#guess who is now working on the next part?

[pomefioredove]

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ requiem of a cringe

did something embarrassing last night and was like "I need to go crawl in a hole and die. OR I could write"

type of post: blurbs characters: cater, rook, jack, vil, idia, malleus additional info: romantic, reader is gender neutral (the term "damsel in distress" is used in vil's part, but it's meant to be teasing and not indicative of the reader's gender), reader is yuu, rook is rook

I. Talks Too Much

It's not that you're trying to be annoying.

Your mouth simply moves faster than your mind, and before you know it, you've been talking for twenty uninterrupted minutes about... well... nothing.

You always notice that uncomfortable, irritated look on their face just after you're done. And then you keep rambling in an attempt to make it less awkward (it never does).

And now you're here, hiding in the hedge maze outside Heartslabyul, thinking about getting lost and never coming out of it.

Of course, if anyone were to find you now, it'd be him.

"Hey, hon~ you busy?"

"Please, not now, Cater," you mutter.

The boy stills, looking a little taken aback by how miserable you sound.

"Are you still upset about that thing at the Unbirthday Party? That was hours ago, babe! I bet no one even remembers,"

You physically cringe. The faces of your uncomfortable tablemates won't seem to leave your memory...

"I remember it," you murmur, burying your face in your hands. "I'm so annoying."

For once, Cater is quiet. A minute goes by, and you think he may have left, until you hear the grass crunching under his knees as he kneels down and pulls you into a hug.

"You are not annoying. And even if you were, it'd only make me like you more," he mutters, burying his face in the crook of your neck.

"Understand?"

Your surprise at his change in tone doesn't stop you from hugging back. "Understood,"

You hadn't meant to say all of that.

You just spilled a potion you'd been working on for hours, and amidst your frustrated floor-scrubbing, you had vented about your entire week to your poor lab partner, a person you had been trying to impress all semester.

He had, gracefully, let you finish your rant, and then let you sit in it, just like the harmless potion now coating your knees as you cleaned up the floor.

Then, he awkwardly said: "That... sucks. I guess. I don't know what to say,"

There had probably never, in your whole life, been a person who looked more unhappy to be around you.

Afterwards, you found a nice spot in the woods behind campus to die.

You lie there, hoping nature would reclaim you before next alchemy class, when some purposefully loud rustling in the bushes catches your eye.

"Ah, Trickster! You really should not lie like that- a predator will take that as weakness, non? Are you injured?"

"Only my pride,"

"Talking about it will make you feel better," Rook says. It's more of a demand than a question.

You sigh. "I think I've done enough talking for... ever, actually,"

"Nonsense," he suddenly straddles your waist and pins your wrists to the earth. "I will not move until you tell me the problem, mon cœur."

You're like an animal in a snare. Once Rook has made up his mind, that's it. He will find out.

And so, with a sigh, you let him take the kill- that is, you tell him everything. Your whole, terrible week, the potion incident, the look on your lab partner's face...

When you're done, he's just. Smiling. "I see now. You are embarrassed,"

"Well... yes. You don't think that's embarrassing?"

He beams. "You are simply overflowing with beautiful emotion and passion for la vie! How could I ever find that embarrassing? You and I are not so different,"

In a weird way, that makes sense. Rook is never one to let shame hold him back from expressing his feelings.

He smiles at your pensive expression, and gives you a kiss on the head.

"Mais, next time you are upset, maybe you should come to me first, non?"

II. Clumsy

Forgetful, scatterbrained, oblivious, dimwitted are all words you've become used to hearing.

As well as a few colorful swears.

You have two left feet, even when you're not dancing- you're used to walking into walls, tripping, and dropping things- it just sucks that you have an audience now.

The first years that had gathered around the mess you made- tripping over your own feet and spilling the papers you were meant to deliver to Ace and Deuce all over the floor- are watching with grins and phones out.

You pretend they're not there, even with their taunts and whistles and laughter.

"Hey! Loitering is a waste of time!" someone barks. Literally.

You look up to see Jack moving through the crowd, scolding the other first years for blocking the hall.

When he sees you in the eye of the storm, on your hands and knees picking up your spilled papers, something upset takes his usually-stoic demeanor.

"What's the matter with you?!" he snarls at the boys. "Didn't anyone teach you any manners?! It's rude to stare- and laugh!"

His ears are flattened against his head when he kneels down beside you to help, collecting the papers, and putting them in your hands.

"Come on, we'll be late if you keep 'sittin there,"

Jack pulls you to your feet and gives one final snarl to the other first years before walking you off.

"...Thanks,"

"Eh? Don't mention it," he says. "Leona woulda had my tail if I just walked by..."

You know there's more to it than that, but you don't push. You're just happy he's forgotten to take his hand out of yours.

You can't handle being the center of attention.

For good reason, too- you're awkward, clumsy, and about the least graceful a person can get.

A true Ugly Duckling at a place like NRC. But Vil Schoenheit sees the swan in you. Perhaps that's why he's always been so patient and sweet.

It's a little distracting.

So much is obvious when he waves at you in the hall and, distracted by his smile, you walk right into a wall.

Though you can't see anything but stars after falling on your butt, the stares and snickers of everyone else are hard to miss.

Vil glares them away with a look that could kill twice over, and then stands over you as you lay on the floor.

"Come on," he says, holding out a hand. "I'll check you for concussion."

He brings you to Pomefiore and sits you down, shooing off a few curious underclassmen as he checks your pupils. "Do you feel nauseous?"

"Not really,"

"Then you'll be fine. Just a bump. You really should be more careful, though,"

You've heard that one before. Vil smiles at your dazed expression, and presses a cold compress against your head.

"This will help with the swelling,"

"Thanks," you mutter, still a little out of it. "You're my hero."

His eyebrows raise in true surprise, and then he chuckles. "And that makes you a damsel in distress?"

He doesn't give you a chance to respond before taking away the compress and kissing the red mark on your head.

"Don't think that being so cute is going to distract me. I'll make some time for lessons on poise this weekend,"

III. Unsociable

You'd think that being quiet and staying out of people's ways would get them to leave you alone, but it really just attracts more attention.

And after a grueling period of your tablemates making you the butt of every joke ("wow, I didn't know you could even talk!" "are you quiet because you hate us? come onnn, you can tell me!") you were ready to bury yourself alive.

"I don't ever want to leave," You mumble into the bundle of sheets and blankets on Idia's unmade bed.

"You could stay, y'know," Idia says from his desk, mindlessly scrolling through some gaming forum. "I should blackmail Crowley into letting you stay down here at least half the year."

"Couldn't it be the whole?"

"Nah. You need like, sunlight and stuff,"

"And you don't?!"

Idia snickers. "I'm built different. You know that. I get all my nutrients from blue light... You could at least stay for the weekend, though,"

You roll your eyes.

"...And I'll leak those normies' data. I'm sure I could get into their browser histories and have that emailed to their parents,"

Hm. You genuinely consider it for a moment, but eventually decide to give mercy. You're basically a saint.

"I think I just wanna pretend like I don't exist right now,"

Idia nods in understanding and pushes his gaming chair over to the edge of the bed, before crawling in and wrapping himself around you.

"That can be done. Pancakes tomorrow?"

Sure, there were people who talked to you, but you didn't talk back.

You just don't know how, you suppose. Every time you try, you end up saying the wrong thing, or are accidentally rude, or do something embarrassing.

You don't understand the references people make. You don't get social cues or hints. You have the social skills of an oyster.

Four months at Night Raven College, and you didn't have a single friend.

Well- except for him.

"How are you enjoying your tea?" Malleus asks, polite and curt as ever.

You take another sip- it's tangy, sweet, with a hint of bitterness. Some sort of Briar Valley blend that Malleus had imported just for you.

"I really like it,"

He smiles. "I'm pleased,"

One of the things you find so agreeable about Malleus is his simplicity. He often says exactly what he means; albeit, in a sort of 13th century Lord sort of way.

There's less stress with him. You don't have to pretend to be interesting, or outgoing, or cool. You can just be... you.

Because he likes you.

"You know," you say with a faint smile. "You're so nice to me. Sometimes I think that you're the only person I need. I could be happy with just you for the rest of my life."

You had meant that casually, but when you look back up from your cup, Malleus has this... look.

Wide-eyed, his lips pressed firmly together. There's even a dusting of color on his cheeks.

"Oh," you internally panic. Was that too much? Was that weird? Did you make things awkward again? Crap, you should have just acted normal, what's wrong with you?! "S-sorry, I-"

"Do you truly mean that?"

You go quiet, looking back at him with wide eyes. Your heart is pounding against your chest.

"...Yes,"

Malleus hums, his expression becoming more... pensive, and then...

He smiles. "I feel the same. Shall we go for a walk while the night is still young?"

[fangirlmermaid]

You're it for me

Summary: Wanda is sick of being pregnant and her powers took over when she saw you sleep peacefully beside her

pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Fem!Reader

Warning: Pregnancy, Cursing, boobs are mentioned (oh no!!), and Pregnancy fetishism (I guess) is mentioned but not played out!

Note: I promise I won't only write pregnant fic or popstar!reader, if you guys have any ideas DM me, I think I have that open. Also another fanfic so quickly???

(Might be some grammar and punctuation errors) (Kind of long)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Like clockwork, Wanda woke up at two in the morning. She sighed in frustration as she felt the twins kicking her.

You and Wanda always talked about starting a family together. She even found a way to make the baby's blood related to you both.

Wanda said she would carry the babies. Ever since the whole fighting Thanos, Wanda wanted to lay low and live a normal life with you (her wife) on your guy’s farm.

Wanda rubbed her eight-month-pregnant belly, hopefully, it would lure Billy and Tommy back to sleep. Wanda couldn’t wait to be a mother but she wanted these nine months to be over. She was tired of always having to go to the bathroom, of something hurting, and not getting a full night's sleep.

Wanda glared at you who was passed out snoring lightly. How dare you rub it in her face that you could sleep without interruptions. You rolled onto your side, your back facing her.

If you both decide to have more kids, Wanda decided that you're carrying them.

Once the babies had calmed down, Wanda placed her hand on your stomach. With Wanda’s swollen belly, it’s been hard to have you close to her. This is how Wanda has been cuddling you since her bump got big. She hates it!!!!

Wanda sighed in frustration when she felt the twins kicking her again. Wanda tried to lean close to your ear “You’re carrying them” Wanda stated for next time. Wanda stayed there waiting for the babies to tire themselves out.

Next Day

Beep Beep Beep Beep You hit snooze on your alarm, in your opinion, the worst part about working on a farm is having to wake up at the ass crack of dawn because you have a shit ton of things to do.

You throw your legs over the bed about to get up, but you stop. You sit there frozen too scared to move. Did something… No, no, that’s crazy.

You were about to get up but that’s when you felt it again, something flutter inside you.

You pulled your quilt off and you gasped at what your eyes laid on. Your stomach was swollen, and your pajama shirt which was originally a little big on you is now bunched up under your boobs.

You rubbed your eyes hoping you were hallucinating but nope, it was still there.

Your shaky finger poked the stomach, and at first, nothing happened. Then you poked it again, and the bump was rocking side to side causing you to jump a little.

Your heart was running, no matter how hard you tried to come up with how it happened it wasn’t logical.

You felt whatever was inside of you hit your ribs hard, almost as if it punched you.

“Ow” You whispered not wanting to wake up Wanda.

You lightly slap the bump which causes it to punch you in the ribs again.

“Bitch!” You yelled glaring at your stomach

“Love, what’s wrong?” Wanda asked

In a panic, you threw the blanket over your shoulder making sure to cover your stomach. You didn’t want Wanda to stress because you love her and it could hurt the babies.

Grabbing the short bed frame to help you up, you felt like someone gorilla glued five sixteen-pound bowling balls to your stomach. “Fuck, it’s heavy” You mumbled placing your free hand under your stomach for support.

You slowly turned around “Nothing baby, go back to sl-”

Your eyes widen, Wanda isn’t pregnant anymore. Like her bump just vanished.

You felt ashamed of how long it took you to figure it out.

You let the blanket slip onto the ground, exposing Wanda to your state.

Wanda’s mouth dropped, she looked down at her flat stomach and then back at you.

