#i had already started this one before poll results were done

[awlimagines]

The Devout Grim (First Meeting)

The overcast skies threatened rain and perfectly matched the young woman’s current temperament. Pony growled as she stalked through the cobbled streets of Mineral Town. The larger half of Forgotten Valley was prioritized in providing some form of pavement to the town’s center. The intersecting streets were barely wide enough to contain a carriage. It was probably much nicer than the mud that sucked your boots into the earth when it rained like the half she lived on. Pony’s displeasure didn’t come from the differences in Forgotten Valley’s two halves. Much like the other residents away from Mineral Town, she wasn’t bothered by the unpaved roads. Instead, she enjoyed it. Pony had lived too many years contained in the capital’s stone walls attending the Caldwell Foundation’s school to not enjoy the fresh air and open space before her now. No. Her anger was fully focused on her circumstances and certain residents. 

The Caldwell Foundation sent her here undercover as a typical resident—a poor girl searching for solace in her father’s death in the only place he called home. Pony had thought her superiors at the school seemed cold for such a disguise after she genuinely lost her father. But, she could not argue the cleverness of using such a story when Pony was too straightforward to lie easily. Even now, Pony wondered if she sold the appearance of a daughter mourning her father and returning to his roots appropriately to Takakura. It was difficult to read the emotions of her father’s childhood friend. 

After a traveler’s death on the mountain, with clear signs indicating the work of fae, the Caldwell Foundation wanted more measures to root out the cause. In addition to herself, there was an active Hunter assigned to the area, a retired Hunter regulated to a supervisory role, and a fellow graduate at the top of their class, alongside support staff. The amount of people for such a mission seemed overkill to Pony when she saw the size of the community. Takakura appeared to catch a hint of her disappointment upon her arrival and explained that although there were few residents, Forgotten Valley was essential to the land. They were one of the greatest suppliers of produce and animal products until recently, and travelers regularly passed through the town. 

Her supervisor, Matthew Hale, the retired Hunter, should have been the one to explain everything to her. Instead, he told her to focus on her farm and learn how to farm appropriately. Pony didn’t see why a cover was so important when she should be finding the cause of the town’s problems. She dutifully obeyed his orders, focusing her first week on animal care and tending crops while speaking with her neighbors. Beyond telling her to leave the other Hunter, Gordy Scherer, and the scientist Daryl Bowditch alone to complete their work, Pony had yet to receive any other orders. 

To make matters worse, Rick de Lancre was in town. The de Lancre family moved to the Mineral Town side years ago. His sick mother was sent to live in the cleaner country air while their father searched for a cure. Pony was thrilled to know a familiar face at first. Then, Rick opened his mouth to remark about her release from the Caldwell Foundation snidely. She endured his ribbing about her lackluster performance in everything but physical classes during their school years. Pony tasted blood biting her tongue when Rick mentioned farming was a better occupation for her and offered to help her learn to care for chickens if the work was too difficult. She had to maintain her cover, no matter how infuriating her peer became. 

Pony planned to take a break and ease her anger by soaking in the natural hot springs in Forgotten Valley’s mountains. Her plan was swiftly ruined when Gordy and Rick found a pixie nest in the same area. After Matthew discretely told her to remain out of the way, Pony found herself wandering the town. She just wanted a quiet corner alone to unwind. Yet, everywhere she went, townspeople were lingering in small groups. Her purple eyes glared at the church before her, debating on entering. Every other shop had people too eager to speak with her. Churches were known for being places where silence was coveted. Pony decided to take her chances and slipped inside. 

She knew it was the largest building in town, but Pony did not expect it to rival the smaller chapels of the city. It was kept pristine like all other buildings in the proud Forgotten Valley. Neat rows of bright, white pews stood alongside a plush, red rug leading through their center to the altar. She worried the dried dirt and muck on her boots would ruin the rich carpet. Her fears didn’t last long as she caught sight of the stained glass windows dying the afternoon sun into brilliant patterns across the wooden floor. Pony’s sharp eyes scanned the altar. Nothing was there to indicate what god the church worshipped. Those in the capital focused their praise on Saint Emeline, who freed humans from the tyranny of the fae. However, she knew from half-awake history lessons in school that some of the rural communities still worshipped the fae goddesses of the land. Each township seemed to have its own deity, but each was called the same thing: Harvest Goddess. Once the professor stated their practices had fallen from favor, Pony dismissed the lesson as unimportant.  

Pony turned her back to the altar, intending to revel in the quiet peace she had finally found. Her blood ran cold at the sight of Rick de Lancre passing the windows outside the church. In a panic, she scanned the room for somewhere to hide. Moving swiftly to avoid further wounds to her pride from the young man, Pony crammed herself into the confessional. The seconds felt like hours as she strained to hear the church doors open. A sigh of relief fluttered from her at the continued silence. Come to think of it, wasn’t he walking and speaking with someone else? They were probably only walking past the church. The sound of someone politely clearing their throat from the confessional’s other side shocked Pony. She let out a startled yelp as she crashed into the back of the booth, sitting hard on the small bench. 

“I’m sorry; please forgive me for surprising you so,” the calm tone mostly masked its owner’s underlying amusement. 

“No, sorry. I didn’t hear you earlier.” Pony fought the flush of embarrassment, warming her face. Of course, the pastor would be there somewhere if the church was open. If she let her guard down in the field like this, she would be dead instantly. 

“Is something the matter?” 

“No, I- Well. You can’t share what I say with people, right?” 

“I wouldn’t dream of such a thing. All confessions are between you and the goddess,” the voice reassured. Pony waited as he paused, weighing how much she believed the stranger’s words. When the pastor spoke again, the words sounded like those of a co-conspirator. “Now, pray tell me, what is it that weighs upon your mind?” 

“Townspeople don’t like me.” Pony cursed herself the moment the words left her mouth. That was too vague. “Wait, I mean, not all dislike me, but I am having trouble getting along with a handful. I just- I think I should do better.” 

“How funny. I find that I dislike being around you as well. Let’s wrap this up quickly, shall we? The divine has no forgiveness for sinners like you. Heavenly retribution will surely rain down from above.” 

The pastor’s switch from friendly ambivalence to casual cruelty froze Pony. The confessional suddenly felt cramped. She hadn’t even met the pastor face to face. How could she have made such a terrible impression so quickly? Frustrated tears pricked at her eyes. 

“Forgive me, that seemed the quickest way to show you you’re worrying over things you shouldn’t,” he soothed. “Such conflicts are normal when first meeting others. The divine can see your sincerity in having good relations, and soon, so will those you think dislike you.” 

“I see,” Pony mumbled, slowly recovering from the shock. It was eerie how accurately the pastor had pinpointed one of her greatest struggles and addressed her concerns. A mere week in town was hardly enough to have formed any relation with people. They would see in time that Pony genuinely cared about getting to know those around her and not just for the sake of her mission. She joined the Caldwell Foundation to help people, not just follow her father’s footsteps. As for Rick, she couldn’t say his confidence was unfounded. He had been at the top of their class for a reason. Besides, Pony was not a slouch herself, and despite the secrecy, she was assigned to be here. Rick was merely on break, visiting family and awaiting his first assignment. In this instance, Pony was the one a step ahead. 

“Your spirits seem restored.” 

“Yes, thank you. I do feel better after speaking with you.”

“I’m glad,” the words seemed to linger as if their owner was waiting to say something more.  Pony vaguely wondered what his pause was for until she remembered their location. 

“I should leave. Others might need to confess; thank you again, um, pastor,” Pony belatedly realized she didn’t have a name for the voice. She didn’t know there was a church to have a pastor until today either; she reflected as the brunette scrambled from the space into the church. Pony stepped further into the church, away from the confessional’s door. Another person had entered while she was in. The young male sat on the pews, making no motion to move. She hesitated to speak with him. Not only did she want to avoid interrupting his moment of reflection, but he seemed downtrodden. 

“You’re Pony, yes? A most auspicious meeting indeed. Takakura told me all about you. My name is Carter; I hope I see you at church more.” 

Pony turned to view the pastor as he exited the confessional behind her. Carter wore a kind smile, his eyes shut with the wideness of it. She was shocked to see the pastor. Pony had expected an older man, but he was much younger than the priests she saw in the city. Pony didn’t think he could be much older than herself. Unlike the other priests, who wore bright colors and ornaments, the pastor of Forgotten Valley wore modest black, broken only by a splash of green and a white stole. His hair was straight and brown, a little longer than she would have expected, but kept neat. Carter’s eyes cracked open to stare directly into her own at her silence. Pony was caught in his gaze like an ancient and unfortunate insect as his eyelids parted slightly to reveal amber eyes. She fought to banish the thoughts bubbling in her mind at the man before her, fumbling out a question instead. 

“What do you mean? That this is an auspicious meeting, does that mean something bad?”

“I merely believe you will bring a much-needed change to Forgotten Valley. I look forward to it greatly.”

Pony mumbled an excuse about needing to tend to the farm and her lone cow to make a hasty retreat. She was grateful as the rain began to fall in a steady shower as she hurried home. The cool water was a welcome relief to her warm face. Though not immensely religious, Pony felt she had crossed a line she shouldn’t have for thinking Carter handsome. She decided she would be sure to address him by his title, as Pony prayed to any god willing to listen that Pastor Carter didn’t see her blush.

[heart-of-the-morningstar]

✨Lead Us Into Temptation✨

The poll didn't even finish before I started working on this lmao, hope you enjoy my first take on some very soft dom Luci!

Lucifer x f!sinner reader

Summary: You were a devout believer in life, but somehow you ended up in Hell with no real explanation. Most nights you can be found sitting on a bar stool in the lobby, trying to cope with what's happened to you. But one night while in an intoxicated state, you reveal your most hidden desires to the King himself...

Lucifer x f!sinner reader

Warnings: smut, 18+, reader first time, hand job, fingering, tail play, oral (m & f receiving), p in v

"That's it, I'm cuttin' you off for tonight," Husk said sternly, whisking away your unfinished glass of whiskey. You'd been at the bar for only an hour and you've already downed five full glasses.

"Noooo, Husk c'mon...I'm fffffiiiinnee," you babbled, trying to push your head from the countertop unsuccessfully.

It's been a few months since you arrived in Hell after an unfortunate accident that ended in your early demise. But being a devout believer, you were so sure that Heaven would be your final destination. How wrong you were. You woke up in the fiery pit confused and scared, your body had transformed into that of a demon; you had become something you had feared for your entire life. When you first heard about the Hazbin Hotel, you nearly jumped at the opportunity for redemption. If there was even the slightest hope of getting out of here, you were going to take it. But your situation was more than troublesome, considering how you led your life up on Earth. On most nights, you could easily be found sitting on a bar stool, trying desperately to drown your sorrows and distract yourself from the reality you'd found yourself in.

What's worse...not everyone here is evil. It was ingrained into you that everyone down here in Hell deserved to be, they had earned this punishment. But getting to know some of the other residents at the hotel, that couldn't have been further from the truth! Was everything you were taught just a complete lie?! For Heaven's sake, Charlie, the literal princess of Hell, was the sweetest and kindest being you've ever had the pleasure of meeting! And Vaggie, a former angel, so devout to Charlie and her dream, you've never seen two people more in love. Angel, although a bit eccentric and over the top, cared deeply for his friends and was ready to fight for them at a moment's notice. It was all...not what you expected, and you had a very difficult time coping with everything that you had been thrust into.

"You're shit faced," Husk snapped back. "Look, I know you're havin' a hard time with all this. But drinking away your issues ain't gonna solve any of 'em. You need to sleep this off." He watched you stumble off the bar stool, your one foot catching the other, resulting in a rather pitiful fall onto the carpet. But you couldn't feel anything, the alcohol helped mask the pain you were sure to feel tomorrow. You couldn't help but giggle at your own clumsiness. "Oh, for fuck's sake..." Husk grumbled.

Before you could even attempt to pull yourself off the ground, you saw a pair of black boots approaching you in a rather hurried manner.

"Woah!" the voice exclaimed, "Are you alright? Here, let me help you!" In no time, your limp body went from lying on the lobby floor to being hoisted up and helped back onto the bar stool you fell from. You turned your head to see Lucifer's concerned face staring back at you. "Husk, what happened?"

"She's drunk," the cat demon explained, "I told her she was done drinkin' for the night and she ate shit trying to stand up. I was about to help her back to her room-"

All of a sudden, a shadowy presence started to form behind the bar. A static filled laugh was heard before Alastor had popped up, startling the bar tender. "Husker, my good man!," the radio demon bellowed, "it seems as though I am in need of your assistance."

"Fuck! Why can't you just walk in here like a normal fucking person?" Husk grumbled.

Alastor only responded with a light chuckle before fixing his attention on you. "My, my, what have we here?" Alastor taunted. You could have sworn you heard a low growl coming from Lucifer beside you. "I say, my dear, I've never seen you look worse than you do now. What a pity, all of those teachings really didn't help you in the long run, now did they?"

You felt tears threatening to fall from your eyes at Alastor's cruel words. If you were sober, you would have run the other direction as fast as you could. Alastor had been the other real soul you met who you knew with every fiber of your being belonged in this pit. But considering you had no inhibitions and clearly no chance of getting away, you picked your head up and slammed your fists on the table in righteous anger.

"Ohhh, eat shit youuuu *hic* smiling prick!" You tried to stand up once more, only for your legs to buckle underneath you. Luckily, Lucifer had caught you before your face had met with the carpet again. "I-I don't deserve this! 'Least I'm TRYING to redeem m'self!"

Alastor's malicious grin never faltered. "Oh, and what a fabulous job you're doing! I do wonder how a woman such as yourself has fallen so far from grace."

"Fuck off, radio freak," Lucifer snarled, barring his teeth and his eyes shifting to a deep crimson red and yellow.

“Oh, ho ho! Seems as though I’ve struck a nerve,” Alastor mocked. He made his way around the bar, now towering over you and the fallen angel. “Tell me, your highness, what is your fascination with this lost soul, hmm? I’m so utterly curious as to why you would give her the time of day when all she does is wallow in her self-pity and-”

“I. SAID. FUCK. OFF.” the king spat, his eyes now changing into a solid red and his voice deepening to match his threat. Though your vision was hazy, you noticed his horns had burst out from his temples. Whether it was the alcohol or something else entirely, your face suddenly felt very, very hot. “Don’t make me repeat myself again.”

Despite the immense danger, Alastor could only muster a sly grin. “It’s very rude to ignore my question.”

“I don’t have to do anything for you! Or have you forgotten who you’re talking to?” The way Lucifer spoke sent a shiver down your spine. “The only reason that you’re not a mangled corpse on the ground right now is because of my daughter. So, if you want to stay in one piece, I’d walk away right now if I were you…”

The two men's faces were just inches away from each other now. Alastor’s eye twitched as he glared back at Lucifer with pure distain. His eyes shifted to you only for a brief moment before standing up straight and smirking to himself.

“I suppose it really is no business of mine as to how you choose to mingle with the guests here,” the radio demon resolved. He turned around to walk away, but not before glancing at you once more over his shoulder. “They’re lost causes anyway. Come along, Husker!”

Lucifer’s demonic traits disappeared as Alastor finally left the parlor. “I hate that man.” He looked at Husk empathetically. “If I could break your arrangement with him, I would. I’m sorry. But don’t worry, I’ll take care of her.” With that, Husk nodded and followed the radio demon down the hall, leaving you and Lucifer alone at the now empty bar.

You started to bawl as you clung to Lucifer for support. Immediately, he rushed you over to the couch and sat you down next to him, letting you cry into the crook of his neck.

"Hey, hey, shh," Lucifer soothed. "It's alright. Alastor won't bother you anymore, I'll make sure of it."

"It's n-not him," you sniffled, "it's everything! Al-stor's right, there's no savin' me."

Lucifer pulled you away from him, placing a hand under your chin as he looked into your glassy eyes. "Now what makes you say that?"

Another tear rolled down your face. "Is like he said, what I was taught up there...nothing's true! Welllll, except..." you placed your hand over the one holding your face tenderly. "Theeeyyyyy did say that you, Luciferrrr, were heaven's prettiest angel. They def-liny didn't lie about that!"

You noticed a small blush creep across Lucifer's face at your words. He pulled his and away from your face to clear his throat, glancing away from you. "T-Thank you. That's umm, very kind of you."

You chuckled to yourself, scootching your body closer him. "Do you mind if I *hic*, lay down, jus' for a sec. Gettin' sleepy.

"Yeah, of course!" Lucifer smiled, but only for a moment. "W-Wait, hold on!"

But by the time he tried to warn you, your head had already fallen into his lap. You smiled up at the flustered man and chuckled, the heat returning to your face once more. "You got soft legs, hehe!"

Lucifer inhaled sharply. "Husk was right, you really are drunk. Wouldn't you feel more comfortable laying your head on a pillow?"

"Nnnnope!" you replied.

"Alright then," the king breathed and massaged the back of his neck, doing his best to hide how tense he'd become from your sudden closeness.

"H-Hey," you called up to him, "why'd youuu...why'd you protect me jus' now? From Al-stor. You *hic* didn't have to..."

He looked down at you softly, brushing away the hair that had fallen in your face. "I don't like bullies. You didn't deserve that, and Alastor knows that for his sake that he shouldn't get on my bad side."

"Never seen you so mad." you mumbled.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," he apologized, continuing to play with you hair. "I don't like bringing out that side of me. But Alastor really likes to push his luck for some bizarre reason."

"Awww," you pouted, "is too bad. I liked seeing that side of ya. It was HOT!"

Lucifer stopped his movements completely. “I-I’m sorry?”

“You heard me,” you responded poking at his chest. “What? Did ya think jus’ cuz I was a believer when I was alive that I’d be SCARED of ya? Maybe at first. Not anymore! I’m already in Hell soooo there’s no point in hidin’ it, is there?”

“Hiding what, exactly?” Lucifer gulped as if he was almost too afraid to ask.

You giggles and hid your face with your hands. “Noooo, you’re jus’ gonna laugh at meeee!”

Lucifer let out an amused hum. He gently took ahold of your wrists and lowered your hands away from your now completely beet-colored face. “I promise I won’t laugh at you, my dear. You’ve very much piqued my curiosity! And I’m very good at keeping secrets, you know! So please, let me keep yours.” He let go of your wrists, letting your hands fall onto your chest. You watched as he leaned closer to you, his half-lidded eyes piercing your very soul. “Won’t you tell me, my sweet angel?”

"I...*hic* I umm..." you babbled. It was clear that you were struggling to answer.

"Mind if I take a guess?" Lucifer offered as he went back to playing with your loose locks of hair. "Is it possible that you have a little crush on-"

"I WAN' YOU TO FUCK ME STUPID TILL I CAN'T 'MEMBER MY NAME!" you blurted out without any reservations.

"-me..." Lucifer froze at your confession. You could hear the sound of a pin drop with the deafening silence that now filled the air. With a big inhale, he straightened his back fully, placing both of his hands under you in a flash, not daring to look down at you. "Well, I-I think it's about time we got you to bed!" he nearly shouted as he scooped you up in his arms and stood up faster than normal.

