#iron travelers mc series

[msallurea]

🌸 Astrology Fun 🌸

Who is my husband?

This is just something small and I'd love opinions on it and let me know how well I did. I'll also be doing a mini astrology series for myself to build my aesthetic as part of a new series I'm doing for me on my other account @allureasdiary. Any who let's get this show on the road (p.s I am still on hiatus but I couldn't quit thinking about doing this for me)

Jupiter

This is a planet that nit only shows expansion but also can symbolize the husband. So first we're gonna look at my natal chart.

1. I have jupiter Scorpio in 14°(taurus degree) 1st house since I'm a Scorpio ascendant. My husband may have Scorpio, taurus and/or Aries placements.

2. My jupiter persona chart I have jupiter 26° (taurus degree) 2nd house. Once again my husband may have Scorpio and/or taurus placements. I have a heavy 2nd house stellium in my jupiter persona chart as well with the sun, Mars, venus, mercury and jupiter all there.

3. In my jupiter persona chart I have groom asteroid in leo 23° (aquarius degree) in 11th house. My husband may also have leo and aquarius/Uranus placements.

4. Ironically my groom asteroid squares jupiter in my jupiter pc, trines my pluto in jupiter pc and conjunct my saturn in jupiter pc. My groom asteroid also sextile my libra ascendant in jupiter pc. (If anyone knows, I'd love interpretation on this part).

Groom asteroid

The groom asteroid is exactly as its name, it gives insight on who your groom/husband may be.

1. My groom in my natal is in cancer 29° (leo degree) 9th house. My husband may have cancer, leo or Sagittarius placements. Also I may potentially meet my husband somewhere of higher education like college or somewhere out of my homeland. He also may be foreign since 9th house is travel (hence Sagittarius and jupiter).

2. In my groom asteroid persona chart, the rising is Scorpio 18° (virgo degree). My husband may have Scorpio and/or virgo placements. I also have moon scorpio 5° in 1st house in groom persona chart so he may also have cancer placements, Aries placements and/or once again leo placements.

3. The sun in my groom pc is cancer 29° 9th house just like how it is in my natal chart. So he will probably have cancer, leo and/or Sagittarius placements.

3. The groom asteroid in my groom gc is in virgo 25° (Aries degree) 11th house. My husband may have placements of virgo, Aries and/or aquarius/Uranus.

4. The venus in my groom pc is in virgo 2° (taurus degree) 11th house. My husband may be a romantic lover since taurus is a venus sign,he may be someone who uses words of affirmations as showing love since virgo is a mercurial sign. He may also carry slightly more feminine energy or may attract feminine/female friends. We could also potentially meet through friends and/or online. I think 2° is a wealth degree so he may also get rich and/or be wealthy through networking since 11th house = socials, networks, connections, etc.

5. My MC in groom pc is in leo 24° (pisces degree) he may possibly be a very artistic husband. He can have a job such as painter, model, entertainer, singer, etc. But he may also work with children or be around children alot so maybe a teacher of some sort.

6. My 7th house in groom pc has taurus with Mars in taurus 19° (libra degree) over it. Mars rules sex appeal so he may be a very sensually appealing person. Taurus also rules over neck so he may have a very sensual voice of some sort, the pluto in my groom pc also falls in 2nd house so this adds to my theory. Jupiter also falls in 2nd house so he may have a foreign sound to his voice maybe an accent or certain dialect. Ironically in my natal chart I have taurus 7th house but I have no planets there LMAO. Also the mercury in groom pc is in cancer 9° so his voice may be soft and/or gentle since mercury can rule over voice.

7. My groom pc has a few fame degrees with the cancer sun being in 29° which is ruled by leo and means long term fame but it is also a karmic degree. The groom pc has Leo MC. The moon is in Scorpio 5° which also indicates fame tho short term and since it falls in 1st house his beauty could be what makes him famous. The Juno in groom pc is in libra 17° which is also ruled by leo like the other 2 degrees and it falls in 12th house, the 17° also equates long term fame. The cancer vertex in groom pc is in 11° which rules over Socialite/influencer kind of fame so he may be a influencer of some sort in cancerian things (all theory).

Vertex persona chart

Finally for the vertex, some people say this are things that may be fated to happen.

1. My groom asteroid in vertex pc is in virgo 17° 2nd house. He may have Virgo, taurus and/or leo placements. Also may be famous.

I'm well aware aspects matter for all of these but I'm not 100% comfortable showing my birth charts to everyone. If you are good at interpretations I will send them to u to gain some insight. Other than that, that's all darlings 🌸🌸🌸

[alterdaes]

"I'm gonna start doing my reading wrap-ups on the last day of the month!" I said on April 30th, and then proceeded to forget to do this last night 😂 Anyways, May was a pretty good reading month for me! I read five books, and DNF'd one. I participated in withcindy's 2024 Asian Readathon challenge over on Storygraph, and was able to cover all five of the prompts with the books I finished!

Anyways, thoughts below the cut

Iron Widow - 4/5. Originally I gave it a 3.75 but after sitting with it for a while I decided I'll probably re-read it at some point in the future, so it deserves at least a 4. Loved the MC Zetian, and really fascinated by the world Xiran is built there. That ending certainly left me wanting more. I did find the middle of the book to be a bit slow, and I'm not 100% sold on the M/M portion of the polycule yet. I'd like to be, but I'm not. Hoping the next book will give all three of them more moments together

Dungeon Meshi Volume 8 - 5/5. I'm very slowly picking my way through this. I'm not really in a rush since the anime's going to be wrapping up its first season soon and I'm keenly aware that the manga will be all I have for a while after that lol anyways, that said, I loved this volume. The Canaries are great, and the changeling mushroom plotline was probably one of my favorites so far.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches - 4.25/5. I've been wanting a lighthearted contemporary romance for a while, and this one hit just right! The characters were loveable, the plot was fast-paced but didn't sacrifice character development, time was spent to flesh out this world that was just slightly alternate of our own, and there was even a twist I didn't see coming. All in all, a very enjoyable read that I'd definitely pick up again.

The Hundred Years' War on Palestine - 5/5. All I can say is a recommend checking out this book. Rashid Khalidi is a Palestinian historian and covers this topic extremely thoroughly in this book, in a way that I found easy to digest. Considering my track record with paying attention to history textbooks, that's saying something. I definitely believe its important to understand the full historical context behind this conflict, including and especially the United States involvement in it, as it has put so much of the current administration's current actions into a horrifying perspective.

The Moon Represents My Heart - DNF'd. I have a confession - I like time-travel stories in theory, but I have yet to read a book that features it that I like. I'd also like to find a literary book I like, and a book about a time traveling family seemed like the perfect character-focused book. Sadly this fell short for me in that department as well. I just could not connect to any of the characters, and I found myself pulling up the table of contents often to see how much more I had to go. Finally at 33% of the way through I decided to stop torturing myself. Maybe one day I'll return to this but...not any time soon.

An Artificial Night - 5/5. well I finished my re-read of this like I'd hoped, but it took the entire damn month with every thing else I was reading! 😆 It remains one of my favorite Toby Daye books. The second half of the book, and the repercussions of Toby being successful in her mission, is what stood out to my most this time around. That could just be because I adore how Seanan tied in so many aspects of faerie lore into this; I think her take on the Ballad of Tam Lin was especially genius. Anyways, Toby is still my favorite failgirl, I still adore her and Tybalt together, Conner still bothers the hell out of me, and the Luidaeg remains my favorite side character in the series. Also, I wish we got to see more of Acacia in the series.

Right now I'm reading A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal because my hold came in at the library and I'd been really looking forward to this one. I've also said before on my main that I've got quite a few queer books lined up for this month, and I do hope to get through the next Toby book, Late Eclipses, this month as well.

[lizzybeth1986]

Headcanon: The Thorne Family - Origins | Family | France

For Day 4, I've decided to go in slight HC territory on what I believe Kiara's family and background is like. Some of these influences will eventually factor in how I will eventually write her in Petals and Thornes. I'm still trying to figure a lot of things out, so much of this is subject to change. At the end, I'll probably also throw in a bit about my HCs for Kiki's visits to France.

Lineage - TCATF & TRM era

• As many people have imagined and canon itself have confirmed, the Therons are descendants of the Thorn warrior clan, famed for their archery skills and the incredible Heart Oak wood that is as durable and strong as metal.

• As magic itself fades from the Cordonian landscape, the same trees lose this specific quality, but their durability remains, ensuring that their high-end furniture becomes one of Castelserraillan's most valuable export (credit to @mand-delemonde for this hc!!)

• So in my HC Rowan "betrays" Kenna (tho is it really a betrayal when Rowan was upfront all day every day about how much she loathed tyrant!Kenna) but also outwits her, steals a boat and escapes never to be seen by Kenna again. This is primarily because Leon and Kenna made some extraordinarily bad judgements regarding Thorngate before the Battle of the Bay, which led Rowan to correctly deduce that Kenna allowed her success with regaining Stormholt to get to her head, and pretty much tried to lord over the people of Bellemere and suck out their resources for her battles. A lot of Stormholt historians wrote this from Kenna and later Zenobia's perspective, but over a period of time more historians accepted the view that what Stormholt wanted out of Bellemere would have set the latter back by at least a century. (Credit to @cassiopeiacorvus and @thecapturedafrique for this one!)

• This is primarily why Castel is initially a kingdom and not entirely part of Cordonia, and therefore no descendants of Thorngate feature in any of the texts on Cordonia's Renaissance era. (This has given a lot of Cordonian historians pause before, considering that modern day Castel's culture is literally a love letter to that era!)

• However there is one connection that eventually results in the place integrating with Cordonia and becoming a prime duchy. Both Artemisia Fierro* and Sofonisba Vescovi* who were once from prominent noble families, willingly have their houses fade into obscurity once King Fabien is crowned and Lisabetta (MC) becomes his Queen. The two travel incognito to this kingdom, become scholars and write a series of books. A descendant of Sofonisba's marries into the family and at least 70 years later, Castel officially becomes part of Cordonia.

