#how do you sleep when super tense for no good reason????

[rawliverandgoronspice]

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[janeyseymour]

Hi, I hope you’re well!

I would like to make a request, for some reason Melissa and the reader need to sleep in the same bed but they are not that close. The reader likes to cuddle and gets closer and surprisingly Melissa doesn't push her away. When they need to sleep together again on the second night they already sleep hugging each other, and on the third night they no longer need to sleep together but Mel invites the reader to her house with the excuse that she is unable to sleep alone. I thought of something really cute and something that was very scary for both the reader and Melissa, a little slow burn.

Thank you ❤️

Hi! I have to say, I think this fic will hold a special place in my heart. Thank you for the great prompt 🤍 I hope you enjoy!

Warmth

wc: 4.4k exactly!

Melissa Schemmenti is an absolute enigma to you. But here you are, standing in her living room with a duffel bag slung over your shoulder.

“A-are you sure?” you ask again, although you’re already here, and you really have no way of getting home. Maybe you could walk… but that’s going to be at least a thirty minute walk. And that’s at a brisk pace without your belongings hanging off of your shoulder.

“I’m positive,” the redhead rolls her eyes. “Just don’t look to hard at my stuff, and you’ll be fine.”

You stay in your place, not sure what to even do right now. You’re in Melissa Schemmenti’s home. You never thought you would set foot here considering the walls that she has around herself at school.

“Oi, Y/N. Stop standing there. Do something.”

“I- I’m sorry,” you blush. “Where should I put my bag?”

“Drop it in my room- first door when you head upstairs.”

“In your room?” you ask quietly.

“Well, I only got one bedroom,” she huffs. “And I know my couch wrapped in plastic ain’t gonna be comfortable enough for you to be able to work tomorrow. Unless you want to give it a shot, but I can promise it isn’t comfortable.”

You nod silently and take your things upstairs. When you enter her room, it’s so… Melissa. There’s a framed jersey signed by Jalen Hurts- she must know a guy. There’s only a bed, a small bench, and a few dressers around- you assume you’re going to be sharing a bed with your coworker. Thank goodness it’s a king sized mattress; you wouldn’t want to keep Melissa up all night with your movement in your sleep. Not knowing where to put your things (you don’t know what side of the bed she likes to sleep on… although you have your thoughts when you see a baseball bat on the right side of the bed), you simply put it on the bench before making your way back downstairs.

You find where she is- in the kitchen. Of course she is. You stand awkwardly in the entry way and pick at your nails until she notices you.

“For the love of God,” she mumbles. “Either take a seat and stop standing there like a fish out of water, or help me dice these vegetables.”

“I- I can help with whatever you’re making,” you say softly and make your way over to the island of her kitchen.

“I’m making us dinner, is what I’m making,” she sighs as she slides the cutting board over towards you. She hands you a knife. “Small.”

You do so silently while she gathers other ingredients. 

“So… your apartment flooded?”

“It did,” you sigh, thankful for the break in tense silence.

“How the hell did that happen?”

“The storm… living on the first floor… the idiot upstairs that overflows his bathtub at least once a month. Water was up to my knees.”

The second grade teacher gives you a look of pity.

“N-nothing super important was ruined though,” you say quickly. “All of my photo albums were up in the top shelf of my closet. The furniture and stuff can dry.”

“I’m sure you’re gonna have to replace some stuff though,” she says.

“The rugs need replacing, but thankfully the landlord is going to handle that. Some of the paint got messed up too, so I’m sure they’re doing that now.”

“How long do you have to stay out of your apartment?”

“They said just the next two days,” you reply as you focus on the bell pepper you’re dicing.

“That ain’t too bad,” she says thoughtfully. “If it were up to my ex-husband, it’d take four years.”

You chuckle weakly at that. You aren’t really sure what else to do.

“That’s what I get for marrying a lazy asshole though,” she grumbles as she starts to dice the onion just a little more aggressively than she was before. 

The two of you cook in peace, Melissa humming along to the music that she has playing from her record player. 

When you take your first bite, you have to bite back a moan.

“Wow,” you sigh softly once you’ve swallowed that first bite. She looks at you curiously. “You weren’t kidding when you said you knew how to cook.”

“Glad you like it, hun,” she smiles- and it’s one of those soft smiles that she usually only reserves for Barbara or the students. You make it your goal to always see those soft smiles from her. 

Over dinner, you chat about the day, but then it slowly turns into conversation about outside of work.

“So, what do you do outside of work?” she asks you.

You blush. “You’re about to think I’m as dorky as Janine.”

“No one can be as dorky as Janine,” she chuckles. “C’mon, hun. What do you do outside of work?”

“I really do love to read,” you say softly. “I’ve always been a bookworm… so when it’s warm, I read outside. If it’s cold, I like to turn my television on so that it looks like a fireplace and curl up under a mountain of blankets with a book.”

“That ain’t dorky.”

“And if I’m not doing that… I’m usually writing- whether that be actual writing or music.”

“You play music?” the redhead’s interest is piqued.

“When I feel inspired,” you shrug.

“What do you play?”

You turn a little red.

“Oh, it can’t be that bad,” she rolls her eyes. “I think it’s cool.”

“Acoustic guitar, ukulele, and I dabble in piano,” you mumble. 

“Hun, that’s incredible,” she tells you. “My mom enrolled me in piano when I was younger, but I hated it… never got past the first couple of weeks. I would’ve rather learned to play the guitar or the ukulele.”

“I-“ you take a breath. “I could always teach you.”

Those green eyes light up, and she throws you yet another soft smile. “That’d be nice, if you would want to.”

You even get to hear a bit about what she likes to do outside of school.

“Sometimes Barb and I like to hit the mall… get my shakedown sweaters,” she chuckles. “Barb and I are menaces when it comes to the clearance sections.”

You insist on cleaning up after dinner considering she’s done most of the cooking for the night.

“You don’t have to,” she tells you for the third time.

“No, please,” you lay a gentle hand on her shoulder instinctively. You forget it’s Melissa, and when you expect her to bat your hand away, she doesn’t. She actually lays her hand over yours with that warm smile and a quiet thank you. She does insist on drying the dishes for you though.

“Okay, Mel,” rolls off your tongue as you playfully roll your eyes.

The two of you settle on her couch once your finished, and she watches a few programs before sighing quietly.

“I think it’s time for me to hit the hay,” she yawns. She extends the remote out in your direction. “You’re more than welcome to stay up and continue watching though.”

You let out a small yawn, covering it with your hand. “Today was a lot with the kids… I think I need some sleep too.”

You let her get herself ready for bed before you do, and by the time you come back into the bedroom, she’s under the blankets with her glasses on, and she’s reading something on her phone. Her cheeks are bright.

Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, Barb had texted her. But get your girl.

You shift side to side on your feet, not quite sure if she really does want you to be in the same bed as her.

“C’mon, hun. I don’t bite, I promise,” she teases you as she pats the open side of the bed.

Quietly, you climb in next to her but you keep your distance.

“Goodnight,” you whisper as you lay down.

“Night,” she replies back as she sets her phone down and gets comfortable.

You lay there for what seems like forever. It is freezing in Melissa’s bedroom. You are absolutely freezing, even in your sweatshirt, sweatpants, and socks. You have the blanket up to your chin, and you still can’t stop yourself from shivering. Your eyes are closed, so you have no way of knowing if the redhead next to you is awake. You act like you’re moving closer to her in your sleep, but really… you’re desperate to feel any sort of body heat she may be radiating. It turns out: she’s like a human furnace.

You hear a small huff. “Are you that cold?” 

Shit. So she is awake. But you’ve already committed to the bit of being asleep, so you continue to breathe as evenly as possible. You feel her get out of bed, and then a few seconds later you feel another blanket being draped over top of you. The bed dips under her as she crawls back in, and then you can feel her getting close to you again. 

You sleep like a baby through the night. Even with all of the sirens that come with staying with Melissa in center city Philadelphia, you get the best night’s sleep you’ve had in a long time.

When the two of you wake up, you’re practically on top of her. She groans and slams her fist into her alarm clock, only to gently rest her hand on your back. 

“You cuddle in your sleep,” she notes quietly.

You turn a deep shade of red, stuttering out an apology as you move away from her. 

“You didn’t mean to,” she shrugs. “And it was nice having someone to hold rather than my usual mound of pillows.”

“Still… sorry,” you mumble out as the blush stays on your cheeks.

“Don’t worry about it,” she chuckles as she smooths down her bedhead. “I gotta hop in the shower before we head in to work today.”

With that, she’s off. You get yourself ready for work, and by the time your finished, she’s already out. You hear the door open, and she’s standing there in her signature leather pants and green blazer. 

“If you want to finish getting ready in here, you can,” she tells you as she leaves the door open. “Y’know, brush your teeth, brush your hair… that kind of stuff.”

You smile at her as you make your way in. There’s something so intimate about sharing the bathroom while the two of you just get ready. The two of you are so close as you share the sink and mirrored cabinets that you’re practically on top of each other. Neither of you mind in the slightest. She actually hip checks you gently.

“I have to head to my apartment to shower after work, but then I’ll be-”

“You can just shower here,” she tells you. “Less time in all of the fumes and chaos.”

“Are you sure?”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t,” she rolls her eyes. “Now c’mon. We have to get to work.”

The second the two of you split ways to get into your separate cars, you miss her. Get ahold of yourself. She’s just being nice since your apartment is in shambles right now. Then it’s back to loneliness.

The highlight of your day is lunch when you get to eat the delicious leftovers from last night’s dinner.

“I’m thinking of making gnocchi tonight,” Melissa tells you offhandedly. “You good with that?”

You nod. “I’ll pick up some wine on my way over from my apartment.”

“I thought I told you to just come over and shower at my place.”

Barb looks at the redhead with wide eyes, and Melissa gently kicks her under the table, a silent signal to ‘be cool, it’s nothin’. 

“Well,” you laugh softly. “I do need to grab a fresh set of clothes for work tomorrow. But I’ll be over after that.”

The second grade teacher nods as she gathers her things to head back to her classroom. “A white.”

“Yes, ma’am,” you salute her playfully.

When you get to her house, you hold the bottle you brought- her favorite white wine, thanks to Barb.

Before you can even think if you should knock or just walk in, she’s at the door in front of you. Gone is Ms. Schemmenti, and Melissa greets you at the door. 

“Took you long enough,” she chuckles. “I already got dinner started, and I need a glass of wine in my hand after my day with the kids.”

“That bad?” you chuckle as you enter the house and make your way into the kitchen.

“Let’s just say… if I don’t have an angry email from Destiny’s mother sitting in my inbox tomorrow, I’ll be shocked,” she rolls her eyes as she reaches for the wine glasses. 

The two of you drink a few glasses of wine while she tends to dinner, and by the time it’s on the table, you’re both slightly buzzed.

Again, her food is heavenly.

You insist on cleaning up again, and she makes it known that she will be drying and putting away the dishes again. It’s a seamless process, and you can’t help but smile as you hear her humming again to the music she has playing.

Once dinner is cleaned up, you head for the shower, thanking her for the hospitality as you go. 

She sets your towel over the heater with a smile. “So you’re not freezing your ass off,” she tells you, a smile on her face. “Feel free to use whatever.”

As you bathe, you realize you’re going to smell like Melissa tomorrow- and her smell is nearly intoxicating to you. The slightly musky yet flowery smell washes over you, and you don’t really know how you’re going to focus at work tomorrow when all that will be on your mind is the redheaded teacher just down the hall.

When you reenter her living room, Melissa is lounging on her couch watching a cooking show, but her eyes go straight to you. Your hair is still slightly wet and sticking to your body, and she can’t help but think how cute you look with messy hair, glasses, and your sweats on again. 

The two of you watch a few more episodes before you retire to bed. This time, she’s prepared that extra blanket for you, so you keep your distance. You try to fall asleep, you really do, but you’re still freezing. 

“Are you seriously still cold?” you hear the redhead grumble. So she can feel you shivering. 

You don’t respond. You’re pretending your asleep, or at least on the brink of sleep. You feel her move closer to you, and then an arm wraps around you and pulls you in close.

“I don’t got more blankets,” she huffs as she curls herself around you, her head falling into your shoulder. You instantly feel warmer, and you pray to God she can’t feel your heart beating faster and harder than you thought possible. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

Again, you sleep like a baby. 

When the alarm goes off again, you groan softly. But Melissa is still around you, holding you tight.

“Mel,” you whisper. “Alarm’s going off.”

“I hear it,” the woman behind you grumbles. She rolls over and hits the snooze button before rolling back into you and wrapping her arm around you. “I need ten more minutes.”

The two of you doze for another ten minutes before you know you really do have to get up and get ready for work. Again, you dance around each other with ease, and then you’re gathering your bag and throwing it in your car.

