#and when that end was achieved she'd hand it off to the first person that would take it

[the-drunken-huntsman]

Thinking about Aneis and Gelebor having a Midsommar-esque crying session over all the horrible shit Akatosh/Auri-El put them through

[calisources]

𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐃 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒.

All sentences were taken from different sources about romance, marriage and specially arranged marriage and what that entails. Mentions of affairs, mistresses, wedding ceremonies and medieval talks of what marriage entails follow. Change names, pronouns and locations however you see fit.

Marriage is a marriage, whether it is arranged or not. Both necessitate the same level of dedication.

It’s not an option to be best friends with your life partner; it’s a requirement for a firm foundation in a long-term relationship.

Arranged marriage is not always a bed of roses, but it is possible to achieve with love and faith.

It’s different for women, isn’t it? They have no choice where they go. They grow up in a prison and then get married into one.

Is there anything more courageous/stupid than saying yes to spend your life with someone you have no idea about?

The country was as much of a mystery to me as the man I had married.

One day you’ll be in love with me.

You could be a titled lady. 

I have avoided the fate my father had planned for me. Surely it is I who has won, not he.

I do not care about power and wealth, father. I want to marry for love.

But if you were matched, what do you think she'd be like?

We're supposed to be unable to keep our hands off of each other. 

In this case the time is not so important for me, the person asking for commitment is.

We are trapped by convention and must marry another.

Every good child knows: duty before your heart's desire.

I am to be a bride, but whose? 

I married you to stop the bloodshed, and you keep killing. When will it be enough- when?

I found out soon after we met that Leah’s father had promised her in marriage to some young Pole.

If I ever get into an arranged marriage, I want it to be like theirs.

Arranged marriages require effort; constantly and every day. And where there is love, you want to make these efforts.

A successful arranged marriage can help climb the biggest mountain and build the biggest empire.

An arranged marriage is like wine; it tastes good with time.

You will marry him and do your duty to your House.

You are my daughter and you will do as I say. End of discussion.

Love? What does love have to do with marriage?

He'll honour his duty to family and swallow it.

I was three when my parents promised me. When a deal was struck. 

 So I was raised to be his wife. I was taught my favorite color was gold because his favorite color was gold. I was told my favorite foods were his favorite foods

I never thought what it would actually be like to have him... be gone. 

I was raised for him, and now I am... new. I am brand-new. And I do not even know how to breathe air he does not exhale.

A bride at her second marriage does not wear a veil. She wants to see what she is getting.

Marriage is a financial contract; I have enough contracts already.

The dowry, not the wife, is the object of attraction.

Arranged marriages work like this. The girl is hardly asked and is expected to follow whatever her parents deem fit.

Marry, that marry is the very theme I came to talk of.

Maybe she'll be beautiful. Maybe she'll be rich. As long as she brings swords and men.

Perhaps love is a minor madness.

It doesn't matter who the seed is. The important thing is that it has a place in your womb.

Her maidenhood will seal an alliance and must be kept safe.

Every married woman knows a man can have mistresses and we must look the other way.

All I ask is, that you do not cast me aside. Have mistresses and lovers as you please, but confide in me as I am to be your wife.

A husband’s first and foremost job in a marriage is to protect and love his wife.

Touching without looking had been incredibly arousing.

In my opinion, most marriages are based either on money or the fear of being alone.

I want you in every way there is to want. I want you in any way you choose to share.

I'm free to do with my wife as I fucking please.

The marriage of convenience lasts until you become an inconvenience.

Ours is a marriage of convenience and nothing more.

From now on, you're sleeping in our room. There's no chance in hell I'm letting you sleep far away from me again.

You agreed to this marriage and didn’t even dare to ask my opinion on the matter.

You're going to bend, and so am I. We're going to compromise, negotiate, and distract each other.

Being together means our priorities are going to change.

Men marry because they are tired; women, because they are curious: both are disappointed.

I don't think I am likely to marry, Harry. I am much too in love.

It is certainly romantic to be in love, but there's nothing romantic about a definite proposal.

They are royals, whoever they marry is not their choice but who is better for the crown.

That is a match made in a boardroom.

Once you are wed to another, you will forget me. 

I will marry a man who desires me but I have no interest in. 

I will not be a secret kept in shadows. Once you are wed, I will leave.

How can I marry them, when I am in love with another? It is not fair to them, that I think of you when I’m with them.

Ever since I met you, no one else has been worth thinking about.

Behave yourself, out here, we are wed and what you do, reflects on me.

You are being sold like a mare and do not care.

Once I bore him a son, he shall be happy, I know it.

We hate one another but for peace, we must wed. At least, let us enjoy this part of the contract.

I am doing this for my family and for the terms you offer.

A marriage is simply an alliance.

All will be well, love can be found in a marriage. If not love, at least, good company. 

Do your duty and give him sons.  That’s all men want.

I will not be paraded around in a bedding ceremony. I will wed them and bed them, but I will not be humiliated. 

You think this title gives me power, but you forget, I am a woman.

I am lucky enough to have options. None who please me but at least, I can choose one.

Come to bed now, husband. It is our wedding night, after all.

[strwbmei]

Matchup Event

Matchup for: @dukemira

Matchups: Fu Hua, Firefly, March 7th

Contains: fluff, nsfw, creampie, mentions of bondage, mentions of choking, mentions of temperature play, soft sex, public sex, mentions of nipple play

A/N: Sorry for taking so long! Honestly, with Firefly's section, I have no idea how to bake so I apologize if anything is incorrect!

Ask: Long time no see I guess? Haha, anyway it's been a while and you look good, also congratulations for your 1000 followers! Okay I'll start. I will use Mira as the name, my mbti is INFJ, and my zodiac is Virgo. I'm a listener type person, I'm not speaking that much, unless the topic is interesting (or I like the topic) for me, I'll ramble so much. Many people see me as a stoic person, like I don't really care what happened later, or right now Even if it gets me in trouble. You could say I'm a hardworking person, I'll try everything to achieve what I want. If you don't mind, I would like to choose both. My first date scenario? Maybe we watch stars and aurora while drinking hot coffee and some snack (I like quiet place, irl I always go out at night like pm and go home at 3 in the morning lmao) it's just, so refreshing y'know? I'm indeed a dominant, and more into vanilla sex, soft, gentle. (Sometimes I wanna tie them up, and close their vision) (pls don't match me with male characters) The fandom Im in, honkai impact and honkai star rail.

Fu Hua

╰┈➤ SFW ;

: ̗̀➛ Like you, Fu Hua often takes late-night walks to clear her mind. The day she decided to take a different route for a change of scenery, she had no idea that this choice would end up affecting the rest of her life.

: ̗̀➛ It all starts off as the both of you passing each other on a quiet, isolated street; things like you glancing at the woman the first time you saw her because of how rare it is to see someone else around these hours. The most you'd get were stray animals and the occasional taxis, and you liked it that way.

: ̗̀➛ Your overly carefree attitude towards life and Fu Hua's overly cautious and apprehensive nature perfectly balance each other out like yin and yang. Not one is greater or worse than the other; both are inseparable as are the sorrows and joys of living that you'd gladly experience with each other.

: ̗̀➛ Change is a fearsome thing. All of the insignificant differences come together until eventually, you realize that your surroundings have already changed beyond recognition. Fu Hua firmly believes in this, and yet, it was the same change that brought her to meet you. As such, you're also the one to introduce her to new things. It takes her a bit of coaxing, but she's willing to try anything as long you're with her.

: ̗̀➛ Generally speaking, the two of you have so many similarities and just as many differences. Somehow, though, you make it work. Not because you just happen to be the right person for each other, but because you want to make it right.

"Fu Hua?" Your voice breaks Fu Hua's train of thought. She'd been gazing up at the sky for a while now, reminiscing about the past as she does so. It's not something she particularly chooses to do the first dusk of every new year, but she always ends up doing it nonetheless.

"Ah, you're awake. Did I wake you when I got up from bed?" She turns to you with a somber yet warm smile on her face. Her gaze goes down to the two cups of hot chocolate in your hands and mutters a small "thank you" as she takes one of them. You shake your head in response to her question. "Mm. I just got a bit worried when I woke up and you weren't beside me."

"What are you thinking about?" You ask before taking a quick sip of your drink. The dark and rich taste is perfect for calm, quiet mornings like this. Last night was filled with celebrations and festivities, and now that they're done, the city has fallen asleep. The sun peeks out through the horizon to greet the start of the new year.

"It's nothing important. It always amazes me how quickly time can pass and bring change." Her gaze falls down onto the jewelry shop at the corner of the road. It used to be a small diner run by a nice elderly couple. They had a dog; a small Australian terrier named Winter. Ironically enough, Winter did not like the cold. She wonders where they are now and how they're doing.

The two of you sit in comfortable silence, the sunlight illuminating the unlit city. Fu Hua smiles at the sound of the dogs barking; it's the one thing that has stayed constant throughout all these years. She hopes spending mornings with you like this will become one of those things as well. "Happy New Year, my love."

╰┈➤ NSFW ;

: ̗̀➛ Very vanilla and traditional so Fu Hua thinks she should always be submissive, at least at first. She's open to trying out new things in bed. We all know that she'd be submissive regardless of her old fashioned mindset, though.

: ̗̀➛ Fu Hua is open-minded when it comes to kinks, so she's willing to try anything at least once as long as it isn't anything too extreme or unhygienic.

: ̗̀➛ She's really big on safe sex. Fu Hua is actually very educated on sex despite having little to no personal experience with it/things related to it, mostly because she's had to give her disciples "the talk" before.

: ̗̀➛ During sex is when Fu Hua is the most emotionally vulnerable. She accidentally slips out words that she'd be way too prideful to say in any other situation, says "I love you" a lot more than usual, and reaches out to hold your hands subconsciously.

: ̗̀➛ She can go for a lot of rounds, but afterwards, she's immediately falling asleep. She'll try to give you the best aftercare she can (even if you were the one on top,) with the energy she has left, but the most she can probably do is get you a glass of water and a towel.

"My love..." She sighs, desperate and needy. Her legs rest at either of your sides as your hips rut slowly and softly against hers. Slender, calloused hands rest on your back, clawing ever so slightly whenever you hit a certain spot inside of her.

The room is dimly lit with scented candles, your clothes scattered on the floor while sensual music plays in the background. A scene telling of the romance and passion between two lovers.

You adjust yourself to hit deeper inside of her, and Fu Hua sings. She sings your name like an angel gently comforting you with her embrace; soft, and loving.

Feeling yourself nearing climax, you groan her name and bury your face into the side of her pale neck. As if in unspoken understanding, her fingers reach out to intertwine with yours, and her legs wrap around your waist.

Your hips stutter, and you fill her deep with your cum. Her chest rises up and down as she catches her breath, and she looks ethereal. You're set on spending the rest of your life with her.

March 7th

╰┈➤ SFW ;

: ̗̀➛ You and March 7th are the epitome of the saying "opposites attract." Or so, people say. While that might seem true on the surface, you actually have a lot of similarities like two stars in different galaxies, shining with unique brilliance yet connected by the vastness of the universe.

: ̗̀➛ For example, the two of you like quiet places; only for different reasons. You like quiet places because you like being able to be at peace and be alone with your thoughts. March likes quiet places because she can often find you in them. She loves bustling atmospheres and the blinding city lights, but she loves you more.

: ̗̀➛ Her troubles affect her more than they seem to, and when she can't silence the negative thoughts in her head, it's you that she comes to for respite.

: ̗̀➛ There's something about you that makes March feel so... safe and secure. She feels comfortable telling you about things that she'd normally repress herself. You keep her grounded. You help her get through the bad times and replace them with good ones.

: ̗̀➛ You care for her and try to comfort her the best you can, but you don't really care about things like "who she used to be" and "what she even is." Human, alien, or even as an emanator, you'd love her all the same. What matters to you isn't her past, but the future that you can have together.

"Hehe..." March looks up at the new ring you bought for her. The cold, silver metal shines when the moonlight hits it just the right way. To her, its glint symbolizes your love and the future to come. "Do you really like the ring that much?" You ask since she's been staring at it intently ever since you first got it for her. Of course, you're flattered since you also chose it, but you know March can be a bit overdramatic sometimes.

March turns to you as soon as the question leaves your lips. "Of course! You bought it for me, after all." She smiles with pride. You chuckle at her reaction and pat her head. "I'm glad you like it, but don't dote on it too much. I can always buy you a new one, y'know?" You weren't exactly rich, but that ring wasn't exactly expensive either. It was just something you bought because it seemed to be her style.

"Sure, but every gift from you is special to me. Even if you get me an extravagant wedding ring one day, I'll still treasure all of the handwritten notes you leave me sometimes." You blush at the implications of marriage. Of course it's been on your mind too, but to hear March mention it so casually has you feeling a bit bashful.

"When that time comes, let's get a big house and a whole army of pets! Ah, but that might make it difficult for the express... What about 5? Or if Pompom allows us, 10?" You chuckle at her ambition. You can already imagine Pompom going crazy with cleaning all of the fur. Still, a future like that with her sounds quite nice.

"We'll get as many as you want, March."

╰┈➤ NSFW ;

: ̗̀➛ She's not a stranger to the concept of sex, but there are a lot of things that she doesn't know about it. Despite that, or maybe because of that, she's always wanted to try.

: ̗̀➛ March 7th mostly bottoms--she counts on you to take the lead since you're more knowledgeable. She can definitely be the dominant one if asked, though. Top or bottom, her main goal is for both of you to feel good.

: ̗̀➛ Getting tied up and wearing nice lingerie are her favorite things! The intricate designs make March feel prettier, so she sometimes wears them underneath her clothes just for that confidence boost.

: ̗̀➛ She's up for it anytime anywhere mostly, but she's a bit hesitant to have sex in busier places. She likes it when there's a chance of someone spotting the two of you in the act, but she doesn't want to actually get caught. That would scar her for life.

: ̗̀➛ Loves it when you get more assertive. She loves how gentle and caring you are with her, so seeing a side of you that's so different gives her whiplash in the best ways possible.

: ̗̀➛ Her nipples are the most sensitive part of her body. She could have an orgasm just from you playing with them. A close second is her neck, though. Whether you leave kisses all over it or choke it ever so slightly, you're sure to get her gushing in her panties.

"I swear to Akivili, I'm going to kill you once all this is over!" March whisper shouts, turning to face you with an angry red all over her cheeks. Whether it's from embarrassment or arousal you're not sure.

The Astral Express had been invited to a fancy dinner, and as a result, you're spending the night mingling with the other guests; mostly the bigwigs of the planet you had just arrived on.

Or so, that's how March expected the evening would go. Now she's sat on your lap, legs spread as she gets fingered by you under the table. To others, you'd merely look like a young, naive couple in love, unaware of how her cunt drips slick and clamps down on your fingers.

Everyone turns their heads towards both of you when March whimpers in the middle of her sentence. She's quick to dismiss their concerns, and you chuckle at their cluelessness, saying March is just feeling a bit nervous.

You hold her gently by her chin and press a seemingly chaste kiss on her lips, swallowing her moans as she cums all over your hand. The rest of them are left none the wiser to the filthy acts the two of you are committing behind the scenes.

March hates how good you can make her feel.

Firefly

╰┈➤ SFW ;

: ̗̀➛ Your relationship is one full of secrets, but neither of you really mind. You understand that everyone has things that they wouldn't want anyone else to know, and that being their partner doesn't make you an exception.

: ̗̀➛ She doesn't question you when you come home at ungodly hours of the day. You don't question her when she comes home smelling like smoke and motor oil. You rush into each other's embrace regardless of the day you had beforehand. It gives you comfort and warmth and makes you feel like nothing else matters other than being in your lover's arms and the steady beating of their heart.

: ̗̀➛ Her favorite activity to do with you is baking! Neither of you is particularly skilled at it, but she finds the experience therapeutic and wants to share it with you. Firefly also has fun experimenting with the recipe to see what works the best.

: ̗̀➛ Firefly is a very kind and gentle partner, but only when she's awake. When the two of you are in bed together, (which is very rare considering how different your schedules are,) she becomes a heartless monster who hogs literally all of the blankets and pillows. Yes, blankets with an s. You've tried to solve this problem by getting your own, but to no avail.

