#just wanted to say it doesn’t matter whether he is or isn’t the worlds silver medalist

[rondocapri]

absolutely insane that the current world’s silver medalist is being forced to skate injured in a ranking competition

[thatnonameuser]

Now that I analyse more of your story, I just noticed that Lilia is very interested in Yuu and tells them that he wants to talk to them more or something like that.

I think he says that because he is aware he has little time to see his children get a partner and get married, so what a perfect opportunity is to have a Darling in an all yandere boy school by pure coincidence. It's like a miracle to him! So he would do anything (like matchmaking) to see one of his children being happy with Yuu no matter the cost. (Even If has to use dirty tricks to have Yuu being with one of the Diasomnia trio)

This is just a theory, a fan theory! 🤓☝️

Your theory is partially right.

Lilia isn’t really that interested in you, he’s not really bothered knowing you’re a darling.

Look, he’s been around this block a thousand times. During his travels spanning over centuries, he’s seen and met countless yanderes and darlings who’ve all acted differently. He practically has a nose for it at this point. So when he popped up in front of you, he had a bit of an inkling you weren’t like your peers, or him. 

But at first he doesn’t pay any mind. Whether you’re a darling or not, it’s not really something to take into consideration. Either you’ll find your way home, or you’ll be taken in by someone else, not really his problem.

That is until he discovers that his boys have feelings for you. 

When Malleus comes back from his nightly walks talking about you with a lovesick smile on his face. When Silver comes to him about seeing you in his dreams with a dreamy look in his eyes, (I’ll get into that later). When Sebek comes back to Diasomnia totally not ranting about a very obvious crush he has on you buried under how bothersome it is to deal with you. He’s not blind to the signs of them falling for you.

And that’s when he gets interested in you. 

Because in all honesty, he’s old. It's about time he makes the evolution to grandfather. (And since Baul isn’t here to guide his very….. very stubborn and tone deaf grandson, he’ll do it for him. But seriously, this stubbornness to love is genetic at this point, Lilia should know he made a joke about about it in his best man speech at his wedding) But Lilia wants to see them get married, to see them worry about becoming parents, to watch them cry from happiness at seeing their first child be born. He wants to spoil his grandkids when they come to visit. He wants to regale them with his war stories and embarrass their parents as when he tells them about his sons’ childhoods. Wants to spoil them rotten and take them away when his parents need Insert winkie face😉 Alone time. And more and more. Is that too much to ask? He doesn’t think so.

But he might not be able to do that. 

He’s old, he knows he’s old. He’s not going to be around forever. So he needs to make sure that he lives long enough to see that.

Meaning like a nosy parent trying to set up his kid, he’s gonna get involved. And not in the way you might like.

He’s not going to be mean about it. He’ll give them pointers, little gift ideas, tips to keep other yanderes away from you, etc. 

But when he learns that not only are you planning to get out of TWST the second the opportunity presents itself, but you callously, in his opinion, reject every attempt his boys make to woo you the nice way (the non yandere way). Well, then you forced his hand, he didn’t want to do this but he has to because you decided to be difficult.

Enter the Lilia who is willing to use more…. Painful techniques to persuade you. 

In other words, he’s getting more involved. At this point you’ve hardened to the yandere world, so he knows that you won’t be able to convince you with words or promises of a better life, so now he has to be cruel. 

Don’t bother trying to convince him this is wrong, and that you should be allowed to return home. Keep in mind he’s grown up and old in this world, he agrees with how it works. And while Maleanor or Levan might disagree with his methods, he’s doing this for a greater good. 

Remember, you’re the reason he had to go this far. He’s not at fault here.

[manawari]

"Love" as told by Kim Gongja and Raviel Ivansia (1/?):

“I will value your judgment over mine. I will weigh your advice heavier than my principles. I will not value myself the most. I will follow you. But in return.”

I looked at the lady’s face. With our hands clasped together, the distance between us was very short. Her red eyes. I knew them to be the same color as her heart.

“Please treat me the same way.”

“……”

“If you do something wrong, I’ll tell you that it was wrong. What I really think, what I see, what I feel. I’ll confess everything to you without a single lie. However, it cannot be one-sided. If I give you my heart, how shall I breathe? I’ll end up choking and dying. Only if you give me your heart will I be able to live.”

I gripped the Lady of the Silver Lily’s hand a little more strongly.

“If you want to see me go mad, please go mad with me.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“If you brought me here to make me give up, you were wrong, milady. I didn’t fall in love with you because your heart isn’t ugly.”

The Lady of the Silver Lily paused very briefly. Love. It was because of this word. My face became hot when I said it out loud, but I didn’t think to hesitate.

“It’s only been one day since you came to love me. My teaching is brilliant.”

“Does it matter that it’s only been a day? Would it have been better if I loved you for a year? A thousand days? Do you want me to return after that?”

“……”

“I can see what kind of people you despise. And what you despise is the same as what I hate. I can see what scars you wear and how you are hurt. I love the way you live. Because, you and I, we live the same life.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

I had never said something like this to anyone else. I wasn’t used to it. But I wanted to keep the person in front of me. And I wanted the Lady of the Silver Lily to keep me. I wanted us to share one life and have each other.

“I love you as much as I love myself. I wish you could love me as much as I love you.”

These were my true feelings.

And the only method I knew was to exclaim it with all my heart.

“I will definitely make you love me. I won’t tell you to abandon the crown prince. Even if I don’t ask you to, you will abandon him one day.”

“My heart is…”

“Yes. But it doesn’t matter if your heart is held hostage by the world. If that’s the problem, I’ll free you. But if you still love the crown prince, then I’ll become an even better person than he is and stay by your side.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

I whispered in the Lady of the Silver Lily’s ear.

“The two of us are regressors. The only two in the world.”

I knew that my face was red. But I said what I had to say.

“There will be a lot of times that only you and I can enjoy. During those times, I’ll give you such breathtaking memories that they will make your memory of the prince fade away. I’ll try my best.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“…You are arrogant. I am satisfied with living my life.”

“I suppose you are. I feel the same way. Still, I want to help you. Is it arrogant to want to help the one you love? Then, I’ll become an arrogant person.”

The Lady of the Silver Lily closed her lips. She, too, was trying to help the prince in her own way. Whether or not she admitted it, the two of us were alike.

“What do you want from me?”

“When the world ends this time, please stay with me.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“And, if it’s possible, I would be grateful if you could make me fall deeper in love with you. It would be wonderful if I fell so deeply, foolishly in love with you that I could never escape.”

“Is that what you’re requesting from me now?”

“It’s all right. I’m easy. My heart beats wildly even if Your Ladyship just holds my hand.”

The Lady of the Silver Lily looked at me like she was dumbfounded.

“How shameless… Fine. I told you that I would teach you about love, so I shall make good on my promise.”

The Lady of the Silver Lily grabbed my hand. It felt soft. Her hands were bare. The touch of her hand was wrapped around my right hand. Last night, my heart pounded from the memory of the Lady of the Silver Lily’s perfume.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“Good. Do you remember the first lesson I taught you about love?”

“Love starts like a bitch…”

“Well done.”

The Lady of the Silver Lily’s hands cupped my cheeks.

Then.

“I’ll be your first bitch of a lover.”

The moon swallowed the light.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“Raviel.”

Thump.

“Raviel Ivansia.”

[The immersion toward the character is deepened.]

[Currently, your immersion rate is 62%.]

I simply whispered the name of my beloved lover. Yet, my heart jumped, I couldn’t breathe, and the face of the man in the mirror blushed. Even I could read my expression with ease.

“…I really love her.”

It was amazing.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“I don’t like it when the person I love tries to take everything upon herself. No, I hate it. I would want her to step up when I’m tired, and when she’s tired, I’ll bear her troubles.”

“We’re only in a fake relationship.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m serious.”

“…Don’t you feel insulted?”

“Aha. Your Ladyship doesn’t know me yet.”

How could a person be so lovely? I smiled a little.

“I’m a positive guy. Do you think I’ll be depressed or get an inferiority complex just because we’re in a fake relationship? Far from it; I think of it as an opportunity. Anyway, you will come to love me.”

“My goodness. Where is this confidence coming from?”

“It’s because you’ll spend time with just me. Until you tell me that you’re [tired of me], I won’t give up no matter what.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

I wanted to love her like crazy.

“Are you crying?”

“No.”

“You’re lying.”

“Yes.”

“I hate lies. It’s all right to joke, but don’t tell me any lies. I won’t lie to you, either. I won’t lie to you with words, gestures, nor glances.”

“Are you crying?”

“……”

“If you don’t want to talk, you have the right to stay silent. I won’t press you. I won’t push you. We can wait slowly until the other person wants to talk.”

“Yes.”

Thank goodness.

Thank goodness that I had fallen in love with her.

Thank goodness that I became someone who could love her.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

In the middle of the ballroom, we faced each other.

I moved my feet.

The Lady of the Silver Lily also stepped forward.

In the place where dozens of shadows fluttered, under the white chandelier, we kissed, unable to say who had moved first.

We needed no words.

Around us, voices of astonishment sounded. We ignored them. The band who had been playing music in the ballroom stopped. The ladies and gentlemen stopped dancing and stared at us. Still, we ignored them.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

I’m happy to be with you.

It would be an exaggeration to say I lived this life just to meet you, but it isn’t a lie to say I’ll live for you. What a relief. I could say that without a single lie.

“Are you crying again?”

I could be that sort of person.

“Let’s make a promise.”

I could be a person who cares for someone.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The Lady of the Silver Lily grabbed my hand and pulled.

“Let’s go.”

“Ah. Yes.”

After making the ballroom fall into shock and fear… we left.

We just left.

No matter how or why, no one could stop us.

Maybe they could have stopped me or the Lady of the Silver Lily individually, but it wasn’t possible when we were together. If we wanted to leave, we left. If they still stood in our way? Fuck ’em. How could they stop the regressor couple?

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“I see. So you will be able to summon me, too.”

“You’ve died with me nine times, so I can summon nine different Raviels.”

“I forbid it.”

“All right.”

I never intended to summon the Lady of the Silver Lily in the first place. No matter what the circumstances were. But her voice and words cut off the possibility for good.

Love was a sacred promise and a contract.

We were writing our own laws, rules for just us two.

“I’ll add one more thing to your punishment should you betray me. Dispose of that skill.”

“I will.”

Then, I chose my next words. She was the one I loved. She was the one who would love me. She was the person I had to treasure and treat cautiously the most in the world.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“Don’t die even when it’s an easy escape. You are my lover. You can’t be someone who throws away his life carelessly. Even if you don’t think you can escape death, struggle until the end.”

I was silent.

I was engraving the promise I made with her in my heart.

“I won’t.”

“Tell me what you want from me.”

“When I ask you to trust me, please believe in me.”

“I will always trust you.”

The carriage rattled. Using that slight vibration as an excuse, the Lady of the Silver Lily and I drew closer. Our lips met.

From that day on.

We became each other’s love.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“Are you still all right?”

“Raviel.”

I was scared.

“I love you. I love you, Raviel…”

“I know.”

“Even if I’m born again, I’ll still love you. So, so that I can never forget you, don’t let me forget you even if I die…”

“I know.”

Our lips met.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Are you listening?

I am happy because of you. I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to let go of the time I’ve spent with you like this.

You said this before. That you would ‘write a diary starting today.’ You said that you would show me all of your days. Those words, were they lies?

You said, ‘I will learn music.’ I wanted to spend a quiet evening listening to you play. Was that wish really a lie?

I want to see your days. I want to say goodnight to you. Your days will surely make me smile, and evenings with you will be happy. I want my smile and your happiness to overlap.

I don’t want to kill you.

I don’t want to lose you.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Look at me.

Look at you beside me.

You’re a dumb person. You’re also naive. I wondered how you survived in the world with such innocence, but I soon learned that you had died thousands of times.

You had many reasons to abandon your innocence. There were few reasons to keep your naivety. To you, who did not throw away your innocence despite the many reasons and kept it when you didn’t need to, I simply say:

I love your innocence.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

You alone cannot protect yourself.

I alone cannot protect this world.

But if it’s the two of us, you and I, we can do anything.

I’m also afraid. Killing you is terrifying.

Staying beside you, even though I know I’ll be hurt, is hellishly frightening.

But my fears will not stand in my way of being with you.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Listen.

This is the scar you left on me.

-Gongja.

Don’t forget.

-…Who are you calling for?

Never. Don’t forget, even if you die.

-My lover.

The man who offered me his heart.

-The man to whom I will offer mine.

You, in this place.

You live in my heart.

-Have a safe trip.

-……

-I’ll be waiting for you.

Are you listening?

Can you hear it?

Gongja.

I love you.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The Lady of the Silver Lily smiled a little.

“It’s troublesome to be proposed to like this. I love your voice. Do you understand? If you don’t say it yourself, I won’t listen. So, you have to come back to me quickly.”

My heart pounded.

“I’m going to kill you. I’ll kill you over and over until you come back. If you can come back by seeing my scars, I’ll show you them as many times as necessary.”

“Milady…”

“So look at my wounds and suffer. Look at the scar you left on me. Look at it again and again. There are traces of you there.”

The Lady of the Silver Lily reached out her hands and grabbed my neck.

“You are the only person in this world who can kill me.”

Gently.

“You should know that I’m the only person who can kill you.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

You were born as the daughter of the Duke of Ivansia. You had a sad mother and lived a sad life. Your husband was decided before you were born, and after you were born, you dedicated your life to that person.

You are a white flower.

You are called the Moon of Ivansia, you were called the heiress, and I called you Your Ladyship.

“You’ve arrived.”

“……”

You are standing in the hallway. In this hallway, in the dark night, you are like a lone island in the sea. An infinite sea surrounded you. I heard the crashing waves.

You are not Heiress Ivansia, not the Lady of the Duchy, nor Your Ladyship.

“Raviel.”

The white flower smiles.

“I was waiting, Gongja.”

I.

I love you.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

I ran and hugged her.

“Raviel.”

A million words were suspended in my mouth.

I could say [I’m sorry].

I’m sorry I left you a permanent scar.

I’m really sorry.

I could also say [thank you].

Thank you for trusting me, thank you for waiting for me, and most of all, thank you for loving me.

For loving someone like me.

But what I wanted to say was not an apology, nor was it words of thanks. This wasn’t the first time I apologized to her, and this wasn’t the first time I would be grateful to her.

In this moment, the night we reunited, I didn’t want to apologize or thank her.

‘Something I’ve never said before.’

I wanted to present her words that I could only say to her once. I wanted to give her an utterance I would only say one time in my whole life. My first. My last. I wanted to dedicate my time to Raviel Ivansia.

So. Therefore. That was why.

I took Raviel’s hand.

“Let’s get married.”

A marriage proposal.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Raviel slowly nodded.

“I am called many names. I received the epithet of the Silver Lily from the emperor. The empire calls me by my title, Heiress Ivansia. But my name, Raviel, will eternally belong only to you.”

We kissed.

Deeply.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“This is the world I live in. I am loyal to this empire. My world and my nation needs to recognize my marriage. Even if you are a commoner here, you are my lover, and every citizen of the empire must accept you.”

“All right. But can we expect everyone to react well…?”

“It’s fine, Gongja,” Raviel said composedly. “Citizens who do not recognize you will die by my hands.”

What do I do? She was too cool. I was falling in love again. I wanted to fall in love with her again and again.

“I understand. Let’s have our wedding in your world, Raviel. But I also have a condition.”

“Speak it.”

“Breaking the engagement with the prince is necessary, but you shouldn’t be the one to initiate it. I won’t be able to forgive anyone who speaks poorly of you when they know nothing.”

If anyone tried to point fingers at my beloved, I would break that finger. If anyone gossiped about her, I would cut off their tongue. If anyone besmirched her, I would kill them.

I wasn’t kidding.

I’d give them a taste of hell.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“Husband…?”

Raviel’s eyelashes fluttered. Her shoulders shrank a bit.

‘What the heck is this reaction?’

I didn’t know it at first since Raviel kept a straight face, but I soon realized it. No way. Maybe? Could it be? No, this wasn’t possible, even if it was the end of the world, but…

“Raviel. Are you embarrassed right now?”

“Mm…”

Raviel mumbled.

“It’s insanely adorable. My man is…”

Her embarrassment infected me in an instant. This was crazy.

