#in person in a while. but the two of them fell into a groove as siblings do. she fills him in on all the teen gossip she's been saving.

[fizzytoo]

look who flew in! adrien's family came to surprise adrien all the way from san sequoia!

what adrien doesn't know is that rua and adrien's parents have been organizing the visit for a few months!

[little-wicked10]

because i liked a boy🩶

Summary: It was all so innocent, dating boys with exes. While Soldier Boy isn’t phased by the scandal, she’s being painted as the slut that broke up America’s favorite couple.

Warnings: Smut 18+, angst, cursing, bullying/threats (from public/media and coworkers), drugs, daddy kink, breeding kink

Notes: Inspired by the song “because i liked a boy” by Sabrina Carpenter.

//

‘Home wrecker.’

‘Slut.’

Cruel jabs whispered under people’s breath as she walked through the office. It took all her strength not to turn and respond, to not show an inkling of acknowledgement at their hurtful words. She wouldn’t let them see how upset she actually was at the swirling media storm. It seemed the only newspapers and magazines anyone was interested in had her and Soldier Boy plastered all over it. The compromising picture of her straddling the supe’s lap was printed everywhere. The headlines only made it worse.

‘Assistant Steals Soldier Boy from Crimson Countess’

‘Home wrecker Breaks Up America’s Power Couple’

‘Crimson Countess Blindsided by Gold Digger Secretary’

Perception is reality, and she was being perceived as the slut that tricked Soldier Boy into cheating. None of it was true, but who would believe her? She could scream from the roof tops the truth of the situation, and no one would listen. The only person who had the authority to put a stop to the situation was out of the country on a mission with his “heartbroken girlfriend”. She was on her own. Left to the hyenas to be picked off.

America would be shocked to find out the power couple they so loved to fawn over was bullshit. A fabricated relationship for publicity. While the two supes had dated in the beginning, it didn’t last longer than three months with a rough on and off period for the rest of that year. They only kept up the charade for the cameras and the increase in paycheck.

To the public, Soldier Boy and Crimson Countess were a strong united front. It was behind closed doors that he was hers. Sure, it started out as just casually hooking up, but the amazing sex turned into meaningful conversation then something deeper. She knew it was wrong to be involved with a man that was basically her boss and the most famous supe in the world. But, he was convincing and persistent. Plus, it wasn’t like he was ACTUALLY committed to his fake girlfriend.

She sat down at her desk with a huff. Just when she thought she had escaped the scrutinizing, she saw what had been left for her. All across her desk was what could only be described as hate mail. Pieces of paper scrolled with vile words and threats. The deeper she read into the pile, the more distressed she became. Fear gripped her stomach and tears burned in her eyes with every note.

Beneath the mess, her fingers felt grooves in the surface of her desk. Her hands shook as she pushed aside all the papers to reveal something horrifying. In big bold letters, the word ‘WHORE!’ was carved into the wood. She clapped a hand over her mouth to silence her frightened scream. “Oh my god,” the tears fell as she buried her face in her hands, quietly crying.

There was nothing she could do. Ben wasn’t there. Vought wouldn’t help. No one would help or even believe her side of things. She was utterly alone. Utterly at the mercy of the lynch mob looking for someone to blame.

//

Ben had barely been home a few hours, hadn’t even taken his suit off, when he heard her incessant knocking. A playful smirk adorned his face as he strode through his living room. The last thing he expected when he answered his door was his favorite girl sobbing uncontrollably. Before he could say anything, she threw herself into his arms, wailing into his chest as her body trembled.

“Hey! Hey! Hey! What’s goin’ on?” he gently wrapped her up in his arms, “I was only gone a week, doll. What’s with the water works?”

“They know! Everyone knows!”

“Who knows? What are you talkin’ about, honey?” her panicked heart rate made him uneasy.

“Someone saw us! It’s everywhere, Ben! They’re saying I broke you and Countess up,” she cried before handing him a magazine, “Look!”

Ben took it from her as she began to pace towards his living room. His eyes scanned over the cover photo and headline: an intimate picture of them titled, “Secretary Steals America’s Hero.” What bullshit. The supe simply shook his head and chuckled, “Honey, this has got you so upset? Some sleazy tabloid?”

She stopped her pacing and turned back to him, “It’s not just in the sleazy tabloids! It’s everywhere! They’re calling me a slut and a home wrecker!”

He rolled his eyes as he tossed the magazine aside, stepping towards her, “It’s not the end of the world. It’s just some assholes trying to get a bigger paycheck.”

“Not the end of the world?!?” she nearly screeched, “You’re only saying that because YOU’RE not the one getting dragged through hot coals!“

“Baby, baby, relax,” he held her by her shoulders, thumbs rubbing circles in an attempt to comfort her, “It’ll all blow over. Vought will take care of it. Be like it never happened.”

She trembled in his hold, “You haven’t been here the last three days. Vought hasn’t done a damn thing! Why would they do anything for some supe chasing gold digger that weaseled her way between America’s sweethearts?!?”

Ben couldn’t help the eye roll at the dumb nickname for him and Countess. If the media vultures had cared to follow him more closely, they’d realize he’d been “cheating” on his “girlfriend” for some time now. Hookers, groupies, celebrities, co-workers, any piece of ass he could get his hands on were fair game long before his current relationship came along. It was Vought’s insane damage control that kept up his squeaky clean, all-American boy image.

“This isn’t gonna blow over! They’re probably gonna fire me! Everyone in the Tower already hates me,” she sobbed, “I’m getting death threats!”

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, “Death threats? From who?”

“I-I dont know. They covered my desk in letters telling me to k-kill myself and just…just fucking fucked up shit,” she wiped her eyes frantically, “They carved ‘whore’ into my desk!”

Ben felt his blood boil, anger turning his green eyes darker, “Show me.”

Her fearful eyes finally met his, “I-I can’t go back down there.”

His hold shifted to place her face between his large palms, “Show me. Now.”

//

The entire floor became eerily still when they stepped off the elevator. She tried not to shrink into the intimidating supe as he strode towards her vandalized office. People whispered, and he heard everything they were saying.

“Look who went running to her sugar daddy.”

“How can she show her face here? With him?”

“What does he even see in her?”

Each comment set him on fire, fueled him to see what these sheep had done while he was away. When they reached her office, he all but broke the door off its hinges. She leaned against a wall as she watched him stalk around the scene of the crime. Ben’s brow furrowed as he waded through the pile on her desk. It had grown since she was last in the office. His jaw set harder with every threat, insult, and accusation he read. The final straw was when he set his eyes on the carved wooden surface. It set him off.

In the blink of an eye, he smashed the word, and the desk, in half with his shield. The force was so great that the papers exploded across the room. Fury radiated off him in waves. Running a gloved hand over his facial hair, he paced towards her. She whimpered before he pulled her into his arms and pet her hair. “I’m sorry, honey,” he mumbled kissing her hair, “Go upstairs. I’ll take care of this.”

She shifted to look up at him, “What are you gonna do?”

He shook his head, “Do as I say. Go wait upstairs. Now.”

//

It been hours since he gave his stern order to go wait in his apartment. She nervously sat on his bed smoking a joint in one of his t-shirts, the drug calming her nerves enough to ease some of her stress. She’d barely been able to roll it with her hands trembling so fiercely. There was no telling what Ben was going to do. One could only hope he didn’t kill anyone. He was an all or nothing type of man with everything he did.

When he was a playboy, there wasn’t enough tail or drugs to go around.

When he’s in a real relationship, he was as loyal as a dog.

So, when he said he was going to take care of a problem, he’d fucking obliterate it.

She was jolted from her worrying thoughts when she heard the front door slam shut. Quickly slipping off the bed, she rushed into the other room to see Ben pouring himself a drink at the bar. Her eyes scanned over him, checking for blood and wounds, before approaching him. “W-What happened?” she quietly asked.

He threw back the amber liquor before setting down the glass with a clatter, “It was Countess. She told the press where to find us.”

Her breath caught in her throat, “W-Why would s-she do that?”

He ran his fingers through his hair before looking at her, “Ya know what they say, ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ or some bullshit like that. Now I know why she was actin’ so fuckin’ crazy.”

Countess had been throwing herself at him the full seven days of the mission. She pulled out every trick in her book she knew use to get his engine going. The more Countess tried, the more annoyed he got. It all came to a head when he walked into his tent to find her naked on his cot. She was obviously counting on him still being a complete scumbag like when they dated. Needless to say he blew a fuse on the bitch.

“She did this..for what? To get you back?”

“Doesn’t matter. It’s over and taken care of. No one will be bothering you again,” his voice was stern even as he gently held her, “‘M sorry, honey. I shoulda been here.”

“You were doing your job.”

“My job is also takin’ care of my lady,” he kissed her forehead before pecking her lips, “Speaking of, you feel like lettin’ me take care of you? Put this fucked up mess out of both our minds?”

Her small smile made him smile, “I’d be okay with that. Show my appreciation for the man who’s willing to burn down a whole floor of Vought tower for me.”

Giggling wildly as he picked her up, Ben carried her to the bathroom for a shower. He set her down on the marble counter before walking over to flip on the water. After plucking the joint from between her fingers, he placed it between his lips and began to puff away as he took his suit off. She playfully turned her head to the side, admiring his chest and abs as he worked on his belt. A puff of smoke came out when he chuckled at her, “Enjoyin’ yourself?”

“Not yet,” she bit her lip.

He pulled the joint from his lips before dropping his pants, “You need a good ass spanking sometimes, ya know that?”

“And you’re more than happy to give me one,” she slipped out of her shirt and threw it at him.

The fabric hit his chest and fell to the marbled floor. Ben stepped over the discarded clothes, dick proudly at attention, to stand before her looking like a Greek god. He discarded the smoke in an ash tray by the sink before pulling her to the edge of the counter. She squealed happily and wrapped her arms around his strong neck. Their lips met in a sweet and passionate kiss, rough hands pawing at her hips and waist.

Ben moaned into her kiss. Fuck, he missed her. He had missed her lips, her touch, her cute little noises she makes when he bites right under her ear. They’d been separated longer than a week before, but the past events had him feeling anxious. An underlying worry that this shit show might have ruined a good thing.

“Need a stiff reminder of why I fell in love with you,” she giggled into his kiss which quickly turned to a moan.

His deep laugh reverberated against the bathroom walls, “Thought it was my sparkling personality and good looks?”

A smirk adorned her pretty lips as her hand traveled down and rubbed his hard on, “Don’t make me lie to you, stud.”

He playfully rolled his eyes before yanking her off the counter, spinning her around, and swatting her ass to watch it jiggle. She whimpered and arched her back at the pleasurable sting. Looking into the mirror, Ben towered over her with rippling muscles and hair hanging in his eyes. He looked like a sex god. Her sex god. A large hand trailed up her flushed body before wrapping around her throat. He leaned down, eyes never leaving hers, and growled in her ear before biting it. The shiver that ran down her spine made her arch her ass back into his hips, hard dick settling against her ass.

“Keep your eyes on me, sweetheart. Seven days without seein’ that beautiful ‘o’ face was fuckin’ torture,” Ben groaned.

The grip on her neck shifted to lay his palm between her shoulder blades, pushing her down to bend over the marble. Her gaze never parted from his, even as he roughly pushed inside her. A pornographic sound that only he could elicit out of her fell from her lips. She stood on her tip toes and tried to push herself up at the uncomfortable stretch. A strong hand on her hip pulled her back onto his cock while the other bent her over again, “Nuh uh, get off your toes.”

“I-It’s too much, d-d-…,” she stopped herself when embarrassment sat in her stomach.

Ben kept her ass flush with his hips, lightly rutting against her causing her to whimper, “I know it is, baby. I gotta reshape this pussy every time I come back.”

She cried out when he roughly snapped his hips, “Fuck, daddy!”

“There it is. That so hard?” Ben chuckled into her ear as he leant over her.

The whole time they never broke eye contact. She’d fought the urge to roll her eyes into her head, the need to please and see him more important. She reached back and thread her fingers through his soft hair as he began a slow, powerful rhythm. Every thrust nearly knocked the air from her lungs. His animalistic moans and groans went directly into her ear, “You miss daddy? This fuckin’ pussy sure did.”

“Yes! Yes, daddy, I missed you so fucking much!” she cried.

“Push them hips back, darlin’. Show me how much you missed me,” he smirked as he sunk his teeth into her neck.

He broke the eye contact which gave her the go ahead for her eyes to disappear into her head, hips frantically meeting his. She begged for more in between pathetic moans. His smirk branded into her skin over his bite mark as he realized she had become cock drunk. “N-No one does i-it like you, daddy! M-More please, please!” she cried.

Ben looked back into the mirror when he felt her walls fluttering and getting tight around him. It only spurred him to fuck her harder, like a feral beast in rut. He watched her face contort in pure ecstasy as she climbed higher and higher towards gushing all over his cock. “Fuck, you’re so beautiful!” he moaned as he fucked her with a determination, “I fuckin’ love you! Love fuckin’ you, and I fuckin’ love you!”