• The two scholars kept in close touch with King Fabien, even though their hideout was to a place that Cordonians deemed hostile. To ensure his friends stayed safe, he made sure there was no enmity between his throne and them, which resulted in the people of Castel perhaps having more regard for him than any other ruler of Cordonia, even today.

• Castelserraillan ironically becomes THE place if you want to get a comprehensive and accurate study of the Renaissance in Cordonia.

Present Day

• Duke Hakim Thorne is the son of Beatrice Thorne - the former Duchess - and Mehdi Hakmoun, a Gnawa musician from Fes in Morocco. It was love at first sight for both of them, and Beatrice fought much familial opposition to marry Mehdi. He became well loved in Castel and in fact music became a far more respected art form when he became Duke through Beatrice. They welcomed their firstborn Hakim, and his sister Hala a few years later.

• Hala moved to Marrakesh - where some of the family had resettled - at some point, being very fond of her father's side of the family. She often visits Castel and all the cousins keep in close touch. It is for them that Kiara hosts a henna ceremony before her wedding.

• Castel already had French influences before Hakim's marriage to Joëlle, and influences from the Maghreb before his mother Beatrice's wedding to Mehdi, but these marriages further cemented the love for those languages (French and Arabic).

• Castel is known for several things - the hub for LGBTQ communities, the literature and art capital of Cordonia, their incredible warm weather variety wines, just to name a few.

France Headcanons

• Joëlle Moreau was born and brought up in Orlèans near the Loire, in north-central France. She has an older sister named Jeanette, named partially for Joan d'Arc whose courage and martyrdom put Loire on the world map. Jeanette has her eldest daughter Celèste and twins Céline and Cédric.

• It is unfortunately Cédric's wedding that Kiara had to skip, because she needed to attend King Liam and Lady Esther's wedding at the same time. But the family knew it was a national event that she couldn't avoid, and were especially proud of her bravery at the boutique when the news was reported.

• Celeste and Kiara have always been very close, and still keep in touch regularly. Kiara is godmother to her second child Hélène.

• The cousins love cycling and Kiara makes it a point to come down to France in July for the Tour de France.

• Kiara's favourite poet is Guillaume Appollinaire

• When visiting Loire, Kiara and Joëlle's favourite chateau to visit is Le château royal d’Amboise and Clos-Lucé which houses Leonardo Da Vinci's tomb and where he stayed for a while.

• Kiara loves Pinot Noir and goat cheeses, both of which are in plenty in Centre-Loire

• While in Paris, Kiara loves to wear mostly black. She knows how to snazz it up with chic accessories

• Whenever she can, she tries to make the two hr drive from Paris to Orlèans when she visits France.

--

*Artemisia Fierro is the name for my Hunter in TRM. My playthrough has the f!Asian Hunter. She was named for the artist Artemesia Gentileschi.

* Sofonisba Vescovi is the name for my Kayden in TRM. My playthrough has the f!Black Kayden. She was named for the artist Sofonisba Anguissola.

[nosongunsung11]

BOK EMOHI

hello teddy you get um. the Denizen Hardwick from the Knights of the Borrowed Dark series is reborn as Tsuna from Katekyou Hitman Reborn fanfic because tbh despite the fact you know neither of those franchises I think you’d vibe with this one pretty hard tl:dr denizen refuses to join the mafia and is deeply confused about why his flame powers are no longer turning him into iron every time he uses them

so this one was also largely based around one (1) image i kept rotating in my head it’s denizen hardwick, guy born into a universe where the price for using his flame-themed magic system is Literally Slowly Turning Into An Iron Statue piece by piece, in a bed at night staring down at his burning, unblemished hands, completely unable to comprehend a universe where power doesn’t come with a Cost

this one basically just follows the plot of the khr manga with the mc swapped for a reincarnated denizen hardwick, noted guy who actually Has A Spine and can Say No and his adventures in absolutely turning over everything people thought was possible with the khr magic system with the abilities and knowledge he gained in his previous life (he kind of had the entire magic system dropped into his head at one point in the books, I love him) and also poking at how his relationships with the khr characters would change and develop

also I’m pretty sure I wanted his gf Mercy, inter-dimensional queen of the weird inter-dimensional monsters, to show up and say hi at some point, purely for the hell of it and also because I love her <3 pretty much ditching the entire future arc plot of khr on account of portals are really fucking dangerous in the knights of the borrowed dark world so I can justify denizen just. taking the time travel portal gun away from the child so i don’t have to deal with that entire clusterfuck

in conclusion i love denizen dearly and i want to put him in the khr world and then shake it like a bottle to see what happens

[nepobabyeurydice]

The Fated List

Tags:

the stones wept - original posts, other variations include fairy wand of authority upon thee, ada rants and something else i’ve forgotten

eat yellow paint - art tag! Reference to how Van Gough died.

my writing - well, my writing, all the fics, snippets and writing prompts.

si: naerys arryn - related tags include fic: the red falcon and series: painted wings, she's the mc of a asoiaf fic i'm co-writing. I love her.

series: the dagger and the joyless eye - related tags include fic: the gray and beamless atmosphere, fic: the flail of lashing hail, fic: of time long past. the DC x PJO, Annabeth is a Wayne fandom fusion that has somehow become my most popular series.

series: sweet mother, I cannot weave - femslash fics.

series: anticlea mother of loss odysseus - called just anticlea when for non tagging purposes, its focus is parents of demigods from the riordanverse! There’s a lot of them.

series: divinity woven into our veins - dedicated to the children of gods, from the riordanverse but hopefully more soon.

fic: invictus maneo - also under series: seven shall birth or seven shall birth au, it’s my heroes of olympus rewrite starting from Annabeth & Reyna camp swap and Son of Neptune.

the lyre - poetry or quotes i like and might use in a fic.

💌💌💌 - main answer tag

Bookmark Tags:

red strings and other things tying you to me - OTP vibe works or dedicated to a specific ‘we’ll be together somehow’ vibe in a fic.

Sansa Stark Needs A Untraceable Handgun and a Force Field - Sansa needs to be allowed to go insane or what’s the point?

oranges are the fruit of love - love stories, whether they be platonic or romantic

Naruto! To The Left - AU’s of Naruto as opposed to decently canon compliant Naruto fics

twirling my hair - silly fics, ones that make me laugh or giggle.

the dagger and the joyless eye - fics in the vein of my Annabeth is a Wayne idea

kiddie grief - sad stories, or stories that deal with trauma while being gentle.

The Bearing of the Teeth - shedding soft outer shell to reveal harsh iron inside.

Across the Oceans of Time - Time Travel because that’s my fave trope.

Stumbling Into The Light/Night - Accidental Redemption or Accidental Villainy, either way, how off it is to be forgiven or despised.

Fic study - I want to write like this.

Haruno Sakura Takes A Deep Breath - She needs a break and murder and a hug

[joyffree]

Devil's Flowers (Honor Outlawed Malibu, #2) MC Romance Series by Kyra Synd is Live!

Feared and hated, admired, and even loved by some: he’s the devil of the Iron Skulls.

Blaze must leave Malibu for a while and travel around the United States. First destination: Kansas City. Blaze intends to exact revenge after a fifteen-year wait, and also reveal future plans involving his trip’s companion. The travel is planned in detail, but his path is crossed by a panther.

Blackie is a sensual, strong, and determined woman with a secret that involves the Devil, ready to face him despite the scars that mark her. Torn between guilt and the need for a second chance, they fall in an attraction that leaves no escape, an out-of-control fire that could reduce them to ashes.

The fire must burn to live.

[valerieullmerromanceauthor]

Clear Your Mind: Iron Travelers MC by Verlene Landon

Title: Clear Your Mind: Iron Travelers MC Series: Mayhem Makers Series – MMM World Collaboration Author: Verlene Landon Genre: MC Romance Release Date: March 15, 2023 Cover Design: CT Cover Designs – – – BUDDY When the president of the Iron Travelers MC, Reno, sends me to Texas to help build a chapter, I swear it’s punishment for my last job. Never mind that some wannabe mobsters left me for…

[theladyofbloodshed]

Completely ignore this if u don’t wanna answer but can you tell us anything about your original work?? Every story I post here I obsess over and I know that with ur own characters in your own world and storyline it will be absolutely brilliant

Awww that is so sweet. I'll put it under a read more for those who do not care.

Trilogy #1 I started this when I was 18 (and finished last year aged 27) so I spent a loooong time on it. All three books are completely finished and this is the one that I will likely start self publishing in winter because 1) my writing has improved massively since I began 2) I spent so much time on this, there literally wasn't a day for nearly 10 years where i didn't think about this series, so I would like to share it with the world, even if only one person reads it. It's first person single POV and YA high fantasy. I did a lot of travelling and researching folklore and myths so these are all woven into it. It features witches, norns, trolls as well as more obscure folklore.

It begins with an isolated community in the north of a continent who departed 200 years earlier once the rest of the continent started turning their backs on the Gods. They're basically like fantasy amish people lmao. They have very little of anything and are basically surviving day by day but worship fervently. Anyway, a stranger seeks out the chosen one™️ to fulfil their father's destiny and that of the Warrior who was sent forth by the Goddess Yelena to defeat the children of the Master of Time. Strangers are not allowed so it's a big deal and very naughty, MC has to sneak away. There are lots of secrets that unravel, MC discovers how brutal the world is that they left behind and struggles with having to give up their own safety for bad people, also struggles with seeing disparity between rich/poor/slaves, and isn't so easily swayed by wealth. Realises the stranger is a bad, bad, bad person and needs to get away from them but they're in a place where they have no allies except for a brutally scarred man who has his own secrets to keep.

Second series This was going to be a trilogy but I have too much content so it's looking like four books. I have written the first two and I'm struggling majorly with the third because I have all these ideas and trying to weave them together is hard. I have post it notes all over my desk trying to figure it out. This one is 3rd person multi-pov and definitely more NA, but also high fantasy with more folklore in it as well my own imaginings of creatures/magic systems etc. It's set after the Old Fae whose bloodlines were dying out bred with mortals so the current race of fae are less powerful. A tyrant king has died and his shy and weak son inherits the throne but there are mysterious deaths happening throughout the country such as bodies being drained of blood but not a drop spilled. He tears down the iron walls that have stood for two thousand years around his country to seek an alliance with their neighbouring country - who also have these deaths happening that aren't from any beasts or creatures that are known. The first book follows this establishing alliance between various characters as they search for what is plaguing their countries with a lil bit of spicy romance too :)

idk why my second book in each series is always the strongest imo whereas in actual published trilogies, it always tends to be the weakest. It also feels so embarrassing to write out what my books are about idk why!! Which is why the descriptions are so vague, sorry!!