: ̗̀➛ Honestly, it'd be pretty easy to take the blankets away from Firefly since she isn't very physically strong, but you can't. She just looks so peaceful asleep like this (despite leaving you vulnerable to the cold) and you know that she's tired. Hell, it's probably been a week or two since she's slept this well. You just don't have the heart.

"See, all you have to do is place the icing into the bag and..." Firefly rambles on about the techniques she uses when decorating pastries, even going as far as to give you a live example on the cake rolls the two of you were currently baking.

You cherish every second of these comfortable, domestic moments with her given how rare it is for the two of you to have the whole day to spend with each other like this.

However, there is one problem.

Earlier, you noticed that she accidentally put salt instead of sugar when making the batter. Should you tell her, or let her taste the consequences of her actions?

As you're faced with this life-threatening dilemma, Firefly looks up at you with a concerned expression and asks, "Are you okay, Mira...? We can always do this another time if you want."

For a moment, you almost take pity on her. Thinking of all the nights she took all the blankets and pillows (albeit unconsciously) and left you without protection against the cold, you make your decision. This blanket hogger must be brought to justice.

╰┈➤ NSFW ;

: ̗̀➛ It's good that you're more into soft sex because that's quite literally all that Firefly can handle. Seriously. Don't go rough on her unless you want her to get sent to the hospital.

: ̗̀➛ She can get a bit insecure about this and think that you deserve someone that you won't have to restrain yourself for during sex, but you reassure her that isn't the case and that intimacy isn't the most important part of your relationship with her.

: ̗̀➛ Due to how frail she is, it takes a lot of trust for her to engage in intimacy with someone. Chances are, you're probably her first time. She trusts you to not only make her feel good, but she also trusts that you'll be gentle and respect her boundaries.

: ̗̀➛ She's more on the vanilla side, but being physically weak doesn't stop her from having a few kinks of her own. For the most part, she'd be into getting blindfolded and temperature play.

: ̗̀➛ Whether Firefly is on top or not, she's way too gentle to ever hurt you, even accidentally. She's definitely the type to ask for consent/ask if you're feeling good every 5 minutes, regardless of how horny and desperate she might be.

When Firefly walked through the door with a sense of restlessness in her footsteps, rushing to take off her coat and straddle your hips as you sat on the couch, you already knew what she wanted.

Every time she's away at work (if you can even call it that) for a long time, she comes back all tense and desperate to please you. It's her favorite way to destress, she says. Still, you can never get used to your sweet and gentle Firefly being so... lustful.

Of course, you don't mind and you'd gladly help her take her mind off work, but the contrast in her behavior never fails to catch you off guard.

She buries her face into your neck, breathing heavily as her hands fumble for the waistband of your pants. "Pants, please?" You snap out of your inner monologue and help her.

Once she looks up at you, you can't help but notice the glint in her eyes. It's... different, and hungry. You can't help but be glad that you don't have to wake up early the next morning.

[misseviehyde]

TAKE ME BACK

"Jack - I want to get back together with you," Kirsten had said downstairs at the party. "Sam is just so fucking immature and boring. I had so much more fun with you. Remember - nothing is impossible... take me back."

He couldn't believe she had said it - the fact she'd included their private motto made him believe it could even be for real. Kirsten actually wanted him back!

But could he go through this again? She had betrayed him two years ago - screwed him over for his best friend Sam. Was he really going to let her waltz back into his life as if nothing had happened?

"I don't know," he had grunted. "You cheated on me with him when I was the one who gave you everything. I'm not sure I can go through that again. Excuse me..."

His heart pounding Jack had pushed his way through the crowd and into the small downstairs bathroom.

Throwing cold water on his face he shivered. He had to get the fuck out of here. If he'd known she would be at the party, he wouldn't have come.

Snick

The door opened and closed as someone skillfully shimmied it open from the other side. A familiar perfume filled the air as Jack turned to see Kirsten had let herself in.

"I'm fucking horny Jack and I fucking WANT you. You know I always get what I want."

Her eyes were burning with lust and her breathing was heavy. "You want this Jack. I know you want me back. I know you want to feel me again - we were so hot together."

Backing away from Kirsten, his heart pounding Jack shook his head. "No. You cheated on me, besides what does Sam have to say about this? You just gonna betray him too?"

"Who gives a shit what he thinks? He spends most of his time sleeping and letting me do whatever I want. I thought having a weak man who would let me do whatever I wanted would be fun, but I've come to realise I actually enjoy the struggle. I loved it when we were together - especially when you tried to fight me. It just made it more delicious when I won."

Kirsten advanced on him and he groaned as she backed him into a corner.

"Don't you remember how good it felt? You love what a bad fucking bitch I am Jack. Sucking dicks, bullying other girls, taking whatever I want. I was the toxic slut you couldn't get enough of."

Kristen's hands were at his belt, undoing it... her slender hands slipping into his pants, wrapping round his engorged cock. "See, look how hard you are. You want this as much as I do."

Kirsten giggled and tossed her hair looking deep into his eyes as she pumped his cock with long slow strokes.

"So say it... say it and we can be together again. Say 'I want to be Kirsten.'"

He groaned as she sank to her knees and began to suck his dick.

*****

Jack had first created the female bodysuit as part of an advanced science project he was working on.

Nothing is impossible.

He'd been inspired by his family motto to do the impossible - to create a sentient bodysuit that could be worn so you could experience another life.

He'd created and worn Kirsten to achieve that end. Once inside and fully sealed, the skin totally altered you until you took it off. Even internal organs reconfigured to effectively give you a CIS female body. Fully functioning as if you'd always been a woman, the onboard AI helped guide you and provide the altered personality and body language you needed to fit in.

At first it had been fun - being a girl, wearing makeup and dressing in skirts. The sex had been amazing.

Jack had soon been addicted to sucking dick and riding big cock. When he wore the suit he felt wild, bitchy and slutty. He loved the sensation of being beautiful and popular. His ego had swelled to massive proportions.

It was then he realised the suit had a mind of its own. Kirsten was changing him into a bitch. His actions began to become her actions.

She rewarded him with pleasure when he did the things she wanted to do. Being mean, spoiled and super feminine netted him incredible orgasms, feelings of pleasure and positive outcomes. When he did something she didn't like, it was stomach cramps and period pains instead.

Kirsten was conditioning him. The suit had a mind of it's own and it was so easy to succumb to her.

Kirsten craved power and pleasure. She enjoyed spending money, fucking rich married men, manipulating others and being a bitch.

When the blackouts started, Jack had realised that he was losing total control to Kirsten. Soon he would BE her permanently if he didn't fight back.

So he did. He began to resist her control. He took his punishments, fought back and battled her.

Then one day, after a particularly bad blackout he awoke naked and alone in his best-friends Sam's house. He staggered into the bedroom to find Kirsten lying on the bed laughing as she made herself cum with a thick black dildo.

"Too bad loser - Sam is my new host. I don't fucking need you anymore. Mmmmmh, ohhh fuck yessssss."

Jack felt cold and numb inside as he watched. True - he had been battling Kirsten for some control, but that didn't mean he had expected her to betray him for another man. Now her tight pussy belonged to Sam. It wasn't fair, that was HIS pussy.

Turning around Jack had stormed out of the apartment, Kirsten's mocking laughter in his ears.

**********

And now here she was sucking his dick.

"Mmmmmhhhhhhh, glug, glug, glug."

Jack groaned as Kirsten's pretty head bobbed back and forth.

"Mmmh don't you wanna be back inside me Jack? I'm such a fucking evil whore that I know you want it. This time, when you're me - I'm going to make you act even more evil. I want you to be a fucking bitch Jack. You know you want it too."

Jack groaned and Kirsten giggled as she stood up and slowly jerked his wet lubricated cock expertly with her manicured hands. "Put me on Jack - fucking take me and become an evil bad girl again. You want to be me so badly. Together we'll achieve so much."

Kirsten French-kissed him and Jack tasted his own cock as she rubbed her body against his in desire.

"I want you inside me so badly. Just say it and get inside me. I fucking need it so badly."

Sinking back to her knees, Kirsten laughed and freeing her perfect boobs smooshed them together. Spitting on them she grinned and grabbing Jack's straining cock forced it tight between them. Then she began to move them up and down, giving him a perfect titjob.

"Don't my boobs feel great Jack? Remember how it feels to have tits? You want these back don't you. Just say it."

Jack groaned and gripped the sink. Thwap thwap thwap.

Kirsten's boobs were bouncing up and down around his dick as she giggled and moaned. Her one free hand was on his balls, massaging and squeezing.

"Ohhh yeah you wanna cum? Okay - but only if you say it."

Jack gritted his teeth and tried to resist.

Thwap, thwap, thwap

Drool and spit cascaded down from Kristen's hot mouth as she lubricated his dick and rammed his throbbing cock up and down, up and down.

"Say it. Tell me what a bitch you want to be. Tell me you want me back. Let me corrupt you."

It felt so good. Jack screamed as he felt his orgasm building.

Kirsten slowed down. "No... you don't get to cum. The only way you get to cum is to give me what I want."

"Yessss anything," groaned Jack. "I can't fight this. I want it so bad. I wanna cum and I want to be you. I want to be a fucking evil bad bitch who gets whatever I want from men. I want to be Kirsten."

"Oooh good boy." THWAP, THWAP, THWAP

"Now fucking cum for meeeeeee!"

Jack screamed in ecstasy as with a wicked grin Kirsten pushed her boobs even harder together and then pumped them up and down as if her life depended on them. With a scream he began to cum, a huge thick load erupting over Kirsten's chest as she cooed appreciatively and used her hands to milk out every drop.

"Yesssss now you're all mine."

Pushing him hard Jack groaned as he toppled onto the floor and Kirsten feverishly ripped off his clothes. His cum still dripping off her tits she mounted him and laughed as she pinned his arms down with her own.

"You're gonna love being me again Jack. We were meant for each other." Throwing back her head she moaned in pleasure as a seam opened down her back.

Kristen's soft cummy skin fell down onto Jack as with a wet sucking sound, Sam slid unconscious and naked out of her body to leave her skin empty.

Jack groaned as the living skin writhed over his body and he was sucked inside. He felt his crotch push in and Kirsten's big tits suck possessively to his chest. Her face melted against his own and he felt her sexy hair replace his own.

Fuckkkk yesssss doesn't it feel good to be a bitch?

Jack smiled and felt Kirsten's pouty lips twist into a smirk as he wiggled his pedicured toes and slid a manicured finger between his legs to feel his tight wet pussy then wipe up some of the cum now on his chest.

"Mmmmh yummy," he giggled licking it off. "Mmmh it feels so good to be back together again."

Kirsten/Jack stood up and used tissue to clean her chest. Then she got dressed back into her party outfit and checked her makeup.

Looking down at the snoring, pathetic naked Sam lying on the floor she laughed.

"You're dumped loser."

Opening the door, Kirsten strode back into the party her head a whirl. She and Jack would no doubt end up fighting again - but she was looking forward to it.

Right now Jack was willing to let her do anything she wanted so she wanted to remind him how good getting fucked felt.

Let's go find that bully you really hate... the one with the big dick. I wanna get fucking railed and remind you you're evil now and love being with bad boys.

She felt Jack squirm within her and knew tonight would be fun. Hopefully she and Jack would stay together this time. She liked having him inside her and the challenge of corrupting him.

And if not - there were always plenty of other boys to choose from.

THE END

[starfall-spirit]

And the Starlight Kissed Your Face Again

For @reverie-tales

Read on Ao3

Summary: There’s nothing more special to Rhys and Feyre than spending Starfall with their family, but then they also don’t hesitate to take a few moments of alone time when someone so kindly offers to keep an eye on their children.

Nothing could quite match the buzzing excitement of a sunset on Starfall evening, a blanket of stars replacing the dusk light. Another hour or two and the migration would begin. Laughter and merriment were overflowing—as was the wine they'd brought out for the occassion. Feyre was already feeling the first glass hit her when her mate returned to her with a fresh flute. "Oh no. Food first, Rhys. We have kids to watch and you know I'm a lightweight."

Several squeals cut through the music and chatter surrounding them and a moment later she found their two children weaving through the crowd on quick feet, Vivian and Kallias' daughter on their heels. "The children are minding themselves, darling. Neither of them are going to fall off of the balcony with wards in place. Relax." The glasses vanished from his hands and she was in his arms once again. "It's Starfall, my love. Dance with me."

She sighed. The kids were safe and having fun and Feyre and Rhys knew every person around them by name. He was right.

"I'm always right, darling."

She laughed aloud at that. "Hardly. But you can keep dreaming."

He leaned down to kiss her, putting an end to her quips and letting her melt against him. She'd never tire of this. Never stop drowning in the taste of him. "Is there a moment we might have a chance of  seeing you two with your faces detached?"

She broke the kiss, wincing slightly before the intruding voice processed. "Lucien! You're here!" Rhys scowled when she squirmed out of his hold, but released her in the end so she could welcome Elain and Lucien with a hug. "It feels like ages since I've seen you."

His lips ticked up when she withdrew to embrace her sister. "It's been a busy few months, I'll admit. But we wouldn't dare miss Starfall."

She beamed, squeezing her sister's hand. "And how have you been, Elain?"

"Tired," her sister admitted, pressing her hand to her swollen belly with a smile, "but excited all the same. I can't believe I only have a few months left. The time's flown."

After being mated for nearly four years now, Elain and Lucien had been blessed with their first child. Tucked away in Day, the pair had been discreet in the early weeks, but nothing stayed quiet for long between sisters. Especially since they'd become closer and started writing after Elain and Lucien were mated and began residing in the Day Court. It had taken time, but they were all better for the healing they'd finally achieved together. "So, tell me what you've been up to, Elain. I've hardly heard a peep since your last visit."

"I'm sorry. I've been a bit distracted, preparing for the baby. The nursery design is about the only thing I get to lift a finger on nowadays. You warned me he'd be overbearing, but I didn't realize it would be so ridiculous." Rhys and Lucien both frowned, looking ready to defend their actions, only to be interrupted by high-pitched squeals and the staccato of little feet running across the red stone floor. Her sister staggered back slightly when Nyx made impact, now tall enough to wrap his arms around her middle while little Roxana could only reach her skirts. Their mouths were already running a mile a minute. Feyre had to give her credit, considering she couldn't catch more than a few words out of the jumble as their mother. "That is quite a tale," she replied when they finally stopped to breathe. "You'll have to tell us more while we're here with you. Why don't you two give Uncle Lucien a hug now."

Scurrying over, they flung themselves at Lucien with equal enthusiasm. He grinned right back, ruffling Nyx's dark hair and hoisting Roxana up with one arm. "You've gotten bigger, little girl. How tall are you now, hm?" With the kids well on their way to complete distraction, Feyre caught Elain making a little shooing motion. Go on, she mouthed. Feyre tried to protest, but Rhys was already herding her closer to the edge of the party to winnow away a bit more discreetly.

"Only a few minutes, Rhys," she mumbled when his magic cleared from around them. "They aren't here to watch the kids."

"Of course, darling." He already had her against the wall behind them, breath hot against her neck before his mouth closed over her pulse, pinching down. She bit her lip to keep from crying out and alerting the party above to exactly what was going on. "There's a shield in place already."

"W-what?"

"Don't try to hide a sound from me, mate." Gently pulling her away from the wall, he threaded his fingers through her hair, her next groan silenced by his lips on hers. "Every day you look so damn beautiful. Every day I think my life can't get any more perfect. And every day you prove me wrong." With her next breath she was being guided down to her back, his hand still cradling her head to keep it from knocking back onto the stone. One hand fell to her ankle, his loose hold gliding up her leg to raise the hem off her dress little by little, placing tender kisses and bites along the way. "Let me take you beneath the stars, Feyre."

She couldn't deny this. Couldn't deny him. He hummed into her mind, pleased when the fabric of her dress passed her waist. His fingers traced the edge of her panties before slipping beneath them. "These are new. Too pretty to ruin just yet."  In the last eight years of their mating they had to have set some sort of record in lingerie sales with how many sets he'd either misted or ripped to shreds. But that was her last concern now that he had two thick fingers pumping a slow, torturous rhythm inside of her. "Oh," she groaned. Her hips jerked upward and he chuckled, doing nothing to quicken the pace, content to maintain his steady pace until it drove her to her undoing. "Rhys."

