#even if it's just a couple people giving more detailed reception

[mypoisonedvine]

𝔞𝔯𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔰 (part III) | frater imperator x reader

(part I) (part II)

𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔰𝔲𝔪𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔶 | your first trip together ends on a sour note as some of your suppressed concerns about your relationship begin to show, but a delayed wedding reception might turn it all around.

𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔡 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱 | 6.7k (fucking hell)

𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰 | jealousy/insecurity, MORE heathers references for some reason???, alcohol consumption/slight intoxication, nothing too bad but I swear the slowburn is almost... burnt, or whatever just bear with me

The next day of your visit to Brussels was mostly boring meetings; you almost wanted to ask him why you both had to travel all this way to do the same things you always did, but ultimately you did understand the value of this trip even if it wasn’t especially exciting.  And though you weren’t really capable of assisting with any of the business side of things, you figured out after a while that you were mainly here just to be here— because it would be weird if you weren’t.  Because it would be, for lack of a better word, suspicious if a newly-married couple were traveling separately.

So, you were here, sitting beside him as he and the clergy of the local church discussed various important topics— mission work, ministry, how best to spread the message of Satan and bring in the age of the antichrist… you know, the usual.

His hand rested on your leg again— maybe a little higher than before?  You weren't certain, but it made you smile to yourself as you tuned out the boring conversation going on around you.

You glanced down at the leather-covered hand by your knee, his fingers moving slightly; the silver grucifix embossed on the back shined in this light.  Absent-mindedly, you traced it with one finger, not even noticing that it made him look over at you— not even really appreciating that his hand was still under there, and could probably feel you drawing shapes over his skin.

“Frater,” a clergyman interjected sternly, “do you have a response?”

You'd both totally zoned out, and were quickly brought back to reality; Copia jolted in his chair and cleared his throat as he sat up straighter.  Worst of all, he took his hand off your leg to clasp them both together in his lap.  “I-I’m sorry?” he coughed.  “I fear I lost my train of thought, could you repeat the question?”

“Don’t ask Frater Imperator so many complex things so early in the morning,” Comis scolded his fellow cardinal, “he didn’t get much sleep last night— non?”

He wore a lopsided grin as he playfully elbowed Copia in the side, who nervously reached up to run his fingers through his hair.  “Oh, well— eh— I just lost focus for a moment, is all…”

“Sure,” Comis agreed sarcastically.  “Maybe we should take a break, anyhow.  Give us all a chance to stretch our legs.”

“That sounds nice,” you agreed quickly, mainly just jumping on any chance to get out of this stuffy room and personal conversation.

The meeting room had a sort of lobby outside— or maybe it would be called a parlour?  A sitting room?  You weren’t really sure, but it was fancy; there was tea and little cakes and things, the whole place was so detail-oriented like that.

Copia was busy making small talk with some clergymen and women, while you were nursing a cup of lemon-water just to have something to do with your hands.

You heard someone coming up the stairs but didn’t think much of it at first.  “Sister Imperator,” a Sister greeted you— though you didn’t really process it until she reached out and touched your shoulder, making you turn around.

“Consortia,” you added once you realized she was addressing you.  “Sister Imperator Consortia.  Sister Imperator was my mother-in-law.”

“Oh, yes— I’m so sorry for your loss,” she offered gently.

You realized they were under the assumption that you knew her much better— maybe you would’ve if you’d been dating Copia before marrying him like, you know, most people do.  Instead of trying to explain, you just accepted her sympathies with a nod; it was a loss, after all, just not as personal as she might’ve imagined.

“I thought you might want to visit our convent,” she suggested.

“O-oh, um,” you stalled, nervously glancing over your shoulder at Copia as he sipped on a glass of water, “I—”

“He’ll be just fine,” she promised, leaning into you and lowering her voice.  “He knows meetings like the back of his hand.”

And he’ll probably fare better without me touching the back of his hand…

Nodding in agreement, you slipped out of the sitting room and followed her.

The woman introduced herself as Sister Nomina and guided you through the winding halls— Cardinal Comis had shown you the wing that housed the convent the night before on his tour, so you knew where it was, but you hadn’t been inside yet.  

“We keep a garden,” Sister Nomina explained, “and we have some outreach programs— an orphanage, a literacy program.  But nothing compared to what your church is doing!”

“Oh, yes,” you replied, “I suppose our reputation precedes us…”

“It must be very exhilarating, being in the Church of Ghost,” she presumed with a wide smile. 

“Well, I wish I could take more credit for all the work that's been done,” you 

The two of you arrived at the convent; visually it was similar to the one you'd been living in up until recently, but the inhabitants were quite different.  For one, they dressed a bit differently, and seemed to be more lenient with uniform (Sister Imperator would've never let that fly back home…).  And for another thing, they were much more excited to see you than anybody in your convent would've been on any given day. 

Actually, a group of nuns flocking to you excited reminded you of that day of the fateful clergy meeting— it felt like a lifetime ago already.

“Ladies, Sister Imperator Consortia from Linkoping,” Nomina introduced you to the group of women surrounding you, before reversing to introducing all of them to you.  “Sisters Mila, Lascivia, Camille, Perita, and Triette.”

“Lovely to meet you all,” you nodded, smiling warmly. 

“Give her some room, ladies, please!“ Nomina scolded gently, shooing them back with her hands until they took a few steps away from you. Admittedly, you appreciated the extra breathing room.

“Everybody's been looking forward to your visit immensely,” Nomina justified. “I hope you don't mind answering a few of their questions.”

“Of course not!”

Sister Camille piped up quickly: “As Sister Imperator Consortia, what responsibilities do you have?”

“W-well, I'm not qualified to serve on the clergy,” you explained, “because I wasn't nominated by the clergy— I was nominated, well, by my husband. So, mainly my job is to support him…”

“Did you grow up in the church?” Sister Perita asked politely.

“Well, yes and no,” you replied.  “I wasn’t raised a Satanist, so not in the traditional sense— but I ran away to join the church when I was still just a teenager… ever since then, up until rather recently, I was living in convents much like this one.”

That seemed to surprise Sister Triette.  “You really were another Sister of Sin, just like us?” she observed.

It wasn’t until then that you realized they didn't just find you interesting, but that they looked up to you— a role model of sorts, a Sister like them who was perceived as achieving some kind of greatness; it was sweet, even if you felt their admiration was misplaced.  “Yes, I was,” you nodded.

“Did you work closely with the Papa?” Sister Mila asked.

“No, my role mostly involved stewardship, administration, occasional gardening—”

That seemed to confuse them.  “So, then, how'd you fall in love?” Sister Perita wondered.

Your eyes widened; maybe you should've seen some of these questions coming and had answers prepared, but you were completely caught off-guard in that moment.  “O-oh, um, it's not a very interesting story…”

“No no, please!  We've all been dying to know since we heard you two were coming!” Camille insisted.

The Sisters leaned in excitedly in anticipation; you hadn't realized the news of your marriage had so much impact.  Then again, Copia was technically a celebrity— you just weren't used to his popularity outside of your own church.  “You're not all just trying to get pointers to seducing clergy so you can get a promotion, right?” you wondered with a frown.

“No!  We just want to hear how you two met,” Perita explained, “and how you realized you loved each other— and how he proposed!”

They all clapped and giggled excitedly, but all you could manage was a nervous grin.  The real story was definitely not going to satisfy them; you felt guilty imagining disappointing them with some clinical explanation of it all.  “W-well, how we met is sort of… obvious, I guess.  We met in Mass, when he was the Papa— he served me communion.  I didn't know him as a cardinal, I hadn't moved to his church yet, but he… well, I was pretty intimidated by him.  You can't blame me— it's the Papa, after all…”

Up until then, you had told the truth— but you started, for lack of a better term, winging it at that point.

“The first time we spoke— it was an unexpected thing, you see.  We bumped into each other, literally; I wasn't paying attention and he was rushing to get to a clergy meeting— I helped him pick up some books he’d dropped.” 

Clichéd?  Absolutely, but you felt like that was ultimately what they wanted to here: a too-good-to-be-true story about how an ordinary Sister was swept off her feet by such an important man.  Why the Papa would be running around carrying a stack of books is an absurd question for another day…

“We got to talking… we had more in common than we expected.  We bonded over—” you fought back a smirk as you figured out an easy lie— “slushies, actually. He said that traveling with the band meant hardly ever being in the same place, but that there was almost always a convenience store with slushies wherever he was. They became a comfort, I suppose.”

You decided not to go on and say that the two of you had played strip croquet together… probably too obvious of a reference.

“We were just friends for some time, but eventually we started to grow real feelings for each other,” you concluded simply.

They broke out into a collective aww; “What's he like?  You know, when he's not in front of so many people.”

“Um… he's not that different, I guess,” you mumbled, “maybe not as dramatic.  But he's so sensitive, too, and gentle…”

“I’ve always thought he would be that way,” Sister Lascivia agreed, “but intense, too, you know— like, dominating.”

You choked on your own throat for a second.  Why were you thinking about him at all?  “U-um, what makes you say that?” you wondered.

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, biting back a grin, “he just seems that way.”

“Y-you mean, on stage?” you pressed, but the line of questioning shifted suddenly when Sister Perita interrupted.

“And the proposal?  It must have been some fantastic gesture!” she assumed.  “Only fitting for a rockstar, right?”

“You’d think, but he doesn't really act like that… he's so humble.  Actually, it was very intimate,” you decided.  “He knows I can get a little overwhelmed with those big crowds, so instead we went out in a— um, little rowboat onto the lake nearby our church, right around sunset, and watched the stars come out… he played a little guitar for me, just to be nice because he knows I love how he plays— and then under the full moon, he told me that, uh…”

Why was your heart racing?  Why could you picture it so clearly in your mind, as if you weren’t just making it all up as you went along?

“That meeting me had made his heart whole,” you concluded.  “That he couldn't go on unless he knew we were going to spend the rest of our lives together… and he showed me the ring and— and, you know, all that.�� Of course, I said yes right away.”

“Oh wow,” Sister Mila cooed— she looked as close to having heart-shaped irises as you’d ever seen anyone in real life.

But of course, another had to chime in as well: “And you don't get jealous, knowing how popular he is?  Plenty of people would kill for your spot, you know.”

You willed your eye not to twitch.  “He's, um… he's never given me any reason to be jealous,”   He's loyal, he always has been, even when we were just dating.  B-but we didn't date very long before we married…”

You realized you couldn’t retroactively ascribe some kind of fidelity to him— after all, he’d been a rockstar (as Perita had put it) on tour… 

And he’d been to this church before.  Your heart almost stopped as the sick thought entered your mind that he could’ve, potentially, hooked up with any of the people in this room; certainly Sister Lascivia would’ve probably jumped him if she got the chance, but she was far from the only candidate.  Come on, he was Papa fucking Emeritus the fucking IV, he had his pick of the litter if he so desired.

You knew it shouldn’t make any difference to you, you knew it was none of your business and you had no right to worry about it— but just the idea of him with one of them— with anyone—

“I guess he married you so quickly because he loves you so much,” Sister Nomina smiled.

You smiled back, even if you felt like you were still trying to keep bile down.  “Yes, I guess so.”

“And now you’re married to the head of the clergy; it’s like a fairytale or something!” Sister Mila beamed, clutching her hands together.

What kind of fairytales is this girl reading? “It all really has nothing to do with his status— Frater, Papa, Cardinal, he could be a janitor for all I care,” you assured her.  “I married him because he's the most patient, talented, generous man—”

You noticed the way many of them seemed to straighten up suddenly, the way Sister Perita’s eyes widened, and you spun over your shoulder to see Copia sauntering up behind you.  He had a good poker face, but there was an obvious smugness to it.  “What’s that they say?  Speak of the devil?” he mused as he leaned against the doorway.

“Oh, hello… dear,” you blurted out— seems you’d used up all your creativity on that fake meet-cute and proposal, didn’t have any left for a good term of endearment.  

“You’re not telling stories again, are you?” he asked, approaching you slowly, the slightest swagger in his step.

“Everyone’s very curious about you,” you explained.

“No, I don’t think so,” he denied, “they already know about me— they’re curious about us.”

Us sounded so nice when he said it like that.  He touched your shoulder for a moment, sliding his hand down to clasp at your upper arm.  Paradoxically, he acted more confident with an audience; you couldn’t tell if this was for your benefit, or theirs.

“Don’t go running off without me, hm?” he scolded sweetly.

“Yes, Frater,” you answered politely, wondering afterwards if it was too formal.

It didn’t seem to deter him: he brought his hand to your chin and held it delicately, keeping your head tilted up towards him.  “I worry when I lose sight of you,” he explained.  “We have to get ready for Mass soon, will you meet me at the chancel before the service begins?”

“Of course,” you agreed, smiling a little as he looked down at you so… lovingly?  Could that be the word?

You wondered if he would kiss you right then— you hadn’t kissed in public since your first kiss, and you thought you wanted to keep it that way… but wouldn’t it be a little fun, to show him off just a bit in front of these ladies?  Wouldn’t it be the best way to rub it in that he chose you?

Instead he only stroked your jaw with his thumb for a second, before letting go of you and stepping back.  He gave only one moment of attention to the women around you— with a quick bow of greeting and a polite “Sisters” — before spinning on his heel and departing.

You pressed your lips together and kept your eyes on the door even after he was gone; there was a heavy silence until the echoes of his steps down the hall faded.  Then they all broke into the squealy, girlish reactions you were expecting.

“Great Belial below!” “He’s so sensual!” “You can tell he’s completely enamoured with you!”

“O-oh, enamoured?” you repeated sheepishly.  “I don’t know, he’s just— like that…”

But your face warmed and you had to reach up to partially cover it with your hand— you didn’t want them to see your growing smile, in case someone asked why you were so giddy over a small interaction with your own husband.  

You departed from the convent not too long after that, knowing you didn’t have much time before Mass began and wanting to give yourself time to navigate to the chapel.  A walk through the church alone would’ve been a nice opportunity to clear your head, if your head was actually capable of clearing— but no, instead it was swirling with memories.  Memories all the way back as that first time he served you the body and blood, when he’d apparently taken an interest in you which eventually lead to this; memories as recent as the way he’d touched you just before.

Did it still make you feel a little nauseous knowing Sister Lascivia— and likely tens of thousands of other people— were somewhere out there thinking about how dominating he must be?  Yes, but you also felt a little proud of yourself… because that’s all they had, their thoughts.  You actually had a shot at finding out for yourself.

If you ever found the nerve, that is; regardless, you tried to push that thought process aside and actually listen to the priest as he officiated Mass that evening.  Of course, you really weren’t able to do that until being mentioned by name got your attention.

“And we have some visitors this Mass!” the priest announced.  “Frater Imperator and Sister Imperator Consortia—they’ve come all the way from the church of Ghost in Sweden!  Give them a warm welcome, will you?”

As the congregation applauded, Copia stood up; you followed suit quickly, getting a good look at the sea of people in pews all looking at you both.  You hadn’t seen a crowd like this since your wedding.  

Your smile was genuine but flustered when Copia placed his decorated hand on your shoulder; it already made your heart tremble when he did it in front of a few Sisters of Sin, this was on a whole new level.  He guided you a little closer to him, tucking you into his side, and you looked out over the massive crowd before glancing at the glove on your shoulder— namely, the wedding ring on it.

Then you looked at his face, at how polite and distinguished he looked standing before all these people.  “What do I do?” you asked your husband in a whisper.

“Hm?” he pressed, only briefly glancing at you.

“With all this attention,” you clarified, “what am I meant to do?”

“Just smile,” he encouraged.  “All they want is to see you.  Just give them a smile, maybe a little wave if you’re feeling generous.”

He was a showman, he knew what he was doing— you tried to copy him, with moderate success.  It was comforting, somehow, to see him in his element.  Unfortunately, how comfortable he was here only served as kindling for the flame of insecurity in the back of your mind.  Because he’s him, and you’re just… you.

And there in that sea of congregation members were plenty of those people you’d had mentioned to you before: the ones who would kill to have your spot.

~

“You should be proud of yourself,” he grinned as he took his seat across from you on the jet once again— it felt like so much had happened since the last time you were here.  “You shouldn’t be so adverse to social engagements, you’re a natural.”

“No, definitely not,” you laughed a bit, “but I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would.  You made it easier for me.”

“They love you already, darling,” he promised, and the casual affectionate name made you smile even more, though you tried to hide it from him.  “So does everyone back at our church— anyone who knows you would, really.”

Your heart swelled, but you just hummed and looked away in lieu of responding.  

Of course, as soon as your heart was happy, your brain had to pop in and ruin it: that smile on Sister Lascivia’s face, the way she was so clearly picturing your husband in some kind of compromising way.  And the horrible, sick idea that maybe she didn’t have to just imagine it.

Copia was already prepared for a quiet flight— he had his legs crossed and a book open in his lap, his chin resting on one of his hands as he read.  You looked at him for a moment, appreciating how calm he seemed to always be; sometimes it was hard to believe he was the same man with that rockstar reputation, but you knew it was too naive to assume just because he could be quiet that he must not have lived to the fullest in his time as the Papa.

You managed to distract yourself by watching out the window as the jet took off, but once you were high enough to break through the clouds, the view was basically just white light and was not nearly interesting enough to keep your mind occupied.

It shouldn’t have even mattered!  So what if he was a bit more intimately acquainted with someone you’d met on that trip?  It didn’t make any difference now.  Yet, it was all you could think of, and even knowing it would only bring you pain, you compared yourself to her— she was quite pretty, after all, even with that habit covering up most of her.  Maybe she was more his type… maybe she was exactly his type.

By that point you’d basically convinced yourself it was true, without any evidence at all.

You swallowed the lump in your throat, but for some reason you couldn’t seem to hold back the words forming there.  “Do you know any of the Sisters there?” you heard yourself ask before you could stop yourself.  “I-I mean, did you know any of them before today...”

“Eh… no, I don’t think so,” he mumbled.

“But you’ve been to the church before,” you recalled, “you know Comis.”

“Well, yes, he’s their main ambassador— Sisters come and go, you know.”

You nodded, and he looked back down at his book.  You let the moment rest for a few seconds that felt like an eternity.  “It’s just that—”

He sighed a little and shut his book.

“They seemed to be so fascinated by you,” you explained.  “I think you had quite a few fans there.”

“Fans?  You mean, the band?” he raised an eyebrow, and you nodded.  “Then that’s not me, is it?  I just sang for a while— I’m interchangeable, by design.”

“But still— you were, are, so popular.”

“Eh… if you say so…”

“Come on,” you tilted your head, a bit of frustration leaking into your tone, “don’t be like that— you know what you’re doing.”

He looked a little confused, if not almost hurt by the implied accusation of deceitfulness.  “What are you asking me about?” he pressed, narrowing his eyes.

“Did you fuck any of them?”

Your eyes widened when you heard yourself say it— you really couldn’t believe you’d just word-vomited it out like that.  He seemed a little shocked, too, but much more amused than anything.  You didn’t like it at all, the way he smiled; it made you feel even more stupid for asking it, for thinking it even.