My face turned red, and my lips were dry. Still, my head worked just fine. At this time, it would be best to counterattack by saying [Raviel is the cutest person in the world]. I could return all the damage I’d received from Raviel so far. But I couldn’t do that. I felt so flustered I thought I would die.

Instead, I compromised.

“Husband.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Raviel covered her lips with a white napkin.

“You thought of me.”

“Yes.”

“Gongja. You’ve already helped me. The people of the world won’t know this, but you’ve saved this world from destruction. You’ll continue to save it in the future. Isn’t it all right for you to do what you wish, even a little?”

“No.”

I shook my head firmly.

“I’ll be with you all my life, Raviel. For the rest of our lives. I don’t want to obsess over [what I’ve done for Raviel]. I don’t even want to think about it. I want to give you more things, things that are more precious than anything I’ve done for you before.”

“……”

“I want it so that meeting me would be the greatest fortune in your life. I hope that being beside me will be your greatest happiness. I want to mean the most to you, Raviel.”

“…It’s not a matter of fortune or happiness.”

Raviel stood up from the table.

She slowly approached me and bent down.

“You are my one miracle.”

Our lips met.

[writingforatwistedworld]

For the event can you do A,J,I with Lilia

Self-aware au

I do not take any responsibility for you reading this no matter which age group you are from!

WARNINGS: Yandere themes, kidnapping, violence, blood, murder, implied mutilation, religion, obsession, death, possessiveness, unhealthy relationship

A/J/I

Affection: How do they show their love and affection? How intense would it get?

Beyond sanity

Lilia isn’t someone you want as an admirer no matter if you are someone he considers a God or not

Why? Well… there are a few things that might be a bit unsettling

Whether that is him always him being there to “serve” you (his words not mine) or make sure that no one gets too close to you with Silver, Sebek and Malleus being the only exceptions

There is just no way to get a few moments for yourself

He is always there, waiting for an order, waiting for a chance to prove himself to his beloved God

Just don’t question why he does it

Otherwise, you might get lost in the madness in his eyes

Acts of service

Who would have thought? An obsessive admirer always doing something for the person of their admiration

But don’t think that he is your normal local friendly neighbor fae who might have attachment issues and trauma binding him to you

Nonono! Lilia is a new level

“A new level” you say? What new level? Oh am I glad you asked because there is a lot I want to tell you

But since we can’t make this too long let me give you the short version of it: he makes you absolutely dependant

And I’m not talking about simple “yeah, I do everything for them”-dependant but “They can’t live without me anymore”-dependant

Lilia catches on quickly that whilst you have watched them from above you still don’t understand much of this world

So in the beginning it’s pretty harmless stuff

You don’t understand some of those studies? Let him help you. You don’t know about this event in the past? You must be a God without a good memory. Let him help you

Soon he starts to put false thoughts into your head

The world hates non-magicians! You need to stay close to him so you are safe!

This is of course a huge lie but your presence is just so sweet! So… so addicting!

Sooner than later you are even afraid of doing something without him to the point you can’t do basic things by yourself

But maybe he is the dependent one

Considering how many of those potions he feeds you (he says they are for “protection”) he might be the one desperate to keep you close to him

I would even say more desperate than you are for him but who knows what is going on in his head?

Gift giving

Do you know that feeling of happiness that you feel whenever someone uses the gift you gave them thinking that it was a good thing to get them that? After all, they are using it

Yeah, Lilia is getting high on that

Although, he doesn’t buy you a dust sweeper he does give you jewlery

Lots and lots of jewlery

I am very sure that Lilia is very rich

I mean, he was once one of the highest generals

So why not indulge you when he can?

Although, he doesn’t even ask if you want all of this

It’s just the thought of his God wearing something he gifted them, his offering on your body…

So if you ever decide to wear something he will stare at it and he will gift you more of that type of jewelry

There is just no end once all of this started

And don’t even try to make him stop

Lilia will think that he has offended you in any way

Which will lead to a lot of tears and him going on rants to Malleus about how much of a failure he is

Just take them with a smile… and lock your doors, we wouldn’t want him to visit you as well- and it’s too late

More than you probably like to know

We all know that Lilia is more a less a master of metal toothpicks

You think I wouldn’t use that here? HAH! You poor innocent thing

Yeah, ever seen a red stain on his clothing? That was tomato juice… or so he says

To be honest, it’s kinda fishy how metallic he sometimes smells but I don’t critique what kind of perfume others wear

And that pile of dug up dirt in which he hurriedly shovels full once more? Just a little gardening project of his

Ok jokes aside, that is a meat suit six feet under

What I would advise you to do is not ask in general what he is doing if he acts even odder than usual

We all value safety and sanity. Writingforatwistedworld does not take responsibility for any actions that might follow shall you ask too many questions

Ideals: What kind of future do they have in mind for/with their darling?

A family

Surprise surprise! The kid raising fae wants a family

And if you can’t have (or aren’t able due to your body) he will just take an “abandoned” child from the crib it was laying in without its parents… at night

I hope you like children because he won’t take “no” as an answer

But can you imagine how wonderful life would be? You, Silver, him… the child

That doesn’t mean the child is safe from him either

Let’s say it would take all your attention away from him

He won’t harm them but he will separate the two of you

So I wouldn’t advise using it as a distraction from your current situation

Just give it a good childhood, ok?

Having you to himself

Lilia can’t take you away whilst you are still surrounded by so many people

But he is aware that one day they will be done with their education, leaving you to him

Will he use that? Absolutely

So one day you might wake up, not being able to speak or run, flung over his shoulder and him asking if you have slept well

Lilia would like to live a silent lifestyle in the woods but if you don’t cease you escape attempts he will put you in a tower

You know, like the good old days in which people were kept up there all the time

All I can say is, ask for good furniture, he won’t decline it

Still having to continue with “shielding” you

Of course, he is also aware that people will always try to come close to you

After all, you are a God (at least to him) and who would pass the opportunity to say “hi” to their favorite local deity?

Sadly, all those years on the battlefield have made him see things not the way they are supposed to be, at least with you

With the king trying to usurp your eternal throne he had gotten very early in his life the mentality that everyone is trying to harm you

So instead of seeing things as they are, him being just a very bad partner to you, he is instead thinking he is still protecting you from people like the king

So once you are in a little wooden hut or a high tower you might have to clean one or two pieces of clothing that are a bit… stained

Ah delusions, such nifty little annoyances

Maybe you can talk with him about what happened

To be honest he is so messed up in this au that I don’t even know what to do with him

Jealousy: Do they get jealous? Do they lash out or find a way to cope?

Lashing out

When Lilia really can’t keep himself together anymore (being denied affection for too long, …) he will snap

He will never hurt you though

Oh no, he will leave the room, lock it and then you will hear something being smashed

Once the door is open again there will be marks from a sword being wildly flung around

To get him to calm down you will have to talk to him through the door

Otherwise, his rampage can go on for hours

Coping with his anger

There are ways in which he can calm himself down though

Remember that him thinking he is in truth protecting you thingy?

Well he might stop holding himself back

Which will lead to… uh… very unappetizing scenes for the local law department

I would recommend asking him from time to time if he is doing at least somewhat ok

[shirtlesssammy]

The Winchesters 1x07: Reflections

“Comes a time in every hunt when the fightin’ starts. And the difference between winning and losing isn’t whether you have the holy water, the wooden stake, or the silver bullet. It’s whether you’ve got the grit to get the job done.” 

We open with John and Mary surrounding a radio station tower. The radio tower has been a beacon for all the unicorn monsters who come to Lawrence and then the Akrida feed on their essence. 

They head inside to find the place in shambles. Mary finds her dad’s pack, with blood all over it. 

Meanwhile, at the Bunkerhouse, Carlos and Lata are lamenting the uselessness of the Akrida catching box. They’ve tried everything to make it work again. Ada shows up with a box full of papers from other bunkers. Carlos wonders what happened to all the Men of Letters. <Insert bird ??? gif> He suggests retirement —um, yeah, let’s go with that. 

Mary and John find a dude possessed by an Akrida. He passes along the message that their job at the radio station is done. They’ve acquired all the monster essence they need for their queen. Nothing can stop them now. “We’ve got a box that says different.” YES! A BOX! John coming in with the big guns!! WHOOT! 

Rockin’ Roxy is busy browbeating her nerdy scientist Akrida minion. The dig has begun! Get with it genius dude! (Sidenote: Words that Boris frowns at that have been said in this episode include essence and juicy.) An Akrida monster pops in with an update!

Back at the clubhut, Lata discovers the name of the box. The Ostium! The notes on the box are in code –AND written by Henry Winchester!! If they can translate it, maybe they can figure out the secrets of the box! 

Carlos tries to give Mary a pep talk over her missing/possibly bloody father. He tells her about his own parents. How he wanted a guitar and they went to get it for him, only for them to be killed by ghouls. He got revenge and lives with the guilt.

He helps Mary understand that it’s not her fault for Samuel’s disappearance. 

John brings Millie in on the translation party. 

Carlos and Mary are pulled over by Officer Mustache wearing lovely sunglasses, and Roxy. She needs a word with Mary. She wants the Ostium. She’s willing to trade Samuel for it. Carlos thought ahead and put a hex bag in the cruiser. If they can track Roxy, maybe they can get the jump on her! They rush back to the others and ask Ada to track the hex bag. 

Ada starts on her work in the conservatory. Millie walks in, surprised at everything in the building. They drink and talk about Henry. And generational trauma. “Seeing John here, it’s like history repeating.” 

Lata explains to the others that the Ostium transports monsters –to parts unknown. The Akrida are hive-like monsters that take over worlds. The Akrida are all connected to their queen. Use the Ostium on the queen=kill all the Akrida. Win! Carlos gets morose realizing that if they save Samuel Campbell, the Scooby gang will break up. 

Ada’s spell is working so the gang rush over to watch the magic.

The Akrida are hanging out where Mary was stung. WHY? 

Down in old tiled and bricked over tunnels, Akrida-possessed people dig. And they dig - without care for the bodies of their hosts. (I rock back and forth chanting, “the broken nails are not real the broken nails are not real”)

In the clubhouse, the Scooby gang spin out attack plans while Millie goes over Henry’s notes. Millie tells them about a ritual she discovered - a seance. She proposes raising Henry’s specter and having him translate his notes himself. (As someone with dreadful handwriting, I look forward to having my ghost be summarily raised for future researchers!) We also try to remember just when John had given up on finding his dad alive, but it doesn’t matter, because the gang is all in on this plan. Carlos proposes that they use Millie’s wedding ring as a fulcrum to the spell, but she sold it to fund equipment for the shop. (That’s my girl!) Instead, they choose an emotional keepsake from John. 

Once more down in the pits, one of the Akrida hosts takes a sledgehammer to one of the walls. Breaking it down, they discover an ancient-looking door. 

John gets his old music box from his closet, and fills everyone in on the sad backstory of it. He played it at night as a child. After his dad left, he played it for comfort until he got angry one day and broke it. SYMBOLICALLY. Further driving us into a state of frothy unrest, DEAN’S THEME plays over this confession. And the father/son/anger parallels overwhelm me for a moment and I lie down gaping like a fish suddenly laid out on a rock. For just. Imma need a minute.

The gang preps for the seance. But ooooh there’s a catch. John has to share his emotions with his dad “openly and honestly” in order for the spell to work. LOLOLOL good luck. Millie wants to know if anyone else can talk to Henry and I ache for her a little bit. They chant to work the spell and the candles extinguish at the height of their chanting. Carlos proposes that it was just a drafty room and not the magical workings of spirit magic. 

John storms off, his chair crashing to the floor behind him. Mary finds him in the conservatory, where he bitterly stews over his memory of Henry. John reveals some additional insight into his music box FEELINGS. He also played the music box to drown out the sound of his parents arguing. (Specifically, his parents arguing about HIM and his safety.) Mary concludes that he was angry at himself as well - for failing to be ENOUGH. To keep his dad with him. GAH!

Henry appears, a flickering but warm presence. He assures John that what happened was Henry’s fault, not John.

Mary heads off to get Millie, which gives John and Henry an opportunity to display vulnerability without manly man masks. John cuts to the chase: the Akrida are back. They have the ostium but it’s broken. Henry proposes that the ostium is NOT broken, but instead just needs a quick power-up. The energy source that powers the box ensures the location of the portal on the other end of the transporting ostium. They need to power it up Akrida-style, in order to zap the Akrida back to their world. John has a piece of the Akrida energy source - it’s hidden in the jasmine vine growing along the side of the garage. 

Henry and John spare a moment to talk about John’s larger arc, and Henry warns John that he’s stepped into a dangerous world. “Watch out for yourself, and your mom,” he instructs. And OOOOOOH that’s gonna sting when John fails to save Millie sometime in the future. (I’m sorry, but we’re all thinking it???) 

Millie arrives in time for the flickering Henry to tell her that he loves her - both of them, in fact. He fades away. 

Later, the Scooby Gang passes a rock around - the Akrida energy source. Mary sets it on the box and it glows, opens, and swallows up the rock. BOOM. They head out to the tunnels to track Roxy. If they trap her in the box, the whole colony will collapse. Ada warns that the box won’t be able to swallow up every Akrida. Eventually it will lose power. 

John and Mary head inside, and Akrida-possessed humans step out to block their way. While Mary and John prepare to fight, Mary reminds John that they “have to use demon possession rules” - so, like, be super careful not to kill the hosts. I laugh and laugh and then cry a little too, my fists clenched in voiceless agony. We get a great action fight scene in the hallway, the camera traveling, agile. I enjoy the style! (Good work, Speight)

Elsewhere, Carlos and Lata find the lab from before. They locate the monster essences, but there’s someone at the door before they can do more than run and hide. The Akrida woman who discovered the doors in the tunnel arrives to remove the monster serum and transport it to places unknown. 

Millie and Ada stake out the scene when the cop from before knocks on the window. He orders them to get out of the car and Millie whacks him with a bat in reply. 

John and Mary, meanwhile, encounter Roxy. Mary whips out the box. The ostium sucks in Roxy and one of the Akrida, leaving a third behind to growl angrily. Wherps. Not the queen, then.

Mary and John flee, ending up in a room with no way out. They banter, riffing off of episode one dialogue to reflect on their first monster excursion. Remember all the way back then? Man, they were kids then, amirite? John makes his move and they kiss passionately, to swelling music. The Akrida break down the doors. It’s looking bad for our heroes, when an ostium-like light spills out and the monsters all get sucked inside. It’s…SAMUEL to the rescue! I am seriously just happy enough for Mary that I forget how much I dislike Samuel post-resurrection.

Emotional reunions have to wait, however. The Akrida pulls up to the entrance of the tunnels at their dig site. They gather around the doors and open them up. The Akrida woman with the vials of monster essence heads inside, her eyes full of wonder. She promises to make the Akrida QUEEN strong again.

__

Don’t You Quote About Me:

Didn’t any of you guys ever go to Sunday school?

I know what you’re thinking and you’re wrong

“How insane are we talking?” “Certifiable with a side of sassy”

Plants break the earth to reach for the sun

Guess I shouldn’t be surprised he didn’t show up. He didn’t come to my baseball games either

__

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[talesofsorrowandofruin]

7 Snippets 7 People Tag

Thanks for tagging me, @sam-glade​! :D

All of these are from the flashback in Silver Glass. MAJOR spoilers and disturbing content ahead, obviously. (Non-exhaustive list of triggers: homophobia, marital rape, mental and emotional abuse, eating disorders...)

(If you’re wondering: no, the changes between Davit and David aren’t a mistake. He spells his name both ways.)

1.

Louis is in love. He makes David his confidant when he wants to sing his lover's praises. Well, he calls the man his lover. He reveals that he has only spoken to him once, and then only at a party held by Louis's father.

His name is Alexander Lennox.

Louis has a photo of him cut from the society pages. David doesn't think much of him. He certainly isn't the most handsome man in the world, as Louis believes. But that's all right and Louis doesn't even mind him showing his disinterest, because David isn't the one in love with Alexander.

He has his doubts about whether Louis is in love with Alexander either. So far Louis's behaviour shows more infatuation than love.

It doesn't matter. It's none of his business. And it's not as if he'll ever meet Alexander Lennox.

2.

Fate has a sense of humour.

Time proves David right: Louis isn't really in love with Lennox. About a week later his infatuation wears off and he changes his affections to one of his classmates. David forgets all about Alexander Lennox.

