#i didn't expect to have the kind of engagement here that i got so. i'd rather put that elsewhere.

[nerdreadss]

i made this sb as a place to scream about ( mostly star wars ) books i'm reading, but turns out i also need a place to scream in general ( mostly about my hyperfixations ) so here we are. this blog was hellblazer focused for a hot second, but i've moved in order to keep it the way it was and allow my hellblazer focused ass to go insane elsewhere. i'll follow some of you from there!

anyways basic rules apply, yes this is a semi-personal account for a writing blog so if you're coming from there, welcome ig. sorry ( ??? maybe ) for the chaos, the tagging system is going to be as insane as my adhd allows me to be. some personal posts shall be made here, i'll try to tag those as well, idk man i'm just here for the shane vc: intense adhd fixations.

also idk if it matters but i'm a mentally illy bisexie bestie, she/her, 30+, if u need to know these things. there u go. and just a reminder i cannot follow you back/like things from my main blog ( as it is not a personal blog ) but i am so happy to see you if you do follow me and rb stuff from me and comment on stuff ok. i lov u and i am giving u a hug and kiss on the cheek!!!

i have moved over to @nerdasss so i can follow ya'll constantine babes back. please follow me there for the insane hellblazer hyperfixation! love u!

[woso-dreamzzz]

Power

Katie McCabe x Reader

Summary: You and Katie both know who really holds the power

It was always funny to see the two of you together, going back as far as your childhood.

Katie had always been the more tomboyish of the pair of you, always up to wrestle with the older kids or go careening down the hill on her bike. You were slower in comparison, taking your time and amusing yourself by playing clapping games or making daisy chains.

You shouldn't have worked as well as you did but it must have been fate.

When Katie moved to England, you came with her. There was never any debate about it. Wherever she went, you went.

Football was her passion and you were happy to go along for the ride. She'd found a home at Arsenal and you were more than happy to tag along.

You worked at the local florist, surrounded by flowers everyday. You had beehives at the back of the garden. Your backyard was picture perfect and you grew your own fruits and vegetables.

No one expected someone like you to be engaged to someone like Katie.

"Mate," Leah said as she relaxed back in her seat," Your girl's a dream. I mean, what can't she do?"

Katie tilted her head back so she could peer into the kitchen where you were sectioning out the cake you'd made earlier.

It wasn't often that you two hosted bonding nights but, when you did, everyone came along. Your Pa was a chef so you'd picked up a few things along the way.

Your meals were the stuff of legend between the Arsenal team, with the experience being passed down from older teammates to younger ones as they all sat waiting for the invitation.

"Nothing," Katie replied as you momentarily got distracted by rearranging the bouquet that lived on the windowsill.

"You hit the jackpot," Jen said," I mean, I don't know how you control yourself. If I had a girl like that to come home to everyday, I'd never leave the bed."

"Hey!" Katie said, shoving her friend," She's my fiancée! Not yours!"

Jen laughed, tipping her head back. "I'm just saying! Come on, Katie, you can't say that you've never considered just skipping practice."

Katie winked. "I never said that. I just said to stop fantasising about my girl!"

"So you would stay in bed with her all the time?" Leah teased.

Katie smirked. "You know I would but you know," She shrugged," One of us has to be the breadwinner." She flexed jokingly. "I make enough that she could be my pretty housewife if she really wanted to."

"Real macho, McCabe," Leah said," You're forgetting we once saw you drop a weight on your foot. You're not that smooth."

"I think y/n would disagree with you there." Katie winked. "I'm super smooth. It's why she fell in love with me."

"She fell in love with you because you seduced her, I reckon. All this power is going to your head. Occasional Arsenal captain, Ireland captain and now you're saying you're the man of the house."

"I'm absolutely saying that." Katie flexed again. "I mean, check out these muscles."

"Alright," Jen laughed," Put those guns away before you take someone's eye out."

Admittedly, Katie knew she was talking like she was some kind of hormonal uni boy but she couldn't help herself. She was completely relaxed here, in her own home with her teammates scattered around and you serving everyone cake. She was definitely bigging herself up here but she didn't want to lose face in front of her friends, especially as you breezed back into the room with pre-sliced cake and a pile of plates.

"I hope you're all able to eat this," You said," I know you're meant to be on diets but, surely, you can cheat for the day."

Katie grinned, drunk on the feeling of puffed up pride at everyone's compliments about you. She stood and rested her hand a little too low on your ass to be decent in public.

"Course we can, babe," She said, emboldened by the way you didn't say anything as she squeezed lightly," Everyone loves your baking."

You sent her an unreadable look but allowed her touching, helping everyone get a slice before settling on her lap in the loveseat.

Katie smirked at Jen and Leah, who were sending her similar cocky looks, and she finally moved her hand from your ass to rest splayed out on your hip, dragging you ever closer.

You fed Katie bites of your own slice automatically as she sat manspread on the loveseat, still talking amongst her teammates.

When there was a lull in the conversation, you brought your lips to her ear.

"Vey macho, Katie," You said, watching her throat bob in horror when she realised that you had heard everything," A real man of the house."

"Babe," She murmured back, eyes darting back and forth between everyone to make sure none of them were looking," I-"

"I'm not going to say anything," You said, shutting her up by pressing another forkful of cake into her mouth," I wouldn't want to embarrass you in front of all of the new signings."

"Babe," She said again, shifting a bit uncomfortably as you put more food into her mouth.

"Shh," You said softly," Don't talk just yet." You leaned a bit closer, putting the plate down on your lap so you had a hand free to push Katie's hand to grip your hip harder. "You have your fun showing off for your friends. You do whatever you want but let me make this clear. If you have to be reminded who's really in charge here then I will make sure to remind you. Understand?"

"I understand."

"Good." You smiled and drew away, picking up the plate and nudging Katie's lips with a cake filled fork again. "Open up, baby. I spent a lot of time on this. Make sure to eat your fill."

[loggiepj]

To Love A Lannister

chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Months had passed when you were finally sent back to the Capital, accompanied by your cousin Prince Oberyn and his beloved paramour Ellaria Sand.

King Joffrey was to marry Princess Margaery Tyrell of Highgarden. It was a month-long preparation for the wedding and you had insisted, against Oberyn's wishes, to arrive earlier than expected. To keep appearances, as you quoted your own father. 

And you knew it wouldn't be too long since you'd get to meet Cersei again. You promised to be on your utmost behavior for the entire duration of the trip. But three days had since passed and you hadn't seen the Queen herself.

Until one small celebration in light of the King's engagement brought you back to her. A tourney was being held as requested by the King himself.

"Your Grace. Lord Tywin," Oberyn greeted the moment you both appeared in front of Cersei and her father, Tywin Lannister of Casterly Rock.

"Prince Oberyn," Tywin said back. Cersei forced an uptight smile, that was until she looked at you, her smile turning into a frown. Her eyes spoke of sudden curiosity.

"I don't believe you have met Y/n," Oberyn went on, chucking some grapes into his mouth as he talked. "This is the Lord Hand, Tywin Lannister, and Cersei Lannister, the Queen Regent."

"My Lord," you said, bowing a little, then you met Cersei's gaze. "Your Grace."

"Charmed," Tywin said.

"Are you a bastard in Dorne? I don't believe we have met before," Cersei answered. And you could not muster back a response.

"Y/n here is my cousin," Oberyn replied. "She is the only daughter of Y/f/n Martell. And we don't despise bastards in Dorne."

Cersei raised her eyebrow. "No? How tolerant of you."

"I expect it is a relief, Queen Cersei," Oberyn continued, "You are about to give up your regal responsibilities. Wearing the crown for so many years must've left your neck a bit crooked."

"I suppose you'll never know, Prince Oberyn," Cersei curtly replied. "It's a shame your older brother won't be able to attend the wedding."

And they went back and forth with their harmless yet sharp banters. All the time your eyes never left Cersei. You just found yourself unable to look away.

Yes, she was vicious and cruel. But you were willing to see her, truly see that there's still kindness underneath.

~~~

You weren't meant to meddle. But you just saw King Joffrey almost killed some squires in training over swordfight in the courtyard. And no one stopped him, not even when Cersei arrived and you thought she'd stopped it.

"That's a Valyrian sword, that is, right, Your Grace?" you began, stopping Joffrey from slicing the arm off the small squire. "I've never seen such steel for a long time. It must be an honor to have held it through the war. You were incredible."

Joffrey was about to strike whoever it was that disrupted him but when he saw a lady like you, especially from house Martell, he controlled himself. "Yes, My Lady," he said, showing off his blade. "A lot of blood has painted and blessed this blade."

You smiled, even when you were internally laughing, knowing he only got the sword from his grandfather a day ago. Then you unsheathed your sword from yours, making him jump and step a foot back from you.

"I've always wanted to fight with you, Your Grace," you said, then added quickly, "that is if you would permit it. To be trained by you would be an honor I'd carry back to me in Dorne."

Joffrey chuckled, as he swung his sword rather arrogantly, knowing a lady like you wouldn't be a threat. "As my lady wishes," he answered, a sneer on his face.

Your eyes darted back behind him where his mother Cersei was staring with a cold look on her face. And you winked her way and smiled.

It didn't even last thirty seconds when you had managed to disarm the King which led him unto the ground, his sword meters away, as he covered his face in fear.

But you only held your hand as you helped him stand. You could only chuckle as he pushed you away and began to head inside, his knights on his feet.

"Thank you for the lesson, My King!" you yelled back as you laughed. Then you turned to meet Cersei's glare at you before she went back inside the castle.

~~~

Oberyn and Ellaria treated you with whores of your choosing at a certain brothel near the Red Keep. To them, it was just a usual day. Oberyn once said that while still young and alive, he'd savor everything that is to love. And that included whores.

"So, who's it gonna be, Y/n?" Oberyn asked, as the brothel's owner presented the naked whores in front of you. "I have carefully chosen some blonde ones for you, given your current liking."

One of the whores slowly stepped towards you as she caressed your cheek and began nibbling your ear. Of course, any human being was weak to its urges.

Then the other two whores walked towards you. One began threading her fingers with your hair, while the other brushing some hair over your ear as her lips made contact unto your jaw.

"Or you could have all of them," Oberyn said, chuckling, as he threw a bag of silver towards the brothel's owner.

"Wait!" You shouted as you stepped forward just to get away from the blonde women. "As much as I find you three lovely, I'm only here to accompany my cousin to seek some sustenance for his paramour."

Oberyn laughed as he went back to the other tent, where you could see Ellaria being eaten out by another whore. "Your loss, Y/n."

You decided to wait by the counter instead, smiling at female whores winking your way.

"Saying goodbye to your old practices, My Lady?" Tyrion said as he greeted you by the door.

You could only laugh. "Well, I think it's time for me to settle, Lord Tyrion. Spending time with whores was nothing but a wonderful experience I'd wish to treasure. Now, I'm old and my father seeks for me to marry someone."

Tyrion hummed in agreement as he poured ale on his mug. "You sound like me. Those days are over now. . . . So tell me about your swordfight with the King. I heard you were quite famous in the Red Keep for standing up to him."

You both laughed as you recounted the story. Tyrion was probably the tenth person you had shared the encounter with Joffrey with.

When the night was over and you went back into your chambers in the Red Keep, you didn't expect to be stopped short by the gate entrance by Jaime Lannister himself, his handless arm held in front of his chest.

"Good evening, My Lady," he said. "The Queen Regent would like to see you in her chambers."