“Hey,” you say softly as you go to climb into the vehicle. Melissa pauses her motions as she gets into her own car.

“What is it, hun?”

“Thank you for letting me stay with you the past few nights,” you smile. 

“Of course,” she sighs softly. 

As she drives to school, she thinks of how she got the best two nights of sleep she’s gotten in a long time. And it’s because of you. She’s shared beds with others before, Barbara included, and it’s never that warm or calming. There’s something about you. The teacher knows she’s had a thing for you since you started, but now that she’s had a taste of domestic life with you, she’s sure it’s something that she wants- no, needs.

The redhead quietly confides in her best friend at the school that she thinks she finally needs to make her move, and Barbara is all too excited for two of her favorite people to get their heads out of their asses.

“What if she doesn’t feel the same way?” Melissa asks nervously, playing with her jewelry.

“That girl gives you the same eyes my Gerald gives me, and the eyes Gregory gave Janine before they started dating,” the kindergarten teacher tells her gently. “I don’t think that’s something you have to worry about, dear.”

Melissa bites her lip before continuing down the hall to her classroom.

You can’t think straight. All you can smell is Melissa.

“Miss Y/N?” one of your students asks you as she approaches your desk. “Are you okay? You been staring at the same screen for the last twenty minutes, and didn’t even yell when Tyson ate his glue on a dare.”

“Tyson what?!” you jump out of your thoughts.

“Nah,” Tyson laughs. “We just playing. Wanted to get your attention.”

“Tyson, be so for real right now,” you pinch the bridge of your nose with your thumb and pointer finger. “Did you, or did you not, eat your glue?”

“Nah, Miss Y/N,” he grins.

The bell rings before you can get anything else out. “Get in line for recess and lunch, you hooligans.”

As you enter the staff lounge for lunch, you can see Melissa already at her table. Her eyes light up at the sight of you.

“Hey there, you,” she grins as she kicks out the chair next to her. “I already got our lunch out.”

The two of you share the container of leftovers from last night, blissfully unaware of the way that Barbara has a knowing smirk on her face and the way that Janine, Jacob, and Gregory are all looking at you completely dumbfounded at how you got the fiery teacher to take down her walls.

With a sigh, you stand. “I got recess duty today, y’all. Happy Friday, have a nice weekend.”

You don’t see the redhead you’re infatuated with for the rest of the day. You drive home to your dingy apartment with a frown. You’re going to miss Melissa and her beautiful house- her extraordinary cooking- her warmth in bed.

You’re halfway through your second glass of wine, it’s nearing midnight, and you see your phone light up. Melissa’s calling you.

“Hello?” you answer softly. “Mel, it’s almost midnight.”

“I know,” she huffs frustratedly.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“No.”

“What’s going on?”

You hear her swallow harshly before the words come tumbling out of her mouth, “Any chance you can come over?”

“Uh,” you drawl out.

“You know what? Nevermind, it was dumb. Have a good weekend, Y/N.” The line disconnects.

Now concerned about your favorite coworker, you sigh. You jump off the couch, shove your feet into the first pair of shoes you see and climb into your car. You know you look like a wreck, but she’s seen you like this before. You drive over to her place, and take a deep breath before knocking on the door. It takes a minute or two before Melissa is standing in front of you.

“I said never mind,” she grumbles.

“Well, when my friend calls me in the middle of the night telling me she isn’t okay, I get concerned,” you retaliate. “Can I come in?”

She steps aside, you kick off your shoes, and wait for her expectantly.

“It’s nothin,” she sighs as she runs a hand through her hair. “You didn’t have to come.”

“Well, I’m here now, so,” you tell her. 

“Can we just… not?” she asks quietly. It’s so unlike Melissa. Her false bravado is gone, and you can see how nervous she is about… whatever it is that’s bothering her.

You bite your lip. “Yeah, okay. Why don’t we take your mind off of it and watch something? Maybe have a glass of wine?”

She smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “That sounds alright. But if you’re tired, you don’t have to.”

“It’s a Friday night. When I don’t have to be up for school the next day, I’m up all hours of the night,” you chuckle. “Sit down, I’ll grab the wine.”

The truth is, you knew it was going to be a sleepless night without Melissa next to you. You had already tried to go to bed, but you were freezing. You trekked back to your couch in defeat. If you weren’t going to sleep, you might as well have been entertained.

When you return with two glasses of wine, she’s curled into the corner of the couch, but she pats the space next to her. As soon as you’re sitting down, she’s ditched the corner for your body instead to curl up against. It throws you for a bit of a loop, but she’s upset, so you don’t say anything.

She ends up falling asleep against you, an arm gently draped around your waist. It’s almost two in the morning now, and you know she won’t be happy if she wakes up with a crick in her neck from sleeping sitting up.

“Mel,” you whisper as you jostle her slightly. “Maybe we should get you up to bed.”

“Mhmm,” she hums out sleepily. 

“C’mon, red,” the nickname rolls off your tongue. “You need to get to bed, and so do I.”

“Stay the night,” she mumbles. “It’s late.”

You let out a low chuckle. “Alright, Mel.”

The two of you get to bed, and you immediately notice that the room is exactly how you left it this morning. The extra blanket she has for you is even still in its place. As soon as you’re both in bed, she’s curled up around you and asleep.

Being teachers, neither of you sleep past nine, but when you wake up, you still feel her arms around you securely.

“Hey,” you whisper when she peels her eyes open- those striking green eyes.

“Hey,” she mumbles into the crook of your neck.

“You feelin’ better than you were last night?” you ask, brows knit in concern. She nods. “You wanna talk about it?”

Her chest turns red, as do her cheeks. “It’s dumb.”

“It isn’t dumb if it has you this upset.”

“I-” you feel her fingers trace a few patterns on your shoulder as she continues to cling to you. “Can I make you breakfast?”

She clearly still doesn’t want to talk about it, so you let her distract herself. Eventually, hopefully, she’ll be up to talking.

The two of you make breakfast together, and you catch the way she’s looking at you- admiring you, even.

“What?” you ask with a chuckle as you sip your coffee.

“Just…” she sighs. “You really wanna know what’s been bothering me?”

You nod. “I’ve been trying to get it out of you since I came over last night.”

She takes a big swig of coffee, and then a deep breath. “Promise you won’t make fun of me?”

“I promise,” you tell her honestly. “I would never.”

“I- I don’t really know how to say this without sounding like an idiot.”

“So sound like an idiot,” you encourage her. “I sound like an idiot all the time.” That gets her to crack a smile.

“I’ve… I- uh…”

“You got this,” you tell her quietly, pressing her on.

“I knew what I was opening myself up to when I invited you to spend the few nights with me while your apartment was getting renovated,” she sighs as she averts her eyes away from you. 

“Okay?”

“Y/N,” she says your name seriously. “I- when I was driving to school yesterday morning knowing that that was the last night you would spend with me, I was broken. I haven’t slept in the same bed with someone and gotten that good a night’s sleep ever. I haven’t found that person who can seamlessly blend themselves into my house as if they’ve always lived here, but you did it. I- I’ve always had a thing for you, but I never acted on it because I know there’s an age difference, and I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable, but now that I know what we do when we’re together, I don’t want to go back to not having you around. I got a taste of what it could be like with you, and I don’t want to miss the opportunity to have it if I could, but I entirely understand if you don’t reciprocate those feelings, because like I said, I do know that there’s an age difference and-”

“Mel?” you cut her compassionate rambling off.

“-and I know that being coworkers and everything just throws another wrench into the mix… and you know what? Forget I said anything. This was dumb. I never should’ve listened to Barb and just kept my damned mouth shut, because now you’re going to hate me and never speak to me ag-”

“Melissa,” you say again, sternly. Her eyes meet yours quickly as her mouth shuts. “Are you going to let me tell you my thoughts?”

“Do I want to know them?”

“I think so,” you smile at her as you move in closer. You wrap an arm around her waist as you pull her in closer.

“Okay,” she sighs so softly you can feel her breath on your lips and you can smell the coffee in her breath.

“So last night, you just wanted me in your bed?” you ask with the corners of your lips quirked up.

She nods, a blush creeping into her cheeks so dark it nearly matches her hair.

“I can’t even use my line of buy a girl dinner first, because you already did that,” you chuckle before pulling her into a gentle kiss. “If it isn’t clear, I have a thing for you too.”

Next

[gatorbites-imagines]

Kinktober day 1

Alec Lightwood + Praise Kink

Happy first day of kinktober everyone. I’ve got a lot more schoolwork this year (curse you psychology) but ill be doing my best to try and keep up with my posting.

I’m gonna be honest I haven’t watched Shadowhunters in a long time, but Alec and Magnus still mean a lot to me. So, this is super vague about background stuff, cuz I can’t remember any of the plot from the show or books.

Kinktober 2023 masterlist

Alec found himself sighing as he leaned back in the chair behind his desk, his hand reaching up to rub at his aching temples. He took his duty very seriously, but at times it could do nothing but cause pains and aches throughout his body and psyche. Not only that, but his work kept him apart from you, sometimes for days or even weeks at a time. Alec had known at the time when he gained his rank that this work would fill much of his life, but now that he had finally found his way to you, it almost didn’t feel worth it.

Alec sighed softly as he got out of his seat, there was no reason to keep working any more tonight. At this point he had stared at those reports enough that he was seeing double, and the thought of your shared bed was like an angel’s call. With that in mind, the shadowhunter found himself almost floating to your shared room, a new edition to your relationship. Neither of you even had much time to spend in this room, as you were both important people in your circles and both took your duties seriously.

It was because of this that Alec didn’t even think about you being present when he entered the dimly lit room, his eyelids heavy and half shut as he pulled off his clothes robotically, folding it up neatly and placing it off to the side to go in the laundry in the morning. It was only when he fell onto the bed, now only clad his boxers, that he noticed the second presence in the room. He almost jolted up with shock, but your arm wrapped warmly and securely around his waist, pulling your lover close as you nuzzled into the back of his stiff neck.

“there’s my pretty boy” you rumble, your voice thick with sleep but also the love and admiration you have for Alec. Alec only allows himself to huff a little, feeling embarrassed at your sweet words. He had never gotten used to being complimented or praised, so when you peppered sleepy kisses on his neck and mumbled about his beautiful, he was and how strong he was, the shadowhunter felt himself grow hotter in the face.

“Look at you, all tense” you huff, your warm hands running up and down the planes of Alecs torso as you hook your chin over his shoulder, your thumbs rubbing just below his pecs, the action causing him to twitch and exhale sharply. “Always working so hard for everyone, but you never take care of yourself” you mumble, your lips pressed to the side of his neck. You can’t help but nibble on the skin there, letting your tongue flatten against the rune on his neck.

“Guess that’s why you have me, isn’t it” you almost tease, your hands finally grabbing his tight pecs in your palms, giving him a loving squeeze, making your sensitive lover whine. “Always such a diligent, good boy, aren’t you?” you croon, giving both of his nipples a quick pinch and twist, enjoying the punched-out noise that leaves Alec at the action. You had always loved how sensitive he was, and how easily you could work him up with just a few touches and sweet words.

“My good boy” you purr, hands traveling down his torso at a snail’s pace, almost in a worshipping manner as you feel out every shape that makes up his body, basking in the shaky way he breaths and how he can’t seem to keep his legs still. “My pretty boy” you hum, your thumbs teasing at the elastic of his underwear, an almost catlike smirk on your lips as you let your lover stew in the need and want running through his tired body.

“Just lay back Alec, ill take care of you” you mutter, using your grip to pull him further against your chest, your hips grinding into his own from behind. Alec shakily exhales but seems to melt in your arms, his muscles untensing as you fold his boxers down under his sack, releasing his hardness to the darkness of your shared room.

“Ill always take care of you. Because you are so good, and so beautiful. So smart, and so considerate of everyone around you” you keep mumbling, one of your hands wrapping around where Alec craves you the most. The noise that leaves him sounds drawn out and almost painful, like he had wanted you to touch him for so long. There isn’t a need for lube, as you don’t have to do much to work Alec how he needs it, at the moment he doesn’t need anything wild, he just needs your touch and presence.

The loose grip you have around him and the lazy way you stroke him is enough to have Alec twitching and jolting, his mouth open as he gasps and whimpers, words long gone from his person as he arches his hips into your hand. How you feel about him is impossible to express in words, so you keep laying every compliment you can think of on him as you kiss and suck at his neck and shoulder.

His keens rise in volume, his voice wobbly and almost hoarse as he begs in broken words. “Go on baby. Good boy, come on, be good and give it to me” you rumble, reaching up with your free hand to give one of his nipples a rough pinch and twist. Its all Alec needs to finish, his hips jolting almost painfully into your hand as his essence spills across the sheets in thick white stripes, painting your black sheets in a different shade.

