#it was a lot of work but i think overall it came out quite nice.....

[w1f1n1ghtm4r3]

Together, to that Promised Aquarium

(or, as you might better know it as, the harusaki aquarium event i've been working on for the past few weeks!)

4★ - Saki Tenma, Haruka Kiritani, Megurine Luka (L/N) 3★ - Shizuku Hinomori 2★ - Tsukasa Tenma

The Ocean's Shining Depths Gacha (limited)

[Through the Underwater Tunnel] 4★ Saki Tenma

Skill: A Promise We Upheld Costume: Glimmering Jellyfish

[It Came Right Over?!] 4★ Haruka Kiritani

Skill: So Close I Could Almost Touch It Costume: Dazzling Penguin

[Secret Snack Break Meeting] 4★ Megurine Luka

Skill: Sneaking in a Visit Costume: Sparkling Tuna

Together, to that Promised Aquarium Event Shop

[A Well-Spent Day Off] 3★ Shizuku Hinomori

Skill: So Many Things to See!

[Accidentally Crossing Paths] 2★ Tsukasa Tenma

Skill: How Did We Forget!?

Full Event Story (approximately, in extended rough summary format)

and as one final bonus: the fullbody for tsukasa!

[st7rnioioss]

*ೃ༄ we fell in love in october

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: matt sturniolo x reader

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: you and matt finally confess your mutual feelings - even during you boths favorite season!

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: fluff, friends to lovers, kissing

a/n: hiii everyoneee. i literally just realised i reached 1.4k, thats fucking insane, thank you so so much. i love this request, had a lot of fun, thank you!!!

this is based off this request!

───────── 🐇 Matt was walking beside you up to your house. You had just been driving around the area, talking about all sorts of topics. From high school to work to your personal lives.

“Thanks for walking me home, Matt. It was nice spending time with you today,” you smiled sincerely, pulling him in for a hug as you reached your front porch.

“It’s my pleasure. I had a lot of fun as well,” he chuckled, bringing his arms around your waist to pull you closer. A bit too close for people who consider themselves ‘just friends’. You pulled away with a bright smile, letting your hand linger on the back of his neck for just a moment.

“You look nice tonight, by the way. I think I kinda forgot to tell you, but I really like that dress,” he laughed nervously, scratching his head. You felt butterflies erupt in your stomach, the single compliment making your cheeks turn a faint pink color.

“Thank you! It’s uh- It’s new actually.” you looked down on yourself, tugging at the end of the floral dress you were wearing. “You look great too,” you nodded with a shy smile, pointing to him.

Matt couldn’t stop smiling. He simply just found you adorable to say the least.

"Thanks,” he beamed, looking back up from your dress to meet your eyes. “Well uh- I should go, it’s getting late. I’ll see you soon, okay?” he smiled, taking a tiny step backwards.

“Yeah, I’ll see you soon. Goodnight, Matt.” you waved, also taking a small step back, trying not to trip over the stairs right behind you.

-

The old door to your house creaked as you pushed it open. You were kind of tired from hanging out with Matt all day, not that it had anything to do with him. It was just getting late. 

You had gone shopping, had lunch, fed ducks at the lake, went for a late night drive, and overall just enjoyed each other's company.

Matt had been your best friend since forever. You met somewhere during junior year in high school, and after that you hadn’t been seen separately. After a few months into senior year you realized you had developed a tiny crush on Matt. That didn’t change though. You were still in love with him to this day.

Matt and his brothers started a YouTube career, and you found a job in a bakery that also sold all kinds of flowers. Because of that, you always had a few bouquets standing around and outside your home, the color and type of flower changing depending on the season and vibe you wanted to go for.

For the past week you had white heliotrope.

You placed your phone and keys on your kitchen counter, slipping out of your coat and shoes after having been out in the chilly weather all day.

A small vibration came from your phone, the screen lighting up. It was a message from Matt.

‘Can I come over tomorrow?’ it read. Matt always wanted to be around you, specifically in your house. He almost loved it more than you did. You quickly picked up the phone, positioning yourself on the kitchen counter to answer him immediately with a 

‘Yes, of course :) We can watch that movie you were talking about if you want’.

‘Yeah, I’d love that. See you tomorrow then!’

You smiled to yourself, turning off your phone as you got down from the counter.

The small house you lived in was quite cozy. There wasn’t much electrical light, most of it being from either the fireplace or the candles you had propped up everywhere, or a lamp that had the same orange light as the candles. You paced around, lighting each and every candle that was in the kitchen and living room, creating a soft orange-like light. On top of that, the faint smell of cinnamon and apple made it even better. It wasn’t too artificial of a smell, not making people literally gag when they walked in. Matt seemed to like it a lot.

-

The next morning you woke up to the sunlight through your gingham curtain. Your friends found the curtains absolutely horrible, but you liked the vibe of the red and white. It just suited the rest of your interior.

Your phone had a message from Matt, asking if it was okay to come over around 8, since he was filming a video with his brothers. You replied with a ‘Yes, that’s perfect’, making your way downstairs to make breakfast.

-

At around 7.30pm you still had no idea what to put on. Not that it mattered, Matt had seen you in all sorts of situations, but it was something you relied a lot on.

You settled on something cozy but casual, knowing you were gonna watch a movie, so jeans would probably get uncomfortable. The makeup you had put on a few hours ago needed a touch up, as well as your hair.

That took you just the right amount of time, because right as you went downstairs to light the candles, there was a knock on the door. You rushed up to it, looking at your hair in the mirror before opening the door, revealing Matt.

“Hi, Matt! Come on in!” you smiled, opening the door further for him to get inside. You could swear he was lingering his gaze just a little too long on you, but you were pulled out of your thoughts when Matt leaned in to hug you.

“Hey, thanks for letting me come over, you know how much I love your place,” he smiled, letting you go as he took off his jacket. You just smiled back in return, making your way to the kitchen.

“So uh- Do you want to bake some cookies before starting the movie?” you smiled shyly, holding up a bowl in front of you.

His face lit up, and you took that as a yes.

-

After way too long, the cookies were finally done. With that being said, it took you a few throws of flour, way too many jokes, a shit ton of chocolate chips eaten from the bag, and a bunch of laughter.

“Oh my god, they look fucking delicious,” you smiled, pressing your nose up against the oven to get a look on the cookies.

“Really? Let me see, move,” he giggled, pushing you gently to the side with his hands on each side of your waist. Your face turned beet red, avoiding looking him up in the eyes, only erupting a quiet chuckle.

“Oh yeah, you’re right. I think we did an amazing job,” he raised his brows, letting one hand go of you to reach out for a high-five.

-

“Wait, was it this one? Friday the 13th, the 2009 one?” you asked, scrolling through the insane amount of horror movies on Netflix. Matt nodded with a hum, his mouth too filled with cookies to answer you verbally. You pressed start, leaning back against the headboard of your bed. Matt wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer under the stupid amount of blankets, making you smile to yourself.

The window to your room was open, letting a view of a beautiful, now orange, tree standing in your backyard show. Matt had helped you light a few candles, the usual cinnamon-apple ones. Your normally neat bed was now completely messy, a duvet, blankets, and pillows resting everywhere.

Matt’s heart was practically beating out of his chest. He, too, had always had the biggest, fattest crush on you. Even holding you this close made his head spin. You were caught up with the start of the movie, but Matt sure as hell wasn’t. Even though he seemed relaxed enough to you, he was tense, trying to think of anything else but you, but it seemed far from possible to him. He needed to do something.

About 40 minutes into the movie, he turned body to you.

“Hey- uh. Can I just tell you something really quick?” he stuttered, positioning his body so he was facing you. You nodded, taking the cup of tea from your lips to place it on your nightstand.

“Sure, what’s up?” you smiled back at him, letting your eyes wander from his hair to his eyes, now rosy cheeks and lips, taking in all his features.

“It’s just- I’m sorry if this is sudden I just-” he stopped, sighing as he couldn’t seem to get the words out.

“I really like you. Not just as a friend, I really really want to take you out. Fuck, you know, I like you like you,” he giggled, the words were flying out of his words. Your eyes were wide, lips slightly parted from the sudden confession.

“I’m in love with you, and I just wanted to let you know.” he finally stopped speaking, allowing you to speak as well.

“You have got to be kidding me. Oh my God, I-” you started laughing. Matt was slightly confused.

“What? Sorry, did I say something wrong? I’m sorry, it’s totally fine if you don’t like me back, I just thought-” you cut him off, pressing your lips to his. Quickly, you pulled back to watch his reaction. 

You simply couldn’t stop yourself from giggling nervously, cheeks turning completely red. He didn’t say anything, he just simply stared in disbelief.

“Why did you stop?” he whispered, his eyes lingering on your lips. His hands found his way to the back of your neck, lacing his fingers through your hair.

“Sorry, I don’t know. It just seemed surreal for a second,” you laughed, placing a hand on his cheek. With that, he pulled you closer by your neck, sealing his lips with yours once again. This time, he was not ready to pull back anytime soon.

His hands roamed around the back of your head, holding your head as close as possible. He had been waiting for you for years. Your hands were on him as well. One cupping his cheek, the other resting on his shoulder. It took you a minute to pull back, simply craving air.

You looked up at him, a goofy smile appearing on both your faces while you both panted.

“You have no idea how many times I’ve stopped myself from doing that,” Matt admitted, keeping your hands on each other.

“Me too. I think I figured out I liked you during an English class. I literally sprinted home to write all my overthinking down in my diary,” you giggled, leaning closer into him to hug him.

He immediately melted into your touch, resting his face in the crook of your neck to inhale your sweet scent. The one he never got tired of.

“Can you kiss me again? I’m not wasting one minute after waiting for this long,” he chuckled, cupping your face with both of his hands.

“Matt, you don’t have to ask, just do it,” you laughed at his adorable question, but you gave in anyway, leaning up once more to kiss him from his cheek to finally seal the distance between your lips again.

And that’s basically how the night went. Movie still playing in the background, nearing the end, Matt leaning over you, leaving kisses on the sides of your face, forehead, cheeks, lips, neck, collarbone, any place imaginable. The candles were about to burn out, your cup of tea getting cold from not being drinked in the past 30 minutes.

To no one's surprise, he ended up staying over for the rest of the night.

a/n: stop why am i literally craving fall right now. wheres the rest of the "i hate summer" people at.

taglist: @chrissgirlsstuff @leah-loves-lilies @toriinie @cupidzsq @lacysturniolo @iluvmattyb @ratatioulle @emma4eva @riasturns @sstvrnioloo @sweetbabydoe @elliewrites1 @its-jennarose @abbypost @chrisstopherfilmed @sturniolossss @ducksturniolo @junnniiieee07 @klaus223492 @urfavvev3lyn @vschrissturn @cicimayx @keerahsturn let me know if you'd like to be added!

[sunshine304]

FTH Fanbinding: "Concord" by Deastar

@youhideastar won my FTH auction and gave me a great gift: She wanted me to bind her CQL fic "Concord" including the thorough author's commentary she'd done. I was so happy when she chose this fic because I'd loved it so much and had pondered doing a fanbinding of it at some point anyway. 😄

Now that the book has finally arrived (spending two days in the air even, I guess, at least when one looks at the tracking info 😆), I can show it off here!

I tried some new stuff on this bind and also some things that I'd only done once before and that definitely need some, uh, perfecting. 😅 But overall, I'm very pleased with how this book turned out, as it's pretty close to what I'd imagined when I started it.

The fic is set in Cloud Recesses and Dea and I agreed that the colour blue should be prominent in the design, as it not only fits the setting, but also is of significance in the story itself. As the rules and traditions of the Lan sect also are quite important, I wanted a very clean, simple style for the case, a bit reminiscent of traditional Chinese bindings.

I did the title as a cut-out and used Japanese transparent paper for some extra flavour. The paper shows up inside the book as well early on and I liked the recurring motive of it. I'm also really pleased how well the hot foil came out on it! I was a bit scared that it might rip or something, but it's quite sturdy, after all.

I thought about doing a faux stab binding with red thread to get even more of a traditional feel, but then decided against it as I'd wanted to use two different blue book cloths and I felt that it might get too busy. Instead, I used the red ribbon as a nod to Wei Wuxian.

The little cloud illustration is used several times in the typeset and I like how it comes out in the title. I didn't even mess up this title, yay! (Mine's got a few tiny blotches but uh well, better mine than Dea's!)

I painted the edges with metallic watercolours - the second time I tried painting edges, but this time with several colours and trying to do a little illustration as well. Big thanks to @zhalfirin who quickly answered my question about how to get the paint to actually stick. 😆 I'd read several posts about how awesome water colours are for foreedge painting, but none mentioned that this kind of paint just rubs off again (I am no artist and have no knowledge of different kinds of paint). Zhalfirin told me to mix in glue and also wax the edges afterwards, which I both did and I think it's fine now. At least my fingers didn't turn blue. 😅

I really love how the shading came out on the head/tail; it could've been better on the foreedge and it looked great while the paint was still wet. Steep learning curve, this thing. I also died trying to sand the edges and I didn't get them completely smooth, but at least smooth enough to work with. That also needs some more work, I guess.

First time I sewed endbands with four different colours! I think they came out quite well! I also forgot the second row of dark blue on Dea's book and had to unravel half the endband again when I noticed at the very end... 🤦‍♀️

Nice marbled endpapers. For the title page spread, I used part a very famous Chinese painting, as it not only reminds me of the Gusu mountains but also, again, is very traditional. I played around with the colours to give the picture a bit of a bluer tinge.

The typeset itself was very straight-forward. There's the fic without commentary, and then the second part with it. I used a grey background for the comment parts to make it stand out from the actual story.

I had lots of printer issues with this fic (my copy actually had even more issues because the printer treated every page as an image for unknown reasons and therefore it not only took forever, it's also a tiny bit blurry. Hmpf.) and the greys tended to have a bit of a blue tinge, which was not my intention. But at least it works with the overall theme, I guess! 😅

I also did an extensive Appendix with all the meta links mentioned in the commentary as well as cut scenes and a little "praise for the author" section.

Last but not least, I decided to try making a slipcase for the first time! DAS_Bookbinding on youtube has good tutorials on that and I used one of them. It worked well on the first try. The second try, I used sturdier cardboard and should've added a few millimetres to the width, because the book didn't fit - the ribbon got stuck and I feared that it might get damaged. So I had to redo the case and then it was perfect.

I used wallpaper as cover material. 😄 The one you see on the outside? That's my living room wallpaper, a light blue with a lovely pattern and soft shimmer to it. My camera unfortunately is refusing to get the colour right.🤷‍♂️

The assembling process went well, for the most part. I'd forgotten to shorten the endpapers a bit which I only realised after I'd started casing in my copy. I carefully separated the textblock from the case again and then, in a moment of complete mental blackout, tried to cut the wet paper. 🤦‍♀️ That didn't go well. I managed to salvage it, mostly, and of course didn't repeat the mistake with Dea's copy, but ugh. 😆

This was a super fun project and I'm very happy with it! Thank you again, Dea, for your faith in me and your super generous donation! 💙

Materials used:

Printed on Clairefontaine DCP 100g

Case and endpapers:

booklinen Colibri cornflower

booklinen Paradise aqua

marbled paper 120g

transparent Japanese paper

Hot Foil (Memory Keepers)

Slipcase:

fleece wallpaper Newroom Nisa lightblue

fleece wallpaper grey glitter

[heartsoji]

haikyuu boys with an s/o who's really scared of horror movies

pairings: iwaizumi x reader, oikawa x reader, tsukishima x reader, bokuto x reader

a/n: lol this is me i actually cannot with horror like at all

warnings: post-timeskip in iwaizumi's

iwaizumi hajime

iwaizumi's pretty good with horror movies

occasionally, he'll be a little caught off-guard with a sudden jumpscare, but he's pretty much fine otherwise

now YOU..

you are not ok.

you are screaming, hiding, and tearing up

he honestly doesn't really understand what's so scary about them

since i hc iwaizumi to be a realist, he'd be like

it's a movie. it was filmed. those are actors. it's so obvious none of that stuff could ever happen in real life

still, he understands that you're really scared and tries his best to comfort you

time to put those beefy athletic trainer arms to work

he lets you cling onto them for the whole movie and lets you use then as a stress ball

iwaizumi's a traditional, old school, cheesy hopeless romantic. convince me otherwise.

therefore, his method of comfort usually comes in the form of soothing words and back rubs in his arms

its actually quite nice. he lets you scream into his titties (HE HAS TITTIES AND THEYRE MORE ROCK SOLID THAN REGINA GEORGE'S MOM'S. CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE.)

when you're truly scared scared (like heart pounding, sobs racking ur body, you're def gonna get rlly bad nightmares type of scared scared)

he will probs turn it off bc he thinks that no movie ending is worth this much terror

he cares about you a lot, after all. he thinks its slightly amusing when you're screaming your head off at the obviously fake blood, but he would never want you to be fearful for real

rubs your back and whispers soothing words into your ear

"its ok" "i'm right here" "don't worry, i'd protect you if they ever came" type of stuff

after you've calmed down a bit, he'll try to make you laugh

jokes, tickles, anything, really!

he hates seeing you scared. he just wants you to be happy

10/10. marry me sir.

oikawa tooru

lol

hate to break it to you but

tooru is equally as scared of horror movies

you guys have to cuddle up in blanket burritos together and scream at every jumpscare

honestly you both only make it through the movie through sheer willpower

if you're crying, he'll try to comfort you, but tbh he's pretty damn scared himself

however, once the movie is over, he's totally fine

movie forgotten. out of memories. what movie should you guys watch next?

but YOU

you're still crying

you're still really shaken up

you're def gonna have nightmares

he takes that opportunity to be the manly man he is and swoops you up bridal style

he's very charming. he looks at you in the most dazzling, heart-melting way

lol boy u were just crying too stfu

he cuddles you close, and just like iwa, whispers sweet words into your ear

however, unlike iwa, they're much more...childish? playful? how to describe them..

