done— Without even noticing how much he hurt you, no less.

Suddenly, when you spend time together, he’s awkwardly asking if you’re really sure that this or that is really okay, like he did when you just started dating. You ask him what’s wrong, and he quickly, awkwardly, blurts out that he heard the rumors, and he was trying to make up for his actions… And you’re just standing there, confused.

Luckily, Riddle has just enough common sense that saying his worries out loud makes him realize how frankly insane he sounds. And when he hears that he was, in fact, thinking of the wrong song, his whole face is as red as his hair. You might have to hold back some laughter as you comfort him… Despite the ridiculousness of the situation, it does feel sweet that he’s so eager to make you happy. Even if it means having to fix a huge problem he doesn’t quite understand.

𐙚 Leona Kingscholar

There’s probably no shortage of rumors about your relationship. Good ones, bad ones, and a good few that were just weird— Leona says with his full chest that he thinks they’re all a waste of time, that it was just people being bored, or jealous, or both. He does wholly believe his own words. He also remembers every single thing he hears about you two.

Similar to Riddle, his initial reaction is that the rumor is just stupid. You listening to a song meant that you wanted to break up with him? Really? People must be running out of things to say, if they’re fixating on something so meaningless… And yet, he can’t keep himself from getting the urge to watch you more closely when you’re together.

Leona will die before he actually admits this rumor ever got to him, really. Even the people he overheard talking about it said it kind of seemed like a reach. He’s not about to start a conversation about it, or even openly express that some stupid bit of gossip had him so worried— But he still feels the need to watch. Do you get bored when you’re just sitting nearby while he’s supposedly sleeping? Do you look uncomfortable when he comes closer? Questions like that come up in his mind.

The answer, of course, is that you don’t. And that’s the end of it… or at least he wants to believe that. The rumor won’t come up unless you mention it, he just randomly comes off just a little softer than usual. It’d be hard for anyone to make the connection, surely Leona wouldn’t get that affected by something so silly, he said it was stupid himself. And yet, it’s still hard to miss how he visibly relaxes when you confirm that’s how you thought.

𐙚 Azul Ashengrotto

There’s all sorts of rumors going around about Azul himself, but they’re mostly just long debates on whether it’s worth getting involved with his deals or not. That’s easy enough to ignore when he has people coming in and out of the Lounge everyday. People who complain were just mad about the consequences they faced due to not reading the fineprint and all that.

This self awareness doesn’t help that much when the rumor comes to his attention, though. He’ll comment about how childish the people gossiping about you were to whoever tells him the news, but his words are hollow. Logic is already in the process of leaving his brain, entirely skipping over how ridiculous the whole thing was. It’s sudden enough to hit him with every mistake he might have made like a truck. The office door is slammed shut and locked so he go insane in peace. The thought of rumors themselves are what stands out the most. That had to be what drove you over the edge, right? Someone must have told you terrible things about him, and now you were miserable and confused and— And then he’s calling you, urgently asking for you to give him a chance to explain himself.

The whole “song” part of the rumor might as well not exist anymore. You ask him what this was all about, and he’s going on and on about how he swears whatever you heard about him wasn’t actually that bad and how he’s sorry that you’re getting caught up in all of this mess. You have no idea what it’s all about. It takes a bit of a back and forth for him to realize this. Then he’s just silent. And on instinct, as the realization hits him, he just hangs up, mortified.

You leave to go see him in person, worried or confused or amused or all of the above. You knock on his door, asking him what was up, what rumors he was talking about, he’s too embarrassed to answer for a bit. When he finally does, he looks at you so guiltily, you might even expect he’s about to make a serious confession— It does take a little effort not to giggle when he actually explains it. Insists to get you two some fancy dinner afterwards to make up for the “trouble”, no matter how much you insist you’re glad that it was just a misunderstanding.

𐙚 Kalim Al-Asim

Surprisingly, or maybe not, Kalim is actually quite used to people gossiping about him too. It doesn’t mean he’s the best at handling it, but even before deciding to work on becoming a more capable person, he was already a couple steps ahead from quite a few other people. Even compared to the other dorm leaders — or maybe, especially compared to them — he usually doesn’t have a very hard time ignoring what others say about him.

The first time he hears the rumor, it’s from a few Scarabia students whispering to each other in the corners of the dorm lounge. His first concern is calling out how rude it is to spread rumors about other people, and while he doesn’t have much of an aura of authority, people like him too much to not back off. He thought that was the end of it, and was almost succesful at fully ignoring the rumor, but he’s unlucky enough a particularly nasty someone catches on that it did bother him, despite it technically not showing on the outside.

And then it’s not just a problem, but a long running one. Because he doesn’t want to listen to people saying all those mean things about you! You’re always happy when you’re around him, there’s no way you’d be secretly holding a grudge over… what, really? You two don’t even fight! …That’s the sort of thing he’ll be telling himself, as time passes, and without him even fully processing the building anxiety, you start to wake up to… random gifts from your boyfriend, piled up at the door of your dorm room. How long had it been since you forgot about the song, when you reach the point of deciding to ask him what this was all about? Who knows. The gifts didn’t feel that odd at first, he just does that sometimes, but you were starting to run out of space, and Kalim was starting to act weird around you. So you bring it up… And he actually bursts into tears.

Poor guy, honestly. He’s a mess, saying he’s sorry, he didn’t know what else to do to make your not want to break up with him, all that. He’s saying he’ll let you go if that’s what you truly want when you interrupt him and ask what he’s even talking about, and he tearfully mentions he heard those rumors— That at this point might have even died down. You have to assure him it’s all just rumors for a while, and he tears up again, this time out of happiness. He’s not even going to think about how crazy it was that he got so deep into something that had no depth at all. He’s just too glad that you’re not upset.

𐙚 Vil Schoenheit

Vil’s initial reaction mostly depends on what sort of day he’s had. It’s harder to not overthink things when he’s already stressed — Not that he believes it in any case, it’s just unpleasant to hear either way. The whole thing sounds, frankly, just too shallow to truly hit him. How could anyone claim to know how you were feeling just because you liked this one specific song? How could they even confirm you actually liked that song at all, really… But people still talk about it, and that’s how it sticks to his thoughts.

He’s already dismissed the rumor itself, the question is whether it really came up out of nowhere or not. Maybe someone had noticed you were looking down, or you confided in a friend about relationship issues, and that’s what’s really behind all those flashy claims about the song — The idea makes him anxious. You two usually just talk it out if there’s an issue, so what could have happened? You’re caught off guard when he asks you out for lunch, just the two of you, right in the middle of the week because it’s the only time slot he has available.

You think maybe he just felt like doing something nice but still easygoing. So it definitely feels strange when he starts to speak up about how he’s aware he’s not perfect, but he’s willing to work on anything that might bother you, you realize he looks oddly serious for the situation—

You blink, telling him you knew that, but everything was fine. If anything was wrong, you would’ve just talked to him, like you always do. He stops on his tracks, suddenly feeling kind of silly. If it was anyone else, maybe he’d question if you really meant that, but you say it so easily it couldn’t not be the truth— Then you ask him if something is wrong, and he does his very best efforts to circumvent the topic, something about being told you were unhappy… You recall a friend bringing up the rumor to you, before that, and it feels hard to believe something so silly would get to him. It turns out to be a nice date anyway, though. Maybe something you could do more often?

𐙚 Idia Shroud

Honestly, even before he registers that all of this is over you enjoying a song, his brain is already going haywire. When it does hit that this was all over a song, though, he stops, and not because it’s all over a song. But instead because the gossip itself implied that you weren’t listening to it while wallowing by yourself— Then, right after, he wonders if that means things were even worse than they seemed. Did people know because you were telling your friends about it or something? The questions keep coming up, the logic getting more and more complicated inside his head…

Would it be better to check up on you? Straightforwardly ask if anything is wrong? There’s no way he could just do that, what would he do if it all turned out to be right, if you’ve been silently despising him this whole time? In the end, you don’t hear from Idia that day at all. Then Ortho calls you out of concer, not knowing what’s happening beyond the fact his brother is losing his mind. You can even hear him in the background, telling him to hang up.

…And after a day without any texts, and a call from Ortho that sounded like Idia might as well have been stabbed in his room, you rush over to his dorm. You hurry to check up on him, expecting something bad, and he’s actually shocked you’re worried about him. That you don’t outright hate him. Hearing that, you’re understandably confused.

Your reaction brings him back to reality a bit, prompting him to ask if he’s done anything wrong. You ask him what made him think that. He mentions something about a song. Music, of course, is the furthest thing from your mind right now, so you ask him which song— It soon becomes clear there’s been an insane misunderstanding. After relief hits, it’s a little awkward, and he’s apologizing for how crazy he must have looked. You’re just glad your boyfriend didn’t get jumped or anything like that. Details can be discussed later.

𐙚 Malleus Draconia

Malleus takes it all pretty seriously. You probably showed him the song yourself, since he gets curious about the music you like, and it did stand out to him that it’s breakup music— But he doesn’t consider that, by itself, a reason to worry. He’ll always believe your word over others, which is why it’s so confusing to him to hear that you were supposedly unhappy. And people were considering your taste in music as proof on top of it all? Would that mean that showing him the song was some sort of indirect message, then…?

It doesn’t feel in character for you, he thinks, but he doesn’t want to risk it. He does consider doing something to make up for his supposed mistakes, but since the topic of breaking up is on the table, he decides nothing could really be enough. And you were really so upset you were about to give up on him, he doesn’t know what he could do to make you feel better. In the end, he just decided to ask — right at the very next time he sees you, before saying anything else — why you wanted to break up with him.

”What”,you echo, and for a moment he wonders if you were really so resentful you were making fun of him, but that definitely doesn’t sound like something you’d do. He explains he heard people talk about it, saying he wanted to “hear your thoughts on the matter before believing anyone else”, that he was hoping to solve whatever the problem was. He’s so serious it stuns you, you tell him there aren’t any problems.

That confuses him. What did you mean when you showed him the song, then? Nothing, it turns out. You just liked the music. His worries dissipate soon after that, if you say it was all well, of course he’ll believe you. He does remind you to tell him if it’s not, because he doesn’t want that imagined scenario to become true at all, but he’s ready to just (very) gratefully set it all aside. Simple as that. Won’t get it if you seem to find the situation amusing, but won’t stop you from finding humor in it either.

if you like my work you can support me by commissioning me or tipping me on ko-fi ── ᵎᵎ ✦

[night-dark-woods]

Transcript:

IB: How does this come out in your writing?

UL: Well, I think in the sense I just said. I'm interested in other cultures. I have this great advantage of not being brought up ethnocentric, of not being culture-bound. Of course, we're all culture-bound in that we grow up in one culture. But I grew up amongst people who spent their life thinking about other cultures and about the way others thought—different races, different people. I thought this was the way everybody was. The world came as kind of a shock when I realized everybody wasn't an anthropologist or an Indian and wasn't interested in facts and artifacts and the structure of society. All this shows up very clearly in my books. My father did the real thing; I make it up.

End transcript.

