#i m going to explode a million times goodbye

[th3e-m4ng0]

[jared-19-cant-reid]

Sunday Kind of Love

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

Rating: M

Summary: You need a date to your sister’s wedding, and Spencer begrudgingly agrees to help you out. Your feelings for him become difficult to hide, and Spencer really commits to his role as your “boyfriend”.

Word Count: 5.3K

Content Warnings: Family conflict, minor angst, unprotected sex, Dom!Spencer/Sub!Reader, bondage, daddy kink, spitting, choking, breath play, exhibitionism/public sex, teensy bit of sacrilege

Author’s Note: This fic idea came to me while I was listening to “A Sunday Kind of Love” by Etta James, so I’d highly recommend listening to it if you read the fic. Gives you the ~vibe~. Anyway, this is way longer than I expected but Spencer and reader deserved the extra time! I hope u enjoy :)

~

“C’mon, just make an appearance with me!” You pleaded. “It’s just one night! How bad can it be?” I didn’t even believe the words as they came out of my mouth.

Morgan snorted at that, shaking his head as he moved to exit the bullpen. “Sorry, kid. I love you, but I am not spending my night off at your bitchy sister’s wedding.” 

You sighed, reluctantly stepping aside to allow him to leave. Beginning to lose hope, you turned to your only remaining coworker. Spencer was still sitting at his desk, busying himself with organizing drawers and repositioning folders to avoid meeting your gaze as you approached his desk.

“Spencer, please come with me tonight. I can’t deal with my sister alone, and I think I might die if I have to explain to her that the guy I told her I was bringing ghosted me last week.” As you spoke, you watched him try to think of a way to protect your feelings without going. In the year you’d worked at the BAU you’d come to see everyone on the team as family, but it was Reid you felt closest to. When he didn’t respond immediately, you put your hand on his shoulder. “Spence, I need you.” You spoke quietly, but he heard you clearly.

He looked up at you at your last words, visibly conflicted. You gave him your best puppy dog eyes, and he sighed, standing up. Knowing you had won, you threw your arms around his neck in a hug, nearly sending the two of you tumbling over in your enthusiasm. He tentatively wrapped his arms around you, returning the gesture of affection. 

His touch brought with it feelings of peace and happiness that you had come to associate with Spencer. Your smile grew impossibly wider as you thanked him a million and one times, squeezing him tightly as you felt relief spread through your body. Forcing yourself to pull away, you noticed his lips had quirked up into a small smile at your reaction.

“You know, almost twenty percent of weddings are called off. There’s still a chance it won’t even happen.” Spencer mumbled as you walked out together. You weren’t sure if he was trying to comfort you or himself. As you reached the garage, you thanked him again for agreeing to be your date. He just nodded, visibly nervous about the event.

You stopped him before he could start walking to the metro. “Let me drive you home,” you insisted, “it’ll be faster and we can talk over our game plan on the way!”

“Game plan?” He questioned, amused at your choice of words.

“Just pretend we’re going undercover on a case! We’ll get into character and everything. This can be fun if we make it fun.” Spencer seemed unconvinced, but he followed you to your car.

As you drove to his place, Spencer seemed to relax as he started to plan, happy to gain some control over the situation. You knew he hated big events, especially ones with a lot of strangers, but your deep dislike for most of your sister’s invite list meant you’d at least suffer together. Pulling up to the curb, you said a quick goodbye, telling him to be ready in an hour.

When you got home, you jumped through the shower, scrubbing off the stress of the work day to allow family-related stress to take its place. You quickly blew your hair dry, putting more effort into your hair and makeup than you usually did. As you reached your closet, you scanned your dresses for one that would match the maroon tie Spencer planned on wearing. A smile spread across your lips when you spotted it, your fingers toying with the soft fabric as you imagined Spencer’s reaction when he saw it. 

You tried to push the thought away, sighing at your own hopelessness. You’d been trying to bury your feelings for Spencer ever since you joined the BAU, but it was a losing battle. You found it impossible to ignore him, despite your efforts to remain neutral in his presence. Your heart swelled at the excitement shining in his soft hazel eyes, skipped a beat at the sight of his tongue resting between his lips in concentration, and stopped altogether at the way his hands moved and flexed when he spoke. The opportunity to spend this much one-on-one time with Spencer in what you were sure would be an incredibly flattering suit was almost worth the stress of dealing with your family. 

You slipped on the soft satin dress, admiring how it hugged your curves and flowed around your legs. The plunging v-neck was flattering, but tasteful enough to stave off disapproving looks from older guests, leaving you comfortable and confident. You stood in front of the mirror, taking in your appearance as you would a stranger’s. The face that looked back at you was friendly but tense, hands fiddling restlessly with the soft fabric of your dress. It didn’t take a profiler to see you needed to relax.

Taking a deep breath, you cleared your mind, taking a few minutes to give your mind rest and ground yourself. Opening your eyes again, your reflection looked much more peaceful, nodding as you decided you were ready to leave. As you drove to Spencer’s, you felt your heartbeat quickening, this time from excitement instead of stress. 

Knocking softly, you were surprised to hear Spencer’s footsteps already nearing you, as if he had been waiting by the door. As he stepped outside, your breath hitched. You shouldn’t be so affected by the sight of him, it’s not like he’d never worn a suit in front of you before. It was mostly the look on his face that struck you, his lips slightly parted and eyes scanning your body as he took in the sight of you. 

“So what do you think? Good enough to pass for a put-together adult who hasn’t been dreading this day for months?” You asked.

He took a second to respond. “Y-yeah, you… you definitely shouldn’t worry about it. I mean you look great- not that you don’t usually look great it’s just-”

You interrupted him for his own sake, giggling a soft “thank you, Spence. You don’t look half bad yourself.” Understatement of the century.

Soft music played through the speakers in your car, soothing your nerves as you hummed along to “A Sunday Kind of Love” quietly. You almost jumped when you heard Spencer begin to hum with you. 

“You know this song?! I didn’t know you listened to any non-classical music!” You exclaimed, unreasonably excited at your discovery.

“I’ve heard you listening to Etta James on the jet a couple times, so I checked out a couple of her songs,” Spencer said simply. You tried to pretend your heart hadn’t just exploded at the implications behind his words. You couldn’t trust your voice to mask your overflowing adoration for the man beside you, so you just smiled and began to sing along quietly.

Oh I'm hoping to discover

A certain kind of lover

Who will show me the way

Lost in the music, you were surprised for the second time that car ride by Spencer’s voice joining yours to sing the chorus. Your eyes shot to his face, but he kept his eyes forward, a small smile the only sign he’d seen your reaction. You couldn’t help the smile that stretched across your face as you sang with him, his attempts at melody bringing a smile to your face. The words seemed to gain meaning as your voices joined together, both looking forward but focused fully on each other.

To keep me warm when Mondays and Tuesdays grow cold

Love for all my life to have and to hold

Oh and I want a Sunday kind of love

Before you knew it, you had arrived. It was as if the bubble that had protected you from the reality of the situation had popped, leaving you exposed to the harsh world that lay waiting for you. Spencer reached out and squeezed your hand, silently reassuring you of his presence, his support, unwavering as you faced the night together.

Nodding slightly, you let go of his hand and stepped out of the car. Spencer walked beside you to the entrance of the church, close enough that you could feel his body heat. As you got closer, you groaned internally at the sight of your mother. 

A fake smile stretched across her lips, nodding at a woman whose outfit was so brightly colored you nearly had to look away from the glare. Her smile dropped for a split second when she saw you, but quickly returned with twice the artificial sweetness as before. She called out your name, voice straining with the effort it took to sound happy to see you. 

“This can’t be the boy you’ve been seeing! Much more handsome than I expected, how much did he cost you? Just kidding, of course.” Her laugh was somehow faker than her smile. You saw Spencer tense up beside you, and opened your mouth to correct her. She wouldn’t openly admit it, but you were sure your mother would be smug about the fact you and Spencer were just friends.

Before you could say anything, Spencer’s next words sent you reeling.

“Actually, I’m her boyfriend. Glad to finally meet you.” He said as politely as he could, though you could tell he disliked her already. Spencer had never had much patience for people who made jokes at others’ expense. 

You were still processing what he’d just said when his arm wrapped around you, gripping your waist. The feeling of his hands on your body was almost too much for you, and you struggled to pay attention as your mother smiled and made smalltalk with Spencer that walked the line between passive aggressiveness and outright hostility.

You finally registered what was happening when your mother made some excuse to leave, off to emotionally torture a new victim. Your head whipped to face Spencer, your mouth hanging open, confusion written on your face. 

“Why did you-” you began, interrupted by Spencer’s panicked words laced with regret.

“I’m so sorry, I know we didn’t plan on pretending to be a couple tonight, but she just seemed so smug about it and I wasn’t thinking clearly and I just-” he rushed out. Now it was your turn to cut him off.

“Spencer, thank you. I’m not mad, I promise.” You leaned into his chest, the arm still wrapped around you tightening. “I guess we’ll just have to pretend we’re dating for the rest of tonight, though.”

The two of you slowly made your way into the church, stopping a few times to chat with relatives who called out to you. Everyone was charmed by Spencer, who played the part of your boyfriend remarkably well. You found seats on the right, farthest from the aisle in an attempt to limit your interaction with other guests. Sitting down, you remembered how uncomfortable church pews were, the hours you’d spent in mass with your family all coming back to you now. 

Looking around, however, you were reminded of what had gotten you through it. The stained glass windows that surrounded you created a kaleidoscope in your field of vision, capturing your attention for long enough to forget why you had been uncomfortable in the first place. You looked back at Spencer to find him already looking at you, sending a small blush to your cheeks. 

“Did you know that stained glass was originally used in Catholic churches to tell stories from the Bible visually for the benefit of illiterate churchgoers? During the English Reformation, many stained glass windows were smashed and destroyed as part of the 1547 Injunctions against images. In fact, all images in churches were ordered to be removed. If it weren’t for that period in history, more stained glass would likely have- sorry, I’m doing it again.” Spencer’s eyes were cast down at the floor, only to shoot back up to your face when he felt your hand on his.

“I like listening to you. Why did they want to destroy all the images in churches?” You asked, leaving Spencer speechless for a second, seemingly unable to process your request for him to continue his rambling. With a small smile, he continued to explain the importance of the English Reformation to religious art as you watched him adoringly.

The ceremony started all too soon, pulling your attention to the front of the church. As you and Spencer listened to the seemingly endless stream of anecdotes about love and life that the pastor had clearly spent years reciting, your eyes started to glaze over. You pushed thoughts about marriage and family and religion out of your mind, preferring emptiness. Your mind didn’t stay blank for long, though.

Apparently Spencer had noticed your change in mood, because he brought his hand to rest on your thigh in a comforting gesture of solidarity. Unfortunately, you were unable to respond in any way, overwhelmed by the feeling of his hand flattened against the satin fabric of your dress.  His thumb beginning to rub small circles into your skin, you felt your heart rate quicken. The warmth he brought to your thigh began to spread through your body, suddenly finding the church unbearably hot. 

Spencer seemed unaffected by the room’s sudden warming, keeping his gaze locked on the happy couple. You took a shaky breath and tried to calm yourself down, reminding yourself that you were overreacting to what was likely a completely platonic display of affection. The ceremony seemed to drag on for hours, but that might have had something to do with the constant effort it took to mask the desire and panic that Spencer’s touch had ignited in you. 

You were broken from your trance of concentration by the feeling of his hand inching higher on your leg. Whipping your head around to face him, his gaze remained fixed on the pastor, pressing his lips together to hide a smirk. Your breath caught in your throat as you felt Spencer’s hand slowly make its way up your thigh, paralyzed by shock and desperation. His grip tightened as he glanced at your face, reading your reaction to his touch. Before you had a chance to respond, it was withdrawn, the world around you coming back into focus as everyone began to clap. The ceremony was over. 

When you went to stand up after the recessional, you nearly stumbled on your weak legs. Spencer stabilized you, guiding you through the pews and through the hallways with his hand on your lower back. As you followed the crowd to the banquet hall, the gears in your mind were turning slower than usual, as if they had rusted in the time you hadn’t allowed them to work through the idea of Spencer returning your feelings. Finding your seats, you and Spencer were faced with one of the greatest challenges of your night: extended conversation with your family and their similarly judgemental friends.

The overlapping chatter of so many people at once was clearly bothering Spencer, but he stuck it out for your sake. You felt a tug in your chest at the thought of the effort it must be taking for him to stay in such an uncomfortable situation. He played his part beautifully, though, responding to the borderline offensive questions directed at you politely but firmly, protecting you from their attacks. Your sister would usually have led the onslaught, but thankfully she was preoccupied yelling at the photographer for some suggestion she’d taken as a personal slight. 

When Spencer struggled to answer questions about your “relationship”, you took over. He had never been a good liar, and while you loved that about him, you knew it could blow your cover if you allowed him to continue.

In your story, the two of you still worked at the BAU, having started dating a few months after you joined. You threw in small details from your countless daydreams, centering them around real events so that the tale was completely believable. Maybe too believable, you worried, feeling Spencer’s eyes on you as you talked. Under the protection of a lie, you had finally been free to speak the truth, pouring a year’s worth of pining and affection into your words as you concocted a love story you wished was real. 

You heard a band start to play, a bluesy vocalist at the center of the ensemble. The music filled the hall as the newlyweds rose for their first dance. A small crowd gathered around the pair as they moved in synchrony, every step practiced and planned. A few songs later, many couples were swaying together, tonight’s celebration of love bringing out the romantic in most. 

You turned to Spencer, nodding your head at the band. “We should probably dance for a song or two, just for appearance’s sake.” Spencer looked uncomfortable, but nodded and followed you closer to the source of the music.

Raising your hand to his shoulder while his landed on your hip, you felt a warmth spread through you as you joined hands. Fingers intertwining, you began to move along with the slow song that had been playing, stumbling at first but moving more smoothly as time went on. You had no idea how many songs passed while the two of you swayed, apprehension and desire swirling in the air between you. It took a second for you to notice it, but as soon as you did, Spencer’s small smile told you he had as well. 

The smooth vocals of the singer sounded even more lovely on Etta James’s familiar melody, filling you with an intense emotion you couldn’t put words to.

I want a Sunday kind of love

A love to last past Saturday night

And I'd like to know it's more than love at first sight

And I want a Sunday kind of love

The feeling in your chest grew as you looked into Spencer’s eyes as the song continued, your chest threatening to burst with whatever magical dust you’d inhaled from the shared breath between your faces. Wrapping your arms around his neck and resting your head on his shoulder, you were overcome with a feeling of safety and contentment as he returned your embrace. You swayed together as you began to ponder the cliches you’d always despised, begrudgingly admitting that you now understood the sentiment that nothing in the world mattered but the two of you.

As the song ended, you gathered up all the courage you had, and spoke before your mind could think through the possible negative outcomes of what you were suggesting.

“I need to tell you something,” you started. You felt his grip on you tighten, as if afraid what you would say next would take him from you, but he let you continue. “I think I love you, Spencer.”

He didn’t respond, but you felt him pull away from you. You felt cold without the contact, but it was nothing compared to the loss you felt in your chest as you realized what you’d done. He didn’t feel the same way.

You opened your mouth to apologize, to try to undo the damage you’d done, but before you could say anything he was dragging you toward a hallway. Overcome with confusion and fear of losing him, you didn’t realize where you were going until Spencer opened the door to the single-use bathroom and pulled you inside.

“Spence-” you began, the rest of whatever you had been about to say swallowed by Spencer’s lips as they moved against yours with urgency, his hands coming to cup your face gently. You didn’t hesitate to kiss him back, the coldness you’d felt replaced by the warmest light filling your chest.

Your hands found his hair, pulling him closer to you as you tried to eliminate any space left between your bodies. A frantic mess of hands and lips exploring any exposed skin, you stumbled backwards with the force of Spencer’s kiss, hearing the door lock as your back hit the cold wood. Your hands slipped under his suit jacket, moaning at the feeling of his firm body under your hands. He shrugged it off completely, allowing the jacket to fall on the floor, his germophobia trumped by his need to feel your warmth. 

You moaned into his mouth as his hands wandered your body, leaving goosebumps in his wake. As the kiss became more heated, you noticed that he seemed to withdraw whenever he noticed his touch had gotten rougher, clearly holding back so he wouldn’t hurt you. You smiled into the kiss at the care he showed for you, but your desire to see him fully let go was too strong to allow it to continue. You weren’t sure exactly what he was willing to do, but you took your second biggest risk of the night, showing him what you wanted.

Finding his hand on your body, you laced your fingers between his, kissing him sweetly before pulling away with an innocent look on your face. Spencer stared down at you, confusion clear on his face. You brought his hand up to your mouth, kissing the back of it before moving your hand to his wrist. He watched you intently, unsure what you were doing. Staring up at him with an angelic smile, you brought his hand to your neck, his fingers curling around it instinctively.

 As he realized what you were asking of him, his eyes darkened and his grip around your neck tightened. “This is what you wanted, huh?” He spoke lowly, a small smirk forming on his lips. “So needy for me. Would’ve let me fuck you in front of all those people back there, practically shaking just from my hand on your thigh.”

You whimpered, turned on beyond belief by this new side of Spencer. His smirk widened at your reaction to his words, pressing his body against yours, his hardness pressing into you. 

“Feel that? Feel what you do to me?” He growled. “Let me show you how I deal with pretty little whores like you.” He stepped away from you, eyes hungrily raking over your body as he began to unbuckle his belt. You just stood there, watching his hands as your mind flashed back to all the times you’d imagined this happening. Somehow this was even better than your wildest imagination had been able to conjure.

“What are you waiting for? Get on your knees” He spat out. The words shot straight to your core, and without hesitation you dropped to your knees in front of him. You watched as he pulled the belt from its loops, but frowned in confusion when he didn’t discard it. He walked around behind you, grabbing each of your wrists and pulling them together. Oh. When he was sure the belt wasn’t too tight, he whispered in your ear how pretty you looked tied up for him, your whimper at the words causing him to let out a dark chuckle.

He returned to the front of you, leaning down to toy with your bottom lip. “Show me you deserve to suck my cock, princess.” He instructed, slipping his thumb into your mouth. You moaned around his finger at that, and instinctively began sucking on the digit. You hollowed your cheeks around it, running your tongue along the length of his thumb before pulling back to swirl your tongue around the tip. He must have approved of your demonstration, because he removed his thumb, pulling down the clothing restricting him in one motion. 

Your eyes widened at his size, his smirk growing when you leaned forward instinctively to take him into your mouth. When he grabbed your hair to stop you, you looked up at him in confusion. 

“Good girls ask for permission.” Your eyes fluttered shut at that, wanting nothing more than to be good for him. 

“Please, let me suck you off, I want you in my mouth,” you begged. He seemed pleased, his hand still in your hair pulling you forward. When your lips wrapped around his cock the hand on your head pushed you down roughly, making you take all of him into your mouth, the tip pressing hard against the back of your throat. You moaned through the gag, your panties likely soaked by now from your arousal at his dominance. 

As he began to fuck your throat, you wrapped your lips around him tightly, timing your breaths so you wouldn’t have to stop for air. Words of praise mixed with degradation fell from his lips as he worked your mouth on him. Tears pricked at your eyes at the feeling of him against your throat, spilling over as he continued his ruthless pace. 

When he pulled you off of him, a dark smile appeared on Spencer’s face at your disheveled state. He pulled you up so you were standing before him, hands still bound behind your back. He stepped back to admire you.

“Look at you, such a mess for me. What do you want, pretty girl?” He asked, voice still commanding but much softer now, genuinely checking in with you.

“I want you, please, need it so bad,” you practically moaned. He moved forward to meet your mouth with his, one hand coming to rest around your throat while the other gripped your hair, fully in control of your movements. He pulled your hair back, breaking the kiss as he tilted your head up to look him in the eyes. 

“Jump.” He commanded. You didn’t hesitate, wrapping your legs around him as he walked you over to the sink, setting you down on the cold porcelain. His mouth rejoined with yours the second you felt the bowl of the sink digging into you. As Spencer’s hands roamed your body, he lost patience with your dress, pulling it down so your tits spilled out of the top. You moaned as he took one nipple into his mouth, a skilled hand toying with the other. His other hand lowered to the hem of your dress, pushing it up to gain full access to you.

Spencer moaned against your chest as he felt the dampness of your panties, soaked all the way through before he had even started to pleasure you. His fingers ran up and down over the wet fabric, applying pressure over your clit that sent your eyes rolling back. You made a noise of complaint at the loss of contact when he withdrew his hand, but were quickly silenced by a hand over your mouth.

“You’ll take what I give you, slut.” Spencer gritted out, tearing your panties off with the last word. His hand came up to your entrance, teasing you as his fingers ran up and down your slit. Gathering your wetness, he moved up to your clit, rubbing circles that left you moaning uncontrollably into his hand. “Can you snap for me, baby?” He asked. You were confused, but you did anyway. “Good girl. That’s your safeword for when you can’t talk.”

