#cece pressure

[donniipao]

posting about my pressure oc, Cece 🤲🤲

Featuring OCs XP and Kota by @issue-paper and @wolfz-den!

—

Going through Eyefestation’s file, I saw that there were agents who went through the B.U.P.W.M Program — this is one of them! :D

[im-not-buying-it-ether]

To @thefantasmarex and other Cap adopts Kon AU enjoyers

I just thought something, Captain Marvel isn’t an inherited title. In the OG comics and still in a lot of later ones it’s specifically a chosen one thing, we know that with Billy, but his entire family is honorary members and titles passed between close friends and family specifically to share the power. Not pass it on.

Billy has 3 potential candidates for succession depending on canons; The original being BillBat from the 30th century, Power of Shazam’s CeCe Beck from the 90th century, and Tanist of the 853rd century in the DC 1,000,000 comics.

(Pictures and more below the cut)

Only one is actually related to Billy, and that’s BillBat of earth, his distant descendant. CeCe is from Bindermann and Tanist is from Mercury, both having stumbled into the RoE some how and have no prior relation.

No one in the current Marvel family as they know it is supposed to usurp Billy or replace him, he’s supposed to take the Wizards mantle fully later on in life and wait until his successor is old enough to inherit his power. Billy has to live to see that day, weather it’s 1,000 or 7,000 or 83,000 years into the future, he has to make it to pass the torch to the next being Pure of Heart and Strong of Spirit.

There is no replacing Marvel in the modern day, no keeping his name alive till the next guy needed, Conner has no expected inheritance or standards if he’s taken in as a member of the Marvel family. He can be whatever he wants as long as he’s a good person, he could wear his symbol and call himself Junior or another Lieutenant Marvel but he doesn’t have to.

There has to be a Superman once Clark’s gone, he’s too much of a symbol to fade, he means too much. But in a way Marvel doesn’t, and it’s not something bad or sad in context.

Being Captain Marvel is always shown as a thankless and isolating job, but one that has to be done to keep ancient evils at bay and the balance of Magic in order. That’s why Billy takes the job as Wizard only when Shazam dies, magic needs a warden but he doesn’t want that job right away, when he takes it he chooses Freddy as a champion to be Captain Marvel but they aren’t Shazam, he is. That’s what separates the Wizards champion, which is what Billy is, from the gods champions that his family is.

Conner has no expectation in his family, not because he isn’t good enough or because of a flaw in his upbringing, but because of a highly selective criteria for a job no one really wants.

[theemporium]

I've stopped watching!

And atp I'm just banking on tomorrow's chapter of Luke + Cherry to solve whatever the outcome of the game is!

oh bless😭😭😭😭

[ceebit]

day 5 into this juyeon fic that was supposed to be posted on his birthday but brain refuses to write

[1d1195]

Honey V

Read Honey here | ~3.2k words

From me: this is a really short part because you don't have to read it if you don't want to. It's not going to detract or add to the story. See warnings below

Warnings: SMUT ONLY SMUT. That's it that's all this part is.

Summary: Her eyelids fluttered. It was incredibly sexy that he was stopped and didn’t give a shit about it other than if he had hurt her. But she needed to stand her ground. “No,” she blushed and shook her head. “I just... I think we need to discuss—”

This was different. So different than any other time Harry had touched a woman. It was electric. Terrifying. Freeing. She was so warm and so inviting. He wanted to lick every inch of her skin. He wanted to touch every inch of her body.

It had been sixteen months since Harry had sex. The exact amount of time he knew of Cece’s existence plus one month. The only times he relieved the pressure in his pants, were when he thought of the gorgeous woman in front of him late at night. Now that he had a taste of her lips, he realized that his hand was a poor fucking substitute for how soft and warm she felt against him.

His thigh was between hers, pressing up against her center, hard, making her gasp. “Fuck,” she whispered tilting her head back.

“S’that feel good?” He murmured flexing his leg muscle and pressing harder. She whimpered, nodded shyly. “That’s s’good, kitten,” he hummed pressing his mouth against her neck. “Rub yourself on m’thigh,” he begged. “Want t’make y’come all night,” he murmured before sliding his lips against hers once more.

“Harry,” she breathed against his lips.

“I know, love,” he groaned and peppered her jaw with kisses. Hot and sweet at the same time.

“Harry, stop!” Her voice was breathy but firmer.

He yanked away from her quickly. She nearly fell forward as his body shifted so suddenly. As painful as it was to move away from her. It was cold without her body wrapped around him. His thigh immediately missed her. God, he was going to finish in his pants just looking at her pretty candlelit face. “S’matter?” He asked quietly. “Did I hurt you?” His face was concentrated. The pucker between his eyebrows. In candlelight he looked so boyish. His skin glowed. He was so warm looking, and she was cold without him pressed against her.

Her eyelids fluttered. It was incredibly sexy that he was stopped and didn’t give a shit about it other than if he had hurt her. But she needed to stand her ground. “No,” she blushed and shook her head. “I just... I think we need to discuss—”

“Discuss what? How much I want t’be inside you?” He asked, grabbing her hand and looking at her curiously. “May I?” He asked. She nodded quickly. Because truthfully, the space between them was too much now that she had experience so little between them. Without a second longer, he brought her fingers to his lips kissing each fingertip making her eyes flutter close. He kept the distance between their bodies, but it felt like nothing with his mouth kissing her fingers.

She shivered. “Harry...” she swallowed trying to keep her brain functioning on the implications of all this that they were doing. Focus was escaping her. It had been a while since she had an orgasm with anything other than her fingers. She was pretty sure she had never felt as warm as she did with Harry. Not the way his thigh felt between hers and how she wanted to rut her core against him like she was going to die without it. “I’m—”

“So pretty,” he hummed and trailed his lips up the length of her arm inching his body closer at the same time.

“Harry,” she whispered as his lips touched her shoulder. “Stop. We need to talk about—”

“There’s nothing t’talk ‘bout, love. I think you’re brilliant and beautiful. I want t’make y’come all over me,” his voice was muffled by her skin.

“I work for you,” his mouth was sinful and making her forget most of everything she wanted to say.

He sighed. Pulling back. “Do y’want t’stop?” He asked.

She swallowed. No. She didn’t. But she didn’t want to ruin this. There were hundreds of things to think about. “Harry, I adore Cece,” she whispered.

“I know, kitten. S’at the top of the list of why m’so ready t’do this,” he murmured. His lips did not stop; they slid up the length of her neck, kissing at her pulse, and further up to the spot right behind her ear. It went right through her, causing a direct vibration to the center where she desperately wanted his leg back. She moaned softly.

“Harry,” she keened. “Please,” she begged.

“I jus’ want t’make y’feel good,” he promised her. “Want t’make y’come and keep making y’make those pretty noises.”

Her resolve was rapidly crumbling. She wanted to turn her brain off because she was so head over heels for the sweet man with the prettiest little baby. Her mind was going to be useless in a few more seconds because his mouth was making her forget all about what she wanted to say. “It’ll change—”

“Shh,” he hushed. “Please, kitten,” he groaned. “I can’t stop thinking ‘bout you. Jus’,” he sighed. “Please. Jus’ focus on right now.”

She couldn’t believe he felt this way about her. That he was trying to make her feel good. “What about Cece?” She whispered. Cece was good. Cece was a distraction that even Harry could see was important.

“She’s fine,” he assured her wanting just one night to think about pleasure for the sweet girl in his arms. “We can check on her after.” She looked at him pleadingly. There was no way she would continue if he didn’t let her go right at that moment.