You barely are able to withdraw from his back before Alec is asleep, the exhaustion of the multiple days of nonstop work and the euphoria of his orgasm knocking him out cold. With a soft chuckle, you kiss his temple and start cleaning up, moving him around to change him out of his underwear into a new pair, and getting new sheets on the bed. As you cuddle against his back again, this time under the sheets, you smile softly to yourself as you kiss the back of his neck. “I love you so much, my sweet boy” you whisper before shutting your eyes, burying your face into his hair, and inhaling his scent, letting the familiar scent carry you off into the land of sleep.

[stonedcoldfoxtarot]

5 Reasons You’re That Bitch

Something for the hotties and the secret hotties ft. lyrics by Megan the Stallion

Pile 1 -> Pile 2

Pile 3 -> Pile 4

Pile 1

7oS, Hierophant, Empress, 4oC, 7oP, AoS, QoS, 10oP rev, 10oW, 5oW (2oS)

Many of you are strategic and move in silence. Hoes mad, but you ain’t finna stop until you make it to tin-op and do all the things your haters say you could not (NDA)

You live life on your own terms. Don’t give a fuck about what a hatin’ ass bitch gotta say. Cause none of these hoes saying shit to your face and none of these hoes finna see you at the bank (Thot Shit)

Taken or single, men everywhere want you cause you’re a hot girl and you do hot shit. You make him spend his income on your outfit (Girls in the Hood)

You got a body-ody-ody that makes bitches wanna fight. They spend a lifetime tryna get this hot, but you not the one to play with, like a touch-me-not (Body)

You’re a savage, attitude nasty. Talk big shit but your bank account match it. Haters keep your name in their mouth, now they gaggin’ (Savage Remix ft. Beyonce)

Pile 2

Strength rev, Moon, 4oC, KoP rev, 5oC, Hermit, 4oW, 7oP, AoC, Magician (4oP)

You’re a certified freak, 7 days a week. Wet Ass P*ssy, make that pull out game weak. Some of you don’t cook and you don’t clean, but let you tell it, you got that ring (WAP)

You a real ass bitch, you know you got it lit. All year round it’s a hot girl summer, got a whole lot of options cause they know a bitch poppin’ (Hot Girl Summer ft. Nicki Minaj)

Every day you wake up paid and pretty. Bitches gotta come get their man before you put em in a trance. Cause you got that super nova..that grip, that choker (Cognac Queen)

Pile 2, you ‘bout your money, p*ssy out when you feelin’ real cunty. Men like you thick with the accent county, would sell their soul for a sniff of your undies (Tuned In Freestyle)

Fake ass bitches, fake ass hoes…you tint your windows and lock your doors. When you dip off everybody talking ‘bout a bitch “went ghost,” but, shit, that’s how you roll (Tina Snow Interlude)

Pile 3

KoW, 5oW, 7oP, 6oP, World, KoS, 3oS rev, AoS, Magician, Moon, KoP

Above all else you know your worth. You like all nice things and you like ice, bling-bing. You tell those boys ‘pipe up if you wanna pipe me’ (Pipe Up)

If a man fumbles you, it’s always his loss. You tell him ‘if you wanna leave then bye-bye-bye. I’m a big girl, so I won’t cry-cry-cry’ (Don’t Rock Me To Sleep)

You keep your hair did, nails did, everything did. You tell him ‘Get it for a bad bitch, spend it for a bad bitch. If you got some money, then trick on a bad bitch’. Pile 3 you a savage. Once you spend his money, you leave ‘em in the past tense (Sugar Baby)

Every time you pop out it gets scary for these hoes. You who every man’s wife fear, a thick-thighed nightmare. You the boogie-bitch, hoe, you every man’s type, yea (Scary ft. Rico Nasty)

Pile 3 you stay on your “Fuck you” shit, cause you done being nice. And when it comes to cuttin’ people off, you don’t ever think twice. Fuck it, bitch, you not nice (Not Nice)

Pile 4

Hanged Man rev, 8oP, Hierophant, 5oC, 2oP, Emperor, KoC, 5oS, Fool, AoC, Magician (8oW)

Might have had some setbacks but that was the past. You ain’t gotta worry ‘bout shit, money good. Cause you been out here grindin’ like you ain’t ate, while these hoes bringing nothing to the table but their plate (Money Good)

Pile 4, you have expensive tastes, only men who hate on you are the ones that can’t afford you. This is a motherfuckin’ broke male warning (Warning)

Bitches don’t like you ‘cause you cocky, well you cannot help that your sexy sell and you’re in love with your sexy self. You need a boo that’s gon’ sex you well (Bless The Booth Freestyle)

Pile 4, you’re all that and a bag of flamin’ hot chips. You a hot girl so talk yo shit (Flamin’ Hottie)

And you couldn’t care less if these bitches don’t like you, cause, like, you’re pretty as fuck. With a face like this and a bitch this paid, shit, what could a hoe say? (Her)

Thanks for reading🔮✨

© 2023 stonedcoldfoxtarot. All rights reserved. Please do not copy, translate, edit or redistribute.

[azrielslightintheshadows]

Hello!! How are you?? I'm sorry for the difficult week... and thank you very much for answering me, I'm simply delighted! And don't worry, your writing hasn't been affected, it's still great! If she hasn't gotten better! And I'm glad you like the requests... I think they're silly🥹

But get better! And if you don't mind, I have one more request🤭 I imagine something where maybe Rhys went out and left the reader at home, but maybe, some of the boys, Cass or Az, stayed at the house, and they didn't know they weren't alone , so what, they end up attacking the reader thinking she is an enemy? And Rhys senses her fear of the bond and goes to help her? I imagine Rhys super angry, and protective of the reader, taking care of her and being cute...

(I read your recent Azriel story which was based on a movie, just amazing! I loved it!)

Safe.

Rhysand x f!Reader.

Masterlist.

Warnings; abuse, a bit angst.

Thank you so much. I hope you enjoy this too!!! I really enjoy your requests.

Being the High Lord’s mate could be very beneficial when you strolled around Velaris, most faeries didn’t even dare to look at you while others like most store owners gave you the best products they had, not because they fear Rhys, they do it because they love him. If you could take all the hate for him from the court of nightmares and multiply it by one million, then you would have the love for him from Velaris. You and Rhys knew that your whole life would change now so you decided to take things slow so you can adjust better and that is the reason you haven’t moved in together yet. Rhys would come over to your house most nights while the rest you would stay with him at the house of wind, recently though you both started searching for your dream house, a place that would represent both you and him and hopefully the rest of the family you will create.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

You woke up in your mate’s arms with your head on his chest and your legs tangled, you loved mornings like this so much. You pressed your body harder into his warmth and glanced up, he was awake too with a smirk on his face and those violet eyes staring back at you. The sun was hitting his eyes in a way that they sparkled and his whole face looked even more sharp.

“Good morning beautiful” his deep morning voice sent shivers down your spine.

“Good morning handsome” you replied and kissed his naked chest.

“I have to go to the day court today, me and Helion have some matters to discuss” he informed you and rubbed your back.

“But today we were supposed to go see the house by the Sidra” you frowned.

“I know but this is urgent” his voice softer than before, a silent plea for you to understand him.

“Okay…” you nodded and pressed yet another kiss on his chest.

“I will take Cassian with me so if you need anything find Azriel” he said as he rolled you on the bed next to him and got up.

“Okay I want to stay in bed for a little longer, I will ask Azriel to fly me home later” you smiled and pulled the blanket higher. Rhys chuckled and started getting ready.

“I’m leaving… don’t miss me much” your mate smiled and leaned over you to give you a soft kiss.

“I’ll survive” you teased him, and he scowled playfully before giving you another kiss and hurrying off.

You rolled over to his side and pressed your face on his pillow, his musky scent of cinnamon and cedar still there. You sighed in content and closed your eyes. Sleep came over easily and a few hours later you felt well rested, so you got ready for the day.

You wore a pair of leggings and threw one of Rhysand’s shirts on, the need to feel him around you growing as you inhaled his scent again. You strolled around the house to find Azriel, you couldn’t see his shadows anywhere. Weird. You thought and kept looking.

Azriel was sitting in his office trying to put some mission reports in order when he heard light footsteps. He glanced around and ordered his shadows to find out who was in the house. They didn’t come back, and this made him tense, he knew that Rhysand and Cassian were at the day court, Amren was doing some research so she spent all day in her apartment and Mor was in the court of nightmares handling some issues with her father. No one else could enter the house without him knowing. The shadowsinger reached for his dagger and cursed when he remembered that he placed all of them in his room in order to clean them. He got up and walked out, walking quietly as a cat down the hall and ready to pounce on the stranger. When he located where the stranger was, he jumped on him, sending both of them on the ground and in one swift motion he manoeuvred himself so he could bang the victim’s head on the ground, when he did a feminine groan filled the silence and he glanced down. The hair looked familiar, and he rolled the female on her back, a gasp leaving him when he noticed it was you.

You were unconscious with blood streaming down your forehead.

“Oh no no no” he cried out and picked you up hurrying off to find Madja.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

You woke up with a terrible headache and pains around your whole body. You squinted and noticed an unfamiliar ceiling and then it hit you. As you were walking around the house of wind Azriel jumped on you from behind sending you face-first to the floor and then he banged your head against it. You were too busy playing with his shadows to even realise that someone was behind you. You groaned and tried to sit up when rough arms pushed you back down.

“Hey it’s okay…. you’re okay… you need to rest” it was Azriel who spoke, and you looked at him. His eyes were red, his face swollen and his hair a tangled mess.

“I’m so sorry y/n I didn’t know that Rhys left you in the house”.

“It’s okay Az, you didn’t mean it. It’s not your fault I should’ve shouted your name since I was looking for you. You had no way to know that I was still in there.” You croaked and caressed his scarred palm.

“I feel terrible, and I deserve everything that Rhysand will do to me when he gets here. Please don’t stop him.” His voice was soft.

“No, it’s not your fault and I won’t let Rhysand hurt you” you said and squeezed his hand.

You could feel Rhys frantically pulling the bond and before you had a chance to pull back to reassure him that you’re okay the door almost snapped in half as someone forcibly pushed it open and your mate burst in. He was standing there frozen, his eyes wide as he scanned your form, and his power flowing out of him and suffocating everything. You shivered as you felt it, the power was raw and primal and it felt like the night came, like the sun would run and hide in fear. A low growl left his throat, and he marched closer picking Azriel by his shirt’s collar and pushing him against the wall.

“You fucker” he yelled and pushed him harder. “I’m going to fucking end you”.

“Rhys… baby it’s okay. He didn’t mean it it’s my fault” Rhysand didn’t budge. “Please baby he didn’t know I was there” you tried to get up almost falling on your knees by the pain and dizziness. This snapped your mate out of trance, and he rushed to you helping you back into the bed.

“Stay” he ordered and turned to go back to Azriel. You managed to grab his arm and pull him back to you.

“It’s okay y/n I deserve it” Azriel said and nodded.

“No you don’t, shut up and go. I’m fine. Everything is fine” you said and tightened your grip on Rhysand.

Azriel bowed his head and left, you made a mental note to find him again and reassure him that everything is okay. Your heart couldn’t stand seeing guilt tearing him apart.

“What happened? I felt your fear down the bond and then Azriel reached through his mind and told me he hurt you” Rhysand said as he cupped your jaw.

“I was walking around the house trying to find him and I got distracted by his shadows… I was playing with them and Azriel jumped on me, he didn’t know it was me though.” You explained.

Rhysand shook his head a low growl leaving him. “It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have let you in the house alone.”

“No, it’s just an unfortunate event, its no one’s fault” you whispered and caressed his arm.

Rhysand took you home and spend the rest days taking care of you, he wouldn’t let you get out of bed and even when you needed to use the bathroom, he would pick you up carry you there and wait outside to take you back to bed.

“Baby I’m okay. Everything healed I want to go out today.” You whined and he smiled sweetly.

“Okay, get dressed I have to show you something” he said and got up.

He picked you up, his wings emerging from darkness and shoot to the sky, after a few minutes you landed next to the Sidra. You looked around and you jaw dropped when you saw the big estate there. It was made from stone and marbles, with a huge garden and the biggest windows and balconies you had ever seen.

“Rhys this is beautiful” you exclaimed.

“This is our home. You will be safe here and we can finally start our family.”  He smiled and wrapped his arms around you from behind.

“Our family” you whispered and leaned back into him.

Requests are open but delayed!

[everydayyoulovemeless]

I love your stuff! I was wondering, could we just get some grab bag headcanons for the companions (SFW or NSFW is fine)

Random Headcanons For The Fo4 Companions

➼ Word Count » 0.5k ➼ Warnings » None ➼ Genre » Platonic/Romantic, Fluff ➼ A/N » I'm guessing this was meant for the fo4 companions, but if not I'd be happy to do the others!