And for what reason, you certainly had no idea. You'd want to ask Jaime but the sound of your own footsteps and the clanking of Jaime's armor as you both headed to her only grew painfully louder each second.

"You called for me, Your Grace?" you greeted the moment you entered Cersei's chambers.

Cersei's back was at you. She was in her white underdress, her golden hair flowing freely on her back. "Yes."

One look from her at Jaime and he left the room. Then she turned to look at you.

"I see you've been enjoying your stay here at the Capital," Cersei began, as she poured herself a cup of wine. "Rather enthusiastically, I must say."

"Yes, Your Grace. It's different back in Dorne, where it's arid and dry. I love Dorne, don't get me wrong? But it's nice to be away from home even just for a short time if you know what I mean."

Cersei smirked. "You certainly had a specific taste like my brother. I believe you've met the Imp."

You stared at the floor before gazing back at her. "Well, Tyrion has showed me how wonderful the Capital is-"

"You meant the whores?"

You flinched. Cersei then offered you a glass of wine, to which you declined.

"I'm afraid I'm indisposed from drinking, Your Grace. Must be all the ale I've consumed."

You could have gotten yourself in danger by denying an offer from the Queen. But Cersei only walked past you as she stopped at the balcony, staring at the houses before her.

"It's unladylike to seek pleasures in brothels," Cersei began. "How could you disgrace yourself. No Lords would attempt to court you if they knew the truth."

You immediately replied, smiling, "I have no interest in men, Your Grace."

She turned to look at you as she sipped from her wine. "But women are merely pawns in this Kingdom. Some day you'd have to marry someone, bed with him and give him a child."

You laughed at the suggestion. But you were only met with a hard gaze. Clearly, Cersei did not find this amusing at all. "Not in Dorne, Your Grace. We are allowed to love and marry who we love."

There was complete silence as she continued to sip her wine while staring at you. You met her gaze just as fierce as she did.

It was then when you noticed how green her eyes were. "Your eyes are beautiful."

You could feel how Cersei tightened her grip around her glass, as if she couldn't believe you'd say such a thing. "Do you wish to be beheaded, Y/n? You're talking to a queen if you need reminding."

"Forgive me, Your Grace, My Queen," you quickly responded. "I didn't mean to offend you. It's just, have you ever been to the North, Your Grace?"

She only raised her eyebrow.

"Well," you went on, "when I was on a trip with my friends to the North during winter, the Northern Lights from the sky were a spectacle to see. And your eyes remind me of that beautiful spectacle."

The crackling of fire against the hearth filled the entire room. Before you could decide whether the redness from her cheeks was caused by your compliment or her drunkenness, Cersei abruptly turned herself back at you.

"See yourself out," she said.

"Your Grace." You bowed before leaving.

And as you were about to open the door, Cersei called out. "Y/n?"

"Yes, Your Grace?"

"The next time I see you shaming my son, I'll see to it myself that you will be beheaded before you can get back to Dorne."

A smirk grew on your face, knowing you had finally caught Cersei's attention. 

[n3ptoonz]

i totally forgot i was supposed to write a wedding with bi han and reader so-

part 2/continuation to my fic "That Can Be Arranged" if you're new and haven't read that already, i'd hope you do!

a proper wedding blurb with bi han

nsfw/explicit content below the cut, fluff elements, pre-lin kuei split, bi han in even more love, you both waited until marriage, he definitely wants kids, honeymoon ;p

dt: @aceengg @yumeko0nitgh

your wedding was beautiful. seeing his typically stern expression melt away, all soft as soon as you walked through those doors in that gorgeous dress tailored specifically for you almost had you sobbing like a baby. it was the first time anybody had ever seen him crack a genuine smile that wasn't in response to winning a fight. the flaming hoops you two had to leap through just for this day would make anybody give up, but with the pride bi han has, there was no way he was going to let it all go to waste.

the ceremony was just right in time length. even with all the people and decorations and planning that went into everything, it didn't take too long for kuai liang to wed you two, have some fun with the clan, and tomas sending you off somewhere safe for your honeymoon. the town was small, but honestly it was perfect. nobody would know you here and you got to roam freely for a while. well, until you finally settled in the hotel.

the two of you made the right decision to wait until marriage, because the way he cradled you in his arms and at the same time had you gasping for air was truly something you never expected from him. even though you got to better know each other over these last few months, you never thought him to be the kind of man to purposely leave possessively placed hickeys all over you neck while thrusting into you like a man starved.

"i love you so much." he kept whispering. sometimes he'd even change paces to savor the moment; the sight and feeling of you clinging onto him and scratching his back as you bite into his shoulder so you don't wake everyone in the hotel up. he also knew that the both of you would be quite sensitive to this act since you both were virgins. shit, he could've fooled you thinking he's never been balls deep inside someone before. but that wasn't who he was. if he was going to engage with someone like this, there will be a real connection. bi han is madly in love with you.

though you found out quickly that he also wants children. plural. that intentionally drawn out groan he let out pumping you full of his cum and the sparkle in his eyes upon him seeing it spill out of your body-- which he seriously can't get enough of, it was kind of hard trying to commit to waiting--made you squirm with delight.

and these next nine months, trust, you will be thoroughly taken care of.

[doodlebugg16-blog]

Drama

Azriel x reader

**18+ MDNI**

{Song Inspo}

Summary: You and Azriel are besties for the resties and share a common feeling of resentment towards the mother for not blessing you with a mate. Unfortunately you decide to search for distractions through many males and Azriel is forced to watch you destroy yourself from it. Warnings: Cassian and Rhys guest appearance, angst, depression, suggestive, sexual themes, violence, heartbreak, nonconsensual touching, mentions of y/n, she/her reader, usual ACOTAR warnings, don't worry it has a happy, kinda rushed ending A/n: I honestly wasn't expecting my other Azriel fic to be read by anyone haha so here's another one I've been thinking about. This is also unedited--sorry xoxo

Azriel and you have been friends since he was found his shadows. You were the first to come across the newly born shadowsinger and show him kindness. He never forgot it and it had bloomed into a friendship attached to the hip.

You're the only person to get through his stubbornness. He's the only person that can calm your short temper. Until lately.

You were double-checking your heels to make sure they were strapped correctly and doing a last fluff-up of your hair. Checking yourself in the full length mirror, you spotted Cassian walking past, heading to the kitchen.

"I love what you've done with your hair, how'd you get it to come out of your ears like that?"

You whipped around and scoffed, catching his shit-eating grin. You went to reach for a nearby book to throw at him but a voice cut you off.

"Cassian, you should check your nose before making such comments."

Rhys had wandered around me.

"What?!" Cass had covered his nose and rushed back to his room.

You laughed and turned back to the mirror. "Thanks, Rhys."

He smiled and nodded to the door. "Be safe tonight, Y/n."

You sighed and nodded. "I always am. I know how to protect myself thank you very much."

He snorted, "I'd almost feel sorry for the poor soul to have to face Azriel if something were to happen."

That made you smile. Azriel hated that you went out. He always made himself scarce when you got ready to leave.

Once you accepted the way you looked, you rushed out the door and into the night.

"I assume you're going to follow?" Rhys spoke to the shadows. "I am starting to get concerned. She's starting to leave every night." He turned to the darkest corner in the room.

Azriel emerged and grunted. "I'm worried too."

With that he vanished along with his shadows, following you.

Over the years, Azriel had felt his fondness grow towards you. As his feelings grew, he felt the distance growing with you. You were pushing yourself deeper in the night and loosing yourself during the day. Azriel knew you were distracting yourself ever since the last family gathering. Your drank yourself silly and confessed to have given up with the mate bullshit. Azriel had agreed and felt the same but he had no idea you would have given up this much. He had promised himself that he would save you.

Azriel had followed you to your usual underground club. He watched from afar and had his shadows on high alert. He noticed a smaller male strike up a conversation. You immediately giggling and engaging. It made him sick. Suddenly, you and the male were gone, Azriel's visons blocked by a new group passing in front of him. He huffed and made his way through the crowd, trying to spot you.

After a while without any luck, Azriel started getting worried. He sent his shadows to look for you.

You were being lead out the club by the small male. You usually didn't leave the club but you started to care less and less. The male entered and ally and pushed you up against the wall, kissing your neck. You had the sudden feeling you were being watched.

"H-hey, I think I'm going to call it a night." You tried to guide the male off of you. He then grabbed your wrists and held them to the wall on either side of your head.

"I'm not done with yet, pretty. Don't you wanna have my friends join?"

You furrowed your brows and looked deeper in the ally to spot two other males.

Shit. This isn't going to end well.

"Let go. I'm done." You tried again but the male was somehow stronger.

His hands then started to travel down your body and the other two males made their way closer. "I spiked your drink so don't try anything stupid."

Fuck. This is definitely not going to end well.

Before the two males could touch you, the shadows had swarmed you. You could hear the slashing of Truth Teller. Looking to the male holding you, smiling, "Good Luck." With that, he was yanked into the shadows. You heard a slash and a gargled yelp. Your held your wrists and a frown carved on your lips.

The shadows blurred into the ground, revealing Az. He rushed in front of you, gently taking your wrists in his scarred hands.

"He won't touch you again." He promised.

You looked up into his hazel eyes and blinked away tears. "I can't do this anymore Az. I don't think anyone is going to love me." Now you were sobbing. Azriel's eyes softened.

"Don't say that. You won't find someone like this."

"But it's true! I still don't have a mate and I have to sit around everyone while they are happy with theirs."

Azriel tilted his head. "Trust me, I know how that feels. But you don't need a mate to find someone to spend the rest of your life with. I'm here, right in front of you."

Your eyes widen at him. You shook your head and took your hands out of his. "What are you saying, Az?"

"I love you, Y/n. I can't keep watching you destroy yourself and I can't keep watching other males take advantage of you."

Sniffling, you give his shoulder a push. "You dummy, how long have you felt this way?"

He smiled and shook his head. "Should I have said something sooner?"

You laughed and wiped under your eyes. "Wayyyy sooner."

He leaned in, "Can I kiss you?"

"Please."

His lips crashed to yours with nothing but passion and love. You wrapped you arms around his neck and sighed into the kiss. You pulled away and both stared into each others eyes. Suddenly, you felt a sharp tug in your chest, blooming a golden thread. You both gasp.

"No fucking way." You laughed. He joined in and held a hand to his chest.

When the laughter died down, he leaned in and rested his forehead to yours. "Let's get out of here, mate."

"Please." You sighed and leaned into his touch.

This definitely ended well.

[swiftiethatlovesf1]

A race for love p.6

Hii guyss, I hope you enjoy this part and if you've missed the other parts you can find them in my masterlist.

- Silverstone 2023 -

It's not your first time at Silverstone, and it surely won't be your last—especially with McLaren's home race being such a staple in your life. The familiar roar of engines and the endless stretches of track feel comforting, grounding you in a way that's desperately needed. The past week has been a blur, with your dad busier than ever, leaving you to your own devices and, more importantly, your own thoughts. And those thoughts? They've been anything but quiet.

You can't stop thinking about that anonymous message. Who could have sent it? What did it mean, "Franco is not who you think he is"? And how did they even know about you and Franco in the first place? You hadn't told many people about meeting him. The only one who really knew was... Oliver. And that thought sends a ripple of unease through you.

