#and cannot wait for another time for that story👀

[monicaalexandraaa]

👀👀👏

THE COUNT | {vamprry} a preview

Series Summary: Count Styles lives on an island you’ll not find on any map. He’s lived in relative solitude for ages and is happy to have the rare occasional guest who accidentally runs into his small slice of the world, though they may not be as thrilled by his intentions once they find out what he is.

When Y/n's weather vessel crashes into his island one stormy night he greets her and offers her shelter in his castle while she waits for someone to help repair her boat. She soon comes to adore the strange and charming man and grows a worrying attachment. But she cannot help herself. No matter how much she learns about the Count and how strange her world has become she cannot seem to pull herself out of the haze of his alluring spell.

Even when her life depends on it.

..

Short preview below.

NOTE: this is from part 2 (which has not yet been posted on Patreon)

. . .

Pressing her ear closer to the door she closed her eyes and there was a distinct male voice, a sobbed moan that, after a loud thud, turned into something like a pitiful crying. But then she heard another voice and there was something familiar in the way it cooed and teased almost. She could not make out words but the sentiment was clear. There were two people in that room having sex and one of them was Harry. The other sounded to be a man.

Stepping back from the door she realized her mouth was hung open in surprise. Perhaps the Count was into men. Well, he was quite pretty. She could imagine that she supposed. Before she could even turn around the sounds behind the door stopped and the silence that suddenly surrounded her had her heart picking up a beat. Had she made a noise?

She swallowed and turned her head to see her door open down the hallway and wondered if she could make it quickly before anyone knew that she’d been listening in.

But the moment that thought popped into her head the door opened up and there was Harry in a long white cotton pijama, the top unbuttoned and nearly draped off his shoulder. She glanced over his frame and back up to his eyes but he was different. His irises were almost black and his mouth was set strangely, like he had swollen gums, “Would you like something, Y/n?”

Shaking her head she stepped back, “No. Sorry. I… heard something… nothing. I’m going back to bed. Sorry!”

She turned to move away but he stopped her, his hand wrapped around her upper arm, making her twist back to face him, “Are you sure don’t want anything?”

She darted her eyes behind him to the room he’d been in and it appeared to be lit by a fireplace. She saw something move across the doorway but couldn’t make out what (or who) it was.

“I’m sorry for disturbing you. That… I was just worried…”

He smiled, his lips covering his teeth as he closed the door behind him and stepped in dangerously close, holding her arm to keep her from inching away. He looked down at the dirtied material tucked under her arm and he grunted softly, “Oh my. What is this?”

Letting go of her arm he plucked the defiled sheets and nightgown from her and dropped the sheet to the floor, his hands crumpling around the white fabric, thumb dragging into the slippery wetness where her arousal had dripped.

She felt herself flush hot with embarrassment as she watched the Count inspect the damage she’d done to her nightgown. It was obvious what it was he was looking at.

“Poor, Y/n,” his dark eyes met hers as he lifted his thumb to his mouth and ran the pad of his digit against his tongue, eyes fluttering closed when he swallowed.

All of the breath in her lungs was caught and now the flush of heat was forming in her tummy as she watched him enjoy the taste. Her taste.

His jaw clenched as he opened his eyes and looked down at her, dark irises raking over her frame and then back up to her face, a deep exhale escaping his chest, “We’re all carnal beings, Y/n. There’s no shame in the body’s natural reaction to an arousing dream. All you have to do is call for me next time and I’ll make the emptiness go away. I’ll do whatever you ask.”

She couldn’t blink or look away from him. She was trapped by his haunting gaze as he drew a finger from her jaw up to her temple and then back down until he’d gently scraped his nail over her pulse point, pressing in just enough to make a small indent bite into her flesh, before lifting and pushing his nail in crosswise against the same spot.

“X marks the spot. Doesn’t it, Y/n?”

She gulped, “What’s that mean?”

Harry lowered his face close to hers. He was so close she could feel his breath on her cheek, “If you ask politely,” he wrapped his hand around the side of her neck, thumb dragging against her jaw, “I’ll show you what it means.”

. . .

Part 1 of this series is out now on Patreon only. If you liked this preview, consider joining my Patreon for more exclusive content like this.

xoxo

[winxanity-ii]

DO YOU STILL BELIEVE?

ship: odysseus x fem!penelope!reader warnings: non-explicit (emotional intensity, mentions of war and trauma, heavy themes of longing and separation, a bittersweet reunion) word count: 5.2k a/n: I had so much fun writing this one-shot inspired by Epic the Musical and The Odyssey! Penelope and Odysseus’ love story has always fascinated me, and I wanted to explore the raw emotions of their reunion while staying true to the themes of trust and enduring love. 🥹 I hope you enjoy this piece, and as always, feedback is welcome! Next update for Catch Me If You Can is in the works, so stay tuned! 👀.

★·.·´🇪‌🇵‌🇮‌🇨‌: 🇹‌🇭‌🇪‌ 🇲‌🇺‌🇸‌🇮‌🇨‌🇦‌🇱‌ 🇲‌🇦‌🇸‌🇹‌🇪‌🇷‌🇱‌🇮‌🇸‌🇹‌`·.·★

An unsettling silence clung to you as followed Eurycleia down the quiet corridors back to your chambers. The weight of the contest bore down on your shoulders like a storm cloud, and your mind churned with thoughts too heavy to quiet.

As you reached your room, Eurycleia stopped, turning to face you with an expression you couldn't quite decipher. Her aged hands, calloused from years of service, trembled slightly as she reached for the latch. "My lady," she began, her voice low and trembling, "you must remain in your room at all times tonight. No matter what you hear, you cannot leave."

Her words struck you with a jolt of unease, and you frowned. "Remain here? What do you mean, Eurycleia? What is going on?"

She hesitated, her gaze darting to the side as if the walls themselves might overhear her. "Please," she said softly, bowing her head. "Forgive me, but it is for your safety."

The cryptic answer only deepened the knot in your chest. "Eurycleia," you pressed, stepping closer, "tell me—"

"I cannot, my lady." Her voice wavered, but she straightened herself, her resolve unwavering. "I ask only that you trust me. Stay here, and do not leave until someone comes for you."

Before you could utter another word, she dipped into a deep bow, her gray hair catching the faint lamplight, and hurried away, the door clicking shut behind her.

For a moment, you simply stared at the door, her final words echoing in your ears. Trust me. What could she mean? What danger awaited beyond these walls?

Letting out a shaky sigh, you turned toward the room. The weight of your robe dragged against your shoulders as you pulled it tighter, seeking comfort from its soft folds.

The fire in the hearth crackled softly, casting flickering shadows that danced across the stone walls. It was a futile attempt to drive out the chill that had seeped into the room—and into your very bones.

Crossing to the window, you pressed your palms against the cool sill, your gaze drifting out over the kingdom below. The village lights flickered like stars scattered across the darkened land.

Beyond them, the sea stretched into the horizon, its surface shimmering faintly under the light of the crescent moon.

Your thoughts wandered, as they always did in moments of stillness, drawn to the same familiar ache that had lived in your chest for years.

The contest... Would it truly decide your fate? One of those suitors, those arrogant men who had feasted in your halls and mocked your son, could soon become your husband. The very thought sent a shudder down your spine, and you hugged your arms tighter around yourself.

A whisper escaped your lips, barely audible over the soft crackle of the fire. "Odysseus..." The name hung in the air, a prayer, a plea, a question. "What would you think of me now, letting this madness continue? Letting strangers fight for what was never theirs to claim?"

Your vision blurred, and you lowered your head, a tear slipping down your cheek. For years, you had waited. For years, you had woven and unwoven that shroud, holding on to a hope that had felt as fragile as a thread in the loom.

Was it foolish to hope still? To think that he might return, that the man who had held your heart so completely could be more than a memory?

Your lips trembled as you forced a bitter laugh. "I am not you," you murmured, the words breaking the silence. "I am not brave enough to fight this battle. All I can do is endure."

Your mind drifted, as it often did, to Telemachus. A smile tugged at your lips despite the ache in your chest. "Oh, Odysseus," you said, a soft chuckle escaping through your tears. "You would adore our son. He has your mind—so sharp, so clever. And your smile..." You let out a watery laugh, pressing a hand to your mouth to stifle the sound. "Even when he's being stubborn, I see you in him."

The image of Telemachus as a child came to you, vivid and warm—a boy who had once clung to your skirts, demanding stories of his father's heroism. Now, he stood tall, a man in his own right, with the weight of the kingdom already pressing on his shoulders. How proud Odysseus would be of him.

Your musings were cut short by a sudden, sharp sound—a shout echoing faintly down the corridors.

You froze, your heart leaping into your throat. Another shout followed, then the unmistakable clash of steel against steel.

Your breath hitched, and you stumbled back from the window, your pulse racing. What was happening? Panic swirled in your chest, and you turned toward the door, your hands trembling as you reached for the latch.

It didn't move.

You tugged harder, a frustrated gasp escaping you. "Open the door!" you shouted, pounding against the wood with the flat of your palm. "What is going on out there?"

A muffled voice answered from the other side, strained and apologetic. "My Queen, please—forgive us. You must remain inside."

"Why?" you demanded, your voice rising as fear clawed at your throat. "Tell me what is happening!"

But the only response was silence, broken only by the distant sounds of chaos—the cries of men, the clash of swords, and the pounding of your own heartbeat in your ears.

You staggered back, your chest heaving as you tried to make sense of it all. Your mind raced, grasping for answers. Was it the suitors? Had the contest descended into violence? Or was it something else—something you dared not name aloud?

Your knees buckled, and you sank onto the edge of the bed, your hands clutching the fabric of your robe as though it could anchor you. The air felt thick, suffocating, and your thoughts spiraled, each one more desperate than the last.

"Odysseus," you whispered, the name falling from your lips like a prayer. If he were here, he would know what to do. He would protect you, protect Telemachus, protect this kingdom.

Another shout rang out, closer this time, and your breath caught in your throat. You could do nothing but wait, trapped within these walls, your fate hanging in the balance.

☆

☆

You paced the length of your chambers, your footsteps muffled by the thick rug underfoot. Every pass brought you closer to the walls and then away again, as if your own restlessness could push the heavy silence out of the room.

Minutes ago—minutes that felt like an eternity—the shouts and screams that had echoed down the corridors had gone silent. That silence pressed on you now, as heavy as the stone walls of Ithaca's palace.