“I love you too, Ben!”

“I’m yours, baby. You’re mine. So, I’m gonna put a baby in ya,” he growled as his large hand wrapped around her throat, “Want me to do that? I’d love to see a nice shot of you in the tabloids carrying my baby.”

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” she choked out as she teetered on the edge.

His other hand snaked down and pinched her clit, and she came. The obscene sound of her release splashing on the bathroom floor filled the room. Ben didn’t stop. He kept going, pushing her first orgasm into another. Her body shook violently as the pleasure racked through her like she’d been electrocuted. A dark laugh fell from his lips when he felt her knees buckle and he had to hold her up, “Almost there, darlin’. Stay with me.” She could only weakly nod and moaned when his fingers flexed around her neck. Her brain was so fuzzy and fucked out.

Ben felt her legs trembling as he chased after his own high. It felt like the second his mind shifted to his own pleasure, the band snapped. He thrust his hips as deep as he could inside her and came with a loud roar. The feeling of him cumming inside her made her whine and whimper. “Right where it belongs!” he growled through gritted teeth.

Once his hips finally stilled, Ben slowly released her neck and saw a light bruise forming in the shape of his hand. He kissed the mark to try and coax her back to earth. A shudder went through her body beneath his when he pulled out. His spend began to leak out and onto her thighs. “I really rocked your world, didn’t I?” he smiled as he stepped back to look at the mess he made.

“You’re so full of yourself,” she panted.

“I wouldn’t talk when I’m literally drippin’ out of you,” he smiled as he leaned down to watch it.

Once he was done admiring his baby making juice seeping out, he stood up straight and helped her stand up to sweep her into his arms. She cuddled into his sweaty chest as he walked towards the still running shower. She wiggled in his grasp, “No, it’s gonna be cold now.”

Ben shook his head before stepping into the steam and still hot water, “One of the perks of being the top dog is the best amenities money can buy.”

Even after setting her down, she still cuddled into his chest and enjoyed his arms around her. He pet her hair lovingly before resting his chin on top of her head. A content sigh left his chest. A small kiss was placed over his heart. He’d done what he said. It felt like the entire scandal and events of the day were far away and far gone. He’d be damned if he’d let any of those vultures upset his woman like that again.

[monarchberrysblog]

UNDER THE STARS ⋆⭒

⋆｡°✩ part two to: NOTHING BUT TROUBLE

credit to: @mar_marOu on Instagram & @/marmarOu on X and Tumblr!

✭ 🔞 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐂𝐚𝐭! 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐎’𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐱 𝐅𝐞𝐦! 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 ✭

✭ 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: sometimes, a hero and a vigilante need a break from the hectic city environment.

✭ 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐃. miguel and the reader are in an established relationship, brief mentions of kleptomania, exhibitionism (both of y'all literally don't give a fuck but seriously, don’t do freaky stuff outside), cumplay (?), cum eatting (we are going there too), uncircumcised peepee 🤭, hard? dom! miguel, assertive behavior from the reader, cunnilingus (f! receiving), unprotected p-in-v (please go to your local planned parenthood to educate yourself), and heavy breeding kink. (he scrambles your eggs 😝)

✭ 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: +1.6k words 🤭

✭ 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: Nothing But Trouble blew up overnight! thank you for your undying support! it means a lot to me 😭 if there are errors, i do apologize, it's been a month since I looked at this. I'm slowly getting back in the groove.

here’s to my followers! y’all live in my basement now 🐈‍⬛ 🩵

The low clouds in Nueva York cascaded onto the ground, creating a murky environment in now empty streets. It was a quiet night, even for Nueva York. Within the apartment buildings of the hustling city, many were home, sheltered away from the smog air. Some were fast asleep in bed with their blankets, and others were cooking a warm meal for the evening. But for you, you were dragged out of your soft, cozy bed past the window edge decorated with many potted plants and small trinkets. You were now climbing the fire escape, wearing your pajamas and a simple black sweater.

The cat dragged you out into the cold environment, away from your warm, cozy bed. You yawned as you climbed up, swiftly up the fire escape, feeling the now wet bars against the palm of your hand.

The memory of seeing a text message from Miguel immediately came to mind when your slipper fell off your foot, causing you to shoot a web at it to retreat.

The "I want to see you real quick" text meant nothing but trouble from him. He was always up to no good, leaving a little mess behind, like a cat playing with a ball of yawn, only for the poor creature to be tangled in its consequence with big, teary eyes.

Nonetheless, you continued your climb up, finally reaching the rooftop.

The cold air nipped at your skin, piercing its cold air needles through your sweater and pajamas. Bringing your hands close to your mouth, you exhale warmly to your freezing digits, rubbing your hands, seeking friction to warm your dead, lifeless fingers temporarily.

You stand idly, waiting for his arrival.

A puff of smoke escaped your lips while you yearned for your return to your warm bed and away from the cold weather. Then, your vision darkened. A pair of large hands shield your eyes from the skyscraper lights of Nueva York. "Miguel!" You squeaked, reached to grasp his hands, and forcefully attempted to pull them away from your face. "Seems like you're happy to see me." He croons against the shell of your ear. His voice vibrates against your eardrums, reverberating down to your core. "Tell me why you're here...!" You finally pull his hands away from your eyes and turn around to see him.

"I can't see my favorite person in the whole wide world?"

"No, no, you can't."

"Ouch, I'm hurt." He feigns pain, placing a hand against his "aching" chest cavity. You chuckle, delivering a punch against his shoulder, and sigh. "Really, why are you here?" He chuckles at the question, his palm rubbing away the aching punch that blossomed under his skin. "I have something for you-"

"Did you steal it?"

He frowns at the question. Sure, it was a given that he tended to snatch the next shiny thing in sight, but this time, it was... different.

"No...!" He hisses. "I bought it with my own money." He reaches down to his toolbelt and grabs a drawbag. He opens the tiny draw bag and retrieves a small royal blue box. "It's for you." He tosses the box to you. The little box jumps around your hands before it settles down on your palm. "I hope you like it." He huffs a bit of his cheeks while watching closely.

Your hands move independently, opening the tiny container. The velvet plush container revealed a heart-shaped necklace; the midnight blue stone glistened in the moonlight, shining independently. "Miguel...?"

"Now, don't get sappy on me." He scoffs, displaying a frown. Behind the frown, a smile waits to be displayed. He browsed at multiple boutiques, hoping to find something that was meant to be for you. Something that stood out from the rest. Simple, but it was made for you. "You got this for me?" You pout and soon retrieve the necklace from the velvet box.

"Do you like it?" The question felt boyish, even for him. But it was such a cute action coming from him.

"Yes! Oh my god! Help me put it on!" You bounced on the balls of your feet, ready to be climbing on the walls. "Put it on me, put it on me!" You repeat the phrase as a mantra, handing him the necklace to help you put it on. His frown breaks as he chuckles and assists you put the necklace on. "Do you like it-" He repeats and immediately gets jumped into an unsuspecting embrace. "Stop asking the question! Yes, I love it!" Your laughter fills the space as Miguel's hands work to get a proper hold of your bottom. Your laughter filled the space before the slowly descended to soft giggles and sighs.

His nose nudges against the tip of your nose, slowly creating a gap of silence between you. "Hi..." you whisper, nudging your nose against his. "Hey, " he croons as he nuzzles closer, planting a gentle kiss against your lips, molding your lips perfectly. You hum at the contact and enable the soft kiss. His fingers dig into the plush of your bottom as his claws sink deep into your skin.

Soft suckles and sighs fill your personal bubbles before pinning you down against the ledge. Your hands grasp Miguel's bicep before his chuckle greets your ears. "C'mere..." His hands move to hold onto your hips and drag you closer to his hips, rubbing himself against you at a slow, agonizing pace. "Even when it's cold out, you are warm."

You turn to look down, seeing the hustle and bustle of the streets, the lights looking nothing but a speck of light. "No one is gonna see us." He hums before he nuzzles his way to the crook of your neck, slowly placing soft kisses and trailing them back to your lips.

"Are you sure?" You push the question and lean closer to the soft butterfly kisses against your skin. "It's dark, no one is going to see." He rubs his straining member against your aching core, fluttering and waiting to be penetrated. His hands tug away at your sleep shorts, desperate to cease them off your body.

The thin line of arousal builds up against the gusset of your underwear, the slick, clear arousal clinging against your folds. "Let me get a taste." He pulls away the gusset, his fingers feeling the warmth and heat against his digits. "Look at that; you were already preparing for me..."

He kisses his way down to your core, almost moaning at the scent. You were his catnip, the temptation luring him to you, to roll his tongue at the liquid, sticky ecstasy, to drown in it.

His nose budgets against your clit as his tongue laps at your entrance, collecting the taste. The cold air, accompanying his warm breath, nipped at you as your walls clenched around nothing. You are opened up to him like a blooming flower, exposing more of your now sensitive clit. “You are too sweet…” His voice is muffled thanks to his tongue licking your entrance from the bottom to the top.

Your eyes shoot open when you feel his middle finger linger at your entrance, tracing the opening slowly. Your breathing catches you, also as if you were sprinting in a marathon. He pulls away from the intimate kiss from your lips, his lips coated in your mess. "C'mon… let everyone hear you." He purrs and pushes two fingers in, feeling you clench against his digits. "Easy there, quierida." He keeps at a steady pace, immediately hearing the wet slaps. "There we go, there we go..."

The small whimpers evolved into full moans, your moans only audible to him but immediately drowned out by the sound of honking cars and noises in every other corner of the gloomy city's lively life. "Let me hear you, let me hear..." He slurps the sticky discharge before he is immediately shoved into you by your hands. You wailed out, squirming about before he pinned you down. "Open your mouth, now." His demands muffled, not daring to move away from your puffy folds.

You did as he said and screamed out an orgasm, nearly waterboarding him. He pulls away from your puffy folds and is wholly doused. You croak out a noise, ready to say something, but get stopped. “Just keep your mouth open.” He pulls down the zipper of his suit before he frees the strained tent between his legs.

Not earning a warning on time, he spits into your mouth, giving you a taste of your cum. The strong tangy taste and substance stayed in your mouth as you kept your mouth shut in shock. "Swallow it." He heaves before he reaches down between the two of you and lazily pumps his aching cock. You reach down and pull back at the foreskin gently, allowing to see the mauve tip peek out from the extra skin.

You grab his cock, pulling him close to you and pushing him into you. He groans softly at the sensation as he rocks himself in and out of you.

You swallow your cum and bounce on him, following his lead and feeling the familiar pressure between his tip and G-spot. You flutter against his length, trying to create a consistent rhythm, but the rhythm comes out staggered and messy. "You've been working on your kegals? You little slut." He hisses while pushing you down on the ledge.

"You're getting there. I can feel it." Strands of hair begin to stick to his forehead, and sweat soon drips down onto you, landing on your blouse and occasionally on your face. "Together now, you can do it. Hold it, " he demands as the pace increases. You look over at him, mouth agape and eyes pleading. Your hands grasp his exposed bicep, fingernails leaving crescent indents and red streaks.

"No, I know what you're thinking. Not yet." You pull him close, feeling your lower stomach bubble like a witch's cauldron. He leans down, planting you a harsh kiss, his tongue creeping its way to yours. You eagerly oblige, still tasting yourself on his tongue. "Now, go ahead." He rasps, rubbing his thumb against your clit. With one final thrust, you splash the two of you, your mess landing on the floor beneath the two of you.

"There you go, I'm so proud of you." He leans in to kiss your temple and nuzzles close. He slowly pulls out and looks at your pully walls. Not even a moment later, his cum spills out of you, dribbling down past your swelling folds. "Hold on, nena." His fingers gather his cum and push his cum back into you slowly.

He pulls his fingers out, residue lingering on his fingers before he licks the mess off.

"Don't waste a drop."

[just-a-ghost00]

General channeled messages

To pick your group, take some time to ground your energy and when you feel ready choose the number or the image that you feel drawn to. Of course, you can select several groups if you feel called to.

Group 1 - Can you feel my heart?

