#but I say it at least once a day at this point

[yesornopolls]

The article is under the cut because paywalls suck

This is an edited transcript of an audio essay on “The Ezra Klein Show.” You can listen to the conversation by following or subscribing to the show on the NYT Audio App, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.

If you want to understand the first few weeks of the second Trump administration, you should listen to what Steve Bannon told PBS’s “Frontline” in 2019:

Steve Bannon: The opposition party is the media. And the media can only, because they’re dumb and they’re lazy, they can only focus on one thing at a time. … All we have to do is flood the zone. Every day we hit them with three things. They’ll bite on one, and we’ll get all of our stuff done. Bang, bang, bang. These guys will never — will never be able to recover. But we’ve got to start with muzzle velocity. So it’s got to start, and it’s got to hammer, and it’s got to — Michael Kirk: What was the word? Bannon: Muzzle velocity.

Muzzle velocity. Bannon’s insight here is real. Focus is the fundamental substance of democracy. It is particularly the substance of opposition. People largely learn of what the government is doing through the media — be it mainstream media or social media. If you overwhelm the media — if you give it too many places it needs to look, all at once, if you keep it moving from one thing to the next — no coherent opposition can emerge. It is hard to even think coherently.

Donald Trump’s first two weeks in the White House have followed Bannon’s strategy like a script. The flood is the point. The overwhelm is the point. The message wasn’t in any one executive order or announcement. It was in the cumulative effect of all of them. The sense that this is Trump’s country now. This is his government now. It follows his will. It does what he wants. If Trump tells the state to stop spending money, the money stops. If he says that birthright citizenship is over, it’s over.

Or so he wants you to think. In Trump’s first term, we were told: Don’t normalize him. In his second, the task is different: Don’t believe him.

Trump knows the power of marketing. If you make people believe something is true, you make it likelier that it becomes true. Trump clawed his way back to great wealth by playing a fearsome billionaire on TV; he remade himself as a winner by refusing to admit he had ever lost. The American presidency is a limited office. But Trump has never wanted to be president, at least not as defined in Article II of the U.S. Constitution. He has always wanted to be king. His plan this time is to first play king on TV. If we believe he is already king, we will be likelier to let him govern as a king.

Don’t believe him. Trump has real powers — but they are the powers of the presidency. The pardon power is vast and unrestricted, and so he could pardon the Jan. 6 rioters. Federal security protection is under the discretion of the executive branch, and so he could remove it from Anthony Fauci and Mike Pompeo and John Bolton and Mark Milley and even Brian Hook, a largely unknown former State Department official under threat from Iran who donated time to Trump’s transition team. It was an act of astonishing cruelty and callousness from a man who nearly died by an assassin’s bullet — as much as anything ever has been, this, to me, was an X-ray of the smallness of Trump’s soul — but it was an act that was within his power.

But the president cannot rewrite the Constitution. Within days, the birthright citizenship order was frozen by a judge — a Reagan appointee — who told Trump’s lawyers, “I have difficulty understanding how a member of the bar would state unequivocally that this is a constitutional order. It just boggles my mind.” A judge froze the spending freeze before it was even scheduled to go into effect, and shortly thereafter, the Trump administration rescinded the order, in part to avoid the court case.

What Bannon wanted — what the Trump administration wants — is to keep everything moving fast. Muzzle velocity, remember. If you’re always consumed by the next outrage, you can’t look closely at the last one. The impression of Trump’s power remains; the fact that he keeps stepping on rakes is missed. The projection of strength obscures the reality of weakness. Don’t believe him.

You could see this a few ways: Is Trump playing a part, making a bet or triggering a crisis? Those are the options. I am not certain he knows the answer. Trump has always been an improviser. But if you take it as calculated, here is the calculation: Perhaps this Supreme Court, stocked with his appointees, gives him powers no peacetime president has ever possessed. Perhaps all of this becomes legal now that he has asserted its legality. It is not impossible to imagine that bet paying off.

But Trump’s odds are bad. So what if the bet fails and his arrogations of power are soundly rejected by the courts? Then comes the question of constitutional crisis: Does he ignore the court’s ruling? To do that would be to attempt a coup. I wonder if they have the stomach for it. The withdrawal of the Office of Management and Budget’s order to freeze spending suggests they don’t. Bravado aside, Trump’s political capital is thin. Both in his first and second terms, he has entered office with approval ratings below that of any president in the modern era. Gallup has Trump’s approval rating at 47 percent — about 10 points beneath Joe Biden’s in January 2021.

There is a reason Trump is doing all of this through executive orders rather than submitting these same directives as legislation to pass through Congress. A more powerful executive could persuade Congress to eliminate the spending he opposes or reform the civil service to give himself the powers of hiring and firing that he seeks. To write these changes into legislation would make them more durable and allow him to argue their merits in a more strategic way. Even if Trump’s aim is to bring the civil service to heel — to rid it of his opponents and turn it to his own ends — he would be better off arguing that he is simply trying to bring the high-performance management culture of Silicon Valley to the federal government. You never want a power grab to look like a power grab.

But Republicans have a three-seat edge in the House and a 53-seat majority in the Senate. Trump has done nothing to reach out to Democrats. If Trump tried to pass this agenda as legislation, it would most likely fail in the House, and it would certainly die before the filibuster in the Senate. And that would make Trump look weak. Trump does not want to look weak. He remembers John McCain humiliating him in his first term by casting the deciding vote against Obamacare repeal.

That is the tension at the heart of Trump’s whole strategy: Trump is acting like a king because he is too weak to govern like a president. He is trying to substitute perception for reality. He is hoping that perception then becomes reality. That can only happen if we believe him.

The flurry of activity is meant to suggest the existence of a plan. The Trump team wants it known that they’re ready this time. They will control events rather than be controlled by them. The closer you look, the less true that seems. They are scrambling and flailing already. They are leaking against one another already. We’ve learned, already, that the O.M.B. directive was drafted, reportedly, without the input or oversight of key Trump officials — “it didn’t go through the proper approval process,” an administration official told The Washington Post. For this to be the process and product of a signature initiative in the second week of a president’s second term is embarrassing.

But it’s not just the O.M.B. directive. The Trump administration is waging an immediate war on the bureaucracy, trying to replace the “deep state” it believes hampered it in the first term. A big part of this project seems to have been outsourced to Elon Musk, who is bringing the tactics he used at Twitter to the federal government. He has longtime aides at the Office of Personnel Management, and the email sent to nearly all federal employees even reused the subject line of the email he sent to Twitter employees: “Fork in the Road.” Musk wants you to know it was him.

The email offers millions of civil servants a backdoor buyout: Agree to resign and in theory, at least, you can collect your paycheck and benefits until the end of September without doing any work. The Department of Government Efficiency account on X described it this way: “Take the vacation you always wanted, or just watch movies and chill, while receiving your full government pay and benefits.” The Washington Post reported that the email “blindsided” many in the Trump administration who would normally have consulted on a notice like that.

I suspect Musk thinks of the federal work force as a huge mass of woke ideologues. But most federal workers have very little to do with politics. About 16 percent of the federal work force is in health care. These are, for instance, nurses and doctors who work for the Veterans Affairs department. How many of them does Musk want to lose? What plans does the V.A. have for attracting and training their replacements? How quickly can he do it?

The Social Security Administration has more than 59,000 employees. Does Musk know which ones are essential to operations and unusually difficult to replace? One likely outcome of this scheme is that a lot of talented people who work in nonpolitical jobs and could make more elsewhere take the lengthy vacation and leave government services in tatters. Twitter worked poorly after Musk’s takeover, with more frequent outages and bugs, but its outages are not a national scandal. When V.A. health care degrades, it is. To have sprung this attack on the civil service so loudly and publicly and brazenly is to be assured of the blame if anything goes wrong.

What Trump wants you to see in all this activity is command. What is really in all this activity is chaos. They do not have some secret reservoir of focus and attention the rest of us do not. They have convinced themselves that speed and force is a strategy unto itself — that it is, in a sense, a replacement for a real strategy. Don’t believe them.

I had a conversation a couple months ago with someone who knows how the federal government works about as well as anyone alive. I asked him what would worry him most if he saw Trump doing it. What he told me is that he would worry most if Trump went slowly. If he began his term by doing things that made him more popular and made his opposition weaker and more confused. If he tried to build strength for the midterms while slowly expanding his powers and chipping away at the deep state where it was weakest.

But he didn���t. And so the opposition to Trump, which seemed so listless after the election, is beginning to rouse itself.

There is a subreddit for federal employees where one of the top posts reads: “This non ‘buyout’ really seems to have backfired. I’ll be honest, before that email went out, I was looking for any way to get out of this fresh hell. But now I am fired up to make these goons as frustrated as possible.” As I write this, it’s been upvoted more than 39,000 times and civil servant after civil servant is echoing the initial sentiment.

In Iowa this week, Democrats flipped a State Senate seat in a district that Trump won easily in 2024. The attempted spending freeze gave Democrats their voice back, as they zeroed in on the popular programs Trump had imperiled. Trump isn’t building support; he’s losing it. Trump isn’t fracturing his opposition; he’s uniting it.

This is the weakness of the strategy that Bannon proposed and Trump is following. It is a strategy that forces you into overreach. To keep the zone flooded, you have to keep acting, keep moving, keep creating new cycles of outrage or fear. You overwhelm yourself. And there’s only so much you can do through executive orders. Soon enough, you have to go beyond what you can actually do. And when you do that, you either trigger a constitutional crisis or you reveal your own weakness.

Trump may not see his own fork in the road coming. He may believe he has the power he is claiming. That would be a mistake on his part — a self-deception that could doom his presidency. But the real threat is if he persuades the rest of us to believe he has power he does not have.

The first two weeks of Trump’s presidency have not shown his strength. He is trying to overwhelm you. He is trying to keep you off-balance. He is trying to persuade you of something that isn’t true. Don’t believe him.

You can listen to this conversation by following “The Ezra Klein Show” on NYT Audio App, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. View a list of book recommendations from our guests here.

[cynthiav06]

I have had up to here with people blaming Percy for absolutely no reason. How the hell is any of it his fault? Percy was all for saving Nico from the jar and agreed to help immediately. Don't spread misinformation. That scene and all scenes, including Nico's situations, involved Percy agreeing and worrying each time. Here are a few of those scenes. It's not all there's more, but these are the key ones:

Not the part about Sammy – that was still too painful to say out loud – but she told them about Gaia’s offer of a fake life, and the goddess’s claim that she’d captured her brother, Nico. Hazel didn’t want to keep that to herself. She was afraid the despair would overwhelm her. Percy rubbed his shoulders. His lips were blue. ‘You – you saved me, Hazel. We’ll figure out what happened to Nico, I promise.’ (Son of Neptune, Chapter 41)

I think my dad is turning a blind eye. I think – I think he wants me to find Nico.’ ‘We’ll find your brother,’ Percy promised. ‘As soon as the ship gets here, we’ll sail for Rome.’ (Son of Neptune, Chapter 52)

Huddled next to it was a dejected looking boy in tattered jeans, a black shirt, and an old aviator jacket. On his right hand, a silver skull ring glittered. “Nico,” Percy called. But the son of Hades couldn’t hear him. The container was completely sealed. The air was turning poisonous. Nico’s eyes were closed, his breathing shallow. He appeared to be meditating. His face was pale, and thinner than Percy remembered (…) “Nico,” Percy said, “where is this place? We’ll save you.…” (Mark of Athena, Chapter 13)

“He disappeared.” Hazel moistened her lips. “I’m afraid…I’m not sure, but I think something’s happened to him.” “We’ll look for him,” Percy promised. “We have to find the Doors of Death anyway.” (Mark of Athena, Chapter 3)

Percy pointed at Piper’s dagger. “Tiberinus said you could find Nico’s location…you know, with that.” Piper bit her lip. The last thing she wanted to do was check Katoptris for more terrifying images. “I’ve tried,” she said. “The dagger doesn’t always show what I want to see. In fact, it hardly ever does.” “Please,” Percy said. “Try again.” (Mark of Athena, Chapter 41)

He told them about his dream—the twin giants planning a reception for them in an underground parking lot with rocket launchers; Nico di Angelo trapped in a bronze jar, slowly dying from asphyxiation with pomegranate seeds at his feet. Hazel choked back a sob. (Mark of Athena, Chapter 14)

Piper dropped the blade. “What’s wrong?” Jason asked. “It was showing us something.” Piper felt like the boat was back on the ocean, rocking under her feet. “We can’t go there.” Percy frowned. “Piper, Nico is dying. We’ve got to find him. Not to mention, Rome is about to get destroyed.” (Mark of Athena, Chapter 41)

“We should wait for the others,” she said. “Hazel, Frank, and Leo should be back soon.” “We can’t wait,” Percy insisted. (Mark of Athena, Chapter 41)

The vision zoomed in again. Inside the jar, Nico di Angelo was curled in a ball, no longer moving, all the pomegranate seeds eaten. “We’re too late,” Jason said. “No,” Percy said. “No, I can’t believe that. Maybe he’s gone into a deeper trance to buy time. We have to hurry.” (Mark of Athena, Chapter 41)

Otis trudged over to the dais, stopping occasionally to do a plié. He knocked over the jar, the lid popped off, and Nico di Angelo spilled out. The sight of his deathly pale face and too-skinny frame made Percy’s heart stop. Percy couldn’t tell whether he was alive or dead. He wanted to rush over and check, but Ephialtes stood in his way. (Mark of Athena, Chapter 45)

At Otis’s feet, Nico shuddered. Percy felt like a hellhound hamster wheel somewhere in his chest had started moving again. At least Nico was alive. (Mark of Athena, Chapter 45)

Jason and Piper closed ranks on either side of Percy (…)“We’re here,” Percy said, which sounded kind of obvious once he had said it. “Let our friend go.” (Mark of Athena, Chapter 45)

“Okay.” Percy decided not to comment on the Hawaiian shirt. “Now, about our friend…” “Oh, him,” Ephialtes sneered. “We were going to let him finish dying in public, but he has no entertainment value. He’s spent days curled up sleeping. What sort of spectacle is that? Otis, tip over the jar.” (Mark of Athena, Chapter 45)

Percy was ready to slice this giant in half and get out of there, but Otis was standing over Nico. If a battle started, Nico was in no condition to defend himself. Percy needed to buy him some recovery time.  (Mark of Athena, Chapter 45)

Percy glanced over at Nico, who was just starting to move. Percy wanted him to be at least conscious enough to crawl out of the way when the fighting started. (Mark of Athena, Chapter 45)

This was all despite the fact that Nico knew who Percy was and that he needed help when he was amnesiac and in Camp Jupiter and didn't do anything. [Look at it from Percy's perspective. He has helped Nico in the past and considers Nico a friend, and still, when he was at his lowest with no memory and in middle of nowhere fighting for his life or in enemy territory, Nico did little to help. Sure, maybe he couldn't reveal himself, but he still could have tried to help instead of just pretending he didn't know Percy and them avoiding him. Even if there was nothing Nico could do there, look at it from Percy's or even a general perspective and tell me it doesn't look wrong]

Also, the whole Percy promised to save Bianca to Nico is fundamentally incorrect. Percy knew the quest was hard, and there would be losses. He promised to do his best. And he did. It was not enough, but it is in no way Percy's fault. Even Bianca herself knew that. Stop projecting on her with your own opinions.