MacCready can't sleep unless he's curled into a ball. He always wakes up with his spine hurting and his back all hunched over, and he never suspects the reason could be his sleeping habits.

Nick realizes that he's not the most approachable-looking man out there, so he always makes a point to buy the kids in Diamond City a bowl of noodles so that they aren't as afraid of him as they might already be.

Cait knows how to do tattoos and is actually really good and diligent whenever it comes to doing one.

Danse has no internal compass and gets lost incredibly easily, but you'd never know it with how confident he seems when leading.

Preston grew up as an orphan and sees Mama Murphy as his only mother figure. It's also why he has such a soft spot for struggling wastelanders, especially when they're kids.

Codsworth likes to collect old-world trinkets in memory of the life he once lived. He also thinks that putting them up gives your home its old charm back. (especially pre-war money, he likes to joke that y'all are rich even thought the currency died).

Piper loves it when people are shorter than her. She's one of those people who is constantly making jokes about her shorter friends. She'll rest her arm on their head/shoulder or simply throw her hat on their head. She thinks short people are adorable and teases them as much as possible.

Curie has horrible eyesight in her synth body and needs to squint really hard to see things that are farther away.

Strong can sit and stare at those milk vending machines forever. He's like a child in front of an iPad whenever he spots one. He's always trying to figure out what this box has to do with human strength.

Hancock really likes to read, which never fails to surprise a lot of people when he mentions it. Granted, he's not into novels, but he can't seem to get enough of the historical textbooks and pamphlets he finds around the Commonwealth.

Deacon is just as obsessed with the Unstoppables as Kent is. In fact, most of his disguises or personalities are based on one of the characters in the pre-war comics.

X6-88 is a huge germaphobe and hates it when he has to leave the Institute with you. He'll clean your settlements whenever he finds the time and will fight in such a way that he can avoid getting blood on him.

Dogmeat adores baseball and gets super excited whenever he sees something related to the sport (especially when someone throws a baseball for him).

Old Longfellow loves the classical radio station, and it is all he ever really listens to when he's in his cabin.

Gage is allergic to dogs and visibly tenses up whenever he hears a mongrel start barking.

[teenandbeyond]

Feel free to ignore this if you are busy but may I pls request a part 2? For Lord Beerus X God of Life Male Reader?? Just sweet domestic and romantic stuff, maybe the Z Fighters accidentally finding out about the relationship and shenanigans ensures??

Beerus x M. God of Life Reader pt. 2

And here I am. Making a part 2. I kinda lost my flow but wanted to continue xD

Leh goooo!

Want more from me? Masterlist, baby

☆*: .｡. .｡.:*☆☆*: .｡. .｡.:*☆

🥢Chaos & Love🥢 (DBS or Dragon ball Super)

Warning(s): Fluffy as a pillow, Mxm (but duh bc the title), I DID not edit 😭😭

You just want to be with Beerus in peace, why must these earthlings bother your peace yet again?

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

It's a little ironic that you're the God of Life, but never found domestic behavior something you wanted to experience.

Well, until you met him.

The God of Destruction.

Something else ironic that you never thought you'd like.

Just this morning, you woke up to another body draped over yours.

It still takes a little getting used to after centuries of being alone, too busy to have an actual relationship.

And when you tried to get up to make a stop at your house, those arms weren't letting you go anywhere.

"Beerus. I need to go to my realm-" "-No. You're warm," he muttered in his sleep. You didn't want to be rude and make him cold with your absence...wow, he's making you too soft.

Not that you really cared.

You simply made a compromise. You took him with you.

His legs were wrapped around your hips, chin tucked into your shoulder, arms wrapped tightly around you as you navigated through your house. Grabbing what you needed with one hand.

"My clingy little baby," you mutter after a while, smiling to yourself. "Shut up."

He couldn't help that you were so warm and comfy.

"Hey [Name], can you grab my shirt?" Beerus half-heartedly mumbled, lazily pointing in a direction. "That's my shirt." "Same difference, I wear it more than you do anymore. Grab it, please. I want it," he whined with grabby hands.

At some point, he finally decides to wake up...

...only to hug your waist as you make lunch

You don't question his clingy-ness, usually, when you leave for your job for a while, he's extra clingy when you come back.

But you jump when his stationary hands begin to move.

"Beerus! D-don't do that when I have a knife in my hand."

"Lose it, then," he purrs.

Later that day, after those activities and lunch, Whis approaches you both in the woods.

You hardly looked over from Beerus's lap and he didn't bother to open his eyes from their relaxed state.

"Yes, Whis?"

"It seems Bulma has invited us to try Earth delicacies again. Would you like to accept her invitation?"

"Depends on what it is."

It was a good enough offer for Beerus to go.

Well, that, and you mentioned a curiosity about Earth food.

Beerus told you about it the whole way, quite pleased to feel like an expert.

Although the meeting was a little awkward.

Upon arriving, Beerus and Whis went ahead.

And when you caught up with them, you met eyes with Goku first.

Considering the last time you met, you weren't surprised he was suddenly tense.

Which made his other friends tense, one even rose their power level a bit.

Which made you laugh, loudly, "How adorable."

"L-Lord [Name]!"

You titled your head at the Saiyan a little shorter than him, "Ah, you know my commonly known title, young Saiyan?"

"Lord Beerus, look behind you!"

"You idiots, he's not a threat. He's with me!"

"I will not hurt you, earthlings, not unless you give me a reason to—Now, where is this pudding, Beerus spoke of?"

You tried a few dishes of Earth, though your speed of eating was much slower than the other non-humans. You preferred to savor your food.

And because Beerus kept feeding you some of his food.

"Here, try this, [Name]," he offered a...something.

"Sweetheart, let me try one thing at a time, okay?" but because you were whipped, you opened your mouth to try it.

"'Sweetheart'? Lord Beerus, I didn't know were with someone," Bulma hummed as she brought more food.

"Why do you sound like you're in such disbelief?!" Beerus growled.

"Wait-you both are together?"

"Goku, who asked you to snoop into our conversation?" Bulma barked across the room.

And after that...all hell broke loose.

"How did you guys...?" "When did you guys...?"

Beerus just yawned.

"I don't see Beerus being the date type."

"What even is a date?" He asked you. A shrug.

Cue the gasps from the ones who cared And now they were planning a date, great.

While they were busy planning some date, Beerus dozed off of you while you read a book.

It was peaceful until voices started to rise.

"You can't just ask the God of Life to spar with you, Kakarot!"

"But you said he's more powerful than Lord Beerus! I want to see that power for myself!" he whined.

"All you men want to do is fight!"

"But it'd be so cool!"

Your gaze flickered down when Beerus shifted, then up to the group ahead of you.

"Hey."

Their heads snapped over to you, the calmest voice of all, yet the most intimidating.

"Beerus is taking a nap. Stop all that yelling for no reason. If you wake him up I'm going to be pissed. And you don't want that. Even Beerus couldn't stop me if that happened."

"Someone's protective," Whis teased behind a hand.

"S-shut up," you scoffed, focusing on your book again.

Until you heard the words.

"We set up a date for you, two..."

[sunohws]

no rules - kang taehyun

pairing: fwb!taehyun x m!reader

synopsis: you and Taehyun are fwb and in order to not spoil their friendship, Taehyun imposes some rules on the relationship . . . (there's actually no other way to describe this.)

word count: 0.8k

a/n: ssfw :3 . . . this is also very VERY cringey... beware. also this has been in my drafts for over 2 weeks. um.. i may or may not have forgetten about it when i was revamping my profile. LOL!

Taehyun had four set rules when they first started out: first, no sex while they were on a busy schedule, i.e. at the time of performances, promotions, or tours; second, avoid unnecessary caresses; third, no kissing on the mouth; last but not least, no sleeping together, especially after sex.

These were four simple rules, but y/n hated them with all his heart. He knew that he could not break them, nor could he complain to have them eliminated, and finally he understood that Taehyun had them set for a reason. The Korean man had talked about something to do with the chemistry of human emotions and how not respecting them would cause a romantic attachment on the part of them, which would inevitably end their friendships.

Maybe Taehyun had exaggerated or been dramatic? you couldn’t tell, it was better not to risk it. And it’s not that you didn’t believe that, in fact, you didn’t care. Considering that you were already in love with Taehyun, nothing could make it worse. But you couldn’t tell his friend, or it might not only shake their friendship, but also with the group dynamic, more than the casual sex they had.

Which you thought was too little, considering everyone was busy with performances and touring for the last few months, a situation mentioned in Taehyun’s rules that left you with calluses on your hands, if you know what I mean.

You understood this, of course it was necessary to focus on work, to avoid distractions. However, in your humble opinion and perspective, even during work, they need to relax a little, even take some risks… And that is why you were in Taehyun’s room, lying half-naked on his bed, waiting for him to come out of the bathroom.

Originally, Huening Kai was supposed to be sharing the room with Taehyun, but fortunately, with your wit and persuasion – and a bit of bribery - you managed to swap places with the maknae. When Taehyun finally emerged from the bathroom, his gaze wandered in surprise and confusion to see your figure on his bed. And to your delight, Taehyun’s gaze also showed interest.

“No.” he said seriously, interrupting you before you could even say anything, causing your smile to crumble. “We’ve talked about this, not during concerts and promotions.” He said slowly, making sure that the other understood. You rolled your eyes.

“Oh come on.” You huffed, standing up and approaching Taehyun, wrapping your arms around his larger body. You smiled when your realize, Taehyun didn’t pull away. “You’re so tense…”

“Y/N”

You just nibbled Taehyun’s ear in response, fiddling and messing up his hair and, damn, Taehyun was so hot. You already felt as hard as a stone to have him in his arms, clean and smelling good, wearing only a robe, since knowing him well, he probably wasn’t wearing anything underneath.

“Are you an animal or what?” Taehyun gasped, failing to maintain a serious posture in front of the elder man, exposing his neck and giving you more room to act. You, who is no fool (ur super smart), immediately took advantage of this, leaving a trail of kisses on his skin as he ran his hands alonf the others body. A stronf and tasy body, just the way you likedit.

To be honest you still found it surreal the situation you were in, having a beneficial friendship relationship (im sorry wtf) with none other than Kang Taehyun, his crush…

“Y/N, seriously, we’re not even home…”

“But we are alone. And the reason why you don’t like to have sex with me when we are on tour or performing is because you’re afraid that you wont be able to dance the next day, but we don’t have a performance tomorrow.” You insisted, as you untied Taehyun’s robe a bit. And well, he didn’t stop you.

“pfft, I can’t believe you said that.” Taehyun laughed and patted your chest. You weren’t lying. “And look at you, as excited as I am.” You smiled, opening your robe. Taehyun narrowed his eyes and looked at you with an expression that should have been threatening but failed miserably.

“Well, just this once.” Agreed Taehyun.

You didn’t need anything else, you grabbed the boy by the thighs and lifted him while Taehyun whined and laughed. The tasty echoing laugh that made your heart warm up and squeeze. “Oh Y/N, you’re like an animal in heat, all impatient.” He scoffed, and you just smiled broadly as he threw him onto the bed, crawled over him and opened his robe.

“When it comes to you yes. And don’t pretend to be any less perverted than I am.” You added, whole nibbling and teasing one of his nipples. Sure, you would love to kiss Taehyun now, but you were already breaking a rule and maybe it was better to not push your luck… You didn’t want or need to think about that right now.

At that moment, it was just sex between friends with benefits. And while you were not so good at playing that role, you were certainly good at fucking Taehyun and making him forget everything.

And that’s what you did.

im throwing up in a good way kind of. why is this so cringe. lord! um um yeah um yeah mhm, i think yep sorry for how cringey this was.

[dootznbootz]

Hi, what do you think about epic the musical as an Odyssey fan? Just curious

As an Epic the musical fan, I LOVE IT! Everyone's so talented and I love the music style!!! It's super fun and creative and it's amazing that Jay basically writes it all himself!

As an Odyssey fan... It's INCREDIBLY different. To the point where it's more "Odyssey inspired" than the actual Odyssey. But that's the thing. I wouldn't say Jay WANTS it to be word for word Odyssey and I DO think that'd be...kind of hard to do? Especially for Modern day.

It still has most of the "spirit" of the Odyssey though I feel like which is SUPER important. I'm saddened that very few adaptations really "balance" Odysseus' assholery and "goodness". I love "shithead Odysseus" but personally, I'm happy as long as an adaptation keeps to a "family man who wants to go home" for the most part :D (I really fucking hate the whole "Odysseus! The clever, swashbuckling hero who gets all the babes! ...He has a family?!" bullshit. That's very much not him. (He likes shiny things, yes but that's it)

More personal rambles below :D

I think it's interesting that Polites in Epic is more "peaceful" when in the Odyssey, he's called "captain of armies". And the fact he's killed right away when he was one of the last men alive.