But there's something else gnawing at you, something even more confusing—your feelings for Franco. You like him, that much is clear. You feel a connection with him that's hard to ignore, a playful, easy energy that makes your time together feel effortless. But now, that message has planted seeds of doubt in your mind. What if Franco isn't what he seems? What if his feelings toward you aren't genuine, or worse, what if he's playing some kind of game? You hate how much that idea bothers you. You can't tell if the confusion you feel is about him—or about how much you've already come to care.

And what about that other question, the one that lingers just under the surface? What exactly is going on between you and Franco? Are you just friends, or is there something more developing between you two? Every moment you've spent together has felt significant, but neither of you have put a label on it. Now, you're not sure what to believe.

As your thoughts spin, something clicks in your mind—Oliver. He was the only person who really knew about you and Franco. Could it have been him who sent that message? He'd acted normal the last time you spoke, but maybe there was more beneath the surface than you'd realized. What if he knew something you didn't about Franco and was trying to warn you?

Determined to get answers, you make it your mission to find Oliver while you're at Silverstone. You need to know if he sent that message, and more importantly, why.

You spot Oliver in the Prema garage, warming up for a test session. He's chatting with a few team members, the usual calm confidence on his face. You approach cautiously, unsure how to start this conversation, especially with everything on your mind. When he sees you, his face lights up in a friendly smile.

"Y/N! Hey, I wasn't expecting to see you so soon," he says, stepping away from the crew to meet you.

You return his smile, trying to push the anxious thoughts aside. "Yeah, I figured I'd check in before everything gets crazy later."

Oliver laughs. "It's already crazy, but that's Silverstone for you."

You chat for a few moments, the conversation is easy and comfortable, just like it's always been with Oliver. He's kind, engaging, and makes you feel at ease. But the question you came here for lingers, and as much as you're enjoying talking with him, you need to know the truth.

Taking a deep breath, you decide to dive in. "Oliver, there's something I need to ask you. It's been on my mind, and I just need to clear it up."

He tilts his head, curiosity in his eyes. "Sure, what's up?"

You hesitate, then pull out your phone, showing him the strange message you received. "I got this last week. I don't know who sent it, but you're the only person who knew about me and Franco. Was it you?"

Oliver's brow furrows as he reads the message, clearly taken aback. "No," he says quickly, shaking his head. "Y/N, I swear, I didn't send this. I don't even have your number. How could I have texted you?"

His reaction seems genuine, and for a moment, relief washes over you. But there's something else in his expression, a flicker of something more—concern, maybe even frustration.

"Are you sure?" you ask, still a bit unsure.

"Positive," he replies firmly, meeting your gaze. "But... this is weird. Whoever sent this clearly knows about you and Franco. And to be honest," he adds, his voice lowering slightly, "I don't think you should trust him."

You blink in surprise at the sudden seriousness in his tone. "Why?"

Oliver sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. He's reluctant, but something about this situation has clearly bothered him for a while. "Look, I've never really liked Franco much," he admits. "I don't know if he's the kind of guy you think he is. There's just something about him that doesn't sit right with me."

What he doesn't say is the part that's been growing louder in his mind recently—now that he's gotten to know you better, now that he's found himself thinking about you more than he should, his dislike for Franco has only intensified. It's not just about Franco anymore; it's about the way Franco seems to have caught your attention, a place Oliver quietly wishes he could fill.

But he pushes that thought aside, not wanting to show his hand. "I'm not trying to scare you or anything," Oliver continues, keeping his tone neutral. "I just... want you to be careful, that's all."

You look at him, unsure how to respond. His concern seems real, but there's a hint of something deeper you can't quite put your finger on. Still, you appreciate his honesty.

"Thanks, Oliver," you say quietly, tucking your phone away. "I'll be careful."

He gives you a small, reassuring smile. "Good. If you ever need anything, I'm here, okay?"

You nod, grateful for his support, but as you walk away, your thoughts are swirling. I guess it's time to talk to Franco.

Part 7

[mitsuas-coffee-shop]

𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 07/18/2024 𝚙𝚞𝚛𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚜𝚎: I got this blue to make you come up 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: love obsession, character being very touchy with reader, mentions of kidnapping, self-deprecating thoughts (from the character to himself) 𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜: yandere and angst 𝚃𝙾𝚃𝙰𝙻 (𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝): $2200

Inspired by the song: No blueberries from DPR IAN

In the city you live there's raining almost daily, an unbearable cold everytime you'd open your home's windows or front door as well. The only comforting zone you've find being a couple of cafeterias, lately, due to bad sales, many of them have been closing.

I like no blueberries in my ice cream cake.

You've started talking to him just by chance, met him on a cafeteria near your house you got to know a while ago through social media and decided to try out new pastries that always caught your eye when you scrolled down their page.

He had ordered an ice cream cake but seemingly didn't read all the ingredients the menu said it had, causing his expression to cringe when he saw the blueberries adorning it.

You didn't mean to stare, but had, and he got even more embarrassed and angry about this moment, shifting uncomfortably to avoid your gaze even if you were a sit next to him in the cafeteria's bar.

The barista was about to take the cake away again in the kitchen, but you spoke first. Maybe a little to high, causing the guy next to you to flinch in surprise.

"I'll take it, I'd like to try it out!" you excused, taking the plate from the girl's hands and ordering a drink for yourself too.

This had been your very first interaction, it was pretty odd and you thought you wouldn't see him there anymore.

I'm just kind of lost.

The shock you had when you saw him yet again in the same tall chair from last time was an understanment, he was ordering the same drink you got last time! A smile on his face and now he seemed much more relaxed.

You striked a light conversation from that, the man followed, engaged with whatever topic you came up with.

I'm falling way too soft.

You found yourself going to the cafeteria just as you got off from work, sitting in your usual spot with your usual beverage, some days waiting for him to come by and others you'd find him already ordering for both of you.

The girl who attended you that first and unique time would always know what to recommend, something with blueberries for you and a dessert between salty and sweet for him.

Now tell me when to stop.

Weeks passed, months, and as you least expected it, you had been friends with him for over a year and a half. You've gotten to go to each others' homes a couple of times; some meetings were on parks, but nothing would beat your preferred cafeteria's environment. It always being a reminder of your start with him.

You would be lying if you said you didn't feel anything for him, you often caught yourself thinking about him, how he'd been doing when you couldn't meet up because of work or getting worried when he'd text you he'd gotten sick.

But you'd also be lying if you said he hadn't acted a little too weird for your liking from time to time as well. Like the first time he got to meet your home.

I keep losing my temper for you.

That day had been raining dogs and cats, so your company gave you house work. As soon as you agreed via chat that you wouldn't meet today but the next day because of the thunderstorm, he somehow managed to convince you he's been out for a while and was close your house's direction that you mentioned way too long ago for you to remember.

You opened the door and yes, he was in fact damp but smiling cheekily to you. "Sorry to interrupt!" He apologized as you led him in your living room, weirded out to why would he be outside without an umbrella if he knows how common it is in your city to rain.

"I'll go look for a towel, wait here please," your phrame disappeared as you went for it in the bathroom, oblivious to his wandering enamored eyes scanning your house.

I love it how you think I'm always this cool.

He'd usually meet you with a present—be it a letter, a plushie, or his most favorite, a dessert. You've talked to him about how it is not necessary for him to do it, but he's persistent.

His smile vanishing any doubt you might get about him and his strange attitude towards you or how it'd change when he saw you with anyone else.

Everything was going perfectly in your life. You had friends, you'd get to visit your family often with your work's payment, you were happy. At ease.

Welcome to the other side.

At least a bit happier when he was not with you—which was definitely unusual.

It's been a year and half of getting to know him, he's been getting more and more clingy towards you and you are getting more and more uncomfortable about it.

Stop please.

You feel guilty for feeling this way, he's been nothing but sweet and caring everytime—excepting your first meeting of course—but why couldn't you feel yourself reciprocating your feelings? You've talked with friends and they've told you that he's definitely in love with you, crazily so.

I need a hostage free.

But you couldn't bring yourself to feel the same way for him. You were beginning to feel sick of all his attention, you felt trapped since lately he's been imposing weird rules to your daily routines;

I need a rocket ship.

He'd get to tell you good morning first since he'd wake up really early to come pick you from your home to your work, you'll see him on your lunch break, he'll get you back home safe and sound and last but not least, he'll pick which friends you'll get to hang out with.

I need to run from-

"Oh, and don't forget about the 'reporting myself' thing," you spoke, your tone raising but you couldn't control it as you recounted the things that had finally led you to this unfortunate moment.

You were telling him about your disagreements with his attitudes towards you.

His expression was one of confusion and as he spoke to reply to you, you noticed a shift from obliviousness to seriousness. He understood you, he understood everything you just told him in the privacy the walls of your home provided. He really did, he's eyes were proof enough, but his mouth told otherwise.

"What do you mean with 'why do I do it?' darling, I care for you!" He poorly justified, his gaze cold yet you could tell he was fighting something inside himself.

from you.

You decided to dismiss the topic for the day and kindly told him to leave since you were tired because of 'work'.

I'm just kinda lost.

The next day he got you to work as usual, what took you aback was his distant look, his hair was disheveled and clothes put messily. He was not smiling, he was present but absent at the same time.

You thought your words had really affected him, and tried to cheer him up a little when starting your usual morning conversation with him to begin the day.

However, even if you got him to giggle a little, it was certainly not the same amount you'd achieve any other normal day.

I fall from you.

"Can I have the moist lemon blueberry cake please?" the girl wrote down and looked to your right expecting your companion to order too.

"Uh-what, what do you want to order?" you asked him as you noticed the waitress puzzlement.

I've been looking down a lot.

"Just my usual beverage please." The girl barely heard it over his scarf, scurrying off to take more orders around the place.

You examined concerned towards him, he has barely spoken to you during this lunch break and it got more and more agonizing with each second.

I fall from you.

"Hey, I'm sorry for what I said yesterday, maybe I overreacted and believe me when I say I appreciate your favors, but I don't know, I got overwhelmed I think, I really appreciate you." You decided to explain a little further in hopes of getting your point of view across, as you overthought throughout your morning's shift you never thanked him for his attentions.

I'm fallin way too soft.

His eyes finally connected with yours after yesterday's events. They seemed to have gotten a little crystalline. Your words sinking deeply in his mind and heart.

Now tell me when to stop.

He took your hand in his and started running towards the exit, never letting yours go. You were astonished by his reaction, even more by his grip strength.

As he kept running, you asked what was he doing and where were you going, confusion and a bad feeling building up in your stomach, he never replied your questions.

He took you in his house, barely being able to catch his breath and close the door, lock in, as he embraced you and pressed his lips on yours hungrily.

Stop please.

You couldn't even bring yourself to react properly. He surely took your breath away but not in the way you would have ever liked to have.

I need a hostage free.

He separated from you, his expression mirroring yours, one of terror. He knew what he was doing, yet he didn't stop himself.

He really couldn't, and that's just exactly what he told you after apologizing desperately for his actions.

I need a rocket ship.

"How do you expect me to believe that?" you would have liked to ask, if it weren't for your kindness to think it sounded too harsh, or him speaking up first.

"I get you wouldn't trust me at all, but if I'm being honest, I..." he pauses, looking down in shame and fiddling with his hands, "I have been getting this strange urges when I'm with you."

I need to run from-

"It's like I want to have you all to myself but at the same time I know it's not fine! I try to reassure myself that everything will work out with you if I go slow, but I want nothing more than to hug you, hold your hand... kiss you."

from you.

Did he just admit he likes you? Loves you, even? Shedding tears he was confessing his love for you—his sick, twisted love for you.

