#like the box full of what i’ve sorted out that’s his is so small

[star-crossed-lizards]

well i really hate existing right now but hopefully itll be better in a couple days

[alg3a]

auspicious (pt. 2)

jayce x f!reader x viktor / jayvik x reader

3k, MDNI, no use of y/n

description: After confronting the boys and teasing them for long enough, you finally get what you want.

warnings: nsfw content, full complete total smut, MMF threesome, f!receiving oral, double penetration, all characters are sort of switches i suppose, double creampies! hooray!

a/n: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE LOVE ON PART ONE!!! it was entirely unexpected, but i loved hearing that all of you enjoyed it. it was my first ever tumblr fic, but there will be plenty more and my request box is VERY open.

Something in their eyes turns dark when you utter those words. Not utter, exactly, they were more of a proclamation. Maybe it was your confidence that threw them off so intensely, but how could you not be confident in a dress like that, after two glasses of wine, and knowing that the two most attractive men you’ve ever laid eyes on have been wanting you for months?

It made all the late nights and restless mornings worth it to be sprawled out on their cozy lab couch wearing practically just a strip of fabric, watching them eye you like dogs.

“What is it with you two? Do I need to write you a formal invitation?”

Surprisingly, Viktor moves first. When he gets to the couch he drops his cane as if it was a crumb off his coffeecake. Then Jayce follows, filling the spot behind you as you face Viktor on the other end of the couch. Jayce’s calloused hands wrap around your waist, feeling every inch of the delicate skin exposed by your low hanging dress. Viktor’s delicate hands cup your jaw.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting this,” Viktor says, his voice raspier than you’ve ever heard before.

“Hey–” Jayce squeezes your hips firmly and pulls you back into his chest. His fingers trace the long slit up the side of your leg and brush the fabric to the side, exposing your thighs. “How long we have been waiting for this.”

“Did you ever talk about me–about this–with each other?” You have a million dirty questions to ask them now that you have them at your disposal, and this seems like a good place to start.

“It’s hard not to,” Jayce says. “Every time you would come into the lab in that little skirt…”

“Things as small as lingering touches when passing tools…” Viktor added, his mouth dipping low to kiss your exposed collarbone.

“Anytime you did anything vaguely exciting… let’s just say the thought of sharing you is very familiar to us.” Jayce’s low, rough voice mutters against your neck. He punctuates his sentence with a nip at the soft skin as Viktor pulls away from your clavicle.

“Would you like that?” Viktor asks, his fingers delicately wrapping a strand of your hair around his long, slim finger. “For Jayce and I to share you?”

And suddenly they’ve monopolized this interaction. So much for all that confidence–thrown out the window as soon as they show a sliver of dominance.

“Speak up,” Jayce says, grasping your chin firmly and lifting it so that your face is flush with Viktor’s.

“Yes,” you finally utter. “I’d like that very very much.”

“Good,” Viktor says, his accent thicker and his voice raspy.

His thumb traces along your jaw until his hand seats itself on the back of your neck. His fingers slide into your hair. You’d never realized how big his hands were until then, as one wrapped around the back of your head, tugging softly at your hair as Jayce rubbed your bottom lip with his thumb, pulling gently downward to part your pretty lips. They really were fantastic partners, aiding each other in research. And there you were, their perfect little assistant, providing them with something to study.

You don’t realize how heavily your heart is thudding against your ribs until Viktor’s lips are exploring yours and your heart is the loudest thing in the room, second only to your little whimper as you realize Jayce is doing some exploring of his own. His calloused fingers brush your bare thigh beneath the slit of your dress and dip between your legs as his chest presses against your back. With the hand that once rested on your chin, he pulls the apex of the slit higher, so that your lacy black panties are exposed to the cold air of the lab.

“Fuck,” Jayce mutters at the sight of them. You feel as his hardening cock twitches against your back, eliciting a moan from your mouth that vibrates against Viktor’s lips.

You whine as he pulls away from the kiss to take a look at what Jayce has discovered.

“Don’t everyone look at once,” you joke, but your breathlessness and heaving chest don’t exactly contribute to the punchline.

Viktor smiles for a moment, but his eyes drift to your shoulder. More specifically, the fallen strap of the dress which leaves your shoulder exposed.

“You’ve been in this dress all night,” Viktor says, smiling as he looks at Jayce over your shoulder. “I can’t imagine it’s very comfortable…”

“Do you often imagine how uncomfortable my clothes are, Viktor?” You ask, returning his smirk as Jayce slips the remaining strap off of your other shoulder.

“All the time,” he says, taking the next step off of Jayce’s hands and sliding the bodice off your dress downward, then letting Viktor return to pushing down the remnants of the dress so that it pools around your ankles.

“And much more, it would seem…or sound, rather.” Jayce laughs in a low tone, the vibrations of his chest against the bare skin of your back causing your stomach to flutter. “Loudest housemate ever.”

“Oh really?” You ask, mouth agape as Viktor slides off the couch with a smirk on his face, bringing your legs with him. He pivots you so that you’re sitting with your back against the cushions now, and he’s kneeling between your parted legs. Only your cute little panties separate his face from your best kept secret.

“Hearsay,” Viktor rolls his eyes as he kisses up your thigh. “And from the man who doesn’t even close his door when he thinks of you…”

“I close it. The walls are just…thin.” Jayce replies, placing his hand on your chin once more to turn your face to his. “And I can’t help how much noise I make.” His voice lowers and his eyes flutter shut, preparing for his turn with your lips.

Jayce is a much rougher kisser than Viktor. Handsier, too. His hand slides up your waist, grazing your chest, before finally landing on the expanse of your tilted back neck. If he choked you to death right now, you could die happy. But he won’t. He just squeezes gently as his tongue explores your mouth, his grip a reminder that he’s been wanting you for three long months. You can imagine how it must have felt for both of the boys to have you within arms reach, pushed away only by their own semblances of professionality. Actually–you can taste it, too. And you can feel it as two fingers press against your clothed cunt and you let a moan echo into Jayce’s persistent mouth.

Viktor lifts a leg onto his shoulder, and you feel two of his calloused fingertips pulling aside the lace of your panties. With only the tip of Viktor’s tongue, you’re a whining mess against Jayce’s. Jayce pulls away from you with a condescending laugh, wanting to catch a glimpse of Viktor’s meal.

“Fuck,” he rasps. “I never thought my lab partner and I would have our tongues on the same girl at the same time.”

“Don’t lie,” Viktor looks up, a grin on his glistening lips. “I’ve heard my name through those thin walls, too.”

“Shut up,” Jayce groans, and guides Viktor’s head back to your cunt. “Does that feel good, sweetheart?”

“Y-yes,” you manage to utter, miraculously. You’d heard Jayce tease Viktor time after time about his inexperience with women. You’d be surprised that Viktor was this good at eating you out if you weren’t familiar with what a meticulous learner Viktor was. A true perfectionist.

As Viktor sucks on your clit, Jayce lowers his head and sucks marks onto your neck, one hand still on Viktor’s head, feeding you to him.

“Please…” you whimper, not sure exactly what you’re even asking for until you feel your impending release.

Viktor laughs against your core. “Please what, my love?”

“Please, I’m gonna… mmph! I–” The leg that rests on Viktor’s back bends so that he’s pulled closer.

“Don’t stop, Vik, she’s close.” Jayce’s grip on your jaw tightens and he pulls you ever so slightly downward to watch Viktor. “Is that right, sweetheart? Use your words.”

You nod emphatically, opening your lips but fuck it’s so incredibly difficult for you to form words when there isn’t an adjective on the planet that can describe how he’s making you feel. “I’m gonna…I’m gonna cum, please, please don’t stop.”

“Good girl,” Jayce says, his grip loosening as he goes in to kiss you again while your climax hits you like a tidal wave. Jayce feels the impact of it against his mouth in the form of your own, needy, whimpering moans.

Your legs begin to shake, but Viktor’s hands wrap around your thighs, holding you still as he shows no signs of stopping. He’s going to grant your begging wishes and ride this out with you, his tongue dancing along your clit, his fingers spreading you wide so it’s certain he won’t miss a spot.

Once you’ve settled, Viktor pulls away, wiping the arousal from his lips with the back of his hand. You’ve seen him exhausted, aching, and messy, but you’ve never seen him with such a powerful glint of desperation in his eyes.

“Did that feel good, sweetheart?” Jayce asks, his fingers combing through your hair.

Viktor seats himself on the couch again, drawn to your collarbone again, this time using his fingers to navigate the delicate clavicle.

You nod, but it takes every ounce of effort you have to lift your head up repeatedly.

“We’re not done with you just yet,” Jayce says, getting up off of the couch, “if that’s alright with you.”

The request is almost rhetorical. Of course it’s alright with you. He knows that. If the wanton, needy little noises you were still making in agreement were any sign of the pleasure you derived from this arrangement, you could go on until morning.

“Viktor, take your pants off,” Jayce demands, standing over the two of you.

“Who decided you’d be calling the shots for tonight?” Viktor asked, breathlessly, raising one eyebrow.

“If you don’t want to, I’ll gladly take your pla–”

Viktor rushed to take his pants off. You helped him with the belt buckle and in sliding them down his legs. As you do, Jayce fully removes your panties. It doesn’t make much of a difference, now that the two men have seen every inch of you.

As Viktor’s pants come off, you see the impressive imprint of his cock underneath his boxers.

“Can I?” You ask gently, lowering your hand to hover over his cock.

“We’re past that,” Viktor says, grinning as he takes your hand and guides it to his length. You dip your fingers under the waistband of his boxers and pull them downward so that they pool at his thighs.

Wow.

You’d always sort of assumed that since Viktor was so skinny that he couldn’t be hiding much. How wrong you were. Your lips part slightly, already salivating for him. You begin to stroke his cock, ready for him to push your head onto his shaft until you can’t breathe, but you hear a tongue clicking behind you.

“No need for that,” Jayce says. “I think we’ll save that treat for the workday. For now…”

Jayce’s strong hands find their grip on your waist on your right leg, pulling you to straddle Viktor’s lap.

“I don’t think either of us can wait any longer for this,” you look back at Jayce as he speaks, watching as he unbuckles his own belt and shed his pants along with his dress shirt.

Now this one, you expected. With the amount of female “advisors” you’ve seen watching Jayce in the forge, there’s no way he wasn’t packing.

“I’m inclined to agree,” Viktor says, his hands falling at either side of your waist and lining you up with the wet tip of his cock, already ruined with precum.

“I should start preparing you back here…” Jayce says as his large hands find purchase on the round of your ass.

“Are you ready, my love?” Viktor asks with a kiss to your wrist as he lines the tip of his cock up with your entrance, swiping it a few times to ensure you’re wet enough for his entry. You’re beyond wet enough. “It would seem you are…” He laughs as he pushes your hips down on him.

Even though you hadn’t taken your eyes off of Viktor’s cock since you took it out, the size still surprised you as he pressed into your wet cunt.

“Fuck…” Viktor groaned as his neck fell back against the couch cushions. “You feel…even better than I imagined.”

You can’t even form a sentence to reply. The stretch is so intense you’ve forgotten every word in the English language. You can’t even move, paralyzed on his length. Luckily, Viktor solves that problem for you, thrusting up into you suddenly, so that all you can do is let out a strained squeal. Your hands grip his shoulders but you can’t even worry about how your nails might be hurting him, although if his grin is any consolation, he might even be enjoying the pain.

Jayce trails a line of kisses down your spine and when you look back, he’s kneeling on the ground, spitting on two fingers. You barely have time to process what that might mean before those two fingers plunge into your unfilled hole.

“Fuck!” You exclaim, the first word that you can remember in these trying times. The pain lasts only a second before the feeling sends flutters into your stomach, and elsewhere. With renewed vigor, you begin to let yourself bounce on Viktor’s cock, eliciting a lovely little whine from him.

“Tell me how he feels, baby,” Jayce says, removing his two fingers.

“So…so good.”

“I know you can be more descriptive than that,” Jayce laughs as he gets up to stand, wiping some spit onto his plump tip and stroking it.

“I’ve wanted this for so long…” you say, the truest sentence in your head the first full one you can form. “So long… it’s so long…” Okay, back to putting the “senseless” in “fucked senseless.”

The boys laugh, but Viktor’s is a strained, breathless laugh.

“Please Jayce…” you beg, looking back at him over your arched back. “I want both of you…”

“Whatever you say,” Jayce says with a crooked grin as he wraps his hands around your waist, just above Viktor’s, who finds it in him to stop you from bouncing to allow Jayce his entry.

With a full, unexpected thrust, Jayce is completely in you. The stretch burns like Hell at first, but God you’ve never felt so full before.

