#and pants on fire for Rhea

[seibaa-goes-baah]

Making a meme so everyone knows that I haven't died yet (i'm cooking a piece rn dw-)

[themattress]

A meme targeted at the "Edelgard's a villain even in Crimson Flower!" people.

[kittyykattxoxo]

masterpiece (part 1)

pairing : damian priest x rhea ripley

summary : after a night out, rhea and damian decide to cross the line that they've never crossed before. will they end up regretting it, or realize maybe they should've been doing it all along?

word count : 2588

content warning : dom! damian, sub! rhea, p in v, oral, fingering, creampie, rough sex

The club was still buzzing when Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest stumbled out into the humid night, their laughter mingling with the bass that pulsed faintly behind them. The night had been wild, the first wild night that they’d had in awhile. They’d been so focused on the Judgement Day and on work that they hadn’t been able to really cut loose, but tonight had been different. Shots, dancing, and a playful teasing banter between them that grew more heated with each drink.

Damian’s arm was slung around Rhea’s shoulders and she leaned into him, her breath warm against his neck as she giggled at something he said. The two had been close over since they’d met in NXT years ago, but they’d always insisted that their relationship was more like a brother and sister. They were each other's rocks, the only person the other could really depend on. Damian wasn’t exactly sure after which shot his mentality had shifted, but he found himself looking down at Rhea with a sudden new appreciation. 

“Y’know” she drawled, her Australian accent thick with drunken mischief, “I forgot how much fun you are when you loosen up, big guy.”

Damian chuckled, his voice low and gravely as he glanced down at her through hooded eyes. His arm, which had previously been slung around her shoulders, had made its way down to her waist, his hand tightening slightly on her hip while his fingertips grazed the bare skin exposed by her crop top. “Maybe you should loosen me up more often then, Rips.”

Rhea’s eyes narrowed playfully and she slowed her steps, dragging him to a halt. They were just outside the hotel now, which was only a little over a block away from the club. 

“Oh yeah?” she purred, leaning in close, her lips curling into a wicked smirk and her tone suggestive. “What’re you saying exactly, Papi.”

The words sounded so foreign coming from her lips, so different from the always in control Rhea that Damian had grown accustomed to. He’d seen her flirtations with others in the past and she always seemed to be the aggressor, but looking down at her right now, he could sense something different, despite the defiant look in her eyes. 

A sharp growl rumbled in Damian’s chest, his hand dropping from her waist to grip her ass over the tight leather pants she wore. The touch elicited a sharp gasp from her, but her eyes remained defiant, almost as if daring him.

“You’re playin’ with fire, princesa. You’ve never played this game with me before.” he muttered, his voice low and gravelly. 

“Maybe I wanna get burned,” she shot back almost immediately, that familiar cocky glint flashing in her eyes.

Without another word, Damian reached for her hand and led her inside. The elevator ride to his room was torturously slow, but Damian took the opportunity to tease her further. Their bodies pressed together in the confined space, his large hand tracing lazy circles on the bare skin of her lower back while his mouth hovered just above hers.

Rhea replied by arching into his touch, her lips slightly parted, practically begging Damian to close the distance, but he refused. He stayed close, however, his breath fanning against her lips, teasing her mercilessly.

“Damian…” she growled impatiently, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and yanking him closer.

The elevator dinged, signalling their arrival to Damian’s floor and he pulled back, reaching to grab her hand again and tug her down the hallway. As they reached his door, he used his free hand to pull the keycard from his pocket, the light turning green and Damian quickly pulling Rhea inside.

Almost as soon as the door shut, Damian gave Rhea what she wanted, his lips crashing into hers. She immediately moaned into his mouth as his hands began to roam her body, rough and possessive. Her fingers tangled in his hair, tugging hard enough to draw a low groan from his throat.

“Fuck, Rhea..” he rasped against her lips before pulling back to look at her, his eyes dark and hungry. “You sure about this?” 

Even in his slightly inebriated state, Damian knew that this was going to be crossing a line for them that neither had thought they would ever cross, changing their relationship forever. He had to make sure it was a risk that she was willing to take. 

She looked at him for a moment, lips swollen and eyes wide, but the smirk that fell across them was unmistakable as she leaned in, brushing her lips along his jaw before whispering into his ear.

“Don’t make me beg, Papi”

That was all it took for Damian. With a low growl, he lifted her off her feet with ease, her legs wrapping around his waist as he carried her to the bed. He tossed her down, eliciting a breathless laugh from her lips as she propped herself up on her elbows, her sharp blue eyes glinting with lust. 

Damian watched her for a moment, taking in the beauty of the woman on his bed, causing her to look at him with amusement. “You gunna do something or just admire the view?” she teased.

His eyes narrowed, lips curling into a sinful smirk. “Oh, I’m gonna do more than admire, princesa. I hope you’re ready, because you’ve never had a man like me before.”

He climbed onto the bed afterwards, bracing his hands on either side of his hips as he deliberately hovered over her. Damian’s lips found her neck, teeth scraping lightly over her pulse point before he sucked hard, drawing a moan from her throat. Slowly they began to descend, traveling across her collarbone, nipping and licking as they went.

“Papi…” she breathed, her voice laced with need, hands gripping the sheets tightly. 

The way she said it made his cock throb painfully against the confines of his jeans, aching to be released. With a low growl, Damian sat back on his knees, his eyes dark with desire. His hands moved to grip the hem of her top and Rhea lifted her arms obediently, allowing him to yank it off, exposing the lacy black bra she’d chosen that night.

“Fuck…” he muttered, eyes raking over her. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Rips.”

Rhea bit her bottom lip as she looked at him, arching her back slightly and revealing the hunger in her eyes. When Damian bent down again, his mouth latched onto the swell of her breast, tongue teasing her pierced nipple through the lace fabric of her bra before reaching around with one hand to unclasp it expertly, his teeth tugging the fabric off afterwards and tossing it somewhere on the floor. 

His mouth latched onto her now exposed nipple afterwards, his tongue teasing the hardened nub. Rhea inhaled sharply, her nails raking down his back through his shirt. Impatient, she tugged at it and Damian pulled back just long enough to rip it off, discarding it along with the other clothing. Rhea’s eyes darkened as she traced her fingers over his broad chest and abs, her touch slow and deliberate as she let her nails leave faint marks along his skin. 

“Someone’s a little eager, hmm?” he teased, his lips twitching into a cocky smirk.

“Just shut up and fuck me,” she retorted, grabbing his wrist and guiding his hand down between her thighs.

Damian let out a guttural groan, feeling the heat and dampness beneath the leather. His fingers quickly worked at the button and zipped, yanking her pants down her legs before sliding his hand teasingly up her inner thigh, his fingers just barely grazing where she needed him most.

“Papii” she whined, her hips bucking into his hand.

Damian smirked wickedly, enjoying her impatience. “What's the rush, princesa?” he teased, leaning down to press a featherlight kiss to the inside of her thigh.

Rhea’s breath hitched at the sensation and she glared down at him, her voice a low and demanding growl. “If you don’t stop teasing me I swear to god -” 

Her threat was cut off by a sharp gasp as Damian’s tongue flicked over her clit, a wicked grin on his lips as he watched her practically melt into the mattress, her fingers tangling in his hair to tug him closer. 

“Is this what you wanted, hmm Rips?” he murmured against her, his voice muffled by her thighs.

“Don’t you fucking stop, don’t tease me like that” she almost whined, her voice laced with desperation.

Luckily for her, Damian had no intention of stopping after tasting her sweetness. He sucked and licked, his stubble grazing her sensitive skin and sending jolts of pleasure through her. Her hips writhed beneath him as he alternated between languid strokes of her folds and sharp flicks to her clit. 

Soon he slipped two fingers inside of her, the digits curling just right to hit her sweet spot and make her cry out in pleasure. 

“Fuck, Papi, yes” she moaned, her back arching as she began to quickly teeter toward the edge.

Damian replied by suckling gently on her clit, his fingers continuing to curl into her sweet spot as he sent her over the edge. A strangled moan escaped her as her thighs trembled around his head, Damian continuing to work her through her orgasm. 

When she finally came down moments later, she looked down at him through hooded eyes, her chest heaving. Damian smirked back up at her, pressing kisses up her body until he captured her lips, allowing her to taste herself on his tongue for a moment. When he pulled away, his forehead rested against hers and he couldn’t help but grin again, grinding himself against her soaked heat. “I think it's my turn now, princesa.” 

Rhea, chest still heaving from the intensity of her orgasm, managed to grin back at him, far from done. She reached between them, beginning to palm at Damian’s thick length through his jeans. He responded with a low groan, his head falling forward as his lips brushed against the skin of her neck.

“Fuck, princesa..” he rasped, his hips jerking slightly into her touch. 

Rhea grinned wickedly, popping the button of his jeans open and slowly dragging the zipper down, deliberately taking her time. As she finished she brought her hand back up, her nails grazing over his lower abdomen, making the muscles twitch under his touch. She leaned up slightly, her lips brushing against his ear and her voice a low, sultry whisper.

“Take them off, Papi” she purred, punctuating her words with a slow roll of her hips against his.

The sound that tore from Damian’s throat was downright primal. He pulled back just long enough to shove his jeans and boxers down in one swift motion, kicking them off the bed. Rhea’s eyes dropped hungrily, her lips parting slightly as she took in the sight of him - thick, long, and painfully hard, his tip already glistening with precum.

“Fuck…” she breathed, her pierced tongue darting out to wet her lips. “I knew you were a big boy, Damian, but I didn’t realize just how big you were.”

Damian smirked in reply, crawling back over her, his lips brushing against her jaw as he whispered, “You’re gunna feel every inch of me, princesa.”

Rhea’s nails raked down his back as he lined himself up with her entrance, teasing her by running the tip through her slick folds. Rhea whimpered softly, rolling her hips, desperate for him to fill her.

“Papi, please” she begged, her voice barely above a whisper as it dripped with need.

Damian’s cock throbbed at the sound of her begging and he found himself unable to wait any longer. With a low growl, he slowly pushed inside, stretching her inch by inch. Rhea’s mouth fell open in a breathless gasp, her back arching as he filled her completely.

“Fuck, you’re so tight,” he groaned, his forehead falling against hers as he stilled, letting her adjust to his thick length. 

Rhea’s nails dug into his shoulders now, her legs locking around his waist, pulling him impossibly closer. “Move” she demanded, her voice filled with need.

And he did.

Damian pulled back almost entirely, only the head of his cock remaining inside of her, before slamming back into her with a force that had her crying out in pleasure. Her fingers clutched at his back, holding on for dear life as he fucked her hard and deep. 

“Papi…fuck yes” she moaned, her head falling back against the pillows. 

Damian groaned at the way she clenched around him, his face burying in the crook of her neck, his lips hot against her damp skin, biting and sucking possessively. He didn’t care about leaving marks, he wanted people to see them. 

“You feel so fucking good, princesa” he growled into her neck, his voice wracked with pleasure. “So fucking perfect.”

Rhea’s nails scraped down his back, leaving angry red lines in their wake that only served to spur Damian on. She rolled her hips in time with his thrust, meeting him with equal hunger. She hadn’t realized how bad she needed this.

“Harder, Papi, please…I can take it.” she whispered breathlessly, her voice low and sinful.

Something dark flashed in Damian’s eyes and with a feral growl he moved to grab both her wrist, pinning them above her head with only one of his own. His thrusts became rougher, deeper, the bed slamming rhythmically against the wall with every powerful stroke.

Rhea’s mouth fell open in a silent cry as pleasure built inside her, her legs tightening around his waist, trying to somehow pull him in deeper. 

“Look at me” Damian growled, his voice rough and commanding.

Rhea’s eyes snapped over to him, heavy with lust, and the way she looked at him - desperate and utterly wrecked - nearly pushed him over the edge. 

“Papi… I’m-fuck-I’m close” she whimpered, her voice breaking with pleasure.

“Cum for me, princesa” he wrasped, his voice almost raw. “Cum all over my cock.”

With a loud cry, Rhea’s entire body tightened around him as she came hard, her walls fluttering and clenching around him. Her back arched sharply as she cried out his name, her voice wrecked with pleasure.

“Fuck, Rhea…” Damian gasped breathlessly as she milked him, her tight, trembling walls dragging him closer to the edge. His thrust grew erratic, deeper and rougher as he chased his own release, his grip on her wrists forgotten.

