#because you do not get an opportunity like this often

[tookishcombeferre]

Even as an adult, I quite like them. They're good for thinking about heavy political and psychological topics in an accessible, and almost guided, way. I find that if a book is well written that it has something to say across generations. As an adult, I often find myself thinking about characters like Haymitch, Cinna, Katniss' mother, and other adult characters, and those characters make me question: what makes a Cinna vs. a Haymitch vs. Katniss' mother? What allows Haymitch to, eventually, pull himself off his butt to get Katniss sponsors after he has failed so many times as opposed to Katniss mother who literally cannot pull herself out of her depression? Where does he find the strength? What gives someone strength where other people can't find it? Is it innate? Is it learned? Is it situational? What made Cinna decide to rebel? Why did he decide to leave behind his privileged Capitol life for something more dangerous? Why sacrifice stability? And, I think that's where well written books can grow with their audience. When you have well written and compelling minor characters, you have the opportunity for deeper analysis into the wider universe which makes for good adult reading. Collins has this. Her character building is very compelling even into her very minor characters, and that sets up a pretty interesting universe. (At least, in my opinion.) Now, do I think it's perfect? No. I'm not an uncritical worshiper. But, do I think it's worth it for adults and young people both to read? Heck yes! My personal pet peeve about people judging The Hunger Games, is that they often pit it against other dystopian novels like 1984. You can't do that. It's written in a different genre, at a COMPLETELY different time, for a different purpose. Pitting a YA novel that is teaching politics, through dystopia, to younger people against a dystopian novel written for adults as political commentary is like comparing brownies to one of those chocolate protein smoothies. They might both have chocolate in them as a main ingredient but cold day in hell the texture or foundation is the same. And, both a part of a balanced adult "reading diet." You can't just be reading 1984, Dostoevsky novels, War and Peace, and like ... I dunno ... what else is long, really dense, and depressing, but good? ... Silence? Yeah. We'll go with Silence by Shūsaku Endō. As an adult, you have to "read your brownies" too. Because, sometimes? You learn a lot from a good brownie. TL; DR: The Hunger Games is INCREDIBLE at what it does. It absolutely deserves a place in the dystopian canon. It's a phenomenal series for young people with incredibly compelling characters that teach some great beginning dystopian lessons both politically and psychologically, and I think it can have some interesting things for adults to learn as well.

eagerly awaiting the reveal of what political science 101 concept is she going to stop the plot to teach middle schoolers about. we got bread and circuses we got the extended work on thomas hobbes my money is on haymitch starting this book as an objectivist and having to unlearn that in the face of true struggle

[comatosebunny09]

As a result of watching more dramas, humor me.

You plan to go home for the holidays to spend them with your parents. 

Your mother’s been setting you up on blind dates in hopes of eventually finding you a match. She reasons you’re not getting any younger, so it’s time you settle down and start working on a family. Her intentions are good, but you just wish she’d stop badgering you. 

You don’t necessarily live the lifestyle where you can afford to have a partner right now.

You work for Onychinus’ leader, Sylus, as an assassin. You’re at the peak of your game, so much so that you’re considered his right hand by his enemies. You also secretly harbor feelings for your boss, but you know they’re fruitless because you think a relationship, let alone with you, is the furthest thing from his mind.

Anyways, you’re drinking at one of Sylus’ bars one evening, venting to him about your mother. He always humors you when you’re not working—you bring a certain flair to his life that he admits makes his days much more entertaining.

“Why don’t I pretend to be your boyfriend, then? Just to get her off your back,” he suggests with an amused crinkle to his eyes, watching you as he sips his whiskey.

You snort incredulously. Sylus and boyfriend are never two words you would imagine fitting in the same sentence. Still, you can’t deny entertaining the idea of what it’d be like to be something…more to him. 

You brush him off as just humoring you as usual, snatching your coat from the barstool and fixing your boss with a sardonic smirk. 

“Yeah, right. See ya around, bossman.” 

Your flight home leaves first thing in the morning. As much as you would like to stick around to shoot the shit with him, you need your rest to deal with your mother come morning.

Fast forward, and you’re back in your childhood home. You feel strange, being in your cutesy, innocent bedroom like there isn’t so much invisible blood on your hands and like you haven’t long shed the sheltered skin you once wore when you were younger. 

Your parents don’t know the full extent of what you do. They know you make a generous amount of money—you’ve bought them luxurious cars and clothes and sent them on exclusive vacations. You would buy them a plot of land with a beautiful home built from the ground up if they’d let you, but your parents insist on staying where they’re familiar.

An old childhood friend’s having a get-together. Your mother insists you go—this is the perfect opportunity for you to network and possibly find a future husband. Despite your protests, she pressures you, and you begrudgingly agree. 

You stick out like a sore thumb, donned in expensive fabrics at the party. Years of being an assassin and seductress have given you the gift of gab, so you’re the life of the party. Eventually, people start inquiring about your love life. Their questions become so invasive you step out momentarily to gather yourself. Just because you’re good at flapping your gums doesn’t mean you don’t occasionally become overwhelmed.

You decide to text Sylus to help ease your anxiety. You text each other quite often, and someone peering at your relationship from the outside would assume you’re just close friends. 

[ Sylus ]: that bad?

[ You ]: yeah. they won’t stop asking when i’ll get married. 

[ You ]: it’s really pissing me off. 

[ Sylus ]: lol

[ Sylus ]: well why dont you leave?

[ You ]: because i know i’ll never hear the end of it.

[ Sylus ]: hmm.

[ Sylus ]: would you like some company then?

[ You ]: 😏😏😏 what are you gonna teleport here or something?

[ Sylus ]: look up.

On cue, you glance skyward as the telltale shadow of a crow circles the ground around you. You squint your eyes against the sun’s brilliance, making out distinct iridescent feathers circling above. “Mephisto?” you suspiciously inquire.

You look down, only to be met with a familiar swatch of scarlet and white. “Sylus?!” you shriek, jumping back and clutching your pounding heart, almost having shit yourself.

He wears that customary smirk, looking so cool with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He wears a tailored, dark suit, his blazer hanging off his shoulders, ruffled by the summery breeze. “In the flesh.”

You swallow against the stickiness of your throat, wide-eyed and feeling like you’re dreaming. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Sylus examines his nails, his tone conspiratorial. “Well, I was just passing through—”

“Like hell you were!” You aim an accusatory finger at him. “We’re, like, 1,700 miles from the N109! There’s no way you’re just ‘passing through’!”

He shrugs, feigning innocence. 

A few of your high schoolmates, summoned by the commotion, gather in the courtyard behind you. The crowd oohs and ahs, whispering as they study your tall, devastatingly handsome boss. One of the women asks who he is, admiration evident in his voice. You know that tone too well: if you don’t claim him, I will. 

You swallow your resolve, seizing the opportunity to shut everyone up. 

You sidle up to your boss with a fake smile, encircling one of his arms with both of yours, your hands wrapped around his impressive bicep. You cling to him, playing up the theatrics of a docile girlfriend. It makes you sick.

Sylus smiles down at you in your peripheral, the omniscient lift of his brow letting you know that he’s never going to let you live down what next comes from your mouth.

“This is my fiancé!” You pat his chest with a giggle pinched from your lungs, cold dread dropping into your belly. 

What the hell are you even doing?

[hollowed-theory-hall]

what do you think harry likes to do in his free time if there isn't a huge mystery going on?

Hello 👋

He doesn't have that many hobbies, since more often than not Harry is at the center of a plot to kill him. But we do see things he enjoyed doing to pass the time.

We know Harry likes Quidditch, and we know he enjoys flying in general as a hobby when given the time and opportunity.

We see him play Exploding Snap and collect Chocolate Frog cards. And while he isn't very good at chess, he does play it against Ron a lot! I think he does enjoy it, even if he loses more often than not.

He really loves magic, and once he's 17, he casts magic just because he can. So, I can definitely see him absently changing the color of various items or levitating his quill when he's bored in class.

With the D.A. (and from the beginning of 1st year) we also saw he does enjoy learning and he does quite a bit of research for defense spells that have nothing to do with the main mystery. He really does enjoy it, I think.

In this post and reblog, @sparsilees and I talk about how Harry loves little fancy trinkets and fancy things in general. Since he was gifted luxury quills and such, I can totally see him having a collection of nice quills and inks that he doesn't really use. He just liked buying them.

He likes watching TV when he gets the chance at the Dursleys, and I think he would love fictional books if he had the time to sit down and read them. But, post-books Harry would totally go to the cinema to watch movies when he finds time. He would take his kids too. That would be their main muggle exposure.

In the books, he hangs out with Ron and Hermione a lot, and that's how he spends most of his free time, if we're being honest. The kid was lonely all his childhood, of course, he'd love hanging out with his friends!

[gay-dorito-dust]

Oh, should i request it again then?

Damian pining after a male reader, its like his first big crush, its like their first patrol and damians all like "should i confess or nauh..."

Damian didn’t do feelings, or at least he liked to say he didn’t but in actuality he was raised by those who felt that emotions hindered his potential, his progress and thus installed the idea that the moment he started to feel something; he was bound to become a dead man.

So when he realised that he was developing a crush on you- a fellow vigilante- Damian knew he was a man doomed to fall upon his sword because he felt as though he needed to keep you safe, despite knowing well enough that you were capable of taking care of yourself if you managed to stay alive as long as you had.