"it'll be ok. your big, strong, boyfriend will protect anything that tries to hurt his princess" "*dramatic gasp* YOU DON'T THINK I'M CAPABLE OF FIGHTING IT OFF BY MYSELF? HOW COULD YOU UNDERESTIMATE ME LIKE THIS? THIS.. THIS IS BETRAYAL" "they don't even look that strong. im sure i could hit a volleyball at one and it would rip into two!"

stuff like that

he would make sure to cuddle you extra close that night

overall, he's pretty fun and is good at making everything seem less serious. 8.5/10!

tsukishima kei

honestly, he's as affected by horror movies at the average guy

he doesn't find them as terrifying as oikawa, but he's definitely not as unaffected as iwaizumi

but you'd never know that

why?

he just hides his emotions really, really well

also he just sometimes focuses on the wall behind the tv and drowns out the voices

he just sits through them and bears them, basically

now, why? why in the world would he do this when he doesn't even enjoy it?

to make fun of you, duh. shouldn't that have been obvious?

when you leap 30ft out of your seat into the air, he laughs at you

he'll even add onto your fear by like grazing your opposite shoulder when you aren't looking and pretending he didn't do it

hes a brat

but honestly, he partially enjoys it when you spring onto him at the jump scares, no matter how much he denies it

as we all know, the boys a lil shy about asking for affection

with horror movies, he gets your affection without even asking for it! yay!

but once the movies over, if you're really shaken up, he'll use his giant beanpole arms and spoon you until you fall asleep

but then he'll be an ass about it the following week

pokes, grabs, jabs you and will say,

"huh? it wasn't me. maybe it was the (wtv villain or ghost or spirit or wtv from the movie)!"

2/10. makes fun of you and makes the movie even scarier tbh. the 2 points r only bc of the comfort he gives after its over.

bokuto koutaro

like most things in life, bokuto goes between two extremes, and never crosses into the middle

he's either having super insane cut shots that go BOOM

OR he's doing awful and is in his emo mode

same thing with this

he either isn't affected by it at all and just laughs

or he screams when the character breathes a lil too heavily

now, if he thinks the movie's not scary at all, he's pretty good to watch with if you're super scared

during the scary parts, he lets you cling onto his beefy arm while he just watches the movie in amusement

like there's a really scary scene where there's a huge jumpscare into the most climatic scene in the movie and you're burying your face into his arm but in the background you just hear:

"HAHAHAHAHA! Y/N Y/N! YOU GOTTA SEE THIS! HE'S...HE'S GETTING CHASED BY THIS GREY LITTLE CHILD! HAHAHAHA ITHIHIHIT'S EYES LOOK LIKE TAPIOCAAHAHAAHA"

"oh the grey little child is smiling! it's kinda cute! why is the main character guy sweating? he looks like me right after a long game"

"why'd the grey little child pull a purple thing out of his throat? what's that? i wonder what it tastes like though..i think it would be a thick gummy texture, but maybe a little gooey on the inside. definitely grape-flavored. the really sweet artificial good one. oh.. now i want a gummy!"

yeah

he definitely makes it less scary because he makes all the scary stuff seem really stupid

honestly pretty nice. you might not get as many nightmares because of him

now

when he's terrified, he's more terrified than you

*main character sneezes* "AHHHHHHH"

think oikawa x 800

mhm

honestly, you kind of have to take the comfort role even though you're deathly afraid of horror movies

"kou, he's just walking. its ok."

honestly he makes it seem less scary like this too because it forces you to see why the movie isn't actually that scary because you have to find out the reasons to comfort him

8.7/10. a sweetie

[hihhasotherfixations]

Can you make a Drabble of reader telling price she has a teen from a previous relationship and the teen doesn’t trust price with their mom.

Why of course UwU Hope it came out like you wanted!

CW: fem!reader, no further warnings

Word Count: 1825

Dating in his late thirties wasn’t a thing Price was used to. Nor was it something he ever expected to happen. But you? You turned his world upside down.

It had been a casual thing. Price and you, both a little unsure, seeing each other every other week. Sure, deployments sometimes got in the way, but it was consistent. It was nice.

But casual slowly started to change to something more. And now, you had invited him to your house. For dinner, and to come meet your son.

Price knew of your previous relationship and divorce, the two of you had spent several nights at dinner tables bashing the things your ex did - much to both of your enjoyment. So he knew about your son. He was fifteen now, right around that age where everything parents do are wrong and unjust.

But you had explained your son was not like that. He was kind, a complete mama’s boy. He was your rock and your life and everything Price heard about him made him gain an appreciation for the kid.

Surely if he was like that, meeting him wouldn’t be a problem, right?

Well, that was the attitude he’d went into this dinner with. And he was sorely regretting not preparing more thoroughly now.

He’d been called away on a mission last minute, getting back into the country literally an hour before he had to be at your house.

So now here he sat, hair still damp from his quick shower, clothes the fastest thing he could find - a crumpled dress-shirt stuffed into maroon pants - and an overall flustered look to him.

After all, he just flew across the continent twice within 38 hours.

He’d tried to be casual, tried to introduce himself well to the kid. You seemed to approve of everything he’d said. But judging from the scrutinising stare down he was currently getting, your son didn’t think the same.

“So… Do you know what you wanna study after high school?” Price asked, trying to keep the conversation afloat, but it’d felt like a sinking ship for the last twenty minutes.

In response, the boy just shrugged and Price hummed, rolling the pasta on his plate with his fork a bit, trying to think of anything to say.

“Lew.” You sighed at your son.

“What?” He huffed back, twirling the salt shaker on the table. “It’s a stupid question. I don’t know yet. Of course I don’t.”

At that, Price watched as you turned a little more stern, looking at the kid. “Then you can say that politely. Come now, John tried his very best to be here today.”

Glancing at you, Lewis scoffed, giving Price a brief glare that made the military captain tilt his head in both confusion and intrigue. After all, he did nothing wrong as far as he knew.

“Sorry to have brought uncertainty.” He decided to speak up, getting the teen’s attention. “It’s sometimes a bit dodgy with my line of work.”

What was supposed to be a lighthearted comment meant to shed light, instead caused Lewis to glare at Price, slamming his fork down “You gonna leave my mom behind too then?” He spat and you gasped.

“Young man, that’s quite enough!” You started but Price then held up his hand.

“I get it, Lewis.” The man sighed. “Trust me I do. It’s been something your mother and I have talked about a lot.” He started, clasping his hands together in front of himself, elbows on the table as he put his thoughts into words. “My work is… well, shifty.” He sighed. “I’m not a fan of it, but it is what it is. I can’t guarantee that I’ll always be around, that I won’t ever disappear with minimum notice.”

Lewis’ jaw clenched as he listened. But Price kept going, because the kid was fifteen, and he didn’t feel like sugarcoating it. He was smart and old enough.

“But I can guarantee this: I will always keep your mother - and if you wish, you - in the loop. I won’t just leave. I’m not that kind of man.”

Crossing his arms, Lewis leaned back in his chair. “What kind of man are you then? Military big shot?”

Chuckling a little at that, Price looked at the boy. “Tell me this, do you trust your mom?” He motioned to you at that and, confused, Lewis nodded.

“Of course, why?”

“Then trust her that she won’t date some pompous asshole who can’t see beyond his own rank.”

Pursing his lips, Lewis had nothing to say to that, grumpily looking down at his plate instead.

“Kid-“

“Don’t call me that!” He snapped and John shut up. Almost instinctively, his military commander side wanted to rear up, scold him for yelling at his senior, but he restrained himself, instead looking at the angry teen. “You can’t just barge in here, into mom’s life, and expect me to take it laying down!”

Hearing that, you leaned forward onto the table. “Lewis, we’ve talked about this. You agreed to this dinner, you cannot act like this!”

A frown was on your face, almost borderline angry - something John hadn’t ever seen before.

But Lewis didn’t budge, now looking at you. “I won’t stop, mom! It’s obvious, I mean look at him!” He angrily gestured to the brunet, making John’s brows furrow.

“What about him?”

“Don’t make me say it out loud!”

“Lewis.” Your voice was hard and concise.

“He’s not good enough for you!” Lewis then yelled, a silence immediately falling.

Hearing it, Price clenched his jaws, a tightness forming in his chest as he then looked over to you. You held a frown, looking at your son.

“Lew…”

“I’m not hungry.” Without another word, the boy shoved his plate away and got up, storming off.

Speechless, you went to open your mouth, to get up to chase after him, but Price stopped you by placing his hand over yours, his eyes calm, hiding the hurt as he just looked at you.

“Just let him go. Speaking from experience, it’s best to let him cool off and gather his thoughts.”

Conflicted, you looked at him. “I- I don’t get why he’s being like this…” You said softly and John squeezed your hand, a loaded sigh leaving him.

“It’s a big change for him. You can’t blame the boy.” He said, pulling his hand back as he glanced to where Lewis left. “Admittedly, I didn’t think it would go like this. But I also didn’t think he’d accept me into the dynamic instantly. Just don’t take his words to heart right now.” The captain spoke, turning his head back to face you as he then gave you a kind, little smile, the lines around his eyes crinkling gently.

Sighing, you nodded as you placed your head in your hands.

“Dinner’s great, by the way.”

At his sudden comment, you let out a startled little laugh that made John’s heart flutter.

- - - -

Sitting on your porch with a cigar, Price looked out at the night sky. After he stormed off, neither you nor him had seen any sign of Lewis. It truly did put a damper on the evening.

Smoke gently exited Price’s mouth before being picked up by the wind and blown away.

Behind him, the door then opened and he glanced back, his eyes widening a bit as he saw Lewis standing there, a sour expression on his face as he kept his eyes firmly to the ground.

“Hey.” He muttered and Price took the cigar out of his mouth.

“Hi.” He replied, analysing the teen. He didn’t seem entirely thrilled to be here, possibly sent out here by you. It made the captain want to scoff a chuckle. But he didn’t and instead patted the spot beside him where he sat on the stairs of the porch. “Wanna sit?”

“I don’t like-“

“I’ll put it out.” John shushed, holding the cigar away a little. It made Lewis look up, however.

“Aren’t those crazy expensive?”

Chuckling a little, Price crossed his ankle over his knee, pushing the cigar into the underside of his boot. “Yep. But that’s okay.”

Tentatively, Lewis walked over, sitting down besides the man.

“I have to… say sorry. For what I said.” He mumbled and John turned his head, a kinder look on his face, almost serene.

“By your mother?”

Pursing his lips, Lewis turned to look at Price, only to see an amused twinkle in the older man’s eye.

“Maybe.” He instead grumpily mumbled and John just huffed in amusement, turning to look forward as he leaned his elbows on his knees, absentmindedly starting to twirl the extinguished cigar in his hands.

“I get it, Lewis.” He started, his eyes focused on the night sky and his voice soft - almost as if he didn’t want to break the serenity of the night. “Your mom? She’s a wonderful woman. Kind, generous, sweet.” Looking down, Price then focused on his cigar. “You probably don’t want to hear this, but I really like her. And I think she likes me too. I hope so, at least.” With that, he turned his head to the teen.

Lewis was looking at him, a conflicted expression on his face.

“I don’t want to come in here to play family, kid. I’m not your dad and I won’t pretend to be.” He said and then glanced at the door. “I just want to give her what she deserves.” He nudged his head towards the house.

“What I said about you not being good enough…” Lewis mumbled and John sighed, now turning to face the teen.

“Don’t bother. Honestly, you may be right.” He hummed, leaning his head back into the porch railing. “I won’t say I’m a perfect man. Far from it. But what I said at the table is true. I will always try to do right by her. And you too - if you’ll let me.”

Contemplating, Lewis looked out from the porch.

“Why mom?” He said after a moment and Price looked at him.

“Because she’s the first one in a long time to give me a chance. Despite my job and what I’ve done.”

At that, the teen angled his head, taking the brunet beside him in. “Really? What have you done?” He asked, a hint of a smile on his face.

Seeing it, Price huffed a chuckle, pocketing the dud cigar. “That’s classified, I’m afraid.”

“Lame.” Lewis scoffed, but there was no animosity in it and Price smiled to himself.

“Tell you what.” He said, sitting upright and looking at the boy. “You give me a chance and I might tell you some stories.” He held out his hand.

Looking at it, Lewis seemed skeptical at first, glancing at the peace offering. But then he sighed and reached out, shaking hands.

“If you hurt my mom I will kick your ass.”

Laughing, John slapped the kid on the shoulder. “If I do, I’ll let you.”

[agavekitten]

»»————-　♡　————-«« ♡ »»————-　♡ ————-««

Summary - You're Abby's Favorite Daycare Attendent!

Pairing - Mike Schmidt x Fem! Reader

Warnings- All fluff!

»»————-　♡　————-«« ♡ »»————-　♡ ————-««

Every day felt the same, gray, uncomfortable and cold. Nothing seemed to bring the warmth like it used to. Even getting out of bed feels like a chore. I rubbed my eyes, staring into the darkness of the room around me. The soft blankets coddled around me were the only things keeping me from feeling the light cold air around me. I could only let out a sigh as I thought about the day ahead of me. The same old same old, wake up, work, clean then sleep. Over and over again until I could feel nothing. 

Today was one of those days, where I felt nothing. I didn't even notice that I got out of bed and had already gotten dressed. It was like a blur, like everything around me is simply a picture and none of it is real. It’s almost nice to think of it like that - a picture. It makes the things around you more interesting, a painting can be anything you interpret it as. It can be beautiful with every stroke of the paint having meaning and purpose. Or, there is the other interpretation, the one that makes the world look sad and unappealing with bland colors and concepts. But, I didn't like to think of it that way. If I'm going to live in my own fantasy world and believe that the world is a painting, it's going to be a happy colorful one damn it. 

I stepped out of the room and made my way to the bathroom, god I looked terrible. My hair looked like a bird just laid eggs in it and my face was swollen from the night's rest. I’ve always been hypocritical about how I looked, but today it was just a joke. Did my look matter that much? Not really in the grand scheme of things but to me it was important. I work at a daycare and the thought of a parent thinking I looked like a bum on the street and questioning if I had good hygiene made me want to throw up. I spent the first hour and a half trying to make myself look better. I finally felt like a person again as I put my hair up. I gave myself a small smile in the mirror and it immediately fell.

*buzz buzz* 

I looked down at my phone and saw the time, shit. I was late to work, again. I never woke up early to get ready and make myself feel like a person again. Now that I think about it, that's a bit of a problem. I went to the front door and grabbed my bag then rushed out the door. My job was the one thing that I really truly loved. Seeing the kids' faces light up when I enter the room and rush over to me to ask to play with them was always a highlight. It made me feel like my life did have purpose. All these kids relied on me while their parents worked or had a day to themselves, I’ve even become quite attached to a few of them. There was one kid that I look forward to seeing everyday, her name was Abby. She always had a smile on her face when she saw me grabbing my shirt practically begging if we could draw together. I would always spend most of my time drawing and playing games with her while the other daycare attendants played with the other kids. Abby didn't have a lot of friends and besides with you, she was often really quiet. I smiled at the thought of seeing Abby today. She should already be there by the time I walk through the daycare door. 

And just as I suspected, when I came through the door, there she was. A big smile on her face, her hair curled slightly and she had on a pair of cute overalls. “Hey Abbs!” I gave her a soft smile and opened my arms. She came running over and gave me a huge squeeze. “I thought you weren't going to be here today, I got sad.” Abby said, looking up at me with her large doe eyes. I moved my hand to her head, messing up her hair a bit. “You know I don't miss a day kiddo.” She giggled in response, “come draw with me Y/N! I've been waiting all morning! I have an amazing idea of what kind of cats we can draw today” Abby dragged you over to the table with all the art supplies spewed about. That was Abby and I’s thing, drawing cats in different scenarios. You know pirate cats, president cats, the whole works. “What were you thinking?” I sat next to her and smiled. She made a small drumroll on the table with her fingers. “....zombie cats.” We both went silent as we looked at eachother then let out a small giggle. “Zombie cats it is then.” We spent that afternoon drawing zombie cats in different scenarios, zombie cats in the grocery store, getting hair cuts, driving cars and my personal favorite two zombie cats that were dressed like Abby and I. 

“Y/N?” Abby put her green crayon down. 

“Yes Abby?”

“You should meet my brother, he would like you.” Abby had the most serious look on her face and I giggled. “Really? Now why's that?” 

“Well I like you and you're my friend so why wouldn't he like you.” She picked her crayon back up and continued to draw, “he likes all my friends.”

 “He seems like a very nice Abby, I would love to meet him.” I gave her a soft smile.

“Abby?”

»»————-　♡　————-«« ♡ »»————-　♡ ————-««

This is my first fanfic so please be gentle….

yes there will be a part 2!!!

[melodic-haze]

Could you maybe do nsfw hcs for Jinhsi?