Wanda slowly made her way over to you, she was trying to pretend she wasn’t freaking out.

Wanda poked your stomach nothing happened, then she poked again and the twins kicked you hard.

“Fuck” you hissed bending over in pain, Wanda apologized.

“How did this happen?” Wanda asked her eyes staying on the bump, you shrugged “I don’t know! You’re the one with the red wiggly woos!” You whispered yelled.

Realization hit Wanda, she looked down at her hands before giving you a nervous smile. Your shoulder dropped “What did you do?!” You panicked, Wanda couldn’t meet your eyes “Last night Billy and Tommy woke me up, seeing you sleeping peacefully made me mad. So I placed my hand on your stomach while I cuddled you and I said your…carrying…them” Wanda's voice grew quiet your eyes widened and your mouth dropped too stunned to speak “I totally meant for next time!” Wanda explained pointing her finger at you.

You started to hyperventilate. You’re not prepared to give birth, you barely even read the parenting books Wanda bought for you. Your body hasn’t been preparing for the two human beings you're going to be pushing out. What if something happens and you have to go into surgery or you die?!

Also, how are you going to explain to people how you are suddenly eight months pregnant? You always do the socializing part of business so Wanda doesn’t have to!

“Love, Love” Wanda called rubbing your back “You need to calm down” Wanda explained in a hushed tone. You knew she was right but how could you be calm in this moment?

“Wanda, Alan is coming over around lunch to pick up some apples for the farmers market” You stated, Wanda squeezed your arms “Let’s get you back to bed, and I’ll look at the book” Wanda assured. You nodded, Wanda grabbed your hand to ease you back into bed, and she placed a mountain of pillows to support your back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wanda sat in the kitchen at the dining table flipping through the Darkhold, she didn’t even know what she was looking for.

Deep down Wanda was happy to have a break from being pregnant, she knows that you are right of course but still. There’s a part of her hoping you change your mind to stay that way.

“Ah, shit!” a voice from outside yelled, Wanda look out the window where she found you waddling towards the chicken coop with a basket in your hand. Wanda closed the book “What is she…” Wanda trailed off walking towards the back door.

Wanda walked towards you crossing her arms over her chest “Um, (Y/N)” Your wife called, you let out a soft hmmm while throwing chicken feed onto the ground “What are you doing?” Wanda wondered her voice stern, you kept throwing the chickens their food “What does it look like?” you sassed still focusing on your task. Wanda finally reached you, she pulled the empty basket out of your hands and placed it on the ground “Not resting like you should be” Wanda stated. You faced your wife sighing in frustration, “Wanda I have things to do, I can’t lay in bed” you reminded, Wanda stood behind you placing a hand on your hip and her other hand grabbing your hand “I’ll do the chores, I don’t want you on your feet until I figure out how to undo this” Wanda told guiding her wife back inside the house.

Wanda eased you back into bed “There we go, love” Wanda smiled pulling the blankets up to your chest. You groaned pushing the blanket under your bump “It’s so itchy” you whined scratching your belly, Wanda grabbed the lotion from her bedside table.

Wanda’s eyes landed on you. Seeing you carrying her children made her smile. It also turned her on, but she knew that was the last thing on your mind.

“Baby?” Your voice brought Wanda back. “Sorry, Love.” Wanda blushed, squirting the lotion onto your bump. Billy and Tommy started to move around “Do they ever stop?” You groaned throwing your head against your pillow, Wanda chuckled as she rubbed the lotion into your skin. Wanda loved that she got to take care of you for a change, she could get used to this. Maybe she could brainwash everyone into thinking that you were the one pregnant all along.

“That feels so good thank you, baby” you moaned, your breathing hitched, You were making it harder for Wanda to not go down on you. Wanda could only smile, “I got chores, do you need anything?” Wanda interlocked your hand with hers you shook your head, Wanda gave you a quick peck on the lips.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pain shot down your back causing you to wake up “Motherfucker” You hissed placing your hand on your back. You opened your eyes seeing that it wasn’t a dream and that you’re still very pregnant. Wanda is a fucking boss for dealing with this shit for eight months.

You stood up hoping a quick walk around the house could relieve the back pain.

After you waddle around the house, you head toward the kitchen where you see Wanda at the dining table flipping through the Darkhold.

Wanda looked exhausted, she had paint smeared on her cheek. She sighed in frustration, she kept drifting to sleep. From growing your babies to doing a shit ton of chores along with researching on how to reverse the pregnancy. You sighed guilt had a grip on your heart, you looked down at your bump placing a hand on it before looking up at Wanda. Your mind was made up.

You entered the kitchen “Hi, Love” You smiled, Wanda rubbed sleep out of her eyes “Hi, love” Wanda gave a sleepy smile. You sat in the chair next to Wanda whose attention went back to the Darkhold, both of you sat in silence. You twist your wedding ring to soothe your anxiety trying to find the nerve to tell Wanda, hopefully she would understand.

You grabbed Wanda’s hand gaining her attention “What’s wrong?” Wanda wondered her voice laced with concern, you gathered your courage “I don’t want you to reverse this anymore” You admitted pointing to the baby bump Wanda knit her eyebrows “What?” Wanda asked, you took a deep breath “You’ve been crushing it at carrying these two. Seeing you in pain hurts me and I wish I could’ve done something to help you. So let me carry them, you deserve a break” You admitted, you knew your little speech was corny but it was the truth, Wanda’s eyes glossed looking relieved “I love you! You are IT for me! We are never getting divorced” Wanda admitted squeezing your hand, you gave a light laugh “I thought that was a no-brainer” You smiled, and Wanda kissed you passionately.

Honk Honk

You pulled away “Alan’s here” You smiled brushing your nose against your wife’s, Wanda groaned before leaving to meet Alan outside.

[atinyslittleworld]

Risk It or Drink It

san x f!reader

Summary: Y/N joins Wooyoung and Yeosang for a group hangout with the other members of Ateez. When a tipsy game of "Risk It or Drink It" leads to an unexpected dare, Y/N is faced with a choice that puts her secret crush on San in the spotlight.

Word Count: 1,5k

Genre: flirty, established crush, teasing

Warnings: alcohol consumption, dares, physical tension

The night had started off innocently enough. Wooyoung and Yeosang had dragged you along to one of their group hangouts, promising a relaxed evening with drinks and laughter. You had met the guys a few times before, usually at parties or small gatherings, and you were comfortable around them by now—especially with San, since he was practically glued to Wooyoung’s side most of the time.

The evening quickly picked up pace, the conversations flowing smoothly along with the drinks. Laughter filled the room, and everyone seemed to let loose as the alcohol settled in, creating a warm, buzzing atmosphere. Some of the other boys had brought their friends too, and soon the apartment was full of cheerful chatter, the group bonding over inside jokes and silly antics.

But as the hours wore on, and the drinks flowed a little too freely, the atmosphere took a playful turn. Someone suggested a game to keep the fun going—a card game called "Risk It or Drink It," which was supposed to push people out of their comfort zones. A stack of cards lay in the middle of the coffee table, and everyone took turns drawing them. Each card had a dare or challenge; if you didn’t want to risk it, you had to take a shot.

The dares started off silly. “Imitate a celebrity,” “Do your best animal impression,” “Sing a song in a funny voice.” But as the game progressed, the challenges became bolder. The alcohol was working its magic, loosening inhibitions and making everyone a little more daring.

When it was your turn, you reached out with a tipsy giggle and picked a card from the stack. The alcohol had made you braver, but there was still a nervous flutter in your stomach. You read the card aloud, feeling your cheeks heat up as you did. “Sit on the person’s lap next to you and spell the word ‘cocoa’ with your hips… or take a shot of whiskey.”

A chorus of “Oooohs!” filled the room, and you froze, suddenly hyper-aware of who was sitting next to you: San. Of all the people it could have been, it had to be him. Your heart skipped a beat, the weight of your secret crush settling heavily in your chest. San, who was already blushing and giggling drunkenly from the earlier rounds, looked at you with wide, expectant eyes.

You hesitated, glancing at the bottle of whiskey sitting temptingly on the table, but the idea of taking another shot made your stomach churn. You were already past your limit, your head buzzing pleasantly with the effects of the drinks you’d had so far.

“I… I’ll risk it,” you blurted out, the words leaving your mouth before you could second-guess yourself. The room erupted into cheers, and you heard Wooyoung’s exaggerated whistle of encouragement. You shot him a look that said, You’re not helping!

San, for his part, was blinking at you in a mix of drunken excitement and surprise, his cheeks already flushed pink. As you moved to sit on his lap, you tried to steady your breath. Your knees felt weak, and the air seemed to thicken around you. You settled on top of him, feeling his warmth through the fabric of his clothes, his breath hitching slightly as your weight pressed down on him.

His hands instinctively rested on your waist, his touch feather-light and hesitant, but you felt the way his fingers twitched slightly, betraying the nervous energy beneath. His gaze locked onto yours, and for a moment, you forgot about everyone else in the room. All you could see was the way his pupils had dilated, the faint scent of cologne mixing with the alcohol on his breath, the softness of his lips as he gave you an encouraging smile.

You cleared your throat, your face burning, and slowly began to move your hips. The room seemed to fall silent as you spelled the word with exaggerated movements, swaying your body in rhythm to an invisible beat. “C… O… C…” Your movements were slow and deliberate, each curve of your hips feeling like an eternity, and San’s grip tightened around your waist as if he couldn’t help himself. His breath came out in uneven puffs, and you felt his fingers dig slightly into your sides as you continued.

By the time you reached the final “A,” your heart was pounding so hard you were sure he could feel it through your clothes. As you finished the dare, you felt a shift under you—San’s body was tense, and his face had gone from playful to something more intense, his eyes darkening as he tried to hold your gaze. When you started to get up, his grip on your waist tightened, holding you firmly in place.

“Wait,” he said, his voice low and rough, the playful drunken slur gone. His eyes were half-lidded, and his cheeks were flushed an even deeper shade of red. “Just… stay a second.”

You froze, realizing what he was asking. He was too embarrassed to say it outright, but you felt it—the evidence of just how much your little dare had affected him. Your breath hitched, and for a moment, you were grateful that the alcohol had dulled your own embarrassment, because you weren’t sure how you would have handled this sober.

“Okay,” you whispered back, settling back down on his lap, your own face heating up as you pretended not to notice. He let out a shaky breath, his fingers loosening their grip on your waist as he tried to compose himself.

The group was still laughing and joking around, too tipsy to notice the shift in atmosphere between the two of you. Wooyoung and Yeosang were loudly arguing over the next dare, giving you a brief moment of privacy. San’s eyes were locked onto yours, and you felt the tension between you like a live wire, humming with unsaid words and unspoken feelings.

When he finally took a deep breath and let you go, you stood up slowly, your legs feeling like jelly beneath you. San’s gaze lingered on you, soft and a little dazed, and you couldn’t help but smile nervously back at him before returning to your seat.

The game continued, but you could hardly focus. Every time you looked at San, you felt the lingering heat from where his hands had held you, the weight of what had just happened hanging heavily between you.

Later, as the night wound down and the group dispersed, you found yourself standing by the door, saying your goodbyes to the others. San approached you, his steps a little unsteady, his expression still warm and soft, but more serious now that the noise had died down.

“Hey,” he said quietly, his voice more sober than you expected. “I… had fun tonight.”

“Yeah,” you replied, the atmosphere between you suddenly shy, as if you were both too aware of what had just happened. “Me too.”

San hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering away before he looked back at you, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Maybe… we should hang out. Just the two of us. Sometime.”

Your heart skipped a beat, and you nodded, your smile widening. “I’d like that.”

[phyrestartr]

Nemesis (The Man I Miss) | Miguel O'hara x M!BlackCat!Reader (TEASER)

CW: jealousy, violence, brutality, self-loathing, implied depression, possessive relationship #NSFW, Top!Miguel, Bottom!Reader, hurt/comfort, anti-hero reader, complicated relationships, lonely reader, crook turned hero, reader is a tired guy, mutual pining - Note: Posting some WIPs I've had laying around for a while while I try to finish up the next HOUND update! Needed a bit of a break from it since it's pretty long, but I hope some teasers make up for the wait. Tysm for reading!