However main couldn’t help but notice how vastly different you both were from one another. He had rough edges, a sandpaper like surface that felt like thousands of sharp teeth like fangs, he wasn’t exactly a welcoming presence to others; unlike you as you were the exact opposite of him. You were soft yet firm, strong enough to be able to give other kindness, and wielded a will power of pure iron and unyielding strength to push through any and all adversity.

A true reason for people to hope for a brighter future in comparison to him, but as Dick told him once, opposites attract and it was only natural for Damian to feel pulled towards you that he couldn’t explain. He still couldn’t explain it and it sent him mad at most times, but now that he was here with you on patrol, he couldn’t help but feel that things were becoming clear to him now as your presence tended to clear the fog within his head and help things seem clearer then before.

Now Damian faced a completely different challenge, should he confess to you of his innermost feelings, or remain true to what he was taught and keep the emotions within his chest until he -or they- died. This conflict raged even more within poor Damian as his shoulder brushes yours ever so slightly, causing his breath to hitch and his body to straighten upon instinct, all the while you only smiled at him and Damian damned his heart for speeding up at the sight of such a small thing.

‘You okay dami? You seem a little more brooding than usual.’ You said teasingly.

‘It’s nothing.’ He replied straightforward, his eyes firmly locked on the city you both swore to better, to protect and change.

You furrowed your brows, concerned. ‘Are you sure? If you don’t feel up to going on patrol with me I can always get dick to-‘

‘No.’ Damian almost shouted at the idea of having to deal with his brother talking his ear off about how he missed his opportunity to confess to you tonight, and how he’ll have to try and find another way to set you and him up on a mission. ‘I’ve just got a lot on my mind, I’m sorry if I come off as snippy or rude.’ You smiled and rested a hand on his shoulder, squeezing as all Damian could do was get lost within your gaze, words that he wanted to say died on his tongue as his mind blanked everything out but you.

‘Good, I wouldn’t want my Damian to get bored of me now.’ You joked as you patted his shoulder twice before letting your hand drop to your side again before choosing to overlook the city yourself. Unaware that Damian’s eyes had long shifted to you in the process. He hated how you made him feel but didn’t want to live in a life without it either, it was the most frustrating thing he’s ever felt but yet the most beautiful and he wanted to explore it deeper, it reminded him of how he often had issues with how his art came off a times to the point he had to redo the entire piece all over again.

‘Bored? You’re the only person I can wilfully tolerate on patrols.’ Damian found himself saying upon instinct but thankfully for him, you didn’t think more of it other than him being blunt.

‘I’m glad because I’m staring to like you Damian.’ You admitted.

Damian wondered whether you knew what you were saying and the way they made him feel half of the time, but at least you were more open with your emotions then him, so when Damian went back to the thought of confession to you he decided that tonight wouldn’t be the night; he still had time to do so and besides Damian didn’t fell it would be appropriate to confess on a patrol, perhaps an outing with his dogs would suffice instead?

[fefe-the-cat]

Frithuswith (protagonist of my current wip, Adultery, Assassination)

[1] Frithuswith is immediately beloved by all. She genuinely loves everyone she meets. Major golden retriever energy, but still competent enough to be one of her kingdom's greatest monarchs.

[2] She's a queen consort. She's never alone. But if she was, she'd probably just... vibe, I guess, I don't know.

[3] Grief, specifically the kind that comes from betrayal. She just denies everything. The only reason she believed Eadgifu when she said she seduced Rastislav (her husband) was because Eadgifu was "running too high a fever to be lying" at the time.

[4] Loving almost to a fault and will make everyone aware.

[5] Definitely a good secret keeper seeing as no one found out about the attempt on Rastislav's life. But they all knew Frithuswith used her regency to usurp the throne.

[6] She meant what she said and she said what she meant. An elephant's faithful one hundred percent!

[7] She could probably lie if she wanted to, but she just... doesn't want to.

[8] She will definitely let you know. She's spunky.

[9] I... don't know, actually. Maybe all of them? I think she can adapt.

[10] Frithuswith fell for Rastislav hard and fast, and trusted him blindly.

[11] A crackling fire, a soft blanket, and an opportunity to yap.

[12] Her self-esteem is pretty high, but she's not arrogant. She knows she's flawed, but she also knows worse people can and do exist.

[13] A joke that might take a second to get. A funny one-liner or clever pun.

[14] It depends on the situation. A flustered/crush laugh is a giggle. An amused laugh is a cackle. Then there's that sad laugh. I don't know how to type it, but I'm guessing you all know what it sounds like.

[15] She overthrew her husband because he cheated on her. This question can't be answered because Frithuswith is never around someone she doesn't like. She just kicks them out or leaves.

[16] She's self-reliant but not problematically.

___

[17] The constant fear of being assassinated.

[18] No.

[19] She wouldn't have married Rastislav. She would have kicked and screamed and insisted on her father making an alliance with another country. Or joined a convent. Or run off into the woods.

[20] She just does her darndest to solve the problem. Cheating husband? Kick him out. Girl tried to assassinate him because she's a hitwoman? Give her a new job. She's very practical.

[21] Really depends on how sick. A little sniffle or an upset stomach? Leave her alone. the plague? Please hold her.

[22] She'll have nightmares, but they're more vaguely threatening and they don't happen often. If they do, she doesn't remember them.

[23] During canon. Husband gets plague, finds out husband got plague from cheating on her because mistress is an assassin, has to rule the country and figure out how to deal...

[24] I'd say overthrowing the king was a pretty heart over head decision.

[25] The story is set in what is implied to be Medieval Europe, so I think all her fears were rational and the better question is why isn't she afraid of everything?

[26] If she does, I'm not sure how important it is to the plot. Up to you guys :) She may have a few traits yoinked from autism though. As a treat. Because I'm autistic. But it's entirely open to interpretation.

[27] She doesn't really have a physical appearance. She could be anyone. But my current mental image of her is Jane from My Lady Jane (the TV show).

[28] Forgiveness is complex. It doesn't mean no longer being hurt. It doesn't mean reconciliation. It means intentionally choosing not to hold a grudge and hate that person for the sake of the forgiver. So I really don't know.

[29] Eliminate the cause, cry...

[30] Healthiest: cry, solve problem. Unhealthiest: you could put her quotes on r/rare insults probably

[31] Hmmmm... I think it depends on whether she's aware that what she did was wrong. If she knowingly did something wrong, she'd own up to it quickly and easily, but if it was an accident or only considered wrong by an arbitrary societal standard (e.g. greeting someone with a cat noise, wearing pants around the palace, etc.), she probably won't, at least not without putting up a bit of a fight.

[32] Being so trusting.

[33] Her wedding. Even if the guy turned out to be an adulterous asshole, she still looks back on it as a good day.

___

[34] She's impulsive and naive, but I don't know how insecure she is about that.

[35] Up to interpretation. I didn't give her a physical appearance, nor do I know if/what beauty standards are applicable in the setting, so it's up to everyone else.

[36] Yes, definitely. Her wedding dress and ring, probably.

[37] She doesn't get those. She has a kingdom to run.

[38] It's a castle. It's inherently safe, otherwise purposeless.

[39] Sidesleeper, probably scrunched up, likes to be the little spoon.

[40] It's the Middle Ages. She can't afford that.

[41] Wake up, get dressed by lady/ies-in-waiting, monch.

[42] Cuddle time for both

[43] She's the queen. That's not a thing.

[44] Wherever the people are.

[45] Depends on the event.

[46] Comfort.

[47] Probably, but not much. Maybe a glass of wine or mead with dinner. Maybe a couple on her wedding night.

[48] princess->queen

___

[49] Literate, good at politics (not even a period-typical misogyny thing, King John of England needed a signet ring for a reason)

[50] Really good at knowing what she wants, really bad at wanting things society wants her to want, probably

[51] I refer again to her position in society.

[52] Old English (Frithuswith was named after St. Frithuswith, Patron Saint of Oxford, that's her native language), Czech (Rastislav is named after the king of Moravia in the 860's), and probably Latin (church and stuff)

[53] I feel like they didn't sing much outside of church at that time...

[54] Just tell her what you want and she'll do her best to get it to you :)

[55] It takes three weeks for habits to be developed, so...

[56] Depends. Was it clever? Did the dirt contribute? Is she eating? Are there children present? What's the relationship between the maker of the joke and everyone else present, including but not limited to her?

[57] Nurse the woman who tried to assassinate her husband back to health.

[58] Morals

[59] She doesn't care much about if she's remembered or specifically what for, but if she is remembered, she wants it to be for something good or morally neutral

[60] I think she already did. She usurped the throne. I think that counts, except she can't break the law because she is the law, so...

OC questions

60 questions that can be made into an OC ask game, or you can just fill everything out yourself to get to know your character a little better :)

___

[1] What first impression do they typically make? Are they likeable from the get go, or take time to grow on people?

[2] How does their social personality differ from how they act when they’re alone?

[3] What emotion is the hardest for them to deal with?

[4] How physically and emotionally affectionate they are?

[5] Are they good at keeping secrets?

[6] How direct are they in conversations, do they speak in hints and riddles or bluntly say what they think?

[7] Are they a good liar, and what would they probably lie about?

[8] How open they are about their true feelings, both positive and negative?

[9] What is their love language?

[10] How quickly do they fall for someone?

[11] What are small things that make them happy?

[12] How high is their self-esteem?

[13] What kind of sense of humor do they have, if any?