Before you could read too much into the statement, he plunged a finger deep into you, causing you to arch your back into him. Your moans still muffled by his hand, he set a brutal pace, adding another finger when he felt you start to clench around him. Tightening his hand over your mouth and nose, he cut off your breath as you approached your peak, your eyes glazing over with pleasure. The high of the lack of oxygen along with the haze that came with this level of submission left you fully pliant, his to play with how he wanted.

Right as your lungs began to burn, your orgasm shook your body, and Spencer let go at that exact moment. The relief of oxygen once again flooding your lungs added on to the euphoria that overtook you, your body shaking as you came down from your high. 

You didn’t have much time to recover, as you were brought back to reality with the sensation of the tip of Spencer’s cock teasing your slit. The overstimulation shook you, but with every second your need to feel him inside of you grew stronger. Your whimpers turned into pleas, and in your desperate state you didn’t realize what you were saying until it was too late.

“What was that?” Spencer asked, withdrawing completely.

“I-I’m sorry, it was an accident, I didn’t mean to, I’ll never-” you were interrupted by an unexpected demand.

“Say it again.”

“What?”

“Say. It. Again.” Spencer gritted out, his eyes darkening with each word.

“Please fuck me, daddy.” You said shakily.

A look of satisfaction came over Spencer’s face as he slammed into you without warning, setting a rough pace. You began to chant his new title, and his hand came up to choke you, fingers pressing into your carotid arteries just beneath your jaw. He wasn’t putting any pressure on your windpipe, but your lightheadedness from the reduced blood flow made it feel harder to breathe, the feeling of being owned by the man you loved only intensifying your pleasure. 

Spencer towered over you as he continued his assault, his other hand coming up to muffle your moans by allowing you to suck on his fingers. When he withdrew them to pay attention to your body elsewhere, he was confused to see you stick out your tongue. When the wave of understanding washed over him, he couldn’t hold back his smile. Bringing his hand up to trace your cheek, he looked at you lovingly before spitting in your mouth, watching in awe as you eagerly swallowed and met him with an innocent smile that contrasted beautifully with your actions. 

As you began to feel the knot in your stomach building again, Spencer increased his pace. Bringing one of his fingers to your clit, Spencer knew you were nearing the edge, and fast. “Come for me, pretty girl.” He ordered.

You obliged, Spencer’s kiss swallowing the moans spilling from your mouth. He followed soon after, sent into ecstasy by the image and sensation of you coming apart under him. As he filled you up, you felt a bliss that you’d never experienced before, using your lips to show him how he’d affected you as he fucked you through both of your orgasms. When you eventually parted, it was quiet for a moment. 

As Spencer helped you off the sink and removed the belt from your wrists, massaging the tender skin, you began to laugh. It started out as a small giggle, but it soon turned into a full belly laugh, bringing tears to your eyes. Spencer was taken aback at first, but son couldn’t help but join you. You both laughed until your stomachs hurt, and when you could finally speak again your first words were “we just had sex in a church bathroom.” 

Holding back another bout of laughter, Spencer responded, “I have to say, this wasn’t how I imagined tonight going.” He took a step towards you, arms lacing around your waist. “I’m not complaining, though.”

You pulled him down to meet him in a kiss, your teeth clacking as neither of you could hold back your smiles. When you broke apart, Spencer’s forehead stayed pressed against yours. “I love you,” he said quietly, “I have for a long time now. I just never thought you would feel the same way.”

You couldn’t hold back the happy tears that formed in the corners of your eyes.  Wordlessly, you pulled him into a hug, your bodies coming together like two pieces of a puzzle that had finally been connected. You stayed there for a while, just feeling each other breathe. 

In a few minutes, you’d sneak out the back door of the church. In a few minutes, you’d leave the room with no need for lies to excuse your shared affection. In a few minutes, you’d have to deal with the paperwork that Hotch would inevitably require. But for these last few minutes, all you had to do was hold each other. For now, you were just two people in love, and that was enough.

[holykillercake]

Hazy Justice - 03

01 02 03

🇨‌🇴‌🇵‌!🇸‌🇲‌🇴‌🇰‌🇪‌🇷‌ 🇽‌ 🇲‌🇮‌🇱‌🇮‌🇹‌🇦‌🇷‌🇾‌🇩‌🇴‌🇨‌🇹‌🇴‌🇷‌!🇷‌🇪‌🇦‌🇩‌🇪‌🇷‌

word count: 2.5k

summary: After eight years serving your country in a war, you returned to your hometown as the new head of Trauma Surgery in one of the best hospitals in the country. You were expecting a calmer life now, but suddenly you see yourself choosing between your brain and your heart, light and dark, justice and evil.

highlight: ¨You looked like millions of dollars, and you felt like millions of dollars.¨

warning:  Use sunglasses. Too bright.

notes: .Dear comrades, it has been a while but it's finally here! With new characters and lots and lots of threads.

🇱‌🇪‌🇦‌🇻‌🇪‌ 🇨‌🇴‌🇲‌🇲‌🇪‌🇳‌🇹‌🇸‌, 🇭‌🇪‌🇦‌🇷‌🇹‌🇸‌, 🇦‌🇳‌🇩‌ 🇱‌🇴‌🇻‌🇪‌!

¨Hello...¨ you were instantly greeted by the tingling doorbells that let the owner know whenever a client entered the establishment. 

Your eyes traveled to the half-moon bar where the slim and tall woman leaned casually, cigarette adorning her elegant fingers. Her eyebrows raised as she took in your figure, double-checking if you were not someone else.

¨Oh! Y/N-chan, is that you?¨

¨Shakky!¨ she made her way out of the bar to hug you ¨It´s so good to see you! You haven´t changed at all!¨

Her kind chuckle made you feel like a kid again, and you couldn´t stop yourself from tearing with the nostalgic feeling.

 ¨Thanks, Baby. Now you,¨ she put her hands on your shoulders and opened a distance, eyes examining you like a mother hawk ¨you look tired. Eight years in war made you no good.¨

You nodded and laughed ¨I guess we can put it that way.¨

¨Come, treat is on the house.¨ 

Clapping your hands, you followed the lady towards the bar. ¨So, where´s Rayleigh-san?¨ 

¨He just left, but it shouldn´t take long. He´ll be happy to see you, Y/N-chan.¨

The circumstances that connect you to Shakky and Rayleigh go way back to decades ago when your parents were still alive. By that time, all you knew was that they were friends, people you could trust. You were not allowed to ask more questions about their jobs, and you couldn´t find a suitable answer with the information you had. 

They were always on the road, visiting only once in a while. They would bring incredible gifts from various countries and discuss ¨adult matters¨ with your parents while Crocodile helped you with homework. 

Whenever you brought up your curiosities to your brother, he would say that they talked about the war, and you were too young to hear such things. Crocodile was also not allowed in the room, but he´d always peer into the conversation through the ventilation ducts. 

If he´s saying, it must be true.  

Since your dad was a Lieutenant Colonel, there was always the possibility of his unit being requested to offer back up or engage actively. You never minded it, though. He had already been sent to a lot of dangerous missions, and he came back every single time. He was strong and invincible. He would always return to his family. 

Well, that was true until the day you found your mother in the kitchen, breaking in tears, holding a smudged letter in her hands, together with your father´s dog tag. 

You stared at her and your brother, blinking in the hope of seeing what was wrong. The woman at the kitchen table did not look like your mother. She had no sparkle in her eyes or pride in her chest.

On the contrary, thick and dark tears fell from her eyes, blurred from the makeup that always accentuated her piercing gaze. Her lips were not curved in the tender smile she used to carry. Instead, she bit her lower lip so hard that you could almost see blood staining her pink lipstick.

¨Dad´s not coming home.¨ was all Crocodile said.

That was not the time when things got completely off track, but it was a significant change in your family's life. The government offered a military pension and a country flag for the services provided by your father. However, you had to be transferred to the Commercial District, where your mother worked as an archivist at the Ohara Institute of Historical Research. 

¨Y/N?¨ you heard a male voice call, making you turn. 

Your eyes shifted between the two male figures standing at the door. ¨Rayleigh-san!¨ you shouted like a kid seeing Santa Claus at the shopping mall ¨Smoker!?¨ this one came out more like a question. 

¨You have grown, little one!¨ he patted your head like old times. ¨Maybe my white hair makes sense. I´ve aged!¨ he laughed cheerfully, and Smoker tilted his head. 

¨Finer than wine!¨ you giggled, then turned to the other white-haired man, cheeks blushing ¨This is, uhm... I swear I´m not following you.¨ 

¨Oh, you two know each other?¨ Shakky asked, adding two more old-fashioned glasses on the counter. 

¨We´re neighbors!¨ 

¨That´s great! Come, we have a lot to talk! Today is on the house!¨ Rayleigh shouted similar words as his wife. You wondered if that was the synchronization of personalities or if the alcohol he had prior was impairing his judgment. 

Shakky decided to close for the day, wanting to spend as much time as possible in your company. The clock seemed to have stopped while you were drinking, eating snacks, and catching up on years of conversation. 

It was funny how sometimes it felt like a ping pong game between you and Rayleigh. Every so often, the conversation would turn into matches of him serving shots of military-wise improper questions and you backhanding with ¨That´s classified information, Rayleigh-san.¨.

Did he have a poor memory or all those years of scotch and cigars in your father´s office taught him nothing? Either way, you were having too good of a time at that table to worry about his faulty memory. 

¨Are you sure you´re neighbors?¨ Shakky asked with a playful grin ¨You seem to know nothing about each other.¨

¨I would say that´s a pretty sharp point.¨ you answered in the same lighted tone. 

¨Tight schedules, I´d say.¨ Smoker added, shifting on the couch.

¨But it looks like you´re free today. How about dinner? Four of us, our house, like old times Y/N.¨ Rayleigh seemed too keen on this, and you wondered if he was trying to set you up on a date. 

¨Well, as much as I would love that, I´ve got plans for tonight.¨ 

¨Let me guess,¨ Rayleigh created a tension ¨classified information?¨ 

You laughed loudly at his stupid joke. It was a predictable Ray-san ice breaker, but you couldn't help yourself. This man was a blissful delight. 

¨Much to your content, tonight´s plan I´ll be able to spill.¨ you teased him ¨I´m having dinner with Crocodile tonight!¨ 

What happened after you pronounced those words would have gone unnoticed by someone inattentive. It felt like a slight change in the air, like those quiet moments before a bomb exploded, when the clock stopped ticking. 

You didn´t have the chance to question before Shakky took the wheel. 

¨That´s great, Y/N!¨ her elegant hands embraced yours, affectionate and caring ¨Did you see how much he´s changed?¨ 

¨Uhm, actually,¨ you blinked, focusing back on the conversation ¨it´s the first I meet him in... eight years.¨ 

The tightness you felt in your chest almost made you tear, and the woman saw it. Her eyes carried a hint of compassion... or pity. 

¨You miss him a great deal, right, Baby?¨ 

¨Yeah...¨ you shrugged ¨he was out of town when I arrived, so I only got the chance now. But how´s he doing? Did he change a lot?¨

¨Oh, baby, it´s been a while since we met. He´s a busy man, you know.¨ 

Your brows raised, then furrowed, and you had a perplexed smile hanging on your lips. You would not have believed those words if they hadn´t come directly from them. 

¨Oh, wha- well, I´ll¨ a nervous laugh left your mouth ¨I´ll drag him by the hair, then! Busy man, bullshit! He used to bug mom and dad all the time, asking why you guys couldn´t live with us!¨

¨Don´t stress yourself over that, Y/N.¨ Rayleigh said with his gentle smile.  ¨He runs a lot of businesses, I´m sure he would drop by more if he could.¨ 

Shakky nodded¨And, it´s your first time in the Light District, right? Was that the only district you haven´t lived in yet?¨

¨That and the Noble District, obviously.¨ you rolled your eyes.

¨You lived in all other districts?¨ Smoker asked after a silent moment in the conversation.

¨Yeah, long story and not that interesting. You´d be bored, trust me.¨ 

¨It´s rather difficult to find someone who lived in more than two districts, so I´d like to hear that.¨ 

¨Alright, but don´t say I didn´t warn you.¨ 

You peeked at your wristwatch, running some basic math in your head and deciding that it was time to go if you didn´t want to be late for dinner. Your lips twisted in a pout, and your expression dropped a little for having to leave this fantastic moment.  

Surprisingly enough, leaving them was not as difficult as you imagined. Maybe because they reminded you that you could visit them anytime now, or because you did not want to act like a crybaby on Smoker´s car. 

He said it was also about time for him to leave and offered you a ride back home. You would not have to take the subway and would get the chance to know him better.

 A win-win situation. 

The first minutes were a bit silent, but after you asked him if he should be driving since he had quite a lot to drink, he responded with an awkward stuttering that was rather charming. The conversation that followed was smooth as you realized he was way easier to talk to than you imagined. 

Smoker was respectful, always making sure that it was ok for you to talk about your past while sharing some things about his life as well. Inside of that car, he almost seemed like a different person. His brows were not furrowed ad his voice sounded relaxed. 

The ride ended too fast for your liking, and you saw yourself waving goodbye when deep down you wanted to ask him to stay for a coffee. Unfortunately, you couldn´t, maybe some other day. Now you had to make yourself presentable to meet your other half, your brother. 

                                                            ...

The Light District was nothing like you had seen before. The entrance was marked by a gigantic golden arch, which carried an equally shining bell.

Tall palm trees swayed in the cool breeze, tinged with orange by the sunset. Luxurious establishments, whose signs began to be lit, occupied both sides of the clear sidewalk. 

From a distance, you could see the tip of the Ferris wheel of the Sora park. It did not spin due to the recess, but the lights remained on. The roller coaster that had been the cause of the accident was surrounded by tall metal poles, being repaired for the reopening of the place.

The driver Crocodile sent to pick you up lowered the window so you could enjoy the view to the fullest. Your hair started to fly in the wind, and a delicious smell of butter invaded your nose. The restaurants had already begun to heat up the pots to receive their customers.

The Light District was projected to offer convenience to the ones who were willing to pay the price. Therefore, all that was best was located in Eldorado Avenue, the main passage that extended for kilometers like a luxurious and soft red carpet. 

¨We are approaching the hotel, miss Y/N. Sir Crocodile awaits for you.¨

¨Uh...¨ you murmured, amazed by the view. 

You squinted when something reflected in your eyes, catching your attention, and a gasp got stuck in your throat when you spotted the famous Hotel Verde.

 Well, it was impossible not to notice it. 

First of all, it did not look like a hotel. It resembled more a small town. Even taller palm trees guided the way towards the entrance, both sides occupied by ponds and tropical plants. The building stood tall like a lighthouse and at the top rested an enormous golden statue of the reptile that represented its owner.  

You did not wait for Daz, the man your brother chose to escort you, to get out when the car stopped. You put yourself out as soon as the limo parked in front of the main stairway. After so many years without putting on a heel, maybe you would accept a hand to go up the stairs.

Your hands smoothed the dark green silk dress that dragged on a short tail, courtesy of Crocodile, along with shoes and jewelry. You looked like millions of dollars, and you felt like millions of dollars.

When the valet took the car somewhere else, Daz put himself beside you, offering you his arm. Your heart pounded like the Ox Bell at every step, and you breathed through your mouth, trying to keep your cool. 

You saw various types of people coming in and out of the hotel, all of them embellished with jewels and shiny tackles like Christmas trees. Each and every one exalted wealth and power, with their nonchalant glares and pointed noses. Your gut twisted, remembering Shakky and Rayleigh´s words, wishing Crocodile hadn´t turned into someone like them. 

The long stairway was divided in the middle by a golden rail, separating who went up from who went down. That might have been the reason why the man coming down your way caught your attention. Or perhaps it was the weight of his gaze, hidden by the reddish specs. His blonde hair and skin seemed like gold, the pink suit looked orange-ish due to the sunset, and his wide grin made you quiver. 

He walked with two men by his side, freeing the way for him. At some point, no one dared to come close to the stairs. It was only the five of you. 

¨Daz!¨ the man, who seemed more familiar now, exclaimed ¨I wonder who´s the person that would make you leave your boss´back.¨

He approached you, hungry gaze brimming on his tongue. He was tall and seemed even more as he closed the distance. 

¨Not even the luxury dolls get to be escorted.¨ he gently took your hand and kissed your knuckles with delicacy. 

You weren´t convinced by his gesture. If anything, you felt bothered to see him disrespecting the house´s rules, as if that disrespected you directly. ¨Tell me, dear, what is your name?¨

¨If you wish to know something from someone, it is more appropriate to introduce yourself first.¨ your voice came out indifferent and a vein popped on his forehead before breaking into laughter.

¨Fufufu I can´t say you are wrong!¨ he leaned back, large hand on his stomach. ¨I´m Donquixote Doflamingo. It surprised me that you couldn't put that together. Now tell me, doll, what do they call you?¨

You sighed and looked around, spotting a figure at the top of the stairs that lifted your mood and gave you all the strength and confidence you needed to end the conversation. A smile grew on your lips as you turned to Doflamingo, eyeing him with nothing but the will to leave. 

¨They call me Lieutenant-Colonel Y/N L/N, Division Surgeon of the Army. Or just LT Colonel L/N if you prefer.¨ you offered him a respectful nod before turning your attention to the man who waited for you with a smile on his face. ¨Now, if you excuse me, Mr. Donquixote.¨

[bts-hyperfixation]

Window Pain

It was late. Well passed the time you should’ve gone to bed. Your parents had said good night hours ago. It’s not that you hadn’t tried going to sleep, but there was a lot running through your mind. You were heading off to college in the next few days and memories of this summer were keeping you awake. The most cliched, amazing summer of your life.

Every moment that wasn’t spent saving money for college was spent with friends doing things they do in the movies. BBQ’s, bonfires, beach trips, all of it. Unfortunately, some of your friends had already had to move on to the next chapter in their lives, Taehyung being the next to go.

He was due to leave first thing in the morning, you’d already said your goodbyes earlier that day. It didn’t feel like enough. He had been your best friend for most of high school, glued together. You’d taken all the same electives, a lot of the same extra curriculars, even the same part time jobs. Now he might as well be moving a million miles away. It was going to be beyond weird to have to branch out and make new friends, he was always better at it than you were.

After trying and failing to fall asleep for another twenty minutes, you hear a soft tapping on your window. Attributing it to a bird or a branch, you roll to face away and pull a pillow over your ears. When the noise doesn’t stop, you start to get a little concerned. You contemplate fetching your dad from the other room to investigate, but soon realise how silly you will seem if you wake him just to shoo a harmless animal.

Taking a deep breath you wrap your duvet around your shoulders and shuffle towards you window. Tentatively you pull back the curtains, shocked to find someone else staring back. The sudden scare made you trip on the corner or your blanket landing you in a heap on the floor, staring up at a laughing Taehyung. Recovering quickly, you unlatch the window, and he pushes passed you inside.

“Are you insane?!” Your voice hushed to make sure your parents stay asleep.

“No.”

“You’re an actual idiot, could you not have text me? I thought I was going to die.”

“Do murderers usually knock?” he says the question with such a straight face anyone else might’ve thought he was serious.

“What do you want Tae?” you ask, moving back to your bed and curling into your blanket.

“I couldn’t leave tomorrow without seeing you again Y/N.” he sits cautiously on the edge of the mattress. “Not after four years of this will they/won’t they feeling.” Too overtired to take in the full weight of his words, you just stare back clueless.

“Tae being your best friend, I can usually follow any train of thought you are on, but this time you’ve really lost me.” Your brows knit together in confusion as you watch him try to think of a way to better way to voice his problem. It’s so endearing to watch him think. His lips go pouty, and you can see every cog turning in his brain. He meets your eyes, and you can see the exact moment he figures out what he wants to say.

“It’s like that.” He is just pointing at you now, leaving you even more in the dark than before. You relinquish the warmth of your covers and shuffle to sit next to him.

“Tae, I don’t get…”

“You can’t not get it! You keep saying stuff like ‘You’re my best friend.’ or when people see us together you say, ‘He is just a friend’!”

“Did you climb in through my window just to yell about us being friends?” genuinely concerned for his mental stability now, you raise you hand to play with his hair like you always have done to calm him down.

“No, I just…. You just… you keep saying we are friends but then you look at me like that.” This time instead of just gesturing at your face, he places his hand on your cheek and forces you to meet his eyes properly.

“Look at you like what?” it’s barely above a whisper. You know what he is talking about. Of course you do. It has been blatantly obvious to everyone in your grade that you have been in love with Taehyung from the moment you met. You just never thought he had noticed.

“Look at me like… like you might feel exactly the same way I do.” His eyes are so full of hope. It would be hard to break eye contact even if he weren’t holding you there.

“I’m scared Tae.”

