#because listen it's about how the waters do get muddied in a situation like this

[imissthembutitwasntadisaster]

Maybe "do any of you know what treason is?" "I know what torture is" is the true heart of the show

[tyb1]

Standing In The Rain

pairings: Seth x reader

summary: after weeks of not talking due to secrets being held Seth finally confronts the reader while standing in the rain

warnings: angst then fluff 😋

w/c: 1087

Masterlist

A/N: Thank you guys for 1,000+ notes on Rainy Days ♥️🥺

“So you’re just going to leave me out in the rain!?” Seth yelled, his hands waving in the air as he tried his best to get your attention.

The rain poured down on the roof of your car, you sat watching the wipers push the hard rain off of your windows. Everything was calm for a few seconds, you had just arrived back from your night class. The news that was spreading on the radio caught your attention, and that was one of the reasons why you decided to sit in the car, the other was the rain that was pouring down. The final one was your boyfriend standing in the middle of your driveway blocking you from entering your house.

It has been approximately a week since you last spoke to him, it honestly didn’t bother you. Every time you thought about him you grew irritated with him and the situation he put you in. No explanation could honestly bring you out of this funk that you were in, however, if you didn’t allow him into your car your parents would come outside and invite him into your house.

With the most stoic facial expression, you unlocked the door, you kept your eyes on him as he made his way around to your car. Once he touched bases in your passenger seat you went back to what you were doing before he interrupted you. Seth on the other hand was pushing every button on the heat to get warm.

Your eyes raised with the utmost cockiness there was, “I thought you couldn’t get sick. Isn’t that the werewolf within you?”

Seth turned to look at you, from the corner of your eye you could still see the water pellets dropping from his skin. “Yeah, but I’m still soaking wet from the water. I’ve been standing out there for like 26 minutes.” He continued to ramble about the rain getting into his ears making them hurt when they dry. And how he was going to smell like a wet dog since his clothes were all muddy. He talked and talked until he finally stopped, he noticed that you weren’t listening to him. Your eyes were glued to your garage, too deep in your thoughts to even give a damn about what he was saying.

“Can I explain myself?” He asked, he reached into your back seat to grab a spare shirt of yours. His hands ran through his hair as he tried his best to dry it with the cotton material.

You looked down at your apple watch, it was already going on 9 at night. Your curfew was at 10 so that meant he only had approximately 10 minutes to explain himself.

“There’s honestly nothing to explain, I’ve heard it all Seth.” You turned to look at him, he was staring back at you with the utmost remorseful look. You could tell he meant no harm from the situation but it hurt knowing that he lied. “It hurts more knowing that I had to hear it from them rather than you.”

His eyes softened as he began to speak, “I know, trust me I was going to tell you but I didn’t want it to be too much on you. You know the whole werewolf thing is one thing but imprinting is a whole other situation. That was something special I was supposed to tell you.”

With your arms crossed you leaned back into the chair. The flashback of that day came dancing back into your head. The boys joking around with their girlfriends, Seth walked away from the group for one second and the beans were spilled. He could’ve warned the boys that you didn’t know, you sat there looking stupid with tears in your eyes. They told you what imprinting was, it sounded like Seth was only with you because he had to. You genuinely had a love for Seth Clearwater and it hurt to know that the same love that you had for him wasn’t the same for him. Seth's love was forced upon him, he had no choice but to you love.

Forcefully your eyes closed, and the hurt you felt from the weeks prior started to emerge. You could feel Seth pulling your arm into him. You didn’t bother to put up a fight, you allowed your body to melt into his wet one. “They made it seem like you’re only with me because of fate. Like we’re supposed to be in love because you imprinted on me. It honestly sounds creepy Seth.” You mumbled into his shirt, you could hear his heartbeat getting faster by the minute. He was nervous.

“See, That’s exactly why I didn’t want to tell you yet. It’s so much more than that (Y/N). I’m not with you because I imprinted on you, I’m with you because I genuinely have a love for you and I want to be with you.” His head rested on top of yours as he tapped his fingers gently against your skin.

“I don’t like the secrets Seth, that’s why I was so upset with you. You can’t hide things like this from me no matter how bad you think they are.”

“I know and I’m sorry. I was just trying to do the right thing. It’s a lot to take on but trust me when I say that I didn’t want to hurt you. I would never do that to you (Y/N). From now on no more secrets.”

He held out his pinky finger which you wrapped your own tightly around. That sealed the deal about everything you two just talk about Looking up at Seth you could see the moonlight reflecting off of his brown eyes, he looked like he was in deep thought. His eyes were panned out to the rain. Gently you shook his arm catching his attention, “Seth, I’m not blaming you for any of this. I guess I was just stuck in my own ways. I understand that you wanted to wait for my well-being which I respect so much about you. But next time could you please give your boys head-ups.” You laughed, Seth nodded his head. The biggest grin on his face.

With one hand under your chin, he brought your lips up to his. “You don’t have to worry about anything else princess.” He whispered those words against your lips before closing the space with his own.

[fqreverwinter]

“guilty as sin?”

— — — —

relationship: loki x fem!reader

summary: you were caged in a loveless marriage with thor. ever since you were little, you were in love with his brother. it was never meant to be, leaving you to dream about being with him instead.

word count: 2.9k

warnings: mentions of cheating

notes: this is (obviously) inspired by “guilty as sin?” by taylor swift!! i hate that this plot line always puts thor in this situation, but it’s too good not to write it :) also the “poem” mentioned at the end is actually lyrics from “the downtown lights” by the blue nile that is referenced in taylor’s song!!

masterlist

Before you took your first breath, you were already considered royalty, born to the closest Lord and Lady of the Throne of Asgard. Before you took your first step, you were promised to one of the sons of the Throne. It seemed like you had little say in your own life; never once did you get to pick out your own clothes, do your own makeup, make your own meals. You yearned for a sense of control in your life as soon as you understood what control was. Being locked in the cage of regality was the bane of your existence, but there was no getting around it.

To be fair, you loved your parents. Though they gave you little room to breathe, they always made sure you were happy and taken care of. They supplied you with plenty of books, plenty of journals, and other things to keep your dreary days in the palace occupied. You loved the king and queen, as well. Odin and Frigga viewed you as one of their own.

And as for the two princes— Well, they were your closest friends in the whole world. You grew up together, experiencing your firsts side-by-side. You couldn’t have dreamed of better partners in life than Thor and Loki. Your personality was a bit of both of them—the fiery spirit of Thor and the intellect of Loki. No matter who you were with, you always had a good time.

When the three of you became teenagers, feelings started to get in the mix. Your parents had warned you that you would eventually marry one of the brothers. In your mind, that meant you could choose, and you had no doubt who you would pick.

Thor was sweet to you. He always made sure that you had a good time, that you were treated as a gentle and precious woman. That’s not to say he wouldn’t want to battle or get muddy with you, but he would always make sure you had a glass of water and a fresh pair of clothes afterwards. You appreciated his kind gestures, and you noticed his conventionally attractive features.

But it wasn’t him you wanted.

Loki had stolen your heart since you first learned what love was. He was much quieter compared to his brother, but when he did speak, his words were so eloquent and thoughtful that you had no choice but to swoon. You would listen to him talk about his favorite books, his favorite spells—hell, even his favorite rocks if it meant watching his blue eyes glow and his slender fingers gesture as he spoke. He was your confidant, the one you told all your secrets to because you knew he would never betray you. His title meant nothing to you; you never saw him as the mischievous, devilish boy that everyone else saw. You saw his charm, his intelligence, his kindness, his imagination, his drive.

When you were both just teenagers, you were sat in one of the many courtyards of the palace. Loki was rambling about something his father said that ticked him off, but you were just watching him speak. Soon, you saw how frustrated he was. His shoulders slumped as he sighed, staring down at his feet. Your heart broke for him. In a moment of bravery, wanting to offer him comfort, you gently took his hand and leaned your head on his shoulder. He looked at you with surprise, but leaned back into you. Your heart was beating so fast when you eventually looked up at him. His big blue eyes stared back into yours, and he quickly closed the gap between your two lips.

That moment, you knew you were in love.

Then, two days later, your parents broke the news that you would begin a courtship with Thor.

See, when they said that you would marry one of the princes, they failed to tell you that it was the first-born prince. You never had a choice; there was never a chance of you marrying Loki. It shattered your heart.

After they told you, you ran to your room and slammed the door, locking it behind you. You flopped on your bed and screamed into your pillow. It was so unfair that you never got to make any choices in your own life. For once, you found an escape from the thick iron bars that your parents locked you in all your life. But as it turns out, you were never free from that enclosure.

Thor began your courtship with a giant bouquet of flowers and a pair of diamond earrings. Both gifts were thoughtful, but they did nothing to pull your heart away from Loki.

For the remainder of your teenage years, Thor did everything to impress you, to show how much he loved you. He would hold your hand on late night walks along the river. He would bring you new books that he thought you would enjoy. He would keep you close to him at formal affairs, introducing you as his beautiful future wife. The phrase made you cringe internally. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t love Thor. Sure, you had love for him—but you loved him as a brother, as the best friend that you grew up with. You never felt any romantic love for him.

In secret, you yearned for Loki. You thought about him at times when you should only have been thinking about Thor. At dinner, you sat next to your betrothed, but you snuck glances at his brother whenever you could. In the moments you were alone, you went out of your way to attempt to bump into him and strike up a conversation. You pictured him as the love interest in your novels.

But it seemed like Loki didn’t want anything to do with you.

Ever since you began your courtship with Thor, Loki became distant. Your long talks in the courtyards or late night chats in the library became fewer and far apart until they completely stopped. He didn’t smile at you in passing, send you a wave across the room, or send you small notes under your bedroom door. You didn’t understand it; you thought it was obvious you didn’t want to be with Thor. Why wouldn’t Loki take the hint?

But you were wrong.

Loki couldn’t stand to look at you anymore because he was also hopelessly in love with you. He, too, had been in love with you since you were little kids. Loki thought—no, knew—you were the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. He wanted to be the one that you spent the rest of your life with, not his stupid brother. Every time he saw you, it broke his heart all over again.

Sure, he flirted with maidens and even brought a few back to his room. But he had the same thoughts as you—he saw your face in all of theirs; he dreamed that it was you when he was kissing them. They were nothing to him, just things to fill the ever-growing void in his heart.

He wanted to love you. He wanted to be the man that you deserved. He didn’t want to buy you flowers or gifts; he wanted to love and cherish you. He wanted to listen to your worries, celebrate you in your moments of joy, and talk to you in the way that only the two of you understood. Loki knew he was better for you than his brother could ever dream to be.

But Loki couldn’t tell you any of this. It would be breaking his brother’s trust. He did think about it, because what did the God of Mischief care about trust? But part of him knew that it would be breaking your trust as well, and that was something he could never bring himself to do.

On your wedding day, you felt nothing. Not even sadness or anger - just nothing. During the ceremony, you kept sneaking glances at Loki, but he never once looked up at you. Tears were welling up in your eyes, but you never let them slip.

During the reception, you managed to sneak away while Thor was busy chugging beers with his best friends. You went to one of the balconies in the main wing of the palace and leaned over the railing, staring out at the beautiful spring landscape of Asgard.

“I did not expect to see you out here, Princess,” a deep voice that you knew all too well muttered.

You sighed, “I needed some air. It was getting quite hot in the banquet hall.”

Loki stood beside you, grabbing on to the railing in the same way you were. You looked over at him, admiring how beautiful his face was up close. You were so attracted to him, his fair skin and bright blue eyes and sharp cheekbones. Your heart skipped a beat.

“I was always told that your wedding would be the happiest day of your life,” he said, finally looking at you. “But you don’t seem so thrilled.”

You shrugged. “The day is not quite how I pictured it.”

“How so?”

You looked back down at your hands.

“I just—I feel like I have never had a sense of control. All my life, I’ve been told what to wear, what to say, what to do, who to talk to… I have just been locked in this tight cage. I always thought that my love would be the one thing I could have control over. But as it turns out, I can’t even have that.”

“Do you not love my brother?”

You snapped your head back to Loki. He stared at you with a specific look, like he knew the answer to that question but was dying to hear you say it. You opened your mouth to answer, but you were cut off by a guard calling your name.

“Princess, Prince Thor has been looking for you. They are about to start the toasts.”

You nodded, adjusting your dress then walking towards him. You looked back to see Loki again, but he wasn’t looking back at you. Your heart broke again as you followed the guard back into the party.

The biggest change after your marriage was that everyone went from addressing you as Lady to Princess. Your feelings never changed; you still loved Loki and felt indifferent towards Thor.

Now, you shared a room with Thor. He would hold you in bed every night, trying to initiate some sort of moment for you two to share. Most nights, you said you were tired and brushed him off. On the nights you let him go further, you still just pictured Loki.

Your only solace was the fact that Thor started going on warrior missions to other realms. He would travel for days, sometimes weeks at a time to either serve as a diplomatic figure or a traveling soldier for different places throughout the cosmos. Those times were the only times you finally felt like yourself again. You got to sleep in your own bed, come and go as you please, and best of all, you didn’t have to worry about being physical with Thor.

Eventually, you cracked the wall that was put up between you and Loki. When Thor was gone, you spent nearly every day with him. It was almost like nothing had happened, no years were lost. You laughed and joked and told stories just like you did when you were kids. It did nothing but deepen your love for Loki, but at least you found some kind of relief for your longing.

Because in your twisted mind, these thoughts meant nothing; if you never took any action, never touched or felt Loki, you were not guilty of any betrayal.

One rainy night, the two of you were locked in the palace’s library, going through countless books of poetry from the different realms. You read them dramatically to each other, making the other laugh and laugh. When you reached a Midgardian book, you found a poem that especially struck a cord.

“Sometimes I walk away,” Loki began, propping one leg up on a couch while projecting his voice for the entire library to hear. You giggled as he continued.

“When all I really wanna do, is love and hold you tight. There is just one thing I can say, nobody…” he began trailing off, losing the excitement in his act.

“What’s wrong?” you asked, your smile running away from your face.

“Um…” he said quietly, not moving his gaze from the book in his hands. This was so unlike Loki; it was rare that he was at a loss for words.

“Sorry, it just caught me off guard,” he finally said, clearing his throat. He looked at you, his big blue eyes blown as he finished the line that he was stuck on.

“Nobody loves you this way.”

You stared at him, your heart skipping a beat when you realized why he stopped at that line. It resonated with your situation, the longing and dreaming that had gone on for years and years. You stood up, moving closer to Loki as his eyes never once left your face. You placed a hand gently on his chest as one of his wrapped around your waist. The two of you leaned in, ever-so close to the moment that you shared when you were merely teenagers.

“Princess!” one of your maidens called, sprinting towards you. You quickly stepped back from Loki as he did from you. The two of you acted like nothing ever happened as she approached you.

“Princess, it is well after midnight. You must head to your bedroom. You have breakfast with the Allmother tomorrow, remember?”

You nodded. “Yes, very well. Goodnight, Prince Loki.”

“Goodnight, Princess,” he replied, nodding his head at you.

You followed her towards the exit. You turned around once to see Loki, expecting him to ignore you like he usually did. But this time, he flashed you a smile and winked. Heat rose to your cheeks as you quickly spun back around, fighting the smile that was taking over your lips.

Once you got back to your bedroom, you closed the door quickly behind you, reminiscing on the moment you two almost shared. You giggled like you were a teenager again, spinning around before crashing into your bed. That night, you dreamt of a marriage with Loki, but this time happily instead of bittersweet.