"fantasy writers should be more anthropology brained" love to see you guys wanting to emphasise the racism central to much of the genre

[callsign-rogueone]

vigil

Sawyer Henrick x reader (Peach!) words: 2.0k 🏷️: end of iron flame spoilers — our poor boy 🥺 time skip, so they’re back at the school now. descriptions of his injury, mentions of intrusive thoughts / ocd, Ridoc being the sweetest and looking out for his bestie’s girl <3 here marks the end of iron flame for them!! future chapters will have spoilers for onyx storm, whenever I get around to finishing it.

“Come back to me,” you whisper into the collar of his flight jacket. “Please.”

His lips brush against your temple as he speaks. “Always. I will always come back to you.”

You linger there a moment, knowing that this may be the last time you’ll ever hold each other. You aren’t ready to let go. You probably won’t ever be. How many times will you relive this moment? Will it ever hurt any less, or get any easier?

It shouldn’t, really. 

“Hey,” he says softly, pulling back and tilting your chin up to look at him, brushing a stray tear from your cheek. “I’ll be okay. We all will.”

You nod, trying to convince yourself that he’s right. He and his friends will stick together -- and they’re all powerful. They can fight whatever’s out there, and win. That’s what they’ve been preparing for this whole time.

“I love you,” you manage, swallowing the rest of your tears.

He drops a kiss to your forehead. “I love you too. I’ll find you when it’s over, okay?”

Another nod.

You don’t know what else to say. There are no words for this situation, nothing that will make this situation any better for either of you.

You stand there another moment, trying to commit the sight of the other person to memory: how the first light of day brings out the red in his hair, the hilt of the sword he wears across his back, and the grooves he made there that fit his hands perfectly, the flight goggles perched on the top of his head… the pale blue of your healer’s robes and how they contrast against your skin, the flower necklace that peeks out from the collar, and the tidy hairstyle you default to every day…

He’s the first to turn away.

It’s agonizing to watch him leave, but it may very well be the last time you see him — so you stand there, until he crosses the bridge back into his quadrant and slips into a crowd of identically dressed riders, out of reach and out of sight.

All you can do for him now is pray. You close your eyes, beginning a silent plea to Amari and her husband — that’s interrupted by a familiar, but irritating voice.

“Look what the cat dragged in.”

You freeze, turning to see Helen, one of the senior healers, who for some reason absolutely despises you. “Ma’am,” you begin, unsure how to continue.

“Is this profession a joke to you?”

“No, of course not,” you answer. “I…”

“Disappearing for a month without as much as a note, leaving all your responsibilities and schoolwork behind to go chase after a boy? If it was up to me, and we didn’t need all hands on deck today, you’d be leaving this infirmary in shackles.”

How the fuck are you supposed to respond to that? Does she want you to beg her to forgive you, or is she content to watch you blink at her like this, too stunned to form words?

“Lowen! I need you.”

You look at her another moment before you come back to your senses, looking in the direction of the voice. “Coming!”

You round the corner, squeaking in surprise when you’re tugged into a supply closet.  

Sarah.

You wrap her in a tight hug, taking a moment to breathe. You hadn’t been too worried about anyone at Basgiath, who were still under the wards, but it’s a relief to see her again after not hearing from her for a month.

“I’m so glad you’re alive,” she whispers. 

“Helen isn’t.”

She laughs. “I swear, she got even worse after you left. I still think you’re absolutely insane for that, by the way.”

“I know,” you answer. “You’ve told me that a few times.”

“Alright. Help me carry these boxes?”

Over the next hour, the already-somber infirmary grows even quieter, as everyone realizes that everything is ready — the beds made up, bandages prepared, surgical tools cleaned… You’ve done all you can do. 

Now you just have to wait.

————————

“I need all hands!” someone calls, and you drop the towels you’ve been folding to turn to the door. 

It doesn’t take you more than a second to realize that the person they’re wheeling in is Sawyer. As soon as you catch a glimpse of his rain-soaked hair, you know.

His eyes are closed, his head lolled onto his shoulder — he’s unconscious, completely limp. You finally tear your eyes away from his face, your heart nearly stopping when you realize why he’s here: half of his left leg is just gone. 

Someone had tied a tourniquet around his thigh, but it’s not enough to stop the seemingly endless flow of blood. The life is pouring out of him, spilling onto the floor and staining it red, and all you can do is stand there and watch. Your boots are stuck to the stone beneath you, your eyes fixed on the shredded muscle and exposed bone, the things you aren’t supposed to see outside of your textbooks. 

You’ve never flinched at any cuts or broken bones, never hesitated to fall into place beside your mother when the neighbors came knocking after farming accidents — none of it ever fazed you. 

But it’s never been him.

“Lo,” someone says softly, a hand settling on your arm, “if you can’t…”

“I can,” you interrupt, “and I will.”

——————

“You should get some sleep, P.”

It takes you a second to place the voice as Ridoc’s. You shake your head, not looking up. “I can’t take my eyes off of him.”

“He’s gonna be okay,” he says softly. “That tourniquet you gave him saved his life, y’know. Violet tied it for him, as soon as she could.”

You’re quiet for a moment, unsure how to explain yourself. “I know he should pull through, I just… I have this thing, that I’ve had since I was a child. I’ll have a terrible thought, and I try brushing it off or forgetting about it like a normal person would, but I can’t. It sticks to me, and I have to prevent it from happening by holding my breath or washing my hands or saying a prayer or something. And right now, my mind is telling me if I look away, even for a moment… I know deep down that’s not how it works, but I can’t risk it this time. I won’t. Not when it’s him.”

“I understand,” he says softly. “If I brought you food, would you eat?”

Another shake no. You haven’t had any appetite since this morning, knowing what could happen — what did happen. 

“Water, at least?”

“Okay,” you whisper.

“Attagirl. I’ll be back.”

A minute later, Ridoc steps into your peripheral vision, careful not to obscure your view of Sawyer as he extends a cup of water toward you. 

Slowly, hesitantly, you let go of Sawyer’s hand, setting it down on the bed and waiting for the worst, but he doesn’t stir, doesn’t show any reaction to the movement. You don’t know if that’s good or bad. It’s both, really; a sign that the sedation is working, but also that he isn’t going to wake up any time soon. 

He might not ever.

You reach up to take it, inhaling sharply at the sight of your sleeve. The pale blue fabric is spotted with rusty brown patches — Sawyer’s blood. You’d scrubbed it off your hands, but it’s still stuck to you, staining your clothes and lining your fingernails. No amount of cold, soapy water would get it out.

Water. Right.

You take a slow sip, realizing how parched you are. The rest of the cup goes down easily, and your voice doesn’t sound as raspy as you speak again. “Thank you,” you whisper.

Ridoc takes it back from you, settling into a chair in your line of sight — on the opposite side of the bed. “How are you holding up? I know it must have been hard, seeing… that.”

“It usually isn’t,” you answer. “But it usually isn’t him.”

He nods, silent for a moment. “Everyone else is safe. Nothing serious.”

“S’ good,” you say quietly. 

Another short silence — just the distant sounds of the infirmary, which has slowed significantly since this morning. Most of the beds are full, if not all of them, but everyone’s been attended to, wounds bandaged and bones set. 

“I’ll be fine,” you say again, trying to convince the both of you that you mean it. “Go be with your girl.”

Ridoc looks at you a moment, thinking about it, before he rises from his chair, leaning down to brush his lips against Sawyer’s temple. “See you tomorrow, dude. Love you.”

You smile for the first time in twelve hours.

Sawyer stirs, his hand moving against yours, and your heart jumps. You and Ridoc both hold your breath, waiting. 

“Peach?” he murmurs.

“Right here,” you answer, squeezing his hand gently.

“S’good,” he mumbles in reply, his eyes still closed — still working off the double dose of sedatives you’d had to give him to keep the pain at bay. “Was worried about you.”

You manage a laugh. Of course he worried about you, even when you’d been safe indoors for the whole battle. You bring your other hand up to brush the hair from his eyes, stroking the backs of your fingers over his cheek. “I’m okay, sweet boy. Get some sleep. I’ll be here when you wake.”

He hums a soft acknowledgment, settling deeper into the blankets. 

Ridoc gives you a gentle half-hug before he slips away, headed back to the rider’s quadrant. 

You take a fresh look at Sawyer, with a healer’s eyes, comforted by what you see: some of the color has returned to his face, and his skin is warm against yours, both good signs that he’s coping with the blood loss. You move your hand down to check his pulse — it’s steady against your fingers, if a little slow. His breaths are even, the bleeding has stopped… he’s out of the woods, sleeping soundly with the help of the heavy dose of pain-reliever.

You turn your gaze toward the window, out into the night sky. “Thank you,” you whisper to the stars. “Thank you.”

You could swear you feel the fleeting touch of a warm hand on your shoulder, but Ridoc has already left. You must be more sleep deprived than you’d thought. Surely it wouldn’t hurt to rest your eyes for a little while, now that Sawyer is conscious again.

You toe off your boots, tucking your legs underneath you and getting as comfortable as you can in the hard wooden chair, resting your head on the edge of the mattress.

You wake to the warm orange light of sunrise, and a gentle hand stroking your hair.

“You should have woken me up earlier,” you chide gently, fighting a yawn, but the sleepiness fades quickly as you realize he’s awake — and he likely has been for a while, judging by the way he’s managed to prop himself upright.

“You needed the sleep,” he says softly, his voice dry and scratchy. “And you looked too peaceful to wake.”

You sit up, ignoring the stiffness in your neck from sleeping in that terrible position, and turn to look at him. “How much do you remember?” you ask in a whisper, taking his hand gently. You look scared, those pretty eyes wet with tears and softened with concern.

“All of it, I think. Are you okay?” he asks softly, squeezing your hand.

You clear your throat, embarrassed that you’re the one crying right now. “Of course I am, why…”

“Is my squad okay?”

You nod — Ridoc had assured you last night that the others were all present and accounted for. 

“Then I’m okay.”

You exhale, more tears slipping down your cheeks. 

“I had to keep my promise,” he says, managing a smile. “I couldn't leave you behind again.”

You rest your forehead against his, closing your eyes. “I love you, Sy,” you whisper. “To the ends of the earth.”

“And I love you, sweet girl. To the South star and back.”

“To the South star and back,” you agree, your voice cracking with emotion.

He brings a hand up to cradle your cheek, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. “We’ll be okay,” he promises. “As long as we have each other, we’ll be okay.”

[nhlclover]

BACKUP VALENTINE MAT BARZAL

pairing: fem!reader x mat barzal

summary: with neither of you wanting to be alone on valentines day, you and mat decide to be each other’s backup valentines.

warnings: friends to lovers, mentions of cheating, little bit of drinking (just wine)

wc: 3.44k

notes: happy belated valentines day!! i totally forgot to write a proper fic on v-day, so here it is, two days late. hope you enjoy!

The night air was crisp when you pulled up outside of Mat’s place, the sting of heartbreak and humiliation still fresh in your chest. The dim glow of his porch light flickered against the dark, casting long shadows over the sidewalk as you stepped out of the car, cradling the container of leftovers and a bottle of wine like they were the only things keeping you upright.