Someone has been trying to reach out to you for days but they are so scared of your reaction that they find it hard to do. They are stuck in their head about you and they struggle to find the right words to express how much you mean to them. A part of them hopes that you can feel their inner turmoil and give them a nudge because they feel like they'll never find the courage to spill the tea. I'm getting the feeling of two introverts waiting for each other to make the first move because they both fear rejection. And if neither of them makes a move, this could last for a long while and this connection might never take flight. They wish that they could telepathically convey to you their feelings and telepathically pick up on whether those feelings are receiprocated. Truth is they probably can but they are so caught up in their fear of not being understood and possibly losing you that they do not notice. I'm told that this person has been given many signs by the universe but they failed to see them or did not want to see them. You were probably given the same signs and picked up on them. But you, on the other hand, purposefully ignored them. The reason for that is because you are tired of always being the one to make the first move. It's like both of you dance around one another without ever coming close, trying to express through your steps and glances words you dare not utter. And they know it would be so much better to get closer and properly embrace you. However, closing the gap feels like a herculean task to them. To you, it feels like a scene you've seen so many times before. And each time, it didn't end that well. So you feel wary about moving to that beat again. Who is going to give in first? Only time can tell. On that note, I felt like pulling a few cards to get advice from your guides. You got the page of cups, 9 of swords and 2 of pentacles. Your guides are encouraging you to consider this connection in a very chill way. Don't overthink it and just enjoy the experience. If you feel like interacting with them, go for it. If you feel like telling them about your feelings, go for it. If you wish to keep your distances, that is fine as well. Just go with the flow. It doesn't have to be any more complicated than that. There's nothing that could go wrong. What do you have to lose? You are already whole. Whether this person reciprocates the feelings or not doesn't change anything to who you are. So be straightforward and keep your expectations leveled. Keep your exchanges simple and balanced. Give when they give, retreat when they do. This is a dance after all. Just feel the rythm and groove to it.

Group 2 - I don't care! I love it!

A man has been eyeing you for days. He fell in love with your unique sense of humour and unconventional personality and has been wondering what you were up to ever since. You don't get to be in contact with that person very often. Every time you do, there are other people involved which limits your interactions. This person is a bit shy around you and doesn't know how to approach you. They wish they could know more about you and tell you more about themselves but they're afraid of how people are going to react if they approach you so they keep their distances. They try to find excuses to talk to you or get closer to you. So, let's say you have a common group of friends and all of them are talking, they would try to get you to participate to the conversation by bringing up certain topics. Since they don't know you that much, the topics they bring up can be really random lmao It's like one minute you and your friends are talking about the latest news and this person suddenly mentions UFOs and how they believe aliens are real. And somehow the trick seems to work because their dorkiness has caught your eye, I feel. Please if that resonates with you, tell me in the comments! lmao That man didn't realize they had a crush on you until one day they noticed that they kept thinking of you every time a subject was brought up by their peers or every time they were doing something random. Like going to the groceries, they would see a perfume or a body lotion and would think "I bet group 2 would love that". If they go to the barber, they would pick a cut that they think would be to your liking. If they know you like something in particular, they would start doing the same. Like buying your favorite coffee brand or learning about things that you like so that next time they see you they can talk about it a bit more. This person really wants to make an impression on you and they now understand that you hold a very special place in their heart. They are currently tip toeing around you, waiting for an opportunity to make a move.

Group 3 - Never know how much I love you...

I feel like all messages today revolved around romantic interests. I guess Fall season seems to be a good time of the year to fall in love ;) We have here yet another secret admirer who is not so secret because I feel like you know them very personally and you probably have a crush on them too. You steal glances at each other, give subbtle hints and send inuendos every chance you get. Yet, none of you has made a clear move. You're waltzing around each other, gauging each other, trying to see who will give in first. Both of you are hardcore introverts and honestly this could last for months, if not decades at this point. You met this person randomly and very quickly became friends. You might have confided in this person very early on, shared with them intimate stories about your past. The chemistry is undeniable. But somehow both of you are scared to death. I guess this echoes with your past romantic experience. You call each other friends but both of you know very well deep down that this is so much more. They wince every time they hear that word in your mouth because they want to be every thing but that. The single thought of you being with someone else makes their skin crawl. They are praying all gods and entities that they can think of to keep creeps away from you. They are wishing for you to be single and only interested in them because they can't stand the thought of losing you to someone else. Especially if that someone else is an ex lover that they know of. This person is ready to love everything about you, even the little details, the little quirks. They want to embrace every part of you, no matter what you think of them. They wish that you could see yourself in their eyes because you mean the world to them and they think you are gorgeous. I'm picking up on people feeling insecure about their body, especially considering that they find their crush way more attractive. This person is saying "don't assume what I like or don't like" that is up to me to figure out. "If you don't show me all of you, how could I know if I love you? Let me decide for myself instead of hiding away." I'm really getting a very sweet energy from them. Puppy love kind of vibe. They really want to pamper you.

[aziraphales-library]

hello!!!! i was wondering if you have any fem-presenting aziraphale recs? :) i adore her very much and would love to read more fics about her!

Hi! We have a #female aziraphale tag, so do check that out. Here are more fics to add...

On Your Doorstep by miss_minnelli (E)

“Don’t you think it would be easier to already have a kid before you fall in love?” Crowley asked. “What?” “If you already had a kid, and then you started dating your ideal person, you wouldn’t have to worry about all the drama and hardship of having a kid together and that relationship wouldn’t be tainted.” Zira raised her eyebrows. “So you’re saying you’d rather have kids with someone that you’re not that romantically interested in and then what, break up with them for your dream person?” ... Zira and Crowley, friends since university, are the last two single people in their group of friends. Neither wants to be part of one of those couples whose kids destroy their relationships, so instead of waiting for their perfect matches, Zira and Crowley decide to platonically have a baby together. 

Honeysuckle & Heat Waves by pilatesandpinot (E)

Ezera Fell has returned to the town where she’d spent her summers growing up – seaside Tadfield, where the slogan is “Everyday is a Holiday” and the perfect escape for a recent divorcee like herself. But she isn’t just here for holiday or to “get her groove back”; she’s inherited her late aunt Agnes Nutter's bed and breakfast and is determined to restore it to its former glory. She’s consulted the help of the best gardener in town, except there’s one issue: he’s Anthony Crowley, the same man she serendipitously had a one-night stand with while on holiday in Paris. Will the sparks fly now that they’ve been reunited, or fizzle out?

Against Expectations by Blue_Sparkle, summerofspock (E)

After being pressured by their families into a marriage neither of them want, Aziraphale and Crowley resign themselves to an unfulfilling life together. For Aziraphale that means trying to be the dutiful wife she was always taught to be and for Crowley it means hiding an important part of who he is.

Star of the Wooded Mountain by jamgrl (T)

Going back to camp shouldn’t have been hard. Yeah, okay, there was the gender-queer thing and the whole, uh, gendered cabin situation. And, yeah, being a counselor wasn’t going to be the same as being a camper. But Tony loved everything else about camp. Tony loved the woods and the creek and the s’mores. Mostly, though, Tony loved Azira. And they were afraid. That they would be a bad counselor, that Azira would stop liking them. Twelve weeks was a long time, and Tony didn’t know if their life was going to fall together or fall apart.

10,000 Hours by AnnaTheHank (E)

Rich playboy Anthony Crowley has finally broken the last straw. He's been disowned by his grandmother, and turned away by his family. With no money and no where to go, he heads to the old family cabin to lay low until it all blows over. Romance writer A.Z. Fell has been given use of her publisher's cabin to get away from the city and work on her newest book-her first erotica. Neither expected the other to be there, but there they both were. And AZ finds that Crowley's vast knowledge of sex may just make up for her own lacking knowledge when it comes to writing her book.

Within These Castle Walls by christi_writes (E)

Victorian AU. A celebration at an aristocrat’s castle turns deadly with a murder most foul. Paranormal encounters at every dark turn, humans going carnal left and right, and if that stupid Duke puts his hands on Aziraphale one more bloody time, Crowley was going to lose it. -Or- Circa 1880's Victorian Era. Crowley's just woken up from his century nap and the world has changed, including Aziraphale.

- Mod D

[bonkquartz]

a hat in time au; what if the conductor fought dj grooves instead?

just a sketch for an animation meme i wanna make. gave grooves more stars on his jacket and also a little, idk what it's called but it's like, a stitch? on the open part of his jacket at the bottom (i don't know how to explain it but i thought it looked cool). his trousers have diamonds on the side.

conductor looks a bit more casual here, he is wearing a blazer tucked into his belt, loose tie, holding his hat in his hand. he's also wearing trousers that have two pockets like the ones in cargo pants. his trousers are tucked into his boots which have some belts on them. maybe he has the dead bird studio logo on the back of his blazer and on the chest pocket?

i hope these designs look cool, i think they look cool !!

extra sketch + my opinions on the intended boss in botb under the cut [long scroll]

extra:

little beady eyes poking out

ofc it's plausible that both characters could be the actual intended boss, and there's evidence for both, but i wanna explain my idea on things !!

at first i was conflicted because at the start it shows that the conductor has 3 time pieces while dj grooves has 2. this led me to think that the conductor has to be the winner because he has two to give for his levels and then one final one to give for his award ceremony, while dj grooves only has two to give for his levels. but i realised recently that the conductor actually gives away one of his time pieces before you even get to any of their levels, which would mean that both of them have 2 time pieces each for their levels, and my original theory is false !!! so now i am completely convinced that it is MR. GROOVES HIMSELF who is the intended villain (i know that there probably isn't an actual 'intended' boss, this is just headcanoning really and i'm completely fine with others thinking differently to my headcanon).

first off, it's a plot twist i personally love. he's such a kind and chill guy, how could he turn on us like this ?! i LOVE it. i think that all of those continuous losses really can take a toll on him, especially because he DID win once. it must've felt amazing, but it means the failure afterwords would be all that more upsetting. i believe all of this really affected him. i mean, how couldn't it? it seems obvious that it'd negatively impact anyone's mind. i feel like it festered inside of him, as a large mass of hatred and despair; he couldn't take it, what good is it being a filmmaker if you aren't even good at it? when he finally started considering the idea of quitting, the perfect solution fell into his lap - a girl approached him, speaking of mysterious hourglasses with time-shifting abilities, about how they're the optimal fix for problems such as theirs, speaking about the fame he could have - the power he could wield.

and then he had it. the annual bird movie award was right in his flippers. it was his, all his. but he didn't do it alone. he had produced a new star. was it because of her that he won? a familiar feeling of jealousy encapsulated him. she had to go.

but he failed, he failed to dispose of her, and there were so many witnesses to his failure.

his moon penguins, they were like a family to him, and they saw him like this. even the conductor was there, helping the girl. why? why did it turn out this way? all he wanted was to feel proud of himself, he wanted to feel like he deserved the admiration he got from his fellow moon penguins, he wanted to make them proud.

WHY did this turn into a fanfic??? but anyways, i wanted to give an insight into how i believe he felt during the whole thing, and i guess a fanfic was the best way to do that????????? but um, actual reasons that convince me:

- the hitbox is always dj grooves' - it's more interesting to me story-wise, personally - in hat kid's diary, she seems shocked by the betrayal and like someone else pointed out, i feel like she would have seen the conductor betraying her coming, so that wouldn't be shocking, but dj grooves being the boss would be shocking to her. after all, he's been so nice to her from the start!! - dj grooves is one of my favourite characters.... - he isn't majorly featured in any subsequent chapters - could show that he feels too guilty !! - in the concept game he was always going to be the villain - he gets his own storybook (i think it's in the dlcs?), the conductor doesn't. the main bosses all have their own storybooks i think.

probably more but i have to sleep away !!!

[stardustcatcher]

Fluff Alphabet (Danny Wagner)

Pairing: Danny Wagner x Reader

Word Count: 4.2K

Warnings: y'all already know it's fluffy and sweet so make sure to brush after to prevent cavities, marriage, talk of babies, mentions of drinking and being drunk (just trust me), uhh and danny being the sweetest most bestest partner, let me know if i missed anything :)

AN: look at him up there,, doesn't he just look so boyfriend :,) i'm sorry this took a little bit longer, i was having a little bit of writer's block, but i did it and here she is! i love writing for danny, he's just peak romantic boyfriend material. as always, i hope you all enjoy and remember that all feedback (likes, comments, reblogs) is welcomed, appreciated, and encouraged. hearing back from you guys keeps me going :) i love you all <3

taglist

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

Danny’s favorite way to spend his time with you is just by simply being around you. Even just doing separate things while being in each other’s presence, you could be reading while Danny sits on the other side of the couch scribbling words down in his music journal. It’s one of your favorite things to do with each other, just existing together. Though that’s not all you do, Danny also loves to take you out to local shows, whether it’s bands or artists that he knows/is friends with or just some random show downtown, it’s like he’s immersing you in his world a little bit and he loves it. Since music is essentially his whole life, besides you, it's a fun way to include you in a way that wouldn’t be boring like just sitting in the studio while he works.

B aby - Do they want a family? Why/Why not?

Because he’s still young, kids aren’t in the forefront of Danny’s mind, but that doesn’t mean he never thought about it. He loves his parents, he has a very good relationship with them and has been told that having kids is one of life’s greatest joys. He’d love to experience that for himself, especially with you. He’s had dreams about a couple babies of his own, to give them the experiences he had growing up, though it’s safe to say that those dreams are a long ways away. He’s away for long periods of time, and it’s hard enough to be away from just you, he couldn’t imagine being away from his own hypothetical children. So he would ideally like a family, but not for quite some time. 

C uddle - How do they like to cuddle?

  Danny loves being the big spoon when you two cuddle. He’s large but gentle, your own personal teddy bear. His favorite is when you’re both laying in bed after a long day, a movie on the television, and your head is laying on his chest with his arm wrapped around your shoulder, tracing gentle shapes into the skin. Having you in his arms, protected from the outside world, the two of you locked in your own personal bubble is Danny’s personal happy place. 

