#beautiful liar promotions when by so fast

[binniesoob]

last mx stage today :(((

[liciapeonia]

REQUEST PLS!:3

Pls do jinx x artist!fem!reader where theyre soulmates and (like in scot pilgrim(?) And your name) they meet eachother in their dreams, then reader just paints/sketches jinx because shes her muse and also so that she wont forget what she looks like if the dreams stop happening

DEF ANGST-COMFORT🙏

In a nutshell, the reader was born in Zaun but had great opportunities that took him away from his childhood and threw him into a fast-paced and stressful world, but strange things happened in his dreams that changed his destiny. I made a reader who has heard of jinx but doesn't remember the rumors about her very well and has never seen her before.

Jinx x fem!reader

Your days in Piltover are hectic as hell and the hours pass more than you can keep up with. You're an artist and you're very good at what you do. When you were a kid you used to make big graffiti on donkeys, then you moved on to paper and over time you started selling your paintings and drawings among the gentlemen of Piltover who declared themselves liberals who promote mixing between different people, just a bunch of rich liars.

And when night came and you collapsed on the bed, you had no dreams, nothing until everything changed…

A breeze blew past you, you opened your eyes and realized you were sitting in a different place, different from anything you'd ever seen, different from anything you could ever imagine. The air was fresh with a refreshing smell, a large field with flowers, you seemed to be high up, you could see a river below and in the distance large mountains, the sky was a beautiful shade of pink, and large trees were everywhere This was a place you never expected to see in your life, it was so different from what you were used to.

All the tiredness from your body seemed to have been washed away, all the pain, all the anxiety, it was a kind of total feeling of peace, getting up to sit under a tree and wait until everything was over, you saw it all with a brilliant glow and even though you felt small and alone under the big tree you couldn't be happier, but then something took your peace away.

Then you heard something that didn't sound like the wind or some kind of animal, it was… a woman. She was looking at you, her hair was big and blue like her eyes, eyes that looked like sapphires for how beautiful they were… she went quickly to your side, not too far away, sat down and started looking at the mountains.

When you looked at her, it somehow felt like you knew her, but you didn't know where….

“Do I know you?” you ask, catching her eye.

“Maybe I'm kind of famous, I have a very good reputation…, do I know you?” she asks looking at you.

“No, I don't think so…, even with all this fame, I don't think I know who you are, what's your name?” you say without knowing why you felt nervous about such a simple question.

The woman looks you up and down incredulously at your question ''People know me as Jinx'' she says trying to make you understand the real fame she has but there was no change in her face you didn't look scared or frightened as people usually do.

Then the silence returns.

“It's the first time I've seen such a beautiful place,” you say with a sigh.

“It's the first time I've seen you here, usually it's just me and the … it would be nice to see you here again.

You look at her confused ''What does that mean?'' and you are happily awoken, you can hear the horns outside all the infernal shouting that wouldn't let you sleep and that forced you to get up.

Usually, you woke up in a bad mood but this time it was different. You woke up with a feeling of doubt and you woke up with the image of Jinx. It was such an insignificant conversation, so small but it caused something in you every time you thought about it.

The day went by and the strange dream was also forgotten and when you hardly noticed, you were almost dead with sleep, falling into a deep sleep and hitting your face on the green grass of a beautiful mysterious place.

This time you turned over and lay on your stomach looking up at the sky, which was pink and purple, and once again the girl appeared, clearer, more beautiful, and more mysterious than last time.

“Hey toots you come back’’

''yeah…I wanted to see your blue hair again'' you say now smiling at her. She looks at you for a while ''you know… it's not every day that someone invades my dreams'' then she sits up looking at you.

''Me..invading your dream? no, in reality, it's you who's invading mine,'' you say jokingly to her.

She smiles slightly and from a small interaction like that, small conversations developed, then endless dialogues about the things you both like, the things that motivate each other, everything you both do, and this went on for months.

Until it ended

It was another tiring day and you were excited to go to bed and see Jinx talk about your day, complain about the people you're working with, and just hear all about her day about the bombs, new weapons every little thing she could think, off as she rambled on about the voices that wouldn't leave her alone.

But after you fall into a deep sleep nothing happens, a simple black takes over your eyes, and without even seeming to pass an hour it's already the next day … no Jinx no jokes no laughter no hugs no … her sparkling eyes every time she smiles at you.

As time went by, the reality of work continued, life didn't stop just because you were sad and every time you lay down to sleep you prayed that you would have one more minute with her, but that didn't happen, as time went by you began to think that the supposed magic of her being real and you having a connection was all in your head. Jinx was just a subconscious invented by your mind to support the load of daily anxiety, even a kind of bad joke from your brain.

Some people say that time heals everything, but in this case, your time didn't stop, and time has the incredible ability to distort memories, a reminder that is not always reliable, so you did everything you could not to forget her face… or even distort it. Every day, whenever you could, you drew pictures of her face, her hair, the depth of her eyes, trying to hold on to the failure of an imperfect copy of her real beauty.

When you found yourself a part of you had already incorporated a bit of her, your artwork is now different more stronger, more pigmented with waves that looked like fire, with lots of blue and pink, and with a lot of her and you there. Over time you didn't have to stand behind people showing them your paintings, they would come up to you and choose one. A lot of rich people put your paintings in their galleries or in their bathrooms and with a life full of money it was time to go back to your past.

You moved to Zaun, no one knew you had money, you wore the same old clothes, you didn't buy anything too expensive, you went to some places and remembered when you were younger, now you don't do your drawings for money, you ventured around painting on walls and over time you saw people you had left behind and ironically you see people you didn't even want to left behind.

The middle of the night was just like any other noisy night, but that night it was even louder. That's what it's like to paint a huge punch near one of the hottest nightclubs in Zaun, there was no one around, you were wearing a headset on one side of your ear.

''It would look really cool if you put some green monkeys on top.''

'' Green? I was just thinking about …..'' then you turn to the person behind you, finding their voice slightly familiar and coming face to face with your dear Jinx, you open your eyes wide at the person in front of you, surprised that she's real, surprised that she's here, surprised that …

She looked at you in disbelief even more than you ''Are you real?'' she asked and the only thing you could do was nod, your eyes almost overflowing, you came up to her, put your hand on her cheek as she slowly wrapped her arms around your torso and finally Kissed, a kiss that started off lightly curious but began to get more intense as the seconds passed, a kiss of need, the kind that makes you both run out of air.

And while everything was happening, one thing was certain in your head: things will change.

Kiss and cheese

[chorusfm]

Record Heat – Welcome To Record Heat Country

When I caught wind of Record Heat (previously known as Spirit Animal) recording their next album, I was immediately intrigued to see what this talented band would cook up. Welcome To Record Heat Country is a part-concept album about the wild west, part-Alt country much like classic rock bands like The Eagles, and part-rock and roll bliss. The band is comprised of lead vocalist Steve Cooper, lead guitarist Cal Stamp, and bassist Paul Michel, and their growth shown on this latest LP is pretty remarkable. Since the album came out in late September, to very little promotion, it’s been one of my “best-kept secrets” in the world of music. I often name-drop Record Heat to my friends looking for something unique in the music world, and this certainly fits the bill for creative music that is hard to describe without taking the time to absorb it after a few spins. Record Heat is what happens when you mix the rhythmic-rap driven Alternative Rock groove of Cake, the Country-tinged spirit of Fleetwood Mac, and the modern flair of The Struts. ”Keep it in Drive” kicks off this electric set of songs with a track about a “band on the run” navigating throughout the states on tour. The lyrics of, “Does anybody want to stop for coffee? / Swerving like a zombie,” invite the listener into the world of the band fighting off sleep at the wheel. The dual-meaning of a spaghetti-western stylized long journey of weary travelers paired with the reality of long drives to get their music heard come across as well thought out. “Eat You Up” is a more straight-forward rocker that relies on the crisp guitar-pop bliss of Cal Stamp paired with the anthemic vocals of Steve Cooper who commands the song, and never lets up. The country-rap of “Rainy Day Fund” is simply playful, fun, and experimental music at its best. The harmonies from Stamp and Cooper are great on the chorus, and they showcase their growth as musicians and solidify their band chemistry. Other early standouts like “The Fire” find Cooper bellowing over a great bass line from Paul Michel that rocks like a Johnny Cash classic, with a modern twist to keep things ultra-interesting and engaging. The front half closes with the majestic storytelling of “Blind Hope and Blue Skies” that continues to display the magic that happens when Cal Stamp and Steve Cooper harmonize and come together in their writing styles. Cooper remains as captivating as ever on the verses, as the lyrical material covers the beauty of being on the road and seeing some of the most picturesque parts of the country. My personal favorite in the set comes from the energetic song, “Run,” that is as fun as it is catchy. The chorus of, “Run, run when your hands are tied / Run when you sleep at night / Nothing ever lasts forever / Run, run when you can’t decide / Run when in you’re in the ride / Things get fast, and things get better” is well-constructed and made me fall in love with this album as a whole and get what the band were going for on this LP. One of the singles to be released from the set, “Amadeus,” is a campfire, rustic track that shows how Record Heat embraced the western films they were clearly influenced by on this album, and made a captivating record in turn. ”Starry Eyes” kicks off with a perfect guitar riff from Cal Stamp that helps set the tone for the rest of the track. The band adds in some banjo that spirals throughout the song and crescendos to the raucous chorus of, “Yeah, you’re so fucking fired! / Pack up your shit, and go retire / You’re such a cheater and a liar / I’m so fucking tired / Yeah, you’re so fucking fired!” It’s a classic marrying of styles similar to The Eagles with the brash, abrasiveness of punk bands like The Clash, and I’m 100% here for it. “Mellow On Out” closes out the lightning quick, nine-track LP with a mid-tempo rocker that you truly can put on in any mood, and your day will be better off for it. Record Heat have made a quirky, yet utterly catchy album on Welcome to Record Heat Country. While casual… https://chorus.fm/reviews/record-heat-welcome-to-record-heat-country/

[monsterenergysimp]

Permanence

corpse husband x fem!reader 

summary: you meet corpse on a stream and you’re surprised when he reaches out to you 

warnings: cursing, mentions of tattooing

word count: 1.9k

notes: This is proof read but could have missed some stuff. This is my first corpse fic and my first time writing fanfic since I posted that super cringey book on wattpad when I was like 12 or something. I’d appreciate feed back so please reach out to me :)

main blog @itsmysleepover

read part 2 here!

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

You were cleaning up your station so you can get home and stream. You loved your day job as a tattoo artist but you also really enjoyed streaming. It started as a way to promote yourself as an artist and the shop you worked at but it eventually became a really fun way to destress at the end of the week (or day if you were really itching to stream). “Hey Y/N was that your last client?” your boss, KC, asked as she walked to the front of the shop and put new flash drawings on the walls.

“Yes ma’am!” You said back excitedly. You finished cleaning your station and tossed your black gloves in the trash. “And you can’t trick me into staying and taking walk-ins,” you joked with her. She rolled her eyes and walked back into her office “It was one time,” she said as you slid on your jacket. As you walked out your phone buzzed in your pocket and you checked to see who had texted you. It was a message from Sean asking if you were free to play Among Us with him and some other streamers. You replied that you were on your way home right now and totally down. You were excited to see who was playing this time around since their Among Us streams are super entertaining and have gotten really popular.

On your way back you tweeted and posted to your Instagram story that you’d be streaming soon and set up all your stuff once you made it home. After a few minutes, you had a couple of thousand people watching. You entered the discord chat and Sean spoke up. “Everyone this is Y/N she’s sensitive so be gentle.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you guys and I’m not gentle, I'm ruthless,” You say into your mic and notice the chat calling you a liar. Everyone was in the lobby waiting for the game to start. “You sound way too sweet to be ruthless,” Corpse said. The countdown started and you were imposter with Charlie.

“This should be fun,” you told the stream. Yout tried playing strategically but after such a long shift your brain was mush. You saw Poki in nav and killed her then vented into shields. Not long after the body was reported and you were sure you were going to get voted out or at least sussed.

“Where was the body?” Felix asked. “Nav and I didn’t see anyone near there so whoever is imposter must have vented,” Corpse responded. Felix spoke up again. “I think I saw Y/N walk that way and I haven’t seen her since.”

Shit, shit, shit shit. “I’m in shield right now so-” you said trying to defend yourself but Charlie spoke up. “I was doing tasks with her earlier and I saw her walk into shields so she’s safe but I’m still not sure about Rae.” Everyone discussed a bit more and some people, including Corpse, voted for you but Rae got the majority vote and was ejected. You released your breath and kept playing being extra careful.  

“Okay, guys that was super close. Corpse knows and is out to get me,” you said to the chat. You were eventually voted off but one round later victory was written across your screen with your ghost and Charlie’s avatar. “Good game guys,” Corpse said.

“I told you guys I was ruthless!”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

You sat at your station doing nothing because a client had canceled a four-hour session. You were listening to music and sketching some stuff but you were bored out of your mind and you didn’t want to leave in case you got a walk-in. The music got quiet as you received a twitter notification saying someone had messaged you. You reached for your phone and saw you had gotten a dm from Corpse.

C: hey :)

You didn’t know what to respond. You were mostly confused as to why he decided to message you out of the blue. Did he want something? But what would he want?

Y: Hii! This is sudden

C: was i bothering you?

    shit sorry!

Y: Youre fine I wasn’t doing anything rn

C: how has your day been

    i dont usually do stuff like this

Y: Im glad you did im doing better now I was so bored

C: what were you doing that was so terrible

Y: NOTHING! thats the problem :(

C: im sure youll find something to do

You stared at his message. Unsure what to respond.

Y: Im gonna give myself a tattoo

C: what?

    NO!

You tossed the needles you used for your tattoo into the sharps box. “Oh my god you didn’t,” KC said. She noticed the wrap on your calve from the tattoo you just gave yourself out of boredom. “It’s not my fault I didn’t have anything else to do!” You said trying to defend yourself. She sighed and just shook her head. “Just go home business is slow today.” It was raining so the shop probably wasn’t going to get a walk-in anyway and you didn’t have any more clients for the day. It was only 2 pm but you drove home and after making lunch for yourself decided to stream. You weren’t expecting too many people so it was bound to be super chill. Your leg felt sore reminding you of the tattoo. You snapped a quick pic of the fresh jack-o-lantern on the side of your calve and messaged it to Corpse.

Y: [image] it came out nice!

C: thats  super cool actually

    i was concerned why you would just give yourself a tattoo but i found your instagram and       youre super talented

Y: Thank you!

For some reason, it felt strange to just have that be the end of your response.

Y: Im about to start streaming if you wanted to watch

    [link]

C: ill be watching ;)

What’s that supposed to mean?

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

You sat in your apartment watching tv, hand lost in a bag of Doritos, and scrolling through twitter. You had stopped paying attention to the anime playing on the screen since you’ve watched it a hundred times and knew you wouldn’t miss anything. It was Saturday and you usually take those days off. Take the time to do chores or meet up with some friends but today you felt like not doing any of those things. As you continue your endless scroll (not helping the twitter addiction you told yourself you’d try to get a handle on) you got a message from Corpse.

C: wanna talk?

You looked down at the message unsure of how to answer. It was a simple yes or no and the obvious answer was yes. You and Corpse had started talking more regularly. You still didn’t have each other’s phone numbers but it was fine. Your conversations weren’t too big-- just you sending him memes, tiktoks, and telling him how much you liked the songs he would drop. Or him complimenting a tattoo you did. Sometimes he’d message you during streams telling you funny stuff his fans would say in the chat and you’d do the same. You learned a bit about each other but nothing too deep or serious. Like how you two lived a few cities away and you both really liked Donnie Darko. When Sean first invited you to that game out of everyone else there you were most excited to meet Corpse. He’s just so sweet and funny. Of course, you’d love to talk to him but you were also itching to talk to him and the last thing you’d ever want to do was make him uncomfortable.

Y: Yeah id love to talk

Here goes nothing.

Y: Wanna facetime or something?

     No pressure or anything it could even be a regular call

     I think facetime is just my default lol

You sent those last two messages quickly after you had sent the first. You wished you could know what he was thinking. It was killing you to think you had turned him off from talking to you completely. You put your phone down on the couch and went to wash your hand of Dorito dust. When you got back from the kitchen you turned off the tv and tossed yourself onto the couch.

Still no message.

Why am I so fucking stupid?  

Just as you were standing up to stretch from sitting on the couch all day your phone buzzed. You reached for it fast and looked to see that it was him. You became super excited still not even knowing what the message said. It could have told you to never talk to him again for all you knew.

C: sure lets facetime

    xxx-xxx-xxxx

You had his phone number. You added him to your small but growing contact list and called. You sat on your couch waiting for a response when he finally picked up the screen was black. It didn’t upset you; you kind of expected it and didn’t care what he had to do to make himself more comfortable during this call.

“Hey,” he said. His voice was raspier than usual.

“Did you just wake up?” You asked and looked at the time. It was about a little past noon and you had only eaten Doritos all day. Shit, you should probably make a decent meal.

“Not that long ago but yeah,” he responded and giggled. That giggle.

“Well, I’ve eaten nothing but Doritos all day while rewatching Ouran High School Host Club, so you’re welcome to join me as I make myself something to eat.”

“Sounds like fun; what are we eating?”

“I don’t know yet,” You said as you stood up and made your way to the kitchen. You opened the pantry and looked. You noticed a can of diced tomatoes and reached for it then checked the expiration date. It was still good. On your counter were some onions and garlic. “How about some tomato soup?”

“Sounds delicious.” you smiled at Corpse and your phone screen not knowing if he was also looking at his screen or not. “You’re really pretty-- you know that?”

“Thanks, but you don’t have to--”

“I’ve already told you what an incredible artist you are so many times I bet you’re tired of hearing it, but you already know what a talented artist you are.”

“That is very kind of you Corpse,” you said to him bashfully as you chopped the onion and opened the can of tomatoes. “But once again you don’t have to reach so far to compliment me.”

“I’m not reaching you are talented and beautiful and--”

“I thought I was pretty.” You could hear him chuckle with a smile on his face. “You’re both,” he said. You could feel your face getting warm from blushing.

“Fuck you you’re making me blush. My face is all hot and stuff.”

He laughed at how flustered you got. “That’s the cutest thing ever.”

You didn’t know how to respond so you just put some olive oil in a pot and tossed in your onions. It became silent but it was a comfortable silence. You turned the stove on and watched the flame for a few seconds. “If it was dark we could pretend we were together and having a bonfire or something,” you said to the phone as you turned the camera to show him the flame (still not 100 percent sure if he was looking at you or not).

“I’ll put it on the list of things to do when you visit me someday.”

[issaxcharlie]

Owen hosts Couple tag

Pairing: Charlie Gillespie x Artist Fem Reader

Summary: We play pretend world guys✨ (I missed them, I’m SoRryyyy.) So, Charlie wants some reassurance after starting to prepare his proposal to Y/N and makes this “genius” plan with Owen to find her answers without being suspicious. (She totally knows tho) also a lot of friendship fighting between Owen and Y/N because I had to, I made myself laugh a lot so I’ll hope at least makes you smile🤧🤣Anyways, have fun!

This is also my weird and nonsense way of doing sweet @marvel-ousnesss request of the we play pretend couple to do a couple buzzfeed quiz 💖

The blonde takes a deep breath before picking up his phone and heading to the living room, where his couple of friends and roommates are on the couch. Charlie is lying down watching television and Y/N is lying on top of him with her face snuggled into his neck, he hugging her around the waist while gently running his fingers down her skin.

The plan was simple, to help Charlie plan the perfect proposal and give him an idea of what she expects from her wedding, they were doing a “Couple tag” video. That way the questions wouldn’t be as suspicious. Of course, there are easier ways but we are talking about Charlie. They convinced Kenny to call her and tell her that it was to promote the second season that is currently being filmed, and she agreed.

Charlie mentioned many times that someone else had to ask her the questions because she reads her boyfriend like an open book, so his improvisation had to be perfect to keep his best friend’s clever girlfriend out of the hook.

He decided to start the live from his room so as not to give the singer the opportunity to think much about it, so he sits in the living room and focuses the image on his friends who are not affected in the least by their positions. After all, everyone already knows that they are a couple and that they live together.

“Hello, I’m Y/N Y/L! And yes, that sexy, beautiful, adorable and talented man is my boyfriend, Charlie Gillespie.” He blushes as the memory of their first night back as a couple invades the mind of the Canadian, who had his girlfriend in exactly this position when she was, as she said, 'practicing' her introduction. Sadly, this time it will not end like that night because his best friend and about 500,000 people are watching.

“Welcome to my first edition of the Couple tag everyone! Here's my first guest couple, I know it’s not much, but I promise to find someone worthwhile next time, this is just for practice." Charlie laughs but looks nervous. Instead, his girlfriend sits down and rolls her eyes.

"I can't believe you chose him over a puppy or a hamster." The girl says to her boyfriend while laughing at her friend's offended reaction.

“I'm going to write that down in my long enemies list, but for now I have a live to lead. Okay guys, so basically I will ask them questions and I will also choose who answers them because I’m the only one hot enough to call the shots here."

She laughs and sticks out her tongue. Charlie sits down too and she takes his hand to fiddle with it. She keeps arguing for a few minutes with Owen but shows no signs of not wanting to play the game so he starts before she regrets it.

“Okay, first one is for Charlie. How did you guys met? This is actually a good one because a lot of the fans think you met on set and are like this really intense couple who started to date the very first week without even knowing each other’s last names.”

They both start laughing at the comment. The truth is that they have seen multiple posts and comments online from people judging their relationship and how fast they were going, especially when they did that last interview together and Y/N said that Charlie was taking his sweet time to ask for marriage, since for the fans they only have one year and months of knowing each other.

“We have known each other since forever. Our moms were best friends and we were born only a few weeks apart so we've always been together. We grew up as best friends and were dating before Y/N moved to New York to play Daniela on Stardust." Charlie tries to shake off the memory of the last tearful kiss before Y/N got on the plane. Hopefully he’ll never have to part from her for so long again. Sometimes he can't even understand how he managed to get through those 5 years.

"So no, we don't know each other for just one year, but 22." She adds, kissing his nose.

"Y/N, honey. I didn't ask you, don't be rude and wait for your turn." Owen says teasingly, the girl laughs and throws a pillow at him.

“Okay, rude again. Y/N, What is the first thing that he ever gave you?”

“Oh my, this beautiful valentines card! We were like eight I think. The paper is red, and it is filled with gold and silver glitter stars. Inside is a big star that has written in the middle, “My bright star, happy valentine’s day. I love you. And a lot of doodles of my favorite things, like my guitar, a microphone, chocolate, and a little Charlie. Just adorable, I still have it and to date it is one of my favorite gifts.”

The emotion with which she responds makes Charlie's heart melt. That was the first time he called her bright star, and he kept saying it to her during every audition, every performance, every practice. The exact reason not even she knows, but maybe one of these days he'll tell her.

“Rude and a liar. The 22-year-old Charlie's handwriting is horrible, the 8-year-old Charlie handwriting could only be close to a squiggle, nothing more. Oh, and probably only you had the ability to read it. I very much doubt that was beautiful."

She opens her mouth in surprise and wrinkles her nose, feigning annoyance. “I liked you more when you had a crush on me. You were nicer.”

Owen's eyes widen and he turns to see Charlie looking for help but he just starts laughing. “Wh- What are you talking about, mean girl?”

“Oh c’mon, you totally did, Ohio.” She smiles at the camara while showing a superiority face.

“Really? I already told you a thousand times, I'm from Oklahoma. But hey, how funny, forget about Stardust and audition for Funny Girl!”

“Jokes on you, I would nail Fanny Brice.”

“Man, defend my honor!”

“Bro, I can’t. You totally did, I even got worried for a second there.” It is incredible to think about how their friendship has grown and matured over time. They went from Owen fangirling every time he saw her to being really good friends. All these fights are more of a show than anything else, the truth is that when nobody is recording they tend to be very cool around each other and the three of them have quite a pleasant dynamic now that they are living together for the show.

“I won, Idaho. Now, please continue.”

“Well, my friends embarrassed me on my own live. I can already imagine the headlines tomorrow. Anyways, Charlie, Would you let yourself in danger to save her?”

Charlie starts laughing as he drops his head on the girl's shoulder. "I think she's not going to let me lie, I always have and will continue to do so. For me it's always her safety first."

"Which has given me more than a scare but he's so freakin stubborn." She adds while looking stressed and Owen can't help but imagine all the situations Charlie must have put himself in before.

