#and lo and behold I beat it as soon as I did that

[heartbeetz]

Tbhhhh the full extent of my modding experience (none) is replacing delta.rune music files that were just hanging out unprotected in the steam folder. Lol

[princessbrunette]

Reader visiting pogue!rafe and wearing the tiniest sundress to thank him for taking such a good care of her and for coming to midsummer. She would give him the sloppiest nastiest blowjob because she is so grateful

˙✧˖° 🐬🛼🎀 ⋆｡♡

it was one of those really hot days. the type where your clothes stick to you, even the hot breeze serves as no relief and you just wish to be left alone.

it was rafe’s day off from the building site, which he’s grateful for — as he’s not sure he’d be able to manage under such harsh conditions. the pogue lounges on his beat up couch infront of his shitty tv with a beer, legs spread — the rickety oscillating fan by his side offering no solace from the thick muggy air. just as he starts to find the energy to be irritated with this, there’s a knock at his door. the last thing he needs.

“jesus—what, i can’t have one god-damn day…��� he mutters away to himself like a grumpy old man as he storms to the door, swinging it open. lo and behold, there you are in the tiniest, flimsiest sundress holding a crate of beer, looking a little clammy but excited to see him nonetheless.

“hi rafe!” you chime, totally unaffected.

“the hell are you doin’ all the way out here, s’not a nice part of the island, alright—”

“i come bearing gifts. may i come inside?” you ask so sweet and politely, leaving rafe only able to blink at you for a moment before you’re shuffling past him anyway without an answer, humming to yourself. “i know these ones are your favourite. they’re probably a little luke warm by now ‘cos i had to carry them here but if i stick them in the fridge they’ll probably be good to go in another ten minutes or so.” you chat away happily, walking right through to the small fridge on the ground in his kitchen, absentmindedly bending all the way over to shove the crate inside, giving rafe a real show of the delicate panties beneath your dress.

“really you — you walked all the way here for some beers, alright— okay.” he shakes his head in exasperation, turning and flopping back down onto the couch, closing his eyes for a moment at the unbearable heat. suddenly, you were right there.

“not just that.” your voice is softer now, closer. he can feel your breath on his face and it’s cold somehow— like you’d been sucking on an ice pop before coming in. the feeling isn’t unwelcome. his eyes flutter open, and it’s like someone had turned a switch inside of you because suddenly you’re all hungry eyes, wet mouth, hands that fidget for him.

“…no?” he drawls lazily, barely making an effort to shove an eyebrow up in questioning.

“wanted to thank you specially. for looking after me so well after midsummers. you’re a really good guy, rafe.” you’re so sweet it’s sickly and rafe shakes his head, averting his gaze with a lick of the lips and an eye roll.

“look i was just doing what anyone would have done alright — no need to make it a whole thing—”

“please… can i just show you how grateful i am? i’ve been practicing.” you practically groan, hands clenching into the fabric of his shirt.

rafe is starting to realise he has a real problem with saying no and standing by that— because soon he’s got you between his legs, drool leaking down onto his couch from the sloppy way you mouth at his cock, making out with the tip and taking breaks to ease him into your throat until there are tears on your cheeks. you seem as happy as anyone could be, little pleased moans and mewls leaving you periodically.

“the hell did you mean you’ve been practicing?” rafe asks between winces, a sharp pain in his abdomen at the thought of you getting in your blowjob rehearsals with another guy. he didn’t like that, and more importantly he didn’t like that he felt that way.

you reply to him, but it’s all garbled and spitty because his dick’s jammed half way down your throat so he pulls you off by the jaw, furrowing his brows curiously urging you to repeat yourself. you swallow, blinking wide wet eyes up at him.

“dildo.” you hum, before pushing his hand off and getting back to work. rafe relaxes back into the couch with an amused scoff.

“shit. your parents have got no clue, huh? no clue that they’ve got such a dirty little girl.” he spreads his legs a little wider, resting a hand on the back of your head.

you pull your mouth off to pull his cock to stand upright to access his balls, sucking and massaging them. “m’your dirty little girl too.” you respond in a shyer tone, almost like you were asking for permission. rafe blinks at you in zoned out analysis, wondering just what your father wasn’t providing you in order to make everything that came out of your mouth so wrong and freudian. rafe was just some construction working pogue — that’s how he saw it anyway. what it was about him that made you latch onto him so tightly and rely on him of all people for emotional validation and nurture was beyond him. you must’ve been a total masochist.

as you continue sucking he realises he didn’t so much mind the comment. everyone was ‘little’ to him at such a height so he’d let you have it.

“uh-huh. that right?” he entertains it, repositioning your mouth over his tip forcefully and feeding it back down your throat. “gonna let me in that throat now? huh? lemme cum baby? thought you were grateful. show me how thankful you are that i was nice to you, c’mon.” he pants, feet planted to the floor now as he lifts his hips — impatient. each little wet gag fuels him, and he chuckles breathlessly at the way you squeeze your eyes and fists closed to endure his manhandling.

“yeah not — not being very nice now am i? nah… s’what you get for messing with us nasty pogues. savages, baby.” he’s actively teasing you, making fun of the kook rhetoric as he pushes himself toward release. he knows those aren’t your views, but it’s satisfying to poke fun at you all the same.

˙✧˖° 🐬🛼🎀 ⋆｡♡

[starscabaret]

☆Meeting Yandere! Vincent ☆

pairing: yandere! Vincent x fem reader 

summary: Meeting Vinny <333

warnings: n/a 

authors note: 

Vincent had brushed into the small town a few months earlier on a contract for his engineering firm. The job paid well and he had little to no attachment anywhere so he made the move. He lived in an upscale condo about 30 minutes out from the actual town he’d be working in. Paid for by the company of course. 

He had a routine, call mom once a week, send a letter once a month, go to work every weekday, go to the gym every weekday, grocery shop on Sundays, and get a haircut every 3 weeks. Not much changed for him really unless it was necessary. 

He liked it that way, in his free time he drew, invested, and dabbled in a few books and tv. He wouldn’t call himself the happiest man alive, but he was getting by, and his mom was doing well. That’s all he ever wanted. 

Just like any other day on the job site Vincent set in his small office inside the mobile trailer going over blueprints and whatnot. That is until you came banging on the flimsy trailer door. Vincent thought the damn police were here. Lo and Behold when he opened the door there you were in pajamas, and slippers, and sleep still in your eyes. 

As soon as the door opened you spoke, “Look man, I really was nice at first and didn’t say anything but do y’all have to be so loud at 7 am? It’s waking me and my son.”

Vincent stood there deadpan he didn’t know what to reply. There was nothing he could really do to delay construction in the early hours without derailing the whole project. And normally he would have slammed the door in your face had it been anyone else. But you, you made his heart beat fast and he blanked on a response. Besides the fact that he was a man of very few words.

“Come in.” He said as he pulled you into the office like trailer.

“You seem to be the boss sir, is there anything you can do?” You said while rubbing your eyes.

“You must live in the house a few acres over, what’s your name?” He spoke low and grumbly.

“Yeah I do, it’s a family house but no one gives a shit anymore. All moved off to the big city, scared of the water. Oh, Im f/n l/n” you replied in an annoyed tone.  

“I can’t tell them to halt all work in the morning is there anything I can do instead?” He asked, wanting to remedy this. He didn’t want to upset you. You were alluring to him. This was also the most he had spoken to anyone in days.

“You come to explain to my son why you’re disrupting his sleep!” you said with irritation in your voice.

When Vincent got to your home to apologize to your son, he was met with Ben. Ben was a 3-year-old beautiful Doberman. 

Vincent was a bit relieved it was a dog and not a child, as he was already daydreaming about how he would give you your first child.

Vincent didn’t speak much or have the best social skills but he knew that his interest in you wasn’t normal. Nor did he know how to express such interest.

Good thing you found him handsome, and took interest in his quiet reserved demeanor. You had to know more, you had to dig past the surface. You were bold and willing to take charge and make the moves. You had never seen a man like him in your town before, or anywhere for that matter. 

You were happy you went and complained that morning. Who said complaining didn’t get you anywhere?

[plussizefantasia]

The Bet

Flufftober Day 16: Blushing

Steve Harrington x f!reader

Word Count: 1.0k

AN: Soft Steve is the best Steve. Thanks for reblogging! I'll see y'all tomorrow <3

divider credit @royallaesthetics

Teasing Steve is your favorite pastime. When he got flustered his whole face turned red, and so did his neck, all the way up and around his chest. Which is why you and Robin had a little bet going. She wanted to see how red you could get Steve in one shift and you liked a challenge.

Steve was bending over a cart of tapes that needed to be reshelved and you saw your opportunity. Slowly as to not make a sound you sauntered over to your unsuspecting boyfriend and with no preamble gave his pert ass a smack.

“Hey, hot stuff.” Steve shot back up and whipped around to face you. You could already see the blush beginning to fill his cheeks.

“What was that for?” He asked, his voice noticeably higher than it normally is.

“I liked the view,” You winked at him and blew him a kiss, already beginning to walk away and think of more ways to get the blood to fill his skin.

You obviously didn’t want to make him really uncomfortable so besides the very forward start to this little game you were playing you chose to play it safe for the rest of the day.

Compliments always seemed to work, anytime you could throw a “pretty boy” in conversation he seemed to glitch out. Robin was getting a kick out of seeing Steve become a stuttering mess every time you brushed his hand with your own.

By halfway through your shift Steve was noticeably red, so much so that an elderly woman who was checking out a tape for her grandson asked if he was okay. You had had to bite your check to keep yourself from busting out laughing.

You also found that touching Steve was a surefire way to get his heart racing. More than once you would place your hand on his back when you walked behind him. And when the two of you had nothing else to do and were just sitting by the computers waiting for someone to come check out you began playing with the little baby hairs at the back of his neck.

Steve gave you a look but said nothing, he had caught on to whatever you were doing and wasn’t going to deny your affection, even if it was more teasing than he normally liked.

“You’re hair is so soft Stevie.” He just hummed. “Kind of makes me want to…” You moved your hand up from the back of his neck and fully into his hair. When you were sure it was far enough in. You grabbed a handful and pulled it. Using it to maneuver his face closer to yours. “... do that” You whispered before kissing him firmly and releasing your hold. As soon as the kidd was over you jumped up from the stool you were sitting on, blowing him a kiss and walking to the other side of the store. Not before sending him a wink though. 

Steve was frozen for a solid five minutes before your voice woke him back up from the trace you had induced. 

“Hey, Stevie?” You called from across the store “Can you come take a look at this?” He hastily pushed himself up from off the counter and made his way to where you were. Standing in the middle of the more adult section of the store. Family video didn’t rent anything that was too risque but there were certainly some more than steamy films in the store’s cataloges. 

“Hey babe, do you think this looks kinda like me?” You offered him a tape that he’s honestly never seen before. But lo and behold the woman on the cover looks exactly like you. And she’s scantily clad. And holding a gun. 

“I don’t see it.” was all he said before practically shoving the tape back into your hands and almost running away from the aisle and into the employee-only room in the back. A growing flush traveled up the back of his neck as he retreated.

He not-so-secretly loved when you teased him. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that he liked being flirted with just as much if not more than he liked flirting. Your small touches made his heart skip a beat and when the sugary compliments flowed from your lips he could feel himself melting.

But it had never been anything overtly sexual, until now. Now he couldn’t stop thinking of you dressed in next to nothing like the woman on the tape. But instead of a gun, you were holding his bat. He was 100% sure that he should not enjoy that image as much as he did, but what are you gonna do?

He couldn’t wait for your shift to end so he could take you home and return everything you’ve been giving him all day. But as he checked the clock he realized he still had three more hours with you. And there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that you’re game was not even close to being done.

