#just a stoic statue for for nobody

[jane-the-good]

VESSEL

SLEEP TOKEN

[digiships]

lsitening to rain by sleep token and thinking abt vashcupid again. abt to throq up at work

[lavilavs]

୨୧ ── I wish I knew you wanted me

Sequel — Now I know you want me

› Pairing: Dick Grayson x Fem!Reader

› Scenario: Many question your relationship with one another, but it's a different story when it's asked right in front of you. What are you both, anyway? Still letting time pass by and hoping a miracle will happen for both of you?

› Warnings: Underage drinking (brief mention)

› Notes: English is not my first language. Reblogs and likes are very appreciated! + angst <3

"You have so much chemistry! Are you aware of that?"

The question takes you both aback. Although it wasn't a difficult question, it had you both tongue-tied. You felt his gaze on you as the reporter tilted her mic further onto his mouth, curiosity etched on her face.

You steal a glance, expecting him to have already looked away. But it didn't—you knew his eyes didn't wander anywhere else except your figure with how dazed he looked.

He wonders what's going through your head. Are you experiencing the same dilemma he's having inside his head right now? It really is a simple question, yet he feels unsure about what to say. The words are on the tip of his tongue; all it needs is a push. And so, he tries finding the answer in you. He looks at you for something, just something to ease him.

But even if you did, it would be left unsaid.

Dick clears his throat when you break the eye contact, redirecting his attention to the reporter in front of him. He felt disappointed. He knows he shouldn't have expected something from you. There might be a chance—even the slightest chance—that you feel what he feels.

"It's natural that we do. We've been fighting together for fifteen years." Dick ruffles your hair, chuckling when he hears you complain about messing your hair up. You lightly brush it off and give the camera a small smile to show that you're only messing around as friends. The last thing you want right now is another dating headline about you.

"Many citizens think that the chemistry between you doesn't seem to be platonic at all. Are you sure that in those fifteen years, you've never once thought about it?" She questions again, the glint in her eyes telling you she's more than you let on.

The last thing you knew was that you were trying to hide your irritation with the pushy reporter.

"I've never once thought about him that way. Nightwing is an excellent leader and partner. Our status as close friends will remain close friends. Thank you." Dick's eyes narrow with hurt, trying to hide what he felt with a stoic face. But eyes don't lie. Anyone staring at him could instantly tell what he felt.

He felt daggers pierce his heart with every word that left your mouth, not knowing you felt like you were chewing on shards. Hearing those words from you hurt him as much as it hurt saying them. Unbeknownst to each other's pain, you both twist your knives deeper.

You drag him away from the media. With a glare, the media ceased their chatter and nodded at your unspoken words. From adult to adult, they knew better than to continue with their constant questioning. You wouldn't take any more bullshit.

This is why you skipped the interviews and just went home to rest. It adds another problem in your head that you can't stop thinking about. They always know what's beneath your masks. What secrets and feelings you're hiding, they'll find ways to know.

Dick was the opposite. He loved interviews because attention was a given—all eyes and ears are on you. The limelight was something he subconsciously craved. Influenced by the passion he has for acrobatics.

He knows he's talkative, but he's smart enough to dodge questions. Just not the questions about love.

Sure, he'll easily answer if it's about in general or his past lovers like Kori and Zatanna. That was a piece of cake. It only goes downhill when it comes to you.

Richard Grayson's everything.

Words can't even express how much he admires you. He put you on a pedestal that nobody else could reach. Dick knew he set his own standards that are far above his own. That's why he's having trouble forgetting what he feels.

Despite loving you and having you within arm's reach, he never made a move. It was his punishment and blessing. He lives lamenting that he'll never be enough for you. You were too good for him, and no matter how he changes himself to be better than yesterday, you keep on proving to everyone that you're also better than before.

It suffocates him to feel your arms wrapped around his waist like this. The cold air breezing through him contrasts with the warmth building up inside his body. He closes his eyes momentarily, savoring and memorizing how you feel against him. Even for just a second, he can fantasize a reality where you're hugging him just like this. Not on his motorcycle, but within the warmth of your shared home, exchanging kisses and laughter.

Dick cherished moments like this. It's just you and him in this cruel world. He always felt that time moved slower whenever he was with you. It gives him more time to gaze at you without another thought except you in his mind.

His mind keeps replaying what the reporter asked them earlier. It hurt him more than any broken bone he had on his body. The damage was irreversible, as it's only figurative. You've inflicted an everlasting wound inside. No matter who or what he uses to heal himself, your mark lingers and haunts him.

"Dick?" Your soft voice snaps him out of his thoughts. He hums in response, letting you know that you have his attention. 

He feels your hold tighten around his waist. He observes the flow of the road before slipping one of his hands down to yours. Dick knew you well enough to understand what got you so tense. He is, too. You both knew that question would linger on your thoughts for weeks.

Like him, you had a lot on your mind throughout this ride. The ETA back to the tower gives you both some time to think about everything. And by everything, it meant everything that made you question how you felt about him and vice versa. 

Have you ever shown signs that you like him? Not once. There just wasn't a chance you could take. Your cowardice irritates you. You shove your face onto his broad back more, drowning your thoughts by basking in his warmth and scent.

"Nothing." And a veil of disappointment looms over you both again.

The ride was silent after that. The remaining time back to the tower was spent with unsuspecting touches. Neither of you knows this is what you're both desiring from the other. But you both felt content with it, deluding yourselves into thinking this is all that you're going to get. It was a minor pain to deal with if you deceive your morals that it's alright to be selfish once in a while. 

For 15 years, this is all you've been. Nothing more, nothing less. No hints nor talks about where this is all going. And for Dick, he was slightly grateful. If he had noticed a slight change in your dynamic, he fears that he'll fuck up and make it worse by being greedy. He's a risk taker, but he just can't take it with you.

It wasn't because you aren't worth it. Dick was just bound by his thoughts that you'll never feel the same way. Let's face it, he's observant. Dick is a master at reading someone. And by the way you act, it only fuels his thoughts. 

Your eyes never linger on him for more than a minute. He almost thought it had a warm look in it, but he may have mistaken it for his reflection looking at you. More so, you never seemed to care about who he's with. You always bid him your best wishes with a big smile on your face. Bigger than the ones you gave when it was just him. You were truly happy for him when he introduced his girlfriends.

How true was it, though? Dick doesn't know how much it pained you every time. And it isn't like you can just come up to him and slap him for the sole reason of, "Why can't it be me?" 

It was difficult to express yourself when every time you tell yourself you're about to confess, he comes back with a new girl. You never stood by your hopes, it'll only hurt you more. The only way to face it was to smile and wish him the best. At least now, you'll have a reason to move on.

"Thanks for the ride, Dick." You hit his shoulder lightly as you pass the helmet back to him.

"Don't mention it." He smiles at you.

Another silence envelops you. You steal glances when the other isn't looking. There was a minor problem that needed to be talked about, but it wasn't a problem that you're ready to face just yet.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Dick. Good night." I want to be with you.

"Yeah—yeah, good night." Don't leave yet.

He watches you leave with yearning eyes. He has a feeling he should call out to you, run up to you, prevent you from going up to your room, and seclude yourself until you forget about tonight. Will he ever get this feeling again about having the opportunity to talk about his feelings that's still left unsaid after fifteen years? 

You might be thinking hard about him too. Thinking about what he is to you. You might even realize your buried feelings for him. But maybe he's overthinking it because he's hoping again. Dick feels everything is complicated and overwhelming at the moment.

You turn on your heels, and a sliver of hope flashes inside him. 

"G-Goodbye! Don't stay up too late." You wave at him goodbye. Fuck.

His hands felt heavy to raise—no, his whole body did. Dick waved goodbye back nonetheless, watching helplessly as the elevator doors closed on your face. There goes his chance and yours. 

You both wasted the time to relay the secrets you've been hiding. The opportunity was handed over to you on a golden platter, but you both let the fear of being poisoned by what's served to you—miss the sweet taste of each other's love.

The elevator slightly shook when your body slumped down on its railings, tightly holding onto it to support your body from crumbling down. It felt so irritating and stupid that you let another chance go. The metal doors keep you from looking down on Dick's figure at the ground. You wanted to force it to go back.

Dick sat down on the floor and threaded through his hair, gripping it tightly out of frustration. He let you go again. He heard that stutter in your words, but he stayed still. He never heard you stutter once before this, and that made it worse. 

Two hopeless people that love each other unknowingly have to be one of the worst set-ups from the universe. It was toying with them. Somehow always giving the other the wrong idea about the other. 

You slump down in your room in regret. Frustration was clouding your vision and logic, you wanted nothing more than to scream and thrash around. 

The clear skies of the night caught your attention, stopping you from your self-loathing pity. 

