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averagewriter-inthedark · 1 year ago

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Barbie Girl 💄 | Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin Imagine

Takes place before, during, and after the events of Top Gun Maverick

TGM Masterlist

Characters & Pairings: Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin x Barbie!reader (romantic), dagger squad (platonic)

Content warnings: light profanity, fluff | female!reader (she/her) | wc: 4.3k

Requested 📨 yes/no (for @kayla-swiftly)

Premise: They say the sky is the limit and anything you set you’re mind to will be achieved as long as you’re dedicated to it. For most people that testimony is nothing but a mere fantasy. But for one woman, with too many dreams to count on her fingers, she took that statement to heart. Proving you can be anyone you want to be and maybe even a few others give or take 😉

Note: Anyone else obsessed with Barbie lately?? Omg y’all I saw the movie last week and absolutely fell in love and i had this request from around the time the final trailer dropped and knew it was the perfect time to write this. I know I know I haven’t been living up to my promise of being consistent but man they having me working my ass off at my job. Also I’ve been traveling and I saw Big Time Rush last night (i felt like a teenager again and it was amazing 😭) anyway I hope you enjoyed this and let me know what you think!

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“Hi, Barbie!” The familiar greeting fills Y/n’s ears as it does every morning she arrives at the hangar. With it comes an instant smile, hand raising to wave at the person responsible for it, “Hi, Phoenix!”

“Hey there, Barbie,” winks another friendly face.

“Hiiii, Hangman,” her tone is playful like his, turning energetic for Bob when he goes, “Hiya, Barbie!”

“Hi there, Bob!”

“Hey, Barbie.” “Good morning, Barbie.” “What’s up, Barbie Girl.”

“Hello, Rooster.” “Good morning to you too, Fanboy.” “Nothing much, Pay. And yourself?”

Unlike her fellow pilots, clad in their deep green flight suits, Y/n stood out in the crowd for hers was a little unorthodox when one thinks of a naval fighter pilot's uniform.

It was pink. Completely as in her combat boots were also the bright color and the patchers were white and pink tones rather than red, blues, black and any other color seen in the ones attached to her coworkers arms. ‘Barbie’ in pink cursive writing instead of traditional bold Times New Roman lettering.

And don’t forget the little flower dotting the ‘i’.

Growing up, Y/n took ‘you can be anyone and anything you want to be,’ quite literally. At no point was it a joke to her when she would tell her friends and family, “oh I’m gonna be a fashion designer and Olympic Gold medalist when I’m older,” “I wanna go to space, fly in planes, and see all the wonders of the world,” “I’ll be a doctor, a teacher, and movie star!” They’d smile and laugh, thinking it was adorable for a little girl to dream big. No way would it be possible to achieve all of those careers. Everyone only gets one life to live and time goes so fast one can only set their eyes on one path and hope for the best.

But Y/n was a dreamer. And if you’re going to dream, might as well dream big.

All through middle and high school people took Y/n’s intelligence for granted. Focusing more on her beauty rather than brains, it came as an under shock to everyone when Y/n had the credits to graduate at the ripe age of 15. Exceeding in her standardized test scores with a high school resume taking up three pages with extracurricular and academic achievements, she had colleges from all over the country begging for her to apply.

Stanford. Cornell. Pratt. Juilliard. NYU. John Hopkins. Harvard. UCLA. Duke. Top medical and law schools. Ivy League universities. Performing Arts schools calling for auditions after sending scouts to watch her perform in school plays and dance recitals. Coaches from high ranking NCAA gymnastics teams sending emails after emails.

So many to choose from….And so the story of Y/n L/n becoming a real life Barbie Doll begins.

Setting her eyes in New York, Y/n attended not one but two of the best schools in the country. While obtaining her bachelor’s in both astronautical and aeronautical engineering at NYU Y/n also completed a two year degree in Fashion Business Management at the Fashion Institute of Technology. During this time she continued training for the Olympics in hopes of making the 2008 Beijing team in gymnastics.

“How do you do it?” Her roommate at NYU constantly asked. “You go from here to FIT, working on two degrees that are completely on opposite sides of the spectrum and career paths,” she emphasized with hand expressions, “and still have enough to time to go to the gym to practice, eat three meals a day, have all your assignments done early, and sleep a reasonably about of hours each night.” Letting out an exhale, her roommate looks at Y/n as if she’s an alien from another world, “What’s your secret? Are you some kind of Barbie doll the government created as a test robot?”

Each time Y/n would pause, think for a moment before smiling, “I don’t know if I should find that as an insult or compliment, but I’m gonna chose it as a compliment and say it’s because I want to live a life where I can look back on and go, ‘I took a risk and tried something new even if it didn’t look possible but it was all worth it.’”

By the time Y/n turned 20 she had accumulated a vast list of credentials to her name. The list included getting her fashion business degree at 17, Bachelors in astronautical/aeronautical engineering at 19–receiving her Master’s for it at 20–An Olympic Gold and Silver medalist, dancing with the Radio City Rockettes, performing with the NYC Ballet Company in their rendition of Swan Lake, landing a role on Broadway, walking a runway at NY fashion week, and appearing on episodes of SVU, 30 Rock, All My Children, Sex and the City, and Ugly Betty.

So yeah, New York was a success in experiences for Y/n.

Following the high note, she packed her bags to leave the golden apple for the flashing lights of Hollywood, California. This time Y/n was working on her doctorates at USC, running her own business with her fashion degree called ‘Dream Closet’, and auditioning for film and tv shows.

Hollywood was a dream come true just like New York. Again she attended two different schools, this time flight school and USC. During the day she was occupied running from class to the hangar and then the observatory. Coaching dance and gymnastics on the side, designing clothes for her online shop which developed into a pop-up chain store in malls across America.

It wasn’t long until Y/n’s name grew into nationwide popularity. People started realizing the Y/n L/n who won the Gold and Silver medals in the 2008 Olympics was the same one responsible for the most recent fashion trends and guest starring on their favorite tv shows. What really set it in stone was when Y/n landed the role of an engineer officer in the 2009 reboot of Star Trek, going on to appear in both the 2013 and 2016 sequels.

Impressive was the only word her costars could use to describe her. What else was there?

Anytime there was a question involving, “who’s most likely to become president?” “Who’s most likely to try something new or create a new hobby?” “Who’s most likely to win a Nobel Prize?” Along those lines…the answer was obvious.

“Oh Y/n,” Zoe Saldana waves her hand, “Always.”

“Yeah,” Chris Pine agrees with a laugh, “That woman, I-I don’t know how one has the energy to do all that she does—a-and still want to do more.”

The Interviewer laughs with them, “didn’t she just race in the Daytona 500 last year?”

“Yes!! And she did a song with Lady Gaga when they were on American Horror Story,” Zoe’s tone is in absolute awe, “All while teaching at USC and creating new technology at NASA.” Chris lifts a finger.

“Don’t forget she had her own Mac Viva Glam line a couple years ago.” Zoe made a sound along the lines of ‘see what I mean,’.

“I’m telling you, she’s gonna be a name in the history books.”

What all has Y/n accomplished career wise? Let’s take a look.

Model, dancer, actor, singer, fashion designer, entrepreneur, athlete, engineer, race car driver, and professor.

And now she can add pilot to the list. Although she got her license to fly way back in 2009, Y/n didn’t put it to use full time until 2016, wanting to wait until after the release of Star Trek: Beyond to say goodbye to Hollywood for the time being and set forth on her next adventure.

Boy did it come as a surprise what she had planned.

The Manila folder containing her resume hit the desk of the Admiral, his eyes wide as saucers. “You wanna join the Navy?” Reading the front page for a fifth time, Cyclone glanced back at the woman in front of him. Doctor Y/n L/n. Or is it professor L/n? “And you wanna be one of my pilots?”

“Yes, Sir.”

”Ma’am, I apologize if this comes off as offending,” he really didn’t know any other way to put it. “But you are more qualified than any person on this base. Doctorates in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the University of Southern California,” he counts off on his fingers, “you recently developed a groundbreaking advancement in space technology that’s going to help our astronauts—on the road to becoming a Nobel Prize nominee.” He raises his eyebrows, “And this is only what relates to this career field. I’m not even mentioning your acting, athletic, and fashion credentials. Why join the Navy?”

Y/n only offers a shrug, “I think the better question is, why not?” Cyclone lets out a sigh.

“What did you say your callsign was again?”

“Barbie.”

There was no stopping the small smile trying to break free, “I should’ve guessed.”

After completing OTS there was much debate on what Y/n’s rank would be coming into the Navy. Civilian lawyers and physicians often are Lieutenants (O-3) right away, but considering Y/n had two doctorate degrees and her pilot license they felt it was only fair for her to come in as Commander (O-5). From there Y/n was sent to North Island to attend Fighter Weapons School.

Better known to its flyers as Top Gun.

Y/n was used to the looks she received on a daily basis. From head to toe she was covered in variations of pink depending on what she was feeling. When teaching her briefcase and pantsuit were baby pink, in the labs her coat was hot pink, at auditions she wore pink leather jackets. Even her race car for the Daytona was pink.

Shoutout to Mac cosmetics for the sponsorship.

So it’s no surprise her flight suit would be the color she was known for—despite it being out of regulations.

Being more qualified than your superiors had its perks.

If she could have a pink F-18 she would but unfortunately that wasn’t possible. That was okay for Y/n. After all, she managed to get her own custom flight suit. One which had everyone having to do double takes whenever she walked into a room.

“Is she wearing…?”

“How the hell did they allow that?”

“Does that mean I can have mine in purple?”

Her first day at Top Gun Y/n met Natasha ‘Phoenix’ Trace. They were paired as roommates in the dorms and quickly became good friends. Phoenix was beyond amazed with Y/n’s accomplishments and experiences. Every conversation led to a new discovery. “Do you ever burn out?” Nat stag criss crossed on Y/n’s satin pink bed sheets, admiring her wall of photos from when she traveled to see all the wonders of both the ancient and modern world. “I feel I’d be a walking corpse from exhaustion. And you mentioned you’re still running and designing clothes for ‘Dream Closet’?”

Y/n removed her diamond studs, placing them on her desk she was using as a vanity. “I have a team dealing with the business side of things for the brand. I’m still CEO and creative director—usually I work on designs for a couple hours before bed to prepare for the next launch.”

Nat was in awe, “I have to ask….what’s been the best career you’ve done so far?” A common question Y/n heard, there was never a true answer. She loved every career. They all had their perks and their flaws, but at the end of the day it left her satisfied she achieved them.

“I don’t know yet,” she spoke truthfully, “I still have a few to check off on my list. When that happens I’ll let you know.”

Fast forwarding to 2019, Y/n answered the phone to Admiral Simpson’s voice with the news she needed to report back to North Island for a highly confidential mission. The details were unknown, but Y/n packed her bags, loaded her pink vintage corvette convertible and high tailed it to sunny San Diego.

The squeals initiated by Y/n and Nat the moment she stepped foot in the Hard Deck had heads whipping in their direction. “Hi, Barbie!” Nat’s arms opened for a hug.

“Hi, Phoenix!” Y/n accepted the embrace, still grinning ear to ear. The guys around them were looking at each other like, ‘what the…?’ Y/n wasn’t in her standard Khakis like they were—minus Rooster. She bore a pink denim number with matching boots with her hair curled and pink eyeliner surrounded by tiny rhinestones.

“You got selected too?” Nat complimented her outfit before cutting straight to the point.

“For the special detachment? Looks like it,” she winked.

“What happened to the Artemis program? Weren’t you up as a candidate?”

“Oh I still am,” Y/n affirmed proudly, “They’ll be announcing who’s to be selected in the coming months. So for now I’m still with the Bounty Hunters. Plus,” she leans in to whisper, “this will look good on my resume.” The two giggle before Y/n drifts her gaze to the boggling gazes in front of her. “Oh! I’m sorry for being so rude. I’m Y/n L/n,” extending her hand to the first person who’s name tag read Fitch, Y/n added, “But you can call me Barbie.”

“Barbie,” the blonde holding a pool cue repeated like a question, “like the toy Barbie?” Nat chuckled, throwing an arm around her friend after she was done shaking everyone’s hand as they introduced themselves.

“Fellas, if there is anyone who is a life sized version of Barbie, it’s this one right here.”

“Now, Phee…” Y/n’s tone was that of, ‘Don’t start.’

“It’s true,” the pilot defended. “Not only is she Commander Y/n ‘Barbie’ L/n,” jaws drop, “but she’s Professor and Doctor L/n.” The jaws hit the floor, “On top of founder, creative director and CEO of ‘Dream’s Closet,’” Javy makes a sound, familiar with the brand, “Emmy nominated actress,” Fanboy chokes on his water, “Olympic Gold Medalist and soon to be astronaut for the Artemis program.” By now all the guys are on the verge of losing their minds.

Bob rapidly blinks, “uh—.”

“Now I’m not an astronaut yet,” Y/n points out, “I’m a candidate for one.” Nat scoffs lightly.

“They’d be stupid not to pick you, Barb,” she then slaps her side, turning back to the guys, “Oh and how could I forget Broadway, Vogue, and the Daytona 500.”

“Daytona 500!?” Payback practically screeches.

“You were on Broadway?”

“—featured on Vogue—?!”

“Wait a minute I recognize you from Star Trek!”

“—How in the hell—.”

“Guys, guys!” Y/n laughs with her hands slightly raised, “Please, one at a time.” They were in for a long night of questions and story times. And just like Nat was years prior when she first roomed with Y/n at Top Gun, the officers were in complete amazement over the woman in front of them. Never had they met anyone like her.

“Wow,” Jake whistled once she finished bringing them up to date on her most recent careers. “You really are a real-life Barbie.”

“Shhhh,” a finger went to her lips, followed by a wink, “don’t tell Mattel.”

And thus the dagger squad was formed. Two and half weeks of hell bearing training preceding a face-with-death mission brings people closer. Every morning Y/n arrived at the hangar to a chorus of “Hi, Barbie.”

She waved at Reuben, “Hi Payback.”

“Hey there, Barbie Girl,” Javy threw her a peace sign.

“Hiya, Coyote!”

“Good morning, Barbie,” Rooster tipped his hat.

“Mornin’, Rooster.”

“Hi, Barbie!” “Hi, Barbie!” Her favorite duo harmonized.

“Hi, Bob! Hi, Phee!”

And for some closer than others….

“You know I was thinking,” Jake commented, taking Y/n’s hand before leading her to the pottery class he signed them up for. Every Friday night was reserved for date night. Dinner and a movie. Walk on the beach. Spending $20 worth of quarters at an arcade. Attending a comedy show. Paint and sip. Following the successful mission, Jake and Y/n hit it off and began seeing each other.

“Famous last words.”

“It’s not bad,” a chuckle left his lips, stopping at the door. “I just thought it was funny. You know how you’re basically Barbie?” His cheeky smile resulted in her mirroring it.

“Yessss.”

“This means I’m pretty much your Ken, right?” The question makes the woman visible ‘awe’. Jake ruffles a hand through his hair and gives his best blue steel, “we kinda look alike. Don’t you think?”

Laughing, Y/n kisses his cheek, “I mean…name a more iconic duo than Barbie and Ken.”

“Barbie and Hangman?”

“Exactly.” It was safe to assume what their Halloween costumes were going to be.

Time went on, missions were run. And after a year of anticipation—though it felt like forever, it was finally announced in 2020 Y/n would be one of the astronauts selected to be part of NASA’s Artemis program launching in 2024.

Making Y/n the first woman to go to the moon.

The call came in from a restricted number when they were in a meeting, and knowing she was to expect a call within the month everyone quickly shut up so the pilot could answer.

She excused herself to leave the room, staying in front of the window so the team could see her. Throughout the conversation Y/n’s expression remained neutral to the point none had a clue whether the news was good or bad. Only when she reentered the room did they get the answer.

“I’m going to the moon!!!”

“Ahhh!!!!” The team exploded in an array of cheers, Y/n jumping up and down, careful not to drop her phone that was in her hands when Jake lifted her in his arms.

“I’m so fucking proud of you!” Despite being unauthorized to show pda in uniform, Jake gave her a big kiss on the lips, not caring who saw. “You are the most exceptional human being on this planet.”

“Jake,” tears welled in her eyes, which he kissed away. Her heart filled with warmth and gratitude. Feeling on top of the world with her closest friends supporting her.

Once all calmed down and they finished the meeting, Mickey jumped from his seat, “Come on Barbie, let’s go party!” Everyone sped to the Hard Deck to celebrate the news. Mav bought the first round, followed by Payback.

“Guys you don’t have to do all that,” Y/n said once she realized they all agreed to buy her drinks for the night.

“We want to,” Nat tapped her beer with Y/n’s cocktail glass, the guys voicing agreements. “For years you’ve been dreaming about this and it’s finally happening. Your hard work is paying off and we want to celebrate—show you we love and appreciate you, Barbie.”

Y/n fought back tears, never afraid to show her emotions. Some may find it childish or thinned skin, but to Y/n that was what being human was all about. “I love you guys.”

“We love you!” The voices echoed together.

The night had been going well with the squad hanging out by the pool tables like they usually did when Y/n approached the bar to pick up the next round Mickey was paying for. Not paying attention to those beside her, she smiled at Penny and repeated the order before waiting patiently.

But what’s a night at a bar without someone who lacks boundaries.

“You must be the one they call Barbie,” a voice says, flirtation seeping through the words. Glancing to her right, Y/n recognizes a gentleman from the flight line whose name she could not recall. “You’re quite the talk around base. In fact, weren’t you in some Hollywood blockbuster?”

“Yes,” she politely responds, keeping the answer short. Though she was known to be a sweetheart and kindhearted to anyone she met, Y/n could tell where the interaction was heading toward and did not feel comfortable entertaining it any further. “A long time ago.”

