#but up next the beginning and end of my story :')

[mysterylilycheeta]

ONYX STORM REVIEW:

After 2 days of catching up on all the work I had postponed for the sake of reading OS, and organising my thoughts, I'm here with my spoiler free review of Onyx Storm. Please remember that these are my personal thoughts and opinions and you're free to agree or disagree based on your views

Rating: 3.25 stars

The Good:

The absolute lack of miscommunication between Xaden and Violet: This book is a gift for all those people who were annoyed to their wit's end by the repetitive stupid fights between Xaden and Violet in Iron Flame. They trust each other, communicate with each other and don't get mad about secrets. I was so pleasantly surprised

Ridoc: Ridoc went through such amazing character development, he easily became one of my favourite characters in the story. We saw him as only the comic relief friend till now but man, he shows such badassery in this book while still being his clown self. And, let's not forget his favourite dick jokes!

The Dragons: Anyone who knows me knows my favourite part about the series is Tairn and the other dragons. Love seeing my grumpy dad dragon, he's such a mood. We also have our sassy teenager Andarna to give him grief. I love all the moments Tairn started boasting about his lineage and his feat: he's such a dork!

Dain and Cat: I never truly hated Dain because I knew from Fourth Wing itself he never intentionally wanted to harm Violet. My only gripe with him was about breaking her trust and looking through her memories without her consent. But man, does he redeem himself. Needless to say, Dain is on my "need to protect" list. I really hated Cat in Iron Flame because she was such a stereotypical cringey evil ex and the way she attacked Violet was so crass and below the belt. She still has some shitty moments in the beginning of the book but she gets a lot better so much so that I want good things to happen to her in the next books. RY did a great job writing these two

Jealous Xaden: My o my was it a treat to see Xaden so jealous. RY fed us with those entertaining af moments. Read the book and you'll find out what I mean

Aaric: I was intrigued by Aaric in book 2 but he stepped up the game so much in this book. He is an amazing character and I'll throw hands if RY even tries to harm him in any way, istg.

The Bad:

Very mediocre worldbuilding: This might be just a timing issue, but the last fantasy book I read was the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson, and every fantasy fan knows the kind of world-building Sanderson does. Onyx Storm tries to introduce us to new places beside the continent, but it is not well done. We spend half the book in the Isle Kingdoms, yet they're not even mentioned on the map. They talk about routes to get to the kingdoms, but how am I supposed to follow them if you won't even mention them on the maps? Every Island has a god it worships and things go according to that but I think we could've had a little more information about them beforehand instead of being presented basic info right before we arrive at the next island. "We're going to said island, this is the god they believe in, here's a five point bullet lost of their customs"- NO, THAT'S NOT HOW YOU DO IT! Like I said, it might be because my last book was by Sanderson so my expectations were higher but the world felt so lacking.

Lack of Glossary: A glossary should be a must in every fantasy book, especially if you're branching out and diving deeper into worldbuilding. We are introduced to gods, islands, uprisings and groups of people we haven't even heard of before and we get hardly one or two lines about them in a chapter and then they are mentioned again 2 chapters later and we're supposed to follow. There were so many new names in OS, it was difficult to keep track of them after a while. I still don't completely understand who the Krovlan people were and what was their deal.

Lack of Basgiath: My favourite book in the series till now has been Fourth Wing and one of the biggest reasons for that was Basgiath. I loved that place and the way it felt an actual character in the story. That Basgiath charm is missing in this book. Basgiath is the biggest strength of this series, it's the reason why FW was so successful, the war college and it's deadly atmosphere, the challenges, the interpersonal relations, it was entertaining af. However as the series is progressing, it's turning into another typical romantasy involving young adults leading revolutions, making alliances, fighting wars etc. I started reading Fourth Wing because of it's setting and yet with each new book, we spend less and less time in Basgiath and it's just dampening my mood.

No real surprises: Let me be brutally honest- this book felt like a filler. Of course there are a few shocking moments with new information but it hardly hit the mark like the previous two books. There were no moments that essentially packed a punch. It's just a bunch of random sidequests to gain alliances which didn't up feeling all that meaningful because of worldbuilding problems. It also seemed like fanservice because of a lot of reasons but I won't mention them as they can be accounted as minor spoilers. Some characters died but it didn't feel impactful at all. It seemed more like Ry was just filling up the death quota because we can't have a book where no one dies

Violet and Xaden: Okay so here's the thing, I like both of them as characters and I think they make a good pair. However, I didn't ever truly feel the romance and this has been a problem since Fourth Wing. They have a shit ton of lusty moments but hardly any soft romantic domestic moments that make the relationship feel organic. I have always been disappointed by the lack of proper romantic development between these two. The problem in this book however is the dialogue- they felt so cheesy and downright cringe at times. Maybe show more and say less?? The way they keep saying nothing else matters as much and I know people are feral for how Xaden and Violet are ready to throw off the entire rebellion for each other but it irks me so much. Xaden, you are leading these people and you have accepted that responsibility. Stop endangering the lives of people you swore to protect because Violet might be in danger. She has other people to support her. Violet, don't get mad when people tell you your needs and wants will come second to Xaden's duty towards the people. He is their leader, he has to make those sacrifices, If you think that's unfair then find someone else to fill his position. You can't have the leadership position yet be each other's top priority. It might seem unfair but that is the right thing to do. I really don't feel like the two of them are fit to lead people. Agree with @thequietesthing's review about Violet's god level power feeling over dramatic and out of character at times.

The Ending: If any of you have talked to me about the book in the last few days, you'll know I'm frustrated af with the ending. It doesn't exactly feel like a well done cliffhanger, it's just plain messy. A bunch of unanswered questions to keep the reader confused and hooked for the next book but it just ruined the whole book for me. I have no issues with cliffhangers but the book should feel complete. The way Onyx Storm ended, it feels there were at least two more chapters that got deleted. It's just all over the place.

That was the review guys. I'll still wait for the next book to get published but my excitement has gone down quite a lot. I was expecting more of a Harry Potter style story where the main still occurs in the school/college itself but it seems like that isn't gonna be the case. I honestly believe this series should've been just 3 books instead of 5 but oh well, what can we say. Really agree with @justallihere and @justascrollingghost. We have almost the same complaints with the books lol P.S: The best surprise in this book: Broccoli, the kitten

[messedupfan]

Chapter 25

Summary: Persistent as ever, Jean and Anna recruit Jean's mother to help with their cause. Which sparks an important conversation between Wanda and Y/n.

A/n: Helloooo! I know I'm slow with posting lately. Work has been CRAZY. Hopefully I'll get in a better rhythm soon. Especially with the hell that is coming upon us these next four years. We'll need each other to get through! Have a good day and enjoy!

Masterlist | All Stories Taglist  | All Chapters

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You are folding laundry for you and Rachel when your phone goes off in your pocket. You pause for a moment and pull your phone out to see that it's Jean's mom calling you. It's not unusual for her to call but it's not as common as it used to be. 

“Hey Mrs. Grey, how's it going?” You say cheerfully. 

Mrs. Grey makes a disapproving sound. “Y/n I've told you many times since the divorce, you can still call me mom.” 

You laugh at her slight upset over the misuse of her formal name. “How are you doing, Mom?” You ask as you lean your head to the side to hold your phone between your head and shoulder. 

“That's better,” she cheers. You hear some rustling around on her end. “I am doing well. I just came back to town to check on the house. The last tenants just moved out and I came to assess damages before I hire the cleaning crew and repair guy.” 

“Oh, do you need a lot of repairs done? You know that I'm always happy to help,” you offer while you resume folding.

“No, no, dear. I couldn't ask you to do that for us,” she says and now you're more confused. 

“Oh, I just figured that's why you're calling,” you say as you set the newly folded shirt on a stack of others. 

“No dear, I was calling to ask you to lunch. Are you busy this afternoon?” She says happily. You look at your watch and consider your options. You're not certain you want to be spending time alone with your former mother-in-law. But there are worse ways to spend an afternoon.

“I would love to meet with you. Where did you make reservations?” You ask, knowing that she most likely already made reservations. She laughs and mentions that you know her too well. “I will see you at one,” you promise and say your goodbyes. While you finish folding and start getting ready you run through the scenarios of how the lunch is going to go. 

As you arrive at the restaurant, your stomach begins to turn. It's a nice place. The last time you went to a nice place with one of Jean's parents, it was with her father asking you to convince Jean to not go through with the divorce. Since then you haven't been asked to dinner or lunch with either of them. 

Mrs. Grey greets you with a hug as you arrive at the table. She gives you a kiss on each cheek and she squeezes your arms as she looks at you. “You look great, I love what you've done with your hair. It's nice to see it cleaned up and natural like that.” 

You smile at the compliment. She has seen you with many different hairstyles over the years. She has almost never had anything nice to say about your hair until now. Your hair was growing out uneven because of the mullet so you had to cut it short in order for it to grow out properly. “Yeah, well, it wasn't working for me for a bit there. You look wonderful! How are things with you and Mr. Grey? I hear the two of you have been doing a lot of traveling.” 

Mrs. Grey nods and moves to sit, “We've been good. All of our kids are so spread out, it's nice to have a reason to go somewhere. Meet all of our new grandbabies. I just love being a grandma now,” she grins as she lays out the cloth napkin on her lap. You follow as you look around the restaurant, feeling a bit out of place. It was a very nice restaurant. 

“Oh yeah, I had heard that Roger finally had a kid,” you say as you lift up the menu to look at the pricing. 

“Yeah, yeah, he's doing great, very happy to be a father,” she says as she goes through the menu herself. “Don't be shy now, order what you want. It's my treat!” She reminds you in a cherry tone. Something tells you that things might eventually take a turn for the worst and you do not want to leave her with a big bill. You want to be able to leave money to cover your portion of the bill. 

“I appreciate that, Mom,” it feels a little foreign to call her that after all of these years. But if it makes her happy, then that's what you'll do to appease her. 

You proceed to order what you can afford. You ask her about how your former in-laws are. She mentions that they miss having you officially part of the family. That none of them get along with Anna which makes you laugh since none of them actually have to deal with Jean's wife the way that you do. 

You update her on your life, leaving out that you're seeing someone. Especially when she presses for the information. You don't let up because it's not the time to. Besides, you're almost certain if you tell her anything she will tell Jean then she and her wife will be on your case about it. Then Jean will recruit Kate and the information will continue to spread like rapid fire. 

When you're able to drop the subject of your love-life you talk about how proud you are of your daughter. How great she's doing in school. The friends that she has made. How kind she is. How strong she is becoming. 

Elaine watches you go on and on about her first granddaughter. She is impressed by the way you and her daughter have really stepped up and took on your roles as parents for her grandchild. She knows that she was harsh when the news first came out. But it's clear that neither of you hold her poor reactions against her. 

Finally, once you've both finished your meals, you ask her what is really going on. Elaine dabs her lips with her cloth napkin. She sips her wine. She clears her throat and she looks up at you. 

“My daughter wants to expand her family,” she states in a professional tone. She is a very good negotiator. Her entire adult life and career has been about getting her way. But you aren't nervous, not about this. “And I'm asking you to reconsider helping her do that.” 

You nod your head with a growing smirk as you wipe your mouth with your napkin. “She recruited you,” you state with amusement dancing in your eyes. 

“She is my daughter, I would do anything for her. You should know something about that,” she states with her cold stare. 

“Yes, well, my answer is still the same. She can find someone else to grow her family with. It's not going to be me,” you state as firmly as she was speaking to you. 

Elaine sets her checkbook on the table and you know exactly where this is heading. She tried this with you many times before. Had you accepted any of them, Rachel wouldn't have been born, she wouldn't have you in her life, and the divorce would have been an annulment shortly after you had gotten married. 

