#and i really admire him for making that one of the core messages of this album

[radio-4-is-static]

RED OUT | Kenshi Yonezu

鮮血煌めいて跳ねるスタインウェイ & サンズ 頭の中鳴り止まない砕けたバックビート 零コンマーで褪せてしまう情景 どうした地獄じゃあるまいに そんな目で見んな

///

Blood glistens, and the Steinway & Sons bounces A frenzied backbeat hammers in my head A sight that blackens in 0.1 seconds What’s with you? It’s not like this is hell Don’t give me that look

[kteezy997]

hello hello! don’t know if you take requests, but could you do something about Tim and the reader are already dating and working on a film together. one of the days the reader doesn’t have to show to set so she has a seat for herself and when tim finally gets off work he comes to find her on the jacuzzi of their room using the water jets to masturbate. you can choose how to finish it

i admire your work🥰❤️

A/N: I tweaked the first part a little. warnings: using water jets to masturbate, explicit thoughts, hot tub sex, breast play, Timmy calls reader ‘good girl’ at the end

Jacuzzi// t.c.

You were finally able to fly out and see Timmy for the first time in weeks. He was in the middle of the press tour for Dune: Part Two. You would be joining him in London for two days. You'd miss the premiere of the movie and the after parties, but that didn't really bother you. Timmy was very private when it came to his love life anyway, and you didn't want to take any attention away from him or the film. You were set to head straight to the hotel once your flight got in.

You were exhausted after being on a plane for 10 and a half hours. You honestly thought of just going to bed straight away, but you knew Timmy would be back soon. You didn't want to miss seeing him tonight. And you knew he would be sad if you were already asleep when he got back.

You looked out the window, seeing the city lit up against the darkness of the night sky. It was beautiful; the bustling night life of the city. You saw the large hot tub off to the side of the balcony. You then realized why Timmy told you to bring a bathing suit.

You decided to take advantage of the hot tub now, and you went back in to retrieve your bikini from your suitcase. As you got into the two piece, you looked at your phone. Messages you had gotten while in flight were finally coming through. Timmy's manager had sent you photos of him in his premiere outfit and you scrolled through press photos on social media as well.

He wore a pretty simple outfit, but looked so damn good, as usual. You thought about ripping that big T-shirt off of him, along with those shiny trousers, and running your fingers through his curly hair. You missed him. You missed his voice, his scent, the way you felt so safe and warm in his arms.

You were clad in your pink bikini as you grabbed a towel from the bathroom and went out to the balcony. You entered the hot tub, your body stung from the contrast of the coolness of the night mixing with the hot temperature of the water. But you got adjusted to the change after about a minute.

The sound of the jets and the little waterfall on one side filled the air and created a calming ambiance with the glow of the lights along the bottom of the tub. You wished that Timmy would just come through the door already to relax with you.

You kept thinking of him, and of how long it had been since you’d gotten to cuddle him, much less have sex. You craved it at this point. You closed your eyes, thinking about your handsome man, and the ways he knew how to please you. He knew your body even better than you did. He knew all of your weaknesses and kinks. He knew how much you loved his mouth on your body.

You were getting hot and bothered, literally and figuratively. The steam was making your face hot as the water soothed your muscles. One of the jets was hitting your lower back so precisely, working out any aches and pains.

You were reminded that Timmy would often massage you, sometimes before sex, sometimes after, and he really knew how to use his hands. Even more so when it came to playing with your pussy. Your core ached just thinking about it.

Then a thought popped into your head. If the jet felt good on your back…it would feel even better somewhere else. Your turned around, straddling the jet stream. The water shot your clit, making your body vibrate. You moaned and your body shook, your pussy was stimulated to the point of almost numbness. You thought of Timmy’s fingers, rubbing you softly, then faster and faster.

His tongue dancing back and forth on your clit. The way he'd flick his eyes up at you now and then as he ate you out. The shooting jet hit all the right places, your pussy became totally numb with pleasure. You found yourself humping the water, your body eager to feel more pressure.

You put your hand between your legs, and closed your eyes. You rubbed between your folds. Thinking of Timmy's fingers again. After he was done with his fingers, he would kiss your inner thighs. He’d smirk at you. Your next thought was of his tongue nudging your bundle of nerves where your own fingers were.

Then your mind wandered to his cock… thick, veiny, and his pretty red tip.

“Well, what do we have here?”

You were completely startled, and gasped as you slipped under the water. You came back up immediately, coughing up some water and pushing your hair out of your face as you looked over at your lover who had, unbeknownst to you, joined you out on the balcony.

Timmy laughed at you, shaking his head. "Just couldn't wait for me, could you?"

"Sorry Timmy, it's just- I saw photos of you from the premiere and"

He cut you off, inching closer to the jacuzzi, placing his hands on the ledge of it, "And? And what, you got greedy, so you put your pussy on the jets while you thought about my cock?"

"Basically...yes." you shrugged. Having now caught your breath, you swished over to where he was standing, the steam evaporated from your wet, hot skin, and you said, "Get your big cock in here with me."

With a little smirk, Timmy whipped his shirt off, then his sparkly trousers and his boots. Once he was down to his boxers, he stepped into the hot tub with you. "Whoa! That is hot!" he said in surprise as he got accustomed to the temperature.

You got onto his lap as he sat down, your arms enveloped one another automatically, and your lips met. You tasted a bit of alcohol on his lips, but he hadn't stumbled or slurred his words at all, so he wasn't drunk. You were glad that he was able to let loose a little bit and have fun. You knew how busy he had been the last few months as he traveled all over the world to promote two movies, one of them having already raked in hundreds of millions of dollars.

You pulled away from his kiss and he smiled brightly at you. It was so glorious, you felt light and fluffy inside, like you were on a cloud. The sky was dark, with nothing illuminating the night except for the glowing lights in the tub and the tiny squares of indoor lights coming through windows of the many buildings below and around you.

Timmy was so handsome, his strong arms above the surface of the water. Droplets webbing on his skin, the steam coming off the both of you now, the trickling sound of the waterfall, it was all so romantic. It was a moment you could have lived in with him forever.

He kissed your neck, and you held the back of his head, his curls slightly dampened and cool to the touch due to the chill of the nighttime air. He nibbled your collarbone and left some smooches on your shoulder. "So pretty." he whispered, his eyes closed as his lips grazed your wet skin. "I'm so happy you're here." he cooed.

As he looked at you, his irises sea green now, you put your arms around his neck. You let your crotch graze over his cock. “Awe, me too, honey.” You felt his erection growing even more as you kissed him. You moaned into his mouth, and he stuck his tongue in. You felt his cock poking around your clit through the material of your bikini bottoms. "Mm," you began to mutter, "you're so hard right now."

Timmy hummed lowly, his hands went under your arms, and he lifted you up slightly and eyed your wet body. "I want you so bad." he admitted, leaning in to kiss your breasts. He left little kisses along your cleavage, with hungry, sensual sounds.

As he teased your nipple through your bikini top, you begged, "Put your cock in me, Timmy."

He lowered you onto his lap and he pulled the front of his boxers down in an instant, then pushed your bottoms to the side so he could access your pussy. With a firm upward thrust, he was inside you.

"Ohh, shit." you trembled, adjusting to him.

Timmy let out a soft moan, letting his hands settle on your hips under the water.

You started to roll your hips, letting his cock rut in and out of you.

"Aw, yes, baby, yes." he panted, grabbing you by your ass, helping you pump his cock faster.

"Oh, Timmy." you cried, bouncing on his cock now, as fast as you could muster without splashing water out of the hot tub.

His hands moved to your tits after a moment, squeezing them and rubbing your nipples, only adding to effect he was having on your pussy. He pushed either piece of your bikini top aside, exposing your breasts right in his face.

It was quite the sensation having your hard nipples splashing in and out of the hot water and into the coolness of the evening as you rode Timmy's cock.

Again, he felt your breasts. He nipped and licked at them as they bounced with you. He rolled your nipples with his fingers, making you throw your head back. He was able to capture a tit in his mouth here and there to suck them.

You could feel him pumping his hips up into you as well, meeting your thrusts as they got slower.

His waist was smacking hard up into you, and you were moaning like a whore. It was becoming too much for you to keep up with. You threw your arms around his neck, keeping still to let him fuck you. Your face rested in his damp hair.

Timmy held your waist and made the hottest growling sounds as he rutted you. Water was splashing everywhere around you at this point, hitting you in the face, even, but you didn't care. You whimpered and cried as you held onto him, just taking what he was giving you.

He stopped, then stood up in the tub as he grabbed you by your arms. He placed you chest down on the side of the tub. You braced yourself with your hands, trying not to slip. You felt Timmy's hands on your butt. The head of his cock toyed with your dripping clit for a second before he slid in again.

You held onto the edge as he started to ram into you from behind. You were just imagining how hot he looked, water droplets running down his body, frizzy ringlets of his hair bobbing back and forth with his thrusts. Your pussy throbbed and you clenched around his thick cock. His balls caused the warm water to splash your clit. The cold, hard surface of the jacuzzi wall caused your nipples to pebble up. You cried like a little bitch and shuddered as your orgasm overtook you.

"You take my cum like a good girl now." Timmy muttered, squeezing your ass cheeks, pumping his cock rapidly.

You whimpered with each of his final thrusts, trying with all of your might to not slip under the water.

He slammed his cock in one last time, and you felt his warm fluid spill into you. You rested your head on the edge of the tub, feeling all tingly. Then, his cold curls were on your skin as he pressed a sweet kiss to your shoulder blade, making you giggle.

@gatoenlaciudad @thebetawolfgirl @musicandbooksaremyhappyplace @softhecreator @tchalamss @bitchyunknownuser @lixzey @kpopgirlbtssvt @ducktapebar @aoi-targaryen

[genericpuff]

Hello, brazilian anon here! So I have been following criticisms of LO for a while now, and Psyche and Eros caught my attention in special, because their relationship is legit a racist trope commonly applied to indigenous people: Woman of color is put in a arranged marriage or pressured into marrying a guy from her village/tribe but "falls in love" with a white dude who "saves" her from her abusive and "uncivilized" family. Think of Disney's Pocahontas. This trope is commonly used to dehumanize non-european/anglo-saxon cultures and portray them as barbaric, and is rooted in colonialism and its direct heir, imperialism, as a means for colonizers to justify and sugarcoat raping and forcing women of color to marry them. So not a good look for Rachel.

OH YEAH IT IS

(you just opened Pandora's Box by mentioning Pocahontas around me LMAO)

It's even more egregious when you consider how Rachel changed the original myth from Psyche undergoing trials on her own to her ... being turned into a nymph servant for Aphrodite. Like huh. Is that really your final draft, Rachel? Have you thought this through?

I made a very spicy post about this like a year and a half ago and honestly I think it's still worth talking about because it's incredibly telling that Psyche had her entire story uprooted and replaced with a version where she's transformed into a non-POC character to disguise herself as a servant to a woman who's already racist towards nymphs. It's got that issue of "take the black character and transform them into an animal/other being that isn't black so that we don't have to have a black character onscreen for more than 10 minutes."

And yeah, you can tell how much Rachel is absentmindedly taking from Disney without challenging what those stories were portraying or asking deeper questions to get to the heart of their messaging. Pocahontas is rightfully panned for being a very white-washed version of a story that was written in the blood shed by Native Americans at the hands of colonizers. "Pocahontas" herself, even, was not some independent native woman who fell in love with the "one good white guy" on the boat, she was a teenage girl, whose life was spared but made worse when she was forced to travel overseas to be used as a prop to justify their continued actions in murdering and colonizing the "savages" overseas; she was then forced into marriage and had to carry the children of her captors, all while being treated as an exotic spectacle by the people around her who would undoubtedly kill her at the first sign of disobedience.

Her name was Matoaka. Her life and story is not something that should be romanticized. It's a tragedy and much of what instigated it is still alive and well today. She only lived to be 21.

I don't know if Rachel intentionally referenced or ripped off Pocahontas in Lore Olympus the same way she clearly has with Hercules and Beauty and the Beast. But it's incredibly telling in how she treats the racial divide between nymphs and gods and how she's twisted the Eros x Psyche myth into what it is that even if she did watch Pocahontas, she probably never realized how problematic it is at its core in the way that it's told.

In the original myth, Psyche is a woman who's meant to represent the fickleness of vanity - the loneliness it can make one feel to be admired and not truly loved, and the destruction that can be brought about in jealousy - and her pursuit in finding genuine love in Eros, a journey she travels alone, thematically with the rest of the story.