Also Odysseus' and Eurylochus' friendship! I think it's sweet in the musical while in the Odyssey, it's quite tense. It gets more and more tense in Epic later on obviously but in the odyssey, it's been tense for a WHILE. Also!

Shout out to Armando Julian! Eurylochus' actor! I see a lot of people talk about Polites, Poseidon, Circe, and Hermes and they get a lot of fanart and love with their songs (rightfully so, ofc!!!) but Armando is really talented and people really sleep on Luck Runs Out! I'm about to become a vocal nerd for a moment. He's got a wonderful vibrato! I really love how he sings "feed" during Full Speed Ahead and "Captain, please" during Remember Them for example. His voice really fits with "speaking on behalf of the crew".

I know most people have a lot of feelings with the Circe Saga but I think that Jay did a great job considering... everything. Book 10 and 12 of the Odyssey are very complicated and I don't blame Jay for not wanting to delve into EVERYTHING with that. Odyssey Odysseus gets SA'd twice and while "I'm Not Sorry for Loving You" makes me worry, I really do think Jay will pull through with how fucked up Calypso's situation while still not having the graphic scenes in the Odyssey. It would be very hard to not only have what was basically an exchange for his men to be turned back to humans but if he interprets it happening throughout the entire year like some readers do, then that's really hard. :'D To truly portray Odysseus' fear of Circe while still having her be morally gray. As she very likely didn't mean Odysseus harm after a certain point but he was still afraid regardless.

Not only trying to not have such disturbing stuff shown in his musical but also, I think Jay was possibly trying to be considerate of Madeline Miller's Circe fans while still trying to show Odysseus discomfort and distress???? 😅 Sounds weird but like, as soon as I heard Circe talking about the nymphs being like her daughters and that she protects them, I thought that. That book is HUGE and I'm sure that many fans of it don't necessarily want to see Circe's "I do whatever I want. I don't need a reason. Woe, Oink be upon ye." as the most likely reason they were turned into pigs in the Odyssey is that ODYSSEUS is associated with them (the boar scar, the metaphors when talking about him in the Iliad, his trusted Swineherd Eumeaus, BOAR TUSK HELMET. Like, that's kind of the animal that represents Odysseus. (even when a spear pierces through a boar's hide, it'll STILL charge as they're that ferocious and determined...Just like Odysseus, a man who should be dead but isn't because of his will to go home. Homer didn't write them being turned into pigs necessarily as a "Men are pigs" thing.

I think the modern shift in how the situation seen today and other media of the Odyssey is why he wrote the songs he did. And considering it all? He did a good job navigating it. I'm very happy with the results!

I have more thoughts probably but those have been stewing in my brain for a while :D I definitely look forward to the next sagas!

[writing-whump]

Painful recovery

Part 2 of Rip with silver knife wound to his stomach. No graphic description of the treatment, mostly just the recovery and caretaking. Lots of pain and comfort.

Dylan really wished he had started off on better foot with the man he was going to ask for help.

Perhaps he shouldn't have avoided Isaiah and Matthew at every turn, challenged Isaiah with direct eye contact, acted so rudely, or passed his flu to him

He had believed he could afford to give Isaiah a hard time. Like, he and Seline fought the normal amount between siblings, but they were still pretty damn close.

How many times did she pick him up for the train station? Went to his school to negotiate with the teachers? How many times did she borrow him money when he asked, running out from the pocket money of the week?

How many times did he invite her to his room to talk him to sleep with her presentations for the next day? How many times did they exchange song recommendations?

And then this guy swooped in right when things were most tense. Super capable at everything Dylan couldn't do. Taking his sister away.

Sure, Seline never really liked his dates either, but wasn't that what siblings did?

Dylan's mind raced with these unsettling thoughts as he rushed through the streets. A gentle drizzle began, storm clouds merging into a uniform gray overhead.

Finally, he found the right building, sprinting up the stairs. He was faster on foot than with the lift.

Dylan banged on the door without considering a better greeting, urgency overriding manners.

When a redhead wolf opened the door, Dylan nearly fell inside. He caught himself against the doorframe, panting for breath. His lungs were burning.

"Is Isaiah here? I need help," he said between gulps of air. This time, he was careful to avoid looking at the wolf's face.

All the jealousy, all the competition drained out of his shadow. He felt a strong urge to crawl on the floor, kneel, plead - anything to save Rip.

The redhead stepped back into the living room, nodding in his direction. Dylan followed suit then, one hand circling to his back to hold Rip tight.

Isaiah's voice came from the kitchen, nearing closer. "Seline isn't here yet. I can call her-"

"I need you." Dylan lowered himself on the ground to gently put Rip down, propping him against the wall. His head lolled back, face slack and empty of any expression. He looked almost peaceful.

Dylan hated that resignation. Like there was nothing to fight for.

"Is that silver?" The wolf Dylan assumed to be Matthew said with a scowl.

Dylan stayed on the ground, kneeling, bowing his head. "He says the hospital won't treat him. Too dangerous. He's a stray and hunted for reasons I don't know. But please, please, help him."

There was a beat of tense silence. Dylan was breathing frantically, still catching his breath from the run.

What if Isaiah refused? Should he have lied about the hunted part? Would that mean Isaiah would deny him the help – or even worse, kill Rip himself?

Dylan didn't know that much what an Executioner did or what the Wolfson name ment. But he knew Isaiah had connections and that he was often involved with wolves and conflicts with authorities.

But if he lied and Isaiah took him to a hospital and they refused to treat him as a stray...could Isaiah care about that? Should he have had thought this through more?

Maybe he should have called Seline first. She could have put in a good word for Dylan, if not for Rip.

"Can we help him?" Matthew said with a growl. "Isaiah?"

There was a quiet sigh. Dylan dared to lift his head a little, eyes darting to Isaiah.

"Dylan, call Seline. Matt, help me get him on the table. I'll take a look."

Matt spluttered. "You have medical training for this...?"

"Depending on the wound, I might be able to help. If not, we'll call a private doctor from the clinic."

Dylan felt Isaiah's gaze on him and bowed his head again. He felt the weight of his shadow right after, cringing...but it passed over him and moved to Rip, rolling his still, unmoving shadow down.

"Just for now, so he doesn't fight us. He'll need it once we get the knife out."

...

"How is he?" Seline asked as she joined Matthew on the balcony.

"Still breathing, surprisingly."

"I've never seen so much blood."

"Yeah. It was pouring out of him...I had no idea Isaiah could do something like that."

"...I didn't either."

"Wolves don't usually know... we have our shadows," Matthew said.

"Now that you say it, he did mention to me that knowing anatomy and wound treatment can help while healing with the shadow too."

Matthew shook his head. "Leave it to him to know something crazy like that."

"No one could have saved him if one of his internal organs had been pierced."

"True. He was lucky."

"Would they really refuse to treat him at the hospital?"

Matthew crossed his arms on his chest with an unhappy grumble. "Not even the packs treat strays, and humans stay away from them as much as possible. There's really nowhere for them to go. Everyone just waits for them to die. Though…"

"Yeah?"

"Never mind."

"Matt, come on. Say it."

"He was staring for so long, I thought... he wasn't gonna-"

"Nonsense," she scoffed. "Isaiah would never- do you know him?"

"I've heard about him. He is well-known in the fighting rings. Keeps a lid on street strays."

"I thought they didn't listen to anyone."

"Yep."

"... Interesting. But how did he run across my brother? I don't understand."

"No idea. He didn't leave his side once. That kid. It's like he knew he wasn't out of the woods yet."

"But we treated him," Seline insisted.

"On the outside. Internally, he's got to heal and on his own, because of the silver. What kind of fuckers could ha-"

"What can we do?"

"Hope it doesn't get infected. Keep him safe so he can heal."

"Matt?" She touched his arm. There was something tense and melancholic about him that she didn't like.

"..."

"Tell me."

"That could have been me. You know?"

Seline leaned her head on his shoulder. "But it's not." And never will be.

...

Rip didn't understand why the knife didn't hurt him.

When it first pierced him, he was more shocked than anything else.

The silver felt cold and foreign, but once he got over the initial panic, it didn't actually hurt that much. It bled, and moved. Creeped him out. But for some reason the familiar burning of silver didn't come and neither did the pain.

The numbness spread from his stomach. His fingers and toes tingled.

A calming darkness was settling over him. With each breath, he felt weaker. He didn't have it in him to pull the knife out and end it faster. But if this was what dying felt like, it wasn't half as bad as being alive.

He tried to explain it to Dylan. Seriously, that Dylan. What kind of dream world did he come from to return and check on him, to try and save him?

Rip let him fuss, but he knew he was marked by darkness.

He let it pull him under.

Waking up again was a shock.

He was in a dark room with covered windows. It must have been a bedroom, as there were two beds and two tables. But he was lying on a mattress of his own, a thick and comfortable one. Much better than the couch he had at home.

He was covered in blankets. There was an IV sticking from his arm. Like he was at a hospital. He squinted at it, confused.

His senses were still numb. Automatically, he reached for his shadow… only to find a gaping hole.

His breath hitched as he tried to get up, hissing at the movement as cold weakness exploded in his middle.

"Rip? You awake?" Two hands came to hold him down by the shoulder. Then Dylan's head, big hazel eyes and chocolate brown hair came into view over him.

"What...?"

"You're safe. Just keep still. You gotta keep still, or you'll open the wound again."

"My shadow..."

"Yeah, I know. They had to roll it down." Dylan sat back down onto the chair at Rip's side. His hands stayed on his arm though.

"What happened? Where-?"

"Shhh, don't talk so much." Dylan smiled at him. "I told you I would get you help, didn't I?"

Rip's forehead furrowed in confusion. "Help...? Who...?"

"I got you to my sister's pack leader. He treated you. Been to wolf wars or some shit. Knows all kinds of medical stuff. The knife didn't hit any internal organs. You are going to be fine." Dylan gave a bit hysterical shrug, lips trembling. "It was bleeding as heck and it will need time to heal, but they got you blood and antibiotics and crap. You'll be fine."

Rip turned his head to the side. His vision blurred, and his eyes grew heavy.

He didn't like not being able to feel anything. That his senses were shot. It was like half of his brain was missing.

"You are safe, you are safe. You can sleep. It's okay."

For some reason, Rip believed him. His body relaxed and he fell under again.

...

Rip woke up to searing pain.

He scrunched his forehead, wiggling under the blankets. There was a spot at his side that was radiating horrible pain, the kind he had never felt before.

Raging hot poker straight from the fire was in his stomach, the place shooting pain up through his whole middle.

He whimpered involuntarily, forcing his eyes open. Still that unfamiliar room. His senses were back though. And so was his shadow.

He could feel exactly how upset his shadow was, wiggling in pain. There was an acid burning to a spot at it corresponding with the pain in his side.

Oh yes, this was how silver burned. And it was burning a hole in his flesh and in his shadow parallelly. Silver always left traces on the shadow.

Rip twisted in the sheets, moaning. Oh god, oh god, oh god. How he missed not feeling anything now.

He couldn't breathe. A wave of pain and heat rolled through him, causing his whole body to shake with tremors as he squeezed his eyes shut.

"D–" He was there, wasn't he? Rip could remember him being there. Where was he now?

His shadow rippled underneath him, flooding him with information he didn't want. Two overwhelmingly big shadows. Three people—no four. Foreign, strange scents.

Where was he? Why was he here? What was going on?

His pulse quickened, each painful heartbeat like a punch against the searing black hole in his stomach. Like a piece of his flesh got clawed out.

Oh god, how was he supposed to endure this kind of pain?

"D–" he couldn't even get the sound out. "D....please..."

His jaw was crawling with awful nauseous sensation. A little whine made its way out between his clenched teeth, eyes burning with moisture.

And then suddenly Dylan was there, leaning over him. "Rip, Rip, shhh, it's okay, everything will be okay-"

"Hurtssss–"

"Your shadow must have returned. Just a sec, they will give you something against the pain in the IV, just a sec-"

Rip's back arched up, which made him sob with agony. His hands shot up, snatching a fistful of Dylan's shirt. "D..."

His side burned, white-hot pain making his stomach muscles spasm. "Make it stop, god, make it stop–I can't–I can't take this–"

Dylan grabbed his shoulders, pushing him against the mattress. Gentle but firm. "I got you, I got you. Just hang on a second. Just a bit longer, Rip, just hang on..." He kept muttering nonsense in the softest tone Rip ever heard from him or anyone in years.

A shadowy figure loomed over him. His IV twitched.

