#i’m sorry i just. do NOT see why people love the cast of 2 so much

[chromaticroses]

self care is blocking v3 haters ☺️🙏

[commandershepardvasfuckit]

An Arranged Marriage, part 11

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10

M!troll x f!reader

2k words, sweet domestic fluff

There are definitely more differences between humans and trolls than you really realized, but at least half the fun is finding those differences.

(Also, ask box is always open, I am literally always vibrating out of my skin to talk about this man)

--------

The sunlight still streamed through the windows when you awoke, but now cast long shadows along the walls. Your head rested on Zen’jan’s chest while he laid on his back still asleep, one of his his arms wrapped around you and one of your legs tossed over his. It felt good just to be entwined like that, not worrying about how long you had been gone, or a cover story, or anything else.

You could not help but drag your fingers down his chest, feeling the divots of both muscle and scars. There was something nice about being able to just observe him him like this, to be able to get a good look at him without feeling self conscious as he watched you back.

Looking up at his face like this you were able to really take him in. His skin was smooth, not a trace of facial hair. His chest was the same and no hair at all and you could not help but reach over to run your fingers down his forearm out of curiosity, just to check. Sure enough, smooth as could be.

“Are you having fun?” he did not open his eyes, but you looked up to see him smiling.

You buried your face into his chest, embarrassed over being caught.

“You did not have to stop, it felt quite nice. I cannot say the last time I have just been able to relax like this and enjoy someone’s company” he pulled you little closer.

“Zen?” you asked, “Did you want an arranged marriage? Like was this something you expected?”

“No. An arranged marriage is not a normal thing here, nor was it something I wanted”.

“Oh” you felt a bit bad, you had not actually talked to him about any of this at all in the last month.

You grew up knowing one day you would have your marriage arranged for you, and it really was not a big deal, just what was expected. Most people you knew were in an arranged marriage after all, and maybe they grew to love their spouse and maybe they did not, but that was not important. What was important was that it kept you in a good societal status and you got to keep living your life of luxury.

“Was there someone in your life then? Before all this?” you asked.

“No. Nothing serious. I never made that sort of time, certainly not during the war and then after there was always too much to do with rebuilding”.

“But there was someone then?” you did not know why, but the thought of that was vaguely upsetting.

“No. Just sometimes enjoying a night with someone. But no, to answer your question I did not have anyone I was close to like that”.

“Have you ever?” you pushed.

“No, like I said, there was been a war going on since I was pretty young, I have never had time for such things”.

“But the war was only for the last few years”.

“Maybe for you, but your kingdom has been attacking my village and tribe and all the others here long before it was officially a war”.

“I had no idea, I didn’t know it was that bad” it gave you pause to realize there was probably to did not know about the war.

“There were attacks even before I was born, the larger raids started when I was 10 or so, and by the time I was 20 it was a full war for us even if it was not for you, then still nearly another 10 years to get peace. When I tell you that my whole life has been consumed by this war, I truly mean my whole life”.

“I’m… sorry” you did not know what else to say. The war had not really affected you. Nothing in your day to day life changed from it, the kingdom was never under attack as all the fighting took place here, even your father was never on the front lines.

“It is not your doing, but this is not something I really want to talk about. It had been my whole life, and now instead I would rather just enjoy laying here with you” he said and once more nuzzled the top of your head.

You felt bad bringing up the war, especially now knowing just how bad things had actually been. Desperate to change the topic you asked the first question that came to mind, “Do trolls not have body hair?” you blurted out

Zen’jan snorted, clearly caught off guard by the question, “If you mean ‘do I have hair besides on my head?’ no, that is it. I am not fuzzy all over like a human”.

“Fuzzy all over? I’m not covered in fur” you pouted.

“No, but humans are still fuzzy” for emphasis he rubbed your forearm.

“At least I don’t shed like you. Do you know how much of your hair I find everywhere? Sometimes I feel like you have fur instead of hair” you teased back.

“Those are the same thing” he insisted.

“No they aren’t! Hair doesn’t shed like how you do. Look at the pillow! It’s only been a few hours of napping and it’s already covered in your hair just from that!”

“Hair does that”.

“Not like that” you reached up to get a good handful of his hair, it was dense and you swore you felt an undercoat, and you gave a firm tug to prove your point and get a handful of shedding hair like you expected.

What you did not expect was Zen’jan’s reaction.

“Oh fuck” he moaned.

In the month you had lived together you had not heard him swear once, you were not even sure he knew any swears in common. That definitely settled it though.

You quickly released your grip on his hair, though at least he seemed equally embarrassed, his blushing turning his face a bit purple.

“I am… sorry about that. I suppose it has been a while for me” he let out an awkward laugh but would not look at you.

At this point you had somehow buried your face farther into his chest in an attempt to block out everything. Maybe if you did not acknowledge it then you could pretend that it did not happen or that the way he moaned got your heart racing with more than just embarrassment.

“I hope that since you feel comfortable pulling my hair that at least means you are not scared of me after everything” he broke the silence.

“I’m pretty sure you have fur” you mumbled into his chest.

“They are the same thing!”

“No they aren’t! Look at this!” you showed him the fistful of shedding strands that came out when you pulled his hair.

“Yes, hair does that”.

“No, it doesn’t! See?” you ran your fingers through your hair, only a loose strand or two came free.

“So? Some people shed more hair than others, that is normal. And hair and fur are words for the same thing”.

“They aren’t, and you’re shedding so badly anyways. You hair is absolutely everywhere”.

He sighed before speaking, “I know, it is hard to comb it all out by myself so it has been a while since I have really been able to get all the loose hair out”.

“I don’t mind helping, especially if it means not having your hair on ever surface in this house”.

“I was about to get up and get us some food, but maybe you could help me comb out the loose hair first?” he asked.

“Sure”.

He nuzzled the top of your head with his jaw before carefully rolling out from under you and retrieving a comb from the bathroom.

“So just comb it out?” you asked as he handed you the comb and sat down in front of the bed so you could reach his head.

“Yes, just keep combing until no more hair comes out”.

Shedding was an understatement. You started at his hairline and combed and combed out a seemingly endless amount of hair just in that one section.

“You absolutely have an undercoat in your hair, I’m just saying” you remarked.

“Many people have a second layer” his eyes were closed and he was leaning his head back on your lap, he looked so relaxed, you even heard his soft purring sound.

“Not humans, that’s not a thing for us”.

“Really? Weird”.

“How often are you supposed to this?”

“Once a week or so”.

“And when was the last time you did?”

He stayed silent.

“Zen, when was the last time you combed out all this hair?” you asked again.

“A few months” he admitted.

“A few months?!”

“It is hard to do on my own, and it is hard to see what I am doing”.

“Couldn’t you have asked Bira or Ba’tual for help?”

“I did sometimes, but they are both busy a lot and I did not want to be an inconvenience”.

“Well, just remind me, I don’t mind doing this for you” you scratched the top of his head where you had finished combing out all the shedding.

He leaned his head to the side and nuzzled against your leg, “Thank you”.

“The nuzzling” you began, “I thought that was just a rut thing”

“The jaw and cheek nuzzling mostly is, but it is all just affection anyway. Do humans not show affection?” he teased.

“We do! Just not like that”.

“Then what do humans do?”

You leaned forward and kissed his forehead and pulled away to see him smirking.

“You tricked me” you said.

“I did not trick you, you did that all on your own” he was still smirking.

“But you knew I’d probably kiss you”.

“I was hoping you would, but you still chose to do it”.

“Do trolls not kiss?” you asked.

“Tusks" and he tapped one of his for emphasis, "They do make being face to face difficult, so no, kissing is not a thing we really do. Some people picked up on it from the orcs and might kiss their spouse’s hand or top of their head, but otherwise no”.

“You press your forehead to mine, isn’t that hard if both people have tusks anyways?”

“It is, and since everyone’s tusks are different it means that with a new partner you have to really get used to what angle to hold you head at to do it, that is why it is very intimate. Exactly how it is done is different for every couple, you have to take the time to learn your partner”.

You blushed at the implications, you had been taking it as just a small gesture and had been returning it without a thought. It reality it was deeply intimate and something unique to everyone.

“Well, in that case, you’ve been awfully affectionate since we’ve gotten home” you remarked.

“Can you blame me? I spent a month on edge around you and sleeping on the floor assuming you either were scared of me or hated me and did not want to be here. But now when given the option to leave you still chose to stay. You let me carry you home, you asked me to be close to you so you could sleep and then cuddled up to me, I woke up with you on my chest, and you offered to comb out my hair. I have never had someone in my life in this way, and it feels good and I do not know how else to show that I am happy about it”.

He was looking up at you, head nearly upside down from how far he was leaning back in your lap, vivid green eyes darting across you face and gauging your reaction.

“I know what you mean” it was a new feeling, and weird, but good. You were allowed to be affectionate for once, allowed to get attached for the first time, not just a quick fling for fun with no feelings involved. “and it’s all pretty new for me too”.

You leaned down somewhat awkwardly and pressed your forehead to his. There was quite a bit you were still concerned about, but at least you knew your husband was a good man.

Part 12

[dailyreverie]

Christmas Valentine

A/N: This one was requested by @writingsoftheloser, and I loved it so so much! Thank you so much for requesting! I had the idea for it and then I came across the song Christmas Valentine by Jason Mraz & Ingrid Michaelson and it is so Bucky and gave me all the feels and ughh... just give it a listen please 🥹🥹I really hope you all like it!

2. "You shouldn't have"

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader (no pronouns, reader is called doll)

Word count: 1k

Holiday prompts ⛄

'Twas the night before Christmas, when every corner of the common room was bathed in the warm glow of sparkling colored lights. The chimney crackled, casting a cozy fire across the room. Everyone was dressed in their festive best, and joy permeated the air… and Bucky would much rather be in his room.

He remembered Christmas, he truly did, Steve made sure of that, and it’s not that he didn’t like everyone - he liked Steve, and Nat sometimes, and Sam could be somewhat tolerable every now and then. Yet, this Christmas, his first after everything, he preferred observing from a distance. A bottomless glass of scotch kept him company, the amber liquid warming him as he contentedly watched from afar, even if it meant being away from you.

“Merry Christmas everyone!” Ah, shit, you. How could he forget to include you on his mental list of people he enjoys? Bucky caught himself smiling into his glass when you entered the crowded room with your cheerful exclamation. Nat hugged you, Wanda playfully placed a Santa hat on your head, and despite the festive welcome from others, you still searched for Bucky and shared a quiet smile across the room.

God… the way he felt for you. He never thought after all those years he would be able to feel something like that again, something that felt so warm even though it must be snowing outside. 

The night went on, food and drinks came and went, and the two-week-long Secret Santa that had been going on was finally revealed. It was right after the gift exchange when you began walking towards him, with a beautiful ear-to-ear smile on your face courtesy of the festivities and the sweet drinks Wanda kept giving you. 

“Merry Christmas,” you greeted him. “I’m sorry I didn’t come by before, I was dragged to the whole thing as soon as I arrived.” You laughed slightly, remembering to the way you were engulfed by your teammates. 

“I could see that,” Bucky laughed too, more discreetly, but laughed too. “Merry Christmas, by the way.” He knew he sounded awkward when he said it, almost as if he wasn’t quite sure if those were the words he wanted to say, but when your cheeks heated up and your smile got shyer, he knew he had to be doing something right.

“Hey, listen I- uhm-” It was your turn to be awkward as you fidgeted with the gift bag on your hands. "I know you didn't want to be part of the Secret Santa thing but I can't let you celebrate Christmas without a gift." Bucky decided to keep the image of your reddening cheeks forever in his head, perhaps for a rainy day. 

"Oh, doll. Why did you bother yourself with this?" The festive paper bag in your hands reached the top of the table, and Bucky hesitated to reach for it.

"You are never a bother, Buck. This is the least I could do to thank you for all the training."

Bucky chuckled to himself as you pushed the bag towards him, finally grabbing it, and once he opened it, his cautious smile turned into surprise. "You shouldn't have."

"Nonsense." You shrugged as he revealed the first edition of The Hobbit you had gifted him. "Remember that time you called me a Hobbit because I kept referring to your missions as adventures?”

"Of course I do." Bucky laughed softly. "Of course, I do," Bucky laughed softly. The gift, a first edition of The Hobbit, left him genuinely touched.

“I also may have overheard you say to Sam that you read it when it came out. I though maybe you could have a little thing from back then, now.”

"This is… this is wonderful." You took this thankfulness with a smile. Contrary to his words, though, he groaned. "Well, now this is embarrassing, but I might also… uhm…" He reached down his chair, pulling out a gift bag. "I also got you something but it's not nearly as good as yours." 

You gasped dramatically at the sight of the bag, making grabby hands for it. "For me?!" Bucky nodded, silently confirming your question and watching you intently. Every move you made tightened his stomach into a tighter knot, not sure if you would even like it - opening the bag, taking out the little box inside it, untying the ribbon from it… every second felt like torture for him.

You took in a sharp breath when you opened the box, admiring the beautiful necklace Bucky had gifted you; you had seen it before, that one time you went downtown with him. You thought he wouldn't have even noticed, but he not only watched your eyes shine at the sight of it, he also went back that same afternoon to buy it to make sure no one else got it first.

"Bucky, this is- this is gorgeous.” Your fingers ghosted delicately above it. “You shouldn’t have.” You repeated his words, making him chuckle slightly. 

“How could I not? You kept going back to look at it.” He freed your hands from it, standing up right in front of you and circling your neck with his hands; his lotion made you take a deep breath and hold it as he kept moving closer, you had never seen him move so gently as he placed the chain around your neck and clasped the lock, making sure it was straight before taking a step back again. 

“It's beautiful.” Your voice was barely above a whisper, your fingers toying with the charm as you looked up to smile at him. 

Bucky nodded, a quiet “yes, it is” confirming what he saw right in front of him. 

“Buck, I-” A call for your name interrupted you.

“Go, I’ll come find you later,” Bucky promised, hoping your thoughts mirrored his. Before leaving you kissed his cheek and squeezed his flesh arm, your way of telling him he better come find you soon.

“Would you look at that, the robot has feelings.” Sam sneaked up on him, patting his back and walking past him to get a drink.

“Leave him alone, Sam.” Steve warned, not without his own squeeze to his shoulder with an encouraging “Good one, Buck”. He had never seen his friend happier, his eyes lost in the crowd not able to stop looking at you. Bucky remembered Christmas, he was sure he did, but he had never loved Christmas lights as much as he liked them reflecting in your eyes right then.