He was right of course. After you saw his reaction to the tape Robin had shown you last week, with a cover model who looked suspiciously like you. There was no way you were going to stop now. It was just too much fun. There was one thing left in your arsenal. Something you had never really tried before but were sure was going to get a big reaction from him. 

You watched him do his job for a while, perched on your stool, occasionally being forced to tear your eyes away from his form when a customer needed help. It always returned though. With just fifteen minutes left until close, Steve began to make his way back to the counter to grab the list of closing duties for that day and begin the process of closing down the store so the two of you could go home. 

You figured it was now or never, your shift was almost over and if you wanted to really get him to flush before you left you’d have to pull the big guns out now.

“Hey, Stevie?”

“Yeah, Babe?”

“I love you.” 

He got so red that his face matched the vest he was wearing. 

[ticklystuff]

Energy to Burn

a/n: inspired by gaming's teapot dialogue (pls ignore thoma standing there menacingly i was too lazy to remove him for the pic..)

for some context, a lot of ppl that celebrate lunar new year will clean their homes prior to the new year! but ya i was supposed to upload this before lantern rite and that did not happen so just pretend i did

wc: ~1.8k

summary: aether has the very relatable problem of someone else doing his chores, oh the horror

---

Hallway clean.

Counters sheen.

Kitchen kempt.

House pristine.

Aether's eyes scanned over the entirety of his living space, taking in the now well-organized room. Sloppy would be misleading in terms of how to describe himself and Aether did enjoy cleaning on the occasion, yet a certain floating companion could easily offset his progress. Compound that with constant settled dust and dirt while being away and keeping the teapot spotless becomes a massive ordeal. He did his best, he really did, but things were never exactly how Aether liked them.

Yet as much as his own reflection in the countertops was pleasing to the eye, Aether couldn't help but release a lowly sigh, recalling a conversation from the day prior. 

"Now, I know you won't let me pay any rent while I'm here, 'cause we're friends and all, but I will at least insist on making myself useful. So, if you catch me cleaning or gardening at any point — don't try and stop me."

It didn't take a genius to deduce the "culprit" behind the state of the teapot and Aether soon found himself running through the hallways of the house, crying out to his guest, always taking a second to marvel at the cleanliness of each room, before bolting to a different area of the building.

"Gaming! Gaming!!"

A brief run-through of the kitchen area rewarded Aether with a clue for his efforts: a propped open backdoor to the garden area. Lo and behold, there Gaming was, kneeling down to feed the numerous cats Aether liked to bring home to the teapot, seemingly oblivious to the blond's nearby presence. The dancer's current attire heavily clashed with the colorful flora he stood amongst, adorning a simple grey t-shirt that gave a slight peek of his midriff, baggy shorts that fell past his knees, and his usual shoes improperly slipped on. As Aether approached the other, he couldn't help but notice the little tune Gaming hummed, bobbing his head along. Lacking the usual accessories, Gaming's disheveled hair flew about in the breeze without a care.

"Gaming?" Aether slowly approached the other, prompting him to practically jump in response.

"Oh- woah! Morning, boss!" Gaming giggled, catching himself in the moment. "Look at these little guys! They love the treats I brought them! Oh, and speaking of which, did you see the breakfast I made? It's nothing special, but I prepared some congee for you. I also found some pumpkins laying around and cut them up, if you'd like to add them to your dish!"

"Ah, I haven't eaten yet," Aether nodded, watching the cats devour their food, "but I just wanted to thank you for cleaning up the house."

"Oh, it's no problem-"

"But also, you really don't need to go through all this effort," Aether quickly interjected. "You're a guest here and you should really be enjoying your time, not doing my chores."

"Uh-uh, no can do, boss!" Gaming gave another grin, not a beat missed in his reply. "I've already told you that's not how it's going to fly. Plus, who says I'm not having a good time doing your chores?"

"Gaming.."

"Heh, don't sweat it," he tilted his head, before huffing in reassurance. "My po po always taught me that I should always show gratitude to my host for having me as a guest. Besides, it's almost Lantern Rite and it's customary to clean your home before then. I know this isn't my own place, but it's where I'm staying for now, so might as well!"

"Well, not to this extent." He couldn't help but sigh, feeling conflicted, yet at the same time, Gaming didn't seem to mind in the slightest.

"Don't worry about it," Gaming clicked amusedly with his tongue. "Just think of it as a productive way for me to burn all my energy for the day!"

"I suppose." Didn't really help him feel less bad about the whole thing, though.

"Alrighty then!" Gaming placed his hands on his hips in thought. "What's next on the agenda- Ah! H-Hehehey!" The sudden outburst took Aether by surprise, taking a moment to realize why. Now out of food, the cats Gaming had been generously feeding were brushing along the bare lower parts of his legs, some even pawing at his shins, meowing as if crying out for more food.

"N-No, get awahahay!" the brunet continued to giggle, hopping between each leg to avoid the encircling horde of kittens clamoring for their next snack. "H-Here!" Gaming quickly reached into his pocket, throwing out a surplus of treats that was enough to divert the attention of his new following.

And the whole time, Aether had been observing.. watching.. stewing the little idea that the teapot cats have so graciously handed to his brain on a silver platter. If Gaming had extra energy burn, he could certainly help with that.

"Whew," Gaming sighed in relief once the cats had dispersed. "Do you not feed them here? Why are they so hun- WahH! Hey! Boss, w-what're you-?! N-Nohoho! Nahahat you too!"

In his distracted state, it wasn't particularly difficult for Aether to bowl the other over, easily pinning Gaming to the grassy garden of the teapot. Once ready, Aether set his plan into motion, digging into the sides that were oh-so conveniently exposed thanks to Gaming's choice of current attire.

"You mentioned having a little extra energy to spare," Aether teased, pinching at the exposed sides in succession to create an erratic giggly response. "Thought that maybe I could help with that."

"Nahahat like thihihis!" Gaming shook his head with a smile, showing off the widest dimples adorning his cheeks. "I-I wahahas juhuhust trying to heheEHEHELP!"

Aether couldn't help but grin along, having just hit a particularly good spot that elicited the cutest squeals. He continued to make use of the newfound discovery, circling the area around Gaming's navel with the tips of his finger nails in repeated motions to draw out the contagious laughter. "Y'know this is your fault, right? If you hadn't started feeding the cats, I would have never found out you're so ticklish."

"Th-That dohohohesn't mahahake any sehehense!" Gaming kicked his legs and patted away at the hands that lightly clawed all over his midsection, but it was for naught, as Aether had no intent on stopping any time soon. "Ehehehehahaha! StahahAHAhahap!"

"I could," Aether drew out with his tongue, making sure to really dig into the vulnerable waist with incessant pokes, feeling Gaming's body lurch and his legs kick to escape the way Aether effectively straddled him, "if you promise to relax during the rest of your stay."

"NEHEHEVEHEHER!"

Aether shrugged his shoulders, perfectly fine with Gaming's stubbornness, if that's what suited him. His laughter was the best part, Aether soon realized; there was something softly warm to it, akin to nibbling into a slice of freshly baked bread. No matter the flavor of laughter, whether it be the sharp yelps from squeezing his thighs to the squeals Gaming would make whenever his navel was targeted, or maybe the bouncy giggles from tasing his sides, the lush vibrant undertones were never absent, satiating Aether's ears in the most fulfilling way possible. He was so content with the current situation that the reason the two were there nearly slipped his mind, until the sight of Gaming's tomato cheeks caught Aether by surprise.

"Hehe, oops," Aether giggled, giving his hands and Gaming a pause. "Well, have we burned enough energy for today?"

"Nuh-uh," Gaming finally shook his head. Breathless as he may be, there was still the faintest glimmer of vigor behind his smile. "I can do this all day."

"Hmph, me too." His hands poised once again, prompting Gaming's limbs to tense in response, yet Aether found himself stopping midair. If Gaming didn't break from everything tried so far, then it would only make sense to switch up his target, but where to? So far, nothing had worked, the boy seemingly a boundless well of laughter and energy, but surely there'd be something..

"What's wrong?" Gaming spoke up, his voice not having fully recovered yet. "Given up yet?"

"Heh, no," Aether lightly tweaked his hips, causing his arms to flail, before his arms landed uselessly on the grass next to.. a discarded shoe?? The blond blinked twice, taking a moment to piece together that one of Gaming's slippers must've flung off during all the kicking he was doing, which meant..

Aether quickly slid downwards, ensnaring the bare foot in an armlock before Gaming could make a move, creating what seemed to be panicked shaking from behind. "H-Hey, wait a minute," Gaming's voice could be heard running a mile a minute, as his free leg pressed against the grass in a last attempt to escape. "Okay, okay this is mean! No, no, no, you don't have to- NohohOHOHO! W-WahahahAIT!"

The effect was almost instant, as Aether scribbled up and down the sensitive sole, eliciting crackled laughter from its owner. He took a second to take a peek behind him, giggling at the scene of Gaming uselessly covering his face with his hands as muffled helpless laughter poured through. There was the occasional kick to his backside from the other spasming leg, but Aether made sure to reward those with a few rougher scrapes to his foot. "Surrender yet?"

"WahAHAHAHA!"

"I didn't hear a yes," Aether snickered, drowned out by Gaming's wailing, feeling the trapped leg buck in his grasp. His fingers ran up the length of the sole, earning himself squeal whenever he reached the base of Gaming's toes, before sliding back down to his heel.

"Okay! Okahahahay! Stahahap! I gihiHIHIVE!"

Just for good measure, Aether delivered a few more pressurized pokes to the middle of his foot, listening as Gaming slapped his hands on the grass in defeat amongst the pleading. When he eventually released his leg, Aether was surprised to see the limb fall limp instead of being pulled back to safety, though he supposed this was a good sign that Gaming's energy was finally spent.

"Urgh, why," the brunet groaned, exhausted without a doubt. "This is what I get for being a good person."

"No, it's what you get for being stubborn," Aether chided with a shake of his head, before offering his hand to help the other on his legs. Once Gaming stood up, Aether couldn't help but ruffle the disheveled mess of brown hair in an attempt at brushing away the pieces of grass caught in the strands.

"Mmm," Gaming shook his head, before running his fingers through his hair a couple of times. "Maybe you won today, but there's always tomorrow's chores. You can't totally stop me."

Aether rolled his eyes in response. "Is that so?" he said, fingers wiggling towards Gaming's sides.

"Okay, okay!" Gaming already began giggling again, jumping back to safety. "I'll learn to chill."

"Promise?"

Gaming sighed, almost as if he had something else to say, only to shake his head. "Fine, promise."

[cupiohearts]

ANGELS FALL HARDER ?! - gun, dg, goo being entranced

aka when they start falling in love

GUN first meets you while you were fighting a bunch of highschool gangsters. the blood on your hands, the fire in your eyes, that was totally his type

gun had paused in the middle of his walk. in the most smallest alleyway he watched as a bunch of guys ambush you.

your hair was everywhere in front of your face and there were a hoard of limp bodies near your feet. a cut on the bottom of your lips still bleeding.

for such a messed up appearance gun couldn't help but stop and stare from afar. you were just so mesmerizing, the way that you had paused a moment before wiping the blood away from your mouth.

"again? you've got no mercy on this a poor soul"

and then they went all out on you. at first gun's instinct was to break apart the fighting and act like a savior but he stopped as soon as a guy went flying back.

you punches and kicks sent the men back flying ( even the ones that were twice your size ). it only took a few seconds to finish off the gangsters.

you sighed and sat on the cool concrete, making an effort to shake the hair out of your face. turning to meet the black haired legend.

"so... you gonna keep starin?"