Then Reverend Grantley tells him he can have three days' holiday from his studies, because an author is coming to consult him on church history. David thinks nothing of it at first.

It's May 1915. Early evening, Monday the third of May. David opens the Grantleys' front door and finds the reverend in the hall, chatting to a young man. Before David can decide what to do, the reverend has spotted him.

"Come in, Eames! This is one of my students," he says by way of explanation. "Eames, this is Mr. Lennox. He'll be a famous author some day."

Lennox smiles awkwardly. He ducks his head and a faint colour shows on his face at the reverend's words. Then he looks at David.

David is frozen in place. He recognises him, of course. But Louis' photos didn't do him justice. Alexander Lennox looks plain, forgettable even, in black and white. In real life? The sun casts golden highlights through his light brown hair. His eyes are deep blue. His face is... David can't find the words to describe him but he's the most handsome man he's ever seen.

3.

Four months pass. They exchange letters. At some point Alexander becomes Alec, and he starts addressing his letters to "David" instead of "Mr. Eames".

Louis has returned by now. David had been afraid of an explosion when he found out that his fellow student is in love with his former crush. Quite the opposite: Louis is now in love with an actor and finds the whole thing hilarious.

He bears both the credit and blame for starting the sequence of events that end in murder.

No one suspects it at the time. Louis simply wants to do David a good turn. His older brother has just done something remarkable in Parliament (David, who isn't remotely interested in politics, neither knows nor cares what) and their parents are hosting a house party to celebrate. They've invited Alec. When Louis finds out he immediately asks David to accompany him when he goes home.

Alec hadn't answered the invitation at first. But when he hears David will be there, he accepts immediately.

Later David learns that Alec's mother had a word with the countess, which resulted in another name being added to the guest list. It's a name he and Alec will become horribly familiar with: Miss Gwladys Whare.

(When David first sees her name he thinks someone has misspelt both Christian name and surname. Later he discovers he was wrong: her parents actually christened her Gwladys, and they thought the spelling Ware was too plebeian for them.)

4.

David can't remember what they were talking about. He remembers sitting on Alec's coat spread as an improvised blanket, next to Alec with his head on Alec's shoulder. He remembers really wanting to kiss him. And he remembers Alec kissing him back.

They end up lying on the ground. David is half on top of Alec. They're still kissing. Alec wraps his arms around David's waist and pulls him completely on top of himself. David can't wait any longer. He starts to unbutton Alec's shirt. Alec reaches for David's belt.

"Jesus H. Christ!"

They disentangle themselves and leap to their feet at the first word. David's vain hope that the newcomer hadn't got a good look at what they were doing dies when he sees who it is.

Gwladys Whare has just appeared at the side of the summer-house. From where she's standing she had a perfect view of them. And there was really no way to mistake what they'd been doing.

She stares at them both as if they're something she's scraped off her shoe. Alec rebuttons his shirt. David tries to smooth his hair down into something approaching respectability. A profoundly awkward silence descends.

Alec breaks it. "Miss Whare, I apologise for— We had no idea you were nearby. I beg you not to speak of this to anyone."

Miss Whare begins to smile. Her smile widens into something truly sadistic. "Oh, I bet you do. But what if I go right back to the house and tell them all? Maybe you can buy your way outta trouble, but your little tart will go right to jail."

5.

He and Alec have only one short meeting in private before Alec leaves too. They meet in the garden again and make their own arrangements: Davit will live in London until Alec divorces Gwladys. Alec is optimistic it shouldn't take too long. This shows every indication of being the shortest marriage in history.

"I know she's already writing to another man," Alec says. "As long as we stay apart she'll have no evidence against me."

Davit is slightly less optimistic. Once Gwladys has her claws in Alec, he can't imagine her letting go easily. "What if you have a child?"

Alec makes a disgusted face. "There's no chance of that. I have no intention of ever consummating this marriage."

"If you don't she'll use that against you." Davit pulls leaves off a stem of ivy clinging to the old summer house. "Consummate the marriage, play the loving husband when others are around, make sure she has nothing she can use against you."

Alec looks at him in surprise. Davit can guess what he's thinking. That this is odd advice for him to give. But Davit knows Gwladys is a genuine threat to both of them. The best way to deal with threats is with deceit.

6.

Alec has dark circles around his eyes. He's paler and possibly thinner. His smile is pained. He can't stop moving even when sitting down; he constantly fidgets with his watch, or his teacup, or even his hair.

When he finally speaks it's like a dam has burst. "I can't bear it another minute," he says. "She never leaves me alone. I can't talk to a man — any man, not even the waiter in a restaurant — without her making awful insinuations. She knows I'll divorce her, so she's determined to have a child. She doesn't know much about law; she thinks couples with young children can't divorce. And she—"

He stops. He looks like he's about to be sick.

Somehow Davit knows what's coming next.

"She forces me to sleep with her every night. To make sure we have a baby. She insisted on a room with a double bed instead of two connected rooms so I can't lock her out. I tell her I'm not interested and she laughs. Says horrible things about what I'm interested in. Makes... appalling suggestions. And she touches me. I tell her to stop but she never does. I— I struck her, two days ago, to make her stop. I'm not proud of it. She went around like a martyr yesterday and showed all her friends the bruise. That's why I left."

Davit is silent. He thought he hated Gwladys before. It's nothing to how he hates her now.

"So," Alec finishes, "I'm going home. And I... I couldn't bear to leave without seeing you."

On the one hand, what Dzovig told him. On the other, what Alec tells him. Weighed up, there's only one option.

"I'm coming with you," Davit says. He sees the brief hope followed by the crushing misery on Alec's face. "As a friend, nothing more. Not while you're still married. But I won't leave you alone with her."

7.

1917 gets off to a grim start. Gwladys has little time for the twins herself. But when she finds Alec is reading to them, she explodes. She forbids him from seeing them again.

"It's not safe for you to be around children!" she shouts at him in that argument.

In another argument she says something that has devastating consequences. "One of these days I'll poison you!"

Maybe she does put poison in Alec's food once, then loses her nerve. Maybe it's all in Alec's mind, exacerbated by his nerves. Davit doesn't know the truth.

He does know that Alec takes sick after dinner one night.

Davit sits up with him all night. He knows Gwladys's servants are spying on him. The slightest hint of anything non-platonic in their relationship and he'll be kicked out. Probably frog-marched to the police station too. So he keeps the bedroom door ajar and sits at a distance from the bed.

Neither he nor Alec sleeps much. Alec because he's shivering and occasionally retching, Davit because he's planning how to commit a murder and get away with it.

From then on Davit either shares Alec's food or prepares it himself. Alec starts to eat less. Some days he only eats once in spite of all Davit can say. When he does eat a proper meal he feels ill. He thinks he's still being poisoned. Davit thinks it's the effects of his disordered eating.

Tagging @oh-no-another-idea, @acertainmoshke, @sentfromwolves, @shellyscribbles, @primroseprime2019, @thesorcererspen, @sternenmeerkind, and anyone else who wants to do this! :D

[sprnklersplashes]

spoons into rings (ao3)

It was one of the first tricks his Ma taught him. He can’t remember how old he was; the memory is like a painting left in the sun for too long, faded and frayed at the edges. But he was sitting on the kitchen table, little feet swinging far above the floor, picking the mushrooms out of his dinner because he hated them. Ma was humming a song-a Kaelish shanty-under her breath as she tidied up the pots and cutlery. She picked up a spoon and frowned as she rubbed a speck of dirt off. Then, with a coy look at Jesper, she curled both her hands around it. He lowered his bowl as her hands tightened. The air crackled as though a storm was brewing, but the skies were clear and blue outside. Jesper knew it was a different kind of storm, one only the two of them could feel.

Aditi smiled, goosebumps raised on young Jesper’s arms, and then in her palm was a small silver ring, the perfect size for his little fingers.

“Show me, Mama, let me do it too!” It didn’t matter to him that the ring was steel, not silver. To him, it was the most beautiful thing in all creation. He practised over and over again, making rings that were too big and too small and the wrong shape. Da grumbled that they were running out of cutlery, and his hands began to smell of metal. But then, after three days, he could do it. He could take an ordinary teaspoon and fashion it into a ring decorated with a wobbly flower and just the right size for his mother’s finger.

She had kissed him, lifted him in the air, and told him it was the most splendid thing she’d ever seen.

Jesper wonders what she would say to him now. Sitting in their room in the Geldrenner, tapping one of their teaspoons against his hand as the world goes to shit. It’s not perfect silver, but it’s nicer than the spoons they had used at home. Shining and delicate, with intricate lines chasing up the handle. And since beggars can’t be choosers, it will have to do.

He lowers himself onto the sofa beside Wylan. At first, he doesn’t react, his mind far, far away from Ketterdam and the Crows. Seconds pass, and Jesper sits quietly, patiently. And as he does, Wylan’s eyes begin to brighten; dimples indent the corners of his mouth. His hand slides across the cushions and then travels up Jesper’s knee, his fingers brushing against Jesper’s expectant hand. Jesper replies in kind, linking their fingers together and shifting his weight so their palms press together.

They sit in silence for a while, listening to the ticking clock and hum of the pipes in the walls. The parade still rages outside, tearing through Ketterdam like a fire. Every gang in the Barrel wants a piece of them-and, not in a fun way. Years’ worth of distrust and dishonesty is gone in a minute, blown away in the face of a much bigger prize. One relentless, ever-growing wave moves around the Barrel, proudly brandishing the city’s stamp of approval.

The world has gone to hell, and they’re holding hands through it.

“How are you feeling about tomorrow?” Jesper asks. Wylan stiffens, and his free hand curls against the couch cushions. Ruddy-gold hair falls in front of his eyes, and he turns his head so Jesper can’t make out his expression. He doesn’t need to though. The tightness of his grip and his frigid skin against his is more than enough.

It takes a long while before he whispers, “I’m ready.”

“You sure?” he asks. “Wy, you don’t have to do this. I can take my Da, or Nina can or-”

“No.” He shakes his head, so much resolution that this hair falls out of its neatly arranged order. “It has to be me.” With one stroke of his finger, Jesper brushes Wylan’s hair back.

“Does it?” he asks.

“I can’t keep running from him,” Wylan goes on. “I’ve spent my entire life running from him. Since I was a kid, I’ve always been running.” This time, he does lift his eyes to meet Jesper’s. There’s such fire in them, a fire he always knew Wylan had, but he rarely let it show. Jesper isn’t sure whether to be proud or scared for him. Wylan’s jaw tightens, and his blue eyes flash. “This time he’s going to run. As fast and far as I can make him.”

Oh, he’s proud. He’s proud as hell.

He pulls himself closer to him. The fire that is Wylan Van Eck tickles him, too, prickling at his skin despite the layers of clothes between them. Oh, how he would love to just pull Wylan into him right now, to say “to hell with it all” and make up for all the time they lost. He feels his heart like a freaking firecracker in his chest, and then Wylan shifts and lets slip the hint of his collarbone.

The things he could do to that collarbone….

But he doesn’t. Because it’s not the time and not the place, and something far more pressing is on his mind. Something in his pocket, curved and silver, a little bit wobbly and broken because he’s not the greatest Durast who ever lived. He barely qualifies as a Durast. But he is Wylan’s Durast, and his everything else, too, if this goes well.

Saints.

They sit quietly for a few more minutes. It’s a new kind of quiet; one Jesper isn't used to. Before all this, his nights were filled with gunshots and roulette tables, the laughter and fights becoming so common he started to tune them out. Silence only really came when he’d fallen asleep-or, more accurately, stumbled into his room and passed on his bed. Every other moment was filled with loud- gunshots, cards, fights, laughs, music, plans. And he made it that way for a reason-whether he knew it or not. Silence brings reflection, and reflection means all his mistakes and all his pain staring back at him. So yes, he’s spent half his life avoiding quiet. Who could blame him?

Except now he’s sitting with Wylan, and neither of them is making a sound. It’s not completely quiet because Nina and Kaz are having a whispered yet heated debate in the next room, and his Da is snoring a few feet away, and half-formed shouts float up from the street below. But Jesper can hear himself think, and all he can think about is Wylan’s hand in his and the ring in his pocket. The endless roar of his thoughts has faded to a quiet buzz, tucked gently in the back of his mind. And it’s nice. And it’s terrifying.

And he could have it forever.

“I got you something.”

“You managed to go shopping?” Wylan asks, his nose wrinkling in disbelief. Jesper laughs, the sound almost bubbling, and shakes his head. He takes another breath. His heart is humming now, like the low purr of an engine.

“Not exactly.” And here he goes. With his stomach plummeting and his veins on fire, he presents his hand, palm-up, with the ring sitting neatly in the centre.

Such a tiny little thing, yet it packs quite the wallop. Not dissimilar to Wylan’s bombs. Or Wylan himself.

The air slips from the room. Now this , this is completely quiet. Nina and Kaz’s argument has halted, and his Da’s snores have evaporated into the air. The howling outside has ceased, and even in here, the fizzing around his body has faded to nothing.

All he can do is watch as Wylan’s eyes widen, see but not hear him as he sucks in a breath. If he looks hard, he can see a little pink tongue poking between his teeth.

Sound creeps back in as Wylan runs his finger over the metal. It’s little things; the sound of air rushing in and out of him, Wylan’s soft “oh” when the cool metal touches his skin. Nothing else exists. It’s as if the ring has extended and built something around them—a little bubble just for them, where the chaos outside can’t reach.

“It’s a ring,” Wylan says matter-of-factly.

Wylan’s eyes meet his, half hidden by falling hair. Jesper smiles softly and pushes it gently away from his face. Wylan’s lips part, to say something or just to breathe, and then, holding Jesper’s gaze, he lifts the ring and slides it onto his finger.

Immediately, Jesper recoils. He thought the ring was decent when he made it, pretty nice even. But now Wylan is holding it and sliding it onto his finger, and all he feels is shame. It burns like a coal fire in his cheeks, his chest, and the only smoke thickens as it slides into place on Wylan’s hand.

What the hell was he thinking? Wylan’s are made for beautiful things; to dance across the ornate body of his flute, or to twist a pencil as he captures a Ketterdam landscape. He should be wearing rings of silver or gold, maybe a diamond twinkling in the centre. Or a sapphire, the same blue as his eyes.

Anything really, other than a teaspoon that was twisted into another shape.

“I’ll get you a real ring as soon as this is all over,” he says quickly. “As soon as your father’s out of the way and Da’s safe, we can go down to a jeweller and I’ll get the funds somehow and I’ll-”

He doesn’t know where he’s going with that sentence, but he doesn’t get to finish. In seconds Wylan’s lips are crashing into his, swallowing his apologetic ramblings, and then there’s his hands on his face and the couch beneath his back and his breath on his skin and his chest on his and it’s just Wylan, Wylan, Wylan . It’s all he can see or hear or feel. Buried underneath his skin and fused with his bones, as if Wylan is his own Grisha amplifier.

Eventually, but somehow too soon, Wylan pulls away. His lips chase his for a split second before he opens his eyes. Wylan’s hands still bracket his face, cupping the cheeks that are warm with something else now. Their two breaths mingle in the centre, his stained with strong coffee and Wylan’s with faint traces of clay on his lips. They sit for a moment, not moving. Then Wylan chuckles, and then Jesper laughs, and they’re both laughing.

“I don’t need a proper ring,” he whispers. He shifts, and then his forehead is resting against Jesper’s, sending his heart into a flurry. “I don’t… and this is beautiful and I just… I just need you, Jes.” His hands curl at the back of Jesper’s neck. He bites his lip then, and tears threaten to spill over his long lashes. When he speaks, it’s in a breathy, unsteady whisper. “I just need you.”

It’s then Jesper recognises the prickling in his own eyes. How long has he held them, waiting for this moment that he never believed would be real? Since Wylan kissed him in that workshop? Since he saw him in the tannery? Or at any random moment between then and ten minutes ago? There were so many to choose from.

“So that’s a yes then?” he teases.

“Yes.” And Saints, the things hearing that does to him. Sets his whole body aglow, but not like firecrackers or bombs. Like a lamp that’s lit when night falls. Safe and secure, tucked in the cosiest little nook of someone’s living room. Wylan nods again, and Jesper has to pinch himself. Because the heists and the double-crossing and the close calls, all of that he can believe relatively easily. But this feels a little too much like a dream. To have Wylan look at him like that, eyes blown wide and sparkling and his cheeks flushed, he’s expecting to wake up any minute now.