🦾🎄🦾🎄🦾🎄🦾🎄🦾🎄🦾🎄🦾🎄🦾🎄

Thanks for reading! Please reblog and comment if you enjoyed it!

[stylespresleyhearted]

THIS JUST IN: CALLUM TURNER SOON TO BE DAD

masterlist can be found here

liked by anthonyboyle and 53819 others

yourinstagram strollin’ London w my London boy

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fan12 am i gonna have to be the one to say it … she’s pregnant

fan23 i agree she’s only been seen in callum’s clothes of oversized jackets it’s diff from her usual style

user13 deuxmoi said on her podcast that a trusted source confirmed she’s pregnant. I believe it you can see a hint of the belly here.

user23 1) we’re in 2024 how about we stop speculating women are pregnant every time their bodies change and 2) if they are pregnant Callum will share when he’s ready respect their privacy

fan49 PLEASE Callum she ain’t going anywhere why you gripping so tight 😭😭

liked by user12, fan13, and 94817 others

tmz BREAKING NEWS: After months of speculation TMZ is finally able to confirm, Callum Turner and his girlfriend are expecting. Turner’s leading lady was photographer exiting his Los Angeles home. More pics and video in link in bio.

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user23 the violation of privacy is INSANE! Callum and Y/N I’m so sorry.

fan41 DM SAID IT!!! Congrats to the lovely couple!

user02 They were probably trying to enjoy it between the two of them but TMZ sat outside their home to snap photos. Callum’s already so private now he’s going to give us NOTHING i hope ya’ll nosy people happy

user78 callum been daddy iktr 🙌🏼

liked by austinbutler, keoghan92, and 73195 others

yourinstagram When we found out I was pregnant we were so overjoyed we felt like our hearts could burst. It was something we were keeping sacred between our friends and family now that has been taken from us.

Mumma and Daddy can’t wait to meet you, baby. We promise to always protect and put you first. Thank you everyone for all the love and we ask that you respect our privacy during this time. - Cal & Y/N

comments have been limited

rafflaw His hand is always on the belly! Congrats man!

keoghan92 Let me and Brando know when you’re free for a playdate ♥️ children are the most precious things, much love

austinbutler Congratulations, love you guys.

lillyjames The media is horrid. So much love to your little family <3

camillerow Can’t wait to spoil them rotten

liked by user13, fan12, and 23916 others

dailymail Despite how news of his impending fatherhood broke, Callum Turner was all smiles on the Masters of the Air set as he received hugs and congratulations from the cast and crew.

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user13 He is overjoyed he is going to be the best Dad

fan12 it feels so good to see him so happy 😭

user93 do ya’ll think Barry and him crack Dad jokes on the set? LMAO

fan21 Sending him and his family all the love as they celebrate these fantastic news ❤️❤️

liked by user93 and 410 others

callumupdates Y/N spotted looking a bit sick at the market yesterday. Hope she is doing okay 🥺

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user21 she looks insanely gorgeous wdym sick

callumupdates she’s always gorgeous but you can’t deny she looks tired and pale i’m worried the attention could be getting to her i hope callum is taking good care of her and their baby.

fan12 She’s pregnant, leave her alone.

fan13 Some women get overly tired/sick while pregnant. It’s a big change for the body. We should do what they asked and respect their privacy during this time. Why would a pap be following her around in her state?

user09 i’m really worried guys

yourinstagram Guys, I promise I’m fine and Callum is the best support system I could have ever possibly asked for 💘 Some women thrive during pregnancy but it’s kicking my ass and having someone follow me around snapping pics when I don’t feel my best doesn’t help, however I’m still so so happy to be carrying our precious gift. Thank you all for the love and support.

liked by user10 and 911 others

callumfan HOW MANY TIMES DO WE HAVE TO SAY IT? Callum and Y/N already asked for privacy and Y/N has already stated she doesn’t feel her best/isn’t comfortable having people take pictures of her right now! Why is that so hard to respect?

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user19 this picture is heartbreaking. he’s glaring at the camera and it looks like she’s sinking into him trying to hide.

user11 she looks so tired and sad it sucks

fan13 don’t want no one complaining about callum being private because this right here is why he doesn’t share with us

liked by fan12 and 976 others

callumupdates Callum was not happy when he stopped for fans and they approached Y/N after he explicitly told them not to. She was in one of his sweaters and beanies and looked like she was trying to hide, according to a fan there. Callum stepped in and told the fans to step away from Y/N before the couple walked away.

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user23 Y/N is acting like she’s the first person to get pregnant she’s dramatic

fan13 she has stated she is happy to be carrying their child but the pregnancy is taking a toll on her body and mind which is why she’s always hiding/ looks tired. Not everyone has amazing pregnancies

keoghan92 It’s already annoying as is when you’re feeling like shit and people shove cameras in your face. Can’t imagine having to deal with it while also being pregnant. Cheers Y/N, may everyone start giving you the respect you deserve

liked by fan23 and 671 others

callumupdates New photo of Callum consoling Y/N last night after the restaurant they were at was swarmed - March 28

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fan23 he’s gonna pop off on someone and at this point he has every right

user12 I love them so much it hurts to see her he so sad!

fan19 alright who do I have to fight?

user10 there’s nothing Callum wouldn’t do for her 🥹

liked by austinbutler, oliviadejonge, and 416491 others

yourinstagram Little munchkin is wearing momma out 🫶🏻 Thank you to everyone for the concern, as I stated before it’s been a huge change for my body to adjust but I have never been happier. Callum, I love you and our baby to the moon and back forever. ♾️

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kaiagerber you’re unreal

lillyjames I know Mr. Turner is taking great care of you 😌

yourinstagram He’s the best and possibly more nervous/excited than me haha

yourfriendsinstagram LOVE YOU PEOPLE ♥️

anthonyboyle if I buy the pregnancy stimulator can we put it on these assholes saying shit online? You’re great Y/N!

yourinstagram LOL STOP IT!

liked by austinbutler, yourinstagram, and 98111 others

rafflaw Catch us outside if you wanna talk about @yourinstagram 👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻

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yourinstagram YOU GUYS ARE CRAZY 😂🫶🏻

keoghan92 where am I at? I’m leading the cause

anthonyboyle photoshop us in right now

tomhanks I want a piece of this too.

liked by yourinstagram and 918655 others

callumupdates Y/N and Callum on their babymoon in Cabo. Friends and family in attendance are: their mothers, Barry Keoghan, Sabrina Carpenter, Austin Butler and his girlfriend, Lilly James, Sophie Turner, Daisy Lowe, and Nick Grimshaw.

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fan19 they are so loved 🥰 as they should be tbh

user23 I’m so happy they have a strong support system

fan24 it feels so good to see Y/N smile again

yourinstagram honestly it’s been a wild ride but Callum’s been my biggest blessing through it all 🫶🏻♾️

Hope you all enjoy, this was a request <3 If anyone’s interested in part 2 let me know because I have loads of baby pics I can use lmao & as always feel free to pop in and talk to me about Callum, Austin, Elvis, or Harry if your heart desires 💘

[melrodrigo]

When The Night Falls - W.A.

Wednesday Addams x Fem!Reader

Summary: Wednesday isn’t soft. But when it comes to a certain someone…

Warnings: Angsty fluffy crap mixed together, mentions of cheating

Word Count: 1.1k

A/N: HA! You guys thought I would do something from the poll? I’m an uncontrollable creature. Also, this is semi inspired by ‘reckless’ by madison beer.

Wednesday Addams was not soft. In fact, that was the last word she would ever use to describe herself.

But today, when she had swung open her door, ready to give whoever woke her up at 2 a.m. hell; she was surprised to find out she felt a little bad after seeing your crying figure.

“Wednesday?” You sniffle, swiping at your eyes desperately in an attempt to look somewhat presentable.

The raven-haired girl stares at you blankly, refusing to give away any of the emotions she was feeling.

Eyes all red and puffy, nose tinted pink; she hated to admit it, you look cute.

The thing was, for the past few weeks, Wednesday’s been feeling weird around you.

At first, she thought that maybe you were using your powers to cast a poisonous spell on her. But on further inspection, she realized you were casting a spell on her, just a very different one from what she expected.

It’s a peculiar feeling, having feelings for someone.

She doesn’t think she’s ever really experienced all that “crush” or “love at first sight” nonsense Enid keeps gushing about.

But right now, with you standing in front of her, she thinks she finally feels those funeral flowers budding all throughout her chest, wrapping itself tight around her heart.

“Do you mind if I come in?” You ask timidly.

Wednesday steps back without a second thought, still staring hard as you walk in. She’s suddenly struck with the realization that you came to her first, out of everyone in the whole school, even her bubbly roommate. It makes her heart sing.

You and Enid had a thing going on. The whole school knew that. You weren’t exactly together, but the look on your face when you talked about Enid was enough for Wednesday to keep her mouth shut about her feelings.

But she came to me, Wednesday thinks.

She walks towards you, tapping you softly on the shoulder.

You whirl, and immediately throw yourself at her, letting your whole body engulf hers.

You hear Wednesday let out a quiet gasp and it makes you giggle a little.

You know she’s not uncomfortable, and you know the tap was an invitation or at least an allowance for you to touch her. You have a bit of a reputation for being the only person Wednesday was willing to let hug her, apart from Enid.

Days spent with Enid usually meant days spent with Wednesday, and by now, you were fluent in the language of her.

“What happened so suddenly that you felt the need to wake me in the middle of the night?” She finally asks, failing to sound sympathetic.

She doesn’t expect it to sound mean, and you know that, so you pay her tone no mind.

“I found Enid w-with Ajax.” You tell her, voice cracking at the end of your sentence, tears welling at the corners of your eye.

Wednesday wasn’t an idiot. She knows what “finding them together” means, and despite all her fondness for the young blonde, she can’t help the anger that stirs in her immediately.

Here you were, crying and troubled over her stupid roommate (crying very prettily might she add), and what, Enid was with Ajax? Of all people?

“I’m sorry to hear that, Y/N. I know how much you adored Enid.” She murmurs, ignoring the instant tugging in her heart at the sight of you wide-eyed and looking up at her.

To her surprise, you giggle a little, and it sends shockwaves through your and her own body.

You reach up gingerly, pausing long enough for Wednesday to refuse your touch if she wants to, but the goth girl stays quiet, and so you brush away some of the bangs that are covering her face.

“It’s okay.” You whisper, staring at her eyes and then her lips. “To be honest with you, that’s not even the whole reason I was crying.”

“Why were you crying then?” She inquires, and you notice her hands flexing at her side.

“I think…I might like someone else. And I was kind of upset, because- I thought Enid really liked me. But I guess not, so it all works out doesn’t it?” You laugh dryly.

Wednesday’s eyes widen at your confession, suddenly feeling squirmish underneath your gaze. Her whole body freezes, and her mouth feels dry.

It would work out if I was your partner, she thinks.

“Relax, Wends.” You murmur, placing your head back down to her chest. Your words seem to calm her down a little.

“It’s funny, I don’t like her anymore, but when she gets with someone else, I get sad. How messed up of me is that?” You tilt your head up, watching Wednesday gulp once before speaking.

“It is a stupid thing to feel.” Is what she answers, racking her brain to think of something better to say.

You hum, and everything goes quiet for a while. You feel safe, in Wednesday’s arms, in her bed, and you don’t care if Enid comes back to the dorm and sees this.

Before you know it, you’re drifting off into some walmart heaven- the smell of Wednesday encompassing you and the softness of her skin pressing against you.

“YN?” She whispers, stirring you from your so-close-to-sleep state.

You hum in question.

“Now that you aren’t interested in Enid, are you interested in anyone?” She asks, trying her best to not sound too interested in what you have to say.

You smile soft, the drowsiness making your critical thinking skills all mushy.

“Yeah, I told you that already.” You tell her and promptly snuggle yourself further into the girl.

When Wednesday finally gathers up the courage to ask you who it is, you’re fast asleep, snoring quietly on her.

-

The next morning, when you wake up alone, feeling the most well-rested you’ve felt in a long time, you barely notice the dark colors of the bedsheets.

It takes you a minute, but you prop yourself up on your elbow, trying to figure out where the hell you are.

But as the events of the night prior come back to you, you find yourself grinning.

“Stop smiling like that. You look weird.” Wednesday quips, and your eyes dart to where she is, hunched over by her typewriter. There’s a glint in her eye that tells you she’s joking.

You flash her another toothy grin, surprised when she sends you a tiny smile back. And then, as if she’s just gotten shy, she turns back to her typewriter and ignores your teasing remarks.

You sigh dramatically and flop back onto her bed.

“I’m gonna sleep here from now on!” You announce.

You take her silence as a quiet acceptance.

[mischievouslittlecreature]

Part 26: Do You Love Me

Summary: Tommy and Lucy meet a man dangerous enough to frighten them both, and Lizzie reaches a breaking point.

Word Count: 6,543

Warnings: Smut, polyamory, chronic pain, references to violence, past torture, and past sexual assault.

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Chapter 2: Selfish

“Lizzie is going to be mad about that for a good long while,” Lucy commented, one hand stuffed into her trousers pocket while the other flicked ash from her cigarette down onto the cobblestones. Her eyes swiveled around, taking in the ash, flames, and glowing embers being emitted into the air by the nearby factories. All around them was the bustle of men and women going about their business, children with dirtied faces and knees marked up with scrapes and soot racing through the streets together. She dropped a few shillings into the cup of a young girl who wandered past them. 

The train station that they were headed to wasn’t particularly far, and it was good for the people to see Tommy out amongst them, walking to work and taking the train like any other ordinary working man. So when they could, they made the trek to the train on foot. 

She didn’t mind. It was nice to get out into the familiar smoky air, settled like a black cloud over most of Birmingham. Despite everything, it still felt like it was where she most belonged. In the dirt and flames of hell. 

Though it did mean that they had to keep a professional distance from each other. No hand holding or letting their sides brush and bump. They couldn’t risk looking suspiciously close. Not even in Tommy’s own kingdom of Small Heath.

“Yeah,” Tommy sighed heavily. “But what else is fucking new?”

She cast him a regretful look. “I’m sorry.”

“What? Why? You didn’t even do anything.”

“It always feels like I’m the root cause of most of her anger towards you.”

“No; you’re not.” She felt him casting her a worried look. “It’s not your fault.”

She didn’t tell him that she didn’t believe that. It would only upset him. And he didn’t need to be worrying about her feelings on top of everything else already on his plate.  

“She’s mad because you tell me things that you don’t tell her.”