DG was more interested in your kindness towards others. even the ones that had once killed with their own hands. you're such an angel said the devil.

you knew dg for a long time now. the two of you werent as close as back then but still occasionally talking when the scenario comes around. perhaps it was his fault for not making your relationship more closer.

dg watched as you tended to the wounded men that he just beat the living life out of. "you've got to hold back on those fists of yours" you mumbled.

he only gave a "mhm" as a response. focusing more on the gentleness that you gave towards the wounds. the way you paid close attention to the tiny cuts and bruises from the fight.

some of them, you even left special bandages from your special pouch.

"y'know im hurt as well" dg mumbled. whipping your head back, you looked up and down at him.

he sat on the floor and rolled up his sleeves. lo and behold there was a slight bruise on his arms. the faintest tint of red could be found on those pale arms of his.

"fine you win" you sighed. the pink haired male smiled a small bit at the corners, but you didn't notice. your attention was more on caring for the small hits that dg had taken.

and everytime you touched him, dg could feel his heart start bursting and butterflies kept floating around. he couldn't speak.

he supposes that it was fine for him to fall in love with you.

GOO loved your smile, the happiness he got from seeing you and your joy. it became an unconscious thing for him to want and yearn for your happiness around him

tears kept flowing your face and no matter what it couldn't seem to stop. why did it have to happen you wonder. you just kept crying, there was a knock on your door but you ignored it. you wanted to scream at the person behind it but that wasn't the best idea.

ping!

you looked to your phone and saw messages from goo.

goo

open the door or im gonna break it

furrowing your eyebrows, you stood up and opened the door. the fake blonde had several bags on his arms and set them down immediantly when he entered inside.

you wiped your eyes with your arms and sat on a chair nearby. "what are you doing here?" you asked while goo sorted through all the items he bought.

"you're crying" goo stated plainly "i cant let my favourite person be sad now".

letting out a small aha! goo pulled out a stuffed goose from the bag. "here's a comfort buddy. c'mon duckie give me a smile" he stared at you.

your eyes were beginning to dry up now, and as soon as he said that a small tilt upwards on your mouth began to form. "you just had a 6th sense and knew something was wrong?" you asked, settling the goose on your lap.

goo nodded sat by you.

"the world always gets darker when you start being sad"

"and since when you become so poetic"

[scorpioriesling]

Unsettled (pt. 3)

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *

Pairings: None confirmed, light Lucien x reader!

Warnings: None!

Summary: Lucien is sent on a task to meet with Y/N in her home, however this task leaves him feeling unsettled. He’s forced to remember his role in the Spring court over his feelings.

SR’s Note: More part(s?) are OBVIOUSLY coming as soon as I can crank ‘em out (; Read part 2 first if you haven’t!

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *

Over the next three weeks, your family continued to receive order after order from the estate. You practically jumped at the opportunity to deliver the florals; trying not to look too suspicious, you still hadn’t told your family of the invitation to the ball. Were you truly invited? You supposed so, Tamlin did ask you with his own two lips, however you just couldn’t believe it to be so. The moment your mother found out of the affair, she’d make it a humongous deal, which you definitely didn’t want. Not yet.

On a particularly pleasant evening, you were curled up in your family’s sitting room sofa, your favorite novel in hand. The sun was just beginning to fade to an amber glow, and the smell from the kitchen led you to believe dinner would be ready within the hour. That is, until you heard an impatient knock at the front door.

“Y/N, are you to be expecting anyone?” Your mother asks, her footsteps padding down the hallway. You mark the page in your book and rise from your seat. The thing is, you weren’t expecting anyone, which made the ball of tangled yarn in your stomach twist. Could it be Tamlin?

“Not necessarily,” you begin hastily. Peering through the panes of glass that made up the mosaic of your front door, you spotted the unmistakable green and gold attire. You weren’t quite ready for your mom to figure out about the ball yet; so you quicken your steps, hoping to beat her to the door. However, you don’t.

She unlatches the door lock and pulls it open before you’re halfway down the hallway, and you pause. To your horror, the person outside and her have already seen one another and are talking. You’re far enough to barely make out what the visitor is saying, but you see your mother’s wide smile as she happily chats with your new guest.

“Yes please dear! Come on in.” She swings the door open wider, and lo and behold, none other than the flaming haired Vanserra is stepping through the frame. He offers your mother a kind smile, nodding to her as he steps in. Then he catches your eye.

“Y/N! I don’t know if you two have actually met, um…” Your mother starts. Lucien is staring at you, looking you up and down. You draw closer, swallowing the lump in your throat and willing him to understand the silent plea in your eyes. Please, please don’t mention the ball. Please don’t say anything, honestly just act like you don’t even know me.

As if reading your mind, he angles his chin slightly to her. “No worries, Miss.” He clears his throat, his eyes never leaving yours. “You would be correct. We haven’t met before.”

You never thought you’d be so thankful to Lucien of all males, but in this moment, you are. How he knew, you were unsure, but you didn’t let it show on your face. He bowed at the waist, a bit dramatically, you thought. Refraining from rolling your eyes was hard, but you smiled at him nonetheless. Your mother only beamed at you. She was practically screaming, oh my goodness look at this handsome boy in our home coming to see our daughter!

“My name is Lucien Vanserra. I am the High Lord’s emissary, and rather good friend at that.” It was your turn to bow, your mother’s eyes urging you to do so.

“Y/N.” Is all you say in response. Your mother scowls.

“Lucien, we’re prior to the Autumn court as well! I recognized you when I saw you, I must admit.” Your mother states, rather sheepishly. Lucien straightens, taking delight in learning this fact about you.

“Well it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance, and that of other Autumn court natives.” He grins towards your mom, and she pats a hand on his large shoulder, giggling almost at him. What’s gotten into her? If only she knew the sassy, almost arrogant-

“I hate to be blunt and ask, but I am in the middle of preparing supper,” she begins. Lucien nods, hanging onto her every word. “What brings you to the square? Or, well, to our home I mean? I would be selfish and assume it to be my daughter who had caught someone’s attention, but-“

“MOM.” You cut in, your cheeks flushing. Lucien’s eyes dart to you, and a small chuckle escapes his lips. He shrugs, hands held up in mock defense.

“It seems we can agree you do have a beautiful girl, here,” he begins, earning a gleaming-eyed stare from your mother in return. Your hands begin to sweat. What is he doing?

Keeping her from finding out about Tamlin and the ball, just like you asked.

“…Uh, which is why I stopped in. To ask your daughter for the evening with me. I’d seen her a few times at the estate, but I’ve come to learn I’d like to spend time with her.” He stares at you timidly. You’d never seen him so… fragile? You couldn’t place his expression, but your mother almost jumped out of her skin.

“I’m sure she’d love to go with you! She’s got nothing to do all night. Well, I mean you are more than welcome to stay for dinner of course, I���m making meatloaf and-“

“I’d be happy to go.” You stammer. Lucien’s trademark smirk returns, and he extends a hand to you.

“I shall have her back by dusk,” he says, and your mother nods eagerly.

“If not, that’s okay too! You kids take as long as you need. If you get caught up in whatever you find yourselves-“

“MOM!” You pull the door closed behind you.

* ✧･ﾟ: *

“What the hell was that?” You ask, once out of earshot of the front entryway. You knew your mother would see you off; so you kept your back to the house. She couldn’t see, however, your mouth and words flying at Lucien instead. His eyes narrow at you.

“You didn’t seem like you wanted her knowing anything about the ball, or Tamlin, or even me. In my book, I’ve only done you a favor.” You allow your eyes to roll this time.

“Yippee, you’ve done me a solid then.” He snickers.

“Favors can be transactional, you know. Which means, technically, you owe me one now.” You shake your head, finally approaching the chestnut horse at the end of the cobblestone path from your front door.

“Whatever you say, Lucien.” He drops his hand, hoisting himself onto his horse and slinging his leg over. You stare up at him from the ground and cross your arms.

“Haven’t you ever heard of ladies first?” You ask, cocking a brow at him. The sun is dipping lower in the sky, sending streams of gold through his tousled red locks.

“I’ve seen you get on and off your own before,” he states. “And, I didn’t think you’d much appreciate my hand on your ass, helping you off the ground much.” You take his outstretched hand in yours and realize that he is pulling you up to sit in front of him. In his lap.

Once you’re comfortable, you turn and face him. His hands settle lightly on your hips for a moment, and you glance down, then back up to meet his golden and amber flecked eyes.

“You’re right… I wouldn’t.” You feel breathless almost. Like the lie was as unbelievable sounding coming out as it was feeling inside. You quite enjoyed his large, warm hands on your hips. You were glad when he didn’t move them.

“Grab the reins.”

* ✧･ﾟ: *

“So,” You ask casually. “What was the real purpose of your unannounced visit to my home, anyway?” Lucien sighs and you can feel his chest rise and fall against your back.

“Tamlin sent me, of course.” He states. You wait a beat, growing impatient.

“And?”

“And,” he continues. “He wanted me to bring you to the estate to practice with him for the upcoming masquerade.” He finishes. Your brows knit together in confusion.

“Practice? Like what, dancing?” You say.

“Yes, Y/N.” Lucien groans out. You almost groan in response.

“I didn’t know this would need a whole lot of practice and work… I thought it was just. I don’t know. Fun?” You say vulnerably. Lucien squeezes your hips once, and you sit up straight.

“Who says you can’t have fun?” He muses. Within the hour, you’re at the estate, following Lucien from the stables where you’ve stationed the mare up to the front doors. You can’t help but take him in walking before you; the emerald green fabric against his tan, freckled skin; the radiant red hues of his hair; his strong muscled legs straining against his tight pants-

Stop it. You’re here to see the High Lord.

As if on cue, Tamlin meets you both in the estate foyer, dressed simply but looking ravishing. His white button down and black slacks don’t distract from the sculpted features his face provides. He offers a small smile when he sees you.

“Ah, Y/N,” he breathes, taking your hands in his own. “I’ve been thinking of you all day.” You blush, knowing this is just too good to be true.

“I was told we were… practicing? Dancing?” It comes out more of a question than a statement, and Tamlin nods.

“Yes, you will need to learn the traditional High Fae waltzes to prepare for the upcoming ball,” he says. You nod in understanding, and he leads you down a corridor and into a large open room. It has a huge skylight, the evening sky streaked with colors of red, orange, and lilac. The walls feature paintings of flowers of all kinds — it almost looks like an interior garden.

“This is the formal ballroom,” he explains. “It is much smaller than the master ballroom across the estate where the actual ball will be held. However, we can practice in here.” When you both reach the middle of the room, he holds both hands out in gesture to the expanse of space. You are still looking around and gawking when he claps twice. Classical music begins to play, and he takes your hand. Your eyes meet his, and one hand rests on your side as he begins moving, leading you through each step, each routine, each ballad and coaching you through them all.

* ✧･ﾟ: *

It’s dark when Tamlin finally queues the music. Warm white fae light balls around the ballroom illuminate the space; the sky overhead a sea of stars. During the last dance, you’d become frustrated with how difficult it’d gotten over the last few hours. You’d stepped on the High Lord’s feet countless times, and apologized for having to restart more than you can count. You felt a bit of relief when he finally turned the music off.

“Don’t fret; we’ll keep working on it.” He states. You nod your head, a light sweat working to the surface of your forehead. Tamlin motions toward the entrance of the room, where Lucien has appeared, leaning in the doorway.

“Lucien will return you to your home, I do have much to catch up on in my study,” he says. You bite your lip and murmur an okay, not making much of an effort to leave too quickly.

* ✧･ﾟ: *

“Was it really that bad?” He asks. You groan and drop your head against the back of Lucien’s jacket. He’d allowed you to sit behind him this time, per your request. Well… demand.

