#and most other years I’ve seen like this

[reidsbookclub]

An Accidental Marriage

Spencer Reid x fem! reader fluffy fluffy fluffy

Spencer Reid never thought he'd start his morning by nearly choking to death on his beloved coffee. But, then again, he also never thought he’d get accidentally married and find out about it at the same time the rest of the 6th floor at the FBI.

Yet here he was—standing in the BAU’s bullpen, coughing and sputtering as the one person he never expected to see in Virginia stormed into the room and screamed:

"DID YOU KNOW THE MARRIAGE WAS REAL?!"

Everyone seemed to freeze. The usual hum of the FBI’s elite profiling unit went completely silent as every single agent turned to stare at the scene unfolding before them.

Emily Prentiss slowly set down her mug. Luke Alvez raised an eyebrow. Tara Lewis and JJ exchanged glances. Penelope Garcia, the BAU’s self appointed gossip queen, visibly perked up like a cat spotting a canary. And Spencer? Spencer was still choking.

“Marriage?” JJ echoed, tilting her head. “Spence, is there something you’d like to share with the class?”

His childhood best friend—you—stood in front of him, arms crossed, expression half exasperated, half completely bewildered. What were you doing in Virginia? You wen't supposed to finalize your move until next month. Did he get the months wrong? He never got the months wrong but then again thinking about you always did something to his brain, he thought.

“I went to get my license updated, Spencer. My license. And do you know what I found out?” You didn’t wait for him to answer, waving an official-looking paper in front of his face. “I have been legally married for ten years and nobody thought to tell me?”

Spencer finally managed to recover, rubbing his throat before he pushed his glasses up his nose, his mind whirring. “Wait, wait, wait—how is that even possible?”

“Oh, I don’t know, Crash maybe it’s because we signed a legal document at that stupid fair years ago thinking it was a joke when it was actually real!” The moment you called him Crash, the way you had since you were kids (a nickname born from his clumsy nature and his inability to stay upright for long), something clicked in his brain.

The fair. The marriage booth.

The backup plan.

“Oh my God,” Spencer whispered.

“Oh my God is right!” you cried

Penelope practically vibrated in her seat. “Wait, wait, wait—did I just hear correctly? My favorite boy genius has been secretly married for ten years and didn’t know it?! This is better than any rom-com I’ve ever seen!”

Luke smirked. “And you never thought to check?”

“Why would I check? It's Spencer!” Penelope cried

Rossi, who had been listening with an amused expression, leaned back in his chair. “Alright, kids, humor the old man. Start from the beginning.” You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose, and plopped into the nearest chair. Spencer sat beside you, running a hand through his hair.

“Okay,” you started. “Spencer and I grew up together in Vegas. We were best friends. Like, inseparable. Hi, by the way names Y/N and I probably know a lot about all of you.” Spencer nodded. “We met when we were six years old. Statistically, most childhood friendships don’t last into adulthood, but we were an anomaly.”

Emily waved a hand. “Cute, but get to the part where you got married.”

You rolled your eyes, not liking that people didn't like Spencers facts. “When we were kids, we made a pact. If we weren’t married by forty, we’d marry each other. You know, as a backup plan.”

JJ let out a small aw before covering her mouth.

“Then,” Spencer continued, “when we were twenty, we ran into each other while I was visiting my mom in Vegas, Y/N was supposed to be visiting her sister in California but missed her plane. There was a fair at the local community college, and we thought it would be fun to relive our childhood for a day and spend the whole day together like we used to.”

You groaned, rubbing your temples. “And that’s when we saw it. The stupid marriage booth.”

Luke frowned. “Marriage booth?”

Spencer nodded. “It was part of the fair attractions. A fake wedding setup where couples could take pictures, sign a certificate, and get one of those novelty ‘marriage’ papers. We thought it was funny—like a way to get a head start on our backup plan.”

“Turns out,” you grumbled, “since we were in Vegas, it wasn’t fake at all.” The room went silent. And then Penelope excitedly screamed.

“Oh. My. God.” Penelope clutched her chest like she was about to faint. “That is the most romantic accidental love story I have ever heard.”

Spencer shook his head. “It’s not romantic! It was a mistake.”

“I don’t know, kid,” Rossi said with a smirk. “Sounds a lot like fate to me.”

You groaned, throwing your hands in the air. “That’s exactly what the lady at the DMV said when she showed me the proof!”

Tara leaned forward. “And now what?”

You glanced at Spencer. “I guess we get it annulled.”

For some reason, the thought sent an odd pang through Spencer’s chest. Annulled? Why did the thought of getting it annulled make him want to through up?

Emily leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. “Or—” she drawled, eyes gleaming mischievously, “you could just stay married.”

“What?” you and Spencer said in unison.

Tara shrugged. “You were childhood best friends. You made a pact to marry each other if you didn’t find anyone else. Maybe this was fate stepping in early.”

“Fate,” Spencer repeated blankly.

“Oh, you cannot annul this,” Penelope gasped. “This is the most romantic accidental love story ever. Think of the story you’ll have for your grandchildren!”

Just as you were beginning to protest, agent Grant Anderson strolled into the bullpen, carrying a stack of case files. His gaze landed on you, and a charming smile spread across his face.

“Well, hello,” he said smoothly. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

You blinked at him. “Uh, no, I guess we haven’t.”

Anderson’s smile widened. “You must be new. Are you visiting, or is this a permanent thing?”

Spencer, who had been silent for a moment too long, suddenly stood up so fast his chair nearly toppled over. His jaw clenched, his normally gentle brown eyes darkening with something sharp and territorial. His hand curled around your wrist, firm but not forceful, and then—“My wife,” he said.

And before you could react, before you could process what he just said Spencer Reid—your childhood best friend, the genius who was accidentally your husband, the man you have been in love with since you knew what love was—grabbed your face and kissed you.

The bullpen erupted in cheers. Penelope squealed. JJ gasped. Emily shouted, “Go Reid!” Rossi laughed like this was the best thing he'd seen in years.

Anderson took a step back, holding up his hands. “Well. That answers that question.” When Spencer finally pulled away, you could only stare at him, breathless, heart pounding, lips tingling. “What—what was that?!” you managed. Spencer swallowed, adjusting his tie. “A leap,” he said simply. You blinked. And then, before you could stop yourself, you kissed him back. Tagging some friends because for some reason I can't find my taglist

@samuel-de-champagne-problems @boldlyvoid @milla984 @reidsaurora @reiding-and-writing

[agreeeeeeeeeee]

i would love to see 1000 secrets with barty crouch or regulus 😏

combining this with another reg request!! I have one coming for Barty soon too dw 🫶

1000 secret kisses | R.B.

cw: MDNI 18+, smut mentioned, secret relationships, fwb, drinking

1000 things prompt list (closed!) | masterlist

Alright, Barty. Truth, dare, or shot,” Dorcas said, still coughing after the gulp of firewhisky she just took.

“Truth,” Barty replied.

“What's your most controversial opinion about someone in the group?” Dorcas challenged, and everyone ooooh’d.

Barty took a contemplative drag of his joint, then—“I would bet my left nut that Regulus is a virgin,” Barty said through a cloud of smoke.

“No way, look at him!” Pandora argued. “He fucks, guarantee it.”

The groups heads swiveled to Regulus, who was reclined lazily in arm chair, knees spread, a cigarette dangling from his fingertips. He looked supremely fuckable to you, like he always did.

That's why you've been secret friends with benefits for most of the school year.

You and Regulus were an unlikely pair; Reg, a certified grouch with a distaste for socializing, and you, a gifted student and natural flirt. But you found him fascinating, deeply intelligent and perceptive, with an artistic heart, even if he preferred not to show it. And he found you endearing, infectious in your enthusiasm.

You'd kissed him after a drunken night in Hogsmeade, and he'd sought you out the following day in the library. Now, you snuck away every chance you got, stealing secret moments around every corner, in every classroom, praying your friends never discovered the truth, lest you never hear the end of it.

This was just for the two of you, and you preferred it that way.

“I'm not saying he isn't sexy!” Barty argued. “I'm saying he couldn't be bothered to fuck someone, too busy reading poetry and glaring.”

“And you expect me to, what? Fuck everything with legs like you, Junior?” Regulus bit back.

“No, but like—I’ve never even seen you glance at someone,” Evan chimed in. “You've never talked about fancying someone, or gotten flustered.”

Regulus raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

“Nothing shakes him, and he'd never tell you half-wits if he fancied someone because you can't keep your mouths shut,” Xeno laughed.

“It's not like it's anyone's business anyways,” you added, stealing the joint from Barty and taking a puff. “It's his business who he does, or doesn't, fuck.”

“Oh, come off it. He hasn't even had a crush on you, and we've all had a crush on you,” Barty said.

You nearly choked on your hit. “You're full of shit, Junior.”

“It's true! We talked about it the other day!”

You risked a glance at Regulus while you fanned the smoke from around your face, and found him glaring down at his lap, his expression was calm, but you'd long ago learned to judge his true feelings by his pale eyes. And right now, the hostility in them could raze the castle.

That must have been the day he abruptly dragged you from your dorm and into an empty classroom. He toyed with you until you cried, begging him to get you off. And when he finally let you ride him, you weren't allowed to come until you told him exactly who you belonged to. Making you spell out his entire name, letter by letter, thrust by thrust.

Regulus Arcturus Black.

Your pussy shivered just thinking about it.

“Can we get on with the game, please?” Pandora huffed. “It's y/n’s turn.”

Barry grinned over at you, and you groaned. Why on Salazar's shitty earth did you think it was a good idea to sit next to him?

“Truth, dare, or shot, my darling?” Barty asked, his voice a seductive purr.

You really didn't want to take a shot of that lukewarm swill, and you had a hunch of what Barty's question would be: do you fancy any of us? Leaving you with one option.

“Dare.”

Barty’s eyes lit up, and he rubbed his hands together like a supervillain. “You've made a grave error, my dearest y/n.”

“Don't be an ass, Crouch. Play fair,” Regulus warned, the edge of his voice sharper than was probably necessary.

“Oh, you'll like this Reggie, don't worry.” Barty presented his palms to you, like he was offering a gift. “Treasure, I dare you to make Regulus blush.”

“That's not fair!” Pandora argued. “How is she supposed to do that?”

“By any means necessary.” Barty grinned.

You looked at Regulus, who was already looking at you. “I don't want to cross any lines—”

“And when she fails?” Regulus asked, a hint of a smirk on his pretty mouth. Baiting you.

“Then she takes two shots,” Barty wagered.

You looked back and forth between them, all eyes on you. “Deal,” you said, pushing to your feet.

Regulus' eyes widened a fraction, like he didn't expect you to actually go for it, but he vastly underestimated your pettiness. And you would love nothing more than to be the thing that made Regulus finally crack in front of his friends. A tiny consultation for months of keeping secrets.

You sashayed over to him, ignoring the whistles and shouts from your friends, focused entirely on Regulus' smug face. His eyes roamed over you, lingering at the edge of your skirt, the sway of your hips, and you caught the unmistakable sign of his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat, and his arrogant expression faltered.

Already, you were making him sweat.

You knew none of your regular tricks would work on him, he was impervious to flirting, but you had an ace up your sleeve.

Carefully, you perched on the arm of his chair, being mindful to not actually touch him, knowing it would bother him to have you so close without being able to touch. He shifted a little in his seat, a fraction closer to you, fingers tightening on his cigarette.

You took a pull from the joint, filling your lungs with its acrid burn. You looked at Regulus expectantly, and he smirked before tilting his head back for you. You leaned in and he parted his lips, letting you blow the smoke into his mouth.

Your friends continued to whoop and cheer, but you focused on Regulus' proximity, the hazy feeling coarsing through your blood.

Merlin, you wanted to kiss him.

Instead, when the last of the smoke left your lungs and entered his, you shifted to whisper in his ear. “Took that hit so well, sweet boy,” you purred, letting your lips brush the shell of his ear.

You felt his body hitch, wanting to cough up the smoke, but he managed to blow it out of the corner of his mouth, casting you vicious side eye. To your delight, you noticed a delicate pink stain was crawling up his neck, warming the tops of his cheekbones.