In Lore Olympus, she's an illiterate woman of color whose only purpose is to be Eros' wife, robbed of all agency so that she can be a trophy for him to earn, a test for him to pass. It's boring and really icky when you really peel back the layers of it with Psyche's character design in mind. Even when she finally does get more agency in her task to bring down Apollo - or at the very least, keep an eye on him - it's still at the behest of Zeus who gives her immortality not as a reward for overcoming the trials she set out to pass, but so she can be his errand boy. So once again she's not capable of doing anything motivated by her own best interests (especially when she already knows how dangerous Apollo is, why is she the one who has to follow this guy around?)

So yeah, no, not a good look at all LMAO

[linonyang]

five times changbin had soft heart eyes for you <3

pairing: changbin and gn!reader; genre: fluff, established relationship, very slight angst; warnings: none; word count: 1.1k

taglist: @awooghan @xiaoderrrr @cosmic-railwayxo (join the taglist here! :D)

note: hi, here is my delayed comeback lmao i thought i can immediately proceed to writing when my finals ended but i just felt more exhausted right after so i decided to give myself more time before i continued this. this was a celebration for changbin's birthday, supposedly, but at least i still got to post it. hope you enjoy this either way :D

© linonyang - all rights reserved. please do not copy, translate, modify, repost, or claim as yours.

check the rest of the series: chan | minho | changbin | hyunjin | jisung | felix | seungmin | jeongin

when you visited him right away because the rest of the boys left him for their break. he wasn’t able to go home in an instant since his sister told him she’ll fetch him from there a few days later. you were aware of their break, and once you asked him if he was going home already, you packed your bags quickly as soon as you receive the message, “not yet, honey!” you underestimated his reaction to your presence in front of the door. he was so smiley and he spaced out while staring at you too many times the whole time you were there until the day he needed to go home. he actually got a little sulky when his sister dragged him away from you because he wanted you to stick with him more, but you told him you can call him right when he gets into his sister’s car. he’s that clingy guy! one minute into the car ride, your phone rang, and the first thing you saw was him with puppy eyes. you really couldn’t resist him, so you let him whine loudly on your phone as he physically got farther from you every second.

when you accompanied him to the arcade when everyone wasn’t in the mood to join him. he knew he shouldn’t be pissed since everyone’s tired, but he was so thankful that you kept up with his never-ending energy. much to his surprise, you were also thrilled to compete with him in every single game in the arcade. you were mostly losing since changbin played in that arcade hundreds of times already. the last time you went here was for your date, and that was at least a year ago, so it was obvious that you were not trained to the core with the games. but when you finally beat him against one of his favorite games, he wasn’t able to take his eyes off of you when you were jumping in glee. he thought that maybe he should let you win from now on to see you smile. he should play video games with you in his place and intentionally lose every night just to make you win and see happiness visible on your face. he might never sulk to you because your delightful grin and glittering eyes make up for his insignificant loss.

when you came to him, not feeling yourself. you were too tired from all of the work you did for the last few days, so you spent your short rest time at night with changbin. he was nice enough to pick up your call and arrived at your place quickly with food for you two to munch silently for dinner. changbin encountered this state of yours occasionally, and he was understanding enough to not be overwhelming in your quiet and peaceful space. while you were slowly nibbling on your food and staring somewhere in your room, changbin looked at you. honestly, he was concerned. but he realized you found comfort in him, and that melted his heart so much that he wasn’t able to stop admiring your presence. you didn’t mind resting with him and the first thing you did to rest was call him. he thought of it again and again and he almost sighed blissfully in joy so loudly while looking at you, your legs and arms entangled with his. his short time of falling in love with you all over again was interrupted by the sound of your faint chuckle. you told him that his ears were burning, and you were confused about why. 

when you felt like the clingier one in the pair, you have no reason but you felt like clinging to changbin for a whole month. when you begged changbin to be your pillow for the day, he couldn’t be happier than ever—he was ecstatic. days like this just made you want to melt in your bed with changbin beside you, and he always looked forward to that time of the month from you. so when changbin dived into your bed and let you wrap your arms around him, he felt small, in a good way. he felt loved. you hugging him really hit differently, and he could exist for the rest of his life in between your arms. once night fell and you fell asleep with him in your arms, changbin saw you, the moonlight shining on your face, and he couldn’t help but touch your face delicately and be the one hugging you through the night. but you were still holding onto him tightly, so he spent some time gazing at your beauty until his eyelids fell on their own. he couldn’t tell how long he stared at your face, but he knew it was worth it. because you woke up, and you looked more breathtaking than last night. there was this glow on your face, and he followed your face and figure the whole morning as you did your morning routine, utterly aware that he spent most of his night analyzing every gorgeous feature on your face with so much love filled in his heart.

when you let him lead the way during your trip for your anniversary as a couple. changbin prepared a whole itinerary for your anniversary, and the first thing you told him was to bring you to wherever place he wanted to spend time with you. the whole day was amazing, and you weren’t able to imagine any other first-anniversary date better than this—it was perfect. the day almost ended and you spent the last few hours of the day by the park with a fireworks display. changbin had too much pride that you wouldn’t fear the loudness. but unfortunately, both of you ran away because of how loud the display was, as you were considerably near the actual fireworks. when you stayed under a tree, still not that far from the display, you watched the sky with your ears covered. changbin did the same for a bit until he heard muffling noises—your gasps of joy and fascination. he moved his head, and he knew what he was gonna see: your face with so much wonder. gosh, he loved seeing you so happy. he thought the misfortune with the fireworks display slightly ruined the day, but he guessed not, since you were still enjoying it. he spent the rest of the display looking at you and your sparkly eyes instead of the fireworks. when the fireworks display was over, you instantly chattered about it on your way home, and he did not stop looking at you with the same sparkly eyes as you.

[fallen-angel-adam-frankenstein]

Thinking about how the Big Four of dark academia really feels like the Big Three of dark academia that a last-minute addition was added onto, not because it’s any less a part of and representative of the aesthetic but because its mood and message differs so greatly from the other three - that last-minute addition being Dead Poets Society. Hear me out as I rant about character types, classism, doing it for the aesthetic, themes, tones, and substance abuse (and, obviously, spoiler warnings for Dead Poets Society, The Secret History, If We Were Villains, and Kill Your Darlings):

Firstly, I want to draw comparisons between who I consider to be the protagonists of each story, focusing a lot on how I feel that each of them has a barrier between himself and another group of people within the story. Starting with the one that I relate to the most and progressing in no organisational order after that, we have from The Secret History Richard Papen, an English major who came from an impoverished old town in California to the lovely little college in Hampden, Vermont on account of loads and loads of scholarships. Fascinated and a bit infatuated with the Greek class, he is able through partly his own talent but mostly dumb luck to join their ranks, only to find out that the people he admired and romanticised are all a bunch of classist, selfish, rich addicts. Desperately wanting to be a part of this group, Richard has to break the financial barrier (as well as the seclusion engineered by Julian) between him and them in order to get in with the “cool kids.” However, this doesn’t work out for him at the end, as he doesn’t even get invited to their bacchanal or Bunny’s murder and yet has to suffer for the fallout of both events. It’s made clear that this is not the kind of life you want to live, and Richard even returns to California after the main body of the book concludes. Allen Ginsberg of Kill Your Darlings is confronted with a similar barrier, although his is less financial (he’s well-off enough to make it to college without scholarships) and more the sort of subcultural difference between the life he left at home and how Lu and his friends live. Just like Richard, he risks and loses it all to gain the affection of this new group, who, just like in TSH, leave him high and dry in the end. Oliver Marks also risks it all for his group in If We Were Villains, although they don’t necessarily abandon him in the same sense and really he alienates himself by taking the fall for Richard (Stirling)’s death. His barrier is also mainly financial, as he ends up having to pay for Dellecher through scholarships and a work-study deal, something which you can tell he is ashamed about (hmm classicism -_-) as he tries to hide it from the rest of the group, who can all afford the school on their own (or their families can). Since this story differs from the rest because it starts off with Oliver already a part of the tightly-knit group, you can’t really talk about him vying for approval as in TSH or Kill Your Darlings, but the sense of him being a part of a slightly different world is still there. Meanwhile, you don’t get this same sense in DPS. I maintain that Neil is the central figure in DPS, but for the sake of this let’s look at Todd, who does have to make his way into the group after it was already formed. Todd’s barrier is not financial but all in his own head: his social anxiety and awkwardness prevents him from initiating a relationship with any of the other Dead Poets. Because he has this different kind of barrier, it’s easier for him to overcome it, and it turns out well for him in the end, while it doesn’t for the protagonists of the other three stories.

Besides that, the other characters also play a role in how DPS feels separate from the other three. All four dark academia stories are about rich kids at their core, but DPS is the only one that doesn’t feel like it’s about rich kids. Why is that? I think it’s because of how they chose to present the characters. In TSH, the whole main cast, essentially, sucks - Henry is full of it, Bunny has all sorts of problems, Charles is an abusive drunkard, not to mention his incestuous relationship with Camilla, and Francis knows about this relationship and is fine with it, even being fine to casually fuck Charles on top of it (and he’s classist as fuck, but that’s a discussion for a later date). You might think, “oh, but Richard isn’t too bad” - yeah, but he did let them all get away with not one but two murders and was only worried about Charles abusing and fucking Camilla because he felt attraction to Camilla himself, so. Anyway, my point is that everyone in the Greek class is either a rich asshole or wants to be like the rich assholes, so that’s not good. There’s a similar thing in Kill Your Darlings where they’re all addicts and alcoholics and people who generally don’t give a fuck about how other people react to their drama and fun times, and you can see how Lu even uses David and later Allen and then throws them both away casually. Yeah, they have a cool vision of revolutionising poetry, but they’re not really characters that one can necessarily relate to, because they’re all just too caught up in themselves. IWWV, too - you don’t see this as much, but it comes out a bit when Oliver hides in shame the fact that he has to work to pay for school. While IWWV has a cast of characters that I can relate to and like the most out of the three I’ve talked about so far, there’s still a little bit of disconnect, an unattainability about them, and it’s clear that they’re all deeply fucked: Richard, before he died, was an abusive asshole, James killed Richard and then not only started mirroring him a bit when he hurt Oliver but then let Oliver while away ten years of his life in prison for Richard’s death (and either killed himself or faked his death), Alexander got even worse into drugs and then presumably got clean but man did he have PTSD from that school year, Meredith is surrounded by men lusting after her and feels lonely, Wren also has PTSD from that school year, and Filippa . . . got into a relationship with her teacher and we don’t talk about this? So while they’re three-dimensional, engaging, and entertaining, they’re all still just plain messed up. However, the Dead Poets aren’t like this. Obviously, there’s Neil’s suicide, but that’s different - it’s not messed up because he was already messed up, it’s messed up because the authority figures in his life (excluding Keating) messed him up themselves, breaking his spirit with the pressure they put on him and with the criticism of his passion. But to the point, in the sense of the characterisation of the main cast, DPS feels different from the other three because the Dead Poets are three-dimensional, engaging, entertaining, and even likeable in a way that the characters from the other three are not. And they’re all rich enough to attend a very well-to-do private boarding school, but they’re not stuck-up and classist, in fact hardly ever bringing up matters of money and even making fun of the Danburrys a bit. They feel more accessible than any other group does, which is what I respect about them.

And last but not least, the message. As far as the moods/tones and themes of the Big Four go, DPS is the only one with any sort of hope at the ending, and the only one with a “true” aesthetic for the characters to chase. The three of the dark academia Big Four all focus on taking something too far and it going horribly wrong - the Greek class gets so into studying the Classics that they have a bacchanal and kill a man and then kill a man to prevent him from telling someone that they killed a man, which leads to yet another man dead and the rest of them unhappy; the Dellecher fourth-years get so into Shakespeare and the roles they play/their typecasts that Richard ends up dead, Oliver ends up in prison, James ends up either dead or faking his death, and everyone else suffers like I mentioned earlier; and in Kill Your Darlings, David ends up dead, Lu ends up in prison, and Allen ends up expelled. TSH has a very bleak epilogue - Richard is confused and yearning, Charles is still drunk and who-knows-where cut off from the rest of them, Camilla has her dying grandmother to worry about, Henry and Bunny are dead, and Francis is forcing himself to marry a woman he doesn’t even like as a person, let alone not being physically attracted to her whole-ass gender, because he would rather make himself miserable than be cut off from the financial support of his family. Donna Tartt leaves us with a depressing, unsatisfying ending - which is all part of the theme, but I’ll get to its relation to DPS later. All in all, TSH’s tone is a very dark one, and its message to not let yourself get so caught up in the aesthetic that you let yourself fall/sacrifice your morals (and also not to idolise rich assholes because they can and will use you and ruin your life), while relevant and important, is far from inspiring or uplifting. Similarly, they go too far in IWWV, pursuing Shakespeare until it fucks them all up, and it has a similar theme to TSH. Its ending, while I like it better than TSH’s, is still quite pessimistic; there’s a little glimmer of possibility there, but not really all that much, and you get the sense that things are never going to fix themselves. In Kill Your Darlings, too, Lu and Allen get so caught up in the New Vision that they let the rest of their lives fall apart around them, and the ending is a bit confused and “meh.” DPS, however, has a lot of hope in its ending. Yes, Neil’s death was sad, and so was Keating taking the fall for it, but despite that, Keating is able to walk out of that classroom with a smile on his face; the ending isn’t entirely sad, it’s bittersweet. DPS’s message is all about carpe diem, seize the day, make your lives extraordinary, and they all presumably go on to do that (except Neil, who died because he was unable to do that). While the aesthetic the characters chase in TSH sort of hinges on their rich assholery, the aesthetic the characters chase in IWWV more or less depends on their isolation and general fucked-up-ness, and the aesthetic the characters chase in Kill Your Darlings is pretty much based on substance abuse and not giving a fuck, all of which lead to their lives being ruined on varying levels, the aesthetic the characters chase in DPS not only doesn’t really ruin their lives and also seems to be much more attainable in a tangible way. While Keating loses his job, he’s able to walk out of the classroom with a smile on his face because he knows that he did what he came there to do - he inspired his students to live life to the fullest and think for/be true to themselves, which is actually a quite healthy aesthetic to strive for, especially compared to the other ones I’ve talked about. The ending of DPS isn’t entirely happy, but there’s so much hope in it, something which the other three lack, and because of that, it feels separate from them.

