#may the valkyries welcome her

[imaginespazzi]

Part 10: The Bridges Burned Around Us

Masterlist - Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8 - Part 9

Be good to me, and I'll be good to you (but please don't be too good to be true)

(In which an apologetic writer finally finishes a chapter that took much longer than necessary)

Pairing: Paige Bueckers X Azzi Fudd

Themes: Fluff and Angst

Words: 10.2K (seems fitting for chapter 10 lol)

TW: Swearing

A/N: Hello my lovelies :) I am so incredibly late with this I know but considering it's really the length of two chapters, I think I should be forgiven. Despite how long this took me, I don't really know how I feel about this chapter because it's both filler but also pretty important so honestly it does feel a little all over the place. But I hope y'all like it anyways. I do suggest quickly skimming over Part 2 before you read this just to jog your memory a little bit. I did edit as I always do but there's probably typos/mistakes, so feel free to point those out. As always, let me know what you liked, what you disliked and what you'd like to see in the future. Have a wonderful weekend my loves <3

May 2033

“What the hell Bueckers?” Coach yells, glaring daggers at Paige who has the audacity to at least look a little embarrassed as she reaches a hand to help the rookie she’d just knocked over with far too much unnecessary force. Azzi narrows her eyes at the scene, confused at Paige’s atypical behavior. It wasn’t uncommon for the vets to rib the rookies a little bit, hell they had a whole ragging initiation ceremony planned for this weekend to welcome the newest members of their team, but Paige seemed to have a personal vendetta against Angie Davis.

When they’d watched the draft together, Azzi could’ve seen sworn she’d seen a flash of uncomfortableness flicker in Paige’s eyes as the commissioner announced that the Valkyries, with their third pick acquired via Atlanta, were picking Angie Davis from Stanford University. The blonde had stiffened but only for a split second and Azzi had chalked it up to nothing because really, what beef could Paige possibly have with a 22 year old? Except clearly something was bothering the Minnesota native because this is the fifth time today itself that Paige has fouled the girl so hard that her body had almost slightly bounced as it hit the floor. 

The first time, everyone had found it amusing because who didn’t laugh at a rookie getting a taste of the league. The second time, Coach had rolled her eyes but the rest of the team had still found it pretty funny. And then as it continued, Azzi could tell her teammates were just as confused by Paige’s behavior as she was. They might not know the blonde as well as Azzi did, but in the last month or so they’d discover that the basketball superstar was really just a ball of golden retriever energy. Since they’d started training camp recently, they’d seen that Paige always practiced hard but she also had the time of her life doing it. They’d seen that she might practically bulldoze her teammates in her eagerness to be a good defender but she’d always be the first one to help pick them up with a teasing grin on her face right after. Except apparently not with Angie. With Angie, there was nothing but brute force and the first couple of times, before Coach’s clear irritation had started to seep onto her face, Paige hadn’t even bothered helping the rookie up. And although Azzi would be lying to herself if she didn’t admit that a part of her found this aggressive display of strength just a tad bit attractive, she also knew it was completely unlike her Paige to be acting like this. 

“So,” she says softly, lowering her voice purposefully as she sidles up to Paige in the locker room after practice, “are we going to talk about it?”

“Talk about what?” there’s a smirk on Paige’s face as she takes a step closer towards Azzi. 

The brunette narrows her eyes, “you know what.”

“What I know,” Paige whispers as she ghosts her hands across Azzi’s hips, keeping her movement innocuous as to not alert their other teammates who are engrossed in conversation not too far away from them, “is that I’m pretty sure you’re just looking for a way to get close to me.” 

“You’re so fucking full of yourself,” but she can’t stop the faint blush that’s creeping up  her cheeks as Paige’s hot breath fans across her face and her gaze shifts to the blonde’s sweat sheened biceps that are on fully display under her flimsy tank top. 

Paige notices it immediately as her smirk widens, “appreciating the view baby?”

“Shut up,” Azzi shoves her back lightly, “don’t try and distract me.”

“‘I’m not even trying. I just have that effect on you,” Paige shrugs coyly as she pushes herself back into Azzi’s space.

The brunette’s eyes dart over to her teammate for a brief second, making sure the rest of them are still occupied with their own conversations as she takes her own step towards the blue-eyed woman, the edges of her lips turning up into a smug grin when she hears Paige’s breath hitch, “and what about the effect I have on you?”

There’s something thrilling about hiding this from their team, something sexy about having to keep their hands to themselves when they’re constantly desperate to touch. It was torture in a way, having Paige so close and not being able to kiss her or hold her. But that only meant that when Azzi did finally get to do all of those things, it felt like finally coming up for air; like after being deprived of her oxygen for so long, she could finally breathe. 

Last time around, they’d kept it a secret from the world but everyone who meant something to them had known. Their old teammates for one. This time, especially since they hadn’t quite defined what this was, they’d chosen to keep it even closer to their chests. It had been Paige’s idea this time and Azzi thinks maybe she’d proposed it just to beat the brunette to the punch-maybe she’d even been a little disappointed by it- but she thinks that they probably do need a little more time; a little more time to trust that this time they wouldn’t go up in flames, that they wouldn’t burn everyone else around them. 

“You don’t- you don’t have any effect on me,” Paige stutters. 

“Is that right?” Azzi asks coyly, taking her shirt off at a ridiculous slow pace, enjoying the way blonde’s eyes are immediately drawn towards her toned abs, “none at all?” 

“N-no,” Paige gulps as she watches the brunette finally get rid of the offending t-shirt and she’s left in nothing but a sports bra that does little to hide the curves underneath. 

“Appreciating the view baby?”  Azzi smirks, repeating the older woman’s words from before she slyly runs her index finger across the purplish red hues of a hickey Paige had left on her collarbone from the night before. 

“You’re so-”

“Bueckers,” a loud voice interrupts Paige’s groan as the two of them spring apart, everyone in the room turning to look at their Coach leaning against the doorframe, “in my office. Now.”

It feels a little bit like they’re college students being reprimanded again but there’s this nagging intuition in Azzi’s gut, as she watched Paige sheepishly follow Coach into her office, that she’s missing out on some important information. Something churns in her stomach at the thought of it. Things had been near perfect so far; they were climbing back up to what they had been, maybe climbing their way to something better but Azzi thinks that if another gust of circumstance tries to shove them down again, they might not be able to get back up this time. Because this time, they’re not climbing alone. This time, they have Stephie and at the end of the day, she’s all that matters. 

“So is Paige’s car broken or something?” Tessa’s question catches Azzi off guard as she shakes herself out of head and looks at her teammate with confusion. 

“Uh no why?”

“I mean it’s just every time she shows up somewhere, it seems she’s in your car, with you. So I just figured something must be up with her car, why else would y’all be carpooling literally every single day unless-” there’s a sparkle in Tessa’s eyes as she leans casually against her locks, “unless there’s another reason?”

“What other reason could there be?” Azzi’s voice is unusually high-pitched as she avoids Tessa’s perceptive eyes and instead glares daggers at a spluttering Jana, “her car’s in the shop. That’s it. That’s definitely it. That’s the only reason I’m driving her around.”

“Aw that sucks,” Laila says with an oblivious empathetic smile, “I mean we could help out if that’s the case? With carpooling.”

“I don’t think-”

“What a lovely idea Phelia,” Tessa smirks and Azzi knows just by how guileful it is, that the former Gamecock is absolutely onto them, “what do you think Azzi? Maybe we can make a little chart for who drives Paige to practice huh? Be welcoming to our teammate?”

Resisting the urge to flip off both Tessa and Jana whose shoulders are shaking with laughter, Azzi settles on a sugary sweet smile instead, “I don’t think that’s necessary-”

“Oh we’d be happy to help,” Tessa chirps happily and Azzi’s suddenly wistful for the moment back in her senior year when she’d dropped the South Carolina guard for an easy layup. 

“And that’s very kind of y’all but,” she reaches over to squeeze the younger girl’s shoulder tightly, making her grunt in discomfort, “I think Paige is okay. It just works better if it’s one person. Less complications, you know?”

“Won’t somebody please think about the complications,” Jana snickers. 

“I’m so confused,” Laila says, a frown on her face as she looks weirdly at her teammates. 

“It’s nothing,” Azzi says shrilly as she slings both her and Paige’s bags on her shoulders, rolling her eyes when both Jana and Tessa giggle at the domesticity of the action, “don’t worry about it, Phelia.”

“Y’all are acting strange,” Laila shrugs as she starts to make her way out of the locker room and Azzi’s rounds on the other two women. 

“Whatever you think you know Tess,” Azzi raises a finger in warning, “keep it to yourself.”

Tessa makes a point to make a zipping motion across her lips as her eyes glimmer with mischief. 

“Thank god,” Jana gasps dramatically, “I was so tired of having to deal with these two all by myself. Do you know how hard it is Tess? I’ve been doing it for YEARS.”

“You poor soul,” Tessa coos, “I can’t imagine how hard it’s been for you. They’re kind of disgusting.”

“You peeped that already? Damn Azzi, do you realize how sickening y’all must be for Tessa to have already figured it out?”

“No forreal,” Tessa teases, “if you don’t want people catching onto your shit, I suggest y’all stop eyefucking every other second.”

“Fuck all the way off. Both of you,” Azzi grunts as Jana practically howls with laughter.

“You kiss your daughter with that mouth Fudd?”

“I dunno about Stephie,” Tessa drops her voice so only Jana and Azzi can hear her, “but I bet she kisses Paige with that mouth huh Az?”

Azzi groans, hiding her bright red face in her hands as her teammates' jovial laughter echoes through the locker room.

*** 

Paige is eerily quiet as she climbs into the passenger seat and Azzi knows immediately by the way she doesn’t try to coax her way into driving, that whatever conversation she’d had with Coach, likely hadn’t been a pleasant one. There are a thousand and one questions taking birth in her mind but Azzi doesn’t voice any of them, knowing Paige isn’t ready to answer them. Instead, she laces her fingers through Paige’s, resting them on the other girl's lap as she rubs a soothing circle against the back of her hand, a promise of whenever you’re ready to share, i’ll be ready to listen. 

They’ve fallen into a routine of sorts, one driven by that fact Paige has practically moved into Azzi’s house at this point. Their day started with them dropping Stephie off at school before the two of them would go to training or practice or whatever basketball activities they had planned. Then, they’d go to pick up Stephie from school and Azzi would drop her and Paige off at Curry camp while she ran various errands before circling back to pick them up. It’s domestic as hell and there’s a part of Azzi that’s still a little fearful; perhaps they’re trying to fit the puzzle pieces of their separate lives into each other a little too quickly. But she thinks that maybe those puzzle pieces had never really been disconnected, because sometimes she thinks their existence might just be an extension of each other’s. 

“You know,” Azzi begins softly when it becomes abundantly clear Paige isn’t going to speak first, “I’m okay with the fact that you’ve probably fucked other people. I mean other than the woman you married as well that is.”

“What the fuck?” Paige’s head whips towards her so quick, it must hurt just a little bit, “where the fuck did that come from?”

Azzi shrugs, “I’m just saying-”

“Why are you just saying?” Paige's eyes widen in panic as she possessively tightens her grip on the brunette’s hand, “are you about to tell me about someone you hooked up with? Because I’mma be honest Azzi I’d rather jump out of this moving car then hear about some whore who had the audacity-”

“Audacity? You do realize I was-”

“Say you were single and I actually will jump out of the car,” Paige warns, “but no actually dude what the fuck?”

“Well you see,” Azzi says carefully, “I’m trying to figure out why you’re being such a bitch to our new rookie and after careful deliberation, I’ve come to the conclusion that she’s gotta be a hookup gone wrong because why the fuck else would Paige Bueckers, who has a hard time killing a spider, be so unnecessarily mean to this poor girl?” 

There’s silence in the car for a second as Paige opens and closes her mouth, unable to get a word out, until she doubles over laughing, the sound of it echoing all around them. Azzi can’t help the soft grin that flitters across her face, relieved at seeing the way the tension begins to dissipate from the blonde’s shoulders. And Azzi swears that when Paige laughs, it feels a little bit like the sun has come out again; like the flowers are blooming and birds are chirping and everything is right in the world again and she thinks the sun should probably be jealous of the warmth Paige exudes because at least against the silhouette of Azzi’s sky, Paige burns brighter than the sun ever will. 

“You-you think I fucked Angie?” Paige finally manages to splutter out between peals of laughs, “baby she’s barely 22.”

“Hey,” Azzi pouts, “you always did go for younger women. Like me for example.”

Paige narrows her eyes, “you’re literally one year younger than me.”

“One year and a couple of days,” Azzi corrects. 

Rolling her eyes Paige uses both hands to hold Azzi’s non-driving one, “Azzi I swear to you that I have never in my life hooked up with Angie fucking Davis.”

“I know,” Azzi confesses, eyes still focused on the road ahead of her, “so what exactly is your problem with her then Paige?”

“You couldn’t have just asked me that?”

Azzi shrugs, “felt like I needed to make you laugh first. So tell me Bueckers-” before she can continue, she feels lips being pressed to her cheeks and can’t help the crimson tinge it elicits on her face, “what- what was that for?”

“Because you’re a little bit of a sap and I’m glad you’re my sap,” Paige grins, “all mine.”

“You’re trying to change the topic.”

“I am not.”

“Paige.”

The blonde sighs, leaning her head back against the headrest, “can we talk about it tonight? I wanna tell you I promise- I just- I think we need to sit down so that I- I can explain it to you properly.”

“That feels ominous,” Azzi’s stomach clenches at the seriousness in Paige’s voice as she turns onto the street for Stephie’s school, “should I be worried?”

“No,” Paige says firmly, bringing their enclosed hands to her mouth so she can brush a kiss across Azzi’s knuckles, “it’s nothing we can’t get through.”

Azzi nods as she pulls into the school parking lot, mustering up a reassuring smile of her own as she squeezes Paige’s hand. But there’s still a speck of fear dancing around in her gut; it’s this constant fear of losing Paige again that she doesn’t think she’ll ever truly be able to sweep out of her system. They’ve been doing so good these last few weeks -like they’re collecting together the scattered pages of everything we used to be and binding them back together with strings of all that we can become- but sometimes Azzi finds herself afraid that it might all just disappear, that a gust of wind might blow everything out of her hands all over again. 

“HI MAMA. HI MISS BUECKS,” she’s shaken from her thoughts by the backdoor opening as Stephie barrels into the car, the happiness in her voice contagious as she leans over the console to kiss Azzi and then Paige, before hanging between them and tapping at her own cheeks. The two adults laugh as they simultaneously press their lips to the little girl's cheeks, causing her dimples to deepen as she giggles between them. 

“How was school Stephie-bean?” Paige asks, peering over her own shoulder to make sure Stephie buckles herself in correctly as Azzi backs the car out. 

Stephie scrunches up her nose is distaste, “it’s school Miss Buecks. It was so boring. Except for lunch. Lunch was great. I love lunch.”

“You’re so real Steph,” Paige nods seriously, “lunch is the best and school is so bor-”

“Paige!”

“C’mon Az, I’m not gonna lie to the kid.”

“Exactly Mama,” Stephie chimes in loyally from the backseat, “lying is bad.”

Azzi rolls her eyes as Paige twists her hand to hold it out for Stephie to high-five it from the backseat, “the two of you are insufferable.”

“What does that mean?” Stephie asks, tilting her head in confusion. 

“It means we’re her most favorite people in the world,” Paige winks at the little girl as Azzi shakes her head fondly, choosing to keep the you’re more than that, you two are the reason my world keeps turning that tastes sugary sweet on the tip of her tongue to herself as she continues to drive. 

“What do y’all want for dinner?” she asks instead, ready to make a mental note of ingredients she might need to pick up from the grocery store while Paige and Stephie are at Curry Camp. 

“Actually,” there’s a slight nervous lilt to Paige’s voice and when Azzi looks over, she finds the older woman fidgeting anxiously with her thumbs, “I was thinking that maybe um- maybe y’all could come over to mine tonight? Maybe I can cook?”

They haven’t stayed at Paige’s since that first disastrous night. It hadn’t been on purpose per say; it was simply just easier to stay at Azzi’s, especially with Stephie to consider but perhaps a part of it had been subconscious self-preservation on the younger girl's part. Something about sleeping over at Paige’s feels more purposeful; like she’s fully letting herself step back into the other’s girl world and this time with the promise to not run away in the morning. It’s scary but when Azzi sees the hopeful look on Paige’s face as the blonde bites her lips, she thinks it’s worth it to take the leap; she’s ready for it. 

“I think that would be nice,” she says with a soft smile, “I’ll pick up some clothes for Stephie while y’all are at camp.”

Paige beams and Azzi can tell she’s itching to lean over to grab her hand or kiss her touch her in any way but there’s still the little fact they still haven’t quite told Stephie anything about them yet that stops her from doing any of the above. 

“What do you think of that Stephie bean? You wanna have a sleepover at my place tonight?” she redirects her attention to the little girl instead. 

“YES PLEASE,” Stephie squeals, practically bouncing on her car seat before a frown crosses her forehead, “but um-” she hesitates, “you um- you can’t cook Miss Buecks.”