Also, remember Percy himself was 13 years old; a child himself who had to tell another child his sister was dead. As if Chiron shouldn't be doing that himself and taking responsibility. Percy did the hard thing and Nico obviously a child snapped at him and ran. He ran. None of them are wrong and neither of them should be blamed.

Mind you, Percy took the prophecy upon himself to protect Nico. He also kept Nico's parentage a secret from Chiron, someone Percy greatly respects out of care and protection for Nico. He looked everywhere for Nico and never once blamed him for some of the choices he made. In fact, despite having not been at fault, HE STILL TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL OF IT AND FOR NICO HIMSELF.

Percy was the first to try and understand Nico, didn't blame him, didn't even get angry, and did everything to help, and YOU ARE BLAMING HIM?

Bianca was perfectly right to speak to Nico in front of Percy and ask him to forgive Percy, of course she would. Percy Jackson who owed them nothing and bore no responsibility for them did everything to take care of them and protect them and did so to Nico even when he switched sides and was actively trying to kill Percy. Tell me someone else who would be able to look past that? No one but Percy did. He literally went above and beyond for Nico and even included him IN HIS ONE WISH IN WHICH HE COULD HAVE ASKED ANYTHING HE WANTED BUT CHOSE TO ASK SOMETHING FOR OTHERS, FOR NICO DESPITE EVERYTHING THAT HAD HAPPENED.

You all just need someone to blame, and everyone just picks Percy; the one character who has literally nothing to do with half of the accusations against him. It's almost funny how far people go to implicate Percy in stuff he had no involvement and, in fact, did everything in his power to help with.

i think bianca di angelo would be so furious that they lost nico after she died. that he was able to just run away and get manipulated. (i know they looked for him, but *still*.) even though she was promised the camp would be a safe and accepting place for him. and dont get me started on how mad she’d be that the 7 (except hazel, of course, my angel) hesitated to save nico from that jar.

[obito-in-disguise]

| Avoiding their touch |

Pranking male Naruto characters by avoiding their touch.

Uchiha Sasuke

At first, Sasuke ignores your strange behavior. If you wanted to be weird, that was your headache, not his.

But when you sidestep him during a mission as he reaches out to steady you after a jump, his eyes narrow.

"What's your problem?" he asks, deadpan, stepping closer and reaching out for you again.

You shrug innocently, dodging his touch once more. His jaw tightens, and he retracts his hand.

Sasuke is surprisingly patient after that. But after you dodge his touch a third time, that patience snaps. Determined to keep up the charade, you move to avoid his arm when he tries to protect you again.

"Whatever" did you seriously think he had a problem with not touching you?

He doesn't even bother with words anymore. Playing along with your game, he grabs the back of your shirt and effortlessly flings you out of harm's way.

"Hey!"

"You wanna play games? Fine," he mutters, completely unfazed by your wide-eyed glare.

For the rest of the day, Sasuke avoids your touch, despite your whining and apologies. This was your punishment for playing silly games with him.

Uzumaki Naruto

"huh??"

You must be tripping, Naruto thinks, watching you duck when he tries to pull you into one of his bone-crushing hugs.

Naruto is all about physical affection, high fives, random hugs, scooping you up into his arms. So when you dodge his hug, his jaw drops.

The look on his face is too ridiculous, you can't stop yourself from bursting into laughter at his utter shock of your audacity.

"You're so dramatic" you roll your eyes, pulling him into a hug as an apology.

Naruto grins and returns the hug twice as hard, lifting you off the ground for good measure. Ignoring your squeals of embarrassment, he parades through the village with you still awkwardly dangling in his arms as punishment.

"Put me down Naruto! You're so embarrassing!"

Aburame Shino

Shino is flabbergasted, to say the least. You never avoided his touch, and he loved that because you were the only person he was comfortable being affectionate with anyway.

His eye twitches, but his shoulders eventually sag in relief when he sees you struggling to contain your laughter. You were just playing a silly prank after all, thank goodness.

He discreetly releases a meliponine bee from his jacket sleeve, the little creature was harmless and couldn't sting, but you didn't need to know that.

The moment you spot it, your eyes widen.

"SHINO, ONE OF YOUR BEES ESCAPED!"

Shrieking, you leap into his arms. His lips stretch into a smug smirk as he catches you.

"Oh? What's this? I thought you didn't want me to touch you?"

You narrow your eyes, quickly connecting the dots. Jumping out of his arms, you smack his shoulder lightly.

"Touché"

Hyuga Neji

Neji was pretty much sick of your shit at this point, you've been on a pranking streak all week and it put him on edge.

Now he questions every little reaction from you, wondering if it was a prank or not.

Even now, he stood watching you, his posture stiff, an irritated glare on his face.

"Stop testing my patience y/n."

He grits out, reaching for you again, watching you move out of the way.

"Have I...have I done anything to upset you?"

he asks, voice shaky, exhaustion creeping in. He was afraid this time you weren't joking and he might've actually upset you.

You immediately drop the act, not liking the kicked puppy dog look on his face one bit.

"I'm sorry baby, I was just messing around" you tug him into a hug to which he returns with a glare, ultimately glad this wasn't anything serious.

He reaches down to flick your forehead.

"Ow!"

"You're an idiot. Quit it with the silly games ok?" he murmurs gently brushing his fingers over the spot he flicked.

"Ok ok"

Uchiha Itachi

Itachi chuckles, watching you sidestep his hug. He immediately knew you were playing games, no one craved his touch more than you did.

"Are you sure you want to do that? I'm leaving for a mission and won't be back till tomorrow"

You bite your lip, weighing your options. He was right, 24hrs was way too long to go without a hug.

You huff, shuffling into his still open arms with defeat. "Fine, I yield"

He laughs again, giving you a soft squeeze before pulling away.

"I'll see you in a couple hours" he says, placing a kiss on your hair before pulling away.

"See y- wait what! You said tomorrow"

"I lied" he calls out, smiling casually, like he didn't just decieve you, continuing down the path without looking back.

You can't help but chuckle at his cuningness, you were so going to get him back when he returns though.

Uchiha Obito

"Well aren't you a picture of domesticity" Obito muses, watching you make coffee in one of his button downs, the shirt large on you.

He can't help himself, he reaches out to feel your soft skin only to be met with air when you move out of the way, giving him a strange look.

If he paid more attention, he would've noticed the look on your face was you struggling to hold in your laughter, but his stomach was too busy dropping to his feet.

Obito was insecure, about his face, about his body, and his past. Despite your reassurances, a part of him never believed he was what you wanted.

He was chronically paranoid that one day you'd realize you could have better, and leave him.

It didn't take you too long to figure out what was going through his head when he froze, staring at you like a deer in headlights.

"Shit, this was a terrible idea" you immediately grab his hands, placing one on your cheek and the other on your waist "I'm sorry, I was just messing around"

He stares down at you for a few seconds gauging your sincerity before sighing, his body untensing in relief.

"You're a menace..." his arms snake around you, pulling you into his chest, happy this was just a joke.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry"

Hatake Kakashi

Kakashi notices but doesn't react right away. Instead, he silently joins your game.

Every time he sees you coming he makes a point to dramatically avoid touching you even by a hair's breath, dramatically bending and contorting his body into all sorts of shapes.

"You're terrible" you giggle, trying to grab him, watching him dodge your hands like his life depended on it.

"me? You're the one who started it"

he finally relents, letting you tug him into your arms.

"You could've seriously hurt my feelings you know? I'm sensitive"

You snort, Kakashi didn't give a shit and you both knew it.

You lean up, tugging his mask down to peck is nose as an apology "You're about as sensitive as that rock over there"

He chuckles, deciding to let your snark go, he won after all, you wouldn't be avoiding his touch again.

I just realized I've never done headcannons for the naruto characters at once, so enjoy!

Feel free to check out my other Naruto Shippuden fics and more stories!

Tiny taglist🥲: @catlover19282

[un-fwuit-un-fwog]

Ruffled Hair and Genuine Smiles

Riddle x !Mother Figure! Reader (platonic)

It was after Riddle's overblot, when you crouched next to him on the ground as he cried and gently wiped his tears before offering the warmest hug he's ever gotten in his life, that he first felt that warm feeling in his chest.

You went on to offer to help him make the tart Ace demanded as an apology; pointing out that Ace had plenty of help making his and therefore Riddle deserved at least one person to help him.

When it came to baking the tart, Riddle had that unfamiliar, warm feeling in his chest the whole time you two were working.

You giggled when he got flour on his cheek, and when he pouted, you smudged some on your own as well so the two of you would match.

Riddle was stunned by your action, but he found himself letting out the most genuine laugh he's laughed in ages.

When Riddle mentioned the oyster sauce you gave him a strange look before shrugging and telling him to go ahead and add it. (It would he Trey, the one who told him this little 'trick', that would be tasting the consequences)

You could see Riddle trying his hardest to be better after his overblot, so you made sure to let him know you saw his efforts. Sometimes you did this with words, and other times you did it by fondly ruffling his hair.

It doesn't matter if you're all that much older than Riddle or not, at this point he was starting to unconsciously see you as a mother figure.

On the rare occasion that he didn't already have his tie tied perfectly and positioned just right, you would come up and do it for him. (there's that warm feeling again)

On test days you'd meet up with him after school to see how he did. When he did well you hugged him happily. When he did poorer than he hoped, you still hugged him: reassuring him that this wouldn't be the end of the world. "We all fall short of our goals sometimes. It's a part of life and it's how we learn. Look at your test. The ones you got wrong are marked. You can take this information and use it to do better next time. You know what you struggle with, so work on it. There will be plenty more tests for you to ace in the future, but you won't be able to do so if you allow yourself to be put down by this one. I believe in you, Riddle; and I'm proud of you whether you get 100% or not."

Riddle was stunned by your words and ended up crying in your welcoming arms for a second time.

Anytime he would slip up and get angry, you'd gently calm him down and help him find a better solution than yelling.

Anytime the Equestrian Club would have a competition of some sort, you'd be in the front row of the crowd: camera in hand. Somehow, he could always hear your cheers over the rest of the crowd.

Riddle somehow got a button torn off his uniform jacket once, and you offered to fix it for him. The next day, you showed up to Heartslabyul bright and early in the morning (with the slightest dark circles under your eyes from staying up all night making sure your stitches were perfect) Jacket in hand.

He didn't realize until later in the day when he reached his hand in his pocket that you had left a little note. "Have a good day, Riddle! Good luck on your test! :)"

Anytime Riddle would have to call his mom, and inevitably be left upset afterwards, you'd always be there for him with your arms open.

"Oh" he thought, finally piecing his feelings together. That warm feeling in his chest every time you did something for him that showed him you cared. . .that's what it's supposed to feel like to be loved by a mother. Not cold and harsh. Soft and warm.

Nobody dares utter a word when they see the usually uptight Riddle not so discreetly looking for you after class on test days: 100% score in hand. Nor do they utter a word when they see how excited he looks when he finally finds you and shows you the test. And they certainly don't say anything when you get away with ruffling his hair and giving him a soft hug.

"I'm proud of you, Riddle." This is a sentence his real mother has never once uttered to him, at least not genuinely. It's come to the point that any time he hears those words he can't help but feel inadequate. That's what his mother always made him feel when she said those words in that ingenuine tone of hers.

But when you said it?

When you said it in that oh-so-gentle tone with that oh-so-genuine smile. . .

Riddle felt love

He finally felt like someone was truly proud of him, and he was proud of himself too.

He accidentally calls you mom once, but instead of looking at him disgustedly or yelling at him as he expected; your laugh flows airily through the air like a wind chime. It's not in a condescending way, but rather one that conveys a sense of fondness. You simply ruffle his hair and smile.

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[etherealrin]

⋆.˚ call it what you want

in which proplayer!sae could care less about what the media was calling you two, if it means being with you again

warnings: none // wc: 647

note: fem reader! badly proofread

the star midfielder of re al, itoshi sae, has a spotless reputation. there wasn't a single stain on his image, not one rumor or dating scandal. it was a matter of heated debate online; there were multiple twitter threads regarding sae's love life. was he truly single? perhaps not into women at all? did he have a secret relationship with another celebrity? if he did, he was remarkably good at never being caught.

so when a photograph of sae leading a girl to a secluded room, shot at an angle where one could only see a flash of glimmering hair, goes viral, the entire internet was wholly appalled.

sae scoffs as you read another article from your phone's news feed to him. "hey, look at this!" your tone is joking as you point towards the device's screen. "they're questioning if i'm some top hollywood celeb. is it because i dyed my hair recently?"

"love, that's stupid. you know dispatch reports more lies than truths." he replies, nose wrinkling at the thought. sure, you were beautiful, more so than any actress, but he really didn't enjoy all of the media speculation he recieved. was it so wrong of him to want something normal, to have a private relationship?

you'd known sae since before he went to spain, when you were just two simple kids trying to go through life the right way. when he had left, it'd caused a huge buzz in your town, japan finally receiving international attention for football. and you'd long since been regarded as sae's closest friend, so everyone was clamoring to ask you: would he ever come back? the drama queens threw their fits (sae had no shortage of admirers even then), many people called you a liar when you said that you didn't know, the pressure caused you to isolate yourself—done with how nosy the world was being. and of course, you missed sae more than anything. you'd mindlessly twist your fingers through the silver necklace he gifted you right before his flight, the 冴 character shining in the pale moonlight. no one else knew the words he'd suddenly whispered into your ears before he boarded without sparing a glance back; "i love you, i'll swear i'll see you again."

you'd kept that necklace for years, until itoshi sae appeared in japan once more, to play for a mysterious soccer match; and a front row ticket was mysteriously sent to your email. which you had never changed from before he left. nervous anticipation floods you, you were about to see your best friend who you hadn't heard from in years. when you finally spot him on the field, he looked nothing less than a daydream, dark pink locks impossibly perfect even against the wind and sweat. as he's being introduced, sae's gaze somehow found you amongst the crowd—you might have died. though he knew you would show up, he couldn't help but look for extra assurance. and you couldn't have predicted the whirl of events that happened after. his manager pulling you aside, saying that "itoshi sae needs to meet you," sae walking towards you with his head down, evidently trying to avoid the paparazzi, grabbing your hands and guiding you into an empty interviewing room; teal eyes glimmering with unsaid words.

your lips inevitably crashed into each other, you both had heard the cameras click and seen the flash of brilliant white, but none of you cared. "at least i did one thing right," is what sae had murmured after a few minutes, deft fingers tracing across your cheeks. his eyes flickered over the chain he gave you, one you'd never taken off. the media could call it what they wanted, because in that moment it was only you and sae. though perhaps it had always been that way—all it took was for one of you to see it.

a/n: dude i'm so obsessed w this song rn. also i finally stopped slandering sae who would've thought this day would come so soon!

masterlist.

[catcatb0y]

I ran out of tag... (It's mostly like two things that end up becoming annoyingly intertwined the more the series goes on). He was only powerful when it was convenient to the power scaling, which led to him being constantly put in otherwise intensely traumatizing victim situations solely to spur the main character into saving him no matter the cost. Which normally would have only furthered his unrealistic inferiority complex (and also his fear of weakness as well as distaste for weak people given how many people VICTIM BLAMED HIM, which you'd think would only confirm his fucking bias??) which OOPS was made into a... realistic inferiority complex?? Somehow solely to show that the MC somehow managed to grow past the underdog he never fucking was, and since the fans adored this, that became his only character! Yeah, somehow THAT was his big character growth...