His vision went in and out of focus, as if he were diving underwater and being forcefully pulled up and down.

"D...."

"I'm here, I'm right here. It's gonna feel much better in a minute, I promise."

There was no numbness or darkness, no relief. The pain soared and burned through him, the hot poker twisting his insides.

But then the pain dulled, like the tiniest, thinnest blanket settled over.

It was enough for Rip to let out a miniscule sigh of relief. His eyes rolled back and the blackness finally took him away.

...

Rip woke up with a dry throat, his skin on fire and his side throbbing.

He shifted experimentally, which caused the hot poker of pain to flare up immediately. A high-pitched whine got its way out before he shut it off, muffling it with a clenched jaw and gritted teeth.

"Stay still."

Rip unscrewed his eyes with great difficulty, tensing up to not let himself turn towards the female voice.

"D?"

"He isn't far away. He just fell asleep. He has been watching over you nonstop for three nights. Needed a breather."

He could see her from the corner of his eyes. Blond wavy hair, held back from her face by a clip. Gray-blue eyes. Rip found that focusing on the details helped distract him from the intense discomfort and itchiness he felt.

"You–" His voice was hoarse, breaking off before he could finish. His throat felt scratchy, his tongue like sandpaper in his mouth.

"I'm Dylan's sister, Seline. You are safe."

She was a witch, that he could tell very clearly. A soft humming emanated from her skin, an aura of calmness and light, almost magnetizing. His shadow stirred and settled down at the proximity.

His eyes rolled towards the IV.

She watched him intently. "Yes, you're getting all your nutrition and fluids through the IV. No concerns about anything. You'll have to transition back to normal food slowly."

He didn't understand why she was sitting so close. Alone with a strange wolf in a room. How could her pack allow it? Even if she was Dylan's sister, Dylan himself should have felt more protective than this. Her packmembers should have. They certainly did have the instincts to not let her near outsiders.

The thoughts had his shadow on alert, thickening under the matrass. The two big shadows were still here, still inside...the sheer massiveness of both of them had bile rising in his throat, his hands trembling.

He whimpered. He didn't mean to, but he couldn't help it. They felt like a threat, one that he was currently too weak and too pained to answer.

Her blond eyebrows furrowed, meeting at the center of her forehead. "Shhhh. It's okay. You are safe. Nobody here will hurt you. I promise."

A half-muffled sob escaped him. He closed his eyes in denial but couldn't fight it.

A sudden movement made his eyes open wide. She stood up, her hands hovering over him, as if she wanted to touch him but stopped herself at the last second, unsure of how he would react.

It blew his mind that she was even considering such a thing.

How long had it been since he was this close to a witch?

Strays never got access to witches, not even from a distance or by accident. Their packs were too protective, the girls too valuable.

The last witch he had been around... was his mother.

His throat closed up, dry and raw. He clawed at the blankets, trembling. The wave of grief that assaulted him made the pain worse, the poker in his stomach exploding with little sparkles of dizzying light dancing in his eyes.

"What is it? Is the pain worse? Rip?" Her voice was gentle, concerned, alarmed. Why was it alarmed for someone like him?

"Rip. Can I touch you? Would that be alright?"

His face twisted in a grimace. He wanted to lift his hand and hide in the crook of his arm, but he was too weak. It only shook in response.

"You're on the highest dose of painkillers we can give you. I'm sorry, I know it still hurts."

Hurt, it did. It wasn't that bad as before. He could think a little more. The throbbing was almost bearable. The meds kept the poker from turning and burning, a light veil enveloping it. But he felt so helpless.

"Hey, hey. You're okay. Take it easy. Breathe. In and out."

He felt feverish and hot and dry. Lost in the sheets, in the foreign room. He wanted Dylan.

Rip tried to breathe like she said, but his chest was heaving. He couldn't get the air in. His breaths came fast and shallow, frantic and shaky.

"I know that it hurts, but you are a fighter. You've got this."

His hands twisted in the sheets, the only grounding he could get, the only movement he was capable of that was semi-safe.

"Shhhhh. Is this alright?" She touched his hand then, just above the wrist. Her skin was soothingly cold and smooth.

Rip shuddered. It felt like touching pure light. The magic in her sparkled and soothed, like a balm against his shadow. Against the wound. Some of the pain subside to the back of his mind as he focused on this new sensation, clinging to it.

"Squeeze my hand if you need to. It's okay. The pain will pass, I promise."

Rip couldn't resist. He relaxed his hand just a bit and hers slipped into his open palm. Touching that light. Touching a kind person.

"There you go. You are so brave. So strong. You are doing very well."

Rip couldn't believe this was real. Maybe he was dreaming it up. But his breathing slowed down.

Comforting warmth spread from the contact, melting some of the tension away.

"Try to sleep."

He held onto her hand, his breathing slowing, but his side radiated pain. It was shooting up into his stomach, his chest, under his ribs. His fingers were tingling again.

Why wouldn't it just stop? He wanted to follow her command, he wanted to sleep...

He trashed on the bed, the movement sending new spikes of pain into the black burning hole in his side. It had her shooting up to her legs again, both hands now clutching his.

"I'm going to try something, Rip. Okay? Just focus on my voice."

That's when she started to sing.

Rip didn't know the song and his mind was too hazy to pick up on the words. To understand them. There was something about a river. A sea. The melody was slow and soothing, like a lullaby.

He didn't know people could sing this well without music. Her skin tingled with more magic and that was when he understood. There was magic in that singing.

There were more words. Something about not being alone, dreams, nights and sleep. There was something about a sun coming up.

The song had a physical effect. Goosebumps rushed on his arms, but where they spread the pain subsided. Waves of soothing cold flew through her hands into his arms, up to his neck and face, the other arm...into his chest and his stomach.

He felt his body relaxing. The air came easier, lighter, like it was refreshed and crisp. Like breathing freely after a day in stuffy heat. Like sunrise on a meadow after a stormy night.

The tears came then, rolling down his cheeks. He wasn't sure why - from the relief, the touch, the memories of his mother and home and feelings that he didn't dare to remember. The feeling of being safe. Of having somewhere to go. Of having somewhere to belong.

The song slowly came to an end, leaving him staring at the ceiling, widened, eyes spilling with tears.

"It's okay, Rip. You can cry or scream. Whatever you need. It's okay."

A series of sobs bubbled up, like her permission was what he needed. He couldn't remember when was the last time he cried.

Seline sat back down, both her hands still holding his. Her thumb rubbed at the back of his hand. Little circles.

She held him until the sobs died down. There was a new kind of quiet in his mind. Peaceful, like an untouched surface of a lake in the middle of a forest.

He dived into it with relief.

[coff-in]

HAII GUESS WHO'S BACK AGAIN!! Ｏ(≧∇≦)Ｏ

can i request ashley with a fem reader (either the same one, or a different one entirely) but with ashley's like... unhingedness and yandere(?) attitude cranked up to the max? like, reader can already hardly talk to anyone else as is but i feel like with that cranked up more than usual, she probably really tries to isolate reader from friends, potential love interests, and even family members to a certain extent. (　＾∀＾)

i'd imagine jobs are super finicky too, reader can probably never hold down a job too well because of whatever ashley throws a fit, likely over reader leaving (reader tries to have the discussion that she needs job because job = money!! it probably works at first and then falls onto deaf ears later on (　・ω・))

if reader tries to leave the situation? ashley probably blackmails her into staying with whatever she has for leverage or do the classic old "i'm the only person willing to be by you!!" type shtick that manipulative people tend to do ( ｡ﾟДﾟ｡) if reader does leave successfully you bet there's going to be hell until ashley inevitably finds reader. i am running out of fuel though;; so insert potential dubcon/noncon situation here

i should've specified this earlier and you don't need to rewrite my one req bcs you didn't know but i just ask for no incest in my asks due to some personal reasons ( ＞Д＜；) please don't feel bad, though, since you didn't know!! i'm pretty much open to anything but incest and all the grossout fetishes, though! ^^ again, i am so sorry for the inconvenience on that part!! ( ´д｀､)

also ^^ just assume all my reqs will be fem or gen neutral reader ﾟ+.ﾟ(´▽`人)ﾟ+.ﾟ

- 🕊

notes from coff-in: i'm sorry, i didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable about the incest (i think it might've been the petplay one? but lmk if i'm wrong if you want to). BUT thank you for telling me this! i'll try to keep it in mind in the future when responding to your asks :) and thank you for requesting! :D there's no smut in here, just some dialogue and me trying to get a hang of their dynamics is all. you can interpret this as the previous [reader] to your other asks if you want :3 lmk what you think

[fem] reader-insert

The phone rings once, twice, thrice. Then once, twice, and thrice again. You're hoping that he'll pick up. You don't know how long Ashley'll stay asleep. Your worry and frustration grows as you notice how cold you're getting, standing outside. The sky is blue but not sunny. It is very early in the morning. You made sure to come out at this time on purpose.

Once, twice, thrice-- and then it picks up.

"Hello?" The voice on the other side is low and groggy. You obviously had just woken him up. Good, you think, he should be awake. I should be inconveniencing him.

"Andrew. It's [reader]." You don't try to make small talk, you want to get straight to the point with this, "Have you talked to Ashley recently?"

He groans, "Yeah... I talked to her yesterday. Why?" The cold air only adds to the apparent bitterness in your voice.

"Can you please tell her that I have to leave the house to work so I can make money?"

There's a tense pause... "What?"

You sigh, "Ashley won't let me leave to go to work. I am politely asking you to talk to her about letting me go to work." You look back at your apartment, where Ashley decided to sleep over for the night. You hope she's still asleep. "She usually listens to you." She used to listen to you, too.

It's Andrew's turn to sigh. "I can't make her do anything, [reader]--"

"At least fucking try! Please..." You add on that last part in order to not sound like an asshole. "I'm sure the last thing you want is her or me asking you for money. I'm trying to support her too, Andrew, but she's not making it easy. I'm asking you to help me." There are cars loudly passing by and you try to focus on them to calm yourself down. You feel... scared. Scared that this won't work. Scared about what Ashley would do if she caught you talking about her like this. You used to not be scared of her. "And I doubt your parents would fucking help me..."

"Bloody hell..." Andrew groaned and shuffled around on his end of the call, "I'll... I'll, uh, see what I can do." It sounded forced from him. Take your fucking time, you scowl at your phone.

"Thank you." You then promptly hang up the call and stuff your phone in your pocket. You stand outside in the cold for a little bit longer. The birds chirp their songs on the bare branches of trees and clear sky contrasts just nicely against the dark landscape of your apartment's parking lot. You like the blue hour.

But like every hour, it comes and goes, and so do you. You turn tail and climb the steps back to your apartment. Walking down the hallway as quietly as possible, you take out your keys and put them into the lock. However, before you can open the door, it opens for you and you're face-to-face with Ashley Graves.

Shit.

"Where were you?" She's staring you down with a death glare, her face dark and pink eyes burning through your skin and soul. She's mad. She's mad and that's never a good thing. You try your best to steel yourself.

"I was downstairs."

"Why? How come you didn't wake me? What was so important that you had to get up and leave without me?!" She was raising her voice as she dragged you into the apartment, violently slamming the door behind you. You held back a frustrated sigh but couldn't stop a frown from appearing on your face.

"I had to call Andrew for help." The mention of his name made her pause for a bit. You took that window of opportunity to explain yourself, "I asked him to help me with my job. I'm-- we're a little tight on money, Ash. You preventing me from working isn't helping either."

"As if you'd be better working with a bunch of fucking floozies!" She yells with her hands balled into fists, "I'm doing you a fucking service by making you stay here! Those no good whore would probably flaunt all over you and make you do all the hard work by yourself!"

"Ashley..."

"Besides, you don't need to work anyways. Why not just ask you parents for money or something? Why not stay here with me?!"

"Ashley!" You yell at her, causing her to open her eyes and look at you. "I have to work! I have no one else to ask for help because of you! I don't talk to my parents, I have no friends to help, and I barely even talk to my coworkers. All! Because! Of you!" You stomp your foot on the floor childishly, but you can't help it. It's all too familiar. You're just going through the motions at this point. "I'm trying my best to be there for you, Leyley, but you make it so hard! I need you to back off! Give me some space to breathe, please!"

She looks at you bewildered, eyes wide and eyebrows bent downwards. She slowly looks down away from you. "You need some space, huh?"

Oh god dammit. "Ash..."

"I get it. No one wants me around them."

"Ashley."

"I'm just the fuck up of the family, aren't I? But guess, what! So. Are. You. We have no friends, no family, not lovers-- we're stuck with each other." She stares at you with intensity, "You chose me. YOU CHOSE TO BE WITH ME!!! No one else is going to take you in! Only I can love you for the fuck up that you are! No one else can love you the way I do! No you whore mother, not fucking Andrew, NO ONE ELSE BUT ME!" She comes closer and tugs on your shirt, your noses practically touching each other. "You have no one else but me. Got it?"