Except he doesn’t, and Wylan’s hand cups the back of his neck and he’s giggling and it fills the entire room.

“Yes, I’ll marry you,” he says breathlessly.

Saints, if this is a dream, he’ll happily never wake again. They fall back against the couch, kissing with as much force as the late hour would allow. Hands, teeth, tongues, legs, they all come together into something he has never seen before. He feels it everywhere, even the parts that Wyaln isn’t touching. Like his whole body is being blown apart and lovingly stitched back together, the different pieces held together by Wylan’s gravity. Jesper can barely tell where he ends and Wylan begins, save for the occasional brush of metal against his warm skin, and if he had his way, they’d stay like this forever.

“I am getting you a real ring though,” Jesper whispers between kisses. His toes curl as Wylan’s lips touch his neck. “One with a nice jewel in the centre.”

“We can raid my father’s stash,” comes Wylan's breathy reply. Jesper laughs and it sounds like champagne spilling over a newly opened bottle.

“A heist and then a wedding,” he replies. “I love the way you think, merchling.”

[thehollowrp]

“chaos isn’t destructive, chaotic people can be.”

× name: utp × age: utp × gender identity: utp × sexuality: utp × face claim: utp (suggestions: Abigail Spencer, Samantha Logan, Chance Perdomo, Reece King, Daniel Gillies, Kat Dennings) × faction: the covenant × element: water × district: cathedral haven × traits: assured, chaotic, utp, utp, utp, utp

BLURB

a drop in a bucket, spoken about in whispers and assumed to be a storm brewing internally for hundreds of years and waiting to burst free and show the world the chaos inside. they do not define you but you find yourself believing in the hype: you are chaos and you will create your own path and whether that is good for the world couldn’t matter less to you.

BIO

utp

CONNECTIONS

harmonia ↪ she doesn’t even know she thinks of herself as the shepherd and all those around her are the sheep, including you. you don’t think she understands that without the sheep the shepherd is just someone standing a field leading nothing and without the shepherd the sheep are milling about and lost… and you? you are neither, but she’ll figure that out eventually, you’ll make sure of it.

ariande ↪ formless clay they see their own cracks and breaks and want to hide them away, assuring themselves they can’t be fixed, but you know better. some ancient techniques fill these cracks in masonry and earthenware with gold and silver to make them more appealing, but you? you want to fill it with void and nothing and see if the little one weave themselves a new life.

momus ↪ chaos vs destruction you don’t necessarily think of destruction as your only path, but you have a keen eye for the shape of it. you see it in momus every time he passes, your eyes keen and interested but fully aware that you would likely not combine well. chaos does not need destruction to exist, it merely needs to push against what’s normal. sometimes if the world is in peril that means to balance things so that it can be tipped the other way… your mind is full of this while theirs is full of decay and you have to say you hate it.

pinterest — playlist

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

It’s bad enough to make any movie boring but you have to be extra incompetent to make a film titled The Satanic Rites of Dracula less interesting than math homework. This is the kind of horror film any obsessive movie goer will probably wind up watching more than once during their lifetime. Why? because it’s in the public domain. You can find it included in any number of bargain bin horror DVD sets for cheap. Don't be tempted. I’d rather sit down and watch The Devil Bat again than this snooze-fest.

The English Secret Service learns of a sinister plot concocted by Satanists. Prominent members of society are all involved, meaning the operation to take it down must stay hush-hush until Colonel Mathews (Richard Vernon) and Inspector Murray (Michael Coles) figure out who to trust. Once they bring in occult expert Professor Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) to help, he makes a startling realization: the legendary Count Dracula (Christopher Lee) is leading the cult!

Seeing the previous Hammer Dracula films won't make a difference. This plot just isn’t interesting. Most of it concerns talking heads wondering whether the Satanists are all bluster or whether they actually pose a threat to the world. When the authorities finally realize Van Helsing’s old friend, scientist Julian Keeley (Freddie Jones), is developing a new strain of the bubonic plague, you’re relieved the action is finally going to kick in and wonder what this has to do with Dracula. Truth is, there’s no reason for him to appear. There’s talk about the Count wanting to get revenge on all of mankind by wiping them out but that makes no sense. What's he going to do after? Starve? If he’s trying to end his immortality by killing us all, there are easier ways. In this picture alone, we learn several ways to take out the count: stakes through the heart, silver bullets, sunlight, RUNNING WATER… there’s another one too, a means introduced out of nowhere right at the tail end of the film in order to wrap things up quickly (not quickly enough if you ask me). It’s a Deus Ex Machina cross-bred with lazy writing. The results will make you wish you hadn’t bothered with any of it.

The idea - as far as I can tell - was to mix up the Dracula formula by blending elements of science fiction and spy thriller with horror. It's a failed experiment. The whole time, you’re just sitting there, waiting for Dracula to show up. Blah blah blah, conspiracies, blah blah blah, you can't trust anyone. Can we get more of the cultists sacrificing naked virgins and talking about the “Sabbath of the Undead”? Not that the secret society stuff is particularly interesting but at least it’s simple. Trying to figure out how many days left before the plague is unleashed and wondering why the villains who could’ve easily killed Van Helsing while he was passed out instead decided to let him off with a warning wasn’t enough to keep me entertained. Not while the one-dimensional and generally useless characters run around trying to figure out what the audience already knows.

I hope I never have the misfortune of stumbling upon The Satanic Rites of Dracula again. While Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing always bring a certain level of fun - particularly when they’re together on-screen - nothing about this film would ever tell you why they’re fan-favourites among classic horror aficionados. There’s no reason for anyone to check out The Satanic Rites of Dracula. (On DVD, March 24, 2020)

[disregardcanon]

the goood place star wars au straight from my drafts

The Good Place Star Wars AU Ideas

Jason Mendoza is basically the same. He runs a dance crew in a nasty joint on Tattooine, steals speeders and goes out rat shooting for fun, and mainly makes his money running spice to kids at the imperial academy a few worlds over.

Janet is a highly advanced imperial protocol droid with silver plating assigned to Michael.

Michael is a Twi’lek imperial undercover officer assigned to try to bring down rebel cells from within. A former agent of the separatists, Michael is an agent of chaos. The new boss is the same as the old boss in his eyes in all the ways that matter.

Tahani is human royalty from the Core Worlds, whose people pledged themselves to the Empire very quickly. She does her family’s philanthropic work to keep up appearances and try to best her younger sister, who her parents promoted to Crown Princess over her.

Eleanor Shellstrop is a Togruta from Coruscant. Her parents were the exact same sort of shitty as they were in canon, and she worked her way through the imperial academy… only to go into a job selling fake drugs to old people. She’s seen the atrocities of the Empire and decided, eh, if I do some small bad things it’s not the end of the world. I’m getting by.

Chidi Anagonye is a human male. He’s not sure which planet he was from, but he was a fourteen-year old padawan when order 66 struck. When he was ten, the master assigned to his group of younglings was anxiously considering leaving the Jedi Order to pursue a life with her girlfriend. Chidi convinced her to stay and that the Jedi life of no attachments was clearly the Most Logical Route, so Chidi decided that there was only one right answer. Ever. He just had to find it.

Jedi aren’t supposed to form attachments, but they don’t enforce that rule with younglings. No one in the Jedi Order is more beloved than a youngling clan’s teacher. Chidi and his friends swarm Master Teyana with hugs every time that she’s not teaching. She promises them that the Force has a place for them, whether they are chosen to become Padawans or not, and that everything will work out in the end.

Chidi studies as hard as he can to make Master Teyana proud. As he grows older and starts to be able to sense other people’s feelings in the Force, he notices that Master Teyana’s feelings are often… negative. They pervade the creche sometimes, distress and anxiety bouncing off the walls like soundwaves.

The rest of the younglings put up their shields so they can’t feel her and politely ignore it, but Chidi investigates. Whatever this issue is, Chidi wants to know. He wants to fix it. Every issue can be solved through the Force with the proper knowledge, right? There’s always an answer through the Force.

“We’re done for today,” she tells them, and then she

“Master Teyana,” Chidi says, “may I please speak with you?” She forces a smile.

“Of course, Chidi,” she tells him, “what is this about?”

“I feel your distress,” he says, “you’ve been thinking about leaving the Order.”

“Chidi,” she says, “it isn’t anything that you or the other younglings have done. I just-“ Her distress grows in the Force, and Chidi takes her hand in his. He holds it tightly.

“I want a family, Chidi,” she tells him.

“The Jedi are your family, remember?” he asks. She smiles at him softly, tears prickling at her eyelashes.

“We love you,” he promises, clutching her hand tightly, “please stay.” Master Teyana’s conflict doesn’t settle, but she kneels down on the ground and wraps him in a firm hug. He feels certainty in her Force presence.

“I’ll stay,” she promises, “you are family.” She lets releases him from the hug then, and pinches his cheek quickly instead.

“How could I leave your beautiful faces?” she asks.

“Master,” he says, feeling embarrassment flood through him. She smiles at him, and he feels certainty settle over her. She is staying. He can feel the truth of it spreading through the Force. Chidi feels a smile spread across his face, and suddenly- everything in the world makes sense.

“Master Teyana feels better today,” Uzo observes, “it’s less like she’d rather die than teach.”

“I did that,” Chidi says.

“She was thinking about leaving the Order?” Uzo asks, eyes widening.

“She was, but she’s not anymore!” Chidi says proudly, “she’s going to stay!”

“Everything can be figured out logically!” he deduces.

“Uh huh,” Uzo says.

“It can,” Chidi asserts.

Chidi suddenly feels every negative emotion flood through him, and his shields come crashing down. He’s hit with all the stimuli in the world.

“I have a stomach ache,” he says.

After her youngling class is broken up, Teyana Kin resigns from the Jedi Order to marry a fellow Twi’lek woman and adopt a daughter. Chidi Anagonye, recently promoted to Padawan, gets a stomach ache so potent that everyone in the Jedi Temple feels it.

Chidi’s master was a Togruta named Sila Mack. She had light green skin on her body and a white and navy-blue pattern on her montrals.

His anxiety made things difficult, and well. The Force is loud.

It’s hard to sort through the important information that the world around him is spitting at him, even as his master helps him learn to focus on his own feelings and hers.

“The Force is always so loud,” Chidi mutters.

“The Force wants to tell you things,” his master says gently, “but you do not always have to listen.”

“How am I supposed to find out what’s important?” Chidi says. If he wasn’t paying attention to everything, he might not have been able to figure out how to keep Master Teyana in the Order. Hyper-vigilance is key, isn’t it?

While Chidi is always nervous, his master is not. He feels her force signature shout run, and Chidi manages before his consciousness kicks in.

He runs, and he runs. Even as he hears the hiss of her lightsaber igniting and the blare of the blaster bolts. Even as he hears her cry out in pain and feels it through the Force, he runs. He runs and runs and runs until his lungs can’t take anymore.

He travels the galaxy as kind of a space hobo, doing ethical research to try to find out the best way to be moral. He might have been young when the Jedi Order was destroyed, but he was aware that it was flawed. He was a youngling during the expulsion and almost execution of Ahsoka Tano. He knows that the Order was wrong and he knows that the Republic was wrong, but he knows the Empire is wrong wrong wrong-er, and he thinks that if he can find the greatest system for how to live, then he will make it through this.

But as he travels the galaxy, he watches many planets fall under the Empire’s thumb and does nothing. He sits and he stews and considers the best course of action, but ultimately he does nothing. Naval-gazing as the world around him happens and people lose their lives and their freedom and his master’s dying cries echo in the back of his mind.

“You can’t always wait for perfect, Chidi,” his master tells him, “sometimes you have to work with what you have.”

“The Truth?” his master asks, “I do not know, young one.”

“The Force is always there,” she says, smiling at him, “but you do not always have to listen. Sometimes, you should listen to your gut.”

“You’re under arrest in violation of Imperial Proclamation 7763,” the trooper says.

“This is not the woman you’re looking for,” Chidi says. His voice takes on a cadence that he hasn’t allowed in years. He wasn’t even sure he remembered how to do a mind-trick after all of these years.

“This is not the woman I’m looking for,” the trooper repeats.

“You should, uh, look somewhere else,” Chidi says.

“I should, uh, look somewhere else,” the trooper repeats. Chidi shoos him away.

“Go away,” he says, “shoo.” Then, the trooper miraculously leaves.

“That was some witchcraft,” Eleanor says.

“Please stop,” Chidi says.

“I just saved your life,” he says, “and you’re putting mine in danger! Serious danger!”

“Hm,” she says, “I bet there’s a serious bounty on people like you.” 

“What’s Imperial Proclamation 7763?” Chidi asks.

“Selling untested medicine,” Eleanor says.

“Stars,” Chidi says, “I- I can’t believe I helped you.”

“That wouldn’t be the Jedi way,” Eleanor says.

“My parents packed it up from Shili after the start of the Clone Wars and tried to make a go of it on Coruscant,” Eleanor says.

“Did it work?”

“Nope,” Eleanor says, popping the p obnoxiously.

“Well,” she says, “maybe we could do something.”

The smoldering remains of Alderaan grace the walls of the pub.

“My entire planet was just blown to bits,” Duchess Al-Jamil says, “how well do you think I’m doing?”

“Pretty un-dope,” Jason Mendoza says.

“Yes,” Duchess Al-Jamil says, “pretty un-dope.”

“Well, there’s a Rebellion out there, isn’t there?” Eleanor says, “I think that we should rebel.”

A Togruta con artist, a Twi’lek former imperial, a hick from Tattooine, a protocol droid, an Alderaani noblewoman, and a former Jedi Padawan.

What the actual fuck kind of group were they anyway?

[frontproofmedia]

HITCHINS VS. ZEPEDA: FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES AND IMAGES

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Published: September 22, 2023