He went from a complex, morally grey character to UwU empty ship fodder, and the fans of the series ate it up SO much that one of the main villains (one of the only people who genuinely acknowledged the strength and horrible treatment of my silly guy) telling him 'You're useless actually, I just want to kill you to make that other kid sad lol-' is seen as his PEAK. That. That's his peak. That's the "good ol days" the shipdom romantacizes. A villain poking at his weakness and deepest insecurity is somehow the canonizing moment of the ship (and it doesn't even happen, MC gets mad at his best friend's death for three seconds and then effortlessly kicks the villain's ass, as like the shittiest cherry on top) < it only gets worse from there!

I was also a shipper back in the day, and, in hindsight, I really should have seen the whole shitshow coming, but unfortunately I went on to dedicate six years to this hyperfixation that continues to haunt me three years after I attempted to quit the fandom cold turkey. It didn't even work.

reblog this with one canon thing you dislike / think is flawed about your blorbo and/or the way they were written

[starcurtain]

A Closer Look at the Phaidei Memory

I've seen so many people talking about this scene with Phainon and Mydei and making fun of how blatantly obvious Phainon is about his... respect for Mydei's... conspicuous body, but one thing I feel like a lot of people missed (or at least I haven't seen anyone discussing) is that this memory seems to come from very early on in their acquaintance.

Looking at it closely, it's clear that the two aren't particularly familiar with each other yet in this memory sequence. For one, Phainon questions things that he should easily know if he was well-acquainted with Mydei already.

First, very comically: "Do you even bathe, bro?"

And second, Phainon questions why Mydei isn't immune to the black tide:

This suggests that, up to the point of this memory, Phainon had not been in enough battles with Mydei (or at least close enough to Mydei) to see him be affected by the black tide. Apparently, this memory-Phainon-and-Mydei don't have years of rushing into battle side-by-side to defend Okhema yet.

It's also hilariously clear that the Phainon in this memory has absolutely no idea how to talk to Mydei.

Breaking this scene down, it's literally Phainon just trying really hard to strike up conversation, doing his best to try to crack the tough exterior and get Mydei to actually interact with him. He jumps around through topics rapidly--the baths, the black tide, their personal sparring--looking for anything that will catch Mydei's attention.

Meanwhile, we can tell that Mydei is not particularly familiar or comfortable with Phainon yet because his dialogue is so different from any of his other scenes in the game. Although Mydei is obviously not the game's biggest yapper, he does always have full sentences to contribute to other conversations and banters readily with Phainon whenever he's baited into it.

In this memory, he instead starts off polite but also completely aloof:

This is the exact sort of response you'd have to a vague acquaintance coming up and trying to talk to you like you're best friends. Phainon skipped at least four steps of familiarity here, and Mydei is obviously at a loss for why the conversation is even happening.

He responds by blatantly stonewalling, answering Phainon's (slightly pathetic) attempts to start an actual conversation in nothing but single word answers:

You can even see Phainon recognize how bad he's failing half way through the conversation, which prompts him to vocally declare that he's going to make a complete topic switch:

And this time, it works!

When Phainon brings up their personal duel or spar, whichever it was, finally, finally Mydei caves and engages in the conversation with him:

Which prompts Phainon to laugh (in relief? lol) and flat out crow about how he's finally cracked the code and figured out how to get Mydei to notice him:

Poor Mydei, however, did not seem to realize his slight display of interest was going to lead him into a full conversation, and he responds to Phainon's blatant invitation to keep talking with a confused:

Witness Mydei accidentally turning down Phainon's request for a date in real time.

The only thing that complicates the situation is what Phainon says late in the memory: that they've battled "all this time." However, looking at his earlier comments, this last statement may just be in a general sense, as in "two Chrysos Heirs who have been fighting the titans for years," especially as the rest of the line "How do you train? Would you consider teaching me?" once again indicates a lack of close familiarity.

(It's also possible this line is just poorly translated in English, and was actually meant to refer to their legendary ten-day-long duel: "We battled all that time, yet I never saw you fatigued." Given the rest of the lines in the memory, I think "dodgy translation" honestly makes the most sense here, and would also just have really funny implications: Phainon and Mydei didn't fall in love at first sight; they fell in comically-long-duel at first sight. Okay, maybe for Phainon it was both.)

Phainon's earlier statements in the memory make it clear that he isn't very experienced with fighting Mydei specifically, with the overall implication of the dialogue being that they've just had their first duel against each other recently:

So anyway, where I am going with all this?

I know a lot of people got distracted by Phainon's (accidental?) pass at Mydei in the first line, but I think taking a step back and looking at the scene as a whole, in context, makes it even more hilarious and off-the-cuff:

Phainon and Mydei aren't well-acquainted in this scene.

Phainon literally walked up on a guy he barely knows and the first words that fell out of his mouth were "Dan Nicky your bobbies." "I would know that body anywhere."

Even Mydei was weirded out at first!

Like, Phainon has absolute foot-in-mouth syndrome around his new "friend." He spends the whole conversation narrating his own attempts to communicate ("Ah, I see I am unwanted. Instead of leaving, I shall try another tactic. Is it working yet?" and "Yes, yes, yes, it worked!") like this is a remotely normal thing to do around a person you're not even close with yet.

You can see his puppy tail wagging. He wants to be friends with Mydei so bad.

He is actively making up excuses to try to get Mydei to spend time with him here--first the comment about "Yay, you're here!" at the baths like he expects them to bathe together, then the whole "Why don't we go somewhere and have a long conversation about the insights we gained from rolling around in the dirt together?" to finally just flat out asking Mydei to train with him.

It's so charmingly earnest, straightforward, and even a bit awkward that I think this scene is really under-rated by the fans. It's not just another example of Phainon commenting on Mydei's muscles--it's a glimpse into what they were like before they were close and just how much Phainon wanted to connect to Mydei, how willing he was to explore to discover exactly what Mydei would be interested in so that he could seize that common ground between them.

Really a masterclass in showing us fans characterization right on the cusp of changing, and for showcasing both Phainon's charming audacity and Mydei's surprisingly-reserved-around-strangers behavior.

And, since we know the future that memory-Phainon-and-Mydei are headed toward... we also know it worked! Mydei is smiling by the end of the conversation! He and Phainon are going to become vitriolic best buds--er, rivals--and Phainon is going to get all the spars he wants.

Persistence pays off!

[themultifanshipper]

Ollie was a sweetheart.  

But boy was he pretty when he cried. 

warnings: smut, sub!Ollie, the title is pretty self explanatory, teasing, edging, idfk at this point i don’t even remember why i wrote this it’s crack

 

You'd been dating for a few months now, and you were fairly certain you knew what he liked in bed. 

He liked to be in control, most of the time, and he liked to experiment with different things. 

He liked to tease, edging you to the brink of madness before he finally let you come. 

But today, he’d had a terrible day, and you could tell he needed to let loose. 

You decided to switch things up a bit. 

You talked to him beforehand, asking him if he wouldn't mind you being dominant for once, and you told him he would definitely get to come, and what you had planned would definitely get him out of his head. 

That was all the reassurance he needed to agree to anything you wanted to do to him. 

You knew he would quickly submit and beg. But you weren’t expecting this. 

You decided the colour system was best for what you wanted to do, and you kept asking him his colour, and he kept saying green. 

But he was crying. 

“Fuck- this is torture!” he gasped as you popped the tip inside you once again, then resumed your torturous rhythm of sliding him along your soaked cunt. 

He was tied to the headboard while you hovered over him, rubbing his tip along your folds and dipping it inside you from time to time. 

And had been doing so for a good 20 minutes at least.

Like most men, Ollie's tip was very sensitive, so the constant overstimulation was driving him up the wall. 

“I told you Ollie, I'm going to make you come with just the tip” you teased.

There was a reason for this of course.  

When you had sex with Ollie the very first time, you were a virgin and he'd half-jokingly said you could do ‘just the tip’ to take it slow. 

That resolution lasted all of five minutes before you started begging and he'd slid inside you completely, rutting his hips into yours desperately until he came first, and you were left to get yourself off while he apologised profusely for half an hour. 

Well this was payback, and you were determined to make you both come with just the fucking tip. 

“Don't worry baby, you can come whenever you need to, and I’m going to use you to get off, it's a win-win!” You squealed excitedly, but he just whined. 

“It's too much! I can't come like this” 

You kissed him sweetly, wiping away a stray tear. 

“Of course you can, baby.” 

You held yourself steady with a hand on the headboard next to his head, and your other hand held his cock and started rubbing it on your clit. 

You let out a breath and Ollie’s eyes rolled back into his skull. 

You rocked your hips gently, your clit bumping against the underside of his head and his hips jerked. 

“Fuck- fuck, Jesus!” he whined, eyes screwed shut. 

“Colour?” you panted, your mouths were inches apart. 

“Green, fucking green- shit” he bit his lip in an effort to conceal the pathetic noises coming out of his mouth but it was useless. 

The pressure on your clit was fucking amazing, the soft skin of his cock providing the perfect surface to rub yourself off on. 

Your hips snapped forwards as you felt the familiar tingling sensation in your loins, letting you know you weren't far off from your orgasm if you kept this up. 

“Kiss me” Ollie cried, “Please” and you obliged, crashing your lips together as you rutted against each other helplessly. 

He looked so beautiful, cheeks puffy and red, tears clinging to his lashes. 

You panted and moaned into each other other's mouths as you got closer to your orgasm. 

“Fuck, I'm close.” He groaned, eyes fluttering shut. 

You didn't even answer. Surprisingly you came first, leaning your forehead against his while you rode the waves of your high. 

Then you decided to take pity on Ollie. 

You sank down on him in one foul swoop, taking him all the way to the base. He wailed, hips bucking uncontrollably as he came on the spot. 

You could feel him pulsing inside you, his orgasm so intense that a fresh wave of tears spilled down his cheeks. 

While he rode it out you untied his hands, and they went straight to your body, arms wrapping around you to hold you tightly while his hips twitched with the aftershocks. 

His body slumped backwards, and you gladly went with him, leaning into his embrace while you kissed along his jaw. 

“That was intense” he muttered after a while. 

You giggled. “How did you do in the race?” 

He blinked. “I don't remember” 

“Then my job here is done” you smiled, pecking him on the cheek before lifting yourself off of him and heading towards the bathroom to take a good long shower.  

“Come and join me… if you still have the energy” you teased. 

Ollie has never moved faster in his life.

[tricoloreddango]

All’s fair in love and war, part 2 [final]

Yandere Mydei x female reader

Summary: You end up pregnant with your enemy’s child. Mydei takes advantage of your misfortune.

Contents: pregnant reader, babytrapping, Mydei’s lore spoilers, reader gets called a degrading word (not by Mydei), arranged marriage (coerced), violence, overprotective Mydei, Hades and Persephone elements, suggestiveness, overprotectiveness, angst, murder mentions. [part one]

Word count: 3.9k

Today was the most nervous day for you in a while. You and Mydei were anticipating your father’s arrival, and you felt nothing but terrified to admit the truth about the fact that you got pregnant with his most despised foe. Mydei has been trying to be reassuring, stating that at least you will put this conflict between his and your father’s people to an end; along with him promising you to be the one doing the talking. The idea of letting any harm come to you was much more ridiculous especially.

And you should have been assured. But seeing how composed Mydei looked, you didn’t really like his nonchalance. It was as if the situation worked out for him a bit too well. Just how happy Mydei was at the prospect of starting a family with you? All of this reaction made you feel out of place and misunderstood.

When your father entered the ruins of Kremnos you agreed to meet at, Mydei put his body slightly ahead of you, as if willing to guard you and your baby in case of aggression.

Your father was quick to judge, “What is the meaning of this, my daughter?” His voice was angry already, making you feel an unease already. Of course he wouldn’t like to see you and Mydei together, and he was confused when did you two even met.

“Father, listen…” you started nervously but Mydei interjected. He was straight to the point as usual, hating a small talk. “I want to marry your daughter. Give me her hand in marriage.” The absolute shock on your father’s face made you extremely guilty immediately. You were about to have your betrayal revealed… and the idea of admitting that you let an enemy spill his seed inside of you was the most shameful.

“What did you just say?” he asked even more angrily and walked towards you both. Mydei put his arm ahead of you to stop him. “What are you doing with him? Are you telling me you agree if you’re here with him?!”

“She is—” Mydei tried to say but your father wasn’t having it. “No, you bastard. Let her speak before I feel like disinheriting her!

Tears filled your eyes and while your dad softened for a moment at the sigh, having loved you ever since you were just a baby, he was still too angry and confused. “Speak,” he repeated.

You’ve been preparing yourself for this for the past week, but all the strength you’ve gathered was gone when facing your father, like a bobble being burst. “Father…” you started crying. “I’m pregnant. With Lord Mydei,” you admitted with shame.

You’ve never seen murderous look on your father’s face. He automatically assumed this man must have taken advantage of you, not even for a moment thinking you’d do this willingly. Well, you didn’t want to get pregnant—that wasn’t planned. But your affair was your choice. So he immediately tried to attack Mydei. You panicked as you saw him charge and screamed before a deadly fight could erupt, “No, it’s my fault!”

That stopped old man in tracks. First there was confusion painted on his face, then disbelief, and then… disgust. His own daughter…? Your mother will faint once she receives a letter later from his temporary location. The commander and his wife will become grandparents, yet he wasn’t sure of the joy it’s supposed to bring.

You were crying ugly, knowing how much you disappointed your father by choosing to sleep with his and yours enemy. You were a warrior too, now reduced to a future mother with a man so hated by your people and a mere baby crying from the consequences of your own actions, no matter how strong you were when fighting. “I didn’t mean to get pregnant, I swore I was using—”

“Be quiet,” he said coldly. “Watch your mouth,” Mydei said in your defense; not that your parent cared. “My daughter is nothing but a whore and you’re telling me to watch my—” Your father didn’t finish his sentence as he got punched in the face by your lover. You gasped and grabbed onto Mydei’s naked chest. As much as hearing such terms from your father hurt incredibly, you still loved him and felt protective enough to not let any pain come to him.

“Mydei, stop this! You two stop this!” you screamed and now were sobbing hard. Mydei turned around to look at you, something like worry flashing across his face. He wasn’t an expert in pregnancies but the medic have told him you need to avoid stress, for your and baby’s sake. Mydei pulled you to his side to hold you and rubbed your arm up and down. You couldn’t help but lean onto him, feeling weak and in need of comfort. “Don’t cry,” he said more gently before his voice was rough again as he spoke to the opponent. “Get up. We’re going to explain everything before I will beat you up for real,” he threatened.

Your father wanted to fight and curse further, however he needed many answers. The disgust at your betrayal didn’t leave though. You winced at how much bruised his cheek was now.

“Good. Now listen to me very carefully,” Mydei started. “It’s true your daughter has been sleeping with your opponent and that she ended up conceiving my child. But me offering this marriage could be beneficial for both sides.”

“Beneficial? How is this betrayal beneficial-” your father asked with another portion of anger but then he finally understood the meaning of this union. “… You speak of a treaty. You want me to sacrifice my daughter to end this war?” The idea was clearly uncomfortable to him. While he wasn’t a lenient person and he was mad at you stabbing him in the back, he still felt a natural sense of patently duty towards you. “You really are a scoundrel,” he scoffed. “She’s not an offering to gods!”