You let out a small squeak of surprise with his sudden motion. With a snap of his fingers, a portal appeared next to you and he quickly carried you across the threshold and into your dimly lit room. With a flick of his wrist, your bedsheets were undone and Lucifer was able to lay you down gently onto your mattress. He reached over you to grab your undone comforter and pulled it on top of you, covering everything but your head.

"Okay! Uhh, s-sleep well!" Lucifer went to run through the portal, but not before you were able to grab his sleeve.

"D-Did I upset you?" you asked nearly on the verge of tears again? Lucifer still hadn't looked at you.

"N-No! No, angel, you didn't upset me!" he tried to sooth you, but you weren't buying it. You couldn't stop more tears running down your face. When Lucifer heard your quiet cries, he finally turned towards you in a state of sheer panic. "Ahh, no!" He kneeled down next to you, wiping your tears away with his free hand. "Please don't cry! I promise I'm not upset!"

"Knew it was stupid...," you sobbed, "shouldn't have told you..."

"Don't say that," the fallen angel cooed. "Okay, okay, look...If uhh, we're admitting things right now, I might as well too. Would that make you feel better?"

You sniffled a bit. "M-Maybe..."

Lucifer shut his eyes and let out a deep sigh. "I've had...similar feelings...about you, that is. So...no more tears, okay?"

You stared at the man before you, completely and utterly baffled by what you had just heard. "R-Really?"

"Yes," he whispered. "But we can talk about this tomorrow, yeah? You need some sleep; it looks like you're about to pass out."

He was right. Your eyelids felt as though they could give out at any moment, and the warmth from your blanket wasn't helping you stay conscious either. As Lucifer stood up, you still clung to his sleeve like your life depended on it. "Stay?" you almost begged.

He smiled weakly, taking your hand from his sleeve, and placing a small peck on the back of it. "Not tonight," he responded. "Sleep now, darling. I'll see you when you wake." You couldn't find the strength to respond, letting yourself drift off to sleep as Lucifer left you to dream.

Little did you know that he had disappeared to take a very cold shower.

****

When you regained consciousness, you felt the familiar pounding in your head after a heavy night of drinking. Begrudgingly you dragged yourself out of you bed and forced your way to your bathroom for a much needed shower. You realized when you glanced towards the mirror that you never changed out of your clothes from yesterday. In fact, you don't even remember how you got back to your room last night, Everything was such a blur, and it hurt to think with the major headache you were experiencing at the moment. The last thing you could recall was falling off the bar stool, the pain you felt in your shoulder was enough of a reminder. Once you stepped in the hot shower, you felt a little better, but only a little bit. You tried to rack your brain for answers, trying to remember exactly what happened after you fell. You ran your fingers through your hair, letting the water soak your aching body. But in doing so, something had clicked. That motion had unlocked a foggy memory. Your hair. Someone had run their hands through your hair last night, but you couldn't for the life of you remember who. It was gentle, soft, tender. But who would do that?

After a few minutes, you stepped out of the shower and threw on one of the sundresses you had hanging in your closet. You really didn't feel like putting a ton of effort into your clothing choices today. Hopefully Charlie would forgive you for skipping out on her planned activity today and let you recover. You realized after that initially thought that you didn't even know what time is was. Chances were you had already missed it. With a groan, you plopped down back onto the mattress, your hair still damp.

"What's the matter with me," you asked yourself. "How do I expect to be redeemed when all I do is sabotage my chances by getting wasted every night?" Your headache persisted as you laid in your bed, you almost wanted to cry from the pain. But then, you heard a soft knocking at your door. Charlie, you thought. More than likely she was checking in on you to make sure you were alright. "I'll be there in a second!" you called out. The volume of your own voice didn't help your hangover in the slightest. You grabbed one of the small pillows off your bed for comfort and trudged your way to your door. "I'm really sorry I slept in Charlie," you spoke as you turned the door handle, "it was a...really rough night for me and I-" you stopped completely once you opened the door fully. Charlie, in fact, was not the one who had knocked.

"Yeah, you really did get put through the ringer last night, didn't you?" Lucifer smiled at you. The pillow you held fell to the floor with a soft thud.

“Oh, I-I’m so sorry, sir!” You stuttered. “I-I thought you were Charlie! Did-Did she send you?”

Lucifer looked at you with a puzzled stare. “Uhh, no, no she didn’t. I told her what happened last night and let her know I’d check in on you like I promised.”

“Promised?” you asked, but Lucifer didn’t seem to hear you.

“And you don’t have to refer to me as “sir,” my dear, “Lucifer” is just fine! I mean, you used my name just fine last night!”

Your heart stopped. “L-Last night? Oh no…what…what happened last night?”

Lucifer gawked at your question. “Wait, do you not remember anything?” You shook your head timidly. “Oh dear…well, nothing bad happened, I promise! What’s the last thing you can remember doing?”

You looked down at the floor sheepishly, embarrassed to admit the real answer. “The last thing I can remember is falling off the bar stool and…landing on my face…”

Lucifer stood there and pondered for a few seconds before speaking again. “Do you mind if I come in?”

“Oh, umm, yeah, y-you can come in,” you agreed. You picked up the pillow you had dropped and opened the door for Lucifer to saunter in. “I’m sorry I look like a mess right now, I-I just got out of the shower and my hair isn’t completely dry yet and-”

“Hey, hey, it’s alright!” Lucifer interrupted. “You don’t need to apologize. You look lovely, in any case.”

You brought the pillow in your hands up to your face in an attempt to hide your blush. “T-Thank you,” your muffled voice came through the pillow. "I-If you want, you can sit down on my b-ahh fuck!" One hand came up to your forehead when you felt your head pounding from the pressure that's been building since you woke up. This was definitely one of your worst hangovers to date.

"Oh! Are you alright?" Lucifer asked, his voice laced with deep concern.

"My head..." you choked out. You made your way over to your bed, crawling up to the top and cradling the pillow in your arms "Hangovers are never really kind to me."

Lucifer frowned, seating himself down on the edge of your mattress next to you. You felt your face flare up again when you looked up at his worried expression. "Can I help you? I can alleviate the pain. You only need ask."

"Y-you can?"

"Sure! Angelic power and all that." His hand hovered just above your forehead. "May I?"

"Yes," you breathed. With that, you felt his soft hand make contact with your aching head. You felt a warm tingling sensation emanating from his touch. It didn't hurt nor was it unpleasant, it was healing. Without thinking, you leaned further into his touch, letting the warmth spread throughout your entire body. Your headache slowly began to fade away along with the fogginess that had been plaguing you since you woke up. As his touch lingered, you realized you were able to think more clearly than before, memories from last night started to become clearer and clearer. You remembered Lucifer had come to your rescue after you'd fallen. You remembered Alastor had shown up to mock you in your drunken stupor, only for Lucifer to step in and defend you. You remember sobbing with Lucifer while he comforted you. Then you remembered...

You shot straight up, your heart racing a million miles a second, with Lucifer throwing his hand back in surprise. "What? What happened? Did I hurt you?" Lucifer asked in a panic.

"I'm..." you began, "I'm starting to remember things from last night." You clutched the pillow tight to your chest, refusing to look in the fallen angel's direction. "Please tell me I didn't actually lay down in your lap..."

"Uhh, well...," You could tell from his response that that's exactly what had happened.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" you apologized. "I shouldn't have done that! I-I know I drank way too much last night, I should have stopped, I didn't realize that-"

Lucifer's hand immediately flew to your shoulder in an attempt to get you to stop you from completely spiraling. "Darling, you don't need to apologize for that! You weren't feeling great so you just, ya know, used me as a pillow. And besides, it's not like I disliked it either."

"W-What?!" you nearly shrieked. Another realization had hit you just then. "You! You were the one that was playing with my hair! That's the only thing I could remember when I woke up!" You buried your face in the pillow once more. "If I said anything embarrassing..."

You heard Lucifer swallow hard. "I guess uhh, it depends on your definition of the word."

"Oh God, please no..." you pleaded. "What did I say?"

Lucifer held up his hand again as an offering, a weary smile on his face. "I can help you to remember, if you wish."

You let out a shaky breath but nodded in agreement. Lucifer's hand once again found its way to your forehead, a familiar warmth flowing through you once more. You closed your eyes and saw the images from last night flash before you. You saw yourself looking up at Lucifer who'd just asked you to tell him your little secret. But as soon as you remembered the drunken words that flew from your mouth at that moment, your eyes shot open and you flung yourself to the opposite side of the bed, as far away from Lucifer as possible.

"No. No! Nononononono!" you panicked, "I didn't-I mean I couldn't have, I...NO!" You couldn't stop yourself from crying into the pillow, ashamed and embarrassed at the thought of your past actions. "This is a nightmare..."

You felt the bed shifting beneath you as Lucifer crawled toward you hesitantly. "I'm sorry," he murmured behind you, "I know you must be feeling a lot of different emotions right now, but it's alr-"

"NO, IT'S NOT ALRIGHT!" You snapped, jumping from the bed in an attempt to put as much distance between you and him as possible. Your rage was quickly replaced with remorse when you saw Lucifer's shocked, almost hurt expression. You took a deep breath before speaking again. "I didn't mean you scream at you like that, I'm sorry...but you don't understand..."

"Then help me understand," Lucifer asked, now kneeling on the bed. "Please?"

You looked away from him and down to the ground, your heart threatening to beat out of your chest at the thought of explaining yourself to the literal king of Hell. "I...I grew up in church. I was raised as a believer. Told to be a “good girl." I was taught my entire life that Hell was a place to be feared, a place where the most evil of people end up. And I would be wise to fear it as well and repent so I would not end up there...uhh, here. That clearly didn't help me now, did it?" You let yourself drop to the bed again, letting your legs dangle over the sides. "My entire worldview just seemed to crumble around me when I started staying here at the hotel. Sure, there are some awful people here, but...it feels as though this "divine judgement" is...just completely fucked up! The guests here are better people than most believers I knew when I was alive! How is that right? How is that fair?!"

"Well," Lucifer interjected, "I can tell you first hand that Heaven is definitely not what it seems. I mean, have you seen the things they've said about me in that book of theirs?" he laughed, trying his best to lighten the mood.

You twisted your head over your shoulder, staring back at him with complete intensity. "And you!" You shot back up on your feet in an instant, pacing back and forth as Lucifer watched you completely mesmerized. "Where do I even start with you? You're Lucifer, the devil himself, the great deceiver, and temptation incarnate! Everything I was ever told about you is bullshit! You've been nothing but hospitable ever since I've been here! You protected me from Alastor last night! You took care of me while I was drunk! You didn't have to do any of those things, you shouldn't have done any of those things! You're not evil and it's...it's driving me to the brink! When Charlie had told me that you were her father, I was PETRIFIED! But nothing could have prepared me for finding out who you really were."

Lucifer slowly crawled towards you, climbing off the bed and now standing before you, perhaps just a tad too close for your comfort. "And who am I?" he asked softly.

Instinctively, your body drew itself closer and closer to his, as if you had no control of your movements anymore. "You're...an angel," you sighed.

Lucifer smiled at you, timidly resting his hand on your forehead. "Would you like to remember the rest of last night?"

"I already embarrassed myself enough to the point of no return so I might as well," you huffed shyly.

Lucifer chuckled, "Don't worry, the worst is over. But at least now you'll get to remember my favorite part."

The last of your aches in your body finally subsided as you let the rest of your previously forgotten memories flood your mind. It made sense that Lucifer would have been the one to bring you back to your room. Seeing yourself cry was not surprising to you, but what was surprising was Lucifer's admittance of reciprocated desires. You opened your eyes at last to the angel's sheepish grin. You took a half step away from him, your face feeling like the core of a raging volcano.

"You...you really..." was all you could muster.

"I'm not above embarrassing myself either, my dear," he joked, "I'd say we're even now."

"T-That's not even remotely close to being even!" you babbled.

Lucifer grinned and closed the gap between the two of you, taking one of your hands in his. "Regardless," he mused, "I meant what I said. Every word. And if you'd like to discuss this further, I'd be more than happy to listen." He pressed a small peck to the back of your hand just as he did last night. Even though your hangover had completely vanished, the brain fog had come back in full force. Maybe Lucifer was truly temptation incarnate.

"I-I can't believe this," you stutter, pulling your hand away from his and throwing yourself back onto your bed and covering your reddened face with your hands. "This has to be a dream, there's no way this is real! I'm sure I'm still passed out drunk right now! You're not supposed to be this way! You're supposed to be cruel and wicked and manipulative! Not..."

"Suave and oh so devilishly handsome?" Lucifer smirked.

"You're not helping!" You felt the mattress fold further under Lucifer's weight as he sat down next to you. "So...w-what happens now?"

"I mean, I can think of a few things," he answered smugly. "But in all seriousness, nothing will happen. Not unless you say otherwise."

"See, it's stuff like that!" you shouted, suddenly sitting up right. "Being respectful and considerate, constantly making sure I'm comfortable? That's not who you're supposed to be! I've just been fucking lied to my whole life and I'm PISSED and I'm finding it extremely difficult to not just...just...oh FUCK IT!"

Without warning, you grabbed Lucifer by the collar and crashed your lips into his. He let out a surprised yelp, but you had quickly swallowed it as his shock turned into pure bliss. His hands quickly found your face, cupping them and massaging your red-hot cheeks with his thumbs. Your annoyance had faded almost immediately, your fierce kiss had turned soft and passionate with his tender touch. You were the first to pull away, only to be met with Lucifer's pleading gaze.

"S-So much for being a good girl," Lucifer teased.

You pushed his face away gently. "I hate you!"

"That kiss suggested otherwise, darling."

"You should stop talking," you threatened.

"You should make me," he challenged.

In an instant, you were straddling Lucifer’s lap, your legs flush against his. You gripped the brim of his hat and tossed it to the floor below. You leaned in for another kiss, but this one was hungrier, needier. His lips were soft and you had already become addicted to his taste. You felt his jagged tongue brush against your bottom lip, and you pulled back in shock. “Is your tongue…” Lucifer flashed a cheeky smile and stuck out his tongue playfully. Sure enough, a forked snake tongue hung between his lips. “O-Oh, okay…” You weren’t sure how you never noticed before right now, but your lack of observation skills were the furthest thing from your mind right now. You closed your eyes and leaned in again, your mouth slightly ajar, basically begging for him to invade your mouth. To which Lucifer happily obliged. You felt his tongue slip past your teeth, entangling itself with yours. His hands had shifted down to your hips, kneading and lightly squeezing at your skin underneath your dress. The feeling of his claws pressing into you sent a shiver down your spine. More, more, more was the only thing you could think at the moment. But just as you got used to the feeling of his lips, Lucifer was the one to pull away this time. A tiny whimper escaped you. “Don’t worry, angel,” Lucifer cooed, “we have time. All the time in the world, in fact. I just want to make sure you’re alright. Do you want to keep going?”

The passion you felt was quickly replaced with fear. It hadn’t occurred to you that you had neglected to mention a pretty crucial piece of information. “Yes, I-I do, but umm…I should tell you…”

“Yes?”

“I…haven’t exactly…” you gulped trying to find the right words. “I haven’t been with anyone before…”

“Wait, wait,” Lucifer froze, “you’ve never-”

“No!” You cut him off. “L-Look, when it’s been drilled into your head since you were a child that premarital sex is going to send you to Hell, you’re going to avoid it!”

Lucifer let out a deep sigh, then chuckled to himself. “Okay, I have to admit something. That whole “sex before marriage is a sin” thing miiiiigggghhhhttt be my fault.” You raised an eyebrow. “They never got over the fact that I more or less stole Adam’s first wife. Of course we weren’t married at that point! Heaven’s been petty ever since.”

You rolled your eyes playfully. “Oh, so it’s YOUR fault that I’m a virgin! Good to know.”

“Forgive me.” Lucifer allowed himself to lay flat on his back, with you following close behind. He raised his head and brought his lips to your ear. “But at your word, I’d be more than happy to rectify this injustice,” he whispered softly.

Goosebumps covered both of your arms at his words. You knew your face must have turned a new shade of red the way Lucifer smirked at you. You lowered yourself on his crotch out of spite and began to grind your hips lethargically. It was your turn to embarrass him. His breath caught in his throat from your motions, you could already feel that your lewd actions were having an effect on the man beneath you. The growing bulge in his pants that you felt on your own clothed heat had you salivating.

"You know, I-I'm not a complete novice," you admitted, your hands now making your way down his jacket, undoing every button with care. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

Lucifer pushed you back upright, now straddling his lap once more, and slipped himself out of his undone shirt. Aa you gripped his bare It took everything in your power not to stare at his perfectly toned chest. "And what "tricks"-hngg…would those be?"

You placed a chaste kiss to his lips before sliding off of his lap and kneeling on the floor in front of him. Lucifer's breath hitched instantly at the sight before him. You rested your palms on his inner thighs, your rapid breathing betraying your faux collected exterior. "I figured since I couldn't break the rules, I could at least bend them."

Lucifer firmly gripped the sheets beneath him as he watched your thumbs trace circles near his crotch. "Already on your knees for me, sweetheart?” he teased, running a hand from the top of your head, relishing in the softness of your hair, and down to the tip of your chin. “I didn’t know my powers of temptation would work so well on someone as devout as you.” You failed to hide the whimper that escaped your throat. “I’m sorry, I know I’m teasing you too much. I’ll stop if-”

“N-No, don’t stop…” you responded almost inaudibly.

A sultry laugh emanated from the man above you. “Oh, is that so?” You nodded. “Use your words, love.”

You shivered. “Please… remind me of my place…sir…”

He tilted your head up towards him, leaning down and placing a soft kiss on your lips. “Whatever you wish, my angel. You let me know if I go too far, okay?”

“Yes, I will.”

“Good girl,” he murmured. “Now, I believe you wanted to show me something?”

You took a deep breath before reaching out for the zipper and button of his pants. You made slow work of them, trying to be as delicate as possible. You grabbed both the hems of his pants and boxers, Lucifer raising himself up so you could more easily shimmy the remainder of his clothing off. His hardened cock sprang free, your face boiling from seeing the very obvious precum that had already begun leaking from the tip. After tossing away his pants, gripped Lucifer’ s hips and brought him as close to the edge of the bed as possible, your lips now mere inches away from his impressive length. You swallowed harshly. Breathing became an increasingly difficult task. With tentative hands, you reached out and lightly gripped the base of Lucifer's cock, his low moan sent pleasure straight between your thighs. There was no going back now.

"Go ahead, my dear," Lucifer encouraged, "show me how sinful those hands of yours are."

Without any further prodding, your hand move languidly up and down his cock, the precum providing enough lubrication for smooth strokes. Lucifer groaned above you, his sounds were everything you'd imagined and more. Your strokes became faster, needing to hear more of Lucifer coming undone from your touch alone. But even touching him wasn't enough to satisfy your desires. Your hot breath so close to his most sensitive area had Lucifer shuttering. And even more so when you decided to run your tongue from the base of his cock to the very tip. You'd finally gotten your first taste of him, and that sent you into a complete frenzy. Your tongue worked circles around the head of his length and you could hear Lucifer's guttural moans turn into whimpers of pure ecstasy.