“I’m Lieutenant Paul Billings,” he extended his hand, and she immediately clocked he was trying to show off his rank. ‘Boy he’s in for a treat.’

Not wanting to make a scene, she accepts the handshake. “Commander Y/n L/n,” there was emphasis on the Commander, displaying the woman was of higher rank and therefore a silent warning to Billings to not cross a line.

There was a flash of surprise on his face. Y/n held back an amused laugh, ‘guess you didn’t hear everything.’

“Something the matter, Lieutenant?”

“No,” he brushes it off, “Nothing. Say,” he nods to the bar, “can I buy you a drink.” Did he not just hear her order a round for the people she came with?

“That’s kind of you,” she starts just as Penny arrives with a try full of cold beers and her usual cocktail. “But I’m all set, thank you.” Hands moving to take the tray, she jumps slightly at the feeling of his own coming to her wrist.

“What about lunch this week?”

“I’m sorry but I am spoken for, Lieutenant,” removing his hold, Y/n takes a step away.

Now Paul had lost his reasonable composure. Scoffing, he says, “What? Am I not enough for you?” The question results in her raising a brow.

“I beg your pardon?”

He makes a face, “You think because you’ve done all these careers and occupations that you’re better than the average person? I’m not a pilot and an actor or researching the cure for cancer while creating a documentary series,” venom seeps through his tone, obviously depicting his jealousy, “Basic is not up to your standards, so you have to throw our failures in our face as if we don’t already know.”

By now a crowd has formed. Jake started moving the second he noticed Billings etching too close to his girl, followed by Nat and the others who were ready to back him up. Behind the bar, Penny was fixing to ring the bell until being stopped by Y/n’s wave of the hand.

“Are you done?”

Paul’s expression was that of, “what?” No audible response was voiced therefore Y/n continued.

“Okay, I’m gonna go ahead and say this, Paul,” Y/n drops her shoulder. The change in body language let Jake and her friends know she wasn’t taking anything that the man said personally. “I know I should be offended by your insults and insinuations, but the truth is I’m not.” A small smile forms on her lips, “I don’t view myself higher than anyone because of what I accomplished. The only person I do that to, is myself—because I don’t have to prove to no one but me that I am capable of achieving what I set my mind to. And yeah,” a light chuckle escapes, “I’ve set my mind to a lot of things—way more than the average person. But that doesn’t mean you or anyone else can’t do the same.”

Pausing Y/n takes a breath before exhaling, “You look at me, and hate the way it makes you view yourself. Makes you believe you’re a failure because you didn’t follow the path you hoped to make for yourself.” Paul’s expression shifts to one of solemnity, like he was thinking of his younger self who had dreams and aspirations. Mourning what could have been.

It made Y/n sad for him. Empathetic despite him attacking her. “One thing I’ve learned over the years…is time is what you make of it. Life is about taking risks. You can still set out to do whatever it is you wish, as long as you’re committing to taking the risk no matter how scary it is. Sure you’ll find obstacles and it’ll feel like the whole world is against you. But determination will guide you through the walls, and you will be successful so that you can look back and think, ‘it was worth it.’ As cliche as it sounds,” she couldn’t hold back a laugh, “Barbie isn’t a person or an object you can obtain. Barbie is a mindset. And you have to unlock it in your own way, Paul.”

It was so quiet in the building, a pin could drop and everyone would hear it. Their looks of awe, admiration, and even newfound motivation by Y/n’s speech. Impressed by how classy she handled what very well could have been a scream match between rival squadrons.

Behind Billings the Dagger squad stood with proud smirks at their friend. Especially Jake, who caught Y/n’s eyes and threw her a wink. Nat gave the woman a salute, a silent gesture to say, ‘you inspire me everyday.’

And Billings? Well he was at a loss for words.

Patting his shoulder, Y/n grabbed the tray of drinks, “I wish you luck, Paul.” Thanking Penny, who gave her a proud nod and replied, “this ones on the house,” Y/n returned to her friends where she was met with a sweet kiss from Jake, claps on the back and “You go girl!” “Tell them who’s boss.” “Damn, you made me wanna go out there and live life the way I should.”

“What’s stopping you, Javy?” she handed him a beer, “the world is your playground.”

A couple hours later it was time to call it a night. Hugs went around, promises to meet up the following night and tabs were closed.

On their way out, Jake dropped a kiss to Y/n forehead, pulling her close to him as he led her to the door of the parking lot, “So what’s next for you, doll? You’ve proved you can be anything and anyone you chose to be,” he grins at her, “What will you set your mind to now after space?”

“First, I want to write a book—I think that’s something a lot have been waiting for me to do. Afterwards, well, I’ll have to wait a couple more years, but,” The corner of Y/n’s lips lift up before flashing a dazzling smile, “I’m thinking….the Oval Office is in need of a makeover. Don’t you think?”

Then, before he could answer, Y/n turns her head in the opposite direction as if she’s trying to find a hidden camera. Makes eye contact with you, the reader, winking before turning back to Jake where she sets off on her next adventure.

…………….

TGM Tag List: @avaleineandafryingpan @caitsymichelle13 @poppyalice2001 @cutelittlepotatofry @luckyladycreator2 @americaarse @elenavampire21 @back-tooo-black @wildellaa @artemissunn @pinkpantheris

#Spotify #jake hangman seresin #jake seresin x reader #jake hangman x reader #jake seresin x you #jake seresin imagine #hangman imagine #hangman x reader #hangman fluff #top gun maverick imagine #top gun maverick fanfiction #top gun maverick #TGM imagine #TGM fluff #barbie imagine #babrie!au #jake seresin fluff #dagger squad imagine #dagger squad x platonic!reader

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writingwenches · 3 months ago

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Aemond x Peasant OC – Part 2

synopsis: our main character, Lyn finds herself propositioned in the most unexpected way. Aemond finally finds out the secret gift his mother's favorite lady, Cinda Lannister, has planned to celebrate the princess helaena's nameday

themes: classist!Aemond, spoiled prince boy Aemond, mc grew up in a westeros version of a nunnery, this is just the start of a larger “rewrite HOTD” type story. I posted this a few days ago, hated it, rewrote some of it, now its back lol

word count: ~5k

warnings: 18+ MDNI, no targcest, dark themes, masturbation, voyerisom, dub/con, mentions of sex work, character death, mentions of child death and pregnancy complications. medieval standards on "womanhood", virginity testing, let's all remember the true inspiration for handmaid's tale: human history~ i would never survive in this time period eventho not having a job and wearing pretty dresses sounds very very very very nice until its not

READ PART ONE HERE

Learn to Fly – Act One – Finale

Lyn did not have the same privilege to mourn like noble ladies did. The Lady Aeditya had an entire wardrobe of black cloth and robes, as a way to signify to all those who perceived her that there was something missing, something lost unable to be returned. Lowborns did not have the time to pass away, on their knees in front of the Seven, begging for retribution.

Lyn was allowed her moments, standing alone at the simple gravestone behind the Motherhouse. Hanna had not made it a week past their last outing at Erenford’s Keep. Something to do with her heart, the Maesters had told them, so they didn’t have to worry about spreading. She was the only one to visit her grave after the burial, the others seemed to have moved on, just as she needed to.

Lyn did not have the time to mourn, with one less mouth to feed, the Stepas would allow her to stay for a few more moons, but Lyn was sure her time here was at an end.

Where would she go? What would she do? Hanna had been immensely more talented than Lyn as a servant, a nursemaid or a farmhand, and she still struggled to gain employment. Where was the hope for Lyn?

—

Cinda had taken so long in her travels to Haronfall, Aemond was sure she was stalling for some reason. He sighed loudly, sitting across from her in the plush wheelhouse, decorated in Lannister reds. Cinda’s eyes remained closed and her breathing steady. Aemond was sure she was asleep.

He was sure he could have flown Vhagar to Essos and back by now, but Cinda had assured them they were only a few days away from their destination. After his strange greeting from the town’s patrons, Aemond was not sure why he was even going back.

Well, perhaps there was one reason.

The road was bumpy and Aemond could not stop his eyes from finding Cinda’s heaving chest, as she gently breathed as the uneven road shook her chest about, sending waves of skin to dance in front of his eye.

Aemond did not like to think of Cinda in his base moments, she was a lady and was to be respected. But, a forgettable peasant girl was something else entirely.

His eye set itself on the cavern in the center of Cinda’s chest, her sapphire jewel fell in the place between her breasts. He imagined his hands wrenching the fabric away, freeing her tits for his own view. Aemond pictures palming them, as the road rocked him against his hands. His own hand went to himself, unlacing his britches under a heavy blanket, needed for the colder climate.

His dominant hand wrapped around his base, applying pressure that forced a sigh from him. Aemond’s sounds had not woken Cinda, so he resumed the tapestry being weaved in his head.

The peasant girl’s face, thrown back, her mouth open in pleasure as her tits jumped before him, as she bounced on his cock. He had only seen the sight while searching for his brother in places he shouldn’t be, but Aemond finally understood his brother speaking of it so fondly now. Aemond pictured suckling at Lyn’s nipples, making her cry out and beg him for more. He hated that she did not know his name, he wanted to hear her scream it. To beg him. To stop. To start. To do anything he wanted. He wanted to put that damned peasant in her place, stripped naked, on her knees, and forced to lick his boots as he sat atop the iron throne.

His hips thrust themselves into his hand, as his freehand braced himself against the carriage wall.

He watched Cinda’s eyes to make sure she remained asleep, he matched his trusts with the bouncing of her tits. Aemond was the prince, and he could have whatever he liked, at least in the safety of his own mind. Cinda was alseep, but if he wished he could pry her open and fill himself inside her. He could hear her scream, her voice so known to him for so long. It rang in his mind, the sounds of her happy and annoyed and pleased. He could practically feel her smiling against his lips. It was almost as clear as a memory that he made her say “I love you” when she reached her peak.

Aemond spent himself into a handkerchief, he could swear his eyes was open but he could see nothing besides the stars.

Before he could catch his breath, the guard was called that they had arrived and Cinda stretched her arms awake, offering yet another stunning view of what Aemma would call disgraceful.

“My sweet prince, are you well?” she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“It was only a dream,” he assured.

—

The baskets carried on her back felt an extra heavy load the next market. It had been a few weeks since Hanna’s death, and Lyn had not found a single reason to be cheerful, the Septas made sure she knew her work was suffering. The baskets were poor craftsmanship, and she knew it. But, there was nothing left to do but try and peddle them away, so have enough coin to produce for the next market, and so on, forever, she supposed.

The Septas, too, had felt the loss of Hanna, their charge. She had been with them since her own youth, and the old women were many things, but they weren’t cruel, the girls were only punished when it was deemed necessary, which even they admitted was more often than they’d like. They were doing it in the name of the gods, to frighten the thoughts that could lead a poor, unfamilied, woman astray.

Lyn’s work had been sloppy. First, she had dropped a group of baskets in the street, for them to be trampled over by a too quickly passing carriage. Her largest basket was sold quickly, then piled high with soft delicate squash from the northern shores of The Bite.

“I am so sorry, m’lord!” Lyn scrambled on the ground, her basket bursting from the weight, and the delicate vegetation plopped down into the wet mud. “This has never happened before, I assure you!”

The gentle squash was bruised and irreplaceable. Lyn pushed the tears back into her eyes as the purple faced man shouted at his inconvenience. She was forced to offer the man the meager contents of her purse to save face. She would be going back to the Motherhouse with less coin than she left, and that was simply inaccessible.

“You must be the saddest group of little–“ the Septas berated the small group of girls in her charge, each having faulted during the market day and needed reprimanding.

The vision of Septa Glaedis had been whittled down to a pale point with her age, but her hearing was a sharp as ever, and she was not one to put up with foolishness. The rage that the old woman consumed with every crack of her back, or creak in her knee was felt by the younger girls. They dreaded every front of cold air, as they knew Septa Glaedis’s mood would ever sour.

Lyn knew to watch her breathing around Septa Glaedis, not wanting to give off the impression of an annoyed or impatient sigh and face the wrath of her faithful switch, thinly carved with hymns about the virtues of obedience.

She allowed her mind to wonder, as the Septa retold hymns and passages Lyn had heard countless times before. The skies were grey and usual, a pale haze that passed over the world. It was rare that they got singular clouds in the lands near the twins, Lyn enjoyed finding shapes in the cloud, animals, faces, foods she had heard tales of and longed to try. There was nothing to find anything today in the clouds, she had to stop herself mid sigh, not wanting to fan the flames of Septa Glaedis.

Passers by did not stop the mind them, the group of girls and Septas. They were trained in their invisibility, as all good woman and servants should. At least that’s what Lyn had been told. No one would want to see her, she was a lowborn girl merchant, and that title was something Lyn had to fight tooth and nail for. Last winter half the fingers on her left hand were crushed by falling stones from a builded fence. The Septas were able to set and save her fingers functions, at least enough to continue her basket weaving. It was one thing she was able to pray thanks to the gods for saving her from.

Lyn completely forgot herself with her eyes passed over silver strands, just across the muddied street. Passing horses trotted by, but between them Lyn could be sure of what she say.

It was him. Again. The liar prince, come back to town. He smirked as he watched her beratement, gaining joy from her misery.

Lyn forgot herself and laughed.

“Is something funny, girl?” Septa Glaedis asked, with a whip of her switch.

Perhaps, for the first time since she was a babe, Lyn had not expected the swing of discipline as it sped across her cheek, striking her to the muddied ground. She could hear the bark of laughter from the boy across the street.

“Septa Glaedis! I am sorry, I am!” Lyn called as the woman struck at the air until she found the girl’s back with a whip, the other girls prayed the old woman to stop.

The elderly woman followed her ears and turned her gaze to the barks coming from across the street, pointing out her switch to dare anyone else to cross her. Aemond’s voice caught in his throat at the threat from the old crone.

Half of Aemond’s parentage had their roots deep in the heart of Oldtown, the epicenter of gentlemanly knights and courtly love. A true man of the Reach would have rushed over and covered the poor girl with his cloak, defending her from the villainous woman who dared to touch something that was his.

But, Aemond was above such things. The girl on the ground, her marked face flecked with foul-smelling mud, was no lady. Ladies deserved the help from a noble prince, and the dogs could remain in the mud, used for nothing more than licking the dirt from his boots. Ignoring the tightening in his britches at every strike across her back, Aemond did not want her, or need her, he told himself as he meandered through the market stalls until he found a smith who’s work was acceptable enough to sharpen his blade.

Aemond had spent the entire bloodied day trotting around the disgusting Riverlands, in search of Cinda and her damned surprise. When he had awoken in his tents that morning, she had vanished. Her maids had informed him that she was fetching the princess’s surprise. He did not like secret keeping, and Cinda knew that about him, so she dared to keep as many secrets as possible from him.

Besides the whispers around the markets regarding the Lannister camp contracted outside of town, Aemond did not find a whiff of Cinda. Surely, if one of these peasants had been charged with making a gift for his princess sister, they would have boasted about it to their countrymen?

Cinda returned to the camp that night with her lips tightly sealed, not even wishing to play one of her silly guessing game she was always so fond of, no matter how many times Aemond brought it up.

—

It was too early to be awake, and Aemond could feel the distant pull of Vhagar, flying high above the mountains of the Vale and away from the cold, sinking hole of the Riverlands. He rolled himself around in bed, willing him to return to sleep while the sun still hid from view.

He had never been one to indulge himself this often, but the countryside was boring a whole in his skull. He would surely lose his mind if they remained much longer. Today, he would force Cinda tell him of her plans. He was the Prince and he could have her locked up in the Eronford’s Keep for disobeying his orders.

His idle hand loosely brushed itself against his manhood, hardened from the morning air. Aemond’s mind was giddy at the thought of Cinda’s arms retrained wide, her body chained to a dungeon wall. He could picture her in nothing less than her most elegant of crimson gowns, one of the newer designs of the Red Keep, hugging her curves with a neckline that hung low and snug, her breasts barely able to be contained by the fabric.

Her face shifted, darkening into lips of purple hue, marks on her face that stretched over her rounded cheeks. He moaned into his touch as he reimagined the switch striking that cheek. He watched the pain in her eye and could hear her moan in pain as she was brought to the ground. Aemond imagined himself holding the switch and inflicting the pain onto her himself, the lowborn scum that deserved her place on the ground, prepared only to scrum the floor beneath his muddied feet.

And she had smiled at him. Her eyes catch sight of him and she smiled at him. Her cheeks rose up as her lips formed around the air ready to say his name.

He wondered how else he could pull such a thing from her again as he trust into his hand. He pictured her spread on the floor of his tent, her skirts too short gaining him a perfect view of her calfs, a view he would indulge by tearing the fabric from her waiting skin.

He was a prince, and she was his subject, his property. He had every right to send the lowborn to war or drag them into his beds. Aemond could do whatever he liked with the lowborn river girl, nothing more than a common whore.

He would lick the darkened marks that covered her body until her reached to mouth. Her hair, in small plates across her back, was enough for him to fist, as he shoved himself into her lowly mouth. He imagined her choking on his length, spittle dripping down her neck in a way unbecoming of a proper lady. He made her beg, for something, for everything. He came in his hand and fell back asleep.

Cinda tickled a feature against his eyes to wake him up to break their fast.

—

Lyn had never rode in a cart before, at least not since she was too young to remember. The girls were all excited, the small group gathered by the Septas for a special job opportunity. The red banners embalmed with golden lions had set up camp just outside their halls, Lyn could just see their colors peaking above the horizon from their sleeping room.

“I hear they are the richest house in the realm,” one girl said, as the camp came nearer into view.