Jayce lets out a desperate groan, not moving for a few more seconds. When Viktor thrusts into you, Jayce reacts with a moan.

“Fuck, I can…I can feel your cock, Vik,” Jayce says, letting out a breathy laugh.

“Lucky you,” Viktor laughs as he continues to lift his hips to meet your cervix.

With a dismissive scoff, Jayce finally finds the will to thrust again, even if it just results in more wanton, wasted little moans from his mouth: noises you didn’t even think he could make.

With both of them inside you at once, thrusts alternating and hitting spots within you that make you scream their names, it won’t be long until your second orgasm of the night.

Jayce’s hand reaches for your hair, taking a cluster of it and pulling you so that your back arches and your shoulders are flush with his. He cheeks your cheek with a contrasting delicateness and whispers in your ear, “Such a good girl for us. Isn’t she the best, Vik?”

“Better than our hands, absolutely,” Viktor jokes as his chest heaves and his forehead contorts. He’s close, you can tell.

“Fuck, you’re so tight,” Jayce says, releasing your hair and focusing all of his efforts onto your tight little hole, stretching you impossibly wide.

“I-I don’t think I can take much more,” Viktor utters.

“Me neither,” you whimper, pressing your head into the nook between Viktor’s head and shoulder. “Oh fuck…”

“Cum for us, baby,” Jayce says, squeezing your ass cheeks as his last few thrusts are used up. It’s not long before you feel his cock twitching, sending spurts of hot cum into your bottom. “Gods! Fuck, baby!”

The sight of the two of you losing your composure above Viktor is enough to send him over, and as you fall onto the full length of his cock after riding out your own orgasm, he pumps you full of his seed as well, whimpering like a wounded puppy as he ruts into you helplessly one final time. You’re all a pile of spent, sweaty, fucked out messes.

Jayce reluctantly pulls out of you, leaving a splatter of cum falling from your hole onto Viktor’s lap.

“Sorry,” he laughs as he collides with the couch beside Viktor.

You try to pull off Viktor's cock to provide him some relaxation, but he holds you still. “Please, don’t…don’t move yet. I want this to last as long as possible.”

“Feeling sentimental, Vik?” Jayce teases, running a hand through his lab partner’s sweaty hair.

“Feeling…like I’d like to memorize this feeling before I go to bed tonight.”

You laugh and kiss the bridge of his nose before resting your head on Jayce’s neighboring shoulder. “I should’ve put ‘handling two cocks’ on my resume. Maybe then you two would have actually read it.”

“Well, you’re more than welcome to list us as references on future resumes,” Jayce laughs, rubbing your hand softly as the three of you come down from your shared highs. “I’m glad you decided to come tonight. To the gala, I mean.”

You and Viktor both laugh.

“Next time, you won’t have to deal with crude men asking you to dance,” Viktor says as he kisses the top of your head. “You’ll be busy at our side the whole night.”

“I’m never going to move past the pretty little lab assistant allegations, am I?” You smiled into Jayce’s sturdy, shuddering shoulder.

“Maybe not,” Viktor said. “But why should you? You are our beautiful little lab assistant.”

@jeromeslilhoe @justaproudslytherpuff @onyxistired @sseleniaa @clearlycaffeinated-blog @darknessbyme @shoyofroyoyoyo

(pretty much just tagged everyone that commented asking for part two)

[haikyuubby]

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐡𝐚 𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐬’ 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞!

short imagines featuring: bakugo, midoriya, todoroki, kaminari, kirishima, shinso, and monoma!

part 2 to my valentine’s series!

❀ - fluff, gender neutral reader

𝐛𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐠𝐨

“you’re asking me to be your…what?

you hold out a pink card, the words “will you be my valentine?” printed on it.

“you’re asking me to be your…what?” bakugo says, reading the card.

you had a small pack of chocolates in your hand, awaiting bakugo’s answer.

it had taken a lot of courage for you to decide to ask bakugo to be your valentine, mainly because you two weren’t “a thing” yet, and because you didn’t know how he’d respond to this sort of thing.

“you’re such a dumbass, you know that? i already got you a gift for today, and it’s sitting in your dorm right now.” bakugo says.

“wait, really?!” you respond, throwing your arms around bakugo’s neck.

“calm down, and yes. i wasn’t gonna ask you to my my valentine in case you thought it was corny…”

“never that! thank you so much! i’m gonna go see the gift right now!”

after you go to your dorm, you find a red box sitting on your bed.

inside of said box was a dainty, expensive looking necklace.

who knew that bakugo could be so thoughtful?

𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐲𝐚

“you want me…to be your valentine?”

as you give a heart shaped sucker to midoriya, asking him to be your valentine, you can’t help but notice his flushed face.

he stares at you in awe, mumbling a bunch of “youreallywantmetobeyourvalentine?!”

you laugh at his antics, saying yes.

midoriya is unsure of what to say, he’s honestly starstruck that you asked him to be your valentine.

“okay, for real, you want me…to be your valentine?” he asks again.

you quickly nod your head, shoving the sucker in his hand.

“thanks, y/n. i’ve never had someone ask me to be their valentine before…” midoriya admits shamefully.

“i’m glad to be the first! i really like you, midoriya.” you say.

he chuckles, opening up the candy you gave him.

“would you maybe want to go somewhere with me today? we can train together then go out to eat?” he asks.

“i’d love to, midoriya.”

𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐢

“be your valentine?”

you give todoroki a small gift bag full of self care items and candy, with a handwritten note that reads “will you be my valentine?”

“be your valentine?” he says as he takes out the note from the bag.

“yes, will you?” you ask eagerly.

“i’ve never had anyone ask me this before…i will be your valentine.” he replies, lips curling upward every so slightly.

“i hope you enjoy your gifts, todoroki.”

“actually— y/n, would you like to go out to eat tonight?” he says abruptly.

you nod with a smile, grabbing his hand.

“it’s your pick.”

𝐤𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢

“are you seriously…asking me?”

kaminari was currently looking at the card you gave him, asking to be his valentine.

“are you seriously…asking me?” he asks.

“yes, kaminari. that’s why i’m giving this to you.” you respond, awaiting his answer.

“i can’t believe that this is really happening…i’ll be your valentine!”

kaminari wraps his arms around your body, squeezing as hard as he possibly can.

“wait— does this mean we’re boyfriend girlfriend now?”

“if you ask me out properly, then we can be.”

𝐤𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐚

“i wanted to ask you first!”

“kirishima, will you be my valentine?” you ask while holding out a red teddy bear in front of kirishima.

“aw man, seriously?! i wanted to ask you first!” he says.

initially, you thought he was going to reject you based on how his sentence started.

after he says that he wanted to ask you first, you smile and hand him the red teddy bear.

kirishima then pulls you in for a hug, kissing the top of your head in the process.

“let me take you out, please?” he asks.

“of course, kirishima.”

𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐨

“only if you’ll be mine.”

“shinso, i have a question to ask you.” you ask, hiding a red box of chocolates behind your back.

“what is it?” he asks.

you pull the chocolates from behind your back, placing them in shinso’s hands.

“will you be my valentine?” you ask.

shinso analyzes the chocolates you got him, smiling in the process.

shinso sets the chocolates down, and grabs your hand.

“only if you’ll be mine.”

𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐚

“be my valentine!”

you walk up to monoma, mischievous intent glinting in your eyes.

you had a small gift bag full of candies hidden behind your back.

before you can even get one word out, monoma cuts you off mid air.

“be my valentine!” he demands.

“hey! i was gonna ask you first…” you say, giving him the candies that you were hiding.

monoma looks through the bag you gifted him, seconds before he starts going on one of his usual rants.

“HAHA! i did it first! i knew you’d ask me to be your valentine!” monoma says.

your eyes roll at his antics, and you step away from him slowly.

under the impression that you’re walking away from this encounter, monoma reaches for your hand to stop you.

“…do you want to go out with me sometime? maybe right now? i really appreciate the gift and i don’t walk you to walk awa—“

“yes, monoma” you cut him off.

“i’d love to.”

[primalsouls]

your eyes

'malipo' kinich x m!reader

I don't care how long it takes As long as I'm with you I've got a smile on my face

theme: general, fluff

warning: none, i think, maybe a bit ooc?

summary: (name) has been crushing on a certain saurian hunter for a while already and wayna was getting tired of just watching him stare at the hunter with loving eyes with no plans of making a confession. just how long until kinich notices?

notes: got some inspiration lol i finally got kinich a couple of nights ago xD I was so happy, so I started writing this fic for him lol hope you like it! reblog & comments, any feedback is appreciated!

(colored) eyes stared at the back of a certain saurian hunter. he was talking to one of the tribe’s elders. (name) sighed. a longing gaze watching the dendro user walk away with a small bag of mora in his hands, his annoying companion yapping away beside him about any little trait he could use to berate the other. with kinich out of sight, (name) returned to sorting through a box full of gems but another figure blocked his way, startling the young seller.

“you keep staring at him like that, he’ll feel holes burning in the back of his head.” joked the tribe's chief Wayna, a playful smirk displayed on his features. (name)’s cheeks burned, a pinkish hue decorating across them. “c’mon, when are you going to tell him? you’ve been pinning him since the day you came from Inazuma.” wayna added with a tilt of his head and his arms crossed firmly over his chest. (name) glared at him lightly, smacking the chief’s arm while gesturing to shush. 

“shut up! you can’t say that aloud.” (name) huffed, walking over to the chief to return to his latest shipment. part of him regretted telling wayna about his secret crush on the dendro hunter. well, more like the older man found out within the first few weeks after (name) arrived in huitztlan and got rescued by kinich and the self-centered dragonlord k'uhul ajaw in a near-death attack by some of the wild saurians. Wayna, of course, teased the inazuman merchant for a while about his little secret crush on the hunter after promising not to spill it out to anyone else, especially on kinich, or worse, ajaw. but wayna was getting a little tired of the electro user just staring at the guy whenever he was around. it had been almost half a year since (name) came to natlan. he was surprised kinich didn’t sense those yearning glances… yet. maybe he already noticed but doesn’t bother looking into it. maybe he didn’t. wayna was curious now. 

wayna sighed, shaking his head. “young people these days.” he said, looking over the seller roamed through his shipment. “you two aren’t staying any younger. you should confess, (name).”

“and for what? to get rejected? get made fun of and berated by the oh-so-great dragonlord k’uhul ajaw?” (name) said through gritted teeth, annoyance sipping into his tone. “i’ve rather died in the night kingdom than confess my feelings to kinich.” wayna winced at the last part of (name)’s statement. not wanting to get electrocuted, wayna simply patted (name)’s head and walked away to attend to other matters in the tribe. the merchant clicked his tongue before moving around his little shop to display the new various gems he received from kirara. as he pulled out another small box with more gems stored inside it, (name) noticed a pretty gem that had a familiar color of a familiar pair of eyes. oh, great. now kinich was beginning to affect his line of work. maybe he should confess… but how? no, maybe he shouldn’t. his feelings are only going to get hurt and he would have no choice but to move back to inazuma. archons, his mind tends to be exaggerating. 

(name) shook his head. maybe next time. when he has enough courage to confess his pining feelings. 

the gem matching kinich’s eyes was too pretty. (name) had no choice but to make it into a bracelet. it looked beautiful. just like kinich. ugh. he just can’t get rid of him. The saurian hunter kept plaguing his mind every day and night. his heart raced at just the mention of his name. (name) frowned. he put the bracelet away in his pockets as he walked down the dirt path leading to the scions of the canopy. he was still a long way from home. (name) had a delivery he needed to do personally, to make the gems the customer asked for delivered safely and he did so by delivering them himself. he should have just hired kirara. it was a long walk. too long. 

“you pathetic, lizard-brain worm! you dared tried to defy the almighty dragonlord k’uhul ajaw!? you truly dared to invite the wrath of the almighty dragonlord k’uhul ajaw, a sovereign of the nation of flames!”

(name) paused. he recognized that voice. that aggravating voice. even from this distance, he could feel it getting under his skin. but if ajaw was nearby… does that mean he was too?

biting his lower lip back, (name) debated eavesdropping into their conversation. he shouldn’t but… archons, he sounded like a creep thinking this, he wanted to see kinich. it had been almost a week since he last saw him. it was just a little glance. that’s all. 

quietly walking over behind a tree, (name) peeked over the trunk. ah, there he was. standing tall with his arms crossed over his chest, eyes closed as he let ajaw talk his ears off. but it wasn’t just him there. the legendary traveler and their companion paimon were there, too. (name) honestly didn’t pay attention to the other three. His longing gaze was set on the dark-haired dendro user. 

wow. how can a human being like him be so pretty and strong-willed?

(name) sighed with a heavy heart and blinked. but when he looked over to where kinich stood, said hunter was gone. oh, no. the other three were still arguing with one another, so where had kinich gone to?

