#it was perhaps the best moment of my life | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sleepynagii · 11 hours ago

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𝐀 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐌𝐀𝐍 ────── NAGI SEISHIRO.

IN WICH you were a young woman and by that time, your opinion was just nonsense to your own father who had practically sold you out to who you thought was your childhood best friend, Seishiro Nagi. Nagi claimed to be a pacifist, but little did you believe that when ahead of your parents he bought your hand in marriage, and unfortunately you had no opinion at all.

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒. arranged marriage. childhood friend!Nagi. friends to lovers (I think) past/former times. the reader is reo's sister. fluff. eventual angst and soft. nagi is bad at expressing his feelings but is just a fool in love. nsfw/smut. squírting. overstimulation. size kink. Nagi has big brēeding kink. public sex. smut on the honeymoon.

(I was inspired by those times of the old west and cowboys, I think, so it doesn't follow the japanese culture.)

✴　english is not my mother tongue, sorry if there are spelling mistakes or if any part is incomprehensible.

𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐈, 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐀 𝐏𝐔𝐙𝐙𝐋𝐄 𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃𝐍'𝐓 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐕𝐄. Human emotions, their nuances, and the intensity of the feelings he seemed to provoke in others were a constant mystery. Now, as he watched you from a distance—your gaze avoiding his and your posture clearly defensive—he couldn’t understand why you were angry with him.

He tried, if only a little, to find a clue, a spark of clarity to tell him what he had done wrong. After all, he was the one who had saved you from a fate he thought far worse. Wasn’t that enough? What could be worse than falling into the hands of a stranger? You were with him, someone who had been part of your life since you were a child. Shouldn’t that bring you comfort?

Nagi let out a soft sigh, his thoughts drifting back to the past, to a time when he was nothing more than an insignificant boy—the son of a humble worker on the fields your family owned. Or, more precisely, the fields that belonged to your father, an imposing man who ruled his vast property with unquestionable authority.

Back then, he was no one, just another boy carrying sacks of wheat and tending the land you inherited by right. But he had known you forever, from those afternoons when he saw you running through the fields, carefree and unburdened. Now, however, the distance between you was vast—not just in words but in emotions.

The question lingered in his mind, striking him with a force he couldn’t ignore: Why were you so upset with him? He had done what he thought was right, acting with what he believed was your best interest at heart. But as he looked at you now, so distant, he began to doubt. Had he been wrong to think that saving you was enough?

Nagi lowered his gaze, uneasy, as you kept your distance, as if every step toward him was a step toward an abyss you weren’t willing to cross. He had been part of your past, but at that moment, it seemed he had no place in your present. And that, though he didn’t fully understand it, hurt more than he wanted to admit.

When he was a child, he had met Reo by sheer coincidence, and it was all thanks to you. In a way, he believed you had saved him first.

That sunny day, your dress swayed in rhythm with the refreshing breeze, carrying the scent of the valley’s lush vegetation and the crops before you. Your steps echoed against the wooden terrace floor. He always watched you from afar, without ulterior motives, though he knew how bad it might sound for someone to observe you silently without approaching. Still, his eyes couldn’t help but seek you out, watching as you stood on that terrace for hours, contemplating the landscape as if searching for something the world couldn’t give you.

He never saw you there when the others were working in the fields. Perhaps you stayed away out of respect, not wanting to interrupt, or maybe you simply enjoyed being alone, losing yourself in your thoughts as the day passed. He never had dark thoughts about you, but there was something about your presence that drew him in, something that made him want to approach you, even if only for a moment.

Finally, that day, he summoned the courage. His steps were slow and cautious, his worn boots crunching against the dry soil as he approached the steps where you were sitting. There he was: that thin boy with a white shirt stained with dirt and sweat, his sunburned cheeks speckled with dry dust. He smelled of damp earth and strawberries, a peculiar mix that, somehow, wasn’t unpleasant.

Strawberries.

In his calloused, trembling hands, he held a small basket. The fruit glistened under the sunlight, its vibrant red standing out against his dirt-streaked fingers. He stopped in front of you, inhaling deeply to steady his uneven breaths.

“Would you like…?” he asked, his voice soft but tinged with nervousness. He held the basket tightly, as if fearing you might reject it.

You didn’t respond immediately, your eyes drifting to the strawberries before meeting his again. There was something in his calm expression—a mix of shyness and hope—that made you lower your guard.

“I just washed them,” he added hastily, as if it was an important detail, and extended the basket toward you.

Without further hesitation, you reached out, picked one of the strawberries, and brought it to your lips. The sweetness exploded in your mouth, juicy and vibrant, making you close your eyes for a moment to savor the flavor.

When you opened them again, you noticed the faint smile that had appeared on his face, as if seeing you accept his small gesture had made all his effort worthwhile.

But that smile vanished as quickly as it came when you abruptly stood up from the step and extended your hand toward him. Startled, he instinctively recoiled, lowering his head as though bracing for a blow. But the impact never came.

Instead, all he did was watch as you took another strawberry from the basket and ate it slowly, observing him with a mix of curiosity and something else he couldn’t quite place.

“I… I thought you were going to hit me or…” he stammered, his voice trembling between the words.

You cut him off before he could finish.

“Why?”

“Uh?”

“Why would I hit you?”

He hesitated at your question. His slightly parted lips seemed to search for an answer, while his eyes, once dull and drowsy, now appeared more awake, though filled with confusion.

“Because that’s what masters do… when I try to be nice,” he finally replied, tilting his head with innocence, as though what he said was normal, something that didn’t require further explanation. But the relief in his face didn’t match the pain you felt upon hearing his words.

“They think I’m overstepping,” he continued, unaware of how your features tightened with a mix of surprise and what could only be described as pain. His voice was calm, almost resigned, as if he were repeating something instilled in him too many times.

“People like us aren’t supposed to be near people like you. We’re not at your level. That’s what they say.”

“Who says that?” you asked abruptly, unable to hide the disbelief in your voice.

The revelation left you stunned. His tone was so casual, so devoid of malice, that it struck you deeply. You had never heard anything like it before, much less in connection to your family. How could those words, spoken so naturally by a child, be true?

You had grown up believing in a home where kindness and equality were fundamental values. You had never seen that side of your family—or at least not in front of you. But now, his words planted an uncomfortable doubt, one you couldn’t ignore.

You looked at the boy. His wide, sincere eyes, incapable of grasping the weight of what he was saying, sent a shiver down your spine. He didn’t seem to understand the gravity of his words, how they painted a reality you had never considered.

And you were left with a question you couldn’t answer: Why not believe him?

“I would never hit someone, even if they were ‘beneath’ me…” you said firmly, clenching your hand into a fist. Your eyebrows furrowed, and your expression turned grave as you trembled slightly, trying to process your emotions. Your other hand, resting by your side, also showed signs of tension.

“I would never become that kind of person. Not even if you’re just another worker for my family… that’s not how I was raised,” you murmured, averting your gaze to your feet, lost in thought, as those words continued to hammer away at your mind.

Seishiro watched you in complete silence, processing what you had just said. A warm sensation bubbled inside him, mixed with something resembling guilt. He wondered if he had hurt you by saying what he did. It had been a mistake, and now he regretted breaking the relaxed atmosphere you had shared. He liked seeing you happy, with those little strawberry stains on the corners of your lips.

«If only I had kept my mouth shut...» he thought, silently cursing himself.

With a serious expression, you reached into the pocket of your dress and pulled out a handkerchief, extending it toward him with determination. Seishiro looked at you hesitantly, unsure of what to do, but you didn’t have the patience to wait. Stepping aside, you dipped the handkerchief in the water from a glass you had brought, still untouched, and then leaned closer to him.

Before he could react, you brought the damp cloth to his face, carefully wiping away the dried dirt on his cheeks. The unexpected contact left him breathless, especially when your faces were only inches apart. When you moved the cloth to his forehead, the cool water soothed the burning heat that had been tormenting him.

As you worked to clean his face, the usual hardness in your expression softened, and your warm, close breath brushed against his. Seishiro could barely process what he was feeling; his cheeks grew hotter than they already were, and it wasn’t because of the sun.

“Don’t go out under the sun without a hat, especially when you’re this dehydrated,” you said in a stern but concerned tone. Your words, though firm, carried a sweetness, a genuine tenderness that completely disarmed him.

“My father placed water fountains everywhere for a reason. Next time I see you in this state, I’ll throw you into one of them. I don’t want you passing out from heatstroke.”

Your eyes looked at him sincerely, and he could hardly meet your gaze. Your words echoed in his mind, not because of the scolding, but because of the care embedded in every one of them. And as you stepped away, Seishiro couldn’t help but feel that, at that moment, there was something more refreshing than water: your presence.

He couldn’t stop thinking about the incessant beating of his heart, so strong he felt it resonating in his back, making his body tremble slightly. He clenched his fist, and the dampness of the handkerchief in his hand brought him back to reality. He lowered his gaze to the piece of cloth and noticed the hand-stitched details. The threads were twisted, the patterns somewhat uneven, but they still formed delicate flowers: orchids.

Purple orchids. He recalled what he knew about flowers, thanks to his father and the gardens he used to tend. Those flowers represented royalty, elegance, sophistication. A perfect symbol for someone like you. Purple was a color reserved for the highest status, and those flowers seemed to be an extension of your world, one to which he had never belonged.

His fingers gently traced the embroidered details as he sighed, lost in the memory of your face so close to his, the way you had cared for him. But then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw you walking away, entering the main building. He watched as you headed toward the “storeroom,” as the employees called it, where your father had his office and other rooms.

Without thinking too much, Seishiro ran after you. His feet thudded against the ground, first dirt and then marble, as he crossed the grand white entrance. Everything around him was immaculate: the floors gleamed, the decorations exuded luxury, and every detail spoke of a world to which he did not belong. He searched for you with his eyes but saw you descending the stairs at the end of the white hallway.

He hurried, determined to return the handkerchief to you. But before he could reach you, his body collided with that of another boy.

