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blog-name-idk · 1 year ago

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The Plot Twist | 04

Written by @blog-name-idk and @eserethriddle

Summary: Once upon a time you would have jumped at the chance to live the idol girlfriend life. The cameras, the action, the whirlwind romance. But what was once a dream has now become your worst nightmare, and you fully intend to fight the universe as it repeatedly conspires to set you up with your seven perfectly good soulmates from Bangtan Sonyeondan.

In which we punt Y/N into all the fanfiction tropes and you do your feral best to subvert the love story.

Because nani the fuck, you are The Plot Twist.

Pairing: OT7 X Fem!Reader

Genre: Soulmate!AU, crack, humor, idol!AU, light angst, slow burn, romantic comedy, just a fun silly old time

Rating: 18+

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Chapter 4: "You like Pac-man, right?"

"How dare you!"

You’ve just finished entering the final character to G0d$l@yeR_69 when you look up from the post-game leaderboard screen.

"Pardon?" you ask in confusion, slightly alarmed by the speed in which a masked man is walking towards you and the Pac-man machine. Even with the mask, the exaggerated furrow marring the man’s forehead is more than enough for you to discern that he is less than pleased. You square your shoulders, in case you need to defend the precious apparatus. Well, that and protect Lee-ssi, but mostly the Pac-man game.

"You're G0d$l@yeR_69?" the man squawks, voice irate. He gives you a once over and bristles further. You can almost imagine his fluffy hair rising like the feathers of an offended bird, and he… kind of sounds like one, too. You struggle to stifle your snicker when he gestures broadly to your grown stature, incredulous even as he finally discerns to himself, “You’re not some pint-sized punk!”

“And yet here you are, humbled all the same.” you respond haughtily, dusting off the imaginary lint off your burgundy dress. “Based on your reaction, I take it you’re ‘Jin the PacMan God’?”

You pause.

Wait.

Jin?

In fact, this offended cockatoo of a man actually looks… familiar. Broad shoulders, nice eyebrows, and –

Your blood pressure skyrockets as you realize exactly who is yelling at you. Unfortunately, your temper rises faster than your self-preservation.

"I'm sorry, BTS Jin is the same stupid kid who calls himself 'Jin the PacMan God?'" you blurt before you can stop yourself. "What self-respecting adult wastes so much time on an arcade game?"

He raises an eyebrow at you with a pointed stare, and you shrug. You don't fit into that category. You certainly don't respect yourself.

"A grown woman calls herself G0d$l@yeR_69?" Kim Seokjin jabs in return, crossing his arms, now looking more sulky than angry.

"Well, it's accurate to lore," you retort with an uncaring flip of your hair, doing your best to look bored rather than reflect the panic beginning to clog your throat. His genuinely offended gasp would have made you laugh if you weren't currently running through the possible exit routes in your head.

And then Jin says, "Well, you must be cheating!"

The egregious accusation dispels all thoughts of escape from your head. Your pride and integrity as a gamer have been insulted, and you narrow your eyes at the self-proclaimed pro-gamer before you.

You’re fully prepared to defend your honor.

It's on.

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Jimin doesn't get it.

How could he be unlucky enough to get sidelined a second time in a row? He wasn't even late this time! But because there had been more men than women (a bit heteronormative for his tastes, but that's the current state of most official speed-dating events), he and a few others had to wait aside for a rotation. And then somehow, everyone had already decided to pair up before he even got to meet anyone!

Perhaps it's karma and he's being punished for telling his Jin-hyung that he sort of kind of definitely looked like a certain pink Moluccan bird species when he was all riled up and red-eared.

With a sigh, he leaves the building, shoulders slumped. He can't quite bring himself to call Jin yet, and so he decides to walk aimlessly for a while. Perhaps some fresh air will cheer him up.

It's a bustling street, and he nervously brings his mask up higher on his face lest he be recognized. No one seems to be paying attention however, and the people going about their daily lives remind him that despite his woes, life goes on.

An arcade catches his eye, and he shrugs to himself. A few rounds of killing zombies or racing fake cars will take his mind off things. It's a school day, so it's unlikely the place will be packed.

When he walks in, he hears a familiar screech, accompanied by the sound of a boot stomping on the ground.

"Yahhh! How did you do that?! That's not fair!"

What is Jin-hyung doing here? And what is he yelling about?

Curious, he follows the voice past the shopkeeper who looks torn between concern and amusement, to where Jin is ranting at someone obscured by his frame.

A p(r)etty sigh.

"I'm sorry this is so difficult for you to get through that coconut haircut of yours, but has it occurred to you that I'm just better?"

Huh, that voice is also familiar.

"That’s just prepos–"

"...Hyung?"

The voices cease as the two arguers turn to look at Jimin, and he feels his breath catch in his throat.

You look particularly lovely today, with a form-fitting burgundy dress that shows off much more soft-looking skin than the business or lounge attire you wear on the rare occasion he actually sees you.

And his Jin-hyung, next to you, all rose-colored cockatoo.

It's more than enough to set Jimin off-balance.

"Oh! Hi, LN-ssi!" he hurriedly squeaks, cursing his voice for cracking. What are all his voice lessons even for?

At least you can't tell his palms are suddenly sweating. Your eyebrows rise and Jimin realizes you never did tell him your name, that he just saw it on your mailbox and it stuck in his brain. Oh no, do you think he's a stalker now?

"You know this phony?" Jin cries, oblivious to the internal crisis his dongsaeng is currently experiencing.

Jimin's brows crinkle. Phony?

Your head whips to his hyung at his words, your eyes narrowing.

"I believe you saw proof with your own two eyes," you say icily, though your gaze has a fire that makes Jimin gulp. "Maybe you should get them checked? Sometimes they can fail with old age."

Jin's jaw drops, and as a constipated sound of outrage leaves him, you take the opportunity to brush past and march to the exit. Jimin, still confused, steps aside automatically to let you pass and you give him a reluctant nod.

"Jimin-ssi."

As you leave, Jin turns to Jimin to demand answers, but he barely hears it over the fluttering in his tummy.

It's the first time you've ever addressed him by name.

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The twelve-year-old boy opens his hand, revealing hard candy wrapped in shiny, yellow paper.

"You like Pac-man, right?" he asks, smiling brighter than the sun.

You accept his offering, sure your own face is radiant enough to power all of Gwangju. You can't say you have strong feelings for the buttery treat, but you do for the little boy who fills your days with laughter and sweet memories. You could spend forever playing with him at the park by your houses…

Except your parents get the brilliant idea of starting their own restaurant in Seoul. You are heartbroken when the decision to move is made, but you do your best to support their dreams, even if it comes at the expense of your only friend.

Out of sentimentality and denial, you save the shiny candy wrapper, holding it when you're sad, as if it's a talisman that can ward off the lonely ache in your chest. It's hard being the new kid in a big-city school, and though you present your mother's strong facade when your new classmates tease you about your satoori, it hurts. You have to be strong.

After one particularly bad day, you decide to drop into the local arcade, because all it will take is one smile from your appa to disintegrate your cracking veneer. You're a big girl, basically an adult at a whopping eleven years old! You're not a baby anymore, you just need some extra time to set yourself right.

You weave through the attractions, passing racing games and claw machines when something catches your eye. A familiar yellow character smiles at you from a game cabinet, and for a moment you feel like he is still there with you.

You walk up to the Pac-man arcade machine with newfound resolve and a sunny smile to match.

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“Sometimes I wanna drop by Gwangju,” Jung Hoseok begins, taking his seat at the dining table next to Taehyung, “But then I remember they already demolished the playplace from my childhood and think, huh, maybe not. Thing is, they sold really good tteok there.”

“Pan-fried tteok?” Taehyung leans back, remembering the taste of his own favorite rice cake flavors from Daegu. “My hometown had that, too.”

“Sometimes the cart owner-ahjussi would give us candy with our orders. I miss it a lot.”

Hobi's eyes take on a wistful look, and Taehyung pats his shoulder.

It must have been some really good candy.

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"Honey! I'm home!" you call, setting your briefcase on the floor as your husband rushes up to you wearing a cute apron that has nothing on his sweet face and sweeter smile.

"I just finished dinner," he says, greeting you with a kiss on the cheek that makes your chest fill with the glow of a million fireflies.

"What, mudcakes again?" you ask fondly. You thread your fingers with his, uncaring of the dirt on his palms, giggling at the pout on his face.

"You said they're your favorite!" he complains petulantly, though he doesn't pull away.

"They are," you agree, squeezing his hand in yours reassuringly. You beam at him, and his cheeks turn pink. "If it's something you made, it's my favorite."

You're suddenly tugged towards him and you squeak in surprise as wiry arms crush the air out of your lungs.

"You're my favorite," he mumbles into your hair, and it's the happiest you've felt in your entire nine years of existence.

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It's great to be back in Gwangju, away from all the insanity happening in Seoul. You can finally relax and live life rather than constantly look over your shoulder in the fear of running into another member of BTS.

Fuck you, fate! You're taking a break.

You knock on the old, familiar door, and it opens to reveal a kind, lightly lined face that breaks into a huge smile at the sight of you.

"Halmeoni!" you announce happily, stepping into your grandmother's arms and hugging her fiercely. She hugs you back just as hard, squeezing you with her deceptively spindly limbs as you melt into a hold that feels like childhood.

"We've been waiting!" she replies cheerfully before ushering you to the living room and calling your grandpa to come greet you. The house is the same as you remember, a comforting echo of days past.

"Oh! We ran into that boy you used to play with at the store earlier!" your grandma says just as you pick up your cup of tea. "The one you used to play house with!"

You laugh, thinking fondly of your childhood friend. Perhaps it wouldn't have been so bad if he had been your soulmate, rather than a group of the seven biggest idols in Korea. Or perhaps not – the things that are so simple to children don't always translate to adulthood, and those memories hold an untainted innocence that you wouldn't trade for the world.

You bring the cup of homebrewed tea to your lips, only to choke at your grandmother's next words.

"I invited him over for dinner!"

You stare at the twinkle in your suddenly menacing grandmother's eyes. In just one simple sentence, she has transformed from the kindly, loving fixture of your youth to yet another cruel, scheming matchmaker. Truly your mother’s maker. Leaving Seoul might have saved you from idol-related phenomena, but clearly not from your family's attempts at grand (and great-grand) children.

Instinct drives you to your feet and you grab your purse, tripping over the rug as you rush to the door.

"I have to go," you call over your shoulder, uncaring of the baffled expression on your grandma's face.

"But you just got here?" she says in distressed confusion, and your stomach fills with guilt at the sadness in her voice. "We haven't seen you in so long, dear."

You still, hand on the doorknob and so, so close to freedom and safety. Eventually, you sigh, shoulders slumping as the resolve trickles out of your body.

"Never mind, I'm going to take my stuff upstairs," you say in resignation, grabbing the carry-on still by the door and carting it to the guest room. The wallet feels extra heavy in your purse, and when you're safely within the confines of your room you sit on the bed and pull it out.

You reach behind the ID card in the plastic slot of your wallet and feel the soft, crinkly edges of a fond childhood memory.

You like Pac-man, right?

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Hoseok still remembers the smile on your face whenever he gave you the extra candy he would get with his tteok in the park. As well as the thinly hidden devastation on your face the last time he saw you, and you told him your family was leaving for Seoul.

Despite him being older, he had always admired your courage and tenacity, the way you would charge head-first at the things you wanted. Your unwavering support whenever he was feeling down or uncertain. During hard times as a trainee, he would sometimes picture your determined expression and feel an extra spark of energy.

He really isn't sure what to expect, or even if he's in his right mind, coming to dinner to see his long lost… friend? Play-spouse?

Would you even remember him?

The door opens, and Hoseok's heart jumps at the sight of you. The tentative smile on your face fades into an expression of utter shock, and he belatedly remembers exactly who he is.

"Wh–what the–I–" you stammer, looking just as mortified as Hoseok feels. In his ruminations of childhood, he had completely forgotten his present state of being and how it might impact new encounters. "Can I help you?"

"Y-Y/N?" he asks tentatively. To his bafflement, you flinch as if he had screamed at you.

"How do you know my name?" you ask, stepping back with your hand on the door. You look five seconds away from slamming it in his face, and despite his misgivings, Hoseok's heart sinks. For some reason this cold reception feels worse than if you were a saesang.

"I'm… I'm here for dinner?" he says tentatively, proffering the seonmul he brought. The expression on your face is so reluctant that for a moment he takes a whiff of the bag in case the pastries from the most expensive bakery in the area have somehow gone bad.

With a spark of panic, Hoseok wonders if he accidentally went to the wrong address. The house is familiar, and you look similar to the little girl he remembers, but perhaps he's just let his hopes affect his memories. Why else would you look so shaken, other than a strange man showing up out of nowhere?

"But you're… you're not–"

"Y/N, what's taking so long?"

Relief fills him momentarily as your grandmother comes behind you, though it's tempered by the way you haven't relaxed.

"But this is… this isn't…" you stammer, face pale as you look between Hoseok and your grandmother. It hits him that you probably don't remember his real name, as you had been too young to pronounce it correctly when you had first met.

"You used to call me Hoba," he says with a smile, realizing that this is why you must be so confused – you've recognized him as Jung Hoseok of BTS, and thus not your playmate from so many years ago. "It's nice to see you again."

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This cannot be happening.

Not only is the smiling boy from your fondest memories Jung Hoseok of BTS, but he just somehow had a break in his schedule the same weekend you're in Gwangju, and he ran into your grandmother at the supermarket? You left Seoul to get a break from these ridiculous situations and not to end up having dinner with one of your soulmates!

What kind of contrived, unimaginative bullshit is this?

"These are for you," Hoseok tells your grandmother with a formal bow, offering the pretty, pastel pastry box you had refused to accept earlier. She beams approvingly while you pinch yourself. Hard.

Through the pain in your arm, Jung Hoseok is still standing in your entryway, a sunny nightmare you can't wake up from. The old wrapper, once a magical talisman to ward off gloom, is lead weight in your pocket.

"Um," he begins awkwardly, looking bashful. It is not cute. He is not cute. "And this is for you."

He holds out a fuzzy yellow ball you immediately recognize, and you stare at it in shock. Your chest is doing something very funny, like tachycardic arrythmia. Yes. Hilarious.

Hoseok evidently takes your silence as disapproval, and wilts like a flower deprived of light. "Uh, sorry, you probably don't like Pacman anymore…"

"I do," you reply faintly, reaching forward to take his gift. Only to be polite. That's it. Certainly not because his dejection makes your insides roil with guilt. "Thank you."