Super-Lightweights clash in Orlando on Saturday live on DAZN

TICKETS FOR ORLANDO ARE ON SALE NOW AT TICKETMASTER.COM

  RICHARDSON HITCHINS faces Jose Zepeda over 10 rounds for the WBC Silver, WBO NABO and IBF North American titles   “I’ve got to say that I am excited. I want to say ‘Thank you, God’ for this opportunity and thank you to you, Eddie, and Matchroom. Jose Zepeda says that I have never fought at this level. But he is forgetting that I was a kid at 22 years old with only ten professional fights and beating guys like Argenis Mendez, a guy who had already won a world title, and for every fight after that, I told anybody and everybody who they put me in the ring with that isn’t on a World championship level that it is a step down.    “Jose Zepeda has fought a lot of professional fights but also, he doesn’t have that on his record. Also, he’s fought a lot of guys who don’t have the athleticism or the same skillset than what I bring to the table. They’re all one-dimensional guys. You know, guys like Ivan Baranchyk, who was one of his best wins, but that guy was nothing. He had no fundamental skills at all in the ring. When he gets in the ring with me this Saturday, it doesn’t matter how many fights he’s had or whether he’s been in with Jose Ramirez.    “There’s a reason why I’m here after 16 fights. I’m a very smart fighter. He’ll figure that out when I open up on him. You will see that on Saturday night. Everything he says when he talks about levels, he’s fought people like Josue Vargas who he talked his way into the fight. I fought my way into this fight, and I have dominated everybody who has been put in front of me. He will be in a tough fight. I’m going to be around here for a long time.   “I can’t say that I’m looking at this as a tough test, but it is a test because Jose Zepeda got here by being a great boxer. But guys like Baranchyk made mistakes against him, so he won. But he can’t do that with me because I don’t make mistakes.”   JOSE ZEPEDA faces Richardson Hitchins over 10 rounds for the WBC Silver, WBO NABO and IBF North American titles   “I’m always ready. I want to say thank you to you Eddie Hearn and to everyone at Matchroom. We added a new trainer in Manny Robles, my brother and Stitch. I want to thank all of them because it’s thanks to them that it has been one hell of a training camp. We always come ready. I’ve been there, done that and I’ve come through everything. I’ve had a little bit of bad luck for my challenger fights, but I believe that I’m in my prime. I know I’m 34 years old, but this is where I’m working the hardest at 34 and where I feel that I’m the best.    “That’s the main reason why I am taking this fight [the prospect of future World title challenges]. But I know in Richardson Hitchins, that he’s a fast fighter and the best prospect out there at 140. I know for a fact that if I beat him, I’m going straight back to the top for a world title shot. So, that’s what I’m looking for and to fight once again for a world title.    “In the fights I have seen of him, he is a talented fighter and a good prospect – but he hasn’t been at this level yet. That’s why in this fight we are going to see if he can work under pressure. There are levels. Trust me when I fought for a world title for the first time against [Jose Carlos] Ramirez, the first time I got hit to the body I knew that it was a different level. It’s different stuff. So, let’s see what it’s all about and see how he handles things on Saturday night.   CONOR BENN returns the ring against Rodolfo Orozco over ten rounds at Super-Welterweight “There’s no pressure. I’m just going to go in there and do what I do, do what I love to do and what I was born to do. Saturday night has been a long time coming. I’ve had to jump through so many hurdles and this last year has been the hardest fight of my life. So, what can he do to me? I’m just going to go out there and do what I do. If I see an opening, I will take it. He’s got to know that if I see an opening, I will take it. I say that twice because when I say, I mean it.   “He’s my World title fight. That’s how I treat every fighter. Irrespective of people saying this should be a warm-up or this should be a stepping-stone, I treat every fight like it’s for a world title.   “I’ll be happy to get the rounds in, of course. I know it’s worth its weight in gold. But as I said before, if I see and opening, I will take it. I’m a sharp-shooter, I don't miss. I’m accurate with my shots. I carry the power; I carry the speed. Whatever he wants to do, I can assure you, there will be a response. I can assure you now, there will be a counter. He best think three steps in advance.    “There’s a lot of everything that's going to come out on Saturday night: frustration, aggression, speed, power. It’s all going to come out. There’s no pressure. If anything, I’m just excited. It’s just pure excitement to get in there and do what I know to do. I am born to fight. This is what I do. It’s in my DNA. My DNA is strong, it’s proven. I was put on this planet to fight. On Saturday night he will soon find out because he said he doesn’t know my name – but after Saturday night he will know my name.”    RODOLFO OROZCO faces Conor Benn over ten rounds at Super-Welterweight   First and foremost, thank you very much to Matchroom. We’ve been waiting for this opportunity to fight here for a long, long time so, of course, we are going to put on a good show on Saturday night.   I’ve been waiting and preparing for a fight like this for a long time. In previous months we’ve been waiting for a big fight like this, and they have fallen through. So, I am completely ready for this fight as I’ve been preparing all the time. We’re coming to win.    Of course, it’s a huge opportunity for me. I am making my debut in this country, and we are coming to win.    JESSICA McCASKILL and Sandy Ryan clash in a unification blockbuster at Welterweight   “I’m ready and I am very excited that my team are here. You look at the tale of the tape and you’ve got a 30-year-old coming for an almost 40-year-old – but not yet! You can think about the age and the numbers, or you can think about your camp and what you’ve been working on or, as she mentioned, studying tapes and things like that. But when it all comes down to it, it’s about getting in the ring and what happens when you get inside that ring.    “I am very excited about this fight. This is a legit, top-notch fight. She fought [Erica] Farias twice. In Farias and some of the people she has fought, I feel like they are the gatekeepers for belts and for certain divisions. That was a legit fight. So, that’s kind of where my mindset is as far as what I am headed to on Saturday night.   “I think it's very awkward to watch my fights. I don’t have a traditional style or anything. I don't even watch a lot of my fights. I might watch each fight maybe once or twice to see it from different perspectives but that is it. I just have like root angles and things like that. I don’t know if people maybe they think of my footwork or more punches or to change the pressure or add the pressure. But we work on a bit of everything, so we’ll see what happens on Saturday.    “Saturday will open more doors for other things. So, it is very important that it is a very clean win – not a split decision or anything like that – it needs to be decisive. Switching weight classes there are a lot of females who there but maybe in a different weight class. But in terms of opportunities and belts, I’m trying to get a couple of sets of all the belts. That’s the kind of things we talk about. But let’s get through Saturday first. That’s the focus.”     SANDY RYAN locks horns with Jessica McCaskill in a five-belt unification battle at 147lbs   “It’s a massive moment for me, making my American debut and I am excited for that. As I’ve said in all my interviews, I respect Jessica as a fighter. The way I’m bringing myself into this fight, both physically and mentally, you’re going to see how much respect I do have for her. But I’m just so confident now that I’m bringing all of these belts home.   “Yes, it has been a fast track for me, and I wouldn't have changed it. It’s made me who I am right now. I’m professional on the job and I have learned the hard way. This is not the amateur game it’s the pro game and I know that. That’s why I live like a pro now. That’s why I believe that I’m bringing those belts back home because I love boxing and this camp has been great.    “I’ve covered everything. I know Jess will come in at her best. People have been asking me about what fights of hers have I watched and if I’ve studied her last fight. I’ve not really watched her last fight. She obviously had a bad day, and I can’t go off that. I believe my ability is much better than hers. I’m not taking anything away from her and I believe I’m much better than her and that this is a new era.”   Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams (14-0 10 KOs) press his claims for World title action at Middleweight as he tackles Steve Rolls (22-2 12 KOs).  Orestes Velazquez (7-0 6 KOs) will defend his WBA International Super-Lightweight title to headline the Before the Bell action against Mohamed Soumaoro (13-1 6 KOs). Khalil Coe (6-0-1 4 KOs) continues to rise through the ranks at Light-Heavyweight, and ‘Big Steppa’ will be looking for his third KO win of 2023 against Kenmon Evans (10-1-1 3 KOs). Super-Welterweight Jeovanny Estella (12-0 3 KOs) and Super-Flyweight Jasmine Artega (10-0-1 5 KOs) tasting action over eight rounds while Bantamweight Roberto Rivera Gomez (3-0 2 KOs) kicks the whole night off over four rounds, with all three fighters to be matched imminently.

(Featured Photo: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing)

[messers-moony]

Runaways | R.B

Paring: Regulus Black X Twin!Fem!Reader

Summary: Regulus refuses to lose yet another sibling after Sirius leaves.

Being a Hufflepuff Prefect with a mischievous older Gryffindor brother is a lot of work. Sirius is frequently getting into trouble, and Remus is no help. But honestly? Y/n isn’t either. If anything, she laughs at her brother and her friend's antics. Y/n is the only Black family member still in good shape with all her family. 

Sirius was overjoyed when Y/n was into Hufflepuff. His little sister following in his footsteps of no longer being a Slytherin. However, Y/n’s twin brother - Regulus - was sorted into Slytherin. She didn’t let that define their relationship. Y/n was close with her twin and the Marauders. Remus often bumped her shoulder in the halls making her smile. The werewolf often had that effect on her. So did James, and so did Peter. 

But no one made a giant smile appear on her face than Sirius and Regulus. 

“Oi! Little sis!” His voice, it was calm and bright, something she hadn’t heard in a long time. 

Y/n turned, “Hey Siri.”

Sirius’ arm went around her shoulders, “How’s your day been?”

“Good, yours?”

“Oh,” Sirius sighed, dreaming, making her chuckle, “It’s been perfect, dear sister.”

“What did you do now?” Y/n fake scolded, “Everything.” Sirius replied. 

A familiar raven-haired boy was making their way towards them, hoping and praying that they wouldn’t notice. His green tie and green robes. The prefect badge on the left side of his chest. The wavy black hair and the beautiful grey eyes. The 5’11 Slytherin walking towards his twin sister and older brother. The people he adored the most in the world but barely talked to within the castle walls. His plan ultimately failed. 

Regulus turned to walk by his two siblings only for Y/n to wrap an around his shoulder, “Reggie!”

“Y/n, Sirius.” Regulus greeted with the corners of his lips barely turning up, “How’s your day been?” Sirius asked, turning to look at his younger brother. 

“Good until two idiots came along.” He joked with a smile adorning his features. 

Y/n put her hand on her heart dramatically, “You wound me!”

Both brothers chuckled, and a Professor came to greet them in the middle of the hallway, seeing their beautiful smiling faces, “All three Black’s in one spot. How brilliant!” Slughorn commented as Sirius faked tipping his hat. 

The three Black siblings. The Black trio. One Gryffindor, one Slytherin, and one Hufflepuff. Oh, how Walburga adored them despite the way she treated them. It was never in her heart to treat them the way she does. Orion had such a soft spot for his twins. But alas, both parents knew that if they didn’t raise them correctly - or without abuse - they would only get hurt worse. Walburga knew that if she treated them the way she truly wanted to, they’d be split. 

But that never compared to the aching in her heart when she had to cast a spell on her children. The kids she was sworn to protect. Walburga never wanted this life, never wanted to marry Orion, hell, she never even wanted kids, but Merlin, her kids were great. Slughorn and McGonagall would send her letters of how wonderfully they’ve been doing in their studies, how Sirius made another cauldron explode, how Regulus caught the snitch and won the Quidditch Cup, how Y/n made prefect and was top of her class. 

It was beautiful, and for once, Walburga was happy. She hid all the letters from Orion. If Orion knew he’d made Walburga send a howler, and she didn’t want that. Godric how she hated the awful red colors the howlers came in. The awful shade of brilliant rose. It brought a grimace to her face just thinking about it. But like everything, the truth comes out, and Sirius eventually got a howler. 

Sirius let go of Y/n to begin Transfiguration while the two twins made their way to Herbology. Not before Sirius kissing the tops of their heads like he did when they were kids, “I love you guys!”

“Black, get in here!” McGonagall yelled, and both twins laughed, “We love you too!” They replied in unison. 

Regulus and Y/n laughed, their arms around each other's shoulders, “I never want him to leave.” Regulus admitted. 

“Me either.”

The day was uneventful. More learning, more foolishness, and more laughter. Professor Sprout couldn’t help but smile at the Black twins in her classroom. Regulus was always ice cold when not around his siblings. They made him shine even if he couldn’t find a reason to. It didn’t matter where they were. The Black trio always brought smiles with them. Whether it was Y/n and Sirius, the twins, or all three, their smiles, their laughs, their happiness was so contagious. Three children from an abusive home, coming together to make each other smile. How is it possible?

Y/n would be the answer. The glue to the Black family. The bond to keep her brothers from drifting apart. But that all changed in the summer of 1976.

It was dark and another day of yelling. Sirius couldn’t take it anymore. He needed to leave. He wanted to go. It was bound to happen. He kept telling himself. But did that excuse leaving his siblings behind? Would he risk their safety for his own pleasure? Sirius didn’t have time to think about it. He packed his trunk and opened the window. One leg out and just about to get the other over until his door opened. 

His little sister, “Sirius?”

“Hey, sis…” Sirius hated how his voice shook and almost broke.

“What- Where are you going?”

He couldn’t help it; she needed to know the truth, “Away. Far away from here.”

Y/n crossed her arms slowly, “Without saying goodbye?”

“Goodbye?” Sirius replied with a nervous smile. 

She shook her head with a smile, walking toward his window. Sirius expected a smack, a lecture. But she didn’t do that. Y/n cupped both his cheeks and kissed his forehead like he did when she was hurt. Tears filled his grey eyes without permission as he stared at his younger sister's glossed eyes. Gently she ran her hand through his hair, moving it back. 

“I suppose you were never good at goodbyes.”

“Not really, no.” Sirius chuckled. 

Y/n smiled, “I know you aren’t happy here. You were never happy here.” Sirius interrupted before she could continue, “You could give Remus a run for his money.”

“Listen, Sirius, please.” She pleaded, and Sirius looked at her eyes; he’d miss them, “All I ask, is that you take care of yourself. Regulus and I, we’ll manage. But you should say goodbye to him too….”

“Go get him.”

It took minutes, but Regulus was eventually standing in front of his older brother, one leg out of the window and the other inside his bedroom. Y/n stood behind them, arms crossed with tears streaming down her cheeks silently. Regulus looked like he wanted to cry, but he didn’t. Sirius didn’t care anymore. Silver trails ran down his cheeks, especially when Regulus hugged his older brother with all his strength. 

“I'm going to miss you.”

Sirius sniffled, “I’ll miss you a hundred times more.”

“Impossible.” Y/n interjected, smiling. 

Regulus and Sirius pulled apart, Regulus now standing beside his twin, “I need you to know,” Sirius began, looking at Regulus, “James isn’t your replacement. He is nothing compared to you. You’re my brother, always.”

“And you,” He turned to Y/n after Regulus nodded, “You’re my baby sister, through and through. Just because I’m leaving doesn’t mean you can give me detention.” 

They chuckled, and possibly for the last time, “Always.”

“Forever.”

“Together.”

Sirius gave a watery smile and finished the jump out his window. Wordlessly Y/n shut it behind him. Regulus stood in front of the glass pane until Sirius was out of sight and gave a heavy sigh. Y/n was standing right beside him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“I knew it was going to happen. I just wish it wasn’t so soon.” Regulus whispered, “I know.” Y/n agreed. 

Regulus took her hand, “Forever.”

“Together.” Y/n replied, squeezing his hand. 

So many they lost their always, but they still had each other. The next night at dinner was dreadful. Possibly the worst one yet, “Where is he!”

“I- I don’t know.” Y/n answered, cowering away, her hand rubbing her forearm.

Walburga looked at Regulus, and he shook his head, “Where is Sirius?”

“Gone.” Walburga replied to her husband, who gave a mere shrug at the answer, “Our heir is gone, Orion! What are we going to do now.”

“The reasonable thing, Y/n is next in line.”

Walburga scoffed, “Absolutely not.”

Regulus reached for his sister's hand after noticing the tears collecting in her eyes, “She is a disgrace! Just like Sirius!”

Orion put down the daily prophet, looking at his wife across the table, “What would you like me to do about it?”

“Regulus!” The boy stiffened, “You are our next heir.”

“No!” Y/n exclaimed, her rage taking over, “That isn’t how it works! I’m the next in line, disgrace or not. I'm older than Regulus.”

Walburga pulled out her wand, but Y/n didn’t flinch, “With that courage, you should be in Gryffindor.” The older woman seethed.

“You feel no remorse, do you?” Y/n asked, but she did; Godric, Walburga hated herself, “Putting your wand to my neck like I’m some training dummy.”

“How do you think we feel! Our older brother is gone! The one who took care of us because our parents can’t.”

Y/n had tears flowing down her cheeks, “How do you think we feel?”

The girl stood up from the table without being dismissed after letting go of Regulus’ hand, “I saw the tapestry.”

“You burned him from it! What kind of monster are you?! He’s your son regardless of his house. I’ll be your heir, but I will never be your puppet.”

Y/n ran up to her bedroom. Walburga and Orion stared at their son, who sat as stiff as a board. More minutes passed, and Regulus left the table too but not before speaking to his parents, “I’ll- I’ll be your heir. I’ll be your son.”

“Brilliant. Thank you, Regulus.” Walburga smiled.

Regulus lost his brother. He wasn’t losing his sister. But over time, it felt like he was. There was no more laughter in the halls. Only one Black sibling was laughing and smiling - Sirius. There was no more hugging in the halls, no more playing around. Regulus and Y/n were ice. They were cold and in pain. That was the first thing Sirius noticed. His siblings hadn’t stopped by his carriage like usual. It dampened his mood. 

“Hey, I’m sure they’re just busy.” James had reassured, but Sirius wasn’t so sure.

It was the first ride to Hogwarts that Sirius was utterly silent. He played with the ribbon in his hand. It was a green ribbon that he carried with him everywhere. The boys never knew what it was or where it came from. They had just discovered that Sirius would fidget with it when he was upset. Remus noticed it first - of course - but James did too, and shortly Peter followed. It was her ribbon, Y/n’s ribbon. A ribbon she wore in her hair when she was seven. 

After a bad punishment, Sirius had been given Y/n took care of him. Washed his cuts and plastered them. It was then she learned how much Sirius loved when people did his hair. So she braided it for him and tied it off with her green ribbon. He remembered the way it felt on his fingertips. So perfectly combed and webbed together. It was the reason his hair was long enough to braid. Every Quidditch match, he’d weave it. James asked why once, and Sirius ignored him, but Y/n knew. It was okay to keep secrets sometimes. 

Fifth-year for the twins went by smoothly. Sirius’ sixth year was hell. He missed his siblings so much somedays it was hard to get up in the morning. Regardless it was hard to get Sirius out of bed in the morning, but this year was particularly rough. It was like he was in a constant state of Remus after the full moon - tired, fatigued and sad. 