By the sight alone, you'd have proof that the universe loved making you feel like a joke. The same sight of that constellation above your balcony made you scoff with disdain, a bitter smile on your face as memories of that night resurface.

At the top of the tower laughing and joking around with alcohol bottles scattered around you. It was a simple teenage mistake. The thought of it being bad and restricted made it feel the more enjoyable. You don't know what made him run away that night. But you remember how frustrated you felt, your hands clutched tightly in the air as if it was about to reach out for someone's head.

"I love someone." 

He remembers how easily those words left you that night. Dick was also reminiscing about that same night down here. 

Those words made his heart tighten, making him run away like the little boy he was back then. He was willing to listen to you. Just not... you confessing you love someone else. The thought of not having a possibility of him being that someone made him run away. After all those drinks and laughter you shared with him, making him feel that he was the one—it was his first heartbreak. 

The universe must be relishing at the fact that the two of you will never be together because of simple misunderstandings. How happy it is to see you both frustrated and sad over the other.

You both bury your heads in your arms, tears of defeat streaming down your eyes. The same thought haunts both of you, a subconcious voice telling them they've fucked up and lost the chance to have you as theirs.

I wish I knew you wanted me.

[jinxie-117]

maybe i’m the friend that’s too woke but i ship aerti partly because i want them to have a life away from men and their status as “the girlfriend.”

let’s think about it. tifa is cloud’s girlfriend. aerith is zack’s. a significant part of their stories is based around being attached to these men, and while the source material does their individual characteristics justice, the fandom does not.

this problem is far worse exacerbated in tifa’s case imo, as while aerith absolutely possesses other connections and relationships outside the main party, (the turks, her mothers, the ancients, even sephiroth considering he is basically her symbolic half brother), tifa lacks that. and the story draws attention to that at the end, when she and cloud sit under the highwind and they discuss how they have nobody left but each other. which is fine, this is part of her story - which is marked by grief and loss, which showcases her will to be good and caring despite all the rage and hatred she feels.

but… i don’t know. it kind of pisses me off. trying to find analysis on tifa without cloud somehow getting in the way is near-impossible. and i don’t mean analysis on how their relationship impacts her, i mean all tifa analysis is secretly cloti analysis, wrapped up in tifa’s clothes and face so that people can pretend they’ve conceived her character outside that which is cloud. everything about her turns into some sort of treatise over why cloti is better than every other ship - and this happens to aerith too, where she is conveniently paired off with zack because of their relationship, often so that “cloti can have their happy ending,” or used as a bargaining chip against cloti shippers, warped into nothing but “cloud’s best match because she’s Waifu,” then hated on by others who consider her the wrong choice.

these women are boiled down to pawns in a shipping war where everyone projects onto cloud and decides who is better for him based on their own lives, their own preferences, etc. often, this preference is more down to physical appearance than not. cloud is a very relatable character and i think a lot of people, whether they realise it or not, play out some sort of power fantasy in their heads, try to do what is exactly warned against in ff7 and become a caricature of cloud, strong and stoic with a tragic backstory, great at fighting and able to score the girl of their choice. and so aerith and tifa’s existences become entirely a war over who is prettier, who is more important to cloud, who is the winner, and who is the loser.

in dating each other, aerti escape from that. they are no longer accessories to men, they are two wonderful women with their own stories who love each other and help each other heal. i most certainly do not call for aerith nor tifa to be robbed of romance or even of sexuality - i think the two of them, as incredibly hot women, should embrace the fact that they are both beautiful, that they can both be “chosen,” that they deserve to be treated as pretty, that they deserve romantic love. aerti removes the binary that is cloud and zack from the equation. these women are allowed to be their own people, to be each other’s girlfriends and to have their own stories. they are no longer two rivals in love, but two women in love with each other.

so yeah, i don’t know. people are allowed to ship what they want, but aerti will always have a special place in my heart, just because it lets these two exist without fear of being nothing but “the girlfriend.”

[ltash]

Rain Down On Me

Sitting in the base’s cafeteria, Simon's eyes fixed on a half-empty tray of food in front of him, though he wasn’t paying it any real attention. The room around him buzzed with the usual hum of soldiers chatting and clattering silverware, but it was all a distant noise to him. His mind was elsewhere. It had been for days now. Maybe even weeks.

You.

You were all he thought about lately, living in his head rent-free, taking up every spare moment of his attention. He didn’t understand how it had happened, how you had managed to slip past the walls he’d built so carefully over the years. He had never let anyone get that close. He didn’t know how. Yet, here he was, constantly replaying your smile, your laugh, the way you’d glance at him when you thought he wasn’t looking.

And it terrified him.

"For so long I’ve waited, so long that I almost became just a stoic statue fit for nobody…”

The words of Sleep Token’s Rain echoed in his mind, the lyrics almost a perfect reflection of his own internal struggle. He had waited so long, so long that he wasn’t sure if he was even capable of feeling what he used to, if he could still let someone in. All these years of isolation, of keeping people at a distance, had made him like stone. A statue. Unmoving. Detached. And wasn’t that easier? Wasn’t that safer?

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face, trying to shake the thoughts. He was good at running and had always been good at it. Running from emotions, from connections, from anything that made him feel vulnerable. But with you, it was different. You were different.

And that scared him more than anything.

"I don’t wanna get in your way," he muttered under his breath, barely audible even to himself. He had spent so long staying out of people’s lives, staying in the shadows, that he didn’t know how to be a part of something real. And what if he did get in your way? What if letting you in meant dragging you into the darkness he carried with him? Could he really do that to you?

He was afraid. Afraid to admit it. Afraid of what it meant to feel again.

But the problem was, no matter how much he tried to run from it, you were always there.

You entered the cafeteria, your usual uniform hugging your frame, blending you into the sea of soldiers, yet somehow, you stood out more than anyone else in the room. To Simon "Ghost" Riley, you were more than just another soldier. You were the most beautiful human being he had ever come across in his life. He wasn’t just looking at you; he was memorizing every detail, every curve, every nuance of how you moved.

He swallowed hard, keeping his face composed despite the turmoil raging inside him.

"But I finally think I could say," he thought, his mind syncing with the soft lyrics of the song drifting through the speakers, "that the vicious cycle was over."

It had been. Before you came into his life, he had been trapped in a loop, cold, distant, emotionally detached. It was how he survived, how he managed to make it through the years without letting anyone get close enough to hurt him. But now, as he watched you glide through the room, something inside him shifted.

You turned, your eyes scanning the room until they landed on him. And when your gaze met his, time seemed to stop. His heart skipped a beat, and for the briefest moment, everything else faded away, the noise of the cafeteria, the responsibilities, the weight of his past. It was just you and him.

And then you smiled.

"The moment you smiled at me..." he thought, his heart clenching in his chest. That smile, so simple yet so full of warmth, hit him harder than anything he had ever faced in the field. It wasn’t just that you were beautiful, though you were. It was that your smile reached a part of him he hadn’t realized was still capable of feeling.

You walked over, tray in hand, your movements graceful yet casual, as though the weight of Ghost’s intense gaze hadn’t affected you at all. But inside, he felt as if the world had tilted slightly off its axis.

"Hey," you greeted softly, sliding into the seat across from him, your voice pulling him back to the present.

Ghost nodded, trying to maintain his usual calm exterior, but his mind was still racing. He had been so used to being numb that this sudden rush of emotion, of feeling, was almost too much to handle. But at the same time, he couldn’t deny how good it felt.

He wasn’t running anymore. Not from you. And that terrified him as much as it thrilled him.

The soft melody of Sleep Token’s Rain floated through the cafeteria, perfectly timed as the next verse spilt into the air.

"And just like the rain, you cast the dust into nothing and washed out the salt from my hands…"

The lyrics hit Simon like a wave, resonating deep inside his chest. He hadn’t realized how much he had been holding on to the weight of his past until now. You were like the rain, coming into his life so unexpectedly, cleansing him of all the grit and grime that had built up over the years, the burdens he had carried, the memories he had buried.

You didn’t just make things easier; you made them feel possible again.

He looked at you, really looked at you, as the words echoed in his mind. There you were, sitting right across from him, smiling as if nothing in the world could weigh you down. How was it that someone like you, someone so full of life, had managed to break through the walls he had spent years building? You hadn’t forced your way in. You hadn’t tried. You just… were. And that was enough.

The moment your eyes met his again, something clicked in his chest. For the first time, he didn’t feel like running. He didn’t feel like hiding. You had this quiet power over him, one that didn’t demand anything but instead gently coaxed him out of the darkness he had grown so accustomed to.

"Simon?" you asked softly, noticing the way he was looking at you.

He blinked, realizing he had been staring a little too long. Clearing his throat, he averted his gaze briefly before meeting your eyes once more. There was no point in pretending anymore. You had already seen through him.

"Thank you," he muttered, the words gruff but sincere.