Your heart still felt heavy, raw in a way that only fresh heartbreak could make it. Every bitter word, every excuse he’d given you replayed like a cruel, looping soundtrack in your head. It’s not you, it’s me. I just don’t think I’m ready for anything serious right now. Excuses that sounded rehearsed, lifeless, as if he’d decided long before tonight that he’d be walking away.

You swallow hard, blinking away the sting behind your eyes as you climb the short steps to Mat’s door and knock, three quick raps before you lean against the frame, exhaling shakily.

A few seconds pass before you hear the shuffle of feet, then the door swings open, revealing Mat in a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie, his hair mussed, like he’d just been sprawled out on the couch. His brows knit together the second he sees your face, taking in the way your lips press tight, the way your shoulders curve inward like you’re trying to make yourself smaller.

“Shouldn’t you be on a date right now?” he asks, stepping aside immediately to let you in.

You step inside without answering, toeing off your shoes as Mat closes the door behind you. The warmth of his house wraps around you, a stark contrast to the cold outside, but it does little to thaw the ache in your chest. You set the container of leftovers and the wine on the counter, fingers lingering on the glass bottle like it might anchor you.

Mat doesn’t push. He just watches, waiting, arms crossed loosely over his chest. You finally look up, meeting his dark eyes, and something in them softens when he sees the rawness still clinging to your expression.

“He ended things. Tonight. Said he wasn’t ready for something serious.” A humorless laugh bubbles out before you can stop it. “I feel like an idiot. Like I should’ve seen it coming.”

Mat shakes his head. “You’re not an idiot,” he says firmly.

You shrug, peeling off your jacket. To say you were unlucky in relationships might be the understatement of the year. Because, really, how many times could you hear the same excuse before it stopped stinging? Before it stopped feeling personal?

It wasn’t just tonight. It was a pattern, a string of almosts and what-ifs that always ended the same way — with you standing in the wreckage of another failed attempt at love, wondering if you were the problem. If you expected too much, wanted too much, cared too much.

“Anyways, I brought food.” you say, motioning to the takeout and wine.

He watches you move around the kitchen, grabbing plates and wine glasses, before sitting at the counter. He can sense the way you're holding yourself back, the subtle tension in your shoulders betraying the effort it takes to keep your emotions in check, even as the pain seems to radiate from you.

Mat twists the cork free with a satisfying pop, pouring two generous glasses before sliding one toward you. He doesn’t sit right away, just leans against the counter, fingers tapping against his own glass.

There’s a beat of silence before he clears his throat. “Well, if it makes you feel any better,” he starts, glancing at you from beneath his lashes, “I, uh — broke up with Alyssa.”

Your head snaps up. “What? When?”

“A few days ago.” His voice is even, but there’s an edge underneath, something restrained. “She was cheating.”

Your breath catches. “Mat…”

He shakes his head before you can say more, shoving his hands into his hoodie pocket. “Yeah. Found out last weekend. Had proof. She didn’t even deny it, just—” He lets out a rough, humorless laugh. “Said she was sorry, but, you know, not sorry enough to actually not do it.”

Anger flares in your chest on his behalf. “She’s awful.”

“Yeah, well… I guess we both wasted our time on people who didn’t deserve us.”

Mat’s words settle between you, a quiet, bitter truth you both understand too well. You exhale, long and slow, before taking a sip of your wine, letting the warmth spread through your chest. The weight of the night presses against your ribs, exhaustion creeping in, but there’s something about being here, in Mat’s kitchen, that makes it a little easier to breathe.

You glance at him over the rim of your glass. “You know what the worst part is?”

Mat raises an eyebrow. “Enlighten me.”

“I’m gonna spend Valentine’s Day alone tomorrow, probably eating a heart-shaped pizza and watching romcoms by myself like a loser.” You sigh dramatically, setting your glass down with a thud. “Like, I didn’t even like him that much, but I had plans, you know? Now I’ve got nothing.”

Mat watches you for a moment, amusement flickering in his eyes, but then he shifts, rolling his glass between his hands. “So, don’t spend it alone.”

You blink, a chuckle escaping your lips. “Kinda late for that.”

“No, seriously. Why don’t we go out together?” Mat says.

You squint at him, trying to gauge whether he’s just messing with you, but Mat’s expression remains frustratingly sincere. His dark eyes hold steady on yours, any sign that he’s joking being absent.

“Like… a pity date?” you ask.

Mat scoffs, shaking his head. “No, not a pity date. More like… two people who already planned on feeling sorry for themselves tomorrow, but instead decide to eat good food and drink fancy cocktails together.”

You raise an eyebrow. “That still sounds like a pity date.”

“Fine,” he concedes, throwing up his hands. “It’s a mutually beneficial evening of good food, good company, and zero expectations. How’s that?”

You hesitate. Mat’s still watching you, his expression open but unreadable, like he’s trying not to push too hard. And maybe you should say no — maybe it would be easier to wallow at home in sweatpants with unhealthy food and a tragic movie. But there’s something about the way he’s looking at you, like he genuinely wants your company, not just someone to fill the empty chair.

“C’mon, I still have a dinner reservation anyways,” he pointed out. “It’s at that place, Amalfi, and it took me forever to get a table. And I refuse to let my ex ruin a perfectly good meal.”

“You really don’t want to go alone, do you?” you ask, tilting your head.

Mat shrugs. “I could. But I’d rather go with someone who makes me laugh.”

Your stomach flips unexpectedly at that, and you force yourself to ignore it. You should say no. It would be easier, safer, to say no. But the idea of sitting at home, stewing over your own bad luck, seems unbearable now.

You sigh, running a hand through your hair. “Fine,” you say at last. “But only because I refuse to eat heart-shaped pizza alone.”

The next evening, you stand in front of your mirror, smoothing down the fabric of your dress, nerves curling in your stomach like a live wire. It’s ridiculous, really — there’s no reason to feel this way. It’s not a real date.

But still, you do.

You stare at your reflection, tilting your head as if you might somehow find the reason why your heart is pounding a little harder than it should. It’s just Mat. Your best friend. The guy who has seen you at your worst, who has held your hair back when you were sick and made you laugh when you wanted to cry.

And yet, there’s an undeniable flutter beneath your ribs, an anticipation you can’t quite name.

You’re just putting in your other earring when you hear the doorbell ring. You take a steadying breath before making your way to the door, smoothing your hands over the fabric of your dress one last time. The moment you open it, you nearly forget how to breathe.

Mat stands there, looking unfairly good in a suit that fits him perfectly, the crisp lines accentuating the broadness of his shoulders. His dark hair is neatly styled, but there’s still that slightly tousled look to it, like he couldn’t quite tame it completely. His tie is loosened just a little, giving him that effortlessly put-together charm that’s always been so him.

But what truly makes your stomach flip is the way he looks at you.

His mouth parts slightly, his expression faltering as he takes you in. His dark eyes sweep over you, slow and deliberate, lingering on the curve of your dress, the way the soft lighting catches the shimmer of your earrings. His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows, and for the first time in your life, you see Mat completely, utterly speechless.

“Wow,” he exhales after a beat, voice quieter than usual. “You… You look—” He stops himself, shaking his head like he can’t quite find the right words. His eyes finally meet yours again as he settles. “You look incredible.”

Heat blooms in your chest, spreading up to your cheeks. You know Mat well enough to tell he’s not just saying it to be polite — there’s something different in his voice, in the way he’s still staring at you, like he’s trying to memorize every detail.

You clear your throat, forcing yourself to focus. “You clean up pretty well yourself.”

Mat huffs a soft laugh, like he’s just now remembering how to breathe. He finally seems to snap out of whatever daze he was in, lifting his arm to reveal a bouquet of fresh flowers — soft pink roses mixed with delicate white lilies.

“For you,” he says, offering them with a sheepish grin. “Figured if we’re doing this properly, I should at least bring flowers.”

Your heart stutters. You reach out, brushing your fingers against his as you take them. “Mat…”

He shrugs, suddenly looking a little bashful. “What? You deserve flowers.”

Something about the simplicity of the statement makes your breath hitch. You grip the bouquet a little tighter, inhaling their soft fragrance as warmth spreads through your chest. You meet his gaze again, and for a brief second, you swear there’s something different in his expression — something lingering just beneath the surface, waiting to be acknowledged.

But before you can dwell on it too much, Mat claps his hands together. “Alright, ready to go?” His usual easygoing demeanor is back, but there’s still a trace of something softer in his eyes.

You nod, placing the bouquet on the entry table and grabbing your coat. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

As you step out into the crisp night air, Mat’s hand hovers for a moment before he reaches for the small of your back, guiding you toward his car with a familiarity that makes your stomach flutter all over again.

When you arrive at the restaurant, it’s warm and intimate, the low hum of conversation mixing with the soft clinking of glasses and silverware. A candle flickers between you and Mat as you settle into your seats, the ambiance wrapping around you like a comforting embrace.

The conversation flows effortlessly as you place your orders. There’s never an awkward moment, never a lull where you feel the need to fill the silence. It’s always been easy with Mat, but tonight, there’s something different in the air — something you both pretend not to notice.

The wine arrives first, a deep red that gleams under the candlelight. Mat pours for both of you, raising his glass with a lopsided grin. “A toast?”

“To getting stuck with me on Valentine’s day.” you propose, clinking your glass against his.

Mat snorts, shaking his head as he takes a sip. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

You open your mouth to reply, to make some quip about him being your last-minute, backup date, but Mat interrupts before you can.

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than with you,” he says simply.

The words hang between you, soft but weighted, sinking into your chest before you even have a chance to process them. You search his face, expecting to find that teasing glimmer still in his eyes, but there’s nothing but sincerity there. No jokes, no playful smirk — just Mat, looking at you like he means every single word.

Your stomach flips, and suddenly, the restaurant feels a little too warm. You take a sip of wine to steady yourself, casting your gaze down at the flickering candle between you.

The rest of the dinner is filled with laughter and teasing. Mat makes a game out of guessing the lives of the other restaurant patrons, spinning ridiculous backstories about their relationships. You counter with even more outrageous versions, both of you trying not to laugh too loudly.

The food is incredible, the conversation even better. By the time the check comes, your stomach hurts from laughing, and your cheeks are sore from smiling so much.

Mat reaches for the bill before you can. “I got it.”

You shake your head, pulling out your card. “Mat, come on. We’re both adults. We can split it.”

He scoffs. “Not happening.”

“Mat—”

He levels you with a look, one that’s impossible to argue with. “Let me do this, okay? I want to.”

You search his expression for a moment, but there’s no smugness, no expectation — just quiet sincerity. So you let him, leaning back in your chair as he hands his card over to the server.

The night air is crisp when you step out of the restaurant, the lingering warmth of the meal and wine still settling in your veins. Mat falls into step beside you, his hands tucked into the pockets of his coat as you make your way toward his car. There’s a comfortable silence between you, the kind that doesn’t need filling.