“i’ve seen the way you look at me when you think i don’t notice.” a voice spoke lowly behind him. (name) let out a small, frightened shout at the sudden presence of kinich behind him. his eyes widened. his face flushed brightly. his words quickly registered into his mind before shaking his hands in defend. 

“wha-wha-what are you ta-talking about?” (name) cursed mentally for his nervous stutter, his (colored) eyes looked anywhere but at the saurian hunter. 

“that longing look in your eyes… noticed it for a while now.” kinich answered, uncrossing his arms as he took a step closer to (name), who instead took a step behind. and they continued for a bit until his back met the tree, kinich never breaking eye contact. 

(name)’s brows furrowed, his anxious gaze staring down at the ground beside him. a hand went into his pocket where the bracelet was, trying to see comfort from it. 

getting no response back, kinich tilted his head as he leaned his face closer to (name). he was a few inches taller than him, finding the little height difference endearing. “started noticing it after the first month you stayed in the canopy. the way you have this yearning look in your eyes. they’re always set on me. you wouldn’t even flinch whenever i caught your stare.” oh, no. (name) inwardly groaned. he must have zoned out as he stared openly at the claymore wielder. the merchant wanted to dig a hole and died in it out of embarrassment. so kinich knew for half a year. how humiliating. 

“i-i didn’t mean to… i’m sorry. i just, um.. I…” (name) was at a loss for words. he was sure his face was as red as those dendrobiums that appeared around the shipwrecks in nazuichi beach. his heart beat so fast, he was afraid it was going to burst out of his chest. part of him hoped so to avoid this worst-case scenario. 

kinich shook his head at the unfinished apology. “there’s no need to say that.” he started, his own gaze now looking at the tree behind (name)’s back. “i’ve…been having the same longing look, too… towards you. for a while now.” kinich said, pulling himself together to look into (name)’s eyes, after said seller found the courage to do so too. he stared down at the other with a small intense look in his eyes before shifting his gaze back towards the trio he left behind. “i’m not busy right now. ajaw is busy with a couple of behavioral teachers right now, so… would you like to take a walk back to the canopy?” kinich offered his arm towards (name). The electro user stared at him in shock before smiling timidly, taking his arm in his own. 

“that will be lovely.” (name) had a feeling wayna would be too surprised the moment they arrived at the tribe. his smile grew a bit, already feeling the teasing miles away. at the very least, things turned out in a good light, unlike what his overthinking mind had clouded inside his head. (name) was happy with this outcome.

[saturnville]

centavito, jude bellingham

pairing: jude bellingham x she (black fem oc/reader) warning: none. just short. content: he wants her back and the chance is small, but he bets on his lucky coin that it'll work in his favor. song reference: centavito by romeo santos. an: it's been over 6 years since I wrote a football-related fic, so please give me some grace lol. and ofc, when I saw that there weren't many jude fics with a black reader/oc, I had slide one in there.

“I learned my lesson and I have been miserable without you. Please…one more chance.” 

The coin he twirled in his pocket was warm. His hands had fisted it tightly the entire walk to her front door. When he spoke, he turned it between his index finger and thumb over and over. There was only one way that it could go and that was up. So he hoped. 

She heard the voice of her grandmother in her ears as he took in his words. “If he fools you once, that’s on him! But, if he fools you again, he can’t be solely responsible. So, some people do change and I’m not gonna tell you he hasn’t, but it’s up to you to discern that for yourself, baby.” 

He didn’t cheat on her. He wasn’t mean, conniving, or deceitful. He simply didn’t appreciate her. When his life turned upside down and he became the wonder boy of the world, he forgot about her. She was pushed into the shadows when he promised she’d always be in the light. 

Suddenly, her rants about university exams and assignments weren’t interesting. Her love for the arts wasn’t fascinating. Long nights watching La Casa de Papel in her living room weren’t fun. Their nights in the kitchen trying new recipes were no longer a priority. She was no longer a priority. 

So, she left. She slid the promise ring off her middle finger, dropped it on his nightstand, and with tears in her eyes (and her head held high), she gathered her purse and went back to her apartment. She gathered all he’d gifted her and placed it in the box meticulously. Clothes and jerseys, books and letters--all prepared to be put into storage until she figured out where she truly wanted them to go. 

And just as she prepared to move the boxes into the storage unit after they’d sat in her bedroom corner for 17 days (yes, she counted), he was on the other side of the door, stopping her in her tracks. 

He looked fatigued, which could be credited to being a high-profile professional athlete, or as he put it, “Sleepless nights without you.” 

At that moment, he appeared so small. Not physically, per se, but emotionally. His eyes, usually bright and full of life, were dull and glossy with an emotion she couldn’t quite identify. Regret?

And when he spoke, he sounded like a chile who was trying not to choke over his words as he fought back tears. 

“Jude…” she said quietly, blinking back tears. Her hand was still tight around the door knob. “I don’t know.” She wanted him, sure, but she wasn’t willing to put herself in the position through an even worse heartbreak. But, at the same time, she believed what she’d said. 

“I’ll be better for you. I can’t lose you forever. One more chance, darling…please.” She’s never heard him beg in such a way. It made her insides stir.

Her jaw shifted as her eyes darted across his face, searching for any hint of dishonesty. Nothing or the sort. His eyes spoke what his mouth didn’t and it overwhelmed her greatly. I’m sorry, darling. 

“You love me?” she questioned after some time, her thick eyebrows furrowing. She wiped away the fallen tear that sped down her cheek. 

Jude nodded quickly. “I do. More than you know and more than I’ve shown you.” 

Her eyes moved quickly—she was thinking. He continued to fiddle with the coin in his pocket. Except his movements grew quicker as the anticipation grew.

“One chance,” she said after some time. “And you earn it.” 

Jude released the breath he was unaware he held and thanked the heavens above. Slowly, she moved out of the way to allow his entrance into her apartment. He closed the door behind him and pulled the coin from his pocket. Heads. 

 He smiled small. Little cent. The odds were finally in his favor. 

[vinylfoxbooks]

June 7 - Welcome | @jegulus-microfic | wc: 994 This is part 1 of a five part series Part 2

“I’m going on break, Reg.” Remus calls after he finishes wiping down the counter, “I’ll be out back.”

“Yeah, go smoke. You’ve been grumpy all day.” Regulus hums, putting the box that he was just sorting through on the ground by his feet so he remembers to shelf them later. Remus flips him off as he’s walking by to get to the back room, which makes Regulus roll his eyes, “You’re just proving my point.” And with that, the door to the back room closes and Regulus is left alone in the shop. 

It’s been a slow day so far -- what else would you expect from a small shop like theirs on a Wednesday of all days, especially since school is in session now so most of their regulars are going to be busier -- so Regulus isn’t shocked when only one person comes in seven minutes into Remus’ break. 

So Regulus takes this as ample time to grab the box he placed by his feet and start shelving the books inside. And just his luck, as he’s doing that, the bell over the door rings.

Regulus groans, picks up the box from where he’s got it on the floor after putting the last book in his hands on the shelf, and walks out of the shelves and towards the front desk, “Welcome.” He says to the patron that had just walked in, “What can I do for yo-” 

Holy shit.

Who is this man?

Tan skin with dorky glasses sitting over wide eyes. Tousled dark brown, almost black, hair that is falling absolutely everywhere in messy curls. He’s tall, with broad shoulders and a physique that is badly hidden by his satin red button up and a kind smile graces his face when he turns his warm gaze on Regulus.

“Hi, is Remus in right now?” The man asks, walking towards his desk, “I told him that I would run his cane.” He holds up his hand holding a cane -- Remus’ cane, “But I don’t see him.” “He’s on his break right now.” Regulus informs him, deciding that it’s his best option to turn his gaze onto something else before he says something he shouldn’t and setting the box on the counter in front of him, sorting the books inside into stacks, “Do you want me to give it to him for you so you can be on your way?”

The man shakes his head, “Nah, I don’t have anywhere to be today, so I’ll wait for him.” Then he leans forward, resting an elbow on the counter and his smile turns into something more of a smirk, “But I wanna know more about you? I didn’t know that Remus worked with such a beauty.”

“Well I’m glad Remus isn’t going around talking about my looks since he has a boyfriend.”

“I guess.” The man shrugs with one shoulder, “But I’ve been in here several times and I’ve never seen you here before, I’m James by the way.”

“Regulus.” Is all that Regulus feels like he can say. He was expecting someone that looks like that to be in a full-fledged relationship. But here this man is, leaning over a counter and flirting with Regulus. Then Regulus clears his throat and, still avoiding James’ eyes, “I don’t like to interact with people so I’m not usually at the counter.”

“Well you should be here more. I think everyone seeing your face when they walk in would really make their day.”

“You’re horrid at flirting.”

“And yet you’re blushing.” James remarks, smirking just a bit more and tilting his head. 

He opens his mouth to say something, but before he gets the chance, Remus walks out of the back room, “James, stop harassing Regulus.” 

James laughs and stands up properly, meeting Remus in the middle and handing him his cane, to which Remus looks at him with pure gratefulness, “If you had told me about him earlier, maybe I wouldn’t be coming on as strong.”

“I’m ninety percent sure that I’ve told you about him before. And so has Sirius, because that’s his brother.” 

James’ eyes go wide and he whips his head to Regulus, looking him up and down before humming, “I do see it. Well, either way.” Then he turns to Remus, checking his watch, “I should go. Lily asked me to pick up Harry for her.”

“Alright,” Remus shakes his head, “Stop flirting with my coworker and go get your son.” James laughs at him, swats his friend on the shoulder, and walks out of the shop with a called goodbye. 

As soon as Regulus can no longer see James through any of the glass in their store front, he leans towards his coworker in a way that’s almost conspiratorial, “Who was that?”

Remus laughs, “That’s Sirius’ best friend James. The person he moved in with when he moved out.”

Regulus balks, “That was James Potter? The guy that I’ve hated for years? Why didn’t you tell me he was exactly my type?” At that, Remus’ laughter turns into a full belly laugh and he leans against the counter, “Why would I know your type? I was specifically avoiding talking to you about him because I knew that you hated him.”

“Also, did you say that he has a son?”

“Yeah,” Remus says through his dying laughter. Eventually, he’s able to calm down enough to walk back over to the cafe counter, “He found this girl he really liked in school, married her almost as soon as they graduated, had a child with her, then they learned that both of them are gay so they split ways and now they co parent.”

“So I wouldn’t be breaking up a family if I started flirting with him?”

Remus snorts, “You might break up your family. I don’t imagine Sirius would be happy if you two started dating.”

“I don’t give a shit what Sirius thinks of my dating life.” Regulus rolls his eyes.

[vivwritesfics]

Keep On Rolling - MV1

Chapter Ten

Summary: Lando's best friend having feelings for anyone on the grid? Impossible, right? She worked with them, sharing her friendship with the grid with the world via the FormulaY/N youtube channel.

After film a video including... spicy water (alcohol), everything changes between her and a certain world champion. Good thing she hasn't had a crush on him since his F1 debut, right?

Right?

1.5K words

Series Masterlist

The first race back after the summer break. It was the Dutch Grand prix, Max’s home race. It had been months since Y/N and Max had last spoken and she was finally ready to sort things out.

So, she made her way up to her hotel room, after getting the floor and room number from Charles. Her bag was stuffed full of…

The elevator dinged and she stepped out. His hotel room was just three doors away. Knocking quickly, Y/N stepped to the side and waited for Max to open the door.

He heard the knocks. Standing from the bed, he walked over to the door and looked through the peephole, at who was on the other side. They were standing just out of view, with him only able to see their arm. But their arm had no tattoos, no kind of identifying features. So, Max pulled open the door.

Y/N stepped out in front of it and Max went to push the door shut. But Y/N got inside before he could. “Max, wait,” she said, pulling her bag forward and reaching inside. She pulled out a small, white box full of Stroopwafels.

Pulling them out, Y/N placed them down onto the circular table in the middle of the hotel room. “Just hear me out, okay?”

Max looked at the stroopwafels, picked them up and sat back on the bed, the box cradled in his lap. “Fine,” he said, his voice cold as he pulled the box open and began eating them.

And so, Y/N talked. She talked for a full ten minutes before stopping to take a breath. The whole time Max listened, his eyes never leaving her as she paced about the hotel room.

As soon as she had finished with the body of her rant, Y/N took a seat at the round table and let out a sigh, her hands moving through her hair. “I feel like you hate me and I don’t understand what I’ve done.”

Quiet filled the hotel room. Max stared at her and Y/N stared at him. Say something, please! she thought as they stared. But Max was still quiet. “Max-”

“When those pictures of us got released, I got a call from my father,” he confessed before Y/N could say anything more. “He was so angry with me for letting myself be distracted by you.” His fingers drummed against the top of the box.