“I’m not sacrificing your daughter,” Mydei said seriously. “I’m only making sure this child is not born out of wedlock. Us setting a peace is just an extra part. You wouldn’t want your child to end up as a lonely mother, would you?”

Of course your father didn’t want that. Not only it’d be distasteful in the eyes of his people, he doubted you’d manage on your own. It was only a matter of him not being able to accept that for all these months, you’ve been lying behind his back.

But it didn’t mean this marriage wouldn’t be a blessing in a way. His people were tired. He was tired. You were tired. Yours and theirs safety and wellbeing came first. Your father looked at you, glad your tears were disappearing. He needed you coherent for you to answer him truthfully, “Do you even want this or is he pressuring you to marry?” Mydei clenched his jaw, staring your father coldly.

Now this was a difficult and complex question for you. You have never planned to marry Mydei, have a child—so you weren’t happy about this situation. On the other hand, a sense of duty towards your tribe, having remembered all the lost lives and souls; it kept you thinking you should do this. To you, this wasn’t even about the child having their future secured.

“It’s my decision, father…” you spoke hesitantly, but then you forced conviction into your voice, “… I think Lord Mydei is right. Not only this child needs a father, I also want our people to finally rest easy. I know they need some closure…” You felt Mydei tighten his grip on you at your words. You didn’t even dare to look at his face, scared you’ll see the same triumph you have seen the day you announced the news.

Your father closed his eyes, a thought on his face. He had to make a difficult decision. There was no good answer as in both cases there is something to give up: it was about choosing a lesser evil. Giving his daughter away to his enemy or denying his people or the end to this conflict. He opened his eyes, the shade exactly like yours, his blood running through your veins.

“You know what this means? That I’ll have to give you away to this man?” he asked, and you noticed a slight tremble in his tone. His flesh and blood, being taken away from him sounded most excruciating to a parent. You nodded, already feeling like crying again. None of you wanted to be separated from each other, even if your father might never forgive you.

“In that case… you better take a good care of my dear child, Lord Mydei,” he said seriously, not hiding his resignation.

“I will,” Mydei said with honesty. He didn’t care about anything else, now that he finally had you for himself. He was scared of the idea of being a father, but he loved this child already—even if your belly was barely showing, especially under your clothes; maybe because he was denied of childhood himself after his father’s sins…

“I won’t let any harm come to my betrothed or her child,” he added with an honor.

Your father took his words as truthful, however he had a condition. There’s no way he’d leave you in the lion’s jaw with no space. “We’ve made a responsible decision already, but… I have to ask you for one more thing.”

Mydei didn’t have a good feeling about the proposal, but he put his free hand in front of himself as a gesture that he’s willing to hear him out.

“As much as I’m letting you wed my daughter, I cannot possibly never see her again. Especially her mother, I don’t want her to curse me either. That’s why I want a quarter of a year with our daughter in our home. Once she gives birth and recovers, that is.”

Mydei was right in the idea that he wouldn’t like it. The idea of having you (and assumedly your daughter or son) gone for three whole months every year was maddening. Every minute away from you got him feral and worried you’re being seen by another man or at risk. As a result of hearing this ridiculous statement, he squeezed on your arm hard enough to hurt. When you winced in pain, he immediately let it go—he didn’t mean to cause you any harm, it was simply he was still learning how to be gentle for a sake of your pregnancy. He looked down at you, making sure you’re alright.

Instead, he saw your begging eyes. You were desperate to keep in touch with your family; however there was something else at play—for all the suspicious feelings you had towards Mydei lately, you felt like having a break for him as well. Maybe even your child will need it—who knows what kind of father your fiance will become.

Mydei hated the idea of having you out and baby of his reach and being out of control with that deal. It was a realization that you’d probably become unhappy and unwilling should you be stuck with him all year that made him hesitant to deny you. If seeing your family makes you happy… maybe you will also be desperate to return to him sooner than a quarter of every next year. Would his child love him enough to betray you and demand he or she miss their daddy and want to go back early?

He made that hard decision, “Very well then. But don’t even assume I won’t drag her back if you extend three months even by just a day.”

When Mydei was leading you away to return safely, you had to look back at your father for the last time before you’ll have to wait long months to see him again. Living outside of Okhema and Kremnos made a distance too long for your father to feel like you’re near him, so he mouthed “I love you.”

He’ll take a blame on himself. Neither did the pain on his face mattered, when his heart just broke.

☆

When you two have returned to the house Mydei has kept himself at, with few servants that remained loyal to him even after he abandoned his role as a future king in Kremnos, you’ve realized this will be your new home only now. Homesickness overwhelmed you already.

Entering his chambers, Mydei placed you on bed and helped you remove your shoes. You had no idea why, considering you were in a stage too early to have swollen feet yet. Was he becoming soft with you?

“How do you feel?” he asked from below you. “Any nausea yet?” You shook your head. “Good.” Mydei sat down next to you on bed. “The healer has told me that if a father was in a healthy state before a woman conceives, the pregnancy should be easier on her. I don’t even drink alcohol, so I hope you’ll get to rest easy for the remaining time of your heaviness…”

It was at least one thing for you to be soothened about.

Being emotionally exhausted after parting with your father, haven’t seen your mother in months as you participated in war, you felt shameless enough to put your head on his shoulder. “That’s reassuring,” you said with a little yawn. Mydei knew this probably wasn’t a good moment, but he found you oddly adorable when you appeared tired like this, softening his heart at some extent. Perhaps, he simply liked the idea of you being dependent on him… he had you in his grasp anyway. And it will remain that way until you take your last breath—not that he didn’t wish for you to become immortal too somehow.

Seeing you being all worn out, he helped you lay down before he put himself next to you. Having an affair with you for months, he had enough time to learn some forms of affection despite his rough personality… no matter what a sick man you’ve made him to be. He wanted to be angry at you for having him so obsessed with you yet he didn’t remember the last time he had felt so alive in his immortal life.

Mydei let you turn on your side for him to hold, even feel the calm rhythm of his heart. You’ve made him at peace when his mind was at war all the time.

You squirmed a little when you felt his hand land on your lower stomach. You were still unused to the idea of carrying a life in your womb, a child from him of all people. “I think you’re strong enough to go through this state smoothly as well,” he added eventually.

But it wasn’t your physique you’ve doubted. Pregnancies tended to be difficult for women, however what got you truly worried was forced assimilation in Okhema and the idea of your life having changed so drastically upon one of the nights with Mydei.

“… Yeah. Mydeimos?” you asked quietly. “Yes, love?” he asked with a rub of your belly, bit happy at the sound of his name. Maybe your form was bloated just barely, nonetheless it made him territorial already. He’ll protect you and this child, slaughter any enemy deciding to cross you, and maybe one day you’ll ask for another babe. For now, he needed to prepare a wedding ceremony. He won this fight nonetheless; even if he had to do something so disgusting to you. He felt guilty sometimes, until the thoughts of you filled his mind again and instead he wanted you even more.

“Thank you,” you murmured against his chest, your eyes closing already. “What are you thanking me for?” he kissed your cheek.

“I’m glad you didn’t separate me from my family,” you admitted meekly.

“I couldn’t go that far, so don’t thank me. I only want you to care about our family just as much.”

You didn’t manage to agree as you fell asleep, leaving him without your promise. Mydei sighed and pulled you closer to him, with his palm on your stomach still, for him to imagine how big and much more his you’ll be soon.

☆

As your belly grew, so did Mydei’s newfound tendency to be overbearing. He seemed to be more stressed out than you at times, desperate to make sure your wellbeing is secured. To him, it didn’t matter how suffocated you might have felt—he kept you close regardless. Especially now that you were wife and husband. Mydei needed both your safety and love, for all the times he didn’t feel safe or loved himself.

When it came to you, you were founding yourself to be more accepting of the situation. Not happy though. No, your mind was more about getting used to the idea, as you knew you had no choice and needed to get through it sometimes. You can’t take time back but you can make the future work.

Mydei have noticed you became more quiet after separation, but he blamed it on you missing home than you actually being unhappy at the prospect of becoming a mother. Perhaps he was a fool but he had all the confidence in you, one day, loving him so much you could die; the same way he loved you and this child.

You were four months pregnant at this point. Mydei was so bad he didn’t even want you to walk too much, finding some excuses about you provoking painful feet or risking tripping over. No, you were much better sitting on his lap while he sat on his throne.

“Open your mouth,” he said teasingly and fed you few pomegranate seeds. He wanted you to eat well for the baby, and a healer recommended fruits for additional vitamins. The idea of sharing his favorite food with you felt nice too—even if it’s a merely sized way of bonding.

When you parted your lips for him, he slipped few pomegranate seeds into your mouth you quite enjoyed, his finger accidentally brushed over your lips and spreading crimson juice here. The unintentional art looked beautiful on you nevertheless. You were carrying a meaning of pomegranate on your plumpness, both fertile and in marriage union. Should you ever die, he will simply hunt your soul back to him.

Observing your beauty, he felt a familiar urge to push his thumb into your mouth and see you suckle on it, like you have done so submissively during many nights. No matter, he’ll wait until your hormones strike you enough for you to feel desire all the time… he’ll just have to be more delicate with you in this state, and you surely will let him rock your body with his hands on your bump. He’ll knead your breasts too, chasing away all the soreness.

He put an empty pomegranate shell away, hopefully not as empty as you, and wrapped his arms around you, typically one hand on your belly. It could be any moment a baby kicks so he was always ready like this.

“Say… do you think it’ll be a girl or boy?” he asked with curiosity, pushing his excitement into the back of his mind so you don’t think of him as too eager.

You looked at him in thought, your mouth suddenly dry. “Well, I didn’t really think about that… I just want them to be healthy.”

He chuckled at your words. In his eyes, you were such a good mother already. “Their gender doesn’t matter to me either… I’ll help them become a strong warrior regardless. My parents…” he stopped for a moment. The bitterness of his father’s murder and his own murder reminded in him until many years later. He cleared his throat, despite it feeling choked. “My parents were a king and a queen, both warriors of the equal strength as none of them won during their first clashing of blades… I won’t discriminate no matter the result of your birth. I’m sure our child will be strong as you and I are.”

You still noticed how giddy he sounded, so odd for Mydei; you learned how to read him; no matter how much he tried to hide his vulnerabilities. You felt some form of affection for him too, however, you didn’t like how easily you soaked in his emotions sometimes. It was unsettling how intense he was when he thought you didn’t notice.

But the mention of warriors… it made you feel nostalgic. You missed the battlefield and the freedom and pride it brought. “Yeah, I would like to train them too…” you said hopefully. Something angry flashed in Mydei’s eyes for a moment, not sure if he should let you continue fighting whether you will recover after a birth or not. What if you fly away from him? At the same time, he didn’t want to make you miserable. “Well, you shouldn’t get rusty. I suppose some sparring with me should help you get back in healthy shape after birth,” he said, all resigned. You’ve made him too soft for his liking, but even more fierce with his enemies that could threaten you and the unborn.

But the short look of excitement in your eyes was worth it. He really didn’t intend to make you unhappy in any way… it was just his desire to both own you and keep you safe, something he had grown enough during your months of passionate nights before your pregnancy; it only burst open and swallowed you when his tragic plan had worked.

You both jumped when the baby suddenly kicked in your belly, for the first time. You felt it hardly from the inside and for him it was under his rough-skinned palm. He looked at you in awe, until he saw your eyes well up with tears, thinking it perhaps hurt. “Are you okay?” he asked slightly panicked.

“Huh? Yes… I just… feel touched. That child really exists,” you said with a smile. Sometimes about them being alive and proofing it was your comfort to your loneliness; unless you were becoming delusional and desperate for relief.

Seeing your rare moment of happiness and smile was a soothing balm to his soul. This boy or girl were really the key to making you his—not only did you agree to marry him, you also were starting to appreciate an aspect of becoming a mother. He didn’t care if it was your hormones, a stereotype of a mother’s instinct or your affection for him. He shall make sure this remains eternal.

When Mydei placed his lips on his and stroked your belly, you let him. He didn’t cry now but he felt like he will once he sees the blessing he produced in the world.

As he kissed you rather gently for him, you having taught him how to be more soft for your sake, he thought many things. How beautiful you’ve become even if your skin appeared dull, how much he liked taking care of you, how he finally had an idea of family back in his life, how much of his you were…

…that’s why you shall never know the truth about your past herb treatment, not needing to leave you heartbroken. Neither will the healer spill it out for you, as he was now six feet underground.

He just couldn’t had let you go, scared you’ll finally leave back to where you’ve came from, should the conflict end on its own. And you fell right into his trap.

[mcu-fan-fics-blog]

Routine V

Mini Series

Wanda Maximoff x fem wife!reader

Summary: Routines can get tiring quickly, especially when you’re the only one working towards keeping them.

A/n: We meet again friends. I am very happy to be updating this fic once more. Also happy to inform that I have found a direction in which to take it!!! I hope you enjoy reading it.

Word count: 1400 approx

She was at a crossroads, there was nothing that she could do to stop you from leaving. She hadn’t stopped pacing the room since you left. That's when she saw it… Her saving grace. Maybe if she did this one thing she could at least open the door if not maybe just unlock it, something. At this point that was definitely better than nothing. Your passport and what looked like important papers were left sitting on the kitchen counter. You had left in a furious haze, something was meant to be left behind. You just didn’t think it would be your passport and work visa. That was the one thing that you thought you had in lock, the one thing that you couldn't forget… And you forgot it. Truthfully you knew that something was missing the moment that you stepped into the car with Kate, but you chalked it up to the stress that Wanda had caused.   

There was a time that anything that remotely felt like a fight was a no go. You never wanted to fight with Wanda, nothing about arguing with her seemed pleasant. In the beginning it was obvious she was scared and all of it was new. You danced around obvious issues the two of you had. One issue was a rather big one being Vision. It was strange their connection. It was something you knew would have easily gone the other way had you not been in the picture. They understood each other; you felt like the odd man out in your own relationship with her. It wasn’t until you exploded one day that the issue was addressed. Thinking back Wanda should have seen this coming. It almost ended the relationship before it really even began. She was tempted to call you, she really was. But she’d just crossed a very big boundary. Instead she texted Kate.

Her text was read almost immediately the text bubble kept appearing but nothing was sent. Wanda instead sent another message. ‘I’ll meet you at the gate, lose Y/n for a minute and I’ll give you her passport.’ She only received a thumbs up and she was on her way. It was high time Wanda started taking action. She wasn’t going to fail you now. 

You were lying. You had no idea where you got the confidence from but it was a complete lie. You loved her so much it hurt. She didn’t read your mind that time and it hurt that she believed you. Tears welled in your eyes, this day wasn’t supposed to go like this. You were supposed to leave peacefully, and now you had no idea what you were doing. She shook you. Wanda came into your life and turned it upside down and now she’s done it again. It was rough. Kate had been fidgety for the past twenty minutes. “Are you okay?” You managed to get the words out. She stilled wide eyed. “Uhm shouldn’t I be asking you that?” You hummed. “Probably… I’m just tired of the same thing over and over again.” You sighed. “There are so many things that I wanted to say. But she was right in front of me and the words disappeared.” Kate nodded, her eyes still fixed on the road. 