Your mind churned, spiraling into darker and darker thoughts. What had happened? Had the suitors staged an uprising, turning the contest into bloodshed? Did Ithaca fall under siege from an unseen enemy?  What if the guards were overwhelmed, and Telemachus...

You stopped mid-step, your breath catching painfully. Telemachus. Your son. The boy you'd raised to be strong, who carried so much of his father's spirit. Had he fallen in the chaos? Was he lying out there, cold and lifeless while you were locked away, helpless to protect him?

"No," you whispered, shaking your head furiously, as if the motion alone could banish the thought. But your heart wouldn't listen, and it dropped like a stone into your stomach, twisting painfully.

What if the suitors had taken over? What if they had harmed Telemachus? The thought of losing him, your son, the last piece of Odysseus you'd held onto, made the breath hitch in your throat. Your pulse roared in your ears, drowning out the world around you.

No, no, no. Your mind flashed to his strong but still-youthful face, the way he carried himself with the dignity of a man but the vulnerability of a boy. Your knees weakened at the thought of him hurt—or worse.

"Telemachus," you whispered, clutching your robe tighter around you. Panic clawed its way up your throat, and you rushed to the door, slamming your fists against it. "Let me out! I demand to see my son!" Your voice cracked, trembling with desperation. "Open this door! What's happened to him?"

From the other side came a muffled voice, hesitant and filled with regret. "My lady... forgive me, but I cannot. I have my orders."

"Orders?" you repeated, your voice rising with fury. "To keep me locked away while my son—while my kingdom—falls apart?" Your fists pounded harder, the sharp thud echoing in the empty room. "I beg you, please! Telemachus! Is he—" Your voice broke, and the words wouldn't come.

Your knees weakened, and you leaned heavily against the door, pressing your forehead to its cool surface.

No response. Not even the muffled, apologetic voices from earlier. Just silence.

You leaned your forehead against the wood, trembling as your thoughts spiraled further. Pressing your palms flat against the door, you whispered a prayer to the gods above, your voice trembling. "Please gods... protect him. Protect my son. Keep him safe. Please."

The silence beyond the door stretched on, heavy and suffocating. You stayed there, trembling against the wood, every second a fresh torment.

And then... the latch clicked, breaking through your whispered pleas.

You froze, your breath catching in your throat as you staggered back. Slowly, the door inched open, the dim light from the corridor spilling into the room.

Relief surged through you, mingling with your anger as you rushed forward, ready to demand answers. "How dare you keep me—" But the words died in your throat, caught like a fish in a net, as your gaze landed on the figure standing in the doorway.

Your heart stopped.

"...Odysseus?" His name escaped your lips in a whisper, barely audible, trembling like the flicker of a candle in the wind.

It couldn't be.

Your eyes widened, your mind struggling to reconcile the man before you with the ghost of the memory you had clung to for so many years. But there he was, standing in the doorway, real and solid, and yet so very different from the man you had kissed goodbye all those years ago.

He looked older. His once-youthful face was lined with the passage of time and the weight of what he had endured. Faint scars crisscrossed his hands and forearms, reminders of battles fought and hardships survived.

His frame was leaner than you remembered, his once-strong build worn by years of trials, yet he carried himself with a strength that belied the weary lines etched into his features.

His hair, streaked with silver, curled just slightly at the edges, framing a face that was both familiar and foreign.

And his eyes—oh, his eyes. They were the same piercing eyes you had fallen in love with, though now they carried a heaviness, a burden of things seen and done that you could scarcely imagine.

You took a trembling step closer, your breath shallow. Your gaze darted over him, drinking in every detail as though you feared he might vanish if you blinked. His clothes were ragged, torn at the edges, and caked with dust and blood, but he stood tall, the weight of the years and his trials radiating off him like a shield.

When your eyes met his, something shifted. The hardness in his gaze softened, the lines around them easing ever so slightly as his lips parted.

"Penelope," he rasped, his voice hoarse, as though it had been too long since he'd spoken your name aloud. He took a step toward you, his movements slow and deliberate, as if testing the waters of a dream.

Your head shook slowly, side to side, as tears welled in your eyes, spilling over before you could stop them. "N-No..." you stammered, your voice trembling, barely audible. "No... no!" The word grew louder as you turned abruptly, your legs buckling beneath the weight of the moment, sending you stumbling back toward the window.

You pressed your palms to the cool stone sill, your gaze locking onto the distant horizon as though it could anchor you. Your mind raced, each thought more frantic than the last. This isn't real. It can't be real. Fear clawed at your chest, your heart pounding so hard it felt as though it might break free. A strangled laugh escaped your lips, wild and unbidden.

The sound startled even you, cracking like thunder in the stillness of the room. It morphed into a sob, the sound catching in your throat as you gasped for breath. "I've lost it," you whispered, a broken, bitter laugh slipping through your trembling lips. "The gods have taken pity on me—or perhaps they've cursed me." Your shoulders shook as the dam finally broke, tears spilling freely now, mingling with the bitter laughter that refused to stop.

You clutched at the sill, your fingers digging into the stone as if you could steady yourself against the onslaught of emotions. The ache in your chest was unbearable, a mixture of disbelief, longing, and the fear that this was nothing more than a cruel trick of your mind—a dream that would shatter as all the others had.

A warm hand rested gently on your shoulder.

You froze, the heat of his touch cutting through the storm raging within you. A gasp escaped your lips, and your eyes squeezed shut, unwilling to face whatever was behind you—whether it was real or a phantom conjured by desperation.

The warmth seeped through your robe, grounding you, making it impossible to ignore. The sobs caught in your throat, and you were left trembling, torn between the urge to lean into the comfort and the fear of being hurt by it.

"Penelope," he said again, his voice softer this time, filled with something raw, something that threatened to undo you completely.

Your breath hitched, and with painstaking slowness, you turned. Your legs felt weak, as though they could give out at any moment, but the pull of his voice, of that warmth, was impossible to resist.

Your gaze lifted, hesitantly, until it met his. There he was, your husband, the man you had mourned and prayed for.

His face, lined with years of hardship, was impossibly familiar yet so changed.

His hair was streaked with silver, his cheeks sunken, but his eyes held the same warmth, the same depth that had drawn you in so many years ago.

Your hands shook as you raised them, trembling in the space between you, hesitant, unsure. Your lips quivered, the words catching in your throat as you whispered, "Odysseus... is it really you?"

He didn't speak. Instead, he reached out, his calloused fingers wrapping gently around your trembling hands. You flinched at the contact, the shock of it too much, but he didn't let go. Slowly, he guided your hands to his face, pressing them against his cheeks.

His skin was rougher than you remembered, his beard thicker, weathered by years of trials and battles, but the warmth—the life beneath your touch—was unmistakable. It grounded you in a way that no words ever could. He leaned into your touch, his eyes fluttering closed as though savoring the moment, as though he feared you might pull away.

"It's me," he murmured, his voice low and steady, his breath warm against your hands. His thumbs moved in small, gentle circles over your wrists, as if to reassure you, to anchor you both in this moment.

Your breath hitched, and fresh tears spilled down your cheeks. "O-Odysseus," you choked out, the name falling from your lips like a prayer. Your hands, still trembling, curled slightly against his skin, afraid to let go, afraid to believe, and yet unable to deny the truth of the man before you.

He opened his eyes then, meeting your tearful gaze with a tenderness that took your breath away. "Penelope," he said again, the way he spoke your name like a vow, a promise that he was here, that he was real.

Your heart stuttered, caught between disbelief and an aching hope that threatened to overwhelm you. The tears you had tried to hold back now flowed freely, your chest heaving as you fought to find words, any words, to bridge the chasm of years and heartbreak that separated you.

"Have my prayers been answered?" you whispered, your voice trembling, fragile as the thread of a spider's web. Your eyes searched his face, tracing every new line, every scar, every mark of hardship etched into his features. "Is it really you standing there, or am I dreaming once more?"

Odysseus' lips parted, as though he, too, struggled with the enormity of this moment. He tightened his hold on your hands, his calloused thumbs brushing against your skin in a gesture so tender it made you tremble. "It's me, Penelope," he murmured, his voice low but steady, a reassurance as much for himself as it was for you.

You shook your head slightly, as if to clear it, your tears blurring your vision. "You look different," you said, your voice cracking under the weight of emotion. "Your eyes... they look tired. Your frame is lighter, your smile..." You swallowed hard, your voice dropping to a whisper. "Your smile is... torn."

A flicker of pain crossed his face, and he let out a breath that seemed to carry the weight of years. "I... I am not the man you fell in love with, Penelope," he admitted, his voice soft but unwavering. "I am not the man you once adored. I am not your kind and gentle husband."

His words struck you like a blow, each one driving home the truth that you had feared, and yet something in his gaze kept you rooted, unable to look away. "And I am not the love you knew before," he finished, the admission hanging heavy in the air between you.

Your lip quivered, your knees threatening to give out again. "What kinds of things did you do for you to believe such things?" you asked, your voice barely above a whisper. The question carried no accusation, only a desperate need to understand, to piece together the years that had separated you.

His jaw tightened, and his gaze dropped for a moment, as though the weight of the answer was too much to bear. "I left a trail of red on every island," he said finally, his voice raw with the truth. "I traded friends like objects I could use. I hurt more lives than I can count on my hands." His eyes flicked back up to yours, and the pain in them was almost unbearable to witness. "But all of that was to bring me back to you."

Your breath caught, your hands trembling in his grip. He was baring his soul before you, and yet you couldn't stop the flood of questions, the fears and doubts that had plagued you for years. "So tell me," he continued, his voice softer now, carrying a note of something fragile. "Would you fall in love with me again, if you knew all I've done? The things I can't undo? I am not the man you knew, Penelope. But I know you've been waiting for my return, my love."

You felt as though the air had been knocked from your lungs, his words hitting you with a force that left you reeling. "Odysseus..."

He stepped closer, the air between you heavy with unspoken emotion. The years of longing, the nights spent weaving and unraveling hope, the ache of absence—all of it welled up inside you, pressing against your chest until it was hard to breathe.

"If that's true," you began, your voice trembling with a mixture of vulnerability and resolve that even you hadn't expected, "could you do me a favor?"