“She did it!” Evan cheered, and the rest of the group roared in approval.

“Brat,” he grumbled, rolling his eyes. You knew you'd be paying for it later, but it was so worth it to know you had an affect on him no one else did.

You sauntered back over to your seat, smiling ear to ear and basking in the groups praise.

Regulus tried to play it off, but there was no going back now. And you knew he was in trouble when it was finally his turn.

“Alright, Reggie,” Pandora said. “Truth, dare, or shot.”

You already knew what he would pick: Reg hated booze, and would rather run around the common room naked than fess up to something.

“Dare,” he said, taking a bold glance at you.

Pandora caught it, of course, and a tendril of uncertainty coiled in your stomach.

“I dare you to make y/n blush back.”

Regulus huffed a low laugh. “Come on, Dora. Give me a challenge.”

You glared at him, and he winked back. Maybe it was the weed, or his competitive nature, but you'd never seen him so brazen.

Everyone ooooh’d.

“Fine, I dare you to kiss one person in the circle!”

Your heart sunk. Even if it was platonic, a stupid dare, you didn't particularly want to see Regulus kiss someone else. Your feelings for Regulus has grown over the course of the your secret relationship, and while neither of you were ready for labels, that didn't mean you wanted to share him, or vice versa if the night in the classroom was any indication.

Regulus narrowed his eyes at her. “Not everyone consents to being kissed by me.”

“I consent!” They all chorused, and you inwardly groaned.

“What? You've never fucked and you've never kissed someone?” Barty teased, ramping up the pressure.

“Fuck off, Crouch,” Regulus hissed. The game was getting to him, and your friends were feasting on his rare display of discomfort.

You'd feel bad for him if you weren't feeling so sorry for yourself. Reg would probably kiss Barty just to shut him up, and then storm off to bed. Leaving you to decipher his words and actions like every night spent without him there to prove his affection with his hands and mouth.

Shit, maybe this arrangement had gotten more out of control than you realized.

“How the fuck is Sirius such a lady-killer, and his little brother is the virgin fuckin’ Mary?” Barty was too busy laughing at his own jokes to notice Regulus get up and prowl across the circle towards him.

Barty finally noticed when Reg was almost on top of him, but at the last second, Regulus pivoted. His hand shot out to grab you by the hair, roughly tilting your head back for the bruising kiss he planted on your unsuspecting lips.

You squeaked in surprise, but quickly gave way for him, melting under his firm, insistent mouth as his tongue delved between your teeth to taste you.

As quickly as he swept in, he was gone, leaving you wide eyed and breathless as he stalked back to his seat and dropped into it, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“What was it you said? ‘Y/n has the most gorgeous mouth you'd ever seen’?” Regulus said, a mocking edge in his voice. “That you'd ‘give anything to taste her'?”

Barty gaped like a fish.

Regulus smirked. “I’ll have that left bollock now. And I'll take the other one if I hear my girl’s name on your mouth again, you prick.”

Everyone gasped, including you, but Regulus didn't even flinch.

“Understood?” He glared at Barty, then the others, until each one of them lowered their eyes in submission.

Regulus beckoned you forward with two fingers and you jumped up, crossing the space between you and allowing him to pull you into his lap. He threaded his fingers through your hair, pulling you in for another kiss, little more than a peck, but it still made your head spin.

“So, secrets out?” You asked, meeting his eyes.

Regulus shrugged, pecking your cheek. “It doesn't change anything,” he murmured, kissing the corner of your mouth. “I’m yours.” He kissed your nose, your temple, your lips, down your neck, until all of your friends dispersed, making disgusted noises as they fled such a public display of affection.

But you couldn't be happier, grinning like a fool as you basked in a thousand not-so-secret kisses.

[astrobydalia]

Vietnamese astrology observations

Some observations on the Vietnamese astrology signs to celebrate the lunar new year. Disclaimer: these are based on observations and experiences from my pov as a dragon lmao As always credits to @novy2sirius for the inspo and knowledge of these things.

astrobydalia

🎋I've rarely seen Tigers getting married or having a relationship that lasted more than 1-2 years💀​💀 But the few ones that I've seen with stable marriages had spouses who were incredibly independent, someone who they admire and acts like they don't need/want the tiger person all that much. When tigers have these kinds of parters, they seem to be the most devoted and engaged in their relationships

​​💮​Tigers are highly attracted to danger (e.g. Mr Beast), sometimes to very concerning extents

​​💮​Tigers 🤝 having the attention span of an ipad kid. They like to command attention to themselves but don't like it when others demand their attention

​​💮​Which speaking of, Tigers ooze main character energy I’ve noticed. They are the star of the show and they know it. It's hard to not notice them in a room and honestly they really do have that 'it' factor, have this ‘unique’ energy to them (I think Lady Gaga is very representative of this vibe)

​​💮​My honest opinion on Tigers tho is that they’re annoying af, tend to be very abrupt and the kind of people who don’t know when it’s time to stop and stfu. Tiger men in particular I’ve noticed tend to say and do very inappropriate things often.... However I've seen older/more mature tigers that are pretty chill and simply have BDE

🎋Cats/Rabbits have beautiful smiles and a very youthful look to them. I’ve noticed however that they tend to smirk a lot, often appear cunning and mischievous cause they looooove messing with people, a lot of teasing and provoking. Very witty.

​​💮​Also, cats/rabbits are pretty horny and slutty. Even when they don't talk about sex at all their energy is very sensual, they come off as "easy" iykwim

​​💮​I’ve also noticed cats/rabbits have like some glow to them idk they look like this ✨🎀🪄 to me

🎋Horses are talented and really good at their job and crafts but they are also kinda bland and uninteresting tbh. On a surface level, they are cool cause they are rather playful, social and very engaging, they also have an approachable and warm aura. However they feel a lil vapid and superficial to me after some time. They don't look deeper into things and don't consider long-term consequences. They're also pretty aloof and inexpressive a lot of times

​​💮​Horses are very agile tho both mentally and physically. They are quick to respond to immediate or short-term situations/problems and I've also seen they are prone to be on the go 24/7

​​💮​I’ve also noticed horses tend to look strong, fit, muscular or in shape even when they don’t go to the gym

🎋I don't initially gravitate towards snakes but I always end up vibing with them incredibly well. Very profound, intelligent and insightful people. They have a lot of knowledge and wisdom about life. If you are looking to have philosophical convos they will totally deliver, both street smart+book smart

​​💮​It's extremely hard to get close to them on a personal level tho. They have sus energy and seem to hide a shit ton of things about themselves.

​​💮​Snakes are also very good at easing themselves into leading positions, they sneakily take charge of situations.

​​💮​Snakes have a wild side when underdeveloped tho. A lot of snakes I know are into conspiracy theories and/or are all about this idea of going against the system or the stablished rules but like in a very unhinged way. Tend to also make apparently mindless decisions that make ppl go "wtf are you doing?". In many cases they can become controversial af (e.g. Kanye, JK Rowling)

​​💮​Something I’ve noticed a lot with Snakes is that they tend to randomly ghost people. They’re the kind of people who you never really know where you stand with them unless y’all are super duper close. Tend be secretly very judgmental and have a very all-or-nothing mindset in their relationships (obsessive AF). They play A LOT of mind games with ppl all the time

🎋Both Tigers and snakes have difficult love lives and are prone to getting in abusive relationships. What I’ve seen with snakes in particular is that they tend to be the toxic and manipulative ones most of the times (e.g. Chris Brown). With tigers I've seen it go both ways but what stands out with them is that they tend to get in relationships where there is a MAYOR power imbalance in some way such as huge age gap or things like that (e.g. Amber Heard or Marylin Monroe). Tigers are attracted to forbidden people and that's also why they are the most prone to cheat

🎋RoostersI've noticed have very neat features, sharp jawlines, high cheekbones, nice lips, etc. They always look really snatched af and their bodies seem to have perfect proportions regardless of their body type.

​​💮​And yeah I've seen they are indeed the most arrogant out of all the signs here

🎋Both Snakes and Roosters are rather funny and sarcastic, but roosters pull it off more naturally. They guenienly have an unbothered and unserious vibe to them so humor comes to them effortlessly even when they don't try at all. With snakes it feels like they are intentionally trying to be punny so it doesn't land the same a lot of times

​​💮​A lot of roosters have memorable moments that become iconic memes😭:

​​💮​A lot of Roosters ik actually do not think of themselves as being funny or charming at all. They usually describe themselves as serious and hardworking

🎋Dragons have a very large and in charge personality, they often appear chill and normal at first glance but I’ve noticed they tend to be known for being unapologetic and highly expressive (Rihanna, Ryan Raynolds, Emma Stone, Adele, Kenue Reeves)

​​💮​When developed dragons quite literally and genuinely don’t give a fuck what people think, say or do to them. “Im just doing me” energy

​​💮​Dragons tend to enhance their own self-importance as a defense mechanism when they’re insecure tho. They might or might not be the most confident but they’d rather die than let others see that

​​💮​Dragons very often lack self-accountability or self awareness and tend to not handle conflict well. They are prone to having one-sided beef with people who aren't even thinking about them, I’ve seen this so much!!!!💀💀😭 It's giving:

​​💮​On that same line, Dragons tend to be advocates against mean or bad ppl I've noticed but this often manifests as them getting in personal vendettas about things that have absolutely nothing to do with them. So a lot of times all they're doing is causing a chaos nobody asked for

🎋Goats I wanna protect tf out of them. It's so hard to stay mad at them fr, they have the most endearing energy and they're very popular from what I've observed.

​​💮​When underdeveloped goats have the worst emotional intelligence and tend to be very emotionally volatile. Tend to take things personally very easily and make other people pay for their own issues

​​💮​Goats are the definition of a simp when in love or in a relationship. They LOVE romance and tend to be really good at it as well

​​💮​Goats are very soft spoken too!! I always find myself LOVING their voice or the way they speak, it's really soothing and hypnotic

🎋I honestly don’t like monkeys all that much, I can vibe with them cause we’re friend signs or whatever but they tend to be pretty childish, emotionally immature and self-centered imo. They can be very deep and intelligent but also fail to be responsible and take things seriously a lot of times

​​💮​The good side of them is that they are very creative and they are the type of person that never gets old to have around, they have many hidden talents

​​💮​Something else I like about Monkeys is they are really good with kids and are very family oriented. They truly love children and will prioritize the younger people in their life whether it’s their own kids, their siblings, etc

​​💮​I've also noticed Monkeys can be big big liars. They lie a lot and for no reason at all.

🎋Pigs aren't really all that ambitious, what they mainly want out of life is to live with as much comfort, ease and financial stability as possible and that's it. The good thing about this is that this can make them rather genuine people, not the type to have a hidden agenda or anything like that

​​💮​Pigs tend to be lazy but they can be hardworking at the same time. They drag their feet to do anything but when they finally bring themselves to put in the work they actually deliver great results. They are VERY financially smart too, you can count on them to get high-value and high-quality stuff

​​💮​Honestly pigs actually have a lot of potential, they can be very disciplined but their main thing is that they expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter

​​💮​I’ve noticed pigs are very likable but also tend to be socially awkward at the same time. They're like that one introverted person everyone loves and wants in the group

🎋I don't vibe with oxes for some reason. They appear calm, unassuming and grounded but my god they are strategic, calculating and ruthless affff. Very self-righteous too, have a very unapproachable energy😭

​​💮​Oxes have a very harsh and cold “you gotta do what you gotta do” mindset and which can be really good but I think that's what I find the most unsettling about them. If you try to appeal to their more emotive side once they’ve set their mind on something they’ll look at you like this:

​​💮​Oxes are very disciplined and resilient tho. If people try to tear them down those people will fail miserably. Truly a force to be reconned with

​​💮​Oxes are super duper loyal too in EVERY aspect of their life, similar to dogs

​​💮​A lot of oxes that I've seen were surprisingly into occult as well or were into holistic forms of self-improvement. They can be very "zen" people

🎋Oxes and pigs are the most materialistic signs from what I've seen.