The realization creeps in slowly, unfurling in your chest as you glance at Mat out of the corner of your eye. He looks relaxed, content even, the corners of his mouth tugged up in a way that’s not quite a smile but close enough. The streetlights cast a soft glow over his features, highlighting the sharp cut of his jaw, the unruly strands of hair falling onto his forehead.

It’s always been easy with him. That thought lingers longer than it should.

The car ride home is quiet, the soft hum of the radio filling the space between you. You steal another glance at him — really look at him this time. The way his hands grip the wheel, the way his brows furrow slightly in concentration. How at ease he seems, how at ease you feel just sitting beside him.

You don’t remember the last time a night out left you feeling this light, this warm.

A quiet sigh escapes you as you turn to look out the window, watching the familiar streets blur past. The evening had been effortless, full of laughter and shared glances that felt different in a way you weren’t quite ready to acknowledge.

Mat pulls up outside your place, cutting the engine as the streetlights cast long shadows over the quiet neighborhood. The car falls into silence, save for the faint hum of the radio still playing low in the background. You shift in your seat, hands smoothing over the hem of your dress as you glance over at him.

“Tonight was…” You search for the right word, but everything feels inadequate.

Mat turns to face you, an unreadable expression in his dark eyes. “Better than a heart-shaped pizza?”

You huff a laugh, rolling your eyes. “Much better.”

A small smile tugs at his lips, but there’s something else in his gaze — something softer, something lingering. The air between you feels charged, heavy but not uncomfortable, like there’s something unspoken hanging just out of reach.

You hesitate for a second before finally unbuckling your seatbelt. “I had a really great time, Mat.”

He watches you closely, almost like he’s trying to gauge if you actually mean it. “Yeah?”

You nod, a little surprised by how much you do. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a date that didn’t feel like work. Where I could just… be myself.”

Mat blinks, like your words catch him off guard. “Well, yeah,” he says after a beat, his voice quieter. “It’s easy with us.”

Something in your chest tightens at that.

You open the car door, stepping out into the cool night air. Mat follows, shutting the driver’s side door before falling into step beside you as you make your way to the front door. He doesn’t have to walk you up, but he does anyway, his hands shoved into the pockets of his coat.

You stop at your doorstep, turning to face him. He’s standing so close now, close enough that you can catch the faintest hint of his cologne, something clean and warm that makes your stomach flutter. You tilt your head up to meet his gaze, and for a long moment, neither of you speaks.

“Thank you, again, I really had a great time tonight,” you say again, softer this time, as if you need him to believe it.

Mat lets out a breath, his lips pressing into a small, almost disbelieving smile. “Good.” His voice is low, rough in a way that makes warmth curl in your stomach. “Me too.”

There’s a beat of silence, thick and electric. His eyes flick down to your lips — so quick you might’ve missed it if you weren’t already doing the same to him.

He swallows, shifting his weight like he’s waging some internal battle with himself. And then, before you can say anything else, he steps forward, wrapping you in a hug.

It’s not rushed, not casual — it’s slow and deliberate, like he’s grounding himself in the feeling of you against him. You sink into it easily, your arms slipping around his waist, your cheek resting against his chest. His body is warm, solid, and you let your eyes flutter shut for just a second longer than you should.

When he pulls back, his hands linger — one resting lightly on your waist, the other brushing against your arm before finally retreating. He exhales through his nose, looking at you like he’s debating something, like he’s on the edge of something neither of you quite understand yet.

And then he leans in, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to your cheek.

Your breath catches, the warmth of his lips searing into your skin. You don’t move. Can’t move. His face is so close now, his nose almost brushing against yours as he lingers there for half a second too long.

Your heartbeat thunders in your ears as your eyes flick between his lips and his gaze. You can feel his breath against your skin, warm and steady, and the tension between you shifts into something undeniable.

Mat’s hand comes up then, fingers curling lightly under your chin, tilting your face toward him. His touch is gentle, uncertain, but there’s something behind it.

His thumb brushes lightly against your skin, and he swallows before murmuring, “Can I?”

But you don’t let him finish the thought.

Before he can second-guess himself, before you can second-guess yourself, you close the space between you, pressing your lips to his in a soft, hesitant kiss.

Mat stills for half a second, like he wasn’t expecting you to make the first move. But then his hand tightens slightly at your waist, his lips moving against yours with an aching slowness that makes your head spin.

The kiss is tentative, lingering — like the both of you are still trying to figure out what this means, where it’s going. But it doesn’t feel wrong. If anything, it feels like something inevitable, something you’ve been dancing around for longer than you even realized.

When you finally pull back, your breath is unsteady, your heart hammering against your ribs. Mat’s forehead brushes against yours, his eyes still closed, like he’s memorizing the moment before reality sets back in.

“I don’t want to be just your backup Valentine,” he murmurs, voice rough with emotion.

A small smile plays at your lips. “Good. Because I don’t want this to be just one night.”

Mat exhales a laugh, shaking his head before pressing another soft kiss to your lips, like he can’t help himself. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for you to say that.”

Maybe you did. Maybe, deep down, you’d always known.

[cherryblossompink303]

Patience *Bonus Chapter*: ~degrees of seperation~

➼ pairing: Kyoya Ootori x Reader ➼ summary: Oceans apart can be very far away, and Kyoya never expected how far it would actually feel ➼ what to expect:  "If i didn't know better Kyoya Ootori I would think that you miss me" ➼ warnings: n/a

A/n: when someone comments that the next chapter will be y/n and Kyoya being masterminds and I already had this chapter written T-T

You had to admit that the flutter that you felt in your chest when you heard the familiar jingle of the video call on your computer. The summer is going incredibly since you left Japan for an internship in Italy, you found yourself counting down the hours for Kyoya to call.

"Hello?" it is already dark for Kyoya when you answer, a symptom of the time difference. "Hi" you smile, still unpacking your bag as you had only just got in from work that day. "How did talking with that competator of your father go?"

Kyoya takes a sharp inhale at the mention of the meeting "As well as we could hope. I've sworn them to secracy even if they do not accept our offer" you nod "Good, I'm sure they will, they've been looking for a way to get back at the ootori group for years" Kyoya laughs through a hum "Very true"

"How was work?"

"Alright, in full honesty if they were paying me I probably could have fixed half their issues by now, but I also don't want to work for them long term so what would be the point?" Kyoya smirks "Sounds about right"

A comfortable silence overcomes the two of you as you both basque in your combined success. "Are you being well looked after?" you roll your eyes "Yes, you know that I am" Kyoya had insisted in you staying in one of his families properties while you were in Italy.

"Do you have enough money?" you laugh "I don't think money has ever been an issue" it is kyoya's turn to roll his eyes. "I am just making sure, the less you have to rely on your parents money the better”

You huff “yes Kyoya I am fine”

“Good.”

You shake your head at kyoyas expression “what’s got you so worried?”

“Your father called today.”

Oh.

You try to seem unbothered, looking away “oh really?” Kyoya hummed, leaning back in his seat “he’s wondering why you haven’t gone home”

You raise an eyebrow “and he called you?”

“He thinks I’ve kidnapped you” you laugh at the reply “in a way he’s not fully wrong” Kyoya scoffed “like you didn’t leap to stay at the villa instead of with your nonna”

“What did you say?”

“That you are extremely busy with work placements”

“Good”

Kyoya cleared his throat “he also mentioned something else”

“Hmm?”

“Now that we’re going into third year…he said that the l/n and ootori group are going to release a joint statement confirming our engagement by the end of the year”

“What?”

This was a strange move, even for your fathers of all people.

“I would have thought that they would have waited until we graduated to announce….why move it up?”

Kyoya hums in agreement “something must have prompted them”

You wrack your brain for any idea on what would trigger them to hasten the arrangement. “Well if my father is the one that is moving it up…possibly he is sensing that your father is getting cold feet?”

He raises an eyebrow “I mean possibly but I don’t know where he would get that idea, I must admit I haven’t really spoken to my father on the matter”

It is only now that is hits you exactly what you had just been told. “Wait Kyoya, if the engagement is announced what about the host club-“

“I’ll handle that, don’t worry”

You sigh, leaning back, shaking your head “I mean…I guess if it’s moved up then it’s still happening…that’s good right?”

“I suppose, it does mean that you won’t be with them for as long after we graduate” Kyoya sighed, taking out his notebook and scribbling something down that you can't see onscreen.

You keep forgetting somehow that this engagement is actually going to end in marriage despite that being the entire point. It makes you wonder actually what life being married to Kyoya would even look like.

You always used to picture it as being cold, that the two of you would just live in the same house and for the most part mind your own business. But that was before you actually started talking to each other now you have no idea.

"How are the host club?" Kyoya groans, leaning back in his seat "As infuriating as ever, they're even harder to handle without you here to keep them in check"

You laugh "It is still the summer I am sure that they haven't been that bad" you shake your head, taking a sip of your coffee. "Tamaki's delusions ae unfortunately not seasonal i'm afraid"

"I can imagine"

"That does remind me however, our said great leader has asked for your proposed events calendar for the next semester" You have to restrain yourself from laughing midsip at kyoya's newfound nickname.

"Ok, I'll have to get started on it then, I've been a bit busy planning corperate sabotage to work on it"

"It will work out, I am sure of it"

You pause. "There is...still one more thing that we still don't know"

"Hm?"

"What exactly my father is covering up for the ootori group"

Kyoya sighs "yeah, I've been trying to look into that, the problem is trying to investigate within the ootori group without exposing our plans"

you hum in agreement "true, it is just concerning that if the group is so desperate to cover something up that your father would arrange a marriage with the head of a media empire for his daughter then it is serious, the ootori group is in medical..."

"I dread to think aswell"

Things were just going to get messy this next year, you just knew it.

"When....are you returning to Japan?"

You're head shoots up at the question, surely he already knows, a detail like that does not slip under Kyoya's radar.

"I...my placement ends on the nineteenth, you know that"

"I know...I just...thought I have may have gotten my dates wrong"

"Why would you think that? your notes as meticulous I know that much"

"I know it's just, it feels like you've been gone for a long time so..."

You raise an eyebrow "If i didn't know better Kyoya Ootori I would think that you miss me"

"More like I need someone else to deal with tamaki and the twins" You roll your eyes "You love them don't be so mean"

"If you say so"

You roll your eyes "Okay well if they are that unbearable it will be one more week until I am returning to Japan, and then your torment will be over don't worry"

Kyoya lets out a small chuckle "Good"

"Goodnight Kyoya"

"Goodnight y/n"

The room all of a sudden feels all too quiet as the call ends. One more week.

Next time on patience 'Kyoya's reluctant day out!'

