#he has only officially married two partners i now realize

[whocaresstillthelouvre]

Guilty As Sin

Batter Up Chapter 6

!!! This takes place After Chapter 2, when reader and Joel's relationship was still a secret. !!!

Pairing: Baseball player Joel Miller x Female Reader Rating: Explicit. 18+ (Minors DNI) Summary: What if Joel did in fact write MINE on your upper thigh when the two of you sneak away from your friend's wedding? Warnings: smut, oral (f receiving), unprotected p in v (reader has an IUD), cream pie, bondage, a singular ass slap, neck tie turning into a gag, Joel's got a dirty mouth,spot the Taylor Swift lyrics in my writing, panties are getting ripped off. Words: 3,030

A/N: Baseball Joel is back. Thank you for being so patient with me during my hiatus. I've had this fic rattling in my brain since I heard "Guilty As Sin" by Taylor... and I may have been in feral mode while writing this. This can be read alone, without knowing most of the story of Batter Up.

Masterlist Series Masterlist Playlist

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Blake Velasco, the Capitals’ celebrated third baseman is finally marrying his longtime partner, and your friend, Gemma. You tell yourself you flew in for her, but really you’re here to see one of Blake’s groomsmen… Joel. You’ve been dreading today, your first official outing as a couple and nobody knows.

The two lovebirds really went all out for their December wedding. Crystal covered snowflakes hang from the rafters glitter in the flickering candle light, urns of white roses fill every extra space, golden and white tones fill the opulent mansion. 

Soft orchestral music begins, your skin instantly heats at the realization you’ll soon see Joel. Internally fighting and cursing every urge to turn in your seat and wait for the first sight of your boyfriend, you’re finding it hard to keep your cool. The procession begins, heartbeats begin skipping beats once you spot the same curls you like to tug hanging low against his neck. His longer offseason hair is slicked back, wide shoulders hugged perfectly by his form fitting black tuxedo. You can’t look away from his broadness walking down the aisle. 

Joel takes his place at the altar, the whole room dissolves around him. He searches for you, a perfunctory nod sent your parents' way turns into a smug smile once he spots you. His eyes crinkle in the corners, the same creases that show themselves whenever he’s closing his eyes in bliss appearing. He’s so debonair, all dressed up in his tuxedo, you want to wrap the silk black tie around your hand and pull him closer.

You’re sure he can tell how he’s affecting you. Helplessly trying to focus elsewhere, your eyes attempt to roam the room before staring at the chandelier above and bracing yourself for the next half hour of trying not to look at Joel standing tall and striking only three rows away. You look towards him, he’s still staring at you, a whimper chokes out. You brush a pretend piece of lint off your dress trying to cover your audible slip up catching your mom’s attention. She leans over and asks if you’re okay, you give her a weak smile and nod. Joel’s eyes still watch you, an imperceptible wink sent your way. Relief soothes your tenseness once the bridal procession begins. This is going to be awful. 

___

Swaying trees twinkle in the wind, fairy lights cascade down the branches, the shining orbs glow all around you, you wish they could warm you. It’s too damn cold. You just had to choose the tight gold dress only held together in the back by thin straps? You really had to forget your shawl in the reception? Sure, you wanted Joel to untie and unwrap you tonight, but now you wonder if it was all worth it... stuck shrouded in darkness behind the gazebo. Your teeth chitter, hands trying to rub warmth into your limbs while waiting for Joel to finally meet you far away from the picturesque mansion. 

You can just make out the loud music playing mostly drowned out by the raucous shouting of the party attendees. Your phone buzzes in your hand. Sorry, stuck talking, be out ASAP. You thumbs up Joel’s text and roll your eyes. Since when did he like talking? It’s been ten minutes and you’re freezing and frustrated. Joel’s teammates, your parents, and your friends are all in that far away house. Nobody has any clue about your tryst.

He’s been in your proximity all day, the two of you trading as many quick glances you can afford, a rush sent to your heart every time your eyes meet. Looking at him’s like playing with fire, you just can’t help yourself even though you burn yourself each time. He’s ridiculously handsome and he’s been driving you insane all day. 

Your wet core aches and you haven’t even touched him.

Joel Miller in a suit consumes your thoughts all day. Conversations flow around you, contrition and lust warring in your brain. It’s impossible pretending to listen to whatever story or joke people keep droning on about while he stands only a few feet away. Your nerves work overtime thinking everyone can plainly see all the fantasies in your head. Propriety in these situations always came easy to you, but today you’re suffering, longing for your boyfriend.

Looking up at the stars twinkling above you, you sigh, at least it’s a clear night.

A warm weight pushes against your back, Joel’s arms wrap around you, a large hand splaying against your stomach while the other rests across your breast bone. You’re instantly warmed. 

“Sorry baby, got caught up ‘n had to sneak out without anybody seeing,” he inhales your scent. “You look fucking amazing, it’s been so hard to stay away from you.” 

He pushes you harder against him, the shape of his half hard cock rubs against your ass.  

“Been having to adjust myself all fuckin’ night because of you in that dress, feel like I’m being haunted.”

His hands cup the weight of your silk draped breasts, his breath is hot against your neck when he kisses it. 

“We should probably find a safer place, anyone who looks hard enough could probably see us,” you groan.

“I know a place, slipped an usher a couple hundred.”

___

Joel leads you down a path back towards the house staying in the shadows of the outskirts of the yard, he confidently navigates the maze of hedges ahead of you. A dark building stands alone and quiet, perfect for the two of you.

Joel punches in a code on the door lock and opens it. Trepidation enters when you realize exactly what you’re doing. Sneaking into the guest house of the rented mega mansion your friends got married in to fuck your boyfriend that they, and everyone else, have no clue about. You’ve never been religious, but you feel like a sinner. 

“Is this okay to do?” the contrition begins to rear its head.

“It is baby, paid off a couple more members of the staff too. Cost me a couple grand.”

He leers at you like he’s a wolf and you’re the prey, he wants this. 

“Jesus Joel!”

“It’ll be worth it.”

He crowds and pushes you in before kicking the door shut. 

“Lock it,” you breathe. 

You’ve been caged up all night, now he’s here with you, his mouth on your neck. It’s time to crack the locks. You turn, crashing against him, hiking up your dress and wrapping a leg around him to rub your core against the soft fabric of his suit.

Your kisses are rushed and messy, moans floating in between your already labored breaths. 

“Fuck,” Joel pulls away, his eyes blown out with lust. “Turn back around baby, once I saw the straps of your dress, I had an idea.”

You follow his directions, turning quickly, heels wobbling on your shaky knees as he runs his fingers up your exposed spine. 

“This dress is something baby, love these delicate little strings all over your back.” He begins to untie the threads criss-crossing your back. “S’like you’re my own little present.” His fingers are quick and precise, chills shoot up your spine at his touch. “Turn back around baby.” You face him, dress falling to your hips. A mischievous glint in his eyes sparkles as he holds up two thin strips of silk. 

“What’s your plan?” Your heart shatters against your chest when he arches his eyebrows and licks his lips.

“M’gonna tie you up ’n take you right here in this guest house while everyone we know is just across the yard. You good with that?”

Your mouth drops, uttering a pathetic yes, your cunt aching with anticipation. 

“That’s my good girl,” Joel grabs a marker off the counter top. “Now, they told me there’s a bedroom to the left.” 

___

“Well, would you look at that? Gold sheets to match your pretty silk dress,” Joel chuckles. “Of course they have a four poster bed in their guest house, some people are too rich for their own good.” 

A light push lands you amongst the soft sheets. Joel takes in your flushed cheeks, parted lips, and gold dress sitting askew definitely too wrinkled for its own good. 

He hangs his jacket on the chair back, unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt. The sheets feel velvety smooth, you can’t keep still. 

Joel grabs your foot, easily turning your body around, the silk of your dress slides across the satin sheets. 

“Stretch your arms like this, baby,” Joel makes a T-pose to demonstrate.

You follow his direction. 

“That’s my good girl.” 

He straddles you, a bit of his weight placed against your stomach, his thick thighs strain in the black pants, your mouth waters at his closeness. He picks up a wrist, tying the string around you and the bed poster before doing the same for your other wrist. He tugs on both, smiling when they barely move. 

“They feel good baby?”

“Perfect. I’ve never done anything like this.”

“Me neither, but I think we’re going to like it.” 

He runs a hand down to your bra, effortlessly snapping the front hooks open. You blink in awe at the size of him taking up so much space on this king sized bed. 

He runs a hand down your face, pausing at your lips, dipping his thumb in to cover it in saliva. His thumb leaves a trail of wet down your chin and neck to your breast, circling your nipple before pinching it. You attempt to buck your hips at the sensation but you’re met with resistance from his weight. Both of Joel’s hands grab your tits, deep brown eyes getting darker when he watches himself push them together. 

“Look how perfect your tits fit in my hands. Perfect fucking size, so fucking smooth and pretty. It’s like they were made for me.”

Joel scoots back, now straddling your legs and pushes your dress up to rest against your stomach. He whistles a low note, taking in your soaked panties. 

“Baby, you’ve made a mess down here, haven’t you?”

Your eyes widen and nod.

“I’ll clean you up because this is my pussy and I gotta keep it in good shape, don’t I darlin’?”

“Yes,” you coo, another gush releases against the silk of your panties. 

“Because this pussy is mine, right baby?”

“Fuck,” you howl, body begining to quiver under his attention. “Yes Joel, all yours.”

“You’re mine, aren’t you baby? Just because all those people in that house can’t see it, everyone knows, right baby? You’ll always be mine.”

“Oh my god, yes, I’m only yours.” “Perfect.”

Joel reaches into his pocket, pulling a black Sharpie out and uncapping it. He looks up for approval, you frantically nod wanting to find out the mystery. 

The marker tip is placed against your upper thigh, the ink is cool against your searing skin. You lift your head up to watch Joel. 

M-I-N-E is written on your upper thigh. 

Your head slips back down against the pillows overwhelmed by the way Joel licks his lips while staring at his inscription against your skin. He caps the marker, placing it back in his pocket before laying down between your legs, stretching your thighs wide to fit him. 

Nuzzling his head in between your thighs, his mouth rests against your drenched panties. The sight must look so depraved, Joel’s almost fully dressed inhaling your scent with his nose nestled in between the divide of your folds as you writhe underneath him, your hands tied to a stranger’s bed. He grabs the seam of your flimsy silk underwear and tears them off, you’d chastise him if you weren’t so fucking ready to feel his mouth against you right now.

“You’re mine baby, forever,” his fudgy brown eyes gaze into yours when his tongue darts out and licks a long stripe up your aching pussy.  

He groans against your drenched cunt, lapping up all of the slick you’ve spilled out through the day. Your hands tighten against the restraints when he sucks your clit in the perfect way he always does. A thick finger circles your entrance, his tongue slowly teases your clit, both cause you to drown in satisfaction. You love how he looks in between your legs, his strong nose bumping against your skin, dark eyes focused on your face.

Your hips begin grinding against his face when he sticks another finger in, his biceps stretch across the white dress shirt with his movements. In, out, in, out, his two thick fingers fuck you, his lush mouth still adoring your clit with every lick and suck.

The silk ties pull at your wrists, your fingers dig into your palm, the buildup of watching handsome Joel Miller at a wedding made you ache all day, and now he’s here eating your pussy. You’re so overwhelmed by him, his love, his adoration, his fucking perfect mouth. Your orgasm rolls through you, your cunt rides the wave of pleasure against his mouth, grinding into his gorgeous face. 

He doesn’t let up, a third finger is pushed inside, his tongue traverses every dip, fold, and nerve. He pulls his fingers out and rests them against your aching entrance before burying them right back in. You shout his name over and over, chants of Joel screams across the room.

He pulls away.

“Baby, you gotta quiet down,” Joel’s face covered in your juices pulls a raucous moan out of you. “Baaaaaby,” he chastises, hand flying up to pull his tie apart. He balls the tie in his hand before stuffing it into your mouth. “Quiet.” 

You moan around the tie, biting down on it hard, shaking and aching as another climax splinters you. Your vision turns just as black as the tie currently packed in your mouth. Your arms burn as they strain against the ties, your legs locking straight.

“That’s it, baby, I’m fucking drowning in you,” Joel’s voice brings you back down. Your eyes open to him licking his top lip, tasting and savoring you. 

He pulls the tie from your mouth.

“I love you,” you weakly whisper, shattered by him yet again.

“Love you too baby,” Joel places a kiss against your makeshift MINE tattoo before climbing up your body and untying your restraints. 

__

He kisses each wrist as you shake them out. 

“You good baby?” 

“Of course I am,” you smile.