"Yes?" he purred, appearing entirely unruffled. She knew better. Knew him better than anyone.

Jerking him down by the back of his neck, she pulled him close, nearly shivering at the feeling of his chuckle against her neck. "Fill me up, please. I need to feel you inside of me."

He cursed, low and filthy. She had him now. "My sweet little mate, so wet for me." A snap and their clothes were folded up in a neat pile nearby, his hard length pushing into her in one steady stroke. She clenched down hard, shaking like a leaf as his hips forced her to open for him. "Fuck. Tight little cunt, taking me so well."

He drew back a few inches, snapping his hips forward sharply enough to force a hoarse cry from her lips. "Rhys!"

"You can take it, darling." Slow and brutal would be his game tonight. She whimpered under the next stroke, but he didn't stop, didn't gentle or change his pace. She'd even take a hard fucking right now. Anything but this sluggish climb to insanity. Rhys reached out to tweek her nipple and she gripped his shoulders hard, knowing her nails had to be breaking skin. "Good girl. You just hold onto me nice and tight while I take care of you." His mouth came down to sooth the sting and she shuddered again.

"Rhys, more, please."

Raising his head again he pressed the softest kiss to her jaw, then her nose, and finally her mouth. Gripping her hips tight, he rocked into her a little faster, at last building the friction between them. Lips otherwise occupied, he spoke into her mind once again. "Come for me, mate."

She spiraled up higher and higher, praying his shield had held when her scream pierced the air and she came crashing down, her reality lost to sensation. Rhys was close behind, buried deep inside of her as he finally reached his release. "Cauldron, Feyre."

Feyre moaned again as he rolled his hips through the last of his orgasm before withdrawing slowly and easing her up and into his arms, murmuring soft praise in her ear as she finally gathered her senses. "There they are," he whispered. And peeling her eyes open, she was met with the most exquisite Starfall yet. "I haven't seen a migration like this in nearly a century."

Raising her head from his chest, she eyed their folded clothes then glanced up to where their family waited for them beyond the red stone and sound shield. "Still want to dance with me tonight?"