☆ — DEMO TRACK: sub!Jinhsi x dom!Reader

☆ — TYPE: NSFW

☆ — CONTENT WARNINGS: bondage and use of toys

☆ — NOTES: it's 1 am and I should be sleeping bc I'm fucking off to London tomorrow early morning. Oh well LOL

☆ — PARTS: Part 1, Part 2 (you are here)

So we witnessed the part 1 right? Day mode Jinhsi content? If not and you came straight for this then you're FILTHY❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️ Jokes me too

Anyway she's as sweet in bed as she is in the streets my babyyy 🫶🫶🫶 AND she's also as strong and formidable too. Thoigh tbf cmon you're BASICALLY bedding royalty/royalty-adjacent 🤷‍♀️ like be real

As much as she holds power and authority in her duties with a balanced grip, soft and caring yet firm and watchful, she does like the feeling of letting it go. She isn't a workaholic despite the workload she acc has so she recognises just how nice it is to simply stop thinking. And she puts herself in your hands, so full of trust as if she wasn't superior to you. Though really, in the room you're in? You may as well be equals-- no, you may as well be the one superior to her

I think while she may seem like very vanilla, she's definitely looked into things once or twice to experiment and see what she likes and doesn't like, sort out her preferences and stuff yk. Don't think she's be open about it though, more of a 'need-to-know-but-you-have-to-ask' basis which nobody's ever been.....until you, DUH

Ohhhhh I see her as a toy enthusiast. She doesn't get them out often (and no FUCKING way would she display them or anything) but she does certainly have a collection. She buys them under different names, has trusted couriers deliver it without knowing what's inside and it would be a disgrace upon the Magistrate to take a peek❗️❗️❗️ and just keeps them in a hidden box with different compartments. I just KNOW she'd be extremely knowledgable on them though, like how you're able to use them to gain max pleasure and etc despite not actually using them a lot

I personally don't think she'd have much of a libido!! Might be bc of how swamp she basically is with work, both while she's clocked in AND clocked out, but she's just never had that constant want or need—that kind of thing is at the back of her mind, esp when she has an entire region to manage and protect as its Sentinel's blessed

When she does get the urge to do so though, especially when she's with you, oh it hits STRONG I fear. Maybe it's bc of how pent-up she may be (bc really sometimes toys get to the point where they jsut aren't enough), or maybe it's bc of her being closely linked to said Sentinel ☺️☺️☺️

By THIS I mean with the whole sharing powers thing, there's no way some of its draconic traits haven't affected her in a certain way. SHE SPROUTS HORNS FOR GOD'S SAKE

Maybe that was mean of you, leaving her all alone for a little while in the dark while the vibrator inside her pussy operated as it should.

Really, you were just having way too much fun with her collection and you just wanted ti grab a few more.. at least, before you got distracted with one thing or another.

Now that you're back, though, you can't say you regret being distracted; the overall look that you lover was currently sporting, all bound and oh so wet as flickers of the power you both fear and respect make themselves known by having her—or rather, Jue's—horns manifest on her head from the overwhelming feeling of wanting to let go. But she can't, not when you've yet to give her the command to do so.

"For a leader, you obey me so easily, even when I'm not even there," you notice. "This whole time, you're just really eager to please, aren't you, dear Magistrate?"

Of course she couldn't answer verbally, you hadn't told her to speak, but she nods her head desperately as she trembled and that was good enough for you.

You see her eyes tracking you as you came closer, her irises quite literally glowing a celestial gold from the need of release. The closer you got, the more you see her struggling with her bonds to reach you... And failing miserably, much to her credit considering how you knew she could tear through them if she really wanted.

When you finally, finally get close enough, your hand goes over the dildo vibrator inside her, yet you don't grip it. Instead, you simply graze your hand on the toy's handle, perhaps even knocking it slightly sideways for a little extra motion, to which she lurched so delightfully—unbefitting of a government official like her, of course, but certainly befitting for your beloved in the bedroom.

"Do you want to cum, babe?"

She nods.

"How badly do you want to cum?"

No answer.

"Speak."

And all at once, her thoughts burst forth, the blatancy still unfamiliar to you to this day yet it still isn't any less satisfying to experience such a strong, independent soul to fall like this.

"I-- I need you so very badly, please..! I can't.. I don't-- I don' think I can h-hold it any longer--"

"Bold of you to decide what your limits are by yourself." You raised your eyebrow, "You wanted me to take the lead, the least you could do is—" and you turn the vibrator off, "—follow it. Stop thinking, there is no place for you to do so here."

All she lets out is a desperate whimper—she doesn't dare to upset you any further.

..And that has you turning it back on again, though you put it at a relatively low setting for her, keeping in mind that her draconic-esque endurance would need more than the average to break your beloved completely, as per her request.

She wanted true bliss, right? She wanted you to ravage her completely and take control of her in the way nobody else has managed or dared to?

If Jinhsi wanted it all, then she had to let herself go completely first.

Anyway ab her horns, touching the base of them would set her the FUCK off 🥰🥰 no, not the horn itself. Apologies have to be made right here right now but I believe in horn technicality which means horn sensitivity is not a thing, ESPECIALLY when it's her type which only really appear when she's channelling her abilities. The ROOT of it however would be a different matter, so massaging her head would basically K.O. her self-restraint

But that's fine, you'll make sure it happens.. no matter how long it'd take and how loud she ends up becoming.

Along with that, she probably has INSANE durability and stamina let's be so real. Each time you do anything remotely harsh on her, her tacet mark flickers for a brief second and it's like you're simultaneously striking soft skin and scales at the same time. She can ALSO go for a VERY long time, so edging her? Is REALLY fun when you wanna test exactly how much shr can take befkre she breaks and starts begging for you to help her get off 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[mochinomnoms]

i’m curious, how would PTM be if you had chosen to write it as Floyd/Reader instead of Jade/Reader?

i know the basic premise would have stayed the same. the backbone of telepathy drives the plot. however, the allure of the early chapters is that jade acts so differently from how he thinks (and that’s very endearing and humorous).

if you had chosen floyd, would you have done his thoughts much more sweeter than raunchy? or would it had been kept the same formula of lovey-dovey thoughts versus friendly actions?

xoxo mochi

xoxo re-l! it's nice to see you in my inbox! ^^ I like getting questions like these on my fics too I'm such a yapper when I have the time tehehe

So when choosing who to make the love interest for PTM, I was basing it a bit off of the characters from Mousou Telepathy since that was the inspiration. I didn't want it to be an exact retelling with new characters, which is why you can see the beginning is borrowing a lot from the manga while the rest starts taking it's own form. But to make it easier on myself in the beginning, I wanted to pick a character that would be shocking to hear raunchy thoughts from or at the very least funny.

My original list for the "shocking" characters were: Silver, Trey, Azul, Jamil, Vil and Sebek; this was narrowed down to Silver and Azul eventually. The original list for "funny" characters for PTM were: Jade, Floyd, Ace, Rook, and Leona. That got narrowed down to Jade and Leona, actually. Eventually I was stuck between Jade and Silver and I decided to go with Jade because I like my silly eel boy~

I think this worked out for the best, Jade I find is easy to write most of the time and he's a very fun character overall! He's not necessarily super cool or nonchalant like the love interest from the original manga, but he fits the premise beautifully in his own Jade way!

One of the reasons I didn't go with Floyd for PTM was because of the raunchy thoughts. I wanted whoever I set as love interest to be a bit shocking when it came to the dirty thoughts, and I feel that the fandom expects Floyd to be a bit raunchy and blunt. Pair that with the fact that Floyd doesn't really hide his thoughts from others (more so that I think they get misinterpreted at times), I didn't think the story would be as enjoyable with the same premise, and the shockingly erotic thoughts are part of what makes the story so funny!

If I had decided to do Floyd, I would have definitely made his thoughts much softer, more domestic. But from my understanding of Floyd as a character, I think he probably either would've confessed right away (so it would've been more of a oneshot) or the entire story would've been in Floyd's POV wondering why his mate that he totally made obvious that he's in love with and courting (which he hasn't) is being so weird around him and blushing all the time.

I'm quite happy with Jade being the love interest for PTM, it's turned out pretty good and a lot of people really seem to like it! The next chapter probably won't come out for a while since I'm busy with school and smaller stories are a lot easier to finish quick, but I'll try my best!

[xxlady-lunaxx]

could you possibly write something about the kamado siblings and giyuu after the war? (but especially tanjiro)

i personally headcanon that giyuu is forcefully adopted by the kamado siblings afterwards and they call him their big brother lol

it's revealed that nezuko repaired giyuu's haori and visited him each day he was unconscious to call him back, and just imagine nezuko properly greeting giyuu as a human??? and giyuu definitely would have been at tanjiro's bedside as soon as he was able to and be one of the first people tanjiro saw as he woke up- i need them to hug and for giyuu to admit it's nice to care for others and to be cared for ;lkadjf;aijouha;fkj;lajdf;lafjklah;h;

tanjiro always being the older brother but now having someone to lean on ;ad;lafj;odiuwehrj;lj;lkaj;dlfhoeiwhfkja

sorry giyuu and tanjiro brainrot has taken over recently

the rq is so cute 😞 i love you for thisthe ask itself screams spoilers so i don't think i need warningsbtw. this gave me a lil motivation boost so thank you<3 (I also got carried away with this HELP)

The first thing Giyuu said when he woke up was—"Where's Tanjiro?"

Nezuko was by his side when he came to and for a moment he had to gather his bearings. It took him only a couple seconds but in his mind it was too much; he was wasting time and energy that he would need to save for later, his reaction timing was too slow. Then he remembered vaguely, through the pounding in his head, the demonic eyes of Tanjiro's. Memories instantly flooded him and he jolted up, ignoring the blood that rushed to his head as he turned to Nezuko, eyes wide and frantic. "Wh- Where's Tanjiro? Is he okay? Why are you here?"

The questions poured out of him one after the other as he worried that Nezuko was only here because Tanjiro was gone, because in the end their efforts had been futile, because-

Nezuko smiled gently at him. "He's sleeping."

Her voice was like nectar and instantly calmed Giyuu. It hit him then that he had never truly heard her voice before and he took her in now, feeling himself relax further as he noticed her eyes were back to normal, resembling Tanjiro's in a way.

"Oh. Has he woken?"

"No, but Aoi says he might, soon. He's still injured, even though he turned into a demon and healed, so he's been in a coma for a bit. He'll wake," Nezuko explained. She gazed at Giyuu. "I should tell Aoi you woke up. She'll want to check you over."

"Okay," Giyuu murmured. Absentmindedly, he went to fidget with the blanket only to realize that one of his arms were gone. He frowned at it, prodding the sleeve that dangled uselessly past his upper arm. It felt weird, as if his senses had been abruptly stopped. He let out a breath, turning his attention back up as Nezuko stood and went to the door to call for Aoi. He looked around, realizing he was in one of the rooms with multiple beds. They didn't seem to be all occupied but he noticed one or two to his left with patients. The one closest to him he recognized by the tufts of white hair that potruded from the blankets. It was Sanemi, who looked fast asleep.

Aoi entered the room briskly, her expression tense until she laid eyes on Giyuu, relief flooding her face. "Ah, good, you're awake," she breathed, as if she hadn't believed Nezuko. "Tell me how you feel."

And so the rest of the day went by quite peacefully, despite the dizzying number of tests and medicines he was put on. He was updated as well on the current state of things, which was basically just the Kakushi scrambling for their cover story about a sinkhole, the Ubuyashiki's having graves made for each and every one of the fallen slayers, burying those they could and commemorating them all. Aoi had been working practically non stop since the war, being in charge of healing the ones who could be saved. Tengen and some of the people from Wisteria Houses had been at aid, but it had been a lot for the young girl, especially with having to deal with the loss of Shinobu as well. But overall, everything was going quite well and as the sun started to set, dinner was delivered to Giyuu on a tray, resting on his lap as he and Nezuko made mindless chatter. Nezuko had eaten earlier after helping Aoi cook and now, as Giyuu grew accustumed to using his non-dominant hand, she pulled out a small sewing kit. Then, to Giyuu's surprise, she got out his haori which was folded, a needle stuck in one part so it wouldn't be lost.

"Wha- My haori? I thought it was... I thought it was practically gone...?" he said quietly. He recalled how it had been quite tattered, mostly covered in blood and barely hanging from his shoulders. He watched now as she unfolded it and placed it methodically on her lap, adjusting the needle in her grip.

"It was. But Aoi managed to get me more fabric and I'm trying to fix it," Nezuko hummed, pushing the needle into the haori, red thread trailing behind it. "I used to mend our clothing back before I turned into a demon, so I was hoping I could do something."

"Oh." Giyuu's eyes were trained on her hand, watching it as it moved in practiced, undulating movements, pushing the needle in and out as she continued. "Thank you..."

She looked up, tilting her head. "You don't have to thank me. In a way, this is my thank you to you."

"For what?"

She thought about this for a moment, pausing her sewing. "For everything."

Giyuu frowned, busying himself with spooning soup into his mouth. "Everything?"

"You helped us from the very beginning, both by stopping me from harming Tanjiro and from sparing my life, too. You protected us from the other Hashira when they were against us and I heard you helped Tanjiro a lot during the fight with Muzan. You did so much more than even that, and I'm sure Tanjiro would want me to do whatever I could to pay you back for that. Expect a lot of thank you's from him, too," she said with a gentle laugh. She went back to sewing and Giyuu gazed at her, mulling over this. He found that she no longer seemed as much of a child as she did before, or even just from a couple days prior the war. He wished, really, that he had managed to shield them from everything. But he supposed as long as they were both alive, it was okay.

He finished his dinner and Aoi came back to collect his tray, instructing him to sleep because he had had much more of an eventful day than he should've having just awoken after two weeks.

He spent most of the following days in bed or supported by others until Aoi decided he was allowed to walk around. Naturally, he made his way instantly to Tanjiro's room, finding a chair and sitting by him. Nezuko sat next to Giyuu, working diligently on the haori, which she was nearly done with. Mostly, it was quiet, both either preoccupied or having nothing to say. From time to time, they made small talk but it usually died out quickly as Giyuu still found himself unaccustumed to having someone to talk to and ended up answering with short, almost curt responses. Nevertheless, they were able to pass the time for the days that continued up until Tanjiro awoke with a startled gasp, much more abrupt than Giyuu's awakening.

Of course, both Giyuu and Nezuko flinched at the sudden sharp intake in the quiet room. But they realized where it had originated quickly and instantly reacted: Nezuko, dropping the haori onto Tanjiro's bed and standing to hug her brother and Giyuu, calling out to Aoi before turning back to the boy and joining the embrace without a thought. Despite the reassurances that Tanjiro would be fine, both had been worried sick at Tanjiro's seeming reluctance to wake up and relief flooded their expressions—along with tears, although Giyuu managed to rein them in—as they pulled back.

Tanjiro looked mostly confused, really. But he was well, to say the least. Certainly, he looked pale, but he had for the past few weeks anyway so that was nothing new. He was struggling to sit up now, trying to make sense of everything—no doubt his head was very muddled, having just awoken after a month's worth of slumber. Eventually, they had to help him up as the arm he had regenerated as a demon was unable to do much. He sat there for a moment, blinking slowly. Then he turned first to Nezuko, then Giyuu, a slow and, curiously, relieved smile breaking through. "I'm glad you're okay..." he said quietly. His voice was fragmented and hoarse and worse for wear—but it was his, he was talking! And it brought the other two to near tears once again, although they both managed to get ahold of themselves for his sake.

"We were kinda worried; Aoi said you would be fine but you've been asleep for, like, a month, now!" Nezuko whined, slumping down on the bed, then yelping and removing her needlework quickly before it pricked her anymore.

Tanjiro fretted over her, confirming she wasn't badly injured despite having just resurfaced from a coma. He seemed unconcerned for himself, really. He turned to Giyuu, frowning momentarily at the obvious loss of a limb. "You two aren't hurting, right? I don't remember too much yet, my head is a bit... misty?" he suggested, using his good arm to rub furiously at his temple, mussing his hair further.

Nezuko laughed, somewhat hysterically, reaching up to fix his hair back in place. "Don't worry about us, we're doing great. Giyuu-san's almost completely up for leaving the Estate and my injuries were light," she assured him. "Worry about yourself, for once."

Tanjiro pouted. "But-" Then he paused, realizing something. "Oh. Oh, Nezuko, I hurt you when I was a demon, right? I'm so sorry- I hurt you too, Giyuu-san, I'm sure. I'm sorry, I'm-"

Giyuu spoke now, having felt before that he would be intruding in the other two's moment (even when they mentioned him). "Don't be sorry," he said firmly, gaze fixated on Tanjiro. "You were a demon and Muzan directly gave you his powers, somehow. You did very well in resisting a lot of the instincts that typically surface for demons, which is probably the only reason we're talking now. You had no control over the other things then, really, but I think you were somehow minimizing your attack's full capacity on Nezuko as a demon, or even not hurting her at all."

There was a moment of silence, punctured only by Nezuko's agreement. Then Tanjiro caved, apparently too tired to try and argue. "I still hope anything I did wasn't very lasting," he mumbled, dipping his head down.

"Hey!" Nezuko huffed, flicking his forehead. "He just said you don't have to say sorry, so don't! We're all better now, and that's what matters, right?"

Tanjiro nodded reluctantly, although mostly to please his sister. "Fine," he conceded. "So you're both better?"

They nodded in unison and he brightened again. Then Aoi arrived and both Nezuko and Giyuu were ushered away so she could check on Tanjiro. The next day, Giyuu was finally let out. Sanemi was having some final check ups but both Hashira were informed of some meeting with Kiriya in a couple days. Despite being allowed to leave, Giyuu intended to stay and help around as much he could, knowing that Aoi had a lot on her shoulders and also just wanting to watch over Tanjiro.

Though Aoi insisted he needn't stay, it ended up being a good thing he had because apparently Tanjiro was going through a mountain load of guilt—which, he supposed, wasn't inevitable, but it pained him to see the boy so anxious. Of course, Tanjiro did little to tell him any of his worries and it wasn't until Giyuu had been getting water at night when he passed by Tanijro's door and heard the muffled, yet unmistakable sounds of crying. He abandoned his need for water and slowly opened the door, peeking into the room. It was dark but the faint moonlight that seeped through the window's curtains was enough for Giyuu to see the sillhouette of the boy, hunched over in bed. Upon hearing the creaking of the door, Tanjiro jolted, snapping his head up to meet Giyuu's eyes.