----

coff-in

[whiskydisky]

alright buddy you asked for those headcanons....

a lot of them are for rachel for some reason, or just me projecting, or really out of character, I thought of them in the shower, blah blah blah you don't wanna hear me yap.

some of them are also just "____ reminds me of _____", and they shift past and present tense cause I'm STUPIDD so sorry

ANYWAY

Andre

Andre doesn't really have a definite music taste, he just listens to whatever Cal likes and whatever's on the radio (OR SO HE SAYS)

He was pretty much a straight A student, he probably would've even gotten a scholarship.

His family has had Mel since she was a kitten.

His favorite arcade games are those hunting simulators with the guns.

REPRESSED HOMOSEXUAL (obviously), but he probably would've never figured it out anyways.

If he was alive today he would've been one of those shitty misogynistic fortnite players that watch andrew tate and you can't change my mind.

His bed is the best thing you will ever lay on, it's so ridiculously comfortable.

out of character, but it's funny, so who cares. andre secretly LOVES pop music, but he never really gets a chance to listen to it.

cannot draw anything to save his life.

HATES musicals. absolutely despises them.

still sleeps with this one stuffed animal he's had since he was a kid. its a lamb.

THE HEAVIEST SLEEPER YOU WILL EVER MEET. it is almost impossible to wake him up unless he does it on his own.

he's red to me.

autistic. how many more characters will I project onto? only god knows.

necklace guy.

one of those white guys that punch holes in walls when they get mad.

pops his fingers a lot.

paranoid about balding. (AND FOR GOOD REASON.)

Cal

knew absolutely nothing about guns before andre started talking to him about them.

him and rachel were childhood friends.

had a MASSIVE cd collection. just shelves and shelves of cds in his room that him and andre would listen to when they hung out.

doesn't really like going out.

sonic fan. im not explaining he just seems like one.

his entire wardrobe is just black band shirts and jeans because black shirts "go with anything" (he isn't wrong).

bracelet guy.

a little spoiled, ends up spending money like an idiot because of it. (example, his massive cd collection)

the way he was bullied was either physically or those kinds of "my friend has a crush on you" type deals

huge music geek, and gets angry when andre doesn't keep up with all of the stuff he tells him about bands.

REPRESSED BISEXUAL. he probably would've figured it out.

middle school was the absolute worst for him.

says the absolute meanest shit about people and then says "but who am I to judge?" and thinks that covers it

absolutely loved chuck e cheese animatronics as a kid.

he's blue to me.

draws on himself a lot, just draws in general, it's a way for him to fidget.

definitely neurodivergent.

chews off the paint on his nails, and his nails.

Rachel

hums a lot.

not exactly a "popular kid" but people do hang out with her.

air hockey god, nobody can challenge her, they will lose.

earing girl.

people sometimes look at her weird for hanging out with cal, but she defends him.

had a little crush on cal, but nothing would've really come out of it anyway.

her house is super nice, like those grandma homes with the glass figures and useless decor with lace everywhere and uncomfortable couches to sit on. I'll send a picture if u don't know what I mean.

really nice to hang out with.

fidgets with her hoodie strings a lot.

one of those people that can adjust their personality depending on who they're hanging out with.

doesn't like andre because of his reputation and how cal acts around him (like how he actually is), but she doesn't actively bully or talk about him. she isn't that kind of person.

absolutely loved prom but the ride home was so incredibly awkward that it almost ruined the night for her.

has naturally curly hair, but doesn't really treat it right so it's pretty frizzy.

HATES it when car windows are down, her hair gets in her face a bunch.

also doesn't like putting her hair up unless it's really hot out.

paints cals nails. she knows he's a little 💅💅💅 but doesn't say anything.

really liked cal.

i do think she moved on, but it definitely took her a long time.

I'm very sick and tired of the "lesbian best friend" trope in caldre fics, she just doesn't seem like it to me.

falls asleep unnaturally quick.

absolutely loves going out, especially to malls or the park where she can walk and talk with people.

really good in school.

freshman year was horrible for her.

really likes reading and writing, she has a journal that she keeps to herself, it's one of those that have keys to them and stuff.

absolutely obsessed with unicorns as a kid. wanted them to be real so badly.

worried about how she'd look on her college application.

hung out with cal AND andre one time. did NOT like it and absolutely still talks to cal about how bad it was.

AND THAT'S IT... SO... YEAH!

THABK YOU SO MUCH FOR FUELING MY BRAIN AHHH I LOVE THESE SO MUCH!!!!!!

[quibllyfish]

mammon request bc i need them too 😭 going on cute lil dates with him (he insists he pays for everything, even if u touch a piece of clothing at the store it’s urs) just some v cute shit :))

꒰﹒🌐﹕Obey Me Mammon x Gn!Reader dating hcs. . . !

﹕lots and lots of fluff and pampering (with a small amount of shenanigans)

૮꒰ྀི∩´ ᵕ `∩꒱ྀིა：❝—Hi again! I really hope this turned okay- Im not completely used to writing fics yet! I love love LOVE mammon though he’s my meow meow. Thank you so much for the detailed ask!! (I did not proofread at all btw so sorry) ꒱ . . ♡

-mammon, even though he’s the avatar of greed, is the most attentive boyfriend you could ever ask for. he absolutely adores you—cherishes you, and he’s not exactly sure how to guarantee that you’ll feel the same way about him. in fact, he’s not really even sure how to convey the depth of what he feels for you!! he’s never been good at the whole genuine relationship thing… 

-but he knows exactly what makes him feel loved!! mammon’s top love languages are without a doubt gift giving and acts of service; considering his nature, its reasonable that favors and presents are what he thrives off of. if those things make the great mammon feel special, then surely they’ll make you feel super duper great!!!

-one form of him showing this to you is dates—and not just normal dates. he’ll go to any length in order to make an occasion remarkable for you. 

-you like the outdoors? all of the sudden he’s bought a lavish cabin in the most whimsical, fairytale-esque forest in the devildom to whisk you off to. he’ll even beg satan to help him read up on the local flora and fauna so he can look ‘waayyyy cool and educated on plants and stuff’ for his favorite human!! be weary though, because if you two end up stumbling upon some kind of wolf or bear you wont be able to stop him from getting into a brawl with it ‘to protect you’. (inevitably you’ll end up back at the cabin having to patch up his wounds while he haughtily argues that he could’ve handled it if you hadn't gotten in between the two of them)

-you mention you got a stain on your favorite shirt? mammon is on it! next thing you know you’re being piled into a sports car and driven to a massive mall. every article of clothing you stop to look at is yours (even if he quips in that you have to say ‘pretty please, mammon?’ for him to buy you something—it’s only a bluff). if you try on clothes for him he’ll get soo so flustered—asmo’s right, you are really cute… grahhh!!! why does asmodeus get to think about you like that? you wouldn’t do this for him, right? mammon completely forgets his train of thought when you pull him into a tight hug and thank him for the gifts. 

-the first time you two have a ‘casual’ date is surprisingly fulfilling for him. you had had a really bad week. your classes were overwhelming you, you were low on sleep, and to make matters worse, when you were trying to get water your glass slipped out of your hands and shattered. mammon had been nearby—his head whipped around to meet the sound of you yelping. just as he was about to go on about how humans are way too clumsy, not like demons, he noticed tears welling up in your eyes…

-why did he feel sick to his stomach all of the sudden? it was as if alarm bells started going off in his head, ears buzzing as his throat tensed. mammon rushed towards you, disregarding the glass as he scooped you into his arms; pressing kisses onto your head as he uttered on about how you're okay and its just a stupid glass! he can buy a million way cooler glasses for you! he was about to offer to take you shopping for them before you wrapped your arms around him and asked him to stay in your room and keep you company for the night.

-of course, he obliged. he could totally, totally do that! even if his face was bright red at the thought of it. you both spent the night snuggling, tickle fighting, watching movies; most importantly, you two talked. a lot. about anything and everything under the sun. it was so easy to talk to you. this feeling was so unfamiliar—unlike other people, when you talked, you didn't make him feel like a let down. every word out of his mouth was met with a friendly response, banter, smiling. not once did you meet him with disdain or condescension. you looked at him like he was your entire world… 

-as the both of you fell asleep that night, mammon held you close to his chest. he could’ve sworn that, just for a second, he couldn’t want anything more than what he had right now.

[darl-ingfics]

Sicktember Day 19: ALT - First Aid Kit

Fandom: Seventeen

Sickie: Wonwoo (cold)

Caregiver(s): Mingyu

Word Count: 1,026

Note: A sequel of sorts to Day 15.

To his credit, Mingyu had tried extremely hard to be quiet when he entered their room that night. It wasn’t his fault that he was absolutely plastered and thought it was a smart idea not to turn on any lights. Okay, maybe it was entirely his fault, but Mingyu didn’t want to admit that when he tripped on his own desk, fell against the adjacent (wheeled) desk chair, and crashed to the floor, bringing the chair down with him. Not exactly the smooth entrance he’d been imagining. 

Mingyu sucked in a sharp breath of pain, cradling his left calf as he heard movement on the bed to his left. “Mmmm…” Wonwoo groaned. “Gyu?” He cleared his throat, prompting a deep cough that made Mingyu wince again.

It was also entirely Mingyu’s fault that the reason he wanted to enter the room with the stealth of a thief was that Wonwoo had, of course, caught the cold he’d had two weeks ago but somehow worse and really, really needed to be sleeping right now. 

“Heeyyy,” the younger man trilled awkwardly. 

“Is everything okay? What happened?”

“I uh… I fell.”

“Out of bed?”

“Um, no?”

The lamp beside Wonwoo’s bed flicked on, and Mingyu hissed, turning away from the light. Or at least that’s what he would say in the morning; there was a good chance he’d turned to avoid seeing Wonwoo’s reaction to his current state. (But there was no way his drunk brain could process such subconscious guilt right now.) Curse that last beer! Curse Jeon Jungkook for peer pressuring him! (That was, also, an exaggeration: Jungkook had not pressured him in the slightest.)

“Gyu, what the fuck?” Wonwoo didn’t sound mad. Just terribly confused and sleepy. 

Mingyu’s head rolled back to face him. Wonwoo also LOOKED confused and sleepy. “Gravity was not on my side.”

Wonwoo blinked at him. “Are you drunk?”

“Yeah!” Mingyu cheered. “I met up with Kookie!” Wonwoo nodded solemnly, pushing the covers away from his legs. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! What are you doing, mister?”

“Getting the first aid kit. You’re bleeding.” Wonwoo inclined his head towards Mingyu’s leg, and used his roommate’s distraction to slip out into the dark hallway. Mingyu was, in fact, bleeding; the leg that had hit the desk and chair had a decent slice down the calf. Interesting… it had barely hurt until now…

Mingyu snapped back to attention at the sound of the plastic first aid kit opening next to him. He blinked up at Wonwoo, all droopy eyes and pale cheeks. Mingyu reached up and pushed Wonwoo’s hair behind his ear, earning a small smile from the older man. 

“How did you hit the desk?” Wonwoo asked, taking a warm wash cloth to Mingyu’s calf. It hurt a bit, but it was just water. 

“The lights were off.”

“Why?”

“You were asleep.”

Wonwoo shook his head, sitting back on his heels to look his roommate in the eye. “Gyu, you’ve seen me sleep in broad daylight. Turning on the overheads for a few minutes wouldn’t have woken me.”

“What if they did this time, though?” Mingyu’s voice was so sincere, Wonwoo wasn’t sure how to even respond to that. 

“Your cut’s not super deep,” he said instead, nodding towards Mingyu’s calf. “Pretty surface level. I think it’s bleeding more than anything.”

“Oh good. I was nervous it was broken for a second.”

“Really?”

“Well yeah, the lights were off. I couldn’t see it.” Wonwoo chuckled, coughed once, turned away to catch a few more coughs in his sleeve. Mingyu frowned. “You should go back to bed.”

“I’m almost done,” Wonwoo rasped, swallowing thickly as he turned back to the first aid kit. He pulled out the disinfectant spray, holding it up so Mingyu could process what was about to happen. “This is gonna sting.”

Mingyu took a deep breath, his mouth set in a thin line. “Do what you must.” He squeezed his eyes closed, missing the adoring grin on Wonwoo’s face before the older man disinfected his cut. It did sting, and Mingyu’s leg tensed automatically, but the cut was so shallow, and still so new, it didn’t hurt too badly. 

When Mingyu opened his eyes again, Wonwoo was preparing to wrap his leg with gauze. The cut was a little too long for a traditional bandaid, at least tonight. Mingyu watched his roommates careful fingers measuring the material, gently wrapping it around his skin without putting too much pressure on the wound, securing it tightly. 