“Don’t think about it, just kiss me.” He presses his lips against yours. Its everything you ever thought it could be. Explosive fireworks and soft contentment all rolled into one. The kind of kiss that would make a girl’s foot *pop* if they were stood. The kind of kiss that shattered friendships. You back out of the kiss when the realisation hits. There’s no way to go back from here.

“I can’t lose you because of this.” It’s a genuine fear. The main one that’s held you back all this time. Why you never told him when you met, when you went on the school trip to Paris in junior year, earlier today when all you wanted to do was scream for him not to leave you. It took all you had to supress these emotions. If you were to go any further than this there would be no way to shut them away again. It’s either him forever, or never.

“You won’t lose me; you can’t lose me. And I can’t go to college without telling the girl I love that I love her.” The anxious twist in the bottom of your stomach explodes into butterflies. Every word you’d ever fantasized him saying to you was coming directly from him. Unless you weren’t having as much trouble sleeping as you thought. Before you get a chance to pinch yourself and wake up, he is kissing you again. Pushing you back onto the mattress and entwining your hands above your head. You’re not sure you could protest if you wanted to. He is far stronger, and your vocal cords have long since left the building. Luckily, you are exactly where you want to be. Content with anywhere as long as its in his arms.

His mouth moves from yours and trails along your jaw line, little whimpers falling from your lips in response. Something this simple should not be this sexy, and yet….

Each warm press of his lips against your skin sets you on fire. You long to touch him, run your fingers through his hair, drag your nails along his arms, anything, but he keeps your hands out of his way for now. It’s no secret that Taehyung has more experience than you. There had been the odd boy in your attempts to keep your feelings at bay, none of them ever made it passed second base though. Taehyung, on the other hand, had his fair share of cheerleaders and music girls hanging around him. its not something you guys had ever talked about in too much detail, but you were certain he had lost his virginity a long time ago. Like you said, Taehyung made friends very easily.

He finally releases your hands when he gets to the collar of your pj’s. you use your new-found freedom to bury into his thick curls, tugging lightly as he pushes your top upwards. You let go just long enough for him to take the shirt over your head. You don’t see where he throws it, too preoccupied with the fact his face was once again parallel with yours. Using the fabric of his shirt you pull his lips back to yours, using the momentum to flip yourself on top. He hits the bed with a small oof, caught off guard by your sudden assertiveness. You tear yourself away from him to take in the new view; his dumb boxy smile shining up at you.

His hands trail up your bare sides, cupping your breasts as he reaches them. His thumbs play with your nipples. Unconsciously, you grind down onto his hips. You feel his cock stir against your bum and can’t help but giggle at the sensation. You wiggle your hips again in hopes of receiving the same reaction. This time you are rewarded by a small escaping his lips. His hands leave their resting place on your chest and tangle into the mess that is your hair. He tugs you back down to meet him, shoving his face into your neck so he can bite on the sensitive skin there, marking you as his. With each rock of your hips, you feel him start to rock back. The friction added to the slight pain in your neck was amazing. You reach a hand down to play with the fly on his jeans. Before you get a chance to slide the zip down and explore further, he stops you.

“Y/N? have you done this before?” he brushes the hair back out of your face, the softest expression on his face, completely juxtaposed to the position you are in.

“No.” you admit sheepishly, suddenly feeling very insecure.

“Me either.” His admission surprises you, and apparently, it’s obvious as he laughs. “I could never get over the thought that it should be you. All of my first should have been you, but at least we still have this.” You nod and move to continue from where you left off, but he stops you again. “but not now.” You can’t stop the noise of protest as it escapes your throat making him laugh again.

“But you’re leaving tomorrow, and I don’t want to go to college without showing the boy I love that I love him.” you echo his words from earlier, hoping to gain brownie points at the same time as expressing how you feel for him. you’ve never been good at talking properly about serious feelings.

“I’m not going anywhere yet, I told my parents I needed a few more days here, I leave the same day you do. I want to take you out, on proper date before we go any further than this.”

“Fine but you are going to pay for the blue balls at a later date.” You kiss him once more before clambering off of his lap and settling into his side. He pulls the duvet over the two of you, shielding your topless form from the world and you find yourself drifting straight off in to the best sleep you’ve ever had.

A/N: sorry for the blueballs this was getting a little long

Feb request prompts - still open

Masterlist

[renatogpadilla]

FFVI as a D&D Campaign:

OK, so I've been watching "Critical Role" (Campaign 1, Episode 31, no spoilers!) a LOT lately and it got me thinking how FFVI (arguably the BEST "Final Fantasy" game out there) is essentialy that. The biggest moments could be atributted to CRAZY rolls! I can see each of the characters being played by one of the people at the table! * Marisha as Terra Branford: Would be phenomenal. Her mentality is kinda in-line with Keyleth's. The "Kill Their Own Emotions" moment in the boat shakes the table as a whole. And when it's time to run an orphanage and protect her kids from Humbaba, the emotion in her voice destroys everyone in the Party. The "Mama?" moment becomes the most fan-arted moment for her character until the final fight. Her Trance ability is agreed to be the coolest looking skill at the table. To say nothing of the way she'd react to the whole Slave Crown bussiness!

Matt: "She killed 50 imperial soldiers in a few minutes." Marisha, and the whole table: *S H A K I N G*

* Taliesin as Locke Cole: "Treasure Hunter!" every single time somebody calls him a thief or a rogue. The "Rachel" story would be absolutely heartbreaking with Taliesin's expressions. The solo-sneak through the town while meeting Celes would be one of the highlights of the Campaign... That and his frienship with Terra would only be accentuated by Taliesin's and Marisha's irl friendship. Not to mention him puking on the ship would serve as some comedic timing straight out of "Critical Role"! Also, "That bow looks good on you" LAUNCHES the ship to heights undreamt of.

* Sam as Edgar Figaro: I mean, COME ON! IT WRITES ITSELF! Besides, it would be enjoyable to see him use his -Artificer- Machinist abilities as creatively as he does! Can you IMAGINE him rolling high enough one day and then he just creates the Noiseblaster? And with that he pulls out the microphone every time he uses it and proceeds to shout some thing Scanlan would be proud of... Not to mention his friendship with Sabin would be amazing if played by Sam! "The little shrimp has become a mighty Lobster!" You can HEAR Sam Riegel's voice come out of that! And the two headed coin? Now THAT's a Scanlan! This without mentioning the violations of the Geneva Convention that the Bioblaster would certainly entail...

* Laura as Celes Chere: I mean, OBVIOUSLY. Meeting Locke in the dungeon? The apparent betrayal? THE OPERA HOUSE?! "I'm a former General, not some... Opera floozy!" TELL ME you don't hear Laura Bailey saying that! And then she rolls a Natural 20 on performance and EVERYONE looses their shit! Her Runic ability is the target of MANY close saves. Also, the way Locke and Celes' interactions happen, she'd be perfect opposite Taliesin. The chat on the bridge in Albrook? HEARTSTOPPING. The attempted suicide? You KNOW Matt would call the sesion there!

* Travis as Sabin Figaro: This one was obvious. Monk/Barb that gets mistaken for a bear, and acts like an absolute teddy bear around Terra? Yes. Gods above, YES. "You think a tiny thing like the end of the world was going to be enough to keep me down?" You heard Grog too, right? The moments would be worth MILLIONS. The Opera house and Travis going "Why is everyone singing?" and then getting more and more into it! Him holding up the house for Celes! "MISTER THOU"... But best of all, and probably the single most famous Sabin moment EVER, The Phantom Train:

Matt: The train tracks suddenly lurch to the side. Even after this long and hard-fought battle it seems *chukles* it seems this train isn't letting you get away with your lives. That brings us to you, Travis! Travis, on his 5000 IQ shit: I grapple the train.

Entire Table: ARE YOU FUCKING NUTS?!?!

Matt: No way in hell are you gonna- You know what? Roll for it. *Picks up dice for the Train* Taliesin: He's dead. He's so fucking dea-

Travis: NATURAL 20.

Entire Table: *Silent disbelief, everyone looks at Matt*.

Matt: *Also in disbelief* ...Rolled a 1.

Entire Table: *Inintelligeble gasping and hyperventilating*

Travis: I'm going to use my last Blitz as Meteor Strike and suplex the Train!

Matt: *Looking at the sheet, knowing damn well what's about to happen* Go ahead and roll for damage...

Travis: *Rolls for damage*

Matt: *Braces for impact* How do you wanna do this?

Entire Table and the Internet: *EXPLODES*

The Fanart keeps coming, even YEARS after the Campaign is done...

* Liam as Setzer Gabbiani: Since he's LITERALY "Mister Steal Your Girl", I think Liam would be PERFECT. Just imagine him getting set up as this suave and smooth rougue who wanted to kidnap a beautiful singer and then gets Laura instead! (Which isn't entirely wrong...) IMAGINE his expresions and his dissapearing under the table laughing as the others barely climb aboard The Blackjack. THE ENTIRE PARTY giving him shit for a low roll on a Wisdom Check (the double-headed coin) and him segwaying that into joining the party, only to find out that he actually knew all along... Priceless. The total and undistilled heartbreak as his ship falls apart, him trying to reach out for Terra and everyone falling on different places. And then meeting Celes a year later and doing the whole Daryll story... Liam would be the one to steal the audience every time he takes the spotlight! Though he would be a little like Percy in the sense that he doesn't get much to do until his arc happens.

"Money, Money, Money!" every time he throws coins to attack, the loaded dice (in character, not at the table?) and the card throws would make him so stylish in a D&D setting I'll be surprised if somebody hasn't done it already.

* Ashley as Relm Arrowny: She takes forever to join because of her constantly being away for filming, but once she's here? HOO BOY, does the fun keep coming! Her paintings coming alive and helping them fight? Her giving Sam shit for Edgar's love life? "Fuddy-Duddy!" becoming A Thing? All of those moments would be hilarious... But probably her most notorious moment comes when they find her a year later, serving a posessed brush, telling her to paint, paint, paint under the Magic House... "Keep painting until I'm complete..." The party snaps her out of it before she finishes the greatest painting she's ever done, her Magnum Opus, and then the painting coming alive prematurely in order to force her to finish... To give her form. And then the Lakshmi boss fight happens... Matt: And with the last of her strength gone, the banshee-like apparition dissipates into mist, and before any of you can react, Relm's magic brush begins to glow, like it had when you first came in here. The glow slowly creeps off the hairs and darts! Off towards the mistified form of it's mistress, enveloping itself into a thicc layer on top of the mist, swirling around... and around and around.

Ashley: Oh god, now what?

Matt: The colors dissipate, and Lakshmi unleashes a terrible wail! *DM monster noises* As it is now joined with this colorful cloud... And it compresses, smaller and smaller... And more solid until it's not mist anymore.

Marisha: *Gets it* ¡WAIT A MINUTE!

Travis: *Exited* ¡OH SHIT, HOLD ON!

Matt: The fog dissipates... And the calm returns to Relm's senses. Ashley you are now holding an innert, ordinary paint brush. However! Floating in the air, you see a crystal with a small glowing core, the particular essence of Life embeded in the middle, Terra you *points at Marisha* feel this and recognize it instantly, as it falls to the ground, and bounces a couple times... A brand new shard of Magicite.

Party: *FERAL LOOTING*

"Lakshmi" becomes the most PAINFUL fanart to make, and it's ALWAYS the one that's valued the most among the fandom.

The rest of the Party (Strago, Umaro, Mog, Cyan, Gau and GoGo) can be the guests that come over every once in a while (I particualrly see Wil Wheaton as Strago Magus, Mary McGlynn as GoGo and Will Friedle as Clyde "Shadow" Arrowny) with Shadow coming and going with the excuse that "His contract is up" (and let's face it, after surviving/witnessing the Phantom Train? My contract would be up too...) and coming back whenever his schedule/the plot allows. Eventually, everyone comes together for one last session and the battle with God Kefka. Setting their affairs in order, the reveal of who Shadow really is during a lone chat with Strago shakes the Critters to their core. Everything makes sense! Why Interceptor went straight to Relm when they met... Why his nightmares kept showing a village of magic users, yet they never mention Shadow in Thamasa! The group is RATTLED and wether or not he survives at the end becomes a HEATED argument between everyone at the table. Only Strago knows the truth...

The sendoff on The Falcon with everyone saying goodbye and seeing what the World will bring next is regarded as one of the most emotional scenes in "Critical Role" history... But the most completely DESTRUCTIVE force in this entire cast is Matt Mercer as Kefka Palazzo:

The personality... the narrative... The absolute slime in his voice when he poisons Doma. When he kills Leo and brings forth the Light of Judgement. Matt definitely has his moments playing Ultros. He's fun! And Emperor Ghestal was more of a political "Darth Sidious" villain. But Kefka? OH, LORD. NOBODY was ready for Kefka. "Enjoy the barbicue!" gets memed to no end, while also sending a horrible shiver down people's spine whenever somebody brings it up. Truly, the villain to end all villains. I can see it happen so vividly... If anybody wants to talk about this more, PLEASE hit me up! This just feels too good! Until off course the party moves on to their next Campaign in the setting for "Final Fantasy 5" but that's a whole OTHER can of worms!

[addictedtoeddie]

The full Esquire Spain interview translated from Spanish:  

Eddie Redmayne trial: guilty of being the most talented (and stylish) actor of his generation

The Oscar winner talks about what it means to premiere a film with Aaron Sorkin (The Chicago 7th Trial on Netflix) and filming the new part of the most famous saga of all time under the watchful eye of its author, J.K. Rowling.

By Alba Díaz (text) / JUANKR (photos and video) / Álvaro de Juan (styling) 10/23/2020  

At the Kettle’s Yard Gallery in Cambridge, stands alone and leaning on a piano Prometheus, a marble head made by Constantin Brâncusi, and the only piece of art that Eddie Redmayne (London, 1982) would save from possible massive destruction. He tells me about it as he leaves the filming set of the third installment of Fantastic Beasts in the early days of an autumn that, we suspect, we will never forget. It begins to get dark as the actor nods seriously: "I promise to do my best in this interview."

Eddie Redmayne made himself in the theater despite some voices warning him that he could not survive in it. "Many people were in charge to tell me that it would never work, that only extraordinary cases make it and that I would not be able to live from this professionally." Even his father came home one day with a list of statistics on unemployed young actors. Redmayne, who is extremely modest, polite and funny, adds: “But I enjoyed theater so much that I got to the point of thinking that if I could only do one play a year for the rest of my life… I would do it. And that would fill me completely.

Spoiler: since then until today he has participated in many more. He set his first foot in the industry when he debuted at the Shakespeare’s Globe Theater and won over critics and audiences. He then landed his first major role in My Week with Marilyn opposite Michelle Williams. And then came one of the roles of his life, the character he wanted to become an actor for, Marius. With him he sang, led a revolution and broke Cosette's heart in Les Miserables. “I found out about the Les Misérables auditions when I was shooting a movie in Illinois. Dressed like a cowboy. I picked up the iPhone and videotaped myself singing the Marius song. I always wanted to be him ”.

Now Redmayne is an Oscar winner - thanks to his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything - and the protagonist of one of the most important sagas in history, Fantastic Beasts. He plays the magizoologist Newt Scamander in it. When I ask him what it means to him to be the protagonist of a magical world that is so important to millions of people, Eddie sighs and takes a few seconds to answer. “I have always loved the Harry Potter universe. Some people like The Lord of the Rings or Star Wars ... But, for me, the idea that there is a magical world that happens right in front of you, that happens without going any further on the streets of London, that. .. That exploded my imagination in another way.

During the quarantine, J. K. Rowling, who has been in charge of the script of the film, sparked a controversy through a series of tweets about transgender women. Redmayne assures that he does not agree with these statements but that it does not approve of the attacks of some people through social networks. The actor was one of the first to position himself against Rowling alongside Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and other protagonists of her films. "Trans women are women, trans men are men, and non-binary identities are valid."

After having spent a while talking, Redmayne confesses to me that he has never been a big dreamer not to maintain certain aspirations that ended up disappointing him. So he has always kept a handful of dreams to himself. One of them was fulfilled just a few weeks ago with the premiere of The Trial of the Chicago 7, a film written and directed by Aaron Sorkin that can already be seen on Netflix and in some - few - cinemas. “I was on vacation with my wife in Morocco and the script arrived. I think I called my agent before I even read it and said yes, I would. She probably thought the obvious, that I'm stupid. After that, of course I read the script, which is about a specific moment in history that I knew very little about. I found it exciting and a very relevant drama in today's times. "

And it is that having a script by Aaron Sorkin in your hands is no small thing. Eddie Redmayne has been a fan of his work ever since he saw The West Wing of the White House. “His scripts have delicious language and dialogue. As an actor, it's fun to play characters that are much smarter than you are in real life. That virtuosity is hard to come by. I really hope that audiences enjoy this movie and feel that there is always hope. " He remembers that since he released The Theory of Everything he has recorded, to a large extent, English period dramas, “and although the new Aaron Sorkin is not strictly contemporary,” says Redmayne, “to be able to wear jeans and shirts and sweaters instead of so much tweed is great ”.

Besides acting, art was the only thing the actor was interested in, so he ended up studying Art History at Cambridge University. “My parents are quite traditional and when I told them I wanted to act they gave me free rein but on the condition that I study a career. And I'm very grateful for that because ... Look, beyond that, when I play a real character I usually go to the National Portrait Gallery in London quite often. There I lock myself up. Now, for Sorkin's film, I went through a lot of photographs and videotapes. Art helps me to be more creative, to get into paper ”. If he were not an actor, he would be, he says decidedly, a historian or perhaps a curator. "Although I think he would be a very bad art curator."

Against all logic, Eddie Redmayne is color blind. But there is a color that you can distinguish anywhere and on any surface: klein blue. He wrote his thesis on the French artist Yves Klein and the only shade of blue he used in his works. He wrote up to 30,000 words talking about that color with which he became obsessed. “It is surprising that a color can be so emotional. One can only hope to achieve that intensity in acting. "

Like his taste for art, which encompasses the refined and compact, Redmayne seems to be in the same balance when it comes to the roles he chooses. When I ask him what aspects a character he wants to play should have, he takes a few seconds again before answering: “I wish I had a more ingenious answer but I will tell you that I know when my belly hurts. It's that feeling that I trust. In my mind I transport him to imagine myself playing that character. When I read a script I have to really enjoy it. You never fully regret those instincts. It's like when you connect with something emotionally. "

So we come to the conclusion that all his characters have some traits in common. "You know what? I never look back, and this is something personal, but I do believe that there is a parallel between Marius in Les Misérables trying to be a revolutionary, someone who is quite prone to being distracted by love but at the same time is willing to die for his cause, and Tom Hayden from The Chicago Trial of the 7 who was a man who had integrity and was passionate and fought for the things he believed in. So I suppose there may also be similarities between a young Stephen Hawking and Newt Scamander. There are traits in common in all of them that I don't really know where they come from ”.

When we talk about the year we are living in, in which it is increasingly difficult to find hope, we both let out a nervous laugh. "There must be," Redmayne says. “There is something very nice that Tom Hayden, the character I play in Sorkin's film, said to his former wife, actress Jane Fonda, just the day before she passed away. He told her that watching people die for their beliefs changed his life forever. In that sense, I also think about what Kennedy Jr. wrote about how democracy is messy, tough and never easy ... As is believing in something to fight for. I look at history and how they were willing to live their lives with that integrity to change the world and I realize that somehow that spirit still remains with us. " We fell silent thinking about it. "There must be hope."

I tell him about my love for Nick Cave's blog, The Red Hand, and one of the posts that I have liked the most in recent weeks. In it, the singer affirms that his response to a crisis has always been to create, an impulse that has saved him many times. For Redmayne there are two activities that can silence noise: drawing and playing the piano. “When you play the piano your concentration is so consumed by trying to hit that note that you can't think of anything else. Similarly, when you draw something, the focus is between the paper and what you are trying to recreate ... There I try to calm my mind.

Before saying goodbye, I drop a question that I thought I knew the answer to, but failed. What work of art would you save from mass destruction? "How difficult! I could name my favorite artists but still couldn't choose a work. Only one piece? Let me think. I am very obsessed with Yves Klein, but I would stick with a work by Brancusi. There is a sculpture of him, a small head called Prometheus, in Cambridge's Kettle’s Yard, on a dark mahogany piano. The truth is that I find it very ... beautiful ”.

Before leaving, he confesses to me - with a childish and slow voice - that he would like to direct something one day. We said goodbye, saying that we will talk about his next project. Next, the first thing I do is open the Google search engine. "P-r-o-m-e-t-h-e-u-s". Although Eddie Redmayne has trouble distinguishing violet from blue, he doesn't have them when choosing a good piece. He's right, that work deserves to be saved.