"Eh- Giyuu-san?" he asked, reaching up to rub his eyes though no doubt Giyuu wouldn't have been able to tell he was crying in the darkness.

Giyuu made his way towards him, sitting on the side of the bed. "What happened?" he asked, clear concern decipherable in his tone.

"Nothing, nothing! I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Tanjiro fretted. His voice was hoarse and Giyuu's worry increased. He must've been crying for a while.

"You didn't wake me, I was getting water. Are you okay?" Giyuu said, reaching up to pat him, then thinking better of it and retracting his hand.

"I'm- I'm fine, it's fine. You should go sleep, it's late," Tanjiro said, tugging the blankets up. "Please, I'm alright."

Giyuu shook his head. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Tanjiro paused, then mumbled a quiet, "not really..."

"It's okay. I can just sit here with you," Giyuu suggested, scooting closer.

"Okay." Tanjiro moved over a bit, letting Giyuu under the blanket. The bed was small but they managed to find a way to sit side by side. Tanjiro rested his head against Giyuu's shoulder, drawing swirls absentmindedly on the blanket. They sat like this for a while, the only sound being their breaths and the occasional hiccup in the quiet comfort of the room. Then Tanjiro spoke, his voice quivering and meek, so unlike his usual self that Giyuu's arm wrapped instinctively around him.

"I feel like I should've done more," Tanjiro murmured. "Fought harder against Muzan. Nezuko and Aoi told me about all the Hashira who had died and the estimated count of people in total who were lost. And I know I wasn't present where a lot of them died, but in the places I was there... At the very least, I could've saved your arm..."

Giyuu understood him completely. It would be a lie to say he hadn't been going through everything time and time again in his head, noting each place he could've done something different and saved someone. But Nezuko had been so constantly by his side, supporting him without even realizing it. And caring for Tanjiro had kept his mind occupied, allowing him to appreciate the people he was able to save than focus on those he had lost. So he told Tanjiro this now, letting him see a part of Giyuu he wouldn't have dreamed of sharing just a couple months ago.

Tanjiro gazed up at him as he spoke, silent but intent. When Giyuu finished, he stayed quiet for a while before answering. "I understand... It just feels harder to... to let myself be happy? Now? And I still feel responsible for hurting Nezuko, like I have to be a better brother for her now and support her instead of the other way around," he admitted, his voice cracking at the end.

"I know. I know," Giyuu said quietly. And he did, he really did. He felt that, somehow, they had embraced him into their family of some sorts. As if he had become their brother, that now he must accept the role and take care of the two, to be there for both of them. He didn't know if he was doing a good job, if he was succeeding. But if Tanjiro felt comfortable to be telling him all of this, then maybe he was. "You're doing great, Tanjiro. I can tell... from Nezuko, that she admires you a lot and she seems to be happier when you're around, too. But also you shouldn't feel like you have to be in charge of everything, you should let other people take over from time to time and put less pressure on yourself."

Tanjiro bit his lip, considering this. Then a small smile curved his lips and he tilted his head up to look at Giyuu. "You should do that too, Giyuu-san," he said, nudging him gently with his head.

That brought a smile to Giyuu's face as well and he let out a breath. "Then we can do this together, okay? We can navigate it all, but we won't be alone. Yeah?"

"Yes... okay," Tanjiro agreed, closing his eyes and leaning back onto Giyuu. They were quiet again and Giyuu figured that Tanjiro had fallen asleep after a while. But then Tanjiro spoke, seeming to be on the brink of slumber, his breaths slowing to a tranquil beat. "Thank you, Giyuu-san."

Giyuu gazed at him for a moment. Then he leaned his head against Tanjiro's, closing his own eyes. "Thank you, too."

SDHKSGJSDjknsdnij (sobs) pllleaase send more requests w them OMG

[caligvlasaqvarivm]

love all your thoughts on eridan so much!! ive had erikar as a passive concept in my head since i started slowly rereading homestuck, bit i never invested as much thought into it...it makes a LOT of sense.

very curious on your thoughts on eridan and nepeta, if you have any? i dont really see much around of the two of them and how they may act around each other (most likely because, iirc, they have basically no substantial interaction in the comic....) but its a concept ive twisted around in my head a little.

Hahah, one of my friends is a Nepeta roleplayer, so we have hashed this OUT. Basically, I think if they talked a bit more, under the right circumstances, they might try pitch for a bit, but resolve to normal friendship. TL;DR, at the end of the day, they just don't really have anything to particularly hate about each other, or to particularly love, but I think they'd make for really good friends actually, if Eridan gets his shit together and Nepeta comes out of her shell a little more. She might wind up having to play auspice for him because... he has a lot of problems... and as a Heart player, with more proximity to him, she'd realize "oh, wait, he's not that bad, hes just mentally fucking ill," and there are people on the team who would not give him that kind of grace.

Flushed is pretty canonically off the table - despite having hit on her several times, Eridan seems to have accepted the rejection, and Nepeta herself comments that it always came off as "cr33py and insincere", which it probably was - he's clearly not over Feferi, and has a kind of "please god anyone would be fine I just don't want to be alone" vibe. Nepeta is definitely looking for more sincerity than that, and although Eridan's Type is very much cheerful, bubbly, nice girls (what he thinks Feferi is), I think they're pretty incompatible overall.

His antics and Emotional Issues would probably be super taxing on Nepeta long-term, he'd wind up in a million fights with protective Equius (Eridan is a crazed murderer even just objectively), and he's really not a particularly kind or pleasant person.

Meanwhile, although he's basically willing to go along with anything that'll get him attention, I think he'd be very puzzled by Nepeta's expectations that he do Romantic Things, or otherwise adhere to certain romantic tropes and social norms, which he can't do; when this inevitably leads to hurt feelings, his response to perceived danger is "fight," so he'd probably end up making it worse. So! Flushed is flushed. Down the load gaper, I mean.

Trying on pitch, I think if Nepeta was already a little bit out of her shell - say, Equius has died, or she's otherwise locked in a SGRUB dungeon with him, or something like that - she and he would come to blows over Eridan's performative casteism. Nepeta's the anti-casteism troll, after all, and if she's worked up enough, she's quite spirited and opinionated, and Eridan is down for anything, so it would be something I can absolutely see forming.

Actually, hilariously, when my friend and I RP'd this out, Nepeta wound up with a pitch crush, and Eridan wound up with a FLUSHED crush, because he was THAT BAD at differentiating between good and bad attention. Nepeta was totally floored, she was like, dude i was calling you stupid and terrible??? how the fuck did you interpret that as FLUSHED??? and eridan was like i dont know... maybe... i might have mental illness......

The problem is, I don't see their pitched dalliance lasting, for two main reasons - the first is that Eridan wouldn't hate Nepeta long-term, even if he can work up some caliginous energy because he's desperate; she's too genuinely nice and kind and he loves nice and kind people. Similarly, Nepeta wouldn't be able to hate Eridan the more she got to know him - since he's kind of the least casteist highblood, despite his initial impression, she would lose her fundamental reason for opposing him, and would instead start going "oh god, hes so traumatized, he's like that because he's really messed up inside."

The second is because I think they're dangerous for each other, physically. Eridan is a volatile highblood with severe emotional problems and a bodycount in the thousands, and Nepeta is very reckless in the face of danger; I can genuinely see them going a little too hard and Eridan getting a bit of a highblood buzz and winding up severely injuring Nepeta, which he would feel completely fucking terrible about, and then not allow himself to ACT like he feels terrible about it. Even if they stay in the relationship, it would kill his vibe, since when he isn't on an outright murder spree, he doesn't want to hurt his friends ("wwhat kind of friend wwould i be"). And that's not even factoring in how much EQUIUS would flip out over it.

I also don't think Nepeta is particularly equipped to deal with Eridan's problems, even if she does recognize and sympathize with them more than most on their team. Although she'd have more success than others, I think it'd leave her exhausted, because Eridan is exhausting. A Heart player obsessed with true feelings and sincerity and genuineness is just a bad match for the kid who's 90% façade.

So, ultimately, I think they'd resolve to really good friends, and Nepeta might wind up being a middle leaf for Eridan in an auspicetism situation, since Eridan... tends to draw aggro, and Nepeta at least would care about him enough that she doesn't want to see him get killed (even in the comic, as Nepetasprite, she expresses sadness that Eridan is dead, although she doesn't seem to know about his murders).

Eridan is also a roleplayer, lest we forget, and if Nepeta is able to draw out rare flashes of genuineness, they do have a bunch in common - she could commiscerate with him over the thrill of the hunt (although she'd have to be careful not to get too into the weeds about the, uh, Troll Murder aspect), RP with him (in a safe environment), or gossip about romance. They're both pretty painfully sincere people at their core, so while I ultimately don't see them being particularly romantically compatible, I do really love the idea of them being close friends. If only Eridan didn't always make things Fucking Weird.

And also since I really love pitch FefNep, Nepeta becoming friends with Eridan would help fuel her hate dates with Feferi - ":33 < do you even realize how messed up killing lusii fur YOU left him???" "W)(at would you )(ave preferred, t)(at my lusus went )(ungry and krilled everybody? 3X0"

[gabessquishytum]

Hi! Looong time lurker, first time asker <3! Want to tell you that I love your blog and how awesome concepts are born here, so I thought that I might try and share my own idea with you

Omegaverse Dreamling!

Hob is an alpha who has a successful career in academic and of course owns New Inn pub so he cannot complain, really. He feels a little bit lonely, but he doesn't specifically look for a mate. All his relationships kinda ended, it wasn't it. Hob have been going into his ruts alone for some time but he is fed up with it already. So he decides to go to a brothel and hire some omega prostitute to spend his rut with. He chooses kinda luxury Burgess' brothel.

Enter Omega!Dream. He hates his job and especially dealing with alphas' ruts so it's obvious that this bastard Burgess chose him to "assist" this new and green alpha in his first rut in a brothel. Dream is famous among the clients for his ethereal beauty but also for his snarky comments. That is why most alphas enjoy "taming" him. Dream supposes this one is not gonna be different. He couldn't be more wrong! Burgess warns him that he can't afford to lose this client, he seems rich and gullible, so Dream must behave because otherwise he is going to regret this! Dream doesn't need to be told twice, he knows very well that Burgess has a heavy hand.

When Hob enters the brothel he feels the first symptoms of a rut but when he is introduced to Dream he might as well go into full rut right now and then. What a beauty! Slender, dark-haired, with unblemished and pale skin and the most blue eyes Hob ever seen. Dream is used to being ogled but no one ever looked at him as if he hung the stars himself. He must admit the this Robert "call me Hob, please, nobody calls me Robert" isn't ugly. Quite otherwise if Dream may say so himself. And he smells so nice, even so close to his rut. He hopes that he isn't a demon in bed because he really isn't into rough sex tonight.

They go into the room, Hob is obviously the perfect gentleman and isn't treating Dream as a common whore so he is already alerted. Behind a closed doors Hob is still very polite and pleasent. He asks Dream if it is okay, if he really wants to do this, did he eat anything? maybe he would like to drink something or to talk? Dream is quite overwhelmed, nobody treated him like this ever.But he says he is okay, Hob goes to take a shower and they go into it. And...

Dream has never had since he had started working as a prostitute such pleasurable and overall good sex. Hob is gentle and caring and is treating Dream as if he was his longtime partner. Despite his rut Hob is controlling himself and is always careful to not hurt Dream. Dream might have orgasmed a few times... Fine, he orgasmed a lot, ok? But it isn't his fault Hob is so nice and skilled and has a such wonderful cock! While Hob knot goes down they cuddle and talk. Well, it is Hob mostly talking, because Dream is always withdrawn with his past, but for the first time that doesn't bothers Dream at all. Hob has such a nice voice, he could be listening to him for hours! Well, Dream is very fucked, literally and figuratively. People always told him that he falls fast and deep and this might have happened here. When Hob falls asleep he might even cry a little over himself, because there is no way that Hob would want to ever be with such an omega whore who smells of other alphas. Dream is gonna stay in that brothel as long as he is pretty and then... He fears to think, but it isn't a bright future.

Meanwhile Hob is freaking out because of course he fell head over heels in love with this gorgeous omega! Dream is perfect, in looks and in character and Hob will fight everyone who thinks otherwise.

Hob's rut ended and he went home heartbroken but he gave Dream goodbye kiss on cheek and asked if he would him to come here for his next rut. Dream of course said yes, not because Burgess was behind his back and he expected Dream to agree but because he came up with a plan! He is going to baby-trap Hob! He is now knowing when Hob's rut is going to come and he can stop taking his suppressants. It's a perfect plan!

So few months go by and when Dream sees Hob enter the brothel he immediately goes into heat. Fortunately, nobody notices and they share again a few wonderful days with Hob and surprise, Dream fallen even harder. When Hob again leaves him he only hopes that he knocked him up good. Of course it happens. But what Dream didn't expect is that he was gonna start showing so early. He hoped that he could keep it a secret till Hob will again visit him. Burgess is furious at first but then he starts selling Dream to the clients so they could imagine they knocked him up. Dream obviously said that he has no idea who knocked him up so he gained even worse reputation.

Time passes and Hob again goes into rut and to see Dream. Once inside he learns from Burgess that Dream is pregnant and if he still wants him. Hob cannot imagine his rut without Dream now, but he wanted to refuse, because he didn't want him to tire to much. But something irked him in a wrong way in this Burgess fella, maybe because he was talking shit about his Dream ( jesus, Gadling, pull yourself together) so he agreed to take Dream to the room. He wasn't planning anything sexual, he simply wanted to talk to Dream.

When they get into the room Hob starts telling Dream that he is happy for him and that he just wanted to spend some tome with him and they don't need to do anything sexual if Dream doesn't want to. And this is too much for hormone-ridden Dream. He burst into tears and starts wailing, because alpha of his pup is here and those few months were terrible, he was so sick all the time and he feels sore all over and lonely and overall terrible. But first and foremost he isn't whore! It's Hob's pup and he needs to believe him, he is sorry that he tried to baby-trap him but he loves him and Hob must now hate him, because he is a whore and he woulnd't want to be with someone so terrible like Dream!

Hob is quite light-headed after receiving such info-dumb but the most important news is still banging around in his head: he is a father! Of Dream's pup! Of course he believes Dream, he wouldn't lie to him, not while crying his eyes out, he knows that Dream is to prideful for that. So he kisses Dream partially to shut him up and partially because he loves him and he is so happy.

Dream can't believe what is happening but he isn't gonna complain! When they stop kissing Hob explains to Dream how happy he is and how much he loves him and please please please be his mate. Dream is in deep shock, but agrees, of course he agrees! So Hob takes Dream hand and commanders that they leave in this second. While leaving for good Hob punches Burgess in the face for trying to stop them.

Some time later Dream receives his so anticipated bitemark on the neck and the both of them couldn't be more happy!

Well, of course untill they go for Dream's check-up and learn he is pregnant with twins. Hob and Dream are both over the moon.

Ooops, it came out very long so so sorry for that and for any mistakes! Cheers

– AAA

Hello new friend!!! Thank you for sending this, it's so good and I love that it's a nice long one. Gosh, I feel for Dream so much!!!! The part about Burgess hiring him out to even more alphas while he's pregnant so they can fantasise about being the one who knocked him up gave me SO many ideas. Maybe one of the other alphas goes so far as to claim that the pup is actually theirs (either because they want Dream or because they just want to torture him) and Dream has to try and get out of that situation and explain how he knows that that isn't the right alpha, yes he's sure, he's not sure how he's sure he just is!! Anyhow, thank goodness Hob shows up when he does and rescues Dream from that terrible situation.

When Hob takes Dream home he puts him straight on bed-rest (after a nice long bath of course) and makes Dream promise to rest and recover. Hob will do EVERYTHING for him. Cooking, cleaning, bathing, he'll take care of his omega as much as possible. Its important for the twins but it's mostly important for Dream - he's been worked too hard and he still has so much to go through with pregnancy, labour, nursing. Hob wants to pamper him until he's at the peak of health. Dream has never been treated like this before. He keeps trying to sneak out of bed to help, and then Hob has to carry him back and cuddle him until he dozes off. Eventually Dream begins to get used to being spoiled. And resting is nice when his belly gets so big.

All in all Dream becomes a very happy omega, and his and Hob’s pups are the most loved and cherished in the whole world. Dream is so glad that he baby-trapper his alpha. And Hob is, too!

[ilovetheriddler]

The Enigma Of Love.

(Gotham) Edward Nygma x F!Reader.

Chapter Two.

Word Count: 1,251.

Contents: Meeting James Gordon, more library work, and returning Edward's Wallet.

You attempted to hurry over there as quickly as you possibly could. After about twenty minutes or so of running, the GCPD building came into view. You stopped at the steps leading up to the main door to catch your breath. You didn't even want to think about how many blocks you just ran. You walked inside after a bit.

The place was pretty big, and there were desks everywhere in the main room, so trying to find Nygma was proving to be quite difficult. After a few minutes of aimlessly looking around, trying to spot him, a neat and clean shaven man approached you. He spoke up as he got closer to you.

"Excuse me, Ma'am. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Oh, um... I'm looking for Edward Nygma? I work down at the library, and he forgot his wallet there earlier, so I'm just trying to find him to return it."

He seemed somewhat surprised that someone's actually looking for Edward. He reached out his hand for a handshake, which you glady accepted.