“I prefer you scared than in danger, beautiful.” He grins and kiss her lips, her facial expresions relaxing at his touch.

“Gross. Y/N, do you prefer a small wedding or a big wedding?” She can feel Charlie tense at the question, so she leans her body back to support it against him and give him a lowkey reassurance.

“I hadn't really thought about it, but I know that my almost mother-in-law has been planning it all her life so you should check with her.”

His mom. Y/N is right, as always. His mom is their biggest shipper and the wedding is probably something she’ll want to be an importart part of, maybe way more than with his brothers since she adores the girl as much as her own kids, and the fact that his girlfriend is even more aware of that fact than him makes him smile.

“Do you love it when someone refers you as ‘her boyfriend’?”

“Always. Especially if it's her. She has that little knack of saying it whenever she can and it’s the most adorable thing in the world.”

“Oh I thought she was just showing it off to me because she was intimidated by our chemistry. I don't feel so special anymore.” Charlie chuckles and sends a secret air kiss to his friend, who just smirks and fakes to blush.

“How would you handle it if you thought another man was hitting on her?” Owen asks the guitarist raising an eyebrow.

“She usually takes care of that situations, her method is to take me by the shirt and kiss me hard on the lips. I’m never going to complain about that.” Charlie says smirking and blushing.

“We are a celebrity couple, for better or for worse. I’m not having him in a fight when I can just kiss that beautiful lips and solve the problem.” Charlie smiles as he wraps his girlfriend in his arms, so she can't see his face with the next question.

“What do you dream of your marriage? Mmm, let’s go with Y/N.”

“Anything will be perfect if I spend it with the man of my life. My Char is my everything and my biggest dream is to live my whole life laughing by his side.” Owen pretends to vomit as Charlie fills her with kisses under the ear, clearly moved by her answer.

“Let’s get to someting less cheesy because I really can’t with you both anymore. Has anyone ever tried to break your relationship?”

Charlie rolls his eyes and thinks for a moment. “Yes. We were like seventeen, and this guy from hockey had this big crush on her, so he tried to flirt with her many times even though everyone knew she was my girlfriend, until one day that he made her too uncomfortable and things escalated between him and me. Luckily my brothers intervened before something else happened because he was much bigger than me. I would have totally lost.” He chuckles while his girlfriend turns to see his face and gives him another sweet kiss on the corner of his lips.

“Yes guys, they are this annoying all the time. How do I survive? A lot of yoga. Next question, If three guys are standing, and you have been blindfolded, then how would you recognize him? Guys we actually did this like three days ago on set.”

“It was awesome! We put my bandana on her eyes and since it had my smell she couldn't be guided by that to choose.” Charlie explains excited.

“We got the three of us, first Jeremy then Charlie and then me in front of her, then she began to lightly touch Jer's hand. Then she went to Charlie's, it didn't take her a minute to recognize him and she took him from the hair and draw him to her lips, it was actually a pretty smooth and risky move, I’ll give you a point for that, prodigy brat.”

“Char's body inadvertently reacts to mine. It was pretty easy to tell the difference, especially after touching Jeremy's hand.” She turns her head to give Charlie a soft kiss on the lips and then Owen starts laughing like crazy and telling her to come see a specific comment.

She gets up and goes to sit next to him, Owen changes the camera so that now they are the ones in the image and she begins to read aloud. “Charlie I could give you my... Oh my god!” Owen continues laughing, resting his head on his friend who simply watches the screen in shock.

“Thank god Charlie doesn’t know how to read.” Owen, who was just recovering from his giggling fit, laughs again as Charlie giggles and sticks his tongue out at his girlfriend.

"Who needs to read when you look this hot with sleeveless shirts." He jokes while winking at his partner, which seems to melt in front of the camera that is still pointing directly at her.

“The man has a point. Okay, Y/N move your ass back there I’m still in charge of this show. Would you prefer a silver or gold ring?”

She makes sure to move off the screen and sticks her middlefinger at Owen before heading back to her place with her boyfriend. “Good and really random question.” She smirks, not making contact with her boyfriend. “I don't have a preference, but I would love Char to design it. Obviously with the correct guidance, but yeah he choosing every detail and then explaining to me why he choose it would be the dream.”

Charlie smiles. He was already imagining something like this after so many years of gifting and has already been visiting the jewelry store several times to make sure he designed the perfect ring for his girl, a slight feeling of pride filling him.

“Which series does she thinks resembles your relationship?”

“She loves Boy Meets World and see a lot of us in Cory and Topanga. I can totally see it too, after all they too have known each other their whole lives and have a bond as strong as ours.”

“Well that explains why she’s always telling me ‘Life is though, get a helmet’ instead of actually help me.” She grins at the memory of Charlie’s last prank on Owen a couple of days ago, it was really good since she secretly helped him plan it.

“Man, It wasn’t personal. I do the same with Char. I’m not going to be known for being the one ruining prank war. Take it to the end of the road, if you need me to take you idiots out of jail I totally will... eventually.”

“My girl, everyone. Isn’t she awesome?” He watches her adoringly and she blushes in response, buring her head on his neck.

“She always has this enormous energy and personality but all it takes is for you to see her for her to melt, that’s... kind of cute actually. Okay next question Stardust, What about If Charlie tells you to marry him tomorrow?”

For the thousandth time that night Y/N can feel Charlie stressing out. The fact that he planned together with Owen and Kenny all of this just to make sure he was on the same page with her is the most adorable thing in the world.

“I’m pretty sure he knows I would always say yes. He could have gotten on a plane when we were 18 and told me ‘I don't want to be without you, let's get married.’ And I would have said yes. He’s my person, I have nothing to think about, I have always known it’s him."

Now it's Charlie's turn to melt, and Owen himself can't help but smile.

Charlie's confidence in what he has planned is higher than ever, and the day when he can finally make it official is near. He has been dreaming of this day with his Y/N for years and he will finally get it.

“Well guys, that was it, give it up to my favorite couple of dumbasses and please stop asking obvious questions. Will I be Y/N’s maid of honor? Of course I will. Oh, and tune in next week to see me becoming Kenny’s new favorite after I challenge Y/N in a dance duel with I got the music. Golden star is GOING DOWN."

Thank you for reading✨

NEXT PART HERE

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[justice4harwin]

Darklina prompt

Inspired by Taylor Swift’s Champagne problems

A/N: TBH, I’m not sure this is the actual assigment, but the lines of the song that I choose are just too lovely for me and I could’t help it. It wrote itself, i swear

I don’t know if this is what you had in mind @mayatried but I hope you like it :)

Set during S&B

“Your Midas touch on the Chevy door

November flush and your flannel cure”

Alina treaded carefully through the dark. Night seemed to be abandoning its deepest cycle, but there was yet time before the sun arose. Everyone at the Little Palace slept, even Baghra in her hut -she suspected the woman slept, at least-, and Alina had begun to take advantage of such lonely hours to practice.

She walked around first, rounding part of the lake before taking a turn into a maze.

She liked the place. The polished bushes bloomed with flowers of various colors carefully planted within by the gardeners, and there were stone benches here and there.

A part of her wanted to get lost in there and never be found.

She shuddered and rubbed her arms, wishing she had taken a thicker kefta with her instead of the one currently upon her more rounded figure.

It was still strange, looking in the mirror and no longer seeing the bones of the ribs through the soft skin, or seeing her cheekbones softer and pink and full.

Her hands went up. She liked her new cheekbones. She felt pretty.

Deep into the maze, she shook her head to rid it of such frivolous thoughts and took a firm stand.

She closed her eyes and called the power inside of her. She had been able to summon after letting it all go at Baghras hut, but her progress was slow.

She supposed once couldn't heal a lifetime wound in a few weeks, but everyone had their eyes on her now, so maybe she'd have to suck it up.

A small bulb of light appeared in her hand, taking the shape of a sphere. She smiled softly, feeling its warmth.

Gently, she disentangled a hand and created another sphere of light.

Doing her best to ignore the cold and the sleepiness, she willed the spheres to stretch and join.

Trembling, they did.

It's a start.

She then forced them to unify into one long stick of light, flexible like a whip, and then she stretched her arms, elongating the light.

Next, she tried to grab a solid hold of the light with one hand and let the other drop.

To her surprise, it didn't burn her; it just filled her with a sense of power and surety.

Hesitant, lifted her arm, the light going with her, and slashed.

The flowers�� on a big stone vase banished as if they had never existed, yet the stone remained practically untouched; a black, long spot its only scar.

"Impressive."

She jumped, turning to see The Darkling stepping forward, that blank expression on his face making it hard for her to believe him.

"I thought it wasn't enough." She said, remembering his words.

"It's not." He said, matter-of-factly, and Alina felt a small sting on her chest. "But you managed to get a solid, physical hold of your power already, however short lived it was, and that was impressive. It should have taken you more time."

She felt herself blushing under his praise.

"How did you find me?"

He remained silent for a moment or two, calculating probably as he always seemed to do. She couldn't really distinguish his features that well in the dark.

"Sometimes I like to sit at the edge of the lake to think. I find the still water most calming."

"You have a lot on your plate, don't you?" She asked, genuinely concerned.

He seemed to have huffed a laugh.

"You don't have to worry about me. Your only job is to strengthen your power."

"But I do!" She hurried to say,cheeks red. "I-I mean, I worry about you."

She looked down, and barely felt him approach as his boots stepped on the grass.

"You do?" She wasn't sure what to make of his tone, but Alina felt the need to reach out and take his hand.

Instead, she took a step forward and summoned her light, delicately running it over his face. He looked perfect, as usual, yet she wondered…

"When was the last time you slept?"

He chuckled, not turning away from her light.

"Do I look tired to you, Summoner?"

"No, but Genya is a miracle worker."

His lips quirked up.

"She is, indeed."

"A pity her talents are wasted on the queen and king." Alina said before she could even think of holding her tongue.

She tensed, but The Darkling nodded slowly, a shadow passing over his face.

"It is. She looks like a candle with her white kefta, but she'd be a walking flame in red."

Alina couldn't hide her surprise. Would he dare to promote her?

The Darkling stretched his arm out.

"But no more talk about that. Come, I shall teach you something."

Learning from The Darkling himself? Alina would never miss the chance. 

She eagerly followed him deeper into the maze, into a spacious area occupied only by grass.

Gracefully, he sat down.

"Next to me."

Much less gracefully, she did as he commanded, trying not to get grass or mud on her kefta. She placed her legs underneath her body and her hands on her lap, more than ready to soak in all the information he had to give.

She looked at his profile and felt her breath caught. Even in the dark, his pale face seemed perfectly clear to her.

She leaned her back against the wall of bushes, wincing only slightly as some small sticks pinched her back.

“Now what?”

“Are you afraid of your powers?” he asked.

“No.” she was too quick to reply.

“Do not lie to me, miss Starkov. I don’t take kindly to deceit.” he spoke calmly, yet she felt a small flicker of fear roll over her body.

“I am.” she muttered, so quietly she herself almost didn’t hear the words. She bit down on her lip and then opened her mouth: “I’m scared to not be enough to destroy The Fold. I feel like I’m not advancing fast enough. I’m also scared of how powerful I could get if I,...if I unleash it, and I’m scared it’ll consume me and I’ll let it.”

And that was only part of it. What if she accidentally hurt someone innocent? What if she failed? Why did people keep watching her in such various ways?

“A power, a gift like ours, is not bestowed upon just anyone. We have it because we were meant to wield it; because we are the only ones strong enough.” he leaned towards her, his expression almost gentle. “You will be magnificent, miss Starkov. I am well aware of what you could accomplish, and if you do get too lost, I’ll be right there to pull you back.”

“Do you promise?” she felt silly asking, like a child, but she needed some reassurance.

Everyone was so expectant of her, of great achievements she was terrified of, that having someone who could understand her and seemed to genuinely believe in her capabilities -without making a fuss or calling her a Saint- sent a tidal wave of reassurance that could’ve dropped her on her ass if she hadn’t been already seated.

“I do.” he replied, his voice filling the entire space they occupied. He leaned back, face blank again. “Now, close your eyes.”

Alina did as he said.

“Deep breaths.”

She slowly took in a big gulp of cold, late-autumn air. She shivered.

“Now,” he said, and his voice sounded right by her ear, his beard brushing against her soft skin and threatening to ruin the whole process. “Feel the light.”

“It’s the middle of the night.”

“It’s inside you, miss Starkov.”

“Alina.”

He said nothing, but she felt him tense. “Feel it.”

She reached down, deep within herself for that almost familiar warmth, and smiled softly when it answered her with an enthusiastic twinkle.

“Now, imagine it all over your body, every inch of it, warm and gold.”

That twinkle in her chest seemed to have steadied, and with the utmost focus, Alina began to picture it covering her chest, travelling down her arms and legs, all the way to the tips of her toes. 

She shivered again, the sudden change in temperature taking her body by surprise.

She opened her eyes and looked down, and found a faint glow on her hands. She felt the currents of wind but they didn’t affect her. She was as warm as if she were well sunked in a hot bath.

She looked up at The Darkling, who almost smirked; she was sure of it!

“Well, now I know I won’t freeze to death on the mountains.”

“You plan on going to the mountains?” he asked, almost amused.

She flushed.

“N-no, it was,...um, it was a joke.”

He chuckled silently, and Alina tilted her head as he shifted in his place.

“You’re cold.”

“I am perfectly fine;  thank you, Alina.” he answered, the perfect liar.

The use of her name made her falter, and after a second it made her feel more secure, however odd that may sound. She scooted closer to him and again, bought her hand up to his cheek. It was cold.

The Darkling almost seemed startled for a moment, but then, when Alina thought he might push her away, he slowly lifted his arm, bringing her to his side.

She looked up at the stars shining down on them, at the full moon, so beautiful and unreachable, just, or so she thought, as the man next to her.

“Can you feel the warmth too?” she asked softly.

A moment passed and she felt his lips ghost over her hair.

“I can feel you, Alina.”

She couldn’t help but smile and cuddle even closer, daring to press her front to his side and take a hold of his dark cloak.

Slowly, he placed his chin atop of her head.

Alina didn’t move, enjoying the moment. Cheeks red as they could be and her heart beating faster than a rabbit’s. She just enjoyed the silent environment, the quiet rustle of leaves and the voices of night.

Cuddling with the most powerful, dangerous man in all of Ravka, Alina felt the pressure set upon her shoulders since she arrived at the Little Palace fade away, like it didn’t matter. Yes, it was a tough task; but just like with anything that proved difficult, she’d advance little by little.

She dared to wrap an arm around his midsection, his own free arm engulfing her as well as he muttered something.

His breathing had slowed and steadied, his heart beat strong inside its cavity.

Carefully, she lifted her eyes as best she could without moving him, and realized he had fallen asleep.

With a contented sigh, she buried her face into his chest and closed her own eyes.

Somehow, the feel of his cloak around her, his frame against her, and her dim light keeping them warm felt far more comfortable than the luxurious bed all but forgotten in her bedroom.

[maliby]

Hard | ty (m)

↬ Pairing: sub idol!Taeyong x fem dom idol!Reader | idol!Jaehyun x idol!Reader (if you squint) ↬ Story Genre: smut, pwp, tiny bit of angst, idol!au ↬ Warnings: explicit language, explicit sex scene, improv kinky shit (when the urges call and you ain’t home, you gotta work with what you got lmao) ↬ Word count: 4K ↬ Summary: Jealousy led you to spy on your boyfriend Taeyong at Music Bank. Jealousy also led you to fuck the shit out of him in NCT’s dressing room so everyone could hear who he belonged to.

“So, Jaehyun-ah, who’s your ideal type?” 

NCT 127 was in the midst of their ‘Kick it’ comeback, which meant endless promotions. The show currently airing on the TV in your dorm’s living room was a new one called ‘Glossy Gossip’. You didn’t particularly like this show or the nosy host, but it was really popular amongst fangirls and thus NCT 127 was on it. This time though, only Jaehyun and your boyfriend Taeyong had been invited.

“Mmmh, I’d say Y/N from Pixies.” 

Jaehyun’s crush on you was no news for you, in fact, even everyone in NCT 127 knew of it. The surprising thing was that he was admitting it on national television right in front of your boyfriend. You would be lying though if you said you didn’t enjoy watching Taeyong trying to hide his jealousy by clenching his jaw.

Before you met your boyfriend, you had made out with Jaehyun at Seulgi’s birthday party. For you, it was just a fling, which was why you convinced Jaehyun not to tell Taeyong. Ruining their team dynamic because of an old fling just wasn’t worth it. 

The whole situation changed when Jaehyun decided to out the both of you on a game of truth or dare. He asked you between him and Taeyong who was the better kisser and after assuring your boyfriend that it was a meaningless fling from before the two of you had met, you answered Taeyong. 

“I love it! Keeping it in the SM family! She is very beautiful, you two would make a dashing couple!” The MC said, making you immediately cringe at her words.

“What about you Taeyong-ah, who’s your ideal type?” 

You thought he was going to say your name, after all, you would definitely say his, but your world dropped as soon as another woman’s name fell off of his lips.

“Lisa,” he said nonchalantly, as he plunged a metaphorical dagger into your heart.

“Ohhh, last time she was here she said you were exactly her type! Can I be invited to your wedding?”

You picked up the remote and immediately turned off the TV, not being willing to hear his response.

How could he say that without an inch of hesitation? How could he say fucking Lisa’s name and not yours? Was he that petty because Jaehyun had said your name? Or were you just that insignificant to him?

That day you ignored all of Taeyong’s messages and calls. You even skipped practice and stayed home so you wouldn’t run the risk of bumping into him at SM. You thought that that would be enough to make him understand that you didn’t want to talk to him but as soon as you heard him knocking at your door you realized how stupid you were to underestimate his persistence.

“Y/N let me in, I know you’re in there.”

“You must be mistaken, Blackpink’s dorm is 100 meters from here,” you yelled back at him in a petty tone.

He stopped knocking, a sigh being the only thing you could hear through the door. “Y/N I’m sorry, I was being petty about the whole Jaehyun situation and him saying your name…”

You opened the door and saw him standing there with these sad puppy eyes that tugged at your heartstrings, but you were still fucking hurt.

“You really fucking hurt me, Yong.”

“Fuck, I know,” he ran in to hug you but you were aching so much that you couldn’t even hug him back. “I regretted it the moment I said it, that’s why I said that thing after.”

“What thing?” You broke off the hug, curiosity getting the best of you.

“You didn’t watch it?”

“I turned off the TV. As you can imagine, I wasn’t exactly eager to watch you talk about your future wedding with Lisa.”

He got closer to you and placed his hand on your cheek wanting to comfort you, “I said: ‘I’m sorry, I meant pizza’.”

There was a brief moment of silence before you broke out laughing.

“You really told her your ideal type was pizza?” It hurt that he said her name, but the fact that he regretted it right away and tried to mend it made you feel a lot better.

“Yes, you should have seen her face.” 

The smile on his face was one of relief, a smile so sweet you couldn’t help to stare for, after all, you loved him with all your heart.

Taeyong gave you a soft kiss after a while of just staring, sighing against your lips. “I really am sorry baby, I wish I hadn’t caused you pain like that.”

“It’s fine now,” you leaned into the hand that was caressing your cheek so you could feel his warm touch.

“Will you forgive me?”

“I will.”

You promised Taeyong you would forgive him, but when it came to forgetting it was a whole different story. Especially when you learned that Blackpink was having a comeback and, therefore, going to the same music show programs as NCT 127.

You trusted Taeyong, you did, but the truth of the matter was that Lisa had confessed your boyfriend to be her ideal type, and now with his little slip up on national television you were sure she could get the wrong fucking idea and mess with what was yours. Taking all that into consideration, you decided that you needed to go to Music Bank to spy on them.

You knew your members would never cooperate with your dumb idea, especially your strict leader, so, taking advantage of the fact that your period was due tomorrow you made up some excuse about cramps so you could ‘stay home and rest. It was all a bunch of crap, of course, but something inside of you was telling you that you needed to be there, so you pulled up a favour with your manager and voilà, you were in.

You pulled up your face mask, tugged down your Adidas hat (to try and cover up your identity as much as possible), and went on exploring. 

In reality, there weren’t that many places Taeyong could be in but, knowing your boyfriend’s appetite, you’re almost sure he’d be at the cafeteria. So, with that in mind, you turned right and followed the line of hungry idols to the cafeteria. 

So far, none of the idols you walked by had recognized you, but in all fairness, none of them were your friends. The true test came when you saw Yuta speaking with Yuto from Pentagon near the entrance of the cafeteria. Yuta saw you practically every day, thus it would be highly likely that he would recognize you. So, you turned your head in the opposite direction, sped up your pace, and prayed to the Lord he wouldn’t recognize you. 

What you didn’t expect was, after successfully passing by the two Japanese friends without being recognized and preparing to open the cafeteria doors, going face-first to an exiting Johnny and falling backwards, dropping your hat on the floor in the process.

“Oh, I’m so sor-” he reached for your hand but stopped in surprise as he recognized you, leaving you to stand up on your own. “Y/N? What are you doing here?”

“Y/N?” You heard Yuta also ask behind you.

“Fuck.” You whispered to yourself as you tried to think of an excuse that wouldn’t make you look like a crazy person. “I- Oh! I’m here because Taeyong asked me to bring him something that he forgot,” you smiled, feeling proud of your lie.

“Oh, ok,” he answered, “not like him to forget things though.” 

“Yeah, he must be stressed with this whole comeback thing, you know how he is. Is he in the cafeteria?”

“Yeah, he’s grabbing a snack with-”

“No!” You heard Yuta interrupt him, immediately ditching his friend and coming into your conversation with Johnny. “He left 5 minutes ago, don’t you remember Johnny?”

“Oh, yes, right. I’m so worried about the stage performance that I totally forgot.”

Johnny was a terrible liar, one of the reasons why you loved playing poker with him, and one of the reasons why your heart was beating so fast right now. You knew he was lying. You knew they were lying, and if they were lying, that meant that Taeyong was definitely in the cafeteria and probably doing something that you wouldn’t like.

“Let me through,” you passed through Johnny and Yuta and walked right in the cafeteria, immediately spotting Taeyong and Lisa giggling while they filled their stomachs with sandwiches. You should feel better at the fact that they were in the company of Jennie, Mark and Jaehyun and not alone but in reality, you didn’t.

Taeyong had his back to you so he could never have predicted the way in which you were about to storm into their conversation. You marched towards their table, pulled out the empty chair right next to your boyfriend and stared right at Lisa.

“Is this seat taken? Thanks” you sat even before she could answer.

“Oh Y/N!” she interjected as you took off your mask, “I didn’t know you were promoting,” she innocently smiled at you, not having a clue of the shit storm that was about to happen.

In truth, not even the idols knew of your relationship with Taeyong, only your group, NCT and a few SM people but that’s it. So, you couldn’t really blame Lisa for taking advantage of one of the hottest fucking guys on this planet saying on television that he’d be down to fuck her. Of course not, that would be irrational of you, but see, irrational was all you could manage to be right now.

“Can I join in?” You asked Taeyong, his eyes in shock as he looked at you, “it sounds like you were having a very lovely conversation.”

“Baby, it’s nothing I swear,” he immediately said.

“Oh, it’s not?”

“Ok, we need to get back to the dressing room. Let’s go, Jennie,” Lisa got up and left with her bandmate, fully understanding what was happening.

“Fuck, Taeyong, why are you doing this to me?” Tears were pricking at your eyes and you had the full notion that everybody was staring at you right now but you didn’t fucking care.

“Y/N, I wasn’t doing anything we were just talking about our comebacks I swear. Mark and Jaehyun were here the whole time they can tell you,” he desperately looked at his friends.

“Y/N it’s true, everywhere else was full so I asked them if they wanted to sit with us, it’s my fault,” Mark said. You had always loved Mark, you treated him like a baby brother, and you trusted him completely but, even he couldn’t make you feel better about this whole thing.

“Baby, I love you, I only want to be with you, trust me when I tell you this,” Taeyong grabbed your hand to calm you down, but you were so sick of this Lisa situation that you could only think of one thing. You grabbed Taeyong’s hand, pulled him up, and dragged him to his dressing room.

He tried to talk to you on your way there, to calm you down, but you completely ignored him. Talking wasn’t what you needed right now. You needed to make him yours and make you scream your name and no one else’s. 