“I heard they have a castle made of pure gold!” another chimed in.

“I hear they use slaves in their mines,” the last girl huffed, waggling her fingers at the ruby clad guards on duty as their cart passed into their protected camp.

Lyn found herself amongst a group that she found odd. The same way she could have been described as striking, so could these other girls. Mismatched eyes, and hair with streaks of white, moles and marks and discolored skin, covering their bodies, just as her own bumped black marks covered Lyn’s.

“Why us?” Lyn asked, pulling at a loose string of her skirt hem.

“We are the ugly ones,” the last girl who spoke of slaves shrugged, her face marked with redness and pinpoint scars. “These high born ladies are afraid that someone might best them at their own game, so I’d bet they are stacking their servants with hideous beasts, like us. To make themselves feel even more beautiful.” They all had a good laugh at that.

Whatever gained Lyn employment, at this point she did not mind.

“Are we going to be servants to true high born ladies?” a girl asked, “The richest house in all the seven kingdoms, you said?”

“I bet the kitchen scrubbers get better scraps than we ever did,” Lyn said, all the foods she could only picture in the clouds, would soon be in her grasp. Her mouth watered at the thought of the orange from her Liar Prince, the smell had not left her mind, every night as she tried to fall asleep, the sweetness mixed with the tang. It was unlike anything she ever experienced before. And now, she was about to gain the opportunity to experience something like that for the rest of her days?

“We must,” the girls huddled together to discuss their new plan, “be on our best behavior. We must insist that we all gain employment this day. We are all skilled, we know our worth, and we can serve actual ladies and lords!”

The grand room in the tent was larger than many houses made of wood and stone Lyn had witnessed. Her mouth hinged open as she looked around at the endless tapestries and sculptures that were past every layer deeper into the tented maze.

“Lyn!” one of the girls hushed and prodded her hard in the side. “Close your mouth, stupid!”

Lyn reminded herself why they were there, and straightened her back as high it would go, her shoulders back and her fists balled at her side, before peering at the other girls’ hands gently folded in front.

She steadied her breathing, and couldn’t help but run her hands over the carved chairs, more fine than any in Erenford’s Keep.

There were flowers, colors that Lyn had never seen in nature, just sitting across tables as the girls weaved single filed. Lyn imagined being charged with placing those flowers in their vases, gently packing them in finely sanded wooden boxes that smelled of ancient trees.

She stepped out of line and breathed in deeply of their scent. “Lyn!” another girl barked, shoving her back in line, but first quickly smelling the blooms herself. They mouthed the gods name in vain, in an attempt to contain their excitement.

Lyn wondered how they had gotten all of this here? Had they really been towing around wagons and carts filled with chairs and fine paintings and porcelain vases all across the Riverlands from the…west? Lyn had not bothered to wonder where these great Lion Lords were from. She was sure it was somewhere far past The Twins, and perhaps even across the seas.

If they had enough coin to traps across the countryside, with all of this racket in tow, surely they could hire all five of the girls brought before them. Never again would Lyn waste away a winter, pulling the work from her bare bones, with nothing but boiled potato skins for nourishment.

One girl motioned towards a small group of girl servants fussing over a plate of rainbow colored cakes. They were all beautiful, flawless and pure, but they were not small. Thick of self and well fed, it was clear. Lyn was sure that servants in their charge would have their promised breads and meats and maybe even cheese, and they would never run out.

They would never know hungry again.

The girls were wrangled to the main area of the giant tent fortress, contrasted for the pleasure of those at its heart. The chattering of nobles ended in whispers as the ugly girls were brought into the room. The sad lot of damaged girls had spent their life getting gawked at by others, but nothing compared to the stares of the lovely, etherial and simply perfect. Every single one of them.

The women’s dresses were fine, made of different hues of red fabrics, with golden flecked thread sewn throughout the visage. Aeditya had a single gown with golden stitching along the neckline, and its was her most prized possession. It traveled in a tightly closed box, always in her possession, in case an appropriate occasion ever arose. Aeditya had allowed Hanna and Lyn to admire the craftsmanship on a few occasions. The thread was thick and intricately wrapped in golden floss, the gold wrapped thread alone could take a lifetime to master the art form, and these ladies had gold thread weaved through every piece of clothing. The main woman, seated upon a crimson plush throne, Lyn could see, had golden threads etched into her shift peaking above her tight neckline, and her perfectly curled hair glowed in the light, pure gold.

Perhaps their castle was made of pure gold.

“Thank you for following my instructions so closely,” the woman’s voice pealed like a psalm, the sound was as if it too were wrapped in golden thread. “But, you really did not need to bring so many.”

The girl’s form tightened, all standing shoulder to shoulder to be observed by the throng of beauty and grace. Lyn’s lips formed into a hard line, these people had so much coin, surely they could find use for five souls that were in desperate need of their kindness. She tried to wrack her brain for something to say, something to explain that they were all worthy of love and acceptance and a warm bed at night and…

In that moment, there had existed the road Lyn had been traveling on her entire life until it was ripped out from under her so suddenly, she almost fell to her knees with her own eyes locked on another’s…one.

“What’s happening?” Lyn whispered, more to herself than to the other girls, wanting to confirm that what she was seeing was in the flesh.

There he stood, his hands clasp behind his back, the same black leathers from the market the day before, eyepatch covering his eye. The Lair Prince. On the raised pedestal with all the other noble ladies all wrapped in golden threads.

“You only need had bring one. I can see her from here,” Cinda said, her arms outstretched.

“Lyn,” one of the girls bumped her shoulder to retch her eyes away from his. Lyn nearly jumped from her skin as the woman raised from her seat and made her way straight towards her.

“I am sorry!” Lyn could find no other words than to apologize, for sure the lady was about to strike her down for some unknown transgression. The lady was coming for her.

“My niece! Lynora, I have finally found you after all these years!”

“No, no,” Lyn was not entirely sure what she had just heard, but she could feel the other girl’s hands being wrenched away from her as they were ushered off. “No, wait please!–“ They disappeared behind the curtains, their arms grasped by armored men. Lyn was alone. With these people.

“My sweet, sweet Lynora. I really is you, my darling.” The golden haired woman’s hands were on Lyn’s face, cupping her cheeks.

“No, I– m’lady, I am just Lyn, I am nothing–“ she tried to explain, offering another low bow to show that she really was sorry for all the confusion, her hands braced in front of her to keep the woman away.

An elder woman appeared, and something was handed to the fine golden haired lady. “We have been searching for such a long time,” she said, as she admired the beautiful art held in her hand.

Lyn’s eyes fell on a stretch, fine work, but lightened with age. The face of a babe, made larger than life, she was sure, peppered with black marks across the face.

Her own black marks.

“No,” Lyn said, pushing it away. “You are mistaken, I am no one–“

“My younger brother, Tybolt Lannister, was married to the Lady Sophae Mullendore,” Cinda explained. “Lady Sophae died after giving birth to a babe, the Lady Lynora Lannister, and Tybolt remarried the Lady Tyshara Payne, you see,” the lady tried to rush over the innards, to get to the important parts. “The babe was sent back to live with the Mullendores in the Reach, but…the babe was lost! Until now, I knew that we could find you again. I just knew it.”

“M’lady…” Lyn said, or perhaps Lynora said.

“You are my family, call me Cinda!” Cinda held onto both of her arms. “And I shall never leave you again.”

It had been something that Lyn had dreamed of since she was old enough to want, every girl she had ever known had longed and wished for the same thing. Tears etched themselves down her cheeks, as she looked at the sketch of the babe once more, of the sketch of herself.

“My family?” she asked, her hands wrapped themselves around Cinda’s own. Lyn laughed as she allowed herself to be dragged into a deep hug.

“You will be Lady to Princess Helaena Targaryen, and you will marry a rich lord, and birth scores and scores of his children!”

Lyn could hear Adityas cries from somewhere deep inside. She tried to pull away, but was unable to move.

“No, I’m sorry m’lady, I don’t–,” Lyn was not heard.

“Of course, there is a matter of your virtue. Maester?” Cinda’s arms held her in place, and a man came forward. “Not to say I don’t trust the Septas, but one can never be sure.”

Lyn’s face was cradled once again, against her struggle, Cinda wiped a falling tear down her cheek. “Sweet girl, my girl, my lovely Lynora,” Cinda cooed.

“You are free now,” the lady nodded, “Free from the burden of want, the need for desire, you thoughts need no longer be just your own, and you can finally rest easy from making every decision by yourself, never again must you worry about what you will eat, or where you will go. By the grace of the gods, your path has been chosen for you. You will be the Lady to Princess Helaena Targaryen, and you will marry a rich lord and have scores and scores of his babes, as is expected of you now. What you want is no longer of consequence.” Cinda embraced her, in her new found freedom. Lyn could hear Aeditya’s screams echoing from somewhere deep inside her. “Now, Maester.”

Aemond stood motionless, his mouth open and his eye wanting to look away, but he did not allow himself. The prince had prided himself for his quickness of thinking in battle, but at this point he was not quite sure what was happening around him.

Cinda had promised him the end to their game, and now the peasant woman who haunted his dreams was being bent over and–

“Stop–“ Aemond called, one stepped forward but nothing more. He couldn’t stop it. How could he? This was Cinda Lannister, on a mission for the Queen, his mother.

He saw the tears peppering the girl’s eyes as she watched his inaction. Aemond’s eye fell in shame.

He was not sure how long it was before he swallowed his courage and stepped down from his pedestal. Cinda had forgotten the girl and was conversing with the Septas and Maesters about her care, and Lyn was left with her arms wrapped around herself, trying to become small.

Aemond wrapped his cloak around her, not knowing what else to do.

“What’s happening?” she asked, taking the cloak into her wringing hands.

“You are…coming with us,” he answered, after some time.

“I don’t want to,” she said, as if it was the most well known fact in the world. “Don’t make me, you…you said you were a prince? You were telling true? Don’t let them take me!”

He hushed her, they couldn’t hear her speak such things. “I can not, she is…” he was a just young boy when he looked at Cinda. “On the mission from the Queen, I can not interfere…”

“You can help me,” Lyn tried to plead. “You– you can help me escape, out the back of the tents…”

“They will find you,” he shook his head. He had found her. Plain as day, in the crowded market. “There is nowhere to go.”

“You said you have a dragon!” she hissed.

“I do, but–“

Lyn allowed the cloak to fall. She did not wish to speak anymore. She did not wish to stand anymore. She did not wish to wish anymore.

When she turned, Aemond grabbed her arm to stop her. He didn’t know what to say, he wracked his brain and he could only think of their time at the lake.

“There was a witness to our…your friend, I could send a message,” he tried to find something that could help her.

“She’s dead,” Lyn said, as she was whisked away by her new family into her new future.

a/n: don’t worry, Lyn will get plenty of revenge on these rich folks. #eattherich. thanks all for reading! I am so excited to have gotten to the story's "twist"~ I know it's not going to be everyone's favorite, but it's going to be a fun journey and a more relatable perspective to enjoy the ~royal~ highborn life of the red keep. As always, comments, questions, requests, are all open~ Don't hesitate to reach out, I'll gush back at you LOL

tags: @fallout-girl219 (sorry for the double tag, I hated what I posted earlier this week. So, I'm going to chop up all the side quests into their own posts LOL)

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richarlotte · 2 months ago

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Hair Removal Methods.

I was heavily inspired by a post I found on Reddit when making this post. I haven’t seen too many posts about hair removal methods on Tumblr, and I have quite a few asks in my inbox about that, so it made sense for me to make a small guide with tips, methods, and recommendations. If you want more information, product names, my sugar wax recipe, or just recommendations, please don’t hesitate to send me an email or just comment below for me to respond.

Shaving.

Cost: $

Speed: Average

Smoothness: Average

Discomfort: Low

Tips/Methods:

* Always buy men’s razors. They usually come with sharper blades that don’t clog as much as the blades on women’s razors.

* I only shave using hot water and when I’m in the shower. The hot water softens the hair and makes it easy to remove, and the flow of the water prevents my razor from clogging.

* The direction you shave is important. If you shave against the grain (the direction opposite the hair points), you can get a closer shave, but you risk ingrown hairs. Shave with the grain on sensitive areas and do multiple passes if needed.

* I personally use shaving cream from EOS and products from Topicals to lessen ingrown hairs and clear up dark marks. Shaving isn’t my preferred method or hair removal, but when I’m in a rush, it gets the job done.

Best for your whole body, especially large and flat areas like your arms and legs. It's cheap and effective but often time consuming. If you want to maintain a perfectly smooth body, you’ll have to shave or touch up at least twice a week.

Nair/Chemical Removal.

Cost: $

Speed: Medium

Smoothness: Smooth

Discomfort: Low

Tips/Methods:

* There are many brands but the basic idea is you apply the cream to your skin, wait 5-10 minutes while the hair “melts" off your body, then you wipe it off. You’ll definitely need to shower after using Nair to remove any excess cream and to avoid burning your skin. I would say this is mandatory unless your specific brand says otherwise.

* The process will probably smell pretty bad. You'll want to wipe the cream and hair off with something disposable to avoid ruining your regular towels. I personally use tissue, you can use anything easily accessible.

* PATCH TEST BEFORE USE. These creams and powders are made from very really strong chemicals and can absolutely mess you up if you aren't careful. Everyone's skin is different, so put a little on your arm first, see how it reacts, then use it on a larger area.

Best For: Armpits and pubic hair. I find these creams are best at getting hard to reach or uneven surfaces that your razor might struggle with. This is also a good option if you are in a hurry or don't have the option to try the options below.

Epilation.

Cost: $$

Speed: Slow

Smoothness: High

Discomfort: High

Tips/Methods:

* Epilators look kind of like foil shavers you'd use for your face, but the end has a roller with tiny clamps that essentially grab hairs and pull them out.

* Personally I think these hurt like a bitch, especially the first time you use them. You can definitely feel each individual hair get pulled out of your skin.

* The main benefit of an epilator (and waxing, discussed below) is that you're pulling the entire hair out, root and all. This means hair in that area will grow back significantly slower than shaving. It also means that if you're willing to commit to a routine, each future use with the epilator will be less painful.

* I highly recommend icing the area before and after to avoid swelling. That being said, the area needs to be completely dry for the device to work.

* Epilator performance has always been pretty hit and miss for me. They're good at getting coarse hair, but will struggle to get fine or short strands. Again, you will likely need to make a shaving pass to clean up anything left behind.

* Additionally, if your hair is too thick or the surface is too uneven, the epilator can get tangled and stop functioning leading to a super painful situation. As with any of these tips, definitely test on a small area and see how it performs for you so you can get a feel for the length/thickness your device can handle.

Best For: Flat smooth surfaces, primarily your arms, legs, and torso. Some people really love epilation, others don’t. I think epilation is an acquired taste and it’s not my favorite method.

Waxing.

Cost: $$ to $$$

Speed: Slow

Smoothness: High

Discomfort: High

Tips/Methods:

* When you need to get 100% smooth there is no substitute. I love the way my body feels after waxing or sugaring and it’s what works best for me.

* I'll do my best here as a general overview but please watch some video guides before attempting this. I'll cover the two most common options I have experience with: soft wax, sugaring, and hard wax.

* Soft Wax: Hot wax is applied to the skin, then bandage strips are applied over. Once the wax cools, the strips are pulled off, taking the hair with them. This method is probably what you've seen in movies. They're good for getting rid of finer hairs, but unlike hard wax, you risk taking off your skin if you do it wrong. If you're trying waxing at home (especially for the first time), avoid this option. Despite the name, hard wax is actually much safer and what I recommend

* Hard wax: Hot wax is applied to the skin. Once it hardens, you peel the wax off by itself, taking hair with it. Since hard wax only bonds to hair and not skin it's a much safer option for beginners and does just as good a job removing hair as soft wax. This is what I use when I don’t have time to make my sugaring solution and I've never looked back.

* Wax is warmed in a... wax warmer! It's a little pot with a heating element, kind of like a croc pot. Hard waxes come in pellets that you dump in, soft waxes usually come with their own container that pops into the unit. Look for a wax warmer that can adjust the temp, not just an on/off switch. Most but not all have this feature. Each wax brand is different so you'll need more/less heat to melt it correctly, especially if you're doing a longer session where the wax can begin to solidify in the pot.

* Popsicle sticks are a cheap, effective way to apply wax. You'll want something disposable as it can get quite messy.

* Waxing, like epilators, will slow down your hair growth. This means the more you do it in the same area the less hair will grow back, and the less painful each subsequent application will be.

* Your hair needs to be a certain length for the wax to catch, so check your brand and plan accordingly. My professional technician has mentioned 1/4th inch is a good guideline for when to start waxing.

* As with every method on this list, please test on a small part of your body first. The wax will be quite hot (like getting into a hot bath) but not so much that it burns your skin.

Best For: any area you want super smooth or silky.

Laser Hair Removal.

Cost: $$$$

Speed: Slow

Smoothness: Depends.

Discomfort: High

Tips/Methods:

* Getting started will take some time and effort. You have to set up a consultation beforehand before even scheduling a session where you'll talk to the professional, ask any questions, then work out your plan.

* Laser hair removal is a process over time, not a one and done. Considering each session can cost hundreds of dollars, we are talking a huge investment. It cost me $800 over 4 sessions just for a small area on my lower body. For larger areas, we could be talking thousands!

* On that note, the total cost is going to vary a ton. Not only will each area be priced differently, but most places require you to book multiple sessions in a row or packages of X sessions you can choose to use over a year.

* The pigment of your skin matters a lot. Generally speaking the darker your skin the harder/less effective the process will be. There are different types of lasers available that may make this irrelevant but you'll definitely want to do your homework.

Final Thoughts.