“Stop, you know that you can't buy me off Mrs. Grey. I won't do it,” you stand firm. You pull out your wallet and leave whatever cash you have on hand but she stops you. 

“What if I can guarantee you have custody?” She says and you scoff. She was not about to start negotiations. “Jean says she won't budge on it but I think I can convince my daughter what a great influence you are as a parent. Certainly better than that so-called wife of hers,” she rolls her eyes. 

You almost want to laugh at the irony of this conversation. “I can't believe you, the woman who tried to pay me to convince her daughter to have an abortion, is now asking me to get her daughter pregnant.”

“Times have changed. She's not getting any younger and she cannot afford to pay for treatment to-” 

“Why don't you pay for it for her then?” You interrupt her. She clamps her mouth shut. Astonished by your abrupt question. You don't typically stand up for yourself in such a way. You are known to walk away to think or remain quiet. But speaking up to her like this, it's unusual. “If I decide to have another child, it will not be with your daughter. I will not have her and everyone else she mentions this to bully me into changing my mind.” You sigh as the upset quickly leaves your body. “Thank you for the meal, I would love for us to stay in touch and meet again under different circumstances. Better circumstances.” 

You walk out of that restaurant and breathe in the fresh air to calm yourself down. You want to call Jean to tell her off but you don't. Instead, you call Wanda and ask if she is available. It had been a couple of weeks since her son's birthday where she admitted that she was having conflicting feelings about you and her. You gave her space the last couple of weeks to see if she would reach out on her own. But you needed her now. 

Luckily, she hears the upset tone in your voice and asks you to come over without question. Next thing you know, you're parking your truck in her garage. You walk into her house and she greets you in the laundry room with a hug. 

She takes your hand and leads you to her room. “My mom is having a book club meeting,” she says softly as the two of you quietly climb the stairs. You look over your shoulder to see her mom surrounded by a group of women her age engrossed in a conversation discussing presumably the book that's in their hands. 

You sit on the edge of Wanda’s bed and look at your hands. You let out a big breath. You have missed being in her presence the last couple of weeks and part of you hates that this is the way that you return to her presence. 

Wanda stands by the door, she has her fingers laced together as she observes you. She has missed having you around. She knows that she is the one who asked for space but she didn't consider that you would actually respect that request. No matter how good this time apart has been for her. It gave her time to reflect and realize that the only red flags you have are the red flags she has. Nothing extreme, nothing she can't handle. She has been meaning to call you and invite you over but she couldn't explain why she needed the space so she waited until she could. She expected the next time she'd see you, you would have that award winning smile of yours. She didn't expect to see you this way. This upset. 

“What happened, Y/n?” She finally asks. You look up at her and blink a couple of times.

“I…” you sigh and lick your lips. “Jean got her mom to ask me to help her have another baby.” You rip the bandaid off not seeing any other way to approach the subject. Wanda gasps as she sits next to you. 

“I thought they moved on from that,” Wanda says as she puts her hand on your back.

You nod, “So did I, but they completely blind sided me. Her mom was willing to pay me off.” 

Wanda shakes her head. “Unbelievable. I cannot believe her. I cannot believe she would do that! After everything that happened the last time she asked you. I cannot believe she would get her mom involved in this to pay you off!” 

You agree, it is insane that they would bring this up again. Let alone bring her mother into this. You cannot believe that it has come to this. You almost want to cave just so that they'd leave you alone about this. You sigh as you reach for Wanda's hand. “Should I give them a baby? I mean, not in the way they wanted but I don't know. Should I just… donate to them. Am I the one that's just being crazy and stubborn?” You ask as you think about the amount of stories you've found online where families have done this sort of thing. That a couple that cannot produce a child on their own approached their ex partner to have another baby together. And they accept with no issues. You're starting to think you were being selfish.

“Y/n, you're not being crazy. You don't want to do that. It's your choice, you have a choice in this and you chose not to do it. That is something they have to respect. The whole thing is completely unfair to you.” Wanda reminds you as she turns your head to face her by pulling your chin. “Yes, had you agreed the first time, it could have been seen as this selfless beautiful thing that you did. But I've watched you tear yourself apart about this. It would have destroyed you to agree to it. You would have regretted it the moment that she announced that she was pregnant. You would have regretted it every week you had to pick up Rachel and pretend that her sibling is not your child too. You would have hated yourself when one day that child found out the truth and felt like you abandoned them. You made the right decision not only for yourself now but for everyone in the future.”

You listen to Wanda as she speaks so strongly about your decision. Defending you against your thoughts of yourself and against the perception of everyone else against you. 

She has a point. This scenario can only be a beautiful one if everyone was in agreement. But you don't want this. That was never in your mind in terms of expanding your family. The thought never occurred to you that they'd one day approach you about helping them with that especially since Anna seemed disinterested in the idea of ever caring for a baby. She would tell people the reason she wanted to adopt was because she could avoid the baby stage. 

Now she wants to ask this huge thing of you because she is insecure of her role in Rachel's life? You could not believe it. 

“You're right,” you say as you hold eye contact with her. You hadn't realized just how much you've missed gazing into those green eyes of hers until now. “I'm sorry to dump this on you. How are you doing? Have you figured out what you needed to?” 

Wanda shakes her head as she scoots closer to you. “This is something serious. I'm glad you came to me with this instead of sitting alone in your apartment or going to Bucky and Steve whose solutions are typically to just let you vent and drink. Which is not helpful because then they just dump you onto me.” You let out a soft huff of a laugh as you nod because it's true. She caresses your cheek with the back of her fingers as she pulls her bottom lip under her teeth with her tongue. Her eyes bounce around, gazing into your eyes, glancing at your lips. “And I have, by the way. Figured out what I needed to, I mean. I've missed you and I think I'm ready to start telling people about us. Not today or tomorrow but… soon.” She says nervously. You break out into a big grin and pull her against you in a celebratory hug. 

“That just made my day, truly,” you say as you continue to hold her close. Wanda starts to push against you by your shoulders to create some space. As you're about to apologize, she keeps you quiet with her lips on yours. It has felt like a lifetime since you've been able to hold her and kiss her. You're not certain when the last time was and you don't care to think about it as you lay on top of her on her bed.

“We have to be quiet,” she whispers as your lips are on her neck and her fingers are working on your jeans. “I don't want us to embarrass my mom in front of her friends.” 

You chuckle at the statement. “You mean you have to be quiet,” you remind her as your hands slip under her shirt. She lets out a soft whisper and you chuckle again. “See?” 

She rolls her eyes and mutters, “Shut up.”

After, you are holding Wanda in your arms as the pair of you settle down. You start to think about the future. Consider when exactly you will be ready to have another baby. It just seems like it's too late. Rachel is in middle school, she is grown up. When the kids are grown you're not supposed to have more, you're supposed to wait to have grandkids. Then you remind yourself that you are still young enough to have kids. In fact, this is how you have them the proper way. Or at least the way that stable adults have families. 

There's also the fact that Wanda might not want to have more kids. She did try to expand her family but it didn't work and instead her family fell apart. You hate that she blames herself for what Vision did to their family. You clench your jaw at the thought and your arm tenses up. Wanda notices and starts to rub your arm softly. 

“What's on your mind?” Wanda asks with eyes closed as she presses her head further into her pillow. 

You hesitate to speak. This isn't the time to ask about the future of your family with her. This is the time to hold her and worship her. To be present with her and not spinning around in your head. You kiss her cheek as you try to calm down and return to the moment with her. She looks so relaxed and comfortable. You don't want to change that. She deserves to be relaxed for a moment. 

“Nothing, it can wait until tomorrow,” you whisper as you loosen your hold on her. 

“Mmm no, we can talk now. If you need,” Wanda fights her sleep as she tries to open her eyes. You shake your head with a smile. 

“Go to sleep, we can talk about it tomorrow,” you repeat yourself as you caress her cheek. Wanda tries to hold onto consciousness a bit longer. It was a little early for bedtime but she was exhausted and perfectly satisfied. Every muscle in her body was asleep after the massage you had given her. As well as the many other things you did to pleasure her.

She doesn't fight you or her body anymore. She falls into a deep sleep and you follow shortly, once you're able to shut off your mind. 

You wake to her alarm and you curse yourself as you remember that you didn't set your phone up to charge. This wasn't meant to happen the way it did. But you only have yourself to blame as you find your dying phone. You quickly set it up to charge while you get ready. You brush your teeth and get dressed in the clothes you wore the day before. Wanda showers and goes through her morning routine. While she does, you head down stairs to make coffee for her and yourself. 

As you're pouring the coffee into the mugs, Wanda is walking down with wet hair and a casual outfit. “No meetings today?” You ask as you slide her mug towards her. She typically dresses up a bit more when she has meetings with her co-workers and/or clients and potential clients. She shakes her head as she lifts her mug to her face and sits on the stool at the counter. You nod and check your watch to gauge how much time you have before going to work. 

“It's Sunday,” Wanda says as she swallows. You look at her like she's crazy until you realize that she is right. It's not Monday quite yet. You start laughing to yourself as you set your coffee down. 

“I'm all messed up from yesterday,” you laugh as you gesture towards your head. “Speaking of which,” you clear your throat and look into your mug. You bite your cheek nervously as you think of the best way to approach the subject. “Have you thought about having more kids?” You ask with your eyes bouncing between Wanda and your mug. 

Wanda sets her mug down and clears her throat. “I think I'm going to need this coffee to kick in before I'm ready to have that conversation.” You nod in agreement and scratch the back of your head with a nervous laugh. She was right, this was not something you talk about first thing in the morning. 

So you ask her how she slept and if she was hungry. Then you make her some breakfast, as you're cooking the aroma wakes her mother so you make enough for all three of you. Then the topic of conversation becomes her mother and the book club. Apparently, the meeting was less about the book and more about gossip as you listen to stories about people you've never met and may never meet in your life. 

Once everyone is done eating, you try to wash the dishes but Ms. Maximoff refuses to allow you to since you made the breakfast. She has Wanda clean them on her own while she traps you in a longer conversation about you and your future. Your girlfriend tries to spare you but her mother is very insistent. You stumble your way through some answers since some of her questions are questions you have yourself. 

She starts to ease up on you and starts to go on and on about her life and gossip from around her neighborhood. The scandals of the elder community. You react as though you care that Marjorie is sleeping with Thom and Chad, which makes you realize there are elders with the name Chad, without either knowing. Or that you sympathize with the 

After a while, Wanda gives you the signal that she is ready to talk. You nod and attempt to end the conversation with her mother. You fail miserably and Wanda has to come to your rescue. 

“Mom, hey, I need to take Y/n from you,” she says as she pulls on you to rise from your seat. 

“Oh but we're having so much fun! I haven't even gone over what David over on the corner house might be up to. Giant garbage bags, every other week. We think it's bodies or-” 

“Mom,” Wanda interrupts. “I’m taking my partner back. Okay?” She pulls you closer to her and Ms. Maximoff laughs. She waves the two of you off and says that she needs to get started on her day anyway. You turn to Wanda with a shrug. 

The two of you walk to her bedroom to privately discuss. Wanda shuts her bedroom door and you walk around her room. Looking at her photos as you usually do. Wanda sits on her bed with her back against the headboard. Her eyes follow your every move as she thinks about your question. She can have more kids. She talked with her gynecologist at her most recent check up just in case this conversation ever did come up. Her doctor said she had never seen such clean results from Wanda. She assured her that she would be fine to have another baby, maybe ever two of she desired.

But did Wanda want to have another baby? Her boys are so close to becoming teenagers. Your daughter is right there as well. Would it be wise for the two of you to have another baby? 