Sighing, he took a deep breath. “Y’promise you’ll come right back t’me?” He dropped back on the sofa laying on his back. She nodded eagerly. “You’ll let me kiss y’more? Put my fingers all over you?” His hands kneaded into her thighs, and she stiffened trying to lift herself off him.

“Promise.”

“And you’ll let me make y’come a hundred times?”

“A hundred?!”

“I can do more, but I’ll need something t’drink,” he winked.

“I’m not coming a hundred times.”

“You’re going t’come as many times as I want,” he assured her.

Harry was glad that she looked a little worried as she slid off his body. Like she wanted to test that challenge. He heard her scurry off to the baby’s room. She wasn’t gone long, but definitely longer than just peeking at Cece from the doorway.

Fortunately, she kept her promise. She was back, straddling Harry’s body on the sofa and he moaned as her body slid against his hard-on. “She hasn’t moved, but I put another blanket on her—”

“Stop talking ‘bout m’daughter and kiss me, kitten,” he whispered pulling her on top of him and closing her lips in his again.

Her mouth was heaven. He seriously contemplated not going further than kissing because it was so good it felt everything beyond her mouth would be greedy. Her lips felt like he was kissing a cloud. Her tongue tasted like iced tea in the middle of summer.

But with her on top of him, he couldn’t get the fantasy out of his head of undressing her, sliding into her. He moaned into their kiss and slid his hands further down her body gripping the outside of her hips. He pressed her against him, trying to relieve the pressure now that he didn’t have to imagine it. “Do y’know how many times I thought ‘bout this?” He whispered.

“You did?” Her voice was breathy, and Harry nodded, sliding her T-shirt over her head. She had a simple pink bra on. But it made her skin look so warm and pretty, especially with the candles throwing a beautiful glowing light around her.

He groaned at the sight of her. “Course,” he hummed and kissed the base of her throat.

“Harry,” she swallowed. “I know I’m a good nanny, but I’ve got some... pretty heavy baggage.”

“I’ll carry it,” he said quickly. He wasn’t just saying it to get in her pants. He would do anything to make her feel cared for, but he just wanted to focus on how good he could make her feel. “Jus’ please let me—”

How was the offer to carry some of her emotional trauma and drama so appealing? So sexually charged? A strangled gasp came out of her throat, and she was done for. Harry could do whatever he wanted to her. “Okay,” she sighed. “Whatever you want,” she felt like she was melting, folding completely and totally to whatever Harry wanted.

“Thank God,” he whispered and flipped her back onto the sofa the opposite direction, cradling the back of her head. He kissed her lips again and made all the thoughts in her head disappear. The only one that remained was how good Harry tasted. “M’gonna make y’feel so good, kitten,” he promised. Her eyelids fluttered again, and she swallowed hard. She believed him. Harry was going to ruin any man for her. She just knew it. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“You don’t want to know,” she whispered.

“Yes, I do, love. I really do,” his fingers dipped into her soft pajama pants and felt around blindly looking for the edge of her underwear.

“No, Harry, trust me. You don’t.”

“I’ll stop,” he taunted, and his fingers froze right as they rested on her clit. She hissed at the sensation and the unfairness. He was so bossy.

But she supposed he was her boss.

���Niall told me you liked me.”

He grunted, a huff that was dangerously close to a low growl that made her stomach flip. “Alright, y’were right. I didn’t want t’know. We’re not talking ‘bout m’best friend while m’inside you.”

“You’re not—”

Harry’s fingers were warm, long, and filled her deliciously full. Her back arched and Harry smiled. “Not what?” He questioned, his voice low and mocking. “C’mon, kitten,” he gently stroked inside her filling, pressing, removing, teasing, and aching her core in a way she didn’t know was possible. This was down the hall for the entire four months she had been there and she had no clue he could make her feel this way.

“That feels so good,” she whispered breathlessly. She turned her face to the side, her body tensing as she tried to inch Harry’s finger deeper inside her. His thumb gently circled her clit as if he did this every day and knew exactly how to tempt her body.

“Yeah?” He watched her writhing on his couch. “Y’look so pretty,” his eyes were trained on the way she moved and whimpered. “Gonna come from jus’ m’finger?”

She nodded. “Please,” she begged.

“Y’don’t have t’beg, kitten. Want you to,” his voice was gravelly, and it felt like he was speaking directly into her core the way it vibrated her entire body. “The faster y’come now, the faster I can make y’come again.”

So she did.

She groaned and gasped as she clenched around Harry’s finger massaging her fluttering walls as she cried out. “God that was pretty,” he whispered in awe. He swiftly yanked her pants down completely. He looked at her for a moment, his eyes appraising and appreciative. Like he was admiring her. “So pretty,” he hummed. Then, he picked her up like she was nothing more than a doll, gripping her thighs and making her perch on the back of the sofa. Before she could even think, his mouth was between her legs, hands holding her hips down so that she pressed to the top cushions. His teeth pulled at the fabric between her lips and slid his tongue against her folds.

“Holy shit,” she moaned nearly falling backwards as she tilted her head back with his mouth on her clit.

“Easy, love,” one large hand splayed across her back pulling her forward before she could fall backwards. Harry kept at her sensitive clit sucking and licking as much as he could. “Y’taste so good, kitten,” he paused to press a line of kisses on her thigh. “Gonna live down here.”

“Harry,” she whimpered her hand finding the top of his hair to steady herself. “Stop, it’s too much,” but she was grinding toward his face, tugging softly on his curls to get his face closer to her. So no, she didn’t want him to stop.

“You can take it,” he hummed against her. “So good, kitten.”

She wasn’t sure she could. “Y’look so pretty when y’come,” he hummed softly. “Don’t y’want t’come again?” He pecked at her clit like it was her lips and so softly. Almost chastely. But it was so sinful she thought her legs were shaking. Maybe they were. She was only vaguely aware of her head on her neck and only half certain it was still attached to her body. Her eyes were somewhere in the back of her head, rolled all the way back over and over.

“Harry,” she groaned.

“The sounds y’make, kitten. They’re so pretty,” he murmured lapping at her, dipping his tongue into her and then following with a stripe up her folds to circle her clit again. “Come again, please,” he asked so politely she didn’t have a choice.

“Harry!” She cried and came on his tongue. He licked and sucked devouring the shivers that went through her pressing his fingers into her hips so hard he worried he was going to leave bruises.

“Y’doing okay?” He tugged her to the sofa, laying her flat. Her breathing was coming in short pants. He cupped her face. “That was so pretty,” he smiled at her as if she just sang a song in front of a crowd or did a pirouette. Her heart rate was flying. “Think y’can do one more?” He asked. She blinked. “I think y’can do one more,” his voice was warm and thoughtful.

“Harry,” she whispered. “I’m—”

“You’re doing so well. Y’look so pretty. Jus’ want t’be inside you,” he pulled his pants down where a hard outline of a mouthwatering dick pressed against his briefs.

“Do you want me to—” She reached for him, but he grabbed her hand before she could even reach halfway. He knelt beside the couch and pressed her fingers to his lips.

“I want nothing more than t’have y’touch me and put your pretty mouth t’work. But I haven’t had sex since Cece,” he explained. “S’taken all my self-control not t’come jus’ from licking you,” he promised and kissed her forehead. “S’a good chance m’gonna come from just getting in you. You’re so tight and wet, kitten,” his voice seemed to drop an octave. His eyes were warm with desire.