“Do you think… that uhm you’ll get back together?” She asked the obvious question. It only made your shoulders deflate more. Not because she asked, “It’s not up to me.” but because of how pitiful the answer was. And it was entirely up to her. You hadn't even been able to bring yourself to draft the papers. The fear that she’d actually sign them still managed to keep you up at night. What if she did, what then? “My heart… it aches constantly. Like something was ripped from me.” Kate cleared her throat. “You’re leaving Y/n… You're going abroad for god knows how long.” You nodded. “How else can I show her what she’s doing to me? Years Kate I’ve put up with it for years.” Kate nodded. “I did not suffer in silence, I let her know at every turn how she was compromising us.” Your words were laced with anger and conviction. And so quickly the sadness gave way to raw anger.  

Wanda felt she should have thought this entire situation out more. Here she was in her car on her way to the airport, filled with hundreds if not thousands of people. And the most daunting part being that you’re unaware. Her mind was already starting to hold her hostage. She made the treck mostly on autopilot. Then there was the whole getting through security, nothing her powers couldn’t handle. Only she somehow couldn’t. She had not felt this lack of control since ultron, she was tripping where she had learned repeatedly not to. It was overwhelming navigating through the masses of people trying to get to their flights, homes, families. Everyone's thoughts traversed constantly. Eventually and not without struggle she had found Kate, near a coffee shop.

“Finally! I thought you’d make this hard for me.” Kate’s words washed right through her. The only thing she could hear now was an angry ring, mocking her. She shook her head softly trying to dissipate the sound. Then she stilled, she could sense it. Her powers out of pure reflex sought you out. And another pang of sadness ran through her. She’d never been able to sense your anger. A slap in the face a testament as to how unwelcome she truly was. A tug at her arm brought her back. She was clutching your passport in her hand. The folder already in Kate’s possession. Kate sighed. “Are you okay?” She relented and finally asked the question. That seemed to snap her out of whatever trance she was in. She let go of the Passaport like it burned her. Kate noticed her distress and asked again. “My powers… are acting up, I'll be fine.” Kate nodded, not fully convinced. 

Kate had decided she’d throw Wanda a life line. She did not think someone could make a change so drastically in a matter of hours. This Wanda that was standing in front of her was not the same one she witnessed yell indignantly at you. This Wanda looked defeated, vulnerable. “She’s still waiting for you…” Kate said. Taking the woman in, and for a moment she wasn’t sure Wanda had heard her. Then tears started rolling down her face. “I don’t think she is…” the words came out tersely and clipped. “She's angry, she has every right to be. That doesn’t change the fact that she’s waiting… so give her time.” Kate sighed, taking a step back. “Fight for her…” She turned on her heel and walked away. Wanda seconds later managed to do the same. Her resolve slowly cemented.

Kate made her way back just as you started looking for her. She looks slightly flushed. Two coffees in hand, a folder tucked in between her arm and torso. Your eyes widened at the sight. “I didn’t even realize I was missing that!” You exclaimed. Taking a cup out of her hand, and the folder at the same time. “Kate, you're a lifesaver.” She nodded, taking a long sip of her drink. Then silence followed, you could have sworn you felt something. It made your heart race. You remembered the familiar feeling. A slight fuzz just out of reach in your mind. You couldn’t help but look around. Could it be, or was it just her lingering in your mind. Then once again Kate brought you back into the present. “Here your boarding group is about to be called.” Kate pulled you up from your seat making toward the line now forming.

Right as your ticket was scanned. She pulled you to the side slightly. “Promise you’re coming back.” You managed a small smile. “I will, I don’t think your mother will keep me away forever.” You joked. Keeping an eye on the people boarding. Kate nodded trying to reassure herself. “You forgot your passport… she brought them here. That's why I was gone for a minute.” Your heart started racing. “I didn’t want to keep it from you.” Then before you could even respond an airline worker was ushering through into the boarding tunnel. The last thing Kate managed to say was for you to call her when you landed. 

A/n: Please leave a like if you liked it!!! Late because I completely forgot to schedule. :(

Tag list: @fxckmiup @username23345 @xxxtwilightaxelxxx​ 

[angstywaifu]

I Only Want You - Liam Mairi

Request: Liam Mairi fic (smut) where he is the readers first time and he’s super sweet when she gets a little nervous or shy? Warnings: 18+ Minors DNI. Smut. Fingering. Unprotected P in V. Readers first time.

Masterlist | Support Me

Ever since battle brief and the comment I had made, I had felt Liam’s eyes on me all day. Every time I met his gaze he didn’t look away. He’d look at me as if he was trying to figure something out. Like if there had been a hidden meaning in my words. And there had been.

Ever since I’d laid eyes on Liam I had been attracted to him. He was easily one of the most attractive riders in the quadrant in my opinion. And I knew a lot of other girls thought that with how they looked at him. Especially in gym or challenges. The way he moved and handled himself, it was like an art form. An art form I’m sure translated to his skills in bed. My room was just up from his, and at least once or twice a week I would catch a girl sneaking out or in. Usually the same girls, but occasionally I would see someone different.

But I had never dare hinted I wanted to see what it was like. I didn’t want to risk the friendship we had. Liam and I had hit it off almost immediately after I very nearly kicked his butt in the first day of challenges when we had been paired up. He eventually got the better of me and won. But after he pulled me up from the mat and introduced himself, we’d been close friends since. But now it felt like we were at a turning point in our friendship after my comment.

“One time! It’s happened one time, Rhi!” Violet says loudly as I join my squad and take my place next to Rhiannon.

*“Right. And what would you call that whole thing with Tynan?” Rhiannon asks in a sassy tone that nearly has me laughing.

”Threshing.” Violet says in a way to try shrug it off.*

*“And what about Barlowe’s constant threats?” I ask as I lean around Rhiannon with a smirk on my face. Liam shakes his head at me, knowing I’m just fuelling the fire now.

”They’re just threats. The only time I’ve actually been targeted was at night, and it’s not like Liam here is sleeping in my bedroom.”*

*He pauses his wood carving as he shrugs his shoulders. “I mean, I’m not opposed-”

”Don’t even start.” Violet whips her head towards Liam. “You are a shameless flirt.”

His usually cocky grin spreads across his face. “Thank you.”*

“It wasn’t a compliment.”

Rhiannon leans back in her chair and laughs. “Don’t mind her, she’s just sexually frustrated. Makes a girl crabby.” Adds as she starts writing in her book.

“That has nothing to do with it.” Violet mutters.

“And yet I don’t hear you denying it.” Rhiannon adds with a sweet smile.

“I’m sorry I don’t make the cut.” Liam says teasingly.

“Maybe not for her.” I add a little too flirtatiously, causing Liam’s eyes to snap to me as I sink back into my chair trying to hide behind Rhiannon as my cheeks flush bright red. Shit.

I yet again felt his eyes on me as I walked into the dining hall. As my eyes scan the hall I find him sitting with Xaden, Garrick and Bodhi. All of whom are looking at me then back at Liam before laughing at him. Were they talking about me? Surely not. I tear my gaze from them and grab some food for dinner before walking over to Imogen and Rhiannon who were the only ones in our squad at our usual table. Both of them going silent as I take seat next to Imogen and slowly pick at my food.

“You ok? You’ve been super quiet since battle brief?” Rhiannon asks as I roll a potato around my plate.

“Honestly, I don’t know.” I tell her as I look up at her. Behind her I see Liam and Xaden looking over at me.

“Regretting the comment you made to Liam about sex?” Rhiannon teases me as Imogen’s head whips towards me.

“Clearly I need to sit closer to you first years in battle brief. What did you say to him?” She asks a she props her head up on her arm as she looks at me, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Violet made a comment about missing sex, and the boys started being well boys and Violet shot them down, then this one her pipes up and says to Liam maybe he’d make the cut for someone else. Gods I’ve never seen those boys eyes go as wide as they did when those words left her mouth.” Rhiannon informs Imogen.

“And he’s been avoiding me ever since. Successfully ruined that friendship.” I say sarcastically as I finally stab the potato on my plate.

“And yet his eyes have not left you once since battle brief.” She adds sternly.

“Wait, you haven’t hooked up with him?” Imogen asks as her eyebrows furrow in confusion.

“Wait, you think Liam and I have slept together?”

She shrugs. “I mean with the way he looks at you and follows you around. Hell no guy goes anywhere near you because of him, and trust me they’ve tried. Even poor Bodhi over there wanted to have a shot with you before Liam sternly told him to look elsewhere.”

I shake my heat at them. “Trust me, not been there or done that. Not with anyone. And he doesn’t see me that way.”

Both girls look at me like I’ve told them the skies as pink as Imogen’s hair.

”Wait, you’re a virgin?” Rhiannon asks, lowering her voice so only I can hear her.

I nod. “Yes, and he definitely wont want to be with someone who has no experience/”

“You girl are so blind and oblivious.” Imogen states bluntly.

“I am not. If he wanted to be with me he would’ve tried. And he hasn’t. And I don’t want to be added to the list of girls he brings back to his room every other night.” I say a little too angrily.

“And also jealous apparently.” Imogen adds with a smirk.

“Am not.”

”Then how many girls are there?” Rhiannon asks.

I purse my lips together. And it’s all the answer they need from me to prove their point. “It doesn’t matter. He’s not the one girl kind of guy. And I don’t want to be on a list. It ain’t happening.”

“Maybe you just need to shoot your shot? What’s the worst that could happen?” Imogen adds so casually.

”I ain’t wrecking the friendship more than I have already. It will all be fine in a few days. He’ll sleep with someone and forget all about it.”

”I don’t know, that boys eyes have barely left you since you walked in and sat down. I say just go for it.” She adds before turning her attention back to her food.

I look up and immediately meet Liam’s blue eyes. I feel like he’s staring into my soul. As if trying to read my mind and intentions behind that comment. I shove my barely touched plate of food away before walking out of the dining hall and back to my room. I’m glad neither Rhiannon or Imogen try to follow me. Clearly deemed I’d had enough teasing for the evening. But in my hurry to leave, and my mind elsewhere. I don’t hear another set of feet following me, running to catch up. It’s not till they call out to me, that my blood runs cold with dread and my heart starts beating at a rapid pace.

“Y/N, wait up!” Liam calls behind me.

Only one more corridor and I can hide in my room for the night. Hide and deal with this tomorrow. I push my legs faster hoping my pace is faster than his. But it isn’t, and his hand grasp my wrist and spins me towards him. His other hand reaching out to steady me as I collide with his very solid muscular chest beneath his tight fitting black linen shirt. Too embarrassed to look him in the eye, I keep my eyes focused on the ground. He goes to grab my chin to raise my head but I tilt my head to the side and avoid his grip. I don’t have to know his eyes are furrowed at me right now. I’ve never avoided him touching me like that. Like I hated being close to him.

”Can you look at me?” He asks softly, his hand falling to his side.

I keep my eyes firmly on the floor. “What do you want Liam?”

”I want you to look at me Y/N. I want you to talk to me and not ignore me like I’m the plague like you have since battle brief.”

Anger flairs in me and has my eyes flicking up to his in an instant. “You weren’t exactly doing much better.” I snap.

He chuckles at me. “There she is.” I roll my eyes and go to leave, but he reaches out again and grasps my wrist.

I turn back and face him, watch as he swallows slowly, nervously. His eyes darting over me. Liam was nervous. Something I could say I had never seen him be.

“Are you ok?” I ask quietly.

”That comment you made today. In battle brief.” I gulp. Shit. “Did you mean you when you made that comment?”

I roll my eyes. “Heaps of girls want to be with you Liam, you know that.” I say trying to dodge the questions as I look down at my hands.

”That’s not what I asked.” He pleads, his fingers grasping my chin and forcing my eyes back to him. My breath catches in my throat at the intensity in his gaze “Did you mean you?”

His voice is almost pleading. Like, like he wanted my words to mean me. That I wanted him. That he would make the cut for me. That I would let him in.

”And what if I did? What if I was meaning me?” I ask quietly as I take a cautious step closer and place a hand on his chest as his hand moves from my chin to cup my cheek.

”Then we might need to go somewhere else if you did sweetheart.”

Gods I could have melted at the huskiness in his voice.

”I’m not being another girl on your list. It’s not what I want. And….”

“And what?” He asks, leaning down towards me.

”I’m…. I’ve never been with anyone. Ever.” I confess, averting my eyes from his.

”You would be the only girl on my list if you meant you. I only want you.” His voice so soft and gentle as his thumb runs over my cheek.

I look back up at him, his blue eyes piercing into mine. ”Then yes. I did mean me.”

I gasp as Liam backs me into my closed door, my legs locking around my waist as he kisses me, so soft and gentle as if testing the waters. He bites my lip before pushing his tongue into my mouth when I gasp at the sensation. His hands push under my shirt, his fingers skimming up and down my sides. I moan into his mouth as his grip around my waist tightens. His weight pushing me back into the door. I instinctively wind my fingers into his hair, as I tug I feel the moan rumble from his chest before he removes his lips from mine and rests his forehead on mine.

“Do that again.” He whispers against my lips.

I smile and do as he says, tugging on his blonde hair. I watch as his eyes darken and flare with desire. He walks backwards from the door, placing me back on my feet as he pushes the jacket from my arms and tugs on the bottom of my shirt. I raise my arms and he’s quick to discard of the material before removing his own. I go to trace the relic on his arm, but he kneels and starts to remove my boots, followed by my pants and underwear. He slowly stands back up, kissing his way back up my leg, sending shivers through my body. As he stands to his full height, he quickly removes his pants, exposing himself to me. He chuckles as I take him in. All of him.

Neither of us speaks, not wanting to break the moment. Liam grabs my hand and pulls me with him as he sits down on desk chair, guiding my legs either side of him. I go to sit but his hands hold me up by my waist. One of his hands slowly moves down, his fingers lightly caressing my skin as he makes his way between my legs. My hands grasps his shoulders as a moan rips from my throat as he inserts to fingers into me, my eyes closing as my head rolls back. He curls his fingers inside me, hitting the perfect spot, causing my to jump forward a little, but Liam’s hand keeps me steady as he chuckles at my reaction. He slowly slips his fingers from me as I groan at the loss. Liam’s hand comes up and cups my cheeks, my eyes opening to meet his.

“You ready?” He asks me, eyes blown wide with lust, but looking at me like I am the most precious thing in the world.

I look down at him. Gods I’m nervous. But I wanted him. I wanted him so badly. And now all embarassment and regret from making that comment in battle brief was gone. Because now I had Liam sitting below me, looking at me like I’m his everything.

I nod. “I’m ready.”

My eyes go wide as he stretches me open. It takes all my will power to keep my eyes open and looking at him. They risk fluttering shut but I force them open. My fingernails dig into Liam’s shoulder, definitely leaving marks as he lowers me slowly onto him. Eventually he sheaths himself inside me as I sit in his lap, a moan rippling through me and him.

He leans back in the chair as best as he can, as he starts to thrust slowly up and down. Each thrust pulling sounds I didn’t know were possible to come out of me as I clench around him. Every time i clench around him his fingers dig into my waist. His lips meet my neck, pressing light kisses and bites as he moves his way down my neck. As my fingers slip back into his hair and tug, he bites down hard causing me to yelp.

Liam thrusts up into me as he wraps his arms around my waist as he stands up, keeping himself inside me as he walks over to the bed and lays me down. He hitches my legs over his shoulders, immediately making me moan with out even moving. The position of my legs now having him hit a completely different angle in me. He smirks at me as I squirm under him. His hands find their place either side of my head as he leans forward and thrust into me. This time I am unable to keep my eyes on him as they roll back and flutter close. Liam clearly forgotten about the command he had given me as I clench around him and his pace picks up.