“Which isn’t fucking new. That’s always how things have been. If she’s only realizing that now…”

“I think she’s more upset about it being thrown in her face than anything else.”

He shook his head, teeth grinding together. “I’m going to cuff Finn the next time I see him. Jesus Christ.”

“Arthur’s right about him needing educating. The kid can’t keep his mouth shut to save his life.” As she spoke, she rolled her right shoulder back and forth, trying to ease the twinge that had settled in it. Tommy huffed. 

“Yeah. I’ll put him in charge of running the football betting at the shop. Give him something productive to do.”

“Have Isiah keep an eye on him. They’re friends, and he’ll make sure he doesn’t do anything too stupid.”

Tommy nodded. They caught the train just before it left the station, slipping into an empty compartment and closing the door, drawing down the blind that covered the window on the door, hiding them from any curious eyes that may have tried to peek in from the narrow hallway.

“May called earlier. She said that she was at a party that a couple other MPs were attending recently. One of them was asking about you,” Lucy settled into her seat, the train whistling shrilly before starting to move, steadily picking up speed as it pulled out from the station. 

“Oh?”

“Oswald Mosley. He’s the MP for Smethwick. Also the Minister of the Duchy of Lancaster,” she fiddled with her rings, twisting them anxiously around her fingers. “May had…a lot of bad things to say about him.” Another throb of pain rocketed from the bottom of her shoulder blades up to the base of her neck, and she had to fight back a flinch. Fucking Luca. Dead and long gone, and yet still haunting her through the aches and pains that the torture he had put through had left. 

Just like Matthew, her former fiancé and the man who instigated the gang rape that left her nearly dead and fleeing to Small Heath to escape marrying him. He too lingered with her still–despite his deceased status–through the scars he and his friends had left all over her body.

I’m part of you forever, now, his and Luca’s voices, mingled into one, whispered inside her head where they now lived. 

“Lucy?” Tommy’s voice pulled her from her thoughts, his hand lightly touching her arm. She jumped a little, jerking back to life, eyes wide when they met his. “You alright?”

“Y-yeah. Sorry. Just thinking. What did you say?”

His eyes narrowed a fraction, and she was pretty sure that he sensed the slight waver in her voice that she attempted to cover up. But he must have decided not to comment on it if he did. 

“What does Mosley want with me?” He instead repeated patiently. 

“He didn’t exactly say. But May said that he was asking an awful lot about your moral standings on things. She thought that he might’ve been trying to feel out if you would be amiable to joining the new party he’s rumored to be building.”

“The fascists, you mean?”

“Yeah.” They had been sprouting up everywhere it seemed, lately. Germany. Italy. Even in England. It was spooky. “I could do some more research into him, if you think that it would be worth it.”

Tommy considered for a moment, blue eyes glancing out the window to observe the countryside they were whizzing by. “Yes, you do that. He’s gathering information about me, it would only be fair to return the favor.”

She nodded, a hand unconsciously going up to grasp at her still aching shoulder, trying to rub away some of the pain. But she never could seem to get the right angle…

“Are your shoulders bothering you?”

She looked up to find Tommy still watching her, observant eyes zoned in on where her fingers were subtly kneading. With a sigh, she dropped her hand, rolling the aching bone and muscle back and forth with a wince. There was no use trying to lie to him. 

“A little.” 

His head cocked, pushing up with his hands off the seat he was slumped in across from her to instead settle in the space next to her. “Here.”

“Tommy…!” she immediately started to protest, eyes going panickedly to the blinds covering the window of the door leading into their compartment. 

“Don’t worry. No one will see with the blinds closed. And we’re just passing country right now,” he nodded towards the window, which sure enough was only displaying green fields and farmland. “Let me help. If you don’t do anything for them, they’ll be killing you by this evening.”

Spoken from true experience. He’d seen her when the pain got really bad, leaving her unable to sleep or do anything other than cry and writhe, as if trying to get away from the pains wracking through nearly her entire upper back. 

Slumping in defeat, she nodded, turning to angle herself with her back facing him. His large hands found her shoulders, so big they nearly swallowed the entire expanse of each one in his palms–or maybe she was just that tiny. A small sigh of relief left her lips when he began rubbing gentle but firm circles into her skin, just like how the doctor had instructed him to when explaining ways to help reduce her pain. Slowly, he started to urge the tensed up muscles to relax enough to give her some relief. 

“Did you not do your stretches yesterday?” he asked. Lucy shook her head. 

“Forgot.”

She was supposed to do them everyday, to avoid things like this happening so frequently. But in all the chaos yesterday, they’d completely slipped her mind. And sleeping on the hard earth with nothing but Tommy to use as a pillow probably hadn’t helped things.  

“Hm. Sorry; I should’ve reminded you.”

“Not your fault.”

He pressed his fingers a little harder into her skin. “How’s that feeling?”

“Better.”

He hummed, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Just try to relax.”

“Pot meet kettle.”

“You want me to stop?”

“...No.”

He chuckled, the first real laugh she’d heard from him since before yesterday, and rested his cheek against her hair while his hands continued to work. Lucy allowed herself to melt a little under his touch, for a moment not worrying about them getting caught together, or about Lizzie, or Michael, or the company. She was able to just rest. Even if only for a moment. All the while Tommy gently rubbed the pain from her body.

∗ ∗ ∗  

She so did love to watch Tommy speak in the house. 

He stood there, amidst the smoke emitting from cigarettes and pipes, glasses perched on his nose, notes held in his hand, his voice ringing out, deep and rumbling. Pretty, eloquent words. He had them all in the palm of his hand and he knew it, the men seated in the benches around him, and those in the observation area with her all clinging to his every word. And when he was finished, those on his side of the room cheered and rapped their hands approvingly against the wood of their benches, the entire room thundering with the sound. 

Lucy couldn’t help but think that the room looked like a theater. 

Who were they performing for? Themselves? Each other? The people in the observation booths? All of them at once? It was hard to say. 

She spotted him seated to Tommy’s right–her left. In the row below Tommy’s, the third man in from the aisle. His dark hair was slicked back, the mustache that decorated his upper lip meticulously groomed. One side of his lips pulled up at something Tommy said, his eyes gleaming. Lucy felt a shiver go down her spine. Humor may have been what was intended to cross his face, but those eyes of his were dead. No emotion to be found in them at all. They remained focused straight ahead as Tommy spoke, except for one specific, notable moment, when they flickered towards the observational benches where she, along with some secretaries, journalists, and other observers, sat to watch the men speak. Lucy swore that for a second their eyes met, before she hastily looked away from him and back to Tommy. Her skin crawled, the fine, fair hairs on the back of her arms standing up straight. Her very insides seemed to recoil, every instinct within her screaming to get up and run as far away from that man as she could possibly get. 

She kept her eyes glued firmly at Tommy for the reminder of the time spent in the house, despite originally going there specifically to observe Mosley.

She felt that she’d gotten all the information that she needed to about what kind of person he was from just that quick glance alone. 

Soon as they were done, she stood, gathering up her notes, tucking them securely in the crook of her arm and making for the exit where she would meet Tommy out in the hall. 

“How did I do?” he asked, once he found her standing at the usual spot where she always waited for him. Lucy caught herself wishing desperately that she could have pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“Splendid as always, love.”

He looked away, lips twitching up slightly, clearing his throat bashfully. “Come on.”

Lucy smiled a little to herself at the reaction, falling into step beside him, heading in the direction of their office.  

“Did you get what you needed?” he asked, as they walked.

“Sort of.”

His brow raised. “Sort of?” he quoted back to her.

“I don’t like looking at him,” she explained in a lowered voice. “He makes my skin crawl.”

“Mm.” Tommy hummed in agreement. 

“Lord Suckerby’s secretary said you’re welcome to come by anytime between now and the end of the day to see him,” she told him just as they were interrupted by a voice calling his name from one of the open doors they passed.

They stopped, turned, and were met face to face with Oswald Mosley, a barbed smile sliding into place across his features as those empty eyes bored into Tommy. Lucy’s skin roiled in response to his posh, clipped voice when he spoke, introducing himself and holding out a hand for Tommy to shake. His sly smile never once ceased, eyes never leaving Tommy’s as he took his hand and shook it firmly. 

“Let me just say, you’ve come to my attention,” the words were spoken in a croon, with the smallest of head tilts. Lucy couldn’t fully decide if the intended effect was supposed to be predatory, or seductive. 

Before Tommy could reply. Mosley’s eyes had snapped, sharp and quick, like a snake striking, to fix on Lucy. She had to fight back the urge to hide behind her lover’s back. The expression on Mosley’s face turned wolfish. 

“Well, aren’t you a pretty little thing?” She felt Tommy tense beside her at Mosley’s words. “Oswald Mosley,” he extended his hand towards her. Lucy felt ill at the thought of touching him, but forced herself to reach out and take his hand. It was cold as ice and dry as a bone.

“Lucy Winters,” she introduced herself, shaking Mosley’s hand once before letting it go, pushing away the urge to wipe her palm on her trousers. “I’m Mr. Shelby’s assistant.” 

Mosley’s eyes darted between them, one eyebrow quirking upwards, a smirk settling on his lips. “Hm. Lucky you, Mr. Shelby.” 

“If you’ll excuse us, Mr. Mosley, we have to get going.”

“Yes, yes, of course. But if you aren’t too busy, I would love the opportunity to speak with you more. Perhaps over drinks?”

Tommy considered. “You can call my office,” was all he ultimately said, hastily turning on his heel and starting down the hall again. Lucy hurried after him, not wanting to be left alone with Mosley. 

“You’re really going to meet with him?” she asked, once they were far enough away to be out of ear shot. 

“Just to hear what he has to say.” He looked over at her. “Don’t worry, I’m not sympathetic to his cause. But keep your enemies closer, eh?”

“Yeah.” She looked over her shoulder, half expecting Mosley to appear spontaneously behind them. “He scares me a little, Tommy.” Her voice was a rough whisper, half ashamed at the omission. 

“Me too.”

That got her attention, and when she looked at Tommy, she noticed something almost unsteady under the guarded armor he kept carefully in place across his eyes. Fear squeezed at her throat. 

A man who was bad enough to make Tommy so frightened was something she hadn’t even thought existed.

“You head on back to the office,” he said, changing the subject with a small clearing of his throat. “I think I’ll go see Lord Suckerby now.”

“You don’t want me to come with you?” He shook his head. “I think it’ll make a stronger impression if I go see him alone.”

“You think he’ll give you any trouble?”

“Maybe. Depends on how hard he was hit by the crash.”

She frowned. She hadn’t really thought about that. Though she probably should have. “Everyone was hit by the crash.”

“Yeah.”

“If Suckerby can’t pay us…”

“He will. I’m not giving him any other choice.”

She pressed her lips together in a small smile. “I’d like first crack at him, if it comes to it.”

Tommy shot her an amused look. “Oh, is that so?”

“After seeing those photos that he wanted us to get for him, there are a couple of things I’d very much like to do to him.”

During the train ride to London she had flipped through the small package of photographs, letters, and cheques that Isiah had handed off to her while they were in Birmingham. Everything he and Aberama had collected from the man they killed in Chinatown who had been using the contents of that package to blackmail Suckerby. Her stomach had roiled at the contents of some of them, bile rising.

Lord Suckerby was one disgusting man. Maybe after he paid them, an unfortunate accident could befall him. Like falling out a window or getting run over by a bus.  

Based on the thunderous, repulsed look that had crossed Tommy’s features when she showed him the photographs, Lucy thought he may very well be open to the idea. The envelope was now stashed safely in the inner pocket of her suit jacket, snug against her side. It would remain there until Suckerby paid what he owed them for their services.

“Alright,” Tommy said, eyes still dancing with fond, quiet mirth. “He doesn’t corporate, he’s all yours.”

She beamed, only just managing to restrain herself from throwing her arms around his neck, stretching up on toes, and planting a firm kiss to his temple that would have left his fair skin stained with red smudges from her lipstick. “Thank you, Tommy,” she said instead, adding what she hoped came across as a playful, affectionate lilt to her voice. He glanced over at her, one edge of his lips nudging upwards, eyes softening. 

They came to a hallway splitting off into two separate directions. This was where they parted ways. Her, turning left to head to their office, him, heading right, towards where Lord Suckerby’s offices were located. 

“I’ll see you soon?”

He nodded. “This won’t take long.”

“I’ll phone his office when I get in and let them know you’re coming. So they’ll be expecting you.”

“Right.”

“And then you have a few more meetings this afternoon.”

“Mm.” He lowered his voice. “I thought that we’d stay at the apartment for the night, rather than go back to Arrow House.”

“That probably would be a good idea. It’d give Lizzie some time to cool down.”

“Exactly.” 

She nodded, moving to head in the direction leading to their office. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.”

She walked backwards a few paces, fondly watching his broad back disappear around the corner before turning and making her way the rest of the short walk back to the little corner of Parliament that they presided over. 

∗ ∗ ∗

She had not been back in the office long when Tommy returned, heavy footed steps booming against the floor and swiping his fringe from his eyes. 

“How did it go?” Lucy asked, looking up from her desk.

“By the time I left the room, he was screaming my name,” he thumbed a cigarette from his silver case. Lucy raised an eyebrow.

“Is that a euphemism?”

Tommy snorted, plucking out a second cigarette to hand to her. “He only had twenty thousand to give to us.”

“Really?” That wasn’t even half of the fifty thousand pounds they’d agreed upon. She placed her cigarette between her lips and leaned forward towards the flame of his lighter when he held it up for her. “Does that mean I get to play with him now?”

Tommy chuckled, raising the lighter to his own cigarette before closing it with a click. “Easy, girl. I gave him until Monday to get us the full amount.”  

She pouted a little, leaning back into her chair. “You’re going soft, Shelby.”  

“No,” Tommy’s eyes danced amusedly. He reached out, brushing his thumb down her cheek. It was a risky move, since anyone could walk through the door at any moment, but she didn’t pull her face away from the tender touch. “I just want my fifty thousand pounds.”

“Mm. Whatever you say, love.”

His thumb inched into dangerous territory, ghosting over her bottom lip. She aimed a playful nip at it, and he drew his hand back with a grin. 

“Cheeky mare.”

Lucy smiled at him, batting her eyelashes innocently in an ‘I’m-very-sure-I-don’t-know-what-you-mean’ kind of way. Though remnants of his smile lingered on his face and his eyes remained softened fondly, Tommy’s expression turned serious again.  

“Hey, make that research into Mosley top priority, yeah? I wanna be ready when I next see him.”