Anyway yeah. I’m not going to write a big ol’ conclusion because I’ve already taken up so much space, but yeah. Thanks for coming to my TEDTalk lol.

[synnamonroll666]

Emerald Lace

Prompt 7: Dirty Talk/Lingerie Pairing: Syzoth X Fem!Reader Description: Your boyfriend has been working so hard lately, so you decide to treat him to a lovely little present you bought just for him. But little do you know, that this present works quickly to unlock the primal beast within your man... Warnings: Nudity, Dominant!Syzoth, A Pinch Of Dirty Talk, Implied Sex... Word Count: 1k Main MasterList: 🖤 Kinktober MasterList: 🖤 Synny's Angels: @lorebite, @mornandil, @queenkhepri, @bihansthot.

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I dimmed the lights and lit a few candles around my room to create a sensual atmosphere. After taking my time to do my hair and makeup—making myself look absolutely perfect and as alluring as ever—I pulled the string of my robe, causing it to fly open before I let it roll off of my shoulders and down to the floor.

Then I laid down upon my bedsheets to wait for my lover to enter my room and lay eyes on the surprise I had bought for him that day: a matching, emerald green lingerie set.

It was a bit pricy, sure, but I knew the look on his face would make it all worth it. And the events following after that, I knew would make it pretty damn worth it too. I didn't have to wait too long since Syzoth was always adamant about making it home on time, and my heart jumped into my throat from excitement and anxiety when I heard the front door unlock on que. Its beat began to pound harder and harder with each step he took up the stairs, and when those footsteps finally reached my door, it felt as if it was going to explode.

I quickly repositioned myself on the bed into a seductive pose—one leg slightly bent to show off my curves, while my arm rested casually on my side—and I curved my lips into that smirk he liked, waiting for him to open the door to a night of pure passion. After a few seconds of what seemed like hesitation on his side, the door finally swung open. He stepped into the room, all worn out from a long day of delivering messages for the empress all over Outworld. He was so worn out that it took him a moment to notice me on the bed.

"Sunshine, I'm h—" His words instantly cut out into a gasp as his eyes widened once they met my form.

He swallowed thickly as his bright green orbs drank me in, slowly roaming over my figure for a moment. I could feel the heat of a blush creep along my skin, and it made it hard to maintain eye contact with the man. However, that heat also added to the burning arousal that I was feeling at the time. So after exhaling deeply to calm my nerves, I kept my composure as I gazed upon him with thirst in my eyes.

"Surprise, my love!" I greeted him with a seductive hint in my tone. "Do you like it?"

He didn't say a single word to respond to my question. Instead, he quickly nodded his head as his cheeks grew flushed with a dark green tint.

"Well, then come on over and open your present, silly!" I chuckled as I watched him stand hesitantly in the doorway, as if he was afraid to move for a moment.

Slowly, my lover approached me—feet dragging along the soft carpet as if he were too shy to move any faster—and as he got closer, I noticed how his pupils dilated with hunger for me. The intensity of his gaze sent shivers down my spine and heat to my core, making me feel dizzy and my mind fog with need for him.

Once at my bedside, he extended his arm out to slowly brush a thumb along the lacy fabric of my bra. His eyes examined it for a moment before the corners of his lips turned up into a pleased smirk, and then his eyes left my breasts to meet my own.

"I love it." He murmured lowly, making his voice sound more like a soft pur than anything. "I really love it."

"Yeah?" My smile broadened upon hearing this, realizing that it was money well spent and that I would definitely be in for one hell of a night.

"Yeah," he whispered while glancing back down at my body to admire my little outfit. "There's just one problem, though..."

My smile fell into a frown of disbelief as his words sank into my mind. Then, my thoughts began racing as I tried to figure out what he had meant. I lit candles, I washed the bedsheets that day to make them soft like he liked them, and I did my hair and makeup just how he desired it. Hell, I even made sure to allow my natural scent to linger on my form, since he always told me how beautiful it smelled to him—I tried so hard to make everything perfect, so how could there be a problem?

"W-What do you mean?" I asked in a voice barely above a whisper, not trusting it to speak at normal volume. And for a short moment, I felt the stinging prickle of tears pushing on the backs of my eyes.

Then, his eyes glanced back up into mine and I instantly noticed that they held a different look—a darker, more hungry look than they held prior. He leaned down, his tall form towering over me on the bed and lowering until his soft lips carefully grazed the shell of my ear. His hot breath fanning my tender flesh and sharp teeth teasing the skin caused an unexpected gasp to catch in my throat. There was a brief moment of silence before he parted his lips to whisper in a tone so low and raspy, I almost didn't recognize his voice: "You are going to need to buy a new set."

I opened my mouth to speak, but a startled and astonished gasp beat the words out of my mouth when I felt my lingerie getting torn from my body, along with the sharp sound of fabric shredding between us.

I looked down to see that his hands had transformed into his Zaterran form, and his claws were now bared. With broadened eyes, I looked back up at my lover with shock clear in my features. He glanced down at my now-naked body before lifting his green orbs back up to my face as a dangerous smirk toyed on his split open lips, revealing his sharp canines to me.

"Sunshine, you have no idea what you have done." He rasped darkly before licking his lips like a hungry beast as his darkened orbs roamed my figure once more. "Because once I'm done with you, you won't even know what hit you."

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[xdinaryvamp]

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ 🩷 ` eunseok “guilty as sin”!!

where you're in love with eunseok, but he's too cold and distant so you're afraid to get too close to him. you can't do anything but imagine what it would be like to be loved by him.

( inspired by the homonymous taylor swift song ).

genre : angst, smut ( reader daydream about having sex with him ), gn reader.

pairings : cold!eunseok x in love!reader.

ever since you had been introduced to eunseok, your friend's former classmate, your mind had been occupied by only a single thought. and you weren't proud of it.

he attended the same university as you, although with a different major. when you saw him you couldn't take your eyes off him, even if you tried with all your being to hold back.

you admired his demeanor, so indifferent and casual, as if everything that happened around him didn't matter to him. you had always wondered if it was a mask or if he was really like that. could someone be actually this distant?

you had his number, and from time to time you tried to text him. it almost always took him hours to respond, often in monosyllables, and never once did he write to you first.

you knew that yours was a hopeless love affair, because he didn't even seem to remember your existence. you were just an extra in his lonely life.

falling in love with him was like falling in love with a robot. he answered if you called him, but you couldn't expect him to return your feelings.

needless to say, you were more than shocked to see his name appear on your phone screen.

for a moment you wondered if you had sent him any messages a couple of days ago that he hadn't responded to, it wouldn't have been the first time, but then you realized that you hadn't sent him anything.

he had written to you of his own free will, for the first time. you almost felt like crying.

he had sent you a song, a love song at that: “the downtown lights”. he was going to sing that one live in a bar next week, he knew you played the guitar and he wanted to ask you to do the musical accompaniment, since he didn't know anyone else who could play it.

obviously he needed something. not you.

you said yes without thinking. you would have done anything to be close to him. you turned off the phone, and then lay down on the bed. closing your eyes you imagined that he had sent you that song just for the sake of sending it to you, not because he needed anything.

you began to imagine for the thousandth time what it would be like to be loved by him, to feel his embrace.

his hands were beautiful, you always looked at them. they would have been even more beautiful while caressing your body, right? they would explore every inch of your skin so well, you would arch your back at the slightest touch.

and his hair, his hair always looked so soft. you would have loved to hold them tightly in your hands, feeling them tickle your thighs, as you pushed his head towards you. with his mouth he would write his name on your thigh, and with your nails you would write yours on his back.

and when he entered you, would he look down at you with that indifferent face of his?

you probably should have done all the work, while he looked at you indifferently, sneering at your pleas for help. he would have liked to hear you moan as you welcomed him inside you. and he would also know how to shut you up. but he wouldn't, because he didn't care if others heard you screaming his name. maybe it was even better that way.

in the end he would kiss you, he would tell you that you had been good, and that he loved you. because he actually loved you.

you helped yourself with your hands to make this thought more vivid, coming onto your bed.

you clung to the thought of a relationship with him as your orgasm faded. his face still imprinted in your mind as he left you on read once again.

ngl the song ISN'T that much loser core, but i always imagined something like this while listening to it (╥﹏╥)

[tayrussfangirl]

You’re Out Boy-scout. Part-3

Your last interaction with Felix was about two days ago in class. You realized you have a few of the same courses, and he plopped himself down beside you that day. He leaned over and asked “Do you have a pencil I can borrow?” Not to disrupt the lecture you quietly nodded and began digging through your bag for one. You pulled out a 0.7 gray mechanical pencil and placed it in his hands, your fingers brushing against his. “You can keep it.” You say. “Really?” He leans over once again and whispers in your ear. “That’s kind of you, I’ll have to return the favor some time.” The warmth of his breath sends a shiver down your body to your core. “No really, it’s okay. That’s the least I can do considering how kind you’ve been to me these past few days.” He smiles. Little does he know you spent the rest of class imagining all the ways that he could return the favor. You watched his fingers fidget with the pencil, spinning it around, tapping it on the desk. When did that become so hot?

As you cross your arms and lean out of your dorm window, you feel the warmth of the sun kissing your skin. You lay your head on your elbow and close your eyes. As gorgeous as Felix was, you were too. As he walks by your building he sees you out the corner of his eye. He stops and admires your beauty from afar. Glowing skin, long soft eyelashes, plump lips. Simply stunning. He doesn’t stop until he snaps back to reality when you open your eyes. He waves and calls your name. You smile and wave back. “Hey Felix.” you say softly. He likes that about you, your pleasant nature, the way that you carry yourself. It’s very alluring to him. “Would you like to join us tonight? Some sort of party, like a small thing.” he asks unsure of how you’ll respond. At this point he knows that you aren’t a fan of large gatherings but he’s trying to help you out of your shell. “Yea, I would actually.” you say with a smile. You can tell by the look on his face that he’s pleasantly surprised. “Great, I’ll message you.” he says before he continues on his way.

You haven’t been struggling in keeping up with your schoolwork yet, but that’s because you try not go out too much. You’ve been trying to let loose a little, as that’s what you told yourself you would do once you got to college. Though you’ve never been the most outgoing person, being around Felix makes you feel different. You look forward to every moment you get to spend with him.

-“I’ll meet you in the corridor again around 9 yea?”

-“Sounds good, I’m just getting ready now.”

-“I trust you’ll look great in whatever you wear ;).”