Azzi bursts into a laughter as an offended look clouds Paige’s face, “excuse me? I absolutely can cook.”

“Miss Buecks,” Stephie says, her condescension-filled tone as adult as she can make it be, “you burned my eggs three times this week and then Mama had to make them all over again and we were almost late for school,” the little girl smirks through her ramble, “but that’s okay because I don’t mind being late for school because like I said school is really boring.”

“Okay but what about the one time I didn’t burn the eggs?” Paige haughtily crosses her arms over chest, “have we all just forgotten about that?”

“Pretty sure they were a little undercooked and saltless that one time-OW,” Azzi’s snicker is cut off by a pinch to her stomach, “do you want me to crash the car woman?”

Paige ignores her, turning back to look at Stephie with a betrayed expression, “you said you liked them?”

“I didn’t want to hurt your feeling Miss Buecks,” the little girl wails and Azzi feels a mix of pride and love bloom in her heart at the kind soul she’s raised, “I’m sorry Miss Buecks but I just-” Stephie reaches as far as her seatbelt will allow to cup Paige’s hand in her tiny hands, “I really don’t think you should cook Miss Buecks.Please. I don’t wanna die yet. I’m too cute to die.”

“You know what Stephie bean,” Paige taps the little girl’s nose, “I think you might be even more of a drama queen than me-”

“Don’t sound so proud,” Azzi mutters under her breath. 

“Shhh,” Paige chastises, never looking away from Stephie, “but alright sweetheart. I won’t cook. How about we order pizza?”

Stephie lets out a delighted cheer as Azzi grumbles, “more junk food? I swear to god Bueckers you’re completely ruining her diet.”

“On the contrary, I think I’m finally fixing it. You poor thing,” Paige coos at Stephie dramatically, “I bet your Mama was torturing you with nasty green things all day every day before me huh?”

“No no no Miss Buecks, veggies are good for you,” Stephie recites loyally and Azzi grins triumphantly at Paige. 

“Oh dear Stephie you’ve been brainwashed-”

“Excuse me? Don’t try to corrupt my child out of her good habits.”

“I’m not corrupting her,” Paige defends as Azzi makes a left turn into the parking lot for Curry Camp, “I’m just teaching her the wonders of grease and oil and all the other fun things that adults lie are bad for you.”

“Paige you are an adult.”

“But a fun one,” Paige smirks, waggling her eyebrows at Stephie through the mirror as Azzi stops the car right outside the building, “right Stephie-bean?”

“The fun-est-est-est-est,” Stephie choruses back as she begins to unbuckle herself so she can latch onto her mother’s neck from behind. Paige takes the opportunity to climb out of the car so she can grab Stephie’s sports bag from where it’s kept in the trunk.

“You be good for Miss Buecks and Uncle Twin at camp today okay?” Azzi whispers to the little girl, “and I better hear that you made all your shots.”

Stephie scoffs, “you know I never miss Mama.”

“That’s my girl,” Azzi grins as she nuzzles her nose against the little girl’s before Paige opens the backdoor and Stephie unlatches herself from her mother, only so she can go barrelling into the older woman’s arms instead, “Stephie-bean you know you can walk.”

“But Mama,” Stephie whines, wrapping her hands tightly around Paige’s neck, “I’m too tired to walk-”

“Stephie,” Azzi sighs. 

“You don’t mind carrying me, do you Miss Buecks?”

“Of course not,” Paige grins, “whatever you want sweetheart.”

Stephie looks pointedly at Azzi, “see Mama? Miss Buecks doesn’t mind.”

“Of course she doesn’t,” Azzi shakes her head, “alright off you two go. I’ll see you guys in a bit.”

“Bye Mama,” Stephie waves, “hurry back okay? We’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you guys too,” Azzi says warmly, blowing a kiss at both of them. 

It’s uncanny how similar the two of them are, when both Stephie and Paige make a show of catching the kiss and bringing it to their heart before looking at each other and giggling over their own silliness. It makes Azzi’s heartache in the best way possible. And as she watches the two of them start walking up the stairs, Stephie rambling and Paige hanging onto every word, she thinks that as long as life gives her the two of them, she’ll never ask for anything else. 

***

The first thing Azzi notices when she walks into the gym, arriving a little before camp finishes so she can say hi to her mentor, is Stephie sulking as she glares at Paige from the other side of the court. Confused, because it’s rare to see her daughter looking at the other woman with anything but pure adulation, Azzi follows the little girl’s line of sight to see what could possibly have upset her. A fond smile crosses her face as she sees Paige crowded by a bunch of children, all of them watching the superstar with wonder as she demonstrates her shooting technique. Paige swishes the ball into the basket and one would think she’d just scored the game-winning shot in the finals, by the way the gaggle of kids around her let out enthused cheers. 

The blonde has always had this aura that draws people to her -Azzi would know; she’d been one of the first people to succumb to it (not that she’d put up much of a fight)- but there’s something different about the charisma Paige has with kids. Perhaps it’s because of her own childlike innocence that’s still intact despite her age, but it’s clear that the little ones adore her. Azzi watches as one of the little girls animatedly tries to mimic what Paige had just demonstrated, looking upset when the basketball barely touches the rim. 

“I’m never gonna make a basket,” she hears the girl pout. 

Paige ruffles the kid’s hair before lifting her up onto her lap, “of course you are. You just needed a little bit more height. Here try again,” she says as she urges the girl to shoot again now that she’s higher off the ground. This time the ball falls magnificently through the hoop and the child whoops. 

“OH MY GOD COACH P I DID IT,” she squeals, hiding her face in Paige’s neck and while Azzi finds the whole thing quite adorable, when she looks over, she realizes that clearly Stephie is not nearly amused as she watches her daughter’s face transform into a scowl. 

“Riley and Ryan used to make the same face any time I gave another little girl too much of my time,” Azzi grins as Steph appears by her side, the former Warriors guard bumping her shoulder as a sign of greeting, “I split the kids into groups, half with Paige and half with me. Kept Stephie with me cause you know I thought I was her favorite but she’s been glaring at all the kids with Paige this whole time.”

“She’s uh- she’s a little possessive,” Azzi chuckles, eyes still on her daughter who finally looks away from Paige, before angrily shooting the ball at the lowered basket in front of her. 

“NICE SHOT TWIN NIECE,” Steph cheers as Stephie makes the shot, the little girl’s face unmoving as she gathers the ball back and gets ready to shoot again. Sometimes Azzi thinks, as she claps with pride, her daughter’s laser-focus attitude might rival her own. Maybe it’s a mother’s bias -she’d call it intuition- but she’s certain Stephie’s going to be a basketball phenomenon one day. 

“That was so pretty Stephie-bean,” Paige is beaming as she approaches Stephie, the little girl from before holding her hand, “you think you can show Claudia here how you get that arc on it?”

“No thank you Coach Bueckers,” Stephie’s voice is perfectly polite as she makes a point to not look at the two people who’ve just entered her space, but Azzi catches the split second when her gaze shifts irritatedly to the way Claudia’s hanging off of Paige, “I’m a little busy right now. Maybe another time.”

“Oh she’s good,” Steph whistles lowly as Paige’s mouth falls open at not being referred to as Miss Buecks, “she’s gonna have Paige groveling after camp I bet. She’s gonna get whatever treat she wants.” 

Azzi groans, “that is not a good thing. Do you know how much junk food she manipulates Paige into getting her?”

Steph laughs, “she spoils her huh?”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Azzi mutters but there’s a wistful grin on her face, “It’s part of why Stephie adores her so much cause she knows Paige would give her the world if she could.”

“I don’t think it’s just Stephie who adores her,” Steph bumps his shoulder against her and Azzi blanches at the knowing tone in his voice. 

“That’s not- I mean- I don’t- I don’t know what you mean,” she stutters out. 

Steph rolls his eyes goodnaturedly, “oh come off it Az. It was obvious when y’all were kids and it’s still obvious now.”

“When we were- you knew?” 

“Of course I knew,” Steph scoffs, “I’ve been married for more than 20 years to the same girl I fell in love with at 15 years old Az, I know a thing or two about what love looks like. Of course I knew.”

“I’m just getting clocked left right and center today what the hell,” she grumbles but there’s a part of her that’s slightly relieved about the people around them slowly figuring it out. She thinks she should maybe be a little more embarrassed about how obvious they apparently are -have supposedly always been- but honestly she kind of loves that their love is so bright, that it’s impossible to not see it. 

Love. The word sends a shiver through Azzi. It’s not a foreign feeling to her at all, especially not when it comes to Paige. If she’s honest with herself, it’s a feeling that has never left. She’d tried as hard as she could; shoving it underneath a rock of you’re not allowed to feel this way that weighed heavily against her chest. But it had always been there and as soon as Paige had waltzed her way back into Azzi’s life, the blonde seemed to have found a way to shovel it right back out. And that four-letter-word isn’t buried anymore; it’s right there on the tip of her tongue and every time Paige smiles at her -eyes crinkling with only for you-, Azzi’s this close to let it slip through her lips. She’s just waiting for the right time.

“Hey Stephie-bean can I fix your form a little bit,” her attention is drawn back to her surroundings as she watches Paige try to get Stephie to look at her again but her daughter is nothing if not stubborn. 

“That’s okay. It’s almost time to go home and I’m sure Uncle Twin can help me with my form Coach Bueckers,” the little girl says contemptuously to a gobsmacked Paige before gesturing at Claudia, “how about you just keep helping her instead.”

“Sheesh that’s one petty kid you’ve got there Fudd,” Steph remarks before stepping to the front of the court and blowing his whistle, “alright y’all it’s 5 o’clock. Great job today! I hope you guys had a lot of fun and learned some good stuff and I’ll see y’all back here tomorrow!”

The former player diligently high-fives all the kids before they disperse towards their awaiting parents. Azzi can tell Stephie’s still irritated when the little girl barely hugs Steph, shaking herself out of her Uncle’s arms much quicker than she normally would as she all but stomps her way to her mother. 

“Woah there Stephie-bean,” Azzi says gently, falling to her knees in front of her daughter, “what’s wrong?”

Stephie pouts miserably, “I’m mad at Miss Buecks. She’s been helping other kids this whole time.”

Azzi has to bite her lip to keep herself from smiling, amused by the child’s dramatics, “baby you know that’s Miss Buecks’s job right? She’s here to coach all the kids.”

If possible, Stephie’s frown deepens as she kicks her feet stubbornly, “she can coach them,” she says matter-of-factly, “but why does she have to carry them and give them hugs. She should only do that with me.”

“Stephie-”

“And camp is over now and she’s still with stupid Claudia,” Stephie whines as she uses her hand to turn Azzi’s face towards Paige, “see?”

The we don’t call people stupid lesson that she was just about to give her daughter dies on Azzi’s lips as her eyes fixate on where a stupid pretty young woman who she knows to be Claudia’s mother is staring up at Paige with a stupid flirty smile. Azzi has no idea what the blonde is saying, but she’s sure it can’t be that funny to make the woman tilt her head back in laughter, left hand reaching out to flick Paige’s bicep and lingering far longer than necessary. 

“You know what Stephie-bean I think it’s time to home,” and really she feels just a little guilty with how she’s about to use her clearly upset daughter, “how about you go call Miss Buecks over.”

That’s all it takes to get Stephie running towards her and Azzi follows cautiously behind, only getting further irritated at how Claudia’s mother seems determined to step closer and closer to Paige and the clueless blonde does absolutely nothing to stop it, continuing to smile politely at the other woman. 

“Miss Buecks,” Stephie comes to a halt in front of Paige, interrupting whatever conversation was going on as she practically forces herself in between the two women, “Mama says it’s time to go home.”

Despite the jealousy simmering her heart, Azzi can’t help that her heart skips a beat at the way Paige’s whole face brightens up at seeing Stephie; clearly relieved at the little girl using her nickname again. 

“Give me one second sweetheart. I’m just a little busy talking to Claudia and her mother-”

“Mama,” Stephie says loudly, cutting Paige off as she turns to Azzi, “do you know if Aunty Chérie is in town?”

“Um- I- uh-” the brunette stutters, not having expected her little girl to bring that up as her gaze flickers towards a frozen Paige whose smile is completely gone, her body going rigid at the mention of Clémence.

“I was just thinking,” Stephie barrels on casually, “maybe we could go see her and she could give me cuddles and kisses since app-ently Miss Buecks is too busy to give them to me-”

The little girl cuts herself off with a squeal as she’s suddenly lifted off the ground and into Paige’s arms; the blonde peppering her lips against every inch of Stephie’s face. 

“Never ever too busy for you and I’m especially never too busy to give you kisses Stephie-bean.”

“Promise,” Stephie holds out her pinky finger and Paige diligently intertwines her own through it, pressing a kiss to their now interlocked pinkies. 

“Promise.”

Shaking her head fondly at her menace daughter’s antiques, Azzi fixes Claudia’s mother with a sweetly saccharine smile as she wraps a possessive hand around Paige’s bicep. She can feel the blonde’s eyes immediately drift towards her, clearly a little thrown off by her forwardness. It had been Azzi’s go-to-move in college whenever Paige’s fanclub would get a little too handsy. She’d sidle up into her girlfriend’s space, marking her territory as subtly as possible. Azzi knows this is a little different. It had been easier back then to play the action off as a protective best friend  warding off boundary-less fans; really it was uncanny the things two girls could get away with under the guise of friendship. But it’s different now that they’re actual adults and she can see the clogs running Claudia’s mother’s head as she starts to piece everything together. 

“Hi I don’t think we’ve properly met. I’m Stephie’s mom, Azzi, nice to meet you,” Azzi says finally, holding out her hand that isn’t still clasped firmly around Paige’s bicep, “I think it’s usually your husband who picks Claudia up from camp right?”

“I’m Stacie,” the woman says, primly returning the handshake, “yeah my husband’s usually the one who picks her up but I had a little time today-”

“Don’t lie Mommy. I heard you on the phone saying you wanted to come pick me up so you could meet Coach Bueckers-”

“Claudia,” Stacie hisses as Azzi narrows her eyes at the woman. 

“You said it’s cause you think she’s really hot-” Claudia manages to get out before her mother furiously clamps her hand over her mouth. 

“Azzi,” Paige whispers under her breath, wincing slightly as the shooting guard unconsciously tightens her grip, unable to keep the irritation of her face as she all but glares at Claudia’s mother. 

“You know kids, they say anything,” Stacie tries to justify, cowering under the sintering heat of Azzi’s stare. 

“Right,” the brunette nods with faux understanding, “well if you’ll excuse us, I think it’s time for us to go unless-” she turns her gaze onto Paige who looks innocently back at her as she hides a smile against Stephie’s stomach, “unless you’re still busy that is?”

Paige shakes her head affectionately as she tugs her arm out of Azzi’s grip, only so she can lock their pinkies together, the angle of it just out of Stephie’s line of sight, “never too busy for you,” she repeats, “let’s go.”

*** 

“Mama, will you tell Miss Buecks that I’m not speaking to her,” Stephie says as soon as the three of them get settled into the car. 

“What,” Paige shrieks, twisting her head around to look at the little girl who decisively looks away, her tiny hands crossed over her chest. 

“Stephie,” Azzi sighs exasperatedly, stretching her legs out in the passenger seat; Paige had insisted on driving this time and she hadn’t bothered fighting against it, “babes I thought you’d gotten over it? You were literally just talking to her.”

“That’s cause I forgot I was mad when Miss Buecks gave me my kisses but I rem-ber now,” Stephie explains. 

“Remember what?” Paige asks frantically, “Stephie-bean what did I do?”

The little girl in question makes it a point to turn her nose up and look directly at Azzi as she answers, “Mama will you tell Miss Buecks that she knows what she did.”

“I really, really don’t. Stephie sweetheart please tell me so I can fix it,” Paige tries again, and Azzi lets herself marvel at how the normally jittery-woman seems to have endless patience for her little girl. 

“YOU GAVE THE OTHER KIDS HIGH FIVES AND CUDDLES AND HUGS AND YOU EVEN LET CLAUDIA ONTO YOUR LAP,” Stephie bursts out emphatically, “you’re not supposed to do that with anyone but ME.”

“I-” Paige looks over helplessly at Azzi who holds her hands up in surrender, determined not to get in between the two of them and their dramatics. 

“You didn’t even ask Uncle Twin to let me be on your team,” Stephie accuses and then like she’s suddenly remembered that she’d made a bold assertion a couple of minutes ago, “Mama could you please tell Miss Buecks that I said all of that.”

Azzi rolls her eyes, “I have a feeling she might have heard you.”

“Did you like the other kid’s hugs more than you like mine?” the little girl prods, her eyes suddenly glimmering with tears. 

“Oh sweetheart of course not,” Paige consoles immediately, “I could never like anyone’s hugs more than yours, you know that. Your hugs are the best things in the whole wide world. And Stephie-bean, I thought you wanted to be with Uncle Twin, you said you missed him.”

“Wanted to be with you more,” Stephie pouts stubbornly, “I don’t wanna share my Miss Buecks with the other kids. I don’t want you to hug them or carry them and you definitely can’t give them kisses.”

“I didn’t even give any of them kisses,” Paige protests. 