The impact was sudden, but his reaction was quick. With an agile movement, he extended his foot to stop a ball that had gone flying after the collision. He balanced it with his heel and, with his other hand, caught the handkerchief before it hit the ground. It all happened in an instant.

The other boy, with purple hair, stared at him wide-eyed, utterly astonished by the feat.

“That was awesome...!” the boy murmured, amazed. He quickly descended the stairs and threw an arm around Seishiro’s shoulders with infectious enthusiasm.

“You’ve got incredible reflexes!” he exclaimed, a wide smile lighting up his face.

Seishiro watched him silently, his expression neutral and slightly confused.

“What’s your name? I’m Reo Mikage.”

“Seishiro Nagi...” he replied after a pause.

“Do you play soccer? From now on, we’ll play together, you and me,” Reo said, his grin so wide it seemed to brighten the entire room.

Seishiro blinked, bewildered. He was still processing the boy’s words when he remembered something: you. He lowered his gaze to the handkerchief still in his hand, and when he raised it again, you were gone. His face tightened with a mix of disappointment and resignation.

That day had been important. He had taken the first step to talk to you, to get closer to you. But at the same time, that day he also met Reo, who turned out to be your brother. And while that meeting marked the beginning of something new, a part of him couldn’t help but regret that you had disappeared from his sight.

That day remained etched in his memory as a turning point, an invisible thread connecting his past to his present. From then on, he never saw you again. Not at the estate, not at the Mikage mansion. Seishiro quickly became friends with Reo, and it was he who, after a few days, casually mentioned that you were gone. By your father’s orders, you had been sent to an exclusive all-girls’ school. That had been your last day in the village and in your home.

Reo also mentioned that you had argued with your parents before leaving. You had been gone for hours, but before you left, you confronted your father. You told him about what that boy had endured, revealing a reality he had been completely unaware of. That conversation had sparked a change. Thanks to you, your father took action. Seishiro’s father no longer worked in the fields under the scorching sun and the abuses of other employees. He was rewarded with a more dignified position within the estate, far from the harshness of his previous environment.

The life of Seishiro also changed drastically.

He went from living in a humble home with dirt floors to one with gleaming marble floors and smooth, white walls. For the first time, he didn’t have to endure harsh weather or the weight of a life marked by extreme poverty.

Although he felt gratitude, there was something overwhelming about it all. And then Reo, with his characteristic lack of filter, spilled the truth: everything Seishiro and his father had achieved was thanks to you. Reo told him, with a mocking glint in his eyes, about the letters you had regularly sent to your father. In those letters, filled with concern, you asked for details about how Seishiro was doing and demanded improvements to his quality of life. You insisted that he be given a proper home on the estate, the same education as Reo, and that he not be treated as inferior.

But you had also made one thing clear in your letters: everything had to remain a secret. You didn’t want Seishiro to know about your involvement. Perhaps you didn’t want to make him uncomfortable or preferred that he believe all of it was the result of his own destiny and efforts. However, Reo, being who he was, revealed it all with a teasing laugh, more for the pleasure of embarrassing you than out of malice.

For Seishiro, the revelation was disconcerting. He remembered your determined gaze that day, the way you gently wiped his face, and the concerned words you hid behind a firm tone. You had been a fleeting presence in his life, but your influence had been immense, leaving marks he was only beginning to understand.

And now, here you were, in the present—a reality that, at this moment, was painful to witness, to see you like this, with him.

“Why did you do this to me...?”

Your voice cracked into a barely audible murmur, suffocated as though your lungs were struggling to find air. The trembling of your body made the light dress you wore cling to your tear-soaked skin. You were sitting on the edge of the large canopy bed, half-covered by the sheer curtains surrounding the structure. The contrast between the opulence of the furniture and the devastation in your chest was overwhelming.

You sobbed silently, but your gasping, strained, and desperate breaths broke the heavy air of the room. Hot tears fell, tracing uneven paths down your cheeks and soaking the fine fabric of your dress. You covered your mouth with one hand, as though it could contain the intensity of your cries, but nothing could silence the harrowing echo that resonated in the room.

“I wanted to protect you...”

His voice, deep but broken, shattered the silence. Seishiro stood there, just a few steps from the bed, his shoulders weighed down by guilt. But your tear-filled eyes pierced through him like daggers.

“You didn’t protect me—you destroyed me. Everything I fought for years was ruined because of you!”

Your tone lashed at him, forcing him to step back, though he tried to maintain his composure. You ignored his attempt at sounding gentle, as if those words could mend the damage.

“My dreams... everything I wanted since I was a child is gone! For a damn marriage I never even asked for!”

Seishiro’s face darkened even more. His hands trembled as he kept them clenched into fists. Each of your words was like a dagger sinking deeper and deeper into his chest. He didn’t regret intervening, but that didn’t ease the pain of seeing you like this—broken—because, in the end, it was all due to his decision.

The night he overheard the obese man, the one who always stood beside your father at parties, changed everything. He recognized the guttural, repulsive laugh of the bearded man who always followed your father like a shadow. What he overheard froze him. Wandering through the dark hallways of the mansion, trying to escape the commotion, the man’s words stopped him in his tracks.

“I’ll accuse her. I’ll say she tried to seduce me. I have the proof.”

The man’s tone dripped with malice, as though reveling in the vileness of his plan. He said that very night, before you left for the girls' boarding school exactly seven years ago—hours before you met Seishiro Nagi for the first time—he would tell your father, in front of the council, that at only twelve years old, you acted like an adult and tried to throw yourself into his arms with lust.

All to force you into marriage, a filthy maneuver to gain access to your family’s power and influence. Worse, he had fabricated “evidence” to back his lies, all to blackmail your family into forming an alliance through marriage.

Seishiro remembered the profound disgust he felt, a nausea that nearly made him vomit on the spot. You—the person who couldn’t harm an ant for fear it might have a family waiting for it—were the target of that despicable man. And he couldn’t let it happen.

He withdrew from the scene without confronting the man, his stomach churning and his chest full of rage. He, who had always avoided conflict, wanted to pummel that man until he couldn’t speak again. But he couldn’t risk the monster’s plan proceeding.

Days passed, and his attitude toward you changed. He tried to spend more time with you, speak to you with an unusual warmth for him, but all of it had a purpose. He didn’t know how to tell you, how to prepare you for what was to come. He made efforts to stay close to you, organizing outings that confused you. You knew he was lazy and not inclined to take such initiatives, but you didn’t understand the reasons behind his change.

And then, one night, as you were chatting in your room, a maid knocked on the door.

“Your father requests your presence in the parlor, miss.”

Seishiro was tense. His eyes, usually indifferent, darkened with a seriousness that sent a chill down your spine. You descended the stairs with a tight chest, glancing nervously at his impassive face. Upon arriving, your parents were there, their expressions severe and unreadable.

“What’s going on?” you asked, looking at Seishiro.

He stepped forward with a calmness that only heightened your unease.

“We had an affair.”

The words struck like thunder. The air left your lungs, and for an instant, everything seemed to freeze. You stared at him in disbelief, searching for any sign that he was joking, that those words weren’t real.

“That’s a lie!” you murmured, but your voice lacked strength.

Your parents, rigid, looked at him with disbelief. And then Seishiro delivered the final blow:

“She’s expecting a baby. My baby.”

“Dad, that’s not true!” you shouted louder, your desperate cries echoing through the grand parlor as your chest began heaving uncontrollably. “That’s not true—I’m your daughter. I would never do something like that.”

He spoke with a firmness that left you frozen. Your father clenched his jaw, struggling to keep his composure. The word “my” reverberated with a possessiveness that seemed to sink you even deeper.

“Mr. Mikage,” Seishiro continued, never breaking eye contact with your father. “I know what we did is unacceptable. I understand your anger, and I’m willing to accept any punishment. But I want to make amends and protect your honor and your daughter’s. That’s why... I’m asking for her hand in marriage.”

His voice trembled slightly, but his stance remained firm. Inside, his heart was in pieces. He was doing it for you, he repeated to himself over and over. It was all for you, even if it meant you would hate him forever.

“I want to take care of your daughter,” he continued, addressing your father. His voice trembled slightly, as though guilt threatened to surface. “I’ll love her as she deserves. I’ll do whatever it takes to repair this mistake and protect her honor—and our child’s.”

Seishiro spoke with the conviction of a man ready to sacrifice everything. And he did it for you. But to you, in that moment, all you felt was betrayal.

« I do this because I want to protect you, » the silver-haired man thought as he kissed your father’s and mother’s hands with respect. Seishiro could feel your intense, resentful gaze burning into his back as he bowed to your father. He gained nothing from this arrangement—he cared nothing for the connections or wealth your family would bestow upon him once you were bound in marriage. Yet, if breaking the bond of trust the two of you had built since the day you came into his life was the price to pay, he would do it a thousand times over before seeing you with an older man.

Someone who might be twice your age and likely to take advantage of your vulnerability. But in the end, Seishiro didn't need to try to win your heart—he already had you in the palm of his hand. After seven years of only seeing your face in photographs and feeling your presence through the words preserved in letters hidden in some drawer of his room, he finally had you near.

Now, he could have you for himself, and he knew that with his presence, the one thing you wouldn’t lack was the fulfillment of those dreams you had fought so hard for—dreams that had been so difficult simply because you were born a woman.

Seishiro promised to give you the world you had been denied by the blinding grasp of your parents, who were shackled by prejudice and societal opinions. You would not be a mere plaything, nor just a wife confined to the house, tending to children with no aspirations beyond that limit. You would be his, caring for his children while living in the world he vowed never to take from you—a freedom as boundless as a bird’s wings. Just as you had when the two of you ran through the valleys, carefree and unburdened by thoughts of what the future might hold.