Odysseus tilted his head slightly, his brow furrowing as he studied you, the faintest flicker of concern crossing his features. "Anything," he rasped, his voice carrying the weight of someone who had carried countless burdens but would shoulder another if it meant easing yours.

You drew in a shaky breath, your hands twisting in the fabric of your robe as you glanced toward the corner of the room, where the wedding bed stood—a monument to the love you had cherished through the years, even as it seemed impossible to hold onto. "Just a moment of labor," you whispered, your voice barely audible as you struggled to keep it steady, "that would bring me some peace."

He straightened, his brows drawing closer together as unease flickered in his gaze.

You swallowed hard and gestured toward the bed. "See that wedding bed? Could you carry it over? Lift it high on your shoulders and take it far away from here."

The silence that followed was almost unbearable. Even the crackling of the fire in the hearth seemed to fade into the background as your words hung heavily in the air.

At first, Odysseus didn't move, his body as still as stone, but the change in his expression was stark. Confusion gave way to disbelief, then hurt, and finally, a simmering anger that seemed to pulse just beneath the surface.

He took a slow step forward, his eyes fixed on the bed as though it had somehow betrayed him.

"How could you say ask this?" he asked, his voice low and tight, the tremor in it betraying the storm of emotions he was struggling to contain. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, his knuckles whitening as though he were trying to ground himself. "That bed isn't just wood, Penelope. It's us—it's everything we built, everything we were."

You held your ground, your heart hammering in your chest. "I know," you replied softly, though your voice carried a sharp edge, your words deliberately chosen. "That's why I ask."

His gaze snapped to yours, his eyes flashing with a pain that struck deep. "I built that bed with my own hands," he said, his voice rising, the anger now bubbling to the surface. "Do you remember the olive tree, Penelope? The one in the garden, where you smiled at me for the first time—truly smiled, not out of courtesy or politeness, but with a warmth that lit up the whole world? That tree was alive, vibrant, like you. I could have built a bed from any wood in the kingdom, but I chose that tree. I thought it would hold us together, root us, even when life tried to tear us apart."

You said nothing, your eyes brimming with unshed tears as he continued, the floodgates of his heartbreak fully open now.

"When I carved it..." he said, his voice breaking slightly, "I poured everything into it—my love, my hope, my belief that what we had was unshakable. And now, after all these years, after everything I've done to get back to you, you ask me to destroy it? To tear it from its roots and cast it away as though it means... nothing?" His voice cracked on the last word, and he shook his head, stepping back as though the distance might protect him from the blow you'd just dealt.

Your lip quivered, but you refused to look away. Instead, you stepped closer, your voice quiet but resolute. "And do you know why I asked, Odysseus?" you countered, your tone measured, a mixture of cunning and vulnerability. "Because I had to know. After twenty years, I had to know if the man who stands before me is the man I loved, the man who could never move that bed because he made it immovable—because he made it ours."

He froze, his breath catching in his throat as your words sank in.

You took another step forward, your tears finally slipping down your cheeks as you continued, your voice softening. "Only my husband would understand what that bed means, what it represents. Only he would react the way you just did—with anger, with heartbreak, because it's not just a piece of furniture, is it? It's us. It's the life we built together, the promises we made under the shade of that olive tree. Only my Odysseus would carry that weight with him... even after all these years."

He looked at you then, truly looked at you, and the anger in his eyes melted into something deeper—something raw and unguarded. He took a shaky breath, his hands relaxing at his sides as he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "Penelope..."

"Yes," you murmured, your lips trembling as a smile began to form. "Yes, only my husband knew that... So I guess that makes him you."

The tension in the room shattered, replaced by a flood of emotions that neither of you could fully contain. Odysseus took another step toward you, his hand reaching out to cup your cheek with a gentleness that belied the storm that had just passed.

"Penelope," he said again, his voice full of reverence, his thumb brushing away your tears. "You... you are still the clever woman I fell in love with, the woman who could outwit gods and men alike. And you’re right. That bed... it's us. And I could never, would never destroy it. Not for anything."

You placed your hand over his, your fingers trembling against his calloused palm. "And I could never stop loving you," you whispered, your voice thick with emotion. "Not then. Not now. Not for anything or anyone."

Your tears fell freely now, your voice breaking as you spoke. "I will fall in love with you over and over again, Odysseus," you said, the words tumbling from your lips like a confession, raw and unguarded. "I don't care how, where, or when. No matter how long it's been... you're mine."

His eyes opened, meeting yours with a fierce intensity. "Don't tell me you're not the same person," you continued, your voice trembling but determined. "You're always my husband, and I've been waiting for you."

His hands cupped your face then, his touch gentle but firm, as though grounding himself in your presence. "Penelope," he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion, his forehead resting against yours. "For you, I would wait an eternity."

"How long... has it been?"

His lips curled into a faint smile, bittersweet and full of unspoken apologies. "Twenty years," he said, the weight of those two words pressing against you like a physical force.

Twenty years. Twenty years of pain and longing condensed into this moment, the air between you heavy with unspoken promises and the undeniable truth of a love that had endured against all odds.

And then, without warning, he kissed you.

It wasn't tentative or shy but raw and consuming. His lips claimed yours with a fervor that stole the breath from your lungs. You felt the tremor in his hands as they cradled your face, his calloused fingers rough yet gentle, grounding you in his presence.

The weight of twenty years was in that kiss—two decades of longing, of yearning, of pain too deep to articulate.

He kissed you like a man starved, as though you were the first taste of life he’d had in an eternity. The press of his lips was firm, insistent, yet reverent, as if he were terrified that you might slip away if he loosened his hold for even a moment.

Your heart stuttered in your chest, the rhythm faltering before surging forward with a force that left you lightheaded. Your hands, trembling and unsure, found their way to his chest, your fingers clutching at the fabric of his tunic as if to anchor yourself, as if to remind yourself that this was real, that he was here. His heart thundered beneath your touch, the rapid beat matching the wild cadence of your own.

The kiss deepened, his desperation bleeding into every movement. His lips moved against yours with an urgency that left no room for hesitation. His beard brushed against your skin, rough and unfamiliar, but it only added to the heady sensation, grounding you further in the reality of him.

When he pulled you closer, his arms sliding around your waist to hold you firmly against him, the warmth of his body seeped into yours, chasing away every lingering doubt, every shadow of uncertainty.

You could feel the tension in him—the coiled strength of a warrior who had been fighting for so long, the vulnerability of a man who had feared he might never return home.

A small, broken sound escaped him, muffled against your lips, and it sent a shiver racing down your spine. His lips lingered on yours as though memorizing the shape, the feel, the reality of you.

When he finally pulled back, his breath came in ragged gasps, his forehead resting against yours once more. His eyes were squeezed shut, his lashes damp with unshed tears, and his grip on you remained firm, as though he feared you might vanish if he let go.

"Penelope," he whispered again, his voice hoarse, his breath mingling with yours in the small space between you. "I thought... I thought I'd never hold you again."

Your own breaths came in shallow, uneven bursts, your lips tingling from the intensity of the kiss. Your chest heaved, your hands still clutching at him as if you might fall apart without the solid weight of him beneath your fingers.

You opened your eyes, meeting his gaze, and the raw vulnerability you saw there stole whatever words you might have spoken. His lips were red and slightly swollen, his cheeks flushed, and the way he looked at you—as though you were the only thing keeping him grounded—made your heart ache and soar all at once.

You lifted a trembling hand to touch his face, your thumb brushing against the tear trailing down his cheek. "Odysseus," you whispered, your voice cracking with the weight of everything you felt but couldn't say.

And as his lips found yours again, softer this time but no less fervent, you knew without a doubt that this was your Odysseus—the man who had left, the man who had fought, the man who had returned.

And you kissed him back with all the love, all the pain, and all the hope that had carried you through the years. The two of you stood there, the world falling away as time seemed to collapse.

He pulled back slowly, his breath mingling with yours, the space between you charged with everything unspoken. For a moment, he simply stared, his hands trembling against your skin.

"Penelope," he whispered, his voice breaking, his tears falling freely now. "After everything... after all this time..."

You placed a trembling hand on his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heart beneath your palm, a grounding warmth that made you choke on a sob. "I—I love you, Odysseus."

His hand covered yours, pressing it tighter against his chest as though to hold you there, to keep you from slipping away. "I love you, Penelope," he murmured, his voice steady now, resonant, filled with everything he couldn't say before. "Always. Forever. Even when I thought I'd never see you again... it was always you."

And in that moment, twenty years of separation melted away, leaving nothing but the love that had never wavered, the bond that time and trials could not break.

A/N: Ahhh, y'all im crying in bed!!! i just listened to the last saga of epic (ithaca saga) and it got me sobbing, just a mess.  jorge did a phenomenon job portrtaying odysseus love for penelope ❤️❤️ i just had to create my one-shot/interpertation of this 😩❤️

[simp-ly-writes]

The Comment's Section (pt.9)

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Pairing: Spencer Agnew x gn!Reader

─ · · SUMMARY: From less like friends (or well still friends) and more like lovers. You and Spencer are riding the wave of having a somewhat public relationship as you announce your newest project!

─ · · TAGS: gender-neutral pronouns, slowburn, fluff, light angst, cheesiness, friends that act like lovers, friends to lovers, mutual pining, attempt at humour, social media au.

─ · · MASTERLIST | TAGLIST REQUEST | PART SEVEN | PART EIGHT | PART TEN

─ · · A/N: super long update before the last one!!

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🔔 Netflix just posted! Check it out.

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Liked by (name)s_username, username01, filmingamanda and others

Netflix Get ready to be lassoed into a new series only available on Netflix Fall 2026!

Watch as your favourite stars Tom Hardy, Maya Hawke, and Owen Wilson all take roles within the wild west and star within the live reimagining of the critically acclaimed game, Red Dead Redemption. With co-stars (first/name) (last/name) and Ella Purnell also stepping into the action.

The only question left is will you also be saddling-up for the adventure of a lifetime?

View all 14,998 comments

username01 HOLY SHIT THIS IS THE COOLEST FUCKING NEWS TO DATE- PERIOD.

(name)s_username I'm so incredibly thankful for this opportunity. Already have my boots and cowboy hat ready and waiting!

mayahawke at least I'm not fighting literal demons this time!

username99 OMG this casting?!??! Was someone actually cooking at Netflix OR-

username24 I can already feel the thirst traps happening...

spennser so... THIS IS WAS THE SCRIPT YOU WERE HIDING FROM ME???