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

Even before your relationship was official, Danny often found himself daydreaming about a future with you. Right when you met, you had wormed your way into his heart and mind and he knew that you were the one he wanted to be with for a long long time, preferably forever but that thought kind of scared him. He’ll often imagine traveling the world with you, taking you along with him to all the places his career lets him go. Whatever he does, he wants you right there with him. Danny wants to spend forever with you, and it took a little while for him to come to terms with that desire since you’re both still young, but the more he thought about it the more comfortable he got with the idea. Any future with you is his dream future. 

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

At the beginning of your relationship, Danny was the more dominant one. It was before you two really found your groove with each other and that was just how it worked out, once you both fell into a certain level of comfortability and routine it became a relationship of equals. While around his friends, or social situations pertaining to him, Danny will assume the more dominant role. Though when around your friends or family, or events/situations for you, you’ll take the lead. It really all depends on the circumstance, Danny is very versatile and doesn’t really have a dominant personality in everyday domestic life. But if that’s something you need, if you’re having an off day or just need him to take the lead a little bit more, he has no issue doing that for you and it comes relatively easy. 

F eelings - When did they know they were in love?

Danny knew he was in love with you on your very first date. You’d been friends for a little bit at that point and he had finally mustered up the courage to ask you out, the elation and relief he felt was unlike anything he’s ever felt before. He drove you both out to a clearing near where he lived, it was somewhere he’d gone when he needed time away or he wanted to write, it brought him peace and was absolutely gorgeous. He had packed a picnic basket of all your favorites and guided you out into the clearing, hand in hand. As soon as he saw the smile spread across your face he knew he was completely and utterly in love with you. Hearing you gasp in awe at the beauty of the nature around you, watching you chase after butterflies and watch the sunset, he knew without a doubt that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you next to him. 

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

Danny is a very grateful person in general. He is grateful for the amount of opportunities he has been given to live out his dream, for all the cool places he’s got to go and things he’s been able to see, he thanks his lucky stars every day for everything he has and that also extends to you. He’s grateful for everything you do for him, whether that’s acts of kindness or things you choose to miss out on because of him. He know’s his life is not the most stable because of his job and you’ve had to miss out on being able to do or go to certain things because of who he is, and he acknowledges it every time, thanking you and also telling you that you don’t have to work around his schedule and life all the time, but you’re always happy to do it because he’s Danny and you love him endlessly. 

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

Danny has no secrets to keep from you, the only time he’d ever withhold information from you would be if he was planning something for you. He’ll tell you anything you want to know, he firmly believes that there is no point of secrets in your relationship. He’s not afraid to tell you anything and since he tells you everything it’s created a space for you to tell him anything as well. You both know that you can go to each other and say absolutely anything and there will be absolutely no judgement. 

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helping them overcome personal problems?

You’ve definitely helped Danny come out of his shell and embrace himself. Prior to your relationship he was rather quiet and shy, happy to fade into the background and play mediator. With you around, he’s become more of himself, both on the outside (like expressing himself with his clothing or trying makeup) and on the inside (just becoming more comfortable with who he is as a person) and it’s something that he will never be able to thank you for enough. 

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

  Danny is not a jealous person whatsoever, he’s only ever really gotten jealous once and it was only because another man was blatantly flirting with you in front of him. He claims to not get jealous because he loves you and knows that you love him. He knows you would never choose another person over him, you chose to be with him and only him, so why should he feel threatened by another when he’s already your first and only choice?

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

You had been the one to initiate your first kiss with Danny. It was your birthday and instead of going out all you wanted to do was spend the day with him. You made him promise to not get you anything, not wanting him to spend money on you because you said “his presence was a good enough gift” but he didn’t listen. “Everyone should get to open something on their birthday” he had said, pulling out a little gift bag from behind his back. You lightly scolded him, reminding that you had said no gifts but he just told you to open it. Inside the bag was a book you had been wanting forever and a small box. You looked at him skeptically but he just urged you to open it. You carefully unwrapped the box and inside laid a necklace with a pendant that housed a pressed flower from the clearing where you had your first date. Tears welled in your eyes as you looked up at him, he was biting his lip, nervous that you wouldn’t like it or think that it was dumb. But you just threw your arms around him, squeezing him against you so tightly that you couldn’t breath. “You like it?” he asked when you pulled away. “I love it,” you whispered, hand caressing the side of his face before you gently pressed your lips to his. They were soft and warm, and he tasted like spearmint and the soda he’d been drinking. Danny was by far the best person you’d ever kissed, he tenderly laid a large hand on your jaw and smiled into your lips. It was perfect. 

L ove - Who says ‘I love you’ first

You were the one to say I love you first, and it had been kind of an accident. You’d been out on a date to a bar that Danny and the Kiszkas frequented, just a nice night to relax and let loose. Your job was stressing you out lately and Danny thought it’d be nice for the two of you to get out of the house for a little bit. Needless to say, you ended up indulging a little more than intended and passed out on the Uber ride back home. He helped you inside, making you drink some water and take some aspirin for the impending hangover the tomorrow would surely bring. He took such care with helping you change into some of his pajamas, knowing how much you loathed falling asleep in your outside clothes, and he even carefully wiped off your makeup with the wipes he kept in his bathroom just for you. He got himself changed and laid down in bed with you, and just as you were on the verge of sleep you cuddled into him. “You’re too good to me, Daniel,” you mumbled, cheek squished against his chest. “I love you.”

Danny’s heart skipped a beat and his breath got caught in his chest, not because he didn’t feel the same way, but because he’d been waiting for so long to say those same words to you. He didn’t want to scare you off or think it was too soon, but you’d beat him to it in your drunken haze. “I love you too, honey,” he pressed a kiss to the top of your head, but you were already deep in your dreams. He promised himself that “I love you” would be the first thing he’d tell you when you woke up. 

M emory - What’s their favorite memory together?

A memory that really sticks out in Danny’s mind, and one he finds himself coming back to often, is the first time that you saw him performing. It was relatively early in your relationship and his work was a part of his life he hadn’t shared much with you yet, not that he didn’t want to, the occasion had just never come up. So he had asked you to come the first show of their tour which started in Nashville, you’d been ecstatic having seen on social media how all the fans went all out for the concerts and even though you’d seen videos and heard Danny play, you knew it couldn’t compare to seeing it live and in person. 

When it finally came, it felt like you were just as hyped and full of energy as the boys, you watched in awe at all the people bustling around you, the fans in the pit and the seats all preparing for what seemed like the best night of their lives. It was already magical and the show hadn’t even started yet. Time ticked by and before you knew it, there was a crew member knocking on the dressing room door to tell them there was five minutes to stage, you could see the boys get even more excited as they gathered their things and followed security towards the stage. Right before he went on, you pulled Danny to the side and planted a kiss on his lips, whispering “Break a leg, rockstar,” before a security guard led you to the side of the stage where you’d watch the show. 

As soon as the music started it was like Danny was a completely different person, you felt the magic everyone had spoken about, how when they played they were their truest selves. During his drum solo, you screamed along with the crowd, Danny turning his head toward you while still pounding against the drums and sending you a wink and a smile. Danny felt that show was the best he’d ever played, and if you ask the rest of the band, they’d say the same thing. When it was all over, you’d felt like you were floating and as soon as Danny walked off stage, you launched yourself at him, arms circling his neck face buried in his neck no matter how sweaty he was. You grabbed his face and pressed your lips hard against his, ignoring Sam’s wolf whistle as he passed you. 

When you broke apart, Danny’ll never forget the look in your eyes—pure love and adoration. “You’re fucking amazing,” you whispered as his hands ran up and down your waist. His smile sparkled, he’d heard it before and never let other people’s praise get to his head, but it meant so much coming from you. He was over the moon happy to have shared another part of his life with you. 

N ickel - Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?

Danny doesn’t spoil in the sense of gifts, though he does buy you things when the urge strikes him, but he prefers to spoil you in terms of doing something nice for you. Whether that be a chore that he knows you hate or just doing something nice for you just because he feels like it. It’s how he shows he cares. 

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

Danny absolutely glows with love while in your relationship, there is a genuine physical change. He’s already a happy guy, but there’s just a certain gleam about him when you’re together. Even his fans can tell that something is different about him, how happy he looks and how he’s always smiling. His bandmates/brothers obviously know, but even before he’d spilled the beans that he was seeing something, they could see a change in Danny. He plays better, his creative juices always flowing now that he has a muse. He tries not to talk about you constantly, knowing that it would surely be annoying to those around him, but sometimes he just couldn’t help it. When you’re around, Danny seems complete. He’s happy and smiley and everything always seems a little bit better. 

P et Name - What pet names do they use? 

Danny is very traditional in terms of pet names. Some of his favorites are honey, darling, and sweetheart. He enjoys the simplicity of them and feels as though they fit you well. You are his honey, his darling, his sweetheart. He uses pet names more than your actual name most of the time. He likes how blushy you get when he uses them in public, and how you’re so used to them that sometimes you don’t respond to your actual name when he calls. 

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

Since he’s a tall man he uses his height to his advantage. He likes when you ask him to get things for you, so much so that he’ll purposefully place things higher up so you’ll call for him to get them. Getting you a mug from the top shelf and handing it to you with a kiss on the forehead never fails to put a smile on his face. 

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

Danny is a hopeless romantic, he personally loves the clichés of romanticism and finds them to be the sweetest thing. Early in your relationship, a weekly date night was implemented and it will never be missed. Even when he’s away on tour you’ll have your date nights via video calls, he wouldn’t miss them for the world. There’s been multiple occasions when there were bouquets of flowers waiting for you at your job, a little note attached that read “just because I love you”. It warms your heart and warms his when he gets a text telling him how much you appreciate his little gestures. You weren’t sure how much you believed all the stereotypes of romance before Danny, but when he came into your life, it turned your whole view of it around. 

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

If you say you have a personal goal that you want to achieve, Danny is automatically up and looking at ways to help that dream come to fruition. Not that he thinks you need his help, Danny finds you incredibly strong and talented, he believes you could do anything you put your mind to, but he wants to be however involved you want him to be. Danny wants nothing more than to be a part of your journey, whatever that may be. If you want him right by your side, holding your hand the whole time, that’s what he’ll be. And if you prefer him on the sidelines, cheering you on, he’s happy to do that too. 

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice up your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

Danny likes a routine, he finds comfort in the stability of it. He likes the routine of a date night every week, your bi-weekly trips to the bookstore and coffee shop every other Sunday. His work life is often so hectic that it’s nice to come home and know that things will be the same there. Though there is also a level of thrill in your relationship, while he’s not necessarily a “risk taker” he’s up to trying anything if you’re right there with him. Say you see something you want to try, a new place you want to go, Danny is up for the adventure if it’ll bring you happiness and you’re next to him. 

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

If empathetic was a person, it would be Danny. He’s very compassionate and sweet and understanding. He wants to be able to know you like the back of his hand, he feels like it would only bring you closer. And he does, Danny knows you better than anyone and he loves every part of you. All your little quirks and imperfections he knows and loves them. To him they’re all a part of what makes you the person you are. He takes pride in knowing you as well as he does, being so in tune with you lends a hand to your relationship. He’ll know when you’re feeling uncomfortable or cranky just by the look on your face. He’ll know when you’re happy and excited just by the way you move. How well he knows you is one of his favorite things and he considers it a privilege to be able to know you that well. 

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it worth in comparison to other things in their life?

Your relationship with Danny is the most important thing in his life. He holds you above all and would never do anything to jepordize it. Your relationship is as important to him as his career and his music, you are his family and his love. You’ve made his life better and he can’t picture himself without you. You’re a team and there is no one without the other. You are the most important thing in his life. 

W edding - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

Danny had dreamt of getting married since he was a little boy, he remembers going to weddings when he was young and he always dreamed of having a love that great that he could share with friends and family. Before he proposed you two had spoken about marriage, just wanting to know if you both were on the same page. You had told him that you couldn’t really see yourself getting married until you met him, that was when he knew that he would marry you. When he proposes to you, it’s in that same clearing that your first date was. He’s very sentimental and knows that spot holds a special place in your heart and his. 

Your wedding is filled with family and friends, it’s everything you pictured and more. You hadn’t believed in marital bliss before getting married to Danny. You didn’t think you could possibly love him more than you did before, but you did. Your relationship is basically the same, just the added perk of being able to call him your husband. You didn’t need a wedding or a piece of paper to show that you loved each other, but being able to share that experience surrounded by friends and family was beautiful. Danny is the perfect husband and you wouldn’t have wanted to be married to anyone else. 