#nagi seishiro x reader #nagi fluff #nagi x reader #blue lock smut #nagi x you #nagi seishiro x you #blue lock x you #nagi smut #bllk fluff #bllk x reader #reo mikage #mikage reo #nagi angst #blue lock angst #blue lock fic #this shit is so ass #I will probably make a second part #I'm too lazy to write a second part tbh #yoichi isagi

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theplumsoldier · 2 days ago

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confession o'clock

summary: you ask eddie why the two of you have never tried dating

pairing: eddie diaz x f!reader

word count: 3,2k

warnings: alcohol, vulgar language, friends to lovers dynamic 18+ MDNI; unprotected sex, oral post sex (m!receiving), cum-eating, dirty talk, riding cowboi cock, creampie.

It was half past eight when you showed up at Eddie's doorstep in a flattering maroon silk dress with an equally tempting bottle of wine in your hand. His heart lurched, and he had to awkwardly scratch his stubble to hide his jaw dropping. You offered a kittenish smirk and held up the bottle, tilting your head in question.

He couldn't help but chuckle, opening the door wider, an invitation for you to unwind in the comforts of his home. “I take it the date didn't go well?”

“I don't know what you're talking about—I got a free bottle of wine,” you shrugged, wiggling your brows playfully as you stepped inside.

Eddie snickered and accepted it, closing the door behind you, and went into the kitchen as you slipped out of your heels with a grunt.

He poured two glasses and noticed the rim of lip gloss around the mouth of the flask, and an image of your lips around it drew itself in his mind. Eddie inhaled sharply, cursing himself for still thinking about you like this—at some point, he would have to get over you, right?

“So you uh—you wanna do disaster control or where’re we at?” he asked, bringing the glasses to where you sat on the couch.

You scooped your legs up under you and thanked him, running your hand through your hair and leaning your cheek against your palm. “God, no,” you snorted and took a sip of the wine, then leaned back contentedly. “I just wanna stay right here with my best friend, drink three hundred dollar wine, and watch whatever this is.”

Eddie chuckled and got settled on the other side of the couch, hanging his heavy arm over the backrest. You wanted to find comfort in it, have it around your shoulders, but you didn't want to make him uncomfortable—you just couldn't help the urge. Eddie always made you feel safe.

Although they were rare, you treasured these nights with Eddie. When you had told him about your upcoming date, he had been quick to inform you that Christopher was at a sleepover and that he was off duty so in case something went awry (as he had come to know was often the case when you cherry picked strangers from a dating app) you were welcome to come over. You had called him old-fashioned for steering clear of online dating, but it was hard to feel like he was missing out when all you seemed to get out of it was obnoxious guys wasting your time.

He was in a phase in his life where he had subconsciously decided dating wasn't for him. With all his time spent at the firehouse and with friends and family, there was little left to really do anything. He was convinced he had all he needed in his life to be happy. Not everything was in the way he would have liked, perhaps, but then again—not every wish could come true.

In the past year or so, Eddie had found himself thinking more and more about your relationship. You had somehow drilled your way so deep into his mind that he had become accustomed to you being a part of his everyday life—even if only in thought. He blamed Buck for the time he commented on how good you looked on New Year's Eve. Eddie watched you for too long and too longingly for his own answer to be nothing but a platonic agreement. Ever since then, not one day had gone by where you were not beautiful in his eyes.

So, a moment such as this one where you were spending your time with him, he really did feel like he had it all. This kind of love, if not romantic, was fulfilling enough for him to be content.

You spoke of everything and nothing, eyes on the screen but not really watching, just being in one another's company, and at some point the bottle was empty and your head was resting against Eddie's shoulder.

“Hey, Eddie?” you muttered, sleepy eyes glued to television. Eddie hummed in response, chest heaving slowly with deep breaths, fingers gently scratching at your scalp. You tilted your head to look up at him, a tired smile on your lips. “Thanks for making today a little less depressing.”

Something flashed across his face—worry, admiration—you couldn't tell before a soft smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Always,” he chuckled and ruffled the crown of your head, turning his drowsy eyes back to the TV.

You giggled and pushed his hand away, though you didn't loosen your grip and draped it over your frame instead, intertwining your fingers, silently admiring him, waiting for a reaction to the close proximity. He didn't seem to notice the change, chest still heaving with deep, content breaths, the remains of his grin still wearing on his features.

Hen’s words from the other night echoed from somewhere in your subconscious.

“So you and Eddie have never gotten… You know—”

She had wriggled her eyebrows at you.

“Down and dirty.”

“Hey, Eddie?” you said again, still watching him. He chuckled again before he returned his soft gaze to you. His eyes sparkled, and he replied with another hum. “Why were we never a thing?”

This took him by surprise. You saw it in those deep brown orbs of his before he could shield it. He didn't make any movements that suggested discomfort, though. He spoke calmly, “where's this coming from?”

You shrugged against him, returning your eyes to the screen to avoid his intense gaze. “I don't know, or—I mean… I guess, I just had this conversation with Hen, and it got me thinking—how come we never gave it a shot? I mean, we've known each other for what? Five years? And we've always had fun. We clicked right from the start, and we spend a lot of time together. Like, I know—for me it feels like one of us has always been seeing someone, but at the times where we didn't… Has it never crossed your mind? Us, I mean,” you rambled though you didn't feel as awkward as you figured you must sound. Perhaps it was the mix of wine and exhaustion, but you couldn't find it in you to be particularly embarrassed with Eddie—he made you feel too safe for such a thing.

Eddie's shoulder heaved with your head, his chest filling with admission he had long considered equal to doomsday of your friendship. “Of course I have.”

When he didn't say anything else, you decided to press the matter. You grinned as you looked up at him. “Well, come on, Eds—humour me. Why have we never tried?”

He studied your expression for a moment before something between a snort and a scoff escaped him. “I guess it's ‘cause we're friends—and I don't want to do anything to compromise our friendship.”

You huffed, a little taken aback and shifted beside him, propping your elbow on his shoulder and resting your head in your palm. “I don't think you could ever do anything to ruin our relationship. I love having you in my life too much to let that happen.”

Eddie couldn't help the smile spreading to his eyes. “Well, then, if you've given this some thought, why are you only telling me this now? I know you're not the type of woman to wait around for the first kiss.”

You knew he was teasing you now, but there was truth to it, and the idea of you and Eddie sharing a kiss basically glued your hungry eyes to his lips. You wanted to taste them, you had for a long time. “I guess I didn't want to step on your toes either. But we're both single, and I think we know each other well enough to decide whether we stand a chance before doing something stupid. Besides, we've been drinking a bit, and it's just the two of us, so I guess it's confession o'clock.”

He nodded, chuckling. Eddie saw how you were looking at him, like you were just one wild thought away from taking what you wanted—and God, you really wanted him, didn't you? Eddie's tongue darted out to wet his lips, his hips shifting slightly. “‘N you don't think this would be a mistake?”

While he didn't particularly think this was merely tipsy ramblings, he feared being the one to drag you down a rabbit hole.

Lucky him, you knew Eddie well enough to know how hard he could be on himself, how he was probably doubting himself right now.

You moved a bit and rested your hand against his cheek, palm warm from the skin of your own, eyes flickering between his pouty lips and his brown poppy eyes. Your thumb grazed his lower lip as you leaned closer. “I think if this is a mistake, it's one I wanna make.”

Eddie's jaw clenched in your hand, nostrils flaring with a sharp inhale, and he swallowed. Smirking down on you, brow cocked and lust in his eyes. He looked so handsome like this. “What's stopping you then? You want a date first?”

A sly smirk formed as you tilted your head, challenging him. “I'd rather take that kiss first.”

Mere inches from each other, breaths mixing, lips ghosting, Eddie's hand snaked around your lower half, squeezing your hip encouragingly. “Then take it.”

Heat rushed through your body as you did exactly that. Connecting your lips in the gentlest of ways, you melted against him, completely unaware of the tension your body had amassed. The weight lifted from your shoulders and everything in the room bar the two of you ceased to exist, and a moan vibrated from your lips.

Eddie felt the hairs on the nape of his neck rise as he held you closer, pulling you onto his lap and eagerly kissing you, feeling your weight ground him to the moment. There was a constriction in his chest that loosened when your parted lips gave way to his tongue.

Your tongues danced in a battle of power, suddenly wide awake at the taste of the other. You held onto his shoulders, shifting in his lap to properly straddle him, and you gasped at the contact, having forgotten you were only layered in a thin dress and panties.

A low moan rumbled in his chest, panting as he broke the kiss, looking down between your bodies. Eddie's hand slid down your ass, palming at the supple flesh while the other cradled the back of your neck, pulling you down so that your forehead rested against his. “Fucking hell, cariño.”

A breathy giggle escaped you at his reaction. You leaned forward, pressing your bleeding heart against his, bucking slightly forward, feeling the rough imprint of his hard cock.

Hissing, Eddie's face scrunched up as if in pain, brows furrowing while he held a moan back at the friction. Large hands settled on your hips, pressing you down harder. “You're gonna be the death of me.”

“I hope not,” you grinned, guiding his hands to your thighs, prompting him to explore your body further and he did so with great enthusiasm. He caught your lips again, greedily licking into your mouth as he massaged the flesh in his calloused hands. Moaning into his mouth you ground down on him, harder this time, loving the way your best friend's cock felt between your legs. You whimpered, “f-fuck, Eddie.”

“Keep moanin’ my name, mi amor,” he encouraged breathlessly, cursing when he finally let his fingers feel the damp lace material covering your sex. “Oh—you're fucking soaked, baby. All this for me?”

“Yes, yes, Eds—” you cried, finding purchase on his shoulders as you writhed desperately in his embrace. “Please! It-it's all for you, only for you.”

He slipped his thumb under the fabric and collected your juice before bringing it to your mouth. Eddie licked the sticky mix from your lips and groaned against you.

Whimpering, you reached between your bodies, frantically trying to undo his belt. His head fell back with a groan, his cock itching for freedom. He cursed, endearingly watching your facial expression as you finally managed to pull him free, memorizing just how beautifully your face twitched as you mumbled, “you're so big.”

“You can take it,” he encouraged.

You traced your thumb over the leaking slit, glossing it around the angry head, the soft touch making him whimper as he nibbled on your neck. It felt absolutely maddening, having a man such as Eddie Diaz under you, hips involuntarily bucking upward in an attempt to chase whatever relief your hand could offer. You enjoyed having that kind of power over him. Chuckling, you pulled his head back from where it was nuzzled in the crook of your neck and ghosted your lips over the shell of his ear. “Easy, cowboy.”