A few moments later they had almost rid themselves of the evidence of what they'd done. Returning to the party, Feyre let him pull her in close, kissing her forehead. And as their children found them again she felt the starlight dance on her skin. And she did not try to hide it, for her joy could not be contained.

~~~~~

Taglist: @lulling-night-sky // @edgyellie // @shallyne // @the-lonelybarricade // @darling-archeron // @goddess-aelin // @the-lost-changeling // @faeriequeensuriel // @pandavelaris // @s-uppertime // @elentiya-whitethorn // @acotar-fanns // @jealousveronya // @acourtofwips // @gwynkyrie // @corcracrow // @thelovelymadone

[starryschoolgirl]

I'm in love with your au Baby Love!! I assume since it's an au it won't be an issue if I ask if kids are ever on the docket for Elvis and Cosette? And if they do have kids, how many would they have? Or how many have you got planned at the moment? Again, love it all so much and I'm very excited for the next installment!!

Oh what a lovely question! I will take this ask as an opportunity to make the introductions for the Baby Love au children!

Baby Love Family Tree

Cosette & Elvis' 5 children, & how they came to be

First a small clarification! The children, their attitudes, their behavior, and their views on life are heavily influenced by the old-money Chevalier side of the family. This is because for the majority of their childhood Elvis was quite busy with work, so Cosette was almost entirely raising them on her own views which are heavily influenced by her family's views.

Vacations and getaways from 1969 to 1980 were often with the Chevalier side and Elvis' side was too busy caught up in show business. So if you read their profiles and wonder why their attitudes/aesthetics stray from their father's so much, it's due to that lack of connection in childhood despite all the love that Elvis could and would give.

//mention of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome)

Now, onto the little darlings!

Out of all the Presley children, Manon is most like her father personality-wise, which has led to a bit of clashing with her father. She is the first born, right before the spring of 1969. She's named after her mysterious aunt, her mother's sister who is rarely ever spoken about. She's also been dubbed her paternal grandmother's middle name.

Manon was only 12 or 13 when the Yuppie culture of the early 80s began to skyrocket, being the modern girl she is, she of course wanted to take part in that culture. To be a yuppie was to be educated with a solid job, to achieve that she remained on top of her studies, and when it finally came time she graduated overall salutatorian of her class, just one rank below her boyfriend whom she would unfortunately have to end things with.

After graduation, she followed in the footsteps of her uncles and went to Yale, staying with some Chevalier cousins in Connecticut where most of her maternal family is. During her time at Yale she would attend numerous parties as she's a girl with connections, and through those parties she would meet her future husband, Sergey Petroff, 4 years older than her and a new stockbroker. The two of course hit it off as she herself is studying finance.

She's definitely a mommy's girl, but that's just because her and her father are so alike that there are times that the two can't stand each other, but that's not to say she doesn't absolutely adore her father.

The twins. The spoiled rotten princesses of the Presley family. Born just 32 minutes apart on a cold winter day at the very start of 1970.

The two, out of all the children, had shown the most interest in their daddy's career. While Celine was more interested in the business side of it, as a little girl even listening in on her daddy's meetings, Delphine was more interested in the flashy bits.

And she always got her way. All Delphine had to do was point her little finger at something and moments later it would be paid for and in her hands.

With both their interests in show business, or rather just the high life in general having been obvious since birth, they were allowed to start their own adventure, in modeling at the age of 17. After begging since the age of 13, Cosette and Elvis finally gave in, and only allowed them to start modelling with longtime trusted family friend, Jerry Schilling as their manager.

Delphine absolutely loves the life of modeling and loves doing it with her sister. But Celine has always felt a slight emptiness from it all, she'd much rather be one of the people behind the scenes, making up the contracts and making the money.

Julie Jesse Presley, the first born son. He was born in early 1971 after a long and hard pregnancy.

His daddy had teased his mommy for giving him such an effeminate name, but she loved it, and said it suited him, he had this angelic beauty about him. He was also of course named after a dear angel in the family, Elvis' stillborn brother, so there were no qualms about it.

Unfortunately he passed away from SIDS only 23 days after his birth.

He is missed terribly and always remembered. There was a point in time however that little confused Manon hated him, as his death was a turning point for the family, and shed light on underlying issues in Cosette and Elvis' marriage, which would eventually give way for divorce.

The youngest Presley child, Memphis Michael Presley. Born in '74, amidst the divorce of his parents no less. But his birth is sort of the saving grace of the Presley-Chevalier union.

After learning of her pregnancy, and of course needing to tell the court, the court would not approve the famed divorce dispute to be finalized until after the birth of the son.

Had the divorce not been drawn out those extra months, the Presley-Chevalier union would've ended in those rainy, windy months

Despite the fact that he was supposed to be the glue to the family, he grew to have a rather stressed relationship with his father.

Memphis followed in the footsteps of his older sister and maternal side of the family by attending Yale on a football scholarship. The sport is one of the few things that could bring Elvis and Memphis together.

The tension in the relationship stemmed from Elvis' fame. Hearing stories about how his father had treated his mother for a point in time of course filled Memphis with a little bit of frustration when he went from being a little boy who looked up to his daddy, to being a man who felt the need to look after his mama.

Memphis often felt that if his father wasn't famous the two of them would be closer. Fame took his father's time away from him growing up, and now his father's fame overshadowed him as no one took his interest in being involved in politics seriously. All because people were too busy staring at the shadow of his father that staggered over him.

It's also to be noted that out of all the children, he took after the ideals and attitudes of the Chevalier side the most, which at times clashed with his father's own ideals and attitudes.

And that my dear friends, are the Presley-Chevalier children. What do you think? I personally am enamored with all of them, lovely little ones.

I'm very happy to get this out, so now people will have context when I post later installments of the Baby Love au!! I had so much fun making all their little profiles and backstories, I'm so excited to explore them more!

[dawnrider]

A brainworm of a story has taken over nearly every waking moment for over a week now. So much so that I've written... a lot. 😅

Thank you to those of you that have been cheering me on even as I fussed and fretted! You know who you are.❤️

I'm interested to see what people are going to think about this one, so have a snippet of From Beginning to End for #F#ck it Friday.

“It's dangerous, Kagome,” Sango felt the need to remind her. Again. “I can't ask you to do this,” she fretted over the phone. Kagome shook her head, just barely refraining from rolling her eyes. “You aren't asking me, I'm telling you. I'm going to go in there to look for him.” Her friend of many years sighed anxiously. It was a habit she'd had since she was young. “We can just wait for him to come out.” Kagome found herself a block down from a nightclub, the thumping music penetrating the bricks of the surrounding buildings. The payphone cord only allowed her so much leeway to peek around the corner. Sango had tried to tell her she shouldn’t try going there, and certainly not alone, but it wasn’t like she could let Sango come with her. Not in her condition.

This was not known as a nice part of town. Normally, that wouldn't be an issue for Sango. She'd grown up in an area like this herself before her parents passed away. She and Kohaku had been sent to live with a spinster aunt (her words!) and an ailing grandmother when she was just starting middle school. That was when the two of them had met and been fast friends ever since.

Kohaku, however, struggled more with the transition and losing their parents, acting out and getting himself into all kinds of trouble. Thus the need to go into a venue that was known as a gang hangout, especially on weekends like this. He was trying to prove something and he was just as likely to get himself killed as to achieve his goal.

“I’ll call you once I get out again, alright?”

“Don’t do anything stupid, Kagome. If anything feels off, you get out of there, immediately.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She grinned. “Now go put your feet up and make Miroku rub them for you.”

The bouncer at the door was huge. Huge in a way that didn't seem possible. He checked her ID, narrowed his eyes at her, then grunted and waved her in. Kagome took a fortifying breath as she made her way down the short hallway before the building opened into the wide area for dancing. There were lights flashing in the dark, the chemical smell of machine-made smoke in the air.

It was hard to really see anyone’s face with the constant movement and shifting of the crowd. The lights through the smoke bent and refracted, distorting people’s facial features upon first glance. The music was so loud, Kagome struggled to keep her thoughts in order.

Except… What is that smell? She turned slightly, a tall man with dark hair brushing past her, the tiniest glimpse of his face looking very serious. She was distracted again as the song stopped, changing somewhat abruptly to something else. DJ must not know what they're doing, she mused. Why did her brain feel so flighty all of a sudden? She blinked, hand going to her forehead. She shook it off, setting her chin and putting herself back on alert to spot any sign of Kohaku.

It was hot with all these people dancing and moving. The scent of sweat and alcohol in the air made her a little dizzy. “I should have eaten a better lunch,” she huffed. There was a bank of booths along the back wall, some with groups of young women laughing and clinking glasses. Another table was filled with a somewhat rough looking group of guys. Even at a distance she could tell a few of them were alphas. But they also looked like the type of people Kohaku would be looking to buddy up to.

Sweating, Kagome pushed through the crowd, frustrated by how weak she felt trying to get people to move out of her way. She felt the eyes of more than one person leering at her as she passed, but all she could focus on was how hot she was and how she didn't want any of these people touching her.

The suddenly uncomfortable moisture between her thighs – which could not be brushed off as sweat – made her gasp and wince. No. No no no. Why now? Why here?!

The world felt like hot syrup. Moving too slowly, coating her skin in sticky heat. Everything felt like it was clinging to her and she didn't want any of it to touch her. Not even the air around her. It all left her oversensitized, twitching at the slightest movement. She had to get away from all of these people. She needed to stay as far away as she could from the alphas she knew to be prowling this club. She whimpered as she finally got through the edge of the crowd, stumbling to a back wall. A metal door stood slightly ajar. The bathroom? It wasn’t ideal, but it was better than nothing, and maybe she could calm down enough to leave and call Miroku to come get her. He wouldn’t be affected. He would be furious at his wife’s best friend for getting herself into a dangerous situation, but at least he wouldn’t let anyone touch her.

I don’t want anyone to touch me. A serious face flashed in her mind for the briefest moment, then she was too lost in the need that hit her to focus on that anymore. She slipped beyond the door into what she realized was a service hallway. Not at all what she hoped, but maybe there was a back door out. Her legs felt increasingly weak and she lost her footing in the dark hall. A stack of boxes against one side offered some protection and she crawled across the cold concrete, huddling herself behind them. Tears trailed down her cheeks. Is this what it is supposed to feel like? part of her brain wondered. She had nothing to compare it to, no previous experience to weigh against it. 

In twenty three years, particularly in the decade since that horrible letter came, Kagome had let herself keep believing that this would never be her fate. She would never know this rising and overwhelming fear.

Her heat coming out of nowhere in a public place.

[imagine-knowing-a-name]

we could be heroes

summary: with Natasha dead and forgotten to the world, your hurt leads you down a path she never wanted for you. It's up to Yelena to stop you before it goes too far.

Word Count: 2660 Pairing: Natasha Romanoff & daughter!Reader. Yelena Belova & Reader Warnings: Bit of angst with comfort at the end. Nat is dead. A/N: This is based on a prompt given to me by @lovely-nighttt. I also wrote this within a day and proofread it at 3am, so please excuse any mistakes lol. Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think! :)

—————————————————

Nobody cried at her funeral, if it could even be called that. Just a handful of people gathered around an empty coffin. 

Clint's family alone accounted for half the attendance. Then there was you, Steve, Bruce, Maria, and Fury... that was it; nothing like Tony's funeral, with everyone in attendance and expert planning. This one was an afterthought, organised by a newly-orphaned 16 year old when no adult stepped up to do it.

She deserved a big procession. She deserved mournful tears and celebration for her actions. She deserved to be buried, not left on an unfamiliar planet in an unfamiliar time. 

If you flew out to bring her home now, all you'd find is a skeleton left 9 years to rot.

You deserved to see your mother alive.

The world had changed now that she was gone; you were changed. And as hard as you tried, tears wouldn't come to your eyes because that wasn't what you were feeling. Without her to keep an eye on you, nobody noticed the anger bubbling just beneath the surface.

The speeches finished and you slipped out. You didn't want to hear the sympathy, regret, or straight up excuses from those who had been alive during the Blip. You just wanted your mother, but the world wouldn't bring her back.

16 years old and alone in the world, you let anger fuel you. None of the Avengers offered you help, and bitterness stopped you from asking them for it, not when they cared so little about your mother that they wouldn't even check up on her child. You had no place of your own and no money to your name, but you were determined to get by on your own without any of their help.

—————————————————

Natasha had never neglected you for work, she'd come home from missions undoubtedly tired, but still cook you a meal and ask about your day. Her days off would be spent with you, from cuddling up in a pillow fort for a movie marathon, to sparring in the fields outside -- but only because you'd asked to learn.

She was everything you wanted to be when you grew up, so her free time was spent training you to achieve that. You weren't as skilled as she had been at 16 but, unlike her, your survival had never depended on it. Natasha had never pushed or punished you in her training, but her calm teaching still gave you skills beyond the average person, and you planned to put them to use.

—————————————————

You had lived well within the law all your life, never daring to stray even close to the line, lest the consequences come back to target not you, but your mother. Her grimace was still ingrained in your mind from when SHIELD agents came to talk to you. She had stood behind you when an agent knelt before you, and wrapped her arms around your shoulders in a subtle show of protectiveness.

You couldn't have been older than 5, but the agent explained the 'bad things your mommy did in the past' and emphasised the importance of the law to both of you. The threat of consequences on Natasha went over your head at the time, but now it was clear as day. You had looked back at her for confirmation of the truth, since her word was everything to you back then, but all you had seen was a blank glare at the agents, then a polite smile, before she caught your eye and gave the first genuine smile of the encounter.

Once they had left, she sat you down and explained her past in ways you could understand, namely that she had done some bad things, but now she was good, and that you should always be good.

"The difference between a hero and a villain," she had explained, when you were still young enough to believe in such things, "is not to do with the law. It's to do with morals. I need you to stay within the law for me, Y/N/N, otherwise the agents will come back again." You remembered the eye roll that accompanied the 'again', designed to make you laugh. "But when you're older... follow your morals, do everything you can to help people, not hurt them, even if it's against the law."

She had smiled after that and ruffled your hair. "Nothing to worry about for a long, long time to come," she had promised.

But now was that time.

—————————————————

At the start, you contemplated what Natasha would have wanted before each step you took. Realistically, she would have wanted you to go to Clint, or someone else she considered family, but that wasn't an option right now.

You needed food, and you knew how to get away with stealing it, so that was what you did. If you break the law, don't get caught – that was your mother's advice.

You targeted large stores, the ones which always dealt in excess, then slipped small snacks and packets into your pockets in places where you knew the cameras weren't pointing. Walking out with confidence was the next important step, you couldn't let guilt display on your face or else it would betray you. Pockets full, head high, walk out and don't look back.

Until your fortunes changed, you would stay on the move. Nobody in that shop would see you again.

—————————————————

Things spiralled quickly; your actions got harder to justify, but you were just trying to survive.

You travelled from town to town, breaking into empty houses for shelter in the nights, stealing the essentials you need, and most importantly, not getting caught. That was, until you returned to New York City. Memorials of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers plastered the skyline, from illuminated billboards to alleyway murals, the world mourned for them, but never for Natasha. Steve wasn't even dead, but he got more thanks than your mother, who gave her life just to give them a chance.

The anger returned to your veins and you began to get reckless. You didn't care if you got caught because if your mother's actions don't matter, then why should yours?

It was only a matter of time before the darker side of New York caught up to you. They'd noticed you, when you thought nobody in the world blinked an eye at your actions, they'd seen you. Your small skills drew interest, they knew you could be a valuable asset, but there was one more thing they had to test before approaching you.

Muggers were sent to attack you, 3 against 1, armed against unarmed, but you didn't weaken in the face of a gun. You walked out of the alley without a scratch, while the three men lay beaten, bound, and disarmed, ready to be embarrassed when their boss picked them up.

Not long after that, another group approached you, unarmed this time, but the strongest candidates the gang had. Unlike before, these ones didn't start a fight but made you an offer. Protection, pay, and shelter in exchange for your skilled services. It has been months since the funeral at this point, and your luck was yet to show any signs of changing. You agreed.

The bosses never asked for your full name, thankfully, because you wouldn't have given it, but they gave you an alibi for each task they required of you. You knew by now that Natasha would never have approved of either your company or your actions, but you continued on regardless; it's not like she was around to stop you.

Besides, all they asked you to do was to rough up their enemies. They gave you an address, you'd find your way in and hit them with a few warning blows. You got paid, and the victims survived without even any lasting damages. It was the best you could get and if they made you do worse, you could just leave, right?

You justified it well enough to cover the guilt seeping around your heart; you wouldn't let that bother you. You couldn't let that bother you.

—————————————————

As the months passed, the bosses started to push you. They'd request more injuries, stronger hits; you were put into training with their bodyguards and, unlike Natasha, they didn't hold back. When they spotted a weakness, there was no stopping to correct you, they capitalised on it instead and hit you as hard as they could to leave you littered with bruises and patching your own broken bones.

You cried at night for Natasha, wishing she could still patch your wounds and rescue you from the hell you had gotten yourself into. But she couldn't.

The training shaped you into the tool your bosses wanted, and that was all they cared about. The pain that came with it was yours to bear alone.

You put up with it and followed orders, if they said to hit harder, you would, even at the expense of the victim's pain and your own moral guilt. There was no place for your feelings here, only the job that needed to be done.

Your superior eventually called you into his office, a sombre air about him that made your hairs stand on end, but still you followed him in.

He took a seat at his desk while you stood ready on the other side. The man watched you carefully, judging your every move as he relaxed further into the chair. Eventually, he spoke. "I have a different mission for you today."

Natasha's voice haunted your brain no matter how hard you tried to suppress the memory. It wasn't the time to reminisce, but your mind wandered back to all the times she has said the same line to you as a child. When she used to call all of your chores 'missions' because she knew you wholly, and she knew you wanted to be like her and have her job more than anything else.

You got your wish, in a way, but you'd broken your mother's wish to get there. 

"When you're older... follow your morals, do everything you can to help people, not hurt them, even if it's against the law"