“Okay,” she whispered. “I think it’s a little unfair.”

He chuckled. “I’ll let y’play another time,” he slid his boxers down to his ankles. She moaned at the sight of his hard cock ready in front of her.

“There’s a pretty good chance I’m gonna come when you get in me,” she said licking her lip as if she didn’t just torture Harry with the movement.

“Good,” he smirked.

“Let me do something,” she said and pulling Harry down to the sofa. He already made her come twice. It seemed utterly unfair. Harry sat down and at the same time she got up and straddled herself over his legs almost perfectly lining herself up with Harry.

“Kitten,” he said grabbing her hips right as his tip touched her warm, soft, wet entrance. “Fuck,” he hissed. “M’not...” he swallowed. “Cece doesn’t need a sibling right now.”

She nodded. “I’m covered,” she promised. “And clean.”

“You’re sure?” He asked.

She nodded again. “I’m sorry,” she blushed, her voice a little airy. Her hips shifted up trying to get away from him. “Do you want me to go get a condom?”

Harry wanted no part of asking why she had condoms so no. No, he didn’t. “Hey,” he hummed. “I really like you,” he reminded her. She smiled that sweet, gorgeous smile that was not part of her qualifications to be a nanny, but he was glad she had it anyway. “Are y’good? We could stop.”

“Do you want to stop?”

He shook his head. “Only if you do.” She didn’t. So she lowered her body lowered onto his dick and Harry’s eyes rolled back into his head as he dropped it to the back cushion. “Fuck, kitten,” he groaned. He stretched her so good, and her muscles were aching in her thighs from the first two mind-blowing orgasms.

She whimpered as she continued to lower herself. “Oh,” this burned her core in a way she hadn’t felt in years.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he grunted and grabbed at her hips lifting her easily and taking the pressure off her shaking legs. She moaned as he did. He slid her back down to the same spot, trying to ready her slowly for all of him. “So pretty,” his eyes locked in where her body sank down on him, making him disappear. “S’like m’favorite movie,” his voice was far away.

“Oh God,” she moaned as Harry filled her fully. She dropped forward, her face buried in his shoulder.

“So good, kitten,” he hummed, kneading his fingers into her butt. Slowly he lifted her up and then down helping the movement. “S’like y’were made for me,” he whispered.

Harry was going to make her come. Again.

Before he even had once. That wasn’t fair at all.

“Harry, you need to come.”

“Kitten, jus’ let go,” he ordered as she slid up and down his length. “Y’feel so good. Can feel y’clenching around already,” he groaned. “It’s so good.”

“Harry,” her voice was pleading. “I want you to,” she whispered.

“God,” he moaned and buried his face into her neck, stilling her body and he shifted so his hips thrusted up, his thighs making an audible noise against hers.

“Oh my God,” she whispered. “That’s...” she cried out again overwhelmed with how good Harry felt.

“That’s it,” he hummed into her skin and reveled in the feeling of her fluttery, warm walls gripping him hard. “So good, kitten. So good,” he held her tight around the waist, pounding up into her as she pressed back against his momentum creating a delicious pressure around his overly sensitive, ready to burst cock.

“Fuck,” he groaned and pumped unevenly into her as his release finally poured into her. His body convulsed slightly as he held her to him. He kept her on him as he twitched a few times inside her. He could feel the mixture of him and her leaking slightly around him and onto his body as he held her. “Y’okay?” He asked kissing the side of her head.

She nodded. “You can do that to me any time,” she whispered.

He chuckled. Kissed her again. “Good,” he sighed. “I plan on it.”

In one motion, he stood, barely adjusting her although he slid out a bit more. Fortunately, her underwear caught most of what tried to leak out, but he settled her on the counter in the kitchen. Slowly he pulled from her, making her hiss and he groaned at the chill of the air instead of her warm walls caressing him. He grabbed a dish towel from the stove handle and ran warm water over it. He spread her achy legs and cleaned her up as best he could in the near dark. Then he wrapped her legs around his body again and carried her back to the sofa. He didn’t even put any additional clothing on them and laid down with her on his chest. “Thank you,” he said quietly and kissed the crown of her head.

“Thank you,” she giggled.

--

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[pansy-picnics]

can ask that you spill everything about your Splatoon OCs? 😺

ABSOLUTELY i did not expect anyone to ask to be honest….goodness where do i even begin. Let’s see. I’ll start with my main little doomed love triangle thing i suppose

Cecilia Paek, she/her, 24 yrs old, aka: cece, celia, eight, whore, freak, slut, etc. My agent 8. born in the domes under the name Seo-Mi Paek, but renamed herself to cece post-memory loss. A freak both in the not-safe-for-work sense and just. In general. She says the most unhinged shit in such a passive formal manner. Marina has to consistently tell her she’s not allowed to eat the jelletons. She bites. A lot.

aside from being a freak cece is curious and observant, but incredibly blunt and fierce. In the past Seo-Mi was a much quieter and more repressed person, but hearing the Inkantation awakened a flame within her, so to speak. Cece is incredibly vocal about her thoughts and feelings, and she does not like to be pushed around. although shes always been a very nostalgic person, shes been trying to look forward more often than not. (she was on team future!)

cece has a very mature, almost sisterly presence, and is especially close with neo 3 (ikra) and her pseudo sister agent 4 (yottsu). she also has a daughter of her own, yumi! ikra and yottsu are my friends ocs so i cant say too much about them but ikra is like, basically her and kyle’s adopted kid

Kyle Lastname, (Actual surname to be determined Eventually) he/him, 25 yrs, aka three, cap, kyle, ceces silly rabbit /j. he’s my captain 3. has a stupid ass name bc he’s a stupid ass guy. Basically started as a joke oc but i put him through the Horrors. he’s the malewife of all time.

Grew up the only hearing person in a deaf/hard of hearing household so he’s fluent in sign language. He joined squidbeak when he was like 16 mostly bc he was a MASSIVE FUCKING LOSER with a huge ego who wanted the attention. Now he has Trauma and hates his teen self more than anything. (The egotistical little white kid phase is like, a rite of passage in his family. His little sister is still in that phase.) Now that he’s mellowed out hes just a sopping wet cat. Dating cece and is obsessed with her + will do literally whatever she wants.

Hes a lot more talkative than canon 3, hes the kind of guy who copes with humor all the time. he tries to be cool and mysterious but hes really awkward and gets flustered or worked up super easily. He’s overall a pretty boring guy and thats his charm. She’s barbie and he’s just ken. etc etc.

Hes SO dad coded btw. He and cece have a daughter together, Yumi. Since he was young he spent a lot of time looking after his little sister and he’s basically adopted his protege, neo3 (ikra). he makes me think of RTGame for reasons i could not describe to you, it’s just the energy somehow. He’s my babygirl. My little meow meow if you will (Cece voice)

Victoria Mendoza, she/her, 25 yrs, aka Tori. SHE is the fucked up one. Literally doomed by the narrative. Eye love her.

She comes from a long line of elite soldiers and was a child prodigy, but also the Problem Child. Got expelled from multiple schools for beating up other kids. from a young age she’s been incredibly critical of the octarian society and she was basically your average teen rebel. into alt music/fashion, incredibly vocal about her distaste for the system, fairly closed off with a cold exterior. the only person she truly cared for was Seo-Mi (Cece).