When you reached the dressing room you noticed the unnie that did their makeup sanitizing all the products to use on the members. Luckily, she also did your makeup from time to time and was your friend, so you didn’t feel awkward when you asked her if you could talk to Taeyong alone. She kindly conceded to your request and you followed her to the door, making sure to lock it after she left.

“Y/N?” He slowly got near you, testing the waters. When he moved to touch your cheek you blocked it. You placed your hands on his shoulders and pushed until he sat on the nearest makeup chair.

“First, you say another woman’s name on national television, and then, you decide to make friends with her, behind my back. Do you want to fuck her? I know her dressing room is right next to this one, manager unnie told me. I can go in there and fetch her for you to fuck her, how’s that?”

“No! I only want you, you’re the only one for me, I swear!”

“Then don’t you fucking forget that,” you grabbed him by his sharp jaw and made him look right into your eyes before you straddled him and violently kissed him, like a wild animal marking its territory.

Taeyong’s hands promptly grabbed your ass but you swatted them out. “Do you want me? Do you want it? First, you have to be a good little boy, got it?”

This wasn’t the first time you dominated him. It all started with an innocent question: ‘Baby, do you have any kinks?’. From looking at Taeyong’s stage persona alone one would be miles away from imagining that he liked to be a sub from time to time. Everything about him screamed ‘raw dominating sex’, so to say you were a little surprised when he asked you to dominate him in bed was an understatement but the truth was, you liked it far more than you could ever have imagined. So, since then, dom Y/N was a common occurrence in bed, and she definitely was about to make an appearance at one of Music Bank’s dressing rooms.

“Yes,” you pressed harder on his cock to make him realize he was missing a little something. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll be your good little boy”

“That’s my baby boy,” your hand slid down his chest and abs which were exposed thanks to the revealing outfit he was wearing for the ‘Kick it’ promotions.

“I need you to do something for me baby,” you got up from on top of him, already missing the way his hardening cock was pressing against your centre, and placed your foot on top of his dick, applying a little bit of pressure. “Untie my sneakers and take out the shoelaces.”

While he worked on your shoes you made sure to massage his dick, you needed him to be nice and hard for what you had in store for him. Once he was finished you picked up one of the shoelaces and placed the other on the vanity right next to you. You then moved to his back and tied his hands behind the chair.

“Taeyong, Taeyong...why are you so misbehaved? Why do you have to make me look like a crazy bitch in front of everyone?”

“I-I don’t know ma’am.” You straddled him once again, the pressure on his cock making him choke upon his words.

“You don’t know?” You reached for the other shoelace and slowly ran it over his body, making his nipples perk up. “I think your problem is that you’re way too damn handsome.”

While your left hand moved between you two to cup his hard cock your right one grabbed his bleached hair to expose his neck to your starving mouth. “You drive me fucking crazy Yong.”

“Fuck,” he moaned.

Your hand slipped through his pants and squeezed his cock, wanting to feel him raw and hard. “Is this all for me baby?”

“Yes, just you. I can get hard just by looking at you-” and then your lips were on his, kissing him like nothing else mattered, like you two were the only ones in the world.

The handjob you were giving him and the making out session were getting you so turned on that you started to ride his thigh. 

Wanting to make you feel even better, Taeyong flexed his muscles and that extra bit of hardness made you pick up your pace, your kiss now becoming a mix of pants and lip bites. You let go of his cock and grabbed the back of the chair to help you ride his thigh better and in no time you were coming undone on top of him. 

“Shit,” you said once you were able to catch your breath. 

You looked into his eyes and noticed he was frustrated because you let go of his dick. “Are you frustrated baby boy?”

“Yes,” he whined.

“Then I’m sorry to tell you, but it’s only gonna get worse,” you took off your shirt and bra and started massaging your breasts right in front of his face, just out of his reach. “You want to touch them, baby?”

“I’d love to ma’am,” he proclaimed, his eyes completely fixated on your moves.

“Beg for them.”

“Can I please suck on your tits, they’re so beautiful.”

You raised yourself a bit so your boobs would be at the same level as his mouth and moved forward so he could kiss them. Instantly his skilled mouth picked up one of your nipples with his teeth and tugged on it, making you moan. The combination of him lapping his tongue around your nipple and then sucking on it was starting to rile you up all over again but, as much as you’d like to make him suck on your tits all day you couldn’t waste much time because the rest of the group needed the room to go on stage. So, after letting him play with your other nipple a bit more you got out from on top of him once again, a string of spit connecting your nipple with his mouth, and pulled his pants down, exposing his hard cock to the air.

“Look at that handsome cock, all hard for me.”

“C-can you please touch it ma’am?” his eyes were glazed, lost in lust.

“Since you asked so nicely baby…”

You got on your knees in front of him, grabbed his cock and proceeded to lick him all over, the moans escaping his sweet lips acting as a soundtrack to your dirty acts. You kissed and sucked, just like you were savouring a delicious lollipop. 

In truth, you just wanted to make his dick nice and wet for what you had planned next for him, but you loved sucking his cock so much that you totally got lost in it. You knew he was getting close to releasing because his moans were getting more aggressive, so you sped up and once he was about to cum you stopped, leaving him a frustrating mess yet again. He tried to get his dick close to your mouth but it was no use.

“Are you getting irritated, baby?” You teased while you dragged the hard tip of your shoelace on his chest again.

“Fuck, yes.”

“See, this is how you made me feel.” You gave a teasing little suck on the tip of his dick before you took the shoelace and tied it tight at the base of his cock, behind his balls, to act as an impromptu cock ring. “Irritated.”

Taeyong loved overstimulation, and you loved teasing the shit out of him. You also loved the way a cock ring would make his cock extra swollen for you and how it delayed his orgasm, a fact that you were definitely gonna use to punish him.

“Get up baby,” you pulled him up so he wouldn’t fall and made him lean on the vanity table full of makeup. You then turned around and started rubbing your ass on his boner rolling down your leggings and exposing your lacy panties to him.

“How are you so fucking hot?” he hissed.

“Wanna feel how wet I am for you baby?” You started rolling down your panties even before he hummed in response. You grabbed his dick from behind you and started rubbing his tip through your drenched folds.

“Fuck, you’re so wet.”

Suddenly someone knocked on the door, making your heart almost stop.

“Y/N leave our leader alone, we need to get ready for the stage!” Johnny’s voice said from the other side of the door.

“Just 5 more minutes!” You answered.

“Fine, make it quick!”

You turned around and searched the vanity for the scissors the makeup artist used to cut the fake eyelashes, rapidly finding them in her little kit. 

“Are you ready to fuck me, baby?” Taeyong had no idea what else you had in store for him, but he sure was about to find out.

“Fuck yes, free my hands please ma’am.”

“I will, but first, call for Lisa.” You were aware that with the scissors in your hand right now you probably looked like a psycho bitch that could cut out his wiener if he didn’t comply, but oh well.

“What? Why?”

“I know she can hear us if we’re loud enough, so you’re gonna call for her and then you’re gonna fuck me like you never have before, are we clear?” You grabbed his dick and spread the bead of precum that was leaking from his tip with your thumb.

“Fuck. LISA!” His eyes were closed in pure bliss as you teased him. “CAN YOU HEAR ME?”

“Taeyong? Yeah, is everything alright?” Her concerned voice sounded from the other side of the wall.

“You’re such a good boy, and good boys deserve treats,” you cut the shoelace that was restraining his hands and in a blink of an eye, he was taking control and bending you over the vanity to fuck you raw.

He didn’t ease into you, he didn’t need to, you were so fucking wet that he slid right into you, your name immediately slipping through his tongue.

“Fuck Taeyong, you’re fucking me so good.” You were sure to moan loud enough so everyone in the area knew what was happening.

“Fuck you feel so tight.”

He was pounding into you like a fucking crazed animal, like he had been starving in a cage and someone came, left a nice juicy steak in front of it and opened the door. In a matter of seconds, you were cumming undone on his cock, your pussy tightening around him even more.

“Oh Taeyong, fuck,” you moaned as he slowed down his pace.

“M-ma’am, I can’t take it anymore, I need to cum. Can you please remove this?” Suddenly he was back to sub Taeyong like he hadn’t just bent you over a table and fucked the shit out of you. That was why you loved him so much.

You slipped out of him, gave him a gentle kiss and led him back to the chair. “I will, but only on conditions: I want the whole floor to hear you scream my name…”

“And the other?”

“I want you to cum inside me.”

He smirked, seemingly happy to comply with your demands. “As you wish.”

You carefully snipped your other shoelace, relief apparent on his features, got on top of him and eased down on his cock all the way to the bottom. Wasting no time, you grabbed onto his shoulders and started fucking him.

“Fuck Y/N you feel so good.”

His praises were like fuel for you, serving to make you go faster and harder. You wanted to make him scream your name. You wanted Lisa to hear how good you made him feel. You, and no one else.

Getting irked by the thought of her, you grabbed onto his jaw to make him look you straight in the eyes. “Tell me who does your cock belong to?”

“Fuck, you Y/N, only you.”

“Then say it. Louder.”

“My cock only belongs to you Y/N, no one else.”

You didn’t need to hear anything else, his confession was enough to make you cum for the third time today. With the combination of your pussy trying to milk him and his edged out dick, Taeyong came inside of you, his seed filling you up. 

You were so fucking spent that you immediately fell down onto his chest panting. 

“Well, next time I’m the one who’s gonna piss Y/N off.” 

For a brief moment, as you snuggled in with your boyfriend, you almost forgot about the world outside, but Johnny’s stupid joke made the both of you break out in laughter.

“Backoff Seo, she’s mine and I’m hers.”

© maliby, 2020. Do not copy or repost without permission.

a/n: hey guys! feels so good to be back to writing filthy smut! this is my first time writing for NCT so fellow NCTzens please accept me <3 Hope you guys like it!

[donutloverxo]

Love the way you lie

Part one

Note - this is a prequel to love the way you lie. I know y'all wanted a sequel not a prequel but I thought this would be fun. I'll get the third and last part out soon!

Summary - You begin a relationship with your boss Mike.

Warnings - smut, unprotected sex(i still stand by my advice of never rawdogging mike), addictions, emotional cheating

Pairing - Mike Weiss x reader

Word count - 2.7k

Masterlist

“Babe come on! Just come by at six” Ray whined over the telephone and you had half a mind of slamming the phone and hanging up on him.

“I don’t want to watch you play video games for the whole evening! I’d rather be at my office party” You snapped. Your relationship had been sort of nice in the beginning. You were in your twenties and still a virgin, you decided to lower your standards and compromise a little bit so you wouldn’t be so alone anymore. You didn’t know you’d be stuck with a complete man-child.

“What? You hate those things. Just last week you were whining about how boring the small talk is” You had to hold the phone away from your ear just so you wouldn’t hear his annoying shrill voice.

Last months party was boring and grey. But that’s because he wasn’t there. He was in a rehab facility for over three weeks. You never even knew he had a drug problem until Paul told you he had overdosed and been admitted to a rehab. You couldn’t really tell if there was much of a difference between sober Mike and coked up Mike.

“Why do you even want to see me so bad?” You rolled your eyes.

“Look I tried to cook I really did!” He whined again “But it’s just so hard babe. Just come over here and make your lasagna? You’re so good at it. I promise I’ll thank you anyway I can”

You yelped as you heard Mike’s voice over the intercom “Please come into my office “ he said and you felt goose bumps and shivers in your entire body just hearing his husky voice.

“Yeah I’ll be right there” You stammered cringing as you abruptly hung up on Ray without even saying goodbye. You collected your notepad and a pen, Mike often liked to bounce ideas off of you. With how fast paced and clever he was you could barely keep up but you tried your best to impress him. You quickly took out your lipstick, touching up your lips a bit and heading towards his office.

Maybe it was wrong of you to be fixated on a man that wasn’t your boyfriend. A mess of a man at that. But maybe you were more of a mess than him. He was a lawyer, a smart man who actually made some difference and did real work. And you were just a secretary who still lived with her mother. What would HE see in you?

You knocked on his door and entered to see him surrounded by scattered papers. “You called Mike?” You asked standing straight, suddenly hyper aware of your posture.

“Yeah I think I – I –“ He trailed off looking at a file

“Mike?” you promoted him to speak.

“Yeah yeah. I thought I needed help but maybe not” He said still looking at the papers and scratching his forehead with his pen “I think I’ll take off early today” He finally looked up to you.

“Oh but the party!” You blurted out. You really need to learn how to bite your tongue. He quirked a brow at you urging you to speak. “I was hoping you’d be there” You shrugged shifting suddenly feeling so uncomfortable.

“Yeah” He nodded leaning back on his chair tapping his pen against the edge of his table “Wouldn’t your Boyfriend be opposed to that” He said the word with such venom. It almost made you hopeful.

But hopeful for what? Nothing was going to happen. If nothing else you are a good person. You’d never cheat. “Why would he mind?” You shrugged playing dumb.

He scoffed at that “You know I’m very good at reading people. And you’re too obvious. Not a very good liar. You’d make a terrible lawyer”

You scowled at him “Well that’s good, I’m not trying to be one. You don’t exactly make it look so glamourous”

“I didn’t mean to offend you” He chuckled at your little outburst which only annoyed you even more “That why you don’t wanna see him tonight? You were talking on the office line sweetheart “

“Well yeah that and...he’s just boring now” You couldn’t remember the last time you two went on a real date. Mike only hummed at that and it was then that you noticed his leg shaking incessantly under his desk. “Mike” you walked around his desk to stand next to him. You didn’t know a lot about drugs, but from movies you could tell that restlessness was a sign of withdrawal. How could he still be going through withdrawal? “Are you alright? Is there anything I can do?” you asked, your voice laced with worry. Maybe you could call Paul. Would that help him? You didn’t know if he had any other friends.

“I’m fine” He stated and steering his leg shaking to a halt. “So you wanna go to that party tonight?” He asked but you had a feeling he was just trying to change the subject.

“I don’t Mike. I don’t think it would be right” You wanted to say how you should both be ashamed to even consider something like that but held your tongue.

“Why?” He asked tracing his thumb over your knuckles.

“I have a boyfriend. And you’re well...”

“I’m clean now” He frowned.

“I wouldn’t know” You snatched your hand out of his hold and snapped back to reality from your fantasy. “If you don’t need anything else I’ll be on my way” You left his office before he could stop you. It was one thing to daydream about another man, another to actually indulge in that it.

***

You ended up not going over to Rays Or the party. If he was so hungry he could order take out or something. You were done putting up with his bullshit and told him you needed space over the phone. Maybe it was a dick move to not do something so sensitive personally but you needed to get to it before you change your mind.

You were in bed after dinner letting your mind wander to Mike, and how his suspenders made his shirt cling to his body and gave you a nice view of what lays underneath. All that working out and the disgusting green smoothies he drinks surely paid off. With one hand in your cunt, dipping in your folds and thinking of him. Of how much better it would be if it was his hand. You couldn’t actually get yourself off, you needed to buy one of those special toys for women. But it was still nice to just tease a bit.

Your self care session was interrupted by your mom calling out for you. You groaned pulling your hand out and wiping it off on your sheets. You climbed out of bed to go downstairs to see what the ruckus is about. As soon as you unlocked and opened your door you were greeted with the man you were just dreaming about.

“Mike?” You didn’t know what he could possibly be doing here this late. “Are you drunk?”

“No I am not drunk” He said as if he was scolding you “What you don’t want to invite me in?” He teased.

“What are you a vampire? Come on in” You stepped aside to let him in. You cringed at how messy your room looks, with your sheets all bunched up and your clothes sprayed out all over.

“You sleep in that?” He looked you up and down.

You were wearing your white cotton nightie that ended just above your knees. “I know it’s not the sexiest but it makes me comfortable”

“I never said it wasn’t sexy” He said as if he was stating a fact.

You stared into his eyes in hopes of intimidating him to make him stop ogling you. But it didn’t work. He kept unabashedly checking you out. You now recalled your lack of bra and panties.

“What are you even doing here?”

“I just wanted to see you” You took a step back as he stalked towards you with a predatory gaze.

The back of your knees hit the edge of your bed. “I – think you should leave Mike” your voice wavering “I’ve got work tomorrow. And you do to”

He hummed at that playing with the helm of your nightgown “You really want me to leave?” He asked looking up at you.

You wished you could give him an honest straight answer. He was your dirty little secret. Someone a good girl like you shouldn’t be thinking about. Not when you had a boyfriend. You never thought you’d get to actually live out your fantasies. You considered the consequences. Did you really want to give your heart to someone who would probably break it? You scoffed to yourself. He wasn’t here for your heart. He only wanted what most if not all men want.

He kissed your forehead and murmured against your hair. “You make me feel good you know. Life isn’t so bleak when you’re around.”

“I don’t do that. Hook ups or whatever you call them.” You said breathing in his musky scent. It was getting harder and harder to say no.

“That’s alright” He pulled back cupping your face and staring into your eyes “you’re not the kinda girl someone hooks up with”

He crashed his lips onto yours stealing your breathe. Whatever doubt you may have had were gone in that instant. His beard so soft and fuzzy against your mouth. His lips were so cushy, his kiss so fierce.

He pushed you back on your bed making quick work of removing his suspenders along with his shirt and pants. You couldn’t help but stare at his naked fit body covered with various tattoos. You had never been a fan of them, but they all looked so beautiful littered across his body. You gasped at the sight of his erect cock hitting his abdomen.

He loomed over you pushing your nightie off of you. Desperate to see you naked, finally. “We have to be quiet” You rasped in between kisses as he rid of you of your nightie “My mothers downstairs���

You moaned and cursed on the mattress as he worked you up with his fingers. Making you come undone on them within minutes. How he figured you out so well and so soon you’ll never know. You hesitated and almost pushed his head away when his broad shoulders settled between your legs.

No one had ever gone down on you before. It was amazing, miserable and sensual at the same time. Just when you thought you’d achieve your peak he stopped making you whine. He lined his cock up to your entrance. Slowly sinking in. And you looked as you saw your juices smeared all over you mouth and beard. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

It was unlike anything you had felt before. It was never that good with Ray. Mike didn’t last long the first time but made sure to only finish after you. He cuddled you in your small bed before he made love to you again. Properly and slowly this time. Giving you both the time to truly enjoy yourselves.

You asked him to sneak out in the middle of the night so your mother wouldn’thave to see him leave. She did gave you an earful about having such relations with an addict. And how she couldn’t believe you actually found someone that was worse than Ray.

***

You knew that the next day Mike would pretend nothing had happened. You’d both probably forget about that night soon enough. You and the all your coworkers were stunned when he greeted you with a kiss on your lips. As if you’d been together forever.

He asked you to be his girlfriend at lunch. Which you said no to, obviously. You were a lady and you were to be wined and dined. Which he did. He took you out on several dates almost everyday. He took you to his house so you could spend some time together peacefully. And you immediately left seeing just how messy the whole place was.

“It just needs a feminine touch” He had said back then.

So you made him spend the nights at your place. After tolerating the sneers and snide remarks from your mother for a while, he quickly cleaned up his house, made proper cabinets and book shelf’s for all his scattered papers and books. He even got flowers to lighten up the place every once in a while. He didn’t need your mother third wheeling you both.

You were spending more time at his house than your own. He gave you your own drawer and you were practically living there. You were surprised at just how much of a ‘normal' boyfriend Mike was. He was always considerate of your needs. He did sometimes have a problem of giving you unwarranted advice when you bitched about your day to him

“When women talk they just want to be listened to” You shut him up and he threw his hands up surrendering to you. He didn’t give you any solutions or advice unless you asked for it.

He worked a lot more than you. So whatever free time he had he liked to spend with you. You were a bit worried that he didn’t really have any friends. Sure you could consider Paul to be a friend but they weren’t that close. And Paul barely knew anything about Mike.

The sex was... well amazing. Mike knew exactly what to do to make you putty in his hands. He had a high appetite and with the way he worshipped you, you had absolutely no problems feeding it.

“Say yes” He growled before wrapping his mouth around your clit furiously sucking on it.

“I can’t I – “ you could barely speak or even comprehend what was going on. It was the same fight on a different day. Him wanting you to move in with him. So you can spend more time together. And for you to quit your job, which to be fair was boring. Being the picture perfect 90s housewife couldn’t possibly be any worse.

So he stopped again when you were just about to meet your end. He edged you and you knew just how relentless he was. He wouldn’t stop until you said yes. “Yes! Oh god yes! I’ll do whatever you want Mike. Just please please let me cum” You wailed as tears escaped your eyes.

Shoving three of his fingers inside you he fucked you through your orgasm. You almost blacked out. He laid on his side next to you propping himself up on his elbow. He was grinning down at you. “You’ll quit your job too.” He stated but you knew it was more of a demand.

“I can’t do that. I said I’ll move in with you no” You looked at him before closing your eyes again. Still recovering from your earth shattering orgasm.

“Why not?” His grin dropped instantly and he frowned at you. “I will take care of you. I need you at home.”

“I – what if we break up...” you trailed off. Even if you didn’t want to entertain the idea. It was very much possible that you would.

“We won’t. Why? Do you plan on breaking up with me?”

“No I just” You rubbed your temples really needing a cuddle session and not this conversation “I just need security. It’s not like we’re married or even engaged” You sighed and added “yet” just so he wouldn’t think the worst again.

“Then let’s” He murmured tracing a finger along your belly button.

“Let’s what?”

“let’s get married” He pressed kisses on your jaw and down your neck.

“I – wait are you proposing?” You asked completely confused.

“I guess I need to spell it out for you” He gave you an unimpressed look “Marry me”

And really you couldn’t find a single reason to say no. He had battled his demons and won over them. He had a stable job which made him happy. He promised to take care of you. You were scared of the unknown future. But come what may you’ll both face it together.

***

Please note that my work is NOT to be reposted or published anywhere other than my Tumblr or AO3 account. Reblogs are most welcome though.

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Fic tags - @captainchrisstan @chaneajoyyy

[evaxsombra]

Once Upon a December

Kadeu, Club Territory, Abandoned House

30 December 2020, 2200

Snow was falling gently, making the usually dilapidated buildings and streets seem more like a wondrous dream than the rough and tumble faction that Club was. Eva was huddled deep in her Spade-issued winter set, a dark wool coat keeping the frost at bay. Her hand moved the cane to and fro across the path in front of her, pushing freshly piled snow to either side. Her boots made soft crunches with each step, a pleasant sound in the rare silence. Her hair was tucked under a cap, but her bat ears were free, slightly chilled from the cold. Eva could here the soft murmurs of families and friends in their homes and smiled to herself. She loved that sound—the sound of lives being lived.

Eighteen years. That’s not long for most citizens in Kadeu, but for Eva, at this very moment in her life, it felt like lifetimes. She could feel the snow kiss her cheeks as if in greeting, hear the creak of old wood, and the special howl of wind reserved for places long forgotten.

“Mama, Papa…I’m home.”

She greeted the her old home and the ghosts that dwelled within with a soft murmur. Anybody who’d ever seen Eva knew she was always blessing them with a smile made of sun, passion in even the tiniest of movements and words. If they saw her now, would they recognize her? The young woman standing in front of an abandoned, half-felled wooden house, shoulders hunched in sorrow and loneliness, mind as unfocused as her eyes, and cane looking like it’s the only thing holding her up rather than guiding her? Would they know it was still Eva who stood here?

The shifter took tentative steps forward, feet pulling her forward as if they remember exactly how many steps it takes to reach the door (five). Her hand gently rests against the door knob as if it knows how old the house itself is (forty-five years old) and fears it will collapse with a single breath. And when Eva finally enters, her body both tenses and relaxes as if it half-expects to find the two people Eva herself knows will never be there. Like it’s uncertain whether that would be cause for elation or crushing heartbreak.

Eva clicks her tongue against her teeth, the sound bouncing off the borders around her, reaching her ears once more and painting a picture both nostalgic and lonesome. She moved further in, wooden floors creaking and groaning from disuse. It’s clear nobody has lived her in a long time, but Eva knew that already. Every year it’s the same—no one’s ever home save for her.

With a sigh, she lowers herself slowly to the floor, the cold almost immediately fighting to reach her through the layers of clothing. Eva doesn’t mind, though. She likes it, the way it makes her body shiver and remind her that this time there’s no threat of death looming over her head. She’s not the five year old girl from eighteen winters ago, dressed in rags and waiting for her parents to come home like they promised.