🎋Snakes and dragons are the biggest gatekeepers. Not just with material things but with anything that is valuable to them and gives them sense of power (think of the legends of dragons always guarding a treasure and the sneaky and secretive nature of snakes)

🎋Rats are usually very playful and energetic I’ve seen but in a more graceful and charming way. Very good entertainers and cool people to have around to be honest, another sign that tends to be popular.

​​💮​Rats seem to be all-rounders, very adaptable, fast learners and open-minded which is the main reason why I've seen they find success in the matrix.

​​💮​The main negative I’ve seen with rats tho is that they can be rather opportunistic and hypocritical but they hide this very well. They’re really good at sweet talking others and staying in people’s good graces. Very manipulative and deceitful, they can easily hide any ulterior motives and appear genuine to others

​​💮​A lot of Rats I know are interested in health and wellness in some way, having good hygiene, eating good food, working out, meditating, etc. Cooking in particular is a big thing with them I've noticed

🎋Dogs feel very mid to me….. I recognize they are MUCH more creative, intelligent and clever than horses imo but their go with the flow energy can make them very unoriginal or predictable.

​​💮​Dogs are also the definition of “same old story”. Strong tendency to stay stuck in the past, going back to their old ways and never really reinventing themselves

​​💮​The good thing about this tho is that its true dogs are loyal and consistent af tho, the kind of loyalty and devotion most people would only wish to find in someone and they are also peaceful, compromising and charming

​​💮​Dogs are very pretty too, they clean up nicely but I've noticed they tend to be super insecure about their image

​​💮​Dogs appear kind and trustworthy regardless of what kind of person they are deep down. Either they're genuinely very lawful and righteous people or very fake and phony, the type to smile to your face while planning to murder you in their heads

That's all folks!

astrobydalia

[meadowfics]

lockscreen

namgyu x f!reader

who wouldn't put their cute boyfriend as their lockscreen?

warnings: mentions of drug addiction. angst into fluff

this was requested <3

loving namgyu is never hard.

it was the easiest thing in the world, really.

what was hard was watching him destroy himself, knowing that no matter how much you loved him, no matter how much you wanted to save him, he had to want to save himself first.

those first months together were some of the hardest of your life.

namgyu was drowning in his addiction, and you were barely keeping your head above water trying to pull him out.

you spent too many nights waiting up for him, only for him to stumble through the door smelling like alcohol and smoke, eyes red and unfocused.

there were arguments, slamming doors, nights where he passed out before you could even say goodnight.

still, you stayed, because you loved him.

because you saw the man he could be, even when he couldn't.

love alone wasn't enough to fix him.

eventually, after one too many broken promises, one too many nights spent crying yourself to sleep,

you made the hardest decision of your life...you walked away.

not because you stopped loving him, but because you loved him too much to watch him keep destroying himself.

it was during that time apart that namgyu finally decided to change.

he checked himself into rehab, cut off the people who enabled him, and found a new job...one that didn’t have drugs and alcohol in every corner, one that didn’t drag him back into temptation every night.

you didn’t know all of this at the time.

all you knew was that, after months of silence, he showed up at your door sober, steady, and more sure of himself than you had ever seen him.

he told you he was clean. that he had been for months.

most of all, that he still loved you.

taking him back wasn’t a decision you made lightly.

when you looked into his eyes, really looked, you saw the man you had always believed he could be.

that was all you ever wanted.

now, three years into your relationship, things were different.

they were better.

namgyu still had his moments of doubt, but he had grown so much.

he smiled more now, genuine and unburdened.

he let you love him without questioning why you did.

he loved you in return in a way that left no room for doubt.

the two of you never minded using each other’s phones. there were no secrets, no reason to hide anything.

so when namgyu needed to check something online and his phone was charging in the bedroom, he didn’t think twice about picking yours up from the coffee table and unlocking it.

what he didn’t expect was to see a picture of himself staring back at him.

it wasn’t a picture he had taken or one he even remembered being taken.

as he looked at it, his breath caught in his throat.

it was from when you both visited your family in your home country over a year and a half ago.

the golden hour sun cast a warm glow over his face, softening the sharp lines of his jaw.

his black hair, always brushed, looked almost blue under the sunlight.

he looked… healthy.

he remembered that trip well.

it had been just three months into his sobriety.

he had been shaky then, still learning how to exist without numbing himself with substances, still wondering if he even deserved to be happy.

he hadn’t realized you had captured him like this...at a moment when he was still struggling, still doubting himself.

yet, somehow, in this photo, he looked at peace.

he stared at it for a long time, fingers hovering over the screen as a strange feeling swelled in his chest.

“when did you set this as your lock screen?”

his voice came out quieter than he expected, almost hesitant.

you had just stepped out of the shower, towel wrapped around your body, damp hair dripping onto your shoulders.

at the sound of his voice, you glanced up, eyes flicking to your phone in his hands.

when you saw what he was talking about, a soft smile tugged at your lips.

“i’ve had that as my lock screen since the evening it was taken.”

namgyu blinked. he looked down at the picture again, then back at you.

“wait, really? but that was… that was over a year ago.”

you nodded, walking over to him.

“yeah. i never changed it.”

namgyu felt his throat tighten. of all the pictures you could have chosen, you had chosen this one.

a picture from one of the most vulnerable times in his life.

a time when he still wasn’t sure if he was worthy of a second chance, of happiness, of you.

yet, you had seen something in him then that he hadn’t seen in himself.

setting your phone aside, he reached for you, wrapping his arms around your waist and burying his face in your neck.

you smelled like shampoo and warmth and everything safe in the world.

“you’re a great photographer,”

he mumbled, his voice muffled against your skin.

you let out a soft laugh, running your fingers through his hair.

“and you’re a good model.”

he huffed out a small chuckle, shaking his head.

“nah. you just make me look good.”

“you make yourself look good,”

you murmured, pressing a kiss to the side of his head.

“you always have.”

namgyu tightened his hold on you, his heart full in a way it hadn’t been in a long time.

he had spent so much of his life convinced that he wasn’t enough.

that no one would ever look at him and see something worth loving.

but you did.

you always did.

masterlist

[chronic-conjuring]

So this only really relates to @tellurfriends-im-the-threat comment but I think it kinda demonstrates how people who “work” with Lilith who aren’t Jewish think about her role in religious practices, her abilities and just how stupid it can be pretty well.

I know the person it’s talking about (I’ll refer to them as R) and they’re probably the most abusive ex-partner I’ve ever had. They’re also incredibly fucking stupid, acknowledges that they’re stupid, and then still thinks they’re the smartest person in the room. Which I think demonstrates the same kind of attitude a lot of people who work with Lilith have around many things but especially around Judaism and their appropriation of it.

See, the thing about R is that they use Lilith as an excuse to manipulate and sexually exploit people for funsies and regularly talks about doing this. Somehow I seem to be one of the very few who picked up on that even though they’ve basically admitted to it point blank. Literally stating that they try to use “Lilith’s influence” to toy with people they encounter at kink parties. They also “work” with Lilith in a very modern, non-Jewish way. Basically the exact same as they do with all the Norse gods they work with which are, or at least used to be, the only other deities they work with. Their reasoning for working with her and how they “use her influence” is that they claim she came to them asking to work with them, R also has said that they use her as a way to connect to their “dark feminine” and “take back sexual power” like a lot of other ill-informed people do.

The big thing I’m getting at here are that R is extremely irresponsible and culturally insensitive. R has made many assertions that they are not Jewish by any means, and says they’re mostly Slavic. They’re white as fuck, okay? And that the way they interact with Lilith as even a concept is extremely white-centered and I’d say they even fetishize her existence as just an excuse to mess with people sexually. They like to try and control people through sex, or at least they liked to try and do that with me. It just feels like a very apt way to look at how goyim interact with Judaism as a whole to me. (Admittedly I am not Jewish myself afaik, there’s evidence to suggest I am, but I am mixed Native American and what I’ve seen feels similar to how people appropriate my cultures. I do have Jewish family and that’s literally my Jewish girlfriend up there so I try to be informed and sensitive)

Anyways they literally used Lilith as an excuse to do what I gathered is a fucking love spell as the solar eclipse happened overhead last year, including writing Liliths sigil on a piece of paper, and burning that AND THEIR OWN BLOOD as an offering to her during said ritual. I cannot emphasize how much I am not joking here in the slightest. Which, again, I think demonstrates just how uninformed, self serving, ignorant, and disrespectful the people who’ve decided that Lilith is theirs to misappropriate, despite being told multiple times that it’s not their fucking lane to be in, are.

To be clear, I’m adding this because I think it compliments the fact that Autism2, and soooo many others, decidedly tried to argue that Lilith is just for anyone’s taking and for anyone to have like she doesn’t have a whole history and location of origin that’s notoriously closed. I find this to be kind of interesting as a large narrative these people have is that she’s a being for female sexual empowerment and sexual agency in the face of misogyny or whatever. And yet, ironically, they still take and use her. They use her image and name and strip it of all original meaning until what’s in front of them is almost completely different than what she began as. Which I find odd as many goyim I’ve seen work with her do it because they experienced SA, and/or had their agency taken from them in some way. And yet, they do the religious equivalent to her themselves.

The fact that R “works” with Lilith on the basis of reclaiming sexual agency when our entire relationship they essentially tried to force me to have sex with them (on their terms and their terms only at that) just felt like an extremely useful as a comparison to how I’ve seen a lot of people use Lilith. It’s disgusting and downright shameful imo, and they all need to do better. It’s really not that hard to stay out of other people’s closed practices. There’s plenty of open ones that have their own version of what you’re looking for that’s not a warped shadow of CLOSED source material.

To all those people: Do better.

Lilith being closed is something that was popularized by zionist aligned bloggers, and is a fringe theory, not a monolithic rule. Lilith is open

I had anon messages turned off for months. I literally turned them back on today, and I immediately get antisemitic bullshit in my inbox. Was this just coincidence, or were you like camping out, reloading and waiting for me to open asks back up?

Because it really looks like the former, and that's incredibly pathetic.

Judaism is a closed ethnoreligion. Judaism and Zionism are not the same thing. Lilith is a figure born exclusively from Jewish folklore. I did a whole fucking podcast on that. When you take from a closed culture you are not a part of, it makes you an asshole.

Go fucking look in a mirror and maybe take stock of shit. It's really easy not to be a shithead, so maybe take five minutes and reassess.

[suzukiblu]

Day four of February’s second weekly WIP behind the cut; “mistaken identities and interdimensional refugees”. (( chrono || non-chrono ))

“You ran really fast, like I’ve never seen anybody not a Flash run that fast, like I think you might’ve actually been faster than Jai and Irey and like my dad just flies when he’s moving that fast!” Jon rambles, kicking his feet against the bottom of his seat and seeming excited again, and Kon doesn’t really have the heart to interrupt him. The kid doesn’t seem as freaked-out or scared as he did before, so if spending the drive raving about watching a giant croco-dude get his shit rocked is enough to distract him from worrying about what’s going on, Kon’s not gonna cut him off. 

Just it’s–weird, kinda. The version of Jon he’s used to is a much quieter, more reserved guy, and he’s never known the dude well enough to figure out if he’s holding back or masking his reactions or if he’s actually just like that. The whole “volcano-trauma” thing would imply the former, but Clark doesn’t even seem to think Jon’s all that fucked-up from it, so, like . . . maybe he was quiet like that as a kid too? 

Or maybe, like, Clark is once again totally failing to see somebody else in an “S” being, like . . . fucked-up and needing help themselves for once. 

Not that Kon would know anything about that, or anything. 

Like, definitely Batman’s version of you don’t get to fuck up in this line of work is a lot harsher-looking, and definitely it’s not soft by any fucking stretch of the imagination, but it sure as fuck was a day when Kon’d first had the thought that Batman expects the other Bats to live up to standards that he’s spent weeks and months and years personally teaching them, and Clark kinda just . . . expects other Supers to be up to Superman-standards, but not in a way where he really ever, like . . . taught them those standards. Like–they were just supposed to fucking know, apparently? Like that’s a thing they all just came pre-installed with no matter how they got made or where they grew up? 

Also, Clark literally never taught him a fucking thing about his powers, and not really Kara either as far as he knows, and sure as shit didn’t give Kenan or even Mae and Linda back in the day all that many tips or whatever, and it’s like . . . at least Batman fucking tells people what he expects. Like, mostly, anyway. Batman has fucking dossiers of what he expects.