“Stephie, Miss Buecks is a person, not an object. She’s allowed to hug or carry or kiss-” Azzi tries to explain but is almost immediately interrupted by Stephie who gives her an unamused look. 

“Well is she allowed to hug and carry and kiss Claudia’s Mama then?”

Azzi’s mouth falls open as Paige barely holds in her chuckle at the little girl’s cheeky question, “she absolutely is not allowed to do that.”

“Exactly,” there’s a satisfied grin on Stephie's face as she takes in the still dumbfounded expression on her mother’s face. 

“I just- I meant the kids. She’s allowed to hug or carry or kiss the kids-”

“NO SHE’S NOT.”

“Okay, okay, okay,” Paige moves her hands up and down in a calming gesture before she reaches for Stephie hands, “how about this? From now on, I won’t carry any of the other kids and I definitely won’t give them any kisses. But can I at least give them one hug? Just one tiny little hug?”

Stephie ponders over the request for a second, “okay,” she agrees finally, “but only one hug and it can’t be longer than three seconds okay? And then you come and give me three of them right after?”

“Done. I’ll come give you five hugs right after,” Paige grins happily as the two of them shake on it before she turns back around to start driving them towards her house.  

“Mama you can tell Miss Buecks that I’m speaking to her again,” Stephie smiles toothily at Azzi through the rearview mirror. 

“Really?” Azzi responds sarcastically, “I couldn't have guessed.”

“You know,” Paige drops her voice so Stephie can’t hear them, “you’re being pretty sassy for someone who was just as irrationally jealous as a five year old a couple of minutes ago.”

“I was not jealous,” Azzi says indignantly, repeating herself when Paige’s smirk deepens, “I have no idea what you’re talking about Paige, I was absolutely not jealous.”

“Whatever you say baby,” Paige hums quietly as she turns the music up in the car, grinning at Stephie through the mirror when one of their new favorites comes on. 

Azzi preemptively covers her ears as her soft “oh please don’t start singing-” is immediately drowned out by the two other people in the car beginning to sing at the top of their voices. They barely know the lyrics and they’re definitely not on key and really Azzi’s poor ears are bleeding, but as she’s coerced into reluctantly joining in, she thinks this could still be her favorite sound in the whole wide world. 

They’re so enthralled in their cacophony -in each other- as they pull up to Paige’s house, that it takes them a far longer than it should to notice the figure on her porch. It isn’t until they’ve parked in the driveway, and Azzi’s gone around to grab her and Stephie’s overnight bag from the back while Paige lifts Stephie onto her shoulders, and they’re finally making their way up the three steps that lead to the deck, that they finally do. 

All chatter comes to a halt as the boy -well that’s not quite right; not when he towers over Paige and Azzi as he stands up from where he’d been sitting on the lawn chair. It’s been almost four years since she’d last seen him in person and even then he’d been a fleeting face in the crowd. She’s seen plenty of his clips from the rookie year he’d just finished in the NBA but it isn’t the same as seeing him in the flesh now. So much has changed; the baby fat is gone from his face, he’s lankier and longer and there’s a discernible aura of confidence around him; as is expected from a 20 year old man. Yet, as Azzi lets her gaze wander over him, she sees what she’s always seen. She sees that same innocence, that same kindness, that same drive in his eyes that she’d always found reflected in his sister’s eyes too. She looks at him and she still sees a mini version of her Paige. 

*** 

October 2022 

“AZZI,” Drew screams as he runs across the arrival gate, his carry-on suitcase practically abandoned for the flight attendant with him to begrudgingly pick up. 

“DREW,” Azzi’s smile widens as the little boy comes to a halt in front of her, his arms immediately wrapping around her waist, “oh my god you’ve gotten so much bigger little dude.”

Drew scrunches his nose up at her, “you literally saw me like a month ago.”

“And I think you might have doubled in size since,” she ruffles his hair before turning to the flight attendant who’s not so subtly checking her out, “thank you so much for getting him here safely.”

“Oh just doing my duty m’am, especially for a pretty lady like you,” the man says and Azzi winces at his dated flirting technique. 

“This is Azzi,” Drew introduces, irritation seeping into his voice as he tightens his grip on Azzi’s waist, “you know how I told you I’m flying out for my sister’s birthday, this is my sister’s girlfriend and it was her idea to fly me out to surprise my sister. Because you know she’s her girlfriend.”

“Right,” the man grimaces and Azzi has to bite back the laugh threatening to escape as he hastily hands Drew’s suitcase over before barely managing a half-hearted grin, “I um- uh- well I should get back to the uh- plane or something. Tell your- tell your sister happy birthday.”

“Thanks again,” Azzi calls after the man as he all but runs away from them, shaking her head fondly down at Drew who’s giggling into her side. 

“You think if I tell Paige he flirted with you, she’d get him fired?” he asks cheekily. 

“There’s a nonzero chance that she’d at least try,” Azzi agrees as the two of them start making their way out of the airport and towards her car. 

It’s a chilly fall morning and the sun has barely risen in the sky but Drew seems more awake than ever as he practically bounces into the passenger seat, clearly excited to see his sister who has no inkling that he’s coming. The idea had come to Azzi a week or so ago as she’d racked her head for ideas of what to do for Paige for her birthday. She’d done a good job putting up a front for the rest of their team -avidly cheering for them from the sidelines during practice- but Paige had been struggling these last couple of weeks. Azzi knows firsthand what it’s like to watch everyone else play the sport she loves while nursing her own injury and no matter how many i’m fine don’t worry about me spiels she got from her girlfriend, Azzi knew it was killing the point guard to not be out there with their team. 

If she could, Azzi would have liked to have miraculously fixed Paige’s torn ACL as her birthday gift but that was wishful thinking. So instead she’d decided on cheering Paige up with the other thing she loved more than playing basketball: spending time with her baby brother. It didn't take that much convincing to get Bob Bueckers -who’d seen just how despondent his daughter had been those first couple of weeks in that gloomy hotel- to allow Drew to take the first half of this week off of school. From then on, the main difficulty had been keeping it a secret from Paige who seemed to have sixth sense for when something was going on behind her back. It didn’t help that Drew had come close to spilling the beans more than a handful of times. But they’d somehow managed it and this morning, Azzi had rolled out of her girlfriend’s arms much earlier than she would have liked to, ready to give Paige the day she deserved. 

She glances at the clock. It’s almost 8 and Azzi knows that Paige is probably beginning to stir awake. She can almost picture the likely confusion on her girlfriend’s as she’d reach out for Azzi, only to find the spot next to her empty. As if on cue, the sound of a phone ringing vibrates around the car and Drew’s eyes light up at Paige’s name flashing on the media-board. 

“Don’t say a word,” Azzi warns him as she picks up the call. 

“WHAT THE HELL AZZI. WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?” Paige’s irritated voice echoes throughout the car, “DO YOU KNOW HOW RUDE IT IS TO MAKE YOUR GIRLFRIEND WAKE UP ALONE IN THE MORNING? ON HER GODDAMN BIRTHDAY?”

Despite Azzi’s warning, Drew snickers loud enough for the speakers to pick it up  and the brunette fights the urge to hit her head against the steering wheel when Paige lets out a dramatic gasp. 

“OH MY GOD ARE YOU WITH ANOTHER GIRL. ON MY BIRTHDAY?”

“No Paige I am not with another girl-”

“Well it sounds like there’s a girl with you.”

Drew opens his mouth to protest, clearly agitated with his voice potentially being mistaken for a girl’s but Azzi’s quicker, immediately clamping a hand over his mouth. 

“I am not with-”

“Wait. Why did that voice sound so familiar?” Paige asks and Azzi can picture her scrunching her nose through the phone, “it can’t be any of the girls. I think I saw all of them in their apartments while I was looking for you but it sounds so-”

“It’s no one,” Azzi says hurriedly, “I’m just picking up something for your birthday.”

“I don’t want anything for my birthday,” Paige grumbles, “just wanted to wake up to my beautiful gorgeous girlfriend but no, you couldn’t just let me have that.”

A soft blush, tinted with hues of you make my imperfection feel perfect, creeps up Azzi’s cheeks as Drew teasingly waggles his eyebrows at her, “I promise I have something even better for you.”

“What could possibly be better than morning se-”

“Celebratory cuddles. Right yes what could be better than morning celebratory cuddles,” Azzi babbles, ignoring the weird look Drew gives her as she tries to prevent them from falling in the ditch her girlfriend is unknowingly about throw them into, “oh my won’t you look at that, that sign has all the reasons I shouldn’t try to talk and drive.”

“Baby what? Are you having a stroke. That’s not a thing-

“Oh it totally is and I really have to hang up. Love you baby, see you soon!’

“Azzi-” a loud beep rings through Paige’s protests as Azzi rushes to cut the call, slumping back in her seat with a sigh. 

“Morning celebratory cuddles?” if she wasn’t so embarrassed she would laugh at the side-eye Drew shoots her, “y’all are so weird.”

“Watch it. I will send you back to Minnesota.”

“No you won't,” it’s uncanny how Drew has Paige’s exact smile as he goofily grins at her, “you love Paigey way too much to do that to me.”

Azzi rolls her eyes fondly, “yeah maybe just a little bit.” 

There’s peaceful silence in the car for a while as Drew leans back in his seat, looking thoughtfully out the window. Azzi feels excitement bubble in her stomach in anticipation for Paige’s reaction to seeing her little brother. For as long as she’s known her girlfriend, she’s always known just how special Drew is to her; he’d been more a child to her than a brother and although it hasn’t been that long since Paige has seen him, Azzi could still hear the wistfulness in her voice every night she’d said good-bye to him on the phone. She feels giddy just knowing that seeing Drew again will put that earnest, loving smile she loves so much on Paige’s face. That smile, Azzi thinks, might just be the reason her world keeps turning. 

“Hey Azzi?” Drew says slowly, “can I ask you something?”

“Course you can kid. You can ask me whatever you want,” Azzi reaches out to squeeze the little boy’s hand as he fidgets in his seat. 

“Do you-” he hesitates, sucking in a deep breath, “do you think two people can stay together forever?”

Azzi’s taken aback by the gravity of the question, not having expected to deal with heavy-hitting ones like this so early in the morning. And really the truth is Azzi doesn’t know how to answer this question. It’s the kind of question her own brain conjures up sometimes and she has to distract herself from the way it makes her heart constrict because what if two people can’t stay together forever?

“That’s a heavy question,” she says finally, “where’s this coming from?”

Drew shrugs and his tone teeters on the edge of defensiveness when he answers, “just some things I think about sometimes.”

“I don’t know,” she says carefully, “I’d like to think some people can. I mean my parents have been together for a really long time and I’d like to think they’ll stay together forever.”

“How about you and Paigey?” Drew prods. 

There’s an answer of yes that tastes like asphalt on the top of Azzi’s tongue and so much of her wants to spit it out and have that be the answer she gives Drew. But there are these uneasy shackles of uncertainty, of what if’s, of who knows what the future could do to us, that stops her. And she doesn’t know why she’s so scared of saying yes. Because if she’s honest with herself Azzi can’t really fathom a forever without her girlfriend; not when sometimes it feels like instead of a heart, it’s Paige that beats rhythmically against her ribcage. 

“I really, really hope so,” she whispers. 

“Azzi,” Drew’s voice is coated in sincerity and the brunette hums in response, “you won’t ever hurt my Paigey will you?”

And there it is again, the unpredictability of what could happen next that’s beginning to feel a little suffocating. She wants to give Drew a resounding no because Azzi would rather drive a dagger through her skin before letting Paige get so much as a paper cut but life is so fickle and she’s scared of making a promise she can’t keep. So she makes one that she swears she can. 

“I promise that I will try my absolute best not to hurt your Paigey.”

***

May 2033 

“Well,” Drew Bueckers sneers, his tone filled with contempt as he takes in the way Paige, Azzi and Stephie are practically wrapped into each other, don’t you guys just look so fucking cozy.”

There’s a sinister tension-filled quiet as the three adults -god it’s weird to include Drew as an adult but Azzi supposes that that’s what he is now- look between each other. 

“Umm you owe me a kiss,” Stephie cuts into the silence.

“What?” Drew scrunches his face at the little girl. 

“You said a bad word,” Stephie says matter-of-factly, “and Mama says whenever someone says a bad word around me, they have to give me a kiss. So Miss Buecks,” Drew's eyes narrow at the nickname as the little girl lightly taps Paige’s shoulder, “can you turn around and move closer so he can give me a kiss?”

“You don’t, you don’t have to do that-” Azzi tries to intervene. 

“Yes he does Mama,” Stephie interupts her indignantly, “rules are rules right?’

“Stephie-”

“Rules are rules,” it’s Drew who cuts Azzi off this time, his previously stoic face morphing into something warmer as he takes a step closer to her daughter and presses his lips against her turned cheek, “there you go. Am I forgiven for saying a bad word now?”

Stephie grins up at him and Azzi feels a wave of this is how it always should have been pinching at her heart she watches the two of them. 

“You’re forgiven but you have to promise not to do it again.”

“I don’t make promises like that kid,” there’s an unspoken accusation as Drew keeps up a smile towards Stephie but his eyes dart for the briefest second towards the two women around him, “but I promise I’ll try.”

“Okay,” Stephie accepts happily as she reaches over Paige’s shoulder to press her own lips against Drew’s cheek. 

“What was that for?’ he asks a little dazedly. 

Stephie shrugs, “because I think I’m gonna like you.”

“Drew,” Paige whispers finally, gently letting the little girl off of her shoulders, “what are you- what are you doing here?”

“What? A guy can’t just come visit his sister anymore?” there’s an unfamiliar hard edge to Drew’s voice -a stark contrast from how he’d been with Stephie- that makes Azzi flinch. 

“Of course he can but I just- you didn’t- you didn’t tell me you were coming,” Paige presses. 

“Well we've been talking about me coming down for a while but it just hasn’t happened and so I thought- I thought why not just come surprise you but-” Drew purses his lips as he gestures to the trio in front of him, “I think I might be the one who’s surprised.”

“Drew-”

“Actually you know what no,” he clenches his jaw, voice dripping with barely controlled anger, “I’m actually not surprised. Not surprised at all. Because really this- this is exactly what I should have expected from the two of you.”

“Maybe,” Azzi nibbles at her bottom, “maybe we should go-’

“NO,” both Stephie and Paige yell out in tandem as the little girl immediately clutches onto the blonde’s thighs. 

“I don’t wanna go. Miss Buecks tell Mama I’m not going anywhere.”

“You’re staying right here with me,” Paige reassures the little girl as she turns her gaze back to Azzi, “you’re not going anywhere okay?”

“Paige-”

“I asked you to stay tonight and you’re going to stay. End of discussion,” Paige says firmly and Azzi lets out a reluctant sight. 

“You asked her to stay? As in stay the night? Oh my god,” Drew scoffs maliciously. 

“Drew,” there’s a warning tone in Paige’s voice as she deattaches herself from Stephie, keeping her voice low, “not right now okay?”

Her brother rolls his eyes, grunting out a “whatever,” but listening to his older sister like he always had and suddenly Azzi feels nostalgic for the little boy she had once known. 

“You’re so tall,” she blurts out, grimacing slightly when he turns to her with a frown. 

“Excuse me?”

“I mean I knew that. I’ve seen some of your highlights and I knew I mean- I knew you were taller and that you’ve gotten bigger and that you’d look stronger and all of that but I just-” Azzi gulps between her babbling, “you just- you look different Drew.”

There’s a shine of warmth in Drew’s gaze for a second but it flickers away faster than it had appeared and his eyes are cold with flecks of betrayal as he looks at Azzi, “that’s what happens as people get older isn’t it? I wouldn’t look so different to you if you’d been around to see me grow up.”

There’s venom laced in every word and Paige immediately opens her mouth to argue with him, but Azzi wraps a hand around her wrist to stop her. Because even if the words seep into her skin and infect it with bruises of guilt and regret, Azzi thinks she probably deserves them. She’d been in Drew’s world for so long and then one day, she just hadn’t been. She thinks he probably could have spewed something even more poisonous and she just might have deserved that too. 

“Are you sleeping over too, Uncle Drew?” Stephie asks softly, unaffected by the tenseness of the adults around her. 

“Uncle Drew?” Drew asks slowly. 

Stephie nods with a grin, “Miss Buecks called you Drew and that’s when I figured it out. Mama and Miss Buecks have told me stories about you and there’s some pictures of you from when you were littler at Nana and Pop's house,” she rambles and Drew’s eyes soften at the idea of Stephie knowing of his existence, “ and just in case you don’t know who I am even though you should,” she gives him a pointed look as if everyone should know who the little girl is, “I’m Stephie. And you’re my Miss Buecks’s brother so that means you’re my Uncle Drew.”

“Right that um-” Drew clears his throats, “that makes sense Stephie.”

“So Uncle Drew, are you sleeping over too?”

“Yeah, yeah I guess I am.”

“YAY!” Stephie squeals as she laces her fingers through Drew and begins to pull him towards the front door, “so Uncle Drew what’s your favorite pizza topping?”