Moving your panties to the side, you dragged your fingers through your wet folds before taking him in your hand. You peppered kisses along his jawline, stroking him slowly but firmly. The noise from the TV seemed to die out as you pumped his thick shaft with your slick, grinding against him, enjoying the ragged breaths he emitted.

You positioned him at your wet entrance, dragging the angry head through your folds, shuddering.

Eddie's rough hand grabbed you by the jaw, flexed fingers digging into your skin, pulling you close to his face. “No more teasing, princess,” he ordered hoarsely.

His command made you want to challenge him, but you couldn't hold back any longer. With a shaky breath, you positioned yourself and slowly slid down his length. There was a sharp pain but you expected as much. Still, you winced at the piercing sensation and found comfort in swallowing his ragged moan, distracting yourself from the sting as you took him to the hilt.

“Fuck,” Eddie croaked, his hands wrapping around your thighs, pushing deeper, forcing himself further into your sex than you thought possible. He helped turn the pain into pleasure by kissing you softly, tongue tasting yours as he rocked you back and forth in his lap. You gasped into his mouth, face twisting as your walls adjusted to him. “You feel so good around me, amor.”

You steadied yourself against his taut chest as you found your own rhythm. Enticed by your chest moving right in front of him, he freed a breast, leaving open-mouthed kisses as he massaged the skin with one hand, palming your ass with the other.

Initially, you had had no doubt being full of Eddie would feel good, but you hadn't been prepared to feel this much. His touch gave you warmth and kisses comfort, but the way he held you provided you with a sense of safety you never wanted to be rid of.

You settled into a comfortable rhythm, feeling confident riding his heavy cock with the sweet sounds he emitted. You took his hand from your ass and moved it to your belly, pressing into your flesh and moaning obscenely at the applied pressure. “Ho-holy shit, Eddie! You feel that? Hnng—you… so deep.”

Eddie let go of your nipple, but not before teasing the perked nub with his teeth, drawing a pitched whine from you. You watched you intensely through hazy eyes and furrowed brows, feeling his cock twitch as his hand pressed harder into your belly. “Oh—yer taking me so well, doll. Doin’ so good for me. Ridin’ me like you were meant to.”

If your face wasn't flustered before, it surely was now. Your best friend's praise went straight to your cunt, clenching Eddie deliciously as if trying to milk him.

Eddie pulled you down and kissed you messily, hungry for whatever you might give him, as long as it was you. His hand moved from his bulge prodding you from inside and settled between your legs, rubbing tight circles on your throbbing clit.

“Ff-fuck! Eds—” you gasped. The sudden determined attention to your neglected nub made you thwart forward, movements faltering as your high got higher.

His hips rutted in response, fucking into you when your legs shook around him. “That's it, baby. Just let go—let it all go.”

Wanton sounds of sweaty skin slapping, panting, moaning, loving—you lost yourself in Eddie's warmth, falling apart in his lap as he fucked you through your orgasm.

Eddie's thrusts grew more urgent, continuing his ministrations to your swollen clit while chasing his own release.

You cried out, feeling your body spasm, convulsing around him as he didn't let up. Your polished nails dug into his shoulders, clawing marks forming under the hazy gaze of your glossy eyes. “E—hnng! Eddie,” you choked, teeth biting his skin. “I… I can't—”

Eddie ceased his torture only to hold your hips firmly as he practically fucked up into your slippery cunt like a ragdoll. Gasping, you felt the increased pace bringing on another orgasm as you held onto him for dear life, breathing each other's air. “Jus’ a little more, baby—” he grunted, jaw fixed in place as he watched you fall apart on him. “You're doing so good for me, amor. So, so good.”

“Plea-please, Eds,” you cried pathetically with just enough energy left to hold yourself slightly above him so that he could continue his assault on you. “Co-come in me, Eddie.”

Your desperate pleas set something off in him, his vivid imagination making him snap his hips roughly. Drawn into a scenario where you stood round and swollen with his seed—it made him burst.

Spurts of creamy ropes of cum painted your velvet walls as he tried to grind deeper into you, arms folding around the small of your waist, holding you down on him, his face hidden in your chest.

You noticed how the distant audio from the TV seemed to seep back to you, blending over your ragged pants and heavy breathing. Looking down between you, you saw a wet stain on your silky dress and you had no doubt Eddie's pants would be off way worse.

Eddie slowly lifted his head from your chest, those brown doe-eyes no longer filled with the same raw hunger but a weary mix of satisfaction and affection. Another surge of heat flushed your cheeks, and you pressed your lips against his, as gently as the first time around. He sighed softly at the contact, something so tender about the way your lips asked for permission while your tits were pressed against him and his cock still inside you.

After a moment you shifted and reluctantly got off him, not getting far when he didn't let go of your hand. “You-you're leaving?”

You chuckled, squeezing his hand back. “Was actually just going to clean myself up,” you said and he nodded, but didn't let go. He snickered and got down on your knees, taking his half-hard cock in your hand, tilting it upward and licked him clean. Eddie shuddered, undoubtedly sensitive to the touch of your tongue lapping at your juices. You moaned around him, loving the taste; loving the feeling of his cum leaking down your thighs.

Eddie groaned your name and you let his head go with a pop. “You'll stay the night, won't you?”

You hadn't exactly thought about leaving, but the request still made your heart flutter. “I will do anything you want me to, Eds.”

#theplumsoldier #eddie diaz fanfic #eddie diaz x reader #eddie diaz fic #eddie diaz smut #eddie diaz imagine #eddie diaz #911 abc #911 show #confession o'clock #ryan guzman

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morrowbright · 1 day ago

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First of all, thank you so much for posting this, @tvgirlsays! Gil-galad and Elrond are two of my favorite characters, both separately and in terms of their relationship as king and herald. We haven't had nearly enough Gil-galad for my liking (I do understand that there are a lot of stories being told) so I appreciate how you've highlighted so many of these small moments that speak not just to their mutual care and respect for one another, but their changing relationship as well. I found myself nodding enthusiastically with all of your points! As you opened to door to other thoughts and theories, I'd like to offer the following:

On putting Elrond in charge of the company going to Eregion, yes, I agree that this is in part due to Gil-galad's respect for the steadfastness of Elronds convictions. I think it's also an acknowledgment of Elrond's growth and understanding that sometimes chosing the course for the greater good of the people you lead (or love) may challenge or contradict those very convictions. Sometimes there are no perfect, or even good, choices; sometimes the best choice is the one that will do the least harm, or the one that contains that small glimmer of hope in an otherwise nightmarish situation, and a good leader has to be able to navigate such complexites in order to make difficult decisions for the greater good. We've seen this theme come up between Gil-galad and Elrond a few times already, but a deeper discussion of those scenes, as well as the scene with with Cirdan that starts to shift Elrond's thinking, may be beyond the scope of this reply.

On the scene with Damrod the hill-troll, I think you've analyzed it beautifully and have nothing to add to it.

That moment in the battle when Elrond is on the verge of breakdown, and Gil-galad looks at him with compassion before turning to rally the remaining elves is honestly my favorite Gil-galad moment in the show thus far. It was the moment I found him the most relatable and the most, dare I say, human.

You know his heart is breaking for Elrond, who has already experienced so much trauma, but perhaps not quite like this, as a battle commander with the added weight of his father's casual propechy that one day he would hold Celebrimbor's "life in [his] hands". He has been bolstered by the belief that if he could manage to hold the city until dawn then Durin's forces would arrive to save the day. When the morning arrives without Durin, Elrond, already exhausted, is unable to absorb this fact along with the realization that despite all their efforts, the bloodshed and lives lost, Eregion will fall. When Gil-galad takes command and turns to rally the remaining elves with a weary and resigned call to form ranks, I initially saw it as Gil-galad simply doing what needed to be done: make a final stand of resistance because what else was there to be done? Your post has re-framed it slightly in my mind: he is not just taking command, but he is specifically taking it from Elrond, because he knows that Elrond is unable to shoulder it in this moment, and I just quietly love that. (As a brief aside, I'd also like to reference this beautiful post by @fantasyquests centered on a Tolkien quote about "doomed resistance," which expresses so much of what I love about this scene far more eloquently than I can.)

Benjamin Walker has intimated that Gil-galad does have a sense of what his eventual fate will be. In the moment he glances down at Elrond, I wonder if he is also getting a foreshadowing of Elrond's grief and the burdens he will have to bear in the wake of Gil-galad's eventual but inevitable fall.

As alluded to in your post, we as viewers, are also getting a possible foreshadowing of Elrond's future grief, rage, and devastation during the scene where he goes absolutely beserk after the uruk threaten Gil-galad's life. It's a scene that I've been trying to wrap my head around and get into words for some time, but I shall do my best.

As Elrond is a scholar, a lover of learning and philosophical truths, it is understandable that he is desperate enough to bargain his own life for the safekeeping of Celebrimbor's scrolls. Elrond even voices a willingness to trade Gil-galad's life for the preservation of the scrolls as well; at the very least he suggests that the books are more valuable than either of their lives. I am not certain to what extent this is his actual belief or how much it is his desperation speaking. I think the scrolls represent the one small piece of goodness and light that he can still hold on to in the midst of all the other desecration and loss. If he cannot keep Celebrimbor safe, there is still a chance he can keep his lifework safe. Of course the uruk move to burn the scrolls anyway, AND threaten Gil-galad's life, and this is when Elrond finally, completely loses it. The loss, devastation and desecration has become too much; in that moment, Elrond is willing to BURN AN ORC ALIVE at the thought of losing Gil-galad too.