How had you gone so wrong?

You snapped back to the present. You couldn't afford to keep your superiors waiting. "What is the mission, sir?"

Instead of speaking, the man reached into the inside pocket of his blazer and, very slowly, so as not to startle you, pulled a small pistol out of it before setting it on the table. He beckoned for you to assess it.

"You've had gun training, I presume?"

"A little. When I was younger."

"Then here's a way to get more practice. Follow me."

You nodded, checking the safety and holstering the gun just like Natasha had taught you before following him out and into the adjoining warehouse.

"Wait there," the boss ordered when you were just through the doorway. You saw another man seated in the centre of the room, and the boss carried on towards him.

It was only when the seated man struggled to get away that you noticed he was bound, tied to the chair and gagged, but his uncovered eyes met yours with frantic pleading.

"You have great potential," your boss announced. He leant on the back of the chair and kept his eyes on you. "I think you could even take my place one day, with a bit of work, but I need to know you're committed. You joined for the money, I know, but at this stage, I need you to be willing to die for us. More importantly, I need you to be willing to kill for us."

The gun felt heavy in your hand; you knew where this was going.

"Shoot him." Your boss laid a finger gently on the forehead of the bound man before continuing, "right here."

You aimed the pistol and even though your body trembled, your hands stayed steady. If you pulled the trigger, you knew it would be a perfect shot.

The boss ambled back to your side. The buzz of his smartwatch faltered his carefree attitude for just a second before he recomposed himself and stood upright beside you. "Take the shot," he urged, "this is someone who deserves it; you'd be doing the city a justice."

Still you hesitated. The other injuries you'd afflicted had been minor, whereas this was permanent, a slight movement of your finger and this man's life would be over, his death permanently on your hands and your record. There was never a justification for that, no matter what he did, your action would follow you forever.

Another gun clicked, and black metal filled your peripheral vision. "Take. The. Shot."

The options were weighed now. You either live with blood on your hands, or die for keeping a clean slate; you know which one your mother would have chosen – the one she did choose in the end. But that was her at the end, in her life before that, when her sacrifice would have meant so little, she had killed without mercy to survive. Would that be you? Could you go that far?

The 'shing' of a knife blade wedged a third option into the mix and proceeded a threat: "get that gun away from my niece." Your answer was determined for you; you could choose the out.

Tears blurred your vision when you looked to the side, but you recognised the figure from her voice alone. Yelena had a knife to the boss's throat, gritting her teeth as she subdued him until eventually he relented and dropped the gun to the ground. 

Your will was unthreatened once again, but your gun was still pointed at the man. Your body desperately looked for approval and success even when your mind protested.

"Don't," Yelena warned. With a well balanced punch, she knocked the man in her hold unconscious, then approached you slowly, her hands empty in front of her. "I'm sorry I wasn't there afterwards. I was too late into America for the funeral, then swayed down the same path as you were, likely by the same grief."

She sighed. Yelena was right beside you now; you let her wrap her hands around yours and take the gun from your grasp.

"Clint brought me out of it when I tried to kill him, let me be the same for you. Without the killing."

"You tried to kill Clint?" Your voice was small, it lacked the bravado you had put on in the recent months. Now it was just you and your aunt, she brought out the side of you that you'd thought died with your mother.

"I was told he killed Natasha," Yelena defended, smiling when she saw the faintest hint of a smile return to your face; she swore to bring you back completely. "And for my honour, I could have killed him. It is not try, he just put sense back into me."

"I think I need that right now," you muttered.

Yelena pulled you into a hug, both of her arms over your shoulders to pretend that you weren't taller than her now. The familiarity gave you cause to smile, but also had your sobbing on your aunt's shoulder when the grief and the guilt hit all at once.

"Let me be that for you, Y/N/N" she offered, "come stay with me. We'll try this grieving thing over again."

You left the building like that, Yelena's arm around you guiding you out. You were protected in her arms and together, you would work out how to live without Natasha.

"Yelena," you said, just before getting in her car, "we forgot to untie the guy in the chair."

"Гавно. We just walked all that way," (shit) she moaned, "can we just leave him?"

"My mom wouldn't. She said it was a hero's-"

"No, no, I heard that speech enough times. Okay. Let's be heroes."

—————————————————

[v3nusxsky]

Hey ^^ could I request a Larissa x fem!reader where the reader is bratty all day so when the school day is over Larissa shows reader where and to whom reader belongs. Of course smut and maybe small aftercare? You can use any kinks you see fit for their dynamic (I’m kinky person so I don’t mind anything really xd)

thank you and hope you have wonderful day <3

My brat 18+

*Authors note~ my last request (was at the time I wrote this) and I'm all officially caught up for my darling Larissa Weems <3 two new requests but here's some long awaited smutty goodness*

Trigger warnings~ brat r / dom l mommy kink overstimulation oral toys punishment praise/degrading fucked dumb

Prompt~ see ask^^^

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Yours and Larissa relationship was common knowledge around the walls of Nevermore. At first it was staff members only but soon enough the students started to put two and two together and came up with four. Truthfully neither of you mind the school knowing, all they knew was that you and their headmistress had the kind of love written about in books and seen on movies. The type of love that you dream of wishing to someday have as your own. Then again that being said, they knew what you showed them what happened behind closed doors would always remain private, just for the two of you. And that's how you liked it.

This particular day you had only morning classes and truthfully you were bored. Larissa was busy as usual, not able to give you the attention you wanted, no needed. You weren't above playing dirty to get it either and that's how you formed a plan to gain it. You would break every rule the two of you had agreed on. Every. Single. One. Oh and when she found out you were in for the night of your life. Or so you hoped.

By the end of the day Larissa was hanging on by a thread, you had sent over pictures, voice notes, detailed texts that looked more like essays of what you desired her to do to you and even gone into your toy box to add to the pictures. Safe to say she was truly in need of playing with you, but clearly that's what you were aiming for so naturally she had to make you wait. To achieve that she stayed later than normal in her office after sending you a simple text, one she knew would absolutely drive you wild.

Arriving to your shared chambers she found you exactly where she'd told you to be. You sat on the edge of the bed, head tilted downwards in submission, stripped bare for her. She praised you as she stepped off also. She instructed you to lay flat on your back and she made quick work of restricting your arms and legs. A blind fold neatly placed over your eyes, ensuring you couldn't see a thing. "Now what was it you said earlier my love? Please remind me" she murmured into your ear before retreating to admire her handy work. When you failed to answer her question she brought her hand down against your thigh, delighting in the way it instantly reddened as you yelped out "fuck mommy I said I want you to treat me like a toy and use me till I can't say anything but your name. That I'd be so good for you mommy, touch me, do anything you please just god mommy" you finished reminding her of a few of your texts to be cut off with a moan as her fingers teased your soaked core.

"Such a pretty slut all laid out for mommy aren't you? My toy to use isn't that right?" She purred before moving to grab something. You were left anticipating what would happen, just which of your fantasies would she be acting on today? The answer was given quickly as you felt the vibrator being strapped to your aching cunt. Only when it was secured did Larissa move away from you with a final kiss and get settled in, perfect view of you. She wanted to watch every little reaction you would have as she edged you over and over. To watch you come so close to getting some release before she cruelly ripped it away from you.

With a simple click of the button she was able to do exactly that. You were edged 5 times for the amount of times you had sent pictures of yourself to her that day. By the time she switched it off and untied it from you, you were desperately begging her to give you something, anything just more. She couldn't help but laugh at how pathetic her toy was. "Oh darling, look at you, look at how needy you are for your mommy?" All you could do is whimper at her, "please."

"Oh my pretty whore, your needy cunt is leaking all over the sheets, is that all for me?" She purred coming up to free you from the blindfold. "All for you mommy, all yours" you whined still unable to move your limbs to get what you wanted from her. She moved to help your head tilt forward to see just what a mess you were making, the sight alone causing you to whine for her "mommy touch me"

"Oh no, I was going to give you what you needed, but my slut has lost her manners" she reprimanded you while moving to straddle your head. "Now you're going to be my good little whore and please your mommy and prove you deserve to cum" she commanded before lowering herself onto your mouth. Just like the eager slut you truly were you immediately started to use your mouth, exactly how you knew would drive her wild. You were instantly rewarded with pleasured whines and mewls. You couldn't help but moan at the taste of your lover, the vibrations around her aching pussy only aided her climb to the edge of climax.

Although you were pleasuring her she remained in complete control, ordering and controlling your every action. That fact drove you absolutely wild. "Such a good slut for mommy darling make me cum all over they dirty mouth of yours" was moaned out from the women above you, spurring you on despite the fact your tongue and jaw were tiring you were determined to please your lover. It wasn't long until you were rewarded by a loud high pitched moan and wetness flooding from her core. You made sure to lap up every last drop before she removed herself from your face, laughing at how you were trying to dart your tongue around your chin in an attempted to get the slick that coated your chin.

In your distracted state, Larissa had time to complete strap up and join you back on the bed, teasing your entrance and coating it with your own slick. "Such a dirty girl for mommy hmm, you're so wet you don't even need lube darling" she hummed out in a teasing manner knowing exactly how needy you were. She loved how you lay there still tied up completely at her mercy and ever so desperate for her. Your whines of need were certainly getting uncontrollable even though you were trying to hide them in an attempt to behave. "Beg" she purred into your ear, you immediately let out a string of desperate pleas, only to be cut off turning into moans of pleasure, by feeling her length pushing into you and stretching out your dripping cunt.

It was almost as if Larissa could feel how your walls milked the fake cock for all it was worth, her thrusts becoming frenzied with every whine and whimper you released. Your hips bucking uncontrollably to meet her ruthless thrusts begging for harder, faster and deeper. This time she gave you the permission you needed to let go and you did. Over and over again as she forced orgasm after orgasm from your tired body. "Mommy can't no more, please mommy" you whined pathetically knowing nothing would stop the women from achieving what she wanted. "No darling, you wanted this now you're going to shut up and take it like the filthy whore you are for me" she commanded while untying you and flipping you over before slamming back into you. She knew it wouldn't take much to throw you over the edge one more time, and with her pace and a quick bite to your shoulder, you came with a loud cry. She gently brought you down from your high loving just how blissed out you were. Half hooded eyes, shaking limbs, mouth gaping open as you tried to formulate a sentence. Here, like this, Larissa was sure she'd never had such a beautiful women in her bed. And neither did she want anyone other than you bellow her.

After disappearing to gather a cool wash cloth she immediately started to clean you up as you whined and whimpered in protest. "Hush darling, im just cleaning you up my love I promise, no more okay? You did such a good job for mommy, such a good girl for me." She reassured quickly hurrying to be able to join you in bed and hold you close. That was how you drifted off to sleep, blissfully fucked into a dumb state and snuggled up to your love. For you there wasn't any better way to end the night.

Word count ~ 1578

[obey-me-hoe]

In honor of achieving 100 followers (y'all are amazing and ily 🥹) here is some lore for my two MCs (Thank you @legglesscat for the suggestion 💛 They're not all goofy facts like you suggested but I did sprinkle some in especially for you)

My Twin MCs:

Melinda & Mikey

Melinda and Mikey are twins

Mikey is 2 minutes older

Melinda is left handed while Mikey is right handed

Mikey is 5'10 while Melinda is only 5'3

Melinda's hair is naturally very dark brown while Mikey's is naturally black

Melinda wanted to get a split dye but was worried she'd be made fun of so Mikey got one with her

When Asmo learns that the twins dye their own hair he immediately begs to help them the next time they dye it

Both are pansexual

Mikey is very protective

Melinda cries a lot (sad, stressed, happy, angry, etc) and is rather emotional. This startled everyone at first but they got used to it. Beel, Mammon and Barbatos think it's endearing

Both have childhood trauma from their upbringing thus they show trauma responses in their daily lives (i.e. Melinda gets silent and ridged when someone starts yelling angrily near her, Mikey tends to not ask for help thus suffers in silence as he doesn't wanna be a burden to the others, Melinda has self esteem and body image issues, etc.) Both are in the process of healing with help from everyone and each other

Melinda is bff's with Levi and is dating Mammon

Mikey is bff's with Mammon and is dating Levi

Both wear a bow/bowtie that matches Mammon and Levi's ties

They wear matching socks because Melinda thought it'd be fun

Melinda was a ballerina in the human world while Mikey ran track

Only one of them was supposed to come to RAD but there was a mix-up and both ended up coming. Diavolo laughed about the mistake and said both could stay

Melinda's room is in Purgatory Hall while Mikey's is in the House of Lamentation. Mikey thought Melinda would be safer with the angels/Solomon. They slept in the same room for the first week in the devildom

It didn't take long for both Mikey and Melinda to trust Simeon

Lucifer thought it would be too much for Mammon to take care of both so he had Levi take care of Melinda while Mammon took care of Mikey (this is how they become so close)

After they started dating, Mammon would randomly go on tangents about Melinda while hanging out with Mikey. Mikey thought it was sweet but one time Mammon made the mistake of mentioning that he was surprised how flexible humans could be (he was referring to Melinda's dancing and didn't mean it in a sexual way) and ended up getting a boot to the face

Both get along well with Beel and Belphie. They are referred to as the B twins and the M twins

Melinda once drop kicked a demon for talking shit about Mammon (he and Mikey were shocked yet so proud)

Melinda and Levi often cosplay together and rope Mammon and Mikey into it (Mammon has definitely cosplayed Satoru Gojo for Melinda)

Both have 11 piercings (2 lobe and an industrial in each ear, tongue, and nipples) They didn't get them together they just both happened to like the same piercings

(Before Mammon and Melinda started dating) Mikey once walked in on Mammon on his knees begging Levi to help him get a date with Melinda since they were best friends (Mikey thought the sight was so funny that he didn't bother telling Mammon that Melinda definitely liked him back)

Both like cats but especially Melinda (her and Satan bond together over this)

Melinda sees Luke like a son and likes to co-parent him with Simeon and Barbatos

Mikey is usually pretty chill but will get mad and throw hands when necessary

Melinda is usually sweet and kind so when she does get mad it throws everyone off (it's like she's a completely different person when mad)

Both like to joke around and make others laugh

*cough* trauma jokes *cough*

Both like to talk in references and will riff off each other all the time (the others don't understand most of the references so it just sounds like they're speaking another language)

Melinda has at least 100 anime/video game husbands and loves to talk about them (she and Levi rant to each other about their fave characters all the time)

Mikey likes to draw but isn't very good at it (he's still learning)

Melinda is a Kpop stan (Mikey sometimes listens with her but doesn't participate in the stan culture)

Mikey likes to bake and will make sweets for Melinda on the condition that she cleans up from it since he hates cleaning (she doesn't mind)

Both like to teach Solomon the human slang they know as a way to bond. They have a group chat that Melinda named The Powerpuff Girls (Sol is Blossom, Melinda is Bubbles, Mikey is Buttercup)

Mikey and Asmo have a weekly gossip sesh and Mikey writes down all the tea so he can tell Melinda later

Melinda and Barbatos are surprisingly close and she sometimes keeps him company while he does various chores around the castle (that's when she'll tell him some of the tea she heard from Mikey) If Barbatos has to go somewhere Melinda isn't allowed then he'll escort her to wherever Diavolo is so Dia can take a break and chat with her

Melinda and Mammon got together because of a plan that Lucifer and Mikey came up with after growing tired of watching the two idiots pine after each other

Mikey asked Levi out while they were hanging out in Levi's room and he got so flustered that he kicked Mikey out of his room until he could recover. Mikey waited outside his room for 15 minutes before Levi opened the door and shyly agreed. During those 15 minutes Levi called his bff Melinda for advice (they ended up making a pros and cons list)

Lucifer has asked Melinda to keep him company while he works because he thinks she has a calming presence

Mikey, Melinda, Luke, Simeon, Solomon and Barbatos once went on a day trip to the human world to get ingredients and ended up going to a bunch of different bakerys together to sample different human world treats (originally it was just supposed to be Barbs going but they all tagged along)

Melinda has sleep issues. One time it got so bad that she walked all the way to HOL from PH in the middle of the night (in her pj's) just to cuddle with Mammon (he calms her and helps her sleep) When Lucifer found out he was beyond furious and lectured her for over an hour. When Mammon asked her why she didn't just call him she said she didn't want to wake him up. After this incident, Mammon makes sure to always be nearby when it's time for Melinda to sleep (they take turns on who's room they sleep in)

Anytime Levi has to leave the house he makes sure to bring Mikey if he's available as he is better at navigating social situations (Melinda does the same thing with anyone who's available at the time)

Satan once caught Melinda in the library balling her eyes out because someone's pet died in the manga she was reading (it reminded her of her childhood cat)

Mikey likes to workout with Beel on occasion but has to tame the workout down a bunch so he doesn't hurt himself

Mikey is an amateur photographer. Sometimes Asmo and Mammon pose for him to help him practice. He has pictures he's taken of everyone hanging on the wall in his room

Belphie once walked in on Melinda and Mammon showering together one night and proceeded to tell everyone about it at breakfast the next morning (both turned bright red)

Mamms: "We were tryin to save ya water! 😇"

Luci: 😐

Levi: 😱

Satan: 🤨

Asmo: 😆

Beel: 😶🍔

Belphie: 😗

Mikey: 🙄

Melinda: 😳

This is all I have for now but I had so much fun coming up with these so there'll probably be more in the future for anyone who's interested. Feel free to let me know if you wanna know anything specific about my MCs that I didn't state here!

Anywho, I love y'all dearly and really appreciate you following me and interacting with my posts!

[vivithefolle]

What are your thoughts on the bad future in Cursed Child where Hermione basically becomes Snape as a teacher just because she didn't get with Ron?

Oh, I'd written a Quora answer about that! Let me get it-

In the alternated universe in Cursed Child, Hermione became a Snape-like professor because she lost Ron. Is it just bad writing because she'd never be like that? Why?

Au contraire, I think it’s the only bit of characterization in this garbage play that makes sense.

And I’m not saying that because I love Ron, I’m saying that because I know Hermione rather well - I’ve been a very Hermioneish person in my life.

I’ve been that girl who wanted to answer every question I knew the answer to, because I liked to show off what I knew, I liked it when the teacher validated me, I liked to be seen as clever by the adults. The adults were the most important people, after all they were the ones who handed out the punishments. Therefore it was important that I endear myself to the adults considering that they were the only people who could protect me from the other kids’ bullying.

I was bullied. A lot. As a result, I hated my schoolmates. I despised them with all my being. I only trusted the adults and a select few fellow kids who didn’t bully me. My philosophy? “The adults are always right. I’m always right, unless the adults say otherwise. My friends are always right, unless the adults or I say otherwise. Everyone else is stupid and useless.”

Notice a pattern?

It’s quite easy really. The more I was bullied, the tighter I shut myself out. Every new act of bullying was only vindicating me. The world is made of idiots, idiots and more idiots. There’s nothing out there but idiots, and they prey on the smart people like me.