What matters most is time. If you have the time to wax or shave your whole body, go to a professional for laser hair removal or pro waxing, or epilate yourself, then you’ll have much better results than someone who rushes through everything. Learning, investing in quality products, and then actually investing time into the hair removal process will get you closer to where you want to be without wasting as much time or money as you would leaping in blind or with no effort.

Richarlotte x

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genderqueerdykes · 2 years ago

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some info on topical Testosterone (T Gel)

we've gotten quite a few asks on what topical testosterone is like and if it's inferior to injectable T, so i wanted to write up a quick post on it, since i've gotten a lot of asks from people who think it doesn't work/doesn't work as well as injectable testosterone. i have been on topical T since 2019, and have also worked inside of a pharmacy, so I just wanted to provide some insight for curious folks:

it is the same hormone, just in a different method of administration- it isn't weaker or stronger than injectable. some people just respond better to certain routes of administration- topical medications are very bioavailable, as most people's skin is one of the most receptive places on their bodies to medication, next to direct injections. it's a very effective route of administration

your needs will depend on your body and your dose. communicate frequently with your doctor and ask for tests if you are feeling unsatisfied with how testosterone is affecting you, or if you feel like your dose is too low. if topical ends up not working for you, it is okay to switch if need be. some people also switch from injectable after a few years to prevent skin and muscle tissue damage from years and years of injecting.

if your dose is correct, topical T can still stop your periods, and give you the other desired effects of T. some see results from topical faster, some struggle to see results, it really depends on the individual. for many, there are very strong peaks and valleys (ups and downs) in their hormone levels after injections due to the body metabolizing injectable T so quickly- this can cause sudden fluctuations in energy levels, making one feel like they are/causing one to have mental health episodes, and so on. topical T is introduced into your system more gently and can help one avoid these issues, if the dose is correct. this can be avoided with injectable as well, it's just less commonly seen in topical.

in many states in the US, for some reason, injectable testosterone is often automatically covered by insurance for trans HRT, but not topical. if you run into issues at your pharmacy, if they tell you there are "insurance problems", talk to your prescriber about them sending over a prior authorization. these are usually required for topical T, for whatever reason. this is basically a note from your doctor stating why you need it. this should fix the issue if you are struggling to get it covered by insurance.

the strength will depend on your dose, which can be very painlessly adjusted- if you receive a bottle of gel, it will inform of you of how many pumps to take. if you receive small individually dosed packages of gel, you will take so many of those per day or week. when taking injectable testosterone you have to measure your doses yourself which can be difficult for people with hand tremors, low vision, etc.

do not take catch-all advice for administering your topical T once you have it- follow the directions exactly as they are listed on your bottle and in the informational paper/booklet included with the medication. different formulations and types of topical testosterone will need to be applied on certain areas of the body.

make sure you clean the skin before application with soap and warm water, or other products like bacteria killing wipes, alcohol wipes, etc.

the gel is alcohol based. it has a pretty strong rubbing alcohol smell, and can burn the inside of your nose/eyes or potentially overstim, so just try to keep it away from your face if you struggle with issues like that. it absorbs very quickly and doesn't rub off on anything or leave a greasy mess.

cover the skin you applied it to (upper arms/shoulders or abdomen, depending) with a shirt immediately and keep that shirt on for at least 2 hours. you do not want to risk someone else touching the sites you applied it to and getting testosterone on their skin, which can affect their hormone levels, and can also make it so you do not absorb all of the medication

do not shower, swim or spend extended periods of time shirtless for at least 2 hours after applying topical testosterone, to ensure you absorb all of the medication.

i will add more info to this as i think of it. i will also be including a scanned version of the informational paper that came with my topical testosterone, and other information for further reading. take care and remember, all forms of T are worth considering and are good. testosterone HRT is rad.

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fuwaprince · 11 months ago

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👉👈 Hi friends! I have a long, serious post made just for you(!) that isn't full of spoilers, smut or mooning lawn gnomes. Please read if you can, this is a 💥 mutual aid request 💥

It has been a horribly painful and long while as most people following/keeping up with me know. and in a few days I'm going to be down $1500, which is basically all my fucking $

I can't afford Christmas for anybody, which sucks and I'm very sorry. I can't even take care of myself and haven't been, which also sucks and I'm very sorry

Landlords spontaneously raised rent on me more than halfway through this month as punishment for not getting to my house chores and not communicating, to be totally honest with you. I feel ashamed and awful about it but I didn't want to clean the place while multiple ppl living here had tested positive for COVID and kept walking around unmasked... I am not fully vaxxed because I've been too depressed to get any kind of necessary medical care done and I didn't want to catch COVID in the middle of my finals week for the semester. I woke up to being angrily and rudely bitched at first thing after the last of my finals (I passed at least). It wasn't a humanizing text. Fuck the mistreatment though. Rent is now almost doubled and it won't be lowered

There was no room for negotiation and I truly believe they've resorted to pricing me out of living here because the group of renters psychologically tormenting me wasn't effective (actually- putting a picture of my rapist on the fridge rly was super effective in getting me to isolate myself in my room all day and so was outing me as trans to the transphobic ass neighbors.... But I didn't and still don't have any place better to move out to, like the way they were hoping I would. Yes, I have looked and BEGGED btw)

I want out of here NOW, but I can't leave. I tried and had to come back because it was the best option. I can't afford to stay in a motel/hotel/BnB just to get away from them for a day or two during Christmas. I don't have any friends who I can spend the holiday with either. During the semester, I resorted to convincing classmates with keys to locked buildings to let me crash in them while they worked at night and I would leave before anybody showed up. Now that school is out, I can't do that. I don't have any family I can reach out to for support or friends who I can depend on for immediate help. I have been crying day in and day out for weeks. I have records of it posted throughout my blog. Literally crying for days on end. I'm being so fucking transparent

All that lump of text is to explain to whoever is out there, who might be listening and willing and able, to please consider helping me, if and ONLY IF able. I know times are tough and if you'd rather use your $ for other reasons or just don't have any to spare, don't sweat it and take care! 🫂

I've thought about what I could do for a long time and have helped myself how I can. It isn't enough. I've applied for so much assistance. Been approved and been sabotaged by my inhumane mom (who does not love me) via stealing my legal documents and letters and hiding them for months. My mind jumps to grim places but I'm clinging for dear life to whatever hope I have left that says things will get better. I wish I knew somebody with a business that I could work for. Part of me feels so fucking terrible for asking for help because I feel like a waste of all your resources. I feel like I shouldn't ask, like I really do not fucking deserve help, but there are friends online who care, who I know mentioned being interested in helping in whatever ways they can

So to the people who care to seriously me, I'm ready to accept it: please send me nice words to get through this and feel less alone. It feels pathetic to ask but I would love a nice letter. A nice card even. Kind words of any kind would go a long way. It means more to me than food. I have felt so broken and every day feels like a test to figure out how badly I actually want to live

I'm also leaving my cash app and paypal here in case anybody would like to do more than what I'm comfortable asking but probably very likely will inevitably need very very soon. I will be left with fucking nothing and I will have no idea what to do once rent is paid

Thank you to those of you who have sent love, offered to listen and heard me out. I really wish it wasn't so hard to survive. I'm trying to feel better knowing there are people out there who are also without help and hoping the best, but it doesn't make me feel any better or comforted tbh. I just wish the help was there for us. I wish there was a place to go for spare love, care, compassion, empathy, kindness, humanity, generosity... I need that more than I need $. Call me stupid but that's what I live for. I don't live for paying to survive in terrible conditions. I live for love and to smile with friends

I hope to write back to the friends who have already been so kind as to message me soon btw. I'm sorry for not replying sooner. Your overwhelming support is sincerely sweet and sometimes I cry because I can't believe people are so nice (to me???). It'll give me something to do that doesn't make me feel like dying! :') so thank you thank you thank you *fist bump*

Hope you're all doing as well as you can and that somehow things get better. Hope anybody else struggling like me doesn't make the mistake of isolating like a sick and dying animal. You deserve love. You deserve support. Don't be like me. Have the courage to reach out to the people who care about you for help as early on into your emergency as possible. Don't let your situation snowball because you spend so long trying to figure out if you're worth it!!! This Random Tumblr user is here to tell you that YOU ARE. Sending my infinite everlasting unconditional love. Be nice to yourselves. Be nice to each other. Fuck the hateful assholes who wish I would just kill myself already. Tell your friends you love them. Happy Holidays!!!

And here's a single picture of a mooning lawn gnome at the very end, as a treat! I told you this post wasn't full of it.... It just ended with it 👉👉

#i decided i rather write a help post rather than a suicide note or my own obituary #sorry to ask for your attention AGAIN #mutual aid #important #help #i'm very sorry #mutuals can all kick my ass once for not abandoning me during these times #i wish i had a $ goal but i do not as of now #I'm taking it a day at a time #doing my very best and trying so damn fucking hard.. please help #i rly would just like to escape and have my own tiny place one day.... some place i can live and love happily in #i was on the steets earlier this year and living out of my ex's car. i do not want to go back to that out of desperation #i have been through so much just trying to survive in place where i don't feel like i belong or welcomes me #i need help #babbling

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mcyt-drabble-exchange · 7 months ago

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MCYT Drabble Exchange: Overview and Rules

Do you like writing? Do you like Minecraft youtubers? Do you, perhaps, like writing about Minecraft youtubers? Well, we do too! Only problem is, we often stay up late wagging our fists at a half-finished document, cursing the fact that writing is hard, life is busy and there's just not enough time in the day to sit down and make a good fic. Well, if you’re looking for a quick little block people centered writing challenge, then boy, do we have just the mini-event for you!

Welcome everyone to the 2024 (first ever!) MCYT Drabble Exchange!

TIMELINE: May 6th - sign ups open May 17th - sign ups close May 24th - all assignments sent May 25-26th - posting period May 26th 11:59pm BST - posting period ends [What time is it for me?] May 27th-June 2nd - treating week

SIGN UPS: [closed]

TREATING SHEET: [here]

RULES: 1. As per Tumblr and AO3 TOS, you must be over 13 to participate. 2. You agree to create a work of exactly 100 words by the given deadline, or contact a mod on Tumblr for your giftee to be reassigned. 3. You agree to abide by your giftee’s DNW. 4. Your work must focus on at least one requested character, but can include non requested characters. 5. All works must be MCYT-centric. 6. This is a 13+ exchange, there is no NSFW allowed. This applies to sexual content as well as extreme (e-rated) gore. 7. Make your gift in good faith - something that you think your giftee would like. 8. All violent/dark/triggering topics must be tagged appropriately. 9. No AI generated content.

POSTING: You can post your work to Tumblr or AO3, we don’t mind either! We do however require you make a Tumblr post tagging both this blog and your giftee. We have an AO3 Collection! Works posted to the collection might take a while to show up, so please don’t panic if you don't see yours! They need to be manually accepted.

So, what is a drabble? A drabble is a written work made up of exactly 100 words. Typically viewed as a challenge, drabbles are often meant to test a writer’s skill in brevity, seeing how efficiently they can communicate emotions or ideas through such tight restrictions. For this event, we are using this unique format to bring the joy of MCYT into the world! Think, how would a lighthearted interaction between Tubbo and Tommy play out? How many insults could Grian hurl at Jimmy? How much emotion can you squeeze out of QSMP Jaiden if you’ve only got her in your little writer hands for 100 words? For this event, we encourage you to be creative, try some new things, and most importantly, have fun! (To get a feel of what you’re working with, keep in mind that the previous paragraph has a word count of 120, twenty words over your limit!)

Are violent/triggering topics allowed? As MCYT content can often include violence, character death, murder games, and other such themes, we do allow them. However those are opt-in - if your giftee hasn’t asked for it, then don’t write it. If you do end up writing about these topics, make sure to tag appropriately!

What if I can’t finish on time? Contact us on this blog as soon as possible! A pinch hit will be sent out, and your giftee will be reassigned. If you do endup requesting a pinch hit, you will still get your own gift!

How will the matches be made? After the sign ups are done, the event mods will match everyone to ensure everyone gets to write what they signed up for! Once matches are made, you will receive your assignment via Tumblr DMs.

Can I make more than one gift? Of course! As long as it complies with your giftee’s requests you’re welcome to write as many drabbles as your heart desires!

I have a different question? Send us an ask or a DM!

#mcyt #mcytblr #mcyt event #mcyt exchange #info post #mcytblrsource

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b-skarsgard · 5 days ago

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•Nicholas Hoult remembers his first encounter with the dreaded vampire Count Orlok. It started with the voice — a haunting, rumbling tone that cuts through shadow.

Robert Eggers, his director on Nosferatu, a reimagining of the 1922 black-and-white silent film classic, played Hoult an audio recording of his costar Bill Skarsgård, the It actor behind Pennywise who now transforms into the titular lich king. In the weeks leading up to filming in Prague, Skarsgård studied with an opera coach to lower his voice an entire octave to reach the deep bowels of Orlok's timbre. He often recorded himself experimenting with the voice, sending different Voice Memo samples to the filmmaker until they found the right sound. Skarsgård labeled one such audio file, "Tiger Growl," which is just him breathing as Orlok. He thought about that famous scene when Thomas Hutter, the unfortunate estate agent, played in this film iteration by Hoult, accidentally cuts himself in the presence of his vampiric client, who then becomes almost aroused by the sight of blood.

"It was unlike anything I'd heard before," Hoult recalls to Entertainment Weekly of listening to some of those samples. "It was chilling to me. Rob was playing it off of his phone, but it still filled the room."

"He really wanted a very deep, resonant voice," Skarsgård says of the director behind The Witch, The Lighthouse, and The Northman. "The character is somewhat paradoxical because he's very powerful and demanding, but there's something frail about him, as well, because he's a corpse. So the voice needs to be very powerful, but at the same time, there needs to be some sort of fragility or almost pain and labor in his breathing and talking."

•The actual look of Orlok feels far more precious. Skarsgård partially secluded himself from the rest of the cast ahead of filming; he would see folks on the weekend, but on shoot days, he maintained his distance from the likes of Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe, Emma Corrin, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Ineson to enhance the impact of seeing him transformed. The same approach applies to the film's marketing.

•The actors themselves are careful when talking about the reveal. "I’d hate to spoil anything," says Dafoe, who plays the Van Helsing-esque figure Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz. "The only thing that I thought was really great and felt really fresh is he looks like he could have been from Romania as opposed to a suave English guy or something. He had a look that was rooted in historic accuracy and a folk tradition."

"I think the best way to discover Orlok is through the movie for the first time," Skarsgård adds. "The movie functions on that, as well. He lives in the shadows for a long time, and it teases the reveal of the character as the movie progresses."

•Skarsgård experienced his own jump scare prior to filming. David White, the prosthetic makeup FX designer who worked with Eggers on The Northman and Skarsgård on The Crow, sculpted a clay bust of what the actor would look like as Count Orlok as a reference for the real thing. “I was terrified just looking at the image,” the actor remembers. “It looked so, so different from me, way more so than Pennywise. I was worried that I couldn't perform through it, that it would feel like giant prosthetic pieces, and I couldn't come alive through that.”

The words “Grinch” and “goblin” came to mind for Skarsgård, but it was on the second camera test, with him sitting in a chair in full getup and surrounded by candles, where it felt like the Count finally arrived. “That was the first time where I felt the camera was alive, and I [could] start becoming this thing,” he says. “Robert came up to me after, and he was like, 'There he is.’”

excerpts taken from the article which you can read in full at the link above

#bill skarsgard #bill skarsgård #nosferatu #article #entertainment weekly #nicholas hoult #robert eggers #willem dafoe #lily rose depp

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contentloadingandstuff · 8 months ago

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Dark Days - Yae Miko x Male!Reader

A/N: That's right, angst is on the menu today boyz. CW: Descriptions of disease, Kitsune!Reader, Reader death.

Creatures of lesser might are naturally attracted to their superiors. The strongest wolf leads the pack, the biggest Hilichurl commands the others, even the fascinating humans flock to the banners of those strongest in body or mind. Kitsune are no exception.

There wasn't a day in your centuries of life that was lacking in kitsune. Those of your kind that haven't yet reached sapience always seemed to somehow stumble into your presence, guided by some sort of inexplicable magnetism. You and Miko often debated on the reason why these sly creatures could always find you. Maybe they sought to learn from you and follow your lead into ascension? Perhaps it was simply instinct or scent mixed with curiosity, it wasn't clear. What was clear, however, was that you couldn't help but interact with them. Their little ears and cute snouts never failed to make you share some delicious fish or egg with them.

Foxes didn't make for good pets only, however. They could understand your commands and would carry them out flawlessly, as long as they were within their ability. Their main use was delivering letters from you and to you. What better use than make them the envoys of the Envoys? The irony never ceased to amuse you.

There were some quarrels every now and then, obviously. These were still wild animals at heart. Sometimes they were moody and would stay away, sometimes you would accidentally step on their tail, earning a squeak and an offended glare from them. When one of these cuties would get too much into playtime, you would get a nibble or two. Neither you nor Miko paid any mind - they were shallow at worst and healed within a single day or two.

That day wasn't any different. Miko needed to send a message to a Shumuutsuban agent, and she enlisted your help. You called a kitsune over, and before long one emerged from the nearby shrubbery. Just when it approached and you leaned down to attach the message to its back did you notice how dirty and skinny the creature was. It seemed dazed, its steps were unsure and shaky, lacking the usual tact and elegance of your kind’s thread. Regardless, you gave it directions. Just as you moved your hands closer, the fox sank its teeth into your hand.

You yelped and struck it with a painful, but harmless Electro shock, and it scurried away. Never did you see a fox so snappy, and you were Miko’s husband. Ultimately, you cursed the animal under your breath and moved on with your day.