“Yes, boss.” She gave him a little two finger salute. The corner of his lips kicked up again.

“Thank you.” 

She watched him head through the double doors into his office, leaving them open behind him, a silent invitation for her to come keep him company if she wanted. Gathering up some of her papers, she rose from her chair to follow him. 

It was, after all, an invitation that she never passed up. 

∗ ∗ ∗  

It was dark by the time they started to pack up to leave for the day. Tommy had one final appointment, but Lucy figured she would get a head start on closing the office up while he spoke with the journalist from the London Times. She eyed Michael Levitt as Adam–Tommy’s other secretary at Westminster–led him into Tommy’s office, noting the nervous way that the journalist  kept fidgeting with his hat while he waited. A moment later, Adam came back out, casting an anxious look over his shoulder to where Levitt had taken a seat in front of Tommy’s desk. 

“Mr. Shelby said I was to go home,” he came over to her desk, keeping his voice lowered. She nodded.

“Then go home. I’ll take care of locking everything up.”

“Right.” 

She watched him gather up his things and head for the door, one ear focused on trying to overhear the mumbled voices of Tommy and Levitt. “See you tomorrow,” she told Adam.

“Goodnight,” he nodded. Soon as he was gone, she stood smoothly, snatching up the little journal perched on the corner of her desk and going to Tommy’s office. He had left the doors open, so she was able to slip in without so much as a sound, footsteps muffled against the rugs lining the floor. 

Levitt was visibly sweating, stuttering over his words. Lucy raised an eyebrow, going to where Tommy’s coat was hung up to his right behind his desk. She slipped the journal into the pocket, giving it a tap twice, watching out of the corner of her eye how Tommy’s gaze followed her. He gave a barely indiscernible nod in acknowledgement, and she spun on her heel and left the room, letting her eyes meet the timid Levitt’s for a second before turning her head away. 

She flitted around her and Adam’s office, putting things away and locking them up for safe keeping, even doing some tidying. The whole time, she listened closely to the words being murmured between Tommy and the journalist. At one point, not long before Levitt rushed from the room, she heard Tommy quoting directly from some of the notes she had written in the little journal during her time spent researching Levitt and his activities. 

Soon as he was gone, she locked the door behind him and went back to Tommy’s office. 

“I take it that could have gone better?” she moved to stand on his side of the desk, arms folded over her chest and back leaning against the hard wooden edge. Her head cocked as she watched him rub at his eyes. 

“He was asking about Campbell and Polly.”

“I heard. You want him to be taken care of?”

Tommy wetted his lips, considering. “Yes,” he decided. “Last thing we need is a reporter sniffing around.”

“Yeah. He doesn’t seem like the type that we could just pay off. I’ll have some of our boys handle it at his apartment in Maida Vale. Quick and clean.” 

“Have them do it with enough flourish that it’ll make other journalists nervous. To dissuade anyone else from trying anything for a while.”

“But not easily linked to us, right?”

“Right. And let’s just keep it between you and me. Last thing I need is more temper tantrums over my not sharing information.”

“Okay.”

Tommy leaned back in his chair, reaching out to smooth his hand up and down her thigh. “Thank you.”

“Of course.”

His arms looped around her, and she laughed quietly when he pulled her closer, his head tipping back to stare up at her, blue eyes wide and mischievous. 

“Adam went home?”

“Yes.”

“Hm…so it’s just us, then?”

Her fingers smoothed through his dark hair, fighting back a smirk. “Yes, it’s just us.”

With a purring sound from low in the back of his throat, he took hold of her hips and pulled her closer. 

“Tommy!” She laughed as he maneuvered her into his lap, as if this was not something they had done dozens of times before. As if she had not let him fuck her on top of his big desk the very first day they spent in the new office, her face burying in his shoulder with her teeth sinking into the thick fabric of his suit jacket to try to keep herself quiet while his cock pounded into her. 

He pushed open her suit jacket, popping free the first two buttons on her shirt and dipping his head to press his lips to the newly exposed skin. Wriggling in his lap, Lucy hissed at the feeling of his cock already hardening in his trousers, the material bulging against her. 

Tangling her hands in his hair, she tipped his head back enough to kiss him, moaning softly as his hands smoothed up her thighs, urging her to rock against him and fumbling with her belt. It was late, most people working in the building would have already gone home for the evening. But they still needed to be quiet. 

“Mm, did you lock the door?” Tommy asked in a low, rough murmur that went straight to her cunt, walls fluttering around nothing. The things he could do to her with just his voice alone were downright sinful. 

“Yes.”

He made a noise of approval that turned her legs to jelly. “Good,” he lifted her from his lap for a microsecond to slip her loosened trousers and knickers down, hand burning hot where it slid up her exposed thigh. “Always such a good girl for me.”

“A-ah…” her head lolled back, eyes rolling both at the praise and the first brush of his thick fingers across her entrance, circling lazily around her clit. 

“Gotta keep quiet, now,” he continued to mumble in her ear, breath warm where it fanned against her cheek. “Can you do that for me?”

She nodded vigorously. That was all she wanted; to be good for him. To make him happy. 

Turning his head, Tommy pressed a kiss to her temple and gingerly slipped one finger into her while his thumb occupied itself with rolling over her clit. He kept his movements careful and slow until he got her more warmed up, waiting until slickness coated his hand generously before adding a second finger and increasing the pace of his pumps. 

“There you go,” he hummed when he felt her start to flutter around him. “There you go, that’s a good girl…”

“Tom…” she whimpered, biting her lip to try to keep herself quiet, not wanting to disappoint him by letting any sounds slip out to be heard beyond this room.

“I know,” he soothed. “That’s my girl. Bite down on my shoulder if you need to.”

She did just that, nosing the material of his clothing aside to taste his bare skin between her lips. Tommy groaned, low and quiet but impossibly deep, at the first sting of her teeth against him. Her walls tightened, moments away from bursting. His fingers curled within her, pressing right into the spot that made her see stars.  

“Let go,” he ordered in a sweet whisper aimed directly into her ear, and she bit down hard to try to hinder what would have been an incredibly loud moan as her orgasm wrecked through her like a firecracker, bright lights exploding behind her eyes, entire body shuddering with it, pressing close to him instinctively.  

Tommy guided her through it, slowly coaxing her down from her high until she slumped against him.

“Good. Very good, sweetheart.”

She made a happy little noise at the praise, snuggling closer to his neck, nuzzling at the bitemark she’d left on him. Tommy stroked the back of her head, kissing her hair. Sneakily, she snaked a hand down between their bodies to palm the bulge in his trousers, and it was his turn to try to stifle his noises of pleasure, teeth locking down tight around the groan rising from his throat. 

Arms wrapping around her, he lifted her seemingly effortlessly off of his lap, setting her down on the edge of his desk while he stood, hands dropping down to fumble with his trousers. Lucy felt her mouth water at the sight of his long, impossibly thick erection bobbing against his stomach after being released from its confines. Tommy gave himself a few good, languid strokes, jaw dropping open as his eyelashes fluttered, face inches from hers. Lucy spread her legs wider, encouraging him in between them. Her hands grabbed at handfuls of his suit jacket while he lined himself up, sliding in with one deep thrust. 

“Oh,” Tommy rested his cheek against hers, hands flexing where they landed on her hip and thigh. 

“Quiet, remember?” she teased slightly, trailing her fingertips through his hair. He shivered, letting out a breathless chuckle followed by a kiss to her cheek. Burying his face in her neck, hands bracing on her body, he started to move. She could tell that he was trying to start out slow and give her time to adjust to his considerable size, but all it took was her purposefully squeezing around his cock and wrapping her legs around his waist, and his efforts went up in smoke. 

He bucked into her like a man possessed, low grunts muffled against her throat, a few trinkets rattling on the desk from the force of his thrusts. Lucy tucked her face back in against his shoulder, biting down hard on her bottom lip to try to contain her whimpers and moans as his swollen tip rubbed right up against her g-spot with each roll of his hips. 

“Shit. Squeezing me so tight, love,” Tommy rasped out, hand slipping between their bodies to rub at her clit. “Give me another one, yeah? I know you can, sweetheart.”

“Mm…” Her back arched, pressing her clothed breasts into his chest. Her legs tightened around him, and her jaw clenched with the effort it was taking for her not to let the volume of her noises get too high. His cock twitched and throbbed inside her, in the way that she knew meant his orgasm was imminent. The pleasure built like steam rising in a kettle, tension mounting until she felt moments away from bursting. Her walls spasmed uncontrollably around him, as if wanting to keep him locked in place within her for all eternity. Tommy hitched her thigh up a little higher on his hip, allowing his cock to get just that much deeper into her, and applied more pressure to her clit with his thumb. 

She came at the same moment that she managed to grab his face and bring his mouth crashing down onto hers, each of them swallowing what would have been massive moans as they both came fantastically. Her walls clamped down around him, insides fluttering with the force with which she came. Tommy’s chest vibrated under her palms with his growl as he finished, grinding his tip in as deep as he could go while spurting jets of seed into her. 

Lucy released a blissful sigh, closing her eyes and riding out the waves of her climax while basking in the feeling of him spilling his load into her. 

Tommy slumped forwards against her, face nestling in the crook of her shoulder, lips pressing to her neck delicately whilst he relaxed. His arms wound around her in a warm embrace, a quiet purr leaving his chest when she stroked the back of his head. 

“We should go,” Lucy finally broke the silence that had stretched on between them. Tommy nodded, shifting to carefully pull out of her, tucking himself back into his trousers and straightening out his clothes. He plucked a handkerchief from his pocket for her to use to clean the mix of their releases from her thighs, then let her hold onto his shoulders when she hopped off the edge of the desk and regained her balance. 

“Have you got everything locked up?” he asked as she pulled her slacks back up.

“Yeah, just gotta grab a few things from my desk to take with us.”

“Good. I wanna get out of here.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Tommy Shelby eager to leave work? Is there a special occasion I’m not aware of?”

He rolled his eyes, giving her hip a light pinch. “No occasion.” He swiped a few locks of hair off of her forehead and cradled the back of her neck, a smile tugging on the edges of his lips while his eyes looked her up and down. There was something heated in them that made her thighs squeeze together. “Except that I’m not even close to done with you yet.”

∗ ∗ ∗ 

“You know, Frances, if there were to be a snap election in this house today, I wouldn’t win it. Even if I were running against the devil himself,” Tommy remarked to their housekeeper once they’d gotten home. Frances shot him a sympathetic look. 

“I’d still vote for you,” Lucy offered. Tommy gave her a peck on the cheek.

“Thanks, love.”

He went off to go talk to Charlie where he was sulking in the stables while Lucy ventured upstairs, wandering through the winding hallways until she heard the hum of Lizzie and Ruby’s voices. Coming to a halt in the doorway of Ruby’s room, she watched them where they were seated together in the rocking chair by the window, Ruby in Lizzie’s lap, head resting on her mother’s chest while Lizzie read to her from a book. 

“Hi, Lucy!” Ruby said when she spotted her. Lucy smiled.

“Hey, kiddo.”

“Is Daddy with you?”

“He’s down at the stables.”

She let out an excited squeal, jumping off Lizzie’s lap and racing for the door.

“Ruby, what have I told you about running in the house!?” Lizzie shouted after her, but the little girl was already long gone. Lizzie rolled her eyes fondly, shaking her head and closing the book. As Lucy watched her stand to put it away on a shelf, she noticed Ruby’s suitcase laid out on the bed, half filled with clothes. 

“Going somewhere?”

Lizzie sighed, glancing over at the suitcase, then back at Lucy. “I’m taking Ruby to Arthur’s.”

Lucy stared at her. “Why?”

Lizzie’s lips pulled back from her teeth. “Because, I realized this afternoon that I’d rather swallow horse shit than sit down and eat dinner with you and him.” She began to zip up Ruby’s luggage. “I need to get away. From both of you. At least for a while.”

“You could have phoned and we would’ve stayed at the apartment in London like we did last night if you really don’t want us here this weekend.”

“I don’t know if it’s going to be for just one weekend.”

Lucy straightened. “What do you mean?”

Lizzie didn't reply. 

“You cannot be serious. Now, Lizzie? You want to toy around with the idea of splitting up with your husband now? Of all fucking times?”

“He made me look like an idiot at the family meeting!” Lizzie burst out, head lifting and tears in her eyes. “Everyone else knew about the bloody hit in Chinatown except for me! I am his wife! I should be informed of these things first! Especially before you!” The way that she spat out that last word, so full of hate and disgust, made Lucy flinch.  

“For fuck’s sake, Lizzie! There’s a lot of shit here that you are more than justified in being unhappy about, but this? Really? This is where you draw the line?” A humorless laugh left her lips. “I hate to break it to you, but him not telling you things is a normal occurrence. Ada didn’t know about what was happening in Chinatown either.” 

Lizzie looked away, irritably picking up a stuffed animal off of Ruby’s bed. Lucy took a deep breath, and when she spoke again her voice was much calmer. 

“This is not worth throwing a bloody temper tantrum over, Lizzie.”

“I’m tired of being disrespected,” she lifted her head. “I’m his wife, and he needs to start treating him as such.”

Lucy groaned, raising her palms to her face, fighting back the urge to scream into them. “Just once, could you knock it off with the attitude?”

“Easy for you to say, when you always get everything that you want–”

“Oh, do I, now?” Lucy rounded on her. “You think that this,” she gestured vaguely, “is what I want? To have to share him with a woman who openly hates me?”

“I don’t hate you–”

But Lucy talked right over her. “To have to live with the constant worry that you might push me out or he might change his mind and throw me out on the street? That it could happen like that,” she snapped her fingers. “And I could lose everything? Do you think that I wanted to live with that dangling over my head at all hours of the day, Lizzie?” She met the taller woman’s stormy eyes levelly. “We’re all getting a shit deal out of this, so stop feeling so fucking sorry for yourself, and make the best of it,” she moved to the door. 

“You are so fucking selfish, you know that!?” Lizzie shrieked after her, finally fully exploding. “You sap up all his love for yourself and leave nothing for the rest of us! You don’t care that him spending time with you means he’s not here with his family! Those children,” she pointed towards the window that looked out to the stables, “deserve a father who prioritizes them over running after his fucking mistress.”

“Don’t you dare try to use the kids–”

“Well, somebody in this household has to advocate for them!”

“Don’t act like you aren’t just using them as a way to try to get what you want.”

Lizzie’s lips slammed into a thin line. “I’m going. And I’m taking Ruby with me.”