"I-I'm sorry, I-I don't think I can reciprocate your feelings." However, you've found yourself bearing more with him than enjoying your time together as you used to do when you first met.

He looked at you, a blink, two blinks and you could see more tears threatening to fall with his next blink. Nevertheless, he sniffed and rubbed his eyes furiously, trying desesperately to erase his feelings forever.

I'm just kind of lost.

"I... it's-it's fine, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable just now, you-you can go now, hope we still can meet up again sometime..." he really was trying his best to not cry huh, he led you towards his door and opened it up for you, throwing one last broken smile.

I fall from you

It's been one month since you last heard about him, at his house, with that discussion and confession still sending you in spirals of thoughts all days.

I fall from you.

You've clearly hurted him, you opted to give him some space for the first week, by the second one you tried messaging him again, asking how he was or if he needed more time.

The third week, as you got no response, you decided to give it off too. Now starting again with Monday and nothing but 'delivered' in your chat has been hunting you, along that strange sense of something wrong coming closer each day since he ran out of that cafe with you.

I fall from you.

He did not want to do it, he couldn't help himself, he really didn't mean to. Didn't mean to interrupt your pacific life just as much as he didn't think that simple interaction at the cafe's bar would affect him that much. But it did.

I'm fallin way too soft.

He could not win his inner battle with the demon he never knew was living inside him until now—he spent hours begging to himself in the mirror to do not make something stupid, something as horrid as what he was thinking to do. He really did it, but as he continued to stare at his reflection he gave up to the monster's desires.

He had kidnapped you. He had you now on his house, at what cost? He could see your tear-stained cheeks, puffy eyes and red wrists due to his manhandlement, he regreted it, but there was no way back. He did it and just as that last string of hope got thin until it broke, his brute self came out to play.

So now you've blown all your covers.

I got this blue to make you come up.

So when you think it's almost over.

I got this blue to make you come up.

𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚖𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚕 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑;

BNHA ๋ ࣭ ⭑ Izuku Midoriya, Kirishima Eijiro, Tenya Iida, Tamaki Amajiki, Mirio Togata HQ! ๋ ࣭ ⭑ Hinata Shouyo, Asahi Asumane, Ittetsu Takeda Gakuen Babysitters ๋ ࣭ ⭑ Ryuuchi Kashima Obey me! ๋ ࣭ ⭑ Mammon, Leviathan, Beelzebub, Diavolo, Simeon

˚ ༘ ೀ ⋆ ｡ ˚ ˚ ༘ ೀ ⋆ ｡ ˚ +1 blueberry package

All writings rights reserved © 2024 Mitsua's Coffee Shop. (Credit to the respective owners of the pictures, song and tagged anime characters.)

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Sorry if you answered this before but do you plan on watching S6 of Miraculous ?

I'm not sure. I'm certainly not planning to watch it as it comes out, but I may watch it once it's streaming. While I'm clearly quite critical of canon, I did genuinely enjoy a lot of things prior to season five. Little moments and character interactions that made it worth watching the individual episodes even though the overall plot kinda sucked. It was a good blend of entertaining in the micro and bad in the macro, making it something enjoyable for my partner and I to watch and then talk about.

Season five wasn't like that. There are a mere handful of good moments and most episodes gave me nothing of value, so I'm very hesitant to give canon more of my time. This is extra true because season five ended the show's first big arc, making it a really good off point as I'll fully admit that seeing Gabriel's ultimate fate was a draw for me. Now? There's really nothing left to look forward to. I no longer care about the canon square, Lila is one of the most obnoxious villains ever written, and both of our "leads" have been character assassinated into characters I don't really want to watch, mostly because they're not allowed to learn and grow, but they have the kind of character flaws that desperately need them to learn and grow for their characters to stay engaging.

Marinette's issues are pretty obvious, but Adrien was done equally dirty, just in the exact opposite way. It's really hard to get excited about for a male lead who isn't strong enough to make it to the final fight after five seasons of promising that it was "us against the world." Especially when every other character was able to overcome the nightmare dust! At least Marinette is doing things and talking to people even if those people aren't necessarily the people she should talk to and her actions aren't the ones she should be taking. Adrien just keeps sitting stuff out and doing nothing to change his situation because one of his big flaws is his passivity and it's aggravating! He's supposed to be an action hero!

And before anyone rants at me about victim blaming, please remember that this is a story and Adrien is a fictional character who - as best I can tell - isn't even intentionally written as a victim. While he is one in terms of what actually happened, the story does not seem to view him as one so I don't think his writing is some active choice to rep victims and, even if it was, I'd still have issues with their choices.

Either way, Miraculous is not the type of show that is here to give us deep character analysis. It's a rom-com superhero show for kids and that is the type of content I tuned in to watch. I was here for Ladybug-the-smart-badass and her faithful, flirty hero partner, but the show is giving me nothing on either front. Ladynoir was barely a thing in season five and I don't think we got a single Ladrien moment. Those relationship dynamics were my two biggest draws. My third tier dynamic was Adrienette and even that failed me because they didn't even give us Marinette growing up enough to be the one to ask Adrien out because, as stated above, the characters are not allowed to grow because that would mean that the episodes have to be watched in a specific order and it leads to terrible writing choices.

I've honestly given the show way more time than I ever planned while running this blog! I didn't expect it to get popular enough where I'd go away for a week and come back to over a dozen asks! I just wanted to vent about season five for a bit because the writing was just so incredibly bad that I needed an outlet to stop stewing over it. I've found that writing a thing down and throwing it into the ether is a great way to get my brain to move on and stop thinking about it, thus the blog.

[briarfox13]

So after 80+ hours I've finally finished Dragon Age: The Veilguard! And boy do I have some thoughts (it's going to be a long post, sorry)

SPOILERS AHEAD

Firstly what an incredible journey from start to finish, I laughed, rejoiced and cried along the way. I loved it so much! The main story was engaging, and some of the side quests are the best Bioware has ever made.

However, I do have some criticisms with the writing and some lore. The beginning feels rushed, I wish we had more time before shit hit the fan. The faction backgrounds sound awesome and I wish we'd played those as a prologue and met Varric through those rather that tiny scene we got.

And I do wish the game was darker in some aspects. It felt weird that as an Elf I could just wander around Minrathous without a single problem, even the Venatori didn't comment on my race? Which felt off. Never thought I'd say this, but I miss the dark political plot points that the other games had (Looking at DA II here).

Expect The Blight, that was incredible, disgusting was just what I wanted to see.

I also don't like the concept of Ancient Elvhen magic being like advanced tech? I'm not fond of that. I play DA for the fantasy not the sci-fi. But that's a minor nit-pick.

But damn, Act 3? That was an explosive, incredible set of quests, and those twists broke my heart 😭 IYKYK

Honestly though, it's hands down one of the prettiest game I've played since probably Metro Exodus.

The environments, the lights and atmosphere is top notch; I know it wont happen but I'd kill for an Origins remaster with this engine (and combat system). The combat is my favourite so far.

Music is pretty but kind of unremarkable, Trevor Morris' Inquisition music was a 100% times better and more memorable, they should have stuck with him.

No offence to Mr. Zimmer but all his music sounds the same to me 🙈

The Grey Wardens, my babies are back ❤️ They've been my favourite faction in gaming since Origins and I'm so happy to finally play another Warden.

The reactivity was just amazing, I felt so connected to the plot by playing as one, especially with the Blight plotlines. Declaring for the Wardens at the end made me cry 😭 In War, Victory!!

And finally some good Grey warden armour!! XD I hated DA II and DAI's armour for them with a passion XD

Emmrich my love 💚

While I think it's too short (please Bioware add more romance content, I'm begging 🥺) I haven't loved a Bioware romance like this since Garrus'. (Sorry Alistair I still love you but, you're now joint second with Emmrich)

His romance was so sweet and charming, it felt so real. And so beautifully written; as someone who finds necromancy and death in religion fascinating but the reality of death terrifying, Emmrich was perfect for me.

I just adore it so much, I'm way too attached to him and my Rook 💚🥹 And obviously Manfred my son

To let you all in on a secret, even before I booted up Origins for the first time (2015) I was originally a Solas girlie (thanks to the internet) and now just under 10 years later I am so happy to have a happy ending to his and Zephyr's story 🥹❤️

I wish they interacted more with each other, and we'd got more about Solas' love for the Inky but ultimately I am happy with what we got. After all it wasn't entirely their story.

But, what I am not happy about is the Inky's personality. I respect it's kind of a soft reboot, but only 3 choices and none of them about how the Inky was like? Zephyr would never in a million years work with Morrigan (even with her Mythal fragment). It just didn't feel quite like my girl (even though I was happy to see her).

I do wish we'd got a couple more choices when making the Inky to make them feel more ours than slightly generic.

So finally, I will say that personally I adore this game, it's not perfect by any mile but I had fun, and that's important to me. It might even be joint top with Origins as my favourite DA game!

I've always been a Mass Effect girlie, but Dragon Age is important to me too. And I'm so happy to finally see a new DA release that has somewhat succeeded.

Now I'm done, do expect Tabitha spam! I'll make sure to tag them with spoilers for those who haven't finished/played!

And to my non DA followers, I'm very sorry about my current hyper-fixation (blame the ADHD) but bear with me! I have some tasty Halo art pieces cooking in the background 👀

[ride-thedragon]

How I'd Write Rhaena Targaryen in Hotd.

(as someone who wanted to see her plot adapted)

I keep seeing people saying Rhaena fans will be excited for the rumoured change she will experience this season.

Spoiler here

I won't speak on that here without a spoiler warning because I want this to be about her book character and my hope as to how she would've been adapted this season. I wanted to see Rhaena Targaryen as played by Phoebe Campbell and adapted to the world of Hotd, and so far, I haven't. These are the issues I've had so far:

1. Mourning Luke.

The reason we don't have a scene about her and Luceryes after he dies in my opinion is because seeing as they send her off in episode 3 it would make Rhaenyra look odd to not grieve her son at the same time as his fiance. But respectfully, I don't care. We deserved dialogue about the loss she felt. It's a serious issue where her grief and reactions past Laena are overlooked entirely.

Even following her arc this season of feeling resentful, have her feel blamed for not claiming Vhagar, for bring engaged to Luke. Anything to give us that connection.

2. Her reaction to Rhaenyra.

I found it to be really well done the brewing anger with Rhaena then. She seemed like a child fighting for some agency for someone to consider her, and she's met with Rhaenyra’s fatal flaw of refusing to acknowledge and give validity to her children's emotions. I didn't like how the dragon eggs were meant to operate as a catch-all in the narrative so we don't make Rhaenyra look too bad. It was a great attempt and one that I was shocked by because Rhaenyra is wrong.

3. Give her Morning.

If Rhaena nearly died last time she tried to claim a dragon, why not give her her book egg and future dragon before she leaves. This was another failing of the egg scene for me. Not only would adding that pink egg give some mystery to the audience, we would have book lore. Even let Rhaenyra apologise for her original approach and give Rhaena the egg personally, not as a beacon of hope for the house alone but for herself. It's an easy moment that plays into the book narrative better. For those unaware, the eggs were Dany's 3 eggs plus Viserys'.

4. Jeyne Arryn.

No, I did love the they were both angry but not ill mannered. They are talking out of anger and mutual frustration, and by the end, they have a shared interest. My issue is that this is the scene Rhaena finds out about Rhaenys dying and that she isn't with her very young brothers. She deserved another scene later on.