But the next day, your husband returned, and this time bearing news that he would be back for a while. He embraced you excitedly, happy to be home with you. But you couldn’t feel worse. Thor being around meant Loki would go back to pretending like you didn’t exist.

The more time Thor spent around you, the more you wished to finish the moment you had with Loki. Those few seconds ate away at you like nothing you experienced before. You thought about it when you woke up, when you went to sleep, when you were alone in bed, imagining what it would have been like to finally have your lips against his again. You begged to be set free.

Some days, you really did consider throwing caution to the wind and knocking on Loki’s door. But every time you got close, nerves would take over and you quickly kept walking past. When you saw him in the hallways, you had the same temptations, but again he ignored your presence.

It only got worse with pressure from everyone around you to have a child with Thor. Your mother, your father, Queen Frigga, and even your husband pressed you about when you were finally going to start a family. The first anniversary of your marriage was nearing, and everyone said that it was time for you to produce the next line of royalty.

As a result, Thor tried to be physical more often. It became harder and harder for you to brush him off. Afterwards, he would roll over and fall asleep while you laid in bed restless.

One of those sleepless nights, you heard something rustle near your door. Curious, you gently stood up and walked over, finding a piece of paper that had been slid under your door. You checked to make sure Thor was still asleep then crept to your en-suite, softly closing the door and turning on the light. You read over the note, gasping when you realized what it was.

Through all these dreadful years, you were holding back the urge to cry. You felt like you were not allowed to cry. After all, you put yourself in this situation. You were the one that was not willing to let go of Loki. You were the one that dreamt of cheating on your husband with his brother. You were the bad person in every light of this situation. There was no reason for you to feel self-pity and let those tears fall.

But tonight, you finally let it happen. For that note was no regular note. No, rather it was a piece of paper torn from a book, annotated and signed by Loki, the Prince of Asgard, the God of Mischief and Lies, your true love.

And the note read the poem that you two had shared those few weeks ago. The poem that reignited your flame, that sealed your fate in the loveless cage forever.

Sometimes I walk away,

When all I really wanna do

Is love and hold you right.

There is just one thing I can say,

Nobody loves you this way.

[it-happened-one-fic]

Rivals - Jamil

Author Notes: This fic was almost wholly inspired by how annoyed I got with Jamil while doing those fights in the Ignihyde chapter where you don't get to select your cards and just have to deal with what the game hands you. He was awful in those. I've always sort of liked the idea of Jamil and the prefect snipping back and forth at one another, so this was sort of fun to write. As per usual, reader is gender-neutral. I hope you enjoy!

Type: Gender-neutral reader/ fluff/ flirtation (kinda?? I guess???)/ Reader and Jamil bicker/ Spoilers for Scarabia and Pomefiore chapters

Word count: 1807 words

You didn’t know exactly how you’d reached this point, but you were here now, and you certainly weren’t backing down.

The problem at hand was quite simple really, and it even had a name you could put to it.

Jamil. Jamil was the problem. Because at some point, the two of you had become rivals. 

Looking back, you were fairly certain it stemmed from the entire Scarabia incident during winter break. It was strange how you’d been able to forgive the other overblot victims for their crimes with only a few biting comments. But something about what Jamil had done had rubbed you the wrong way.

Oh, it was true; you completely understood his thinking and longing for recognition. And you even felt he deserved to be recognized for his many talents. 

But the fact that he, not anyone else, had been the one to drag you into that whole debacle was what really upset you. 

With all of the other overblots, it had been Crowley, your friends, or even your own feelings that had caused you to become embroiled in another dorm's drama.

But the situation with Scarabia, had been different. Jamil was the one who’d brought you to Scarabia and he was the reason you’d ended up involved.

Locked up, being worked to the bone, and eventually escaping before returning with help in the form of the Octatrio. It wasn’t an experience you would forget.

You had, to a degree, forgiven Jamil since it was true that he was dealing with years of stress and buried feelings. But you would always wonder what on earth had caused him to decide to hold you hostage when you wouldn’t have discovered his little plot if he hadn’t dragged you into the situation.

It made very little sense for such an otherwise intelligent young man to make such an obvious mistake. It was almost like he’d simply wanted you to be there for some unknown reason.

And now you’d reached this odd relationship with Jamil, filled with snide remarks and the determination to one-up each other.

If you had to put a name on your dynamic with Scarabia’s vice-housewarden, then ‘frenemies’ would be the closest thing to accuracy that you could think of. Because you didn’t hate Jamil, but you certainly did bicker with him enough for the two of you to easily be categorized as foes. 

And it went both ways. You weren’t the only one who held irritation towards the other one.

Jamil hadn’t backed down in the slightest when it came to your interactions. And at this point, the relationship had swelled out of control.

And it had all started so simply too. Shortly after winter break had ended, you’d been paired to work with Jamil in a magical application test that involved defense and attack from the pair opposite you. Namely, Ruggie and Azul.

You didn’t think you’d ever forget the smug look Jamil had cast your way, “Don’t worry. Everything will go smoothly.”

Smoothly, the assuredly attractive fool had said. Perhaps it would have gone smoothly if he and Grim had both listened a bit more to your suggestions.

A tiny part of you regretted that you’d snapped at him as you shoved your soaked hair out of your face. It wasn’t truly his fault.

 Grim had been underfoot when he’d panicked and had definitely worsened the situation, causing Jamil to stumble over the yowling feline and pitched directly over into you.

You’d both landed hard on the ground, turned muddy by Azul’s torrent of water magic, and you’d looked at the young man sprawled across your lap with a huff of not entirely fair venom, “Smoothly, huh?”

Those words had been like a nail in the coffin that had been the potentially budding friendship between you and Jamil. Since then, all of your interactions had been almost exclusively filled with biting comments and impressive levels of snarkiness.

It was true that it wasn’t an entirely irrevocable situation. After all, Jamil had protected you during Vil’s overblot, and you’d saved him from bugs countless times now without ever having made a single comment on his fear.

But it was also true that there was little to no love lost between you and the Scarabia vice-housewarden.

Which was why you were surprised when it had been Jamil who had darted so quickly with such a panicked expression across the potionology classroom solely to put up a barrier between you and a potion that had gone explosively wrong in your pot.

You’d been tugged impossibly close to the young man as he made some form of magical shield that blocked both the explosion and the gooey liquid that steamed on its surface before sliding down into a gruesome pile on the floor.

As always, Crewel reacted in record time as he caused the offensive mass to simply disappear before whirling on your fellow potion-maker, demanding to know what had happened since it apparently had to be something to do with the flow of his magic.

You stepped backwards, exhaling a breath you didn’t know you’d been holding before looking up at the young man who was watching your classmate get chewed out by your shared teacher, “Thank you.”

Your voice came out surprisingly quiet and was met with a half shrug and a noncommittal, “Don’t mention it.” The young man glanced over, giving your person a quick scan that you’d seen him give Kalim numerous times when he was checking for injuries.

“Viper,” Crewel’s voice was sharp as ever and had both your and Jamil’s attention snapping over to him.

The teacher sighed, brushing his two-toned hair back as he eyed the young man next to you, “Good work. If you hadn’t reacted quite so quickly, I fear Y/n may have suffered great injury.”

Jamil inclined his head, having stiffened slightly as soon as the classroom’s attention had fallen on him.

“If you would, walk them to the infirmary, they will still need a check-up simply for safety reasons. Inhaling the fumes could cause them to pass out so…”

There was no need for Crewel to finish since Jamil was already nodding, efficient as ever as he grabbed your hand and agreed to do as requested, “Of course.”

A single glance was thrown your way before he pulled you along after him, out the door and down the hall, with him leading the way.

His grip was tight, you noticed, as you let him tug you along in silence as what had just occurred slowly settled in your mind. Perhaps Ace was right and you were danger-prone…. But then you really felt like the exploding potion would count more as bad luck. It wasn’t like you’d caused it after all.

“If you start to feel dizzy, let me know,” Jamil’s words snapped you out of our silent reverie, causing you to look towards him with slight surprise.

His words made sense, but…. Well, Jamil was seldom quite so gentle. Especially not with you.

“I… Yeah,” You faltered slightly, not sure of what to say to him. To be honest, you wanted to thank him again, but you also didn’t want to start parroting the exact same words. 

Past that, your mind was a garbled mess of slowly fading shock and confusion as to Jamil’s actions. 

It wasn’t really that odd that Jamil had stepped in to protect you. It wasn’t like he was so horrible or that the relationship between you two had become so vitriolic that he would wish you harm. It was odd that he’d looked so desperate when he’d run across the room, though.

And you wouldn’t have even known that was the case if his cauldron hadn’t been right in your line of sight when the explosion had happened.

You felt yourself get pulled to a stop and glanced over to see the young man in question looking at you worriedly, “Y/n… Are you alright?”

You blinked, startled, before you realized that being zoned out right after having a potion whose fumes might cause you to pass out explode right in front of you probably was concerning.

“Oh, yeah… I guess I’m still just a little shocked from the potion’s explosion,” You frowned as you thought back to the potionology classroom once more, “Do you reckon my partner’s okay? Professor Crewel didn’t send him to get checked up….”

Jamil snorted at your soft words, giving your arm a tiny tug as he started leading you towards the infirmary once more, “I wouldn’t worry about him. You should worry more about yourself.”

He glanced back at you, a glint in his grey eyes, “You are the one who nearly got hurt after all, not them.”

It was a step back into his usual commentary. Snarking at you about your innate ability to get yourself into risky situations. After all was deemed well, he’d probably be scolding you just like he had right after Vil’s overblot.

He let out a sigh as you looked at where his hand was still gripping yours, pondering why he was still holding your hand since you were obviously perfectly capable of walking and still lucid.

“We’re here,” He gestured to the door that was coming up on your left side, a smooth smirk working its way onto his face. “Try not to get into any more trouble in there, hm?”

And there was the smug tone you knew. The one that reared its head only when you were around, and he wasn’t putting on his old act of subservience. Two things that coincided to an almost suspicious degree.

“Sure.” You chirped out your reply before holding up your hand that he still held clasped in his hand, “But why are you still holding my hand?”

His eyes widened at the sight of your hand in his, and you grinned in triumph. You’d been right. He’d totally forgotten he’d been holding your hand.

He dropped your hand like it was on fire before realizing how incriminating that was and leaning forward, “Can't have you getting me in trouble for not taking proper care of the patient.”

His words only made you grin more because while they would be a fine comeback from most people; they were sloppy coming from him. Which meant one glorious truth. He was flustered.

So you did what you did best and fired back, leaning closer to him so that you were a mere hair’s breadth away, “Don’t worry, I’ll tell Crewel you took wonderful care of me, Jamil.”

He made a face at you before stepping away, “Just take better care of yourself. I might not be there next time.”

He turned on his heel, walking away and leaving you standing there frowning to yourself thoughtfully. Because it was odd to have your rival be quite so concerned for your well-being. 

Wasn’t it?

[pivoineprune]

Spirit have a message

Choose a picture, they are not mine i downloaded from pinterest. Read only if you are draw to it.

Pile 1

Pile 2

Pile 3

Pile 1

You might need to take some distance you are too in your head overthinking and analyzing a situation already done. You think you can change the outcome or your faults, or even what happened. It happened, that's it, you don’t need to understand or « crack the code ». Do you have a god complex? What’s the point to try to make a list or the things that went wrong. It won’t make you feel lighter and won’t prevent any situation from repeating itself, it does not work like that. The only element who is changing and evoluate is you. Learn more about your needs and how to set boundaries. And you don’t need to be loud to do so. Shading your old skin can mean accepting who you are and stop feeling guilty to not be as loud or flamboyant as the others. Discover your « style » and stick to it, don’t be fake in order to please the crowd or what you think is cool. The ones that you wish to imitate run towards their own destruction, behind the curtain is not that pretty.

Pile 2

Somebody is trying to take shortcuts. This is a stern and serious warning for you to stop. The mushrooms, those motherfuckers, are not plants nor animals in biology they let a lot of scientists circumspect, cause they have their own category. What this card wants you to remember: even in the dark life finds a way to reappear. Your head is polluted with negative thoughts. Are you worried about the news or the state of earth? To a certain limit you are right, but being over informed won’t help, you would not be here reading this… A journalist is going to say A and another one the complete opposite. And you will be in the middle wondering where the truth is. If it is not about the actuality, maybe it is your worries. I’m asking you to keep hope, you will pass through it. (listen to soft play « do something »).

Try to find something even small that you like, i won’t ask you to laugh out loud, a small comforting thing is good enough. And by the way, enough with tik tok, small but not poisonous!

Pile 3

You are carrying extra baggage because of difficulties you have experienced before. You are like a lily growing from muddy waters. What happened before makes you rock bottom multiple times. So you need to take care of yourself, I don’t want to say trauma, but it looks like it, and it prohibits you from living and blooming. You are hiding yourself in the dark, I don't why you enjoy that! Even the bat recognizes the need for companionship and solidarity. You’ve been hurt and developed a mechanism which is no longer needed and efficient, find a new one. Get out from this muddy water, and get some light, winter is over and we are in the seasons of the light.

You are going to receive a proposition to do something new, say yes. You’ll be nervous but go, you will like it even if you won’t admit it. Be brave.

Thank you for reading my pick a card. Good night good day.

[spiritlessatlas]

Was it you??

(Eric Northman x Reader Fanfic will list the song at the end I was listening to when writing)

The sun has just set and You just walked into a local bar. You've heard good things about it. You see a pool table off to one side and a seating area in the opposite direction. You go and sit at an empty table waiting for someone to come serve you. You look over the menu and as you do so a woman comes up and greets you,

"Hi, welcome to Merlott's! My name is Sookie and I'm your waitress for the night. What can I get started for you today?"

You look around the menu before ordering a cheeseburger, fries and a 24oz cold beer to wash it down. Sookie nods writing it down and walking to the back to put the ticket up. You look around feeling the vibe the bar and grill was giving off. You figured this was a good place to eventually settle down for the year before heading to the big city of New Orleans.

As Sookie comes back with your food and beer you thank her. As she is walks away, you think to yourself how is a girl like her is stuck in a small town like this working as a waitress. She could be downtown New Orleans working in a club making some better cash. As you think that she shoots back a nasty look at you and walks off into the kitchen. You brush it off as I didn’t say thank you well enough. You finish your meal and order a few more beers staying there for a total of an hour and a half. As you go to pay Arlene greets you at the register finishing off the tab for the night.

As you head to your small town home in the middle of town you can’t stop thinking of her. That pretty blonde hair that stunning face of hers. Oh what was her name again? Snooki? sooker? No no! It was Sookie! You get home and regret not getting her number. But you you get settled in for the night after your nightly routine. As you drift off to sleep she’s the last thing on your mind before going into a good slumber. But soon you wake in the middle if the night as you feel eyes on you in the direction of the window in your room. You sit up but nothing is there, you brush it off but since you are awake you might as well get up go to the bathroom and get a glass of water. As you get done in the bathroom you hear something shuffling down the hall to your room in the back of the apartment. You stay quiet to hear if the shuffling stops, and it does except it’s outside the bathroom door. You’re terrified of what’s waiting on the other side. As you’re waiting it feels like an eternity before things start moving at a normal rate again.

You think it’s just your imagination so you begin to open the door if the bathroom you see 2 muddy footprints in front of the entry way leading from the hallway. You immediately go to the room 2 steps away close the door and lock it. You soon scrambled for the lamp next to your bed to call the police.