↳ (name)s_username yeah... 😬 sorry not sorry! 😘

angelagiovanagiarratana I am going to eat this show.

username00 Kinda worried for this show, hope they stick to the source material!

username88 respect the source and play the frickin' game!

username73 I can already see (name) doing "research." When these over 250+ streamed hours of them playing this game with Spencer 🤣

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🔔 (name)s_username just posted!

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Liked by co_mill, spennser, sydney_sweeney, and others

(name)s_username Yeehaw Motherfuckers.

View all 2,880 comments

spennser You know the saying when you wear the hat...

↳ (name)s_username no I don't actually, what does it say? you know I can't read for shit. ↳ spennser umm, I'll tell you at home actually ↳ (name)s_username okay! 😊 ↳ username01 👀💞 oh god.

username44 that was a 180 from how things were going but look how far we've come! they are openly flirting with one another now!

chickenshopdate so you had to get really famous after we dated, wow...

username90 funny that as soon as (name) leaves smosh they immediately start acting like a couple...

phatchance you be out here filling in all those bucket lists bestie, so proud of you! 💞

↳ (name)s_username aww thank you! 😭

tomeybones saddle me up next! wait- that sounds wrong, nevermind! 😳

smosh woah! no wonder you quit! I would too... wait what?

username60 y'all be so freakin' cute- UGH I cannot wait for this series. Marked in the calender boys!

filmingamanda you get that Netflix bag!! 💸

↳ (name)s_username you know it! 😘

shayne_topp this is so freakin cool man, like wtf.

co_mill everyone won't stfu about this, and to be quite honest- I don't ever want to either! 💕

username12 fuck you.

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🔔 (name)s_username, just added to their story, check it out!

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🔔 spennser, just added to their story, check it out!

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🔔 HollywoodNow just posted! check it out?

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Liked by username01, RomComInterviews, (yourshipname)_updates and others

HollywoodNow From cosy mystery partner to mysetry no more! Insider sources have revealed that (first/name) (last/name) is officially off the market ahead of their role in the new cowboy themed Netflix series: Red Dead Redemption. As confirmed by posts on theirs separate social media accounts, (name)'s romantic partner Spencer Agnew seems to be confirmed by a soft launch after years of dating allegations.

Are you happy with this new (but old) couple? Or do you think (name) was better off with one of their co-stars? Let us know down in the comments section below! 👇

View all 1,991 comments

username01 feels surreal, I don't know what to believe anymore even when there is actual admitted to, photo evidence.

username77 I will not give up on (name)! Not until there is a wedding band on their finger will I not be in love with them!

username66 I love that THATS the picture they pick for Spencer 😭

username53 they did my boy Spencer SO dirty on this one- NOT THE FROG!!! 🤣

username00 eh, I'm still speculative. I mean... they have stated over and over again that they are just friends. Whats to say all this drama was not just for publicity leading up to the announcement?

↳ username04 I mean. (name) has already confessed on their instagram that their actions were caused by their change in career/lifestyle that did not reflect who they truly were and admitted to it being entirely their own fault... I don't know how this is all for publicity when they were visibly struggling???

username20 the question of 'is (name) punching down' is disgusting. Like they've practically been together for way? Half a decade if not more??? And you DARE to ask if one if better than the other? Gross. Really, truly gross.

username73 FuUK (NAME) AND F4uck TH3IR FAMILY, THEIRr FRIENDS, AND SPECER.

↳ username88 Learn how to spell before you start typing

username15 proud of them.

username70 I can't wait until they get married! I can just see the cute wedding pictures now!!

─────── · ·

🔔 These tweets are trending right now, retweet it to join the conversation!

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(first/name) (last/name) @ (name)s_username · just now So... am I trending for hate again or??? 👀 Comment | Retweet | Like | Bookmark

.

Spencer Agnew @ spennser · just now SOMEONE HAVE A SMOSH BABY NOW! I WANT TO EAT PIZZA IN PEACE PLEASE 🙏 /sarcasm (with a degree of not being sarcastic but really serious please.) Comment | Retweet | Like | Bookmark

.

Hollywood Now @ hollywood_now · just now (Name) and Spencer, a new couple just seen eating out together at a pizzeria. Date night perhaps? Comment | Retweet | Like | Bookmark

.

username44 @ username44 · just now Anyone else realizing this is why (yourshipname) kept things under wraps for so long? Like let people eat, man! Comment | Retweet | Like | Bookmark

.

(first/name) (last/name) @ (name)s_username · just now so... looks like we're ordering in from now on! 😳 Comment | Retweet | Like | Bookmark

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username31 @ username31 · just now Kinda adorable how (name) does not realize they are kinda really famous now lol

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Some time later...

🔔 (name)_undercover just posted!

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Liked by co_mill, spennser, phatchance, and others

(name)_undercover Mental Health Check-In #51:

Super proud of myself for remember not to water the plants from overwatering them last week! 😬 Decided to pick up Red Dead Redemption again- but the online version! Me and Spencer have been playing it every night together 💕

Also started a new DnD campaign with the Smosh crew on the weekends! It's been great reconnecting with everyone after a break and I'm excited to see where things go. I'm playing as a teifling warlock-bard!

Next Update: ???

comments are limited

spennser I still don't know how you got that combination to work so well together...

↳ (name)s_username what can I say? you're seeing a magician at work 😘

co_mill you two are such cuties! 💕

phatchance I still don't know how you killed that cactus... like boy/girl its a cactus???

↳ (name)s_username I don't know either!!! 😭

anthonypadilla proud of you!

↳ (name)s_username thanks internet dad!

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🔔 (name)s_username, just added to their story, check it out!

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🔔 spennser, just added to their story, check it out!

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🔔 (name)_undercover just posted!

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Liked by co_mill, spennser, phatchance, and others

(name)_undercover Mental Health Check-In #52:

Moved to a new place with Spenncer! So great to have a home to finally call my own- entirely! No more leaky faucets or patchy drywall. Just nice space for us to spread out all our collectibles lol. 😊

Next Update: ???

comments are limited

spennser and they were roomates...

angelagiovanagiarratana in love with the new place! let me know when you're done with it- I want to COOK in your kitchen!

↳ (name)s_username just make sure not to burn the whole house down! 😂 ↳ angelagiovanagiarratana AYE! 👺 I will not!

shayne_topp dang, gotta tell court we need to step our decorating skills up!

tomeybones who's dog?

↳ (name)s_username the neighbours! somehow slipped underneath our fence!

filmingamanda if you still need help unpacking, shoot me a text!

↳ (name)s_username will do! 🫡

─────── · ·

─ · · A/N: likes, comments, and reblogs are all appreciated and encouraged!

─ · · SPENCER AGNEW TAGLIST: @lisiliely @missflufffanfics @little-stitious-studios @thejourneyneverendsx @sibsteria @lizzylynch1 @babble2 @delaneyburghardt @thevintagefangirl @uniquely-haunting @maricarorp @sarahskywalker-amidala @laurasdrey

[lizablackthorn]

pov:you’re friends with f1 drivers camping/hiking/zip lining editon 🏕️🚴⛰️

lewishamilton added to their story

landonorris added to their story

yourusername added to their story

mickschumacher added to their story

lando.jpg just posted a photo

liked by carlossainz55,maxverstappen1,lewishamilton and 455.384 others

lando.jpg Digital diary of the 17th day

yourusername: becoming a mermaid with @lewishamilton

georgerussell63:On theatres this summer

y/usernamefan: Why @yourusername is working in a inflatable pool😭

yourusername: Lando was kind enough to make me feel like at vacation🙏🏻

landonorris:but you WERE in vacation?

yourusername:i’m not a f1 driver i have REAL work to do (sarcasm if you didn’t get it)

landonorris: i’m not the stupid one that’s charles

charles_leclerc: how this turned and come back at me?

charles_leclerx16fan: What is Charles doing on the tree???

lewishamilton: @yourusername.told him there was a bear coming

alex_albon:who won the card game? I put my money in @yourusername

yourusername: And you’re winning 100 bucks🏆

sharlmarchervepercevalleclerc: thank you for shirtless Charles

yourusername: somebody is stealing your rep @georgerussell63.👀 and i loved your username🤌🏻

georgerussell63:don’t do this mate i can’t compete with you @charles_leclerc

alex_albon: take it @charles_leclerc. Not because he can’t compete with you(he definitely can) i cannot handle another shirtless George.

charles_leclerc: for your sanity mate. I’m gladly taking his reputation. Wait for the shirtless pics

yourusername: I definitely wouldn’t complain like rest of the world…

yourusername just posted a photo

liked by charles_leclerc,pierregasly,danielriccardo and 49.937 others

yourusername these are only sneak peeks from the directors cut. Stay tuned for the others.

charles_leclerc: it was really entertaining to make fun of @landonorris. “Was” don’t let it fool you. You’re on my hands for the rest of your life

landonorris: Okay great mate. Now think about the last week. You’re on MY hands

f1: 👀

danielriccardo: Why did both of you made me dirty @landonorris and @yourusername? It’s time to take out my camera.

yourusername: sorry for not being talented as you’re at taking pics😭

mickschumacher: Roscoe was my favorite for the whole time❤️ @lewishamilton

lewishamilton: Roscoe loves you so much❤️

user3748392: no but i cannot over the story where Charles was snuggling yourusername😭❤️ it was so cute

paddockclubgirls: i though i was the only one😭

lastlaplando: who is he holding the stick like he doesn’t wanna lost?

yourusername: Charles! He genuinely didn’t wanna lost.

charlosthebest: sorry for shipping you but I ship you so bad😭

carlossainz55: I know it would’ve been a bad idea to go back to Spain. I’m sorry for missing the opportunity to make fun of lando

charles_leclerc:he was hilarious mate. You should’ve heard his screams

landonorris: mate if i were you i wouldn’t go overboard..

f1drivers: pls tell us i can’t keep on my life without not knowing that.

landonorris:🤐

sirlewishamiltonfan44: Lewis is reaallyy fine man. I love him so bad.

lh44team: and him with Roscoe. I can’t- double the effect😭

yourusername: i was so happy @lewishamilton being there for this week. I really love him too🥹

lewishamilton: my sister from another mother💜

lh44team: they’re so cute i’m gonna cry😭

sirlewishamiltonandlordperceval: The only thing i can see is how beautiful the view in the fourth picture. Definitely not Lewis’naked back and Charles’tits.

yourusername:HELP💀

[tare-anime]

SxF Mission 110

(Beware spoilers)

Woah! That was such a scary jumpscare 🥶🥶

Endo would you please stop doing that with Donnie??? Gosh..... 😅😅😅

Anyway, this chapter make me relieved.