Maybe Jon got that, though. Got–told shit. Like, found out what the fucking standards actually were before they were immediately relevant or it was already too late or they were getting a disappointed lecture over shit they hadn’t known even mattered, much less mattered enough to be a fucking problem. 

Or like, how literally any of the goddamn Kryptonian powers worked. 

There’s a reason that Kon runs like a speedster; a reason that a very significant chunk of the fighting techniques and tactics that he knows are Greek or Bat in origin, if they’re not either Cadmus-uploads or tips he got from Guardian when they were working together back in the day. 

Or, like, that he got from Knockout, but “yeah I think that throw came from Granny Goodness” is, like, not a conversation he’s ever wanted to have with anyone. 

There’s also a reason that most of the shit he says that people assume he got from Superman he got from Ma and Pa in the, like . . . two lousy years he spent getting in their way at the farm, not Clark. Mostly he doesn’t repeat the “lessons” he heard from Clark, because he doesn’t like remembering how shitty he felt hearing them and really doesn’t wanna make anyone else feel that shitty either. 

It’s whatever, anyway. The League doesn’t really cross the streams or whatever, but the Titans have learned a little from each other, and Young Justice has learned a little more from each other. That’s all. Comes from, like, actually growing up together or whatever, he’s always figured. The Leaguers didn’t team up ‘til they were all real stuck in their ways, and they built the League around those ways, pretty much. And like, whatever, they’re the greatest heroes on the planet. 

But also if somebody told him he had to pick a speedster for a stealth mission, he’d definitely pick Bart or Wally over Barry Allen. 

Kon is really letting his brain run off on a fucking tangent here, but in his defense, it kind of feels like self-defense right now. It's think too much about shit he can't change and never could've or it's think about a version of Jon grinning up at him like he's the coolest thing he's ever seen, like he's–like he–

The kid thinks he's his fucking dad, Kon reminds himself harshly. He doesn't know who the fuck he is. Hell, he apparently doesn't even have a version of him in his reality. So like–obviously he thinks it's cool to see his “dad” fist-fight a crocodile dude in the middle of a fucking interdimensional crisis. Like–obviously, yeah. Very much so obviously. 

He's not seeing . . . anyone else when he sees him. 

Anything else. 

Like–the kid's just seeing his dad. Not his . . . anything else. 

Well, his own Jon doesn't see him as anything else either, so that's pretty SOP either way.

[aheathen-conceivably]

Antoine had barely been home a week when he received a worryingly short letter from Abe. The local postman had delivered it from Hines Ranch directly to his door, but its brevity read like a telegram.

Trouble with horses. When home, could use help. 

If there was anyone he had never expected to hear the word “help” from, it was Abe. So the very next morning he put on his hat and made his way to the ranch. The anxious side of him spent every step imagining what could have gone wrong, fearing that the ranch itself was in trouble, or God help them, something had happened to one of Abe’s children. So when Antoine saw Will and his sister laughing childishly near the fence, he breathed a small sigh of relief. Will waved at him fondly, nodding his head toward the pen where he said his father could be found.

From ten paces away Antoine could see Abe staring stoically into the distance. Immediately, he found it odd that he wasn’t amongst the horses, fearlessly attempting to wrangle one or humming off key while he kept them clean. As Antoine walked nearer he realized that Abe was looking at not one, but two horses. The bigger of which he knew like the back of his hand, but the other a small foal he had never seen before.

Antoine let out a small whistle as he drew close, just loud enough to get Silver’s attention without spooking her. The horse looked up at him with calm recognition in her eyes, but she made no move away from the smaller horse she was shadowing like a hawk. Abe turned at the sound of his boots, gesturing behind him at the horses. “She’s a beaut, ain’t she?”

Antoine’s feet came to a stop next to Abe’s. “She is. She one of yours?”

“Not exactly.” His words grew quiet, self conscious, even, if Antoine were to guess. “I was out in the canyon riding Banjo when I saw her. She was alone by the river bank, seemed to have an injured leg even from afar. I looked far and wide but I couldn’t find her mother. I imagine they were set on by coyotes in the night, but God knows how she managed to get free.”

A silent shake of his head told Antoine that Abe must have fretted over the details more than once. “Anyhow. She was mighty afraid of me, but Lord knows she was hungry. So I went back with a handful of food and led her back here. Bandaged her up and nursed her back to health. Only a couple days later I find her in Silver’s enclosure, and now she won’t let me anywhere near the foal.”

Antoine looked back to the horse he knew well, her beady brown eyes watching them from afar. Usually she would have walked to him by now, immediately recognizing his scent as her ever-present anger abated to trust. “She’s been fierce, Antoine. I swear to you I thought she would attack me that first night I tried to get the foal back. She won’t leave her side now. And I hate to do it to her but - “

Abe’s eyes found his feet and his voice went low. “Listen. It’s not the most honest thing I’ve ever done. I’ll admit. But that there’s a purebred American Quarter Horse. Bred for racing hundreds of years back. She’ll sell for more than any one of my herding breeds even at this age. Thing is, you know, most of the cowboys are on the show circuit now, so this is what they’re after. Hell I know I’m not the one to train her, so I lined up a deal with a show ranch. Not before talking with the neighbors, I swear it. If I knew who she belonged to I wouldn’t take the money but - I mean you know times are tough - and you saw Lillie Mae. She’s getting older. I could pay for her schooling with one sale. I think I’ve got to…”

The whole time Abe spoke, talking himself back into the deal with one reason after another, Antoine watched the two horses in the sun. Every few seconds, Silver would bring her muzzle to the foal, gently nudging her as though to ensure she was still there. He didn’t need any other motivation. “I’ll match their offer.”

Abe looked up from his feet and let out an incredulous laugh. “Hell you can’t be serious. How much are they paying you out there?”

Antoine smiled and shrugged, no need to tell Abe that this contract had come at double the rate of the first one, or that Jo had leveled a competing offer to get even more for their third after the fact. Abe whistled approvingly and then shook his head. “Listen, I appreciate the offer but you don’t need to do anything of the sort. I just need help keeping Silver calm while I get the foal to the show ranch. She’ll be alright in time. She’s a tough girl. You know that.”

Antoine turned to face him, his face impressing just how serious he was. “Listen. I’ve got one stipulation. And I know she was your grandfather’s, so if you don’t want to let her go then you just say the word; but I’ll match their offer only for them both. The foal and Silver. I’ll clean out the farm’s old barn, let her spend the rest of her days resting there.”

Abe smiled, clearly trying not to let his emotions get the better of him. “Play her a couple songs on that guitar, will you?”

“Every night I’m home. That’s a promise. Write it in the contract if it seals the deal.”

They looked back out to the field together, both horses trotting through the grass at their feet. “I’ll bring them over tomorrow, if that’s okay with you? Or if you need a bit more time -“

Antoine shook his head, a wide smile starting to take over his face. “No. Tomorrow is perfect. Just give me the evening to get the barn ready, and we’ll have them waiting to surprise Violette after school.”

Previous / Next

[laylaysdelusions]

Take care p1

When a star basketball player and a stripper meet under true intentions and a lie 

A/n: my first series!

The club lights gleam down on her dark hair as she moves across the stage, swaying her hips to the sensual music playing in the background. Her bra will hopefully soon be stuffed with 100 dollar bills. The club is in a decent part of town, usually the rich ones come here for their show. Tonight has been slow so far in terms of actual payers not just lookers. Riley feels the first real sack of cash thrown at her heel.

Her eyebrows softly crease when she realizes it’s 1k and she softly smiles. She looks in front of her to see who had thrown it. To her surprise it’s a young blonde woman, not the typical older man she comes across here. The woman makes eye contact with her for a moment and it stops Riley in her tracks. She’s got the face of a sculpted goddess, with her long blonde hair and angular features.

Riley tosses her a wink and continues her movements across the floor with the cash now stuffed in her purple bralette. About an hour passes and a few 50 dollar stacks are obtained but not much else. Her shift is almost over but she made 1k, that’s more than enough to pay for a good meal tonight and her bills in a few days.

11 pm swings around fast and soon Riley’s moving off the stage and into the dressing rooms. “Hey baby” Kelsey says. Kelsey is a couple years older than Riley and shes much more experienced with the whole stripping idea. She taught Riley how to make the most money fall at her feet and it’s definitely made her more comfortable around the club and the other girls. Riley responds with a “hey girl!” I mean this isn’t the greatest job but she’s made it home for now.

“How much ya get?” The redhead smirks. “1,200” Kelsey’s jaw falls open in shock. “Ry how hard were they, damn” it takes Riley a second to realize what she means and she slaps her shoulder. “What the hell kels” she rolls her eyes. “just saying!”

“It was actually a young woman that gave me the 1k” Riley says with a proud smile. “Really?? That’s rare” Kelsey’s face looks questionably at her. “Yeah, she was stunning and blonde, one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen” Riley says as the mirror light shines on her smooth brown skin. “That could’ve been your soulmate bae” Kels says bursting out into a laugh. “Definitely not she was way too rich to actually fuck wit a stripper”

“Well damn you’re probably right, ima head out for the night I’ll see you Friday, take care of yourself for me ok?” The woman’s red curls swing side to side as she reaches the door handle. “Good night see you soon” Riley responds back with a sigh. Now it’s time for her to head out. She pulled her coat over her shoulders and reapplied her peachy lip gloss. Her undereye bags show as she looks at herself in the full body mirror, she’s drained.

When she passes the bar area she notices something, more like someone, the same woman who she definitely wouldn’t forget. She seems to be arguing with the bartender. She stops in her tracks and suddenly they make eye contact. Riley feels the woman’s piercing blue eyes stare directly into her deep brown ones. It makes her shudder.

The blonde tells the bartender to hold on a second and starts to walk towards her. “Hey” her voice is deep and smooth. “Hey?” Riley replies, raising an eyebrow. “You’re the one I gave that stack to right?” She says so confidently it makes her brain twist. “Y-yeah” and for the first time in so long she’s stuttering. “You were and are absolutely stunning, you know that?” The woman says and it sends a shiver down her spine.

“Look I don’t do that kind of work if that’s what you’re going to ask for” Riley doesn’t need that tonight. “No- never! I wasn’t meaning to sound creepy, I just wanted to actually talk to you” the way she says it sounds genuine and she can feel it. “Well..sure” I mean what’s the worst that could happen Riley doesn’t have much of a life anyways. “I’m Alex” the woman tells her and they both subtly smile at each other. “I’m Riley”

“If you want I can buy you a drink, it’s on me” Riley agrees to a wine although most would call it boring Alex called it a good choice. They start a gentle conversation and the words naturally come out her lips which isn’t normal for Riley. She’s always been a little bit shy or awkward. In high school she stayed to herself because people were jerks and when she was in college classes she was too busy to enjoy the campus life. Now she’s got Kelsey and that’s all.

“So you in school?” Paige says and Riley shakes her head while she takes a sip of the wine. “Nope, dropped out freshman” the curly head’s face shines under the club lights delicately, looking beautiful as ever. Paige feels terrible and she knows it’s wrong but she can’t mess up the both of them with her reputation. Riley’s brown eyes look into Paige’s ever so often and it makes her heart glow. ‘Paige stop it’ the blonde says to herself.

“Hm what were you going for?” She asks, tasting her tequila shot. “Psychology” Riley answers, hoping not to be judged. Telling people that usually results in a rude comment about how she’s thrown her intelligence away for such a low job. “Oo that’s so cool! I love women with book and street smarts” Paige smirks making Riley’s body flush. She’s not used to embarrassing herself like this. I guess it’s easier to talk to men when you’re not attracted to them like women.

“Oh be quiet, it didn’t get me very far clearly” she sighs, motioning to the room surrounding them. “I mean hey at least you’re working” she shrugs to let Riley know she doesn’t mind. “It might not be the most glamorous job but you’re getting yo cash that’s good” Riley laughs and nods her head. She’s honestly mesmerized; she’s never seen a woman quite like this. She’s amazing with her words and her attitude on top of the looks.