As he let her wrists go, Rhea brought her nails down to his chest, dragging them lightly over the skin. “Cum for me, Papi. Fill me up..” she moaned breathlessly.

That was it. With a growl, Damian slammed into her one final time, burying himself to the hilt as he came hard. His hips jerked, his body trembling slightly as he spilled inside of her, filling her completely. 

For a moment afterwards, neither of them moved. Their bodies were still locked together, slick with sweat, chests heaving in unison. Damian collapsed onto his forearms, his forehead pressing against hers, his breath hot and heavy.

Finally, Rhea let out a breathless laugh, her lips brushing lightly against his. “Damn…who knew Papi had so much stamina?” 

Damian chuckled darkly, pressing a lingering kiss to her lips before murmuring against them, “You have no idea. You keep calling me that, princesa, and we’re not leaving this bed all night.”

Rhea’s lips curled into a wicked smirk at that, her eyes still glinting with naughtiness and her voice low and teasing.

“Promise?” 

[littlest-w01f]

Heated

Eris x Rheana (See Rheana here)

For @acotar-omegaverse-week

Omegaverse week 2024 Masterlist

Day 2: Turning Up The Heat

Summary: Eris had kept this side of him a secret for so long that he didn't think he'd get so desperate for his mate when his heat hit

Cw: Heat, pegging, Alpha!Rheana, Omega!Eris, FxM, mentions of B*ron's abuse of Eris at the end, Smut 18+ MDNI

A/n: I would like to really thank the week mods for giving me an excuse for writing Rheana pegging Eris cause I've been dreaming about this moment since day one

Rheana walked the halls of the Autumn palace, looking for Eris, she could sense his distress through their bond, and should've known something was wrong with him when he excused himself from a very important meeting, something he normally wouldn't do, she found him in their shared chambers.

Eris lay on the bed, gasping for breath, as Rheana entered the chamber, her keen senses immediately picked up on the change in Eris's scent. The normal aroma was now laced with a heady sweetness, unmistakable evidence of his heat. His body glistened with sweat, each muscle taut and quivering as he struggled to catch his breath.

She reached out a hand, gently brushing back a strand of damp hair from his forehead. "Eris," she whispered softly, her voice a soothing balm to his frayed nerves. "It's okay, my love. I'm here for you."

"Rhea..." Eris whined, chest rising as her skilled hands worked his tunic off, "I... I don't... I don't know what's wrong with me."

Rheana's eyes softened, "Oh baby, nothing is wrong with you... You've just gone into heat."

Eris groaned at Rheana's words, his body writhing under her touch. He tried to speak but all that came out were guttural sounds of need and desire. His eyes fluttered open, revealing dark eyes clouded with lust, reflecting the burning fire within him.

Rheana's fingers deftly removed his tunic, exposing his chiselled torso. Every inch of him seemed to burn hotter than usual, every nerve ending screaming for relief. His cock twitched against his pants, straining.

"Rhea," he moaned again, reaching out for her. "Please… help me."

Rheana nodded, her fingers deftly working at Eris's pants, freeing his hard cock. His clothes fell away, and he lay bare, body burning with arousal, the scent of his slick thick in the air.

"I know it must seem overwhelming," Rheana continued, her voice low and comforting. "But we'll get through this. Just remember how good it feels once we're through, alright?"

Eris nodded weakly, unable to form coherent thoughts anymore. All he could focus on was the throbbing ache between his legs, begging for release. His cock sprang free, standing proud and eager, dripping precum wherever it could reach.

Rheana's hands were gentle yet firm as they caressed his thighs, spreading them wide to give her better access. Her touch sent sparks shooting through his veins, making him buck his hips upwards instinctively as she gave his cock a few strokes before leaning in to lick at the head, sucking softly.

"Oh-" he breathed out, watching as Rheana leaned down to take him into her mouth.

Eris's back arched off the bed as Rheana's warm, wet mouth enveloped his throbbing cock. Her tongue swirled around the sensitive head, teasing and coaxing out more precum. She took him deeper, her mouth massaging his cock as she bobbed up and down.

"E-ahh! Rhea!" Eris cried out, his hands tangling in her hair to have some semblance of hold. His hips rocked in time with her strokes, trying to fuck her face with desperate abandon, but she moved at her own pace. The sensation was intense, bordering on pain, but he couldn't stop, didn't want to stop. Not until he exploded down her throat and from the scent of his pheromones, Rheana knew he wouldn't last long at all.

The pleasure coursing through Eris's body was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. Each stroke of Rheana's talented tongue sent waves of ecstasy crashing over him. He pulled her closer, his cock hitting the back of her throat with every thrust.

His breathing grew ragged, his moans turning into pleas for release. "Rhea… I'm close," he panted out, feeling the coil inside him tightening rapidly.

Rheana hummed around his cock, her hand moving to the curve of his ass, fingers trailing till they found his hole wet with slick, watching his reaction she plunged a single finger in.

The unexpected intrusion made Eris cry out loudly, his entire body tensing up. But the shock quickly turned into pleasure as Rheana's finger began to move inside him, stretching and preparing him for what was to come and he exploded down her throat. He bucked wildly against her mouth as Rheana drank his release, licking him clean, the dual sensations of her lips working his cock and her finger probing his ass nearly too much to bear in his aftershock, twitching slightly. "Fuck! Rheana… please…"

She pulled off his cock, giving the underside a few long licks, "Please what, my sweet omega?" She teased, her finger still moving in his ass.

Eris's mind was foggy with lust, his thoughts fragmented and incoherent. All he knew was that he needed more, needed Rheana to fill him completely. "Please… fuck me," he begged, his voice strained and desperate. "I need you inside me, now."

"Aww, look at you, you've leaned to beg so sweet," Rheana cooed, using her free hand to stroke his cock as she added another finger in his ass, stretching him

The addition of a second finger sent Eris spiralling even further into madness. He screamed out loud, his body shaking violently under Rheana's relentless assault. His cock throbbed in her hand, slowly growing hard again.

"Cauldron… yes!" he roared, feeling her fingers curl inside him, stroking that sweet spot that drove him insane. "I'm…!"

The second orgasm hit Eris like a sudden tidal wave, sweeping him off his feet and carrying him away on its crest. His cock pulsed violently in Rheana's hand, his seed spurting forth in thick ropes that landed on his own chest and stomach. His cries echoed throughout the room, raw and primal, as he rode out the waves of pleasure that racked his body.

As the spasms finally subsided, leaving him panting heavily, Eris managed to open his eyes. He looked down at himself, covered in his own cum, and then at Rheana who was still there between his spread legs. A lazy smile crept onto his lips, satisfaction painting his features.

"Feeling better, my darling?" Rheana cooed, asking softly, still stroking him in his after-shock, "Do you want more?"

Eris let out a content sigh, feeling utterly spent but also incredibly sated. His muscles relaxed, the tension seeping out of him slowly. "Yes," he admitted breathlessly, looking into Rheana's eyes. "I always want more when it comes to you."

Rheana stood up to her full height, pulling her fingers out of his ass, he didn't know when, but she had removed her clothes, his eyes wide as he sees her wearing her strap, deep purple in colour and fit her taste perfectly, "Well then, hope you're prepared." She smiled sweetly.

Eris watched, captivated, as Rheana stood up. His gaze drifted lower, taking in the sight of her naked body, curves highlighted in the dim lighting of their bedroom. His eyes widened further when he saw the strap hanging from her hips. He swallowed hard, anticipation coursing through his veins.

"I'm ready," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "For whatever you want to do to me."

She smiled, getting on top of him to position herself on him, Eris gasped as he felt the tip of the strap against his ass, she pushed in fully, stretching his ass completely he groaned sharply as Rheana impaled him on her strap-on, the thick shaft stretching his ass to its limits. He felt every inch of her penetrate him, filling him completely. The pressure was intense, almost painful, but it was a good kind of pain, one that only served to heighten his arousal.

His hands flew to her hips, gripping tightly as he tried to adjust to the sudden invasion. Rheana started to move, her hips rolling in a slow, deliberate rhythm that had Eris moaning in ecstasy. With each thrust, he felt himself being driven deeper into the mattress, his body submitting completely to hers.

The sound of flesh slapping against flesh filled the room as Rheana pumped her hips, driving the glass strap in and out of Eris's stretched asshole. The slickness of his own fluids provided the perfect lubrication, allowing her to move with ease.

Eris's moans grew louder, more desperate, as he surrendered to the pleasure. His hands gripped her hips harder, urging her on, pleading silently for more. The sensation of being filled so completely, of having his ass pounded by Rheana's strap, hitting the sweet spot inside him with every stroke, was intoxicating, driving him closer and closer to the brink of another orgasm.

Eris loved every moment of being pegged by Rheana, relishing in the way her hips ground against his ass, the way her strap filled him completely. He could feel every ridge and bump of the glass toy, each movement sending sparks of pleasure shooting through his body.

His moans were constant, his body writhing beneath hers as he gave himself over to the pleasure entirely. His cock throbbed with need, precum leaking steadily from the tip. He was so close, teetering on the edge of another powerful orgasm, pain and pleasure twisting in his belly.

Eris' eyes filled with tears as Rheana leaned forward to kiss his eyes, kissing all over his face, his eyes rolled back in pleasure as Rheana leaned forward to claim his lips in a hard kiss, his legs locked around her as she claimed him with every thrust, "Shhh... Baby, just feel me."

The kiss was hard and passionate, matching the intensity of their lovemaking. As Rheana continued to pound into him, her movements became more erratic, less controlled. Her grip on his hips tightened, her nails digging into his skin slightly.

Eris tried to meet her every thrust, his legs locking around her waist to pull her even closer. The sensation of her strap plunging into him, coupled with the taste of her lips on his, the taste of his cum on her lips and tongue, was enough to send him spiralling towards climax once again.

After several more minutes of relentless pounding, Eris's body finally succumbed to the overwhelming pleasure. He cried out loudly, his orgasm hitting him like a freight train. His cock twitched and spasmed, releasing yet another load of cum onto his stomach.

He went limp underneath Rheana, completely spent and satisfied. His body was covered in a layer of his own sticky fluid, making him look like a work of art. But despite his exhaustion, he couldn't help but reach out for her, wanting to hold onto her as he both came down from his high.

Rheana gently touched his cheeks bringing a small smile to Eris's lips, despite the exhaustion clouding his mind. As she slowly pulled out of him, he let out a low groan, feeling the stretch of his ass as she withdrew.

She took care not to hurt him, her movements slow and measured. She slid off to the side, waving her strap away the way she had done with her clothes, cleaning him fully with the same motion, laying beside him and pulling him into a tender embrace. Her arms wrapped around him, holding him close as they both caught their breath.

Eris clung to Rheana's muscular arms, his fingers digging into her flesh as he held onto her tightly. Soft tears left his eyes, trickling down over the bridge of his nose, his temples and onto the pillow beneath him. He wasn't sure why he was crying, maybe it was just relief from the intense session they'd just had.

Regardless of the reason, he buried his face into the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply. The scent of her, mixed with the lingering smell of sweat and sex, was comforting.

"Eris, you never have to be embarrassed about your needs ever again." Rheana sighed, holding her omega close to her, still sensing his heat, stroking his back gently, "I know you were never allowed to feel your urges fully, but now you can..." She knew, his father had forced him on supplements after whipping him through his heats to try to force him to control his pheromones, but he had failed, because no omega could hold their urges during their heat forever, it wasn't natural to.

He snuggled closer to her, enjoying the warmth of her body and the steady beat of her heart. Despite everything, he felt safe and loved in her arms, something he hadn't experienced in a long time. "You didn't get to cum..." He whispered, his eyes heavy.

"We can worry about me late," Rheana kissed his temple, sending him off to sleep. "Rest well, my love,"

{General Taglist - @nox-ceur @lilah-asteria @paleidiot @dee-writes-smut @adalia-jaycee @anarchiii @alwayshave-faith}

{Eris Taglist - @fxckmiup @slut4acotar @secret-third-thing @shadowsingers-mate @fieldofdaisiies}

{Flames and Darkness Taglist - @anuttellaa @tuggboatfishin @inloveallthetime}

[unintentionaloracle]

Stress Toy [Fic]-Chapter Seven

[First Chapter Here, Previous Here]

Welcome to the penultimate chapter of part one, folks! It's a big one! The canon divergence really hits here.