“It was! I was a fool. An absolute fool.” You mutter. “This is a cruel joke. I cannot go to a ball and not be able to keep up with the dances.” Lucien places a hand on your knee.

“Tamlin asked you to go. Are you really going to say no to him?” he asks tenderly. You bite your lip while contemplating, not for long as a big yawn pulls your lips apart. You lay your cheek against the back of Lucien’s jacket, the soft material and strands of his unbound hair tickling your cheek as the horse moves beneath you.

“No-“ another yawn. “No, um. I guess not, Lucien. I guess not. I wouldn’t have anyone to go with if I didn’t go with him.” You peer out at the stars, loving the simplicity of them, the darkness all around. That darkness grows darker as Lucien continues to answer.

“Y/N don’t be ridiculous now, you know half of Prythian would kill to take you to a ball of this sort,” he stops himself short, hearing your breathing slow and heavy. Thank the Cauldron, he thinks to himself. He’d almost said too much. What lied beneath.

So he continued in silence, listening to your breaths, feeling your arms wrapped around his torso, clinging to him. Did he mind it? Would he mind this? Mind you?

He tried not to think about all of those glittering and wonderful thoughts as he took his best friend’s love interest back to her home for the night. As a responsible emissary would do, he thought.

Repressing any pulling he felt for you low beneath the surface of where your hands lay above his skin.

* ✧･ﾟ: *

Part 4

[timothylawrence]

okay. alright. farewell, my turnabout review. this is a long one

shout out to my favorite case to date. I cried about three times. I haven't been this affected by something in so long. I genuinely had to lay down after finishing this up... I know i'm going to forget things but I'll try to remember the jist of it all..... sorry.

-Okay. I'll start with the heart of the game, of the series. Like I said, Maya's quite literally the heart of the game and Phoenix clearly cares for her more than anyone at this point in time. She was barely in this case and my god. I missed her so bad. Everytime she showed up, my heart sank deeper and deeper. I missed her. I love her so much. I cried. Phoenix misses her so clearly... the repeated calls for her to be okay, that he wants nothing more than for her to be okay. We hadn't seen Phoenix that beat up at this point, this distressed, and I felt his panic. It was so well translated. My god.

Like everytime he put his head in his hands i would just get so distraught. the way he cries, he shakes, he literally nearly passes out because she's gone. he risks so much for her. she's his heart man wtf thats his little sister.

-the way the whole gang came together to get her back. I know that's right!! that's the heart of the game for you!!! she's the heart!! she's so loved!!! It was so nice to see the whole gang get together and work together it was so so sweet.

-okay shout out to Gumshoe I've been a fan of his from the start but he has time and time again put his job on the line to help us... and his love and care for Pearl and Maya and Phoenix and Miles... like he's a big softy...

btw i have never had a physical reaction like i did when this popped up. I sat back in my chair and had my hands over my mouth silent for like 40 seconds. i did NOT see this coming so soon. Like i was SHOCKED.

-the case itself was definitely the most stressful yet but i loved it. i loved Adrian, so desperate to tell the story of two awful men who not only used her, but her mentor. like fuck. her story was sad as hell. i was so so scared for Maya the whole time, the flips between her and her capture vs Phoenix's case, the use of Mia, oooohhhhh.... it was so funny too because i told jordan the case before 'are we ever gonna defend someone who's guilty and lo and behold...

-sorry this frame deserves its own . i know phoenix cried his eyes out come on. they love eachotherrrr

-Miles and Phoenix.... can you two just kiss or something... I loved loved angry phoenix... like hes so mad at his friend for leaving him and ugh. their angst was so good. I'm glad he gave Miles the what for. fuck.

??????

-Franziska. Franziska. Franziska. I can't even think of her without getting teary eyed. she lost everything, her father, her chance at redemption/revenge, her purpose. And then Miles did everything in his power to try and mend something but it's just. it's just not so easy. fuck my life. I knew she would hit hard, esp with her relationship with Miles, but man. Man. I got so emotional seeing her cry. Seeing her confess to her brother. the fact she literally saved the day. she showed up at the last moment and saved the day, even if it ruined her perfect streak. and its all because Miles asked her to.

-Phoenix bringing her tulips to the hospital is so fucking cute too btw. also i am so upset we got an injured gumshoe sprite and got an injured franziska... she got shot!!!!!!!

this is so fucking sad. then this girl you left behind. her dad left. miles left. she has no one and nothing. she has nothing left. what is their for her to do?? and miles asks her to not give up. "today you chased after me after i left you behind all these years". theyre such a good good good depiction of child abuse and the kid who got out and who didn't like holy fuck. man. how is anyone normal about them. how.

-also. the role Fran plays to Miles is so similar to the role Maya plays to Phoenix and that is not lost on me. their little sisters were at stake in this case agghhh

ahhh. all in all, def my fav case to date. Franziska and Maya are definitely my faves. and i cant wait to start that next game. good god. perhaps my first ever 10/10 here. whoooo also go listen to merry christmas please dont call its a franziska miles song BYE

[acourtofthought]

considering elain's motif is literally flowers, I need to know why anyone things she'd be anywhere but the day/spring court?? from the beginning the drawers feyre painted and the cake she got for her birthday all painted a very clear picture of the sisters, not only as people but who they end up with. feyre obv is with the high lord of night thus the stars, nesta herself is fire but so is cassian, elain needs sunshine and flowers and has from the beginning. e/riel was never going to be endgame.

The drawer wouldn't even be the ace up our sleeves because initially she imagined Nesta with Lucien which is where "fire" might have come into play with her drawer. Or at least imagined her in the Autumn Court. But once she realized Nessian was going to be a thing she changed the flames into "Silver Flames" that are meant to indicate her power of death and tied that into Cassian being a warrior who has "walked beside death his whole life."

It's the fact that SJM has never shifted Elain's motif in the way she did Nesta.

Book 1, she has Feyre paint flowers on Elain's drawer and has her the prettiest she'd ever seen when Elain was outside in her garden at their estate.

Book 2, Feyre reminds us that Elain is a gentle grower of things and that she's as soft and lovely as a summer dawn.

At that point in the series, there's nothing major to suggest that Elain would be happiest in Spring or Day.

But it's book 3, after the big Elucien are mates reveal that SJM really starts driving things home.

- The suite was filled with sunlight. Every curtain shoved back as far as it could go, to let in as much sun as possible. As if any darkness was abhorrent. As if it chase it away. And seated in a small chair before the sunniest of the windows, her back to us, was Elain.

Feyre then tells us that Elain is wearing a "moon-white" dressing robe and that her face is so pale it looks like fresh snow and that these things that are white for Elain are "the color of death."

Of course there is a moon in all the courts but the NC is known for it's nights. Claiming that the night sky and the moon aren't symbolic of the Night Court because other courts have them too is like saying New York beaches are the same as the beaches in Florida's because they're both beaches.

And snow is probably in a few of the courts, Night Court, Winter....but we know the Spring Court does not have any.

So after telling us how Elain is sitting in the sunniest window, as if darkness (Night Court, it's not rocket science) is abhorrent, she tells us white like the moon and white like snow are the colors of death for her. All things associated with night and the colder courts.

We're then told "she had always been so full of light".

Later Elain comes out of her room for the first time. Two days after Lucien's arrival. And she just happened to make her first stop in how many months the library, after hearing Lucien's heart beating through the stone where Lucien himself randomly decided to visit, a big deal since he says he hasn't been able to read for pleasure in a long time. You know, her mate with those hidden sunshine powers, the ones SJM retconned in book 2 after realizing Elucien would be mates. She's again sitting by the windows.

Lucien demanded they take Elain outside for fresh air and lo and behold, she began eating, drinking and sleeping as soon as they did.

We all know Nesta asked Elain what she could get her and Elain replied, "Sunshine."

We know the gates to Elain's mind are sleeping buds and what do those need to bloom? (SUNSHINE! SUNSHINE!)

At the end of ACOWAR, Elain says the world needs more gardens.

In the novella, we're reminded of how much time Elain spends tending to Feysands garden, that now that winter has fallen she's lost the color in her face and Rhys said that Elain took a spot by the windows which was typical for her.

In SF we're told she's been helping the elderly fae in Velaris with their gardens, she's again caught standing by windows, and SJM (clearly for no reason at all of course) told us that Elain's scent is a promise of Spring. That the Spring Court had been made for someone like Elain. That Nesta would have told her to visit if they weren't arguing. That NC black sucks the life out of Elain and leeches the brightness from her face.

So yeah.

The drawers have held up as being true to Elain's character but I'm not sure how anyone can look back over everything SJM has told us about Elain and think, Yes. The Night Court which is associated with the color black, darkness, shadows, the moon and stars....THAT is the best place for Elain to thrive. Just like Feyre stared out her window at the Night sky while in Spring, Elain is always staring out the window craving sunshine while in the NC.

[zeroducks-2]

tell us about the nasty Slade man from TT03

since you guys (and @exhausted-pigeon) asked, here's me talking about iconic Teen Titans 2003 Slade :D

Disclaimer right here. Unlike a lot of fortunate folks, I did not have Teen Titans available to watch back then (I really missed out, especially cause I was in my pre-teen years and that would have been The Perfect Show for me at that point). This means that I only got to watch tt03 recently, therefore these thoughts don't come from someone who holds the show dear as a childhood memory, and who fell in love with it a long time ago, who had their christening to DC stuff through that and yada yada.

I'll therefore discuss tt03 Slade without personal/emotional involvement, and keeping in mind that tt03 is indeed a show intended for a young audience. I'll be adding screenshots for poignancy, so it's going to be a pretty long post :)

End of disclaimer, now onto the good shit.

So, what to say about Slade. Fans have been calling him downright devious, the Teenagers Tormentor, A True Menace To Society, a master manipulator, and a child predator even if there's nothing *too* explicit being that this is a show for kids.

(not that kids being the target audience stopped them showing Slade sleeping with Tara in NTT back in the '80s, but that's a conversation for another time)

Do I think that any of this is true? The answer is essentially yes, I agree with all of the above.

Slade is a very fun character, and his presence dominates the scene every time he's on screen. He's a solid villain, one that feels truly threatening for the protagonists (and not like a forgettable bad guy who can be overpowered with The Power Of Friendship™), and he fits perfectly with the dynamic of the show. He will do the most ridiculous corny things, like materializing at random in a corner of a panoramic wheel cart, while the wheel is in motion, right when Terra and Beast Boy are about to kiss (just to ruin their night basically).

I tried to find a gif cause this scene is too funny but sadly I didn't manage.

But he will also (and mostly) do fucked up shit which people nowadays argue as not belonging in a kid show, like grooming teenagers and/or forcing them to work for him.

His design is also easily iconic, and he's huge in bulk compared to the tiny, slender kid protagonists, adding to the threatening vibe.

I mean look at that Raven's a mushroom compared to him

But he's not a monster - you know he's a human being while you're watching the show, whether you imagine an eyepatch and silver hair like comicbooks!Slade or you picture a completely different kind of face on him, you still know he's just a man... or is he.

The show subtly toys with the idea that Slade might not be human after all. His face is never shown - every single time one of the characters manages to overpower him and unmask him, they find out that they've been fighting against a robot.

This happens after a fight so violent Robin almost dies by falling off a building, and SLADE HIMSELF saves him - reason being more or less "I'm not done kicking your ass". Eventually Robin manages to overpower him, takes off his mask, and lo and behold:

Slade wasn't even there the whole time.

Also, he seems to live in some sort of lab filled with complicated tech and huge gears that spin into nothing. Does this man even need to sleep, eat or drink?