“I don't know how I feel about intentionally trying for a baby at this point in my life.” Wanda starts, grabbing your attention away from the photo of her on her first day of college. “I have two pre-teenage boys who can be a handful at times and are already struggling with the younger siblings they have from their father. I don't know if I want to contribute to their insecurities by having another child,” she expressed her concerns when it comes to her boys.

You nod as you join her on the bed. You sit in front of her just next to her legs. You reach for her hand and she willingly gives you her hand. “Hey, I'm not even certain I want another kid. I was only asking because I keep saying no to Jean. I don't want you to think I'm saying no to you.” 

Wanda looks at you and tilts her head. “If I'm honest, I didn't consider that. I know that the situation with Jean and what's happening between us are completely separate things. So that didn't cross my mind,” she explains that your worries aren't hers in that regard.

“Well, that's reassuring,” you chuckle softly because you feel a little ridiculous about making that assumption. “I'm open to the idea with you. But I'm fine if you don't want to go through another pregnancy.” 

Wanda pulls your hand closer towards her. She looks at the palm of your hand and traces the lines with her finger tip. She thinks about the art you make with this hand. The pleasures you've brought her with this hand. The tears you've wiped from her face. The food you've made. Then she thinks about you holding her pregnant belly when the weight gets to be too much for her. She thinks about you holding her child in this hand. Butterflies flutter in her stomach at the idea. 

“Let's just… if it happens, we'll talk about it then,” she says softly. “We'll go over our options at that time. But let's not make a thing of it. We don't need to start telling people about us and including that we're trying. We can just,” she shrugs as she drops your hand and places her arms around your shoulders as she leans forward. “Well we haven't even discussed marriage yet but knowing your track record, kids are what come first.” She teases and your eyes widen momentarily to show your shock and amusement of the statement. 

“Of course, with most people they just get a sappy speech and a ring. With me, you get real commitment,” you add jokingly which makes the two of you laugh. You lean closer and kiss her lips. “You're right. We need to be talking about marriage and our commitment to each other before we talk about having kids. I only brought it up because of everything that's going on right now.”

Wanda smirks, “I know honey, that's why I entertained the conversation without shutting you down. It's one of the many topics of conversation we should have before going straight to the marriage of it all. You know? What if we got married and weren't on the same page about this?”

You nod as you agree, “It's exactly why I'm glad we're taking things slow. I would love to whisk you away to Vegas and elope. And I probably would have if we'd have met at a different time in our lives. But we both have a lot to consider outside of ourselves.” 

Wanda's thumb moves back and forth on your neck. “You're a very wise and considerate person, Y/n. What did I ever do to deserve you?” Her eyes are locked on yours as she searches for any kind of malice or false intentions. All she finds is kindness. She cannot fathom what her life would be like had you not made yourself part of it. 

“Have an ex with poor taste in liquor,” you remark on the first conversation you ever had with her. She smiles. 

“I was a mess,” she states as she bites her bottom lip and drops her face shyly. 

You nod in agreement. “You were, and I didn't want to seem like some creep going after vulnerable people by talking to you. By the way, my intentions were pure. That night.” You point between the two of you. “I never had this goal in mind until the night we hung out after my camping trip.” 

She looks back up, a little shocked by this news. Especially since you ended up dating someone else after that night. “Really? So why go after Daisy?” She asks as she looks over your features. Taking in every detail of your face. Your jawline, your smooth skin with a chicken pox scar on your forehead. She loves every detail of you. 

You shrug as you try to remember that time. It was only several months ago. Or was it a year ago by now? It feels like a lifetime ago. “Fear, insecurities, and a long list of other reasons that don't make a lot of sense but at the same time they do. I mean, we're still afraid to be together.” 

Wanda nods as she listens to you explain. You're not wrong there. She was pushing you away for weeks because of how afraid she is to be in love with you. “I'm not anymore. Afraid, I mean. I love you and I only want to be with you. I hope forever but you never know.” 

You chuckle at her last comment and kiss her on the lips. “Yeah, you never know.” She smiles before leaning in for another kiss. You rub the spots on her back where you have your hands placed. You continue to pull her closer and closer as the kiss continues. You love her and you can't wait to tell everyone.

Chapter 26

Taglist: @princessprudy @sayah13 @awkwardmandalorian @bentleywolf29 @thatshyboy1998 @artisannat @thisischaismagic @wqndanat @madamevirgo @likefirenrain @tearsofglitter @feltlikethat @natashasilverfox @karsonromanoff @aloneodi @lovelyy-moonlight @red1culous @jovialsublimecomputer @natasha-maximoff @iliketozoneout @doudouneverte @druggedduck @diealittlesometime @when-wolves-howl @lifespectator @justyourwritter69 @wandaromamoff69 @awesomelygayasf @nekoannie-chan @diaryoflife @wuwu96 @wandanats-goodgirl @sincerely-indi @blueredg52 @sisiofthemultifandom @fuzzyuniversityeclipsefriend @arcturusseer @scarlettwidow34 @chasethemoon @raven-ss @canyonyodeler @sokovianbaby @alexawynters @bittysworld @hopeless-romantic17177 @spongebobtentacles @the-ox-fan20 @shaniiwm @casualreadersstuff @neopolitan-torchwick @inarayofmoonlight @crimsonwidow666 @vael-altieri @elle161989

[xmads-omensx]

PART 2

Word Count: 1,764

Pairing: Noah Sebastian X Reader

Content Warnings: swearing, fake dating, enemies to lovers, mentions of sex

Tags: @shayeanna-ashlie @alwaysfightforwhoyouare @supersquirrel1996 @dontwantthemoney @tosoundlessdarkistare @collisionofyourkissmakesitsohard @klutzy-kay24 @heyyoplayer @lacy1986 @collidewiththesav @kenjipepsi1 @follow-me-down-to-wonderland @chey-h @thisbicc @fadingangelwisp @heyyoplayer @dsireland86 @missduffsblog @overmydeadbodysblog @dominuslunae @littlebear423 @blade-dressed-in-red @rumoured-whispers @kait16xo @eclipseeetop @xxkittenkissesxx @theanarchymuse95 @blackveilomens @lilgarbitch @lil-garbitch

Tour had been going relatively smoothly, if we ignore the obvious.

From an outside perspective, it looked like Noah and I were an old married couple. Constantly bickering, never happy, always pissed at eachother.

Which is exactly what we were.

This whole fake dating business was proving to be becoming increasingly more difficult as the tour continued.

Much to Noah and I’s dismay, Alex was very interested in getting to know the rest of the band and crew and had been asking everybody questions about Noah and I’s relationship.

Before tour started, we had all hung out as a group in order to debrief on the details of mine and Noah’s relationship. How we had met, how long we had been together, what our first date was, that kind of thing.

Since Noah and I couldn’t look at eachother without wanting to tear each other’s heads off, the details were mostly left up to the rest of the group.

Matt had decided that we met through work, which was true.

Nicholas had decided that our first date was at a local coffee shop near one of the venues on tour.

Jolly and Folio were more interested in our hypothetical sex life. They came up with our wildest sex stories “just in case anyone asked” which was alarming to listen to. Especially when they went into very graphic detail about positions and their frame-by-frame retelling of these hypothetical scenarios.

Noah was completely repulsed and had stood up to leave the room, presumably to head back up to his bedroom.

Luckily for us, nobody had asked those kinds of questions, so we never had to go through at painful experience every again.

We had, however, been asked about how we met and things like that, so being prepared wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

Alex had been put in charge of booking the hotel rooms so that we could take something off of Matt’s plate, and obviously he had booked for Noah and I to share a room at every single stop. Every. Single. One.

Noah hated it just as much as I did and that was about the only thing that the two of us could agree on.

When tour started, wed had to make a conscious effort to act like a couple. Going from sitting on opposite sides of the sofa, to next to eachother was a challenge, and having to cuddle up together due to the lack of space was even more difficult.

Sometimes, I felt him begin to relax beside me, pulling my body closer to his. But the majority of the time, his body was stiff and rigid, which was probably more uncomfortable for him than it was for me.

We argued constantly about who was in the way, who was taking up more space, who snored louder, the list went on and on and on until Matt snapped.

“Fucking quit it you two!” He had yelled in the hallway of the hotel as we retreated to our rooms after the sixth show of the tour. “Save it for when tour ends so the rest of us don’t have to deal with it.”

The rest of the guys nodded in agreement before heading to their respective rooms. Alana even shot me an apologetic glance as she followed Josh into their own room, leaving Noah and I alone in the hallway. The air around us crackled with energy as we stared at eachother.

“You just had to go and make that much of a fuss didn’t you? You cant fucking help yourself.” Noah scoffed, shaking his head angrily.

I took our room key from my back pocket and swiped it across the door handle, waiting for the click telling us that the door was unlocked.

The room was silent, but the tension from the hallway remained.

Noah huffed from behind me, before retreating into the bathroom. I could hear the shower turn on and Noah’s clothes hit the floor with a soft thud.

I walked over to my side of the bed and sat down with a sigh.

This tour was rapidly becoming the most exhausting tour that I had ever been involved in since starting working for Bad Omens.

Trying to keep up the persona of Noah’s girlfriend, whilst working for him was incredibly difficult without Noah’s constant nagging, but with it was unbearable.

The sound of the water from inside the bathroom provided the perfect white noise as I lay back on the bed and closed my eyes before drifting off to sleep.

It was the only time that I was able to seek the peace that I so desperately craved.

Then the water cut off.

The bathroom door opened, steam drifting into the main bedroom as Noah walked in wearing only a white hotel towel wrapped around his toned waist.

My eyes were barely open as I watched him walk towards his suitcase and pull out a clean pair of boxers.

I couldn’t deny the weight of my eyelids anymore, so I allowed them to flutter closed and send me back off to sleep.

The bed dipped beside me as Noah climbed into bed, pulling the covers over himself before pulling them out from underneath me and wrapping them around my much smaller frame.

Warm hands travelled up the back of my shirt, making me flinch slightly as the clasp of my bra came undone, spindly fingers pulling the straps down my shoulders from beneath my t-shirt.

I wriggled my bra the rest of the way off, leaving me in my shirt, jeans and socks.

Those same hands made their way to the front of my jeans, unbuttoning them before pulling them down my legs and pulling my socks off.

I heard them land on the floor with a soft thud.

Noah didn’t say anything as he came back up and placed his head on the pillow beside mine, wriggling around to get himself comfortable.

It wasn’t abnormal for neither of us to speak when we returned to our room as we were often both too tired to argue with eachother.

I remained curled up in the same position, in a state between sleep and consciousness, whilst Noah was struggling to get comfortable beside me.

“Quit it.” I mumbled quietly, becoming frustrated by his harsh, jerking movements.

He stilled, sighing, before settling on sleeping on his side, facing my back.

Sleep claimed me relatively quickly afterwards, or at least I thought it had.

Those warm hands crept their way up my sides once again. I couldn’t tell if I was awake or dreaming.

Those hands travelled across to my stomach, with heavy arms coming to rest on my hips. A warm back pressing against my own.

Too tired to move away from him, I snuggled back into the chest and arms that now engulfed me.

“Stop wriggling.” I tired voice murmured from behind me, making me giggle. He laughed quietly.

“Sorry.” I whispered back.

I could feel Noah’s face inch closer to the back of my neck. His nose nudging at my hair, moving it to one side before placing a chaste kiss on the back of my neck, making me shudder.

“What are you doing?” I whispered groggily.

“Shhh… I’m getting comfortable.” Noah mumbled.

“But you’ve never done this before.” I replied quietly.

“Fine.” He snapped, pulling away from my body completely, leaving me cold.

“No.” I said louder than I had intended, reaching to grab his arm and pull it back around me, but he was much too strong, even in his half asleep state and resisted my feeble attempt with ease.