[starrlikesbooks]

Gah I think Tumblr ate my ask! If you're seeing this a second time I'm really sorry lol. I'm one of those burned out former gifted kids who used to be passionate about reading before the burned out part came into play. Recently I've decided to get back into reading. I'm immensely pleased to see that there's a lot more options for queer book lovers these days, but I'm kind of daunted by the fact that most books seem to be trilogies or longer. Do you have any standalone recs? If it helps, I like fantasy, angst, and time travel. Some whump too is nice. If it's queer that's a hundred times better (especially if it's transmasc and/or polyam). Extra extra wow factor if the characters are Chinese or Southeast Asian. Thank you for your time and all the good work you do!

Ah thanks for letting me help with this! I hope I can find a book you like 😊

Some queer stand alone scifi:

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone is a time travel novella of sapphic robots(?) falling in love against enemy lines. Definitely a bit abstract and poetic, so maybe not the simplest read, but if you're in the mood for something atmospheric and dramatic, you might like this book.

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson is sapphic and doesn't involve time travel, but it is about hopping to other realities for a corporation.

The Art of Saving the World by Corinne Duyvis is another one to do with alternate realities, though it blends genres a bit too. The main character is questioning, and most likely bi (like her alternate selves).

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer is a scifi mystery in space. Definitely some whump in this! And not time travel, but a bit of a time.... element.

A Complicated Love Story Set in Space by Shaun David Hutchinson is about three kids who wake up on a space ship god knows where. There's a big meta element and time loop element as well.

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey is an adult scifi, and not queer. It's about cloning and murder, and is very short. This is hands down one of my favorite books, so if you have any interest in either of those things, I definitely recommend.

The Electric Kingdom by David Arnold is also not queer, but has a big time element to it, and is a very layered, twisty end of the world story. If you can currently take things that involve plagues, then you might like this story.

Some queer fantasy:

Burn by Patrick Ness is an alternate universe story where dragons live alongside(ish) humans, and it's also a prophecy story. Of the three main characters, one is gay.

Before We Disappear by Shaun David Hutchinson is also an alternate universe story, this one queer friendly historical. There's some whump in this, and magical powers being used to help a magician-con man.

Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth is a great stand alone if you like chosen one stories, and their deconstruction. This one isn't queer.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern is a portal fantasy stand alone with a queer MC and is very layered and atmospheric. I wouldn't call this angsty, but it's definitely bittersweet.

Unfortunately, all the Asian-led SFF I would love to rec is part of a series :( But if you do find yourself wanting duologies in the future, Iron Widow,

[lorei-writes]

Witches’ Sabbath

Chapter I: A Witch and Her Cat

Shapeshifter!Masamune x Witch!MC Fantasy AU

Here it is! A brand new mini series! I may have a theme going on with having Masamune turn into small creatures that can be carried around, hm.

The series is three chapters total. Updates will follow Tuesday (today) - Thursday - Tuesday pattern -- so stay tuned! >:3 The chapters will go up around 4PM GMT+2.

Tags: @kippin-art​

Content Warnings: None

“This will be your room, miss,” the host said, pushing the door open, black skirt swirling vigorously around her legs as she strode inside, hands already reaching for curtains. “Miss Alaine, for the last time, it’s missus now,” Mai laughed sheepishly, grasping onto the strap of her bag, something rattling inside of it. 

Iron key turned inside a lock, hand pressing onto a handle from the outside.

“This will be your room, miss,” the host said, pushing the door open, black skirt swirling vigorously around her legs as she strode inside, hands already reaching to pull the curtains apart. “Miss Alaine, for the last time, it’s missus now,” Mai laughed sheepishly, grasping onto the strap of her bag, something rattling inside of it. “Nonsense, miss. In the many years you’ve visited, not once have I seen even the tiniest glimpse of your husband – and what husband even allows for his wife to travel alone? Nonsense, nonsense, miss. I shall not believe in this state of affairs, for if I did, I would have to question your choices just regardless.” Miss Alaine shook her head, large window by the bed remaining indifferent towards her attempts and refusing to let any fresh air in. Thin brows bristling in a frown, she flicked her fingers, wooden frame snapping into the desired position by itself. “Now, now, where were we? I believe this monstrous house will not cause you any troubles… At least unless it wishes to receive another flick.”

Miss Alaine was a fearsome woman, a true witch in every meaning of the word – respectable, strict, knowledgeable and just, all of her former apprentices never once daring to oppose her… Well, all but one. Mai set her bag on the floor, a large tabby emerging from it nearly instantly, white paws tapping against the oak floor, tail whipping its sides. “Miss Alaine, I assure you, my husband is nothing short of considerate and caring.” “Then does he suffer from some awful affliction? Deformation, perhaps? Curse?” “No, no, no to each of that! He is a young man, energetic, resourceful and of fresh mind. Quite… Quite handsome, if I must be frank,” she argued, blush beginning to taint her cheeks, the cat starting at her curiously with its one blue eye. Mai averted her gaze from the creature, pride stopping her from lowering her head. “And how many years has it been?” Miss Alaine turned around, hands propped on her hips, expression stern. However, her face lit up nearly instantly. “Although you did bring one handsome gentleman along! It’s always a pleasure to see little Masamune – well, not so little, I suppose…” the woman trailed off, grey irises shining happily as she took a step forward and leaned down – cat known as Masamune dashed outside the reach of her arm. “Miss Alaine!” Mai scolded the host, the creature leaping onto the bedside table, only to spring up and retreat to the very top of the wardrobe. “You are well aware of the fact Masamune does not like being touched.”

The door soon closed behind the host, the black skirt and head of silver hair appearing to have been nearly a figment of one’s imagination… Although Masamune would certainly beg to differ, the skin on his back still twitching. Something heavy dropped onto the duvet, the bed dipping below its weight – yet the mark only grew, the being resembling an ever-growing shadow, a void… the night sky, perhaps, plethora of stars lighting it up from the inside. The blur took a form, a young man sitting in its place, a bracelet around his wrist still vibrating. He pulled the sleeves of his shirt down as to cover the jewellery-device, a sigh heaving his chest. “Old Alaine never learns,” he muttered in a low voice, letting his back hit the mattress. Mai joined him over onto the bed, her hand reaching for his. “She never does. Maybe this time she won’t make you levitate, though.” “Don’t remind me,” Masamune grumbled, a frown twisting his features. “It’s impossible to escape from her lap once she catches you. That old witch…” “Oh? Do you have anything against witches?” Mai asked, propping herself on her elbow. Hair falling from behind her ear, she gazed into his eye, her smile holding but a tinge of mischief to itself. He reached to caress her cheek, his touch guiding her to lean down… “Maybe. But not against a certain kitten,” he whispered, the gap between them closing as her lips parted for him.

His hand on the small of her back, Mai moaned quietly into the kiss and let herself be pulled  closer, her fingers finding purchase in his hair – much to his content, Masamune choking down a groan. Her chest pressed against his, her mind went blank, the world beginning and ending within their bodies, no distraction being enough to steal her attention away from him… Enough to… What was that sound?

The lovers froze, somebody knocking on the door. Mai pulled back slowly, red donning her face, her hair in a state of mild disarray. How bad do I look? her voice sounded in his mind. Good, actually. But I wouldn’t want to know what happened between you and your cat, Masamune replied, both of them sitting up. Knocking continued. “Miss? Miss?!” somebody called. “Sister Sara has arrived, the divinations shall begin soon!” “Already?!” Mai shouted, springing to her feet. Frantically, she ran her hands over her clothing, intending to banish any of the newer creases, only to invite more fresh ones in the process. Her panic growing, she snapped her head towards the door, the handle beginning to move… Tell them you’re changing, his voice outran her thoughts. “No, no, don’t come inside! I’ll be there in a moment, I’m changing!” she spoke as instructed.

As quietly as a cat, Masamune stood up, the person outside taking a step back. “Do you need any help, miss? I can send for an aid,” they offered, mildly abashed. “No, no, all is fine. Just –” she stopped, her lover untying her skirt from behind. Let me. I’ll fix it for you. “– give me a moment! I’ll be right there!” Mai finished, her lover undoing the lacing at the back of her shirt, the garment becoming looser around her with each movement of the dexterous fingers – until it threatened to slip from her shoulders, Masamune hurrying to tighten it back. Fabric pooling at her ankles, his hands slid down her sides, his skin brushing against her bare thighs… All for his touch to return to her ribs, path chosen this time leading down her stomach and past her navel, any of the remaining creases being thus eradicated.

Masamune leaned down, hands reaching for the discarded skirt. Careful as not to ruin his work, he brought the garment to sit at her waist and secured it in place with a bow, blue silk treating each of his wishes as a command. Turn around, he asked and she followed, fabric swirling around her legs. Slowly he brushed her hair with his fingers, a soft smile on his face. You look ravishing. You’ve got this, kitten. Good luck.

Iron key turned inside the lock, hand pressing on the handle from the outside one last time, to make sure the door wouldn’t budge. A sigh heaving his chest, Masamune returned to the bed, his head hitting the pillow as he glanced around, everything being precisely like the year prior, and the year before that – and even further back. He rolled onto his side, sun peaking inside through the window, its rays catching onto the ring on his finger. Masamune lifted his hand as to inspect it, perhaps still not quite sure of how it came to be there, the bracelet over his wrist vibrating as to agree. Witches’ Sabbath, he thought, his body evaporating, turning into a cloud. It’s just a day. We can do that.

In the place of the man, there sat a cat.