“But not Charlie?” Lucy challenged. 

“If I thought that I could take him without Tommy tearing me apart over it, I would,” Lizzie’s voice had suddenly grown very quiet. “I’d take the two of them far away from you both and never look back.”

Lucy shook her head, exhausted. “He’s not that bad, Lizzie. Compared to what he could be? He’s not that bad at all. He doesn’t hit you. He loves those kids…” she could see from the expression of stone on Lizzie’s face that none of her words would be able to reach her, and yet she tried anyway. “He’s got so much to deal with right now. Please don’t make it worse for him.”

Lizzie continued to just stare at her with a look of both extreme sorrow and loathing, and then she picked up Ruby’s suitcase and shouldered past her without another word.

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Thank you for reading! Please consider leaving a comment, reblog, or like. I always appreciate feedback and love getting the opportunity to interact with you and hear your thoughts!

[ryuichirou]

Aphrodisiac/womb tattoo HCs

So we had these two wonderful asks from two wonderful Anons…

Anonymous asked:

this is lowkey cursed and i’m sorry… but how would the twst boys act if they ingested an aphrodisiac??? like the sexy soup scene from danganrompa 2? (rip ortho lmao)

i love the content, thank you for doing these hcs for us all !!! :D 🖤🖤🖤

Anonymous asked:

I wanted to say that just like that other Anon the Idia womb tattoo comic lives rent free in my head. Any headcanons for how some other characters would react to having a womb tattoo/consequences of having one ;)

And I’ve been going back and forth thinking whether I should write these as two separate lists or not: despite these two technically being different prompts, the end result is somewhat similar… So I decided to combine them, but specify the possible changing elements as much as possible! I hope it’s okay with you.

I’ll also talk about both tops and bottoms because I have seen some djs in which the top gets the tattoo and it just manifests in an uncontrollable desire to impregnate someone lol And sexy soup doesn’t discriminate, so neither will we >:3

Thank you so much for your patience, your asks and for enjoying our stuff. Let’s dive in.

Riddle – he would be so helpless. If he knows for a fact that there is a culprit to this (i.e. Ace added something to his tea, or someone casted a spell that came out wrong), he’ll take their head off. Then he’ll try to fix himself with magic or some other potion, but he’ll just end up significantly enhancing the effect of the spell/potion somehow. He’ll try to go to infirmary next, but will collapse on the floor helpless and horny until someone picks him up… imagine trying to help out your strict and proper housewarden just to hear him whispering something uncharacteristically horny to your ear because his womb tattoo is so bright you can see it through his west/the aphrodisiac effect is so strong he is drooling.

Ace – his go-to would be to lock himself in their dorm room and start masturbating lol but it won’t help him because the aphrodisiac is strong/the womb tattoo won’t go away until he actually inseminates someone. In his perfect world this condition of his would be a secret, but he is loud af, so people will absolutely hear him yelling “why doesn’t it go away??” from the other room. Pray for any guy who walks on him trying to fix this thing himself: Ace is desperate, he doesn’t care who this is anymore…

Deuce – he’ll 100% try to isolate himself, and he’ll do a better job at keeping it a secret than Ace (completely terrified of the possibility of being made fun of)… at first. After he masturbates and touches himself down there 34 times (HOW MANY TIMES??), and realises that he just keeps teasing himself and feeling even worse, he’ll bite the bullet and go ask for help. He won’t go to Ace though, he’s more likely to ask a senpai if he knows how to fix this… maybe Trey. He is smart.

Trey – he’ll instantly figure out what this is, and pretty quickly realise that this is probably the result of some kitchen or lab accident… he’ll miraculously manage to conceal his boner for an entire day, trying to solve the mystery of how the fuck is he supposed to get rid of it if masturbating would only make it worse. Then he’ll begrudgingly accept the fact that he has to have sex for this to go away, start thinking about every possible “safe” candidate… and end up fucking Riddle, which is the least safe option out of all of them lol but he got way too horny by the end of the day.

Cater – he’ll lie about feeling unwell and hide in his room. Then he’ll try to google either the spell itself (he’ll only find doujins lol) or some ways to get rid of the aphrodisiac’s effect, but it wouldn’t help much because to do anything he would have to leave his bed. He’ll try sleeping it off, but then wake up in the middle of the night feeling worse than ever with his sheets completely wet and his dick hard and red. He’ll probably go out of his room and jump the first guy he sees, pushing him against the wall just so he doesn’t see who is touching him. He won’t remember much about it afterwards… was it a dream?

Leona – he doesn’t have time for this bullshit: the moment he notices something shiny under his belly button, he’ll know what to do. It is very humiliating, but you know what’s more humiliating? Suffering with this shit for an entire day. So he’ll just call Ruggie and demand for him to cum inside until the tattoo is “filled” and goes away. Or until he sweats off all the aphrodisiac juices…

Ruggie – to him it’s a huge bummer that messes with his plans a lot. He’ll try to power through this, but he won’t be able to. This is the first time in Ruggie’s life when he wants to have sex because of horniness and not because of the perks it would give him. He would start sniffing the other beastmen sneakily, thankfully, they wouldn’t expect anything shady from him… he’ll probably end up being saved by Leona though, who yoinked him at the very last moment before Ruggie tried to pounce on some huge dog guy. Being horny makes you stupid.

Jack – he’ll try very hard to tolerate and hide it, but he won’t be able to :( He’ll start pacing around, panting with his tongue out, drooling, sniffing everyone… not to mention, the bulge is huge and very obvious. Sometimes the tattoo would randomly get shinier and stronger, and Jack would barely hold back the urge to hump the closest thing next to him. At some point he’ll give up and go to the infirmary, but will see Deuce before he manages to. He’ll breed him for 4 hours.

Azul – he is way too proud to ask for help, he’ll hide in his room for an entire day and refuse to leave his desk lol it’s so obvious he is hiding something under the table. He’ll be so irritable for an entire day, he’ll snap at everyone to leave him alone and get back to work… He is very good with spells and potion, so he’ll also try to fix it himself, but will also make it significantly worse. His only option is to demand the Tweels to bring him Idia without explaining anything…

Floyd – he’ll try to fight it for like 30 minutes because he didn’t want to get a boner wtf. He has no shame, so he’ll show the tattoo to everyone and poke it a lot. But he’ll get tired of it pretty quickly; so while Azul and Jade were discussing what they could do to help Floyd out and whether they should collect his saliva to study the aphrodisiac, Floyd just went and fucked someone. What? He wanted to.

Jade – it's definitely an uncomfortable sensation and he’ll try to get rid of asap, but… maybe he could show it to Azul and politely ask for a day-off, just so Azul yells at him to go away and not come back until that thing is gone? Maybe he’ll do that. And then he’ll think about who he would like to fuck, since he has this perfect excuse of “oh I am sorry, I can’t quite control myself”. Who would be the most inconvenienced but would have the most interesting reactions? Much to think about on his day-off.

Kalim – come on now, is there any other possible scenario? Of course he’ll wake up with a fever and a huge boner, all sweaty and in agony, and Jamil will lose 10 years of his life worrying about someone poisoning Kalim. He’ll make him drink 30 antidotes, and none of them would work because this isn’t poison, it’s an aphrodisiac… or a womb tattoo, which isn’t much better. So of course he’ll end up jerking Kalim off, and then having sex with him because Kalim would get so clingy that it’ll become obvious that there is only one way to save his life. Jamil will believe that it was necessary to save Kalim’s life for his own sanity…

Jamil – did he catch it from Kalim?? Anyways, he is less likely to use Kalim for this lol And he’ll also figure out pretty quickly that neither potions nor spells would make him less horny. Despite not liking the scenario at all, he’ll start convincing himself that maybe if he uses snake whisper no one would ever know about what he did…and as he starts rationalising this, he’ll get hornier and hornier in anticipation. But Jamil wouldn’t be Jamil if things went as he planned, so he’ll end up stumbling upon Azul. In such state... Jamil has never felt like he was actively leaking before… is this the worst day of Jamil’s life? Or the best day of Azul’s?

Vil – see, in theory he wouldn’t have any problems at all: all he needs to do is to excuse himself, call for Rook and be done in 20 minutes, but Vil is just as unlucky as Jamil sometimes, so it will happen at the worst time possible. Was there something in his drink? Did someone curse him in a sneaky way? Anyways, being around a bunch of sweaty guys for an entire hour of PE in that state was horrible. He was hugging his stomach and trying to sit down as much as he could for this entire time, crossing his legs and feeling very hot in his clothes. At some point he felt like he undressed completely and made his state visible to everyone, but thankfully it was just a hallucination. That scared him so much that jumped Rook the moment he saw him after class.

Rook – now this is someone who will enjoy the feeling of eagerness and horniness lol He’ll get interested in how much his body could endure without stimulation at that state. He is used to waiting out until certain poisons effect wear off, but this one is special – it doesn’t, it only gets stronger! So yeah he did a very stupid thing by waiting out for 3 days because by the time it became impossible to tolerate, Rook became delirious. Whoever he’ll jump in this state will be in his bed for a day.

Epel – he would be so horribly embarrassed and wouldn’t want to tell, but he is way too obvious. He would wiggle on his chair, be restless, pant and moan quietly, grab his stomach randomly. He would also stare a lot, especially if this is during the Magift Practice. He would transform into a “head-empty bimbo” lol Now is he going to get loved by the entire Magift team or is Rook going to take him back to Pomefiore to look into what’s wrong with him? Who knows.

Idia – we already know what would happen to him lol I’ll just add that he is probably going to try out having sex with Ortho first, but since Ortho’s seed doesn’t fill the “tank” that is Idia’s womb tattoo, he’ll just fuck his brother in vain. At least he enjoyed it, right?~

Ortho – human!Ortho that is (sorry, Danganronpa references…). Honestly, I feel like he’ll just cling to Idia instantly lol He won’t even consider an option of trying out any other remedy. If he feels himself burning with desire down there, he’ll just jump Idia and act all cutely, maybe even whine a little about how Idia is the only one who can help him. But despite being all cute and whiny, he’ll say pretty cursed stuff about producing offsprings with his niichan while fucking him. Afterwards he just shrugs and says that he doesn’t remember saying that but… Idia would be so shocked though: he didn’t know so much cum could fit into his body. He is terrified to look down.

Lilia – he would sigh and say that he is he too old for this, and that he haven’t felt like that in 300 years. He is not as strongly affected as he would if he was a bit younger, but the spell still won’t go away until he does anything to it. So he’ll just fly to his boys, pull up his shirt and playfully ask about who is in the mood to help him out; visually he would be completely unfazed, even if his dick would bulge in an obscene manner. Then again, he might also try showing it to Idia first because they had a conversation about this thing one time, and Idia thought that Lilia was joking when he said that he had experienced the tattoo before…

Silver – he’ll try to tolerate it. This isn’t the first time he has to tolerate the feeling of horniness, even though it usually isn’t this extreme + the tattoo is troubling. If it doesn’t go away by the end of the day (and it won’t), he’s likely show it to Lilia, but even before Lilia says something about the tattoo, Silver’s body would react to him just being in the same room. Silver will drop his head on Lilia’s shoulder and moan quietly, shaking a lot. This would surprise Lilia, but it’s all good, he’ll help out~

Sebek – he’ll also try to tolerate it because he is another “If I keep ignoring it maybe it will go away” type. He can’t talk to anyone about this, he can’t be seen like this! But he is absolutely going to: the boy is way too obvious. Similarly to Jack, he’ll get very red and start panting, almost crawling instead of walking. Is he hiding his boner or is his body not listening to him anymore? Your guess is as good as mine. But he will be as helpless as he would be dangerous because it will take only about 40 minutes of trying to endure this for him to start jumping on people.

Malleus – now this one is trouble; technically he is the only person in NRC that is powerful enough to neutralise the womb tattoo all by himself + his dragon blood would probably filter out the aphrodisiac very quickly if he wanted to, but… would he want it? He’ll think about it for a couple of hours while wandering around abandoned buildings, and then the heat and pain would get too annoying, but the thought of responding to and fulfilling this growing desire would start sounding kind of good in his head. Whether it’s Lilia or Sebek, whoever he sees first, would have the absolute honour of making sure Malleus’ body is satisfied. Pray for both of them because Malleus’ demands are insane: for the aphrodisiac to dissipate or the womb tattoo to be filled, it would take him 5 times the time that is usually necessary. He could even prolong it if he enjoyed it too much and didn’t want it to end. Technically. Not saying he is going to.

[gavitaffy]

Goals of the heart

Chapter: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

A/N: Heyy guys! I'm "back" after what..?😀 Since July and it's December rn, but I just started my last year at school, and I've decided to become a "IT student" so I gotta work my ass off rn. I've had 6 midterms in the course of 2 weeks... BUT I will start a little series called "Goals of the Heart", I'll try to post everyday of this series.

Paring: Pablo Gavi & f!reader

Summary: Y/N, an artist sketching in Barcelona, has her painting ruined when a stray football crashes into her easel. The culprit, a young man named Pablo Gavi, apologizes profusely and buys her new art supplies to make up for it. She later learns he's a famous footballer for Barcelona but brushes it off, treating him as just "the guy who ruined her painting." Gavi, intrigued by her indifference, offers to take her for coffee, hinting at the start of a surprising connection between them.

Warnings: none

Word count: 1,1k (i'm proud🥲)

Chapter 1: A Chance Encounter

The warm afternoon sun filtered through the narrow streets of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, casting golden light over centuries-old buildings. Y/N sat on a small stool in a quiet corner, her easel propped up in front of her. She had spent the past hour working on a sketch, capturing the lively essence of a street performer strumming a guitar. Around her, tourists and locals bustled, but in her mind, it was just her and the soft scratching sound of her charcoal pencil on paper.

She loved this part of the city. The worn cobblestones, the scent of coffee and churros from nearby cafés, and the chatter of different languages all created an energy she thrived on. Her hand paused briefly as she admired her progress. Just a few more details, and—

Thud!

Before Y/N could react, a football crashed into her easel, knocking it sideways. She yelped as her canvas toppled, splattering paint in every direction. The streaks of color ruined her meticulous sketch, turning it into an unrecognizable mess.

“¡Lo siento mucho!” a voice called out.

She spun around, her frustration bubbling over. A young man was jogging toward her, his dark brown eyes wide with concern. He was about her age, with slightly messy dark blond hair and a lean, athletic build. Sweat clung to his brow, and he wore a plain white T-shirt and shorts, looking like someone who had just finished a workout.