[14] What does it take to make them laugh, and what does their laugh sound like?

[15] How do they act around people they don't like?

[16] Do they easily rely on others to help them out, or prefer doing everything themselves?

___

[17] What is their biggest struggle that no one around them is able to understand or believe?

[18] Do they ever have to hide their identity and for what reason?

[19] If they could change one thing about their past, what would they change?

[20] When they’re sad or upset, do they need company or some time alone?

[21] When they’re sick, would they want others to visit and take care of them, or they would rather prefer not to be seen at not their best?

[22] Do they have nightmares, and if yes, when did they start and what are they usually about?

[23] What was the worst, the darkest period of their life that they have been through?

[24] How hard it is for them to not allow their emotions to cloud their judgement?

[25] Do they have fears and phobias, and if they do, do they usually keep it to themselves or talk about it openly?

[26] Do they have any physical or mental ilness, how do they handle it and how open they are about it?

[27] Do they have any scars, how did they get them and how do they feel about them?

[28] What is something that they will never be able to forgive?

[29] How do they deal with loss, stress and anger?

[30] What are their most healthy and most unhealthy coping mechanisms?

[31] How hard it is for them to own up to their mistakes and wrongdoings?

[32] Is there something they've done in the past that they deeply regret till this day?

[33] What are one of their fondest and most treasured memories?

___

[34] Do they have vices they don't want others to know about?

[35] Do they like their own appearance, and what do they do, if anything, to alter it in any way?

[36] Do they own items that have sentimental value?

[37] How would they spend a lazy day when they have nothing specific to do?

[38] What do they usually do or where do they go when they need to feel comfortable and safe?

[39] What is their sleeping habits and favorite sleeping position, either alone and with someone?

[40] How picky they are with food, do they have specific dietary requirements based on their health or culture?

[41] What’s their usual morning routine?

[42] What is their idea of a perfect friendly hangout and/or romantic date?

[43] Do they enjoy flirting or being flirted with?

[44] On a party, where would you find them?

[45] For an event, would they dress like they typically do, or go all out?

[46] Would they rather dress to look attractive or to feel comfortable, and what would they never wear?

[47] Do they drink alcohol, and if they do, how much and how often?

[48] Are they, or were they at some point in their life, a part of any subculture?

___

[49] Do they possess any unexpected skill or knowledge that surprises others, and otherwise, what is something anyone would assume they know or can do, but in fact they don’t?

[50] What are they really good and really bad at?

[51] How good are they with money?

[52] Do they speak any other languages aside from their own?

[53] Do they like to sing and how confident they are with their singing?

[54] Do they like giving gifts, and how good are they at picking good gifts?

[55] How long does it take for them to make a new place feel like home, and what do they need for it?

[56] How would they react to hearing a dirty joke?

[57] What was the most stupid or dangerous thing they have ever done?

[58] In the situation where they had to choose, would they rather stay loyal to their morals or to people they love?

[59] What would they want to be remembered for?

[60] If they were to commit a crime, what kind of crime would it most likely be?

---

some of these question were written myself, some are the courtesy of my friend, and some were brought from my questionnaires in my old fandom. if you use them, please reblog or link back to this post

[deleteddewewted]

Supermarket Romance: Cocoa and Painkillers (Christmas Special)

Modern! Demetrian Titus x Gn! Reader

MDNI

W: Ableist Language (From Titus), Friends with feelings, NSFW (Masturbation), Imagine this takes place after the event of chapter 6 (You'll see why), Age gap, Doing Holiday Stuff

If you want to buy me a Ko-fi

Taglist: @kingmagnificolover @garlickedbreads @eliferraris @justeverythingnothingelse @absent-still @laura-naruto-fan1998 @lichkingofangmar @hatsubara-8chan @riokunova @sk-3-tch @futtorliya @missmannequin

The colder months wrecked Titus' body. He didn't particularly enjoy the snow or the rain as it made his joints stiffen and his muscles tighten uncomfortably. Steroid injections were a no-go for him as he was on too many different mediations to allow for the use of them so he had to make do with painkillers. During his service he made sure to rub muscle cream on his body as often as he could, hoping that the cream would help ease the pain in his body, and then take 2 to 3 painkillers to truly numb himself. It made working bearable when based up north in a country that knew only snow and cold weather but when he had the opportunity, he would clamor at the chance to be sent somewhere with nothing but desert and dust storms, at least there he knew his body wouldn't complain.

The cold was not the only thing he disliked either. The holidays, especially Christmas, were hard on him too. He had to make plans to avoid people in his apartment complex or to minimize interactions with coworkers when he had to come into the office. Christmas was a loud affair. He knew that it would mean crowded drive-thru's, crowded streets, and stores. It would mean that his senses would be bombarded with all the lights and decorations that would be put out. He would avoid it as much as possible when deployed but indulged some of his men if they had the time to even set up a tree or make a meal.

Guilliman had called him, asking him if he had already put up his tree, and when he revealed he hadn't, Guilliman sent him his own tree and forced him to decorate it. He did put up lights and some charms but he refused to plug it in so that it lit up. Titus sometimes found himself staring at the unlit tree thinking about how many Christmases he had with his parents and the pile of presents he used to get from Santa Claus. There was a joy in the memory but it began to grow clouded by the ones where he spent them alone in his office filling paperwork detailing brothers who were killed in action. To say that this was his least favorite time of the year was an understatement.

He shook the memory away and instead looked down at his phone. Calgar and he had been texting all day, happy wishes and promises to meet for the New Year's were exchanged. Calgar and he did exchange gifts, even if neither one of them was a big fan of the holiday. His former superior sent him a gift card with a new notebook and pen from a brand he barely knew how to pronounce. It looked expensive and when questioned why he would spend so much money on a book and pen, Calgar responded with, "You're terrible at making notes for yourself but you were always great at documenting." It was a true enough statement but it still made Titus nauseous at the idea of how much money was spent. Titus in exchange got Calgar a bottle of his favorite alcoholic drink and a gift card for a store the man frequented. It wasn't anything big but it did make it so Titus' guilt for being avoidant dissipated. His parents had also sent him gifts but he didn't dare open them. There was usually a letter attached to them and he was scared to see what it said.

He didnt know what to do with the rest of his night. He didn't feel like cooking and the heated pad he had placed on his knee felt too nice to remove. He was planning on ordering takeout but he got a call from you as he was looking at the menu from a restaurant he frequented. He answered your call, wondering why you would be calling him so late, but also because your were calling him instead of texting him.

"Hello?" He asked tentatively.

"Hi, Titus! Merry Christmas!" You greeted him.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Y/n." Your enthusiasm was contagious. A fluttering feeling in his stomach came back and so did a smile that he hadn’t taken notice of.

"I was calling to ask if you felt comfortable with me dropping your gift by your house or if you wanted to meet up some other day so I can give it to you?"

"Gift?" He questioned.

"Yeah, i got you something.”

"That's very considerate of you, but you didn't have to-" He tried explaining himself but you cut him off before he could finish.

"Nonsense. We're friends and everyone deserves a little something for the holidays." You exclaimed.

"I-" he didn’t know what to say. He was actually left without words. It was considerate of you but he hadn’t gotten you anything for the holiday as he didn't know this was something you were planning on doing.

"Oh shit, were you busy? I'm sorry.” You apologized.

"No, not at all. I was just- I'm at home wondering what to do for the day and I was doing nothing of importance." He tried reassuring.

"In that case, we should go to the city's downtown area! There's so much going on over here. They even installed an ice skating rink in the main plaza!"

"Oh, uh... sure. Do you want to meet there?" He asked, his heart started beating faster in his chest at the suggestion of spending time alone with you.

"I'm already here! I'll see you when you get here then!" You bid him goodbye before hanging up.

Titus groaned as he got up from his bed. His leg felt better but he still made sure to put more weight on his uninjured leg. He began getting dressed and put on as many layers of clothes as he could. He wore a thick turtle neck with a coat on top and a scarf around his neck to keep warm. He grabbed his wallet and keys from his coffee table and was about to open his front door before he stopped himself. His cane sat laying by the front door and he contemplated leaving it before just grabbing it and leaving in a hurry.

Ice and snow covered everything, making it a nerve-racking drive to the city center. When he finally reached the location you had sent him and made sure to give himself to decompress and relax in his car. He needed to mentally prepare himself for the assault on his senses as the lights of the gaudy decorated homes and plaza assaulted his senses. He took deep breaths in before he got out of the car. He walked over to the center of the plaza where an ice rink had been erected and spotted you standing by the wall watching the skaters.

"Y/n, it's good to see you." He looked at you from head to toe. You looekd adorable bundled up in later of clothing.

"Titus! Im glad you could make it. Do you want to look around the stalls, do a little bit of window shopping to pass the time before i give you your gift?" You asked.

"Why not give me the gift now?" He jokingly asked, a smile already making its way on his face.

"It'll ruin the magic of it." You teased. You smiled back at him, and grabbed his hand before leading him towards the stalls.

These mini stores had a variety of items. Some of them containing trinkets to fill out space, others having food, and others specialized gifts. Titus and you looked at items, some of them being more interesting than others. You caught him looking at a stall selling knifes and old military memorabilia. He picked up what looked like an old knife with a leather sheath. He inspected it for a moment before putting it down again, looking away from the stall entirely. You waited for him to walk towards the next stall before grabbing the knife and buying it. You placed it in your pocket and followed Titus again.