“Hi 911 what’s your emergency?”

“Hi my name is Y/N and I live near the apartments on main, 185 north main, someone broke in and I’m not sure if they have left yet. I live alone currently I need an officer here soon please.”

“ Yes of course Y/N. We’ll have a team out right away.”

You hang up and wait hiding in your room. You soon hear a knock on your door with someone shouting “911 open up!” You run to the door as carefully as possible and open the door. You explain the situation and they take a look. They document the foot prints and the open windows in the living room, as well as swab for finger prints on the window. You thank them for their time. As you are now fully awake you decide to grab a bite to eat from the kitchen, as you're walking to the kitchen you catch a glance of what seems to be a tall pale figure standing by the window you scream fumbling for your phone. As you take a look down to dial 911 you look up to find the guy not standing there anymore.

You try to tell yourself that it was a mistake and you're just seeing stuff because you just got scared from a dead sleep.

"Get yourself together Y/N.. it's only because you're scared.. You're seeing what your brain is tricking you into seeing.."

You finally get settled down enough to eat and get to bed only after checking each window and doors to triple check you locked them. As you crawl into bed you have so many questions.. who was that guy outside your window? Why was he there? Why me? This was so bizarre but oh well.. your eyes get heavy and finally get some rest. Next morning you wake up and start your morning routine as you do so you head to the kitchen for a cup of coffee and some breakfast. As you pass the door you notice a paper that has been slid underneath that read: "Y/N, Meet me at Fangtasia right after sundown TONIGHT. I'll explain everything."

You wonder who it could be.. Couldn't have been the girl you met at the bar. You barely knew her. Could it have been the guy outside my window? But even so how did he know your name? But you carry on with your day but with that note burning heavy in the back of your mind. As the day carried on you went to Merlott's for a quick bite to eat and as you sit down Sookie is working again tonight. But right now you don't have time to chat with her. You kept to yourself, thinking that you should really drive to Shreveport. But what bout work would I afford to possibly miss work in the morning if I stay out too late. You shake it off and try to decide on what to eat. As Sookie comes over to deliver your drink she tells you "Don't go.. you'll regret it."

"E-Excuse me??" You asked, confused about what she just said.

"Don't go.. to Fangtasia I mean. It's dangerous." She looks around and whispers just loud enough for you to hear "That's where the vampires are y'know."

You think to yourself, 'D-Did she know what I was thinking about? It doesn't matter.. I'm probably just freaking myself out..'

She sits down quickly sighing. "Look.. you don't have to believe me but don't go.. I know this is the second time we've only met but Fangtasia is dangerous. And yes I can hear your mind.. it's my.. ability as Gran calls it."

"I- Well I need answers as to why some guy is stalking me and left me a message meeting them there tonight." You said explaining everything to her after hesitantly questioning if you should trust her. You finally get the courage to head out there and arrive right after sundown to Fangtasia expecting something quiet bar, but it's far from it. You walk in and things are not as they seem, there's dancers, people kissing at the tables, drinking blood from each other. You notice a guy sitting on a king's chair up on a small stage watching, observing, looking... Hungry.. You also realize the one up there is the guy outside your window. He's the one that was stalking you. You turn to leave but as soon as you turn he's standing there looking down upon you.

"Hello Y/N, it's a pleasure finally meeting a new face in this small town. Please follow me this way we have some talking to do." He smiles down at you showing his fangs.

You think about it but before you can you're already being led to the back to his office. As you are walking you're thinking to yourself 'This is going to be a long night.'

And with that it is to be continued.. Maybe 😏

[readingtostaysane]

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch - Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)

Prophet song presents a dystopian Ireland, where the government turns into tyranny and the police force is allowed to abuse their power in violent ways on their citizens. 

We see our main character Eilish, mother of four, wife to a husband, daughter to a sick father, navigate the struggles that come with her homeland falling apart. Torn about leaving the home she’s always known or stay and wait for this “thing” as she calls it to pass, the reader can clearly see the love of a mother trying her hardest to keep her family from falling apart.

“This feeling now that something has come into the house, she wants to put the baby down, she wants to stand and think, seeing how it stood with the two men and came into the hallway of its own accord, something formless yet felt.”

The book opens with two men interrogating Eilish about her husband’s behavior. This creates an uneasy feeling on the reader and it sets the tone for the rest of the novel. We are made to distrust these men right away and the author makes it clear that something will be changing very quickly, very soon.

“your behaviour looks like the conduct of someone inciting hatred against the state, someone sowing discord and unrest”

When Larry, our main character’s husband is taken for interrogation the police make it clear that they think his behavior is against the state. We later find out that the behavior he is being accused of is protesting for better work conditions.

“the teachers in this country have a right to negotiate for better conditions and to engage in peaceful industrial action which has nothing to do with this so-called crisis facing the state”

Lynch has drawn clear lines in which themes we’ll be discussing throughout the novel. It is never mentioned again why the war began, but it is clear that the reader should remember that all of what’s to happen started because they wanted to prohibit the right to protest.

“if you change ownership of the institutions then you can change ownership of the facts, you can alter the structure of belief, what is agreed upon, that is what they are doing, Eilish, it is really quite simple, the NAP is trying to change what you and I call reality, they want to muddy it like water, if you say one thing is another thing and you say it enough times, then it must be so, and if you keep saying it over and over people accept it as true”

This book does great social commentary in how far the government can shape people’s way of thinking, in other words how propaganda works. They can control the information that gets in the country and distort the truth so that the population doesn’t rebel against them. If someone speaks against the government or questions their actions they get taken away and are imprisoned. It is almost like fate that a book with these themes is released in 2023. 

“Another decree is announced on the news, the listening to or reading of any foreign media has been prohibited, news channels from abroad will be blocked and an internet blackout starts from today.”

This book discusses propaganda in a very straightforward way and it’s written as a conduct to make the reader think about how and why it works, both in the novel and in the real world. We see a constant push and pull from the government and its citizens about real news, trying to discern what’s real or not while the government does the most to block all information.

“what is the world to a child when a father without word can be made to disappear?”

When Larry gets taken away we see Eilish trying to balance her children’s emotions with what is happening with their lives while also balancing what she herself thinks about the situation. 

Throughout this part of the novel we see her in denial when talking to her children, insisting that their father will return. The reader knows he won’t, the children know he won’t, but Eilish wants to keep this sense of normalcy in a world that is falling apart. 

I found very interesting that the author establishes that Larry and Eilish recently had a son, a newborn. When the war erupts he’s no more than two years old. This shows how quickly a scenario can change, the country had been stable enough for them to have a fourth child, until it wasn’t. Now a husband and a father has gone missing and Eilish is left alone with a newborn in her arms and three teenagers to take care of.

“sometimes not doing something is the best way to get what you want, sometimes you have to be quiet and keep your head down, sometimes when you get up in the morning you should spend more time choosing your colours.”

“I no longer have my freedom, you need to understand, there is no freedom to think or to do or to be when we give in to them, I cannot live my life like that, the only freedom left to me is to fight.”

In prophet song there are two main ideas that are discussed: running away or stay. Eilish and her children do not agree with running away, however they are still at odds. Eilish believes they should keep their heads low, her children think they should fight. The narrative clearly demonstrates the pros and cons of both sides and also deals with the battle of motherhood in wanting to keep the children safe in a place that tries its best to not let that happen.

conclusion: the book does what it was set to do. It paints a heartbreaking image of a family going through a tyrant regime that results in war and seeing them facing the consequences in real time. We see them struggling with making the tough decision of leaving the country. We see a mother’s struggle when the children she adores so much want to fight while she wants to keep them away from the conflict. The novel explores current themes about how people perceive conflict and it makes sense that it won the booker prize in the year of 2023.

[mantisgodsaus]

@niko-jpeg We are putting this in a reblog so that we don't end up grappling with Tumblr's reply system (tragic fate, we know).

So, funny story about the Mothiva Thing - you actually just hit on the subject of a fun little whump fic we finished a while ago! That particular fic's pending until the specific person who we asked to do the cover finishes it (it's been in progress since December) but! Holding a selkie's pelt allows you to control them, not only with the threat of death, but with the actual Effect of holding a semi-magical vital organ in your hand! With Mothiva specifically, the effect extends past actually physically holding it - that is to say, they don't need the threat of killing her to keep her in line, because she already has to keep in line.

Mothiva's pelt is not currently in her possession! Instead, it's held by her manager - she doesn't really get to see it beyond the bare minimum proximity to keep her reasonably healthy. She doesn't enjoy the situation, but she's resigned to it - it's all she's really known, and it's hard to imagine things being different. The public doesn't know she's a selkie, and her agency isn't particularly interested in letting them know.

Why assign them harp seals when there are so many seals to choose from? Mothiva and Leif's particular strain can land on pretty much any pinniped, and though Mothiva is shorter than Leif in moth form, if either of them had access to seal form she'd be about twice as long as him, because leopard seals are massive, murderous torpedos of death, and ribbon seals are Not That.

She's got the sort of... mildly murderous aura about her that comes from being a seal which eats Other Seals. Leif has not picked up on this once because like with many parasites, his sense of threat is kind of nuked. He really doesn't need to worry about predators. He's made of fungus. Predators are just bonus hosts waiting to happen.

Vi's Thing is, uhh... Well, listen, we've got 5k words currently penned down for that story, and it shows absolutely no signs of stopping soon. We'd love to hear your speculation, because it's likely to be months before that gets done. All we'll say is that she was running from something, and her exit from the hive was just a bit more stressful this time.

Kabbu is... listen, Vi's Whole Thing makes that thing more complicated than really needed, because without a skin the waters of selkie get a bit muddied. Leif doesn't even know he's a selkie until later, thanks to the massive range that being more than a century old grants him combined with the fact that his memories are a bit screwy. He blocked out any memories that might interfere with him acting like a normal moth - here, that just so happens to include all memories of being a selkie.

Kabbu is... less "left out" and more "unceasingly glad that he had the good fortune to not be a selkie". The pull to the sea, the craving for things that are overwhelmingly likely to kill him, the issues of having a pelt separate from his body that someone can steal and have full control of him... he has enough nightmares about having to return to the swamplands without that. A selkie can feel whatever happens to its pelt, and having your pelt slowly dissolve in someone's stomach is not a fun way to go.

He might feel left out on occasion, but between how Leif spent more than a year in less than perfect health thanks to being separated from his pelt and Vi's firsthand example of exactly what desperation and fear to do to a selkie, he has some very good reasons to not want that for himself.

If he were a selkie, he'd be some sort of leatherback sea turtle. Zasp'd be either a lionfish or some sort of moray eel.

Zasp is not a selkie, but he knows Mothiva is a selkie. The whole thing doesn't sit right with him, but she says it's normal, and he doesn't have another point of comparison - social bug hives need that rare mutation to trigger to turn out selkies at all, if the Queen or one of her drones wasn't already a selkie.

In terms of legislation, it is illegal to buy or sell selkie skins, but only in the Bee Kingdom. Elizant has never seen them as a big enough group to need protecting, the Termite Kingdom doesn't care, and the Wasp Kingdom is too isolated to have issues with it - besides the fact that they're almost entirely made of social wasps that only rarely produce a selkie, of course.

Queen Bianca has her own motivations for putting the law in place, but it's good PR and it's more protection than the other kingdoms offer, so she's got a higher population of selkies than anyone else, despite a few - if you'll pardon the term - skeletons in her closet.

New blog moment /pos

Hello! I am here to formally request you may or may not tell me more about this selkieverse. Is it an au where everyone is a selkie (or at least, some bugs are)? Do they just turn into aquatic like bugs instead of actual seals? If actual seals, do you have species picked out for the selkie characters yet? How does it work? Are they even selkies at all? Once more, you don't have to answer if its information you'd like to withold but as local marine biology (mostly seals and jellyfish though) nerd I must know if this may be an au that is like. Right up my alley.

Oh boy, we can answer questions! Technically, we've had this blog for a bit, we just... haven't been using it (we are afflicted with a chronic need to illustrate our worldbuilding and we just Haven't Been Drawing recently).

Not everyone is a selkie, but some bugs are - actual species varies! They're seals, or other assorted... vertebrates, mostly. "Selkie", here, is less referring specifically to seals and more referring to the general category of Bugs With Bonus Pelt. We've got actual species picked out for the selkie characters, but we do want to keep a few under wraps - of the few we can reveal, Leif is a ribbon seal, Mothiva is a leopard seal, Cenn is a yellow-bellied water snake, and Vi... well, her pelt was an ermine.

In terms of how it works - selkies are, more or less, bugs that come in two... pieces, or with two forms. It's genetic, though it can very much skip generations and occasionally appears to manifest from nowhere - generally, you have a few main strains of selkie in an area, maybe with a scattering of other species around. Seals are by far the most common around both Bugaria and The North, and the gene's most common in moths (as far as anyone knows), though it can appear in other species - and, as previously mentioned, sometimes you just get a kid who's a selkie without any previous selkie relatives.

A selkie's pelt isn't present upon hatching, but manifests later - generally either when they metamorphose, in the case of bugs like moths and butterflies, or during one of their first few instars on bugs who do That. It is, functionally, a part of them - a selkie cannot be separated from their pelt for too long, though they can wander farther from it with age and practice, and trying to keep away from it causes fun side effects (like organ failure, and feeling like you're being physically peeled out of your shell, and death).

The pelt itself is, as is typical with selkies, a pelt - seal, or snake, or ermine, or whatever else someone might be. Looks like you'd expect a seal pelt to be - although a selkie's pelt contains a few more bones. Generally, you've got a skull, spine, and ribcage, but it's not uncommon to have a few other bones - they shape the skin, more or less. As is standard, once the skin is donned, they gain the form of their pelt, but the selkie has some control over it - as well as some control over how the pelt moves.

The thing about selkie pelts is that, as they're a part of the selkie, they're functionally "alive" - an extension of the self, an extra limb. Technically, anyone can don a selkie pelt and take on the form of whatever creature they are, but it'll be... strange. Uncanny. They aren't the selkie, and this isn't their form - they're just wearing their skin. Unlike on the selkie themself, the bones aren't going to merge to them properly, they're just going to stick in there, wearing away at their shell until they eventually take it off. A pelt only retains its transformative properties while the selkie it belongs to is alive - once they bite it, it becomes just a piece of leather, though with selkie skin being the only real option as far as skins go, it's still pretty damn valuable dead.

If a selkie's pelt is destroyed, the selkie dies. Likewise, if a selkie dies, the pelt becomes inert. It's a bit like holding a vital organ in your hand - and if the selkie and the pelt are taken too far apart, the connection is severed and the selkie will die even if no damage is dealt to either them or their pelt.

As is standard for selkie mythology, having a selkie's pelt gives you some measure of control over them. Specific degree of control varies, largely based on the selkie - though all selkies can be commanded while you're actively holding their pelt, if they'll keep following that command once you've put it down is a whole 'nother ball park. If you had Leif's pelt in hand and told him to do something, he'd keep doing it even if you put that pelt down later, but if you tried the same with Vi (again, while she had it) she'd stop the second you put it down. With Mothiva, just possessing the pelt is enough - you don't need direct contact, you just need to have it. The effect's at least partially psychosomatic - while it's a direct compulsion with direct contact, anything past that is largely based on if the selkie thinks you should be able to tell them what to do.