Tag list (reply to be added): @skottch @cgmajor @rebirthbunbun @bbybubbles @blueberry19000 @katgirl05 @smellslikelovinglies @veras-fanfic-reblogs @sadprimrose @mirtalikesdr @sleeplesssskeleton @ritzes28 @crackpeole @rory-cakes @renjunniex @II-kita-san-II @angelicwillows @missbrebre1012 @sleep-7372 @strawberrbitch @reticent-writer @eternal-dokja @meme848 @mistyhydrangeagarden

[witchygagirlwrites]

Antonio Dawson x Reader

Antonio is sick of seeing how Kelly drags your heart around

Companion piece to Never Thought

“She’s replacing Shay! There is no way possible I am ever going to like her!” That was the first thing Antonio ever heard about you from Gabby. He knew there was a new paramedic coming in after Shay’s death. Fifty one had gone through a few temps and none of them had really been a good fit, apparently Boden had found one he thought would work. “Give her a chance” he’d told his sister. He understood the gap of losing a partner, a friend but she very well couldn’t ride solo the rest of her career also.

One week later Gabby had a smile on her face when she was talking about the fact that someone had gotten aggressive with her on a call and you’d kept a smile on your face as you’d tripped the guy down the doorsteps then with all the sincerity in the world had told him “Oh no sir. It appears you’ve hurt yourself. Do you need to be checked out as well”  “What happened to never liking her?” he teased and Gabby shrugged “She’s not what I expected honestly. I think she’s gonna fit in” 

You were at fifty one for exactly one month the first time Antonio met you. Adam had caught a round to his vest but considering the bruising already spreading under it Voight wanted him ran to Med to make sure it wasn’t a collapsed lung like Kevin had happened once. When the ambulance pulled up Gabby hopped out and you followed. You were in work mode but still smiled up at him as Gabby said “Oh yeah, this one is my brother” “Nice to meet you. Heard a lot about you” he had to remind himself it wasn’t polite or professional to stare at the pretty paramedic, especially considering it was his sister’s partner and his partner was currently her patient.

“Nice to meet you too” he replied and you winked at him “See ya around Dawson” before you and Gabby loaded Adam in the rig and rolled off. Yeah, maybe he was hooked from then but it was too soon after his divorce and you weren’t even settled yet.

The longer you worked with Gabby the more her talking about you shifted from sounding like shop talk to her talking about her friend. It also meant he started getting to know you better.  You were smart as hell, damn near fearless and didn’t hesitate to run into danger even when you were scared if someone else was at risk. You had a weird sense of humor, loved strong coffee and sang along with Gabby to damn near every song on the radio. 

He watched you heal his sister’s heart as you worked your way into his. He couldn’t admit anything of course. You were his friend and sometimes that was even better because he got to see every side of you. 

You would show up in tow with Gabby, half drunk and giggly. You’d pop up to help wrangle his kids when he had them for the weekend and when he worked late a time or two he’d come in to you, Gabby and the kids all asleep in his living room floor in a blanket fort despite the fact that the kids were tiptoeing into their teens.

When intelligence would work a scene with CFD he’d find him having to catch not only his sister with her temper but you as well a time or two. You’d hold your tongue but if Gabby ever jumped? You were swinging without a second thought to back her up.

When you called him because there was a guy that wouldn’t leave you alone he took it upon himself to find the guy. He started coming by to follow you home every night just to make sure you got in your apartment ok. Then one night the guy was dumb enough to be waiting in the parking garage of your complex. He’d ended up cracking the guy’s cheek in two places and got him arrested.

He found himself falling for you but by the time he fully realized that it was too late. You were with Kelly Severide.

“Kelly isn’t treating her right” Antonio cut his eyes up at Gabby. “I know Severide wouldn’t ever lay his hands on a woman so what are we talking here?” she shrugged “He won’t commit to her. He flirts with other women constantly. He does everything shy of physically cheating then sweet talks his way with false promises back into her bed, using her heart against her” 

“What do you want me to do? If I say something and she stays with him, I’m the asshole trying to break them up” Antonio told her and she smiled slightly “Maybe, just maybe if she was faced with the fact that she has much better options available she’d kick his ass to the curb”

He shook his head “I am not telling her I have feelings for her” “Come on, don’t be a coward!” she teased and he shook his head “I’m not that kind of man” she crossed her arms, glaring at him “But you are the kind to see the woman you’ve been head over heels for get her heart dragged through the mud by some playboy while you’re sitting here wanting her and would treat her right?”

“And if she ever figures out he’s an idiot I’ll be right here” he replied and she threw up her hands in frustration “You are both idiots!”

Antonio walked into Mollys with intentions to just have a beer, hang out for a little while then head home. That was until he spotted you with his sister and her husband. He headed for the three of you “There’s my favorite paramedic” 

His sister turned first so he grinned “Oh, you’re here too Gabby” and she shook her head then you cut your eyes back at him “Hey Antonio” he smiled but when he met your eyes he knew something was wrong  “Cariño, what is wrong?” “Nothing” you answered a little too fast. He looked towards Gabby who looked across the bar so he followed her line of sight to see Kelly sitting close enough to some brunette they looked like they were on the verge of fucking right there in the bar. He felt anger flicker to life in him. He’d been holding back from you, biting his tongue for that? “Isn’t he dating you?” he asked, looking back at you and felt his heart crumple just a bit when you dropped your eyes to not look at him or Gabby “We’re not really dating” Gabby cursed under her breath but without meaning to he found himself laughing a bit “Good” 

Your eyes flew up to his “Good?” he nodded then cut his eyes at Gabby, letting her know he was taking her advice finally. She grabbed Matt’s hand and told you “Holler if you need me babe” then the two of them walked off.

You watched them then looked back at him “What?” he felt a smile slip onto his face “If you’re not really dating Severide then it shouldn’t really be an issue if I tell you I am so tired of seeing that man steal your smile” “Huh?” you asked, confusion plain on your face and god you looked fucking adorable. He nodded to the stool Gabby had been sitting on “Can I sit?” 

You nodded so he sat down, resting his hand next to yours on the bar and letting one finger trace over your knuckles gently “Gabby has told me a couple things. Don’t get mad at her, it’s just because she cares about you” and god knows his sister did. She fucking loved you. You nodded slowly, your eyes following the trail of his fingers before asking “What has she told you?” your voice was so small compared to normal he found himself lowering his own voice as he responded  “How Kelly has been dragging your heart through the mud”

You finally brought your eyes up to meet his and he smiled “You deserve much better than that. If he won’t commit to you, if he won’t see that there is a gorgeous amazing woman right here then he doesn’t deserve your attention and damn sure doesn’t deserve your heart. I’m not going to ask you out tonight because I’m not the type of man to take advantage of a bad situation but if you decided you’ve had enough and want someone that would want you and only you, I’d love to take you out sometime when you’re ready”

For a few heartbeats he was nervous he’d fucked up a friendship until you smiled “Will you walk me home?” he nodded “Of course” then stood to offer you his hand. You shivered as you stood so he looked around for your jacket “You didn’t bring a jacket?” You shook your head “I forgot one”  He slipped his jacket off and motioned for you to turn around “You don’t have to” you said and that alone, the fact that giving you his jacket when you were in a short sleeve and could see he was in a long sleeve was making you get all flustered made him want to knock Severide flat on his ass.

“I know” he told you and you finally turned to let him help you slip the jacket onto your arms. He had to admit, seeing you in it..you looked gorgeous in it.

“Now, come on. I’ll let my sister know I’m taking her partner home then if it sounds good I’d like to take you and Gabby out for breakfast tomorrow” you smiled “I’d like that”

_____________________

You and Antonio had just made it outside when he heard Kelly call your name and braced himself for a fight. He stepped to the side, letting you say whatever you felt the need to Kelly. This was your ballgame. “What Kelly?” you asked and Kelly looked between you and him “I look up to see you leaving the bar with him”

Ok that implication alone pissed Antonio off. “She asked me to walk her home” he spoke up and Kelly had the nerve to wave a hand dismissively towards him “Wasn’t talking to you” “You know what Severide” he took a step with every intention to see rather or not he could put the fireman flat on his ass but you slid between them at the last moment, a hand on both of their chests. “We are not doing this! Kelly repeat what you just said”

Kelly looked from your hand that was on his chest to your hand that was on Antonio’s “I looked up to see you leaving the bar with him” you nodded “You looked up because I was there for a good twenty minutes or more. The entire time you were so far wrapped up in another woman you never noticed me”

“We were just talking” Kelly defended and it took everything in Antonio to not laugh in the other man’s face. That was no damn excuse. You cut your eyes at Antonio “Give us a minute please?” so he nodded and took a few steps away but could still hear you as you said “Kelly do you think you could ever love me? Commit to just me fully?” he wanted to interrupt and tell you he could. He could easily see himself falling for you and just one word and he would be one hundred percent yours but he kept his mouth closed. 

After a long moment of silence stretched out you nodded “That’s what I thought. Now Antonio is going to walk me home and you’re free and clear to go in there and do more than talk with the gorgeous brunette ok?”  “Baby” Kelly finally managed and you sighed “Tell me you’ll stop flirting with other women..stop taking it so far that you do everything shy of physically cheating and mean it and I’ll come in the bar with you” “I can try to change” Kelly whispered and you shook your head “If you really wanted to there would be no effort required” 

Antonio found himself being so damn proud of you just for standing up for yourself. You never had to give him a chance. Just being able to witness you finally seeing your worth meant everything. You turned around to him and held out your hand “Dawson, walk me home?” he slipped his hand into yours and the two of you left Kelly standing on the sidewalk.

That following morning when Antonio pulled up to your apartment to pick you up to have breakfast with him and Gabby he saw something he hadn’t seen in a long time when you came out to his truck. You had a genuine smile on your face.

You slid into the passenger seat, cutting your eyes at him “Good morning” he nodded “Morning” when he pulled out onto the road you started messing with the radio dials and before long was humming along with the song. “Go ahead” he told you and a grin split your face before you started singing along and he found himself joining in.  You were so damn beautiful and looked relaxed for the first time in too damn long.

_______________________

It took a couple weeks before you were ready. Antonio was patient, he’d waited this long wasn’t like he was going anywhere now. You called him one day after you got off shift and asked if you two could grab dinner at the place down from your apartment complex. He’d agreed because why the hell wouldn’t he?

When he pulled into the parking lot you were standing next to your car and smiled when you saw him. The moment he stepped out of his truck you walked up to him and pulled him into a kiss. He froze at first, the moment having caught him off guard but the shock quickly wore off. He had you in his arms, finally. He was kissing you. His hands went to your hips, pulling you closer as he took control of the kiss, rolling his tongue against yours, a light noise leaving you that was nothing shy of heavenly. When the two of you started to pull apart you laughed lightly “Does that offer still stand of wanting me and only me?”

He nodded, forehead pressed to yours “Of course Cariño” and you smiled “I’d like to be yours now Antonio” “Good because I’ve been yours for some time mi amor”

The day Antonio figured out just how deeply in love he was with you was when he got a call you and Gabby were in med. Apparently some stupid son of a bitch had run your rig off the road. He was outside of a house preparing to go in but one look at Voight and he nodded “Get to your girls”

He wanted to check on his sister of course but seeing the line of staples on your head, it filled him with fear and anger. “Baby” he cooed, coming to sit next to you on the bed and you curled up on his chest “I’m ok. We’re ok” he nodded “You two scared the hell out of me” and you cut your eyes up at him when you realized he was in full gear “Did you leave a raid?” he nodded “Of course. I get a call my sister and the woman I love is hurt, nothing is stopping me from getting to you”

The smile you gave him made his heart threaten to burst out of his chest “I love you Antonio. So damn much” he pulled you against his chest “I love you too” that weekend he got Gabby to go shopping with him. Who better to help pick out an engagement ring than your best friend? 