You feel your cheeks growing hot and a wide smile across your face. Now you really have to find something nice to wear. Something sexy. Or not. You still don’t know how you really feel about Felix. It’s feels as if there’s something between you too but neither of you are sure what. You decide to go with a form fitting silver sequined dress. Low cut, but not too low. Just enough for your jewelry to perfectly drape over your chest. To make it more casual you decide to toss on a black leather jacket and some black boots. Lastly you do your makeup and your hair. A soft yet sultry smokey eye and pinky nude lip with brown lip liner. You keep your hair down. This time you beat Felix downstairs and see him as he opens the door to look for you near the stairs. He sees you and his eyes widen. He reaches for your hand and you walk outside to meet everyone else. “You look.. stunning y’know.” he says with a grin. Annabelle gives you a slightly dirty look. “Looks like someone didn't get the memo about the dress code.” she says dressed in a tight black tank top and a mini skirt. “I think this is just fine actually.” Felix interjects. The whole walk you feel Felix’s eyes on your body, now thinking that you should have chose the other option as opposed to the sexy one. The problem is not the way he’s looking at you, it’s the fact that you like it. Arriving at the party you see a few familiar faces from other gatherings you gone to with Felix. He and Ollie plop down on the couch. You find your eyes drifting towards him as he spreads his long legs. Annabelle and India walk over to the drinks and you follow closely behind. Somehow you find yourself with a beer filled cup making conversation with some other guy across the room from Felix. He notices and doesn’t like it. You’d be able to see it on his face if you were paying attention. Gesturing towards Annabelle and India, Oliver suggests that Felix “eenie meenies” one of them and takes them home because they look miserable. Not too long ago Felix had been hooking up with Annabelle and India off and on, which you knew but it still bothered you everytime you would notice them leave with him. Felix notices that you look more uncomfortable than anyone else in the room which concerned him. “Eenie, meenie, miny, moe, catch a tiger by his toe, if he squeals let him go.. errr.. you’re out boy-scout.” he says gesturing towards you. Oliver sits there surprised. Felix stands up and walks in your direction. The man you’re talking to stops to look up at him and Felix takes your hand. You stand up a bit confused but happy regardless. “What do you say we get out of here?” You nod with a soft smile on your face. You begin walking in front of him when you feel his large hand plant a soft smack on your butt. Your heart nearly skips a beat but you continue walking with him as if nothing happened. Annabelle looks pissed which delighted you.

Felix wraps his arm around your waist as you walk back towards the dorm. You can feel the warmth of his body against yours and you almost melt. “Where are we going?” you ask as you look up into his eyes. “Where do you wanna go?” he asks with a smirk. Before you can answer, you hear the sound of thunder striking. Rain starts to pour and before you know it you and Felix are both soaked. His button up clings to his chiseled figure, your eyes may pop out your head if you looked any closer. He uses his height to your advantage and almost curls over you to protect from the rain the best he can. You both pick up speed and you reach his building soon. He opens the door for you, and you go in. He follows quickly after you. When you reach his room he unlocks the door and gestures toward his bay window. You plop down on the cushion as he closes the door and takes off his shoes. You pull both your boots off and lay them to the side. “We’re dripping.” he says as he chuckles. He walks towards his dresser and pulls out two oversized shirts. He places one in your lap. You hold it up with confusion plastered over your face. “What am I supposed to do with this?” you ask. “Put it on of course, what kind of guy would I be if I let you sit there all cold and wet?” he says as if it’s obvious. “Alright but you have to turn around.” you hesitantly agree. He playfully cover his eyes and spins in the other direction. You quickly slip the shirt over your dress and then pull it off from underneath. It was a bit short but it will do for now. “Finished?” he asks. “Yea, you’re okay now.” He turns back around and begins to unbutton his shirt. “Oh but you have to turn around!” he laughs as he mocks you. You roll your eyes, which he likes. You’re not sure if you start drooling or not when he take off his shirt but you know for a fact that didn’t look away once. “Enjoying the show?” he asks. You quickly break eye contact with his abs and look away. He can tell that your embarrassed. “I’m only joking y/n, y’know I like to give the ladies what they want.” For some reason hearing him reference “giving the ladies what they want” stings. Probably because it forces you to remember that you’re not the only girl he’s ever given any attention, which was dumb to think anyway.

You start putting your hair into to two braids still not saying anything. He pulls his pants down and slips on another pair of shorts over his boxers. You start fidgeting with your necklace after you finish your braids just to have something to do with your hands. Felix then comes to sit next to you. He notices your necklaces and extends his hands out to hold them, his knuckles grazing your chest as he observes them. “I got most of these for Christmas last year.” you say not knowing how to fill the silence. “Yea.. they’re nice.” he says still playing with them in his fingers. He looks up to meet your face, slowly moving his gaze from your eyes to your lips. “You’re gorgeous y’know?” he says, eyes almost twinkling. You smile and say “You are too.” He looks away shyly, which you’ve never seen him do. When he looks back you admire his features just like he did yours. His pink lips, his downward deep brown eyes, his sun-kissed skin. You reach out your thumb to feel his lips, softly rolling over the bottom, then the top. You can feel his lips curling into a smile under your touch. He raises his hand to grip yours. You both sit like that for a minute before you place your hand back in your lap. “Well we should get to bed.” you say. “Right.” Felix says looking slightly disappointed. Before he can stand up you lean forward and press a soft kiss against his lips. You pull away for a moment before he pulls you closer by your waist. This time the kiss doesn’t stop for at least a two minutes. You find yourself running your hands under his shirt and over his perfectly sculpted body. When you finally do stop you both smile at each other before stands up and gestures towards his bed. At first you’re hesitant. In high school you never had a boyfriend so this was the most physical intimacy you’ve ever had with a man. Thankfully Felix had pure intentions and only wanted to go to sleep. You lay down on the inner part of the bed and he follows behind you laying right next to you. You both lay forehead to forehead, eye to eye. He wraps his arm around you and your wrap yours around his waist. “Goodnight.” he says before planting a kiss on your nose. “Goodnight.” you say back with a smile.

[smalls-words]

Demons Are Angels When It Comes To Love

Summary: Natasha loves a demon. And she definitely shows it.

Pairings: Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Demon!Reader, Wanda and Pietro and Tony x Reader (besties), Carol x Brunnhilde (lovers <3).

Warnings: Demon stuff, Rhodey being an asshole, Tony not being an asshole (that’s a first), protective twins. Body image issues, shapeshifting causing mental harm, blood, injuries. 

A/N: I don’t know why I wrote with Demon!Reader. Just kinda came to me since I’ve been doing my Nat series. Enjoy.

*not my gif*

The world knows about aliens, androids and wizards, a few of them on the Avengers mighty team that stretched across galaxies. But the creator, Nicholas Joseph Fury, kept a small secret from them all.

Demons and angels walked amongst them.

He had found you when you’d gotten high off of a drugged mortal, who eventually overdosed six hours later. You were in a holding cell and it wasn’t your first time, but your powers were out of whack because of the mix of heroin, cocaine, MDMA and alcohol. He took you home after paying the fine for being drunk and disorderly, but luckily the blood wasn’t questioned since it was Halloween.

Nobody really questioned your appearance, it wasn’t unlikely given what they’d previously dealt with, but the whole demon side was new. They’d seen horns, wings and a tail before - yours were very much what they’d pictured in ‘cartoons’ and in biblical manners.

But then… Then you met Natasha.

Natasha was the best thing you’d come across in your entire life. Her soul was pure, even if she thought her actions and past made her darker than your own soul. Then you explained to her one night that you didn’t have a soul, which made her giggle.

You made sure you heard that sound everyday you could, and so far in your one and a half month relationship, you had. She would come around to your place almost every day, and on the days she couldn’t, you’d send her funny texts and she promised to use the voice messages to calm you down.

Natasha’s friends, however…

Being a demon came with pros and cons. Pros - shapeshifting, magic, immortality, general superpowers like invulnerability and super senses and reflexes. Cons - Hard-core Christians, old people, immortality. Most young people saw the pros and often asked for a demonstration, whilst older people threw crosses or swore at you.

You really didn’t want that to happen when you moved into the compound. 

It was an order given by Fury, who demanded you be transferred from a regular SHIELD agent to the Avengers, and Tony was very pleased to have you. He admired your ability to consume alcohol with no or little effect, your intelligence gifted by time, your powers that he could test his machines on with your consent, and he loved your personality and relationship with Natasha.

He never thought the Triple Impostor could learn to love. But, if it had to be anyone, it would probably be a demon. 

Sitting in his lab, you watched him fiddle with something in his suit’s knee before a knock came to the door. You smiled widely, giving the redhead a flash of your fangs, before she leapt into your arms and you easily caught her.

“Hey, sweetness.” You kissed her softly, holding her jaw and some of her neck.

“Hi.” She gleamed up at you.

“How was your mission?” You asked, seating her on your lap whilst your tail curled around her waist.

“It was good. We got two more Widows free, and Yelena’s gone to make more vials.” She murmured as she leaned into you, her hand coming up your shirt to tickle against your back.

“Come on, then. Let’s go and get you showered.” 

You stood, your tail keeping her by your hip, and you patted Tony on the back. “See ya, Stark.”

“Don’t forget about the party tonight! I need my demon girl there for drunk poker!” He called out as you left. 

You helped Natasha shower, washing her hair for her whilst she just leaned against you, and you thanked her when she washed your bat-like wings. You wrapped her up in your fuzzy towel, taking the rougher one instead, and helped her get dressed before laying her down in bed.

“Tasha, I have to do some work for Fury, so you should have a nap and when you wake up, I’ll be done.” You kissed her forehead, but she grabbed onto your wrist.

“But we always cuddle after a mission.” She whined.

She watched your eyes change from their dark auburn to their acidic yellow, looking over her. She stayed still and watched them change back, grinning when you sighed. “Come on, then.” 

You sank into your chair and opened up the files needed finishing, waiting for her to sit down on your lap. She nestled into you, kissing you gently as she admired your features.

“Are you excited for the party tonight?” She queried, braiding a small section of your hair.

“I sure am. Haven’t seen Wanda and Pietro for ages. I missed my speedy buddy.” 

“What about me?” She smirked, and you snickered into a kiss on her temple.

“I always miss you. If I was allowed, I’d come and visit you.” 

She grinned, proud of herself, but you saw in the reflection of the screen that she was getting sleepy. You warmed yourself up and exchanged her shirt with one of your own via summoning, leaving the buttons undone but her bra covered her boobs to stop tempting you.

“Sleep well, my sweet.” You kissed her head softly before dulling the sounds around you, giving her as much peace as she needed.

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When she woke in her bed, you greeted her by a surprise teleportation on top of her. She grinned sleepily at you and you gently sank on top of her, peppering her cheeks with little kisses. “Good evening, Sleeping Beauty.” 

“Have you come to wake me from my slumber, Princess Y/N?” She gently kissed your lips, tasting a bit of cinnamon.

“Doughnuts, my human.” You answered her thought and she quickly rolled on top of you. 

“What time is it?” She plopped down on top of you but you didn’t get winded.

“6. Party starts at 7.” 

She nuzzled her head into your neck and kissed your skin. “I don’t wanna go.” Her groan was muffled, but you caught it.

“I know, sugar. But we do need to make at least an hour’s appearance.” You gently ran your nails up and down her back.

“If you keep doing that, I’m gonna fall back asleep and we’re gonna be late.” 

“I can get us ready in a flash, my darling.” You chuckled.

The hour passed quickly before Natasha and you made your appearance outside in the courtyard, your suit matching her dark velvet red dress. Eyes were drawn to you both, but you made no effort in your magical ability and Natasha’s arm linked in yours showed she was very much taken.

You made your rounds to whom you needed to before you spotted platinum blonde hair next to brunette, the two turning into blurs until they hugged you tightly.

“Demonica!” Pietro yelled in excitement.

“Hello, Pietro and Wanda.” You smiled at them both.

“This party is going to be so boring if you don’t do something.” He whined, the childish soul of his desperate for dopamine.

“You both look stunning.” Wanda complimented, especially on the little chains that hung from your horns and woven into your hair.

You kissed Natasha as she left, admiring how she walked with self-confidence and almost regality before Pietro sped you to the couch. 

“Alright, let’s play!” 

You looked at your surrounding opponents in this game of drunk poker - Carol and Brunnhilde were together, the blonde sitting on her king’s lap; Tony and Pepper, but the strawberry blonde wasn’t paying attention; Pietro and Wanda, the girl not knowing how to play; and Rhodey was your final opponent, sitting by himself on the couch to your right.

The game started off with everyone having 20 chips, divided evenly by Peter who was now talking to Happy and Fury. You won the first two rounds with a royal flush and a full house, earning yourself a total of 56 chips since everyone had bet highly. 

Tony won, then Carol and Bruni (as you nicknamed her), and Pietro won a hand with Wanda’s help. Rhodey, however, was getting pissed off as he was now down to 6 chips. 

“Hey, Demonica, want a drink?” Pietro asked and you nodded, thanking him for his offer before he sped away.

“Why does he call you that?” Rhodey questioned.

“Because he likes Metallica and I’m a demon.” You replied, answering Rhodey’s call of one chip.

“Wow, never would have guessed from your get-up.” He chuckled sarcastically, watching Carol/Bruni and Tony fold, Pietro having done so to get drinks.

You thanked FRIDAY for dealing the next card, your set of ace/king fairing well with the ten and nine. “I wouldn’t call it a get-up, for it is my natural shape. Our king is a kind one, and accepting of all shapes and sizes of us.” 