Taking care of Nueva York was exhausting. You were far too used to being the problem rather than the problem-solver. That job reserved itself for the one and only Spiderman–your Spiderman. 

At least, you liked to think he was yours. 

Knowing my luck, the prick’s run off with his shocking wife or something. The thought plagued your mind too often. And it was true: Spiderman disappeared. He no longer served Nueva York and kept it safe, he no longer caught you with your hand in the cookie jar, he no longer gave chase throughout the city before pinning you down on some rooftop and taking his prize by force. And you liked it–no, you loved it. Fucking with the man who’d always get to fuck you back came to be a part of life you relished. 

But now you were alone. Left by yourself to deal with lumbering lizards and giggling goblins while wondering how the fuck you’d ended up as a hero when you were anything but. Even the police couldn’t believe the switch, which caused some problems, and led to less-sexy chases that ended with you getting away no problem. 

I wish I had problems. Just one problem, though: Spiderman. 

You tossed aside your shiny leathers and collapsed into your bed. He’d never been there, no, but you fantasized about it. You thought about his impossibly wide back and the ripple of taut muscle greeting you in the morning, or maybe his built chest and strong neck–or maybe his handsome face–well, you’d never seen his face, but you had your guesses. 

Your chest twinged the slightest bit, somewhere between where your greed and feelings intertwined.

Ugh. You missed him. 

–

“Who's that?” Peter remarked as he walked up on Miguel. The lab was dark and dreary, spilling with shades of orange and amber where the blues couldn't reach. And Miguel, the source of the cold, stood in front of the firelight, gazing upon your image in the newscycle. 

Miguel frowned. “No one.” But he didn't tuck your image nor the article away. 

“Huh, looks like Black Cat. A 2099 Black Cat? Never thought I'd see the day.” Peter hummed and bounced a sleepy Mayday in his arms. “He up to no good?” 

“He's up to good,” Miguel bit out. “That's the problem. He doesn't do good.” 

“He's sort of an anti-hero these days,” Lyla cut in, blinking into existence on Peter's shoulder like the devil she was. “All thanks to Spiderman's influence–” 

“Lyla,” Miguel warned (begged?). 

“--aaand their sweet, cute budding romance,” she finished with a dreamy sigh. “Doesn't it just melt your heart?” 

–

You pinned him against the wall and let your hands trace through the hard lines of his muscles on your way down to your ultimate prize. Spiderman shuddered and stayed still, much to your surprise, letting you feel him, letting you acknowledge the hardness bulging under your criminal touch. Because he dreamt of this too. Dreamt of you touching him, of you falling down to your knees, your eyes never leaving his masked face even when you pressed a hot, open-mouthed kiss to stretched fabric holding back his filled cock. 

“So strong,” you cooed, “but not strong enough to resist, hm?” You sighed and worked him through the fabric with one hand. “Shouldn’t you be stopping the big bad from manhandling you like this, Spidey?”

“Hardly consider you the big bad,” he scoffed back. Spiderman tilted his head back with a choked groan whent hose diamond-tipped clawed gloves dug into his thighs. “Mierda, you–”

“Oh?” You grinned, so cheshire, so in-theme with your persona. “You can stop me any time, no?” 

He could’ve. But he didn’t. 

–

“A daughter,” you murmured. The flickering images–memories, maybe?–were there, waiting quietly for you, preserved and kept precious in shades of amber. But the scene was so alive; you could feel the stretch of the sun against your gloved touch, you basked in the crisp Spring air of that soccer game, you drowned in the warmth of that father's smile–

Spidey's smile. That was beyond obvious. The mountainous shoulders, the tawny skin, those hands– they belonged to him. Your beast. Your nemesis and lover, the man you hadn’t seen for far too long–

“Because you've been off taking care of a kid?” Your fingers, gentle, feather-light, ghosted across that foreign memory. “Why wouldn’t you tell me?” Who’s your baby mama?

The lab lights stilted and jittered. You snapped from your trance and made for the window you’d come in through, not bothering to see what was happening with your system jammers–you knew Lyla, she knew you, and that made the whole breaking-into-Spiderman’s-base thing more tricky and risky. Your jammer wasn’t fool-proof. It was quite easy to override, actually, but the interference was the difficult thing to detect in the first place. You only thought you’d need a handful of minutes to see your spider, anyway.

But he wasn’t there. Maybe he was off with his little girl. 

Something cacophonous and nerve-wracking churned to the sound of warping electricity behind you as you dove from the window and slid down the side of the skyscraper, claws shrieking against metal and glass alike until you could launch off and latch onto a passing hover car. The periphery of your mind swore it saw flashes of orange and yellow, more violent and heavy than the screens you stared at in that dower room, and maybe you might have heard a familiar voice too. 

The broad, tiny silhouette standing in that abandoned window gave you much more to think about.  -- Feel free to comment on this post if you want to be tagged for the full version!

@kamote-kuneho @tr4nnie @silvern1006

[nebelihood]

Yo ya no les creo nada

I HAVEN'T FINISHED WATCHING THE SEASON- but I wanted to practice sort of s disney style trying to keep the features as practice? didn't work out that much (specially Guillermo- sorry buddie. Better luck next time) I FEEL LIKE I DRAW NANDOR PRETTIER AAHAHA- LIKE instead of masculine as he is, I make him like a disney princess or something L (maybe I'm the only one who sees that) ANYWAY-

SPOILERS AHEAD

arghhh I have no faith in the ship anymore but we'll see. I hate/love the little crumbs they leave cause I'm completely lost as in to what I should believe. I think there are some good signs (Like Nandor mourning Guillermo's absene (although Guillermo literally leaving some steps away from their house), other members of the house (Nadja) acknowledging Guillermo is a soft spot for Nandor, Nandor respecting Guillermo's boundaries. BIG ONE TO ME WAS- how they could have f+cked everything up on the third episode and forced Guillermo into going just they way he was before.THIS REALLY TOOK ME BY SURPRISE. IT WOULDN'T HAVE BOTHERED ME- I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT WAS HILARIOUS but definitely would have ruined their relationship big time when Guillermo finally remembered everything in the future. For Nandor a character who is very... egotiscial? Having a person who is somewhat (actually) meaninful to him (even if he has never brought himself to admit it with confidence) a person who has lost respect for him- to actually like him back again- to admire him and compliment him just like the first time they met. I bet the first time they met he couldn't careless for Guillermo's little sad back story and his high regard for vampires and his compliments. I bet he would have shut him off as soon as possible. But now Guillermo is a person he esteems and has grown somewhat interested in him and his well-being. I bet he craves now to be part of his world. But now he esteems him enough to also be respectful (somewha,,,,) to his boundries. And for Nandor- I feel like that's such a big step x'000 (Anyways I'm in the 4th episode so I might be wrong aaaa but these where my thoughts) Besides- what I love about wwdits it's their dumb plot-twist and how they barely take anything too seriously so we'll see.

I have no hope for them anymore. I guess I wouldn't hate it if they ended up as friends or even if their paths got separated. Enough things have happened- maybe they were never meant to be (AAARGHHH oh well)

[delilahsturniolo]

no body, no crime

— m.s

find other parts on my masterlist!

chapter 2 . . . rising suspicions

in which . . . you and matt are private investigators, trying to figure out an unsolved murder from years ago.

warnings . . . mentions of death, and a bit of arguing.

written by @delilahsturniolo. do not copy, steal, or modify my works. do not take inspiration without asking permission first and please credit me if you are taking inspiration from my writing. happy reading! :)

you huffed as you stabbed a red push pin into a small photo, hanging it on a bulletin board. matt sat in front of the board, analyzing all the photos you put up so far.

“okay…here are the known suspects.” you said breathlessly, pointing to a photo of a bald man wearing a plaid dress shirt.

“mr anderson, emily’s algebra teacher. who she supposedly had an affair with. do you think he’d know something?” you turned around, looking at matt.

“meh, he’s just an old man. next.” matt grunted in boredom.

“okay…what about gianna? emily’s sister?” you suggested, matt just shrugged.

“can you at least be a little helpful?” you rolled your eyes, crossing your arms. matt groaned in annoyance at you, getting up and standing closer to the bulletin board.

“you’re being stupid.” matt looked at you.

“what?”

“look.” matt shoved you out the way, making you scoff in disbelief.

“you aren’t thinking about this enough you idiot. look at the time stamps, emily and justin went outside the house at approximately 10:30 PM. emily was shot at 10:56 PM.” matt explained.

“okay, so?” you huffed.

“so, we need to find out where our suspects were and what they were doing at that time.” matt turned around to face you, brushing his leather jacket off confidently.

“alright mr-know-it-all.” you laughed, matt shook his head at you.

“if mr-know-it-all wasn’t here you wouldn’t be getting anywhere with your crazy delusions. now come on, we gotta go.” matt ushered you to get up.

“where are we going?” you tilted your head in confusion.

“we’re gonna go to the jones’s residence.” matt smiled, trying to gauge your reaction.

“matt…are you sure about this?” you questioned, getting up.

“you wanna solve this case and prove everyone wrong? then follow me.” he didn’t even allow you to answer, leaving you know choice but to follow him. you grunted and dragged your feet across the floor, slowly following him and getting into the car.

about 15 minutes later, matt parked the car, you both stepped out. you were facing a small white house with a ruby red front door. you sighed.

you and matt walked up to the front porch, matt gulped nervously and held out his fist, softly knocking on the door.

you heard creaking from inside, causing you and matt to exchange a look of suspicion. before you even knew it, the door opened.

a girl with dirty blonde hair, a white tank top and pajama pants looked at you and matt in confusion.

“can i help you?” the girl smacked her gum loudly, causing you to flinch. she looked as annoyed as ever.

“hi! i’m y/n, and this is detective sturniolo. we’re from the silver stone detective agency.” you smiled politely, matt waved awkwardly.

“okay…you here to arrest me or something?” the blonde laughed stupidly, but immediately stopped when you and matt didn’t laugh.

“is gianna home?” matt asked her, his tone firm.

“that’s me.” she tucked a piece of hair behind her ears.

“um…is it okay if we interview you about your sister? we just wanna talk, and collect information.” you asked her, her face dropped.

“m—my sister? emily? the case reopened?” she asked frantically, you nodded your head.

“come…come in i guess.” gianna hesitantly spoke, stepping out of the way so you and matt could enter the house.

she led you both to the living room, the only sounds in the room were your footsteps and the ticking clock echoing.

you and matt sat next to each other while gianna sat on the couch across from you two. you took out your phone, scrolling and clicking on voice memos.

“is it okay if i record?” you asked her, she nodded.

you clicked record, setting your phone down in the middle of the coffee table in front of you.

“september 21st, 5:04 PM. interview with gianna jones, sister of emily jones.” you stated into the microphone.

matt cleared his throat. “so, were you at the house party in 2015? the one were emily and justin died at?” matt asked gianna, she nodded.

“i was. it was one of our friends’s party’s.” she answered, matt nodded.

“do you know where you were at about 10:30 PM that night?” you asked next, gianna’s eyebrows furrowed, leaning back in her seat.

“ahhh—i don’t know if i can remember, that was years ago.” gianna hummed as she began to think. “i believe i had already left.” she spoke.

“you went home after?” you asked, interrupting matt as he was about to speak. gianna nodded.

“are you sure?” you insisted, narrowing your eyes at her as she looked hesitant.

“wait…do you seriously think i killed emily?” gianna scoffed, giving you a dirty look.

“y/n—“ matt put a hand on your shoulder, but you brushed him off.

“no no no, where were you really?” you pushed the question further, gianna was absolutely fuming.

“what the fuck is wrong with you!? i told you i went home!” gianna raised her voice at you, standing up. you got up also.

“gianna, i don’t want to argue with you i—“

“no! get the fuck out my house! stop questioning me!” gianna screamed at you, pointing at the door. you sighed in annoyance.

“gianna come on! you must know something!” you tried walking closer to her so you could talk with her, but gianna took a step back. matt grabbed your phone, stopping the recording and grabbing your arm.

“y/n, it’s time to go.” he said in a quiet tone, trying to pull you away. you resisted his grip but nothing worked, he pulled you out of the house and in front of the car.

“let me go.” you yanked your arm away from matt, your voice wobbling emotionally as you spoke. matt’s gaze softened, which was a rare occurrence for someone as cold-hearted as him.