Before those pictures were leaked, Max had won almost every race. Red Bull certainly had won everything, and he’d been the one stood on the top of the podium more time than not. “But, you-”

“I know. Trust me, I know. He went on, threatened me, the usual dad stuff. And I was ready to ignore it, until Lando came knocking on my door.”

Y/N’s head shot up. Her eyes were wide, eyebrows scrunched together as she stared at him. Lando hadn’t mentioned this. He’d had plenty of opportunity to, but he had never told her about it. “What happened when Lando came knocking on your door?” She asked, somewhat timidly, almost like she was afraid of the answer.

There was a moment before Max answered. He hadn’t yet eaten her stroopwafels, still tapping away at the side of the box. “He asked me to stay away from you. Well, actually he told me I needed to stay away from you.”

“And you listened to that?”

He nodded his head. “I couldn’t concentrate on driving when I had my father calling me, telling me I needed to forget about you, when I had Lando threatening me to stay away from you and then I had you there at every single race. I couldn’t concentrate. My favourite part of the weekend used to be the racing, but it became filming your videos.” And Max hated his media duties. I had to get my mind back on racing, so I pulled away from you. But it didn’t help. Suddenly I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep. Any time I was sim racing I was crashing because I was thinking about you.”

Y/N stood from the table. She took two strides and sat herself on the end of the bed, facing him. Y/N placed the stroopwafels down onto the small table beside the bed and looked at Max. “You’ve been thinking about me?”

“Obviously I’ve been thinking about you,” Max replied quickly. “I haven’t done anything but think of you.”

Her hand was on his face as she leaned forward. Max let his arms fall to her waist as she leaned forward onto the bed and shut her eyes. She pressed her lips to his, waiting a moment for Max to kiss her back.

It took Max a moment, surprise clear on his face. But he kissed her back, his fingers running through her hair. His hand quickly moved from her hair to her waist, pulling her closer as Y/N pulled her face away from his.

She stared at him. For a full minute Y/N stared at Max. She didn’t say anything as she pulled her hand away from his face and pushed herself away. “I’m sorry,” she said, standing up. “I’m so sorry.”

But Max had a grip on her waist still. He easily pulled her back down onto the bed, almost pulling her onto his lap. “Stay,” he said, and Y/N folded her leg under her body.

Y/N didn’t kiss him again. She stayed where she was, sitting on one side of the bed while Max leaned back against the headboard. He grabbed the box of stroopwafels, offering Y/N one. “You kissed me back,” she said as she took one. “I kissed you and you kissed me back.”

“Yeah, I did.”

Y/N let out a huff as she bit into the stroopwafel. Delicious, as always. “Want to tell me what that means for us?” She asked. “Like, are we friends again, or what?”

Why just be friends? Max wanted to say. Why can’t we be something more than friends? But he didn’t dare say it. Yes, she was the one that kissed him, but she’d regretted it instantly, it seemed. If she regretted just a kiss, what would she do if Max asked her to love him?

“Yeah, we’re friends again,” Max said, stopping himself from scoffing. Friends. He could live with being friends. It was going to be tough, but he could live with it. For the time being, at least.

Y/N pulled out her phone. “Lando and I are in the newest Quadrant video. Do you want to watch it with me?” She asked, opening up the Youtube app.

It was Y/N’s technical return to Youtube. She hadn’t posted a video in months, her summer break currently going through editing before it was uploaded.

Max nodded his head. He didn’t say anything as Y/N pulled up the video and propped the phone up in front of them.

It was strangely normal, something a two-time world champion didn’t get very often. He and Y/N sat together, closer than ordinary friends would, as they watched the video. It was funny, the Quadrant group and Y/N completing an obstacle course that ended in a karting track. Ria, Y/N and Max (Fewtrell) were on one team, and Lando, Aarav and Niran were on the other team.

Most of the obstacle course was inflatable. The video started with Y/N and Lando running towards the inflatable obstacle course, pushing each other as they went. Lando reached over and held Y/N pack as she tried to move through the inflatable poles. At the end of the inflatable obstacle course was a small bit they had to climb and then a slid that went down to karting track.

It really was good fun; Y/N couldn’t help but smile as she watched it. Quadrant videos were maybe one of Y/N’s favourite parts of being a Youtuber.

But Max (Verstappen) wasn’t laughing. Max wasn’t even watching the video. He couldn’t stop himself from staring at Y/N as she leaned against him. This. This was what he wanted. This was what he didn’t have.

She stayed for a little bit, but things were still not normal between them. She had kissed him, that was all Max could think about. He wanted to kiss her again, but it would only make things worse. She wanted to be friends, clearly, but then why did she kiss him.

Once the video ended, Y/N stretched her back and stood up. She grabbed her phone, slipped it into her pocket and grabbed her bag. “I better go,” she muttered and walked towards the door. Jumping up from the bed, Max followed her. He said nothing as he pulled open the door. Friends. They were just friends. That fucking sucked. Max let her out, watching her go as she headed towards the elevators.

As Y/N walked, she pulled out her phone.

Taglist (Open): @sticksdoesart @eviethetheatrefreak @eugene-emt-roe @glai1023-blog @mqcherie @itsjustkhaos @chonkybonky @arian-directioner @lazybot @lpab @princessria127 @fangirl125reader @honethatty12 @larastark3107 @urfavouritef1girly @cassiopeiia24 @callsign-scully @lexiecamposv @dl-yum @savagecelery @laneyspaulding19 @formulas-bitch @teenwolf01 @gayfrog29 @fictionalcomforts @avg-golden-retriever @pxppeypianotme @ruleroftheuniverse @ferrarisbitch @ashy-kit @dark-night-sky-99 @sadg3 @asmoothoperator @formula1mount @perfektpasta @redwolfxx

[ladykailitha]

King of the Day!

Hello and welcome to my Christmas AUvent Calendar! Every day from now until the 24th I will be posting a ficlet that is 500-1500 from an AU I've done over the years.

All stories will be marked with the tag #12 aus of christmas so you can follow along as I will only be tagging my permanent list for this (it would get too confusing otherwise).

The last one on our list is: Steve is Tattoo Artist verse. You can read the story here. All links will be to the first chapter, but the chapter itself will have links to the rest of the story.

The title comes from the European tradition of if the [insert object here] in the cake you were king for the day (I learned about it in my French three decades ago so if I got wrong sorry!).

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11

~

Steve was facing the dilemma of topping Eddie’s Christmas from last year. Where his band Corroded Coffin got their first gold record, which had gone platinum earlier this year. But if everything went right and Gareth didn’t forget his present to Eddie then he might just win.

But as it was right at that moment it was a disaster.

“What do you mean you lost my order?” Steve asked through gritted teeth. “I called confirmed it only yesterday and every week for the last three weeks!”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Are you sure you’re spelling ‘Buckley’ correctly? It’s B-U-C-K-L-E-Y. Yes with an E. Thank you!”

“No ma’am, I’m not saying that you’re dumb or anything of the sort,” he continued dryly. “I just wanted to make sure it was going to be here on time. It’s already out for delivery. Thank you!”

He set the receiver gently in its cradle and then picked it back up again. Once he heard the dial tone he slammed it several times for good measure.

“You do know that I’ve done this for the last five years,” Robin snarked from the entrance to tattoo shop, “as my job. I don’t know why you won’t let me do it for this.” She walked into the shop and leaned against the counter. ���You’re just stressing yourself out over nothing.”

Steve laid his head on the desk with a sigh, letting the cool surface calm his rage. “I just wanted to make tonight special.”

She scooped up his hands in hers. “It will be special because he loves you. Now, let’s see it.”

He reached into his pocket and handed her a small red velvet box. She opened it and smiled fondly. It was perfect. It was white gold with ruby in the middle and framed by four black spinel gemstones, two large close to the ruby and two smaller stones on the outside.

Then she slipped it into her pocket. “I’ll just hold on to this for safe keeping. So what is the other thing you’re getting Eddie for Christmas? Because I know this is for after the gift giving.”

“Gareth is bringing it,” Steve said with a sigh. “Eddie is like a little kid looking for presents all the time and knows all my hiding spots.”

Robin laughed, because yeah. Steve’s boyfriend was like a kid when it came with presents, something Wayne had to warn him for when his birthday came up.

“I’ve been texting him nonstop reminding him to bring it,” he continued and then he handed her his phone. “Then he sent me this.”

It was a picture of Gareth in his car, a stack of presents in the passenger seat, and he’s giving the camera the middle finger. The caption read underneath, “I’ve got it! Quit your bitching!”

“Am I supposed to guess which one is yours to Eddie?” she asked rolling her eyes as she handed it back to him.

Steve rolled his eyes and jerk his head forward, holding his hands out like it was obvious. “Like the one wrapped differently then all the others?”

“Oh.”

~

The party was in full swing. Everyone was having fun, the booze was flowing, the food flying off the table and into happy mouths.

“I can’t believe you got me the entire new edition of the D&D manuals,” Eddie huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Like how am I supposed to compete with that?”

Steve kissed his cheek. “It’s not a competition, love. Despite what you and Gareth think.”

“Bah!” Eddie said. Then he got shy. “You did like your present, right?”

Steve tilted his to the side. Eddie had gotten him a custom apron that said, “King of this Castle” for him to wear while he was tattooing. “Of course I did. I loved it, baby. Chrissy is already trying to convince Robin and Vickie to get her and Argyle similar ones.”

Eddie shoved his hair in front of his face. “Yeah?”

Steve gently took the strand from him and tucked it behind his ear. “Yeah, sunshine. I promise.”

Robin gave him a pat on his shoulder as she passed by them.

It was time.

He took a deep breath and then grabbed his hand. “There’s one more present for you.”

Eddie cocked his head to the side and then his eyes went wide. “Oh!”

“Last year when I gave you my grandfather’s ring,” Steve said, cupping Eddie’s cheek, “I promised that I would get you a ring that was all your own.” He lifted his left hand. “There is only room for one more.” He tapped the ring finger.

“Stevie...” he breathed.

Suddenly he was aware that everyone was watching them as Steve got down on one knee.

“Would you do the honor of being my husband?” He pulled out the red velvet box Robin had slipped him when she passed.

Eddie held his hands mouth, too overjoyed to speak and nodded. Steve slipped the ring on his finger. It fit perfectly and perfectly fit the rest of Eddie’s rings as Steve intended.

“I love you.”

Eddie pulled him to his feet and kissed him senseless. “Merry Christmas, Stevie.”

A cheer went up as Steve blushed and pressed their foreheads together. “Merry Christmas, Eds.”

“Does this make me the royal consort?” Eddie asked with a grin.

Steve threw his head back and laughed. He loved this man so deeply. “Yeah, babe. You absolute drama queen!”

Everyone laughed.

~

Tag List: CLOSED

1- @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @zerokrox-blog @sadisticaltarts @dolphincliffs

2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @cryptid-system @kultiras

3- @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog

4- @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @forgottenkanji @dreamercec @blondie1006

5- @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @genderless-spoon @fearieshadow @thesecondfate

6- @dragonmama76 @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @disrespectedgoatman

7- @counting-dollars-counting-stars @tinyplanet95 @ravenfrog @swimmingbirdrunningrock @lingeringmirth

8- @gutterflower77 @a-lovely-craziness @just-a-tiny-void @w1ll0wtr33 @beelze-the-bubkiss

[puckpocketed]

So do you actually believe PLD is a good player or is that part of the bit?

The PLD Post

i spent a good 2 days giggling about this to friends. i cant tell if ur a curious caps fan, a person who knows me from my other teams, a disgruntled kings fan (i’ve mostly ruled this out because im pretty sure i know all of the active ones on here) or WHAT. but i’m laughing. the tone of this ask is hilarious and vaguely accusatory but i will take it in good faith and answer <3 tl;dr yes and no. he’s better than people think he is rn, but he’s likely never going to live up to the potential of his tools unless something . idk. recalibrates his entire being. who knows!

i was working on something longer and more complex but i thought about it for more than 5 seconds and i REFUSE to go hockey-bro mode and pull out the microstats and i don’t wanna make this into a full on PLD manifesto. so. caps girlies (gn) HERE are your adoption papers under the cut!

if you are looking at pierre luc dubois who is 6’4 + 220lb and thinking “Oh he’s a power forward” i have to inform you he is in fact THEEE smallest mouse to ever play hockey in the whole world and in all of history. he sips nectar out of a thimble and sleeps curled up in a match box and goes fishing in a boat made from nutshells and twigs . he’s big, but he sort of plays small.

this is not necessarily a bad thing — he relies on foot speed and skill over hitting.

he can throw hits but prefers to stick check. he leverages his big frame to guard the puck and to defend, and it makes him simultaneously VERY effective and very much what i like to call a Nexus Of Crime. he is either drawing ten thousand penalties because people have to do something to stop him from driving the net with speed OR he is taking ten thousand penalties because he gets eager in the corners.