Seo-Mi was quiet and sweet and generally pretty average academically, so she didn’t have nearly as much pressure on her to succeed compared to Tori. the two were childhood friends and teenage lovers. The only ones who truly matched each others freak if you will. When they were little girls they used to dream of escaping to the surface together. this changed when they were about sixteen years old.

the most important thing to know about tori is that she is a pessimist and at her core a Coward. She’s all bark and no bite. She’ll scream her hatred of authority from the rooftops but immediately crumble at the sight of her leader. and as she got older and officially entered her career, she lost hope. she determined the surface wouldn’t have anything more for her than the domes did. she became complacent, while Seo-Mi, who had previously been more neutral, had heard the inkantation and only become more determined to leave the domes.

The two desperately tried to change each other’s minds but they were far too stubborn. both of them were crushed by the supposed “betrayal” of their beloved. Inevitably Seo-Mi left for the surface, eventually being taken in to Kamabo Co. while tori stayed behind to rot.

Since Seo-Mi left, tori became more bitter than ever before. she turns her focus to her career, and her family, but she never truly moves on from the loss. Unfortunately, Cece did. Cece met someone else, she’s started a family, she has a completely new name. she’s essentially a new person. and Tori is still the same.

Canonically i don’t think they would ever meet again and actually recognize each other, but i like to play with the idea sometimes bc if they did they would Hate each other. Tori is completely incapable of accepting that her Seo-Mi has moved on. She is clinging on to a version of someone that doesn’t exist anymore. tori is a deeply self destructive person and will never move on in any sense of the word. Sad!

Also this is Yumi. Age varies but shes like. Very young toddler as of the current timeline. She’s cece and kyle’s favorite surprise (Accident). They’re both freaks and shes the consequences of their actions. She and smollusk have playdates together. She’s obsessed with off the hook but doesn’t realize that her weird lesbian aunts pearl and marina are the same people. She’s baby

[stilettobitearch]

the amount of blood secret had spilled seen in her life was not insubstantial. well, she could only guess to that, but if the time since the nautiloid (and the compulsions she tried to keep locked in her mind) was any indication, it was a safe bet. and she knew that gale was no stranger to blood, so why did she wince when the wizard sliced his hand open? her mind flooded with images that perhaps were only suited to share with astarion before she pushed them away, only to pull gale's hand to her before realising that she'd exhausted herself: there was no way she'd be able to call upon her oath to magically heal her companion.

deft fingers moved to mundanely bind the cut before gale could observe this.

"gale…" the tiefling's voice is soft, ever-appreciative of his words as she finished the tight knot. bright eyes flashed and she couldn't help the cheeky half-smirk. "and if i don't want to take my eyes off you?" a softer person would have raised gale's hand to their lips, perhaps, but all cece had was a mischievious glint. "besides, i already know my hair looks good silver-white."

with hands now free of their first aid, she cups the bowl he hands her, breathing in the smell of the meal, and there's a moment of consideration, a pause while secret's mouth practiced forming her softer thoughts.

"i know everyone says it, and if they don't, i know they believe it all the same, but when you cook, even when our camp supplies are…" she winces, leaving the sentence unfinished. "my point, gale, is that you're an amazing cook, the kind that brings comfort to the people he cooks for. and i'll always come back for seconds." a pause. "thank you." for dinner. for everything else, too, perhaps. even if she couldn't believe that she deserved kindness, as gale posited, it was beyond lovely to hear him say it, even seem to believe it.

@oathdestroyed asked: (piece of me): sender ties a piece of cloth on receiver’s hand to wrap around a wound. / Royal, Fantasy Romance, and Spice: still accepting.

The crickets chirp. The owls hoot. And Gale of Waterdeep splits like a too-ripe fruit. He gently squeezes his hand, pain sluicing out of him as thick as honey. Blood trickles in rivulets, bearing the color of a just-spilled inkwell, and his nails, frigid, seem eerily sapphire, its color, its flavor, quite clearly necrotic. He gazes at them now, feeling dear Secret lend help with ardor. She does that, he realizes, and with a willingness that'd heavy the heft of his heart, clamoring always to warm his rot-filled marrow--with or without his asking for it. Gale looks at her quietly, the framing of her hair wreathing the curve of her cheeks. She's a young thing, really, younger than him, but the way she behaves and toils for others…

She's wiser, far wiser than what feels fair.

"It's occurred to me and not for the first time that you spend a great portion of our days worrying that head of yours grey." Gale keeps his tone light, gazing up at her with a warmth, a patience to mirror her own. "I shouldn't have to remind you, but I'm hardly going to break should you keep your eyes off me for more than a second. It's appreciated, of course, but I alone won't horde your vast generosity. Were there any one among us who most deserves such kindness, I wager with certainty that it'd be you." Truly. He smiles, pulling his hand away as the fire crackles. He'd been cooking something, lost in thought when that knife of his slipped, but wound now wrapped and warmly cared for, Gale spoons out a bowl to offer in turn. "There's more to heal than one's body, unfortunately. Should you care to mend my spirit, enjoy yourself. If you've the mind to stroke my ego, ask for seconds."

[guardian-angle22]

Nobody tagged me in this (I just found it randomly in the book tag), but I feel like TALKING ABOUT BOOKS! and I wanna hear from my friends about their reading. so! Here we are!

Last book I…

BOUGHT:

Cooling the Tropics by Hi'ilei Julia Kawehipuaakahaopulani Hobart. This is a nonfiction book that uses the lens of refrigeration and ice (and its various food forms like frozen drinks/ice cream/etc) to talk about the ways Hawai'i was colonized and native Hawaiians were forced to assimilate. Have not read it yet, but itching to pick it up during this summer season!

BORROWED:

I Keep My Exoskeletons To Myself by Marisa Crane. I have the e-book for this checked out from the library right now. Currently not super far into it, but it's about a world in which "wrongdoers" are given a second shadow (or third, fourth, etc) as punishment and forced to be publicly shamed (and discriminated against). We follow a main character who has lost her wife in childbirth and the baby was given a second shadow immediately. It's written in first person narration as the MC speaking to her dead wife.

WAS GIFTED:

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera. My sister gave me this book for Christmas! I read it back in January and it's a fantastic middle grade/YA story set on a spaceship that has left earth right before a comet is about to destroy it. Follows a young girl who wants to be a storyteller for future generations but when she wakes up from stasis on the ship, a cult has taken over and they want to purge humanity of its stories and history.

GAVE/LENT TO SOMEONE:

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire. A friend of mine was looking for some short reads, so I lent him a stack of various novellas. This is one of my favorites! This is the first book in a series following children who have gone into portal worlds and come back. While they're seeking to find their own specific door back to the world they're meant to be in, they stay at Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children.

STARTED:

Do What Godmother Says by L.S. Stratton. I started listening to this on audio the other day! Shanice has inherited a spooky painting from her grandmother. As she starts to learn about the Harlem Renaissance painter who made it, she also begins to wonder if maybe the painting is haunted.

FINISHED:

Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray. This is the third book in a series so I won't go into the plot, but it was a solid continuation of the story - I read all 500+ pages in one day! The first book, The Diviners, introduces a group of characters living in 1920's NYC as they're discovering their various supernatural abilities, trying to solve a crime, and save all of humanity from evil.

GAVE 5 STARS:

El Deafo by Cece Bell. This is a middle grade graphic memoir about CeCe's experience of growing up as the only hearing impaired child at her school and in her neighborhood. It was adorably illustrated with all the characters as rabbits. This was definitely written for a younger audience but I think anyone can enjoy and learn from it!