“how could she be like that!? she was clearly hiding something!” you expressed your rage, pacing back and forth.

“i mean, there was no way she just…went home!” you raised your voice slightly, tears of frustration slipping down your cheeks. you thought you could do this, it was going to be way harder than you thought. maybe everyone was right, maybe you were just crazy.

matt stopped your pacing, catching you by placing his hands on your waist and pulling you closer to him, which caught you by surprise.

“y/n, stop for a minute. calm down, just breathe.” he instructed, your angry rambling immediately came to a halt as you looked up at him.

“i agree, she could’ve reacted better. but you didn’t have to overwhelm her with so many questions. remember, her sister died. this could be hard for her to talk about. you need to slow it down, we have plenty of time to solve this case. okay?” matt reassured you. why was he being so…nice?

“okay.” you replied, taking a deep breath. matt let go of you.

“let’s go back to headquarters and review what we’ve got, then we’ll call it a day.” matt told you as he got into the drivers seat, starting the car and waiting for you to get in.

maybe you weren’t so crazy after all, maybe…there was something you just didn’t quite catch.

and you were in it for the long run, little did you know that you’d go through a wild ride of twists and turns.

© delilahsturniolo

join the taglist here! 🤍

[rourouxiaobao]

MXTX FoodZine 2024 \o/

My MXTX FoodZine 2024 fics are finally live!!! On my AO3, that is (they've been live via the official Zine channels for a while now, just that I was overseas, and then fell sick with Post-Trip Flu).

I contributed 2 fics and 3 recipes for this year's Zine! I was supposed to contribute and 3rd fic (collabbing with someone else's recipe) but time and stress really got to me and I couldn't get it done (to my standards) in time. I'll save it for next year's Zine! :D

My contributions: - MDZS fic + 1 recipe (there are 3 recipes in this collab) - TGCF fic + recipe - Recipe for a SVSSS art collab Info for each contribution below, along with page numbers for where they can be found within the digital Zine! For the fics, you can click/tap on the header or fic cover image to be directed to my fic!

Accusations of Murder (And Other Sibling Things) [MDZS Fic]

Relationships: Xue Yang & A-Qing, Jiang Yanli/A-Qing, Song Lan/Xiao Xingchen Tags: Yi City Fam, Siblings Xue Yang & A-Qing, Sibling Shenanigans, Are You Really Siblings If You Haven't Accused Each Other Of Heinous Crimes At Least Once, Sibling Love Language Is Accusing Your Sibling Of Murdering Your Pet, But You'll Also Die For Them, And You'll Absolutely Murder Anyone Who Fucks With Them, Just Sibling Things, Food Fic, MXTX FoodZine, Suppportive Bro Xue Yang, Coming Out, No Hurt All Comfort, Sibling Bonding, Modern AU Summary: Something is bothering A-Qing and Xue Yang, in his capacity as her insufferable responsible big brother, decides to do something about it.

Bribery with food and unfounded! accusations of murder abound. Pages: 110-115 (Pg110 GhostySword's recipe; Pg111 DJ's recipe card; Pg112 my recipe + DJ's art; Pgs113-115 my fic) Please check the post-fic notes for DJ's and Ghosty's socials!

One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Grocery List [TGCF Fic]

Relationships: Hua Cheng/Xie Lian, He Xuan/Shi Qingxuan, Shi Qingxuan & Xie Lian, Hua Cheng & He Xuan, Jun Wu/Mei Nianqing Tags: Food Fic, MXTX FoodZine, Modern AU, Xie Lian's Absolutely Trash Luck, Xie Lian's Absolutely Trash Cooking Skills, But If There's No Cooking Involved It'll Be Okay Right, In Sanlang We Trust, Getting Drunk, Drunken Shenanigans, Hualian, Beefleaf, Hangover, Meetcute or Meatcute, Undergrad Extracurricular Activities, Getting Together Summary: Through the capricious whims of fate, Xie Lian (someone who can and has burned a pot of water) finds himself registering to be a member of his new university's Cooking Club. Worst still, he has to bring a dish to the annual party for first-year students!

Will the help and advice of his new (best?) friend Sanlang be enough to help him whip up something that won't result in disaster to his kitchen or the local hospital's emergency department? Pages: 229-236 (Pg229 my recipe; Pgs230-236 my fic; Pg236 Misty's art) Please check the post-fic notes for Misty's socials!

Triple-Choco Cookies [SVSSS Recipe Card]

Recipe: Me Art: Inu [inuthe3rd @ Tumblr | Twitter | Instagram ] Page: 53

What Was The Dropped Entry?

It was the SVSSS fic for Li's (chefyli909 on Twitter) Ice Cream Mochi recipe. It's a MoShang fic (with background BingQiu). I had Grand Plans to do a fic for each MXTX-verse. Idk why I keep trying to murder myself lol. I guess with Inu's recipe card, I technically do have an entry/contribution for each, but still... ^^;;;

All that said, please check out the whole Zine for excellent MXTX foodie works by many awesome and talented fanwork creators! ^u^

And many thanks to the MXTX FoodZine team for their hard work and incalculable effort in coordinating yet another year of excellence! I'm so glad to be part of this fantastic Zine once again!

[trashisstillhere]

Now while I currently do really need and want to work on the things I want to draw, I’ll just give yall the currently uncolored, official ref of the New Ninja!

I mostly did this cuz I thought it was about time they got an actual ref. I mean, I have drawn them many times before yet never made an actual drawing of their full body. So I did it now! And since they’re officially one of my Rc9gn ocs, I kept the ‘UnNinja’ version of them that I drew for ask (it was about what NN looks like without the ninja suit on) long ago which was at first ‘unofficial’ since I basically said you could imagine them in any way all of you wanted but now, that’s how they’ll REALLY look like!

They don’t have any official colors yet, that is one of the parts that will take quite awhile..

Like I did with Serenity, here’s some info about them! (Mostly for the ones who may not be aware of New Ninja and all the posts I did about them before along with a few more stuff I haven’t really either told or shown before about them before I had completely stopped drawing them I guess(??).)

-New Ninja is…well a new ninja chosen to be Norrisville’s new protector in the future right after Randy, their story is supposed to take place (kinda) in a few years after all the events in season 1 and 2 in the show. (All the canon characters are like kinda older at this time, the other teens like 17-18 I think? Idk, I haven’t fully decided yet but basically they’re supposed to not quite be in 9th grade anymore I guess (except New Ninja of course). Randy is actually still a ninja here, still has his mask and everything even though he soon isn’t gonna quite be the main one anymore. However the Nomicon let him keep his mask for now, especially now that he’s currently helping the new Ninja. Plus he absolutely refuses to let Nomicon stop him from doing so, he refuses to just sit back and watch another random kid struggle out there as the new ninja.

-New Ninja’s real name is ?????????… yeah…. They don’t have a official name yet either, no last name, nothing. that part will also take too damn long to figure out and work on so for now, just call them ‘New Ninja’ or NN for short.

-they go by any pronouns! And by any I mean ANY. I know I wrote they/them there on the ref and I mostly use those for them right now too but still, I said before they can still be called by anything and I ain’t changing it. So go ahead, use any other pronouns for this kid if ya like. But I will still keep using they/them for them. (I totally didn’t just make them gender natural who is okay with any other pronouns cuz i had no clue what gender or whatever to make them identify as. Pfft- totally not-)

-as the new Ninja for Norrisville, you’d probably expect them to either be excited to be the new hero and/or take it seriously like a pro….but they’re not, they’re the complete opposite. Instead of them being giddy about this like Randy pretty much was, they’re scared for their life. This new job of theirs has not only already changed their whole life but put so much pressure on the poor kid, they already had struggles in their normal life and now they have gotten even MORE.

-New Ninja isn’t really confident, brave, social, just nothing like the out going kids out there. They’re insecure, a coward and pretty anti social. They get stressed and overwhelmed easily when they’re the center of attention, they often have bad thoughts when they think they’re not doing good enough and worry too much about not being ‘perfect’ enough. This is exactly how they were at first, before and after becoming the next chosen one. But now with Randy being there for them as support, they’re slowly starting to work on themselves to overcome their fears. Will it easily get rid of all of their problems? No. But will it help a lot? Yes!

-Randy calls New Ninja ‘Kid’ quite a lot, it was mostly just a little nickname for them at first during his time trying to help them that just came out but now he can’t help but keep calling them that every time they are together, even acting like a brother/father figure to them! New Ninja is an only child so they never knew how it felt to have any siblings of any kind. (Found family trope my beloved)

-New Ninja gets easily flustered by all sorts of praise such as compliments, affections, etc. they aren’t really used to have so much love and support from other people, not even used to have many fans yet (even though they know that the ninja always had fans for years to begin with-). Now with Randy pretty much doing this, the kid feels like some random kid being embarrassed by their parent or something.

-New Ninja hasn’t ever really gotten to have any sort of fun times and memories during their life, they don’t even know how to play video games at Greg’s Gamehole! Poor kid. But thankfully with Randy’s and Howard’s (yes, even him,) help, they’re learning.

-and uh yeah, they do know Howard too. At first they didn’t, to them he was this random guy that Randy seemed to talk a lot to so much and couldn’t help but be curious by their relationship. After some little investigation and all that crap, they’re more aware of the chubby guy now. How? That’s another part I still haven’t worked on yet.

-because of Randy pretty much being their mentor, New Ninja can’t help but mostly cling onto them. They often feel helpless without him, always asking him for help. They do learn to not always ask him for help later on during their development, yet there are times where the kid still can’t help but feel safer around him. Not just because he is the one who gives him tons of help with ninja stuff, but also cuz they really trust him and may or may not start to feel attached to him.

And that’s pretty much all I’m gonna say for now! Because if I wrote even more, it would take WAY too damn long and this would never get to be posted here. So yeah. Sorry if there will end up being some misspelled words or grammar mistakes, I’m too lazy to read all this again to check for them.

Will a colored version of this ref be done soon? Who tf knows!

[colorisbyshe]

List of my Veilguard Complaints... just all together... getting it out of my system and then making it reddit's problem:

This game felt so emotionally flat. I think... the reviewers calling out the game for "therapy speak" weren't entirely wrong. It's more exposition speak and the fact that EVERY SINGLE feeling EVERY SINGLE trauma EVERY SINGLE event needs to be processed, out loud. It's not "too woke," it's just emotionally... spacious. Because you're forced to explore EVERYONE'S interiority... it feels like they have none left, does that make sense? No one has hidden depths because they announce and process every thing they go through, often immediately after it happens. It's hard to imagine any additional depth

It's also hard because... no one... has that much depth. Everyone has weaknesses and bad things that happened to them but it feels like there was a lack of... real character arcs? People had character sub plots. "Accept this thing about myself" was the main one. Which... doesn't help the therapy speak accusation.

No one is a bad person. The crows? The human trafficking, child soldiering, murderous gang? They're the good guys and we should be happy they rule Treviso! Lucanis is just a good guy doing good work. Neve works with Magisters and Templars and some of them are bad... but not her friends. She only works with the good ones! The dalish form a group with Qunari and human members and they're just a diverse coalition who... love mages now (despite having kicked them out last game?? okay). Literally NO ONE is allowed to be EVEN A LITTLE morally dubious unless they'er a Bad Guy or they're fucking solas

I MISS BIOWARE GREY MORALITY! THATS HOW BAD IT IS! I FUCKING MISS IT I MISS IT I DO BRING BACK ANDERS BRING BACK ZEVRAN BRING BACK MORRIGAN AND FUCKING CULLEN AND FUCKING BLACKWALL BRING BACK ISABELA BRING BACK MERRILL AND HER DEMON SHIT! BRING IT BACK

"Oh, we're treasure hunters but we're not COLONIZERS! We don't steal cultural artifacts! We return them to the real owners, we're pirates but we're NICE AND RESPECT PRONOUNS!" CHRIST ALIVE!!!

EVERYONE WE MEET IN TEVINTER IS NICE??? EVEN THE GANG??? THE THREADS GANG IS NICE!! THEYRE SCAMMRES BUT THEYRE SO GOOD ITS A HAPPY ENEDING IF ONE OF OUR COMPANIONS RUNS THEIR GANG??? WHAT???