She remembers telling Shu-Ling months ago how she was never one to sit still, never enjoy silence—and that was true. But this place was special, like it demanded a certain amount of reverence from the young woman that the rest of the world didn’t. Eva pulled out a small, hand-made lantern from a satchel that hung from her shoulder. It was poorly shaped, she knew simply from running her fingers over it, and she was positive it didn’t look nearly as beautiful as the lanterns sent off into the sky at the beginning of Yeon Nen. Still, Eva made it especially for this occasion and she was proud of it. She placed it on the floor, whipped out a match and carefully guided her hands and the flame to the wick inside. After a moment, Eva could feel the small burst of warmth fill air around her and she smiled.

“Well,” Eva huffed out as she sat back on her palms, “another year without you guys. Are you well?” A pause. Eva continued, a smile in her voice. “I know you guys don’t care much one way or another, but I didn’t tell anybody I came here…again. I didn’t wanna make Prospero feel bad. Don’t get me wrong! He’s an amazing dad and he’s only ever wanted the best for me…but I don’t know if he’d feel great if he knew I was still waiting for you.”

The darkness that was as familiar as her own breath, usually so oppressive, was now comforting, like her favorite blanket. It felt like it was keeping the pain at bay. Her fingers tapped a rhythm against the floorboards. “You won’t believe it. I got promoted to a Four! Look!” She showed off the wrist she knew to have her rank, though she’d never seen it herself. “Does it look as cool as it feels? …I bet it does.” Horse hooves could be heard through the walls. Eva waited until they disappeared. “You know how I’ve been trying to convince Hilo to come to Spade? Well, he finally agreed! But only if I become Ace.” She grinned widely. “That should be easy with how fast I’m moving up. Only twenty-three and I’m a Four. How many Spades can say that? Don’t answer that.”

The silence continued. Eva felt the grin on her face slowly fall. She whispered, “I’m keeping my promise. I’ll become Ace. But I made a promise to you guys to stay here….Does that make me a liar? But you didn’t keep your promise either. You didn’t come back.” A tear slid down the young woman’s cheek. “When are you coming home? You said you’d be home. I’m here. I’m waiting. I’m being a good girl just like you told me to.”

Just like that a wave of sadness and loneliness flooded Eva’s chest, but before she could let it overwhelm her, she sang. It was a lullaby so old, her father had told her he’d long forgotten where it came from.

“Do you want to sing it with me, Evangeline?” Her father asked after putting the toddler on his lap, rubbing her belly in a futile attempt to soothe the hunger pangs his daughter felt. Tear tracks trailed down chubby cheeks, but at the mention of her father’s favorite song, Eva lit up and smiled, revealing gummy backs between small teeth. She clapped and her father chuckled. “Alright. Ready?” Eva nodded. They both took a deep breath.

Dancing bears, painted wings

Things I almost remember

And a song someone sings

Once upon a December

On and on the father and daughter sang, one of deep timber, the other sonorous and high. They sang until little Eva could do it no more. Her eyes drifted close, but reopened at the sound of the front door opening. All the little girl’s energy came rushing back, hunger momentarily forgotten as she smelled the smoky fires and metals that she associated with her mother. “Mama!” Eva crawled off her father’s lap and waddled to her mother, using the sound of stomping shoes as her guide.

“Singing won’t put food on the table Koldo, or in Evangeline’s stomach.”

“It’s the only thing that calms her.”

“You haven’t gotten anymore jobs?”

“None. At this rate we might have to start looking at—”

“No.”

“Altagracia, my love, there’s nothing for us here.”

“Eva would never make it.”

“What if we scouted ahead? I heard from a friend it only takes a few weeks to reach the borders. After that, there’s land and countries that take care of their own. No curse, no fighting, no starvation. Eva could survive.”

Eva sat at her mother’s feet, understanding nothing, but smiling and laughing in a simple, innocent joy reserved only for children. Their eyes watched her with a fondness she could not see, but their voices were warm and concerned as they spoke.

“We can’t bring her. It’s too dangerous.”

“It’s dangerous here.”

“We have friends. Trusted ones. We can ask them to watch her until we return.”

“And if we don’t?”

“At least she’ll be in a world that we know has certainties and people who will help.”

It continued on and on for months on end. Winter approached. Eva could feel in the air the tension her parents carried, though she couldn’t understand why. The day came that they sat the five-year-old down, wrapped in ragged blankets and torn clothes. Eva could only make out their shadowy silhouettes, but their scents filled her nose and brought her comfort.

“You must promise us, Evangeline, you will stay here until we come back.”

“I pwapmis.”

“That’s a good girl.”

“You pwamise to come back?”

“We promise. A kiss to seal the deal, our little light.”

And so they did. But they didn’t come back and Eva found herself succumbing to the frost that invaded her empty home and only the appearance of the family friend saved her from death and solitude that day.

“But I never stopped waiting. I never will. I’ll move as fast as I can through the rest of my life, but you’re the only thing I’ll ever stop for.” The room was slightly warmer now thanks to the candle’s heat, but only just. It was enough, though, lulling Eva into memories too blurry to really recall, voices too faded to make out their meaning. Only the melodies and scents and touches remained.

In the distance, beyond the small walls that contained her pain and confusion, Eva could hear the cheers as Kadeu’s citizens brought in the New Year. Eighteen years since her Mama and Papa left, but at least there was something happy left of them. Eva smiled softly, knowing somewhere in her memories, there were feelings of love and family and a song that stayed with her—their gift to her.

Far away, long ago,

Glowing dim as an ember,

Things my heart used to know,

Things it yearns to remember

And a song

Someone sings…

Once upon a December

[notquitecanon]

Billionaires, Archers, and Spies, OH MY!  Marvel Criminal Minds crossover pt. 2 (reader insert) ___

Part one! 

Sorry for the horrendous title. Not much about the BAU in this one, but we’re getting there

______

When Coulson said ASAP, he meant ASAP. No sooner than you had been settled into a provided apartment, you were escorted to the Airport to fly to an aircraft carrier. There, Coulson introduced you to Maria Hill who gave you access to an office. There you were given file-upon-file about one, Clint Barton.

You built a solid profile based on the files, and then when you felt you had a good basis- you boxed up the files, shut your notebooks, and (as you had been told) pressed a button. Two minutes later, a man in a SHIELD issue suit walked in.

You immediately recognized him as Clint Barton, and smiled at him, “Hello, Agent Barton, my name is (Y/N) (Y/L/N). I’m going to ask you some questions, please answer honestly- there aren’t right or wrong answers.”

“Aren’t there always?” Clint grinned, slouching into the seat across from your makeshift desk. You just quirked an eyebrow as you sat down.

“So let’s start at the beginning. What was your childhood like?” You asked, watching everything from his breathing to how he drummed his fingers on his knees. Hyper Vigilant, channels into constant movement.

He gave a brief overview of his childhood, his parents Edith and Harold, growing up in small-town Iowa, graduating high school, but focusing on his marksmanship afterward.  “If you’re wondering if something traumatic happened, it didn’t.”

“I never assumed, but thank you for the clarification.” You nodded, noticing his aversion to your questioning-hiding something.

“Ok, well, according to your file, Nick Fury hand-picked you for your skills. Marksmanship, archery if I remember correctly? That must have been quite an honor.” You remarked, eyes carefully watching his facial expressions: a huffed (sarcastic) chuckle, a slight smirk, and his eyes flitted out the window looking up- checking for snipers.

“An honor, I guess you could call it that.” He nodded, meeting your eyes again.

“So what would you call your relationship with Director Fury?” You asked.

“Professional, he’s my superior. We’re friendly, he trusts me to get the job done.” He answered, to get the job done. Is he implying that Fury doesn’t completely trust him- or maybe that he doesn’t completely trust Fury?  “He did me a favor, so I trust him as much as he trusts me.”

Interesting wording again, but when he said “favor” his left thumb rubbed his ring finger. His file said unmarried...

“Alright, any girlfriends? longterm partners? Children?” You asked, trying to prove your point. Clint visibly tensed, eyes immediately narrowing in on you.

“No, no, I’m a player through and through. Hook-ups only.” He easily splurged, lying through his teeth. Definitely has a girlfriend- possibly a wife? Obviously doesn’t want it in his file.

To try to relax the clearly agitated agent you simply nodded, “Well, Agent Barton, I’m sure you know how babies are made. Hookups...”

Clint simply shook his head, “No, No, children.”

“Alright, now let’s talk about professionally, you have a nearly perfect success rate. I understand you recently survived an assassination attempt?”

____

Clint Barton: Loyal to SHIELD, Pride in his work, but not in killing, close emotional ties with Natasha Romanoff, and unnamed girlfriend/wife (not in Files), will follow orders unless he finds a better solution, can work with others, prefers not to. Long-distance specialty- aversion to close up/ slow deaths. Secretive, low to none security risk

Good for the Avengers Initiative.  

____________

As soon as you presented your findings to Director Fury, he had more files sent to you. These files were all labeled [classified] and many of them were mostly redacted.

“Unredacted versions will be available in your office only. I’m eagerly awaiting your next report.” As ever, a man a few words, Nick Fury sent you on your way. This time, you had a couple of weeks to read up on your next interview as she was on a mission.

Natasha Romanoff, Natalia Romanova, Natalie Rushman, Black Widow, your eyes skimmed down the page-long list of aliases. That’s a profile all it of itself, You thought. Next, you read over her accomplishments, both as a Russian spy and as a SHIELD agent. They were extensive. She was a member of the KGB when she was a Soviet (with an unspecified body count). Then, she was brought into SHIELD, where she worked as a normal combat agent before being promoted to strike team delta- then her accomplishments allowed her to keep climbing rank. Skills include excellent marksmanship, more black belts then you cared to count, espionage, seduction, sabotage, hacking, interrogation, and deception. You noted to yourself, a spy of this caliber definitely has training in hiding behavioral traits and tics- might even be able to fake other tics to skew the profile.

A month and a week after interviewing Clint, you opened the door to a stunningly beautiful woman. She was tall- long legs, pale skin, green eyes, body toned from years of training yet still looking like the picture of feminity, blood-red curls that fell almost to her waist. You observed everything, even down to how she was standing, Her stance is meant to come off as unassuming, but actually, she’s already poised to strike if she has to.

“Hello! I’m (Y/N) (Y/L/N), I’m here to ask you a few questions to build a psychological / behavioral profile. Can we get started?” You asked, gesturing to the chair in front of your desk. She nodded, sitting down. Once again, her posture was faux-relaxed- leaned back, legs crossed, arms delicately laid on the armrests, but ready to fight in a split second.

Her emerald eyes watched you as carefully as you watched her, not quite threatening but almost challenging, subtle hostility towards authority? no, maybe other women.

“Well, I have a three-mile-long list of alias, but it doesn’t tell me what you preferred to be called. What can I call you?” You asked, carefully watching her. You registered the nanosecond of confusion before she smoothed the expression, Not used to having a choice.

“I prefer Natasha, thank you.” She nodded to you, and you smiled back.

“Before we get started, I’d like to clarify there are no right or wrong answers, just honest ones, please.” You clarified, noticing how her eyes narrowed, nostrils slightly flared, but no comment as she nodded.

“Alright, let’s start with your life in Russia.” You motioned to her, waiting for her to begin, but she just cocked her head.

“What do you want to know?” The hostility was well masked, but you still caught it. You didn’t comment on it, only thought for a moment how to spark the conversation.

“Just walk me through growing up in Russia, starting as early as you can remember.”  You prompted, watching her try to hide a frustrated sigh.

“My earliest memories are of the red room. That should be in my file.” She brushed off, voice even, not too fast or slow- carefully hiding any defensive tone.

“I know, I was given the files. I’m former FBI and haven’t been here long enough to ask questions. You’ll have to explain it to me.” You apologized. For a long pause, she didn’t say anything, “If you don’t want to talk to me, we can-”

She interrupted, “Ballet lessons, that’s how it started. Then, ballet became a polisher, kept us strong, but lithe. Feminine, but deadly. Then they taught us everything we’d ever need in the field. From flirting to torture.” She divulged, the information was still vague but gave you enough information to prod the conversation.

“So there were other girls with you as well?” You asked, she nodded. Intense competitive conditions among young girls, explains her challenging attitude towards me. “And they taught you...”

“Espionage, seduction, combat, marksmanship, how to blend in and stand out at the same time, deception...” She listed, trailing off. You hid a smirk, not condescendingly, as a joke crossed your mind.

“How to lie.” You remarked, “You could have been a politician.”

She laughed quietly, a laugh which you couldn’t decide if it was fake or she actually thought it was funny, “You think I’m a liar?”

You smiled softly, noting how she was trying to intimidate you, but didn’t comment, “I think you could lie through your teeth and 99% of people in the room would believe you. It’s an impressive talent.”

She smirked, cocking her head slightly, “Would you believe me?”

You shrugged, knowing she was luring you into a trap with either answer, “Are you going to lie to me, Natasha?”

She smiled, showing off perfect rows of pearly white teeth, “Agent (Y/L/N), there’s just some things I can’t tell you.”

You nodded, using the natural pause before moving on, “Let’s move on then, can you tell me about Budapest?”

Her smile faded, “When I worked for the KGB, I had a very specific skill set, and I didn’t care who I used it for. I got on SHIELD’s radar, in a very bad way. I’m sure I was probably on FBI lists and you just didn't know it was me. Well, Director Fury put Clint on my case, to, well, I’m sure you can guess. But He made a different call, and once I defected from the KGB and renounced Russia, he gave me a second chance. I felt like I owed it to him to try to fix what I had done- at least my targets now are bad people.”

“So- for lack of better word- Redemption influenced you to work in SHIELD?” You asked, watching her carefully. She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“I’m not naive enough to look for redemption.” She stated, before eyeing you up and down, “What are you really doing here?”

It was your turn to be smug, smirking as you started, “Agent Romanoff, there’s just some things that I can’t tell you.”

She chuckled, glancing down at her hands. You cleared your throat, “Just one more question, were you aware of Clint Barton’s wife?”

Her shock actually registered, telling you that your suspicions were correct, and also that she probably knew her personally, “He told you about them?”

Them, not her, which means more than one: children. You smiled, proud of your deductions, but shook your head no, that he didn’t tell you.

“Oh, you’re good.”

_________

Natasha Romanoff: Spy/Seductress personality traits, Only appears to completely trust Clint Barton, but Nick Fury seems to be a close second. Alpha female- flirty (manipulative) towards men, abrasive around other women until they prove themselves / or aren’t a threat to her position. Prefers close quarters combat- uncharacteristic of female assassins but registers high levels of confidence, control, and discipline. Eager for redemption/ paying her debts- seems to want to do good. This paired with her high levels of training can make for a ruthless weapon in the right hands (even if it’s her own). Not necessarily a team player, but knows how to manipulate people around her to further her mission.

As for the Avengers Initiative, as long as Agent Barton is present (to have at least one person she trusts), if given separate orders could potentially point other team members in the most effective direction.

Approved at Director's discretion.

__________

The next time you saw Natasha, it was two months later and you were asking about Tony Stark. You already watched all relevant interviews, spoken to both Phil and Nick, and read all the files available to you. Natasha was undercover in Stark Industries (at the moment) and had dealt with Stark one-on-one. The spy seemed more relaxed around you, even pausing the conversation to open a bit.

“I noticed you didn’t put ‘wife and kids’ into Clint’s file.” She started, to which you nodded, “I really appreciate it, His family means everything to him, and he pisses off some powerful people- it’s best no one knows.”

“I know. His family was the only thing he lied about, and Director Fury didn’t admit it, but definitely already knew. Which means the only reason to put it in there would be spite, and Clint seems like a good guy- like a asshole, but a good guy." You explained.

Natasha snorted a laugh, “Yeah that’s Clint.”

“Speaking of Assholes, Tony Stark. What can you tell me about him?”

“Deep down, deep, deep, down- he wants to be a good guy.” She nodded thoughtfully. The wording caught your attention.

“Wants to be?” You quirked an eyebrow. She sent you a tight-lipped smirk.

“He hit’s some roadblock- every time.” She nodded, to which you nodded.

“Keep me updated?” You asked, tapping your pen against a grainy shot of an iron man suit flying through white clouds.

“If it goes according to plan, I’ll get you an undercover interview.” She smiled, flipping perfect curls over her shoulder. She kind of felt like a super intimidating version of Prentiss.

“Thanks, Nat, you’re the best.” You flinched at your own words, noticing her tense and then relax.

“That’s what they keep telling me,” She smiled, and your tension fell away too. “See you around.”

________

“Hello, Mr. Stark, my name is (Y/N) (Y/L/N), I’m a writer for a psychological magazine. I’m working on an article about the psychology of billionaire superheroes-” You started, but the cocky billionaire interrupted you. It was now September, and you had been waiting for the interview since July. 

“There’s more than one? I should start a book club.” He chuckled, swirling a whiskey drink in one hand It’s ten AM, alcoholic tendencies as Nat reported. It was probably best he didn’t know you worked for SHIELD, as he was more relaxed around you now.  You faked a laugh, blushing as if you were flustered.

“You’re right, few and far between. But, uh, superheroes are a hot topic right now, billionaire superheroes, the public is interested. And also, as you’ve said in interviews, you don’t trust the military to have your tech- so the public wants to know if your...”

“Stable?”

You nodded, finally, he motioned for you to sit across from him, which you did quickly, “So let’s begin, we’re going to build a psychological profile based off of behavioral analysis.”

“I’ve read about that science, in fact, I’ve been following the Behavioral Analysis Unit from the FBI- David Rossi’s books are fascinating. Don’t you think?” The question caught you off guard, bringing back intrusive thoughts of your team- all the phone calls you were told to ignore, the purposely left signs that Penelope tried to hack your computer, Reid still emailed you a weekly reading list.

You snapped back to reality, lying easily, “Yes, I’ve actually learned some of my techniques from BAU lectures. David Rossi and Dr. Spencer Reid, Agent Aaron Hotchner would occasionally guest lectures.”

“Well, sweetheart, show me what you learned.” He told you, spreading his arms as if to say ‘hit-me-with-you-best-shot’ meanwhile, you inwardly cringed at ‘sweetheart’.

“Alright then, let’s start with early life and childhood.” You prompted, pretending to take notes as he began recounting his life story. You didn’t pay much attention to his words, so much as his actions, which made it easier to tell when he was lying, exaggerating, or under-exaggerating.

Control issues, perhaps to deal with feelings of helplessness- even though he’s a super genius, God Reid never shut up about it. Narcissistic tendencies, which normally doesn’t pair with a savior complex. Alcoholic tendencies, possibly remnants of a bad relationship with his father. Flinches when he moves in certain ways, either still hurting or phantom pains from his time held hostage. Early stages of PTSD?  

Finally, he closed his epic tale as he got up and made another drink, “And here we are together now. Isn’t life funny like that?”

“It’s strange, I’ll give you that. And how’s your current life?” You asked, he offered a cocky grin, running his hand through his disheveled hair and downing his drink. The cocky attitude didn’t reach his eyes, you noted that.

“Me? I’m living the life. Now, let me answer your real question. Why I won’t let my tech go to the government- and why I’m qualified to keep it?”

“That’s a jump. But if you’d like to tell me....” Something you want to get off your chest, Stark?

“When I was held hostage over there, it was because my tech got into the wrong hands. Then I got back and became acutely aware of how many people had been injured because of my negligence. Then I thought to myself, I can hand over some weapons solely to the military, that’ll fix the problem, right? wrong. The military is controlled by politicians, politicians who have agendas. Me? I have no agenda. With tech in my hands, I can go fix problems myself- no bureaucracy.”

Survivor’s guilt. Dangerously independent which feeds into his savior complex. He will not play well with others. Definite signs of depressive self-loathing and self-placed blame.

“Wants to be a good person, but hit’s a roadblock every time.”

“Thank you, Mr. Stark. I have everything I need. Thank you for your honesty.”

____________

Tony Stark: Classic narcissist, paired with a savior complex (likely caused by survivors' guilt, heightened feeling of responsibility, and guilt from his weapons being sold on the black market). Control issues. Will not follow orders, always thinks he knows a better way. Substance abuse issues are likely, alcoholic tendencies are confirmed. Sex addiction is highly likely. These are escapist tendencies. Early signs of PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Issues from childhood include a bad relationship with his father (never felt true validation from an unavailable father figure, mother never stepped in). Butler, Jarvis (not to be confused with his AI) seemed to be the primary influence in his upbringing. (Mentioned Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter more than once, bitter with Steve and fond with Peggy)

Avengers initiative: He’s self-obsessed, volatile, will not work well with others. But no matter if he’s part of the team or not, it is almost certain that he will inject himself into any global/ SHIELD conflict.

Rejected, even though he will involve himself regardless of SHIELD decision.

_______________

In November of 2010, you were called into a meeting with Fury, 

“This is good work, agent.” Director Fury nodded as you thumbed through the file on Tony Stark. He read over the profile, but didn’t show any emotion.

“Thank you, sir, but I have a feeling that I didn’t tell you anything you didn’t already know.” You replied, watching his eye as he switched to the file on Natasha. 

“You confirmed some suspicions. This will help me convince my higher-ups.” He affirmed, dropping the file on his desk with a quiet thump. You quirked an eyebrow, a small smirk on your lips. 

“You have higher-ups?” You asked, wondering who on Earth was brave enough to give Nick Fury orders. He was like the dark, scary version of Hotch. 

“We all have superiors, agent.” He replied lowly, his eyebrow raising in a way that told you he wasn’t angry but not to press the matter. “You know these were the easy ones, right?” 

“I wouldn’t say that Tony Stark was easy to deal with.” You muttered as he slid another file across. The cover read ‘Dr. Bruce Banner / The Hulk’. 

“I want a profile of Bruce Banner, and a separate one on the Hulk.” He stated, and your eyes flicked to him. You remembered watching the news at the BAU, as the Hulk tore through Harlem. Spencer went on and on about Dr. Banner’s theories in astrophysics, and then the theories that surrounded Dr. Banner’s.... condition.  

“Didn’t Bruce Banner fall off the face of the earth after the Harlem incident?” You asked, ignoring the task of profiling the Hulk. He nodded, turning his computer monitor around. It had several red dots throughout the middle east and down into India. 

“We’ve been following his whereabouts. You will not be conducting an interview, but just build me a profile based off these files, we’ll be bringing in a few other people who had contact with both Banner and the Hulk, and you can interview them.” He explained, leaving very little room for argument. 

“Yes, sir. But, I just need to make sure you understand that these are all secondhand sources, so the profile won’t be near as accurate. And, I’m afraid there won’t be much on the Hulk to profile.” You admitted, collecting the files as you got up. 

“I’m sure you’ll come up with something, Agent.” He called as you left, for the first time feeling uneasy about your position in SHIELD.

__________

Two months. Two months to build a preliminary profile on your Jekyll/Hyde situation. Two months of reading files, trying to understand his old scientific journals, talking to other scientists who worked with him, and reviewing his childhood through the documents SHIELD could get his hands on. 

You looked over your glass board (making you nostalgic for all the cases you has laid out on boards like this, only now you were working alone), printed out photos (mostly of Bruce, but also of Betty and Thaddeus Ross, a few of project Rebirth, and a lot of the Hulk), dry-erase marker notes, a tentative timeline of his life, and red string connecting relevant ideas. 

Real name Robert Bruce Banner (10/18/1969),  M.D., 7 Ph. D.s, expertise in biochemistry, thermonuclear physics, and specifically in GAMMA radiation. (which was used in the creation of the original supersoldier, Captain Steve Rogers WW2)  

Reid would be jealous, he’s only got 4. 

Strained relationship with father- from feelings of incompetence/invalidation- possibly what pushed him to constantly overachieve. Went to Harvard, was apart of hallucinogen research trials. 

Then a red string connected that thought to one, Betty Ross. 

Know a romantic relationship with Betty Ross, after graduation moved with her to Virginia together and were instructors at Culver University. Went on tenure in late 90s, met Erik Selvig- another astrophysicist, and worked on Electron collisions with gamma radiation. 

Is this a constant overachiever or just someone who knew his potential? 

Up until 9/11 he led a relatively normal life (for a super genius)

Project Rebirth was where it got fishy. Thaddeus Ross (presently General Ross, I had the pleasure of dealing with him with the BAU in the anthrax scare of 2009)  father of Betty Ross (Bruce Banner’s then-girlfriend). Tasked with recreating the original super-soldier serum. Knowing of his daughter’s boyfriend’s talents (and of his own ability to possibly manipulate Banner) he recruited Dr. Banner without telling him the truth of what he was working on- that’s why Banner chose Gamma radiation, thinking he was combating radiation poisoning. 

ingrained mistrust of authority/father figures, but not likely to act on it. Will keep striving to impress/ complete work. probably why he prefers solace. 