Before this chapter, I was conflicted.

I know and I believe Loid is a good man. He has good heart and really wants what best for everyone. However he also was known to be such a perfectionist when doing his job, and he's so good at it. Of course he is not a stranger to anything by any means necessary to achieve his goals. That's the grey morale of his character.

Logically speaking, as the spy it is such a waste of opportunity if he suggest Melinda to leave her husband to end her suffering. But... that's exactly what he did. And he was sincere when he told Melinda that he knows Melinda is suffering by being with Donovan (showed by the transparent speech bubble).

He acknowledge that there are types of abusive behaviour. Physical and verbal. And he acknowledge that Melinda is enduring a great deal of stress.

This.... is a waaaaaaayyyy more better portrayal of how Loid doing his job as a psychiatrist. Miles better than his session with the Tutor Residence chapter.

His analysis and approach is way more compassionate while at the same time, he is showing a professional side.

Aside from being compassionate, Loid also managed to push his mission forward.

And by doing that, we now know another information: Melinda (and Demetrius) believes that Donovan can read minds.

I know this theory has been going around for quite sometimes. Especially with Anya being an experimental result herself, and Donovan has two identical scars on his head, in the more or less identical position of Anya's hairclip.

But....... I'm going with the unpopular opinion here.

I say no, Donovan cannot read minds.

My theory: He might be undergo an experimentation to gain such ability, but he himself is a failure. However, Donovan does uses the rumor regarding his ability to read minds to its fullest potential. That is using the rumor to control the people and ensure he maintains his political power. He might even has few trusted inner circle who actively spreading this rumors.

And that's why Donnie was so happy during that disasterous "family dinner" several chapters back. Donnie can confirm that the rumor still has its effect to his own family. A very few "outer ring" people who has direct contact with him.

But, that's it. It's just rumors being used to its potential in giving suggestive thoughts upon others.

Because, plot wise, that would be unmatch with what Endo has been building, and creating a plot hole as mentioned by Endo himself via Loid's inner thoughts.

Not to say that if Donnie really can read minds, it means he already know Loid was a spy from their very first contact.

But honestly, I don't know where Endo planned with this.

Maybe this will lead to Anya's backstory??? 👀

Either way, we can only wait and let Endo cooks his story 🤭🤭🤭

Next chapter is a short chapter, iirc 🤔 so maybe we will know something in 4 weeks.

PS:

I love how Loid said thank you to Yor, and didn't actually convey what thing that make him thanked her. Since the parenteses was in his inner thoughts 🤣🤣

But he was being genuine (thank you Anya). And that's what matter 🥰🥰

[burningcheese-merchant]

How on earthbread do you ship BurningCheese. Im gonna try to not judge you. This is 80% a non-rethorical question. like genuinely how do you ship them?? /lh

I was wondering when someone would come ask me this lol. It's ok though, you can be honest, I can feel you narrowing your eyes at me through the screen 👀

I could honestly go on for a REALLY long time about why I ship BurningCheese/GoldenSpice. But I'll try to distill/narrow down my thoughts the best I can so my answer isn't longer than the Bible

I adore the enemies to lovers trope and hero/villain pairings in general. I did long before Cookie Run and I will long afterwards

I like how they complement and contrast against each other, aesthetically + personality-wise + backstory-wise

I love how they interact with each other. I love how they talk and snipe at each other. Golden Cheese's frustrated yet unyielding confidence and wit VS Burning Spice's brash, raucous excitement is fun to see. (The back-and-forth they have during their fight in episode 6 is dangerously close to how I've written them in my fics, even before the episode came out. So technically, in a way, my fics have been canonized lol)

It's fun imagining them together in different ways. A one-sided crush/obsession on Burning Spice's part is fun in a dark way (my Yandere Spice). So is a mutual love and respect between them. Main canon for me is a slow burn romance and a slow redemption arc for Spice alongside it. I also have an AU where Golden corrupts and becomes a Beast herself, and they become an evil villain couple. I have another where Spice doesn't get better and Golden doesn't get worse, they just have the standard forbidden love affair that they hide from the world (the latter out of fear of judgement, the former just so no one can try to keep them apart). I've got a million story ideas with them. You can do all sorts of things with them imo. And I think it works because of how they bounce off of each other. Put them in different situations and see how their relationship changes/adjusts/adapts, see if love can exist and how

I like their size difference. Spice is significantly taller and wider than Golden and it's really funny to see lol

The way they and their relationship/dynamic parallel actual Egyptian and Indian mythology (the latter in particular) is absolutely unreal

Not kidding, I can go on about the symbolism and allusions and references forever. I could write an actual paper on it. How can a ship go THIS hard

Come on, don't act like they wouldn't give each other a fantastic time in bed lmao

They follow each other around in my kingdom almost 24/7. Literally every single time I log in they're next to each other or one is trailing behind the other while they walk somewhere. If they want to be together that badly, I'm not going to stop them

They are literally the cycle of life and death, they have the single most important connection of all the Beasts and Ancients, one simply cannot go on without the other for together they make up the foundation of the goddamn cosmos

It actually all started with me and someone irl joking about Burning Spice having a stalker crush when the very first trailer came out. Then I went "haha that could be a funny fic". Then I wrote it and went "wait this is an interesting idea". Then episode 5 came out and I went "wait wtf does he actually want her??? He's acting like he does in my fic!!!" Then I wrote more and got even more attached to the one-sided attraction dynamic. Then I started imagining them in an actual, normal relationship and how that might pan out. Then I started writing stuff for/about that and I got extremely attached to that. Now they have a fully fleshed out relationship and they're married and have two kids, and I have a billion side stories and AUs, and any other ship involving either of them viscerally repulses me. I unironically memed too close to the sun and immediately fell straight down into BurningCheese hell (but it's ok, I like it here and I don't plan on leaving ever)

I can and I want to and no one can stop me

I still wrote a Bible, didn't I lol. BurningCheese/GoldenSpice is perfect in every way, they are my ride-or-die and you can pry the ship from my cold, dead hands. The end, roll credits

[gabessquishytum]

re: Dream giving Hob an orgasm for every one of the 33 years he was late to their meeting 👀 my sort of romcom proposal is that while Hob cannot believe that this is an actual offer, he is also like "while I am an immortal, 33 orgasms in a row will probably kill me. you know this right?" Dream agrees & ends up scheduling it for one everyday for the next month. Hob def reciprocates more than once, they def roleplay the 1989 meeting in the Dreaming, and there are def much feelings to be had. - 🪡

Insane about this tbh!!!! (And answering straight away bc I still have the 33 Orgasms thing on my mind)

Maybe Hob takes a whole month off from work because he wants to appreciate this properly. Because he knows that Dream isn't going to just pop in and give him a brief hand job and let him get on with his day. Every single orgasm is going to be a whole production and Hob is determined to appreciate all of them.

At first it's like they're still pretending to be "just friends" even though they're obviously so in love and this whole orgasm thing is just a ploy to be together. Dream makes sure that Hob has his mind blow repeatedly so he'll never even think about taking another lover. Hob tries to use the time with Dream to comfort him after his awful ordeal. Within a few days there's post-coital cuddling, Hob is stroking Dream’s hair and whispering stories about his time at uni. Dream is weaving the most complex and beautiful dreamscapes in the hopes that Hob will be impressed (he really doesn't need to, Hob is impressed by everything Dream does).

Their sexual compatability becomes more obvious every day, and sometimes Dream forgets that he's "supposed" to be focusing on making Hob cum. He's so invested he forgets that they're not just making love. And Hob gets this absolute joy and pleasure every time he manages to make Dream cum. He's just so terrified that the 33 days will be over and Dream will leave him and pretend like none of it ever happened.

The 33rd orgasm is a re-play of 1989. Tradgoth Dream pins Hob against the hood of his sleek shiny car and kisses him absolutely senseless. But he keeps teasing, drawing it out, not letting Hob cum... because he doesn't want it to end. Hob has to whimper and beg for Dream to let him cum - and he also breathlessly begs him not to let it be the last orgasm. He wants 33 more, and more after that...

So Dream can safely make his darling Hob cum, knowing that it won't be the last time. And Hob finally gets fucked over the hood of his car, just like he was hoping for 33 years ago. And he can't wait to do it all over again tomorrow!

[catras-breakup-song]

i’m not gonna lie… i’m lost here. is this supposed to be an 4nt1/cr1t1c4l post? if so, i genuinely don’t understand the point being made.

is it that playful banter is a bad thing? is it that being too hands-on violates unspoken boundaries? the message is so unclear to my autistic ass…

oh, wait, OP provided tags:

so aside from the fact that they are absolutely not sisters by default, least of all canonically (even if you do interpret them that way somehow), nor was it ever intended by nate stevenson, i’m still having trouble figuring out how this is problematic.

in which ways is lighthearted touch totally contradictory to passionate kissing/caressing? why can’t partners who are dating do both, especially in different cultural environments such as the horde where intimacy is discouraged and friendly sparring with familiar peers is a safe expression? if it’s so different, what are we as the audience supposed to interpret from their style of physical affection by the final season? side note, but aren’t we supposed to consider the latest version of anything in general as the most accurate?

now i have a question lol, did you take this moment literally at her word, and all the other times she repeated it?

also, my friend just pointed out that this is the classic homophobic talking point of "they seem to just be very good friends! they were roommates!" lmao. i've never agreed with accusing anyone who cr1t1c1z3s catradora of lesbophobia, which i'm not doing necessarily, because that's simply not how it works, however i found this funny and partially true so i'm keeping it in.