"F-Fuck," Lucifer managed to choke out as he watched you bob your head and down, taking as much of him as you could manage. "You-mnmm...s-sure seem to know what you're doing. S-Shhiiittt...I-I'm starting to think you-GA-AAHH...you really do b-belong down here." Lucifer's composure was fading fast even though he continued his taunting. His words lit a fire within in, increasing your movements to an unrelenting pace. "O-OH FFFFUU-UUCCCKK," he screeched, his hand now tightening around your hair for an assemblance of stability. His overstimulated cock twitched in your mouth; you knew he was close. "Y-You're gonna make me c-cum if you keep doing thaa-ahhhht...but t-that's what you want, isn't it? You wanna taste m-my cum, sweet girl?"

"M-Mhmm," you hummed blissfully, your mouth and hand working in tandem to bring him over the edge.

"Then d-don't stop," he commanded.

You did exactly as he said, not slowing down for even a second. The thought of kneeling before the outcasted being that you were meant to despise with every inch of your soul drove you mad. Now here you were, unraveling him with your hands and mouth alone. Lucifer was using all of his willpower to not thrust his hips into you and completely fuck your mouth. That would have to wait for another time. But once your other hand started to gently massage his balls, it was over. "Fuck fuck fuck FUCKFUCKFUCK-CUMMING," he cried out before finally emptying himself inside your mouth. You couldn't move away even if you wanted to the way he way holding your head in place. But you were perfectly content swallowing every drop of his hot cum. When the twitching stopped, he had released his grip on you, allowing you to pull away from him and gulp down the last of his seed. You looked up at him with a nervous smile, your hands now resting on his knees.

"H-How'd I do?" you laughed sheepishly. But your laugh faded once you saw the change in Lucifer's appearance. His eyes were no longer his normal soft yellow, but a deep crimson red.

"Oh, my sweet little angel," his voice dripping with desire, "you were nothing short of absolute perfection. How absolutely filthy you are for swallowing all of my cum. I love it!" He offered his hand to you, helping you off of the ground. He stood with you, pulling at the bottom of your dress. "But I'm far from being done with you." With a soft "yes", your dress was dragged over your head and tossed to the side in one swift motion, leaving you nothing but your matching black bra and panties. Lucifer stood there drinking in your form, his outstretched tongue swishing from side to side. "Gorgeous," he hummed against your skin before bringing his hot mouth to your neck. You squeaked at the sensation, but your surprise rapidly shifted to wanton moans. His sharp teeth and forked tongue raked across your pulse, sending waves of pleasure throughout your entire body. "I'll make sure everyone knows you're mine now..." he pulled away and looked up at you pleadingly, "that is, if you'll have me."

You smiled, tears now pricking the corner or your eyes. "I'm already yours."

Lucifer's breath had caught in his throat as he captured your lips, your mouth being invaded by his eager tongue. He hoisted you up by your hips, your legs instinctively wrapping around his hips as you hooked your arms around his neck to pull him even closer than before. He laid you down on the bed sweetly, now crawling his way up towards you. Lucifer's body now completely enveloped yours. The angel's disheveled hair and the sweat dripping from his forehead was truly a breathtaking sight. His captivating red eyes felt as though they were piercing your very soul, searching for every hidden desire you had locked away. Lucifer licked his lips seductively. "If my memory serves, I recall a certain someone telling me that they found my unholier side...oh, what was the word..." Lucifer feigned forgetfulness as his horns appeared from his skull, "Ahh, yes, I remember now. "Hot." Isn't that right, darling?"

Your face flushed furiously. You mentally cursed your drunken self as you looked up at Lucifer's smug expression. His demonic features made you quiver with anticipation. You've all but sold your soul to the devil himself and you were more than willing to give him everything he wanted. His red claws made quick work of your bra, unclasping it with ease and throwing it across the room. The urge to cover yourself was overwhelming, but it was like Lucifer could read your every thought. He held both of your wrists and placed them above your head, holding them there with just one hand while the other made its way towards your chest.

“Be a good girl and keep your hands there for me,” he ordered.

You nodded obediently. You clung onto the pillows above you as Lucifer let go of your wrists, placing both of his hands on your supple breasts, mewling from the stimulation. Lucifer pinched your nipples, rubbing them gently between his clawed fingers. The sharp ends of his claws poked at your skin while he continued his ministrations. Your meek whimpers turned into moans.

“L-Lucifer, please…” you begged. “I-I need-GAH…”

“I adore the way you say my name, love,” he praised. “Say it again.”

“Luciferrr…” you whined.

He rewarded you with a kiss. “What a pretty voice you have, all desperate and needy for me. So willing to submit…”

He let his mouth fall on one of your nipples, lapping and sucking the sensitive bud while kneading at your other breast. Your nails dug into the pillows, fighting every urge to reach out and touch him. But you couldn’t stand it, obedience truly had its disadvantages.

“Please Lucifer, l-let me touch you,” the request fell from your lips in a desperate plea. “Let me hold you…”

“Hmmm,” his lips reverberated against you. “Patience, love, patience.” Lucifer’s demonic tail appeared suddenly behind him, swaying back and forth. You watched as it lowered itself close to the hem of your panties. Slowly, it inched its way underneath and found itself between your slick folds. You couldn’t hold back a gasp once you realized what Lucifer had planned. “Allow me to try something first.” After giving him the "okay", you felt him flick his tail against your clit, causing you to arch your back, moaning unashamedly in the process. It was circling your swollen nub slowly at first, but quickly built up to a relentless pace. Your body shook uncontrollably as his tail abused your clit. “The way your body reacts to me is such a wonderful sight to behold, sweetheart. Look at you, so easily corrupted.”

It wasn’t long before you cried out in absolute pleasure. You could feel that coil in your stomach ready to snap. You'd barely been touched and you were helpless to fight against your impending release. “F-Fuu-aaahhhh Lu-Lucifer! I-I can’t-HHAAAA-gonna c-cum…g-gonna-FFFUCK!” Lucifer ignored your cries, only focusing on your breasts as you writhed under his touch. You screamed as your sudden orgasm hit you like a freight train, your walls clenching around nothing.

With a low chuckle, Lucifer removed his tail from your drenched slit, admiring your complete fucked out face. "You did so well," he praised, "I promise I'll get you some new panties soon, it wasn't very nice of me to let you ruin yours." You turned your face away from his to hide your embarrassment, only for Lucifer to give you a small peck on your very reddened cheek. "You can move your arms now, darling." At his word, you released the death grip you had on the pillows behind you and pulled Lucifer in for another deep kiss. You felt his lips curl into a smile against yours. "Would you like to keep going?"

"Yes."

"Hehe, so eager," he said poking your nose, "it's adorable. I think it's only fair that I get to have my fill of you now, don't you think?"

Your pupils dilated. "O-Oh, you mean..."

"Is something wrong?" he asked nervously.

"No! No, nothing's wrong," you reassured him, "it's just that...no one's ever offered to uhh, do that for me."

A mix of annoyance and confusion flashed across his face. "Wait, what?!" He sat up straight, resting his full weight on your stomach. "So, let me see if I'm understanding this correctly. You've gone down on men before but not one of them ever offered to return the favor?" You shook your head nervously. A fearsome growl erupted from Lucifer's throat and his eyes had turned a glowing red for just a moment; you couldn't help but shiver. "I'm sorry, but that's inexcusable! Hell isn't enough of a punishment for men like that. To only take and never give back." Lucifer made his way off of you and helped you sit upright against the pillows. "Please allow me to make up for their sins."

"O-Okay," you responded weakly, "only if you want to. I never want you to feel like you have to do anything for me."

He leaned into you for a tender kiss. "Darling, I want nothing more than to ravish you in every way possible; you deserve that and much, much more." You couldn't help but blush at his flattering words. "Lift your legs for me?" You did as he asked, allowing him to tug at the hem of your panties. You held your breath as you watched him drag them down the length of your legs and toss them away carelessly. You closed your legs instinctively, though you realized it was a little bit too late to try and hide yourself from him at this point. Lucifer only smiled and positioned himself in front of you, resting his hands on your knees. "It's alright, take your time," he soothed.

You nodded and let out the breath you had been holding. Lethargically, you began to part your legs for him, letting him finally drink in the sight of your soaked entrance. You noticed him gulp in response and couldn't hide the small smirk on your face. "Like what you see?"

Lucifer licked his lips mindlessly, staring at you like you were a meal to be devoured. "You have no idea," he answered, never taking his eyes away from of your glistening pussy. He laid himself down on his stomach, trailing soft kisses on either side of your inner thighs, leaving nothing but tender bite marks and hickies in his wake. With each passing second you became more and more restless, wanting nothing more than this torment to end. But Lucifer was savoring every bit of you and your heart couldn't help but feel full. At last, you felt his hot breath against your pussy, your body tensed at the sensation.

"Lucifer..." you whispered.

He placed one final kiss to your thigh. "For as long as I live, I'll never tire of hearing you say my name," he spoke sweetly, "Relax for me as much as you can now, love. And if you need to, you can grab my horns. They're there to help you."

"W-Why would I need to gra-AAAHHH" you tried to ask but were cut short after feeling Lucifer take a long, languid lick up your folds. It was something you'd never felt before, but you knew you needed more of it, and you needed it now. Luckily for you, the fallen angel between your thighs was more than happy to provide. His lips were pressed firmly against your aching cunt while his tongue quickly found your clit. The noises you were making were unholy but you couldn't imagine a more heavenly feeling. He moaned against you desperately, as if your essence was his life source. Without warning, Lucifer tossed your legs over his shoulders to give him better access to his prize. In your haze, you remembered his suggestion and took ahold of his demonic horns, doing your best to keep yourself grounded.

"God damn it," Lucifer snarled, "To think no one has done this for you, f-fuck, what complete and utter fools they were. I've never tasted something so divine." You felt his claws dig into your skin as he forced his tongue deeper into you, drawing out the dirtiest sounds you didn't know you could make.

"F-Feels so g-good," you babbled, your hands tightening around his horns. "P-Please don't stop, I-I..."

One of Lucifer's arms unhooked itself from your leg, his fingers now prodding at your slick. His tongue never stopped circling your clit as you felt a single finger slip inside you with ease. You whimpered from the sudden intrusion. "C'mon baby, need you to cum f'me." Another finger quickly entered you, two of them now thrusting in and out of you. "Let me taste you, all of you." Lucifer's tail swished behind him as he focused on coaxing another orgasm out of you. His tongue and fingers worked together to bring you closer and closer to the edge once more. His fingers curled inside you, your back arching as he hit your most sensitive spot with each motion. "I can feel you clenching...you're so close..."

And he was right. That same coil in your lower stomach was as tight as it could be, the knot threatening to unravel at any moment. "Lucif-fer, I-I'm gonna...fuckfuckfuck-GAAAHHH!" With little warning, your second orgasm hit hard, your walls now pulsating around Lucifer's fingers which refused to stop moving. You felt yourself empty onto his face, your cries filling the room, your hands stinging from how tightly you held onto his horns. As Lucifer helped work you down from your high, you couldn't help but notice the loud slurping sound that came from beneath you. He was lapping your cunt like a man starved. After another moment or two, Lucifer gazed up at you adoringly, his mouth completely drenched in your juices. Your hands flew to your face out of pure embarrassment. How could someone look so happy after basically being assaulted by your orgasm. "Y-You can't just look at me like that after you just did what you did!" you berated him.

"Look at you like what?" he teased, crawling on all fours and closing the gap between you. He gently pulled your hands away from your burning face and gave you the toothiest grin you'd ever seen from him. "Look at you like I'm the luckiest man in existence, you mean?" Lucifer kissed you once more, and you could taste the faintest hint of yourself on his lips. "And by the way, I'm absolutely addicted to your taste now, my angel. I hope you don't mind if I indulge myself every single day from now on. With your permission, of course."

You could only smile at him, caressing his face in your hands and locking your lips together once more. "Who would've thought the devil himself would be this perfect? I'm starting to believe that you may have fully corrupted me, my king."

The way his title rolled off your tongue made Lucifer shudder. "Not quite yet," he corrected. He laid you down gently as he trailed kisses down your neck and collarbone, stopping periodically to nip and suck as many parts of your exposed skin as he could. He then laid his full weight on top of you, and you could feel his hardened cock resting on your stomach. Your mouth ran dry, but you never needed something as much as you needed this. Needed him. To fully claim you and make you his. "Is this what you want?" Lucifer asked. "Because if you're not ready, we can stop right now. I won't be upset if that's what you decide."

You shook your head assuredly. "I'm ready, Lucifer. Even though I may not ever make it into Heaven after this, I'm not sure I want to anymore if it meant I'd have to leave you behind." You could tell by Lucifer's sudden change in expression that the thought of losing you if you were to be redeemed had never crossed his mind. His face fell at the realization, but you reassured him with a quick peck to his forehead. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. And we can worry about the details later. But right now..." you ground your hips up into him, forcing a low moan out of your lover, "...I need you...please…"

"Oh, you're just a little devil, aren't you?” Lucifer chuckled darkly. He then pushed himself off you, settling himself between your legs. The head of his cock teased your entrance, and you gulped in anticipation. "Are you ready?”

"Y-Yes," you murmured. Your body instinctively bucked up in attempt to create more friction that you so desperately craved. Lucifer pressed your hips down firmly into the mattress to keep you from squirming. You whimpered in protest.

“Ah ah ah, all in good time,” Lucifer cooed. “It’s your first time, love, I don’t want to see you in any pain. Stay perfectly still for me, alright?” After what felt like an eternity, Lucifer at last pushed the tip of his cock into you. Your knuckles turned a solid white from the way you gripped the bed sheets beneath you. The pressure you felt was unlike anything else. “A-Are you still okay?” Lucifer asked.

“M-More, please Lucifer, I-I need…” you choked out. He was only an inch deep inside of you and the only thing on your mind was the carnal desire of having him fully sheathed inside of you.

“My pretty girl,” he whispered above you. Inch by inch, his hips pushed forward, stretching you out beyond what you thought was possible. Once he was finally fully inside of you, you and him moaned in unison. The complete fullness you were experiencing was something you needed to be engrained into your memory forever. He didn’t move for a minute or so, letting your body get used to his above average length. He didn’t want to break you. At least, not tonight. "S-So tight, f-fuck..." Lucifer's entire body quivered as his enormous angelic wings magically sprung from his back. You stared up at him in awe, taking in the heavenly sight above you. Your eyes followed from the base of his wings to the very tip. Lucifer noticed your gawking and laughed lightly. "My eyes are over here, darling."

You blushed incredibly hard. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to stare. It's just...they're beautiful. Can I...? You didn't need to finish your question as Lucifer dropped his wings down, allowing you to reach up and feel them for the first time. You ran your hand down each set, your fingers combing through his scarlet feather. They twitched under your gentle touch. "Are they sensitive?"

"V-Very much," Lucifer breathed. "We can experiment another time, though."

"A-Another time?"

Lucifer looked down you puzzled. "I hope you didn't think this would only be a one time thing. That's not who I am, despite anything you may have heard. When I said I wanted everyone to know you were mine, I didn't mean just for tonight."

Your eyes began to water from his declaration. "You mean..."

Lucifer leaned down and kissed the tears that had began to fall down your cheek. "Yes, I do. I'm yours, if that's what you desire."

You smiled weakly, holding back a sob. "Yes, it is." You brought your hands up, cupping his face and kissing his trembling lips tenderly. Your kiss caused Lucifer to twitch inside of you, quickly reminding you of the pressure between your legs. "Y-You can move now, Lucifer...please..."

With a deep exhale, Lucifer pulled out of you slowly, only to snap his hips back with no hesitation. He repeated this motion, slowly at first, coaxing as many sound out of you as he could. Your cries of pleasure were intoxicating, pulling him deeper and deeper into a state of pure bliss. His hips rutted into you at a steady pace as he continued to hit your G-spot effortlessly with each thrust.

"You're d-doing so well, love," he growled animalistically, "t-taking me so well. You f-feel so good. Too good...Take it all f'me, want you to feel all of m-me. Look how g-good you are, taking the Devil's cock like this."

"L-Lucifer," you mewled. You couldn't form a coherent thought anymore, all you could manage to say was his name. "Lucifer, f-fuuu-uuck...Luciferrr."

"That's it, dear," he praised, the pace of his thrusts quickening. "My name on y-your lips is more beautiful than any melody I ever heard in Heaven." His grip on your hips tightened, pulling you closer to him as he mercilessly pounded into you over and over. "G-God, you're so fucking wet. Slipping in and out of you s-so easily. You g-gonna cum for me again?"

"Y-Yes!" you cried out helplessly. "I'm close, so c-close, I can't..." Your hands flew around his neck as your body shook violently beneath the fallen angel. Your stomach felt like it was in knots, you didn't know how much longer you could hold out. "G-Gonna cu-aaaAAHH,"

"Hold on j-just a little longer, baby," Lucifer said, wrapping his tail around your abdomen. "I'm close too...w-where do you want me to-"

"INSIDE! P-PLEASE!" you screamed, locking your legs behind his back. "I c-can't hold it, Lucifer, I can't, I can't, I CAN'T!"

"Naughty girl..." he taunted lovingly. "Cum for me now, angel. Need t-to feel you clench around me. Cum for me."

The coil inside of you snapped for a third time, your walls pulsating around Lucifer's cock. Your spasms had left Lucifer groaning, his head now resting on your collarbone. His own orgasm washed over him not long after you. You milked his cock, his hot angelic seed filling you up your cunt completely. Wave after wave of pleasure filled you both, reducing you to nothing but exhausted and sweaty messes. He stayed inside of you for a moment longer, both of you trying to recover from your release. Lucifer finally found enough strength to remove himself from you, and at long last reverting back to his normal state. He crashed down on top of you, looking at your through his half-lidded eyes and pulling you into a crushing hug.

"Lucifer...can't...breathe..." you forced out, tapping his shoulder rapidly. His grip on you loosened immediately.

"I'm sorry!" he apologized. "I forget my own strength sometimes. H-How are you feeling?"

Your faced flushed as you tucked your hair behind your ear. "G-Good. More than good. That was...just incredible!" you couldn't help but laugh to yourself.

"What's so funny, dear?" Lucifer asked with an amused look.

You smiled at him. "Oh, you know just...I was thinking about how I would go about explaining myself to my friends and family back on Earth. How the well behaved, never strayed from the light church girl just had the best sex of her life with the one and only fallen angel Lucifer. Wonder how well that would go over! They probably think I made it into Heaven!"

Lucifer laughed along with you, pulling you flush to his chest. "I'll admit, it's pretty ironic. But to be fair, I never would have thought you'd give me a chance."

You looked up at him confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you know, I am 'the bad guy' to believers. The winners always write history, and according to Heaven, I was the loser. And when I found out you were one of them when you were alive, I didn't think you'd even glance in my direction. I thought you were the most stunning creature I'd ever laid my eyes on when you first arrived here at the hotel. But I never truly pursued you because...the bad guy never gets the girl, right?"

You couldn't help but frown as he spoke. His voice was sad, full of hurt. It was clear that Lucifer has suffered though a lot of pain and anguish. You were told the story of Eden growing up, of how Lucifer had deceived Eve and in doing so, caused the downfall of humanity. But that was clearly only one side of the story. You gave a quick peck to his cheek. "You're not a bad guy, Lucifer. I know that now. I let my fear and my upbringing cloud my judgement before. Not anymore. I want to hear your side of the story, every detail. Will you stay with me and tell me?"