“I’m sorry,” you said instantly, “I shouldn’t have—” I shouldn’t have started this conversation while we’re trapped together for four hours, for one thing— “it’s not my place.  Forget I asked, it doesn’t matter.”

“Now now,” he cooed, “if it concerns you, then it matters.”

He was teasing you— dangling it in front of you.  “It doesn’t concern me,” you assured, “in every sense of the word— it’s none of my concern.”

“You look concerned.”

“Yes, but… that's my problem, not yours.”

He sighed, looking at you as if he were a little disappointed for some reason.  “Do you remember our vows, tesoro?”

You swallowed thickly.  Not really, I'm pretty sure I was in the middle of an anxiety-induced blackout.  “Uh…” you stalled.

“We agreed to care for each other, to share our hearts forever,” he reminded you.  “That means that if something upsets you, then it upsets me.  Even if you think it's silly— and from what I can tell, it's not.”

“Of course it is,” you rolled your eyes.  “It's silly to ask a famous musician if he slept with any fans— of course you did.”

“I did,” he admitted, “but surely not with the frequency you're imagining.  And not with anyone in Brussels, if that's any comfort.”

You crossed your arms over yourself self-consciously, looking out the window even though the cloudy scenery hadn't changed much.

“Of course I've had lovers before— you have too, I know.  I hope we won't hold that against each other.”

“Yes, of course,” you sighed.  “Obviously I never expected, or even wanted, either of us to be virginal or something, Satan forbid.  And there's nothing wrong with you meeting women on the road, either… it's just… is it wrong that thinking about it makes me kind of want to strangle someone?”

He laughed; “No,” he assured, “I don't think so.”

Unfortunately, he was right— that talking about it made you feel a little better.  

“Is it wrong that I think you're especially sexy when you're jealous?”

Your throat caught and you looked away from him quickly, holding your face in your hand as an excuse to cover it, but he obviously noticed the way you crossed your legs tightly.  His eyes raked over you, you could feel it somehow even when you were refusing to actually look back at him.

“I don’t think you have much right to be so shy, after asking me such personal questions,” he purred.  

“I-I’m not being shy,” you denied in a mumble, “I just didn’t expect you to say that.”

“I hope it doesn’t offend you—”

“No!  No,” you assured quickly, letting go of your heated face to look down into your lap.  “You’re being sweet, thank you.”

“It’s only the truth,” he insisted.  “Let’s always tell each other that, alright?  Just the truth.”

You nodded in agreement, finding the strength to meet his gaze again; the look in his eyes was just like the one he’d had when he found you in the convent.  It must not have been just for show, then… 

“Promise you’ll get some rest while we fly,” he sighed, “we won’t be landing until the late evening and we have quite a day ahead tomorrow.”

You only remembered it right then: your wedding reception.  As if you hadn’t had enough excitement for a lifetime in this week already.

~

It was a unique reception in a number of ways, probably too many to count.  First of all, most receptions happen right after the wedding, of course— but late night Masses left little time for that.  Secondly, receptions usually have speeches and sentimental things for the families of the betrothed; while Copia’s family of phantasms were in attendance, they didn’t have much to say, and what could they say?  They didn’t even know you.  So, instead, your reception was much more of the good stuff: dancing, eating, drinking, and good old-fashioned partying.

And then there was, you know, the demonic statues and sacrifices.  But that, to you, wasn’t so out of the ordinary.

You were seated at the head table with him, watching the crowd in all their merriment, feeling an odd sense of pride— of responsibility for all this joy.  It wasn’t like you’d planned this, it was a gift from the clergy who had done the work of putting it together, but technically you were half of what was being celebrated.

Maybe it was just appreciation for home, after your trip to Brussels.  It was always nice to see familiar faces filled with joy.

He leaned in closer to you so you could hear him over the music as he spoke, and you felt his breath on your shoulder.  “I'm sorry we didn't have time for this sooner,” he said.

“Oh!  I wouldn't have known what to do if we'd done it any sooner,” you admitted with a laugh.  Not that you especially knew what to do now— but you at least, by now, knew how to fake knowing what to do.

“And I’m sorry we couldn’t do something a little more traditional,” he added.

“Traditional?” you repeated with a laugh.

“What’s that American thing, where they feed each other the wedding cake?” he raised an eyebrow.  “Maybe we should have done that… I’ve always thought it looked sweet.”

You had no idea he had any opinions about things like that; it was endearing to imagine he ended up watching wedding videos at some point and wanted something like that for himself.  “Well, we can still do that another time,” you offered, “when there aren’t so many people watching.”

Again, you didn’t quite put together how that sounded until he cleared his throat and his cheeks pinkened at bit; of course it sounded suggestive when you phrased it like that, how could you have not seen that coming?!

Before you could correct yourself, though— or decide if you actually did need to correct anything— the ghouls on the chancel began playing a familiar song.

It didn’t sound the same, of course, with another singer filling in, but you could so easily hear Copia’s voice in those words:  You'll soon be hearing the chime, close to midnight…

He stood up suddenly, and you looked up at him.  “May I have this dance, cara mia?” he asked with an extended hand.

You took it with a smile; “I think one of the privileges of marriage is that you don't have to ask me that.”

Guiding you to the dancefloor, it felt like one of those movie scenes with the way the crowd parted for you on their own.  Was there a spotlight on you or was that just your imagination?

One of the few things you'd known about him before marrying him was that he was quite a dancer— what you hadn't known until now was how much you enjoyed dancing.  He made it easy, guiding you through the moves so well that people would probably think you had more experience than you did.

You had every right to be nervous, and you were, but for the first time it felt sort of… good?  Surely the alcohol in your system was aiding you, but it wasn’t just that.  Your heart was racing but you didn’t feel the urge to run and hide; he was smiling at you, he was pulling you closer, and for just a few moments you were suddenly fearless.

I just wanna be, wanna bewitch you in the moonlight

I just wanna be, wanna bewitch you all night

He spun and dipped you, making you laugh with exhilaration.  When he pulled you back up, the look in his eyes almost took your breath away… so determined, yet romantic and vulnerable.  A look you felt like only he could pull off.

If the song’s lyrics were some sort of manifestation, then it was working: you were totally bewitched by him.  It was just the two of you and the music playing, it was just his hands holding and guiding you, it was just this perfect moment that you could hardly believe was happening to you.  Weren’t you just an ordinary Sister this time two weeks ago?

You knew when the song was nearly over, and when he spun you one more time and pulled you into him, your hand came up to the side of his face, your leg lifted to slightly straddle his side… your eyes drifted down to his lips.

Just one more split-second and you would’ve kissed him.  Not just any kiss, you would’ve kissed him like you never had before— like nobody ever had before.  

But the crowd of people around you instead began to proudly clap and cheer, and it tore you out of the moment; honestly, you’d sort of forgotten you were surrounded by all the guests.  You looked away from Copia and smiled at the people who had watched you dance, hardly even noticing that he never stopped looking at you.

It went by too quickly— not just the song but the whole night.  All too soon, you were back in your room; ears still ringing, heart still thumping, and (less enjoyably) feet still a little bit sore from dancing in new shoes despite having changed into your night clothes and comfy socks already.

As Copia walked to his side of the bed in his own signature embroidered pyjamas, you fell back on the bed limply, laying your arms out wide and staring up at the ceiling with a sigh— a happy sigh of course, a does this night really have to end? sigh.  “That was wonderful,” you announced with a beaming smile.  “I didn't think I'd enjoy it so much, but it was perfect.”

“I hoped you would,” Copia agreed.  “You've seemed so tense— I'm not sure I ever saw you looking so relaxed, and joyful… you look so beautiful that way.”

“Y-you don't have to flatter me,” you mumbled, pulling your arms back in towards yourself as tilted your head back to look at him— upside down, but still at him.

“Of course, I never would,” he assured, laying down carefully on the bed beside you.  “It's just the truth.  I bet everyone was as taken with you as I was… but only I got to dance with you.”

You smiled a little more softly, admiring how sweet he could be— a side of him you felt privileged to see so close.  You wanted to say something, but you really had no idea how to respond to a statement like that, or even how to just take the compliment.

“Can I tell you something?” he asked quietly.

“O-of course,” you answered, “you can tell me anything.”

“I-I'm a little embarrassed,” he admitted with a soft laugh, “but I… I've seen Heathers.”

You tilted your head, laughing in confusion.

“I don't know why I lied to you before,” he shook his head, “I know it quite well— I saw it in theaters when it was released!  I just— I thought— I'm not sure.  I guess I liked you explaining it to me.”

Your heart jumped, and you looked down at the bed under you sheepishly, as if your finger tracing the pattern on the quilt was fascinating all of a sudden.

“I wanted to give you an excuse to talk to me,” he added.

“You… you could've just… talked,” you told him quietly.  “It wasn't like I would've ignored you.”

“Yes, I know,” he sighed, “but the moment never felt right.”

“How does the moment feel now?” you asked shyly.

“Oh, tesoro, everything about tonight feels perfect.”

Your heart skipped a beat; everything?

You wondered, of course, if he would try something again; it was hard not to imagine that, since this was such a similar set of circumstances to that very first night.  But it felt so different, too— it felt less terrifying, for one thing, and less confusing.

But instead of letting yourself wonder about that for too long— afraid he’d somehow see it on your face, and know what you were picturing— you sat up a little bit and propped yourself up on your elbows.

“I asked why you chose me already,” you began, “but I never asked the bigger question, did I?  That is, why you got married at all.”

He sighed shortly before he answered.  “My mother, she asked me to get married.  At first, I thought it was just the will of the clergy.  I understand now it was much more than that.”

“She wanted you to be happy,” you assumed.

“Yes, yes…” he trailed off, looking to the side.  “She knew I didn't want to be alone anymore.”

Your heart twisted a little; “I figure the Papa himself never has to be alone,” you mumbled through a sheepish smile.  “You could take anyone to bed you wanted, a new companion every night.”

He chuckled a little.  “I think you know that's not what I mean— I learned better than anyone that being by oneself and being alone are different things,” he explained.  “Even if I did find the time and energy for a thousand lovers, I would've still been lonely without a real partner… something to call my own.  But I never had the time— or, I told myself that, to justify why I didn't have anyone.”

You understood that better than he could know— better than you wanted to realize.

“My parents loved each other, but spent most of their lives apart,” he explained.  “I don't want to be like that.  I don't want to have something beautiful and let it go to waste.”

He looked at you right then, and it seemed like it meant something but you wouldn't let yourself imagine what.

“Could I kiss you again?” he asked softly.  It sort of completely caught you off-guard, not what he said but the way he said it: the unsureness in his voice, the slight flush on his face.

You didn't answer with words, you simply reached up and brushed your fingers through the hair at his temple, where it was turning silver— another reminder of how long he'd been alone. 

You moved your hand in to cradle his face, leaning closer.

There was something shockingly comfortable about it, like you'd known each other for years.  You had grown to care for him, you couldn't deny that, but you surprised even yourself by how you pulled him closer as he kissed you.

It brought back memories of your wedding night, of course, and you couldn't decide if it felt like just yesterday or months ago.  All that fear and anxiety you'd been nearly crushed by then— it was only a distant memory, to the point that it was almost hard to believe you were the same person who had felt all that.

In some ways, you weren't.

His hand gently rested on your side, before carefully moving around to your lower back to keep you pressed against him.  Why did that feel so perfect?  His head tilted a little more, his kiss deepened a little more, you sighed a little heavier. 

As he pulled away, he looked into your eyes; you saw something new and totally indescribable in them.

If he kisses me again, I won't be able to say no to him, you realized.

He only smiled at you gently, his fingers brushing over your cheek.  “Goodnight, darling,” he offered quietly.

You were still in shock just a bit as he kissed your temple softly, before pulling back and turning to face away from you as he climbed under the covers.  Blinking quickly, you wondered if you would've asked him not to stop if he'd given you a chance.

Slowly laying down yourself, you faced towards him and sighed a little as you looked at the back of him.

You stared at him for so long that night, watching him sleep, willing yourself to just reach over and wake him; to run your fingers through his hair until he stirred and turned to face you.  And then you wouldn’t have to say anything, you could just kiss him and he’d understand.  All you had to do was lift your hand and touch him… then his arms would be around you, his lips would be on you, his weight would press you into the bed…

You fell asleep before you ever found the nerve.  But that’s not to say you fell asleep quickly; no, not at all.

[stevebabey]

hi rubes!!! i was curious on ur thoughts on what a lazy sunday with steve would look like? esp if its one that like both ur day off and its smth that hasnt happened in a long time

hi angel!! sorry i sat on this one for awhile, i hope i made up for it by making it sooooo lovey dovey <3 0.8k, gn!reader

By some miracle, you're the first awake.

Steve is like a kind of sheep dog— he requires frequent exercise and so, he usually slips a run in the morning before you're even close to awake.

And also because of the shaggy hair and the way he seems to wag an invisible tail when all his favourite people are gathered in the same room, even going around and rounding them up, checking on everyone— Okay, you get the point, analogy over.

Actually, point is, you getting up before Steve like never happens.

Scratch that, you and Steve getting a day off to sleep in on the same day never happens. And even more, Steve very rarely skips his morning run because, y'know, sheep dog and all.

Basically, you figure this whole morning is a wondrous crafted little miracle. You have no plans to waste it.

Peering across your pillow, you watch the rise and fall of Steve's chest as he sleeps, your softened gaze roaming over his face gently. He looks younger in his sleep, pillowy lips parted lightly. His moles beg to be kissed. His hair is a mess. It's lost all its volume, lying flat against the pillow and urging you to run your fingers through it.

You ignore the urge in favor of slipping out from under the comforter. quiet as you can.

Steve's annoyingly good at spoiling you and is less than receptive to letting you return the sentiment. With one last glance back at bed, you let out a soft sigh, a honeyed noise, and head to the kitchen.

Steve's favourite mug is this wonky one that Dustin made once upon a time, some pottery class at one of his camps. You stare at it, glazed eyes taking in an alarmingly amount of detail on the cup, as the coffee brews behind you. Its scent wafts through the room. You've woken a dozen times to it, when it's Steve up and about, fixing a beverage for you.

It's cute, you think, that he still uses Dustin's mug for his coffee. By cute you mean, you can't think about it for too long or you'll stamp back down to the bedroom and kiss your boyfriend til your lips are blue and—

"Ooh, coffee?" Steve announces his presence with his words, partially garbled by his loud yawn. He halfheartedly covers his mouth, the hoodie he's haphazardly chucked on misaligned enough that it hangs over his hand adorably. He shuffles into the kitchen tiredly and despite his introduction, he heads right to you.

You can't resist a pout. Steve takes a moment to notice it, too happily distracted sidling up and worming his arms around your middle.

When he does, he tilts his head to the side. "What?"

"You couldn't let me bring it to you in bed?"

He grins. "I'm sorry. Was that the plan?"

"You know it was." You mumble grouchily, not upset at all. You push a hand into his chest, giving him a little shove. "You're always doin' this stuff for me but you don't ever let me do it for you."

Steve softens unbearably, his grin getting all gooey at the sides. He looks a little lovestruck, messy hair and all. It takes immense will to continue your upset facade. You nudge his chest again, your head inclining towards the bedroom.

"What?" His eyebrows jump, expression a mixture of incredulity and affectionate. "Y'want me to get back in bed? So you can come bring it to me?"

You smile, nudging his chest again and grinning when he starts to take a couple steps back, heading towards the bedroom. "Yes. Exactly that."

"You're absurd."

You poke your tongue out him. "You love it."

Steve moves forward abruptly, his hands cradling your face gently as he leans and steals a kiss from you. He retracts just as fast, looking far too pleased with himself.

"Yes, I do," He agrees, still wandering backwards. He disappears into your bedroom and you're left standing there with your own lovesick grin. God, you love him. Your heart feels like spun sugar in your chest, airy and sweet beyond relief.

To which Steve is no help at all when you walk into the bedroom, carefully holding the mug so it doesn’t spill. He's tucked back in bed, pretending to be asleep, only to wake with the grace of a Disney princess at your footsteps.

He faux yawns and pretends to jump at your presence, scampering to sit up in bed so he can accept the coffee from you. "Oh wow, what a surprise this is!"

"Shut up. You think you're soo funny, huh?" you mumble, handing the coffee over. Your aching smile gives away just how funny you think he is.

"Mmhm," Steve hums as he takes a sip. You've made it just the way he likes it. He parrots your earlier words. "You love it."

You lean in, mindful of the mug, and kiss him sweetly. He tastes of coffee and cream and he chases your lips for a second kiss when you pull back. You aim for tiredly amused but the words come out devastatingly sincere anyway. "Yeah, I do."

[ghostchems]

the wedding guest - terzo x female!reader

you have just gotten over a break-up and attend a wedding of a friend alone. a man with face paint distracts you from the festivities.

author's note: i owed our guy a nice, fun time after putting him through so much pain. def not my best work but meh. mdni! 18+! 2.8k words. ao3 link.

You are in the women’s bathroom getting high with a few girls you met that night. It has been a long day for you. One of your childhood friends had gotten married and you sat through the ceremony and dinner and now the reception is about to pop off. It is a nice day, though, despite the circumstances.

You are supposed to be here with a date but your relationship with you boyfriend had imploded a few weeks ago. It hadn’t been good for a while but you were sticking it out because maybe things would have gotten better. A tale as old as time. A fight escalated to the point of no return and he left. It was devastating for a few days but life goes on. 

You had been dreading this wedding but you are relieved to find that you don’t really know anyone there. Even though it was awkward and you felt some jealousy toward the couples that were sitting around you, it was better than being there with an asshole. 

“What is up with those guys in the face paint?” 

“I think they’re from the groom’s church? Or something? I don’t know… it’s kinda weird.”

You are half listening as you mess with your dress. The men they are talking about have been quite the topic of conversation for the night. Most of them had dark circles painted and colored in around their eyes but the man who you couldn’t look away from had a full face of black and white paint. The two of you kept catching each other’s glances and you couldn’t help but think you were being rude for staring.

If you were the bride you would have been pissed that these guys were garnering so much attention. 

The conversation turns to more gossip about people you don’t know so you excuse yourself from the bathroom. You make sure the door shuts behind you and you’re met with a familiar sight: the man with the face paint adjusting his hair in one of the wall mirrors. You haven’t been this close to him before and you find yourself taking in the details of his face. You didn’t notice the different colored eyes before. He is in a black tuxedo complete with white gloves and spats.

“Ah, scusi, bellisima.” He rakes his fingers through his raven hair and smooths it into place. “I have been looking for you, cara.” He saunters over to you and gives you a brilliant smile.

“Me?” The Italian accent hits you like a truck and you find yourself stepping toward him.

“Si, si. You’ve been looking at me, I’ve been looking at you, we’ve been playing this piccola flirty look game so I figured I would ask you to dance, eh?” He holds out a gloved white hand to you. “Will you?”

You are so distracted by his eyes, the ghostly white one giving you goosebumps while his soft green eye makes your cheeks flush. You open your mouth but nothing comes out because it hasn’t caught up with your brain. After a beat, you put your hand in his and manage a nod.