“But you know that everyone is terrified of you, right?” 

Your hand was outstretched to raise the bet, but Rhodey beat it to you and called all-in. “W-What?” 

“You don’t know? Really?” He scoffed. “Wow. You really don’t understand humans.” 

“How am I not understanding you?”

“Rhodey, cut it out, man.” Tony grumbled.

You turned your powers back on and sniffed Rhodey’s scent, almost gagging from the amount of alcohol in his veins. “You are intoxicated, James Rhodes. I will not be speaking to you anymore tonight.” 

You guided your chips to Carol and Brunnhilde before going to the bar, finding Pietro there with Wanda and Natasha. You came to Natasha’s side and placed your hand on the small of her back, kissing her forehead gently before listening to the conversation.

“So there was this one girl in HYDRA that Wanda really liked, and dare I say even kissed… and they were so cute!” Pietro grinned at his blushing sister.

“Shut up, Pietro! I told you that in confidence!” Wanda grumbled, looking over at you.

“Oh, hey Y/N/N.” 

“Hello, my favourite twins.” You smirked. “Is it okay if I steal my beautiful girlfriend from your conversation?”

“Of course!” 

You took Natasha’s hand in yours and gently guided her to the fountain outside, sitting down on a bench that faced the beautiful structure. Natasha sat next to you, still holding your hand, and sat in the silence with you.

She knew you struggled with your pure demonic side. The instincts that lay beneath the shell of an intelligent mind. The urge to drink from humans, to punish and make them serve you. She understood what it was like to want to fall back onto those instincts, and she gently kissed the back of your hand to gain your attention.

“What is it, Y/N?” She asked oh so gently, as if her very breath could knock over the tower of your emotions like they were cards.

“I am alright, Tasha. I just needed some air.” You murmured, gently taking her hand in yours to trace your nails over her hand.

Though she doubted your words, she didn’t question them. 

“Thank you for loving me.” You looked at her, eyes full of love.

“I could say the same, my dear.” She cupped your cheek and kissed you softly, pulling away ever so slightly.

“I think we’ve stayed past our hour. Let’s go to bed.” 

You nodded, guiding the shadows to encase you and your love.

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Natasha was right. She was always right.

Over the coming days, you were taken on less missions and nobody could enter your room. On one day that almost everybody had gone, you found yourself looking in the mirror at your reflection. 

“But you know that everyone is terrified of you right?” 

Really? Were you really that hideous to look at? You pushed and pulled at the soft skin of your stomach, the already red tone not showing any evidence. 

*I guess I could show a little less skin… Maybe even do…* You shifted into human colours, sifting through them until you found something you felt was normal.

You looked at your horns and gently shrank them until they disappeared, doing the same with your wings and tail before shortening your nails and fangs. You did a little google search and found the selection of eye colours, picking one that sorta matched the human skin.

*Hmm. I’ll have to get Rhodey’s opinion.* You muttered, looking around for your phone.

“Who… the hell… are you?”

You lifted your head to see Natasha aiming her gun at your forehead, calling out to FRIDAY to alert the team of an intruder. You quickly raised your hands and undid your magic to reveal your eyes, realisation flickering through hers.

“Y/N/N? What…? I don’t understand.” She threw her gun down and came over to you, patting her hands and walking around you.

“Where are your wings? Your tail, your horns, your fangs?”

She looked up at you and cupped your cheeks, her thumbs brushing over your skin - skin she didn’t see as yours.

“Bring it all back. Right now.” She demanded pleadingly.

You closed your eyes and easily broke down your façade, letting her check over you once more to make sure everything was back. She hugged you tightly and sat you down on the bed, taking your hand.

“Y/N, I need you to listen to me. I love you. I love you more than anything or anyone on every single plane of existence, and you need to know that so deeply that you will never doubt it. You need to know it in your bones. And if it takes me telling you every single day for that to happen, then so it will be.” 

You stayed quiet as she studied your hand. “Who made you doubt yourself? Because I certainly know it wasn’t me, Pietro, Wanda or Tony.”

She looked at you after you didn’t answer straight away, her stare piercing through your eyes and into your soul; if you even had one. “Who was it, Y/N? First name, last name, birthday, I don’t care how much information you give me, because I will hunt them down and make them pay for hurting you.” 

“Nobody can hurt me, my love.” You murmured.

“No? Then why do you wish to hide your true self? I do not love you for that other form, I love you for you.” She retorted hastily, your hands taking hers quickly.

“Okay, okay.” You kissed your hands that encompassed hers, closing your eyes as you sent the name through to her mind.

*James Rhodes.* It echoed as her vision turned red.

“Stay here.” She ordered and you did not move for the time she was gone. 

How long it was, you didn’t know, but she came back with bloodied knuckles and a split lip. You instantly stood, your eyes glowing as you towered over her. “Who hurt you?”

“I fought Rhodey for being an asshole to you. And I won.” She smirked, placing a hand on your chest.

“Breathe, my demon. Relax.” 

You took a deep breath and pushed down the instincts, most of which listened to her command. You then opened your eyes, taking another deep breath before you kissed her knuckles. “Come on.”

You took her to the bathroom and gently cleaned her hands, doing a little bit of magic so that they’d heal faster. You turned her around and kissed her deeply, holding her by her waist so that she wouldn’t fall back.

“Thank you, my love.” 

FRIDAY’s call for dinner had both of you wide-eyed, with Natasha leading you by the arm around your waist. 

“Where is your tail?” She asked.

“Right here, Tasha.” You gently wrapped it around her forearm and watched her visibly relax, realising something. 

Your form was what kept Natasha calm. The familiarity of it. Natasha needed you to be her demon to keep herself controlled. Unfamiliarity brought out the Widow hiding in the crevices of Natasha’s bones, and you knew she could do some damage.

As you entered the kitchen, you could feel the tension in the air. Well, actually, it was just your skin tightening from body language, but that’s the same thing.

“Where’s Rhodes?” Steve asked as he walked in with Bucky, the man giving you a pat on the shoulder with his metal arm before serving himself dinner.

“Medical wing.” Tony replied.

“Why?!” 

“Natasha beat him to a pulp. He had to resort to his War Machine hand to hurt her.” 

He looked over at Natasha and she glared at him. “Have something to say about it?”

“What did he do?” He asked instead.

“Insulted Y/N’s demon biology.” She shrugged, standing in front of you even as your tail stayed on her forearm.

“He did what?” The twins growled, Wanda’s eyes glowing and Pietro’s fists blurring in place.

“Good job, Romanoff.” Tony saluted her, dishing himself some dinner too.

“Wait. You’re all just going to agree with this?” You asked.

“Of course. You are a part of the team. You live here, which is a step up from Rhodey in the friendship circle. You are our friend, and we love having you around.” 

“FRIDAY, what is Rhodey’s assessment of injuries?” Bucky asked the AI.

“One punctured lung caused by five broken ribs, another two on the other side, snapped tibia, humerus and radius, dislocated shoulder, black eye and broken cheekbone.” She reported.

Everybody turned to Natasha, watching her curl your tail around her waist whilst wrapping your wing around her body. “My demon. Nobody hurts her without repercussions.”

The group laughed at her antics before sitting down for the movie, Natasha’s hand in yours as she took you over once she served your dinner. She fed you the dinner, making sure to give herself some too in case you scolded her, before snuggling up to you halfway through the movie.

“I love you, my demon.” She whispered against your collarbone, kissing it after.

“I love you, my human.” You replied, keeping her warm as she fell asleep.

You gladly fell asleep with her.

[my-own-walker]

I'm so sorry for being so annoying but could you write another JPM where the reader's family comes to the hotel and maybe they are very loud and kinda criminals and telling stories of little reader hahahaha

I just love you and trying to keep you busy, darling🥰😊😂

How Soon Is Now?

note: heeeeerrreeee we go i'm writing again. also, how fun is this? lol. thanks for the request, darling!

summary: james finds out his sweet angel isn't so innocent after all.

warnings: talk of violence/murder, that’s really it

+++

James had always admired my purity.

I was something of an angel in his eyes. The light had finally entered the Hotel Cortez when I arrived.

Maybe it was the softness of my hair. My voice. The dresses I'd wear. The way I smiled. Maybe it came down to moments like the first time I tried his absinthe. The second the licorice-tasting liquid hit my tongue I was putty in his hands. Doe-eyed and complacent.

I liked to play up the pretty, girly aspects of myself to get his attention. I was his perfect little angel.

He was in love with the idea of a corruptable blank canvas.

I begged him to kill me. I did. Once the secret of the hotel was revealed, I suddenly felt a sense of belonging. Like I was meant to spend eternity in that dark, art-deco haven with the man of my dreams.

His transcontinental accent. The way he dressed. His chivalrous nature. He was a spitting image of my wildest fantasies.

He didn't understand my longing for a fate like his, but as his princess, I got what I wanted.

He made it quick and easy. Drugged, to preserve my beauty. I was to be his damsel in distress forever. His pretty princess living up in the tower.

Being dead, but also alive, came with its challenges. One of them being, namely, my family. They were worriers. They couldn't understand why I would up and leave my life to 'work' at some old hotel in LA.

The constant phone calls and messages became too much for me. I needed them to be able to see me in order for them to understand that I was happy where I was. That I was okay.

Obvious challenges came with that notion. James was all too happy to host them, though. Too happy.

He instructed every entity in the place to leave my family alone. He had Miss Evers prepare dinner and the most extravagant table setting she could muster. He even arranged a gold silk dress for me, topped off with a stunning string of heirloom pearls.

Everything was perfect. Until my family showed.

My parents and my three siblings made their way into the hotel rather…ungracefully. I told them to dress nicely. They did what they could, all things considered.

They, at their core, were rowdy, loud, and frankly insane.

The lineup was as follows: My father, Bruce, my mother, Margaret, or Marge, as she liked to be called, my twin older brothers Logan and Wyatt, and my older sister Ginger.

They couldn't make their way to James' suite without incident, of course. No. They had to walk in already arguing about...something. I'm not sure. It took both of my parents, with the assistance of Iris and Liz to get my brothers separated.

Upon stepping into the suite, I immediately heard a ‘it’s REALLY fuckin dark in here!’ from my sister. They really couldn’t find it within themselves to show a shred of decorum in a nice place.

I sat next to James at the dining room table, awaiting my family’s entrance. He sat at the head of the table, smile on his face. He was so excited to meet them. To understand more about his precious girl. He had his hand rested atop mine, eyes trained expectantly on the doorway.

Miss Evers’ figure appeared, then my father’s.

‘There’s my little girl!’ he shouted opening his arms for a hug.

‘Hi, daddy,’ I greeted with a warm smile, getting up from the table to hug him.

‘Wow, sweets, you look great,’ he said, admiring my outfit. Sweets was his nickname for me. My mother and sister filed in next.

‘What’s this, fuckin Halloween?’ my sister scoffed.

‘Nice to see you too, Ginger,’ I smiled. ‘Hi ma,’ I continued. ���

‘Y/N!’ she exclaimed, jumping in the air. ‘There’s my little baby!!!’ She rushed over to me, making a point to pinch my cheeks. Logan and Wyatt made their appearance next, still arguing it seemed.

‘No, you dipshit it’s definitely a knife,’ Wyatt huffed.

‘You would use a fucking knife in that situation? Be serious right now,’ Logan replied, throwing his hands up.

‘Hey guys! Over here!’ I waved, reminding them they were arguing loudly in public.

‘Oh hey, Y/N,’ they replied in unison. That weird twin telepathy stuff.

We all took our seats at the table, my mother making sure she was sitting right next to me. She was the one who was most worried about me, after all. It was only fitting that she’d make sure I was okay by being closest to me all night.

James stood from his seat at the head of the table and the whole room turned their attention to him. He tended to have that effect.

‘Hello, Y/L/N family! Welcome to my hotel,’ he began. ‘I’m so happy to finally have you all here. My name is James Patrick March. And you all are?’

‘Marge,’ my mom smiled.

‘Uh, Bruce,’ my dad said, weirded out at the round-robin introduction James had begun.

‘I’m Ginger,’ my sister continued.

‘And they’re Logan and Wyatt,’ I answered for my brothers. They became embroiled in conversation as soon as my mother began speaking just seconds before. Easily distracted.

‘You all make such a beautiful family,’ James declared, sitting back down in his chair.

‘So uh, just to get this straight,’ my dad began, ‘you own this place?’

‘Mm, yes,’ James affirmed, taking a sip of his drink.

‘And you’re, what, to Y/N?’ my father continued to prod.

I couldn’t help but cut in. ‘We’re together, dad. Romantically.’ I knew James wouldn’t be able to put it into terms my family would get.