Thinking his work was combatting radiation poisoning, and completely on the right track, he tested it on himself- hoping to impress both Ross’s. Of course, since this was now weaponized gamma radiation, it went terribly wrong. Prompting his first transformation into the Hulk. During which, two doctors and a soldier were killed, and Ross’s were among the injured. Overwhelmed with guilt, he escaped to Canada- evading multiple capture attempts. Attempted suicide by gunshot on top of a mountain in Alaska (2006) 

eager to impress father figures until another one betrays him, driven by severe guilt, depressive tendencies, unsuccessful suicide attempt. 

Escaped to South America and lived in hiding for 2 years until his location was discovered. He transformed into Hulk before returning to America. Stayed hidden for a couple days before the ‘battle at Culver university’ marking the first public appearance of the Hulk. Upon provocation, Hulk took Dr. Ross with him. 

Two years without an incident. Bruce Banner has to have a good handle on that anger. Which makes him still extremely organized despite it all.

A few days later, Banner was found in custody and taken in by an Emil Blonsky (special forces) his file was extremely redacted. so that’s all I know on him. After being taken into custody, a second ‘Hulk’ appeared in Harlem. A bitter fight pursued, and with its conclusion, Bruce Banner was in the wind again and still is. Rumors include the middle east, rumors of a Hulk spotting at a destroyed terrorist base.  

~~~

With the Hulk, you had less to work with, mostly grainy photos and videos. You had biased first-hand accounts from General Ross, Doctor Ross, Samuel Stern, and a handful of soldiers. The least biased was Betty’s interview but she was very much so still in love with him, so the cognitive interview wasn’t much help. The biggest help you had was the videos of the Hulk in actions of which there weren’t many.  Even though they were helpful to the profile, it was like watching videos unsubs would send in- unsettling, scary, and sad. 

Preliminary ONLY- this is a tentative profile, it could be largely inaccurate without further information. 

Bruce Banner: Reclusive loner type. Can and will survive on his own. Beyond Genius level IQ. High distrust for the government. Goes without saying, but anger issues. Extremely organized. The limited current information makes it hard to complete the profile, but the medical work

Avengers initiative: With his high distrust of the government, it’s more than likely he’ll just be a security risk. And despite his level of control, it will also make him a safety risk to those around him. Unless you require someone with a knowledge of gamma radiation, you’re better off with another astrophysicist. 

The Hulk: Despite the low level of control that Dr. Ross reported after the incident, it is clear that no one can control the Hulk. He can be pointed in a direction, but that level of rage is indicative of the lowest form of control and in most cases intelligence. The Hulk will not take orders. This is a stone best left unturned. 

_______________

 “Director Fury will be pleased with your progress. I think you’ve earned some time off, take a week and when you get back we’ll have more work for you.” Coulson told you in early February as you handed over all your research. You quirked an eyebrow.

“Now that you’ve run out of things for me to do? Am I allowed to visit my old team?” You asked, as he began to leave.  Phil turned back to you, with a smile that almost reminded you of a younger version of Rossi. 

“As long as you don’t compromise SHIELD intelligence, I don’t care what you do.” He assured, closing the door on his way out. You breathed a laugh, pulling your old go-bag out from under your desk- old habits die hard. 

____

more BAU interaction in the next part I promise!! 

[enfpguy]

BioShock Infinite MBTI and Enneagram — Zachery Hale Comstock Zachery Hale Comstock is the Main Antagonist of BioShock Infinite and the Secondary Protagonist/Antagonist of BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea. Since he’s part of two multi-verses so we’ll be segmenting this analysis into 2 parts. BioShock Infinite: The Main Story. Burial at Sea Comstock: This takes place after the events of Bioshock Infinite and concludes Comstock’s story. Dominant Function: Extroverted Feeling Our baddie Zachery Hale Comstock is a superb example of an unhealthy FE user. He’s a pathological liar and a master of manipulation. He was so charismatic and popular with the people that the United States government funded his creation of Columbia. This is where we see his influence explode. He created a party called The Founders and instilled the beliefs he gained from the culture below upon them. Before we proceed, keep in mind that America’s society in the late 19th century had vastly different views and values than today's American society. Some of the views revolved around elitism, militarism, white supremacy, and ultra-nationalism. Comstock being an unhealthy FE user took those values to heart and turned it up a notch. Even the Confederacy has nothing on this guy. Eventually, Comstock met Rosalind Lutece, and they both worked together for a while. He provided her income to fuel her research and experimentation. She made his city float Comstock knows how to strike a good deal! As time advanced Comstock gained more power and influence over his subjects, he proclaimed himself as The Prophet of their society. He used tears created by the Lutece machine and “predicted” the future to prove that he could see the future. His supporters concluded he could truly predict the future, and he against used that to his advantage and furthered his ambitions. A lot of this information can be found on the Wiki for Comstock and The Founders. Now we’ll be looking into Fe examples we can recognize within the game. The most obvious example is how Comstock can manipulate anyone into believing him by using emotional pitches. He often does this to both Booker and Elizabeth. Here are two examples. For Booker’s example Comstock had all his guards stand down because he wanted to deceive Booker into accepting that he’s an omnipotent prophet that knows everything about him, this does somewhat get under Booker’s skin. This tactic was designed to dishearten Booker by making him feel insignificant and powerless against the almighty being that is Zachery Comstock. For Elizabeth, he attempts to mislead her into believing that Booker is the false shepherd that would lead her astray and then he uses the siphon on her causing her to scream in pain while explaining that he does all this for love. This is a classic example of the manipulation tactic called “playing the victim” where the abuser pretends they’re the victim and that they don’t want to hurt the actual victim. Almost every action Comstock takes is driven by his overwhelming emotions. Even his desire to burn the Sodom below was because America disowned him after he opened fire on Chinese citizens during the Boxer Rebellion. Oh, this also caused him to promote Columbia as the only true America to further unite the people in by making them feel unique.   Auxiliary Function: Introverted Intuition Zachery Comstock may be a fake prophet, but man does he ever use his NI function effectively! I’ll be explaining this through a brief story about how Comstock was born. At 16 years old, Booker DeWitt felt regret for his actions at Wounded Knee and sought redemption through baptism. From that baptism, he was forever changed. He no longer was Booker DeWitt, for he was born anew in the blood of the lamb! After this event, he changed his name to Zachery Hale Comstock and his identity along with it. Comstock became infatuated with Christianity and wanted to share his beliefs with everyone, after all, it saved him from his sinful past. One day an angel named Columbia gave him a vision of a city that he would create for his followers. He named the city Columbia after the angel. According to the wiki, Comstock began to view the idea of America as “the New Eden,” and the Founding Fathers as prophets of God’s Great Plan. His vision was now set into motion he immediately turned the Founding Fathers George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin into saints who would guide his citizens to righteousness. As time passed Comstock’s idea grew more and more radical. This caused disagreements with the American government leading to Columbia and Comstock being disowned by them. Comstock’s idea of America being “the New Eden” was challenged he then later claimed Columbia was the only “True America” and the true New Eden! Now that we know that information we can discuss NI examples that can be seen in the game. We can observe our first example in his action to murder Lady Annabelle Comstock and the Luteces. Our dastardly villain predicted that his wife would betray him by telling the citizens of Columbia that Elizabeth was not their daughter. To stop this from happening, he formulated a plot, murder Lady Comstock while her maid Daisy Fitzroy was working and blamed it on her. As for the Luteces, Comstock predicted, once they saw the future he wanted for Columbia they’d try to stop him. He was right. He sent Jeremiah Fink to sabotage their Lutece Device while both Rosalind Lutece and Robert Lutece were inside of it. This killed them, but also indirectly caused the Luteces to exist across all space and time…  We can see our second example in how Comstock changed history to make him and Columbia look like heroes while antagonizing minorities and individuals who fight for them such as Abraham Lincoln. He knows if history contradicts his actions people will see him as a fraud, therefore why not change history? Comstock is a clever man, I’ll give him that. Before we discuss our last example there is a downfall to using too much NI, this can be seen at the end of the game when Booker and Elizabeth meet Comstock face to face. He realizes that he planned everything for nothing. He should've just went to Elizabeth in person and convinced her to join his cause using charisma. Instead of waiting for Booker to rescue her and bring her to him. Sometimes the practical solution can be the most effective. Too much NI causes an individual to become delusional with their dreams and visions, which disconnects them from reality. Such as believing your city is the new Noah’s ark, and that it’s your duty to cleanse the Sodom below of sin through righteous fire because you were chosen by God! Yep… Speaking of setting the world on fire, our final NI example is exactly that. Comstock had a vision that Elizabeth would be the one to set the world below on fire and guess what? He was right. Too bad he also didn’t realize that Elizabeth would break out of her brainwashed state and save Booker from death to stop this all from happening. Still, he’s one hell of a prophet. Tertiary Function: Extroverted Sensing Zachery Hale Comstock does not shy away from this function, he embraces it and often enters FE-SE loops. He often uses this function when he’s manipulating others by reading their body language and using it against them. His Se function also manifests within his surroundings if anything Comstock is obsessed with the idea of beauty and tries to make everything he’s involved within look stunning such as his fake history museum exhibit within the Hall of Heroes. The design of the Columbia which he designed himself or the sheer beauty of his personal chambers. Fun fact we often observe this level of interest in beauty within INFJs and INTJs, which is fascinating. This is because the NI function absorbs information from the unconscious mind which makes them highly sensitive to beauty, be it visual, metaphorical, or otherwise. One of the most interesting in-game examples of his SE can be seen when Comstock presents himself in front of an armed Booker DeWitt and commands a nun to set herself on fire to slow down Booker from reaching Monument Island. He does this to mess with Booker because he knows Booker will survive the outcome, but he wants to see him struggle before he reaches Elizabeth. Inferior Function: Introverted Thinking  Comstock neglects his TI function. This is because he has an extremely developed FE function. This causes him to not rationally think out solutions since his decisions are based on his emotions and morals. He believes the world should burn because America didn’t agree with his "righteous and pure” ideals and principles. This is because he truly believes he was chosen by God, therefore his reasoning must be just and true. If you disagree with it, then you are not worthy and will either be disposed of or humiliated. We can see his lack of TI in allowing Booker to meet him in person. Comstock knows Booker is dangerous and has killed everything he’s thrown at him, yet he assaults Elizabeth in front of him. What did he think would happen? Did he assume Booker would just allow him to harm Elizabeth in front of him without any consequences? No, instead Comstock thought he could use emotional manipulation to get what he wanted from the situation and relied on his vision that Elizabeth would serve his goals regardless of what happened. Truly a foolish way to die. Before we wrap up this analysis, we’ll be looking into the last example of his poor usage of the TI function. This example takes place in the Burial at Sea DLC. In an alternate universe where Comstock and Booker fought over Anna and instead of Comstock winning, he lost to Booker. Sadly Booker wasn’t able to pull away Anna from Comstock fast enough this caused the tear to decapitate her. Fun fact! For that to have happened the Luteces sent over 123 alternate Booker DeWitts to Comstock universes to stop Comstock from winning over Anna. In one of these universes, after losing Anna, Booker ended up becoming the leader of the Vox populi. This means both Comstock and Booker who are the same person waged wars on themselves. Man, I love this lore of this game! Anyway, back to our analysis. Comstock was mortified by the decapitation of Anna and instead of finding a rational way of dealing with the situation he decided he was done with it all and asked the Luteces to send him far away from his timeline. They obliged and sent him to Rapture. The effects of using a tear caused Comstock to forget who he was and returned him to being Booker DeWitt. However, that didn’t fix the core issue Comstock has shared through each multiverse version of himself. His goal is always to steal Booker’s child and if he couldn’t succeed that he’d get another child. That core issue would be his downfall, ignorance doesn’t fix our problems. Eventually, Elizabeth, filled with vengeance, hunted him down as he was masquerading as Booker DeWitt. She exploited his problem and made him realize who he was. After Comstock realized who he was, a Big Daddy impaled him with his drill. Thus ending his life. Elizabeth’s goal in breaking the circle succeeded. All because Comstock didn’t have enough introspection to deal with his problems in a logical and mature way. https://youtu.be/Dp3rHyO1kQw

[aion-rsa]

Best New Fantasy Books in September 2019

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Here are the best new fantasy books in September 2019.

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There's so much to look forward to in our speculative fiction future. Here are some of the fantasy books we're most excited about and/or are currently consuming...

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Best New Fantasy Books in July 2019

Dragonslayer by Duncan M. Hamilton

Type: First book in trilogy Publisher: Tor Books Release date: 7/2/19

In his magnificent, heroic, adventure fantasy, Dragonslayer, Duncan M. Hamilton debuts the first book in a fast-moving trilogy: a dangerous tale of lost magics, unlikely heroes, and reawakened dragons.

Once a member of the King's personal guard, Guillot dal Villevauvais spends most days drinking and mourning his wife and child. He’s astonished—and wary—when the Prince Bishop orders him to find and destroy a dragon. He and the Prince Bishop have never exactly been friends and Gill left the capital in disgrace five years ago. So why him? And, more importantly, how is there a dragon to fight when the beasts were hunted to extinction centuries ago by the ancient Chevaliers of the Silver Circle?

On the way to the capitol city, Gill rescues Solène, a young barmaid, who is about to be burned as a witch. He believes her innocent…but she soon proves that she has plenty of raw, untrained power, a problem in this land, where magic is forbidden. Yet the Prince Bishop believes magic will be the key to both destroying the dragon and replacingthe young, untried King he pretends to serve with a more pliable figurehead. Between Gill’s rusty swordsmanship and Solene’s unstable magic, what could go wrong?

Read our interview with Dragonslayer author Duncan M. Hamilton.

An Evolution of Dragon Stories: Checking in With Dragonslayer.

Dragonslayer is now available to purchase.

Best New Fantasy Books in June 2019

Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

Type: Novel Publisher: Tor Books Release date: 6/4/19

Ivy Gamble was born without magic and never wanted it.

Ivy Gamble is perfectly happy with her life – or at least, she’s perfectly fine.

She doesn't in any way wish she was like Tabitha, her estranged, gifted twin sister.

Ivy Gamble is a liar.

When a gruesome murder is discovered at The Osthorne Academy of Young Mages, where her estranged twin sister teaches Theoretical Magic, reluctant detective Ivy Gamble is pulled into the world of untold power and dangerous secrets. She will have to find a murderer and reclaim her sister―without losing herself.

Read Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

Read more about Magic for Liars here.

Unraveling by Karen Lord

Type: Standalone Novel Publisher: DAW Release date: 6/4/19

Dr. Miranda Ecouvo, forensic therapist of the City, just helped put a serial killer behind bars. But she soon discovers that her investigation into seven unusual murders is not yet complete. A near-death experience throws her out of time and into a realm of labyrinths and spirits. There, she encounters brothers Chance and the Trickster, who have an otherworldly interest in the seemingly mundane crimes from her files. 

It appears the true mastermind behind the murders is still on the loose, chasing a myth to achieve immortality. Together, Miranda, Chance, and the Trickster must travel through conjured mazes, following threads of memory to locate the shadowy killer. As they journey deeper, they discover even more questions that will take pain and patience to answer. What is the price of power? Where is the path to redemption? And how can they stop the man—or monster—who would kill the innocent to live forever?

Read Unraveling by Karen Lord

The Fire Opal Mechanism by Fran Wilde

Type: Second novella in the Jewel Series Publisher: Tor.com Release date: 6/4/19

Jewels and their lapidaries and have all but passed into myth.

Jorit, broke and branded a thief, just wants to escape the Far Reaches for something better. Ania, a rumpled librarian, is trying to protect her books from the Pressmen, who value knowledge but none of the humanity that generates it.

When they stumble upon a mysterious clock powered by an ancient jewel, they may discover secrets in the past that will change the future forever.

Read The Fire Opal Mechanism by Fran Wilde

Spine of the Dragon by Kevin J. Anderson

Type: First book in the Wake the Dragon series Publisher: Tor Books Release date: 6/4/19

Two continents at war, the Three Kingdoms and Ishara, are divided by past bloodshed. When an outside threat arises―the reawakening of a powerful ancient race that wants to remake the world―the two warring nations must somehow set aside generational hatreds and form an alliance to fight their true enemy.

Read Spine of the Dragon by Kevin J. Anderson

The Grand Dark by Richard Kadrey

Type: Standalone novel Publisher: Harper Voyager Release date: 6/11/19

From the bestselling author of the Sandman Slim series, a lush, dark, stand-alone fantasy built off the insurgent tradition of China Mieville and M. John Harrison—a subversive tale that immerses us in a world where the extremes of bleakness and beauty exist together in dangerous harmony in a city on the edge of civility and chaos.

The Great War is over. The city of Lower Proszawa celebrates the peace with a decadence and carefree spirit as intense as the war’s horrifying despair. But this newfound hedonism—drugs and sex and endless parties—distracts from strange realities of everyday life: Intelligent automata taking jobs. Genetically engineered creatures that serve as pets and beasts of war. A theater where gruesome murders happen twice a day. And a new plague that even the ceaseless euphoria can’t mask.

Unlike others who live strictly for fun, Largo is an addict with ambitions. A bike messenger who grew up in the slums, he knows the city’s streets and its secrets intimately. His life seems set. He has a beautiful girlfriend, drugs, a chance at a promotion—and maybe, an opportunity for complete transformation: a contact among the elite who will set him on the course to lift himself up out of the streets.

But dreams can be a dangerous thing in a city whose mood is turning dark and inward. Others have a vision of life very different from Largo’s, and they will use any methods to secure control. And in behind it all, beyond the frivolity and chaos, the threat of new war always looms.

Read The Grand Dark by Richard Kadrey

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

Type: Novella Publisher: Tor.com Release date: 6/18/19

There is a Wild Man who lives in the deep quiet of Greenhollow, and he listens to the wood. Tobias, tethered to the forest, does not dwell on his past life, but he lives a perfectly unremarkable existence with his cottage, his cat, and his dryads.

When Greenhollow Hall acquires a handsome, intensely curious new owner in Henry Silver, everything changes. Old secrets better left buried are dug up, and Tobias is forced to reckon with his troubled past―both the green magic of the woods, and the dark things that rest in its heart.

Read Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis Hall

Type: Novel Publisher: Ace Release date: 6/18/19

Upon returning to the city of Khelathra-Ven after five years fighting a war in another universe, Captain John Wyndham finds himself looking for somewhere to live, and expediency forces him to take lodgings at 221b Martyrs Walk. His new housemate is Ms. Shaharazad Haas, a consulting sorceress of mercurial temperament and dark reputation.

When Ms. Haas is enlisted to solve a case of blackmail against one of her former lovers, Miss Eirene Viola, Captain Wyndham is drawn into a mystery that leads him from the salons of the literary set to the drowned back-alleys of Ven and even to a prison cell in lost Carcosa. Along the way he is beset by criminals, menaced by pirates, molested by vampires, almost devoured by mad gods, and called upon to punch a shark. 

But the further the companions go in pursuit of the elusive blackmailer, the more impossible the case appears. Then again, in Khelathra-Ven reality is flexible, and the impossible is Ms. Haas' stock-in-trade.

Read The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis Hall

Best New Fantasy Books in May 2019

Middlegame by Seanan McGuire

Type: Standalone novel Publisher: Tor.com Release date: 5/7/19

Meet Roger. Skilled with words, languages come easily to him. He instinctively understands how the world works through the power of story.

Meet Dodger, his twin. Numbers are her world, her obsession, her everything. All she understands, she does so through the power of math.

Roger and Dodger aren’t exactly human, though they don’t realise it. They aren’t exactly gods, either. Not entirely. Not yet.

Meet Reed, skilled in the alchemical arts like his progenitor before him. Reed created Dodger and her brother. He’s not their father. Not quite. But he has a plan: to raise the twins to the highest power, to ascend with them and claim their authority as his own.

Godhood is attainable. Pray it isn’t attained.

Read Middlegame by Seanan McGuire

Empire of Grass by Tad Williams

Type: Second book in the Last King of Osten Ard series Publisher: DAW Release date: 5/7/19

Set in Williams' New York Times bestselling fantasy world, the second book of The Last King of Osten Ard returns to the trials of King Simon and Queen Miriamele as threats to their kingdom loom...

The kingdoms of Osten Ard have been at peace for decades, but now, the threat of a new war grows to nightmarish proportions.

Simon and Miriamele, royal husband and wife, face danger from every side. Their allies in Hernystir have made a pact with the dreadful Queen of the Norns to allow her armies to cross into mortal lands. The ancient, powerful nation of Nabban is on the verge of bloody civil war, and the fierce nomads of the Thrithings grasslands have begun to mobilize, united by superstitious fervor and their age-old hatred of the city-dwellers. But as the countries and peoples of the High Ward bicker among themselves, battle, bloodshed, and dark magics threaten to pull civilizations to pieces. And over it all looms the mystery of the Witchwood Crown, the deadly puzzle that Simon, Miriamele, and their allies must solve if they wish to survive.

But as the kingdoms of Osten Ard are torn apart by fear and greed, a few individuals will fight for their own lives and destinies—not yet aware that the survival of everything depends on them.

Read Empire of Grass by Tad Williams

The Witchwood Crown by Tad Williams Review

Mythic Journeys: Retold Myths and Legends, Edited by Paula Guran

Type: Short story collection Publisher: Night Shade Release date: 5/14/19

Award-winning editor Paula Guran presents a diverse reprint anthology collecting classic myths and legends, retold by today’s top fantasy writers.

The Native American trickster Coyote . . . the snake-haired Greek Gorgon Medusa, whose gaze turned men to stone . . . Kaggen, creator of the San peoples of Africa . . . the Holy Grail of Arthurian legend . . . Freyja, the Norse goddess of love and beauty . . . Ys, the mythical sunken city once built on the coast of France . . . Ragnarok, the myth of a world destroyed and reborn . . . Jason and the Argonauts, sailing in search of the Golden Fleece . . .   Myths and legends are the oldest of stories, part of our collective consciousness, and the source from which all fiction flows. Full of magic, supernatural powers, monsters, heroes, epic journeys, strange worlds, and vast imagination, they are fantasies so compelling we want to believe them true.

This new anthology compiles some of the best modern short mythic retellings and reinvention of legend from award-winning and bestselling authors, acclaimed storytellers, and exciting new talent, offering readers new ways to interpret and understand the world. Adventure with us on these Mythic Journeys . . .

Contributors include: Neil Gaiman, Ann Lecki, Yoon Ha Lee, and Ken Liu.

Read Mythic Journeys: Retold Myths and Legends

A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay

Type: Standalone novel Publisher: Berkley Release date: 5/14/19

International bestselling author Guy Gavriel Kay's latest work is set in a world evoking early Renaissance Italy and offers an extraordinary cast of characters whose lives come together through destiny, love, and ambition. 

In a chamber overlooking the nighttime waterways of a maritime city, a man looks back on his youth and the people who shaped his life. Danio Cerra's intelligence won him entry to a renowned school even though he was only the son of a tailor. He took service at the court of a ruling count—and soon learned why that man was known  as the Beast. 

Danio's fate changed the moment he saw and recognized Adria Ripoli as she entered the count's chambers one autumn night—intending to kill. Born to power, Adria had chosen, instead of a life of comfort, one of danger—and freedom. Which is how she encounters Danio in a perilous time and place.

Vivid figures share the unfolding story. Among them: a healer determined to defy her expected lot; a charming, frivolous son of immense wealth; a powerful religious leader more decadent than devout; and, affecting all these lives and many more, two larger-than-life mercenary commanders, lifelong adversaries, whose rivalry puts a world in the balance.

A Brightness Long Ago offers both compelling drama and deeply moving reflections on the nature of memory, the choices we make in life, and the role played by the turning of Fortune's wheel.

Read A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay

Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs

Type: Eleventh book in the Mercy Thompson series Publisher: Ace Release date: 5/14/19

My name is Mercedes Athena Thompson Hauptman, and I am a car mechanic. And a coyote shapeshifter. And the mate of the Alpha of the Columbia Basin werewolf pack.   Even so, none of that would have gotten me into trouble if, a few months ago, I hadn’t stood upon a bridge and taken responsibility for the safety of the citizens who lived in our territory. It seemed like the thing to do at the time. It should have only involved hunting down killer goblins, zombie goats, and an occasional troll. Instead, our home was viewed as neutral ground, a place where humans would feel safe to come and treat with the fae.   The reality is that nothing and no one is safe.  As generals and politicians face off with the Gray Lords of the fae, a storm is coming and her name is Death.   But we are pack, and we have given our word.    We will die to keep it.