Finally, I have a slightly different take on the sword vs. the shield scene. Although he doesn't say it outright, it seems to me like Elrond is advocating for the "shield". He points out that the refugess from Eregion are exhausted: "Many of Eregion's bravest fell. The few that survived are all but broken, in body or spirit. They have little strength left with which to fight. They barely had strength to flee." Arondir then asks Galadriel what course she would advise. Galadriel's reply falls outside the sword/shield dichotomy. She recounts Celebrimbor's wisdom to "remind our people that it is not strength that overcomes darkness, but light. And the sun yet shines."

When Gil-galad raises his sword, it's not a battle cry (raising Aeglos would be more appropriate for that) but a sign of hope, resistance, and leadership. Like you, I love the fact that it's Elrond that Gil-galad turns to (literally and figuratively), after Galadriel offers her little nod/bow of support and encouragement. Elrond's expression is a bit difficult for me to read here. I interpret it that Elrond supports Gil-galad's decision, but he is also growing into and developing his own type of leadership: for him, founding Imladris as a place of healing, sanctuary, and beauty is going to be his priority. The fact that he is positioned a little further back than the others underscores this for me*. I do believe that both their characters and their relationship will continue to grow in season three, and it will be interesting to see how their relationships shift as Gil-galad begins to build the Last Alliance, and Elrond founds Rivendell.

(And to anyone who has actually read this far, thank you. I've been wanting to talk, really talk, about these characters for so long)

*In fact, I think the positioning of Galadriel, Gil-galad, and Elrond could be read as the following: Galadriel is positioned on Gil-galad's right; she represents the "sword", but again, not sword as a weapon, but sword as a symbol of hope, resistance, leadership, and light. Elrond is to his left, in the position of shield; his represents a different type of strength: ensuring the protection of those who are most vulnerable. So as you alluded to, I think Elrond will remain Gil-galad's faithful herald, while continuing to follow his own path forward.

Gil Galad and Elrond: Season 2

While Season 1 and the beginning of Season 2 were fraught with tension between High King Gil Galad and Herald Elrond, there were some interesting and subtle moments that seem to hint that we will be seeing them form a stronger bond as king and herald in Season 3. I would like to highlight those moments!

The first comes when Gil Galad places Elrond in charge of the company being sent to Eregion. Despite the disobedience displayed in Elrond's waterfall jump, I think Gil Galad respected his steadfastness to his convictions.

I think that's why he puts Elrond in charge of the mission. As Benjamin Walker stated in an interview, Gil Galad now sees Elrond as a "wild card" and someone is now coming into his own. Placing Elrond in charge is a huge show of trust and an opportunity for Elrond to explore his potential as a leader.

There is a subtle moment between them in the Battle of Eregion that I love: Gil Galad does not join the fight until after Elrond has been swiped by Damrod the hill troll. Did Gil Galad see this happen, and this is why he finally took action? It certainly seems that way.

Of course, Elrond is upset that the king has put himself in danger, to which Gil Galad responds "A king's place is whenever the need is greatest." And it's true. This is the moment that Elrond needs him the most.

Throughout the entire battle, Elrond's goal has been to reach the wall and the stop the ravager from breaching the wall. He starts off on horseback with his cavalry, then continues on foot with a small company, and finally reaches the wall alone, and damages the ravager on his own.

But it isn't enough, because the troll presents a new and even more dangerous threat. Arondir's arrows cannot kill the troll and Elrond cannot face it alone (although he likely would have tried). That is when Gil Galad arrives, helping both Arondir and Elrond to kill it. It's one of the best moments of the episode!

Then comes the moment when the Elves find out that the Dwarves are not coming... Elrond is in denial, clinging to the belief that his friend will come, despite being told otherwise.

Elrond is usually a very logical, very calm elf. Throughout the entire battle, from beginning to end, he is focused and resourceful, giving Adar more of a fight than the Uruk leader expected.

But in this moment, we see his human side coming through. He can't wrap his head around the fact that Durin is not coming and that the battle is lost.

Gil Galad clearly sees this and recognizes that Elrond is on the verge of emotional collapse. He knows how much the friendship with Durin means to Elrond (in Season 1) and he knows how eager Elrond was to save Eregion.

I think he also realizes that Elrond has been fighting all day and night (not to mention running to and from Lindon to Eregion) and is at the end of his strength.

So he takes command for the last charge and does not reprimand Elrond for failing to join the fight. I like seeing this dynamic between them on the battlefield, because it sets things up really nicely for their roles in the Battle of the Last Alliance.

Once the battle has been lost and the leaders taken captive, we see Elrond pleaded with the Orcs to spare Celebrimbor's collection of scrolls. They laugh in his face and burn them anyway. It is not until they hold a knife to Gil Galad's throat however that Elrond unleashes his fury on them.

It takes 2-3 Orcs to subdue him, and even then, he manages to kill one and injure several others. While Elrond is clearly distraught by the burning of the scrolls (his library of Alexandria), his rage is only triggered when his king is threatened.

Despite their differences over the years, he clearly feels protective of Gil Galad. I suspect Gil Galad's death in the Battle of the Last Alliance is going to truly destroy him for that reason.

In the final scene of Season 2, Gil Galad chooses "the sword" rather than the shield as he faces what remains of the people of Eregion. I love that the last person he looks to before raising the sword is Elrond, his faithful herald. My hope is that this is an indication of their relationship heading into Season 3.

Gil Galad gained a lot of respect for Elrond in Season 2, and Elrond came to see that Gil Galad would always there for him whenever "the need was greatest."

What's interesting about Elrond's position in this final scene is that he stands directly in Gil Galad's shadow and is apart from the rest of the group.

What does this mean for Season 3? Will Elrond's role as Gil Galad's second in command become more of a highlight? Will he be separated from the other Elves as he establishes Imladris?

What are your thoughts and theories?

#elrond peredhel #high king gil-galad #the rings of power #celebrimbor #galadriel #arondir #king and herald #elrond peredhel and erenion gil-galad

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am-i-interrupting · 19 hours ago

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Hi hi, I hope you're doing well!!

If it's okay, could I request some soft headcanons (SFW and NSFW) for Viktor with a chubby partner? Bonus points if he's trying to comfort them after people have been awfully mean about their appearance (totally not self indulgent at all lol)

Either way, thank you in advance and I hope you have a wonderful day/night 💙

Viktor loves you. He loves your personality, your humor, your way of thinking, and yes, your body.

You are the most beautiful thing he’s seen. Ever. No contest.

On the days you don’t understand that, seem to believe the opposite at that, he’s so confused but he’s insistent on making you understand.

He’ll come up behind you, wrap his arms around your waist and place a kiss on your cheek.

His hands will seek out every part of you, going in every dip and following every curve.

“I love you,” he’ll say, “I’m so unbelievably lucky to have you.”

If you disagree, try to brush him off, he’ll hold you even closer.

“What reason do I have to lie? If I do not appreciate your presence in my life, why waste time and energy trying to keep it? You are my best friend, my closest confidant, my darling and beautiful lover. I adore you.”

No matter when or where, he will grab you up, pull you aside, just strive to get your attention when he notices those tell tale signs.

There’s even been events he’s been pushed to go to that he would manage to talk you into going with as his partner.

He would surprise you with outfits, perhaps slightly out of your comfort zone but seeing his reaction would bring you some pride so you wore it. However, there was a difference between the cozy walls of your home and the distant walls of these events.

He’d never fail to pull you aside and run his hands over your body as he reminded you with his forehead against yours and his breath fanning out to touch your skin how stunning he found you.

There was no hesitation in the way he would kiss you. In front of people and sighing private, it was the same type of kiss. Though occasionally, the public ones were more scandalous in ways, more of a firm commitment and a hard stance he had to anyone who didn’t believe in your beauty, even if that was simply yourself.

NSFW

He would take his time undressing you.

His hands and eyes trailing you with clear adoration.

He’d palm at the rolls. He’d place kisses on the stretch marks. He took every single second to show you how beautiful he found you.

These were the sessions which lasted the longest.

He pointed out every insecurity of yours and told you in great detail how he admired it.

He would go to things that you didn’t even notice about yourself and tell you how darling it was.

He was your greatest admirer. A man studied in science but spoke about you like you were the most revered art.

One hand would work to get you off as the other still grazed your body.

He’d be beside you, not letting you touch him.

His head on your shoulder as he looked down at your body from as close to your point of view as he could.

“Stunning,” he’d whisper when you finally came.

He would take a moment to let you calm down. His lips on your neck and the bottom of your chin.

He’d roll over so his leg straddled yours. His bum leg extended out to the side while the other curled beneath him.

It was then that you could see and feel his erection.

He’d undo his pants and let himself free.

“All because of you,” he would say as he’d begin to stroke himself. “You do this to me. No one else holds a candle close to you, my sun.”

He would let you wrap your fingers around him. His hand wrapped around your arm to steady himself.

His eyes never closed as he came as well.

“Beautiful,” he would say softly as his head kneeled and bonked yours. “So beautiful. So perfect, you are.”

The night would come to a finish with water and cuddles and soft words but not before he deliberately held your gaze as he licked his spend off your body, striking up a fire and another round.

#viktor arcane x reader #viktor x reader #viktor x you #viktor arcane x you

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emshiftss · 3 days ago

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‧ new year's shifting pick a pile ✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚

{ i've been meaning to do another collective reading but honestly forgot, but hey it's a new year so... this will just be anything you may need to hear right now. i hope you find what you were looking for, and if i was able to help in any way then i'm glad. and just like any other reading you find, take what resonates and leave what doesn't }

❆ take a deep breath... and choose the pile you're most drawn to...

✿ PILE ONE ⋰˚☆

KEYWORDS/SIGNS: rain, orange slices, pie, hot tea, 777, gloomy weather, allergies, ears ringing, dogs barking/whining, 222, trust, hourglass, boredom, keys, heart ache, homesick, road trips, four leaf clover, golden child, shaking hands

❆ a decision, a choice. is this right? am i making the wrong choice? let’s take a deep breath ok? it seems you are at a crossroads of sorts. perhaps you don’t know what to do with yourself when it comes to your shifting journey. that’s ok! whatever this issue is for you specifically, i believe you already have they answer. let’s slow the roll, take some deep breaths and try to see this clearly. to me it seems you are over consuming information. i suggest you log off of social media for a bit, sit with yourself and look over the information you already have, discard what no longer fits you and keep what works. you know you best! some random person online cannot (unfortunately) fix your supposed problems for you. no matter how much advice you seek, you can only do that. you need to let go of this internal struggle, you are only fighting yourself, creating resistance. if the answers still seem to be foggy to you, perhaps you can meditate and look for the answers there.