“Sure, okay.” It comes out so quiet and you blush again. He takes your hand and brings it to his lips. You aren’t able to react because he is already whisking you away to the dance floor. 

“Io sono Papa Emeritus il Terzo but you can call me Terzo for short, cara.” He grins again and stops in front of you once you make it to the crowd of people. Terzo’s other hand takes yours and he starts to immediately dance. He is very at home on the dance floor, his hips wiggling and his whole body twirling while you’re trying to bend your knees in a way that resembles dancing. 

You start to loosen up, feeling buzzed from the alcohol and lighter from the weed. His group had exuded some kind of authority from afar but Terzo’s demeanor makes it easy for you to relax — he is a charming goof, much to your surprise. You find yourself giggling as you dance with him, his easy smile drawing you in closer to him. 

The music slows and he rests a hand on your hip and you place yours on his shoulder. It has been a long time since you’ve slow danced with someone but Terzo keeps it simple. You are able to get a good look at him now, his raven hair having fallen onto his forehead and the wrinkles more pronounced. 

“So, eh, you are curious about the paint, si?” He leans in close enough that you can feel his breath on your face.

“Well, yeah. You guys kind of stick out, ya know.”

“Mhm. It shows status in our church. The more paint you have the higher up you are, at least for those on the outside.” 

“You must be pretty high up, then?” Your gaze falls to his lips for just a second. “And didn’t you say your name is… Papa? Does anyone actually call you that?”

“Si, si. I am basically, eh, the leader. And Papa Emeritus is my title, cara, so most refer to me as that during official church business.” Terzo gives you a tail and pulls you in close to him, your chests touching now. 

“Wouldn’t this be official church business? This is a wedding, after all.” You manage to squeak as you look up at him. You start to slowly sway along with the music again but you feel heat pooling in your core due to how close you are to him.

“The ceremony, si. But this is the reception — party time.” Terzo’s lips curl into a smirk. “But enough about me, eh? How do you know the bride and groom?”

“Katie was my neighbor! We grew up together. She’s actually the only person I know here, other than her parents.”

“Ah, well you know me now, cara. I must ask and I apologize if this is somewhat forward but, I am shocked that a beautiful woman such as yourself does not have a date here with you.” 

Your smile falters and your eyes shift to the dance floor. You rest your cheek against his firm chest and take a moment before replying.

“We broke up not too long ago.” His arms curl around you and you didn’t realize how much you needed a hug until this moment. “I’m okay. I’m really fine with it. Just still kinda fresh.” Terzo gives you a small squeeze.

“Do you want to get some air, tesoro?” His grip on your loosens and he looks down at you, his expression soft. You nod and he whisks you away from the dance floor, out the doors and into the cool air of the night. His hands haven’t left you even though you were done dancing as the two of you walk silently over to the patio area.

You sit on the ground, freeing yourself from his grasp and start to take off your heels. Terzo sits next to you and stretches his legs out, his spat shoe lightly tapping against your heels at your feet. He loosens his tie and unbuttons a few of the top buttons of his dress shirt.

“I noticed something about you during our flirty look game.” He speaks up after a few beats of silence.

“Oh yeah? What’s that?”

“Other than your looks being flirty… they were also curious. Which was nice compared to all the other judgemental looks I was getting.” His shoulder brushes up against yours and he leans toward you, grinning.

Oh, he has been so smooth tonight and he knows it. You don’t mind; Terzo pulled you from having a “meh” time at a wedding to actually having fun. You look into his duochromatic eyes that are so close to your face and you drift in closer, your lips grazing and then pressing against his for a soft kiss. Terzo sighs into you, his hand snaking to cradle the back of your head as his tongue dips into your mouth. You groan at the taste of him, smoky cinnamon, and you rub your hands at his chest. 

He leans back, his soft breath wafting against your lips before he peppers a few more kisses to it and then pulls away completely. 

“Your paint is smudged!” 

“Dio mio, I can’t show my face at reception with it looking like this.” Terzo cries jokingly then reaches his pristine white glove to your face to wipe off some of his own paint. “I guess we have to go somewhere more private.”

“Oh…” Suddenly, you are feeling sheepish and your cheeks flush pink. “I didn’t book a room.”

“I have one.” He purrs, his finger lightly tracing along your jaw. “If you’ll have me… my company, that is, if you’re comfortable, cara.”

This freaking guy.

“Hmm. I’m not sure you’ll give me what I want.” You look him up and down through thick lashes and then direct your gaze to the night sky. Terzo moves in even closer to you, his chest pressed to your side and you can feel it rumbling. You look at him out of the corner of your eye and you see him slowly remove his white gloves with his teeth. 

“This is something I’m very passionate about and very well-versed in, cara.” His voice becomes low and husky. “Let me give you a taste of what I can do — if you are impressed, we go back to my room, yes?” He presses his nose into your cheek and one of his hands pushes up the hem of your dress. You turn your head and kiss him again, your hand tugging at the lapels of his jacket.

He slips his hand up your dress and presses his palm to your clit through your underwear. You gasp against his lips as you pull him in even closer. He rubs you through your underwear, the friction of the fabric against your clit sending spasms down your legs. His fingers hook into the fabric and pulls them down and then runs the tips of them along your slick folds.

“Already so wet for me.” Terzo growls against your lips as he slips a finger inside you. He breaks off the kiss and dips his head to your ear, his teeth nibbling just below the earlobe just as he curls his finger against the sensitive spots inside you. You try to muffle a moan and you tip your head back against the patio wall.

He presses wet, open mouth kisses down your neck and adds another finger and then another, thrusting them slowly in and out and curling them against your walls. You weren’t expecting him to be so effective and you are already in complete bliss, your mouth hanging open as your eyes flutter open and shut.

“Enjoying this, yes?” He purrs against your neck and grazes his teeth against the sensitive skin. You whine and he starts to run his tongue along your collarbone, picking up the pace of his fingers. You are clutching his lapels, your nails digging into the smooth fabric. Your hips buck against his hand and he growls against your chest, his mouth moving up your neck to your jaw. “So close already?” 

You clench around his fingers and a deep moan spills from your lips that Terzo quickly swallows with his own. One of the most intense orgasms you’ve ever had washes over you as you moan into his mouth and he uses his fingers to coax you through it. Your body trembles while you come down from it, your eyes slowly opening to find him giving you a soft smile.

“Bene? Good?” Terzo quirks a brow but he knows. You sigh deeply with a dreamy smile stretched across your face. Then, you plant your hands firmly on his shoulders and use them to push yourself to your feet. You run your fingers through his soft locks and he groans quietly, sitting back on his heels as he looks up at you. “Please, cara, will you come back to my room? Or shall I take you right here?”

You haven’t felt this important or this in control in a long time. Seeing him on his knees in front of you with disheveled hair and his pink lips peeking through his smeared face paint is bringing the fire roaring back to life inside you.

“Carry me to your room?” The last syllable squeaks out as Terzo sweeps you off your feet and into his strong arms.

The good thing about this wedding venue is that the hotel is onsite which means that the voyage to Terzo’s room is a quick one. Or maybe it just feels that way to you. Before you know it, he has you on the bed with his fingers laced in your hair and his other hand resting on your hip. He settles himself between your legs and grinds his hips against yours. 

You tilt your head back onto the mattress and give a soft groan. Terzo’s lips immediately find your neck, biting and sucking sloppily as he starts to push your dress down your shoulders. He kisses down your chest and pulls your dress down to expose your breasts. Your fingers card through his hair as his mouth seals around your nipple, his tongue flicking his tongue against it while you moan. His free hand cups your other breast, massaging it before pinching your nipple between his fingertips. 

“Terzo…” You whine and you tighten your grip on his hair. He releases your breast from his mouth with a pop and looks up at you with a grin. He is so devastatingly handsome, even while as crumpled as he is right now. His white eye is practically sparking as he pulls your dress off of you and he gives a soft moan at the sight of your naked body.

You sit up and tug his tie off before starting to work at the buttons of his shirt. He lets his jacket fall to the floor and starts to rub at your sides with his strong hands, slipping them down further to grasp your ass. You whine quietly as you scratch at his chest, feeling his chest hair at your fingertips.

He is looking at you as if he would worship the ground at your feet, but there is still a hint of mischief in his eyes. Your cunt has never ached for someone with this intensity before and you feel almost like you’re in some kind of lust-fueled haze. He gently pushes you back on the bed and unzips his pants, his perfect, hard cock tumbling out of them.

“Così bella, così perfetta per me.” Terzo purrs, resting his hand beside your head as he lines himself up. Your legs wrap around his waist and you can feel the pressure of his cock against your entrance. He pushes in slowly and lowers himself on top of you. Your half-lidded eyes meet his and the both of you sigh as he works himself in, a growl rumbling up in his chest. You kiss him as he bottoms out, swallowing his growl.

The kiss deepens while Terzo rolls his hips, your legs around his waist allowing for him to go deeper and deeper inside you. He moans into your mouth, his one hand clutching at your hip as his thrusts grow more and more powerful. Your teeth graze at his bottom lip before giving it a love bite. 

“Cattiva…” He groans against your lips, breaking the kiss to lower his head into the cook of your neck. You gasp as he bites at your neck and digs his nails deeper into your hip. Your nails scratch at his scalp and pull at his hair as he growls against you. 

His hips start to snap harder into you and you can’t hold back a deep moan. Your back arches and your eyes fall shut, whines and breathy sobs falling from your lips. Terzo continues to pound into you, even harder now as your soft sounds are music to his ears.

“Look at me, cara.” He huffs after lifting his head to look at you. You do as he says, running your fingers down his hair and neck and resting them on his shoulders. You don’t dare look away or close your eyes, even as your moans grow louder and your limbs start to tremble. Pleasure ripples through your body. You can tell by his eyes and sounds that he is close too. His thrusts stutter, his legs tensing and untensing as he pants and grunts.

You can’t hold it any longer, your eyes squeezing shut and a cry screaming from your lips as your orgasm washes over you. A few more thrusts and he’s right behind you, pulling himself out and spilling his seed on your stomach and breasts. When he’s through, he plants his full body on top of you, mess and all, and pulls you into his arms. 

A thought crosses your mind.

“Didn’t you say you’re high ranking in the church? What kind of church allows this kind of fucking?”

“The Church of Satan, tesoro.”

[nycbabyjoey]

Jinkies!

NSFW 18+ Only

Contains ABDL Content

"Jeepers," Daphne exclaimed as she approached the run-down spooky building. "This place is giving me the willies."

"No one said solving this mystery would be for the faint of heart," Velma replied. "But a series of spooky disappearances in a historically haunted town just before Halloween is nothing we can't handle."

Velma and Daphne stood shoulder to shoulder outside the Mystery Machine with their flashlights armed. Mystery Incorporated had gotten a tip a few days ago about tourists going missing in the Halloween destination town of Yawning Creek, Massachusetts.

"The town gets an influx of tourism around Halloween because of the Legend of Yawning Creek," Velma had explained to the gang.

"Zoinks!" Shaggy quivered. "Is that, like, the story where that scary monster hypnotizes people to walk in the creek where they're, like, never heard from again?!"

"The very same," Velma had responded, ambivalent to Shaggy's usual fright towards any mystery that came across their desks.

It was part of the dynamic that had lead to Mystery Incorporated's overwhelming success rate of solving mysteries over the past couple of years and made them world-renowned crime stoppers. Velma was the brains behind the group, analyzing details, collecting clues, and piecing it all together to unmask the supposed "monster" as just another average person with a grievance. Daphne brought the beauty, which allowed her to get accustomed with people, discover their motives, get kidnapped... only sometimes, and help the crew trap the culprit.

The others contributed as well, but it was Velma and Daphne's strong chemistry that landed the two of them here in front of the abandoned building, following a lead they had picked up from the town historian about the disappearances.

Who could've done it? Was it Mayor Bushwell in an effort to stir even more tourism to Yawning Creek in a sick ploy for reelection? Could it be Sheriff Walker, frustrated at the surge of Halloween mischief that the town's spooky origins attracted? Or maybe even the town historian himself, Old Man Jenkins, sending the girls on a wild goose chase so that they didn't catch on to his scheme to show people the true horrors of the town's capitalized-upon history?

The pair hoped that the answers to where these missing people were could be found here - the abandoned Yawning Creek Daycare Center. It was certainly a peculiar crime scene, Velma thought. But she couldn't afford to leave one stone unturned.

"Let's split up," Daphne suggested.

"Good idea," Velma said. "That way, we can cover more ground. Try not to get kidnapped again."

"Hardy-har," Daphne mocked back.

The two went their separate ways once inside the daycare. Velma went right at the reception area and Daphne turned left.

Velma opened the door to discover a large classroom setting that she suspected could fit nearly twenty students. It was quite a big space for a preschool classroom, fitted with shared tables for all the students, a play area with a chest stuffed full of toys like firetrucks and building blocks, and a reading carpet with shelves of childrens' books behind it. Velma always had an interest in reading, even at that young age. She reminisced about sitting criss-cross applesauce on the carpet and listening to her teacher reading The Rainbow Fish for the class, stopping after each page to show all the pictures.

Velma snapped out of her nostalgic thoughts. It was all very nice, but what did any of this have to do with the missing townspeople? A vengeful mother seeking revenge for the city's decreasing options for childcare? Seems farfetched, Velma figured. I have to look for more clues.

As she made a quick motion to reinspect the classroom, Velma accidentally stumbled on an old-fashioned Farm Animal Noises Wheel, which made a sustained "Mooo!" sound, as she fell to the ground. She caught herself on her two hands and her glasses flew off, sliding across the floor to an unknown destination.

"Oh no, my glasses!" Velma bemoaned. "I can't see a thing without my glasses!"

Velma began crawling on all floors around the Pre-K classroom, attempting to feel out for her spectacles. As she felt around, she grabbed something that felt like a small wooden box. She pulled it close to her face so she could make it out with her poor vision. It was a shape-sorter toy! The one where you had to fit the different shaped pegs in the correct holes. Velma used to love them when she was a tyke! Testing her geometrical knowledge and sharpening her brain was a treat to her at that age.

Velma indulged in her nostalgia by picking up one of the square pegs and placing it in the... wait, which hole did it go in again? Velma sat on the playmat, dumbfounded as she was unable to think of the correct option. She was a genius, after all! After a moment, she tried to jam it through a circle-shaped hole, but it didn't work. She went back to her train of confusion, not noticing as a stream of drool flowed from the side of her mouth onto her bright, orange sweater.

Suddenly, Velma's vision returned as a pair of foreign hands placed her glasses onto her face for her.

"Don't worry," the person said. "You don't have to worry about thinking anymore."

Meanwhile, Daphne searched what appeared to be the infant care area. There were large changing tables and shelves full of fresh diapers. Daphne gagged at the thought of having to change diapers. Gross!

Daphne was not the one to get her hands dirty, literally or metaphorically. Even for Mystery Inc., she wasn't the one collecting clues or putting all the puzzle pieces together; that was Velma. Daphne had the people skills to balance out Velma's analytical mind.

In this abandoned daycare, those skills may not have come in handy as much, Daphne thought to herself. There was no one here and even if they're were toddlers abound, she doubted it would make for rousing conversation.

It was these isolated situations where Daphne usually found herself being kidnapped - a typical damsel in distress. But, Daphne knew she was more than that and so she was sure to be checking every corner for anyone or anything that may be lurking.

She made her way towards a sleeping area where the little ones could be tucked in for naptime. However, a realization hit Daphne - these cribs weren't that little. In fact, they were pretty large! Large enough for Daphne herself to fit in. That must be a clue, Daphne figured. She had found a clue! And not gotten kidnapped! She almost couldn't wait to go share with Velma.

Unfortunately, Daphne celebrated far too early as, all of a sudden, a pair of ropes sprung out from amidst the darkness and wrapped themselves around Daphne's hands and feet, causing her to fall to the ground.

"Eep!" Daphne shouted as she hit the cushioned floor. With a thud, Daphne began to scream, "Velmaahhh-" Her cries for help were cut short by a piece of thick, black tape that came out of nowhere and covered up her mouth.

Daphne thrashed around on the ground while her yells were muffled.

"That's a lovely outfit," a voice said from the darkness, causing Daphne to pause in fear. "But I think it's time for a change."

Daphne's eyes widened as her clothes were magically ripped off her body one by one. First, her iconic long-sleeved purple dress flew forward after tearing at the back. She felt her bra magically unclasp at the back before it flew off into the darkness, followed by her panties. She was left completely exposed by the undressing, which ended with her lime-green scarf being pulled from her neck.

Daphne screamed as the invisible force yanked on her hair, pulling her to an upright sitting position. She tried moving her head around to escape the magic's grasp, but she was helpless as it began tying and knotting her hair. Daphne couldn't make out what it was doing until the pulling stopped and two pigtails fell down on either side of her head.

Suddenly, Daphne found herself laid with her back flat against the floor again as the mysterious force grabbed her feet and pushed them up towards her head, laying her ass bare for anyone who came through the door. She felt as something was slipped under it, but she was unable to lift her head high enough to make out what it was. It felt a little like medical exam table paper on Daphne's butt, but it was thicker. Daphne squealed as her legs were dropped and the rope binding them was undone so that the strange object could be folded up in between her legs. As it was fastened together on either side of her hips, Daphne realized what it was - it was a large diaper!

Finally, the rope that was shackling Daphne's hands and the muzzle that was constricting her mouth fell to the ground. "WHAT THE FU-" Daphne shrieked with tears in her eyes, but as her mouth was open a large pink pacifier flew inside, silencing her once again.

The magic force dragged Daphne by the legs out of the sleeping area and back towards the daycare. Daphne desperately dug her nails into the carpet in an attempt to fight back, but the force was too strong and she wailed as her body was tugged back through the door.

Once she was through the door and the force let go, she turned her body over and immediately spotted Velma. Daphne would have ordinarily been humiliated with her situation - this was certainly the worst kidnapping she had found herself in yet - but she realized Velma was also dressed like a giant baby! Her orange jumper and glasses were missing, leaving her in only a diaper and pigtails. Velma had no pacifier though; in fact, she drooled from her mouth with a vacant expression in her eyes. "Dafdee!" Velma celebrated with her arms raised high in the air at the sight of her friend Daphne.

"Velma?" Daphne managed past her pacifier. "Wha happen'd to-"

Daphne's inquiry was cut short as a figure came out of the darkness behind Velma. "Forn?" Daphne managed.

It was Thorn, the friendly rocker witch from Oakhaven. "Surprised, Daphne?"

"Forn, wha aw you doin'?" Daphne lisped her way through.

Thorn used her magic to pull Daphne's pacifier into her hand at a speed so fast it made an audible pop exiting Daphne's mouth.

"Sorry baby, I didn't quite catch that," Thorn teased. "Try annunciating."

"Thorn!" Daphne yelled in frustration. "Why'd you dress us like babies? We're your friends!"