"I'm Detective James Gordon. It's nice to meet you. Ed works in forensics, I'd be more than happy to escort you there?"

You shake his hand, taking in his overall appearance. He's very professional looking if you had to say. His hair and face were both well kept. And he seemed fairly friendly, at the very least.

"I'd really appreciate that, sir, lead the way."

Detective Gordon carefully escorted you to where Edward worked. He stopped outside of the closed door to knock.

"Ed, you have someone here to see you!"

The sound of things being frantically moved around, and someone walking around echoed from the other side of the door before the door swung open to reveal Edward. His eyes lit up with both excitement and surprise as he noticed you standing next to Detective Gordon.

"A-ah, it's um... you! What exactly can i... help you with?"

You couldn't help but chuckle slightly at his clear nervousness. You found it somewhat endearing. You reached into your pocket and pulled out his previously forgotten wallet, Handing it to him.

"You forgot this on the library counter, Mr Nygma."

"Oh! T-thank you so much! I'm sorry if this inconvenienced you in any way..."

"Don't worry, Mr Nygma. I promise you that it wasn't any trouble at all!"

He took the wallet and put it into his pocket. His face looked slightly flustered, and you couldn't quite pinpoint whether it was a result of being embarrassed that he had forgotten his wallet or from something else entirely. You then noticed the time on the clock.

"Well, I should be getting back to the library... my break is almost over!"

"Oh, um... Well, thank you again for doing this. I hope that the rest of your work day goes pleasantly..."

You bid farewell to both Edward and Detective Gordon before you make your back to the library. Thankfully, since you had already input all of the new information you had to into the system, you wouldn't have much left to do for today. You ultimately decided that you should spend the rest of your shift helping out Ashley putting all the new books out on the shelves.

"Hey Ashley, I'm back! Do you need any help?"

"Yeah, if you could put these over in the Mystery section while I put these in the YA section, then that'd help me a lot."

You carefully took the box of mystery novels from her and nodded briefly.

"Sure, no problem! I don't mind."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

You walked through the many shelves in the library. It was an overall fairly large establishment, so there was quite a decent number of variety when it came to the books kept here. You went past the Romance, Science Fiction, and Biography sections before you eventually reached the mystery section.

As you put the novels away on the shelves, your thoughts bizarrely drifted over to the topic of Edward Nygma, and you found yourself pondering whether or not he enjoyed mystery novels? He seemed like the type of man who would, or at least to you, he does.

You were quite shocked once you glanced up at the clock and realized that you had been stocking the shelves for two hours, lost in your thoughts of a certain riddle loving man the entire time. However, it did make your shift feel shorter, so you couldn't really complain. You stood up and carefully readjusted your jacket before you went to go clock out for the day. You ran into Ashley as you walked out, She's leaning against the railing of the stairs, having stopped to have a quick smoke.

"See you tomorrow, Ashley, my shifts over, and I'm heading home."

She took a long drag from her cigarette before acknowledging you.

"Yeah... Have a nice evening, I'll be stuck here myself for about another hour.... it sucks having to be the one closing up! It's gotham! I could get mugged or killed by some wannabe criminal!"

"I know... It's why I'm glad that I don't have to do it, but... yeah... it must really be terrifying... I'd offer to swing back by here and drive you home, but... you know, I don't exactly own a car... or a driver's license... so that'd be a bit difficult..."

She put out her cigarette before getting ready to head back into the library and shrugged her shoulders in response to you.

"Eh... don't worry about it, it's just how it is right now, unfortunately.... but I'll manage... I mean, I've been stuck having to lock up for the past three months, and I'm still kicking, so maybe I'm just lucky..."

After being reassured that she'd be fine, you started making your way back towards your apartment. It had already started to get dark outside, which always made you somewhat uneasy. Gotham was a crime infested city. Being out on the streets late at night usually wasn't a smart idea. Unfortunately for both you and your coworker, neither of you had cars. You were unlicensed, so obviously, you didn't have a need for one. Ashley, however, did have her license. Her car was just always breaking down and was being repaired constantly, so driving home wasn't really in the cards for you or her.

Thankfully, you ended up making it home before it got too late. You let out a sigh of relief and exhaustion as you tossed your bag down on the counter, kicking off your shoes as well and neatly putting them by the front door, hanging up your jacket as well.

You quickly made yourself something simple for dinner before you started to get ready for bed, taking a long shower, brushing your teeth, and changing into a different set of clothes. you'd usually stay up a bit later, normally to indulge in a novel that had caught your attention or to catch up on a show that you enjoyed, but tonight you felt absolutely drained.

As you laid down for bed, you could only hope that maybe you'd be able to sleep soundly without those cryptic dreams you've been having. As you drifted off to sleep, your mind wandered to Edward... He seemed like he liked riddles, how ironic that you met him after weeks of that bizarre riddle themed dream.... it couldn't possibly mean anything... right? You weren't quite sure, and you wouldn't be getting any answers tonight as you finally lost consciousness.

[castawavy]

November Save MEGA summary (part 2)

before / next

hope you all enjoyed the previous summary, it was a nice walk down memory lane for me 😁❤ anyways let's just jump into the next one

so basically overall steve was really HATING working at Hogan's but June was just doing really well in general (enough to be the main earner in the household essentially so steve was able to quit his job)

june attempted to wingwoman raj again because things didnt really work out with kamala... LMAO

on friday she took a day off and decided to go for a job interview to join an in-house legal team

and very quickly she learned shed got the job 😁🤸‍♀️💖

on monday she let her manager Margot know she was resigning and officially handed in her resignation to the boss, boss, Jared. they were all super happy for her, and june was grateful to have had a good time working with them all

THEN, after that she visited her mom for awhile (who lives in Brindleton Bay, and caught up with her without steve or the kids)

that same weekend it was adelaide's birthday and they threw her a modest party (they are always paycheck to paycheck kinda ngl but june's recent job change / promotion means that things are getting better

bonus shot of the kids being EXTRA cute (they get on really well) 💖

very VERY soon after that, june attended a conference in Tartosa with her new team, which was a great chance to get to know everyone...

UNFORTUNATELY things got a bit flirty at the dinner 🌹😢 and the brunette guy behind june flirted with June and she did it back 😵 and yeah... nothing else happened but YIKES. my interpretation of june is honestly that she got a taste of what her life could have been like, without steve... the kids... bills etc, and she got a bit carried away by the glitz and glam of it all 🤷‍♀️ (sorry I do like my sims to have flaws, & like everyone else june is not perfect </3), but yeah as I said nothing else happened and june immedietaly felt AWFUL about it as she should (shes a loyal trait sim) 😘 but she did look stunning that night

when she got home it was extra bad as well because she had to face steve (and the kids) and it made he realise how lucky she had it, cuz steve also got her some champagne to celebrate her new job ☠😂

so... june confessed and told steve about what happened, and ngl even I was suprised he took it so well and was understanding + I think he appreciated she told him right away

also right after he mentioned marriage??? I think the two of them needed to talk about it cuz june always saw herself getting married I think and steve hadnt really considered it...

BUT YEAH drama / crisis averted AHAHAH sorry this seems really fast but I promise it had been brewing for some time - I think out of the two of them, unfortunately june is just a little bit more insecure than steve, because she has set so many expectations on herself & her mother growing up was very strict with her </3 overall I know she invisioned her life going differently, but when faced with that actual opportunity she didnt take it 😘❤🤸‍♀️

bonus picture of steve because we havent seen him for awhile now and hes gotten a lot healthier recently / working on himself and his mental health a bit (not quit smoking yet though) also raj came over and june seemed more like his best friend than steve because they were joking around so much 😂😂😂

also omg then adie had a bear phase...

😁 and that's a wrap for this summary but PHEW a lot of focus on june this time (I always love giving my sims really complex spouses)

before / next

[alexawynters]

Scarlet Whispers pt 12

Gif not mine

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Female!Reader

Rating: M. Minors DNI

Chapter Summary: Oh no, a melt down! But make it fluffy at the end

Warning: Hurt/Comfort

Masterlist with parts 1-11 here

A/N: Sorry I am late, life has been... busyyyyyy. But I'm trying to keep up with writing and posting!

Returning to the cottage, as much fun (and terrifying) as the date had been, you longed to take a shower. You were fairly certain you were covered in a layer of grime that combined dirt, sweat, and various animal fur. Also, Australia had been hot as fuck, if you could help it, that shower was going to be nice and cold even if it would be a bit of a shock to the system.

“Dibs!” you shouted, as you booked it to your shared room, stripping as you ran. It would probably be polite to let the woman who had planned all of this to go first, but if you had to tolerate one more second of this ~texture~ against your skin, as much as you loved Wanda, you knew you were going to turn into an intolerable bitch.

Wanda simply laughed at your antics and followed. You could call dibs all you liked, but if you thought she was going to wait for you to get out of the shower before she joined, you were sorely mistaken. A salacious smirk crossed her features as she imagined your expression when she surprised you. She would wait a little though, taking her time letting you get situated while she undressed.

The moment the cool water touched your over-heated flesh you hissed. It wasn’t nearly as unpleasant as you had expected, in fact it was a relief. Knowing you were going to have to scrub to get the grime off, still you could feel some of it already sliding off with the mere pressure of the water and that was enough to ease some of the overstimulation to your senses. Somehow you had managed to avoid showing Wanda your more obvious symptoms when overstimulated, usually keeping them managed. A lifetime masking them, learning your triggers, and thresholds, you had learned how to de-escalate yourself.

Today certainly had been a lot. Overall, it was a great day. There were certainly bumps in the road but between Wanda being just perfect, and you working to get your mask under control, everything had been manageable. By the time you had gotten into the shower though, you felt as if you were about to claw your own flesh off. It wouldn’t be too long, you just needed a little bit to decompress and for the love of the gods, get that grime off your skin.

This was why you had called dibs. There was only one shower, and while Wanda could easily have conjured a second one if you had asked her, you didn’t want to put her out after she already had done so much for you. However, you were afraid if you didn’t get clean immediately you were going to have a meltdown from which there was no hiding, nor recovering. After Wanda had already told you she had more still planned for the evening, you didn’t want to risk ruining that, so dibs you called, and fled promptly to the shower.

What you hadn’t expected was for Wanda to join you shortly thereafter, and really, you probably should have after your conversation this morning. When the older woman stepped in behind you, a scream nearly ripped itself from your throat.

“Hello there, detka.” voice husky, just behind your ear.

“W-Wanda, hey! W-uh, what are you doing here? In the shower, with me?” Your voice cracked, and you refused to turn around lest she see your panicked face.

The witch chuckled, thinking you were simply flustered. “I thought after our conversation this morning it would be quite clear. I’m showering with you. Like I said, I won’t bite. Much.”

Soft hands came up to frame your body, pausing as you froze in her grasp.

“Y/N? Are you okay?” She removed her hands from your body.

It was too late. Your mind was a tumultuous whirlwind, what little touch she had provided, gentle as it was, was simply too much, and you wanted to scream, cry, lash out. None of those things were acceptable, and you didn’t want to hurt the love of your life in any way, so instead you completely shut down. Not intentionally, you were simply incapable in that moment of verbalizing what was happening without an outpouring of emotion accompanying it.

Nevertheless Wanda found herself buffeted by your thoughts and emotions, though she couldn’t clearly discern any one in particular. Only distress.

“Dorogoya, can you tell me what’s wrong?”

More silence.

“Y/N I try not to do this, but I’m worried for you. Is it okay if I read your mind to understand what’s going on? To know how to help you?”

A nearly imperceptible nod was all the witch needed. Honestly, even if you hadn’t given it, she probably would have done so anyway. It wasn’t… the best moral decision, but seeing you so upset and not knowing why or how to help made her so worried. Green eyes radiated a soft scarlet, as Wanda filtered through your thoughts and emotions.

Fear, embarrassment, shame, discomfort, gross, overwhelmed, too much, make it stop, make it sto-

Wanda retreated from your thoughts. She had suspected that you were Autistic, but never knew if you’d had a formal diagnosis. There had been little signs, though today’s incident with the horse, and just now confirmed it for her. She hated that you felt as if you had to hide this from her, even if she understood why though

Your comfort came first and foremost. Utilizing her magic, she instantly cleansed the pair of you, removing the dirt, sweat, and grime before turning the water off and leaving you both in silence. Not wanting to overwhelm you, she spoke gently, directly into your mind.

“I’m sorry, lyubov moya, I didn’t know. You have nothing to be ashamed of. It’s okay, you’re okay. I still love you, and I’m still here. I’m going to be in the bedroom when you are ready, love. Take your time, but know that no matter what, I will never abandon you.” Though the older woman longed to place a kiss to the back of your neck reassuringly, from what little she knew, Wanda believed it wouldn’t be helpful to you now. Focusing instead on what was best for you she kept her word, heading to the bedroom to make some changes in preparation for your arrival.

To any normal person, Wanda’s reassurances would probably have been enough, but all you could think was this was it: She was finally going to realize just how broken you were and leave just like everyone else did. Just like your parents always said everyone would. Gods you needed therapy. You really needed to remember to ask Wanda if she could help set that up for you. If she didn’t go running for the hills that is.

In an effort to stop your spiral, you focused on your breathing. In for four, hold for four, exhale for four. Once that was under control, you began taking into account three things you could see, three things you could smell, three things you could touch, and so on. Grounding yourself was key, and you were careful not to look at anything too bright, to sniff too hard, or touch any textures that were not known pleasant ones. You could do this. You could recover, and when, not if, when you did, you would go out and promise Wanda you could change. That you would get better.

You couldn’t. Change, that is, but you would get better at masking. You had done it before, you would do it again. Anything as long as you could convince Wanda to keep you by her side. At this point, you didn’t think you could stand going back to the real world. Aside from the very real fear that you would have to live with your parents again (which again, you were positive they wouldn’t take you back anyway so.. homeless) and you would almost rather die than put yourself through that again. Now that you knew what it was like to be truly cared for by another person, you could admit that the way your parents had treated you was not how parents should treat their children, even as adults.

There was also the fact that you had fallen head over heels for the witch, genuinely enjoying being in her presence. Yes, you would like to make some additional friends, but you were sure you could get Wanda to eventually warm up to that. With these outings, she didn’t seem to mind you interacting with any of the staff and if she really wanted you to be happy, she would have to let you make friends. She could be won over on that topic, Wanda was just afraid to lose you, but once convinced you were hers, she would loosen the reins a little. You were certain of it.

Now though, you were terrified of losing it all over your meltdown. It had to be fixed. You had to be better. Wanda deserved at least that. Gathering all your courage (which admittedly wasn’t much, but for Wanda, you would find some), you left the shower, drying off. Mentally you were preparing everything you would say to the witch to convince her to keep you. It’s not like you were above begging.

As you stepped foot into your shared bedroom, a quiet gasp escaped you. The cottage-core style bedroom you had become familiar with had been completely transformed. More modern, the lighting was a soft, pale lavender. In the corner where previously had been a small television was now a zen waterfall, the water trickling soothingly. Your bed had been modified: It appeared to have a low hanging canopy completely encircling the bed with only one entrance, making it a perfect little nest.

To say you were speechless would be an understatement. A second ago you had been gearing yourself to come out and beg the witch to not throw you out, to plead your case that you could change and were worthy of keeping around. Not for a moment had you expected to come out and find that the witch had redone the room into an entirely sensory friendly experience just for you.

“I- what’s all this?” You could very well see, but you wanted verbal confirmation, not trusting yourself, as always.

Wanda spoke and you didn’t think you had ever heard her voice this soft.

“Darling, you were having a hard time. I just wanted to make things easier for you, so I made the room a bit more… friendly.. for you. What good are all these powers of mine, if I don’t use them to help the one I love most?”

Your throat tightened at that four lettered word.

“You didn’t have to go through all this trouble.” I’m not worth it, went unsaid, but as usual Wanda knew.

“Of course I did, detka. You mean everything to me. I’m sorry for not realizing you were hurting earlier and just barging into the shower with you. I should have asked. I didn’t, I just assumed, and I’m sorry. You were just trying to decompress, and I made it so much worse for you. That’s never what I want for you, lyubov.”

Wanda sat on the chaise lounge, wanting nothing more than to take you into her arms, and hold you until all your bad feelings went away, but this was about what you needed, not what she wanted. So she waited for you.

With tentative steps, you walked further into the room, taking it all in. How could you have thought moments ago that this wonderful woman would ever possibly throw you out? How many ways could she say and demonstrate that she loved you and was here for you?

A few steps more and you were within arm's length of the redhead. Wanda observed you curiously as your lower lip trembled and your eyes watered. Before she could ask you what was the matter, you threw yourself at her. Only a decade of Avenger honed reflexes enabled her to catch you in her arms, preventing the pair of you from tumbling to the floor. Lightly muscle arms held to her as you cried into her neck, your entire body wracked with sobs.

Comforting words in her native Sokovian were muttered softly in your ear as Wanda held you. One hand behind your head pressed you firmly but gently into her neck, the other ran soothing ministrations up and down your back. It wasn’t long before you had cried yourself out, laying exhaustively in her arms, only whimpering occasionally.

“Malyshka, do you want to get into the bed and make a nice nest?”

Stubbornly you shook your head. That would involve parting from Wanda, and you didn’t want to do that. Wanda was solace. Wanda was safe. Wanda… was home.

Said woman chuckled at your rather loud, if childlike thoughts. Too precious. She was grateful the little research she had been able to do while you were in the shower had paid off. There hadn’t been much time, but fortunately thanks to Wanda’s magic, it hadn’t taken her long to get everything ready.

“What if I get in bed with you, malysh?”