Read Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs

Read more: Patricia Briggs Does Werewolf Romance Right

An Illusion of Thieves by Cate Glass

Type: Book one in the Chimera series Publisher: Tor Books Release date: 5/21/19

A ragtag crew with forbidden magic must pull off an elaborate heist and stop a civil war in An Illusion of Thieves, a fantasy adventure from Cate Glass.

In Cantagna, being a sorcerer is a death sentence.

Romy escapes her hardscrabble upbringing when she becomes courtesan to the Shadow Lord, a revolutionary noble who brings laws and comforts once reserved for the wealthy to all. When her brother, Neri, is caught thieving with the aid of magic, Romy's aristocratic influence is the only thing that can spare his life―and the price is her banishment.

Now back in Beggar’s Ring, she has just her wits and her own long-hidden sorcery to help her and Neri survive. But when a plot to overthrow the Shadow Lord and incite civil war is uncovered, only Romy knows how to stop it. To do so, she’ll have to rely on newfound allies―a swordmaster, a silversmith, and her own thieving brother. And they'll need the very thing that could condemn them all: magic.

Read An Illusion of Thieves by Cate Glass

Lent by Jo Walton

Type: Standalone novel Publisher: Tor Books Release date: 5/28/19

From Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award-winning Jo Walton comes Lent, a magical re-imagining of the man who remade fifteenth-century Florence―in all its astonishing strangeness

Young Girolamo’s life is a series of miracles.

It’s a miracle that he can see demons, plain as day, and that he can cast them out with the force of his will. It’s a miracle that he’s friends with Pico della Mirandola, the Count of Concordia. It’s a miracle that when Girolamo visits the deathbed of Lorenzo “the Magnificent,” the dying Medici is wreathed in celestial light, a surprise to everyone, Lorenzo included. It’s a miracle that when Charles VIII of France invades northern Italy, Girolamo meets him in the field, and convinces him to not only spare Florence but also protect it. It’s a miracle than whenever Girolamo preaches, crowds swoon. It’s a miracle that, despite the Pope’s determination to bring young Girolamo to heel, he’s still on the loose…and, now, running Florence in all but name.

That’s only the beginning. Because Girolamo Savanarola is not who―or what―he thinks he is. He will discover the truth about himself at the most startling possible time. And this will be only the beginning of his many lives.

Read Lent by Jo Walton

Best New Fantasy Books in April 2019

Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence

Type: Third and final book in the Book of the Ancestor series Publisher: Ace Release date: 4/9/19

The searing conclusion of the thrilling epic fantasy trilogy that saw a young girl trained by an arcane order of nuns grow into the fiercest of warriors...

They came against her as a child. Now they face the woman.

The ice is advancing, the Corridor narrowing, and the empire is under siege from the Scithrowl in the east and the Durns in the west. Everywhere, the emperor’s armies are in retreat. 

Nona Grey faces the final challenges that must be overcome if she is to become a full sister in the order of her choice. But it seems unlikely that she and her friends will have time to earn a nun’s habit before war is on their doorstep. 

Even a warrior like Nona cannot hope to turn the tide of war.

The shiphearts offer strength that she might use to protect those she loves, but it’s a power that corrupts. A final battle is coming in which she will be torn between friends, unable to save them all. A battle in which her own demons will try to unmake her. 

A battle in which hearts will be broken, lovers lost, thrones burned.

Read Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence

Read our full review of Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence

Read our review of Red Queen by Mark Lawrence

Read our review of Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence

No Country for Old Gnomes: The Tales of Pell by Delilah S. Dawson & Kevin Hearne

Type: Seconds book in the Tales of Pell Publisher: Del Rey Release date: 4/16/19

War is coming, and it’s gonna be Pell.

On one side stand the gnomes: smol, cheerful, possessing tidy cardigans and no taste for cruelty.

On the other side sit the halflings, proudly astride their war alpacas, carrying bags of grenades and hungry for a fight. And pretty much anything else.

It takes only one halfling bomb and Offi Numminen’s world is turned upside down—or downside up, really, since he lives in a hole in the ground. His goth cardigans and aggressive melancholy set him apart from the other gnomes, as does his decision to fight back against their halfling oppressors. Suddenly Offi is the leader of a band of lovable misfits and outcasts—from a gryphon who would literally kill for omelets to a young dwarf herbalist who is better with bees than with his cudgel to an assertive and cheerful teen witch with a beard as long as her book of curses—all on a journey to the Toot Towers to confront the dastardly villain intent on tearing Pell asunder. These adventurers never fit in anywhere else, but as they become friends, fight mermaids, and get really angry at this one raccoon, they learn that there’s nothing more heroic than being yourself.

In No Country for Old Gnomes, Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne lovingly tweak the tropes of fantasy and fairy tales. Here you’ll find goofy jokes and whimsical puns, but you’ll also find a diverse, feminist, and lighthearted approach to fantasy that will bring a smile to your face and many fine cheeses to your plate.

Read No Country for Old Gnomes by Delilah S. Dawson & Kevin Hearne

All My Colors by David Quantick

Type: Novel Publisher: Titan Books Release date: 4/16/19

It is March 1979 in DeKalb Illinois. Todd Milstead is a wannabe writer, a serial adulterer, and a jerk, only tolerated by his friends because he throws the best parties with the best booze. During one particular party, Todd is showing off his perfect recall, quoting poetry and literature word for word plucked from his eidetic memory. When he begins quoting from a book no one else seems to know, a novel called All My Colors, Todd is incredulous. He can quote it from cover to cover and yet it doesn't seem to exist.

With a looming divorce and mounting financial worries, Todd finally tries to write a novel, with the vague idea of making money from his talent. The only problem is he can't write. But the book - All My Colors - is there in his head. Todd makes a decision: he will "write" this book that nobody but him can remember. After all, if nobody's heard of it, how can he get into trouble?

As the dire consequences of his actions come home to both Todd and his long-suffering friends, it becomes clear that there is a high - and painful - price to pay for his crime.

Read All My Colors by David Quantick

The Unicorn Anthology by Peter S. Beagle & Jacob Weisman

Type: Anthology Publisher: Tachyon Publications Release date: 4/19/19

Unicorns: Not just for virgins anymore. Here are sixteen lovely, powerful, intricate, and unexpected unicorn tales from fantasy icons including Garth Nix, Peter S. Beagle, Patricia A. McKillip, Bruce Coville, Carrie Vaughn, and more. In this volume you will find two would-be hunters who enlist an innkeeper to find a priest hiding the secret of the last unicorn. A time traveler tries to corral an unruly mythological beast that might never have existed at all. The lover and ex-boyfriend of a dying woman join forces to find a miraculous remedy in New York City. And a small-town writer of historical romances discovers a sliver of a mysterious horn in a slice of apple pie.

Read The Unicorn Anthology by Peter S. Beagle & Jacob Weisman

Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse

Type: Second book in the Sixth World series Publisher: Gallery/Saga Press Release date: 4/23/19

Kai and Caleb Goodacre have been kidnapped just as rumors of a cult sweeping across the reservation leads Maggie and Hastiin to investigate an outpost, and what they find there will challenge everything they’ve come to know in this action-packed sequel to Trail of Lightning.

It’s been four weeks since the bloody showdown at Black Mesa, and Maggie Hoskie, Diné monster hunter, is trying to make the best of things. Only her latest bounty hunt has gone sideways, she’s lost her only friend, Kai Arviso, and she’s somehow found herself responsible for a girl with a strange clan power.

Then the Goodacre twins show up at Maggie’s door with the news that Kai and the youngest Goodacre, Caleb, have fallen in with a mysterious cult, led by a figure out of Navajo legend called the White Locust. The Goodacres are convinced that Kai’s a true believer, but Maggie suspects there’s more to Kai’s new faith than meets the eye. She vows to track down the White Locust, then rescue Kai and make things right between them.

Her search leads her beyond the Walls of Dinétah and straight into the horrors of the Big Water world outside. With the aid of a motley collection of allies, Maggie must battle body harvesters, newborn casino gods and, ultimately, the White Locust himself. But the cult leader is nothing like she suspected, and Kai might not need rescuing after all. When the full scope of the White Locust’s plans are revealed, Maggie’s burgeoning trust in her friends, and herself, will be pushed to the breaking point, and not everyone will survive.

Read Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse

Read our inteview with author Rebecca Roanhorse.

Read our list of 2018's Best Fiction Books.

Best New Fantasy Books in March 2019

The Municipalists by Seth Fried

Type: Standalone novel Publisher: Penguin Books Release date: 3/19/19

In Metropolis, the gleaming city of tomorrow, the dream of the great American city has been achieved. But all that is about to change, unless a neurotic, rule-following bureaucrat and an irreverent, freewheeling artificial intelligence can save the city from a mysterious terrorist plot that threatens its very existence. 

Henry Thompson has dedicated his life to improving America’s infrastructure as a proud employee of the United States Municipal Survey. So when the agency comes under attack, he dutifully accepts his unexpected mission to visit Metropolis looking for answers. But his plans to investigate quietly, quickly, and carefully are interrupted by his new partner: a day-drinking know-it-all named OWEN, who also turns out to be the projected embodiment of the agency’s supercomputer. Soon, Henry and OWEN are fighting to save not only their own lives and those of the city’s millions of inhabitants, but also the soul of Metropolis. The Municipalists is a thrilling, funny, and touching adventure story, a tour-de-force of imagination that trenchantly explores our relationships to the cities around us and the technologies guiding us into the future.

Read The Municipalists by Seth Fried

The Perfect Assassin by K.A. Doore

Type: First book in the Chronicles of Ghadid series Publisher: Tor Books Release date: 3/19/19

A novice assassin is on the hunt for someone killing their own in K. A. Doore's The Perfect Assassin, a breakout high fantasy beginning the Chronicles of Ghadid series.

Divine justice is written in blood.

Or so Amastan has been taught. As a new assassin in the Basbowen family, he’s already having second thoughts about taking a life. A scarcity of contracts ends up being just what he needs.

Until, unexpectedly, Amastan finds the body of a very important drum chief. Until, impossibly, Basbowen’s finest start showing up dead, with their murderous jaan running wild in the dusty streets of Ghadid. Until, inevitably, Amastan is ordered to solve these murders, before the family gets blamed.

Every life has its price, but when the tables are turned, Amastan must find this perfect assassin or be their next target.

Read The Perfect Assassin by K.A. Doore

Miranda in Milan by Katharine Duckett

Type: Novel Publisher: Tor Books Release date: 3/26/19

With Miranda in Milan, debut author Katharine Duckett reimagines the consequences of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, casting Miranda into a Milanese pit of vipers and building a queer love story that lifts off the page in whirlwinds of feeling.

After the tempest, after the reunion, after her father drowned his books, Miranda was meant to enter a brave new world. Naples awaited her, and Ferdinand, and a throne. Instead she finds herself in Milan, in her father’s castle, surrounded by hostile servants who treat her like a ghost. Whispers cling to her like spiderwebs, whispers that carry her dead mother’s name. And though he promised to give away his power, Milan is once again contorting around Prospero’s dark arts.

With only Dorothea, her sole companion and confidant to aid her, Miranda must cut through the mystery and find the truth about her father, her mother, and herself.

Read Miranda in Milan by Katharine Duckett

Best New Fantasy Books in February 2019

The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons

Type: First in A Chorus of Dragons series Publisher: Tor Books Release date: 2/5/19

Jenn Lyons channels The Kingkiller Chronicles in this epic fantasy debut that follows a boy thief called Kihrin as he goes from growing up in the slums of Quur to finding out he may be the long-lost son of a cruel prince to a slave to the potential key to a world-changing prophecy to a prisoner awaiting his death.

The Ruin of Kings is structured as a conversation between a prisoner, Kihrin, and his jailor, a shapeshifting demon named Talon. In their alternating chapters, they tell the story of how Kihrin came to be in prison, awaiting his potential death, and how the fictional world they are a part of includes gods, dragons, krakens, sorcerers, and more. Read our full review of this page-turning fantasy epic here.

Read The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James

Type: First in trilogy Publisher: Riverhead Books Release date: 2/5/19

It's becoming more common to see fantasy worlds and stories that use something other than the western world as inspiration for a new fictional universe. Black Leopard, Red Wolf is one such book. Written by Marlon James, the author of A Brief History of Seven Killings, the novel follows Tracker, a man tasked with finding a missing boy. Though Tracker usually works alone, he teams up with some other hired help in his pursuit, becoming part of a team that has its fair share of secrets, leading to the biggest mystery of all: who is the boy and why have they been tasked with tracking him?

The screen adaptation rights for Black Leopard, Red Wolf have already been snatched up by Michael B. Jordan and Warner Bros., so get a head start on reading this book before the adaptation.

Read Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James

read more: Binti & The Wonders of Nnedi Okorafor

The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark

Type: Novella Publisher: Tor Books Release date: 2/19/19

Set in an alternate Cairo in which humans live alongside otherworldly beings, The Haunting of Tram Car 015 follows Agent Hamed al-Nasr and his new partner Agent Onsi. They work for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, tasked with dealing with any problems that might arise between the magical and non-magical folks. When the two agents are tasked with subduing a possessed tram car, they find it a much more complicated task than it first appears. I mean.... you know how it is.

Read The Haunting of Tram Car 015

The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie

Type: Standalone novel Publisher: Orbit Release date: 2/26/19

Ann Leckie's debut, Ancillary Justice, remains one of the most talked about science fiction novels (not to mention science fiction author debuts!) of the last decade. Leckie is back, with The Raven Tower, a fantasy story set in a land known as Iraden. Iraden has been protected for centuries by the god Raven, who appoints a human ruler to carry out his command. When the land is overtaken by attack and the Raven's rule challenged, a warrior named Eolo works to restore the power of the throne to its rightful ruler. We will follow Leckie to any genre.

Read The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Type: First in trilogy Publisher: Bloomsbury Release date: 2/26/19

With whispers of "the Nameless One"—aka the scariest dragon of them all (OK, I'm in!)—returning after 1,000 years, Queen Sabran of the House of Berethnet is in danger of losing power. Things are further complicated by Sabran's current lack of an heir. Luckily, Sabran has lady-in-waiting Ead Duryan on her side. Ead Duryan uses her secret powers to protect the queen. This tale of female warriors working to save the world may be long, but, from all accounts, is more than worth the commitment.

Read The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samatha Shannon

Best New Fantasy Books in January 2019

In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire

Type: Fourth in series Publisher: Tor Books Release date: 1/8/19

Seanan McGuire's brilliant Wayward Children novella series, which began with the excellent Every Heart a Doorway, continues in In An Absent Dream. Here, we learn the story of Katherine Lundy, the group therapy leader at Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children. As a child, the academic Katherine wanfers into the Goblin Market and immediately falls in love with this land of logic and reason. When Katherine realizes she will soon be unable to return to the Goblin Market, she makes a desperate bargain to keep her place in this world. #bewaretheconsequences

Read In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire

read more: 9 Fantasy Books Set at Magical Boarding School

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

Type: Third in trilogy Publisher: Del Rey Release date: 1/8/19

The Russian folklore-inspired Winternight trilogy comes to a close with The Winter of the Witch, which sees a medieval Russia in chaos, overrun by demons with Moscow working to recover from disaster. We continue to follow 17-year-old Vasya, a girl who can see and speak with spirits. As the country moves toward war under the rule of The Grand Prince, Vasya is guided into the midnight realm of Polunochnitsa, or Lady Midnight, where she meets her ancestors, the mythical firebird Pozhar, and a mushroom spirit called Ded Grib. While I have yet to read this trilogy, by all accounts this is a satisfying conclusion to a fantastic trilogy.

Read The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

The Iron Codex by David Mack

Type: Second in Dark Arts series Publisher: Tor Books Release date: 1/15/19

While Midnight Front was set in the lead-up to and during World War II, The Iron Codex picks back up in the midst of Cold War paranoia in 1954, with Cade Martin chasing ghosts in Southeast Asia, Briet Segfrunsdóttir heading the Pentagon's top-secret magickal warfare program, and Anja Kernova (with the help of a magickal book known as The Iron Codex) hunting fugitive Nazi sorcerers in South America. It all leads to Bikini Atoll, where the Castle Bravo nuclear tests are scheduled to begin...

Read The Iron Codex by David Mack

Marked by S. Andrew Swann

Type: First in series Publisher: DAW Release date: 1/15/19

I love a good supernatu

rally-charged backstory mystery! This one centers on Detective Dana Rohan, a cop with a near-perfect arrest rate who can't remember how she got the mark on her back... the mark that allows her to travel through time and to alternate dimensions. The ability helps with her job investigating crimes, but when she is approached by a homeless man warning that the Shadows are coming, Dana is thrown into a much larger and even more dangerous multi-world adventure.

Read Marked by S. Andrew Swann

The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty

Type: Second in trilogy Publisher: Harper Voyager Release date: 1/22/19

We were very into The City of Brass, S.A. Chakraborty's 2017 fantasy novel about Nahri, a young woman living in 18th-century Cairo, and Ali, a prince living in the djinn city of Daevabad. In the first book, the two both struggle to stay alive, keep the ones they love safe, and use their power in moral ways—they are only partially successful. The Kingdom of Copper picks up five years later, and sees Nahri in a loveless and childless marriage with Ali's older brother, and Ali in exile and presumed dead in the desert. A return to a fantastical world that is just as satisfying and complex (if not moreso) as the trilogy's first installment.

read more: A Conversation with S.A. Chakraborty

Read The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty

What new speculative fiction books are on your radar? Let us know in the comments below or over at the Den of Geek Book Club!

Kayti Burt is a staff editor covering books, TV, movies, and fan culture at Den of Geek. Read more of her work here or follow her on Twitter @kaytiburt.

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The Lists Kayti Burt

Sep 11, 2019

Fantasy Books

from Books https://ift.tt/2NTuTGS

[shinneth]

Gem Ascension Tropes (Peridot-specific: B)

Reference:

Primary Peri Post ▼ Primary General Post ▼ Full Article

The Baby of the Bunch: Greatly emphasized more so than in canon, to the point where it’s outright said on multiple occasions. While Peridot’s chronological age isn’t revealed until Act II, it’s no mystery she’s by far the youngest full gem of the cast, being the only Era 2 of the Crystal Gems. Her overall ignorance of what her friends lived and suffered through in Era 1 alone is more than enough for Peridot to be treated like a child. She’s notably the only full gem who absolutely isn’t a Fish out of Temporal Water in any sense of the word. Her detachment and neutrality toward figures like Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond compels Steven to not only value Peridot as an unbiased party, but see her as an equal rather than a gem to look up to as a Parental Substitute (as literally everyone else is seen by him as a surrogate mother, aunt, or big sister). Unsurprisingly, Peridot ends up becoming closer to Steven and (relatively) young gems like Amethyst than anyone else. When her actual age is revealed, it turns out Peridot is younger than Steven (by a year); fitting, as there are canon moments where even he regards her as a child below his age group. The only character in the main cast Peridot is older than is Connie – whose mental maturity is greater than hers and Steven’s combined. Despite being born a gem, Peridot (whether she likes it or not) wholly embraces this trope in all aspects of her maturity.

Badass Bookworm: Per canon; Up to Eleven in GA. She actually bonds with Connie through sharing this trope.

Badass Normal: Later becomes an Empowered Badass Normal.

Bad Liar: Peridot is so godawful at lying, even fellow bad liar Steven can’t help but facepalm at how badly she sucks at it. There’s one time she averts this, and it’s in Chapter 4 of Act I when she fools Yellow Pearl into believing she’s legitimately come back to work, when in actuality Peridot was plotting to Logic Bomb everyone’s consoles to overload and shock them hard enough to get poofed. Granted, at that time, she was heavily medicated, and it was strongly insinuated that Peridot’s Heroic Safe Mode briefly took over in this moment. As a tyrannical Homeworld gem, Peridot was very adept in deception. Since her reformation, Peridot has lost her ability to keep a straight face and tends to run her mouth in an attempt to cover her tracks when she’s really just making it more obvious that she’s either hiding something or isn’t being honest.

Bare-Handed Blade Block: Literally does this in Chapter 2 of Act III, though her fingers nearly get severed for her troubles, to prevent an energy blade of White Diamond’s from slicing her neck. She surprisingly holds out well, until White Diamond employs dirty tactics to distract Peridot long enough to overpower her.

Battle Couple: With Steven.

Be All My Sins Remembered: Deep down, Peridot is afflicted with this. Most notably in Chapter 5 of Act I when Steven calls her “great and lovable” not long after Peridot regained memories of what a Manipulative Bastard she used to be to her Homeworld colleagues. She very rarely makes it apparent to her friends, but when Peridot remembers who she was as a Homeworld gem, she’s very shell-shocked by it. Yet, at the same time, realizes she had to be as horrible as she was to get where she is today.

Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: The Brains to Lapis’ Beauty and Bismuth’s Brawn.

Became Her Own Antithesis: When Peridot concedes to ascension and becomes Chartreuse Diamond in Act III, it isn’t long before she sees herself like this.

Becoming the Boast: Peridot has claimed to be the leader of the Crystal Gems on more than one occasion in canon. In GA, Peridot not only leads her fellow remaining Crystal Gems to rescue their teammates, she ends up keeping her “promotion” and co-leads the team with Garnet after the end of the main series.

Berserk Button: Messing with Steven and/or Pumpkin is a quick way to set her off. She even snaps at anyone who refers to Steven as Pink Diamond or Rose Quartz, being one of the few to never see Steven that way and knowing how much it bothers Steven personally makes her all the more insistent on this, even when she’s hardly able to do anything on her own as Celadon Diamond.

Berserker Tears: A byproduct of Peridot’s Unstoppable Rage late in Act III.

Big Heroic Run: All of the Crystal Gems technically apply for this, but it’s by far most prevalent with Peridot since she’s the one furthest behind, not only with White Diamond in pursuit, but also racing against time regarding a series of gates triggered to fall every passing minute that would trap Peridot if she isn’t running fast enough. Though she comes close to reaching the finish line, one trip leaves her trapped and stranded.

Big Little Sister: Since her post-ascension growth spurt in Act III, Peridot is now taller than 5XF, who she is 6 seconds younger than.

Big, Thin, Short Trio: The Short to Lapis’ Thin and Bismuth’s Big.

Blinded by Rage: Falls victim to this in Chapter 6 of Act III in a Moment of Weakness when she’s triggered upon catching sight of the (presumed) White Diamond’s neck. Once she sees it, she can’t stop thinking about it. Understandable, as it was her own neck on the line when White Diamond tried to force her to ascend earlier in the act. So, feeling a major surge of Revenge Before Reason makes her obsessed with giving White Diamond’s neck the exact same treatment. You know, even though targeting that part of her won’t really make a difference in the fight, and it gets downright disturbing for her friends to watch Peridot go through with this. Made doubly worse when Peridot realizes she’s not strong enough to actually inflict damage as herself and has to shift into Chartreuse Diamond in order to get the revenge she needs. On top of that, she inadvertently entices Steven of all people to join her, and he’s willing to break the Stevonnie fusion to do so.

Blood Knight: Very atypical for her kind; Peridot tends to be notably aggressive in more ways than one, and it seemingly gets worse after her canon Heel-Face Turn. Most likely due in part to her Rebellious Spirit being awakened after Peridot finds out who she truly is on Earth.

Boisterous Weakling: Still retains this trait per canon, though it’s mostly contained in Act I. Now that Peridot’s in a position of authority, she’s all the more driven to prove her worth and refuses to show any sign of weakness to her teammates. Even if she really sucks at hiding it.

Born as an Adult: Per canon like with all full gems, though Peridot is only “adult” in the sense that her body and capabilities are fully developed so that she can do the work she was literally created to do. However, since she is by far the youngest gem of the main cast and the only one who lived in Era 2 Homeworld (where propaganda was rampant and she was ignorant of several key moments in Era 1 history that the other Crystal Gems practically know by heart) and was primarily locked to a small, contained environment prior to her promotion due to how low her kind is in Homeworld’s caste system, Peridot has very few life experiences accrued compared to her teammates. Consequently, she had a childlike naivete (that she presently still has to some degree), as well as overall ignorance and curiosity to elements beyond what she was meant to know about. Her specific work environment encouraged Peridot to develop into a sinister individual, but still one who was way in over her head and nearly fell apart when she met Jasper and was faced with the reality of her position in life. This left her very uncertain, shaken, and confused about life and her own identity, which persisted when she met the Crystal Gems in person. Steven frequently points out that Peridot is much more receptive to change than most gems he’s known; she adapts to Earth life very quickly – and in most ways, does so better than her fellow Crystal Gems who’ve lived on Earth for thousands of years while Peridot herself hasn’t even lived a full year on Earth yet. This is strikingly similar to how the human brain is most receptive to learning during the first five years of life. Her affinity for modern technology and adaptive skills (while complaining about Era 1’s outdated tech) makes Peridot come off more like a kid of the current generation than a true adult. Peridot’s general attitude since finding her true identity is visibly even more childlike than Amethyst’s. Her fellow Crystal Gems often treat her like a child (and do so more openly in the GA continuity), but most of the time is regarded as an equal similar to Connie by Steven (in more uncommon circumstances, Steven sees her as a child even below his age group… of course, in GA, it turns out Peridot is in fact junior to Steven by a year). Her post-ascension growth was induced by her willpower and was a very subtle change – but said growth was influenced by Peridot’s desire not to be seen as a child by her peers. Therefore, this trope is downplayed with her far more so than any other gem; as Steven has often said in GA, Peridot may be a full grown gem, but she has a growing human’s spirit.