My hands reach up and pull Liam’s lips down to mine in a passionate kiss that is a fight for dominance. Each of us biting at our lips, our tongues fighting, Eventually Liam wins as my fingers run down his chest. He moves one of his hands to raise my hips, my eyes flying open at the new angle as Liam rests his forehead against mine as he stares into my eyes. A silent command to keep my eyes on him as we finish. With the rate I’m clamping down around him, he knows I’m close. Liam shifts his balance on his legs, his hand not raising my hips moving to my most sensitive bundle of nerves. Immediately I come undone beneath him. His name rolling off my lips, mine soon tumbling off his as he finishes as well.

In one swift movement Liam rolls to his side, pulling me with him and cradling me against his chest. He presses a kiss to the top of my head as his fingers trace up my thigh and back, lulling me into sleep. Liam must sense me dozing off in his arms as he pulls the blanket over us, his arms tightening around me as I doze off into the best sleep I’ve ever had.

[pnfc]

short conversational fic. in which heinz buys them a pet, and there are no problems ( ~4k words )

~

It’s like half a year into them dating. Or 194 days into them dating, but who’s counting. Holiday season. They’re out shopping together, which is a joint effort, Heinz distracted by the offerings at every store and gimmick toys too babyish for any kids they know (but not too babyish for Heinz) and whatever side-street restaurants have sprung up by surprise, or are at least new to his memory. Perry is keeping Heinz on task, and footing the bill. Heinz is tall enough to reach a checkout counter. So they make a good team.

They’ve stashed their bags in the truck and are finalizing things at the books and small gifts store when Heinz tells Perry to hold on a minute, while he runs back out to the street. Perry has read through most of the cards for wine moms on the bottom row when Heinz returns with a plastic crate.

“Okay so you know in ‘Lady and the Tramp’ when the guy gets the girl a puppy for Christmas, stuffed in a hatbox?”

An alarming preamble. Perry sets his face.

“Well don’t worry, I didn’t do that, because it’s stupid. Gifting someone a pet dog. Who does that? And wrapping it up in a bow it doesn’t want to wear and everything, so it trips around and falls down the stairs, strangles itself to death, awful. Just a terrible gift idea.” He pauses. “But I got us a kitten!”

Heinz swings the container forward so Perry can see in the barred door. There’s a blanket wrapped around a white lump of fur, which is bristling and softening with each breath. Perry looks up at Heinz with a hollow expression.

I’m so glad you didn’t buy a dog, Perry signs. Heinz is beaming. No.

Heinz blinks, while it registers. “Did you say ‘no’? You’re saying ‘no’?”

I’m saying no.

“No to the . . . kitten? To the sweet little ki— Perry the Platypus, come on,” Heinz pleads, pulling the crate back stably against his legs. “There’s a million little kitties out there who need a home and we have so much room in our place, I’ve been thinking about this for a while. It never worked out for me picking up strays off the street, as you recall, but this guy’s from a shelter, so no little kid’s gonna show up and steal him away. I paid for this. The logistics all check out. It’ll make our house a home!”

No. We don’t need a cat.

Perry leaves it at that, doesn’t bother taking offense to Heinz’s suggestion that their house is not currently a home. He’s being stupid, obviously he is, why call a spade a spade? Heinz furrows his brow at Perry, and sighs at him like he’s being so hopeless.

“Alright. I thought you might be like this — you’re that type of guy, aren’t you, Perry the Platypus? All burly and macho, convinced only a big manly hunting dog could be the animal for you.”

Perry’s mouth is open. Is that how you see me?

“Ok so I’m hyperbolizing but the point is — you’re not a cat person. I know. At least you think you aren’t. But I know how people tick, Perry the Platypus, and trust me: once you let this little ball of cuteness into your heart, you will never want to unclog your arteries.” Heinz points at Perry, who’s got his jacketed arms in a cross. “You’re too soft on the inside. You’ll see.”

That certainly explains how Perry got where he is, with an impulse-driven, acutely toxoplasmotic boyfriend. He presses a hand to his bill bridge, glances sidelong, then starts tugging Heinz away from the crowded card display.

There’s no one in the back corner of the store, with the self-help books, so Perry drops Heinz’s sleeve and gestures at him to set the crate down.

“I thought we could talk it over in the car — or at home?” Heinz says as he straightens up. “Or did you want to look at these before we leave?” He’s skimming over romantic guides advising women to dump their pushy boyfriends. “It’s just they’re all so hacky, I’m not a fan. Plus this store doesn’t carry any of my books — which are hacky, yet practical.” He looks at Perry. “Though none of mine have a ‘Phasing out of subtextual innuendo and into a real relationship’ chapter, yet. That’s in drafts.”

Let’s talk here. Perry hits the brakes mid-sign and wheels on Heinz, with a low growl. Do NOT write about our love life.

“Perry!” he flutes, in a scandalized tone that is difficult to trust. “I would never, in so much detail. I write in broad strokes. Anonymized hypotheticals, that people can relate to. I’m not getting monotreme-specific. . . . Maybe mammal-specific.”

This will be a future conversation. Perry plates it on the heaping table of messy topics in his mind and returns to the one at hand.

We can’t keep the cat. It’s a bad idea.

Heinz huffs, glancing back down at the plastic carrier on the carpet. “Ok, I hate to go here but. Is it because you’re an animal? Does that make it weird to you?” He cocks his head. “Because you know I don’t even think about that. That’s not what you are to me. Like I’m not blind to it, obviously, because you are a platypus. It’s hard to miss that. And I love all the little platypus parts you have, your leathery paws and your big tail and your, your highly efficient lack of ears — it’s all just so characteristically you,” Heinz says, indicating Perry’s form with open hands. “So uniquely Perry the Platypus, not animal-ish. To me. But maybe that’s because I don’t hang out with a lot of other platypuses.”

Heinz kneels by the carrier, while Perry lets his opening question hang unanswered. He hooks fingers into the metal bars — the kitten’s still deep in sleep, its pink nose poking out of a blanket fold.

“Point is you’re not at all like this guy, to me — or to anyone with eyes and a brain. You’re a person, and this guy’s a pet. A real one, not like the one your job forced you to act like, back in the day. This kitty isn’t like you and your secret agent buddies. Like what was it — Kathy? Kelly? The cat one? We’re not gonna push it through military brainwashing, or feed it smart-pills or whatever it is they did to you.”

Perry stares in response, and signs for pill-taking with a shake of his head.

“Oh, they didn’t give you smart-pills? Well they did something to you. And we’re not gonna do whatever OWCA . . .” He trails off, since Perry’s still shaking his head. “What? They didn’t?” Another shake. “Didn’t OWCA stick you guys with a supersoldier serum when you were kids? Or some kind of brain-smartener? The whole ‘Flowers for Algernon’ deal?” Shake.

Heinz is taken aback. He pushes off his knees, and stares down at Perry. “Really? That can’t be right. Perry the Platypus, you’re like.” He pauses, thinking. “Well, I’m not too proud to say, that — for a certain number of metrics of intelligence, and that is bearing in mind that a large number of those metrics exist — you’re smarter than me. By a lot.

“And you have a certain conversational verve and wit about you that I don’t tend to encounter at the zoo, among those chuckleheads.” Heinz laughs, stiff. “I mean come on, you’re not a regular platypus, Perry.”

To which Perry has no ready retort. He just hills his shoulders, palms open. He is and he isn’t. He isn’t, but apparently he is.

Heinz gawps, and sinks himself down to the bookstore carpet. “So like, what, you’re telling me you’re just naturally like this?”

Seems that way.

“And you’re uh. What, like. . . . An animal?”

194 days of officialized dating and this has clicked for him.

“No way.” He leans in closer to Perry’s face, fists propping him forward like a curious ape. “I just never thought — you sure there isn’t some big secret they’re keeping from you? Tell me.”

Perry blinks at Heinz. If there’s a secret, he signs with plodding emphasis. How would I know?

“Right — you’re right, okay.” Heinz slouches in his kneel. “That makes sense. But wow, Perry the Platypus. That is surprising. I mean, I know animals can be smart. God knows the local pigeons outwit me every other morning on my bakery runs. But Momma Ocelot wasn’t exactly reading me Cervantes, growing up.” He rubs fingers through the short pile of the rug. “Then again, she didn’t have a library card. That might’ve had something to do with it.”

She probably couldn’t read, Perry signs, as he sits next to Heinz. I learned from OWCA.

“You had different opportunities,” Heinz says, in slow agreement. “Okay, I can see that. But don’t you think, Perry, there’s something extra-special about you? There is, right? I mean I’ve never connected to anyone,” he says, fumbling, “like you. No people, no ocelots, animals. Ever in my life. What does that say about you?”

Perry tilts his head, and points the question back at Heinz.

“. . . Huh.” Heinz stares at his own hands, dangled on the floor. Perry studies his face as they lapse into silence. Unlike most silences with Heinz, this one is accruing an uneasy edge. Perry fidgets, glances at the pet crate and back. He taps a hand on Heinz’s upper arm.

Hey. Is this a problem? he signs. It’s clear something’s clicking together in a weird way for Heinz, and Perry knows better than to assume the worst, but he still has to state his mind. I’m me. Same as yesterday, Perry signs. Same as always.

Heinz stares across at him, a little chastened, a little pink. “Oh — I know, Perry the Platypus.” He rubs the back of one hand with the other. “It’s just — what are we doing? With this kitten, I mean. What does it mean if he could be like you? If he went through OWCA, or if we . . . taught him the stuff you learned, how to read and everything. Or if we didn’t — what, would he just be a normal cat? Is that a choice we could make?”

Perry gives him a searching expression, hands up.

“That’s all you’ve got for me? You don’t know?”

Quiet again. Thoughts are coming down fast as the outside flurry. Their gestural language is getting good now, quicker than Perry had anticipated, quick to read each other and intuit what’s in the gaps. But despite it all Perry still can’t articulate with ease all the words flowing into his head — they get stuffed up inside, pillowing down too fast. Typing is great, when he can get in the swing of it, and he longs for it at times like this.

But maybe the communication barrier is just as well, when there’s so many words piling up and none of them form an answer.

What can Perry explain? Is he supposed to articulate answers to the questions that have unremittingly cropped up his entire life, in his own mind? Years wondering why he couldn’t click with Agent Pinky, who chewed on couch cushions to soothe an eternally simmering anxiety, intractable doggy jitters that Perry could not fathom and found perpetually annoying — or with Harry, who’d wrap Perry up into lanky hugs that felt like getting shoved down in a brushfield, skunky earthen smells and loud cackles that he had to fight his way back out of every time?

Were they more animal, or was Perry more human? He couldn’t hope to answer that with any confidence. Or was there something more malignant in Perry’s development, some aberration of personality, whatever it was that kept him from gelling and made him not even want to try?

He gets the sense that some unnatural growth did twist up, over the years, in the walled garden he built within himself, behind brick meters of protection. One Heinz had cracked his way through to, after years of persistent battering. And now Heinz is delighting in the fruits of whatever warped, mutant object Perry has become — which felt good, until today, when he thought to question it.

Was it unfair, maybe, for Perry to overstep the boundaries written into his birth, to give Heinz a warped impression of animalkind? Or was it all just delusional egotism on Perry’s part, thinking he’s fundamentally any different from this cat?

Perry stares at the pink plastic of the crate. Melted snow has congealed into drops on its side. He looks at Heinz, who’s sitting with his long arms crossed on his knees, and formulates the thought at the front of his mind right now, knowing it doesn’t help a thing.

I came from a pet store.

Heinz makes a little “oh” with his mouth, and nods. “That’s how your family got you, huh?”

How OWCA distributes their pet-sized agents, yeah.

Heinz joins Perry in looking at the crate, where the kitten’s still sleeping in peace. “What’d they charge for you?”

Perry snorts at that, like it’s a joke, surprised. Heinz isn’t really smiling though, he’s got those soft eyes turned on him.

So he smiles back at Heinz, head tilted. No idea.

“Well,” says Heinz. “This guy cost me $60. And I’d wanna think you’re worth more than that. What kind of a number did OWCA put on you? I’m serious.”

Perry waves a hand in dismissal. Don’t take it too seriously. They’re domestic animals, he signs, they need a home.

“Kinda hard not to take it seriously,” Heinz gruffs, “when it applies to you. I’d like to know exactly how much cold hard cash Francis made pawning off my boyfriend to some grubby little kids, you know? Not to insult your family, Perry. I like them. But like. Definitionally, that’s what they were, at the time.”

Heinz is fussing with the aglets of his bootlaces, chipping away at the plastic.

“D’you think I should ask him to pony it back up? The adoption fee? Not for me, you know, for your family, since they’re the ones who paid it. But mostly for Francis not having it anymore.”

Indignation is all across Heinz’s lined face, as he broods over his boots. Perry feels himself gazing in slack adoration. What an incredibly stupid, petty thing to offer.

He and Heinz have been out long hours shopping, racking up a massive amount of credit — on Perry’s card, on the account that is shared between them, though Heinz’s name isn’t officially attached to it yet. Every other minute it’s been:

Oh, a gardening spade! That’s a good brand, Perry the Platypus, you should get it for the boys, isn’t Ferb studying botany? And God that astrolabe is beautiful — who’d like it more, Linda or Lawrence? And Oh! When did we get a stationery store? Vanessa’s into the analog stuff, with her little jetsetting friends, and she’s got that trip to Europe next year — that is a nice fountain pen, Perry the Platypus, trust me, it’s worth the pricetag. And oh, not a bedazzler kit — didn’t Norm want that? I know, I know, Perry . . . we shouldn’t enable him. But it’s Christmas. Speaking of. That tablecloth set is gorgeous, right? I mean we need seasonal napkin sets, I’ve been saying this. The project of home furnishing never ends, Perry the Platypus. We’re getting it.

Heinz never offers to pay his share, on these shopping trips out. He accepts his receptive place under the hefty bulk of Perry’s bank account. It must’ve been the same way with Charlene. Like after so many sad bachelor years he’s reverted to the natural role of spoiled househusband, a happier state of being.

And Perry gets to enable it, gets to fund his cute little impulses. Which throbs a kind of wild power up his spine, makes him feel towering, despite his 24 inches.

Did Charlene get to feel this way? Perry thinks, as he thinks about marriage. He reaches out to rub Heinz’s knee.

“I kind of regret getting him that cool pencil sharpener now,” he mutters, and Perry has to drag his head back to the topic of Monogram.

Reassuringly: Don’t. He uses pens.

Heinz scoffs. “You could’ve told me.”

It was a vintage sharpener shaped like a cartoon beaver, you stuck the pencil in its mouth. Heinz had been so charmed by it. Perry just grins at him, all “what can you do”.

A soft mewl carries from the plastic box, and Heinz wheels on it immediately. “Aw, little baby . . .”

Through the carrier door Perry sees the white-wicked lump moving, a squint of sleepy blues. Heinz pokes a couple fingers in, his palm too thick to fit between the bars.

“We forgot all about you, sweetie, we were talking about that bad Major Monogram. He’s a mean old man who’s rude to animals, who you will never have to meet — God, can you imagine,” he says with a turn to Perry, dropping his babytalk down to dry derision in an instant. Perry holds back a laugh.

“I guess that’s another factor I didn’t consider, in pet ownership. My proximity to a guy who brainwashes little animals to prop up his own failed military career.” He waggles his fingers, which the kitten is taking notice of. “He wouldn’t try to recruit this guy, would he?”