5. Baela

I love that they spoke together and that they addressed actual issues, that's it. I don't like that they don't have more, and that Rhaenys could be with Rhaenyra but not her grandchildren. I wish we got that dynamic.

Moving on to my part, how I'd reconstruct her arc for the season:

Episode 1

1. We let her be the character carrying the emotional weight of losing Luke. They seemed close enough to make it work and were supposed to be married. She carries it past episode 1. She throws something into the fire as well, like a model ship of some kind, or what can be seen as a token she meant to give him when she returned.

Episode 2

2. We give her and Jace a scene. This is like a huge missed opportunity. Unlike Baela, they grew up alongside Luke. Have them discuss the grief and talk about what Jeyne Arryn demanded. That way, it's exercised as an expectation amount to the house that someone will have to go away. Let them talk about who they think is the best option. These are two kids, but they are also supposed to be two politically driven characters, give them that moment.

3. Then we have Rhaenys be the one to tell her that she will go. Rhaenyra seemed so heartless in that scene to me because it wasn't her scene. Rhaena was dismissed and pushed over to fulfil that role when they could have her grandmother tell her. They have the Laena connection. They have the care of her growing up too fast and them needing her to go away. They get to say goodbye in their own way because Rhaenys wouldn't be callous with her, she'd be comforting but tell her to be strong.

Episode 3

4. Baela Scene. Let this be the resentment scene, and allow them to confide in each other. Have baela remind her that unlike the shows chosen narrative, both their parents are dragon claimer who claimed their own dragons late in life. Have Rhaena bring up the fact that she failed last time and let them comfort each other. Hell, let them have a Daemon conversation.

5. Now we can have that scene with Rhaenyra. Let it be a combination of their two conversations where she gives Rhaena the eggs by herself. Tell her it's a great service and have Rhaena still lash out because she doesn't want to do it, because it's something being forced unto her. But have Rhaenyra give her the eggs personally, explain the story of the Conquerors and the dragon eggs of the any let her tell Rhaena she will carry that legacy. Because of all people, Rhaenyra knows what it's like to not be taken seriously and be underestimated in a position. It doesn't have to be courteous, but it also shouldn't be as angry due to Rhaenys.

Episode 4.

Let this be the episode she leaves.

6. She gets to say goodbye to everyone while the plot is unfolding, and Rhaenyra is nowhere to be found. Let Rhaenys, Jace, and Baela send them off to Jeyne Arryn and have their final goodbyes as the eggs go past her. She's scared but she knows what she has to do.

7. She is received in the Vale, not by Jeyne but by some of her banner men who are confused about the dragons. She's holding one of the boys and scolds them for questioning her. And they go off.

Episode 5.

8. Jeyne Arryn conflict. Jeyne expected more dragons, Rhaena asserts herself, and they have a brief heart to heart.

9. Set a scene later in the day to let Rhaena know that Rhaenys is dead and killed by Vhagar. Guilt fester yet again, and Jeyne gives her some advice about that relating it to Rhea because that's her cousin or something.

Episode 6.

I have no idea where the show will be but what I can say is how I'd write her arc from this point in my canon and adaptation

10. Rhaena takes up training Joffrey and Tyraxes, she's comforting him because he misses home but continues her work, she has to prove something to herself and Jeyne.

11. Have her question Jeyne about the men she promised to send, great time to introduce Corwyn. Show her trying to find her footing in the political conversation and win.

12. A scene later on with her and all the boys and Jessamyn Redfort makes an appearance. Tells Rhaena Jeyne is impressed by her audacity if nothing else and let her be a kinder alternative to her partner. (I will not erase lesbians)

Episode 7.

13. Small conflict in the Vale with raising banners because Jeyne actually has a lot of people who have issues with her. Rhaena sees how she uses her discerning to work it out while people attempt to undermine her, and we see Rhaena looking to her for leadership.

14. Rhaena picks up the eggs and starts to show that she is tending to them herself in the hot basket things, that she's made it her personal mission to get one to hatch. We also see her send the letter to the Prince of Pentos.

Episode 8.

15. Jeyne gets the Vale men to rise in a smaller number than promised but a large enough one to send. She checks with Rhaena, and we get our first Corwyn and Rhaena interaction with his two girls. Rhaena had grown a bit in confidence. She's taking her role as seriously as ever.

16. She sees back and gets a letter of acceptance from the prince and a warning from Rhaenyra. Basically, they have to hide the fact that the boys are princes and send them off by themselves.

Why? Vhagar has been seen in the Riverlands, and they have no idea where she's heading past Harrenhall. Whether they send the boys off or not can depend, but I think not yet. Let Rhaena take it into her own hands and plan accordingly. The way Jace does in the books.

And that's the way the season ends. The march to the battle from the perspective of Rhaena Targaryen. Happy tidings, and let's see how well (or not) they land with her character.

[thelittleliars]

Surprise (3/4)

Warnings: Fluff; a bit of angst and nfsw

Words: 2.6K

Summary: You being a gay mess around Natasha

A/N: Part 3 is finally here!!! I didn't proofread it so there might be mistakes. If you want to be added or get removed from the tag list just let me know! Part 4 will also be the final chapter in this series so enjoy!!

[Part 1: Silence ; Part 2: Second Chance ; Part 4: Survive]

Hell broke loose after thanksgiving. Some kind of mutated virus spread, most of the Avengers were immune since they had already had different DNA but you normal people hit it hard. Natasha, Kate, Yelena and you apparently came in contact with the virus and had to move to a secluded facility on the compound’s ground. You four were in isolation, each one of you alone in a room with a glass front. You didn't know if Clint and Scott had to do this in their own homes too. Those poor kids would see this cruelty of a virus.

Natasha rebelled against being in a room alone, she wanted to be in yours, she had to continue fixing the mess she created but the agents who also were to watch us twenty four seven didn't let her. 

It was around the 9th day when Natasha exploded, she couldn't stand not being able to see and touch you when both of you were only separated by a thin wall. "GET ME OUT OF HERE! JUST PUT ME IN Y/N'S ROOM!" She started to bang on the glass hard, it was no use though, the glass was solid. 

Even though you couldn't see her, you heard her yelling and banging against the glass. "Nat, calm down." You tried to get to her but that was also no use. Hearing your voice made her even more desperate to be moved to you. The itch inside of Natasha would only stop the second she could hug you. 

"Please," she pleaded. "Let me continue this isolation with my wife." All attention was on Natasha now. She just called you her wife, every single part of your body felt like it was on fire, the burning desire of being her wife was suddenly the only thing in the world that you wanted. You knew you had feelings for Natasha, you suspected it during the time apart before you realized it on thanksgiving.

"Ms Romanoff, we have no record of your apparent marriage with Y/N Y/L/N." An agent who worked here to monitor us, told that Natasha. She was quick to correct him that it was Mrs Romanoff. "I'm sorry Mrs Romanoff, without any document we can't let you-"

"Alright you got me! We're only engaged but the wedding would have been in a couple of days. I'd like to think her as my wife already." If you didn't know Natasha from the inside out then you'd have believed her right there. Hell you actually believed her for a fracture of a second because how convincing she sounded. In all the years you've known her, you never once saw her using her sweet talk skills, not only did it impress you hugely but something inside of you shifted. You found her actions very sexy.

The second she was brought into your room, you avoided eye contact at all costs since you're a bit embarrassed about the way you just thought about her. Natasha was also quiet as she sat down on your bed with a good amount of distance from you. Usually she'd have greeted you with a warm hug but she also was embarrassed, just about how impulsive she acted and what she said to get to you. The black widow didn't know what came over her.

You scooted over but only so far that your knees were touching, which made her  jump, she didn't expect the closeness. You saw it but ignored it, you started to dance your fingers along her thigh towards her hands that were resting in her lap. Once you reached them you took one of her hands in your own, her warmth spread over to you and you melted on the inside.

"So about that wife part.." You whispered while drawing tiny patterns on the back of her hand with your thumb. Natasha exhaled loudly, thinking of the best way to explain her actions. When she came up with nothing logical she simply shrugged. 

"I knew you're good at sweet talking and seducing since I all the stories but bloody hell, I didn't expect you to be THAT good." You finally turned your head to look at her when you saw she already looked at you intensely. Nat frees her hand from your hold, lifted it up to your face and traced the outline of your jaw. Your heart had never pounded so fast in your entire life as right there. She leaned closer to you, feeling her warm breath all over your face, while you wait for her next move. "You haven't seen nothing yet baby." She said it more quietly but in such a raspy way. You sat there frozen and errored with a gay panic rushing through you. When she leaned back and saw the look on your face, a huge grin broke out. "This was just a preview."

"Just because you know I'm gay now doesn't mean you're allowed to cause gay panics!" The words stumbled out of you fast. Your mind was still racing with thousand of thoughts, it was even worse than your nightly routine of overthinking.

"Just don't fall in love with me." The red head winked and you honestly didn't know if she was serious or just teasing you.

"Afraid that I can't control myself around you if I fall for you?" You shot back with sudden confidence. 

"Darling, nobody can control themself around me. I mean just look at me." She cockily told you. 

"Then stop flirting with me and we'll be both fine." Deep inside you knew that you'd end up falling in love if Natasha would continue flirting. 

"Whatever.“ She rolled her eyes before bumping her should into you to keep everything light, then brought up a story you didn't know yet in hope to continue to fix the riff she caused. You knew it wasn't much but it still was the beginning of trusting each other again and a way to strengthen your bond. 

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

Later that day there was a bit more commotion from the agents monitoring us. You didn't pay it any attention, your concentration was completely on the book in your hands, it was a new thriller you bought recently. The only time you actually looked up was when you heard someone saying your nickname. You made eye contact with non other than one of your old flames, she and all the other old flames of your knew your status of being in the closet and thankfully they kept that secret with them. 

"Agent Holm!" You exclaimed with excitement. "It's so nice to see you again, it's been too long."

"You know you can call me Leyla so please do that." She smiled at you, thinking to herself that it had been way too long to meet again. "Well, you're one of the unlucky ones who contracted with the virus huh?" 

You stood up from the bed you sat on when you read your book, now walking towards Leyla who stood at the glass front. Then you decided to sit on the ground with crossed legs. "As you already know, the universe and my body loves to attracted every kind of shit." 

Natasha, who was working out, came out of her trance when she heard you talking to someone. She didn't recognized the brunette you were talking to, the woman seemed familiar to her but could not match a name to the face and that irritated her. You seemed so free and happy to talk to the brunette, and with the way you looked at her.. Natasha was literally fuming with jealousy that the second you laughed at something the agent said, something inside of her just snapped. 

"So how come you two get to share a space but not these two?" Leyla pointed behind her towards Kate and Yelena, who were in separated rooms. 

"Perks of being best friends?" You hoped you were convincing enough but also knew that your reason was weak. 

"And they were roommates!!!" She said in fake shock. You blushed profusely, trying to hide it by looking down and also shaking your head fast to deny her claims. "No no no, Stop. It isn't like that!"

"Then please enlighten me!" She smirked at you, still loved teasing the heck out of you.

"I-I-I can't explain how but she convinced one of the agents to let her isolate with me. It also only happened earlier today!" You looked over your shoulder to where Natasha was last training but she wasn't there anymore, in fact she was nowhere to be seen. But then she came out of the bathroom wearing only shorts and a black bra, a small white towel was hanging around her neck that fell right down towards her boobs. Your eyes widened at the sight of her, a fire inflamed in you and heat rushed in more than one place. You felt pathetic in how easy she suddenly affects you. 