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

Danny is very subtly affectionate while in public, a hand on the small of your back or in your back pocket, a kiss on the temple or cheek, nothing too crazy but he will always have a hand on you just to reassure himself that you’re there and alright. Though at home or around people he’s comfortable with, he’s on you like a fucking koala. Danny loves to kiss and hug and cuddle, he just loves love and showing how much he loves you. There will be multiple occasions when you two are just hanging out at home, watching TV and just relaxing, and suddenly he’ll hook a finger under your chin and kiss you. You’re always blushing and looking at him with a raised eyebrow when he pulls back, a look on your face that says “what was that for?”. He’ll always shrug and throw an arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his side. “Just wanted a kiss,” he’d respond in the sweetest voice, burying his nose in your hair. 

Y earning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

Because there are times when he’s gone alot there are certain things you two have put in place to make it easier on both of you. When he’s home, you’re almost always together, so when he is away it can be very difficult. Even when he’s thousands of miles away, he’ll never miss your weekly date. He thanks the universe for facetime every day when he’s on tour since it's your main form of communication when he’s gone. There’s a facetime call at least every other day and on off days or days when he can’t find time to call you either because they’re so busy or because of the time differences he will text you all day and everyday. There will always be a goodmorning text and a goodnight text and some inbetween to tell you about his day or ask about yours. Even when you can’t answer immediately because of work or time zones, he’ll talk to you as if you’re right there next to him. It helps the distance not feel so great. 

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

Danny would crawl hands and knees to the ends of the earth for you, he didn’t know a love before you. Though he dreamed of it, all love felt like it just existed in movies. When you came along, he knew immediately that he would do anything to make you as happy as you made him. He would do anything to protect you, cherish you, and love you. Danny considers your relationship to be one of the best things that has ever happened to him, if not the best thing, and he would go to the moon and back to keep it. If you wanted the stars, Danny would go up into space and get them himself.

=

taglist: @mintysammykiszka @peachpitpearls @alexxavicry @spark-my-nature @angelbabyyy99 @writingcold

[fantasy-mixtapes]

Fabian Aramais Seacaster S3 Playlist: side a

Here he is! God's favorite popular kid!! Song descriptions down below, spoilers for fantasy high junior year ep. 1-10

Genres include: dance/electronic, alternative, rnb, pop-punk

1. Stop, Justice

So many times we rise and fall After a while it's coming all together Together So many times we rise and fall Wondering if we'll find it all together Together Remember all the nights and days we spent together Together It's so easy to forget how to surrender But nothing's ever stopped Music and lights, rhythm and melodies Take us to the top

Is this about how Fabians friendships and newfound love of dance helped him become a happier better person? yes.

Is it also about how often Fabian fell during the Night Yorb battle? also yes.

2. Social Climb, I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME

Oh, come break some hearts now Tear them out File in for amusements with the crowd Oh, but be advised Participation is required Doin' things not typically allowed Feels like we're having a good time It's true, a wonderfully good time when I'm with you

Fabian Seacaster, The Most Popular Guy in School, Maximum Legend, making my skin crawl blowing off Mazey's twister game to hang out with Ivy THATS NOT YOUR HEARTTTTTT, THATS NOT WHO YOU AREEEEEE. AND I KNOW he was doing it for the mystery but oh my GOD he was too good at playing that part

3. Call It What You Want, Foster the People

You've taken your words And you take your judgments And stick 'em onto everything If it don't conform to what you were born into Then you run the other way You say, "Now what's your style? And who do you listen to?" Who cares? Well, the rat race ladder climbin' fake fake smiles Got nothing on me, yeah, yeah

Ok, so this is a little unorthodox for me because I usually only put songs from the characters' perspectives on their respective playlists, but I can't get this scene out of my head. In my mind, this is Mazey's perspective from the chunk of that first downtime when Fabian invites her and everyone else in dance class to Seacaster Manor, and Fabian starts to really come out of his shell.

Think of it like a slow-burn montage of the two dancing (literally dancing) around their potential feelings for one another. The song has a really nice groove to it, and it matches up with Mazey's cool and earnest personality.

4. Stronger Than Ever, Raleigh Ritchie

Hate me when I'm gone I'll make it worth your while when I'm successful But, when I'm here I need your kindness 'Cause the climb is always stressful I'll leave my peace in pieces all around The decent people back at home 'Cause I'm a big boy, an adult now or nearly If I pull the wool back from my eyes I can see clearly The world is at my feet and I am standing on the ceiling,

Alone in that big house, trying to be the best at everything, pushing himself harder and harder. The song is so perfect it speaks for itself

5. Thing Called Love, Kevin Ross

Don't know why you love me so much, oh When I can't say I deserve us Like a rocket's failure to launch I just let it self-destruct And it's not right (No) And it hurts twice when it's good-intentioned But that's life (Right?) Or is it my pride that wouldn't listen

Ok these last two are just directly in reaction to episode ten scenes so be warned.THE SCENE WITH FABIAN AND MAZEY IN THE KITCHEN??? Talk about the right person and wrong time and god; it rips my heart out. Like how he earnestly talked about how worried he was for her safety. THE WAY SHE JUST SAYS SHE HAS A CRUSH ON HIM. THE WAY LOU REACTED????? shoot me dead

6. Pieces, Sum 41

I tried to be perfect But nothing was worth it I don't believe it makes me real I thought it'd be easy But no one believes me I meant all the things I said ... This place is so empty My thoughts are so tempting I don't know how it got so bad Sometimes it's so crazy That nothing can save me But it's the only thing I have

"breaker breaker, Fabian Seacaster looking for his papa Bill Seacaster."

[newtonsheffield]

May we please get a Spicy Sunday 🌶 from Take A Deep Breath? I'm so excited for this one, the Good Girls vibes are just so strong, I already love them. Can we maybe see Kate reassuring Anthony if indeed he has the same self-esteem issues as GG Anthony. (I'm also a sucker for fighting and making up scenes, if that tickles your fancy anymore.)

Anonymous asked: Hi Molly! I hope you are well 🥰 I was wondering if we could have a Take a Deep Breath spicy Sunday today?? 🌝😈🌶️

Well, I got to remember what the Dutch National Anthem sounds like so… exciting.

I think that’s why I like these two so much as well. The Good Girls Vibe. The way I love that Kate and Anthony, and these are the same. Anthony’s kind of brash and he’s never seen out of a muscle tee and ripped jeans and he constantly smells a little bit like sweat and a very spicy cologne and Kate’s just… very attracted to him. Even though she probably shouldn’t be. Because she’s not going to get what she wants from him and she’s only setting herself up for disappointment. And Anthony thinks he’s probably not good for Kate, or not good enough.

But they find their groove eventually

Kate tried not to stare at Anthony through the window of his shop. She didn’t need to stare at him. A person didn’t need to stare at their own boyfriend did they? Not if that boyfriend walked through their flat completely naked, stood in the kitchen with not a stitch of clothing on while he cooked breakfast.

Edwina had been caught out more than once when she’d burst through the front door, ready for their usual trip to the flower market only to let out a squawk of indignation.

“Anthony! Jesus!”

Anthony blinked as he sat on the stool, unembarrassed, “What?”

Edwina sighed, “I can’t be certain but you’re leaving ball prints on Kate’s kitchen stool.”

He shrugged, “Kate likes me naked.”

Kate chuckled, his shirt hanging on her frame as she kissed his cheek, “You could maybe put on some pants when we have company.”

Anthony pointed his spoon at Edwina, “She’s your sister, she’s not company.”

“Kate, can we just go please?!” Edwina snapped. “Anthony’s penis is just… I can feel it staring at me.”

She should have been immune to him by now, surely. The number of times she’d felt his muscles flex under her hands and watched his lips form her name as he fell apart for her, because of her. She shouldn’t feel her cheeks get warm when Anthony winked at her, sat at her parent’s table and she shouldn’t be staring at him now.

His dark hair was caught under a cap and his muscles flexed as he removed his gloves, rolling his eyes at something his brother said, shaking his head. He was so handsome that it made her breath caught in her chest even as she turned to shove more flowers in the van.

“You need to get a grip.” Kate hissed at herself, as she put the arrangements in the van. “You’ve been dating him for six months, and he’s probably going to ask you to move in soon and he’s only… completely fucking, insanely hot.”

“Well, well, well,” Anthony’s voice burst onto the street seconds after the bell jingled and his customer left. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”

Kate felt her lips curve as she straightened and turned towards him, “I could say the same.”

Anthony grinned, leaping down from the top step and landing right in front of her. His arm shot out around her waist and tugged her against his chest and she felt her cheeks flush. “You are so beautiful.”

She brushed her lips against his, “You look Handsome.”

“Yeah I decided finally to put some clothes on.”

Kate groaned as she pushed back from him, “I have to go on my deliveries.”

Anthony tugged her back and she inhaled the smell of him, slightly sweaty and the spicy smell of him mixed with her shampoo. “Well, luckily for you, my afternoon’s done and I can’t stay in there and listen to Ben thinking he’s in love with Hyacinth’s teacher, Miss Beckett.” He shut the door for her and climbed into the driver’s set. “He can’t let me just have one thing to himself. I’m a wife guy and now he has to be.”

Kate climbed into the passenger seat. “I’m not your wife.”

Anthony rolled his eyes, “You know you’re my girl.”

His hand was warm on her thigh as he pulled into traffic and it stayed there all afternoon. She could hardly pay attention to anything, with his fingers tracing a pattern on her skin. She could hardly get the correct arrangements out at the right address, she might not have were it not for Anthony who grinned at everyone

“Flowers! We’ve got Flowers!”

Kate watched their eyes widen in surprise as they took Anthony in, their fingers intertwined and Kate’s distracted manner. The scent of him hung in the air of the van and he leaned in towards her, brushing his lips against her cheek.

She felt so warm, so drawn to the easy way he laughed and leaned against the car door, plucking a flower from a bouquet and handing it to her.

“Take a left.”

Anthony blinked, “Are we getting a snack?”

“You can have a snack if you want.”

Anthony gasped as he pulled into the alley behind their shops, “Kate, are you offering me… a sexy snack?”

“I am offering you a sexy snack.”

As soon as the car pulled to a stop, Anthony practically leapt on her. Their lips crashed together and the soft fabric of his T-shirt crumpled in her hands as she pulled him closer to her, desperate for the feel of his chest against hers.

It was messy and awkward as she swallowed the sounds that rose in his throat, happy and content. She could feel the heat rising between them as his hand slid further up the skirt of her dress, further and further, the soft skin of his hand warm against her as the other tugged at the neckline of her dress. The fabric of his jeans was rough under her fingers as she tugged at the button.

Anthony let out a chuckle and his teeth nipped at her neck, “That’s awfully eager if I’m getting a snack in first.”

Kate shoved him back into his seat and his hat fell into the back as his head knocked against the headrest. His hands were tight on her hips as he pulled her onto his lap and her chest felt tight as his lips fell to her neck again. “You can eat me out later, Babe.”

“Is that a promise?” He was looking at her with so much love, and excitement and a hundred other things as the windows fogged around them.

“Sure.” She gasped, catching his lips again, tangling her tongue slowly with his and in those moments it was so hard to imagine she’d thought they’d never be together. They seemed so inevitable now.

Anthony groaned as her hips rocked against him, his eyes fluttering closed at the friction, “Okay, I… I don’t have a condom and I know you’re on a break from-”

“Don’t care.” She gasped, “I really really don’t care.”

Anthony’s tongue flicked against her thumb that had somehow made its way to the side of his mouth and he sucked gently forcing heat to course through her body even faster. His hands guided her against him, keeping the slow rhythm building between them and his hips snapped up joining them together.

It was hurried and desperate and Anthony’s lips swallowed the gasp of his name that fell from her lips. One of her hands slid to his hair and she felt his gasp against her skin as her other hand slid up his shirt. He shivered against her touch as they moved together and the van rocked side to side and they were so close she could feel his heart beating right under her hands.

Anthony’s hair was sweaty under her fingers and his cheeks flushed, his eyes screwed shut as his chest heaved, “Fuck, I love you, Kate.”

The sound that fell from her lips was almost a purr as she nodded, tension coiling tightly in the pit of her stomach. Her breaths stuttered in her chest and their rhythm was short and sharp and nearly punishing as they raced to the finish.

It seemed to hang in the air for a moment as though time stood still in the moment before they both fell. As though they were dangling on the edge of a cliff. And finally, they fell apart.

Kate felt Anthony shudder against her ad she forced herself to keep her eyes open to see the content look on his face.

“Holy Fuck.” Anthony laughed, catching her lips again, “I can’t believe I ever thought you were such a good girl.”

Kate patted his cheek, “Obviously you just bring it out in me.”

Thud Thud Thud

They both startled at the sound of someone banging on the windscreen and Kate could barely make Edwina out, her hand covering her eyes.

“KATE STOP FUCKING IN THIS VAN I MEAN IT!”

[miliwritesnow]

@rosemarygalaxy here is the story you requested! If you're new here, you should probably read the other two stories before you read this mby checking out the list!