It was... a little bit awesome to have dorian become a violent revolution man but like????? Then Minrathous gets nuked so the game is too cowardly to even do that shit

AND THATS THE OTHER THING! This game made sure NOTHING matters choice wise! Oh, you chose to save Minranthous? It gets nuked at teh end. Oh, your choices fro previous games? Only matters if you romanced Solas but Dorian might call your Inquisitor "Amatus" in a non-cut scene dialogue. FUck you if you romanced anyone else. Southern Thedas is just.... all dead now... it's over... so any choices you mad ether eare NEVER going to be relevant. The companion personal quest choices really don'tmatter and won't matter next game.

THEY KILLED THE DNA OF A DRAGON AGE GAME! No grey morality, no meaningful choices, fuck... barely any romance once you flirt (NO POST-ENDING ROMANCE SCENE!!! EVEN MORE SHY ABOUT NUDITY!), AND NO FUCKING THEMES!

What was the theme of this game? Following Solas' story, it might be redemption or letting go of the past, I guess, but?? Do the main stories tie into that? Not really. We have ONE part of a hcapter be about Rook letting go of regrets... for deaths that jUST happened not even anything lingering.

Plots around OPPRESSION ANTI-ELF AND ANTI-MAGE DISCRIMINATION?? Gone... IN A STORY ABOUT TAKING DOWN SLAVERS... LIKE THE OG SLAVERS??? Yeah, it doesn't matter. We have idle talk about slave revolutions and that's... it?? I'm an elf in Tevniter and no one cared. What? Qunari and Elves and humans are all besties except the Antaam (some of which still become besties)... what? How do yo drop the single strongest through-line in the series?

"Oh, well it takes place in the north, it's different rfrom the south!" OKAY BUT THE FALL OUT IN THE NORTH LITERALLY NUKED THE SOUTH OUT OF EXISTENCE, I CAN'T GET SOME LINES ABOUT CULTURAL DIFFERENCES! Or like... a line referencing what happned to the southern wardens after... y'unno... the whole betrayal thing last game? That's all chill?

Varric's plot twist was fucking stupid. See: this post.

The romance with Neve was sooo promising btu felt passionless towards the end. Maybe there are better choices but... the lack ofreal closure burns. No final kiss, just a wobbling "I love you" that sounded like it came after pulling teeth like... no passion for real?

Taash's nonbinary plotline sucked. I'm sorry. It did. As a nonbinary person I can say that.

Harding was so OOC it fucking hurt.

I chose her for the mandatory death because that wasn't my harding. It's absurd that that limited the mandatory death thing to two potential characters?

Larger casts are always hard but it feel slike they rly struggled to make all characters relevant to the main plot. Taash's mom/gender struggle could've been skipped. Emmrich was amazing but felt like he was a part of an entirely separate game. Bellara's archive plot felt close-ish to teh main plot of letting go of the past but the fact that you can choose to keep it going kinda... makes it less relevant. Idk.

Besides... Lucanis... and sometimes Bellara and sometimes Harding no one feels like they're reacting to the plot. The fact that a character can die but it's skimmed over after a scene and some chats is insane. The pacing is terribleeeee like oh I can watch Harding and Taash's terrible romance (I'll say it!! Harding acts liek a doting mom and NOT in a sexy way) in dialogue across several missions in the Lighthouse but we zoom past companions dying? THe world ending??

The world was beautiful BUT THE WORLD BUILDING SUCKED! Sorry but SOOO many locations make NO sense construction wise. Why is a chest in the middle of street? Why does this bridge only appear when I have a quest? It's hard to tell when an area is inaccessible because you haven't figured out how to get there vs you literally aren't allowed to go there yet. It makes the world feel more like Oh I'm playing a game rather than you're exploring a real place. They did not navigate inaccessible areas well as a concept.

CHARACTER MOTIVATION EQUALLY AS FUCKING MESSY! I still don't know what Elgar'nan/Ghilan'nain's plan rly was even though Ghilan'nain literally wails about them. They wanted to rule, they were blight addled so I guess they're insane, but... why did they have to do it this way? What were they gonna do as rules?

Solas wanted to tear the veil down ti imprison them even harder except tearing the veil down lets out the blight except letting them out of prison also lets out the blight and don't worry when he tears the veil down he'll imprison/kill them again and make sure the blight isn't too bad even tho the veil was the only thing keeping the blight in?? And oh haha killing them lets down the veil. Also, AFTER killing htem, the veil takes a while to be torn and actually stays in place long enough for Solas to feel bad and patch it up with his own essence... okay?

The Butcher Antaam dude looooves Treviso so he accepts the blight into his body to rule it but you have to fight him.. to prove you're worthy of keeping him... from destroying Treviso? He loves it and also wants it destroyed. Again, he's blighted so he's CRAAAZY but... what?

Even with Emmrich! He's scared of becoming immortal because he's a afraid of death. So you resolve that by either pressuring him to never die by being immortal... or by not letting his friend die? Huh? We conquer fear of death by just... not letting things die?What?

Not the same thing but why would dorian stay up in the north to become an archon if he romanced an inquisitor who is fighting for their life in teh soutH? again this continuity SUCKS

[asordinaryppl]

A3! Backstage Story Translation - Chikage Utsuki SSR: BE.MINE ver.CHIKAGE - Part 1

requested by taruchikas, who also provided the raws for the story! thank you!

Reporter: “… Next, let's talk about the new service area that opened last week.”

Reporter: “It was packed with varying groups of people. From families and couples to friends this weekend.”

TV entertainer: “I heard the line of cars to get into the service area was rather long as well.”

Reporter: “There’s word that 10,000 melon breads were sold to celebrate the opening!”

Kumon: 10,000!?

Taichi: That’s crazy! I wanna try one!

Kazunari: It’ll go viral if we upload it on Inste~!

Izumi: Since it’s an opening ceremony, does that mean this is a limited time event?

Chikage: If it’s as crowded as they say, wouldn’t you end up spending a long time in the car?

Banri: I bet.

Kazunari: Don’t be such a buzzkill, Chikachon~

Itaru: Mornin’~...

Banri: Woah… You’re a mess, Itaru-san.

Itaru: The ranking in my game was closer than I thought it’d be, so I ended up pulling an all-nighter, oversleeping in the morning, and you can see how it turned out…

Yuki: You barely pass for a professional with this suit, and if someone were to look closely, they’d see that bedhead of yours. To top it off, your face’s not awake at all.

Itaru: That’s because I woke up exactly 5 minutes ago.

Banri: Are you gonna be okay at work like that?

Yuki: He’s keeping up appearances at work anyway.

Itaru: Don’t worry, I’ll make my final adjustments in the car. I’ll eat breakfast in the car too.

Chikage: … Thanks for the meal. I’ll be going now.

Itaru: … Senpai, you’re going straight to work this morning, yes? I guess I could keep you company.

Chikage: I’ll have to pass. I’m leaving, so take your time, Chigasaki.

Itaru: Oh, come on. That reminds me, you haven’t gotten your situation prompt yet, have you?

Chikage: Situation prompt… Oh, for that magazine.

Itaru: It might end up being a drive date. Let’s do this as practice, just in case.

Chikage: I appreciate your offer, but no thanks.

Chikage: It’d be one thing if you were sleeping, but a salaryman who plays video games and makes weird noises isn’t exactly my idea of a dating practice partner.

Chikage: Okay then, I’ll be going now.

[Door closing] 

Itaru: … Senpai gets to laugh and I don’t even get to chuckle.

Kazunari: Chikachon’s Logic Punch was super effective~!

Yuki: Same old, same old.

Izumi: Ahaha…

Izumi: Here’s some coffee for now.

Itaru: Thanks…

Izumi: (I do think there’s a big chance Chikage-san’s situation prompt will be a drive date, though.)

-

Chikage: Good work today.

Colleague: Good work~

Izumi: Good work Izumi: We have received your situation prompt, please look it over Chikage: Got it.

Chikage: Let’s see. I sure hope it’s not a troubling assignment…

[Notification blip]

Chikage: … Jinxed it.

part 1 | part 2 | part 3

[theydragon]

Nostalgia Trip|| Taash/Rook

🏆: Tested for fall damage and survived in the Lighthouse. or rather being an adventurous mountain goat and falling on our local Qunari.

The lighthouse at first glance seemed laid out pretty directly. Each room had a clear path despite the floating debris and everything opened up a little more once you solved its various puzzles. But this place was still hiding secrets or so you thought. You'd spotted an old chest thrown up on a ledge, a serious of vines growing down the wall leading up to it. After some testing here and there you managed to find a few good foot holds that brought you to the more dense parts of the vines. Refusing to look down, you knew better than to do that from venturing on the many ziplines in Treviso, you took the next steps to reaching your prize. Putting your full weight on the fines, but keeping a foot stretched to your previous foot hold, you felt secure though still trusted this minimally. Vine's were plants and, though dense, any plant could only hold so much weight before they snapped in half.

Moving quickly, but minding your hand placement, you pulled yourself up to the ledge without destroying the lattice work of vines. You could feel the gaze of the caretaker at your back, probably equally annoyed and curious about your intentions if you had to guess though you could never be sure with them. Whatever, you'd made your climb and had loot to get. Opening the partially rusted chest you were saddened to just find some random trinkets and not even enough gold to buy a coffee. Regardless of how disappointing your bounty was you'd still gotten something and had a little fun climbing all the way up the Lighthouse. Now there was the matter of getting down which for some reason had not occurred to you at any point in the journey. Looking down you saw the far away steps leading up to where Manfred stood, the little skeleton looking no different from an ant due to the height. You quickly realized the footholds you'd used earlier were entirely invisible now and how the winds, where every they came from, blew the vines you weren't entirely sure they'd hold your weight well if at all. If you could shuffle to the front of the building you might be able to grab onto one of the large ribbons of green that hung on its front, eventually moving yourself to the landing between the stairs or just dropping ungracefully near by.

Your steps were sure but the Lighthouse had other plans. Right as you would make your first movement it shifted harshly which caused you to slip. A small squeak left your mouth as suddenly your were in free fall. There was a hope the Caretaker would do something to catch you or maybe even will the Lighthouse to shift again and knock you into a less harsh descent but no aid came. Plummeting to your death after doing something admitted stupid was a way to go. You'd had preferred to die in battle or maybe even eaten by a dragon, a totally not blighted one of course. Something more epic to end your story than splatting in front of Manfred but alas, the cards were not in your favor it seems.

Just as you accepted your demise, the ground quickly approaching, you were stopped. Okay you were less stopped and more caught, the clink of settling metal and a grunt being all you got to indicate what or who had saved you. Opening your eyes you were met face to face with the ever un-amused looking Taash. There was the shock you'd been caught, a bit of pain in your back from the impact, and more shock that Taash was still standing after catching you.

"How did you..." the words drifted out of your mouth as you were readjusted in their grasp. You knew you weighed something, you were entirely one hundred percent sure, but how Taash just moved you around felt like you weighed nothing. They even seem to shrug off any sign of impact, having absolutely zero reaction to you landing on them.

"I was going for a run and saw you fucking around," The red hue of shame and embarrassment crossed your features as they spoke. Everyone was so quiet you had assumed they went to sleep, the sky around the Lighthouse looking more like dusk giving everyone a good chance to have some more normal sleep, so that no one would interrupt you while you climbed. It didn't occur to you some of the more active members of your team would probably wake up early or only be taking naps. If Taash was up Davrin probably was as well which meant there was a very tiny window before your embarrassment reached peak levels. "Decided to watch in case you fell, worked out didn't it?"

"Yes it did, you can put me down now." Attempting to wiggle out of their grasp you were met with a small laugh and absolutely no movement on their part. "Taash come one, put me down."

"So you can go back up the wall and fall again?" Showing absolutely zero signs of setting you down you decided to settle, their arms relaxing as you did. "There we go. Come on, you can help me make breakfast before Lucanis gets up and takes over the kitchen."