What is this place and how high is the rent

I love what he did with the huge gears it's so ambient

All of this contributes to the threatening, mysterious aura surrounding the character. Which at times can turn into outright terrifying despite the show being relatively lighthearted. Pretty soon the narrative manages to establish the fact that Slade is nearly impossible to beat, that he will do anything to bring down the protagonists (or bring them under his control), and that you can always expect the worst from him.

But the most interesting aspect to discuss is for most people the child predator vibes this character has from his first appearance throughout the entirety of the show. And to whoever says "you can't tell me that they didn't do this intentionally", well, consider two things

1 - Slade in the comicbooks did sleep with a 15yo, in order to use her to bring down the Titans. So like, the fact that he *might* sleep with kids isn't much of a far-fetched hypothesis and 2 - The way he acts goes beyond the average "well this is a kids show of course the villain will act in weird ways towards kids".

Let me expand a little on this second point. When the protagonist of a story is a kid, the villain that will try to hurt/kill them is not automatically a child predator or a child abuser, only because he hurts a kid. In the context of that story it makes sense that the villain will act as if the protag was an adult - the story was created with a young audience in mind, and if other characters treated the protag like a child it would break their immersion.

So is this the case with Slade? Well yes, but actually no. There obviously is a case of "he treats the characters like adults cause it's a kids show" but does he, really? Slade works with the fact that the characters are kids, therefore inexperienced and easy to manipulate. He also wants an apprentice, which necessarily has to be young. In Terra's case, he plays on her insecurities and her need for someone to teach her and guide her. And then there's the way the scenes are directed and the creepiness factor of just how this man interacts with these kids that rightfully puts him in the creep zone, regardless of what exactly the story will show in terms of explicit details.

For this to make more sense I need to make examples, so let's dive in a little deeper starting with Fans Favorite's ... *drumroll* ...

The Apprentice Arc

It starts out with Slade contacting the Titans to tell them that he planted a bomb in the city. Robin, who's already obsessing at the point of waking up drenched in sweat after nightmares where he and Slade beat the shit out of each other, snaps into action to retrieve the trigger of the bomb.

Tis Robin waking up in his "Pepe Silvia" room dedicated to Slade after a nightmare, for your viewing pleasure.

So off the kids go, and while Robin chases Slade, the rest of the team goes try and dismantle the bomb. Slade tosses Robin around for a while, and when Robin manages to grab the remote control, Slade reveals that this is not a remote control because there is no bomb at all - rather, the rest of the Titans have just gotten hit with a laser beam that infected them with nanomachines. Now Robin has to do Slade's bidding and become his apprentice; if he refuses, or disobeys, Slade will use a button to inflict pain and potentially kill the other Titans, thanks to those nanomachines.

These are said nanomachines attached to the Titans' blood cells, conveniently displayed in huge ass screens. I love this scene so much it's so SERIOUS and SO CORNY at the same time lmao.

What ensues is Robin being forced to become Slade's apprentice, dressed in a cute replica of Slade's own suit,

And meanwhile Slade tosses him around either for the funsies or because Robin dares do something he doesn't like. Explicitly saying that he wants Robin to call him "Master". Please go watch the scene, it's 7 seconds long but it conveys EVERYTHING. This mf calls Robin "good boy" in the most condescending way you can ever imagine. Here, click this, I promise you won't be disappointed.

Here's Slade beating up a child for your viewing pleasure.

So at some point Robin is ordered to infiltrate Wayne Enterprise. The Titans try to stop him, Slade pushes for him to fight them, but baby doesn't want to especially when Starfire refuses to engage him. Slade not only starts to torture them with the nanomachines, forcing Robin to shoot them, but when kiddo gets back to him he receives the ass-whooping of his life, followed by this scene:

Here Slade is basically saying "I'm going to put you in your place in a way that will stick", but the scene is conveniently cut by the arrival of the rest of the Titans.

Robin has the idea of infecting himself with the nanomachines, so now if Slade wants to kill them, he has to kill him too. And Slade... tosses away the button, discarding the nanomachines plan on the spot, because the point REALLY was having Robin as an apprentice. If he can't have him, then there's no point.

Then there's Terra's Arc in Season 2, which goes more or less like this:

The Titans meet Terra, a kid their age who's very strong (she can manipulate the earth) but can't perfectly control her own powers. She's very self-conscious about this and when Beast Boy finds out, she begs him not to tell anyone, which he promises.

Soon after she gets singled out by Slade, who corners her and starts poking and prodding about how weak she is, unable to control her powers, and how her "new friends" will soon find out and once they do, they will discard her.

Honestly the fact that he's so big and Terra's itty bitty teeny tiny really adds to the overall creepiness of this scene. They're blocked in a cave underground btw, and to hammer the point home Slade starts tossing her around until she completely freaks out and almost buries herself under the rubble.

Soon after that, Robin deduces by himself that Terra isn't in complete control of her powers, but Terra thinks that Beast Boy snitched on her after promising he wouldn't say anything. Hurt and betrayed she runs away, and guess who she runs to?

As far as I remember, the amount of time Terra spends with Slade is nondescript. But what she says is that he trained her, taught her to not be afraid of her own powers (which is true, she can control her powers now), and gave her a purpose and direction. She comes back and infiltrates the Titans, now being a well groomed little spy, but despite her efforts Slade keeps being abusive and beats the living hell out of her when she comes back to him after a failed mission. He can puppeteer her through the suit she's wearing, but at some point she manages to break free of his control and the arc ends tragically with Terra killing Slade, and herself.

Is this the end of it then? Nuh-huh. Here comes the

Whatever the fuck is happening to Robin Arc

So Slade is dead. But at some point during a fight, Robin starts seeing him and chasing him, getting a mild ass-whoop like he normally would. His teammates are obviously confused but they comply when Robin tells them to go defuse these bombs that Slade planted - only there are no bombs. And it looks like Robin is the only one who can even see Slade.

The situation escalates at the point of Robin having to be strapped to a bed because he was literally killing himself while "fighting Slade", despite being the only one who could see him. Slade himself is the one that frees him from the restraints, and keeps beating him within an inch of his life, at the point that Robin starts begging.

And here we have what's probably the most memorable line of the whole show: "I am the thing that keeps you up at night. I am the evil that haunts every dark corner of your mind. I will never rest and neither will you."

What is happening here in theory is that Robin got dosed with toxic dust coming from Slade's mask, therefore he's seeing things and his brain is in so much stress that he might die from strain (he ends up saving himself by turning on the light). But taking into consideration what happened during the Apprentice arc, it's easy to see parallels with PTSD.

There is actually more. There's Slade being resurrected by Trigon and going rapey on Raven (you've seen the screenshot before) by tearing off her cape, and there's also an epic moment in which Slade goes to hell, WITH ROBIN'S HELP, to retrieve his own body and aid in the fight against Trigon. But I think my point already came across well enough:

Teen Titans 2003 Slade is a fucking creep, and compared to him, NTT Deathstroke is a sweet little lamb who wouldn't hurt a fly. Which is why it is so funny to me when people claim tt03 Slade is "better cause he never slept with a teenager" - Boy oh boy, you might have not seen it on screen but the subtext is clear as day.

This man has no moral code, no bounds (other than what the PG rating of the show will place on him) and not an ounce of humanity. I don't need to see no scene with half naked kids smoking cigarettes with only a bathrobe as clothing (like this one) to know what this man did.

[thegleamingmoon]

Beautiful Reality

A certain kind of comfort seemed to fill the soul of Arulmozhi as memories flooded his mind. He felt ecstatic to be back in the lush gardens of Thirunallam.

It was that naturally magical place that will always remain close to his heart.

As did his beloved queen. Vaanathi.

Which reminded him that he sought for her beloved at this moment while she seemed to play a game of hide and seek with him for the past few days or so he thought.

And here he had come searching for her,after being told by his elder sister about her whereabouts,only after much teasing.

“Oh Vennila” Arulmozhi whispered inaudibly, beholding his radiant moon who danced and twirled as the birds sang and chirped and the animals admired her.

She calmed his heart with her cool,silvery rays at the warm hours of the afternoon even as she made it skip a beat.

“Azhage!”

Arulmozhi ,making her aware of his presence as she stopped in her tracks, his loving voice making her nervous and shy all over again.

“Ilavarasae,what brings you here?”

“You don't understand, Vaanathi. Now,do you? ” Arulmozhi muttered, his strong voice more heavy with desperation and dripping with a passion that confused her.

“Pardon. What happened to you,thevare?” Vaanathi asked as she took a step back, unable to handle the scorching gaze of the prince standing very close to her.

“Don't you think we've been betrothed to each other for too long,dear?”

“That is true,thevare! But, aren't we getting married after 2 weeks?”

“Oh my beloved Vaanathi! This wait seems to be killing me.” He walked forward, closer to her as she kept stepping backwards only to realize that she was now standing at the edge of the pond and was about to lose her balance if Arulmozhi had not caught hold of her in time.

Gently carrying her to a tree,he made her rest in the shadows,adoring the love and the innocently mischievous enigma her ocean-like eyes possessed.

“Swami,someone will come–!”

“Shhh” He signaled her to calm down as he began to pour his feelings into words.

“To hear your sweet voice,to see your beautiful face every single day. To talk to you endlessly. Oh beloved,to adore you,to worship you is all this heart yearns for”

“Kannalane,to spend a lifetime with you is a dream come true.” Vaanathi declared with love and hope brimming in her soul.

Admiring the devotion in her eyes which was also mirrored in his he moved closer,cupping her face. His eyes asked her for a certain permission to move forward.

As Vaanathi blinked her eyes in approval he took her lips in a searing kiss expressing their passion through it.

They broke the kiss after what seemed like an eternity of sheer bliss,as a shy Vaanathi refused to look at the prince. Smiling and blushing all the way.

The loving and now emboldened prince made her look at him by placing a finger on her chin. Caressing her crimsoned cheeks he connected their foreheads together.

“Not a dream anymore. Yes?” The gleeful prince asked.

“It is. A beautiful reality,Mannava” The princess replied blithely.

A beautiful reality it was indeed.

****

*blush* Something up after a loooong time..! I don't know if the hype for these kinda fics still exist at this point but anyways,it feels good to be back in action. This is something which emerged after a convo with @harinishivaa a long time back.

Also,a SenKuzhali os is coming up soon. I have been working on it for quiet some time now so I hope it doesn't disappoint. Before that,I will catch up with all the unread write-ups in my notifs very soon.

Mentions: @yehsahihai @harinishivaa @thelekhikawrites @vibishalakshman @sakhiiii @ramayantika @rang-lo @reeeereeeereeereee @thirst4light @nspwriteups @willkatfanfromasia @whippersnappersbookworm @dr-scribbler

[multi-fandom-lunatic]

Colours of the Rainbow - Kam kotlc (1/6)

Hey guys this is a kam story that I have on Wattpad but I'll post it here now for all of you. I'll link the WP too, incase you wanna read it there.

Colours of the Rainbow

My profile, MultiFandomLunatic

---

CHAPTER ONE: Red, like the walls of your not-so-perfect home.

A cold hand clapped down on Keefe’s shoulder. He shivered slightly. Keefe tilted his head upward, his golden locks following in a delay. Lo and behold, Keefe was met with the most beautiful boy he had ever seen. Swarthy, sonorous skin that seemed to glow, and silver-blue eyes, like a river when Apollo’s rays hit it exactly right. They didn’t know each other, but Keefe’s traitorous heart skipped three beats.

“What are you doing here?” The boy asked. He had a deep, rich voice. It was whole, in a way. Full.

“I thought this house was abandoned, so I came to play.” Keefe saw a flicker of happiness in his eyes.