"For what?" you asked, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips.

"For… this," he gestured vaguely, as if trying to encompass everything that had shifted in him since you had walked into his life. "For being here. For… you."

You tilted your head slightly, eyes softening as you leaned forward just a little. "I didn’t do anything special, Simon. I’m just here."

"Exactly," he replied, his voice low but steady. "And that’s enough."

The rain outside began to fall harder, drumming against the windows of the base, but inside, all Simon could focus on was you. The song's lyrics played in the background, but they felt like they were made for this moment, for you and him.

He didn’t know how to say what he was feeling. Words had never been his strength. But as he looked at you, he realized he didn’t have to say anything at all. You already knew. You had always known.

And somehow, without even trying, you had washed away the parts of him that he thought were too broken to fix.

"So touch me again, I feel my shadow dissolving, will you cleanse me with pleasure?"

The lyrics seemed to fill the air between you and Simon, as though the song itself was speaking for the feelings he struggled to put into words. The steady beat of the rain outside mingled with the music, creating a rhythm that mirrored the quiet intensity of the moment.

Simon’s hand rested inches from yours on the table, a subtle gesture, but in his world, it was monumental. His fingers twitched slightly, as if he were hesitating, unsure if he should reach out. You glanced down at his hand and felt the tension between you grow. He was so close, yet there was still a small distance left for him to close.

Then, without a word, his hand moved. His rough, calloused fingers brushed against yours, tentatively at first, as though he was afraid of what the touch might mean. But when you didn’t pull away, when you instead turned your hand to meet his, he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

Your fingers slowly intertwined with his, and the simple contact sent a wave of warmth coursing through him. It was more than just physical touch. It was trust, vulnerability, and a promise that neither of you had spoken aloud yet. He had spent so long keeping everyone at arm’s length, but here he was, letting you in without a second thought.

Simon’s thumb brushed over your knuckles, almost absentmindedly, as if he was trying to memorize the feel of your skin beneath his. His gaze stayed locked on your joined hands, the weight of what was happening sinking in. This, this connection felt so foreign to him, and yet, it was the most real thing he had experienced in years.

You glanced up at him, your breath catching slightly at the intensity in his eyes. He wasn’t Ghost right now, not in this moment. He was Simon. The man behind the mask. The one who had buried himself in darkness for so long he had almost forgotten what the light felt like.

"Simon…" you whispered softly, the weight of his name grounding the moment even more.

His eyes flicked up to meet yours, and there was something raw, almost fragile, in his expression. "I don’t know how to do this," he admitted, his voice barely audible over the rain outside. "But I want to try."

You smiled, squeezing his hand gently. "You don’t have to know everything right now. We’ll figure it out together."

A flicker of relief crossed his face, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Simon allowed himself to relax, just a little. There were no missions, no threats, no masks to wear. Just the two of you, sitting in the quiet of the cafeteria, hands intertwined as the rain fell outside.

"It's that chemical cut that I can get down with, up like the moon and out like the hounds…"

The song continued to play in the background, its lyrics almost matching the intensity that was building between you and Simon. It felt like there was something chemical, something almost dangerous about the connection you shared, a spark that ignited the moment you touched. That tension had been there for weeks, simmering beneath the surface, but now, it was undeniable. There was something about this moment about you that made Simon feel like he was standing on the edge of something both exhilarating and terrifying.

"A dangerous disposition," the lyrics whispered through the speakers, "somehow refracted in light, reflected in sound…"

He wasn’t good with words, and certainly not with feelings, but the song seemed to speak for him, articulating what he could not. You were the light, breaking through the darkness that had been his constant companion for years. It was as though you had cast a new reflection on his world, one that he wasn’t used to seeing but couldn’t look away from.

Simon’s thumb traced over the back of your hand slowly, his eyes lingering on the way your fingers were now intertwined. He didn’t know how something so simple could feel so powerful, so life-altering. You didn’t have to say anything. Your presence alone spoke volumes.

And for the first time, Simon didn’t feel the urge to pull away. He wasn’t running, wasn’t hiding behind his mask. He was here, in this moment, with you.

"You make things feel different," Simon said, his voice low and gruff. His eyes lifted from your joined hands to meet yours, a flicker of vulnerability in his gaze. "Like… it’s not just me against everything anymore."

Your heart swelled at his words, knowing how difficult it must’ve been for him to admit that. You gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, offering him the silent promise that he wasn’t alone. Not anymore.

"I’m coiled up like a venomous serpent, tangled in your tranc, and I’m certain, you’ve got your hooks in me…"

The lyrics wrapped around Simon's thoughts like a reflection of the very thing he was feeling. He felt coiled, wound up tight, his emotions like a venomous serpent inside him, hissing and thrashing in confusion. But you, with just a look, a touch, had tamed that serpent. There was no escaping it now.

He was tangled in your presence, caught in your pull, and for the first time, he didn’t want to break free. He was certain you had your hooks in him. Not in a painful way, but in a way that made him feel anchored, like he had something real to hold onto for once in his life.

Simon looked at you again, and something inside him shifted. It was like watching the last of his defences crack and crumble under the weight of what he felt for you. His pulse quickened, the tension between you thick in the air.

"I can’t… stop thinking about you," he finally admitted, his voice rough, almost strained. "It’s like… I’m caught up in something I don’t know how to handle."

Your breath hitched at his words, knowing that for someone like Simon Riley to say something so vulnerable, it must’ve taken a monumental amount of courage.

"You don’t have to handle it alone, Simon," you whispered, leaning in closer, your face now inches from his. "You can let me in."

His gaze darkened, not with anger, but with intensity, an intensity that made your heart race. "I’m not good at this," he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I don’t want to keep running."

He leaned closer, the space between you all but disappearing. The air felt electric, as if every inch of his body was pulled toward you, every nerve alight with need and something deeper, something he hadn’t let himself feel in years.

His hand moved, cupping your cheek with surprising gentleness, his thumb brushing against your skin as he drew even closer. His breath mingled with yours, and for a heartbeat, everything seemed to hang in the balance.

And then, without hesitation, Simon closed the gap, pressing his lips to yours.

The kiss was slow at first, tentative, as if he were testing the waters. But then the intensity built, like a storm breaking free after being held back for too long. His other hand found the back of your neck, pulling you in closer as he deepened the kiss, pouring everything he couldn’t say into that single moment.

You felt it, his fear, his desire, the weight of his emotions, and you kissed him back with the same intensity, your fingers curling around the fabric of his shirt, grounding yourself in the reality of him.

It wasn’t just a kiss. It was an unravelling, a moment where the walls he had built came crashing down, and for the first time, Simon let himself be vulnerable, let himself feel.

When he finally pulled back, breathless, he rested his forehead against yours, his eyes still closed, as if he needed a moment to process what had just happened.

"You’ve got your hooks in me," he whispered, voice hoarse but full of something new, something that felt like hope. "And I’m not letting go."

"Nobody can say for certain, if maybe it’s all just a game,

When I open my eyes to the future, I can hear you say my name..."

The song played on, its haunting melody threading through the silence that lingered between you and Simon after that kiss, the moment still heavy with unspoken words. His breath was warm against your skin, his forehead resting gently against yours, as though he needed the closeness just to believe this was real.

"So rain down on me…"

You pulled back just enough to look into his eyes. In that moment, the entire world seemed to slow down. Simon’s gaze was more open than you had ever seen it, stripped bare of the armour he always carried. It was as if he had been hiding not only from the world but from himself for so long, and now, in this brief, fragile space, he was letting himself be seen.

His eyes, dark and intense, held something deeper than the mask he usually wore. There were thousands of dreams swimming behind them, thousands of hopes that he had buried beneath layers of pain and duty. You could see it, the part of him that longed for more than just survival. The part of him that wanted something real, something worth holding onto. And you wanted to reach it. You wanted to read every unspoken thought, every hidden desire, to understand the man behind the shadows.

"Simon," you whispered, your voice soft, filled with the gravity of everything you felt in that moment. "I see you."

His eyes widened just a fraction, as if those three words had struck deeper than anything else you could have said. You saw him, not Ghost, not the soldier, not the mask, but him. The man who had lived through hell, who had lost so much, who had never allowed anyone to come close enough to truly know him.

For a moment, Simon said nothing, just stared into your eyes as if searching for something, some truth, some reassurance that this wasn’t fleeting, that it wasn’t just a dream. His grip on your hand tightened slightly, and you could feel the tension, the uncertainty still lingering.

"How do you do that?" he finally asked, his voice a low rumble. "How do you… make everything seem so different?"

You smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead. "Because you’re not as lost as you think you are."

He exhaled sharply, like your words had hit a raw nerve, but instead of retreating, he stayed. He stayed with you in the moment, allowing himself to be vulnerable in a way that he had never allowed before.