"Fwiends! Fwiends!" Velma cheered, mindlessly clapping her hands together while bouncing up and down on her padded bottom.

"Friends?" Thorn questioned in disgust. "Ugh, classic Daphne. So sure that everyone must absolutely love you! We did get along long enough to stop The Witch's Ghost, entirely thanks to me! But I'm guessing you don't even remember what you said to me after that, do you?"

Daphne shook her head.

"Really? When I asked to join Mystery, Inc.?" Thorn recalled. "You and Velma laughed in my face, saying that there wasn't room for another girl on the team. You guys boasted about how you had the 'brains' and the 'looks' covered and that I had neither to offer. You told me to go run along and play with my 'little band.'"

Daphne was stunned. "Thorn, that's not how we meant it. You took it the wrong way! Besides, you lead innocent visitors to their demise just because of some stupid vendetta against us?"

Thorn cackled. "Nobody's missing!" she revealed. "See, if you and Velma were as clever as you think you are, you would have investigated to see if anyone had gone missing instead of blindly believing some anonymous tip!"

"That was you?!" Daphne realized, eyes wide. Thorn nodded her head with a grin.

"So now you're going to transform me into some mindless bimbo like her?" Daphne cried, gesturing towards Velma who was unintelligibly making noises with her mouth like "buhbuhbuh" while rolling around on the floor in her diaper.

Thorn laughed again. "Oh Daphne, don't give yourself so much credit. I took away Velma's 'brains', but you - you already have about a grade school reading level. There's barely any 'brains' to take! No, you were the 'looks,' weren't you? Always loving your cute little outfits and believing that being the team slut was actually important to solving mysteries! You'll be in only one outfit from now on - your diaper. My spell makes it so you can't wear anything else. And you won't be able to remove it yourself."

Daphne fumed, both at the accusation that she was stupid and at the prospect of toddling around in thick diapers for the rest of her life! She pulled at the tapes, trying to rip them off to no avail.

"It's not a total loss," Thorn mocked. "You'll still be able to accessorize! They make lots of cute diapers with fairy princesses or unicorns or mermaids on them! We'll see how many men are fawning over you in that getup! I'm sure Fred will find it so hot when you tug on his ascot and ask him to change your stinky diaper!"

Tears ran down Daphne's face. "You can't do this! You ca-" Daphne was once again interrupted by the large pacifier flying into her mouth.

"That's better," Thorn said. "Now, one last spell."

Thorn snapped her fingers and Daphne immediately felt her stomach rumble. She grasped it, clenching every muscle in her body to block what was about to happen. She heard a fart escape Velma's diaper, followed by a giggle. Her counterpart was blissfully content with the spell's effects and didn't fight them, audibly unloading a mess in the backseat of her diaper. Daphne's face turned red from strain, praying to avoid the same fate. But at long last, Daphne couldn't take it and destroyed her diaper, filling it from front to back with liquid mush.

"Oh, how cute!" Thorn derided. "It smells like you babies left me two clues! Now, you two are going to change each others' dirty diapers after a quick game of 'humpies'. Then, I'll bring you two back to Shaggy and Fred where we'll introduce them to the newest member of Mystery, Inc. - me! My crime-solving intuition suspects that there may be a spot for a girl on the team after all. Even if that spot involves changing diapers and warming up bottles for this dynamic diaper duo!"

I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids and your Patreon!

[dirtybitfic]

Therapy pt.1

matt sturniolo x y/n

Story contains- language, talking about sexual fantasies and issues, kinks, therapy session.

Pink-you purple- Leslie your best friend. blue -matt. orange the receptionist

story line- you start therapy to help with issues you had with partners in the past and not knowing how to fix them and feeling like your not finding people who match your wants and needs in the bedroom.

Y/n pov-

I just got ready to head to my first sex therapy session. I'm honestly mortified I even have to do this in the first place but Leslie my best friend said it would be helpful.

One week ago..

y/n I love you but you really need to go to someone professional about this

no absolutely not . im not going to a random person to try and figure out my sex issues .

I'm serious it can be really beneficial ! do you want to suffer for the rest of your life with partners who won't give you what you want or do you want to talk to a trained therapist who can help you find the right way to find what you want and why you want it

ughh I don't know I just don't like talking to people I don't know about shit like this .

I know it makes you anxious but some of your fantasies are a bit... extravagant and this therapist might be able to help you understand why you want things like that you know find out the underlying details you might not see for yourself

okay you have a point there.. okay maybe ill go once and if I like it ill stick with it if not then I won't go back

Yeah what's the worst that could happen

I blame you if it goes to shit

yeah yeah whatever your so dramatic

Present time

Im not gonna lie i'm so nervous about this whole thing. I never liked therapy in general . I only like talking about my life with people I trust so talking to a stranger about my sex problems sounds like hell.

Maybe Leslies right though this could end well and I might enjoy it but ... probably fucking not.

I just pulled up to the building and parked in the parking deck I was already 9 minutes late since parking in down town L.A is horrible so obviously thats not helping my anxiety at all.

I made my way to the lobby of the 26 story building and took the elevator up to the 20th floor.

walking out I noticed the seating area was very spacious but also dull.

all the furniture was black and white . Everything looked so clean and pristine I was almost scared to touch anything. As I walked up to the reception desk the young woman noticed me and smiled.

Hey you must be y/n . Your here for the 7:00 appointment right?

yes hi im so sorry im late parking was a mess

no worries matts last appointment is running a little behind anyways.Take a seat and ill let you know when to head back

okay thank you

I took a seat on one of the black couches and scrolled on my phone trying to busy my mind

After about 10 more minutes a couple walked out of the long hallway looking very pissed off and on edge .

I averted my attention back to my phone to avoid awkward eye contact.

Y/n Matt is ready for you if you'd like to head back

okay thank you

I make my way down the long hallway slowly still unsure of going through with this or not.

I reach the doors and softly push one open and walk in .

A man who im guessing is matt is sitting in a chair at a desk facing out to the windows so I can only see the back of his head.

I softly clear my throat.

hi Mr.sturniolo im y/n

he jolts in his chair

Oh hi im sorry your so quiet I didn't hear you come in he says as he spins around to face you and your breathe catches in your throat .

He is the most attractive man you've ever seen . Dark hair with bright blue eyes, nice stubble and tattoos adorned his left arm. Maybe this won't be so bad

I hold eye contact not saying anything but smiling awkwardly.

oh sorry please have a seat and we can get started

I take a seat in the chair opposite to him and softy set my phone on my lap and purse on the ground.

so y/n what made you choose to come see me

umm well it was a suggestion my beat friend made she said that it might help me work out some things that I might not be seeing for my self

okay well lets start off with your relationship backgrounds . How many relationships have you had and how long were they

well i've only had two real relationships. The first one was when I was a sophomore in high school it was about 6 months and my second one was my during summer going into sophomore year of college it was about 3 months.

okay ... why would you say the first relationship didn't work out?

Umm I don't know . He was pretty verbally abusive and made me feel bad about myself . He closed me off From my friends and threw temper tantrums in front of my parents which was very embarrassing but after a while I got fed up with the way he treated me even after I asked him to fix some things that I didn't like and he didn't so I broke up with him.

okay and how was the sexual relationship with him

I mean pretty good id say its one of the only reasons I stuck around for so long

okay so what made it good .?What are some things he did that you enjoyed?

well I don't know . He let me keep my shirt on so I liked that

he chuckled a little bit at your answer .

okay thats ... nice but name things he did that made you feel good . Did he talk you through it . touch you in a way that made you feel good ... things like that

yeah I mean he was my first everything . He would choke me which is something that I like ... he would give me hickeys in only places we could see which I thought was hot I guess. He would I guess praise me a little which made me feel good .

okay and did he ever prioritize your pleasure over his

n-no not really I mean he never made me cum

You were with him for 6 months and he didn't make you cum at all?

no I mean he would make me ummm you started to get nervous for some reason not wanting to say squirt.

So he made you squirt but never gave you a full orgasm

yeah

okay and what about the second relationship

well it was more of a glorified situationship but he was great until he wasn't . He treated me well always made me feel pretty and wanted. The sex was fucking amazing I mean he was the only man who ever gave me head and I used to hate the idea of having a man go down on me I still kinda do but he was so good at it . And he made me you know uh squirt a lot but again never made me orgasm or he'd have me right at the brink of orgasming and then he'd cum and that was it. But after 2 and a half months he got distant said he was going through a lot and pretty much ghosted me for 2 weeks so I broke it off and never spoke to him again.

okay and what are things he did during sex that you enjoyed.

well he would choke me and he'd degrade me which is something I love and he would slap me which I did have to ask him to do but he did it willingly and he would talk to me a lot during it which I liked especially when id be over stimulated and id be crying and he'd hold me closer but made me take it which I found really attractive . He also bit my shoulder sometimes which for some reason I liked . He also liked to leave hands prints on my ass which I loved too and I loved leaving scratch marks on his back and he also enjoyed it .

okay so what ive gathered so far is you like being choked , its easier for you squirt than it is to orgasm , you have a pain kink, you like receiving and leaving marks, you like impact play and with an educated guess your a submissive.

Y-yeah I mean you got all that from such little information...

well I mean it is my job y/n he smiles at you causing you to smile back .

That is true you say with a quite laugh

so what are somethings that you feel were missing from your past sexual partners or maybe somethings you wanted them to do but were too afraid to bring up

well I mean obviously Id like to find a man who Puts in the effort to make me cum . I also guess I wish id like my partners to be more vocal even if its just sounds I like to know im doing a good job and that I make them feel good. I also wish they would make me call them specific names... sometimes I don't find it hot to moan their names so I just don't . I also would like someone who fully dominates me you know bosses me around tells me exactly what to do and how to do it. I also wish that I could fully voice what I want but when I try I pussy out.

okay so obviously they haven't fully satisfied your wants and needs in the past. How do you usually feel after sex?

I guess used in a way . I haven't really had a guy yet who takes care of me after . They all have just gotten up threw me a towel to clean myself off and then I get dressed and leave.

so you crave the intimate parts as well as the sex. You want to feel taken care of after and not just like they got what they want and thats all

yeah exactly I mean thats why I haven't really had sex in a while I started to have a lot of mental challenges with myself and it created a lot of body image issues and I just got tired of feeling used

im sorry they made you feel that way. I think what a lot of guys fail to realize is girls minds are very different . They don't think the way they treat a girl after has that much effect but it does and ive seen through the years the toll that it can take on younger woman's minds that can even lead to eating disorders. Its very important to make woman feel loved and take care of even if the sex is rough and after they do something so small like running a bath to help you relax small things can really make a difference

exactly I want something like that but I feel like I always go for emotionally immature men who just see me as a piece off ass and get what they want then leave I just feel like its hard to find a man who will fit my every want and desire but I don't want to keep lowering my standards just so I can get fucked once and a while

You shouldn't have to lower your standards for that but it does sounds like being celibate isn't something you're happy about he says with a look on his face that you cant exactly read .

well no I mean I like having sex honestly sometimes I think I like it a bit too much . Im horny a lot and don't get me wrong toys are great but its never quite the same and having someone on top of me making me feel good

I understand what you mean . Don't take this the wrong way but do you think that you might be a sex addict

i... well maybe I don't know you say as your face gets red with embarrassment .

do you think that maybe looking into something like a bdsm club would be worth a try . Judging by the things you like that you've told me so far you need a dominant who not only wants to pleasure you but enjoys giving you everything you want

I don't know ive looked into it but they all seem weird and sketchy .

Well what is your dream man explain what he would look like what he would do to you that would meet your every deep desire

well I like a man who's taller than me who I can stand next to and feel small compared too but also feel protected by. I like a man who looks dark and mysterious kind of like if he walked into a room people would feel on edge and a bit scared. I like a man with dark hair and light eyes preferably with tattoos that has an energy to him that makes me feel slightly in danger even though im not. I want a man who asks me my kinks and fantasies and has no problem making them a reality .

And what is your darkest fantasy . one you've never told anybody he says leaning closer to you over the desk making your breathe hitch .

He narrows his eyes on you as he notices your breathing pattern changing and the way your thighs rub together as you squirm in your chair. With how attractive he is and the way he pins you down with his eye contact and all the sex talk it has you wet and horny.

I don't know if you really want to hear about that to be honest you'll probably think im crazy

I would never think that y/n you have to remember I hear about things like this on a day to day bases its nothing that I probably haven't heard before.

okay c-can I look in my notes app thats where I have them written in full detail

of course also lets move to the couch this seat gets uncomfortable after sitting in it all day

okay you say as you slowly get up making your way to the couch and taking a seat in the middle

he stands adjusting his pants and taking off his tie setting in on his chair as he unbuttons a couple of the top buttons of his dress shirt getting more comfortable since your his last client of the day.

he comes over and sits almost knee to knee with you causing your breathing to accelerate at the closeness between you both.

whenever your ready to share go ahead I promise this is a safe space I will not judge you

okay . Well my fantasy takes place in a grave yard...

okay scence set he says smiling over at you

well it starts off with me taking a walk in the grave yard kind of late and its dark and foggy as I make my way to the far back where there's tress and the larger graves I hear a branch snap like someone is watching me causing me to get nervous and a bit scared but I keep walking back further till I hit old decrepit stairs that lead into catacombs . As I make my way to the stairs I hear more branches snapping and look into the woods to see a man in a mask watching me as he slowly makes his way to me before I run down the stairs causing his to chase after me into the catacombs and before I can get father away he grabs me by my hair causing me to slam back into his big tall frame and fear to flood my body . Then he drags me into one of the open rooms with skulls adorning the walls and throws me on the ground ripping my clothes off and tying my hands behind my back so I cant move them or push him away as he slides into me roughly from the back and he fucks me so hard im crying and shaking under as he tells me how wet I am for him and how much of a good girl I am for letting him take me like this and makes beg him to let me cum so many times im crying and shaking . I also think it would be hot for him to create small cuts in my back with a knife every time I cum until they make up his initials in my back and he fills me to the brim with his cum.

you finally finish reading it and take a deep breathe even scared to look at him not wanting to see his face

y/n look at me

I cant

and why not he says in a deep raspy tone

because I just cant

he moves his hand to your back sliding up slowly until he reaches the back of your head tugging on your scalp causing you to gasp as he forces you too look at him.

I said I would not judge you and I meant that but when I tell you to look at me I expect you to treat me with respect and do as your told

y-yes mr sturniolo im sorry you wince when he lets go of the strong grip he had in your hair .

You were already wet from reading your dirtiest fantasy to him but then he did that and now you were a fucking water fall you could feel it seeping through your thong under your skirt.

you stare at him as he stares back as you with darkened eyes that have you melting into the couch feeling intimidated by the way he is looking at you so intensely.

there's a knock on the door causing you both to break out of the trance you were in and look over .

hey mr sturniolo I was just coming in to check if everything was okay its 20 minutes after my clock out time...

oh im so sorry Kayla you can head out we have some things to finish up on im sorry for holding you over

its okay see you Monday morning

she walks out leaving you and matt alone again.

if you need to go I understand I didn't realize we went over time

no its okay we still have some more stuff to talk about and to be honest I don't have anywhere to rush too

alright then what else do we have to talk about

what about this fantasy excites you the most

um I guess the fear of not knowing who's under the mask but also the fact they followed me I guess it makes me feel special and that he put in that much effort just to get me

Okay so fear turns you on?

I mean I guess but only in certain scenarios

okay so lets say you lived in a big house with a lot of land and you didn't have close neighbors and you had a stalker and he showed up every night watching you from far away . Is that something that would turn you on

yeah I mean the books I read have definitely tainted my mind but yes that would turn me on

what about having a stalker turns you on?

I guess the fact that they are so obsessed with me they feel the need to stalk and watch me

so you like the feeling of knowing someone is obsessed with you

yeah it would make me feel special I guess I don't know saying that out loud sounds concerning

no it doesn't I think you like attention you like knowing that someone is watching you and waiting to pounce on you when they want . You like thinking of someone taking you when they want and not having a say don't you

yeah I guess

so im guessing you also have a consensual non consensual kink ?

yeah you sigh . its kind of concerning how good he is at guessing your kinks and finding ways to get the information out of you without you having to just straight out say it. It honestly makes it less awkward .

so with the cnc kink what about it do you like?

I guess the fighting back I like to push buttons see how much of a fight I can put up until they finally brake and take their anger out on me

so your a brat?

excuse me you ask shocked at what he called you.

he laughs seeing you expression

y/n im not calling you a brat its a type of submissive trait you like getting a man annoyed at you so they punish you when they've had enough of your attitude

ohh yeah okay that makes more sense you say laughing softly to yourself

so you like being punished he says moving his leg closer to yours making them touch fully which has you pulsing around nothing. The way he speaks to you turns you on just the tones of his voice is deep yet soothing put there's also an underlying tones that makes it sounds like he's humiliating you with the words he speaks.

I mean I don't know ive never been punished a day in my life even as a kid I didn't get punished.

come here he says making you look at him confused

he softly grabs your arm then pulls you over his knees

w-what are you doing

don't worry this is strictly a lesson if you'd like me to stop I will but its easier to show you this way then explain with words

your breathing is loud at this point as your thighs squeeze together . the way he has you over his knees is doing something to you given the fact you know your ass is showing since your skirt is kind of short

are you okay with me showing you it will help you get an idea if being punished is something your into or not

you nod your head with cases him to jolt his knee up causing your body to bounce up and your skirt to ride up.

I need you to use your words y/n

y-yes this is okay I trust you

good now lets say I was your dominant okay. The thing I will be punishing you for is earlier can you tell me what that might be

ummm I don't know uh your voice coming out a little shaky. Your so turned on and you're sure if he looks down at any point he could see your soaked thong.

some on use your brain I know you'll figure it out he says as. you feel his hand on your back slowly rubbing small soothing circles

um when I didn't look at you after reading my fantasy

good girl thats exactly what I will punish you for and the punishment will be leaving my hand print on your ass would that be okay

y-yes

good now ill do 5 on each side okay if you want me to stop just tell me and I will okay

okay you say softly. The last thing you expected was for your first session to end with you over your therapists knee having a full demonstration of something you could be into.

his hand slides down your back to your ass as he rubs softly over your left cheek then his hand smacks down hard causing you to gasp.

thats one and I want you to count for me okay

y-yes sir

he groans causing you to blush and wait for the next smack

his hand comes down again making you squeak out Two

your doing good

after the last smack your breathing hard and your left cheek is stinging and pulsing in the spot he continuously hit.

his hand smacks down on your right cheek causing you to jolt forward .

fuck you gasp he hit harder than you expected.

you need me to stop

no im okay keep going

he finishes the last 4 and you're panting as your thighs are clenching together so hard you can feel the muscles straining. He helps you off his lap and you sit back down on the couch wincing in pain as your raw ass hits the surface.

he looks at you with dark blown out eyes with a slight smirk on his face.

well you obviously like being punished he says causing you to furrow your brows at him as you face got hotter.

oh yeah and how do you know that. you said in a snippy tone

because you clenched your thighs the entire time and ... I could see how soaked your thong was

your breathe hitched as you looked down at the ground trying to hide your embarrassment .

no need to be embarrassed . We did it to see if it was something you liked at it proved you did .

matt was about four years older than you making him 26 and you 22 which made this situation even hotter given the age gap.

yeah I know im just embarrassed I like it that much I guess

well I think we covered a good amount for out first session . When do you want to schedule your next meeting ?

do you have any openings on Tuesday ?

let me check he says getting up and going over to his desk to look at his computer .

he looked so hot leaning over his desk , his sleeves rolled up showing his toned forearms and his big veiny hands gripping the tables edge. God you wish you could have those hands around your neck. which makes you realize you forgot to mention one of your biggest kinks .

oh I did forget one kink that plays a roll in a lot

oh yeah and what is that he say still focusing on his computer

Hands you say biting your lip still looking at his hands.

he looks at you then notices you're looking at his hands causing his dick to stiffen even more in his pants. You hadn't noticed he had a hard on and he's glad about that. He's never had a client so close to his age that also fits everything he finds attractive . You're exactly the type of girl he's ever wanted , the perfect bratty submissive but he keeps it to himself knowing he's your therapist and he cant jeopardize your business relationship.