"Of course," he replies, looking only marginally relieved by your lukewarm response. "Oh! You dropped something."

He dips low to grab something, and to your horror, your wallet is open –

"Wait, is this–"

"I JUST LIKE THE CANDY!" you blurt in a near scream, feeling your entire body light on fire. This would be humiliating in the best of situations, and Jung Hoseok discovering you kept the wrapper from an old candy he had given you, like a sentimental loser, is decidedly NOT the best of situations.

His resulting smile almost blasts you off your feet, and you wonder if overexposure to sunlight can lead to cardiac arrest.

“Y/N-ah,” Jung Hoseok says, tentatively, but with soft affection. It is more devastating than you could have ever imagined. “I missed you too. Have you been well?”

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#bts fanfiction #bts fanfic #bts ot7 x reader #ot7 x reader #bts soulmate au #soulmate au #eserethriddle #reveri #fruit party 🥭🍒

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martialartslover7 · 8 months ago

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Headcanon time: I feel like, during the Blank Period, we should have had the Daimyos as the new major antagonists, backed by Orochimaru and Kabuto, whom they had struck a deal with, as, ever since Naruto and the Shinobi Alliance managed to put an end to Madara's ambitions, and now that Orochimaru is back, now, they fear for their position, and to keep it that way, they "have no choice anymore, but to strike a deal with the enemy". Because we all know, Naruto is no longer uninformed. Most of what happened to him, along with the likes of Sasuke, Hinata, Neji and Gaara, only happened, because these withered, old fools, enjoy playing god, whenever it suits their convenience. Pretending they are above everyone else, even the Kage, yet doing little to nothing to ensure that the villages stay safe. And the worst part, they knew, they KNEW, that what a scumbag like Danzo was doing, was endangering everyone. So even if they weren't proactively supporting him, they still didn't ask questions, meaning, deep down, they really don't care what happens to their own villages, as long as they stay in power.

Kinda reminds me of real-life politicians. They have no principles, no integrity, they just make empty promises, and never act in the name of the people that voted for them, knowing full well, options are limited. Take that piece of knowledge for what you will.

And yes, I know, by this point in time, after the war, someone like Naruto and Sasuke would be way too strong, making these old farts appear like ants going up against dinosaurs, but here is the thing: This arc is less about raw aggression and fighting, and more based on psychological warfare. Naruto wants to become Hokage, right? Like, what is the driving force behind this story arc, the overarching goal? Simple: Naruto will not accept becoming Hokage in a system, that treated people like him, and Gaara, Kakashi, Might Guy (R.I.P.), Anko (don't @ me, she is buffed to hell in my AU, and has way more screen presence, she deserves it, even now making use of the Snake Sage mode, using Wood Style jutsu, and bearing the Kusanagi sword), Tsunade or Sasuke, like dog water. And this said system, is mostly backed by the Daimyos, the same people who never once thought to stop someone like Danzo from going on his insane ego power trip.

And we also know, Naruto is not type of person to be exactly interested in handling politics in a boring and straight-forward way. He will be leading this revolution, overthrowing the feudal rule, by hosting a "tournament" of sorts, a televised event, which, in their time period, will also livestream online (you cannot tell me, they didn't have internet of some kind there, even though, limited, because of the villages being practically militarized dictatorships, because of the Daimyos), to pit specific shinobi against one another, hoping to both entertain the crowd, to get them on his side (this is also a pro-Naruto political campaign, making the acceptance for his role as Hokage way easier in the long run), and publically humiliate the Daimyos by basically showing off to them: Hey. These people. These proud shinobi. They have made it so far, despite all your restrictions and the scrutiny you put them all through. And they made it big, despite you guys laughing in their faces.

But also, this trip to the Daimyos, will be financed by all the Five Kage, meaning, they can all indulge in some luxurious hotel stays, hot springs, good food, in short, their credit cards will be on fire. And Naruto, Sasuke and Shikamaru get to spend some time alone with their ladies, to some champagne and warm bubble baths, with room service (*Ahem* insert 'Careless Whisper' by George Michael *Ahem*).

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C'mon. After all the crap they went through, they deserve some peace and quiet, and if they were going to change the system, they might as well make the most of it, if it's all financed by the village leaders.

And note, the following people will be following Naruto on this journey:

Kakashi

Anko (by this point in time, she and Kakashi are married, and she plays the role of Kakashi's advisor, too)

Sakura

Sasuke (he will be joining up with them in the city)

Rock Lee

Tenten (in my AU, remember, like I have shown in my "Tenten's Untold Backstory" one shot, she is a techwiz in that version of the story, meaning, having a technician with you, and a weapon master, all at the same time, invalueable, and well, I love the idea of Naruto and Tenten being the braindead besties, don't @ me)

Hinata

Shikamaru

Gaara

Temari

Kankuro

Killer Bee

Kurotsuchi (she came by herself, because she is growing a little exhausted with her grandpa, sorry XD)

Mei

Chojuro

Karin (Naruto and Karin will FINALLY meet and get the chance in learning more about one another, two Uzumaki foxes, flocking their tail as one, yay)

Suigetsu

Jugo

And the battles that Naruto has organized for the PPV, are the following:

- Naruto VS Ai (The Orange Flash VS The Raikage)

- Hinata VS Sasuke (Bankakyo VS Mangekyo)

- Rock Lee VS Gaara (Rematch)

- Tenten VS Killer Bee (Weapon Master Duel)

- Temari VS Chojuro (Fan VS Sword)

- Shikamaru VS Kankuro (Protective Brother VS Sister's BF)

- Sakura VS Kurotsuchi (The ladies, whose punches feel like dynamite)

As you can see, as Movie Shadow would say:

But well, again, because of the Daimyos striking a deal with Orochimaru, things will not go as planned, and pure chaos will break out. Essentially, that snake man will suggest to them, a machine, built from the stolen blue prints that Tenten created (yup, she will be that vital in the story, she is the only one who can stop this machine), that shall spread madness all across the globe, until the entire planet is enveloped in a mist, so deep, humanity will be wiped out completely, succumbing to the madness from within. Following up on the trauma and scars that Madara and Obito have left behind. It's not exactly clear, that part, I still need to flesh out in my mind, but the fact remains, it's meant to be this one final hurdle of a story, until Naruto returns home, and can finally start applying for the ranks of Chunin, Jonin, and at last, the Hokage position, in peace. Giving Anko and Ibiki full clearance to do whatever they want with the arrested Daimyos, for having struck a deal with an S-rank criminal.

And just this once...

...Naruto will be landing in a very miserable situation, where this madness machine affects him the most, out of everyone, even worse than Sasuke, as Kabuto will be pulling a very nasty trick on him. Yup, Naruto is definitely colder in this story, rightfully so, for many reasons. Usually, that's Sasuke's job, but they switch places here, as soon as Orochimaru starts causing trouble.

Peace.

P.S.: Also, for the shipping freaks among all of you, during this entire trip, Mei is flirting with Shino through her phone. Yup. Shino X Mei. Thank the YouTuber @NCHammer23 for giving me this downright MENTAL, but ingenious idea. Shino is a "granny chaser" in my AU. Don't @ me. For context, here is the video, where he explains it all, and trust me, very rarely, do YouTubers win me over, but this one, made me both laugh, but also smile at the end. Shino also deserves some love.

And again, Neji is alive in my AU, so Tenten will be very lovestruck and make a lot of phone calls with him, who decided to stay back at the village, along with the others from the Konoha 12, just in case the Daimyos decide to stab them in the back and attack the villages, while the leaders are out of town.

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Note: The part between Shino and Mei starts at about 17:39.

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dairogo · 5 days ago

Note

After seeing your discussion on Roy and Alex talking in volume 9 about Ed turning 16 soon, which means he'd be of age to be used as a human weapon, along with Roy's plans, I thought to ask, what are your thoughts (possible analysis maybe) on that scene with Roy and Alex a bit later?

The one where after Maria Ross is "killed," the news gets passed on to Knox, the Eric's, and Armstrong? (I feel it never gets talked about)

I find it intriguing in that scene that the mostly comic relief character, Armstrong, looks like he was trying to physically restrain himself from harming, even killing Mustang, his superior, after Maria Ross' "death", visibly enraged for the first time in the manga. I felt it was a reminder of his discussion with Mustang of using his (Armstrong's) strength for good. So, in that scene, doing otherwise would just be repeating Ishval again.

Thank you so much for this question!! It made me so keen to look into that section further, and YES ISN'T IT SO INTERESTING.

First of all

Hi, Doctor Knox! I love him? Every character who went through Ishval deserves to have their brain put through a dishwasher, but This Guy is the only one who knows what that would do to the brain and still agrees. He has seen things. What things? The human experimentation through the war! More precisely, Roy's human experimentation!

There are very few adults in this series who haven't been responsible for reprehensible things. And Knox's story is such an interesting part of that. But that's later.

First, a few things:

(I snipped the next panel before considering the structure of this post, but's it's just pointing out that Roy is also there.)

He hasn't done it for a long time ... Yeah, Knox knows exactly how long it's been, and he doesn't think very much of you.

But this, now, anon, is what you're talking about:

Armstrong's absolute RAAAAAAGGGE! He has been slowly heating up in this story, a pot just now coming to a turbulent boil, but still he reins himself in!!

What I'm reading here is betrayal. He thought Mustang had these same ideals, would value them too - had some integrity! Enough to wait for the facts, to seek the truth and not just what was handed him! They've been looking at corruption in the military and here - here, Armstrong KNOWS this is part of it, because he knows Hughes was killed looking into it, and he knows Maria's story checks out, so he KNOWS that she is being framed, and here is this man he trusted? Who killed her without waiting to find that out?

I wonder - I just wonder - if he's sizing Mustang up for Hughes' murder, too. If he's trying to remember what about Mustang made him want to hint at everything about the corruption and bring him along for the ride. Mustang was Hughes' friend, and Armstrong thought that meant he wanted to find the killer, but he's suddenly wondering if Mustang was snooping to weed out everyone involved. He'd be next. Or Denny Brosh. Or the Elrics.

And ohh he is so filled with grief at losing the chance to save Maria. He knew it was a long shot, if they weren't even accepting Brosh's testimony, which would account for her lost bullet, but there was still hope as long as she hadn't been hanged, right?

Hints and clues all over again - but while Mustang can be a jerk, he's not one to repeat a phrase meaninglessly.

A beautiful young woman, Knox said. And in the East, Mustang tells Armstrong, there are plenty of beautiful ladies to go around.

Or maybe just one.

Armstrong is shattered. We saw the rage flowing through him and yet he didn't burst out in anything. He hung limp. He fell into his chair. Everything he saw was against his understanding of people and truth and what was right.

But if Mustang really means what it sounds like - if he is talking in the same codes Armstrong had to use to tell him about the corruption in the first place ... then he hasn't betrayed Armstrong. If he is still the kind of man Armstrong would follow out of Ishval to fix the bloody path left behind them - then these are words of hope!

Ohh, I love how Arakawa pulls these things together. It's just all so dense with meaning :')

Thank you for your question, anon! I'd love to hear what you think! And if you (or anyone else!) have more questions, I'd definitely love to hear them. I'm likely to post answers as I reach sections, so if you ask for something super far ahead I will take a while to get to it :)

#ask answered #FMA reread #FMA fic research #alex louis armstrong #roy mustang #edward elric #Doctor Knox

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sicklyseraphnsuch · 2 years ago

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The Duality of Simon (or the Importance of Marcy)

Travel back to the early 2010s, when Adventure Time was still a fairly new thing. The fandom was growing, the theories were flowing. We've had confirmation that Ooo is in fact a post appcalyptic world. And then we get:

Here was living, breathing proof of the intersection between Ooo and our world. Simon Petrikov was a literal connection to the past, and moreover one of the ways Adventure Time really began to develop its inner tragedies.

But honestly, as sad as the Idea of Simon Petrikov was - it remained that he was a relic, an inert tragedy that was a connection to the past, but not necessarily connected to the future.

Enter:

You can mourn the losses of ages past. But it won't necessarily move you to act. Because there's nothing to compel you. You can stand to gain something but it's more important that you don't lose anything by keeping the status quo. In short, there weren't any stakes.

No, not those kind of Stakes... Well... maybe a little

So, bear in mind, Betty won't make her debut until two seasons after "Holly Jolly Secrets". To us, she was a non-entity. Simon's grief over her loss was for the audience, a mostly intellectual exercise. How sad for this poor cursed man to lose the woman he loved - replacing all proper nouns with common nouns because we didn't know Simon either. But his situation is clearly sad, just in a general, unspecific way. Because again, there's nothing at stake here.

Marcy drives thoses stakes up (and into our hearts). Suddenly, Simon becomes Very Very Real because we know Marcy. We've hung out with her for at least five seasons now leading up to the game changing "I Remember You".

By connecting Marcy to this Simon, suddenly we had something to lose - suddenly we already lost something. Marcy gave Simon's curse weight - dimension - texture - rendering it very real instead of a mere intellectual tragedy. Simon matters because he matters to someone here and now, because someone was still crying over him. And we love Marcy. We don't want her to cry.

It was through the Marcy and Simon relationship that we came to learn of and love Simon. Betty came later. Betty came after. We already loved Simon by then so learning of his love story was just building on that love. Naturally, being invested in the Simon and Betty relationship without prior connection to Simon is possible. But the fact that he was already established and endeared to the audience goes a way into investing in the Simon and Betty relationship.

So we get to Fionna and Cake.

We get exactly one scene with the Marcy we know and love. And Simon isn't even in the same room as her.

And the show is fully justified in doing so because Fionna and Cake was a series about Simon and Betty. And Simon and Marcy have little to do with that A story (the love plotline). Even if the B story (the recovery plotline) does pay homage to Simon and Marcy by showing Simon that he does have value, the homage amounts to only a few scenes (maybe cumulatively three minutes of screen time) in the whole series.

However, Simon and Marcy's relationship wasn't just to show that Simon is an integral component to the way Ooo came to be, and his impact on the people he loves. Simon and Marcy's relationship is integral to how we came to love Simon - against all odds and all tenets of common sense, a man that was slowly warped by madness chose to take care of a completely unknown little girl that he found in the wreckage of the world.

The problem here is that Marcy's Simon and Betty's Simon never got to meet in the middle. A lot of this is rooted in the original Adventure Time series where Betty and Marceline never speak more than ten words to each other.

Literally the only time they share the screen (and no I'm not counting Betty bot in Broke his Crown)

Which is BANANAS considering they are literally the two most important people in Simon's life.

And listen, again, by Fionna and Cake, we are invested in Simon and Betty, especially after what she did during the finale. We want to know about them.