“Y/N I’m doing what you asked.” He snapped.

“That’s not what I meant. I was just curious.” I replied.

“Go to sleep.” He replied, angrily flipping to lie on his opposite side, now facing away from me.

I lay on my back, staring up at the ceiling for what felt like an eternity, unable to fall back asleep.

Without thinking, I rolled over, now facing Noah’s broad back, his Jesus tattoo staring at me as I reached up and wrapped my arm around his waist.

He flinched before grabbing my hand in his own and lacing our fingers together.

Butterflies erupted in my stomach at the contact. We had never been this close before.

“Noah.”  I whispered.

“Shh…” He replied.

“I need to ask you something.” I pushed.

“What?” He whispered back, sleep lacing his voice.

“Why do you hate me?” I asked in a hushed voice.

He didn’t reply for a moment.

“I don’t hate you, Y/N.” He whispered in answer.

“But I thought you did.” I mumbled.

“I don’t. Now go to sleep.” He said.

I closed my eyes, still unable to go to sleep. Instead, I began gently tracing circles on his hand that was intertwined with mine with my thumb, hoping that the motion would be enough to make me sleepy, but it didn’t help.

Noah huffed loudly, sounding frustrated, before flipping over to face me, releasing my hand and using his own to grab my waist and pull me impossibly close to him.

“I don’t hate you.” Noah started, staring right into my eyes with his own chocolate brown eyes. “I could never hate you. I pushed you away because I’m scared. No, fuck that, I’m terrified. I’m terrified because if I tell you how I really feel, you’ll push me away and never want to see me, or work with Bad Omens again, which would suck because you’re amazing at your job.”

“I- I- I don’t understand.” I whispered back.

“This might help.” Noah said defiantly before removing his hand from my waist and cupping my cheek, pulling me closer and placing his soft lips against my own.

It didn’t register what was happening in my brain until I felt his tongue swipe my bottom lip, making me moan. He slipped his tongue into my mouth, claiming me before pulling away.

“I pushed you away because I am a massive fucking idiot who is massively fucking in love with you.” Noah whispered, his face only millimetres away from my own.

I didn’t know how to respond.

Reaching up, I traced my finger against his soft cheek before placing a light peck on his soft lips.

I pulled back to see a soft smile on his face.

Instead of speaking, I snuggled closer to him, nestling my head beneath his chin and drifting off into the best night sleep that I had had in a very long time.

And waking up to Noah’s sleepy, soft smile was even better.

[thecoffeelorian]

True Colors

True Colors (Crosshair x Reader)

Premise: As a few masks begin to crack, the true faces of those that lie beneath start to show themselves one by one...and not even they might be able to recognize the things that they've become.

Word Count: 1,531

Masterlist: The Surprise Guest Series

Story Notes: Heya heya, guess what, folks? There's a very tiny hint as to the Reader's true identity at the end of this chapter, so! Be sure to look for it, as it might be a blink-and-you'll-miss-it kind of moment!

Special Notes: You know that "glorious return" of Crosshair that was supposed to magically fix everything in the squad...? Yeah, it looks to me like nothing but an inglorious cop-out, because what could have been a detailed discussion of all the past plot points was tossed out in favor of cutting corners for the millionth time. More details are here, as well as one of several blueprints for this story as I move forward. Thank you all for your patience.

PS: The Crosshair header was made by @stars-n-spice.

No Pressure Tags:

@crosshairs-dumb-pimp-gf @skellymom @youreababboon @donntmindmejustwandering @ms-grassi

@gigachadcowboy @summerfall21 @thora-sniper @groguandthebadbatch @theclonesdeservedbetter

@sw-2020-1 @lovefrommaxie @housepartyfortwo @ci-avmovies14 @evabellasworld

@cyare-of-the-501st @the-osborn-way @prettychaos1409 @otomefan @foggygentlemenprincess

@soemtlse012731-blog @sithstrings @omglisalithium @aemondvelaryon @mysticalgalaxysalad

@lulalovez @zombiedixon89 @filmandthings @sithstrings @generaljessiedotcom and anyone else who might want to dive in headfirst into this latest installment.

The next thing you know, at least from where you’re standing, Omega’s wrapped both arms around your waist in a hug; Crosshair’s gone frightfully silent; and, some distance away from all of you, you get to witness two grown Troopers get stuck orbiting Tantrum Planet.

“You’re doing what.”

Specifically, Hunter’s durasteel-gray eyes that once refused to make contact with yours are now glaring through you with all the heat of an ion engine, almost triple-hound daring you to repeat Omega’s words out loud.

“You heard her, General.”

By contrast, you’re not about to run off or look away, because now there’s a firm edge to your voice that you haven’t exactly heard before.

“Unlike you, I don’t think she likes the idea of abandoning her fellow fugitives.”

Up until this point, most people had generally been respectful to you, never mind not wanting to give you the slightest impression of your life being threatened in any way. That was one of the few joys you got from your home planet growing up, as well as the first thing you find yourself missing in its absence.

As of now, however, that respect had been tossed straight out of the proverbial airlock and left to suffocate in the vacuum of deep space.

“Don’t you mean kidnappers?”

“I meant exactly what I just said, thank you very much…”

And if this holier-than-thou nerfherder wanted to stare you down, well...then you would be all too happy to stare at him right back, consequences or no consequences.

“…And anyway, since you already know everything about me, when exactly did I kidnap her?”

In fact, it’s not that long before you start glaring back at him, your voice slowly filling with venom.

“Was it before or after she came knocking at my door and asked me for help?”

“Omega wouldn’t ever do that!”

Before either one of you end up coming to blows, however, there’s another Trooper to contend with. Along comes Wrecker jumping into the chat, the look of anger somewhat giving way to confusion. Either he doesn’t have the slightest idea what to think of you, or else he’s already been convinced to hate you ages before you ever did anything wrong.

“We…we told her not t’ talk to strangers. What makes you so special?”

In any case, though, you’re not about to take any puuduu from him, either. Not when you might be five klicks away from finding some manner of political asylum, be it with or without their ‘approval’.

Not when you officially had skin in this little game as of several hours ago, and you’ve got no intention of backing down or making yourself smaller just so somebody else can feel bigger.

“Nothing. I’m just a waiter from offworld…but I do know this.”

And if you haven’t surprised yourself enough today, well…your slow but careful nudge for Omega to go over to Crosshair for safety’s sake certainly takes the grand prize.

“Since we—and that does include Omega, so let me make that nice and clear—heard the Imps start knocking on other people’s doors right before we booked it, it’s only going to be a matter of time before they all show up to drag the three of us back to that lab…or worse.”

Having spoken your peace, you then decide to mirror Wrecker��s posture and fold your arms across your chest, a clear sign that they’re about to have the floor.

“So if you don’t want to end up responsible for punishing two civilians just to stick it to your headstrong brother…then I suggest you choose wisely. Sir.”

You finish your pitch with a polite bow and a hand over your heart, the planet-wide gesture of respect in your part of the galaxy. If it was someone else from your home planet you were talking to, then they’d most likely let out a nervous chuckle, make up a somewhat believable excuse for their behavior or apologize for the harshness of their words, and possibly even declare an unofficial truce between you by offering you a little caf and cake back at their apartment.

This Hunter guy on the other hand…well, he’s starting to look like he’s somewhere between passing a kidney stone and blowing a fuse. No living man, be he soldier or civilian, has ever turned that shade of purple before, and as far back as you can remember, you know they haven’t balled their fists up so tight that their knuckles looked more on the jaundiced side than their usual healthy brown.

Clearly, he has no idea what he wants to do to you first—beat you until you’re the same color and consistency as freshly ground nerf meat; or else die of embarrassment. At this moment in time, either one of these is totally possible, if not also a maximum threat level.

And yet—

“—Don’t we, uh…have an oil can somewhere?”

And yet, the one they call Wrecker, aka “The Big Guy” as you’ve personally just dubbed him, is starting to act like he may have just budged about an inch or two from whatever sinless high ground he might have held a moment before.

Well, thank the Force that somebody is.

“What oil can…?”

In other words, even though Hunter’s still enjoying the view from his own pedestal and probably ready to piss on your heads without so much as a single moment’s notice…he sure can’t keep Wrecker from thinking for himself.

“The one that Tech always kept on board for…for emergencies.”

Like bringing up the name of a fifth squad member for some kind of emotional leverage, for example, if not also making good use of it, too.

“The least we can do is hand it over, right?”

“Not if I order you to stand down.”

“Fine. Go back to Pabu without me.”

Or, dare you even think it, sabotaging all of Hunter’s “plans” solely out of having enough of his shitty behavior.

“As for me, I’m not losin’ any more of my squad.”

In any case, Wrecker’s striding right past Hunter, giving him a hard enough shove to make him stumble and nearly fall sideways…and finally, goes back into the Marauder to go and bring you the much needed oil can whether this stupid “leader” gives his permission or not.

Incredible. Maybe he’s not Hunter’s errand boy after all.

As for you, well…you’re left wondering whether or not Hunter himself can take all three of you out with a single blaster shot, especially if he decides to take his temper out on Omega for bringing the two of you back without asking him first.

“Sergeant.”

“I’m sorry…?”

At least, that’s your thought until he decides to back off instead…for now.

“I’m a sergeant, not a general. Learn the difference.”

And with that, he also turns and goes back inside the Marauder, not a single look backward spared for Omega this time. Funny thing…you had originally thought that she was the designated favorite, and would therefore have some kind of leverage over all future squad decisions. Their initial reunion had suggested that much had occurred before, after all…so what the kriff had changed since then?

“Eh…that went well.”

Unfortunately, there doesn’t exactly seem to be a lot of time to mull this one over. Even though Omega’s speaking up again and trying to stay upbeat, she’s not looking so confident any more.

“We—we should be able to get off this planet now, right? We can go back to the island, and—and then…”

Rather, she’s looking nervous, just a little heartbroken, and—if there’s room to make a fast-food related analogy here—dejected with a shot of annoyance to wash it all down. Most likely, there’s no limits to her personal feelings, especially after what just played out in front of her.

“And then…take a break?”

You, on the other hand, aren’t about to be knocked down by that Sergeant’s issues, because they’re just a fraction of what you would have had to deal with if you’d faced the Empire coming after you. In fact, if he decides to keep his shit up and keep on poking the Krayt Dragon—well, even if he does hate you, he’ll have to think twice before dishing out the same treatment to her.

In other words, you’ve got zero tolerance for bullies, and it won’t take much for you to let the rest of this ‘squad’ find that out the hard way.

“Yeah…yeah, let’s do that. Take a break, I mean…”

This is why you’re slipping a comforting arm around her before letting Crosshair have the other, a makeshift hug for them both to break up the tension of it all.

“As long as you need,” you promise her, your attention solely upon the two in front of you, and not so much upon the ones lurking in the background. Oh yes, let the others stew in their own moody juices for a while, because for all that you care, that’s all that they need to have.

As for you and your traveling companions, a bit of rest is exactly what you deserve right now...and Force help the di’kut who dares to interrupt it.

[primeofprimes115]

Mae's First Time [Part 1] - (Matrix) Supergirl x Male Reader

Note: Wholesome 🥰

Being the boyfriend of a Protoplasmic lifeform that was created as a female in some pocket universe was surely not on the bucket list of Y/N's, but let's start at the beginning, of where the relationship went from tense... To an instant form of connection in a way.

Y/N was apart of LexCorp as Lex Luthor's bodyguard at best. The man was young but he was one of the best to be Lex's bodyguard, handpicked by him alone to be his personal bodyguard...