‘Her?!’ my sister scoffed.

‘Yeah, I can’t lie, I’m shocked,’ my dad laughed. I shot both of them the deadliest look my face could muster, but they continued.

‘She’s a grade-A psycho,’ Ginger said. ‘Y/N how’d you bag a classy guy like this?’ I hung my head in shame. I could have tried to stop them, but once they got going there was no going back.

‘You know, she’s a nice girl but our family is just, a bit unorthodox,’ my mom explained. ‘It’s just shocking to see her live in a place this…nice. And for her to be with someone, like you.’

‘Unorthodox? How’s that?’ James asked, smile still plastered on his face.

‘She started helping us with the, uh, family business, basically as soon as she was born,’ my mom continued. ‘She was a pretty scary kid.’

‘As she grew up she learned more and sort of, haha, became our little hitman. Didn’t you sweets?’ my dad added. I lifted my head and turned it to look at James. His eyes had lit up in a way I hadn’t seen before.

‘Yeah she’s the youngest but she’s the best at roughing people up,’ Ginger said, monotonously. ‘She killed her first at what? 6?’

‘No no, younger than that,’ my mom answered. ‘I think she was 4. It was that Goldberg guy, remember? Screwed dad out of 4 grand.’

‘Ohhhh, right!’ my dad said, laughing slightly. ‘My little killa.’ He looked at me with such pride. He meant it endearingly, but I was so embarrassed. The fact that they’d willingly offer this information without being asked made me sick to my stomach. What would James think of me?

‘This is news to me…’ James purred, taking my chin in his hand. ‘She’s been quite the angel here. I was entirely unaware of her background.’ He smiled warmly at me. His eyes had a fire behind them. Ideas were brewing.

‘Oh yeah James. She was a little Wednesday Addams,’ my mom laughed. I cringed, knowing he wouldn’t understand that reference. ‘Just a scary little girl.’

‘Come on, Y/N,’ Ginger taunted. ‘You should show your new boyfriend your mad murder skills.’

‘Oh yeah, sure. I’ll slice up a guy’s neck. You want it now?’ I asked, obviously sarcastic. The whole thing was getting on my nerves.

‘How soon is now?’ James chimed in. I turned my head suddenly and looked at him. He was deadly serious about the whole affair. He seemed…ecstatic. ‘Something can be arranged. I would love to see this, hidden talent, my dear.’ His eyes flashed with what I can only describe as lust.

‘James,’ I pleaded.

‘There was a guy in the hall that gave us a funny look earlier,’ Wyatt said, breaking his twin bubble with Logan. ‘You could kill him.’

‘Wyatt, I’m not gonna kill just anyone!’ I protested.

‘I’ll see to it that he’s brought here at once!’ James exclaimed, subsequently taking a large swig of his drink. ‘But first, Miss Evers! We’d like to have our meal now! We have business to attend to afterwards!’

My secret was out, and James was about to take full advantage of it.

+++

Haha! This was fun to write. Hopefully I’m over my horrible writers block now. Requests are back open so send em in!

[pedriswife]

Valentine's Day is coming!

So can you write a story which reader and pedri is going on a picnic for valentine's day and later pedri gets hard so they go to home and have sex?

I woke up every morning happy bc of your stories! you make my day better! Love you 💋

Warning! Smut ahead (omg bestie it makes me happy to hear that, I LOVE YOU TOO LOVELY💗)

☆

Pedri really thought the day through; he arranged a picnic for the pair of you in one of Barcelona's many parks, him spending the early morning of the day preparing food before getting you in the car and setting off to spend valentines together by mid afternoon. He gifted you a massive bouquet of flowers and a jewellery set, his initial visible on the necklace and anklet that he got custom-made.

You munched on one of the chocolate covered bread sticks, Pedri's eyes on you, admiring your beauty in the light.

"Did you like today bonita?" he asked, his thumb swiping over your bottom lip to wipe some crumbs off, watching you intently as you nodded, a smile over your face.

"It was the best. I love you, Pedri, " you said, the admiration clear in your voice as he mirrored your words, taking your face into his hands and kissing you deeply, the kiss conveying his message of love.

You pulled away, your eyes dazed from the kiss as he smiled, starting to pack up the things from the picnic blanket. You watched him from behind as his back muscles flexed as he put stuff away before starting to pack as well.

Once finished, you got in the car, and Pedri drove the two of you home, some music playing in the background but mostly enjoying each others presence in silence.

"I have some gifts for you at home bonita. But first, I was hoping that maybe you'll help me out with something?" He spoke up, your eyes meeting his lust filled stare before looking down, his hard on evident in his trousers.

Your breath hitched as you brought your thighs closer together, not expecting to see what you saw. This didn't go unnoticed by Pedri; he smirked to himself, knowing that he could make you feel butterflies just by a simple thing.

Once you got home, Pedri picked you up and led you to the bedroom, his lips on your neck gently sucking on the plush skin, different from his usual harsh style. His hands kneaded your ass, a gasp escaping your mouth as he gladly swallowed your sounds up before placing you on the king-size bed.

You moved to get your dress off, but his hands stopped you straight away.

"What's the rush bonita, I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to take my time with you, make love to you, " he whispered into your ear, his teeth grazing over your jawline before sucking on your sweet spot, soft moans leaving your mouth as his hands started to stroke your covered breasts, squeezing them gently.

He moved his hands down all the way to your thighs, gently stroking them before moving up, his fingers fanning over your already soaking core. He teased your still clothed pussy, smirking at how wet your panties were just from mere touches before he pushed the material aside, plunging two fingers deep inside of you. Your back arched as you moaned his name, his lips on yours, making it hard for you to kiss back as he thrust them inside of you, curling them up to hit your g spot. His thumb gently swiped over your clit, as he breathed in your gasps and moans of pleasure.

"Pedri I - I want you," you gasped out, his touch sending you into an overdrive as he continued to push in his fingers, now completely slicked with your juices. He continued, ignoring your request, whilst you felt close to cumming your moans now higher pitched, bouncing off the walls of the room.

He pulled away before you could make a mess on his fingers, him quickly removing your drenched panties, your dress and bra soon following, thrown carelessly on the floor. He took off his clothes as well before he joined you back on the bed, attaching his mouth to your sensitive nipples, sucking on them, shots of pleasure going through your body once again.

"I'm gonna make feel so good bonita," he said against your skin, aligning his cock with your entrance, gasp leaving your mouth as he pushed into you, his hands on your hips, pushing your body down to meet his thrusts. He gently thrusted into your core, his cock continously hitting against your g spot. You wrapped your legs around his waist, allowing him to go deeper inside you, the new position making you gasp out his name repeatedly, loving the way he made you feel.

He kissed you passionately, his hips continuing to drive in and out of you, leaving you breathless and unable to kiss back. Your bodies were a tangle of limbs on the bed, moving together to bring yourselves to your orgasms, passion seeping through your bodies, hot breaths heard throughout the room, and occasional groans escaping Pedri's mouth.

A wave of pleasure washed over your body as you came, your back arching and his name on your lips like a mantra, your hands going down his back as he rode you out of your orgasm, soon following with a few sloppy thrusts into your sensitive core, he came inside of you, gasping your name as he stilled, catching his breath.

He left on last kiss on your lips before getting up and gently pulling out, making his way to the bathroom to run you a bubble bath, picking your tired body up and massaging it with oils so you could relax, before continuing with the rest of the valentines night.

[sacrificesapnap]

My all-time favourite DNF fanfiction

Over the last year and a half, I have read almost every single DNF fic that has been posted to AO3, yet ended up with a rec list with just over 10 fics. These are my favourite favourite DNF fics. If you think I’ve missed something - let me know!! I always need new fanfic to read :)

This list will be updated when I find something that I think deserves a top spot. Please make sure you read tags before reading, because a lot of these will have adult content and other possibly triggering subjects. I hope you enjoy!

Heat Waves by tbhyourelame

Word count :  51,840

Dream has always held a gentle admiration for George, but when their nuanced friendship trickles into his sleeping mind, he awakens to a new world of conflicting emotions and longing. Lost in the midst of a heat wave, he continuously listens to a song that works itself in to the very core of his heartache. Floridian nights, unsent messages, spiraling infatuation, and terrible, terrible weather.

This is an obvious recommendation but how could I actually make a fic rec list without putting heatwaves on it. It has great characterisation, a lot of the plot is true to real life or close to real life, and it has a painfully accurate amount of overthinking and pining. Heatwaves itself is finished, however the sequel Helium is a WIP, which the author has said they currently have no plans of finishing. Either way, it’s well worth reading, and a must-read to anyone new to the fandom or new to reading fics. 

When by hayloftown

Word count :  163,493

Trust doesn't come easily, but fear does. Dream was dealt a bad hand, who can blame him for his hostility? Or, in which Dream comes from a bad background and finds safety in a new home. Whether that "home" be the place or the people, he is unsure.

God, hayloftown’s fics are incredible. I am not joking when I tell you I have never cried more at a book or fanfic EVER. It was devastating. That being said I literally had to read it in one sitting. This fic describes complex emotions, feelings and especially bonds between people incredibly, and it is so enjoyable to watch dream’s character develop throughout. I actually felt hollow after reading this, because by the end I loved all the characters so much I never wanted it to end. This fic has some pretty heavy themes, so please read tags before reading this one. 

Stars, Stripes and Aristocratic Snobs by hayloftown

Word count :  122,536

Even hundreds of years since their historical wars over independence, American politics and British royalty still struggle to get along, as seen in the rivalry between first son Clay “Dream” Chapman and Prince George of Wales. After a week long trip to the UK after the "tragic" passing of Prince Charles, the successor to the throne and Prince George's father, the two are forced to get along and put forth a better front for the ever-present media.

It’s only fair to have two works by hayloftown on this list, because they are both favourites of mine. I am such a sucker for royalty au’s (prepare to lots more on this list) so this was perfect to me. The summary says everything you need to know about this fic, so I won’t say too much, but I really enjoyed George and Dream’s dynamic in this fic, and I’m a slut for george in a position of power (sorry not sorry). 

I’ve Never Fallen From Quite This High by Scoops (consciousness_streaming)

Word count :  92,419

A phone call out of the blue after two months in Florida turns George's life up side down. As one relationship falls apart, another falls together.

This fic is soooo good. Without spoiling too much, George deals with his parents’ relationship problems whilst developing a relationship with dream (I’m telling you this because I had this in my marked for later for ages and I didn’t read it because I was scared the aforementioned relationship that was falling apart was karlnap lol). If you love family dynamics and domestic fluff this is a must read. George’s mum is the main character in this honestly she’s such an icon, but I just love the dynamic between all the characters in this. 10/10 would recommend. 

The mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix series by saintaches

Word count : 108,775 across three works

Dream and George attend the same prestigious conservatoire, and they fucking hate each other.

I will admit that I originally clicked on this fic for the porn. However, after reading the plot that came with the porn, it turned into one of my favourite fics ever. It’s so beautifully written, a bit purple prosey at times, and is honestly art in writing form. Honestly parts of these works are a little devastating, but its worth it for the development of both dream and George individually and their relationship. 

Metanoia by 24notfound

Word count :  246,211

Following the death of Queen of Salacia, George is thrown into kingship. And in reluctantly preparing for an indefinite war on the account of avenging his mother, George's vision seems to get blurred by the unlikely and unexpected bond he forms with the Prince of Vulcan: Dream.

Honestly this is just the perfect fantasy dnf fic, combining royalty and war with elemental powers. Aside from all the family dynamics and dnf’s actual relationship, the two things that I loved the most in this fic were the relationship between George, Karl and Quackity and their wonderful outfit’s and parties. Another perfect work. 

as for praise and worship by squigly

Word count :  121,006

George is a detective working for Scotland Yard investigating a string of art thefts linked to grisly murders. Dream is a gambler who knows more than he lets on. They can't stay away from each other, even when they should.

This is such a wonderful plot heavy story, and the way squigly created this world and developed the story around Dream and George’s characters will have you gripped from the first chapter. Honestly, this story deserves to be published as a novel, it just has such an immersive and exciting storyline that I have no doubt you will read this in one setting (just like I did).

for you, the stars by andthentheybow

Word count :  115,149

There is exactly one person in the entire universe that knows Doctor George Davidson is alive, and that’s George himself. Even with everything against him- starvation, damaged machinery, the environment, and human error- he’s determined to not become the first person to die on Mars. And once they find out he’s alive, his crew resolves to do everything they can to bring him home.