PLUS he’s huge and refs do just assume he’s committing a crime when they can’t see what’s going on <3 hence, Nexus Of Crime! if there’s a penalty he’s probably involved LMAO

not a “dirty” player by any means. not physical unless he decides he wants to. and there is no violence inside of him unless he’s deeply horsebonded to his team <- IMPORTANT re; playoffs aspirations. you won’t see him put himself on the line simply for the love of the game, he HAS to be committed to the team.

to be committed to his team… i’m honestly not sure what that takes. i’d guess a combination of knowing his role on the ice and in the locker room (this was very unclear on lak) consistency of messaging from coaches (also seemed to be an issue on lak)

i know nothing about caps coaching or management or the team vibes but i’m sure you can fix him <3 i’m ready to fall in love and ride this team to the sunset

this failhorse will NOT shoot the puck and if he does it will be the saddest soggiest most pathetic shot you’ve ever seen. you will tear your hair out in chunks if you watch him expecting an elite goalscorer.

he’s a pass-first guy. likes to drop pass! likes to drive play from the middle but is also capable of getting pucks off the boards. he needs a finisher on his wing. i could pull up stats here, there are stats to be pulled up, but i know this in my HEART from watching dozens of kings games: he would have had 10-15 more points easily if he wasn’t stapled to the 3rd line and had better finishers. many times i watched him tee up a very good opportunity only for his guy to miss the net or fan or just get knocked off the puck

individually, he thrives in front of the net. his ass is fat and he’s about to use it to screen the goalie. hes good at catching loose pucks in the crease to send them home <3 see his performance at worlds. he scored basically all of his goals right up there!!

most media coverage/narratives will tell you his point production dropped off bc of effort (which is true) but even the MOST resentful kings watchers will say pld wasn’t given his best shot playing with inexperienced+fringe nhlers, being line shuffled the moment he got a bit comfortable, and also not getting ANY net front time on the lak pp. i factor this into all my judgements of his performance.

He’s def earned his diva rep LMAO!! this is personal opinion here but he seems like a sensitive and easily rattled little clam… like he will have a couple of bad shifts and if there’s nobody there to shake him out of it he’ll lose his grasp on the game and play like shit <3 a rolling joke on kingstwt was figuring out which PLD we were getting that game, and you could tell by his 5th if he was switched on or off!!

they hate him for this but EYE think this is nothing new for athletes and if he can consistently stay in the zone he’ll probably be pretty good. mental fortitude of a wet tissue my beloved….

moving onto the Vibes section!! he was always good humoured in media availability and didn’t shy away from scrums even when public opinion soured against him and critiques of both his hockey and his character had reached a fever pitch. i like this about him. he always gave authentic answers and tried his best to accomodate them, and never hid behind his captains.

he gets along quite well with teammates despite the narratives. no seriously!! some of the the kings had a hang out during off-season right before they went to worlds!! there’s bisexual lighting!!!!

there’s interviews from old jets teammates that are just like. “he used to turn up at my house with his dog and text IM HERE with no warning and that’s how we became friends” or “his obsession with euro soccer teams bewitched me”. he had control of the aux cord. he was a den mother and planned group gatherings. a genuine sweetheart to every teammate he’s ever had!!

I don’t think he’s some. idk. secret 100 point producing star 1C. but i truly believe with the right environment he’ll probably hit 60 points again.

thank you for your time if you made it this far and i hope to see you all in the trenches (caps lb) next season 👍

[buckyarchives]

MODERN OBI-WAN KENOBI BOYF HC

I haven’t ever done a head cannon post but with how busy / lazy I’ve been I might post more of these, they’re a lot of fun. probably one for Bucky and Luke skywalker. If you want any other characters just lmk! Make sure to check my request post!

warning: nsfw content (labeled so if you want to skip you totally can)

tea guy, like, it’s crazy. has so many drawers full of boxes and bags. always making you tea to fit whatever mood you’re in

landscaper or teacher, or both. I imagine him teaching younger kids but probably wishes to be a professor of some sort, maybe teaching environmental science.

just really likes plants and flowers but sometimes gets tired of having to craft and trim everything to be perfect so he thoroughly enjoys natural nature and the “overgrown’ aesthetic

Adding onto that, loves to hike, always takes you with and nerds out about the scenery and views.

definitely fosters dogs from the local shelter and takes them on hikes to help leash train them.

unintentionally a pretentious little prick

circle lens glasses and turtle neck combo 24/7

And of course you steal his sweaters ALL THE TIME

Smells like citrus, grass and rain. the warm sun rays and vanilla

Always watching some documentary, or the history channel.

All your friends lowkey want him because he’s. That Guy.

Whenever he blushes it goes straight to his nose, ears and neck.

Frequent at most coffee shops in town so when he started to bring you around it was a big deal for the workers lol, so much gossip. And mild disappointment from the staff knowing obi wan was official taken

Probably hates small talk, finds it tedious and shallow

The most supportive boyfriend in the world, he’s always the first person there to cheer you on

When you started dating him, his cousin/best friend, Anakin, came as a packaged deal. The younger one frequently trailing behind obi wan and now, as you’ve got too closer, you as he’s become a younger brother figure to you.

Not jealous at all, he’s very secure in your relationship and his trust in you is crazy strong. finds it quite amusing when men hit on you in front of him and kinda just lets you play it out.

That is unless you become uncomfortable, he mostly lets you stand up for yourself but if it becomes overbearing he definitely won’t hesitate to cause a small scene.

A big runner and boxer, you’re used to having to help his knuckles heal up from long sessions. As well as joining him on early morning runs if he can get you up and out of bed for it.

He loves art and mostly drew and painted landscapes but after meeting you this sketch book began to fill of pictures of you from every angle possible.

So naturally put together all the time it makes you insecure sometimes

Obviously, obi wan is the best at easing those insecurities. He always notices when you’re feeling off, sometimes even before yourself, so quick to embrace you and whisper exactly what you need to hear.

Another thing, so good with his words??? He always tell you what you need to hear, there’s rarely ever any miscommunication between the two of you because of this and even when they’re are, arguments are not common.

Crazy sarcastic, will say the funniest shit ever with the most monotone face and it just makes it 100% times funnier.

Really likes Taylor swift and David Bowie

Always getting you bouquets of flowers, even arranges them himself sometimes.

“This reminded me of you.”

Such a safe and non-judgemental aura, you’d struggle with asking for help or learning new / seemingly ‘common sense’ things with past relationships in fear of seeming dumb but you feel so safe around obi-wan that those thoughts never cross your mind, always learning new things from him and enjoying how helpful and supportive he is.

Definitely an impala driver, either 40s Chevy impala or the very sleek and fancy 2020 impala premier, probably black and rarely dirty

Not the biggest cuddler in the world but really enjoys naps together, will drape an arm over you but he tends to move around in his sleep so he’s just content with sleeping besides you rather than wrapping limbs

But when he is in the mood to cuddle, it’s mostly on the couch when you decides to binge shitty reality television. He’s usually on his back and you’re laying ontop of his stomach with your ear to his chest

You two constantly binge dating reality shows, always criticizing the other couple and mostly men LOL.

“He did not just say that! Maker, you would have broke up with me then and there.” “Damn right I would.”

You trace all the moles and freckles along his body, obi wan definitely had a skin care routine and moisturizes so I imagine his skin is always so soft

NSFW!

really likes nudes, like the grainy MacBook camera pictures with a matching cute set type nudes (iykyk). Hot and slightly artistic, his favorite.

Doesn’t like porn though, never enjoyed it and it never really got him off, doesn’t like the morals of it either

Also sexting, not his thing. He’s usually more on the serious end when it comes to intimacy but he cannot take sexting seriously LMAOO

lowkey the type to come home from a long day of work and look you in the eye with That Look and you just know what he needs

Thigh guy, the type to take breaks from eating you out by just resting his head fully on your inner thigh and just gaze up at you

Sir / master kink

Will jokingly come up behind you when you’re in the kitchen or something and press his groin to your behind

Just a little tease overall, always doing shit like that and acting all innocent about it

VERY VERY vocal during sex (cough, cough, shallow graves ending scene, COUGH)

[silvvermst]

THERE IS A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT

SYNOPSIS :: It’s almost Christmas, and what better way to spend it with him.

NOTE :: as promised, i present a grahamfield fic. read the first part :))

TYPE :: fluff / light angst

Max turned on the lights in her dorm while Warren followed her behind. “I’m sorry for the mess. I wasn’t sure if I should leave for the holidays or not, so the boxes Dina lent me were lying around.”

“It’s okay.” His words were breathy from laughter “You should have seen my room when it’s finals. It looks like I had murder investigation goin’ on.”

“I remembered.” She joined in the laughing fit, remembering the time she brought him some food since she found he had been skipping his meals.

“At least yours looks messily beautiful!” He exclaims, looking around the room in amazement. “Your room looks straight up from a Ghibli film.” Although, the thing that made it stand out was the wall full of photographs.

Max was too preoccupied with cleaning out some used papers on the ground to make her room look more presentable. Yet she stopped when she caught Warren examining her Photo Memorial Wall. “This is amazing…”

She smiled from his compliment, even if it didn’t reach her eyes she was flattered. She knows he’s just making small talk and avoiding the elephant in the room, she knows him too well. “Do you, do you have any questions about the other timeline?”

Warren turned his body to face her, “If it’s alright with you, I have but let’s talk about it at breakfast. For now, I want you to have some rest.”

“Alright. Whatever you say, Doctor.” He grinned at the nickname.

“This feels like we’re kids again, even if we never met as children. I’ve never been into a sleepover before, this feels nice.”

“I hope we did. It would have been fun creating all sorts of trouble with you.” They both sat down at the edge of her bed. “Can you stay for the night? I’m sorry, I know I just told you it was a couple of minutes.”

“Hey, it’s okay. I’d sleep on the couch. Then, we’ll go to some diner first thing in the morning. Sounds good?” She warmly smiled at him and nodded.

“Thanks, Warren. I’ll find a way to repay you.”

He immediately shook his head. “You don’t have to, just by being one of my closest friends is enough. Just keep being you, Max, that’s enough for me.”

The conversation ended when they both set the glass down by the sink and Warren sat at the couch. “Are you sure you’re okay with sleeping on the couch?”

“Yep! Believe me, I can’t count the times I slept on my gaming chair all night. So this couch is actually an upgrade.” His reassurance gave her a peace of mind. But she still grabbed some comforters and a blanket to make the couch at least comfortable to sleep in. “We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”

“Mhm, I’m gonna get that pancake sausage combo.”

“Oh, ho! I’m gonna get that pancake sausage combo.”

With saying that in unison they both laugh at themselves until it dies down and the both of them had settled on their respective beds. Max turned to face Warren across the room, while he did the same. Even with the lights turned off, the moon’s light shining from the window is perfectly illuminating his pale face that she couldn’t help but smile in relief to know she wasn’t alone with her thoughts any more. “Good night, Warren.”

“Sleep well, Max.”

For the first time, she slept without nightmares where she wakes up soaked in her own sweat while she tries to breathe normally and avoid a panic attack. This time she was awakened by the sweet and citrusy smell of maple syrup suddenly making her eyes flutter, with the sun rays making its way past her curtains she couldn’t help but open up her eyes. Across from her is an empty couch with the comforters and a blanket neatly folded to the side. The said person who is missing is currently singing along a tune in a small chest of drawers by the foot of her bed.

“Are you awake? I couldn’t wake you up earlier, so I decided to order some take-out.” He somehow managed to tell she was wide awake by just the difference of her breathing.

“Shit, I must have been out as light.”

“You are, no matter how many times I rang your alarm clock right next to you, you just won’t get up. A sleeping beauty, through and through.”

“Oh, please. There’s no way I was sleeping beautifully.” She sat up on the bed and threw a small pillow to his face. The good thing is that he was able to catch it.

Though he was trying to hide it, the corners of his mouth were twitching upwards. He couldn't help but laugh out loud from her annoyed face. After preparing their breakfast, Max was done fixing her bed and joined Warren by the couch. “Here, your pancake-sausage combo!”

“Mhm, that’s why it smelled so good here.” She salivated from the meal in her hands, but she made sure that the maple syrup was evenly spread from each pancake. While Warren… well, he made sure that the sausages got maple syrup as well. “Dude, what the fuck?”

“What?” His words were distorted since he was holding the fork with his teeth as he spread a large amount of syrup over his food.

“You’re disgusting!” Max blurted out. “What kind of psycho puts syrup with sausages?”