The selkie form itself is fairly standard as creatures of its species go, albeit downsized for bug scale. They're around the size they'd normally be relative to a human, relative to an average bug (using an ant as your Standard Human works, here). A selkie is, functionally, both their bug species and their pelt species - behaviors in one form will affect the other, and vice versa. Generally, this'll manifest most noticeably in either tics or diet - a craving for raw fish, an odd sense of territorialism, an impulse to drag dead things to your dumb, bad-at-hunting teammate. It does, however, vary - and a good chunk of selkies do try to keep the fact that they're selkies hidden, especially if they might have reason to fear a stolen pelt.

...this is a whole lot of rambling on Selkie Magic Mechanics and not a whole lot of marine biology, uhh. Hope this helps sketch out the general mechanics for ya! We're always glad to talk about Cool AUs!

[quickiesgirl]

Cannabis and Cuddles - Eddie Munson

Paring: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

Warning: Drug Use (Specifically Marijuana), and Sexual Situations.

A/n: Please beware my fluff is super rusty right now, hopefully, it's okay!

Hawkins was hit with their yearly June storms. The afternoon was dark and gloomy, and the rain poured like rapid-fire as thunder rumbled in the distance. You always loved these days when you could curl up with Eddie and listen to the soothing sound of the water hitting the windows. That was exactly what the two of you were going to do. 

You were heading to his trailer to hang out. Luckily you lived right across from him in the Forest Hills Trailer Park. 

Eddie Munson was the “Freak” of Hawkins High, leader of the Hellfire Club, and your wonderful stoner boyfriend. The two of you grew up together in the trailer park and stuck by each other through thick and thin. When you hit your teenage years was when your relationship started to develop into something more. You were completely smitten by the metal head, and on the night of your first date, he finally admitted how long he had a crush on you and how much he loved you. 

You pulled out an old bright yellow raincoat you found hanging in your closet and quickly threw it on. It was a little tight on you, probably because you hadn't worn it since you were 15. 

You walked over to your front door and opened it widely, staring out at the pouring rain, listening to the sound of the building droplets splashing on the flooding roads. You pulled the hood of your raincoat over your head before sprinting across the street, straight to Eddie's trailer. 

You hurried up the stairs and hid under the little roof that covered you from the rain. 

You slid the wet rubber raincoat off your body and laid it over the porch railing as you slipped off your muddy pair of converse shoes outside before stepping into the Munson’s trailer that was basically your second home. 

A warmth overcame you from the small space heater that was on. You looked around the living room before feeling a pair of arms snake around your torso and hold you close. 

 You smiled, recognizing the comforting scent of your lover. His chest pressed against your back, and his arms tightened around you as his hands held your hips. “Guess who?” 

“Mmhm… Is it the sexist, most handsome metalhead in the world?” 

“That’s right, princess.” Eddie said with a happy little grin across his face as he buried his head into the crevice of your neck and explored with sweet, little kisses, “You really think that way of me?” 

“Of course I do, Ed’s.” 

A smile curled upon your lips as you held his arms, warming up from his body against you. 

“I missed you,” Eddie murmured, gently kissing behind your ear. 

You twirled yourself around in his arms and draped your arms around the back of his neck, running your fingers through his long fluffy, dark brown hair. 

“I missed you too, Ed’s.” You leaned in slowly, eyes fluttering shut as you captured those curvy, plump lips for a tender kiss that stole your breath away. 

You slowly detached your lips from his and looked up, admiring those dark brown eyes that you could get lost in. His arms held you in a comforting embrace as he gazed right back, noticing the slight exhaustion in your eyes. “You okay, sweetheart?” 

“I’m okay, just a little tired… I was up all night finishing a report.” 

Eddie frowned, despising how much you put school before your own sake.

 “Why didn't you come over? I would have tried to help.”

“Because your lights were off, and I didn’t want to wake you up.” 

He looked into your y/e/c eyes and slowly pushed a strand of hair behind your ear, “How about you relax. I’ll roll up a joint, and we can watch your favorite movie?” 

“Yeah, that sounds nice.” You nodded before Eddie led you over to the couch to get comfy.  

 “Here you go, m’lady. I’ll be right back!” He said, giving you the cleanest blanket he could find so you could warm up while he disappeared into his room. It took a few minutes, but he eventually walked back into the living room, holding his metal lunch box and your favorite movie. 

Eddie popped the VHS in and came over, sitting beside you as he opened the lunch box that he always carried on him. He pulled out a bag of weed and some rolling paper as the movie began, giving both of you background noise along with the rain. 

You watched as Eddie licked the wrap wide open with a swipe before filling it. You scooted closer to his side, subtly moving your bent legs closer to his. He smiled to himself. Finding it cute how badly you wanted to cuddle with him. 

“Come here, sweetheart.” He sat back against the couch and patted his legs, allowing you to rest your thighs on his lap as he positioned his elbows on top of them and gave a little smirk.

You glazed at him for a few moments before glancing at the large window beside the two of you that had rain pouring down the glass. “It's really raining out there,” 

Eddie passed you the freshly lit joint, and you took it between your thumb and pointer finger, taking in an almost impressive amount of smoke, feeling it swell in your chest.

You caught a glimpse of Eddie eyeing you and gazing at your lips that wrapped around the joint. The sight of you smoking was always a massive turn-on for him.

You blew the smoke out and watched it float into the air.

 “Y-you remember a few years back when we put on our bathing suits and ran out in the rain.” 

You lightly gasped as the memories flooded back to you, “Oh my god, how could I forget!” 

“And remember we pissed off that old man next door.” He grinned almost proudly, knowing how much he hated that douchebag. 

“Yeah, old man herbs came out and yelled at us to be quiet.”  

The two of you laughed your asses off from the memory and chilled out on the couch, continuously passing the rolled cannabis cigarette back and forth.

You gave the joint back to your boyfriend, watching him take an inhale of smoke and hold it in deeply before blowing it out. The tips of fingers slowly grazed across the soft skin of your thigh as you curled into his shoulder. 

“You know, babe, that was the year you… developed.”

You twisted your body and furrowed your brows questionably, “How do you know that?”

“Because that was the first time I’d seen your body in a while and… After that day, I was a changed man.”Eddie gently squeezed your thigh as he spoke, “I'm surprised you never caught me staring, you were so beautiful.”

You couldn't help but giggle as smoke exited your mouth. Maybe it was the weed making you all giggly, but that was the cutest thing you’ve heard. You could feel your cheeks burning up while you leaned in and gave Eddie's lips a little kiss, “Your so fucking cute, Munson.” 

Eddie grinned, wrapping his arm around your shoulder, pulling you into his chest for a warm embrace as the two of you watched the movie. 

Your eyes fluttered shut, taking in the adorable moment. You felt so comfortable and safe, cuddled in Eddie's tender arms. It was everything you needed. But, before you knew it, you drifted to sleep on his shoulder. 

Eddie handed the joint and looked away from the television at you, realizing you had fallen asleep on his arm. His cheeks dimpled as he watched you sleep so peacefully, listening to the thunder crashing and rain falling hard against the roof. 

 He wasn't going to make his baby walk home in that, so he slowly sat up and picked you up, bridal style, from the couch into his chest. He carried you to his bedroom and shut the door behind him with the back of his foot to give the two of you some privacy for when his uncle comes back home in the morning. 

You woke up as he gently laid you down on his mattress. His bed has always been missing a bottom sheet and coated in questionable stains. Most of them were there because of split bong water, but the others were from the nights slept between you and Eddie.

 “Thank you,” You tell him quietly, making a smile spread across Eddie's face. “Of course, princess. I’ll take care of you tonight.” 

He glanced down at the jeans that you had on and grabbed onto the rough fabric of the waistband. 

“May I?” Eddie whispered, not wanting you to sleep in an uncomfortable pair of jeans all night. You nodded and watched him from below as he undid the button of your jeans and slid them off for you. 

You sluggishly slipped your legs under his comforter as he pulled it up your body, giving you a little smile and tucking your hips in. Ever since the two of you were little, Eddie’s loved taking you whenever you were sick or having a difficult time. He was there to keep you company and look after you no matter what. It was his instinct when it came to you because he loved you so much.  

He sat on the side of the bed beside you and pulled his jeans off, tossing them to the floor, leaving him only in his hellfire baseball tee and boxers. While he was doing that, you pulled your shirt over your head to expose your naked chest to Eddie's sight. 

“W-what are you doing, babe?” He gulped, immediately feeling like a teenage boy as he stared at your breasts that were slightly covered by his bedsheets, outlining them perfectly. 

“I only sleep with my panties on… Is that okay, Eddie?” You asked with a slight smirk, watching those brown eyes widen lustfully as his adam's apple bobbed in his throat and nodded quickly. 

“Yeah, that's totally cool with me, you know, I love seeing you naked.” He crawled into bed with you before stopping as he realized what he'd just blurted out, “Not to sound like a perv or anything.” 

“Eddie, it's fine.” You grinned, scooting into his side, feeling him wrap an arm around you, “I love cuddling you naked.” 

A smile curled on Eddie’s lips as he felt you rest your head against his chest, skin caressing him as he held you so tenderly, listening to the soothing sound of your lover's heartbeat and the large drops of rain that were tapping away at his bedroom window.

-

Taglist: @de4ds0up @raincoffeeandfandoms @writinginpeace @sunflowerharrington @spider-starry @josephines-simps-fics

Message if you want to be added or removed.

[whumpwillow]

Same anon from here:

I think FW would cautiously ask, "What're you talking about?"

Whumperee doesn't know what going on. They're convinced FW is in on the situation. They're convinced this is caretaker's doing. They start spilling, telling FW everything caretaker has done to them. It humiliating and horrible. Their face burns with shame. It's horrible. This is caretaker's worst torture yet.

"Last month, caretaker smashed my hand because I smashed yours a few years ago."

It's humiliating, but it's also taking them back. They hate it. They're forced to remember everything. The pain. The screaming. Their tears. Caretaker punishing them when they cry because they're not allowed to feel pain. This isn't punishment. This is simply reimbursement.

They don't realize they're shaking and sobbing until they noticed the chains that hold them are rattling. FW hasn't moved yet. That's when whumperee notices the look on their face. It's not contempt. Or disgust. It's just... sorrow.

OH YEAHHHHHH this is my jam. please send more of this i am LIVIGN for this dynamic

i love the idea that whumperee thinks this is some new form of punishment, forced to recount all that had happened to them as a way of digging into the memories they don't want to remember and exposing all their shameful feelings as a way to humiliate themselves in front of FW

whumperee reveals everything that happened to them in sporadic bursts, slow and then fast. they can't speak, their tongue feels heavy and their mouth stuffed with cotton, the memories are swirling around after being dredged to the surface like stirring up a lake and all the silt comes up to muddy the waters. whumperee knows they have to do this though, or suffer a worse punishment, so they speed up, telling things as fast as they can just so they can get the words out before they stutter again, falling back into a breathless reverie

FW stands there motionless, watching, listening, a growing horror sinking into the pit of their stomach

whumperee recounts all of what has been to them--they were given all the same punishments they inflicted on FW, given the same scars in the same places, and then caretaker had moved on to worse things considered penance

whumperee doesn't notice the tears falling from their eyes and dripping down their cheeks, they are too lost in the memories and the flashbacks. they don't notice theyre shaking until the rattling of the chains "wakes them up" and they see FW's expression is not the smug satisfaction or bitter anger they expected

FW thins their lips into a line, unsure how to proceed, before they lower themselves onto one knee

whumperee cries for FW not to stoop down to their level, but whether the sentiment is genuine or borne out of fear of more punishment, FW doesn't know

FW inspects whumperee's wounds--their bloodstained face, the scars, the scratches, the burns and the brands and the bruises

whumperee waits, holding their breath, bracing for a hit

[husbandohunter]

Boys over flowers [Genshin Impact/Various x Reader] Part 2

Not everything had to be about fighting. Ahem Childe.

Genre: fluff, angst(?)

Characters: Zhongli, Childe, Albedo, Xiao

{Zhongli}

Out of all the bountiful possessions in the land he carved with his very own hands, the glaze lily had always been his favourite.

This flower was a nostalgia stained with time. As much as he loved them, the love he felt was more of a bittersweet sadness if anything. The loss of a friend, his mentor, someone he cherished so deeply, all of it was held into a single glaze lily.

Once as Morax, now as ordinary Zhongli, in those 6000 years he had seen it all. Even his grief for Guizhong faded into a memory.

Sometimes Zhongli felt like he was reading from a story book. Detatched while staring through an omniscient standpoint. It seems that his infinite years brought both experience and lonliness along the way.

"Zhongli? What are you staring at?"

But not when he was with you.

The glaze lily went on many journeys when he met you

He remembers the first encounter on a sunset night just as the petals  were about to bloom. You were there, crouched down, staring into his golden eyes.

“This is for you! Not many can be fully matured like this so make sure to take good care of it,” You held it out to him and he takes the stem out of your hold.

“A parting gift, I appreciate your thoughtfulness,” Zhongli sees it as a sign of a new contract, “It seems you possess a good eye when you were selecting them.”

He remembers the bouquet you presented during his birthday, the garland you placed on his head when he was reading, the vase by his desk always filled to the brim whenever you’d pay a visit to his parlour.

He remembers how the blue petals scattered across the floor the day you two married, everywhere he went so did this flower. Everytime he saw this flower, he thought of you.

Was it okay to feel like this? No one can ever replace Guizhong, was it okay to love again even when this being was much more perishable than she was? Zhongli was use to the experience of tragedy and loss as it was part of life.

Ah, so this must be what it feels like to live like a mortal.

To cherish every passing moment knowing that it won’t last forever. He will embrace it to the end. 

Old memories that were once dust rose from the soil, now reborn into a new beginning. Your curious gaze leans closer to his profile, sitting side-by-side under the blankets of your shared bed, the corners of his lips lift into a small smile.

“I’m only reminiscing, my dear. You don’t need to worry for me.” He kisses your forehead and tucked you to bed. The candle now blown out as his arms wrapped around your waist while spooning from behind.

Zhongli closed his eyes, knowing if he dreamt of a garden full of glaze lilies, there will be no sadness behind it.

{Childe}

Mother fucker would try to turn this into a sparring session.

This is why you NEVER invite Childe. If the valley were the air nomads, Childe was the fire nation. He’d stomp his muddy shoes in front of you just to get your attention simply because he knows it will piss you off.

An angry s/o means a potential fight. Win win situation.

Thus, no one blamed you for giving him a cold shoulder after that.

“Aha, looks like I went a little too far, didn’t I? Alright alright, I’ll stop trampling on your flowers from now on, you have my word. So talk to me, okay? Please?”

Alas you spare him a glance, “Make that a pinky promise.”

He didn’t know you were so serious about gardening. The Feiyun commerce guild took greate pride in cultivating the finest silk flowers in all of Teyvat and you being from that guild held up that legacy. Even if Childe tries to buy back the ones he stepped on, nothing could match the quality of your work.

Needless to say, your little hobby became a normal thing, Childe was very chaotic in nature so something more calm was nice to mediate that attitude. You taught him how to water plants, place the fertilizer and knowing which ones to pick.

But let’s be real, florist Childe isn’t that far-fetched because he is 10/10 waifu material.

Then Teucer comes in and tags along. He wanted to take some silk flowers back to Tonia until Childe informed him they’ll wilt on their way to Snezhnaya. 

“Aww, that’s too bad,” he would say while pouting, “Then I’ll give them to you big sister (Y/n)!”

“How sweet, you’ll be quite the charmer when you’re all grown up, Teucer. Maybe even better than your big brother.”

“Come on now, babe. You know that’s impossible.”