[bebepac]

Six Sentence Sunday 02.27.22  / Mood Music Monday

So I’m double dipping.  I know,  I’m trying to cover some bases, and slowly and surely start back writing on what I currently feel comfortable to.   Like I said when I feel up to it, I’ll start back writing my stories where Cheslie is the face claim.   I was doing so good today, and just writing that,  I’m back to it’s been zero days since i’ve cried about what happened.  I’ll get there guys I promise.   I’m trying.  Her mother posts about her almost every day sharing things about Cheslie, and it’s really scary ironic, how accurate I have portrayed her in some of the small characteristics I gave to my Riley MC.  

Original Post 02/27/22 at 2:16PM EST.

Mood Music Monday Submission / Wacky Drabble Submission

“Ewww. Riley what’s up with that face?  You look constipated or something.  I really need you to fix your face.  Actually it’s our face.  Fix that now. I can’t be associated with that.”  

Title: There’s Chemistry!

Series: School Dayz : Chapter 5

Pairing:  Liam x Riley? 

Song Inspiration: I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman by Britney Spears

Status: Still in the writing process

Riley threw down her cell phone on the couch.

“I’m verbally constipated!!!!!!  I want to text Liam, but I don’t know what to say.  We said we would text each other about  the science project.”

“Talk about the damn project then. Nerd out with him!”  

“It’s not about the project; I just want to talk to him.”

“Wait let me get this straight, he knocked you out with a volleyball, exploded confetti in your face, rescued you from the butterfly room, held your hand while you skated, and you kissed his cheek, and held his hand? Did I get it all?”

“He bought me hot chocolate yesterday.”

“Aren’t you guys like nerd married by now?  Does he need an engraved invitation to ask you out officially?”  

“Nevermind Taylor I’ll go talk to Jaiden, Bebe’s here.”  

“Come on don’t be like that I have an idea, but you have to trust me.”  

“Okay I trust you.”

“So this could go really funny or really wrong in a matter of seconds and it completely depends on you.”  

Taylor whispered in  Riley’s ear.  

“SERIOUSLY?”  

“I promise you, it will start the conversation but you have to say Jaiden gave you the advice though.”  

“Okay do it.”  

Riley: So I wanted to start a conversation with you Liam, and  I didn’t know how.  So my brother told me to do this as an ice breaker.

Liam:  Okay.  What did he say to do?

Riley: Send nudes.  I’ll go first!”  

Riley waited a second like Taylor had said to do and sent the picture.

Riley waited patiently laughing at the joke, but Liam did not respond.  

Mood Music  Monday Submission

“Damn Elle.”  

Title: Unhinged

Series:  The Rotten Apple 🍎:  Chapter 6

Pairings: Liam x Riley /  Ellie x Nico  (Ellie x M!OC)

Status: Still in the writing process

Song Inspiration: You Should See Me In a Crown by Billie Eilish

Elle smiled at him.  

“What?”  

“What are you doing that’s different?”  

“What do you mean?”  

Nico’s eyes traveled down her body and he groaned.

Elle had never felt insecure about her body as she stood before Nico wearing a pink bra top  and matching boy shorts.  Nico at that moment was making her feel anything but insecure.  He was making her feel desired, and sexy.  He was making her feel like a goddess.  His goddess.  There was no doubt what was on his mind.

“Your body Elle, your curves.  Something is different.  You’re doing something different. And I like it.”  

“I’ve just gained a few pounds is all.  I really enjoyed the holiday I guess.”

He slid his arms around her hips caressing her.  

“Please keep them.  I love this new look. It’s incredibly sexy.” 

“I will keep that in mind, that you are a fan.”  

“Your number one fan Elle.”   

“I’m still a little sad Nico you won’t be my guard anymore after this last trip.”  

“I am glad your Father is still permitting me to go with you. But it’s going to be okay Elle, we’re not going to be here much longer anyway.  Then we can go home to Greece, and start the life we both deserve…. together.”  

“What if we had to leave sooner?”  

“We really can’t Elle.  You have school obligations, and I need the extra money I’m going to make from being your Mother’s Guard again, to make sure I have a good start in providing for you.”  

[txemrn]

Misery

Part 1

Book: The Nanny Affair/(sprinkles of) Laws of Attraction

Pairing: m!Sam Dalton x MC (Anna Schuyler-Dalton)

Word Count: 3950 (+/-)

Song Inspo: "Misery" by Eva Under Fire

Series warning: angst; language; sensuality; N*FW 🍋; discussion of criminal activity

A/N: my usual MC Brynn is not in this series; this is an AU; MC will be Anna; this HC story takes place after TNA, Sam and Anna are married, M&M are about 10

A/N 2: Huge thank you to all of my sweet tumblr friends that have reached out to love on me, support me, and encourage me to tell this story! I love you all so dearly! Special thanks to my thinking tank, @kat-tia801 and @ao719 , for helping me iron out this story! @kat-tia801 , thanks for the preread! Characters belong to Pixelberry.

----------

A soft silver glow from a muted television illuminates the darkened master suite; shadows of shifting shapes cast a dance across the floor, resting into tender cascades of waves across the unmade bed. As his wife Anna savors a hot shower and a much-needed minute alone, Sam Dalton basks in a tender moment of precious tranquility: rocking his three-month-old daughter Ellery to sleep. Holding her protectively close to his bare chest, he casually shifts his weight from one foot to the other, quietly humming along with her sleeping coos.

Gingerly swaying in a circle, a sudden flash of colors from the nightly news report catches Sam's attention:

Top New York Attorney Indicted for Tampering with Evidence.

Sam carefully lays Ellery in her bassinet, hastily returning to the news segment. He grabs the remote as he eases onto the tufted bench at the end of the bed.

Furrowing his brow, he instantly recognizes the older, dignified woman in the Breaking News footage. He'd know that blood-red pout and those perfectly groomed silver tresses anywhere; but, her typical tailored Chanel suit isn't paired with her usual pearls, rather a new set of jewelry: shiny handcuffs.

"Sadie."

Suddenly, a flood of ambient golden light accompanied with swells of lavender-infused steam pour gently into the bedroom, breaking Sam's reverie. Anna emerges from the mild commotion, gently towel-drying her damp caramel locks. It doesn't take long for her stormy blue eyes to be greeted by his deep, smoky gaze, naturally painting a smile of pure joy on her glowing face. Offering his wife a crooked smile, Sam hastily returns his attention to the news.

With a towel cinched around her curves, Anna flicks off the bathroom lights and tiptoes hastily to her husband's side. She sits next to him on the bench, sneaking a kiss to his stubble ridden cheek. She interlocks her arm with his, grazing her fingertips along the back of his hand.

"You're the best, y'know that?" She satisfactorily sighs, snuggling closer into his shoulder, planting sweet kisses along his strong arm. "That felt absolutely amazing. I never thought I’d be so excited about a ten minute shower," she giggles sardonically at the mention of her new reality as a mom to an infant. Sam gives her a coy grin before the edges of their mouths barely touch in a tender kiss. "Thank you, baby," she whispers.

Sam tickles her nose with a chaste kiss to her forehead, but quickly turns back to the special broadcast on tv. Anna kisses his cheek once more before casually sauntering from his side to check on her sleeping daughter. “Any news about the weather tomorrow?”

“Hrmm?” Sam quietly grunts, missing her question due to his undivided concentration.

“The weather? Tomorrow?” Anna nonchalantly speaks over her shoulder as she prepares for the baby’s feeding and diaper change in a few hours. Sam sighs, unmuting the television. “I thought Elle and I could take a trip to the park before the boys' game.” With her back to her husband, Anna is unaware that he isn’t listening, accepting his silence as he didn’t have an answer. “Hopefully it won’t be too humid,” her voice travels an octave higher as she baby-talks to her infant girl. “We wouldn’t like that now, would we?”

“Sweetie,” Sam interrupts, trying to conceal his irritation behind gnashed teeth; “I’m sorry, baby, but--” Anna slowly turns around to face her husband, concern written on her face. “--I just, can I please just watch the news?”

“Oh--Oh! I’m sorry, babe,” she holds a finger over her mouth, nodding in understanding. Keeping silent, Anna grabs a glass jar of body butter. She crawls onto their opulent bed, sitting on her knees behind Sam as she massages in the fragrant moisturizer.

Sam turns up the volume, keeping it low, but understandable. Hunched over, he rests his chin in his hand while his elbow comfortably balances on his knee. Drumming his fingers across his lips, he listens intently to the breaking news bulletin.

"... with his involvement in the young starlet and activist's murder. Sadie McGraw of prestigious McGraw Byrne was serving as Mr. Koenig's representation when she… "

Anna's fingernails trace the contouring slopes of Sam's back. Grabbing his strong shoulders, she guides him to sit up and rest against her body, her hands wandering down his bare chest. Her supple lips brush against the shell of his ear as an exasperating exhale escapes his lips.

“Anna--” he growls, reluctantly being pulled against her body.

"Come to bed, baby," Anna hums, her teeth catching his earlobe in her mouth as she nuzzles into his cheek.

Keeping his attention on the report, Sam gently combs her damp hair with his hand. "In a minute," he quietly defers.

Anna's voice becomes softer, huskier, "Mmm-mmm," she playfully mutters as her lips nibble down his neck. "Now," she hungrily rebuttals.

Turning towards her, Sam titters nervously, appeasing his wife's request. He cups her cheek, meeting her lips in a fiery kiss. Anna tenderly searches his mouth with her tongue, dancing tenderly with his. Her eyes flutter close, gingerly moaning into his taste, tugging at the hair on the back of his neck.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sam carefully looks towards the television, maintaining his thirsty act for his wife.

“... McGraw intentionally hid pertinent evidence from prosecutors against Koenig Chemical, thwarting the case. It is now suspected that McGraw was offered a seat on--”

“Sam--!” Anna grabs hold of Sam’s chin, forcing him to look at her. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

“Anna, I--this is important to me--” Sam apologetically counters.

“I can see that,” she scoffs, standing up from the bed to slip on an old Sterling field day shirt. Sam abruptly grabs her wrist, pulling Anna into his lap, cradling her in his arms.