This continued, eventually, the two of you ended up with Santa hats that he had bought for the both of you. He had handed it over, a slight blush on his face as he admitted he felt a little silly buying the hats but it was in the spirit of the holiday. You grabbed it from him and placed it on your own head before walking over to a stall selling food and placing an order. You paid for the meals as well as hot cocoa for the two of you but Titus' had a sugar substitute. Whip cream decorated the surface of the drink and as you both sipped on them while you waited for the food, you noticed some of the whipped cream made itself home on the tip of Titus's nose.

"You got a little something there." You pointed at your own nose hoping he would understand. Titus's eyes widened a little before he passed the back of his hand against his nose hoping to remove the cream. You watched him struggle to remove a splotch of whipped cream and took matters into your own hands. You took your thumb and removed the remaining cream before smiling up at him, telling him that he missed a spot.

"Oh... thank you." His eyes couldn't meet your own. He was grateful that the Santa har covered his ears as he knew that they were burning red and you would know that he was flustered. Your orders were called out and handed over. You led the way toward a row of benches that the event organizers had set out. You sat across from Titus and started discussing everything you had seen. You did most of the talking as Titus focused on eating his meal, the anxiety of being surrounded by so many people creeping in.

"If you don't mind me asking, why were you so interested in the knife at that one stall?" You asked. You took a bite out of your food as Titus directed his eyes at you, surprise evident on his face.

"The military knife?" He said, covering his mouth as he finished chewing his food.

"Yeah."

"It looked like an old military knife." This was new information to you. He never spoke about his family or he rarely referenced them in passing, "My father had one in his collection when i was growing up. It just looked familiar." This spiked your interest.

"Was he a collector?"

"He still is, though I do not know if to the same extent. He believed preserving items of the sort was useful and taught us something of value." He explained. You must have looked surprised as he let out a chuckle before taking a sip of his drink.

"He sounds like an interesting type." You joked.

"I will have to agree with your statement. He was a Sergeant in the military, devoted to his work, very much a mentor and a leader. He inspired me to enlist." You couldn’t see it but there was a melancholy feeling in his words.

"Oooh, that explains a lot." There was a pregnant pause in the conversation. Neither you or him wanted to continue speaking though you tried to find an opening to start it again.

"Thats how i got my leg injury." He blurts out. You look at him and then at his cane.

"Did he know about the injury? Or..." Your voice trailed off as you redirected your eyes to him. A sadness that wasn’t there finally appeared in his features.

"He knew. My mother knew. A few colleagues and friends as well. They visited when i was recovering." His leg began to bounce under the table, anxiety beginning to creep in as he explained himself.

"I hope you dont mind me asking but, are you not... close to your parents?"

"We had some differences that we couldn't over come. We havent spoken since i was discharged." All of sudden, Titus feels like he’s out of breath. He shoves food into his mouth to try and hide it before speaking again.

"What were the differences?" Titus paused at your question. He looked up at you, ignoring his food a moment to inspect you.

"They wanted me to not re-sign my military contract back when I was 20. They wanted we to quit and go to school instead, settle down. I got offered a 7 year contract, signed it, I eventually ended up staying for over 20 years in service. Became a Captain, felt fullfilled. Then i.." He paused, taking a sip of water before sighing and looking back at you again, "Then i was hurt in an explosion and i was medically discharged. Now my biggest struggle in life is climbing stairs and socializing instead of paperwork." He tried to joke but you could hear the sadness in his words.

"How come you didn't... why not let your friends help you when you knew you needed help?" You didn't want to come off judgemental, but you questioned him anyway. It sounded like he had a support system like there were people, including his parents who wanted to help him but you didn't have the full story.

"I spent my life helping others. I knew I wasn't invisible but I didn't think I would ever become... this." Titus explained. "I didn't know that being crippled would come with all of these new conditions and routines. I thought I would find my end in the heat of war." His tone grew bitter as he spoke. Anger, sadness, resentment evident in his face as he tried to not lethis emotions get ahold of him.

"How did you come to terms with all of this?" You redirected.

"I didn't. I still struggle. I sometimes refuse to use my cane or my leg brace even though I know I need them. I'm stubborn, Y/n." Titus lamented. You looked at him, waiting to see if he would say anything else before reaching out and holding is fisted hand. You looked for his eyes, finally meeting those the pretty blue eyes you couldn't stop thinking about even after you would leave his presence.

"Well, i hope you know that you can reach out to me. No questions asked, you don't even have to explain. I'll be there." You offered, squeezing his hand in the process.

"No questions asked?" Titus questioned.

"None." You reiterated. You both cleared out the bench and began walking over to his car. He offered you a ride but you turned it down in favor of walking, you still thanked him for the offer. You pulled out a box from from your bag, tape keeping the lid closed.

"Merry Christmas, Titus." You handed the gift box over to him, telling him to open it when he got home. He smiled down at the box before thank you.

As he drove away he snuck short glances at the gift box you had given him which was sitting in the passenger seat. The red-striped box had a green ribbon sitting on top of it with a small card reading, ‘From: Y/N, To: Demetrian Titus’ followed by a drawing of a blueberry. He couldn’t stop the smile that grew on his face. A gift from you meant so much and yet he didn’t know what was in it. What could it be? Maybe you had gotten his another leg sleeve. Maybe it was an attachment for his cane. It was big enough to fit large items like a tablet or even folded clothing, so whatever its contents were, they were still a mystery to him.

As he arrived to his apartment he made sure to park carefully before putting on his breaks and turning his engine off. He hesitated for a moment before grabbing the box, irrational thoughts of possible horrors that the box may contain flashed in his mind. He slowly opened the box, prying the tape off one by one before removing the lid to look inside. Decorative paper filled the box but in the very center was not what he was expecting. A small glass object, frame, contained what he couldn’t only say was a true piece of art. One of your drawings laid flat in a glass frame, his likeness captured and placed on paper by your talented hands once again blessed his eyes. There he was, wrinkled and scarred, his face in a joyful expression looked back at him with an addition of yourself including. He assumed you used the pencil to make this as the texture looked grainy and the paper wasn’t thick enough to use paint on. He loved it. It set his heart ablaze and the fluttering in his stomach into override. You captured his likeness and your own in what he could describe as tasteful. You made sure to get all of his facial scarring perfectly, even the smaller scars that have fainted with time were still there. The faint scars of an explosion that pushed shrapnel into the left side of his forehead were there, shaded in lightly to show the raised skin left behind, even the one on his cheek that he got from a bullet that had also took a chunk out of his ear was present in the drawing. His eyes began to water as he analyzed the gift further. You did such a good job at capturing him. He was about to put the drawing back into the box but he noticed something else sitting inside. The knife he had been looking at was there, wrapped in gift paper, almost like you’d hidden it on purpose.

He pressed the back of his head against his seat head cushion. He didn’t know what to do with you. You paid attention to him, to his likes and dislikes. You were considerate when many would simply just ignore him. He grabbed the box with his gifts and took it with him into his home. He placed the box on his kitchen table and made his way to his bathroom to wash up. His clothes came off in layers, all of them now feeling like too much fabric as his shower heated up the room. He cleaned himself, hoping that the fluttering feeling would go away but it didn't. It only grew worse and worse as he showered and eventually stepped out of it. He made it back to his bedroom, boxers intact as he adjusted and readjusted himself in his underwear. Once in the privacy of his own bedroom, Titus began pressing the palm of his hand against his crotch hoping that the friction he was creating was enough to relieve him. It wasn't but he enjoyed the feeling nonetheless.

His soft moans became whimpers, and his hard dick became more than that. Titus couldn't help himself, for the first time in a long time he took off his underwear and started palming at himself. He began to slowly stroke himself, his free hand finding a place on his abdomen as he pleasured himself. It was electric. He couldn't remember the last time he masturbated or felt this much pleasure in the past year. Depression having consumed him made it hard to stay erect but to also find interest in such basic pleasure.

He pumped himself slow at first and picked up speed when he imagined you being the one to stroke him. The thought at first made him jump. He shouldnt think of you in such a way, you in his bed telling him that he's being good and that he deserves this. He bucketed his hips as he thought of you pressing your mouth against he tip of his cock, leaving kisses and licking the head like it wouldn't get a reaction out of him.

He panted into the cool air of his apartment as he seemed his climax at the chant of your name. He repeated it like a prayer almost hoping that it would help get him to cum quicker. With shallow breath he jolted as he felt the once righting knot in his stomach release itself violently as his balls clenched. His cum coated his hand and abdomen as he continued to stroke himself through his orgasm, not stopping until he felt like he had been fully drained and had nothing left to give.

As he laid on his bed panting, his hand still on himself, he said your name one last time before closing his eyes and groaning. No, this wasn’t right. He shouldn’t be doing this to the thought of you, to the sound of your name. How was he going to face you when he’d see you next? How was he going to look at you and carry on a conversation like the image of you praising him and helping him relieve himself hadn’t happened.

Titus breathing was erratic as he thought about what would happen if you found out. Would you abandon him? Think he was disgusting? Would you rescind the offer you had made him about being there if he needed you? Tears began to prick at the corners of his eyes but he was too tired. His orgasm left him feeling like a loose sack of bones that he didn’t have the energy to cry. He instead wiped his hand on is discarded boxers and fell asleep. It could all wait in the morning when he had a clearer head.