Summary-Night Two of WrestleMania is in full swing! Drew gets into misadventures backstage! But when a shocking turn of events shakes Cody to his core, can Drew come through for The American Nightmare? In more ways than one?

(brief mentions of Candy and Jhea)

Chapter 7-Another Mania-c Sunday

 Drew awoke to Cody crying out. He shot upright and looked at The American Nightmare, panting in a cold sweat as he sat up and curled into a ball.

 “You alright there?”

 Cody shook his head. “I had another nightmare. I lost my title to Cena...and everything I ever worked for...and then the Stardust outfit came back...”

 Drew gently touched his shoulder. Cody scooted closer before embracing him. Drew ran his fingers through Cody’s hair and rubbed his sweat-soaked back with his free hand. “It's alright. That's not gonna happen. Look, you still have it! It's right over–” He gestured towards the dresser, only to realize it wasn't there, like it usually sat, watching over them. He swore before briefly breaking the comforting embrace to inspect the floor, leaning over the edge of the bed and wiping his sweaty hands on the comforter.

 After digging through yesterday's clothes (including the headache-inducing amount of layers Cody had worn “in Vegas? Really?”), he found it. “AHA!” Drew presented it like a fish he'd caught with his bare hands, grinning. “Here she is! And she's still got your plates on her!” He put the belt across Cody's lap. “Nothing to worry about.” He said, giving him a kiss to the temple before pulling him back into his arms. “Now, let's get b–”

 Cody's alarm went off. Cody groaned, leaning against Drew as he rubbed his face.

 “...Let's get ready for the day...” Drew amended, equally annoyed at this development. Five more minutes. Please...

---

 The morning was chaotic. Workouts to squeeze in. Appearances to be made. Higher ups to talk to. Coworkers to check in on. Things to set up. Et cetra et cetra. And Drew still had to go beat the crap out of Damian. 

 When the show finally started, he adjusted his gear as he watched Rhea, Bianca, and Iyo duke it out. Iyo ultimately reigned supreme, to many people backstage’s delight.

 As he paced around gorilla position to get fired up before his own match, the women filed in. Drew gave them each a high five. He watched as a disappointed Rhea made her way to Jey, who had been watching and waiting backstage. Drew couldn't hear what Jey was saying to her, but he imagined it was something annoyingly sweet like “babygirl, it's okay. You're still my women's champion, YEET!”

 He saw Rhea kiss him. Rhea, you could do so much better...

 But, company relationship gossip could wait. He had a match to win. And win he did. The self-proclaimed “King of the Streets” was no match for a mad Scotsman in their street fight. He even got away with posting to social media mid-match! Again! It was a good sign. A very good sign. Everything was coming up Drew McIntyre, as it should.

 For the next two matches, Drew roamed around backstage, too high on his victory (and the added leverage it gave to make him number one contender to Cody's belt) to care if Bron retained his Intercontinental Championship or not. Or what was going down with AJ and Log–

 Actually, come to think of it, he hadn't seen Logan at all today. No wonder things felt more pleasant. As he got closer to the arena and gorilla, he saw something surprising.

 Damian was casually chatting with Joe Hendry, the two laughing as Damian held an ice pack to his neck. “No, seriously, you did great out there. That was a killer match.” He said.

 “Ah, you're too kind!” Joe said, hand on his heart. “Can't take all the credit, though. AJ gave me one hell of a fight...”

 

 “I'm sorry, what the hell is happening!?” Drew asked aloud. “You fought AJ? What happened to Logan?”

 “Don't worry about it,” Damian said, putting the ice pack aside to take a swig from a Styrofoam cup. He gave Drew a look, as if to say “If I weren't in pain right now and hanging with Hendry, I would drop your ass right now.”

 “Ah, you didn't hear?” Joe said. “Logan isn't around anymore, so AJ needed someone to fill in for an open challenge. So I answered the call!” Joe smiled, pointing to his new shirt proclaiming he was at Mania. “I even have merch here, now!”

 Drew took a deep breath. He thought this guy was solely gonna be NXT’s problem, save for The Rumble. “And who, dare I ask, won?”

 Joe grinned, looking at him like he was looking directly at a camera (to Damian's confusion). “The fans did.”

 “...I hate you. Both of you...” Drew said simply, glancing past him to see Cody and Randy talking before Randy's match. Cody pulled Randy into a hug, The Viper seeming to melt into his hold. Drew rolled his eyes, ignoring the pang of something in his chest.

 Hendry immediately followed Drew's gaze, then smirked. “Pining for your ex, still?”

 Damian raised an eyebrow. “You dated Cody before?”

 Drew was ripped from his daze that nearly made his vision green. “Yeah, then we broke up, so I wasn't pining for him!” he said, glaring a hole into Hendry.

 “You were giddy when he left WWE and joined the Indies...”

 “BECAUSE I FINALLY HAD DECENT COMPETITION!” Drew blurted.

 Everyone stared at him, including Randy and Cody. Damian's eyes were wide. Then he blinked and and went to sip from his cup again, muttering “okay” under his breath.

 The Scottish Warrior turned red, holding his hand up to everyone. “...Sorry...” He said sheepishly.

 He saw Cody laugh as Randy shot Drew an intense look. Drew couldn't help but smile, even when Randy seemed to excuse himself to his match with a pointed touch to the small of Cody's back. Cody seemed oblivious to the quiet battle of affections.

  Joe smirked at Drew. “Yeah, totally not pining,” he teased, smacking his fellow ICW alum’s chest before leaving. Damian joined, giving Drew one last calculating, contemplative look.

 Drew was steaming. He knew he shouldn't say anything more, it'd just encourage him (or worse, convince him he was right). But he had to get the last word in: “THAT BELT LOOKED BETTER ON ME AND YOU KNOW IT!” he shouted after him.

 Then, he went to go look for a monitor or a place to plug his phone and stream the rest of the show. Apparently, he needed to pay more attention.

---

 Drew watched as Kevin and Randy engaged in a brutal battle. The sheer amount of close calls–the near punts and piledrivers–had Drew on edge, and (despite him and Kevin getting along decently, now) he barely had a dog in the fight!

 But Randy seemed to be getting the upper hand. He'd landed a perfect RKO on The Prizefighter, You might as well have rang the bell then and there. However, Randy got greedy. Instead of going for the easy pin, Randy dragged Kevin to the corner like a sack of potatoes. He sat him up just right before going to the opposite corner. The Viper was looking for insurance.

 He was looking for payback.

 He was looking for one last attempt at punting Kevin's head from his shoulders.

 But as Randy charged at him, someone knocked the referee to the ground in front of Kevin, causing Randy to punt the ref instead. Randy looked frustrated, knowing he'd lost his easy pin and gave Kevin recovery time. He looked over at the attacker, clad in a black hoodie. The attacker pushed Kevin aside before he Exploder Suplexed Randy into the corner. The attacker’s hood fell to his shoulders, as did his copper locks.

 Oh my God... Drew thought as he stared at Sami on the screen, as stunned as the crowd.

 Sami looked conflicted for a moment before steeling himself. Then he hit him with a Helluva Kick, catching the bulkier man before he fell to the mat. The Underdog looked to the now groggy Randy. “I’m sorry. This isn't about you,” he said. Sami dug into his pocket and pulled out a ring. Drew noticed Sami was wearing a matching one. Sami dragged Randy to Kevin’s feet as the latter got up, no longer dazed, as Drew started to do the math.

 ...Are they–?

 Kevin took the ring and put it on his finger. He kissed Sami. “I love you!” Kevin declared, lifting Randy into a Pop Up Powerbomb with Sami's help. He delivered the move and, as the ref got up, pinned Randy.

1! 2! 3!

 Kevin stumbled to his feet. He hugged Sami, spinning him around before he kissed him again, this time with a dip. He grabbed a camera and pulled Sami under his arm. “HEY! This is my freaking husband! We're married now and we're gonna be together forever! And if anyone has a problem with it, I'll piledrive you.” KO showed off his and Sami's rings.

 “Yeah!” Sami added, seeming less conflicted under Kevin's arm. “I’m coming for you, Cody! You brought this on yourself!” He said before turning to his husband for a kiss, only for the renegade couple to have to flee Randy with a steel chair, hand in hand.

 “Oh no,” Drew said to himself, already getting to his feet and heading for Cody's dressing room. Watching Lyra and Becky (who Drew totally didn't see take out Bayley the other day, it was none of his business) vs Liv and Raquel was not a priority right now. 

 Cody was.

---

 He found Cody sitting on the couch of his dressing room, staring at the carpet. The American Nightmare already had his gear on, including an admittedly sick helmet; its Iron Man-like face guard pulled up.

 Why couldn't I get something like that? All I got was product placement!

 Drew immediately went to his side, throwing an arm around him. “You good, Cody?”

 Cody pulled away, standing up and pacing. “It's a sign. It's a sign I'm gonna lose. I screwed up with Sami like I screw up with all my friends and now I'm gonna screw up fighting John...”

 Drew stood up and grabbed his shoulders. “You're not gonna screw up, Cody. Sami sucks–I’ve known this for a long time–but you can't really do anything about him right now. But you CAN kick Cena’s ass. You took down Roman, remember?”

 “I had help...”

 “SO DID HE! HE ALWAYS HAD HELP!” Drew countered. “And you were still better than him! And you're better than Cena. You're clever. You're scrappy. You're adaptable. And you've done more for our industry than that man ever has and I'm grateful for it. You’ve earned all the fans that are in your corner, and they're a bunch of fickle bastards!”

 He looked him in the eyes and took a deep breath. “And...you're a damn good champion. Fighting Cena would be a chore. Fighting you would be a pleasure, Cody.” 

 Cody stared at Drew, dazzled. He chuckled nervously. “...Keep talking like that and I might start to think you actually like me, Drew...”

 “Who said I hated you?” Drew said without thinking. “I think you can be annoying and a bit of a prick sometimes, but I don't hate you...” He said, cupping Cody's face as best he could with the helmet.

 Cody blinked. “Drew...”

 Drew felt his face burn. “I respect you, Cody,” he added quickly, to keep him from getting the wrong idea about them. “And I hate to see you like this.”

 Cody didn't say anything. They just stood there for a moment. Finally, The American Nightmare cleared his throat. “You’re right. I gotta keep my head in the game. Apparently I gotta save all of wrestling in a couple minutes...”

 Drew smiled. “If anyone can, it's you,” he said. He handed Cody his belt before cupping his face again.

 Then he kissed him.

 But it wasn't like the other kisses they'd been sharing. It wasn't a compulsory, “comes with the territory” kiss. It wasn't a lustful, hungry kiss. It wasn't even a “calm him down” kiss. It was soft. Tender. Brimming with a warm affection that surprised Drew almost as much as it clearly surprised Cody, who stared at him afterwards with awe and one foot popped ever so slightly.

 Drew, equally spellbound by the moment, mindlessly ran his finger over a button that controlled his visor, sending it crashing down with a click and snapping the two out of it. They both cleared their throats.

 “I...I gotta go...” Cody stammered.

 “Right. I'll wait a bit to make sure no one sees I'm here.” Drew said, trying to avoid eye contact.

 “Good,” Cody said. “And Drew?”

 “Hmm?” Drew asked.

 Cody raised the visor one last time and gave him a swift kiss on the cheek. “Thank you.”

 As Cody left the dressing room, Drew leaned against the door; one hand against the frame while the other rested on his hip. He contemplated what just happened. Specifically the kiss. He didn't know what had come over him back there. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't something he'd really thought about before. At least, consciously.

 “Don't screw yourself over, McIntyre. Or let you-know-who win. You've been having such a good day,” he said to himself before resting his forehead against the door. “You’re overthinking it. Just–”

 He heard a noise from the other side of the door, he opened the door quietly, just enough to overhear:

 “So during the match, you’re going to interrupt. You’re going to distract Cody Rhodes and/or the referee. Do whatever it takes to give Cena an opening so he can win, and The Rock can finally have his champion. Do you understand?” He heard Rock ramble over the speaker. Drew peeked out and saw Travis nodding, proving it was a video call.

 Son of a bitch... Drew thought, hiding.

 Travis hung up, his replica hardcore belt in hand, and started towards where gorilla was. Drew sighed, contemplating if he should just trust Cody had this in the bag or intervene for a minute.

 “Well, time to save WrestleMania...again...” He said quietly to himself, exiting the dressing room. He stalked Travis slowly at first, then picked up the pace to close the distance and gain momentum. “Oi!” He said before leaping boot first at him.