“Babe,” he delicately takes her hand, peppering the back of it with tender kisses. “Believe me, I hear you loud and clear--”

The picture on the television switches to a video of police escorting Sadie McGraw from her firm into the back of a police car as various interviews are conducted with experts in the field.

“It’s just that this news report,” he locks his gray eyes with her innocent, doe-shaped eyes, “--it--it’s just very important to me.”

Anna sighs, combing her fingers through Sam’s thick hair. “Okay,” a corner of her mouth lifts, her gaze falling to his lips and then back to his piercing stare. She stands up, making her way back to bed. “What’s the report even about?” She tosses decorative pillows into a corner of the room.

“Hrmm?” Sam halfway turns his head towards his wife. “What did you say, baby?”

“Why is this so important?” She climbs into bed, pulling the Egyptian cotton sheets comfortable over her body

“Do you remember Peter? Peter Koenig? He was in the suspenders at the Juvenile Cancer Prevention gala last September--”

“Oh, yeah,” Anna curls into her pillow, relaxing her head into its softness. “He had the inappropriate joke about drinking--”

“--water,” finishes Sam, “--yeah. That’s him. Well, some shit went down today with his, um--” he clears his throat, swallowing thickly as he watches the familiar lawyer, escorted by the authorities. “--with his attorney.” Hearing the sudden snore from his sleeping wife, Sam stands up, stepping closer to the television. He crosses his arms, intently focusing on the report.

“...McGraw, a veteran corporate lawyer who has represented several multi-billion-dollar companies over the years, such as The Weinstein Company, Monsanto, and Dalton Enterprises…”

Fuck. Sam’s eyes grow wide, his jaw stiffening. He begins to nervously chew on his cuticles, his breathing labored as he continues to listen.

“... she is working closely with police, offering information and additional missing evidence for other open cases …”

The camera pans to a young suit with his hair perfectly parted on the side and a thick Brooklyn accent “Ms. McGraw is acting smart, divulging such information in hopes for a plea deal, a lesser charge for cooperating…”

With a trembling hand, Sam turns off the television. A frigid chill jolts through his spine, terrifying him. Being overcome with loneliness, he turns to look at his sleeping wife, a threat of tears stinging his eyes. He abruptly bends over, bracing himself with his hands on his knees. Oh, God…. Oh, God! Lifting himself back up, he covers his face with his palms, dragging them down his cheeks before dropping them to his side. He clenches his teeth in anger, looking around the mastersuite. He closes his hands into strong fists--but, then relaxes them again. Only to be balled up again.

Sam can't take it anymore. He feels a pressure in his chest, his nerves incinerating with wildfires from hell. He quickly exits the room, crossing through his kitchen and down the hallway towards the boys' room until he reaches his office. Pouring himself two-fingers of whiskey, he makes himself comfortable on a chaise lounge as he stares out the grand floor-to-ceiling window at the twinkling city below. He takes a pull from his drink, stewing, thinking.

There has to be an answer.

------

A tiny rumble of blown raspberries followed by a trail of whimpers rustles Anna awake. Her pained expression of exhaustion melts away when she sees her baby girl playing with her fingers, kicking into the darkness with a furrowed brow. “Hey, Elly-Belly,” she smiles brightly, pulling her from her bassinet. “I bet you are a hungry girl, aren’t you?” On cue, the tiny infant begins to make more of a ruckus, her coos turning into cries. Anna hastily relaxes back into her pool of pillows before putting Ellery to the breast.

Anna admires her daughter's dainty features, gently tracing a finger down the slope of her nose that matches her own. Even in the darkness, she can see the infant’s long lashes fanned across her cheeks, a beautiful trait straight from her daddy. The young mother finally rubs her hand around her baby’s soft head, the wisps of sparse curls catching between her fingers.

Anna closes her eyes, savoring the moment of quiet with her family--minus two. She extends her arm, reaching out to endearingly touch her husband. But, as soon as her hand hit the cold, rumpled sheets, she scrunched up her nose. He’s not there. “Sam?” she whispers into the darkness, searching his side of the bed with her hand. “Samuel?” No answer.

Finishing up with the three o’clock feeding, Anna lays a satiated baby Ellery back into her bed. She turns on the baby monitors, and exits the room to search for Sam. She pads across the dark penthouse. Seeing the light under the office pocket door, she grins, preparing to surprise her husband.

Before she can even make her presence known, she hears Sam talking. And her eyebrows knit together.

“... I can pick it up then. Did that wire go through on your end?”

Wire? As in money? Anna gently knocks on the door. “Sam?” She hears indiscernible words of a conversation ending as she grips the handle to open the door.

“Anna,” he hastily stands from his chair, walking towards her with open arms. “What are you doing awake?”

She scoffs into a chuckle. “We have a baby, Sam. Did you forget?” She grins at his blushing cheeks. She crosses her arms, leaning against the doorway. “What are you doing awake?”

Sam lets out a roar of a yawn, stretching his arms above his head. “Just--couldn’t sleep. So, I’m just--” he points a hand towards his desk, “--doing business stuff.” A crooked smile grows across his face, his dimples shining through his facial hair.

“Who were you talking to--” she raises an eyebrow, looking at the clock on the wall, “--at 3:52 in the morning?”

Sam rubs the back of his neck, rotating his shoulder. “One of our field engineers in Italy--”

“Field engineer?” questions Anna. “And you’re wiring him money?”

“Geeze, Anna,” Sam sarcastically chuckles. "Wanna shine an interrogation light in my eyes while you're at it?” Sam walks back to his desk. Slumping in his leather-back chair, he rests his forehead against his index finger and thumb. “Why the third degree?” He finally inquires.

“Sam,” she walks over to his desk. She leans against the wooden drawers, facing him. “I just want to know why my husband left me alone all night,” she extends her hand out to his. “That’s all.” Sam tenderly takes her hand, pulling her onto his lap. She relaxes into his body, his arms embracing her tightly. “I just miss you--”

“I miss you, too, baby,” he reassures, pushing his lips against her temple. “I’m sorry,” he lifts a hand, rubbing his forehead. “Some incredibly important stuff just came up--”

“Is it bad?” Anna worries.

Sam smirks. “I guess it depends on how you look at it.” He dryly chuckles. “But, I think I’ve smoothed it out.” He looks into Anna’s eyes, still seeing the concern flashing across her face. “Hey,” his voice softening with sincerity, “don't worry,” he tightens his embrace around her body, “Okay? I've got everything taken care of.”

Anna nods quietly; reaching down, she laces her hand with her husband’s, kissing the back of it before finally sealing her lips to his. "I love you," the words tickle his lips.

"I love you, Anna."

Slipping off of his lap, Anna pulls Sam up from the chair, leading him towards the office door to head back to bed. But, without warning, she yelps as Sam pulls her back into his chest. His lips crash into hers, their eyes fluttering closed with the searing touch.

“Anna Dalton,” he kisses her again before he continues. “I am so lucky to have a wife that cares about me the way you do.” Anna smiles lovingly into his eyes, pushing his hair back before she steals one last kiss.

A sudden mischievous gleam crosses Sam's face. Without warning, he grabs his wife, lifting her body over his shoulder. "Sam Dalton!" She squeals. "I'm gonna tell my daddy on you!" she laughs.

"Oh, Mrs. Dalton, you're about to learn who your daddy is...” he swats Anna's ass, eliciting a sharp yelp before swiftly carrying her back to their marriage suite.

------

The day follows suit as a typical Thursday for the Dalton household. When Anna woke up to a fussy baby, Sam had already gone into work.

Anna spends her time tending to Mickey and Mason with baby Ellery in tow and Carter as their incredibly patient chauffeur. After breakfast and packing their lunches, Anna travels with the twins to school, quizzing them for their vocabulary test. Carter then shuffles Anna and the baby on a few errands, including the dry cleaners, the butcher, and a Mommy & Me workout class.

After school, Anna helps the boys change into their soccer gear in the car just in time for their afternoon scrimmage. Grabbing a few scoops of gelato from a vendor nearby, Anna and Carter relax on a park bench, watching the boys run up and down the field.

"You're such a natural," Anna endearingly giggles at the sight of the older gentleman, holding Ellery--and she isn't fussing.

Carter beams at the comment, nodding his head. "She knows her Grandpa Carter," he chuckles, turning his attention back to the quiet infant "Don't you, sweetheart?" He gently pats her back. "No doubt she would prefer her daddy--"

"Sam!" startles Anna. "I haven't heard from him all day--" She reaches into her large purse, looking for her cellphone. "I wonder where he is. He's supposed to be meeting us here--" her words fade away as she concentrates on unlocking her phone. No messages. No missed calls. Anna's face falls. Sam usually texts her throughout the day, mostly sweet sentiments and well wishes.

"Is there a problem, Mrs. Dalton?" Carter kindly asks.

"Um--" Anna toggles through her messages; the last one she received from Sam was yesterday afternoon. "No," she forces a smile, her eyebrows still furrowed. "Do you mind watching her for a second? I need to--let me try calling him." Due to the demanding nature of his job, it was not uncommon for Sam to be late coming home or missing functions with the kids. But, he always called.

Anna dials him, but instantly gets his voicemail. A breath hitches in her chest, her palms becoming sweaty. She turns towards Carter, dialing Sam again. Voicemail.

"That's weird," she scrolls through her phone to send a message. "I don't know if his phone is off or dead, but it's going straight to voicemail--"

"That's not like him." Carter exchanges a worried glance with Anna.

"No," she nervously exhales. "It's not."

------

"Did you see my goal, Mom?"

"What?" Anna looks up from her phone, still anxiously awaiting contact from her husband. "I'm so sorry, Mick." She flips over her phone to hide the ominous black screen. She takes a sip of her ice water. "So, you were saying. Your goal--?"

"You're worried about Dad, aren't you?" Mickey interjects.

"We are, too," chimes in Mason as he sets his utensils down on his dinner plate.

"Hey," she gently cups Mickey’s cheek while reaching for Mason's arm. She strokes them both endearingly with her thumb. "You two have nothing to worry about," she squeezes Mason's arm while booping Mickey's nose. "Okay? Everything is just fine." Anna picks up her fork, attempting to act like everything is normal. "Dad is just--" she stammers for words, any words, something that would bring comfort to her children. And to herself. "He's working late."