That was until he met the Humanoid Protoplasmic Matrix lifeform from this rather pocket universe where she originated from, who took on the name, Supergirl, and even wore a similar uniform of that to Superman, was infatuated with Luthor for a time, until she also met Y/N that is, and she strictly resembled to looking a lot like Lana Lang.

You could say it was a simple love story then and there, but the two weren't necessarily eye-to-eye at first, knowing and seeing that his boss was adamant in having Matrix, or well, "Supergirl", be his personal bodyguard too, all because she had similar abilities as to that of Superman, the flight, the speed, agility, even the strength, though her strength wasn't exactly on par with Superman's, she was strong enough to hold on her own. She could even go invisible, shapeshift and communicate telepathically since she had psychokinesis, which she'd use against Y/N at times against his own will, along with shooting blasts of energy from her hands if she focused her telekinesis and could create a forcefield around others to protect them.

As much as Y/N wouldn't admit to it, he was jealous, he was just a normal human, unlike her... She was created in a lab, by some other Lex Luthor, at least from what he was told from by Superman.

The two... Didn't exactly like each other at first...

Until the day they began to bond properly after he got injured on the job, a planned assassination was put on Lex's head and Y/N took the bullet for the man, just barely missing his heart and lungs, both Y/N and Luthor were escorted to safety and the assassin apprehended. He could've died that day if it weren't for Matrix's actions next.

Trust had began to build between them upon Matrix showing her true Protoplasmic form, or in his words...

"You can turn into... Purple gloop?" he joked through the seething pain. "Is that another reason he keeps-"

"Just shut up and let me do my work, you idiot" she retorted, shutting him up immediately as she began to do something incredible much to his own eyes.

Infusing some of her bio-organic tissue onto him, using her Bio-Fusion to fuse with him, she began to close up his wound without any pain inflicted upon him, watching as she was doing the unthinkable.

"What. The" he exclaimed in absolute shock in a muttering tone, as the purple "gloop" that fused with him began to slither back to Matrix, connecting with her body to materialize again.

"There" Matrix sighed, nodding her head toward where his wound once was. "You're not squirming, so I assume it's better now" she said with a little harshness in her tone as Y/N moved around a little, feeling no pain at all.

"I feel like... nothing happened" he said with surprise. "I... Uh...".

"Yeah, yeah, you're welcome, whatever" she brushed him off, looking away from him as she reverted back to her humanoid form, back to wearing the cape and familiar colors, not batting an eye toward him.

She stood comfortably still, hearing slithers of movement from Y/N on the medical bed within LexCorp, sitting up on the bed itself, after all, the reason he was here was to get medical attention from Luthor's best doctors he hired after she was instructed to bring Y/N back there by Luthor himself upon him taking the hit, but it ended up with Matrix helping Y/N instead.

Matrix recalled back to the events merely moments ago, she was faster than a speeding bullet or so they say, she could've saved Luthor without no one else getting hurt, but it was Y/N who took the hit instead, he wasn't even bulletproof, not like her in a way.

She sighed, her back turned to him, while Y/N's eyes rested upon the yellow S sigil on the back of Matrix's cape, the sigil that would give someone hope and safety upon seeing it in person for themselves, if it were someone else that is.

Seeing Matrix's huffy-like-stance, her arms crossed as she thought back on the previous events.

"Wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" he lightly joked, breaking the silence, humor wasn't his usual conversation starter, but he saw that humor was a good start to a conversation, at least to break tension.

Matrix didn't reply, still having her back turned to him, she felt she should, keeping her face hidden from his view as she had this frowned look, a feeling of dread which she never really usually feels but for some reason... She felt it upon seeing Y/N take the bullet for Luthor.

She felt... Angry... In that moment, she was angry at Y/N for taking the hit instead, but as time went by... She felt angry... At herself, she was angry at herself for not being quick enough, but Y/N was. Maybe she should've shielded him than Luthor instead.

She wanted to get her hands on the shooter for even daring to try kill Lex... Or even Y/N for that matter, even with the shooter being apprehended by mutual allies of hers outside LexCorp.

"Hey, I asked you a question" Y/N said into the aura-less area around Matrix, she moved her head slightly in response to him but... She couldn't find the words to reply with. "If this is about me taking the hit, instead of you? Then I get it" he then tells her.

"It's... It's not that".

"No, no. Clearly you're the superior bodyguard and I ain't" he spoke out loud, gesturing dramatically. "You're bulletproof, you can do all these amazing things that I can't even do, clearly I'm an inferior bodyguard unlike you... All I can do is be cannon fodder while you can just take bullet after bullet without even a scratch" he sighed.

"I'm sorry" Matrix mumbled under her breath, a look of guilt and sadness sprouting across her face... He was right after all, she wasn't exactly normal, she could do all these amazing things and yet... Y/N was just a normal human being, he wasn't as amazing as she was, he wasn't as "super" as she was, not like Superman but she understood.

She felt guilty about making him look small, regarding his little rant in her ears, her eyes closed as she felt something tingling at her eyes... Were they... Tears?

Just as she thought so, a sound of Y/N chuckling soon crawled into her ears.

"I gotta admit, I'm kinda jealous, it's not every day you get to meet someone who does all these amazing, unnatural things and almost takes your job away" he jokes with a light chortle, smiling back on the moments before today.

"Oh, so now you admit it?" Matrix turned around to face him, crossing her arms again with a mere scolding look.

"Yeah, I do" he still kept his smile, much to her surprise. "And if my eyes aren't deceiving me, I swore I saw that look on your face earlier" he proceeded to change the subject a little, enough to keep her from leaving.

"What look?" she questioned.

"That worried look, like you were hoping I wasn't dead or something like that, that look of relief when I wasn't? That wasn't fake... Right?" a look of concern spreaded across his face where his smile slightly disappeared.

Matrix found herself in a corner at this point, she swore he had seen his eyes slightly open earlier as she continued looking down at him in worry, and in relief when he made the littlest of noises to signal he was still awake and alive, but this confirmed it.

"You actually care about me, don't you?" he asked her genuinely, much to her dismay.

"Of course I do! It's my thing of being a superhero for a reason!" she abrupted before her voice got softer. "I can't just... Leave you to... Die, as much as you were a jerk to me all those times"

"I know I was a jerk to you and... All that" it was now Y/N's turn to feel guilty. He was kinda a big jerk to her mostly, much as she was to him, he was in the wrong for that, he admitted it. "And for that... cross my heart and hope to die, I apologize" he says before thinking back on what he just said. "Wow, that sounds corny when I say it out loud... And considering I almost died... Well" self-awareness erupted from him, which made Matrix smile a little.

"Maybe it's best you avoid making those types of jokes" she responded with a little giggle, it was very rare to hear her laugh or smile for that matter, which in that moment, made him smile.

"Whatever you say... Supergirl" he responded with a soft demeanor.

The two fell silent for a moment, awkwardly looking away to gather their thoughts as Matrix thought of one thing that had bothered her for a little while now.

Lex had told her about his and Y/N's relation, he was took in by him when he was but a teenager, having just lost his terminally ill mother to cancer, his father had passed away in the line of duty for his country before Y/N was born, Y/N had nowhere else to go except go in an orphanage, before Lex himself decided to adopt him, since he knew Y/N's family and his mother at best, since she was a former LexCorp employee.

It sounded to her that Y/N saw Lex as a father-figure, someone who taught and raised him after his mother could until she couldn't anymore, she always put her son first, before herself, and it was her last request... For Luthor to take him in like he was his own son.

It all reminded her of when she became an orphan when her Earth became lifeless and ruined, taken in by Superman and the Kents, Superman's adopted family when he first landed on Earth as a baby. Given the name "Mae" as short to her given name, Matrix by her Lex Luthor.

"So... About Lex... What do you think of him?" she asked him, a look of surprise came upon Y/N's facial expression when he was asked about his relationship with him.

"What do I think of him?" he asked in response, before brushing his question off quickly. "I mean... When mom passed, I had no one else really, both my parent's parents never really saw me, nor did I ever see them. There was my mom's brother, but she never wanted to talk about him. She wished I could've met my biological dad though" he kept his eye sight away from her as he explained.

However, she couldn't help but stare at this young man, he was currently wearing no shirt, his toned body out for her own eyes to witness, listening to everything he had to say about his relation to Luthor.

"He never mentioned about you having a father".

"Yeah, I expected much. He died, he was a soldier, killed-in-action, I only saw pictures of him and that was that." he replied. "But... My relation to Luthor is because of my mom, she used to work at LexCorp, before she was diagnosed with Leukemia after a checkup, but... She never said anything, not to me, not to Lex, not to anyone. She was too worried about my future, she put me first before... herself" he choked up a little, Matrix attempted to provide comfort but he held his hand out to her. "I'm fine, it's just a bubble in my throat".

"I... I wasn't told about the way she passed" she spoke lowly, seeing the impact it left on him still.

"My mom was one of Lex's most trusted employees, and a good friend, at least that's what my mom told me before her passing. It would've been difficult for him to explain how she passed as well" Y/N reminded her, clearing his throat to "clear" the "bubble" in his throat. "It was my mom's last request for him to take me in, and since then... I began to see him as a father-figure, as much as I didn't really trust him at first, I was a stubborn kid".

"And you're still stubborn" Matrix lightly bashed him with a little snicker, which made Y/N chuckle in response.

"Yeah, you got me there" he smiled about it to himself for a moment, as the two shared a glance with each other.

"I never asked Lex, but why did you become his personal bodyguard? Even though he took you in?" Matrix moved on to ask a new question.

"I took self-defense classes, taekwondo, karate, anything martial arts, even shooting school when I turned sixteen" he could go on forever if he would, but he chose to save his breath, giving Matrix the idea. "Much to his... Displeasure, he soon realized why. He was a... Controversial person, and not many people liked him, or any of his employees for that matter, for what reason? I don't know".

"Yeah... I've ran into those people. They call me "Luthor's Pet" which is just... Wrong" Matrix confessed.

"Shows you that the world isn't always sunshine and rainbows" he made a point across to Matrix, she felt he was kinda right. "I learned that at a pretty young age, fighting in school and all that, coming back with blooded noses and bruises. Kids were ruthless in my youth, motivated me to take self-defense classes, it weren't long until I began kicking their asses" he chuckled. "So... Yeah, that's my relation to Luthor, my father-figure".

"I still can't wrap my head around the fact you... You willingly took that shot for him, you were faster than me there, and if you weren't there...".

"Are you blaming yourself?" he asked quickly, his eyes snapped straight back onto Supergirl. "Don't blame yourself, SG. None of us could've predicted what happened earlier today".

"I wish I had super hearing, like Superman. I can't shoot lasers out of my eyes, I'm not as strong as him... I don't think I'm as fast as him" she began self-doubting herself, crossing her arms while keeping her eyes off from Y/N.

"Matrix... That doesn't matter, NONE of this is your fault. None of it" Y/N frowned, leaning forward a little. "Lex is alive, I am alive, the shooter was apprehended, it's all good. You did good out there, as always".

Matrix made eye contact with Y/N again after a little moment of collecting her thoughts, letting his words process through her smart protoplasmic mind of hers, before a little smile dawned on her lips. "You too, though you did get shot".

"And you saved me... My hero" he teased with a chuckle, making the protoplasmic girl look away with a smile as silence fell between them again... But not the awkward kind.

The more... Relieving, comforting kind.

It was then, the two locked eyes with one another, Matrix felt herself gravitate towards him in that moment, feeling some form of... Bond with him beginning to grow, she felt herself in the air floating towards him before landing back onto her feet with the click of her boots hitting the floor gently.

Y/N had fully sat up on the bed, looking Matrix in the eyes still, feeling something too toward her, he wasn't sure what it was at first, but he knew right after upon grabbing her hand with tenderness and a gentle nature.