His thumb rubs your cheek, a doting look sits across his features. He still resembles the perfect picture of a formal man, shirt still buttoned, hair still perfectly placed, the only sign of any mischief being his missing suit jacket and sleeves pulled up to his elbows… until you notice his erection bulging his zipper out.

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“You know what.”

“Oh,” Joel clutches his crotch in his large hand. “This, baby? Well, since you’re mine, I’m going to fill you with my cum and make you even more mine. Now, turn over.” 

__

Your head rests against the silk pillow, heart beginning to race hearing the unzip of Joel’s dress pants. Your legs are pulled apart before he covers you in his weight, the cool cotton of his shirt brushes against your overheated skin. 

His cock nudges between your legs, you adjust to allow him full entrance. Joel slowly pushes in, his arms framing your head settling fully above you. His deep exhale hits the back of your neck. 

“Fuuuuuuck baby,” sprawls from him.

“Hmph– oooooh,” a conceited retort is interrupted when Joel buries himself in you. 

“You feel so fucking good, been needing to fuck you since I saw you, sitting all pretty at the ceremony then watching you twirl on that dance floor, you’re so fucking gorgeous, still can’t believe you’re mine.”

Your bodies rock together, his big cock filling you, you’re engulfed by Joel. It’s delightful. 

“Mine,” his hoarse whisper ghosts against your ear before he tugs against it with his teeth. 

The tempo of his thrusts rises, your cunt gladly accepting the volume. 

“Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. You’re mine, aren’t you? Only mine. Tell me,” he grunts.

“I’m… I-I’m yours, all yours,” squeals pathetically from your mouth, muffled by the pillow. 

Each snap of his hips against your ass sears so heatedly, you fear the bed sheets will be set ablaze. 

He rolls against the exact spot that amplifies your soul, a chorus of bliss strums through you. Symphonic ecstasy ripples overwhelming you, eyes squeezing shut, mouth screaming into the fluffy pillow. Your pussy flutters against his cock cramming your hole, the two of you entwined in a duet you’ll never tire of. 

Your head turns, lungs panting for air, whimpers yelping across the room as he rides your orgasming pussy, composing the melody of his own burgeoning orgasm. 

His hips stutter, the rhythm getting lost at the crescendo of his climax. 

Your name is moaned out, large hands gripping into your shoulders, his broad body collapses against you, briefly smothering you before rolling off.  

A quick smack stamps against your ass.

“Mine,” Joel growls. 

___

The mirror reflects someone who looks freshly fucked, Joel, on the other hand still looks flawless, his suit jacket already applied. He winks at your reflection while he efficiently knots his tie. 

“I get to go back now with no underwear, my hair’s a mess, and your cum is still leaking out of me, thanks. Hope everyone just thinks I’m drunk.”

He laughs a booming laugh, before kissing the top of your hair. “Anytime baby.”

Joel throws a stack of cash from his jacket on to the table before adjusting his tie, the smooth texture so obviously disfigured by your bite marks.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” you hug him tightly. 

“Tomorrow. I love you.” He sandwiches your chin between his fingers, placing one last kiss against your mouth. “Go have fun, I’ll be watching.”

“Love you too,” you breathily sigh, adjusting your wrinkled dress and heading for the door, with the final obstacle ahead… convincing all of your loved ones inebriated by the open bar that you’ve been there the whole time. 

“Miiiine,” he sing songs through the closing door. 

Guilty as sin.

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Series Masterlist

[angelasscribbles]

65 Poly Asks Part 1

I was super stoked to stumble across these asks specifically for polycules!!

I saved these asks two months ago and am just now finding the time and energy to sit and answer them.

I haven’t been that active lately but suddenly tonight I had a bit of free time and started reading through these and got so excited to answer them!

There are 65 questions and I tend to be long winded, so I’m going to do them a few at a time so you’re not reading a book by the time I’m done.

Ok, let’s dig in!!

I’m answering for my Bad Romance gang, obviously. Here are the first ten questions.

How many members are in the polycule? How are they related to each other? Feel free to draw a flowchart. I think that I already answered this here in depth, so I’ll try to stay brief. There are five primary members: Liam, Drake, Max, Riley, and Rashad. Six if you count Siobhan, an OC I made up that in my mind is still around, but I haven’t really written much about her. Riley and Liam are married and they are the king and queen of Cordonia. Riley, Max, and Liam are a throuple. Max is officially Riley’s personal assistant and top royal advisor. Drake is only with Riley romantically. Drake and Liam are best friends and have been since childhood. Drake is the head of Riley’s Queen’s Guard. Rashad was originally Liam’s friend but is now Riley’s lover and her personal lawyer. Liam and Rashad are still friendly, but Drake and Rashad do not like each other. Siobhan is Riley’s friend with benefits. Siobhan and Drake have been intimate with each other in a threesome with Riley. I might expand on that relationship, eventually. Hana is Riley’s best friend. They slept together once, but it didn’t affect their friendship. Hana is aromantic. She and Liam actively dislike each other, but try to get along for Riley’s sake.

Did the relationship start polyamorous, or was it a monogamous relationship that eventually opened? Oh, it started monogamously with Riley breaking up with Max to date Liam, then descended into a toxic hot mess when Liam broke her heart but then refused to let her go (there was an iron-clad marriage contract involved).

If it started monogamous, how did the process of opening the relationship go? Well, basically Riley just did whatever she wanted and tried her best to push Liam away. He refused to be pushed though and eventually agreed to a Cordonian Arrangement (a clause added to the marriage contract that legally opens it). Once he developed his own feelings for Max, and realized that you can, in fact, love more than one person at the same time, he chilled out a lot with the jealousy.

Are there any mono-poly relationships in the polycule? Aaaghh! Yes!! Drake remains mostly monogamous (he has engaged in a threesome, but he doesn’t think that counts since Riley was one of the participants; it was her idea, and she chose the other person).

What “shape” is the polycule? A triad, a “V”, a straight line of metamours, or incomprehensible? Listen. It’s complicated lol. Again, I went into great detail here. Basically63, Liam, Max, and Riley are a triad and they are nesting partners. But since Drake is also a nesting partner, even though he’s mono and only with Riley, I count them as a quad. Rashad is Riley’s lover and he is solo-poly with lots of other partners, so he is not a nesting partner but part of the extended polycule.

Where do each of the members land on the “solo poly” to “entwined” spectrum? As stated above, Rashad is solo poly. He dates very casually but is married to his job. His only deep emotional entanglement is Riley but even for her, he wouldn’t change his lifestyle. They work because she would never ask him nor want him to. After all, she has (functionally) three husbands already. Riley, Drake, Liam, and Max are about as entangled as it gets. They live together, work together, and often share a bed.

Where do each of the members land on the “free agent” to “community oriented” spectrum? Rashad and Riley are free agents. Siobhan too. Max and Liam are very community oriented. And, despite the grumpy exterior and being annoyed a lot by Max, Drake is pretty community oriented as well.

How did each member realize they were polyamorous? Did they always know, or was there some sort of epiphany? Max always knew…  he was poly before he met Riley. He’s the one who told her about it when she asked him what was wrong with her for having feelings for more than one person at a time. Riley figured it out quickly. Liam took a little longer, but he got there eventually. What started as a one-time threesome with Riley and Max turned out to be a potent combination of physical attraction and a lifelong friendship that ended with him falling hard and fast for Max, with Riley’s enthusiastic blessing.

Do any of the current members practice hierarchical polyamory? Who are the primary partners? Oh, yes. I understand that a lot of people find hierarchy unethical but if you ask Liam, he will tell you that he is Riley’s husband and furthermore, he is the king and Riley is his queen making their marriage and the ruling of Cordonia the first priority. Mostly everyone is on board with that and it works. Not always though. Riley would say she loves each of them differently but she does not love one more than another. Max is pretty submissive in personality, and since he’s in love with both Riley and Max, he would not dispute that Liam and Riley’s relationship is primary, he’s just happy to be part of it. Drake’s biggest issue in the beginning was seeing himself as NOT primary. Being monogamous, he saw her marrying Liam as her choosing Liam over him, and it took him leaving for a while to come to terms with it. He still struggles with it from time to time, but now they have open communication and are always able to work through it.

If the polycule is hierarchical, what differs in the boundaries set for primary vs secondary partners? Tertiary partners? Drake doesn’t have other partners. Liam does casual hookups when he travels. Riley occasionally does. Protection is a huge thing that everyone must use if they are going outside the primary quad. I haven’t explored this issue much but I have thought about writing some one-shots around this issue. Since they are pretty closed, catching feelings for someone outside the established polycule might be an issue. This question is making me think I need to explore this in some one-shots.

[the-blossica-fan]

*taps on mic before leaning in*

Matilda and Kakania are the last ones to know that they've been in a committed romantic relationship for 5+ years. It is when their partners planned a anniversary dinner that they subsequently admit their feelings to said SO and ask if they could start dating (officially).

Isolde plays it off remarkably well. The only giveaway she shows is a (confused) tilt to her head before she smiles (blindingly, radiant, nearly knocks Kakania out) and accepts with a faint blush. This is in part due to her realization that she can speedrun the process now that it's "offical" in Kakania's mind. This is dangerous for Kakania's heart as she suddenly is on the receiving end to more physical and overt affection from Isolde than ever before, but now she is also at the mercy of Isolde pouting when she doesn't get to hold Kakania close and whisper sweet nothings to her 24/7. Semmelweis comments once that Kakania might want to get her heart/blood pressure checked because "there's no way that much blushing is good for your health." Marcus is just happy Isolde and Kakania worked things out (Isolde went to her to help find some of the most heart-wrenching yearn filled poems ever written before they cleared up the misunderstanding).

Matilda unfortunately runs away beet red when her SO's respond with "we've been dating for years now wdym?" J is absolutely no help when Matilda barged into his room, red in the face and refusing to speak in mostly English (she keeps switching to French halfway through a sentence). When he finally figures it out, his laughter only makes her feel more embarrassed, but when they both calm down, he offers to help. He's used to blacksmithing weapons, but that doesn't mean he can't learn to do small things like matching lockets that Matilda fills with the dust and small herbs she uses for divination. Unbeknownst to many, Matilda is an ardent romantic and has memorized books worth of French poetry and will say countless romantic turn of phrase with a strange amount of heartfelt confidence and loving clarity (she can only do so because they can't understand her which takes away a lot of embarrassment). Tennant manages to hear her once and compliments her dedication to the craft (loving women) but refuses to translate anything Matilda says because "what's the fun in that? But I'll give you a hint, try saying back 'Tes paroles sont plus douces que du miel, mon amour.' And see what she says 😏."

(She goes red, makes a sound much like a ducks squawk, and runs away)

"you said you love me? Haha that's so gay!"

"we've been married for 20 years"

"wait really? Wasn't that to avoid taxes?!"

They seem like the kind to get married and not know if it's romantic or platonic. Fucking idiots/aff

I love the idea of Isolde standing there, entirely confused as Kakania asks her out and wants to make things official as if they haven't been going on dates for 2 whole years. Since she loves that damn idiot so much, she places all those worries asides just to kiss her and accept her proposal.

She looks back at that moment fondly as she lovingly stares at her stupid girlfriend. Kakania is lucky her girlfriend loves her so much.

(Isolde is so seductive tho, whispering in Kakania's ear? She wants that woman to die from gay)

I MIGHT be stupid but I literally read that French line backwards 😊

No I definitely am stupid.

Matilda is a mess, she gets a girlfriend (TWO, how? Dunno she just pulls), she doesn't know she has two girlfriends. The appreciation for a dumbass is all.

"hah! Of course I'd have good friends! I am the best in this whole suitcase" and said good friends cuddle with her to sleep every night, give her romantic gifts and kiss her cheeks. Very friendly, very normal.

You know what, shootout to Joe for trying to help that idiot, and shootout to Tennant for making her girlfriends understand (not rlly) said idiot 🙏

[hiwelcometothemonstersancturary]

For the pairings can you talk about The Prototype and Angel? Your interpretation of them has me in a choke hold lol

I'M SOOO HAPPY I ALSO HAVE YOU IN A CHOKEHOLD, THESE TWO HAVE CONTAMINATED ME WITH THEIR SILLINESS.

They're parallels and mirrors of each other. Angel could have become the Prototype, and the Prototype could have become Angel, if only the circumstances were different. They share similar grief and a deep feeling of alienation: Proto for being the first one and the only one that's as crooked and weird as he is, and Angel for being both an immigrant and a queer person in the USA. Grief for losing loved ones, Angel with their friends/coworkers and the Prototype for seeing his loved ones become nothing but experiments of a company he made from scratch. I could go on and on about their similarities and differences, but in the end the conclusion is the same: They KNOW each other. They KNOW how similar they are and they just Get each other, and to me this is sooo fun to explore and think abt whenever I talk abt them!