“Well, it’s going to rain, and I don’t want you completely soaked, so come inside.” Keefe gratefully walked into the boy’s house. The house was beautiful. Cerise walls and tapestries of all colours and shades, and a picture above the grand piano of what seemed to be his family. A man, eyebrows in a permanent arch, who looked much like the boy, and a woman, beautiful, long silky hair and glittering eyes. And a girl, about the age of the boy, same hair as her mother, but a playful gleam in her reflective eyes.

The boy saw Keefe looking at the picture and turned away, pulling him into another room. This one had black walls, and two beds in it. He sat on the bed nearest to the door and gestured Keefe to join him.

“Tam. Tam Song.” He mumbled. Young Keefe didn’t know why, but he knew that he would know and cherish that name forever. Keefe’s lips turned up in a smile.

“My name is Keefe Sencen.” He spoke. Tam nodded and pulled a colourful box from a cabinet. Words and images cluttered it.

“Wanna play snakes and ladders?” He spoke. Keefe nodded eagerly.

Keefe and Tam played together, as you would expect five-years olds to. Tam didn’t laugh a lot, Keefe learnt and spent the time smiling or in solitude.

“Tam Song? Who are you with?” A deep voice asked from the corridor. Keefe was a little scared himself and turned over to Tam, who was as pale as a ghost. The figure walked into Tam’s room and let his eyes sweep across it. “And who are you?”

Keefe was getting a little tired of introductions. “I’m Keefe Sencen, from next door,” Keefe said innocently, pointing to a house out the window. The man did his signature eyebrow arch and spoke.

“I am Quan Song, and this is my son. Carry on, and I will talk to your parents. What was the address again?”

Keefe babbled the address his parents made him memorise, and as soon as Quan left, let out a sigh of relief.

“Is that your dad?” Keefe asked, pointing at the door.

“Yes, and he’s really strict but don’t tell him I said that.” ***

“Keefe, darling, you seem to be getting quite a bit, eh, cuddly with this Tam.” Keefe’s mother questioned, looking at him for an explanation.

“He’s my friend, and I love him. Why can’t I hug him?” Keefe asked innocence in his eyes. Gisella opened her mouth but closed it.

“Nothing, but don’t let it go too far, Keefe.”

Keefe was well aware of how strict Tam’s parents were. Too strict. He watched Tam cower whenever Quan said something, and Mai nod her head along. And it wasn’t just the lectures for things that were stupid.

It was the callous remarks, and the disapproving stares to shut Tam up.

Too bad Keefe was too young and clueless to do anything about it.

[belsasim]

The next week, school resumed after the winter holidays. Life seemed to continue as usual until one day, when they arrived home after school, the teens noticed a suitcase standing in the hallway.

Zinnia's heart skipped a beat as she recognised it as Momo's suitcase. He had shown it off a few weeks earlier during one of their video chats. "See? Looks good, right? I hope I can come visit you soon," he had proudly commented on it.

As fast as her feet could take her without actually starting to run, she went to her mother's office and lo a behold, there he was. Chatting with her mother, Momo was waiting there. For her. Here. In Oasis Springs. Not in Sulani. Here.

Momo sprang up and came over to her, calm and collected, seemingly in slow motion. Zinnia's heart was pounding. He looked so damned good, so damned cool. It made her feel incredibly dorky in her school uniform. But his eyes were locked onto hers and when he reached her, he said with a subtle smirk: "Hey."

"How? When? How long did you know? How long are you staying? Why didn't you tell me?" Zinnia was so flabbergasted, she started blurting out every sentence her head seemed able to form. Momo smiled and through all her questions, he gently put his arms around her waist. Without even realising it, Zinnia had already put her arms around his neck by the time he answered: "It was a surprise." He smiled and repeated, with a softer voice: "Hey."

[batstorm93672]

A fic where Damian gets deaged to a baby or toddler and Damians a really happy baby and everyone members that the league made Damian into a cold hearted warrior and Bruce feels sad that he missed these precious time with Damian.

A little two year old Arab waddling around the Manor isn't what Dick, Tim, or Jason expected to walk into. Lo and behold, the baby in the living room with Stephanie, Duke and Cassandra showering him with adoration.

"What's going on here?"

Stephanie didn't even look as Dick spoke, keeping her eyes on the child. "Damian got turned into a two year old! He's so cute!!" Dick was quiet... then his eyes sparkled a bit as he kneeled down with a serious expression. "This is Damian?" "Yes." "Are you certain?" "We were there to see it happen, a hundred percent." "...He's so precious" "I know!"

Damian was walking and grabbing a block, babbling a bit as he stacked the blocks and clapped. He grinned. "Stephy!"

Dick gasped "He's calling you Stephy?!"

Stephanie grinned. "Isn't he adorable!?"

"Stephy, got block"

"Yes, good job Dami"

Duke grabbed a block and handed it to Damian with a grin "Here you go"

Damian shrieked with laughter and clapped again, this precious little boy is going to break their hearts. Damian then noticed Dick, Jason, and Tim standing, Damian went to Cass and hid behind her back. "Hm? Don't worry, Dami, it's your brothers. Remember them?" Damian walked over a little uncertain, but he looked straight up at the three. "Hi Dami, I'm Richard" "Rich..." "That's Jason" "Jay" "And that's Tim" "Tim"

Damian smiled and tugged on Dick's sleeve. "Rich wanna play block?" "Of course"

Damian grabbed five blocks and handed two to Dick. "Here block, make with block" "What should I make?" "House, big house" "Hehe, I'll see what I can do" Tim and Jason sat down and watched the two play. "So what do we do with the baby bat?" "Bruce is looking for a way to fix it" "I see, so has he had a tantrum yet?" "A little one, when he lost the block. Cass found it quickly. He's been pretty good since"

Damian laughed as he played with Dick. As sweet as it was... a lingering sadness washed over the others. He was so... young and sweet. Damian grinned and smiled all the time as a two year old. So adorable, everyone felt their heart skip a beat whenever he did such an adorable as clapping and shrieking in joy. Bruce looked at his son, Damian was sleeping in Bruce's embrace... seeing him like this, so calm and sound asleep...

Dick looked at Bruce and frowned. "Makes you feel bad, doesn't it?" Bruce kept looking at his son sleeping away. "They really changed him. Made him so different at such a young age... but now? He's just a baby having fun" Everyone fell asleep in the living room that night, all around Bruce as Damian slept in his father's lap.

Morning comes, and Bruce awakens with a start. The youngest is gone!? "Damian!?" Everyone awakes with a start and begins to automatically search. Soon, Jason whistles quickly from the hall. They all follow and peek at Damian in the doorway. He's back to his ten year old self... they all go back to the living room to start their day. Bruce decides to ask Damian questions after a good meal.

Meanwhile, Damian has the blocks in his hands, and he looks somber yet fondly at the childish blocks in his palms.

With a small whisper, "So... that's what it's like to be a normal child... it's been so long"

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for trying to restore my empire?

I (1000+, M) have been the king of my planet for a thousand years. Back when I was a prince, we had a magical artifact, a music box, that allowed us to travel across dimensions, far extending the reach of our empire. This box was stolen by a longtime friend (presumably dead now, F), and due to the nature of the artifact, there was no way for me to retrieve it.

Lo and behold, just a couple months ago, an alien, M (13, F), showed up in the middle of my capital city, presumably by way of the box. I had her come stay in my castle as soon as she was well (there was an unfortunate incident with some stairs), and we made fast friends.

M told me in confidentiality that she had used the box to bring her and two of her friends (both also 13F) here to avoid being separated from them, and that she regretted not informing them of her intentions beforehand. I promised her that should we locate the box once more, she could use it to adventure with her friends as long as she liked, and she'd never have to lose them. This may have been a bit fanciful, but I did genuinely want her to be happy and not have to go through the same thing I did.

It wasn't long before one of M's friends, A, arrived looking for information about the artifact, which she had ended up with when the teleportation scattered the three friends across the continent. The artifact seemed to have lost its power, preventing her from simply returning home, so M and I did some research on how to recharge it.

The answer ended up involving M and A taking the box to three temples, during which time they reunited with their third friend, S. When the three of them returned with the charged box, S tried and failed to take over my throne, and in the process, it got out that I intended to use the box to restore my empire. The alien girls got surprisingly upset about this, and a fight broke out during which A very annoyingly turned out to have saved a fraction of the box's power for herself. To prevent M from stealing the box, I informed her friends of her secret.

They all had a little breakdown, which was very awkward to watch, and then M tried to steal the box again, so I was forced to stab her through the chest with my flaming sword. A and some companions of hers escaped through a portal, while S and her coup-accomplice made off to some backwoods town. I sent robot soldiers after them while I focused on reviving M.

Now, forgive me for the sidetrack here, but my empire is run with the assistance of a supercomputer (1000+, N/A) containing the intelligence of my planet's brightest, including my father. Seeing as M herself is also very intelligent, it demanded me to give it her body as a host, which I complied with.

The first alien world we decided to conquer, of course, was the world from which M, A, and S had come from. After all, it was right there. Unfortunately, this plan backfired miserably, as A beat me rather badly, and S wrecked the supercomputer. I was forced to accept shame and defeat.

Listen, I know that some of this sounds bad. Very bad. But I failed my empire 1000 years ago when I failed to see my friend's betrayal coming. I would have done anything not to fail it a second time, not when I could lose it all again forever.

[angelsentabove]

longing for love, pt 1.

ⓘ longing for love is an (angsty, slow burn) story including iyanna taylor in her arranged marriage with xavier taylor, which is an unrequited romance between these two and eventually the love is finally reciprocated. when? well, everything great takes time, am i right?

𐙚 themes of violence. 5.8k words. wattpad version.

ⓘ iyana’s pov.

it’s unbelievable how my entire life just shifted within a few hours after a regular wednesday after school 5 years ago. and i remember the entire day so vividly and picture perfect, even with as much as i try to push it back into the crevices of my mind for me not to think about forever. i dread it every time i wake up. and i genuinely wonder why God put me in this situation. it was only my 2nd year of highschool- and i just caught wind that id be married by 20 wether id like it or not. why? pfft, like i know. i was kept in the dark for so long, and im still clueless. me, a 15-year-old girl that just found out i wont be meeting my soulmate anytime soon, ‘cause ill be forced to married to a guy i dont even know.

5 years ago, march 5th.

with a soft click of the lock securing my front door, i stepped into my house that was.. unusually quiet. like it was almost as quiet as a pitch dark room. i knew both of my parents were home- all 3 cars were out front and parked orderly underneath the car port. and they’d typically be in the kitchen chatting and snacking. so.. why was it dead silent? turns out, all i had to do was walk past the staircase, lo and behold they were in the living room. my parents were on one of the 3 couches, my mom sitting cross legged and flipping through some paper. i had enough life experience to think that we were moving, or they were getting a divorce. but no. it was way worse.

“hi honey. so glad you’re home. take a seat, dear.” wow okay. my dad has never called me that many pet names in my entire life, neither my sister. and he sounded so calmed. i didn’t like it. i stopped in my tracks and raised an eyebrow subtly for a split second; i was skeptical. did they go through my phone and got screenshots and printed it out on a piece of paper? oh God. id probably kill myself if that was the case.. i was sweating missiles already. but with hesitation, i sat down in the couch directly in front of them and placed my backpack on the ground.

“what’s this about?” i cut straight to the point. i had no time for the sugar-coating, the beating around the bush, nope. none of that. they were so calm, and quiet; you could literally probably hear my sweat drip down my forehead and drop on the floor.

“well.. your dad and i, have decided.. to ensure your future. by having you marry at 20 to a nice and handsome young man named xavier taylor.”