Lucifer's eyes softened, his lips forming into a tiny smile. "I'd love nothing more." He brought his hand to your cheek, leaning in to capture your lips once more.

~~~

10,000 GOD DAMN WORDS, WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?!?! ANYWAY, I HOPED YOU LIKED IT!

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[lilasamaaa]

The night we met | Lando Norris x Reader

Genre | Fluff.

Word count | 2.6K

Warnings | None for once! Enjoy some peace.....

Summary | When Reader's best friend sets her up on a blind date with one of her long-time friends, she expects anything but the evening she's about to experience.

Author's note | This piece is the result of yesterday's poll! Another poll will be coming soon for y'all to decide what's next :)

"I'm really not sure if it's a good idea, Alice," she sighs, looking over at the bed where her friend is seated, behind her.

"What makes you say that?" Alice replies, arching an eyebrow.

"I have a list of reasons, actually," she states, pulling out her phone.

"You and your damn lists!"

"I know you hate them, but they help me clear my mind," she says, clicking on a note.

"Alright, let's hear your reasons then," Alice laughs. "But I'm warning you, I'm going to dismantle them one by one."

"Okay," she starts. "Reason one is : I don't know him."

"That's kinda... the whole point of blind dates," her friend says, rolling her eyes.

"Well, you agreed to this. I did not. You know how anxious I get when I don't know people," she says, head low.

"Lando is a really nice guy," Alice says, coming close to her friend and stroking her hair. "I just know he'll put you at ease right away."

She takes a few seconds to think, biting the inside of her cheek. It's not the first time she's about to go on a date with someone she's never met before. Even though she doesn't know him, she's not really worried about Lando. She's more concerned about herself, to be honest. She's not a model of eloquence, doesn't consider herself particularly pretty. She's sure her date will do his best. What she's not sure about, is if she'll be able to overcome her own anxiety about the whole situation.

"Reason two, then," she says, focusing back on the note. "I don't know a thing about racing. What are we even going to talk about?"

"Well, something else. I'm sure Lando would be delighted to talk about something other than work for once," Alice replies, winking.

She wasn't lying, she thinks. She really has an answer for everything.

"Shoot me with reason three, baby," Alice says, letting out a laugh.

"Reason three," she replies, eyeing her friend. "Let's say I don't fuck up, which would be a miracle in itself, and we hit it off. How am I supposed to maintain a long-distance relationship? We're not talking about Brighton or Cambridge, we're talking about another continent. Several times a year."

"Well, I'm glad you're thinking so much ahead," Alice replies, earning a frustrated grunt from her friend. "There'll be plenty of people who are in the same situation as you. You can always ask for advice from other WAGS," she concludes, laughing.

"You're insufferable."

"Was there a fourth reason to debunk, or are we done here?" Alice asks.

"There is, actually. That's the last one," she says, staring at her phone. "Every time I've gone on a date like this, without having seen the guy... They were never really... to my taste," she begins. "So I've never kissed them, never went any further. But if I like him, what am I supposed to do?"

"What's the real question?"

"Am I supposed to kiss him on the first date? I don't want him to think I'm easy. Is it better to play hard to get and..."

"Wow, you're overthinking this," Alice says, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I don't have any answer to give you. Just... Go with the flow. And if you're not sure about what to do, let him take the lead. Okay?"

An hour later, she's walking through the streets of Bristol, trying to calm her breathing, her thoughts, her already racing heart. She's checked the address Lando had sent her about ten times before leaving Alice's apartment. On principle, she takes out her phone, checking one last time. Her phone indicates that the restaurant is less than a minute's walk away, at the corner of the street she's on. There's still time to turn back, she thinks, before gathering herself. No. He doesn't deserve that.

In front of the restaurant, she casts a quick glance inside, checking if he's already there, before remembering that she doesn't even know what he looks like. Well, she has a vague idea. She's seen pictures on Alice's Facebook and Instagram over the years, but his precise features escape her. She remembers curly hair, beauty spots. Not much more. She's not sure if she would recognize him in a crowd.

She pushes the door and slips inside the buzzing restaurant, politely greeting the waitress who welcomes her.

"I have a reservation for two," she says. "The name's Norris."

"Ah yes, he's already here, in the second room. I'll take you to him," the waitress replies, flashing a smile.

Her heart stops. He's already here? She deliberately arrived fifteen minutes early to have time to settle down quietly, to gather herself. To wash her hands if they're too sweaty. This was not how it was supposed to go at all, she thinks, feeling the anxiety rise.

The waitress guides her through the tables to the small room at the back of the restaurant. On the way, her brain disconnects, giving way to total panic. I knew it was a bad idea, she tells herself, biting her lip. I'm going to make a fool of myself. The waitress suddenly stops, saying something that her brain doesn't comprehend before walking away and she looks up, meeting his gaze.

Oh, wow, she thinks, eyes widening. That man is too handsome for his own good.

"Hey, it's nice to meet you" he says, extending a bouquet of white tulips to her. "Alice said those were your favorites."

She smiles, taking the bouquet before burying her nose in it. Alice, you little sneak.

"Thank you so much," she replies, feeling her cheeks flush. "They're stunning."

Lando pulls out her chair before sitting back down, not taking his eyes off her. Feeling his gaze on her, she dives intensely into reading the menu. Or rather, she pretends to, because she's not even reading, just trying to avoid the attention the driver is giving her.

"You seem nervous," he states, still looking at her.

Feeling her cheeks turn red, she holds her menu higher in front of her face, hiding a little more. "Hey," he says, putting his finger on the menu to lower it. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry. I'm just really bad at this," she replies, finally looking at him. "Dates, conversations, one-on-ones. It's not about you, I swear."

There we go, she thinks, head low. We've been sitting for ten minutes and I've already messed everything up.

"Would you like to go somewhere else?" he asks, and she looks up, furrowing her brows.

"What?"

"I don't want you to feel uncomfortable, that wasn't the intention," he says. "A romantic dinner may be a bit much for a first date. So, if you want to go somewhere else, do something else, it's not a problem."

"But... We're already sitting," she says, confused.

"It's no big deal," he replies, shrugging. "The restaurant is packed, they won't go bankrupt because we leave. We can just tell them we don't like anything on the menu."

She lets out a laugh, covering her mouth, astonished by the driver's suggestion.

"If you could go anywhere, a place where you feel comfortable and safe, where would you go?" he asks, his big eyes detailing her.

She thinks for a moment, looking upwards, biting her lip again.

"If we really had no limits... I'd go to the sea," she replies, thoughtful.

"Let's go then," Lando says, rising up and taking his jacket.

"What? Lando, we can't do that," she says, still sitting. "The good beaches are like, an hour drive away."

But Lando has already circled the table, jacket in hand, extending his hand to her.

"My car's parked outside," he replies.

She doesn't understand what's happening, so for once, she sets aside her brain and listens to her heart, grasping his hand and allowing him to guide her towards the restaurant's exit, the driver only stopping to explain briefly to the very understanding waitress that an emergency has come up and they have to leave, carefully slipping several bills in her hand as a tip - and as compensation.

Outside, Lando leads her to his car, their hands still intertwined, her heels clicking on the cobblestones. He opens the door for her and she slips inside, her heart racing.

"I've never done anything like this in my entire life," she says, staring straight ahead.

"You should never force yourself to do something you don't want to do, though," he replies, looking through the rear window to reverse, leaning indirectly towards her. His scent reaches her nose and she can't help but look at him closely, detailing every detail of his profile. His clear eyes. His beauty spots that remind her of constellations. The curly lock of hair that crosses his forehead.

"Does Ogmore work for you?" he asks, snapping her out of her reverie.

"Ogmore's perfect," she replies, eyes glistening.

They set off, and as the English countryside landscape passes by through the window, she notices that for the first time since she left Alice's apartment, she isn't feeling anxious. Her heart still beats just as fast, sure, but she suspects it's not really because of stress anymore. Lando rummages between their seats and eventually pulls out a cable, which he hands to her.

"I don't mind driving, but you're the DJ," he says, laughing. "Put on some music. Let me know who you are."

She grabs the cable before connecting it to her phone, scrolling through her Spotify playlist. So you want to know who I am, huh? she thinks, blushing again, before clicking on her favorite song.

The first notes of "I'm Outta Time" by Oasis resonate in the car, and Lando shoots her a surprised look.

"I actually love that song," he says, smirking. "What does it tell about you?"

"Well," she starts. "As you must be starting to suspect, I strongly identify with the idea that the sea is the only place that manages to calm me down, where I truly feel free."

"I'm with you on that one," he replies.

"And then... It's quite personal, but to me, the song's about someone who's lonely. Someone seeking comfort, a pillar, someone who can support them through everything. But also someone they'd be willing to let go out of love."

Lando turns his head towards her, and she gets lost in the softness and understanding reflected in his eyes. The song comes to an end, and she clicks on "On Melancholy Hill" by Gorillaz.

"I promise I'm not depressed," she says, meeting his gaze, while he lets out a laugh.

"This one's talking about the sea, again," he states.

"There's that," she says. "And there's this dreamy feeling. It's about frustration, about pressuring yourself to achieve big things, when maybe..." she stops for a second. "Maybe just being with your person is enough. Maybe there's no need for more," she finishes, looking out the window, troubled by the feeling of having said too much.

"I get it," he says, still looking at the road ahead.

"You do?" she asks.

"Of course. I'm not the last one to have dreams and goals, as you can imagine. But at the end of the day, when all that's over, what's left? What do you turn to?"

The rest of the journey goes on in the same way. She plays a song, explains why she likes it, what it makes her feel, what it reminds her of. Lando listens attentively, interweaving her narrative with his own anecdotes, sharing his thoughts, his fears. That's much more intimate than a restaurant, she thinks. But somehow, she doesn't mind.

Forty minutes later, a sign indicates that Ogmore is the next exit, and Lando turns onto the narrow road, which soon becomes a path. They leave the car in a parking lot, where only a few cars are parked before embarking on the sandy trail. Before them, the sun has begun to set, tinting the sky with orange, pink, and violet hues.

"Just in time," Lando says before plopping down on the sand. She sits beside him, closing her eyes. Absorbing the healing sound of the waves.

"Thank you so much for this, Lando. You have no idea how much it means to me," she says, feeling emotional.

They both lie there, side by side, without saying a word, lulled by the sound of the waves.

"Do you remember the night we met?" Lando suddenly asks, looking at the sky and the stars that the onset of night begins to reveal.

"What do you mean?" she asks, turning on her side to look at him.

"It was last year," Lando starts, as she furrows her brows, completely lost.

"I'm not sure I understand," she replies, confused. "I've seen you in pictures... But this is the first time we meet."

"Alice's birthday, in London," the driver specifies, and she dives into her thoughts, trying to rewind time. "You were wearing a black dress. Backless."

"I... I remember the birthday, and the dress," she begins. "But I don't remember you. Well, I remember Alice saying you had something come up," she continues, lost.

"I had a work function, couldn't get away. But I still stopped by, dropped off Alice's gift," he explains.

"I'm sorry, Lando," she says, embarrassed. "I don't remember seeing you."

"We crossed paths in one of the hallways of the bar. You were leaning against a wall, talking to someone... Jeff? Greg?" he says, closing his eyes as if trying to remember.

"Jeff? My boyfriend at the time?"

"Yes, that was him. You two were arguing about something, I can't remember what. The tone started to escalate, and you walked off towards the restroom."

"I remember that."

"I found myself in front of Jeff, and I told him, "You shouldn't argue with a pretty girl like that. She deserves better". He told me to fuck off, to mind my business, and left," he recalls, laughing.

"Wow, I had no idea," she says. "Him and I broke up like, four months after that anyway."

"I know. Alice told me."

"Why would she tell you that? It must not be of much interest to you."

"I'd mentioned to her that I found you beautiful. In fact, to be honest, I think I said you were the most beautiful girl I had ever seen," the driver says. "So one morning, she texted me. Said something like... "She broke up with Jeff. Time to grow a pair."

"Wow," she says, laughing in shock. "I didn’t know that."

Silence falls. Neither speaks for several seconds. He, wondering if he's said too much. Her, wondering what she should conclude from the driver's words.

"So..." she starts. "When Alice told me that she had planned a blind date..."

"It was my idea," he says, meeting her eyes. "But we couldn't say that."

"Oh, my god," she says, laughing again. "I can't believe you two."

A particularly turbulent wave crashes at their feet, making them yelp and quickly stand up. They're suddenly face to face. Wrapped in a heavy silence. One that cannot last.

"So you did, then," she finally says.

"What?"

"You grew a pair," she replies as he bursts out laughing.

"You're not angry at me, are you?" he asks, taking a step forward.

"I'm... quite surprised, I won't lie. But I'm not angry, no. I've never had a first date like this," she confesses. "I've never felt so listened to, so understood... In so little time. It started off badly, and yet you... you made me feel like I could be myself."

"You can," Lando says, taking her hand. "That's all I want."

"Will you think I'm moving too fast if I kiss you?" she suddenly asks.

"No," he says, coming closer until their breaths meet. "I won't."

[three-realms-archive]

Just a Study

Content Warning: Spoilers for Lesson 40 of Nightbringer! Everything above the cut is spoiler-free!

The wise sorcerer watches his dear apprentice sleep peacefully, unaware of their close friend and mentor doing what he does best. Studying.

His eyes analyse the rise and fall of their chest, tracing his gaze over and across the parabolas that make up the shape of their sleeping form. The small chuckles that escape him when you snore and snort are sounds that you will never get to hear. The soft, unprecedented flushes of crimson across his cheeks when you nuzzle your forehead deeper into the crook of his neck is a sight you will never get to see. Yet your sounds, sights and touch… Solomon knows all of it. He knows the mean, median and mode of the number of hours you sleep at night; and he spends the midnight hours flipping through tomes dedicated to understanding love. To Solomon, this was all a study, really.

A study on how it would have been, if he had taken the time to know his fellow, human classmate from the get-go. How it would have been if he had taken you under his wing sooner - if he had won the race for your heart against the Seven Avatars of Sin. The data was there, in the form of the pact marks etched into your skin - placed there like perfect puzzle pieces. And no matter how much his brain wanted to process that data differently, the results and conclusion would remain unchanged.

To conduct a study, one must try to match the conditions of the experiment to the assumptions of the theory. Solomon knew this, and so he had strived to make Coctyus Hall your new House of Lamentation. He had lived with you - had eaten with you - had even slept beside you. He knew that you (more often that he liked) had shared a bed with each of the brothers before - so he had done that, too. He had taken your trip to the past as an opportunity to replicate the theory with ease, piecing together a domestic life with you that felt like bliss.

The perfect study.

It was meant to be the perfect study. For him and you.

So why?

Why did it hurt so bad, returning to the original timeline; and seeing how… easily, you fell back into your own life?

Why did it hurt, seeing you live, eat and sometimes even sleep alongside the brothers again?

Why did it hurt, sleeping beside you in your old room, when he had already shared a bed with you many times now? It hurt being with you, in this bed made for one, the pillows and blankets and your shifting form taking up room and pushing him out. Telling him that he didn’t belong next to you.

… The wise sorcerer watches his dear apprentice sleep; studying. He presses his lips gently to your temple and savours the familiar warmth that greets him, fondly. He selfishly, childishly, hooks an arm and a leg around you; entangling himself in you as you had done many times before with him. He easily finds your hand through touch alone under a blanket colder than the one you used to share; struggling to intertwine his fingers with yours properly. But he grips your hand like a lifeline when he manages to. He’s got the lines of your palm and the creases of the skin of your wrists memorised. With a small, shaky breath, Solomon uses his thumb to trace over them again, and again, and again. Studying.

It was just a study, right? A ‘what if’.

Just a study, with a simple title.

What if, for a while, he pretended you loved him?

A study compares the theoretical with the experimental. Compares the ideal with harsh, painful, hurtful reality.

You belonged with the brothers. They were your ideal.

… And his brief, domestic, blissful experiment with you was now over.

(i had started writing this before seeing that angest was ruling the poll, lol. but yayyyyyy i wanna start writing angst and romance with the characters i haven’t touched on yet, so have an angst solomon, set after lesson 40 of nightbringer)

[toga-003]

⋆⁺₊COLD AS ICE❅*:｡

ʚ summary: you have joined sukuna's side with uraume because you were strong and useful enough to keep around, sukuna mostly ignored you, but uraume seems to be taking a liking to you...

ʚ warnings: slight mature & sexual themes - female reader - gn uraume - unprotected sex - dirty talk - language - violence - sharp uraume behaviour - sub/dom mentions - smut and fluff :3

ʚ prior: due to the results of the second jjk underrated character poll here's the winner:

❆ URAUME you had recently joined sukuna's side since you knew standing anywhere in sukuna's path was a free ticket to death row, and you weren't stupid enough to test that theory. it took a lot of to prove yourself worthy of living remotely close to his side, but you were indeed a strong sorcerer and who knew what else you might be useful at. you were doing quite good at your first weeks working under sukuna so much that you managed to gain a little bit of the king of curses trust, well not even close to a quarter of the trust he has for uraume, but who knows for how long they have been serving for. as long as gain a few acts of fondness coming from uraume that eased your nervousness, knowing that you're welcome by them. you made your way to the kitchen of sukuna's temple at uraume's request, as soon as you step into the kitchen you're met with the gory sight of a few human bodies, The pressure is on as you stare down at the human torso in front of you. You've been exposed to so much gore that seeing it doesn't impact you too much. You can feel Uraume looking at you expectingly. They hold the knife in their hand, choping every limb off the dead bodies effortlessly as though they're quickly getting the task at hand done. teaching you to cook for Lord Sukuna does cut into their other chores that they deem more important, but it might be worth it when you finally learn how to cook sukuna's meals.

"I'm going to be teaching you how to prepare lord sukuna's food, as much as I appreciate your help with other chores. you can't keep on being useless when it comes to culinary." uraume spoke as they looked at you expectingly as they tried to make their point, if you were going to help with the tasks you should master them all to no exception. you slowly stepped closer as they handed you a butcher knife, expecting you to preform on one of the bodies laying on the cooking counter. "watch and do as i say....you have potential." they held your hand under theirs as they guided your hand to work while they stood behind you, trapping your form between their body and the counter facing you. "start off first by chopping off the limbs from the main body, slide into it but if you can't slice through due to a bone, use your strength to push the knife through, then well follow by skinning the meat- are you listening?" they snapped you back to reality, your mind was going off somewhere while you let them take complete control of your hand which was moving along as they mostly did the work, a faint blush appear on your face from embarrassment, stuttering to form a word to reply to them. uraume was confused for a moment by your off behaviour before it finally clicked, they narrowed their cold eyes as they stared down at you. "You are. getting yourself in deep trouble." This cooking lesson is not going like it was suppose to, i wonder who's fault is that....