See the Masterlist > Unfortunately, the Google doc that I usually pull this from is a series of scenarios including my OC, which is why a lot of the content you see is of a girl with a very particular quirk and story. My OC is pictured in this post. I edited my stories to tailor them to people who want to insert themselves into the story, but from this point on, it will be hard to tell this particular story without mentioning my OC. If you will want more of these, I will have to continue without editing the name out. I hope you all will understand!

Bakugou Struggling with Love

They've been training for weeks now.

Every training session started with stretching, then they sparred quirkless for the first hour. She led this training, teaching the flaws in Bakugou’s style by creating and modifying existing moves to best suit the momentum he can generate using his quirk. She taught efficiency: not wasting a single movement and the principle of using your enemy's force against them. These sessions focused on repeating moves until it was engraved in the body: as a natural reaction, and not as a forethought. He didn’t enjoy getting hit every time he made a mistake but he was slowly getting used to the groove of her teachings and style.

Then, after training quirkless, Bakugou took the lead, applying her previous teachings with the added benefit of quirks. This is the part of training that Bakugou looked forward to the most. Here, he got to test the limits of her abilities, and pay her back for all the times he was flipped and pinned to the ground in humiliating positions.

Even though she was slowly overcoming the limits of her quirk by practicing its controls, she wasn't exactly strong because of it. Her reaction time, flexibility and combat sense were what truly shined in the light of her combat. Without it, her quirk wouldn’t even be close to reaching its full potential. Her metal-moving quirk was an extension of her every movement. As her fist extended, so did the metal, which reinforced each blow to be twice as strong. The plates on her arms took themselves apart and reinforced themselves during all the right moments, and though there were moments that looked like she would be vulnerable, she never gave Bakugou the chance to capitalize on them. No matter how much titanium he blew off from her form, she simply reformed it and created more from her shoulder. She was constantly remaking the metal scraps as shields, weapons, pointed spears, and armor as if it was a part of her body.

But even with the impressive display of strength, no amount of metal scraps were enough to defeat Bakugou. It was clear he was the aggressor in their fight with quirks involved. Payback never felt so sweet, especially when he glimpsed at her expressions as she tanked a particularly hard hit. It was so good to finally fight someone even close to his level.

It turns out, when Bakugou wasn't fully focusing on trying to fucking hit her, there was more of her to see. Suddenly, Bakugou noticed the way her brow raised when she spotted a mistake in his form. He noticed how her eyes narrowed and how her nose scrunched when things didn't quite go her way. He saw the way the corners of her lips rose and fell when she finally got something right. He stared at her so often that her features were basically engraved into his mind.

And pretty soon that was all he could see.

Bakugou thought about it for hours after each session, and even the hours before he fell asleep. Her face invaded his thoughts at odd parts of the day while he worked. When he fights and uses her moves, he can’t help but think about what expression would grace her face at that moment. The hours leading up to that Thursday evening were filled with his desire to fight and see her again.

It almost felt disgusting to think about one person so much.

And it felt even worse to be back in Saitama on a particular Wednesday evening for an extra’s birthday party. It felt like a Thursday, but without the training sessions he looked forward to the most, which was another way to describe that it was a shitty day. Three days ago, Dunce Face and Shitty Hair visited Tokyo to convince Bakugou to attend Ear Extra’s birthday party. Despite his protests and excuses that he didn’t want to stay late because of patrol rounds the next day, they still managed to annoy him into agreeing to come. He couldn’t hold in the string of curses that left his mouth when he realized how miserable it felt seeing these extras cling to him for dear life. Needless to say, he regretted his decision. Who the fuck even has a freaking birthday party on a Wednesday evening? Those fucking dumbasses. Don’t they have better shit to do?

By the time it was nine o’clock he bolted out of the party. No amount of whining from Shitty Hair was going to make him stay even a second longer. Stupid Deku wasn’t there, Icyhot wasn’t there and hell, the Old Hag couldn’t even make it despite living in the same city. It was a complete waste of Bakugou’s time.

On the walk back to the station, Bakugou spotted a familiar figure walking through the streets. It was a silhouette he knew all too well, approaching from the opposite direction. He unconsciously ducked behind the closest alley, hiding as he watched her jog along. She held a small box in her metal fingers as she headed the direction he just came from. If she was heading to the party, she was way over two hours late to it.

As he continues to walk forward, Bakugou passes the alley. He’s pulled away from the main street by a metal hand that clasped onto the dress shirt he wore. He’s pulled closer to her other hand’s pointed blade. The face that’s plagued Bakugou’s mind hovered dangerously close to his face. Her narrowed eyes bore into his in sparked fury, the expression lighting a small flame in Bakugou’s heart. 

Her anger dissipates when she realizes when she seed his familiar face. Her shoulders untense and she lets go of her grip around his shirt. The pointed blade retracts into her arms seamlessly.

“What the hell are you doing here? Why were you following me?” she sighs, though her expression has softened, hints of agitation littered her voice. Upon a closer look, Bakugou noticed that she was still in her hero gear. The metal encased parts of her legs, and a large block of her titanium stuck to her back and neck, ready to engulf her at any moment. Sweat dripped all over her face from her jog. 

Bakugou simply took all the details in, not bothering to explain himself.

She takes a moment to look at Bakugou’s attire and the expression on her face shifts again. Her eyebrows raise, and her mouth pulls apart by its lips slowly, as if a light flickers in her head. The unfamiliar expression rekindles the flame in his heart.

“Oh. You must be here for the party too right? Jiro’s house is this way. I was on my way too. We’re pretty late so we need to hurry!” She motions for him to follow, and Bakugou finds himself jogging along with her.

“I can’t stay for long. I’m taking Kaminari and Jiro’s night shift today so they can spend time together for her birthday. I just wanted to drop by to greet her and give her my gift,” she tells me. He finds his eyes fixated on her expressions yet again. Her calm gaze is fixed forward as she runs. "Oh. You don't have to come back tomorrow if you don't want to. It must be tiring going back and forth from Tokyo. You can take a break."

Bakugou furrowed his brow.

"I was planning on coming back. I don't have anything better to do anyways," he mutters. She hums.

"That's fine too. I'll probably be training all day since I'm off tomorrow. You can drop by early if you want."

"I'm off at 5. Expect me there at 5:30 or something," He mutters again. She nods, her eyes narrow as her lips curved upwards to a smile. Bakugou’s heart skips a beat.

"We're here." Even as they arrive, Bakugou doesn’t make a move to walk inside as she enters.

"I'll wait out here," she raises a brow, slowly, and hesitantly enters the door in confusion.

"Okay…"

The door closes and she's out of sight. Bakugou was left alone outside of Ear's house and the temperature rose in Bakugou’s blood. The embarrassment, anger and irritation finally sets in, exploding out at once.

Get out of my head. Get out of my head. GET OUT OF MY HEAD YOU OLD ASS HAG!

Bakugou slams his forehead into the building's concrete—over and over until the stupid thoughts get the fuck away from his head. What the fuck was he doing? He was supposed to be on his way home, preparing to sleep for his early patrol shift tomorrow. But now he’s here, possessed by some unknown fucking spirit into following her in the middle of the night like a goddamn creep, walking back to a lame-ass party that he had just fucking left.

He’s going fucking crazy.

Bakugou’s stuck in front of the apartment’s porch, caught in a cycle of banging his head against the wall and pacing around in circles. He wanted to end everything and just walk back to the station without waiting for her. Maybe then he wouldn’t be feeling all of these stupid things, and he could finally have some peace of mind at home.

But before he turns away, the door opens and all the thoughts about leaving disappear as if they didn’t exist in the first place. She stares at him silently, but walks without commenting further. Like a lost puppy, Bakugou followed her.

"I heard you were there earlier. You didn't have to walk me here, you know. I can handle myself." She says quietly. Bakugou only grunts in reply.

"You've been acting strange lately. Is everything alright with you?" Her head juts out from her position beside Bakugou, looking over to his face with a frown and her eyes furrowed. Even when she was a foot away, this distance was still too close for Bakugou’s comfort. He reeled his body back.

No. He wasn't okay, and it was all thanks to her.

"I'm fine,” he says tersely, completely disregarding the thought that invaded his mind.

She hums.

"It's probably because we haven't seen each other often, but I think you've changed a lot. You're a lot more…docile than I remember."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" He growls, the shit-faced expression on his face disappears for his usual forehead wrinkles. She giggles as she witnesses his usual behavior and tone make an appearance. Bakugou’s harsh expression was once again disarmed at the low rumble of her laughter.

"I don't know…You used to be much more aggressively impulsive. I couldn't stand you in high school, but… you know… that's not the case since we've been training," she says, a gentle smile on her face. "It's a nice change of pace from training alone most of the time."

She mutters and Bakugou remains silent to mull over her words.

This is the most he’s ever heard her talk. It was a great change from the usual fast-paced nature of their time together in training. Maybe it was because it was dark out, but Bakugou started to reflect on himself from their time together in high school.

He’s definitely changed since five years ago. It's not that he became calmer, it's just that a long time ago he had finally resolved the true meaning of victory, and he had become less agitated because of it. He accepted that that damn nerd Deku was a different breed from him. He was working so damn hard and growing inches when Deku was leaping miles with the same effort. The pressure to win… to be the best… all the mistakes… he didn't notice it, but it became a heavy burden on his back. He realized through their time together that winning as a hero was winning against the villains, not against your allies. 

But don’t get him wrong—he still wanted to be the number one hero and beat that damn Deku back to his place. It’s just that he had the comfort of closure from overcoming such a big trial. 

After that whole fiasco was over, Bakugou didn’t really know what to do with himself anymore. He’s been working, training non-stop for so long that aside from being the number one hero, there was nothing else to look forward to in his days. 

Maybe that’s why he valued his time together with that old hag. He finally felt like he had something to look forward to in the week. He can hardly imagine his weeks without those training sessions anymore.

"We're at the station. I'll be heading back to the office. I'll… see you tomorrow." She gives a small wave and jogs back to wherever her office was. 

Bakugou watched her retreating figure until he could no longer see her anymore. Even after she was gone, his heart and mind couldn’t find the rest he was hoping for with her disappearance. Instead, a cold, empty, uncomfortable feeling bloomed in his chest. He continued to think about her for the rest of the night, hardly getting any rest for that patrol shift in the morning.

You've caught up! Make sure to follow the blog to receive updates on the next part or check out my other work.

[deelaundry]

May Prompts #4 - Fall

Another update to The Private Personal Blog of Dr. John H. Watson, posted on AO3 as Chapter 26 in the fic. Not sure how this turned out so sad? The one for prompt 5 will be warmer.

Prompt 4: Fall

John wrote up The Hollow Client on the public blog and told how Sherlock Holmes fell for a prank, imagining a fantastical set of possible solutions to a mystery that really wasn’t one.

That evening Sherlock woke John from the doze he’d fallen into on the couch, crawled into his lap, and confessed that he’d known from the first two sentences of the email from the “client” that the whole thing was fake.  He’d only agreed to “take the case” because it’d been strange enough to capture John’s attention.

Which had been sorely lacking lately.

John’s immediate reaction was to protest, to contradict, but with a few more seconds’ thought, he realised Sherlock was right.  

Retraining has been exhausting lately, physically and mentally, and there’s barely been opportunity for the two of them to exist in the same room, never mind work together on a case.

John held Sherlock, leaned in against his neck just to breathe him in, and asked him to hold on just a while longer.  When the programme’s done, John’s outside work will scale back considerably – maybe even just one day a week?  Give them time to get in their groove again.

But I don’t know.  Maybe I should quit, maybe it’s not worth it, if my absence is felt so keenly that Sherlock would actually tell me that it’s felt keenly.

I don’t know.

[tubbypeddle]

Have any headcannons for how Kaeya would interact with a traveler who's eerily like Gyro Zeppeli from Steel Ball Run? Like Traveler has a similar background and ability but with the exact same personality as him.

THIS!!!! WAS ACTUALLY SO CREATIVE????? I was actually so excited to work on this one, especially since I recently got back into playing genshin.

and with one of my favorite boys from the game 🤭

(author's note: i'll be using they/them pronouns for the traveler in this one, just in case you want to use specifically aether or lumine in your imaginations. also, I haven't read part 7 in a very long time, so my remembering of gyro might be a little off, I apologize if that's the case

I also apologize for the slight hiatus in posts, I was a little busy with personal stuffs, but i'm back!

gyro zeppeli!traveler x Kaeya Alberich

-their pathological need for helping people is something he greatly appreciates about them. It's certainly made life easier for him, since they're so ever eager to help him out

-he does wish they were a little reckless with it though...

-for example, they can't just be rushing off to save him if he's in a bit of trouble with treasure hoarders!! stupid traveler!! he's got everything under control!!!

-how easy they are to irritate is also very amusing...

The traveler seems upset as Kaeya leads them by their horse away from the horse race, much to his amusement.

"Kaeya," they huff. "They cut me off."

"You're not a part of the race, Honorary Knight," he laughs in reply.

"Tell them to eat shit, Kaeya."

"Tell them yourself."