❆ it seems your mind might be in the midst of chaos, or perhaps your life is as well. yet when it comes to your shifting journey you may just be on the brink of a spiritual awakening you desire (or need). the clarity is within YOU. it looks like you are walking down this path with a blindfold on, unsure of where you are going, what choices to make. maybe there is something you don’t want to face. but these fears and worries do not need to hold you back. let’s try to use them to your advantage. face what is holding you back and if you just can’t rid it, know that it does not stop you, only shows a different part of yourself.

❆ instead of putting your journey and motivations on others, it’s time to look within. there’s only so much more “new” information you can gain. your journey is yours and yours alone. that doesn’t mean it has to be a lonely one though. trust that you have the answers, and trust that there is still a community for you! having so many different pieces of information and advice forced upon you to try and digest and make use of is not helping you. sit with yourself and ask yourself if there is genuinely anything you still need to learn from others at this point? at what point do you let it all go and just use it to your benefit?

❆ maybe creating some sort of routine will help you as well, setting up some self-discipline. on the flip side you may need to let go of perfectionism as well. you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. shifting is supposed to be fun. maybe reflect on what you can do to make this all the more enjoyable. let go of the process and remember where you started.

SONGS ✧

‧ ₊ escaper - sarah kinsley

“ everything changed

but my mind couldn’t change me ”

‧ ₊ wildflower - beach house

“ need a companion…

a hidden prayer

you know your not losing your mind

what’s left, you make something of it ”

‧ ₊ eye contact - fromis_9

“ When I closed my eyes and felt it, there was a small gap between you and me

I want to see you again, I want you so…

When you look at me, the moment I started believing in eternity

When I look at you, it was possible because of you ”

METHOD SUGGESTION ✧

{ remember you don't need a method! }

‧ ₊ void/pure conscious

‧ ₊ julia method

✿ PILE TWO ⋰˚☆

KEYWORDS/SIGNS: waterfalls, cinnamon, 444, crows, 88, water damage. doubles, holiday, patience, crowns, one of a kind, eye on the prize, chocolate cake, stars

❆ let’s take a moment to give yourself a pat on the back! give yourself space to celebrate your accomplishments, big or small, bright or dim. it’s ok to reflect and give yourself credit for all you’ve done, someone has to, and you deserve it. you are at a place of harmony and balance in your journey. embrace it! know that you already have it, and if necessary take a breather, pause and look around yourself. look at all you’ve achieved! it will still be here for you, even if you take a break from it all. whether it’s here or in your desired reality, you are surrounded by so much love and support. even on your worst days. your vision is clear, if you're ready, know that it is yours, and make that first step. perhaps all you need is a little reassurance, you got this!

❆ you’ve clearly invested a lot into yourself and your journey. your hard work will pay off, you just need to sit back and let it. perhaps you are confused over slow results. yet you should persist, for it is already yours. stay in a mindset of gratefulness, if needed share your feelings with someone, talk it out.

❆ stay steady and clear, you are on the right path. if victory is what you want, victory is what you’ll get. you are just on the verge of making a breakthrough. keep going. embrace all your ideas and write them down. let yourself create your vision, live in that moment. your creativity is your strength. you may be overwhelmed with the excitement, all the possibilities. harness it and let it push you further. it is all up to you.

SONGS ✧

‧ ₊ mariners apartment complex - lana del rey

“ i ain’t no candle in the wind

i’m the board, the lighting, the thunder…

they mistook my kindness for weakness ”

‧ ₊ numb - men i trust

“ please forgive me if i ever did you wrong

i’ll be your candle; burn me upside down ”

‧ ₊ moon song - beabadoobee

“ i’m lying on the moon

my dear, i’ll be there soon

it’s a quiet and starry place

time’s we’re swallowed up

in space we’re a million miles away ”

METHOD SUGGESTION ✧

{ remember you don't need a method! }

‧ ₊ intention

‧ ₊ lucid dreaming

✿ PILE TWO ⋰˚☆

KEYWORDS/SIGNS: love, pairing, 555, daydream, interruptions, cats, heartbreak, lonesome, tears, sleeping in, not sleeping enough, castles, cages, 333, 1212, floating

❆ it has been a long journey for you, a hard one at that. you may have found yourself in many setbacks. perhaps you blame yourself, there’s a lot of sadness and anger here. in this moment you can choose forgiveness, forgive yourself and know that it’s all ok. whatever has happened, there’s no use for guilt. open up to a friend, a stranger, someone. vocalize your feelings and hardships. with mistakes you can learn and grow from them, and ultimately come out stronger in the end. show yourself grace and love, and set your eyes on newer and better things. know that no matter what you can still trust yourself. take small steps and build yourself back up. find the romance and beauty in shifting again, it’ll always be there.

❆ i see that you may be someone shifting for love. keep your partner in mind. despite everything, please remember you are deserving of love and happiness. keep your love close to you. just as you wish to be with them, use it to bring you two together. your emotions are not a flaw, feel them, sit with them, BE them. wherever you are and where you want to be, what are you feeling? are you in your bed? perhaps the arms of your lover. whoever you want to be, FEEL IT, let your compassion drive you forward. there’s no need to be embarrassed over your feelings, they are valid, and so are you.

❆ you need to make the decision. you can’t sit in despair forever, pick yourself up and know that there are better things for you. use it all to your advantage, all the bad just as the good. being interrupted during a meditation? that’s fine, it doesn’t have to stop you forever. Distracted? that’s ok, take a deep breath and know that it doesn’t have to hold you back, unless you let it. you don't have to have the most squeaky clean mindset ever to shift, that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense does it? accept where you are at, and accept where you want to go.

SONGS ✧

‧ ₊ whale - kim sejeong

“ i find you hidden in the dark night sky

when i walk on the purple road among the clouds

Can I face you only at the end of the darkness?…

Where did you disappear

i miss my whale…

time has become today in front of you ”

‧ ₊ high - slow pulp

“ i have to much in my pockets

i wish they were empty…

my limbs are feeling lazy

why won’t they work with me?

and now i can’t seem to focus my eyes

won’t let me see ”

‧ ₊ sweet nothing - taylor swift

“ they said the end is comin’,

everyone’s up to somethin’

i find myself runnin’ home to your sweet nothings…

to you, i can admit that i'm just to soft for all of it ”

METHOD SUGGESTION ✧

{ remember you don't need a method! }

‧ ₊ fives senses

‧ ₊ staircase method

‧ ₊ wake back to bed

#reality shifting #shiftblr #shifters #shifting antis dni #shifting blog #shifting community #law of assumption #shifting #shifting consciousness #meditation #pick a pile

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meraki-yao · 3 hours ago

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EPIC the musical: Athena's Philosophy and Character Development

I have a very different take on Athena and Odysseus' moment during "I can't help but wonder" than the other opinions I've seen. After investigating and thinking about it, I realised I think I have a different understanding on Athena's character.

The take I mainly see about that moment is that Athena and Odysseus switched mindsets. And while yes, their mindsets vastly changed from where they were during My Goodbye, I don't see it as a switch.

See, when it comes to Athena telling Odysseus to kill Polyphemus, it isn't about being ruthless. Ruthlessness was never the focus of Athena's philosophy.

Her philosophy, is absolute logic and rationality.

She is the goddess of wisdom and strategy: her domain is using smarts: planning and plotting. Those things rely on logic. In fact, during her first meeting with Odysseus, the reason she found Odysseus as a potential protege was because he outsmarted her with reverse psychology.

And in order to focus on the logical, factual aspects of situations, you need to be rational. This is what Athena was pushing, as seen in "Have you forgotten to turn off your heart? This is not you" in Warrior of the Mind, and "You’ve grown soft, your dead friends can attest; Put your emotions aside" in My Goodbye.

Empathy is an emotion, and Athena deems that a hindrance.

But then you get to the wisdom saga, and from "We'll Be Fine", we are told that Athena's fall out with Odysseus has haunted her ever since, to the point where she can't sleep. And Telemachus, in turn says that perhaps by helping this old friend, both of their lives can be better. Note that at this point, Telemachus doesn't know that Athena's friend is actually his dad, all he knows about this friend is what Athena told him.

And that is an act of compassion, an emotional act.

Yet somehow, that brings comfort to Athena, so she does as he suggests, and pleads for Odysseus' life.

And I've mentioned part of this in my essay on God Games, but if we look at each level Athena completes, we can see that for the five Gods, she uses logic to persuade all of them, but almost fails on Aphordite's level. Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, which is an emotion.

But when her rationality and strategy enraged Zeus, she can't do anything in the face of his anger, because he won't listen to reason.

Then she thinks of Odysseus and Telemachus.

And uses the thing she learnt from them: emotion.

Her final plea to Zeus, is nothing more than "Let him go, please". There's no elaboration or explanation or rebuttal. It's just four words.

But she's desperate, and sad for her friend.

And that's what convinced Zeus to help. Not as the king of Gods, but as a father fulfilling his daughter's request.

If we look at it step by step: Athena's sympathy and affection for Odysseus led to her final lines of God Games, and Zeus' sympathy and love for his daughter led to him eventually agreeing.

Odysseus was freed because of the empathy of two Gods.

I truly think this moment was what fully changed Athena's worldview.

So when we get to Athena and Odysseus' reunion, I don't see it as Athena asking for anything from Odysseus. I understand it as her reflecting: "If we all held each other with a bit more empathy", it turns out that at the end of the day, the best way to resolve conflict is empathy and love. That overrides any logic or strategy.

Odysseus, despite everything, agrees that this is the best world for everyone. All his ruthlessness and rage in beating Poseidon and killing the suitors came from his unending love for his family, if anything he fully embraced pure emotionality in those two battles. He just doesn't have it in him to make the whole world see it like he used to.