And again, the Fionna and Cake series is well and wholly complete without ever having Simon and Marcy talk.

But it leaves a little ache. Because again, the first opportunity to truly love and connect with Simon came through Simon and Marcy. And we never really know how they get on now that they're back together. We seriously have maybe 10 lines of conversation between them since the finale and this includes Obsidian.

Literally, he says hi to Marcy twice and that's it. Very meaningful conversation.

Aaaand there's also the supreme irony where in one relationship, Simon never gets a chance to contribute equally, and in his other relationship, Simon wore himself down to nubs giving all that he had. But this duality within Simon is never really connected. There is a throughline here, his impulse for self sacrifice shares a root for his self centered perspective that blinded him to Betty's self effacing habits.

Now here's the thing, Fionna and Cake also built its conflict around Simon's identity and his self worth, etc. Yet it doesn't really contend with all that Simon has done without Betty, and before Ice King. By centering the narrative on only how he was with Betty (both pre and post Mushroom War), we get very little foundation laid out for what he could do after he says goodbye to her.

And this isn't a mistake because again, the series stands on its own just fine. The story works without it because at least that central relationship of Simon and Betty is fully established. But it does come at the cost of a missed opportunity to fully explore the cause of Simon's myopia, or how living through an apocalypse could reinforce that myopia because Simon keeps romanticizing "when his life was great".

Finally, the other downside is that Fionna and Cake stands on its own, maybe a little too much. It's still based on the characters of Adventure Time, building on the love for the original show. So it would have been a crowd pleaser, shall we say some fan service, to get more of what the original show worked hard to make us love.

#adventure time #fionna and cake #simon petrikov #marceline abadeer #marceline the vampire queen #betty grof

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tobi-smp · 2 years ago

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absolutely nobody wants to see me rant about the end of the dream smp for one millionth time in october 2023, but the anniversary has people talking on my dash so now I'm infected with one of the same 4 thoughts I always have about the dream smp

obviously there is a Very Very large number of reasons that people have a complicated relationship with the dream smp, both in universe and out. and the worst for me are the Obvious out of universe reasons that don't need to be repeated here.

but the cake for In Universe reasons is definitely still the crimeboys ending. it was the final nail in the coffin for me back when I hadn't realized that the coffin had any more nails it could take in the first place, and it's a big part of why the parts of the series that I Do very much so enjoy are very often painful to look back on.

and this isn't because wilbur is a bad writer or a bad actor (or tommy for that matter), even at the time I had Really enjoyed the lead up to the end, even and Especially in that final stream sending wilbur off.

I had my issues of course, I haven't exactly been quiet about that, but in retrospect I Understand the circumstances much better and respect wilbur's choice to get out of there as cleanly as possible.

we still don't know Exactly what was happening behind the scenes, including and Especially with dream, but we Do know full well that dream stopped interacting with the entire rest of the server leaving countless story lines (that he'd Intentionally made himself integral to) left to dry with no way to move forwards while they waited for interaction that would never ever come.

wilbur's choice to move forwards with his send off of his character on his own terms, even with and especially Because of the clear scheduling issues, was the smartest decision he could have made considering the circumstances. I would very much so argue that his character is the Only One that got sent off with any amount of dignity largely Because he stopped playing dream's little game. and I do have to wonder if wilbur escaping the narrative wasn't inspired more by the real life circumstances at the time.

but no matter how satisfying I find it, no matter how much Good I see in it, no matter how much I respect and agree with the choice to do it, I cannot think about wilbur's ending without a Deep ache.

and it is for one single reason

he left tommy behind on purpose, this time fully with the knowledge of the situation he was leaving him behind In.

the abandonment that characters like tommy, niki, and fundy felt after the 16th are ultimately understandable ways of dealing with grief, but weren't Fair to truly hold against wilbur. wilbur didn't Leave, he didn't make the decision to allow the people important to him to be hurt in his absence. he committed suicide because he was sad.

wilbur getting on that boat, truly Knowing what dream did to tommy in a way that only tommy and dream knew, and leaving tommy alone on that beach affected me in ways that nothing else on the server ever has. and that truly is not a good thing.

now, I Think that what was likely supposed to happen is that dream was Supposed to interact with tommy regularly after the prison escape, and that that was supposed to build up to Some natural conclusion. we don't know what that conclusion would have been, but it was certainly nothing like what we got. and meanwhile wilbur's final arc was supposed to progress along side it, building Up To the logsted stream and his full understanding of the abuse dream had done and the affect it had on tommy.

we Know that at one point tommy had spoken about having a soft ending with wilbur. and After wilbur's ending actually did happen he'd mentioned that he might cameo on the server from time to time. that sounds like a soft ending to me.

it makes thematic sense, it makes sense with the pieces we got leading up to the final stream, it makes sense with the characters. and it couldn't happen, because dream refused to move any plot forwards and tommy of all characters couldn't move on without dream. again, both Thematically and because of what was happening behind the scenes.

and this is. frustrating beyond reason. that the snot genuinely poisoned one of the best aspects of the entire server because he was actively killing it but still didn't want to let go.

you can call it speculation, and it is, but this is what I believe and will continue to believe until tommy or wilbur say otherwise.

and on paper I just want to be able to say that the things that I don't like about the ending are bad because dream forced them to be bad and therefore I can just pretend like they never happened and substitute canon's reality with my own (or at the very least excuse it for being the way that it is).

and I have tried to do that ! both in chewing on the ending on its own terms And in imagining many Many ways that it could have gone differently (an activity I'm quite fond of regardless of circumstance).

but it just !

in a completely biased and nevertheless Extremely Honest word, hurt my feelings.

I cannot stop thinking about how they Intentionally set up wilbur finding out about dream abusing tommy, Made Sure to cover every base so the audience Knows that wilbur knows that it was physical, mental, and emotional abuse, Knows that wilbur is fully aware that tommy almost committed suicide, and Knows that wilbur was Deeply Emotionally Affected By This Fact.

and then had him leave. had him Plan Possibly Months Ahead Of Time. had him try to sneak off, only telling tommy the truth when he caught him by surprise and forced it out of him.

tommy opened up to somebody about exile in real honest terms for the very first time, to one of the people that he trusted the most, and that person Chose to leave him trapped with that very abuser out to get him Even Though he understood the danger and cared about him very deeply.

he knew that tommy was in danger, he knew Why tommy was in danger, and him leaving tommy behind was pre-meditated.

and it's Painful not just because of what it implies about their relationship As A Whole (because it's impossible to accept this as true without it affecting how we look back on what came before), but because those same implications makes it Impossible to imagine their relationship having a future.

people tried to play it off like a Soft Ending, like wilbur was just going to get therapy and then come back and they were just gonna hug it out and have a nice healthy relationship. and to be fair to those people, none of us could have predicted that tommy was going to be bombed and then reincarnated with none of his memories. that was Not in my predictions for the next phase of his character arc.

but, shitty sequel bait ending that everyone who cares has disavowed aside (way aside, into a deep pit to never be seen again), if I were tommy I would feel unimaginably betrayed.

where they left off is Not a place to reconnect with a healthy relationship when they're ready, because This Was A Traumatizing Event In And Of Itself.

I don't have to prove this, c!tommy proved this himself when started holing up in his house and abusing potions of invisibility both because he feels completely and totally Unsafe walking anywhere on the server when people can see him And as a relapse back into potion addiction reminiscent of his addiction post-exile.

he was at his absolute lowest point, his abuser and murderer escaped from prison ready to torment him and everyone he cares about for Literally forever. he was Desperately trying to find any form of stability, Desperately trying to reach out to for anyone he could trust, and he Intentionally opened up to someone he Did trust completely once. someone who made him feel safe, someone he trusted with his entire life.

he opened up Because he wanted that relationship, Because he wanted wilbur in his life, Because wilbur had wanted Him in His life. he wanted to cross that gap between them. he was making himself vulnerable to Extend that trust To wilbur.

and wilbur stopped talking to him for months and then left.

that's not going to do good things to his mental health or stability. tommy was Already displayed active suicidal tendencies BEFORE dream broke out of prison.

if he'd managed to kill dream for good and the characters went about their lives tommy would have to let wilbur go. rationalizing what happened, justifying wilbur's decision, would not be healthy.

he can accept that wilbur made the right decision for Himself. he can accept that Wilbur needed to leave, that Wilbur needed time to himself.

but tommy clinging on to wilbur's memory, justifying that he was left for dead with his abuser On Purpose, would not be healthy.

tommy would Need to realize that what happened wasn't okay. there Is no going back to having a relationship with wilbur. wilbur was Allowed to make the choice he did, but it Was a choice.

I can't bare to think of the alternative. where tommy is abandoned, deeply damaged by that abandonment, has to face his abuser and murderer Without someone he'd once considered a brother, and then turn around and just answer wilbur's call the moment Wilbur decides he's ready to have a relationship again.

that would just. be sad. genuinely awful.

and I can't let that go. the decisions they made were Sensible, I can see how it was necessary for wilbur to Have a proper send off when he did. there's no Satisfying way to re-imagine this series of events without it not Being the end.

but it tried to depict itself As a soft ending, As the characters having a future together, when it simply is not. if wilbur escaped the narrative then he left the people he cared about to be victims of the narrative Knowingly.

and it's frustrating Because I can see how it'd happen by accident. How the implications would be both meticulously set up and gone completely unseen.

but for my money, if I were to fix it on its own terms. with no additional screen time after, no change in the streams leading up to the end, and the understanding that tommy's story could not end at this point by necessity (the same restrictions that they had at the time)

I would have wilbur ask tommy to come with him. I'd have the reveal be that wilbur wanted to take tommy with him The Entire Time but knew that tommy was stubborn and attached to the server. but the moment he understood Exactly How Bad It Was he knew he needed to get them out of there Now.

so he did his best to hold dream off for now, and Immediately went to work setting up their escape (we don't need to understand How the portal to utah works, just that it took some time to set up).

it would recontextualize some of their earlier interactions, it would recontextualize his absence after the logsted stream, and it would recontextualize why wilbur didn't tell him until now.

and of course, because tommy has to stay (and because tommy is tommy) he refuses. he refuses not because he doesn't Want to go with wilbur (he wants to be with him more than anything, he wants to feel safe more than anything). but because he can't abandon the people on the server, because he can't let go until he knows dream is gone, because he will never ever feel safe until dream is dead.

and it can be a big dramatic blow out that Ends with that quiet awkward understanding, not with the characters being emotionally in sync but Knowing that this is how this moment has to play out. that same melancholy, that same understand that a choice is being made that can't go back, But It's Mutual.

It's Mutual And Born From Love.

because wilbur Wanted to save tommy, because tommy Wanted wilbur to stay, because they both understand why things aren't happening that way.

and they'll still be Hurt after. their relationship will still be impacted. this will still be something to Work Through rather than the magic soft fix that will make their relationship healthy and fluffy again.

but it's Fixable. if tommy survives there's a relationship still in tact to build on. there's a future where they both trust each other again one day, to find comfort and stability in each other. to put in the Work to build a life once the horror finally ends.

of course, if I had a say a lot more than this would've been changed. but it's a thought that plagues me because of how plausibly it Could have been what we'd gotten. because it would have worked without changing anything and it still would have hurt me at the time but it would have been the Good hurt. not a goodbye forever but goodbye until I can see you again. Goodbye And I Love You.

(at least until tommy got exploded with a bomb and forgot that wilbur existed. yippie)

#discourse #neg #been ages since I've used that #dream smp #dsmp #wilbur soot #tommyinnit #I'm not tagging the snot because I hate him

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marveltaughtmetoread · 4 months ago

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What I find interesting about the first episode of the The Untamed is as a comic reader I hated it and now as an Untamed enjoyer, I still don't like it, but for the opposite reasons to why I disliked it as a purely comic enjoyer

And yes it's because it's a first episode so it's trying to find its footing, having the difficult task of establishing itself, engaging a new audience without alienating the properties existing audience

But the reason it doesn't land isn't for the perhaps expected reason of it doesn't know what it wants to be but because it knows exactly what it wants to be and that clashes rather badly with the what this section of the story is meant to be in the comic, and novel

Like this part of the story is the introduction for a reason, it establishes the tone, and in both the comic and novel that tone is yes we're talking about serious stuff but don't take it too seriously cause we won't and the Untamed is we're telling a serious, gripping tragedy with comedy which honestly only makes the tragedy hit harder, and those things struggle to coexist

The opening scene, beautiful perfect, establishes the tone perfectly but the whiplash is fierce, instantly followed by Wei Wuxian ridiculous performance as a madman, which doesn't hit the same when you cast the perfect actor to carry the seriousness of the rest of the story, who does the softness well but is ultimately good at the tragedy, well rounded but he feels inauthentic when pretending to be a madman, because that's not how this story is gonna go

In the novel and comic, we have the opening shot, the legend of the Yiling Patriarch and we're eased into the comedy through the legend being utterly overblown

So you have this clash, because the Untamed is a character driven tragedy, which makes you cry more often than it makes you laugh, because the angst of it all is it's primary focus, and the comic is a fun romp, an action adventure mystery, with tragedy, it's like a light-hearted detective series, it makes you laugh out loud way more often than it makes you cry

The tonal disconnect between the two is never felt more than in the opening episode because it is so integral for yes establishing the world but more importantly the tone, the entire sequence of events wants you to laugh at it, to find the ridiculousness in the severity, and to be amused, and the rest of the Untamed is going to ask you to focus on the angst, to focus on the tragedy of this world, to focus on how Wei Wuxian is slowly ground down by the bad, so it just doesn't work

They had to do it to be faithful to the original story but it's jarring, like how Wei Wuxian is scared of dogs, his overreaction feels out of place in the Untamed but in keeping with the ridiculousness of the story in the other versions

As a comic enjoyer, I was like what have they done to my boy, where is the light-hearted Wei Wuxian I know and love, why do you have hard edges

As an Untamed enjoyer, I'm like Wei Wuxian, why aren't you being more crafty, surely you could've taken this more seriously, why are you pretending to be a madman, why are you being so jockey when you weren't even this playful before the Wen debacle started

#wei wuixan #wei ying #wei wuxain #wei wuxian #yiling patriarch #yiling laozu #yiling wei #the untamed #mdzs #mo dao su zhi #mdzs vs the untamed #cql #chen qing ling #mdzs meta #vina rants

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akutasoda · 1 year ago

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Hiii can I request angst hcs with the obey me brothers with a adopted fem demon teen mc who fell in love with an angel

all too familiar damnation

synopsis - a cruel sense of déjà vu torments them as they watch you fall in love with an angel

includes - lucifer, mammon, leviathan, satan, asmodeus, beelzebub, belphegor - all platonic!

warnings - fem!teen!reader, angst, slight spoilers for the brothers in general?, wc - 1.2k

lucifer ★↷

↪it ultimately fell down to his word, no matter what brother insisted that they should take you into their family, as to whether you could join the brother's family. but he knew that he wouldn't be able to say no regardless.