Also like. They're literally the parents of a household with almost 90 kids (numbers will prob grow once we get the official Chapter 4, but alas). Sure that it takes a while for Proto to be promoted to parent #2, but DANG, THEY ARE THE PARENTS. Two best friends who decided the best course of action was to get legally married bc this would provide some extra protection for the kids if anything bad ever happened to Angel!!!!!! AND SPEAKING OF BEST FRIENDS.

Angel loves annoying the Prototype and the kids. Their love language is being a menace (just ask their parents and Miguel about it), and after a while Proto both gets used to it AND starts annoying Angel back. What is a friendship but an excuse to be awful in an affectionate way. Angel will forever bully the Prototype for not realizing the critters were all alive, and in turn he's literally going to drag them to random places so they can stop working for ONCE. They have the same dad humor, by the way, much to the horror of some of the kids. They're besties!!!! I have said this a thousand times but they are besties!!!!! Only Proto knows some of the shit Angel went through, only Angel knows the things Proto went through. The torture the scientists made him stand, what he did and thought and felt the decade after the Hour of Joy, everything. Angel tells him about how sometimes they think they aren't enough for the kids, or how they fear they're being either too harsh with them, or how awful their last nightmare was.

Also to me the funniest phase of their relationship happens after Angel realizes that, unfortunately, they want a QPR with the Prototype. Like. They're all "I can't fucking believe this, I doubt he would accept the offer if I explained I may want something more but not the romance part of it" and "how the fuck do I explain to him that I value our friendship more than anything and I think it's something different than all of my other friendships without it sounding weird as fuck". Because Angel DID tell him what a QPR was, but they doubt Proto would want something like that. And then it cuts to him like "hm I think there might be something else to this friendship, but not romantic in nature. We may have achieved a deeper bond than anything I have ever had before, friendship-wise". Disaster of a human person vs scientist DESPERATELY wanting more affection. It's SO funny to me.

also like. Post-officially-becoming-a-QPR-couple. HILARIOUS. They pull the "we're partners" thing whenever it's convenient even if it involves pretending to be a romantic couple. They have no idea how it works. These two 100% do the "ask your other dad" thing in order to annoy one of the kids into going back-and-forth between them until said kid goes "stop doing that!!!" and then Angel has to control their laughter. Nothing really changes post-that except that now Angel sometimes gives him a kiss, they got too used to using Proto as a giant teddy bear by the point the QPR happens. Proto, however, now has excuses to just grab Angel and give them a hug without feeling weird for doing so [he's awkward when asking for affection in general].

[newtonsheffield]

Molly…what happens when Kate sees Anthony the next day? I suspect an angsty conversation on the drive to the children’s hospital. How does Kate come to realize that Anthony wants more than just a short term, secret affair? Does she feel the same and she’s afraid to tell him because let’s face it…signing up for a royal life is in many ways a huge sacrifice and maybe she’s convinced he won’t think she’s worth it?

Oh it’s pretty tense. Mostly because they’d sort of agreed like a month or two before that night that they weren’t really seeing over people. It’s a relationship, at least in Kate’s eyes. She describes herself as Seeing Someone. when she first met Michael she didn’t feel single and she told him she wasn’t and now it feels like her and Anthony are fighting and she doesn’t know why. She hasn’t done anything. And it just… feels like it had started to with James. She’d stayed with him for years too long anyway but she’d started to realise that he didn’t actually like her. Or he did, but only enough to tolerate her. What he really liked was the attention he got from the rumours that swirled around them. The speculation of an engagement that she knew was never coming. Or rather she’d known she’d never accept. He’d never even met her parents. She hadn’t wanted him to. He’d loved the idea of being the boyfriend of a future queen much more than he’d liked her. Kate.

And maybe, no matter how different Anthony seemed from him; He was losing interest as well.

He bowed when she exited the house, the car already on the drive, “Your highness.”

“Good morning, Anthony.” He opened the car door for her to slide in and she cleared her throat as she put the screen up between the driver and herself, “Anthony could you sit in with me please? We need to review the plan.”

It was unfair of her, she knew, to force him to talk to her when he clearly wanted nothing to do with her. But she didn’t want to keep feeling like this. She’d missed him last night, when she’d gone home and taken off the stupid lingerie she’d bought with him in mind and gone to bed early, an eye mask on that made her feel no better.

Anthony inclined his head again, and slipped into the car beside her, clearing his throat as the car pulled away, “We’re scheduled for about two hours, but I know you’ll want to be-”

“I don’t want to talk about that.”

Anthony swallowed, “I’m sorry, I didn’t go home with you last night.”

Kate rolled her eyes, “I’m not mad we didn’t have sex. I’m mad because it feels like we’ve had an argument and I don’t know what the fuck I did.”

Anthony pinched the bridge of his nose and his fingers twitched beside her when she tried to lay her hand over his, “I… I don’t know. I saw you with… that Prince, Stirling. And I… I don’t know.”

Kate’s stomach dropped, “Okay, well, nothing’s going on between Michael and me.”

“But your parents wish there was.”

“He has a girlfriend in the city. That’s why he keeps coming back. He and I are friends.”

Anthony froze, “A girlfriend?”

“Yes, he has a girlfriend. And He knows that you and I…” She wasn’t sure how to categorize them. They hadn’t.

“He knows about us?”

“Yes, he doesn’t care, we’re just hanging out.”

Anthony nodded slowly, swallowing, “Well, your parents still don’t know so it doesn’t matter.”

“Is that what you want? You want me to tell them?” She was surprised how eager she was to do it. If that’s what he wanted, She was ready to start the process of him being presented as her partner. Even though she knew what it would mean. They’d be expected to marry in due course. She’d been with James for years and the official palace line had been that they were “Spending time together” Another thing he’d grown impatient with. But for Anthony she would do it.

“I don’t… know. No.”

“Because you aren’t sure about me?” It would be better to know. She’d rather know now and spend the weekend with tears rolling down her face

“Because I’m not ready for this to be over.”

The car pulled to a stop and before Kate could say anything, Anthony had thrown open the car door and was waiting for her outside.

[beanghostprincess]

Follow up of the Marco And Shanks Feuding Over Buggy -

Once things resolve, the captains are somehow the WORST instigators. Roger, once he realized Marco was flirting with his Baby Bug, is caught between "well, kid has good taste" and "Oh I Gotta Kill A Child".

Whitebeard makes frequent comments about daughter in laws and it sends EVERYONE reeling, especially Buggy. He thinks it's hilarious, and it mostly joking ((but a little serious)).

Maybe it's the multishipper in me, maybe it's the polyamory projection, but eventually Shanks and Buggy have The Conversation about being captains of the own crews, of being each other's most definitely, of being married ((they are 13-15 when The End Is Nigh for Roger, and I can see Buggy having a sudden realization that Captain that Dad is dying. She and Shanks speedrun being married so he can do it. They're minors so it isn't official, but they get/make rings, set it up and have Captain officiate it so they're "married". It's the closest they'll get to the real deal and both need their dad there for this.)).

Shanks and Buggy establish an open relationship. They can be with and pursue others, but communication is key and they need to just keep each other relatively in the loop.

Buggy jokingly asks if Marco is still a sore subject, and Shanks shoots her a grin. "If you stay mine, you can be with whoever you like. Just promise me you will make sure he treats you the way you deserve, princess."

The next time Marco crosses either, it's Shanks. And he asks "hey featherhead, still crushing on clowns?"

"And if I am?"

"Here's her denden number - be nice, be polite, don't hurt her or I'll roast you for dinner, chicken boy :))"

"What"

"Byyyyeeeee~"

"No wait what-yoi-?"

Buggy goes on to assemble the world's weirdest, most unexpected polycule. A Yonko husband, a Yonko's division commander boyfriend, two warlords, a Marine, maybe a Revolutionary, just... wild ass polycule.

((Bonus, once she settles in the East for a bit, Zeff takes one look at her and goes "Oh boy now I have a niece. Damn it all." He threatens to shovel talk anyone who dates his weird clown niece but they rarely stop by the East, so he's got the conversations scripted in his head. When Mihawk shows up, he is READY.))

Buggy also has a bunch of evil exes bc she's a catch but she doesn't always clock red flags. It's mostly fine, but if any attempt retaliation, usually she's oblivious, either bc her crew goes full Protect Mom Mode or bc her current partners... take out the trash, as it were :))

Once Luffy realizes Buggy is basically his step mom is all sorts of ways, the Strawhat Protection System is enacted full throttle. She is oblivious. It's hilarious. Buggy has Scary Dog Privileges and doesn't even realize.

Whitebeard still calls her daughter-in-law. Roger is screaming crying throwing up in the afterlife. Rayleigh flips between "Oh my baby girl can handle herself ahe's so strong" and "Nobody Is Good Enough For My Daughter". Crocus hoards all newspapers that so much as mention her or Shanks.

Just. Silly funny polycule shenanigans.

Buggy just has a whole ass harem of boys pining over her and she goes through life thinking they're normal about her but they're not. They're literally obsessed with her. She only loves Shanks and is fond of Crocodile and Mihawk (ends up falling for them eventually, y'know) and the people she has been with have always been just kind of there? She doesn't forget them but she doesn't really care about them either. IT girl, girlboss behavior for once even if she's still a failgirl. But they always remember her. She's not easy to forget. Everybody that loves her is so protective of her too and she wonders why she never gets bothered by anybody?? She believes it's because she's now important and scary and yadda yadda but it's just because people have to go through Rayleigh, the strawhats, Shanks, and Cross Guild to get to her. So, you know, she's protected.

This is just amazing, btw. I also think they have an open relationship. And Marco being extremely confused when Shanks gives him Buggy's number is just hilarious, help. He's having a moment there wondering if it's a trap or something. I think Buggy would have the time of her life, and although Shanks also sleeps with other people, his heart will always be with Buggy. Like- He's the clingiest most annoying husband in the world. He's so proud of calling Buggy his wife. He's just there cheering for her, knowing that no matter how many people she's with, she'll go back to him!! The trust they could've had in each other if things would've gone well,,,,,, Going insane.

[teecupangel]

I’ve recently noticed (as in I only noticed recently, not it only happened recently) a distinct lack of it in your content so I thought I’d ask: opinion on EziDesAltCon? (I never know which order it’s supposed to be) cause to me it just seems like the obvious conclusion.

I honestly don’t know if there’s an ‘official’ shipping name for it. I usually go for AltDesEziCon, in the order of their games XD

I like it. Honestly, I’m all in for them being in a polycule or if this is primarily a Desmond harem XD

I cannot remember if I have ever answered something like this but there was this Desmond harem in a Royal ‘Family’ AU idea last year so I’ll focus on a poly kind of situation for this one.

Have some unorganized notes!

They all fall in love with Desmond first and it starts of as them being rivals for Desmond’s affection.

Altaïr and Ezio are highly competitive and tries to one man each other. Ratonhnhaké:ton is more of a chill dude but turns out to just be as competitive. He’s just more sly about it. There have been many Altaïr versus Ezio competitions that ended with Ratonhnhaké:ton’s stealth wins and it was all planned.

Desmond loves them all and realize that Altaïr and Ezio’s competitiveness is kinda like their foreplay.

He gets the idea of making them fall in love with one another so they can all be together (and Desmond doesn’t have to make a choice)

Shaun thought he was mad, Rebecca was more on the side of “It’s crazy enough to work”, Clay is there to watch the chaos unfold.

The Auditore family has an ongoing joke of disowning Ezio and adopting the others if he breaks up with any or all of them (not that it would happen)

Everyone but Ratonhnhaké:ton call Haytham ‘father-in-law’ to fuck with him. One time, Ezio calls him ‘father-in-law’ during a party with a lot of rich people and that’s how people learn that Haytham’s ‘unknown’ son is dating 3 dudes all at the same time.

They all call William Miles ‘Bill’ though.

This is full on modern day now apparently so Desmond’s parents are divorced and his mom married Minerva. Ezio and Ratonhnhaké:ton call Minerva stepmother-in-law while Desmond and Altaïr call her ‘Minerva’. Minerva just rolls with it and calls Desmond’s beaus “my stepson’s harem.” (this is honestly inspired by what @thedragonqueen1998 and I talked about in the comments of EOA XD)

They all live in a big apartment and have the biggest bed their friends have ever seen. They have a schedule on who does what chore each week. Altaïr is rarely given kitchen duties because he will season the ingredients and put it all in the oven. It’s not bad but Ezio keeps teasing him about his lack of variety. Ezio is forbidden to do groceries unsupervised because one time he bought more than they needed because things were ‘on sale’.