"I don’t know if I can give you what you deserve," Simon said, his voice heavy with doubt, but his eyes never left yours. "But I want to try. With you."

The rain outside began to fall harder, the sound of it mingling with the song still playing in the background. It was as if the world itself was offering its own promise, a cleansing, a renewal.

"So rain down on me..."

You leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to his lips, a reassurance that you were there, that you weren’t going anywhere. When you pulled back, you kept your forehead against his, your eyes locked.

"I’ll take whatever you can give, Simon," you whispered. "As long as it’s real."

And in that moment, it was. Everything was real, his emotions, your connection, the bond that had slowly formed between you over time. It was raw and imperfect, but it was real.

He didn’t have to say anything more. The way his hand gently cupped your cheek, the way his eyes softened as he looked at you, that was enough. You had reached him. You had touched the part of him that no one else had been able to reach, and for the first time, he wasn’t afraid to let you in.

The rain outside continued to fall, washing away everything that had once stood between you. And for the first time, Simon Riley allowed himself to hope.

Pic Credit @chatskaja

[hannahmassey30]

🐺Rain

🐺Fandom: House of the Dragon~Cregan Stark

🐺Tropes: Forced Proximity; Love At First Sight

🐺Plot: You wander through the forest alone and you end up becoming lost~when you start to hear wolves, you try to get out and you run into a mysterious man

🐺Warnings: Anxiety

🐺Spicy Warnings: None

🐺Part One: “Just A Stoic Statue, Fit For Nobody”

The air is cold and it has started to snow and I could hear the thunder above me.

Why on earth did I go into the woods? Curiosity got the better of me, that is why.

Now, I am lost and I don’t remember what direction of the house that I am renting is in.

I start to shake and I start to feel fatigue as well.

I put my arms across my chest and I make my way through the woods.

However, as I walk further into them, I hear something.

A howl. Then another.

Before I realized it, there were howls coming in all directions of the woods.

I started to panic and I made a run for it. I didn’t know where I was going, but I wanted to get out of here to get somewhere safe.

My legs went faster and faster even though I could feel they were starting to give out.

Once I made it towards the end of the woods, I felt a hand grab my arm and I got pushed up against a tree.

I looked down and I heard a man talk.

“What are you doing here? This is private property.” The man said.

“I…I’m sorry. I was heading back to my house and I got lost…I don’t know where I am.” I cried.

The man took his hand away from my arm and I felt him sigh heavily.

I felt the man trace his fingers on my jaw and then he lifted my head up so that I could see him.

He was the most ethereal being I have ever seen.

He had a strong jawline and he had light green eyes with dark brunette hair that went down to his shoulders.

He lingered his fingers on my chin and he looked at my lips and eyes and then back at my face.

“Listen, if you just tell me the way, I can walk from here and I will leave your property.” I sighed.

He sighed heavily and took his hand away from my chin.

“No. If you go out there, you will just get sick. It is supposed to rain and storm tonight. Listen, my place is just right there. At least stay for the night.” The man insisted.

“No…I can’t do that.” I breathed.

The man walked up to me and he cupped both of his hands on my face.

“You are staying with me. I know I don’t know you, but I am not having you go out again in the woods. It will be safer if you just stay with me.” The man said.

I nodded my head yes and the man took his hands away from my face and took his jacket off.

He then put the jacket over me and he put his arm around me and we both walked along the woods.

“Thank you.” I said.

“No need to thank me.” The man said.

“What is your name?” I asked.

“Cregan Stark.” The man smiled.

I smiled knowing the name of the man that was about to save me.

I held onto him as we made our way to his home.

@ali-r3n @insideyourimagination @zenka69 @meetmeatyourworst

[susiekern]

14. the one with the rain

warnings: swearing, mentions of alcohol

word count: 747

lyrics from: Rain - Sleep Token (please let's just pretend I haven't used it before already...)

masterlist

previous | next

You’re splayed on your bed, keeping your eyes on the clock, watching the minutes pass. 11:59 pm, 11.12.24. One more minute. You still have no idea what happens at midnight. Zenin stayed true to his words, and besides the one ominous text, he didn’t reveal anything. What will happen in one minute? Is it the tour announcement? Is it new merch that fans have asked for for so long? A new song? Whatever it was, the mystery around it made you excited as ever. Not only you, Twitter was buzzing under the Fallen hashtag, with many fans waiting for anything, just like you were now.

12:00 am.

Your phone lights up with a single notification from Spotify.

“New release: The Fallen invites you to the room below in their new album! Save it now!”

New album? Whole album? With shaky hands, you grab your phone and tap on the notification. There it is. “The Room Below” by The Fallen, 10 songs. You put your headphones on faster than ever and instantly click the play button.

Around 25 minutes in, you’re more than half done. You recognize a few of the songs, two of them previously released as stand-alone, and one is the song they played in Kyoto, the one Zenin told you he wanted you to hear live first. You rest your head on your pillow comfortably, hearing the first notes of another one. Rain.

‘For so long, I have waited

So long that I almost became

Just a stoic statue, fit for a nobody’

You don’t even notice as your fingers tap the sheets to the melody. A melody that seems familiar in a way.

‘And I don't wanna get in your way

But I finally think I can say

That the vicious cycle was over

The moment you smiled at me’

Zenin’s voice floods your brain, words making your heart beat faster. You could imagine his figure standing tall on the stage, holding the microphone tightly, eyes closing behind the black and gold mask.

‘And just like the rain

You cast the dust into nothing

And wash out the salt from my hands’

Just like the rain… You abruptly open your eyes, head spinning. You’ve heard something like this before. You’re sure of it. But when and where? Who said that? How do you know this melody? They haven’t played it before, of that you’re certain. So how?

‘So touch me again

I feel my shadow dissolving

Will you cleanse me with pleasure?’

Just as the melody gets heavier, it hits you. You’ve heard it many times already. Your eyes instinctively move toward the wall separating your room and Megumi’s. He played it two weeks ago, last week, hell, even two days ago, when you were napping in his bed as he was strumming his guitar. It was obviously a little different played on acoustic guitar in his room than the electric one in the song, but it’s the same melody.

‘And just like the rain

You cast the dust into nothing

And wash out the salt from my hands’

The memory of your evening in Kyoto hits you out of nowhere, and you swear you’re out of breath for a second.

‘Once in a while, Megumi gives you a soft kiss on the lips or the top of your head, whispering gentle words. Barely awake at this point, you catch a few that make your heart clench.

“You’re like a rain that washes my heart of the dust and salt, dear.”’

“Just like the rain…” You whisper.

No. There’s no way, right? He wouldn’t do that to you. But it also makes so much sense at the same time. Why he was supposedly out of town when the Fallen played in Tokyo, why he was in Kyoto that weekend, even being out with his friends after the announcement was posted. Why you’ve never even heard Megumi hum when he played specific songs. Or how Zenin found your stream out of all people.

Was Megumi the Zenin all this time?

‘Nobody can say for certain

If maybe it's all just a game’

Was it all just a game? Your relationship? Or whatever you two were building for the past weeks? Every time he held you close, kissed you, comforted you? Was it entertainment for him to listen to you talking about the Fallen and Zenin?

‘When I open my eyes to the future

I can hear you say my name

So rain down on me’

tag list (lmk if you wanna be added!): @nytylie @fresa-luna @syrooo @zaranobiyuyu @jvpit3rr @pandabiene5115 @good-mourning0 @pearlydays @irwinchester @pxppetmxster @ivydoesit23 @zayuriluvs @applepi25 @s777athv @estella-novella @wgafa @pookalicious-hq @lovely-maryj @briezy04764

[princeblue]

Sometimes I think about how the fandom has this perception of Giyuu as someone who is mercilessly bullied by the Hashira and can’t defend himself when that is literally not true, like. Giyuu continuously digs a hole for himself when he is around them, he uses these words like “im not like you guys” after he decides he’s going to walk out of the Hashira meeting because he thinks he can’t unlock the demon slayer mark.

And who wouldn’t look at Giyuu, a stoic man who hardly interacts with the other Hashira and uses words in a monotone voice saying he’s different from everyone else and not think “this guy thinks he’s above us” which is literally what Sanemi thinks when he sees Giyuu and Giyuu’s behavior.

Sanemi grew up a poor child in a poor town with people who did look down on him for his very existence, why would he not challenge and provoke someone who, in sanemi’s eyes, is saying he’s better/different than everyone else without no real proof?

And again, Giyuu is given two opportunities to explain himself, to actually say what he thinks about himself and his status of a Hashira. But he does not, and when he’s given the second opportunity (sanemi asking him “what do you mean by that”) he instead brushes off his fellow Hashira and continues to walk away, once again affirming this ideal of a person who thinks himself higher above the others.