↪he also knew that teenagers could be an absolute handful, he had to witness all his brothers go through the same phase, and he didn't exactly trust their attitudes now to set a good impression on you.

↪but he never expected that he'd be faced with such a dilemma. lucifer understood that you would make friends and such but he never anticipated, nor knew how, an angel became one of them. and a potential lover at that.

↪contrary to expected belief, but he didn't actually care that it was an angel that you fell in love with. no, he cared about what that meant for you and the angel - he watch what happened with lillith and her human lover and he doubted that your punishment would be any nicer.

↪lucifer had allowed you to integrate with his brother's and become family, and the last thing he wanted was for you to face the same fate as lillith. he could not lose another sister.

mammon ★↷

↪at first, he was surprised by how excited he was to have a new member of the family - mainly because you probably wouldn't pick on him like the rest of his brothers - but his brother's concerns quickly rubbed of on him.

↪lucifer would say that mammons behaviour wasn't exactly the kind you, as a teen, needed to be influenced by but mammon would always brush it off as lucifer being negative.

↪learning about your angelic crush left him practically distraught. by no means did he want to discourage you from pursuing the angel but he also didn't want you to see the same fate as lillith saw. it was a cruel form of déjà vu.

↪mammon knew he couldn't do anything. he didn't want to discourage you but even if you did, your love for that angel probably would be stronger and so now he could only watch helplessly as you face due punishment.

leviathan ★↷

↪he didn't care initially. well maybe he cared a little bit considering the fact that you would be a new member to the family but he knew himself that it would take ages for him to actually come around to that as a fact.

↪but not getting to know you quicker was a blessing and a curse to him. as learning of your crush meant one thing and one thing only, him and his brothers saw this scene play out before the only difference being that it was now a demon and an angel.

↪because levi wasn't as well acquainted with you than everyone else he felt less distress but at the same time he felt guilty for not feeling the same as his brothers. if anything he only felt helpless to help you in any sense.

satan ★↷

↪he only knew of lillith's existence through stories that were rarely told and so he could barely understand his brother's qualms when they first adopted you. you weren't lillith and they ought to see you as your own person in this family.

↪however he did recognise the cruel irony that came around when he learnt of your angelic lover. if lillith got punished for falling in love with a human, he couldn't even begin to imagine the punishment you and the angel would endure.

↪satan wouldn't endure the same pain as the rest of them following this discovery, but he would feel an immense amount of anger and pity. he didn't exactly know where the anger was pointed towards - maybe just a natural reaction as the avatar of wrath - but the pity was most certainly directed toward you and the angel.

↪he knew that you and the angel probably would try and escape whatever punishment was tried against you two. but ultimately he would lose you, his younger sister, no matter what the outcome was and now his anger was null.

asmodeus ★↷

↪he was quite excited when they first took you in. sure he did share his brother's hesitance but he thought that having a fresh face around the house would be nice.

↪due to his status as the avatar of lust he probably was either the first to find out or be told. admittedly, he was in shock to find out that it was infact an angel that caught your affection but he did find it adorable.

↪he didn't care in the slightest that it probably would never be allowed but he knew that not everyone would share that view. and to that extent he felt rather cruel for encouraging you.

↪he knew that an unfair fate awaited both you and the angel but he knew that regardless of what he did, he couldn't change it. and so he would only encourage you and hope that somehow you two would be spared.

beelzebub ★↷

↪a mixture of emotions consumed beel when you first became part of their family. at first he cpuld only really be happy that you would becime apart of their family but his brother's hesitance affected him more than he wished for it to.

↪beel saw the problem immediately when he learnt of your angel crush but he didn't want to address it with you, he figured you probably knew aswell. if he could, he probably would wish to change this.

↪he didn't do anything when lillith fell in love with that human and now he can't stand to do anything when you fell in love with that angel. you both know that there isn't a single thing that will be changed but he can't bear to watch you go through the same fate as lillith did.

belphegor ★↷

↪he resented you when you first appeared. you weren't lillith and you never would be, therefore he refused to acknowledge that he could have another sister other than her. so he held little respect or regard for you - much to his brother's dismay.

↪he took little interest in your likes, dislikes and practically everything about you, making him the last to find out that you had fallen in love with an angel.

↪when he did find out, his first reaction was to scoff. but he didn't. all of a sudden he realised the big sense of déjà vu that washed over him, and belphegor could only be mad - at himself and at you.

↪at you for the fact that he saw it as a selfish act, you fell in love with that angel and no doubt that your actions would affect him and his brothers who decided to take you in.

↪at himself for not getting to know you - it wasn't your fault and he was merely being stubborn. he refused to ever see you as your own person and now he felt powerless to help like he did with lillith.

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jesncin · 9 months ago

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Are you at all excited for the upcoming Absolute Martian Manhunter book later this year? It'll be the most high-profile launch J'onn has been a part of for a long while, being DC's attempt at an "Ultimate Marvel" line. Given how the approach seems to be defined by removing elements of the characters' status quo - Superman has no Krypton tech, Batman is not a billionaire, Wonder Woman is the last of the Amazons etc. - I think there's a very real possibility that for J'onn they'd pivot in the opposite direction and give us a living Martian society. If only because J'onn has so little anyway, there's not as much to remove as with other members of the League, so the logical thing would be adding something back in to shake things up. I'm personally hoping for some combination of Weird and Noir.

I'm absolutely (heh) excited for it (because a new refreshing change even in an elseworld story is exactly what J'onn needs right now!) but also cautious and,,, concerned. DC's revealed the Absolute gimmicks for just about all the other solo supers but J'onn is essentially still a rumor? What's going on there? I was also concerned when Superman's Absolute gimmick was supposedly "he'll be more alien than human" "he doesn't have a fortress of solitude, no Kents, etc" which,,, sounds a lot like J'onn tbh but we'll have to wait and see. Sometimes writers do this thing where they try to do something new with Superman and it's just re-worked J'onn lore. And J'onn lore is fundamentally flawed so in turn that take on Superman doesn't work, but that's just me with early concerns.

Ooh! That's a good point actually! That feels like the most logical shakeup they could do, and YJa helped warm people up to the idea of a living Mars (which I also agree would spice things up and differentiate J'onn from Clark more). And I'd absolutely (heh) love more supernatural-weird-noir for J'onn! We finally had J'onn play into being a martian detective in the 2019 Identity run, but it was more cop drama than detective noir which I would love to see. My only addendum to the idea of a living Mars as an Absolute gimmick is, since YJa popularized this already, what else will this take do to innovate on that idea? My personal wish list is:

Revitalize J'onn's cast system (a mix of old and brand new characters. Don't just make him watch tv to care about humans. Give this martian relationships!!)

Figure out his themes outside of grief!! (I love sad Martian man but he needs to do more than that! It's been stagnating his character)

No Justice League stuff or other superhero cameos/team ups. (J'onn NEEDS to prove he can stand on his own as a solo character so he can stop being pigeonholed as the League's heart or therapist.)

Fresh new take on Martian world building (please get rid of Martian racism, it's dumb and never made sense. It's a shapeshifting society and the idea of characters like M'gann essentially "greenfacing" to "pass" is so weird)

Critical reimagining of J'onn's relationship to justice (we need to get rid of or critically examine his relationship to copaganda.)

Integrate Blackness more thoroughly into his character (CW Supergirl and that one Nubia Coronation special comic are still the only takes that have done this. Come on guys!!)

More thorough reflection of J'onn's multiple identities (undoubtedly what makes J'onn special. But the comics rarely dig into what it means for J'onn to be multiple people. I would love it if his identities [especially the racialized ones] weren't treated as so,,,disposable.)

Ma'alefa'ak please (I just want to see him again I don't even care if they do a bad job. However all I ask is he be a green martian and J'onn's twin again. And a slutty design.)

The last time we saw a big overhaul to J'onn's character was the New 52, and the major flaw of that run was that it had no clear thematic intention to how it interpreted his character. So we ended up with just a bunch of references and a convoluted edgy story that doesn't help J'onn become a self sustaining solo character. The Absolute line is the perfect platform to revitalize him as a character, but I hope the writers can think in the long term to combat his foundational issues.

#askjesncin #jesncin dc meta #martian manhunter #all this to say I am still very excited about J'onn Absolute title! But I want to actually hear from it ;_;#“what would u do jesncin if u were in charge of it” I'd canonize Sons of Mars. That's it that's the comic #also insane of Aquaman not to have an absolute run?? idk the guy had his own movies surely you'd put more effort in him

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writeforfandoms · 1 year ago

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The Name of the Wind 3

Find the series masterlist

I know this is a bit late BUT this is still for @glitterypirateduck challenge. This is not the last chapter of this story, but it is the last chapter that will be using prompts from the challenge. This chapter used "Do you trust me?"

Warnings: Swearing, wooing, someone is a little oblivious, flying, dragons. Oh, and two new/familiar characters show up.

Word count: 1.8k

Weeks passed. You learned your way around and met the other people who lived there. Not just the riders, but the kitchen staff too. You learned how everything worked, when to eat, where to wash up. Everything.

It was different from how your life had been before, but different didn't mean bad. Not in this case.

You never heard another word about your would-be husband. And you certainly didn't ask - that would be inviting trouble.

The hardest thing to adapt to was the most integral part of your role here.

The dragons.

Caba was very calm every time you interacted with him… which was quite a bit in the beginning, as Alejandro used him to demonstrate how the harnesses went on and where they wore the most. Caba didn't mind being used as a show model, remaining calm around you.

Unfortunately, that could not be said of every dragon.

The youngest dragon in the garrison, a blue female, actually knocked you off your feet when you met her. Her rider was apologetic, helping you back to your feet. The freshly-chastened dragon drooped like a misbehaving pup while Caba oversaw the fitting process for her harness.

You did not get knocked over a second time. But it did take multiple washes to get all the mud off you later.

After that little incident, Caba or Alejandro was around for every new dragon you met. You weren't sure if you were flattered, or disgruntled.

Perhaps the most interesting thing to you was how self-contained the garrison was. Supplies came from the capital regularly, but the garrison otherwise seemed to be run by Alejandro. He oversaw everything, from training to rotations to travel. He didn't seem to need to ask anyone above him for anything, which seemed both curious and, if you were being honest, appealing.

An honest man, with a sense of humor, who treated everyone well and didn't place himself above the others? And one who was also competent and ran his garrison well?

Honestly, you were surprised he didn't have a spouse already.

(He didn't. You knew because you'd caught some of the younger riders gossiping.)

You were, however, surprised when he approached you after breakfast one day. You didn't always sit at his table, only sometimes. Usually when he or Rodolfo flagged you down. This was the first time he had approached you, usually summoning you to his side instead.

“How much work do you have today?” He asked, walking next to you as you put your dirty dishes in the bins.

“Not a lot, nothing urgent,” you responded slowly. You had a custom order you were excited to work on, but that could wait another day. Especially if Alejandro needed you for something.

He flashed a grin at you, nearly making your knees wobble. “So you have time free.”

“I do,” you agreed, eyeing him. “Why?”

“Do you trust me?” He stopped in the hallway, turning fully to face you.

You nodded slowly, looking at him. “I do.”

“Meet me outside in twenty minutes. Wear something warmer.” He held your gaze, magnetic and unavoidable.

“Okay,” you agreed, soft and a little surprised. But you hadn't lied. You did trust him.

At least enough to trust that he wouldn't toss you out of the overlook, or anything like that.

It took very little time to grab a warm coat and gloves, since you weren't exactly sure what you were going to be doing. The walk outside was full of the typical bustle of the garrison - you passed riders going every which way, and as you passed near the kitchen, the chatter and chinking of washing reached your ears.

It was amazing to think about how quickly this had become home to you.

Alejandro stood outside next to Caba, waiting on you, dressed in his riding leathers. You allowed yourself only a moment or two to let your gaze wander over the well-fitted leathers before looking to the dragon instead.

To your surprise, he wore a modified version of his harness.

“We don't need the full harness,” Alejandro said, having correctly guessed your line of thinking from the surprise in your face and the line of your gaze. “Not for this.”

“And what is this?” You asked hesitantly, stopping in front of him.

Alejandro grinned, bright and pleased, with only a little humor. “You said you trust me.”

“I do,” you reiterated, only to squeak when Alejandro grabbed your hand and pulled you to Caba. “What–?”

But Alejandro offered no answer beyond stopping next to Caba, who had obligingly laid down to make his shoulder not entirely out of reach. Alejandro knelt and patted his thigh.

“You can reach the straps to help pull yourself up,” he offered, watching you. “It is easier if you have a boost to start.”

You stared at him for a moment before turning your gaze to the dragon. “What?” You squeaked.

Alejandro did his best not to laugh at you, lips clamped together even as his shoulders shook. “Up you go,” he encouraged, hints of laughter in his voice.

You thought about protesting, but, well. You did trust him. So you took a deep breath and used his proferred thigh as a step up. Your ascent up Caba's shoulder was not graceful, but you also didn't slide back down. You'd take that as a good thing. You felt very high up, sitting on his back as you were.

Alejandro climbed up after you, making it look easy. He sat behind you, his thighs bracketing yours. You swallowed, suddenly quite warm.

“Hold here,” Alejandro murmured, low and close to your ear, reaching past you to pull on a strap. You grabbed it tight, partially to hide the shaking in your fingers. “Don't worry. I won't let you fall.” One of his hands settled at your waist. You sucked in a sharp breath, partially disguised by the sudden movement under you as Caba got to his feet. You rocked with the movement, startled.

Caba didn't give you any time to adjust, though. He just started away from the garrison, using the open flat space to gain some speed. Massive leathery wings snapped out at his sides. You squeezed the strap tighter at the first sweep of those wings, feeling unsteady but for Alejandro's solid presence at your back.

One more downsweep and Caba launched into the air, the pressure pushing you back against Alejandro. He held firm, his grip on your waist reassuring.

Caba leveled out soon after, the pressure easing. Wind whipped in your face, cold but clear. You blinked rapidly as you adjusted, breathing in slowly.

Alejandro squeezed your waist gently, His head close to yours as he shouted to be heard over the wind. “Look now.”