She looked down at him in surprise, before witnessing the young man stand up, just slightly taller than him, she stood about five-foot-eight.

"If I'm correct, your real name is... Mae, right? Spelt M, A, E?" he asked her softly, holding her hand with a gentle care, feeling how soft her humanoid skin felt.

"Mhm. Yeah" she nodded gently. "I merely adopted it after... Well..." she paused, wondering if she should tell him or not.

"It's alright, you can say later" he smiled, his face drawing toward hers.

It wasn't long until she drew her face closer to his, while staying at Clark's parents' farmhouse after merely coming to this Earth after her Earth became lifeless.

A mere thought came back to Y/N's head as he was entranced by Mae's beauty, she maybe a Protoplasmic humanoid like being, but she was sure beautiful in her own right, but back then, he wouldn't ever call her that, he'd call her the opposite when insults were thrown against one another in their petty arguments.

"I remember saying you were... You were..." a little soft sense of guilt fell upon his face upon remembering what he once used to call her while being a jerk toward her.

"Ugly?" she finished.

"Yeah... But that was me being a jerk to you, you truly are the complete opposite of ugly" he told her, correcting himself after many months of knowing each other through a tense relationship.

Mae grew a smile on her face as she noticed his face getting rather too close to hers slowly, her eyes still locked onto his before looking down to his lips.

"I... I haven't really, properly done this before... Typically speaking" she softly spoke toward him, feeling his breath on her skin as he opened his mouth. She felt her face began to... Heat up which felt strange at first, but it felt... Good in a way.

"Really?" he asked before smiling away. "First time, huh?" he smirked next, catching her off guard with the first move.

"Mmmph ~" a mumble escaped her as a pair of lips softly pressed against hers.

Her eyes widened upon realizing what had just happened, thoughts ran through her mind, 'he's kissing me?!' was one of those thoughts.

She didn't know if she should push him off of her or how to react... But she felt... Warm, comfortable...

She felt good...

She then closed her eyes and let nature run it's course, melting into the kiss softly as she wrapped her arms, with her hands tugging the sides of her cape, around his figure, enveloping her long cape around him.

"Oh, your cape is so warm" he mumbled into her lips as he felt the fabric of her cape around his naked body, complementing how fuzzy and warm before their kiss continued.

To think they once hated each other's guts, to now making up for all their past endeavors towards each other and kissing in the medical wing of LexCorp. Mae, nor did Y/N, think this possible.

"Mmph ~" another moan escaped Mae as their kiss continued softly and slowly before their lips smacked off from each other, slowly separating from each other's lips for him to breath.

"Mae, I-".

"It's okay, Dorky" she smiled. "I'm happy this happened, let's keep this... Between us, I can't imagine what Lex would think of this".

"You... You want this to happen?".

"You made the first move, Dorky, didn't you?" she smirked.

"Oh, yeah, hehe" he smiled back. "I suppose I should get shot again, next time" he lightly joked, much to her displeasure.

"Hey! Don't say that! You'll get me paranoid!" she puckered her lips unintentionally, which Y/N laughed softly at her expression he never thought she'd make.

"Adorable, for a Protoplasmic humanoid female lifeform, you sure are adorable" 

______________________________________________________________

End of Part 1...

A/N: Sorry folks, the uh... Smut will be in part 2, since a storm is hitting the UK, Ireland and central parts of Scotland badly, there's probably gonna be power outages and this will be... Pretty long, and I pretty much won't get all of it done in the one thing in that case, so... Yeah. This is part 1.

Sorry folks!

But I hope you liked this!!

Taglist: @jacenradio7 @jadenyukiyusakufujikiyutoduelist @mae-kent @rodimusprime2017 @6rookie-writer0110 @beestriker015 @multi-fandom-enjoyer

[coastershells]

could you maybe write a johnny cade story pleaseeee

S O M E T I M E S . . .

( you gotta … close a door , to open a window. )

IN WHICH — you catch johnny sleeping in the lot in the snow.

⚠️ : no warnings!! i can’t write johnny in smut like that , it just icks me :c / requested? | yes!! : no

ꔫ - wc — 1k

“ johnny? ” you whisper , he doesn’t hear you.

he’s sleeping.

you wonder how , it’s so cold out.

“ johnny. ” you say , but louder. his hair slightly moved out of his face. he looked peaceful , but he was shivering.

you were outside at the lot , you knew johnny slept here a lot , but he promised he wouldn’t tonight.

the ground was covered in snow , extremely clear because it had just stopped and nothing dirty had time to land on it. he had a blanket , sure , but sleeping in the snow won’t do it for you. he could die out here.

he said his parents were fighting and he didn’t want his old man yelling at him tonight , so he would head over to the curtis’ house. apparently , when you went to check on him , they claimed he had left an hour ago. you believe it was longer than that , the way ponyboy looked at you from across the room spoke louder than the lies darry was feeding you.

your parents care for johnny just as much as you do. treating him like he’s gold. you can’t count how many times he’s spent the night over your house.

so with that , you get closer to him , and place a hand on his head , rubbing him awake.

“ johnny , get up , come on. ” you say loud enough to be heard over the wind , you hear him make a groaning sound and he finally begins to move. he had you thinking just ever so slightly that he was dead. you don’t know what you’d do then.

he blinks , rubbing his eyes and letting out a full body shiver , and then turns to you.

and he freezes. almost more than he already was.

“ why are you — ” he pauses , and when he breathes out you can see it. it’s so cold out. “ w - why are you out — out here? ” he says , looking down at what you’re wearing , and his shoulders seem to go down when he realizes you’re wearing a coat.

“ you promised me you were going somewhere warm. ”

“ i am warm. ”

“ you’re shaking , and i’m cold even in this coat. johnny , please. ” you say , and he sits up all the way.

“ ponyboy and darry were having it out. didn’t want to walk to buck’s. so i came here. ”

“ johnny. ” you say , almost irritated and he looks shameful. neither of you dared to mention the fact your house was an option. and he knew it.

“ i couldn’t burden you , it’s so cold and late — i.. ” he trails off , realizing he betrayed his own words. so much for him saying it wasn’t cold. “ i couldn’t. i’m sorry. ”

you stand up from your kneeling position and wipe your knees off. “ we are going to my place. no arguments. ” you say , and all he does is nod , he leaves the blanket , which you assume is for the next time he sleeps there.

which won’t be anytime soon. you hate when he sleeps at the lot.

“ johnny , ” you start and he looks the other way as you begin walking down the street. he lightly tells you to watch out for the ice between your sentence. “ you don’t burden me when you ask these type of things , okay? i wanna be here for you. you start coming over to my house. ”

“ okay.. i will. ” he says quietly.

the rest of the walk is silent , or it’s you filling that in by telling him what you guys are gonna do when you get home , he’ll shower , eat , and you guys can watch whatever he wants to. he nods , like he isn’t listening , but you know that’s just his way of speaking when it’s late and he’s in trouble. you’re mad at him , and he knows it.

“ i love you , johnny. ”

he hesitates , obviously not expecting that from you tonight.

“ i love you too. ” he says with a shaky voice. you think he’s gonna cry , but you also don’t want to look over at him because he might just be cold.

when you end up making it back to your place , johnny is like an obedient puppy whenever you tell him to do something. he immediately gets into the shower , eats all of his food just to see you happy and get your praise. and as the night grows old , you’re cradled in his embrace.

“ [name]. ” he calls out , your eyes open just so slightly , and you move a little. johnny seems to disapprove of that because he tightens his arms around your waist , and he rests his head on your shoulder , his voice tickles it. you make a sound of acknowledgement and he begins again.

“ i’m sorry. ” he sounds like he’s about to cry again. and you think ; he’s so whiny. “ m’sorry for not ever runnin’ to you — you’re my girlfriend and i should but i — ”

you hush him , and you’re positive that this is what you want to use the last of your energy on. “ it’s okay , johnny. i forgive you , alright? i’m not mad at you. i just want you to know i’m here. ” you say and you turn over to face him. he wiped his face as you did that but you can see the stain on the pillow from his tears , you wouldn’t have been able to tell if you hadn’t left your window open.

“ i’m sorry. i love you. i love you so much. ” he presses his chest against you and you laugh.

“ i love you more , you’re such a crybaby though. but i love you. ”

johnny finally gets to go to sleep warm.

AUUGKCJG.. hi… everyone.. so.. um.

i’m working on requests rn , i’m doing small drafts , redos if i don’t like , and i have a random dallas x reader that’ll probably never see the light of day.. 😁 fully done and god knows how long it is , probably short it wtv. anyways i decided not to tag anyone in this one because idk how y’all roll with johnny!! anyways back into my hole i go. cya whenever i do!! also i apologize for this being so short. i have anon NO justice but i’ll end up rewriting this or adding onto it sooner or later.

someone please kill me

[donttxtathebeach]

Y/N Nolan on New Movie Anora & Auditioning for Quentin Tarantino | Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Word count: 1k

Warning: none

a/n

My favorite part is coming soon!!

masterlist

|previous| next|

“Y/n, it’s so wonderful to have you back on the show. First Maxxxine, and now Anora—what a year you’ve had!” Jimmy says with a warm smile.

Y/n laughs, a little surprised at the whirlwind. “I know! It’s been quite the year, for sure. I’m still kind of catching my breath, but in the best way.”

Jimmy grins. “And now, after playing Maxine, you’re stepping into Anora. How does it feel to take a bit of a break from your horror roles and dive into something new?”

Y/n shakes her head. “Well, funny enough, it wasn’t really a break at all. I was actually going back and forth between the sets of Maxxxine and Anora during the entire production of both movies. So, it was a lot of running between sets and trying to switch gears as much as possible! It was intense, but I loved every second of it.” "I mean, when Maxxxine was ending, we were starting to shoot for Anora, so I was trying to finish Maxxxine strong while also trying to get to know Anora on a deeper level, and juggling two completely different characters is not easy, but I enjoyed it!"

Jimmy raises an eyebrow in disbelief. “You were juggling two films at the same time? That’s impressive! So, with Anora, you’re filming in Brooklyn. How was that experience?”

“It was incredible," Y/N says, her eyes lighting up. “Brooklyn has this raw energy, and it really set the tone for the film. We filmed a lot in the streets, which gave it this gritty, authentic vibe. The city became a character in itself, really.”

Jimmy nods, intrigued. “And with Anora, you’re speaking Russian. That’s a big shift from your usual roles. How did you prepare for that?”

Y/n chuckles. “Oh, it was a challenge, for sure, especially with the accent that I got from being around my dad's British side of the family. I had a coach for months, and she was trying to help me hide the little bit of British in me while also layering the Russian, and at first, I kept thinking I wasn’t getting it right. I’d listen to my lines and go, ‘Wait, is that even Russian?’ But I pushed through, and I really tried to connect with the character beyond just the language. It was important to me to get the essence of her, not just speak the words.” "Sean was also glad that my Brooklyn accent was very authentic, and I was like, Thank God, because it was so fun to do. Now when I talk to people, they're like, Wait, youre not actually from Brooklyn; everyone thinks I'm British because of the way I pronounce some of my words, but I'm from Nantucket; I grew up around people from there, so I acclimated to the accent and the way they pronounce things, but now that I'm older, I think I'm sort of losing it."

Jimmy laughs along with her. “I think you nailed it. Now, speaking of your family, your dad is a director. What was his reaction when he heard you were taking on such a big role, especially since you have been doing horror films for most of your adult career?”

Y/n grins. “He was incredibly proud, as always. He’s been in the business for years, so he totally understands the work that goes into something like that. But he never really said anything about the switch in genres. Honestly, he’s been so supportive, as always so to him; it was just something else that made him elated to talk about.”