[cece693]

Could I request a doctor reader with Mathew Brown from Hannibal

after will abandoned him he was placed into the same hospital he once worked at and transfers his devotion and obsession onto his new doctor ( which they don’t reciprocate but he is determined to make them see the truth . He won’t fail again

I Won't Fail Again

pairing: matthew brown x male reader tags: Matthew needs help, but he's a good guy, well kinda, mentions of will and how he dumped his ass, creepy if this occurred in real life, open ended, this takes place over multiple sessions explaining the many line breaks

Matthew Brown had once devoted himself wholly to Will Graham. It was a devotion born of fixation and admiration, a strange, electric faith in Will’s innocence and cause. But that faith had failed him—Will had abandoned him in the end, leaving Matthew alone with the ruins of that intense purpose.

Legally, psychiatrically, he was considered too unstable to be in a conventional prison. But those who saw madness where Matthew saw clarity found it easier to send him to the very same hospital he’d once worked at. The irony chafed at him: how he’d worn these halls in uniform, how he’d walked among patients with a sense of authority. Now he was one of them—a patient in the place he used to think he controlled.

Matthew’s new doctor spoke in measured tones and wore his well-pressed suits like a shield. Something about your composed manner and unwavering voice snatched Matthew’s devotion before he even realized it. He started to watch you the way he used to watch Will, with an unnerving intensity that left the staff uneasy.

At first, Matthew tried to be subtle. He’d never been patient with these feelings, but he understood the delicate nature of coaxing truth from people who refused to see it. He studied your routine: when you arrived, how long you lingered over your notes, what you ordered from the vending machine during your mid-afternoon slump. The man was so carefully, elegantly boring that it fascinated Matthew. He found a new anchor for his once-directionless faith.

They met in a consultation room with a small table and two chairs. “Mr. Brown,” You greeted in a quiet, authoritative voice. “I understand you used to work in this hospital.”

“I did,” Matthew replied, drawing out each syllable to watch for any reaction and was rewarded by your shifting in your seat and adjustment to the cuffs that latched around your wrists. “People here never appreciated what I did for them. They questioned my methods. But I was always correct in my observations.”

You nodded politely, your eyes skimming Matthew’s file. “You worked with Will Graham, an FBI profiler.”

“Yes,” Matthew’s voice caught. “I believed in him. I still do, though he left me behind.”

“And now, you’re here.” Your tone remained unwavering, though Matthew could feel the slight tension in the line of your shoulders.

“Now I’m here,” Matthew echoed softly, leaning forward. “So are you. And you matter.” You blinked, betraying a flicker of confusion. To Matthew, that confusion was like a flash of lightning in the dark. He’d glimpsed a crack in your armor.

The nights were endless, fluorescent-lit intervals broken by head checks and medication calls. Matthew forced his eyes open to watch the corridor’s watery reflections dance through the glass panel in his door. In those quiet hours, he replayed each session, searching for some sign of your needs—some place where fear might be peeled back to reveal the truth beneath. He wrote letters he was never allowed to send, letters scrawled in the margins of paper meant for therapy notes. He does not see what is in front of him, he penned, sketching your profile from memory. But I won’t fail again. Not like before.

A part of Matthew still ached from Will’s desertion. That pain only hardened his resolve. You would see he wasn’t insane, or misguided, or broken. Matthew knew what was real, and you could be guided—he just needed time.

“There’s no reason you should trust me yet,” Matthew said, his voice steady, “but I promise you, what I’m telling you is important.”

You scrutinized Matthew’s pale face. “And what is it you believe so fervently now?”

“That there’s a higher understanding. We’re all looking at these petty illusions. The staff, they talk about me behind my back— but you? You see more.”

“I see a man who was obsessed once. I see a man who has trouble trusting others because he believes himself to be the only one who truly sees the truth.”

Matthew’s lips curved, halfway between amusement and resentment. “My last devotion was misplaced. This time, I won’t make that mistake.”

You tilted your head, measuring those words. “You must realize that I’m your doctor, Matthew, not your friend.”

“And Will was the FBI profiler, not my friend,” Matthew countered sharply, “yet I still believed. But belief alone isn’t always enough—we have to act.”

A hint of alarm flickered in your eyes. “That’s precisely what gets you into dangerous territory.”

Matthew exhaled a slow breath. “Danger is only a problem if you’re blind to it.”

Two weeks later, you discovered a piece of folded paper in your office, slipped under the door. It was a neatly drawn portrait of your face—perfectly proportioned, every line precise. Beneath it, in neat handwriting, was a single phrase: I see you.

You felt a chill prickle over your arms. You had no doubt who had left it. Matthew Brown was watched closely in his room, but hospital schedules weren’t bulletproof. At some point, Matthew had found a way to slip this note out. Or maybe he had an ally; or maybe he had manipulated the staff. You couldn’t tell. Either way, Matthew had decided to keep pressing.

Something clenched inside your chest. You’d heard stories about Brown’s past. You'd read the man’s file thoroughly—his unwavering conviction, his near-fanatic devotion to Will Graham. If that devotion had pivoted toward you now…you threw the paper away, ignoring the subtle quake in your hands.

During their next session, you looked down at your desk, deliberately avoiding Matthew’s penetrating gaze. But Matthew leaned forward, a serenity painting his face, as though he saw a door open in your guarded expression.

“They’ll never understand you the way I do,” Matthew said softly.

“This dynamic between us,” You answered, measuring every word, “is not about understanding on the same level. I’m here for your treatment, to help you cope, to—”

“Cope with reality?” Matthew cut in, smirking. “Whose reality? Yours? The staff’s? People blind to the evil that lurks? I was right before, you know. About Will. It was all part of a bigger design. No one believed me except him. But he left me behind, too. I won’t let that happen again. I’m better prepared. I see you for who you are.”

“And who am I?” You asked, voice trembling with more frustration than you intended.

“You are more than a doctor. You are a gatekeeper. But you don’t realize what you can open.” Matthew’s chains rattled softly as he stood—an abrupt, forced movement before the orderlies could push him back down. “I’m going to show you. I’ll make you see it.”

The orderlies pressed Matthew back into his chair, forcibly securing his wrists. But his voice cut through the hush, steady, still so certain:

“I won’t fail this time.”

You stood, turning away, every nerve on edge. Part of you wanted to run from that unwavering stare. But you had to stand your ground—you were the doctor, you reminded yourself. Matthew was the patient. That was the line. That was the truth.

Yet, as you closed the door on the session, you could still feel Matthew’s eyes boring through the narrow window. A part of you couldn’t shake the prickling sense that the boundary you thought so firm might just be one more illusion Matthew Brown was determined to shatter.

Days turned into weeks, but Matthew’s conviction never faded. He filled diary pages with sketches of you, of the hospital corridors, of the images in his head. His rhetoric grew more certain each time he saw you—no grandstanding, no pleas for acceptance, just calm belief that you'd one day stand at the threshold of truth and see as Matthew did.

Outside, the hospital staff whispered about transferring Matthew to an even more secure unit. You found those whispers comforting, and yet a strange tension resided within you. You weren't supposed to feel unnerved. But a single look from Matthew across the corridor, or a note slipped under you door, reminded you that devotion—obsession—had a power all its own.

And Matthew? He’d quietly vow, over and over, behind that door with its little window, “I won’t fail again.” Because he had found a new clarity, a new mission, and a new center of gravity in you. He would not let this devotion slip through his fingers.

[escapismlover]

One of my main issues with veilguards is how much they told us instead of showing us, especially with the companions. I think more companion quests would have been an easy fix, besides their personal ones. Two or three quests, easy, nothing complex, to showcase their skills and activity. I will go in further detail under the cut for each companion in particular.

I also personally rlly liked the story sliders for each companion but given how short and forward their storylines were they all felt a bit anti climactic in the end, so I also think more quests relating their personal issues would ve been great and easy to do but that s a post for another time.

I will not make over the top suggestions no matter how great they might been, I like imagining these things as easy corrections so I can get more mad that they weren’t included.

I also have way more intricate quests for all of them planned in my head, let me know if anyone would like to hear any of them, maybe use the ask box for that hahaha

No hate toward the characters, just how they were treated. No hate towards the writers either, they tried their best with what they were given. Ok, let s get into it

Harding

               The best scout in all of thedas that we never see actually scouting but uses the verb to scout once every 5 minutes (dramatic exaggeration). This might be the easiest one to fix, just give us a mission w Harding whenever we unlock a new area, just to follow her and reach some places. No need to implement anything new to the game, besides some dialogue that could be kept simple.

Neve

               The over all personal quests she has give off the detective vibe quite well, but it would have been better for them to show us how much Neve is actually know in Dock Town. It could be 3 simple quests of simple NPCs like Maria the Weaving lady that lost her car, Marius the runaway slave that got lost in the catacombs and stuff like this. Seeing her interact with them, them coming to her, her showcasing her skills would have made it all better.

Bellara

               Let her find some artifacts ffs. Arlathan is full of glades and statues, just let her go and find more, maybe one of them ending up in a boss fight with a sentinel.

Lucanis

               The mage killer that we never see killing an actual mage the whole game. 3 quests, 3 venatori in Treviso, 3 boss fights like the revenants. Easy peasy. Or an antaam. He s also the assassin that we never see assassinating someone, a simplet quest at the opera putting poison in some food would ve been neat.

Davrin

               The monster hunter that…you got it by now. A bear in arlathan, a bigger deepstalker queen, maybe an ogre.

Taash

               They got the best treatment fr they re a dragon slayer that has two quests revolving around killing dragons. More dragons would have been better tho, one for each area, but I understand that would be the hardest thing to implement out of all these as that would require a dragon fight area to be built.

Emmrich

               Given how he s a teacher and an expert on the fade his quests would probably be the hardest to implement, but not impossible. A gathering quests in the garden, plants for his next seminar, meeting a student NPC. A quest in the Crossroads, him wanting to study the place, could end in a boss fight of a haunting. A quest similar to one of Hardings scouting quests where he s called to investigate something in the necropolis, he just goes around and does it and u follow.

I know there are similar quests already for mostly all I said but those are quests for Rook, which is not an expert like Bioware says our companions are, yet rarely shows it. Maybe if I saw Harding scout at least once her argument for leading the second team would actually make some sense to me instead of basing that choice on whom I like more, same for the wards choice.

[iscdisc]

You and your gorgeous TMNT art make me ship everything you ship. You could tell me to ship the most outrageous thing, draw it, and I would ship it. Like the most grotesque thing. I would love it. You are brilliant. May I ask for the fics you are reading and/or you have read?