At most the majority of the Hashira think of Giyuu with either curiosity or nothing at all, Sanemi and Obanai are the only ones who really don’t like him and voice their opinions on him which is always with contempt and Shinobu is the only one who is generally kind to him because she wants to be, and even then she has her moments of frustration and cruelty (“nobody likes you” in the mountains) which is what I assume is from how Giyuu holds himself and possibly her having the same ideal as Sanemi/Obanai but because of the persona she’s garnered for herself she’s not outright cruel and merely more passive aggressive but again, also curious. Which is where their friendship is sparked.

And this isn’t to say that Giyuu should spill his hearts and guts out to the Hashira, he doesn’t have to if he doesn’t want to. Depression affects people in many ways and there’s no denying he’s someone with an extreme amount of self hatred and depression, but he’s also a Hashira who held his own against an Akaza who was legitimately trying to harm him and unlocked his demon slayer mark, he is capable of defending himself, he is capable of saying “shut the fuck up.” When someone says something about him that is meant to harm his feelings, he’s not some uwu precious bean and if Giyuu had expanded what he meant, “im not like you guys, im weaker.” The Hashira; specifically Obanai and Sanemi, would have regarded him differently and might not have been as cruel.

All in all, it’s very justifiable that Obanai and Sanemi held contempt for him, again Giyuu only continued to make himself look worse in their eyes, but he’s not mercilessly bullied by everyone he comes into contact with, because while we’re at it he’s also a snarky asshole (“why don’t you go train more” when he ties up Inosuke, calling sanemi a simpleton when he says he can’t wait to unlock the demon slayer mark, calling Tanjirou weak/stupid when he’s a traumatized child who just saw his entire family dead and now this strange man is trying to kill his sister)

And it really really fucking bothers me when people hate on Sanemi and Obanai for this, Obanai is a little bit more harder to dive into for me personally, but I feel like his dislike is garnered by being a supposed special person above others and it only brought him pain and death. To him there’s nothing special about being special so why would he like someone who “claims” they are?

Again this isn’t to say that Giyuu owes everyone an explanation, but he’s not owed any kindness or comradeship when he appears as someone who is indifferent or views themselves as simply being higher than others.

[oncasette]

the lads as sleep token lyrics

this is just something i've been thinking of for a while (a byproduct of making playlists for characters i fear) so enjoy :)

AQUA REGIA

Well, my love is an animal call Cutting through the darkness, bouncing off the walls Between teeth on a broken jaw Following a blood trail, frothing at the maw

Between the pain and the way you look I'm stuck in a time where the mountains shook

EUCLID

If my fate is a bad collision And if my mind is an open highway Give me the twilight two-way vision Give me one last ride on a sunset skylane

Just running forwards, a life like wires As I see the past on an empty ceiling I play along with the life signs anyway But hope to God you don't know this feeling Yet in reverse you are all my symmetry A parallel I would lay my life on So if your wings won't find you heaven I will bring it down like an ancient bygone

No, by now The night belongs to you This bough has broken through I must be someone new

IS IT REALLY YOU?

Deal with the pain Your own way How could they deal with the pain? I knew It was mine too

Let's search the skies for a while You and I

GIVE

If you wanna give Then give me all that you can give All your darkest impulses

I will be watching for your enemies To let them know that they contend with me

In this open warfare I won't fight fair

LOOK TO WINDWARD

Even in this garden of gardens, I am the god of the gaps I am the demon of Sodom, I am the blood of an angel The fate of the fallen, nobody knows where I came from

Oh, and I I used to know myself Oh, and you You used to know me well Oh, and I Wish that I could leave myself alone Oh, and you You wish that you could make me whole

JERICHO

You taste like new flesh Say my name again

DRAG ME UNDER

And I know The Gods will Abandon the heavens just to find us To merely Behold you As we lie down together

EUCLID

For me It's still the autumn leaves These ancient canopies That we used to lay beneath

No, by now The night belongs to you This bough has broken through I must be someone new

We tangle endlessly Like lovers entwined I know for the last time You will not be mine So give me the night, the night, the night

DANGEROUS

You've got me talking in my sleep As if you're conquering my dreams You have awakened what's beneath again

And I am caught in time Like clockwork beneath the permafrost I might lose my mind Back to back with oblivion And you might breathe that burning breeze through Paradise for me

THE APPARITION

Why are you never real? Whenever you appear You leave me with that grace I am trembling with fear But I know that you will disappear Just as I awake

Why are you never real? The shifting states you follow me through Unrevealed Just let me go or take me with you

THE APPARITION

Somewhere in the past Something was between You and I, my dear And it remains With me to this day No matter what I do This scar will never fade

I make the most of the turning tide It just split what's left of the burning silence Don't wait, 'cause this could be the last time You turn up in the reveries of my mind

THE LOVE YOU WANT

But I'm still full of the love you want Still waking up beneath it all And I'm still full of the love you want I reach for you on faith alone

THE OFFERING

This is a given, an offering In your favour, a sacrifice in your name But I know you've got a taste So just take a bite of me

EUCLID

Do you remember me When the rain gathers? And do you still believe That nothing else matters?

TELOMERES

Rivers and oceans We could beckon, no Your eyes and your limbs Are instruments to pick apart The distance within

Let the tides carry you back to me The past, the future Through death My arms are open

We go beyond the farthest reaches Where the light bends and wraps beneath us And I know as you collapse into me This is the start of something new

RAIN

For so long, I have waited So long that I almost became Just a stoic statue, fit for nobody And I don't wanna get in your way But I finally think I can say That the vicious cycle was over The moment you smiled at me

Nobody can say for certain If maybe it's all just a game When I open my eyes to the future I can hear you say my name

IS IT REALLY YOU?

Collide like two stars for a while You and I

RAIN

And just like the rain You cast the dust into nothing And wash out the salt from my hands So touch me again I feel my shadow dissolving Will you cleanse me with pleasure?

And I know, I know the way that it goes You get what you give, you reap what you sow And I can see you in my fate And I know, I know I am what I am The mouth of the wolf, the eyes of the lamb

CHOKEHOLD

I come as a blade A sacred guardian So you keep me sharp and test my worth in blood

Beneath the stormy seas Above the mountain peaks It's all the same to me It makes no difference I've seen my days unfold Done the impossible I'd turn my walls to gold To bring you home again

So show me that which I cannot see Even if it hurts me Even if I can't sleep Oh, and though we act out of our holy duty to be constantly awake

LOOK TO WINDWARD

With the shadows longer to me than a lightyear Moving so slow, I could die here Say you can let me say Will you halt this eclipse in me?

Now I know why I woke up here on the shoreline Coughing up blood in the twilight Everything looks thе same

Am I walking with gods or merely stumbling forth Until there's fire at the gates, until I fall to the floor? You know I live by the feather and die by the sword And I will sunder the earth only to burn the reward

Even in this garden of gardens, I am the god of the gaps I am the demon of Sodom, I am the blood of an angel The fate of the fallen, nobody knows where I came from Even I have forgotten How could I already lose my way like this? Drowning in burning bright abyss Even at stratospheric depths This vertigo of bliss

INFINITE BATHS

That even if I am frozen Timeless as a ghost in my Nightmares of the ocean The precipice I'm approaching Well, you will empty the darkness You will keep me in motion I know now

I'm so tired inside I could sleep through a landslide But I'm finally here And I'm not leaving this time

TAKE ME BACK TO EDEN

I need you to see me for what I have become

I guess it goes to show, does it not? That we've no idea what we've got Until we lose it And no amount of love will keep it around If we don't choose it

And I don't know what's got its teeth in me But I'm about to bite back in anger No amount of self-sought fury Will bring back the glory of innocence

When we were made It was no accident You know my desire We were tangled up like branches in a flood

PROVIDER

I want to delineate That the last time we were around Each other I felt myself hesitatin' But I know I would not now, my lover

And your fingers foxtrot on my skin I'm going under this time I can give you what you want

And our bodies converse like old friends Exchanging the years in silence With something unsaid on both ends Surely we know the difference

VORE

Will we remain stuck in the throat of gods? Will the pain stop if we go deeper?

So let's get swallowed whole I wanna go where nobody else will Ever go

There is always something in the way I wanna have you to myself for once Follow me between the jaws of fate So I can have you to myself for once

TAKE AIM

Call, won't you call out my name Like a curse on this world? Like a battle cry?

Oh, and you make me hate myself Make me tear my body Make me yearn for your embrace

So take aim At me for once Just take aim Break me apart, love

Oh, won't you? And you know I'll be yours When the moment is perfect I will fire and forget 'til we both lay broken And you know I'll be yours Just want to be worth it I will run like the wind 'til you follow me again

INFINITE BATHS

Infinite baths Washing over me at last Are you the method in my madness? Are you the glory in my wrath? Infinite baths Bursting colours when you laugh Well, I have fought so long to be here I am never going back

EMERGENCE

You might be the one to take away the pain and let my mind go quiet And nothing else is quite the same as how I feel when I'm at your side

[shobolanya]

me when vessel said: for so long, I have waited so long that I almost became just a stoic statue, fit for a nobody and I don't wanna get in your way but I finally think I can say that the vicious cycle was over the moment you smiled at me

[twstowo]

Forbidden Wishes [Jamil]

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗SYNOPSIS: Jamil is nothing but a servant meant to be a fraction of what he truly could be and along what he desired you were the only thing he could never have.