Jimmy leans forward. “And you not only acted in Maxxxine, but you also wrote and produced it. You’ve been playing Maxxxine—also known as Pearl—throughout the entire trilogy starting from X. That’s got to be a special connection to that character, right?”

y/n nods thoughtfully. “It’s so personal to me. I’ve been with Maxxxine—Pearl, really—since the very beginning. Being a writer and producer on Maxxxine really allowed me to get even deeper into her psyche. It was such an honor to contribute to her story in that way, especially after living with her for so long. I can truly understand why my dad loves his job so much. Taking a step back and seeing her from a different point of view made me truly appreciate all directors and production put into the director's art. It felt like a really full circle moment.”

Jimmy smiles, clearly impressed. “That’s amazing. And with all of these accomplishments under your belt—five Oscars, nine Emmys, and now up for a Golden Globe—you’ve already achieved so much at just 25. How do you keep everything grounded?”

Y/n looks a little sheepish, but grateful. “Honestly, it’s a little overwhelming at times. But I’ve always said that it’s not about the awards for me—it’s about the work, the characters, and the stories. I’ve been acting since I was five, and my dad always taught me that the craft is what matters. So, while I’m incredibly grateful for the recognition, it’s the work that keeps me grounded.”

Jimmy laughs in disbelief. “Five Oscars, nine Emmys, and a Golden Globe nomination? You make it sound like it’s no big deal! But I have to ask—how did you land the role in Anora? Did you audition?”

Y/n laughs, shaking her head. “Actually, I didn’t audition for Anora. Quentin Tarantino came to the premiere of Pearl before we even started shooting Maxxxine. He came up to me afterward and said, ‘I need you to be my Anora. This isn’t an A24 film, but I need you to play her.’ It was so unexpected, but Quentin’s one of those directors you just want to work with, you know? So, I said, ‘Okay, sure, but I’ll be bouncing between sets.’ And he was completely fine with it. He really wanted me to play her.”

Jimmy looks amazed. “So Quentin Tarantino just walked up to you and said, ‘You’re Anora’? That’s incredible! How did you feel about that?”

Y/n grins, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “It was surreal! I’ve always admired him as a filmmaker, so to have him offer me that role was just a dream come true. And I think the fact that I’d be juggling two sets at once didn’t even phase him. He just wanted me to be a part of it, and I was all in.”

Jimmy nods appreciatively. “That’s the dream, right? You don’t even need to audition when you’ve already got someone like Quentin Tarantino wanting you in their film. Now, I’ve heard you’ve been called the ‘Queen of Horror’—how does that title sit with you?”

Y/n laughs a little bashfully. “It’s such an honor! Horror has been such an important part of my career, and honestly, I actually do not particularly love horror films, but I love the rush. It’s exciting to be a part of it, and if people want to call me the ‘Queen of Horror’, I’ll accept it. But I also want to branch out and do other things too. There’s so much more I want to explore.”

Jimmy smiles warmly. “You’re doing amazing things already. And I know there’s much more to come. Y/n, it’s always such a pleasure to have you here. You’re one of the most exciting young talents in Hollywood right now.”

Y/n smiles gratefully. “Thank you, Jimmy. That means so much to me.”

Jimmy grins back. "Y/n Nolan, everybody! Be sure to check out Anora and Maxxxine, now in theaters!”

|previous| next|

[cursed-angelic-art]

Key Themes in TGCF

Posted this to reddit, but I want to save it here as well, because I've been seeing an uptick in people coming from SVSSS or MDZS fandom to TGCF and being disappointed. Either they find it boring (fair criticism for the first two volumes honestly), or the plotting is incoherent, or they don't understand the ending, or find the plot twists too predictable. I think the key thing to keep in mind while reading TGCF is that it's about an abuser controlling the narrative surrounding a victim, and the victim coming to an understanding of the depth of that abuse and wresting back control of the narrative. So here's my rambles on that: SPOILERS AHEAD

Going to expound a little on why I love TGCF. Xie Lian's progression through the story is not the typical character arc for a protagonist. He doesn't exactly go from point A to point B, where he starts off with a huge flaw that he works on and overcomes by the end, but rather he meanders from point A through points B, C, and D, and finally back to point A. This is not because he has no flaws. He certainly does. His inability to look at the past and have an open dialogue about it with the people he loves is one flaw he overcomes. But it is not the pivotal tragic/heroic character flaw we are sold at the beginning, which is his "naive" belief in the goodness of others. This is because he is was right in his forthright and honest beliefs from the start and it's his long degradation at the hands of the abuser that makes him question and doubt and go seeking for different answers, constantly holding that belief in goodness as the mirror for all the other deeply flawed people he encounters.

Even the audience is bamboozled by Jun Wu's control over the narrative. Each MXTX novel has a "false start" in the first chapter. In Scum Villain, we get Luo Binghe's story in PIDW, which Shen Yuan carries as the "truth" about the world and people he encounters when he transmigrates. He comes to understand he was deeply wrong, and by holding the original works narrative as the truth, he failed to see and understand the people around him.

In MDZS, we get a false start in the way the cultivation world has spun the story of the Yiling Laozu and his evil deeds. This whole book is about lies and rumors and how easy it is to join the bandwagon and make someone an outcast.

In TGCF chapter one we get the story of the naive god-pleasing crown prince, who comes to realize he can't save everyone and is cast out of heaven because of his foolishness, a prince who grew up "coddled and pampered" and unable to understand reality. We are told this inability to understand reality, that people are innately evil and will always choose to do evil things, is his flaw that led to his degradation as an outcast God.

This, too, is a false narrative that Xie Lian and the book itself seek to disprove over the next several thousand pages, as we are shown story after story of gods' wrongdoings and evil choices. And where we land at the end is with this: every person we saw make evil selfish choices because it seemed the easier way out, comes to the realization that they can make a good choice, a pivotal choice, and they can make it without much ado or any acknowledgement and it was that simple all along. We see Yin Yu choose right, Pei Ming choose right, Mu Qing choose right, hell we even see Qi Rong do something good in his last moments. And none of it is to any of their benefit, but it was something good. And Xie Lian is proven right. Despite what Jun Wu did to him, despite how much he tried to force him to change, Xie Lian never needed to change his core beliefs (and he literally says that over and over as he bashes his abusers head into a wall at the end there). We see this grand epic scale battle of all the gods against this heavenly tyrant, and it's juxtaposed against Xie Lian running back and forth alone with Yushi Huang's hat to make the rain. If all of the gods had helped back then, couldn't Xianle and Yongan have both been saved?

It was never Xie Lian who was wrong. It was the complacency of those who had the power to do something if they had not written him off as naive. And it was an abuser who controlled the narrative surrounding him for so long, that he drowned in self-doubt before he was finally able to cast off his shackles. He just needed someone to believe in him to help him believe in himself again.

Tldr: I think a lot of people are expecting a standard hero narrative where the hero has one great flaw he overcomes, and that's not the story of TGCF. It's the narrative and everyone upholding it that needed to change, not the protagonist. So it's an odd story to get into in that respect.

[blushblushbear]

I drunk wayy too much last night and sent a barrage of drunken texts and voice messages to some of my best friends. I'm beyond embarrassed, they're so embarrassing oml. To heal from this pain I'll never recover from, how bout a few of the boys reacting to all that

I think in generally the boys just kind of find it funny, but for details

Nimh: okay, Nimh's actually a little worried, comes over the next day, if not that night, and brings a hang over kit with him

Volks: thinks they're kinda funny but is also a little worried. Checks on you first thing. Ends up leaving then coming back with a bunch of stuff for your hang over and a change of clothes so he can stay the night

Kelby: thinks it's funny until you text him the next day feeling so sick, then he's over there with so much water and gatorade

Eli: He's in the messages with you don't even pretend. He's right in all those selfies, in every embarrassing voicemail, and when you wake up hung over he's right there next to you ordering mcdonalds breakfast cause y'all need some grease, carbs and coffee

Anon: sticks on the phone with you but uses his hacking skills to watch and make sure you get home safe. Also calls you the next day and teases you about last night. You're about to hang up on him when he tells you to open your door, and you open it to find he's sent a bunch of stuff to help you feel better

Garret: very confused, very concerned, you wake up in his arms and he spends the rest of the day taking care of you

Dmitri: weirdly thinks they're charming, also comes over to help you take care of your hang over

Ichiban: thinks about posting it online, thinks better of it, still saves it for giggles, checks in on you all the next day

William: ends up coming out and finding you, takes you home, gives you water and some food and helps put you to bed

Myx: very amused, calls to check on you the next morning

Stirling: ABSOLUTELY entertained. Finds it HILARIOUS. Calls you the next morning and asks how that darling head of yours is feeling in the most teasing way

Scale: gets your messages, gets concerned, ends up stalking you the whole night to make sure you get home safe

Sven: Sends back things that are just as embarrassing even though his ass is sober lol

Cole: finds it funny blackmail. Still gets concerned, ends up stalking you, 'bumps into you', escorts you home and reveals in getting to take care of you, very doting, very sweet, probably takes more pictures for his own collection when you're out cold

Poe: laughs a bit at your message, calls the next day to check up on you, doesn't bring up or mention the messages, if you bring them up he slyly says 'oh I didn't read them all the way through, was there something in them??' like a liar

Cashew: feels for your embarrassing solidarity cause he has DEF done the same. comes and checks up on you the next day, does not bring up the messages at all

Seth: Thinks it's the funniest shit he's ever see, comes and checks on you at the crack of dawn the next morning, teasing you about everything you said, all the while taking care of you

Logan: He's not immediately worried but he does know being too drunk is how the worst stories of nights out begins, so he keeps in touch until you get home, comes over the next morning to make sure you're good

Reece: Is so confused. Is this normal for earthlings?? it's kinda funny. is probably going to come over and ask a bunch of follow up questions

Aki: Wants to be respectful but lord he thinks the videos you sent were so funny. That being said he does come check on you and help you nurse that hangover. He promises he'll only chuckle a little.

Haru: A mix of thinking it's funny but also making sure you're texting back and forth until he finds you. Joins in the party for a bit then takes you home and gives you the best hangover nursing EVER (he knows what it's like)

Fuyu: Is also confused. Doesn't know how to respond like--- ACTUALLY, how do I reply to texts??? ends up calling you a dozen times before just coming over and making sure you're okay

Ace: a little amused, a little worried, constantly texting you throughout the night till you get home, comes over to take care of you the next day

[honeyed-blossom]

hehe sooo!! @theherbologygreenhouse and I have been working on a fun little writing project of our MCs meeting had they started Hogwarts as 1st years and didn’t possess Ancient Magic. It’s set in the same universe as Hogwarts Legacy so you’ll see a lot of the canon characters, but is independent from the game’s events so some of the game’s canon timelines may not line up! This is during the girls’ second year! We had a lot of fun writing this together from our MCs’ perspectives so please check it out if you’d like!! the lovely banners belong to @cafekitsune ♡

disclaimer: I’m very much an amateur writer so my writing may not be perfect, but please send me any feedback you have! Always looking to improve hehe 🥺🫶

🍯🍯🍯🍯

Chapter 1: Herbology Mishaps

Summary: A Hufflepuff and a Slytherin crash into Herbology class late one day and are stuck taking care of venomous tentaculas after class. Does this foster an unlikely friendship or is this the origin story of mortal enemies?

word count: 1.4k

you are here 🍯 | Maven’s POV

Valeria’s Perspective:

“5 points from Hufflepuff and Slytherin for being late, ladies. And, you both will have to stay after class to tend to the plants.” Valeria groans as she pulls herself up from the floor, rubbing her arm slightly. Seems her day only keeps getting worse.