Something wonderful flutters in Azzi’s chest as she watches the two of them interact -it’s a little bit like seeing the past and present harmonically blend into one- but despite that, despite the reassurance that Paige squeezes against her hand, there’s an uneasiness lingering in the back of her mind. That wretched but familiar fear of the future weaves itself through her heart. Between the frostiness from Drew and whatever secret Paige is keeping from her, Azzi can’t help but wonder if these last couple of weeks had simply been a mirage. She can’t help but wonder if this bubble of happiness that they’ve built is about to be burst by a needle of circumstance again. 

[blurbfics]

There'd Better Be a Mirrorball | Azriel x OFC [part two]

Summary: A few weeks after initiating her training with the Valkyries, Eowyn decides to run some errands in Velaris. A self-date never hurt anyone, right?

Word Count: 5.5k

Warnings: none. briefly mentions the passing of a pet (my greatest fear).

Minors, do not interact.

A/N: so i technically listened to the ACOTAR series so a lot got lost in the void of my mind. if there's something SJM mentions in the novels that I forgot lets just pretend i didn't. also the image isn't exactly what I picture Eowyn's face covering to look like, but its similar enough. i'm also reluctant to call it a niqāb as it may contain religious connotations and i wouldn't want to offend anyone, nor does the story suggest it's due to religious beliefs. if there's anything suggesting differently from the reader's perspective, please let me know and I'll fix it immediately

part 1

Masterlist

"If I could go back to a time before now

Before I ever fell down

Go back to a time when I was just a girl

When I had the whole world

Gently wrapped around me"

Weyes Blood, A Lot's Gonna Change

In the weeks that followed her initial introduction to training with the Illyrians and the Valkyries, she felt a change within her.

Well, not considering how she’d almost quit by the end of the first week due to how sore she was. She’d had a change of heart when she saw the elation in Ananke when she finally managed to cut the ribbon, however. The cheer that erupted from the vocal priestesses and the look of accomplishment and pride on Ananke’s face was contagious enough for her to decide to stay. She might as well do that, she figured, for although the hefty daily exercises were strenuous on her body, they accomplished little to nothing to quiet her mind.

Dressed in comfortably loose skirts and a blouse in dark cool tones, she let out a weary breath, fixing the black laced mantilla placed over her head. From the middle of the dark fabric fell a thin silver chain across the center of her forehead, clasped onto the matching silver chain on the trim of the soft fabric covering the bottom half of her face.

Despite her slightly rattled nerves, opening one of the heavy doors leading out to the city of Velaris was somehow not as intimidating as it had been before. Immediately, her mind attributed it to her recent training, surely pulling her own body weight on a bar repeatedly for several sets had made it easier for her to open the heavy ancient doors, but she also knew it was more than that. It was the fact that it didn’t take her usual twenty minutes of steeling herself to leave the library— it only took eight.

That, she knew she couldn’t credit training for, entirely.

Although she’d never been one to easily make friends, oftentimes too lost in her own musings to seek further than surface-level conversations with her companions, she’d found an unexpected but welcomed sort of camaraderie with a few of the priestesses in the training ring, including Nesta and Emerie who, although weren’t priestesses themselves were oftentimes jumbled up together in name, if they weren’t being called Valkyries. Mirna, Desmodena, and Eowyn had only just joined the larger group of priestesses, making a total of ten priestesses training all at once in unison. The only separate group were the three original female fighters, who mostly trained with Cassian, or Azriel on the off chance that Cassian hyper focused on so-and-so’s form and dagger grip.

Still, it was Gwyn with whom she’d found herself spending more time with, although mostly outside of the ring as they walked through the library's many floors. Which, by extension, led to her growing friendship with Nesta and Emerie, the latter who she found took immense pleasure in making her laugh. Nesta, on the other hand, while not outright rude, was perhaps just as cynical as Eowyn herself, which gave way for an unspoken understanding— thick melted chocolate in texture, compared to the easy flowing nectar of her closeness to Emerie and Gwyn.

Her steps, brisk in nature but slightly stilted in discomfort soon fell back on the ease of slithering through busy city streets, a certain knowledge in the marrow of her bones that refused to forget something that was once so familiar. To walk through a busy city street wasn’t an easy thing to learn at once, but once learned, was something that was never forgotten.

The bell above the apothecary door signaled her entrance, pulling a hefty small fae from her book, which at a quick glance was clearly similar to the smutty romances the girls liked to read so much. She chuckled lightly under her breath, smiling at the herbalist gently despite the fact that the female couldn’t see anything but her dark eyes, and held it still, even as the fae watched her with clear unease, seeming half a second away from kicking her out the door.

“Good evening,” Eowyn greeted politely, “I’ve come to pick up an order from the Library.”

“Y-yes, let me get that for you,” the fae stumbled over her words, relief seeming to fall over her face as she turned and disappeared in the backroom.

Eowyn took that time to roam around the store, taking note of the array of trinkets sold, made of quarts and precious minerals and stones. The side of the wall displayed what looked like thousands of tins and small packages of teas, all displaying labels with what the remedies contained and what they were recommended for. She chuckled to herself when she took notice of the one labeled Love, although the ingredients were curiously not listed.

She took it in her hand, opening her mouth to call out to the herbalist and ask her what the special little tea contained when she felt a shift in the air. A second before the bell of the apothecary door could sound to signal someone else’s entrance, Eowyn flitted, hiding herself from view behind a tall shelf in the center of store, promoting a two-for-one deal on candles that were labeled with the same intentions of the teas in the wall behind her.

Ducking slightly to peek through the thin gap in the shelf she bit her tongue to keep herself from gasping in surprise at the sight of the Shadowsinger, who reached the counter in three strides, scarred hand impatiently slamming over the bell to ring for the owner.

“Coming! I’m coming!” her muffled yell called out from the back.

When a cold soft breeze touched her ankle, like the mist of a cloud but leaving no trace behind, she looked down to her feet to see Azriel’s shadows dancing around her feet. She grimaced slightly at the idea of being caught in the act. Not that she was doing anything wrong, of course, but the thought of him catching her hiding behind a shelf with a love drink in her hand made her cheeks flush.

She brought her index finger to mouth, signaling for the shadows to keep quiet but no sooner had she done so when Azriel’s voice called out. “I know you’re here, Eowyn.”

A shiver ran down her spine unexpectedly at the sound of her name coming from his lips.

“Traitors,” she hissed lightly to the shadows, quickly sliding the tin in her hands onto the shelf at her side before revealing herself.

“Hello,” she cleared her throat.

His face, always unreadable, remained so as he turned to face her, but she noticed the amusement glinting in his eyes before they came into contact with hers. In a fraction of a second, they widened ever so slightly, just barely enough for her to note the surprise before he schooled his features back into place.

“They said nothing,” he corrected, although one of his shadows curled around his ear. “I smelled you before I even came in. They did tell me however, that you seemed rather interested in buying a…love tonic, is it? Ah, sorry, a love tea.”

“That is something you don’t want to play around with, boy,” the herbalist interrupted, coming back from the back room with a heavy sealed box in her hands. She placed it on the counter with a huff, “You give that to your sick pets, you see. You boil it, let it cool, and put it in their water bowl. It’s for when they’re getting old and on death’s door. It helps keep them happy and untouched by pain until the time comes…” she drifted off, voice carrying a note of sadness. “I made it for my cat, you know. By my side for a hundred and seventy-one years, Love was,” she sighed, “I haven’t got a chance to finish the label.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Eowyn spoke immediately, fascinated by the herbalist's unrepressed emotions.

“Yeah well,” the herbalist tried to shrug it off, shyly wiping at her eyes. “Here ya go, my girl. You tell Clotho to take it easy on the sleeping dwale. Too much of that and you can grow dependent on it— and what’s worse is it loses its potency the more tolerance you build.”

“I’ll let her know,” Eowyn replied smoothly, not giving anything away, she was sure. Not even to the spymaster. “And thank you.”

“Now, what can I get for you?” She turned to the shadowsinger, but his gaze remained on Eowyn.

“I- do you need help carrying that back?” He interrupted himself to ask, but blinked at her when she made it disappear into the pocket realm without much effort.

“I’m good, thank you,” she smiled politely, deciding rather determinedly that she wouldn’t focus on the way he’d acted so out of character by teasing her of all things before being kind.

Not that he was typically rude or anything of the sort. He was just mostly…. there. Brooding. Face as emotionless and still as it was beautiful.

And did he say he smelled her when he came in? What the hell was that about?

“Have a good day!” She called out over her shoulder, cutting him off before he could insist as she sped out of the door and into the busy streets.

She made her way through the city, collecting pre-ordered packages from various stores and putting them in the pocket realm with the rest of her haul. By the time she made it to the Street of Iron, she was tired and hungry and more than a little dizzy from the amount of people huddling around her. She was used to being around no more than fifteen people at once, so to be going in and out of crowds for hours on end was starting to take a toll on her.

As was customary in the city, a bell signaled her entrance to the blacksmiths. The wave of heat suddenly wafted over her form, causing her to tighten her grip on her belongings, more than ready to step back outside. But she had an errand to run, a favor to do for her friend and she wouldn’t let Gwyn down just because it was hot inside the shop. 

After a quick inspection around herself to make sure there weren’t any lingering shadows following her about, she approached the counter, ringing the bell once to signal her entry.

“What can I do for you, lass?” a tall burly male asked from behind the counter, unshaven and with ash smeared across his face.

He looked familiar, in the way people originating from the same region look familiar, making Eowyn wonder how many families originating from the Winter Court resided in Velaris. And from other courts too, that is. 

“I have it under good authority this is where the Night Court's shadowsinger purchases his weapons,” she began to explain, “I’m looking to buy something for him, a blade. Something simple but something to his liking.”

The swordsmith gave her a curious, if not confused look. “The Shadowsinger hasn’t patronized this establishment in a few centuries, lass, but I reckon I still remember the Lord of Shadow’s taste.”

Lord of Shadows, huh? She almost snorted at the thought.

She considered his words to herself as he went off to search for what Gwyn had requested, if Azriel hadn’t bought any weapons from Eamon— if he was indeed the Eamon referred to on the store sign in the front— in centuries, how was this establishment his favorite?

She reminded herself that Gwyn had gotten that information straight from Mor, who was one of the most important people in Azriel’s life (and still continued to be—Gwyn had whispered conspiratorially one night as they talked in the lower levels of the library— even after being in love with the gorgeous blonde for well over five hundred years, before Elain was turned into fae. Eowyn had bristled in surprise at that, “isn’t Elain mated to one of the Autumn court sons?” she had asked, at that point so invested in the never ending drama that seemed to follow the members of the Inner Circle, that she didn’t care she had to finish writing her proposal to the High Lord for the funding of her greenhouse project she had planned, too entertained by their shenanigans. Gwyn had only nodded grimly).

So clearly, Gwyn knew what she was talking about.

When the blacksmith came back with a bronzed blade, showing it to her and exclaiming it was exactly the type of blade the Morrigan herself would pick out for the Shadowsinger, Eowyn took it. But not before her eye caught sight of something winking at her over the smith’s shoulder.

No, not winking or shining, exactly, considering it was so dark the blade itself seemed to absorb the darkness surrounding it. There was no light reflecting off of it whatsoever. Still… it called to her.

“May I see that one?” she asked, pointing at the blade.

“Oh I highly doubt the Master of Shadows would be interested in an obsidian dagger,” the smith shook his head but grabbed the blade anyway, turning it over in his hand to show her, “it’s a very fickle material, you see. The blade is made of obsidian stone, which is a type of volcanic rock that can break as easily as glass.”

“What's the point of making such a brittle weapon then?” she quietly echoed words she’d spoken long ago, musing mostly to herself.

“Ah, you see obsidian,” he began, his eyes suddenly lighting in nostalgic remembrance, “it provides for one of the sharpest edges that we know of.”

“So when it breaks, it leaves another jagged blade in its place,” she recited knowingly, not quite catching the way he nodded approvingly at her before he tilted his head, suddenly looking upon her differently.

Before he could ask her anything however, she proclaimed she wanted to purchase both blades and did so, making sure to have the blade intended for Azriel tucked within reach in the pocket realm, while fixing the obsidian blade in its sheath under her robes around her waist.

By the time she left the blacksmith’s shop, the position of the sun told her it was mid afternoon, as the sun only just began to inch towards the horizon. Feeling immensely proud of herself for successfully finishing her errands without needing to stop even once in alley to catch her breath or stumble into a restaurant, face-paled, and seemingly seconds away from either passing out or dying on the spot, she even felt further encouraged to continue on her adventure and perhaps indulge in a sweet treat for herself.

And so she did. With some kind of delicious seasonal concoction in her grasp, she picked out the most out-of-sight shaded table to sip at her spiced tea with steamed milk and simply… observed. She sat for the better half of an hour simply watching the fae live their lives, either rushing to work or strolling home. Some were shopping, others walked in groups, all beautiful and dressed to the tens, smelling strongly of wine and whiskey, and she found herself thoroughly enjoying herself. Remembering times when she was one of them.

When the sun inched even closer to the horizon, she finally stood, deciding to take the long walk back to the library, through the artist’s quarter, an avenue that she knew was a staple in the lives of the residents of Velaris.

One particular studio, not as boisterous or welcoming as others, caught her attention, or rather, a painting only barely visible from the window beckoned her inside. Needing to see the painting from up close, she didn’t hesitate to walk in, not noticing until a few minutes of her standing in front of the enchanting painting of a forest, too lost in the familiarity depicted, to notice the door had failed to signal her entrance, not having a bell above the door to do so, until she heard a strange sound come from somewhere in the back, a mix of a gasp and a yelp.

She turned to the sound immediately to find a rather pretty high fae, dressed in paint-splattered overalls, staring at her in what looked like confusion and a smidge of trepidation.

“Who are you?” The female questioned immediately and Eowyn could do nothing but blink back at her tone.

“Oh, I’m sorry, were you closing soon?” A quick look around told her the space she thought was maybe some kind of small exhibit actually contained no true coherency, no descriptions under the paintings, and certainly no invitation whatsoever from the windows that looked out into the streets of Velaris. Realization dawning on her, Eowyn couldn’t help the embarrassed grimace, “oh… this is- this is a private studio isn’t it?”

“Ah, yes?” The female confirmed, but it sounded more like a question.

“I’m so sorry,” Eowyn apologized again, shifting in place as her eyes shot to the door, seconds away from running out until the female spoke again.

“No, no need to apologize, I was expecting my mate to come in so I didn’t lock the door. Foolish of me, honestly,” she chastised herself. Then her eyes caught Eowyn’s and something about the gray-blue shade of them made something in her brain perk up at attention. “I- was it this piece that caught your attention?” She turned to the painting that had called Eowyn in like a siren’s song, “I’ll admit I don’t think I’ve looked at this piece again since I finished it,” she tilted her head to the side, considering, “have you been?”

But Eowyn only shook her head, unsure of how to respond. “It just.. felt familiar, I think.”

The female hummed but didn’t reply, eyes seeming to scan her. “Are you… a priestess?”

And something about the way she spoke, the strength in her voice despite the sliver of uncertainty, caused understanding to click into place. And if that wasn’t proof enough then the following cry emitted from a small bundle cradled within a tiny bassinet in the furthest wall from the entrance, semi-hidden behind a canvas, would’ve given her away.

“My Lady,” Eowyn gasped, immediately dropping into a quick curtsy, even as the High Lady walked over to her whining babe, “I apologize, I didn’t know this was your private studio. I truly had no intention of bothering you-“

“You’re not, don’t worry about it,” the High Lady waved her off, eyes focused on the fussing baby she now cradled into her arms, shushing the babe gently as she bounced and rocked him. “Well? Are you?”

Sorry? Of course I am, Eowyn almost said, still spiraling at the fact that she’d just casually stumbled into what was essentially her court’s matriarch’s chambers, even if it was no different than any other store in a rather public area of the city. Then she remembered what her High Lady had asked. “Oh, a priestess?” She confirmed, “yes, well… something like that. I uh, I work for Clotho in the Library, if that’s what you mean. I’m-“ she hesitated, unsure, “I’m friends with Nesta. Kind of.”

But the High Lady took no offense, instead she surprised Eowyn when she snorted, “‘kind of’ sounds about right, although from what I’ve heard, my sister has been doing a good job of making friends lately,” she smiled at her warmly, “I’m glad of it.”

Eowyn could only smile back, if a bit awkwardly once she realized the High Lady couldn’t see anything but her eyes.

“I-“ she cleared her throat, eyes snapping to the gurgling babe in her arms, “I’d like to offer my congratulations for a successful birth, if that’s not too intrusive of me to say. I… well, we heard about the difficulties you were facing when the High Lord asked us to help him research all those months ago, and- well, I’m just glad everything worked out in the end.”

“Me too,” Feyre smiled at her, turning her attention to look at her son adoringly.

“May I ask their name?”

“We named him Nyx,” her smile widened, seemingly pleased at her question and the opportunity to gush about her baby.

At Eowyn’s hesitation, Feyre looked back up at her, eyes encouraging. Shyly but encouraged by her warm eyes, she asked, “may I see him?” Her voice was soft and low, “I’ve never seen a babe before.”

“You haven’t?” The High Lady’s eyes widened in surprise.