♡︎I might write more stuff like this about Jamil. I just love him so much. However, I might like angst even more…

♡︎Warning: Angst

He was just a boy, a servant, a nobody. Instructed to behave and never outshine Kalim, always relegated to the shadows, never permitted to reveal himself as anything more than a servant entitled only to his own name.

A child devoid of the concept of fun, observing other kids his age playing in the street while he dutifully walked alongside Kalim, ensuring his safety. A child deemed worthless, once again poisoned while sampling one of Kalim's dishes, only to be exploited by those in higher positions. A slave with no escape, destined to a life where he would forever be a servant, unable to be himself, to pursue his desires, or to have his name recognized beyond the confines of servitude.

“Jamil!” Your voice echoed through the corridor, a noble from another land, easily discernible by your attire that differed markedly from the traditional clothing of Scalding Sands. "I was looking for you everywhere." You approached with a smile.

"Is there anything I can do?" A polite response, as he acknowledged your noble status.

"I wanted to give you this." You presented a culinary book, and his eyes widened. A few days ago, when you, Kalim, and Jamil were in town, Jamil stood a few steps behind as a mere guard. He overheard your cheerful conversation with Kalim and couldn't understand why you enjoyed talking to him so much. Along the way, you passed a small library, and in front of it was a peculiar culinary book with recipes from other lands—something Jamil had never seen. He recalled you questioning if he liked anything, but he quickly dismissed you, claiming it wasn't the reason Kalim and you were there. He was surprised that you spotted the book he had eyed amidst all the others, impressed by your keen observation.

"I'm thankful, but I cannot accept it." He gave a slight bow, concealing a hint of embarrassment. His stoic face betrayed the pounding of his heart as he looked up at you again. He wished he could take that book, cook dishes from your land, and see you smile. He yearned for time alone with you, without Kalim around to pester the two of you. Yet, he knew it would never happen. Even if Kalim wasn't the object of your affection, he knew you were engaged to another man, a noble. Perhaps that was why he enjoyed your company—you somehow understood his feelings. While he was stuck being a servant for life, you were trapped in a role as an object meant to pacify two lands through marriage. Both fated to never be what you desired.

"I'll just have to give it to Najma, and then she can give it to you." A smirk played on your lips, knowing Najma would happily assist you. He sighed, accepting the book without meeting your gaze, afraid that he might smile like a fool, grateful that you thought of him.

"I will keep it. Thank you again."

"If you really want to thank me, you could cook some of those dishes for me." Your mischievous suggestion left him wide-eyed, and he swore that if circumstances were different, he would have kissed you right there.

How cruel fate is for some of us.

[fromduck]

Vampire Slayer: THREE

Warnings: Baby Reader almost kills someone

A/N: Enjoy!

“What is that smell?” 

Four vampire children huddle around each other as they look around for the delicious smell.

It was another one of those boring parties where vampires of higher status mingled. Or more so an excuse for vampires to gossip and discuss the latest musings of the vampire world. 

That deliciously sweet smell being one of them. 

Kaname looked around boredly as Hanabusa sniffed the abnociously. An annoyed Ruka smacks him in the head, “what are you a dog? Don’t you dare act a fool in front of Lord Kuran.” She turns to him with expectant eyes of praise for doing something in his honor. 

Her eager look deflates as she realizes he’s not even looking at her. 

Instead he’s looking at the crowd of adult vampires, surrounding something. 

“What are they looking at?” Akatsuki mumbles trying to look over the taller vampires, letting out a grunt when he can’t see anything.

“Ooooh! I wanna see! I wanna see!” Hanabusa exclaims, already trying to push his way into the crowd. Before his small figure can be swallowed up by the bigger bodies of the adult vampires, Akatsuki grabs him by the back of the suit. “Hold on you idiot, don’t go seeking out trouble like you usually do.” 

Offended the blonde child gasps as he points an accusing finger to the ginger haired boy, “you hypocrite didn’t you get in trouble for sneaking out the other day-“

Grabbing him in a chokehold, the once stoic boy is flustered, “quiet you! Nobody knows about that!” 

Feeling frustrated by their immature behavior, Ruka starts to yell at them. “Stop this childish behavior! Really do you have no shame acting like this infront of Lord Kuran?!”

The three of them start to bicker, Kaname starts to walk away from the annoying trio as he pushes through the adults crowding the delicious smell.

As he gets closer, the sweet smell of honey starts to seep into his nostrils, his mouth watering. Even for a pureblood vampire, he was just as weak to the smell as any other vampire. 

“Alucard, you have lost your mind.” He hears one of the elder vampires scowl. Burgundy eyes shift to said vampire in question, Alucard only gives off a shrug as he offers a lazy smile. 

“What can I say? Hellsing was my greatest enemy after all, I’ve grown to respect him. It’s only right that I take his daughter as my apprentice.”

His response only causes an uproar as many vampires all try to get a word in to argue with the uncaring pureblood. 

Kaname doesn’t even bother to listen to the back and forth of the furious vampires and the uncaring responses of Alucard. 

He only focuses on the small girl in his grasp. He noticed how she stood motionless as the pure blood held her shoulders. 

Soft looking h/c hair that messily framed her chubby cheeks. Big e/c eyes that had an innocent gleam to them. She barely reached Alucard’s stomach and she seemed to be fiddling with something in her tiny hands. She looked dirty and unbathed. And yet the soft smell of honey emitted from her in waves.

She was like a lamb surrounded by wolves, he didn’t miss the hungry gazes that the vampires all gave her. She was easy prey, someone could just rip her from Alucards. grasp and devour her. She was harmless.

Is what he originally thought. 

“That human is going to die Alucard, she will be eaten by the end of the night, you have made a grave mistake bringing her here. Much less spewing out such blasphemy.” 

At the vampire’s words, an amused smile grows on his face. “Go right ahead, you can eat her.”

He lets go of her shoulders and steps back. He lifts his hands in surrender, motioning to the defenseless girl. 

“Anyone can take a bite.” 

No one says anything, baffled at his words.

For a second no one stepped forward too shocked by his nonchalant behavior. 

It isn’t until one brave soul steps forward. A teenage vampire who is practically salivating at the mouth as he approaches the girl. 

The girl in question has no reaction, unflinching as the vampire gets on his knees in front of her. 

Kaname sees her perfectly calm in areas where anyone else would be trembling and fighting. She remains a statue, unmoving and unemotional.

When he exposes her neck and sinks his fangs, Kaname doesn’t even see her flinch. In fact, he sees how her eyes stare down at the vampire feeding from her. Looking at him as if he were as insignificant as a mosquito rather than the bloodthirsty beast he was. Her hands continue to fiddle with the object in her hand. 

Everyone watches with bated breath as the sounds of him drinking her blood sound out through the room. Some start to inch forward to get a chance to sink their teeth into the little girl. 

Only they never get to before the teenager is ripping away from her with a gasp. His lips are stained with a black inky color that he immediately tries to hack out of his mouth. 

“What the hell?!-” He’s interrupted by a harsh cough from his throat. His red eyes widened in horror at the sight of his own blood coating the floor.

“What’s wrong with that girl! Her blood’s so-! OH MY GOD IT HURTS! SOMEONE HELP ME!”

He’s wailing in pain as he screams for help, crawling away from the little girl. 

Only the little girl follows him. 

With her soft looking hair and innocent looking eyes, she reveals the small knife she was fiddling with in her hands.

She makes a small incision in her hand, as she approaches the crying vampire.  Mercilessly, she clamps her bleeding hand over the vampire's wailing mouth. 

His eyes widen in fear as her black blood trails into his mouth, he’s trying to force her hand away but she overpowers him. 

She stares down at him as life begins to flicker out of his eyes. Her gaze was neutral as if she had only killed an annoying mosquito. 

As this happens, the vampires watch with horror, all of them moving away from the child they once thought helpless. Thinking she would turn on them and force them to drink her black blood. 

The only ones near her are Alucard and Kaname. Alucard clapped excitedly from the brutal murder of one of his acquaintances.

“I’ll be the first to admit that Hellsing was a difficult bastard to kill. But he was oh so fascinating! He survived in areas where many humans would have perished, I had always seen him with many vampire bite wounds and yet the old dog was still human! You can imagine my surprise when I tore him to shreds and his blood almost killed me!” He says cheerfully, as if he were relaying fantastic news.