[greenwitchfromthewoods]

you in my eyes [3] l Javier Peña

Summary:  you weren't friends and you certainly weren't planning anything more together

Warnings:  angst, smut (+18), enemies (?) to lovers, misogyny and sexism at work, some bad language, sexual innuendo, Murphy shows up, alcohol, a guy says nasty things about a woman, mentioning marital infidelity

A/N: I've been quite productive lately.

your feedback is very important to me and I want to thank you for all the reblogs, comments and likes. I secretly hope you like this story.🖤 sorry for all the mistakes

[previous chapter]

[masterlist]

Over the course of two weeks, Peter O'Connell had settled into the office so much that he soon found himself hanging out at local bars with his coworkers. Although Javier still didn't have a firm opinion on him, he definitely noticed the strange relationship between you and him.

And you, putting on a mask of professionalism and cold indifference, tried to pretend that his presence didn't make you uncomfortable.

One of those situations was definitely on the first meeting when O'Connell amusedly asked you, as one of the few women, to make coffee for the entire male team.

Your voice got stuck in your throat in surprise and only Murphy's quick reaction, who said that he had forgotten something on his desk and would ask O'Connell's secretary to make coffee, ended the whole awkward situation.

Peña didn't have many opportunities to talk to you, because you clearly avoided contacts other than work, and in the office with your new superior you became strangely silent. 

He also didn't want to listen to gossip, which was getting more and more disgusting.

But he saw you again in one of the bars. Your shirt had a few buttons undone, revealing your cleavage, and your hair was a bit disheveled, as if you had been ruffling it with your hand too often.

"You seem stressed." he mumbled, sitting down next to you at the tables.

"Oh, really?" a suspicious smile appeared on your lips, "I guess you're wrong."

"So what O'Connell is doing is just friendly teasing?"

Despite the fact that you had already downed two glasses of whiskey, your gaze was really sober. Javier's dark eyes pierced you to the bone.

"It's really none of your business, Peña." you replied.

You saw the tip of his tongue as he licked his lips and moved closer to you.

"Listen. I know we started off badly, but if you needed someone to talk to..." he said, but you just shook your head.

"You can be charming, but that doesn't work on me." you mumbled "Better focus on your work."

He wanted to say something, but a tall, dark-haired man approached your table and put his hand on your shoulder. You smiled and quickly grabbed your bag.

"Good night, Agent Peña." you said, giving him one last look.

"Night, Agent." he replied and followed you with his gaze.

"Fuck! You take me so good, baby, so good."

Strong hands gripped your hips as Carlos or Diego pounded into you from behind. The slaps of skin on skin floated around the stuffy room. You clenched your fingers on the pillow, feeling his cock railing into you in strong and chaotic movements. His panting mixed with the noise of the fan in the corner of the room and the voices on the street.

"Are you close? I can feel you squeezing me, hermosa. Ugh!"

"Yes, I am. So close..." you sighed.

That was a lie. 

Despite what your body was doing, despite the alcohol you had consumed earlier, your mind was clear and sharp. You stared at the clock on your nightstand, the second hand moving strangely slowly, and you wondered when he would finally finish. Once again, sex brought you no relief. It was annoying, but you kept trying.

Carlos or Diego, you finally came to the conclusion that it was Diego after all, finally let out a loud groan and leaned in, his head falling between your shoulder blades as he panted heavily.

"Fuck! You're so good, so good..." he sighed.

"You too." you replied automatically.

You waited a moment longer, and then moved, signaling for the man to move too. He pulled out of you, then took off the condom, tying it. You turned around, reaching for the cigarettes on the nightstand, watching Diego's naked form as he went to the bathroom to throw away the evidence of intimacy. You lit one.

"We should do this again." he called to you.

"Mhm..." you mumbled, blowing out a thin stream of smoke.

The sound of the toilet flushing and soon Diego appeared again. His eyes were taking in your naked body lying in the freshly wrinkled sheets. You could feel what he wanted to say, they always said that.

"You should go now." you got ahead of him. "I have to wake up really early tomorrow."

"It's fucking Sunday." Diego laughed.

But you didn't seem to be joking. Whether he wanted to or not, he gathered his clothes and left, slamming the door. Without knowing why, your thoughts drifted to the brown-eyed man you had left at the table in the bar. It didn't bode well.

"That boy's already said everything. We can press charges against him, he'll go to jail. A few more with him. Good job, Peña. Murphy." O'Connell nodded to the men. "It's a pleasure working with you."

"It's not just our doing." Javier muttered, and Peter looked up from the documents with interest. Your name appeared on Peña's lips. "She showed us where to look. She was the first to find the evidence."

"Good for her." Peter replied. "Sometimes a woman can be useful too."

Murphy shifted nervously, but his friend didn't let on. O'Connell had a strange sense of humor, if you could call it that. Finally, the man closed the file and looked at them.

"Maybe we should have a drink tonight? You deserve a reward. The drinks are on me!"

"Naah, I can't tonight." Steve shook his head, clearly wanting to avoid that.

"Javier? I know you don't need to be invited twice."

And so they both found themselves in one of the decent pubs. A bottle of amber whiskey sat between them, cigarette smoke hanging in the air. Peter had already had a few drinks, his cheeks were pink, and he had long since loosened his tie.

"I don't believe in this fucking equality thing." He muttered, looking at Javier, who had settled into the chair opposite. "It's guys like us who do the dirty work, and we deserve the credit for it. I appreciate you mentioning her name, but it's unnecessary." Peter waved his hand absently. "I know her all too well. Do you know what I mean?"

Javier raised an eyebrow without saying anything. His companion laughed.

"I've heard the rumors about her in this office. Does she really sleep with anyone she can? The office whore?" he chuckled and took a sip from his glass. "You're a regular at these kinds of places. Have you seen her?"

"That's none of my business, Peter." Javier replied. "As long as she does her job..."

"Bullshit!" O'Connell interrupted. "I know her well. She worked for me a few years ago." He smiled as if remembering the good old days. "Fresh and pretty. You have to understand me, Peña. I had a wife and three kids... I was at work all day. I needed to...relieve the stress."

Peña tilted his head, he didn't want to listen to him. Whatever you had in common was none of his business, but Peter clearly wanted to brag. It couldn't be worse than the most disgusting rumor he'd heard. Or could it?

"She's a pretty girl. And her body... Damn! Have you had a taste of her yet, Peña? I had a really good time with her. Then came what I could have expected. She thought I would leave everything for her. I may have said that a few times, but don't we say certain things just to get into their panties?" Peter laughed, and Javier felt as if someone was squeezing his insides. "They transferred her to another department, I had to get rid of her. And now, here she is again, in my way. I'm sure if I wanted her again, she would gladly spread her thighs for me."

"You think so?" Javier finally mumbled.

"We're the same, Peña. That's why I like you." He pointed a finger at him and poured himself some alcohol. "We do the dirty work, the one no one else wants to do. We have our needs and we're not afraid to reach for them. Some people, like her, are just little pleasures. We shouldn't bother with them."

He got out of the car and after a moment he heard the passenger door close.

"I don't understand why you brought me here." You mumbled, putting on your sunglasses and looking around the quiet area. "You can handle things like this by yourself, or with Steve."

"This guy has a family, kids." Javier put his hands on his hips and looked at you hopefully. "You can help me convince him to testify."

"And we'll provide them with protection?"

Peña nodded. He couldn't see your eyes, but he was sure you had rolled them. You knew that showing up there with a woman would give him more credibility.

"Alright then. Lead the way."

After a moment you stood in front of a small house, from the depths of which came the cheerful cries of children. 

At times like these you really didn't like your job. If children or innocent people were involved in all this, it was shit. And you had to provide them with protection, promise that nothing bad would happen to them, and convince them to give you the information you needed.

Watching Peña work was a pleasure. He was able to find common ground with people, talking to them and gathering everything he needed. You listened as he talked to a middle-aged man who seemed quite stressed when someone unexpectedly tugged on the hem of your shirt. You looked down and saw a girl, no older than five. Her dark eyes were staring at you, and she was holding a doll in her chubby hands.

"Oh, hi." you greeted quietly.

Your Spanish wasn't the best, but despite everything you crouched down next to her. In order not to disturb Javier and her father you quietly gave her your name. The girl smiled and handed you the doll. Only then did you understand what the problem was.

"I think we can handle this." you said, adjusting the doll's dress. "I used to have a similar one, you know. Wait, I think I have a hairpin." you reached into your pocket and pulled it out, then deftly used it to adjust her dress. "Here it is, now it should stay on."

You didn't notice that the conversations behind you had changed course and it wasn't until a few minutes later that Javier put his hand on your shoulder and mumbled quietly, "It's time for us to go." The sun had already set and the cicadas were ringing in the tall grass.

"Did you get what you needed?"

Javier nodded. "Thanks to you. I think people like you."

"I make a good first impression, then it gets worse." you replied, opening the car door.

"Every impression I make is bad, so I guess we're in the same boat."

You smiled. He didn't know what was in your smile, but he liked seeing it. It was like he saw another side of you, the more intimate one, not for everyone.

You got in the car and headed back. The silence between you wasn't uncomfortable at all, but Peña was sure that your thoughts were swirling in your head. He felt bad about everything he had heard about you, from O'Connell and the others, especially since he already knew you were completely different.

"I'll get off here." You said out of the blue as you entered the city.

Javier looked around uncertainly. "Here? You live a few blocks from here."

"I have something to take care of."

"I get it."