Altaïr’s grandfather doesn’t mind the number of lovers he has or that they’re men. He’s still annoying Altaïr to give him great grandchildren before he dies though.

Kids are not off the table but they want to spend time with each other first. (They all agree the oldest must be Desmond’s XD)

Malik is worried that Kadar would think that he could be invited into the poly. Kadar is honestly just living vicariously through Desmond at this point. He and Rebecca are the only two people Desmond confesses all the kinky shit they get into.

Leonardo knows the kinky shit they get into courtesy of Ezio.

Ratonhnhaké:ton doesn’t tell anyone the kinky shit they get into but Rebecca sometimes ask him for clarification because she knows he won’t embellish anything. (“Even the skydiving thing?” “Altaïr had to research a lot about that one”)

They sometimes go on doubledates and switch partners in different points of the day.

They have movie night every Sunday and the one who picks the movie is Desmond → Altaïr → Ezio → Ratonhnhaké:ton. Sometimes, movie night is in the comforts of their home, other times it’s in the movie theatres.

They schedule their offs so all of them can be together. Ezio is the one who mostly suggests they go somewhere which the others don’t mind.

Desmond always sleep in the middle of the bed, surrounded by the men he loves.

[candy616]

Graves proposes to You 💖 (AI ASMR)

Graves will make sure the setting for his proposal is perfect and matches your character. It depends solely on your preferences and could be:

>A very sweet, private moment. Like there's nobody else on this whole world but two of you.

>A dinner and a movie, followed up with a walk through the park… And a picnic under the stars.

>A long walk on the beach when the setting sun casts a warm, soft light across the waves.

>A romantic place with flowers everywhere and a bottle of fine champagne. The place where you two have a connection with.

>A candlelit dinner, flowers and a kiss that never ends.

>A nice restaurant, your favorite dish, a big-ass bouquet of your favorite flowers on the table, the music is right. He makes sure you are totally relaxed, happy and feeling loved.

>He takes you on a vacation to somewhere you two have never been before. It would be a surprise. He'd take you to a beautiful spot, where the sun sets over the horizon, and wait for a perfect moment.

>A trip to a cozy little mountainside cottage where a fire burns in the hearth, to help keep the chill away.

>The most romantic place imaginable, like by a volcano in Iceland, or at a beautiful overlook somewhere… Maybe on top of a tall mountain in Mongolia, overlooking the Mongolian steppe. Something amazing like that.

>In the middle of desert, when the stars are out, and it's all quiet and dark. Just you and him.

>Or he can just say it to you holding you in your bed.

~Of course, the ring is expensive. Even if you don't care about things like that, Graves just wants to show how important you are for him. The most perfect ring for you, something that fits your personality, something you'll love for sure. A special kind of ring that makes you feel like the luckiest girl on Earth. A ring that puts a twinkle in your eye and puts the biggest smile on your face whenever you would look at it. The ring screams, "He wants you to be his".~

So finally, Graves looks you straight in the eyes, takes your hand. You feel like you are the center of his universe. He holds you tight and he says:

Transcript:

Alright, baby. I stand before ya with a proposition so heartfelt, it could cause the devil hisself to tremblee.

Ever since I first laid eyes on ya, I knew ya were somethin' special. There's just somethin' 'bout ya that makes me feel right at home. Mah heart has been yours since the moment we met. Yer laughter, yer smile, yer touch, and yer love, they've given me a sense of purpose that's beyond measure. Darlin', when I say I love ya, I mean it with every bone in mah body. Ya are the most beautiful soul I've ever laid eyes on.

When I'm with ya, I feel like I'm on top of the world. It's like all the pain, all the sufferin', all the heartache jest washes away like it never existed. I've fought some of the toughest battles imaginable, but they pales in comparison to the battles I've fought without ya by mah side, baby. Ah've seen the world and all its ways, and I've come to realize there's no one else who makes me feel the way ya do, sugar. Every single day with ya makes me feel like I'm truly alive, for real… Ya complete me, darlin'.

Now, listen here, love. It's high time we made this thing official. There ain't no one else in this world fer me but you. Mah heart belongs to you and only you. I found ya, I wanna keep ya, so… Will ya marry me, baby?

No, you know what? You and me? We're gonna get married, sweatheart. And that's not a question, that's a fact. I found ya, you found me. Let's commit, let's grow old together. You know I ain't bullshittin', right? 'Cause I gotcha and I ain't never gonna let ya go.. I see it in ya, I seen it since the first time we met. You and I knew this was gonna happen, ya know? I wanna be yer protector, yer shoulder to lean on, and yer biggest champion. Whatcha think 'bout that, darlin'? Let's face whatever the future holds together, as partners, as lovers, and as a team. I love ya, baby.

----------------------------------------------------------------

BONUS for gals who are into this. That was NOT my idea haha. I'm sorry.

Transcript:

Hell yeah, I'm serious. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. I wanna put a ring on that finger, swetheart. And a baby… A couple of babies… A whole mess of babies in yer belly… And when we're married, ya can call me Daddy. How's that sound, darlin'? Let's do it. Or I'll be very sad. Like really, really sad.

----------------------------------------------------------------

This beautiful thing by @bellgraves inspired this.

For you, sweetheart.💖

[the-eeveekins]

The 10th Day of G-Witch: If I Could Take One Step Toward You

First off, shout out to this mobile suit shown getting beaten in the first 5 seconds of the episode by Guel in the flashback. It is, AFAIK, the ONLY suit in the show to not even have an entry in the "Other MS" section of the G-Witch website. I don't even think it has an official name listed anywhere in any G-Witch materials.

I love the conflict between Miorine & Shaddiq in this episode and how it leads to it's conclusion. Shaddiq likes Miorine but is scared of losing her, and knowing how much she despises the Holder system and being forced to marry someone from the group, he thinks he can stay above it all and stay on her good side if he stays out of it (except to swoop in at the last minute to save her from Guel, and be her hero). But he completely misunderstands Miorine, who doesn't see him as a romantic partner, but does see him as a friend; a friend she wishes would help her OUT of the situation, not work it to his advantage.

Even here, she correctly realizes that Shaddiq is manipulating the system in a way that he thinks will benefit them both, but in a way that still undermines her autonomy and decisions. And in sheer defiance of his actions that continue to show is complete lack of trust in her, she challenges him to a duel even with the deck stacked against her.

In this scene where we see Miorine planning for the duel using tomatoes, she even calls out Shaddiq's behavior to his face, and it's telling that Shaddiq doesn't think he's treating her like an object, just because he's not like the other men in the group.

Suletta's unwavering trust in Miorine vs. Shaddiq's lack of trust in anyone but himself. Again, even with Suletta, Shaddiq thinks he knows what's best for Miorine and can convince her to side with him.

And Suletta completely rejects him with full belief in Miorine, something Shaddiq lacks.

The duel against Grassley House might be my favorite battle in the whole series. It's incredibly exciting, wonderfully choreographed and has one of the most dramatic moments in the show with Aerial reaching Permet Score 6. Suletta finally gets to show off her stuff, this time fully on her own, and perfectly manages a 6v1 situation long enough to draw Shaddiq into Miorine's trap. We even get to see the rarely used beam blade function of the Aerial's rifle used with clinical proficiency.

I love the way they showed Prospera staring at the Beguir-Pentes of Grassley. There's no way she doesn't remember the Beguir-Beu from Folkvangr. And while the tear here is probably for Eri growing one step closer to freedom, I also think there's a bit of catharsis in seeing her daughters overcome the Antidote system and the successor of the suit that killed her husband.

I know a lot of people read romantic intent in these lines, and certainly from Shaddiq, there is. But I don't take Miorine's "Too little, too late" to mean it's too late to be with her romantically (because she was never interested in him that way), but it was too late to try and help her through the Holder system and be the friend she desperately needed. She now has Suletta, someone who she loves and trusts, who came to aid without any ulterior motives or expectations, and who explicitly trusts her. Two things Shaddiq wasn't willing to do when she needed it the most from him.

And as we see later in the series, he still doesn't fully respect her even after this.

BONUS: Suletta doing the equivalent of emote dancing on Shaddiq's body will never not be hilarious to me. ALSO, she remembered that Miorine had this broadcast everywhere and is trying her best to advertise for the company, she's such a good girl.

[cvrsedmuses]

relationships — wanted plots

ROMANTIC / SEXUAL

[ THE THROUPLE ; ( valerian & bryrony parkinson ) ] morcant had a thing for his best friend for a while now, but he never thought it would go anywhere, since he's not that deserving of love and had to marry a good pureblood girl. his best friend was in a very similar situation, and married a good pureblood girl. whenever morcant thought about his best friend marrying, he thought the girl would end up stealing him from morcant. this, or the girl being completely left aside. that's not what happened at all. the best friend's new wife? fantastic girl, fit their friendship like she had always been there. she's stunning, funny, intelligent. now he's in love with his best friend and his best friend's wife. what now?

[ THE CASUAL AFFAIR ; barty crouch jr ] all it took was a heated look during a secret underground party, flirty jokes traded under hot breaths, and a bottle of firewhiskey. their chemistry together could blow up the entire diagon alley, it's becoming a little more than he bargained for. the problem is: this person might not be the one their parents want for him.

[ THE ARRANGED MARRIAGE ; winnie yaxley ] marrying was never in his cards, he knew exactly what a marriage entailed: fighting and unhappy lives. his parents were miserable, he would never willingly subject himself to this. however, things change, and somehow he saw himself bethrothed with her. he was afraid she would be just one more chore, something that would ruin his plans. after a while, they both realize they have more in common than they imagine. maybe, their only ticket out of an unhappy marriage might be each other.

[ THE ROTTEN SOULMATE ; 1 open slot ] they used to date during their hogwarts years, they know the worst of each other, and they could have gotten married. unfortunately, it didn't work, since the relationship got cold and became a friendship. now, they are each other's other half and promised to get married if they're still single when they're 40.

[ THE SYCOPHANT ; 1 open slot ] morcant is well aware that this person uses his body and status for their own gain, but again, so is he. they are two beautiful, lonely people who use each other when they need to fill their heart for a night. sometimes, they even go together for high society events. it's a relationship of convenience, but not without its perks.

BUSINESS / WORK

[ THE UNSPEAKABLE COLD CASE ; arden wilkes, melis marangoz, barty crouch senior ] the corridors in the department of mysteries harbor secrets that refuse to fade. morcant has uncovered a cold case—a file from decades ago, meticulously buried by corrupt officials desperate to hide the truth. morcant always knew that the ministry was corrupt, but now that he's seeing it up close, he's not so sure that ignoring is a viable option. so, here's a question: what price must we pay when the truth becomes a liability?

arden wilkes and morcant decide to investigate the situation further. melis marangoz, another unspeakable, stumbles upon their investigation and must decide whether to help uncover the truth or turn a blind eye.

mr. crouch senior, a ministry official, starts asking too many questions—do they want to expose the corruption or bury it deeper?

MUSE C, an outsider with knowledge of the case, gets approached by morcant and decides to help him, but their motivations remain unclear.

MUSE D, another unspeakable, morcant warns morcant to drop the case before it’s too late—do they know something he doesn’t?

[ THE MONEYMAKER; alecto carrow ] he's an investor, so I need people with promising business he can support and invest.

[ THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR ; valerian parkinson ] financial advisor and partner in his economic ventures who help manage his investments.

[ THE DARK ARTIFACTS COLLECTOR ; elowen nott ] a wixen that he trusts to trade, sell and study dangerous artifacts he might encounter.

[ THE PAIN IN THE ASS ; atticus diggory’s parents ] this person's boss has been trying to aprehend the items in nott manor for literal years, since the family's obsession with keeping records managed to keep part of magical history registeres. now mr. nott put the responsibility to deal with the ministry on his son, morcant.

[ THE ASSURANCE PLAN ; open ] morcant is used to cleaning up his father’s messes. considering the amount of trouble mr. geraint nott (his father) normally gets himself into (and also considering the family's history), they probably have a team of trusted solicitors, barristers, etc. morcant has a pretty good foresight, so he would be preparing for the future, in case the worst happens.

ACADEMIA / MAGIC

[ THE SEER ; 1 open slot ] this person worked alongside him as a seer to provide materials to his get thesis as a master in spells. the theme was "binding magic in prophecies".

[ DARK ACADEMIA ; lucius malfoy, open slots ] scholars can be obsessed with their fields of interest, and he is no different. his expertise in binding magic and prophecies topple to the darker side of magic, and he found other people who want to study dark magic in the name of research. but here's a question: how far is too far?