"Is that my punishment?" Huffing you didn't fight them as they started carrying you over to the kitchen. Assan was already outside and gave you happy little squawks as you passed by. This was also confirmation that Davrin was in fact awake, the griffin wouldn't leave his bed otherwise, and you'd gotten very very lucky he'd not stuck his head out. Taash would pick on you in a more "oh what happened last time?" way. You'd be entirely fine most of the time unless you tried doing something similar to a previous ill thought out idea. That's when Taash would pounce and turn into the nagging older sibling, as would Harding, but Davrin? Davrin wouldn't let you live it down for the next month. He'd bring it up when ever seemed appropriate, and sometimes when it wasn't, and the whole team would know just exactly how stupid you'd been. Davrin was the rowdy bro who never let you truly forget your stupid choices, Taash was the one who hung it over your head when they thought it was needed. Both were annoying but in this case you preferred the dragon hunter.

"Nah, but we can talk punishments later if you want." There was a bit of amusement in their voice as well as flirtation. Something turned in your stomach and they snorted. They were fucking with you, they had to be. "My mother would make me do reflecting exercises when she caught me doing something stupid or I got hurt. It didn't do anything but make me feel bad but that's probably just me. So you get to help me cook, think about your actions, and I don't tell everyone you fell off the roof; sound like a deal?"

"I feel like there's something else," squinting at them as you two entered the dinning room-kitchen space you let out the accusation. Taash didn't really like people in their way when cooking. Bellara sat nicely to the side, asking questions while Taash sometimes passed her something to cut up or mix. Davrin got kicked out of the kitchen area after stealing too many pieces of food and almost having a knife lobbed at him. It was just how things were and Lucanis wasn't very different. You had been tasked specifically to help, not sit pretty on a stool, help. "The only person you let 'help' is Bellara."

Placing you down on the table Taash started buzzing around the kitchen, the tiny space looking even more tiny with them in it. A fire had been started before you were even addressed, still sitting on the table as you weren't sure if you were supposed to move and also didn't want to get in the way.

"Spite wont wake Lucanis up if you go get stuff out of the pantry," ah, so that was it. They were abusing Spite's favor of you to get ingredients, that tracked. "Also I like you company so."

You cooed at them teasingly which got you a loud groan as they started prepping what ever meal they were making, refusing to look at you as they did so. It wasn't that much of a burden to sit around and help Taash cook but what type of friend would you be if you didn't give them a little bit of shit about it? Staring at their back in the firelight was a sight but what drew you more was getting to watch them while focused. Taash was almost an entirely different person when they were focused or as they called 'working'. When hunting dragons or fighting it was kind of hard to really see and appreciate it. It wasn't exactly easy to go into their room while they worked out without getting roped into doing something or a bit of...um... suspect comments that left you leaving the room beat red and flustered more often than not. Cooking was one of the easiest to watch high focus activities of theirs but it was still rare to see. Lucanis normally did dinner while Bellara handled breakfast and sometimes made something for lunch, the two swapping off when ever they deemed fit. Harding only made food for herself and didn't really 'cook' but more so threw stuff together in a bowl and ate it. Emmrich had small meals but otherwise let the others dote on him, Davrin was down for whatever, and Neve had to be told to eat more often than she actually ate. Taash had voiced they were fine cooking when Bellara or Lucanis didn't want to, even reassuring Emmrich they could make vegetarian stuff for him without a lot of spice, but they'd maybe cooked once or twice. It wasn't like there was any issues with Taash's cooking. Everything was pretty good though it was sometimes on the more spicy end as they couldn't taste it otherwise. What made sense to you, though you'd never voiced it, was they probably weren't used to cooking for this big of a group. Taash had lived with their mom their entire life and rarely strayed from her side for too long so you just assumed they'd be more used to meals for two or one than ten (counting Manfred and Spite, the later who sometimes threw a fit if a plate wasn't made for him while the former just pouted in the corner). "Can you go get eight eggs?" They called out over their shoulder, the smell of herbs starting to waft around the space. With a silent nod you hopped off the table, not questioning the large amount of eggs as you'd heard Davrin pop off about 'protein' too many times to count.

Stepping into the pantry you were surprised to find Lucanis asleep facing the wall, the little lamp he had turned low but still on. Using your shirt to carry them you counted out eight eggs, a little grumble pulling you from your work.

"Rook?" That was Spite, the inflection being enough to tip you off to it.

"Go to sleep Spite I'm just getting eggs." If they both were tired this would usually be enough to make him grumble then go back to sleep, but sadly that was not the mood he was in.

"I smell. things."

"I'm making breakfast go to sleep."

"Want. eggs." It wasn't as forceful as he usual demands but was actually rather sad sounding, like a little kid that just wanted to spend time with their parents or siblings.

"If I make you a little bowl of eggs will you let Lucanis sleep?" Looking over you saw the body of Lucanis sat half way up, the glow of Spite very present in his eyes. No matter how much this happened it never got less unnerving and you were sure both of them knew that but much really couldn't be done.

"Yes! Yes!" Nodding his head rapidly Spite sounding like the goblin he was but didn't move from the cot.

"Okay, stay there and I'll bring you some when they're done." He made a small sound of glee in response to you words, the happy hiss continuing for a moment after you left the room.

Returning to Taash you found them prepped with a bowl that already contained various seasonings and spices. They were making scrambled eggs or an omelet, you wouldn't need a bowl otherwise.

"What took so long?" You'd thought they would have been able to hear Spite, Lucanis' 'bed' being only a foot away from the otherwise of the wall.

"Spite wants some." Rolling their eyes Taash took the eggs from you, placing them in a clean bowl and counting them before returning to their work.

"Of course he does," Cracking the eggs as they spoke you couldn't miss how absolutely tiny the eggs looked. Qunari were big but Taash was just bigger, beefy even. "I usually make extra to bribe him anyways so it's fine, still enough for both of us."

"Both of us?" It didn't occur to you that you were included in breakfast. You thought you were just helping and then being dismissed, not being made breakfast after you almost died.

"Yeah?" Taash reflected your confusion, beating the eggs together until they were all mixed and broken up. "Do you not want breakfast? I can go give your portion to Davrin if you don't."

"No no no, If you're offering I'm gonna eat it I just thought this was all for you."

"Who eats eight eggs??"

"I don't know! You work out all the time so I assumed you needed a lot of eggs!"

Obviously amused by you Taash was taken over by a flurry of giggles, having to set the bowl down as they almost keeled over. Letting them laugh it out you stayed silent, stewing while leaning on the counter. Eventually they stopped and prepped a pan, a cheesy smile still on their face.

"You're cute," The comment caught you off guard, your face flushing in response which only earned you a smaller more affectionate laugh. "You okay with scrambled eggs?"

"Yeah thats fine," fell out of your mouth without thinking. Taash made a face you could only describe as pleased cooking with a bit of attitude in their step. It took no time for breakfast to be done, you diligently running a bowl to Spite before running back to the table. Before you could grab your own bowl large hand found the top of your head, stopping you in your tracks.

"Sit, I'll bring you a bowl." Despite being said as casually as humanly possible it felt anything but. The hand on your head ruffled your head before heading off, leaving you to patiently sit fully aware the cause of the growing warmth in your stomach and fluttering in your chest was equally aware of your current state as you were. You'd have to ask Neve about perfume after this or maybe Bellara. Bellara was used to running around the woods and knew how not to attract animals to her so what ever she wore may help you avoid the hyper sensitive nose that was currently serving you breakfast. On the other hand Neve might be able to recommend perfumes that could be used for revenge, hopefully confusing Taash if nothing else. Right now you would have to settle for enjoying your eggs and ignored the smug and pleased glances from the Qunari who sat across from you.

[ladiesandwitches]

It had taken a great deal of manoeuvring to get Vivienne out of the hospital, and even more to get her out of the city. Over the years of working with Mulder, and knowing him personally, she still could not understand just how he managed to swing so many favours or help in dire situations, all seemingly at the drop of a hat. Or a quick phone call.

While Scully had dealt with the girl's condition, which had been rapidly declining, Mulder had organised everything else, every piece coming together with a seamlessness that only her partner could ever manage. Whoever it was that Mulder called, the strings he pulled, there was a fluidity that Scully had only come to expect from the best emergency staff.

"Mulder, who did you call?" Scully asked as she watched Vivienne lifted into the helicopter, unconscious but her condition now stable after crashing suddenly. Whatever the girl had been through, it was far more than the injuries listed on her medical chart, and had likely been going on for much longer.

"Just a friend," Mulder assured her, wearing that look of his she had gotten so used to.

"Should I be worried you have secret friends in such high places?"

Mulder used the noise of the helicopter to pretend he didn't hear, holding up his hands in a over-the-top display of helplessness. Scully rolled her eyes in reply before settling in for the journey.

Once Vivienne was safely set up in Mulder's old family home in Quonochontaug, Scully had checked her vitals, and only when satisfied with all her reads did she allow herself a rest in the next room, Mulder joining her shortly after. She didn't remember much else beyond that, falling asleep quickly, but her dreams filled her mind vividly. William. She could see him, a teenager, worried and alone, on the run. She tried to reach out to him, but a part of her realised this was a dream. Someone else was with him, watching him too. But then they both turned around and saw Scully, surprise on their faces.

"William!" Her cry woke her up, but turning to look at Mulder beside her, she saw he still slept on. "I guess it's alright for some..." She muttered before slipping out of the room to check on Vivienne.

"You're awake," she said quietly when she saw the girl blinking back at her, a little confused, but otherwise okay. "How are you feeling?"

all of those questions, the eagerness, the desire to know the truth, just the vibe mulder was giving, it was her cup of tea. the positive crazy people. " gee you really are the curious one, huh.. " as much as she would like to just answer every single one of his question, her ability to think clearly was now clouded. even though she heard everything, she felt dizzy and confused. apparently scully noticed that and pointed it out to him.

mulder's questions were a great distraction. vivi could redirect her energy into putting the words together in a sentence that made sense and not worry about how much the brief touch of that demon made her condition worse.

" i trusted you with my magic and.. and i trust that you can take me out of here.. isn't that letting you help ? " turning her head she looked at mulder. there was so much more she wanted to say, to explain why she gave them all the trust she was able to, at that time. " i'll carry all the rest of the weight on my own. "

as much as it could seem she didn't believe in their abilities or them being capable of handling the situation, vivi was just worried. worried that she's dragged two innocent people into trouble, worried that the demons could attack them, that could've been mulder in the bed with burned neck and boiling fever, worried about everything, all the time.

she was a demon magnet, like every halliwell. every demon knew that last name. the agents didn't know that yet, they didn't have a regular witch with them, but someone much more powerful. when, and if, she decides to tell them where she came from, her family, her time, the laws of the grand design, all the journey that had led her to this moment, hopefully they'd be more understanding why she guarded the secret so well. that she can't let them take some of that weight that she carries every day.

when scully moved to make the injection, vivi didn't protest, didn't argue like with the nurse a few moments before. actually, she didn't react at all. only accepted the fact.

the return of the nurse made her open her eyes in reaction to the third voice in the room. " everything is in here, doctor scully. medicines, dosages and time. " the nurse nodded at the chart in the file. it was thick with the x rays of the broken bones and head mri. the list of meds was also quite long. " yes, the results showed significant deficiency in iron levels on the first test in the hospital. later tests only confirmed that. it seems to be going on for a prolonged period of time. "

listening to their exchange she caught some main points, mainly because they repeated the word anaemia a few times. " anaemia ? " seemed like she still had a bit of energy left. " it's just some iron deficiency.. "

the nurse frowned listening to her. she probably thought vivi was starting to mumble due to her injuries and fever, so she chose to answer to scully rather than discuss with vivi. " she didn't lose that much blood actually. " she shook her head. " ... however " her gaze moved to vivi, followed by a sigh. it carried the tone that vivi despised most and was easy to mask as compassion. it was pity.