This is actually Athena and Odysseus coming to an agreement.

#epic the musical #epic athena #athena #epic odysseus #odysseus #epic telemachus #telemachus #epic thoughts #epic the musical thoughts #epic analysis #epic the musical analysis #meraki essay #epic zeus #zeus #jorge rivera herrans

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katmostardently · 9 hours ago

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Set after the Doyle arc, Emily’s been a bit distant and guilty for everything, you’ve been patient nonetheless.

Implied death, hurt/comfort, fluff, barely implied smut

ʕ⁎̯͡⁎ʔ༄

Word count: 737 words

a/n: I got some ideas after listening to Would You Fall in Love with Me Again, it’s short but it’s 4 am, I blame all my mistakes on that. I currently have some ideas for longer stuff but I’m lazy, tired, and uninspired so here are my scraps!! :;(∩´﹏`∩);:

Would You Fall in Love with Me Again

“I’m sorry, I know I’m not the Emily you fell in love with.”

Her voice cracked, and you’d never quite seen Emily so broken down. You could see the genuine sorrow in her eyes, each line of her face filled with guilt. After getting out of a life or death situation because of Doyle, it was as though the only thing she had left for you was regret. Emily hated it, because someone like you didn’t deserve it

Someone like you didn’t deserve to have your heart shattered, torn to bits, to be forced into grieving, just to have it all been for nothing. Yet here you were, and that was just what happened.

Even if a week had passed since her return, hardly anything was settling in, even then, you were still there.

You placed the plate of spaghetti you’d just prepared for Emily down, settling on the couch next to her. “Emily-“, you were quick to start, and Emily was quick to silence you.

“I’m sure you’re more upset than anyone on the team, you… You’re wearing my ring for god’s sake, I couldn’t bring myself to even let you know about all this…” Emily’s mouth had quivered, letting out a shaky breath as she turned to you. “I made you wait, and now I’m not even the woman you adored so much. Y/n, I…”

She looked at you, not wanting to leave you alone ever again, but at that same moment, not feeling worthy to hold you in her arms. “I’m so sorry…” Sure, Emily was in fact changed, anyone would be.

She had this tired look in her eyes, like she wasn’t truly there, like she needed some escape. You saw it in the moments where she got home from work, when she’d secretly discard your food at night. The cigarettes in Emily’s pockets, the nights you’d wake up and cradle her through a nightmare. It all tore away at her piece by piece.

But in those same eyes, you saw the same eyes that lit up every time you were near, the same eyes that called to you with a single glance.

The same eyes, pooled with that intense devotion, that stared up to you when she knelt down on one knee a year ago.

“It’s true, you left me waiting, and it hurt, the fact that I couldn’t know you were alright.” You answered her honestly, “but it hurt even more to think you were dead. I wanted whatever monster took you from me to suffer, and I felt cursed thinking that you were taken from me.”

Before she could muster a response, you took Emily’s hand, holding it against your cheek.

Instinctively, she traced her thumb against your lips.

“And I’m so, so, so happy that you’ve come back to me.” With the way you were looking at her, Emily was certain that she’d married a princess—no, some generous, all forgiving goddess.

“I don’t deserve you…” She whispered, her hand continuing its gentle caress.

You let out a little chuckle at her words, shaking your head, “see, now only my Emily, would say something so untrue. Because you, Emily Prentiss, deserve the world.”

Then to be exact, it felt as though you gave Emily a whole galaxy, because in moments like these you always brought her some solace. There was not a single doubt you couldn’t crush with your benign palms.

She could simply hold you close in response, pressing a kiss to the top of your head as you felt her heartbeat.

Emily knew that her heart would never stop, not when she’d been given the best of all women to be her fiance. She vowed to never let it stop, not when you’d be waiting for her, she could never again leave you frozen in time. Her dearest, y/n y/l/n, soon to be y/n Prentiss.

Perhaps she didn’t have to worry all that much, because somehow, you fell back in love with her new, shattered self. But really, you just simply never stopped loving her, there was no need to win you back, to make you fall in love again.

“Now… Your spaghetti’s gonna get cold….” You reminded, about to move when Emily stopped you, tenderly pushing you against the cushions. “I want my fiancé right now, not some spaghetti…” She murmured against your neck, and you smiled in response.

Forevermore, you’d never even think of giving up Emily Prentiss.

#emily prentiss x reader #emily prentiss x you #emily prentiss #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds x reader

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midnightrings · 2 days ago

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'A Quiet Journey'

Fandom: Wicked (2024) Characters: Elphaba Thropp, Galinda Upland Pairing: Elphaba/Glinda Rating: G Words: 1.9k Summary: On their train ride to the Emerald City, Glinda has a confession to make.

A/N: A little conversation between Elphie and Glinda while they are on their way to the Emerald City. Enjoy! :)

-> You can also read it on AO3

Elphaba was standing near the window as the vast landscapes were flying by. Yet she was not truly paying attention to the colorful meadows outside. Instead, her gaze was set on Galinda, who was sitting on the sofa, reading through the pamphlet she had given to Elphaba earlier.

Elphaba did not know why she had asked Galinda to come. Perhaps, because she did feel rather nervous. Excited, sure, but also a bit tense. And she knew that she could rely on Galinda to ease any form of tension. Despite their troublesome beginning, Elphaba had grown rather fond of her. She was a dear friend now.

She had never minded solitude – it was what she had known for most of her life. But the knowledge that there was someone by her side nonetheless warmed her heart. And immediately, a soft smile appeared on her face.

She went to the sofa then, sitting down next to Galinda. Her friend gave her a sweet smile, putting the pamphlet aside as she said, “Thank you for allowing me to come with you.”

Elphaba raised her brows, an amused smile on her lips. “Did I hear that right? Are you thanking me?” she asked. “I don’t believe that I have ever heard you thank anyone for anything before.”

Surprise appeared on Galinda’s face, followed by doubt and realization. “Really? I’m certain I must have thanked people before…” She bit her lip then, looking down for a short moment before she asked, “Does that make me seem rude?”

Elphaba chuckled. “No … in truth, I believe that gratitude is best shown through actions. Words can lie.”

At that, the sweet smile returned to Galinda’s face as she reached for Elphaba’s hand, squeezing it slightly as she replied, “Well … then I promise you that I will find a way to properly show you my gratitude.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Elphaba said with a small smile. “And I told you before that I won’t leave you behind again. If anything, this is me fulfilling my promise to you.”

For a moment, Galinda’s smile widened. But then, it vanished again. She let go of Elphaba’s hand as she looked down to her feet, carefully asking, “So … you would not have preferred for Fiyero to join you?”

Elphaba stared at her, surprised, as Galinda slowly looked back up.

“No, I…” Elphaba began but she did not really know the answer to that. Perhaps, she might not have minded Fiyero’s company – though that was certainly not what Galinda wanted to hear. And in the end, Elphaba barely knew Fiyero. Though, she did not know Galinda that well either. Yet at the same time, she felt like she did – like she had known her for many years. Maybe, because she had seen the worst of her. Maybe, because there was only honesty between them.

Elphaba knew how to judge her. And right now, she could tell how her silence bothered her – could see the worry appear on her face.

She had tried to ignore it before – had tried to ignore how bothered Galinda had been by Fiyero saving the lion cub with her; had tried to ignore her troubled reaction to the conversation at the train station earlier. But Elphaba knew that she would have to address her worries at some point. Fiyero had chosen his girl. There was no reason for her friend to worry.

“Galinda…” Elphaba exhaled then, but before she could say anything further, she was interrupted.

“It’s Glinda now – remember?”

“Right … well, Glinda, I … I know that you are worried about Fiyero changing and … you might wonder whether this has anything to do with us rescuing the cub together,” she told her carefully. “But I swear to you that … if that day had changed him in any way, then I have not done so on purpose.”

Galinda stared at her, clearly confused. “What do you mean?”

“I … I just mean that I never asked him to come with me. I don’t know why he didn’t fall asleep like the rest of you,” she tried to explain. “But I certainly didn’t plan to drive a wedge between the two of you – didn’t plan for him to start … thinking. You deserve one another,” she added then, giving her a faint smile.

Galinda was still staring at her silently. The confusion was gone, but the worry remained on her face. Then, she suddenly stood up, quietly taking a couple steps away from the sofa. With her back turned, she then muttered, “I was not worried about that...”

Elphaba could tell that was a lie. “Galinda…”

At that, Galinda spun around. “It’s Glinda now!”

Her voice was tense and Elphaba stared at her, shocked at the sudden sharpness of her words. Then, she sighed. She did not wish to argue, but neither did she wish to ignore this any longer.

“Glinda … I could tell how troubled you were after Fiyero and I have rescued that lion cub together,” Elphaba told her then, her voice as calm and soft as possible. “And I could also see how bothered you were at our conversation earlier – you even decided to change your name in front of him,” she added.

For a moment, it seemed like Galinda wanted to retort something. But then, she bit her lip, looking down as she mumbled, “Maybe I was a bit worried…”

She turned back around then, as if unable to look Elphaba in the eye. Elphaba simply suppressed another sigh. She had only tried to ease Galinda’s worry – yet somehow, it seemed like she had made it worse.

In a gentle tone, Elphaba then said, “Well, there is no reason to worry. You will marry Fiyero – I know you will.”

At that, she could hear Galinda inhale sharply. Then, suddenly, she turned back around. “I do not care about Fiyero…”

Her voice was both, determined and uncertain. Elphaba stared at her in surprise – and Galinda, too, was staring at her, breathing heavily as she was seemingly trying to find the right words.

“I didn’t care that he helped you with the cub,” Galinda continued, and for some curious reason, her voice was shaking. “I was mad because you didn’t choose me to help you. And earlier … I was just worried, because you two had this moment and I … I wasn’t part of it. That’s why I changed my name – so … so I could be like Fiyero, helping you rescue the lion cub…”

Elphaba was still staring at her silently. Confused at her words, she eventually said, “But … you told me earlier that you still want Fiyero, even though he’s not ‘perfect’ anymore. Are you truly trying to tell me that you didn’t change your name to keep him?”