The both of them are unaware of the subtle pass of time and suddenly it’s 1 am. “Oh shit I get home” Paige tells Riley when she realizes that Kk is gonna be on her ass about staying that late at a strip club. I mean what was she supposed to do? Kk invited her girlfriend over for the night. Trust and believe Paige didn’t want to be in the dorm during that.

“I better get going too, can I have your number?” Paige’s eyes light up at the ask. “Yeah of course!” They exchange numbers and say their goodbyes. “Goodnight Alex” Riley says, oblivious. “Goodnight” the player says back. On Paige’s drive home she felt the guilt start to eat at her. Really though, is a girl like Riley going to stick around? Probably not, it wouldn’t be that big of a deal anyway.

However on Riley’s drive home she can’t stop imagining what ‘Alex’ must actually feel. Who wants to have a genuine conversation with a stripper? Not many so Alex must have felt something. Riley rubs her temples as she pulls into her apartment parking spot. She can already hear her neighbors in an aggressive argument.

Her apartment is a madhouse because of her neighbors and the walls are thin so that definitely doesn’t help the issue. “I won’t be getting much sleep..” Riley tells herself as she sits her bag down on her bedside. She wipes her makeup off in her bathroom and just looks at her reflection for a moment. She needs a break from this mess but she can’t afford one at least for now.

[tillysketch]

Songbird in a Cage

Spawn Astarion x Female! Reader Oneshot (4k)

Summary: You've been thrown in jail, and its there that you meet a dear old friend of yours. This first part can stand alone, but the second will be 18+ fair warning.

@clericblood and I have been going insane in our dm's over writing ideas, and this one we just went nuts over. Here is their fic! :) Hope you enjoy both!

Part Two

Things are only getting worse each day in Baldur’s Gate. People are disappearing. Murders in broad daylight. Enver Gortash suspiciously rising to power, and his Steel Watch becoming a menace to society. You’ve even heard rumors of a mind flayer or two being seen in the sewers, and in the old windmill outside of town. People are becoming restless, and even trying to flee the city, but most choose to ignore it all.

Not you. 

You’ve always had a knack for music. You’ve been playing songs in the winding streets of the Gate for years. You even still perform at the Elfsong Tavern some nights. You decide to turn to the peoples’ ear with sweet unsuspecting melodies about the corruption and dangers happening beneath their noses. At first, it seemed to be working. The right people are noticing, and word is spreading about the odd goings on. And, you’ve been able to make a bit of coin in doing so. The Elfsong and its patrons have always been good to you. 

Now, there’s talk in the streets about a small band of adventurers that have caused quite a stir. Among them, a pale man with white hair who killed a clown at the circus in Rivington. Some people say it was a provoked attack, some say he lashed out after a bad joke on his own behalf… But when the fighting was over, some claim the body of the clown had transformed into a grotesque monster. You have to giggle to yourself about the whole thing. 

It stirs a memory of an old friend you had years and years ago. Another man who also had white hair, and too had a hatred for clowns. You’d teased him about it mercilessly back then. Even  dressed up as one, makeup and all, just to get a rise out of him one night. How he screamed and how you laughed, clutching your sides after jumping around a corner and spooking him half to death. 

That was over two hundred years ago, and you couldn’t believe it had been so long since you’d last seen your friend… He’d died tragically, too young. He’d been practicing law, and was murdered, you always suspected, by a mob he’d been at trial with but there was never any final pinned cause. 

He always came to the Elfsong on nights you were performing, said your voice was like a siren song luring him there. He’d drink, listen to you sing, and try to forget about the mountains of paperwork waiting for him back at his office. You were both so young, and naive; gods how you missed him, even now. 

This troupe, however, is gaining attention, and you are thoroughly intrigued. You start to sing songs about the group, calling them the Heroes of The Gate, here to save the city from the rising horrors.

‘These heroes though fearless be

Must also be cunning and witty

Though their actions bring some glee

Others find them quite shitty’ 

“Eh… could be better. I’ll work on it later.” You tuck your small notebook away in your coat pocket, and walk home from the park. You always did your best writing there. 

It’s only a few days of your little performances in the square when the Flaming Fist gets word of your little musings and performances, and you’re abruptly taken to Wyrm Rock Prison- quite a harsh punishment for someone just singing songs…

———

“What am I even in for? You can’t do this, I’ve done nothing wrong!” You demand, as your shackles are let loose, and you’re thrown into a damp stone-wall cell. The only light comes from the torches lining the edges of the cell block, but even with the small bit of glow, you can see illuminated beady eyes staring back at you from the edges of the darkness. 

Oh gods, you shiver. Rats. 

“That’s what they all say… ‘Let me out, I’m innocent!’ Or, ‘please I’ve got a family!’ But I know your type, troublemaker. You’re trying to cause unrest amongst our citizens.”

“I was just singing songs! You have no grounds to keep me here!” You plead through the bars, gripping them with both hands, if only you could pry them apart. 

“Tell that to the Archduke Gortash- the order to put you in here came directly from him. Now, shut it! Or I’ll cut out your little tongue, see how well you sing after that.” The guard snarls and turns on his heel. 

‘How the hells did my songs reach him? I must be more famous than I thought… Though, I should have made a fair bit more coin if that was the case.’

Alone, you retreat back into the far corner of your cell. Curling your knees up to your chest, you rest your head and softly hum to yourself to try and calm your racing thoughts. Surely you won’t be in here for long… right? That’s what you tell yourself anyway. You try to block out the sounds of small scurrying feet and hushed squeaking. 

———

The loud clanging of metal on metal wakes you with a start. Your mind scrambling as your heart jumps in your chest, pounding painfully against your ribs. 

“Meal time.” Through a small gap on the floor, one of the guards pushes a plate of bread and a cup of water towards you. 

Food… Your stomach twists and you leap towards the plate, snatching the bread and chewing greedily. It’s impossible to tell how long you’ve been down here- there’s no sunlight to indicate the passing of time. They give you water every couple of hours, but measly scraps of food- once a day. Maybe… when they remember. 

“Please, sir, what day is it? How long have I been down here?” You beg the guard.

“You’ve been here for five days. You have another twenty-five before you can leave,” he leans on the bars and gives you a look. “but, I could always arrange for you to be let out earlier, on account of good behavior.” He gives you a greasy sort of smile and a wink. He looks like he hasn’t seen a bath in weeks. Smells it too.

You’re not desperate enough to have any sort of ‘arrangements’ with a man that smells like he fucks mud covered pigs and likes it. 

“I’ll take my twenty-five days, thanks.” You sneer.

———

At every meal, (can you even call a simple roll of bread a meal?) you ask the guard what day it is. 

And on day thirteen, you hear them bringing another prisoner down into the depths. You feel your stomach drop and your neck grows hot and slick. What if they put that person in here with you? What if they’re a murderer? What if they’re a lunatic and they try to hurt you? You silently pray that they stay the hell away from you. 

You busy yourself with humming a tune from your childhood, and you feed a few of the rats some crumbs you’d saved from your last ‘meal’. Though terrified of them at first, they’ve grown to be your only friends down here. One even brought you three hair pins, like it was trying to thank you in its own rat way. Sweet little thing. 

Whoever is joining you down here is putting up quite the fight. Feet scraping against the stone floor, voices shouting, and a slew of curses exchanging between it all. They throw him into the cell across from yours, and you try not to be nosy by staring. But gods help you, you were never one for subtlety. Even with your elven eyes, the dark down here is unforgiving. That, and because of your lack of sleep and other basic needs, you can barely see into the other end of the cell. It’s a man, definitely. You only heard men shouting at one another when they brought him in.

When the two guards finally shove him in and lock his own gate, you turn your head and ignore them, hoping they forget you’re here and don’t bother you. At least for a while. That filthy flirtatious guard has come to you twice more since the first time, each time smelling more foul and rancid. Really, does he have something against bathing? 

A few minutes after the guards have left the man to rot down here, your eyes wander across the way, just to try and sneak a look at your new ‘housemate’. 

“What are you staring at?” His voice growls, making you jump a little. 

“Sorry… I’ve been alone down here for nearly a fortnight. The guards and rats aren’t much for company or conversation.”

“I see.” He sighs. “How long?”

“What?”

“How long do you have to be down here?”

“A month.”

“You’re halfway, you’ll be fine.” He snorts, dismissing your agony and loneliness with a wave of his hand. You can barely see his face, but not enough to make out any distinguishable features. His eyes though, they’re almost glowing in this awful dim. 

“How long do you have?” You ask softly. 

“Five years, but I suspect I’ll be out much sooner, should my friends actually gather the brains to help me.” 

A long moment passes by before you try to fill the awful silence permeating the air. 

“There’s rats down here by the way. They’re mostly harmless but I’d be wary and sleep with your shoes on. Had one nibble my toe the first night I slept.” You offer, in the hopes of making more conversation.

“Hah! This isn’t my first time being locked up with only rats for company.” He scoffs, and you almost think you recognize something in his voice. Like a memory of a dream- foggy but still… there. 

“Frequent prison cells do you?” 

“In a way…” 

Well that’s awfully vague. 

“What are you in for anyway?” He asks. 

You clear your throat before boldly telling him, “Singing…”

He barks out a short laugh. “…Singing? Come off it.”

“Well, that’s not the full extent but that’s what it comes down to.”

“A songbird in a cage…” He teases, and again there’s a flicker of something you recognize. 

“What were you singing about, little bird?”

“I, uh, I was singing about the times. The unrest, the Steel Watch, Gortash- I was trying to get the truth out, without getting into trouble.” 

“And that worked out very well for you, didn’t it?” His reply drips with sarcasm. 

“What about you? What are you in for?” You ask. 

“I threatened a few people, illegally snuck into the city with my companions, and I killed a clown.”

“I heard about that, that was you?” 

“I see my fame precedes me. Yes, that was me.” He chuckles dryly. Gods, why does his laugh sound so familiar? “So, you’re a performer, then?”

“Yes. I sing at the Elfsong some nights, if you’ve ever been there. I’d recommend it, if you haven’t.”

“Mm. I know it, it’s a uh, old haunt of mine.” 

The guard comes back and gives you your second ration of water for the day. A small silver cup with enough water to just wet your throat, and not a drop more, and hells- how you ached for more. 

Hours pass, and boredom burrows deep into your skull. You fiddle with the laces on your boots, tying and untying different knots over, and over again. As you do so, you hum to yourself, faintly, so as not to disturb your new neighbor. 

“I know that song…” His voice echoes across the way. “It’s an old elven tune from the Heartlands.”

“It is. You have quite the ear.” You remark, looking up.

“Will you sing it for me?” He asks softly. Never one to shy away from a crowd, you clear your throat and sing out loud the words.

‘For even in death will I find you,

I’ll kiss your cheek and sigh,

Had time been kinder to us,

I would have never said goodbye

You danced in the grass,

I sat under a tree,

You took my hand, 

and said dance with me

How I wish to dance with you now,

And hold you close to me,

I’d never let you go,

If only, if only’

Your voice echoes off the stone walls, and only the slow drip of water is your applause. 

“Sorry, my voice is a bit rusty-”

“Come into the light, please..” He urges, softly desperate.

You look across to his cell. There he stands against the bars, his face pressed between them. The man you fell in love with over two hundred years ago. The same white mop of curls, the same devastatingly beautiful face you could never forget. His eyes searching for you in the darkness.

“Astarion?” Your heart leaps to your throat. 

Your legs move before you do, standing and propelling you to your own cell bars. You press against them and stare out. 

It is him. 

Have you gone mad? Are you dreaming?

“It’s you…” He breathes. 

“H-how? You’re dead! You died!” Your eyes prick with tears and your throat closes up. How can this be happening?

“I did..” He replies sheepishly. 

“But then how-?” Surely this can’t be real.. Can it?

“I… I fear that might take some explaining.”

“Well, it’s not like we’re going anywhere…” 

————

He tells you everything, starting from the very beginning, when your lives were torn apart so abruptly. How he was beaten, left to die in the streets. He was on his way home after watching you perform. You had a few hours left in your set at the Elfsong, and needed the money from performing. You’d told him to hurry on ahead and you’d meet him at his townhome. 