MUSE A becomes fascinated by morcant’s knowledge and asks to be his apprentice. the question is: does he become a mentor or a corrupter?

morcant, MUSE B, MUSE C, AND MUSE D have formed a secret circle of scholars dedicated to studying dark magic under the pretense of academic research. when the information gets leaked and they start receiving threatening owls, they must cover their tracks and find out who's behind it.

[ THE WANDMAKER ; 1 open slot ] do you know how the loyalty of a wand works? how do i use my want to the fullest potential? how do i make sure that my wand works for me and for me only? how do i strenghten my connection with my want? that's what those two are trying to figure out. whatever it takes.

SOCIAL / PLATONIC

[ THE BROTHER FROM ANOTHER MOTHER ; severus snape ] there's a popular saying about how men live less when they do stupid things together. this person is morcant's brother in every way that matters, and they are truly there for each other. morcant feels safe with this person and is maybe the only one who truly understands what is going on in morcant's mind.

[ UNDERGROUND PARTY CIRCLE ; open slots ] morcant puts his duty above everything else, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know how to party. as someone who knows the right people, he's often seen in secret, underground parties. what happens there, stays there, and people know it. whenever he goes to those parties, it's like he's a completely different person. his duty is left aside and the most primal need to have fun is let out.

[ DEATH EATER FRIENDS ; open slots ] some of them were childhood friends, others met along the way, but eventually they all got together in the name of pureblood supremacy. at least that's what they think he support, but he's not that sure about it anymore...

[ THE CONSPIRATION ; regulus black ] morcant and regulus are coworkers and grew up in the same social circle, but were never really that close. up until now. now, they are joining their ranks, supporting the cause, biding their time. when paranoia starts eating them out and they fear for their loved ones lives, they are willing to sacrifice themselves if it means to defeat the undefeatable.

[ THE CHAMPAGNE FRIEND ; 1 open slot ] they party together, they have fun together, they spend all their money together; because they are filthy rich and spoiled rotten. it's not a very deep box, but you know what people say about shallow boxes... sometimes they have a fake bottom.

[ THE UNBREAKABLE VOW ; 2 open slots ] two people he knows ended up making an unbreakable vow, and guess who had to perform the vow ceremony? yes, morcant. now, he's involved in something more intricate than he put this galleons in...

[ THE POLYJUICE MYSTERY ; 1 open slot ] your muse has been meeting with morcant for a while, but has no idea that it’s him, since he used polyjuice potion to disguise himself. you meet in some sort of shoddy pub like hog’s head, he buys information from other influent families, and leaves.

[ THE MUGGLE MUGGING ; 1 open slot ] morcant decided to visit stonehenge for research purposes, as much as he dislikes muggles. there, he ends up being mugged by a muggle, which doesn't improve his views of muggles, but you try to tell him there’s bad people everywhere. the thief got stunned by morcant and nobody saw a thing. nobody but your muse. would you tell the ministry? or would you do something else…?

[myloveforhergoeson]

ash's may 2024 reading round up

find all the books and fics i read this (more like last...) month under the cut with a link to the synopsis and my reviews/ratings attached :)

this is just for fun! i'm not a professional, i just like to read <3

booklist!

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku by Fujita

(no link to an official author website bc i couldn't find one, but i bought all six books at barnes and noble!)

• review: full disclosure, this is not my first time reading this six book manga series, nor will it be the last. it's one of my favorite stories of all time and i pick it up whenever i need some comfort or reassurance :) wotakoi is three interwoven stories about adults navigating the grown up world while still harboring a love for their favorite manga/anime/videogames and whatnot from their childhood; some are unashamed of this fact like the mmc hirotaka who is unabashedly consumed by his love of videogames, while others have had bad experiences with others after being "outed" for lack of a better term like his childhood best friend and eventual girlfriend fmc narumi who does everything to hide the fact she is a fujoshi mangaka and anime obsessed girlie! the two reconnect after many years of being apart by learning they were offered the same corporate job and rekindle their friendship --> relationship :) literally has me in tears i love childhood best friends soooooooo much. there, the two make friends with the other main couple, mmc kabakura (moderate otaku, loves anime) and fmc koyanagi (crossplayer otaku). later on in the series we also get to know hirotaka's little brother noya (non-otaku!!) strike up a friendship and eventual relationship with ko (a socially anxious videogame otaku). i think it's just such well written about adulthood and learning to be who you are without fear of judgement from others. hirotaka helps narumi work through her past fears and anxieties, discovering together they they are able to surround themselves with people who love them for who they are and share the same interests. i also really love that all three relationships are distinct from other other, one being a rekindling of an old friendship --> lovers, one being long established, and one being so fresh and brand new the two don't even realize they have feelings for each other!! i could go on and on about this series, but i always feel so warm and loved after reading it <3 literally could not recommend enough. and if you're not a big fan of manga, the story has a one season anime out too!

• rating: 5/5 times i was reminded i love my friends <3 one of my favorite manga series ever!!!

2. Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey (18+!)

• review: ughghsuiohaiofaobfa tessa girl i love you soooooo much so much so much so much. but idk this one was just kind of mid. run of the mill story, not characters i was super interested it, but i enjoyed it nonetheless. if you read my april review, i read the first book in this duology, secretly yours, and i really loved it! this book was about julien's sister, natalie, and her somewhat enemies to lovers relationship with navy seal turned winemaker august. due to a series of unfortunate circumstances, natialie and august find themselves in need of lots of money very, very fast. the only issue is natalie's father is old school misogynist and won't release her trust fund until after she's married, and august can't receive a business loan until he's a well established member of the napa valley community and has at least one employee besides himself at his winery. the solution? a marriage of convenience, of course, until these two get exactly what they need from each other. the issue? they have a less than stellar past with each other and a whole boatload of assumptions about their partner they slowly learn to unravel and relearn throughout the story. now normally im a suckerrr for marriage of convenience but idk i just don't think i cared for the characters enough to super be into this one. probably my least favorite tessa bailey book honestly, out of six or seven i've read? not because the story was bad, i just don't really think enemies to lovers really works in modern settings. there were lots of good parts though! bailey is a master of 'he fell first' and it is very clear that even after their rocky start, august really cares for natalie. despite the relationship starting as a sham, he's a wonderful husband and looks out for her among the community members, and most importantly, her own family. they were pretty electric together but i think that's their only redeeming quality for me lol. so yeah, not my favorite from tessa bailey, but i had a good time reading it. worth the flip through to have read both books in the series <3

• review: 3/5 times i thought "really? all this for some wine?"

fic list!

fake fanfiction reader i didn't complete any of the stories i'm reading in may... but i have been really enjoying reading the assorted btr works of partiallypearl and ceruleanmusings :)) i've read far more this month than the last, so june's list will be far more coherent i promise!!

[randomfoggytiger]

X-Files Collector's Edition: The X-File That Started It All

In the wake of the 30th Anniversary, I combed through my fic pile and pulled up some fics dealing with the Pilot. (Don't worry about the AUs-- I'll stick them in another list later for the fun of it.)

Loose chronological order below~

Melymbrosia's Untold

""Double-blinds, triple-blinds, codes instead of names, codes instead of the details of procedures or drugs. Dr. Charne-Sayre has assured her bosses that the lab assistants will have no idea what projects and experiments produced the blood tests and organic compounds they're analyzing, and that this will not, in fact, even seem strange to them. The old men ask if it can't all be done by computer instead; they have what Bonita Charne-Sayre privately considers a charmingly naive faith in computer security, possibly because they think of it as half magic and half obfuscation. No, she says, and again no, and finally they give in. Medical research, it seems, requires a larger budget and a more select staff than mere conspiracy.""

The horrendous experiences of the Pilot abductees.

@discordantwords‘s (Ao3) Cataplexy

""It took him a moment to realize that he was awake, that he could move, and he did so in a rush, sitting up and shucking off of the blankets. His heart thudded in his chest. He lifted one hand and then the other, clenched his fist, looked at his fingers.

Across the room, in the second bed, his father mumbled something in his sleep, turned over, began to snore.""

Billy Miles's dad hopes his son will snap out of it, willingly covering up all evidence to protect his son.

zulu's First Sight

""She remembered that there was at least one agent who pursued unusual cases. She'd heard about him from...whom? Tom Colton, in their last year at the Academy. He'd told her about the agent who chased unexplained phenomena the way the rest of them tracked drug shipments and illegal weapons.

"He's a real ghostbuster, apparently," Tom had said, laughing. A group had gathered around him, ready to hear the sort of case study their instructors didn't see fit to assign to them officially. "They say he's rather--spooky. Spooky Mulder, chasing after aliens with a badge and a gun. You know you've gone bonkers when, you know what I mean?"

Dana smiled with the others, but the idea intrigued her. "And they let him?" she asked.

"The way I hear it, it's the only way they can keep him happy enough to do their V.C.U. profiling for them." Tom snorted. "They say his profile caught Monty Props almost single-handedly.""

Scully's boredom is eased with her thrilling new assignment to the notorious Fox Mulder. Although Melissa is her only familial support, she tries not to let it dampen her spirits-- as yet unaware that Mulder is on a campaign to figure out who she is and why they were partnered.

Maidenjedi’s Ab Initio

""Stuck. He was stuck in an elevator at the Hoover Building after 6pm on a Friday night....

On a Friday night.

Mulder sat down and started fishing in his pocket for sunflower seeds. Of course there weren't any, he never had them in his pants pockets. It was a crazy habit anyway.

Somewhere right now, guys his age were picking up chicks at bars. Or maybe they were married and having kids.

Mulder? He was chasing demons and ghosts from a basement. They called him Spooky for a reason.

The elevator starting moving an hour later and Mulder went home.

To nobody.""

Mulder is a lonely, paranoid man: friendly only to Reggie Perdue, and suspicious of anyone else at the FBI. TLG slip him information about Bellefleur; but he is a little more intrigued at his first glimpse of Dana Scully.

Surajtare’s Fragments in Time

Chapter 1

""Over the next few days, Mulder set his investigative skills to find out whatever he could about this Dana Scully. Her credentials made him uneasy: undergraduate degree in physics, M.D., "Einstein's Twin Paradox: A New Interpretation."

In Mulder's head the people of the world were divided in two: word people and number people. Word people saw stories everywhere. Number people saw equations. Mulder was a word person through and through. He never trusted number people; they usually had an obsessive need to quantify everything. Scully was definitely that kind, a person who could never understand the X files. The mere thought of a partner like that was exasperating.

Then, on March, he got a call from Reggie, his former ASAC at Violent Crimes.""

Mulder finds out about his assigned partner through the grapevine, immediately assuming she's been hand-picked to be "his type." He's mildly surprised at Blevins's pick.

Chapter 2

""So, how do you like the X Files so far?" he asked her, a little teasingly.

"They're interesting. They are!" she added when he saw his skeptical look.

"Well, this is an interesting first case," Mulder said, sitting back in the chair and stretching his legs. He couldn't fight the smile anymore and she reciprocated, briefly.

"Do you really think aliens have something to do with all this?" she demanded, growing serious.

"I don't know," he admitted, "but I can't find any better explanation."

"We haven't found any explanation, so far," she said.

Mulder soothes Scully after her embarrassment over the mosquito bites, admitting he'd had first-case paranoia, too. Scully admits she's fascinated by the case overall; and their conversation slowly turns to why he's so devoted to the X-Files.

Lara Means’s (Ao3) The View From the Outer Office (Ao3)

""Today it's just one agent -- Agent Mulder. He doesn't come up here much, and his name doesn't come up very often in Mr. Skinner's day-to-day work -- mostly Section Chief Blevins supervises him. But today he's waiting for the Assistant Director. And he looks nervous.

His knee is bouncing pretty steadily, and he's chewing on a fingernail. He keeps glancing over at me like I'd disappear if he didn't. When he catches my eye he smiles a nervous little half-smile, which I return before I go back to my work.

He clears his throat and I look up. "Um... I'm sorry, I've forgotten your name."

You didn't forget it, Agent, you never asked. "Kimberly.""

Mulder tries to get information out of secretary Kim, too impatient to wait for A.D. Skinner any longer.

Athene's Dana Scully's Senior Thesis

""She was accepted at Johns Hopkins University College of Medicine up in Baltimore, and graduated with the President's Medal in 1988," Frohike continued. He stared at a photo in his hand, one Mulder couldn't quite see. There was a little smile on his face, and a hint of admiration in his voice as he continued. "After being recruited by the FBI under a grant-with-stipend issued by the Critical Position Acquisition program at Quantico, she did a two year residency in clinical pathology at Hopkins. When she finished-"

"Let me guess," Mulder interrupted, a sneer in his voice, "she was at the top of her class."