“Are you serious right now?” Y/N exclaimed, gesturing to the mess of paint and ruined paper. “Do you know how long I’ve been working on this?”

He stopped in front of her, hands on his knees as he caught his breath. “I’m so sorry,” he said, his voice warm and apologetic. “It was a bad pass. I didn’t mean to ruin your work.”

Y/N folded her arms, glaring at him. “Well, you did. This is completely ruined!”

He straightened, his expression softening into one of guilt. “I’ll fix it. I’ll buy you a new canvas and anything else you need. I promise.”

For a moment, she hesitated. He seemed sincere, but the frustration of seeing her hard work destroyed made it hard to let go. Finally, she sighed, shaking her head. “Fine. But you’re carrying my supplies back to the shop.”

His face brightened with relief, and he nodded. “Deal.”

As they walked toward the nearest art supply shop, Y/N couldn’t help but notice the way people were looking at him. A few passersby did double takes, and a group of teenagers whispered excitedly before sneaking out their phones to take pictures. She frowned, glancing sideways at him.

“Why is everyone staring at you?” she asked bluntly.

He looked slightly amused. “I don’t know. Maybe they’re just curious about the girl I ruined a painting for?”

She rolled her eyes. “Right. Sure.”

He laughed, a light, easy sound that caught her off guard. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

They reached the shop a few minutes later, and he immediately took charge, picking out the largest canvas he could find and tossing in a set of paints and brushes for good measure. Y/N tried to protest. “You don’t need to buy all of that! Just a new canvas is fine.”

He grinned. “Nope. I’m making up for the mess I caused.”

The shopkeeper, an older woman with sharp eyes, gave them both an amused look as she rang them up. “You know who he is, don’t you?” she asked Y/N in a low voice.

Y/N blinked in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

The woman tilted her head toward him. “That’s Pablo Gavi. He plays for Barcelona.”

The name rang a faint bell. Y/N wasn’t a big football fan, but she had heard about the young prodigy making waves in the sport. Her eyes widened slightly, and she turned to look at him again. He was busy chatting with the shopkeeper, a lopsided smile on his face as he struggled to balance the supplies he’d just purchased.

When they left the shop, Y/N couldn’t resist asking. “So, you’re kind of a big deal, huh?”

He glanced at her, his brow furrowing in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“The shopkeeper said you play for Barcelona. I’ve heard your name before,” she said, her tone neutral.

He shrugged, a sheepish look crossing his face. “Yeah, I play for the team. But I didn’t think you’d recognize me. You don’t seem like the football type.”

“I’m not,” she admitted with a small laugh. “But now I get why people were staring at you.”

“Great. Now you’re going to treat me differently,” he said, half-joking.

“Relax,” Y/N replied with a smirk. “You’re just the guy who ruined my painting.”

He burst out laughing, the sound echoing down the narrow street. “Fair enough. What’s your name, by the way? I don’t think I got it earlier.”

“Y/N.”

“Well, Y/N, I owe you more than just a canvas,” he said, his voice softening. “Let me make it up to you properly. Can I take you for coffee or something?”

Y/N hesitated, caught off guard by the earnest look in his eyes. Despite herself, she smiled. “We’ll see. Maybe I’ll run into you again.”

“Maybe,” he echoed, his grin widening.

As she watched him jog off down the street, Y/N felt a strange flutter in her chest. What started as a ruined painting might just turn into something unexpected. Little did she know, this was the beginning of a story that would change both of their lives.

[r0semultiverse]

Questions post-release of The Edge of Sleep

Is the dog okay? Did the dog also get possessed? Or are dogs exempt from sleep death and brain branding? The dog was in their cage for quite some hours, which may imply that dogs and potentially even other animals are immune to the beast.

Are possessed folks unable to die from blood loss or drowning so long as they have the mark of the beast?

Who else thinks the doctor isn’t actually dead (there were other doctors at the facility) and was suspiciously on-board with everything happening to Dave?

Is the doctor actually a host for the elephant (alternately just being influenced by it)? Yes, this is partially because his distorted voice in the sleep tube sounds the same as the beast, but the depictions of the beast in peoples dreams does get explained later as being different for everyone (probably based on environment).

Why was he trying to put the moves on Dave’s mom? Probably part of a manipulation tactic or he’s just weird and I’m overthinking his role in this.

What if this is all a dream and Dave is just stuck in one of those sleep pods still? We have yet to see a flashback where he’s a teenager of any sort which gives us a huge missing gap in his memories.

Another question relating to the previous ones is why did Dave see Matteo(?) and Katie(? or is that Linda?) in the sleep pod dream world place very briefly in the the trailer? EDIT: Okay so whoever that is next to Katie/Linda in the cut footage seems to be someone else who would succumb to or almost drink the beast juice (sorry, I didn't know what else to call it).

Are their IRL selves in on it? (this seems silly in hindsight, but I'm not deleting it)

ACTUALLY YEAH JUST IGNORE THESE TWO PREVIOUS ONES ONES, THIS WAS CUT TRAILER FOOTAGE, I WAS TIRED.

Is Dave in a coma and all of this has been one big dream fantasy he’s been in for a long time? If so, how long?

Much like the question of “is the dog important,” is the doctor’s memories when he was talking about his trauma important? Will that come up later given the talk of a season 2 for the original podcast?

Does the Elephant’s host bodies feel pain or is it zombie rules and they’re basically just drones that’ll keep going as long as they have some means to move around?

Do y’all think we’ll get a season 2? The series is pretty good as a stand alone thing imo that kinda lets you fill in the blanks, but I personally would like to see more in some capacity.

What did the dream people mean by “power?” Is Dave capable of the occult?

Does the Beast have access to its host bodies memories and motor skills? We see Katie’s body walking through the water. Could the beast hypothetically fly a plane if it got the right host body to do so? Could it control an entire military fleet?

What is the doctor’s connection to the supernatural happenings of this reality?

Was Markiplier the voice of the blue Modafalyst pill and the voice over of the ad that was playing on the TV in the hospital?

Was the doctor trying to get his loved ones back through the sleep pods like how Dave got that pen into reality from his dream?

How come all of the surviving main cast has had some sort of government or implied government-related job position? Was that intentional?

Each of the surviving main cast also has a double letter placement in their names too, intentional perhaps? This one is probably a reach, but I thought it was interesting!

Why did only one guy foam at the mouth when he "died?"

Why is there a difference between the pill colors in the trailer and in the final release of the show? We're the colors going to be swapped initially? Is it or was it maybe supposed to be a Matrix reference?

Also did Dave's mom seem a little too okay with what was going on at times? Does that have to do with the doctor trying to put the charm on her? Although having someone finally listen to your child's issues and have a clue about what's going on would put you in a vulnerable position, also single mom seemingly.

Who did Dr. Luis Castaneda lose and why did a dream person show up? Was that someone who left him to go live on Aristera for one purpose or another?

How many hours was Dave awake in total? So far 87 seems to be a close enough guess, somewhere in that area.

How are the dream people able to teleport into Mark's dream? How is the beast able to get into anyone's dream now that I think about it.

[hux-and-gay]

I used to do this thing where I would take a list of characters that I liked (such as Star Wars characters) and then I would take a list of roles from a musical. Then I would get a random generator and use that generator to randomly select the characters I had chosen and cast them as random roles in the musical. As if they were being forced to play those characters and I had no control over who they were cast as.

Things could get pretty hilarious. you could have something like Han gets cast as the spouse of Vader and C3PO gets cast as their child.

So I thought I had never really done it with the sequels characters so I decided why not? I did it With Hamilton because that’s a musical most people know but I could do other ones in the future. It turned out even funnier then I could possibly have imagined.

Now without further ado

HAMILTON BUT PURE CHAOS

Our Star of the show is none other the Snoke

And who is his rival that will eventually best him in a duel sending him to his death?

Princess Leia Organa! And honesty? Good for her. (All the extras are storm troopers)

Now who is the famous, Faboulous, Marquis De Lafayette…. it’s Pryde… ugh

Suddenly Lafayette is no longer cool

Now who are Snoke and Pryde’s Besties? Phasma is now Laurence (so she dies 😔) and Kylo is Mulligan, honestly I can see him as mulligan

So this friend group is just the first order? Good to know

Now who is the responsible, put together, and not reckless at all, general to lead them all?

It’s Han Solo playing George Washington! So in character right? Now he’s Snoke’s mentor and president of the United States… interesting

But there’s always a loyalist so who gets to be my beloved Samuel Seabury?

Armitage Hux! I was actually very happy with this paring I literally a wrote a parody to farmer refuted from Hux’s POV a few weeks ago, it’s just so funny

Now who is the King that Hux is so graciously supporting, the antagonist of the whole story? Well it’s none other then Poe Dameron, everyone’s favorite imperialist

And of course Snoke still needs more enemies, so who is the incompetent general that sucks so bad he gets left behind?

Charles Lee is now Luke Skywalker! “I’m a general WEEEEEE” But I mean hey man not everyone can say they got shot by Phasma in a duel.

and of course we can’t forget Snoke’s big act 2 rival Thomas Jefferson who is being played by none other then C3PO!

and Jefferson is nothing without his best friend James Madison played by Dopheld Mitaka!

Honestly this one is a pretty good casting

Now here’s where it gets interesting… if it hasn’t already…

The Schuyler Sisters

Yeah you saw that right, forget Angelica Eliza and Peggy, Now we have Palpatine Rey and Finn! So that not only makes them sisters but it also means that Snoke and Rey are married and have children which is a terrifying thought

And not only that but it also means that Snoke and Palpatine were in love but Palpatine let him marry his sister instead but they still continue their emotional affair through the letters they send to eachother

Aren’t snoke and Palpatine basically the same person technically???? I guess they have a type

but of course, we can’t forget the Schuyler sisters wonderful father Philip, oops sorry I meant Thanisson

so yes somehow Thanisson is the father of Palpatine Rey and Finn. Makes sense? No? Perfect, moving on

Speaking of Philip, Snoke and Rey’s Aforementioned child of the same name, is now being played by Rose Tico

Which means, as you can see in this photo here, she dies in her duel with George Eacker. But who might you ask is George Eacker?

It’s BB-8 of course!

Because BB-8 decided to shit talk snoke he got in a duel with Rose, and won. BB-8 kills rose.

Now there’s something missing, we all know the story, Snoke can’t stay faithful to his wife. so who is the poor soul that has to play Mariah Reynolds? A woman being used by her husband to extort snoke by having her keep up an affair with him?

It’s Cardinal, I’m so sorry. He isn’t prepared for this 😭 this image is so cursed. Funny enough though Maria is known for wearing red.

Anyway who is Cardinal’s manipulative husband who is blackmailing snoke?

It’s Brendol Hux, James Reynolds is Brendol Hux. I’m so sorry Cardinal but this is perfect casting. Truly and ass hole in every universe

and of course who is the doctor that is just trying to keep shit together through this whole play? BEHOLD THE MIGHTY GONK!

(I couldn’t find any pictures on Google of the doctor)

If you got this far, I hope you enjoyed it and are severely disturbed!!! Let me know if you’re interested in me doing more.

—————————————————————————

@fives-ren

@not-so-allegiant-general

@jaynesilver

@thegeneralorder

@diabollicallyangelic

@existing-sadly

@tomatette

@dragonflies-draw-flame

@lessdenied

@fridayincarnate

@huxkisser

@rommonoch

@bostarsky

@transmasc-vampire-is-tired

@misbon-god-of-mischief

@kira-mortham

@piecesofeden11

@vanta-nev00

@threewinterssnow

@theosb0rnway

@sh1r3

@blackberry-command-cap

@iphridian

@irrationalgame

@darthnostra

@threewinterssnow

@vanta-nev00

@eggsodaz

@sluttycaseyjones

@lavendergarnet

[honeyjars-sims]

3.24 A New Outlook

Part 2 of 2

As the afternoon begins to fade into evening the group settles down for more relaxing activities. Lucy has packed some marshmallows and a few of us gather by the fire Paul started for us. Lacey sits between me and Paul.

“Your family must be pretty active,” she says to Lucy and Paul.

“Not really,” Lucy laughs. “Mostly just me, Paul, and our brother Matt.”

“Yeah, I think that’s why the three of us are so close," Paul explains. "We have some common interests we can share. Although Matt prefers to workout in the gym.”

“Sounds like my sister,” I chime in. “She’s always trying to get me to go to the gym with her, but I get bored.”

“I totally get that!” Paul agrees. “I do use the gym sometimes, though. I’ve taken a few yoga classes there.”

“Oh, I love yoga!” Lacey leans in closer to Paul. “It really helps me relax and get in tune with my body.”

“Yeah, I try to start my mornings off with yoga. It sets the tone for the day.”

“I try to start my day off with yoga but I somehow always end up smoking a cigarette and ruminating on my life choices instead,” I quip.

Paul laughs. It’s one of those ungraceful snorting laughs, which I wasn’t expecting. 

“Speaking of cigarettes, I could use one right now,” I say and start to stand up.

“You can’t smoke out here!” Lucy chides.

“Why not?”

“It’s a fire hazard!” 

I gesture to the campfire. “I think it’ll be okay.” Lucy just glares. “I’ll make sure to put it out all the way,” I assure her and begin walking towards the pond. 

“Smoking is really bad for your health!” Lucy calls out behind me. “Tell him, Paul!”

Paul grumbles. “I’m sure he knows that already,” he protests. I can’t see them but I can sense Lucy glaring at Paul the same way she did at me. Paul sighs and rattles off a list of statistics about smoking and tells me how unhealthy it is.

“So is my outlook on life!” I call out. 

I can hear Paul snort behind me and I can’t help but laugh to myself. I’m realizing he’s kind of a dork which makes me feel a little less threatened. When I glance back, though, I see Lacey is still hanging onto his every word. I finish my cigarette and before I can even throw it down, I hear something behind me.

“Now!” Lucy yells. I turn my head to see her and Lacey coming towards me and before I know it, they push me into the pond.

“Hey!” I yell as they break out into laughter. 

“At least you know your cigarette’s out now!” Lacey teases.

“Okay, very funny. At least help me get out.” 

Lacey and Lucy foolishly reach out to me and of course, I pull them into the pond with me. Rookie mistake. By now the others have started jumping in. It’s a shallow pond; a little murky, but the water feels nice after spending the day in the heat. The sun has disappeared behind the horizon and the moon is casting its glow onto the water’s surface.

Lacey and Lilly are splashing each other in a way that’s playful but vaguely threatening. Lucy is helping Quinn swat mosquitoes away. Robi and Clara are hovering around each other in the way that they do, pretending that they’re not totally into each other. Danica jumps onto Paul’s back and he begins to shake her off.