* This article appears in the November 2020 issue of Esquire magazine

Source: esquire.com/es/actualidad/cine/a34434114/eddie-redmayne-juicio-7-chicago-netflix-entrevista/

[leverage-ot3]

notable moments from The Nigerian Job

(PART ONE)

leverage 1.01

note: there are A LOT of scenes in this one, but they are all important in one way or another in terms of notability, character-building, etc

Dubenich: I’m sorry Mr. Ford, sorry, I know who you are I’ve, uh, excuse me. I’ve read all about you. I know for example that-that when you found that stolen Monet painting in Florence you probably saved your Insurance Company what 20-25 million dollars. Then there was that identity theft thing and you saved your insurance company I don’t even know how many millions of dollars but I just know that when you needed them… What happened to your family is the kind of thing--

Nate (slams glass down): You know that part of the conversation where I punch you in the neck nine or ten times? We’re coming up on that pretty quick.

- - - - -

Dubenich: I’m serious. Look, look at the people I’ve already hired. Do you recognize any of these names?

Nate (going through file): Uh, yeah, I’ve chased all of them at one time or anoth-- Parker? You have Parker?

Dubenich: Is there somebody better?

Nate: No, but Parker is insane.

Dubenich: Which is why I need you.

Nate (laughs): No. I’m not a thief. (closes file)

Dubenich: Thieves I got. What I need is one honest man to watch them.

- - - - -

Hardison: I’ve been doing this since high school, bro, I’m Captain Discipline.

[Flashback]

(New York City Hotel, Five Years Ago)

Manager: They came straight from the airport and up to their room.

Security: So you never actually saw any of them then.

Manager: No, but the credit card numbers checked out.

Security: Break it down!

(Doors open to reveal Hardison sitting on a couch drinking orange soda while three beautiful women dressed as Princess Leia fight with lightsabers)

Security: Does that look like Mick Jagger to you?

Hardison: This is not the room you’re looking for.

what a fucking GEEK oh my god

like, his flashback is so tame compared to the others???

like, his version of criminality is hanging out with cosplaying pretty girls and watching them fight with lightsabers, all under the guise of pretending to be mick jagger

- - - - -

Hardison (holding up an earpiece): It’s a bone-conduction earpiece mic, works off the vibrations in your jaw.

(Hardison tosses it to Eliot who holds it to his ear)

Hardison (whispering): You can hear everything.

Eliot: You’re not as useless as you look.

eliot being subtly impressed with hardison is my religion

- - - - -

Hardison: I don’t even know what you do.

[Flashback]

(3 Years Ago Eliot, wearing glasses and drinking from a mug of tea, enters a room full of men in Belgrade, Serbia)

Eliot: I’m here to collect the merchandise.

(Most of the men pull guns. Eliot takes a long sip of his drink. Outside, the windows flash with gunfire. Moans and the sound of a body falling fill the air. Inside, Eliot calmly takes another drink. One man sits at a table surrounded by bodies that litter the ground. He places a baseball card on the table. Eliot smiles)

am I the only one that wants to know the context of this???

- - - - -

(Parker drops down between Eliot and Hardison, hanging upside down from scaffolding)

Parker: Can I have one?

Hardison: You can have the whole box.

(Hardison holds the box of comms up for her. She takes one and pulls herself back up)

Eliot: What are you going to do when she finds out you live with your mom?

Hardison: Age of the geek, baby. We run the world.

Eliot: You keep telling yourself that.

(Parker puts the comm in her ear, smiling)

ot3 moments from day one baby

also eliot goes from ‘baby’ to ‘oh god, I’m baby’ in 0.0000005 seconds

- - - - -

[Flashback]

(19 Years Ago in Kansas City, a ten year old Parker stands in her living room watching her foster parents fight. The foster father turns to Parker, holding a stuffed bunny while the foster mother stands in the background, crying)

Bill: You thought I wouldn’t find this? You don’t get bunny until you do what I say. So be a good girl or, I don’t know, a better thief. (walks out of room)

Foster Mother: Bill!

(Parker walks outside and down the walk. Behind her, the house explodes. She hugs her bunny and smiles)

for the LONGEST time I thought she blew up the house with her foster parents until I saw that john rogers confirmed they weren’t home at the time

also this gives HEAVY insight as to how even the smallest part of Parker’s childhood was

abusive, emotionally manipulative, etc

- - - - -

(Parker adjusts her repelling gear, caressing it as if it were a lover)

Parker: Last time I used this rig, Paris, 2003

Nate: You talking about the Caravaggio? You stole that?

- - - - -

Eliot (examining earpiece): Is this thing safe?

Hardison: Yeah, it’s completely safe, it’s just, you know, you might experience nausea, weakness in your right side, stroke, strokiness.

Eliot (puts earpiece in): You’re precisely why I work alone.

shut up eliot you’re about to be so far gone for them it will be amazing

- - - - -

(Parker dives off the roof)

Parker: Yeehaaaa!!

(Eliot and Hardison run to the edge and watch her fall)

Eliot: That’s twenty pounds of crazy in a five pound bag.

what’s the opposite of foreshadowing? because I’m thinking about the long goodbye job and it’s reference to this (also the SIGNIFICANCE in that episode in how both hardison AND eliot repeat this line, finishing one another. because they both are on the same wavelength by that point, so in tune with one another and in constant awe of parker.)

- - - - -

parker just ??? drops the fucking glass ??? onto the sidewalk below ??? like ??? what if it hits someone ???

- - - - -

Nate: Okay, you got any chatter on their frequencies?

[Electrical Room]

Parker: No. Why?

[Unfinished Office]

(Nate checks records)

Nate: There’s eight listed on the duty roster, there’s only four at the guard post.

[Electrical Room]

Parker: I can’t even tell how many guys are in the room. How can you tell who’s who?

[Unfinished Office]

Nate: Haircuts Parker. Count the haircuts.

[Electrical Room]

Parker: I would have missed that.

[Unfinished Office]

Nate: What?

[Electrical Room]

Parker: Nothing.

mastermind father and daughter in episode ONE

- - - - -

we love to see eliot beat up four guys in the time it takes hardison’s bag to fall to the ground

- - - - -

Eliot (empties gun and smiles): That’s what I do.

(Hardison looks impressed. Behind him, the door clicks open. He and Eliot smile and enter the server room together)

the FLIRTING ENERGY in this scene

- - - - -

Eliot: Did you give them a virus?

Hardison: (chuckles) Dude, I gave them more than one virus.

hardison doesn’t half-ass, pass it on

- - - - -

Parker: Problem. Those guards you ganked?

[Electrical Room]

Parker (looking at monitor): They reset all the alarms on the roof and all the floors above us. We can’t go up.

[Hallway]

Eliot: Every man for himself then. (starts to move away)

Hardison: Go ahead I’m the one with the merchandise.

[Electrical Room]

Parker: Yeah, well I’m the one with an exit.

[Unfinished Office]

Nate: And I’m the one with a plan. Now I know you children don’t play well with others but I need you to hold it together for exactly seven more minutes. Now get to the elevator and head down. We’re going to the burn scam.

[Elevator]

(Eliot and Hardison enter an elevator and begin changing their clothes)

Hardison: Going to Plan B.

[Unfinished Office]

Nate (packing his things): Technically that would be Plan G.

[Elevator]

(elevator doors open and Parker runs in. She begins changing while the men look away)

Hardison: How many plans do we have? Is there like a Plan M?

[Unfinished Office]

Nate: Yeah, Hardison dies in Plan M.

[Elevator]

Eliot: I like Plan M.

there are SO MANY things about this scene I want to discuss but here are the top ones:

1- nate calling them out as children? amazing

2- eliot and hardison canonically changed in the elevator together BEFORE parker dropped in, but they weren’t necessarily looking away in a backs-turned way when she came in (when they were still getting finished getting dressed)

3- parker being completely nonchalant changing with two men in the elevator? she must not really care about being naked in front of other people (as seen later in what I think is the morning after job (?), for example)

4- the boys look away to be polite but there is definitely interest in BOTH of their faces

5- so this is what the burn scam entails

- - - - -

parker takes shotgun while the two boys are in the back. I need to see the scene of them awkwardly sitting together in the back. possibly bickering.

- - - - -

Nate: All right, all right. The money will be in all your accounts later today.

Hardison: Anybody else notice how hard we rocked last night?

Eliot: Yeah, well, one show only, no encores.

Parker: I already forgot your names.

Hardison: It was kind of cool, being on the same side.

Nate: No, we are not on the same side. I am not a thief.

Parker: You are now. Come on Nathan, tell the truth. Didn’t you have a little bit of fun playing the Black King instead of the White Knight, just this once?

(they all walk away in different directions)

smh you’re all 0.000005 seconds away from becoming a family

“no encores” my ass

+ I love how hardison is the FIRST one to (immediately) bring up how awesome they worked as a team

- - - - -

(Nate walks slowly down a toward a large room where voices are coming from)

Hardison (holding gun): You mind telling me what happened to the designs?

Eliot: What makes you think I know what happened? Stupid.

Hardison: Look, forget you man. You did it when we were coming down from the elevator.

Eliot: Yeah, that makes sense doesn’t it? You had the file every second.

Hardison: Hold up Kujo, I did my part, I transferred the files.

Eliot: You better get that gun out of my face...

Hardison: What did you do?

Eliot: …or else I’m gonna feed it to you.

Nate: Hey!

(the men turn, Hardison pointing the gun at Nate)

Eliot: Did you do it? You’re the only one that’s ever played both sides.

Nate: Yeah, you seem pretty relaxed for a guy with a gun pointed at him.

Eliot (looks at Hardison): Safety’s on.

Hardison: Like I’m gonna fall for that.

Nate: No, no, actually he’s right, the safety is on.

(Hardison looks at the gun and Nate grabs it)

Nate (to Eliot): You armed?

Eliot (shakes head): I don’t like guns.

(Eliot looks pointedly past Nate’s shoulder. Nate turns, pointing the gun at Parker who is holding a gun on him)

Parker: My money’s not in my account.

(She walks around Hardison, raising her gun as Nate lowers his)

Parker: That makes me cry inside in my special, angry place.

Nate: Okay, Parker. (slowly reaches out to lower Parker’s gun) Now did you come here to get paid?

Hardison: Hell no. Transfer of funds man. Global economy.

Eliot: It’s supposed to be a walk away. I’m never supposed to see you again.

eliot could have IMMEDIATELY taken the gun away but it made hardison feel safe so he was humoring him

and how easily nate took the gun away? interesting, for a former insurance agent

“you armed?” “no, I don’t like guns” eliot sweetie I love you

also parker’s entrance tho

- - - - -

Nate: Then the only reason you guys are here is because you didn’t get paid. And you’re pissed off. (laughs) As a matter of fact the only way to get us all in the same place at the same time is to tell us that we’re not. Getting. Paid.

(a look of realization goes through the group and they all start to run. Nate opens a garage door and directs them out. Hardison trips on the stairs and Eliot pulls him to his feet)

Nate: Come on, come on, get up. Let’s go, hustle. Go.

(the others exit and Nate looks back to see a ball of fire headed toward him)

eliot: I hate you all, I work alone, I don’t care about any of you

eliot 0.000005 seconds later: hauling hardison off the ground so he doesn’t die in an exploding building because ‘I guess he’s by boyfriend now’

- - - - -

Nate: Have we been processed?

(Eliot waves ink covered finger tips at him)

Eliot: They faxed our prints to the State Police.

[Hospital Room B]

Hardison: Yo, if the staties run us man, we’re screwed.

Parker: How long?

Hardison: Thirty, thirty-five minutes depending on the software

- - - - -

Nate: Parker! Get me a phone. What we’re going to do is, we’re going to get out of here together.

Eliot: This was a onetime deal.

Nate: Look guys, here’s your problem. You all know what you can do, I know what all you can do, so that gives me the edge, gives me the plan.

[Hospital Room B]

Parker: I don’t trust these guys.

[Hospital Room A]

Nate: Do you trust me?

Eliot: Of course. You’re an honest man.

Nate: Parker, Phone.

[Hospital Room B]

Parker: This is gonna suck.

(she sticks her fingers down her throat and bends over)

Hardison: Oh. Hell no

the amount of times eliot brings up that it was supposed to be a one-time thing is HILARIOUS considering just how fast he imprints on them lmfao

also how they all immediately trust him, I’m soft

- - - - -

(Parker nods compliantly. The doctor and nurse leave the room. Officer checks her handcuffs then leaves. Parker and Hardison hold up the phones they stole. After a quick glance, they switch phones. Parker holds up the keys she stole and tosses them to Hardison before standing up and talking to the vent into the next room)

domestic pardison

- - - - -

(Hardison leads Eliot to a police cruiser that Nate and Parker are already inside of. As Hardison guides Eliot into the backseat he hits Eliot head on the top of the door frame. Eliot turns and growls at Hardison)

Hardison: Walk it off. Walk… get inside. Get inside.

(Eliot gets in the car)

I love chaotic (pre)boyfriends

- - - - -

Eliot: I’m gonna beat Dubenich so bad that even the people who look like him are gonna bleed.

Parker: You won’t get within 100 yards. He knows your face. He knows all our faces.

Eliot: He tried to kill us.

Parker: More importantly he didn’t pay us.

Eliot: How is that more important?

Parker: I take that personally.

Eliot: There’s something wrong with you.

okay to be fair eliot at least is open to and listens to parker’s reasoning before concluding she’s crazy

- - - - -

Eliot: What’s in it for me?

Nate: Payback, and if it goes right a lot of money.

Parker: What’s in it for me?

Nate: A lot of money, and if it goes right, payback. Hardison?

Hardison: I was just gonna send a thousand porno magazines to his office, but, hell yeah man, let’s kick him up.

these characterizations are so on point

- - - - -

SOPHIE’S INTRO LMFAO

+ how everyone else is horrified but nate just looks entranced

- - - - -

[Flashback]

(In Paris seven years ago, Sophie is cutting a painting out of a frame with several empty frames nearby. The door burst open and Nate enters with a gun in hand)

Nate: Freeze.

(Sophie grabs her gun and shoots Nate in the shoulder. He responds by shooting her in the back. They both clench at their wounds)

Sophie: You wanker!

so are we, as a fandom, EVER going to talk about this scene ???

- - - - -

(so apparently there’s a 250 text block limit for posts on tumblr so I guess I have to make more than one post for this now. the following part will be reblogged on this post immediately after. reblog that version instead please lol)

[starrose17]

Wincest fic idea, Battlestar Galactica!AU

Ah yes, my fall back fantasy no matter what fandom I’m in, the Battlestar Galactica 2004 AU, now for wincest! No matter what fandom I’m in I ALWAYS resort to a BSG!AU. Cos there is so much angsty love and darkness and hope potential, and in this one Sam is a sleeper Cylon agent (taking on mostly Boomers role in the series), and he’s gonna have to be an adopted brother for this to work as Dean is human.

So yeah, read below because I always LOVE the love and angst in this fantasy, its not exactly a fic...though it feels like i’ve written one already, this got quite long ^^;

Dean and Sam are both Viper pilots on the Galactica, but it was never Sam’s first choice.  He was raised on the Galatica after he was adopted as a baby, along with his adoptive brother Dean and his father, Admiral John Winchester, who runs the ship. He was trained as a pilot next to Dean, but left after a huge argument to pursue his education on the ground.  In fact two separate arguments, one very public one with his father on the bridge of the ship, the other privately with Dean, for they had been sleeping together for years and leaving Dad meant leaving Dean, but still Sam turned away, shouting at Dean for being Dad’s “perfect little solider”,  and Dean was furious and hurt, but so was Sam.  

Two years later the Galactica is due for retirement and for the ceremony Dean plucks up the courage to turn up at Sam’s place on Caprica asking for Sam to come back to fly in the ceremony flyby, for old times sake, that it wouldn't be the same to say goodbye to the ship that raised them both without him there. Neither of them mention they haven’t spoken to each other at all these two years.  Neither of them mention their “relationship” before, especially as Sam’s girlfriend Jess was in the room.

Reluctantly, Sam agrees, but makes a point of telling Dean not to tell their dad he was coming.

So Sam heads up to the ship and gets geared up, the other pilots that he knows from before shocked he is there, some greeting him happily like an old friend, others hating him for turning “on the old man”, as the Admiral was often called. 

Still Sam gets in a Viper with his brother flying formation beside him, and Dean cannot stop grinning, seeing his little brother back in uniform, back in a viper, because no matter how much he says he hates it Sammy was always the best pilot out of everyone.  Except Dean, of course.  So Sam does the flyby as he agreed, and sees their father through the large dome window on the ship giving his speech to the crew, memories and regrets and still anger running through him.

“You didn’t tell me you’d made CAG.” Sam says quietly when they’re alone in Dean’s room after the flyby, a cabin not shared with the other pilots as he was now in command of them.

“You didn’t tell me you had a girlfriend.”

An awkward small smile come on Sam’s lips, “I guess there’s alot we haven’t spoken about in quite a while.”

So they talk, and talk, and get closer and closer as the barriers come down and the forgiveness starts to set in, and when Dean quietly whispers that he’s missed Sam so much, so much, Sam finds himself kissing his brother for the first time in two years, and Dean is pushing him down onto his bunk and getting his hands up underneath that uniform and suddenly everything is as it should be as though nothing had ever changed.

Until the cylons suddenly attack.

So picture the series going on, and Sam finds himself blacking out and waking up in strange places, though he never tells Dean.  He also doesn’t exactly reconcile with his Dad, but when he finally finds out Sam is stuck aboard with them all as they FLT their way through space trying to avoid the cylons, the Admiral does give his son the biggest hug, simply relieved to know he is here on board and alive, unlike all the millions of people dead.  

Including Jess. 

Dean and Sam get closer and basically live together in Dean’s cabin, and despite the strange blackouts, which he doesn't want to worry his brother about, Sam is beginning to find himself happy.  He plays cards with his brother and the other pilots, just like they did once before, gets drunk with them, gets in the vipers to battle against the cylons when they make their moves, with Dean constantly at his side, protecting him, protecting each other. He mourns those they loose, getting tired and upset and angry with the universe for what it was doing to their slowly diminishing race, but at least he had Dean.  The blackouts get worse, and the latest one he found himself sitting alone in the locker room, dripping head to toe in water, and doesn’t know why.

But then the opportunity to blow up a base ships emerges, using a stolen reader from a captured cyclon raider, enabling one ship to fly into the baseship thinking it’s one of their own and then plant a nuclear warhead there, and Dean and Sam volunteer.

Once on the hanger deck of the baseship they rock, paper, scissor who gets to go outside to plant the bomb, and Sam goes, with Dean staying on the shuttle ready to escape at a moments notice. Sam places the bomb, all set and ready to detonate on a countdown, when he turns around and sees down the large passageway what looks like a small army of cylons walking towards him, but....but this can’t be...he shakes his head, he’s dreaming, a nightmare like those that have always plagued him, and he blinks and blinks again because no, no, and he backs away as dozens of identical cyclons looking just like himself walk towards him, telling him not to be scared, that’s it’s alright, come with them.

In terror and utter denial confusion Sam races back onto the shuttle, they fly off, the bomb explodes and the  baseship is destroyed, and back on Galactica everyone is greeting them as heroes, clapping and cheering. Their father walks towards them, shaking Dean’s hand and pulling him into a hug, he goes to offer his hand to Sam, another hopeful brief moment of bonding between them, when with a genuine sweet smile Sam offers his hand back and two loud bangs echo around the room, for Sam’s holding a gun, and has just shot his own father twice in the chest, and suddenly everything is chaos. Dean is on the floor with his dad, hands over the blood pouring from the two holes in his chest, alternating between staring in horror at his dad and horror at his brother, who suddenly seems to snap out of a trance as others are piling on him, grabbing him and holding him, and as he sees what he’s done and the look on Deans face, he screams, and screams, and at the same time a massive explosion rips through one side of the ship, where the bombs that Sam had planted inside the water tanks explode, which explains why he was dripping wet.

So now Sam is in handcuffs and in an interrogation room being tortured, being told he is a sleeper cylon agent and to tell them everything he knows, and where the other bomb is that has been counted as missing but wasn’t one of the ones that blew up the water tanks. Sam’s mental state is a mess, he doesn’t know anything, he doesn’t know what happened, he’s a cylon? Flashes of his identical twins marching towards him flash across his mind, No, NO!! No he can’t... Dean....and they’re punching him cutting him and drowning him in buckets of water as they hold his head underneath as he squirms and flails against the lack of oxygen.

“Why don’t you just turn off your pain?  You’re a robot, why suffer like this?” one his torturers asks, and Sam just lowers his head, tired of answering he doesn’t know to every question, and terrified for the state of his father because no one will tell him, and Dean...oh god Dean what must he be thinking....so he asks for Dean, over and over again no matter how much they hurt him, no matter how many tears of agony runs down his face, and eventually one of them tells him that Dean doesn’t want to see him, Dean is having his own crisis.