A pause as you contemplated. Finally, you gave a single nod in acceptance. You made no move to get up though. If Wanda wanted to get you into bed, she could finagle that herself, but you weren’t willingly leaving her arms unless it was over your cold, dead body.

Though you weren’t able to see it, the witch rolled her eyes fondly at your antics. Fortunately, the same training which afforded her superior reflexes also improved her overall fitness and strength. She was no Thor, but Wanda could certainly lift you with relative ease, and so she did, carrying you over to the bed. With some awkward shuffling, she eventually had you both situated comfortably. Initially Wanda had set you as the little spoon, your go to position for cuddling. However, it only took a moment for you to decide that was not what you wanted, and you swiftly rectified the situation by rolling over and burying yourself in her arms, wiggling happily.

A surprised giggle left the older woman, but she loved when you got like this. How tactile you could be. It wasn’t possible for your bodies to be physically closer unless they were literally fused together, but you were clearly bent on trying to be. The former avenger could feel your fingers periodically flexing against her sweater (specifically chosen due to its soft texture in the hopes it wouldn’t irritate should it come into contact with you), unable to actually pull her any closer, but squeezing anyway.

No words were spoken for some time. Without moving, and therefore no access to a phone or watch, Wanda couldn’t say for certain exactly how much time had passed, but it was probably at least an hour if not a bit more. She had planned more for your evening, but with how content you were in her arms, the world could be on fire and she wouldn’t dare move you. Your eyes had closed a long time ago, breathing evened out. One could almost mistake you for having fallen asleep if it weren’t for how every so often you would nuzzle under Wanda’s chin. Every time you did, her heart melted. She was glad you were feeling better, and if you never got to go on the rest of the date tonight, that was just fine with her.

You however, had not forgotten. This lovely nest Wanda had created for you had done the trick. Well, that and cuddling with your favorite person. You weren’t sure what time it was, but you hoped it wasn’t too late. Lethargically, you disentangled your limbs from the witch’s so you could stretch and yawn (if Wanda’s intrusive thoughts to poke your tongue with her finger almost won, well, that was her business).

“Hey Wands?” You asked quietly, not wanting to break the spell of comfort entirely just yet.

“Yes, detka?”

“I don’t know what else you had planned for today, but if it’s not too late, can we still go out?”

Unbeknownst to you, even if it had been too late, Wanda had the capability to turn back time, such was the magnitude of her powers, but she wouldn’t bother you with that just now. Instead, she smiled at your eagerness.

“Of course, lyubov. Are you sure you’re up for it though? You don’t have to do that for me, if you want to stay here for the rest of the night and cuddle, that’s perfectly alright by me.” Hooking her index finger beneath your chin, she tilted your face to make eye contact with you, gauging your reaction to her words.

Ever the considerate one, you thought fondly.

“I’m sure. I was really excited to go, and if it’s alright with you, I would like to still go, please?”

Sensing your sincerity, Wanda grinned and crawled out of bed with you, helping you out when your foot got tangled in the sheets and had stumbled.

“I would love to, Y/N. Look in the closet for something semi-formal, and we can head out.”

Semi-formal? Where were you going? One of these days this woman was going to spill the beans, or you were going to tickle it out of her, you thought boldly.

The witch whirled back to arch an eyebrow at you daringly. Gulping, you acquiesced that formal was fine, asking instead how long you had to get ready. Technically you had all the time in the world, but Wanda gave you a timeline of about an hour for expediency's sake.

As Wanda left you to get ready, though where she went, you weren’t sure, you both shared a bedroom. However, when you opened the closet, it became clear the woman must have used her magic to transform it for you - everything in it was to your taste. There must be another closet for her elsewhere in the house. Or maybe she didn’t even need a closet? Perhaps she could simply conjure her clothing around herself, you were pretty certain you had seen her do that once after a shower with pajamas. You appreciated that she was allowing you to pick your own outfit, realizing she could simply dress you herself.

Heat bloomed across your cheeks, finding the thought more appealing than you probably should. It was healthy to have some level of independence in a relationship, right? Somewhere in the recesses of your mind the initials of a lifestyle pricked at your curiosity, but you pushed them back. You weren’t… one of those people, and surely neither was Wanda. Even if… part of you wondered what could be.

Disregarding such thoughts, you focused on perusing the closet in search of something to wear for the evening. Semi-formal, semi-formal. how convenient that the entire closet was filled with such attire, all in different cuts, styles, and colors. Half tempted as you were to find the witch and see what she was going to be wearing so you could compliment her, you deigned instead to trust in her instincts. Wanda never let you down, and even if you clashed, there were plenty of other options for you to change into.

Eventually you settled on a soft charcoal blazer, cream button up, the top two buttons left undone, dark grey chinos cuffed at the bottom, and black Oxfords. Briefly you debated on a tie, but Wanda had said semi-formal, so you thought the tie might be too much. To touch it up a little though, you added a classic silver and black Rolex Daytona, and a few of your black rings. A look at yourself in the mirror, and honestly, you felt pretty good.

Lately that has been the case. You wouldn’t say you couldn’t recall the last time you looked in the mirror and felt the need to vomit at your appearance, you absolutely could, and it was recently. These days though weren’t nearly as bad as it had been in the past, and they were definitely occurring less often than you were used to. The last time it had happened, Wanda had held your hair back while you emptied out the contents of your stomach into the toilet, rubbing soothing circles onto your back. By then she was long familiar with these episodes, and they broke her heart for you.

So ingrained was your mothers scathing, hateful voice in your brain that it had practically become your own. Often whispering vile, untrue and derogatory words, belittling yourself to the point of making yourself physically ill. The witch could only imagine what that must have been like growing up hearing all of it in person from someone who was supposed to have provided you with words of love and support instead.

Now though, you felt pretty dapper. Lightly mussed hair, a crooked grin upon your lips, eyes sparkling with happiness, one might even say you looked dashing. A thrill ran through you at your appearance, and that you were even capable of admitting it to yourself that you weren’t totally trash. Pleased overall with your appearance, you took a gander at your watch for the time - definitely early. You set off in search of your favorite person, hoping to catch her with enough time to see what she was wearing in case you needed to change because what you were wearing clashed with her outfit (poor you, grey goes with just about everything, apparently).

You didn’t have to search far, in the living room watching her shows was Wanda. Mouth suddenly dry, you struggled to swallow. You thought her outfit for your last date had been unfairly attractive on her - what she was wearing now should be a crime against your libido. Mommy? Sorry.

Crushed velvet blood red blazer, white button up done all the way to the collar, the length of the cuffs exaggerated extending beyond the blazer. Her legs were crossed, drawing your attention to her pants which were made of the same material and color as the blazer and tapered nicely to her ankles, leading your eye line to her beige heels. You gulped loudly, drawing the woman’s attention to your presence.

She took a moment to look upon your form appreciatively, eyes dark. “You look very handsome, detka.”

“Sdjka error..” you whispered to yourself quietly, not realizing this was an outside thought.

The redhead full on belly laughed and you blushed furiously, wishing the floor would swallow you whole.

Not wanting you to remain too embarrassed for long, Wanda stood to embrace you, kissing your cheek. “Thank you, for the compliment” she couldn’t resist one last tease before wrapping her arm low around your waist, settling her hand on your hip.

You just mumbled, letting her move you as she saw fit, before finally being able to speak again properly. “You look amazing, Wands, truly.”

Her smile could power a small sun.

“Are you ready, lyubov?”

Excitement returned as you remembered what you were dressed up for. Subtly you tried to contain your bounces to a minimum, settling for a small wiggle. “Please?”

The telltale portal appeared before you and Wanda escorted you through. First thing you were able to tell, it was noticeably cooler than the one you set foot through this morning. Not Australia then. You tried not to show your relief. The country was beautiful, and you loved petting the cows, and the horses, but.. you did not want to go back too soon. The faintest scent of the ocean invaded your nostrils - it wasn’t likely in walking distance, but this was definitely an oceanic city.

A quiet tree-lined street, the sounds of traffic were distant. A brick lined building stood out, with a brass plaque along it, in elegant text: Quince. It must be a restaurant, likely Italian if you had to guess. Arm still wrapped around your waist, Wanda led you in its direction, and you followed your shepherd. Ever the gentlewoman, she opened the door, gesturing for you to proceed. As you entered into the vestibule, you saw the maître d’, decked out to the nines waiting for you expectantly. Panicked, you froze, having no idea what name the reservation was under. A people person, you were not, you didn’t even make your own doctor appointments if you didn’t have to.

Fortunately for you, Wanda was immediately back by your side, and to your surprise, the man seemed to be expecting her. “Ah, Ms. Maximoff, right on time! This way, please.”

You looked at her quizzically. How could you be on time after everything? Oh. Right. Magic. A wizard is never late, he arrives precisely when he means to, you quoted silently to yourself and tried not to chuckle at your Lord of the Rings reference.

“Thank you, Jacobsson. Come on, detka.” Her arm was back around your waist, gently pulling you along behind the maître d’ as he led you through the restaurant. From the plaque and the man’s attire alone you had guessed the place was fancy, but you’d had no idea what you were about to walk into. Entering into the main dining area, the walls lined with brick, accented with beautifully stained mahogany, but what really stood out were the chandeliers that peppered the ceiling. Those couldn’t have been cheap glass. You squinted. Those had to be real crystal. Shit, how fucking expensive was this place? You looked at Wanda, attempting to sus out just where she had brought you.

As usual, the older woman gave nothing away, hers a perfect poker face. Knowing you would get nothing from her, you continued to take in the restaurant. Seemed a bit odd that no one else was there.

Suddenly Jacobsson began speaking, drawing your attention back. “Quince first opened it’s doors in 2003 by Chef Michael Tusk and his wife, Lindsay, in Pacific Heights. The restaurant moved in January 2023, highlighting the 20-year anniversary, to our current location here in Jackson Square, which incidentally is next door to our sister restaurant, Cotogna. Quince is one of only five other restaurants in California to boast three Michelin stars. (ehhh, google had conflicting info on all of this, suspend your disbelief) Here at Quince, we abide by a farm-to-table ethos in creating our contemporary Northern Italian cuisine. Chef Tusk works with ingredients from local farmers, ranchers, fishmongers and creameries—building on relationships that, in some cases, reach back 20 years. What’s more, the chef does much of the food shopping himself, often traveling to nearby Marin County for meat, produce and eggs.”

Oh. That… explained so much. Jesus Christ, you didn’t want to know how much this place was going to cost. Not that you were going to be able to tell - places like this didn’t post the prices on their menus. It wouldn’t matter, Wanda was never going to dream of letting you contribute, much less pay, which to be fair, what little funds you had left were dwindling from the last few times she had agreed to compromise and let you contribute. There wasn’t much left for you to make a dent in anything.

Sensing your anxiety, as always, the hand on your waist gripped a little tighter, thumb running soothingly up your side. Soon enough Jacobsson had brought you to your table. There wasn’t any place inside that could be considered secluded, the restaurant seated a mere ten tables. Since there weren’t any other guests though, combined with the ambiance of the lighting against the dark mahogany, the vibe felt very intimate.

The redhead pulled out your chair for you, pushing you in once you had gotten comfortable in it before taking her own seat. Jacobsson handed you both your menus, informing you that your waiter would arrive shortly, and the chef would be out in a little while to greet you. Once the man left, you turned to Wanda, eyes wide almost accusing.

“Madam!” Your voice was playful but exasperated.

Wanda’s in turn dripped with faux innocence. “What is it, detka?”

“You know very well what it is. Three Michelin starred restaurant? No one else here, and the host just gives us the whole restaurant’s history and then the freaking chef is going to introduce himself to us?! I know you have a black card, Wands, and I know we never exactly discussed your financial situation, but do I even want to know how much all this cost for you just to arrange, let alone the dinner?”

The witch considered you, weighing the likelihood of your actually being upset versus just not used to being spoiled. “Dorogoya, I want to spoil you, why are you concerned with money? I have more than enough to cover it?”

A strangled noise escaped your throat. “It’s not that I doubt if you have the funds, Wands, I just.. it’s a lot of money to be spending on me. I don’t have any way to repay you, and I could never afford to treat you to something this nice. It feels… uneven.”

The root cause of your concerns were two-fold, and Wanda understood. Hoping to alleviate your concerns, she explained. “Y/N, first of all, there is never an amount of money that is too much to spend on you. You deserve the world, and as I will continue to tell and show you over and over again, one day you will believe me. It brings me joy to spoil you. I don’t want nor expect you to “repay” me, as you put it. I can understand how you might view my treating you to such extravagances as “uneven”, but detka, you provide me with so much more with just your presence than money could ever provide. I don’t need you to take me out to a fancy dinner to make me feel loved.”

You bristled slightly. “And you think that I do?”

Wanda sighed, gathering her thoughts to explain. “Of course not, lyubov. You know of.. Americans say “love languages”? One of my preferred methods to show how much I care is to give gifts. It is not the only method, simply one of many. I know however that it is more about how you prefer to receive love, but I also know that I cover those you prefer with words of affirmation, physical touch, and quality time. So please, Y/N, indulge me in this? It makes me happy to make you happy. Unless you’re telling me it doesn’t make you happy? In which case I will respect you of course, and we can leave immediately.”

When the witch looked at you so earnestly, how could you help but give in? It was a nice gesture, and when would you ever get an opportunity to go to any of the places she had taken you to otherwise? Really, you felt a little shitty, like maybe you were spitting in the face of her generosity.

“Okay, Wands. But since we are on that topic, I wanted to speak with you a bit about having some more equality in our relationship?”

If it were physically possible, Wanda’s heart would have sunk into her stomach. Desperately she tried to think of what you could be referring to. In what ways were you unequal? Honestly, there were several, but that was a pill she wasn’t ready to swallow. But you were looking at her so timidly, afraid of her reply, and wasn’t that exactly what she didn’t want? Swallowing harshly, the woman nodded, prepared to ask you to elaborate when the waiter arrived.

He introduced himself as Matteo and asked for your drink orders. Afraid of what was coming, you surprisingly ordered a double shot margarita, feeling the need for some liquid courage. Wanda on the other hand, felt the need to keep a cool head, so she stuck with water, and a simple Chardonnay that was mostly for appearance’s sake. Matteo then read off the specials and left the pair of you to your devices.

An uncomfortable silence overtook the table. This was not what Wanda had envisioned for the night, and you felt terrible for ruining things. Still, if you didn’t bring it up while you were thinking about it, you never would. You were like that, bring it up in the moment, or never. Or rather, bring it up 4 months later after stewing on it to the point of explosive anger, and neither of you deserved that.

Eventually Wanda broke the silence. “So, you mentioned… equality in the relationship?”

“Oh, yes.” Slowly you took a steadying breath. This conversation could go one of two ways. Wanda had made such good progress with you and being less controlling, but had she made enough to make this request work?

“So in every healthy relationship,” you stressed the word healthy. “People do things like go to work, or school, or see friends.”

Wanda tensed. She thought you were passed this. She really didn’t want to have to forcefully block such impulses from your mind, that felt… like blocking off a crucial part of what made you, well, you. Begrudgingly she listened, if only to buy herself time to formulate an argument against it.

“I’m not asking to go back home, or anything like that. I’m just asking if like.. I would like to feel productive, I guess? I want to learn some new skills. I get that you said I don’t need a job, and I’m trusting you on that. But there are things I would like to learn simply because I would like to know more about them. To add to that, I would also like to have my own money to buy small things I like when we are out.”

Wanda started to interrupt, but Y/N held up her hand, and Wanda bit her cheek.

“I know, you want to pay for everything, and for the most part I have tried to let you. Please understand though that it makes me sort of uncomfortable to allow you to pay for absolutely every single thing. Plus then when I want to buy something for you, it’s with your own money and that just seems wrong to me. I want to buy you something with the money that I’ve earned.”

It killed her inside, but the witch nodded for you to continue. Pleased that she hadn’t exploded, you hurried to get out what was probably going to kill the whole deal.

“Lastly, I… I want to make friends, Wanda.”

Eye twitch. It didn’t go unnoticed, and you rushed your next sentence before she could change her mind and stop you.

“It’s just not healthy to only have each other. I really like you, like.. so, so much. I love spending time with you more than anything else in the world and I don’t want you to think that I would ever rather spend time with anyone else. But I also know that we have to have other people in our lives, or we’ll sour our own relationship, so if we could please try making friends? I’m not even asking to make friends separately!”

At this point you were about to beg. “We could look for a couple friends and go on double dates and stuff! Wouldn’t that be cute?” You appealed to her weakness: your nearly undeniable puppy eyes.

Silence stretched for what felt like infinity while Wanda considered all you had said. Finally, she opened her mouth to respond, when the Chef came out to introduce himself.

He was a very nice man, and spoke for a few minutes about the menu, where the ingredients were sourced that day, and how happy he was that she had chosen his restaurant. He hoped she would enjoy their dinner and told her if there was anything they didn’t like to please not hesitate to let him know and he would make it right. Wanda politely conversed and agreed, and at any other time she would have probably thoroughly enjoyed his conversation but right now she just wanted him to be gone. She should just stop time right now and hash this out but she didn’t want to risk ruining anything by being hasty.

When the chef left, Wanda could have cheered. Instead, she took a breath to settle her thoughts. As much as she hated to admit it, you made valid, rational points. These were all things you really wanted, enough to withstand several memory wipes, enough to bring it up with her, and so timidly knowing she would probably be upset. The last time that you had brought it up and she hadn’t wiped you, she had shot you down non too graciously. It wasn’t that she had blown up, per se, rather she had completely shut the conversation down.