 The rapper turned around just in time to eat a Claymore, falling back and skidding on the ground. Drew picked up the discarded belt and tossed it onto him. Then he slipped away nonchalantly as officials noticed the aftermath.

 Won't be having you derail my hard work... Drew thought, straightening his leather jacket. He passed Damian, exchanging a weird look with him as the latter rushed to the scene. No doubt he wanted to help after hearing the commotion, like all the “good guys” were wont to do. Glad that isn't my thing anymore. More trouble than it was worth.

 Drew stopped someone's assistant (Drew couldn't keep track of who). “I'm not scheduled for the post-show press conference, am I?”

 The tiny assistant shook her head, clearly a little surprised to be spoken to so casually when chaos was happening.

 Drew smiled. “Perfect! Thanks.” With a little wave, Drew wandered towards an exit so he could finish watching the show at the hotel. Why stay at the scene of the crime? He fired off a text to Cody:

 Wanna meet up at my room tonight?

 And with that, he walked out into the Vegas night, hearing Cody’s pyro go off in the distance.

[To Be Concluded]

[ultraericthered]

By this logic, the player shouldn’t pick either Rhea or Edelgard and should instead restart their run to pick either Dimitri or Claude. 

But the whole point of what the game's doing there, if you played it a certain way before that part, is that it expects you to choose one.

If Byleth stays with Rhea, they help Rhea become a better person. If Byleth goes with Edelgard, they help Edelgard become a better person. And here's the thing that might astonish you: neither route is invalid for the player to choose and prefer, and either option is completely fitting with Byleth's character and how they feel about these people. Black-and-white moral simplicity has zero place in this discussion because it had zero place in the story being discussed.

Perhaps what baffles me the most about the people who shout “Rhea tried to sacrifice Byleth in the Holy Tomb!” as a reason why Byleth would side with Edelgard is like. Uh. Bro. If that’s such a big betrayal to you - which, hey, fair enough, if you don’t like Rhea for that then more to ya - then. Like. Am I gonna blow your mind as to what Edelgard reveals during that exact cutscene. 

Like dude??? Edelgard literally reveals that she’s been working with the people who’ve:

Murdered Jeralt

Massacred Remire

Kidnapped students and transformed them into Demonic Beasts

Kidnapped Flayn and drained her of her blood

Made it to where Sothis can no longer communicate with Byleth

Tried to kill Byleth and their students multiple times

As well as Edelgard herself ordering for her men to straight up kill Byleth and the Black Eagles should they try to intervene with her attempts to grave rob a holy tomb.

And like, this is just what Byleth would know at the moment. Being involved with Godfrey’s - and by extension, Raphael’s parents’ - murder, Lambert’s murder (and by extension the genocide of Duscur), the mutilation of Sothis’ body, instigating the Nabatean genocide, and plenty of other things Byleth just doesn’t know about (either yet or ever, on SS or CF), and with a few of these things (Lambert’s murder + Duscur) being things Edelgard does know about.

Let’s ignore how Rhea sacrifices herself to protect them as well as all of Garreg Mach, sees Byleth as their own person by the end of SS/VW, trusts them with the Church, before apologizing for her selfish actions in her S support (on SS) - alright, Rhea’s betrayed Byleth. So did Edelgard, using their trust in her to infiltrate the Holy Tomb to get what she wants. Rhea was going to sacrifice Byleth. So was Edelgard, to her path of ideals. “But Edelgard was doing this for the greater good!” So was Rhea, since she thought getting Sothis back would help everyone in Fodlan. By this logic, the player shouldn’t pick either Rhea or Edelgard and should instead restart their run to pick either Dimitri or Claude. 

Like, I get the game is pretty ass in showing the actual weight of Edelgard’s actions and tends to pretty her up for the player, but like, uh, no matter how much lipstick and eyeshadow you put on it that’s still a fuckin’ knife pointed at me. Edelgard is still very much trying to kill Byleth - and Byleth Byleth, as in she didn’t view Byleth as merely a vessel that Sothis needed to enter like Rhea did at the time, but she saw Byleth as Byleth and still tried to murder them. Along with the rest of the Black Eagles. 

But nah actually betrayal and attempted murder is fine because Edelgard is totally in the right when she tries to murder innocent people for not letting her commit crimes because maybe eventually in a hypothetical future her half-baked plans will make some people live kinda better lives if they happen to have merit, I guess

[jackiesnats]

Cathy: y-you embarrassed me

Rhea: I flirting with my girlfriend..what the fuck are you complaining for

Cathy: I could’ve gotten fired you don’t care about anybody but yourself

Rhea stops her words mid-way and slides the bell out of the loops of her pants wrapping it around her hand making Cathy shiver

Rhea: do you really wanna fight mami on this shit

Yesss and Cathy just shakes her head, whispering, “No, Mami.” 🫠

[creativekha0s]

Liv Morgan x Rhea Ripley/Liv 4 Brutality scene where Rhea Ripley is Batman and Liv Morgan is Robin (or Robin in training). Let me know what you think! I’ve had this idea for them for quite a bit and some ideas for continuations for it in the future 💜🖤✨😜

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

“Again!” Rhea’s voice barked out through the Batcave as she readjusted her position for another spar. “That was too slow and you’re back on your ass again.” Pacing slowly back and forth, she shook her head. “Get up, you’re not done yet.”

On the floor of the Batcave, downed but not out, Liv picked herself back up and wiped the blood from her lip that currently held a fire fueled smile. Her body ached everywhere imaginable, her muscles burned beyond their limits. But Liv was never a quitter and she wanted to prove herself to Rhea that she could absorb everything she threw at her. Liv wanted to prove that she could fight side by side with Rhea to protect the city of Gotham together. Rhea chose her but she still had much to learn.

“If you can’t land a single blow on me in here, you won’t make it through a night out there.” Rhea warned her. “Let’s go again. Show me you’ve learned something.”

Wasting little time Liv lunged at Rhea with a series of punches and kicks that aimed for any vulnerable area on Rhea’s body. Every time Liv believed she was close, Rhea blocked and dodged out of the way of each attempt at frightening speed and precision. Each swift movement showed Liv exactly why Rhea was feared by the criminals that threatened Gotham at night and why she became The Dark Knight in the first place. A well placed spin kick from Liv was expertly caught by Rhea and threw the blonde back down the mat below.

“Stop trying to hit me and hit me already, Liv!” Rhea’s tone dripped with mockery towards Liv but it was all necessary. Rhea believed in Liv but she wasn’t sure if Liv believed in herself. “You’re hesitating and hesitation gets you killed.” Rhea shook her head again as Liv picked herself back up slowly again, chest heaving as she gasped for air.

Rhea stood across from her again, a strong unyielding force of nature and vengeance. Her cold, calculating eyes locked with Liv’s and Rhea could see the fire behind them burning stronger, watching every move closely. Liv’s silence indicated to Rhea that she was taking this seriously and wasn’t going to end the session until Liv achieved her goal. Sweat poured down her face but Liv brought her fists back up to chest level, her eyes flashing with determination. A tiny smile forms on her lips. After calculating her mistakes and analyzing Rhea’s fight pattern, Liv took in a deep calming breath ready for one more attempt to impress her mentor.

Rhea cocked an eyebrow up and initiated the next round this time, sweeping her leg for Liv’s feet, watching almost in slow motion as Liv elegantly maneuvered out of reach with a backflip and landing on her feet. Like lightning, Liv feints left only to lunge to the right of Rhea. Liv fakes a low strike with her fist to gain momentum for an another spin kick aimed directly at Rhea’s ribs.

This time, it connects with a satisfying thud.

Rhea staggered back a few steps from the impact but she quickly regained her stance and composure. For a few long seconds, the two women stood facing each other in silence as Rhea brought her hand to her body where Liv’s kick had caught her. Liv was panting, standing tall in relief as she tried to catch her breath.

“Gotcha.” Liv finally said in between panting breaths with a mischievous yet adoring smile. Before Rhea could say anything to acknowledge Liv’s achievement, Liv collapsed to her knees on the training mat below out of pure exhaustion. Rhea quickstepped forward to catch Liv before she could fully fall.

“Not bad. You still have a long way to go.” Rhea sighed and brushed away some strands of hair from Liv’s barely conscious face gently. “But that’s enough for tonight. You did good.”

Rhea lifted Liv into her arms and carried her to the medical bay in the Batcave. Liv had earned it. Rhea hadn’t been going easy on her since she started her training, each task had been more difficult and grueling than the last, yet Liv persevered each time. She set Liv down on an operating table and began removing the top layer of Liv’s training gear to get her prepared for the healing chamber.

Liv’s body looked like it had been through hell. Rhea gazed over Liv’s skin carefully at every bruise, every cut, every scrape, every burn. Rhea watched her chest rise and fall slowly, Liv’s abdomen that had suffered plenty of strikes lately quivered with each passing breath. Part of her training was fighting through the pain no matter how much it hurt. Gotham held no prisoners without a price.

“You’ll feel better in no time, Liv.” Once down to her underwear to expose the battered skin and muscles, Rhea lifted Liv again and placed her into the healing chamber. The door slid close slowly. Rhea pressed a few buttons and turned a dial to better enhance the healing process. “You’ve earned this.” Rhea started the chamber up with a bright blue beam of light emitting from inside.

Rhea watched the blue light slowly scan over Liv’s body from head to toe. On the screen brought up Liv’s vitals and current ailing injuries. All signs were normal. Rhea pushed Liv well beyond her own limits as well as the limits of any normal person. Exhaustion set in long ago but Liv fought through it. It was what Rhea saw in Liv that made her take the young blonde under her wing. Liv had passion, a burning fire within her that reminded Rhea of why she started this crusade in the first place. A fire that Gotham’s criminal underworld would learn to fear soon again.

Scanning was complete. The chamber began to hum and Liv became engulfed in the bright blue beam that cocooned her entire body. The process wouldn’t take too long as Rhea designed this herself along with tech modifications she made with the help of her company, Ripley Enterprises. On the tougher nights that Rhea wouldn’t force herself to deal with the pain, this machine heavily accelerated the healing process she would need. Cuts and scrapes would heal instantly, sore and tense muscle would feel relaxed and rested, hydration levels would increase. The chamber’s only obstacles currently were bullet wounds and severely broken bones.

Minutes passed before the chamber’s bright light dimmed down and the doors split open. Liv’s breathing had stabilized as she woke up feeling like she had just experienced the best night’s sleep in her entire life.

Liv climbed out of the chamber and pressed her feet to the cold floor. She took a look at herself in the mirror on the other side of the room, walking closer to it, and let out a silent chuckle. Liv didn’t have a scratch on her.

Rhea had left the room and came back with a spare change of clothes for Liv, while at the same time trying to focus on anything but her half naked partner in crime in front of her.

“How do you feel?” Rhea asked her with a small smile.

“Holy shit I feel incredible!” Liv quickly got dressed, excited for their next training session. “I can go fifty more rounds and experience a whole new day. You’re telling me you’ve been kicking my ass for weeks and letting me feel it this whole time?”

“In a sense.” Rhea stepped closer to the healing chamber to power it down. “Gotham isn’t forgiving. It won’t wait for you get back up every time you fall, you have to pick yourself back up again and again.” She then stepped closer to Liv with a more serious demeanor. “I’m not saying you’ll fail, Liv, but Gotham will make you think you have in its own way of testing you.”

“It’s what you’re training me for.” Liv finally understood as the words left her lips. “I guess it’s a good thing we have each other then, huh? I have your back and you have mine.” Liv’s smile returned to her lips. “So does this mean I’m officially your Robin?”

Through the tough exterior and countless walls that Rhea had built for herself over the years, a smile from Liv Morgan was seemingly the first thing to penetrate through them all. But Rhea had to remind herself that there wasn’t any room in this life for feelings. She couldn’t afford to get close to someone if it meant putting them in danger. And Liv was making it difficult as the lines were blurring more and more they spent time together.

“You have amazing potential, Liv. You’re tough, smart, and you’ve got that fire inside of you that doesn’t burn out.” Rhea forced herself to advert her gaze away from Liv for a moment. “But it also takes discipline and sacrifice to being able to commit to this life. Once you’re in, it’s tough to get out. And that’s a choice I can’t force you to make, you have to figure it out on your own.”