You snap out of it meeting his eyes as he's smirking at you causing your face to get red knowing he caught you looking at his hands.

I have two openings one in the afternoon for 1 pm or 7pm

can we do the 7 pm again

yeah of course ill put you in for 7pm

he finishes setting your appointment and starts grabbing his stuff you stand up off the couch and go to grab your phone where you had set it on his desk and grab your purse taking out your keys.

wait for me and ill walk you out its pretty late out you shouldn't be walking out of here on your own

okay thank you I mean you don't have to do that

no I insist he says before walking around his desk to you and leading you to the door.

he turns the lights off then locks his office doors then you both make your way down the hall to the sitting room area . He turns off all the overhead lights then meets you at the front entrance doors.

He locks those then you make your way to the elevators down to the parking deck.

so what did you think of your first session I know a lot of people don't like therapy

honestly I was really not excited but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be

im glad I wasn't that bad

me too honestly I was expecting an old man not ...you

ill take that as a good thing

oh yeah no sorry I didn't mean it in a bad way im really glad your young it made me a little less nervous

im glad and I hope it helped to talk through some stuff

it did I mean I usually don't talk about most of this sex stuff with people so it felt good to get some of it out

well then I guess the therapy is doing its job

yeah I guess so you say smiling over at him

which floor did you park on

im pretty sure eight

cool me too ill walk you to your car

oh no you don't have to do that don't you have like a girlfriend to get home to or something

no actually I don't I do have brothers that are waiting for me to get them dinner though

oh well don't let me take more of your time im sure I can safely make it to my car

come on were in down town LA there could be crack heads roaming around ill walk you they can wait

fine if you insist

you make it down to the 8th floor of the parking deck and start walking in the direction of where you parked

so do you live with your brothers

yeah im actually a triplet so you know were very close we haven't really felt the need to move into our own places

oh wow thats cool I have an older brother but were not super close I always wished id had a twin sister though

how old is your brother

oh hes 26

ahh the older brother dynamic I get it its kind of hard to have a close relationship when your 4 years apart

yeah we've gotten closer through the years but you know he's a guy im a girl its different

yeah I get that

okay well this is me you say pointing to your car

thank you for walking me

of course its no problem see you Tuesday

yep see you Tuesday goodnight mr.sturniolo

goodnight y/n and just so you know you can call me matt

okay well good night matt you say as you start to get in your car .

he starts walking the opposite way to where he's parked as you start your car up and head home .

... part 2 coming soon.

[disasterarea-podcast]

Okay, I know I probably don’t need to explain this to all of you, but also I want to talk to *somebody* about how I wish I had the sort of pull that would let me see “Society of the Snow” before it ends up on @netflix on January 4th.

“Alive” came out when I was in high school. I was a sophomore, I think? I just know I watched it a bunch for historical reasons (disaster! Survival! Struggle!) and superficial reasons (I was sixteen and Ethan Hawke was in danger!). It was on HBO a lot back then. Or it felt that way, because I watched it every time it came on.

As per usual, I watched the movie, so I went and got the book. (I have an Audible credit, so I’m preordering the audiobook of “Society of the Snow” for work. It comes out in a couple of days, FYI.) The movie is … sanitized, to say the least. They can’t avoid the eating of the dead, or showing it on occasion. But in real life, the situation was more blatant, because … well, who are you going to hide it from? They ate everything else, or at least tried to, before resorting to the dead. And then when they did resort to the dead, they ate it ALL.

The thing is, Uruguayan culture was heavy on beef. “Alive” (the book) describes it the way the Irish depended on potatoes. Eating the dead was difficult, but as Catholics they were able to talk it out and tie it into the rosary and taking the body and blood of Christ into their own. I’m not even a Catholic anymore, but I think even my latent Catholic training might kick in just a tad to help reassure me in a situation like that if I had doubts. (Note: I have been doing this podcast for WAY too long. Survival cannibalism wouldn’t even make me bat an eye at this point.)

My point is that in the real situation, the survivors used everything. And I mean everything. There were only three or four parts of the body they couldn’t eat - I think the genitals were on that list, but don’t quote me on it - but the rest? They picked the bodies clean. They needed to. There’s a photo of the survivors sitting outside the plane, hanging out, smiling for the camera. It’s usually edited. Everything else is kept, but what is usually clipped or blurred is a very clear shot of a human spine, not a spot of meat left on it, just … lying there. It might as well be an airplane seat, or a discarded jacket, or any of the other items scattered about.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for every single one of the people who went through that ordeal. The details are traumatizing enough without having lived through it. Every time somebody makes a “rugby players eat their dead” joke, I cringe.

So here I am sitting watching “Alive” again, because fuck it. The thing is, I have a fondness for this movie based a lot on high school and watching it lots and it introducing me to a survival story I’d never heard of. But I would always be the first to point out I’d love a redo. It’s not as accurate as it could be, it’s in English, it misses out on things like Carlitos Paez’s father searching for him and the others the whole damn time and the reception after they came back.

I’m hoping “Society of the Snow” has all of the things the first movie lacked. I want to see the reception when they came back. I can’t wait to see Carlitos playing his dad, and I hope we get that moment where he reads the list of survivors over the radio and his voice breaks when he gets to his son’s name. I hope we get the reality of survival cannibalism — that it’s not murder, that it’s not pretty, that you might get a little blinded to the horror of the reality.

The trailers for “Society of the Snow” gives me hope it does the story the justice it deserves. There are so many disaster stories that, while they may have gotten TV movies, I would love to see done for the big screen. Hillsborough. The Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire. The Galveston Hurricane. The Johnstown flood. But honestly, the trailers for “Society of the Snow” look gorgeous and respectful. Let’s do more movies like this for more disasters.

[cactuslester]

(hi i think it was you who talked about this but if it wasn’t you can ignore this sorryyy <3)

a few months ago you mentioned how it would feel disingenuous if the tour was starting to be made pre-gaming channel return since when they were promoting it said that they were touring because of how popular the gaming channel revival was, so i was wondering, how do you feel about what they said in preshow yesterday about how they revived the gaming channel because they were thinking about going on tour? (not trying to attack you or anything, just interested to hear your thoughts!)

hi anon! thanks for the ask, but i fear you have me mixed up with someone else, i do remember seeing this discussion on my dash a ~couple months ago, but i fear i have since forgotten who it was, sorry (but if this was you and you see this, feel free to weigh in <3), but i'll toss in my two cents anyways :P

yeah i do understand the idea that things would feel a bit disingenuous if they'd been seriously planning this since before dapg comeback and yet were promoting as if this as if it was purely in response to how well the comeback was received

however, after what they said yesterday, (i wasnt there yesterday nor have i listened to the preshow recording, this is just what i understand from people's summaries and posts about what they said, so correct me if im wrong), i dont think the way they went about it was disingenuous at all! it sounds like phil was the one to first bring up wanting to tour again, and dan suggested testing the waters first w/dapg before actually deciding and planning

this honestly makes a lot of sense to me because dan had just come back from wad, but phil hadn't toured since 2018, and i think w/dan talking about wad and also just covid + hiatus, phil genuinely missed us and touring 🥺 so im not gonna fault him for being excited and bringing it up and wanting to jump into planning

dan suggesting testing the waters w/dapg also completely makes sense since it had been 5 whole years, their audience grew up a lot, and the internet ecosystem changed a lot, so it would really be smart to have a way to gauge people's interest in joint content before embarking on something as big as a tour

and while dapg comeback served as a way to gauge that interest, i dont feel like the comeback was like based on Ulterior Motives or anything because i don't think they brought back dapg solely for the tour. we now know from the mukbang that phil really missed dapg and working w/dan throughout the hiatus, and he's been wanting to bring back the gaming channel for a while, he's just been waiting for dan to be ready, so i think even if tour wasn't in the picture at all, if dan had said he was ready, they would've brought dapg back

i also don't think dan said yes to dapg purely for tour reasons (especially since he Just finished a tour). it's clear how much dan has grown and how much he's learned about himself and his relationship with his audience through hiatus and wad, so it also just makes sense that after wad he was much more open to bringing back dapg

and i dont think they fully started hardcore planning the tour before dapg cb. like dan said, they were considering the idea, and then they brought back the channel, and then after seeing how good the reception was, decided to truly go ahead with tour, which isnt too different from what they've said recently in promoting the tour. they just didnt previously mention phil was floating the idea of the tour earlier, which to me, is neither here nor there, since in all these promo instances, they were just giving a summary of their thought process leading up to the tour, not like a Full Detailed Story, and i dont think they were purposely trying to Hide anything, otherwise they wouldn't have given us more info yesterday

[plegg-culture-is]

Hi. How to know if I'm an egg or I'm faking... Because usually in the evening I'm 99% there is more than one person there. And then when I wake up in the morning I think I was faking and I should stop

Faking is something you have to do purposely, so right off the bat, you can't be faking if you're genuinely questioning something. That said, you're probably also scared of just being wrong in general, so let me do my best to give you my thoughts on the matter.

While I don't know exactly what you mean by "in the evening", I have encountered a fair amount of plurals who talk to their headmates more often late in the day, usually shortly before they go to bed or when they're already in bed (especially before they knew they were a system). This could be for a couple different reasons – maybe it's a natural side-effect of winding down and relaxing, maybe being tired means people are more receptive to such ideas or doing things like talking to themselves without judgement; who knows? All I can say for certain is this seems to be a pattern amongst plurals. If this is what you're referring to, then that could be a sign in favor of you being plural.

Another thing I've noticed is that a lot of folks, when they're questioning or are first discovering their systems, often go back-and-forth between being open to the idea and rejecting it (hell, We did the same thing for a few months). Now, obviously, questioning like this doesn't definitely mean you're plural – it's just something I see a lot, and I want to let you know that this is perfectly normal to go through, and you're not alone in this kind of experience. Being unsure doesn't mean you're faking. Being unsure is a part of life; a part of questioning. Could you be wrong? Sure. But that's okay. Even if you're wrong, at the end of the day, you discovered something about yourself, didn't you? You can cross that off the list of things to investigate about who you are.

Something I'd encourage is to take some time to sit with your thoughts on the matter and write them down without self judgement. Don't stress over whether every detail is a sign for or against you being plural, just write what you observe and what you feel about it. What you feel about the possibility of being plural in general, too. Try it both in the evening when you're leaning towards the idea, and in the morning when you're not so sure. Having everything down on paper should help you make sense of it all, even if it doesn't give you all the answers immediately.

There's no surefire way to know if you're plural. But if you're questioning it, there's probably a pretty good chance you are, since most singlets don't seem to question their singlethood even after they're introduced to the concept of plurality.

I hope this helps, anon! Good luck on your questioning journey!

[hopeymchope]

True confessions from an RE:Zero convert

This might be more of a ramble than my better-organized reviews, but I have a lot to get off my chest.

Personal Backstory: The stuff you skip when reading a recipe

For a long time, I avoided isekai stories. They were so pervasive in anime/manga that I found them quite annoying.

When I first caved, it was only for comedies. I figured that, hey, they're taking the piss out of the genre; that sounds up my alley. So I felt it was safe to enjoy Konosuba. After that, I fell in love with Trapped in a Dating Sim... and to my surprise, it wasn't solely engaging for its overarching comedy. There was more characterization and interpersonal relationship stuff that grabbed me in that one.

That's probably what made me feel more receptive when I saw a couple of people call out Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion as an underappreciated anime highlight of 2023. I gave it a shot one afternoon with only mild expectations for it, and guess what? I adored it.

Yet despite ALL THAT? My expectations for RE:Zero were close to the floor. Raeliana had opened the floodgates, leading me to try some other isekai stories... yet I repeatedly found the ones I tried quite lacking. Furthermore, almost everything I'd read about RE:Zero over the years had been resoundingly negative in spite of its seeming popularity — a real "Sword Art Online" situation, basically.

But eventually, I was curious enough about why some people are invested in these characters that I started giving it a watch. These low expectations left me perfectly disarmed when it began to weave its spell over me.

Storytelling and Worldbuilding: Returning by death

You can neatly divide the show into story arcs, each representing a unique event/hurdle that the protagonist has to get past using his unique power.

The first arc of the story is mostly just setup for some of the important characters and the basic conceit. Our freshly isekai'd Japanese protagonist, Subaru, meets and bonds with a half-elf girl named Emilia, only to soon get tragically murdered. However, he just restarts his life from roughly one day earlier. He can go back in time by dying, giving him a new chance to take new approaches to situations and to accumulate knowledge via loops. Eventually, his "save point" advances to a new point in time... but what causes that to happen is left unknown for now. Making matters even worse is that if he tries to tell anyone about this superpower/curse, he feels intense chest pain as though he's about to be killed... so he has to keep this under wraps. (Though I still wish he'd try to tell people that he can't tell them. We never see if that'd work.)

With Subaru and Emilia established, the second arc introduces the most important supporting characters — Beatrice, Roswaal, Rem and Ram — and also puts one of them through a significant stretch of development. And finally, the third arc takes up the bulk of the series' first season, dealing with... frankly, a LOT. There's a lot crammed into it. You could even argue that it's got multiple smaller arcs stacked inside of it, and that would make complete sense. The third arc definitely does the bulk of the world-building/stage-setting for the future of the series, but there are details and background provided all throughout to get you up to speed on how people think here, how the government works, some of the existing races, etc.

I was initially taken aback by now blasé Subaru is about being transported to another world. This isn't a "death and reincarnation" thing like I've seen in most isekai stories; Subaru just blinks, rubs his eyes, and suddenly he's in a fantasy world just like that. And he... is completely unconcerned and unimpressed by that? It's a weird choice. Combine that with a point late in the first arc where he literally talks to the camera, and I thought maybe we were getting some kind of Deadpool-esque comedic commentary on isekai conventions.

It's the severity of the violence and related agony that makes me take it more seriously than that. I still find animated blood and gore extremely affecting — moreso than fake blood in live-action. That's probably because I was raised on Western animation that contained little to no sign of such violence, whereas Western movies and TV are full of corn syrup and other blood stand-ins. I'm just saying that when the deaths/kills come around in RE:Zero, they hit hard and often quite intensely. They're not showing entrails hanging out (even if they talk about it), but you can expect to see snapping bones and arterial spray. It's still a minority of the time, though; this is NOT a gorefest, and it's better off for that fact. When you suddenly get two minutes of ultraviolence after four episodes of relative peace, that makes it feel all the more effective.

It's not lookin' good there, chief.

I'm an easy mark for this stuff. Some of my primary entry points into anime were horror anime, so playing up this kind of horror gets me to sit up and take notice. It's not going to be anywhere near enough to keep my attention, though. I've certainly watched AWFUL horror anime that had nothing to boast about beyond their gore levels. That's where the quality of RE:Zero's character writing really saves the day.

What's really important to understand is that, through the strength of its gradual buildup of intensity helped along by showing the repeated consequences of failure Re:Zero manages to make some of the big anime shōnen  battles EXTREMELY hype! And yet, thanks to the great characterization? One of my favorite episodes in the whole show is an ep where two characters are just talking the entire time from a single location. THAT is the mark of something I love: If two characters holding a discussion for nearly half an hour has me COMPLETELY GLUED to it.

I've glossed over season two here because, although it still has some excellent moments, it's just not as good as the first. A big part of that is because it's just one giant-huge arc that covers all 26 episodes... and that's a LOT of time to spend on a single ongoing challenge/hurdle. It not only becomes exhausting and kind of boring to be confined to this problem/situation for so goddamn long, but it also makes it extremely obvious when Subaru is going to reach his final time loop and succeed. So once you piece together that the entire season is going to be stuck on this one arc, you realize you're stuck just waiting for him to get close enough to the season's end to finally achieve real progress. Once he does, though? It weirdly manages to feel like it's too soon -- like he didn't do enough to prepare all the problems at hand and somehow just won this time around because he tried super duper hard. There's also the fact that my favorite character from the first season is entirely sidelined (and apparently won't be in season 3 EITHER) — and nobody new manages to step into any similar shoes to pick up the slack.

Sounds like a good time to talk about that that character... as well as the rest.

Characters: The value of growth and change

One of the reasons I got into this so much is because the characters have flaws, go through changes, grow and develop. Rem is an early standout of this. As is apparently a common opinion, she quickly became my favorite character. Her shift from being suspicious and disdainful of Subaru to being 1000% supportive of him is EXTREMELY well-handled, and her sympathetic backstory is also one that we get before most other characters share their own. But when you get down to brass tacks, the main reason I think she's great is because she flips out and goes into violent combat mode whenever anyone she cares about is threatened. :D That's always a favorite archetype of mine. I love me a bloodstained hero or heroine who will march through hell and take any measure of punishment to save someone. Honestly, it makes it hard to understand why he'd so hooked on Emilia when Rem is so peak. And as I mentioned above, a big downside of season 2 is that Rem is completely absent past the first episode. In fact, she won't even be in the upcoming season 3!!! Alas, there is no "person who absolutely tears shit up and covers themselves in the enemy's blood to protect the ones they care about" character who steps in and picks up the slack, so I'm missing my favorite archetype after the first season. TSK.

She's not a princess (a lot of anger in it). Not your cutie girlfriend, oh no, don't you know?

I find it literally depressing that, to date, Rem is STILL not truly back in the cast of the source light novels - not in any way that matters. She makes her cameos via illusions or flashbacks or what-have-you, but she's not really there until she's physically AND mentally present once again. So until she returns to the team with all her memories (and therefore, her all-important character development) intact, I must legitimately ask: WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING, NAGATSUKI?!