" she came in with a stab wound. on the back, left side, below the damaged ribs.. but it had to happen before the accident, because the wound was stitched when she came here. sloppily, but still. it bled heavily and the stitches were broken, the surgeon had to put on new ones and stop the bleeding. " the nurse said and all that vivi caught from the story was the word sloppily.

yeah, sloppily. if vivi could roll her eyes more obviously, she would, but instead she settled on closing them to just listen. she wondered how would the nurse stitch the wound on her own back, working in the mirror.

this was just one of many things, many secrets that her body was holding. when scully finally gets to examine the girl properly, away from this crazy hospital and without a rush, she could see some unusual wounds and scars, each one telling a different story.

scully's voice brought her back, eyes half opened to look at her. " i don't need anaemia treatment. " she breathed out, gaze following scully's movements when she was switching the IV bags. " i'm vegetarian, i live on crackers.. can't really sleep.. does that fit the diagnosis ? " she asked, openly trivializing the situation. " it's just a deficiency.. and you're not scaring me with those dire impacts on my body.. they're long term, i don't care. "

that last thing scully said, it was a question, right ? a second or two passed before vivi found the right answer. " i'm B negative. "

whatever scully needed to do to her, vivi allowed it. more injections ? she didn't even ask. at one point she closed her eyes, drifting away and not focusing on the conversation in the room.

" huh ? " do you fly, the question was, do you fly. " no. " that man had a talent of making vivi smile with his questions in the least appropriate moments. " some can, but i can't. " sorry to disappoint you, mulder. " but i do make massive booms.. what do you think exploded down there in the hospital ? it was a tiny one. "

the light mood moment was quickly gone when scully looked at her. here she was hoping that the woman would forget that vivi mentioned anything about her family. " no. "

as much as talkative she was on other topics, happily discussed magic, the topic of her own family was quickly closed.

" can we leave now ? " that was the best news of today, finally leaving this hospital. even though she was in much worse condition than she expected to be, but luckily out now and hopefully safe.

safety from the demons was one thing, her medical condition was another thing.. and getting stuck with FBI agents was something completely else. will they let her go after she gets well enough ?

" ms scully ? i'm.. everything is spinning. " vivi admitted quietly, then closed her eyes once again. she's been on and off for some time now. the monitor read 40.4c

[lenalee-academy]

Look at this comment someone made on my Avengers fic?! 🥹😭 I read it and couldn’t stop smiling and a minute later read it again and burst into tears and now there’s this cycle of like near rolling around my couch in glee as I read it again and sobbing ugly happy tears that this person said such kind things about my work.

[puppyeared]

if escape rooms as team building exercises became popular im not sure if id be more excited or terrified

[batfossil-fr]

I’ve been really thinking of reopening my art shop soon… I’ve been taking some practice doodles (hence all the posting lately) while I shake off my rust and I’m finding things I enjoy working on again. I miss trying my hand at more dragons/OCs and colors. my shop’s so broken rn lmao but that’s a problem for a later date it’s just nice getting back into art

[enigmaticexplorer]

Whenever you say that your response went on too long, I know I'm in for a good time.

I felt so bad for her the next day...she knows what she's doing, but she can't help herself! It's her self-defense mechanism

It's that self-awareness and the guilt/shame that accompanies it, along with the self-preserving innate human need to protect oneself. It makes for a sticky, uncomfortable, and maddening combination!

I was surprised that Fox was already waiting for her, but he is not just going to let this go. He wants to talk about it! I can't imagine how he felt all the night before.

I like to think he immediately went to Wolffe and they had a couple of drinks, and then he sat in front of a fireplace stewing. He spent all night sitting there (Wolffe abandoned him when he got tired); but he couldn't sleep. So he went into work as soon as possible to distract himself. Knew he was going to approach her as soon as she got to work. Got the alert about the cams and set out.

And when he said he wanted her that night, to me he wasn't necessarily saying he wanted to fuck her right that moment. I thought he meant he wanted to be with her, in all senses of the word.

Yes. You were right. It transcended sex. It was a pleasure-addled moment of vulnerability for Fox: admitting he wanted her - for the long term, through thick and thin, for always.

Well thank you, Commander Obvious! She is well aware of that fact, thank you very much!! But I am glad that he let her know that he knows though.

HAHA. This made me chuckle! But, to be fair, Fox is pissed off. And he's human. He has his bad-decision moments.

He was gone. He wasn't coming back to her shop. She'd driven him away. Which is what she wanted to do. But now it sucks.

Funnily, this is all part of Fox's plan. Yes - he's hurt and stewing and pissed. But he's also not going to force himself into her space when it will only make things worst. He's giving her space to stew; but he also has a guess that the distance might make her approach him. (Which is why he's so calm and unsurprised when she finally goes to his office.)

He KNEW who she was. He knew...how? BECAUSE FOX HAD TALKED ABOUT HER THAT'S HOW! He knew as soon as he saw her who she was. God, I loved that so much!!!

YES. Exactly! Fox told Wolffe about her (how could he not?). He's known about her for months. And of course he's going to be smirking at the thought of 1) her chewing out Fox (because she looks pissed, obviously), but 2) seeing his brother (hopefully) be happy.

I was so engrossed in their conversation, his reactions to her. How he was going to convince her that no matter what she said, he still wanted to be with her.

Me when men see their partner as a multifaceted human and still love her deeply: 🥹

Why was that so hot?!!! Honestly, why was that so fucking hot?

I know that MMCs lasting super long and being hella skilled in bed are what readers typically want. But I like my men desperate enough for their partner that they can't last long. The thought of her simply touching him and him nearly coming? It's my cup of tea; and I fucking love it.

"And I fell in"...LOVE! He was going to say he fell in LOVE!!!

And the way you ended up this chapter...brilliant!! Absolutely brilliant

Fun fact: the code to her apartment is the day the first Star Wars movie came out in theaters!

I'm going to reuse the only gif as my acknowledgement of all of your comments and how happy they make me:

Let Me Love You - Part IV

Masterlist | Previous Part | Next Part

General Summary. An opportunity to expand your grandmother’s business brings you to Coruscant and a chance-encounter with Commander Fox. Friendship is your intent. But feelings grow, and with them, renewed fears. 

Pairing. Commander Fox x female!OC

General Warnings. Self-esteem issues; intimacy issues; trust issues; explicit sexual content. 

Fic Rating. E (explicit)/18+/Minors DNI.

Word Count. 3.4K

9 Kelona, Zhellday

Early morning sunlight greeted you, playful and eager. It was the same each morning. A monotony fitting Coruscant’s metallic environment. 

The planet’s controlled climate lacked the inspiration of a heavy rainstorm as the skies blackened and sheets of rain pummeled the fields. 

It lacked the novelty of a spring snowstorm as a dense fog captured the hills in its uncanny embrace and snow blanketed the landscape for kilometers.

It lacked the natural yet unpredictable change among autumn’s maple leaves and the joy of a harvest nearing completion.

Perched on the edge of your bed, you glared out the window at the cityscape beyond. Already the walkways bustled with life. Air traffic crowded the sky. 

A planet with more than a trillion beings and you were more alone than ever.

A result of your actions, you were well aware of this fact. 

As solitude consoled you with its quiet, independence-encouraged embrace, so too did self-sabotage comfort: a self-preserving shadow that protected you from the unknowns of the future. 

Both solitude and self-sabotage were formerly lurking forces that, over many years, became your closest allies.

They looked out for you. 

They wanted what was best for you. 

They cared about you.

They were voices of reason. They maintained an organized list of your flaws, and reminded you of them often. Not to humiliate or shame you. Rather, to protect you from the inevitable hurt of abandonment. 

You couldn’t be hurt if you never opened yourself to the vulnerability of being—

Your feet lurched to a stop outside the stained-glass windows of the gallery. The panes of purples, blues, greens, and yellows glowed beneath the morning sunlight. They weren’t the attention of your focus, though. 

It was the man with a shoulder resting against the door and armored arms crossed over his chest. A man who was seven hours early.

You ground your teeth. Clenched and unclenched your hands at your sides. Smoothed a nonexistent wrinkle from your pencil skirt. Unease coiled tight with foreboding as you forced yourself to move forward.

Fox lifted his head. Straightening, he removed his helmet, his expression carefully blank. 

You kept your face equally blank. “What are you doing here?” 

“We received a security alert.” The answer was unexpected. Your relief must’ve shown because Fox frowned. “The cams on this street went out an hour ago. A malfunction. I need to check the gallery.”

Understanding the wordless intent in his response, you keyed in the code. The door swished open and you stepped inside. The overhead lights flickered on in welcome. Depositing your bag atop the counter, you motioned for Fox to continue into the backroom and then logged into your computer, pulling up today’s schedule. A moment later and Fox returned. 

“I’ll need your security footage for the last twenty-four hours,” he said.

“I’ll get a copy made.” Your gaze remained planted on your computer screen. “It’ll be ready tomorrow.” 

Silence, swollen with tension, thickened throughout the gallery. 

Opening a file, you prepared notes for your first two client meetings, waiting for the door to announce Fox’s departure—

“Are we gonna talk about it?”

You stiffened. It took far too much effort to meet his stare, and once you did, you wanted to look away. His gaze was too familiar. Too intense. Too intimate.

“I’m not sure what there’s to talk about,” you said calmly. “We kissed. That was it. It was a lapse in judgement—”

“A lapse in judgement?” His low chuckle was anything but humorous.  

“I don’t know what you want me to say.” Your arms wrapped around your stomach. “I won’t apologize for not inviting you—”

“Let’s start with you putting words in my mouth.” There was a rigid set to Fox’s shoulders: defiant, defensive. “I never said you were a hookup.”

“And I said that I don’t do them.”

Fox exhaled a sharp breath and then braced his hands against the counter. “You ran away from me. Without an explanation. Nothing. We could’ve talked, like the adults that we are, but you fucking ran.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” You offered an exasperated smile. “It was just a kiss—”

“It meant nothing to you.”

“It was just—”

“A kiss.” Ire narrowed his eyes. “Yeah. I got that.” Releasing the counter, Fox scrubbed his jaw, eyeing you with an unfamiliar hostility that made you tense. “When I told you that I wanted you, what did you—”

“You don’t want me.” Your voice was inflectionless, dismissive. “You don’t even know me.”

Fox considered you for a long time. Then, scoffing with disbelief, he turned on his heel and started toward the door. However, halfway there, he paused. He looked over his shoulder. 

“I pity you.” His voice was low and yet it carried in the silence: deafening. “You say that you want to be known—you’re a liar. You don’t want to be known. That means letting someone get close. Letting them see you. But you don’t let anyone in.” Steely anger hardened once-soft eyes. “You’re too fucking scared to give someone a chance.”  

Before you could react, before you could respond, Fox strode through the door and disappeared down the walkway.

The next day, Coruscant’s afternoon shone as usual: unordinary, temperate. You were filing notes from your recent meeting with a donor when the front door swished open. The unfamiliar cadence in the visitor’s stroll informed you that it wasn’t Fox. The differences in armor—white accented with red, no kama—further confirmed it. 

The Guard introduced himself as Commander Thire. You led him into the backroom where he checked the sword. He left with a perfunctory nod.

That night, huddled in a tight ball on one side of your bed, you gritted your teeth as tears puddled on your pillow. It didn’t matter that you were staring blankly out your window. They trickled down the planes of your face, as persistent as autumn’s drizzle pattering against red and gold leaves.

You were alone. 

You would always be alone.

The next day, Commander Thire visited your gallery at the same time with the same professional indifference. 

That night, you sat on your couch and watched hours of entertainment on the holo. It was mind-numbing. An endless relay of drama that kept you from thinking about him.

On the third day without Fox, you selected an elaborate recipe for dinner, purchased ingredients after work, and then spent four hours deliberating over your meal. 

Finely chopped vegetables, each measured to an exact length.

A pretentious sauce requiring varied times of simmering, boiling, and cooling.

Stew, slow-cooked and mandating both counterclockwise and clockwise stirring.

Bread dough left to rise to an exact second, and then kneaded for a set number of rolls.

Thinly sliced citruses, marinating in a simple syrup and then muddled.

Once finished, you sipped the vegetable stew, savored the spices of the sautéed salad’s sauce, munched on the toasted bread, sipped your citrus-infused, nonalcoholic drink. 

Throughout your silent dinner, you defended your actions and decision from a jury of mental critics. Not only were you protecting yourself, but you were saving Fox from eventual disappointment. He deserved better.

On the fourth day, while Commander Thire made his departure, you called after him: “How much longer of this?”

He paused. “ ‘Til Commander Fox deems the issue resolved.”

Your eyes narrowed. “It’s been four months. Do you really think the daily visits are necessary?”