Days passed. Absorbed by the soon approaching summer festival, you didn’t pay attention to the minor injury you sustained, even when the red spot didn’t seem to go away as it should. Miko noticed it by accident one day and questioned you. You just shrugged.

“I guess it’s sunburn? I really should apply some sun cream.”

You did as you said, but even after an entire week of careful treatment, the “burn” was still where it was. More - it seemingly expanded, with the skin feeling just as smooth as the rest of your body. Miko’s curiosity turned into concern when the area became hot to the touch. Something wasn’t quite right with your hand, and yet you claimed to feel nothing out of the ordinary. To test this, Miko pinched your skin and was promptly taken aback by your complete lack of reaction to the stimulus.

When the heat spread through your whole body, you called in a physician. Much to Miko’s relief, a short examination revealed that it was nothing but a minor infection from a neglected cut.

Your wife spoke her farewells to the good doctor and took a few days off to keep you company. After all, what good would the medicine do you if you didn’t have the support you needed? Your fever dropped, giving both of you some much needed peace of mind. It was a fantastic opportunity to spoil you, even if kisses or cuddling were out of the picture - Miko didn’t want to bother with coughs, fever or any of the many unpleasantries sickness carried with itself. You were positively adorable, resting in the guest bed and becoming all flustered whenever she brought you tea, food or read you a book.

But her smile was short-lived.

Just a few days after the visit, the fever returned, higher than ever. Your forehead was close to burning to the touch. With the fever came sweat - constant sweat, drenching every bit of the sheets and blankets. Shivering, you lost most water in your body almost overnight.

When Miko saw you in the morning, a cold shiver ran down her spine. You were sitting on the edge of the bed, your eyes wide open and blinking slightly, your skin shiny with sweat. You mumbled to her about wanting something to drink, but your voice was… wrong. Damaged, hoarse, as if your very throat had been scraped and mangled by a knife. There was a thick line of drool flowing from your agape mouth.

“Water…” You moaned. “Please…”

It wasn’t long before a glass of the drink rested in your hand. Despite your state, your delirious expression betrayed hesitation. Miko stretched out her arm to hold you, but stopped herself shortly. She couldn’t risk catching whatever you had.

“Honey, please drink it. It will do your body good.” She spoke in a calm, almost motherly voice, soothing and composed.

With a shaking hand you lifted the glass to your lips. As soon as the water touched your lip, your throat spasmed, forcing you to spit it out. The glass fell to the floor, its life saving contents rejected by your very self.

Miko spoke not a word more and rushed to the palace. It didn’t take long to explain the emergency, as Ei has been paying visits to your house ever since your condition confined you to the bed. Within less than an hour Ei gathered every medic she had at her service and led them back to you.

—

Miko leads the humans through her house. Her steps are nervous, yet determination shines in her pupils. Everything will be alright now that the very Shogun brought the best of the best to your bedside.

She opens your door, able to cast just one pained glance at your restless, miserable form. Your breathing is so heavy she can hear it from beyond the threshold. Miko turns to Ei, who nods at the doctors. They move into the room one by one. Miko turns to follow them, but is stopped by Ei’s arm on her shoulder.

“Trust them. They know their trade and focus is what they need now.”

Miko looks down. She shakes her head. “Yes. Of course.”

They sit down in the living room. Miko is fidgeting with her fingers. No words exit the lips of any of the two women. The tension hangs thick in the room, audible sounds of the researchers murmuring to each other being the only to break the deafening silence.

Before long, the door opens. Miko jumps up and watches the men approach. Their expressions, graced with many scars of experience and age, are bleak. They look at each other nervously. Miko can hardly contain herself.

“Speak!” She growls. “What is happening to my husband?”

One of them coughs. “It is…”

Silence.

“Hydrophobia.” Another completes the sentence.

Miko’s eyes grow wide. A smile of disbelief makes its way to her lips. She scoffs.

“What? You can’t be serious.”

Reading the room, Ei stands by Miko in silence.

“Lady Yae Miko, we are certain-” “So what if it is hydrophobia? Treat it.” Her eyes narrow.

“There is no known cure to the disease. We are sorry.”

“Ah, is that so?”

She makes a step forward. Her eyes meet those of the medic.

“Fascinating. Isn’t it your job to cure? If you cannot do that, then what use are you, anyway?”

The man tugs at the collar of his outfit. His eyes dart from the kitsune to the floor and back.

“You are worthless.”

Her open hand raises and lands on the cheek of the elderly man, the sheer force of the blow making him reel back. Miko bares her fangs in rage, but before she can do another move, Ei grabs her by her kimono and turns her body to face her.

“Stop this! Do not raise your hand at them, they are not the ones to blame.”

Miko groans and tries to push her friend away, but the god’s superior strength renders her efforts futile. Their eyes meet. Ei remains calm and collected. The stillness of her features chills Miko’s anger.

Moments pass in silence.

“We need to secure him. We cannot risk him going feral and hurting anybody.” She speaks, the decisiveness in her voice plain to hear.

“I know.”

A tear runs down Miko’s cheek. She smiles through the choking sensation, wiping her eyes with her hand.

“I… I just don’t… want him to l-leave.” She shakes her head. “Not yet. N-not yet.”

Miko lets her gaze fall downwards. Ei issues a command and the doctors re-enter your room. The fox remains paralyzed, her mind too dazed to form a coherent sentence.

She wants to speak out. Protest. She wants to rip the humans to shreds, limb from limb, she wants to spit blasphemies at Ei for letting all this happen. At the same time, she wants to fall to her knees and kiss their feet, begging them to do something. Anything.

But her mind knows. It knows that she shouldn't lash out as she sees the scientists take you out of your bed on a stretcher, yet her mind struggles. To understand.

The stretcher stops next to her. She places her hand on the towel covering your forehead, her finger still bearing the ring that bound you and her together all these years ago.

“Goodbye, my love.”

Until death does us apart.

Thanks for reading.

#genshin impact #genshin #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin x male reader #genshin impact x male reader #angst #genshin impact angst #yae miko #miko x reader #yae miko x reader #yae miko x male reader #yae miko x y/n #yae miko x you #yae miko angst #miko x male reader #miko x you #miko x y/n #miko angst

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spark-my-nature · 2 years ago

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Screen Time - JMK

Hi friends! It snowed a whole bunch last night and I'm feeling cozy, and I finally had some time to write again. As usual, this idea came from a conversation with the lovely @gretavanblunt, my muse, my inspiration, my platonic soulmate, go read their writing too!

Summary: Getting naughty with your boyfriend, cyber-style.

Words: 4.4K

Warnings: Masturbation, sending nudes, explicit texting, phone sex/FaceTime sex, swearing

Steam obscured your view of yourself in the mirror as you toweled off after your shower. Your slightly wrinkled fingertips swiped at your phone to pause the shower playlist you’d had shuffling as background noise, then haphazardly swiping your hand across the condensation to watch yourself blurrily applying your moisturizer. You were that much more relaxed this evening without the presence of your roommate, her parents having her back home for the week.

You liberally rubbed lotion into your silky soft legs, freshly shaved in your extra-pampering shower. You always treated yourself to a little extra care during the first shower after your period ended, and this one was an extra special one. You unconsciously smiled to yourself as your mind drifted to the gorgeous guy from your film history class you’d been seeing the last while, the adorable curly headed golden retriever of a boy called Josh. He was easily the most beautiful man you’d ever laid eyes on, to the point you couldn’t believe he wasn’t a figment of your imagination. And so far he’d been the perfect gentleman, taking you on cute little dates to the park or the bowling alley, holding your hand during walks and stooping down to pick flowers for your hair. Plus, he constantly had you in stitches, his dry sense of humor perfectly allotting with your own.

Needless to say, you were rabid for him.

A soft ting from your phone alerted you to a text message. Speak of the devil, you thought, unlocking your phone and smiling at the message from Josh.

Hi pretty girl :) Just got back from rehearsal, whatcha doin?

You typed back quickly, leaving your phone open on the counter as you brushed through your hair.

Hiya handsome ;) just got out of the shower haha

You giggled watching the typing bubbles appear and disappear several times, knowing exactly where his mind was. He was a boy after all, a very flirtatious one too.

Oh yeah? You miss me as much as I miss you?

You slowly smirked. He was testing the waters, feeling out what kind of mood you were in, but he was tasteful and sweet as always.

You walked to your bedroom, still wrapped in your towel as you texted him back.

Hmmm, idk, how much did you miss me baby? ;)

You bit your lip, setting your phone on the edge of your bed and walking over to grab some fresh undies and a sleep shirt. Picking out a cute but comfortable pair and your softest tee, you took them over and laid them on the bed before your eyes caught on the screen.

So much. Wish you were here with me…

Your heart fluttered at the message. He was giving you the power to steer the conversation. You could easily guide it down a sweet path, gushing over how much you missed his cuddles and his smile and leave it at that. But he’d left the door open for you to be a little naughty as well, and what was life without a little excitement?

You quickly answered his message.

Me too, so many things we could do ;)

You giggled softly to yourself, crossing your legs as you sat down, the towel still tucked around your chest. You pictured Josh’s excited panic on the other side of the phone, wondering if the conversation rousing the same butterflies in him as it was in you.

Another faint buzz in your hand drew your attention back to the screen.

What kind of things did you have in mind sweet girl?

You typed back quickly.

Not sure you’d still think I’m sweet if I told you.

If you were here, I’d see for myself how sweet you are.

Your jaw opened a little reading that one, his answer immediate. Smooth fucker. You bit your lip as you answered.

What if I want a taste too?

You held your breath, nervous excitement fluttering in your stomach, watching his typing bubbles reappear and disappear again. No doubt he was deleting every message he started to type, second guessing himself. Finally, the soft buzz accompanied his message.

Naughty girl. I bet you look absolutely divine right now, fresh out of the shower. Are you dressed?

You shifted, pressing your thighs together, suddenly hyper aware of your nakedness under the towel. You looked down, an idea popping into your head as you smirked and let the towel fall around your hips on the bed.

No need for clothes, my roommate’s out for the night. What about you?

Imagining Josh naked was certainly a welcome train of thought. You pictured him sprawled on his bed, his cock resting against his stomach and twitching from neglect as he typed.

I’m a naturalist at heart, sweet girl. No need for clothes in bed, anyway, don’t you think?

You smirked at that. You contemplated the little camera icon beside the text box. There was something clumsy about sending pictures through text, though. Snapchat however, was built for a reason.

You swiped away, opening the little yellow ghost app instead. You found Josh’s contact, double tapping and setting the phone down for a second. You wrapped the towel back around yourself, laying back on the bed with your head on the pillow. You found a good angle, biting your lip and holding the tuck of the towel against your breast, your cleavage dangerously exposed. Quickly snapping the picture, you tapped to add the message, “towels don’t count as clothes, do they?”

Aaaaand, send. You sat up again, watching the screen closely. Josh opened it after about ten seconds, making you giggle. If you knew him at all, you knew he was probably flustered as hell right now. This was brand new for you two, thrilling new territory.

After a moment or two, a little red square replaced the hollow red triangle beside his name. You took a deep breath, not sure what to expect. Tapping it opened a picture of Josh laid out on his bed, his skin looking gorgeously tan against his cream coloured sheets. His entire chest was visible, clearly naked, his blankets draped over his groin low enough that you could trace the muscular V-shaped indents of his hips. His pink lips were parted sinfully, allowing a small glimpse at the adorable gap between his front teeth, and the picture cut off just above the tip of his button nose.

The message read, “Neither do bedsheets.”

It was sinful how gorgeous he was, and he hadn’t even shown you anything explicit.

You pondered what next, wanting to tease him a little more. Rolling onto your stomach, you let the towel fall away completely. Your breasts pressed against your bedspread, accentuating your cleavage, and your hair framed your face in damp tendrils. You gave your best fuck-me-eyes, taking the shot and adding the caption, “Best to just lose them both, I think.”

Josh opened it in four seconds this time, which you barked a laugh at. You found his eagerness adorable, and you loved knowing he was waiting with the app open in anticipation just like you. You had his full attention.

He took a couple of minutes to answer, and your mind raced at the possible implications of the delay.

Finally, his reply came. You made yourself wait at least a few seconds before opening it, but dear god, you weren’t prepared for it.

He had used the light coming in from his window to backlight the shot, in which he held his thin white sheet vertically across his body. It was a side angle, and the soft light casted a perfect shadow of his very erect, very large cock through the sheet. The perfect silhouette of it made your mouth water, not to mention the rather beautiful and artistic photograph technique. You couldn’t tear your eyes away from his perfectly arched length, standing straight up at attention behind the sheet’s cover. God, he was gorgeously shaped, not scarily large, but bigger than average, and you could just make out the soft ridge around his tip.

Finally glancing at the message, you read, “Two can play the teasing game, mama.”

Cocky little shit.

You sat up, cross legged, and carefully arranged your damp hair to drape over and cover your nipples. It was just long enough to rest over them, stopping just underneath so most of your breasts were exposed, and you gently hugged yourself around your middle as you took the picture, squeezing your tits together in the process. You gave a naughty smirk to the camera, a few strands of hair falling over your face in that effortlessly sexy way you knew he loved. The shot cut off at your waist, denying him the viewing pleasure of anything below your bellybutton.

“You learn those photography skills in class Joshy? I’m impressed.”

Your heart fluttered excitedly as Josh opened it, wishing desperately you could see his face.

Then it felt like your heart stopped dead for a few seconds. A purple square appeared beside his name. A video. He sent a video.

You shamelessly opened it immediately this time, too impatient to hold on.

His perfect pouty lips were pulled into a smug smile, flushed and swollen from biting no doubt, and the angle only showed down to his stomach. But good lord, you watched as his abs clenched rhythmically, and his breath hitched, and then he let out a soft needy-sounding moan from between those perfect lips, his fluffy brows tilted upwards in the middle of his forehead. He pulled his bottom lip under his teeth just as the video ended, and you were left gaping at the screen.

He left no doubt as to what was happening just under the cut of that clip. His moan… your head was reeling, and all of a sudden, the heat was cranked up to eleven. Then a little blue notification popped up beside his name. Opening the message, you nearly moaned yourself.

“Facetime?”

The thudding in your heart tripled, but in the best way. Feeling a rush of adrenaline, you quickly closed snapchat, opening facetime instead. You quickly laid on your back, climbing under the sheets, draping them lowly across your chest to barely cover your nipples. Your finger combed your hair back into place and hit Josh’s contact.

After a few nervewracking rings, he answered the call, the screen lighting up with his sweet, boyish face, his cheeks unusually flushed.

“Hey there, baby,” you flirted, smiling mischievously. Josh’s eyes immediately dipped down his screen quickly, returning to their previous fixation as he swallowed, his breath noticeably picked up from its usual rhythm.

“Hey mama, you look absolutely beautiful tonight,” his voice smooth and a touch deeper than normal. Breathier, too.

You smiled wider, blushing and shrugging one shoulder, drawing his attention back down to your chest. You wanted his eyes there, you felt on fire as he drank you in like fine wine.

“And you… you look devastatingly gorgeous, Josh,” you told him softly, a raspy edge coloring your voice. You let your eyes wander down his torso as far as the camera showed you, just grazing his belly button.

Josh smirked lazily, his tongue peeking out to wet his bottom lip, and then you noticed the faint movement of his right arm, just barely within the shot.

“You know, you’re being an awful tease, tonight, honey,” he told you, matter-of-factly.

You bit your lip, flashing him your best innocent doe-eyes. “I’m sorry baby, what did I do?” you breathed, subtly bringing your knees up and using your legs to tug the sheet down an inch or two, and the sheet slipped down past your breasts. Your peaked nipples hardened further at the cool air, exposed to Josh’s gaze.

Josh’s eyes widened, his lips parting with a rushed exhale. His right arm tensed, subtly moving faster.

“Oh my god…” he muttered, sounding painfully out of breath. His brows knit and you watched his eyes flicker slightly from side to side where they were transfixed lower on his screen. You felt a rush of arousal gathering in your core under his mesmerized gaze. “You’re so beautiful, sweetheart, mm-“ His words were cut off by the hitch in his breath, his eyes fluttering shut for a second from what you assumed was a particularly nice tug on his cock, still out of view.

You whimpered softly, squeezing your boobs together as his eyes returned to them. Your free hand trailed up to cup and squeeze at your breast, watching Josh’s jaw drop slightly. “Can I… can I see?” you whispered shyly, dipping your eyes suggestively.

Josh swallowed hard, nodding softly after a second, and the camera panned down his body, and oh fuck-

His hand was wrapped tightly around his gorgeous cock, lazily pumping it in his fist. You let out a soft whine of desire, watching the movement of his hand, drinking it all in, his soft dusting of pubic hair, his balls drawing tighter to him every once and a while, his perfectly lean, muscular thighs clenching.

The camera shook unsteadily in Josh’s shaky hand, and he huffed slightly, his adorable boyish nature peeking through in the petulant noise. You bit your lip, waiting as he readjusted, the bed creaking through the speakers.

Josh shifted, sitting up and leaning back against his headboard, propping his phone against a pillow. You now had a near full body view of him, the angle giving the perspective as though you were laying on your stomach in front of him, a very welcome point of view that you’d love to experience for real.

“Fuck, Josh…” you sighed, chewing your lip in want.

He smirked breathlessly down at you through the screen, “You like this better, sweet girl?”

You nodded, in a trance as you watched him jerk himself.

He hissed quietly, continuing, “Yeah?” he swallowed, “’M so hard, all for you, mama, want you so bad,” he confessed, his desire leaking into his tone.

You snuck a hand down absently, desperate to relieve the ache between your legs. Josh noticed the movement, letting out a soft whimper. “You touching yourself too?”