Enough about Rem: We need to talk about the lead protagonist. Subaru is pretty brave throughout all this but really has to grow over the course of the first season and learn to be less self-serving and invest a lot harder into self-improvement. It's nice to see someone who clearly has blatant personal flaws but also is never a detestable person. I actually first saw him when I watched a few episodes of Isekai Quartet a couple years back, and frankly? I found him pretty loathesome over there. I was fully prepared for him to be a shitheel that I was inexplicably expected to like. I'm so glad that this isn't the case. In fact, I love having a character who wears his heart on his sleeve. He's not too manly to weep openly, and he's not afraid to act like a total doofus... or maybe he’s not smart enough sometimes to realize when he does. And although he may be frequently selfish and kind of stupid on multiple occasions, he never becomes one of those perverted male characters or too egotistical. Well... he gets a bit egotistical at times. Too much for someone like me, but... still not overmuch compared to many, many anime protags.

Panic! After Repeated Trauma

And yet... he does get a bit exasperating by the end of season two, imo. Partly because he doesn't grow too much in season two. At least he gets to confront his bottled-up feelings over leaving his homeworld behind, so that's nice. But otherwise, he's pretty much treated as this perfect man whose only major remaining flaw is a lack of combat skill. By the time you've got him convincing yet ANOTHER long-lived character to never give up and put all their faith into him personally just like he's done multiple times before, and it yet AGAIN works? The swelling music and the emotional reaction of the characters to him speechifying about how he'll always be there for them and needs them... that lands well maybe two times, but by this point — when he's talking to a character who has mostly treated him with disdain/avoidance and whom he's only hung out with maybe five or six times — it's pretty hard to swallow, honestly. But I'll try not to hold that against Subaru... I just want him to show some more flaws in future stories that go beyond just "He's not good at fighting." I want him to lose more arguments again. Besides, one of the best things in season two is when his mind starts to crack under the stress and pain of all the deaths he's endured. I think we should dig deeper into that.

I honestly love seeing a hero begin to crack under the pressure.

I kinda cheated by talking about Rem before Emilia. Emilia's the main female lead, after all, whereas Rem is a supporting player. The thing about Emilia, though, is that she's good and noble and pure-hearted from the start. She doesn't grow at all during season one, though at least she does show us a different side of herself when she questions Subaru's behavior during their argument. Season two sees her face her past and gain new inner strength, but she still undergoes far less change than Subaru or Rem in even just the first season. I'm glad they took the time to show her failing and then needing to learn in order to move forward, but Emilia's maybe just a little too perfect, y'know? One thing that garners her a lot of sympathy is that most everyone who meets her dislikes her just for being born a silver-haired half-elf. So many people associate that with one of the gravest threats to ever exist in this world that Emilia has to endure a lot of racism, and honestly? Confronting that racism is when the character is most engaging. So while Emilia is clearly likable and not totally uninteresting, she's not as interesting as a lot of the other players in the story. Most of the characters run deeper than her or have more mysterious goals. Compared to them, Emilia is an open book who rarely changes. The author of the books has said that Emilia is his favorite character, and maybe that's why he never sees much need to develop her. I think it does her a disservice.

On top of being beautiful and kind and intelligent, Emilia is also a powerful combatant. Because of course she is.

Her relationship with Subaru is a major focus, but it seems sort of hollow at first. Subaru admires her kindness/helpfulness and thinks she's beautiful, so he follows her around and dotes on her as much as he can. It's easy to see why he'd admire someone so good-hearted, but it starts to become a little cringe just how obsessively he dotes on her... and that cringiness peaks right around the moment when the two have a big argument and a falling out. It's an important scene that helps both characters, because it shows us Subaru's flaws on full display and also makes him confront just how cringey his devotion to Emilia can come off. Emilia, meanwhile, walks away to spend time without him for a while... though she never really rejects him, either. She really struggles with being independent. She keeps thinking about him and wishing he'd come back and make up with her. Clearly, she's gotten addicted to having a Hype Man around... and goddamn, I can't even blame her. Subaru looks at Emilia the way Stilgar looks at Paul Atreides. Who doesn't want that level of positive reinforcement available 24/7? By the end of season two, although both of them have grown, Subaru's still relentlessly hyping her up. He did criticize her (softly) in one major season two moment, but despite his claims otherwise, he still acts like she's an angel on Earth. And so, although he pool of their romance has grown deeper, it still feels like we've stepped out of the kiddie pool and into the shallow end. It means a lot more to see a character and their feelings grow and change over time, y'know? I suppose part of why we don't see that happening much is because Emilia is treated as so flawless to begin with.

Something I love in a long-running story is when a minor background character slowly starts to appear more frequently until - surprise! - they become a major cast member and full-time supporting player. Season two does this very successfully, and I love the character they expanded and brought into the cast. I feel like I shouldn't say too much about them for anyone who's a newcomer, because the gradual increase in their presence is so enjoyable. But it's a character who first appears in season one and has to wait numerous episodes of season two before they become important enough to get a front-row seat. It's very satisfying to watch them shift slowly from "fifth-tier supporting character who shows up for two scenes" into "major player."

Other characters? Ram is Rem's sister, and she's... not exactly a wealth of depth. Not yet, at least. She's mostly there to act tsundere. Her exact relationship with Roswaal remains hazy by the end of season 2, but she's clearly devoted to him and he's clearly doing... something for her? Roswaal and Beatrice both get by on acting mysterious. We learn a lot more about them in season two, and what we learn makes it hard to tear your eyes off Roswaal especially — he's a fascinating and weird bastard. Puck is a cat-like spirit with a lot of power and a very mischievious attitude. There's a surprising darkness lurking within him that keeps him from being some cute mascot-type. Season 2 also brings us some new characters whose long-term presence among the cast is still in question, but Echidna (not an Australian monotreme) is a standout. She really made me question everything I thought I understood about the moral good-and-evil situation in this reality.

Get those eyebrows under control. We ARE on television, y'know.

Serial Killin'

The series a whole is SO serialized and SO intense that it's really hard to watch it with gaps in-between episodes. Even taking one day off from the show mid-viewing proved too agonizing for me, so I was really grateful I could tear through seasons 1 and 2 in a rapid binge. I say this because... yeah, I don't see myself watching season 3 as it airs. Maybe I'll do a binge for each story arc it contains when they wrap up, or maybe I'll just wait for the whole season to conclude. But either way? This is something that demands to be binged in rapid succession.

I guess you get my point by now. I'm pretty hype about this series in spite of it holding some noteworthy flaws. I'm surprised I can still get so invested in something that dates back as far as 2016 that I haven't seen yet... and that gives me hope for what else I might discover going forward with my anime viewing.

[galaxyedging]

Marcus Moreno x f!reader

Warnings: protected P in V sex. Talk of sex work.

Summary: A new client finds her perfect match at one of the motel's Fantasy Weekends.

And It Just Keeps Getting Better

Part 2: It's Always the Quiet Ones.

The bass practically shook the walls of the reception hall.

"Someone go tell Omar to turn it down!" Pike calls as he joins the group outside.

"Tell him my hangover would thank him for it." Dieter adds, wincing as he rubs his temples.

"I have some oils that could soothe that, Princesa." Oberyn offers, a sympathetic smile on his lips as he looks at the permanently dishevelled man that he has taken quite a shine to.

"I'm good. Thanks." Dieter offers him a lop-sided smile of his own.

"Remember we need to circulate and talk to the guests. Not each other." Pike glanced at Oberyn's hand resting on Dieter's shoulder. "I'll have Omar turn the music down so we can actually hear them. Santos is serving food in an hour. That will give the guests time to choose from the other menu."

The Fantasy Weekend was always popular. It cost extra but guests were able to get to know the boys before they chose how they wanted to spend their weekend. Usually bookings were just made through Ezra. He would draw out every detail he needed to pair the person up with the perfect partner. Some were simple. A woman calls up looking for a cowboy, he books her in with Jack. A guy calls looking for the same thing, he gets Silva. Ezra enjoys the more complex ones. The one where he has to listen to what's being said between the words. The woman who insists she is not interested in romance and adamant that she just wants a rough, thrilling fuck. Ezra thinks the lady doth protest too much and sends her to Javier. They definitely gets her hard, satisfying fucking, there's no doubt about that. But a look from Javier's dark eyes that seem to magnify every emotion, shining with concern as he hands her a glass of water reminds her what she is missing out on. It's a cathartic realisation. It's okay to want something outside of the career she's worked so hard for.

Occasionally people ask what happens if they don't find their matches attractive. Ezra reassures them with a chuckle that they will. He's never had a customer who didn't fall for the charm of the boys.

"We have a couple of guests in the side room. Pike and I will tend to them." Moreno steps through the gathering of bodies. "You all know the drill. When Max has finished his introductions, go mingle. Javier and Din will keep an eye on everyone."

"Yes, boss." Jack tips his hat as Joel hides a smirk. Neither of them mind the Marcuses taking control of things, they just find their pathological need for organisation amusing.

Pike mutters a head count under his breath. "Wait, where's Dave?"

Frankie adjusts his cap and clears his throat. "He got a head start on things."

As if on cue Omar finally turned the music down. The sounds of ecstatic screaming came from above.

Dave York was like a predator, when the guests were herded in he would eye them up, looking for any weak ones to pick off. The timid little things were even more impressed by his prowess. That earned him a bigger tip, excellent word of mouth and repeat business. Plus it meant everything was on his terms, Dave hated to be dictated to. That was another reason he gave gatherings a miss. Once he lays his current client out for the night he might swing by to pick up someone who got off on the danger of him having someone else waiting for him. The wedding ring he wore fuelled the fantasy as he slipped his fingers into their panties to tease them before rapidly fucking them in a dark corner. Sending them on their way on shaking legs.

"Of course." Pike sighed.

"Here, at the Hotel de Deseo. We leave no wish unfulfilled!" Max finishes his intro with a flourish.

"Here we go." Joel yanks the doors open leaving those more comfortable with the attention to go in first. Of course, Oberyn and Dieter are first through. The crowd's gaze is mixed. Lust, approval and admiration cross their faces. Each of them give the men appraising glaces, up and down, before settling on the flower each man had pinned to their lapel, or sweater in Dieter's case. To aid the guests in their search for their perfect fantasy partner, each man wore a flower denoting their sexuality. Simple white blooms from the men that only slept with women. Green carnations for the men that only slept with men. Rainbow roses for everyone in between.

Silva and Gregor always elicited a few disappointed sighs from the women. The same goes for Joel, Pike and Moreno with the men.

Finally the pounding base was turned off. Every muscle in your body relaxed slightly, only for a moment. The nice woman, Mrs Lord, that showed you had given you a brief rundown of what to expect. After the dancing and mingling to loosen up. The men would enter and circulate, giving everyone time to work out who they'd like to spend the night with. From the cheering, you guessed that the men had entered. Suddenly you couldn't remember the courage that had brought you here. It was as if someone else called the number and made all the arrangements. Someone else picked a beautiful floral underwear set. Someone else delicately sprayed perfume over your decolletage, hoping that someone would get close enough to enjoy it. It wasn't an all together strange feeling to feel like someone else was controlling your body. Some days you felt like an imposter in it, just going through the motions of acting like a human being.

The door to the simply furnished side room you were sitting in opened. Kind brown eyes framed by thick black glasses meet yours as a smartly dressed man enters the room. He gives you a friendly smile as he edges closer giving you time to adjust to his presence.

"Hi, I thought there were two of you?" He glances around the small room as if he expects the other woman that was here to break out of the camouflage she's using to hide in the tiny room.

The owl-like motion makes you smile. "She got up the courage to go out there."

"But you're happy here…?" His question seems loaded as your fingers dig in the sofa cushions on either side of your thighs.

"Yeah, yes." A bubble of emotion bursts in your throat. "No. To be honest, I thought I could do this…I can't." Shaking your head, you hang it low.

"Can't do what? Sit on a sofa? That's all we're doing right now." The sofa dips on the other side under his weight. "There is absolutely no pressure to go any further with this. You can leave. We'll give you a refund of what you've paid so far. Since you have come all the way out here, maybe you could at least tell me what you're looking for."

"Sex." The word shoots out before you can stop it. You had an appreciation for honesty but that was blunt even for you. "I mean…"

Tiny laughter lines bloom on the man's face. He somehow manages to be even more attractive as he laughs at your candour. "It's okay. I appreciate your honesty. Sorry, forgive my bad manners. I'm Marcus. I'm here to help you find your perfect partner for the night, and the weekend if you'd like. I'm just going to ask you a few questions if that's okay?"

He flips over the clipboard on his lap.

"Yeah. Sure. Can I ask you a question?"

"Ask away. I'm here if you need anything at all."

"Are you one of the partners I could pick?"

When he nervously removes his glasses to clean them and you see his warm eyes properly, you're sure that he is the one. A relieved sigh leaves you when he answers. "Yes, I am."

Marcus diligently takes notes of everything you tell him. After Covid your company decided to have you work from home full time. In some ways it was a blessing. You didn't have to adjust to the world again. You could stay safe in your little bubble. Catering to your needs in a way the work environment just couldn't. The downside was that you met less people. There were less opportunities to find a partner organically. Dating apps and singles nights sounded like a nightmare. Plus you weren't sure if you wanted a relationship. A little human contact of the adult variety could probably keep you feeling fine for a while. That's when you'd heard about the motel. It sounded perfect. No messy social interaction. No second guessing people's intentions. Just a straightforward transactional exchange.

"It really is beautiful out here." Taking a lung full of fresh forest air, you relax as you look out across the lake.

"I thought you might like it. It's peaceful. I come out here to think."

"What do you think about? Sorry, is that too personal?"

"No. Just life I guess. I used to be in law enforcement. I retired for my daughter."

"You have a daughter?"

"Yeah, she lives with her mom. We divorced a couple of years back. I have her every other weekend. Sorry, maybe that was too personal." Marcus was always an open book with his clients when he felt that they needed to connect.

"No. I'm interested in what kind of man chooses to spend his weekends like this."

"A broke one if I'm honest. Some of the guys do it for fun. I got into it for the money but it does have its perks."

"Oh yeah?"

"I'm walking on the beach with a beautiful woman on a gorgeous night. What could be better?" The air between you became awkward. "Sorry. That sounded cheesy even to me. Oh, look we're here."

At the perfect moment you arrive at the beach cabin. It looks like a small one bedroomed log cabin. Recently made by your guess.

"This is Joel's handiwork. Working with wood is his passion." Marcus steps aside to allow you to enter the cabin.

The 'one bedroom' description was very accurate. It was literally a bedroom. A large high bed sat in the middle. A door to the left of it and a nightstand stocked with condoms and lube to the right of it.

"So what do we do now? Do we just have sex?"

Marcus gave you an adorable shy smile. "If that's what you want. How would you like to…"

"I don't know. It's been a while. I'm assuming the part still fit in the same way but I'm nervous about feeling comfortable in my body and want to do..to you."

"You don't have to do anything to me. I'll take care of everything."

The bed was soft but not as soft as Marcus's hands on your hips. His thumbs stroked circles on your bare flesh. His head was currently under your skirt. With your concerns about being naked in front of him he'd simply worked about your dress. Slipping your panties off to give him access before licking you intimately. It was better than you remembered and far better than any toy you had bought to satisfy your urges. His tongue had dipped inside you a couple of times before teasing your clit with kitten licks. A soft whine emanates from you when he brings you to a subdued orgasm.

Embarrassment wells inside you as he emerges with your slick covering his face. He made you feel so good yet you barely made a sound. He must be used to woman who scream his name not repressed woman who are terrified to utter a moan in case their neighbours hear.

"Was that good? You seem a little tense."

Marcus observes.

"It was. Very good. I just…I'm a little uptight naturally I guess."

"I can understand that. A few of the guys here tease me for that. Is there anything I can do to help you with that? How can I put you at ease?"

"No one will come out here, will they?"

"No, the party is still going on. I've booked the room so there's no need for them to."

"Could we put that radio on?"

"Sure, anything in particular you want?"

"No, something soft and can you turn it up?"

Marcus picked a soft Spanish station. The light guitar melody filled the air as he returned to you.

"Do you want me to make love to you now?"

"Yes. Marcus? Where would you like me to touch you?"

"I'll let you know."

Marcus eaes his pants down just far enough to free his sizable erection. Seeing you flinch he makes sure to add a generous amount of lube over the condom.

"Here we go." He pushes inside you like you're made of tissue paper. A slow gentle slide like he's afraid to rip you in two until he's fully inside you.

A strangled gasp cuts from you.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. I just forgot how good that was."

"Hopefully, it will just get better."

When he sees you forget how to breathe with his first thrust. He takes your hands in his holding them on the bed. "Just breathe."

The warmth of him filling you up is incredible. None of your toys can replicate this either. Or his kisses on your shoulder. A moan drifts out of you as you give yourself over to him. Willing yourself to untense and let him give you the satisfaction you came for.

As your body welcomes him, he speeds up. "Oh, that's it. You're taking me so well."

As Marcus lifts off of you slightly he strikes a new angle inside you. "Oh! Marcus."

"My name sounds so beautiful from your lips. Say it again for me, please?" He pumps his hips at the same angle.

"Oh, Marcus! Marcus!" The volume of your voice startles you but he is making you want to scream his name. Anyone in ear shot be damned. Your legs come up around his waist. Shifting you slightly he sinks deeper.

"Oh, yes! God!" Your head is thrown back into the pillows. You're sure that you look possessed. Wild and feral but you can't seem to care as he pounds into you. "Marcus. Marcus. Marcus." All shame leaves you as he builds another orgasm deep inside you. This one almost takes your breath with its intensity and it hasn't even crested yet.

Suddenly it does. "Marcus. Oh, yes. Marcus. Yes!"

"Oh, oh. I'm gonna…ooooh." Marcus adds a few moans of his own as he fills the condom.

Deciding to end the night on a high, that is where your time at the motel ends. Marcus sees you out. A cab picks you up from the front desk.

As Marcus waves you off Dave appears from his room. "Drove one away already Pike? That's a new record." He calls as he descends the stairs.

Marcus usually tries to rise above the barbs but seeing you bloom for him has his pride high. "Was the last record held by you and your stunning people skills?" He snipes at Dave.

"If I send them away it's for medical attention. I just had another one pass out on me." Dave calmly lights a cigarette as Marcus's head whips up his room. "Relax, Boy Scout. She's fine. Kyle's given her the once over. She apparently hadn't squirted before."

Dave finished half his cigarette before stubbing it out against the and throwing it in the trash. "Anyway it means I get to pull a double shift. You coming?"

Max and his wife watch from the office as the two of them walk away.

Marcus takes a last longing look after your cab before heading back to the party.

"I'm surprised we've made it this long with all the testosterone in this place." She teased him.

"Mi Amor, with you handpicking these men, how could we go wrong?"

[blackberrysummerblog]

WIP Wednesday

I’m back on my married-by-the-Crucible AU bullshit (LIES, I never left. Even the clothes-shopping snippet I posted for Six Sentence Sunday is from The WIP That Ate My Life). It’s coming along, though! And I’m going to tag people this time!

This scene is at a garden party reception that Baz’s parents throw to ‘celebrate’ 😒 his marriage to Simon, and for the happy couple to sign the Book. Baz has a brief conversation with his cousin on the patio that overlooks the party below. (Canon divergent details are that Baz was homeschooled after being bitten as a child, and Simon managed to give himself wings and a tail while at Watford, much earlier than happened in canon.) Hope you like it!