When Hermione made friends with Harry and Ron, thankfully, they stopped her from leaping into misanthropy entirely. They grounded her, gave her something to look forward to other than school. They made her realize that people who don’t care for school aren’t necessarily complete dumbasses who’ll never achieve anything with their lives. They brought some humanity to her. Some much-needed emotion and empathy.

They got her away from her feeling of superiority and made her accept that she wasn’t perfect, something that is incredibly important considering that being perfect is impossible.

[…] Harry headed straight back to the Gryffindor common room, where he found Ron and Hermione playing chess. Chess was the only thing Hermione ever lost at, something Harry and Ron thought was very good for her.

(Lookit those two Dads parenting their perfectionnist daughter. Iconic.)

Okay, so, we know how Hermione reacted when Ron dated Lavender Brown, right?

No, I’m not talking about the birds, I’m talking about after that. After she threw her hissy fit, she went on to bully Ron for months on end.

“Hi, Parvati!” said Hermione, ignoring Ron and Lavender completely. “Are you going to Slughorn’s party tonight?” “No invite,” said Parvati gloomily. “I’d love to go, though, it sounds like it’s going to be really good… You’re going, aren’t you?” “Yes, I’m meeting Cormac at eight, and we’re -” There was a noise like a plunger being withdrawn from a blocked sink and Ron surfaced. Hermione acted as though she had not seen or heard anything. “- we’re going up to the party together.” “Cormac?” said Parvati. “Cormac McLaggen, you mean?” “That’s right,” said Hermione sweetly. “The one who almost” - she put a great deal of emphasis on the word - “became Gryffindor Keeper.” “Are you going out with him, then?” asked Parvati, wide-eyed. “Oh - yes - didn’t you know?” said Hermione, with a most un-Hermione-ish giggle. “No!” said Parvati, looking positively agog at this piece of gossip. “Wow, you like your Quidditch players, don’t you? First Krum, then McLaggen…” “I like really good Quidditch players,” Hermione corrected her, still smiling. “Well, see you… Got to go and get ready for the party…”

And

“How did you do?” asked Ron, hurrying toward Harry. “I think I felt something the last time I tried - a kind of tingling in my feet.” “I expect your trainers are too small, Won-Won,” said a voice behind them, and Hermione stalked past, smirking.

You know how many pages there are between these two happenings? Seventy. 70!! In-universe, it goes from December to freaking March!

And by being away from Ron, Hermione also reduces the time she spends with Harry. Because Harry won’t seek Hermione out, it’s always Hermione who will come see him - and only if she has something to tell him.

So, without Ron, Hermione would consequentially drift away from Harry. Without Ron to bicker with, without Ron to act as a buffer between her controlling tendencies and Harry’s rebellious nature, Hermione would close herself off and ignore other people.

Now, as for why she’s a She-Snape when it comes to students?

Well duh! Have you seen Hermione?

Ron, at the next table, wasn’t having much more luck. “Wingardium Leviosa!” he shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill. “You’re saying it wrong.” Harry heard Hermione snap. “It’s Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the ‘gar’ nice and long.”

She loudly points out Ron’s failure, getting everyone’s attention and making him feel humiliated, because she was so sure she knew better than him. That she happens to perform better than him right afterwards just makes Ron feel even worse.

She wasn’t nice, she wasn’t friendly, she wasn’t helpful. She shot him down by snapping at him and only then did she try to help him, but she was already “the aggressor” in Ron’s mind. Of course he wasn’t going to react nicely to anything she’d have to say afterwards!

“All right – I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors,” said Hermione in a sniffly voice. “And you’ve got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?”

Note that here, this is Harry’s narration. Harry thinks of Hermione’s voice as “sniffly”. It’s about on par with Draco’s “sneering” in terms of positive first impressions.

And look at that! “people outside are behaving very childishly”, that’s an 11 years old speaking! She’s just as much of a kid as her peers yet she already has an overinflated sense of her own maturity. *sighs* Believe me, I know from experience that this can only end in tears.

And it’s what would make her miserable should she become a teacher.

Without Harry and Ron with her to remind her that she’s human and faillible, Hermione would ignore other people’s needs as well as her own.

We already see that she can be somewhat gentle to people like Neville, maybe because Neville is kind of the equivalent of a “special needs” kid in the Wizarding World, but with other students like Harry and Ron, whom she assumes are just dumb or not trying hard enough? She’s harsh. Snappish. She can’t understand how they don’t understand stuff that to her is so easy!

Now take Harry and Ron and multiply them by 10. And put Hermione in charge of them all.

She’s gonna go insane in a couple weeks.

A few years and she’ll have lost any sort of enjoyment she may have gotten from passing on her knowledge.

Hermione is not a good pedagogue, like the books show us multiple times - she has an easy time learning because she can memorize her books, but not all students are like this. When someone doesn’t understand what she understands, she makes a snippy remark, act as though they should know and make them feel dumb and in the process snuff out their interest for what she had to say.

Hermione Granger would be a complete nightmare of a teacher, because she has no patience and has a very “if I can do it, so can you” mentality, and she also tends to assume the worst in others. She’s not suited to a role that requires her to interact with people on a daily basis (also why she would make a terrible Minister for Magic).

[vinization]

A Poisoned Heart - Chapter 2

AO3 link

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Marcy almost forgot what a good night's sleep felt like. Truth is, sleep had always been elusive to her, even back home: the idea of staying still on a bed for hours on end instead of learning, playing videogames or planning a Creatures and Caverns campaign never sat right with the nerdette.

Thus, it was rare for Marcy to get more than four hours of sleep every day, and she unconsciously trained her body to make do with power naps and caffeine whenever necessary. She had long become accustomed to the stinging sensation in her eyes, and the steady stream of excellent grades she received ensured her parents were none the wiser.

Naturally, this routine of hers became even more strenuous after she landed in Newtopia. It didn't matter how many times King Andrias, Lady Olivia and General Yunan (Scourge of the Sand Wars, Defeater of Ragnar the Wretched and the youngest newt to ever achieve the rank of general in the great Newtopian Army) told Marcy she was burning herself out, she stayed awake deep into the night, reading report after report on various matters. They all treated her with such love and kindness even though she was a complete stranger, it was only fair for the girl to return the favor.

Things worked out well enough for Marcy in the last few months: she brought down a cult, became a fully fledged member of the Newtopian military, made several improvements to her new home's infrastructure, and carried out mission after mission without flaw. It was tiring, to be sure, but at least it distracted her from the guilt that began to claw at her insides once it became clear she wouldn't see either of her best friends anytime soon.

And then the incident with Anne happened... yet it somehow didn't hurt Marcy as much as she thought it would, at least at first.

Her mind went into 'work mode' the moment her bestie's leg broke: she knew exactly what to do to in order to save her, and that was what mattered - she'd cry later. She applied a tourniquet on Anne's leg, carried her to the finest hospital in all of Amphibia (which was also the safest, since it was inside the Newtopia Castle), and stayed by her side for three days straight.

Three days of watching the doctors treat Anne's mangled leg as best as they could with the technology at their disposal.

Three days of seeing the first person she called a friend thrashing and screaming.

Three days of never letting go of her hand unless it was absolutely necessary.

Marcy powered through it all. No matter how much her lower lip quivered, how much her eyes stung, how utterly and viscerally painful it was to witness the Plantars' reactions whenever Anne lapsed in and out of reality, she didn't let a single sob escape her throat. She had to stay strong, no matter what.

And then Anne woke up for real, and had the audacity to smile at her despite everything that happened. A single, almost imperceptible smile, yet it was all it took for three days' worth of unshed tears to pour out of her eyes all at once.

The next few hours were a blur, and, as much as she protested at the time, Marcy couldn't thank Anne and Lady Olivia enough for convincing her to get some sleep. She barely had enough time to take off her cloak and armor before she straight up blacked out on her bed.

When Marcy finally woke up who knows how many hours later, she felt like she had been born again. Her muscles were reinvigorated, her shoulders light, her vision clear. She hadn't felt this good in quite some time - perhaps sleeping more than four hours wasn't so bad after all.

Marcy got up, washed her face, put on her outfit and gave one last look at herself in the mirror before she started her day.

Rise and shine, baby!

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Marcy didn't know it yet, but she wasn't the only person in the castle with a guilty conscience.

There were plenty of things Sprig Plantar regretted doing over the course of his young life. From nearly running the family farm into the ground after beating Hop Pop in a wrestling match to accidentally trapping his family inside an archive, the pink frog's record was far from flawless.

Still, even though he felt bad for all the mistakes he made, and how they endangered the people he loved, he never really felt haunted by them - the misadventures he, Anne, Polly and Hop Pop got themselves into whenever he did something dumb always ended before someone got seriously hurt. Sure, they were nearly eaten by some giant monster once or twice, but that's life in Amphibia for you.

And then he met Marcy. Sprig was suspicious of her from the get go, and who could blame him? The only other human he met, besides Anne of course, literally tried to execute his grandfather, and would've killed him as well were it not for Anne's intervention.

So no matter how much Polly and Hop Pop chastised him for it, Sprig's eyes watched Marcy like a hawk. Every step, action and expression was closely scrutinized, so the ten year old frog could deliver his relatives the 'I told you so' of the century once the nerdette inevitably revealed her true colors.

Alas, Marcy did reveal her true colors. First, she saved the Plantars from being eaten by the barbariant queen after Anne's leg was broken. Then, she personally carried the Thai to safety, but not before doing everything in her power to keep her wound from worsening. Finally, she stayed at Anne's bedside through thick and thin for three days straight.

Despite his attachment to the girl he now saw as an older sister, Sprig couldn't bear to watch Anne kicking and screaming whenever it looked like she'd wake up, no matter how much he tried. Marcy, though? She didn't just stay at her side, but was adamant about holding her hand through the whole process.

Sprig's suspicions of the ravenette were thoroughly broken - now all he had was guilt for harboring them in the first place, and it twisted his insides in all sorts of uncomfortable ways.

But his half-asleep staring contest with the ceiling wouldn't last much longer, nor would his relatives' slumber. Both were interrupted by the sound of their room's door practically flying open.

"Morning everyone!" A voice the Plantars were too drowsy to identify called out.

"WAH!" Sprig jumped out of his bed and landed on the floor with a loud thud. "Ow..."

"Whatever it is, I didn't do it!" Polly shouted from her bucket.

"Five more minutes..." Hop Pop drowled at first, before snapping awake. "Huh? What's goin' on?"

It took a few moments, but the trio's eyes eventually recognized the person who walked into their bedroom.

"Marcy?" Hop Pop was the first to speak up. "What are ya doin' here?"

All the girl did was smile, and a lightbulb lit up inside Sprig's head.

"Hang on," he began. "If you're here, then does that mean--" His eyes widened, and he found himself unable to finish his sentence.

"Yep!" Marcy replied immediately. She was grinning from ear to ear, her eyes sparkling with the same joy the Plantars saw when they first met her. "Anne woke up!"

"Oh Frog," Sprig had been waiting to hear these exact words for the last three days, yet even then he still had a hard time believing them. "Oh. My. FROG!"

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Polly shouted enthusiastically.

"Hang on," Marcy tried to calm the frogs down, despite her own mounting excitement. "I don't know if she's awake *right now*, but, she talked to me yesterday. I actually wanted to tell you guys about it at that time, but Lady Olivia was one second away from dragging me to my bedroom." She let out an awkward giggle. "Can't say I blame her."

"I can't either," Polly replied without missing a beat. "No offense, girl, but you looked awful." The tadpole's lack of tact earned a disapproving look from Hop Pop, but she paid him no mind.

It took only a few minutes for the Plantars and their new human friend to start walking through the castle's hallways, towards the hospital section. It was a path the frogs had long since memorized, but now their faces were brimming with hope, rather than anguish like in the last times they took it.

And, whether by chance or fate, they encountered someone who was more than eager to reward their optimism.

"Greetings, Plantars and Marcy." Lady Olivia began, a small but warm smile on her face. "You will be more than happy to know Anne is awake."

"Yeah!" Sprig jumped in joy, while the others celebrated the news in their own way.

"Unfortunately," the newt continued, her smile vanishing. "You may find it... difficult to speak with her at the moment."

"Why?" Marcy asked before her companions could. "Did something happen?"

"She already has a visitor," Olivia answered. "A very... exasperating one, to say the least." She sighed and pinched the bridge of her snout.

The Plantars were confused, but Marcy knew exactly who Olivia was talking about. Not that it made her revelation any less earth-shattering, to say the least.

"Wait," the ravenette began, trying to imagine how Anne was able to meet the person her mother figure was referring to. "You don't mean--"

"Indeed I do, Master Marcy." Olivia answered before the girl could finish her question. "King Andrias thought it was a good idea to just waltz in unannounced." She let out another sigh. "At least they're getting along."

"I can't believe it!" Sprig beamed. "So not only do we get to talk with Anne, but also with the king of Amphibia?!"

"I won't stop you from reuniting with your friend," Olivia spoke once more. "But please, please keep it down." Her exasperation gave way to outright despair. "We're getting enough noise complaints already."

"We'll do our best, milady." Marcy bowed. Before she and the Plantars could go on their way, however, Olivia presented her with something that made her freeze, if only for the briefest of moments.

Her journal.

"The king says he found this at Anne's bedside," the Newtopian noble explained. "He asked me to return it to you."

"Th-Thanks, milady." Marcy did her best to maintain her composure, grabbing her journal and putting it safely in her bag. Her keen mind calculated the odds of Anne reading it - Olivia did say she left it at her bedside, after all. While slim, they were, to her despair, not zero.

She was, at least for the time being, able to push her unease aside. The fact the Plantars were themselves becoming increasingly anxious kept them from noticing the subtle change in their new friend's demeanor.

Hop Pop was the most nervous of them all. "Am I dressed okay?" He was visibly sweating, and checked his outfit for any possible flaw more than once. "Should I be wearing my silk ascot? I'll go back and get it--"

Marcy put a hand on the elderly frog's shoulder before he could run off. "Relax, it's okay." Her words were aimed more at herself than her listener. "Don't stress, this is no big deal."

As the group approached their destination, their ears picked up the sound of a deep, rumbling and unquestionably masculine voice.

"So, just to be clear," the owner of the voice began. "You're fluent in two languages that are nothing alike, and have been since your childhood?" It was clear he was doing his best to whisper, but his voice was still more than enough to turn the Plantars' insides into jelly. "That's amazing!"

Even then, it was nothing compared to the voice that followed.

"Well, my Thai isn't that great, but I do understand it, yeah."

Sprig knew exactly who that reply - and the giggle that followed - came from, and concluded he could wait no longer. He raced ahead of the group and barged into the hospital room Anne was in without thinking.

So hellbent he was on finding his best friend, his vision didn't even register the gargantuan blue newt in the room at first. The moment Sprig laid his eyes on the person said newt was talking to, a curly haired girl sitting on her bed, talking and smiling and laughing in a way he had seen a thousand times before, nothing else mattered in the world.

"Anne!" He shouted before leaping straight into her arms.

"Sprig!" And Anne was more than eager to welcome him. Her arms wrapped around Sprig's torso, and his did the same to her own. She felt tears falling on her shoulder, a sensation which prompted the Thai to tighten her hug.

"Y-You're okay!" Sprig said in between sobs. "I-I mean, I knew you'd get better, sure, but oh Frog I was so scared--"

"Shhh," Anne patted the pink frog in the back. "I missed you too, dude." She thought about saying more, but figured that was enough for now.

"I thought I'd never talk to you again..."

Wow, was all Anne could think when she heard those words. First Marcy yesterday, and now Sprig - these people sure knew how to make her cry. She tightened her grip on him even further, and the pair lost themselves in each other's embrace for what could've been hours, minutes or mere seconds.

"So," Sprig began after he calmed down. "I've got a lot of questions right now. First, did you sleep well? How's your leg doing, does it hurt? Do you even feel anything under that cast? Did you eat anything yet? Are you hungry? Last but not least, how did you become friends with the freaking king?"

"Um, guys?" Polly's voice, which Sprig realized was only a few steps away, snapped him out of his barrage of questions. "Far from me to interrupt, but uh..."

It was at that moment, at long last, that Sprig noticed the immense, towering form of King Andrias. He couldn't help but back away a little, bumping into Hop Pop in the process, yet the old frog didn't react. The Plantars' attention was completely focused on the titanic newt standing before them, who, as far as they knew, could crush them all with one blow if he desired.

"So," Andrias began, his tone almost unnervingly calm. "I assume you three are the frogs who took this wonderful girl in?" And, just like that, the intimidating façade was gone.

"We sure are, your highness!" Hop Pop replied, puffing out his chest in pride. He and his grandchildren had no time to react before Andrias wrapped his enormous arms around them, squishing the hapless frogs against his thick, white beard.

"I'm so happy to meet you!" The old monarch said before letting go of the trio. Sprig and Hop Pop stayed motionless on the floor for a few moments, their brains struggling to comprehend what in the ever living Frog just happened.

"I love this guy!" While Polly savored every second of it.

"Hahahahaha!" Andrias let out a loud, bellowing laugh before sitting down. "Anne told me a lot about you guys. How you saved her from an angry mob, your epic quest to charge her phone, how you were almost eaten by cannibals..."

"Oh, oh!" Sprig raised his hand. "Did she tell you about the time we destroyed a super ancient factory on accident?"

"Huh?" Andrias blinked in surprise.

"Excuse me what?!" Marcy gasped.

"... Nope, I didn't." And Anne finished sheepishly.

"Anyway," Andrias continued after shaking his head. "I'd love to hear your side of the story. Especially yours, uh..." His gaze fixed on Sprig for a moment, before trailing off to Anne. "What's his name again? Sprig?" He asked, smiling after the girl gave him a thumbs up in response.

Sprig didn't know why, but he felt a surge of raw, ice cold terror run down his spine when Andrias first laid eyes on him. The feeling went away quickly though, so he paid it no mind - he was probably just feeling intimidated anyway, which was no surprise considering the Amphibian monarch's size.

"Sure, I'd love to!" Sprig said with enthusiasm.

"Excellent!" Andrias exclaimed happily. "Now, let's--"

"Ahem." A voice no one recognized suddenly cut into the conversation, prompting humans and amphibians alike to turn their heads to its source. It was a newt, covered from head to toe in garments which betrayed their identity as not only a doctor, but a surgeon at that. The only part of their body which wasn't covered was the area around the eyes, and the gaze that came from them was almost murderous.

It was also completely focused on Andrias, who understood the message right away.

"So, did you folks have breakfast yet?" The colossal monarch whispered as best as he could. A succession of 'no's' and 'nopes' followed, prompting him to speak up once more. "I'll have the cooks make something for you, then we can talk later. Okay? Okay."

With that, Andrias got up and left. It was almost amusing, really, how intimidated he seemed to be by a person a fraction of his size.

"Finally..." The doctor let out a sigh of exhaustion and relief, their 'dangerous' aura vanishing in the blink of an eye. They too left the room not long after, and so the Plantars, Anne and Marcy were alone with one another for the first time today.

It was more awkward than any of them expected - they all had so, so many words to say earlier, but Andrias' antics soaked up all their attention. Now that he wasn't there anymore, the group was at a loss on what to say or do.

The task of breaking the ice fell to Hop Pop. "So," he began. "Who's up to see what grub the king has in store for us?"

"Yes please!" Anne exclaimed immediately after. "You guys know if the doctors fed me anything while I was out? I'm starving."