You nodded slowly, circling your finger around your clit, spreading your wetness through your folds. “Yeah babe… you’re so hot, I can’t- I had to.”

Josh’s hips bucked slightly into his hand, you noticed his fist tightening too. “Naughty girl… so jealous, wish it was my fingers.”

Your eyes tore away from his now leaking cock to see his face, twisted in desire. With a surge of confidence, you confessed, “If you were here, I’d want so much more than your fingers.”

Josh’s face looked up at yours at that, surprise mixing with lustful adoration, making your heart flutter. “What else would you want, mama?”

You whimpered, “mm, Josh please…” your fingers circled your clit faster, already so worked up from the buildup.

Josh’s head lolled back, exposing his flawless arched neck until he focused back on his phone screen. “Fuck, you say my name so nice like that,” he sighed shakily. He swallowed, his face becoming almost nervous. “Do you think… can I watch too?”

You blushed, but you wanted it badly. You wanted his eyes on you, on your most intimate part of your body. You wanted him to see you. You also wanted to tease him a little more, first.

“Watch what, Joshy?” you asked innocently, suppressing a smirk.

His eyes drug up your form to your face. “You know what, little tease.” His tone was dark, but his ever-expressive face gave away the playful meaning behind his words.

You bit your lip, leaning forward into the camera slightly. “Maybe I wanna hear you beg me.” You blushed at your own boldness, but Josh’s frustrated whine made it worth it.

He sighed, brows knit as he licked his lips. “Please, honey, show me that pretty pussy, I need it so bad,” he whispered raggedly, sounding so genuinely needy that you felt another wave of heat rushing down your body.

“Mmm… good boy,” you smirked. Josh’s eyes squeezed shut quickly at your words, grunting softly. Interesting.

Carefully, you sat up, propping your phone on a throw pillow the same way he did. You saw him bite his lip hard at the motion of your chest swaying in front of the camera, a quiet muffled groan sounding faintly from the speakers. Sitting back and leaning against the head board, you kept your knees closed teasingly, curling your legs to the side.

Giving him a playful smirk, you traced your fingertips up your shins and over your knees, running your hand over your thigh and your ass seductively. Josh’s eyes followed the movement closely, a short grunt huffing out of him. “You look fucking stunning, mama,” he struggled, relaxing further to his side, the angle change giving you a gorgeous side view of him as he pumped himself harder. “Can you open your legs for me? …p-please?” he added shyly.

You slid your fingers back down, letting them slip between your thighs out of his sight, a high pitched sigh released from your throat. You looked down at Josh, biting your lip hard as you watched his hand working himself. You wedged your hand into your slick folds, running your fingers up and down your wetness. “Josh…” you whispered breathily, drawing out his torture as long as you could, bringing your other hand up to cup and squeeze your breast. You were perhaps exaggerating your little show a little, but it was to your benefit just as much as his. His unwavering hungry gaze was making you feel sexier than you’d ever felt before, knowing how badly he wanted you.

Josh whimpered through the speakers, “…please…” a quiet desperate noise that you didn’t think he meant to release, but the sound flooded your lower half with heat.

“I wish you were with me so fucking bad, Joshy.”

Josh groaned softly, “Talk to me, pretty girl, what would we be doing?” His lazy smirk reappeared at his request, and you returned it, albeit slightly shyer. “You never answered my question.”

Your fingers slipped quicker through your folds as you answered, “Wanna taste you, want you in my mouth.”

Josh’s sharp intake of breath made your confidence soar, and you continued, “I’d suck you until you cum down my throat, til you beg me to stop.”

Josh’s jaw fell open as his brows knit tightly together. “Oh fuck-“ his breath hitched, his fist flying up and down his length now, and you watched hungrily as his other hand slid down from his abs to fondle his balls. Then his glazed over eyes refocused on your form, your hand still hidden behind your thigh. He licked his lips tentatively, and you figured he earned it, being so patient.

Josh breathed, “God, please… let me watch you. All of you,” his voice shaking endearingly. Your heart warmed from the care in his voice, not wanting to coerce you into anything you didn’t want to give him, despite his desperation.

You held eye contact (camera contact?) with him as you smiled reassuringly, your eyes twinkling mischievously. “Mmm, yeah? You wanna see that bad, huh?” you teased breathily, lifting your leg teasingly.

Josh nodded quickly, “Need you, I wanna watch that sweet pussy dripping, wanna see you cum, please baby,” he begged, his thumb swiping over his tip causing a sharp gaspy moan, “fuck I need you so bad.” He barely sounded lucid anymore through his desperation.

You moaned softly, rubbing over your clit once more before bring the knee closest to your phone over and letting your legs part, spread open to his full view.

Josh let out a feral sounding groan, and you caught the faint reflection of sweat beading on his forehead. He bucked into his hand, his mouth hanging open now. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, god, you’re so fucking perfect, so beautiful,” he babbled, his voice strained and breathy as he fucked into his hand.

You brought both of your hands down, spreading your pussy open further with one set of fingers, using your middle finger of your other hand to tease and gently circle your clit.

Your boyfriend’s broken cry told you he was more than enjoying the show. “You’re so fucking hot, I’ve never wanted anything this bad in my fucking life,” he whined, “Jesus christ I want to fuck you until my body just gives out.”

You moaned, tossing your head back and rolling your hips as you ground into your fingers. “Fuck Josh, want you so bad, wanna ride your cock, want to sit on your face, I want it all,” you rushed through your panting.

Josh suddenly gasped, “Oh my god, I’m so close, mama, ohhh, ‘m gonna cum.”

You nodded furiously, your mouth watering at the thought of watching him completely coming undone. “Yes, baby, cum for me, please, cum,” you begged him. You watched in complete awe as Josh spit quickly down on his own cock, spreading the lubrication with his fist never slowing down. His constant stream of raspy, fucked out moans got more and more choked and breathless, his glistening cock twitching in his hand.

His eyes never left your body, zeroed in with razor focus on your fingers flicking furiously across your clit in a blur. Your orgasm was quickly building too, the fire burning as white-hot as the desire between the both of you. You quickly sunk two fingers of your other hand into your sopping wet entrance, fucking yourself in rhythm with your other hand’s rubbing. You were positive Josh could hear the lewd wet noises sounding from between your legs, but apparently the sight of your fingers flying in and out of your tight hole was enough to send him over the edge.

He let out a choked groan, his head falling forward as his fist’s blurred motion picked up even more, seemingly unable to get enough friction to satisfy the aching need under his fingers. You moaned loudly, watching him buck into his hand erratically, his brows knit as ropes of white cum spurted from the purplish head of his cock. He let out an animalistic cry of your name as his body quaked from the force of his orgasm. His eyes blinked in and out of focus as he started to come down, trying hard to keep his gaze on your body, not wanting to miss you following shortly after.

Watching him cum could’ve stopped your heart, it was so indescribably erotic. You pictured yourself licking up the warm results of his orgasm from his soft tummy, riding his thigh, and you pictured fucking your hips against his hot wet tongue, and you were a goner too. Furiously spasming around your fingers, you felt a small surge of wetness trickling down your thigh. You clenched through the most intense waves of pleasure you’d felt in ages, crying out as you rode your fingers, abusing your poor clit through your orgasm. “Jooosh, shit shit shit, yes,” you sobbed helplessly, coming down from your peak slowly, shockwaves of pleasure still lighting up your nerves.

Your eyes fluttered open as you relaxed, withdrawing your fingers as your chest heaved, setting into your afterglow. You picked up your phone and focused your eyes on Josh with a lazy, bashful smile. He was catching his breath too, returning your hazy grin and wiping his forehead. “Wow,” he chuckled breathlessly.

You giggled, tugging the sheet up under your armpits and nestling back into your bed. “Wow is right…”

He smiled wider, sitting up and throwing his sheets off his legs. You blushed slightly, catching his softening cock as he stood and raised the camera back up. You watched the background of his room moving away after he pulled a pair of sweatpants on. He leaned into the camera, lips puckered as he blew you a kiss through the screen. You giggled, “What’re you doing now, babe?”

He looked down at you, the most lovesick puppy eyed smile you’d ever seen, instantly melting your heart all over again. “Coming to see you, pretty girl.”

Your jaw dropped, and he set the phone on his table. You recognized the ceiling of his entryway, and you heard the zip of his jacket, and the thudding of his shoes as he pulled them on. “Wh- now? You’re actually coming over?” your question raised in pitch but soft, unable to believe his sweetness.

Josh picked up his phone, smiling that gap-toothed boyish smile that made it impossible not to fall for him. “Of course. I want cuddles,” he giggled.

You smiled wide, giddy with love and excitement, “…me too,” you whispered.

“See you soon, sweet girl, I’ll be there in a few minutes,” he winked with a click of his tongue, shooting you a finger gun through the screen.

You giggled rolling your eyes, “See you soon, dork, I lo-“

Josh’s eyes widened as you cut yourself off, face paling at your slip-up. You just swallowed, looking at him uncertainly. His face broke out in a wide smile, and he held his phone up closer to his face. “Say it,” he asked softly.

You picked at your finger nervously, examining his face for any trace of disingenuity. Finding only pure love and hopefulness, you said quietly, “I love you, Josh.”

Then Josh’s smile widened impossibly, cracking his face in two, and he spun around. He actually spun in a circle, the screen making you feel dizzy. He sighed deeply, running his hand through his mess of curls. “I love you too, I love you, I love you so much,” he giggled at your beaming smile that you tried to hide in your pillow. Your muffled giggle of joy gave you away, and he said softly, “look at me.”

You glanced up at him shyly, and he cocked his head. “I’ll be there before you can blink, and I’m gonna tell you again when I’m there- no, I’m gonna show you. Nah, actually, I’ll do both,” he rambled excitedly as his door opened. His keys jangled and he once again brought his lips to the camera, making smooching noises that made you giggle and shake your head. “My pretty girl. Love you, see you soon,” he cooed, climbing into his car.

“Love you too, Joshy,” you told him softly, “see you soon baby.”

#greta van fleet fluff #greta van fic #greta van fleet fic #greta van fleet smut #greta van fleet fan fiction #greta van fleet #greta van fluff #greta van smut #joshua michael kiszka #josh gvf #josh kiszka #joshua kiszka #josh kiszka fic #josh kiszka smut #josh kiszka x reader

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fanficshiddles · 8 months ago

Text

The Redbridge Hunts, Chapter 33

Just under a few weeks later, Chris had organised some interviews for potential teachers, to take over Jeremy’s role. Lucius was involved in the process, too. As well as Loki.

They held it one evening, on Wednesday after school hours. Loki came back in to the school with Bat on his shoulder.

‘Why have you brought Bat?’ Lucius asked with a chuckle as he happily greeted the cat.

‘She’s been alone all day, I didn’t want to leave her alone all evening either. Since Claire is away visiting her sister tonight, I just thought I’d bring her here.’ Loki smiled.

‘BAT!’ Jessica squealed from down the corridor and began running to see her.

Bat leapt away from Lucius and jumped into Jessica’s arms.

Jessica had been working late, marking some practice tests they’d held during school time. So was a few of the other teachers.

‘I’ll keep her company if you want while you guys do the interviews.’ Jessica offered.

‘Are you sure? Was you not about to head home?’ Loki asked.

‘There are still some tests to mark, I was just stretching my legs. Once I’m finished, I’ll put her with Severus if he’s still here.’ Jessica said and then headed off back to her classroom with Bat, without waiting for an answer from Loki, making him chuckle.

‘Chris has the forms for the potential candidates in his office. We’ve got half an hour before they arrive. He already has his eye on the only vampire that’s applied.’ Lucius sighed.

‘Figures.’ Loki rolled his eyes.

While there was only one vampire that applied out of five candidates, they were all qualified enough. Though even Chris agreed after interviewing them all, that one of them stood out the most and seemed that he would be the best fit for the school. His name was Alex and he was a human.

After they dismissed all the candidates apart from Alex, they gave him the good news and asked him to start straight away. Which he agreed to do, happily.

Loki went to go fetch Bat now he was finished. Jessica’s classroom was empty, so he went to Severus’ class, knowing she would be there.

As he reached his room, the door was half open so Loki paused just outside and peeped in a little when he heard Severus talking in an odd voice.

‘You are such a cutie. My girl would absolutely adore you. Yes, she would!’ Severus was cooing over Bat, who was lying on his desk, loving the attention. Severus leaned back to take a picture of Bat, to send it to his partner, then he was back fawning over her.

Loki pushed the door further open and walked in. Severus instantly straightened himself up and his face fell serious.

‘Ah. Come for your cat?’ He asked with a cough.

Loki struggled to resist from laughing. ‘Yes, come to get my cutie cat.’ He smirked.

Severus glared at Loki then abruptly stood up. ‘Well, it’s not a lie, is it?’ He shrugged sheepishly.

Loki decided not to tease him further on it. He walked over and scooped Bat up. ‘Thanks for keeping her company. She does love people.’

‘No problem.’ Severus said quietly, then sat down again once Loki left the room.

Loki headed towards the entrance, he saw Alex just ahead of him who was just leaving, too.

‘I look forward to working with you, Alex.’ Loki called to him.

Alex spun around and smiled. ‘Thanks, you too.’

Bat then did something that Loki had never seen before. She let out the loudest yell Loki had ever heard from her, but it was an angry yell, and she threw herself out of Loki’s arms and bolted towards Alex while hissing and growling at him.

Alex backed up, but Bat launched for his lower legs with her claws out, she kept spitting at him and yowling.

Chris and Lucius came running down the corridor at the noise, Severus rushed out of his class too. They were all just as stunned as Loki was.

‘I’m sorry, she’s never done this before.’ Loki said quickly in a panic as he ran forward and grabbed Bat.

Though Bat wasn’t happy. She squirmed so much that Loki couldn’t keep hold of her, and as soon as she was back on the floor, she launched for Alex yet again. Alex ran out of the school and stumbled down the steps, Bat continued to chase him right across the grounds and she only stopped once he was out the school gates.

Loki, Chris, Lucius and Severus ran out after them.

‘I’ll… see… you tomorrow.’ Alex called out, shaken, as he bolted down the road towards his car.

The vampires just stared in complete shock.

‘Chris... I think you should probably organise a thorough background check on that guy.’ Severus muttered, still staring at Bat.

‘Definitely.’ Chris muttered back.

‘Bat. Are you ok? Are you hurt, ill?’ Loki asked as he picked her up, worried over her.

‘I don’t think she’s hurt, Loki. I’d say she just senses something very off about Alex.’ Lucius hummed.

‘She’s never done that before.’ Loki said as he turned to face them, though Bat was settled again and began licking her paws as she relaxed in her owners’ arms.

‘We’ll look into the guy. If he’s clean, then perhaps worry about if she’s ill or hurting.’ Chris said calmly.

‘Hm.’ Loki huffed, still not convinced there wasn’t something wrong with her.

The following day, Lucius went to the school and informed Loki that Alex turned out to be a hunter. He was trying to get close to the vampires of the school, to build up a trust before attacking from the inside.

‘So, Bat’s judgement was right. He was a bad man with bad intentions.’ Claire said and Lucius nodded.

‘Loki, what’s wrong?’ Claire asked, noting how he didn’t seem happy.

‘I just… She’s never attacked someone like that before, or even displayed anger towards someone. If she is like that with bad people, why is she always all over Chris?’

Claire’s face softened and she wrapped her arms around his arm. ‘He did save her, remember? I bet she remembers that.’

Loki grumped in response.

‘I’ve told Chris to re-interview the other candidates, he can decide who he wants to hire.’ Lucius said.

‘What’s happened with Alex?’ Claire asked.

‘He’s been dealt with.’ Was all Lucius said. ‘I’ll see you later, I need to get back to work.’

‘Thanks, dad.’ Loki called to him as he headed out.

Loki sat down on his chair and ran a hand down his face. Claire went over and perched on his lap, he put his arm around her and smiled. ‘Thanks, love. Sorry for being grumpy.’

Claire draped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. ‘I love you even when you’re being a Mr grumpy gills, don’t worry.’ She teased.

Loki chuckled. ‘I was just really worried about Bat. Never seen her act like that before. She can fairly go into attack mode, I never knew she had it in her.’

‘Well, she obviously just never needed to. At least she’s acting on her instinct and let you all know that Alex was bad. I know the way she is with Chris upsets you, but to a kitten that had been abandoned and was on the brink of death, the person to save her will always have a place in her heart. Whether you agree with that judgement or not.’ Claire said softly.

‘I know. You’re right.’ Loki sighed.

‘I’m always right.’ Claire grinned.

‘Don’t push it.’ Loki smirked at her.

‘Not interrupting, am I?’ Came Chris’ voice, making Loki tense up and his jaw clench.

‘You always are, though that's never stopped you before.’ Loki growled at him.

Chris smirked and walked into the room, hands behind his back. ‘I’ve called the other candidates back for tonight.’

Loki waited, thinking there was more to it. Though Chris never said anything more. ‘Ok… So? You don’t need me to be there, do you?’

‘Not necessarily… but can I borrow Bat?’

Loki’s eyebrows almost shot up off the top of his head. ‘What? No! You’re not using my cat.’

‘She clearly has a good sense of who’s good and who’s not. Wouldn’t you rather a new teacher working here had her approval?’ Chris asked, folding his arms over his chest.

‘Well, of course. Though I don’t want to stress her out more.’ Loki argued.

‘I promise, if she acts the same way with any of the other candidate, I will chuck them out instantly. I’ll even take her back to you after we’re done, to save you coming back in.’ Chris said calmly.

Loki was speechless, he looked at Claire, who shrugged.

‘I mean… I don’t think it would be a bad thing to let Bat meet the others, to make sure there’s not another hunter trying to get in.’ Claire said softly.