“Commander Fox believes they are.” Commander Thire extended his chin in your direction. “He oversees this specific case. And he’s relentless with the things he wants.”

The fifth day without Fox’s presence, the 14th of Kelona, Zhellday, you were still mulling Commander Thire’s farewell from the previous day. For some reason, it was stuck in your mind. Snagged on an obstinate thorn. 

And he’s relentless with the things he wants.

As you strolled out of the gallery and down a darkening walkway, you rolled your eyes. Fox was relentless. Persistent in his objectives. Consistent in his doggedness. His relentlessness went beyond his career—it was obvious in your last conversation. The demand for an explanation. And the harshness in his parting words. 

I pity you.

Gods, you hated those three words. You hated the disdain on his face. You hated the way his judgement speared your chest and stripped you bare.  

Your pace quickened with your anger. 

How dare he judge you? 

How dare he pity you?

The mere arrogance was fucking unbelievable. 

For five days, you’d let his words exist without argument. Without debate. But he couldn’t have the last word, especially when his judgement was so inaccurate and uncalled for. 

A sharp turn took you in the opposite direction of your apartment.

Twenty minutes later, you strode into the former military base, now headquarters for various military and security departments. A lift ride spat you out on the Department of Security’s floor. Three Guards, dressed in armor, were chuckling about something. 

You strode toward the front desk. “Where’s Commander Fox’s office?” 

One of the men—a dyed mohawk slicing across his head—rubbed the back of his neck. “Commander Fox doesn’t have any available appointments this late in the evening.”

“That’s fine.” You leaned against the desk’s counter. “I’ll wait for him to leave.”

Before the Guard with the mohawk could argue, a Guard with a cybernetic eye strode out of an adjacent office. Unlike the others, he didn’t wear any armor. He glanced you over. “Down the hall,” he said. The beginning of a smirk curled his lips. “Last door on the right.”

With a curt nod, you made your way down the hall. At the last door, you rapped the metal. The door immediately opened.

“You had—”

Your voice faltered as you took in the two men seated across from Fox. Commander Thire and another Guard.

“Sorry.” Embarrassment flushed through your upper body, and you retreated a step. “I’ll wait—”

“They were just leaving.” Fox rose to his feet, levelling a pointed look at the two men. “We’ll continue this later.”

Commander Thire and the other Guard stood, the latter muttering under his breath, “We just got here.” Commander Thire thwacked the back of his head. 

As they made to leave, you scanned Fox’s office, taking in the stiff, gray couch pushed against an adjacent wall and a single holophoto mounted on the opposite wall. There were five men in the photo; they all wore different colored armor. You recognized Fox and Cody, and to your surprise, the Guard with the cybernetic. The two other men you weren’t familiar with. 

The swoosh of the door announced Commander Thire and the other Guard’s departure.

You faced Fox. He’d rounded his desk and was leaning against its front edge: relaxed, unflappable. It annoyed you.

“You had no right to say that you pity me,” you snapped. “You don’t know me—”

“I do.” Fox tucked his hands into his pockets. His gaze was steady on yours. “I’ve spent the last four months getting to know you. I know you better than you think.”

“Is that so?” He remained quietly composed, and you shook your head. He didn’t know the real you; the realization hollowed a wan smile on your mouth. “I’m opinionated and self-righteous.”

He merely arched a brow.

“I’m a perfectionist,” you said calmly. There was a desperation unspooling within you—a desperate need for him to see your flaws, your issues, and reject you. So you could finally move on. “To the point of being overly critical of both myself and those around me. I prefer things to be a certain way.”

Fox nodded solemnly.

“I’m self-preserving.” Your eyes narrowed at his unaffected demeanor. He needed to understand; you needed to make him see to understand. “I’m cold. Some probably consider me heartless.”

“I’m well aware of your flaws.” Fox spoke with an equanimity that made you stiffen. His eyes swept across your face. “I have them, too. I can be controlling when stressed. Dismissive of others’ feelings. Blunt and apathetic—so much so, it comes across as condescending.”

“We’re not talking about you.” He started to chuckle. “I’m not having kids.”

The statement cut through his chuckle and he sobered.

A knowing smirk sliced across your face. “I’m selfish when it comes to my physical and mental health, and I know myself. I know that I won’t make a good mother. But I do know that most men want kids—”

“Some of my brothers have kids. You know that.” Fox turned a smug smirk on you. “But I never imagined children in my future. I like being an uncle. That’s it.”

You gritted your teeth. “I don’t do blow jobs.”

Fox released a choked noise, and he brought a hand to his mouth, running his thumb along his lower lip. He looked…the bastard looked amused.

He was supposed to be disillusioned by these revelations. Suddenly uninterested, disgruntled. Not fucking amused.

“I don’t like being choked or roughly used or humiliated.” You crossed your arms over your chest. “I refuse to be used.”

Fox nodded thoughtfully. “All right.”

His blasé response was simultaneously shocking and irksome. You frowned. “I’m being serious.”

“I know.” He shrugged at your bemused glower. “I don’t care how you touch me. And I can be satisfied with just your hands. You learned that a few nights ago.”

“I don’t believe you—”

“I almost came in my trousers that night. All because you fucking touched me.” He chuckled humorlessly. “Don’t question the effect you have on my body.”  

Your lips pressed in a thin line.

Fox tapped the edge of his desk. “Would you suck my cock if I didn’t fuck your mouth? If I let you…do whatever you wanted?”

“I…” You pressed a palm to your chest, massaging it. 

The thought of tasting him—running your tongue along his shaft, sucking on the tip, exploring his body with slow licks—without the fear of expectation or being used was…appealing. You wanted to listen to his moans, and feel him tremble beneath your touches, and watch him come apart. 

You wanted to be with him; you wanted to experience the physical intimacy. 

But, even if he didn’t fuck your mouth, it didn’t matter.

“I’m not good at sex.” You stared at him, weary, drained. “I’m slow, and I struggle to orgasm, even on my own, and penetration can hurt. It’s a waste of time—”

“I fucking hate when you say that.” Annoyance hardened the consonants of his words as Fox scowled at you. He exhaled a long breath and then pierced you with an exasperated stare. “A man won’t give a shit how long you take. So long as he gets to see you naked—so long as he gets to touch you—he’ll take whatever time is necessary.”

“You’re ignoring the part about penetration—”

“There are other ways to find pleasure.”

“Sure, but sex is—”

“A learning curve.” Fox mimicked your stance, arms crossing his chest. “I don’t care if it takes months. I don’t care if it takes years. I don’t care if I spend the rest of my fucking life learning. All that matters to me is being honest with one another. And being willing to learn.”

You dug your fingernails into your biceps. “I don’t have the body type that men want.”

“You’re generalizing men’s wants,” Fox said sharply. “But you don’t know what I want. You’ve never asked.” 

You clenched and unclenched your jaw. “What do you want?”

“You.” Fox straightened to his full height and stepped forward. “I’ve already told you this—”

“You don’t want me, Fox.” Your voice was quiet, as hollow as you felt. “You may want me temporarily, but it won’t last.”

“Yeah? How do you know that?” 

As he closed the distance between your bodies, you backed into the door, eyeing him. 

“You’ll be disappointed with me,” you said. “Or you’ll grow bored.”

Fox braced his hands on opposite sides of your head. Trapping you.

“I don’t think you’re taking my points about sex seriously—” 

“Sex is only one part of a relationship. And I fell in—” He swallowed. “I want to be with you because I like you. I like being around you. I’ve had four months to get to know you—flaws and all—and I’m still here.”

The intensity of his gaze was too much to bear, so you lowered your eyes to a point on his chest. This close, you could see the failed attempt to remove a scorch mark just above his heart.  

“You said you pity me,” you whispered.

“I…was angry,” he said quietly, regretfully. “At you. With myself. I shouldn’t have said it. I’m sorry.” 

A combination of sweat and something woody—cedar—enveloped you. As tangible as the arms caging you against the door. 

“I can’t promise that I’ll be the perfect man,” Fox murmured. “But I’ll hold myself accountable for my mistakes. And I’ll strive to be a good man.”

Emotion flared within your chest, tightening your lungs, constricting the back of your throat. 

This was supposed to be easy. Simple. He was supposed to dismiss you—see your issues and turn the other way. 

“You aren’t perfect.” Your eyes were trained on his chest plate, but you could feel the heat of his gaze on your face. He lowered his face a smidge. Your eyes met his. “I don’t expect you to be perfect. We’re human. We fuck up. We get angry. We disagree. It’s our nature.”

“But there are better options,” you said hoarsely. “Better women—” 

“I don’t want them.” His hands flexed against the door. “I want you.”

You shook your head. 

There were other flaws, you were certain of it, that would deter him. Make him realize he deserved the best this galaxy had to offer. 

You searched the crevasses and chasms of your mind, seeking out the organized list. But you’d already named the worst offenders. Would your preference to go to bed early qualify as a disqualifier? 

“I’m going back home.” You were trembling. “In three years. I’m leaving, and I’m not coming back.”

“I’d like to see the stars.”

“Don’t—” You looked away, swallowing the emotion threatening to release. It churned hot and volatile within you. “Don’t do this. Please.”

“Let me in—”

“You could hurt me.” Your back flattened against the door; your fingers scraped the metal. “You could really hurt me.”

Silence, and then: “Look at me.”

You ground your teeth. 

“Look at me.”

Your eyes lifted to his and, against your will, it happened. A single tear leaked onto your cheek, slowly drifting downwards, leaving an unmistakable trail. 

Quickly, you went to wipe it away. But just as swiftly, Fox grabbed your wrist, pressing it against the door. His eyes wandered along the tear’s trail to its conclusive end at the drop off of your chin, and then returned to yours.

“Let me love you,” he said quietly.

Undeserving.

Unlovable.

Never enough.

Another tear splashed from the corner of your eye. 

“I’m scared,” you whispered.

“I know.” Fox released your wrist and flattened both hands against the door once more. “You’re gonna have to trust me.”

“I don’t know how to.”

“Let me in, and I’ll show you.”

A part of you wanted to close your eyes, press your palms to your ears, curl inwards on yourself until it all disappeared. Fox. The last four months. That damned tiny hand pounding against your ribcage, insistent for him. You wanted to ignore it all. Pretend none of it had happened.

A greater part of you—a part tired of being alone, tired of the hollowness within you—silenced your two closest allies and their lurking whispers.

“I need space.” You felt empty, worn. “I need space to think about…everything.”

Fox surveyed you for a moment, tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, and then gave a short nod. “I’ll walk you back to your place.”

The first day after your conversation, Commander Thire reappeared for the daily visit. His now-familiar face was a relief. You were grateful for Fox’s consideration.

On the evening of the second day, you slipped into your sequined dress and creamy heels, treated yourself to a private dinner, and then returned to the Museum. You spent four hours perusing levels five, four, and three.

Another three days elapsed without Fox and you went to the transport center, purchasing tickets to Lefaepa for the 1st of Yelona. No matter what happened, you were resolved to return home for the Harvest Festival.

After six days, on the evening of the 20th of Kelona, you retrieved your comm and messaged Fox: 0525.

The code to your apartment building. 

Masterlist | Part III - Part V

A/N: I feel like I owe an explanation.

For an embarrassingly long time in my life, I thought blowjobs were supposed to be rough. I blame it on the media I consumed. Books and fanfic, alike, always portrayed them as a very rough activity. It became ingrained in me. Blowjobs were rough. And you simply had to take it.

I wasn't interested in rough. And I thought that because I lacked that interest, then there was something wrong with me. Eventually, just the thought of sex nauseated me. If a guy showed interest in me, I immediately cut him out because I was scared of the possibility of sex and blowjobs.

It's taken me a lot of years to process and deconstruct this belief. It's something I still struggle with; I find it hard to believe, at times, that there are men who can be content without rough blowjobs. One of the ways I'm trying to "normalize" non-rough sex for me is through writing. It's why I've avoided writing explicit blowjob scenes for my most recent stories, and why there's been an emphasis on my MMCs being gentle when it's been explored. I know that I neglect male pleasure and prioritize female pleasure in my writing; so I wanted to explain why that is.

Also, this is NOT to shame people who enjoy certain types of sex. This is simply for me to see my personal wants/boundaries normalized and represented in fic. Thank you for understanding.