You twirled the silk flower right under your nose, the playful tone never leaving your voice, “Oh really? You and Teucer both share the same genes so yes, it is a possibility.”

An amusing glint dances in the ocean of his gaze as he gleefully remarks, “Well if you put it that way, I think Teucer would be at a very big disadvantage.”

“What do you-”

Before you could finish, Childe covers Teucer’s eyes and leans over to steal a sinful kiss, sliding his tongue inside. He purposely brushed his lips over yours after parting, completely satisfied by your flustered expression.

I love this bastard

{Xiao}

Hip hip hooray for having both Qiqi and Xiao in your party. Must be fun collecting their ascension materials.

“Adeptus Xiao!”

Your dumbass fell off the high cliff while obtaining the violet grass, Xiao yeets in from nowhere and caught you from death’s clutches.

Shall I mention that this had happened TWICE already?

Xiao carries you to safety and gently settles you down to your feet. He shot you the sharpest and most deadpan look he could muster because actions speak louder that words, he was trying to make a point.

You gave him a weary smile as the violetgrass batch limps in your hands along with the qingxins.

“I can hardly fathom how utterly stupid and moronic you can actually be. What did you think would happen when you tried to pull off that stunt? That you’d suddenly grow wings and be able to fly?”

His harsh words put you back into your place like a scolded child, “I’m sorry...I just wanted to help...”

Mah man does not watch what he says and always end up guilty. Your kicked puppy look is really going to be the death of him. He means well, just harsh when it comes to your well-being.

“Fine, give me those. I’ll take care of it.” He wouldn’t allow you to retort, he just took them from your hands and left without a word.

Let’s just say that Xiao isn’t the best when it comes to handling flowers as he would handle monesters, his touch isn’t the most delicate either and would prefer to get the job done fast. 

Sometimes he’d pull the roots our along with it, dirt and mud dripping from the bottom of the stem. Or the opposite. He pulls too hard and the stem just SNAPS and you’re left with just the blossom. 

“Does it matter? They’re only ingredients as you’ve said.”

That gave you a perfect excuse to teach him the ways of gardening and just be more delicate overall. 

At first he didn’t understand why humans were so meticulous about these things but when he saw a man present a bouquet to his wife, Xiao began to reconsider his methods. He doesn’t undersand mortal traditions as much and sticks to something simple and classy.

Don’t be surprised when you find a bunch on your desk for your birthday <3

{Albedo}

The sheer cold of dragon spine could naturally kill any botanical organisms aside from mints. The only flowers Albedo usually sees are the ones he artificially makes.

But being the genius he was, Albedo knew every variety of flowers to exist in the book. In this case, HE was the expert.

To him, the flower was the symbol of life. Albedo only knew the scientific facts of plant life and their natural functions, you on the otherhand were more familiar with the flower languages in a deeper meaning.

Today was a rare day where Albedo figured he’d step out of that freezing lab and conduct his research somewhere warmer, specifically Windrise where it’s quiet and away from the city.

“Dandelions may not be flowers but thei’re the main specialty of Mondstadt carrying the meaning of ‘freedom’! That’s probably how the Acting Grandmaster got her title.”

“Freedom...” He ponders, “I guess you cold say that.”

Albedo can’t understand why people would choose to associate meaning with plants. Where do their ideas come from? And why? Frankly, he can’t see the point in any of it. 

But at the same time, it made him happy to see you so enthusiastic about his research even if it wasn’t quite near the target. Albedo had always been so engrossed in his work and you’d just silently keep him company of the side, not many times where you both fot to nerd out on the same topic.

Emotions were still a mystery to him. It seems that even upon the most boring subjects, they don’t seem boring anymore when talking to his significant other. Soon enough, Albedo found himself putting his research aside and just listening to you talk. 

“And the Rose expresses romance and love. It’s common for lovers to give it to another during Valentines day.”

He hums cheekily, “Are you telling me that just to hint me to give one to you?”

“W-Well, I didn’t say that.”

He got nothing done. Perhaps his research can wait for another day, right now, he was more curious on what other meanings can a flower hold.

[cevansfics]

Date Night

Pairing: Chris Evans x Reader

Summary: Date night with Chris.

Word count: 1.9k+

Warnings: none (i think) just fluff

A/N: if anyone wants to be added to my tag list, let me know :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You haven't seen each other properly in over a week or so, so when Chris told you to keep your Friday night free because he was going to pick you up at 6 and take you out for a date night, you were over the moon. Things had been busy for the both of you, even more so for Chris. He'd just got done wrapping up the last Avengers film. With Infinity War and Endgame being filmed back to back, he seemed to be away for a longer. Of course, the most ideal situation would be that he wouldn't have to travel so far for work. That you'd be able to wake up every morning, next to him, wrapped up in his arms so warm like he was your very own personal human radiator. That being said, one of the many things you loved about him was how much he loved his job. And rightly so, he was good at it. Obviously, it helped to know you could call, text and Skype with each other when you had the time. So you managed to make the long-distance thing work.

Friday had quickly come around, and you were all giddy. Anyone would have thought it was your first date with him. It wasn't though, in fact, you two had been together nearly a year and a half. You were just really excited to see him properly. To be about to touch him, hug him and do all the things you wanted to that you couldn't do through a computer screen. All-day seemed to drag. You had the day off from work and had a few things to do at home. Once they were done, you just seem to shuffle around your apartment, constantly checking the time and counting down the minutes until you were going to start getting ready. That's when your phone rang, it was Chris, quickly you answered it.

"Hey, baby," You said once the phone was pressed against your ear.

"Hey," there was a little pause before he continued, and you could have sworn you heard him sigh briefly. "I have some bad news, baby."

"Oh?" Asking curiously.

"The meeting I'm in is gonna last longer than it was supposed to. I don't think we are gonna be done in time for me to get changed and pick you up at 6."

"O-okay," you try to reply confidently, hiding the disappointment in your voice. You knew you had failed, so you quickly carry on talking. "Okay, we will just have to reschedule for another time."

"No, I'm not phoning to cancel, babe, just to make a change of plans."

"Oh?"

"Well, if I am honest, I'm not sure I'm gonna be up for going out, and I just want to spend some quality time with you. So I was thinking maybe instead of going out, I could cook you dinner at mine instead?"

"You? You're going to cook?"

"Hey! I can cook!" he genuinely sounds shocked.

"Oh baby, you and I both know you can only cook 3 different things," you tease.

"Yes, okay, I'll give you that, but I happen to know one of those things is your favourite."

You chuckle, knowing damn well he is right.

"So what do you say would you be up for that instead?"

"Of course, baby. Just promise you won't give me food poisoning this time?"

"Oh, come on. You have no proof that was my fault."

"If you say so," at this point, you had both started laughing.

Once Chris had calmed down, he continued, "I'm not entirely sure what time I'm gonna be finished. But if you want, you can make your way over to mine, let your self in whenever you are ready, and I'll pick up anything we will need on my way home."

"Okay," you replied.

"Well, I better get back and get this over and done with. I'll see you in a bit. I love you."

"I love you too."

With that, you ended the phone call and started gathering some things together you would need to take to his. You decided to head over shortly after getting everything together. It's not like you had a lot else planned. The drive from yours to Chris' was only about 30 minutes, on a good day. As you made your way o. Any your car, you noticed how dark the sky was, any second now, it looked like the heavens were going to open. Only 5 minutes into your drive, and it did exactly that. At first, it was raining only a little, it wasn't too bad. But it seemed the closer you got to Chris' place, the harder to got. 'Maybe it's a good thing we are staying in, after all,' you thought to yourself.

Once you pulled into the drive in front of his house, you sat in your car for a moment. Hoping the rain would die off even just a little bit so you could make and run for the front door. Several minutes seemed to pass, and nothing seemed to change. You were going to have to make a run for it. You grab your bag from the passenger seat and pull it into your lap, getting your keys sorted and ready so once you got to the door, you would just have to push the key in the hole, turn and enter. Opening the door quickly, you leap out and shut the door behind you as the rain starts hammering down on you. You start running. You manage to take what could only be considered a step and a half before you feel resistance at your feet. You don't get a chance to understand what's happening as you fall flat on your face. What's worst of all, you land in a muddy puddle that soaks you through to the bone.

Sitting up as you glance around, not really seeing much as it's raining so hard. You go to stand only to fall again. It's then that you realise the strap of your handbag had somehow got wrapped and tangled at your feet. Letting out a groan of frustration, you smack your hand in the puddle you are still sitting in, only for it to soak you even more. At this point, all you can do is roll your eyes as you reach down and untangle your feet. Standing up straight. This time, walking to the front door, not caring about the rain. You're already soaked and covered in mud anyway. As you enter, you carefully take off your shoes and place them to the side of the door, trying your best not to drip muddy water all over the floor. You head straight to Chris' bedroom and into his en-suite. You see your reflection out the corner of your eye and take a good look. 'Jesus', you think to your self. 'I actually look like a drowned rat'. Taking a deep breath, knowing Chris would be home soon, you decide to have a quick shower. Not only to get clean but to hopefully make your self feel better about what happened.

You reach into the shower to turn it on, letting it run for a bit to warm the water up. Quickly you striped yourself of your clothes and throw them into the corner of the bathroom, knowing you'll sort them out later. Stepping into the shower as you let the hot water wash over you, closing your eyes as you let your head descend under the falling water. You let out a sigh, the hot water instantly warming up, also washing away the mud. You make quick work of cleansing your body and hair. Once you are clean, you step out of the shower, the cold air hitting you, making your entire body cover in goosebumps. Grabbing the towel off the rack, you wrap it tightly around you and get to work drying yourself, also trying to warm your self back up. When you are dry, you head into Chris' bedroom. You have a couple of comfy clothes at his from the many times you have stayed over. But you decide against putting on your own clothes. Opening Chris' draws, you grab a pair of his boxers and slip them on straight away. Next, you move to the next containing his t-shirts, grabbing the first one you see and slipping it on.

Turning around to leave the room, you hear the front door being closed, and shortly after, Chris calls out, "Honey, I'm home." You listen to him chuckle afterwards. You don't know why but every time he says that phrase, he always makes himself chuckle. Upon arriving into the living room, you don't see him, but you hear the rustling of bags and cupboards being open and closed in the kitchen, so you make your way through. He hears you.

"There you are. Thought you might have got washed away in the rai-…" he stops talking once he has turned around to see you and his mouth hangs open. Worrying you still have mud on you somewhere, you glance down at your self, back up at him and say, "What's wrong?"

"Y-your," he stutters, then clears his throat. "You're wearing my clothes."

"Oh." Running your hands over your chest down your stomach as the smooth his shirt over your body. "Yeah. I'm sorry with the ran and ever-…" you are cut off as he lunges for you — his handclasp on your cheeks, pulling you into his body as his lips are pressed against yours. Leaning into the kiss as it heats up, you run your hands up his body and grip hold of the shirt he is wearing. He pulls away ever so slightly, his lips still close enough that you can feel them as he talks.

"You should never apologise for wearing my clothes. You know how much I like it." Before you get the chance to say anything, he attaches his lips to yours and pushes you as though for you to walk backwards. Then you feel it. The counter at your lower back, before you know it, Chris leans down, grabs your hips and hoists you up onto the counter, all the while still kissing you. His hand reach for the hem of the shirt and slip under it. He gently runs his hands up your bareback while making himself comfortable between your legs. He pulls you closer to him, deeper into the kiss, and you let out a slight moan. You feel him smile, and you know he heard you. He's so cocky, knowing the effect he has on you.

"Wrap your legs around my waist," he whispers. You oblige. In doing so, he removes his hands from under the shirt, tucks them under your bum the best he can and lifts you from the counter. You yelp, surprised as he heads to leave the kitchen.

"What about dinner?" You ask.

He just looks at you with a smirk and replies, "we will get to that. First, we need to work up an appetite." With that, he carries you off to his bedroom, and you are so happy he decided he wanted to spend date night at home instead of going out.

Tag List

@a-little-counter-esperanto

@patzammit

@chris-butt

[randomshyperson]

Wanda Maximoff x Reader - Land of Thieves #ChapterOne

Western/ Red Dead Redemption AU / Slow Burn / childhood best friends to lovers 

Gif is not mine.

Read on AO3 (English Version) 

Ler no AO3  / “Terra de Ladrões” (Versão Português)

Chapter warnings: explicit language, explicit violence. 

Word count for this chapter:  4002K

Summary:  When you were a child, you swore that no matter how high the reward in your head, she could always count on you. Life as an outlaw in the west is not easy, but you believe that train robberies are still easier than asking a pretty girl to dance. Land of Thieves, also know as your love story with Wanda Maximoff in the Wild West.

Pt.1 || Pt. 2 || Pt. 3 || Pt.4 || Pt.5 || Pt.6 || Pt.7 || Pt.8 || Pt.9 || Pt.10 || Pt.11