He took the fork and knife and started eating his pancakes, the enjoyment in his face was obvious. That he is that kind of psycho who will put maple syrup with anything as if it was ketchup.

“Eat your fill! Or I’ll take those lovely pancakes!” Warren said between mouthfuls. It prompted Max to eat as well, considering Warren is not typical to joke around food. He’s dead serious about eating others food if they don't want it.

After finishing your meals, he was the one who offered to clean it up. “I’ll be right back.” Once the door was shut, Max collapsed back to her bed. Every morning she has to remind herself that she did the right thing, but after she revealed everything to Warren. Her self-doubt and insecurity seems to dissolve as she remembers his words last night.

Warren’s words have no doubt behind them as well as his eyes that hold sincerity while he holds her close by the light house. He was giving her reassurance that she didn’t ask for, she wasn’t even sure if she deserves it. She sighed deeply, while trying to calm herself down she walked over to the foot of her bed and turned on her stereo.

The knock on her door pulled her back to reality, “Hey, since we didn’t get to that drive-in… want to go tonight?” Max smiled back at his suggestion and nodded her head.

“Fan of The Smiths, huh?” He asked, peering over to her shoulder to see her CD collection. “Oh, shit! Is that The Dark Side of the Moon?!”

“God, you’re the most geekest out of the geeks I’ve met.” She found amusement in his giddiness. “If you want I can lend you some CDs to play it on your car’s stereo.”

“Yes, please! You’re okay with me borrowing it?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t have offered if I was against it. Well, if you did ask me I’m afraid I’d still let them borrow it.”

“I know, that’s why I asked. Max, I know it’s rich coming from me but you can always deny us of things that are precious to you. You don’t have to be a…”

“A pushover?” She abruptly finished his sentence for him.

“Yeah, that.” He fidgeted his fingers. “But I’m not saying that you are one!”

She was laughing so hard that she momentarily closed her eyes from how much laughter he could pull out of her. “Relax. I didn’t take any offense from it.”

“Ugh, you’re the worst.” He exhaled through his nose while he covered his face with his hands.

“Hey, Warren… you still had a few questions about what happened, right?” Warren gulped, it was obvious that this topic would be brought once again sooner or later, he just didn’t expect she was the one who'd bring it up first. They both sat at her bed, while Max held her teddy bear.

“Yeah, about that, I think you explained some of it pretty well. I’m more curious about what happened with us from that different timeline.” He can see the gears in her head processing his words just from her expression, a blush that slowly appeared in her cheeks.

“Oh, yeah. Just like today, we got closer within that week. You saved me a bunch of times from Nathan, heck, you even beat him up!” Warren’s eyes almost sparkled and his jaw dropped, unable to believe the story.

“No way! I beat up that asshole?!”

“You did, but once it was over you regretted it. You were afraid that somehow you ended like him. But you’re not like him, I know you’re not that kind of person to use your powers to abuse others.”

“Ha… I still can’t believe it. Shit, what other things happened?”

“I saved Kate from committing suicide… because of Victoria. But there was something more sinister that happened to Kate, as we know today, she was a victim of…”

“Mark.” Max slightly flinched at the mention of his name. “I can’t believe the school let someone like him inside!”

“Uhm, aside from Mister Jefferson getting arrested as well as Nathan. In the alternate, Nathan was killed by him, while Madsen was the one who shot Mark in the head. Though, at least in this current timeline, I prevented Victoria from being in the Dark Room…” She bit her lip remembering her own time in that disgusting place. She turned her head away from Warren, as she was so absorbed in fixing things in the current time that she disregarded her own fears and mental health. “I, I was also there, even if it didn’t happen technically, I still feel it. Everything, everyone, what happened during that week for them it’s not real but it is for me! Even if it was erased, I… I wish I had forgotten everything that would’ve been much more bearable than this.”

Max couldn’t feel the disgust and contempt from her own self. “I wish I could take away your pain…” He gently placed his hand on top of hers as his gaze held a warm intensity that whispered of deep affection. “But I’m so proud of you for being strong.”

She could feel her eyes sting again as ripples of tears flow to her cheeks. “I can’t believe I’ve cried twice in your arms today.” Max let herself open up and nuzzle her head by his shoulders, trying to hide her face as much as possible. “Look, your shirt is wet again!”

He managed to let out a quiet laugh before placing his arms around her, gently gliding his palms to her head to brush her hair. Though his action made her embrace him tighter as tears continue to well up in her eyes. For once, Max was able to cry herself to sleep with someone holding her close, to dry her tears with their hands, and to tuck her in.

“I really wish I also have some superpower to help you with what you’re feeling, Max.” He whispered, gently laying her on the bed.

“Warren…” Max softly called out to him, her arms reaching to be wrapped in his neck.

“Yeah?” They were both silent for a moment while her lips brushed against his, she kissed him with a slow tenderness that stopped the world around them like she used her powers once again. She was almost convinced that it was until his hand touched her cheek, his thumb softly caressing her as a small act of affection.

“I want you to know that it’s technically my second time kissing you.” She whispered after they parted. The blush that spread Warren’s cheeks flared more after her statement.

“So, you mean? We, We kissed? Before? Like in the alternate timeline.” Overwhelmed by emotion, his voice cracked as his heart beat only quickened when she nodded.

“I was also the one who initiated the kiss back then because I was afraid that I won’t be able to at least tell you my feelings since I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to come back.”

“But you did, you came back. That’s why if you’d let me, I want to share your burden and pain that you’ve been carrying for so long, and ease you so that you’d be able to have a sense of relief even if it’s just for a moment. In this universe, let us be the one to take care of you.” This time his voice held a strong determination as he professed his love that he once thought was unrequited. Hugging her with warmth as she reciprocated his embrace. Their breathing slowed as a sense of safety and belonging washed over them.

“Just being with you was enough for me, I was able to properly grieve people I’ve lost and unbottle the feeling I’ve been trying to hide that I can let it go without blaming myself…” She paused, her voice was shaky from overwhelming emotions that engulfed her. “I, I want you to know that…”

“I do, I love you so much, Maxine.” He placed a butterfly kiss right in her temple and held her closer. “You don’t have to be alone and in the dark anymore.” He beams at her, his brightness and warmth made her feel secure in his arms. Her sun, her lighthouse that leads her out of the dark.

[sparklewrites1]

So this is love?

Request: Ok hear me out.. Renfield having a loving partner?? And he's just.. soo not used to that? Like at all?? Someone giving /him/ attention??? Praising him? LOVING him? Not shooing him away? Not barking orders or shaming him for doing something wrong? I needs it!

Robert Montague Renfield x Reader

Warnings: romance?

Proofread? No

Word Count: 689

A/n: I pushed through writers block to write this.

-

“Surprise!” You shouted excitedly as you bounced excitedly in front of the dining table.

Robert stood in the entrance of his apartment. Dumbfounded as he gazed at the white cake that was placed upon the wooden surface. The top of it had the words 'Happy Birthday Robert!' spelled with blue frosting.

"What is this?" He raised his eyebrow in curiosity.

"It's for your birthday!" You exclaimed, barely able to control your volume.

Both of Robert's eyebrows rose in surprise and confusion. You didn't forget? You remembered? You remembered his birthday? Out of all the days to remember, you remembered the day that he was born? Why would you? It's certainly not important. 

Or at least that's what Dracula told him multiple times in the past century or so.

“You remembered?” He gave you an incredulous look.

“Of course I did!” You skipped over to him. “And, I’ve got some gifts for you! Just wait here.” You squealed before you sprinted off to his bedroom. Robert stayed in his spot, still shocked and confused at the fact that you actually remembered his birthday.  

After about a minute, you came out of the bedroom carrying two bags. One large pink one, and a smaller black one. You placed them both on the dining table next to the cake. You reached inside the pink one and pulled out an envelope that had Robert’s full name written on the back of it.

“This is from Rebecca. She couldn’t make it but she got you this.” You explained as you handed the envelope and pink bag to him.

Robert reached inside the bag and felt his fingers land on a hard surface. He pulled the unidentified object out and in his grasp was a book, with a title that read, 'Encyclopedia Of Bugs'.

"A Bug book! How nice!" You grinned.

Robert opened the envelope next, inside was a card that had the words,

"I know you have a "habit" of swallowing bugs. So you might as well know what you're eating when you order."

He didn't quite get the joke and frankly, neither did Rebecca when she wrote it.

"Ok! My turn!" You let out what felt like your hundredth squeal as you took the small white bag and handed it to him. "Ok, remember that time we went on that one walk and we passed by a really fancy jewelry store?" Robert thought for a moment.

"I think so."

"Great! Now open your gift!" You could barely contain your excitement as you urged him to do so.

Robert reached inside and pulled out a small, silver box. When he opened it, he gave you a curious look. Inside the box was a golden ring that had his full name engraved in it.

"This is for… me?" He nervously gestured toward himself.

"Who else?" You gave him a warm smile.

In this moment, the only thing Robert could think was that this had to be some sort of ruse. Why would you ever give such a gift to him of all people? How could something so nice belong to him? And how could someone so amazing be kind enough to give it to him?

“It’s… Beautiful.” He said, with an astonished expression on his face.

“I’m so glad you like it!” You squealed (AGAIN.) and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. Instead of speaking. Robert stood there in a dazed state for a solid minute.

You frowned.

 “Is something wrong?” You worriedly queried, afraid that he might have changed his mind about your gift within the span of a minute.

“No, no, I just… You- you did this for me?”

“Well it wasn’t just me, Rebecca helped. Although, yes I did pick out the ring by myself.”

“Why?” He questioned, genuinely confused as to why you did all of this, for him.

“Because we love you. I love you.” Just then Robert felt a tug at his heart. You loved him. You really did. You actually appreciate him. Not once, in the entire time he knew you, had you used him. That was when Robert knew.

You were the one for him.

[rottenpumpkin13]

Okay so touch of angst here. But I’ve kind of been thinking about the canon idea that Sephiroth holds no attachment to objects, and that his apartment is really sparse.

And I kind of thought, what if it’s not? What if it’s the opposite? We know he holds onto his mothers photo for dear life, so what if Sephiroth actually has a bit of an issue with getting rid of stuff because of the fact he wasn’t allowed to have many possessions as a child? What if Sephiroth’s apartment is an ordered mess of things that he’s squirrelled away from under Hojo.

I’ve got this idea that maybe Angeal and Genesis have tried to help him sort through it but they struggle to get him to let go of things because he seems to have a story and an attachment to everything. And their shocked because you wouldn’t think Sephiroth is a particularly sentimental person. In fact in everyday conversation he comes of as the exact opposite, but where his stuff is concerned, Sephiroth just cannot let go.

I dunno dude, I’m making myself sad. Thought I’d share.

Let me add my two cents, I hope I did this wonderful idea justice:

• Sephiroth's apartment is indeed minimalistic and neatly-kept at first glance. He has a few personal touches here and there, such as a nice, blue throw blanket on his couch that used to be Genesis's, a few of his favorite books scattered around, a potted plant Angeal gifted him that he takes care of, all normal things.

• But every drawer, closet and cupboard is packed, filled with things he tries to keep as organized as possible but ultimately fills due to the sheet amount of stuff.

• Items Sephiroth refuses to let go of include:

• Newspaper clippings of comic strips he accumulated. There was a brief time in his life where the only joy derived from his day was reading the funny pages in the newspaper every morning. So he saved each one of those moments of bliss in a shoebox under his bed.

• Various toys and trinkets in almost every drawer of his apartment. He is a compulsive buyer of toys he was never allowed when he was a child. He rarely plays with them. Yes he will keep buying them.

• A music box that has long stopped working. It was the first purchase he made with his paycheck that was made purely because he wanted it.

• A jar of candy wrappers that has been sitting in his nightstand for five years. It had been once filled with sweets, but he, Genesis and Angeal ate them all once one night, talking, laughing, and goofing around. It had been one of the first times Sephiroth felt like he truly belonged and was finally making friends. At the time, he had been convinced that he would never be as happy as he felt in that moment. So he kept every wrapper, and hangs onto that memory to this day.

• A pair of wool mittens he keeps in his glove drawer. They're a bit ripped and don't fit anymore, but professor Gast gave those to him. It was the first and only present the professor had given him.

• A broken, plastic hair clip. When he had begun growing his hair out, Genesis had just cut his shorter and no longer needed the clip, so he gave it to Sephiroth. Sephiroth naively tried to lay down with it and broke the clip upon impact. Though he never got to use it, their subsequent shared laughter was enough to make the hair clip special.

• A broken blender in his kitchen cupboard. It had broken long ago, Sephiroth had always meaned to get it fixed, but there is a small chicken wing sticker on the base of the blender that either Genesis or Angeal had gotten from a cereal box and placed there. After a particularly stressful week where he barely ate, Sephiroth looked at the chicken wing sticker and was suddenly struck by the craving for fried chicken. It was the only thing that got him to eat that week. He keeps it around in case it ever happens again.