uraume's eyes landed on your exposed breasts, nipples already hardening, making their face redden even more at the sight. they couldn't help but lean down, licking one nipple, making you gasp. they then took it between their lips, sucking softly while they kneaded your other breast with their hand, which resulted in a gasped moan escaping your lips before uraume's hand came to cover your mouth as you grinded against each other in the back of the kitchen while the other servants were working "quiet down, unless you wish for us to be caught in this lewd position." uraume whispered in your ear, their hot breath sending shivers down your spine as they pressed your back even more against the wall, trapping you there helplessly as you fought hard to hold back the faint moans escaping your lips as you grinded on uraume's clothed thigh, wetting their robes with your dripping pussy while they paid close attention to your breasts, uraume's other hand slid off your mouth when they trusted you to stay quiet to slide down to finally play with your aching cunt that was crying for attention for so long now. you muffled your mouth with your hand as you tired to surpass the loud moan that was threatening to flee you mouth as soon as their finger started skilfully massaging your clit, you moaned before uraume locked your lips together in a heated kiss to shut you up, your robe sliding off your body as you wrapped your arms around their neck as you kiss back, the rush of pleasure running through your body has you a trembling wet mess against uraume, before they finally broke the kiss, leaving you breathless. yet the pleasure didn't last long before uraume suddenly pulled away from you and fixed their own rode before quickly pressuring you to dress back presentably. uraume hurriedly stepped out of the back to the main kitchen just in time before sukuna swung the sliding door open, if only wasn't it to uraume's sharp sense to predict sukuna's close coming you two would have been caught, sukuna hummed as he stared down at uraume before he shifted his gaze to you, rode barely put on properely and seating like hell, both from the adrenaline pumping through your body from almost getting caught and the heat of the moment you had just experienced not five seconds ago, sukuna narrowed his eyes. "you're sweating bullets, is cooking for your king really a hard task for you? pfft- pathetic."

you were thoroughly shocked at uraume's ability to stay reserved and presentable even after what had happened merely seconds ego, well from the looks you and uraume have been exchanging this won't be a one time thing....

made by: @toga-003 AN: i fried my brain trying to write this fr, but it turned out better than i had expected, i hpe you enjoyed and you better join the next jjk underrated character poll!

[callsigncurse]

strange happenings (jake seresin x reader)

Summary: A trip to the falls with the Dagger Squad turns into a story told around a bonfire. You learn about Evergreen Falls' interesting history & you nearly break the promise you made to Jake.

Warnings: Brief mention of an animal attack.

A/N: Based off of a poll I did, the reader's Dagger Squad nickname will be Pepper! Congratulations on becoming the newest member. :)

Without further delay, I present to you part two of Evergreen Falls.

←prev.

It was shaping up to be a good day. The sun had risen far above you; it was pleasantly warm, and your friends were lounging around your porch as you packed a bag for your trip to the falls. You would have done it sooner, but Jake had absolutely insisted on taking you for breakfast, and the conversation had run long. You found it easy to get lost in his eyes, and apparently the same could be said for him.

You'd also had to run errands, and he'd tagged along while you ran to the store to get paper plates and napkins and while you purchased candles and a new charger for your cell phone. He didn't say much while you walked around the store, but you figured that was just how he was. People had watched the two of you curiously, the newcomer and the huge, quiet woodworker. You'd paid them no mind as you paid and left, your tall shadow following close behind you.

"Let's go, Pepper! We're wasting daylight!" Bradley complained, and you grabbed the paperback book you'd started and stuffed it into your backpack. The nickname he’d bestowed upon you was the result of you threatening to kick him in the nuts for a comment he’d made about seeing you in a bathing suit. It was all in good fun, but he’d laughed and told you that you were “a feisty, spicy woman” and the nickname ‘Pepper’ was born. 

Taking one last look in your mirror, you smoothed your hair down and adjusted the straps of your bathing suit top. The color is a lovely red, striking against your skin, and you shimmy your cutoff jean shorts back on. You’re a little worried that the cut and the color were a little too much for such a small town, but it was all you had on such short notice. Besides, you really liked the way you looked in it.

You feel eyes on you when you walk out of your house, turning to make sure the door is closed and locked securely. Sure, this was a small town, and crime happened very rarely. But the motions were ingrained in you after spending so many years in San Diego, so you did them anyway for your own piece of mind before you turned around to face everyone.

Jake was standing nearby, his hypnotic eyes trained on your every movement. There was something in his eyes, and whatever it was made your stomach erupt into butterflies. The way he made you feel just by looking at you was both mystifying and incredible.

The others were already gathering their things, with Bob and Bradley dragging coolers while Javy, Mickey, and Reuben walked ahead in their own little group, each carrying two camping chairs slung across their backs. Besides Jake, they knew the forest best and would lead your little friend group up to the falls. Nat walked on your right side, chattering with you, while Jake took his place on your left. He was walking in the grass rather than on the path, and he’d insisted on carrying your backpack in addition to two camping chairs. He seemed happier than he had this morning, even if he’d been roped into carrying chairs. Not that he struggled with that – the guy was extremely strong. 

"So I've been thinking." Nat was playing with her hands nervously, looking down at you as you walked.

"That sounds dangerous." You quipped, and you dodged her hand when she reached out to swat at you. You brushed up against Jake doing so, and you ignored the little shivers his warmth gave you. "Kidding, kidding. What's on your mind, Phoenix?"

"I've been wanting to talk to you about possibly becoming my partner. With the business." Your head shot up, your eyes meeting Nat's with confusion and a little worry. "Not like that; the business is doing totally fine financially. I'm wanting to work out a plan to expand it, you know? I want it to be a cafe and bookshop, and I thought maybe you could help with that part. Obviously you wouldn't have to work full shifts, just help me with planning, chime in with ideas, etcetera. I can pay you. Plus, I figured, you're here now, and books are your thing since you're an English major, and-"

"Phoenix." Your voice broke her out of her nervous rambling, and while you were stunned, you were also ecstatic. On one hand, this opportunity meant you'd be able to get out of the house and spend time with your friends. On the other, it might leave less time for you to write. Regardless, it was an easy choice to make. "You know I don't need the money, Nat," You murmured. She knew about the inheritance your parents had left behind for you. "But I'd be happy to pitch in. A bookshop sounds magical."

"Nonsense." She waved a hand, dismissing the very idea of accepting your help without some sort of payment offered. "I will absolutely be paying you. Stop by Top Bean on Monday, and we can talk more about it, okay? That way, we can have fun this weekend without thinking about work." When Nat set her mind to something, you knew there was no changing it. Not without a long, well-thought-out discussion.

You finally nodded. “Alright, fine. You got yourself a deal. And a business partner.” This part didn’t worry you. You knew that Nat would make an amazing business partner; she was well organized, focused, and driven. Yeah, this might just be the thing you needed. Another good change—something to focus on. Something you could be passionate about. What better way to start over than to start over in a place where your best friend was trying to help make a home for you?

“Awesome!” Nat threw an arm around your shoulders, dragging you in so she could squeeze you against her side. The affection had warmth blooming in your chest, and you did the same, slipping an arm around her waist. It was so nice to be with her again after having spent so much time apart. You had mostly survived on texts, the occasional call, and video chat. There was nothing quite like seeing her in person, bright, smiling, and happy to see you.

A hand touched yours, and you looked to the side to see Jake smiling softly down at you. “Do you hear that?” Sure enough, when you stopped chattering with Nat and really listened, you could hear the faint sounds of a flowing river. “We’re near the falls. This is about the halfway point from your cabin to the top of the falls.” He explains, his free hand gesturing toward the treeline on his left side. “This is the most beautiful part of the Evergreen Forest, but this is where it gets darkest at night. Very unsafe.”

You nod, studying your surroundings as you follow your friends. It doesn’t seem so dangerous, especially not when there’s a path that’s pretty clearly marked. Part of you wonders why Jake is so adamant about keeping you out of these woods, but the other part remembers the fact that you promised you wouldn’t come here alone. You wonder if you’ll ever find out why Jake seems so scared of this place or why he’s so worried about you.

Nat once again grabs your attention, telling you about the first trip to the falls of the summer. She tells you all about how they had made burgers, had a small campfire, and about how the boys had played football too close to the river, and a fumble from Fanboy caused the football to fly off into the water, never to be seen again. 

“That was not my fault; Coyote threw it over my head! I’m just a little dude compared to you guys.” A ripple of laughter traveled through the group, and you even heard Jake join in. His laugh is deep; there's a rumble in his chest, and it makes you smile just to hear it. You vow then that you’ll do your very best to make sure you hear that sound again, as many times as you can. “Besides, I bought a new one, and we’ll stay further away from the river.”

Another few steps revealed a break in the foliage. Up ahead, the river flowed peacefully, dancing over large rocks and under tree limbs. It sparkled beautifully as it went, the sun bouncing off into fractals. It was a gorgeous sight to behold, and you stayed behind just a moment to really take your fill of the landscape. You’d never lived somewhere so beautiful—sure, San Diego had the same ocean, but the views here were just indescribable. The falls were a little further upstream, but the place the group decided to settle was perfect – not too loud, and a huge clearing off the sides for tossing the football around, and a little bank so you could wade into the river.

Jake hovered just beside you, his green eyes studying your frozen form. The soft upturn of your lips had his heart racing, and the way the sun touched your hair, your bare shoulders and arms made you glow. Watching you, he wondered if you knew just how much you resembled an angel. He’d known from the second that his skin first touched yours that you were meant for him, but he also couldn’t deny the fact that you deserved so much better than what he had to offer.

“Jake?” The sound of your musical voice broke him out of his quickly spiraling mind, and he glanced back down at you. “You wanna come help me set up a spot? I think I’ll get some sun and read for a little while.” You didn’t really give him a second to answer you; you were just too excited to be here. You hurried toward the group, adjusting your sunglasses as you watched the guys start setting up. Nat grabbed a space between you and Bob, so Jake settled on setting his chair directly next to yours on your other side. As soon as that was settled, he reached up, took his shirt by the collar, and did that hot thing guys do when they slide their shirts off just like that.

You very nearly whimpered. You caught yourself in time, biting down on your lower lip so hard that you swore you nearly drew blood. But God, he was gorgeous. He was just as tan on his chest and belly as he was everywhere else, strong muscles moving under the surface of that golden skin as he moved to carefully fold his t-shirt. And the trail, holy shit. It was the same dark honey shade as his beard, and you wanted to swoon. And he had a tattoo on his left arm, the dark imprint of a forest wrapped around his bicep. You wondered when he’d gotten it. You suddenly had the urge to kiss all over his skin and feel how warm he was with your fingertips.

Instead, you duck your head and move to sit in your chair, digging around in your backpack for the book you’d dropped in there earlier. It was easier to breathe when you weren’t looking at him, but the thing was, you never wanted to stop looking at him. There was something about him that just drew your attention to him whenever he was nearby. Which was a problem because this was a small town and you shared a friend group.

“Pretty girl?” When you looked up, Jake was looking at you with a glint in his eyes. It looked like he was up to no good. “You’re sitting directly in the sun at half past noon; you maybe want to put some sunscreen on before you get pink all over?” That was a good point. You dive back into your backpack, dragging out a tube of SPF 50 and uncapping it.

You felt his eyes on you as you squeezed some into your palm, and then as you slowly started working into your skin. It took everything in you not to pretend that it was his hands doing all the work instead, loosening knots in your muscles as they worked their magic. So instead, you started counting backwards in your head, rubbing more sunblock into your legs, your belly, and your chest. When you finally looked back at him, you were startled.

He looked, for lack of a better word, hungry. His seafoam green eyes were several shades darker, and his hands twitched from their place in his lap. It was like he was holding himself back from reaching out to touch you, and a shiver raced its way down your spine. You understood how he felt, because you were feeling the exact same way towards him – that undeniable pull tugging at you, making you want to touch his skin and press kisses to his lips. 

“Here, Pep, let me get your back.” Bob was suddenly there, completely oblivious to the tension between you and Jake that was currently making the air hard to breathe. “Gotta make sure you’re covered, yeah?” You knew Bob meant absolutely no harm, he was just sweet like that, but Jake looked absolutely murderous as your friend took the bottle from you and gently covered your back in the sunscreen. His hands were warm and soft with small calluses on his fingertips, most likely due to the fact that he was the high school’s music teacher. You’d heard from Bradley that he was damn good at playing the guitar. 

When he was done, he handed the bottle back. “There you go, all set.” He declared, and you thanked him with a gentle squeeze of the hand. He really was one of the sweetest people you’d ever met, and you were happy to know him. “I’m gonna go help Bradley set up the grill so we can get lunch going. Come over if you get hungry, okay?”

 With that, he wandered off toward Bradley, and you turned back to face forward. Nat had watched the entire thing, and she noticed the dark look on Jake’s face. In all her years of knowing him, she’d never seen him look downright dangerous before. She wondered what all that was about.

You weren’t oblivious to what was happening. You saw the way he was looking at the ground, and his jaw was clenched so tightly that a muscle was twitching. It was almost like you could feel what he was feeling—the jealousy building in your gut. You wonder if you're having some sort of hallucination or if you’re just going a tad bit insane. There’s no possible way that you could actually be feeling what Jake was feeling, right?

You’re broken out of your thoughts by the sound of your friends starting up a game and the boys tossing the football around. So you push aside whatever the hell you think is happening to you and follow Phoenix over to the excitement to watch.

By the time the sun starts to go down, you’re a little sore, and your skin is just the slightest amount of pink from too much sun. But the river had been nice and cool, and it felt like you’d really bonded with ‘the Daggers’ as you’d come to learn that they called themselves. You were a part of them now, and nothing felt better to you than knowing that this incredible group of people liked you and wanted you around.

Now you were seated in your chair, watching Javy, Reuben, and Mickey chow down on snacks while Bradley and Nat talked quietly. Bob was watching the fire, and Jake seemed to be in his own world. The flames threw his features into a gorgeous shade of gold, and you couldn’t help but try to discreetly watch him. You wonder which parent he got those beautiful green eyes from, and you study the way he taps the fingers of his left hand on his thigh like he’s playing the piano.

“You know, I think it’s time that Pepper here knew a little more about her new home, don’t you guys?” Mickey pipes up, and you turn your head at the mention of your nickname. “Has Nat ever told you about the legends around this place, Pep?” The others are looking at you, and you feel your eyebrows furrow as you sit up straighter in your chair.

“No, she didn’t, but I love learning about myths and legends." This is actually of particular interest to you, being that you’ve studied and read a lot of stories based on myths and legends. “What do you guys have here? Spirits? Cry baby bridges? Bigfoot?” Jake snorts, and you laugh, too. “Sorry, this is just super interesting to me.”

“I mean, Bigfoot is a given; you live in the PNW now,” Bob points out, “but our legends are a little cooler than Cry Baby Bridges or just plain old ghosts. How familiar are you with werewolves?”

You cock an eyebrow, meeting Bob’s gaze from across the fire. "What do you mean, like, ‘turning under the full moon and silver bullets kill us’ type of werewolves?” You didn’t particularly believe in the supernatural, as fascinating as you did find the legends and stories surrounding them. “That’s a little far-fetched, isn’t it?” Part of you wondered if your friends were just trying to scare you or something.

“Not that kind of werewolf.” The soft reply came from beside you, and you knew without looking that it was Jake. “These wolves, the ones from our legends, are different from the ones in your storybooks, pretty girl.”

The rest of the Daggers seemed content to let Jake tell the story, so you turned in your chair as much as you could to watch him as he told it. “Our town was founded a very long time ago, not long after the Oregon Trail. Back then, this land was wilder and harsher. And, little did the town’s first settlers know, a lot more occupied.”

He pauses for a moment, like he’s searching for the right words. “The ones that shared the land here were born as werewolves. Part man, part beast, but they lived as though they were beasts all of the time. They lived in the forests like animals; they hunted, fought, and bred like they’d never been humans in the first place.”

“And then humans started arriving in droves, taking over their land, and the wolves felt threatened. They fought back.” Jake’s eyes have a faraway look in them. “As much as they could, at least. They sabotaged the town, chased people away, and once, a man was bitten by a wolf. Of course, he was treated for it, and no one thought much of it. At least, not until the next full moon. It’s said that when the Bitten first turn, they have no control over it. The man that had been bitten fell to the floor in front of a clergyman, and the clergyman said that it seemed like every bone in the man’s body broke, just these horrible snapping sounds coming from him until he was nothing but a heap on the ground.”

Jake pauses for a moment before he continues. “And then fur started taking over his skin. Black as night, and then his teeth elongated and his nose and mouth turned into a snout and suddenly, in front of him, where the man had been, there was a wolf. And that wolf snarled at him, and the clergyman fled. Ran as far and as fast as he possibly could.”

“No one ever saw the man that had supposedly turned into a wolf again, not after that night. And of course, eventually, the rest of the wolves were forced to leave when yet more humans came. Some say they never returned to this area, but others say that they’ve heard the howls at night.” The corner of his mouth twitches, almost like he’s about to smile. “Nothing truly remains of those times but word-of-mouth, because the town’s archives mysteriously burned along with the first library back in 1901. There’s no way that we can say for certain that the stories are true."

His eyes refocus, and he studies you with those gorgeous eyes. “But then again, most legends are based on facts, so who’s to say the monsters in our legends aren’t real?"

You’re quiet for a moment, your gaze meeting his, and then you snort and roll your eyes. “Yeah, yeah, neat story, guys. You’re not going to scare me that easily. I lived in San Diego, in case you didn’t remember. Nothing scares me anymore.”

The others laugh, with Nat pushing your shoulder good-naturedly as she giggles. Mickey has a shit-eating grin on his face since this was his idea, and Bradley looks disappointed that the stories didn’t seem to rattle you.

Jake is too busy staring at you again, and his expression is entirely unreadable. 

It’s not long after the story that the Daggers decide to start packing it up. The boys grab the chairs, and once again, Jake grabs your backpack. He seems to hesitate for a moment before he offers you his hand, too. “It gets real dark out here,” he explains quietly, almost shyly. “Wouldn’t want you to trip and fall.”

You slip your hand into his, and his skin is so warm against yours. A shiver skitters its way down your spine, and you avert your eyes before you once again get lost in his. “Thanks, Jake," you murmur in response, threading your smaller fingers through his and giving his hand a squeeze.

The walk back is quieter than it had been on the way in. A day in the river and under the warm summer sun had pleasantly worn you all out. Bob, Javy, and Reuben walked at the front of the group, while Bradley and Mickey were discussing something that you couldn’t quite hear. Nat walked just in front of you, seemingly content to be walking alone. You were content too, at Jake’s side, with his hand in yours.

When your cottage comes into view, everyone starts saying their goodbyes. Nat gives you a hug, Reuben and Mickey give you high-fives, Bob waves, and Bradley bumps your shoulder with his and gives you a wink. Javy gives you a cute little two-fingered salute and wanders off after Nat.

Soon enough, it’s just you and Jake left, standing in front of your home. Finally, you turn to look at him, just as he leans down and presses a sweet kiss on your forehead. While your face warms, you lean into his touch. “Today was amazing." Your voice is soft, but you mean it with all your heart. “Hanging out with you all day was the best.”

“I agree.” His free hand, the one that isn’t holding yours, brushes a loose lock of your hair behind your ear. “Thank you for insisting that I come with you all today. It’s been a long time since I’ve taken a day to just hang out with friends. It's been even longer since I had a breakfast date with a beautiful woman."

“It’s been years since I’ve been on a date.” You admit, and you're getting lost in those green, green eyes again. “Not that I thought it was a date; I’m sure you were joking about that. I mean, we just met, and you’re unfairly handsome, and I’m sure you could have any girl you wanted–" 