Dean has stayed in his cabin, pacing up and down, cursing, being told to get out of the medical bay as his father went in for surgery. How could Sam have been a cylon all this time and Dean not have realised?! How could Sam, his baby brother, and who he loved more than anyone could possible love another person, be a cylon? The destroyer of their race? How could he have...touched him, loved him, fucked him, it was making him feel sick and furious and a fool for being led on. Their father was alive if in a critical condition, and now they had a water shortage issue and now his brother was a fucking cylon wtf!!!  At this stage he’s too blinded by anger and humiliation and shock to realise of course he still loves him completely, but he’s gonna realise that too late.

Eventually, they have to get Dean in to talk to Sam, because as far as they’re concerned Sam is refusing to cooperate and maybe seeing his “brother”, for they all knew Sam had been adopted and now certainly knew they weren't related with Sam being a cylon, would perhaps spark of bit of so called “human” compassion.  And Dean doesn't want to, god he doesn't want to go in there, but he does for the sake of the lives the last bomb may take, so he enters the room. Sam’s face lights up like fireworks in the sky at the sight of him, Dean sitting down at the table between them, refusing to look at Sam

“Where’s the other bomb Sam?” he asks quietly to the table, and Sam just looks at him, just looks, and despite the blood on his face and torn clothing and hair still dripping from being half drowned, he smiles, smiles because he hasn’t seen his brother in he didn’t know how long.

“How’s dad? Is he okay they won’t tell m-”

“He’s not your dad.” Dean will reply, just as quietly, “Where’s the bomb?”

And Sam’s heart is breaking, and he tries to reach for his brother but the chain cuffing him to the edge of the table prevents him.

“I don’t know Dean.”

Dean bits his lip in a held back anger, taking a shaking breath to calm his frayed and betrayed nerves, “If you have any shred of love left for me in that...whatever it is that makes up your brain, then don’t make me sit here any longer than I have to and tell me where the last bomb is. Tell me everything you know about the cylons so I can get out of here.”

Sam is silent for a moment, so sad and terrified for his own life and seeing Dean treat him this way, not even looking at him... 

“If you were told, right now,” Sam began, so softly, “that you were really a cylon, Dean.  Would you suddenly know all their secrets?  Would you know everything about them? I don’t know anything. Please.......tell them to stop hurting me.”

It’s then Dean finally looks up at him, and for a split moment a look of utter shock and terrible caring pain crosses his face at the image before him, cos there’s blood everywhere, even on the walls, and Sam is shaking, his face and body is cut and bruised, his hair lanky and his breathing is laboured. Dean opens his mouth to say something, but he doesn’t know what, and suddenly he shaking his head and standing up, turning to the door.

“I can’t do this.” he mutters, ignoring Sam’s cry of his name behind him as the doors slams closed.

Getting nothing out of him it’s decided to throw him out the airlock, he has no rights he’s the fucking enemy, not even alive, and now Sam is genuinely terrified and still shaking, still handcuffed, barely able to stand from his injuries as he stands there all alone as the others watch the through the glass window in the control room.

“Any last words?” It’s was Bobby, the XO, the man he’s grown up with alongside his father and brother on this very ship.   This place was his home, these people were his family, he didn’t know anything about cylons he still couldn’t wrap his head around that he was one he just wanted to...to...go home! To go...to Dean.

Dean was his home.

So with a voice that barely sounded like his own he asks for Dean, to speak to him one last time, to see him, and the reply from Bobby is that he’s not here, and doesn’t want to be. So Sam stands there, looking up at the green light above the airlock, his heart beat thumping as it starts to flash amber, a warning, and the sirens start to sound.

Bobby can barely do this himself, John was still unconscious, it was his job he ran the ship now, but this was one of his boys...how could he be a cylon?

But he was, and the risk of keeping one on board, no matter who they’ve been  pretending to be its entire life,....it shot John, it killed countless people with those bombs....it had to go.

Sam’s last thought is of Dean, his name on his lips in a final terrifying whisper as the light goes red and the doors open, and Sam is sucked out into space.

The fleet jumps away, and it’s just Sam’s frozen body alone in space, until a cylon baseship FTL’s in, and suddenly a new Sam in a new body is gulping lungful's of new air as he fights his way out of that goopy liquid bolting upright, downloaded memories flooding in of Dean, dad, bombs and water and Dean and torture and Dean and fear and Dean and god he’s surrounded by others cylons, some he knows the faces of ones he’d fought and killed before, but it’s the ones that look like him, the ones with his face and his hair and his calming smiles that make him lose his mind, his terrified scream echoing down the empty baseship corridors.

He truly is a cylon.

Back in the fleet time has passed, the last bomb was discovered on a transport and deactivated, and the Pegasus has arrived, boasting of capturing their own cylon agent and keeping him prisoner on board.  They’ve got a lot out of him but still need more, and they specially request Dean.  Dean wonders why on earth they want him, he has been depressed and angry and moping ever since Sam, and no one really trusts him because of who Sam was, so he supposed this was a chance to prove himself if he could help in any way.

As they take him on board the officers are joking on how much they’ve tortured this one, making into a game, starving it, forcing themselves on it, after all its just a ‘toaster’ you can’t rape metal, laughing at how real and good it feels though.  Dean is turning his nose up and telling to shut up, feeling rather bad for this cylon already, they’d all seen how human these models are, perhaps they did feel pain.

They take him into the same cell as in the show, the empty white room with the large glass wall, and in the middle of the floor lays another Sam model, wearing nothing but a white bedshirt that barely covers his backside, and Dean stares.  

There are bruises everywhere, arms, neck…thighs…his wrists and ankles are red raw from constant restraints, he’s thin and broken and already shaking in absolute terror at the sight of the officers. His hair reaches half way down his back and its matted with blood and sweat and...something else that’s making it stick together. His once beautiful hazel eyes are wide and red and filled with agony and a wish for death.

Dean is so shocked he can’t even move, he can’t think of anything but his own Sam, he can’t see anyone but his own Sam, and he’s suddenly filled with rage.  But, he goes in with a tray of food that they give him, and promises Sam softly that he wont hurt him, hating how this Sam tries to curl in on himself as though waiting for a beating immediately.  Dean put the tray near him on the floor, and then backs away, sitting against the glass wall as the officers leave them alone.

“It’s not a trick,” Dean said quietly, hot tears threatening in his own eyes, “I’m not gonna take it away at the last second. It’s yours.  I’m just gonna sit here. You don’t have to say anything.  I’m just gonna be here with you.”

And slowly, very very slowly, a thin hand and a thin wrist edges its way cautiously forward, crawling its fingertips across the floor, taking a single slice of apple and quickly bringing it back to his mouth, taking small, tiny bites, as though wanting to savour it not knowing if he’d be allowed to take another. He won’t say a word.  They beat him if he speaks without them telling him to.

Everything the officers had been laughing at that they’d done to this Sam, it was all flying through Dean’s mind, picturing his own Sam, being raped, beaten, far worse than what had been done to him on the Galatica.  This Sam was broken, in every possible way, and he finds himself pouring his heart out to it.  At what had happened with his Sam, what that Sam meant to him, how this feeling of anger that had been consuming him he knew now was directed at himself, for not being there for Sam, for condoning him to death when his brother had been confused and desperate for help.  He was cylon, Dean accepted that now, and  now understood that that fact hadn’t changed a single thing about how he felt about him.  It was Sam, his brother the love of his life, and he’d abandoned him, let him be tortured and die, and Dean now sits there in floods of tears, his hands over his face, praying to all the Gods to forgive him for what he’d done.

As he sits there, he suddenly feels the weak grip of the broken Sam on his wrist, and he looks up.  This Sam was suddenly kneeling in front of him, his collarbones so pronounced through starvation, his face gaunt and hollow, and so beaten, but he was smiling, and suddenly he was shakily leaning over him, letting his weight cover Dean, hugging him, holding him, and Dean trembles and holds onto him, burying his head at his shoulder.

Even after everything this Sam had been through, he was still kind, still cared, and that is exactly what his Sam had always been.

God he loved him so much, and now he was gone.

The plot follows the series, so the broken Sam, with Dean’s help, eventually blows up the Pegasus killing himself as well, because no matter how much Dean helped him, telling him of what he could be of the good he could do, he couldn’t live with what they’d done to him and wouldn’t let them live to do the same to others.  It’s never traced back to Dean for helping, and life goes on, except Dean has a new sympathy. He’s not on the cylons side don’t get him wrong, he never would be, but perhaps there was a way of working together, to stop all this killing.  He questioned himself at the time, about letting all those people, all those humans die, but the empty look in his broken brothers eyes, no....no one would hurt any Sam ever again.

HIS Sam, the one in the the new body, is still refusing to act the cylon.  There’s no need to tell any of them any information as they got it all when he was downloaded, but that also meant they all knew about him and Dean.  But to Sam, he was human, not a cylon, no matter how many of his own face tried to talk to him, he would never be on the side of the cylons, NEVER, and he kept himself locked away in lonely corners of the ship, perhaps having no choice to accept what he was but not meaning he was going to betray everyone he loved, even if....even if they hated him...even if...if Dean...despised him...and that thought hurt more than anything else.

Eventually, a party of various cylons models comes aboard Galactica with the intention of a truce after battles that have exhausted both sides, and the last one to get off the raptor, was Sam. Dean’s Sam.  He’d managed to convince his fellow cylons that any truce would be done better with him there, he knew them, not just from a memory but knew them, and they knew him, they had to see not all cylons were going to kill them.

He had to get back on that ship.

Of course no one was expecting a Sam model to step off the ship, and as Sam cautiously gets off the raptor looking around at all these people he knew, he locks eyes with Dean, and Dean can’t breath, because he sees the recognition in Sam eyes. It was his Sam, and suddenly his heart is trying to beat out his chest and the world around them has stopped as it’s just the two of them in an empty hanger, and Sam smiles that gorgeous, sweet smile, and Dean feels whole again. 

John Winchester, alive and recovered, looks at his “son” with  very, very mixed feelings, and Sam doesn’t fight back when officers put him in handcuffs, although cannot help but feel a pang of pain when his dad says “Put that thing in the brig.” He had shot him after all, this was going to be a long recovery.

Dean visits Sam and apologises so much for not being there for him, and Sam is understanding, he was revealed to be a cylon after all, oh he’s still hurt, terribly hurt, and Dean just wants to hold him, and tells him all this time without him has been hell the things he’s seen he just wants this all to stop and he loves him he loves him so much and will he please, please stay, stay with me, please, when this is all over, and it will be....stay with me, and Sam smiles that damned beautiful smile again and Dean is kissing him through the bars, holding his hands against the bars, and knowing nothing ever again was going to separate them, nothing.

Except it’s soon discovered the “truce” is a lie, unknown to Sam, and there’s a battle on board and all the cylons get killed, expect of course for Sam safe in the brig. But alone in his cell some of the guards decide to take a leaf out of the Pegasus book for revenge on those that were killed and go in with their hands down their trousers and have the terrified Sam held down and bent over the desk before Dean suddenly walks in and fuck everyone is dead in seconds as he bashes their brains in against the walls. He takes Sam’s hand and they run, planning to go into hiding together until a cylon jumps out of nowhere, one that had escaped the main battle, and it’s just at the same time Sam and Dean see their dad coming towards them down the corridor.  The cylon goes to fire at him, but Sam jumps on him, wrestling the gun from it’s hand and shooting it through the head.

Having now saved his fathers life, he’s sort of welcomed back, but people still find it hard to trust him, and he has to do everything he can to prove he is on the human side.

When the cylon virus attacks the firewall system he tells his Dad and Dean and everyone on the bridge that he can help, that he can stop the virus, but they have to trust him.  Dean looks to his dad, yes, yes trust him, and John nods, and Sam immediately attaches a lead from a console by pushing it into his forearm,  and Dean STARES at him asking how he knows to do that, Sam just looks at him, slightly out of breath with adrenaline, “I don’t know.” But it works, he fights back the virus and it goes, and he saves the entire fleet.

From then on, it’s continuing the search for a new home, continuing the battles and attempts at peace with the cylons, and Dean never letting Sam out of his sight again. The first time they make love again for so long, the first time knowing Sam is cylon, Dean just clings to him, whispering that he doesn't care what Sam is, because whatever he is, he is Dean’s, and Dean belongs to him, and they will be together despite any protests, any upturned faces, they will fight them all to be together.

And Sam smiles once more, only ever smiling around Dean. They were together at last.

[godestof3worlds]

On the 1st Day of Christmas my true love gave to me - A Partridge in a Pear Tree

A lot of things can happen in a span of a second, tick since we’re in space. In a second you can feel immense joy for opening a Christmas present to only receive a book of from your father. In a second you could feel a bond with a sentimental lion. In a second you can be completing a mission, then all of a sudden you see fire engulf one of your companions. In a second you could be about to ram your ship into a shield only for there to be no need to complete the course.  

That is what happened to me only half an hour ago, half a  varga  since we’re still in space. I'm just there in the room with the paladins of Voltron and rebels while trying to calm myself from the adrenaline rush. I don’t think nobody knows what almost happened except for maybe Matt, who keeps looking at me. I try to pay attention to  Kolivan , I really do try, but my mind is running at a mile per minute about how I  almost died.  

I shouldn’t be feeling like this. I mean I have almost died several times, and it’s not me being dramatic. I'm in a war, I put my life on the line so others don’t have to. This one though, this one was like facing death head on whereas the other times I didn’t care how close to death I really was. I would have gone through with the act, would have rammed my ship into the  shield  to save the coalition.  

The mission before the individual.  

That’s the Blades’ way.  

Thank goodness Lotor was there, but even  then,  that act alone leads me to wanting answers for my millions of questions I have for the prince. Why help us? Why go against your own empire? Why now decide to join the fight? What did he do to want to switch side from being the enemy, to being the ally? What will he gain?  

So many confusing questions that I can feel them behind my eyelids. I shake out of my thoughts in time to see Shiro and  Kolivan  nod before everybody starts to exit the room.  

I quickly get out of my seat and leave the room, but not before I hear  Kolivan  call out, “We’ll be leaving in a varga,”  

I nod my head, knowing he probably won’t see it, but it’s still the action of doing it. I don’t really know what to do. Everybody is busy, I don’t think I could really go to my old room, and I doubt I can go to the training deck.  Kolivan  has already warned me beforehand that if he catches me on the training deck here, he will make me do drills for five  vargas  straight. I may have great stamina, but  Kolivan’s  drill is a nightmare.  

I just start to walk over to the kitchen to grab a water, my throat dry, before I see a shadow start to follow me, then a hand lands on my shoulder and before I can process whoever it is, my instincts take over. I grab the hand and twist it before I turn around, about to kick the offender’s leg out of them-  

“Woah there Keith. It’s me. It's your second unofficially adopted older brother,” Matt quickly shouts with wide eyes.  

I let go of his hand as I take a step back, “Sorry,” I apologized. I try to get away because I know why Matt is here and not with his sister, and I don’t want to talk about it but-  

“Ah Kogane, I should know better than to startle a Samurai ninja like that after an almost death experience,” He says.  

“First, I'm not a ninja  samurai -”  

“ Yes  you are-”  

“Samurai are nobles that decided to be warriors in ancient Japanese, whereas ninjas are just normal people in Japan who are spies, and assassins, and last I checked, I'm not a noble,” I blurt out.  

“Well sorry that I don’t keep useless information on these types of things,” I just shrug as I start to walk away.  

“Bye Matt,” I wave and I start to speed walk away.  

“Nope, no you don’t. You don’t get to walk off like that after you did a kamikaze move like that.” he grabs my shoulder to turn me around so I could face him, “I thought the Japanese did that in World War ||, and you are Korean, it’s not like it’s in your blood or anything,”  

“I didn’t go through with it, Lotor shot down the shield in time, so I'm fine,”  

“You almost died and you are going to just walk off like that,” we start walking to an unknown destination.  

“We almost die all the time-”  

“But nobody goes running head first into a forcefield, you’re lucky Lotor was there,” and I sigh because he’s right about both statement he made. I was lucky, very lucky.  

“I know Matt, but if one life needs to be  sacrificed  for  tens  of millions of people, then I will do it again,” we turn a corner, and it feels like I'm leading, but I'm still a little to shaken up to really care.  

“But that’s just it Keith, you think nobody will miss you if you exploded into little Keith bits?” we round another corner, and we are before the door that leads to the lions, specifically the Black Lion.  

“Matt, what are we doing here?” I ask as I cross my arms in front of my chest.  

“You think I brought you here? Nope, you did, I let you lead, you’re the one who started to walk around, not me,” and at this I tilt my head in thought before I walk in.  

“Okay, I'm really glad you walked over here because we need to talk, let’s go near the nice  kitties'  leg so the barrier can come down and we can talk about you sacrificing without saying goodbye and how you think you are nothing,” I just nod because nothing much I can actually do.  

So, we walk behind the lion’s leg and the particle barrier come up, surprising me with how it actually listened to me.  

“So, first of all, you DON’T go SACRIFICING yourself!” he shouts at me, startling me, “I know the whole Blades motto is ‘the mission before the individual’ and all that,” he quoted the motto with his fingers, “But if you would not have been so stupidly hotheaded, we could have made another plan,”  

“But there wasn’t time to make any other PLAN!” I shouted back before I took a deep breath, “Matt, tens of thousands of lives were at stake, I couldn’t let my measly life be the reason why families died, and if Lotor wasn’t there, and I didn’t ram my shop, I would have died either way,” I tried to reason.  

“ You  stupid idiotic imbecile!” he shouted, “You are Keith  quiznacking  Kogane! You are not  some type  of worthless person who will not be missed if you died.”  

“Matt-”  

“No, you are not listening!” he stopped for a second before he took a deep breath, “I will now list your accomplishment in no particular order,” he calmy said  

“M-”  

“And if you  interrupt,  I will hit you so hard with my staff that you wish you  kamikazed;  you understand?”  

I nod as I cross my arms.  

“You, Keith Akira Kogane, have accomplished a lot of things even with the universe going against you. You have beaten Shiro’s record back at Garrison. It wasn’t just one, not two, not even five, but all of them before the age of eighteen,” he pauses for effect, “rescued Shiro from the Garrison, found carvings to find the blue lion, became the red lion’s pilot, a paladin of Voltron, fought  Zarkon  head on and survived, survived the trials of Marmora that Shiro has said looked hard, awakened your blade, became the black lion’s paladin, led Voltron, then turned into a space ninja,” Matt quickly took a huge gulp of air.  

I just raised my eyebrow, waiting for him to tell me he was done.  

“Now then Kogane, I know you like being Mr. Macho and everything, but it’s okay to not be okay,” he says.  

“I am okay,” I insist.  

“No, you are not Keith, I saw you during the meeting. You were bouncing your leg, a nervous tick you subconsciously do, and glaring at the table as if it ate Shiro or something. You are not okay,” Matt takes a big breath, “Keith, you are like a younger brother I never have, sure I have Ka-Pidge, but she’ll always be my sister, I can’t lose you to this war. I already lost dad, and I know he’s still alive, but I can’t actually lose you and there is no way to get you back,” Matt says seriously.  

I don’t know what to say. It's war. That's life. Many people need to make sacrifices because it can be the cause for millions of people.  

“What do you want me to say? It’s war, I can’t guarantee that I'll survive,” I whisper.  

Matt holds onto my shoulder before he pulls me into a hug.  

“Just try to stay alive, that’ll be enough,” I nod my head, “besides, who’s going keep giving Shiro white hair, or keep scaring me to death, huh?” we both laugh until we pull apart.  

I quickly wipe the few tears that were staining my  cheeks .  

“Thanks Matt,” I whispered.  

“Anytime,” he had tear tracks too, but didn’t make any move.  

“I should go make sure I'm not late,” I start to walk away when Matt calls out.  

“Keith, you are my little brother, just like Pidge is my little sister, we’re family,” and I nod my head.  

But as I walked away, I knew that I would make many more sacrifices to protect my family. As many as it takes...  

[xplrsquad7137]

How I Met Your Mother-

Colby Brock × Reader

Chapter Thirteen is here...

Chapter Fourteen: 9/3/2025

Word Count 1,641

Warnings: Absolute Fluff

_____________________________________

I woke up this morning with both my wife and my daughter in my arms. I look down at my beautiful girls and think to myself, how the hell did I get so lucky? They are so perfect, how are they all mine? Our daughter had a nightmare in the middle of the night so she asked to sleep with us and how could we say no to her? I smile at them and nuzzle my head into my wife's head. Taking in the scent of her freshly washed hair: the smell of roses. I take notice as to how my daughter's hand is resting so gently on my chest and my wife's hand is resting on my stomach. Seeing their chests rise and fall ever so softly and the way their eyes flutter as they sleep. I can't get over how angelic they both are. Y/n's movements knocked me out of my own thoughts. She moans as she stretches her limbs and then she relaxes her body once more upon mine. I reach my arm around her so that I can grab her hand. I don't want to wake my daughter so I use my other hand. I feel her fingers tighten around mine and then she looks up at me with a sleepy smile.