..excuse me?

a beat of silence. i was in disbelief. i had to make sure i heard what i heard. God please don’t tell me it’s true. please don’t tell me i’ll end up like those poor wives in those k-dramas with the abusive rich husbands in an arranged marriage because their families poor. we’re not poor. so why are they doing this?

“-..sorry. momma, could you repeat that?”

she glared at me for a split second. one that said, ‘you heard me. and you will accept this.’ instead of saying what her face was, she cleared her throat before speaking and repeated a little louder,

“you will be in a marriage by 20 with a young man named xavier taylor.” and the tone she said it in was passive aggressive. it was almost like she was annoyed. but i didn’t care about her feelings. i was too focused on what she just said. there’s no way.

“we’re doing this to make sure you have a nice and well mapped out future. and we don’t want you messing around with that older boy- joseph anymore. he’s a bad influence, and he has tattoos everywhere. you should be glad we’re doing this for you. plus, a younger black woman like you will get nowhere with him. he’s gonna use you.” i knew my dad was talking now. yet i couldn’t focus on a word he was saying. i was zoned out and there as a deafening ringing in my ears. i was too busy thinking everything over. ‘that’s not gonna be my life from now on’ was the only thing repeating in my head over and over again.

i wasn’t gonna allow them to ruin my life like this. what, do they seriously expect me to sit back and actually let them marry a stranger? hello. emphasis on stranger. even if it’s 5 years from now- i don’t care. accepting that as my future is like getting a shot. and i could swear my vision started getting blurry. maybe i was about to cry. i don’t know. i’m angry enough to do so right about now. and they knew me well enough (suprisingly) by the distracted look in my face to tell i wasn’t listening.

my mom slammed the papers she had in her hand flat onto the coffee table out of irritation i assume, and i snapped out of it. despite my teared-eyed vision, i could still make out some of the words. and sealing my fate even further, it was papers about the marriage. clearly, there’s no way out of this. besides suicide if you wanna be edgy and logical. “young lady, you are going to listen to us and i don’t care if you whine, shout, or do whatever. at 20, you will get married. we’re doing this for y-“

“doing this for me? i never told you i wanted this. and i don’t care if joseph is a bad influence or not, you can’t just allow me to get married to some dude i don’t know and expect this to be all fine and dandy. why would they even let you do this? how is this legal?” and i knew joseph was a bad influence. he smoked, got into fights every 3 days, and always got a little too aggressive with me. but i stayed. dumb enough ‘cause he was older and i just thought thats what they do. i craved his validation.

“excuse me? who are you talking to right now?”

“you. you know what? i’m leaving.” i was serious too. i’m not following through with that. i got up without allowing them to get another word in and stormed upstairs. i pulled some empty luggage out of the closet and began to pack everything. angry tears started to fall down my cheeks, yet i ignored them. i loved my parents. they never wronged me, nor did anything irrational. probably the standard for parenting.. so why are they losing their mind?

before i knew it, i heard synchronized stomps coming up the stairs. but they weren’t going to convince me into complying with something as bizarre as this. i continued in my movements even after they made it upstairs and stood in front of my open door way. like earlier, i knew they were talking, but everything they said was going in one ear and out of the other. not out of disbelief this time; i was so pissed off i didn’t pay attention to a single syllable that came out of their mouth. they both realized i wasn’t listening, and my mom instantly walked right in front of me. before i could get a word in, she grabbed me by the collar of my shirt.

“you must’ve lost your mind, iyana skye woods.” how ironic, apparently i’m losing my mind. “let me tell you something- i don’t care if you throw a temper tantrum and run away. do whatever you want. but you will get married to that man by 20; do you hear me?! this is for your future and you wanna act childish. but if i did this for ayana..”pure rage and agitation was all you could see in her unwavering expression. it was.. scary. i never liked her getting in my face. and my dad didn’t do anything but watch. these can’t be my parents.

-oh yeah, since ayana was my twin sister, i frequently got compared to her. we were polar opposites. ayana basically kissed the ground everyone walked on, she was a people pleaser. i hated seeing that for her. she always complied, no matter how ridiculous of a request. it was irritating to witness. even though i love her to death, i wanted to punch her sometimes with how much she let people walk over her.

“don’t give me that “ayana this” crap. even she wouldn’t allow you to do something like this to her life. do you even hear yourself? your forcing me to marry some dude i don’t even know 5 years from now. you know im happy with jos-“

“JOSEPH ISN’T RIGHT FOR YOU.” she snapped. right my face. a moment of silence passed- i just looked in her eyes with tears in my own, searching. searching for that sweet, sweet woman i knew when i was 2. the one who would pamper and spoil me like i meant the world to her. now she’s basically selling me off. like i’m a pice of meat, or a prized possession at an auction. she finally let go of my shirt and turned around quickly, making haste out the door and i’m assuming back downstairs. she didn’t even turn back to spare me a glance.

God, all i could do was bawl. for hours, too. the second they exited my presence, i froze and just broke down. i was utterly overwhelmed to the limit with emotions, anger and sadness paired with confusion being the only thing i knew. and at that point, i didn’t even know what to do. but it had to be something, anything. after probably an hour of crying, i crawled into my bed and fell asleep.

soon enough, it was 6 P.M. daylight savings time making it look darker than it actually was. i slowly rose from my bed and sat upright- a tired hand reaching for my phone to check the time. i was kinda shocked at how late it gotten all of the sudden. my eyes that still burnt from earlier then began to glance around the room, the first thing they fell on was the suitcases. then reality set back in; i felt sick and heartbroken all over again. these circumstances made me want to rip my hair straight out.

i needed a change of mind, or even better, a temporary distraction. sitting in this room wasn’t good for me. actually, sitting in this house wasn’t good for me. so what do i do? get out. i mean i didn’t even have to sneak out, im sure if they found out i was gone they’d be relieved. plus, they knew id come back, and i hated that they knew just like i did that i had nowhere else to go.

but i didn’t go out often. so if i did actually follow through with my plan, where would i go? and thats where joseph comes in. with my phone in my hand again, i unlocked it and navigated straight to my messages; immediately finding his contact name. i sent a desperate but vague message to him so we could meet up at the park- and thank God he sent one back to tell me he was already there. looks like the odds are in my favor after all. i just don’t know how he’d react to this news.

i practically hopped out of my bed and shoved my phone in my pocket. i reached for my black jacket that was casually thrown across the headboard of my bed, and made my exit out the window. as expected, the cold breeze almost immediately hit my skin despite the jacket i wore. was almost enough to make me turn back around and get back in my room. fortunately, i was stubborn since birth.

once i made it out of the window; i closed it back. this was my first time sneaking out in a while so i’m glad i still had my stealth after 3 years. if i had to brag, its gotten better. anyways the walk from my house to the park was arguably short. it only took 5 minutes and the best part was that i didn’t seen anyone from school. i was also pretty surprised ayana didn’t hear and come in my room, but then again my door was closed so she probably couldn’t even hear the window.

and finally, i was at the park. joseph almost immediately caught my eye since he looked so out of place. a tattooed 19 year old on a set of swings met for playing. i should’ve snapped a picture- it was quite ironic. i sighed of relief once i saw him nonetheless and sat next to him, beginning to swing slowly while the structure creaked. evidently this park was quite old and worn down for lack of better words.

he looked at me sideways- a ‘you serious?’ look was on his face. he didn’t appreciate my prolonged announcement i assume. seemed like he automatically knew i was here to talk about something. “i know you didn’t just ask me to meet up with you for no reason. what’s the word?” his tone sounded kind of.. irritated. but skeptical at the same time. he naturally sounded like that, but something told me he was angrier. looked like the whole world was irritated today.

“sorry. uhm.. so, i asked you here to ta-“

“duh. iyana- speak up. i’m not here to play around with you. cmon. i got better things to get to.” well. if he wasn’t irritated earlier, he is now. “…alright. i’ll just cut to the point. apparently, my parents just notified my earlier that when i turn 20, im marrying some dude named … xavier? it’s- arranged. utterly ridiculous, in my op-“

smack! he slapped me. the meanest backhand i’ve probably ever received. the first one, too.

“a lie. don’t play with me. sittin’ up here, calling me out here in this worn down park. to tell me some lies.” he sharply replied as soon as he retracted his hand. the audacity he had to just act like that didn’t even happen. me, on the other hand, was too stunned to even reply. i was beyond shocked, probably aghasted. and that shock settled deeper as i felt something cold run out of my nose, and i knew good and well that wasn’t snot. he’s never hit me before. not on purpose, atleast. despite how aggressive he is. and with how hard he did it, i’m more than sure it left a mark.

“i’m-… i’m not lying..” i mumbled in confused fear as i wiped my nose with my other hand. reality began to set in. this is what everyone around me was telling me. i should’ve known better to mess with someone 4 years older than me. why did i allow this to go on for so long? what my mom said earlier replayed in my head- the truth. ‘joseph isn’t right for you.’ i almost felt bad for trying to argue back with them, but then again, i wasn’t marrying a stranger, so a part of me didn’t feel that guilty.

he didn’t say anything back. he simply just stared at me. blank face. that same intimidating resting face he wore 24/7. but i was too scared to look at him back- especially since i didn’t know what he was thinking. yet, i felt like if i stayed any longer, it’d be a full on abuse session. and i wasn’t looking for this day to get any worse. he looked at me for a few more seconds and just as i was about to get up, he finally said something.

“you do know this is all your fault right? your just stupid. probably cheating on me with that dude, right? is that what it is? your lying to me. saying your gonna marry someone else ‘cause your cheating on me with him. just a way to avoid our relationship. huh? “huh?” he stood off the swings and stood right in front of me, looking straight down at me as he spoke. he looked calm, but his voice (and evidently his hands) were anything but. i suddenly didn’t like this aggression..

i got up from the swings as well so i could look at him better. “n-no. no i didn’t know- im sorry there’s.. nothing i can do. i dont even know him you gotta believe me.” well for once he didn’t interrupt me.. i remained true to my story as one of my hands stayed planted on my cheek where he slapped me. it was basically glued there. my fear was apparent in my words and expression, i thought he was gonna hit me again. which he did.. or- tried.

this man full on swung at me. a more than painful right hook if i didn’t move back. and with how quick it was, it seemed he tried to catch me off guard with it too. once i moved back, i stumbled backwards also. i tripped over the swing that i was sitting in and fell back in the grass; getting up quickly incase i had to run for my life. he slowly walked towards me as i backed up more and more- adrenaline rush in my body almost made my steps wobbly.

“go.” was the only thing he said. and i straight up ran. i was so glad he didn’t know where my house was located, but if he payed attention to where i was running i had no doubt he could’ve found out. i didn’t stop running, ignoring the way my legs burned, and i also ignored the notification on my phone. i predicted it was either from ayana or joseph though. the reason why i didn’t stop running was because i felt that if i stopped for even a second, i was gonna be beaten beyond comprehension.

those 5 minutes i took to get to my house felt like 5 hours even though i was running. the fear in my heart made it feel like i was running through an endless forest i suppose. and finally- i stopped running once i made it under my houses carport. my legs ultimately gave up on me and i fell backwards on the concrete, my mind reliving everything that just went down. i even tried pinching myself, praying i was dreaming but no. this day was real.

i stayed on the concrete for a minute as i ruminated todays events before i realized someone literally texted me earlier. pulling out my phone from my pocket, i checked the notification center on my lock screen. it was from joseph. 34 unread messages. this is beyond insane- bizarre.

i was too sick to my stomach at the moment to read them. instantly shutting my phone off and shoving it back in my pocket; i wobbly snuck back in through my bedroom window and fell straight onto the floor. my legs were too exhausted to make another step. i was still angry, but i knew i had to get things right with my parents. and judging by the fact that adrenaline in my body made my legs shake, i texted my mom instead.

waiting upon their arrival i just stayed on the floor. besides recalling the factors of tonight, i thought about what would’ve happened to me with that attempted swing he tried earlier if it hit me. critical condition is all i could say. also slightly confused on why i didn’t fight back. i wasn’t nobody scary, but i figured that it was because i wasn’t in the right mind to fight- it was only flight.

the door to my bedroom swung open with a deafening creak and my eyes lazily glanced up at the expressions of my parents which switched from neutral to complete worry. they rushed over to my side, my mom kneeling down in front of me and my dad right next to her. they asked me all kinds of questions- one’s overlapping another. even after i talked back to them, they still showed concern. i was surprised for some reason.

my weary body sat upright, a lazy smile of reassurance on my face as a line blood still rested above my lip. “don’t worry, i’m gonna explain.” i mumbled and then sighed; mentally gathering my thoughts and how to start off.