She gently pulled back at the thin material to reveal a minuscule wrinkled little face, tiny fingers gripping at the air at nothing. Although the child had little to no hair, the few tuff of soft looking feathered hair were as dark as night, his eyes still glazed with the initial protective membrane of a newborn depicting no true color until the child’s third year of age, according to some of the books the female fae had read about fae infants.

Although the High Lady presented her son proudly, Eowyn took notice of the way she didn’t offer the babe to her nor allowed for Eowyn to get too close, in a way that was not only expected of her but entirely necessary for her to do as one of the rulers of the court and a new fae mother.

Eowyn didn’t mind, however, as she remained in place with her hands clasped behind her back, only watching the baby’s toothless babbling fondly.

“I haven’t,” she replied, “I was the youngest of quite a large family, and none of my brothers had any children before I left for university,” she found herself explaining, unsure of why she wanted the High Lady to trust that she would never do anything to bring harm to her or her child. The cynical part of her mind considered that it could never hurt anyone to be in the High Lady’s good side, but despite herself, logic was not driving her, it was an unexplainable sense of familiarity with the High Lady that did. As if she knew her, as if she owed it to her to be accommodating and gentle.

And truly, she deserved no less. She had saved Prythian from Amarantha, after all.

“Was that long ago?” Feyre asked gently, if slightly stilted and Eowyn grinned behind her veil, amused at the lingering humanity of her High Lady.

“I’m two-hundred and seventy-six years old,” she answered her unspoken question, “which means I’ve spent more than half of my life either with my nose in a book or talking about whatever I found in those books, which left little room to visit any place where children could be. I wasn’t exactly looking for them, either,” she admitted, not noticing when she’d lifted one of her hands, only her smallest finger held out near the babe, where he gripped her with surprising strength in his little fist.

“Perhaps Heracles would have been a more fitting name,” she suggested mildly, causing Feyre to chuckle, eyes alight with humor.

“You know of the human stories?” 

Eowyn nodded and hummed in response, “I’ve always found human legends and mythologies fascinating,” she confessed, “it took up much more of my research than was necessary—“

Suddenly a whooshing sound caught Eowyn’s attention, causing her head to snap to the door. Without thinking about it, she angled herself to stand in front of her High Lady and the babe, eyes set firmly on the door when it flew open, revealing Cassian.

Eowyn exhaled in relief just as Feyre chuckled behind her, “everything okay, Cass?”

His eyes flicked between the two females, releasing his own relieved breath, “yeah yeah, just looking for Eowyn.”

“Me?” She asked, startled.

“Clotho told Rhys she was expecting you a couple hours ago. We’ve been looking for you for about an hour now, missy,” he chided playfully, eyes back to their natural mirth now that he knew he didn’t have to search further for her. 

Embarrassed, she apologized to him profusely but he merely waved her away. “Really, it’s no problem. I'm just glad we found you,” but then his eyes glazed over slightly as if lost in thought.

Eowyn’s eyebrows scrunched, glancing at Feyre in concern only to have the High Lady chuckle at her reaction. “He’s letting Rhys know you’re fine.”

Ah, right. Daemati beings, their monarchs were.

Eowyn found herself slightly disappointed to leave mid-conversation, but she graciously thanked her High Lady for her time and apologized once again for invading her space. Feyre was quick to assure her, admitting she was curious to keep talking to her and even asked if she’d be willing to receive her at the library if she wasn’t comfortable joining her in the River House.

After agreeing to stay in touch, Feyre walked them out before locking the door behind them, not after assuring Cassian a half-dozen times that Rhys was already on his way to take both her and Nyx back home.

Eowyn and Cassian walked in comfortable silence in the direction of the library when she shivered slightly from the cold, mentally cursing herself for deciding to take the long way back earlier in the day. 

“You know, I could just… fly us back to the house,” he suggested mildly, not looking at her, “if you’re comfortable, of course.”

“I-“ she hesitated, mentally weighing her options.

“Or we can walk, I’ve no problem with that. It’s about two and a half miles back to the house, which is about a five minute flight but if you want to walk I’m sure you’ll warm up with the exercise.”

“Oh it’s not you,” she assured quickly, “I’ve just never… not been grounded before,” she explained awkwardly.

He only chuckled under his breath, eyes glinting with mischief, “you afraid of heights, Wynnie?”

The nickname and the challenge in his tone sparked something she had believed to be dead and buried deep within her, not realizing how present the sentiment was until that moment. It was a feeling she hadn’t felt since her formative years, a sibling-like teasing that was both mocking and cruel as it was gentle and sweet. She hadn’t been called that since… well.

“I’m not afraid of anything,” the sharp words were out of her mouth before she could think, as was any kind of sense and sign of maturity, “and don’t call me that.”

He chortled, seemingly taken aback by the quickness at which she replied, but his grin only grew and she knew she’d made a mistake to show her distaste for the nickname.

“Is that a yes to flying then?” When she nodded, he only smirked at her. “Good, my wings were getting cold. Now, here, I’m gonna hook one arm under your knees and the other around your upper back, maybe under your armpit if I need to adjust your weight, is that alright with you, Wynnie?”

When she agreed, with an exaggerated eye roll, if only to hide her nerves, not having been near a male in so long that even if she felt no attraction to the objectively beautiful male, she still felt herself stiffen at his proximity. He placed his hands exactly where he said he would, not seeming to falter the slightest under her weight before taking off into the skies. She held her breath, feeling the panic surge the higher they went, but once they were elevated high above the city streets, she found herself breathless for an entirely different reason.

“Oh wow,” she sighed under her breath, eyes glued to the city under her.

“Haven’t seen Velaris at night like this?” He sounded surprised, “how long have you been here, now?”

“About half a century,” she replied absentmindedly, taking in the array of city lights and life of the city of Night. “But you know we don’t leave the library… especially at night.”

He hummed in acknowledgment, “hm, and why were you out and about today then?” He asked, although not judgmental or intrusive, his tone carrying the same distantly familiar teasing lilt.

But the shift in the air, the sound of whooshing wings caught her attention, causing her to tear her eyes from the city lights and over Cassian’s shoulder to see Azriel quickly approaching them.

His eyes locked on hers, face as serious and emotionless as always, as he only offered her a nod in acknowledgment.

“I was running errands,” her voice trailed off, suddenly feeling too exposed.

They flew the rest of the way in comfortable silence, other than Cassian pointing out different sections: the Street of Iron, the Sidra to which Eowyn rolled her eyes and mumbled no, really? under her breath which encouraged him to pretend to drop her, laughing all the while. She remained silent for the rest of the ride, pale and clutching onto his shoulders with her nails, deciding on making a formal complaint to his mate for her to deal with as she saw fit, and she told him so when her feet landed softly on the landing pad in the House of Wind. 

She would’ve preferred being taken directly to the library entrance, but she kept that to herself, aware that it would cause an unnecessary trip around the other side of the mountain and she could just as easily take the stairs down. The fact that the general and the shadowsinger had taken the time to look for her was obtrusive of her enough.

And so she thanked the still laughing general, both for looking for her and for flying her home, to which he grinned graciously back at her, telling her he expected her at her best the following morning for training and bidding her goodnight over his shoulder as he made his way inside. 

She turned to look out at the city once more but was surprised to find Azriel unmoved from the spot where he had landed, half expecting him to blend into his shadows and disappear as he was prone to do.

“Oh,” she flinched slightly and watched as his gaze dropped from its place on hers and he moved his hands behind his back, “sorry. You startled me. I uh- goodnight?” she said slowly, unsure of how to act.

“You’re carrying an obsidian dagger,” he stated more than asked, “why?”

“Did you follow me?” She answered with a question of her own.

“If I had, I wouldn’t have looked for you for twenty minutes,” he replied plainly. Twenty. Not the hour Cassian had said he’d looked for her. She noticed his tone no longer held that hint of playfulness that it carried when they ran into each other in the city. She wondered if she’d offended him, somehow.

She figured he had a point and reached inside her robe to take out the blade, eyes locked on his as she flipped it in her hand to hand it to him, helm first. He took it, hand almost entirely enveloping her own as he did, but he didn’t linger on the touch, immediately pulling away with his eyes locked on the dagger. “It’s brittle.”

“It’s beautiful,” she corrected, “and sharp enough to inflict substantial damage.”

“This would be useless in battle,” he frowned at her, and while she noticed that his tone didn’t contain that typical patronizing male sense of omniscience, he was after all, only a male and did not see the bigger picture, “it would kill some soldiers, sure, but mostly cause superficial wounds, especially once it begins to chip and-“

“Become jagged and thus cut more wickedly as it remains sharp. You know, when properly forged, an obsidian edge can be so sharp it can skin the outer layer of an eye without so much as touching the layer underneath,” she sighed, thoughtfully, “and there is of course, the cultural aspects of it-“

“Which would belong to Illyrian traditions as this material only forms under the volcanoes deep within the mountains,” he finished for her without missing a beat, his own eyebrows scrunching together in thought, “what do you know about that?”

“More than you think,” she frowned back, not liking the way he made her feel perceived beyond what she was comfortable with. She took the dagger back, careful not to touch his warm skin although she was half frozen above the mountain, “I know they can be used for religious practices, the crystallized volcanic glass was believed to be the Mother’s spilt blood from the life she created, which hardened into an igneous rock devoid of all color,” she inspected the blade, looking up at him to see his eyes set on her rather than the dagger.

She inhaled sharply, “and anyway, I just liked it and don’t have to explain to you why I bought it,” she defended, sheathing the dagger before crossing her arms over her chest in what she hoped looked more like an indignant action of defense rather than the fact that she was beginning to shiver with cold.

“Right,” he muttered shortly, eyes glancing over her shoulder to the stairs leading into the library. She followed his gaze. “It’s getting late. You should head back inside. Goodnight, Eowyn.”

She nodded, opening her mouth to agree with him but when she turned back to him, he was gone.

part three

[talonabraxas]

‘Wotan (Odin) takes leave of Brunhild’ by Konrad Dielitz

The Ring of the Nibelung: "The Valkyrie", 3. act, 3. scene (Wotan takes leave of Brunhilde, enclosing her in a circle of fire.) Wotan Farewell, thou valiant, glorious child! Thou once the holiest pride of my heart! Farewell! farewell! farewell! (very passionately) Must I forsake thee, and may my welcome of love no more greet thee; may'st thou now ne'er more ride as my comrade, nor bear me mead at banquet; must I abandon thee, whom I loved so, thou laughing delight of my eyes? Such a bridal fire for thee shall be kindled as ne'er yet has burned for a bride! Threatening flames shall flare round the fell: let withering terrors daunt the craven! let cowards fly from Brünnhilde's rock! For one alone winneth the bride; one freer than I, the god! (Brünnhilde, deeply moved, sinks in ecstasy on Wotan's breast: he holds her in a long embrace.) (She throws her head back again and, still embracing Wotan, gazes with deep enthusiasm in his eyes.) Thy brightly glittering eyes, that, smiling, oft I caressed, when valor won a kiss as guerdon, when childish lispings of heroes' praise from sweetest lips has flowed forth: those gleaming radiant eyes that oft in storms on me shone, when hopeless yearning my heart had wasted, when world's delights all my wishes wakened, thro' wild wildering sadness: once more today, lured by their light, my lips shall give them love's farewell! On mortal more blessed once may they beam: on me, hapless immortal, must they close now forever. (He clasps her head in his hands.) For so turns the god now from thee, so kisses thy godhood away! (He kisses her long on the eyes. She sinks back with closed eyes, unconscious, in his arms. He gently bears her to a low mossy mound, which is overshadowed by a wide-spreading fir tree, and lays her upon it.) (He looks upon her and closes her helmet: his eyes then rest on the form of the sleeper, which he now completely covers with the great steel shield of the Valkyrie. He turns slowly away, then again turns around with a sorrowful look.) (He strides with solemn decision to the middle of the stage and directs the point of his spear toward a large rock.) Loge, hear! List to my word! As I found thee of old, a glimmering flame, as from me thou didst vanish, in wandering fire; as once I stayed thee, stir I thee now! Appear! come, waving fire, and wind thee in flames round the fell! (During the following he strikes the rock thrice with his spear.) Loge! Loge! appear! (A flash of flame issues from the rock, which swells to an ever-brightening fiery glow.) (Flickering flames break forth.) (Bright shooting flames surround Wotan. With his spear he directs the sea of fire to encircle the rocks; it presently spreads toward the background, where it encloses the mountain in flames.) He who my spearpoint's sharpness feareth shall cross not the flaming fire! (He stretches out the spear as a spell. He gazes sorrowfully back on Brünnhilde. Slowly he turns to depart. He turns his head again and looks back. He diasappears through the fire.) (The curtain falls.)

Richard Wagner (1813-1883), German composer

[cressidagrey]

AO3 Masterlist

All of these link to my AO3, mostly because that's my personal favorite site to read fan fiction on, and it's much easier to make multiple stories into a series!

Unless otherwise noted, all my series/stories are ongoing, which means…if you have a prompt for any of them, shoot them my way. 

The Court of Gold and Shadows*

you'll be made of ashes too

Elain Archeron makes the most beautiful bride.

Azriel copes.

for the first time, what's past is past

Of all the ways, Azriel expected to meet his mate, this wasn't it. 

something good and right and real

Azriel had spent centuries believing that he of all people didn't deserve a mate. And if anything, the last three years had just galvinised that particular belief. And then he meets her.

The first time Oriana met Azriel, she thought that he reminded her of a skittish cat. Shy and a little bit broken. Good for him that she absolutely excelled in fixing the things around her.

Romance is not dead if you keep it just yours

5 Times Cassian thought that Azriel had feelings for somebody and then the 1 time he finally met the girl his brother was in love with. 

I breathe flames each time I talk

The story of how Oriana Fireborn Belmont, Third Daughter of the First Daughter, met her mate's family.

Also the story of how Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court finally recognises that by the cauldron, there is no fury like that of a female scorned.

Meanwhile, Azriel would just like everybody to get along.

The Unexpected Series*

“If you need to fuck someone, go to a pleasure hall and pay for it, but stay away from her.”

What if… Azriel actually takes Rhys at his word? And does exactly what his High Lord ordered? With unexpected consequences.

Unafraid

Azriel does exactly what his High Lord ordered him to do. (Well, kinda.)

Unprecedented

This is Azriel finding out about said unexpected consequences

Unknowing

This is the Inner Circle finding out about said consequences. Azriel is very good at keeping secrets

Indelible*

Indelible Scars

Azriel knew pain. So did Galena.

Also known as: Azriel’s mate is a healer and the first time they meet, he nearly dies on her.

Glorious Sunrise

So what happens after the mating bond snaps?

Well-meaning interfering family members, deep conversations and nights spent brooding on the roof like some kind of gargoyle…this one has it all.

(The Smutty Sequel y’all asked for ;) )

A Pocketful of Stars*

New Pursuits

The shadows decide that Azriel needs a hobby.

5 times when said hobby-related shenanigans didn’t end so well…and the one time where it may end up better than Azriel could ever have imagined.

Welcome to the World 

The quickest turnaround time between finding your mate and having a kid anybody in the history of Prythian has ever managed

The Starlight Princess*

The Starlight Princess

There is a Pool of Starlight in the Spring Court. A piece of the Night Court that has no business being in the land of Eternal Spring. So how did it come to be?

Or: How the Spymaster of the Night Court starts hearing a voice, realises that no, he is not insane after all, frees a princess, kills a High Lord…and finds his mate all at the same time.

The Prophecy

Lightning in a Bottle

Eira Archeron was neither a Valkyrie, nor a Seer, nor the High Lady of the Night Court. She was actually pretty much useless. The only thing she wanted was to be somebody's first choice for once in her life.

Also known as: Azriel's shadows decide that if he doesn't treat his mate right... they'll just do it for him.

Looked to the Sky

Eira Archeron was neither a Valkyrie, nor a Seer, nor the High Lady of the Night Court. She was, however, Azriel‘s mate with her own mysterious, untrained powers.

Also known as: Azriel tries to court his mate the human way.

Recipe for Love

Peach Cobbler

Azriel finds a bakery and creates his very own reward system.

Honey Cakes

The Beehive Bakery is out of Peach Cobbler. This leads Azriel to make some very impulsive decisions. 

Don't wait for the Sky to Clear

The Fourth Archeron sister makes herself a life in the Dawn Court.

dust of your highest hopes

Eavesdroppers never hear anything good about themselves, goes the idiom.

When Solana hears an admission from the High Lord of Day, she’s ill-prepared for it. She doesn’t believe in fairytales any longer, but maybe there was a happily ever after for Solana and Helion somewhere

The Ties that Bind

Shadowsingers were made, not born. Made out of trauma and loneliness and desperation.

So when Cilla and Azriel meet and their shadows entwine, they both meet the only other person that could understand these particular childhood scars.

The last thing Azriel had ever expected from his mate, however, was for her to have a surprising connection to his brother.

The Witching Hour

5 Times members of the Inner Circle get absolutely terrified by Azriel's...whatever she is, and 1 (of many) times Azriel thinks that his witch was the best thing that ever happened to him.

Bound by Blood

Azriel's witch has some very smutty plans for Samhain.