the lip bite was included unintentionally 👀

anyway, as i’ve discussed on this blog before, i’m very arospec and it’s inseparably intwined with my identity itself; i also project that onto catra. something we often bring up in that community, is romance-favorability (as its own spectrum of range all the way to blatant repulsion btw) — which is a personal preference that’s defined as exactly as it sounds like and occasionally revolves around fictional depiction as separate from one's own reality — and arguably more importantly, amatonormativity — which is an arbitrary set of rules for romantic expectations set up by an alloromantic society. this is typically thought of as common denial of the idea that someone could actually want to separate themself from needing a life partner in marriage, but can very much be applied to an annoying list of what draws the line between romantic & platonic relationships. that line is very individualistic and is to be decided on such a level only, and it doesn’t even get into what queerplatonic means, a concept saved for another day!

my point is, the OP seems to be trying to claim that catradora objectively cannot be read as romantic because their dynamic growing up & early-on in the story doesn’t perfectly meet socially-constructed standards of what that should look like. i say we need to eradicate those standards altogether! it’s up to catradora to decide what they are, if anything specific at all, not us as the audience — assuming they could’ve had the words at their disposal to knowingly describe it. going back to my earlier paragraph above about how limited they were in the fright zone, i’ll borrow a quote from a comment i made on one of my recent reblogged posts (which is a great meta on how their mutual desire was uh... definitely not platonic):

"Catra and Adora’s desire for one another is shown in a variety of ways, mostly indirect. There are a lot of glances - until season 5, not the kind of open leering at one another that we’d seen between other characters. Mostly it’s fairly playful - wiggled or cocked eyebrows, glances at each other while smirking, that kind of thing, or really intense and somewhat angry glares when they’re fighting."

it's really bothering me that i can't recall where i read this from before, but someone analyzed before how, growing up, catra & adora didn't have a good sense of how to label their relationship with accurate terminology despite being subconsciously aware that they, whether they knew the other reciprocated or not, loved each other "like that." unfortunately, they couldn't further explore it because such love & affection was seen as a punishable weakness in the horde, so they resorted to the only safe option they seemed to have, which was subtle body language and play-fighting as [testudoaubrei-blog] described above.

also, since this screenshot is included in that post... i would be amused to read an explanation of how THIS LOOK from catra is "platonic with a capital P", because i'm not even sure if it's up for debate to be quite honest with you:

ESPECIALLY with the "i always have!" line (which 4nt1s like to doubt, but i don't care, it's official!):

[nyamadermont]

Rec list for lok fics 👀

Buckle up, Buttercup!

I have read so many fics over the past four years that I cannot possibly do everything justice. The little fics that fit into very niche interests. Long fics that require some hefty time investment. While I include one unfinished work here, there are several more that are excellent. 

These are not ‘random’ choices, but neither are they in any serious order on this list. They range from stories where The Ship is the Point to ones where Yes There’s a Ship in Here Somewhere to Friendship is a Ship, and one where the only ships are ones in the water. 

My primary ship is Kyalin, so expect to see that one pop up more than once. I’ve left so many off this list - you’ll notice I don’t have a single Korrasami fic here. There are some excellent works that sail on that ship.

I was going to hold myself to 10. But I just couldn’t.

Warning: Nearly all of the canon compliant / conforming / complicit / contrarian fics here probably should wait until you’ve finished the whole series.

brave soldier girl, comes marching home by @toastweasel A realistic portrayal of Lin from the time she was hurt by Su through the end of the 3rd season, except she’s an alcoholic. Lots of trigger warnings, but absolutely worth it. Not a ship-focused story.

KyaLin’s Travels by @slowdissolve Part 3 of a series that tells the story of Lin & Kya, starting a while after the end of the series. Part 18 (!) is the only unfinished entry here. The first fic I commented on, and my original door into the world of fanfic.

Her Favorite Mistake by @wishingforatypewriter The first Linzolt (Lin/Lightning Bolt Zolt) story caught my attention for its sheer off-the-wall-crackiness. The author’s intelligence and humor won me over.

The Bender Suicides by Aiffe This is set right after Season 1, and is obviously not happy. But it’s one of the best under-1000-word stories I can name.

The Scars that Made Me by @sanrielle Lin Beifong’s story in Lin Beifong’s words, toward (but not quite at) the end of her life. Well-worth reading more than once.

Blossoms Softly in the Mountains by archer_nebulae This is a story of Huan and his father, set in Season 4. An interesting look at two mostly side-lined members of the Beifong family.

I Made a Difference to that One by @whattheflameo A modern non-bending AU that works remarkably well. Unfinished, but it remains one of my absolute favorites. I even shared it with my children, I love it so much. And there are dolphins, which is its own plus.

How I Always Loved You by @orangepanic The story of Yasuko and Hiroshi. At least so far as I’m concerned. I don’t give a flying fig if “canon” ever comes along and tells a different story.

Blazing Sunsets by @orangepanic This is the fic I read when I need a laugh. Lin and Bumi get up to shenanigans following the series finale.

Song for Our Daughter by @cobaltzosia Opal Beifong is just about the right age to have something of a different origin than the series leads us to believe. Canon contradictory, but an amazingly nuanced, poignant, and eminently hopeful story.

Inheriting the Wind by @athoroughlycommonpotato Tenzin’s story, from the death of his father up to just before he breaks up with Lin. Lovely, lyrical writing.

Discover (we can do it together) by @frooopsen A story from The Ship is the Point list, we have: Lin/Pema. Modern AU. Another comfort fic for me.

An Annotated Bibliography of the Wars of Unification by HopefulPenguin A non-story fic that’s just what it says on the tin: a bibliography. This author put together a series of what academic writing in the universe might look like following the events of LOK.

So there ya go, a baker’s dozen of fantastic fics.

Have fun reading!

[cookiesandbiscuits]

Obey Me! Nightbringer's New Feature: Date Tickets

Hello hello! Today, I'll be talking about the newly released feature on the game, the date tickets!

Obey Me's official YT channel just posted a trailer for this new feature. Here's the link if you want to watch it: video link

Before I start rambling about this feature, I just want to share my thoughts about this:

👀👀👀

SOLMARE!!! YOU CANNOT JUST POST SOMETHING LIKE THIS WITHOUT ANY WARNING!!

SEEING MY HUSBAND, LYING ON A BED HALF-NAKED, HAIR SLIGHTLY DISHEVELED AND WITH THAT LOOK IN HIS EYES.... HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO REACT TO THIS, HUH?!?! *screams in incoherent noises*

Now with that out of the way, let's talk about the date ticket feature.

So according to the video they posted, the date ticket feature allows you to "ask your favorite character on a date". Basically, you'll contact them via De-Comm and use the ticket to ask them out.

Nothing much was revealed in the video about what the new feature will entail, so I tried to look into X/Twitter if someone will say something.

And, I did found it:

First of all, the price. $30 for a phone call, story, and a premium picture? Seriously?

It does come with 300 Devil Points, which probably is the reason why it was expensive, but I digress.

I knew the company is money-hungry, but wow, this is on another level (which is not very shocking, tbh).

This is just my opinion but I don't think locking a romance feature of an OTOME GAME behind a steep paywall is such a good idea, especially since most of the players are f2p.

The last time I played the game was months ago so this is not very accurate anymore, but the main story of the game lacks romance, even though it is a dating sim. Ironic, isn't it?

I'm thankful for having more lore about the characters and the three worlds, don't get me wrong. But the scarce amount of romance in the game, not to mention most of it are in Devilgram stories of the cards that are SO HARD TO GET IF YOU'RE A BROKE F2P PLAYER WITH TERRIBLE LUCK, and the consecutive events with no break to replenish the resources you spent on previous ones is what did me in to give up the game.

I still love the characters, and they will always have a special place in my heart. However, I can't find it in me to enjoy the game as I once did.

You can't expect me to pay that amount of money just to get 10 minutes worth of romantic content with my fave, not when I could just read and make fanfics and fan art.

I'm still curious about the content of the date ticket feature, but I guess I'll just have to wait for someone to post it on YT or something.

[accio-victuuri]

just sharing over here cause people i follow on weibo are reposting it and curious about it. i personally find it hard to believe in incidents like this cause anyone can make a side account of their own or who knows if the person was just confused. it’s very hard to prove and what if we are just over reaching over an innocent comment. i am referencing this post that explains what happened. so, people noticed that in global fever’s airport photoset of zz, an account that appears to be a non-fan commented. take note that zz is covered up in a mask, shades and beanie.

p1 is actually very sweet, praising our xiao laoshi. and it’s true. even if you can’t see his face — you can sense that aura and you will be attracted by him. p2 was what cause us to reconsider the first comment and who OP is. zz is definitely not someone who rides a motorcycle, all the more be visiting ZIC. those two things tho are related to a completely different person — wyb. you can interpret that as the person being confused. we know that there are photos of the two that you will find it hard to recognize which is which. especially if zz is all covered up. we cpn that there are incidents that they use this similarity to trick people when they are visiting each other. but then another post/comments comes in on another global fever post at tod’s MFW.

It matches well with Boss Wang. I’ll remember to say it again next time. When you get up to play in Zhuhai, don’t bring sunglasses and hats.

Wait. What? 👀👀

with that comment, it seems to imply that OP knows who wyb is. calls him boss too. we don’t know if that means he is familiar with him or indirectly interacted with him that he recognized wyb as the boss. he was not confused like we thought in his first comments — he knew the person is not WYB. but he seems to recognize zz going to ZIC and riding a motorcycle. that he went there with sunglasses + hat with WANG YIBO. whether this indicates a romantic relationship or this is just bros having fun — it is something. back in their 2019 interviews, they did talk about teaching ZZ how to ride a motorcycle so this is possible. it’s on brand with ZZ’s personality too, how he goes out of his way to look into things that WYB likes. for example, how to skateboard.

the OP does not follow any celebrities and is more on cars and motorcycle. that’s why people think they are mostly credible. but again, we cannot trust people on the internet. this is definitely someone who is not in their inner circle, cause if they were, they would keep quiet. maybe this person is someone who frequents ZIC and remembered the day boss wang brought in his special friend to ride ♥️

cpfs have also weighed in on why this could be what we think it is:

feel free to take this as a fake story, if anything, what i love about this is people searching tracer 85 x xz edits! 🔥🔥🔥🔥

-END.

[spices28]

Okayyyy tell me about Their Love Made the World Go Round I wanna hear the hylia/FD lore 👀

Hi hello, 

I’m soo excited to talk about them, so thank you for asking!! I just sorted through my outline for my Zelink Hadestown AU, and I found I’m a bit farther along than I expected. The text is currently sitting at 26,836 words. It’s not even a quarter finished tho, so I’m anticipating it’ll take me well over 120k. Still a long ways to go! 