You did, and gasped. From here you could just barely see the coast, blue stretching for miles and miles. The river valley below seemed very far away, though the river sparkled where it came down from the mountains and snaked across the land. You couldn't look down for long, though, before you started to feel dizzy.

But you didn't fear falling. Not with Alejandro pressed up close behind you as he was.

It didn't take long for your nose to go nearly numb, the cold wind seeping your warmth. No wonder the riders all wore leathers and fur up here. Your hands did go numb, fingers still clenched tight around the strap.

“See? Not so bad, hmm?” Alejandro sounded smug, his voice rumbling against your back and in your ear, even as his breath warmed your skin.

You just laughed, leaning back slightly, trusting him to keep you safe.

And he did.

You had no idea how long Caba flew the two of you. But he didn't go far into the valley before turning for the coast, making a big loop. From this height, you could see the town you'd left behind weeks ago, as well as a couple other garrisons, notable from the other dragons in the air. From this height, everything seemed small, even your lingering worries.

Eventually, he angled back towards the garrison, gliding down at a gentle angle. Alejandro's hand at your waist encouraged you to lean back further, your back pressed to his chest, until Caba landed. The big dragon chuffed and continued walking, wings setting against his back again.

You blinked, confused, but Alejandro just chuckled. “You're back early,” he called to someone up ahead, the hand on your waist tightening briefly.

“For once,” another man called back. You spotted a dark-haired man standing up ahead, another scruffier man by his side. Caba stopped a short distance from the two, and Alejandro swung one leg over to face them. He did not get down, however.

“Need a ride back to the capital, then?”

“S'pose so,” the scruffier man answered, gaze on you. “You offering?”

Alejandro chuckled. “I will arrange it,” he said, though you noted he didn't offer to do it himself. “Come inside, have something to eat.”

“Gonna introduce us?” The scruffier one asked, still peering up at you.

“If we see you at dinner.” Alejandro didn't offer anything else as Caba started walking again, leaving the two men behind to make his way back to the cavern entrance.

“Who were they?” You asked, undeniably curious now.

“Nobody of import.” Alejandro waited for Caba to lay down again before he slid down the dragon's side. “Here. I'll help.” He held his hands up to you, watching closely.

You eyed the distance down, biting your lip. He hadn't led you to harm yet. It did take a few moments to unclamp your hands, fingers aching from being locked in position for so long, but then you carefully swung a leg over and slid down. Alejandro caught you, making sure you didn't land too hard and holding you upright when your knees wobbled.

“Alright?” He asked quietly, giving you a quick once-over.

“Yeah.” You smiled up at him. “That was… incredible. Thank you.”

“I will take you as often as you wish.” His smile was smaller than usual but brighter, happier.

“You don't mind?” You couldn't help the note of hesitancy, of shyness.

“Not if it's you.” He leaned closer to you, until you were firmly bracketed between Caba at your back and Alejandro at your front.

Your breath caught in your throat. He was so close and so warm.

Caba rumbled, something you felt more than heard, vibrating against your back. You startled, turning your head to try to figure out what was going on.

Alejandro sighed and backed off. “Sit with me at dinner tonight,” he invited, gently taking hold of your hand, rubbing some of the ache from your fingers.

“Okay,” you agreed, a little dazed still.

He smiled again, that small but sincere smile you were quickly becoming attached to, and took a step back. Another, and he released your hand, and turned to go.

You stood there, needing Caba's silent support, for longer than you wanted to admit.

#amor a alejandro #alejandro vargas x reader #alejandro vargas x you #f!reader #name of the wind #dragon rider au

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dchuntress · 4 months ago

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HI!!

I was wondering if there was a there a particular moment (comic book, particular panel, line, event) where you ‘fell in love’ with Helena B as a character? Like a moment where you really became a fan of her or that kicked off a greater appreciation for her.

No pressure if not, just wondering! (Also hope the exam goes well ^^)

HELLO MY FAVOURITE STEPH CEO 🩵🩵🩵🩵

thank you so much for your wishes and for this ask!!!

i don't want to revise history too much and i hope this is a satisfactory answer, but honestly, i know i was in a certain sort of emotional state during that period of 2024 and i'm sure my emotions were heightened a lot, but i'll still try to recap it as closely as possible: ( some personal stuff below )

some quick backstory: i was on a long flight in december 2023, randomly watched the birds of prey movie, enjoyed the hell out of that movie, in april 2023 i randomly thought of the helena character - mainly because of that one scene, where the kid was scared, but helena, this emo goth socially awkward edgelord, stopped to comfort that kid and gave her a toy car to hold onto. i googled her, and was really, really surprised by how different comics huntress looked; like, her suit design? PHENOMENAL. i make graphic edits, and i knew i wanted to do my next on huntress, and doing so, i ended up researching her a little so that i can get her vibes right...

this might be controversial, but this is entirely my personal experience and in no way a commentary on the religion as a whole: i was raised muslim, and in 2023, i became an atheist, ironically enough, a few months before my first umrah (a sort of pilgrimage). i was at a very low point of my life, and i was hanging onto a few loose threads of my faith, but i was losing hope rapidly, and people around me being misogynistic, controlling shits weren't helping much. in the end, the threads snapped, and once i considered that i was totally alone in the whole world, i couldn't return back. i couldn't reaccept my faith no matter what. right now, i don't mind being an atheist, and i thoroughly respect people's religion and faith. i know i have tried to be a good person when i was a theist, and i know i am trying to be a good person as an atheist. i think we're all trying as people, and i think most of us are innately good.

but for many months since i first became an atheist, i was deeply hurt, grieving, resentful, conflicted. i felt trapped because i live in a very religious family, very religious country. talks of religion hurt me personally. and at the same time, i was coming to terms with the fact that i'm genuinely alone and i don't have a safety net. i really felt lost.

to keep things from being too long, another quick context: before helena bertinelli, i got into a marvel comics character, theresa cassidy. she's a catholic, and at first, i tried to just read and write for this character without looking at her faith, but... terry, like helena, is devoutly catholic, and it felt wrong for me to ignore an integral part of terry. so, terry gave me the first bit of courage to re-engage with religion in an impartial light, i was only just reading up catholicism to understand terry's relationship with her faith better.

when i learned that helena bertinelli is a devout catholic, i didn't really know how to feel. i was already somewhat familiar with researching catholicism for terry anyway, so i didn't feel uncomfortable engaging with helena's stories. then i read huntress: year one and i think i just was a different woman.

that was exactly the kind of story i needed, and helena was exactly the kind of character i needed. someone so strong, so powerful, yet so scared, so angry, so uncertain, so lost, so human. she was religious, she knew what she was talking about, yet she was also upset with the kind of people that utilised religion. this story of huntress wasn't just her beating up bad guys and calling it a day, she barely emerged victorious.

because this was systematic. she was born into it, and she barely could escape it, getting almost killed and losing her entire family weren't enough to protect her. she couldn't uproot her problems, she couldn't convince people to share her views in a day, she was alone often times. but she also fought, she had support when it mattered, she survived, she outlasted them all, she didn't give up, she didn't stop believing.

religion may not have been relevant to me anymore, but seeing what it means to helena? for her to carry all those years of pain, to overcome her fear, and reclaim her cross from that bastard who doesn't deserve to be named?

yeah, just. wow! i don't know just how often we see women-centric stories we see like this in mainstream media: messy, unfiltered, realistically harsh. huntress is constantly fighting uphill battles, putting herself through heartbreak, losing and losing, seldom getting her flowers, but she's a woman of ardent faith and hope. not in a "god will save me" way but "i will save myself; god don't give up on me" way.

and circling back to what caught my eye about bop movie's helena: i think i had fallen in love with huntress a bit harder when i learned she was a schoolteacher, the kind that had a soft spot for her kids and would break hell and bend heaven for them. being a teacher ties back to her being hopeful too; helena isn't a nihilistic cynic, isn't a naive idealist, she doesn't know things will change for better, but she's someone who steps out to fight the good fight as huntress and continues to inspire her students as a teacher; if this wasn't a woman who believed in a better tomorrow and worked towards that with honest diligence, would she have outlived them all?

#a-bad-case-of-the-stephs #i'm not sure if this is a good answer but i hope it answered your question!!#sans answers asks

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creative99writer · 1 month ago

Text

A Meeting in London (Jack Draper) - Part 4

Sequel to "A Meeting in New York"

A Meeting in London - Part 1 A Meeting in London - Part 2 A Meeting in London - Part 3

First part of the series:

A Meeting in New York - Part 1 A Meeting in New York - Part 2 A Meeting in New York - Part 3

A/N: So I'm still super super busy with life/work and everything, but I had this in my drafts for quite a while now, but never completely finished it and also didn't really know how to integrate this into the story... and I gotta warn ya - it's a little spicy and mature, so if you're not into that, I'd advise to skip. I don't normally post smut (or something that even resembles smut) so this is new territory for me lol. I wasn't really sure if I should post this because I normally don't share stuff like that. But I thought, why not try for once? For those still reading this silly little story, I hope you like it!

Warning: mature content!, probably typos

Jen felt like a lovestruck teenager. Jack had turned out to be an incredibly empathetic, kind-hearted and forgiving guy and she could have laughed at the irony of meeting him just when she was feeling like anything but herself. Wasn't it ironic that she was meeting the kind of guy who seemed to be a perfect fit for her while basically having an existential crisis and just restarting her life after it had been turned upside down? Life was really funny, throwing in curveballs such as this. She really wasn't looking for anything at all - nothing fun, and most definitely nothing serious. If someone has asked her before the US Open if she could imagine dating someone again, she would have laughed right in their face. Like, how did she have time for something like that? And why would she even want that? But now... now, it was all different. Jack made her want to make time for something like that. He made her want that. He made her want to try.

The way he held her hand, tightly but gently, caressing her skin with his thumb. The way he turned his head to look at her with a soft smile as they walked along the sidewalk in the cool November air. The way his arm brushed against hers as their steps matched each other's, after Jack had slowed down so she would be able to keep up with him and his long legs. The way he leaned over to kiss her temple gently, intertwining his fingers with hers.

He was kind, caring and funny - apart from the fact that he was obviously gorgeous. And although the irony of meeting him exactly just as she was trying to get life in order didn't escape her, this kind of curveball was too good to ignore. Jen knew that there was absolutely no way that she could stay away, no matter how much she might have wanted to run away from her feelings. He was bold, talking about a year from now, asking her out, confessing his feelings - but maybe that was exactly what she needed. Maybe he was exactly what she needed.

They walked in silence and Jen adored the fact that their silence was comfortable - they didn't need to fill it with words just so that it wouldn't be awkward. Jen and Jack together were anything but awkward. Conversation flowed easily and when they didn't talk they just enjoyed each other's presence. When she did speak, she told him about the little hotel she was staying at - she was the only guest except for an elderly couple staying a few floors beneath hers because they'd just finished renovating the hotel and weren't even open for the public yet except for members of the chain, which she was.

They reached her hotel, a luxurious but small one and the doorman opened the door with a polite smile on his face, recognizing Jen. "Good evening, Miss Langfort."

"Good evening, Philip." she greeting him with a smile as her and Jack passed through the double door and then thanked him for opening the door.

Her hand was still engulfed in Jack's as they walked into the small lobby. "I'll walk you to your door." he said and they stopped in front of the elevators. Jen smiled, her eyes twinkling with mirth as she looked up at him - she couldn't help it. "Very chivalrous."

"I know, right? It's what us Disney Princes do." he teased her right back and she loved the way they could keep up with each other's banter effortlessly.

"Hmm... did you go to Disney Prince school or something? Or how does that work?" she asked him as she pressed the button of the elevator.

"Well, you see - we are chosen specifically based on our hair to become a Disney Prince apprentice." Jack said in a completely serious voice, and Jen bit her lip in order to keep from laughing. His face was completely straight but she could see the glint in his eyes. "It takes around six months - if you're a good apprentice, that is. I've heard there are some who take up to five years, you know those who aren't really Disney Prince material after all."

"Five years?" Jen's voice matched his seriousness, her eyebrows raising in mock-surprise. "That's outrageous! And they're not throwing them out of the apprenticeship?"

"No, apparently not. Which I really can't understand." Jack shook his head, disappointed.

"And I take it, you were a great apprentice and completed it in six months?" Jen cocked her eyes to her side, a teasing smile on her lips.

"Well, actually... I was their star student and finished in four." Jack said straight-faced and Jen burst out laughing.

"Of course you were. You're the model Disney Prince after all." she nodded understandingly, still laughing.

"Exactly. In fact, they made several courses a part of the apprenticeship based on me." his voice was still serious and Jen snorted. She had no idea how he could stay so serious when he was joking around, but she loved his sense of humor.

"Oh yeah? What courses?" The elevator arrived with a ping and the doors opened. Jack motioned for her to get in first and Jen had a flashback to that one time in New York where she felt like she was trapped in the elevator with him because she was getting hot just being in his presence. As she stepped in she could feel the tension shift, his tall frame right behind her - and as she leaned against the wall and turned around, he was already there, trapping her against it, his hands on her waist.

"You know, how to properly woo a lady, how to protect her and ... how to kiss her." he whispered, his voice slightly hoarse and she could feel his hot breath on her face as he leaned down. His eyes were sparkling in the lights of the elevator, the grip of his hands on her waist firm. "Mhm..." Jen hummed. "They made a course based on how you kiss? Why would they do that?" Jack leaned even closer, his lips hovering over hers and Jen closed her eyes, her hands traveling up his chest and around the back of his neck. "You tell me." Jack breathed. Jen played with the hair at the nape of his neck and Jack's breath hitched softly.

"I've always wanted to kiss you in a lift. Ever since we were in that lift in New York." his voice was quiet as he admitted the thought he had hidden in a small part of his brain ever since that one moment in New York. "Yeah?" Jen bit her lower lip, her eyes still closed. "Then why don't you do it?"

He didn't need to be told twice. His lips came crashing down onto hers with a passion and intensity that left her breathless immediately. He backed her against the wall even more, his hands gripping her waist tightly and his body pressing into hers as his lips moved passionately against hers. She could feel his tongue against the seams of her lips and he deepened the kiss, angling his head even more and his hand moved up her back, tangling in her hair. Jen sighed against his mouth, completely and hopelessly lost in his kiss. She tugged at his hair and he groaned softly into the kiss, the hand on his waist gripping onto her tighter.