There was something in his tone of voice that caught your attention. "I'm not looking for a dick." You sneered. "One girl asked me for a favor, if you must know."

Javier stopped the car and looked at you uncertainly. "Do you need help?"

"Nope. I can handle it." You got out and quickly closed the door. "Thanks for taking me with you."

"I should be the one thanking you." he saw that smile again, your name slipped from his lips and you moved closer "You're wrong. Every impression you make is good. People are just assholes, they only see what they want to see."

"Oh, Peña." you laughed "A little more and I'll fall in love with you, and you wouldn't want that, would you?" you winked at him and he rolled his eyes "See you at the office."

And you disappeared between the buildings.

The sound of your shoes echoed through the corridors of the empty office.

"Fuck!" you hissed, running into the main room and seeing Javier's empty desk.

Everyone should be in the conference room or garage. You had to choose.  Maybe you still had time? You didn't even catch your breath properly as you headed towards the staircase to get to the parking lot as quickly as possible.

The door you pushed open was heavy, but you knew immediately that you were in the right place. People from the strike team, agents in bulletproof vests, all listening to the last orders and commands. You pushed through the crowd looking for a familiar face.

"Javier!"

At the command, he turned to you, frowned. "What are you doing here?" he asked sharply "You're not taking part in this!"

"This is an ambush!" you gasped, grabbing his arm, Murphy quickly moved closer to you.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"This is an ambush." you repeated with difficulty catching your breath "They know you're going there. You won't find anything. They only left people waiting for you."

Someone said your name loudly and silence fell around. You noticed O'Connell standing in the middle by the board on which the map of the area was hanging. He looked at you sternly, clearly irritated by your presence.

"From what I remember, we didn't invite cheerleaders to this party." he growled, a quiet murmur passed among the people "The girls stay home."

"It's a trap." you spoke loudly "I talked to informants. The cartel knows you're going to them. They got a tip from someone and..."

"Bullshit!" O'Connell interrupted you abruptly "The reconnaissance group has already headed in their direction."

"So turn them back!"

"You're talking nonsense! I won't stop the whole mission at your wail. How the hell would they know about us, huh?!"

"Maybe you have a mole?!"

Another murmur went through the crowd. O'Connell was clearly furious. All of this had been planned for days, the fiasco was connected with a long explanation and reports to the headquarters.

"Peña!" he growled at the man next to you "Take this desperate woman out. Boys! We're going back to work."

Javier grabbed you by the elbow and pulled you gently towards the door. You didn't resist. When you were already at a certain distance, he finally spoke quietly.

"How do you know about it? Is it certain?"

"Can we be sure of anything?" you whispered and noticed Murphy approaching you quickly "The girl I met last week..." Javier nodded to show that he remembered "Her boyfriend is involved in this. She was afraid for him, but she only told me everything today. They're waiting for you."

"The first group must be in place by now." Murphy murmured "Now we're delayed. It's only ten minutes away."

Javier's dark eyes were fixed on you, his jaw clenched tightly and his shoulders tense. You could see that there was a battle going on in his head.

"Javier..." he flinched at the sound of his name. "I wouldn't have come here if I didn't believe it."

Before he could answer, several things happened. Phones rang and people began to exchange information. Someone ran to the garage door and opened it, letting in fresh air. 

You followed everyone and soon saw something in the blue sky that took your breath away. Black, thick clouds coming from somewhere outside the city.

"They were waiting." Murphy muttered somewhere above your ear "The bastards were waiting."

☆☆☆☆

Thank you for your time.

taglist: @qpiiee @missladym1981 @axshadows @djappleblush

[thisfeelslike-iykyk]

love languages ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ

sw boys x reader (ft. luke skywalker, han solo, anakin skywalker, obi-wan kenobi, poe dameron, din djarin) backtrack: “rewrite the stars”, zac efron + zendaya inspiration: this is part three of my little series (pjo version here and hp version here)

luke skywalker

giving: words of affirmation / acts of service

the problem with luke is that he changes, see. in a new hope he’s bright eyed and bushy tailed. by return of the jedi the poor dude has seen some stuff. in a new hope though, his giving love language is totally words of affirmation. he called leia beautiful, and while it’s kind of weird to think about because they’re, uh, brother and sister, it was still sweet. another love language for luke--in both a new hope and return of the jedi--is definitely acts of service. in episodes four and five, it’d be in a naive, following you around like a lost puppy kind of way. he’d jump at the opportunity to do anything for you, you’re literally his goddess, say the word “water” and he’ll be sprinting to get a glass of it for you. in return of the jedi though, he likes to do things for his partner in a more mature, protective way. he’d place more importance on making sure you’re safe, and he deems himself your protector until his dying breath. a runner up for return of the jedi luke would be quality time. he and his friends have been through war, and he knows how dangerous jedi life is. so he treasures every quiet moment he can have with his loved ones.

receiving: physical touch

LOOK HOW FLUSTERED MY BOY WAS WHEN LEIA KISSED HIM (never mind that it was mildly concerning given they’re siblings!). luke absolutely melts for physical touch, moreso in episodes four and five but in six as well. his face will get bright red, he’ll start stuttering, my man does not hide it well. his friends, especially han, will tease the f-- out of him. he’ll deny it vehemently, but he’d get on his knees for you if you so much as touch his shoulder. he likes every sort of physical touch, it doesn’t have to be kisses. he’ll be bursting with joy even when you’re just linking pinkies during meetings; he’ll be constantly bouncing in his seat and will absolutely not be able to pay attention. also he definitely clings onto you while you’re sleeping like you’re a stuffed animal.

han solo

giving: gift giving

legitimately, I think sometimes when han smuggles physical materials, he’ll pick the best thing and steal it from the cargo and just give it to his partner. han’s not rich, but he wants his partner to have the best things in life, especially since he doesn’t think he can offer much else (except for his dashing good looks, of course). does it sometimes get him in trouble when his bosses notice that the biggest diamond is missing from the cargo? yeah. does he care? nope.

receiving: quality time

han’s constantly on the move with his job. he doesn’t have time to relax, since he’s often looking over his shoulder for bounty hunters. when he has free time, he’d love to play a relaxed game on the falcon with his partner. his favorite is the one with the holograms that c3po and r2d2 play versus chewbacca. he usually doesn’t go all out because he’s usually playing against chewbacca, and they’re good buddies but han doesn’t really want to find out what would happen if he won against the wookiee. but against his partner? oh he’s going all out. he’s not a gentleman. he’ll absolutely obliterate you and laugh about it. it’s kind of charming though.

anakin skywalker

giving: words of affirmation

okay, mister “are you an angel?”. mister “you are so beautiful”. mister “I’m haunted by the kiss you never should have given me”, even though that line was kind of awkward coming from nineteen year old anakin. I don’t know how he can be so terribly unarticulate, but at the same time the most romantic smooth talker in the whole star wars universe. I just know he’ll be showering his partner with all sorts of lovely, poetic compliments. he’s a charmer, he’ll swipe you right off your feet with his words.

receiving: physical touch

like father, like son, I guess. without a doubt, anakin’s also a physical touch guy (partly because I want him to be, but also because I genuinely think so). the poor dude’s had a rough childhood, so he’s starved of love. and most importantly, he’s touch starved. show him some love, please. hugs, kisses, cuddles, holding hands, anything of the sort. he’ll constantly whine if he can’t be physically affectionate with you, even though you both know it’s because you’re trying to keep your relationship a secret. he’s also a big cuddler and would 100% be a hidden little spoon, although he’ll be kind of embarrassed about it. when you put a hand on his cheek, he’ll immediately lean into your touch. also, I just have this thought that he’d love it when you ruffle or play with his hair. please do it. he’ll even bend down so you can reach his hair if there’s a big height difference between you two. but also, I feel like I can’t gloss over the fact that anakin is in serious need of some words of affirmation. he never gets it, even though he’s done so much for the jedi order. please tell him you love him and he’s awesome. he’ll melt.

obi-wan kenobi

giving: acts of service

I mean, do I really have to explain? obi-wan would be the perfect boyfriend. he’s an absolute gentleman. he’d be the best at princess treatment, always making sure you never have to lift a finger. however, some people are not into being babied or taken care of to that extent, and obi-wan knows that. he’d completely respect his partner’s independence and competence to do things for themselves, but he’d love to just take care of his partner as well. mostly, he wants to make sure his partner is protected and safe at all times, similar to return of the jedi luke.

receiving: quality time

obi-wan’s literally dedicated his life to the jedi order. not much is known about his childhood, but it’s safe to assume he started training really young (much younger than nine, at least, since anakin was deemed to be too old at that age, which is ridiculous) and for a really long period of time. he’s been so busy with training anakin and trying to keep up with him that he doesn’t have a lot of time to rest. so when he does have downtime, he’d want to spend it with his partner trying to form a deeper emotional bond. because really, obi-wan would definitely prioritize an emotional connection with his partner, and you can’t really make that happen when you’re fighting for your lives every day. I think he’d want to either change the jedi’s practices or leave the order because he’d want to spend time with his partner and be like an actual family (ahem ahem “had you asked, I would have left the order for you”). although I also think he’s touch starved and would get easily flustered by physical touches.

poe dameron

giving: words of affirmation

poe’s a charismatic guy, kind of a charmer. he’s brash and abrasive when he’s mad, but he’s generally quite the relaxed (as relaxed as you can be when you’re fighting for your life every day, I guess), cheeky guy. you know he has a few good pickup lines in his back pocket. he pulls them out any time he wants to charm someone. half of the time it’s because he’s doing it as a joke, but other times he genuinely tries to be slick with it (heads up, he’s not). something also tells me he’d like giving gifts to his partner too, to spoil them rotten (even though I can’t imagine he has that much money, sorry poe).