He recounts how he’d forgotten to kiss you goodbye that night, and he’d regretted it every night since. Centuries had passed, and the fact he didn’t kiss you goodbye, that has stuck around in his skull like a blood stain on a white shirt. Your heart shatters hearing him speak about how he’d met his demise. It’s like he’s died all over again… 

He takes small pauses to swallow, steadying his voice; when he continues, he tells you about how he was turned, how he was kept in Cazador Szarr’s estate, locked up and beaten, and kept alive by feeding on rats of all things. It takes every ounce of courage he has to tell you about the people he lured back, but his voice reveals the pain he’s carried all this time. The shame, the guilt, the utter self loathing. The hatred he carries for himself and his master. 

Stretching your arm out from between the bars, you reach for him and he immediately does the same. Your fingertips brush against one another, just enough to feel his cool touch. 

He’s real. This is all real.

He lets his arm fall and you stare at one another. The silence between you two saying more than words could at the moment. Gods, how your heart aches to hold him, to kiss his face and feel his arms wrapped around you again. 

“Why didn’t you ever come find me after you were turned?” Your voice quivers, and heat burns your eyes as you try to keep your own emotions in check. 

“I was so afraid that I would hurt you. I… I didn’t want to find anyone from my life before. I was dead to you all, and I thought that was better than coming back as a monster.”

“You’re not a monster.” You choke, a tear spilling down your cheek. “I missed you so much…” You whisper, the tears now threatening to drown you. 

“I… I missed you too. Every single day, I’ve missed you.” His own voice is soft, but still dry. “There isn’t much I remember from my mortal years, but you… I remember how I loved you.”

“Can I ask you something?”  

“I’m sure you have many questions. So, yes, go ahead.” He smiles softly. 

“How come we never crossed paths over the last two hundred years? I mean, I never left the city. And if you’ve been here, well, and in the Szarr estate... Surely, we would have seen each other just once?”

“I kept to the shadows, and the seedier places of the Gate. Being a spawn, I couldn’t go out in the sunlight. Though, now with my tadpole, that has changed-” 

“Wait, tadpole?” You ask puzzled. 

“Oh, yes. I didn’t get to that bit. You believe me with everything I’ve explained thus far, yes?” He asks with a snarky grin. 

“I do. Why is this next part just utterly insane?”

“Well... Yes, actually.” He replies. “About five months ago I was captured by mind flayers and infected with an illithid parasite- a tadpole. This has interrupted the connection between myself and Cazador, and has broken some of the vampire rules for me. For the first time in so long, I am living. Truly living.”

“It's true then- the illithid invasion is real.. Hah! Wait- how have you not grown tentacles yet and become a squidface?” You ask, trying to wrap your head around it all. 

“One of my friends, another person that was captured, she has a prism that has been protecting us all from changing.” He explains his entire journey here, through the Emerald Grove and the Goblin camp. Then the Underdark, going through the Shar temple, fighting against shadows and an Orthon. Shadowlands, Rethwin Town, the Harpers... All of it. Up until arriving in the Gate and being thrown in jail. It takes hours, but you don’t care in the least. Hearing him, his voice again. You could listen to him read out of one of his old law school textbooks, and you wouldn’t care about the boredom. 

“We need to get you out of here then, if you really are going to save Faerun.” You smile at him, and sigh, “Any ideas of how we can do so?”

He sighs in reply, and he looks up, contemplating an escape plan. “If I had something small, I could pick the lock. But-” he looks around his small cell. “I have nothing. Anything over there, darling?”

“Would a hair pin work?” You ask, sliding the few pins from your hair, allowing your bun to fall out and drop around your shoulders. You pass them through the bars to him,his log fingers just barely able to snag it from your own. 

“Yes, that’s perfect.” He takes it and puts it in his pocket. “I’ll start after the guard comes by next.”

“Makes sense... How did you learn how to pick locks anyway?” 

“When you’re locked in chains as frequently as I have been, you learn by necessity.” He retorts. “I’ve been doing all of the talking. What have you been getting up to all these long years?”

“Oh, nothing exciting. I still perform at the Elfsong most nights, and in the square too. I live in my own house, I have a cat. I’ve actually had twelve cats over the last two hundred years...” 

“Twelve??” He laughs. “Any other loved ones in your life, or are they all pets?” 

“If what you’re asking is ‘do I have anyone else in my life’ the answer is no, not as of late.” You snark with a half smile and raised brow. Though so much has changed for both of you, it feels so good to be talking to him again; instead of talking to his headstone and pretending he could hear you. 

“That truly baffles me. How has no one swept you off your feet and smuggled off with you away from all of this?”

“Oh, others tried but I never really clicked with anyone over the years.” You reply casually. It’s a half truth. You certainly have loved many other people since you and Astarion were together, and you almost married one of them. But, something inside your heart never let go of him. You could call it sentimentality or hells, even puppy love, but you truly never did find someone else that understood you and loved you the way he did. 

“But, what about you? Did you ever find true love?” You ask and you hate yourself for even doing so, but you hate waiting for his answer even more.

“No.” He shakes his head. “No, I didn’t. I had many ‘lovers’ but even calling them that is too generous. Dalliance is probably more accurate.”

“I see..” You nod, a bit of relief filling your heart. 

“How often do the guards come by?” He asks, trying to look down the corridor. 

“Not too often, when they remember anyway. But, what do we do if we can actually escape? We can’t-”

“Done.” He pushes on his gate and it swings open, and he immediately sets to work on your side. Your heart races in your chest as you watch his nimble fingers push and fidget with the lock. Standing just on the other side of the bars, you catch the faintest hint of citrus and herbs. He still has that same smell to him, and now your heart races for different reasons entirely. Memories and old feelings come rushing back to the surface, bubbling and spilling over the sides like a pot of water left on the stovetop. When your own door finally opens with a screech, your heart drops to your stomach. 

“Shit, that was too loud!” You panic. Astarion grabs you by the arms, pulling you from your cell. He twists one of the gold bands from his fingers and places it on your own index finger. 

“This is an enchanted ring, it has an invisibility spell in it, it doesn’t last very long, so I need you to stay right by my side, and don’t make a noise.” He holds your hands so delicately and you nod your understanding. “That’s my girl.” He gives you that same wicked grin you had once fallen in love with, only now it’s much sharper you notice. He moves your thumb over the ring and makes you squeeze it against your finger, instantly making your hand vanish before your eyes. You look down at where your feet should be, and there’s nothing. Astarion follows suit and dissolves into the air. You feel his cold hand pull you to his side and you shuffle on tiptoe down the hall, careful as to not make a single noise. It's not a particularly wide corridor, and when the guard passes you, Astarion pushes you against the wall, and presses his own body to yours, so as to give the other man a wide berth to walk around the two of you. 

This is so weird... I can feel his breath on my face, but he’s just gone.

The second the guard passes the two of you, he snakes his arm around your back and continues to usher you out of the prison. Past two snoozing guards and around the ajar front gate, softly padding up the steps, and then finally out into the warm afternoon sun. He doesn’t stop though, not till you two are hidden away in a side alley near the Flophouse. You feel him guide you to the back of the small building, and push you against the wall. You let out a sigh as the spell wears off seconds before his own does. 

His face is much closer to your own than you would have expected, so much so that you’re sharing the same air as you try to catch your breath. The two of you can’t stay here though, you’re still far too close to the prison, and surely they will come after you any moment now. That doesn’t stop you from letting your eyes drink in his face. He’s still just as handsome as you remembered him to be. But there’s dark circles under his now crimson eyes, and his face no longer holds the lively pink it used to. Despite the circumstance, you can’t help thinking about his lips, and how much you want to kiss him. 

“We need to keep moving.” You murmur, inches away from his face looking down at you. 

“Always the sensible one.” He grins. He clears his throat and steps away from you. “Sorry, I forgot myself for a second there. But you’re right we, uh, we should keep moving.”

“We can hide out at my house for the night, and then we’ll figure out how to get you reunited with your friends.” You smile at him. 

“Lead the way, darling.”

Borders by @thecutestgrotto

Thanks for reading! - Tilly <3

[tonysbed]

Secrets I keep | Part 15

Lando Norris x sister!reader

Max Fewtrell x norris!reader

Daniel Ricardo x Norris!reader

summary: You and Max have been dancing around your feelings for years but jealousy gets the best of us all..

warnings: the internet is horrible, slut shaming

not proofread

series masterlist | previous | next

-

“Us?” Max sat up a little straighter “Okay..sure” You looked at him with concern “I don’t know how long I can keep doing this..It’s just so.. I don’t know how to describe it. And kelly told me to talk to you about it and..” You sigh.

Max’s jaw clenched, eyes searching your for anything, anything that proves he’s hearing it wrong.

“You’re not..breaking up with me, are you?” He asked quietly, vulnerable and for the first time in a long time, you see tears welling up in his eyes that he chockes down as well as he can.

“What? No!” You turn to him and take his face in your hands “Why would you think that? I’m talking about Daniel and the risk of someone else outing us. We’re not the most popular people, but we’re still known..”

“Oh..yeah of course” You tilt your head “Why would you think I would…That’s ridiculous” You say quietly. Max nods “I know, it just sounded so serious and..I don’t want to loose you” Liar.

He really didn’t want to loose you, but he also knew everything was perfectly fine between you…right?

“I just want to think forward and see if we should come out with our relationship before anyone else does” Max nods “Maybe we should”

“It’s not like people aren’t on us. I’ve seen two or three comments, suspecting we’re soft launching each other, which is true but.. they don’t know that” You chuckle and max smiles.

“Alright. Let’s do it, hmm?” He smiles “You mean now? A hard launch?” He shrugs “Why not? It’s not like anything will change if we wait”

You nod and hesitantly pull out your phone. Max looks through your camera roll with you and you select a few pictures.

“Alright, there is no going back if we do this now” You look at your phone and then at Max. He smiles gently and pulls you in for a kiss “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” “No I do, it’s just gonna be a lot. I already know what people are gonna say.”

“Are they in our relationship? Are they sitting next to us?” “No” “That’s how much they matter” He brushed a strand of hair away from your face.

You quickly pressed the post button and put your phone on silent. You passed it onto the couch table “How about we finish dinner and then look?” Max asks, still brushing his fingers through your hair.

“Yes, that sounds amazing”

-

yn

liked by carlossainz, kellypiquet, oscarpiastri and 1 m others

yn Alexa, play ‘ordinary’ by alex warren 💜

*tagged maxfewtrell*

logansargent WHAT

alexandrasaintmleux cuties ❤️

user ah, first daniel now max, who’s next?

user famous brother isn’t enough? What a slut

kellypiquet fav couple 💜

user Omg I knew itttt

user perfect enemies to lovers 🥹

user they compliment each other so well 👏

franciscagomez you no longer have to 3rd any of our dates, DOUBLE DATES YESS

user hm, and lando is neither in the likes nor comments..

-

landonorris

liked by danielriccardo, estebanocon, mclaren and 1 m others

lando keeping it real 🙂‍↕️😉

user ohhh he shooting

user what kind of circus is this?

danielriccardo 🤪🤪

mclaren reunited 🤩

user no sight of yn or max, something is definitely wrong

user good for you two! You don’t need backstabbing siblings and friends 👏👏

user she’s such a bitch, ruining everyone’s friendship

-

f1gossip

f1gossip It’s about to get interesting! Earlier in the day, Yn norris and Max Fewtrell officially announced that they are a couple. There was no support shown from her brother. The couple unfollowed the mclaren driver after he posted Pictures with Ex-teammate and rumoured (ex) boyfriend Daniel Riccardo of Yn from last year! Did the norris duo split due to the new couple? Did Yn actually cheat on Daniel with Max?

user this is crazy

user always knew she was just in for the fame

user does she even work? Lando was probably paying for everything.

user she actually graduated top in her class at university and took a break before wanting to go into her field

user Fewtrell is such a backstabber. His best friends sister? Lame.

user am I the only one who thinks they’re cute?

-

“This is ridiculous! They all side with him” Alexandra put her hands on her hips and threw her phone on the table. You don’t say anything, staring at the table. After you and Max finished eating, Alexandra and Charles came over, wanting to check on you after neither of you answered their phones.