Once the vampire stops squirming and he lays limp on the floor, the little girl moves her hand. Placing pressure on the wound, her big eyes find Kaname, who stands there watching her stoically. He’s unafraid, challenging her to try to kill him. She takes small steps to himself. For a moment he can see a rage deeply hidden in her pretty e/c eyes, that is directed at him. 

“This is what I have found out so far if you would all so kindly listen:

They have immunity from our kind.  They cannot turn into level E vampires. They are also quite resilient against pureblood powers, that’s why I’m careful with this little one.” He grunts as he bends down to pick up the little girl. Effectively stopping her from killing Kaname. If he weren’t a Kuran, he would gladly watch her smother him in her blood. He just didn’t want to deal with the wrath of the Kurans. 

He dodges her chubby hand trying to force her blood onto his mouth, “this one also has a natural inclination to kill us! Isn't the Hellsing bloodline so fascinating?” He jokes around, bouncing the girl in his arms as if she were a harmless little baby. 

He fakes a motion of throwing her at the vampire crowd, in which they all scream and try to back away. 

Alucard lets out a cackle at their fear, deeply amused. 

“What's the matter? Scared of a little brat?” He coos, rubbing his gaunt cheek against her chubby one. She makes a motion to bite him in which he moves his head away, not paying her mind.

“I just wanted to let you all know that Hellsing’s devil spawn will be my apprentice. Anyone who tries to interfere with my plans will be answering to me.” 

With that he swivels around with the little girl in his arms. Kaname watches as they leave, the little girl glaring at all the vampires with rage. 

He could feel the bloodlust rolling off of her in large waves as she gave them all hateful looks. Wiping her bloodied hand onto Alucard’s jacket, her doe eyes find him staring at her. She sneers at him, flipping him off. 

He can’t help but let a little chuckle, like Alucard he too was amused of the little girl. 

He was interested to see her again. 

[pamsimmerstories]

♫ For so long, I have waited So long that I almost became Just a stoic statue, fit for nobody And I don't wanna get in your way But I finally think I can say That the vicious cycle was over The moment you smiled at me And just like the rain You cast the dust into nothing And wash out the salt from my hands So touch me again I feel my shadow dissolving Will you cleanse me with pleasure? Nobody can say for certain If maybe it's all just a game When I open my eyes to the future I can hear you say my name ♫

previous || next

-

juniper: i knew you’d wait until night to come back

travis: if you’re not mine... you won’t be his as well

malcolm: what are those noises?

juniper: i’ll take you with me!

malcolm: june?

Whines

growls and whines

malcolm: *screams* juuuuneee!!

-

juniper: it’s... it’s over, mal

malcolm: june?

malcolm: june... look at me! don’t close your eyes. i’m taking you to the hospital

juniper: we are free

malcolm: june... look at me

juniper: there’s no... time... you know...

juniper: thank... you.

malcolm: *voice falters* don’t speak, june.

juniper: you were... the... best... thing... in my.. li...

malcolm: june??

malcolm: talk to me, june... plase *sobs* wake up, june... wake up

malcolm: *crying* juuuuuuuneeeee... wake up, please. i can’t live without you... it fucking hurts!! come back to me, june...

malcolm: i’m taking you to the hospital... they’ll fix you

malcolm: you’re gonna be okay

wolfgang: dad? is that... mom?

wolfgang: that’s mom! what happened????

malcolm: i said for you to go inside, wolfgang! NOW!

[hannahmassey30]

🦋The Wanderer Masterlist🦋

One Shots/Mini Series/Fanfictions

✨Pedro Pascal

☀️Fandom: Game of Thrones~Oberyn Martell(Modern AU)

Title: Older~inspired by the song by Isabel LaRosa

Tropes: Ex-Boyfriends Father; Friends to Lovers

Part One: “Baby, Am I Your Little Secret”

Part Two: “Darling, Hold Me While You Wipe My Tears”

Part Three: “Take The Weight Off Of Your Shoulders”

Part Four: “Think I Need Someone Older”

☀️Fandom: Game of Thrones~Oberyn Martell(Modern AU)

Title: Dangerous~inspired by the song by Sleep Token

Tropes: Dad’s Best Friend; Friends to Lovers; Slow Burn

Part One: “I Notice Every Time We Meet”

Part Two: “Look In Your Eyes Would Echo In Mine”

Part Three: “Back To Back With Oblivion”

Part Four: “To Blur The Line Just Once Last Time To”

Part Five: “You’ve Got Me Talking In My Sleep”

Part Six: “You Have Awakened What’s Beneath Again”

Part Seven: “Dark Desire and Tainted Bliss”

Part Eight: “Well, I Thought I Could Resist You”

✨Pedro Pascal

☕️Fandom: The Last Of Us~Joel Miller(Modern AU)

Title: Apocalypse~inspired by the song by Cigarettes After Sex

Tropes: Single Dad and Babysitter; Friends to Lovers

Part One: “Got The Music In You Baby”

Part Two: “Kisses On The Foreheads”

Part Three: Your Lips, My Lips, Apocalypse”

Part Four: “Sharing All Your Secrets”

☕️Fandom: The Last Of Us~Joel Miller(Modern AU)

Title: Wonderwall~inspired by the song by Oasis

Tropes: Friends to Lovers; Age Gap; Slow Burn

Wonderwall Story

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

☕️Fandom: The Last Of Us~Joel Miller(Modern AU)

Title: Shameless~inspired by the song by Camilla Cabello

Tropes: Dads Best Friend; Past History

Part One: “It’s Been A Secret For The Longest Time”

Part Two: “My Emotions Are Naked, Their Taking Me Out Of My Mind”

Part Three: “Screaming My Lungs Out For You”

Part Four: “Now That You Have Me, Do You Want Me Still?”

Part Five: “I Need You More Than I Want To”

Part Six: “Show Me Your Shameless”

💚Ewan Mitchell

🐉Fandom: House of the Dragon~Aemond Targaryen(Modern AU)

Title: Lights Out~inspired by the song by Nbdy

Tropes: Ex Boyfriends Brother; One Bed Trope

Part One: “It’s Written All Over Our Faces”

Part Two: “Girl Come Show Me, Like I’m The Only One”

Part Three: “I’ma Love You Till Your Lights Out”

Part Four: “Now Let’s Stop To Face It”

👑Tom Glynn~Carney

🐉Fandom: House of the Dragon~Aegon Targaryen(Modern AU)

Title: Let Me Love You~inspired by the song by Ariana Grande and Lil Wayne

Tropes: Best Friends Brother; Enemies to Lovers

Part One: “I Don’t Really Know What’s Next”

Part Two: “You’re The One I’m Feeling”

Part Three: “And If It Feels Right, Promise I’ll Stay All Night”

Part Four: “Just Let Me Love You”

🐺Tom Taylor

🐺Fandom: House of the Dragon~Cregan Stark(Modern AU)

Title: Rain~inspired by the song by Sleep Token

Tropes: Forced Proximity; Love At First Sight

Part One: “Just A Stoic Statue, Fit For Nobody”

Part Two: “Up Like The Moon And Out Like The Hounds”

Part Three: “Tangled In Your Trance”

Part Four: “Will You Cleanse Me With Pleasure?”

Part Five: “So Touch Me Again”

Part Six: “So Rain Down On Me”

💙Joe Keery

🎤Fandom: Stranger Things~Steve Harrington(Modern AU)

Title: House of Balloons~inspired by the song by The Weeknd

Tropes: Step~Siblings; Slow Burn

Part One: “Been On A Further Level Since You Came”

Part Two: “You’re In My World Now”

Part Three: “You Belong To Me”

Part Four: “If It Hurts, To Breathe, Open A Window”

Part Five: “Your Mind Wants To Leave, But You Can’t Go”

🎸Joseph Quinn

🦇Fandom: Stranger Things~Eddie Munson(Modern AU)

Title: Wicked Game~inspired by the song by Ursine Vulpine and Annaca

Tropes: Slow Burn

Part One: “No One Could Save Me But You”

Part Two: “To Let Me Dream Of You”

Part Three: “What A Wicked Game To Play”

🦇Fandom: Stranger Things~Eddie Munson(Modern AU)

Title: Beast~inspired by the song by Mia Martina

Tropes: Rockstar; Friends to Lovers

Part One: “When The Sun Goes Down”

Part Two: “The Beast Comes Out”

Part Three: “One Look And You’re Mine”

Part Four: “Come Here Right Now”

Part Five: “I Wanna Feel Right Now”

Part Six: “You All Over My Body”

[emerald-oceans]

For so long I have waited

So long that I almost became

Just a stoic statue

Fit for nobody

"Again!" Munkustrap shouted, teeth gritted in frustration and boiling anger, hot enough that those around him swore they could feel the temperature rising off him.