Tear the World Apart

Eris’ mate decides to get rid of her father-in-law. Also known as: If Eris Vanserra married a very bloodthirsty Margaery Tyrell.

Brighten Up the Sky

A Mating Bond between her younger sister and the Night Court’s shadowsinger was the last thing Feyre had expected to spring up…but then, maybe it did make sense.

Stars all aligned

If there was one thing that both Azriel and Zahra Archeron had in common, it was that they were both very good at blending into the background.

(Super pretty dividers thanks to @tsunami-of-tears !)

[itsphoenix0724]

~WELCOME~

~Azriel x Reader~

Tonight, you sing for me- you and your mate enjoy unexpected fun in your new home when you borrow Az's shadows for the night (2.5k)

Flower Power -Az comes into contact with a strange flower on his trip to the continent, and he begins having some strange.....side effects. (3.3k)

Falling Stars -Az feels like his throat is closing when he sees you in your Starfall dress, and he can't seem to get a word out to you. At least, until you're both more than a few drinks in. (2.8k)

A Shadowed Throne -The warmer seasons have been particularly hard this year as Azriel awaits his Queen's return. When winter finally dawns he finds Death will only kneel to Life in one circumstance. (1.5k)

Can You Kill a God? -No one will ever forget why you are Death's queen ever again. (2.4k)

Tickle My Strings -Azriel becomes a regular guest at your performances, and when you take a trip back to your house, you find the two of you have a lot more in common than you thought. (4.6k)

Hold Me Gently -Azriel knew exactly what he signed up for when he became the court's spymaster, but sometimes everything gets too much for him to handle. (1.6k) Bonus Chapter!

Meet Me On The Ice: Series

You and Lucien Vanserra have been skating together since you were children, but when he has an accident that takes him out right before championships you turn to your brother and his hockey team to fill the position. His best friend Azriel has lethal grace on the ice and owes your brother a favor, which seems like a match made in heaven, except you can’t stand each other. Can you and Azriel pull a routine together in time for your competition, or will it all spiral out of control?

Dancing With Shadows: Series

Living your life with a long-distance relationship has never bothered you before, but when you surprise Az with a plane ticket you finally get to see how it works in person.

~Eris x Reader~

Your Heart on a Platter: Series

(On hiatus)

The only way to seek your revenge is to return the heir of Autumn's heart back to a witch in two months time. However, this task proves much more difficult than you presume it to be.

Prologue Part 1 Part 2

All Things Vile -A recon mission to the Autumn Court gets more heated than you intended. They say Autumn males fuck like they have fire in their veins-you guess you're about to find out.

~Cassian x Reader~

Through the Pass- On a quiet night in with his mate Cassian recounts his past lover. A fierce, bold-hearted Valkyrie who perished during the war. (2.1k)

Save A Horse- After a long hard day of work all Cas wants is a cold beer and a pretty girl. (1.9k)

~Rhysand x Reader~

Promises Pt 2-You don't argue with your husband often, and never anything as serious as this. However, some things may be too hard to come back from. (1.7k)

~REQUESTS~

Date Night (Azriel x Reader)

You Lookin'? (Azriel x Reader)

Sit down (Feyre x Reader)

Kiss Me In The Quiet (ACOTAR next-gen, Leander Vanserra x Reader)

The Fawn and Her Lion (ACOTAR next-gen, Leander Vanserra x Reader)

Forever Afterall (ACOTAR next-gen, Leander Vanserra x Reader)

Hate Me (Azriel x Reader)

~WRITING EVENTS~

Build Me A Bouquet -Ongoing

[kissesfromnovalie]

azriel

@cressidagrey

⋆⋆⋆

New Pursuits

The shadows decide that Azriel needs a hobby.

5 times when said hobby-related shenanigans didn't end so well...and the one time where it may end up better than Azriel could ever have imagined.

Welcome To The World

The quickest turnaround time between finding your mate and having a kid anybody in the history of Prythian has ever managed.

The Starlight Princess

There is a Pool of Starlight in the Spring Court. A piece of the Night Court that has no business being in the land of Eternal Spring. So how did it come to be?

Or: How the Spymaster of the Night Court starts hearing a voice, realises that no, he is not insane after all, frees a princess, kills a High Lord...and finds his mate all at the same time.

Lightning In A Bottle

Eira Archeron was neither a Valkyrie, nor a Seer, nor the High Lady of the Night Court. She was actually pretty much useless. The only thing she wanted was to be somebody's first choice for once in her life.

Also known as: Azriel's shadows decide that if he doesn't treat his mate right... they'll just do it for him.

Glorious Sunrise

So what happens after the mating bond snaps?

Well-meaning interfering family members, deep conversations and nights spent brooding on the roof like some kind of gargoyle...this one has it all.

Stars all aligned

If there was one thing that both Azriel and Zahra Archeron had in common, it was that they were both very good at blending into the background.

They just never thought that their family were going to be the ones who never saw them at all.

⋆⋆⋆

⋆⋆⋆

@acourtofwhatthefuck

Practice On Me

Set in Illyria when the Bat Boys are mere twenty-year-olds, Azriel has never explored intimacy and sex like his closest friends have. Reader is more than willing to help - not realising it will offset a series of events that will change life as they know it.

Coming Home

You're Rhysand's younger sister and the person who's been in love with Azriel for, like, ever. After an entire century running away from your feelings for the Shadowsinger, and the sting of his rejection, you decide to finally return home to Velaris for Winter Solstice. You're older, more mature - and still totally enamoured by him. Chaos is bound to ensue...

⋆⋆⋆

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@readychilledwine

Size Kink

Odd One Out

After 500 years of friendship, the last thing you ever expected was the Inner circle to miss one of your symphonies. But you know what they say, time changes people.

⋆⋆⋆

I Need You

You've been in love with Azriel for as long as you can remember but it seems he always wants what he can't have. You want him to be happy with Elain but what will it cost you?

@7seas-of-ryy

One Summer

One beach house. One festival. One summer to fall in love.

@illyrianbitch

I Put A Spell On You

You, a witch, perform a ritual over your mate.

@prythianpages

Falling in Love on the Fourth Floor

Out of an act of desperation, you move in with a guy you kind of know who happens to have a really hot brother who lives next door.

@daycourtofficial

Morally Grey

Cassian drags the IC to his new obsession: open mic night at Rita's, and much to his delight, Azriel has been paired up to sing with the Reader.

@velariscalling

Cupid's Sword

Azriel has a crush but finds himself unable to approach them. Unable to just stand by and watch their friend's desperate pining, Nesta and Cassian take it upon themselves to play Cupid and try and set them up. Will their efforts lead to success or is Azriel destined to remain single forever?

@milswrites

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@writingcroissant

In The Sheets

To put it in SJM's words: Azriel is a freak *wink wink nudge nudge* and his mate is a lucky lucky girl

Crush

When a big bad Illyrian warrior falls head over heels in love with a sweet baker lady from Velaris.

@writingcroissant

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Lost and tound

@bubbles-for-all-of-us

you calm azriel when he is upset

@lidiasloca

winter's kiss

the reader has lived a sheltered life under her brother, Kallias, the high lord of the Winter Court. when the reader is given the opportunity to go to the Dawn Court for the High Lords meeting, she is ecstatic. While there, she meets the most of the Inner Circle and one of those members will change her life

@azrielslightintheshadows

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@heirofnight

it's the shadows

reader is close friends with az, cass, and rhys, but is very obviously pining for azriel. the four of you are drunk and cassian just has to know which one of them would be the best in bed. sexual tension ensues. duh.

between you & i

reader departs on a solo intel mission after ignoring azriel's warnings of danger. reader ends up captured, and guess who ends up coming to her rescue? you guessed it, a pissed off az. enemies to lovers. reader and az do not like each other. yum.

coffee for two

reader introduces coffee to azriel, he falls in love - and not just with the hot beverage.

⋆⋆⋆

Smoke & Light Series Masterlist [Plug!Az]

Azriel is a well known dealer with top quality bud. He has clients from all walks of life… but his newest, he can’t seem to get enough of.

@rhysazriel

The Shadowsinger & The Inkbird

Y/n's clairvoyance is a gift from the Mother, but it feels more like a curse. With the power to gain knowledge through touch alone, Y/n holes herself up in The Alcove and hopes her powers and parentage will remain a secret. But things will change aft

@florencemtrash

a court of shadows and darkness

Selaene, Rhysand's sister, Azriel's mate runs away after the High Lord of Spring tries to kill her.

@yourlittlebunnyy

Can’t Bring Myself To Hate You

@tadpolesonalgae

En Cognito

Going undercover alters your appearance more than your friends ever anticipated—now Azriel can’t tear his eyes away.

@solbaby7

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@acoazlove

Mornings like these

Slow mornings are your favourite.

⋆⋆⋆

His Shadow

Azriel, secretly juggling his responsibilities and personal life, maintains a hidden relationship with YN, who works at a pleasure house in the Hewn City. She was his light, his love, his passion. Yet being his darkest secret is a hard role because life in the Hewn as a young female isn't the easiest as the two of you hold an even dark secret yet to be told...

@callsigns-haze

douleur

Hewn City is breathtaking in her beauty, known for her cruelty, and simple in the way she is ruled. a city lead by darkness and her people are rumored to thrive within it. no one came and no one went; it was a true court of nightmares. but, like all cities, Hewn holds a well kept secret. there were those who detested the darkness, who were wary of the nightmares. there were fae that wished for something more, for something different, and you made it your purpose to help them. for centuries, you disappeared those who wished to leave, who wished to survive — until Keir calls for your head and the High Lord himself arrives to collect it.

@saintsuriel

cursed

in which azriel has a crush on a witch, and thinks she cursed him.

@blimpintime

[arikihalloween]

Pantheon AU

✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️

Aka, Welcome to me making up deity designs because why the hell not

✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️

It started with this drawing I made of a Julie that I call Moon Deity

And people on twitter have been eating that up so I've felt some motivation to continue working on it

Today I'm sharing the 4 first deities I've finished

❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️

Julie Joyful

Deity of the moon and oceans. Do not be fooled by her elegant and beautiful appearance, for she's an energic goddess that will bend bodies of water to her emotional will.

The moon is often associated to calmness, feminity, such things, but I decided to go with an other approach. The moon is small and fast. She turns around the earth every day of the year, and is responsible for the tides. The closer she is, the bigger the tide ! That doesn't sound that much calm to me. In this AU Julie appears calm only because Sally insist that she has to dress "regal" for their very important deity jobs. Isn't that silly ?

Julie will have alternate outfits depending on the activity she wants to do at any given moment, switching from pants to dress !

✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️

Sally Starlet

Deity of the Sun, stars and fire, she is the calm one, most of the time. Warm, but also a little stuck up sometimes, Sally likes when things are in order and go her way. She sees their deity roles as important ! The fiery goddess also gives her blessings in the arts, especially theater art which she favors

The sun doesn't move as much as the moon, but it is big and powerful and at the center of our solar system. I like the idea of reversing roles a little, having the sun being the calm one for once

✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️

Home

The deity of death is a kind and compassionate fellow. He doesn't talk much, but listens very well, and will help souls pass to their afterlife with all the compassion in the world. He is also the patron of living spaces, as he wants to make sure beings live well, safe, sound and happy, before he comes to take them away.

I like it when death deities aren't cruel but instead very kind and comforting. Home will have a lot of little helpers ! Although, note that Home is the deity of death as in he's the reaper. There is other deities ruling over the concept of death ! Home is more of a psychopomp in this AU ( psychopomps are the "reaper" deities. It includes Valkyries, Ankous, Shinigamis, Grim Reaper, etc)

❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️

Wally Darling

The deity of life ! He creates and gives in abondance, whenever he can. He may not be particularly smart, or doesn't pay that much attention to his creations past their conception and first breath, but he means well and is still learning. He's a fairly new deity, replacing the previous one. Home is there to kindly help guide him to his new duties, along with Barnaby.

He's just a silly trying his best with great powers. Life is pretty mysterious, and not easy. The path is long and full of hardships, after all... but I don't think what gives the first breath of life is cruel for it. Life is still beautiful and should be cherished

❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️

Bonus Appleblossom sketch because this is my self indulgent au so I will put in my ocs, headcanons and fav ships !

[thequietkid-moonie]

PLEASE i need Adam as a dad and having his daughter (reader) come out as transmale (FtM) because i myself have daddy issues and in desperate need of comfort

Their child come out as transmale

[ SCENARIO ] [ Adam & Eve ]

[ Shuumatsu no Valkyrie / Records of Ragnarok ]

I decided to use the term child instead of daughter because if you are transmale you are male for me and calling you daughter will be wrong, also I want to avoid the posibility of triggering any kind of dysphoria

I know you asked only for Adam but I just can't leave Eve behind, so i added a little more with Even and your new idiotic brothers, see it as a lovely bonus ❤️💙

Time for some comfort with the best father ever!!!

Since you were born Adam and Eve were happy to have you, it doesn't matter if born before or after your other two brother they welcome you to the world with an inmense happiness and love

Since you were born with a femenine body they treat you a like a girl, specially Eve who were constantly giving you compliments about how cute girl you are, or constantly styling your hair and dressing you with more femenine ways

It doesn't matter how long it takes you realice that the femenines things or those pronouns doesn't fit you, if is in a early age or even after a long time it would be the same because at the end all your family will be really supportive over you

The first one who notice your discomfort while emphasizing that you are a girl is Adam, he is always looking after his beloved family, always paying a lot of attention and ready to protect them from everything, so when you start to show hints of being uncomfortable or even irritated he is immediatly worried, Adam waste no time before asking you whats wrong, explaining that he noticed that you seem troubled by something, is up to you if you explain to him in that moment how you feel or wait (even if you don't tell him right away Adam will understand that you may don't feel ready to talk if is something serious, still he reminds you that you can always count on him, he is your father after all)

Eve will realice it after, she loves doing girly things with you but after a while she will start to notice how she is the only one smiling at it, even if you try to smile she will notice how you don't seem to enjoy it much, or at least not as much as she does, at some point (when she is sure that you aren't enjoying it) she will ask you about it, asking if you don't like it or if you will prefer to do other things, even if you try to reasure her that is fine (maybe for not wanting to upset her) she will insist that you don't have to, it sadden her a little that you don't like doing this with her but not for that she will force you to be girly with her, you two can enjoy other activities together!

When you finally open up to them and explain how you don't like the fact that you are a girl, that you don't feel like it and it makes you uncomfortable being refered as such it would be some confusion between Adam and Eve at first, this is something complete new so they will like to talk more about this, wanting to know more about what you feel and what you want, it isn't because they don't believe you or are judging you, it is because they want to be able to fully comprehend what you are going through to be able to help you

At the end you get the conclusion that you would prefer to be a boy, you feel more identified as a boy as will love to be refered as such, Adam ask you one more time if that is really what you want, wanting to make sure that this is what you want and not just trying to trying to cover up other feeling or get a conclusion already for being tired of argue about it, when you confirm that you are completely sure that that is how you feel both smile at you before start saying words of comfort and support, Adam calmly tell you that if that is how you feel then is alright, they will start refering to you as a boy while Eve is more excited, saying how happy and proud she is of her beloved son for following his heart

Adam and Eve are complety supportive over you and even help you explain the situation to Cain and Abel and tell them to now refer to you as a boy because that is what you are, they have a lot of patience to explain them and will make sure they understand that even when you had born with a femenine body you aren't a girl, Adam and Even want for them to understand this correctly and respect it just like they do (your brothers had some troubles to understand but they support you nonetheless)

It doesn't take much time before everyone get used to your new pronouns (if you want to change your name it will alright for them too, even will suggest some names that they think could fit you really well). It doesn't take Adam no time to get used to it, he never calls you the wrong way not even for accident, with Eve it isn't probably neither, still it could happen at the start but she is quickly to realice how she called you and apologize imediatly, while with your brothers will be a little more common for them to call you by the wrong way, specially just after you told them, when it happens is Adam or Eve who point out their mistake and make them apologize to you (they would do it anyways), also there are some times where is one of them who calls you by the wrong way accidentally and is your other brother who scold him for doing it (is a silly situation, funny to see)

[world-of-wales]

Happy International Women’s Day! Celebrating the impact of amazing women today, and every day. Here are just a few of the brilliant women we’ve been inspired by over the past 12 months. #IWD2024

After her daughter Brodie's death by suicide in 2020, Emma Webb launched a suicide prevention campaign. Brodie was a talented equestrian, which is what inspired @thewebstermwebb’s challenge pulling a life-size resin horse 160 miles from Chepstow to London.

Sarah Goldson has directed the @Wimbledon Ball Boy and Girl training since the 2012 Championships. The training helps develop life skills among young people, with 280 BBGs selected from local schools.

Vaitea Cowan is a co-founder of @Enapter, a company aiming to account for 10% of the world's green hydrogen by 2050. Enapter won the Fix Our Climate category at the 2021 Earthshot Prize and continues to thrive.

Bianca Sakol is the founder and CEO of @Sebbys_Corner, a shop-style baby bank which believes no child should go without the basic essentials they need to thrive. They provide a warm, welcoming environment and gives families choice and dignity to choose the items they need.