“Have you spoken to your mom?” Charles asked “No” You say quietly “Maybe you should at least do that? I’m sure she already tried contacting you” Max says gently.

You turn your head to look at the couch table, where your phone was still laying from earlier. You sigh and get up, seeing if your mom had texted, which she did.

-

You and Max did exactly what your mom said. Lay low and don’t let it get to you. It was the only right thing you’d have to do.

“I was thinking..maybe opening a new account” You say quietly as you draw patterns on Max’s chest “For instagram?” You nod “But like just friends. I still wanna share my life with my friends but not have everyone watch us” He smiles and kissed your cheek “Sure, that sounds nice”

You lay your head down as his fingers draw comforting circles onto your back “Didn’t you have a stream planned for today?” “Cancelled it. I’m not reading the bullshit they’re writing about you.”

You look at him from your laying view “Thank you” He looks at you “For what?” “For being here, not leaving me..” His eyes softened “We went against our own feelings, to not hurt his feelings, now he won’t even hear what you have to say about your feelings. I’ll forever be by your side”

You tear up a bit and smile, lifting your head up “I love you” It slips out before you can stop it. Colour drains from your face “Oh uhm- I mean-“ Max pulls you in for a gentle kiss.

As he pulls away, his forehead rests against yours “I love you too”

-

maxfewtrell added to their story

quadrant

liked by riabish, keeganpalmer, angryginge13 and 729.539 others

quadrant We are sad to announce that Max and Yn are leaving the Quadrant Family. We only wish the best for these two and they’ll always be a part of us 💛

user the hard launch, The landan pics, the unfollowing, max’s story and now this? Oh something definitely went down

riabish :(((

user rightfully so. They don’t deserve it.

user fucking fame addicted assholes

user nooooo

user imagine we would’ve gotten a couples shoot. It would’ve been iconic

user to fuck your best friends sister is nothing to be proud of

user she ruined a life long friendship just to get dicked down. Slut honestly

-

yn deleted 56 posts

yn followed norris.yn

maxfewtrell followed norris.yn

-

a bit short I think..? But oh well, Max has no one told you that not being honest is gonna make things worse when you’re partner is unaware 👀

I feel like this is fast paced.. Is is fast paced or is it just me?

[maxdibert]

I disagree with your previous post. I think Snape was an abuser because abuse comes in many forms, not just physical. Abuse shames the victim, makes them feel small, and is something done frequently. It is a repetitive process of humiliation, degradation, undermining confidence, and abusing power through intimidation tactics. It is even worse when it comes from someone in a position of authority over the victim.

Harry and Neville were abused by Snape. I'm not saying he abused others, he probably didn’t. With other students, he was likely just strict and intimidating. But in the case of Harry and Neville, he was an abuser. And no, Neville did not deserve it just because he was bad at Potions, nor does that downplay Snape's actions.

That’s not to say I’m discrediting Snape’s own abuse, the pressure he was under, or the things he sacrificed and endured. I do understand and sympathize with him. But objectively, he was an abusive asshole, and that is a valid reason to hate him. Even if people understand all the nuances, as well as the economic and social oppression present in his character, it is perfectly fine to hate him simply because of his attitude.

Of course, many people who hate him are immature and have not fully understood his character, but some have. I myself am sometimes annoyed and disgusted by him, even if I empathize with him and find him interesting at the same time.

I’ve had teachers who didn’t like me and I’ve had abusive teachers, and it’s not the same thing. There are teachers who clearly don’t like you, and like any human being, they have their flaws and don’t know how to hide it as they should. Those are people who clearly shouldn’t be teaching, but it’s also true that this isn’t necessarily abusive behavior. I had a teacher who couldn’t stand me, and it was obvious from a mile away, and he didn’t even try to hide it, but that was nothing compared to the teacher who called students idiots, morons, gave them clearly humiliating nicknames, and systematically called them by those names.

It also had no comparison to the teacher who every week picked a student who, in his opinion, was terribly dressed, made them stand on the stage, and commented on their appearance from head to toe. It wasn’t remotely like the teacher who openly tried to flirt with 16-year-old students or the one who directly “brushed” the butts of 13-year-olds. Maybe it’s my own biased perspective of what abuse is, because I come from a background where someone like Snape would have been considered simply a jerk, but compared to the others, we would have seen him as one of the least problematic.

The thing is, I’ve seen quite tricky situations that didn’t involve physical abuse, like a primary school teacher telling a 7-year-old boy that his parents didn’t love him because if they did, they would have enrolled him in catechism. Or another telling a child he was a donkey for not knowing the two-times table and literally forcing the rest of the kids to sing a humiliating song about him for half the class.

I went to a Catholic school in the early 2000s, and that was basically a survival course for dealing with abusive adults. Snape being a jerk reminds me of a literature teacher I had who would make sarcastic and slightly humiliating comments to students who read mainstream books. And honestly, we saw him as one of the most tolerable things we experienced in those years.

[slippinmickeys]

I have come to you for information, O Wise One. o.o

Can you outline what is normal and not when it comes to showrunners, producers, and executive overhead? For example: what was normal, what was abnormal, and what expected in Chris's battles with Fox? How much control was he already expected to have before The X-Files took off? What are lies or obfuscation on his end? What is the truth behind his claims? Or how can one decipher without an intimate knowledge of behind-the-scenes workings? (For my part: lots and lots of interview deep-diving.)

He often said he had to protect his vision from outside forces... but as far as I've seen, CC ended up getting his way most (if not all) of the time. On the one hand, I get preserving inspiration to keep an endeavor close to one's own "truth"... but on the other, it seems his protective streak went into overdrive more often than not. And, even more often than not, when it wasn't warranted. (I get it stems from his childhood circumstances and etc., but there comes a time when leniency needs to be met with reality. )

I'm not really sure what I'm asking because I don't know what to ask. So. I lay this out to you and hope you can spot and inform my ignorance. :DDDDDDD

I’m not that wise, I’ve just been around the game a long time, have a lot of friends who write for film and television (including showrunners) and have seen a lot. With the initial caveat of pointing out that I have far more experience in film than I do in television—I’m certainly not an authority, though I’ve been around the block—I do feel like I can at least speak to what I’ve seen.

As I’m sure you already know, in television, showrunners are the ultimate authority. They oversee not just the creative direction of the show—running the writers room, hearing pitches on story, shooting down bad ideas, running with good ones—but also the budget, the physical production, post, everything. They’re the intermediary with the studio, who hold the purse strings, and can wield some control, but if you’re a wily enough showrunner, you find a way to get your way, and I think Chris Carter is as wily as they come. It’s a hard job. You have to wear a lot of hats and juggle a lot of everything, and the burnout rate is HIGH. For someone to last as long as Chris Carter has and did (on a show that got as big globally as almost any show ever has) speaks to his capability and guile. (I speak to his capability and guile as Hollywood animal, by the way, I have as many problems with his choices on story and show direction as anyone else.)

Before the show took off, he still would have had a decent amount of power, just in the inherent nature of Showrunner As Position. And Fox was such a young network at the time, I think he was probably a very capable smooth talker, able to navigate his way in order to get his way amongst the various machinations of a studio that was still finding its way. As the show got big and the network got bigger, I think he was given the benefit of the doubt…a lot. I can’t speak to all the battles he had with the network, but I think we have to take him at his word that he won most of them. For better or worse. This was a man who made Fox a LOT of money. I think he’s a guy who knew how to navigate the system he was in and ultimately stayed on top of the snow in every avalanche.

As for lies, truth and obfuscation on his end? I can’t speak to that. I wasn’t there, I don’t know. I can only follow the things that happened as were reported at the time—as you are so capably (honestly, I bow to your skill) doing now, all these years later. You ask how one can decipher these things without an intimate knowledge of behind-the-scenes workings? One can’t. behind-the-scenes workings are different on every show, within every network, and things now don’t work exactly like they used to due to the nature of the ever-evolving beast. Bottom line, only those who were there really know.

What I can say is that I have spoken to him in an intimate setting (as intimate as you can get eating lunch with twenty other people, though I sat directly across from him, and due to the nature of my life experience and job, wasn’t as nervous as I think some of my peers were, so I feel like I was able to absorb a lot), we spoke mainly about the show, and a lot of the stuff he told us “Clyde Bruckman’s prediction of Scully’s immortality informed all the choices I made after that, including Tithonus!” I fucking believed it as I was sitting there. (In retrospect I’m kind of like “…god, really?” But he has an undeniable charisma. And I gotta say, I get why he got his way.)

I wish a lot of things when it comes to this show and his choices. I wish he’d kept a show bible, for one. (“I don’t know, I’m not a psychologist.” JESUS FUCKING CHRIST) But I do respect a lot of what we DID get, and I think we have to give credit where it’s due. Even if David Duchovny and Kim Manners and Gillian Anderson and whoever else wielded their influence where they thought it was necessary. The buck stopped at Chris Carter. That’s just the nature of the television beast. And for a man to survive in his position as long as he did…that man had some serious game. Again, for better or worse.

I’m not sure I answered your questions. Maybe I’m talking completely out of my ass. But this is how I see it.

[lilyofporcelain]

DWC - 12 Feb - Day 4 - Salty / Euphoria

From the tattered wear of a most unpleasant man who had seen better days, better months, and better years. 

When was it that I lost feeling? Was it when our hands laced for the last time? Was it when your blood leaked from you and seeped into my leathers? Was it when you breathed your last and turned so pallid? Was it when your body stiffened as I held you to me? Perhaps it was the day I culled House Ianlar. The day that I inherited that young girl. Kelani. The day she thought I was so great, so grand. The day I realised I could use her. And I did. Until she was of no more use to me. Good men don’t use others. I’m not a good man. I’ve never been a good man. I came into the world rotten and I will leave it just as rotten. But there are worse men than me. At least I don’t pretend to be something I’m not. What would you think of me now? You’d just see the man I was when our marriage was arranged. The same disinterested man who cared for nothing except himself. Impressive, I know. Soryk, the Left Hand of Fate. It’s a stupid, arrogant self-proclaimed title that I’ve always used to make myself seem like more than I actually am. A good way to get others to hire me. ‘Oh, how exciting. The Left Hand of Fate. He sounds so mysterious.’ It’s all a pile of lies. There’s no such thing. There never has been such a thing. It’s just something of my own making. The rest of the world turns on these stupid ideas of unity and togetherness. That too, is just a great big coping mechanism for people who don’t want to acknowledge the truth. Fact of the matter is, most of us probably won’t ever see a full life or experience whatever real happiness is. It’s just a little story that we tell ourselves to get from one day to the next. I can’t live for that. And I don’t. The only things I can rely on are these hands of mine. The tang of blood and sweat on my tongue. The acrid flame and smoke in my chest. It’s not joy, but it’s the closest I’ll ever come to be. It’s the only time I ever feel alive. I’m an empty, dead man without you, but I’m an empty, dead man still walking. I’m an empty, dead man with blades at my side. I’m an empty, dead man who’s found meaning in the tearing of flesh, in the carnivorous appetite shared between survivors. Maybe I’ve been happy all along.

@daily-writing-challenge

[rebelssvy]

the head knight ✧.*

fantasy! kirishima x reader

*ೃ༄

summary: smuttyyyy kiri is an EATER. you work in a pleasure house and he comes to steal you away at one condition. he HAS to make you feel good.

this is my first take on the whole fantasy world. so far i have soooo many ideas. can’t wait to write more :))

you were nothing but a mere whore used up by random knights of passers by. the magic in your heart was drained and nothing could light the flame that was dim within you. war and war again took everyone you loved, the struggle for money left you with little options. you needed to live.

selling your soul to the whore house was the clear option. men loved you, no reason not to get paid for your actions. the ways they loved you though, it wasn’t love. you were used. time after time they would use your body and leave without second thought. it’s not that it bothered you, but you knew the feeling of love was fleeting from your body.

until he came along. one of the best knights your lonely kingdom has seen in years. wielding nothing but a sword he was known for killing with his hands. the sword was more of a accessory. his hair was on the longer side and scars were prominent along his body.

you treated him just like any other client. this was your job.

sporting a long lacey lingerie that resembled more to a dress. you lay in the bed plush with feather pillows. waiting for your soul to be taken apart yet again.

without a knock at the door a man the size of the frame walked through. you had seen in of course, on the day you spent away from the pleasure house. he stuck out among the crowed. no matter how tall you are, he towered above you.

he stumbled when he played his eyes upon you. a slight stagger on his feet that you noticed, you took it as soreness from his battles.

before you could say anything, his voice picked up just a whisper. “what’s your name..?” his deep voice was hushed.