Boss’s Unfavorite Employee: Peridot was this to Yellow Pearl. Explored in Chapter 3 of This is Who I Am.

Break the Haughty: Played with mostly in Act III, but not nearly as prevalent as this trope is with White and Yellow Diamond. However, this trope is greatly in effect during a flashback segment in Chapter 3 of This is Who I Am when Peridot exposits on a heavily repressed memory to Steven that involves how her first meeting with Jasper went down. Peridot is very clear that much of her vile Homeworld persona was snuffed out even before her canon Heel-Face Turn courtesy of Jasper.

Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Peridot is this trope in so many ways in GA. She’s the first known Era 2 Peridot to climb up the ranks as quickly and efficiently as she did during her Homeworld days, largely due to being such a Manipulative Bastard and a cunning Blood Knight – traits that no Peridot should ever have. After the reveal of Peridot’s Mismatched Eyes and her true identity as an Unwitting Test Subject, she becomes the first (and only) of her kind to become an ascended gem: simultaneously a Peridot and a Diamond. Additionally, after awakening her benign Diamond abilities, Peridot becomes the only Era 2 gem who can bypass most limitations inherent to Era 2 gems in general, such as shapeshifting. Peridot has also made the greatest leap in terms of gem evolution, as her kind is at the rock-bottom level of the caste system; she managed to ascend to the very top as a Diamond. And it turns out she’s even 50% of the legendary Diamond of Miracles on top of that. There honestly aren’t any more glass ceilings Peridot can break at this point.

Broken Hero: Starting with Act III, when the truth behind Peridot’s creation and her identity as an Unwitting Test Subject are not only hard to comprehend, accept, and live down in their own right, but cause a load of problems and personal struggles for Peridot throughout the act. Many of these life-altering revelations lead to permanent consequential changes to Peridot herself that are reflected/acknowledged in every post-GA story released. Despite that, Peridot manages to endure her hardships and come out better for it on the other end. She’s never quite the same after this, but Peridot at her core remains a Plucky Comic Relief/Hero Protagonist hybrid… just a little wiser and hardened coming out of those experiences now.

Broken Tears: Peridot is reduced to this when Pumpkin dies before her very eyes in Chapter 8 of Act III (this moment with said trope is even illustrated!). However, following Peridot’s Heroic BSoD that starts with a Death Wail and triggers an Angst Nuke, this trope transitions to Berserker Tears.

Brutal Honesty: Generally downplayed since her canon Character Development, although becoming a team leader has forced Peridot to resort to this to get her point across many times across GA (and even post-GA) while asserting her authority. The ones on the receiving end of this tend to be the ones closest to Peridot; she did not hold back on Lapis when recording her Video Will and made sure she knew exactly how badly her past actions screwed her up. Steven’s propensity for breaking down or throwing a fit at the sight of someone’s death is also met with some harsh demands to get over it by Peridot – though to be fair, this always happens during a time when they’re on the run while being actively pursued by the enemy. Most times Peridot utilizes this trope needlessly is around 5XF, though the final chapter of This is Who I Am somewhat justifies that behavior, given what happened.

Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Portrayed as this often once she actively takes on The Leader position, especially in the earlier half of Act I. Similar to Pearl (who also shares this trope), Peridot’s talented in areas outside of what she’s literally made to be good at, and said extra talents are not ones one would expect from the likes of her. Peridot often has unorthodox approaches to her plans, and most of the time, they actually work out.

But I Read a Book About It: How Peridot knows about the brittle nature of diamonds in Act I, hence how she was able to incapacitate Yellow Diamond with a single blow with a hammer. It can be inferred that Peridot learned about many things through this if she wasn’t directly taught through Steven or Amethyst.

Bystander Syndrome: When Peridot’s full backstory on how she first met Jasper and Lapis was revealed in This is Who I Am Chapter 3, it’s also confirmed that Peridot stood firmly in this trope when it came to witnessing how often and badly Lapis was abused by Jasper. Despite Lapis inadvertently saving Peridot from suffering more than just a Near-Rape Experience, the latter never once showed an ounce of gratitude for it. Nor did Peridot show any degree of pity for Lapis during that time, and she didn’t hesitate submitting Lapis to more of Jasper’s torture whenever Lapis wouldn’t cooperate as an informant. Sadly, it’s justified in that Peridot literally couldn’t have prevented Jasper from doing anything to Lapis (or even lessen the abuse) since she held no real authority in the team – and being the low-caste gem she is, Peridot also had no right to do anything about it. This trope is the primary reason why Peridot later became an Extreme Doormat to Lapis in canon, despite Peridot making herself forget many of these details in order to cope with her own trauma related to Jasper.

[crownedbyluke]

Suits and Leather Jackets (Ch. 3)

Premise: Bryn’s first week at Catch Fire Advertising had been pretty simple, but when the CEO of the company, Luke Hemmings, asks her to dinner, she’s put in a position she’s unsure she wants to be in. With rumors swirling around them and Bryn wanting nothing more than to just be another employee, how long will it take before their bursting into light by each other’s company?

Word Count: 4,475 (what a good number)

{Chapter One} {Chapter Two} {Chapter Three} {Chapter Four} {Chapter Five} {Chapter Six} {Chapter Seven} {Chapter Eight} {Chapter Nine} {Chapter Ten} {Chapter Eleven} {Chapter Twelve} {Chapter Thirteen} {Chapter Fourteen} {Chapter Fifteen} {Chapter Sixteen finale}

I watched as she blinked to adjust her eyes to the light, the nerves of being this close to her coming back instantly. Her hazel eyes were wide, her pupils dilated, mouth parted slightly, and she was breathing heavy. She leaned away from me again, the scent of her perfume lingering after she was gone. If a woman didn’t want me, I didn’t chase her this hard, but Bryn was different. She had a fiery personality to go along with her passionate work ethic, and she was breathtakingly beautiful. There was no way I could deny that. Her light brown hair faded into blonde towards her ends, her lips plump, just begging to be kissed, and not to mention those eyes. They gave away every emotion she felt and in the right light, they looked green.

“Bryn,” I whispered, hoping nothing more than for her to let me kiss her this time. She didn’t say anything though, her eyes were searching my face. I couldn’t tell what they were looking for, but I would stand there for as long as it took for her to find it. Everything was seemingly like it was happening in slow motion as her hand touched mine. A spark of hope shot through me, but she gently pulled my hand away from her waist. I watched as she maneuvered her way out from between myself and the wall. A roar of thunder boomed outside causing her to jump from the disruption of silence. I could see the rain pouring down outside and it looked like it wouldn’t be stopping any time soon.

“You should call that car,” she said quietly, walking over and lighting some candles. The smell of apples and cinnamon started wafting through her apartment. She moved over to her kitchen and I stood there, still dripping wet, watching her start making some hot chocolate.

“I’m sorry if I overstepped,” I said, silently hoping that she wasn’t angry with me.

“You did,” she said but her tone wasn’t laced with any anger like it had been on the street.

“Bryn, I-”

“Luke, I was just telling you that because you are my boss, I wasn’t entirely comfortable sleeping with you and then you push me up against my wall while I’m trying to be nice and shield you from the rain. That’s overstepping by a lot,” she said her tone holding the frustration she was feeling.

“Why is the boss thing such a big deal for you?” I asked finally. I walked over to lean against her counter, watching as she stirred the milk in her pot a little. I hadn’t even seen her take a pot out or milk.

“Are you serious right now? You genuinely don’t understand why that would be holding me back at all?” she asked turning her head a little to look at me.

“I do, but I want to know what you’re thinking,” I said earnestly. It wasn’t unusual for employees to throw themselves at me and with Bryn being the complete opposite, I had questions. I didn’t like her just because she was beautiful. It was more that she was a challenge, not in the sense that she was some sort of conquest, but in that I want to be challenged by her.

“I just started. If we, if anything. If something happened between us, people would think that I was doing it to get a promotion or a better salary or I was only with you for the money. I’ve made it this far in my career on my own terms, through my hard work and I don’t want that to change because of a man,” she said, a sigh leaving her lips. I remembered her resume at that moment. She had worked at a lot of good companies before applying for mine. It was an impressive resume for sure, several small companies mixed in with a few bigger ones. Her references hadn’t held back on raving about her and how great she was at her job.

“Why did you leave your last job?” I asked. She sighed again, but I waited for a response as she poured her milk into a mug and started mixing her hot chocolate mix in.

“I’m not allowed to talk about it,” she said quietly. I picked up on the mix of emotions in her eyes right away. The frustration, sadness, and anger all swirling through quickly before she sighed once again.

“Bryn, what happened?” I asked starting to wonder. I wasn’t told if there had been something that happened in her past by anyone and I had just assumed right away that she wanted to progress in her career.

“I can’t. There’s just. Fine. I was told to step down,” she said quickly. Her voice was fast like she didn’t want me to catch what she was saying.

“Why?” I asked, pressing her for an answer. There was something about her demeanor that was causing me to worry. Had someone lied about her? Did something happen that caused her previous boss to force to leave?

“My coworker was harassing me. I spoke up about it and instead of backing me, they had me step down so they could keep him,” she said, the anger now in the front of her voice. Her knuckles turned white on the mug as she held her anger in.

“What did he do?” I asked, feeling my own blood start to boil.

“Luke, it’s not that-”

“What did he do?” I repeated, putting emphasis on each word.

“He made lewd comments and he’d grab my ass in front of people,” she said, her head hanging like she was ashamed. I wanted to tell her that there was no reason for her to be ashamed, that it wasn’t her fault, that she did the right thing by reporting it.

“Where was this?” I asked again. I couldn’t recall her entire resume at the moment, but I needed to know what asshole would have done something like that.

“Hood and Family Advertising,” she said, her voice not holding any anger, just sadness now. I shrugged off my leather jacket finally before setting on one of the barstools at the counter.

“Who asked you to step down?” I asked, thankful I wasn’t turned on anymore so I could focus on her words entirely.

“Mr. Hood,” she said, her voice sounded like it was shrinking, like she was losing that confidence she always had.

“What was the guy’s name Bryn?” I asked. If the memory I had in my head was correct, this conversation was going in a very serious direction.

“Luke, I shouldn’t-”

“Say it,” I almost demanded. My anger was getting the best of me and while it wasn’t something that was a normal occurrence, I still didn’t want Bryn to see me this upset.

“Calum,” she said quietly. I had been right. The newspaper article was fresh in my brain still. I had backed him up, thought the best of Calum, but here I stood completely wrong with my decision in friends.

“The CEO of Hood and Family Advertising,” I confirmed shaking my head. Calum had promised me that nothing had happened between him and the girl that was accusing him of sexual misconduct.

“I don’t hold it against you for supporting him,” she said making my head snap up to look at her. She knew?

“I read the articles. I never expected it to go to the news, but I wasn’t surprised when it did. You wanted to trust your friend. There’s nothing wrong with that,” she said, her voice ringing in my ears. I wanted to punch a wall, yell, scream, anything to get the burst of anger out of me so I wouldn’t take it out on her.

“Well, apparently my friend is a liar so I don’t count him as my friend right now,” I said. I watched as her face showed her confusion at my words. Had she really not expected me to believe her?

“Listen, I don’t want this to be a big deal okay? It’s done with. I have a job still and I don’t ever see him,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders. She didn’t seem to be as upset about it as I was, but I chalked that up to it happening a while ago for her.

“You didn’t deserve that treatment,” I said finally, taking some deep breaths to calm myself down.

“There’s not much I can do about it now,” she said another shrug following her voice.

“But there is,” I said, an idea popping into my head as I spoke.

“What do you mean? Luke, you don’t have to do anything to get back at him or defend me. Seriously, I don’t want you to feel like you have to step up or anything because I told you about it,” she said quickly, a slight panic in her eyes.

“I mean that we’re going to slowly poach his clients by making better pitches and better offers than him and then when he finally catches on, I’m going to kick his balls in,” I said, the last part being a joke, but Bryn didn’t find it as funny as me.

“No, Luke, you can’t just-”

“I know you don’t need a knight in shining armor and you’re not a damsel in distress. Here me out yeah?” I asked moving to the other side of the counter so we were standing in front of each other. She nodded, but I saw her hesitancy right away.

“You didn’t deserve to be treated like that and that asshole shouldn’t have gotten away with it. No one should ever think that harassing women is okay under any circumstances and they shouldn’t think they can continue to do it. We’re going to steal his clients away from him until he has barely anyone left and then I’m going to buy his company because he won’t be able to keep it anymore without any business. Once I own his company, I’m going to fire him from it and I’ll host a big party to announce the transaction to everyone and at that party, I’m going to tell everyone that he lied about you, just to ruin him even more,” I said, my hands going to hold her shoulders so she wouldn’t look away from me again. She blinked at me, clearly surprised by my proposal.

“Luke, that’s not, you don’t, why are you suggesting this?” she asked, her eyes had welled up with some tears slightly. I wanted to reach up and wipe them away for her, but I decided against it.

“No woman should be harassed in any environment for any reason,” I said simply. My voice made it sound like a fact and for me it was, but I was starting to think that Bryn hadn’t met anyone that felt that way. Another roar of thunder sounded through her apartment, our silence making it louder than it was. She was searching my face again and I still didn’t know what she was looking for. My words were still hanging in the air when the lights went out again. I heard Bryn gasp at the sudden darkness coming back. It wasn’t as bad as the first time though, the candles helping a bit. The fire put a glow over her face, the shadows cascading over her features, making me re-evaluate her face. She had a little scar by the top of her forehead and her nose was a little crooked. I let go of her shoulders when I felt her turning towards the counter. She set her mug down and went over to the window.

“The entire city seems to be out. Do you, um, want to stay until the power comes back on?” she asked, her arms slowly wrapping around herself. It had gotten a little cold in her apartment since we walked in.

“I can head home,” I said watching for her reaction. A lightning strike lit up her apartment, her jumping slightly from it’s closeness.

“Luke, it’s okay. I’d rather have you stay here than go out there and get stranded,” she said giving me a small smile. It was the first time that she’s smiled since we left the office. I couldn’t help but give in to her.

“Okay. Yeah. I’ll stay. Um, do you happen to have any clothes I could maybe wear? These are still fairly wet,” I said looking down at myself. I wasn’t expecting her to have anything really, but I wouldn’t mind a change of clothes.

“Um, yeah. Hold on,” she said quickly walking past me. My thoughts started racing. Why would she have male clothes in her apartment? She came back with a pair of joggers and a large t-shirt in her hands.

“They’re my brother’s,” she said after I took them. I nodded, silently thanking her for answering my questions without having to ask.

“Bathroom?” I asked looking back up. She had pulled her hair into a bun while she was gone.

“I have a guest bedroom that you can sleep in actually,” Bryn said quietly, looking up at me. Her eyes seemed to be darker in the candlelight. I was about to ask where it was when she started leading me towards it. It was a fairly small room, just a bed, dresser and a few windows in it. I noticed that Bryn has already lit some candles in the room, a scent of pumpkin taking over my senses slowly. I took in the gray bedding, arrangement of pillows and the extra white blanket that was on the end of the bed. The rain started hitting the windows, the small pings echoing in the silence between us.

“I’m going to go change. Um, you can, I’ll be. I’ll be in the living room if you need anything,” she said quickly before leaving me to it. I changed into the clothes, the joggers being fairly loose, but the t-shirt being just a little tight. I walked back out to find Bryn sitting at the end of her couch, mug back in hand, knees by her chest. She had put on pajama shorts and what looked like a hoodie, her makeup was gone and she was stunning.

“Hey,” I said quietly, not wanting to disturb whatever thoughts she was having.

“Hi,” she said in an equally soft voice. She looked comfortable this way and it made me think about how many more times I would get to see her like this. I sat on the other side of the couch, deciding that I had been in her personal space enough as it was for the day. I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, especially after what she told me.

“You have a brother huh?” I asked. I wanted to have a conversation that had nothing to do with work for once with her. I felt like family was the best option.

“Yeah. He’s in London right now at Oxford,” she said, a small smile coming over her face at the thoughts that were coming to her.

“What’s he doing?” I asked. I just wanted to keep seeing that smile on her face.

“Studying law. He’s been working really hard at it and he’s gonna be finishing up his degree in about two years,” she said. I could hear the pride in her tone and the smile on her face grew from talking about it.

“Is he younger than you?” I asked watching as her eyes slowly started to light up while talking about him.

“Yeah. He’s twenty-two and I’m twenty-six. We were super close even with the four year age gap and we’re very protective of each other. I make him FaceTime me at least once a day so I know he’s alright,” she said, her smile growing as she talked. I could tell how much of a family-orientated person she was from it. The need to know more started prickling up and I found myself having more questions than I thought I would.

“What about your parents?” I asked, but I saw the sadness come back into her eyes again.

“Um, they’re not really in the picture,” she said quietly, her voice shrinking as she spoke. It looked like she was trying to hide herself into the couch.

“I didn’t know. You don’t have to talk about them anymore if you don’t want to,” I said quickly. I could see the tears welling up in her eyes again and it made me hate myself for even asking.

“No, it’s okay. Um, they left us to my grandparents when I was about ten. They didn’t want to be parents anymore and my grandparents couldn’t stand the idea of us being put in the foster care system,” she said sniffling a little. My heart lurched at her words and before I knew it, I was sitting right next to her, a hand on her knee to comfort her.

“Bryn, you don’t have to-”

“It’s okay. They tried coming back when I was sixteen, but there was too much pain and anger there for it to really work. Which is okay because my grandparents loved us so much and they did their best to take care of us,” she said, her voice cracking a little while several tears showed up on her hoodie. I reached out and wiped some away with my thumb.

“I know it’s not the same, but my dad left my mum when I was still really young. I have two older brothers and they had to take over for him in my case. I can’t imagine how hard that must have been on them, but they’re the best brothers. My mum worked a lot to make ends meet. School was my only real escape from everything,” I said, hoping that she would see me this time and not the CEO of a company.

“Is that why you are so set on making sure the women at your company get paid the same amount as their male counterparts?” she asked, another sniffle following. I wiped away some more tears from her cheeks before bringing my hand back to my lap.

“Kinda. I always heard her on the phone with my grandparents complaining about how she should be making more, but the men weren’t letting it happen. I picked up on it more than Jack and Ben. When I started the company, I knew I wanted it to be an equal system for everyone,” I said while pushing some hair out of my face. It was mainly dry now after the rain.

“Why did you specialize in small businesses?” she asked, her head tilting a little. I watched as she took another drink of the hot chocolate she made.

“I worked at a bakery when I turned sixteen to help make ends meet. Jack and Ben both worked in small businesses too and there was always a struggle to get customers in. There wasn’t ever enough promotion being done and the employees always suffered for it. When I was first starting out, I really wanted to try to give back to those small businesses for keeping my family afloat. Now, it’s just kind of my thing I guess,” I said with a shrug. I never really thought about why I did until she asked.

“Since school was your escape, what was your favorite subject?” she asked, setting her mug down and wrapping her arms around her knees. I wanted to tell her that she could put her legs in my lap, but I had a feeling that she wasn’t that comfortable with me yet.

“Math. My mum was always great at it and I just picked it up so easily. What about you?” I asked. The tears were gone now and she was resting her chin against her knees. She was still beautiful though. Her eyes seemed to be more blue now, the color shining through the mix of brown and green, making me get lost for a moment.

“History. I was always fascinated by learning about how we got to where we are today,” she said, a little smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

“Yeah? What was your favorite era?” I asked turning to face her a bit more. The smile came out completely and the light in her eyes was back.

“A toss up between the Industrial Revolution and the Renaissance,” she said, her bottom lip slipping between her teeth in an attempt to hide her smile. I almost reached out to pull her bottom lip out from between her teeth, but I stopped myself, not wanting to stop the conversation.

“Why?” I asked moving so I was sitting cross-legged in front of her. I hadn’t sat this way in forever, but it felt so natural to be like this with her. There was a comfort between us in this space that I hadn’t experienced with any of the women I had been with. Bryn was bringing out things I had forgotten since my last girlfriend from nearly five years ago. I was surprised that I didn’t mind it and was more intrigued by her than I had been when I first saw her two days ago.

“In each one, there was a clear progression in the way the human race viewed the world. The Industrial Revolution showed us how much we could evolve with the proper machines and technology as long as we just took time to make them. The Renaissance was a more intellectual evolution with all the different writings and paintings that challenged the way people thought at the time. Without the Renaissance, I think there wouldn’t be the same level of creativity that we have now and without the Industrial Revolution, who knows what society would look like today,” she said. The thunder roared again. It wasn’t as loud as it had been earlier, but the rain outside was still coming down pretty fast.

“I never thought about it that way,” I said smiling back at her.

“Well, I’m glad I could help you gain a new perspective,” she said laughing a little.

“Why did you pick a Chicago school instead of somewhere else?” I asked. I knew I was being greedy with asking her more questions, but I wanted to learn more about her and I couldn’t help myself.

“I had looked at a bunch actually. It was so frustrating looking at all them and not being able to find one that felt right. I finally found Loyola and the business program looked like it would be good. Then I went for a visit and from the moment I stepped on campus, it felt like home. It helped that it was by the lake and I’ve always had this thing with being near the water. I want to be able to move closer to water someday or at least see it from my apartment,” she said as the rain started pinging against her windows again.

“I understand that. The minute I was on UCLA’s sidewalk, I just knew I was supposed to be there,” I said, the memory coming back to the forefront of my brain.

“What was it like? You know since you aren’t a native American,” Bryn said, squeezing her knees closer to her chest. The shadows across her face were back and I could see the slight crook at the bridge of her nose better, being this close to her.

“It was different that’s for sure. I was on a scholarship for volleyball so I wasn’t really sure what I walking into, but it was something I wanted really badly when I was younger. I chose a business major just to have something to say I was studying. What? Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked noticing the look on her face.

“You were a volleyball player?” she asked laughing a little. The scoff that left my mouth didn’t sound like I made the noise, but when Bryn’s laugh echoed against her walls, I didn’t care if I had made it.

“Yeah. Now, may I continue?” I teased, her laughing again while nodding.

“I chose a business major so I could say that I had a plan to my mum, when I really didn’t. My first business class opened my eyes and I fell in love with the idea of building up a company from the ground up and thus, my drive to create a company started,” I said giving her a small smile.

“Why’d you donate so much money to the public schools today? Not that, it’s a bad thing. I’m just curious,” she said, leaning back into the couch. She still looked so cuddly and I wanted to wrap my arms around her. The connection, spark, whatever it was, that I had felt earlier when I touched her hand was becoming stronger and if we kept talking about things, I was starting to believe it would keep getting stronger.

“Because they need the money more than I do. There was a time in my life that school was the place I got my first meal of the day and I know it’s like that for a lot of kids these days. If my donating money means that those kids get at least one meal a day during the week, then I’ll donate the money,” I said honestly. Her eyes held an emotion I hadn’t seen yet and I desperately wanted to figure out what it was.