Liv steps a little closer and tilts her head. “I know what I’m getting myself into, Rhea. But the thing is, I get to make a difference. With you. Taking down criminals, saving the lives of innocent people.” Liv places a careful hand to Rhea’s arm for affirmation that she isn’t going anywhere. “I have to see the good in anything even if Gotham won’t.”

A moment of silence passes and Rhea exhales a deep breath. Something in her gut knew there was something deeply special about Liv and why she chose her to help defend the city. Her spirit never wavered and that’s what they needed. Rhea didn’t let it show on her face but she missed Liv’s gentle touch when she withdrew her hand back.

“We should get some rest. Tomorrow’s a new day and perhaps….perhaps maybe it’s time for a field test.” Rhea offers the tiniest but proud smile to Liv and chooses to leave it at that. She heads the for the door until Liv calls out to her.

“Wait, you mean it? I get my chance?” Liv’s voice filled with enough excitement that makes her want to train even more so that she’s more than ready for the challenge.

Rhea stopped in the door frame but didn’t turn her head, keeping her smile to herself. Liv was ready in her eyes. But could Rhea keep her feelings in check in order to let Liv prove herself out there when the time came?

“You earned it. Goodnight, Robin.”

Liv watched as Rhea walked away as her nerves coursed through her body. Robin. This was it. She was finally going to get a chance to do some good in the world. Clean up the streets, save people, be a symbol of hope like Rhea. Liv sensed there was more to Rhea than just being her mentor and trainer, that there was an unspoken bond between them that she’d have to fight tooth and nail to get answers about. Liv could feel it in every gaze Rhea lingered on with her and how her posture changed when Liv succeeded in every challenge.

But those answers would have to wait for another night.

“Goodnight, Bats.”

[ynmnrmt]

You & Me & Rhea Makes Three

rhea ripley x m!reader x m!reader's girlfriend

word count: 4,471

warnings: explicit sexual content, themes of domination/submission, intoxication, dubiously consensual nonmonogamy

a/n: There's more chapters if you like this. What is 'wrestling', anyway?

You are on the couch with your girlfriend Jennifer. It has reached that special time of the evening when the lights being down this low makes sense, and you have just opened a second bottle of wine. Jen drains her glass, nearly hiccups, then fixes you with her big blue eyes and asks “Could we make love tonight?”

“Of course,” you say brightly, and feed her a chocolate from the heart-shaped box that lies open on the table. As she closes her mouth around it, her lips take hold of the tips of your fingers, and for a moment do not give them back. Then she feeds you a chocolate, and you grimace at the flaky taste of coconut inside but try not to let it show, this is not the moment for that.

“It’s been so long,” she complains, “I know it’s not your fault, but all those trips away – and, alright, this isn’t my fault either, but I’ve had all those night shifts, so whenever we do get a moment together and I’m actually awake I wish I wasn’t.” She tails off, and reaches for her glass again. “I’m sorry, alright? I’m sorry it’s taken so long to just have a moment like this.”

“You,” you say, taking her little hand in yours, “have nothing to be sorry about. Come here.” You lean forward, and she leans in too, and when you kiss it does feel somehow unfamiliar, maybe she has a point. For a moment you break apart – then go back in, hungrier than before, the burst of oxygen fuelling the fire. She grabs for your arms and shoulders, takes hold of you, reluctant to let you go, and it makes your underwear feel tight and swampy.

As she mouths as your face, you hold her too, of course you do, one hand on her back to pull her in closer and the other on her hip. And before you know it the hand on her hip strays upwards, it slips its way in under her shirt and along her flat tummy, when you grasp the material of her bra she giggles.

“Let’s,” she slurs, all flushed with affection and wine, “turn things up a bit.” She clumsily pulls at her shirt, it comes up over her head no problem but then she is stuck with her arms tangled in the air, and you have to tug it free from the points of tension where it resists. Then it comes off, flies off to one side to be forgotten, and Jennifer sits pleased before you, panting for breath already and bare from the waist up except for the purple bands of her bra.

“You’re making me so-” you say. But then the door opens and your roommate, WWE superstar Rhea Ripley, comes in at a rush. It’s a small door, she has to turn to get through it, and then she slams it shut again after her and flashes you a wicked grin.

“I won,” she whispers, and gives the championship belt that hangs from her shoulder a little waggle.

“You did?” says Jennifer, delighted.

“Brilliant, that’s brilliant! Well done!” you tell Rhea as she throws out her magnificent arms and wiggles her shoulders, exulting in her own glory. It’s a shame to be distracted when you’re about to have sex, but you can still be polite. Rhea steps neatly around the room with her face lit up with joy, still celebrating, she poses for an audience of two and in her black leather bodice that has every inch of the muscles in her arms on show she hardly looks any more dressed than Jennifer. Then in one careful movement she throws herself in the air – and lands with a crash on the couch, between you.

Now you and Jennifer are both in her arms, an arm each, she has you secured in the kind of headlock she probably does professionally all the time and kisses you both with some force on the side of your heads. You shift about awkwardly in her grip, trying not to let her see how turned on you are.

“You must be so pleased,” gushes Jennifer.

“Yeah, I know how hard you’ve worked-” you’re saying, when Rhea finishes punching the air with glee and lands one hand down in your lap, and you jerk to a halt when she touches your erection, not just a touch, the full span of her hand across it.

“Oh my God!” exclaims Rhea – and only then snatches her hand back. “Oh my God, you two were getting sexy and – did I walk right in on you? Oh God, I’m sorry.” Rhea’s back on her feet, and it breaks your heart a little to see the happiness that beamed from her long, lovely face replaced by sudden concern. Somehow the dark makeup around her eyes makes it seem more sincere. “I didn’t even realise. Oh, and you’ve got the chocolates and the candles and everything. Hey, look, ignore me, alright? Pretend I’m not here, I’ll leave you to it.”

“No, come on, you ought to celebrate-” insists Jennifer.

“No, really, it’s fine. I don’t want to get in your way,” says Rhea. As she’s wearing tight PVC shorts, it’s hard for you not to look at the swell of her ass as she crosses the room. But then, framed in the doorway, she regains her fully-costumed majesty when she turns to look back at you and asks “Could I get a chocolate?”

You expect Rhea to just reach in the box and take one, but then Jennifer’s picked up the box – and out of this confusion Rhea drops to her knees in front of you and opens her mouth like a baby bird, and you can’t not then pick out a chocolate, one of the ones with the darker drizzle on top, and slot it in her mouth. Her lips close around your last finger just like Jennifer’s did, and for a second she sucks down the length of it, your hard-on nearly pulls a muscle. Oblivious, Rhea kneels there, chocolate in her cheek, look of satisfaction back on her face.

“We, uh, we might go off to bed – you can have the room,” says Jennifer.

Rhea lifts her eyebrows, and swallows. “No, no, it’s all yours, don’t let me stop you. I mean, I know how you feel, after a match like that I’m in the mood for a good lay.” She smacks her lips at Jennifer, and as if in trance Jennifer feeds her a chocolate too. You want to say something, because when will this kind of opportunity possibly come along again, but you cannot possibly imagine the words for it. “But maybe, you’d like to make this a bit more of a party. I’ve got champagne in the fridge, we can see what happens.”

“This was meant to be our special night,” insists Jennifer, slightly wounded, but then she glances at you and adds “but, it could be fun?”

“Yes,” you say, throat dry, “maybe it would.” Rhea is back on her feet and out of the room, you hear her rattle about in the kitchen. “Why do you have champagne, Rhea?”

“I mean, I knew how it was going to go tonight,” her voice floats through. She comes back with the bottle, shredding the foil over the cork. “Let’s go-” and she rips the cork out, too, then with the practised thumb of a woman who’s done this a lot spritzes you with the spray of foam. It catches you off-guard, it soaks your shirt and makes you laugh out loud. Rhea swings the bottle about, the stream of bubbles blast Jennifer squarely in the face – then, as she splutters, Rhea douses her own chest, as if to cool herself down. With her head back and her eyes closed and a little smile playing on her dark lips she’s clearly enjoying it.

“Oh my God,” gapes Jennifer, liquid running down her cheeks, “you soaked the couch!” But when Rhea motions her over to get some, she springs right into action, and drains her wine to have an empty glass. You quickly do the same, not wanting to be left out. Then, standing together, your head and your erection wavering dazedly between these two wet women, you toast Rhea, clinking your glass against Jennifer’s, as well as the bottle in Rhea’s fist.

“Well, here’s to us,” you say, after a swig that feels like harder liquor.

“Jesus, this is tight,” says Rhea, and thumbs open the first buckle of her bodice with a climactic-sounding grunt of relief, to reveal the beginnings of her breasts. Jennifer clutches at you, but she looks at Rhea’s chest. “I’m so glad you guys were up for this and didn’t go eurgh or anything, you’re such a cute couple and I’ve really wanted this for...and of course, I knew you’d be into it.” You tense up, thinking she could somehow tell, even though the bulge in your pants makes it shamefully obvious just how into it you are – but her dark-lipped, knowing smile isn’t towards you, it’s towards Jennifer. “Can I tell him?” Rhea adds.

Jennifer flushes, suddenly worried. “D-do you have to?” she stutters.

“Oh, come on, we’re all friends – I walked in on your pretty girlfriend masturbating to me,” confesses Rhea, and Jennifer turns pale as if this hasn’t added an extra frisson.

“It wasn’t to you,” she protests. “I was doing it anyway, you walked in-”

“You didn’t stop,” gloats Rhea.

“I was – I was literally already coming at the moment you came in, and – I was thinking about you,” Jennifer insists, clutching at your arm.

“Hey, it’s alright,” you say, and clutch her back, stroke her, try to reassure.

“It was my fault anyway – I’m glad you didn’t think this was, like, a betrayal,” says Rhea, and now she’s stroking you, her hand curls on your back. “Please don’t be angry with her, if you’re angry with anyone it should be me.”

“Alright, I’m not.”

“I’m so glad,” says Jennifer, all breathless, and then Rhea kisses you both again – hard, on the mouth, when she bites your lip you yelp and pull away to see her looking distinctly predatory and unbearably sexy. With hardly a motion she throws you both back onto the couch, and again slams down on it herself, on top of you, hips rolling and grinding as if she’s fucking you already.

Rhea reaches down and pulls, hard, with both hands, the cords swell in her arms and you dance on the edge of coming. You hear the rip, for one crazy second you figure it must be your flesh tearing but there is no pain, only your erection bobbing free in the air, she’s actually torn your trousers open. Then, with a bit of awkward repositioning, she’s opened up the zip of her short-shorts, grabbed your cock, and with a wicked flash of her black-rimmed eyes worked it up inside her.

“That’s so hot-” begins Jennifer. Then Rhea’s solid arm shoots out to cover Jennifer’s mouth, leaving her making the kind of muffled little moans you feel rise in your chest. She reaches desperately for you, her hands flop over you while Rhea’s cunt takes hold of you and refuses to let you go.

Desperately trying not to come, you reach up Rhea’s muscular back, maybe you’d meant to grab her but it’s more like you’re holding on for dear life. And you try to thrust, too, as best you can with her magnificent body pressed down on you, but it feels like nothing compared to the way she moves, she arcs back and forth, hard and fast like a machine but warmer and softer than any machine could ever be. As you cling to her, her undercut scrapes your face, and in the moment that nearly knocks you over the edge.

With each slam of her hips the studs on her bodice bruise your chest, and each one feels like a kiss. But not nearly so much as it does when she gets one hand on the back of your head, so you cannot escape – as if you would – and bites your lip again. You whimper, but it’s through a twisted smile.

Rhea’s movements become more frantic, more jarring and less controlled. Something shifts in her face, not the smug grin of victory any more but her mouth hanging open in amazement, she was wet already but now she feels like a typhoon around your cock. With one final jolt of the hips she freezes, throws her head back and cries out and soaks you. Jennifer watches it all with big liquid eyes.

With the orgasm out, sexual release pouring off her like steam, Rhea collapses forward on top of you. Your lip is swollen, it may be bleeding, the pain might be the only think stopping you immediately coming inside her. Now she’s taking a break you thrust again, you jerk your hips as best you can in the limited space between the cushions of the couch and her powerful body, it feels like an empty gesture but she perks up and goes “Oh!” as you do your best to give it back to her. With this encouragement she gets right back into action, pounding down on your hips, her zipper rakes at some sensitive areas but it barely registers next to the way her cunt squeezes you, as if when she draws back she wants to bring you with her.