GAVE 2 STARS:

Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy. This was a book I picked up specifically for a vacation in January so I could read a book set on a cruise ship while on a cruise ship... While it kind of fulfilled that for me, it also surprised me with unnecessary on-page abuse of a child. The "thriller" aspects of this book were not at all interesting. There were also too many POV changes throughout. 2 stars. Do not recommend.

DIDN’T FINISH:

Stiff by Mary Roach. I DNF'd this on audio specifically. I just was not digging the voice of the narrator. I could see myself trying to read this again in physical form at some point in the future.

Tagging any of my friends that I have ever chatted with about books (but no pressure as always!): @alrightbuckaroo @carlos-tk @lemonlyman-dotcom @beautifulhigh @tailoredshirt @heartstringsduet @dotsunflowers @mikibwrites @three-drink-amy @rmd-writes @liminalmemories21 & OPEN TAG to anyone who wants to do this!! TAG ME PLEASE so I can see all the fun books!

[ofstarsandvibranium]

Unexpectedly Yours: Part 5

Fandom: Ted Lasso (Regency AU)

Pairing: Roy Kent x F!Reader

Summary: Lord Roy Kent still has yet to marry. He hates the notion that marriage is a way to ensure your status in society. You have delayed your debut to society for years because of the same idea. So what happens when two people who hate the idea of marriage are constantly drawn to each other?

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

You didn't want to speak to anyone the next morning after the dinner. You didn't want to see anyone. You were annoyed and slightly embarrassed with how you behaved last night.

You decided you'd stay in your room for the entire day. Cece had tried to get you to come out and play with her but you expressed that you weren't feeling well. Did you feel bad for lying to your cousin? Yes, but you really just needed to wallow in your room by yourself.

________________

"Lady Clara is here to see you, Miss." Jane announces as she peeks her head into your room.

You sigh, "Did you tell her that I'm feeling unwell?"

"Yes and she's very insistent that she sees you."

You groan as you sit up in your bed, "You may send her up, I guess."

Minutes go by and the door opens. Clara walks in, "Good day, Y/N."

You give a stiff nod, "Clara."

She clears her throat, "I came by to apologize. I never meant to make you feel uncomfortable last night. It was never my intention. My brother has always told me how stubborn I can be. I just-I love him so much. He deserves to be happy. However, I understand that while you and my brother are amicable that doesn't mean you are to be with each other. I apologize greatly for practically forcing you to be together. I am ashamed to say that I'm no better than the rest of society," her head hands low in shame.

"I accept your apology, Clara. Thank you. I admire your love and concern for your brother. He's...a good man. He does deserve love in his life. I'm-I'm just not sure that's me."

Clara nods in understanding, "Yes, well, I'll leave you to rest. I hope you feel better soon," she gives a bow and sees herself out.

As soon as the door closes, you groan and fall back against your pillows.

______________

Roy watches as Cece and Phoebe run around the garden. He's glad that his niece found a friend after moving here. Things haven't been easy for the young girl, and Roy's always done his best to make sure she lives a loving and happy life.

He hears his sister before he sees her. She's walking down the path that leads to where he's sitting, a bench underneath a tree on the property.

"Where did you go off to?" he asks, eyes still on the young girls playing.

"I went to apologize to Y/N," Roy grunts and Clara continues, "I won't meddle anymore. I'm sorry that I've made things uncomfortable for you both."

He nods to his sister, "Thank you. She-She already feels so much pressure on her from her mother, society, she doesn't need more."

"I know, but, Roy...please be honest with me, do you care for her?"

Roy's jaw clenches and he looks away from Clara. He sighs, "I do, but, again, it's complicated. She's so...aggravating, smart mouthed, opinionated. But she's also sweet, she cares deeply for her friends and family. I can't help but be drawn to her."

Clara softly smiles at her brother, she places a hand on his shoulder, "I know I said I won't meddle, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to win her affections. I do think there may be something promising between you two and I don't mean in a business transaction way."

"Clara?"

"Hm?"

"Did you love Andrew?" Clara sits and thinks about her husband, who's passed, "I wouldn't say love, but I cared for him as a friend. He was definitely the best out of the other men that have asked to court me. He was kind, understanding. He's also the reason I have Phoebe. I may not have loved him in a romantic way, but I do hold him dear."

"Do you think you could've fallen in love with him over time?"

She shrugs, "Maybe."

Clara and Roy both look on to Cece and Phoebe who are rolling in the grass. Their laughter echoing throughout the property.

_____________________________

In the late afternoon, you eventually grew tired of your self-isolation. So you called upon Keeley and Jamie to join you for tea.

In the sitting room, the three of you are lounging, sipping from your cups.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in forever," Keeley states as she takes a bite from a biscuit.

"It's been a few days, Keels," Jamie says with a snort.

She waves him off, "Too long. Tell me, what have you been up to?"

You sigh, setting your cup down, "My family and I had dinner with the Kents last night."

"Oh! I heard about that!" you look at her with a cocked brow, "Your mother told mine. Honestly, I'm a little upset you didn't tell me!"

"How was it? Was Lord Grumps his usual grumpy self?" Jamie asks with a smirk.

"We hardly interacted. He seemed quite miserable actually. Then his niece asked when Roy and I would get married." Keeley and Jamie give you a questioning look and you respond, "Because we played princess and dragons with them. They were the dragons, I was the princess, and Roy was the knight who saved me. The princess and the knight always get married in the stories they've read. Anyway, I told her that what we did was make believe and she got upset. She ran upstairs. Roy followed. Clara and my father made a comment that Roy and I should be together and I-I just got so annoyed and upset. I left the dinner."

"Y/N, why are you so against you and Lord Kent being together?" Jamie asks, genuinely.

"I-He-We're just so different. He's so uptight and grumpy all the time! He's probably only smiled five times in his life! Besides, Jamie, isn't he always rude to you?"

"He's rude to everyone, ain't he?" Jamie responds with a shrug.

You point to him, "That's another thing. He's rude!"

Keeley's interjects, "I think that's just him trying to protect himself from anyone getting too close and potentially hurting him." You and Jamie look at her confused, "What? It makes sense! I heard he was previously engaged to this woman name Georgina Afton. They were super in love, at least it seemed that way. Then Georgina caught the eye of a duke and she broke off the engagement. People say Roy was completely heartbroken."

"So...he's just scared of getting hurt?" you ask in clarification.

"Probably."

"Yeah, I suppose that makes sense," Jamie says, "Wow, love. You never seize to amaze me," he says looking at Keeley like she hung up all the stars in the sky.

"Aw, thanks, love!" she leans in and pecks his lips.

The sight makes you smile. You always hoped to find a love like theirs. It was rocky at first, but Keeley and Jamie...they just make sense to you. They fit each other well and you dream of finding someone who fits you.

Is that someone Roy Kent? You're still not sure.

He frustrates you and makes you doubt yourself sometimes, but he also challenges you. He's caring and adores his family. He's quick witted and snarky, but also funny.

Hmmm...you really had to think about this.

Besides, there were other men that could potentially catch your eye. Maybe...maybe you should start taking finding a suitor more seriously...

[seastarblue]

Cupcake Tag!

Imagine this: all your characters get together and make cupcakes! Fun, right? Now imagine: the filling of each cupcake matched their personality!

that’s what this tag game (courtesy of @rumeysawrites ) is about.

let’s do the characters from A Golem’s Guide to Regaining Humanity (the tentative title for sea’s story 2)!

everything’s under the cut~

———

If your characters were to do this:

1. Who'd get a bitter flavor and be teased about it?

Definitely Kamaria and Najma. Sour apples, they are. Rowan would be the teasing one.