• A drawer full of magazine clippings of women who vaguely look like that picture of his mother.

• Multiple sweaters and hoodies. The lab was cold and Hojo was stingy with layers, oftentimes insisting that Sephiroth was fine with that he had and reprimanding him for being so weak. As a result, Sephiroth has far too many sweaters, blankets, and layers. Far more than he will ever be able to use. Some of them don't even fit him anymore because of how much he's bulked up over the years.

• A yellow flower pressed and preserved in an old book. It's the very first flower he had seen as a young boy being sent out on a mission.

• An old, green baby blanket he's had since was young. Though Hojo would never admit it, he suspects it could have been given to him by his mother. It's certainly colorful enough, different from the sterile white ones he would've expected. He often wonders if she too held it like he holds it every night before he falls asleep.

[timeagainreviews]

Doctor Who isn't Dead Yet

Last month “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” made headlines for having the lowest box office numbers on Memorial Day weekend. This is in spite of also being number one at the box office, just beating out “The Garfield Movie.” The movie was a certified flop, which is a shame because it’s stupendous (seriously, watch it sometime if you haven’t.)  I saw it a week after its release and already it had been relegated to the smallest theatre in the complex with only two screenings on a Friday. This small theatre had maybe eight people in attendance. To look at it, you would have to agree with those who say cinema is dying. It’s ironic then that Sutekh’s gift of death is what appears to have breathed a lot of life into my local cinema over the weekend.

To celebrate the Doctor Who season one finale, the BBC opted to show it in theatres across the UK. The screening began at eleven o’clock with “The Legend of Ruby Sunday,” and followed into midnight with “Empire of Death.” As we arrived, I saw many happy Whovians in cosplay buzzing with excited energy. The lobby was full of people in Tom Baker scarves and blue TARDIS t-shirts chattering away about their fan theories while they loaded up on snacks. The person dressed like the Fourteenth Doctor sitting in front of me was bouncing in their seat so much that I kept getting glimpses of David Tennant hair in my periphery. Needless to say, people were very excited. I don’t know if it was the fact that it was nearly 1 AM, but I did not see that same energy on the way out. So what happened?

It’s no secret that the overall fan reaction to RTD’s finale episode is one of being very underwhelmed. I even used that exact word to my friends on the way out of the theatre. I chose that word carefully. I didn’t want to imply that I hated it, because I didn’t. But after an entire season of build-up, I expected certain conditions to have been met. I’ve mentioned in the past that one of the benefits of this new midnight release schedule is that I often watch the episodes more than once. I find this helpful because the second viewing always allows me the opportunity to view the story divorced from my own expectations. But I have to ask- were my expectations so unfounded to begin with? Where did they come from if not the show itself?

Recently in an interview, Russell T Davies stated that he has been writing Doctor Who in such a way that it would generate a buzz on the internet. If people were talking about it, then maybe people would start watching it. While I am sure this method can increase engagement, it also has its shortcomings. Trickling information is all well in good, but when is it not enough? There is a point where teasing becomes more tedious than tantalising. Just look at Steven Moffat and Trenzalore- a concept that got so dragged out that by the time we finally got there, it was hard to care. Another downside is that it also raises people’s expectations to such a degree that it can be hard to meet said expectations.

Had this episode been written by Steven Moffat, we wouldn’t have picked up right back where we had left off. We’d have probably begun the episode on Agua Santina with the Doctor receiving the spoon from the kind woman. But this is more of a classic Doctor Who-style episode where the cliffhanger continues along. Last week I had guessed that Sutekh was a sort of trinity of Susan Triad, his jackal aspect, and Ruby Sunday. But as we learn in this story, not only is Ruby not related to Sutekh, but Susan Triad is no more Sutekh than Harriet Argbinger. That is not to say that she is any less dangerous in this moment. She holds out her hand to spread the dust of death which quickly begins to envelop London, then the world, and eventually, the universe, or at least the places where the Doctor has visited.

I rather liked the getaway scene with the Doctor and Mel. It was great to see Mel taking control of the situation. The Doctor almost feels like the companion following her away from danger. Her “Come on, cowboy!” line was so good. Once again, I really like what they’re doing with Mel in this season. The fact that she could have been this person in classic Doctor Who really annoys me that she wasn’t. While I grew to appreciate classic Mel in her own right, I’ll take modern-day UNIT Mel over screaming Mel any day. Bonnie Langford is coming here to Glasgow Film and Comic Con in August and I fully expect her line to be longer than when I saw her in 2015. She has been a highlight of this season and I fully did not expect to love her return as much as I have.

As the dust spreads through London, UNIT is still reacting to the presence of Sutekh wrapped around the TARDIS. Last week my friend said to me about Morris’ segway “How much do you want to bet that thing shoots lasers?” And sure enough, it shoots something. The UNIT team unload holy hell on Sutekh and Harriet, but nothing lands. Before getting in a little reference to her father, Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and her team are reduced to dust. Even the Vlinx’s head pops off, so not even robots are safe. Once again, the RTD2 era has borrowed from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As Sutekh’s dust of death spread across the globe causing people to disintegrate, I leaned over to my wife and said “Mister Stark, I don’t feel so good,” in reference to the Thanos snap. Whatever. Marvel doesn’t own disintegration.

We see Mrs Flood and Cherry get swept up in the dust. Before she dies, Mrs Flood delivers some cryptic words that lead me to think she’s more than just a Time Lord but something far more powerful. However, she’s not so powerful as to avoid Sutekh’s gift. It’s hard to say just what is happening there, so I am not even going to attempt it. The Doctor and Mel find their way through the dust back to UNIT HQ where Ruby is still standing in the time window. Last week I mentioned that the memory of a TARDIS could become the Memory TARDIS from “Tales of the TARDIS,” and boy was I right. I love being right, especially after being wrong all season. I still want someone to be the Rani. At this point, they’re just messing with me.

Before we move along, I do want to call out an aspect of the dust scene that bothers me, and that’s Carla. Last week we saw Ruby tell Carla that she needed to either help or get out of the way. Historically, this would be where someone like Jackie Tyler would find some way to be helpful. I half expected a moment where it feels like all is lost until Carla comes out of nowhere like Ric Flair with a steel chair, saving our heroes from certain doom. It could have even been a self-sacrifice moment where she is still turned to dust. It would have been tragic and fuelled the Doctor and Ruby’s resolve. Instead, we see her in a cab on her way home after having witnessed her daughter's memories invoke the devil. What was even the point of her saying “Well, if your mother's part of it then, Ruby, you can tell her your mother is too,” if they do nothing with it? It felt so out of character for her to up and leave Ruby behind like that, and I feel like that lies solely at Davies’ feet.

It’s funny to me that in the lead-up to “Empire of Death,” people were saying “I hope they explain how Sutekh escaped the time vortex.” Mostly because it hardly matters, but also because they rarely explain how the Master or Davros escape death time and time again. Why is Sutekh any different? What is funny is that Sutekh escapes dying of old age in the time vortex by hitching a ride through the time vortex for thousands of years. Instead of dying, this just makes him stronger. He goes from an Osiran to a full-blown Titan. Sutekh reveals to the Doctor that Susan Triad was an aspect of the Doctor’s granddaughter who he had learned about while integrating himself with the TARDIS. He peppers these aspects of Susan throughout the universe wherever the Doctor lands. However, other than sharing a name, I don’t understand what Susan Triad has to do with Susan Foreman. They’re both brilliant and kind, but is this implying that Susan Triad is what the Doctor’s granddaughter might regenerate into? It’s a bit confusing.

After using Ruby’s memory to fully materialise the Memory TARDIS, the Doctor and his two companions escape Sutekh’s grasp, but even the Doctor senses that maybe Sutekh is keeping them alive. The visual of Sutekh sitting atop the TARDIS in his silent empire of death is an arresting one. I appreciated the sound design allowing the audience to really feel that silence. No music. No people. Nothing. Though on a scientific level, it does strike me as a bit odd that the entire universe is now dead. The Doctor may have had thousands of adventures across time and space, but I have to imagine there are countless planets out there which remained untouched by Sutekh’s dust. But I’m willing to suspend disbelief in this instance. 

After tying the Memory TARDIS together with intelligent rope, the Doctor, Ruby, and Mel, drift aimlessly in the Memory TARDIS. It’s uncertain how long they travel this way, but they manage to fit a costume change for the Doctor and an entire episode of “Tales of the TARDIS,” in there. Carrying a television screen still linked with the time window, we learn that the time window is still obeying Ruby’s commands as it had last week. Originally I had suspected this was because she was some sort of aspect of Sutekh, but as we have now learned, it’s simply Sutekh aiding Ruby’s search for her mother. After using the screen to explain to Ruby who and what Sutekh is, the screen also begins to show the Doctor and Ruby a way forward in the form of Roger ap Gwilliam. Meanwhile, Mel is being tracked by Sutekh through the dead cells in her body.

The scene on Agua Santina with the Doctor and the Kind Woman played by Sian Clifford was one of the strongest moments in the episode for me. We had watched the death wave spread across the earth, but this was a way to see how it affected people on an individual basis. Because the death wave happened at multiple points in time, we were able to see how it manifests from multiple angles. Having established the analogous relationship between time and memory, we can see how memory may begin to fade before life. People may still exist, but they won’t remember the name of their birth city because the person who would have named it died before they were able. But even more chilling is how the death wave doesn’t just travel up through bloodlines, but backwards as well. There’s an undeniable cruelty to making a woman have to experience losing her child before experiencing the same fate. It’s evil for evil’s sake and proof that Sutekh isn’t just an arbiter of death, but a demon as well.

The Kind Woman gifts the Doctor a spoon which he promises her he will use to save the universe. Fans of the Twelfth Doctor will have gotten excited by this promise as we’ve seen what the Doctor can do with a spoon. Instead, the Doctor uses it for metal, and possibly not even for metal, but for the memories within the metal. I found this all very weird as they literally showed Mel holding the Thirteenth Doctor’s sonic screwdriver which is not only made of metal, but several spoons. Was there really nothing on the Memory TARDIS with enough memory to jam into that TV screen? It’s a weird series of events punctuated by yet another weird occurrence when the Memory TARDIS gifts the Doctor with a whistle like we’re supposed to know why it’s significant. Nothing in the history of Doctor Who has been controlled by a whistle other than K9. Yet the Doctor puts it around his neck like it makes total sense and isn’t just some non-sequitur moment.

I said last week that I was waiting for “Empire of Death,” before I could fully know how I felt about “The Legend of Ruby Sunday.” Sometimes, a follow-up episode can enrich the experience of a previous story, while other times it can sully it a bit. You can imagine then my surprise when the episode that was sullied wasn’t “The Legend of Ruby Sunday,” but rather “73 Yards,” instead. My takeaway from “73 Yards,” was that the Doctor stepped on the fairy ring, releasing Mad Jack and setting the events of the story into motion. Ruby would then use the semper distans woman to scare away Roger ap Gwilliam and then again to save the Doctor. The Doctor doesn’t stand on the fairy circle, and Mad Jack never escapes. So if Roger ap Gwilliam still exists in the future, what was the point of any of of “73 Yards”? This doesn’t feel “wibbly wobbly, timey wimey,” as much as it feels “wibbly wobbly, shitty witty.” It just feels messy.

The Doctor tells Ruby and Mel that in 2046, DNA cataloguing became compulsory to anyone living in the UK. It feels on brand with Roger ap Gwilliam’s xenophobic platform, so no problems there. Meanwhile, Mel is being used like a spy, but the Doctor has been wary of her since she started appearing exhausted on the Memory TARDIS. The Doctor takes a blood sample from Ruby but just as they get a match on the DNA database, Evil Mel takes the wheel and transports them back to UNIT HQ leaving the Memory TARDIS behind. Finally, Sutekh has the information he needs to learn the name of Ruby’s mother. He will now learn how this unknown person has been able to thwart his gift of death and avoid detection.

What happens next is probably the weakest part of the entire episode. The Doctor and Ruby manage to fool Sutekh into thinking they are about to tell him Ruby’s mother’s identity, but it’s only so Ruby can get close enough to slap some intelligent rope around his collar. Why this feels weak to me is that it means somehow the Doctor and Ruby managed to squirrel away intelligent rope before exiting the Memory TARDIS. This means they would have had to do this without Mel noticing. And while I get that it’s intelligent rope, they basically pull it out of their asses because it’s nowhere to be seen. The fact that intelligent rope is a McGuffin that’s a callback to a pair of gloves many of us will have forgotten since the Christmas episode makes this moment all the weaker. The Doctor then uses his whistle in yet another McGuffin moment that allows him to control the TARDIS and shoot Harriet out the door. With the TARDIS finally back in the Doctor’s control, it’s time to take doggo for walkies!