Well I hope I wouldn't ship anything grotesque or that you feel would be grotesque- 💀😭 Lmao

But I get what you mean and that's incredibly flattering ! I hope everybody that engages with my content knows that I'm not trying to necessarily convince anybody to enjoy the pairings that I enjoy, but if you happen to click with my perspective whether it's from my art or from me talking about them, that's really cool to me !! ☺️✨

And sure ! I'll list some that I'm currently reading or have read recently that I really enjoyed ! I'll even include some that I plan to or started but haven't gotten very far yet- :

• "And It All Starts Again" (by Non_Parsimonious | Currently reading-)

I'm starting with this one because it is absolutely peak- Are you serious?? I'm telling you right now, this should have been Season 5 instead OR if the 2012 series had ever gotten the opportunity to have a film adaptation and it actually be well done narratively, this should have been that movie- I'm TELLING YOU, this story is absolutely phenomenal and I'm already in the process of making art for it to promote it ! 🫶 || I'm not going to spoil too much because I really want people to read it for themselves, but there's so much stress and angst that kind of pushes the narrative for that I'm just eating up because I enjoy those kinds of stories ! But if that's not your cup of tea, then feel free to skip this one-! 👍✨

• "Thoughts About A Boy" (by @jaywritezshitz | Currently reading-)

Maybe I talked about this one enough already, but I'd love to talk about it some more because it's a really great 2012 Jonatello story and I think it's incredibly well written !! I love the premise, I love the character interactions (Especially with April and Donnie, which says a lot in regards to myself because that's usually something I don't particularly enjoy because of canon / not fanon- /,, 😭), I love the build up and the constant anticipation that I feel waiting for confessions or for Donnie's letters to be weaved back into the narrative in the least expected way possible (Not to give too much away, because I really encourage you guys to read it for yourselves-), like !! There's just so much to enjoy with this one, and I really encourage people to read it cause I personally think it's really phenomenal !

• "Oh, Where'd All The Time Go?" (by @tae-rhymeswithslay | I plan on reading this one-)

My memory is kind of foggy with this one, because I swear I started reading the first couple of chapters but when I went back to confirm that I have read the story before it didn't feel familiar-?? So maybe I meant to read it and I thought I'd started it but I hadn't yet? 😭

But you're going to see a couple of Tae_rhymeswithslay entries on here, because I do enjoy their stories ! 👍✨

• "Purple Hokey" (by Ani_Wagner_7w7 | Have already read-)

The setup for this particular 2012 Jonatello fanfiction feels very authentic to the show, in the sense that this is a situation I can absolutely see the writers putting them in (Not that they were the biggest Jonatello enthusiast, but you get my point-), you know? LMAO / It sort of felt like a cliche trope but done well ! It does ramp up a little maturity wise towards the end, just to give a heads up for that-! But otherwise it's just a cute story in my opinion ! ✨

• "Of the Same Cloth, the Same Coin" by Kazegami | Currently reading-)

Another incredibly peak story- Are you kidding?? I genuinely get so happy every time the story gets updated because it's one of my favorites ! The premise is that Casey asked Donnie for help with his school tutoring since April's going on a trip with her father for a few weeks, so of course they build a better relationship through constantly being around each other due to this tutoring situation ! Another kind of trope-like premise, but how the author tackles it is my favorite thing ever- I also really enjoy how April is written in the story as well and the sort of subplot that's going on with her ! I swear these writers do such an incredible job with her character and it makes me both happy and upset at the same time because why couldn't she have been like this in the show? I don't know- 💀 Lmao / But another story that I highly recommend !!

• "Technicolor" (by SecurityTape | Have read already-)

This is one that I genuinely was not expecting to read, since I'm not the biggest fan of crossover pairings (Not that they're necessarily bad, they just don't always interest me in the way I feel the interest of the people-!), but this one was really charming !! I really enjoyed the writing of both Rise! Donnie and 2012 Casey in the work of fiction ! It really reminded me of how much I missed the energy of Rise! and that I need to rewatch that version more because it genuinely is very funny- 😭✨

• "A Kiss As A Prize" (by Mili_8a | Have read already-)

This is one of the few 2012 Raphril fanfictions I've read / found on AO3 that I really enjoyed ! It's pretty short, but the premise was really cute and there's such a shortage of Raphril content in my eyes, so anything that I find I'm pretty much going to eat it up immediately- LMAO ❤️💛

• "Northampton Echoes" (by Gladrial | Currently reading-)

I barely started a chapter of this last night, and I already love the writing so far ! It takes place at The O'Neil Farmhouse (So far at least-), which I find particularly enjoyable because a lot of my Raphril centric thoughts in regards to building their dynamic / better establishing a connection between them starts in The Farmhouse in my head (I actually have this whole comic that I was trying to make talking about how I felt certain things during The Farmhouse Arc should have played out differently in my opinion and it mostly focuses around April and Raph- Maybe I'll bring that up at some point on here !), so I'm already pretty enthralled in this story set up so far ! I don't have much to say about it besides that though, because like I said I haven't gotten too far into the store yet-! But there's 19 chapters so far, and I already know that that's probably not going to be enough for me- LMAO

• "The Day The World Broke" (by @saladmix | Started reading this one-)

I feel like an asshole, because I started reading this one like months ago and I just never picked it up again and I don't know why- I think I might have gotten distracted with other things going on? I genuinely don't remember- But seeing people talk about it on here (Tumblr) reminded me that I need to go back and read that because the story is incredible ! I genuinely loved the first couple of chapters that I read ! I love the dynamic that they were setting up between the Mutant Mayhem Brothers in the beginning of the story, especially since I feel like (at the time anyway-) the MM / TOTTMNT brothers weren't getting a lot of love or attention from people?? I didn't get into the more plot focused chapters yet, but I believe I was close ! So hopefully I'll go back and read that soon I'll have more to talk about ! 👍✨ (Sorry for the abrupt tag by the way, Saladmix ! I hope that was okay-!)

• "My Best Enemy Is You" (by Aethernight | Have already read-)

I didn't think I was going to like this story as much as I did, because I'm not super into vampire stories, but this story was really good !! I never knew how much I needed Vampiric 2012 Jonatello (But in the context of the story, Donnie's the vampire, where Casey's a vampire hunter-) set in like the 1800s (??) before now, it's wild- 🦇💜🖤

• "Something Dumb To Do" (by Aleaf737 | Have read already-)

This is another really short and sweet one for 2012 Jonatello ! It's about a marriage proposal and it honestly was really wholesome ! ✨

• "One Nice Moment" (by @tae-rhymeswithslay | Have read already-)

Another kind of short one but it was really cute ! 💜🖤

• "Make Me A Promise Here Tonight (Love Like A Tidal Wave" (by Imthebest_ever | Have read already-)

This one spoke to me immediately because it involves a sort of aftermath to the episode, "The Power Inside Her" ! I really liked the narrative here ! ✨

• "Ink On Paper" (by @tae-rhymeswithslay | Have read already-)

This is another short story, but it felt so in character for Donnie towards the end it's so upsetting- LMAO

• "Arnold Bernid "Casey" Jones" (by @tae-rhymeswithslay | Have read already-)

I feel bad for saying the same things about a lot of Tae's works, but they really are just short and sweet most of the time and I enjoy reading them a lot !! This one in particular had a lot of humorous moments as well- 😭👍✨

Hopefully those are enough ! There are probably some that I'm forgetting at this point, but oh well,, 😭 Lmao

[gearsandhammers]

NOT GOOD WITH WORDS : VIKTOR X M!READER

synopsis : viktor's always been a reserved guy, but you make him feel things he's never felt before. he's cried during sad movies, laughed with jayce, but never has he felt like how he does when he's with you. will he finally do something about it?

warnings / tw : you, viktor, and jayce are academy students , viktor is clueless about love , socially awkward vitkor , grammarly is my beta

pairing : viktor x male reader | m/m (could be m/gn)

author's notes : hiya! okay so the letter written in this fic is actually one i wrote 2 years ago that i legitimately have no recollection of and just found.. i didn't read it through fully and kinda just copy pasted it so hopefully its not dogshit but oh well... valentine's day has always been lonely for me, so i hope this can bring comfort to anyone who's spending val's day alone this year��� but you're not alone. anyways as always have a good read and an amazing day/night! xo, kai

Viktor's only been at the academy for one year, but he's found his place pretty quickly. He and Jayce are thick as thieves, and you've been hanging out with them too, as of late. He tries to hide it, but Viktor has a huge crush on you. At this point, Jayce can't even tell if Viktor has figured it out yet. He knows Viktor hasn't ever been in a relationship, but he has no clue if he's ever had a crush before. Scratch that, he knows he hasn't, the way Viktor acts around you.

Viktor's never been good with talking, but you've read some of his writing, and your jaw dropped. The way he writes, you'd never be able to tell it was Viktor who wrote it. The way he words things so eloquently, how the letters seem to flow from his pen like it's second nature.

Valentine's Day is either the best or worst day of the year for a lot of people. You've collectively decided to just stay in and try not to think about the fact that it's Valentine's Day. You don't expect to get anything, you never have, so your expectations are basically as low as they can be.

So when you open your locker at the end of the day and there's a sealed envelope sitting there on top of your books, you're a little confused. You look around, thinking at first that it's a prank or something. But when you open the letter and start reading it, your heart swells.

· ─ ─ < ⟨ ৻ꪆ ⟩ > ─ ─ ·

Dearest,

I'm not good with words, but for you, I tried. You're the best thing that's happened to me. I sit here with pen in hand, my heart brimming with emotions that have long been confined within the depths of my being. Today, I gather the courage to express the feelings that have blossomed within me, unfurling like a delicate flower under the warmth of the sun. Please bear with me as I pour my heart out onto this page. From the moment our eyes first met, a spark ignited within me, illuminating a path that led straight to you. You may not have noticed, but in those stolen glances and fleeting moments, my heart began to whisper your name.

With every encounter, my admiration for you grew, and soon, admiration blossomed into something deeper and more profound. Your presence in my life is a symphony of joy and wonder. Your smile, so radiant, has the power to dissolve any worries that burden my soul. Your laughter, like a melody, dances in the air and brings warmth to the coldest of days. Your kindness, a beacon of light in a world sometimes dark and unforgiving, has touched my heart in ways I struggle to put into words. In your company, I feel a sense of belonging, a feeling that I have found my missing puzzle piece. Your words, so genuine and filled with wisdom, captivate my mind and nourish my spirit. Your mere presence electrifies the air around us, creating a magnetic force that draws me closer to you, igniting a fire within my soul.

I am enamored by the intricacies that make you who you are—the way your eyes light up when you speak about your passions, the way your voice carries a quelling melody, and the way your touch lingers on my skin long after you're gone. Every facet of your being, every nuance, has etched itself deeply into my heart. It is true that love can be a tumultuous journey, filled with uncertainties and vulnerabilities. Yet, in the face of these uncertainties, I am willing to take the leap, for the thought of a life without your presence feels incomplete and devoid of color. The thought of never having the opportunity to explore the depths of our connection fills me with an ache that reverberates through my very being.