So. Lets start at the beginning, shall we?

The story is called “Melody of Courage.” There are several key melodies that are important –  primarily (because this is a Legend of Zelda story) the melodies are Wisdom, Power, and Courage. But they’ve all been lost to time and the demon scourge, which has also buried the song of love. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that MoC is a story within a story. The Hadestown AU events (aka the story of Link/Zelda as Orpheus/Eurydice and Hylia/FD as Persephone/Hades) are being told by Impa, the last servant of Hylia left on the surface world.

Impa is telling the story to the Sheikah children as they wait for the cycle to begin anew and a rebirth of the world, when it is foretold that Hylians will return to Hyrule. (aka the events of Skyward Sword.) There are several reasons for this, but I mostly love an unreliable narrator. Impa is great, but she’s got a perspectiveTM and I think those little easter eggs are fun to hide for readers. 

Anyway, Hylia plays the role of Persephone, a goddess of light who, for many eons, cared for the wilds of Hyrule under the watchful gaze of three golden goddesses. They left her with the Melody of Wisdom so that she might rule and care for the people. That is until a Fierce Diety (the Sheikah do not speak his name as they have cursed him to be forgotten for his crimes against Hyrule) sees her walking in the green fields and falls in love with her. At first, Hylia rebuffs him, but FD proves his worthiness when he presents the Melody of Power. He vows never to use it to harm the helpless ants (humans) and instead pledges a song of love. Hylia is so moved that she changes her mind, and her heart softens. FD takes Hylia home, to his spirit realm, to become his queen. 

(Gods cannot own the Melody of Courage, of course, because it belongs to the people of Hyrule. Courage cannot be taken nor given, only used.)

But without Hylia, Hyrule begins to wither and die. 

So, they make a pact. For half of the year, Hylia will be in Hyrule. She will visit the temples and receive worship, and she will care for all the people and plants and animals. Those Hylians and Sheikah most intune with nature can tell nearly exactly when Hylia leaves and arrives, the subtle changes in temperature and natural behavior giving her presence away. 

The other half she spends with FD in the spirit realm. 

And for a long time, they are happy. Hylia finds joy in caring for the spirits of those who passed on once they arrive at the spirit realm. She finds meaning in this work. 

But FD grows jealous of her attention spent on Hylians. But he wants her to stay, so he makes it his mission to add more and more spirits to his realm, misunderstanding what it is Hylia found meaning in. As FD grows his realm, chaos spreads in Hyrule. The seasonal discord matches their marriage. They grow resentful of each other, and their eyes begin to wander. 

Hylia is the first to step out. After a cold night in their bed, left alone after FD went back to the forge, Hylia hears a melody. It’s so faint, but it calls to her from Hyrule, and she follows it to a temple where she finds Link. 

And oh, it is so hard to be a goddess in a loveless marriage. Made ever more difficult when you’re reminded that there are those who worship you. Who would kiss your feet, if given the opportunity. Even more lonely when you remember all the eons when your husband treated you differently than he does now. Even more painful when a young man stands in front of you and reminds you of what you loved about your husband. His willingness for battle and his readiness to sacrifice his own well-being. And here that boy is, playing the song of love written *for you.* A song you haven’t heard in more than a century. A song you’d almost forgotten. 

She loved a warrior's soul. But her husband has hung his sword on the mantel and instead, placed a crown on his head. 

I hope the readers can understand then, why Hylia is fascinated with Link. Why she doesn’t think of his earthly connections when she kisses him. Why she refuses to give him up. And why she and Link have to pay the price of FD’s wrath. 

Because if a god wants to play with a mortal, they should understand that their husband can also play with a mortal. And he’s been looking for scholars recently. So, if he were to kill Link’s beloved Zelda and reap her soul for his realm, it would be only fair. 

After all, Hylia stepped out first. And FD was just looking for another songbird to add to his collection. 

CAN YOU TELL HOW EXCITED I AM!!!!

Aslo @robboyu is doing some lovelyyyy art for this story. Already we've got some original character designs for Link and Zelda. Up next will be Impa, Hylia, and FD. I can't wait to share them with you all!

[vivipuri]

✧ vivipuri Fancuries 2024 Nominee Spotlight! ✧

So this is a bit of awkward timing to be nominated during this time as, admittedly, I’m still prepping for my fanseries so not everything is set in stone. But I happily accept all these nominations!

Viva la Vida! Pretty Cure has been nominated for four categories for the 2024 @fancuries: Best Fanseries Concept, Coolest Cure (Cure Aurea), Favorite Fancure & Prettiest Cure (Cure Platina)!

As Viva la Vida! Pretty Cure is still in its prep stage, I can only relay so much information without going into major spoiler territory, and I can’t guarantee these are all finalized. But please bare with me and I hope you can still consider my fanseries~

Best Fanseries Concept: Life and Death, Magic, Sorcery

The main theme is pretty heavy for Precure, even for a fanseries. But I’d like to take this opportunity as a fan creator to touch on a more mature series if Toei never will. The main girl herself (Yuki) struggles with the concept of death as she herself cannot cope with the death of her mother even years later, and I want to touch on this subject through her journey and the other girls who are yet to be revealed~ Along her time as a Precure and by the end of the series, she and her friends will learn to live life to the fullest (hence the name of this fanseries).

“Long live life”

The subordinates of the main villain are to be based on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, with a motif being based around different horseriders throughout history (old west gunslinger, medieval ages knight, 18th century highwayman, ancient Japan bajutsu). I don’t want to paint death in an entirely bad light as it’s an inevitable fate, so the villains don’t really represent the death to the Precure’s life. They moreso represent rebirth but in a darker sense, but I’ll get into that another day.

Magic and Sorcery play a heavy role in the story of Yuki and the main plague doctor-based villain, Necro. Something to be revealed early on in the series is that Yuki’s late mother was a powerful sorceress, and Yuki will learn to harness this magic source that differs from the power of a Precure. Necro himself is a powerful sorcerer. His goals? I won’t reveal yet, but his character greatly parallels Yuki, especially at the end when Yuki learns to move on. 👀 That is all.

Favorite Fancure & Prettiest Cure: Yuki Ayumu/Cure Platina

(since VVPC is in its development stage there isn’t much art of the Cures yet! Again please bare with me! ><)

(The main cure of VVPC!)

CV: Kei Shindou

Hobbies: Making art, reading, movies, manga

Specialty: Keen eye for detail, memorizing scripts in media

Favorite food: Cheesecake

Least favorite food: Meat stew

Dislikes: The dark, public speaking

Birthday: December 21st

Height: 156 cm

A tortured artist with a withdrawn and reserved nature, Yuki is unable to live life to the fullest. Venting her emotions on paper, she is constantly searching for the memory of the drawing she drew the day her mother died in hopes of finally moving on. However, behind her turmoil lies a kind and pure heart waiting to be discovered. As the angelic Cure Platina, she serves as the primary support for the team, providing healing through the power of holy light.

Coolest Cure: Maria Takara/Cure Aurea

(The sixth ranger and the de-facto leader of VVPC!)

CV: Lynn

Hobbies: Magical girl media, fashion

Specialty: Speaking English and French, gemstone knowledge

Favorite food: Chocolate sweets

Least favorite food: Stroganoff

Dislikes: bad fashion sense, inferiority

Birthday: June 25th

Height: 163 cm

The half-French Maria is cool and collected, albeit narrow-minded and easily impressionable. She hails from the Takara family, owners of a successful jewelry designer business, La Takara. Being the youngest daughter of four, she is left with no important position as a means to inherit and help run the business in the future, leading her to find her own purpose. Maria’s heart of gold has led her to become Yuki’s closest friend, but with her overprotective attitude, is there more than meets the eye? As the mysterious Cure Aurea, the power of crystals aid her in her role as an offensive force.

‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵

And that just about wraps up my spotlight! I hope that wasn’t too much info to digest, I tried making this as short as possible ^^;

You can vote in this year’s Fancuries here, and if you ever consider my fanseries and fancures, well… thank you very much, it means the absolute world to me ;w;

Viva Las Fancuries!

[epickiya722]

Haha right? It's so normalized while it's actually so inappropriate to go to a stranger and talk about their sexual preferences.

I hate how "x fans" is called "x fuckers" now. Yeah I like Sukuna. No I don't want to fuck him. But all there is in his tags.

I'd go as far as to say that people don't care about characters. They just want to put them into tropes box to imagine them as their vampire/alpha male/ceo lover.

And I find it ironic how the same will trash talk about fanboys while they do the exact same thing. '"let women be horny" they will say, because reducing a story to you being horny is ok.

I still want to publish my stories because some fandom gave me hope. But I don't hold my breath anymore.

It is very inappropriate. Like, damn, I can't just like the character? I can't be entertained by their antics?

There are just so many things that shouldn't be normalized across fandoms and going into someone's inbox to be like "*insert character* fucker" is one.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind people having their fantasies about their faves, let alone am I gonna police anybody on or care to. Waste of my time, I got fics to write! Posts to post! 😭

But sometimes I do think "does this person actually care about the character's story"?

Because some of those same people will have so many takes on their faves that don't even be that character. That is a whole OC you created!!

I actually wasn't aware of this until only recently that people accepted for Sukuna to become some absolute horndog when Yorozu was up all over him. Maybe I missed something, but Sukuna only ever expressed being interested in fighting and killing people and personally, he never really came across as some sexual deviant to me.

I feel like sometimes if you have this fanon version of your fave, that is not your favorite. In no way, should you feel the need to like this whole other version of your "fave" in order to like him. Then why have them as your favorite in the first place?

I like Sukuna because he entertains me. He's this evil ass menace who wants all the smoke and the biggest beef he has is with a 15 year old (who is my all time favorite of JJK). Sukuna also this mysterious air about him because we still don't know much about his backstory, let alone everything he can do. (I had this recent thought about a technique that I should probably get to writing.) I have theories about his character, like how he may really be as a person, true. But at the same time, I'm not gonna believe my theories about him are canon because "I know him better than Gege". Anything I say isn't canon unless said so explicitly. I didn't create Sukuna. I am just another fan just vibing along with the story.