Mother and daughter, Jennifer and Emilia Clarke, were awarded MBEs for their brain injury charity work. They are co-founders of @SameYouOrg, a charity which develops better mental health recovery treatment for survivors and raises awareness around rehabilitation.

Dr. Gubby Ayida has been the CEO of @EvelinaLondon since May 2023 and oversaw its opening of the new Children’s Day Surgery Unit last year.

Wendy Simm was born and raised in Moss Side, Manchester and founded ‘Keeping It Real 24/7.’ The food bank focuses on delivering culturally important foods to those in need, such as yams and sweet potatoes, which generally are not provided by other food banks.

Captain Preet Chandi is a British Army Captain who holds three world records for polar trekking, most recently in December 2023 for becoming the world's fastest woman to complete a solo South Pole ski expedition.

Barbara Smith is a psychotherapist who has served over 16 years with @BritishRedCross, offering psychosocial support in disaster and war zones, aiding those in trauma.

Sarina Weigman began her role as England Women’s Head Coach in September 2021, leading The @Lionesses to Euro 2022 victory. She was presented with an Honorary CBE in June last year.

Renee Salt is a Holocaust survivor who was born in Zdunska Wola, Poland in 1929. She survived both Auschwitz and Belsen, but her family did not. Renee has spoken to thousands of young people as part of @HolocaustUK's programmes.

Professor Uzo Iwobi founded @rcccymru to boost art, heritage, and culture for minority groups in Wales. She empowers African Caribbean elders through learning initiatives and mentors young people to fulfil their aspirations.

In 2024, @hmsoardacious will be represented by Team Valkyrie, the first all-serving women's military team to row across the Atlantic. The @toughestrow challenge raises money for military charities and organisations that support veterans and their families.

- The Prince and Princess of Wales

[jukeboxjackal]

Headcanon- Dating Jock! Carol Danvers

Carol Danvers x fem! Reader

A/n: Hey guys, hey guys. Haven’t been here in a while. If i’m not here, it’s either because of writers block, i don’t feel like it, low motivation, or just general laziness. But enjoy my first actual piece in a while though! I just write sometimes now lmfao

Ok ok so first of all, just in general information I feel like she is the softball captain. Reason being is softball is stereotypically a gay sport LMFAO but I guess it’s kind of right (I say this as a softball player and a friend haha) and I think she’d be utility playing either pitcher, catcher, or 3rd base

Anyways to follow with the last bullet, I feel like she would definitely have an undercut and show it almost allll the time. She also has a varsity letterman jacket that may or may not on the tag on the inside say: ‘Property of: Carol Danvers ⁺⁽ʸ/ⁿ⁾ ⁽ˡ/ⁿ⁾♡) You definitelyyyy did not write the second part

More in the popular crowd, whether you are too is up to you

Her arch-nemesis has got to be the volleyball captain Valkyrie. For one, they don’t get along and two, she so obviously has a thing for you

She’s usually hanging out with her friends in the halls or the courtyard, but when she sees you walk by she immediately goes to catch-up with you

She’s superr protective of you. When she’s walking with you she’s always holding your hand or she has an arm around you at all times. If anyone says anything even slightly snarky to you she’ll look them dead in the eye and say ‘Wanna repeat that?’

She also loves when you wear her clothes and especially her sports jackets, helps to show people that you’re hers

Her nicknames for you are the cliches, such as: Babe, baby, sweetheart, (Y/N/N), princess, and my lady/ girl. Whereas you like to call her: Care-bear (she acts like she hates it but you know she doesn’t), bubs, captain or cap, and baby

She does get jealous, but only when you’re clearly interested in the other person. Like when you were hanging out with that one ballet girl Natasha Romanoff who was teaching you but was also way too close to you and she told the dancer to back off

As much as I might get some hate for this, I do feel like she might have been a bit of a bully. Not in the way that she’d go out of her way to be mean to others but just to uphold a reputation. Like if she’s with her popular friends she’d snicker and make some snarky rude comment about a less-popular kid, but if you ever saw her do it she’d apologize to you and to the other secretly

She’s super sweet to you, always going over to your house and bringing you something whether it’s food or flowers

She usually gives you rides to and from school

Don’t forget about y’all’s after-game dates!

#6 on the field but #1 in your heart that’s for sure

If you were to also be on the softball team as well, she’d still treat you the same as the other girls (but behind closed doors that’s different) Like the one time where the team had lost a game and she made you guys do laps for every base you could have stolen but after that she took you out to eat and she apologized profusely

Make-out sessions in the locker room and the bleachers

If you don’t play, you still make sure to be at all of her games. Home or away, you find a way (ooh that rhymed)

Let’s not talk about that one time she was pitching and behind the cage she saw you talking to the opposing team member who had to use the bathroom

She’s your #1 gym buddy and vice-versa

Oh and she definitely said I love you first

Overall, she is the sweetest and you would consider her damn-near perfect. She definitely has her flaws but that’s with everyone. Your love is unmatchable.

Hey guys! Sorry if this wasn’t as straight to the point as my last headcanon was, but I just had a lot to say I guess lol. Anyways, I’ll probably come back to edit this in a few hours I just wanted to put something out for now. Until next time!

Thanks for reading! Feedback, requests, and inquiries are always appreciated and welcome!

[writercole]

Leaving

Summary: It's not what she thinks.

Squares: Unwanted @anyfandomangstbingo

Words: 2034

Warnings: Angst, misunderstandings

A/N: I'm kinda sorry for this part, actually. It hurt like hell to write.

Tag list is done. Please follow @coleslibrary and turn on notifications for story updates.

Jake was furious that Suze had had the audacity to show up. Her parents were friends with his, but still she had some nerve thinking she was welcome there too.  But when she started insulting Valkyrie, that was the last straw, and it took all his willpower not to let his ire explode from within.

“We aren’t together,” he told her calmly, pointing between himself and his ex for clarity., “There’s nothing between us, so you don’t need to be jealous. Hell, even when we were together, you were barely present. It was a mistake the first time and it’ll never happen again.”

Suze stood staring at him, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. “I didn’t mean -”

“I don’t care what you meant or didn’t mean,” he spat. “Y/N is my best friend, and we may not be official, but  I’ve found everything I was missing in her. She’s the one I want by my side, always has been.”

Suze’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped, regret flashing over her features.

“Do me a favor and forget I exist. Forget my family exists. And if you’re ever invited to another party, respectfully decline. No one wants you here, it was a courtesy to your parents.”

Jake stormed off, forgetting the drinks the bartender had just finished making. He was on a mission to find Valkyrie and get out of there. Suze ruined the entire party for him but he knew it was a situation easily remedied by an impromptu road trip to their favorite lake with a bottle of whiskey. 

“Val?” he called as he searched the crowd, stopping to ask his siblings and his parents if they’d seen her, only to be grabbed by the party planner and dragged on stage for a speech. 

She was grateful that Admiral Simpson was sympathetic to her pleas. Maybe it’s because he heard the sniffles or the lump in her throat. Either way, he told her he would do his best to get her duty station changed sooner than the rest of the Dagger team. 

She packed her bags and ordered a car to take her to the airport. Waiting in the room until she got the notification of the cab's arrival she tried her hardest not to cry.  Her phone buzzed and she steeled her nerves as she set her suitcase down on the floor. The crowd outside applauded as if they agreed she was doing the right thing. One deep breath later and she was rolling it down the hallway towards the front door.

“You’re leaving?” Jake said from behind her as she reached for the knob.

“Fuck,” she whispered, straightening her shoulders and turning around. “Yeah, Simpson needs me back immediately. My flight’s already booked,” she lied, her hand still around the handle of her suitcase.

“Well, I’ll drive you to the airport,” he offered as he fished his keys from his pocket.

“No, you stay here with your family,” she declined, “I’ve already called an uber.”

“I really need to talk to you,” he implored, the desperation in his face breaking her heart.

“My car’s already here,” she announced before she spun on her heel and rushed out the front door, ignoring Jake calling her name. She was in the backseat telling the driver to just go before he could catch her.

Jake stood staring after the car, his heart shattered as he tried to figure out what just happened. He really needed to talk to her, for his best friend to know that his words had been true; that she had always been by his side and he wanted to make it official that she’d be there forever. But it was more than that.

He had never felt this way about anyone before. He’d watched people walk in and out of his life for years without this aching feeling in his chest, without feeling like the world had stopped spinning. When tears started falling down his face, he wiped his cheeks and stared at his glistening fingers with his head tilted and his brows furrowed, unsure how he even got to this point.

The one person who could help him figure it out had left. So what did he do now? He tried to call Val’s cell, but it went straight to voicemail. He couldn’t have this conversation with a robot so he hung up without leaving a message.

After standing in the road for what felt like hours, he walked back to the bar and swiped the first full bottle of whiskey he could find, taking it with him up to the garage loft where he used to hide when he was a kid. He had finished half of the bottle with his back against the wall, staring out the small window and watching the party dwindle. 

His vision started to blur as the light in the room waned. Jake didn’t know how long he'd been there, drinking his sorrows away, but he knew he’d be content to stay there for the rest of his life. A clicking sound began to echo closer and closer, the overhead light flipping on moments before his mother’s head peeked above the ladder.

“Twenty years later and you’re still using the loft to hide away when you’re upset,” she observed as she hoisted herself up across from him. 

“Good spot,” he slurred as he took another swing from the rapidly emptying bottle.

“Are you gonna talk to me about it?” she pressed as she settled back against a stack of boxes.

Jake sighed shakily as he put the bottle down next to him, drawing his knees up and wrapping his arms around them. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Why don’t you tell me why your girlfriend left?” she prompted.

“She’s not my girlfriend,” he scoffed.

“We’ll come back to that,” his mom smiled. “But why did she leave?”

“I don’t know why,” he admitted as tears started falling down his cheeks. “I came in after my speech and she was at the door with her suitcase. She said that the Admiral wanted her back but that’s a lie.” He swiped at his face angrily, a futile effort to dry the tears that were falling steadily from his eyes.

“How do you know it was a lie?”

“Because she was different. She wasn’t herself,” he told her, his voice raising as he spoke. “She was leaving without saying goodbye. She’s never done that.”

“So you just let her go?”

“I tried to stop her,” he said quietly, voice cracking. “I ran after her but…” He was cut off by a sob escaping his chest. He buried his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking as he sat in his childhood hiding spot and cried quietly.

A pair of arms wrapped around him and his mother’s voice hummed the old lullaby she would sing when he was a boy. She pulled him close to her chest and he leaned into her, letting her warmth and her familiar scent wash over him. 

As he calmed, he sat straighter, his head clearer than when his mom found him. He wiped his face with his sleeve and looked at her. “Oh, Mom, I ruined your dress,” he said as he looked at the wetness on her shoulder.

“My son needed me. That’s more important than a swath of fabric.” She looked at him with a softness reserved for a child, the way a mother looks when she knows her child is hurting and is unable to take the pain away. “Now, you said she’s not your girlfriend. But I noticed her bed hasn’t been slept in.”

“I, uh, um…” he stuttered.

“Jake,” she sighed, taking his hands in her own. “I want you to listen to me very carefully. I’ve seen the way you look at that girl. I’ve seen it since you first brought her here for that physics project in 9th grade. And I don’t think you even realized it yet, but you’ve been in love with her since you were fourteen years old.

“I have watched you grow into probably the best man I’ve ever seen, and that includes your father. You’ve got the career you always dreamed of, son, but you’re not happy unless she’s with you. I have never seen you smile and laugh as much as you have in these last two days. 

“Whatever you have to do to prove that she’s it for you, do it. And fast. Because that girl,” she stressed, pointing in a random direction over his shoulder, “that girl is not going to be lonely for long.”

It wasn’t often that she missed her parents. They’d never had a great relationship and when she told them that she was joining the Navy, they lost it. She hadn’t spoken to them since that night. But it was taking every ounce of willpower she had not to call her momma. 

The one person she would normally call for motherly advice was busy at her anniversary party, probably congratulating her son on getting back with his supermodel girlfriend. She refused to take her away from an important day like that just to listen to someone - who wasn’t even family - whine about her broken heart.

She sat on the uncomfortable mattress and picked at the threadbare comforter and watched as her phone rang and rang, Jake’s photo on the screen. She couldn’t bear to talk to him right now. 

The ringing stopped and she began receiving texts, one after another, all from Jake. The ringing started again and she reached over to turn it off, pausing when she saw who was calling. She swiped to answer and quickly put the phone to her ear.

“Valkyrie,” she identified, her voice rough and ragged.

“Lieutenant, we have switched you back to your old squadron. You’ll be going back to New Orleans,” Admiral Simpson explained. “Transport will leave at 1200 tomorrow.”

“I can make that work,” she agreed, “thank you, sir.”

Jake landed in San Diego at 2 PM on Sunday afternoon, having switched to an earlier flight to try and fix whatever he had done to make her leave. He got back to Miramar and headed straight for the dorms, ignoring the calls of his friends.

He skidded to a stop in front of her door, finding it wide open, the room completely cleaned out. He checked the number and confirmed that it was her room, running his hand through his hair as he tried to figure out his next move. 

An idea came to him and he took off to the administrative offices. Admittedly, this was a hail mary of a long shot but maybe he’d be able to get some information.

“Admiral Simpson, sir, do you have a moment?” Jake asked as he stood in the doorway of the his superior’s office.

“What is it, Seresin?” he barked without looking up from his paperwork.

“I was just wondering if you could tell me where Valkyrie is,” he said as he stepped into the office.

Admiral Simpson sighed and set down his pen, turning his attention to the lieutenant standing before him. “Even if I were permitted by the Navy to give you that information, which I am not, I have been asked by your former team leader to keep all of you in the dark in regards to her whereabouts.”

“What are you,” Jake snapped but remembered his place quickly. “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t understand.” he corrected, hoping the Admiral would forgive the attitude, while his stomach flipped and threatened to jump out of his throat.

“She called me and asked to be reassigned immediately with the stipulation that I tell no one, including you, where that would be to. She mentioned you by name, Seresin. Care to take a guess at why that would be?” Admiral Simpson looked at him with raised eyebrows, folding his hands in his lap as he maintained eye contact.

“I don’t know, sir,” Jake replied quietly, “thank you for your time, sir.” He turned and walked out of the room, going to the only place he could think of that might take his mind off of his predicament.

Everything: @thelastpyle @deangirl93 @evergreencowboy @katelyn--renee @fictional-affairs @paintlavillered @buckys-zomdoll @polireader @b3autyfuldisast3r @welcometothefandommultiverse @mlovesstories @supraveng @xoxabs88xox

Top Gun: @princessmisery666 @evansrogerskitten @bradshaw-fanclub @saiyanprincessswanie @luckyladycreator2 @princessphilly @ahockeywrites @clints-lucky-arrow @wildbornsiren @shanimallina87 @fuckyeahhangman @blue-aconite @hope-love-equality2 @peachiicherries @marvelousmermaid @therebeccaw @green-socks @imjess-themess @jostystyles @callsignaries @a-reader-and-a-writer @ahopelessromanticwritersworld

[princess-tulip-writes]

Genre: fluff / suggestive ig

Summary: Ever since Nesta met you, her cold heart warmed for you until it melted into a mushy puddle of affection. Especially, when her baby is feeling sleepy…

A/n: wrote this for a very special girl’s birthday. Happy birthday @redbleedingrose, I love you 💋

“C’mer, baby. Let mommy hold you.”

Nesta smiled softly at you, and tilted her head as her arms opened for you to curl into. It only took moments before you were paddling across the library and crawling into her lap like she requested. A loving glimmer in her eye caught your attention as you laid your head on her breast.

“You’re so pretty, my lovely girl, such a beautiful baby I have.” She cooed at you, placing her hand on your cheek and softly stroking the skin with a small smile on her lips.

“Thank you, mommy.” You replied to her compliment before turning your head and kissing her palm affectionately.

The action caused her heart to warm, and a grin to spread on her flushed cheeks. Her eyes fell on your lips, making her breath hitch with all of the things she would rather have those pretty lips do than stay empty.

Her thumb swiped your bottom lip gently, picturing how they would look with a pert nipple between them, preferably her’s and soon because they ached for your warm, wet mouth. Sure, you did this already this morning but she wanted it now as well. She couldn’t help her desires, you just looked so pretty suckling happily on her tits.

Without a second thought, she was already tugging down the neck of her dress and freed her breast for you, revealing her hard rosy bud awaiting your mouth to welcome it.

You blinked slowly as you mindlessly began to reach for it, licking the bud once before enveloping it into your mouth and sucking softly. Although this was very enjoyable for her, it was like euphoria for you to be wrapped in her arms and nursed like her good little girl.

A satisfied moan left her lips as your tongue flicked over her nipple softly and your cheeks hollowed.

“Just like that.” She encouraged. “You look so pretty feeding off mommy, sweetheart.”

Your eyes fluttered shut, falling sleepy like usual, and Nesta took it upon her to start humming you to sleep now but not before kissing your forehead gingerly as a wordless confession of her love and adoration for you.

Acts like this weren’t uncommon with Nesta given she was no good at expressing her feelings, even with you. Yet every time she did, it caused your belly to warm uncontrollably and your heart to slow calmly. She may not be good with words, but at least she’s trying to get used to the affection thing, and she’s doing such a good job at it for someone who lacked it her whole human life.