Suddenly, the elevator came to a halt with the typical 'ding' sound and Jen nearly jumped out of his arms, making Jack chuckle slightly, the hand on her waist and the hand in her hair keeping her close to him. "You're a jumpy one, huh?" Jen huffed, pushing at his chest, but she wasn't exactly successful because he was way too tall. "Shut up." Jack breathed out a quiet laugh and stepped back, taking her hand in his and leading her out of the elevator. He followed her as she walked along the corridor all the way to the end and stopping in front of her door. "So... this is me." she motioned at the door and Jack nodded before stepping closer again.

"So about that date." he murmured, unable to keep his hands to himself as they settled on her waist once again. Jen relished in the feeling of being this close to him, she couldn't describe just how tingly the places felt where he touched her. And he was so tall, she felt safe just being in his presence. "Is it alright if I pick you up tomorrow at seven?"

Jen bit her lower lip, unable to keep the smile off her face and she nodded, her hands moving up to grip the collar of his coat. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Jack's face lit up with his smile and he leaned in, his breath fanning onto her face. "Good." he murmured before closing the gap and kissing her once again, softly this time. His grip on her waist once again tightened and he pressed up against her, leaving no distance between them. He backed her up against the door, his hands moving up her sides and onto her face and the back of her head.

Their lips moved against each other, gently at first, then passion took over. Jack's hands tangled in her hair as he pressed her against the hotel room door and Jen could feel her breath dwindling.

"God, you don't know what you do to me." Jack panted against her lips. "You drive me insane." He deepened the kiss, groaning against her mouth when Jen tugged at his hair again and she loved how responsive he was. She'd never been with a guy before who was so openly responsive and passionate with what he felt. "I'm crazy about you." he whispered, as he pulled back slightly, his eyes still closed and his lips ghosting over hers. "So fucking crazy. I can't think about anything but you. You're in my head all the time, even when I think you're not, it's driving me crazy. What are you doing to me?" His voice was hoarse and he words were jumbled and rushed, and Jen's head was spinning, her hands tugging once again at the hair at the back of his neck, making Jack groan once again as he dipped his head to pull her into another deep kiss.

-------------------------------------------------

Jack didn't really know or register what he was saying - he just said what he felt in that very moment. His mind was a jumbled mess only thinking Jen, Jen, Jen like it was a mantra. Her lips were intoxicating to him - she was intoxicating to him and he felt like he couldn't get close enough. His lips were moving against her, hers were moving against his, her hands frantically tugging at his hair, gripping at his shoulders, his hands tangled in her hair, dragging her body so flush against his, he could feel her heart racing against his. His tongue touched hers and he moaned - he couldn't help it -, pushing her against the door. He had never once felt like this when he kissed someone, it was almost like an out of body experience. He had never felt such fire and passion for someone, and it was swallowing him whole. "Jen..." he groaned before moving in to kiss her again, hopelessly lost in her.

He could feel Jen sigh against his lips and his heart skipped a beat. He moved one hand down to her waist again, his hand gripping at any part of her it could get a hold of and Jen moaned, pressing impossibly closer to him. She was flush against him and the wall and he moved his hand lower to her hip and down her thigh, pulling her leg up to wrap around him, the angle pulling her even more against him. It was so hot, and he was unashamed in his complete and utter attraction. She knew he could feel him as she let out a sinful moan against his lips, this time deeper and he bucked his hips involuntarily against her. "Fuck." he groaned, realizing all of a sudden that they were in the hallway of a hotel - and he very much was about to lose control. He pulled away slightly and with much chagrin as he pressed his forehead against hers. He felt frustrated, in more ways than one - with him for being on the brink of losing control, and with being so turned on he nearly didn't care he was losing control. "I think we need to stop before..." he stopped himself and he could see Jen's smile - a teasing smile that made him nearly lose his mind. It was as if she knew what she was doing to him. "Before what?" she breathed against his lips and he tightened the grip on her hip. "Before I try to talk you into something crazy... like me spending the night." Jack's voice was quiet and shaky and he had trouble thinking straight. "You're dangerous." he admitted as he stepped back slightly, trying to create a little bit of distance from the intensity he felt. "You're messing with my head so much." Jen's eyes were wide, her cheeks flushed, her hair a mess and her lips... God, her lips. They were red and swollen and she looked thoroughly kissed. He nearly moaned out loud at the sight. Her chest moved up and down quickly, she was still out of breath just like he was. "I want you so bad but I -." Jack shook his head, not quite knowing what to say. "I'm losing my mind and my control with you. And I don't even care." He ran his hand through his hair in frustration, probably messing it up even more but he didn't care.

Jen let out a deep breath before smirking slightly. "I know, I could feel it." She bit her lip as she leaned against the wall and first looked down at his jeans and then looked up at him, almost innocently - though she was anything but.

He stared at her for a moment before he huffed out a disbelieving laugh, running his hands through his hair again. "You - you're impossible." It was difficult to hide his desire - it was literally visible and he could see Jen glancing down to his jeans again. "God." He knew he sounded absolutely wrecked, but he didn't care. How did he go from wanting to take her out on a date and take it slow so he wouldn't scare her off, to wanting to spend the night and ruin her?

Jen looked up at him through her lashes, her cheeks still rosy, her lips still red and kissed - and she was still smirking. She had a slight devilish look to her. Fuck, he was losing his mind. What was happening to him? He watched her with wary eyes as she pushed herself off the wall and walked over to him. When she reached him, she got up on her tip toes, taking his face into her hands. "Don't worry, I'm flattered." she murmured before kissing him. He instinctively steadied her by placing his hands on her waist, kissing her back. It came like second nature to him at this point. Her lips were soft and moved against his so naturally, Jack had trouble keeping his head straight yet again. He felt like he was drowning and didn't even mind. Only a small rational part of him knew he had to put a stop to this before he took it too far. But her kiss was intoxicating and she deepened it, and Jack's head was spinning from her taste, her movements, her touch, her perfume, her proximity. "Jen..." he sighed against her lips as she pressed closer to him. "Jen, we need to stop..."

"I know." she whispered back but she didn't stop. Jack didn't either. Instead, he moved her gently against the door again, hoisting her up and wrapping her legs around his hips. His desire was palpable and he knew Jen could feel it in the way she moaned against his lips. He ground his hips against hers and they both sighed into the kiss; in return he could feel the way her hips pressed into his as she rubbed herself against him. His hand moved down to her butt and over her thigh and then back to her hip, anywhere he could touch as he moved his hips against hers again. "This is getting out of hand." he whispered and Jen breathed out a wrecked laugh against his lips. "You started it." she whispered back and tightened her arms around his neck, kissing him deeper.

"Tell me to stop, please." Jack was begging her because he was drowning and losing all sense of self control, he could feel it - and he knew they had to stop. "Please, Jen. Tell me to stop. I can't-" He was panting and a complete mess in this dimly lit hotel hallway. Their hips had a mind of their own as they moved frantically against each other, the passion clear through their clothes, his jeans and her tights under her skirt that had bunched up against her hips. Jen was a moaning mess and she shook her head as his lips moved down her cheeks and jawline to her neck, sucking softly. "No. No, I don't want you to stop. Don't you dare stop."

"Jen..." he knew he sounded like a begging pathetic idiot but her words were his undoing. He grabbed her hips tighter and pressed her harder against he door, his hips never stopping their unrelenting movements. Her mouth fell open with tiny gasps of pleasure and he relished in the sight of her in front of him, completely and utterly wrecked. "Jack... oh my god..." Her voice was husky and she was breathless and panting, her fingers gripping tightly at his shoulders as he dropped his forehead against hers, his hips moving and grounding against hers. Her moans spurred him on, he never wanted to stop hearing those incredible sounds she made. He could tell she was close, her moans taking on a more high pitched tone and becoming more frequent as she grabbed at his shoulders and back of his neck, pulling him in. He could feel his own pressure building and his hips stuttering. He increased the pace of his hips. "Come on, baby... come on." He wanted her to get there first.

And then, Jen moaned his name out loud, her head falling back again, her hands gripping his shoulders and digging her nails into his coat, her mouth agape - and he knew he couldn't take any more. He had never heard his name sound so incredibly hot as when Jen moaned it, her voice husky and breathless because of him. "Fuck, Jen." he groaned, his hips losing their rhythm to erratic movements. Jack could feel himself on the very edge and he knew he was going to make a mess of his jeans - he didn't care. As he let go with a last groan of her name, his movements slowed down gradually before he basically collapsed against her, the both of them utterly spent leaning against the door of her hotel room.

He hadn't exactly planned for things to go down like his - he hadn't exactly planned to dry hump Jennifer Langfort in the hallway of her hotel room and make her fall apart like this. But he couldn't find it in himself to regret it. It had been amazing and the way her eyes shone as she looked up at him, completely wrecked - no, he didn't regret this one bit. "I think you're gonna have to button your coat." she whispered and Jack huffed out a laugh. "The jeans were due for a wash anyway." he retaliated and Jen looked at him for a moment before bursting out in a fit of laughter, hiding her face in his neck, before he joined in. He felt delirious and satisfied and happy all at the same time - though he had no idea how this could have happened, how things could take such a hot turn in a matter of seconds.

"Fuck, that was incredible." he murmured, still panting, and he felt like he floating as he hugged her to him for a moment before pushing slightly off of her. "Although for someone who doesn't want to rush, that was really fucking hot." he couldn't help but tease her and his dopey smile widened when she pushed slightly at his shoulder. "Shut up. You started it, I just joined in on the fun." She rolled her eyes, but her smile gave her away.

"You didn't stop me though." he reminded her, their teasing light and their voices still breathless. Her legs were still wrapped around him and he gently caressed her hips and thighs, not quite ready to let go just yet. "You're definitely wilder than you're letting on."

"Mmmhh..." she hummed, biting her lip and his heart stuttered at her intense gaze that told him he was right in his assessment. "Guess there's quite a few things you don't know about me."

"You know I didn't exactly plan this." His voice was low, his hands continuing their caresses on her body. "Didn't you? Could have fooled me." Her voice carried an amused undertone, teasing him and she sounded way too calm for his liking - she was extremely dangerous, he realized.

Jack huffed, pressing his forehead against hers. "Fuck. You're gonna kill me." He closed his eyes for a moment before he set her down gently, unwrapping her legs from around his waist and steadying her - yet he didn't move away. He couldn't. At least not yet. "I really didn't think the evening would take a turn like this. But I can't say I regret it." He let his eyes drift over her face. "Do you?" His voice was quiet, hesitant.

Jen was silent for a moment before she reached up to cup his face in her hands - her touch was gentle, and Jack reveled in it, closing his eyes at the feeling of her affection. He hadn't realized how much he craved it. She leaned up and pecked his lips gently. "Do I look like I do?" He opened his eyes and saw her smile up at him with a fond smile that took his breath away. She didn't look like someone who would run off on him again or someone he had scared off. No, she looked like someone who ... was going to stay. Like someone who cared about him.

"No. You don't." he whispered. Her small hands caressed his cheeks before she leaned in again to peck his lips. He hummed against her lips, closing his eyes again. "Mmmhh, I could get used to this." Jack leaned in closer, deepening the kiss and gripping her waist tightly. He was absolutely spent, yet he couldn't get enough of her.

Before it could go too far again though, Jen leaned back slightly and smirked up at him. "Maybe you should come in a little... you know to clean yourself up a bit." Jack's eyes widened as she pushed him off slightly to reach into her bag and get the key card for her room. "Wha-" he stammered as she opened the door and looked back at him to wink cheekily.

"I mean you just came in your pants like a horny teenager, sooo..." Jack rolled his eyes and reached out to pinch her sides, making her yelp. "Hey, I'm just telling you what I see!" She motioned at the wet patch on his jeans and Jack could literally feel the blush creeping up on his neck. "Not my fault you're hot." he mumbled with a fond smile and Jen smirked, wiggling her eyebrows. "Horny teenager." she mouthed and yelped when he pinched her sides again. "Be nice. If I remember correctly, you were just moaning my name like a porn star." Jen's mouth fell open, as if she couldn't believe what he just said. "Close your mouth, you're gonna catch flies." he teased and this time he yelped as she pinched his arm, and her laughter rang through the room.

"Like I said, I just joined in on the fun." she repeated what she'd said earlier. "Didn't sound like that to me." he retaliated and earned a playful roll of the eyes from the girl who had completely captivated him. As he stepped into the lighter room as opposed to the dark hallway, he could see just how big the wet patch on his jeans was when Jen snuck a look down there, her eyes giving away her amusement. And when he caught her eye, she burst out laughing.

"God, what a mess." He looked down at himself and joined in on her laughter. "I can't remember the last time I actually came in my pants."

"I mean... it was hot." she admitted, winking at him before she walked into an adjacent room to get a towel for him. Jack could still feel just how burning hot his cheeks were, he was blushing so hard.

"Also, I do not sound like a porn star." she huffed playfully as she handed him the towel. "There's the bathroom by the way. You know, so you can clean up your horny teenager mess." Jack laughed as he playfully swiped at her with the towel as revenge for her remark before he disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

As he sat down on the edge of the bathtub he took a deep breath. He still couldn't quite believe what had happened just now. One moment they were having a heartfelt conversation in the park, the next they were flirting each other's asses off, and then they were making out in front of her hotel room like two hormonal teenagers, and last but not least he was dry humping her against the door, the both of them moaning each other's names like there was no tomorrow, ending with them falling apart in their clothes.

Just... how?

He had never been this impulsive. He had never really lost control like that. So what exactly was she doing to him. Jack felt like he was in a trance as he cleaned himself up in her bathroom, throwing the towel into the hamper next to the sink. "Shit." he cursed, propping himself up against the sink and looking into the mirror, a look of disbelief on his face. How could this be happening? He was confused, and delirious - but he couldn't find it in himself to regret what happened at all. It had been so hot and all-consuming, and her sounds? God, he could feel himself getting hot just thinking of the sounds she'd made. He turned on the water and splashed his face with ice cold water, in the hopes of cooling himself down a bit. Jack knew he'd probably need days to process what had happened tonight. His feelings felt like he was on an emotional rollercoaster, the excitement of seeing her again, then the hurt he'd felt at her dismissal, the heartfelt conversation on the walk home, the ... well, the almost sex. He was well aware that if he hadn't resorted to the dry humping, he'd probably be in her bed right now. And he knew it was too early for that. He wanted to do this properly, not turn this into a hook up. His mind was a jumbled mess and he splashed his face again before washing his hands and drying off. His jeans were still wet and he knew he had to button his coat when he walked home, but fuck - it had been an eventful evening, and what had transpired in the hallway, well that had taken the crown.