And it really is insane to me that people will do that. People were saying "female fans of JJK are ruining the fandom, they're all so horny" as if all us are horny, let alone engage in the anime for said reasons.

The same people *cough cough* misogynists *cough* who say that be the same people who will have a wallpaper of someone like Nami as their header and she'll have boobs bigger than what she has in canon.

Oooh, y'all don't like folks be objectifying the JJK men, huh? Even though for years female characters have gotten the treatment in Shonen. You cannot be dragging Gojo fans when you want to be Makima's dog. Stop that now.

Also, its not just the men! Uh, Yuki Tsukumo exists! She has a lot of fans who find her attractive. There's Shoko, Utahime, Takako, Mei Mei...

I'm waiting for the day 143 gets animated because I just know people are gonna go 👀.

Like, either way, if you're a person who gets constantly horny over your faves, why are you upset with someone doing the same?

I saw this meme post about how people tend to overlook the story and its details and only focus on the attractive cast and fights. And some people were like "but people are only focusing on the fights and attractive cast".

No, they're not. You're missing the point.

For one, you can find the characters attractive and enjoy the fights. That is fine. But at the same time, don't miss the story. Pay attention to it because it's just as important, if not more.

Second, not everyone is focused on just the fights and cast. If that was the cast, why do we have theories and meta posts? Why do we have people writing fics that study the character they're writing about? If no one is focusing on the story and only like the fights and attractiveness of the characters, then those kind of posts from fans wouldn't exist.

[kagedbird]

WAAH Joseph Russell streamed on YouTube and talked about Lucien and all the stuff he plans to add! I'm so excited!! What he has currently has always felt like, incomplete, so I'm so fucking happy there's going to be another arch of story for him.

I'll type down things I find interesting towards Lucien below! Feel free to watch his VOD here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFd9rDW87HY

Three things he mentioned that most people won't know about Lucien:

He has an aunt named Silvia that he does not get on with; they have a hostile relationship. His Discord came up with a funny headcanon that he enjoys that Lucien's mom, Lyra, thinks she's Lucien's father's sister, and his father, Davidicus, thinks she's Lyra's sister, and it's just never come up in conversation. She's actually just some super natural entity that's wormed her way into their life. (The fuck??? LMAO)

Lucien's cat is inspired by Joseph's cat, Gray, who is very small and fluffy and sometimes cameos in his videos. Unfortunately we will never meet Lucien's cat. ("Probably.") He hasn't decided on the cat's name! ("Sorry! Wish I could tell you.")

And the third fact is that he once set fire to his shoes trying to boil potatoes. ("And that speaks for itself.") This white boy cannot cook!! But he can make tea.

He confirms that Lucien is 21 (lmfao knew it) and that he doesn't have a canon birthdate despite Lucien saying he thinks he's under the sign of the Lady ("thinks" being a big if) because Joseph wants to wait to see if wants to set in a particular date at a later time in case it is useful. So headcanon to your hearts content!

"Probably won't ever get to meet Lucien's parents because it's a lot of effort- but never say never."

He'll make Serana comments some point in the future HALLELUJAH It felt so bland without Lucien asking her anything because I know he would pick her brain!!!!!!*

*Expanded further down the video: someone asks what Lucien would ask Serana (THANK YOU CHATTER).

Joseph: He would ask what it's like to live as a vampire, and also the past, the experience of the time before he grew up when Serana existed.

He wants people to tweet him art of Lucien or post it in his Discord, he never gets art sent his way anymore on twitter (cause modding scene from Skyrim is kinda old hat but we're essentially reviving it I think lmao) but if you have art and you've never shown him, do it!!!

KJHASKDJAH okay so for those who have child dragonborn, Joseph says Lucien would be virtually useless aksjdhask he'd want to be supportive and teach them everything. He'd want to take them under his wing and teach them the signs and everything- but he'd be really irresponsible and bad at parenting. But he'd mean really well. So there ya go.

Dawnguard support for Lucien is very high on his list!! Let's goooo!!!

Lucien canonically does not being called Lucy. (Stares at my fanfiction with a snicker. It's okay, I call him Lu-Lu more often than not.) Davidicus would not like being called Dave, and Lyra would not like being called Ly-Ly.

We'll find out what Lucien wanted to see in the Elder Scroll in his third quest 👀👀👀👀 Staring so hard. GIMME.

He doesn't want to turn the resonant sphere into a teleport system, but rather make it something more lore friendly for you to call Lucien to you. I look forward to that because I actually planned something similar in my story too!

Someone asked Joseph if he thinks Dumzbthar could abandoned his aggressive side and live without the restrictions Lucien gives him and Joseph replies with, "No he's a demon. He's a Daedra. Don't forget that."

Chat: "Will Inigo ever let Lucien ever have a sweetroll?" Joseph: "No. Not without a fight."

Lucien would like black tea. But Joseph himself likes various other teas. (That's... so many teas my guy.)

He enjoys filling out Lucien's spell list when he plays with / tests Lucien. Lucien's favourite spell would be something having to do with restoration; maybe Healing Hands to heal others. Even if he gets super excited about Sparks, lol.

Something that raised an eyebrow from me; chat: "Will we ever find out what Clive really is and where he came from?" Joseph: "Yes... but probably not in the Skyrim mod."

Lucien was first more as a bard when he was created, and was originally going to be captured by a group of bandits. The scientist side of him wasn't so much of a facet at the start but built up over time. Joseph finds it that he became more interesting versus him remaining as a bard in his first instance of creation. I do too!

Chat: If Lucien could time travel to any point back in time, where would he end up and why?

Joseph: He would go back as far as he could to the very point of creation- he wants the secrets of the cosmos, he wants to know everything he could possibly know. He'd go to the very start to possibly see the world be made and then go to the end to see how it finishes. He needs those questions answered.

Joseph himself is unsure in his memory for which Dwemer ruin he's thinking of, but chat and he tentatively think he's thinking of Mzulft for Lucien's favourite Dwemer ruin in Skyrim!

Lucien doesn't worship any Aedra or Daedra, despite his awareness of their existence, and doesn't have any favourites.

Lucien isn't really embarrassed by much outside of when he puts his foot in his mouth, says something he doesn't mean, and then gets all flustered. He also is not embarrassed about his love and affection for his parents- he's quite proud of them and is happy to share that. :) Joseph likes the idea of him getting letters from his parents over time, and hopes to put that in in the future.

Lucien would ask Sheogorath many questions the Daedric Prince would probably not answer. (That's hilarious.)

Joseph has mentioned that he plans to bring Lucien into Starfield as an older version and vaguely mention the Dragonborn but he isn't certain how he'll go about it. He was asked by chat if Clive will be in Starfield (and subsequently how he would design a spacesuit for a horse). Joseph says probably not, as Starfield likely won't support horses.

Chat: What does Lucien do when he's in Falkreath and not with the LDB? Joseph: He leads a double life... as an... assassin wizard.... squirrel trainer..........

Chat: Who would win in a fight, Lucien or Lydia? Joseph: Lydia. She would destroy him. She'd snap him like a twig.

Lucien has probably never had chocolate, but if he did, he'd love it! (Stares lovingly at my Valentine episode)

Lucien is not afraid of average sized spiders! Just the bigger ones that try to eat him.

Chat: Has Lucien ever had fear overrule his curiosity and make him back down from adventure, or is he always the type to overlook danger in favor of knowledge? Joseph: Hmm... probably not so much as fear as caution. There's a lot of knowledge related to the Daedric Princes' that he has been cautious enough not to indulge in; however I think that's always a danger for him. I think if he were ever to- you know- to have a flaw, I think it would be to... pursue knowledge too much and he might not consider the consequences as much as he should. I think that is his biggest temptation in that regard. So perhaps fear and caution should make him back down more often than it would.

(Staring HARD at that and wondering if that'll play a big part in his third arc)

His third personal quest is hoping to be released later this year!!! Big year for soft wet sock of a man!!! (I hope!! No pressure Joseph!!!)

Lucien has absolutely no want to be a werewolf or vampire because of the implications of selling his soul, but he is interested in immortality because "think of the amount of knowledge he could get."

BOY. You're gonna get conned one of these days...

Joseph is learning the guitar, and says whenever he feels he's good enough and can play the Skyrim songs on guitar, he'll record them and have Lucien be able to play them on the lute!!! Exciting!!!

Lucien isn't keen on the Thalmor but is aware of the politic need to make niceties with them.

Pretty much the end of it! I'm so excited for the third arc!! YIPPEE!

[sinsandsweetness]

I just want to say I love you for writing poison. That is amazing and I just cannot wait for it to come to fruition (hehe) and everything else you write. You have a beautiful gift. I can’t stop reading the stories over and over. So filthy and so amazing. Sent a couple snippets to the boyfriend to give him a poke, and it definitely got his attention. So your writing can be useful tool to prod my old man’s interest. That got me to thinking what would the boys (yes now I think of them as the boys) do when finding reader with her own smutty nasty books?? Hmmmm…like I tell the boyfriend often, it’s one thing to read or write about it, it’s a whole another thing to actually doing it… 👀

thank you ... wow ilysm🥺💕 and honestly, reading smut gets me so in the mood to just jump my mans bones, so I relate to you there hehe...

I feel like they'd mock you for it, for sure. Shane would swipe the book from your hands, despite you whining, "Shaneuhhh, give it back," but he'd just laugh and keep it out of your reach. He'd start reading the page you're on and quickly discover what their little bookworm is actually reading... a steamy, smutty romance novel that they honestly should have expected. Given your typical, promiscuous behaviour.

He would start reading some of it out loud after the discovery, "Guys, get this..." And the other two would be so intrigued. Wide eyed with sardonic grins forming on their faces. Suddenly feeling really trapped by the bodies of the three men sitting on the couch surrounding you.

"You want us to do those things to you, sweetheart? Is that why y'always got your nose in a book? Is our girl not getting her needs met?" Rick would ask, with a playful, taunting tone.

"No-I- I just- It's just a book, I-"

"Why don't you keep on reading for us. Out loud, this time. I wanna hear the rest of the chapter. Don't you guys?" He would turn to his friends, all nodding beside him. Their hands, slowly making their way up your legs, playing with the hem of your skirt. You're breath hitches at their touch. Moving underneath to toy with your panties, getting ready to pull them to the side and mold you into a squirming mess.

"Go on, baby. Wanna hear you, nice and clear. No stuttering."