Your thrusts synchronise, you move together, though you feel more like you are clinging to her sculpted waist and trying not to be flung off while she does the work. But if it is one-sided, she clearly doesn’t mind, her dark lips still curled in that knowing grin, her eyes still flashing out from the hollows of her makeup with lust and joy. And when her black painted mouth opens it produces the kind of low moans that pull at your heart.

Jennifer whimpers next to you. By way of keeping her involved you reach out to touch her, you want to convey some of this supremely erotic encounter over to her, instead you squeeze her breast. All the while you feel as if you’re going to knock a hole in Rhea’s insides, but she clearly doesn’t mind, she bows her head and nips at your ear, you hear her hot breath loud and lustful.

Then it is you who gives a feeble little moan when the endless slick motion pushes you over the edge, and you pump out what feels like a gallon of come. Rhea gives a few more agonising, beautiful shoves of her hips before she tumbles happily off you and lands roughly on top of Jennifer.

“That was so good,” sighs Rhea, and nuzzles at Jennifer’s cheek.

“Yeah,” says Jennifer, breathless herself even though she was hardly involved. She still has the mark of Rhea’s black lipstick at an angle across her mouth. “That was really hot. I’d never even thought…” As if drawn by a magnet you flop down on top of them as well, and reach your head past Rhea’s to kiss your girlfriend. But Rhea is still there, and it is so easy for her to horn her way in, and soon you do not know who you’re kissing or why.

Then Rhea swishes to her feet and breaks you and Jennifer apart. She plants one big chunky boot on the couch, between you, and says “Unzip me.” Jennifer swallows down the rest of her glass of wine in a second, and wastes no time taking the zip between thumb and forefinger – but works it down slowly, her other hand behind Rhea’s calf as if she’s afraid of losing her grip. For a moment you feel displaced, there is no unzipping for you, but then Rhea catches your eye, and plucks at the buckles of her bodice, and immediately you rise to join her.

It is a fumbly experience, not because the buckles are hard to negotiate, but because your hands are shaking, you are still incredibly turned on and feeling the soft strength of Rhea’s chest under the black leather doesn’t help. When you get the garment open she sighs, long and low, like she can finally breathe properly and stretches in a way that sends her breasts up into your face.

“I hadn’t realised,” you say dumbly, dazed at the sight of her bare skin, “you were interested in anything like this.”

“I was worried you might not be,” she says, casual and lighthearted, half a giggle to the words as she stretches her powerful arms back and forth over her head. Then she sets them back, and allows you to pull her bodice off completely. You gaze dreamlike at how she tapers down from her broad shoulders to her tight waist, on some level jealous of her, unable to imagine anyone wouldn’t want to look the way she does.

Down by your hip, Jennifer still fumbles desperately at Rhea’s boot, and very nearly has it open down to the ankle. You kneel to help her, with a little tug the boot comes off, and Rhea wiggles her toes at you – then she tries to put her foot down, and nearly overbalances from the extra two inches she has from the other boot. You and Jennifer shoot upright with no conferring to make sure she doesn’t fall, and gently cradle her in your many arms, sit her carefully down, and in businesslike fashion get that remaining boot off, for her own safety’s sake.

“Aren’t you sweet,” smiles Rhea. She refills your glasses, puts them back in your hands. Jennifer sips nervously and loudly, she shakes even worse than you do. “I liked it when he gave you a honk,” she muses to Jennifer, and then drops a hand down on Jennifer’s breast to give it a little squeeze, just the way you did. “You know, a quick honk?” Jennifer giggles when she keeps going, nervous laughs around her glass. In what you bizarrely think of as some kind of retaliation then you reach out for Rhea’s nearest breast, you’re even rough when you grab it, she just looks back at you and flashes her winningest smile. She snakes one beefy arm around you and squeezes you right back.

Jennifer shuffles forward on the couch, sitting right on the edge. Her glass clacks down on the table and she nervously proposes “Um, could it be my turn next?” Her eyes, dazed with lust, focus on you and she smiles with nothing but hope.

Rhea leans forward, she does not completely block Jennifer from your view, but she is there. “Oh, sweetie...you’re drunk,” she says, as if explaining two plus two, while she curls a finger and tickles Jennifer gently under her chin. “I wouldn’t want you to do anything you might regret.”

“Oh!” replies Jennifer, suddenly short of breath, but not angry about it, rather as if she immediately sees the sense in what Rhea says. Her head bobs, following Rhea’s finger.

“I would never want to see you get hurt like that,” continues Rhea, as she refills Jennifer’s glass again. “Not that he would, I’m sure he wouldn’t dream of doing anything like that.” A warm glance to you, a stroke of your face, and then she’s put the glass to Jennifer’s lips and actually tilts her head back to send half the contents straight down her throat.

“You’re so considerate,” says Jennifer, all the syllables just about in the right order, then she licks her lips.

“Is – look, is this alright?” you advance, you’re trying to be authoritative and decisive except you’re also genuinely unsure.

“I hope so,” says Rhea, brightly. “I did worry about how this might come across from the outside, that it might look like an established couple taking advantage of their vulnerable single roommate.”

“We should keep this secret,” insists Jennifer, she grabs your arm – and puts your hand in Rhea’s. “A secret, special thing that’s just for us.” And her obvious enthusiasm, drunk though she may be, does make you feel a little less torn.

“I really don’t think we could take advantage of you,” you tell Rhea, and grasp her bulky, lovely arm to underline the point.

“Well,” her voice turns low and sultry, and she leans in close, “let’s pretend you could.” And then she sways back, lying down on Jennifer again which prompts a squeak, and she pulls Jennifer’s legs out under her arms to lie between them.

Part of you wants to protest, to say you’re not ready. But you are - seeing the woman you love most in the world encouraging you to go with the Amazon goddess who’s crept around your thoughts for so long, how could you not be? So you crawl on top of her and mount her, it seems somehow absurd to call it mounting her when you feel about half her size. You rub the end of your cock against her pussy, feeling the sloppy mix of wetness from last time, which hardly feels thirty seconds ago.

But you’re rock-hard again already, and you want it to be because of Jennifer, because of them both – but it’s not, it’s because of Rhea, like a classical sculpture beneath you except warm and breathing. Nothing in the world could make you not put it in her, as hard and fast as possible, strike blindly out for any spot that might make her feel half as good as she does to you, and when you go in she gasps and her face lights up.

You take her by the shoulders for greater leverage, you’re rough again, and it seems like nothing, like punching someone in a dream. The moans she makes, though, they’re from a different kind of dream altogether. You thrust like you have something to say, you catch Jennifer’s eye – I’m doing this for you! - and Rhea absorbs it all without complaint, but she pushes back, her heat, her wetness, oh God how she pushes back.

To start with it seems hard, the usual struggle of the second go-round, as if you have to fight yourself. But when Rhea has a full body-shiver of pleasure that you feel too, and Jennifer whimpers out “Keep fucking her, I want you to make her come” suddenly it’s not difficult at all. Any twinge or complaint from your body is just a distraction, and not much of a distraction, not at all compared to Rhea stretching out underneath you, and Jennifer underneath her.

With a lopsided lurch you realise that Jennifer’s wiggled herself around slightly, so that she can dry-hump the side of Rhea’s torso, you have mixed feelings about this but most prominent is the shard of electricity it sends between your heart and your dick. You drive yourself into Rhea with renewed energy and she cries out “Ah!”, the pleasure catches in her throat.

Jennifer’s eyes have turned completely liquid, dazed with desire. You crane out towards her and try to kiss her, if not her mouth then at least her chest, even her arm, any token affection to try vainly to show her she’s the important one here. But Rhea is in front of her, and is so much stronger, your tongue ends up in her mouth again and the sting of her teeth in your flesh feels better than any lesser kiss possibly could.

Now you’re pressed up against her, completely in her grasp, your bodies shifting and fading into each other. You see nothing but part of her shoulder, and even that’s kind of a thrill. You grasp and grapple at her, using your hands as best you can tangled up together like this, and manage to wriggle one down to get at her clitoris – yes, there it is, she yelps again and wraps her arms around you tight you might pop.

It’s just your hips you can still manage to move to keep fucking her, just the way Jennifer asked, you break a sweat and Rhea must feel your heart beating out of your chest, but you keep going, to stop now would take a minor miracle. You brush her clitoris again, not even managing to work it, only there next to it, but it’s enough, she opens her mouth and lets it all out in one low moan, the tension goes from all the stiff muscles of her torso – and she crosses her legs behind you in a last-ditch effort to bring you even closer. Barely able to move it breaks something in your mind and you come again, it’s not the explosion of the first time, it’s a relief to be done, you melt into a puddle on top of her.

Rhea gives you a shy peck on the cheek. “I want to do this forever,” she whispers, the flush in her cheeks obvious even too close. “I never want this to stop.” Then there’s some whimpering, and you realise the orgasm has short-circuited your mind to the point you forgot all about Jennifer.

You get up off Rhea, so she can get up off Jennifer, and you both help your girlfriend to her feet. She staggers, the look on her face could be one of distress, you open your arms and she halfway falls into them, then she says “Please touch me, I’m so fucking horny after that.” You glance at Rhea, immediately concerned you might go too far, but Rhea just smiles and inclines her head.

So you bring a hand down, the way you did with Rhea, to get at her softest parts – Jennifer rides your finger weightlessly for mere moments and in that time completely soaks it before she wails out a noise that really could be one of distress, as if she hadn’t meant to climax. She collapses forward again, this time she nearly takes you down with her. And you shoot another look at Rhea, worried this was all some test, but her look of delight is broader than ever, smug even, all you can see is the black jags of her makeup.

“Now let’s tuck her in,” she adds.

As you lie spooned in bed, Jennifer in your arms with her hair in your face, Rhea’s breath on the back of your neck, and entirely too hot, you wonder about the consequences of all this – what this means for your relationship, when the other shoe will drop. But the feel of Rhea’s hand on your belly, gentle, reassuring, just there, helps lighten the load. Very quietly, you lean forward a little and ask “Are you really okay with this?”

“Mm-hm,” mumbles Jennifer, with such enthusiasm you believe her instantly.

“Fuck yeah,” replies Rhea, and touches your neck with her lips.

[ultraericthered]

That is so weird to me that canon gave us this wonderfully complex, interesting, multilayered, nuanced and darkly morally gray character who subverts the safe, boring, by-the-numbers archetype she so easily could've fit into...and so many of her "fans" seem to really want to paint her out to be just that safe, boring, by-the-numbers archetype who's just perfectly good and just without anything deeper or fresher to make her stand out as a three-dimensional character.

And just the way she and Edelgard act as narrative foils to each other needs more appereciation, Edelgard being a young woman who, due to circumstances and some of her own choices in the face of them, forced herself to fully grow up prematurely and miss out on living the more normal, more comfortable life a girl her age and with her status and privileges would typically want to have but that's the way she personally wants it to be (she feels she'll not live long enough to even begin to set course for a normal, peaceful life anyway), and Rhea being the opposite, as OP puts it "a youth in an adult’s body" who's opted to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders even when she'd really rather not and yearns for her dear mother to return to make everything all better on her own instead. Neither of them have the cause nor the means that are 100% purely righteous and devoid of harmful repercussions to others, but both of them believe that what they do have is at the very least necessary for order and justice, both of them are stubbornly unwavering in their convictions, and both of them act in the specific ways they do due to being deeply traumatized and uncertain how or if their trauma will ever cease. It's a desservice to simplify either character or both.

I’ve seen her described as a secret lover of animals who plays with them when nobody’s looking. Now this interpretation of her isn’t entirely without merit

Oh, definitely not without merit. I can totally buy she'd be like that!

Falling for the red herring

I’ve mentioned this a time or two on this blog, but a pretty interesting piece of Rhea discourse from the anti-Edelgard community is this notion that the localization ruined Rhea’s image by having Cherami Leigh portray her in an overly stoic manner, preventing her from being seen as cute as she evidently can be in the original Japanese dub. I’m not going to argue on that point: I don’t play with Japanese vocals on and I’ve learned long ago never to take Edelgard’s detractors at their word without fact checking them.

It is ironic, however, that these same types tend to scorn Edelgard for being “gap moe” for the sake of selling Heroes alts and paraphernalia featuring her. But then again, if Edelgard’s detractors didn’t have double standards they wouldn’t have any standards at all.