‘If it isn’t the old married man!” I’m caught off guard by someone thumping me on the back, which says heaps about my concentration today. It’s been a long time since anyone’s successfully crept up behind me, even with the amount of noise generated by the party.

“Dev.” My smile is genuine; Dev is my cousin and the same age as me, so he and his former schoolmate Niall are the closest I’ve had to real friends. He hugs me warmly, smelling of some expensive tobacco scented cologne—and underneath there’s a hint of good, clean, solid oak. (I always notice, even when I’m not trying.)

“Which one is yours?” Dev asks, waving toward the crowd below. The breeze is picking up a little, enough to carry music from the bottom of the lawn.

“You hadn’t heard I was paired with the Chosen One?” I ask, smirking. Dev went to Watford with Snow, at least for a little while; his parents sent him to boarding school in France to finish his education a few years back. Less plebby, don’t you know.

Dev winks at me. “’Course I have, but it’s been years since I saw Simon Snow. And isn’t he supposed to have wings and a tail still?”

“Temporarily spelled off for the occasion, at his request.” I search the crowd until I spot Snow, mugging for a young woman I dimly recognize as Penelope Bunce. She’s smiling politely as he holds his hands palm-up on either side of his face and hops from foot to foot—magic only knows what he’s miming, but he looks a complete fool. And completely happy, carefree in a way I haven’t seen enough of. “There,” I say, pointing at him. “That numpty over there.”

Dev follows my gesture and gives a low whistle. “He’s filled out nicely,” he comments. “I remember him being something of a ragbag, but he looks—Crowley below, look at you, Baz.” I break away from staring at Snow to glance askance at Dev. “You’re utterly smitten.” He shakes his head wonderingly. “Lovestruck.”

“I’m no such thing.” (I am. It’s a miracle Simon Snow’s name hasn’t tattooed itself across my forehead from the sheer force of my obsession with him.)

A sly grin moves across Dev’s face, one I know better than to trust. “So,” he wheedles, edging in, “How’s the sex?”

“We’re not discussing that,” I say shortly, looking back at Snow. He’s absolutely glowing.

Dev relents. “It’s just that...I’d wondered if the Crucible choosing the perfect partner meant that it was...you know, staggering.”

Certainly a word for it, yes. Still staring at Snow, I give Dev a little shrug. “I should think the Crucible would match people according to whatever characteristics are most important to them.”

“Sex for me, then,” Dev predictably replies. He folds his arms over the railing and bumps my shoulder with a companionable air. “You know, I went to school with Wellbelove, as well. Her father’s a magickal doctor, he could probably have those wings and the rest off in a blink. Make travel a bit easier—Snow was a bloody menace in the school’s minibus on field trips.”

The image of Snow haplessly trying to crowd into a minibus with his schoolmates, annoying everyone in the process, mitigates my urge to push Dev into the hedges beneath us for his suggestion. Poor Simon, scruffy and obtrusive. He’s deserved so much more than he was given.

But he has me now. “I don’t mind the wings. Excuse me,” I say to Dev, turning toward the steps.

“Hey, sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“I know.” I flash Dev a hurried smile. He’s my cousin, after all. “I just remembered something. Catch up in a bit?”

He nods, so I fling myself down the steps and into the crowd, making my way toward Simon with as few stops for polite greetings as possible. (It takes an age. A literal age). “Snow. I—excuse me, hello, Penelope. Lovely to see you,” I manage, barely remembering my manners as I take hold of Snow’s arm. “It’s the appetizers. There’s a bit of a problem.”

“What!” Simon exclaims, looking horrified, at the same moment that Bunce retorts, “Caterer’s problem though, isn’t it?”

“They need our input. We’ll just be a moment,” I say, trying to convey urgency without physically yanking Snow off his feet. I hardly need to, though, since I’ve said the one thing guaranteed to get him moving—if he knew which direction to head in, he’d be the one dragging me.

He’s prattling on as I hustle him into the mudroom at the side of the house and lock the door. “Baz, what is it? It’s not the stuffed mushrooms, is it? Or the tattie scones? Merlin, did they burn the pastry cups?!”

Rolling my eyes, I push him up against a bank of coat cupboards. He’s delusional if he thinks my parents are serving tattie scones, Crowley. “There’s nothing wrong with any of the food, Snow,” I murmur against his ear, inhaling the rich, fatty scent of browning butter that is just Simon, beneath his soap, beneath even his magic.

He turns his head and laughs when I nuzzle his neck—he always does—then slides his fingers through my hair as I kiss along his jawline. “Baz.” Pushing at my chest, Simon looks up at me with wide eyes. “We don’t have time for this. Don’t the caterers need us?”

Tagging @raenestee @thewholelemon @captain-aralias @ileadacharmedlife @cutestkilla @ionlydrinkhotwater @dazed-squid @artsyunderstudy and anyone else who would like to share!

[ultravioletfuture]

ULTRAVIOLET VISIONS: Perfect Dawn and New Portal Plus+

Hello UVF! This week, I honestly don't have a ton of new releases to talk about but I have a couple releases in my bandcamp collection I'm gonna recommend to everyone. It's been a busy couple weeks getting UVF releases scheduled, finishing the UVF magazine, and wrapping up the final mix and masters for Perfect Dawn, but I've got some things to talk about for the future of music on the portal side of things.

Next week the first Perfect Dawn single, "Back To You Pt. 1", drops on Friday the 15th and we can't wait to share it with you all! Working on Lunar Data Garden has also been super refreshing and Perfect Dawn has come to be something Truman and I are super proud to be a part of. Aside from Lunar Data Garden, I've been wanting to work on more portal related music and already have 3 new mixtapes planned out as part of a new sub-alias, "New Portal Plus+".

New Portal Plus+

These new mixtapes I've been working on are composed of some B-sides from ULTRAVIOLET CATHARSIS, tracks I made during the Perfect Dawn production period that didn't necessarily fit the sound, or completely new tracks that complement the concepts. I've been wanting a space to host new music I wanna work on that isn't as high in concept or tediously produced and sitting on my hard drive to release until perfect. Lately I've just been feeling like I've put a lot of time and effort into meticulously putting my albums together so far to create very concise sounding records, but sometimes I just wanna make a collection of tracks, throw them together and drop them on Bandcamp without having to worry about a ton of promo. These mixtapes will still have effort put into them just like I do with all my music, they won't just be looming over my head for over a year until I get the song to sound perfect. I will still be working on more conceptual, thoroughly produced mainline albums for portal.rwb and portal.flx, these mixtapes are merely just extra albums that I probably wouldn't even think about releasing without a mixtape club setup like this. The process so far has been extremely refreshing and has eased my mind to be able to still put out music for those that are interested without having people wait a year between album cycles. I'm still on the fence about setting up a subscription club for these mixtapes, but regardless, the first 3 mixtapes will be available for free to the public as a sorta sample to what the club will be and if a subscription club happens, it will only be a couple bucks for my entire catalog plus exclusive mixtapes. More details will follow in the coming months but I can't wait to share what I've been working on for you all!

Other than this, I've been working on the next couple months for UVF releases and currently have 5 albums scheduled to release in the next coming months! I'm beyond to excited to start UVF Year 2 soon and to share these new releases with you all! The UVF Magazine is also coming very close to full completion and should be ready to send out for printing in the next couple weeks. Depending on the reception of this 1st Edition, I might end up doing more editions routinely, but it's been a huge mission to get so many people involved and am happy enough just to get this 1st Edition out to you all for now.

Album Recommendations

I honestly haven't had a ton of newer releases I've been able to check out this week, but if you guys have any releases new or old that you'd like me to cover, be sure to send it over!

アバドン (aka Abaddon) is an artist I suprisingly haven't brought up on the blog before, but I highly recommend you all give them a listen!! You may be a little more familiar with their album Perfect Fake , but if you haven't heard them by now, they are easily one of my favorite artists in the Vapor scene rn and are constantly pushing the boundary for Vaporwave and Electronic music. I highly recommend starting here if you are into any works by death's dynamic shroud and have a soft spot for K-pop samples. If you are looking for something a bit dreamier, definitely reach for Perfect Fake afterwords, or The Lady In Black for something much more dramatic and darker in tones.

Gonna shout out the new super going project "Wake Up" for it's incredible deep and rich atmospheres throughout. super going specializes in Experimental Electronic music and showcases a nice blend of glitch, noise, and ambient on this new release. The album definitely embraces more of a noisy distorted field-recording sound in the first half and then leads you into very airy and ethereal atmospheres in the second leg of the album. If you are looking for something to scratch that itch for something mildly ambient with heavy electronics, definitely check out "Wake Up".

"In A Silent Way" by Nico Niquo has been my go to ambient record for the past couple months now since first discovering it. If you are into anything from the Orange Milk label at all, this release will surely be right up your alley. The album is a perfect blend of minimal instrumentation and electronic music that just keeps me feeling warm and welcomed. Each track feels like an airy trip floating through the sky in an endless sea of sonic clouds that fill you with emotions of comfort and peace.

Thank you all for checking out this weeks UVF blog! Sorry there wasn't a ton for me to cover, but I hope to have more to talk about next week. Maybe during some of these dryer weeks where I don't have a ton of specific releases to talk about, I might ask for your recommendations on any topics to talk about and have a dedicated segment towards. Be sure to tune in next week for the new Perfect Dawn single and I can't wait to see you all next week <3 ! -portal from UVF

[one-winged-dreams]

ALL EVEN NUMBERS FOR AZUL GOOOOO

@sosoftandsweet

GAHHHHH I'M ABOUT TO GO HAM ON THIS LMAO

Was your FO immediately receptive of your advances, or visa versa, or was that something that came with time?

Azul was ambivalent based on his judge of Sol's character. He was damaged goods, so was he even worth interacting with? Should he try to kill him? But he's also fucking insane, and that's kinda fun. Guess I'll just let him hang around if he wants, idfk... And then proceeded to get attached to the point of RAGING jealousy if anyone else fucked with Sol. HE'S the only one allowed to fuck with him dontchaknow. Now he's just super fun to watch and be around, and he's just so damn CUTE, AUUUGH.

No couple is going to agree 100% of the time. What is the main source of any disagreement between you? Is it the same topic for all parties, or do you have different sticking points? Has this ever caused a row?

Sol would never in a million years disagree with Azul, but the shards of rage do flare up from time to time and he's just like "FightmefightmefightmefightMEFIGHTME." but like... In a weird affectionate sort of way? While still being angry? Like, I'M SO ANGRY YOU AREN'T KNOCKING ME TO THE FLOOR RIGHT NOW. And Azul isn't ALWAYS receptive, so Sol would aggressively follow him around, fuming and bonking his head against him askjgh. And either Azul would end up finding it cute, or he'd get angry too and be like "FINE, LET'S GO THROW DOWN, GOD."

Your FO is having an awful day and wants to throw it all in and just give up. It is your job to bring them around and help them believe in themselves again. How do you do it?

Azul absolutely does not give up on anything ever, but he does get moody. Especially back when the Restrictors were a thing. Sol proceeds to make a nuisance of himself asking Azul if there's ANYYYTHING he can do. Anything at all. Please ask me to do something for you. If Azul is feeling up to it, they request either a sparring session or a mission together. Nothing more cathartic than beating people up, even if it's each other.

Last time we asked how quickly your FO came to trust you. This time we want to know: How quickly did you come to trust your FO? Was it an instant thing, or did they have to really work to get through your barriers so you could open yourself up to them completely?

I still am mulling over the timelines, but I want to say Sol "joined" Deepground before Azul, he was just kind of on standby. He was absolutely considered one of the colored Tsviets, the Restrictors just didn't like using him because he was so broken. When Azul came along and he got to interact with him for the first time, the Restrictors kind of had them go at each other for funzies, let's test out the new beast on the scrap project zero suit style. And then Azul ABSOLUTELY managed to bust his lights out. He was quite the scrappy boy, though (no pun intended), and shifted into one of his rage shards, launched himself at Azul, and got knocked back down again. And then got up again. And he got knocked down. And he got up again. Now that song is gonna be stuck in my head. Anyway, he was burning so much mako on top of the mako that was building that he evened out and just collapsed, got laughed at, by Azul, and shard shifted again, but this time with heart eyes. And he was obsessed with him from then on out.

Do you or your FO have any skeletons in the closet? Have they been revealed yet, and if so, what was the reaction of the person learning about the unexpected past events? If not, do you think they will ever be revealed?

They are both literal killing machines made by morally reprehensible experiments. I think the transparency is there based on -gestures vaguely- everything. However, if they were to find each other's files, I think it would go like this.

Sol would obsessively pore over every detail, the fact that Azul was kidnapped by Shinra, killed his kidnappers, and then decided "Wait, I want in on this action" and went BACK to Shinra to volunteer himself would drive him fucking nuts. And the fact that he killed all the other behemoth experiments (minus you lmao) would have his head spinning with adoration. Like, wow, Azul is so strong, only someone so strong could do what he did, I love him I love him I love him I lo-

Azul would find it HILARIOUS that Sol had volunteered himself to a project without knowing the finer details of it. The fact that he basically got trapped into brutal experimentation, the reports of his gradual descent until the sudden absolute sundering of his mind turning him into an aberrant lunatic that killed the ones that had done it to him, and the decision to totally scrap him by handing him off to Deepground because he was too much trouble and not nearly useful enough? What a guy, just an absolute riot. It would probably make him TWICE as fond of him.

[crying-fantasies]

Walk with me: Flowers and fire

Masterlist

Prev/Next

You know that kind of feeling?

That one, the one that is so intense, that makes you almost cry, almost puke.

The one that makes you punch the person in front of you in the face, not once, but multiple times, just to show your anger, your disgust to their mere existence.

"I'm telling you, right here, right now, if you go there, I'm cutting ties with you forever"

Did you really share an ounce of blood with this person? Really? It made you feel ashamed even when you weren't responsible for their stupid words.

You were about to pop a vein every minute now, where was your father? He was supposed to be here and take you next to your husband-

No, nop, you really had problems at the moment of thinking about Dio with that new title, it was so new.

So strange.

Just as expected, your blood relative, that was her name now, almost ran away when your father arrived, giving you a hand to take before even facing what was ahead of you.

Being honest, how do you feel when you are about to get married? Many can say or express their happiness, maybe giddiness, nerves creeping their way to all your body and make you ask yourself: are you making the right choice?

Well, for that you needed to have a word in all of this, and you just now realized that, no, you never had a say at all, but how could you change that when everything was there for you, waiting, expecting for you to take that path, one that someone else already choose for you.

How can you think about that now? How can you think about it when you are only a step away from the place that is going to knock you to the same that is now holding your hand.

Wait a second, he is indeed holding your hand, giving a little squeeze to it, and if you didn't know him any better, you would say that he is even trying to comfort you, but he was able of doing that? He? Dio? The very same guy that was a direct idiot when it concerned any other human being that wasn't him or his goals in general?

The very same man that you were getting married in that very same moment?

"Yes" oh well, nevermind, you already said the words when you were asked for, not even thinking about it too much, wasn't there supposed to be a dramatic pause from your part? Well, you just forgot about it, now hearing the people that was here, guests to your wedding, your friends bawling their eyes out, the hateful glances from the people with your same blood and the good natured father that was just smiling to the new couple that he had created.

Such an interesting thing, to be really married, to have a ring in your hand, to have to throw the bouquet, to try and do this like it's supposed to do, give them fun in the reception like it's supposed to be, just like that, following what others told you, just like always, even when you denied it in the past saying that you didn't want to follow the rules of others.

But, at the end, you hear and follow what others tell you to do.

Is this how your life is going to be from now on?

Apparently it is really how is going to be, you realize so when you are finally left in the bedchamber, this isn't the Joestar manor, this is a separate home, just like how Dio said, just like it was expected.

"You look dead inside" oh, talking about Dio, he is above you, quite literally, you don't remember the moment when you just collapsed on the bed, maybe it was at the moment you put your eyes on it, so exhausted, your body had enough of this bull shit, he still has his attire but his hair was more messier, maybe the moment that the doors closed his hand was already on his hair, like he sometimes do when he is stressed.

...

Dang it, since when have you been so detailed about him?

Wait, now that you think about it, maybe you did indeed look at Dio more often than not, especially since the whole fiasco started, searching for information in your memory of you two together, not exactly being friends but trying to appear civil in front of the adults.

Maybe you two did indeed know about one another, you figured that out the moments in which he heard all your opinions on how the people looked and handled you, when he tried to soothe you, when he learned new things to understand you, or like right now when he lets your hair free out of all the ornaments on it, his hand splaying it in the bed's surface, lifting a weight that you didn't even notice after all the problems.

Maybe, you were irritated when the idea settled, everything was being reduced to a "maybe", the very same one that you just said to answer his opinion of you looking dead, like you almost had nothing to give.

Oh, maybe you still had something to give, or to earn, that's what you think when he finally approaches, because there is a final thing to finally end this exhausting day, and you welcome him with open arms, so exhausted.

Just for one day, saying that inside, trying to believe it, letting your prejudiced mind rest for a moment, it can't be this bad, you could make it right, you can.

Just for once, you will put aside every problem or discrepancies that you and Dio had.

[florrickandassociates]

TGF Thoughts: 6x05 -- The End of Ginni

Finally making a dent in the backlog of recaps. Let’s go!

LOL at this episode title

Liz is on a morning show, talking about Ketanji Brown Jackson and the Supreme Court. She’s positive at first, but ends up expressing her concerns about Ginni Thomas.  

After the interview, a white cameraman makes a finger gun pointed directly at Liz. Unsettling. She immediately calls Jay and tells him to prioritize keeping the firm secure. I still don’t understand why Jay, the investigator, seems to double as head of security.  

She phones Diane (who’s getting high) next and reiterates her concerns about security. She tells neither Diane nor Jay about the finger-gun incident. I love that Liz still thinks of Diane as the one to call here, even though Diane pretty much has no power.  

Diane hallucinates a lot of plants and calls in the doctor. It’s the woman again, who I think (and this is based on having seen the rest of the season but I don’t think constitutes much of a spoiler) is just Bettencourt’s business partner and not any sort of romantic mate. This woman seems to have a very bad bedside manner, though we might just be seeing her through Diane’s eyes. And Diane does not like her AT ALL. They have a very weird staring contest, which I assume is not actually happening.  

The FBI shows up at the firm to talk to Marissa about what happened “last week.” Marissa insists that Jay be present for the convo. The gunman is still on the loose and seems to be affiliated with a white supremacist group, so the FBI suggests that Marissa “take precautions.” Marissa’s takeaway from the convo? She needs a gun.  

Ri’Chard is talking to a producer guy about creating more content like the podcast from last episode. He also brings up a legal issue – a “pushnup,” which is like a prenup but it happens when a couple’s about to have a baby. I don’t remember much about what happens in this episode, but I’m expecting that I’m about to write “case stuff happens” quite a bit.  