He walked out after feeling somewhat refreshed on the outside, though his mind was still a mess. Jen was sitting on the edge of her bed, looking into the distance as if lost in thought when she heard him walk out and turned her head to him, giving him a soft smile. "You okay?" she asked him and he huffed out a breathless laugh. "Yeah. I'm more than okay. Though my mind's a mess." Jack felt like honesty was the best way to address this situation. She snorted at his remark. "Yeah, mine too."

"Glad I'm not the only one then." he breathed as he sat down next to her, his leg brushing up against hers. "Us, sitting on that bed... that's dangerous." Jen laughed quietly before leaning back and lying down on the edge of her bed, her feet still on the ground as if to mock him and his words. "And why would that be?" she teased, smirking up at him.

Jack huffed, turning to look at her properly, his gaze intense. "Let's just say, I wouldn't have exactly stopped at dry humping you in the hallway if we'd been in this room. And I still don't trust myself." Jen's eyes widened for a moment as if she hadn't expected him to be so straightforward about his desire before she burst out laughing. "Okay, that's direct." she laughed before she added quietly, "I might not have stopped you then either."

The stared at each other quietly for a moment before Jack closed his eyes, overwhelmed - with his desire, feelings and emotions. "God, what are we doing?" he breathed, running a hand over his face before looking at her again as she stared up at him, eyes wide, cheeks rosy and her hair fanned out on the bed. "Stop looking at me like that." he told her and her smile widened.

"Like what?" she blinked up at him, her hands gripping the duvet.

"Like you want me to ruin you." His voice was shaky and his self control was dwindling. "Maybe I do want you to ruin me." she whispered and Jack shook his head in disbelief. "Don't say things like that, Jen. My self control is barely there as it is." he said and she laughed. Oh, she knew exactly what she was doing to him and he could see she loved it.

"I'm trying to do this properly, you know? Like taking you out on dates, talking to you, getting to know you before... just jumping into... all of this." he motioned with his hands to the bed and to his jeans. "Although, I know this started in a weird way anyway with the kiss in New York and our timeline's completely off, but I - you deserve a proper ... romancing. Nothing less than that. You deserve to be taken out on the most outrageously fancy and romantic dates to sweep you off your feet, and not me dry humping you in a fucking hallway." The more he talked, the more frustrated he got with himself, for losing control and for letting his desire for her overrule his mind and body like that.

"I mean, you got me off, didn't you? So I'm not exactly complaining." she laughed quietly and Jack huffed, still frustrated. "That's not what I meant, Jen." She was teasing him and working him up, and she knew it - he felt like he was going to combust. "Though if I hadn't, this would be even worse." he cracked a smile, despite feeling like anything but smiling, and Jen laughed - the comicality of the situation wasn't exactly lost on him. "That's true. Wouldn't have been very Disney princely of you." she teased and he couldn't help but laugh. She had a way of making him laugh and happy even when he didn't feel like it.

She gently grabbed his hand, still lying on the bed and the hair fanned out around her made her feel like a goddess, Jack thought. "I know what you mean, Jack." she told him, her voice steady. "But if I hadn't liked it, I would have stopped you. I didn't stop you because I didn't want you to. So stop beating yourself up over what we did together - not just you, you know? And if I remember correctly, I edged you on, so we did this together and I don't regret it." She added quietly, "You said you didn't either." She looked up at him, her hand playing with his fingers and he could see that she was suddenly unsure if he did.

Jack swallowed hard, shaking his head. "No, I don't regret it. I can't. It was way too fucking incredible to regret it." He breathed out shakily. "If anything, I wanted it to go much further that it did."

His eyes flitted over her body and up to her face, Jen was already watching, observing him quietly. "Kiss me, Jack." It wasn't a question and Jack pushed the sudden nervousness that consumed him down, exhaling shakily. The tension between them shifted into that unspoken want between them yet again, the one that had overwhelmed him in the hallway and was about to consume him once again.

He moved gently, slowly. And as he braced himself on top of her, his breath fanning over face, with his body pressed against hers on the bed, he felt like he was about to lose his last ounce of self control yet again. "Jen, this is dangerous. You are dangerous." His voice was barely even a whisper. She reached up, curling her fingers around the back of his neck, tugging him down slightly and he felt his skin tingling. He closed the gap and kissed her gently, using every bit of resistance in him to keep it gentle and soft.

It was no use. Once he could feel her tongue against the seams of his lips, the resistance went out the window and he deepened the kiss, moving inbetween her legs. He felt hot all over, completely overheated and it was not definitely not because he was still wearing his coat. He could feel her wrap her legs around him, pressing him closer and his body developed a mind of its own apparently because his hands grabbed wherever they could reach, his hips bucked against hers and he pressed closer to her until there was nothing that could have come inbetween. His lips moved frantically against hers and his breath was nonexistent, but he didn't care. Jen had absolved his self control and hers apparently too. Because she moaned against his mouth, gripping his hair and his shoulders, somehow tugging him even closer as she seemed just as lost in his kisses.

But they were reaching a territory they both knew they shouldn't cross, at least not yet - even if they both desperately wanted to in that moment. "God, Jack..." she sighed, pressing gently on his shoulders to stop and create a bit of distance they both needed. They were both panting heavily and his forehead was pressed against hers before she moved her head and tugged him closer into a hug - maybe to dissolve the passion that was consuming them. "Fucking hell." he panted, caressing her hips with his hand. He could feel her body shaking and for a second he was worried, she was crying until he realized she was laughing.

"I don't even know what's gotten into me." she laughed against his shoulder. "I really don't do this normally, especially with guys I don't even know that well." Jack joined in on her laughter, tucking his head into the crook of her neck and inhaling her scent. "I am so screwed, God." he murmured, still laughing. "I can't think straight when you're near."

Jen huffed with a laugh, her fingers playing with his hair that was sure to be goddamn mess. "Welcome to the club, Draper."

"What the fuck are we doing, Jen?" he hid his face even more in the crook of her neck, and his shaky voice came out muffled. "I can barely control myself around you, I know I should just get up and leave but my brain completely shuts off - or maybe it's an aneurysm, I don't know, and it's gotten to the point tonight where I am honestly just like screw it."

"You mean more like, screw me?" she teased and he burst out laughing, their bodies shaking together in their laughter. Leave it to her to find the humor in the situation.

"Basically." he admitted. "But seriously." he pinched her sides gently and she wound herself beneath him like an eel.

"Also, I've never heard someone having an aneurysm that led to them wanting to have sex with someone. That's new. Maybe you should get yourself checked out, Draper." she continued her teasing and he rolled his eyes good naturedly, though she couldn't see.

"I don't want to just have sex with you, Jen." he murmured. "I want everything. I want you, I want to take care of you, I want falling asleep next to you and waking up with you and making coffee in your room, even though I don't even drink coffee and I want to call room service in the morning and have breakfast together in that really awkward way that people usually eat together after they've slept with someone for the first time, even though I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be awkward with us." He was rambling and he knew it. "I want the whole experience. All of it."

He breathed out shakily, and lifted his head to take a look at her - whether he had scared her off already. She was blinking up at him, as if she couldn't quite believe what he'd just said, and he couldn't exactly blame her. This went way deeper than anything they'd talked about tonight.

He was about to tell her to forget everything he'd said, that he didn't want to scare her away, when she opened her mouth. "I- That is very Disney princely of you." she breathed out with a quiet laugh and he couldn't quite help the smile that broke out on his face.

"What can I say? I told you they've modeled their courses after me." he whispered.

Jen cleared her throat and he realized she'd gotten emotional over his confession. Jack couldn't help it - he always felt so proud when he'd draw out emotions from this fiercely guarded woman. "Uh, well - that ... that uh - that actually sounds pretty.. nice." she stammered and Jack could feel this sense of accomplishment once again. "You really are quite the romantic, so you didn't lie about that. Huh."

"Told you." His hand was still drawing shapes on her hip, his voice just a gentle murmur. "And I meant it, Jen. I... I know this is fast and we might be getting whiplash here, but I don't want to hide what I feel - or how I feel. I want to be an open book, but only when you're in this with me. Together. I may be crazy, but I'm absolutely crazy about you." He leaned in, nudging her nose with his. "Seems like me running into in New York like that was a good thing after all."

"You didn't think it was?" she smiled up at him gently, though there was a question in her eyes and he felt the need to explain what he meant.

"After you disappeared, I wasn't really sure for a while. You went completely radio silent on me, and I wasn't certain if ... well, if you even liked it. If you ever wanted to see me again. So there was a lot riding on whether you wanted to see me again or not to think of it as a good thing."

"Well, I wasn't really certain if I wanted to see you again." her voice was quiet in her admission. "You - you scare me, Jack. And not in the general sense of the word, but it's how straightforward you are. You're an open book. And you're anything but nonchalant." she laughed quietly as her fingers started to play with his hair again. "You don't hide what you feel, whether it's hurt or.. well..." she motioned her hand down his body and he rolled his lips in to keep himself from laughing. "You mean, turned on?"

Jen huffed out a laugh. "Yeah. You let me see it all. And that is so scary, you have no idea. Because half the time I don't even know what I'm feeling, and then there you are - so honest and direct and I have no idea what to do with that. But if you weren't so honest, that would be even worse."

Jack remained quiet - he could sense that she wasn't quite finished. "And - and God." she suddenly sounded annoyed, but he didn't know if it was directed at him or her, or them. "You are so fucking nice. How can someone be so nice? And patient and understanding? I thought men like that didn't exist." she huffed, and he bit back a smile. "You apologize readily and you listen - and you are so fucking gentle. Like a gentle giant. And I don't even know what the fuck I'm saying. I'm babbling" she rolled her eyes.

He reached up, smiling, and cupped her face with his hand, caressing her cheek with his thumb. "You know you're not so bad yourself. And you're cute when you babble."

"I know we've both asked this question like a hundred times this evening - but what are we doing, Jack? This is absolutely nuts! Batshit crazy!" Jen covered her face with her hands and Jack couldn't help but chuckle.

"I know. We are doing this completely the opposite way - making out, dry humping, lying in bed together..." he raised a suggestive eyebrow. "All this before we even had dinner and a proper date."

Jen groaned. "You make this sound like a situationship."

"Don't worry, I won't let it get that far." he chuckled, leaning down to kiss her nose after she peeled her hands off of her face to look up at him.

"Promise? I don't want to have to run into you at a tournament where we awkwardly greet each other even though we know we're just gonna end up in bed together again." Jen rolled her eyes and Jack laughed at that.

"I mean... I wouldn't be opposed to landing in bed with you. But I'd like everything else with you too." he grinned down at her, his fingers drawing gentle circles on her waist now. Jen laughed at his remark before sighing out loud.

"God, this is so weird." He cocked his head to the side, not quite sure what she meant. "We are doing this completely in reverse, this whole... dating thing."

"Well, there are no actual rules when it comes to dating, you know? You can do what feels right for you, even if it's different or strange to others." he told her before feeling the need to clarify - "And with that I don't mean, you know... spending the night together like immediately. I mean, that we don't have to follow any imaginary rules and just... do what feels right."

Jen sighed, reaching out to clutch at his shoulders again and Jack felt like his skin was burning with her touch. "I know. And even if it's weird... tonight felt right." she said quietly. His heart was hammering against his chest at her admission. He still felt a bit insecure with what happened in the hallway, even if he didn't regret - it was just very much a spur of the moment thing. "Yeah." he breathed out. "It did." He pressed his forehead against hers again. "I really wanna kiss you right now."

Jen raised an eyebrow at him. "You think we can keep it PG?"

"Not really, but we can try?" Jack pulled a face and Jen laughed as she pulled his face closer, leaning up to kiss him. He hummed as her lips met his and he pressed closer to her.

"So uhm -... I never got your number." he mumbled against her lips, still braced on top of her on the bed, lying between her legs. And Jen burst out laughing. "Really? That's what you're thinking about?"

"I'm trying to keep it PG!" he protested and Jen laughed even harder.

-----------------------------------------------------

The evening had been... turbulent to say the least. Jen knew that once Jack left, she would be sitting in her room contemplating what the fuck had happened tonight.

This was absolutely not her. Making out in an elevator like horny teenagers? Dry humping a guy she barely knew in a fucking hallway where anybody could have seen them? And probably the security cameras too? God, she hoped they weren't working yet.

Then again, making out with a guy she didn't know at all in a New York hotel lobby was also not her.

So now, she was pinned on her hotel bed right under the heavy weight of Jack's body and she didn't really want him to leave. The very thought scared her. Wanting someone like this was scary. But somehow... Jack also made it easy. The way he was patient and understanding. And he matched her sense of humor. She even liked that he was a secret romantic. And he surprised her at every turn.

The way he suddenly seemed to be overtaken by his passion? The way she could literally see his desire for her consuming him? It had been completely nuts, but simply the way he had looked at her, like he couldn't bare the thought of not having his way with her in that very moment had made her throw all her inhibitions out the window. Who didn't like to be desired after all?

His desire and passion had been palpable. And there was absolutely no way she would have been able to regret what they'd done. Not only had it felt amazing (obviously), not only had it been extremely hot - it had especially brought them closer (in more ways than one). His confession and his honesty had opened the door for a closer connection and Jen suddenly didn't feel as scared anymore.

Nonetheless, she was going to need time to process everything that had happened tonight because it had been an absolute rollercoaster of emotions. And then there was the date tomorrow. She wanted to do this properly, like Jack said. And some things were worth waiting for. Jen was sure that Jack and their connection was among those things.

That, however, didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun.

She wrapped her legs around his waist again, just like she'd done before and she could still feel him. "So, what about this exactly is keeping it PG?" she couldn't help but tease him as she lifted her hips up a little to rub against his, and laughed when Jack huffed, disguising a soft moan that escaped him. "Again, it's not my fault you're hot. I'm just a man, you can't blame me when you do... this. And stop that, you're going to make me do things I will really regret."

"Like what?" she smirked but he kissed that smirk off her lips in a quick kiss before he pulled back and she swore her breathing stopped for a moment as his eyes fixated her with an intense gaze. "Trust me, you don't wanna know."

Jen hummed, biting her lip for a moment. "Jack, one thing you should know about me - don't ever tell me I don't wanna know, because then I really wanna know."

"Didn't we want to keep it PG?" Jack narrowed his eyes at her, playfully.

"We said we'd try. And we did try. And it didn't work, clearly." she laughed and Jack rolled his eyes. "Now whose fault is that?"

Jen protested with a laugh. "That's unfair, you're the one with the -" she gestured wildly to his crotch. Jack tried to keep a stern face but failed miserably. "I'm a guy, it's pretty obvious when we're turned on. Unfortunately, we're not as lucky as you girls. It's not that visible to me."

Jen blinked up at him, teasing him even more. "Mmmhh... maybe it's not visible to you, but I can feel it."