Mingyu had no idea just how intently he was staring at Wonwoo, totally unaware that his undivided attention made the older man want to crawl out of his skin. “What?” Wonwoo asked finally. 

Mingyu’s next words surprised him: “I’m sorry I’m such a pain...”

Wonwoo sighed. “You’re not a pain, Gyu…”

“No, I am. I got you sick and now I’m making you stay up and take care of my sorry ass.”

“Who said you were making me do this?” The puppy eyes Mingyu gave him at that moment nearly made Wonwoo melt to the floor. “And when have I ever complained about caring for your sorry ass?”

“Well… I just feel bad.”

“I know, sweetie…”

“My ass is legitimately sorry.”

Wonwoo snorted into a fit of laughter that, again, led to another fit of coughing. That kept going. And going. So terribly painful sounding. Mingyu, injury sufficiently tended, jumped up to grab his water bottle. He returned and held onto his roommate, rubbing at his back until the fit finally subsided, then practically forcing the water into his mouth. Wonwoo’s breathing was ragged, his whole body sagging forward, all his energy drained.  

“Okay, my turn to take care of your ass.” Mingyu pulled Wonwoo to his feet, nearly dragging him back to bed, and tucking him in tight with a kiss on the forehead. 

“Thank you…” Wonwoo slurred, eyes already closed as he cuddled further into his blankets. 

“No, thank you.” Mingyu kissed his forehead again. “Sleep tight, Woo.” 

“You too.” Mingyu smiled as he moved to turn off the lamp before getting himself ready for bed. “And Gyu?” Mingyu paused. “Please just leave the light on.”

[slippery-domjot-balls]

DS9 S4 E11 Homefront & E12 Paradise Lost, slippery thoughts

Wow....let me catch my breath. That was a wild and tense ride. Nice scenery too. Obviously these are just my opinions, but I wanted to share them because Star Trek makes me happy and passionate. I want you to be happy and passionate too!

Given the intensity of these two episodes I completely forgot it started off with Jadzia pulling off the most specific pranks on Odo.

Jadzia: I sneak into my coworker's private quarters and move his furniture by 3 cm every couple of days.

Quark: That's weird. They would not even notice that change.

Jadzia: Oh, no no no. He sees it every time and it drives him insane.

Audience: Oh you silly worm!

And I loved that we got to see these two besties playing pretend. We need more Miles and Julian aviation adventures. Super cute pals.

R.I.P. Clive

Playtime is over now because the changelings have basically infiltrated Earth and are ruining everything all the time and it isn't fun anymore....or are they? They are, but are they? Possibly. Probably. Perhaps.

To me this kind of episode is the pinnacle of what Star Trek writing has always been about. We see a complex evaluation of choices in conflict. It is not about an obvious "right" or "wrong", but one decision versus another. This is a battle between perspective and reason. All sides contain some merit. This episode also shows good intentions taken too far and taken beyond the ethical reasoning that initially inspired the action.

If this episode were to have a villain it would be fear and paranoia itself and not any particular character.

Vice Admiral Leyton was an amazing character. It was brilliant to establish that he had a close professional history with Sisko early in the episode because it immediately made me trust him. You sneaky writers!! But that was the whole point. The story that was unfolding to the audience purposefully made us feel betrayed with Sisko. We co-experienced in real time the feeling seeing a close friend commit treason.

Enter the most powerful man on Earth. He can move the most stubborn hearts, calm the most irrational mind, and fill up the most starved stomach. Replicated foods beware of Grandpa Sisko. I see where Jake gets his style too! It was so believable that these three were family. You could see how cadences, mannerism, and behaviors in Granddad Sisko were passed to Ben and then passed down to Jake, but in their own naturally developing ways in each generation.

*Spoiler Alert* Grandpa Sisko also saves the day.

Just when I thought this episode had all the ingredients for perfection Nog the keeper of all things pure and innocent shows up. Look at that smug Ferengi. He knows that he is the best thing at the Academy and so do we.

A great thing about these two episodes is that every character acts as an essential part of the story. Nog will lead Ben on the chase with his talk of the Red Squad. A+ Nog!

This ain't your normal seagull. This one loves Bajoran women.

Around this point we have all the main details of the episode. Admiral Leyton and Captain Sisko are working together to protect Earth from a suspected Dominion infiltration and invasion. The President of the Federation is against the proposed worldwide security changes but reluctantly allows their implementation.

With security personnel, blood tests of all crucial Starfleet staff and family members, and martial law practically in effect everywhere we are ready to repel any Dominion attacks. After all, the wormhole was winking at DS9 a lot so perhaps a cloaked invasion fleet is on Earth's doorstep.

HERE WE GO! Papa Sisko challenges Daddy Sisko's paranoia. Ben is seeing changelings in his sleep and not the Odo kind either.

So we start to see the episode present one of it's many challenges:

How far should we trade individual autonomy for protection?

And THIS is why I love Star Trek. Grandfather Sisko is absolutely correct!! And yet, Ben Sisko is also correct. Both want to protect what they love, life ad they know and perceive it.

We search for the highest good in each situation. Ben wants to secure and save everything he loves on Earth. He wants to protect his family, his home, and everything therein. Grandpa Sisko wants the EXACT same thing. The methods to achieve their shared goal is in conflict.

DS9 writers have a candy bar on me. Well done!!! (engage smooching sounds)

This very moment is crucial for Ben. His paranoia is pushing him toward the type of dictatorial control that Admiral Leyton is calling for, but Ben has found that not only is something odd happening in the background but this entire movement smell stinky.

Nog is such a good cadet. I love him with all my little heart. He provided critical information about Starfleet Academy's unofficial super special secret mean girls club Red Squad. This little snack of information sets Ben Sisko on the trail of breadcrumbs leading to the smorgasbord of treason committed by Leyton.

Smug Shapeshifting O'Brien is a gift. Enjoy every second of this hilarious goop boy. Colm really did a great job. We do see that there is a Dominion changeling on earth (saw it earlier in Homefront as well). We understand how real the threat of their activity can be. We especially see how terrifying a changeling can be when Dominion version O'Brien has a little chat with Ben. It might only take one hostile changeling to completely destabilize an entire world.

I do wish we figured out how the fake changeling blood was created to trap Sisko. Clever girl, Admiral.

I felt bad for Leyton. He is someone caught in a difficult position of authority and personal fears. His own paranoia drove him to the utmost extreme. I imagined that maybe he has a cute little family with a kid back home. I imagined what it might be like in his shoes. It would be hard to live thinking that your lack of effort led to the death of your child or friend or family member or significant other. It would be hard to go to bed knowing that the person you once shared it with prematurely died because of that you thought you failed to do. Even in much of the two episodes his facial expressions show a man full of internal strife and conflict. It is as if he kept questioning his actions as he made them.

What if his fear of failing his community drove him to radical dictatorship? He wanted to keep all that he loved safe, but he betrayed everyone he loved. He demanded that all his loyal friends trust him. Trust is a two way exchange though. He abandoned trusting his friends and confidants. That was the beginning of his downfall.

Leyton wanted to protect society at the cost of society itself. He could not see beyond his fear of losing society to war and enemies abroad to the point of blindness. He became an enemy of all he cherished, and I honestly think that he knew that too. He was just so scared that he desperately dug in to the one aspect of his life that he thought he could control, which is so relatable. We all can act irrationally under stress and pressure. This is not justification or approval. This is accepting that life may not have as many villains in it as we are told to believe. People are just trying to be people, meet their obligations and responsibilities while preserving what little bit of life exists to enjoy.

We are all prone to brash behaviors in order to protect what we love, but sometimes it is healthy to set down the admiralty bars and accept that you can't do it all, especially alone.

Remember that everyone in this episode wanted the same thing. Leyton wanted to protect life. Sisko wanted to protect life. Grandpa Sisko wanted to protect life. Everyone held the same belief and motivation.

I appreciated how solemnly Leyton gave in and how respectfully he surrendered. It actually felt less like defeat and more like he was relieved of a burden that he was too overwhelmed to carry alone. He didn't need to carry it alone but chose to go alone. In a symbolic way by removing the admiral bars he set down his fear and moved on.

The amount of time taken for these shots impressed upon me the symbolic significance of it. Sisko also lets go and moves on with Leyton. By setting the phaser down he too lets go and agrees it is time to move forward from this conflict. He is still betrayed and disappointed, but he is not stuck or trapped in the past. He sets down his weapon and joins Leyton in facing a reality outside the oppression of their own paranoia.

I loved that Paradise Lost ends with the restaurant opening up again. It is the resolution these episodes needed. It was closure showing that being open to others and not letting the world cloud you of the humanity in others is fundamental to life.

Despite the many differences in all these characters, regardless of where they were in the progress of their own lives, no matter the goal or intention, we all essentially desire the same things.

Star Trek is the future I hope for!

If you made it to the end of this post and are reading this then 10,000 sweet kisses to your forehead. If you didn't make it then I am still giving your forehead tender kisses, you are just not aware of it.

[barry-j-blupjeans]

If you're still accepting '101 ways to Say I Love You with Actions' prompts then 36. "Letting them lay across your lap to read." with anyone who takes your fancy would be wonderful!

36. "Letting them lay across your lap to read."

--

Lucretia has accepted a lot of things by now. She's accepted the fact that they don't (yet) know how to defeat the Hunger. She's accepted that she will probably never have a normal young adulthood. She's accepted that she's stuck rooming with Merle for now, who snores like an entire ogre in his sleep. She's accepted that she's probably gonna fuck up her wrists real bad with all this writing.

And she's accepted the fact that Magnus has decided that her legs specifically are the best place to read.

She's not complaining! Well, not out loud. Lucretia loves Magnus like a brother, but sometimes she does get the Cain Instinct. Magnus is big- much bigger than her, both vertically and horizontally. And he likes to read out loud. Never super loud, but if Lucretia was trying to read herself, Magnus's attempts at whispering under his breath were incredibly distracting. Lucretia was the type of person who could work in pretty much any environment if she gave it her all. That didn't mean she wanted to be in said environment, though.

It's never really been a problem before now. That being said, they had never been in a world with the largest library Lucretia has ever seen before now. This plane was completely devoted to learning and documenting new discoveries. In return for letting them study the Light alongside the crew, they had been granted full access to the library's services, including the books regular citizens were not allowed to borrow. Lucretia was consuming them at a lightning pace.

For the past few weeks, she'd come into the library first thing in the morning and start right where she left off. Often, another crew member would come with her. Barry and Lup, usually, if they had time between their work with the Light. Davenport preferred to check out books to read on the ship, and Merle had a temporary ban for tracking mud inside on three separate occasions (when it hadn't even been raining. Lucretia would have asked questions but by now she knew how Merle was.). Taako made a huge show of telling her that "reading was for nerds" and "I have better things to do", so Lucretia was content not bringing it up every time they came across each other on the shelves.

Magnus was kind of touch and go. Getting him to focus on something like this had always been a challenge, but with a world focused mainly on studies and books, he didn't really have anywhere else to turn. He had taken to setting up shop near Lucretia, and then next to her, and then quite literally on her. She had to move over to one of the couches because sitting at the table was not going to support both of them.

"Luce," Magnus said, poking the back of her hand. Lucretia blinked, looking away from her book.

"Huh?"

"I asked if you think they've invented fun on this plane," Magnus said.

"You're awful," Lucretia said, bringing her attention back to her book. Magnus squirmed.

"This is awful," Magnus said. "Do they even have sports? Is sport a thing? Is there a book about, I don't know, some physical activities or like, punching someone, or?"

"I'm sure there is somewhere," Lucretia said. Magnus groaned.

"I don't wanna read about it," he said. Lucretia was beginning to think she wasn't going to be allowed to read anymore. "I wanna do it."

"Who's stopping you?" she asked.

Magnus paused. He had his Considering face on, which was never a good thing. Lucretia might have just caused a terrible thing to go into motion. But after a long, tense second, Magnus rolled his eyes and said,

"I don't wanna right now."

"Fantastic," Lucretia said. "Great reason. Keep reading."

"I don't get why people enjoy it, is all!" Magnus said. "Like, the letters keep jumping around and it hurts my brain. And all of these are non-, uhm. Fiction? Non-fiction? Or is it-"

"Non-fiction is right," Lucretia said. "Also, is it like a dyslexia jumping around thing or like a, you can't focus jumping around thing?"

"I don't know what dyslexia is," Magnus said. "The letters are just wrong."

Okay. No. Lucretia wasn't going to be reading anymore. She put her (new, very fancy) bookmark on the page she was reading and shut the book, setting it aside. Magnus had already closed his book. He looked up at her expectantly.

"Okay," Lucretia said. "Tell me about the letters."