When I first read the description for this fic I was not expecting to love it as much as I do simply because the situation is so far removed from both cc!dnf and c!dnf that it didn’t feel like it would work. However, their characters in this are so true to real life, and the astronauts have to face publicity and pressure from the public. I love this because I feel like georges intelligence gets lost all the time in fanfiction, but hes appreciated in all his genius glory here, pure bamf George through and through. Good bit of angst and pining, a side of karlnap, and really funny roles for a lot of the other smp members, this is just a really enjoyable read.

Reflections by darlingsdream

Word count :  128,341

In which Dream is assigned as Prince George's new personal guard and finds that it is surprisingly easy to fall for the royal with the spunky attitude but incredibly hard to keep his secrets from him.

This is a perfect Prince!George / Knight!Dream story. It has lots of plot twists and angst but its worth it for such a good story. If you love fantasy or the dynamic between princes and their guard, you will love this. I need to reread this asap tbh.

cinnamon and swirl by offday

Word count :  83,327

Sapnap stays quiet a moment, and while Dream sniffles, the little girl in his lap turns, taps against his face like the tears are common. Dream kisses at her hand, promises her he is okay. He acts like nothing is wrong. Like Sapnap isn’t crying in front of him too, when he should be scolding Dream.

“Why didn’t you?” Sapnap asks as he swipes the back of his hand over his nose. “I mean, not even George?”

Dream decides to tell his friends about his daughter right before they move in.

This is hands down the best DNF kid fic ever!! For some reason, I much prefer kid fics where one person is a single parent and the other person joins them later on. This fic is just perfect. I love that it’s not an AU (other than the fact dream is a dad), I live for uncle Sapnap and dreamnap’s friendship and I would die for protective dad!dream like that’s so attractive are you kidding me. I don’t care if you don’t normally like kid fics, read this now!!

Protected by Anonymous 

Word Count :  102,200

Dream is the Crown Prince and the future king. His sworn duty is to protect his kingdom from outside threats, especially from the scourge of magic.

George is his best friend and, technically, his servant. And he has a secret.

I wish the author of this fic would reveal themselves because I would die to read more of their work. Anyway. I love this so so much. It’s a merlin AU fic where George has magic in a kingdom where magic is banned. Another great one for anyone that likes royalty au’s and once again it has a healthy amount of pining and angst all mixed in with fluff and fantasy and ugh I love it. A lot of fantasy fics are heavy on dream protecting George but I love the dynamic in this where magic George is secretly protecting dream and saving his life. To be honest this fic lives in my head rent-free sometimes. Even if you think this won’t be your cup of tea please just give it a try because it’s so good!

[dreamsofminnie]

[Luke Pearce x Reader] Series

Ch. 5-10 [Luke]

Previous | Masterlist | Next

—His Escape | Word Count: 2,590

—March 16th, 12:23 AM

[[Recent message: I can’t help but peek into your room to see if you came back secretly.]]

Unbeknownst, the 100th sigh has now erupted from your lips as you fiddled with your lunch half eaten.

Peanut perched beside your plate occasionally pecking the dried figs you set for him.

“Peanut, you must miss your dad right? I miss Luke very much too.” Your pointer finger strokes the birb somberly as he peeps quietly.

“How many days has it been since he was gone? hmn, 4 days.” Laying your arms and head across the marble countertop your phone opened up to Luke’s one sided conversation.

Groaning you release your phone and bury your head between your outstretched arms.

“What to dooo, Fridays were our game and movie nights… ughhh! Luke you jerk! Maing me wait for you to come back like some military wife!! Give you a good scolding when you get back!”

Straightening your body and your resolve, you reach your finger out for Peanut to perch on and head upstairs.

“Apologizes Lukey, but I’m rummaging through your stuff.” Throwing his door open you find his usual messy desks and bookshelves that line the wall. His bed look haggard like he has been living here, in which, he really hasn't.

“Haizz, as always. Super messy Luke” Your sigh was so fond, one might’ve mistaken you as a wife whose waiting for their husband on an abroad trip across the world.

—March 16, 12:27 AM

[[Sent: Do you mind if i clean up a bit]]

[[Sent: I wont touch your important papers]]

Stuffing your phone in the back pocket, you roll up your sleeves to get to work. “Luke admires Sherlock Holmes to such an extent that he even matches Sherlock’s messy workplace.” Despite the grin on your face, the heavy document lifting will be a huge workout.

“If only you had arms to help me Peanut.” He tilted his head at your call while staying out of your way on the far window sill, his favorite sunbathing spot.

Piles upon piles were stacked against a corner you cleaned beforehand. Moved out of the path so access to other areas was easily accessible. Many of the papers were covered, with a label tag—simple to comprehend for the correct file in any case.

They stood tall so thickly that they rivaled your throat width solely in how many pages they contained.

How Luke actually managed to write up and read that is beyond you. The real hassle in detective work is the paperwork that research brings.

Even just a smidge, do you understand all of Luke’s sleepless nights you have caught him with his room light still shining bright. You had scolded him once while he apologized profusely. You were pretty sure he still managed to find a loophole and kept up with his late-night work hours. And you couldn’t say anything then, since you were studying up till sunrise.

One unfortunate chance was when Luke and you thought of sneaking into the kitchen for a quick snack and perhaps some caffeinated tea. Catching each other on tip-toes in pajamas, you making tea, and Luke getting snacks, was a fun core memory. Both of you ended up sitting in the living room working side-by-side. Till one of you would fall asleep on the other then eventually night passes then you and Luke wake up snuggled close.

Warmth had spread to you from cherished memories of a family you held dear. Wherever Luke may be, you just hoped he comes back in one piece, breathing and smiling bright.

Papers all stacked and on the side,you get to sweeping some of the discarded trash. Crumpled papers that— if unraveled, were rushed thought processes of a detective onto an exciting new lead.

His favorite juice boxes littered around his small trash can, as if his aim was terrible and he missed the trash with every new juice box.

Leftover craft materials were present only beside his bedside, which seemed like wood shavings, a dull carving knife, and cut-out paper. It seems you needed a vacuum for all those.

Floor now all clean and vacuumed, you reach Luke’s desk and bookshelf behind it. Many spaces on the shelves were free so packing the documents away in them was alright to do. You can just sort them for him and label each shelf with the contents. You had done this for Luke once in his other office. It wasn't as messy as his room is now, but Luke really enjoys your neat and tidy file sorting. He’s called it, “[Name]’s personal file service! Luke's only V.I.P service, right?~”

You giggle to yourself as you hear his voice through those words.

Unable to reach the higher shelves, you decided to save those for after every other thing that needed to be cleaned. His desk was just for area mapping, entry and exit routes to suspected buildings. Shifting them in a pile to the side of the table you hesitate if you wanted to peer through his desk cabinets. Personal or not, you would prefer if you had his permission first-hand.

Though i guess you were already invading his chambers without consent.

“I’m so sorry Luke. I will confess all my sins to your punishments when you get back, let me indulge in your personal affairs just this once.”

Shutting your eyes tight, you feel Peanut flap his wings and perch on your shoulder, eyes intently locked on the cabinet handle you were clutching. Opening one eye to watch Peanut you open the first drawer and crouch down to look closer.

The bottom is lined with thin files, scribbled notes, unopened letters, and craft utensils like the carving knife you found earlier. Not at all work-related, you could tell by the decorative ornaments that littered the box. Some were beads, pieces of jewelry, and preserved rose petals. Nothing matched Luke in this cabinet.

These were for you.

Luke has made many of things for gifts in the years spent together, you can recognize his crafts anywhere. And these were meant for you. This cabinet was all of you.

“..maybe I really shouldn’t have.” Peanut seemed to notice your surprise, shame and guilt. He chirped and flew down into the drawer hopping on the beads and letters as if finding something in that stack. “Peanut??! Hey hey, get out of there.”

His chirping grew persistent when spotting something in the far back of the cabinet. Dragging the item out with struggle, Peanut chips for you to help, so you worridly comply. Peanut would only do things on his own accord if, it was benefiting Luke, or, to embarrass Luke. You can’t tell which this is just yet.

Taking the wood block that Peanut dragged out to show you, you gap at the wood block.

It was a carving. A blooming rose so beautifully detailed and outlined down to the thinnest carve marks. A bird just like Peanut was the centerpiece in the rose, it sat at the middle in an angled side view as its wings raised to fly. You could tell it was unfinished because these types of carvings needed a thick coat of paint, and this was not at all painted just yet.

Dragging your hand across the carefully detailed and hard carve marks, you felt marks on the other side of the block when your hand moved. Stunned, you turn it around and freeze even further. Peanut tweeted and sat on your knee awaiting your final reaction. The back of the block was empty besides the small word carving on the bottom corner.

“Congratulations on your Graduation!!” A small sticky note wrote, “I always knew my Watson could push forth through the intense studying to earning your degree!! I’m really proud of you.” A small heart that was drawn in the corner of the sticky note was very light, as if he was hesitant to include it.

A bubble of sad inducing emotions threatened the peace and tranquility in your facade these past days. It prodded in your throat as your mouth was in a trembling frown, tears near slipping.

Peanut could feel the anguish radiating off you and chirped worridly, hopping closer to your face and rubbing his body against your skin. Fingers hardening against the wood, careful not to ruin it, you swallow the despair down and hold yourself.

“Luke…you silly boy….my graduation isn’t till about month from now.. You didn’t have to prepare so hard. Thank me in person if you’re so proud of me. That’s all I want..” The repeated words as if you were in a trance, were on the tip of your tongue but you didn’t dare speak those 3 words ‘I miss you.’

Inhaling deeply and exhaling you sniffle the rest of the sadness away and get up off the floor ready to finish the late-spring cleaning you started.

Peanut who still sat on your shoulder tilted his body at you. Patting his head and cooing at how good Peanut was in revealing Luke’s secrets, you hide the wood carving back in the drawer with your name basically plastered in it.

“Cleaning really helps cure some sadness.” Because a distraction was what you needed.

Getting that stepladder for dusting the bookshelf that you put off before, you reached the top shelf and make your way down. Pushing aside books so every corner was dirt-free, you notice Luke has a lot of thick detective books.

You snicker when you spot one light novel that you lent Luke because you thought he could brush up on modern romance stories. Luke said he lost the book in his bag, turns out that the book actually sat dust-free on his top shelf. ‘If you liked that light novel so much I would have gotten you the whole series Luke!’

Somehow you found that the second level of the bookshelf was dust-free, while even the bottom first shelf was super dusty. Strange. You didn’t find any of the books or locked files to be much interesting so you let that go. It might’ve been the case Luke is pursuing at the moment.

Sadly finished with the whole spring cleaning in Luke’s room, you watch the room as you exit and close the door in front of you slowly. It was high-time you study instead of reminiscing memories in your roommate/childhood friend/best friend’s room.

🔐[TimeSkip]🔍

—April 13

A hefty sigh rumbles through your throat into a groan.

“A new bestie is in order. What kind of person doesn’t even attend their best friend’s graduation ceremony? Peanut! Your father is absurd.” Same as normal, you sat in your room sighing and complaining to the Myna bird.

Peanut could never exactly escape this weekly routine every time your studying was complete and you had time to relax but that time was spent going crazy with the bird.

Though you had a reason to do so. Peanut hasn't been responsive as of these weeks, only when Luke was mentioned he would chirp quietly and stomp around to show aggravation. He has also gotten slimmer, without Luke who indulged Peanut in snacks way too much, Peanut ate only a necessary amount. No matter how much packs of dried figs—his absolute favorite snack—you bought, Peanut would eat four max then just sit on top of the bag.

Holding in another incoming sigh, you got up and stretched your arms above your head. “Come on Peanut, let’s go out today. Fresh air will free our shackles.” Swiftly slipping into your shoes at your front door, you call to the bird.

Peanut flew up and settled on your head, cozying up to your fluffy hair.

You both exit the apartment and out onto the lively streets. The bustling of people and chatter felt so distant. Only when a person is walking around and talking to another do you not notice how odd it is when you lose that company and instead walk alone hearing just the idle chats of random lives.

Perhaps Luke was feeling the same thing at this moment. You wish you could be connected to him like this.

The goal of movement was… unknown at the moment. You didn’t really know where to go when you suggested a walk.

“Parks are normally where people take strolls, right? Aghh…I’m talking as if I’m not normal and trying to BE normal..” I guess talking to yourself—and talking to a pet bird– isn’t very ordinary in the first place.

After arriving at the park and down a path towards the large constructed lake, you found a bench to rest on while Peanut happily ventures somewhere close by.

Sounds of the breeze and paces of people either jogging or walking past calms your mind of the occasional fog it gets on days like this with nothing to do but worry.

A guy riding a bicycle passes by but he doesn’t even leave your line of sight yet before the guy tumbles off the bike. You jolt up and rush over to help him up.

“Are you okay sir?!?? That was quite a tumble.” Holding a hand out as he sheepishly takes it and thanks you.