Jack stared at her for a moment before groaning out loud and dropping his head to her shoulder as she shook with laughter. "Oh for God's sake. You're making it so difficult to be a gentleman and keep my hands to myself." Jen laughed even louder. "You can't say things like that and then expect me to keep my cool here."

"I mean, if you haven't noticed, I don't really want you to keep your cool." She rubbed her hands over his back, loving the way his whole body just turned into her and how it felt against hers.

"You're a mean one." he huffed, still hiding his face in her shoulder, presumably to try and regain his cool. "But yeah, I noticed. And unfortunately, it's working because I'm absolutely hopeless around you. A lost cause. Completely and utterly useless."

Jen couldn't help the giggle that escaped her. "Good to know I have that effect on you."

"Oh you know." Jack groaned again. "You gotta be blind not to notice. For God's sake, you might as well call me whipped. Or a simp or whatever. And I never know what you're gonna pull next." Jen laughed again, he sounded so indignant and she brushed her lips against his temple. "Gotta keep you on your toes somehow, Draper."

"Clearly." he remarked before pulling back slightly to peck her lips. She wiggled against him and laughed out loud when he pulled back, playfully glaring at her. "Alright, that's it. Enough is enough. You're really testing my willpower here."

He got up from his position, groaning like an old man as he did so and pulled her up with him, so they were both sitting on the edge of the bed again. The looked at each other silently for a moment, as if to assess if this was really it for the night or if they'd just say to hell with it and tear each other's clothes off. Jen glanced at the watch in her room and Jack's eyes followed her, widening when he realized the time.

"Holy shit, it's getting late!" he exclaimed and Jen nodded. "I know - I have to be at the tennis center at nine tomorrow." Jack nodded thoughtfully.

"Yeah, me too. I should leave." Jack reluctantly got up from her bed and turned to her. "Though I don't really want to."

Jen bit her lip, looking up at him. "I know. Me neither. But..."

"But I should. I know." Jack finished her sentence for her and pulled her into him, kissing her once before murmuring. "You still owe me your number, Langfort."

She laughed and held out her hand for his phone. "Alright, since you asked so charmingly." Jack rolled his eyes with a smile and handed her his phone so she could type in her number. When she was done she handed it back and Jack grabbed her hand in his as they walked to the door. She opened it and they both stepped out into the dimly lit hallway.

"Good night, Cinderella. I'll see you tomorrow." Jack kissed her hand and Jen felt like she would swoon. She couldn't help herself and pulled him into her, leaning up and pressing her lips to his in a final goodbye kiss - at least for tonight. She could feel him smiling into the kiss as he held onto her waist. Her arms wrapped around his neck again, she really didn't want to let him go just yet. But she had to - tomorrow was going to be a busy day for her at practice, and his probably wasn't going to be any better. And then there was their date as well.

"Okay, go. Go!" she playfully pushed him off, and she laughed at his face as she pushed him towards the elevators. "And button up that coat!" Jack playfully huffed, giving her the bird which made her laugh, and made his way down the hallway as Jen leaned against the doorframe.

He was already halfway down the hallway before he turned around and took three big steps towards her to pull her in one last time to kiss her hard. He sighed into the kiss, holding her tightly to him for one last moment tonight. "Alright, alright - I'm leaving. I'm going." Jack mumbled as her laughter rang through the hallway. "Goodnight, Jen."

Jen smiled gently as he waved one last time. "Goodnight, Jack." He was nearly at the elevator when she suddenly thought of something.

"Wait - what should I wear tomorrow?"

"Just something normal, you don't have to dress up, love." Jen could have swooned whenever he called her 'love'. "That doesn't tell me anything - is it like formal, or not?"

"Just wear whatever you feel comfortable in." he called out and laughed as she huffed an indignant "Men!" and disappeared into the elevator.

---------------------------------------------------

As Jack had gotten home, Paul and Ben had immediately taken him hostage and made him tell them all about what had happened this evening - but truth be told, Jack didn't even know it properly himself. He still needed time to think all of it through because the night had been a complete up and down - emotionally and physically. He needed time to process it, and he needed to plan their date because he didn't know much, but he did know that Jen deserved for him to go all out. The entire night had confused him and messed with his head and he didn't know what would come next. All he knew was that they'd confessed that they liked each other, that he'd finally gotten her number (and texted her goodnight) and that he'd secured a date with the girl who had been spooking around in his head for months now. And that, well... she was definitely wilder and naughtier than he had expected.

So that is what he told them, in that exact order. The only thing he left out was their ... dry humping session in the hotel hallway. And the amount of times they'd kissed. That was one piece of information that Jack kept as his little secret, for him and for Jen to know, and to think about for the future.

#fiona writes #tennis #jack draper x reader #jack draper

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thedeathlysallows · 2 years ago

Text

Last Christmas

Pairing: Felix x Female!Reader

Summary: This year, to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special

Warnings: smut. p in v, Dom!Felix, spanking, blood play, oral (f! receiving), unprotected sex

With Thanksgiving over and my birthday on the horizon, the Christmas season has started for me (though tbh I am in fact one of those people who loves Christmas year round). So enjoy this celebratory story!

"This is a disaster," you complain to no one in particular. "I can't believe I got roped into this."

When Gianna approached you about attending her work's Christmas party you had initially declined. You've seen her paychecks, her apartment, her wardrobe. It's a whole fucking lot. There's absolutely no way you could confidently rub elbows with the people she works with.

But then she gave you the puppy dog eyes.

And then she gave you an "old dress" of hers that just so happened to be your exact size.

On top of all that, she also gave you a matching pair of heels and a new purse.

You couldn't say that after being so spoiled by your best friend.

"Oh, hush," Gianna tells you. "This isn't so bad."

"We're in masks!"

She shrugs. "It's a masquerade. You should be a bit more grateful, ya know. If you weren't here with me you would be at your own work function with-"

You raise a hand, effectively cutting her off. "Don't. I don't want to think about him."

Gianna lifts a brow, her eyes silently teasing you as she hides her smile behind her wine glass. "Then don't."

"I need a drink." You heave a dramatic sigh as you slip off your barstool and slink through the crowd to find the bar.

The large ballroom is packed to the brim with people, most of them chatting with one another in small groups while a few others dance wherever they can find the space. It's strange that, despite the larger number of people in the room, you aren't feeling the least bit warm. In fact, it's kind of cold. Oh well. You'd rather feel the slight chill than want to burst out of your own skin from overheating, you think as you finally get to the bar.

"What can I get you?" The bartender asks.

You give him your order and sweep your eyes over the room one more time as you wait. Everyone is laughing and generally enjoying their time together. Had this been your work party you would be slinking around in the shadows, begging whatever god would listen that you wouldn't run into your ex.

The one who dumped you last year.

On Christmas.

And then hooked up with your step sister.

Also on Christmas.

"I'd hate to be whoever you're thinking about right now," a low masculine voice says just over your left shoulder.

You jump, slightly embarrassed to be caught. "Oh, uh, yeah..."

You trail off, not sure of what to say when you get a good look at him. He easily towers over you and seems to be as wide as two of you put together. His muscles are visible even through the exceptionally well tailored midnight blue suit he wears. Each one of his movements, despite being graceful, threatens the integrity of said suit. If he flexes even slightly you're sure it'll rip at the seams. His mask is the same color as his suit with silver filigree around the edges. It reminds you of a prettier Phantom of the Opera mask. Behind the mask his eyes are dark. Almost pitch black.

He tilts his head as he looks down at you. "I haven't seen you before."

You shove a thumb over your shoulder, pointing to where you left your friend. "G-Gianna, she- I'm her friend."

Leave it to you to become an absolute mess in front of the first handsome man you see.

"Friend or friend," he teases with a wolfish grin.

"Just friends. I'm not her type."

"But you're someone's type."

You scoff. "Not in about a year."

He hums thoughtfully. "A touchy subject, I see."

"I got dumped on Christmas."

You aren't sure exactly why you're spilling your guts to this guy. Maybe it's the masks. The anonymity of it all is probably giving you a sense of misplaced courage.

Your handsome stranger picks up your hand and runs his lips across your knuckles. "Then he's a fool. Someone as sweet as you should be cherished always."

Heat floods through your body and prickles at your skin. "I don't know about that."

"I do. What's your name? Or shall I just call you darling?"

You give him your name and he repeats it reverently. "Do I get your name?"

"Felix," he says as he bends down so his lips are next to your ear. "It's best to remember as you'll be screaming it later."

You laugh. "Sure, big guy."

The bartender hands you the drink you ordered and you cheers Felix on your way back to your table. You can feel his eyes on your back as you walk away.

Gianna looks panicked as you take your seat, her doe eyes large and afraid. "What took you so long? Did you talk to anyone?"

"Just-" you look back to the bar and find Felix in the same spot you left him. "-him."

All the color drains from her face. She gathers her purse and coat quickly, saying, "we're leaving. Now. Get your things."

She spares one more look at Felix who simply inclines his head before disappearing into the crowd. If it's at all possible, Gianna looks even more physically disturbed.

"Make sure to lock your door tonight. Don't let anyone in for any reason," she lectures while rushing you out of the building and down the street. "Do you understand?"

You struggle to keep up with her hurried steps. "I know I've made questionable choices in the past, but I don't tend to let strangers in my apartment."

Gianna looks at you, her face dead serious. "If anyone comes, scream. Scream as loud as you can."

Her warning echoes around in your head for the rest of the night as you get ready for bed. You aren't used to seeing Gianna afraid. Out of the two of you, she's the one with the unshakable courage. You're just... you. And that's always been fine. Usually. Mostly. It's just unsettling, is your point. It's unsettling that Gianna is scared.

Your doorbell rings suddenly, and you're about to answer it, your hand inches away from the bronze doorknob, when Gianna's words pass through your mind one more time.

Don't let anyone in.

So you don't.

Not even when the doorbell rings two more times.

Nope.

You ignore it three whole times... but the fourth time is what gets you. It's just that it's annoying, you reassure yourself. You'll tell whoever it is to go away and that'll be that.

"Felix?" You stare in bewilderment when you open the door. "How do you know where I live?"

He's even more handsome without the mask. His face is chiseled and angular like some sort of statue of a Greek god. The smile he gives you is positively radiant. Charming even. He holds up your coat.

"I texted Gianna when I saw you left your coat. She gave it to me."

"She did?"

Felix nods.

"Oh... well..." You open your front door wider. "Do you want to come in?"

"I would love to." He steps over the threshold and looks around your tiny apartment. His eyes linger on the Christmas tree in the corner of your living room. "I see your breakup hasn't dampened your holiday spirit."

"Nope. Can't let the fucker ruin all of my Christmases."

"Eloquently put."

Heat pools in your cheeks, a sense of inferiority creeping in. "Do you want anything to drink? I've got tea, coffee, water..."

Felix shakes his head. "I'm alright, thank you."

"Look, I-"

Whatever you were about to say dies on your lips because Felix is suddenly there, mouth on yours. His lips are cold and demanding as he guides you through the kiss. He tastes sweet like candy.

"What were you about to say?" Felix grips your hips, pressing you closer to him. You feel his erection press into your stomach and all thoughts leave your mind, replaced with the aching need between your thighs.

The part of your brain that's still semi-operational tells you this is a bad idea, but the louder, hornier part quickly overrides it.

Felix is hot.

It's Christmas.

Why shouldn't you do this?

You tilt your head up, angling for another kiss. "Nothing. I wasn't going to say anything."

Felix smiles and you swear you see the flash of extra sharp canine teeth, but it must've just been a shadow. It's gone in the next second.

His mouth meets yours again, his tongue tracing across your lower lip. You moan into the kiss and feel your body melt completely against his. He lifts you easily, like you weigh nothing, never breaking the kiss. Reflexively, your legs wrap around his waist.

"Good girl," Felix praises you. "Which way to your bedroom."

You gesture wildly, hoping he'll get the idea. The only thing you can focus on is the feel of his hard cock pressed against your core. Even through the layers of clothes you can tell he's huge. You feel almost feverish with how badly you want him.

Felix, sensing your neediness, all but runs to your room. He places you on your bed and demands you turn on your stomach, his hands making quick work of your pajamas. He strips out of his own clothes and leaves them in a pile on the floor.

You arch your back and wiggle your ass, your hand falling between your legs to toy with your clit. Felix groans as he watches you play with yourself. He knew he chose well tonight, but he never imagined you'd be this willing. This pliant.

"Fuck, you're so wet for me, darling." Felix grips your hip with one hand and uses his other to teases your entrance, sliding the tip in and out of your slick hole.

You can't find words so you moan instead, pressing back against him so he'll go deeper inside you.

"Mmm," he moans. "Tell me what you want."

"I..." you struggle answer, desperation rushing through you at an alarming rate. "I want you..."

"Try again, darling. Tell me what you want."

"You... I want... you..."

Smack! Felix's hand lands on your ass, the sound loud in the small room.

"I said," he says as he lands another slap on your ass, "tell me what you want."

Each word is punctuated by another spank. He growls at how red your ass is, bending down to lick where little droplets of blood bubble up on your skin. His tongue trails further down and he circles your entrance, savoring this taste of your blood mixing with your juices. Felix can hear your holding in your sobs and it hardens his cock even further.

"Felix," you manage to say between breaths. "Please, fuck me, please!"

Felix hums, pleased with your begging. "That's what I thought. You want my cock inside you, darling? You want to bounce that pretty little ass on it while you come?"

You nod. "Yes! Please!"

"Take it," he tells you as he slips inside you.

You cry out at the sudden intrusion. He's far bigger than you assumed earlier, stretching you around him as he pounds into you mercilessly. It hurts in the best possible way.

"Oh, fuck!" You throw your head back and it lands against his shoulder. "Oh, Felix, oh my god!"

Felix growls in response, the sound reverberating through your whole body. His mouth falls to your neck and his teeth sink in the delicate skin as he pumps in and out of you. He drinks deeply, swallowing mouthful after mouthful while you moan and let him fuck you.

"Come for me, darling," he whispers in your ear when he feels your slick cunt pulse around him.

You feel lightheaded but you do as he says, moaning when you feel him finish inside you as well.

Felix sighs as he pulls out of you, licking his mouth clean of the last few drops of your blood. Your wound should heal in a few days and you'll be left with a pleasant fog of memories.

"Thank you," he tells you as he pulls his clothes back on. "You don't know how badly I needed that."

You hum something that sounds like an affirmative, nuzzling into your bedsheets. Tomorrow you'll be sore with no recollection of why.

But at least this Christmas was better than the last.

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