He missed Regulus’ smile and Y/n’s laughter. Godric, he missed everything! Sirius cried - sobbed about it at night. His silencing charms weren’t good. It left James and Remus in a tricky spot. It was apparent he didn’t want to talk about it because if he did, he would’ve by now. Remus stopped seeing the twins during prefect rounds and stopped seeing Y/n altogether. It was like she was avoiding them. 

The twins did their prefect rounds together, studied together, and only talked to each other. It broke Sirius’ heart. He ruined everything just for his own pleasure. But hadn’t Y/n meant what she said? That she wanted him to be happy? Sirius wasn’t happy. He was far from it. 

Regulus had nightmares every night about his parents. About his brother leaving, about everything. So he didn’t sleep most nights, and instead, he threw himself into his studies. Occasionally he’d realized that he had done two essays and then understood that he no longer had to do his brother's homework. Regulus had copies of reports everywhere because it was a habit. A habit he had to lose. 

Y/n stopped baking extra cookies. Every Saturday, she’d go to the kitchens to bake a new delicacy the muggle way. Y/n couldn’t help but accidentally bake extra for her Gryffindor brother, only to realize that she wouldn’t give them to him. Instead, she gave them to the house elves to serve after dinner in the Great Hall. They’d appear on the Gryffindor table, and Sirius knew they were a product of her. 

During the summer holiday of 1977, Regulus began to notice that Y/n gone often. Walburga would send her away, or Orion would make her run an errand. Regardless Y/n wasn’t around as much. Was she going to run like Sirius? Walburga and Orion sent her to Auror training. Y/n was young, too young for this training. It was Auror training, but they weren’t training her to work for the Ministry. They were preparing for her to become a death eater. 

Weeks passed, and Regulus felt saddened by her absence. So one day at dinner, he spoke up, “Why haven’t you been present at home?”

Y/n chuckled, “Are you serious? You haven’t told him?”

“What- What do you mean?” Regulus questions suspiciously.

Walburga coughed, “She’s been put into training.”

“Training?”

“Auror training.”

“But not to be an Auror, to be a death eater.” 

Y/n scoffed, “Bullshit, tell him the real reason.” 

She looked at both her parents, “They don’t want me anymore. They send me away because it’s easier than disowning me, like Sirius.”

“N- No.” Regulus denied, “Mum, tell me that she’s lying.”

Silence, “Answer me, please.” Regulus pleaded as a water film glossed his grey eyes.

“She’s not lying.” Orion stated, and Regulus let his tears fall down his cheeks, “No! I won’t let you take her from me!”

Regulus stood up, and his chair flipped behind him, “If you disown her, you disown me!”

“Reggie…”

“No! Please no!” Regulus was clawing at his hair, sobbing, “Don’t take her too….” He whimpered. 

Y/n began to stand up until Walburga sent a spell her way, throwing her back. It just made Regulus cry more. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t. They were sixteen! This wasn’t fair. So Regulus stood up and held back his tears. Walburga held her wand to his throat, making Y/n nervous. But Regulus was cold, ice cold. Hastily he grabbed his mother's wand and snapped it. Y/n didn’t have time to gape. Regulus ran to her, and they ran. 

Through the front door to anywhere else in the dark of the night. Orion was too busy with his wife to realize his children were gone. Y/n was sure they were miles away before they stopped. No magic could be done. They weren’t seventeen yet. They’d have to survive without magic. But then she heard it. A howl. It was a risk, a big one, but they had to take it. 

She took her brother's hand and began running towards it, “Y/n, where are we going?”

“To whatever is howling.”

“Are you mental?”

“Maybe.” Y/n shrugged. 

Suddenly he saw it. That look Sirius always had. She looked free, happy, and mischievous. Suddenly she wasn’t Y/n Black. She was just Y/n. His twin sister. The girl that would beg her brothers to adventure with her, to trust her blindly. That’s what he was doing now - trusting her blindly. They must’ve been miles away. Regulus didn’t even know how they got that far, but in the forest, the howling got louder. 

But at the edge of the forest was a black dog, guarding the entrance to the woods, making sure that no one entered. The stag was taking care of the werewolf. They took turns. One full moon, the dog, was to stand guard, next the stag. Y/n cried upon seeing the animal. She dropped to her knees, and Regulus knelt beside her. The dog looked familiar and gave them both great kisses. They fell asleep together. Y/n, Regulus and the dog. 

The following morning, James went back out to the forest after realizing Padfoot was missing. At the entrance of the forest, he saw them. The Black trio. So he left them. Sirius knew the way back; it wasn’t worth ruining their moment. Regulus stirred awake first and woke the dog. The dog left a multitude of kisses on the twins. Y/n woke up shortly after. 

Regulus was appalled to see the dog turn into his older brother but happy nonetheless, “Sirius!”

“Reggie.” Sirius replied, holding him close. 

They parted, and Sirius kissed his forehead, “How?”

“The howling.”

“How did you leave?”

“I snapped mum’s wand.”

Sirius looked flabbergasted, “Really?”

“She- She was going to separate us. I didn’t- I couldn’t lose another sibling.” Regulus admitted, and Sirius took him into his arms again, “Never again. I promise.”

Y/n chuckled, “Looks like we’re all runaways.”

Sirius grabbed her into the hug, “But we’re doing it together.”

[zodiakuroo]

Cupid’s Bullet

Dabi comes home with a very special Valentine’s Day surprise for you.

Pairing: Dabi x Fem!Reader

Contains: dubcon/noncon, mentions of death, unhealthy relationship, gun play, fear play, forced orgasms, squirting, mindbreak, angst (if you squint?), quirk usage, one slap but it’s a hard one :3, overstimulation, creampie

Word count: 5.3k

Notes: pls this title is so cringe but it's like bullet instead of arrow cause... ya know but anyways happy valentine’s day from scumbag boyfie!dabi

Dating a villain meant that your relationship was unconventional to say the least. For one, public dates were out of the question, unless you wanted it to end in destruction of public property and some scorched heroes. You also always had to have some kind of flimsy excuse for your family and friends when they asked to meet your elusive boyfriend. In addition, you had to accept the fact that he would have to disappear sometimes for weeks on end to do his boss’ bidding.

There was also the small matter of arson, murder and theft and a multitude of other crimes that you’d prefer not to know about. And while you weren’t necessarily okay with a lot of what Dabi did, you loved him. You loved him so much that turning a blind eye was so easy it made you question your own morality. He didn’t scare you either. Not in the slightest, because you knew in his own special way, he loved you too.

In fact it ran much deeper than that. On his worst days, Dabi could set the world ablaze until nothing was left because in the end he didn’t care about anyone or anything, not even himself. Until he met you, he says. He tells you that in you, he’s found something to tether him to this existence.

Ok so maybe he didn’t use those words exactly, but he doesn’t have to. You know that’s what he means when he spoils you with expensive, stolen clothes and jewellery, when he offers to burn alive any person who makes you even the tiniest bit upset and when he comes home to you bloodied and beaten, trusting you to take care of him.

In summary, your relationship forced you to give up on having any “normal couple” experiences.  That included, celebrating anniversaries and silly holidays like Valentine’s Day so you never bothered to keep track of them. It could hardly be considered a sacrifice when you compared those things to what you actually got from your relationship.

Dabi had been gone for close to a month now and you didn’t expect him back anytime soon, not knowing where he was or what he was doing. In fact the very last thing you expected was for him to creep into your bedroom in the middle of night and rouse you from your peaceful sleep with a soft kiss on your temple.

You don’t jump out of bed in a panic, like any sane person would. Instead you let out a satisfied hum, surrounded by the scent of burnt flesh, ash and menthol, feeling warmth bloom in your chest. It should be unpleasant but its Dabi’s scent and you’ve missed it. You’ve missed him. You pick your phone up from your night stand, squinting your eyes at the bright light that makes them sting.

Sunday 14 February, 2:43am

“Welcome home.” You mumble groggily, trying your best to fight off your tired body urging you to go back to sleep.

Instead of replying, he greets you by pressing his mouth to yours. You let out a quiet gasp, startled by the sudden display of affection. His lips are chapped but that doesn’t matter, your tongue darts out to moisten them before your lips lock into a gentle kiss.

You reach up, weaving your hands through his dark hair in an attempt to draw him closer but he retreats, opting instead to turn on the bedside lamp but keeping his other hand behind his back. “Sit up doll. Got a surprise for ya.”

Any thoughts of sleep were long forgotten as soon as his lips met yours but now he’s really piqued your interest. You push yourself up against the headboard and sit cross-legged. You look up at Dabi expectantly. Your boyfriend is smiling wide, skin pulled so taut you think one of his staples might give out. He reveals to you what he has hidden behind his back. A square black box, wrapped in a cobalt satin ribbon.

It’s so cliché you can’t help but let out a small snort. “What is it?”

“It’s a gift. You know… for Valentine’s Day?” He says as though it should be obvious to you.

Your heart swells at the gesture. It really was a surprise. Not in a bad way, you just knew he wasn’t your average boyfriend and that was okay. You didn’t want him to be.

“Well now I feel awful. I didn’t get you anything.” You pout as he props the box onto your lap.

“’S like a toy… so it’s technically for you but kinda for both of us.” It’s unusual to see Dabi this excited. The way he’s bouncing on the balls of his feet, eyes filled with mirth makes you all the more curious.

“Like a sex toy?” A giggle escapes you as you undo the bow.

“Are we playing fuckin’ 20 questions? Just open it.” He presses you.

You huff at his impatience but you don’t comment, not wanting to wait any longer either. You remove the lid of the box only to find something wildly unexpected.

A revolver?

You look up at your boyfriend with confusion etched on your face but his gleeful grin doesn’t falter. You’ve never seen a sex toy like this so you pick up the article to test its weight. It’s definitely the real deal.

“Dabi, this isn’t a toy.” You state matter-of-factly.

He merely rolls his eyes and says “Doll, when you can incinerate someone with a flick of your wrist, that little thing is definitely considered a toy?”

“O-okay? What do you want to do with it?” You ask, placing offending object onto your nightstand, not really wanting to hold on to it anymore, the metallic smell making you feel queasy.

“Ever heard of Russian Roulette?” Dabi, picks up the abandoned item, looking down at it with pride.

“What?” You furrow your eyebrows as nervousness starts to creep into your system and you instinctively move to back away from him but Dabi is quick to pull you back.

“It’s real easy doll. No need to look so scared.” He crawls on top of you, caging you in with his limbs. “6 chambers. 1 bullet. All you have to do is be a good girl for me. If not, I pull the trigger and we see what happens.”

The look on his face is positively demented. Azure eyes wide and bright, patchwork face contorted into a a sinister smile, white teeth and silver staples gleaming in the dim light.

“Baby,” you hope the pet name will placate him. It usually does. “I don’t know about thi-“

CLICK

You let out a shriek as your body jolts in fear but you’re unable to move with his weight pressing on top of you.

“You see now doll?” He clicks his tongue behind his teeth. “You’ve gone and wasted a shot.”

Dabi climbs off of you and you’re left lying there with your heart hammering violently in your chest, body trembling, still reeling from the shock of what just happened. Reeling from the shock of what is happening

“You gonna listen now? Gonna be good?” Dabi prompts, rolling the gun around in his hand.

All you can do is nod as your eyes being to water. The uneasy feeling in your stomach only grows worse as your mind races with the possible things Dabi has in store for you.

“Good. Now strip.” He command and like a good girl, you obey.

Your arms feel like they’re made of lead, moving rigidly to take off your shirt (one of Dabi’s old ones). You can’t stop the tears from falling as you pull down your panties, fat droplets roll down your cheeks, desperately trying to swallow the sounds of your sobbing.

This can’t be happening. It’s Dabi. He wouldn’t hurt you. He promised you that.

“Oh cut the fuckin’ waterworks.” He snaps. “As long as you listen, you’ll be fine.”

You try to calm yourself with deep breaths, not wanting to irritate him any further.

When you turn to face him, he’s leaning back on his haunches, one hand resting on his thigh, the other lazily gripping the revolver. “Fair warning, I’m more of a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ kinda guy. But you know that already.” He thumbs the cylinder, making it spin. “Now, touch yourself for me.”

Breathing is difficult. No matter how much you try, it’s like you can’t get enough air into your lungs. Thinking only of gun in your boyfriend’s hand, you still you bring your own hand between your legs, but you can’t concentrate, what with the dread taking over your body making it tough to have any control of your body. Your movements are stiff and apparently not up to Dabi’s standards.

He only scoffs before-

CLICK

You scream again, body nearly flying off the bed before you curl yourself up into a ball. The fright is enough to stop your heart. For a second you believe it has.

“Doll,” Dabi’s gruff voice brings you back to earth, reminding you that you’re very much alive and whether or not you stay that way is entirely up to him. “You’re ruining my surprise. Got it ‘specially for you and now you’re being a brat.” He quirks an eyebrow at you, almost like a challenge.

“So-sorry.-“ your voice breaks. “I’ll be good.”

You’re still struggling to comprehend how any of this is real. You thought you knew him. You thought he loved you. And here he is, treating your life like it’s a game. You can’t help but think that this is your own fault. You thought you were above everyone else, the exception to your boyfriend’s villain behaviour.

“Yeah?” His voice drops to a whisper. “Then show me.” He challenges you. Dabi slips off his t-shirt and moves between your legs to get a better view, pressing on your knees to split them apart.

Self-preservation kicks in. There is one way out of this alive and that’s doing what he says. You spread yourself even wider, showing him all of you. Your hands, glide over your smooth thighs, kneading the pudgy flesh as you get closer and closer your sex, teasing yourself the way he would.  Your fingers find your clit and just a little pressure makes your eyes melt shut. Probably for best anyway. It makes it easier to imagine anything but this. You drag those fingers through your delicate folds, letting out breathy sighs as heat begins to bloom between your thighs.

You pretend, its Dabi’s touch. In your mind’s eye you see the two of you, limbs tangled with Dabi on top, resting his forehead against yours. It’s one of those nights where he wants to go slow. So slow that the sensation of his cock dragging in and out of is you bordering on torturous. It’s one of those nights where he wants to lay his head on your chest, mouthing at your breasts, laving your nipples with his wet tongue while you tell him, in that sensual voice  that you love him, that he’s perfect, that he’s yours.  Because it’s one of those nights, where everything feels like too much for him and the only person that he really has on his side is you.

It’s not long before you’re leaking. Somewhere, deep in the back of your mind, there’s a voice chastising you for being so easy for him… even now. There’s almost no resistance as two of your fingers, press into your entrance. Your fingers are no match for Dabi’s, they never hit all those deep, hidden spots  that make you see stars but still, you start to move them slowly, brushing your thumb over your clit every so often.

“Look at me.” You feel his breath waft over your pussy.

Eyelids fluttering open and you meet his gaze. It stuns you a little and your hands come to a standstill. He is handsome, breathtakingly so, even though he thinks you’re lying whenever you when you tell him that. The way he stares at you, with love and adoration in his eyes, it’s almost like the fantasy you were just imagining. Almost like the fantasy you’ve been living in this whole time. It’s enough to make you forget the situation you’re in. Then the muzzle of the gun is pressed to your clit, snapping you back to reality fast enough to give you whiplash.

“Fucking slut.” He growls and smacks your hand away from your pussy.

You jerk as he starts to move it the gun circles over your sensitive nub and then dipping down to your tight slit to gather up your juices.

“All those fuckin’ tears but look how wet you are.” He says more to himself than you as he admires the way your slick leaves a sheen on the barrel. With his eyes trained directly on yours, his perfectly pink tongue pokes out to lick it clean, groaning at the taste.

The next thing you know his arms are wrapped around your legs, guiding them over his broad shoulders. He kisses you on your mons before his tongue begins greedily lapping at your hole. “Tastes so good doll.” He mutters with his nose pressed against your clit. He slips the wet muscle inside of you making you whine.  You reflexively grab onto his black hair, tugging on the stands and he lets out a groan of approval. He moves up to your clit, circling it with his tongue before suckling on it. While he brushes just the tip of a finger over your cunt, making it clench around nothing while you desperately buck your hips, in an attempt to have it inside you.

The way he’s eating you out is almost romantic?

Or it would be, if it weren’t for the metal digging into your flesh.

“Doll,” He places a sloppy kiss on your clit, lighting dragging his teeth over the hood. “Want you to squirt for me.”