“Ah yes! Probably just a minor scratch on my knees, thank you for helping. I was in too much of a hurry to deliver these.” He rubs his neck then points towards the folded papers in his bicycle’s basket that have now spilled all over the grass.

“Oh, let me help!” You bent down to gather the papers and your hand freezes.

“I’m really sorry for having you help me twice like this! I’m grateful that you are so nice!!” He rambles on while grabbing the papers and stacking them back in the bicycle’s basket. “...and like–today was really busy so—work’s been piling up on me—...” Your ears couldn’t focus on the words and blocked out what he said. Your heart thumped loudly in your ears instead, the ringing of your mind engulfed your senses.

You were too fixated. On the front page of the newspaper.

“DETECTIVE LUKE PEARCE SOLVES A 15 YEAR ONGOING CASE IN LESS THAN 5 DAYS!”

“...what. What is this news report from.”

The stare you gave the guy was so intense that he falters for a moment. “Uhm, I work at the North Stellis newsletter station. Ah well, as a newspaper boy, so not really AT the news station ahha..” He sweats under the intensity of your shock but a question floated to his head.

“Oh? Do you know Mr. Pearce?! I heard of his work. Think he’s been at North Stellis for a month now.” You bit your lips hiding at the ecstatic smile and feelings that was bubbling up.

“I actually do! Can I take one of these newspapers home? I want to read it closely.” A relieved and joyous expression overcame your form as you held the paper close to your body.

The newspaper guy nodded with a smile, “Of course! Not much of a thanks for helping me, but if you need it then you're welcome to take it.”

“Ah! I need to get going now though. Thank you for helping me!” He hopped on his bike, waved a farewell then peddled away just as Peanut got back from his grandeur adventure.

Perching on your shoulder while you giggled in glee, Peanut chirped—albeit a chirp with much life unlike his usual quiet chirps—questionably

“Peanut! We’re going to see Luke!!!”

Peanut’s bewildered chirp was the last thing you heard before you went bolting home.

Synopsis-> Luke the one who has always been by your side throughout school years. The one who wouldn’t hesitate to run back home to get you something you forgot and really needed. Luke who smiles so-so fondly at you when your smiles pierce through his bad days. The same Luke who thought running away from you would be beneficial for you.

It however, only served to push you out of your way to find him. Seeing your surroundings in an entire different city, you are in search of Luke by tracing his detective trails. His name plastered on the newspaper one day by accident, served you to find him quite quickly. Now by his side, the works of detectives and secret agents left you both to conquer swiftly.

Joining his line of work after thorough debating and arguing, he reluctantly let you invade his dangerous lifestyle. Of course–only with him by your side at all times.

aUgh,, this took awhile to finish🙇‍♀️

Lukey-boy, you will be in for a surprise😌😌

YAH. The next chap will take another decade since we will now officially start this series💀

Tags. @neigesprincess @crucnhice @backintomykpopphaseagain @kazedaka @little-aruma

[yandere-paramour]

Y'know, I think Atalanta just has that type of personality I would not be compatible with in general, like, we would be business rivals maybe because I'd always feel like I have to one-up her😭 that being said, she is kinda growing on me in the span of these few days because I can see a gentle and caring side in her from some of the things you've written and that's really cute. She loves in the way she knows best and that is an admirable trait, so she has my respect.

Ahhh, but Vivien brings light to my life, reading about him is so fun!! Really, just wanna walk in when he's at work, buy flowers right from the shop and then give them to him as a present. If it were up to me, he would be all pampered. I know Noelle is still sort of new but she also gives me the same vibe, I would totally treat her sweetly and I also think she would just be nice to talk to. I can imagine she'd be understanding, but then again, I guess all the yans would try to be for their darling anyway.

I'm glad that whatever I had to say was inspiring to you!! I'm also sorry because it wasn't a very eloquent message at all, but I'm happy you could extract what was of value from it. And I wanna say thank you for writing and sharing it with us here, because honestly you've built such a beautiful reprieve in your blog and I know it's a place I can always come to for a needed escape whenever.

Anyway, I think I'm rambling now, I actually just wanted to wish you happy birthday now that it's July 3rd (at my time of sending). Happy 22nd and I hope today and every other day coming is great for you. Take care of yourself and rest when you can. All the best to you always!!

Atalanta is always such a fun character for me to write because she is always trying to put on this front of being calm and cool and collected and for the most, she truly is like that, but she has these moments of vulnerability with her Darling that I like best because it shows her as being just Ata and not Atalanta Montclair. She truly is the product of her upbringing; she is somehow both her mother's daughter and her father's daughter at the same time. She loves her Darling in the only way she knows how. Even if it isn't perfect, I like to think I manage to convey the high esteem she holds you in. She holds her Darling in such regard, she just doesn't know how to properly protect and care for you.

Oh Vivien is my little guy, I love him so much. I'm glad you enjoy him. He is probably the least dangerous of my yanderes, at least towards Darling (remember, he is technically a serial killer). He has had such a hard life, I can't bring myself to write him in any angst because I just want him to be happy.

Noelle is new and I'm still fleshing her out as a person. She strikes me as someone who stays silent a lot, not because she's shy but just because she has nothing to say to you. But when she's with her sisters or with Ata, she's funny and charming. I think the thing that endears me most to her is her fear of losing what she has. She has clawed her way up from the depths of the hell that was her childhood and now that she has reached the top, she would sooner die than give up her lifestyle, and that includes her Darling. I think she's the most controlling yan (more on this later, random fan I got your ask and I'm working on it, I swear, I'm just balls deep in the neuromuscular junction rn) because of this fear of hers. I should write something to try and shake her to her very core and see what comes out.

Ah, your messages are so kind. I really do find comfort and happiness in kind messages like this. I always want to know what you guys think about the characters and kindness about my writing and my birthday is just the sugar on the cream. It is so easy with blogs like this to turn from a writer to just a content creator churning out as much work as possible to keep the followers happy, but it's messages like this that make me feel human again. Thank you. It means a lot to me to know that I have created a space where people can come to lose themselves in my stories.

And yes, haha, it was my silly lil birthday today. I spent most of it in school or driving but I watched King of the Hill and I studied so it was okay :)

[scepterno]

Oh my god I love nsfw with acc feelings in it it makes it so real and meaningful icl

I remember reading one where Alejandro was insanely focused on Noah and like to get handsy and describe every part he loved ab him😭 Alejandro when he’s not playing in TD is so different towards people (if he wasn’t attracted to Heather he’d be attracted to Noah?? Or something like that I remember seeing it) but yeah Noah felt so safe with him and wasn’t at all nervous to say no to things in the fic it was so sweet☹️

I haven't read any nsfw fics of alenoah simply because.. erm...... i do not enjoy a lot of alenoah fics in general.. i cannot shake the feeling that most are written by teens so i just tend to avoid them by virtue of not wanting to read some high schooler's fanfic. i am a stickler about proper grammer, syntax, rhythm and beats, or what have you. *pushes up glasses* i am a scholar in STEM at heart. do not let the art degree fool you! when you get older and go to college you tend to...................................... now, i don't mean to be rude, but you tend to refine your tastes in literature, aka silly gay fanfics in the internet.

i just cannot bring myself to sit through more than 2 sentences of a fic if there's not proper punctuation or grammar. (also you can sort of tell when a fic is written by someone young or inexperienced, which, you know, power to them! you cant get better if you dont suck first! but that does not. mean. i will subject myself to Suck) i simply cannot. it hurts my bones.

that was a totally unrelated tangent. WOOPS. sourry 'bout that, mate.

what you're thinking of is the reddit AMA with alejandro's original voice actor where someone asked if they could see alejandro being attracted to anyone other than Heather, using Noah as an example, and he agreed. (they kind of led him into that one, so i take it with a grain of salt, but celebrate nonetheless)

i personally cannNNNAWWWWTTTT see Noah as submissive in a sexual situation with alejandro. with someone like Emma? yeah. sure. vaporize that stupid twink. but with alejandro, who brings out the competitive, spiky side to Noah??? i cant see him assuming the submissive role. maybe he likes to get pampered and Pillow Princess'd once in a while (he is VERY lazy to his core, after all).

i do find it interesting how most people tend to agree that alejandro would be a much better person as soon as he's no longer on reality television. although, i suppose that applies to most characters, especially the villains.

i personally still think that alejandro has a nasty side, since he wasn't ALLOWED to have a nasty side around his family (or he'd get a beating). being on total drama let him have fun with being a complete asshole, which is not something he was ever allowed to do before then, because he's supposed to be perfect! and suave! and a gentleman! Chris hired him to be a dirtbag, so he played the part and had a blast doing it (until it bit him in the ass)

i do regret not being able to show alejandro's Nasty Side more in my fic, but i dont' really think there was room for it given how hard he was trying to redeem himself both in his family's eyes, as well as Noah's. once he and Noah are more comfortable with each other, Alejandro definitely allows himself to be let loose a bit and forego the manners. he truly DOES admire that Noah isn't a pushover, because he considers himself one and wishes, deep down, that he wasn't so compelled to be a people pleaser. there is a subconscious filter in his brain that keeps him generally polite, just because it's been drilled into him by his family (diplomatic and strict, cough cough) that being undesirable or off-putting is something to be punished for.

EGADS, it appears I have allowed myself to ramble again, so I'll cut it off here. sorry for using your fairly straightforward message as a means of info-dumping. 'tis the turn of the tide, or what have you.

じゃね~~~~!!!

[im-not-corrupted]

Dragons and prophecies sounds really interesting

I’m so incredibly glad it does, because I planned the whole thing out and it’s big. I came up with the idea while reading A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon in September, and it’s set in a world in which the Endless are known as the Seven Dragon Lords responsible for sending Lucifer Morningstar back into the earth, where a prophecy warns of the Morningstar’s return. Dream of the Endless sleeps, trapped by Night’s magic, and on the day Hob Gadling wakes him from his slumber, Lucifer Morningstar rises once more.

———

It did not say very much, but it said enough. The Library’s dedication to the old prophecies is one I can admire. It is this reason I bring this news to you now, before word reaches the public. The Path to Hell smokes. Does Lucifer rise? Has the Prophecy of Orpheus come to be?

There was no name. There was no wax seal on the letter to indicate who sent it. There was, simply, this message, clear and terrifying.

It was a call to her duty, and she could not ignore it. And neither could Jessamy, apparently, for she immediately announced that she would be joining Lucienne on the way to the Path to Hell.

She did not argue. She was fond of the apprentice. And, besides—the letter terrified her to the core. The idea that gate to Hell might open in their lifetime, that she might live to see a second Age of Ash…Despite her years of interpreting, she never prepared herself for that. She was glad to have Jessamy’s company on the journey—it far beat those of the few guard they took with them, despite Jessamy’s insistence that she could take anything they encountered on the road.

Lucienne did not doubt her, but her fondness for both the apprentice and her own life meant she hired the guard regardless. She would rather both of them make it back alive and whole at the end of this.

So they made the journey to the bottom of the Path to Hell, where the climb begins. Above them, above the mountain, there is a dark cloud. It looks too much like smoke for her liking and Lucienne stares up at it with a deep-routed sense of dread. In the back of her mind, she thinks, It is happening, it is happening, but she pushes it away. There is a chance that smoke starts to rise from what is, apparently, a hole into Hell itself. It does not mean the Gate has been unlocked, that Lucifer has made their way into their realm, that another Age of Ash lurks on the horizon.

So they start to climb up to the Maw of Hell, the part of the mountain that opens to spew lava and ash and acts as a gateway to the realm of Lucifer.

It was a long climb. It is not the tallest mountain in the world, but the two of them are inexperienced. It takes a good many breaks, a lot of anxiety over the increase of ash in the air, and a couple motivational speeches from Jessamy for them to reach the Maw.

It is not what she expected. She expected…well, mountain. She did not expect the Maw of Hell to be a literal thing. She did not expect for the mountain to open up, for the hole in the middle of it that reached down too far for Lucienne to estimate just how far that was. She expected some kind of metaphor, a mystical gateway, magic tunes, something along those lines.

Instead, there is a hole in the earth. A very literal one, from which the smoke gathers. Lucienne’s heart thuds in her chest as she leans over the stone as far as she dares.

At the bottom, all she can see is fire and lava. Her eyes sting with the smoke. Her hands are clammy where they rest at her sides and her breath, still recovering from the climb, comes in gasps. She can feel the ash on the air.

Jessamy stands beside her, a steady force against the rising panic. Lucienne is glad for her presence. Nothing can or will block out the horror of what they are looking at, but her company is a small comfort at least. “Is that—?” she asks, only the sentence cuts off at the end.

”The Gateway to Hell,” Lucienne murmurs.