2. Which two characters would most likely get the same flavor?

Maybe Cece and Arbor? Both are pretty introverted, and they like similar things (runes, science, plants)

3. Which character wouldn't bother to try / act most suspicious of what's happening?

Oh wait never mind THIS one is Najma.

4. Who would be the one in the kitchen, preparing this trick? Why?

Rowan! And it’s a joint effort with Fiamma, because Rowan likes pranks and Fiamma likes food.

5. Who is asking everyone what they got but hesitates to say theirs?

Oh none of them are hesitant. Maybe Cece, but with enough persuasion she’ll tell them.

6. Who is telling everyone because they got their favorite flavor?

Fiamma! And Rowan is trying to keep her from telling everyone that he put in the flavors himself lol.

———

this was fun! No pressure tagging the Tag Game List—lemme know if you’d like on or off!

@sableglass @dioles-writes @ash-thedrawer @allaboutmagic @paeliae-occasionally

@astor-and-the-endless-ink @vsnotresponding @nightlylaments @glbettwrites @thebookishkiwi

@verdant-mainframe

and open tag!

———

Here are the blanks:

If your characters were to do this:

1. Who'd get a bitter flavor and be teased about it?

2. Which two characters would most likely get the same flavor?

3. Which character wouldn't bother to try / act most suspicious of what's happening?

4. Who would be the one in the kitchen, preparing this trick? Why?

5. Who is asking everyone what they got but hesitates to say theirs?

6. Who is telling everyone because they got their favorite flavor?

[tom-hunter-summah]

Born in the Wrong Era| pt. 2

pairing: Wally ClarkxGN!Reader

summary: wally and reader finally get to talk. but is it such a good thing?

warnings: mentions of death, reader drives a jeep, one shout and one scream but neither caused the other, mention of hallucinations, use of Y/N. 

word count: 906

a/n: hello,hello! i hope everyone is well 😊 sorry for the delay but good news is chapter three will be out at the end of this week! also this is mainly dialogue. hope yall enjoy!

also thank you to @moonchildicons for letting me use her wally icon for this aesthetic ❤️

pt. 1 

“Wally?”

He holds his hand up to catch his breath. 

“How do you know my name? More importantly; how can you see me?”

You’re too baffled to speak. This boy you’ve known through stories, pictures and tears is here. 

Maybe, You’ve finally cracked under the pressure of life which has led to hallucinations. You squeeze your eyes closed hoping he’ll go away when they open.

He waves a hand in front of your face. “Can you still see me?”

So much for that theory.

“Unfortunately, yes.”

He lets out a sigh of relief before looking slightly offended. “Unfortunately?”

“Yes, Unfortunately.” The moment you check your phone, the bell for 6th period rings. “And I need to get to class.”

You start to walk out the gate but Wally runs in front of you, stopping you in your tracks, again. 

He laughs. “So we’re just not gonna talk about this?”

“Look, Wally I don’t have time to figure out why my hallucinations chose to manifest in the form of someone I’ve never met, but I really need to get to class.”

You walk through him and that experience is one you don’t necessarily want to relive and it has you running to class. 

You hear Wally yell out after you. “You’re not hallucinating!”

Further into the hurricane, you go. 

Monday- 1:45 pm

You’ve never been happier that you have 8th period free. Stats is already hell to be in, but that thing you saw earlier didn’t make it any better. As soon as you could, you bolted from class to your car. You waited for the lot to clear from parents and students alike before you screamed (windows rolled up of course.) It felt good. It would have felt great if you weren’t started by Mr. Anderson knocking on your window. 

You roll your window down, looking guilty. 

“You alright?” 

You shrug. 

“Do you want to talk about it?”

You shake your head no. 

“Understand. Well if you’re going to have a mental breakdown, please do so off school grounds, or at least in the theater room.” He gently taps the hood of your Jeep and briskly walks away.

You laugh to yourself at the ridiculousness of that interaction. 

“What’s so funny?”

Or so you hoped. 

“Jesus can’t a person decompress in peace?! What the hell Wally?”

He holds his hands up in defense.  “Sorry. Look I’ve been trying to get your attention since you stomped off the field but you couldn’t hear me in your very complicated math class–”

You cut him off. “So you thought giving me a heart attack in my car would help me not ignore you?”

He shrugs. “Well at least if you die then we can–” 

You give him a look. “Not helping your case dude. Get out of my car.” 

“Wait Y/N–”

“How do you even know my name?”

“STOP CUTTING ME OFF AND LET ME TALK!”

In the beat of silence that filled the car, you shrink. “Sorry Walls, Please, talk.”

He sighs. “Thank you. And I’m sorry for yelling. Wait, did you just call me Walls?”

You shrug. “Yeah. Bea calls you that all the time so it’s second nature.”

His brows furrow. “Bea? Like my mom Bea?”

You nod your head. “Do you remember Ceceil James?”

Wally nods. 

“She was my grandmother and you know how those two were.”

He laughs. “Wait, were? Did something happen?”

You can barely stop your voice from cracking.  “Walls.”

His face falls and you see tears brim in his eyes. “How?”

“It was a car accident. S-She was alone when…”

Wally’s hands go to cover yours only for them to fall through and give you a chill. 

“Sorry, force of habit. We don’t have to keep talking about Cece by the way. God I’m so stupid I should’ve realized it would hurt to talk about it. I mean she was your grandma for god’s sake and–”

You go to grab his face but you stop right before you would make contact. 

“Sorry. Force of habit.”

He chuckles dryly. “I appreciate the thought. And thank you for getting me out of my head.”

You nod. “Don’t mention it.”

Wally clears his throat before talking. 

“Well that was fun.”

You laugh. “Alright funny boy; what questions do you have?”

Wally thinks for a moment. “I guess my first question is; how’s my mom doing?”

You clear your throat. “Well, she’s Bea. Kind and understanding. Always supportive of her loved one’s dreams.”

You look back at Wally and he’s straight-faced for all of two seconds before he bursts out laughing. 

You can’t help but laugh along. “What’s so funny?”

“I mean my mom is great but understanding isn’t exactly one of her more honed skills.”

Your brows furrow as you realize the dig Wally just made at Bea. “What is that supposed to mean?”

His laughter finally dies down as he notices you’re serious. “She’s a bit insistent is all.”

You give him a pointed look. “You mean stubborn.”

He shrugs. “I guess yeah.”

“Get out.”

“Wait Y/N, I have more questions.”

You send daggers his way. “You should have thought about that before you disrespected Bea.”

Wally goes to speak but you simply hold up your hand. You stay like that for a few moments and he finally leaves your jeep but not before leaving you something to chew on. 

“The Bea you know now isn’t the Bea I knew.”

[shootingstar-scuderia]

tagged by @theemporium ty cece!! i fear my dorm room is not very exciting but please steal something anyways

no pressure tagging: @foreveralbon @maxlarens @leclerced @piastri-mp3 i'm pretty sure y'all haven't done this yet but i can't be sure, sorry if u already have!!

[midmorninggrey]

Tagged by @saladruiner and then @dungeons-and-dragon-age to make some OCs in this Picrew. Thanks!!

Featuring Gillian Hawke, Celeste Trevelyan (post-DAI), Warden Antonia, and Arden Trevelyan.

Tagging (with absolutely zero pressure) @carnalapples @theaceofdragons @contreparry @miladydewintcr and anyone else who might want to play dress-up with their OCs!