“Hey.” He cuts off your rambling, his voice soft as he lays his large hands on your shoulders. “I wasn’t joking when I said it was a date. I want it to have been a date because I like you. And I like you because you’re smart, insanely beautiful, and so interesting, and I’d really like it if I got to keep getting to know you. It’s been a long time since a woman has captured my attention the way you have.” You could swear your heart just stuttered in your chest at his words, and you nodded.

“I’d really like that too, Jake.” His touch is warm, and you lean into him a little more. “I knew I was going to be happy to move here since Nat was here. But meeting you guys—the Daggers—has been the most amazing thing. I feel like I really belong here.”

One of his hands touches your cheek, and he smiles serenely. “I think you do belong here, sweet girl.” The new nickname sends a pleasant shiver down your spine, and an answering smile flickers on your lips. “Getting a little late. I should probably let you go so you can get some rest.”

You’re about to argue—maybe invite him in for a cup of coffee—but a yawn overtakes you, and yeah, you’re exhausted. Moving took a lot out of you, and you’d only managed a few hours of sleep the night before. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow? I don’t have much of a plan since it’s Sunday, but if you want to stop by or anything, I wouldn’t mind the company.”

“I have a few things to work on at the shop." His hands leave you as he readies himself to leave, and you mourn the loss of his warmth. “But that should only take me a few hours. Maybe I can swing by in the evening? I can even cook you dinner.”

You have to suppress a smile at the idea. “That sounds perfect, Jake. I’ll look forward to it.”

“Goodnight, pretty girl.” He murmurs, and he waits until you’re safely inside the house to start the half-mile walk back to his place.

You’re still smiling to yourself when you get in the shower, washing the river water, sweat, and sunscreen off of your skin. You let yourself dwell on the fact that Jake admitted that he liked you and that he was planning on seeing you again tomorrow. It almost felt like a dream. 

It’s nearing midnight when you’re pulling on your pajamas, and you’re just about to turn out your light when it happens.

Howling.

It’s coming from behind your house, and you remember then about the howling you’d heard the night before, just before you’d fallen asleep. You’d chalked it up to exhaustion and an overactive imagination, but you knew for certain now that it had been real. Just as real as it was now.

Your heart was pounding as you grabbed your phone, and yeah, what you did next was probably extremely stupid. Instead of crawling into the safety of your bed, you turned around and crept down the stairs, your phone’s flashlight lighting your way.

Each new howl sounded closer, and you tiptoed through your kitchen to the backdoor. It sounded so close, and you knew that Jake would not be happy if you went out there, but your curiosity was getting the better of you. Wolves, you knew from your biology class in high school, were less likely to attack than say, a bear or a moose. So where was the harm in seeing one for yourself?

The door creaked when you pushed it open, and your feet touched the soft grass of your backyard. You knew that the path that led back into the Evergreen Forest was just a few feet ahead of you, but the night was pitch black and you could only see a few inches in front of your face with the help of your phone’s flashlight. All is mostly quiet now, just the sound of the wind rushing through the trees around you. It was almost eerily silent, like all of the other creatures around you were too afraid to make any noise. 

You find yourself moving toward the treeline, your phone gripped tightly in your hand. Half of your brain is screaming at you to get back inside, take refuge in the safety of your bed, but the other half is curious–you can’t help but remember the story from tonight. The werewolves, the legend that was perhaps based on fact, and Jake’s expression when you told him that you didn’t believe the story.

Another howl cuts through the air, closer than before, and your phone chimes with a text.

Jake: Don’t go in the woods tonight.

A strange feeling pools in your gut, and you turn and flee back into the house.

Taglist;

@twsssmlmaa

@mamachasesmayhem

[shego1142]

Okay so… I don’t really want to make this post, mostly because I feel like I’m always the one wearing tin foil hats on tumblr

But listen… I understand being upset and sad and afraid right now

But yall some of these posts are going beyond doomerism

Some of these posts

A lot of these posts, actually

Look quite a bit like demoralisation

So many of these posts I’ve seen look very much like purposeful targeted demoralisation

And I do hope everyone can understand very quickly how bad demoralising people right now is.

I do hope everyone can very quickly understand just how much people in power stand to gain from demoralising us.

I mean, you know, not that I’m saying that there’s a psyop taking place on the website that has routinely had multiple proven right wing/conservative/white supremacist psyops take place or anything

You know, that would be bonkers.

But all of these blogs out here saying that everything is hopeless and nothing will ever get better and we are all doomed and we should just tear each other apart and play the blame game?

That’s a little fishy.

Especially given that now more than ever is a time to stand with one another and hold on to hope and start organising together.

All of these blogs just blind faith accepting the election results as they are and not even considering any bad acting is at play? Just rolling over without any hint of a fight and implying that everyone else has to as well?

That’s a little fishy.

Especially given that:

The election results are not certified until December 25th and the House and Senate do have the power to object to the electoral college votes (especially if enough pressure is put on them to do so)

Especially given that it took a long time before we were sure who won in the last presidential race and it looked like Trump had won that first week back then too

Especially given that Kamala Harris’ Concession speech is not legally binding, and if it is found out between now and December 25th that she has won, then that will still be considered a legal win.

Especially given that many states, including battleground states, are already doing a recount and many more states are presumed to follow (So far Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada are recounting the ballots and Arizona and Texas are considering)

Especially given that there has already been proven minimal forms of tampering with the election process including multiple burnt absentee ballot boxes, bomb threats at polling places, as well as just plain human error whether malicious or benign.

So… you know… anyone posting on here saying that hope is dead and that we should all hate each other and everyone should just fuck off and stop caring about everything and stop supporting each other?

That seems a little bit fishy, doesn��t it?

That seems a little bit fucking sus, doesn’t it?!

Especially given that, even after all is said and done, even if he 100% did win and there’s no doubt that it’s legitimate

He’s still being sued for multiple charges and violations of conduct, he could still end up in jail

Especially since even if he doesn’t, even if he is sitting as acting president one January:

We have 2 and 1/2 months to mobilise

2 and 1/2 months to organise

Sure would be convenient for Trump and the 1% and the right wing pundits to make everyone feel like everything is hopeless and tragic and to pit leftist against democrats and what not

Sure would be useful to them if we were all just sad and hateful to each other these next coming months

Like I’ve seen many posts tying to do.

You can feel your feelings but if you start advocating for us to attack one another, for women to fight and hate leftist men who voted for Kamala, for black people to fight and hate other people of color, for leftists to hate democrats for not “going far enough” and for democrats to hate leftists for “going too far”

And all this bullshit in-fighting

I’m just going to assume you’re a bad actor and block you

This isn’t the time for the blame game, there’s no fucking one to blame other than Trump and most likely Elon Musk’s money.

Now isn’t the time to give a shit about why the election results are what they are.

Now is a time to stand together, united, to make our communities better, safer, sanctuaries.

Now is the time to talk to one another, to not strive for perfection but for safety.

Call your representatives

Get your passport

Print out as many copies of books (especially banned ones) as possible and fill your local little libraries with them, fill it with zines about community building too,

Check out these links:

Talk to the queers and the people of colour and the disabled people in your community

Book a meeting room in your local library

Talk to your librarians, talk to your teachers and health care workers

Talk to your local conservationists.

Don’t just talk to leftist spaces either, remember:

There is Power in Making Friends, Not Winning Battles - reach out to your community and find out what the real issues are, it’s very rarely actually just hate, it’s usually fear and poverty.

Do nice things for your community in the name of Queerness - in some places you can adopt a road and make it beautiful, so this with a group of queer friends and get a plaque that says “This Road Was Adopted by The Queer Community”

Get together with your minority friends and figure out how to open a soup kitchen (easiest than you think and registering as a non profit is actually a great way to stay safe for many reasons)

Have your community see you as a part of it, not a threat to it.

Speak at schools

Fundraiser for the library

If you’re included to do so, you could partner with different religious groups as well, especially since there are in fact religious groups that are inclusive and welcoming and supportive.

Make your community know that the “threat” of the “lgbtqia” is non-existent

Don’t make yourself less queer, less a person of colour, less disabled, etc, don’t fade into the background

Become a shining beacon of positivity and goodness that everyone in your community can see as an asset to the community.

Give back more than you e ever gotten.

I know how difficult that can be but trust me, it will be worth it. Work with the leaders in your community to lobby for more rights just in your town and then you can lobby for more rights in your state.

Just like how many states have now said that if Trump tries to do mass deportations they will stop him, work to create that solidarity within your own communities.

Do not sit quietly in fear doing and saying nothing but hopeless things for the next two months.

Do not let anyone convince you that it’s over.

Do not become another statistic.

[nervocat]

how about a reader who fell in love with neuvi from the first moment they saw him? Like its one side thing and reader wants to become closer with him, but tries not too force him.

Honestly, this request feels like for not just one part, but do as you wish)

P.s. i haven’t seen such fanfics sadly… usually reader catch feelings after some time but what if this time reader like him and wants him to love them? Like how can we win this softie’s heart? (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)

Sry for strange request, its in my head for long time already ><

“A cat brings you the book that you had requested from the library. Sorry for the long wait, the owner was busy . . . ”

★ — NOTES: the final request is done! Now I can start working on my series soon enough when the poll is done. Also I might've strayed away from some of the topics in the request, but it still has the same premises, so I hope you enjoy the long awaited (and much overdue) request :DD sorry it's so short tho ✦ — WORD COUNT: 345 ★ — FANDOM: genshin impact ✦ — CW: none but not proofread and ending kinda rushed

        “Getting to Know The Iudex, Monsieur Neuvillette”

     You knew it was silly, you did, but when you first saw The Iudex Monsieur Neuvillette up close, you couldn't help but fall for his looks. You also knew he wanted to keep the people around him at arm's length, not wanting to be close to anyone, but you wanted to try to at least befriend him.

You first met him during business matters for a person's case, you being the investigator of the case. You were relaying the information to Neuvillette and when you two had a moment of silence to take in the information, you had a chance to take in his features.

He was very handsome and pretty, not that you couldn't see that from where he sits during trials, but with the sun shining through the windows onto his face made it all the more better. You decide to propose that you come over weekly to the Palais Mermonia to keep giving him updates on the case so he can take things into evaluation before the trial — when the culprit is caught of course.

You continue to see each other, the bond between you two deepening, though Neuvillette still kept his distance from you emotionally. The case eventually came to a close, the criminal was found and charged, and the trial was over. You were disheartened and almost gave up as a result, but the Melusines helped Neuvillette open up to you.

When he personally requested you to his office, it was surprising to you. You obliged and did as he asked, and he asked you to be his friend. You happily said yes, and from that point on, you grew even closer with him as you solved more and more cases and came to him to relay more and more information to him about different cases.

He sees how you treated the Melusines and the people so kindly, and you eventually weaseled your way into his heart. Who will confess first is still a mystery, and whether or not Neuvillette will let you in fully is all on him. ✧

🐾 ★ — © nervocat || I appreciate any reblogs made, and pls don't repost or translate my works anywhere, ty — ✦ ☁️

[scary-grace]

Shigaraki x Reader WIP Poll

I started but didn't finish a bunch of fics for Halloween, and in an effort to distract myself from everything I'd like to get into them! Below are excerpts from four fics I got a decent start on. Once you've read them, vote in the poll at the bottom for which one you think I should finish first!

Necromancer Shigaraki

            Tomura stares at your body, torn. You’re just barely dead. He watched you take your last breaths only seconds ago, and he knows even without touching you that your skin’s still warm, your blood still liquid, your brain still alight with electrical impulses. You’re the perfect candidate for a resurrection, and Tomura needs a perfect candidate, or it’s not going to work. Spirits of the restless dead might be drawn to Tomura like moths to a bug zapper, but the real money in necromancy comes through resurrections, and Tomura’s never done one successfully.

            That was fine while Tomura’s master was still in charge, but when he was captured, his guild disbanded. Tomura and his friends had to find a new home, and their new guildmaster gives zero shits about potential and all the shits about results, which means that Tomura’s inability to manage a complete resurrection has gone from an awkward conversation to a significant problem. Tomura’s friends have made themselves useful to the Hassaikai guild already. If Tomura can’t, he’ll be out on his ear.

            He needs to resurrect somebody, and he needs to do it fast. You’d be the ideal subject if your last words hadn’t been a demand to do the exact opposite.

Demon Shigaraki

In all of Tomura’s depictions, he’s missing something – his index and middle finger off his left hand. Offering him yours should get his attention. You adjust your grip on the handle of the knife and speak. “I conjure you, Shigaraki Tomura, instrument of destruction and symbol of fear. Come to me.”

            The circle hums to life around you. The book said it would do that. The book also said to explain. “Someone took everything away from me. I want to pay him back, but I can’t.” Bitterness fills the back of your throat, stings your eyes. Your hatred for Keigo chokes off your voice for a moment. “Shigaraki Tomura, spirit of entropy, dominion of grief, vengeance is mine. Help me claim it.”

     You set your hand on top of the ninth symbol, spreading your thumb, fourth, and fifth fingers wide, leaving a clear strike at your index and middle fingers. Seeing them there, isolated on the red-chalked concrete floor, turns your stomach. How hard will you have to strike to amputate them? What if you can’t do it? This is insane. You need to move on. Move towns, move countries, dye your hair and change your name, go under and surface again somewhere far from Takami Keigo, where you’ll never hear his name again. Is vengeance against the guy who did you wrong really worth mutilating yourself? Do you really hate him that much?            

Yes. You do.

Crossroads Demon Shigaraki

Tomura doesn’t know how time passes for humans when they’re alive, but he knows how it passes for you because of how you wake up. Most of the souls at Tomura’s crossroads were dead before they knew what hit them, and they wake up slowly, peacefully. They seem to know they’re dead already. They get up fast and walk faster, dissolving into nothingness past the edge of the crossroads before they even realize that Tomura’s there. But you knew what hit you. You know something went wrong. Tomura knows, because when you wake up, you lurch upright, clawing at your chest and struggling to breathe.

You’re dead. You don’t need to breathe. You don’t need to shiver, either, but your spirit’s shaking all over as you press your hands against your chest, touch along your arms and legs, reach up to the back of your head and press down hard. Tomura remembers what your body looked like on the road, and you must remember, too, because with every injury you can’t find, your panic increases. Your hands keep returning to your chest, the back of your head, like you’re trying to hold your body together.

You don’t have a body anymore. There’s nothing there, and Tomura doesn’t like the way watching you makes him feel. “Hey,” he says, and you freeze in place. “Pull it together. You’re dead.”

Cyborg Shigaraki

You work your fingers beneath the net, pulling it up and away from his neck so you can cut it away without getting the knife anywhere near his skin. Once you’ve made the necessary cuts, you get to work unwrapping it, sliding your hand behind his head and lifting it as gently as you can manage as you tug the net free. He’s almost dead weight, but not quite. When you lower his head back to the sand, you take a moment to move his hair out of his face.

            You get a shock from there. His eyes are open, their irises blood-red, and there are scars over his eye and the corner of his mouth. As you watch, he blinks slowly, then focuses on you. The voice that passes through his cracked lips is raspy and quiet, so quiet that you have to lean in to hear. “Leave me.”

            “I can’t do that,” you say. You can’t call for an ambulance – there’s no cell service down here, and in the time it would take you to get back in range, it’ll be too late. “Nobody should be alone when they –”            

“Won’t die.” He coughs, and a spatter of blood exits his mouth. Blood wells up around the driftwood spar, too. “Once I take it out.”

[renaiswriting]

The idol life (interactive story) poll. 2

Summary: You are a trainee that was selected to be added to seventeen after the contract renewal.

Previous | The idol life Masterlist | Next

THE IDOL LIFE SNS (check what the fans are saying)

Masterlist

If you want to be tagged, please fill out the tag list form.

Taglist: @flwrrchild @roe-sinning @asyre @littlewolfieposts @hipsdofangirl @porridgesblog @mhlsymlysn

The results of the previous poll:

🍨: 00' liner; 🌼: 98' liner 🦋: 97' liner; 🎀: 94' liner.

The winner was: 🦋

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Feeling somewhat nervous walking, with legs so shaky they felt like jelly, until you sat at the end of a very long table.

 

The room was quite spacious, and the seriousness on the faces of the others made the knot in your stomach grow even deeper.

"(Y/n)," the CEO spoke. His voice echoed in such a silent space. His eyes were fixed on a sheet he carried gently in his hands. Reading it.

 

You sat with your back as straight as possible, holding your breath.

 

Your eyes were fixed on the man, not daring to move them away.

 

"Mmm," he hummed, nodding his head. "Is this your first time at this place?"

 

You nodded. "Yes, sir, it is." You replied once you realized he was expecting a verbal answer.

 

"I bet you already know the people who are accompanying us this afternoon," the man said, but he turned to each and every single one of them, introducing you to them with their names and professions. "And, of course, you probably heard about Seungcheol."

Your eyes connected with those of a man you had seen several times on television. His face was quite serious, but he sent you a small smile.

 

The CEO began to explain the reason for the meeting and how good they expected the results of your addition to the group to be for the next comeback that was scheduled for four months from now.

"I'm going to be honest," he said, his eyes directly connecting with the CEO's. "I don't like this one bit. It's nothing against you, of course." He quickly added, looking at you almost apologetic. "But it's been way too long for us to have a sudden new member; we have already done so much together that a new addition just doesn't feel right."

"Besides, the comeback is too early to have to make all the changes with the songs and choreographies... The recordings for the next three going seventeen episodes are scheduled for next week, and everything has to be ready before Jun and Minghao go to promote in China. It just seems like it's too much to get ready."

 

Your heart started beating so fast that you had this one exploding. This might be your last chance to debut; all the new trainees and groups that were debuting lately were more than eight years ahead of you. Even at twenty-six, you already felt that you were too old to pursue your dreams of being an idol.

 

"I'll be ready." You suddenly spoke, hurrying to make the words leave your mouth before you started overthinking too much. You did not want to lose your pretty much last chance. "I'll prove it to you, to all of you. I'm ready."

Seungcheol sighed deeply; his eyes traveled to the sheet in front of him.

 

You got a small glimpse of the sheet from the woman sitting a seat away from you; it was a sheet with all your data and grades from all the monthly exams the company conducted.

 

"I don't know. If we're going to do this, then we have to do it alright. It's not just me; everyone in the group needs to meet her; we all need to get to know each other. I know that the response from the fans will not be positive, and if they feel like things are awkward between her and the members, it will backfire even more."

 

"I hope you're ready for what's ahead of you. You're way too old to debut now, so you'll have a little bit of backlash from the public. People might question what you are even bringing to the group, and if the next comeback doesn't do well, all the blame would be put on you, no matter if this is the reason or not. You should prepare yourself properly to face a lot of hate at the beginning of your debut." The CEO cleaned his throat.