She believes it’s because of you. From the moment she met you, she knew you were pure and so full of good that her poison could never, and would never, touch you as long as she could help it. It was difficult, especially on the days when you decided to be a merciless brat, but she managed to do just fine with you. At least, you thought so anyhow.

When your sucking gradually slowed to a consistent and calm rhythm and your breathing slowed against her skin, the Valkyrie stroked your cheek with a feather touch one last time, appreciating your sleeping beauty for a long moment to herself before picking her book back up and resumed reading her novel.

[vecnawrites]

Patreon Reward: A Pure Support Group, Chapter 11: Neo

Another meeting, this time with Neo needing to speak her piece...

It was the newest meeting of FABJA, and tonight was led by Lian Ren, with Nora Valkyrie being her second. Pyrrha had been meaning to come and be Lian’s second for the night, but when she and Joan had been watching a movie earlier, Joan had fallen asleep, her head on the redhead’s chest. Pyrrha had been not only unable, but unwilling to make Joan move, even as the other blonde’s hand crept up and rested on the breast she wasn’t letting her head lay against.

While the tent that she pitched was highly embarrassing, as was Joan grabbing her breast, at the very least Joan wasn’t groping her lower regions in her sleep before they left. It had happened before and the mess had been...well. Let’s just say all three futa members of JNPR had to replace their pajamas several times throughout the year.

But that was neither here nor there, as they both sat in the room, looking over the assembled crowd at the moment.

May, Velvet, and Ruby were all talking softly, blushes on their faces as they were obviously talking about last meeting’s subject matter, if the nearby Arslan’s burning red face meant what they thought.

Fiona and Neon were chatting as well (who knew that those two were old friends?) as they waited for the meeting to begin properly, doing their best to stay calm, which was honestly failing, considering their lower garments were bulging outwards.

Other members of FABJA were mingling about as well, though the main reason they were here tonight was surrounded by her own support group.

Neopolitan was sitting curled up in her seat, the act of hugging her legs making her look far more vulnerable than she had ever seemed outside, with Cinder, Emerald, and the Malachite Twins sitting around her, each of them talking to her quietly, the sounds lost in the din of conversation.

Clearing her throat, Lian looked over the room as they quieted down. “Hello, everyone, and welcome to another meeting of FABJA.” she began, seeing the expectant looks from those around her. “Today we have another person who needs to share what happened to them. Remember, there is no mocking anyone for their embarrassments, understood?” she warned, knowing that a few people in the room thought the girl haughty, especially Nora.

Then again, her partner had never forgiven the mute girl for the sex toy incident...or the punishment both had gotten from Goodwitch after said incident was over.

“The person who needs to speak tonight is Neo. Neo? At your leisure, please.”

A slight mechanical whine spilled from Neo’s hypervoice as she sighed, looking up, her mismatched pink and brown eyes glazed over before they sharpened as she was pulled out of her memories.

“<Hah...it...it was during the Halloween Movie Marathon that the Beacon Theater offered…>” she said through her hypervoice, her tone slightly shaky, even through the prosthetic.

~

“This is going to be so much fun, Neo! I know you like horror movies, so I thought this could be fun!” Neo couldn’t help but smile at how energetic Joan was, the bubbly girl practically bouncing on her feet, which did...enticing...things to her chest.

Neo shook herself. She needed to stay calm. This was one of the few times she was sure to have time alone with the blonde beauty, and she wasn’t going to let her hormones ruin it for her.

“<Thank you for the invitation, Joan. I hardly ever get invited to go to the movies.>” which was a pretty sad truth. Due to being a mute, it had always been hard for Neo to connect with others, and never mind the fact that most people didn’t like the same movies she did...which she thought rather sad. After all, most people tended to cringe at seeing visceral horror and bloodshed, and those that didn’t, were Hunters and it rated a ‘meh’.

But Neo found an enjoyment among them, if only because the ‘pint-sized terror’ (as her adopted father Roman referred to her as) enjoyed mocking the cliches and outdoing the carnage against Grimm targets or training bots...though she would admit that it wasn’t the same without blood.

But that was neither here nor there. Flashing their student ID’s, Neo made her way with the bubbly blonde to the concession counter, both getting popcorn and their chosen drinks (for her it was a cherry soda, and she noticed that Joan got a normal cola) and headed to their chosen theater.

As they entered, they noticed that while there were some students, the back seats (“The best seats!” Joan proclaimed) were completely empty and with a happy sound, Joan grabbed Neo’s hand and pulled her over to them.

Settling into the seats, Neo could admit that Beacon really did do right by its students, and this certainly beat having to scrounge for entertainment!

Settling in, Neo couldn’t wait to see what movies were picked for the night.

~

Emerald groaned, putting her head in her hands. “You poor, poor bitch…” she groaned, knowing exactly what happened, getting a flustered look from Neo, who waved her hands wildly, an almost unheard of expression from the normally sure of herself member of their team. “You were doomed before you knew it…”

Before Lian could say anything, Neo nodded, continuing. “<Yeah, I learned that the hard way...damn it.>” she huffed as Yang snickered at the inadvertent pun she made. “<I failed to think of the fact that she’s jumpy…>”

~

Neo was enthralled by the movie on screen; it was an older one, a more classic one, but that didn’t mean that it was less impressive than the newer movies. Actually, considering it was a classic, it captured her attention better than the ones that only relied on excessive blood and gore.

These had story building in them.

However, she had failed to realize that Joan could get jumpy this these movies (surprising, since she had seen the girl fight an Alpha Ursa in the Emerald Forest without a lick of fear on her face)...at least, until the blonde literally jumped out of her seat with a squeak and landed onto her lap, her bubbly rear pressing down onto her.

Neo released a sharp breath, her pupils shrinking as she felt the bubbly swell rub against her groin, her cock, which had been calming, surging with arousal from the feeling of a curvy woman, and the sweet smell of her skin.

Neo’s teeth sank into her lower lip as she tried to desperately keep her cock from bulging out and poking Joan in the rear. That was not how she wished to let her crush know that she liked her!

It was going to be awkward enough telling her eventually that she had sex with her porn star aunt!

Even worse, she was helpless to let Joan know what was happening to her, since her Hypervoice was off, and her head was shoved into the girl’s chest, leaving only her eyes (now glowing bright) looking at the screen as the killer stalked their next victim.

As they pinned them down and began to stab, Joan jerked as though she was the one being stabbed, physically each and every time.

...and considering her cock was harder than the shaft of Hush at the moment, perhaps that was a bad analogy?

Every shift on her lap was torture, Neo feeling precum leaking out into the fabric of her underwear, over her balls, as the beautiful blonde bounced on her lap in fright.

Bounce! Neo gasped as Joan rocked her rear against the bulge in her pants without knowing what she was doing.

Bounce! Her face was pulled down further into Joan’s chest, her nose in the girls cleavage, the only thing she was capable of smelling being the sweetness of the girl’s skin.

Bounce! Her balls churned angrily, loudly enough that she swore it was a miracle that no one heard it over the sounds of the movie in front of them.

BOUNCE! Neo’s eyes closed as she lost her battle with her orgasm, shuddering hard as cum sprayed into her pants, soaking them and covering her cock, balls, and inner thighs with the thick warmth vacating her balls.

Her shuddering was pronounced enough that Joan noticed and hugged her all the tighter, whispering into her ear, “It’s okay, I’m scared too!” wiggling closer as and only making her cum harder.

~

“<The only way that I managed to maintain any dignity is spilling my drink over my lap when Joan finally got off of my lap...but I’m still pretty sure everyone but Joan knew...>” Neo groaned, burying her face into her hands.

Cinder huffed. “They probably did…” she muttered, shaking her head sadly, knowing the embarrassment that her teammate must have felt. Though that statement was probably better off not being made, as Neo only curled up more.

Lian sighed, knowing exactly what the girl felt, as did Nora and Pyrrha. “...thank you for sharing with us, Neo.” she said softly, “Let us end the meeting and head to bed, it’s getting late for us all.”

Shuffling filled the room as members of the support group shuffled out, some walking straighter than others, the support group separating until their next needed meeting...

[novankenn]

J/C - the Idols of Beacon

--==(Table of Contents) ==--

(Chapter Fifteen - the Clouds Clear)

After Joan admitted to Coco, that she liked to watch herself dance. To see how she moved from the viewpoint of someone else. Coco actually understood, as she had done similar when trying to put together outfits.

It was the the pair got to the meat of the impromptu meeting. Who had gotten hold of the video and posted it.

===

Nora Valkyrie, the figure behind the DirtyJ channel was extremely impressed with herself. Not only was the video of the blond bombshell trending, she was getting comments aimed at how well the video had been edited. So she didn't really notice the looming figure standing on the other side of NPRs dorm room door.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Nora started to apologize.

"Ms Nora Valkyrie, I presume?"

"Ah... yes? Maybe? Depends how much trouble am I... er... is she in?"

"My name is Piper Hamelin, I am the agent and consultant for Ms Carla and... Ms Joan." Piper crossed her arms over her chest. "I have been informed that you have... taken advantage of Ms Joan."

"What? I would nev..."

"What you did was a flagrant breach of her privacy."

"I.. um..."

"Now, I would be remiss if I didn't recognize talent when I see it."

"Huh?"

"You have a very good eye when it comes to the composition of videos." the stare Piper was giving Nora was making her fidget. "So I have a proposition for you."

"Huh?"

"You will transfer ownership of the DirtyJ channel to my agency..."

"Huh?"

"And I will employ you to administer it, and post approved videos... edited by you."

"Huh?"

"I'm offering you a job, though you will also have to create a second channel for Ms Carla... which I feel should showcase her singing." Piper informed the still stunned normally hyper young woman. "Do we have a deal?"

Nora eyed Piper's extended hand, suspiciously.

"I will have an employment contract drafted for you to review, by the end of the day. It will cover all aspects of your new position, along with compensation rates, privacy agreement, NDA and guidelines as to what will be considered appropriate for posting."

"Um, am I going to get paid for this?"

"Yes."

Nora couldn't shake Piper's hand fast enough.

"Welcome to the team Ms Valkyrie." Piper greeted Nora, "Our next is in two days. I suggest you attend."

"Yes Boss!" Nora responded, throwing in a rather sloppy military styled salute.

"Please don't do that."

"Sorry..."

"If you have a question, you can ask it."

"Um... this contract will it give me a budget?"

"Budget? For what may I ask?"

"A proper video editing programs and processing equipment, I'm... limited with just my scroll." Nora answered.

"Give me a list of what you require... within reason." Piper instructed. "No need to get the most expensive, when there are more economical resources. Understood?"

"Yes, boss!" Nora responded, once again giving Piper a salute.

"Please, stop that."

[greetings-inferiors]

So I read a good hundred plus chapters of my hero academia (maybe 200? Can’t remember if it’s even got 200 lol) and I liked it but just stopped reading it. But it’s kind of like Pokémon where I didn’t care for the story but the world itself is FASCINATING I think quirks are such a cool idea, and it’s fun to come up with some yourself

Like one quirk idea I had was one day when she was like 7 she was being picked on in the playground when these swords just fell from the sky, almost hitting her bullies, and one fell right into her hand, and she discovered that she had a psychic (don’t know if this is the term) link to these swords, but she still exerts energy controlling them, it’s just as if it’s extra limbs, it feels easy to wave around your arm but if you do it over and over eventually you’ll get tired, same thing with the swords. She has an odd number of swords, so an even number on each side acting like “wings” and then a “strong hand” like sword she’s most dextrous with (the one that originally fell into her hand). The swords can hold her up and can let her fly, but it is the same as carrying her body weight (plus seven or nine METAL SWORDS) so it’s not something she can just DO willy nilly.

Anyway, her hero name is Valkyrie and she has slots in the back of her armour to hold the base of the swords (making them act like wings) and a sheath for either all of the swords or just the “strong” sword.

I know it isn’t a typical quirk which are more biological and… scientifically explained, but who cares it’s my character idea and I think it’s cool.

I think it’d be a cool dynamic because it’s actually dangerous. She can’t exactly spar or practice with others because THEY’RE FUCKING FLYING SWORDS, I guess the average durability is higher, but they’re still dangerous, and as a child before she got them fully under control they would’ve been a real hazard.

I think the swords would have some level of senses, obviously not sight or anything but I think they’d at least be able to tell when they’re not in the immediate proximity of anything (so they won’t knock into or accidentally slice anyone or anything) and would feel pain, just obviously with a lot higher pain tolerance as they are metal swords. In my mind they are literally limbs that just happen to be psychically controlled swords.

She’d be a very well trained sword fighter (obviously), and she’d be clever and studious and rule following and all that, but also with a layer of social detachment, as having 7-ish flailing death sticks following you and only just being under control (they’d definitely be uncontrollable with intense emotions/stress) isn’t the greatest way to make friends, and she’d be slightly socially awkward already (hence being picked on as a child. Obviously no one picks on her now, because of the swords, but she’s still outcast). This would lead to her being strong of character and high and mighty at times, but I think she’s VERY nerdy about swords, and is also interested in fencing and other blades. She’d be an absolute geek once she’s on the subject of something she’s interested in LOL

You may notice I’ve been referring to her with pronouns this whole time. That is because I am awful with names and do not have one for her. Suggestions are welcome.

Anyway yeah this is the closest format I have to oc dumps since I can’t draw lmao

Oh but yeah both the sword breaking and reforging would be incredibly painful, I cannot stress enough they are like limbs so it would be like a limb being broken or being grafted on to. Not fun.

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Hello, how are you doing? Can I request RoR characters react to reader following her grandparents/parents path and become a soldier? I'm curious who will support her and who will try to change her mind. How will they react to her returning after serving for a long time and what happen if she dies during her service?

-When you first announced that you were going to join the military, to become a soldier like your hero, your grandfather, had been in his youth, you received a range of different reactions.

-Many were worried for your safety, trying to forbid you from even contemplating the idea of become a soldier, even if you weren’t going into a combat zone, there was a chance you could get hurt. They would never threaten you into staying, heavens no, but they may try to guilt you, telling you how they don’t want to lose you.

            -Adam, Eve, Zerofuku, and Tesla (who didn’t want to lose anyone else important to him)

-Many were on the fence, after you gave your argument that becoming a solider would provide you with skills that you could use in the future for a different career, and the military would even pay for higher education once you finished with your time. They wanted you to succeed and you made a valid point, but at the same time, they didn’t want to see you get hurt.

            -Qin Shi Huang, Buddha, Kojiro, Beelzebub, Hermes, Loki, and Jack.

-And many were supportive of you, of your ambitions to follow in the footsteps of your grandfather. Of course, they were worried for you, anyone would be to see someone they care about going off to serve, but they were going to stand beside you and support this decision, as it was yours to make.

-Lu Bu, Thor, Zeus, Ares, Hermes, Poseidon, Hades, Raiden, Shiva, Hercules, Brunnhilde, and Odin

-No matter how long you had been gone, even if it was less than a month, they missed you, they all did, even if some didn’t say it out loud. Your letters were what kept them going, hearing about your adventures and assignments, where you were and what you have seen, you sounded happy, so they stayed strong for you.

-Upon your return after two long years away, you told none of them you were coming home, instead dropping in as a surprise to catch them all off guard and like before, their reactions were mixed but all happy to have you home.

-The ones who had screamed in shock before melting into ugly crying while hugging you, refusing to let others have a turn to welcome you home.

            -Eve, Ares, Raiden, Kojiro, Loki (but if you mention it he will deny), Hermes, and Zerofuku

-The ones who were stunned silent, seeing you there before enveloping you in a huge hug before playfully scolding you for not tell them you were coming home and shocking them like this.

            -Zeus, Hades, Hercules, Brunnhilde, Qin Shi Huang, Buddha, Jack, Adam, and Tesla

-The ones who just smile but you can see the tension leave them as they patted you on the head, welcoming you home, and commenting on how much you have grown.

            - Lu Bu, Thor, Poseidon, Shiva, and Odin, Buddha, and Beelzebub

-They all knew you were smart, having learned from them, you weren’t a greenhorn when it came to combat, especially after you decided to go into the military, several of them took it upon themselves to train you in both armed and unarmed combat so you would be better prepared, even if you weren’t going into a combat area.

-When the news came in that there was an attack on the base you were stationed in, most were ready to take up arms to come and rescue you. As reports start coming in of casualties, many of them prayed and hoped to whoever would listen to them that you were safe.

-It wasn’t until two days later when you were found in the rubble, still alive but only barely, being one of the very few survivors of the attack.

-When you arrived home, you were immediately taken by the valkyries to their medical facilities so you could get the best care possible in your recovery.

-The ones who had been against you going were the loudest when arguing with the others, saying this was what they wanted to avoid, but they were mad, not listening to those who were more levelheaded that you weren’t even in a combat area, but they too were made that a non-combat compound had been attacked.

-They stood by your side in your recovery process, watching you heal and get better. You were smiling like nothing hard happened, but those who knew the horrors of war could see that slight dimness in your eyes, you were changed, but you were alive and still with them.

-That was all that mattered to them, you were alive.