You were covered in mud and blood when you entered the saloon. Curious and judgmental eyes turned to you, but you didn't stare back. Stretching your back, you felt your whole body ache; the recent beating was sure to leave marks. Walking over to the counter, you threw three gold coins onto the wood, muttering in a mumbled tone "bath" to the saloon keeper. He nodded slightly, showing you the way to the restrooms. As you washed up, you grumbled against the recent cuts, but you were happy to know that you hadn't been shot. Your body ached, but without bullet wounds, you would be better in no time. A pretty girl who worked in the saloon smiled at you when she took your muddy clothes to wash them, and you looked away blushing helplessly. She handed you new clothes before she left. When you finished your shower, you put on the white silk shirt, and beat-up jeans that were handed to you. The boots were not new, but they were comfortable. You also put on spurs, but they didn't give you suspenders, so you left the shirt loose against your body, enjoying the lightness. Attaching your holstered belt to your waist, you checked to be sure your Schofield revolver was clean and locked before you holstered it. You walked to the top floor of the saloon, ignoring the curious glances cast at you on the way. You hoped that no one would recognize you from the reward posters, but you weren't so sure about that, since your face was quite exposed without your hat, which must now be somewhere lost in the middle of New Elizabeth, or on some thief's head. Whistling softly, you walked to the saloon balcony, watching the town below. Valentine is a ranching town, small and not very crowded. Lots of pedestrians, you observe. You light a cigarette as you watch the citizens go about their mundane lives, many opportunities passing before your eyes. You let your gaze wander to the town bank, a few meters ahead on the right of the saloon. You notice that security is low. Making mental notes about everything you could observe from there, you put out your cigarette, returning to the lower part of the saloon, toward the counter. - A whiskey and a beef stew. - You grumble, handing the bartender some coins. He nods in agreement and in a few minutes you get your meal. While you are sitting at the farthest table in the room, you listen attentively to the conversation of two men at the poker table, who have caught your attention. - My cousin saw the carriages in Saint Denis. Four horses in each, and he said that the riders were armed to the teeth." - The skinny man commented excitedly, his friend didn't look so happy. - Those damned bankers are like pests of the soil. You saw what happened to that southern town, I think it was called White Gate. - commented the man with the mustache, his expression frowning. - After the oil ran out, everybody lost their jobs. Stark closed the mine and the citizens began to starve. Almost everyone moved to the neighboring towns. Stark. The name was not strange to you, but you could not tell exactly where you had heard it before. You finished your stew, deciding that Steve would want to know about both the bank and the possible rich men who were visiting the town. Finishing your whiskey in one gulp, you stood up, leaving the saloon just as you collected your freshly washed clothes from the same woman who had brought them. It was hot and humid outside. Knight, your Hungarian half-breed horse, grunted with delight when you stroked his mane. You smiled at him before you mounted. You rode south, figuring you would have no trouble finding the new camp site, and trying to remember Bucky's instructions about where exactly they were. It took some time, but you finally found the camp. You dismounted Knight as you entered the area between the trees, walking calmly to the largest tent. Steve Rogers was like a father to you. When your birth parents died of cholera, you ran away from the orphanage the government put you in, and started living on the streets. You were only seven years old, but you were smart enough to hide in one of the garbage carts when the nuns weren't looking, and you ran away because you couldn't stand being beaten by the older children and your own teachers. You ended up somewhere in West Elizabeth, and while trying to steal some food, you were chased by two officers. But just as they were about to catch up with you, someone knocked them out. You smiled when Steve held out a big piece of bread and water to you. From that moment on, you lived with him. The Avengers gang became your family. Steve took care of you, and trained you as an outlaw. You learned everything that was essential to survive in the Wild West, from hunting to murder. And as the years passed, other people joined the gang, and you accepted them all as your family. When Steve saw you, he smiled tenderly, wiping the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief as he motioned for you to enter the tent. - So, kiddo, what did you find out in Valentine? - asked the man as you sat down in the opposite position, on a wooden chair. - They have a poorly protected bank. - You shrugged. - But you know how these small towns are, the risk is almost always not worth the gain. - That's too bad, we need money. Especially to buy medicine. You let out a low exclamation of agreement, you knew exactly how difficult the situation was. It had been a particularly difficult season for the gang. With Fury's death at the last service, and the move out of town to get away from the officers, you were still facing a wave of illness. Carol and Bruce had been feverish and bedridden for days, and Thor had been shot during an unsuccessful robbery. - I overheard an interesting conversation, though. - You say, and Steve looks at you curiously. - Some rich people are coming to Valentine in a few days. The name Stark was mentioned, have you ever heard of it? Steve's eyes widen in surprise and excitement. - Of course I have! - he exclaims. - Filthy rich folks there! Rich enough to lend us a little money without even noticing. - I think Stark is going to buy the oil mines at Heartlands. And he's staying in Valentine while he does the negotiations. - That's excellent. - Steve says, running his hand along his chin in a thoughtful expression. - If the deposit is made in Valentine, we will have the purchase money first hand. You nodded. - But even if the deposit is made here, the money is sure to be transferred to Saint Denis. - You retort, trying to think of all the details of the scam. - Which means that we have to steal the money the same day it is deposited, or we only stand a chance during the transfer. Steve stood up, walking around the tent with the same thoughtful expression on his face. - No, no. - He began to speak as if the alternatives were rapidly forming in his head. - The carriage will be extremely protected. In the gunfire, we can be very worried about not getting killed, which will give them a chance to escape to the city. And then we'll have no way to reach them there. You sighed, knowing that he was right. You frowned, trying to think of something, but Steve soon spoke again. - We need to do this while the money is in the bank. And we have to do it fast. - He says, and then walks to the edge of the hut, looking around the field. He whistles, attracting the attention of Peggy Carter, who is chopping wood, and when she raises her curious gaze to him, Steve beckons her to join him. - What is it, Rogers? - Peggy asks gently. You exchange a smile with her. - We've got a new hit. - He says, making room for Peggy to join you. - Is Bucky around? - He went out hunting a few minutes ago. The twins went with him. - Peggy says and you rest your face on your own hand, waiting for Steve to speak again. - Oh right. I'll explain the details to them later. - The blond man says, walking around the cabin to the table in the opposite corner, and he takes a pen and paper and begins to write down what you think of as a rough draft of the plan. - We will rob Valentine's bank then. - I thought that banks in small towns were not worth the risk. - Peggy commented with a slightly confused expression. - Ah, but we have a unique opportunity. - Steve remarked, bringing the doodle over to Peggy. - Howard Stark, big oil guy, is going to buy the Heartlands mines. The purchase money will be deposited in Valentine before being transferred to Saint Denis. I believe we will have about a few hours to rob the bank - Steve, are you sure this is a good idea? - Peggy assumed a worried posture. - We are short on snipers... - It's a great idea. - He interrupts, looking at Peggy seriously, but still maintaining a calm tone. - We need the money, Peggy. If this is planned correctly, we don't have to worry about the number of weapons. - I appreciate the confidence in my abilities, by the way. - You playfully push your shoulder lightly against Peggy, she smiles at you. - Of course I trust you, Y/N. - She answers, but her gaze is still worried. - We just need to be careful in this job. You spend the rest of the afternoon planning. It doesn't take long for Bucky to join you. He hands a deer carcass to Pietro, who carries it back to the supply hut. Steve repeats the plan, and you let your gaze drift quickly to Wanda, who smiles at you, and you feel something in your stomach drop. Blushing, you look away, turning your attention back to Steve. It is already night when you have finally finished working out the plan. Wanda and Pietro joined you at some point, and you had to mentally repeat to yourself to pay attention to Steve's words and not to the redheaded girl a few feet away. You didn't want your passion to cost your life or put everyone else in danger because you didn't absorb the plan correctly, but you were getting to this level of unfocused. You felt a light tug on your arm as you walked toward the fire, and found yourself smiling wryly as you faced Wanda already looking at you. - I got my first deer today. - She declared, looking up at you with bright eyes, a tone of pride and happiness in her voice. You raise your eyebrows in a pleased expression. - What? That's amazing, Wands. - You replied. - I told you that you would learn soon! I would have liked to have seen it. - We can hunt together. - She says, and you try not to show your nervousness at the thought of being alone with Wanda, but you don't disguise it very well, which makes Wanda confused, and she looks almost disappointed when she quickly adds - Pietro can come with us too. You blink a few times, believing her to be clarifying that she had no intention of spending time alone with you, and swallowing dryly, you nod in agreement. - Yes, yes. Sure, we should call him too. - You say taking a few steps back, hands in your pockets as you stare uncomfortably at the floor. Wanda bites her lower lip lightly, finding you extremely difficult to decipher. You spend a moment in silence, before she speaks again - We can go tomorrow afternoon if you have no business in town. You think about it for a moment, trying to remember if you had made any appointments, if any robbery opportunities had been signaled to you, but you can't think of anything. - No, it's fine. We can hunt tomorrow. - You say, trying not to be too embarrassed by the contented smile Wanda flashes at you. She was probably going to say it was marked, but Pietro interrupted the moment by extending a bowl of stew in front of her face. Wanda blinked a few times in confusion, but thanked her brother as soon as she grabbed the item. Pietro turned to you next, a relaxed posture as he took a sip of the beer he was holding. - What were you two talking about? - he asked, his tone curious. - It's rude to snoop, you know. - You teased, drawing a short laugh from Wanda, and Pietro rolled his eyes stubbornly, but smiled. - We're going hunting tomorrow. I'll show Y/N that I learned how to use the bow on some deer. - explained Wanda, looking at her brother. - Will you come with us? Pietro frowned, denying with his head. - Sorry, little sister. - He speaks seriously, but his eyes have a malice in them that you didn't know how to recognize. - I'd love to join you on your date, but I have an appointment. You and Wanda blush at the insinuation, but Pietro continues with a playful aura as he takes another sip of beer. Although embarrassed, you can't help but be happy to know that you would be spending some time alone with the girl. - Oh, all right. - Wanda says in what seems to be an attempt to sound disappointed, but her eyes sparkle slightly as she speaks. You don't notice, but Pietro smiles at the expression. - You're full of secrets lately. What kind of appointment? Pietro laughs, shrugging his shoulders. He walks toward you with a playful expression, and puts his arm around your shoulders, smiling at Wanda as he leans on you. - Your girlfriend taught me how to play poker and now I am famous, my presence is requested in Rhodes. I need to bet and win some money for this place. You choke slightly on the phrase and feel your face heat up, looking down at the floor. Wanda lets out a nervous laugh, and pushes her brother lightly, making him let go of you. - You mean lose money, don't you? - she teases. - Even Thor plays better than you, and he usually just flips the table. You laugh, risking a glance at Wanda, who has a reddened face and quickly exchanges a smile with you. Pietro rolls his eyes and walks past you, waving goodbye. Deciding that you should eat something, you nod to Wanda that you are going to the fire. She smiles and follows you silently

You didn't hunt very often. Although you were good at it, it was not your function in the camp. You were a gunslinger, and your jobs usually involved carriage robberies and trespassing, even the occasional robbery. You were always part of the team for the big scams. And then Wanda invited you to go deer hunting and you became an anxious mess. Stumbling out of your tent, you hurried to take a quick swim in the creek near the campground. It was important not to smell too strongly when you went out hunting, as the animals could more easily notice you. Coming out of the water with wet hair, you put on your clothes, leaving the suspenders hanging from your waist and a few buttons open on your shirt. You were feeling heated. You waited for Wanda at the campfire. She also bathed before meeting you, and she seemed slightly anxious when she found you. You smiled as you poured some coffee, and Wanda looked a little airy when she accepted the cup. You didn't understand why, but the sight of your relaxed appearance, your loose hair and your exposed collarbone was absolutely irresistible to her, making Wanda feel heated in places that were not appropriate. You joked that soon she would become the best hunter in the camp, and you were happy to make her smile. As you rode out of the camp, you smiled as you felt Wanda lightly tap her foot against yours, as you used to play with as children. Riding in silence for a few minutes, you enjoyed the gentle breeze until you came to a hunting spot. You descended from Knight slowly, stretching your body when you reached the ground. Wanda watched your shirt lift and reveal some skin, then she looked away quickly, her face red. You cast a curious look, thinking she was feeling heat. Grabbing your rifle stored on the horse, you watched Wanda take from Lily's saddle - her red sorrel - a longbow and some arrows. You walked in silence, heading for the shallow part of the creek beside you, where you could easily find deer. It was comfortable to be in Wanda's presence, even in silence. Neither of you had to say anything to know exactly what to do next, your body following her along the way as if you had done this many times before. One look and you knew when to wait, or when to be quiet. It didn't take long before you spotted the deer. There weren't many, and Wanda bent down in front of you to take aim. You watched her with admiration. She raised her bow, and you noticed the slight tremor in her hands and frowned. You came forward, also bent down, and stood beside her. - There's no need to be nervous, Wands. - You whispered softly. - It's just me. The trembling in their hands seemed to diminish, but it was still there. You moved closer, raising your hands to join Wanda's, helping her to keep a steady aim. - Take a deep breath. - You said against her ear, waiting for her to obey. - And then shoot. With her speech, Wanda let go. The arrow cut through the air with speed, hitting the animal straight in the head. A perfect shot. You smiled, and when you looked at Wanda, she was already looking at you. You were about to congratulate her on the shot, but Wanda hugged you by the neck, surprising you. You felt your face heat up and due to the shock, you didn't respond to the hug, your body seeming asleep for an instant. Wanda let you go quickly, her face flushed with apology. You were about to tell her it was okay, and maybe hug her back, then you heard an animalistic noise that attracted your full attention, a low growl that you knew all too well. Glad you had brought your rifle, you looked around, searching for the source of the noise. Wanda blinked curiously, but you didn't look at her again. Standing up, you held the rifle with both hands, your gaze roaming the surroundings. A moment later, the bushes a few feet away moved, and you watched the creature sneak through the undergrowth, only to run toward you the next second, preparing to jump. The sound of gunfire echoed for a few seconds after the shot. You let out the breath you were holding and watched the panther lying on the ground, just a few inches away from your feet. Wanda looked at you in shock, and you offered your hand to help her up. - Sorry for the scare. - You grumbled, walking towards the panther intent on retrieving the skin, which should be worth a few dozen dollars. - We always have to be careful not to become the prey during the hunt. - How did you hear it? - Wanda asked curiously. - Practice I guess. - You said, kneeling down beside the panther. - Every sound around us is important. - You explained - Pay attention now, for example. Besides my voice, what do you hear? Wanda seemed to think for a moment. - I can only hear water, I think. Maybe birds. - She confesses, you finish cutting the skin off the animal in front of you. - Oh, sorry. - You say quickly. - I forgot that I just drove all the animals away with the noise of the rifle. You laugh to yourself, and Wanda smiles at you tenderly. - Let's go after that deer. I'll teach you to hear the sounds another day. - You tell her as you stand up. Walking over to the dead deer, you observe Wanda kneeling beside the animal, drawing her own knife. - Bucky taught you how to skin? - you ask, watching the firm but still amateurish cut Wanda was giving the animal. - Yes, he told me to skin rabbits before he taught me to cut the deer during yesterday's hunt. - said the red-haired girl focused on the activity. You tried not to blush as you watched a drop of sweat trickle down your neck. - I learned to skin animals from him too. - You commented as you waited for Wanda to finish the task. - I was a little smaller, I think. - I guess it took long enough for us to learn how to hunt, didn't it? - Wanda joked, drawing a smile from you. It was true, hunting had been the last activity Steve and Bucky taught you. For some reason, teaching them to shoot was a higher priority than getting food from the wild. A moment later, Wanda finished, raising the deer leather in the air, showing off her work proudly. You laughed at her expression, signaling for her to step away from the animal. You handed her your rifle, and bent down, grabbing the carcass with both hands and throwing it over your shoulders to carry it to the horse. It was quite heavy, but you concentrated your breathing as Bucky had taught you, and managed to carry the animal to Wanda's sorrel. After placing the carcass on the back of the animal, you grunted when you saw the state of your shirt, completely covered in blood. - What's the matter? - Wanda asked curiously when she heard your sigh. - Pepper made me promise not to come covered in blood to the camp anymore. - You say, rolling up your sleeves. - She told me she would put me to sleep with the horses if I showed up like this again. Of course, she will probably just change my watch shifts, but it will still be a pain to hear the lecture. - You could have told me to carry the deer. - Wanda retorted, looking at you with a mixture of seriousness and guilt. You just smiled. - Don't be silly, I just need to clean up before I go back. - You said simply, and Wanda frowned in confusion. And then she choked in surprise, watching you pull your shirt over your head. You went around her body and towards the creek. It took Wanda a few seconds to snap out of her shock, then she turned her head toward the creek, her face flushed. You rubbed the fabric with your hands, watching the blood drip into the water. You put your shirt aside only to wet your own body, wiping any traces of blood from your skin. Completely oblivious to the shy mess Wanda had become as she watched you wash yourself. Finished cleaning yourself, you wrung out your shirt, getting as much water buildup out as possible. You put your clothes back on, feeling the damp fabric against your skin. Wanda stood in the same place you had left her, and you frowned when you saw her look quickly away from you, her face red. You suddenly felt very embarrassed, thinking that you must have crossed some boundary with her. Coughing awkwardly, you walked toward your own horse. You rode in silence back to the camp, you mentally going over the whole conversation trying to find what you had done wrong that made Wanda so quiet. You were surprised when you heard her singing softly. Smiling without looking at her, you slowed down the speed of Knight's gallop, trying to enjoy the moment to the fullest. Wanda continued to sing the whole way, and you tried to ignore the feeling of butterflies in your stomach

[ginjointsintheworld]

Not concerned about a green card marriage because I am certain they won't go that route. This is just a way to bring them together and for Lauren to Solve a Leyla problem but with her consent this time. That said, please can we talk about Leyla/Shiva in this Episode.

1. How gorgeous she looked. Sounding like a broken record at this point but, HELLOO???

2. The way she said "why are you in a plant?" and her looks, lol like "can someone tell me what this silly but adorable woman is doing?"