"It isn't like that." Agent Holm mocking the  words you said a minute made you finally look away. You mumbled a small fuck off which she laughed off. "If you haven't made a move on her then I definitely will."

"Well then shoot your shot." You basically dared her. She raised her eyebrows before putting her left arm up to the glass and leaned against it. "Hey Romanoff!" 

Natasha looked to you guys, wondering what the agent could want from her. "Yes?" Leyla pointed towards you, "This hot shot wants to spar with you."

You shook your head in denial, sparring with Natasha in general was difficult already since both of you were very competitive but it'd be your death now with having feelings for her and her looking so incredible hot. Natasha purposely flexed her arms when she saw you looking over to her and if you weren't gay panicking before then you definitely were now. "Oh yeah?" Natasha's eyes twinkled mischievously, you knew how much trouble she'd cause if you didn't stop her. 

"Listen, Leyla was just kidding! She loves fucking with me." You turned back towards the brunette but she left you alone with your crush. Anxiously you spun back towards Nat, she had a teasing smile on her face that nearly made you fall to your knees. "Why would she want to fuck with you like this though?" The red head walked with slow and confident steps to you, only stopping when she was a few inches away. Then she leaned in, you felt her warm lips near your ear that made a shiver ran down your spine, her breath was also very warm and you didn't know how to function anymore. "I guess I know why." Her whispering was so soft that you thought you were currently dying in gayness. "It's fun and easy to fuck with you."

You stood there frozen even after Natasha walked a few steps back to give you some space. Leyla's voice snapped you out of it. She was still gone but you could hear her talking loudly in the distance.

"Someone send a medic to Y/N. I think she is having a huge gay panic." You hid your face in your hands after hearing Leyla telling the other agents. Nat giggled quietly to herself but you still heard her. It really was going to be a hellish long day. 

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

After two weeks of quarantine and painful isolation, you all got checked out throughly by a doctor before being able to go back to the main compound area. The Avengers all greeted you back, hugs and kisses on your cheeks were given. Wanda was so nicely and made a warm welcome back meal. Everyone ate it with big smiles on their faces, praising Wands for her cooking skills and being thankful for making such great food. Afterwards Yelena and you went to your rooms while Kate went to the archer training room to practice her aim again and Natasha just simply disappeared without saying where she was going. 

It was around 6pm when you decided to get ready for bed and relax with a smutty book. You were relieved to have your privacy back, two weeks without any kind of sexual pleasure had you rilled up, it also didn't help that Natasha constantly walked around in a tank top and did her workout stretches right in front of you. You jumped into you bed and grabbed the book, the begining of the story was slow at first but got steamy fast. Before you could even reach the dirty part that you craved reading, a body plopped down next to you.

"Whatcha reading?" The freshly showered black widow asked you while she placed her hand on your stomach and nuzzling her whole body into your side.

Though you were extremely frustrated that you couldn't even get to the start of fucking yourself, it washed away by all the embarrassment you were feeling of getting caught reading smut. "Nothing." It came out of you too fast, Natasha only wanted to make a bit of small talk before falling asleep but your quick nothing got her curious. "Y/N, what's the book about?" 

"Sapphic love." More like sapphics making love but she didn't need to know that. Natasha immediately knew that you weren't telling her everything so she was going after the book herself. You squealed and tried your best to hide the book but she simply sat on your lower stomach and somehow got ahold of both of your wrists and held them above your head. The book was in her free hand and she opened it easily to read things out loud from a random page. 

"You couldn't wait for Ella's finger to enter you. The imagination alone had you wet, your underwear was soaking and it clinged to your body in way that made you eager to remove it." Nat's green eyes went wide, she absolutely didn't expect this kind of stuff. "I-"

"Let's just forget this ever happened, okay?"

"This is how you get off?" She let go of your wrist but didn't make a move to get off your body.

"Duh! It's obviously better than watching porn." 

"Why don't you just ask Wanda like almost everyo-?" "What?" You stared at her in shock. Was this why everyone was always THAT satisfied after they bragged about the sex they 'just' had. "Wanda's magic is heavenly. Her mist makes you feel so vulnerable and kisses all of you sensitive spots and when it penetrates you.. god, it's an orgasm you'll never forget."

"Now I have a vivid image in my head of Wanda fucking you and the others with her magic.. thanks." You shut your eyes in hope of loosing that image. "You're welcome." 

Natasha rolled off you in one move, laying next to you again and closing her eyes too. Both of you wish each other a good night before quickly falling asleep. 

It was a couple days after the smut book incident when you woke up extremely sweaty and disoriented. After a few seconds you realized that you were drenched in sweat, your clothes were wet and your mattress was moist. Panic immediately rised inside of you, it consumed you so much that you almost emptied your stomach the second you stood up. You got up and walked slowly to your bathroom with the last strength you had. The sight of yourself in the mirror shocked you, an extremely pale- almost ghostly white version of you stood there and stared back. "Jarvis, call Nat." 

"Calling Natasha now." The A.I. told you in it's human-robotic voice and it didn't take long before you heard her calling your name.

"Nat, I don’t feel so good." It was the last thing you got out before everything went black. 

Tags: @janashstorm , @marvelwomen-simp , @wifeofnatasharomanoff , @lizlil , @how-to-disappearrr , @wandanats-goodgirl , @natsxwife

[zevlors-tail]

Hey! So far I've not seen anyone make the connection yet, so I thought I'd drop a little bit of lore/character development for Shadowheart that no one else seems to have found yet. Or if they did, I haven't seen anyone mention it. Mild spoilers having to do with Auntie Ethel in Act 1 of BG3.

Just before you enter Ethel's home, on the left, is a well that you can drink from. It gives you +10 hit points and the condition refreshed. Recently, before I decided to fight Ethel this playthrough, I had everyone in my party drink from it for the extra HP. This included my Tav (a Lolth cleric), Wyll, Astarion, and Shadowheart.

Now, if you didn't already know this, those +10 hit points and the refreshed condition disappear when you engage in combat with Ethel and are replaced by another condition: nauseated. Everyone in my party received this condition except one person. Guess who? Here's a pic for reference.

As you can see, everyone in my party has the little nauseated icon except for Shadowheart. Ethel was dead at this point. The conditions don't wear off until you long rest, so I decided to loot her house before doing so. While I was doing just that, I found this book titled Mistress of the Night and Friends. In it, there's an explanation for why Shadowheart was not negatively affected by the well water.

The book describes a short story of a woman who had many friends, suitors, and a beloved mother who wished her daughter only happiness. But the mother passed away, and the woman wept, so much so that all of her previous friends and suitors and acquaintances left her. She then prayed for someone, anyone to ease the loneliness she felt. And who answered? None other but Shar, of course.

Shar convinced the woman that no one else loved the woman except for her, and that all she needed was faith in Shar. Shar then gave the woman a vial, and told her to take it to a man (likely a follower of Shar, also). She did so without question. The man tampered with the vial, instructed the woman to throw it down a well, and she did just so. The book then says that many people got sick and died, except for the woman devoted to Shar, who remained perfectly healthy.

I bet you can guess what well she threw the vial down!

The implication here is that because Shadowheart is such a devout follower of Shar, Shar allows her to keep the blessing of the well where everyone else in your party gets nauseated (sick). Kind of a neat little attention to detail that I wasn't expecting that early on in the game. Anyways, shout out to Larian for the small things in this game! I thought this was super interesting and unique. Not sure about how the hag has a connection to Shar's well, but with "Friends" in the title, I assume she would maybe have at least an amicable relationship with the dark goddess.

[daydreamgoddess14]

The Ties that Bind - Chapter 2

How d'ya like your fluff in the morning?

Thank you for reading so far, hope you're liking soft River!

CH 1

Masterlist

Chapter 2

“I want to apologise, dear.” David said uncertainly the next morning as Seren walked with him into the village. “I’ve been abominable the last few weeks and you didn’t deserve it at all.” She let him speak without interruption. “I’ve never been the easiest person to deal with. At work, or since. River bears the brunt of it most of the time. They used to call me the Old Bastard, you know.” She smiled as they ambled slowly along the edges of the open fields.

“I would never expect you to change your entire personality, Mr Cartwright. I’ve looked after prickly characters before, and I will again. I appreciate the challenge, and a bit of verbal sparring keeps your mind active and engaged.” Seren shrugged. “The only reason I put up with you the last few weeks is because you both seemed… well,” she paused, not wanting to undo the progress they’d made in the last 24 hours, “desperate, really.” Fortunately he laughed. A deep chuckle she was immediately grateful she was hearing for the first time, and she was the cause. She pressed on, “every single evening I doubted whether to keep coming over, whether to keep trying to win you over, and every single evening, the same thing would happen.”

“What’s that then?” He offered a hand to help her over the stile they’d reached, and on the opposite side, she did the same thing, taking careful note of his physical capabilities. Was he too frail to have come this way? Should she have taken the road route instead? He took the step down from the wooden step with ease and she relaxed. She looked around the semi rural surroundings, spotting a dog walker back in the field behind them. 

“River would call me.”

“Is that so?”

“Yep. How was I? How were you? How was our day? Did I need anything? He cares so much for you.”

“He’s a good boy.” David said softly, “a good man. He tries. And that won you over for another day, did it?”

“Like I said, he sounded desperate. And I was not always the nicest to him when he called.” Seren laughed, David harrumphed. 

“He said you called him yesterday from the bathroom.”

“I did. I wasn't sure what else to do. I was so scared you'd hurt yourself. Once everything had calmed down and he arrived, I realised I didn’t want him to confront you as soon as he got there. I didn't want to upset you further.”

“I appreciate that. We spoke later, after you’d gone. He told me I was very close to losing your much valued help.” 

“I'm glad you do see the value of it. This kind of help, it's the best way that River can help you stay in your own home for as long as possible. You're not the kind of man to take up life in the local nursing home.”

“I'd rather you take me out back and shoot me.” He grimaced. 

“Exactly. So,” she began, cautiously, “Do we have an agreement? That you need my help?” They walked in silence for a short time, reaching the outskirts of the village.

“Hmm. After yesterday’s performance I can hardly deny that the help isn’t a good idea, can I?”

“I mean, you could try… but I don’t think it would work.” She offered. 

“Indeed. So it seems I have no choice but to agree.”

“We all have a choice. I’m not here to babysit you Mr Cartwright, I’d like to enjoy our time together and I hope you will too.”

“You’d better start calling me David then, hadn’t you, dear? You did yesterday.”

“Hmm. Seemed like the best way to try and… reach you? Felt like ‘Mr Cartwright’ would have ended up with someone getting hurt. And you’d better start calling me Seren, instead of girl.” She pushed open the door to the bakery and held it for him while he followed with a smile.

*

River was confused to say the least. The situation had gone from the ridiculous to the sublime. Or was it the other way around? He quickly realised how tense and unsettled Seren had been with the situation for the past six weeks because in the weeks since, she’d transformed entirely. His calls to check in each evening were no longer filled with drawn out silences and sighs, but with bubbling accounts of her day with his grandfather and even laughter. The Slow Horses had had a very busy few weeks which had meant that he’d been able to visit a lot less frequently and later in the day, so he’d hardly seen Seren in person. With her improved relationship with David, he also didn’t feel like she was depending on him visiting for her own sanity, or that he had to keep tabs on them both. He realised as he drove through the village that it had been too long since he’d seen her, and that he’d missed her. He couldn’t ignore the anticipation when he saw her car still parked next to David’s, happy that she hadn't left for the day. The house was filled with music. It was classical, which he expected, but it was louder than usual and seemed to travel through every room. He followed the sounds of laughter to the sitting room where Seren was being led, in fits of giggles, through what he could only assume was a terrible interpretation of a waltz. She had one hand in David's and the other on his shoulder, while he had a hand on her waist.