Y/n "Good morning, Colbs.:

"Good morning, angel." She looks over at our daughter and giggles softly.

Y/n "She's drooling a little bit."

"I know but it's so cute.." 

Y/n "How did we make her?"

"I ask myself the same question all of the time but we did, baby. She is just so perfect."

Y/n "She really is.. I love her so much, and her daddy."

"I love you both beyond words, sweetheart." Even though we are whispering, o/d/n woke up from her light slumber.

"Oh, good morning sleeping beauty."

Our daughter "Mm-mornin' daddy."

Y/n "You are drooling sweety." She uses the blanket that covered our bodies to wipe it off of her face and my chest.

Our daughter "I sleepy.."

I can't help but chuckle, "Go back to sleep then, baby. It is still early, we can all go back to sleep."

Y/n "That sounds really good."

"Okay babies, go back to sleep. I love you."

Our daughter and Y/n "Love you." 

I am going to tell o/d/n the story of when I proposed to her mother today. It is one of the best days of my life apart from our actual wedding day and the birth of our daughter. She is going to love it and I am going to love to tell it.

_____________________________

Today is the day where I am going to ask Y/n to marry me. We have been together for 5 years now! It is crazy how time flew by us. All of the adventures we have been on together, the places we have traveled together throughout our relationship...what an amazing time! I cannot wait to start this new chapter of our lives together, hopefully.

I told Y/n that we were going to the beach today so she got all excited and started getting ready immediately. Little did she know that she was going to be asked to marry me today.

I hurry downstairs to ask Sam if everything was ready for today: the picnic, the flowers and the candles, the camera is fully charged for video footage and if he remembers where to hide. He double checks everything and eventually tells me that everything is ready and perfect. I nod with relief and run back upstairs and get dressed while Y/n is taking a quick shower. I take one last look at the ring in my pocket and take a deep breath and tell myself, this is it. 

….

"You look...breathtaking!" She comes downstairs with a light pink, strapless dress on with brown sandals on. Her hair is curled and her makeup is flawless.

Y/n "Thank you babe, you look so handsome!" 

"Thank you, sweetheart. Are you ready to start our day?"

Y/n "Of course, Colbs. Bye guys!" The roommate's say goodbye and then we walked out the door. I have to admit, the closer we got to the beach, I got more and more anxious. What if she doesn't say yes? And if she does say no, does that mean that it's over? I try to snap myself out of those thoughts and listen to her sing along to the songs in the car. Seeing her smile and laugh at how silly we act makes me realize that I am making the best decision of my life by asking this woman to marry me.

We get to the beach and she is a little shocked.

Y/n "how is no one else here? Santa Monica is always crowded?"

"I sort of payed to have the beach all to ourselves for the day." 

Y/n "Are you serious?!"

"I'm dead serious, baby girl. It's all ours."

Y/n "I can't believe you, Colby...I love you so much." She grabs my cheeks and pulls me into a sweet and gentle kiss. 

"I love you so much more." I lead her to the picnic spot and it is exactly where we sit at every morning when we come here. There are pictures hanging of our favorite moments together and a lovely sitting area. Pillows sat on top of a soft blanket and there are candles surrounding it. She puts her hand over her mouth in amazement.

Y/n "What is all of this? It's so...beautiful!"

"Just wanted to do something very special for a very special girl in my life." She is on the verge of tears but she stops herself and jumps into my arms. I can't even put into words how much I love her. "Come on, lets eat." 

We sit down and eat while we watch the waves crash onto the shore. We talk about small things until I know that it is almost time to ask her. The sun is going down and I get ready to take her to the next spot.

Y/n "Why are you getting up?"

"Because, we are going to start walking." I get up and offer her my hand, which she takes with a smile. She holds my arm with her other hand as we walk until the sun is almost completely down. 

Y/n "Where are we going, Colbs?"

I stop and look down at her. My eyes are already filling up with tears.

"Y/n, you are not only the love of my life but you are also my best friend. Before you came along, I was giving up hope on finding love, I felt so alone and was not at my happiest. When I met you, everything changed for the better. And when I tell you that I have never loved anyone as much as I love you, I am telling you the complete truth. Nobody has ever loved anyone as much as I love you."

Y/n "Colby.."

"Will you do me a favor and close your eyes for me?" She closes her eyes and I walk her over to a spot and kneel down on one knee. "Okay baby, you can open them..!" 

She opens her eyes and she sees in huge lettering Marry Me. "Y/M/L, will you make me the happiest man in the entire world and marry me?"

Y/n is in tears and nods, "Yes. Yes a million times yes!" I put the ring on her finger and I pick her up in my arms and spin her around like an actual fairytale coming true. After I put her down, I kiss her passionately and she does the same. 

"I love you so so much."

Y/n "And I love you."

"I have one more surprise baby.."

Y/n "What?"

"Guys you can come out now!" All of our close friends came out from behind the sign: Sam and Kat, Corey and Devyn, Jake and Tara, Mike and Aryia, Reggie and Cassie, Xepher and Griffin.

Y/n "OH MY GOD!"

Sam "SURPRISE!!" She notices that he is holding Colby's camera and she looks up at me and smiles the biggest smile 

"Surprise baby girl. I also got it all on camera so that-"

Y/n "We can have it forever...I am so glad that you did, babe."

Kat comes running up to Y/n, "LET ME SEE, LET ME SEE!" Y/n giggles at her excitement and shows her her engagement ring. The boys congratulate me and give me warm embraces. 

Y/n "It is beautiful Colby...I love it."

"I am glad that you do, angel. When I saw it, I saw you immediately."

Y/n "It is my dream ring but I have to say something. Even if you just got me a wedding band, I would still gladly wear that for the rest of my life because it is a symbol of our love for each other. So I don't want you to think that this is what matters to me because the truth is, what really matters to me is that we stay together.."

My heart is exploding in my chest, "I love you more that I could ever put into words...I know you feel that way baby girl, and I feel the same way that is why I asked you to marry me."

Y/n "Forever.."

"Forever...Mrs. Brock." She smirks at me and kisses my lips.

Y/n "I like the sound of that."

"Mmm-me too."

Corey "Alright alright! We get it, you too love each other, can we celebrate now?!"

We all laugh and we celebrate this amazing moment together. Today marks the day where our forever starts. 9/3/2025

_____________________________________

@moriartysringtone7137 @multistanimagines @azurebrock @kid-that-likes-to-xplr @taradummy @cutiecolbsss @daddydobrock

[danurso]

The final battle.

Jaune: *in front of salem's door* so, we're finally here.

Ruby: you guys ready?

Yang: we trained a lot for today, we ain't backing up now.

Nora: yeah!

Weiss: let's go.

Blake: we have a world to save.

Ren: *nods*

Jaune: okay, here we go! *kicks door open*

Salem: ohh...ozpin's childs are here, we've been waiting for you.

Mercury: time to kick some butts.

Emerald: agreed.

Cinder: let's finish this once for all.

Tyrian: can we start the onslaught my queen?

Watts: time to put an end to these disturbances.

Hazel: let's finish this already.

Jaune: *standing in front of cinder with his friends on his side*

Cinder: *smirking with the rest of salem's minions on her side* are you ready for a painful death arc?

Jaune: i was about to ask you the same thing.

Salem: dispose of them.

Cinder: yes. Are you ready knight?

Jaune: more than ready.

Cinder: farewell. *takes a deep breath* yo mama so fat, i took a picture of her last christmas and it's still printing!

Emerald/Mercury: ooohhhh!

Jaune: *clenching his hand over his chest* ugh!

Ruby: j-jaune, are you okay!?

Jaune: yeah ruby, i'm fine. My turn now cindy *takes a deep breath* yo mama so fat, when she got to the scale it said "i need your weight, not your phone number"

Ruby: oouhhh!!

Nora: Get Rekt!

Cinder: *falls back on the floor* ugh! Emerald, mercury, GO!

Emerald: yo mama so dumb, when y'all were driving to disneyland she saw a sign that said "disneyland left" so she went home.

Mercury: oooohhhhhh!!

Ruby: *falls on her knees and coughs some blood*

Yang: ruby you-

Ruby: i'm fine, i can do this. *wipes the blood and stands up* yo mama so fat, when she got to the zoo, the hippos got jealous.

Emerald: ACK!! *flies back a few meters and falls unconscious.

Mercury: EM!!! *glaring back at them* you'll pay for that. Yo mama so ugly, when she went into a haunted house she came out with a job application.

Yang: UGH! *falls back* heh, not bad *gets up and wipes blood of her chin* my turn now. Yo mama's so ugly, when she goes into a strip club, they pay her to keep her clothes on.

Mercury: UGH!!! *flies back and falls besides emerald* god...dammit… *passes out*

Hazel: kids shouldn't get involved with adults job. *standing before ruby* yo mama so ugly, she had to get you drunk before breastfeeding you.

Ruby: UGH!!! *flies back hitting the wall*

Yang: RUBY!!! You bas-

Hazel: yo mama so dumb, she tried to make an appointment with Dr.pepper.

Yang: *flies back and falls besides ruby* he...he's way too strong. *coughs blood*

Ren: i'll take care of him *standing in front of hazel* yo mama's so poor that ducks throw bread at her.

Hazel: *stumbles back a bit but glares at him* yo mama so ugly she gives freddy krueger nightmares.

Ren: *slides back but manages to keep himself on foot*

Nora: Ren! You okay!?

Ren: im fine nora *glares back at hazel* Yo mama's so stupid her password needed 8 characters, so she typed "Snow White and the 7 dwarfs."

Hazel: GHHAAAAHHH!!!! *flies off the window*

Tyrian: guess it's my turn now. Yo mama so stupid, she tried to save a fish from drowning.

Ren: ugh! *falls back*

Nora: REN!! GRRRR...YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!!

Tyrian: come and make me little lady, ghahahaha!!!!

Nora: Yo mama so stupid she put two M&M's in her ear and said she was listening to Eminem!

Tyrian: UGH!! *hugs his stomach and spits blood on the floor* heh...don't think i'll go down that easily.

Blake: we know you won't, but she's not the only one here. Yo mama so fat when she registered for MySpace there was no space left.

Tyrian: AARRGH!!! *gets blown through the roof.

Watts: quite the creative minds you two, but you still have a long way to go if you want to reach our level. Yo mama is so stupid, she stopped her car at a stop sign and she's still waiting for it to turn green.

Nora: *flies back and lands besides ren*

Watts: Yo mama so stupid she thought Bruno Mars was a planet.

Blake: *falls back* UGH!!! Goddammit… *passes out*

Weiss: you'll pay for that. Yo mama is so fat when she took her dress to the dry cleaners they said, “Sorry, we don’t do curtains."

Watts: UGH!!! *holding his guts* insolent girl...Yo mama is so ugly when the devil saw her, he started praying.

Weiss: AAHHH!! *flies back and lands unconscious*

Jaune: weiss!! Bastard! Yo momma so fat she fell out of the family tree.

Watts: *coughs blood and falls on the ground* h-how!? *passes out*

Salem: i should have imagined that this was going to happen, but now there's only me and you young knight, are you sure you want to die so soon?

Ruby: *on the ground, holding jaune by his leg* please...no...she'll kill you.

Jaune: don't worry ruby, i'll defeat her, that's a promise. *walks to salem* Yo mama so fat thanos had to snap twice.

Salem: *stumbles* hmm, looks like ozpin trained you well young knight, but you'll need more than just that. Yo mama's so ugly, when her house was being robbed, the mugger took off his mask and made her wear it.

Jaune: *stumbles and falls in one knee*

Salem: what is it? Too much for you?

Jaune: that's nothing, i can still go on. Yo mama so fat the bears have to hide their food from her when she goes camping.

Salem: *gets cut on her cheek* hmm, i can't remember the last time someone made me bleed, i admire your courage young man, but this is the end to you. Yo Mama is so ugly, yo' daddy takes her to work with him so he doesn't have to kiss her goodbye.

Jaune: *arm breaks* GHAAARGH!!!

Ruby: jaune stop! She's going to kill you!

Jaune: *breathing raggedly* i'm still...not finished...Yo momma's so fat, the Hogwarts Sorting Hat put her in all 4 houses!

Salem: *slides back with a cut on her stomach* how did you…grrr, don't expect me to be so merciful anymore young man. Yo mama jokes are old and overused just like yo mama!

Jaune: *flies back*

RWBY/NR: JAUNE!!!

Salem: its over, give up already.

Jaune: no...i promised...i promised that...i would defeat you. *stumbles trying to get up.* and i will defeat you *starts glowing with aura* even if it kills me...i will finish you with all i got!!

Salem: you-

Jaune: Yo mama's armpit is so hairy it looks like she has Bigfoot in a headlock!

Salem: *arm gets cut* wha-

Jaune: Yo mama's so fat, she only knows 3 letters of the alphabet: KFC!

Salem: *gets a cut across her chest* stop!

Jaune: Yo mama is so fat, black holes get sucked into her!

Salem: *skin starts cracking* NOO!! STOP!!

Jaune: Yo mama so fat the only reason she took algebra in high school was because she heard there was gonna be some pi!

Salem: *skin cracks more* NO!! NO!! I CAN'T BE DEFEATED!!!

Jaune: AND FOR LAST!! YO MAMA'S SO UGLY, SHE MADE MY HAPPY MEAL CRY!!

Salem: NOOOOOO!!!!! *explodes in a million pieces*

---

Jaune: and this students, is how we saved the world.

Student 1: it sounds a bit crazy.

Student 2: it's totally ridiculous. You can't kill anyone with yo mama jokes.

Jaune: Yo momma's so fat she puts a cup of water in the bathtub and it still overflows.

Student 2: *blows up*

Jaune: any other questions?

Students: *terrified* n-no professor arc.

Jaune: good.

[moondustis]

special affair (m)

pairing: doyoung + reader genre: angst, smut word count: 5,3k summary: at a very young age you learned that wealthiness stayed alive by deals and contracts, and that’s exactly what your marriage with kim doyoung is. a deal.

love is not real. that’s the thought that crosses your mind as you stand alone in the illuminated ball room, the champagne glass on your left hand almost empty.

another well dressed couple passes by you and you’re once again doing what you do best, observe. the man is too old and the girl too beautiful. you wonder what’s more expensive, the watch on his wrist or the diamond ring on her finger.

a blink of your eyes and you are wondering if their relationship is as fake as yours. another blink and you are looking away, downing the rest of champagne that was left as if the slightly bitter taste would make the unpleasant thought leave your mind.

this is not an unusual scene. in all honesty it’s probably the most common on in your life. an expensive party, with golden lights and golden jewelry, a dress too tight and too expensive and a fake smile painting your lips better than the red lipstick you’re wearing.

for as long as you can remember love has been a performance, not something you would daydream and talk to your girlfriends about, but something you had to fake. at a very young age you learned that wealthiness stayed alive by deals and contracts, and that’s exactly what your marriage with kim doyoung is.

you’re not unhappy, neither do you hate if, doyoung has made sure that every detail, from the room you two don’t share to every piece of jewelry on your vanity, makes you comfortable about the deal you have.

it’s very simple actually, like you are a oscar winner actress performing on a movie where you have to be the perfect image of a wife, accompanying your rich ceo husband on every event and pretending you’re so deeply in love with him that nothing else matters, not even the million and billions of dollars you two are worth together.

the plot twist of the movie is that after the party your husband doesn’t seem to remember that you exist, too busy with his millionaire deals and the future of his company. what the gossip magazines don’t show is that the only times doyoung kisses you is when there’s a camera around. the perfect act.

you’re not unhappy, not at all. but sometimes the house feels too big and the expensive ring on your finger feels too heavy.

you take a deep breath, pondering if you should get another drink since there’s not much for you to do here. the jazz music that the band is playing is boring, a perfect match for the whole atmosphere of the party. your eyes end up searching for doyoung only to find him still talking to the other men that probably don’t have anything better to do than talk about money and expensive cars.

as if knowing you’re looking at him, doyoung’s eyes find yours and when you don’t look away he raises one eyebrow. you watch as he excuses himself from the group of men and makes his way towards you.

it’s funny almost, how his presence still affects you, to the point that watching him get closer makes your heart speed up just a little bit. your face on the other hand is the perfect image of natural, ready to welcome him when he finally stops right by your side. the smile that takes over your face almost a defense mechanism.

“is there something wrong?” is the question that comes out of his mouth and for a moment you’re fooled that he is actually concerned.

“not at all, my love.” if he senses the mockery fake tone of your voice he doesn’t let it show “why do you ask?”

the small smile that takes over his lips is almost as fake as yours. “you seem a bit tired, that’s all.” you hate the formality of his voice. “perhaps we should be heading home.”

you just nod, letting him hold your hand as he guides you outside the ballroom. you do your best to smile at the people that pass you as you bid your goodbyes. the world around you is spinning just the tiniest bit, not drunk but definitely tipsy and doyoung must notice if the way he moves to hold you by the waist is any indication.

the wait for the car is almost suffocating, he doesn’t let go of your waist but still doesn’t speak a word to you. too intimate and not at all at the same time. you decide to close your eyes, the cold air making you shiver and you wish you were in your bedroom already, sleeping peacefully.

your eyes open again when you hear the sound of the mercedes arriving, doyoung opening the door so you can enter, and then shutting the door close.

you let your eyes fall close again, head pressing against the car window while doyoung drives. you enjoy the quiet beat of the song playing on the radio until he turns it off suddenly.

“why did you drink so much?” he asks, voice stern and it surprises you but you don’t let it show, keeping your eyes closed.

“i didn’t. and why do you care? you’re not my father.” pettiness.

“well, you sure are behaving like a child right now.” he sounds angry and you wonder if he has a had a little too much to drink too. it’s not like him to pick fights, he usually doesn’t even bothers keeping up a conversation after two sentences. it only makes you want to press further on it.

“and you’re being very annoying.” you know it’s childish and it only makes what he said more true but you don’t care.

you decide to open your eyes, only to see the look on his face. it’s a mixture of a lot of things. anger, tiredness, like he can’t believe you’re doing this right now.

the rest of drive is silent, the words you want to say stuck in the tip of your tongue.  his fingers keep tapping the wheel and it makes you impatient.

when he parks inside your garage you get out of the car, slamming the door behind you just to make a scene for no reason. you’re not sure what you’re trying to achieve here, maybe you want him to get as angry as you are. want him to show at least some emotion, show that he’s affected as much as you are.

it works because just as you get inside the house he grabs you by the arm, stopping you from going up the stairs and into your room.  “what has gotten into you today?” is what he says, voice low as if to not disturb the quiet house.

“what? can’t i get tired of playing pretend once in a while? not everyone is as emotionless as you are.” your voice drips with poison, aimed to hurt him for no specific reason. the slight look of hurt that crosses his face makes you feel proud and awful at the same time.

“i have told you before that if you do not wish to come to a party with me all you have to do is say so.” he says and you roll your eyes, this is not how it works and he knows it very well.

“we have a contract, doyoung. you may not remember that i exist but if there’s one thing i can’t forget is that i have a role that i have to play.” you spit the words out on his face “and all i have as a reminder is this giant ring on my finger.”

he’s gapes at you for only a moment, not letting you see himself as weak for longer than that. “you have as much of a say in this contract as i have, if you want to-“

“oh please, you have no idea what i want, kim doyoung.” you whisper, voice angry and ready to explode. you hate that even now he looks collected, like none of this is affecting him.

“then tell me. what do you want?” he’s so close you feel overwhelmed by his cologne.

“i want you to show me you feel something.” you are not sure what you mean by that but maybe deep down you do know.

maybe deep down you wanted him to press his lips to yours like he does, with so much force that he has to grip your hips to keep you balanced. maybe you knew this is what would happen but you’re still left surprised.

it takes you a moment to reciprocate it but when you do he kisses you like a mad man, like he has been starving for this for ages. he kisses you like he means it for the first time since you said i do.

it’s so intense that you think this isn’t the doyoung you know. his lips move against yours slowly but with a force that makes you get out of breath in no time.

“is this what you wanted?” he asks, forehead pressing against yours and hands gripping your hips.

“no.” you have the nerve to say, eyes staring right into his almost in a challenge. “i want more.”

“i know you can do better than that, _____.” his voice is teasing.

you take a moment to take in the look on his face. eyes staring at you so deeply you’re afraid he can see right through you. his lips are slightly red from your lipstick and he looks ready to eat you alive.