[herotome]

Special Informal Devlog

Hi-ho, Wudge here! Aaaa. I missed the update last week... as we crawl closer and closer to release, it's become harder for me to write devlogs. I'm making progress every single day, and that makes me so frustrated that it isn't done yet, you know? 😭 Something something curse of perfectionism...

Anyway.

I thought I'd try something a little different with this post by chronicling a specific screen I've worked very hard on, from start to finish!

(Pictured: a preview of where we're gonna end up)

It all began on... August 2021?! Yowza, two years ago! When I posted a poll on tumblr and on itch about how I should handle flirt indicators. The votes were split 50/50 between two popular options, and I was able to surmise that yall would really, really love an option to toggle between the two.

It didn't take me long to figure out how to implement the toggle itself.

The following year (September 2022), I came up with the idea of putting in an illustrated tutorial on how my flirt indication system works - after all, poll participants had told me that they loved the idea and had never seen it before in other games. I was on a treadmill at the time, so I quickly doodled the idea on my phone. It looks like this:

Then when I got home, I did a rough pen draft to solidify the idea...

I worked on the digital version over the next 2-3 weeks, and asked my friends for help with editing the text to ensure clarity.

.... Then I took a looong break from the infographic to, uh.... write, edit, playtest the game, draw expressions for Griffin CG, draw expressions for the landlord, work on a new Clammy Lady sprite, playtest the game again, make all the characters blink, make the first glowing animation for Jade's powers, code in Griffin's CG expressions, stress about paypal making changes in my country, do concept art for upcoming npcs, write some more, playtest some more, draw a birthday picture for Dart, write devlogs every single week, make sure all my files were safely transferred to my new laptop before my old one completely died... etc.

So it was February 2023 by the time I came back around to try implementing the infographic in code :')

... It was functional, but no matter what I tried, I didn't like how it looked with everything crammed into one page.

... Then I got really sick... but after I recovered and did some more work (drawing, writing, playtesting, etc) I came back to the infographic with the intention to learn how to code pages in renpy.

Still didn't look phenomenal, but there's a whole lot more breathing room! This was in April 2023.

I took another "break" (worked on a million other things) and then... FINALLY... in late August 2023, just a few weeks ago, I had an art breakthrough!

I had garnered a better understanding of color and poses, and as a result my chibis became a LOT cuter! I was able to redraw most of them without too much hassle - whereas when I first started, it would take me all day to draw a single one.

I also drew custom heart icons (a plain heart, a golden heart, and a broken heart), figured out how to make text buttons look more fun and intuitive..

And here's where we're at now!!! I still need to draw eyes for Dart.... but I researched and absorbed a lot about screen compositions, and had a rather late realization that I could re-use backgrounds and assets I already have in the game.

That's it for the special edition. I'll update with more soon!

Stay safe and keep warm,

Wudge.

[originalgenshinscenarios]

Monthly special: Variable Barricade crossover!

AGH I had it almost done for like a week. BUT I KEPT RE-WRITING THE LAST SCENE so it took me a week longer than I wanted it to 😭😭😭 BUT I’M BACK. And as the poll results are also in next chapter will be start of Miko’s route!!

If you want to join the taglist just send an ask or dm me!

Reader here is female and has established background.

Cw: Age gap (Reader is 18 and the ladies are ages 20-24)

|First chapter|

<= Previous chapter | Next chapter (Miko's route) =>

After the disaster your suitors called not a big deal, your absolute angel of a friend decided to check on your situation personally. Meeting your suitors was a way for her to determine if your grandfather had actually made a mistake by choosing these women. 

But who knows on whose side she'll be on in the end?

Part one, chapter 4- Fight for approval

After telling your suitors about Ayaka visiting they seemed quite interested.

"Just so we're clear, how much have you told her about us exactly..?" you didn't expect Yelan to worry about that, but it's not like you planned to hide that information. 

"I've told her enough for her to be interested. Then again, me and her are close so it was just a matter of time before she requested that I introduce her to you" you thought it was more likely for her to want to meet whoever you decide to choose in the end though, if not for your constant rants about them. 

"Hm, I wonder if she's visiting out of curiosity or concern. Perhaps both" Miko had a smug smile on her face "Ah what I would do to hear just what exactly you're saying behind our backs" 

"You talk like you never start conversations about me" you stare at her blankly. 

"To be fair our interest in you might as well be the only thing we share in common" Ningguang points out. 

You honestly had no words at this point. It just baffles you how one second they're at each other's throats just to defend each other the next. Shouldn't they be rivals? 

Your silence was an answer louder than any words you possibly could convey as you saw how everyone involved in the conversation just now took the hint. 

"So, when is she going to come by?" Eula was the one to finally bring up the question. 

You shook your head "Honestly… I don't even know yet…"

-

A week later, you and Ayaka were having lunch together. With what she promised recently, she decided to tell you only now that she planned to come today.

"I already informed Thoma that I'll visit today. I hope this isn't too much of a hassle that I didn't let you know sooner" she sounded almost guilty. 

"I still don't get why you couldn't call me yesterday to let me know" you huffed. 

"Because I know you enough to know that you would tell them how to behave. And I want this to be as genuine as it can be" she politely explained. 

"You say like they'd listen to me…" you complain. They don't listen to you. They don't even take your feelings into consideration… Most of the time "And also I could have already told them everything already for all you could know" with your answer she gave you the look that made it clear that she knew you were bluffing. 

"See? You were considering it. And they would listen if it meant they'd be able to impress both you and me" she pointed out. Although you weren't so sure about it, you decided to not argue with Ayaka on that matter. 

"Fine, you're right. But what about Thoma? You don't know if he isn't doing the exact same thing" if anyone he'd be the first to set them straight so they wouldn't embarrass the family head's judgement. 

"As much as it's his duty to make sure you warm up to those ladies, he is also curious about my view on the matter" she smiled "Let's just say that he wanted a second expert's opinion" from the tone of her voice it was clear that she only worried about you. But her words did come off as if she was teasing you. 

"And who would be the first expert?" it couldn't possibly be your grandfather right? He's very capable of reading people, but at the same time he hardly can be called an expert at what you might want or need. 

"That'd be Thoma. You know, he contacted me back when he first was starting to get to know them. Even then he tried to convince me to meet them, but I figured it'd be more fun if you were to introduce me to them… hope I did the right call on that…" she suddenly didn't sound as confident as she usually is when talking to you, so you decided to affirm her. 

"It'll definitely feel more natural. I'd feel weird if I were the last person to meet them to be honest" you rest your head against your hand as you let out a little sigh "Was it the same for you and your engagement?" 

You don't often talk about Ayaka's arranged marriage, mostly because she doesn't feel the need to. She accepted it a long time ago with little to no complaints. 

"I was the second person from my family he talked to. First was my brother who gave out the idea" she had her usual ever so polite smile on her face. You only then realize that your question was a rather stupid one. There aren't a lot of people Ayaka's soon to be husband could talk to in the first place… 

You remember when she told you the news. Unlike you she wasn't forced, she agreed to it. Your emotions didn't understand it but your logic did. For such a small family and a huge company, it's not impossible to imagine them needing some additional assistance. But you're yet to hear about her brother's marriage-! 

Your anger was as clear as day and it earned you a chuckle from Ayaka "Y/N, are you thinking again about the situation? It's sweet of you really, but I'm satisfied with how things are" she didn't look like she was lying "I just never planned to marry out of love you know. And if I can do so for mutual benefit, why shouldn't I?" you've already been through this but it still feels so weird to hear how happy she is about engaging in a loveless marriage. Especially since she wouldn't wish the same for you. 

"Ah… This topic is killing the atmosphere, isn't it? Let's discuss something else" and with that your usual chat with Ayaka started shifting topics from one to another. 

-

During your time at school, nothing out of the ordinary was happening in the house. 

"I wonder if Y/N was actually planning on introducing her friend to us" Yelan started the thought. 

"Why not? She probably has her own responsibilities, so surely you didn't think we'd meet her day after Y/N's announcement" Miko commented as she looked through a magazine. 

"Right, I forgot that whoever associates with the L/N heir has to be high class too" Yelan rolled her eyes. 

"It's more about that friend being a classmate from a prestigious school. Not that she'd only befriend someone on her level" Miko sounded bored "I mean, we're her "love interests" and the closest to high class is Eula who got disowned" 

"Don't bring me into this to prove your point Miko, besides it's normal for us to assume that meeting Y/N's friend will be sooner than later and it's been over a week since her announcement" Eula answered unusually calmly. 

"I'm just surprised how Yelan is getting impatient just after a week. I mean we had to wait much longer to even see Y/N in person" Miko rolled her eyes "But you're right, arguments like that will be only boring so I see no point in continuing it. Yelan, I apologize" she faked her politeness. 

"You're lucky I don't feel like wasting my energy either" Yelan sighed as she was thinking about leaving the room.

"It's almost impressive how the mood shifts the moment Y/N is gone. Almost like we're back with how things used to be when we first met" Ningguang joined in on the conversation. 

"Don't even bring it up. It was just disaster after disaster" Eula said. 

"That's true, imagine what would she be like if she heard what sort of things we argued over" Ningguang let out a light chuckle, lighting up the mood "If not for you and Thoma we probably would not be half at peace as we are now" 

"I'm honestly quite surprised how you somehow managed to prevent more fights than start them" Yelan turned to Eula. 

"If you meant it as a compliment, you're doing a bad job" she huffed.

"Speaking of Thoma…" Miko changed the subject "Does anyone have any idea as to where he might be?" 

"He should be somewhere in the house, otherwise he'd tell us that he's leaving" Ningguang answered. 

"I'm here, miss Miko, do you need something?" with Thoma entering the room it was very clear that he was in a better mood than usual. 

"I'd like two things actually. First, could you brew me some tea? Second, what are you hiding?" everyone looked at Miko slightly surprised by her second mention. 

"And what do you mean by that?" he raised his eyebrow at her as he was more focused on her question rather than her request. 

"You're acting a bit different today ever since you took a call. Did the old man tell you something about the engagement process?" trying to guess the reason, she took a closer look at Thoma. 

"Ah, that was just a private matter" he answered before going to the kitchen to prepare the tea. When he turned around though he could feel a little nervous over how he could potentially ruin "the surprise". 

"Interesting, I thought he didn't have any private life to speak of" she chuckles. 

"I suppose he's just that dedicated to serving Y/N. But it is concerning how he doesn't do anything but that" Yelan thought out loud "Do you think he ever even takes days off?" 

"He had to take a few at some point… After all, he has worked with L/N's family for years. There's no way he never took time off" Ningguang paused "But… He might just like his work too much to notice. I definitely was never blessed with such a job but who's to say he didn't just get lucky?" 

"Oh I definitely got lucky" Thoma joined in as he served Miko her tea "You could say that I was made for this job. As for my time off, before you came by, whenever Y/N was at school it was something that could be considered as such" he smiled proudly "That's just the way of being a full-time butler. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Hope this satisfies your curiosity" 

They looked at him without really knowing what to feel about his statement. But they decided to keep all their opinions to themselves regarding his relationship to his work. 

-

Few hours later you were headed back to your "home". As long as you've lived there it couldn't feel any further from the definition of home… But then again, the family estate didn't fit that description perfectly either. 

With Ayaka on your side though, you felt confident and ready to enter. After opening the door the first to greet you was Eula. But she paid more attention to Ayaka by your side. 

"Hello Y/N, I take that this is your friend?" you could tell that she wasn't too pleased with the aspect of a surprise guest. 

"Greetings, I'm Kamisato Ayaka. It's my pleasure to meet you" each of her words was filled with grace and it impressed Eula.

"My name is Eula, as you already know I'm one of Y/N's suitors" you were surprised by how polite she was, given how she acted upon meeting you in comparison "I'll let the others know about your arrival" she walked back to the living room. 

"Hm, she sounds different from how you described her" Ayaka giggles as she waits for you to lead her to the living room. 

"Hmpf, she acts unusually hostile when talking to me" you complain before you walk up to the door. 

"Perhaps she's just the type of person to act like that towards those she's interested in" upon her comment you could feel your cheeks burning up, but you don't respond to her teasing (even though it didn't sound intentionally so) and instead open the door. 

Everyone's attention went immediately to you, only to be turned to Ayaka as she was an unfamiliar face to most. They had seen you talking to her earlier, sure, but it's not like they even knew who she was until Thoma spoke up "Miss Kamisato, it's been a while" usually he also referred to her by name but it was only when it was just the three of you hanging out. 

Ningguang seemed to be quite interested upon hearing Ayaka's last name, but she waited to speak. 

"Right" you say to yourself "Ayaka, this is Ningguang" the two shake hands, you move on and introduce everyone in the same way. 

After the introductions all of you went to sit down, Ningguang was the first to jump on the opportunity to speak "It's an honor to have the opportunity to meet you miss Kamisato" 

"Please, just Ayaka is fine. I wouldn't require formality from someone who wishes to marry my dear Y/N. I'd like us to become friends- if possible" she claps her hands together. 

"Of course, Ayaka then. Mind telling us how you and Y/N got acquainted?" when Ningguang asked that question it was almost like Ayaka waited for this moment. 

"It was a year ago, we already knew each other since we've been in the same class but a year ago is when we really became friends. Although Y/N was quite popular I noticed that nobody really talked to her. So I gathered some courage within, and approached her myself" listening to this sounded almost like she was talking about dating you, but you don't stop her at her tracks "Believe it or not but she wasn't that much interested at first…" your suitors give the look that was telling you how much they believed that part to be true "But I managed to find a trick to get through that barricade. Unfortunately though… Some people claimed that I'm keeping her to myself. I honestly was just confused, because until I talked to her nobody didn't even speak to Y/N besides exchanging greetings and goodbyes… and that's when she stood by my side and told them that she likes my company, I was so moved!" as she fondly looks back at the memory, there was one thing all of them were curious about… 

"You found a… trick to get closer to Y/N?" Yelan asked the right question. And you just now realize that this visit might've been a trap from the start. It all made sense now. Ayaka was setting you up to give your suitors the right push to start getting close to you. 

"You wish to know what it is?" you almost couldn't recognize Ayaka with how she planned her words carefully for this exact moment. Before you got to protest she said "How about we play chess? Whichever of you wins, will get the information" which made you relieved. 

"Chess? Hm, I don't see why should we refuse. Especially if the reward is so valuable" Ningguang looked excited. 

They didn't know what they set themselves up for… which gave you an odd sense of satisfaction. 

-

"How do you-!?" Eula was so frustrated she couldn't even finish her sentence. 

It's been hours, and none of them were even close to beating Ayaka. You already lost count on how many matches started. But Ayaka was unbeatable. You haven't met her brother, but you were told that he was even better… Which gave you a little scare for how good the Kamisato siblings were at chess. 

Everyone was a mess, Eula was mad above all else, Ningguang had her pride trampled upon as she thought she was good at the game, Yelan was hesitating more and more with each move, even Miko lost her poker face after losing so many rounds. 

The worst thing is: none of them planned to give up. Fortunately, Thoma stepped in before it turned into a chess night "I believe it's getting quite late, maybe we should continue this some other time?" 

"You're right, unfortunately I think I should go. What a shame… I honestly didn't expect for this to be so entertaining" she innocently smiles. 

"So the rumors were true after all" Yelan said under her breath. 

"I definitely won't forget this disgrace! I'll have my revenge, just you wait" Eula had a stern look on her face. 

"That was… insightful… I honestly never thought my strategy to be so flawed" Ningguang on the other hand had a soft expression of disappointment on her face. 

"Hm, it's not like I needed that reward anyways. But it sure was fun to play with you Ayaka" Miko waved to her goodbye and went upstairs. 

"It was great meeting all of you. I wish you best of luck" she was ready to leave, and you earlier agreed that Thoma will drive her back. You also decided to tag along to have a talk with her. 

After leaving the house you were hit with the cold air night had to offer. Soon enough you entered the car and said "So meeting them all wasn't your only reason after all" you crossed your arms. 

"I'm sorry Y/N, but it was the best way to see all different sides of them in the shortest amount of time" she defended herself. 

"I wouldn't call those hours short…" you look out of the window and seeing how dark it is, is nothing but more proof. 

"You're right, I did get ahead of myself. But seeing their determination to fight for you definitely didn't leave a bad impression, did it?" 

"... Maybe" you mutter under your breath. 

"Hm? Can it be that you were happy about someone fighting for you in particular?" she says in a hopeful tone.

|Miko|

"I was surprised how Miko tried to win. She always seems so confident that she knows exactly what I want" you answer with a confused expression. 

"Is that so?" she paused for a moment "Maybe she just wanted to make sure the others won't get the answer?" she tried to fill in the blanks for you. 

"That seems possible… But then, letting others have the answer would be only an inconvenience. So I see no reason why she'd play for it so "desperately"" you still couldn't get that image of her losing some of her confidence. It could only lead you to a thought that she may not be as confident as she may seem. 

Then again, seeing her from many sides would definitely work in her favor. You don't necessarily like the idea of her constantly teasing you for the sake of her own amusement. 

Still, you're interested to learn why she thinks that you need her. Maybe it's just a matter of her "profession hunch” or maybe she was out of ideas to make you even slightly consider her so she threw random words in order to save face. 

|Ningguang|

"I remember how when we first played and I had almost the same reaction as Ningguang" you fondly look back at the memory. 

"I remember it too, it almost made me feel bad when I saw that disappointed look on your face" she giggled "So I definitely could see the comparison" she looked at you as if she wanted you to continue the thought. 

"That's right, but I don't think it matters much… I honestly can't tell why it stuck out to me so" it's only a normal reaction when you see that you're not as good at something as you originally thought. 

There was definitely potential in Ningguang for the corporate field. The more you talk to her, the more you're certain of it. So should you end up not liking anyone she would be a safe bet to some extent. 

Although your interactions were limited, you start to consider the fact that perhaps getting along with her wouldn't be so difficult. So maybe she's a better choice than her "title" may suggest.

|Yelan|

"Yelan seems to look out for me the most so far… I… I think I wouldn't really be against it if she were to win" as you think about it, she probably wouldn't even use whatever Ayaka's trick may be. 

"Oh? And how does she care for you exactly?" upon her question, you wanted to bite your tongue out for even speaking up about it. 

"She's just respectful of my boundaries. Nothing more nothing less" you glance away. 

"That's sweet of her. But are you sure it's nothing more?" with her question, you shook your head. 

Yelan… There is something about her that makes you even more interested in her. She's so carefree, additionally there is that mysterious aura around her you can't help but want to know more… 

She also seems to be the most concerned about you from the bunch, you wonder if there is a reason behind it- or is it just her personality trait.

|Eula|

"Although I'm used to seeing Eula mad, this time it felt a little bit… Different" you admit. You weren't sure why exactly, but her determination was something quite charming… Even if she didn't go about it in the best way. 

"Well, maybe because her anger was directed at herself" her way of thinking got you to think. 