I’m suddenly aware that I’m by myself in a group of people who’ve known each other for a while, but I don’t feel alone. 

Lacey swims toward me. “Sorry for pushing you in earlier,” she apologizes. 

“That’s okay,” I tell her. “I’m having a great time.”

“Yeah, me too,” she smiles.

Previous | Beginning of story | Beginning of chapter | Next

[crtstormie]

If Val still abuses Vox like stated in the old lore, would he and Angel be able to relate? 

Tw: discussions of abuse

If you weren’t back in the early days of the fandom, back then we barely knew anything about Vox. All we knew was a few limited and obvious things like he was an entertainment overlord and one of the three Vees. 

However, one of the things we later learned about him in a livestream is that him and Val are in some sort of relationship and that Val is obviously abusive towards him. 

This was a part of the old lore and while I’m sure Val can get violent from time to time, it seems from episode two that this new idea of Vox has a lot of control over Val’s anger and wouldn’t really allow him to crack or break his screen.

But back then we didn’t know this. Remember when we thought Val would be the leader of the Vees? 

Considering that we also still thought the Voxtagram stories a were canon and Val is shown to break Vox’s screen often, we had a very different interpretation of him.

And with the popularity of amazing fan song ‘eyes on me’ from paranoid dj that also shows their relationship as abusive at the end of the video, this was all we thought their relationship would be like. (Ok but honestly eyes on me is amazing I listen to it like every week) 

Now, how did this relate to angeldust? 

We knew a lot more about Angeldust because he is part of the main cast, and when addict released the show was making it very obvious that Val was his boss, abuser, and that hurts and affects him daily.

When the show released we get a sneak peak of how manipulative Val is in episode 2 when he convinces Angel to come to the studio, but it is the worst in the infamous episode.

This episode’s entire theme is about Val and just how horrible he treats Angel and has no regards for his feelings, body, or well being.

I could go into more detail on just how bad Val is to Angel, but that’s a sensitive topic that’s been discussed to death already.

But as we see at the end of ‘poison,’ Vox gives Angel a look that I can only describe as smug jealousy. 

Which Vox, I love you, but that is disgusting.

In this frame it’s shown to us that Vox is jealous of Angel because Val focuses a lot of his time on Angel and not him, but… Angel is literally getting raped without his consent? 

Vox may be Val’s on and off boyfriend, but he’s very aware of what Val does to his employees, especially Angel. It’s part of why he works with him.

But comparing someone who youre partly letting get abused in your workplace by you’re friend and work partner to jealously because they are getting abused and beat by that person daily to be jealous of because Angel spends more time with Val than he gets to? 

I’m sorry Vox, but that sickens me to an extreme level.

Of course I could just be reading to far into that one frame, but in the context of the show Vox is an egotistical overlord who is already shown to not care for his own employees. So why would he care about what Val does to his?… except when they are the source of his anger and time.

Now, theoretically, let’s say that in the new lore Val is still abusive to Vox at times. Ignoring how close they were in the finale song in episode 8. 

Val is poison to everyone around him, even the people he’s the closest to.

Would Vox and Angel be able to bond over this? I say no.

Angel is a sinner, which is on the lower part of the class system in hell. It’s normalized that someone like him can be treated however it applies to a contract they signed.

There’s no sympathy for him by others except when they care for him and what it makes Angel do to himself (Husk) or when they know just what goes down in that studio (Charlie) 

But I highly doubt Angel and Vox are any sense of close.

Vox mainly works on his floor, and Angel works in the studio. They obviously have met and vox still has that.. *ew* resentment to Angel, but that’s really it.

Now, vox on the other hand, is a powerful level who is on the same level, if not more powerful that Valentino because he’s the leader of the Vees. 

Even if Val abuses him sometimes, he’s probably… into that. 

Look at that waist and tell me that man isn’t a bottom, you get the point.

Val and Vox’s story hasn’t been told to us yet, but by using background information like a old picture of them from presumably the 70’s and how close they seem, I theorize they met a little after Val died and teamed up to become more powerful. They were a little attracted to one another, but it never did and still isn’t official, even if they look and act gay as hell. (Heh) 

So Vox is on the same level as Val and has been close to him for 50+ years. They’ve had plenty of good moments, even if they are both awful people.

Oh yeah, let’s talk about that.

Since Vox is also on the same level as Val, he still is a awful person as well see in episode 2,4, and 8. (His appearances) 

Even if he Dosent sexually assault his employees, he still treats them horribly, as does Velvette. I assume this is common practice for overlords to treat their souls poorly, but it’s still not a good practice. I feel bad for the fish guy who had to make angelic security on the spot, he looks as stressed as me.

He hypnotizes people into trusting him and buying his technology, which is just evil businessman behavior. Someone said he reminds them of lord business from the LEGO movie, and I see it.

He is also very petty towards Alastor in almost every way, immediately trying to brainwash his audience to not listen to him.

I’m not saying being petty is a sign of being a awful person, but for Vox it contributes.

There’s the… look in episode 4, which I’ve already discussed, but it’s important to note that Vox is in Val’s studio DURING Val shooting and mistreating his stars.

If he regularly does this is then he is more than aware of what Val does to his employees and only gives them disgusted stares back. Like all he sees in them is what Val sees, useless whores for content.

Which is obviously not good lmao

And then in episode 8 (and partly episode 6 if you look into it) 

Vox is shown to have spying technology all over the city which is how he regulates his users behavior. He uses this tech to spy on alastor and the others and make fun of them like he’s watching football. 

At the end of the episode, we see him happily dancing with Valentino and Tounge kissing him, showing us even more that they’re in love in their own sick twisted evil way.

Angel on the other hand, is shown to be better. 

He’s in a hotel for redemption and throughout the season we see him slowly kicking his old habits like self destruction, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, distancing himself, etc. 

(With the help of Husky ofc huskerdust for life) 

And by the end of the season we see Angel being a lot more genuine to the others in the hotel and I only imagine he gets better once they find out it’s possible to be redeemed.

Vox is not shown to want to be morally better in the slightest, if not worse. 

He wants to one up Alastor, he wants to take over hell with the other Vees, and he will do it however he wants because he’s a cartoon supervillain. 

I’m not going to touch on what I Think of Val and Vox as a ship in this but what I will say is that Vox is a cartoon supervillain, doing things that even though horrible in the universe are just seen as goofy to us viewers.

Val on the other hand is scarily realistic, a abuser who manipulates his victims and forces them to have sex for his own benefits. I think that’s the main thing that sets me off for them, even if they are evilly perfect for each other. (So I’m gonna steal vox from Val) 

Vox is in a much different position with Val than Angel is, equal to if not above him while Angel is very below him. We see Angel stand up to him in episode 6, but I just know he was beaten the hell out of the next day and broken even further.

Vox would belittle him, so the only way I see the two even talking genuinely is if Angel starts it.

This isn’t like Angel and Husk, where they’re both washed up losers who are going through situations similar enough to bond, there’s an extreme power imbalance that wouldn’t make it as meaningful as Angel and husk’s talk.

There’s an amazing comic, I’ll add it below, but it’s actually what got me thinking about this topic.

If Vox comes out with his screen cracked after Angel was also hurt just to yell at the other becuase he’s ruining their image, then I see this potentially working.

They could share a sweet line like Angel showing concern for Vox’s cracked screen considering that’s his face and it must feel like having you’re skull cracked open. Angel has probably been driven to that level before.

However I have this one image in my head.

If Vox and Angel are both slightly talking and then they both say, “Val can be… rough.” 

I think that perfectly shows how different the two’s situations are with him.

Vox would say it all horny with a tint of love to his voice, while Angel would say it actually despaired and quiet. They see Val’s actions differently because they are affected differently by it.

Vox isn’t scared of Val because he is on the same level as him, and I think that’s the main reason to why they wouldn’t kconnect.

Besides, both Vox and Angel are either too egotistical or have too many walls up to have a legit conversation about Val without knowing each other at all.

If anything Vox is only a contribute to why Val focuses on Angel so much, their relationship is toxic af and we see in ep 2 that Val likes to get a reaction out of Vox. It’s sick and twisted but I wouldn’t put it against him to do something like that.

So, in conclusion I don’t think Angel and Vox would be able to relate to each other because their situations and relationships with Val are so different, even if Val lets it out on Vox time to time his main target is Angel. Angel gets hurt almost every day and I’d say Vox only gets hurt every couple months on a really bad day.

We know a lot of the lore has changed since the pilot and the Voxtahram stories most of these claims come from arent even canon, so I probably just ranted about nothing.

Regardless Thank you for reading, and goodnight. If you have any genuine thoughts about this feel free to share in the comments and reblogs, I’m curious.

[sasukeless]

Can I rant a lil in your inbox… sorry I absolutely love Sasuke he’s my favorite character but I’ve never understood why people interpret him as this communist guy. Not that there’s anything wrong with that tbh but I’ve seen people say that Sasuke should’ve succeeded in his plan and been the hokage because he was gonna distribute the power to the people and I’m like���. what?!?!? His entire goal in the end is to do the exact opposite of that. Idk, I love Sasuke and the idea that the shinobi world needed revolution wasn’t wrong, but he was very driven by the trauma of being “weak” to do anything for his family and by seeing his brother go through what he did. I like Sasuke but even his fans misinterpret him sometimes even if it’s not in a negative way

ajsjsjjw dw you’re safe here

the thing is, i can understand why sasuke is the voice of reason for many reason but more specifically because 1) sasuke is ultimately one of the few characters that sees there’s something wrong with the shinobi system itself in a media where 99% of characters are blind. 2) the villanization of victims of genocide is just infuriating (see cases like jet and hama from atla). and while yes i argue sasuke is made more sympathetic people like to admit, he’s still framed as if being in the side that questions the status quo is wrong because kishimoto’s nationalist propaganda. thus i get why ppl go “sasuke was right” because he was.

but also i also agree sasuke being a communist/anarchist/the “right” choice is just. projection. because if you actually read his goals and the way he’s written, he’s none of those and i like that! personally it makes him more interesting to me. he’s flawed and so are his politics and it makes sense when you look at his background and his character growth, he’s very consistent but still manages to change in a way that makes sense in a manga where 90% of the cast stays in just one box. his ultimate goals make me crazy because it’s literally once again all about itachi and honoring his wishes even if it’s through different methods so it’s really funny when ppl that hate itachi and his goals want sasuke’s vote2 goals to succeed when he’s following itachi’s will in a way. sasuke has been defined for his relationship with itachi from beginning to end. but whatever. yes, many sasuke stans on this app mischaracterize him as well because they project their own politics to him yet complain about others like shippers mischaracterizing him (which if u look at my blog i also agree) so it’s hard to find ppl that actually like canon sasuke to talk imo

[ophernelia]

can you give any tips for writing scripts? do you do it before or after you film the scenes? i’m having trouble figuring out dialogue and and how to space things out..

Ofc! This might be long though so sorry in advance!

I always write my scripts before I film a scene. If the script isn’t done, then I can’t film. It’s where I map out everything. Sometimes I’ll deviate from the script, because what’s in my head when I write isn’t always easily replicable in game. I still use it as a guideline for filming though. Here’s a rough sketch of what a detailed script looks like for me:

As far as pacing, I usually try to fantasize about how the scenes would go in my head. I try to be mindful of how long it takes everyone to read too. I read pretty fast, but I know the scenes and I know the script so it’s not the same for me as it is for my audience. I like to let the dialogue hang for a bit so people have time to read what’s written, but to also observe the scene visually.

Also, I use the script to show pacing too. Since I have a larger cast it’s a bit easier to do now, but I don’t like for a character to appear in two consecutive scenes. Especially if they’re in different places and a portion of the scene didn’t include them traveling. So, if Lou appears in scene 1 then he probably won’t appear again until scene 3 or later. In my head I see it as giving the character enough time to move from place to place.

When it comes to story pacing, I don’t want too much to happen too soon. It depends on how long your story is, of course, but I try to have a slow lead up to major things. For season 2, it took all season for Lou to meet his dad. Along the way I built it up by sprinkling in a few scenes here and there. Adding in a few crumbs to conversations. With other things you don’t wanna draw it out too long. Like Kaila, Rory, and Sav’s love triangle. Kaila and Rory were meant to get together quickly to show how much pull Rory has. It also shows how much Savannah was unwilling to fight for her because she knew Kaila wasn’t her person. A lot of this stuff is just personal preference though and depends on what fits your characters.

The best thing I can recommend to do is to watch your favorite shows. See how they block out scenes. See how long each scene lasts. See how the characters move through a scene. Think about the whole season and see when major turning points occurred. Take a little inspiration from that and then tailor it to fit your story. I try not to emulate shows too much because I like for Lykaia to stand on its own (and I have certain views about copying v. inspiration), but it is very helpful to at least observe how other shows are filmed. I try to think if my show was on like Netflix or Hulu- how would it look? How would it flow? I did that a lot more this season though and not the first two. Which is why I’m really not fond of season 1 of Lykaia. At least the first half. Twilight is one of those movies that has such a distinct look that whenever the style is emulated it looks like a copy. Which was completely unnecessary, because that sickly green aesthetic isn’t the only way to show solemn and moody weather. If I wanted that vibe, I needed to tailor it to fit Lykaia. I do that now by using a lot of rain, cooler tones, and a dry color palette. So, it’s stuff like that. It’s just been a learning process for me.

[toms-cherry-trees]

Hey hey Mars! ☺️ I’m back with another gif for your celebration!! (I hope it’s ok that I’ve sent in 2…I love your range of writing abilities and couldn’t only send in fluff)

How about this one:

Would you be able to create something angsty using this??

Excited to see what you come up with!! 💕

Hey babes! I am TERRIBLY sorry for how long this has taken but my 9 to 8 job keeps getting in the way of creativity

Mars 1.5k Celebration

Business || Tommy Shelby x Reader

Warnings: Implied infidelity, Tommy being an absolute asshole, sort of an anxiety attack

Your head is spinning. The world comes to a halt. You are sure the ground has cracked beneath your feet and plunged you into the depths of the greatest hell the world has ever known. Your fingers dig onto the edge of the desk for support. Lips quivering, parted into a silent question. All because the man sitting before you, the man whom you love and adore unconditionally, has informed you he is getting married to another woman.