Byers took up the narrative, his voice calm, ignoring Mulder's interruption with the ease of long practice.""

Mulder, enraged about being partnered, gets TLG to dig up information on one Dana Scully (who he believes is a plant set up to get him into an HR harassment claim.) His thoughts turn soft when he sees her honest eyes.  

@spookytheory's Fire, But Better

""First ring of fire: cleared. Blevins seemed content. The strange man in the corner seemed non-plussed. Both fit her preconceived notions of what FBI higher-ups were like. Old, stand-offish, starchy, and, dare she say, predictable? Dana is used to bland men: soulless nurses and aides who seemed to give life and hope to patients from their own personal stores. Some salt-and-pepper doctors were exceptions. Her heart clenches as her mind whispers the name Daniel.

She shakes it off with a roll of her shoulders. I chose this.

She lets this assurance distill into confidence and begins walking down the hall, smiling and nodding at her new co-workers. They blatantly ignore her.""

Scully is trying to shake off her past-- and its mistakes-- by seeking a new change in this assignment. Still, it echoes her heel taps all the way down to the basement.

Madeline Partous's (Annex) Pilot, The 01

""His castle. His domain. He knew that many people saw his exile to the basement as a demotion, a source of shame, but he'd considered it a new lease on life, the compensation for the dues he'd paid.

He'd been the golden boy, and it had earned him a measure of freedom. Now he planned to exploit it for all it was worth, despite the fact that he knew it would condemn him to ridicule and obscurity in the end.""

Mulder covers his extreme surprise and intrigue with sarcasm, finding himself immediately drawn to Dana Scully: New Recruit.

@i-gaze-at-scully’s (Ao3) She's a medical doctor

""Einstein.

His new partner literally took on Einstein. 

“A New Interpretation.” Polite way to say actually, you’re wrong. Here’s why.""

AUish-- Mulder is mad that he is forced to have a new partner; and decides that he hates doe-eyed, green Dana Scully.  

Beshter/Publius's Seasons: First

Chapter 3

""Dana Scully," she passed over her badge to the pleasant woman behind the ticket counter, stifling her own yawn, yearning for the coffee she could smell coming from some mysterious corner of the airport. Why 8 AM, she silently complained? She hadn't seen Fox Mulder. She half expected he would come last minute, tumbling to the gate, tie rumpled and dark hair scattered, as he'd grant her an unapologetic smile. She doubted he was really used to having to do anything on time for anyone, or at least not for a partner. From what she had gathered from his personnel file it had been a few years since he had one of those.

"Here you go, Ms. Scully, if you could sign here," the ticket agent pointed towards a line on the receipt she passed over, and slid Scully's open badge over the counter. Scully's own serious face stared up at her as she signed quickly.

"Who did you con to get that good of a picture, Scully?" Mulder's lazy, monotone drawl was somewhere just above Scully's ear, and she snapped her head up, nearly knocking the top of it into Fox Mulder's chin.""

Scully is floundering in the paranoid waters of Fox Mulder way too early in the morning, and without her coffee. She feels a little guilty that Mulder nails her on her eagerness to debunk his crazy theories.

astronaught's Equilibrium - Chapter 1

""He has had friends. He has had lovers. He has certainly been played with, though not in the fun way. Fox Mulder doesn’t have fun. Fox Mulder sits in his basement office for fourteen hours a day reading rotting casefiles from 1953. He enjoys the work, but his single-minded focus has nothing to do with enjoyment, and everything to do with a desperate and somewhat self-abnegative feeling of necessity. He has a sense of irony so well-cultivated that an outside observer might mistake it for a zest for life. In reality, it is the final recourse of the smart and painfully sincere. He thinks he jokes at the world because he’s given up on it joking back, but Fox Mulder is nothing if not a compulsive seeker of wonder, and deep down his ill-guarded, latchkey heart murmurs Maybe. Maybe. Maybe.""

Mulder's humor garnered him respect from Scully; and both mutually want to hope in each other.  

@wexleresque/hllsteeth’s

Table for Two - Chapter 1

""Mulder bounces his leg and taps his fingers on the sticky table, the pent-up energy from hours of sitting in a car being released from his body like pressurized steam. Through the stubborn pieces of hair that hang over his forehead, he observes the agent sitting across from him as she examines her nails and sighs tiredly.

He can sympathize with her on that front, at least. Though he’d strategically found the least uncomfortable way to fold his tall body into the plane, sleep had been far down on his mental to-do list. Instead, he’d let the case details swirl around the ether of his consciousness, looking for patterns and anachronisms that he may have missed, all the while stealing glances at Scully while she’d white-knuckled her way through turbulence and read over the case notes.""

Mulder observes Scully's post-plane meal.

@scapegrace74-blog​​‘s (Ao3) Fictober, Day 11. Theme: UFO

""They are two hours into their flight to the very plausible state of Oregon when he asks her to switch seats.   She’s momentarily confused.  With his coltish legs, there’s no way he should prefer the window, and she tells him as much.   Challenging Agent Mulder’s assertions is already beginning to feel less like a job description, and more like a secret vice.

“We’re almost over Utah.” As though that explains anything.

“What’s so special about Utah?   Is it a hotbed for UFO activity or something?”

He smiles and makes the obligatory harhar gesture, but his eyes shift to the hublot behind her, so she obliges by sliding out into the aisle.""

Mulder and Scully have a mini conversation about their respective faiths and beliefs before the Oregon plane experiences turbulence.

@scullysexual/PostApocolypticAlien

(Un)Buried.

 ""An unmarked grave. No mortsafe protected this body. There was nobody left to care about what happened to it.

Just the three of you stand in the graveyard in the black of night. The coffin is brought up, the lid removed.""

Mulder is intrigued by the body, mulling this new development over while Scully instructs the cemetery men to take it to the morgue.

10.02 (Ao3)

""It suddenly dawns on you how fun having a partner again could be so fun. You missed it, you realise.

Standing in the rain, in a graveyard, next to two unusually empty graves, discussing how a coma patient is sneaking out and taking people to the forest, it should be as absurd as everyone says it is but it is, instead, a reality and the person who is supposed to argue is absurdity is standing in front of you, laughing, believing it all.""

AU-- Mulder realizes how alone he was while watching Scully laugh in the graveyard. He makes moves that are very not canonical.

@kateyes224‘s (Ao3) Unnamed

""She was nervous as she packed her bags for “Ore-gone”, as her spooky, shockingly attractive new partner called it.... Dana spent almost an hour dutifully stuffing clothes and toiletries into every nook and cranny of her rolling carry-on, fretting over how many layers to bring, erring on the side of caution and, she decided as she was barely able to zip it closed, definitely overpacking.

It wasn’t until she opened her bag in her motel room in Bellefleur that her stomach plummeted as she pawed frantically through her bag, realizing with no little amount of horror that she’d forgotten to pack her pajamas."" 

Scully forgot her jammies, and Mulder lends her his shirt. Both of them appreciate the high art of Steven Spielberg references.

@scullywolf's (Ao3)

Pilot - Chapter 1

""Sighing, she picked up the tape recorder and turned back to her computer, grabbing her glasses from the bed and sliding them on. With a click to restart the tape, she resumed her transcription.

“...four millimeters in diameter and twenty-seven millimeters in length. Object is cylindrical in design with small spheres on either end. No identifying marks, stamps or branding were found. The potential purpose of this implant is unknown.”

The recorder clicked as the tape came to its end. Scully read back over her notes with a small shake of her head, then saved her data and shut down the computer. She had started this case with such confidence, certain that with proper investigative work and attention to detail, they would be able to figure out what was happening to these kids. Now, though… now she was not so sure.""

Scully is intrigued by this strange, new case; and, while not quite sold on the ape theory, she isn't about to subscribe to the alien one.

Fictober Drabbles - Day 3: Basement

""Diana once remarked how appropriate it was that his office was in the basement. “The Fox’s den” she called it, and he blushed and thought her so clever. Infatuation will do that; if anyone else had said it, he’d have rolled his eyes.

She wasn’t wrong, though....""

Mulder's infatuation with Diana turns into desolation when she leaves. He didn't realize how much isolation had affected him until Scully knocks, helping him to stop clinging to loneliness.

Tammy D. Aiken-Phillips/ThamasD's Nine Minutes

""It took only a moment for It to look them over, catalog them, and then telepathically inform It's comrades of It's findings. And intentions.

*The Female - She will have what We need in approximately eighteen Earth months. The Male - His body will be able to provide Us with information in approximately eight Earth years. We will have them then.* *What shall we do with them for now?* A comrade questioned. *Wipe their memories of this visit and return them. Inform our connections on their planet of their importance and the timetable I have set. The arrangements will be made.* *Affirmative.*""

In the 9 minutes that Scully and Mulder are abducted, the aliens have assessed them and marked them for future abductions.

@frostbitepandaaaaa's (Ao3) Nine Minutes and Then Some

Chapter 1

""As much as she was dizzy with relief, she was now weak with abrupt, crushing mortification.

“I need to sit down,” she told him, herself, cinching up the belt of her robe tighter for good measure.

“Yeah, of course.” His voice wavered with a note of insecurity. His motions were suddenly hasty, rushing to put the barrier of the cheap, motel table between them. And just like that, they were drawn apart like hydrophobic molecules.""

Scully is shocked at how much Mulder truly understands and cares her embarrassment post mosquito bite scare.

Chapter 4 (Ao3)

""I believe that hypnotherapy can have… therapeutic uses,” Missy begins, slowly, still recovering from her shock, “though I am not so sure of the… veracity of the memories it is said to tap into.”

Dana smiles, that little half-smirk that her sister dons whenever she was amused against her better judgement.

“What?” Missy asks her.

Dana shakes her head, looks down at her plate. “Nothing… that just sounded like an answer I would give.”

Missy grins. “I’m not as hippy-dippy as you think I am, Dana.""

Melissa sides with Mulder, admonishing her scientific younger sister to keep an open mind.

@neednottoneed/neednot’s (Ao3) Unnamed

""Maybe, she thinks, she’ll lose another nine minutes if it means he’ll look at her like that again.""

Scully realizes she can only talk about and understand her experience with Mulder, the man who lights up like a boy at Christmas when it comes to these uncharted, paranormal waters.  

Erin M. Blair’s (Ao3) His New Partner

""He wasn't quite certain what to make of her. He read her personnel file, along with a photocopy of her thesis. Her intelligence in the scientific would help him brainstorm and come up with plausible theories, along with keeping him sane. He had a gnawing feeling that Scully would gradually change his life, forever.""

Mulder is struck with how quickly his bad luck with partners has so suddenly turned around.

Macspooky's New Partners

""Come on," he slipped an arm around her waist and led her in the direction of the ambulance. "I think I might have another patient for you ladies and gentlemen. Possible concussion."

"Mulder...it wasn't..." She wanted to say that it wasn't that bad, that she had only been dizzy for a moment.

"Go on...." he said. "That's an order. I'll meet you at the hospital. You should be checked out.""

Scully berates her behavior in the wake of the case, scoffing that she'd been swept off her feet and gotten a concussion for her troubles. Mulder kept her company and thought she'd "done good."

@allyinthekeyofx's (Ao3) Playing the Game

""By the time morning comes her pile of sunflower seeds far outstrips his and he knows he will have to stop on the way to the airport to buy more.

He also knows that Dana Scully is not to be underestimated.""

Scully and Mulder have to spend a night at their burnt down motel before flying out. He does them both a favor by buying them new clothes and passing the time with easy bonding games.

@cactustree's (Ao3) Babyface Blues

""The residual embarrassment from the mosquito bite incident has only just begun to wear off when a flight attendant leans down to place a paper cup of coffee on Agent Mulder’s tray table and then asks him softly, “And would your daughter like anything?”

Dana is leaning back against the headrest with her eyes closed, but she is not asleep. ....

The motel fire left her with nothing but what she’d had on her person when she and Mulder rushed out in response to the news of Peggy’s death, and so she is still dressed in the same oversized raincoat and jeans that were soaked through in the cemetery, face bare of makeup, hair loose about her shoulders. She is twenty-nine years old, a medical doctor and a federal agent, and she has just been mistaken for the daughter of her partner, who, as far as she is aware, is in his mid-thirties.

Mulder lets out a quiet chuckle. “No, thanks,” he says to the flight attendant. He does not correct her.""

Scully tries to correct her babyface with a new haircut.

@freckleslikestars/Living_Underground’s perfect lullaby (Ao3)

""They were over Idaho when he carefully removed her reading glasses and tucked them into his breast pocket for safe keeping, lest her head loll to the side and crush them.