Loki growled a little and glared at Chris. ‘No… it’s not happening.’

That evening, the first candidate to return walked into Chris’ office in the evening and raised an eyebrow upon seeing a black cat sitting on Chris’ desk, with seemingly judging eyes.

‘What’s with the cat?’ He asked with a chuckle and leaned over to pet her, Bat gave an appreciative purr, but kept professional.

‘She’s my assistant’ Bat let out a displeased yell. ‘I mean, my… deputy head for the day.’ Chris chuckled a little.

Bat sat a little prouder, looking as pleased as a cat could.

‘Ok…’ The guy trailed off, slightly confused as he sat down.

The interviews with the four candidates went well. Bat didn’t have a bad reaction to any of them, which Chris was relieved about, he wasn’t really in the mood to fight with his little brother tonight. While the candidates waited outside, Chris put their forms out on front of Bat.

‘I like them all. Who do you think is best?’ He asked and folded his arms over his chest.

Bat looked at the forms with the little profile pictures of each one in the top corner. She took a moment before putting her paw on the third guy, Spencer. Chris picked up his paper and glanced over it with a hum.

‘What did you think of this one? He’s the only vampire. Unless my senses are mistaken, the other three are humans. Right?’ Chris asked.

Bat chirped her answer, which he figured meant yes. Though she walked over to Chris and batted at the form in his hands again.

He sighed and looked at Bat, she stared back at him, neither of them blinked or broke eye contact for a minute. Then Chris sighed again and nodded. ‘Alright. I’ll offer Spencer the job.’ He said with a little reluctance.

Bat let out a happy chirp and brushed her head against him. Chris rolled his eyes but had a little smile as he petted her.

When he popped out of his office to see the four candidates, Bat was perched on his shoulder.

‘Thank you all for coming back for another interview. It was difficult to choose between you all, as you all have great skills and experience for this school. However, Spencer, I’d like to offer you the job.’ Chris put on a smile and walked over to shake his hand, deliberately leaving out the part that he’d only gotten the job because of a cat deciding.

‘Thank you very much, Sir. I really appreciate it.’ Spencer grinned happily.

When the candidates and Spencer left, Chris took Bat straight home. To avoid Loki’s wrath.

‘Well, did you pick one?’ Loki asked when he answered the door.

‘Yes. Gone with Spencer, the one from down South. He’s starting in a week.’ Chris said as he handed Bat over to Loki.

Loki raised an eyebrow. ‘Really? Well, good choice.’

‘You went with a human? I thought you’d have picked the vampire.’ Claire said from behind Loki as she wandered through.

Chris' jaw clenched a little in annoyance. ‘Let’s just say, a cat’s sense is even better than a vampire’s sense. So sometimes it’s wise to go with your head instead of the heart.’

Loki couldn’t believe his ears. ‘Are you telling me that you let Bat pick?’

Chris shrugged in response, turned on his heels and began making his way down the path without another word.

Loki and Claire looked at Bat, who had made herself comfy in Loki’s arms. She looked up at them both and chirped at them. Loki and Claire then looked at each other, in slight disbelief, before closing the door.

#tom hiddleston #loki #loki x ofc #fluffy loki #loki fic #jessica chastain #severus snape #chris motionless #lucius #the redbridge hunts #vampire Loki

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borathae · 9 months ago

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“Being a sorcerer has always been Hoseok’s dream. So when a well-known and powerful sorceress sends out letters informing the young minds of the city of an upcoming position as her apprentice, Hoseok takes fate into his own hands and applies. The only problem is that learning the arts of magic is reserved for women. He is convinced however that hard work and effort can charm the sorceress’ heart and get him the position.”

Pairing: Magic Student!Hoseok x Magic Student!Reader

Genre: Fantasy!AU, Magic School!AU, s2f2potential lovers!AU, Romance

Warnings: lots of plot, 90% of this is written from Hoseok’s POV, Queendom!Tae being the bestest friend, they’re both so adorable, the students are mean to him at first :(, except for reader heheh she is a sweetheart <3, also idk if this is important but i got inspired by Elden Ring as far as some names are concerned istfg best game <3, this will have a second part where reader’s pov plays a bigger part and the romance is gonna be bigger as well <3, for now this story is very magic & Hobi’s journey to magic centered, but also some romantic tension is present as well hngngn, istfg i love this universe

Wordcount: 6.5k of 24.3k

✴ Part Two of Two ✴

Hoseok returns to the school with new energy. Spending the days with Taehyung truly helped him see the bright side of things again. He knows that he can do it. Hoseok is motivated to find his connection.

Two weeks however pass and Hoseok still fails to find his connection. His fellow students have already managed the second step each and proved their worth, while he still struggled to connect. The motivation of once has long died out again.

It is dinner time, but Hoseok is not in the eating hall.

“Have you seen Hoseok?” Ainar asks you and Ash.

“I haven’t.”

“I haven’t either.”

“Do you believe that he is alright? He looked very sad after class today.”

“I think it really saddens him that he cannot connect to the magic”, Ash says, “poor Hoseok, I truly wish for him to find it.”

“Yes, me too”, Ainar agrees.

“I am most certain that he will. He has to. With the test coming up”, you say.

“What do you think will happen to him if he cannot connect until then?”

Nobody dares to speak, eventhough all of you share the same thought. That if Hoseok fails, it could mean that he will have to pack his belongings and leave this school. A kind heart will only prove one worthy for that long before the missing skill catches up with one. Hoseok might have the kindness a great sorcerer should posses, but if he cannot access the magic, it means that he is simply that. A kind person. Nobody dares to speak these thoughts however because you truly wanted the best for him.

Ainar moved into your room after Becca had to leave. Ash voiced her deep regrets for her behaviour in the beginning and confessed that she was too scared to stand up to Becca in fear of being excluded. Hoseok forgave her and then offered her a piece of chocolate. Ever since then, your little group has been good friends. If you weren’t practicing or studying, you spend many hours laughing and talking in your shared sitting room. You think that Hoseok has the most wonderful laugh and the most thrilling stories to tell. His absence would truly be painful and none of you want his leave.

You agree to take dinner back to your bed chamber so Hoseok wouldn’t have to go to sleep hungry. Tomorrow will be a busy day as you will have potion class with sorceress Zenith and her lectures are always very draining. Hoseok needs to eat something unless he wants to faint.

He isn’t in the shared sitting room and so you knock on your bed chamber.

“Mhm.”

You open the door, Ash and Ainar follow.

“Hoseok? We brought you dinner.”

“I am not hungry.”

Hoseok lies in his bed with the blanket pulled over his head and his back turned to the door.

“You must eat. We have sorceress Zenith tomorrow. You will suffer if you don’t eat something.”

“I am not going to class tomorrow.”

“What? Why?”

“But you love potion class”, Ash says.

“You say it always brings you joy”, Ainar insists.

“I don’t want to.”

You pull the blanket off his head. He whips around and tries to grab for it.

“Don’t. Just leave me be”, he complains.

“We worry for you.”

“Don’t you want to try the food? It is very delicious tonight”, Ainar tries.

Hoseok eyes it, then his friends. They look so worried for him. He gives up with a sigh, sitting up in his bed. He accepts the bowl of fresh fish stew and the piece of white bread with it.

“May we sit down?”

Hoseok nods his head. You sit down on his bed next to him, paying him company like this.

“You will be able to do it”, Ash says.

“Today was just the first day of the week and you still have three moons to prepare for the test. I am very positive that you will manage until then.”

“And if I won’t? We all know what this will mean. That I will lose my spot at this school. What good is a magic student who cannot even connect to his magic?”

You exchange a look with the others. One Hoseok notices. He sags his shoulders in defeat.

“Perhaps I should already pack my belongings and leave, before I embarrass myself.”

“No, don’t speak like this. You will be able to do it. I just know you will”, you insist, reaching out to touch his arm before pulling back again. You have never touched him before. It would be strange to do so now.

Hoseok doesn’t notice it as he is too busy staring sad holes into the wall.

“Please, you must at least try”, Ash insists, “we do not wish to say goodbye to you.”

“Do you truly feel this way?” Hoseok asks.

You each nod your heads.

“Oh”, he lets out and lowers his head. His cheeks feel hot, his heart light in his chest, “I didn’t think that you would”, he confesses, “thank you. I must work hard, so we do not have to say goodbye to each other then.”

“Yes, exactly. If you want to, I can help you tomorrow after class”, you offer.

“Truly?”

You nod your head, “yes truly.”

“Then, I would love this.”

“It is decided then. Now eat your stew. I think that they used the freshest fish tonight. It tastes so wonderful.”

You and Hoseok meet up after late lunch. Ash and Ainar are outside with a few other girls, practicing for the exam. Some others are occupying the library.

“Where should we go? Our chamber?” Hoseok asks.

“No, I have a better idea”, you say and wave him with you, “follow me.”

Hoseok follows you in a quick step, greeting a few students as you pass them by. You also meet Sorceress Ciri on your path.

“Where are you off to?” she asks.

“The caves. We want to practice for the exam”, you tell her.

“Be careful. Especially you”, she addresses Hoseok with it.

“I, I will”, he stutters.

“Good. Some stones may very well only turn out to be stones. Dull, lightless failures.”

Hoseok blinks in shock.

“And some may outshine all others once they’ve reached the light”, you throw back angrily and tug at Hoseok’s sleeve, “come on Hoseok, we are already running late.”

Hoseok stumbles after you with his eyes glued to Sorceress Ciri for as long as possible. The sorceress curls her lips and clicks her tongue, turning her back to him before strutting off with her nose stuck high into the sky.

“Pay her words no mind. She is a bitter old hag.”

Hoseok gasps at your harsh words.

“Forgive me, I grew up with less classes in manners”, you say, “I won’t take back what I said, however.”

Hoseok lets a small smile wash over his lips, “it is alright.”

The caves can be reached through a sturdy door. It is very important not to imagine the caves like one might imagine a typical cave. Dark, wet, cold. The glintstone caves are none of these things. They dig deep and lower into the mountain, but no corner of it is dark. Magic deep in the crystal makes them glow, illuminating the paths and stairs this way. The air is quite comfortable on the skin and leaves no wet sensation behind, carrying magical scents one might describe as sweet while others might take them in as fresh. Tables and chairs are scattered on the bigger areas where students can sit and practice. They are currently empty. And purple clouds of magic dance in the air. A waterfall is rushing in the background, its waters can be used in healing potions.

You and Hoseok choose a table surrounded by glintstone and not far from the door.

“Let me”, Hoseok offers and fixes the chair for you.

“Thank you”, you say with a quick flutter in your heart, “what a surprise.”

“Oh? Oh, forgive me. Force of habit. I am so used to fixing chairs for Taehyung.”

“It is alright. I didn’t mind.”

Hoseok sits down opposite of you, looking around the cave.

“I still cannot believe that something like this truly exists.”

“Yes, me neither”, you agree, “now, are you ready to practice?”

He nods his head vividly.

“Take out your stone.”

Hoseok obeys.

“Show me your process.”

Hoseok obeys. Just like always, he fails to lift the stone.

“As you can see, I am as far as I was on the first day”, he jokes, lifting the corners of your lips into a smile.

“I am most certain that something happened inside you. Something that perhaps needs just a little bit of help?”

“Help?”

“Please do not judge me, but I did some reading”, you say and pull out a carefully written paper, “here. You can have these notes.”

“Truly?” Hoseok accepts them gladly.

“Yes. These are only my theories and I am but a mere beginner as well, so take them with caution. But I was thinking that perhaps your own magic is simply not strong enough to find its connection with you.”

“Not strong enough you say?”

“Yes. Watch me.”

Hoseok follows you with his eyes. You reach to your side and touch the glintstone, making it glow. It feels warm and comfortable and you take this feeling to transfer it into the stone to make it float. Hoseok’s stone floats soon after, the small table follows as well.

Hoseok gasps in awe.

“You see? Perhaps you have to channel the energies in these caves and your magic will be stronger”, you say, lowering the objects again. The glow dies down, as does the warmth in your fingertips, “strong enough so that it can finally find its connection.”

“That was remarkable.”

“Thank you. Try it yourself.”

“Forgive me?” Hoseok gasps with widened eyes, “how should I do such a thing?”

“Simply try. Perhaps you need a little help to connect with your magic. Perhaps you cannot produce enough energy yet and need a strengthening from these stones.”

“So you believe that with a stronger source, I could awaken my magic inside? Like feeding a dying fire more wood?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“Perhaps this could work”, Hoseok says and stands up to touch the glintstone just like you did.

It makes soft sounds, soaking the pads of his fingers with coldness. He closes his eyes, focusing on the sensation.

“Try to visualise it”, you whisper.

Hoseok imagines glowing stones and warmth in his fingers. He imagines purple haze all around him and how it soaks his fibres. He imagines his practice stone floating and how much warmer his hands would get.

He imagines, but he fails to truly put it into reality. He opens his eyes. Coldness. No glow. He drops his hand from the stone and sinks down on his chair, burying his face in his hands.

“I tried so hard”, he gets out shakily.

“Try again.”

“No, just give it up. It won’t work.”

“But it has to”, you say and touch the stone. You make it glow, “look! I, I did it for you. Keep this glow alive”, you try.

“How?”

“Touch it and try to keep it alive.”

Hoseok obeys even if his eyes seem hopeless.

“I am counting to three and then you give it life. One, two, three.”

Bright light for but a breath, sudden flickering which weakens the glow more and more until the stone is dark again.

“You did it!”

“I didn’t do anything. I failed”, Hoseok insists and pulls his hands away.

“No, you did something. The stone flickered before it died out. You kept it alive for but a moment.”

“No, I didn’t. It was simply your magic leaving it.”

“No it wasn’t. You did that.”

“Give it up, ___. I am hopeless.”

“No, you are not.”

“Why do you want my success so badly? Why can’t you just let it go?”

“Because I like you”, you blurt out.

Hoseok closes his mouth, gawking at you with widened eyes. His pulse flutters for but a moment.

“And I want your dream to become reality. I want it so very much. Not only for you, but also for my brother. You cannot give up, Hoseok please. You could change the world and make it possible so that dreamers like my brother have a chance as well.”

“But I am just a boy”, Hoseok whispers,

“You are not just a boy. You are Hoseok, you are strong and resilient and a wonderful dreamer.”

“But how should I change the world?”

“By not giving up. By believing in yourself.”

Hoseok lowers his head shyly.

“And if you cannot believe in yourself right now, believe in me and my support for you.”

Hoseok meets your gaze. Honesty, hope, admiration. He can see it in your purple eyes. You speak the truth. You really believe in him.

“Thank you”, he breathes, looking at your lips for but a moment, “for saying this.”

“I meant it. I cannot say goodbye to you, so please do not give up already.”

He smiles shyly, “I won’t.”

You retort his smile, letting your eyes run over his face. He has a birthmark on his lip. You never noticed it until now. Your mother always tells you that birthmarks show up on a person’s body where they were kissed especially much in their past life.

Hoseok lets out a shy laugh, ripping you back to reality. You look away instantly, clearing your throat loudly.

“I uhm”, you begin.

He clears his throat and looks away, turns to touch the glintstone. His cheeks feel hot. He closes his eyes and tries to imagine how his hands warm up as well.

A tickle. At the very tips of his fingers. Hoseok gasps and pulls away instinctively.

“What is it? Did you feel something?”

“No. Yes. I mean, I cannot say. My fingertips tickled.”

“Try again. Oh, this could be it!”

Hoseok touches the stone with both hands and closes his eyes. A tickle. He has to imagine a tickle which becomes warmth.

Nothing happens. He pulls away, shaking his head sadly.

“Try again.”

“I don’t think that your theory works. I am truly sorry.”

“But it has to”, you say and take his hands so you could place them on the stone.

Hoseok gasps quietly, gawking at his hands engulfed in yours. The touch goes so deep. He quite frankly, finds it a little hard to breathe all of a sudden.

You make the stone glow, keeping his hands between yours and the glowing crystal.

“Feel it? How warm it becomes?” you try, squeezing his hands, “how it is tickling your palms?”

You look at his face. His cheeks are flushed, his eyes widened slightly. It is enough to make you realise the situation you currently find yourself in. You are touching him. You crossed the line.

“Forgive me”, you say, pulling away instantly.

Hoseok keeps his hands on the stone, looking at you just as you look at him. You both miss how the stone keeps glowing, just as Hoseok doesn’t take in how warm his hands have become. The eye contact takes all your attention.

“I shouldn’t have taken your hands. Please forgive me.”

Hoseok shakes his head, “there is nothing to forgive.”

He retreats his hands. The stone finally darkens. Neither of you take it in.

“I-”, you begin.

“Young students, why are you still here?”

You never get to finish your sentence as sorceress Zenith interrupts you before you can. You and Hoseok stand up to bow at her.

“Forgive us, sorceress Zenith. We practiced for our exam”, Hoseok says.

“Hard work is honourable, but do not forget your sleep. It is late, young students. You must prepare for the night and I cannot allow you to be here any longer”, she says and waves the big set of keys around she uses to lock the caves overnight.

“We are already leaving. Forgive us”, Hoseok says and hurries away with you by his side.

You wait until you cross a corner before breaking into giggles.

“I cannot believe that we got caught by sorceress Zenith”, you snicker.

“My heart is racing. Did you see how she looked at us?” Hoseok giggles.

“Oh, we are so doomed.”

“No, do not say that. I am already doomed enough”, he chuckles.

“Forgive me, oh forgive me”, you laugh, stumbling from laughing so hard that Hoseok has to hold your sleeve for support.

You stumble into your chamber still laughing about your run in with sorceress Zenith. Ainar and Ash are already in their room.