“i want you to fuck me so hard that i forget this isn’t real.” saying it out loud makes you feel so confident that when he smirks you kiss it right off his face.

the journey to his room is all messy kisses and hands moving around. he scatters kisses all over your exposed neck, hands gripping your ass tight. you get lost for a second in the feel of it, imagining what he will do to you.

he was never someone who left a lot for the imagination. his stoic behavior never giving away anything but you liked to imagine that he would be as dominating as he was in his business.

you’re interrupted from your thoughts when he pushes you down the bed, leaving you there as he undoes his tie. you sit up and gently push his hand away, doing it for him. you feel his eyes glued to you as you unbutton his shirt, there’s and strange intensity in the air and the small feeling of inadequacy sits on the bottom of your heart. this feels too intimate, something you shouldn’t be doing with a man that barely looks you in the eye.

the feeling is forgotten when you finish unbuttoning his shirt and one of his hands come to your chin, making you lift your head to look at him. you wonder how you look, with your swollen and red lips that are probably smeared by now. he kisses you too softly that it feels out of place.

“you’re so hot.” he says, a thumb rubbing your cheek and then pressing at your bottom lip. you know what he wants you to do but you want to tease a little, get him mad just a bit.

he press his thumb down a little harder, getting you to open your lips and just then you move your tongue to lick it slowly before sucking it into your mouth. his eyes grow darker at the view and you do your best to please him, swirling your tongue around.

one of his hands move to your neck, running it down to the strap of your dress and then the other. you shiver when it falls to your wait, breasts coming in full view and nipples hardening. he must’ve been surprised that you weren’t wearing a bra underneath it because it takes a minute before his next move.

you whine a little around his finger when his hand comes in contact with your chest. what a scene it must be, you with your fallen dress and mouth sucking on his finger while doyoung massages your breasts.

“are you going to be a good girl and suck me off, huh?” he asks and you just nod. his takes his finger out of your mouth, moving his hand to lay on your cheek. it’s filthy how you can feel your saliva still on it, even more when he slaps you gently. “come on, if you want my cock in your mouth you have to say it.”

it’s embarrassing how his words are making you wet, how you look at him with eyes pleading and do exactly what he wants you to. “please,” your cheeks turning pink only makes him want it more “i want you to fuck my mouth.”

he hums, pleased and you watch as he undoes his belt, slowly unzipping his pant as if he’s the one teasing you now. you get up, unzipping your own dress and letting it fall on the floor, taking your heels alongs the way before you’re kneeling in front of him. he discards himself of his shirt, chest bare and you have the urge to run your nails on it, scratch him, mark him.

his hand moves to your chin again as he pushes his pants along with his underwear down. you lick your lips when his hard cock comes into view, him stroking it lazily before running the tip on your wet lips.

you open your mouth when he tells you too, tongue out and welcoming.

he pushes it in slowly letting you get used to the feeling. you like it, the weight of his cock on your tongue and his eyes staring at your lips like there’s nothing he would rather see right now.

when his eyes meet yours, all glazed he starts thrusting. you enjoy the pace of it, he starts slowly and builds it up to the point you have to grab at his thigh for balance. the grip he has in your hair makes you moan around it and it only serves to press him on. he goes so deep and so fast and it has been so long since you’ve done this that you gag a little around his dick, drool coming down your chin and eyes wet with tears.

he seems to enjoy the view but still slows down the pace, the hand that was on your hair moving to your cheek, rubbing gentle circles on it. “your mouth feels so good, baby. i wish i could fuck your throat raw until you had my come filling up your mouth.”

a wave of arousal hits you and you try to ease it by rubbing your thighs together. he laughs a little at the view. “you would like that wouldn’t you?” he asks, taking your dick of your mouth with a wet sound and starts finishing undressing. “but you wanted me to fuck you, remember? so i have to do just that.” he helps you get up from where you are kneeling on the floor, your knees red and sore from the carpet.

he starts kissing you again and your eyes close at the sensation of getting attention again. you like the way his lips move against yours, like it’s not the first time you have done this and he knows exactly how to rile you up. his hands massage it’s way down to your hip bone and he settles it on the sides of your panties, as if asking for permission to take it off. when you wiggle your hips a little he hooks a finger around the waistband and brings it down your legs with a little help from you.

when you’re left bare in front of him he moves away from you and positions himself on the bed, lap inviting for you to take a seat. “come on, baby. you want it so much that i’m gonna let you work for it.”

his eyes don’t leave you as you get on the bed and move until you’re on his lap, sitting on his stomach. he can feel your wetness just above his belly button and when your ass presses on his dick he lets out a hiss, hands gripping your hips strongly. “it’s all yours, angel.” he says and then you’re sinking down on his length, slowly because it has been a while and even if his size is not out of this world it still serves to stretch you nicely.

you enjoy the feeling of being full when you’re fully seated on him, hands coming to rest at his chest for leverage. he lets out a sigh when when you move for the first time, coming down slowly as if to test the waters.

you set up a pace that you manage, moaning when you get just the right spot and throwing your head back at the sensation. his hands move from your hips to your breasts and he massages them, pinching your nipples to get a reaction out of you.

he seems to find your pace not enough, if the way he starts bucking his hips up is anything to go by. you gasp when he moves a little too harshly and he decides to fake full action, gripping your ass and moving you up and down to his liking.

“you’re such a little brat, aren’t you?” he says, his cock pushing against the place that makes you see stars repeatedly. "throwing all that fit just to get what you want, huh? all that to get a cock inside of your tight little cunt.”

it’s suddenly too much and your arms aren’t enough to hold you up anymore. you fall down on his chest, face hiding in the crook of his neck as a sob comes out of your lips. “yes, please, please. i want to come so bad, please.” he’s pounding into you so fast that you feel like a doll in his arm.

“then come, baby. no one is stopping you.” just as he says it one of his hand comes in contact with your ass in a slap, it’s not so hard that you think it’ll leave a bruise but it’s enough to get you arching your back and moaning close to his ears.

your orgasm hits you so hard that you have to bite his neck, walls clenching around his length repeatedly as he slaps you again.

he starts fucking into you faster, chasing his own orgasm and groaning when it finally hits him. his nails press crescents against your ass as he rides it out.

when he removes his dick from inside of you, you fall out from his lap and into the bed. you watch as he gets up from the bed, getting a pair of underwear on his way to the bathroom.

you decide to close of your eyes, body feeling heavy and you know you’ll fall asleep at any moment. something comes in contact with the inside of your thigh and you open your eyes to find doyoung cleaning you up.

“feeling okay?” he asks when he finishes it up, throwing the towel somewhere in the room and laying on the bed next to you.

you hum, smiling lazily at him. “just sleepy.” you reply and he moves to press a small kiss on your lips. it makes your heart flutter and you let yourself fall asleep in his arms. let yourself fall to the lie this whole thing is.

—-

your body feels sore when you wake up and the arm draped around your waist feels heavy and alien. you open your eyes to see doyoung’s face close to yours and as if sensing you’re looking at him he wakes up slowly too.

“good morning, _____.” he says voice groggy and eyes opening to look at you. his hand stays at your waist, and you have the impression that he’s trying to bring you closer. you suddenly feel self conscious that you’re naked underneath the blanket.

“morning.” you say, your own voice sounding raspy.

it stays silent for a couple minutes, the sun invading your room just a little by the small opening on the blinders. there’s a peace in the room that you don’t quite feel. doyoung’s eyes stare at your face, like he’s analyzing it and you want to tell him to stop.

his finger touches the tip of your nose and you feel something at the pit of your stomach. you want it to go away. “i never notice you had a mole here.” he says.

you try to bite off your words, you really try. “you only notice things when you pay attention.” is what you say and there it is again, the wave of hurt that crosses his eyes and leaves just as quickly.

“listen, i’m sorry, _____.” he starts and you are already annoyed, this is not what you want. “but let’s not do this right now, okay? can’t we just enjoy-“

you move abruptly, getting out of the bed and he lets out an unpleased noise that is unlike him. “let’s never do it, what about that?” you don’t even mind that you’re naked right now, don’t mind that his eyes are probably roaming around your body. all you focus on is leaving him room as you gather your clothes on the floor.

he lets you go without saying anything else.

___

nothing changes. you live your days like the perfect and boring housewife the contract wants you to be.

you eat breakfast alone, walk the dog and water the plants. have lunch by yourself and read a some pages of a book. you like it like this, like the silence of the house even if you know there are other people around it. you like that there’s no one to stop you when you move to get your fifth bonbon of the day, savoring the way it tastes like sweet and guilty.

you like the way there’s no one to judge you when you pick a gossip magazine and read the whole thing. you find out about the latest pregnancy and a cheating scandal, wondering if the day you and doyoung cover the front page will be because of an ugly divorce or finally the baby that everyone is waiting for. there’s a pic of the two of you on the events page, a fake smile on your faces and the most expensive pair of earrings you wore shining. you fight the urge to rip the page off.

by the end of the day you have learned a flan recipe and that monday won’t be a very good for your zodiac sign.

you don’t see doyoung for a week, and then two and you’re starting to think it will be a whole month before you have to face him.

there’s nothing new or weird about that, of course, but your mind seems to think so because you end up thinking about him a lot these days. the ring on your finger feels heavier these days.

comes the weekend you get a text from doyoung that doesn’t surprise you. you blink at the words on your phone once, think about how it sounds like a doctor confirming an appointment, blink again and shut the phone down.

Event tonight at 8PM. Please be ready at least half an hour before, a car will come to pick us up.

at 6PM you start getting ready. when you and doyoung started your deal, going to events together so people would get used to your relationship before the marriage, you would always make sure you looked your best. you would spend hours and dollars on saloons, getting your hair and makeup done so that in all the pictures the paparazzi took you look perfect.

now, with the black long dress you are wearing, you ponder which of the expensive jewelry you own will be the subtlest one. for makeup you decide on light traces of an eyeliner and the red lipstick you are known for.

at 7PM you know doyoung is already downstairs waiting for you, probably sitting on the couch with his armani suit and eyes focused on his phone.

at 7:30, you walk down the stairs and his eyes move to you. he doesn’t say a word, you didn’t expect him to, just gets up from the couch and leads you to the mercedes outside.

the only words you say for the entirety of the ride are goodnight to the driver. doyoung stays focused on his phone while  you choose to watch the city move through the car window, the sky looking like fire from the sunset.

your thoughts start on the bonbon you had that afternoon, wishing you had brought some with you. they are followed by the small feeling that you didn’t really want to be here and you wonder what your life would be like if you hadn’t agreed with this deal, if you hadn’t been born in this reality. you’ve thought about this before, have fantasied about this enough that you know it ends with an ugly heartache.

you wonder if you would find love then, if you would believe in the first place. your minds take a radical turn and you’re invaded with the possibility of meeting doyoung in other circumstances. would he be different, would he be able to fall in love with you. you shift in your seat suddenly, forcing your mind to go blank as you focus on the song that’s playing on the radio.

as if your mind is playing tricks with you, you feel doyoung’s hand to touch yours where it’s laying on the leather seat. you blink at the feeling of his fingers lingering for a second and then you are moving your hand to your lap. your eyes stay glued to the window and his to the phone as if nothing happened.

___

the party is as boring and golden as any other. the champagne tastes the same but you still down two glasses, the slightly bitter taste not phasing you. the only difference this time is that doyoung stays by your side, making small talk about the weather and business because it wouldn’t be too good for a couple that is supposed to be in love to stay quiet.

you think to yourself that you are a very good actress, smiling at his words and body language relaxed so that no one can even doubt the authenticity of this relationship. he is just as good, eyes not leaving yours while he talks.

you maintain your composure when someone approaches, a man, that looks as rich as he is old, that makes doyoung’s posture go rigid and his arm to go around your waist almost in possessiveness, almost in affection.

“hello, mr. sooman.” doyoung says as he shakes hands with him “this is my wife, _______.”

you’ve hear that name before, on a magazine probably. he’s the owner of one of the biggest companies and has a huge influence on the market. you figure doyoung wants to impress him quickly so you let him kiss your hand, not showing a sign of being bothered by the smell of liquor that exhales from him.

“oh, ______! of course i have heard about you.” his words are slurred and one of your brows raised at his words.

“oh?” is all you manage to say, seeking for doyoung’s eyes and they look unfazed at the same time they look focused.

“you’re all these businessmen can talk about.” he explains and doyoung shifts next to you. the song changes to a jazz one. “the most beautiful girl in all these events, doyoung here sure got lucky.”

doyoung laughs and it’s so forced that you  are thankful the old man is probably too drunk to notice. “oh, i’ll have to agree with that.” he says and there’s a blush on your cheeks as you playfully hit his chest, annoying voice telling him to stop it.

“i’ll assure you that probably every men in this room would want to have you in their bed instead of their wife.” he says staring right at you and this time you shift on doyoung’s hold. “myself included.”

you feel sick, the smile on your face hard to put on. you bite off the snarky remarks that are on the tip of your tongue and as you feel doyoung starting to talk you quickly excuse the both of you.

you lead him until you get to a more secluded area, stopping and staring at him. “whatever you were about to do.” you begin “it wasn’t worth risking the chance of doing business with him.”

he has the nerve of looking offended by your words. “what? like i would want to have anything to do with a man like that.”

you roll your eyes. “please, doyoung. we both know what’s important in this situation, the money.”

“your vision of me sure is pleasant, isn’t it?” he sounds like he had a bit too much to drink but you know for a fact he didn’t. you notice that he’s standing to close.

“you don’t give me much else to work it.” is your reply and you feel the blood starting to boil inside your veins, this is what you have been waiting for weeks. for him to pick another fight, to let it all out.

but he doesn’t, he just sighs and closes his eyes for a moment. you notice now that he looks tired. with dark circles around his eyes and shoulders slumped he looks almost fragile, vulnerable and you realize that since you have gotten married there was never a night that doyoung got home before 10 PM.

“______.” his voice sounds weak and when he opens his eyes to looks at you you see the hurt that never stays for too long. “i didn’t realize that there was something wrong. i don’t have time to wonder if i’ve made mistakes, i was raised to think rationally. the rational thing to do in my mind was to give you as much space as possible.”

you avoid his eyes, deciding that staring at the golden lamp on the wall was better. “i’m sorry, i should’ve noticed things more.” he says, hand moving to your cheek and he caresses it softly. you let him. “i want to be better for you.”

you should think that it sounds like a lie, but you don’t. you shouldn’t let him move your head so you’re facing him, but you do. when his lips touch yours you should move away, tell him that you don’t believe a word he says, but all you do is kiss him back.

it’s so sweet, the taste of champagne fresh on your lips and his lips moving against yours. you sigh, letting him deepen it. letting him move his hand down your body to hold you tight by the waist. his body coming closer to yours that all you can feel is him, all you can smell is his cologne and you can taste is his lips as he kisses you like you’re in love. like there’s more here than a contract that you both signed.

you heart feels like it will burst out of your chest and all the butterflies will escape at once and you won’t be in control anymore. a voice in your head screams no, all you have is control while the other begs you to let it go, begs you to be putty in his hand and believe every word he says.

it’s not that black and white but for now you let the butterflies chase after him as your lips chase for his.

later when you leave the party, drunk on expensive champagne and his taste, you let your hand rest on the leather seat of the mercedes while a jazz song plays. when he moves his hand to lay on top of yours, and his fingers interlace with yours, you let him.

[peterspideyy]

three words

summary- you and peter share all your secrets and plans with each, you literally know each other better than yourselves. you always thought peter would tell you everything, until one day he didn’t

warnings- swearing, heartbreak, just your usual sad imagine

—————

“y/n, I’m sorry. peter’s going. I don’t think he will be coming back in a long time.”

ned’s words circled in your head as you tried to process what he said. peter’s going? no. how? yesterday he seemed fine. more than fine actually, he told you he loved you for the first time in your relationship. it was a massive step for you both. if he loved you, he would of mentioned something last night. but he didn’t, and it broke your heart.

see, yours and peters relationship was different. a good different. you told each other everything from your deepest secrets to what you had for breakfast that morning, what ever it was you told each other. you couldn’t believe he didn’t tell you about this. moving away is not something you forget.

without another thought you ran to peters apartment, ignoring neds calls to stop you. you had to see him and have all your unanswered questions finally answered. you needed the truth.

finally arriving, breathing heavily you scrambled to get your spare key of peter’s apartment out of your pocket. pulling out the silver key, you quickly unlocked the front door and ran in to be met with silence. not even may was here. maybe she was at work?

you saw a light shine in peters room making you run over to see peter packing clothes into a brown suitcase. you couldn’t help but let a loud sob escape your mouth, causing peter to sigh and meet your broken eyes.

you didn’t know what caused your heart to break more, peter packing or peter seeming so calm about it all.

“p-peter,” you whispered shaking your head as he carried on packing, “what are you doing? why are you packing? where are you going?”

peter sighed even heavier this time making you take a step back away from him. his harsh eyes met yours again causing your breath to quicken. he was so cold. you didn’t know why.

“mr stark wants to move the internship up north, so I’m moving with him.” he snapped, and carried on packing.

“when did you find out?”

“a month ago.”

“a m-month?”

he nodded simply making your blood boil. how could he be so naive and not tell you about this.

“how fucking dare you parker! how could you not mention this to me! we tell each other everything! you made me fall in love with you!”

“well, aren’t I fucking sorry?” sarcasm dripped from his lips, making you whimper.

“you should be sorry. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me, fucking ned had to tell me. you told your friend over your girlfriend!”

“I wish he didn’t tell you, as we wouldn’t be having this problem, would we?”

“if ned didn’t tell me, would you have told me about you moving?” your hands started to shake as you waited for him to answer.

“probably not, would of been easier to move away from you.”

you started to cry at this. the way he spoke made you scared, frightened. you shouldn’t feel this way towards your lover.

“does may know?”

“yes.”

“so you would of told everyone else apart from me?”

he nodded, making you cry even more. you pulled your hair in anger as he carried on packing not noticing your disheartened self.

“did you ever love me the same way I did?”

peter’s head snapped to meet your (colour) eyes once you said those words, and you are sure you saw his eyes soften into a chocolate colour but then it was quickly replaced by a black, coldness colour.

“no.”

that simple word made your stomach sink. it felt as if peter ripped your heart out and stood on it, causing it to break into millions of pieces. you felt nothing. taking a step back from the man you thought who loved you, you wiped away the tears that fell. you weren’t going to cry in front of him and show how weak you are, even if you felt as if you were going to collapse.

you looked at the necklace peter got you in his mirror. you remembered all the sweet things he told you that night when he gave it to you, and you felt sick thinking of what he said. back then he made butterflies explode, but now the butterflies are dead.

vigorously you ripped the necklace off, ignoring the pain you felt and threw it at him, causing it to hit him in the face. he didn’t blink though. he didn’t move a muscle.

“we’re over. when you come back don’t come crawling back to me. I feel so used peter. out of all my previous boyfriends who treated me like shit, I never thought you would be one of them. in fact your worse. goodbye peter parker, have a nice fucking life.”

with that you stormed out of the room where you and peter first told each other how you felt. you walked out of the room where you shared your first kiss. you walked out of the room where you had your first date. you walked out of the room where you studied for tests. you walked out from the love of your life.

as soon as you closed peters front door, you couldn’t help but let all your tears fall causing you to collapse and bury your head in your knees.

little did you know, peter was crying in his room for hating himself. he hated that he said all those horrible words to you. but, he knew it had to be done as he would despise the amount of distance towards you both. he would rather you hate him and be protected, than love him and be in danger.

“I love you.” he whispered, to his empty room.

“I hate you.” you whispered, to the empty hallway.

three words, with two totally different meanings.

three words, which made both of your hearts break.