“And, one, two, three, one, two, three… right leg back, that's the way.” River leaned in the doorway watching. There was pure concentration on Seren's face as she kept her head down, watching their feet. “Head up, dear, don't look at your feet.”

“It's the only way I know I won't stand on yours.” She sighed. “I am awful at this. They make it look much easier on Strictly.” She faded to a grumble.

“One, two, three, head up.” David lifted her chin and out the corner of her eye, she caught sight of River in the doorway. He winked. 

“Oh, shit,” she stumbled. David righted her and they continued to glide in a circle around the sitting room. “One, two, three, one, two, three, I'm doing it!” She beamed, eyes wide with happiness. 

“And the grand finale,” David said, twirling her under his arm and letting her go with a slight bow, she responded in kind. River brought his fingers to his mouth and whistled before giving them a round of applause. 

“Very good, very good! Ahh, I haven't danced a waltz in years.” David smiled. ‘River, don't loiter in doorways, make yourself useful and make some drinks.” 

“I'm not sure I'd call that a waltz, old man.” He teased.

“If it was bad, it's my fault entirely.” Seren flushed. 

“Bollocks, you were wonderful.” David chimed in from his armchair. River remained in the doorway, his height and broad shoulders filling the space, blocking her exit. “I should go,” she hesitated in front of him, something in her eyes he couldn't quite interpret. He created a gap for her, but not big enough to stop her body from brushing against his as she made her way past. He followed her to the kitchen. 

“Nice dancing. Good day?” He asked, retrieving a bottle of red wine from the rack. 

“Yeah, he's had a couple of really good days. There was a few minutes yesterday after he'd had a sleep that he didn't know me. He got pretty angry, but it passed quickly. He's enjoyed being able to read a bit, do some crosswords.” River smiled.

“That's great. I uhh, I actually meant you though?”

“Me?” Seren looked at him, a deer in the headlights. He stepped closer, holding out a glass of wine. She shook her head, “no thank you, I should go.” She said again. He noted her eyes flick to his mouth and back up to meet his gaze. She was nervous. That was the look he hadn't been able to interpret straight away. Now though, he could see it as clear as day. It seemed he wasn't the only one with butterflies. He took a small step closer again, closing the space between them. 

“Sure I can't tempt you?” He asked, boldly. His heart pounded, being carried by bravado and bluster alone. Her eyes moved to his mouth again, this time for a little longer. She looked like she was bracing herself. 

“No. I need to go.” She replied, confidently but quietly. He took a step back.

“Ok. Maybe next time.” He murmured. “Thank you.” He added sincerely. 

“What for?”

“I don't think I've heard him laugh like that for years.” 

“It was fun. And to answer your question, I've had a good day too. Definitely picked up towards the end.” She smiled shyly then called out a goodbye to David and left. 

*

Seren wondered if the giddiness she felt was permanent. It felt like it. It felt like it had lasted months. She knew he'd noticed the way she'd looked at him. His ego had grown tenfold as soon as he'd clocked that glance at his mouth. She'd spent the couple of weeks since willing herself to forget him, to pretend she wasn't affected by his presence. It was easily done when he wasn't around, but when he was there he consumed her thoughts. She tried a new tact. If he was there, she'd leave. Either for the day if she wasn't going to be needed later, or to refill the cupboards or tackle various bits of cleaning if she was going to be needed. She encouraged as much as possible that they had time alone together. 

“Have you started the crossword yet, Seren?” David asked. 

“I have. You're going to love 3 across.” He settled at the kitchen table and pulled the paper towards him and chuckled reading the clue. 

“River's on his way.” He told her, scribbling down some answers to the crossword. Seren hummed in response and focused on the flowers she was cutting down for a vase. They soon heard the scratch of River's car on the gravel outside. “Do you think 2 down is cuddle?” David asked, going to add it to the grid. Seren peered down over his shoulder as the back door opened. 

“Nope, it's caress,” she took the pen, “see, this one is stamp. It's the first S in caress.”

“So it is.” He muttered, stealing the pen back and filling it in. “Good morning grandson.”

“Morning old man, Seren.”

“Perfect timing. You're on crossword duty, he cheats. I need to go and pick up some shopping.” 

“I do not cheat young lady.” 

Seren scoffed. “Yeah you do.” She and River scolded him in unison. 

“Anyway, I'll be back in a bit.” Seren smiled. She was almost at the safety of her car when River ducked out of the house. 

“You're avoiding me.” He stated, opening the car door for her and holding onto it. 

“Course I'm not.”

“You are,” he smirked, “you can admit it.”

“I don't need to admit anything. You call me nearly every night, how can I be avoiding you?”

“In person, when I'm here.” He stepped closer but kept the door between them. She laughed. 

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

“Every time I show up here, you make yourself scarce. Hiding away upstairs, or going out to the village?” She bit her lip and looked away from him, over his shoulder to the house.

“I'm doing my job.” She muttered lamely. He didn't respond and the silence stretched on. She itched to fill it. “It's important not to confuse David.” One eyebrow arched up but he still didn't respond as she dug deeper. “Not that I intend to confuse him at all. Look, I need to get some food in, otherwise your poor grandfather is going to be stuck with cheese on toast.” Still he didn't reply. “Ugh, fine” She threw up her hands, disgusted with how quickly she'd caved in. “Yes I'm avoiding you. Every chance I get.”

“Was that so hard?” He asked at last, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth which she was trying desperately not to stare at. “We'll talk when you get back. You can tell me about how you're confusing the old bastard and why you're avoiding me.” He teased, gesturing for her to get in the car. 

“No chance.” She scowled at him and jumped into the driver's seat, loud 00s pop music filled the air as the car started. 

“What is that shit you're listening to?” He laughed, closing the door for her. 

“Goodbye, River.” She called through the open window. He watched her drive away, the odd feeling that someone was watching crept over him. He shook it off, the old bastard was rubbing off on him. He went back to the house to check in with David. 

*

He heard her back in the kitchen before he saw her. Leaving David napping on his armchair, River put down the book he'd been reading and found her unpacking the shopping bags and singing quietly and dancing along to whatever had been on the radio in the car. Her hips swayed in time with her singing, she was totally unguarded. 

“Coffee?” He asked, making his presence known. She immediately stopped dancing. He found himself wishing he hadn't spoken up so soon.

“That's fab, thank you. David OK?”

“Having a sleep.”

“Good, he said he didn't sleep very well last night. Why on earth does he think someone's watching him?” She asked curiously. 

“Probably just paranoid.” River brushed off. “You've not seen anything weird?”

“Weird?” She laughed. “The village isn't exactly Midsomer. No, nothing weird except the perv in the butchers.”

“The butcher has a perv?” He asked with a grin.

She finished filling the fridge and turned back to the bag next to River. They stood elbow to elbow while he made coffee. 

“Honestly, every time I go in there he's… staring. Gives me the heebies.” She shivered. “It's a bit League of Gentlemen sometimes. I think the countryside always feels a bit like there's someone right behind you. It's so quiet, it's just unsettling, but then some bloody big dog appears out of nowhere and you realise you're just being an idiot.” He nodded in agreement. 

“Let me know if you have any more problems with the perv though, yeah? How's it going now the old bugger isn't being a knob?”

“Oh, he has his moments. But we're definitely getting along a lot better than we were.”

“You're good with him.”

“When he's with it… god, River he's sharp as a pin. His knowledge is incredible,” she sounded almost proud. “It makes it sadder when he's… not quite here.”

“Yeah, yeah I know. He was always the smartest in the room. He used to terrify people at work. It's so weird to see him like this now.” She covered his hand with her own and gave a little squeeze. 

“He said they used to call him the Old Bastard,” She smiled. “He's still in there.” She reassured him. He nodded gratefully. 

“Yeah, I know. I know I need to do this for him. Look after him like he did me. Anyway, tell me more about avoiding me?” He said, clearing his throat. Seren whined, leaving his mind to wander to places where he could get her to make the same sound again. 

“Can we not?” She turned to lean against the sink, her hands covering her face. He laughed.

“You brought it up, not me.”

“You brought it up, I just admitted it. Under coercion, I would like to add.”

“I don't think it's coercion when you're willing.” 

“And what gives you the impression that I'm willing?” She demanded. He shifted to put a hand either side of her on the counter. 

“Just… intuition.” Seren arched an eyebrow.

“Intuition?” She scoffed. “Doubt it.” He watched her face carefully, clocking each expression as she studiously looked anywhere except at him. He could tell that she was keeping her body as still as possible, but he could also see her mind racing. Finally she met his gaze. Her eyes fluttered shut as his nose grazed her cheek almost experimentally, her breath shaking almost as much as her hands. She felt a tiny kiss behind her ear, her body betraying her with a whimper she was certain he'd heard. His other hand came to rest on her hip, and it set her whole body alight. He held her hip with the most imperceptible grip, giving her exactly enough space to move away but silently begging her not to. She let his hand turn her slightly on the spot so she could face him better. She kept her eyes closed, felt his kiss on her jaw and her cheek before he paused. He rested his forehead against hers, one hand coming to the nape of her neck while the other stayed on her hip. She could hear only their shared breath and she could tell he was giving her enough time and space to say no. She finally opened her eyes. He pressed a chaste kiss to her lips before pulling back the tiniest amount. He saw a longing and an intensity he'd never seen before and he took his chance, capturing her mouth with his own again. The hard edge of the counter burned against her back while she could feel River's cock hardening against her hip bone. The analogy of being caught between a rock and a hard place was not lost on her. She slipped a hand just under the edge of his t-shirt. The warm skin of his stomach under her hand pulled her back to reality.

“This should not be happening.” She muttered through the kiss, tearing herself away. 

“Why not?”

“What about David? I don't want him to be confused. I don't want him to think I have an ulterior motive for being here.”

River frowned. “Why would he think that?”

“I don't know,” she sighed. Her hands shook with the effort of staying under her control. She felt the warmth of his body as he stood before her, it radiated from him. She leaned in, just a little, her body moving of its own volition. “I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I can't do this.” He squeezed her hip lightly and nodded, pulling back further. In the hallway, came the sounds of David's footsteps making his way from the sitting room to the kitchen and River sprang back away from her without taking his eyes off her. 

“Ahh, do I smell coffee?”

“You do, old man, fancy one?” River quickly busied himself with another cup. Seren turned on her heel and plunged her hands into the cold washing up water. He watched her from the corner of his eye, the blush in her cheeks and the slight breathlessness. They were grateful that David hadn't seemed to notice the tension in the room.

“Lovely, shall we sit outside?” David suggested, the sunny afternoon catching his eye. 

“I'll bring it out.”

“Excellent, I can tell you what I want to do out there next time you're here.” He said with a chuckle, River rolled his eyes. As soon as David was out of earshot, Seren turned to River. 

“I really am sorry.” She said sadly. He held up his hands.

“Nothing to be sorry for. Just a misunderstanding.” He took up the tray, and went out into the garden.

Chapter 3

[genshingorlsrevengeance]

Hello! ^-^

Can I please request Alear, Yunaka, Framme, and Etie hearing that their S/O worships the fell dragon, but when they question them it turns out they're just a massive fan of Robin?

This kind of scenario has been in my head since I started the game hehe.