The lights of Montana cities sparkled bellow as her soft, nasal snores competed with the whir of the air circulation in the cabin.

Around the time they flew across the Missouri River, her head dropped to his shoulder and she slouched into him."" 

Mulder is surprised that Scully can sleep through their return trip from Oregon. He ponders on his impressions years later; and is shocked when she admits it's "his presence."

David Hearne's Thoughts at 11:21 P.M.

""Then the woods came. They brought twisted black corpses, metal hidden inside flesh, marks branded onto skin, and the light. Your new partner picked a spot and declared it unnatural. He spoke of time being snatched like quarters from the pavement. He pointed the finger of blame at a comatose teenager. None of it was false. None of it was true. It was all merely unsubstantial. You might as well try to bottle the wind as prove what happened in those woods.

You became angry at the mystery. Then you became scared....""

Scully had noticed how defensively Mulder believed before they even left for their case; and is surprised that he calls after to keep her in the loop. She listens.

@invidiosa/Circe Invidiosa's (Gossamer, Alt., Live Journal, Website)

silent fury

""Scully hurled the report into the trash can and dropped down onto the chair in front of Mulder’s desk. “They ask me to debunk your work, and then when I can’t do that, they just redact everything? And you want me to just sit here in silent fury and just take it?""

Scully is furious over her redacted report; and channels her frustration into Mulder's next case, ready to get back out and expose more truths.

@the-spooky-alien's Day 2 of Fictober!

""Oh, c'mon Scully, don't play innocent,'' he snorted, stomach clenching as annoyance flared high in his mind. She couldn't seriously ignore what everyone was calling him behind his back. ''Never heard of Spooky Mulder?''

The look of warning she gave him was enough to dampen his irritation. He mouthed an inaudible 'sorry' at her, wincing when she crossed her arms.

''I have, yes,'' she said, coldly. ''But it can hardly be considered a warning. It's merely a stupid nickname because of what you do with the X-Files.''

Stupid. That was one word for it.""

Mulder is relieved that Scully didn't (doesn't) chase the rumor mills; and is touched that she considers him intelligent.

Diadem’s Scene 02 - Thank You

""At first I guess it was simply morbid curiosity - would I find the body of my sister? Anything was better than the "unsolved" stamp the police had given the case file detailing Samantha's abduction.

After a couple of years, though, I realised that finding her would not be so simple. She would not just be dropped in the middle of a field and left there to be found by some farm hand. I knew by then that everything was much more complicated.""

Mulder had lived a lonely, obsessive life since childhood; and is grateful to be saved and given dignity by Scully's presence.  

amalnahurriyeh/Amal Nahurriyeh's (DW) Triptych With Luggage

""We got you something," her father had said quietly, when they'd all been having lunch back at her apartment after the ceremony.

"You didn't have to," she'd said, and blushed. She still found it hard to talk about the FBI with him; she'd pretty much stuck to telling her mother about it on the phone since she left her internship, and conversations with her father had devolved into safe topics: football, politics, Billy's disciplinary record.

"Sure we did," he said, and swallowed. "Come on down, they're in the car." She'd gone out to the parking lot behind her building with him. "Your mother thought we should wrap them, but I figured that was just a waste of time." He unlocked the trunk of the car and lifted it. She paused for a second, confused. "It's a whole set of 'em," he said, gesturing to the suitcase sitting next to the windshield wiper fluid. "I figured, you'll probably have to do more traveling now. And you can't put your FBI suits in Billy's old duffel, huh?""

Scully pours her excitement for her first field agent case into packing her new, expensive suitcase (gifted by her father in his hesitant support.) It serves her well all of Season 1; and it becomes her conduit during the rough, grounded months in Season 2.

Foxhunt2blue's Pleasures of Simplicity

""It's always strange how children can't wait to grow to adulthood---constantly in a hurry to be something they believe will be so much better. When they finally get there they wish they were children again.

Somewhere along the way they lose what can only be called magic, but maybe it's something else.""

Scully reflects on the innocence that can only be lost in adulthood; and her ensuing transformations over the years in many hallways.  

Enjoy!

[vague-humanoid]

When a 34-year-old woman decided she was ready to be a mother, she tricked a man she was casually dating into getting her pregnant. Now nearly two years later, she wonders if she should come clean to him after he asked her to marry him. 

She is unsure exactly what her future holds if she reveals one of her biggest secrets to him. 

The woman submitted her twisted story to the creators of the podcast “Everybody Has A Secret,” where listeners could anonymously share their deepest secrets to be shared by host Annabelle Lee and her guest co-hosts. Her tale filled with deception lies and unexpected feelings has sparked a variety of reactions among listeners. 

“Although I was technically single, I was in a ‘friends with benefits’ arrangement that had been going on for around five months,” the woman admitted. She claims the reason that she and the man decided not to date seriously—despite having feelings for one another—because he would soon be moving out of state. 

She decided on her own that she would go off of her birth control without telling him and hoped that she would fall pregnant naturally.

“If I did and it fell close to his moving away date there’s a world where I wouldn’t tell him about the pregnancy,” she says. “I was more looking for an unofficial sperm donor.” 

Well, lo and behold, she was a lot more fertile than she realized and ended up getting pregnant just one month after going off her birth control. She had no choice but to tell her friend with benefits about the pregnancy since he wouldn’t be moving for another five months. 

She acted as if the pregnancy was accidental and told him that she understood his plans to move away, letting him know that he did not have to take responsibility for the baby she intended to keep. 

“At first, he was okay with that plan,” the woman shared. “However, within a couple of days, he said he couldn’t move away now and that he wanted to be there for me and the baby.” 

He then asked her to officially be his girlfriend, which took her by surprise. “We moved in together after a few weeks and over the course of the pregnancy we grew closer and closer together and our relationship grew into something wonderful,” the woman says. 

The man got a second job to better provide for his future child. 

The woman says that she could not have asked for a better partner to have by her side during the pregnancy. Unfortunately, most of the bliss faded away after the birth of their daughter. 

“Our baby ended up with very bad complications at birth and ended up with severe health consequences that we will have to deal with for all of her life,” she revealed. At only a year old, the baby has had three surgeries, countless doctor’s appointments, and constant therapy and medications. 

Despite the emotional stress of their medically complex child, the woman says that the experience brought her and her boyfriend even closer together. Eventually, he asked her to marry him. “He said he loved us more than anything and he wanted to be with us forever,” she shared. 

The woman gladly accepted his proposal and is excited to start their new life together. However, she can’t help but feel some guilt over her decision to get pregnant on purpose behind his back. She admits that she does not want to start their marriage with the secret looming over her. 

“I don’t think he would leave because of this, but I don’t really know if he would ever forgive me,” she says. 

[dire-vulture]

Tamarind and Zaffre, two of my clan's founders haha... It's messy.

They met each other through Tarragon and Moraine and fell in love pretty quickly, both finding each other charming and attractive, but also wanting to get over past relationships, both as single parents (Tamarind having had kids with Pitohui, but no way to see them at the moment, and Zaffre having her kid Clash with Kyurem. Neither had officially married though, so no divorce there.) They really wanted to start a new life, and Zaffre especially wanted a more stable life for Clash, so they ended up getting married and founded Florabrisa with Tarragon and Moraine, and then shortly after had a clutch of their own. After their honeymoon phase wore off though..they realized they really weren't as compatible as they hoped, and they struggled with balancing both maintaining a new clan and taking care of their kids, often putting more focus on the new clan and leaving young Clash to be responsible for her siblings. Zaffre ended up inviting Kyurem to Florabrisa too so Clash could have her other parent more readily in her life instead of being split between them every year. And Zaffre may still have had feelings for Kyurem..they split over lifestyle differences and disagreeing over what was best for Clash, so in Florabrisa that was not quite an issue anymore and they picked their friendship back up very easily, which Tamarind wasn't a big fan of. Eventually there were rumors that Zaffre was cheating on Tamarind, which all parties denied, but it still wasn't great for how they appeared as leaders, and people in the community were pretty split on what they thought was going on behind the scenes. Making things worse, Tamarind retaliated by inviting his ex and kids to the lair, which angered Zaffre because she knew he did that to get back at her rather than genuinely wanting to reconnect with his kids dsfgd But they both still both wanted to try their best to appear as capable leaders while ignoring all their brewing marital problems...and then it culminated with the disappearing of their daughter Lucky one night, who left to start her Search without telling anyone. After they had finally found her, Zaffre and Tamarind both blamed each other for the event, and then decided that was finally enough and they got divorced. Things are still a bit rocky between the two, but they're both much happier now that they're apart. And after some years, Zaffre started officially dating Kyurem again.

and then we have bartender Gelibol and cactus hobbyist Barreveld...I'm gonna be honest i decided they were ex-husbands entirely because I thought it was strange and unrealistic that there had only ever been one divorce in Florabrisa dfgdsf so i gave these two some history to shake things up. Not really sure what happened tbh, they probably just got too squabbly and Barreveld might not have had the best relationship with alcohol, so being partnered to someone whose life revolved around alcohol wasn't great either fdgsf

and a fun fact. Gelibol is also an ex-boyfriend of Tamarind dfsdfg the relationship didn't end up lasting long. Gelibol has a new fiance now (Colada the Coatl, who also once dated Tamarind) and Barreveld I think has sworn off dating at this point. He also has an adult son Agrumato from before getting with Gelibol and tbh I have no idea the status Agrumato's mother..but i think it's likely Barreveld has been divorced twice.

show me your dragons that are divorced (and tell me about it) 👍

[crazyk-imagine]

The Good, The Bad, and The Working on It

Additional Summary: Jake met at the Hard Deck but slowly began to act as If they’d known each other for years, minus Mrs. Seresin not mentioning to him or the other pilots that she has kids. They didn’t faze him, he just found it hard when they wouldn’t let him into their lives. Not much changed when they got married, it did help keep Jake from losing his mind when drops off the kid’s lunches and stopped the others from teasing him about his feelings (to which he denied) he has for his future lady... until that teasing turned into teasing complaints which he happily accepted, as long as he got his girl, he’s all good. 

- This is basically a collection of Dad Jake (Stepdad Jake [but he’s a better father to the Maryanne and Edwin than their own bio dad]) and how soft he can be 

T/W: Cursing (nothing as bad as One Shot, I promise), drinking, alcohol, rough family relationships (but things get better), not enough communication (always communicate with your partner), weddings, marriage, pregnancy, preventing fights from happening between our favorite pilot crew, Aunt Penny being a mom figure to Mrs. Seresin, Soft Jake, Rooster  judges our favorite cocky pilot aka him being a little shit, Javy being a good friend, Bob being the DJ (the Seresin’s swear they won’t use him again), Mickey the photographer, everyone teasing Jake and Mrs. Seresin

So... I finally made a decision and made this into a series... Enjoy!

Table of Contents

I. The Good, The Bad, and The Working on It Prequel // Ao3: The Good, The Bad, and The Working on It Prequel

Summary: You were too stressed to care. And then he walked in, with no manners to share. You were sure to remind him of such a thing. Turns out, it worked because he was waiting. The two of you talk, leading to a friendship; the pilot crew took that as a good thing. They hoped that someone would tone down his cockiness, that much was certain. They all knew he was smitten for you, if only they knew you harbored feelings for him.

II. The Good, The Bad, and The Working on It // Ao3: The Good, The Bad, and The Working on It

Summary: Your kids do not like Jake. Actually... that’s a lie. They liked him before he asked you out. But now that the two of you are married and he is their stepdad, now they really do not like him. One day before the kids come home, he decides to stay away from the house for a few days because the last thing he would want to do is jeopardize your relationship with your babies. This is when the kids realize how much of a good, caring guy he is, and they slowly begin to accept him.

(Smut) III. The Good, The Bad, and The Big Birthday Bash (Edwin’s Birthday) // Ao3: The Good, The Bad, and The Big Birthday Bash (Edwin’s Birthday)

Summary: Your youngest wants to have a cowboy birthday party, and who are you to prevent that from happening. You recruit Jake (and reluctantly the others) to help with planning and getting the supplies. All is fine in the first hour or two of the party but then Jake comes in looking... how does one say this without making them seem like a piece of meat... he looked fine as hell (and teases you throughout the whole party when he understands your look).  

IV. The Good, The Bad, and The Somewhat Okay Father’s Day (Pt. 1)// ao3: The Good, The Bad, and The Somewhat Okay Father’s Day (Pt. 1)

Summary: The kids want to plan a few fun activities to do for Father’s Day since it is Jake’s first official holiday being their dad (not that he wasn’t before but now it’s on paper). A few minor mishaps do happen, but it makes for a good memory as the first among many to come. It also helps that Jake just laughs and enjoys the day with all of you.  