"Again," sighs Mickey. Mason stares quietly downcast at his food, nodding in agreement.

Anna quietly looks back and forth at her deflated sons; she needs to do something--and quick--to reassure them. "Hey, you two," Anna puts down her utensils, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "Let's say we package up this chicken, and order pizza."

"Really?" Mickey smiles broadly, looking to his brother.

"It's not even the weekend!" Shouts Mason.

Anna laughs joyously at their response as she begins to clear the table, storing away their current meal for her leftovers for the next week. As the twins make themselves busy with homework, Brynn tries to keep herself busy, trying not to dwell on her missing husband. Afterall, there had to be a perfectly logical reason. He'll come home, she'll yell at him, and then they'll make up. Perfect ending.

She starts to scrub the stoneware of her slowcooker, sinking her hand into the sudsy water over and over, the water becoming more dingy, darker, her hand almost hidden from the food residue.

Anna drops her sponge as a horrible thought enters her head. What if something bad has actually happened to Sam? What if he needs help? Or he's hurt? What if he's hidden, and no one can see that he needs assistance? Her heart starts racing with her mind, leading her to do the next logical action: call Robin.

After she washes her hands, she grabs her phone. Dialing Robin's number, Anna mosies to her room to check on napping Ellery. Pick up. Pick up. Pick up.

"Anna!" There is a loud commotion of people in the background. "Are you watching the game?"

The Pats game. Of course.

"Oh," she forces a chuckle, "not yet." Tears of joy gather in her eyes as she exhales in relief; her stomach eases from its afternoon of anxious flips. "Where are you at?"

"Blondie's--hold on--" Robin starts talking to another bar patron, "--next round on me, you old bastard," he returns to his phone. "So, what's up, sis? Is my favorite niece already asking for more snuggles from her Uncle?"

Anna titters. "Oh, you know it," she humors her brother-in-law. "Listen, Rob, can you tell Sam to text me or call me?" The loud crowd seems to roar into comparison to Robin's silence. "Robin?"

"Yeah, Anna, I'm here."

"Can you do that for me?" She enunciates. Again, Robin falls quiet amongst the sports fans. "Robin!"

"What? I'm right here--sorry, I'm just trying to understand why you want me to contact Sam to tell him to contact you--"

"Is he not with you?" Anna's mouth runs dry, a lump developing in her throat.

"No," he scoffs, "son of a bitch even left work early today."

Anna grabs hold of the wall, feeling as if the wind was being knocked out of her. Her thoughts jump abruptly to awful conclusions as her body begins to tremble with fear. Where the hell was her husband?

"Anna? You okay, dear?"

Anna puts the phone back to her ear. "I need to go." Before Robin could ask anymore questions, she ended the call. She cups her hands over her mouth, attempting to slow down her anxious breathing before she plots her next move.

God, Sam, where are you? The walk back to the kitchen is arduous, the weight of the unknown is stifling. A burning sensation meets her eyes; tired of pretending, Anna collapses into a chair at the dinner table, burying her face in her crossed arms. Just tell me you're alright. Something. Anything.

In the silence of the penthouse, Anna's cell phone begins to ring. She sits up, the hairs on the back of her neck stand prepared. She wipes away her tears as she looks at her phone.

City of New York Police Dept.

Terror floods her senses as the unimaginable seems to be coming true. Anna takes a few cleansing breaths before finally swiping the green button to answer.

"Hello?"

"Baby. It's me--"

"Sam? Oh, thank God! You had me worried sick--"

"Listen, Anna, do you trust me?" There's an urgency in his voice that scares her, that maybe all of her worst fears are just beginning. "Anna?" He beckons.

"Yes, baby, I'm sorry. I--I'm here--"

"You have to trust me. I only have 40 more seconds on this call--"

"What? Sam, are you in trouble?" Anna begins to pace.

"Trust me, babe. Go to my office. As you face the bookcases, reach behind the planter on the 4th shelf. If you gently press against the wood backing, a spring will engage, popping open the back. There's a safe in there. 10-8-11--"

"The twin’s birthday--"

"Count out a million, and meet me at precinct 19."

"A million? A million what?"

"You have to trust me Anna. I need you to come--"

The line cuts off. Anna blankly stares at her phone, completely at a loss for thoughts, let alone words.

Trust me. Anna grabs the baby monitor and hastily jogs to Sam's office. She removes the planter from the shelving unit as she begins to press on the solid wood. After a few attempts, she hears a small click. The wooden backing falls forward on a hinge, revealing a black, metal safe. Anna enters the numerical code, and like magic, the handle pops wide open. And so do Anna's eyes.

Stacks upon stacks of cold hard green cash are stored away neatly in the locked cube, along with a few file folders and legal documents.

Count out a million. Catching her breath and now filled with even more curiosity, Anna grabs a stack of hundreds, allowing it to fan in her hands when the realization hit her: she's about to count out one-million dollars.

With her hands still shaking, she begins to count out the stacks, organizing them on Sam's desk. One one-thousand. Two one-thousand. Three one-thousand…

Anna stops, taking another look at the stash of cash. What on earth was Sam doing with so much money not in the bank? And furthermore why was he needing it--?

The color drains from Anna's face, her stomach becoming queasy.

This is bail money.

Sam is in serious trouble.

----------

Tag List (you know the drill! If you want on or off, please let me know!): @ao719 @bbrandy2002 @burnsoslow @charlotteg234 @chemist-ana @choices-addict @choiceskatie @forallthatitsworth @issabees @kat-tia801 @kachrisberry @khoicesbyk @lovelyladyk88 @lucy-268 @neotericthemis @sarcastic01lily @sfb123 @shannonwrote @shanzay44 @shewillreadyou @socalwriterbee @somersetmummy @taniasethi @thefrenchiemama @thenannyaffair-fanfics

[hallowxiu]

A Humanistic Fascination

pairing: human!mammon/demon!gn!mc

word count: 3.6k

summary: After your sister Lilith died, you wondered what attracted her to humans in the first place. Your answer comes in the form of a white-haired human named Mammon.

a/n: well this was fun! I kind of want to turn this into a series where mammon is the human selected for the exchange program, but I’m not sure if anyone would be interested. Just let me know; I’m friendly, I don’t bite!! :)

Ever since the day Lilith died and you fell, you had an undying curiosity of humans. You wanted to know what it was about them that drew your sister in so much, a thirst where she was willing to risk and leave everything behind. While your brother Belphegor distanced himself from the humans he once adored, you had done the opposite. Before you and your brothers fell, you didn’t much care for humans. You didn’t dislike them, but you also didn’t like them either. Lilith and Belphegor were always the two to marvel at the creatures down below.

You wanted to know if you missed something. Maybe you didn’t see something the other two had. While your youngest brother now despised them, you wanted to see what drew him in in the first place. Humans had been somewhat of a touchy subject in the House of Lamentation. The obvious reason was Belphegor; anything human related would set him off and it wasn’t a pretty sight. However, the obvious shift in the room whenever humans were brought up was hard to miss.

As the second eldest, you had a bit of a responsibility placed on your shoulders to be a good role model, especially now that the brothers were lost and grieving. Recently, Lord Diavolo had suggested an exchange program where angels and humans would come to the Devildom to learn about the culture in an attempt to join the three realms and have peace. You thought enough time had passed since falling for the brothers to at least consider the idea, but Belphegor had a meltdown and Lucifer nearly locked him up over it. You also noticed a hesitance in your older brother as well. That being said, you wanted to make things easier for everyone. You made sure to help Lucifer with his paperwork so he could get at least some level of sleep, you kept Satan company whenever he felt lonely, you tried to understand all the lingo Leviathan had a tendency to throw out, you tried new foods with Beelzebub (as Belphegor wanted time alone more and more these days…), and you went shopping with Asmodeus every now and then. Belphegor was a different case; he was isolating himself more than Leviathan and you could barely get through to your younger brother. A part of you was hoping that by figuring out more about humans, that you’d somehow be able to get closer with your brother. It was a long shot, and you weren’t even sure it would work, but it was all you had. Even Beelzebub was having a hard time with him these days.

And that’s how you ended up in the human realm. Although you were trying to be a good role model, you did have to sneak away every now and then. Lucifer would never approve of you going to the human realm alone, he had become especially protective of you since falling. You couldn’t blame him; you knew he harbored a lot of blame for the way things ended with Lilith so you tried to be as understanding as you possibly could. That being said, you tried. You still needed to do some things for yourself, and this was one of them. You figured if Lord Diavolo really did plan on hosting an exchange program, growing accustomed to humans and their respective realm would do you some good. For the most part, you stayed hidden in the shadows. When your brothers would travel, like Asmodeus or Satan, they liked to be seen by humans. Never in their demon form (although Satan did lose his temper on that one trip; you try not to delve into that), but they liked to be acknowledged. You were closer to Leviathan in the sense that you liked to blend in with the humans rather than stand out. Unwanted attention might get you into trouble, and the last thing you needed was Lucifer chewing you out about being reckless.

Your eyes narrowed as you observed the streets, taking in the mannerisms of the humans walking by. You were in a busy city and it was mid-December with plenty of human holiday traditions popping up. The hustle and bustle of the city were appealing to you and you could see why so many humans marveled at cities and longed to live there. You were walking through the crowd, hands stuffed in the pockets of your coat despite not being even a bit cold. You wanted to fit in though, so you tried to match everyone else. You noticed how everyone was too busy to look at one another; people rushing by too focused on their everyday lives. At the moment, you couldn’t tell what your two siblings found so appealing about humans. They seemed a little selfish if anything.

And, although ironic enough, you were too busy thinking to yourself to notice others around you, which led you straight into slamming into the chest of someone. “Oi, what the hell-- why don’t ya watch where you’re goin’?” The first thing you noticed was the accent. It was odd, and it certainly didn’t seem to match those of the people surrounding you. The second thing you noticed was the harsh attitude from the mere human you stumbled into. The audacity of some of these humans never failed to amaze you-- oh shit.