receiving: physical touch

why was I kind of at a loss for this one? I guess poe is just pretty touch starved too, it’s not like he has a partner in the movies and he’s under a lot of stress every day with the resistance. I feel like he’d lowkey get migraines or muscle pain pretty often, and he’d literally melt if you gave him a massage. he just likes being close to his partner, although he’d probably let slip a dirty joke every now and then. he’ll definitely tease you if you get flustered about it, but a little slap from you and he’ll shut up.

din djarin

giving: acts of service

acts of service is basically the thing that defines din’s life, lol. he’s catching bounties for people, he’s helping npcs with their side quests (what? who said that?), and just look at how much he cared for grogu and how dedicated he was to the cutie. he literally gave up the dream life with omera for grogu. for his partner, he’d go to the ends of the galaxy. he would risk his life. he’d sacrifice his life. it takes him a while to warm up to people--he’s a slow burn romance trope, don’t even mess with me on that--but once he’s found his soulmate, he’ll give his heart, mind, body, and soul to you. he’s at your service, completely.

receiving: quality time

din’s life is constantly changing. people come and go as he floats through space, taking jobs and completing them. he really appreciates those quiet nights on his ship with his partner. it’s just the two of you floating through space, and he can almost forget his busy life and just focus on you. I think he wishes he could have a slower, peaceful life. look how happy he was with omera on that one planet that I forget the name of. he was literally so tempted to stay, and I think he definitely would have if it weren’t for grogu. similar to obi-wan, though, he’s touch starved, so he’d appreciate a little physical touch every now and then as well. nothing huge, especially in the beginning, but just simple hugs and holding hands in private.

for this post I added in han because I can’t believe I forgot him in my last sw post. this is also unedited because I'm tired and I spent like two hours writing this

divider by @saradika-graphics

taglist: @loveinalocket, @raysmayhem-72, @toooster, @soft-likethesunset, @sheisntyou

[rekino2114]

Can you do M and I from the fluff alphabet for Tae takemi [Persona 5] and Z and X for Futaba sakura [Person 5]

M and I fluff alphabet prompts for Tae takemi and Z and X for futaba sakura

Tae takemi

☠️M=mornings (how do they spend mornings with you?)

Tae has to wake up pretty early to go to work but she doesn't really wanna wake you up because of that, so she usually just gives you a kiss on the forehand and lets you sleep while she gets ready. If you do get up with her, she just makes a second cup of coffee and starts a conversation with you. It's also a great opportunity to ask you to help her put her work clothes on.

☠️I=I love you (how fast did they say it? Do they say it often?)

She says it a lot, especially to tease you, She might also lean into it when she needs something from you, but you know she actually means it, you love hearing her tell you those words while cuddling and looking into your eyes, you hear nothing but truth in them. Because it is the truth.

Futaba sakura

👾Z=zzz (how is sleeping with them?)

Sleeping with futaba is.....not the best experience. She goes to sleep incredibly late, so you often have to throw a pillow at her while she's playing on her pc to remind her that she has to sleep. She often hogs the blankets to herself and talks in her sleep. But she does also cling to you a lot while she's sleeping, and she looks adorable like that, so you bear those issues.

👾X=Xtra (a random fluffy headcanon)

She likes to match with you, especially in games you two play. Your skins match perfectly in almost every game with character customization, and she also found a way to play around your game style in most games, making you two a really good duo. She also does it in real life. You two have a lot of matching clothes and accessories you like to wear outside (those rare occasions futaba goes outside) to show everyone you're a couple.

[cybershock24601]

While the Steam Winter Sale is still going, I wanted to recommend that everyone who missed what Origins brought to the table in Veilguard go check out Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader because it hits the exact same spot Dragon Age Origins did when I first played it over a decade ago.

It's a grimdark setting with a fantastic story that still leaves you feeling like a triumphant hero (or dastardly villain if you so choose). There's great reactivity in the dialogue to your origin and choices throughout the game with no two playthroughs feeling exactly the same. The companions are all complex with interesting personal stories and every single one has a different relationship with each other with a number of them being outright antagonistic, and quite frankly the romances are all fantastic and heartfelt.

You can have an extreme bdsm dom/sub relationship with a drukhari and absolutely ruin the bastard by making him fall in love with you or romance the Most Repressed Man Ever by showing him genuine care and kindness or by letting him know you are down to clown (sexually) by throwing yourself at him at every opportunity or you can have a courtly love with an insane Space Princess who is always saying the most out of pocket shit you've ever heard and even more! Rogue Trader has some very well written and unique romances with 5 options to pick from in the base game and one from the DLC.

And unlike Origins, the fighting is actually fun in Rogue Trader! The game has a fantastic turn based combat system and incredibly customizable difficultly settings for whether you're looking to breeze through the story or take your time engaging with the tactical turn based combat.

Even if you know nothing about Warhammer 40k, I would check out this game because there is no good way to get into Warhammer lore but I think Rogue Trader does a great job as an introduction with a succinct but detailed codex, hyperlinks in dialogue to help explain important lore, and a story and companions that will introduce and get you invested in most of the major factions not only within the Imperium of Man but Warhammer as a whole as you engage with the myriad enemies of the Imperium.

If you liked the darker tone of Dragon Age, I think you'll find Warhammer is offering what you're looking for in terms of eternally fucked up societies but still has its moments of light fun and comedy because Rogue Trader does do a good job of acknowledging the silliness inherit to grimdark as you run around the Koronus Expanse with the equivalent a permit from the God Emperor saying "I can do what I want" and no one can really stop you because the God Emperor said so.

There's a complex morality system that rarely leaves you picking from a straight good or evil choice because the three party conviction system introduces some nuance to the tough decisions you'll face. Albeit the Heretic path is typically the evil for the sake of evil option, Dogmatic and Iconoclast are both interesting options as it often is the choice between lawful neutrality vs chaotic good. Dogmatic has you following the laws of the Imperium to the letter and sacrificing the few to save the many but also the Imperium kinda sucks so sometimes you're just being a dick. On the other hand while Iconoclast is the typical 'good guy' path, it's not always the best option as you are not automatically rewarded for being the hero and sometimes even outright punished for your altruistic intentions because this is Warhammer and everything is terrible all the time.

Also, I don't usually recommend DLC but pick up the Season Pass while you can because Void Shadows adds in another 15 hours or so to the game, substantially fleshes out running your spaceship, gives you a whole new romanceable companion, and a really fun story about rooting out a genestealer cult that has taken up residence on your ship and had a couple plot twists in there that took me way off guard. The second DLC, Lex Imperialis is due to drop sometime early next year and if it's anything like the first one for this game, it's going to knock it out of the park.

If all this is not enough to convince you to play the game, there is a whole quest in the game that's just waiting in line at the Space DMV and I think for that alone Rogue Trader should get a million Game of the Year Awards.

[btswithluv13]

Two Friends

Chapter 2 - “What if it did?”

teaser: Maybe it was the liquid courage that dared you to continue, that made you say what you’ve been keeping in all these years.

warnings: alcohol, language, infidelity (kinda?)

recommended songs: HML - Milena // Canada - So Yoon // Goodnight n go - Ariana Grande

note: thank u all for waiting for this. i struggled a lot with how to end this chapter lol, pls forgive me for leaving it like that.

wc: 1.1k

Things were normal, at first. You'd still talk to Jungkook often, most of the time just through texts. You'd expected things to change of course like how your regular meetups with Jungkook now always included his wife. You knew very well how to distance yourself from him to not make his wife uncomfortable. You tried very hard to befriend her, and while you two got along just fine it seems like the only common denominator you had was Jungkook. So the meetups became less and less and the messages less frequent. 

Jungkook called you along with Jimin, Taehyung and Yoongi to his place. His wife was out of town for the weekend. Frankly, you have been making up excuses whenever Jungkook would invite you over alone. You know he doesn't think much of it as this has been normal but you wanted to respect his wife and well… maybe there was a part of you still that didn't trust your heart being alone with him. 

So when your other friends ask you out to a party you say yes. When the guy you meet at the party asks for your number you give it. When he texts you the next day, you reply. You were fine. These were all the things that people do to move on. It’s odd to think you have to move on from a relationship that never happened.

You were sitting around Jungkook’s dining table drinking and talking about mundane things. “So how is married life?” Jimin asks Jungkook. “Oh.. it’s good.. Yeah. We’re still getting used to it but things are… good.” He ends his sentence with a grimace. You thought he sounded strange saying it but you figured it wouldn’t do you well to overthink it. You take a sip, more like a shot, of the whiskey you were nursing.

 “___, how’s that guy you’ve been texting?” Taehyung says out of nowhere. 

Your eyes widen in shock as you look at your friend. You are coughing out and feeling awkward because everyone’s attention is now on you.

 “There’s a guy huh?” Yoongi teases. “Yeah tell us ___.” Jimin tacks on. 

“It’s nothing, we’re just texting…” 

“How come I don’t know about this guy?” Jungkook’s eyebrows furrowed. You look at him in disbelief, why would he care? 

“I mean it’s not a big deal, JK.” 

“No but, I’m your best friend aren’t I?”