A lump forms in your throat. You can count on one hand the amount of times that has happened. You’re not sure of the odds that you’d be able to right now and it’s not a gamble you’re willing to take. “Dabi, I don’t think I can….”

CLICK

You thrash, screaming so loud it makes your throat burn.

Dabi still holds you open, keeping you in place. “I wasn’t asking.” He makes sure to maintain eye contact as he drops a fat glob of spit right on to your clit before diving face first into your cunt once again.

He pushes 2 of his long, lithe fingers into your tight entrance. It’s unexpected and you wince. He drags his right hand (the one holding the gun) up your torso, resting the muzzle underneath your breast, right over your racing heart. A reminder of what’s at stake. He envelopes your sensitive clit with his lips, moving his fingers in tandem with the suction. You’re consumed by desire as Dabi brings you so close to the edge.

“Dee-Deeper please.” Your pant out.

He smiles against your mound before complying with your request. “Right here?” His fingers press against that squishy patch deep inside you and your eyes roll back.

“Nnnggg yeah.” You’re barely able to mewl out. You dig your heels into his back and grind against his face, chasing your high. Dabi keeps hitting that spot with astonishing precision but you hold off for as long as you can, letting the pleasurable sensation build until the pressure in your core becomes unbearable. When it finally snaps because you can’t hold it anymore, your eyes squeeze shut, hands flying to his biceps and you dig your nails into the sinewy muscle. You gush around his fingers and all over his face. Dabi doesn’t move though, flicking your clit with his tongue repeatedly until you’re trembling and whimpering, pushing him away from your pussy. He finally relents, a pop echoing around the room as he lets go of you.

He gives you a predatory look, scared face and chest wet with the remnants of your orgasm. “You made such a mess baby but I’m glad you’re finally having fun.” He’s just as out of breath as you are but far more composed.

Your head is still fuzzy and limbs are still twitching but your boyfriend doesn’t let you recover. “C’mon, doll. My turn.” He begins to undo his belt, silver buckle clinking as he rushes to drag it through the loops of his jeans

You pull yourself on to all fours, now eye level with his crotch. He pulls down his pants and boxers in one go, his erection almost hitting you in the face.

“You’ve been lucky so far.” He taps the bulbous head of his cock on your lips, smearing your lips with the pre that dribbles out of it. “But I wouldn’t test it if I were you. Open.”

Your mouth is already watering at the sight of him. So long, thick and veiny. It’s disgusting actually, this Pavlovian response. He fucks you deeper, stretches you wider and makes you feel better than anyone ever had. You wonder briefly, if anyone ever could fuck you as good as Dabi.

You stick out your tongue and he slides himself between your lips, groaning as he pushes into your mouth, slowly, inch by inch. He fills your mouth completely and you shut your eyes, savouring the salty taste of him but you feel the muzzle press against your temple and making them shoot open. “Atta girl. Lemme see those pretty eyes.” He grunts as he plunges into your throat. You bob your head up and down his shaft, the hand at the back of your head setting a brutal pace. The room is filled with the sounds of you gagging and his hefty sac smacking against your chin.

“So good to me baby.” He tilts his head back, losing himself in the pleasure. The wet heat of your mouth surrounding him while your saliva leaks out, dripping down his balls. Dabi is big and heavy, stretching you so wide and making you jaw ache from the weight of him. You’re already lightheaded from the lack of air, no matter how much you try breathing through your nose. You don’t dare to complain though.

He pulls out of your mouth slowly, stretching a string of saliva from the head of his dick to your tongue that’s hanging out of your mouth. You pant like a bitch attempting to catch your breath. He doesn’t give you much time before he’s in your throat again, back to fucking your face.

“I love you so much. You love me?” He sounds so sweet, totally blissed out.

He stops thrusting and tilts your head up to look at him, blinking tear-clumped lashes. You try utter a ‘Yes, I love you.’ but with his shaft gagging you, it comes out all garbled. The muscles in your throat convulse around the deep intrusion. “You’d do anything for me right?” He asks, jabbing the muzzle even harder into your temple, finger resting lightly on the trigger. You nod, watching Dabi lose his composure bit by bit. “Yeah. That’s why you’re my girl.” He pushes himself even deeper inside you, making you finally take all of him, until your nose meets his pubic hair and holding you there. “Fuck.”

CLICK

“Hmmhhhhngggh” You squeal around him but you can’t pull off because of the grip he has on your scalp. When he lets you go you’re choking and coughing up a lewd mixture of spit and pre-cum.

“Wh- Why” You blubber, voice hoarse. You don’t understand. You were doing exactly what he asked. You were being good.

“Sorry baby. Felt so good, my finger slipped.” He doesn’t even try to hide his mischievous smirk. The fucker is definitely not sorry.

You want to beg him to stop this ridiculous game because you see now there’s no way you can win because Dabi doesn’t play fair.

He doesn’t give you the chance though, already shuffling off his bottoms all the way and propping himself up against the headboard. “C’mon pretty baby.” He tugs on your ankle.  Wanna see you bounce on my dick.”

You clumsily position yourself atop his lap quickly, before you can even think about it. You know he doesn’t need a reason to pull that trigger but still, you don’t want to give him one.

He grinds his tip along your heat, piercings dragging across your clit over and over again. It’s something he does whenever you have sex, to rile you up. And just like all those other times, it’s working. Circumstances be damned. “Needa feel this hot little pussy. Give it to me doll.” He murmurs against the shell of your ear.

You nod as you lift yourself off of him to hover your dripping wet hole over his hard dick. You slowly squat down on onto him, the fat head stretching you out, burning with every inch you take. You mewl, making futile attempts to blink away tears. You get halfway before you have to stop, resting your hands on his shoulders trying to gain leverage. You’re outright crying now, wet droplets landing on Dabi’s chest.

“’S matter doll.”

I’m terrified. You yell in your head but stay silent, choosing to focus on relaxing your ever-tightening hole in order to take more of him.

“Oh, I know.” He coos, voice dripping with condescension. “’S too big for your tiny cunny.” He leans forward to kiss away the salty tears. “But you can take it. I know you can.” He cups your jaw, stroking your cheek with a calloused thumb. “You can do it for me”

You start to move slowly up and down, using gravity to force more of his monstrous cock inside you with shallow movements. You really are trying your best but that’s apparently not good enough for Dabi and he lets you know that by pressing the barrel of the gun into your stomach. You freeze, horrified, more tears start falling from your eyes. You open your mouth to beg him to just give you a little time. You’re trying.

“Quit being a baby and just take it.” He says before you even get the chance.

“I’m trying Dabi, please just-“

CLICK

He cuts off your plea.  He’s not interested in your excuses.

The rotation of the cylinder sends vibrations through your abdomen. Amidst the shock, you release your grip on his shoulders and impale yourself on his shaft by mistake. The combination of the searing stretch and the blunt head of his cock kissing your cervix is so overwhelming that you collapse forward, head falling on to your boyfriend’s chest. You feel the rumbles of his chuckles while he’s quite literally splitting you open.

“See? Knew you could. Just needed a little scare. Isn’t that right.” He rubs your back as if to comfort you. He lets out a low whistle. “But looks like you’re all out of chances doll. Now bounce.” He gives you a spank with an inhumanly warm hand, making you squeal and leaving your cheek tender.  

Your hands find purchase on his shoulders again. Dabi’s sapphire eyes are practically glowing, daring you to be stupid enough to defy him one more time.

You pull off almost entirely, keeping just his tip inside of you, before spearing his shaft into you again.

“Good girl.” When he praises you with that raspy voice makes you keen and desperate for more of it.

His hand snakes its way up your torso to cup one of your breasts. Your back arches, pushing into his scorching hot touch, forgetting momentarily about his other hand and what he’s holding in it.  He gropes your chest, tweaks and twists at your nipples, leaving red, inflamed hand prints in his wake. You’re practically delirious with pleasure, babbling out incoherent streams of his name along with “yes” and “more”.  All the while, he murmurs praises about how good you are and how much he loves you. It’s confusing and you can’t process any of it.

“Who owns this perfect pussy?”

“Dabi. Fuck. Dabi.” Your tongue lolls out of your mouth in the most obscene way, drooling down your chin. Your plush walls pulse around him as he hits that sensitive spot every time you sink down on him.

“That’s right it’s all fuckin mine. My pretty baby.” Dabi’s eyes are focus on where your two bodies are connected watching the translucent ring of your cream appear and disappear as you ride him.

“Preeeettyyy.” You slur and he laughs at how fucked out you are, brain completely jumbled between the fear, the pain and the bliss all combined into ecstasy.

“Doll.” He groans. “I feel ya squeezin’ me. You gonna cum?”

He’s right. You nod as you feel that coil tightening again, threatening to snap at any second. The man finally starts putting in work, pounding into you every time you pull off of him. Dabi abandons the gun in favour of playing with your clit, rubbing quick sloppy circles. “Yeah? Gonna cream and gush around me? Want you to baby.” He buries his head in the crook of your neck, sucking, biting and licking while he assaults your sopping wet pussy. “C’mon doll, please.”

With that you orgasm. He grabs your hips pulling you flush against his thighs, fucking you through your orgasm, rolling his hips up into you until your high finally subsides.

He doesn’t let you catch your breath before he’s got the revolver pressed hard underneath your chin. “Now make me cum.” You almost collapse but the harsh grip he has on your hair suspends you upright.

Your mind is so foggy and Dabi gives you a small smile, appreciating the perplexed look in your droopy eyes. But he’s not done with you yet.

“Hey.” You’re ripped from your daze, when he slaps you across the face, sending your head swinging to the side. “Don’t pass out on me now.”  

“So-sorry! ‘M sorry!” You grovel as you slam your tired body down on his dick once again, trying to ignore the throbbing on your cheek, the ringing in your ears, and the ache in your battered cunt.  You’re so sensitive from your last orgasm but you don’t have a choice and you don’t dare deny him anything. Your thighs are quaking and burning with every movement but your boyfriend is unimpressed.

“You can do better than that doll.” He lets out a bitter laugh, enjoying every second of tormenting you. “It’s like you want your brains splattered on the ceiling.”

You start crying again, shaking your head frantically. In the time that you’ve been with Dabi, you’ve learned certain tricks, you know he likes it, but in this panic/lust induced frenzy, you can’t remember any of them. Instead, you bounce, mindlessly on him while your gummy walls clench tighter around him every time he nudges at your a-spot. Your legs are going numb from all the effort and you plop down, limp onto his lap, taking him to the hilt.

Dabi tsks at you, reminding you that you can’t rest just yet. You swivel your hips, grinding your pelvis against his while he’s buried deep in your wet heat. You pray to whatever deity is listening that he’s getting close, you’re not sure how much more you can take.

“If I don’t bust in the next 5 seconds.” His hand finds your clit again, you grind across his fingers has you rock against him. “Bang!” He emphasises the word by bringing a heated palm down on your ass.

A choked sob bubbles at the back of your throat, making him snicker

Hands pressed to his chest, you ride him like a woman possessed, the last bits of adrenaline kicking in. Your sloppy cunt squelches every time you drive yourself down on his cock just motivating you to fuck him harder.

“Five.” He grits out.

“Dabi, please!” But you’re met with icy, apathetic eyes staring back at you, feeling the terror that the rest of the city does when they so much as hear his name.

“Four.” He rubs your already raw clit, faster and you can feel another orgasm building, much quicker than your last two.

Your body feels so heavy but you can’t stop moving, not unless you want him to- “Please cum!” You beg. “Need your cum.”

“Three.”

He starts to fuck up into you again with unforgiving force.

“Wh-Why?!” is all you can manage as your mind starts to fog up again, the need to come becoming all the more urgent.

“Two.” He ignores your question, transfixed on your tits bounce in his face. You’re getting close to your third orgasm of the night and it seems Dabi is determined to get you there.

You still can’t believe this is real. You never thought that Dabi would treat you like this. You were supposed to be special.

Or at least that’s what he told you.

Moreover, you can’t believe how your own body is betraying you. You can’t believe you’re actually going to cum. Again.

“One.”

You cry out his name one last time, unsure if it’s out of fear or pleasure. You dig your nails into his arms again, in a feeble attempt to ground yourself as you cum around him. The orgasm that rips through you makes it difficult for you to be sure of anything.

What you are sure of is the fact that there was no bang or bullet.

Just one last CLICK (practically drowned out by your screaming) and the sensation of Dabi’s hot cum flooding your womb. He has a bruising grip on your hips, gun now discarded, and he ruts up into to making sure to stuff your cunt absolutely full of him. He begins to laugh as he softens inside you.

Your head is still spinning but once you’re able to push yourself off of him, you can finally make sense of what just happened.

He was fucking with you.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” You yell, using weak and quivering arms to throw pillows at him while you cry so hard it makes you dry heave.

Your asshole of a boyfriend starts cackling, clutching his abdomen as if he just pulled the world’s funniest prank while your heart is beating so hard and fast you think it might break through your ribcage.

“You should have seen your face. You were so fuckin’ scared.”

You become nauseous, feeling bile rising in your throat as you come to a sickening realisation.

This is not your Dabi. This is the Dabi that the rest of the world gets to see.

Evil, sadistic, merciless. This is the real Dabi.

You attempt to scramble off of the bed to get away from him, feeling overwhelmed by the humiliation. But Dabi grabs your wrist and yanks you into his chest, wrapping you up in his arms. A gesture you used to treasure but now it just made your skin crawl. “C’mon Doll you didn’t think I was being serious did you?”

You writhe in his hold, hitting against his hard, toned chest with pathetic fists. “Don’t be such a crybaby. It was just a joke.” He strokes your hair oh so tenderly. But you won’t fall for that again. Dabi is a villain through and through. You know that now.  

It’s no use fighting him off though, all the fight in you is used up. You don’t know what else to do. So you do the easy thing: nuzzle your head into his chest, tremors rocking your body as you hiccup, while he holds you. That way you can pretend that you feel safe with him, just like you used to.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, doll. I love you.”

[senjuushi]

Whumptober — Day 14

Prompt: Desperate Measures

Character: Ali Pasha

Ali Pasha is known for his ego. He’s fully aware of how the soldiers and handlers despise his stubborn attitude and unbreakable pride, but he doesn’t intend to change his behavior for the former World Empire’s sake. No matter how much it infuriates those above him, he’s assured of his proper worth. 

The problem comes, though, when his Master is the one who’s not satisfied. It was one thing back at the Resistance, where leniency and cutting corners ruled. Where he is now, people care far more about things like a weapon’s place, and just how they treat the humans above him. And while Ali Pasha had always been one of many tools under the same owner, it’s different now. Worse. It’s much too easy to go forgotten. 

Even more of a problem, they take his gun away. None of his kind are allowed to keep their weapons with them when not in use, and that has quickly become a type of fear that Ali Pasha never knew he’d have to worry about— his gun is delicate. Whether he admits it or not, the silver filigree is much too easy to damage, so he despises having himself in another’s hands. 

The idea that he’s scared of anyone is appalling, but there’s little room for shame in an environment where everyone wants to see him break. 

When you call him for a personal visit, Ali Pasha is immediately suspicious. It’s unusual for any of them to be allowed one-on-one time with their Master; there has to be some kind of trap waiting behind the kind offer. 

He’s fresh from training with his gun still in his hands, and no one tries to take it from him when he leaves for your office. With his fingers curled around the delicate decorations, he can almost pretend like he’ll be allowed to keep it, this time. Like he’ll be allowed to protect himself how it matters. 

You’re waiting for him. You don’t look angry, but you’re leaning against your desk with an expression that he can’t get a proper read on. Ali Pasha keeps his head high and his shoulders back, bold as he always is. 

“Do you know why I wanted to speak with you?” you ask. 

“How would I know that?” he scoffs. “Humans’ business is none of my concern, let alone whatever whim caused you to bring me here.”

You stare at him for a moment, silent. Then— 

“Bring me your gun.”

Internally, he flinches. That’s... the worst order you could have given. At the same time that he’d rather die than allow anyone else to hold that precious part of his soul, the very idea of the aged wood and fine, polished silver resting against the warmth of his Master’s hands twists a knot in his stomach that even he can’t ignore. He’s still just a weapon, in the end.

But your gaze clearly says that there’s no room for argument, and Ali Pasha, glowering all the while, does as you command. He steps toward you slowly and offers his gun with a glare that he hopes conveys his distaste.