The traveler seems a little too excited at that. Immediately, they turn towards the race, cup their hands around their mouth, and holler, "Eat shit, asshole! Fall off your horse!"

-yeah, that was...quite the incident. Kaeya hadn't laughed that hard in what was probably years, and he damn near fell off his own horse

-they definitely named their horse Valkyrie

-they probably flirt back with him when he gets sensual with them, and Kaeya's never had someone entertain his flirting before. it definitely caught him off guard the first time. and the second. And third...Kaeya will never get used to the traveler flirting back, really

-the two of them never run out of small little competitions. Kaeya thought he was competitive, from a childhood raised alongside Diluc. But the traveler was a whole other level.

-while the traveler didn't really openly cheat, they certainly played dirty. they are willing to do anything if it means they can win.

-he does find their tendency to quote old folktales as life lessons pretty cute, even if he has no idea who the hell Aristotle is.

-your gags, and your puns, and your little skits are so fucking funny to him, but not because he actually finds them funny, you know?

-your little skits and stuff are so funny because he finds them so unfunny. like, he likes you n all, but you look so dumb, he just can't.

-it's partly the reason he accompanies them on their travel across Teyvat, because he finds them so unfunnily funny

-but the main reason he travels with them is because they're good company. they're funny, and they're protective, and they're a good friend to have while on the road.

"What...what is this? What are you doing?" Kaeya's eye was trained on the Traveler as they started making odd little...motions, with their hands. Nodded their head, as if they were dancing to a tune only they could hear.

"Shut up, you're throwing me off my groove," the Traveler huffed. Started nodding their head rhythmically again. "Okay. Okay, I got it."

"You got it?" Kaeya snorted. "What did you get?"

Before he could say anything else, the Traveler started humming a tune he's never heard before. Just where did this Traveler even come from?

"Pizza mozza~rella! Pizza mozza~rella! Lela, lela, lela, lela, lela, lela, lee~!" they sang, in an off key tune.

Kaeya could only watch as the Traveler danced in circles as they sung at the top of their lungs. He couldn't help the fierce surge of fondness in his chest as he laughed at how stupid they looked.

[rosesnink]

The Way To Rome, Chapter Two: New Routines

Author's Notes

After months being on a depression slump, here I am, back on my TWTR groove! Exams start tomorrow, but the muses were faster. Oh well!!!

English isn't my first language, so please forgive any typos/grammar mistakes

My OC's Choices sprite was made by the talented @peonyblossom all credits to them!!

If you'd like to be tagged on these series or in the It Lives stuff in general, send me an ask!

Summary: After Tallulah's anniversary, it's time for Faye to finally face college, but the forces of nature just don't seem to agree with her...

Word Count: 1.8k

Category: Angst, hurt-comfort, horror, nightmares, grief

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Lucas Thomas x F!OC (Yun Faye), mentions of Stacy Green x F!MC (Tallulah Hunter)

CW: This series will deal with themes of death, grief, horror, sexual themes and strong language, and other recurring themes of the It Lives Anthology, including the It Lives Project. Reader's discretion is advised.

Book: It Lives in the Woods

Beep beep. Beep beep.

Faye opened her eyes, sighing as her senses and body awakened. The fun was over, and it was time to prepare for the real challenge: college. Throwing back the covers, she got up and yawned as she scratched her head.

After going to the bathroom and brushing her teeth, she brushed her hair, did a simple makeup with some blush, a small eyeliner and lip gloss. Spraying her coconut perfume, she put her MacBook inside of her bag alongside her charger and went straight to the cafeteria for a good cheese bagel with its seasonings and a strong coffee. Faye had always been a morning person, she enjoyed how foggy and silent Westchester looked, the birds singing in the distance, the fresh air and how the sun wasn’t out yet, but it wasn’t dark either. A calming, comforting grey. Paying for the bagel and coffee, she started walking towards the campus. People were either groggy or already running, laughing, talking and simply living. Back in high school, people in Westchester would want your head for being so energetic. But that was the magic of college: it was not like high school.

Suddenly, woman with familiar blonde hair and blue eyes laughed with an equally redhead woman, both talking about something. She froze. No. It couldn’t be them. They were dead. They were both dead. She had seen them die.

She shook her head. Her brain was playing tricks on them. Jane hadn’t even been ten when she died, and she had buried Tallulah a year ago, and visited her grave a few weeks ago. Yet, she could feel their absence more than ever. Not when she had died. Not when Redfield killed them both. Not while watching her coffin be laid six feet down. Not during her anniversary. Today. Right here. Right now.

Her chest swelled, and her throat closed, her body going limp. Tears threatened to drop, and her body didn’t feel hers. She was sure she was about to collapse when a familiar pair of steady hands steadied her and embraced her “Easy,” it was Lucas, “it’s alright. I miss them too.”

She didn’t even remember why she was mad at him, or why she didn’t want to even breathe the same air as him. She simply laid on his chest and cried silently, clinging to him like a lifeline.

“Why them, Lucas?”

“I’m afraid we’ll never know, Faye.”

She sniffled, grabbing his napkin as she wiped her tears and took a few steady breaths. He stroked her back gently, drawing comforting ghosts on it, soothing her. She looked at him, and for the first time, didn’t see the man who broke her heart, or the one she fell for. He was tired, sad and full of regret, just like her. Two broken children bearing in their backs the pain of losing a piece of their past, someone they loved for so long, it just left a gaping hole in their hearts.

“Let me walk you to class.”

“Please.”

He walked her there, and even got her a good seat, and squeezed her arm “If you need someone to talk to, or just to cry with, my number hasn’t changed.”

She nodded, squeezing his shoulders before he left to his own class.

At first, it was hard to focus on class, but then she felt Tallulah a few feet away, encouraging to do so, and found strength in it. It was probably stupid, but grief was odd like that. And as long as one found comfort in that oddness, it was okay to lean on it for a bit.

After a long, emotionally exhausting day, she dragged herself to the room and closed the door, and opened her computer to start working when she saw a message of Stacy that read ‘vc me when u get back from class? Xx’ and decided that talking to her would be nice. They were very different people, but they understood each other very well, and had been on good terms during cheer.

The window opened to a red-eyed Stacy with run-down mascara and a weak lip, but nevertheless smiling at her with her familiar blue orbs “Hey, girl. Tough day, huh?”

Faye chuckled “We both felt the same despite being a few states apart, didn’t we?”

Stacy sighed “I don’t know about you, but I tried it with my first class, then had a whole meltdown and called Connor crying like crazy because… because it hurts, Faye.”

Tears threatened to spill them both “You think the same as all of us: it’s not fair.”

Stacy started crying “She should be here, Faye. In my bed, talking, cuddling, watching our annual rewatch of ‘You’ve Got Mail’, not six feet deep into the mud because of that rat’s delusions.”

Faye finally said it out loud “What was he thinking, that we’d perform the ritual and a grown Jane would come back, and we’d all eat cake and be merry?!”

“Right! Noah clearly did not think of anyone but his own desires. And Tallulah—,”

“Was too good to let him face the consequences of his actions. I told her, Stace, I told her a million times that her kind, golden heart would be the death of her!”

Faye realized what she said, and covered her mouth. Waiting for Stacy to blow up at her, she closed her eyes, but instead met a sigh “But that wouldn’t make her our Tallulah. My Tallulah was always so kind, gentle, brave and full of love and life…”

“I’m sorry, that was too far.”

“Maybe. But I think it’s time I accept that. Besides, I told her too, back when we were children, that the adult world was ‘full of meanies’ and it’d eat her alive.”

“Yet, that didn’t stop her from being kind and caring. I cannot see her as a cold-blooded murderer, no matter how much Noah deserves it.”

Stacy sniffled “If only he had learned from her instead of looking back, huh?”

Both stared into the distance, sniffling in silence and remembering Tallulah. The exchanged looks in the halls after that night, silently celebrating when she succeeded, watching her change her colors from pink, to blue, to red, to lilac. To think to herself how well it suited her, to hear her laugh or hum her quirky songs in the distance, telling Britney to screw off, watching her come late to class because a hungry cat wanted her to pet them, or because the petting session with Hilda had prolonged itself, or when she missed a day because she was sick, and how charged the air was in her absence.

Even if they didn’t talk, Lula was always there, lingering in a corner, and every time she felt the fear and guilt, she could always watch Tallulah from a distance, eating her spanakopita in peace as her headphones vibrated of how high the volume was.

“You know you’ll be deaf when you’re forty if you keep it up, right? Sooner, even.” A thirteen-year-old Faye told Tallulah. It had been the first time that they had talked properly since Jane died and both went into a depression and PTSD slump. Tallulah removed them and shrugged.

“The thrum comforts me. Having noise all around my ears does. Silence…”

“Reminds you of that night.”

Tallulah nodded, her black highlights based on Avril Lavigne now looking less bright. Faye squeezed her hand “I don’t like complete silence either, but not too much noise. That’s why I always put on some water noises. Reminds me of home, and I sleep easier without the nightmares.”

“…Do you see her? Lying there, eyes wide, looking at you for help?”

Faye nodded “And Redfield there, looming, smiling creepily as she dies.”

Tallulah took her hand and smiled at her “I’m glad I’m not alone in that.”

Faye hugged her tightly “Never, Lula.”

That had been the last time they had hugged one another. When they found each other last year, she was too hung up on her jealousy of Lucas that she lost her chance of reconnecting. She had her right there, and she had taken her for granted, all because of a boy who’d never love her back.

“Tallulah had always been there, now that I think about it,” she mused, breaking the silence “I could always find her in her spots every time I felt overwhelmed, but now…”

“Her absence feels as heavy as your whole body? Yeah. I looked for her, on the way back. To see her in the entry stairs, or the theater, or the back of the cafeteria, but then I remembered that this isn’t Westchester, and Lula’s gone. Forever.”

“Yeah…”

Knock knock.

Faye looked up to see her dormmates with something in their hands asking for her to come “I should go. But you take care, and shoot me a text if you need anything.”

“Okay. Tell Lucas I said hi.”

“I don’t—,” But she had already hung up.

She sighed, and looked at her dormmates: Silvia, from Massachusetts, Chandini, an exchange student from India and Sky, their non-binary dormmate from New Zealand.

“We saw that you were feeling down, and then heard that your friend passed away, so we decided to bake you cookies.”

“I baked them,” Chandini responded, and pointed at Silvia “you scrolled all through the Marshall case and Sky stood there like that one Robert Pattinson meme.”

Faye chuckled “They smell nice. Come in, tell me about yourselves.”

They talked for a while, exchanging tales of their homes and lives, and laughed at some oddities from professors of their majors and its students, and all was well until Connor texted her ‘turn on the tv rn!! news of noah dropped”. She frowned but went to the living room of the TV.

“As you were telling us, fugitive Noah Marshall, accused of killing fellow classmate Tallulah Hunter a year ago, has been seen in New York running away on a getaway car with an unknown man, allegedly stealing a worthy possession. The police are now looking for any witness who may have seen him or may have reached out to them. Here are the phone numbers to call if anyone spots him. Catching him is crucial, and the Oregon government offers 5,000$ of reward to whoever turns him in.”

Silvia placed a hand on her shoulder “How do you feel, Faye?”

“…If that rat even approaches this school, it’s on sight.”

She was back at the threshold of that cave. In there, Tallulah sat on the grass, her dress ripped to shreds, her hair messy and tears in her eyes, a haunted expression on her face. Faye ran to her, but a barrier seemed to stop her. Tallulah looked up “You left me, Faye. Again. Left me alone. Trapped, with it.”

“Who?! Talk to me, Lula!”

Then, Redfield appeared behind her. Slowly, the monster grabbed her neck and scalp, and Tallulah gasped. Faye screamed, trying to get through “No! Nooo! Not again! Leave her alone! Take me!”

But the monster had taken over her. It looked at her through those powerful blue eyes, void and lifeless. Then, it lunged at her. All Faye could do was scream.

[kookaburra1701]

For the Illustrious Khemor General Information- 4 and 7 Background- 8 Last Dragonborn- 10 and 13

From the OC asks here.

General Information: 4. Race 7. Class (or a general description of their skillset)

Khemor is an Osh Ornim (Iron Orc) from the Dragontail mountains! But he was raised in a Crown Redguard household in Skaven, as the apprentice of a mage. His master was an accomplished necromancer and conjurer, and Khemor followed in his footsteps. His particular talents lie in medium work, that is, communication with the dead and creatures of various planes of Oblivion.

Background: 8. What guilds do they join? Are they committed to those guilds, or are they mostly in them for the benefits?

After his master died, Khemor joned the College of Whispers in Cyrodiil. While Khemor was resentful of the way the Empire treated Hammerfell in the Great War, he thought there was no use in refusing a good academic position where he could continue his research in peace. He climbed the ladder in the College of Whispers for almost 20 years, and during that time was a model citizen of Cyrodiil.

Last Dragonborn: 10. Who do they marry? How did they meet?