“..okay. about my face. i snuck out to go see joseph when woke up from my nap.. and he backhanded me.” my parents expressions shifted to one of anger, my mom running the back of her hand on my cheek slowly, almost like i was a porcelain and fragile doll or antique item. “sweetheart. why didn’t you call the police?” she then asked.

“you have a bruise on your face and everything..” a bruise? looks like that backhand actually did leave a mark. my eyebrows furrowed and i touched my cheek where i got hit. sure enough it was sore and there was a knot on my cheekbone. my dad saw it too, judging on his expression, and he instantly began dialing the police. i would’ve stopped him, but the way i just got hit earlier? i held a grudge. especially with that attempted left hook.

“i don’t know. i was scared, i guess. plus i ran as fast as i could to get here.. and i know realize that the whole arrangement thing is better than joseph.” i knew they did it to protect me. but it still didn’t sit right with me. why couldn’t i just have picked my own partner? forcing someone to go with someone they don’t even know just isn’t right. so i knew, but i didn’t know at the same time. it’s still ridiculous.

“that’s right honey. and we did this to ensure your future.” my mom assured- yet it fell on deaf ears. okay, so what if this man i’m marrying when i get 20 also ends up abusing me? i just didn’t like it. but i didn’t feel like arguing anymore. i wasn’t accepting it, ‘course not. and they knew that. i just didn’t feel like pleading my case anymore. i was too exhausted.

my parents got all my bruises covered and cleaned after a while. thankfully we skipped the “resolution” talk and the “i’m sorry” talk. i don’t feel like hearing the lame excuses. you can look at it from upside down, left or right, even inverted. this arrangement makes no sense. and i wont like it til the end of time. i got done showering, talking to police, eating, and unpacking my bags from my.. ‘episode’ earlier.

it was about 8 P.M. and i snuggled comfortably in my bed. my legs were beyond sore, plus my stamina was more than gone. it was probably in the negatives now. so i was already snuggled in bed, scrolling through my socials before i got ready to sleep. during my mindless checking frenzy, i checked my messages and i saw them. the messages joseph sent me earlier.

the last one he sent was “bye.” i could only assumed he blocked me or something. i scrolled up to see all of them, and they literally were just manipulating me with some threats sprinkled here and there. some were about how it was my fault he hit me, he’d do it again, accusing me of cheating which made no sense.. he was ridiculous to say the least.

glad i was finishing with that chapter of my life though. he was probably taken by the police as of now. so i didn’t have to worry about him for the rest of the years he was locked up.

present day. june 6th, 11:59 P.M.

“3… 2… 1… happy birthday twins!!” giggles, shouts of mutual happiness, and hugs surround my sister and i as we sat on the edge of the bed in the decorated suite hotel room with a small, portable table in front of me, and two cakes made especially for our birthday. don’t get me wrong, i was grateful. especially because i’ve been alive long enough to see another year. but this birthday was anything and everything except for synonyms of happy. i was turning 20, and getting married to a stranger tomorrow.

the truth of it all set in quicker than light, made me wish i could turn back time 5 years ago to corrupt my parents mind while they were signing those papers. it was ridiculous. bonkers. wild. whatever you wanna call it. it wasn’t normal. yet i masked it well, the fact that i was dreading this new age and new chapter of my life with a warm smile. after the momentary celebration and the cake eating, i pulled my mom and dad out to the balcony for a one-on-one conversation.

it was common sense i couldn’t backtrack now. that paper was signed once i was 15, and if i wanted her to shred those papers or anything i should’ve done that at 15. not the day of. but i just needed a sense of clarity. someone to hear me. “okay so guys.. i know im getting married tomorrow- or today, since i turn 20 today.. but do you think we could prolong it til the day after my birthday?”

“unfortunately we cannot sweetie. everything has been said and done when you were 15 back in 2015. the only thing we can do now and get you ready.” my dad said- but i’m everything but ready. i don’t want this to happen. i don’t even know what the dude looks like. hope he’s fine.. anyways, i sighed and shrugged, stepping back inside and sitting next to my friends and sister at the small table in one of the four chairs: essence, ayana, and jordyn. i tried to mask my internal turmoil and disappointment, but they read me like an open book every time.

“…don’t give us that look. what’s wrong? it’s our birthday!” ayana gave me a reassuring but concern smile- moving some blue curls from my face and fixing my eyelashes. i giggled a little and shrugged, stumped about these crude circumstances. “i know.. but y’all do know im getting married today, right?” i said slightly dreadfully as understanding looks replaced their concerned faces.

“oh yeah.. well try to look for the positives. everything is for reason- maybe he turned out to be your soulmate or something.” essence said with empathy; she was always my go-to when emotional conflict happened between me and anyone. unlike most people, i actually listen to her when she reassured me. and this time was no exception: maybe this was for a reason. but then again, why against my own will? the whole situation messed with my head even now.

i sighed, “you might have a point. i’ll stay open minded. but i don’t know y’all. there’s nothing i can do though. i just hope they don’t expect a child..” i mumbled the last part humorously but with all honesty. i never wanted children despite my love for them. and that resistance to birthing my own kids doubled if it was with some dude.

“reasonable.” ‘yana giggled along with everyone else. “i don’t know girl. your giving.. ungrateful. plus i think you should go back to joseph. but this new man might spoil you girl!” she said the forbidden name. nobody mentions him. his code name is redacted, forever. not with ayana though. and everyone knew she shouldn’t have said that when they saw my expression shift.

“we don’t mention his name. remember?” i responded with a hint of irritation. there’s no way she didn’t say that on purpose. we all collectively as a group know what he did, and for her to even say i should’ve went back is twice as disrespectful. she stupidly laughed and muttered a half-hearted ‘my bad.’ nothings funny.

to ignore it all i stood from the table, announcing i was about to go for a walk while i asked ayana if she wanted to join me. i had to prepare my mind as soon as possible, and id had to do twice as much preparing on tomorrow. she agreed and we walked out the hotel as the cool air hit our skin and blowed through our hair. there was a boardwalk not too far from the hotel, so that’s where we were.

we were silent for a moment, but we both shared the same thought process i knew. it was like we were telepathically communicating. “..this is kinda crazy.. no? i’m getting married at 20. and you aren’t. how lucky..” a part of me always looked at my parents funny for their crazy decision. what even.. how?.. why? what possesses you to do something like that? even if you are trying to protect me, it never gets that serious.

ayana agreed and looked up at the moon, her purple, curled hair blowing in the wind. she shared sympathy for me. it made my heart ache and she wasn’t even the one in this experience. in another life, if i get a sibling that isn’t like ayana… i might murder them. “i get it. it must be hard. especially when it’s not even for a clear reason.”

“right? like no money is involved, no monarchy situation, it’s just because. ‘we’re doing this to save you’ yeah well you’re killing me. but then again, id probably be stuck with joseph.” being stuck with joseph would be a horrible situation for me. i wanna punch myself in the eyes everyday when i remember i dated him. then again, i wonder why my parents actually agreed to letting me go with someone 4 years older. isn’t that a case??

it wasn’t like i could see what the man i was marrying looked like. i never got a picture after all these years. and as if ayana read my mind, she said, “do you even know what he looks like? i found his facebook.” thank God for twin telepathy. i instantly snapped my neck in her direction and held my hand out, basically telling her to slide me that facebook. i had to make sure i wasn’t slamming the coffin even harder if he was ugly. not saying that it would matter in a regular situation but… you know what, shush.

she giggled and tapped on her phone, opening facebook to navigate to his account and put the phone in my hand. i looked through his account for a while. he didn’t really post much, but when he did, it was eye candy. he wore glasses, darkskin, had tattoos… a lot, dreads, nice facial features.. made me audibly gasp when i saw him. “so this is him? looks good.” i kept it casual and slid the phone back to her. but her and i both knew i wanted to say that he looked more than good.

“now you know you wanna say he’s fine.” she shoved my shoulder in a playful manner which made me dramatically stumble. “no no.. he looks good. that’s it.” and i answered in mock maturity. however, his looks didn’t change anything about how i felt. i wasn’t ready and i will never be; i was still young for crying out loud. i had so much of life to experience, and now i’m suddenly someone’s wife. i swear i was just in highschool..

we returned to a comfortable silence until ‘yana spoke, a similar serious tone. “do you want me to check jordyn? what she said was out of line. i almost punched her myself.” and a ring in my ear sounded when she says jordyn as i remembered what she said earlier after we were eating our cake. it filled me with annoyance. how could she say it so casually too? i kept my composure through it all, with a shake of my head.

“no, it’s fine. well- you can. but if you do. be nice. she’s gonna have to prepare for me, too.” ‘cause i wasn’t gonna let that slide. ‘yana looked at me in intrigue after i said that, trying to hold back her giggle. she was in store for an adventure.

eventually we began to head back to the suite, where momma was cleaning up and essence and jordyn were already gone to their respective rooms. since we had a big day ahead of us tomorrow and momma advised us to go ahead and get some rest, so ayana and i had to get settled. once we were in the bathroom innocently taking off our lashes, i placed mines on the bathroom counter and my eyes involuntarily glanced at everything makeup related i needed for my wedding tomorrow. wedding. wedding. i didn’t agree to this.

i stared at it all a bit too long, overthinking everything. ayana noticed i was a bit too silent despite the fact we were both quiet and looked over at me- seeing my teary, dazed eyes while i stared at everything necessary for tomorrow. she instantly knew what i was thinking about. ‘yana put her hand on my shoulder and looked at me through the mirror.

“hey- it’s okay. stop. you’re thinking about it way too much. let it all work out.” but all i could do was think about it. how could i not? i don’t even want this. it made a single tear run down my cheek and stop at my jawline. i quickly wiped it to maintain my demeanor with a muttered ‘it’s fine;’ i hated crying in front of people. we finished up in the bathroom and returned to the suite that was completely cleaned and lights dimmed while the TV played ‘martin.’ the comforting aura almost made me forget it all. momma was already gone back to her room with dad.

ayana and i sat in our beds, she was scrolling on onstage and i was already laid down on my side with my bonnet on, ready for sleep. even though we remained casual and netural, a sense of unresolved tension weighed heavily in the room. “skylar, i got you.” ‘yana softly called me by my middle name to show her seriousness, and a warmth spread throughout my chest. one to make my eyes water instantly. i’m glad i was facing away from her..

“yeah, thank you, ‘yana.” i muttered back; hiding the slight cracking in my voice that i just knew she picked up on. something told me a tender smile was on her face and her heart ached also, but i could be wrong. with that, she stopped scrolling and put her phone on the charger. getting underneath her covers to lay down and sleep.

𐙚 don't copy anything from this story. this is all my original work, thoughts, and storyline. credit will be given where credit is due if i get inspired.