The Doctor drags Sutekh through the Time Vortex bringing death to death, which causes life. Miraculously, if not luckily, people who we had watched die to the dust are now alive again. Colonel Chidozie is back. The Vlinx’s head is reattached somehow. And Cherry whose final memory of Mrs Flood was of her being cryptic and creepy is so happy to be alive again that she’s hugging the creepy old freak regardless. Cool. Not weird at all. Just people acting like real people. I don’t understand Cherry. She thinks the Doctor is trouble, but Mrs Flood is totally normal. What is it with these last two episodes and getting both Carla and Cherry’s characters so wrong? What gives, Russell?

The Doctor then does the right thing and cuts the intelligent rope, causing Sutekh to burn away in the Time Vortex. I guess this time it’s deadly because he’s not integrated with the TARDIS. That’s my best bet. I’m also willing to bet that the reason it snowed around Ruby and played Christmas music in her presence was due to Sutekh’s influence. He wanted to know the answer so badly that the memory manifested around her any time she got close to it. This is just speculation on my behalf, but it makes enough sense.

Speaking of Ruby’s birth mother (and not her real mother as they kept calling her) UNIT is able to find out who Ruby’s mother is, and she’s just some lady. I know some people were mad about this and I guess I can see why. There was so much emphasis on who her mother was that for it to be nobody special must have been a disappointment. Personally, I thought it was the least interesting mystery of the entire season. I get that she wanted to know who her birth mother was, but I was never emotionally invested in the storyline. The only thing that made it sort of interesting was the idea that there was a reason it was a big deal. You can’t feign surprise when audiences expect something to be big when it’s you who told us to feel that way. 

What I find strangest about Ruby’s mother is the way she points at the sign that says Ruby Road. First of all, why the hell was she standing like that? As body language goes, she looks less like she’s naming her child, and more like she’s marking the Doctor for death. Furthermore, why is she dressed like she’s about to hitch a ride on Shai-Hulud? But even weirder is how Ruby even ended up with the name Ruby. Ruby says “I always thought I was called Ruby because the social workers chose it or the paramedics or whatever. But, no, it was her.” But literally the only person who would have seen her pointing was the Doctor, and he left immediately after. So it really was the social workers who chose it or the paramedics or whatever. It feels less like she was pointing to name Ruby, and more like she was pointing to get the internet rumour mill buzzing. It worked, but at what cost?

Ruby finally meets her birth mother in a coffee shop. She’s a nice woman named Louise Miller who looks a lot like Lucie Miller, but I’ve learned my lesson this season with getting my hopes up. While Ruby and Louise embrace for the first time, the Doctor looks on remembering the granddaughter he left behind. Divorced from the hype, I’m fine with Ruby’s mum being nobody special. While I wasn’t a huge fan of Rian Johnson’s “The Last Jedi,” one aspect I really enjoyed was that Rey’s parents were just a couple of nobodies. It reinforced the idea that a Jedi can come from anywhere. Ruby doesn’t have to be anyone special for us to care about her. Unfortunately, so much of her story was tied up in this because ultimately, it did hurt her character development. I’d like to think that this is all part of the growing pains in finding a new equilibrium of fan excitement and good storytelling.

The Doctor knows he and Ruby must part ways. She has a whole new chapter of her life to explore and he would only get in the way. I mentioned after “Rogue” that Ruby was reminding the Doctor to embrace his human side, and here it is all over again. She has reminded him of the importance of family. He lets Ruby go because he can see that her need for a place to belong is greater than his need to have a travelling companion. Even if Ruby can’t see it right away, the Doctor is right. Their time together has come to an end. While Ruby has left the TARDIS, you do get the impression that we’ll see her again. There have been rumours that Millie Gibson has filmed some of season two, so don’t be surprised if we do see more of Ruby Sunday.

On a second viewing, I liked this episode a lot more than the first time. Like I said, divorced from my own expectations, I could see the episode for what it is. But the audience’s underwhelmed reaction is partly the fault of Davies’ machinations to get the internet talking about Doctor Who. He spends an entire season talking about the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan, but the only time we see Carole Ann Ford is in a flashback of her face with zero dialogue. We’re led to believe Mrs Flood is going to be something, but every time we feel like she is about to reveal some more information, she gives us more of the same tired bullshit she’s been doing since the first time we saw her. It begins to feel like television done in the same model as live service games. Keep subscribing. Stick around for additional content. Things trickle out over a gruelling pace. They gave us answers, but it feels like they could have given us more. Who was the Boss the Meep referred to? Is it the same Boss as the one giving Rogue so much paperwork? Will Susan actually appear at some point? Who is Mrs Flood and why is she always dressing like the Doctor’s companions? Instead, we learned who Ruby’s birth mother was, which, as I said, was the least interesting mystery of them all.

I do hope that these are just Davies and Co. finding their footing. The previous first season with Christopher Eccleston had a lot of experimentation as well. I somewhat wish that they had waited to see fan reactions before filming so much of season two. It might have done them some good to see people’s reactions to some of their big changes. I’m as rainy day a fan as rainy day fans get and even I felt they missed the mark on occasion. I think in trying to court a younger audience they lost a little of the essence of what made the show so appealing in the first place. Good writing and unique situations are the bedrock of Doctor Who. It doesn’t need to be Star Wars or Marvel. The fact that Doctor Who isn’t those things is why I love it so much. I can’t be alone in that.

The Christmas special is next. Followed by season two. After that, who knows? While Doctor Who has been number five in streaming drama, it hasn’t quite done the numbers Disney and Davies were hoping for. The show haemorrhaged viewers during the Chibnall era and even more when culture war pissants cried foul over trans actors and Davros redesigns. But it’s also just a symptom of the times we live in. Television is changing. People prefer short-form videos in portrait mode. The glut of streaming services is pushing away consumers while AI threatens to replace writers and artists alike. I’m reminded of Alan Moore when he said “I believe that our culture is turning to steam.” It’s important now more than ever that we continue consuming art made by real people. Regardless of whether you felt underwhelmed with the finale, keep watching Doctor Who. Show it to your friends. Host watch parties. Go see it when they play it in the theatres. Rewatch it when you’re feeling blue. Keep making fan art. Keep writing fanfic. Keep voicing your reactions, good and bad. Get over petty fandom squabbles. Because there may come a day soon when there is no new Doctor Who to get upset over.

[gabetheunknown]

@after-the-end-times

Ah, there it is! I saw a post like this the other day and I could not, for the life of me find it back, so I'm glad I get to share my thoughts about this after all (not that anything would've stopped me) Prepare for the essay, I never keep things short!

The Rockrose and the Thistle, is in my opinion a love song of sorts, but a different kind of love song that Extraordinary Things is, focused on the first part of it. Both songs are very similar in more ways than just recurring notes. Both songs are written in Dminor. (wheras Extraordinary Things has Minor Melodic elements that raises the 6th note to create the G major chord he plays when he sings the lyrics ‘extraordinary things’ and sings an A on top which sounds really pretty and immediately caught my ear) 

The notes everyone is referring to are in the intro of Extraordinary Things, D C D E F E F G A B♭ A G A  (I put it on a scale because I can and I’m a nerd. I also love the harmonies)

And it doesn’t just come back in the Rockrose and the Thistle, there’s two other songs written in Dminor in the Horror and the Wild and that is The Horror and the Wild, where the repetition of these tones are beautifully audible in Madeleine’s ‘You are the son of every dressing up box’ and Farewell Wanderlust, where they immediately accentuate that B♭ (which is the 6th note of the Dminor scale) in instrumentals. In Farewell Wanderlust they also play with more chromatic elements as they add a flat second note and a flat seven. The use of chromatic elements (half note distances) isn’t new for Joey and Madeleine and in my opinion it just adds a lot to the musicality of it all, it’s clever, it immediately catches my ear, it’s subtle things like that that make me keep coming back to their music. Rather than a melodic minor scale, Joey could’ve just added that half note distance to add a major G chord to his scale, because the use of major chords in minor scales is just chef’s kiss in my musical opinion, especially in combination with the words he sings. The notes he uses are not uncharacteristic for Joey’s music.

NOW LISTEN, I LOVE this ask because it means I can break down every aspect of what I love about Joey’s singing and what different things I love about Jaskier’s singing. Because oh my god the TALENT, to still make people go ‘wait I just found out that Joey Batey sings both in the Amazing Devil and as Jaskier in the Witcher’ to this day astonishes me and I’m never surprised when someone stumbles upon that realization. The breathiness he uses on his voice in both the Rockrose and the Thistle (and more TAD songs) and Extraordinary Things blows my mind. But there’s a difference to the way he uses it in both songs, let me try to explain. He sings with an aspirated voice (Which means to sing with a breathy voice) in The Rockrose and the Thistle, but in Extraordinary Things, it feels like sometimes he is just breathless and it’s so beautiful and small and soft and intimate, considering the words he’s singing. We, as singers at the conservatory, were taught to make our breaths as inaudible as possible, to remove as much breath from our voices as possible, when singing on record. So needless to say it is a DELIGHT to hear Joey just put his whole heart and soul into every breath he takes, he’s considerate of every syllable, the volume of his voice, the clearness or lack thereof, the shakiness of his breaths fucking kill me dead… ALSO what astonishes me the most about the difference between his TAD songs and his Jaskier songs is the change in vibrato. Jaskier uses more vibrato in his voice than Joey does in the Amazing Devil and I go INSANE about that because my teachers have always said that vibrato is a hard thing to control and requires a lot of training and he’s just out there, mending it to his will as if it is no big deal, like :-) King? I’m jealous, hello? 

I’ve nothing else to say about this for now (lies) it’s already become a full on essay, so I hope this satisfies your needs for now lmao

[mowiwow]

little imperfections (modern alkaid)

“What are you looking at?”

You lift your head, smiling when Alkaid approaches you curiously. He sits down on the couch that the two of you had bought together, comfortably finding his place next to you.

A quiet action that only naturally came to the anxiety-ridden man many years later. Up close, despite all of the wrinkles of time littered across his face, he still looks as handsome as the day you first saw him. Easily, you melt into his side and hold out your left hand.

“I was looking at my wedding ring.”

Alkaid tilts his head slightly, blonde hair tickling your cheeks. His own left hand extends and his hand is placed next to yours.

There’s the faintest hint of embarrassment in his voice as he speaks. “Are you remembering the time I proposed to you?”

“Naturally. It was just so memorable.”

“It was a disaster,” he says, with a mixture of embarrassment and fondness.

“It really was. You were shaking so badly. You even dropped the ring box.”

“I caught it though,” Alkaid defends himself, meeting your gaze. “I didn’t let it fall.”

“I’ll give you that,” you reply with a wry smile. “You have great reflexes.”

Alkaid coughs lightly, turning his eyes back to the two wedding rings reflecting the light of the falling sun. 

“Great reflexes won’t help me when my voice ends up cracking.”

The corners of your lips twitch. You withdraw your outstretched hand to pat Alkaid’s thigh pressed against your own consolingly.

“It was endearing because it wasn’t perfect.”

You pause, the numerous little scratches and nicks in your wedding ring catching your eye. You bring your hand closer to you, closer to your heart, and smile softly as you silently count the wear and tear your ring has gone through despite painstakingly meticulous care.

“Y’know, kind of like this ring,” you muse.

No matter how carefully something is maintained, imperfections will crop up eventually. Little nicks in the heart are impossible to avoid in life.

You’re glad you were able to go through this sort of life with Alkaid at your side. You’re glad you were able to be with Alkaid throughout some of the rougher times in his life.

“Even though there are all of these little scratches on my ring when I look at it closely, I wouldn’t ever want to remove them. They all lend themselves to the experiences I’ve had with you and I want to cherish each and every one of them,” you ramble. “So I wouldn’t ever want to try and erase these little scratches of ours.”

You can feel Alkaid’s lingering gaze on you, so you meet his eyes. Even though countless years have passed since the two of you got married, he still occasionally looks at you with intense longing, as though the two of you aren’t a married couple who have already vowed to remain together through life and death.

You think Alkaid has come a long way. But sometimes the ghosts of the past are particularly persistent and nobody can ever fully erase their past experiences from their mind.

“Alkaid?”

Slowly, his fingertips touch yours.

“I’m glad,” is all he whispers.

His eyes lower, fixated on both the scratches in your ring and his own.

Neither of you are perfect. The path of life is very rarely a smooth one. Full of conflict, big and small, full of grievances and grudges, full of the struggles that come with living...

But, when you get to walk along that path with Alkaid— well, it's not so bad.