Doubt it, signs Perry, smiling tight. But we’re not keeping it.

“Yeah, I think I’m getting that by now,” he mumbles. “I wasn’t really thinking this guy could grow up to be like you. I mean, maybe he wouldn’t? But what’s he gonna be in 5 years? Our — our adult live-in roommate? I don’t think we need that, Perry the Platypus,” Heinz says. “I mean we already had Norm.”

Perry restrains himself from throwing a self-help book at Heinz’s head. These things are murder weapons. Instead he scuffs a foot at his boot.

“Maybe we just raise it for a while,” Heinz considers while the kitten attacks his fingers. “To adolescence. Then we swap it, get a new one. Keep a perpetual cycle going of dumb little babies. What do you think, Perry the Platypus?”

Surely he’d survive one book to the face? Instead Perry pulls a reluctant paw off its spine, to sign: I thought you quit evil.

“Oh yeah, I did,” Heinz grins back at him. Dick. “Can’t believe I forgot that. Thanks for the reminder.” His face flags. “Oh — I’m kidding, you get that, right? Don’t look at me like that. This does actually bother me, in case it’s not obvious. I feel like there’s some weird implications here that I don’t wanna think about.”

Another roil of anxiety in Perry’s chest. He gestures: Like?

“Like,” Heinz says, thinking. “Well. Can I just never have a cat? From now on? It’s just that I always liked cats,” he says, looking dolefully at the kitten. “The strays around Drusselstein kept me company, growing up, and the ocelots were like my siblings, even if that didn’t last too long. I always thought taking care of a cat would be paying them back, in a way. Helping out their distant cousins across the sea.

“. . . But Charlene was allergic. So, you know,” he finishes.

And Perry can’t hide that that guts him, that detail. Because Perry wants to be whatever Charlene wasn’t. To know and understand the parts of Heinz that she did not, or would not. To accept what she couldn’t.

But Perry can’t. Not this, not now, so out of the blue, with Heinz not even realizing what he sprung on him.

Perry knows he’s not to blame for the strangeness of the world, its incongruous distribution of mind among its creatures. But he made Heinz aware, by embodying that strangeness. And now they're attached.

And maybe if he hadn’t been . . . If OWCA just sent normal people after the bad guys. Like they used do. Then, well. Then this wouldn’t be an issue.

“Perry.” Heinz’s knuckles push into the sleeve of his coat. “Hey, Perry. The Platypus.”

Heinz is ignoring the kitten, now turned to face Perry, all concern.

“You know this doesn’t actually matter, right?” Heinz’s hand rolls down Perry’s arm, as Perry looks up at his eyes.

“It doesn’t. I mean . . . it’s a lot to think about, that I sort of haven’t before. It’s a weird existential conundrum, right? I mean, speaking of things to write a book about.

“But I’m an adult man. I don’t need to get a kitten today, you know? I won’t even throw a tantrum about it. I just thought — you know, in that stupid way, where I think without thinking — that you’d like it. I thought it would be sweet.

“I mean — look,” Heinz says pointing at the carrier door, through which the kitten is now straining to escape, “he looks like a snowball, and it’s snowing. And he’d look so cute next to you. That’s about as far as I got before I had my wallet out.”

Perry tries to smile up at him. But he has to look away, can’t make the shape with his face, doesn’t know what to say. Heinz rubs a thumb on the back of Perry’s hand.

“We’ll think it through more, in the future. That’s a nice change of pace for me.”

They lapse into a gentler quiet, broken only by the kitten’s high-pitched mewls. Heinz sighs, and glances at Perry.

“You wanna, like. Hold it?”

Their corner of the store remains vacant, while the bustle of holiday shopping continues unabated near the front. At one point an older woman came perusing down the adjacent aisle, and left. That’s the most company they’ve had.

So Perry agrees to let Heinz open up the cage and lift the kitten out, deposit it on the rug. It rolls and bounds around in the angular pen made by Heinz’s splayed legs.

It does look like snow, blue eyes. A pretty little guy. Perry recalls some statistic about deafness in white cats, and for a second wonders if that could be their saving grace, getting Heinz a pet so walled off by its own sensory defects that it could never hope to operate on their level.

That’s a sick line of thought, he realizes with a flash of anger. And it’s nonsense anyway. Like he could allow it, like Heinz could. Like they wouldn’t work extra hard to train it in the animal-adapted form of sign language they’ve been cultivating.

It had opened up new dimensions, to Perry. He thinks Heinz was more excited about it than he was, the first few times Perry’d signed about some noun that wasn’t pointable in the room with them.

The kitten bounces over to Perry and grapples his arm, hugs around it like it’s a playmate. It reaches his shoulder, stretched up on its hindlegs like this. If the cat is deaf, Perry considers, glum, there’s no chance it’ll learn sign in a regular household.

Heinz is looking at him, a bittersweet smile on his face. “Sometimes I forget how small you are,” he says.

Perry grips the kitten under its shoulders to hoist it away from himself. Sure it’s cute, this dumb little thing, with fresh blueberry eyes, staring vacant the way Perry used to train his own to do. If there’s a spark of self-awareness behind this animal’s eyes, Perry can’t see it. He pushes forward, beak to its nose, and issues a gentle krkrkr, tremelo waves down the soft shelf of his bill. The kitten stares, wide eyed, and angles its teetering head forward to press its nose more firmly into Perry, before opening up to jaw on him like a chew toy.

Heinz snorts. Perry looks up again to find him grinning, cross-legged, one knee going at an antsy bounce.

“You’re so cute with him, though,” he says. “I was right about that. You’d . . . you’d be good. With a pet,” he says, voice fading to a softer tone. “With a baby.”

Heinz pauses. “I guess those aren’t the same thing, though.”

Perry sets the kitten back on the carpet, where it topples over its own legs. They aren’t the same thing — but Perry could only treat this animal like one or the other. And he thinks it’s now clear, to him and Heinz both, which one it would have to be.

“I have to admit,” Heinz says, beckoning the kitten back into his hands. “My retirement plan, whenever I used to picture it. Whether I wound up ruling the tristate area or not. Was me lounging back with a good book, in a cozy chair. Big fat kitty on my legs, keeping them warm.”

Perry looks up at Heinz, and nods slowly, mulling this over.

He pokes him in the calf, and signs: That’s good. My retirement plan was getting fat.

Heinz laughs, so sweetly, Perry’s reward. He crunches Perry’s hat down over his eyes, with a heavy hand.

Perry accompanies Heinz back to the vendor, who’s posted up in the window of the florist shop, standing by a square corral of tumbling kittens at play.

“Wife said no, huh?” he says, when Heinz hands the carrier over.

Heinz fake-laughs. Perry’s stationed at his leg, paws in coat, perennially overlooked. “Someone did.”

“Well,” he says, as they get back to the truck. “I’d say this was a pretty successful day, with no major disasters. No monumental life choices made in haste. Wouldn’t you say, Perry the Platypus?”

Perry leans back in the passenger seat, with a glance trunkward at their gift haul. A lazy “ok” hand says enough — they did good.

Heinz grins. “She’s gonna flip, right? I mean, the recording equipment — the weighted keyboard? She’ll be spoiled. You’ve got the gift giving instinct, Perry the Platypus. I’ll give you that.”

Heinz leans over Perry, to buckle him in. “Mine could use some improvement.”

Perry just gives him a silent nahh, smiling up, cheek on hand. Heinz pecks him on the hat. "Shut up, Perry the Platypus." And they depart.

[generic-sonic-fan]

Omega's Observations: Shine/Treat

Summary: Omega prefers to leave Rouge and Shadow to their peculiar organic rituals.

For @teamdarkweek. 652 words.

Omega is an observant robot. 

Mobians have this tendency to. . . groom each other. The connotation of that word in his dictionary is associated with mindless animals. It has to do with only the most base of instincts to keep clean and to satisfy an evolutionary urge for touch amongst social species. 

He finds himself averting his optics when he catches Rouge and Shadow on the couch brushing through each other’s fur or pulling out ingrown hairs or combing through quills. Products and oils slathered over their fleshy bodies. Papery masks with artificial fragrances that Rouge buys on the internet paired with fresh vegetable slices over their eyes. His olfactory sensors can barely make sense of it, let alone his optics. 

One would think they would wait until he was out of the apartment, or at least out of the room before they commenced. Rouge has started leaving the comb out on the end table. She will pick it up and start digging into Shadow’s quills without warning. Omega knows better than to deprive them of this ritual, just like food and water and sleep and all the other functions they get strange about when he asks.

So he leaves them to it.

This is not the end of their unusual behavior. 

Omega is an observant robot, and is thus not ignorant about the fact that Rouge just bought a buffer and car wax despite not owning a car. He is not ignorant about the fact that Shadow just returned home with paint brushes and a bucket of paint- the Ultimate Lifeform has never touched any art supplies before beyond Rouge’s old knitting materials since Omega had known him. 

What he is ignorant of is the purpose of such things. A week goes by and neither of them mention it. Then, one sunny weekend, they spring upon him with all strange objects in hand. 

“Surprise.” Shadow says, holding up the can of paint.

“Spa day!” Rouge cheers, wielding the buffer. 

“I HAVE NO FUR OF WHICH TO CLEAN.” 

“We know that. That’s why we bought these!”

“Leaving you out felt wrong.” Shadow says, quieter. 

“. . . ELABORATE.” 

“You always leave when we start.” Shadow continues. “I should have noticed sooner.”

“Now that we’ve got the right hardware,” Rouge brandishes the buffer as if it were a chainsaw, “it’s time for you to join the fun! We should have figured you’d want to look good too.” 

Omega ratchets his optics to the buffer, then to the paint can. The paint is, told by a drop of dried paint on the top, a close match to his original coat. The buffer’s purpose is more obvious.

“ARE YOU IMPLYING I DO NOT ALWAYS LOOK GOOD?” He taps a claw on the edge of the rotary pad.

Instead of laughter, Shadow grimaces immediately. “That was not our intent. I’m sorry.”

Shadow is treating this situation with the sort of seriousness with which he regards other highly emotional subjects. The markers Omega registers in his facial muscles point to as much. 

Mobian grooming ritual, associated with social species, he realizes. 

He did not assume that they would apply that ‘social’ label to him. 

“APOLOGY ACCEPTED.” He replies as quickly as he can. He throws in a “MARGINALLY” to reduce suspicion. 

“Come on, you dum-dum. Let’s get you outside to hose you off. Unless you think you can fit in the bathtub?” Rouge says.

“NEGATIVE.” 

“Figured. You’re going to be shiny head-to-toe once we’re done with you!” 

Shadow grasps Omega’s wrist and gently lifts until his claws are even enough for him to hang the paint can off of. Omega doesn’t stop him. 

“You’ll like it.” Shadow pats his hand.

“Consider it our treat, big boy. A thank-you of sorts.” Rouge takes his other hand.

“MORE RECOGNITION FOR THE ULTIMATE ROBOT IS ALWAYS IDEAL.” He rumbles, before helping them transport the rest of the ‘spa day supplies’ out of the apartment. 

[weirdsht]

I have this random idea and I neeed to yap about it here lmaoo

I'm just thinking about krs taking care of a teen around locks age, he met them at some point of the apocalypse and decided to take them under his wing.

let's say they transmigrated together or reader a bit after krs, but they meet at some point in the novel, anyways bc krs!cale took care of them for a good 3-4 years before the transmigration he subconsciously does the things he did before without noticing.

another random thing that came to mind:

idk someone: "wow young master, you really know this kid"

cale: "I hope i do i took care of them for a good 3 years"

random person: "when???"

ignore how this might not make sense storywise and probably characterwise, I'm really sleepy 🙏

Homecoming - Cale & Teen! Reader

a/n: i want to write more but my brain is all out of creative juices because almost all of my profs are making us write essays every day. not to mention that directing thingy i need to do for that stupid uni short film

tags: fluff, platonic, reader is unhinge if you squint, gn!reader

Pls don't repost my work anywhere without my permission

Requests are open and welcome

Navigation Masterlist

“...What are you doing here?”

That was the first thing Cale asked you as soon as he saw you.

“And you are..?”

Was your question to respond to his question.

Because why is this random nobleman talking to you as if he knew you? Sure he reminds you a bit of Kim Rok Soo but still.

This guy is essentially a stranger and your big brother Rok Soo has taught you stranger-danger.

You can see the redhead sigh before pushing his hair back with his left hand. There’s a look of fondness and frustration in his eyes, another thing that reminds you of your big brother.

Kim Rok Soo wasn’t actually your big brother biologically speaking. Both of you were orphans who found each other in the middle of a ruined world. Two abandoned people who found solace within each other. 

You quite literally tripped into Rok Soo’s life a few months after he became a team leader.

The same way how you literally tripped into this weird noble’s porch. 

Speaking of which, that said noble is now telling everyone to give the two of you some privacy. He even asked the cute baby dragon to put a soundproof barrier around the room.

“Are you doing that to mask my screams when you kill me?”

You couldn’t help but ask once everyone was out of the room. Rok Soo had always told you about not letting your impulsive thoughts win but you couldn’t help it.

Cale sighed loudly and tiredly, exactly the same reaction your Rok Soo would do when you said something stupid.

“No I’m not gonna kill you, and no I’m not going to eat you either so don’t even ask.”

You clamped your mouth shut after that. The question dying on your tongue before you could even ask it.

“I’m going explain myself and then you’ll do the same okay?”

You nodded seeing as you don’t really have a choice. You’re in this guy’s turf and there’s no way you can outrun a dragon and whatever monster of a people this guy has with him. And so you behaved yourself and settled on the plush couch you were escorted to.

“My name is Cale Henituse, or at least that’s my current name. I used to be Kim Rok Soo back on Earth before I died.”

…okay what?

What now?

He was who?

Kim Rok Soo— well you guess he goes by Cale now — knows you well enough to know that this information would cause your brain to overdrive. And so he has a glass of iced water prepared for your poor self to drink.

“Wha- how- huh?”

You tried to formulate words after gulping the water but your mind is still reeling. There’s simply no comprehending this new information bought upon you.

But it’s fine since Cale is willing to wait for you to come around.

Even after 3 weeks of waiting, his still very patient.

He knows when to give you space, but also knows when to spend time with you. Cale knows exactly when you need him to be there for you and when your mind is confused about him being a stranger but also being the big brother you dearly love.

Of course, this raised some questions with the others. Cale suddenly took in another teen one day and he seemed to have known them all his life even though he just met them 3 weeks ago.

“Young master you seem to really know that kid.”

Hans asked one day. In a short distance, Ron was also listening in while dusting some decorative vases.

"I hope I do, I took care of them for a good 3 years."

Was Cale’s nonchalant answer before leaving the room in order to go to your bedroom. He had promised you that he’ll let you wander around the forest today after all. 

Meanwhile, the two servants are flabbergasted — Ron was just hiding it better than Hans.

“...3 years? How did he hide from us that he took care of a child, an entire human being, for three whole years??”

Hans asked and the only answer he got was the dust from Ron’s feather duster flying towards his face.

[alexrosa13]

Valentine's Favourites

Rafayel x female!reader

Genre: fluff

Warnings: 2,1k words, Rafayel being a bratty princess, allusions to intercourse but blink and you'll miss it

Note: fanfiction for my Valentine's Event

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← how Thomas is doing ★ continuation of the evening →

~★~

Everything had to be perfect. Rafayel was preparing for that date night for so long, spending hours, days, weeks thinking about how everything should look, where to put this, how to decorate that, it was chaotic. Now, all that's left is...