What I am here to discuss today is this recurring trend from some Rhea fans to try and portray her as more motherly than she actually behaves in either Three Houses or Three Hopes. A particularly good example is the fixation of Cyril as being something of a surrogate son for her. Let’s be frank: nothing in Houses or Hopes supports this notion. She took Cyril in and rescued him from slavery, but that makes him just one of many urchins that she’s provided shelter for. Aside from that she pays him no particular notice over anyone else. A far cry from the fandom notion that she looks after him constantly. Another good example is crediting her for all of the stray cats and dogs in the monastery - I’ve seen her described as a secret lover of animals who plays with them when nobody’s looking.

Now this interpretation of her isn’t entirely without merit: Three Hopes mentions in a rather off-hand way in one of the Azure Gleam supports (I want to say one of Catherine’s but I can’t recall and the supports don’t appear to have ever been posted online in a script format) that Rhea often plays with orphans, and though nothing proves this otherwise, it’s still a pretty impressive case of telling and not showing because we never see anything to support it aside from one character’s say-so.

So why do these particular fans do this? It’s quite simple: it’s because that’s how Rhea’s initially portrayed. When we first meet her, she’s serene, she’s kind, she’s accepting, and she’s certainly got a… motherly figure, as fanart so loves to remind us :p

However, this is a red herring.

As White Clouds continues, the cracks begin to show in her facade. She’s defensive, secretive, prone to deception without need, quick to judge, and swift in anger. At the very end of Silver Snow’s story, we learn the truth about her: far apart from being a kind motherly figure to those under her wing, Rhea lost her own mother to tragedy at what can be presumed to be a young age, and the slaughter of her kin left her trapped in that time of her life ever since. Rhea is, in many ways, a youth in an adult’s body who just wants her own mother back so that her many self-imposed burdens and responsibilities can be lifted from her shoulders. It’s why she struggles to socialize with others, why she shows affection through showering praise and the occasional gift upon the people she likes, and why she struggles accepting the good advice of others. She understands to some extent that she hasn’t led Fodlan in the direction it needs to go and yet she refuses to face her own failures and fix them herself.

This desire to portray Rhea as cuter and more motherly is simply the earnest desire of some of her fans to have her live up to the mask she first presents, and which is ultimately ripped from her face. It’s unfortunate then that that’s not the Rhea that actually exists.

Contrast this with Edelgard (because I was always going to go there :p) and you see her acting like a mother hen to her fellow students. She treats Lysithea like a little sister she needs to look after, she empathizes with Bernie, she expresses concern over Caspar’s future and opportunities, she scolds and sets straight Ferdinand, she urges Byleth to ponder on their own the mysteries surrounding them and the hidden nature of Fodlan rather than telling them what to think, and she keeps on Linhardt to do his work and focus on his future (Linhardt even calls her out on acting like an overbearing mother!) It simply appears to be in Edelgard’s nature to stubbornly care for others. She’s not too unlike Velvet Crowe (who is also compared to being an occasionally overbearing mother by those around her) in this way. This part of her never goes away - it only becomes stronger as time goes on.

It’s ironic then, that Edelgard’s detractors so often speak of her like she’s an ignorant child that needs to leave the room and let the adults - always Rhea, Dimitri, and Claude - do the real work of fixing Fodlan.

Projection is ever the signature style of people who dislike her, I’ve found.

[idkhow-ks]

Raw 7/7/25 — Part 2

Hello I'm alive! This week was wild but I like doing these so I'm going back and catching up before SNME.

RAW Tag Team Division has teeth! Lynch promo

I love Woods and Kingston! Amazing work!

I like this alliance with New Day and Becky haha.

I respect the use of the Palestinian colors even if Becky's fashion sense is questionable.

Becky is so much better on the mic when she slows down. And doesn't immediately go to eleven which she has a tendency to do.

They cut out the Role Model sting! Noooooo. Boooo. Her music isn't as impactful without it.

Lyra truly is being a baby when it comes to Bayley. Like come on.

Loving Bayley's moto-pants!

Noooo Lyra it really doesn't make Bayley like Becky at all.

Lyra is coming off very naive and idealistic and... young. But I guess that's kind of the point? Maybe?

'Little Bitch' continues to be the worst thing you can be called in WWE.

Still I could watch these three talk, wrestle, whatever, each other forever. I really like their chemistry.

I think Bayley is winning on Sunday. But I'm very biased.

Reed vs Uso, Various video packages

It's fun when you're there live but Jey's entrance is boring on TV.

I like Reed's theme. Haven't heard it in yonks man.

Lolol that poor t-shirt.

Oh wow I literally just noticed Jey is wearing shorts! I like them? I think? Very interesting.

Did he forget to pack his pants? They don't look custom or anything like that. Is he pulling a Gunther? De-branding himself to reset himself?

Can't wait for ten years from now when I end up publishing a weird book about the history of pro wrestling ring gear.

Oh Shit!!!! He fucking YEETED that chair!

Shenanigans smh.

I don't know what beating Seth gets Knight. Like does it actually move him up the card? If they haven't pulled the trigger on Knight being a main event-er yet I don't see how this is the thing that does it.

Iyo deserves to keep the belt and have a bigger program with it.

I get that Rhea is nuclear with the fans but I love Iyo and I think she's more versatile than Rhea.

If they're going to have Iyo drop the belt to Rhea it should at least happen at SummerSlam.

"El Grande Americano" vs Dragon Lee

Good for Kaiser for fully leaning into this. I don't know why I'm loving this stupidity so much.

His singlet is great! Kaiser should wear a singlet too. It makes him look so tall.

HHMmm trading subpar hurricanranas isn't a great start.

I wonder if there's going to be a beat for a Gunther reaction to this.

Kinda wish Kaiser would have a temporary tattoo on just to complete the look.

This match wasn't the smoothest but it definitely got the crowd going and had some good spots.

They are really hyping this battle royal at Evolution. I hope it lives up to the hype.

Gunther/Goldberg showdown

Oh no not a Fox News name drop :(((

Someone should have lent-rolled Gunther before he came out. The back of his shirt is very dirty.

Oh thank god Goldberg is actually here. I was getting really sick of the one-sided promos Gunther's been forced to do the last few weeks.

Penta vs Rollins

Oh shit that hand slap against the ring pole! Ouch!

Penta is definitely fired up and doing a great job of bringing the crowd with him.

Don't love how much of this match is taking place outside the ring but that's my only real complaint so far.

Hahahaha I love using part of Penta's mask to clean his face lolol. Great heel work from Seth.

The Mexican Destroyer is so much more impressive when it's not slowed down by the windup hand motion. That's the hand sign Heyman should be annoyed about tbh.

Hhhmmm interesting finish. Very heel but not very exciting.

Love Bron's comedy fall and struggle over the barricade lolol. Amazing.

[edgessunflower]

I loved what you did with Dom being angry. LIKE I ACTUALLY ADORED IT. Could I possibly get a part two where even though they had a confession and everything Dominik is still angry so next time he keeps his cool until Roman starts running his mouth again: this time she has to physically pull him off and calm him down right there cause she was worried for Romans safety atp. THEN THEY HAVE A TALK BACKSTAGE AND ITS ALL LOVELY DOVEY. And a riled up makeout session 😃💪

Oooh

Cool down

Pt 2 to this

Pairing: Dominik Mysterio x Fem reader

Description: Things heat up between you and Dom after yet again pulling him off of Roman

You stand next to Dom on the apron during the tag team match of The judgement day against the bloodline cheering on Finn as he goes against Jimmy before tagging Damian in to go against Sami. You yell while watching Rhea go against Roman, feeling your adrenaline boost up watching her then Dom against Jey clapping with the audience as dom gets up and tags you in feeling your mind focus only on Solo drowning all the noise all around you showing that you were one of few people that could go against him and put up just as much fight against him before tagging finn back in suddenly going against jey the next time you are tagged in feeling your heart drop when roman is tagged in and grabs you by your throat squeezing as he yells at your friends slowly feeling your airway painfully crush your airway crying and screaming not only begging for help but also begging the rest of the bloodline to stop roman feeling your eyes roll back in your head. You gasp for air as you come to only seeing everyone in the ring yelling seeing dom on top of roman like last week except as everyone grabs him to pull him off he only gets back and continues his ruthless assault, you immediately grab him whispering to him "It's not worth getting fired! Get up and come on everyone else will take care of this come with me backstage I don't want to be alone in the medical room...please" he pants and hits roman one last time before getting up and leaves the ring with you while your three friends deal with the other faction, he holds your hand as you are checked out luckily you only have a handprint bruise and a sore throat sitting outside and exit door by yourselves getting air "God I thought he was gonna kill you" you look at dom while holding ice to your neck feeling tears brim as he chokes with emotion "If you weren't died..I thought you were paralyzed or really close". "I had to stop him, I would never forgive myself if either of those happened" you sniffle as tears flowed down your face with your head in the crook of his neck as he holds you "Thank you for helping me" he shakes his head as he wipes your face with his fingers and sleeves of his flannel until he caresses your face "You're so breathtakingly beautiful mi flor" you feel your heart stop until he closes the gap kissing you tenderly and softly before he pulled you into his lap feeling the kiss grow more passionate before it got heated and frantic hearing your friends yell for the two of you leading the two of you to catch your breaths as you fix your wrinkled clothes and messy hair before sitting in his lap as everyone opens the door "Are you okay?" you nod showing your neck which looked better than earlier but was still bruised badly cheering when you learned that your group won the match celebrating with dinner and drinks.

[jdtrashman]

Countdown To Dawntrail Week 2: Ishgard

Week 2 of @voidsentprinces' prompt series.

Rhea Bosco had a simple life in Ishgard. Work at the Astrologicum, buy groceries, work on her latest novel in her spare time, rinse and repeat. As the only Viera in town, and one whose appearance would make her stand out even if that weren't the case, she had expected the past few years to have been more interesting. Not that she was complaining, honestly. Between fleeing Garlemald as a child and traveling for over a decade before finally settling in Ishgard, the young Viera had had her fill of "interesting".

But as she would discover tonight, "interesting" had not had its fill of her.

Feeling a bit cooped up in her one-bedroom walkup apartment, Rhea decided that an evening constitutional through The Vigil would be the solution to her problems. For a city that had been locked in a forever war for the past thousand years, Ishgard was an obscenely beautiful city. Even the poor and destitute lived in slums that the slum-dwellers of other cities could only dream of. The cold, gothic architecture contrasted beautifully with the glow of the street lamps. This late at night, there were few, if any people on the street besides her and the occasional guard on the evening beat.

Which, of course, made the sound she heard next ring all the louder.

CLANG!

Rhea stopped and gasped, as the familiar ring echoed through her entire being. Like a great dull bell being rung against a rock wall. A sound she knew well. "Fray?" she asked, whipping her head around. Fray was the most fascinating thing to ever happen to her in the time she had lived in Ishgard. A dark knight and an outlaw, she had carried on a summer romance with him (well as much of a "summer" romance one can have in a city determined to be tit-tighteningly cold every day of the year) but it had been stained with the mutual knowledge that it couldn't ever last. Last she had heard, he had died to a temple knight who got in a lucky shot.

Her legs moved before she could consciously command them to do so. Another sharp CLANG rang out from alley after alley, and it did not take her long to start having to carefully jump and step over the corpses of temple knights. A trail of blood and sinew and broken steel, that eventually led her to a church. "Gods, Fray, no..." she whispered under her breath, hearing fighting going on past the broken down door. As she approached, a young elezen woman, her clothes torn to pieces, sped past her with tears streaming down her cheeks. And with that, Rhea's sympathy for the men inside and on the way here withered and died on the vine. Rumors abounded about what the priests and temple knights got up to when no one was looking, which is to say when they were in The Brume. The people of The Brume were to either be ignored or exploited by the aristocrats who all but owned them like cattle. Rhea drew her star globe, her aether activating the intricate mechanisms to unfold all the parts and keep the globe shape suspended in mid-air, and went in.

What she found inside was not what she had been expecting in the least. At the end of the rows of broken pews and equally broken knights, standing over a priest begging for his life as he lie on his back, was not Fray. Instead, it was a young midlander hyur woman wielding a bloodsoaked greatsword. Her clothes seemed to be a Black Mage's robe, but with the robe torn and hanging loose off of her petite body, with the pants and sleeveless t-shirt underneath left bare. Her hair, red as the torch fire and blood that surrounded her, hung from her hair with all the grace of a freshly hunted rabbit.