3. Okay now to the one part I've rewatched a million times already, the little body and head tilt and her voice when she said "was it your taco hat" please Yall tell me I'm not the only one that swooned at that. Like effortlessly attractive,without even trying. Why won't Lauren be head over heels in love.???

Okay bye.

Ps: Leyla could have told Lauren she's fine but she didn't. She didn't! We knew the love was still there but clearly she missed having to unburden to her favorite person, that she didn't even realise when she started to spill.

LET'S TALK ABOUT LEYLA SHINWARI!!!!!

right??? what A Woman 😩 at the beginning of s4 they had leyla's hair styled in a low pony, which, still attractive but the high pony now is just *chef kiss* a look! that being said, let leyla wear her hair down 2k22!! 2. one of the most underrated thing in the scene is the startled way leyla looks over to the plant like 'wtf did that just move'

and then she registers that it's lauren crouched down next to it and when she looks away, you can see on her face that she can't help but engage with whatever ridiculous but endearing antic lauren is up to.

3. listen!!! i'm obsessed with the way shiva effortlessly transitions between the confident, playful and teasing version of leyla when asking about the taco hat to the softer, more melancholy one when leyla gets those short awkward answers from lauren. i know this scene was basically a crumb and barely over a minute in a 45 minute episode but goddamnit it felt like there was so much packed into it. i know they say when it comes to acting, a lot of it is reacting and boy do these two work off of each other so well.

leyla! could! have! told! lauren! she's! fine! but! she! didn't!!!! there's a lot of hurt muddying the water between them but it doesn't change that they were two closed off people who took a hammer to their own walls for each other. that familiarity is still there. we saw how much it pained lauren to hold back in 4x14 from telling leyla the other side to why she wanted to resign from the ED. but lauren also understood that where they're at now is because of her and it wasn't her place to put this emotional weight onto leyla on top of everything else she's still trying to process. so that's why i like that we see leyla reaching out here first and disclosing this bad news that she's probably been trying to shoulder by herself. which on the one hand, i wish that leyla had people we could see her confide in like lauren did with helen but on the other hand, isn't this in line with leyla shinwari? someone so proud that they'd rather live in their car than accept a spot at a shelter and feels such a deep need to earn what she has, even if it means playing by the rules of a prejudiced game? so it means something. it means something that leyla chooses to tell lauren about the visa situation. to let her in on this burden.

[yandere-sins]

Circumstances

I’ve worked on this for the last two days because I really wanted to get it out of the system! I wanted to showcase a bit better how it is to be the lovely Miya Twins Darling and I hope I was able to show it! Still heavily relies on the original idea of @shorkbrian  of how the two would be as a yandere! Hopefully I’ll get to write them even more because I love them so much ♥

Characters: Yandere!Atsumu Miya x Darling x Yandere Osamu Miya Rating/Warning: Mature, Yandere Words: 3791

»»———————— ♡ ————————««    

It wasn’t like you could speak about ‘relief’ as Osamu used his free arm to help you out of his brother’s clutches, but you were thankful nonetheless. You had been struggling for the better part of the night already, but only now your tiny trashes had woken the more reasonable twin up, making him come to your aid. You met his gaze for a second, whispering a quiet, “Toilet,” into his direction, to which he nodded understandingly. 

Usually, you had to wait it out until the morning, Atsumu’s grip just too tight on you. But some entity seemed to have been merciful on you, making Osamu wake up from your struggles and help you out. Clearly, he was still tired, barely awake himself. Even so, he pushed his brother off of you roughly, without any regard to Atsumu’s sleep, and allowed you to climb over him so you could use the adjoining bathroom. 

Not without a touch to your thigh, mind you. Subtle yet urging.

It was Osamu’s way of telling you to hurry up and get back into bed, while - and that’s what you presumed - showing some tenderness. Usually, he wouldn’t go out of his way to show his affection, but he was tired, it was early in the morning, and his mind was foggy. Hurrying you was just a side-effect of him not wanting to deal with a whiny Atsumu in case he woke up, and you were gone. 

Nights were always Atsumu’s. He’d be the one to keep you close, suffocate you against his chest, and never let go, even if you whined and struggled in his embrace. And he snored. Terribly. It wasn’t a loud snore, and not constantly, but every time you finally managed to drift off to sleep, he tore you out of it with a snort or loud buzz in your ear. Oftentimes, it helped to imagine how nice it would be if you could just stuff his mouth, but how would you, with your arms crushed in his hold?

Undoubtedly, sleeping next to Osamu was better. He just… slept. Yes, he was the ominous wall between the edge of the bed and you, someone who’d wake up if you dared to step over him, but at least he didn’t do anything to endanger your airways or bladder. The most he ever did was twirl a strand of hair between his fingers while Atsumu loudly told you a bedtime story. It wasn’t a touch you liked, but at least it wasn’t harmful or with underlying intentions. 

All of those thoughts aside, you were glad to finally feel the cold floor under your feet, making quiet steps towards the bathroom, knowing exactly where you had to step. You’d walked this way a million times already; after all, you had nothing better to do. More importantly, it was the path to your little oasis, your sanctuary - the only thing the twins hadn’t taken from you entirely with their presence.

Shutting the door behind you carefully, you made sure to turn the lock before switching the light on. Funny, how such a small, gloomy room, stuffed with a bathtub, toilet, and sink, could become the only place you were truly at peace. It was the only room you could lock yourself in and have some peace. In a way, it was all yours.

The boys had a separate bathroom available, one you rarely got to even see. It always depended on how ‘well’ you ‘behaved’ and how relaxed Osamu was. Yes, Osamu, since Atsumu would let you roam the house as much as you wanted if it was just for him to decide. But Osamu had different views on that. Mainly that the kitchen was so close to the other bathroom and bedroom in that small apartment, you’d be able to easily get hurt from his sharp, expensive knife-collection if you were to roam freely. 

There were, of course, also your countless tries of escaping which spread doubt in him.

Thus, only on good days were you allowed to savor the freedom of being able to explore, sleep in a different bed than the crowded queen-sized one you shared with the two, or even eat at a proper dinner table. Most of the time, however, you only had this bathroom to yourself, so you had to treasure every minute in it. Inside of here, they wouldn’t enter if you locked the door, Osamu holding back Atsumu from dominating even your toilet-runs with his presence. You’d not put it past him to watch you pee if he could, and that thought was one of the scariest of them all.

With your eyes slowly adjusting to the light, you turned around to face the mirror above the sink. Seeing yourself in that awful, almost muddy light, you had to get close to your reflection for you to see properly. The bags under your eyes indicated what you felt - tiredness and exhaustion, your cheeks still a little puffy from the afternoon cry. You turned the faucet on, letting the cold water run over your hands and dapping it onto your face. Not like you wanted to wake up, but you still wanted to savor the time you had in your little sanctuary. Refreshing yourself was the closest to self-care you had.

Finishing your actual bath business and flushing the toilet afterwards, you were almost unwilling to go back to bed. Sleep wasn’t something that awaited you there, and when you sideglanced the bathtub, you imagined having it more comfortable in it than next to the brothers. Your situation was still so surreal to you, despite it being months now. Months that had worn you down to the worst version of yourself. A version that was frustrated, angry, hopeless, and most importantly: Scared.

“[Name]!” someone called out as you reached for the doorknob, followed by a loud thud as something - or someone - walked against the door. It was impossible to not recognize Atsumu’s voice since it was like a constant noise ringing in your brain, but you kept quiet, hesitating. Dealing with Atsumu was downright exhausting, but you knew how fussy he became the longer he was away from you. As if you were the magnet that pulled him towards you, despite this never being your intention ever.

Even though you three went to the same school, even the same class, the twins had always been too extreme for your taste. Especially Atsumu, who became a volleyball star in his time there. You were surprised as they approached you after graduation, exchanging numbers with you and wanting to stay in contact. It was even weirder that they actually made an effort to stay connected, despite not being friends all these years you studied together. 

But even though it made no sense, you ended up in this weird situation with them. Something akin to a relationship, yet, you were sure that kidnapping, threatening, and hurting your significant other couldn’t possibly be counted as having a healthy love life. 

��Shut up.” A growl of a command followed Atsumu’s whine, as well as another thud and an irritated huff. You had no idea what was going on behind that door, but you were glad to avoid having to watch it with your own two eyes. The twins’ bickering was never a good sign for you, and you preferred staying out of their range when they did. Lowering the toilet lid, you sat down on the top, wringing your hands as you contemplated what to do. For now, your only options were to sit and listen to what was going on or get in between them and have them fight it out over you.

“They’re using the toilet. Stop bothering them, Dumbass.” Osamu’s voice was much closer now, and you assumed he had gotten up hearing his brother call out to you.

“They’re already done, didn’t ya hear the flush?!”

“No use hurrying them then, ‘Tsumu.” The more erratic twin let out a disgruntled moan, obviously tired yet restless by your disappearance. You could only speak of divine help that Osamu was actually up and using his appearance to keep Atsumu in check while he bothered you.

The next few words were nothing but whispers between them. Hushed tones and secret exchanges that you were not supposed to hear. Footsteps walked away, and you could only assume, but you wanted it to be Atsumu letting off to have his brother deal with you while he roamed the room aimlessly. Sometimes you wondered if your purpose was to fill something amiss in his life, making him so attached to you, as he always seemed to be on the search for something you didn’t know about. What followed were a few tender knocks on the door. Knocks done with hands that you anxiously remembered how they felt on your body. “[Name], are you done? We are worried.” 

Opening your mouth, you were almost inclined to answer, but if you did, a timer would be set in Osamu’s mind, reminding you to get out every minute from then on. But you didn’t actually want to leave yet. You didn’t want to go back into Atsumu’s clutches or play punchbag if the two got irritated over each other from the situation. Being silent wasn’t a good solution, but you bit your lip and turned open the faucet again, letting the sound of water wash away what you didn’t want to hear.

“They out?” Atsumu yawned from behind the door, still too loud to escape your hearing. “What do you think?” Osamu countered, snapping at his brother’s oblivious question.

“Told you. We should have removed that lock.”

“It’s a bathroom.”

“There’s nothing we haven’t seen, ‘Samu. It would be better”

Silence, as Osamu contemplated his words. You couldn’t help but feel cold sweat run down your spine as you listened to their conversation. Despite knowing Osamu probably would still reject the idea of taking out the lock, you couldn’t help but fear his silence on the matter. Fear that he might come to agree with Atsumu after all. It wouldn’t be the first time he actually did break the door into the bathroom after you hid in there too long for his taste.

Attention shifted, and as you got caught in your thoughts, inevitable, you jumped as a loud, thundering hammering resounded in the bathroom. “[Name] come out.” More hammering. “Out, now.”

This was your cue, the moment you should have complied. Save yourself from more terror and the yapping of the fox twins, but it was like you were frozen in place, unable to go. Even when you managed to pull yourself up on the sink, a short glance at your exposed neck made you fold into yourself again. As if it was of any use, you pulled up the hoodie you were wearing - Atsumu’s hoodie - tighter around your neck, covering the countless hickies and blemishes covering your skin. None of this was what you wanted, and none of them had a meaning to you; besides pain, that was. 

You just wanted to stay where you were, cowering between toilet and sink, covering your ears, as their knocks got louder and more demanding with every punch. Eyes darting to the doorknob, you watched it shake and turn as one of the twins tried to open it vehemently. Even if you trusted the door with your life, to keep you safe and sound, with every creak, you anticipated it to break again. The sounds got louder, their voices merged as they called out to you, demanded you, pleaded to be let in!

And suddenly, there was silence. 

Complete, utter silence. You hadn’t noticed how you had held your breath while the noise was going on, but now, you couldn’t help but let it escape timidly from your lungs through clenched teeth. The walls weren’t thick, but by how little you could hear now, you figured they had taken some steps away from the bathroom.

“‘Tsumu.”

“--away!”

A loud bang shook you to the core, but it was gone as fast as it had appeared. 

“Fuck.”

“--unhappy--”

“I--”

It was so incredibly hard to hear anything, and their pieces of sentences didn’t make any sense to you. One moment, they sounded farther away, then another they were close again as if they were chasing each other out of the room and getting back into it restlessly. 

You couldn’t tell the time that passed, but at some point, your exhaustion must have allowed you a few minutes of slipping out of conscience for a while. Perhaps for the following thirty minutes, you switched in and out of your non-existent dreams, ever so often woken up by a voice or noise that scared you awake. 

There was no dream to comfort you. No familiar person or scent that enveloped you, helping you through these troubles you were facing. How much longer would you have to endure these nights? How much longer would you be held like a glorified yet beloved pet between the brothers? You never knew them well, but every day, you felt like instead of understanding them better, it only got worse. 

Atsumu was so damn needy. He always wanted your attention and eyes on him, praise from your lips, and gentle touches of your fingers. If you were in his lap, you could count on him not letting you go anytime soon. That’s why the thought of you being unavailable to reach was almost punishment for him. He considered it the gravest of crimes when you refused to spend time with him, or when Osamu told him to stay away for a while, and you could barely endure his loud tantrums and how violent he was in his pursues of you. 

But Osamu wasn’t really better. Even if you pleaded and begged, he never admitted to understanding how you truly felt about your situation. Maybe he didn’t want to see, or perhaps, he really could not understand how grave their actions were. While he treated you reasonably well, he was just as quick to get upset as his brother over every little thing. When you didn’t like the clothes he wanted you to wear, he’d let you freeze for days before giving you something to put on - most of the time, the clothes you were so reluctant to put on before. He cooked, cleaned, and made sure the bills were paid, but not if you were misbehaving. Then, suddenly, he ‘didn’t want to’ do these things anymore. Leaving you to Atsumu’s mercy for your basic need. 

And they always - always - watched you. There was no moment you couldn’t look over your shoulder to see either or both of them stare at you. They had those moments that simply scared you, where they wouldn’t talk or react at all, lost in some weird observation of you. At most, you’d suddenly feel the tips of their hands run down your leg or back when you passed them, a quiet, “Pretty,” rolling off their lips. None of their behavior ever made sense to you, and it was driving you insane to not know what you really were to them.

Perhaps, it was just your exhaustion showing as you felt some tears roll down your eyes. You’d been up for a few minutes already, thinking about your family and friends who you missed dearly. If you could, you just wanted to get out and forget about all that happened with those two weirdos who invited you to their home one day and never let you go again.

Then again, at least it was calm now. In fact, it was peaceful quiet, and you pinched yourself as the thought of the twins settling down and going to bed crossed your mind. If that was the case, you considered yourself lucky, noticing that this would be the first time they simply gave up. They wouldn’t… would they?

Under the pain of your body being crouched in such an unsuitable position for so long, you pulled yourself into a stand, taking a short break by sitting on the toilet. The water in the sink was still running. Such a waste of resources, you admitted. Turning it off, you were surprised by the world still seeming calm around you. You had expected the brothers to blow up the moment they noticed you letting go of the comforting babbling, but nothing happened.

Even though you knew that the moment you stepped outside again, the world wouldn’t be as harmless as you imagined it to be right now, you felt a little better confronting this fact. Sure, you might get starved for a few days again or cuddled to death, but at least for now, the war seemed over.  

You weren’t aware that this was the calm before the storm.

The lock of the door clicked back as you opened it up, turning the knob slowly and carefully. If they really were sleeping, you were the last person who wanted to wake them. Turning off the light, you were cast in darkness, eyes clenched shut since you couldn’t see well. It was pleasant to hear the birds chirp outside the window, signaling that the morning was slowly but surely coming. But being able to listen to them at all was special to you, something you never usually noticed over the noise and your thoughts.