"Thomas c'mon! This goes here, not here. And take that pillow away, it messes up my vision." Rafayel threw the cushion in the direction of the man, who instantly passed it to someone from the workers he hired to help put the artist's 'vision' to life. It was a rough day...

"Rafayel, can you stop throwing things around? You'll eventually end up hitting somebody." and in the next second he had to dodge another cushion flying at him.

"My cutie will be here any minute, and there's still so much to do! Instead of reprimanding me better check how the preparations are going on the other side of the beach, before I'll have the chance to scream at them for messing everything up and not doing their job right." yeah, Rafayel was especially moody today.

"I'm not getting paid enough for this." Thomas mumbled under his breath, before heading in the direction of people preparing the candles to make a path leading to the 'tent'.

Rafayel was changing basically everything for the third time today, not content with the way it looked, it couldn't have any flaws, not today, not on his watch.

People around him were scared at this point, every minor mistake costing them at least 5 minutes of reprimanding by the artist. Thomas could swear that those poor guys will have a new trauma after today...

But he couldn't say anything that would make Rafayel less demanding (and bratty), not today, today nothing worked, and to be honest, he wasn't surprised.

After all this day was far too important for him and he wanted, needed, to have everything looking nothing less than perfect.

Preparation started in the morning, it was close to the evening now, the sun still up. Finally, he heard the words he was waiting for.

"You can go get her now." left Rafayel's mouth, still harsh.

Thomas didn't say a thing, just silently made his way to his car, ready to play your chauffeur for the night.

The workers wrapped up their things and left, leaving Rafayel to add some more personal touches.

Soon enough you got a call from Thomas that he's waiting outside of your living place.

Checking your look for the last time you made your way out. Rafayel called you in the morning, telling you to be ready for a date on a beach later, and not sharing any more details, no matter how many times you asked and begged him, he said that it will stay a surprise and to just trust him.

Left with little to no choice you let him keep his mysteries, hoping that you won't regret it later.

"Hi Thomas." you made yourself comfortable at the passenger seat of the car you already got used to. After all Rafayel often sent him to 'deliver' you to a variety of places during the time of your dating. At this point, you and your boyfriend's manager became buddies, with you often helping him with your boyfriend's moody requests.

He answered your hello with little enthusiasm, instantly your face took an understanding expression.

"Rafayel was a menace today, wasn't he?" he nodded his head and started the car.

"Worse than usual, I swear poor people who had to work with him today will have nightmares for the next couple of days." he joked but the exhaustion on his face made you crack an awkward and apologetic smile.

"That bad huh?" he nodded once again.

Soon you arrived at the beach. You left the car and instantly felt the wind caressing your face and messing up your hair. Thomas lowered the window and looked at you with a small smile.

"Good luck out there, don't let his sweet words sway you, he's not innocent today." he joked once more, this time in a much lighter atmosphere.

"Sure, will give him a scolding for acting like a spoiled princess." you laughed and waved at him, turning to get on your way to the destined place.

You heard the car driving away and finally your feet touched the sand.

Taking your shoes off you walking while holding them in your hand. You saw millions of unlit candles creating a path to what looked like a tent, when did he have the time to prepare all that?

The sun is about to get close to the horizon, basking you in its warm light. You felt like in a fairytale, all that's left is for your prince to find you.

A moment later you saw candles lightning up, one by one, until the one right before you caught a small fire too. You couldn't help but grin to yourself, that little trick of his was cute.

Slowly you made your way to where you were sure you'll find him. And you weren't wrong. Between the white thin fabric swaying gently with the wind you noticed Rafayel, sitting on the bed and looking straight at you with a small smile.

He didn't say a word even when you shortened the distance between you two, just kept staring at you. You came to stand between his legs, his hands instantly went up to hold your hips, you planted a sweet kiss on his lips.

"I heard that someone was acting bratty today." you laughed, his demeanor didn't change, still grinning like an idiot.

"Who feed you with such lies?" he asked, acting clueless. His hands pulled you closer to his body, making you sit on his lap.

"Oh so now we're calling my truthful source of information a liar?" your eye contact didn't falter, instead getting more intense.

"Well he was the one who said that I was 'bratty' when in reality I simply knew what I wanted and paid to get it done right, I have my rights to demand things you know?" he was the one to kiss you know, making it last longer. You couldn't help but get lost in the affection, thoughts leaving your mind at once.

"I'll let you off the hook this time for preparing something so pretty." you said right after the kiss ended, your head falling to nuzzle into his neck, you hugged him tightly.

"Why thank you for your generosity, your highness." his arms came to embrace you, bringing you even closer to him.

"Only this time tho." you said into his ear, your breath tickling it.

You spend the next hour talking and lying in the softness of the cushions he prepared just for this night.

At some point he reached out to the small table in front of the tent, with his evol lighting three small candles beneath what appeared to be a fondue, filled with chocolates. He lifted a cloche revealing a tray filled with strawberries.

"Raf..?" you asked with a soft smile, lifting yourself on the elbows. He looked at you, acting completely nonchalant.

"Yes?"

"You really did think everything through, didn't you?" finally you sat up, your legs staying stretched next to him.

"Of course I did, would you expect anything less from me?" he said sarcastically, giving you his best 'you wound me' expression.

"No, everything you do is always perfect." you reached out to his head, gently stroking his hair.

He closed his eyes, enjoying the affection you graced him with, before you moved your hand away to lay back down.

Soon enough the chocolate melted, he took one strawberry and dipped it in, covering it in the sweet layer.

Turning your way, he found himself hovering over your body, the fruit close to your lips. Your sweet laughter reached his ears before you bit the snack, enjoying him spoiling you to the fullest.

He watched you attentively, the way your eyes shined, reflecting the lights he put on the tent earlier.

Noticing that some of the chocolate stayed on your lips he moved to kiss it off of you.

You pulled him closer to your body, smiling in the kiss, you felt your heartbeat fastening slightly, and then he pulled away.

"Not yet cutie." he said as if reading your mind. He planted one last kiss on your nose before returning to the sitting position with you following his soon after.

You sat there and fed each other strawberries while hugging for the next half an hour. You didn't expect anything else to happen this evening, but together with the sun hiding fully behind the horizon Rafayel suddenly took a more serious expression.

You looked at him with a question in your gaze. Was something wrong?

He turned to look at you.

"I have something for you." he stood up, giving you his hand to help you do the same.

Slowly he pulled you into the direction of the ocean, and the wind came to meet you once again.

He came with you to the waterside before letting go of your hand. He reached out for his shirt, taking it off, doing the same with his pants right after, leaving himself only in the underwear.

"What on Earth are you doing Rafayel?" you brought your hands to your shoulders, trying to protect yourself from the slightly chilly breeze.

"You'll see, trust me." he walked up to stand before you, giving you one more short-lived kiss, you saw him walking backwards, slowly disappearing into the water embrace.

"Rafayel?!" you asked with a raised voice, but he only smirked, before turning around and fully disappearing in the water "Rafayel!" not caring about the cold you rushed to the water, letting it reach your thighs.

You screamed his name once again, the adrenaline helping you with handling the cold water on your skin.

You were about to take another step but then you felt it, a warm hand touching your calf. And right after; water parted before you, and your lover finally reappeared, his arms hugging your body tightly.

He was drenched, water falling down from his hair onto yours.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" you screamed at him, still in slight shock.

"I had to take something hidden underwater, now I'm back." he smiled, clearly unfazed with the events that just took place.

"You idiot! I was worried sick!" he hugged you tighter, somehow his body was still warm, despite the cold water he just surfaced from.

"Forgive me." he pulled back to look at you, the spark shining in his eyes.

"Just don't do something like this again, you'll make me have a heart attack one of these days." you laughed with him, still annoyed at his carelessness.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." he brushed you off.

"What did you have to get from there anyways?" your voice finally came back to its usual tone.

He untied one of his arms from the hug, showing you what hid in his palm.

"This." you looked at the small gem, noticing that it was attached to a ring. You looked at him confused, what was that? "I made it some time ago, behind the diamond is a part of a scale." you looked at it once again, it content appearing magical "I had something on my mind for a while now, decided that today is finally the day to tell you about it, or rather ask about it." you eyes flicked to his, he looked at you like you were the most precious thing on this world.

"Rafayel..." your mind was working on the highest settings, was he doing what you thought he was doing?

"My little conch, I can't wait any longer." he took your hand into his. He saw your expression softening "Will you do me the honor, and become my bride in this lifetime too?" your hand squeezed his so tight you could swear it hurt him, but he didn't show a hint of pain.

You saw him dropping to his knee, the water rising to his torso, but he didn't care about the cold.

"Rafayel..." you said gently, as if anything spoken too loudly right now would break the moment and wake you up from the dream.

"Please, my beloved. Let us become one." once again.

You already knew your answer, he didn't need to plead.

"I will become your bride, Rafayel." you looked at him like he's your savior. The king of your heart.

His eyes shined brighter than the stars, gently he moved your hand to put the ring on your finger, he kissed your palm before standing up, keeping your hands in his.

He kissed you so tenderly, all of his feelings flowing through this kiss to you, who still couldn't believe what just happened.

The coldness around you replaced with the warmth coming from the love you shared, the love that found you once again.

[sylus-little-meow-meow]

The Sleepover: Part 3

She's back with Sylus again.

But it's that day. 

The day she finally decided to end things. 

He's standing in “their” room, his gaze distant, like always and that's something she could never change no matter how many times she tried.

She could wear the most gorgeous gowns or a potato sack and he'd simply give her a once over and a non committal “you look lovely” before he went back to whatever he was doing, his gaze never lingering. 

He's changing out of his robe and into something more befitting of a leader. 

She's never even seen him in casual wear. 

Sylvia: Sylus?

Sylus: Yes, kitten?

He doesn't look in her direction, doesn't note the shift in her tone.

Sylvia looks at her fingers.

Sylvia: You're never going to love me in the way I do you, are you?

The man freezes on the spot, his fingertips hovering over a black button down before he withdraws his hand.

Sylus: Where is this coming from all of a sudden?

Sylvia gives a laugh, but it's hollow just like this entire relationship.

Sylvia: You're dancing around the question. You don't want to answer it, do you?

Sylus: Kitten—

He turns around but she slips off of the bed, fighting back tears as she yanks off the shit she tried using to impress Sylus in the bedroom, the see through nightgown about as appetizing to him as a box  of  stale crackers. 

She's biting her lip so hard it's almost bleeding.

What's worse?

Having an ex so obsessed with you to the point they'd kill one of the most precious people in your life?

Or one who doesn't care at all?

Granted, at least with Sylus she'd still have her older sister. 

But she doesn't have either because her love life is a mess and every man she chooses is just…

She shouldn't feel hurt towards Sylus. 

This is nothing in comparison to what she went through, but the frustration of him agreeing to date her despite the fact he probably knew he'd never love her is too much.

Because she loves him.

Right down to her core she knows she's fallen in love with him.

And that's why she needs to let him go.

This will always be one sided and it's become clear there's someone else out there he's looking for.

She can see it in the way his gaze sweeps over every destination, like some part of him is missing and maybe he thought it was her once upon a time, but now they both know better.

It isn't her.

So she goes to the closet, moving him out of the way as she begins to collect her things.

Her jaw is clenched and her eyes are hard. 

Outwardly she'll show anger, yet on the inside she's crying for him to stop her.

For some small part of him to care.

Sylus: What are you doing, kitten?

Sylvia: Nothing you need to worry about. I'm done here. This was fun, but I think it's time we cut things off. 

Sylus looks down at her.

She internally pleads for him to hold her back, to lightly grab her wrist, to ask her to stop what she's doing but he doesn't.

Instead he steps back.

Sylus: If that's what you truly want, kitten.

Her hand pauses.

Sylvia: If you really think this is what I want you should go fuck yourself. 

She yanks the last piece of clothing off the hanger and spins towards him, the tears threatening to spill over, but she won't allow them to because Sylus doesn't deserve her vulnerability.

Sylvia: I wanted love and I wanted a partner. You've made it clear you don't want to act as either of those for me. You're not even present in this relationship.

Sylus stares at her, the quiet expanding between them and her outburst.

There's not even a flair or hint of emotion in his eyes. 

She wants to cry. 

She wants to scream.

She wants to throw something just to get him to react to her presence at all. 

But she doesn't.

Instead she stalks past him, her gaze trained forward, eyes on a door that will open and shut for the very last time.

Sylvia: Send me the rest of my things when you get the chance. Try not to forget because I know half the time you forgot I was even your girlfriend. Have a nice life, Sylus.

She says and then slams the door behind her.

When she sees Mephisto, she ducks her head to hide oncoming tears.

It's over.

They're done. 

The memory turned dream fades as a cool hand brushes against her forehead. 

Sylvia: Sylus…?

She murmurs, nuzzling her face into that same hand, pressing it more into her cheek with her own.

Sylvia: Did you come back for me…?

Her voice cracks, tears seeping through her closed eyes.

She buries her face into his palm. Did he finally see her after all this time?

The voice doesn't say anything, but the hand tries pulling away and Sylvia clings tighter, not wanting to let go of this one small gesture. 

Sylvia: Don't go. 

Sylvia: Please. 

She sounds pathetic, pleading like this, but she can't help it. 

If he's here now, even if this is a dream, she doesn't want to let him go. She wants him to stay.

She's completely forgotten that Sylus already moved on with another.

All she knows is that one small gesture from Sylus proving that their time meant something to him would mean everything to her. 

Sylvia: Don't go.

She says again and feels the hand shift, no longer trying to pull away and her body relaxes as a second one brushes the hair out of her face.

They're surprisingly gentle. 

Caring. 

She manages to slip into a peaceful sleep, feeling the hands of someone who cares about her.

                        ************************************

Felix awoke to the sounds of Sylvia calling out in her sleep.

He got up off the couch and found her tangled up in her bedsheets, her face flushed and beads of sweat trickling into her hairline.

Did she feel sick?

Did she need to throw up?

He approached her and gently touched her cheek.

Then he heard a name.

Sylvia: Sylus…?

She said it so quietly, her voice cracking at the last syllable.

Felix stiffened and attempted to pull away, not wanting to confuse her if she fully woke up.

But she held fast.

She asked Sylus to stay.

And it killed Felix that it wasn't him she was asking, but some other man.

He swallowed his pride, ducking his head as he warred with himself, wondering if there was even a right choice.

In the end, the hopeful expression on Sylvia's face—her eyes still closed—made him shift closer and brush the strands of hair off of her forehead with gentle finger tips. 

She relaxed then, a content smile finding its way to her lips. 

Felix didn't leave until he knew she was fully asleep.

She didn't need to wake up and have her dreams crushed when she realized it was him.

Felix goes to leave, but pauses at the doorway, looking back at Sylvia, her silver hair mussed, her face clear of makeup which softens her features.

It's looking at her that Felix realizes Sylvia wasn't the only one in this room with an unrequited love, wondering what it would be like if Sylvia looked at him like she did with Sylus.

He'll probably never know.

He won't ask that of her.

She's got more on her plate than just a man who didn't return her feelings.

So he gently shuts the door behind him and pads over to the couch, lying in wake for the rest of the night.