Wanda weighed her options. She could wipe you, yet again, but at this point she was only putting off the inevitable. She could force the independence out of you, erasing that part of your identity. She could shut the conversation down once again, and as passive as you were, that would buy her time. There was no doubt in her mind though you would come to resent her for it, as you would the other options should they ever to light. Alternatively, Wanda could agree to your terms. With some caveats, of course.

“Okay.”

“Please, Wans, just think ab- wait, okay?”

“Okay. These are clearly things that would make you happy. Things you really want. I want you to be happy detka, so... Okay.”

You cheered, but the witch cut in.

“But! I do have some conditions. I still have enemies out there who would hurt you to get to me, and I can’t risk anything happening to you. Will you hear my conditions?”

Of course you would. You didn’t think Wanda would even let you get this far. “Yes!”

She chuckled at your enthusiasm. “As far as school goes, I’d prefer for you to do online classes at home.”

Your head tilted. “Online? But we don’t have any internet?”

Wanda sighed. She owed you the truth, and it was time she shared at least some of it with you.

“I may have told you a half truth when I brought you to our home, dorogoya. I’m not proud of it, but I didn’t want you to know how much time was passing, so I blocked off all network connectivity to our home while you were adjusting. I was afraid you would be too focused on needing to go home instead of getting to know me, but… if wanting to learn is something you are passionate about, I can arrange for you to have access to online courses.”

Green eyes peered at you through long lashes, waiting for you to lash out at her for her deception. It never came. You understood, even if you didn’t agree with it. After the incident with her cellphone’s notification several months ago, you had suspected as much and now she had just confirmed it. In the end it had been to your benefit though, so could you really be mad if the ends justifies the means? You chose to ignore the way she glossed over the fact that she effectively kidnapped you and held you hostage, finding her preference of the word “adjusting” almost amusing. Stockholm syndrome was a real thing, but you didn’t believe what you had with Wanda could be attributed to that. Well. Not now at any rate.

“Okay, I agree to that. Can I pick the classes I want to take?”

Blinking, confused, Wanda asked “Why would you ask me that? They’re your classes.”

Your silence spoke volumes, and Wanda once again internally raged against your deceased parents, wishing she could kill them yet again. “You can pick whatever classes you want, detka. They’re yours to take.”

A small, happy smile graced your lips.

“Regarding your job.”

The smile dropped. You waited for the caveat.

“No more than 10 hours a week, and they can’t interfere with your classes. If your grades start dropping, you have to drop the job, understood?”

Eagerly, you nodded. Those seemed like perfectly reasonable boundaries, ones you would probably even set for yourself. What you didn’t know was that whatever job you got, Wanda was going to make sure your manager adhered to that allotted ten hours, no more, they would only ever be a set schedule for when you weren’t having classes, and Wanda wasn’t putting up with any of that minimum wage bullshit. If she had to pay you out of her own pocket, you need never know. No one was taking advantage of you if she could help it, and fortunately for you, she had all the power to ensure it.

“As for the friends, I… suppose… we could look into that. I’m not a very sociable creature, Y/N, you know this. But for you, I will try. Just don’t expect a lot too soon, okay? Let’s get everything else going, see where we stand then and go from there, okay?”

Elation filled you. If asked, you would have said you could have walked on air. Wanda was trying so hard for you. She really was perfect. Obviously she had flaws, like everyone, but where it counted, she was perfect.

“I love you.”

Silence.

You both stared at each other. Those words were not meant to be uttered aloud by you just now. Inside thoughts, and all that. But seeing Wanda try so hard for you, more than the restaurant, more than the outings she arranged for you, it was these compromises she had just agreed to which sealed her into your heart. Such concessions must have been weighing heavily on her, and once upon a time the woman could have either blown up or shut you down, but instead here she was trying to make compromises. With fairly reasonable ones at that, all because she knew it would make you happy.

You loved Wanda. You knew that to your core, and to be honest, you had known for a while. It was clear Wanda had loved you as well, she had certainly made no secret about it. From the way she spoke to you, cared for you, helped you. You felt it in the way she crafted experiences with your enjoyment in mind, in the way she touched you.

This wasn’t how you had planned on telling her. You’d wanted to save up some money first and take her out on a nice date in return, make some grand gesture, as opposed to ungracefully blurting it out after a super serious discussion. Nevertheless, the words were out there, and you didn’t want to take them back.

“I love you, Wanda. With all my heart.” Gently, you took her hand in yours on the table, holding it as you gazed into her eyes letting her see the truth of your words for herself.

Words Wanda had longed to hear from the moment she’d laid eyes on you in this universe didn’t hit her like a train she often daydreamed. They rolled over her like the relieving mist of summer’s rain against her skin on a hot day. The air, once heavy and oppressive, was replaced by a crisp invigorating coolness, leaving a trail of relief in its wake, washing away the tension. Scars long burnt into her heart were soothed and eased by your words.

Lashes fluttered closed as a lone tear rolled down her cheek. Alarmed, you leapt from your chair to kneel in front of the older woman, using your thumb to wipe away the tear. Of all the reactions you expected to your words, this was not one of them. Before your anxiety could run away with you though, Wanda’s hand shot up to clutch yours, pressing both yours and hers more firmly onto her face before she opened her eyes to gaze at you lovingly.

“Happy tears, lyubov,” she whispered.

“Oh.”

Slowly, as if afraid you might startle like a baby deer, the witch leaned into your personal space until her lips were but a breath from your own. She glanced from your eyes to your lips, and back. “I love you too, Y/N”

It was the softest kiss you had ever received. There was no heat, just a simple pressing of lips against each other, knowing the truth had finally been admitted to both of you.

A quiet clearing of the throat came from the side. You both parted to see Matteo had returned to take your order. To your surprise, you weren’t the only one who blushed this time. With a grin, you took your seat, letting Wanda order for you as usual.

The rest of your dining experience was a blur, which would be disappointing for such a treat, but given how Wanda enjoyed spoiling you, it stood to reason you would be returning to this restaurant soon. Dinner was filled with heated glances and teasing touches. The air was thick with anticipation. Normally you would probably be miffed about your meal containing such tiny portions but at this point you weren’t sure how much you could eat. In truth, you wished Wanda would just get the check so you could leave. That would be incredibly rude to the chef though, and he seemed really nice.

After what seemed like an age, dinner was finished. The chef came out once again to chat, which fortunately was brief, and thanked Wanda for her patronage. When she stood up to leave, you realized she had pre-paid in advance. Likely very handsomely, which made the entire evening make more sense. You were relieved as that meant you could go now, no need to wait.

Wanda casually tossed a roll of bills on the table for gratuity and once again led you out of the restaurant though you noticed her hand had drifted far lower, resting possessively on your ass. A shiver rolled down your spine as you considered what awaited you when you got home.

A/N: Fashion: I hate it. Google. Had to do much googling of formal fucking attire (straight cheated and looked up Elizabeth Olsen outfits for Wanda). And thEN!! I had to try to figure out how to describe it! Honestly, I really just wanted to go by brands because that made more sense to me than “it’s a chino”. Okay?? That looks like a colored jean?? Tf is a chino? I have no idea wtf I’m doing. If it doesn’t come on a mannequin, idk how to put it together. I literally have to take pictures in the store so once I get it home, going forward I can wear it again. Don’t ask me the amount of money I have wasted on outfits I thought I would remember to put together later that I absolutely did not, and then never wore again (looking at you red and gold plaid slacks - what am I supposed to do with you??? Why???). For the love of god, someone please style me for the rest of my life. I’ll give you my credit card. Jk, I have no money :’( I’ll write you shitty fanfiction??? I realized too late that Wanda’s hair is red for this. Can red hair and red clothes go together? I’m sure, yes? I spent too much time googling that and then… Questioned my life choices.

A/N 2: Some of this is based on my own life experience (some exaggerated for story purposes or changed to protect them and or myself) with family but before anybody flames my mother, please note that she has gone to therapy, and has (as I have gotten into my mid 30s) made changes, apologies, and supported me in my own growth and journey. I want to be clear; I do not wish my mother was dead, but creative writing can be it’s own form of therapy, and I’m writing this from my perspective from when I was in my early 20’s.

Taglist: @dorabledewdroop @sadslasher13 Also @xxxtwilightaxelxxx your reblogs with the additional tags are giving me life lol bless.

[2rats1gogh]

Hi! I would like to know for you what would have been the fairest ending for the dance? I'm Team Neutral, yes, we exist,although some people say no and that we are undercover greens 🙄, I simply like to analyze both positions understand the motives behind a character based on their context🥲. I always see a lot of debate on this topic, I've seen team black constantly say that it's appropriate for the green line to disappear because they are usurpers and George punishes those who usurp...but...it can also be argued that Rhaenyra's heirs were usurping a broad list of legitimate Targaryens with more rights than them...they also consider it a "divine punishment" that she and her illegitimate children died for trying to place a boy with no real right to it on the throne? I find it quite curious to talk about the narrative punishing you when Rhaenyra and the Velaryon princes came out so badly. Honestly, for me the most fair and equitable ending since I think that both sides did things terribly wrong would have been to leave Aegon III as King (He's one of my favorite characters, I admit it) and Jaehaera as his Queen Consort. I think the dance has a more powerful message in this way, from a literary point of view I think it has much more impact, and I like Daenaera and the fact that she is Vaemond's granddaughter... it doesn't stop being funny 🥹, but those children were a reflection of the horrors that a war between relatives brings, they were never much in the spotlight of the conflict nor did they count much for their respective sides, so it would be poetic that they have to be the ones to take the Targaryen dynasty forward, of course along with the help of Viserys when he returned.

Have a nice afternoon!

Hi!!

I really like the pairing of Aegon III and Jaehaera and as much as I realize that they were both extremely traumatized children (Aegon’s father caused the death of Jaehaera’s twin brother and eventual madness of her mother and Aegon’s mother caused the death of Jaehaera’s other younger brother, but also Jaehaera’s father killed Aegon’s mother) I feel like with time they could’ve made it work.

I REALLY wish that Jaehaera would’ve stayed alive. It would’ve been tragic, but poetic. And even as team green, I actually don’t mind “Rhaenyra’s line surviving” because I think it should survive, but I also wish that Aegon’s didn’t die out. It saddens me so much that none of his children made it out alive, so I kinda hope that HotD changes the ending or whatever and Jaehaera lives.

I don’t mind Daenaera as a character but she doesn’t hit the same as Jaehaera. Her and Aegon could’ve been the poetic ending to this horrible war. Daenaera just doesn’t have the same impact, we barely even knew her. But Jaehaera was there all along.

Also, the children shouldn’t be blamed for the sins of their parents, which is why I think over time they could become closer. They are the only people who could understand each other’s pain, and forgive each other.

And again, it just makes sense. The war was useless, nobody won, and the two lines (green and black) were united. So that everyone gets their blood on the throne, Rhaenyra, Aegon, Alicent, Otto (and Daemon unfortunately). I don’t really care for Corlys, he never deserved that throne anyway, since he was such a misogynistic bitch about this whole inheritance thing that he preferred illegitimate children of his daughter-in-law rather than his very much legitimate granddaughters.

I don’t really mind the idea of Jaecaerys becoming king, I think he was a good guy overall, and him marrying Helaena could’ve been cool I guess, but the issue of Jaecaerys being illegitimate stays. And I never really liked them for some reason. And that whole thing about all three of Rhaenyra’s children with Harwin being doomed from the start is interesting imo, just like all Alicent’s children are doomed from the moment they are born.

Another, much more simpler solution to everything could’ve been Rhaenyra getting to become queen, but then naming Aegon his heir, instead of having children of her own, legitimate or not. That way she gets to be the ruler, and then her siblings continue her legacy. Everyone is happy or whatever.

But overall, I still think that given the way the Dance actually happens, I would much prefer for Jaehaera to stay alive and for her and Aegon III trying to make it work. It may take some time, but I feel like if given the opportunity they could’ve become something.

[sevsdollette]

Not So Sweet [Sevika x fem reader]

ao3 link: Not So Sweet - sevsdoll - Arcane: League of Legends (Cartoon 2021) [Archive of Our Own]

content warning: …SMUT (mdni. get out). drinking, smoking cigars. sex worker reader. face sitting (cunnilingus). fingering. brat taming (reader loves to bite back). dom!sevika. no use of y/n

summary: you’re one of Babette’s best girls, and you’re just taking a night off when you intrigue the most dangerous woman in Zaun. She just can’t ignore you, and soon the night becomes a lot more interesting than you planned.

chapters:

1. Relaxing Night

note: WC: 5.1k (@-@ i know). this is a series. i’m already working on chapter two. look i know the show came out two years ago, but someone’s gotta keep writing for her. she really just makes me foam at the mouth. i love her so much. I don't write very often so sorry if this sucks. this series will have the golden trio: smut, fluff, and angst. smut hopefully in every chapter.

—————(18+)—————

After a long day-shift, you wanted a drink.

The customers at Babette's weren’t so entertaining or pleasant when the sun was still up. What normal person (as normal as someone in Zaun could be) went to a hooker during the day? They were all perverted, or it was the only time of the day they could sneak away from their real “love” to see you.

Overall, not a fun time. You had a particularly nasty customer come through, and while after a normal day, you’d go right into working the night, you thought you deserved a treat.

You show up to the Last Drop, a frequent bar of yours, and plan to have a relaxing night with a cold drink.

You get in quicker than other patrons. While Babette didn’t like Silco, she played along enough and that got you some perks. She gave little tokens to her favorite employees and that earned you some privileges at the right times.

The bouncer opened the door, waving you in, and you were hit with the blasting music that usually infected the bar on a Friday night. Even when it was only eight.

The bass of the music almost made you nauseous, but you pushed it away, telling yourself you were going to have a good night for once. No brothel, no weirdos, and no sex.

You were sick of sex. It was getting quite boring. Even those customers who claimed to be expirimentive or interesting were not. It was the same thing over and over again.

Okay, but you were going to stop thinking about work now.

Since it was early in the night, you were able to get your own booth. Usually, that would be impossible, and you were sure that some group might come along to kick you out of it at some point. But, for the time being, it was your personal wrap-around booth. The stained leather cushions were like heaven. The table was cracked and carved into, but it was solid wood.

You felt good. You were dressed nicely: a tight and dark dress that complimented your complexion, and your hair was done up to reveal your neck and the long costume earrings you swiped once upon a time in Piltover. You showered a lot more often than the people you worked with, so at least you smelled good too.

The back booths were usually taken care of better than the crowded tables near the front. After a few minutes of you sitting down, a barkeep came over to ask if you wanted anything to drink. You ordered and then sat back and enjoyed the atmosphere.

No where in the Undercity was pleasant, but you began to enjoy your time. Your drink came back and you slowly sipped on it as you watched the bar fill with people. You put your feet up on the booth as well, lounging like you owned the place.

It didn’t matter that you didn’t, either. Silco and his whole crew didn’t scare you much. You’d seen worse than the whole crowd. All the immature prostitutes at Babettes would quiver and hide when Sevika, Silco’s number two, came by or when any other of her goons poked around. They didn’t instill the same reaction in you. Sure, they were strong, intimidating and ruthless, but you’d had worse done to you than have your face beaten.

You’d never personally served Sevika or her crew, but you knew people who did.

Speaking of the devil, the group just strolled in. It was around ten pm when Sevika and four others came into the bar and got their usual booth across the room from your own. The chaos of the dancing, drinking, and smoking crowd parted for them quickly, but paid them no mind, and they went about their usual business.

As you watched them sit down and order a drink, your eyes caught the shallow ones of Sevika. It was only for a quick glance before she looked down to shuffle cards, but she seemed to look longer than one would normally when accidentally meeting a stranger's eye.

You didn’t know what the hell her problem was. As much as you weren’t afraid of her, you sure as hell didn’t want to deal with her. All you wanted was a calm night, and whatever issue she had with you surely wouldn’t help.

You’d been jumped a couple of times. They were when you were younger and more naive, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t happen again. All those times, you had to stumble back to Babette with a bloody lip and bruised ribs for her to wrap up. You had no one else to take care of you.

For the next two hours or so, you kept your eyes to your own. Or, at least you tried to.

After that first look, she couldn’t take her eyes off of you. Her steel gray gaze kept your form across the room as the club lit up with action. The loud music and crowd of dancers frequently broke her stare, but once there was a break in the mob, you’d catch her looking at you again.

The idea of her made you nervous. The way she stared made you feel weak—like she was a predator about to pounce. There was no way she’d hurt you in the bar, right?

Something about the look in her eyes made you feel something other than nervous. It was entrancing the way her lips curled into a smirk at a winning hand. Her banter with her men made her seem warmer—nicer. You couldn’t help but drag your eyes across her broad shoulder, reveling in the way the muscles in her forearms moved as she shuffled cards.

You tried to ignore her and her rough eyes as you watched the lively crowd. After two drinks, almost every sight was amusing, and you were feeling quite relaxed. The alcohol helped your nerves.

At some point, you got up and went to the bathroom. While fighting your way through the crowd, you didn’t even see Sevika put down her cards to follow after you.

The bathrooms were small, which was quite inadequate for the business of the bar, but it made it less common for people to be in there. It was empty when you went in, and you went into one of the stalls to relieve yourself.

The door opened not long after you came in, and when you were stepping out of the stall, you froze.

Sevika stared at you, still standing by the door. You couldn’t get out. Suddenly, the bathroom felt even smaller than it already was.

You decided not to poke the bear. Anxiety rushed over you as panic threatened to set in. But you wouldn’t let her know it. Reputation was all about strength around here. Any weakness would’ve your downfall.

You went into denial. Maybe you were wrong about her staring. Maybe this was all just a coincidence. She just so happened to catch your eye and it was just your luck that she came into the bathroom at the same time as you.