"Hm… Maybe you're right… B-but I meant it as a feeling of respect I'll have you know, before you get any funny ideas" there was no way you'd fall for someone this quick. And especially for a reason like this! 

"Noted" she definitely didn't believe you. 

You wouldn't admit that you're the same but… You can definitely see how similar the two of you are, whether you like it or not. Especially given the relationship she has with your grandfather it almost makes you feel like she understood you the most out of the group. 

Then again… You can't help but wonder why it was just now that your grandfather decided to introduce Eula to you. 

-----

Now that you answered her question, you started thinking if you wanted to ask her something too. You thought a bit more about your choice of words as you decided to bring up the topic "Ayaka…" your tone changed, causing the atmosphere to change and making her worried "Why is it that you care so much about me being in love with my future spouse?" you still couldn't get it. Sure, it’s normal for a friend to wish for the best, but Ayaka is almost insistent that you fall in love rather than have a beneficial situation like her. 

"Y/N, unlike myself I think it's just what you need. Of course I don't claim that I know you better than you do but… Can you at least try and see for yourself?" she said with a sweet voice "And if you decide that you feel nothing towards them, I'll be the first person to stop them from pursuing you further" 

You chuckle at her promise as you decided to make one of your own "Okay, I'll try not to deny any possibility of falling in love" 

She was clearly satisfied with your answer "Be sure to update me on the matter, I'm curious to know who you'll pick in the end" 

-

When you were back in the house you thought back on your conversation with Ayaka. You prepared a plan for how you'll proceed from this point forward. You had their files in front of you, you've read it all so many times by now you've memorized everything that's on them. 

"I need to see if I can trust them… but how can I achieve so..?" you think to yourself as you hear a knock on your door. 

"You can come in, Thoma" you immediately answer. There was no need to see who it is, after all only him and you can be on this floor. 

So when he opens the door and serves you something to drink he notices how you were reviewing your suitors. You've started writing pros and cons for each and one of them already and it earned you a chuckle from your butler. 

"I see you're taking this more seriously than I imagined" he looked down at your notes before taking a seat on your couch "But don't you think that it's best if you let your heart decide instead of logic? You have plenty of time. So there's no need for you to set your heart for someone because it's the "best" choice" he says warmly. 

"I have a lot to lose should I make the wrong choice" you give him your perspective "I mean, I don't even know if I can trust them yet" 

He seems to be reading through your notes "So why make those?" 

"It's just to think of compatibility… uhm- either way that is but a secondary matter" you feel embarrassed as you snatched the notes from his hands. 

"Don't you think all this analysis and over thinking is what leads you to being so distant with them? Sure I'm also not a fan of you suddenly being thrown at a stranger, but no matter how hard you think this" he gestures to the pile of papers "isn't going to help you build any connection or relationship with any of them that will be real. You can't calculate your feelings" 

"Then what do you propose I should do?" you look down at your work troubled. You know this isn't going to work… But at the same time you're just too afraid to do anything else. 

"Spending time with them separately should do the trick" he stood up "Or at least take the opportunity to talk to them alone when you can" 

He knows you ignored this solution, but now that he had brought it up it's much harder for you to pretend to be clueless. 

"Really? Why haven't I thought about that?" you say sarcastically "Thoma, I know this is the best way but I just don't feel comfortable around them yet" 

"And you think this will change when you keep pushing every opportunity away?" he walks up to the door "Please consider what I've said, goodnight Y/N" 

When he left you let out a frustrated groan. Him being right made you angry at that moment, but since he was right you really had to think about your actions moving forward. 

You look down at the notes you've snatched from Thoma. You really have a problem with viewing it as anything other than an arrangement. With that in mind you can only laugh at how helpless you are. 

But just because you're helpless now, doesn't mean you'll remain as such forever. 

It was time to prove this to yourself and everyone else.

-- TAGLIST

@audre-falrose​ @frozengenderfluid​ @watamehorns​ @bebeluvvv​ ​ @fandangotales​ ​

[phthalology]

Destiny: Three Messages

(I ran a couple polls a while back and the results were "Caiatl/Zavala" and "wedding/ritual.") Torobatl finery: gold and purple, wide metal bands around necks and wrists. Even the antechamber evoked Caiatl’s prized tank, Zavala thought, with the ship’s life support conduits exposed and gilded. Maybe decorating the ship that way had been Calus’ command, an era ago. The gilding did not seem to suit the woman who, when they stepped out of that small antechamber, would soon take him as her husband. 

Caiatl turned to him from her own, perhaps similar contemplation of the ship’s wall. When she put her hands on his arms, the digits stretched from shoulder to elbow. “Are you ready?” She asked it firmly but serenely, neither pressuring nor withdrawing. A warrior’s cry to an ally — it was as little or as much as that. The same tone had been with him when she had negotiated for her people, when he and she had walked haunted halls. It was an anchor rope now, stretching from the darkest corridors to the buttery golden light in the anteroom.

He looked her up and down with a tactician’s eye: her pebbled skin, her good boots, the large bronze-and-gold-and-steel knife in her cloth belt. He looked at her with a husband’s eye: her etched and jeweled tusks, her muscled, stanced limbs. 

The knife, though.

Zavala folded his arms. “It doesn’t have to be bloody.”

“But the memory sticks if it is.” Caiatl said. She had told him what would happen in the ritual, where the cut was usually made on a Cabal and where it would be made on an Awoken to reduce injury. 

“I am concerned about the precedent it sets,” Zavala said. “It is in Guardians’ natures to be easily influenced. I do not wish us to start a cult as well as a dynasty.” They were easily persuaded, his people, if they felt they would benefit. Younger Guardians and older alike became Dredgens or even Shadows because in part of the appeal of a ritual with a reward. 

“It will be clear to them the ritual is part of our ways, not theirs. If it is not … you will make it so, commander. Is that not in your nature?”

Yes. The majority would listen to him. The extremists — the ones who would protest the alliance or had already joined the Shadows — would have done so already.

Caiatl stepped back. Her hands fell away. She had looked at him as a tactician about to speak her piece. 

Truth was, he could try to predict Guardians all he wanted, but perhaps he was nervous about his own reaction. Once married, holding the memory of Safiyah as beloved and resolved, would he lose his perspective about the Tower when he married Caiatl? He was as afraid of change, afraid of an uncertain future, as anyone.

He shuffled forward. Held her around the waist for a moment, his face in the dry-scaled crook of her elbow. She smelled dusty, but not unpleasantly so, and like the bitter polish on her armor. He let his shoulders relax, molding himself against her. 

She lifted his chin with one finger. Cabal held no such taboo as keeping spouses from each other before the wedding. The glint in her eyes and the scrape of her nail against his throat made him consider whether they should.

Whatever happened next, the Guardians would stand by him. Those who scattered were pieces gone from the board. He commanded what was left. He was making the right decision. Walls would not fall on his watch.

He took Caiatl’s hand in both of his as he stepped away from her. The gentle touch and gracious acceptance were all diplomatic, all messages from the tactician. The soft look he gave the crimson jewels dangling from her tusk rings, the pass of his tongue over his lips — all messages from the husband. The uncharacteristic hesitation in her eyes was a message from some third place – from friendship, proven and curious to see what would happen to them both next. She waited to see what he would tell her of his people, and himself through them. 

“I look forward to uniting two great domains that share such stubborn natures,” he said, and laughed low when she did. 

[asiadoesstuff]

Ok then.

Calling all my Fandroid Theory Enthusiasts!!: @splat1987 @1dklikesthings @bluartist @pawsometoons @bugsinspace @killer-arcade @roseverdict @therealdragongirl12 @crossover-fraternity !!

So, the Recent Livestreams…

I’m gonna theorise the heck outta these.

25/3/23

So, the 1st Live…

Before the Live started, there was a poll. It was titled “Lore?” With two options: Yes and No. The Poll’s results ended with Yes having 96% of votes, whilst No had 3% of the votes.

The Live starts. Fandroid and Melody appear to be playing an Obby Game. Everything seems normal; everybody in the chat is asking if there’s any Lore, and debating if they’ve been tricked.

At some point, a message from Chat is read out, about Target. Then Fandroid goes onto talking about a trip he took to Target; he hit himself on something, saying he “hurt his leg-bone.”

Robots don’t have bones. In fact, Fandroid pointed that out himself in the chat.

The Chat starts discussing. A popular theory that was made in these 5 minutes was the Fandroid on the Live is an “impostor.” (I swear if anyone says anything remotely related to Among Us…)

The Stream carries on. After a bit, Fandroid posts another message in Chat.

Business Bot has been missing for a week, apparently. Chat eats this up like a fine meal.

The Stream goes on, Fandroid saying some things which aren’t specifically Note-Worthy, but you know…

After a while, Fandroid & Melody leave the Obby game they were playing and join ‘Shovelware’s Brain Game’. Around halfway-through the round, Fandroid sends this into the Chat. And it sounds good! (At first…)

…Oh.

That doesn’t seem too good.

So Business Bot is gone, and Fandroid found one of his wheels. Either Business Bot accidentally smashed his wheels off, or something must’ve done this. Most probably the second one, since from what I know, Business Bot doesn’t leave his station, and there’s not really anything that could cause this type of damage near it.

…And it seems Business Bot’s disappearance isn’t the only one.

So something’s kidnapping the robots; It couldn’t be humans, because Fandroid already established all the humans are dead. Who could it be?

Cue a couple more silly (/pos) comments from Fandroid, which I will not attach here because there is a limit to how many images you can attach.

Stream goes a while without any Comments from Fandroid.

Then Fandroid sends something to the chat. It isn’t anything important, it’s just… surprising.

?????

Huh???

Anyways…

After 3 minutes of silence from the Fandroid Account, it sends something again.

That’s good! And hey; we know Frogbot’s still here!

Anyways…

Whatever’s taken Business Bot either: Dismantled him, or didn’t need his wheels. For what reason? I don’t know…

Info about the Holodeck!

There’s one thing that’s putting me off, though…

Why is Fandroid talking in 3rd Person?

Anyways: Stream carries on, and there’s nothing Note-worthy from Fandroid for the next 32 minutes.

But I just wanted to say…

…Language Fandroid. 😡 (/lh)

Anyways…

After a while, the Stream comes to an end. It was fun! And Loreful! Everyone is saying goodbye!…

…But it doesn’t end.

Fandroid & Melody start speaking about something, that they assumed was Private. But, we heard everything…

Here’s the Clip of Fandroid and Melody’s ‘Private’ Conversation…

So, the reason why this is a Double-Stream Post was because Tumblr refused letting me post videos, and by the time I tried all the ways for it to work, it was already Friday… so I’m just gonna have to send a link from someone else’s video—

This is alot to take in.

So, there’s a New Robot named 404.

Named after an Error Message.

Frogbot apparently saw 404 and drew a picture of it.

Theories for this Live…

Listen, I know this might sound insane, but…

What if 404 is like an Ennard-Type Situation?

All these Robots have disappeared out-of-the-blue, so it could make sense.

Maybe that’s why Business Bot’s wheels were found, but not Business Bot. 404 maybe didn’t need wheels so it just dropped them somewhere random.

But if 404 made itself a body, then what is it internally? You know what I mean?

There’s not enough evidence to completely prove my theory, but hey; what’s theorising without a risk you’re completely wrong?

That’s all from me. We’ll have to see what happens Next Stream…

1/4/23

What just happened?…

What.

I don’t know how I feel about this.

I think my ‘404 being an Ennard-Type Situation’ Theory is True.

Let’s just see the Clip…

Let's list some facts...

So.

Something tried to hack into ADHOC's System; presumably 404.

Fandroid starts panicking, and Melody is trying to calm him down.

BEEP-0 is the one making announcements.

Fandroid and Melody start to try and make this situation less serious.

Fandroid and Melody eventually end the Stream early.

Now onto some Theories...

So I think 404 might actually be an Ennard-type situation. From what we heard from BEEP-0's announcement roll-call, Business Bot and Frogbot's statuses are unknown. We already know Business Bot is missing, (possibly dismantled), so I'd assume Frogbot has suffered the same fate... I mean, they did draw down a picture on what 404 looked like, so maybe 404 took Frogbot out because of that? Or maybe because 404 needs extra parts for it's new body.

Fandroid at one point questions why BEEP-0 "always is saying that negative things are happening when positive things are going on, but the second the scary things happens he says everything is ok"... I think that might just be BEEP-0, but I'll note this down just in-case something happens with BEEP-0 in the future.

And that's about as much as I can remember...

There's defintetly more Theories in my brain, it's just I'm too tired to remember them... (It's Midnight when I'm posting this...)

But that's as much as I can remember at the moment!

Also, another thing... You know how BEEP-0 said that the thing that was trying to hack the ADHOC Systems was an "amateur" and that how they were "The G.O.A.T"? Well...

I think it managed to hack into something.

[waywardangel-wilds]

GUYS! I finished the new chapter!!!! After realizing that my vote was actually messing up the poll results the romantics won. Yay! Enjoy!

I stood still. We were asked to wait a moment just outside the train door for the cameras to capitalize on the last available shot of us before we entered the tribute train. The flashing lights were blinding enough that I wondered if any of the photographs would even be usable. I must have been clenching my eyes shut the entire time.

If I thought the room in the Justice Building had been expensive, the tribute train more than blew it out of the water. It was awash in crystal chandeliers that didn’t swing despite the speed of the vehicle, polished dark wood surfaces, and plush carpets that gave me the overwhelming urge to pull off my shoes.

Once aboard, Effie guided Peeta and I down a hall, motioning to two doorways.

“These are the tribute quarters.” She pushed open the door. “One bedroom, bathroom and dressing room each.”

She smiled as she told us to wash up and get dressed for supper. Everything in the rooms was at our disposal, and we should take the time to enjoy it. I didn’t doubt that my dark mood was visible on my face because she scurried away from me rather quickly.

I didn’t spare Peeta a second glance, knowing him as I did, I could predict his intentions. I tried to run into on of the rooms before he could catch me, but it was useless. He slipped in behind me and pushed the door closed with his back.

“Katniss—” he said and by that tone I knew I didn’t want to hear it. I could feel it coming, like a tempest. Unstoppable and devastating.

“No, don’t.” I shook my head and turned my face away from him. I stood in the middle of the room, my eyes searching for a closet or doorway I could close in between us so I could be alone, but there was no escaping him when he was determined.

“I have to,” he whispered, and I squeezed my eyes shut. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re not,” I fired back, crossing my arms. I was already crying. “Not at all.”

“I’m sorry about leaving Prim, and about hurting you.” He said. I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek. “But I’m not sorry about being here with you.”

I nodded; I already knew. “I hate you.”

“You don’t.” But we both knew that. “I might be dead in two weeks.”

There he went. “Don’t say that don’t, not now.”

“I have to,” he insisted again. “I have to.”

I looked at him.

“Katniss, I love you.” He looked at me like it hurt. His face started to get blurry from my tears.

“I know,” I nodded because of course I did. Why else would he do what he did?

“I had to tell you. I’m sorry.” He stepped towards me. “I don’t want to be fighting with you.”

I rubbed my eyes. “I’m sorry I hit you.”

“It’s okay,” He touched my shoulder, but I shook him off.

“No, it wasn’t.” I insisted, “I shouldn’t have done it.”

“I forgive you,” he reached for my shoulder again and I let him.

“I wish you wouldn’t,” I grumbled allowing him to pull me into a hug. I closed my eyes and breathed him in. My voice was shaky when I spoke again. “I love you too.”

“I know,” he said against my head. “That’s why you were angry.”

I hiccupped hard from a sob. “I won’t be able to do this,” I lamented into the privacy of his clavicle.

He squeezed me tight. There were no words he could say that would make me feel better. Nothing that involved him dying could.

“Maybe you should get dressed for dinner,” he encouraged rubbing his hands up and down my back. “You barely ate at home.”

I sniffled and rubbed the snot off my face with the back of my wrist. “I like my dress.” I protested. “And I don’t want anything from this place.”

He dropped his head down to press his nose against the side of my head, his lips coming to rest on the very end of my jaw. “Please, eat something, for me?”

I closed my eyes briefly. Warmth radiated from the spot where his lips touched me, slowly spreading through the rest of me. It felt so good, so impossibly good, that I knew I would do anything he asked.

“Okay,” I agreed and pressed the side of my face into his.

He leaned back and I immediately missed him. He reached up to rub the tears off my face with his thumbs, I smiled when I looked at him.

“I’m a wreck, huh?” but he shook his head.

“You’re the most beautiful girl in the world.” He said it simply, like it was a fact, and gave me a kiss.

LINK TO THE REST OF THE CHAPTER!!

[classicsapphicships]

FAQ

To start, what is this?

With so many polls and brackets going around now, some of the classic ships that formed the basis of wlw shipping have been sadly underrepresented. This bracket is an attempt to fix that! It focuses on both the early ships that shaped and defined fandom, as well as some forgotten gems from over the years. And there are some more recent ships mixed in for a little variety!

There’s no bracket or ships yet, why do you have an FAQ?

Well, mostly to get things written down and ready before things get started. There are still a few things that need to happen before the bracket listing can be posted, and then all the polls have to be made and ready to post. Once all that’s done, the rest of this will make a lot more sense, promise!

Why isn’t my ship included?

Limiting the ships to 64 was incredibly difficult, and the result of multiple discussions across multiple days. We were limited by some early decisions we made, as well as trying to keep the number to 64! So if your ship isn’t included, know it was probably a difficult decision. 

So what ships did you try to include?

The first priority was older ships. Anything from the last 5 years or so had to meet several other criteria to be included. From there the goal was to keep it to one ship per fandom, to get as many fandoms represented as we could. Then, in keeping with the ‘forgotten gems’ theme, the ships were narrowed down within their fandoms. While an attempt was made to make sure every ship involved had at least a fighting chance for round one, priority didn’t necessarily go to the largest ship in a fandom. Second or even third largest ships could find themselves ahead of the big ones, just to shine some light on the ships that get pushed aside more often than others. 

You keep mentioning criteria, what kind of criteria did you use?

Ships in this bracket must be sapphic, for starters. While non-binary identities are so important to see represented on screen and in ships, we didn’t want to risk any chance of non-binary characters being misgendered by being included. So only female identifying characters were included. Second, a priority was put on ships with at least 300 fics on AO3, or similar sized fandom presence. That wasn’t a disqualifier, but it was a good test of whether they’d have a chance against some of the other ships. Third, as tough as it was, we stuck to live action shows and not animated. And last main consideration was that the ship itself didn’t date from the last 5 years. That got bent a few times for a couple ships, but for the most part very recent ships and fandoms were left off this time.

Okay but this ship is a classic/my favorite and it didn’t make the list.

Not every ship could! Going up a bracket size would mean 128 ships, and that would be way too many to do. Some absolutely deserving ships got left out just because of room, and trust me when I say the discussions on which ships to go with were fierce before a final list was settled on. And of course, as with any group project, there was definitely a bit of selection bias that went into the decisions. While trying to keep things fair and include as many fandoms as possible, the ships chosen did come from a limited group of people. Some fandoms probably got left out just because no one in the group watched that show, or remembered it while the list was being made. I forgot one of my own favorite ships until the bracket was already set! So who knows? Maybe there’ll be a season 2 with an entirely different cast and crew.

What’s the schedule for this bracket look like?

In a perfect world, the polls would run for 5 days, Friday to Wednesday, and then have 2 days to get the next bracket ready to go. Since Tumblr is our favorite hellsite, that doesn’t work. So polls will run for 1 week (at least for the first two brackets) and probably still have those two days of down time in between to prepare for the next bracket. Once we get to later brackets, depending on participation that might move to the one day per bracket to make things go a little faster. We’ll have to see when we get there!

Who’s responsible for all the graphics?

Okay so maybe this one isn’t frequently asked, but it should be. @mitski put in a ton of work on making sure all the graphics needed were great, and this whole thing would look nowhere near as nice without her.