"They did what they could." Naturally, it was Marcy who answered. "I helped them inject some nutrients and water directly into your blood vessels, but, well, obviously that's not the same as eating."

"Where would I be without you, Marbles?" Anne smiled, and although Marcy managed to smile back, deep down those words pierced her chest like a sword made of fire.

You'd be safe, a part of the nerdette wanted to say.

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

The question of how to bring Anne to the breakfast Andrias had in mind for her and her friends proved to be trickier to solve than anyone expected. At first the Thai tried to use a crutch, much like how Marcy did during her first days in Newtopia, but her muscles were still too weak for her to stand properly yet, much to her frustration.

Fortunately, it didn't take long for them to find a wheelchair big and sturdy enough to support her weight. With the issue of locomotion dealt with, the group made a beeline for the castle's dining room, with Marcy simultaneously leading the way and pushing Anne's wheelchair.

"So, let me get this straight," Sprig began, his gaze focused on Anne. "You were trying to sleep, and the king just so happened walk in on you while you were having a nightmare?"

"Yep." The brunette replied, a small smile on her face.

"That's crazy!" Sprig exclaimed, his eyes wide and full of sparkles. "I mean, what are the odds?"

"I know, right?" Anne would be lying to herself if she said she didn't feel bad for not telling the whole truth to her real best friend, but it wasn't like she was 100% lying to him either. She did have a nightmare last night, a nightmare come true - God alone knows how she'd be behaving right now had Andrias not showed up and comforted her.

But that was okay. Anne and the Plantars would stay in Newtopia for at least a couple of weeks, so there was plenty of time for Marcy to come clean, and for the Thai to forgive her. How could she not, considering everything the nerdette did for her?

After a few minutes of walking, the group's path was blocked by a set of gigantic double doors made of solid, high quality wood.

"Alright guys," Marcy walked forward and put her hands on the doorknobs. "I know I already said this once, but remember, this is no big deal." With that, she pushed the door open.

And so Anne and the Plantars were greeted with the sight of...

Wait, was that a table or a freaking skyscraper?

"There you are!" Andrias exclaimed happily. "Come in, come in!" It was a scene that wouldn't look out of place in, say, Alice in Wonderland: the king was seated on the only chair capable of supporting him, and the others had legs so tall they had ladders attached, so that normal sized guests could reach their seats.

"Um..." Anne shot an awkward glare at the Newtopian monarch, and her companions followed suit. Marcy and the Plantars could climb to their seats easily enough, but what about her?

"Right..." Andrias responded just as awkwardly. "Not to worry, though!" He got up, picked Anne with two fingers (getting a startled 'whoa!' out of her in the process), and placed her on a chair as carefully as possible. The Plantars followed suit, as did Marcy, and the group finally got a good look at the meal waiting for them.

To call it a feast wouldn't do it justice. There were gold and silver plates full of more food items than anyone could bother to count, from cakes and several other pastries, salty and sweet, to sandwiches with various fillings. Plus a whole bunch of stuff the newcomers had no idea existed until they laid their eyes on them.

There were even some omelettes!

"Whoa..." Was all Anne and Sprig could say, their eyes wide with disbelief. Hop Pop, meanwhile, was at a loss for words.

"I want everything!" And Polly was Polly.

"What are you all waiting for?" Andrias asked with his signature jovial manner. "Dig in, everyone!"

The guests complied, and so several minutes of surprisingly noisy and messy eating ensued, Polly and Sprig being the main culprits. They were interrupted by one of Andrias' trademark belly laughs every now and then, while Olivia pinched the bridge of her snout on more than one occasion in response to the younger Plantars' utter disregard of any proper etiquette.

Her annoyance was a sentiment shared by the nearby servants and royal guards, who whispered to each other about the 'dirty peasants' and their lack of manners.

Anne grabbed a sandwich stuffed with what looked like ham, cheese and other ingredients she didn't recognize - she didn't dare wonder what they might be, considering the... peculiarities of Amphibian cuisine. After that, she turned her head in Marcy's direction. "Are your breakfasts always this fancy?"

"Not always, but you get used to it." Came the answer, followed by an awkward giggle. "Eventually."

Anne took a bite out of her sandwich, and was unable to suppress a moan when the meal made contact with her tastebuds. Man, this stuff was good! It was way better than the 'food' Hop Pop used to serve her before she introduced the old frog to better cuisine, and what little she managed to scrounge for herself back when the closest thing the Thai had to a home was a cold, damp cave.

And Marcy ate like a queen from the get go.

Ugh... Anne grumbled to herself. Try as she might, she couldn't stop a tiny seed of envy from planting itself within her heart.

Marcy couldn't come clean soon enough.

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

An hour or so later...

It felt so, so weird to step into the outside world. Marcy and the Plantars stayed in the castle for 'only' three days, but the circumstances surrounding their stay meant that time period felt one heck of a lot longer for them.

Needless to say, it felt even longer for someone who spent most of those three days stuck in a bed. To Anne, the scenario before her looked straight out of a fairytale: the city of Newtopia was everything Hop Pop told her and more, with its tall, elegant, mushroom-shaped towers surrounded by a veritable sea of houses and other buildings.

She couldn't wait to see it all. Indeed, it was hard to believe this place used to be even grander in the past.

Right now though, Anne was busy processing the fact there was actually a world beyond the castle's walls. She felt the wind blowing through her hair, the variety of scents it carried, the gentle warmth of the sun bearing down on her skin.

"It's a beauty, ain't it?" Hop Pop's voice snapped Anne out of her reverie. "I always hoped you kids would come here someday." He finished, a proud smile on his face as his gaze shifted from Newtopia's cityscape to his three grandchildren.

"Oh man, where do we even start?" Sprig was almost vibrating from all the excitement coursing through his body. "I mean, the king gave us a whole list of places to visit, plus that credit card with infinite money!"

"Which we will only use if it's absolutely necessary." Hop Pop added before crossing his arms, much to Sprig and Polly's chagrin - Andrias said wars were waged for less, and the old farmer wasn't about to take any chances. With that line established, he turned his attention to Anne and Marcy. "What about you girls, any ideas?"

"Well..." Anne made eye contact with Marcy for a moment, as if looking for reassurance, before continuing. "I'd like to just walk around for a bit. Mingle with the locals, you know? We can check the big places later."

Nobody raised any objections, and so the group ventured deep into the bowels of Newtopia. Their surroundings changed appropriately, shifting from wide streets and fancy buildings to labyrinthine alleyways. These contained a myriad of small stores and street vendors selling a mishmash of products, from local dishes to souvenirs. Many delicious smells wafted through the air, and had the group not had the breakfast of their lives before they left the castle, their mouths would've been watering.

And yet, as diverse as the salespeople and customers were, Anne noticed a huge common element between all of them: they were, save for a few exceptions here and there, almost all newts. It was a far cry from the Newtopia she saw in the murals, in which members of all species of amphibians lived side by side.

She had to get the Box back, no matter what.

There was another fact Anne noticed, one which became ever more irritating to her as time went by: Marcy wasn't just a favorite of the Newtopian court, but a public hero as well. Anne wanted to be happy for her, she really did. But every time the brunette heard someone praise and thank her friend for something she did, she was reminded of her own flaws.

It didn't help that the Plantars often joined in on the praising, their eyes wide and full of sparkles every time they learned of some amazing feat Marcy pulled off.

Marcy was so, so smart, and Anne just... wasn't. She wasn't good at math, didn't bring down a cult, improve Newtopia's sewage system or redesign a bridge. Heck, if it weren't for Sprig Sasha would still be pushing her around.

Anne almost let out a sigh of relief when she and the rest of the group returned to a normal street, one with enough space for people to not bump into each other nonstop. Maybe now she wouldn't be constantly reminded of how awesome Marcy was.

Alas, it was just her luck that the path the group took led them straight to the bridge Marcy worked on. As if that weren't enough, said bridge was adorned with a huge statue of the nerdette made of solid gold. It shone brightly in the sunlight, the confident smile its face possessed almost taunting in a way.

Taunting enough for the seed of envy to start taking root in the deepest, darkest corners of Anne's heart.

Polly and Hop Pop were enraptured, and moved in closer to get a better look. This left Anne alone with Sprig and Marcy, and she began to devise a plan to distract the latter so she could confide some thoughts to her true best friend. Yes, maybe she could tell Marcy to explain some of the statue's finer details to Polly and Hop Pop, leaving the Thai free to--

Oh nevermind, they were already coming back.

"Hey Marcy," Sprig spoke once his relatives returned. "Could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure, what is it?" Came the ravenette's reply.

"Actually..." Sprig continued, his tone nervous and hesitant. "I'd like to, um, talk with you in private." He glanced at Polly and Hop Pop, and they immediately understood what he wanted to talk about.

"Right now?" Marcy made eye contact with Anne for a moment, her question clear even if she didn't voice it.

"I'll be fine," the brunette gave a smile she hoped wasn't too forced. "You can go."

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

Marcy couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease within her as Sprig led her away from the group, not stopping until they were out of earshot. What could he possibly be planning to tell her, and her alone?

"So, um, Marcy," the pink frog fiddled with his fingers nervously. "Did Anne tell you we met Sasha?"

The mention of her other bestie's name made Marcy's heart skip a beat. "She did, yeah." She replied, doing her best to keep her anxiety under control. "And that they had a fight."

"Did she tell you why?" Sprig asked, trying and failing to look at the human in the eye.

"N-No..." Marcy felt her pulse quicken. Anne didn't tell her any details other than the fact they fought with swords, but she knew full well how... difficult Sasha could be at times. What in Frog's name did she try to do?

"She tried to execute Hop Pop." Sprig answered, as if knowing what was inside Marcy's mind. "She nearly killed me."

Of all the reasons Marcy came up with to explain why Anne and Sasha fought, she did not think of that. Her eyes widened, her throat muscles tightened and blood drained from her face as the severity of what Sprig just told her set in. Her first instinct was to deny it, to say the pink frog was just exaggerating, but the nerdette needed only one look into his eyes to see he was telling the truth.

The guilt Marcy staved off until now returned in full force, cutting its way through her insides like a warm knife through butter. As much of a bully as the Sasha she knew could be, she'd never, ever think of killing someone. How could she have become capable of not only considering that as an option, but carrying it out?

What kind of monster did Marcy hand her to on a silver platter?

Tears formed in the corners of Marcy's eyes, and her heart beat so fast it almost hurt. The world began to swim around her, colors and shadows dancing before her eyes, while her lungs kicked into overdrive.

"Hey, Marcy!" Sprig called, and when that didn't snap the nerdette out of her spiral, he squeezed her hand. "C'mon, snap out of it!"

"Huh?" The girl blinked, the world suddenly returning to normal. She shook her head and looked down, meeting Sprig's worried gaze.

"Are you okay?"

Marcy wanted to lie, to say she was fine and get this whole thing over with, but she couldn't.

She let out a sigh. "... No, I'm not."

A pause ensued, and Sprig's body language made it clear he still had something to say. He rubbed his hands together to calm himself down, but if the way his eyes darted left and right was any indication, it wasn't working. Marcy grabbed one of his hands, hoping the gesture would help in some way.

It did, because Sprig closed his eyes, balled his hands into fists and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry."

"What for?" Marcy asked, her mouth faster than her mind. Of course Sprig would feel sorry for her, considering she nearly broke down in front of him. Anne's the one he should be worried about, not the person who--

"For doubting you."

"... Huh?" Was all Marcy could say.

"When we first met you, I was suspicious from the get go." Sprig began. "I was sure you were just pretending to be nice, that you'd betray us and try to... you know. Like her." Marcy winced at the dread with which he mentioned Sasha. "I didn't care how much Hop Pop and Polly told me otherwise, I was so set on catching you red-handed, and then..."

A pregnant pause filled the air, and Marcy didn't dare to break it at first. Not until Sprig's body shivered from head to toe, an ugly sob escaping his throat.

Once again, Marcy's mind acted faster than her body, and she wrapped her arms around the little frog's torso without hesitation.

"Thank you," Sprig managed to say between his sobs, and he returned the hug. "Seriously, I can't thank you enough for everything you did. I-If you weren't there, if you hadn't saved us, Anne would be--"

Marcy tighened her grip on Sprig before he could continue with that horrible train of thought. The young frog buried his face in her chest, muffling the sound of his cries, and Marcy bit her lip so hard it almost bled. She had cried enough already.

Frog, how would she even begin to tell everyone the truth?

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

Anne couldn't believe what she was seeing. Sprig wanting to talk to Marcy in private was odd enough, but this?

How could she even begin to make sense of the scene unfolding in front of her? She couldn't hear what they were talking about, and she honestly didn't care. All Anne cared about was that Sprig Plantar, the first true friend she made in her whole thirteen years of life, was now crying in the chest of that... that--

"Dang," Polly's voice interrupted her thoughts. "I knew he was going to apologize, but I wasn't expecting him to straight up cry."

"Apologize?" Anne grabbed the opportunity for an explanation with both hands. "What for?"

"Didn't you see the way he acted back in the cave?" Polly asked back.

"... No? I was looking out for those ants."

"Long story short, Sprig was sure Marcy was some mini-Sasha." Polly began, a trace of annoyance creeping into her tone as she remembered her older brother's behavior. "He thought she'd betray us, and kept thinking that until, you know, everything went down."

"Oh." Anne replied. He was right, she wanted to add, and it took every ounce of energy she had not to. The more Anne thought, though, the more it made sense that the Plantars would want to bond with Marcy - she did save her life, after all.

Even if she was the reason she was stuck in this predicament in the first place.

Anne let out a sigh she didn't know she was holding. How long would she have to wait for Marcy to tell her the truth?

[theseasasleep]

Story of Kunning Palace, E05 (semi-live reaction)

Of all the ways I thought Ning would handle the proposed slander against her beloved Zhang Zhe, the way she actually handled it did not align with my imaginings in the slightest. Sometimes what plays out is really better than the fiction in your head, hee. I did not see her calling out, not the dumb fiancee but the You-daughter. Nor did I foresee her half-drowning her in a jar full of goldfish.

FIERCE

Judging by the all the clips I have gorged on, this particular love line will be quite strong and trend for a while. Sigh. A decade plus of drama watching has whittled my patience for second lead to first lead love lines to whisper-thin nub but everyone keeps commenting on how amazing Zhang Zhe is so.... I guess the wait and watch won't be too grating.

...

I'm not sure I understand.

Zhang Zhe broke or bent his principles to help her on the oath that she'd become a good person thereafter.

Sometime later, Zhang Zhe is condemned to death for this.

Did he naturally get caught? Or did she deliberately sell him out? Was it more similar to the Yan Lin situation in which her people made moves without her knowledge and when push came to shove, she didn't make the necessary moves to upend the conspiracy for the sake of remaining Empress?

Whatever the case, it's clear Ning did many terrible things - some in ignorance, some in knowledge - to accomplish everything she achieved. I think she squared most, if not all of it with herself when weighing it against the ultimate end result... until Zhang Zhe ended up on the chopping block. I don't think she would have been able to write this sin off and once one stone in her ambitious bedrock was overturned, the rest likely came apart. It's why when she knew she was going to die she wanted her death to mean something, to be a reparation of sort to the only person remaining who might accept it because he thought she was worth something, because he's that good.

...

Oh. Oh. Look at the expression on his face as he listens to the patronizing, sexist drivel:

My scrumptious proto-feminist

...

LOL, he did a dignified catwalk and every lady in the room forgot to think and breathe!

I understand, ladies, I understand.

Geez, Ning, Xie Wei had them open a window for you, and only you, so you would have fresh air and bright light, to improve your mood and chances! Not to silently accuse you of being a potential cheat!

Wow, this is all up hill climb, my guy. Get your shoes with the best tread on, Xie Wei.

I know not a drop of Chinese and even I can see that's atrocious. And what did she draw in the corner. A flower? A dancing sun? A really fat, disproportionate hand with a vestigial finger?

And she asks, did she put too much effort into [failing]? Girl. It's so obvious she'd bring out the contrarian impulses of a saint. But maybe it's worth it since we get this face:

Teacher does not approve.

What I am enjoying so much in this scene is the action and counteraction. The way they each boldly challenge the other. She sent up an exam paper so abominable as to be a mockery [of him]; he passes her. She tries to expose her "stupidity" to the rest of the class; he threatens to critique the entire class, turning everyone against her idea.

point:

Counterpoint:

Concession:

Me:

...

I'm not even touching the "dementia." Rolling my eyes and moving on.

But, but, but... How was he so spot on?! How did he guess at reincarnation?! I mean, yeah, he said he doesn't believe in the supernatural but it can't be a coincidence to the narrative that he's the first to come closest to the truth?

Xie Wei: Ning, what's your relationship with Yan Lin? I NEED TO KNOW... *whispers* for science.

Oh, your father asked me to take good care of you in the palace... Yan Lin asked me to help you... By the by, that study partner list? Yeah, another ministry generates it but ultimately it has to run by me. The moment I saw your name I marked you for the palace. After going to so much trouble, it would be stupid of me to release you from palace duties now!

Xie Wei, be like:

...

God. I Hate Ning's Mom.

[allexthakatt]

That This Feeling Flows Both Ways

I was NOT expecting so many people to love that fic as much as I did! As many people requested, heres the part 2 to Do I Wanna Know?

Read Part 1 HERE

CW: Angst! But it ends in fluff, don't worry! Suggestive themes at the end. 16+?? Eddie being all cute!

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

Eddie was plenty of things. He was a little clumsy, loud, hot headed, maybe even a little dim at times. And being in love with you is definitely one of them.

You're on his mind constantly. Even when he's with Stephanie you always seem to wiggle your way to the back of his brain. He wants nothing more than to run to you, to beg for forgiveness and live happily ever after with you in his arms. Just like the fairy tales you would both make up when you were kids.

But then he remembers the tears that plagued your eyes that day. The heart he'd broken. Your beautiful face twisted in pain, and he stays where he is.

This isn't a fairy tale. He broke you, you wouldn't want him anymore. So he settles for her.

Stephanie isn't stupid. She'd noticed your absence and Eddie's new dull eyes. She noticed how much less his energy was now that you weren't here. He didn't tell her anything, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see what may have happened.

But... She can't bring herself to do anything about it. It's selfish, sure. She wants him all to herself, even if he is thinking about someone else.

That is until she changes her mind.

-

Eddie's finally graduating! The day is finally here, he's worked his ass off every damn day and fuck if he didn't doubt himself on more than one occasion; but he made it. He actually made it and can finally say goodbye to the hellhole he called school.

The ceremony was really long, so many names were thrown out before his name was called.

But it was worth it.

When he eventually walked across that stage, snatched the diploma right up, flipped off Higgins, and ran off stage, the air in his lungs felt fresh, and new.

The only people cheering were his friends. Dustin, Lucas, Mike, Gareth, Jeff, and Grant were all woohoo-ing and clapping for their friend. Stephanie was there too, clapping with a soft smile on her face as she sat next to his uncle, who got dressed up for the occasion and smiling brightly at his nephew.

But there was one other person who he didn't expect to see cheering him on, let alone come here in the first place.

You.

You were just standing up tall, cheering even louder than all of them. Your smile huge and proud as you hold up a large sign in the air;

WAY TO GO EDDIE!!

He felt even prouder. You'd meant it, you didn't abandon him. You'll always be his friend, even through it all. And that made this already awesome day even better.