I am not asking for an immediate answer, nor am I expecting you to reciprocate these feelings. Instead, I write this letter as an offering, a testament to the authenticity of my emotions. My intention is to lay bare the truth of my heart, to let you know that you have become an indelible part of my thoughts, my dreams, and my aspirations. Should you ever find it in your heart to explore the possibility of us, I would be honored to embark on this journey of love with you. But if the feelings I express today do not find a place in your own heart, I will still cherish the moments we've shared, and I will forever hold you in the deepest recesses of my soul.

Thank you for inspiring me to open my heart and embrace the vulnerability that accompanies love. You have given me the gift of experiencing a love so profound and beautiful that it has forever changed me. I love you,

~ V ৻ꪆ

· ─ ─ < ⟨ ৻ꪆ ⟩ > ─ ─ ·

Your jaw hangs open, staring at the cursive V at the bottom of the page. Every sentence left your heart a little heavier, small tears welling in your eyes, but you sniffle and wipe them away. You're in shock as you stare at the page, dumbfounded. Your heart rate picks up, and your brain finally registers that you read. Oh, my gods. Oh my gods, what just happened? I need to find Vik─ wait, oh my. I can't do that, I gotta find... wait, no. I need to find Vik.

You gently put the letter back into the envelope and into your bag. You run around the academy, bumping into a few people along the way, but don't stop to apologize. You finally find him after a full 15 minutes, walking out of the academy, books in hand. "Viktor!" you yell, desperately trying to get his attention. He turns, and his face immediately turns bright red. You run towards him, clutching your bag. You run into him, wrapping your arms around his body, and his cane clatters to the ground. "V- Vik.." You gasp, trying to catch your breath.

"I- I'm sorry. I know I ruined everything and I─" he tries to apologize, but he's interrupted by you. You grab his face, making him look at you. You attempt to search his eyes but fail, your eyes too blurry from the tears you tried to hold back. Tears stream down your face, and you try to blink them away so you can see him.

"V, I- oh my gods, Vik. Please don't apologize, please. You didn't ruin anything. I love you too, V. I love you so so so much, Viktor," you pant. Before he even tries to speak again, your lips collide, and you pull him flush against you. The sensations of your body against his makes his whole body react, going tense. After a few moments, he melts into you, his brain finally recognizing that you actually kissed him. Moments pass, and you pull away to breathe.

"Gods, I love you," he says, in between gasps and sobs, tears flowing from his eyes too. He's still sort of in shock, clearly not expecting this sort of reaction or response from you. He presses his forehead to yours, and you hold his hands.

"Happy Valentine's Day, my love."

© — @gearsandhammers 2025 - created and written by kaisen - do not steal my work or repost without my permission.

[momentomori24]

Considering what we can gather from Wolfgang's upbringing and the heavy implication that his mum died when he was still a little kid, potentially leaving him with a very likely abusive man and a murderer for a dad or orphaned-- yeah, I think his perspective on gender is uhhhh probably kinda stunted, to put it simply. The fact that he's not a raging misogynist and actually a pretty good guy and person in general is actually kinda surprising, given that context.

Grace is an interesting talking point cuz he clearly disapproves of how she treats the more vulnerable people around them (Eloise and Toshiko), and he does actually scold her for it too, yet not as harsh and severely as he probably should. Wolfgang, generally, is a pretty... passive guy? Even when he dislikes someone or they do something wrong, he still keeps his composure and his more softer tone of voice pretty well. Whether or not he's harsher about Grace's behaviour in private or not, from what we see he definitely seems to struggle with acting accordingly and with greater severity in situations where he should. Case and point, the one person who he is even more passive with when it comes to people being disrespectful towards them is vey much himself. He's critical when it's Eloise and Toshiko, but when it's himself he doesn't actually stand up for himself and just rolls with it (Grace and Cassidy are good examples of this).

The way he treats Eva makes complete sense considering she's objectively a lot more dangerous and a lot more suspicious than Damon is in comparison. Damon's an asshole. He's a complete jackass, yet there's a certain transparency with him that just doesn't exist with Eva. He's got a massive ego and a slight lack of empathy, sure. But he's only a debater. Eva has claimed herself to be the Ultimate Liar, a person who's sole purpose is to be deceitful and sow discourse, which she does repeatedly. She's lied about her talent, about the Tozu Trinkets, about having been honest the entire time-- who knows what else she could be lying about at their expense? It's why he's more wary of her, because she attempts to take control of vulnerable situations to twist them in her favour on multiple occasions in a way Damon just doesn't.

And she continues to try and take Wolfgang down while doing this too. She was already going after him in the trial grounds back in Chapter 0, back when he has done literally nothing to her. She does it again in pharmacy during Chapter 1, in response to him reasonably stating that being complacent to someone who's title is the biggest "bro don't trust me" talent ever is not a good idea. To have someone in your group with a talent that confirms them as a manipulator, a deceiver and a troublemaker with malintent, someone who's shown previously to not have said group's best interest in mind, someone who has lied at their expense and has continuously cut short moments of vulnerability and hope and peace to heighten tensions and suspicions before trying to discredit and put put a target on the back of the one guy keeping everyone's nerves at bay and preventing them all from turning on each other by the barest skin of his teeth? From anyone's perspective that is not Damon or Eva, that's sus as fuck 💀 She has incriminated herself beyond just being kind of an asshole. Don't get it twisted, Damon has also been manipulative and secretive and apathetic, to the point where he has both lied and omitted crucial information which ended up massively contributing to Wolfgang's murder, so he's not actually that much better. However, most of the actually sketchy shit he does is usually in private where the group remains none the wiser, while Eva's transgressions are a lot more public, hence why they are more critical of her in a way they couldn't fairly be with Damon. There's also the fact that when Eva does something wrong and gains some scrutiny, she decides to retreat to a secluded area without even trying to explain herself or right her wrongs. Damon, however, spends a lot more time with the group (however crudely) and by extension Wolfgang, which adds a layer of familiarity and predictability over his more troublesome behaviour. Eva's actually a pretty good evaluation point to the sentiment that Wolfgang doesn't know how to tackle women being problematic.

I can perhaps see his scope on knowledge when it comes to women's issues being somewhat limited, but I do think he's someone who understands and would understand the severity of the issues pretty well and actually be way more invested than the average guy considering his close proximity with male violence and gender inequality due to both his job and his implied dysfunctional and possibly abusive household (we see an imbalance in the level of care and interest for Cara's brutal murder case where he's clearly the most condemning and the one who seeks out justice the most). He has been shown to be aware and realistic of his own shortcomings when it comes to basic skills outside of his job. Even when he's not good at them still earnestly tries to get it right, and he takes responsibility for a whole group and fights for their happiness and survival despite his own worries and insecurities, which is a trait of his I do appreciate.

Wolfgang is honestly such a funny character cuz he's literally the biggest and most openly passionate feminist in the cast (probably even more so cuz of his mum and her work) while also being the biggest and most obvious example to point to when it comes to his male status being a very probable contributor to what allowed him to lead and thrive more easily and without as much judgement in ways his female peers are unable to (Diana and Eva).

Also something something about him being so emotional and enraged about the unrestrained violence committed against Cara and believing that "killing a woman is the worst thing a man could do" when it's theorised and seemingly implied by his hallucinations that his father-- the man he resembles so heavily-- murdered his mother.

[wraith-caller]

two things i have a hard time grasping wrt fandom's perspective on the golden order are: 1)"its radagon's" and 2)"it's conservative/traditionalist". sometimes i encounter people who seem to think the erdtree and the golden order are significantly distinct from each other. that there was an age of the erdtree without the golden order, and that marika governed the erdtree era while radagon was the force behind the golden order. Marika herself says: "The Erdtree governs all. The choice is thine. Become one with the Order. Or divest thyself of it." Corhyn says: "The Erdtree, heart of the Golden Order, lies before our very eyes!" as well as this when given certain prayer books, "Its incantations bear no lineage from the Erdtree. My interests lie solely in the Golden Order." A spirit NPC says: "Ohh, Erdtree, great Erdtree. The Golden Order itself, unwavering, stretched to the sky." Protection of the Erdtree says: "In the beginning, everything was in opposition to the Erdtree. But through countless victories in war, it became the embodiment of Order."

They are inextricably intertwined, not separate from each other. There being an 'age of the erdtree' does not necessarily say that, after it ended, marika surrendered power to 'radagon's golden order.' These ages are a simple fact of the progression of time and the notable cultural shifts, not new ownership. The golden order is marika's work and vision, and she has been at its helm throughout its existence until the Shattering and her imprisonment. Even then, she is still nominatively in charge. you are vying to become her consort, not radagon's.

radagon is never shown to usurp marika in some way. if anything, he is her pawn (he literally becomes a tool of the golden order in our boss fight with the elden beast...). he wages war for her in liurnia. he returns to her when she calls, leaving behind all other obligations he has to his family. she calls him her 'leal dog' and notes he is beneath her - not a god, not until she makes it so. he does exactly as she demands in one of her echoes, researching and exploring the depths of the golden order in search of its fundamentals. he is not the cruel and callous leash of the greater will placed upon a helpless, rebellious woman. he is her. he is maybe the only one she can trust at a time when she is beginning to have some kind of reservations about the order she has built, or the power it serves. this ties into the frustrations about the golden order being some traditional, conservative society, which has never made sense to me. one i frequently see is that sex is looked down on or people are purposefully robbed of the desire to have it by marika. it's hard to imagine sex is some scorned taboo when the woman has had god knows how many kids with at least two husbands, rennala and radagon also had kids, and we know by godrick's existence that children are still born under the order for multiple generations. then we have melina outright tell us that births still happen. and sex is clearly still on people's minds: look at mohg's "sharing a bedchamber" with miquella, everything tanith and rykard had going on, fia and rogier, seluvis' pervy self, varre's flirtatious relationship with the PC. the idea that the order/marika has turned everyone sexless is not supported by anything in game(even the cut turtle neck item simply says the urge has 'waned', not disappeared, which could have way more to do with being alive for 1000 years straight than marika turning the horny switch to 'off'). it just feels like another attempt at turning the golden order into a generic christian oppressor, which is way more boring than what it actually is. same goes for the insistence that marika is just a helpless figurehead being controlled by radagon/the greater will and that this is a society where women are to be seen but not heard. marika waged multiple wars to found her order, and had her own vision for the elden ring itself, a world without death. we can even see why she'd design it this way with the background provided by the dlc. women warriors are commonplace in this world, not exceptions, and they achieve the same honors as men in war. the order itself places specifically women in positions of importance within their society/religion - the finger maidens have the important task of providing guidance and strength to tarnished. the finger reader crones interpret the holy words of the two fingers and by extension the greater will, and are found en masse just beside marika's own bedroom and the elden throne itself, not denigrated or seen as 'lesser' but heralded as respected figures. the same goes for caria, which appears to be just as matriarchal a society as the golden order's, never even mentioning kings or princes in their history.

tl;dr: the golden order is all marika's and she doesn't care if people fuck.