“I don’t want to bother you with trivial things, besides you’ve been… busy.” You shrug. 

“Okay…” Jungkook feels unsatisfied with your answer but he lets it go. You don’t understand why he’s being so touchy over this. Sensing the tension in the room Jimin suddenly talks about how his friend Jin caught a large tuna. You take another shot. 

The night wears on and you try to shake off all the thoughts of the earlier conversation. You try your best to participate in your friends' discussions. Though you still feel the weight of Jungkook’s eyes on you. Things weren’t always this complicated. Jungkook was your person, someone you trusted and confided in but it felt wrong going back to how you were because, whether you or he admits it, things are different now that he’s married. You’ve accepted it already, you tried to move on. 

Eventually while the other guys were engrossed in talking about whatever, you took an opportunity to slip away. You found yourself outside again, this time on the balcony. The moon once again accompanies you. You look up at its glow and wonder if the moon can read your thoughts. If it judges you for how things turned out. 

The sliding door makes a sound behind you.

“You okay?” Jungkook’s voice was soft. You hesitated to turn and look at him. 

“Yeah. I just.. needed a moment.” You, readjust the jacket you were wearing.

You turn to face him now, his expression was a mix of concern and perhaps confusion. 

“Are you okay?” You ask, stepping closer to him. His presence filled the air, the familiarity of it all making your heart ache. 

“No.” His answer surprised you.

“What do you mean?” 

He looked at you with hesitation before blurting out “I just feel like.. We’re drifting apart in a way.” 

Not wanting to make this anything else you try to be defensive “Is this because I didn’t tell you about the guy?”

“What? No! ___ this is more than just the guy, I barely talk to you anymore. It feels like you’re purposely pushing me away and I don’t understand why.” His words hit you like a ton of bricks, you didn’t think he’d notice how different you were acting. 

Before you could respond Jungkook steps closer, holding a hand to your face. You feel your pulse pick up and you hated the way his hand felt so warm, so comfortable. 

“Please, tell me what’s wrong.. I miss you.” He pleaded, his eyes looked at you with so much longing you were almost ready to risk it all. 

But, this wasn't right.

“Jungkook, stop.” Your voice comes out almost like a whisper. You felt a sense of defeat because you know just how this night would end once you spill your emotions.

“What is it? Do you just not want to be friends with me anymore?” The tone of his voice was rising.

“No!” You panicked, “never that, Jungkook. You’re married now, and things are just different…” 

“Why does it have to be different? You know I would never want you to feel like things are different just because I’m married. You’re important to me too, ___. ” 

You can’t take it any longer, whatever restraint you had was hanging on by a thin piece of thread. 

“Because!” You snap.

“Because, what?!”

“Because, I don’t know how to be just your best friend Jungkook!” 

Maybe it was the liquid courage that dared you to continue, that made you say what you’ve been keeping in all these years.

“Not when I want to be more…” Jungkook is taken aback. 

There’s a suffocating silence that surrounds the both of you. There was no relief in your admittance, the weight of the words you just let go felt like it crushed you even more making it hard to breathe. You think you fucked everything up now.

“Jungkook, I’m sorry… Please forget about it. It’s probably just the whiskey talking..” Tears spilling out of you now, a wave of regret sweeping over as you try to fix what just happened, as you try to mend your friendship. If the ground could just swallow you right then and there.

“Why are you only telling this to me now?” Jungkook’s voice was low, almost like he was talking to himself.

“What? It’s not like it would’ve made a difference.” You say it but you can’t help the way your heart jolted at what he said. Because you didn't want to make the situation any worse than it is you try to sidestep him to get inside, but he grabs a hold of your hand and faces you to him. There’s a hesitant pause before his mouth twitches, and then…

“What if it did?” He says.

[energeticpoltergeist]

good time to mention im not just a one fandom guy- yep im into FE as well, and my brayne has decided to make that it's current focus (it has a habit of jumping fandom to fandom at random) anyways this was created cause my two friends have no idea what the fuck i am talking about half the time when it comes to Fire Emblem

[lgbtlunaverse]

While I think the moment in cql where Meng Yao– still bleeding from a stab wound in his chest btw– realizes Lan Xichen is in danger and decides to save the man who was so kind to him in cloud recesses is cute and all, nothing will ever beat the book for me. Little bookkeeper civilian Meng Yao, who has not had a serious chance to make his dreams of being a cultivator come true in fucking years, out of nowhere gets the fucking sect leader of Gusu Lan dropped right in his lap?

It's such a great example of Meng Yao's multilayered motivations to me. Because is civilian Meng Yao thinking of all the ways he can use this? Of the fact that having a great sect leader in his debt is the best thing that could happen to him? Duh. Obviously.

Is he very purposeful about appearing to Lan Xichen as a kind young man full of untapped potential, brave and willing to put his life on the line even though he really doesn't know so much about about cultivators, no sir, except a little he picked up here and there, because you see his father– 👉👈 Of course he is!

But the way through which he does that is... by actually saving Lan Xichen's life, at no doubt significant personal risk. The way he makes Lan Xichen believe he's kind and selfless is by... being kind and selfless. Just because he's doing it on purpose doesn't mean he's not doing it.

Is it lying if you want people to think you're nice and so you're nice to them? Isn't that just called being nice? Yes, he is very purposeful about how he appears to people, and very carefully crafts an image based on what he wants them to think of him, but most of the time he does that simply by... actually being the kind of person he wants to appear as. He still did the kind things he did, regardless of his motivations for doing them.

[itspileofgoodthings]

one of my favorite things about getting older is that I’m just more sure and more confident in taking control in social situations and making other people feel at ease. I really love it!

[witchcraftingboop]

My notifs for this app are so horrendous I only just now saw this. Love love love this topic choice though and I think of this often, as we'll soon see (another long ramble, my apologies lol)!

Aside from my copies of Azo and DBoE, which we can all agree, I think, can carry their own distinct presences into the lives and workings of their readers, I have a handful of other texts that I have felt were works endowed with a certain level of . . . cunning, I'll say. Awareness or Knowing fits comfortably on my understanding of them as well.

I often put it as "spirited" when describing them to others. Whether it be because I've brought them into my circles of work or because they were simply manufactured with a kind of hyperfocused intention woven into their very wording/binding, I don't know. But regardless of how it came about, I consider myself lucky to feel the pressure of influence or the air of its possibility surrounding the pages of such works in my collection.

Insofar as when/why I use them, it is usually for reference or for evocations or methods contained within their pages. Sometimes, like when I was building that initiatiatory Greaco system I was muttering about on my blog, I take the opportunity to divine through them, similarly to a scrying mirror or doorway rather than the typical, strict understanding of bibliomancy easily found on Tumblr. In any case, their particular spirited nature tends to be felt in the subtleties of the energy raised for such workings. I wouldn't say they are particularly strong in a traditional sense, but they are present when called imho. As for the why, it is often a matter of guidance, shared intention, or a purpose that I feel they're most aligned with.

A note: most PR magic, whether bruejeria or espiritismos or Santeria, often highlights the ritualized use or care of our instruments as endowing them with a sacred or Other nature. Common glass that holds fuentes on our mesas, through ritualized and intentional use, are changed from common to sacred in a tangible way; such that even the means of getting rid of them should they break or need replacing has to be adjusted. So, where perhaps you or I have awoken/called or changed our books to carry Spirit, it is entirely possible that those with another copy will still only see paper and leather in theirs.

Additionally, I am of the mind that the spoken word is just as powerful as the written. Languages, written or spoken, are endowed with their own degrees of influence, as may be gleaned from a brief evaluation of the Azo's alphabet workings or the use of language in the Key of Solomon or a study of voices magicae in various referential texts available online.

Which is all to say, in simple terms, that it's my opinion that the act of being manufactured, whether in a limited or mass production, is not enough on its own to limit the potentiality or gateways of Other contained within the seemingly mundane. In the same way that herbs and tinctures can be woken and called to aid in a rite, the bindings of a book may be as well.

I've forgotten if there are any other questions, but! I do have one book rec now that I'm on the subject! Pantographia by Edmund Fry is a lovely read that claims to contain "accurate copies of all the known alphabets in the world."

Another question for the vvitch community…

Do you own grimoire books? I'm not talking about your "grimoire-note-book" but about purchased books, which, when you open them, something really manifests. Whether it's the manifestation of a spirit, a breath of change, or whether it's filled with noises and ghosts. If so, how do you proceed with it? When do you choose to open it rather than another time? What positive things has this book brought and what problems has it brought to your daily life and your life as a witch or a "cunning" one, or whatever you call yourself? Did you know the book was "possessed" before you bought it, or not?

(Of course I would l-o-v-e us not to only talk about things that start with A and end with zoétia... please have pity ;)) I tag some here whose opinion I would love to have, but I would also love to have lots of different opinions, so don't hesitate, there is no wrong answer, and above all don't forget to tag me.

@buddyblanc @satsekhem @satsuti @windvexer @friend-crow @lailoken @witchcraftingboop @wildwood-faun @graveyarddirt @grayladyofthewell @aechlys @licksmenhirs @gamayunsteward @stormcrow513 @fair-is-foul @gryphis-eyes @blackthornwren @redspringthorn @plantwitch @unseelie-witch @spiritsprout

[tooies]

i think we should bring back coins being able to actually be a reasonable method of buying things because there is just this inherent swag to coins that paper bills just don't have. come to think of it this is not a surprising opinion at all coming from a dragon but like still