Have a nice day ^-^ thank you for the stories!

(FE: Engage) Alear, Yunaka, Framme, and Etie's S/O worshipping the "Fell Dragon"

Now that I think about it, if you did worship the fell dragon legit but were still part of the good guys, would you get persecuted?

Alear immediately tenses up when S/O mentions they worshipped the Fell Dragon.

(Alear) "...Are...you truly okay helping us then, S/O? I'm the Divine Dragon after all."

(S/O) "Hm? Why wouldn't I be estatic? I get to fight alongside Robin, it's like a dream come true!"

(Alear) "O-Oh. That's what you mean."

Marth suddenly appeared next to her.

(Marth) "I'm not exactly sure Robin would feel comfortable being called that."

(S/O) "Hm...I suppose that is kinda insensitive."

(Alear) "...In more ways than one."

She simply sighs and shakes her head.

(Alear) "Saying that kinda thing will give people the wrong idea, S/O. Please make sure you choose your words more carefully."

Yunaka's eyes widen at the mention of the Fell Dragon.

(Yunaka) "You what?! But...Why are you even here, and why did you mention it so offhandedly?!"

(S/O) "Huh? What do you mean?"

(Yunaka) "People just don't go around saying "Oh, I worship the god trying to kill us!"

(S/O) "OH! No, I mean Robin!...Do you even know the history of Emblems Robin and Chrom?"

(Yunaka) "Probably enough to know that he'd probably hate being called that! Who the heck would start that as an icebreaker for a conversation!?"

(S/O) "I worship the Fell Dragon."

(Framme) "You

WHAT?!"

Framme screams out, waiting to beat S/O to death with her hands, or the accounting book of the fan club for the Divine Dragon.

(S/O) "Hey, what's wrong with liking Robin?! They're pretty cool!"

(Framme) "...Oh, that's what you mean!"

Framme quickly tossed aside a large rock.

(Framme) "Listen, you can't just casually saying that, considering what's going on out there!"

(S/O) "...Oh yeah, guess that does sound bad."

(Framme) "You think?!"

(Etie) "Oh, neat you worship the Fell Dra-What?"

Etie immediately stops wiping the sweat off herself and turns to S/O with an extremely concerned expression.

(Etie) "Are...you alright?"

(S/O) "Hm? I'm fine, why?"

(Etie) "You just said you worshipped the Fell Dragon, and you don't expect me to be surprised by that?"

(S/O) "But Chloé loves people like Sigurd for being fairy-tale esque. Can I not like Robin for being cool?"

(Etie) "OOOOOH! Okay, you meant RObin! Well, next time just say that instead of the freakin' dragon trying to kill us!"

(S/O) "Oh, yeah that is a good point."

(Etie) "Besides, I don't think you should just casually bring that up. If it were someone other than me, you might have gotten beaten up considering all of us here worship the Divine Dragon."

===

Bonus:

(Robin) "I'd...really appreciate if you didn't call me that."

(Chrom) "Honestly, I'm surprised that even got in the stories told around here."

(Lucina) "But it seems...distasteful, does it not?"

(Robin) "I suppose it makes sense, our past is just a story to them."

(Chrom) "Kind of like how Hoshido and Nohr's war is a story in our world, but current events for Camilla and Corrin."

(S/O) "My bad, I'll make sure not to call you Fell Dragon anymore!"

(Robin) "...Well, at least you're not going around, shouting "I love the Fell Dragon" to everyone you meet."

(S/O) "..."

(Robin) "...Oh my gods.-"

[storiesbyjes2g]

3.77 Un-Invite

Good thing Sophia and I weren't fancy sims, because I could have thought of a dozen better ways to celebrate our engagement than eating at a casual restaurant down the street from my mama's house to escape her being extra. She would have been thrilled to dog sit for a few extra hours if we had decided to make a big splash and go fancy. However, it didn't make sense for us to leave town, so we opted to go to Viviana's...the same Viviana's where I first sorta kinda met Yasmine. I didn't tell Sophia she worked there because I didn't want to dampen the evening, but I definitely walked inside, cautiously looking around and hoping she was off that day. But there was nothing to fear, even if she showed. We had already handled our business. If she wanted to be messy, that would be on her. Still, I hoped she wasn't working.

Sophia, on the other hand, had no reason to suspect a surprise appearance and was grinning from ear to ear.

"This is such a nice restaurant!"

"Yeah, I like it too. This became our place when we moved here."

"I love how it's so trendy and modern, but I still feel comfortable being here dressed like this."

Even though I hoped we would not run into Yasmine, I knew she would turn up; I felt it in my bones. I buried my head in the menu and must have read it 17 times because I didn't want to see it coming. But eventually, I heard her voice.

"Welcome to Vi...oh..."

Sophia looked up, and I saw that flash of surprise that hit her face. It morphed into confusion, then suspicion. Yasmine looked more embarrassed, but still ready to hold her own if Sophia wanted to take her there. They glared at each other for what felt like an eternity. I had no idea what went on in either of their heads, but if I could have backed away slowly, I would have. They were like two cats circling and sizing up each other. Who would strike first? Of course, I didn't expect a fight to break out, but I honestly had no idea what to expect. At the club that night, Sophia surprised me when she casually interrupted us. I never thought of her as territorial. To be honest, I thought it was kinda hot. But she wasn't a nasty woman, and we were in Yasmine's workplace, so I knew they'd eventually snap out of it. And they did.

"Umm..." Yasmine hesitated and fidgeted with the notepad in her hand. "I can go get someone else if you-"

"Don't be silly," Sophia said, brushing her off. "We're all adults here."

I exhaled. Yasmine smiled sheepishly and nodded.

"Are you ready to order?"

"Yes, we are. I'd like a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup but..."

She explained exactly how she wanted the sandwich to be: grilled long enough to be very crispy and brown, but not so much that it's hard and scratches the roof of her mouth. Yasmine got a kick out of that, and I did too. I watched her in amazement, not about the sandwich, but how gracefully she handled awkward situations. Mama was 1000% spot on when she said I chose well.

I ordered bangers and mash, and we both got a Sunset Valley. After Yasmine repeated everything back to us, including Sophia's highly specific notes, she surprised us both.

"That's a nice ring," she said with a beautiful smile.

She didn't smile much, but when she did, it was a nice treat. Was I still allowed to say that?

"Thank you so much," Sophia said.

"Congratulations," she said. "You don't mess around, huh?"

"I knew she was the one. Why wait? But thanks, Yasmine. I really appreciate that."

"I hope it's okay to say this," she began.

Everything in me tensed up again.

"You're so lucky. I never really had a shot, but when I thought I did, I wasted it. I wish y'all the best."

I exhaled. I think Sophia did, too.

"That's so kind of you to say," she said. "Thank you."

"I'll be back in a bit," Yasmine said and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Well, that was nice of her," Sophia said.

"It was."

"She can't come to the wedding, though."

I chuckled.

"I wouldn't dare ask you that. Speaking of the wedding...are looking you looking to have a huge shindig?" I asked.

"Not really. But I don't want it to be so small that we have to labor over whom to un-invite. We should invite whoever we want."

"I was thinking the same thing, though I don't have many to invite."

I thought about Dub. We had only known each other for about 24 hours, but he was already one of my closest friends. He had a secured spot on my guest list, and I tacked on a plus one in case he and Maia had some serious talks on the train. I wanted to meet her.

"What about you?" she asked. "Do you have a dream wedding?"

"Nah, not really. I don't care where it is or what we do, as long as you, my parents, and my sister are there. Oh, and a huge cake. Gotta have a nice cake."

"I mean, is it really a wedding without a nice cake?"

I chuckled. She and I were always on the same page, and it was beautiful.

"Exactly."

"I would love a beach wedding," she said. "That's my only real preference."

"Then a beach wedding it is."

I took a moment to comb through my thoughts really consider if I'd been looking forward to anything in particular, especially since I was allowed to have an opinion, heh. Mama was right about one thing. I was a simple and adaptable guy, so I honestly didn't have any must-haves or deal breakers.

"Do you think we'll have time to do all the pre-ceremony stuff, like the parties and dinners?" I asked.

"Listen," she said in a sweet yet firm tone, "I know you're a dutiful son, but this is our wedding. If you want to do all those things, we'll make time!"

A different server arrived with our food, and Sophia celebrated her perfectly grilled sandwich. As we were both starving, we seized the opportunity to get a few bites in before continuing our conversation.

"Speaking of time," she began, "your mom asked one question I'd been considering. How would you feel about starting our family right away?"

"I wouldn't mind that."

She smiled and seemed very relieved.

"I'm glad... Time to tell your friends in the purple box goodbye!"

I quickly swallowed my food before I choked to death from laughing at her. Forget surviving our relationship. I needed to survive the engagement!

This conversation was brought about by this mod!

[checkoutmybookshelf]

...It is possible I am about to bring the Bridgerton fandom down on my HEAD, but I have an opinion and I am sharing it.

The show hasn't set writer Colin up sufficiently well for me to believe that he is going to catch professional jealousy about Pen being Lady Whistledown.

Yes, we got the journal reading scene, and it is well established that Colin is a prolific letter writer. I am also aware that the fandom is happy to headcanon Colin being as prolific a letter writer as he is made out to be is setup that he is a prose writer. But um.

Contextually, when all you have to communicate with people is letters? Like, that doesn't necessarily HAVE to equate to also being an excellent prose writer. For one, when you're writing a PRIVATE letter to someone you like (such as a friend or family member) your audience is extremely specific, so you don't have to tailor to a general audience. The skills are different. I imagine the letters being a combination of text messages and a Tumblr blog and a Facebook profile before Facebook became functionally unusable. It's a means of connecting and sharing experiences, and given how the Bridgertons react to the letters and their content, it's basically an amateur travel highlight blog. Which is why the letters and journals worked TOGETHER in the book to establish Colin as a good travel writer, because he had the letter format and the longform format. They complemented each other and there was more emphasis on Colin actually engaging with his journals in the book. Like, he was talking about editing them and refining the prose and really engaging with the text. That piece is missing in the show for me. He doesn't seem to really give a damn about the writing unless the plot needs him to in a given moment.

We got two full seasons of Penelope building her private life around Whistledown and finding time to write and struggling with writing and working out the logistics of getting published and protecting her identity. Even without the time jump in the book that gives her extra experience as a runaway successful gossip columnist, I believe that writing is important to Penelope in the show.

Colin spent season 1 being a naive white knight, without so much as a hint that our boy is a writer. But maybe he discovered writing on his travels. Ok, fair enough, but then why didn't they have him working on writing in season 2 when he was feeling directionless and purposeless? Would that not have been a direction and a purpose? He just...kinda shows back up in season 3 and there's a journal for one scene and we're expected to believe that he is suddenly as avid a writer as Lady Whistledown? Sorry, no, I'm not sold. We don't even get what might have been an interesting internal conflict where his fuckboying around the ton in a desperate attempt for validation is CONFLICTING with some kind of internal validation that writing brings him. Like...the foundation and the groundwork and the moments that Penelope gets to establish writing as something important to her just are not there for Colin.

I honestly think I'd have preferred them to drop writer Colin altogether (I'd have been disappointed as hell) rather than try to token in the writing with like...the letters and the singular journal scene. Writer relationships can get MESSY and DRAMATIC and...I would have loved that. But the show just hasn't spent enough time there for me. I'm still here for the Polin relationship, but I wish we'd gotten the love and care in setting up writer Colin (or even a fraction of it) that Penelope got.