V. The Somewhat Good, The Better, and the New Family Member (Pt. 2) // Ao3: The Somewhat Good, The Better, and the New Family Member (Pt. 2)

Summary: Remember when you could barely keep your hands to yourself at Edwin’s cowboy party, well, as the title clearly points out there was one good thing that came out of that situation. You just don’t know how to tell Jake; it also doesn’t help that due to the first two times you did tell the father of your baby that you were, in fact, pregnant, he left years later. You know Jake would never do something like this, but it doesn’t change what you experienced before.  

VI. The Good, The Better, and The Second Birthday Bash (Maryanne’s Birthday) // Ao3: The Good, The Better, and The Second Birthday Bash (Maryanne’s Birthday)

Summary: Jake might have had a lot of influence on the theme of this birthday party (but he does not regret it one bit). You just know you were lucky you have a whole pilot crew to help because there was no way in hell you would have known how to throw a party with a pilot theme. Okay, maybe that’s a lie, the cake- the cake you could do but making sure other minor decorations were accurate, you would be lost. There might also be a surprise guest *cough* DJ Bob *cough*.  

VII. The Great, The Good, and The Anniversary // Ao3: The Great, The Good, and The Anniversary

Summary: It is yours and Jake first wedding anniversary, time to take that cake out of the freezer! Bob, Bradley, and Javy offered to take the kids out for the day, weekend, whatever the two of you wanted, they would happily do it... they miss hanging out the Maryanne and Edwin plus Baby Jake (not the baby’s actual name, it’ just- she looks so much like her dad, you could not resist the nickname) so honestly, this is a bit of a win-win situation for all of you. Neither of you thought there was going to be much of a change with your relationship but to know that the two of you have been married for a year and now have three beautiful children together brings a sense of warmth to both of your hearts.  

VIII. The Good, The Better, and The Birth // Ao3: The Good, The Better, and The Birth

Summary: You don’t remember your first two being as active as this little booger butt, but here we are, waking up from our somewhat glorious slumber (in the middle of the night... alone). You’re quick to shout out for the one person your husband has a tough time with... Chicken. He makes it clear that he is not the father since the doctors and nurses keep trying to have him stay in the room, by your side. Jake finally finishes the damn paperwork, turning his ringer on to find that his phone is blowing up from Chicken. You and Jake are lucky he didn’t get arrested with how many laws he broke to get to you.  

IX. The Great, The Holidays, and The Festivities (Pt. 1) // Ao3: The Great, The Holidays, and The Festivities (Pt. 1) 

Summary: Okay, this is it, the first big holiday being celebrated (since you were way too pregnant to do anything [your words, not Jake’s] besides try to find a comfortable position for you to sleep in). Now, all five of you can celebrate at the cabin Jake’s rented for the “holiday”. Or in this case, your husband chose a random week to play catch up before the actual holidays.  

X. The Better, The Fine, and The Camping trip (Pt. 2) // Ao3: The Better, The Fine, and The Camping trip (Pt. 2)

Summary: Jake decides it’s time for the Seresin clan to go on their first family trip (before his babies grow up and don’t want to). While he plans the whole thing, you work on finding someone to housesit; you’ve narrowed it down to three candidates: Penny (of course, she’s a very responsible adult), Bob (do I need to add on, plus he won’t forget to water the one plant you have... that he conveniently named Bobby Jr), and finally last but not least, Callie (she and Natasha were running but she’s going to use her free time to visit her family).

XI. The Great, The Hectic, and The Parent Birthday Bash (Jake and Mrs. Seresin) // Ao3: The Great, The Hectic, and The Parent Birthday Bash (Jake and Mrs. Seresin)

Summary: It’s time for the adults to catch up with their birthday celebrations, courtesy of the Pilot Crew. Ever since you two started dating, got engaged, and later married; you never had the time to celebrate (Jake was deployed and it was never the right time). The Pilot Crew know how much you two do for the kids and want you two to be able to get out and celebrate so they did it. And, a special (not so surprise) guest, is the one… the only… DJ Bob. 

XII. The Better, The Fun, and the year Jake sobs // Ao3: The Better, The Fun, and the year Jake sobs

Summary: It’s that spooky time of year again (followed by the Jolly holiday). But it’s also a fun year because now you and Jake can dress up your little girl (and she’s the cutest thing anyone’s ever seen, of course [Jake gets extra cocky]). It’s also the year your husband realizes that his little girl is gonna grow up before he knows it and gets sad. He’s lucky he has you there to help him through these tough times.  

XIII. The Amazing, The Crazy, and The Creation of the No Touching Rule // Ao3: The Amazing, The Crazy, and The Creation of the No Touching Rule

Summary: It’s that time again. This time is better though because Jake’s there to help you and coach you (and whimper as you crush his hand). He also may or may not have called Midwife Chicken, if he happens to pass out from pain… pain… Ha ha, not pain, no pain. Midwife Chicken to the rescue if Jake happens to pass out from his excitement of baby number two. 

XIV. The Good, The Shocking, and The Sneaking out // Ao3: The Good, The Shocking, and The Sneaking out

Summary: You and Jake are settling into being parents of one teenager, one almost teenager, and two youngins. It can get crazy but neither of you would trade it for the world. It also doesn’t help that it’s Halloween and your first born, Maryanne, wants to go to a friend’s party. You and Jake tell her no but, she doesn’t like that answer.

XV. The Great, The Fine, and The Shut Down // Ao3: The Great, The Fine, and The Shut Down

Summary: Jake’s always been good at finding you gifts you can use every day or ones that can have a sentimental value but now, it’s time you give him something else to look forward to... again. You’re happy you were able to give him a happy memory in his childhood hometown.

XVI. The Amazing, The Great, and The Last of his Bloodline // Ao3: The Amazing, The Great, and The Last of his Bloodline

Summary: You love Jake so much but there is only so much you can do. You love your kids with all your heart and more, it’s just. You feel like you’re hitting that old age and can’t have another youngin before you hit your forties. Now, you’ve just got to try and bring the topic up to Jake and hope you don’t break his heart. 

Edits

Part 1 - Collage

Part 2 - Social Media (Twitter)

Part 3 - Social Media (Instagram)

Answers

Part 1

Sneak Peeks

Part 1 - Prequel

Part 2 - Chapter I

Part 3 - Chapter II

Part 4 - Chapter 

Part 5 - Chapter

Extra’s

The Lunch Incident // Ao3: The Lunch Incident

The First “I Love You’s” // Ao3: The First “I Love You’s”

Move in with Us? // Ao3: Move in with Us?

The Keys // Ao3: The Keys

Jake being Dramatic // Ao3: Jake being Dramatic

It’s a PC Emergency! // Ao3: It’s a PC Emergency! 

Dance, Dance, The Night Away // Ao3: Dance, Dance, The Night Away  

Headcanons

Mrs. Seresin // Ao3: Mrs. Seresin

The Kids // Ao3: The Kids

Jake “Hangman” Seresin // Ao3: Jake “Hangman” Seresin

TGM Pilot Crew // Ao3: TGM Pilot Crew

Series Timeline

-

Taglist: @abaker74 @ebonyhogan24 @shanimallina87 @starkleila​ @kurtkunkle17 

[danses-with-dogmeat]

Congrats on 1.5k! Could I get nightstalker 🐍🐕 for elder maxson please? Last name. :)

Thank you! And yes, absolutely!

I hope you enjoy :)

Some NSFW below the line!

M) Marriage. Do they want to get married? How long do they have to be in the relationship beforehand? What would the marriage be like?

Arthur absolutely wants to get married. That was always his intent with any of his conquests of a more romantic nature, but with you... He finally has a reason to really want to get married. It would be becoming of him, as Elder, to be married, rather than having casual, unprofessional relationships, and that's always what it was. It was, like so many things, expected of him. But it doesn't take him too long to realize that it's something he truly wants.

Maxson is young, so a year seems like a long time, even if it really isn't. A year in is when he starts thinking about proposing, and he really hopes for your relationship to remain relatively unchanged. You're already facing the Brotherhood's problems as a team, and tackling your lives together, as a unit, and he would only want that feeling of closeness to be more prevalent after your official union. However... He does want to take the new opportunity, of your legally recognized relationship, to start a family. Partly because that too is his duty, but also, because he truly does want it.

A) Attention. How much attention do they want in the relationship?

Maxson is... unused to not being the center of attention. It's an occupational hazard, of sorts, so despite what impression he may want to give off, he likes to be on the receiving end of the attentions in the relationship. Mostly in private, of course. On the outside, he wants your relationship to appear very practical and effective, but not overly affectionate or excessive. Inside the comfort of his own quarters though? Arthur actually tends to be quite dependent. He's had so few close, meaningful relationships in his life that have had any semblance of affection. Mostly, he's been lectured at or reprimanded all his life, so having you now? Someone who supports him, who lets him be authentic and vulnerable? It takes a lot of getting used to, and you'll have to be patient to see him really open up, but Arthur comes to rely on your closeness to him, your attention, and your care for his well-being.

X) Explicit. An NSFW headcannon.

Remember how "starting a family" is on Maxson's list of duties? And his list of personal wants? Well, turns out that translates pretty well into his bedroom activities.

If his partner is female, Maxson has one hell of a breeding kink that could damn near get him in trouble before the two of you are married. He can't help but harbor a need to carry on his family's legacy, but more than that... The thought of being tied with someone in this way, of having something this significant come from him, and be only his? (well, and yours, but...) Everything in his life that he's had to be proud of seems like it's not really his. He's just living in the shadow of his father's name. He's doing what's expected of him, and nothing is solely his, but rather, his family's and the Brotherhood's. And maybe his child would hold those ties as well, but they also wouldn't exist without him, and ultimately, it was his choice to bring them into the world.

Even with a male partner, Maxson craves this closeness, this feeling of possessiveness that comes with something so intimate as finishing inside you. So this added feeling that comes with it, like he's marked you as his, that comes into play as well, no matter the gender of his partner.

S) Sad. How do they cheer their s/o up when they are feeling down? How do they like to be cheered up?

It takes Arthur longer than he would like to actually notice when something's off with you, he just has so many things on his mind all at once, but when he does, he drops what he's doing to help. Though, he's not sure he's the best to come to. He may suggest speaking to Knight-Captain Cade, or another counselor to talk through your problems, but if it's him you want to comfort you... He'll do what he can. He's not the best listener in the world, but he'll try if you want to talk it out; mostly though, Arthur will give you some words of encouragement and simply stick by your side until you're feeling better.

As for himself, Maxson hides his sad feelings like they're something he should be ashamed of, and would rather deal with them on his own. If you do happen to catch him on one of his bad days though, odds are he's been drinking or sleep-deprived for awhile now, so though he won't say it (and he may even fight it a bit), he'll need you to take care of him. Make sure he's taking care of himself, drinking water, make sure he's clean, and then stay with him as you try to get him to take some much needed time to rest.

O) Open. How long does it take for them to open up to their s/o?

It takes, at the very least, months. Many closely guarded feelings or memories may not come out for years, even. But Maxson is... He's not used to speaking about himself on a personal level, unless he's in a professional, therapeutic session, but he's actually quite desperate to share himself with someone else. The Brotherhood Elder is more used to bottling up his feelings, or shoving them away where they can only reach him when he's alone and intoxicated, so the thought of sharing them... It's so foreign to him to consider doing, but when he becomes comfortable with you, these thoughts and feelings come out unbidden. He's so utterly desperate to be relieved of them, to be comforted by someone who actually cares about him as more than just the Brotherhood Elder, that they end up slipping out more and more often a few months into the relationship.

N) Nickname. What are the nicknames they have for their s/o? Do they like when their s/o uses nicknames?

Unfortunately, nicknames are mostly just awkward for the Elder. He's so used to referring to everyone by either their last name, or their rank. He's been doing that since before he can remember, so... the most intimate he tends to get is referring to you by your first name. He still uses your rank as well, mostly in public or... in the bedroom when he's in a certain authoritative sort of mood. The same goes for your last name, and when you do end up getting married he revels in calling you Mr./Mrs. Maxson. It's one of his favorite things. Otherwise, the most tender that his pet names tend to be is calling you babe or, very rarely, love.

As for himself, when you're in private, he doesn't mind you using pet names, so long as they're not too fluffy ('honey' is pushing it for him, even.) But he also can't help but feel warmth in his chest when you call him Arthur. (Calling him Art or Artie will make him blush, and you can never get him to admit it, but he actually doesn't mind the nicknames.) And again, when he's in a certain mood, nothing quite strokes his ego like you calling him Elder in the most intimate of settings.