“y/n. but you can call me anything you want here. my name is yours.” you said crawling to the foot of the bed.

he moved closer to you, standing above you almost inbetween your parted legs. “y/n…” he repeated. “that’s a beautiful name.” the slight blush on his face made you smile. he was sweeter than most.

“can i ask you your name?” you said looking up at him. you were certain you were truly stunning right now.

“kirishima ejjirou. call me eijirou, head knight of the academia.” he said bringing a hand up to your face. his calloused fingers were rough and they touched your push skin.

“well, ‘head knight of the academia’..,” you joked before finishing your reply. “i’m yours for as long as you want me, eijirou.”

you could here is breath stop for just a second. almost a gasp. you swear you also heard him praise the Gods before leaning down and pressing his lips to yours.

it wasn’t like the kisses you normally receive, it was loving, lacking of lust.

“if i make you feel good, genuinely in our moments together, be truthful, because i would spend the rest of my life with you.” he said after parting lips. you gasped at his words.

“you don’t know me, eijirou. you don’t want a life with me.” you said hushed, your body felt hot and tears pricked at your eyes. your whole nervous system felt like it had flipped on its head. “i am a lowly girl from a pleasure house. know that.” you said looking away from him.

he used his hand to tilt your face back to his, you had to look at him.

“you are the prettiest person i’ve ever seen. please y/n, i’ll beg even. please. i would fight a million wars for you if it meant i could come home to your face.” he had now dropped to his knees, his face lied on your thighs. “let me get to know you.”

instead of giving him a verbal answer, you moved slowly, picking up his head and gently standing him up. you both came to your feet. you moved his body onto the bed, his head resting on the pillows. stripping him of his clothing. he was truly huge.

“you want to please me? show me you can. and after wards you can make your choice on wanting to wife me or not.” you stood firm, deciding you shall give him your body. the catch was it was going to almost impossible for him to wife you, because you weren’t going to be pleased by him today. no whatever he did wasn’t going to be enough. could he please you? you didn’t think so.

“y/n. i will make you my wife.” the words sent shudders down your spine. why is he so perseverant to this?

before you knew it you were flipped on your back. the plush mattress hitting your skin. his lips were back on yours in no time. but this time there was somthing different about them. there was a passion, a certain type of yearning that could only be expressed through action. his wet tongue worked its way into your mouth. fighting dominance with yours.

his head worked its way down your neck, leaving hot open mouthed kisses on your skin. nipping and kissing you, like he was about to eat you whole. he kept kissing until he was right about your core. now suddenly away of how wet you were, you moved your legs together to set water on your fire. you couldn’t let him please you. he didn’t want to live with you, he was blinded by lust.

his head parted from your body slightly, his eyes boring up at you. just for a second. before his hands works fast and strong. parting your legs, right infront of his face. you could feel his warm breath on your core.

“so fucking wet..” he breathed. it was harsh and fast, his face pressed into your core. it was still clothed and yet the pleasure was overwhelming. taking sloppy breaths into your cunt he smelled everything. he was feeding off you. he parted slowly, almost like he was struggling to get away from your sent. “may i?” he said softly, looking at the undergarments. you shook your head yes.

once you were fully unclothed, the two of you stood on your knees on the bed. he kissed you hard, bringing his hands up to body.

“sit on my face.” he demanded, not in a mean way. but in a way that he craved you so badly he might die without you.

his head hit the bed and his body lay flat, sprawled out. his hands found your thighs guiding them to his body. “cmere…” he moaned, your body was above his now, almost cunt flat on his face. you slowly lowered your body over his, hesitating slightly. “fuckkk come on y/n, please” he begged. and so you did, you sat down on his face. his handsome face that was now lapping your slick up beneath you. your back arched and you moaned out.

at the sounds coming out of your mouth, the knights hips buckled up, jerking at the sound. his tongue licked and lapped your juices. he groaned into you. the vibration making your upper half buckle forward. falling down hands now resting on his thighs. you were now face to face with the biggest cock you had ever seen. and god, it was beautiful. his tip was red, looking like it needed to be touched.

you couldn’t help yourself, you picked his cock up. taking it into your hands. you gave him a good tug. gathering the spit in your mouth and drooling it over his member.

the noise he made from inbetween your legs was inhuman. he moaned loud, and his hands clamped down on your thighs. pushing your cunt farther on his face.

“god! ah-eiji-ah!!” you screamed out. the pleasure was too much. it was too good. he was about to win a war he didn’t know he was fighting.

you tried to get off him, but he was too strong. his head moved with your spasms. every time your body jerked he moved with you. there was no running away from him.

“i’m-i’m gonna cum! ah-!” your body racked as you orgasmed. your cunt rubbed back and fourth on his face. you could feel his tongue lay flat on you, your folds being spread apart by his mouth. he didn’t stop eating you out, infact, you felt his hands move. his fingers prodded at your entrance. the pleasure couldn’t get better, until his fat fingers started pumping in and out of you and a relentless pace. his mouth suctioned its way onto your clit. you saw stars. every sound in the world wiped away at your pleasure.

your body trembled. there was more to your orgasm. somthing new. you spasmed on his face, his hands working in and out of your body. a clear liquid sprayed on his face. you watched him, open his mouth and take everything you squirted out into his mouth. even when you were rang dry, he kissed and kissed your soaked folds.

you fel onto your back aside him now. the most tired you had ever felt. you knew your couldn’t give him more because he had just taken everything from you.

he turned on his side facing you now. “you liked that? because fuck. if i could come home to that every night i would die a happy man.”

·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:··:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:··:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:·

nghhhhhh ya ok

[yandere-romanticaa]

ur feelings are absolutely valid, as much as I love being alone, it’s also sometimes so crushing to realise I’ve lived 20+ smth years in this earth and have NOT been able to be in a relationship with anyone. I feel like I’ve missed a very crucial part of life, but I also hate hearing friends talk about being treated with bare minimum respect by their partners, I want to be loved the way I love and if I can’t have that I’d rather die tbh. It also doesn’t help that I refuse to go on dating apps out of sheer crippling social anxiety. I also hate the current dating environment and how casual everyone is about it, wdym you want to boombayah and not want to intertwine our souls together after, it’s so ass. I can understand why people like it, and maybe im just not searching hard enough (most likely), but god pls I’ve seen what you’ve done for others, just one cute gf/bf pls im dying over here.

"I want to be loved the way I love and if I can't have that I'd rather die."

You hit the nail on the head perfectly. I know what I am capable of and I just don't want to settle for less. Also, I am someone who actually has tried online dating and let me tell you - it SUCKS!

Every single asshole that matched with me just wanted sex! Hell, one dude even offered to pay me 2k euros if I gave him a blowjob... And you should have seen his reaction once I started bullying him! The AUDACITY of that man is unparalleled! I did end up getting coffee with another dude but he was so bland and dull. That guy had absolutely no hobbies and only cared for his job, he was more bland that a pure white block of tofu. I've never even had tofu but I'd still pick the tofu!

I have a friend who actually found an amazing guy on Tinder. He can cook, he knows 7 languages, he's so sweet and kind to her... He writes her LOVE LETTERS! He's constantly showering her with love...

This is so embarrassing to admit but since we're already talking about it, I'll just admit that sometimes it can be too hard for me to look at them. Whenever he shows her so much love, there are times when I have to turn my head away because I am so JEALOUS. After one outing I had with them, I deadass went home crying. I cried my little heart out because I was so sad that I couldn't have that.

And here's the thing, it's not as if I'm acting like a passive princess who is locked away in a tower, just waiting for a man to pick me or whatever. I am legitimately trying, I am always looking out what sort of options I have but oh my god. I want to gouge my eyes at how I have zero options.

However, writing that bitter ass post actually made me feel so, so much better. I partially gave up complaining to my friends about this issue because they just can't understand just how deep this wound of mine is and my poor diary has been abused to Hell and back with my woes LMAO.

Thank you for making me feel better. I still feel highly embarrassed but like. The relief of getting even a fraction of that pain off my chest is just too fucking good.

[jaysscar]

heart eyes

summary: some valentine's day headcannons for barry, hal, ollie, and jason !! (pure fluff) (688 wrds) (m.list here !!)

notes: so sorry that my ollie fic is coming out late but i PROMISE it's almost done i swear 😭 also tysm for 30 followers !! i wasn't expecting that many people to like the content i post so tysm !! and happy valentine's day to anyone that celebrates <3 also reader's pronouns or specific attributes aren't mentioned, i tried to make this as inclusive as possible <3

#BARRY

likes valentines day but definitely won’t go ALL OUT like hal or ollie 😭

keeps it simple with a box of chocolates and flowers <3

also makes you breakfast before he leaves for work (I’M GONNA COMBUST STOP HE’S TOO CUTE)

you got him a new tie for work, it’s his fav colour AND fabric (i’ve seen panels of barry wearing ties at work so i THINK this is canon, if not then whtvr :p)

also got him a new pair of running shoes because he goes through them like CRAZY

barry also decided to make a cute homemade card, he’s not the best artist in the world but it’s the thought that counts !!

either takes you out to a restaurant or orders in takeout and watches silly romcoms with you depending on what the both of you agree on <3

you guys watched the notebook and WEPT like AGHH 🥹

y’all fell asleep on the couch watching the proposal (off topic but i HAVE to write a fake dating fic !!)

#HAL

really enjoys valentines day because it is one of the ONLY times of the year where he can be extra affectionate in public without getting weird stares (LOOK AT ME AND TELL ME THIS MAN ISN’T INTO PDA)

wakes you up with a big ol SMOOCH 😜

jkjk but he actually just covers your face in kisses to wake you up :p 

takes you out on a space date, like seriously he will find a planet that’s just insanely pretty (and not deadly), FLY THE TWO OF YOU THERE and have a PICNIC with you

you get him a new pilot jacket, he literally tweaks when he opens it like i’m being so serious like he’s SO HAPPY

he buys you a new toaster, after 2 years THE TOASTER HAS RETURNED (read green beans and bubbles for context <3)

overall this man went above and beyond for you, like seriously this man loves you SO MUCH like it’s not even funny anymore 💀

#OLLIE

was BORN to celebrate valentine's day, like it’s INGRAINED into his dna atp 😭

i mean come ON he’s literally a superhero who shoots ARROWS, is that not your own modern cupid right there??

when i tell you that ollie goes all out, I MEAN IT

he has a whole DAY planned out for the two of you from start to finish

you guys start with making breakfast together :p

then he takes you to a SPA for most of the day and then takes you out for dinner at your fav restaurant 

and when i tell you the spa experience was an 11 outta 10, TRUST ME it was an 11 OUTTA 10 !!

you get him a new bow and arrow set, his heart literally MELTS when he opens it like GAH 😭

solid 12/10 day, NO COMPLAINTS from either of you hehe

#JASON

so nervous that he’ll mess up valentines day even though you guys have been dating for over 2 years and know about his secret identity 💀

for the day you guys go to a book store and buy a book for each other that the other has been wanting to read (jason i’m gonna need the bell jar, NOW)

will literally be nervous book swapping with you even though he knows he got you the EXACT book that you want, right down to the type of cover art like he just KNOWS

you guys make dinner together and then eat it by candlelight, a classic <3

when dinner is finished jason reads you a poem he wrote about YOU (AHHHH)

when i tell you this man takes poetry to the next level, I MEAN IT

john keats has NOTHING on jason todd thank you very much !!

by the end of it the BOTH of you are crying

you’re crying because the poem is so heartfelt and jason’s crying because he just loves you so much and the poem is just his heart on paper 😭

y’all end the night with dessert and trashy reality tv (no day of the year will stop me from watching my strange addiction idc !!)

tysm for reading everyone !! also my ollie fic will be posted at 3pm est on the 15th !! hope you guys enjoyed this <33