A shiver runs through him the second his gun is in your hands. Some pitiful, needy, instinctive part of him wants this like nothing else. 

The moment doesn’t last, though. You step back to your desk, sit down on the edge... and pull a small knife out of your belt. Before Ali Pasha can react, the tip of the blade is wedged under a bit of the silver filigree along the stock. And instantly, his breath stops cold in his chest. 

“See, I’m sick of your attitude,” you say simply, “and regular discipline isn’t working. You always have to have the last word. You can’t just accept that there are people in charge of you. It’s unacceptable. You know that. This is something you’ve brought onto yourself.” As you calmly explain what cruelty is about to follow, you dig the knife in slightly deeper. 

For a moment, he forces himself to smirk, to not show the rapidly building terror creeping down his veins. “As if that would be enough to make me bow to you,” he boasts. “I’m not afraid of anything you could do to—”

And just like that, you chip off a tiny piece of silver. 

Ali Pasha sees it hit the ground before he feels it, but a second later, the feeling of bad wrong pain—, hits him like a bullet to the chest. 

It hurts more than anything should be able to, but without a single bit of damage to his human form. His body doesn’t know how to process it, but his stomach lurches threateningly and staring at the place on his gun where something used to be only makes him sicker. You’ll keep going. If he doesn’t submit, if he doesn’t throw away his pride, he knows you’ll keep going. 

“Do you think anyone will find you impressive anymore when all of these pretty things are stripped away?” you ask, fiddling the knife under another decorative coil. “Will you still be adored when you’re scarred?”

You’re right. Or rather, he’s so scared that weapon instinct begs him to believe you. Master is always right, and he’ll be happier, safer if he just bows his head and lets you have the power his owner deserves. There’s no room for dignity when he’s risking being chipped apart one shard at a time. 

Before he knows it, the tears start to fall. And hating himself for it all the while, Ali Pasha drops to his knees in a respectful bow. 

“Forgive me, Master. I understand. Y-You have the right to punish me, but, please—” Just saying the words feels like spitting up the tar-covered, bitter remains of his ego, but the knife is still right there, and he doesn’t dare to make this any worse for himself. Between the beatings and the cruelty and everything else he’s been through, this has been a long time coming. He should have known he’d be forced into line eventually. 

And worse, most shameful of all, there’s a part of him that just wants to be yours. If it would mean you’d own him properly, keep him by your side as a treasured tool, his pride would mean nothing at all, in the end. 

[siswritesyanderes]

Would you be willing to write yandere Loki from MCU? I like this character very much and I love your writing. I would be very grateful if you could write this.

Ohh, I definitely would, but at what point in Loki's life?

So many options.

(In all cases, Reader is for Earth, as far as I'm concerned; he could've found someone on Earth anytime.)

Pre-Thor Loki is a mishievous, magical prince with no particular emotional baggage, but he does feel that he lives in his brother's shadow, advising against rashness and seemingly less impressive, to a society fond of war. Yandere Loki in this stage of life would be sweet, and not quite as possessive as he would be later in life. He would be very hungry for acknowledgement and praise. You would pretty much have to compliment him all day long, but he would give you a nice, palatial room and a flowing Asgardian wardrobe and a banquet table full of the best foods, and he'd be very affectionate.

Thor-era Loki learns about his true lineage. This could go a few different ways: three, I think.

1. Broken Loki. He's inconsolable, and you're his only comfort. He tells you what he is, and what happened with Odin, and you have to tell him that he isn't a monster, that everything will be okay. He doesn't believe you, but you have to keep saying it, because if you don't, he'll go mad. He brings you everywhere with him, to keep him anchored.

2. Close-to-the-chest Loki. After such a disruption to his self image, he can't bear to lose you. He keeps you in the dark about everything, kind of like he does Frigga. He doesn't tell you what transpired with Odin, and he makes sure to frame his own actions, with regards to Thor, in a way that paints him as helpless to contest Odin's laws, or justified in maintaining them. He's much more controlling towards you, though. After all that's happened, he can't risk letting you around other people; Sif and the Warriors Three resent him, and what if they start whispering in your ear? Making you hate him? He can't let that happen. He can't let anyone talk to you but him. You don't even have servants anymore; he'll make sure you're cared for, with magic. He needs to maintain your love for him, at all costs, now that he can't love himself.

3. Lashing out Loki. He tells you that he's a Jotunn, and he tells you that he is a monster, and he tells you that it's his fault that Odin is in the Odinsleep, and he confesses to every bad thing he's done in his life, and he tells you about the bad things he's planning on doing next. He appears to relish in giving you every reason to hate him; it's a way of punishing himself, kind of. He almost demands that you hate and fear him, while fearing that you really will. Whether you respond with hate/fear or not, he'll keep pushing. He needs to show you his worse self, needs you to see him as he is. If you (justifiably) want to leave at that point, he'll make you sound unreasonable for doing so. What, you can't love him like this? Would you prefer the polished, silver-tongued, Asgardian prince? Or perhaps you would prefer Thor? Everyone would. No matter how monstrously Thor acts, he'll never be as much a monster as Loki, will he?

Avengers-era Loki is more sadistic. If this is the point where he takes an interest in you, that's real unfortunate. This one could go two ways:

1. He scepters you. Your eyes turn a misty blue, as he takes control of your mind. He makes you walk by his side and call yourself his, with a proud smile on your face. He caresses your cheek fondly. The Avengers are very unsettled by the display of power and ownership, telling him to let you go, and that you have nothing to do with this. He asks them, "What difference does that make?" You're like a flower that he picked on a whim and put in his lapel. It isn't until they see how resistant Loki is to letting you be rescued that they realize that he's serious about keeping you. He found a Midgardian he wants, and he will have his Midgardian, even if you pose no strategic advantage for him, and even if he has to expend effort to keep you.

2. He doesn't scepter you. It amuses him to just kidnap you, and surround you with eerie, mind-controlled people, and see your fear and helplessness. When the Avengers see you (and you're not as on-display, in this version, as you are in the other), they're puzzled as to why he hasn't sceptered you, and what his plans are with you. When Hawkeye isn't needed for a mission, he's guarding you. He's fairly personable, but he only talks about how great it is to be mind-controlled and how lucky you are that Loki abducted you, and it's very creepy. When Loki himself is around you, he's very teasing and malevolent. He doesn't go so far as to actually touch you in a licentious way, but he doesn't really have to; you're trapped among his mind zombies and can't escape, and his vibes toward you are ominous enough.

Alternate ending post-Avengers Loki, just because a Loki who wins would be very spicy indeed. You're like...the spoils of war. And he'd give you lots of gifts; he'd drape you in the crown jewels of England and house you in whichever palace he likes the most, but that's more a matter of his ego (decorating something that belongs to him, like buying clothes for a doll) than your comfort. And he's still in sadistic Avengers-era mode, so he mocks you for your powerlessness and how your planet succumbed to his will. And obviously, you have to kneel to him a lot. Everyone you interact with on a daily basis (your servants and his, mostly) are sceptered, but you are not.

(In this kind of alternate ending, there would also be questions about Thanos slaughtering half the planet and the remaining infinity stones on Earth, but for the sake of this we're ignoring the lore implications.)

Post Thor: the Dark World Loki: king of Asgard, but in a chill way. Super playful, but also with absolute power. Less sadistic than Alternate Avengers Loki, less sad and dependent than Thor-era King Loki. This Loki is maybe a mischievous stalker type. He just messes with your life to prove he can do it. He doesn't even have to kidnap you, because he's so in control. (Eventually, he will anyway, though, just because it's inconvenient for you to be on Earth while he's on Asgard, and he's tired of using the bifrost. But he'll only transport you to Asgard; you don't have to live in the palace. Screwing with you is more fun when you have some freedom.) He tinkers with every aspect of your life, while you're on Earth. He finds it fun and satisfying, to know that he's left his metaphorical fingerprints on everything.

TVA, series Loki: Too soon to tell, but opens up a lot of possibilities.

[benevolentbirdgal]

Purim: a Jewish holiday and wild ride from start to finish

So let me tell you about the absolute soap opera that is the Jewish holiday of Purim. The scene is set in ancient (appx. 4th century B.C.E.) Persia during the first Jewish Diaspora, in the city of Shushan (typically identified in secular sources as Susa, a now-abandoned ancient city in what is now Iran). I’m telling you, as a work of literature (even beyond theological implications for Jewish people), this book has everything: love, drama, royalty, intrigue, ego, plots, irony, mystery, and a strong female lead. 

[some non-slur swearing below]

Ahasuerus, party-loving king of Persia executed or exiled (translations argue) his wife Vashti, and had to find a new queen. Why did he do this, you ask? Well, it really starts with an 180-day party across his kingdom for all his subjects to celebrate the third year of his reign. After that absolute rager, party-bro KA has another one immediately after for a week, this time just for the capital city of Shushan. Vashti was having a woman’s party in her quarters, presumably living her best life, when party-bro sends his top seven yes-men to deliver a message to Vashti. This sleaze-ball wants her to appear at his party in front of everyone, wearing her crown, with the clear implication being only her crown. Vashti more or less tells him to pound sand (I mean, not the literal translation, but that’s the sentiment). 

KA’s advisors convince him that this is not only an offense against the king but also against all the men in the country (ah, the joys of ancient patriarchy and toxic af masculinity). KA writes a degree that women must respect their husbands so he has an official reason to get rid of Vashti. Vashti is soon thereafter out of the picture and the king is short a queen. Whether she was a Wise Lady With A Point Who Got Screwed Over or a Vicious Jew-Hating Adulteress Who Had It Coming has been a matter of furious debate for over two millennia (the Babylonian Talmud and the Jerusalem Talmud vociferously disagree on her). In any case, KA regrets it pretty quick and wants a new queen. 

At the behest of his advisors (you know, since their last advice worked out soooooo well), KA had a big contest/forcible gathering of young women from around his kingdom and a Jewish woman, Hadassah, was the winner.  Hadassah was an orphan raised by her cousin Mordechai in the city of Shushan. Hadassah is more commonly known as Esther, because she changed her name to hide her identity as a Jew (at the behest of Mordechai). In any case, KA decided he liked Esther best and she became queen (it’s specifically mentioned both that he loved her most and that the palace staff liked her because she was nice to them-it’s unclear how much of an influence the latter was). 

Concurrently, a wicked man named Haman was the top advisor to the king and the king would basically rubber-stamp whatever Haman wanted. Haman was a raging Jew-hater-this will be relevant later. 

Some time into Esther’s reign as queen, Mordechai, who has taken to hanging around the gates of the palace to keep in touch with Esther, overhears a plot by two guards, Bigthan and Teresh, to kill the king. Mordechai alerts his cousin, and she tells the king. It’s recorded in the book of deeds and life keeps moving. 

Some time later, Haman decides (after a promotion to head lackey) that he wants all to bow to him as he passes. Mordechai refused to bow to Haman every single day (citing that as a Jew he bowed to no man), and that did not sit well with Haman. So despite being prime minister and presumably having more important things to do, “genocide the Jews” made it to the top of to-do list. He didn’t like them before, and Mordechai refusing to treat him like a special snowflake was something he took really, really personally (totally can’t think of any modern politicians like that, nope). He told KA, who frankly doesn’t seem to ask enough questions, that there was a people disrespecting the king and his laws throughout the land, and could he pretty-please exterminate them. As a bonus, Haman would “donate” 10,000 silver kikar to the royal treasury (modern conversion vary, but all agree this an absurd amount on money). 

KA handed him the royal seal to do so. Haman was feeling lucky I guess so he decided the best course of action was to draw lots to pick the day for the massacre. [Purim is lots in Hebrew, so that’s where the name of the holiday came from]. The message went out to all the provinces that on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, that they citizens and leaders should murder all of the Jews, young and old, man, woman, and child, rich and poor and take their possessions as spoils. 

As this wasn’t exactly a state secret, the Jews knew and were quite distressed. The planned slaughter was like a year out, but what the actual fuck were they supposed to do? If you lived in Persia at that point that, the empire was functionally your entire world, unless you were fabulously/ridiculously wealthy and well-connected. Having several months notice the other locals and your rules were going to slaughter you and take your stuff isn’t particularly useful when there’s really nowhere to go. 

In Shushan, Mordechai (who, although not explicitly in text, is in oral/Talmudic tradition a leader of the Jewish community) goes into mourning. He dresses in sackcloth and ashes, he weeps, and he fasts at the gates of the palace, as Jews throughout shushan and the kingdom are doing. Esther hears of her cousin’s mourning behavior and tries to send along nice clothes through a messenger, which he refuses. It is then that she learns of the decree. Mordechai (through the messenger) implores her to go ask the king if the Jews not getting murdered could be a thing. Esther explains that she could be killed for approaching the king unsummoned. Mordechai stresses the severity of the situation. Esther agrees to ask the king and tells Mordechai to have the Shushan Jewish community fast day and night (as opposed to just day as prior) for three days, and she and her handmaidens will fast too (no word on what the handmaidens thought of this).

On the third day, Esther bravely approached the king, asked him if she could request something. He said anything, up to half his kingdom (which implies to me that homedude, for all his flaws, was actually into her). Esther invited him to a party, where he and Haman would be the only guests. At the party she asks if she can another request. KA is open to it and she invites him to another party the next night. Party-bro king is obviously down and Haman is tickled to death at this second invitation. 

He goes home to brag to his wife, Zeresh, about the invite and also to bitch about how angsty he is Mordechai is still alive (this angst reignited by passing him on the way home). Zeresh suggests he have fifty-foot gallows built to make Mordechai an example on, with the king’s permission, ASAP. Haman orders the building of the gallows, feeling secure in the knowledge that his bestie the king will execute Mordechai on them. 

Back at the castle KA can’t sleep. He demands a bedtime story from the his records, because those will presumably put him to sleep. The story that gets read, ~coincidentally~, is of Mordechai saving KA’s life. Haman had sidled on up to the castle to speak to the king about killing Mordechai, and the king called him in. KA asks Haman, if he were to honor someone, what should he do? Haman is thinking “this is obvi about me” and tells the king that the honoree should be donned in royal clothing, and ride through the streets on a fancy horse with people someone shouting how great he is. KA is like great, love it, perf, go do that for Mordechai. Haman is not a happy camper but does the thing. After that, he goes home and tells Zeresh about it, who warns him that this is a very bad sign. 

Finally, that night is the night of Esther’s second soiree. Haman and KA attend. The latter offers to Esther anything she wants, up to half of his kingdom. Esther asks that her life, and the life of her people be spared. KA is like “whomst” and Esther revealed it was Haman. At this point Ahasuerus.exe stops working and he takes a walk to the gardens. He comes back to see Haman begging Esther for his life, and KA thinks Haman is assaulting her. Haman was seized by nearby guards.

One of the chamberlains is then like, hey, KA, coincidentally there’s these super high gallows Haman just had built. Why not take care of the problem that way? (The fact that the random nearby chamberlain was like yup, that dude, hang ‘em in the morning, probably says a lot about how Haman treated most people around him, even more than forcing all to bow to him). KA orders it be done. 

Not that Haman was around to be sad about it, but what happened next would have massively pissed him off, as his old job then went to Mordechai. Esther then implored of the king that the degree to allow the massacre of the Jews be reversed. The king couldn’t Cntrl+Z the order to murder-all-the-Jews, but he could issue an order that they could fight back. The proclamation was sent throughout the land, and the Jews were able to prepare. Since the royal decree had been amended, the governments (princes, governors, satraps) largely reformulated their plans accordingly, but plenty of Jew-haters still wanted to use the opportunity. The ability to self-defend meant that the communities weren’t massacred. In most of the kingdom, the Jews were now safe. Outside of Shushan, the fourteenth of Adar became a feast day. 

Shushan was still not safe though. Antisemites were still out and mad (and apparently had not learned from the previous day), so Esther asked the Jews of Shushan to be allowed to defend themselves once more. Her wish was granted, and the Shushan Jews were able to defend themselves once more (so Purim is celebrated a day later in walled cities). 

The story ends with the decision to write it down, and although there some debate on authorship, it is traditionally attributed to Esther herself cowriting with Mordechai. 

Nowhere in the book is God mentioned. Nowhere is there divine intervention (at least not explicitly). Just Jews sticking up for themselves, being brave in the face of mortal peril, and a metric fucktown of chutzpah.