First, Grace and Anne had accidentally woken her up arguing with each other over something stupid - one had misplaced a hairbrush? Or was it over a boy? Either way, they had been too loud and it had been too early. Then, as luck would have it, Professor Sharp had asked her to stay behind after class to practice some potions with Garreth. Garreth Weasley. Her temper flares thinking about that red-headed imp. He better be counting the minutes he had left on this earth because when she sees him next, she’d strangle him to death.

Garreth was the whole reason she was late to Herbology - he had convinced her to goof off with him and try creating a new concoction. One that ended up bubbling over and scorching the table a bit, something it definitely was not supposed to do. Luckily, Sharp had been in his office at the time so the two were able to cover it up and avoid detention. By the time they finished cleaning, she only had 5 minutes to get to the greenhouse. There was no way she would get there on time.

She had accepted her tardiness but perhaps she could sneak in. Or if she played her cards right, would be forgiven. Professor Garlick has a big heart after all. But all her plans were dashed as she reached the metal doors to the herbology classroom, when some Hufflepuff brute crashed into her and sent her sprawling across the floor. In front of the entire class.

She refocuses to the class around her as the professor begins her lecture. A few students stifle their snickers while others look at them with a bit more compassion. Valeria shakes off the creeping embarrassment and dusts herself off. Rubbing her arm again, she begins heading over to her usual spot next to Sebastian. Except, someone is already there - Poppy Sweeting. She cocks her eyebrow, slightly confused at the smaller girl’s placement. Poppy usually sits with the other Hufflepuffs in the front so this is a bit odd. But then again, it does look like there aren’t any seats up front so maybe that’s it. Either way, this sours her mood ever more.

Valeria frowns and sends her friend a dirty look for not saving her a spot. Sebastian offers an apologetic smile, glancing over to Poppy and mouthing a quick “sorry.” I’ll remember this, Sallow. Valeria scoffs silently before heading further into the classroom, spotting an open seat by her housemate, Imelda.

“Have fun repotting those mandrakes after class,” Imelda snickers quietly as Valeria settles in beside her. “And try not to get tossed around by that Hufflepuff. It was sad to watch.” Valeria’s frown deepens and she crosses her arms. “Shut it,” she hisses before glaring at the girl who sent her flying just a moment ago.

Maven Godfreid. Tanned, bright eyed, and a bit taller than the other second years. She doesn’t know much about her, outside of the fact that she’s a Hufflepuff and she was probably the top herbology student from their year. They share some classes and have mutual friends but they seldom speak to one another. They didn’t really run in the same circles or share similar interests. But the rumor circulating around the mill was that Godfreid was strong and may have sent Leander Prewett running for the hospital wing earlier this week.

It hasn’t been a rumor after all. Valeria rubs her arm again irritatedly, displeased by how the pain hadn’t subsided. Imelda had been nasty with her earlier comment but she wasn’t wrong. It was embarrassing.

Valeria’s attention shifts back to Professor Garlick as she starts to pass out cotton balls in preparation for the plants. She grabs two from the basket and jams it in her ears, praying the mandrake she’s assigned isn’t too terrible. She can’t imagine how Garlick hasn’t lost her hearing after dealing with them for years. Just get through class and then you can extort Garreth. I’ll make him sneak out an entire apple crumble from the kitchen. Thinking about the sweet, warm crumble gives her a nudge of motivation.

- - -

Class wraps up just about how one would expect. Lenora Everleigh accidentally drops her mandrake, which sends Arthur Plummy into a panic and diving under the table. This throws Ominis, who sat across them, off balance, and he crashes to the floor with a screaming mandrake on top of him. Anne and Sebastian manage to get it off of him and into the pot just in time to stop his ears from bleeding out. Imelda and Valeria wrestle with their own mandrakes on the other side of the classroom as Professor Garlick cleans up Lenora’s mess. By the end of it, everyone’s covered in dirt from head to toe and mildly traumatized.

“Class is dismissed,” the professor finally announces. “Remember, mandrakes are nothing to be scared of. Today, we learned that staying calm is key to handling these fauna effectively. Keep that in mind for next week’s lesson!” A soft sea of groans fill the room before papers rustle, books slam shut, and the students begin to file out.

Imelda gives Valeria a solemn pat on the shoulder before gathering her things, knowing her friend still has a half hour more of this nightmare. Valeria returns a somber nod before watching her friend hurry out, probably for quidditch practice. She wipes off some dirt from her cheeks and mentally prepares herself for her punishment to begin.

Footsteps shuffle towards her, stopping right beside her. “Sorry for not saving you a seat.” Valeria looks up, meeting an apologetic Sebastian. She simply shrugs and begins unraveling some dirt from her hair. “It’s fine.”

Sebastian pouts, his freckled nose scrunching up in annoyance.“In my defense, Poppy asked first and her seat was already taken. I couldn’t just say no.”

“Why not? Because you like her?” Valeria frowns, turning her attention back on her friend. “What, no!” He gasps, flustered, his ears reddening.

“Sure, Sallow,” Valeria begins, a small smirk slowly playing on her lips. “Suddenly, ‘Sweetings’ is now ‘Poppy’. What’s next, you start calling her ‘My darling little princess’?” Her smirk widens and she wiggles her eyebrows teasingly. His ears flare a deep shade of crimson. “No, of course not!” he huffs, shoving her shoulder in irritation. “Forget it, I’m not sorry anymore! Have fun getting attacked by the plants, I’m leaving!”

Sebastian runs off, huffing and puffing. “Tell Garreth he owes me apple crumble, a whole pie!” Valeria calls out behind him. “I will not!” He calls back, sticking his tongue out before disappearing past the metal doors and leaving Valeria rubbing her arm once more. Of course he had to hit her injured arm, that freckled goblin. With a heavy sigh, she finally gets up and trots over to Professor Garlick.

“Ah, Miss Davenport. There you are. Once Miss Godfreid joins us, we shall head to the secondary greenhouse together. I’ll need your help with the venomous tentacula today,” Garlick chirps in her usual sing-songy way. “Yes Professor,” Valeria nods, pausing before she continues. “I apologize for being late today. It won’t happen again, ma’am.” She wrings her hands in front of her, looking up at her teacher with her big, hazel eyes. She hopes this doesn’t put her in Garlick’s bad books. One, because she hates disappointing her professors and two - she’s not good enough at Herbology to get away with things like this.

Garlick’s expression softens almost immediately and she gently pats the girl’s head, “it’s alright, Miss Davenport. Apology accepted. I know it wasn’t your intention. Everyone has a late entrance at least once.” Valeria smiles back, happy to be forgiven. “Thank you, Professor Garlick,” she chimes, following behind her.

“Good, now come. Let’s get your little task completed,” Garlick smiles and claps her hands together. “Miss Godfreid, shall we?” She calls out, beckoning over the navy haired Hufflepuff.

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

Books of 2024: August Wrap-Up.

Hey, would you look at that, it's suddenly September! Rude and uncalled for. This month, I did a lot of knitting (two sets of gloves and two hats! gearing up for holiday season), and a LOT of writing (finished the first 16k draft of a scene, who???), and read uh. Some. I didn't finish a ton of books, but I did make it through what felt like a ton of pages.

Two-thirds of this month's reading were post-apocalyptic-community-oriented, on purpose, to feed into my current writing project, and that worked really well--either I'm very good at choosing books that match the vibe I need, or my ADHD brain is good at making connections, OR a little bit of column A, a little bit of column B. Photos and/or reviews linked below:

GHOST STATION (pages-out stand-in book pictured above, because I checked it out from the library after canceling my paperback pre-order, which was a good call) - ★★ This was very bad. Bad science, stupid incompetent characters, JUST enough neat worldbuilding to make it FRUSTRATING that this missed so hard. I'm bummed because I wanted to read DEAD SILENCE by this author, too, but I don't trust her now :(

ALWAYS COMING HOME - ★★★★½ Loved this!! Dense and chewy, and it required a lot of patience, but it was very rewarding and I'm really glad I read it. My absolute favorite passage was about scrub oaks, but I posted a few other highlights and tagged them as "le guin posting," if you're interested! If you like Le Guin and/or utopias and better futures and/or huge books that push what it means to Be A Novel, check this out for sure.

ARCHANGELS OF FUNK - ★★★½ So. I didn't realize that this was attached to a few other novels she's already written. And I read it cold (oops). Goodreads informed me that it was Book #2 of Cinnamon Jones, and review-diving indicated that REDWOOD AND WILDFIRE is also implicated in its worldbuilding, but that didn't stop me because I can't read. I would like to revisit this one after I've read those other two, I think, but!: The community and vibes and Making Art At The End Of The World were all immaculate, and the character names made me feel vindicated in some of my own naming conventions (seriously: there's an Indigo in this, and a Game-Boy, and Hawk, I can't make this shit up).

Under the Cut: A Note About ~*★Stars★*~

Historically, I have been Very Bad™ about assigning things Star Ratings, because it's so Vibes Heavy for me and therefore Contingent Upon my Whims. I am refining this as I figure out my wrap up posts (epiphany of this month: I don't like that stars are Odd, because that makes three the midpoint and things are rarely so truly mid for me)(I have hacked my way around this with a ½). Here is, generally, how I conceptualize stars:

★ - This was Bad. I would actively recommend that you do NOT read this one, no redeeming qualities whatsoever, not worth the slog. Save Yourself, It's Too Late For Me. Book goes in the garbage (donate bin).

★★ - This was Not Good. I would not recommend it, but it wasn't a total waste or wash--something in here held my interest/kept my attention/sparked some joy. I will not be rereading this ever. Save Yourself (Or Join Me In Suffering, That Seems Like A Cool Bonding Activity).

★★★ - This was Good/Fine/Okay/Meh. I don't care about this enough to recommend it one way or another. Perfectly serviceable book, held my interest, I probably enjoyed myself (or at least didn't actively loathe the reading). I don't have especially strong feelings. You probably don't need to save yourself from this one--if it sounds like your jam, give it a shot! Just didn't resonate with me particularly powerfully. I probably won't reread this unless I'm after something in particular.

★★★½ - I liked this! I'll probably recommend it if I know it matches someone's vibes or specific requests, but I didn't commit to a star rating on Goodreads. More likely to reread, but not guaranteed.

★★★★ - I really enjoyed this!! I would recommend it (sometimes with caveats about content warnings or such--I tend to like weird fucked up funny shit, and I don't have many hard readerly NO's). Not a perfect book for me by any means, but Very Good. This is something I would reread! Join me!!

★★★★★ - I LOVED THE SHIT OUT OF THIS, IT REWIRED MY BRAIN, WILL RECOMMEND TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE AT THE SLIGHTEST PROVOCATION (content warning caveats still apply--see 4-star disclaimer). Excellent book, I'll reread it regularly, I'll buy copies for all my friends, I'll try to convince all of Booklr to read it, PLEASE join me!!

[biblicalhorror]

Got upset thinking about the wasted potential of zoeys extraordinary playlist as psychological horror/thriller again :/

[loverboybrightsideghost]

filmed acting (like TV/films) is very interesting to me, and one particular reason is the fact that scenes of a story are often filmed out of order, for a variety of reasons. i wonder how it changes or affects an actor's preparation or understanding of their character to film that way.

[jackass-jones]

My ass was trying so hard not to jump up and down with glee playing yttd with my sister and getting to the shin reveal I was like MY GUY MY FUNNY LAD MY SILLY RABBIT

[isekyaaa]

But on the other hand, a psychological horror fanfiction of That's Not My Neighbor in which you are the doorman and a certain entity becomes obsessed with making your life a living hell.

[astranauticus]

oh i absolutely gave myself way too much of a workload this semester but holy shit i finally have like... about 80% of that orv changgwi animatic down in concept and i am. cartoon villain cackling