“Luke?” she asked, my name coming from her lips making me get shivers.

“Bryn?” I responded, trying not to show her how much she was affecting me.

“You have a beautiful soul,” she said with a smile on her face. I felt myself melt a little at her words. I was speechless by how casually she said it too. Here she was taking me by surprise and I couldn’t begin to understand what I was feeling for her at this moment. I sat there still in shock as she got up from the couch. I watched as she went over and blew out the candles, putting us back in the dark.

“I’m heading to bed since I have an early interns meeting. Um, goodnight Luke,” she said quietly. I pulled my phone out and turned on the flashlight, finding her on the other side of the couch.

“Goodnight Bryn,” I said giving her a smile before getting up and following her towards the guest room. I stood in the doorway, watching as she closed her door and letting out a breath that I didn’t know I was holding in. Her words echoed through my brain as I went in and laid down, my thoughts all being centered around the beautiful girl down the hall.

Soooo, it didn’t go the smut route, but it’ll get there eventually. I hope you all enjoyed this especially as it is my celebration of hitting my first thousand. Send in all your feedback and love please!

tag babes: @thruheavenandhighwater @sweetcherrycal @bbycal @thebookamongmen @cartiercalum @lurhemmings @a-little-international @lu-fakebetch @tommossoccer @irwinsx @cashton-queen @pickleluke @calumfornicationx @calumspeachy @captivatingcal

[hopesanpedro]

Createurs - We Exist

I have the pleasure of being in the presence of talented and passionate artists and musicians most of the time and it’s, for me, is one of the best things in my life. Friends, I call these people.

Last Saturday, one of the bands I looked out for in the past years launched their first album – We Exist. Createurs, which is apparently the French word of creators which is already so beautiful when you think about it in itself, is a collaborative band telling the stories of the monsters not just under our beds but also the ones inside our heads, even the ones that are chasing us, through the music of different people. They have also collaborated with different visual artists for each of their song and those artworks were also featured in the lyrics booklet with their CD.

We Exist album has 12 well-written tracks that speaks of the eerie, the enchanting, the damned, and the mystery of the entirety of life. Yes, life.

Now, I’m not going to pretend like I’m some music expert and give you guys a review of their album. I am, however, going to share with you my thoughts on each and favorite lyrics from the tracks in it.

1. Pancake (Re)Mix

This one’s a little too close to my heart. Remember the artworks I’ve mentioned earlier? I made one for them and it was for this song. I think this is the most outright cheesy song they have in their album. But even so, it wasn’t the corny kind. I described this one as “colorful” when I first heard it. It’s exactly the reason why I was careful on putting too much color in the artwork, I didn’t want to take the colors from the song – I wanted it to be as serene and innocent as the song.

“Flying with time just to witness your smile. And I, oh I’m falling down tonight”

We all know the feeling of being all chummy giddy soft inside like we swallowed a whole damn litter of puppies and they won’t stop making you melt from the inside and that’s what this song makes you feel like – kilig. Oh young, new, love.

2. Tides and Lifelines

Okay, just reading the title you’d get an idea of what this song is about. This song reminds me of a lyric from one of my most favorite band ever ever; “love is watching someone die”. (fine it’s from What Sarah Said by Death Cab For Cutie). I think this is one of the songs Createurs wrote and it speaks about mortality and how we deal with it.

“We’re the bullet in each other’s gun, shoot the angels that would take us apart”

Just read those lines. I don’t want to even think how hard it is to be so desperate and helpless in trying to help someone so dear in the brink of death. Ouch, I’m just gonna go and cry for a while.

3. Teragram Carnivale

“Shadows fall on rooms like this, where the sun and the moon collide, with your eyes that once were my carousel rides”

I feel like we all can relate to this song in some way. It has to be relevant to every one of us at some point in our lives. We all wanted to believe in something that has grew its root around our hearts and got a little too caught up in the roller coaster rides. I think this song brings you back to that particular time to make you realize that the past never changes and they never go away. Definitely in my top 3.

4. Facemask

I think I’ve played this song one too many times when they uploaded this on spotify before. Mostly because of its catchiness and its angst. Lol sorry I know, I can’t think of a better way to describe it. You can actually feel the song’s anger and disappointment wrapped in some sort of vengeful feeling.

I liked the lines “You’re only fooling yourself, messing everyone’s head.  A catfish, a sly dish, the culprit, gets blown kiss”

In this digital era, anything and everything can be edited or lied about and it gets sickening when someone or a group of people manipulate others by lying to them about important things.  Technology is a beautiful thing if used for good, but there is some greed in humanity that uses it for something else entirely.

5. Trigger Warning

“It’s the beginning and it’s the end. When all the light has been set, a warning when night is at best.”

I feel like this song was supposed to be in the beginning? It would have been nice to have heard this intro to all their haunting songs, both in a good and eerie way. It’s like the ones you hear when you watch a horror movie that gives you chicken skin and cool fog kinda vibes. It’s a mood setter, a look into the mirror of our own self. It asks you to look inside and acknowledge that you are one of these monsters you are so scared of.

6. The Curious Life of Mr. Hyde II: The Mexicat

This song is still in my everyday playlist. It’s been there since I’ve met Rain the night they played for WAT Up the first time and I got sucked into their music. Oh god I have so many favorite lines from this song!! It’s about mental issues and it perfectly sings the chaos that is in one’s head. They wrote this to try and explain how complicated it is to be in the state of unstable mental health in a very poetic way.

Here are my top 3 lines (YESS BECAUSE I CANT CHOOSE OKAY?? ☹ ); “The colorful imagery of dancing audacity”, “Conversing with my demons, addicted to the tone”, “I haven’t got a martini or any kind of whiskey, But baby you’re my margarita, drunk in love with you”.

Welp. Let’s just say I love the entire lyrics ugh

7. Pianocktail

OH THIS! I love this one. This reminds me of my other favoritest band forever – Panic! At The Disco. The story within and the sophistication in this one is something that’s imprinted into my fanatic heart (awow).

“The taste has never been this condescending. A drink to be made by the one and only pianocktail!”

Ah, there’s nothing more tripping than an uncertainty for something you’ve had for so long.

8. Chat Box From Alaska

“She’s a part-time lover and a beautiful liar, plagued with her broken words and empty promises. Cornered by the pillars of her comfort and embrace, making out with someone better, someone smoother, someone tastier”

I feel like this song is basically for fuck girls who manipulates people for sex by leading people on and leaving them just as fast. I think the last part of this song was written by Rain as a poem years and years ago? Nevertheless, it ended the song so smoothly.

9. Awful Things the Moon Saw

This song makes me think of obsessive lovers or past ones that refuses to let it go. Maybe it’s also us when we hold on a little too tight on something that’s already slipping away.

“Well you know you’ve got me haunted by your scent, Now I find myself begging and falling for you more and more.”

It is also kind of a lullaby to me for some reason, I can sleep soundly with this one playing hehe

10. St. Cecille

This one’s also in my playlist since I’ve first heard it. I think I read the story behind (or at least heavily connected) this song, written by the vocalist. He has a lot of passion, idk ask him. JK!!!!

"Rhyme our thoughts in this waltzing dreams. Time stops when you are around. You’re the one I’ve been talking about on the song of roads and hearts”

I wish I can share with you guys the link to the story but I’m not sure if he’d like that. Anyway, this love song is right up my alley – mysterious, magic, and love? Hell yas.

11. Bloodstream

All I can say about this is that I am so excited for the story to come out because I want to look more into it. Twilight’s werewolves just left the building.

“Chaotic, poetic, and overly narcissistic. Hypnotic, agnostic, but slightly optimistic. Out of the forest to Manila fucking buses. It’s a tale about a man who waltzed among carcasses.”

It’s a midnight story!

12. Stellar Memories

The first song, besides the ones I’ve already heard before of course, that caught my attention in the album was this one. It’s a desperate attempt to preserve something we believe in and wish for its memories to last up to our end.

“Set up the fire and let’s dance around the house. Then watch it burn down like the dreams we fought so hard to get. If this is it, hope higher, ‘cause we’ll hide from the world and never make a….”

I feel like this is the best song to end the album with because I didn’t want it to end and I just kept it on loop for all its entirety because I liked each song.

I’ve already wrote a (lengthy) Instagram post about their well thought branding and packaging but I also want to commend them for the bomb line up and organized launch! Page Four Production reminded me so much of the first gigs of WAT UP and made me miss the team. From promotions to media exposures, to the materials! I look forward to attending gigs they’d come up with!

I won’t ask for more releases so soon because I want to savor this album and all its stories. I’ve already heard the Part I of Mr. Hyde and it’s Createurs’ gift to everyone who attended their launch so if you are curious, wait for the next album maybe it’d be included there.

This album will always have a special place in my heart. It’s definitely worth the long wait. Congrats, Createurs!

Listen to them on Spotify and follow them on their social media pages to be updated!

[crashdevlin]

Bottle: Ch. 1 A Magical Lie

Author’s Note: Originally posted to ao3 (This is an edited and improved version), I work in info from the comics (Like Hawkeye was married to Mockingbird and Red Skull had a disappointing daughter) and I took a few liberties with what the scepter could do (but not really because the Mind Stone was used to create the Twins so what I did is not that far-fetched). This is a lot more angst than I realized when I wrote it, but it’s compelling angst.

Summary: Cassandra Campbell is a Stark Industries lab tech with dubious genetics and a history with the new Director of SHIELD. She’s been working in New York since right before the Chitauri invasion. What does she have to do with Loki, and what will happen when he returns? Starts post TDW and continues to the end of AoU.

Pairing(s): Phil Coulson x OFC (Past), Loki x OFC (Non-con), Clint Barton x OFC, Steve Rogers x OFC

Word Count: 3123

Story Warnings: So many, worst (to me) are bolded. Younger woman/older man relationship, non-con, mutilation, torture, mind control, PTSD, depression, alcoholism, forced abortions, bad things (non-con) in a church, insomnia, memory manipulation, eventual consensual oral sex (female and male receiving), 

Chapter Warnings: Younger woman/older man relationship (past), non-con (past), mutilation (past), torture (past), PTSD, depression, alcoholism

Tony looked up from his tablet as security escorted a young blonde woman into his office. Twenty minutes before, he couldn't have picked her out of a crowd. He hadn't known her name, nor her position in his company. Now, he knew that Cassandra Campbell (no middle, that’s weird) had been working as a lab assistant for 3 years. Tony knew she was 24 years old, that she had an impeccable attendance record and, according to her file, she was on the fast-track to a promotion. He also knew she was a liar.

Tony stood and offered her a chair, which she took. "So, I've spent the last few days going over all the files Natasha Romanoff released to the internet. A lot of info to go through, most of which I already knew, but there was one can of snakes." He handed her the tablet. A picture of her, probably about 16 years old at the time, smiled up at her. "A completely redacted file that doesn't even name you. If I hadn't remembered seeing you in the lab last month, you'd've gotten away with it."

The green-eyed woman set the tablet aside on the opposite office chair. "Gotten away with what, sir? What are you accusing me of?" Her voice was soft, her tone polite and completely professional.

"Well, you're SHIELD, obviously. Fury send you to spy on me? Or maybe you're Hydra, sent here to Nazi up the place?"

"Mr. Stark, I would love to give you the answers that you're looking for, but I'm not allowed to discuss my situation without the express consent of a level 8 or higher SHIELD agent. Since most agents of that prominence were Hydra, or killed by Hydra when they took the Triskellion, all I can say is this: I am not a trained agent of any agency. I am not a spy. I am just a lab tech."

"Why don't you go ahead and tell him about it? It's been a while since I've heard the story." A familiar female voice said from the doorway.

"Agent Hill." The blonde stood, nodding at the older woman.

Maria shut the door behind her and walked over to the desk. "SHIELD doesn't exist anymore, Cassie. You don't need permission to tell your story."

"I doubt Director Fury or Agent Coulson would feel the same, ma’am."

"Well, unfortunately, they're both as dead as SHIELD." Maria countered.

*Exactly*. The younger woman thought, before shaking her head. She took a deep breath and turned to her boss. "Nick Fury found me in a lab. Somewhere in the mountains in Europe, I was never really told where. Fury called me an experiment, but I believe I was just supposed to be an heir, a less disappointing one than my sister was."

Maria stepped in, then. "She was created in a Hydra lab using Red Skull's genetic material."

"Fury named me 'Joanna Schmidt' so that everyone would know where I came from. I was just happy to have a name instead of a number. Phil... Agent Coulson took me to the Fridge. He made sure that no one was too hard on me since I was only 10 at the time. He brought me books, convinced Fury to let me learn. After educating myself quietly in my cell for 10 years, Phil brought my case to Fury. I'd shown no abnormal physical or psychological signs, nothing that would warrant keeping me locked up. Coulson convinced him that I deserved a place in society. The only concern was society's reaction to me.” The young woman scratched at the back of her neck, her professional exterior cracking a bit. “Steve Rogers was of particular concern. Fury and Coulson felt that Captain Rogers might... be... enraged by my very existence. He has very strong feelings when it comes to the Red Skull and Arnim Zola, who was the one who thought up the idea of making a test-tube heir."

"Cap doesn't seem like the kind to rage against a woman, demon-spawn or not." Tony replied, pulling a glass of scotch off of his desk.

Cassie swallowed and cleared her throat. "There are videos, therapy sessions from the year after they thawed him out, that prove our concern was founded. I'm sure you could find them on the 'net. They were SHIELD files."

Tony nodded, letting it go, for now. "Okay. So, what? Hide in plain sight?"

"Sorta. Phil had Pepper place me in your California lab because he knew that... if Rogers found out that I existed, you and Pepper wouldn't let me be... hurt."

"Pepper, maybe, but I don't know... your father was an evil bastard."

"And he was dead long before I was even a thought." She defended. "I learned about Hitler the same way everyone else my age did; through books and the History Channel."

"Let the poor girl go back to work, Tony. The lab will fall apart without her." Pepper said, walking into the office without knocking.

The girl straightened up, her complete professionalism sliding back over her form. "Thank you, Miss Potts. That's very kind." Cassie started walking toward the office door.

"Just, uh, one more thing.” Tony called out. “You said you were in California. When'd you transfer?"

A flash of despair crossed her face, then disappeared. "A year ago, sir. Just before the initial construction was completed." She answered, turning halfway to the door.

"So, you were here when the Chitauri attacked?" Hill asked.

Cassie swallowed hard, hoping it wasn't as audible to them as it was to her. "I'd rather not talk about it." She responded, quietly.

"You're not the only one. Company's got shrinks if you need one. Get back to work." Tony said, nonchalantly, but the young woman thought she heard some genuine empathy behind the words.

"Maria, may I have a word on the way back to the lab?" Cassie asked.

"Of course." Maria followed her.

They walked a moment in silence for a few moments before Cassie stopped. Maria turned to her. "We both know Phil isn't dead." Her professional politeness disappeared, replaced by a slightly insolent attitude.

Hill scoffed. "He was stabbed, in the heart, by an Asgardian. He died, Cassie."

"That doesn't mean he's dead, Maria. I've got one word for you, and once I’ve said it, I want no more lies or half truths." Maria waited, expectantly. "TAHITI."

Maria blanched. "He told you about TAHITI?"

"Yes. It seems he wasn't very good with orders when it came to me.” Cassie shook her head. “Look, I know Fury wouldn't let him die and I've heard rumors about a silver-tongued agent with a receding hairline, flying around with a small squad, looking into enhanced individuals. Finding new people for the Index. I've heard things about him being back. Took a long vacation to recoup, but he's just fine now… after being stabbed in the heart, by an Asgardian. Sounds shady to me." She said, snarkily.

Maria shook her head, derisively. "What do you want, Campbell?"

"A phone number. He ditched his old cell long ago, but I read some internal emails that I probably shouldn't have seen that were all about you helping Phil escape from the Yukon. You have to have contact info. Please." The blonde almost begged.

"Cassie... I don't think this is a good idea."

"I spent a year thinking he was dead, Hill. I just want to hear his voice. That's all.” The green-eyed girl caught the older woman’s eyes. “You aren't a SHIELD commando, anymore. Fury faked his death and fled, so you don't need to run interference for him, Maria. Besides, a pretty little cellist knocked me out of the game before Phil even died. I just want to talk to him."

"Fine." Maria said, pulling out her phone. "I will give you his SAT phone number, but... don't expect it to be like your remember it." The woman warned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cassie waited until she was home to dial the number. "Pablo Jimenez." The voice on the other end answered. She smiled, involuntarily.

"That's a pretty good accent for a dead man." She said, sarcastically. She was met with silence and as it dragged on, Cassie thought to what Hill said about it not being what she remembered.

"Jo?" Coulson questioned.

Cassie could swear she felt her heart fall. "No. It's Cassie, now. Don't you remember?" She knew he didn't, though, and she knew that Hill had been trying to warn her.

"I don't. Did you escape when Garret hit the Fridge? How'd you get my number?"

"They fucked with your memories when they brought you back, didn't they?" Her voice broke as she battled her anger and sadness.

"How did you... I’m sorry. I'm a little lost here, Joanna. You seem quite upset that SHIELD dug around in my head."

"It's Cassie, Phil.” She spat into the phone. She tried to remind herself that she wasn’t angry at him, that it wasn’t his fault that he didn’t remember her. “I know Fury didn't approve, but... I didn't think he'd take it all from you." She said, sliding down the wall to crumple on her tile floor.

"Take what? I'm a little hazy on a lot of what happened before Loki killed me."

"My name, Phil. My beautiful, alliterative name." She sniffled through her tears. "I came up with this alias while laying on my bed in your arms, after our first time together." She fought to compose herself, knowing the silence on the other end was not his fault.

"Together?" He finally whispered. "I... with you?"

"Maybe it's better that you don't remember." She sniffled, wiping at her eyes. “I’m sorry I bothered-”

"No, wait. Cassie. I'm sorry. I thought they'd just taken my memories of Project TAHITI, which I remember now, but I don't remember anything about you past your 16 eval."

*Of course.* She thought. *My 17 eval was when Phil realized his attraction.* "You remember TAHITI? Then go from there.” She sniffled again. “You came to me, stressed that GH-325 was having such horrible side effects. Remember?"

A moment of silence was followed by a low gasp. "You convinced me to resign from the project. I remember. My god. Can... can I talk to you, face to face?"

"I work at Stark Tower. I live in the Bronx. Why don't you access some more of those memories and remember my name, come find me?"

As she hung up without a goodbye, she heard Phil say, "Skye, can you trace-."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next night as Cassie was walking home from the subway, she heard footsteps behind her. She reached for her pepper spray, but dropped it back into her purse when she heard, "’Cassandra Campbell’, because alliterative names are more fun."

"You cheated." She said, turning to him. She couldn't help a smile. Same old Phil Coulson in his same old suit. "You had your tech trace my call."

"But the name reminded me. And the picture. Brought back everything... I think.” He stepped closer to her. “I remember coming back to Los Angeles after a mission to an empty apartment. Pepper told me that you'd requested a transfer... as soon as possible."

Cassie sighed, leaning against a blue post box. "When you left for Portland, I was in your eyes. You were defying orders to be with me, telling me about secret projects I shouldn't know about, because I was all you cared about. When you came back, Audrey had replaced me. She was what you really needed, anyway, I was just the girl who gave you the confidence to go after her."

Coulson's nose wrinkled in disgust. "Ech, don't call yourself a girl. That just makes me seem skeevy in the whole thing."

"I was almost 21 at the time, Phil. Long past being a girl. But emotionally…” She shrugged. “I spent my life in a lab and a cell. I couldn't compete with a first chair cellist who had her act together. I left quietly, and I think that was better for both of us."

She could tell he agreed. "So, why the call? Why now?" He asked.

She pushed away from the mailbox. "Well, SHIELD has fallen apart. After everything you've given them, I wanted to make sure you were okay. And hearing your voice after thinking you might really be dead..." She shrugged.

"Well, here I am."

She suddenly found herself with nothing to say. "So... have you heard from Fury?"

"What, you didn't get his number from Hill?"

She started walking toward her apartment again. "Nope. She's still trying to convince me that he's actually dead. Not that I really have nice words for him especially knowing that he took us out of your head."

"He's off in Europe, somewhere, anyway." They arrived at the door of her apartment building in silence. "I remember I tried to stop and talk to you when I dropped off the files to Stark last year. I saw you in the lab. I wanted to... but you didn't seem... you were busy." He concluded.

She nodded. "I was the only tech back then. There was still construction so we were running a skeleton crew."

A look of recognition crossed Coulson's face. "You weren't in the building when Loki got there, were you?"

She swallowed and turned away from him. "I'd rather not talk about it." She said.

He put his hand on her shoulder. "You were, weren't you?"

"Phil, the bastard who killed you took the building. I'm lucky to be alive.” She licked her lips and shook her head, turning to him.. “I'm lucky to be sane. I maintain sanity by not talking about it. I bottle. I'm good at bottling. Just don't touch the bottle."

Phil sighed. "I'm working to rebuild SHIELD. You should join."

"I think that'd be a mistake. I'm just a lab tech. Can't shoot, can't fight. Don't have the big brains. And with my genetics and the Hydra infiltration and my history with you... it's just begging for trouble."

"You’re smarter than you think. I’ve got your file back on the bus.” She opened her mouth to argue, but Coulson just continued. “Well, you have my number. I have your address. You need me, I'll be here."

"Of course. Good luck, Phil." She said, patting his shoulder before heading inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cassie sat on her little brown couch, her head hanging low as sobs racked her body. Everyone seemed to be mentioning it, the worst day of her life. Her hand rubbed against her chest, over her heart. She stood on shaky legs as her mind involuntarily replayed the raven-haired Asgardian walking into the lab and pulling her from her hiding spot under the lab tables.

He'd flicked her name tag. "'C. Campbell'. I think not. Embarrassed of your father's works, Joanna? Too ashamed to wear your legacy in your name?" She'd been terrified, unable to speak. She didn't question how he knew her real name. "You think you're a scientist, but underneath that scared Midgardian exterior, beats the heart of the super-soldier who built Hydra from the ground up. His blood flows through you."

"No. I'm not him. I'm just normal." She'd squeaked.

Loki had shaken his head and clicked his tongue. "You truly wish you were. But that's just the morals SHIELD forced upon you. What's really in your heart?"

Cassie started hyperventilating as she remembered his scepter touching her chest. Her heart rate had skyrocketed for a moment as her muscles strengthened under her skin. Her mind had gone into overdrive.

"What is your name?"

"Joanna Schmidt."

"Who are you, Midgardian?"

She remembered smirking. "Daughter of the Red Skull."

"And what is it you want to do, Red?"

"I want to run analysis on my blood and reverse engineer the super soldier serum in order to give you an army of soldiers to command."

He grabbed her hair and twisted, his left hand moving to rest over her lower abdomen. "Later. I want my turn with you, first."

He had taken her, right there in the lab, beaten her, and used a small triangular blade to carve deep into her chest. The rough way he took her had given her pain for days. But she hadn't cared while enthralled. She'd woken from her daze the next day, in the lab surrounded by samples of her blood and random slides and printouts. She'd been deeply confused as to why an Asgardian prince had chosen her for that. Rape was usually a power play, but he most certainly was in power of everything at that point, so there hadn’t been a rational reason for it. As much as she tried to find a reason, she couldn’t.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cassie walked out of her apartment and headed for the bar down the street. She didn't really want to socialize, but she knew she was much less likely to break down in front of other people. *Time to go use a bottle to help me bottle.*

"You ever miss it? The 'no thinking, no conscience, just follow the orders without a question' empty-headedness?"

She turned to the voice in her apartment's side alley. She'd never met him, but she recognized Clint Barton, Hawkeye, from the news. "I-I don't know what you mean."

"I spent a long while with him in my head. Sometimes, it feels like I'm still following his orders. Sometimes, I just wish I was. Because it was so easy to just give myself to him. And I hate that." Clint sighed deeply. "I can recognize the signs of someone under his thrall, though, having been under it for so long."

Cassie felt her face go pale. "I deleted the security footage for you. It was like watching a poor quality snuff film, except you didn't die at the end." He jumped down from the fire escape he'd been perched on. "I thought maybe he was just having his way with you, but when he left, you just poured some alcohol on your wounds like it was any other Tuesday. Didn't even flinch."

Her heart fell. She hadn't thought of the security footage when she destroyed all evidence of her awakened super powers. "Don't worry. I'm the only one who saw. And I'd count that as a blessing."

She nodded, relieved. "So, how can I help you, Agent Barton?"

"SHIELD is dead, it's just Clint, now." He cleared his throat. "I heard that the bastard is dead. I figured you would be the right person to take for a drink to celebrate."

She gave an awkwardly sad smile. "To mourn, you mean?"

Clint nodded, once. "A little of both."

"I was going to have a drink, anyway, so I suppose you can buy me one, Clint."