ELSBETH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

I love watching Elsbeth interact with new people. Here, she meets Carmen. Elsbeth is in the elevator, staring at a sticker on the ceiling that says “BUB.”  

“Are you going up or down?” Carmen asks, just trying to get on the elevator. “That depends on the day,” Elsbeth replies. Carmen leaves the interaction confused.

At reception, Elsbeth learns that Ri’Chard is not “Richard,” commits that to memory, and offers the receptionist a paperweight because she started blowing glass during the pandemic.  

Julius is the first to recognize Elsbeth. Trying to recall if we’ve seen them interact before. Probably?? She gives Julius a paperweight too.  

Elsbeth is surprised that the conference room is Ri’Chard’s office. Ri’Chard doesn’t understand that’s why she’s surprised (he just thinks it’s a weird thing to say) but I’m pretty sure the line is meant to highlight that Ri’Chard doesn’t know who Elsbeth is or how many times she’s been to the office.  

Elsbeth is there because she’s on the opposite side of the pushnup case.  

Ri’Chard and Julius look at each other in confusion, but Julius doesn’t tell Ri’Chard much about Elsbeth (though I’m not sure there’s much more he could’ve done with Elsbeth in the room).  

Elsbeth is at her most quirky in this scene, so of course Ri’Chard underestimates her and thinks she’s “easily confused.”  

Liz is heating up dinner for Malcolm at home. Her kitchen is so pretty.  

Liz gets a call from a woman claiming to be Ginni, asking her to apologize for her remarks on the morning show. Ah, it’s this season’s pee tape/Melania divorce episode. COTW heavy + familiar concept = hopefully a short recap.

The next day at work, Liz does not react to explosions happening outside. She calls Ginni back and gets her voicemail. She thinks about leaving a message, then stops herself and hangs up.

I have mentioned this before but I do really love the little detail that Liz always wears an Apple Watch.

In their next meeting, Ri’Chard comes to understand that Elsbeth is brilliant. Turns out he’s done exactly what she wanted and something something crypto is the real issue.  

Diane watches flowers grow (or imagines she’s watching flowers grow). She’s interrupted by Ri’Chard, who wants her help. He mentions Elsbeth’s name, and Diane’s like, “is she here?!” Then she yells excitedly, laughs, and jumps up from her desk and heads to Ri’Chard’s office. Elsbeth greets her with a similar reaction. I love that these characters are genuinely friends now. I didn’t know I needed Super Happy High Diane interacting with Elsbeth, but I think I did.  

Jay and Marissa go to a gun range. Before I could even fully form the thought, “But wasn’t Marissa in the army; why would Jay need to teach her how to shoot?” Marissa hits the target perfectly, repeatedly, and reminds (tells?) Jay about her time in the IDF.  

Marissa and Jay silently mock some dick-measuring contest going on in the next aisle, but the conversation seems less funny when it shifts to being about political violence. As they shoot, they scream, “BUB!”  

Marissa researches the group that’s supposedly targeting her, using actual Google (sorry Neil Gross) to do so. She ends up watching a video about the signposts of an upcoming civil war, realizing with horror that she recognizes most of them. I have so many thoughts about this wrt how this all turns out after the finale, but I want to keep these as spoiler-free and accurate to my initial thoughts while watching as I can.

Marissa making giant checkmarks on a sheet of notebook paper is absolutely a touch done for dramatic purposes because there is a zero percent chance that this is how Marissa Gold would count to ten lol

God I love these credits.  

At home, Malcolm asks Liz if she’s worried about him because she’s been home for dinner every night lately. Awww, but also that implies she wasn’t before! He seems like a good kid.  

Ginni calls again, just as Liz and Malcolm are sitting down to watch Below Deck. I am very shocked they’re watching a real show that, as far as I can tell, is not on Paramount+. Liz is too curious to not pick up.  

Blah blah blah, they end up talking about Below Deck and bonding.

Marissa’s (correctly) worried she’s being followed.

Liz gives Jay yet another task (how does Jay have the time for all of this?) -- figure out if Ginni is really calling her.  

“Alright. I sound a little crazy. Okay,” Liz says to herself. I am always a fan of lines like this. Alicia used to get them too.  

Jay continues to do anything but his job (a criticism of the writers, not of Jay – and, honestly, maybe some unintentionally (?) good writing to show that Jay’s interests are shifting) as Marissa calls him and says she thinks she’s being followed. I will not nitpick the location of this scene. I will not nitpick the location of this scene.  

Carmen does not like the “bub” sticker one bit and is attempting to remove it from the elevator ceiling herself. It’s interesting to see that this is so unnerving to Carmen, someone who is comfortable around some of the worst criminals out there.  

The tulips outside of the building really make it look like October/November, A+ touch for realism.  

Marissa heads back to the office; Jay follows the men who’ve been trailing her. He snaps a picture of the plates of the totally not suspicious at all black van they hop into and heads upstairs to share his findings with Marissa.

Jay tells Marissa to stop reading scary things online and that he’ll follow her that night to make sure nothing bad happens.

Carmen’s figured out what BUB means and it’s a white supremacist slogan, one Marissa’s already familiar with.  

Meanwhile, Elsbeth and Diane are loudly laughing and drinking and having a generally good time in Diane’s office. Diane even calls Elsbeth “Beth” which feels so familiar and also so out of sync with how I think about Elsbeth that I’m a little shaken by it!  

Diane and Elsbeth get to work; make a deal. Then Diane gives Elsbeth a flower (she’s still doing this, I guess) and Elsbeth puts it in her hair. I will miss Elsbeth. I will miss this show.  

Jay calls Liz with some info that makes it seem plausible, though not probable, that the real Ginni is the one calling Liz.  

The case has been resolved! Except that it hasn’t been! There’s a new lawyer in the mix! Elsbeth and the R&R team have to work together! Cool. I don’t care. But I’ll take more Elsbeth scenes.

Case stuff happens.

Liz watches Below Deck in her bedroom, chatting with Ginni the whole time. Seems like Liz needs more friends.  

Ginni mentions trying to get Clarence to retire. This is an appealing tidbit to Liz, who now has to decide if she wants to try to persuade her new friend who may or may not be a prankster. Ready to be done with this plot, please and thank you.  

Liz flat out asks if it’s a prank. She does not get a clear answer.  

CASE STUFF HAPPENS! Sorry lol I’m so behind on these I’m excited when I have nothing to say.

Walking later that night, Jay asks Marissa why she’s obsessed with the idea of civil war when everything’s fine. Uh, idk, maybe it’s because her firm’s being targeted, she had to hide in a closet with Wackner after a populist uprising last year, her dad was just the target of an assassination attempt, and she’s being followed? (I wish the show would let these things be text instead of subtext.)  

Marissa keeps her reply broad, reciting the talking points from the earlier video.  

Marissa’s shadows come back. Jay instructs her to go ahead and then confronts them; they threaten him with the guns they imply they’re carrying. Marissa, instead of going ahead, circles back. Jay gets her to walk away; the shadows walk away too. So Jay takes out his gun and commands them to get down. They pull out their guns in response. Guess Jay thought they were bluffing a minute ago.  

The men claim to be FBI. And then a lot of black people walk onto the scene with phone cameras recording. A man claiming to be a lawyer appears and tells the FBI agents why they’re in the wrong. It’s extremely effective to the point of being unrealistic. Which is, the Kings have said, the point of this plot – what if there actually was a group that was organized and effective and cohesive in a way that very few actual groups are?  

The FBI agents say they were there to protect Marissa. I don’t buy it. Shouldn’t Marissa know she has protection?  

Jay asks the mysterious man who he is, where he’s going. Good questions. I’d also like to know why they were there at this moment. Was it to scout Jay? Are Marissa’s shadows not actual FBI agents?  

He gives Jay a number (it’s not clear what for) then disappears into a sleek black van. Intriguing...

Diane is looking through one of Elsbeth’s paperweights in the office the next day. Liz catches her and looks amused. I think Diane needs some hobbies. Or some actual work.  

“What does the future hold?” Liz jokes, since it looks like Diane’s holding a crystal ball. Diane doesn’t seem upset or embarrassed at all, which I’ll take as a comment on how friendly she and Liz are... and not a comment on how high she is.  

Liz tells Diane about her Ginni predicament. Diane is just like, if there’s any chance at all it’s real, go for it. Liz reasons that the worst that can happen is that she’s embarrassed. (And, honestly, among her friends, I don’t think the embarrassment would even be that bad if she says “I never believed it but... no harm in playing along, right?”)

Liz catches herself thinking that we’d all get along if we just talked about reality shows instead of politics. Diane gives her a look. I love watching these two.  

Diane’s case involves “legally attacking a fetus.” (There’s some stuff here about complicating Diane’s Pro-Choice stance in order to win a case; I have nothing else to add about it.) Liz asks if Diane wants her advice and Diane does. Liz’s advice? “Don’t.” Solid advice.

This case should probably hit harder than it does. The problem for me, with nearly all TGW/TGF cases, is that there’s an interesting idea that can be summarized in one sentence (Diane arguing that fetuses should have rights even though that aligns her with Pro-Lifers)… and then there’s at least 15 minutes of developing that idea through twists and turns, and by the end of it I have nothing to say other than, “yeah, what a thought experiment!”  

Liz is discussing her divorce (“we didn’t spend enough time together”) with Malcolm sitting next to her. She’s trying to signal to him that she’s just saying stuff. This seems weird! But at least Malcolm is in the show!  

This is SUCH a weird conversation to have around a child?!  

Ginni starts asking Liz if she’s dated recently. I repeat, interesting convo to have around your kid. Maybe Liz is always this open with Malcolm? I’d be kind of cool with that; he seems old enough to hear this. I just need to know he’s hearing and understanding the context, too.  

Turns out it’s Del from last year pranking Liz. Why? Not sure. Will we see Del again? Nope! Is this closure? Also nope! Seems like Liz and Del are no longer dating but are friendly (and even flirty).

Liz asks Jay to prank Del in return. Jay can add “prankster” to his ever-growing list of responsibilities!  

Carmen asks Jay if he wants to get a drink. He’s meeting someone – the mystery man!  

Also the entire ceiling of the elevator is now plastered with “BUB” stickers. This show and its elevators.  

Jay gets in the van. That’s when he meets the resistance leader, played by Phylicia Rashad. She’s great in this role, but I am... a little perplexed by *this* show casting her given her support of Cosby.

Jay says he wants to get involved in their organization because he’s looking for “competence.” Hell yeah. Good pitch.  

Hypercompetent group is called “The Collective.” They want to know what Jay can do to help them. He says he can train people to use firearms. End of episode!

The Collective is so much more interesting to me than the COVID hallucinations of last year. I’ll have more on it to say in future episodes, but high-level? It just always comes back to one of TGF’s most familiar problems: how much is reality, how much is thought experiment, and how do you reconcile the two? The show doesn’t really have an answer, but I do think this is one of their more successful attempts.  

[oppvenuz4456]

Top 9 Best Wedding Venues in Pune: Find Your Dream Location

Pune has many attractions and a strong culture which has contributed to its fast-growing popularity as a wedding destination. Whether its a lavish luxury wedding more like a royal affair or one on a shoestring budget, the city has plethora of best wedding venues in Pune venues that satisfies every peculiar need of the couple. In this article, we will look at Decent Wedding Venues in Pune and their Related Prices, Outdoor Pages, and even Temples. Furthermore, for people who are organizing the wedding celebrations away from Pune, there are also some economical options towards destination wedding in Pune.

For Details Visit our site https://www.oppvenuz.com/vendors/venue/?city=pune 

1. Budget Wedding Venues in Pune

Weddings can be expensive, but that doesn’t mean you need to compromise on quality when you’re working with a tighter budget. Pune offers a variety of budget wedding venues that still provide excellent services, elegant décor, and sufficient space for guests. Here are some top options:

a. Kapse Lawns

Located in the heart of Pune, Kapse Lawns offers a spacious outdoor setup ideal for traditional Indian weddings. Known for its affordability, it is one of the top choices for budget wedding venues in Pune. The lawn offers basic décor options and allows outside catering, giving you the freedom to choose a caterer that fits your budget.

Price Range: ₹ 80,000 to ₹ 1.5 lakh

Capacity: 500 to 1,000 guests

Type: Outdoor

b. Mahalaxmi Lawns

Mahalaxmi Lawns, situated on the outskirts of Pune, is a popular choice for budget-conscious couples. It provides ample space for both the wedding ceremony and reception. The lawn offers customizable packages, allowing you to adjust the services based on your budget.

Price Range: ₹ 50,000 to ₹ 1 lakh

Capacity: 1,000 to 2,000 guests

Type: Outdoor

c. Yug Lawns

Yug Lawns is a well-known venue for hosting large-scale wedding ceremonies. This venue is great for couples looking for a budget wedding venue in Pune that can accommodate a large number of guests. With its simple yet elegant setup, it’s ideal for both traditional and contemporary weddings.

Price Range: ₹ 1 lakh to ₹ 1.5 lakh

Capacity: 1,500 guests

Type: Outdoor

2. Luxury Wedding Venues in Pune

If you’re dreaming of an extravagant wedding with top-notch services and luxurious décor, Pune has plenty of high-end venues that offer just that. Luxury wedding venues in Pune provide stunning backdrops, world-class catering, and professional wedding planning services. Here are some of the best options:

a. The Westin Pune Koregaon Park

For those looking for a grand, luxurious wedding, The Westin Pune Koregaon Park is the perfect venue. This five-star hotel offers multiple banquet halls, outdoor spaces, and impeccable service. The venue’s luxury is evident in its sophisticated décor, gourmet cuisine, and premium facilities.

Price Range: ₹ 10 lakh to ₹ 20 lakh

Capacity: 500 to 1,200 guests

Type: Indoor and outdoor

b. Hyatt Regency Pune

Hyatt Regency Pune provides a combination of elegance and modernity, making it one of the most sought-after luxury wedding venues in Pune. The hotel offers plush banquet halls, an outdoor poolside venue, and exceptional culinary services. Couples looking for a stylish, upscale wedding will appreciate the venue’s attention to detail.

Price Range: ₹ 8 lakh to ₹ 15 lakh

Capacity: 200 to 800 guests

Type: Indoor and outdoor

c. Corinthians Resort and Club

Corinthians Resort and Club is one of Pune’s most beautiful luxury resorts, making it a favorite for destination weddings. The venue offers lush green lawns, a grand ballroom, and a poolside area. It’s perfect for couples seeking a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces for their wedding.

Price Range: ₹ 12 lakh to ₹ 25 lakh

Capacity: 500 to 1,500 guests

Type: Indoor and outdoor

3. Destination Wedding Venues in Pune

Pune���s picturesque landscape and pleasant weather make it an ideal spot for a destination wedding. Whether you’re looking for a serene countryside venue or a luxurious resort, the city offers plenty of options to make your wedding unforgettable.

a. Lavasa

Lavasa, located about 60 kilometers from Pune, is a perfect choice for couples who want a scenic destination wedding. With its lush hills and beautiful lakeside views, Lavasa offers multiple resorts and wedding venues. It’s especially popular for couples looking for a nature-inspired wedding away from the bustling city.

Price Range: ₹ 5 lakh to ₹ 15 lakh

Capacity: 200 to 800 guests

Type: Outdoor

b. Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat and Spa

Located in the serene hills of the Western Ghats, Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat is a luxury retreat that offers privacy, stunning views, and top-notch service. This venue is ideal for intimate destination weddings where couples want a peaceful and luxurious experience.

Price Range: ₹ 10 lakh to ₹ 20 lakh

Capacity: 50 to 200 guests

Type: Outdoor

c. The Fern, Lonavala

The Fern is a great choice for couples who want a destination wedding near Pune. Lonavala, with its scenic beauty and cool climate, offers the perfect backdrop for a romantic wedding. The Fern provides a blend of luxury and comfort, making it one of the most sought-after venues in the area.

Price Range: ₹ 5 lakh to ₹ 10 lakh

Capacity: 200 to 500 guests

Type: Indoor and outdoor

4. Outdoor Wedding Venues in Pune

For couples who love the idea of tying the knot under the open sky, Pune has several stunning outdoor wedding venues. From lush gardens to lakeside settings, outdoor venues provide a magical backdrop for any wedding.

a. Empress Garden

Empress Garden is one of Pune’s oldest and most beautiful parks. Its sprawling lawns and lush greenery make it a top choice for outdoor weddings. With plenty of open space, this venue allows you to plan a grand event while surrounded by nature.

Price Range: ₹ 50,000 to ₹ 1.5 lakh

Capacity: 500 to 2,000 guests

Type: Outdoor

b. Finkick Adventures

Located on the outskirts of Pune, Finkick Adventures offers a unique setting for a wedding by the lake. This venue is perfect for couples looking for a tranquil and scenic environment. The lakeside venue is ideal for both the ceremony and reception, providing a calm, romantic atmosphere.

Price Range: ₹ 1 lakh to ₹ 2 lakh

Capacity: 200 to 500 guests

Type: Outdoor

c. Jewel Banquets

Jewel Banquets, situated in the heart of Pune, offers a grand outdoor lawn along with indoor banquet spaces. The outdoor area is beautifully landscaped and provides the perfect backdrop for a lavish wedding. It’s especially popular for evening weddings, where the lighting adds to the venue’s beauty.

Price Range: ₹ 2 lakh to ₹ 5 lakh

Capacity: 500 to 1,000 guests

Type: Indoor and outdoor

5. Temple Wedding Venues in Pune

For couples who wish to have a traditional and spiritual wedding, temple wedding venues in Pune are an excellent choice. Pune is home to several ancient temples that offer a sacred atmosphere, making your wedding not only beautiful but also deeply meaningful.

a. Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple

Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple is one of Pune’s most famous temples, known for its grandeur and spiritual significance. It’s a great choice for couples who want a simple, traditional wedding ceremony with blessings from Lord Ganesha.

Price: Free, donations accepted

Capacity: 50 to 200 guests

b. Chaturshringi Temple

Located on Senapati Bapat Road, the Chaturshringi Temple is dedicated to Goddess Chaturshringi and offers a serene, spiritual venue for a wedding. With its peaceful surroundings and religious ambiance, it’s ideal for small, intimate ceremonies.

Price: Free, donations accepted

Capacity: 100 to 300 guests

c. Parvati Hill Temple

Perched atop a hill, the Parvati Temple offers stunning views of Pune. It’s one of the oldest heritage temples in the city and provides a sacred space for couples who wish to have a spiritual wedding. The temple’s unique location makes it a special place for wedding ceremonies.

Price: Free, donations accepted

Capacity: 50 to 150 guests

Conclusion: Finding the Best Wedding Venue in Pune

Whether you’re looking for a luxurious venue, an outdoor wedding under the stars, or a budget-friendly destination wedding, Pune offers a variety of options. For those planning their big day, Pune provides something for every couple, no matter the size of your guest list or budget.

When it comes to finding the best wedding venues in Pune, be sure to explore your options, book well in advance, and plan according to your specific requirements. If you’re still undecided, you can explore some of the best wedding venues in Pune with this guide.