You blink several times as you look in front of you, a head of white fluffy hair taking up most of your vision. You still weren’t used to all the interesting colors humans picked to wear, despite the Devildom being filled to the brim with demons who also had some... unique tastes. Hair aside, he was absolutely stunning. You couldn’t find yourself able to look away-- was he also a demon? Did he put you under some kind of spell? Of course, you wouldn’t be surprised to see another demon lurking about, but still--

“Hello? Are ya deaf or somethin’? Ya can’t just go runnin’ into people and then stare at them with these bug eyes. It’s a bit weird, ya know.” Oh, right.

“Uh… sorry?” Not exactly what you planned on saying.

“Yeah…” The man looks at you with a raised eyebrow before clearing his throat and looking away. “Well, I’m in a bit of a rush, so I can’t just stand here all day. Just make sure ya don’t continue to slam into people. Not all of them are as nice as me.” He gives you a wink with that final line and you try to ignore the heat that’s building up in your face. Nice my ass, you can’t help but think. And nearly just as quick as he popped into your life, he vanished. You’re impressed with how fast these humans are; maybe you don’t give them enough credit.

“And where were you?” You were hoping to go unnoticed, but as your luck would have it, of course, Lucifer would catch you the second you walked through the front door. You weren’t a great liar and you both knew this, so you needed to play your cards right. You doubt he’d be happy to know you’ve been running around unsupervised in another realm.

“Uh--”

“You smell like human food.” Beelzebub is quick to point out as he walks into the living room. “Did you bring some human food? Are you going to share?” The red-headed demon is looking at you with a hopeful face and had he not just indirectly ratted you out, you’d probably feel bad for not having any food on you.

“I don’t have any food.” You put it simply and your brother pouts in response. Lucifer, however, is looking at you with a very intense gaze.

“And would you care to explain why you would smell like human food at all?” His arms are crossed over his chest and his foot is tapping against the polished floor. Yeah, you were definitely busted. “And why do you reek of cheap cologne? Were you out with a man?”

“Okay dad, calm down.” You put your hands up in submission. “I was not out with a man, I bumped into one on accident.” More like body slammed into one, but he didn’t need the details. “Maybe he had some human food on him, I don’t know why else I’d smell like it.”

“Must have slammed into him pretty hard to smell that strongly of humans. Unless, of course, the man you crossed paths with was a human.” You swallow thickly under Lucifer’s watchful eye. Damn, you really couldn’t get anything past that man.

“I don’t know why a human would be in the Devildom.”

“Yeah, I don’t know why either.” Lucifer’s looking even more annoyed now. Maybe you shouldn’t have said that. You might have just walked into a trap. “Unless of course…”

“Well, look, maybe he was in the human realm and had a bit of a snack. Maybe he chomped on some humans, I don’t know what you want me to tell you. I can’t keep track of every demon I happen to bump into, but next time I run into one I’ll be sure to take some notes and interview them just in case you don’t like how I smell when I come back home.”

“Watch how you talk to me.” Lucifer was getting a little worked up, but to be fair, so were you. You didn’t mean to be so defensive, but when dealing with someone as investigative as Lucifer, could you really be blamed?

“Well, this was fun and all,” you fake a yawn, “but I’m actually quite tired now. Think I’ll go to bed. Catch some shut-eye. Speaking of,” you point an accusing finger at the eldest, “you should too. All this lack of sleep is what makes you so grumpy.”

“Yes,” he deadpans, “I’m sure it’s the lack of sleep that has me like this.”

Okay, so maybe you had a bit of a problem. Not a big problem, but a problem nonetheless. It had been exactly two days since your first and last outing to the human realm. You had a good time overall, but a certain white-haired boy grabbed your attention and refused to let go. The problem? You knew nothing about him. All you knew was that he had an interesting accent and that he maybe lived in a city. At the very least, he had business in the city. If you still haven’t guessed, your problem is that you can’t get this kid out of your head. You didn’t plan on traveling back to the human realm so soon, but well, life happens and here you are. Right back in the same city as two days ago.

It was still as busy as last time, with people shoving their way down the streets, bags in hands and eyes glued to phone screens. It would be impossible to spot him in this crowd, so you’d have to snoop around. Was this really something you were proud of? No, but you were a demon and you let it justify the odd things you indulged in.

You made your way down a sidewalk, hands stuffed in the pockets of your coat once again as you kept a watchful eye out. Your eyes landed on a small restaurant that was tucked away in a corner and the smell caught your attention. Having temporarily forgotten your mission, and instead thinking of picking up some food for Beelzebub, you made your way towards the restaurant. Pushing the door open, you heard a bell above you ring, alerting your presence to the workers.

“Good afternoon.” A cheerful woman says from behind the counter, currently in the middle of taking an order from a customer. You nod your head in response, debating internally whether or not bringing Beelzebub back food would be worth the scolding from Lucifer as yes, you would essentially be ratting yourself out. You could probably get Beelzebub to swear silence in turn for the food though. As you weigh the pros and cons in your head, you hear a familiar voice come from behind you which makes you freeze in place.

“Eh? What are ya doin’ here? Ya followin’ me or somethin’?” You knew the man was probably joking, but uh… yes. Well, you were at the start, technically, but as luck would have it you just happened to bump into him again, so technically you didn’t stalk him and technically you didn’t track him down. So, no, you were not creepy.

“Yes.” You deadpan, and the white-haired man looks puzzled for a minute before erupting into laughter.

“You’re funny.” He gives you a firm pat on the back as he walks by, and that’s when you take in his appearance. He was wearing an apron, so you could assume he was a waiter for the restaurant. Wow, weren’t you the luckiest demon on this planet? Your eyes scan his uniform, looking for a name tag. Your eyebrow quirks in amusement when you read the word ‘Mammon’. Did his parents hate him? Why would they name a child that? What next? Was his middle name Lucifer too?

“Your name is Mammon.” You deadpan once again.

“Yes.” He replies, a bit of a pout on his lips. You assume he gets comments on his name all the time. You wonder why he hasn’t legally changed it; humans have a process for that, don’t they? They love to change everything.

“It’s nice.” You weren’t lying. As a demon, you did appreciate names on humans that derived from your kind. Although definitely taboo for humans, it was always fascinating to you to see that some humans actually did walk around with demon names.

“Eh? Really?” He’s looking at you with wide eyes again before a dopey smile forms on his lips as the two of you stand chatting by the entrance. “I don’t get that a lot. Are you from around here? I haven’t seen ya much. Have ya been here before?”

“I’m new to the area.” It wasn’t really a lie. “So I’ve just been exploring the area, trying to take everything in. I thought this place smelled good so I came here. I wasn’t expecting to see you.” But it did make things easier. Now that you had a name to a face, maybe you’d be able to get him out of your head.

“So that’s the excuse you’re goin’ with, yeah?” There’s a playful grin on his lips before he leads you to a table. “Just sit tight, I’ll be the one takin’ your order, so glance over the menu, okay?” You can only nod in response as he’s gone almost immediately after. Well, Lucifer would definitely notice your scent now. Nothing about you smelled like a demon; in fact, you’re sure you smelled more human at this point than anything else.

Your eyes follow Mammon’s figure as he disappears into the back, doing who knows what. Cheap cologne, you remember Lucifer bringing that up the other day. You didn’t think Mammon smelled like cheap cologne, he actually smelled quite nice.

You decided to bring your attention to the menu placed on the table in front of you as you found yourself getting too distracted and you didn’t want to risk looking like an actual stalker (although that’s already up in the air) when Mammon comes back. Your eyebrow quirked as you looked over the food. So it’s a café type of place? How cute, you can’t help but think to yourself. You weren’t too hungry, but the longer you stayed there the longer you’d be able to see Mammon. You could always bring it back to Beelzebub.

“Decide on anythin’ yet?” He asks, startling you out of your thoughts. Why didn’t you sense his arrival? You give him a confused look when he places a mug down in front of you. “What? Ya look like a hot chocolate kind of… person?” You stifle a laugh at his odd attempt to address you.

“I do like hot chocolate.” Was it hot in here or was it just you? You cup your hands around the mug and try not to look up at the white-haired man in fear of staring at him like a creep.

“Of course. My intuition is never wrong.” He gives you a wink, which you happen to look up just in time to catch, and low and behold your face is beet red. Just your luck. “So? What do ya want?”

“What do I want?” You choke out and Mammon looks at you with another raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, what do ya want to eat?” Duh.

“U-Uh, yeah, this!” In a panic, you quickly point at a random spot on the menu, to which Mammon bends down to examine it.

“So you’re big on sweets, yeah? I like chocolate too, but that’s a lot even for me.” He has a toothy grin on his face and you quickly look down to see just what exactly it was that you picked out. A chocolate cake drizzled in chocolate sauce served with a side of chocolate wafers. Yeah, that wouldn’t have been your pick if you had actually paid attention, but it is what it is.

“It’s because I’m so sweet.” Yeah, you hated that the second it left your mouth. Mammon, however, seemed to like it as he blurted out a laugh.

“I can’t say that I disagree.” He looks thoughtful for a moment before shifting on his feet. “I’m about to go on break, would ya mind if I sat with ya?” And cue your cheeks heating up again. You just hoped it wasn’t too noticeable.

“Sure, yeah, I don’t mind.” You’re scratching at the back of your neck shyly as you look around the mostly empty restaurant.

“Cool!” Your face is buried in your hands once the man leaves, a shaky sigh leaving you. Did he want to sit with you? You didn’t know if you should consider yourself lucky or unlucky at this point.

At least ten minutes went by before Mammon joined you at your table, the man pulling out his phone as he sat in the empty seat. He was clearly excited to be on break, the man rambling about his day and all the annoying customers he had to deal with. You listen silently as you pick at your cake. You had forced yourself to eat half of it before he joined you, not wanting to look like you didn’t like it and have the white-haired boy ask you questions regarding it. You were still unsure how to feel about his company, but a part of you felt lighter than before.

“What time do you work until?” You found yourself asking and you shyly glanced over at the other.