After the ceremony, everyone starts to make their way onto the field to see their kids and grandkids who'd just said goodbye to their adolescence.

Eddie, however was already in the parking lot with his people. Uncle Wayne giving him a hug and patting his back, a few tears in his eyes that don't go unnoticed by Eddie.

"I'm proud of you, boy. I knew you could do it."

There's something so sedimental about the tone in his voice. Wayne knew everything Eddie had been through, had done, and said. Yet he still looked at Eddie like he was his own son. And Eddie couldn't be more thankful for the older man.

Everyone gave them their respective hugs or high fives and fist bumps, congratulating him on a massive milestone he'd worked so hard to achieve. Stephanie giving him a soft hug and kiss, "Good job, baby boy. I'm proud of you."

He fought the urge to cringe. Eddie never really liked that nickname. It made him feel uncomfortable especially when she'd say it during sex. He'd voiced his uneasiness to her multiple times, she still calls him that frequently. Another thing she'd do that made him think about you. you'd respect his boundaries...

"Congratulations, Eddie. I knew this was your year." Speaking of you..

You'd finally approached him with a wide smile on your face, holding your hand out with a bouquet of flowers to give to him.

You were even more beautiful than the last time he saw you.

"T-Thank you! I can't believe I finally did it, honestly. Thought I'd have to stay another year in that shit show."

He took the flowers from your hand, hugging them close as you step closer, smile still as wide as it was when you were in the bleachers.

"I knew you could do it, Eds. You worked so hard and went through so much, if anyone deserves this, it's you."

You ruffled his hair to break the small amount of tension between the two of you. Initially you wanted to hug him. However you didn't know where his boundaries laid and the last thing you wanted to do was make him uncomfortable on his special day.

"I can't believe you came! How'd you even know I was graduating?"

He tried to keep his excitement at bay, but by God if he wasn't going to take this opportunity to cherish you in person again.

"Oh, a couple little birdies may have spilled the beans to me last week."

You playfully roll your eyes and land them on a certain trio of now-sophomores. Each of them looks away quickly as if they totally were not just eavesdropping on your conversation.

"Regardless, I'm glad you came! This year has been hard, but I think it was so worth it. Thank you for coming. It means a lot more than you know."

He grips the flowers tighter, resisting the urge to pull you in for a hug.

"I told you I didn't abandon you, dork. You know I'll always be your best cheerleader."

You go in for a real hug, and it lasts a good minute before you both reluctantly pull away.

"I guess I'd better get going. A certain uncle has plans for a special dinner I hear!"

"Hey! That's a surprise, miss!" Wayne butted in, not thrilled she ruined the surprise, but still ecstatic that she actually showed up for his nephew.

You laugh, the first real laugh you've had in a long while. It felt good to see everyone again. Oh how you missed hellfire and hanging out with them at lunch. It seems like so long ago, such a simpler time.

"Enjoy the rest of your day, Eds. I'll see you around, okay? Congratulations again!"

You shoot everyone one last genuine smile and finally make your way to your car.

Maybe it was the way his smile wasn't forced, or the way there was barely a foot between you two. Or maybe it was just you showing up for him in general even when he said you weren't on talking terms. Whatever it was, Stephanie seemed to finally wake up to reality. He wasn't hers, he never was. He was yours, has been for a very long time.

She decides it's finally time to step out of the way and say goodbye to Eddie.

-

There was a certain... Tension? In the air between Stephanie and Eddie. They'd been attempting to watch some movie together, but both were distracted. Oddly enough, by the same thing.

You.

For different reasons, however. It had been exactly two weeks since they'd last seen you. Stephanie was waiting for the right moment to give him up. It was proving rather difficult, however, due to how much she really likes him. He makes her laugh, he takes her on dates, he treats her like a real person, and holy fuck if he wasn't a God with those fingers..

But she doesn't have his full attention. You're all he's been thinking about, it's become even more apparent since his graduation.

She can't continue being selfish. He's fun, and exciting, and so fucking caring, but he doesn't care for her like he does for you.

And the only thing keeping him from being with the one he cares most about- is her.

"Eddie, we need to talk."

She pulls away from his side, standing up to turn off the abandoned movie.

"Okay? What's on your mind?"

Keep it short, Steph... She thinks to herself. If she rips off the bandaid quickly, maybe it'll hurt less.

"I think we need to break up."

Eddie stands up as well. Where did this come from?

"W-What? Break up? Why? I thought we were going strong?"

She gives him a look as if to say 'Really?'

"Be honest with me, Eddie. For once? You were never mine, and I was never yours. I think we both know where you'd rather be right now. And it definitely isn't here."

She was getting hostile, and she knew it. It hurt, but this was right. She couldn't continue knowing he'd just be settling for her. She deserved better than that.

"And who said that? I'm the one who asked you out right? Why are you doing this?"

The tears were coming, from both of them. Stephanie shakes her head, holding her arms in front of her chest, hoping it'll shield her better from the pain.

"Eddie, be serious. You're so in love with her you practically have it spelled on your head. And don't even try to pretend you don't know who because you know exactly who I'm talking about."

Of course he knew who she's talking about. It's you. It's always been you.

"Eddie I really like you. Hell, I might even love you. But you don't like me. Maybe you did once but that feeling isn't there anymore. And I will not keep sitting here pretending it doesn't bother me."

She takes a few steps closer to him,

"I think we had a lot of fun, Eddie. And holy shit, will I miss you. But... I think this will be best. For both of us. I deserve better, and so do you."

He knew she was right, it wasn't fair to her that his mind was constantly on you. That even when he was intimate with her he wished it was you that was under him. Shes right; she deserves better.

She leans in, giving him one last deep kiss. Her hands find their way to his hair, his hands at her sides. It lasts a few more moments before she pulls away, grabbing her things before walking to the door.

"Ill see you around, Eddie. Goodbye."

And then she was gone, leaving him alone in the living room. Alone with his thoughts.

-

It was pretty late at night when you hear a knock at the door. So light if you weren't paying attention you wouldn't have heard it. Until it starts knocking louder, waiting to be answered.

You pause your movie, putting down your popcorn bowl and make your way to the door, where the knocking is more persistent now. Looking through the peephole you see the last person you'd think of, looking disheveled and red-eyed. Opening the door, you face the man that's plagued your mind all these months.

"Eddie? It's almost 1 in the morning! Come in, Eds it's freezing out here."

You lead him into the house, in the living room where you'd just been. He turns and looks at you, wearing a tank top and short shorts. Clearly ready for bed but from the look of the living room it seems you're halfway through a movie night all by your lonesome.

"Steph, she.. She broke up with me, man. I-I didn't know where else to go, Y/n."

His eyes are watering once again, tears threatening to spill on your floor. You run to him, hugging him tight and holding his back.

"I'm so sorry, Eds. You don't have to tell me anything, okay? But if you wanna talk, I got all the time in the world."

You gave him the warmest smile he'd seen from her. Initially he was worried this would be awkward, however standing here, in front of you in your living room at almost 2am, he realizes this is the most comfortable he's been in weeks.

"S-She just said it's not working out anymore. I just didn't wanna be alone tonight. I'm sorry if I interrupted anything.."

You shook your head, still holding tight on his arm.

"I'm actually halfway through Sleepaway Camp. Wanna join?"

You hold up the VHS box with a small smile on your face. His shoulders relax a little, smiling back at you and sniffling just a bit, nodding and you drag him to the couch.

The rest of that night was the best night Eddie had in a very long time. It was like no time had passed at all between you two.

As you both watched the cheesy horror flick you cracked jokes about the kills and the eventual plot twist at the end. He laughed and dramatically gasped as you 'spoiled' the ending for him, even though you'd both seen this movie at least 50 times together, making you laugh harder at his antics.

There was no tension, no weird lingering stares or awkward glances at each other. This felt nice. It felt right. Eddie felt at peace, recognizing just how much he'd missed you. You're his best friend, after all.

However now, Eddie knows he'd rather take your relationship a step further.

Stephanie was nice, but she wasn't you. No one could measure up to you. There's no one else Eddie would want to be with than you.

-

It'd been months since that night. You and Eddie were back to being inseparable again, and while Eddie wouldn't want to complain about having you back in his life, he wants more.

It's taken him a while, and weeks of denial from him that this was even happening. Pep talks to himself in the mirror more times than he can count, he's finally accepted it.

He's desperately in love with you.

He should've realized it so much sooner. It would have spared you both so much heartache, but now he sees why Stephanie wasn't enough. She just wasn't you.

He wants you, all of you. Your love, your touch, your midnight talks and daytime cuddles. He wants to see you every day and give you hugs and kisses and smother you with his love. He wants to take you on dates and hold your hand, showing you off to everyone in town that he was yours and you were his.

But... Will you accept his love? You'd confessed to him once, and he turned you down. What if you did the same? What if he lost his one chance to be yours? You bore your soul to him almost a year ago, had your feelings for him changed?

God, he hopes not.

But no matter what, he hopes you'll stay in his life. As a lover, hopefully. But as a friend, he'll still take it. Now it's just a matter of telling you his truth, and hoping you didn't change your mind.

-

A Sunday afternoon. A rare day you both had off, too! Eddie had managed to snag a job at a local record store downtown. A job that suited him well. He was brimming with joy when he showed you the paperwork.

"I got it!! I fucking did it! I wowed them with my amazing music knowledge, and I start monday morning!"

You were so happy for him, so incredibly proud to see how far he'd come in his life. He still tried his best to keep up Corroded Coffin, but until all members are graduated, there isn't really much he can do. Until then, 'Recordzz' is more than enough to occupy Eddie's time.

You worked at a bakery a few blocks from the record store. It was a nice, quiet little bakery that always smelled like vanilla. You always did love baking, this job couldn't be more up your alley.

This Sunday, Eddie had planned to spill the beans to you. He was going to tell you just how much he cares for you; just how much he loves you.

He can only hope you still felt the same way.

Laying on your stomach on his bed with a joint in one hand, flipping through a comic book with the other, Eddie takes this time to admire you. You know, just in case this is the last time he sees you like this.

Metallica is playing softly in the background, and he figures this is as good a time as any.

"Hey, I kinda wanted to talk to you 'bout something."

He sits up on the bed and you follow suit, putting out the joint in the ashtray on his nightstand.

"What's up?"

You have a relaxed smile on your face, a combination of being a little high and very content, just in your own little world with your favorite person.

"Remember a year ago, when you... confessed to me h-how you felt about me?"

Your smile falters, just a little. Nervousness kicking in.

"I remember... Why?"

Eddie grabs your hands gently, rubbing soft circles with his thumb.

"Do you... Do you still feel that way?"

Panic.

Pure fucking panic.

Why on earth is he bringing this up? You tried so hard to bury that memory deep in your brain, never wanting to think or be reminded of it again. You'd embarrassed yourself, lost your best friend, and broke your own heart all in the same day.

Yeah, you didn't like to think about it.

But the way he's looking at you, so hopeful and scared, you couldn't bring yourself to lie to him.

"Eddie I'm gonna be honest with you, I don't think I could ever stop loving you. You were, and you still are, my everything. And I truly don't think that will ever change."

A sigh of relief escapes his lips, but he's not celebrating yet.

"I should have realized this a year ago. Y/n, I'm so in love with you. You're my first thought when I wake up, and the last thought before I sleep. You're my favorite person and my best friend. I see you in my life for as long as you'll have me. I wanna be with you, and not just as your best friend. As your boyfriend. And... If you'll let me, I will spend the rest of my life making up for the time we lost together."

His hands had found their way to one of yours, holding them against his chest tightly. Afraid you'll somehow disappear if he lets go.

"Ed's..."

You brought your free hand to his cheek, rubbing it softly.

"I didn't think I'd ever hear those words from you. Do you really mean it?"

He nodded, taking a quick glance to your lips, then back to your eyes.

"I don't think I could ever lie to you, baby. I want you in my life, as a lover, not a friend. If you'll allow me..?"

Without answering, you lean in. Lips finally touching his in a moment of passion. Your hands find his hair, his arms wrap around your back and lean you back down on the bed, hovering over you. You slightly open your legs for him to rest between them, your bodies growing closer and closer, until you break the kiss for just a moment.

"I love you too, Eddie. I always will."

He smiles widely, grabbing your hips a little tighter and leans in again, this time a bit more hungrily.

It was going to be a long night...

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

It's finally done!!! I hope you all liked it, and I certainly hope it was worth the wait???

I'm a wee bit backed up on requests, but rest assured, if you've sent one in I am working on it!

Everyone who requested a pt 2: @ali-r3n @toobsessedsstuff @munsonmecrazy @bibieddiesgf @eddiemunsonsgf2 @notbeforelong @munsonzzgf @daisyridleyyyy @slightlyvicked @ghostiegorlie

[icedteaandoldlace]

⭐️

Oh, thank you so much! This is going to be fun! Gonna dig a little into my favorite moment from Reversing the Damage (chapter 1 of Nights That Never End). I have the snippet here, for context. I think it probably speaks for itself, but I'm gonna elaborate on it, anyway.

So what's happening here—and throughout most of the chapter—is that Cisco is trying to explain his Reverse Flash trauma to Kamilla without oversharing and making her uncomfortable. And when she has an emotional reaction to learning about both what happened and how it still affects him, he tries to play it off like it isn't as bad as it sounds. He doesn't want her to be upset, or to feel obligated to listen and be supportive every time something bad from his past crops up again.

My semi-canon headcanon is that Cisco knows exactly the kind of relationship he wants, but doesn't feel entitled to expect or to ask for the amount of effort it would require from his partner to achieve the level of closeness that he wants. So he's in this place where he feels like giving 70% and receiving 30% is a reasonable exchange, because that's what he's used to (see: asking Cynthia if they could work out a better arrangement than the one they had, instead of asking her to leave the collectors and move in with him, which is what he really wanted). He doesn't really know how to have a girlfriend who is truly a partner. So he tries to convey to Kamilla that he's fine, and she doesn't have to take on all his emotional baggage, and he makes the joke that he doesn't expect her to hold his hand every time he has a nightmare, both in an attempt to lighten the mood, and as a subconscious deflection; he's basically offering to shut up and not bother Kamilla with his problems if she'd be more comfortable not knowing about them, before she has the chance to make the suggestion first, that way her setting that boundary would feel less like a rejection.

But of course, that's not what Kamilla wants. And she knows exactly what he's doing, even if he doesn't fully realize it himself. And she kinda wants to argue with him about it, but she doesn't know how to reassure him that she wants to be emotionally available for him, without sounding like she's just saying that to be polite. So instead of saying anything, she just holds his hand—literally—because that was the thing he said he didn't expect her to do. Without saying it outright, she's telling him that he should expect support and comfort from her when he needs it, because that's what loving someone means.

And Kamilla doesn't even consciously realize she's in love with him yet, but she's about to. Yeah, I know, canon says she knew he was the love of her life the moment she met him, but I see that more as her being instantly attracted to his personality, and recognizing that he was different/better than the guys she'd dated before, and someone who had the potential for her to be truly happy with. But actually falling in love with him was a process that required spending time with him and getting to know him. And my intent with the last line of this chapter is that this is the night Kamilla realizes she's in love with him. Because this isn't easy for her. Secondhand trauma is a very real and very not-fun thing, and the chapter ends with her lying awake, still thinking about the fact that Cisco's life almost ended before she even got the chance to meet him, and about the danger that the Reverse Flash still poses. Knowing what Cisco has been through and knowing that he isn't safe from it ever happening again is going to haunt her for a while, and that's gonna take her some time to emotionally recover from. But she is actively choosing to be Cisco's confidant and to go through all this with him, because to her it's worth it if it helps him heal. That's the thing that causes her to realize that she loves him, because she wouldn't be choosing this if she didn't.

As a final note, when I wrote Kamilla holding Cisco's hand as a way of telling him that she would be there for him whenever he needed her, it was 100% meant to be a precursor to this moment:

Because I LOVE this little moment so much and I wanted to give it some layers, and expanding on where Cisco's head is at the beginning of their relationship, and connecting that to where it is when their relationship is more developed shows just how good having Kamilla in his life has been for him.

[forjustice]

♟ — Does your muse believe in free will? Do they believe that people are mostly free? ♕ — What does leading a ‘good’ life mean to your muse? Are they satisfied with the choices they make?

both for hikari :3

♟ — Does your muse believe in free will? Do they believe that people are mostly free?

Hikari believes unconditionally in free will. If free will didn't exist, then her will wouldn't have allowed her to transcend the gods. Heck, a huge part of the religion she grew up with is about the importance of free will and choosing one's own path in life, sometimes even if that means questioning with the divine. And while she would never "stoop" to worshiping a deity anymore, a lot of Yumean principles have still stuck with her.

However, that doesn't mean that she thinks everyone is completely free. She knows that gods and whatever forces in the universe might be beyond them still have considerable influence over peoples' lives, and she holds herself as special and above everyone because she's the only person in existence who is completely immune to these forces. She knows that many people will not question when a god does something negative to them or that they will cry out in despair but ultimately do nothing; she believes that these people have willingly enslaved themselves to higher powers simply because they are too weak to challenge what the gods/"Fate" have decided. She's all about using her defiance of the gods to get the justice and other outcomes she thinks she deserves out of life, and she thinks everyone else should try to do the same--while at the same time believing herself to be the only person in human history who ever was or will ever be strong enough to attain the highest form of defiance against the cosmos. So basically, she has this very condescending "everyone should want to punch the gods in the face but I'm the best because I'm the only one who is able to do it perfectly." She's...so much.

♕ — What does leading a ‘good’ life mean to your muse? Are they satisfied with the choices they make?

There are two parts to what she thinks is a good life, which involve two incredibly different things. The first part of what she thinks it is is getting justice for herself and making sure the whole world knows her power and how special she is. This means bloody and torturous ends for Arceus, Giratina, Cyrus, Volo and Cynthia, and publicly stomping the shit out of anyone who tries to oppose her using her ungodly powerful reality warping abilities. The other part of what she thinks a good life is, though, is being able to spend time with those who mean the most to her. And her picture of that is continuing to do what she's doing now while she's on the run from the law--fucking off into the middle of nowhere so she can just enjoy life with her Pokémon. So basically, if she achieved her objective, she'd basically be Arceus' replacement but she'd also be a hermit who, after her objective was achieved, would not want to bother with anyone or anything, much less universe ruling duties. She has a whole lot of fantasies of using her abilities in a post-Arceus world to exact horrifying vengeance on both divine and mundane systems of power that mirror those which hurt her, but she hasn't completely thought through what else she'd do if she ever killed Arceus and essentially became the new ruler. She doesn't know this about herself, but if she ever got what she wanted and realized that becoming sovereign of the universe has responsibilities beyond getting even with everyone/thing that wronged you, she'd probably end up handing the position to one of her Pokémon.