“I didn’t, I…” she replied, seemingly confused as well. “Maybe I still want him, because … because I don’t want him to interrupt anything between…”

She trailed off. Narrowing her eyes, Elphaba then asked, “Did you change your name for … for me?”

Now, Glinda was the one staring at her, speechless. Elphaba could see how her lips began to tremble. “I don’t know…”

Suddenly, Elphaba could feel a soft smile appear on her own lips. She stood up then, walking towards Glinda. Carefully, she raised her hands to cup Glinda’s face, looking at her quietly for a moment as Glinda’s eyes widened in confusion. Then, Elphaba gave her a soft kiss on the forehead before she said, “You didn’t need to do that.”

Glinda was still staring at her silently. There was no smile on her lips. Instead, her mouth was partly open, as if she wanted to say something but was unable to find the right words. Slowly, the confusion on Glinda’s face vanished as a rather tender look appeared inside her eyes. Then, Glinda’s gaze wandered down, staring at Elphaba’s lips. Before Elphaba could wonder what might be going on inside her mind, Glinda’s head inclined towards her – gently pushing her lips onto hers.

For a moment, Elphaba tensed in surprise. But there was something quite comforting about Glinda’s soft touch and she eased again, unwillingly closing her eyes.

Suddenly, Glinda pulled away and Elphaba’s eyes flew open again – staring at her as Glinda was standing several feet away, shock on her face.

“This … I didn’t…” Glinda stuttered, looking around bewildered while avoiding Elphaba’s eyes.

“It’s … it’s alright,” Elphaba tried to calm her. “No one saw us…”

She did not truly know what to say, but she believed that this must be why Glinda was panicking.

At her words, Glinda looked at her again – still shock on her face. Yet at the same time, there was also that tender gaze from earlier. And slowly, a small smile appeared on Elphaba’s lips. So that was why she had been so bothered about her choosing Fiyero – it had never truly been about him.

It flattered her. And somehow, Glinda’s sweet gaze eased her heart – granting her the same comfort and reassurance as the touch of her lips had done just a few seconds ago.

“Right … no one saw us…” Glinda muttered then, looking down as she was fumbling with the edges of her dress. “Thankfully – as it would be wrong. I mean, I should only be kissing Fiyero … because he’s perfect. Well, not anymore … but I’m sure I can fix him.”

Now, the smile left Elphaba’s face again. “He is perfect,” she agreed. “Unlike me.”

Glinda stared back up at her then, her eyes widening. Elphaba silently damned herself. She did not even know why she had said that. There was no reason to make Glinda feel guilty.

But it was too late, as Glinda was coming towards her, saying, “Oh no … you are incredibly perfect.” There was a gentle smile on her face as she reached out her hand, softly touching her arm. “To me, at least.”

At that, Elphaba had to smile again. She did not know what to reply, but Glinda’s words warmed her heart and the sweet smile on Glinda’s face told her that she knew very well how much those words meant to her.

Then, she could feel Glinda’s hand moving up her arm before reaching for her cheek, softly caressing it as they remained in silence. Slowly, Glinda leaned forward again and Elphaba closed her eyes, knowing quite well what she was about to do.

When their lips touched, Elphaba’s heart warmed with the same comfort and reassurance as earlier. In some way, she felt safer than she had ever felt before.

But then, Glinda pulled away again – giving her a soft smile. Elphaba still did not know what to say. Neither did Glinda, it seemed, as she simply bit her lip and turned back around, sitting down on the sofa again. Then, she reached for the pamphlet and continued reading it as if nothing had happened.

Elphaba simply stood there, baffled. But then, she smiled. She went to sit down next to Glinda – putting her arm around her as she quietly joined her in reading the pamphlet. They remained in silence as Glinda slowly let her head rest of Elphaba’s shoulder.

No word was spoken. At some point, the pamphlet began to slip out of Glinda’s hand and Elphaba realized that she must have fallen asleep. She did not move, however. Instead, another smile formed on her lips as she carefully raised her hand, gently brushing through Glinda’s hair.

Elphaba did not know what to feel – but there was reassurance inside her heart; and safety; and love. And for a short second, she wished that they would never reach the Emerald City – wished for this journey to continue forever, so that this moment of comfort and tenderness would never come to an end.

#wicked #fanfiction #elphaba thropp #glinda upland #glinda x elphaba #gelphie #my fanfiction

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aishangotome · 2 days ago

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[Nokto] Love's Cleaning Time - Part 3

Part 2

Emma: Could that man perhaps––

Emma: Resemble the person I love?

The shopkeeper blinked in surprise, then burst into laughter.

Bookstore owner: So that's how you're going to play it. I see, there's no gag order on that question.

Bookstore owner: I'll just say they resemble each other.

(Just as I thought... All those books were sent by Nokto.)

*flashback over*

(After that, I actually tried to press Nokto for answers, but...)

(I reconsidered and stopped, thinking he might have a reason for wanting to keep it a secret.)

(But now... I wonder if I can subtly ask him about it.)

Keeping my eyes on the books I was holding, I voiced the question that came to mind.

Emma: Even so, every single book that arrived was interesting.

Emma: They were all full of love amidst the sadness, and I reread them many times.

Emma: It must have taken a long time to choose them, Nokto, right?

(...I wonder if this kind of rudimentary, leading question is no good...)

While my heart pounded, I tried to maintain a calm facade...

Nokto: Well, yeah. But it wasn't such a bad way to spend my time, surprisingly.

Emma: Eh...?

I hurriedly looked up at his unexpectedly straightforward answer, but Nokto was looking at me with his usual relaxed smile.

Nokto: The person who sent them probably thinks it wasn't such a bad way to spend their time.

Emma: I asked that question to Nokto just now, right?

Nokto: That's right. So I just answered on behalf of the person who sent them.

Emma: That doesn't seem to make sense...

Nokto: So, let's say you've figured out that I'm the one who sent the books. What are you going to do about it?

Nokto: It was so long ago, and now there's no evidence.

(It's true there's no evidence, but I did hear that story at the bookstore.)

(Nokto's reply just now, maybe this is the final push...!)

My heart races with the premonition that this time, I might be able to hear the truth from his own mouth.

Emma: But whoever the sender is, I'm very grateful.

Emma: Back then, my life had changed completely, and I was so busy learning that I couldn't even go to the bookstore to carefully choose books.

Emma: Rio, Sariel, Leon, and the others were worried about me. It was really a good way for me to take a break.

Emma: Around the time I started to get used to palace life, I went around to bookstores in town to make up for lost time.

Nokto: You know, there was that day when you went out to browse bookstores on your day off and didn't come back until evening.

Emma: Was there...?

Nokto: Oh, you don't remember? I was waiting for you to come home, crying sadly.

Emma: ...Were you really crying?

Nokto: Now, who knows?

Emma: Honestly...

A smile naturally spreads across my face at Nokto's teasing reply, which hasn't changed since those days.

Emma: But it's true that I might have been going around bookstores from morning till night. The bookstores in town have slightly different selections, you know.

Emma: Oh, speaking of which, the owner of the bookstore near the fountain praised Nokto's taste in alcohol.

Emma: He was impressed that you even knew about rare alcohol. How did you learn about his taste in alcohol?

Nokto: How, you ask? Well, that's...

Nokto: ......

After a moment of silence, Nokto gave a small smile as if admitting defeat.

Nokto: Hmm, it seems difficult to recover from this.

(...!)

Nokto: You've become quite the negotiator, haven't you?

Emma: So then, could it be...?

Nokto: You win this time. Trying to trick me like that, you're pretty good, aren't you?

Finally arriving at the answer, I smiled, suppressing the urge to jump for joy on the spot.

Emma: I'm growing thanks to you, Nokto. I was pretty natural, wasn't I?

Nokto: Just a little. Well, I admit you did your best, but...

Nokto: I've got a bone to pick with that bookstore owner. I bribed him, and yet he still gave you information.

Emma: He didn't tell me it was Nokto.

Emma: I just asked, "Doesn't he resemble the person I love?"

Nokto: Ah, so that's how it is.

Nokto: When you first came to the palace, you were a stiff, serious girl. When did you become so cunning?

As Nokto chuckled and sighed, I asked him what I had always wanted to know.

Emma: Why didn't you tell me back then that you were the one sending the gifts?

Nokto: Why, indeed? Just a whim, I suppose?

Not satisfied with that answer, I stared up at Nokto.

Nokto: So, would it sound more plausible if I said that giving books as gifts isn't really my style?

Nokto's evasiveness triggered an intuition, a gut feeling.

Emma: It sounds plausible, but that's not the real reason, is it?

Emma: The me from back then might have believed that, but it won't work on me now, the one who knows Nokto inside and out.

Nokto: Oh? That's a nice thing to say.

Emma: Could it be that you were too embarrassed to say so, Nokto?

I thought I was getting close, but Nokto's expression didn't change.

Nokto: No way. I said it was just on a whim, didn't I?

Emma: But to give me that many books on a whim...

Nokto: If it makes you happy, it's a small price to pay, right?

Emma: ! Nokto...

Nokto: Right now, I'd rather focus on getting back at you for tricking me than dwell on the past.

Emma: Eh... Ah!

Nokto placed the books he had received on a nearby table.

Then, he smoothly pulled my arm and pushed me onto the bed.

Emma: Getting back at me? But I told you just now that I'm still cleaning!

Nokto: Of course I'm interrupting you. Getting back at you is my top priority.

Emma: Wait... Nn, ah!

Nokto's hand entered my skirt without hesitation, and my body trembled with a shiver at the sensation of his fingers caressing my inner thigh.

(No, if this continues, I'll be swept away again. At least...)

Before our lips could touch, I lightly grasped Nokto's shoulder as if to stop him.

Emma: I... have one thing I want to confirm.

Part 4

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#love's cleaning time #nokto klein translations #ikemen prince translations #ikepri jp #loves cleaning time story event

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