Without another word the cast scrambled back to their starting positions, exhaustion evident on their features as they began the same sequence they had been practicing for the past hour.

As always, Munkustrap would not stop until perfection had been achieved. Even the slightest stumble, the smallest stutter, the most minuscule of mistakes would halt the scene, resulting in an increasingly infuriated clown demanding a reset.

The rest of the clowns, though initially awestruck by Munkustrap's initial impression, had come to resent his presence. He took the stage by storm, immediately capturing the respect of all around him as he auditioned flawlessly, reciting his lines as though he had been born and raised on the very stage they lived on. No other performer in their planet's deep history of the play had captivated both audience and cast members alike, and within his first moments on stage he had skyrocketed to eternal fame.

However, that admiration and adoration remained only amongst a few performing clowns. Though still revered by audiences, Munkustrap's coworkers had long since grown to regard him with disdain. What little power he had been granted had quickly gone to his head, and much like his namesake he had taken on a role of leadership amongst his fellow clowns in the absence of their true leader, turning his devotion of the planet's precious play into strict compliance and demand of nothing less than immaculate perfection.

It had only been a week since Steve's banishment, and Munkustrap had not allowed for even a fraction of a second of rest since that day. His already borderline cruel practices and disregard for his fellow troupers only worsened, with his only goal a flawless performance every time.

Deep down he knew how resentful the others were of him. They blamed him for the loss of Steve. They blamed him for their own exhaustion, and for their growing paranoia that perhaps they, too, would freeze, or flinch, or even fail to perform at all, and be exiled as well.

Munkustrap knew. He knew he was alone. With every moment not spent scrutinizing every action, every position, every line and every breath from each of the CATS he was drowning in his own self hatred. His own blame and role in the very act he arranged. The very act he regretted every waking moment of his life.

At this point he wasn't even watching the performance. With clouded eyes, sight blurred from a river of tears threatening to flood over, he slammed his hands down on the podium from which he judged and snarled.

"We're done!" Not another sound was uttered before he slunk off to his private quarters, not caring whether or not the crew even listened.

He slammed the door of his dressing room behind him, making a beeline for the chair in front of the mirror and dropping unceremoniously into it. So enraptured in his self-loathing thoughts he didn't even notice he wasn't alone until a voice softly spoke.

"Hey."

Munkustrap didn't need to look up to know who it was. Only one person ever greeted him anymore. Only one person ever gave him the time of day, ever looked in his direction with anything other than fear or contempt, or blind adoration for a role he buried himself in. Only one person ever smiled his way, and made him feel like he was worth anything more than the revulsion he felt he deserved.

He looked up anyway, and instantly was glad he made that choice.

And I don't want to get in your way

But I think I can finally say

That the vicious cycle was over

The moment you smiled at me

[theposhsworld]

Following up on Katharina Noël’s brilliant posts where is it polite to enter a conversation with strangers? The ones with an open body language making small talk or semi small talk. When? At networking events for example like an embassy national day, a fundraiser etc. When people are there to network they expect you to be assertive.

When it’s not a networking event only approach open body language people with a compliment.

At a networking event people are there to network and meet people so standing like a shy wallflower waiting to be allowed in is like you are nobody low status low self esteem and just kills the impression when the same behaviour is seen as polite and respectful at a wedding.

At a gala if you see people in the green flag position making small talk amble around the general area with food or drink like you are having a good time.

Socializing is like a dusty trying to get a woman into bed prematurely. He takes her on three dinners and a coffee and fakes romantic interest so she puts out on the fourth. If he says he wants free kitty cat and to pump and dump her on this the first date she run.

Networking you have to pretend you are a red pill dusty trying to get laid. You have to as they say “rationalize the hamster.” Pick up artists view most women’s brains controlled by their emotions so instead of getting somewhere women are like hamsters running in a wheel. Stoic femininity is the only way not to be had by a pick up artist. So the pick up artist say women have an internal flousey shaming mechanism that makes them rightfully upset and say no to giving up something precious like their kitty cat to a Radom lad for free to be pumped and dumped.

The pick up artist thinks a woman who gives it easily and cheaply is a flousey but she will give it if he can give her brain plausible deniability she is not a flousey. He wants the hamster in her brain to stay on the wheel and not notice, get off the wheel and bite him. He has to help her rationalize getting laid just happened and not make it obvious.

So when entering a conversation you have to not make your eavesdropping and intentions to network obvious. You enjoy the event and admire the decorations and food and sip on something or nibble on something. If you are non Muslim keep everything in your left hand so you can shake hands with your right hand.

So you mosey around and wonder around and are side ways to the people in the green check marks. If they are doing semi small talk like the arts, economics or philosophy, say you could not help over hear how brilliant x was when you were passing by and wonder what are their thoughts on y? Ask open ended questions. If they let you into the group great if not leave.

The key is to go this confidently.

Avoid asking people what they do for a living, how much they make or compliment something obviously expensive like “wow beautiful bag is it really Dior?” Don’t talk about how fancy someone’s car or house is. People are scared you are a moocher.

Katherina is right that to socialize with the elite you have to be fun and put people at ease.

To make life easier for you, ONLY ASK OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS. It respects consent and allows people to answer what they choose to.

If someone feels manipulated into answering something against their free will they will resent you and black list you.

So when socializing with a group you wait for an opening in the conversation and yes apologize because eavesdropping is rude but it was an accident.. it just happened like the dusty cooked dinner at his place on the fourth date and things “just happened.”

If people are trading stock tips or talking about friends and family it’s rude to join. Most intimate conversations look like the ones in red. You will get in a lot of trouble joining those.

To join a green conversation you have to compliment intellect and add value. or compliment an outfit. I compliment for example “I couldn’t help but overhear your brilliant remark on Balanchine. He was such a brilliant ballet master, I am curious which of his works do you recommend the most?” It has to be done smooth with confidence.

Or “I could not help but overhear your brilliant observation on the lecture as I was passing by, my apologies, I wonder what you thought of what Berkeshire Hathaway said on the matter in the Wallstreet journal the other day?” (You are at an economics luncheon post lunch networking where everyone reads Wallstreet journal and Harvard Business Review).

Obviously approaching people like this at a birthday or a wedding where they don’t expect networking is rude and creepy. Then you can only compliment people and see if they invite you in their circle.

If you are at a lecture it’s socially acceptable to line up to wait to ask the speaker a question. I would like up to ask people waiting in line open ended questions at the end of the line.

When you walk around if you can’t find something to compliment or add value to a conversation don’t talk to people. If you are having fun well dressed enjoying the moment you will be surprised some people will come up to you.

Don’t be the one who is the most eager to network. You clearly are not important.

Don’t say hello my name is until you traded information a couple times and got accepted into the group, then say by the way my name is. As Katharina said you only give your card at the end. That is when you may know what they do for a living by googling them after the event.

As Katharina says be light and take it easy. Smile and have fun. Your goal isn’t to get business cards but to be a pleasant familiar presence so after bumping into you at a few events people feel you are a joy to be around and get invited.

Only give your card if you vibe well. don’t ask for theirs. Often many people will finally give you their card and invite you after bumping into you at a few events and determining you are fun, not thirsty and not a money grabbing graboid.

It’s like this gentleman went to salsa dancing to get girls and was creeping the ladies out so the salsa instructor went to him “bro I understand you come here because you want a girlfriend, who doesn’t but being here for that gives you creepy vibes that scare off the women so they complain to me. Ignore the women and just salsa dance to have fun, take classes to enjoy the music and have a good time. So many women want me but I have a girlfriend because everyone wants someone having a good time. If women like you, they will make obvious hints. Just enjoy the music.”

A few weeks later Salsa creep was Salsa Romeo and got a girlfriend.

See why I don’t give the time of day to women constantly hating on red pill. Where are gentlemen going to learn social skills? In a traditional society the culture teaches it but in a rebellious freedom culture that is what you get. I do think some red pill coaches are toxic but it’s important to be honest about social skills.

Also don’t go for the most important person in the room first or most important people in the room only unless you are taking advantage of the line to the speaker. People who chase the most important vip first are too obvious. Enjoy the event and don’t make your bulging thirst obvious.

Finally before an event imagine yourself as a socialite social butterfly, a Jackie Kennedy making acquaintances and delighting people. What you imagine you will become. If you come to a social event that people intimidate you that is how you come across but if you imagine Audrey Hepburn or Jackie Kennedy delighting people that will give that royal impression.

Remember the key is to watch for open body language, semi small talk, and create the impression things just happened by accident that happened by design. If Princess Catherine was honest she was stocking Prince William she would not be princess today. She had to make it look like “it just happened” so a tiara sits on her head. Meanwhile don’t let gentlemen manipulate you with “it just happened”.

Do you find a group in this photo or elsewhere you feel safe to network into?

Credit Maria Al Massani