One hand lunched at your arm the moment you stepped out of the doorframe. Another one reached for your hair. In a matter of seconds, you felt yourself enveloped by a broad chest, pulled towards it by a third arm fastening around your waist. Ironically, the first thought you had in mind was about a monster reaching for you, planning on tearing you apart. 

It didn’t cross you that it was the two brothers closing in on you. Lips startled you as they fell on top of yours, wet and thoughtless, a tongue pressing through and into your mouth as a hand slipped into the gap between the chest and your neck, forcing you to stretch and comply. Hot breath against your face, paired with soft whines, as if you had left a puppy alone for too long and it was welcoming you home, vibrated against your lips, while the confusion didn’t help you understand the situation. Forming a helpful thought was impossible for you, too surprised and taken aback by the sudden attack. 

But at the same time, you felt another nose press against the back of your head, taking a deep breath. It was impossible to determine who’s hand belonged to who, but it didn’t matter as they always acted like the perfect team when the situation required it. Your hair was pulled back while another chest rubbed in close from behind, sandwiching you between the bodies. 

Choking on the mixture of spit in your mouth, you coughed as the kiss finally stopped, one of them mewling, “We missed you so much!” before his lips crashed back onto yours. Their hands became grabbier and rougher to your body, nails scratching along the sensitive parts of your neck, and fingerprints being left around your sides as cold hands got shoved beneath your hoodie. 

You wanted to lift your hand, push at least one of them away, but before you could, one hand unstuck from touching you and instead tugged your arm down right away. This was a clear Osamu-move, and as if in response, you heard it growl from behind you while his face buried into your shoulder. “Don’t ever stay so long in the bathroom again, understood?”

“Yes, never!” Atsumu yapped right after, forcing a few more long, breathtaking kissed from your mouth. Lips wandering, he scattered them all over your face, slobby and urgent, as if he was soaking in your life essence through his kiss. It slowly but surely became more clear who’s arm was who’s, as the one around your waist shifted to under your butt, muscles tensing before suddenly, you were relieved of the ones on your neck and arm. Atsumu lifted you from the ground while you tried to stand on your tiptoes as long as you could, not wanting to give yourself to him just like. Iat.

“I’m so tired~” Atsumu complained loudly, whining. “We stood in front of this door forever, [Name]!”

Osamu merely sighed behind you as you were brought back to bed. He let you fall ungently onto the mattress and onto his limbs, but when you tried to adjust, you were merely pulled closer towards him again, leaving you uncomfortable in his hold. He didn’t bother with pulling up a blanket to keep you warm, and goosebumps quickly spread all over your body from how icy the bed was. It made you instinctively shuffle closer to the warm body next to you, and you felt stupidly excited when the second body linked itself with yours shortly after. 

“‘Samu, get your shitty leg off of me!” Atsumu’s voice was too loud for your poor ear that he screamed it into, but you only felt Osamu’s leg pushing down tighter on yours, restricting where you could go even though it hurt to have his bones crush yours under his. “Shut up, Stupid. It’s cold, I want in on the warmth.”

How uncharacteristic, you thought. Then again, what did you really know about them? Either Osamu was too tired to deal with finding the lost blanket too, or it was actually him wanting to make you as helpless as a piece of meat in between their burger bun-bodies. “It’s not like you could separate us,” he teased his brother, and Atsumu let out an annoyed groan before his demeanor changed rapidly, calming down with his head falling on top of yours with a huff, nuzzling his face into your hair. 

“He’s right, though,” he mumbled, and you weren’t sure if Osamu heard that. If he did, he enjoyed it quietly, feeling good about his brother admitting it without letting you know. “Nothing can separate us.”

“No door and no brother,” Osamu finished his sentence. Apparently, he did listen. 

“Exactly,” Atsumu chuckled, arms tightening around you. 

Now, you were back at the beginning, perhaps feeling more miserable than before as Osamu joined in with keeping you locked between them. Soon, the morning sun would rise again. Another morning you would only be able to see through the gaps in the boards covering the windows. 

Again you’d wake up in this horror scenario that you never wished for. Where had you gone wrong in your life to deserve this? What had you ever done to them? Why did they do the things they were doing to someone they didn’t actually know either?

And most importantly: When would it stop?

[aliwritesfic]

The Night Shift part 8 (F!Reader x Frankie Morales)

Summary: It's time to do what's best for you . . . also fuck Kurt

Warnings: physical violence, emotional abuse, brief mention of trauma

W/C: 2.2k

AN: So.... I'll be honest, I was quite sick when I wrote this (and I'm still not 100% but I'm at like 75% which is good enough) but I have a mentality of not editing or revising my work otherwise I embarrass myself and convince myself I'm The Worst(tm), but I hope this makes sense and the pacing is good <3

Spotify

Part 1 Part 9

Frankie was glad to see you finally opening up. Even if that meant tears he couldn’t wipe away, or a hand he couldn’t hold. The last thing he wanted was to put you in a position where you thought the only reason he was helping was to swoop in while you were vulnerable.

You sat next to him in his truck, your eyes were puffy and red from tears that once they started seemed to come in waves of intensity, from a few sniffles to shoulders heaving, gasping for air sobs. Manny sat beside you, holding your hand, which Frankie was grateful for. He was glad to see that you had people that cared about you. When he had messaged Manny that morning, it was more to find out if his suspicions were correct about the ‘friend’ you had talked about while drunk was you.

“You don’t have-“

“We want to,” Manny interjected for the fifth time. It occurred to Frankie that you weren’t used to people wanting to help you. “I’ve been praying that you’ll let me help you.” That made you sob again. You gave another apology, chest heaving as you tried to breathe.

Truthfully, Frankie was also glad that this was an excuse for him to skip talking about his own feelings. His own mind was a muddy mess of flashbacks and night terrors and bouts of anxiety that became so crippling he forgot how to breathe. How well would that have gone down in the little group he now found himself apart of? If he had to guess, about as well as it went down with Portia – pitying looks and urges to see a proper therapist, and a new distance that neither was willing bridge.

Manny answered a call as Frankie drove back. He wasn’t driving anywhere in particular, but when it had become clear you wanted to be anywhere but that bistro, he had suggested the three of you pile into his truck and see where the road took you.

“Mateo, honey, I need to ask you a few things,” Manny said into his phone. Out of the corner of his eye, Frankie saw you lean your head back and squeeze your eyes shut. Frankie wanted to reach out and squeeze your knee, take your hand, do anything to show that he was there, that he wasn’t going anywhere so long as you wanted him around.

Manny’s voice faded into the background as you turned to look at Frankie. He pulled up at a small nature reserve, which was just an algae slicked pond and a few oak trees surrounded by recently mowed grass. Frankie noticed how bloodshot your eyes were.

“You okay?” he asked, realising it was a stupid question.

“I will be,” you said, your voice hoarse. You cleared your throat with a wince. “I’m not upset . . . I’m just overwhelmed. Like, I’ve been holding this all in for so long that once the lid was opened it was impossible to put back on, and now I’ve just gotta let it all out. Does that sound stupid?”

Frankie shook his head. “Not at all.” You smiled weakly at him.

“Bet this is the worst lunch you’ve ever had,” you said.

“Nah, I think it ranks pretty highly,” Frankie said. “Mainly because of the company, though.” You rolled your eyes and Frankie could see the corners of your mouth twitch in an effort to keep a smile away.

“It’s not your fault, you know,” he said softly.

“What isn’t?” You asked, but before he could answer, Manny interjected.

“I’ve found you a new place,” he said. You shot up, confusion written on your face plainly. Manny smiled the type of smile when someone knows they’ve basically saved the day. “That was my dear friend Mateo on the phone. He is taking his first steps towards being a real estate mogul and recently brought a one bedroom apartment to rent out. And because he is such a dear friend and owes me like, a billion favours, I told him the minimum of what your situation was, and he has told me that he’s willing to rent the place to you for lower than market value. A hundred and twenty a week, including water.”

You’re silent for a few moments, and Frankie watched you carefully.

“When can I move in?” you said finally, and Frankie felt an invisible weight lift off your shoulders. He could only imagine how difficult this would be for you; making decisions that would change how you lived in a matter of hours, basically upending your life.

“He can get the keys to us on Wednesday, he’s just got to replace some fixtures and finish painting some walls,” Manny said. You nodded slowly.

“So, I just need to last till Wednesday,” you said.

“You can stay at my place, if you want.” Frankie said quickly, not exactly comfortable with the idea of you staying with Kurt. You had said he was never physically violent, but Frankie also knew how quickly a man could change when they didn’t get their way.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to impose,” you said carefully. Frankie nodded.

“Of course, you’re my friend, and friends help each other.” Just friends. Only friends. He wasn’t going to take advantage of you in this state just because he had a stupid crush. He had once had a conversation with a pissed off Eve Miller, who was ranting about the guys she thought were her friends instantly making moves the moment she became single. That had solidified Frankie’s resolve to not make moves on women he was friends with – it wasn’t fair to them or to him.

Before you could answer, your phone was ringing loudly. Your face crumpled as you looked at the contact, and Frankie frowned.

Kurt.

You took a deep breath and hit answer. “Hey! What’s up?” Your light and airy tone was at odds with your sombre expression. “No, I have lunch with Manny on Sunday, remember? You’re home already? But –“

Frankie listened to the angry buzzing coming from your phone, his revulsion growing.

“My phone died – no I just went out with Sara last night, she wanted to go to fight night . . . it’s not that short . . . No I didn’t fuck anyone else, Jesus Christ, Kurt! No! Look, I’ll be home soon, we can talk about this then.” You hung up with a shaking hand, your mouth twisting with effort to contain the tears.

Manny met Frankie’s eye over the top of your bowed head and gave a small nod.

“We’ll come with you to get some of your clothes,” Frankie said. “And anything else you need.”

“You’re really too sweet for this,” you muttered with a hiccup. “I’m sorry for dragging the both of you into my shit.”

“I crawled willingly into it,” Manny said breezily, “which I would only do for about five people in this world.”

The trio remained silent for several minutes, interrupted only but the sound of your occasional hiccups. Frankie reached out and patted your shoulder awkwardly, cringing internally while he did. Inexplicably, you leant into his touch, your damp cheek brushing against the back of his hand.

“Can you drive me home so I can get my stuff?” you asked softly. Frankie nodded and turned on the truck.

~*~

You were a ball of anxiety as Frankie pulled into the complex’s parking lot. Kurt’s car was already in the spot reserved for your apartment, sending you to the verge of a full-blown panic attack. You squeezed your eyes shut and counted to ten, then backwards from ten. Distantly, you felt Manny take hold of one of your hands.

“You’ve got this.” Manny’s voice sounded far away. “Francisco and I are behind you one hundred percent.”

“You’re calling the shots,” Frankie said, touching your arm. His hand was warm and calloused, and you didn’t know why that observation seemed to be at the forefront of your mind, but it was. You opened your eyes and met Frankie’s warm brown ones, suddenly feeling infinitely stronger.

You told them what you wanted to do – for you to go in by yourself and for them to wait outside the door, plug their ears if necessary, only come in if they felt like you were in any actual danger. Frankie’s face darkened at this, but to your relief he didn’t protest your plan.

You felt stronger with the two of them behind you. Every single step towards your apartment door solidified your resolve that this was the right thing, that this relationship hadn’t made you happy, fulfilled, in years. The click of your key in the door felt like one of finality.

Kurt sat on the couch, glaring at you. You left the door open a crack as you walked in, hovering by the dining table. You took him in fully and came to the conclusion that you were no longer attracted to this man at all. His skin was reddened by the sun, pale patches around his light blue eyes. His thin mouth was curled into a sneer.

“Care to explain what the fuck you’ve been doing while I was gone?” he said.

“Not really, no.” You replied. “Here’s the thing, Kurtis, you don’t get to go out with your friends for the whole weekend doing who-knows-what then turn around and get angry at me for spending time with the only friend from school that I still have! That’s not fair.”

“And who’s fault is that? You’re the one who pushed them all away!” Kurt stood up and advanced towards you. Normally, you would have taken a step backwards, given him space, but this time you stood your ground, clenching your fists tightly to stop them shaking.

“I’m still allowed to have a social life,” you said, struggling to keep your tone even. Kurt rolled his eyes.

“If you wanna go out and act like a fucking whore-“

“Think what you want, Kurt,” you said, “it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m leaving. You can’t stop me.”

Kurt spluttered for a moment, turning a shade of deep red. “Like fucking HELL you’re leaving me, you bitch!”

“I am!” you shot back. He was only a few inches from you now, so close his breath was hot on your face. “I’m miserable, I don’t love you anymore, and I’m done. I’ve been done for so long I can’t remember a time I was fully invested in this relationship! I deserve better! I deserve love that doesn’t make me so sad it hurts, and I can’t have that with you.”

Kurt’s face twisted into an ugly contortion of the features you once found perfect. “No. Nobody can love you the way I do! Nobody can understand you like I do! If you leave, I won’t want to live anymore. Don’t you remember? I can’t live without you!”

“Then go to a fucking hospital!” you snapped, moving to get past him. Kurt grabbed your wrist tightly. His grip was like a vice, cutting off blood supply to your fingers.

“Let go!” you begged. Kurt tugged you closer, spittle forming at the corners of his mouth, your noses almost touching. He’s going to kill me. Oh my god, he’s actually going to kill me. You saw movement by the door out of the corner of your eye, and your heart swelled.

“You heard her,” Frankie said, “let her go.”

Kurt didn’t let go, but instead gripped harder. He’s completely lost it, you thought dimly, the expression Kurt wore sending true fear into your heart.

“And just who the fuck are you?” Kurt demanded.

“Let her go,” Frankie repeated. He didn’t raise his voice, but you could still hear the power it held. Kurt scoffed and spat at Frankie’s feet.

“This is an issue between me and my girlfriend, now get out of my apartment before I make you.”

Frankie didn’t reply, instead, he strode forward, pushed the sleeves of his flannel over shirt up as he did. Kurt didn’t wait. He pushed you hard against the kitchen bench, knocking the breath out of you and sending a shot of pain through your back, and moved to meet Frankie in the middle of the room.

It happened in an instant, blink and you miss it. Frankie swung, his fist connecting with Kurt’s jaw with a sickening crunch. Kurt went down like a lead balloon, howling as he collapsed on the floor. Frankie stood over him, breathing hard through his nose.

Manny ran forward to help you, holding you to him like the protective brother you had always wished for. It took you a few moments to realise you were shaking, out of fear or adrenaline you didn’t know.

“Come on,” he whispered soothingly, “we gotta get your stuff.” You nodded and let him help you up. You didn’t feel like you were connected with your body like you were watching the whole thing through a separate set of eyes. You saw Frankie standing over Kurt, arms crossed and boot pressing into Kurt’s chest.

Manny held your hand as you walked to your bedroom. You were distantly aware of the aching in your body, your back, and wrist especially. It was Manny who packed your bag for you, grabbing anything he thought you might need. The whole thing was done in less than ten minutes. Before you left you turned to face Kurt.

“I’ll be back sometime this week to get the rest of my stuff. Do not contact me.”

You felt your strength returning to you as you left with Frankie and Manny with you. For the first time in a long time, you felt like you could breathe.

Taglist: @hnt-escape @sharkbait77 @1800-fight-me @annathewitch @darnitdraco @frankiecatfish @punkerthanpascal @nakhudanyx @gracie7209 @quica-quica-quica @pintsizemama @phoenix-of-loki