“Do you mind if I washed myself first?” you ask him.

“Not at all. I might go to the library either way. I must read up on the theory.”

“But what if sorceress Zenith will catch you again?” you tease, stepping closer to him in a playful way.

“Then I will tell her that it was your idea”, Hoseok throws back and gives your shoulder a little poke.

You snicker, moving closer. Hoseok grins, chasing you. Your faces are mere inches away from touching.

Realisation. Hearts flutter.

You break away instantly, looking everywhere but the other person.

“I uhm, I am in the library”, Hoseok stutters.

“I understand, uh, have fun”, you say and leave for the washing chamber.

Hoseok calls your name. You look over your shoulder.

“Yes?”

“I uhm”, he clears his throat, blushing slightly. He shakes his head and looks away coyishly, “forget it. I was rambling.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll be in the library”, Hoseok says and bows deeply, “thank you for helping me.”

“I uh”, you do not get to finish you sentence before he is already gone. What did he want to tell you?

Hoseok attempts to concentrate, but his mind is racing. Thoughts about you and the unexplainable flutters you awoke in him tonight, thoughts about the tickles in his fingertips but also worries about the test and his continuous failures.

The theory you told him sounded so perfect and yet he still failed to find his connection. The good thoughts of you drown out more and more, the longer Hoseok thinks about his failures.

He doesn’t quite know how many hours he spent pondering his dark future and trying to find help in books, but his tired body lets him know that it must have been a few.

The library is dead silent. Hoseok should really be in his chambers already. Not only because the school rules say so, but also because it is way too late to still be awake. But Hoseok couldn’t sleep if he tried. Five moons passed ever since the weekend and he still hasn’t found his connection to magic. Not even practicing in the caves helped him. He feels like a failure. Perhaps Sorceress Ciri was right. Perhaps he is destined to be dull, lightless stone.

“Hoseok?”

He looks at the person having whispered his name.

“Sorceress Selen?” he gasps, scrambling to his feet to bow at her.

“Please stay comfortable”, she tells him and sits down on the chair opposite of him, “what are you still doing up?”

“Please forgive me. I didn’t notice how late it already was. I will go to my chambers right away. I promise it won’t happen again.”

“Sit, Hoseok.”

He follows her orders with a racing heart. He is scared. Will this be the night he is finally told to leave? He fumbles with his fingers nervously, trying to look into the sorceress‘ purple eyes despite his hammering heart.

“You do not seem like yourself lately. Is there something troubling you?” she however asks him with motherly concern in her voice.

Hoseok looks at his lap instantly, feeling his eyes water. It has been too long since someone spoke to him with such maternal worry in their voice. He feels too fragile tonight not to have a reaction to it.

“There is something troubling you, isn’t there?” she gasps upon seeing the tears in his eyes.

He nods his head.

“Talk to me, my young student.”

“I am scared.”

“Scared?”

He nods his head, “scared to fail tomorrow’s test. I am such a failure. I feel unworthy of your teachings. I even fail to do something as simple as lifting a stone with my mind.”

“Do not give up hope yet, my young student.”

“It all feels hopeless”, Hoseok sniffles, “what if I was never meant to learn magic? What if my dream is truly foolish? What if boys are simply not meant to possess magic? Sorcerer Argon was proof enough. I am but a foolish boy with foolish ambitions”, Hoseok says and rubs at his eyes to stop himself from truly crying.

The sorceress Selen studies his sad stature, taking a deep breath. She fixes her dress and straightens up.

“I am going to tell you a story”, she begins.

Hoseok looks at her.

“A story of a powerful sorcerer and how he managed to write history.”

“A sorcerer? There was another sorcerer?” Hoseok gasps.

“Oh yes there was.”

“So it is truly possible for boys to learn magic without losing control?”

“Oh yes it is. There was one sorcerer, who traversed these lands many, many centuries ago and who till this day is spoken about.”

“Really?”

“Oh yes. He was a powerful mage, who had incredible magic inside him. He always spoke of creating a spell so grande he will be able to leave this plain and travel to another universe.”

“This is impossible. Nobody could be that powerful. You said so yourself.”

“But he was.”

“No”, he gasps.

“Yes, yes indeed he was, dear Hoseok. Indeed he was. He worked decades on this one spell and he always spoke of leaving this universe and finding another where he will be able to create his own school of magic.”

“For boys and girls?”

“Yes indeed. For boys and girls. He spoke of it in many of his writings. And so he worked on the spell until one day he was gone. His servant had gone to the market for fresh eggs and when he returned, the mage’s office was completely cleaned out. Except for one small letter.”

“What did it say?”

“Dear Bartemo. That was his servant’s name. Dear Bartemo, if you read this letter and I am nowhere to be found, it seems that my spell was finally successful. I took my research with me. However, the estate and all its belongings are yours from this day forward. I am off to teach many young children the arts of magic. With kindest regards, Nilrem.”

“Nilrem”, Hoseok repeats, “I have read this name in scriptures long ago. I never believed this name to be important. Was he ever found? Did he return? What about his research? Is it truly lost?”

“Oh yes, sadly he took it with him. He was never seen in this realm again and Bartemo lived to eighty years of age before a fever took him. He never saw his master again, but he always spoke highly of him.”

“This is truly such a wonderful story. I thank you for telling me. Nilrem. I will remember the name and see it as motivation to grow as a sorcerer”, Hoseok lets out an excited giggle, scrunching his nose, “do you believe that he was successful? That he managed to teach magic to younglings?”

“I like to believe that he was. It is truly a shame that in this realm, it is still so frowned upon for boys to learn magic, so I truly hope that in at least another universe, Nilrem managed to make the world a fairer place.”

“Yes, yes this sounds good”, Hoseok says and nods his head, “oh, I am spilling over with sudden motivation. I need to practice my spells, yes I must. Please if you would excuse me”, he says and jumps up to hurry away.

The sorceress Selen watches him with fond eyes until the library door closes behind him. He is a student she finds herself very fond of already.

“___!” Hoseok calls your name, stumbling through the door.

You lift your head from your pillow, studying his face with sleepy eyes. He looks out of breath.

“Yes?” you croak with your voice heavy from sleep.

“Sorcerer existed in these lands!”

“What do you mean?”

Hoseok jumps onto your bed and touches your arm in excitement, shaking you in your comfortable blanket cocoon. You whine quietly, feeling oh so dizzy.

“I spoke with sorceress Selen in the library and she told me a story of a powerful sorcerer, who wandered these lands thousands of years ago. His name was Nilrem and he was so powerful that he could traverse universes.”

“Universes?” you murmur and yawn loudly, “what do you mean universes?”

“Yes, universes! He went to another universe and was never seen again. Oh ___, boys can learn magic”, Hoseok drops his head into your blanket, hugging you this way, “and they can be powerful without losing control. I can learn magic as well, it is possible.”

You tense up in shock, feeling your heart speed up in your chest. He feels very warm and comfortably heavy on your chest. Oh by Frenya, you wear but a thin sleeping gown and his head is dangerously close to your bosom. Thankfully for your own sanity of heart, Hoseok sits up again. He is too overtaken in excitement to truly realise what he has done and what he did to your poor heart in the process.

“I can learn magic as well, ___”, he says and laughs so brightly his lips form the prettiest of hearts.

“So this means that sorceress Ciri lied today”, you say.

“Yes it was a lie”, Hoseok says and sighs in relief, “I am not a failure.”

“Of course you aren’t”, you say and sit up, covering yourself with the blanket, “I always believed in you. She was very rude and wrong for talking to you like this.”

“I thank you for saying this”, Hoseok gives your upper arm a gentle rub, “I am very happy to have you as my chamber mate.”

“Oh”, you feel your cheeks heat up, lowering your eyes shyly, “I am happy as well”, you whisper.

“Now, you must excuse me. I am in the garden, practicing until I can finally lift a stone”, Hoseok says and jumps out of your bed. He slips into his shoes and gives you a smiley wave goodbye before finally disappearing out of the room.

You touch the spot on your upper arm he rubbed, then the spot on your chest his head rested upon, taking a deep breath to calm down the flutter of your heart.

He is already doing magic. Deep, deep in your chest where you pulse just doesn’t want to slow down.

Hoseok isn’t in his bed when you wake early the next morning. You leave your sleeping chambers. The door to Ainar’s and Ash’s chamber is still closed and right there on the soft seating, Hoseok is sleeping with his mouth wide open. Half of his limbs hang from the edge off the seat, his long hair does as well. His practice glintstone sits on the table. The notes you made for him lie beside it.

For but a second you let him sleep peacefully, letting your eyes wander over him. His body is still dressed in the white clothing of yesterday, his shoes are scattered by the entrance. Your eyes linger but a second on his exposed neck and how the morning sun paints streaks of golden light on his skin.

You had a difficult time falling asleep last night as your mind kept you awake with thoughts of what happened between you and him. Barely anything did if one compares it to truly big happenings, but it meant a lot to you. You touched his hands, you shared playful banter in front of the bathing chamber with him, he hugged you. You never experienced something like this before and you couldn’t quite place the feelings it awakes in your chest.

You lift your eyes upon hearing Ash open her door. She and Ainar leave their room.

“Oh? What happened to him?”

“Practice. I think he practiced all night.”

Hoseok, who wakes up from your voices, sits up. He groans loudly, touching his neck instantly.

“By Frenya, my neck”, he whines, massaging in vividly, “huh?!” he suddenly straightens up, “what time is it? Oh, the test!” he blurts out and jumps up to run out of the room.

“We still have two hours left”, you stop him before he can.

“Oh”, he stops, “really?”

“Yes, enough time for you to wash up. You look rather battered.”

“I feel battered. My neck is going to kill me”, he says and rolls it, groaning as he does.

“Did you sleep here all night?” Ainar asks.

“No. I fell asleep with the sun rising.”

“But it has only been light for an hour.”

“I know”, Hoseok says and yawns.

“Why did you stay up this long? How should you concentrate today?”

“I will make it work”, Hoseok says, furrowing his brows in conviction. He lets his eyes drift to yours, “I have a dream to fulfil.”

A smile graces your face for but a moment, before you feel too shy to keep the eye contact going. Hoseok looks to the side.

“Now if you don’t mind, I would like to wash the day away.”

“Go ahead. I already bathed last night”, Ash assures him, “Ainar and I will be in the eating hall.”

“May I accompany you?” you ask them.

“Of course.”

You leave Hoseok alone in your shared room. He picks up his practice stone and walks to his room to get new clothing so he could get dressed in the bathing chamber.

He meets you and the others in class. Like so very often, you bring breakfast because you knew that he would skip it for the sake of practicing just a little more. He eats it seated by his desk and with his nervous eyes glued to his practice stone. The swell of his eye sacs and the redness of his eyes haven’t gone down yet. He is so visibly tired in fact, that sorceress Selen asks if he was feeling alright once she enters the classroom. Sorceress Ciri is with her as well.

“I simply practiced all night”, he tells her.

“Sleep is important, my young student”, she tells him.

“I know, sorceress Selen. I will get it today.”

She nods in approval, then claps into her hands.

“Very well then, shall we get started with the tests? I am most certain that you all want to get it over with as quickly as possible. Who wants to start?”

Some students lift their hands and so the testing begins.

The test consists of two parts. One based on knowledge and the other on action. Sorceress Ciri asks each student two questions about the history of magic and then sorceress Selen asks two more questions about glintstone magic. The practical part comes last where the students have to lift their practice stone and guide it to a mug on the teacher’s desk where they will have to lower it into the mug carefully.

The other students are asked to be quiet during the testing. Some busy themselves by drawing in their books, while others read up on their notes and others listen to the testing. There are also people like Hoseok and Ash, who use the time to practice. Ash manages to lift her stone, moving it around with swirls of her finger. Soon it is her turn and then it will be your turn and then it will be his turn.

Hoseok gulps nervously and tries to concentrate on practicing. He didn’t manage to lift the stone during his nightly session. He will have to make it work or else he will fail. He knows what he needs to know, he could have answered each question the sorceresses asked his fellow students, but fails at the most crucial part. How will he be able to pass when he cannot put the knowledge into practice?

Ash returns to her seat, looking relieved. You stand up.

“Good luck”, Hoseok tells you, earning himself a sweet smile.

“Thank you.”

Hoseok listens to your testing. The questions are easy and you manage to answer them quickly and coherently. The practical part follows. You move the stone with ease, ending it by painting a circle with it before lowering it into the mug. It brings a chuckle to sorceress Selen’s lips.

“Good job, my young student”, she praises you, “please return to your seat.”

You hurry to it with a relieved grin on your lips. Ash and Ainar praise you instnaly.

“You did so well”, Hoseok says.

“Thank you”, you tell him.

“Hoseok, please come out”, sorceress Ciri tells him.

He takes a deep breath and stands up.

“Good luck. I believe in you”, you tell him.

“Good luck”, Ash says.

“You can do it”, Ainar encourages him.

Hoseok acknowledges them with a nervous smile. He can hear how much quieter the classroom became. Which means a lot, because it was already quiet. Everyone is watching him. He is aware of it. This is it. The moment which will decide if he is worthy of being a sorcerer or not.

Hoseok sits down, sweating buckets from just his palms. At least it feels like it.

“When was the first magic school founded?” sorceress Ciri asks him.

Hoseok has to think for a moment. This wasn’t in the curriculum. He isn’t surprised that she asks him a question like this.

“It depends. If we take the writings of Sorceress Sorn into consideration, it is said that the first school of magic was founded as early as 218 of the second age by a group of dragon worshippers who discovered that glintstone can be harnessed for magic, but her writings are still seen as a rather incomplete source because of the great fires nine hundred years ago. So we use the Book of History written by sorceress Cicil in 1306 of the third age as the guide. In it, it says that the first school of magic was actually founded around two thousand years later than sorceress Sorn says in her writings and that the founders weren’t dragon worshippers, but scholars who studied glintstone for many centuries.”

Sorceress Ciri scrunches her nose in distaste. She didn’t think that he could answer this question. Hoseok lifts his head proudly.

“Very good”, she presses out, “where did the practice of Mending originate from?”

“The Glass Mountains in the school of sorceress Reah.”

“What even is Mending?”

“It is the magic of healing wounds by channelling the energies of the planets and using them to mend what was broken.”

“And why do we channel energies from the planets?”

“Because they are the strongest and purest form to channel. Nothing earthen has touched these energies yet and therefore soiled them. So they can be used to safely close wounds or mend broken bones.”

“And-”

“Thank you, sorceress Ciri”, sorceress Selen interrupts her, “I believe that Hoseok has already answered enough of your questions.”

The sorceress scrunches his nose in distaste.

“Fine”, she says and looks away with an annoyed gleam in her eyes.

Hoseok sends her a victorious look then shifts his eyes to sorceress Selen.

“Now Hoseok. Given how sorceress Ciri has already asked questions about glintstone magic, I believe that it is time for you to show what you have learned.”

Hoseok gulps. Truly, for just a second his heart stopped. He looks at the stone in front of him. This is it. The moment which determines if he is worthy.

“Take your time.”

Hoseok lifts his hands and visualises how the stone floats.

Nothing.

His heart races faster.

He tries harder.

Nothing.

Whispers begin in the classroom.

Hoseok lowers his hands. This is fruitless.

“Silence”, sorceress Selen warns, then speaks to Hoseok in a motherly tone, “try again. I believe in you.”

Hoseok lifts his hands again. He closes his eyes and visualises the stone. He thinks of his dream. Of how he told Taehyung that one day he will move the stars and make flowers grow from his fingers. Of how he promised his mother that one day he will be able to grow her a garden in the cold weathers of the Snow Isles. Of how he stayed up many nights to think about his life as a sorcerer. He thinks of sorceress Ciri and all the other people who so clearly see no future in him, but he also thinks of sorceress Selen and Taehyung and the princess and his chamber mates and how they all believe in him. He thinks of you and your little brother, then imagines all the other young boys who dream a dream which seemed so unreachable to them.

He thinks about how he was once one of these boys until he managed to get a spot at a magical school and how he could be the boy who changes the future for many other dreamers.

He opens his eyes, meeting ecstatic happiness in Sorceress Selen’s eyes and surprised pride in sorceress Ciri’s eyes. He looks at his hands.

The stone is floating.

“Oh! Ah!” he exclaims and almost drops it again.

“Concentration”, sorceress Selen says.

“I-I’m doing it!” he stutters with glassy eyes, “the stone is floating!”

“How wonderful, Hoseok. Now move it.”

“I am! I am moving it! Watch me!” he exclaims and makes the stone move with swirls of his fingers. And as he moves the stone with just his mind, purple soaks the white strands of his hair until even the last inch of his long locks are painted in it.

He drops the stone in the mug, jumping up with a loud yelp of excitement.

“I did it!” he turns to the class, “I moved the stone!”

His fellow students jump up in joy, cheering with him because all they wanted was his success. They run to him, circling him with some even patting his arms in congratulatory happiness.

You are with them as well, crying tears of happiness.

“You did it”, you tell him.

“I did it.”

“And your hair. Look at your hair!”

“My hair?” Hoseok tugs it into his vision, “my hair?! It is purple?!”

“The magic has deemed you worthy”, sorceress Selen says with pearls of tears in the corner of her eyes as well. She truly rooted for her dear student.

„Very impressive, young student“, sorceress Ciri says with an respectful bow of her head.

Hoseok smiles in gratitude, before looking at you and the others.

“Hoseok! You are worthy!” you exclaim and take his hands to squeeze them excitedly, “I told you. I knew that you could do it!” “Worthy? I am worthy”, Hoseok presses out and spills tears as realisation finally sets in, “I am worthy to be a sorcerer. I did it. I am worthy.”

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