You washed your hands, keeping your eyes down at the sink as you heard her steps. They got closer and closer until she stood behind you, just far enough away that she wasn’t touching you. You stood up straight, looking at her through the mirror.

“Can I help you?” You tensed your brow, eyes stuck to the ones that had been watching you all night. This close, and in the dim light of the bathroom, you could’ve sworn they had hints of blue in them.

“What’s your name?” She asked. She reached out, touching your shoulder lightly as she leaned forward. She towered over you.

“None of your business,” you said. You could feel the heat of her body against your back, and she couldn’t stop exploring you with her hands.

It seemed she didn’t really care what your name was. Perhaps she only asked as a formality. Maybe some women found it rude when she didn’t ask, but you didn’t care.

“Are you just going to eye-fuck me all night,” she muttered. “Or do you want to do something about it?”

She ran her thumbs along the creases of your dress. feeling the bottom edge of your bra through the fabric as she did so.

“You’re the one who can’t stop staring,” you said, turning your head to look up into her eyes. “If I were a betting woman I’d say you have a small crush.”

She scoffed. “Don’t think of yourself so highly.”

You smirked. She just wanted to fuck. She’d been around the brothel enough time for you to know that, and the idea of her had always been an intriguing one whenever she came around. You’d never dealt with her, but you’d heard the stories.

Her fingers dragged down your hips, tugging at the edge of your dress before slipping under. It was just enough so she could feel the skin of your inner thigh. The light grazing of her skin against yours made you feel fuzzy, and you leaned back into her slightly.

She hummed, leaning into your neck and kissing under your jaw. Her lips pressed just under your ear as she asked, “Want to come to the back room with me? I'll make it worth your while.”

“Are you gonna pay me?” You jested. Of course, you didn't need her to, but teasing her just felt so right. You’d never even spoken to her before, but the banter was too delicious to ignore.

“I think you’re the one who’s gonna have to pay me,” she whispered, her hands now massaging your thighs as she tried to draw you towards the door. “Come on, baby, I need to get this dress off of you.”

You groaned, pushing her hands off of you. “So needy,” you teased. “Go and wait for me and maybe I'll show up.”

She stared down at you. The two of you were close; you could practically feel her breath against your face. In her eyes was anger at your attitude, but you could tell she was amused. Normally, the women she picked didn’t fight her: they crumbled and begged for attention.

Her hand came up and gripped your jaw. She moved forward, pressing you against the countertop as her lips met yours harshly. The wind was knocked out of your lungs as she kept you pinned, kissing you enough to make you dizzy.

She gripped your hip with her metal hand, the tips of her sharp fingers pressing into the fat of your ass just enough for it to sting. You whimpered against her lips, hands jerking as they didn’t know whether to push her away or pull her closer.

“Oh, you’ll show up,” she growled. And then, as quickly as she had come, she pulled away. The cold air where she once was made you feel funny as you watched her walk out of the room.

The bathroom was silent. You stood there, palms pressed against the counter, shaking. Outside, the bass of the music pushed through the walls and shook the floor. It felt chilly all of a sudden, and you realized it was because she was gone. She was so hot pressed up against you, and you were worried you’d freeze without her.

Screw the whole “sick of sex” thing. You were going to fuck the hottest, most dangerous woman in Zaun.

In your frozen state, another woman came into the bathroom and gave you a strange look as she saw you standing there. You hardly met her eyes as you walked past her, shuffling quickly out of the room.

The chaos of the main room hit you hard when you came out. The flashing lights and blaring music were a sharp contrast to the dim and quiet bathroom. Across the room you saw Sevika standing by her table, settling her bets with her fellow players quickly.

You made your way up to the bar to close your tab. You doubted you would want anything else. The bar was crowded and it took a moment for you to shove yourself to the front with your money.

You reached out your coins to the bartender.

“Thieram, put her drinks on my tab.”

The bartender looked past you and nodded at Sevika. He pushed your hand back and quickly walked away to serve another customer.

You turned to say something to Sevika, but she was already walking towards the back room. You took the moment to watch her walk away, your eyes grazing over her body.

Her back was wide and thick with muscle. Every part of her was woven together with strength, and the glow of the neon lights made every ridge seem deeper.

Your body began to get just as excited as your mind was.

When you walked into the back room, she was sitting on the sofa. This room was a small lounge with two couches and a couple of chairs surrounding a coffee table. There was a small side table with a lamp, and a large bay window on the back wall with the curtains tightly shut.

The lamp was on and it gave off a full glow that illuminated the room just enough that you could see her shadowed brow turn up to look at you.

It seemed like a place she came to often. She had her maroon cover dropped on one of the armchairs, and there was a pack of cigars on the coffee table with a lighter. It was a little messy, but you assumed it was a busy room.

“Thanks for the drinks,” you said, sounding unimpressed.

“They’re free for me.”

“Yeah, I thought so.”

You sighed loudly, stepping forward into the room more. Once again, her eyes stuck to you like glue.

She leaned back. “Are you gonna get over here or are you gonna make me chase you?”

That could be fun. But, no, you weren’t in a state to run at the moment. You smiled, almost mockingly at her, and strolled over.

You stood in front of her as she stayed seated, looking up at you. Taking her face roughly in one hand, you dug your nails into her cheek slightly. She looked up at you with tense eyes, studying the way you glared down at her. Your thumb brushed over her bottom lip and she nipped forward, trying to bite you.

You jerked your hand back. “Watch it!”

She chuckled, reaching out to hold you by your hips. She steadied you, keeping you as close as you could without pulling you into her lap. “You seem like someone who doesn’t give two shits about me,” she said. “I like that.”

You lifted your brow. “Don’t like attachment?”

“Fucking hate it.”

She pushed your dress up, the bottom now pooling above your hips, making your thin lace underwear fully visible for her to touch and rip off.

“Good. I’m a whore, all I ever have to deal with is attachment.” Her hands were now rubbing down the backs of your thighs. The ghosting of her fingertips over the edge of your underwear sent a shiver up your spine. “It’s always: ‘Oh, I love you’ and ‘oh, baby please come home with me’—drives me nuts.”

She smiled up at you. “I’ll never love you.”

“Thank god,” you breathed, lost in the sight of her so close to you. Her eyes stuck to your lips and her brow creased in focus. She pulled you in, trapping you in a kiss. Her hands pressed against the small of your back, pushing you down to straddle one of her thighs.

A sigh slipped from your lips as she pushed her leg up just slightly. It fit perfectly and her hard muscle did well to please the ache that was just starting to grow between your legs.

Her lips were soft yet demanding, holding you there as she devoured you. It was hard to breathe between her hungry kisses. It was intoxicating in all the best ways. Her tongue brushed against yours and soon you were tasting each other, drawn in and never letting go.

Your hands brushed through her hair, tugging out her hair tie and tossing it behind you onto the coffee table. She grunted, pulling you even harder against her and grinding your hips against your leg.

She kissed across your cheek and down your neck. She was harsh. She ran her teeth along your skin and bit down hard enough for you to whine. You gripped her shoulders and pressed your clothes clit harder against her leg, trying to find satisfaction.

You knew she was going to leave marks. Something about that thought made you crazy. You were not supposed to belong to anyone, but you wanted people to know she fucked you—that she wanted you.

Her tongue ran over a fresh hickey as she leaned back up and kissed you again. She exhaled heavily out her nose, settling into the kiss.

You clutched her face gently in both hands, cradling her head as she slid her tongue into your mouth. You could feel heat looking in your stomach. Surely your underwear was ruined by now. She might’ve even had a wet spot on her thigh.

Everything felt so disorienting. It was like she was her own drug, pulling you in and locking away the rest of the world. You couldn’t hear any outside of the room, and nothing matter but how her chest felt pressed against yours.

“Lie down,” you whispered, running your fingers through her hair.

She wasn’t the type to listen to others, but something in the way you coaxed your voice made her comply. She was much too large for the small couch so her legs hung off the other end, but you made sure her head was nice and comfortable on a small throw pillow.

She propped herself up on her elbows, smirking at you as you stepped off the couch and pulled your panties off. “You just think you have all the power, don't you?”

You cocked your head to the side. “Do I not?”

“Hm.” She wasn’t amused. You crawled on top of her, your thighs on either side of her head as you sat on her collar. You brushed the stray hairs off her forehead.

“I’ll put you in your place, baby girl, don’t worry,” she assured. “But I might as well let you have a little fun first.”

“That’s sweet,” you teased. “I’m almost intimidated. But, really, anyone who gets underneath me always ends up being my bitch.”

She rolled her eyes. “Just fucking sit on my face already.”

“Say please?”

She ignored you, dragging your hips up and grinding your core against her face. Your breath caught in your throat at the sudden movement, hands flying to her hair to steady yourself as her tongue parted you.

You pressed your lips together. “Oh, fuck, Sev…” you moaned, head falling back as she lapped at your folds like you were the last thing on earth. Her mouth was hot against your cunt and she was sending shockwaves through your body.

She pressed all your weight against her face and everything she was doing made you relax against her. Part of you cared if she could breathe but most of you didn’t. Your mind was only focused on how she circled your entrance with her tongue.

You dug your nails into her scalp, tugging as she moved up to flick your clit with her tongue. The pleasure had you tugging at her hair. She moaned into your folds, the vibrations eliciting another wave of ecstasy.

She gripped the backs of your thighs, keeping you steady as your strength wavered. As you unwound, she continued to undulate your cunt against her.

Everything she did drew you closer and closer to your peak. It was a constant assault as she dragged her tongue though you with a sharp tip before pulling your clit into her mouth to suck.

“God, that feels so good,” you moaned, grinding harder on her nose as her tongue fucked into you. “Don’t stop.”

With the tone of your voice, she could tell you were close. Her hands came from behind to cup your ass and squeeze it harshly, making you moan again before her finger came closer. She circled your entrance with them, coating each with your slick before easily slipping one thick finger in.

“Two,” you demanded, breathless.

She pushed a second one in and you almost regretted it. It was a tight squeeze as she pumped her finger deep inside, still working on your clit with her mouth. She was ruthless with her speed, and soon you were helpless. You rode her finger and face breathlessly until your orgasm hit with a wave of pleasure.

You cursed loudly, moaning as she helped you down from your peak. It seemed to go one forever, pulsing with your fast heart rate. She kept her finger deep inside you as she pushed you off her face.

“Sev…” you muttered, wiping her chin with your thumb. You realized you had no words. She curled her fingers inside of you. “Fuck,” you whined

She flipped the two of you over, pushing your hips down into the couch as she went harder.

“Wait,” you whined. The overwhelming sensation from your last orgasm was too much to bear. So much that she was leading you right to another one. You couldn't take it. “Sevika,” you cried.

She shushed you, demanding, “Take it.” She was peppering kisses down your neck and over your chest. Your low-cut dress was becoming more and more disheveled, and she could nearly kiss your nipple.

Just her presence was arousing. She was almost animalistic the way she hovered over you, so much bigger than you. She shadowed you in the dim room, gazing down at you like you were her prey. You couldn’t get out even if you tried.

Her hard metal arm that pinned you down radiated a sharp heat that reminded you she could kill you if she really wanted to. And that shimmer in her vials could turn her into a monster with no mercy.

You bit your lip, your head pressing back against the couch as you felt your finish coming. You couldn’t believe how good she was. The people you fucked for you job hardly ever really got you turned on. She made your head spin.

And she was so attentive. Every second she was digging her teeth into your collar or running her mouth along your breast. Her hot breath against you skin had you writhing under her, mumbling curses and urging her to never stop.

Her fingers pumped inside, curling with every thrust to hit your sweet spot. The heel of her palm rubbed against your clit as she abused your velvet wall, rutting against it when she would pull out and shove back in.

“I’m gonna cum, Sev,” you cried. “I’m so close.”

She hummed into your skin, quickening her cruel pace to a point that made your legs tense and your hands run down her back, pressing crescents into her skin.

Your peak was coming closer and closer. You could feel it rising in you with every passing second of pleasure. The ribbed rubbing of her fingers in your cunt overwhelmed every sense until she stopped.

She stopped moving.

“What the fuck—“

“You were real cocky coming in here,” she growled into your ear. Her voice was almost gritty. “You need to know that’s not okay.”

You squirmed under her, just trying to get her to move or maybe be able to ride her fingers. “Sevika, just let me—“

She held you very still. “In this room, you’re mine. You do whatever the fuck I tell you to, and you ask nicely for things.” Her still fingers were driving you insane. The full sensation of hay being full but not stimulated made you push against her shoulder, urging her to do something.

She lifted her head to look at your pleading face. “Outside of here you might belong to anyone with enough money in their pocket, but right now you belong to me. I chose when you cum, do you understand?”

You glared up at her, irritation alight in your eyes as you thrashed and tried to get her to move. You couldn’t speak, only fighting to move to reach your finish.

“I didn’t expect you to be such a fucking brat, baby.” She pushed a third finger inside slowly. The stretch was painful as you cried out, your nails digging into her back. She still wouldn’t fucking move. “But that’s okay,” she assured. “I’ll teach you a lesson. I’ll make you my good girl.”

Your eyes rolled to the back of your head and you sunk further into the cushion. “Sevika—“

She smacked your clit harshly. “Say please.”

You squirmed again, the pain pulsing through your core. You pressed your lips together, trying not to give her the satisfaction.

Her brow creased and she frowned down at you. Disappointed pooled in her gaze and it made you feel awful. She slid her fingers out of you, shrugging and moving to get up.

You holt forward, hands wrapping around her thick forearm to pull her back to you. “No—fuck—please, Sev, please.” Your wide, pleading eyes helped lure her back. “Please. I need it. I need it so fucking badly.”

She sighed, pulling you close to her again by your hips, cradling them against her own as she pushed you back down into the couch. She kissed you once, gently. “What do you need, baby?”

All attitude was thrown out the window. All you could do was obey. “To cum—please, just let me—“

She forced her fingers back inside of you, having you crying out at the sudden stretch. She pushed your legs open, spreading them widen so she could fuck you deeper.

The room echoed with your cries. The sudden intrusion made the stretch so intense it was painful. The feeling mixed with the incessant pleasure drove your mind to an unreachable place. You were a babbling mess underneath her, mumbling pleas and begging for her to never stop. You were rendered senseless.

“Please…please, I’m so close.”

She rubbed her thumb over your clit and bit on the pulse point of your neck, the sharp sensation pushing you over the edge

Your vision went white as hot, immeasurable pleasure shot through your core. Your legs squeezed around her as she slowed her lace to a gentle rolling of her fingers to guide you through your orgasm.

The way she held you made all your bitching seem so senseless. She was ruthless but caring, attending to every need as she brought you down from your high. It felt as if you couldn’t move, lying limp underneath her as she took care of you.

“Good job.” She kissed your cheek. “I knew you could behave.”

All you could muster up was a whine as you pawed at her face, pushing her up so you could pull her in for a kiss. She settled into your lips, helping you relax as your heartbeat still pounded against your chest. Her hands gripped your thighs, your juices sticking to your hot skin.

She pulled back. “Careful, you don’t want to make me start again.”

You shook your head frantically, mouth still so dry yet searching for words but you couldn’t find any. So fucked out, all you could do was lie there and stare at her.

Your eyes were glassy and she smiled slightly at the state she left you in. “You okay, doll?”

You nodded.

“Okay,” she chuckled, sitting up. “I’d hate to scare you off too quickly.”

You made some helpless noise, clawing after her as you tried to push yourself up. It felt like you could hardly move your legs, and your hands felt numb.

She helped you sit up, pulling you across her lap to rest your head against her shoulder. “Though you seem quite comfortable.”

You giggled. “Just tired.”

She hummed, reaching around you to find a cigar on the coffee table. You watched her hold it in her lips as she leaned forward again to grab the lighter.

You just liked to watch her. She moved comfortably in herself, relaxing back on the couch as she puffed on the cigar. She made rings with the smoke, showing off to impress you, maybe.

She let you take a puff, but it wasn’t exactly for your taste. Instead, you just relaxed against her, listening to the slight boom of the bass through the walls. You couldn’t even remember hearing it until now.

Minutes passed, maybe even a half an hour as the two of you relaxed. You could feel your eyes drooping the longer you sat against her warmth.

“It’s late,” she observed. “Do you need me to walk you home?”

“So chivalrous,” you murmured, fixing the neckline and straps of your dress. You sat up straight, blinking slowly to meet her eyes. “I think I’ll be okay. Babette’s is just down the street.”

A crease formed in her brow. “You live there?”

You shrugged. “Yeah.” Your eyes fell to the floor. “I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

“Hm,” she hummed, adjusting the hem of your skirt so it was fully over your ass. Her limited reaction made you slightly nervous, but it was better than her overreacting. “I’m going to walk you home.”

She patted your hip, urging you to get up. Begrudgingly, you slid off her lap and to your feet. You stumbled, partially from the alcohol still in your system, but also from the ache in your legs.

Sevika held you against her, smiling. “Easy, baby.”

“Shut up.”

“Attitude's back already?” She teased, “I should’ve been meaner.”

You grumbled, waving your hand aimlessly to get her to stop talking. Hell, you would’ve loved if she fucked you with no restraint, but you couldn’t take any more. You worked all day, and she just knocked the wind out of you for so long.

She guided you towards the door, helping you walk as the two of you pushed through the front room. It was past midnight for sure, and the crowd had lessened, but those who were left were wasted and uncontrollable. You noticed how she held you away from everyone who seemed too intoxicated.

It was about then when you realized your underwear was still on the floor of the back room, but you didn’t give a shit. Maybe she’d keep it as a souvenir. You surely had the bruises on your neck to remind you of her for days.

God, you wished every night ended like this.