"What you were going to do to that girl..." the woman said, her voice feminine, yet Rhea could almost make out Fray's signature velvety baritone beneath.

"I...I am a man of Halone!" the priest choked out. His arm was missing, and there was a distinct and disgusting red stain between his legs that made Rhea's stomach churn.

"Then I shall send you to her, so you can explain." with that, the woman raised her halberd up, the tip pointing down, and ran it into the screaming priest's torso hard enough to split his entire body in half horizontally. The woman turned to leave, and instead her eyes met Rhea's. Rhea could only imagine how she looked to her, long black hair blowing in the evening wind, her heavily tattooed body silhouetted against the doorway.

Then, the woman - whom she would come to know as Allie Shepard - spoke. With Fray's voice. "Hello, Rhea."

[princessmacedon]

{ OOC: TOA Anniversary Munday

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is.

Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing!

Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

tagging: anyone who needs a nudge ~

---

Name: Red or Reddo

Pronouns: they/she/he, with a preference toward they/them

Birthday (no year): December 28

Where are you from? What is your time zone? Kentucky; EST (toa o'clock)

Roleplay experience: mmm, tumblr wise, about 11 years? i think?

Got any pets? a very smiley dog named Tobin (named after he of Valentia fame) who hasn't got a thought in his head

Favorite time of year: whatever time of year it isn't right now (no strong feelings, but i miss the heat when it's winter and the cold when it's summer, and the lack of storms when it's tornado season DSHFHSDFHS)

Some interests and things you like: drawing, music................. uh.. g..gaming?? hum.. i really enjoy reading people's thoughts on characterization both in terms of (the muse's) self and relationship with others, though i tend to just read and enjoy unless i feel like. qualified to talk about the character hahaha

Some fun facts & trivia about you: uhh... hrmm... ?? i'm a chronic level grinder in fire emblem, usually to my own detriment, and i lurk in the server far more than i speak in it ^^;; i have way too many stuffed animals on my bed (including a minccino as tall as i am who cannot fits and so must sits on the floor)

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? FFXIV, Honkai: Star Rail, Pokemon, Genshin Impact, Dragon Age, Story of Seasons.. the more games release though the less i keep up with them HAHA

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: dark & dragon; lucario, appletun, zorua/zoroark, yamper, eevee+ (fun and incredibly unforeseen fact: i struggle with decisions)

How did you get into Fire Emblem? when i was still in high school some friends of mine kept gushing about some weird guy who had gloves, puffy pants, a singular full length sleeve, and his shoulder out. i didn't get the hype about him at all SDFHDSFHSDF but i liked the art and they liked the game, so i bought it to try it out

What Fire Emblem games have you played? awakening, fe7, fe11/12, fe4, fates (birthright & conquest), engage; i've started and need to restart shadows of valentia, fe6, fe8, and fe9, but i aim to play all of them one day!

First Fire Emblem game: Awakening

Favorite Fire Emblem game: in the end it's probably still Awakening! i have over a thousand hours in that game :softsmile:

Any Fire Emblem crushes? ough,, cordelia, chrom, lady rhea, uhhh. surely there's more but i've blanked HAHA

If you’ve played the following games, who was your first S support? - Awakening: Chrom (on purpose because he got my ass with the ground cutscene immediately, fool that i am) - Fates: Takumi - Three Houses: Dimitri - Engage: haven't finished yet but it's probably going to be Diamant

Favorite Fire Emblem class: mages, dark fliers, horsemen.. i enjoy a good hero as well :]

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class? i would be the merlinus of my class probably SDFSDSDGSDG definitely a magic user, probably a dark flier or maligknight, maybe a valkyrie? magic and staves, lower end of attack but higher speed + skill, glass bones and paper skin

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? Blue Lions, i think!

If you were an Engage character, which Emblem would you Engage with? hmm... i don't know anything about the dlc emblems, so i'd probably pick byleth for the dance/support, or maybe leif or lyn :thinking:

How did you find TOA? i heard about it from key for a good while, but i avoided joining at first since i was pretty burnt out in general. eventually zyra brought up the two of us writing macedonks again (we wrote together in an old group!) and i succumbed, hahaha. i was so terrified to join the server back then and she kept sending me screenshots trying to lure me in SDFFFSD

Current TOA muses: Maria & Katarina

Who was your first TOA muse? If you don’t have them anymore, could you see yourself picking them up again? Maria! she's the mainstay muse for me, even if she isn't so deeply thrilling hahaha

Have you had any other TOA muses? Cordelia! I still love her greatly ^^

Do you think you have a type of character you gravitate towards? for muses, i tend to gravitate towards the soft-hearted type and the generally good-aligned, but i've been thinking about branching out more/again sometimes

What do you believe you enjoy writing the most? in terms of tenses, i used to favor past tense but i usually flip-flop now depending on what makes my starter post sound nicest HAHA i tend to write event posts in present tense however, and sometimes change to match my partner. for threads in general, i'm drawn to emotional scenes and discussions and character bonding, though in general i like all kinds of threads ^^ and just as a general extra, i really love writing maria specifically. the way she puts in her full effort to love other people and the world itself is honestly really soothing to write sometimes!

Favorite TOA-related memory: i love watching everyone lose their minds when something Wild and Zany happens in an event, to be honest DSFDSFSD i haven't got a great memory myself, so nothing specific from me, but it's lots of fun to see :]

How do you pronounce TOA?: noah with a t (toah)

Got any delusions that didn’t see the light of day in TOA that you’d like to share? 😉 i am genuinely so close at all times to picking up wolf, though a preference for capping at 2 muses and general nervousness keep me from it :pensive: other than that, i've come really close to apping sothis before, and i have partially formed blogs for ced, citrinne, boucheron, among others

[macawbre]

Drills and practical work were comfortable to Phila. You could explain a concept until you were puffing and panting with the exertion, but those words could be all but useless once you were in the sky.

She missed being able to take recruits on their first flights. Introducing them to the intoxicating rush of wind whipping hair around your ears, the swooping delight, sweetened with anxiety, of relying on the creature beneath you to continue defying the laws of nature.

But, she now realised that delight was a candied poison. An untouchability that need only be disproven once.

If she was to regrow the Knights from the blood-soaked ground up, then she would do it differently. She would ensure her past mistakes never cost anyone their lives again.

Unfortunately, her well-intentioned attempts were belied by a fizzing boredom that left her staring unblinking at a lesson plan. So far all she'd written was: Lesson One: Safety Precautions.

Well, she was never a solo flier. There were many instructors dotted around this academy. She would seek one out and ask their help.

Pacing the halls of Garreg Mach, she eventually lighted on a classroom which was buzzing with activity. Perfect. She lingered in the hallway, the echo of a shamefaced youth ejected from class for bad behaviour.

The class was dismissed, and she slipped into the room. Like a magicians trick, the disappearing students revealed their professor. A professor with a very recognisable collar bristling with eyes. A... Plegian? Her muscles tensed on instinct. Fear and Plegia were practically the same word in Phila's vocabulary. They had killed her. They had... Her Exalt...

But she knew that Plegia was not its King. Just as the previous Exalt had not been hers. She could be civil. Emmeryn would want her to be civil.

'Pardon, I had some questions about... lesson planning.'

After the revelation, her words felt leaden, completely unable to articulate the shock that had slammed into her like a blow to the shoulder.

Teaching is a fickle, inching trick of light. He can't say for sure that he knows how to capture it, but in his own strange way, he knew how to wield it. For light, you bring up a receptacle of light—a mirror canted at an angle to bend its intangible existence. But for teaching, you must conjure some kind of receptacle of learning—a candle, a rose, a fire-proof mannequin. Something a little silly, something a little meaningful. The kids here are different now, but in a sense that they felt like different faces with the same souls. He couldn't really put his finger on it, but at least they were willing to give his classes a shot. (And let's forget the broken windows lining his classroom for a moment, shall we?)

It's interesting actually. No teacher here wanted anything to do with him. He had an easier time with the clerics, priests, and the psychologists over another colleague in his ranks. (But he couldn't blame them; not when Henry was barely a professor at all, let alone a capable one.) Maybe he could give Rhea a ring. Hang that noose over her head, and have a cup o' tea or something. But hey! Would you look at that! A sorry soul inching through the door! He straightened up, shard of broken glass glittering in his hands.

"Ahaha~ Oh, I'm sure you don't mean that." But, he was already teeming with curiosity; could it be that she wasn't afraid of him? She looked a whole lotta fun—like maybe the Cherche-type of fun. Stern, polite, and scary as hell. "...Or maybe you do?" Thoughtfulness tinged the tail-end of his question, as he lingered on the possibility that someone might actually want something more out of him.

"Asssssssss you can see, my last glass— I mean, class— kinda had the misfortune of shattering all the windows to my place. I think Seteth's going to have a conniption!" His laughter rung like church bells, echoing through the now-empty hall. A couple of his crows sat idly by the windowsills, picking at spare shards. To be honest, he didn't really make it easy on any responsible human being to be around him. (Because it was sooooo much more fun keeping them on their toes.)

"But if you're so sure, let's smash our heads together, nya ha ha! I'm positive we can come up with a lesson plan that'll have 'em by the neck."

With a little PLINK, he flicked the glass into a pile he had collected against the wall of the room. "What do you teach?" Circling around the room, he had his arms wide with all the possibilities racing through his head. "If it's swordsmanship, I recommend summoning a hoard of Risen to let your kids at 'em. And if it's Lance, you can ask me to enchant a couple of piñatas to pop out from the ceiling. Oh! Oh, or—"

"Actually, do you want a paper to write these all down? I think I can go on all day."

He scooted up on his desk, legs hanging off loosely as he leafed through the drawers for some spare parchment. To be honest, if she didn't want 'em, he'd use these plans himself. "What's your name by the way? Mine's Henry."

"Aha! Here we are." He pilfered a spare writing board, an ink pen he had enchanted to fountain ink, and some old scrolls for her use. "At the end of the day, if it's not fun, what's the point?"

[thecelestiallegacies]

Start The First Gen Start This Gen

The sun bled into the horizon, dragging gold and violet streaks across the sky like a bruised wound. Rhea sat beside her firepit, the flames flickering in rhythm with her anxious thoughts. A simple recliner. A quiet yard. The warm hiss of burning wood. But none of it drowned out the weight of Nyon’s text still sitting in her chest like a stone.

"We need to talk."

She hated that phrase. Hated how it wrapped itself around her ribs. It was never good. And with Nyon, it was bound to be worse. She wasn’t good at emotional honesty unless someone else bled first.

She didn’t turn when she heard him arrive. Just waited.

Nyon walked quietly up her porch steps, his face unreadable in the fire’s glow. Cold. Distant. He took the furthest seat on the wooden bench. Not a word.

Rhea exhaled through her nose, slowly rose, and followed his lead. The bench creaked beneath her as she sat opposite him. She didn’t bother with niceties. Rhea, flatly: "So… what did you want to talk about?"

Nyon rested his face on his knuckles, staring at her for a long, silent moment. Then away. Then back again.

A sharp breath through his nose. Nyon, quiet but firm: "I don’t think you’re in productions."

Rhea blinked. Rhea: "What do you think I do every day, Nyon?"

Nyon: "You’re… some kind of mobster. Or a supervillain. I hear rumors from San Myshuno. I’ve seen the incident reports you leave on the table. You don’t hide it very well when you’re tired."

She turned her gaze to the firepit back in the yard. Embers cracked in the silence. No point denying it now.

Rhea: "You’re right." Her voice was low. Steady.

Rhea, quietly: "My aunt and uncle—yeah, that’s the organization they run. I’m getting close to the top, too. I’m… doing really good work." She looked at him then. Vulnerability behind those firelit eyes, flickering just long enough to be real.

Rhea: "I get it if you don’t want that kind of… baggage."

Nyon’s jaw flexed. Nyon: "Why didn’t you tell me at the beginning?"

Rhea with a dry laugh: "I didn’t think we’d go deeper than we already had. Didn’t expect there to be an us. But now it’s out. I’m a horrible criminal and a liar to boot." Her breath caught in her throat before she continued. Rhea: "What are you going to do with me?"

Nyon stood. Brushed off his pants. And then, to her complete surprise—held out his hand.

Nyon: "I suppose I’ll be your mobwife. Or mobboyfriend. Or whatever. I signed up for you, Rhea. That includes your baggage."

Her eyes locked on his. No clever comebacks this time. She took his hand.