“I close.” There’s a pout on his lips and you find yourself smiling. “Kinda sucks, but the pay is alright. Better than nothin’ anyway, especially with the holidays comin’ up and all.” He’s playing with his fingers as he glances down at his phone. Was he waiting for something? Maybe he had a partner and he was waiting for them to text him back. For some reason, that thought makes you frown. “Ah, actually,” there’s a sheepish smile on his lips and his cheeks are turning a pretty shade of red, “I was wonderin’ if I could actually get your number.” He’s scratching at the back of his neck and you feel your heart skip several beats in response. He wanted your number? Your number? Him? Your expression must have startled him as the man across from you started stammering out an excuse. “Ah, but, actually-- if it’s too invasive, I didn’t mean anythin’ like that-- I swear, oh god.”

“It’s okay, don’t worry.” You were beyond grateful, but there was only one teenie tiny issue. “I don’t have a phone.” Well, a human phone that is. You had a perfectly working D.D.D, but nothing that could interact with the human realm. Mammon looks slightly dejected and you know that he doesn’t buy your excuse. You weren’t surprised, a lot of humans seemed to have phones in this era. Living without one seemed to be impossible for them. And, as if the universe wanted to punish you for flirting with a human that was so beneath you, your D.D.D immediately goes off.

Your face pales as you just stare in horror at Mammon. He looks slightly annoyed, though you can tell he’s trying to play it off. That had to sting. “Look, it’s cool. Ya don’t owe me any explanations if ya don’t want me havin’ your number.” He checks his phone once again, the silence in the air suffocating you. “Ya should probably answer that, don’t ya think?” Yeah, he was definitely annoyed with you. You clumsily grab your D.D.D from your pocket, nearly dropping it in the process. You swear under your breath when seeing it’s Lucifer. You wonder what the odds were of him finding out you were in the human realm.

“I uh, I have to go.”

“Important call?” There was bitterness just barely contained in his voice. How did things go so wrong so fast?

“I’m sorry.” You say lamely before leaving all the human currency you had on the table and darted out the doors of the restaurant. God, you’d never be able to show your face in the human realm again. That embarrassment would last for centuries, you were sure of it.

[jupitermelichios]

On a more possitive note, I’ve started watching Sword Art Online. It’s one of the worst things I’ve ever seen (and the last film I saw in cinemas was Cats to give you context for the scale i’m working on here) and I kind of adore it in much the same way I love garbage like Smallville or Twilight. It’s so stupid on so many levels. You could challenge someone to write the worst anime, and it would almost certainly be better than SAO. It’s almost hypnotic how terrible it is.

No one should watch this terrible terrible show so I therefore don’t feel at all bad that I’m about the spoil absolutely everything, but honestly if you do also hate-watch this please come talk to me about how terrible it is. I don’t know anyone else who watches it.

Highlights of Season 1 include:

everyone is trapped in an MMO, and if you die in the MMO you die IRL. but if you were a beta-tester you’re probably fine because they just let them keep all their levels and items from the testing, so they’re all massively OP and everyone just accepts this as a normal and non-game-breaking thing

it’s a fantasy MMO but there’s no races, no magic system, no weapons except swords and maces, and not even an option to dual wield - literally all you can do in this fucking game is stand in front of an enemy and mash the attack button. I’m pretty sure they’re trapped there because the devs realised no one would play this post launch-day otherwise because it’s boring as shit

when the villain traps everyone he also just changs all their avatars to look like they do IRL for absolutely no reason, like actually none, he doesn’t even say he thinks it would be funny, he just does it and no one questions it and it is literally never mentioned again because this is the worst TV show ever animated.

in the second episode the main character deliberately witholds information about how to defeat a boss, indirectly causing multiple deaths. there is absolutely no reason for him to withhold it, he was just being a jerk because he doesn’t like people

in the third episode they reset his entire personality and he’s now a selfless hero pretending to be a lower level than he really is so people will find him more relateable and be his friend because all he wants is to help people. this is not a consequence of episode 2, they just decided they didnt like the character as he’d previously been written.

he makes some new friends who are all objectively terrible people who have decided for no season that the twelve year old who doesn’t really know how to play and keeps having anxiety attacks about the very real possibility of death has to be the guild tank. the MC is high enough level to be functionally immortal in like half the levels, but doesn’t tell anyone this he just lets them go on bullying this child

none of his friends survive that episode, in the game or IRL. which is also a christmas epsiode. a child dies in battle because she’s a terrible tank and then a man commits suicide out of guilt, so then the main character murders santa to try and bring them back from the actual dead but it doesn’t work because again, this is a video game and they are dead IRL, so then he walks off into the snow alone. Christmas!

we meet the best character in the entire show in episode 4, Rosalia, who has gone evil and started just straight murdering people because she’s sick of being an attractive adult woman who can’t get a date because she’s surrounded by lolicons who are only interested in the preteen characters (not a joke, that comes up, the show is firmly on the side of the lolicons)

in the same episode we get an extended bra and panty sequence staring an actual fucking child, like canonically this character is maybe 13 at best. this is one of only 2 occaisions when they feel the need to undress a character and it’s the fucking 12 year old, it’s so gross it reads like a parody of itself

literally every single named female character aged over 8 who talks to the MC falls in love with him after like 5 minutes (and in season 2 this includes his actual sister). he shows absolutely no interest in any of them (including his sister, thank god) until...

the main character gets engaged to a girl he only knows from an MMO after a virtual single date (he doesn’t actually win her in a PVP match but only because he looses the match, he 100% canonically tries to win her in a match, which she is apparently fine with). he then doesn’t bother to ask for her real name until the final episode, he just calls her by her screen name

(that’s okay though becuase it turns out that this moron of a love interest used her real name, on a local server, in a game where your character looks like you do IRL, because apparently getting doxxed is her hobby)

they then get in-game married off screen. there’s not even like a still of a wedding photo. nothing. the main character proposes and then the show immediately jumps to the honeymoon, it’s fucking bizarre.

they find a creepy child dressed all in white with no memory alone in the woods a week into their honeymoon who starts calling them mommy and daddy literally seconds after they first meet her, and they don’t suspect anything suss is going on and adopt her

for hilarity bear in mind the main character may only be 15 at this point (he says he’s only just turned 16 in the last epsiode, but his actual birthday is never mentioned), and his virtual wifu is 16, but no one ever questions the marriage or the adoption, even though ‘hey marriage in a video game is as important and meaningful as marriage in real life’ is an actual conversation people have multiple times. also they think the child they adopt is an actual IRL 8 year old who thinks these randos she met in an MMO are her mum and dad and everyone just goes with that like it’s a totally normal thing

a character called ‘Thinker’ agrees to meet an enemy faction leader for peace talks. the “peace talks” take place in a high level dungeon and he is told to come alone with no weapons and no fast travel. he does this. no one ever comments that his name is ironic, and in fact they seem to think that being betrayed and trapped in a dungeon with a boss is a totally unexpected turn of events Thinker could never have planned for

they take their new baby into the dungeon to rescue thinker, because they went to the jean grey school of baby rearing, and she imediately reveals that she’s actually a magical maggufin with infinite power, murders the grim reaper, and then dies. In literally the second episode she’s in

after she dies the MC hacks the admin account of the game, converts her corpse into an in game item, and saves to the local storage on his console, with the intention of bringing her back to life as a robot once they’re saved from the game. I’m not joking, that’s an actual thing that happens.

the fact that the main character can just access the main admin account and make massive game-breaking changes isn’t used again in that game and he never thinks to try and use it to force log people out or give himself infinite life so he can just rush the game and free everyone. nope, convert a corpse into an item and then never think about it again.

there’s an entire episode where all they do is go fishing. its the only filler episode in the season, and it immediately follows the death of a small child. it’s the most tone-deaf beach episode in writing history

it turns out this game, this game where they didn’t bother coding in any difference races, weapons, or any kind of magic system, was intended to have fully sentient AI therapists, because why the fuck not at this point honestly

oh also the game has PVP and you can trick the game into thinking a sleeping player is in PVP with you in order to actually murder a real person without it flagging in-game as a murder making the crime impossible for the real life legal system to investigate even though you just murdered a person. and they expect us to believe this game had actual beta testers. at least cyberpunk wasn’t played on microwaves you connected straight to your brain (also not a joke, the VR consoles canonically work by sending microwave radiation into your brain, no wonder VR never caught on)

the set up for the show is that they have to reach level 100 of a dungeon in order to win. At level 75, the writers got bored and the show just ends.

it turns out the power of love allows you to just break the fucking game and the main villain literally has a line about how ‘love allows you to remove debuffs, huh, we didn’t think to plan for that’ because again, there’s no metaphors in this show, everything is 100% literal including the fact that falling in love with another player means you’re immune to the paralysis status effect

power of love also allows you to very briefly become a poltergeist after being killed, but only for like 2 seconds. again not a joke or a metaphor, main character is killed but then gets to hang around as a ghost for a little bit to enable him to defeat the boss. he also doesn’t die in real life despite that being the entire fucking premise of the show, again because power of love.

the bad guy literally has no plan, he’s just doing shit for the sake of having something to do. His actions directly cause the deaths of more than 4,000 people, and it’s not even in aid of anything. they ask him why he trapped 10,000 people in an MMO and allowed them to slowly die, and he’s just like ‘huh, i forgot i did that, random’ and then just fucking peaces out

the fact that he committed one of the largest mass killings outside of war never really comes up again, as far as we know he doesn’t even go to jail. i think the show actually kind of thinks he’s a good guy, which is a fucking WILD moral stance to take on the deaths of 4000 completely innocent people for absolutely no reason

If this sounds hilari-bad but you don’t want to invest the time to watch a show which is objectively garbage, it has an abridged series which is famously better than the show it’s parodying (i’m dead serious, people have character arcs, the getting married after one date thing is properly addressed, the mc has to deal with PTSD because of all his friends dying in epsidode 3, they don’t immediately follow the death of a child with an extended fishing montage, the villain has an actual plan). It’s mostly actually pretty good, but this is the internet and it’s an abridged series, so while there are a lot fewer yikes moments than most it still has enough that I’m not comfortable recommending it without the caveat. that said I still enjoyed it a lot, although possibly not at much as pointing and laughing at the garbage that is the actual show.