Self-Indulgent OC Trivia under the cut

Gill would love Picrews, ok? She doted on her dolls when she was little. As a teenager, she claimed she'd given them all away, but she really kept them hidden beneath her bed, and some nights she would take them out and play with them again. Then one day Carver found them and cut off all their hair. Gill never forgave him.

She also fought the Arishok one-on-one in her stocking feet. This is because she had to shuck off her high heeled boots right before the duel (Gill has never loved a practical shoe.)

Celeste is a picky eater. Cheese sandwiches and pumpkin pie (just the custard not the crust!!) are her main food groups.

During her time as the Herald, Cece had a bit of a crush on Krem. She's still a little embarrassed about it 10 years later.

Toni had not one, but two Mabari tattoos. (And yeah, she could make them both bark.)

Toni was also a pretty good seamstress. She had a pair of patchwork pants that she originally made when she was twelve and just kept mending and altering over the years. Arden was convinced they were held together by magic.

Because of Cece's taste for cheese sandwiches, Arden has learned to fry up a good one (even though he doesn't eat dairy himself.) They may have become a bit of a cult classic among the Inner Circle.

On a sentimental (and possibly drunken) whim, I think Dorian gave Arden a pair of turquoise earrings. He was appalled when Arden actually wore them and he couldn't convince him to switch to emeralds.

I also made Loran and Mags because I have no self control but I'm hiding them down here

[bluegoblinzz]

Darewoof the Dazed Dynamic Doggo

Zach was surrounded by milkshakes, burgers, a lot of chatter, and his group of friends. All of them were laughing and joking with each other, and he looked around, smiling and appreciating the moment. And he wanted to appreciate it more, but he couldn’t help but shake the thought that there would only be so many more days like this before all of them would move on with their lives, and such a thought made it hard for him to stay in the moment, to enjoy himself. 

Little did he know, his phone buzzed on the table, his screen flashing on as a notification appeared. 

Master Morpheo

Attatchment: 1 image. 

Zach knew exactly what this was about and what the attachment was. A lump formed in his throat, knowing he had no choice but to leave his friends, but at the same time: he somehow felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Just for today, he wouldn’t need to tell his friends how he felt, and he wouldn’t need to remind them that they had little time left together. 

“Uhh, Guys?” Zach spoke up. “Sorry, I gotta go. Emergency at work.”

“Oh come on!” Gabe grumbled. “Don’t be such a party pooper.” 

“No really, my boss will kill me if I don’t get take this.” 

Or, something else will kill you, Zach thought to himself. 

“No, I get it,” Cece said. “Good luck!” She smirked at Zach, which made his face go red with embarrassment. Cece knew Zach’s secret and she always teased him for it, no matter how much he told her to stop. 

Zach stood up from the table, threw twenty bucks onto the table, and sped out the door of the diner. Cold air hit his face as he jogged, and the silence that was probably calm to some was deafening to him, bringing up his sense of urgency even more. He slipped into an alleyway, and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He unlocked his phone, and clicked to download the gif that he received. The image was sent in this way on purpose, so Zach wouldn’t click on it by accident, triggering it prematurely. When the image downloaded, it expanded to fill his screen.

A lime and dark green spiral swirled before his eye. His muscles relaxed, and his breath slowed down, an overwhelming calm taking over. His eyes widened to look closer at the spiral, trying to make sense of the way it spun and to focus on one part of it, but the more he looked, the more it confused him, the more his mind became foggy, the deeper he fell into trance, the better he felt. 

“Grroof!” 

A doggish bark forced its way from his throat like a hiccup. At a point in the center of his mind, a seed emerged. It was seed of desire, a desire to be something different, a desire to obey. It was a seed of thoughtlessness and of calm. The seed cracked open and expanded outward, its slithering through his soul, branching out to every corner of his mind. His lips curved up into a smile, and his tongue lulled out of his mouth. He began panting like a dog. 

As he continued watching the spiral, he was brought back to the time he was hired. 

Weeks earlier, an old bearded man came to the campus for an event for school. He was a hypnotist who wore a top hat and carried a pocket watch. He hypnotized groups of people, and did things like make them forget their name, make them talk backwards, and made them do silly dances when a certain word was said. At the end of his show, he asked for a volunteer from the crowd for a special act. Zach’s friends pressured him to go up on stage and be hypnotized. 

“Man,” Gabe had said. “You’re gonna look so stupid, I can’t wait.” 

“Gabe, shut up,” Cece retorted. “Zach, you’ll do great! It’ll be fun!” 

With some more coaxing and convincing, Zach went up on the stage, which garnered applause from the other college students in the audience. 

“Thank you for coming up!” The old man said, “It’s very brave of you. What might your name be, young man?” 

“Zach,” he replied. He tried to play it cool and act cool, but his stomach churned in that moment, realizing he didn’t know how to act and didn’t know what to say. 

I look ridiculous, he thought, I already look ridiculous. 

“Okay Zach,” The man said. “Like I said, I have a very special show for you, so if you could kneel down, we could get started.” He knelt on the ground before the hypnotist, and looked up at him. The spotlight from the stage irritated him, but soon enough he didn’t notice it, as he watched the pocket watch swing back and forth. Zach saw a green light emanate from it. His entire body felt warm, and his muscles melted. 

“Allow yourself to fall into trance. You’re feeling better and better the deeper you go… going deeper and deeper the better you feel. You’re not thinking about exams, in fact forget your exams… you are here now… You remember nothing. You know nothing but now.” 

Zach had always considered himself to be a dork, or just a social outcast.That lead him to being a man of few words, which lead some of his peers to think he was weird, and others to think he was mysterious and cool. Zach had thought “fake it until you make it,” and played into this “cool guy” that people thought he was. He had worn more dark colors and bought a grey hoodie. He spoke little of himself because he thought little of himself. But that was what synthesized into who “Zach” was that day.

And that Zach disappeared. 

He wasn’t Zach, he knew nothing. He let himself melt further and his eyes followed the pretty green light. 

“You’re not a college student now,” The hypnotist said, “You’re a dog… aren’t you? Yes, you’re a dog. And you have so much joy and love. You love belly rubs and chew toys. You love playing fetch.”

As the hypnotist spoke, Zach felt the words manifest themselves as truth. His skin tingled as an intense warmth spread across his body. The tingling briefly got more intense and then subsided as a layer of fur broke the surface of his skin, all over his body all at once. His stomach as well as his the bottom of his face, his chin, and his neck all became covered in white fur. Everywhere else, he became covered in brown fur that matched his hair color. The skin on his nose and on his palms became darker and softer until his palms had black paw-pads, and his nose was the soft wet nose of a dog. 

There was was a brief but intense pressure in his lower back. His jeans ripped as a tail emerged and wagged wildly. He didn’t realize what he was doing, but the more he wagged his tail, the happier he felt.  

The green light felt as if it seeped into his brain, taking roots in the forefront of his consciousness and silencing his loudest thoughts. As the tendrils of light continued seeping deeper into his brain, more and more thoughts and memories subsided. He tilted his head with confusion, trying to make sense of what was happening, but his mind wasn’t working, and his confusion was replaced with pure joy. He felt the green light swirling around in his brain, emptying his mind and replacing thoughts with doggish excitement.  