—————

a/n

sorry for not posting in agesss! I have some fics lined up but send any requests you have please ;))

[rkachowski]

ai dungeon is awesome

You are mistuh wasrd, a wizard living in the kingdom of Larion. You have a staff and a spellbook. You finish your long journey and finally arrive at the ruin you've been looking for. You look around and see that it's not much different than when you left it. The only thing is now there's a giant skeleton standing guard outside

ask the skeleton about the news

The skeleton looks up from his book and stares at you. He looks like he could kill you with one hand tied behind his back, but instead he just nods. "I heard about this place". He says.

ask him what he heard

"It seems that some people are trying to take over the city of Rask by force". He replies.

ask the skeleton how he feels about the economy of Rask being dominated primarily by slave trading and that perhaps "some people" might actually be good

"Well I don't know anything about it". The skeleton responds.

thank the skeleton and then cast level 60 bone blizzard

You cast bone blizzard on the skeleton and he is frozen solid.

throw the mighty iris into the frozen skeleton

You toss the mighty iris into the frozen skeleton. It breaks through the ice and flies out of sight.

gaze fondly upon the disappearing iris and then walk to Rask

You turn around and look at the frozen skeleton. You can hear the sounds of battle all around you. You wonder if you should head towards them or stay here.

walk to Rask even faster

You run as fast as you can towards Rask. Soon you reach the gates and see that they are already open. A few guards stand outside ready for any trouble.

ask the guards if they prefer wu-tang or dr dre

The guards look at each other and nod their heads. They both seem to be very popular drinks in Rask.

consult the book on how to proceed

You quickly read the book and decide to try something different. You think you will make a deal with the guards. If you help us we won't attack you when you enter Rask. We promise not to harm you and we will give you free passage back to your home town

reluctantly help the guards

You agree to the deal and they let you pass. You feel so happy that you almost cry.

actually cry

You feel so sad that you almost want to die. But you decide to keep going and eventually you arrive at your home town.

kick in the door and shout "MOM I'M HOME"

You rush inside and find that Mom has been dead for months now. You immediately start crying again.

cast level 60 bone resurrection blizzard upon the remnants of mom

You cast bone revival on the remains of mom. She is resurrected and you feel better.

shout "MOM I'M HOME"

You continue to travel to Rask. Eventually you get there and find that the town is under siege. You watch as the undead hordes surround the town. You are too late though. Your mother is dead.

resurrect mother again

You attempt to revive her, but she dies once more. You are devastated. You never got to say goodbye to her.

resurrect mother for a third time but this time for realsies

You attempt to resurrect her yet again, but she dies once more. You are devastated. You never got to say goodbye to her either.

resurrect her and then very quickly say goodbye and where are my legos

Woops that action caused the model to start looping. Try a different action to prevent that.

bring mother back to life

You bring mother back to life. She looks at you with tears in her eyes. She doesn't recognize you, but she knows who you are. She hugs you tightly and tells you that she loves you

tell mother goodbye and leave the house

You return to the house where you had left your sister. You tell her that she shouldn't worry because you are coming back soon. She smiles and kisses you before leaving the house. You don't know why, but you do.

activate the self destruct sequence

You activate the self destruct sequence and everything goes black

announce loudly "DORMAMMU, I HAVE COME TO BARGAIN"

You scream "Dormammu! I HAVE COME TO BARGAIN!" and then you begin to laugh maniacally. Everyone in the room hears your laughter and begins to panic. Suddenly the walls begin to shatter and the ceiling begins to fall in.

hold the infinity stone high above your head

You hold the infinity stone high above your head and everyone else in the room follows suit. You suddenly stop laughing and everyone is terrified. Then you unleash a wave of energy that destroys the entire room.

rewind time until dormammu appears

You rewind time and see that dormammu is standing right behind you. He sees that you are afraid and decides to play along. He starts laughing hysterically and says

unpause

You pause time and see that dormammu is still standing behind you. He laughs even harder and says

throw knives at dormammu

You throw knives at him. The blades hit him, but he dodges them all. He runs forward and punches you in the face. You collapse backwards onto the floor. You hear screams from the people in the room and realize that you are being attacked by several ghosts

unleash the proton pack at the ghosts and have star platinum punch dormammu's stand

You unleash the proton pack at the ghosts and have star platinum punch his stand. You also blast him with a burst of light from the infinity stone. He falls backward off the wall and explodes into a million pieces

lean backwards in a powerful homoerotic pose and say something cool

You lean backwards in a powerful homoerotic pose and say something cool. Everyone in the room is impressed by your bravery

have the speedwagon foundation take dormammu's remnants to a sunny beach for disposal

You have the Speedwagon Foundation transport the remnants of dormammu to a sunny beach for disposal. Everyone is pleased with your work

[jf3co]

Down In Mexico

Article appears in the Summer 2019 issue of The Palisades Magazine & Issuu:

Mexico City. How do you cover one of the world’s largest cities in just 4 days? Take a deep breath, be prepared to walk… and let’s go!

Day 1 - The Travel Day is to wonder or worry, depending on your predispositions. I am slightly apprehensive before any foreign trip. And noting Mexico in the news a tiny bit recently, I plan to exercise good street smarts. I do not plan to (just a whimsical example) don a child’s costume bulletproof vest to fit a narrative of “scary place”. One shouldn’t look for trouble, but the same applies in any American city. I’ve been down in Mexico three times in as many years and have found a wonderful vacation destination each time.

You arrive at the Mexico City airport after flying over a sprawling metropolis. The mind boggles that this is only the 25th largest city in the world with a population of 8.8 million. It seems much larger. By contrast, Los Angeles has about 4 million. Clearing customs was simple. As was locating our hotel-provided driver. After a jaunt through traffic we arrive at our hotel, the Nima Local House in the Roma Norte Neighborhood. Again, simple.

Did you watch Roma? No? Go watch Roma. It was a happy coincidence this is the neighborhood featured in the movie. The streets are reminiscent of those in our older cities; Rittenhouse Square, Brooklyn Heights, Russian Hills (sans hills), Dupont Circle. And the streets are wide, grand tree-lined promenades crossed with a gridded layout. I fell in love with the walkability as we strolled to find some cocktails, eventually ducking into Licorería Limantour, a hipster hot spot.

Do you know Spanish? No? Mexico is our closest non-English-speaking country, and hey it doesn’t hurt to be neighborly... but if you do not, everyone speaks English. After a couple of "Margarita al Pastors” followed by a some “Mezcal Stalks”, proper cocktails at times served tongue-in-cheek in ridiculous vessels, though due to the drink itself I don’t remember them, I picked my head up off the bar to check out the locals; think fashionable. This is an old, cosmopolitan city full of art and culture; whereas I just got back from a business trip to Las Vegas and noted that the current fashion trend for US tourists is “freshly dumped out of a canoe”. One should bring their casual “A” game to Mexico City; men: button-down shirt (button one less than usual), nice jeans or pants, stylish shoes; women: think NYC in Spring, keeping in mind you will be walking a lot. Speaking of walking, we are going to be late to our dinner reservation. “La cuenta, por favor!” This will be your first double-take, a ‘twenty dollars in LA’ cocktail is only three bucks. Score one for the exchange rate.

Do you like when I start every paragraph with a question? No? I’ll stop. Dinner that evening was at Maycoll Calderón's Huset, a self-described “country kitchen” with a rustic indoor/outdoor space. Preceded by more craft mezcal cocktails, the entire meal was superb, having the gnocchi, grilled beef, chicken-ginger rice, and roasted vegetables. But I must note, regarding the steak, that the local interpretation of “medium rare” requires one to chase their dinner around the room a bit first; hot travel tip: order “medium” or above. We skipped dessert, as it was not a possibility given prior intake, and meandered the few blocks back to the hotel where we sat on the roof terrace enjoying the warm night air… that is until a screeching steam whistle announcing Death Incarnate punctuated the stillness, creeping ever closer; what the hell is it? I was not going to find out. Time to retreat to bed.

Day 2 - Zero Sleep. I am going to die. Did I magically catch the flu? Is the pollution really that bad? Apparently I am allergic to lilies. I did not quite know this until I spent the whole first night coughing and sneezing. And the room was charmingly decorated with them. But, once removed, all was well again. I did sleep late though, and this altered our plans so we missed out on the large art museums and grand parks; but this will only justify a future trip. We ended up taking an Uber to the Zócalo, the main square, and visited a street vendor for some Tlayudas Oaxaca, a masterpiece of grilled meat, veggies, and cheese on a large toasted flatbread. Then ambled over to the Templo Mayor, the main temple of the Mexicas in the city of Tenochtitlan; some fun facts: it was once referred to as "island of the dogs” because the elevation provided a safe haven for strays during flooding. It is also considered by the Aztecs to be the center of the known universe - sorry cat lovers.

You will now be thirsty from standing under the hot sun on the exposed square. You will go to the La Frapp rooftop for drinks. You will order a Model Negra with Orange Juice and Tequila. You will send me a thank you note later.

After the beverage constitutional, another Uber to the La Condensa neighborhood, full of Art Deco apartments and a large park. The Parque España (formally Parque General San Martín) will subtly remind that you are in a warm, jungle environment with it’s lush greenery and hanging mosses. We wandered and admired and then found ourselves at Milos for a mezcal break. While in CDMX, drink mezcal, drink tequila… they are health drinks. Don’t believe me? Google it.

After some miles we made it back to our neighborhood for dinner at Taqueria Orinoco. This is no frills. But it’s TACOS! East as many as you possibly can. Order the tres proteínas for a combination of trompo (al pastor), res (steak), and chicharrón (pork belly). Wash them down with a few Superior Cervezas. Then request someone roll you over to Churrería El Moro for a paquetes combination of Mexican hot chocolate and churros. We sat idly on a park bench along Avenue Álvaro Obregón, swinging our legs, enjoying the passersby and warm night air.

Time for bed… one again the Locomotive of Death slowly approaches. I dream fitfully of stone and stairs and feathered warriors as I stand at the nexus of the earth, the sky, and... the underworld.

Day 3 - More Annoying Uses for Plastics, and The Aztecs versus the Oxfords. We awake to a quick breakfast in the atrium of our hotel - making a commitment to reverse engineer their roasted pepper salsa recipe. Then hop in an Uber to head to the Aztec pyramids. We are in a hurry. It’s the free day for locals and we want to beat the crowd.

The pyramids are sublime. Works of permanence and precision laid out with obsessive specificity seldom rivaled the world over. The crude plastic jaguar and hawk noisemakers that every third person is selling to bored children by the thousand are not. The location is jarring with annoying noise. This is probably the reason there are no more actual jaguars or hawks in the area. Scared away. There’s too many people here. Too much plastic. Too many failed attempts at trumpeting a catcall or hawks’ screech. I was struck by the juxtaposition of laborious achievement against cheap novelty, just as I was by the fact that Oxford University is older than the founding of Tenochtitlán by the Mexica; humans seem to have both a sliding scale of antiquity alongside the inability to contemplate the longevity of their particular contributions.

We return to CDMX and hit the Juárez neighborhood to eat at Contramar, an airy, popular lunch spot. We ordered tuna tostados, a Serrano ham omelet made with French fries and cheese, and shrimp & octopus tacos; get the tostado, devour the omelet (and make it at home during every single meal for the rest of your life), skip the tacos. Afterward, we decided to visit one of the many parklet traffic circles to idly watch the world revolve and sip a few beers at La Zaranda Miravalle.

Cabrera 7 was our dinner. The decor is garden party and pop art. The view is of Plaza Luis Cabrera with it’s large fountain in across the street. Food was good. Portions were great. But we were simply not in the mood. Too much walking. Too much overindulging. It would be a disservice to describe anything further - we simply didn’t eat. Go there only when you are hungry.

At this point we plod the streets back to our hotel. Stuffed like Piñata. Catatonic. Directionless. We feel a distinct pull toward life and vitality; Gravity beckons us toward Plaza Rio De Janeiro where there is a gala Oscar viewing party. Alfonso Cuarón is up for Roma, the semi-autobiographical tale of life in this neighborhood during the early 70’s “Dirty War” period. Roma ended up winning 3 Oscars and the place absolutely exploded with jubilation each time; Best Director, Foreign Language Film, Best Cinematography. Congrats to Cuarón. Congrats to Roma Norte. Congrats to Mexico. We celebrated in our own way back at the hotel with a wine from Valle De Guadalupe (Mexico has a wine country. It is fantastic. You can drive there from LA) and a viewing of Roma. En route we accidentally identified Whistling Death, himself - not the soul-stealer of lore, but the Camotes Cart man slinging a confections of sweet potato and plantains. We ran smack into his cart on our way back to the hotel. I am told the whistle is the sound of childhood to a lot of locals, and not a harbinger of corporeal impermanence. I don’t see it.

Day 4 - Goodbye to Roma Norte… We awake on our last day and head to Toscano Roma for breakfast. Notable was the beet, orange, raspberry smoothie - I now put beets in smoothies at home. One last idle stroll. And off to the airport. See you next time, Mexico City. There’s so much to see. So much I missed. I will definitely be back. If only to dress well, admire the architecture, sample the haute cuisine, and practice my Spanish, in a grand city chock full of life, vitality, art and culture.

Links:

Nima Local House - http://nimalocalhousehotel.com/

Roma Norte - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonia_Roma#Roma_Norte_I

Licoria Limantour - https://www.yelp.com/biz/limantour-m%C3%A9xico-5

Huset - http://www.huset.mx/

Zocalo - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z%C3%B3calo

La Frapp - https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Coffee-Shop/La-Frapp-356500598031678/

Parque Espana - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parque_Espa%C3%B1a

Milos - https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g150800-d2297923-Reviews-Milo_s_Bistro-Mexico_City_Central_Mexico_and_Gulf_Coast.html

Taqueria Orinoco - http://www.taqueriaorinoco.com/

El Moro - http://elmoro.mx/

Teotihuacan aka “The Pyramids” - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teotihuacan

Contramar - http://www.contramar.com.mx/

La Zaranda Miravalle -

Cabrera 7 -

Plaza Rio De Janeiro - https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaza_R%C3%ADo_de_Janeiro

Cafe Toscano Roma - https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g150800-d3251109-Reviews-Cafe_Toscano-Mexico_City_Central_Mexico_and_Gulf_Coast.html

Down in Mexico, The Coasters - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebl5Sx4zqYw

[spidermando]

Oh, Merlin {7.0}

Pairing: Eventually Sirius Black X Reader, Readers!daughter x Fred Weasley

Word Count: 1.6K +

Warnings: NONEEE

Masterlist

Morgan didn’t believe her mother for one moment and decided she’d have to do the hard work to find out the truth. However, with all the snooping and research Morgan had been doing, Christmas Eve seemed to jump up from behind her. If Ron, Harry and Hermione hadn’t talked about it, she wouldn’t have even realised that Christmas was only hours away. But never the less, she went to bed with a tinge of excitement jumping around in her stomach.

She woke up early the next day to find a pile of presents at the bottom of her bed. She went over to them, quickly gathering them in her arms and taking them to the common room where she could share the experience with all her friends. It didn’t take long for everyone to gather, including Hermione, Harry, Ron, Fred and George. Once everyone was down there, they all collectively tore into their presents. From Harry she’d gotten a ‘Hogwarts: A History’ (she wanted to keep up with Hermione), Ron a large collection of her favourite sweet (chocolate frogs), Hermione a new luxury quill (max accidentally snapped her old one), Mrs. Weasley a yellow jumper with a blue ‘M’ (she pulled it on right away) and Christmas cake, and from Hagrid a black jumper (it was her favourite colour). 

She was meeting with her mother that night to exchange gifts, so she smiled as she looked among her presents- thanking everyone in the room who had gifted something. She then got up, about to head into her bedroom to write a thank you note to Ron’s mum, when she ran into someone. She was halfway up the stairs and fell back slightly, but the person reached forward and pulled her back. 

“Oh- sorry.“ Her eyes caught the blue jumped with a yellow ‘F’ on it, her smile growing as she looked up at the ginger boy. “Hello Fred, merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Morgan.” He grinned as he took his hands away and reached into his pocket. He then handed her a box wrapped in black. Her eyes widen for a moment as they studied the box, hesitantly taking it from him. “I wanted to give it to you in person.”

She continued to study the box, both hands now firmly clasped around it. Her stomach turned as she glanced back up to Fred, only one thing on her mind. “I-I didn’t get you a gift.” Guilt flooded her, how could she have not gotten him something? She wanted to, but last year they didn’t exchange gifts. “I’m sorry.”

He took one long glance at her, his hand coming out to meet hers. Her stomach lurched now, he was going to take the gift back. How had she been so stupid? She must’ve really hurt him.

“It’s okay.” Instead of taking the box like she assumed, he just took her hand and intertwined their fingers. “I didn’t want a gift.” There was a weird tone of sincerity in his voice, making it smooth like honey and warm like a summers day.

“A-Are you sure?” She looked into his eyes now, searching for any sign he was lying. But there were none. 

“Positive.”

Her eyes went back to the box, “I’m still getting you a present. It might just take a while.” 

“You don’t have too,” he watched as she fiddled with the box. 

“I honestly don’t mind.”

“I know you don’t.” She started to tear at the paper. “But I want too.”She then skillfully unwrapped it, meeting a plain white box. She took a silent breath, before flicking the lid up. Her heart instantly melted as she saw it, a gentle blush rising to her cheeks. “Wow,” she breathed out. Inside was a gold necklace, a charm shaped like the golden snitch hanging off it. She’d loved quidditch ever since her mother introduced it, but unlike Harry, she didn’t have the natural skills to be a chaser. “Thank you, Fred.”

Their hands were still somehow intertwined, so she used it as a tool to pull him into her. She then wrapped her arms around his waist, stuffing her face into his chest. “I love it.” She’d said, her voice muffled by the fabric of his bright jumper. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her as close as possible. “It’s alright, love.”

Her heart jumped at the pet name, snuggling further into him. They stayed like that for a while, before someone shouted from downstairs. 

“Fred, where are you?” They instantly jumped apart, giving each other sheepish smiles, before heading in opposite directions. 

Morgan finally went to her room, a feeling of complete and utter bliss filling her. She placed the white box on the end of her bed, reaching around her neck to unclasp the necklace she was currently wearing. She then put the one Fred gifted her on, hand embracing the snitch, as she closed her eyes and let out a deep exhale.When she opened them again, she saw another box on the end of her bed. It wasn’t wrapped but Morgan was sure she hadn’t seen it before. 

Her curiosity getting the better of her, she let go of the necklace and approached the mystery item. Her hand instantly went to her wand, using it as a tool to see if the box would strike back. When it didn’t she reached forward and flicked the lid open. A note slipped out and onto her bed, but her attention was on the contents of the box.Inside sat a silver bracelet, a charm of silver dog and another of a paw hanged from it. She then reached for the letter, flipping it open and re-reading it a few times.

Merry Christmas

Thank you for always taking care of me,

Max.

Could it be possible? How could Max, a large black dog, get into her bedroom without being seen? How did he write the note? When did it even get in here? How had he gotten his hands on a bracelet? Never mind an expensive looking one like this?

Her mind ran a million mile a minute, however, she still reached over and put the bracelet on. He would certainly be getting a visit tonight. After she wrote a letter to Mrs. Weasley and sent it off with Hedwig (with Harrys permission, of course), she made her way back down to the common room. Everyone was still in there, Fred and George in the corner talking while Harry and Ron played exploding snap and Hermione watched. She went and joined the threesome, taking a seat beside Harry.

“Nice necklace, Morgan, who gave it to you?” Harry asked after he stated ‘checkmate.’

Fred and Morgan’s eyes met across the room and some-how she knew not to blurt it out. “That’s for me to know and you to not.”

Ron rolled his eyes, before he caught a glimpse at her wrist. “What about that?”

Another gentle blush rose to Morgan’s cheeks, but she looked down to try and cover it up. “Oh, it’s from my friend Max.

”Morgan felt Fred’s glance snap to her and could just tell his eyebrows were furrowed. In fact, she’s pretty sure everyone looked at her. 

“Who?”

 “My friend…” She finally looked up, seeing as everyone stared at her. “Max,” it came out more like a question.

“Max?” Ron tilted his head, “we don’t know anyone named Max.”

“Yeah, that’s why he’s my-“ She pointed at herself, “friend.”

She spared a peek at Fred and George. One had wide eyes and a slightly tilted head while the other had red brushing up his neck, strained smile and angry, squinted eyes. Guilt flooded her again, Fred was probably thinking that she was seeing someone else. But how would she explain to him that Max was a dog that could read and write?

“I-Uh, I’m going to go down to the hall quickly.” She kept flicking her glaze at Fred, trying to tell him to come with her. But when she stood up, he merely crossed his arms and pouted, his eyes avoiding her. Just as she walked past them and towards the door, she saw George shove his brother and them whisper something inn his ear. Fred looked at him with furrowed eyebrows, but George simply got up and went over to the other three. “Fancy a game of exploding snap, Hermione?”

Morgan was just about to close the Fat Ladies door behind her when she saw Fred stand up from his seat, they made brief eye contact and then he walked in the opposite direction. She expelled a big breath and then closed the door.The Fat Lady saw her face and frowned. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” she lied. “Thank you.”

She then went down the hallway and towards the great hall, she’d always found it calming in there. Her hand went to reach for the door handle to push the doors open, when someone else’s hand landed on her shoulder. She jumped a bit, before turning around to face the stranger and was pleasantly surprised to see ginger hair. However, it wasn’t the ginger she wanted to see.“Hello, George.” She greeted him, shining a smile.

He let out a breathy laugh. “Wow, you really can tell us apart.” 

“Of course, I can.”

George shook his head and laughed a little, before going a bit more serious. “Look, Fred really likes you and finding out about this Max guy has really shook him up. I know it’s a bit off character for me, but if you could just explain who Max is to me, I might be able to sort something out.” 

“Thank you,” she brought her arms to the sides of her arms, rubbing them through her jumper. “Honestly, I don’t know who Max is. I only knew him as a dog that I give food to and sit with.” She shrugged, “but I’m starting to think he may be an Animagus. I found this,” she pointed at her bracelet, “in my room with a note. He said, ‘thanks for always taking care of me.’ But I’ve never actually seen him in human form before.”

George nodded, “so, he must be a part of Gryffindor.”

“I should think so, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to drop it off in my room.”

Morgan then cleared a few more things up for George. Finally, when they were in a mutual understanding George said goodbye. “I’ll go talk to Fred.” And then he left her in the hallway, heading back to the common room.

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