The tense seconds morph into minutes, all while you watch Tommy scribble down some documents, cigarette perched upon his lips, calm and collected as if he hadn’t just taken your heart and flung it from the top of the Clock of Westminster. You ache to find in his face any sign of regret, of pain, any clue that he is hurting as much as you are, but you are met only with emptiness

You cannot bear this any longer. A thousand questions pile upon your lips, striving to escape, but only one single word manages to emerge from the depths of your throat, raspy and shaky “Why?”

Tommy has his answer ready, of course. He is always ready, or he thinks he is. Foreshadowing everything that will happen, knowing exactly how those under or over him will behave. Time and experience clearly failed to teach him that not all variables can be predicted.

“It is the only way they will side with us. We need all the allies we can gather. And with their support we will have free access to commercialise opium all over Europe. America is a promising market but until we don’t have full control of it, we need to branch out”

His reply is so derisory a laugh escapes you. What do you care about opium deals or favourable deals? What is it to you about the wants of his potential business partners? All you see is the man who holds your heart casting you aside like a cigarette butt. 

“An arranged marriage, Tommy? Are you listening to yourself? This is no 1875, love. It's the modern world. Arranged betrothals are for the princes and dukes and folks of the sort, not for people like you and me. Marrying whoever we want is one of the few freedoms we possess, and you are letting them take it away from you for what? More money? More power?”

Tommy’s greed remained a perennial tense spot in your relationship. He always wanted more; more money, more power, more recognition. And he continued to trade his happiness for that. Ambitions had nearly cost him his sister, and had lost him a brother as well. 

Now he had traded the love of his life.

“It is all part of a plan for a greater purpose. I marry her to please her father, and once we have secured the markets and exploited their resources, I will have us annulled on grounds of non-consummation and forced marriage. My lawyer already looked into it. Once everything has calmed, we can get married you and I”

You want to laugh. Laugh at his audacity, at the nerve he must have to think you will stand to come in second place. Not in second to this other woman, whoever she is. In second place to his ambitions. Because right now you see, rolling before your very eyes like a cheap movie, what your life with him would be like. You would never be a priority, nor would be any children born from you. Always shadowed by the veritable breadth of Tommy’s ego.

You also want to cry. Cry out your frustrations, your anger, your immeasurable pain. The man sitting before you does not resemble the man you fell in love with. Not by one inch. They bear the same name but that’s where it ends. Because the Thomas you loved had eyes of a clear blue matching a gentle spring sky, not shards of the deepest ice sending shivers through your bones. The Tommy you love did not bear a perpetual scowl, the jaw always tense and the fists always tense.

The man you love used to smile.

“And where does my opinion lie within your plans? My feelings, my dignity? Are you sending me an invitation as well? Maybe I will catch her bouquet and reuse it for our own nuptials. Do you think I will sit back and watch you-”

“It already happened”

You hoped the surprises would be over, but this new bucket of ice pouring over your head felt like a low blow straight to the gut. Amidst your silence, Tommy pulls out a piece of paper from a folder and slides it over to you. You only read ‘Birmingham registry’ and ‘marriage certificate’. You don’t need to read more. Who knew a single sheet of paper could cause such anguish? Your vision is blurry, and you don’t know if your eyes have flooded with tears or if you are about to faint. You sway in your chair, and you actually have to hold onto the desk for balance. If Tommy had laid a gun and this certificate before you and asked you to choose, you would have chosen the gun. The pains of the flesh cannot be as bad as the agony you are submerged in.

The man before you, a man you don’t know, clears his throat and lights another cigarette “They worried I would back out, so I agreed to an immediate civil ceremony to appease them”

Your body moves against your will, because you no longer have a will. Your brain and your body are disconnected; if they were in tune, you would have stopped breathing long ago, for you no longer remember how to. Every inhale feels like molten lead clogging your lungs and weighing your body. You are clumsy; disoriented. Your heel catches on a board, making you stumble as you get up. In attempts to stabilise you, your hand knocks over an ink pot, spilling it over the document. You do not remember how or when you fastened your coat or grabbed your purse. Tommy calls your name, but he does not move from his seat to pursue you from your escape. The secretaries ask if you feel well, if you need something, but her voices are white noise in your ears. You think you pushed one away, or maybe not, you only felt the clattering of breaking porcelain and tea spilling on your shoes. 

It’s raining. It is spring but it's raining. The cold beads slide into the neck of your coat and down your spine. Your driver awaits with an umbrella, his smile fading into a frown when you walk past him, past the car, past the office and everyone inside it. Your foot slips on the damp cobblestones and you crash your shoulder into the wall, your hand seeking grip on the rough bricks. People behind you call your name, or the name of the one you used to be. You are not the same woman who entered that office. 

You feel a pair of hands on you. Fleeting hope flashes in your heart, but the weak ember dies as quickly as it came to life. It is your driver, holding your weight since he noticed your knees threatening to buckle. You don’t know how but now you are sitting in the back of the car, drenched to the bone. The driver keeps asking you where to go, but you have no answer. You want to say home, but home is no longer your home. The rain halted, there is no wind outside. You look down to your wrist watch and you notice you forgot to wind it. The hands froze at 6 pm, the second you set foot inside that man’s office.

The world has stopped.

[klbwriting]

Not Romeo, Not Juliet

Chapter 3: This Fierce Vein

Fandom: Red Hood

Pairing: Jason Todd x f!Reader

Warnings: none

Summary: Jason is Hamlet...and he's terrible. Extra practice leads to new discoveries

There is no following her in this fierce vein

— A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, ACT 3 SCENE 2

Things Jason had expected when he auditioned for Bludhaven Prep’s theater production of Hamlet: 1. A sophomore would be Hamlet, his audition was amazing even if he had tripped getting onto the stage, 2. Chelsea would be Ophelia and that poor sophomore would have to pretend to love her, and 3. He would coast by in the background without anyone noticing him. What he did not expect was to roll up to rehearsal Monday morning only for the cast list to say Jason Todd…Hamlet. Apparently, he had been good and now everyone in the group wanted to know who he was. He groaned, already feeling the eyes of the freshmen on him, trying to calculate what they could say to him to make him think they were cool enough to be friends. Theater wasn’t a huge deal at this school, but it was big enough that the leads were popular, and Jason had no interest. He went to the director, trying to talk them out of casting him but they held firm.

“Mr. Todd, you were a natural, excellent. I really think you could do this professionally and I don’t say that to many people,” the director said, setting a mark on the floor before looking at him. “I know it feels like a lot of pressure, but you were made to be Hamlet.” O great, he was meant to play a madman who dies, well guess he did die once, at least that he knew he was actually good at. He sighed and just nodded, going and waiting for rehearsal to start.

By the time practice was over he was pretty sure they were reconsidering his casting. He had been terrible, missing cues, flubbing lines that he knew by heart, not focusing. He felt the restlessness he had felt ever since the pit flowing through him. He didn’t want to be there, he wanted to be out, hitting something, getting this energy out in the most violent way possible. The other seniors were packing up, asking him if he wanted to go out, maybe run lines with them.

“No, after Friday I honestly don’t want to hang out with you guys ever again,” he said honestly, voice having an edge that clearly frightened them.

“Don’t have to be such a dick. We were just getting payback,” Jackson said. Jason looked over at him, eyes blazing green, and growled at him. The three of them scampered off and Jason collapsed into one of the theater seats, frustrated. He needed to rant about this. Maybe Dick could get him out of being Hamlet, use his money to drop Jason down to something else.

“Nope, sorry kid, I think you should do this play and be Hamlet,” Dick said over dinner that night. Jason sighed.

“Why? I was terrible today, I don’t think I’m cut out for being an actor,” he mumbled, pushing a meatball around his plate. He had been so annoyed about play practice that he had overdone the meatballs, they were dry, just another fuck up on this perfectly fucked up day.

“O come off it Jason, you spent six years acting,” Dick said. Jason looked at him confused. “You were Robin from ages 10-16, so in that time you were either pretending to be Robin or pretending to be Jason Todd, you’re an actor.” Jason frowned.

“Who was I pretending to be?” he whispered. Dick looked at him, eyes softening. That was the question anyone associated with Batman would ask, what was real? The person or the mask? “Who are you pretending to be? Dick or Nightwing?”

“I’m not always sure,” Dick admitted, clearing his plate. “Maybe being in this play, trying to act, will help you see who you were before you died.”

Rehearsal was pushed from Tuesday to Wednesday that week but it didn’t help. Jason was still a mess, trying so hard to get it right. He kept hearing Bruce’s voice in the back of his head. ‘You’re not listening Jason’, ‘Dick could have done this on the first try’, ‘You can do better’. When rehearsal was over the director pulled him aside.

“I can see that you’re distracted,” she said. Jason wanted to lie but he just nodded. “Is there something going on at home? I know that you live with your older brother.” Jason didn’t know why but this woman reminded him of his mother. He barely remembered her, but he did remember that when she wasn’t strung out her eyes were soft, care would radiate from her when she was sober. This teacher had the same kind eyes, the same warmth her. It made him loosen his normally tight lips.

“No, nothing like that, he’s great. Just ya know, wasn’t always a good family life. I let down my dad a lot before I…moved,” he said, stopping himself before saying ‘died’. The director nodded, understanding.

“My mother was overbearing when I was young, always thought I was a disappointment,” she said, leaning on the stage next to where he sat. “I would hear her voice in my head, just disparaging me every time I did anything. A big test, performance, dance recital, always her telling me I would screw up.”

“Does it ever stop?” he asked. She looked at him, eyes full of sympathy and he nodded. “Does it get quieter?” She nodded.

“Once you really give yourself over to what you’re doing the volume goes down. Instead of thinking about your father when you’re acting, try thinking about Hamlet, what he is feeling. He didn’t have your father, imagine what his father was like. Use that to fuel your performance,” she said. Jason nodded. “I will see you Friday at rehearsal.” She packed up and left him alone. Jason looked at the stage.

“Might as well run through it myself,” he mumbled, standing and going to his first mark. He was midway through the first act when he heard something towards stage right. He walked over, feet making no noise, as he moved through the sets stored in the wings. He came up the prop room and saw YN. She was grabbing the swords they were using and took them out of the room. He stayed behind set pieces watching as she hid the swords, one behind an old radiator, one in a light rigging that had been lowered for repair, just random places. It was the kind of prank that was actually funny. He let out a chuckle, coming out from behind the bridge piece. She froze at the noise, turning and facing him.

“Hello, didn’t know anyone was still here,” she said, setting down the last sword, setting a prop blanket on top of it on the floor. “Well, going to turn me in? I’m sure some teacher is still around. You could really fuck with my chances in the Shakespeare competition.” She crossed her arms, staring him down. A lot of bad people had tried to stare Jason down before, Bane, Poinson Ivy, Two Face….Joker. He hadn’t looked away from any of them, he wasn’t the guilty one, they were, and he would win, but he looked away from YN. This time he did feel guilty. He hadn’t been the perpetrator of that horrid prank at the open mic night, but she didn’t know that. He was there with the people who did it and Jason understand the term ‘guilty by association’.

“I’m not going to tell on you, I’m not a snitch, and I can’t wait to see Jackson whine about his missing sword on Friday,” he said. “But you should probably be more careful, sneaking around here is reckless.” He almost gagged on the word. Since when did he sound like Bruce?

“Me? Reckless? I’m sorry little rich boy, you were just slumming it in Crime Alley, who is reckless?” she demanded. Jason stared at her. “And what were you doing there anyway? Come to laugh at us poor kids? Did those asshole friends of yours send you to find something on me? The new guy gets to do the dirty work and ruin my life?”

“Woah, listen, I don’t give a shit about your life, I was there for….reasons,” he said, not sure how to say ‘I needed to hit people because coming back from the dead had side effects’ without sounding insane.

“Either way, you can’t tell anyone where I’m from, if word got around that I was just some degenerate from Crime Alley…people are mean,” she said, feeling so lame for that. Jason nodded. He understood. If you were from Crime Alley you were a delinquent, you were scum and you could never fix that. It was a label that was hard to wash off. Jason only got out because Bruce made sure of it, money was the only thing to really mover you out of that slum.

“I won’t tell anyone,” he said. “I grew up there too.” He knew that was a bridge too far by the look on her face.

“Ya sure, you don’t need to try to relate to me rich boy,” she said. “Now I’m getting out of here, hopefully I never see you again.” She gave him the middle finger and left through the side stage door. Jason smiled after her, feeling his heart flutter a little. O shit.

Curiosity was driving Jason as he slid down the alley behind Big Belly Burger, red mask on his face. He had seen her working already, walking by the front window casually, hood up, mask on, so she wouldn’t know it was him. He could be anybody, there were plenty of vigilante pretenders in the area, he blended in. He waited until she was finished and followed her down the street. She didn’t live far from her work and Jason snuck into a familiar alley when she went into the apartment building. The same building, he grew up in. He looked around the alley, remembering finding the Batmobile right where he was standing. He still didn’t know how he went from seeing the infamous vehicle to thinking ‘I should get those rims’, but stealing those tires had changed his life and those memories were bittersweet now. He shook them away as he jumped, grabbing the fire escape ladder and hulled himself up.

She lived on the fourth floor he found. He could see through the thin curtains into her living room. She went in, taking off the apron she wore for work and hung it by the door. There was a frozen dinner on the counter, so she grabbed it and threw it in the microwave before approaching the couch where he noticed a thin woman was laying on it.

“Hey mom, how are you?” she asked, kneeling by the woman and gently touching her head. Her mother took her hand and kissed it.

“I’m feeling fine Lady Macbeth,” she said. YN smiled at her. “How was play practice?”

“I didn’t have practice tonight, I went to mess with the Bludhaven Prep stuff,” she said. The woman coughed a little and he could see concern cross YN’s face. Her mother was sick, very sick from the sound of that cough. His heart ached. He could remember that sound, his mother had coughed like that the night she OD’d. It was fused into his brain.

“You didn’t get in trouble, did you? Is that why you’re late?” her mom asked.

“No, one of the guys, that guy from the open mic? He was there, but I don’t think he’s going to say anything. They’re all jerks, but he’s the least jerky I think,” she said. Well, at least she didn’t completely hate him. “And then I had work tonight remember? Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday I work, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday morning I have practice?”

“O, right of course,” her mother answered. YN turned off the TV. “I was watching that…”

“You need to be in bed now, come on,” she said. She slid an arm under her mother and helped her stand before leaving the room. Jason sat on the fire escape for another minute before deciding he had invaded her privacy enough. He needed to get home anyway, Dick would be pissed if he came back and Jason was gone. He trudged home, now even angrier at the other seniors for their pranks. He was going to make it up to YN, he promised that.