His nose and mouth effortlessly extended forward, growing longer into the muzzle of a dog. The tips of his ears extended and grew pointy, folding and becoming concave at each of their tips,  and moved to the top of his head. The final change was in his feet, as his shoes morphed under the pressure of his growing toes, before it burst open revealing fully formed paws. His tongue lulled out of his mouth and he began panting with excitement. All he could see was green light. His head was empty. 

The hypnotist snapped his fingers. Zach snapped his head back upright, eyes wide and still panting with joy. 

“Speak,” the hypnotist commanded. 

“Grroof!” Zach replied

“Shake.”

Zach offered a hand covered in white fur. 

“Good boy,” The hypnotist said, scratching Zach behind the ear. Zach nuzzled up to him, feeling immense joy and comfort. He didn’t know what was happening or why he felt this way, but he loved the way he felt.  Zach’s ears perked up at a squeaking sound. He looked up and saw a blue ball held in the hypnotist’s palm. He pointed his muzzle toward it. The hypnotist moved his hand to the side. Zach jumped up and followed the ball, keeping it in his gaze. The man threw the ball into the audience. Zach bounded through the crowd on all fours, and picked up the ball in his maw. He was rewarded immediately by pets from the audience, He rolled over for belly rubs. He shook his arms and legs as each pet tickled him. He felt an intense love and appreciation he hadn’t felt in years. He was in heaven in that moment, in a world without any worries or fears, just joy. 

The hypnotist snapped again. The dog was gone in an instant and the college boy was back. His tail fur and muzzle were gone. There was joy lingering, as if a friend had told him a joke that left a smile on his face even as his mind wandered elsewhere. Zach spat the ball out of his mouth, eyes widened as he processed what had happened. His mind had gone, and he wasn’t himself… but he was still himself, and he knew what he was doing as he did it. Was it an act? Thinking about whether or not he wanted to be a dog in that moment: the answer would be no, but when in trance the answer was yes. He wanted to do this… it was fun…. And he sort of wanted to do it again. 

There was applause as the hypnotist took a bow, and walked off the stage. Slowly the crowd began filing out of the small theater on campus, and then the hypnotist walked right up To Zach and gave him a business card.

“You put on a great show,” the hypnotist told him. “If you ever want to be a dog again, and you’re looking for work: call me.” 

Zach snapped back to the present moment, and looked up from his phone, up away from the green spiral, still panting with his tongue lulled out. His short nose in the middle of his vision was replaced with a long doggish muzzle. He was covered in fur once again, his feet were paws, and his tail wagged wildly.  Most importantly, however, he was wearing a green shiny spandex suit, with muscular padding on his abs and arms, and a shiny cape flowing behind him in the wind. He stuck his hands on his hips, and puffed his chest out. 

Another suggestion echoed in Zach’s mind, one that Master Morpheo told him when he officially gave him a job.

“You are a super hero, fearless, enthusiastic, and strong. You expect and accept treats and headpats from those you save, and you can never resist a game of fetch. You have the ability to fly, laser vision, super strength, a super sense of smell and hearing, and a super heart.”

“You. Are. Darewoof.”

Zach tilted his head back, let out two barks, and then howled in pride. He crouched down, and then rocketed upward, taking to the sky and flying across town, holding one fist out in front of him as he flew. Cars and houses zipped by him in his vision. The college students below either stared up in awe, pointed at him, or waved to him. 

A distant high pitched scream pierced his ears. He jerked his head to the side to see where it came from and did a loop de loop in the air to fly toward it. screams were coming from one small house on the edge of campus. As he got closer to the house he saw holes in the roof and in the walls, students evacuating and scrambling, and he saw a big bulky figure holding a giant metal hammer, smashing holes into the walls. 

Whoever this was wore a jet pack, allowing him to float, and also wore a spandex suit, however it was purple blue and black, and had a big  blue spiral in the center of his chest. His eyes were concealed by a high tech visor that glowed a pinkish purple in the darkness. More importantly: his skin was a deep pink, his ears were floppy, the tip of his nose pointed upward like a snout, he had hooves instead of feet, and two big gleaming tusks jutted out from his jaw. 

The big pig man brandished his hammer and snarled at the dog hero. 

“Hello, Darewoof.” 

To be continued?

[honeyjars-sims]

2.3 Just Go For It

Cece: This was a nice idea. It’s so peaceful out here.

Ben: I figured it would be a nice change of pace for our first official date since we’re usually hanging out somewhere loud and crowded.

Cece: Yeah, it’s nice that we’ve had more chances to have actual conversations lately. I feel like there’s still so much we don’t know about each other.

Ben: That’s true. And whenever I do learn something new about you, it always manages to surprise me.

Cece: Really? Why’s that?

Ben: Well, you seem to have these really particular ideas about how self-conscious and cautious you are, but when it comes down to it, you never back down from a challenge.

Cece: Hmm, it’s weird, but I never really saw myself as shy when I was a kid. I loved being on stage and I never really cared what other people thought about me. For the most part, both of those things are still true. But I actually feel more comfortable being in front of a large crowd behind a piano than I do when I’m singing a song I wrote in front of a few people.

Ben: Yeah, it’s more intimate. I get it. Like, I’m a pretty personable guy and I’ll strike up a conversation with anyone, but talking one on one with someone about my feelings hasn’t always been easy.

Cece: Exactly! I’m not a very emotional person, but I’m not cold and unfeeling, either. But sharing my vulnerabilities with someone seems really intimidating.

Ben: Oh, totally! But y'know, nothing else beats that moment when you open up to someone and they accept you, flaws and all.

Cece: I think I just got it in my head that I need to be the strong one. My siblings have been through so much, and they needed a lot of extra support from our dads. My brother in particular had a really hard time, so I didn’t want to burden our parents with my feelings.

Ben: What about your mom? Could you talk to her?

Cece: My mom and stepmom are great, but they keep themselves busy. I think I get my need for order from my mom and my expressive side from my dad. The thing is, any of my parents would have been there for me. I just hold myself up to a really high standard.

Ben: I can see that. You do put a lot of pressure on yourself. But you’re also creative and passionate. I’m really looking forward to seeing what you’re capable of when you really let go.

Cece: Hmm, and you think you’ll be around to see that?

Ben: I wasn’t planning on going anywhere. Well, maybe on tour once I make it big. But in that case, you’d probably be with me.

Cece: That’s quite an assumption!

Ben: What, can’t you see us traveling the world with our band? Selling out arenas, hearing the crowd singing along…

Cece: Don’t get too ahead of yourself. We haven’t even kissed yet.

Ben: Is that a hint? You know, if you want something, Cecelia, you should just go for–

[Cece grabs Ben and kisses him] 

Cece: How’s that? 

Ben: Perfect. See, you’re full of surprises.

Previous | Beginning of story | Beginning of chapter | Next

[artemisravencourtney]

Four Fictional Crushes

Thanks to @idreamofspring1 for the tag! Ik you stuck to live action TV but I have very few fictional crushes so I had to branch out a little.

1. Mazikeen Smith / Maze, Lucifer

I just love women who would kill me without hesitation

2. Jacob Peralta, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

I am chronically Amy Santiago coded, unfortunately. Also this scene shifted something inside my heart.

3. (Book) Percy Jackson, Riordanverse

Very unoriginal of me given that half the characters have a crush on Percy but, what can you do (art creds to viria)

4. Schmidt, New Girl

Much like CeCe, I have no defense for this one. My type in men is apparently just Down Astronomical (TM)

This was fun! No pressure tags: @bloopy-writes @marxandangels @purplesigebert @that-sarcastic-optimist @shit-what-is-life @averseunhinged