Khemor will marry Borgakh the Steelheart. As for how they meet...the entire scene is in this WIP Wednesday post I made for Nostos. The relevant passage:

Khemor lifted his head, peeling the hood of his cowl and a lock of his hair back to peer up at his rescuer. As he blinked the river water from his eyes, the blurry figure above him came into focus.

A female Orsimer stood above him, silhouetted by the noonday sun. Water drops twinkled as they fell from her crest of dark hair and traced the severe angles of her face. Her eyes were dark, and framed by deep madder paint that graced her high cheekbones and was now dripping and streaking towards the two white tusks peeking out from behind her lower lip. Her tunic and trews clung to her figure, revealing every bulge and groove of her well-muscled arms and legs.

My love of the Hapless Nerd and Buff Protective Jock dynamic is still going strong, and shows no signs of abating.

13. Saadia or Kematu?

Khemor gives up The Traitor of Taneth to Kematu without hesitation, as he recognizes Iman immediately. Some might say that since she was just a young teenager during the war she shouldn't be held responsible for her actions, but Khemor would point out that he was also a child during the Great War and he was a part of the resistance in Skaven, at great personal risk. So he's unsympathetic.

[londondziban]

(this is bylergnawer) i’m sorry about your day . hope it got better!

anyways, when do you think byler fell in love? what are your personal headcanons for byler?

today was a better day, so that's all I could truly ask for! (I got a new tattoo!)

honestly, I don't think there was ever a distinct moment they fell in love. I like to believe the love has definitely always been there and they just grew into it as they got older. I definitely believe Will had already recognized his feelings weren't platonic by season 3 (honestly, he probably knew by season 2), but I don't believe Mike knew until end of season 3. I'll forever believe his moment of confusion at the end of season 3 was him connecting the dots and part of the reason he went to seek comfort in his mom!

Some Byler headcanons of mine:

• Will has the cold hands to Mike's warm hands and he definitely sticks them on the back of Mike's neck or on his sides to make him shriek

• they order takeout from the same two places all the time, but when they cook they do it together (well, Will cooks and Mike tries not to burn the house down)

• Mike always asks Will to trim his hair for him, while Will would never let Mike near his hair with scissors

• Mike has terrible sleeping habits. He stays up till 5am writing so he doesn’t “lose his groove”. Will wakes up around 5am to start on his commissions (���cuz he’s crazy” -Mike), so Mike always makes Will a cup of coffee right before he goes to bed

• for one of their anniversaries, Mike took Will to a pottery class and they made each other mugs. neither are very good mugs but they’re the only mugs either of them will ever use at home

• Mike gets Will flowers every month without fail ever since they officially started dating

• Mike and Will paint on pumpkins together every year rather than carve them so they last longer (and so Mike can watch Will paint)

this response turned out to be longer than I planned, but thank you for the ask!!! :)

[whaleofatjme1920]

From Where the Land Meets the Sea - Chapter 5

[GN!Reader]

[Warnings: Mentions of murder]

[AN: had a weird urge to finish this chapter and post it. 2155 words <3]

Full Index

Chapter 4 | Chapter 6 coming soon...

Reblogs are appreciated!

Tag list: @mutareadastra

Highways stretch on forever. Aside from the leaves of the trees just barely shifting from the late summer to a touch of autumn, you would have thought you and the ones packed like sardines in the car with you were stuck in your own version of eternally humming hell. 

“Reader?” A voice called out for you. 

You stared endlessly out the window and huffed. You were completely oblivious to the rough voice asking for you. Glassy eyed, you didn’t feel the presence of a predator looming over your shoulder while he glared at you down. 

From the back seat where he sat with Kate, he slinked from behind and rested his forearms on the seat. An annoyed Masky curled a brow upwards at him, but did not interfere with his odd staring. He made a gesture at you, almost to see if they were both testing the waters before he sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose and slumped against the seat. Jeff grinned. He positioned himself directly behind you. His breath fanned across your skin as he entered your personal bubble. His forearm snaked around your shoulders and neck to cage you against the uncomfortable seats of the van while his other hand twirled the blade of a knife. 

“Sunshine,” he cooed softly as his chapped lips nearly brushed the shell of your ear. “Wake up!”

You had been so consumed in your thoughts that you hadn’t felt his forearm crawl against you and constrict. But his screaming, it made you panic. Your eyes went wide as you tore your gaze away from the rolling hills and clawed like a wild animal at his forearm. “Get the fuck off of me!” You screeched as he held you tight against the seat. 

A hiss sounded from the front seat as the van swerved ever so slightly. “Stop fucking horsing around, I’m trying to drive!” A lightly southern accented voice growled. It grew deeper with every syllable to further highlight his frustration. His black ski mask stared the two of you down in the rear view mirror. 

From your side, Toby turned his head back over to look upwards at Jeff. “Come on, that’s enough,” he said coolly. It wasn’t like him to be the most composed of the group, but Toby wasn’t looking forward to the potential of another car crash. He watched as Jeff’s grip steadied so as to not choke you and hummed in approval when his pale hands stopped fluttering the blade around. 

Jeff’s ragged breading filled your ears alongside the pounding of your heart. He dipped his face down to stare you in the eyes, still grinning. “This is for you,” he said as he dropped the blade unceremoniously onto your lap. His hawk-like stare followed your hands as you moved them downwards to the handle, uncomfortably handling the knife as if it were a ticking bomb bound to go up. When he caught your startled visage once more, his grin fell completely. His face pressed to yours, the bridge of his nose blowing uncomfortably on the tip of yours. His eyes were wide, much too wide. “If you fuck around with this I will gut you and no one here will be able to stop me.” 

Masky’s head raised as if to protest, but he didn’t find the prospect of arguing very exciting and ultimately decided to let sleeping dogs lie. He sighed once more and absentmindedly rubbed his thumb over the spark wheel. He felt calmed by the feeling of the metal grooves pressed against the pad of his thumb. He looked over at you with his tired eyes and let them fall to the blade of the knife. 

Naturally, you followed him. And with it, you could see that it had been used. How many lives have been taken with this? You could feel the tears well in your eyes as your index finger just barely brushed over the handle and the silvery metal of the blade. Your hands shook as you found your reflection within it. Why did holding it feel right? Why did it fit into your hands so perfectly? 

The thought mulled in your head as the car continued down the long stretch of road and it continued until you, and your odd group of sorts, found your way to a gas station. One by one, you and all the others filed out of the car with some cracking their joints and stretching from being seated for so long.

But you, you were transfixed on the blade. Why did it fit in your palm so perfectly? Weighted just right, a smooth, but tactile grip, if you swung it, it would simply become an extension of your very body. Nothing more, nothing less.

The blossoming of realization that etched across your face and unfolded like roses in spring lit your face on fire. The sensation of heat even though there may not have been physical evidence of it roared across your cheeks but what followed by a mild mannered peep. You were like a deer caught in the headlights, eyes far too wide and a confused, hurt expression on your face as you waited for the inevitable hit of a car which would come to you in the form of a few words. 

“You don’t mean…” You whispered as your stomach raged like the beginnings of a tsunami, waters pulled quickly from the surface to well in the depths only to come hurling forward in a few moments if you weren’t careful to mind yourself. The need to empty your stomach of its contents was overwhelming at the mere implication of what the knife was meant to do. 

Hoodie shifted his attention from your sickened expression and nodded simply. “Oh, but we do,” he said with no underlying amusement or excitement. It wasn’t really his first idea for you, but the people in the van were getting… twitchy. Something about you was odd from the moment you managed to down Kate in the backyard, and if the legends they heard when they were young proxies held even a smidgen of truth, they were dealing with someone that far surpassed a normal human’s caliber. The Tall Man had yet to reveal anything of substance to them, but Masky, Jack, they had their thoughts alongside him. 

“No, no, no-” you mumble to yourself again and again like a mantra. It’s a prayer to a God that refuses to answer you. Your cries are in vain. Your heart had begun to pound wildly in your chest, your vision going blurry and flashes of colors that don’t even have names spot in your eyes. You’ve had maybe one panic attack before this, when you were younger, but this? This was of an entirely different breed. You’re breathing so hard and gripping the handle of the knife so tightly your knuckle bones are ready to burst through your skin. 

There’s people in that gas station. They don’t even notice the seven of you standing out there, with your captors like a pack of vultures surrounding the living corpse you feel like. The artificial lights of the gas station can only reach so far to cut through the foggy black of night. 

“I can’t,” you retorted in a broken squawk. You glanced down once more at the glistening blade, and to your shock, it seemed to smile at you. The sharp edges, how it reflected the yellowed lights of the gas station, the very thought of warm blood turning cold on your flesh once it had been spilled from someone else… And you liked it. Your heart beat in sync with the blade’s and it startled you. You dropped the knife in horror, more than disgusted with yourself for the very thought of enjoying something so terrible. “Why?” You choked out, dry tears mixing with what you could only assume was the call of the void.

The men, accompanied by Kate, all shared a look between each other like they were locked in a standoff and staring down brandished weapons that were ready to shoot at the slightest brushing of the trigger. Eyeless Jack stalked towards you, but not much like a predator. It was if he understood a glimpse of what you had just seen - what caused you to drop your knife. 

“What did you just see?” He asked, voice slow but not condescending. It seemed he wanted you to be able to understand him the first go around as opposed to repeating himself. That, and his accent was visibly thicker given the slight annoyance. Your silence annoyed him further, but he made no rash movements. Instead, he bent down, picked up your knife and thrust it back into your hands. His own clawed fingers then trailed upwards to your chin, forcing you to look up at him. He crossed his arms across his chest. “You saw something and you liked it.”

Your face fell. “No, no I didn’t-” you vehemently denied. 

Jeff’s grin grew. You felt it, didn’t you? Now he knew too and was in on the little secret some of your group members had been muttering all about. “Ohohoh, you can’t deny it-you got a hidden blood lust buried away inside of you! You have the potential to be just as fucked up as one of us,” he taunted further, watching as Jack’s hand forced you to once again look up at him. 

“Now,” Jack breathed. “Stop the dramatics and listen up. Okay?” He patted your cheek, that was meant to be condescending, and released you as if you were nothing. 

You kept denying their claims and fell to your knees, letting the concrete dig into them. Your sobs were quiet, but heaving. The very thought of taking a life logically broke your very soul apart, but a little voice in the back of your head asked you, ‘what if?’ The very thought disgusted you even further and you grew closer and closer to hyperventilating. 

The men in your group weren’t going to check on you. It’s not that they didn’t want to, per se, but rather they’d been in the life for so long they’d almost forgotten how to do things like… comfort someone. But Kate? Kate had retained some of her humanity despite the horror inflicted on her when she was a young proxy. She approached you, crouched down to your kneeling form and gently placed her hands on your shoulders. It was a subtle force and tell for you to look up at her. 

“Hey,” she whispered in that same delicate voice like you were a small child that had come to her after having a nightmare. 

Slowly, your eyes met hers. Her eyes, dark, all consuming, much like the void that called you from the grinning blade of your knife, were comforting where it was not. You watched as her chapped lips fell into a small smile, uneasy, but reassuring. No matter what would happen, she was on your side. You felt dizzy as she helped you back up to your feet and leaned on her while the two of you walked. Slowly, just quick enough to get you moving but measured so you would not risk actually passing out. Though, passing out would be preferable to the situation you found yourself in. 

“I know I don’t want to,” you croaked as you wiped away stray tears. 

Kate found the choice of words odd, ‘know’, but chose not to comment for now. “I understand,” she replied. “But you need to,” she stressed. It was uncharacteristic of her, to urge you to doing something you wouldn’t want. You hardly knew her personally but felt she’d been a friend for years, or perhaps not a friend but at least a kind soul yours recognized as familiar. Relatively safe even though she too was a predator waiting to pounce. “Look,” she murmured, “I just need you to hold on a little bit longer, okay? Things are… getting weird.” 

Something clicked in your head. She was leaving you a trail of breadcrumbs, waiting for you to follow them and see what was at the end of the path. 

‘Kate, you gotta hurry it up. You don’t convince her, I will. My methods won’t be as nice,’ Hoodie says in passing, his eyes not even honed in on the two of you. He’s still amazed the gas station employees hadn’t noticed them or their whole commotion in the parking lot. What luck it was that no one needed gas in the time they’d wasted here convincing you either. A small smile crossed on his lips. If you performed the way he thought you would, then his theory would really hold some weight. Sometimes the universe is convenient that way. 

Toby gave a small look to his group leader, and then to Hoodie. He too was now interested in the conversation between the two of them, something deep and pertaining to you. He hadn’t been in the life as long as everyone else, maybe a bit longer than Kate if you ask whoever’s recalling their stories, but even he’s heard of the urban legends passed around in proxy spaces. ‘Ditto,’ he finally adds, wanting to get the show on the road. 

Masky shot Toby a glare. “Watch it,” he growled. 

A few beats of silence passed through you and Kate, Hoodie, Masky and Toby before her voice finally gave them an answer. ‘They’re on board now,’ she tiredly said while her gloved hand rubbed slow circles on your back.