#no wonder all the complaints i've seen about the pacing and everything have been that it felt like nothing happened

[navree]

i'm sorry hbo allowed this writing team to plan out a ten episode season until a MONTH before shooting when they cut it down to eight????? and then kept production going when the writer's strike started like two weeks after and kept up for the entirety of the filming schedule??????? i said that filming during the writer's strike was the death knell of this season but oh my god i did not expect to be this fucking right

[ploppythespaceship]

Uglies - Movie Thoughts

On a whim, I decided to start re-reading the Uglies series a couple months ago -- so imagine my surprise when I found out it was getting a movie! Said movie is now out, and it was interesting to watch with the book being so fresh in my head.

Overall, it's... eh. It's not a complete train wreck, the way most critics seem to want you to think, but it is fairly bland and uninspired. It's a very watered down version of the book. It also has the misfortune of feeling like yet another a Hunger Games wannabe, despite the original book pre-dating that series by several years.

Spoilers for everything under the cut.

What I Liked

Based on reviews, I seem to be in the minority here, but I thought the cast was pretty good. People seem to hate Joey King as Tally, but I thought she was fine. Brianne Tju is easily the best in the cast, stealing the whole damn movie as Shay. Laverne Cox also gives an excellent performance as Cable, though I do think she should not have been given that role for other reasons (which I'll get into later).

I've also seen complaints that the characters aren't ugly enough. They talk about how ugly they are and point out their specific ugly features, when they don't actually appear that ugly. And I think everyone complaining about that is completely missing the point. The "Uglies" aren't actually ugly -- they're just normal people, who've been conditioned to think their imperfect features are hideous.

I was honestly unsure how the Pretties would be visualized -- in fact, I wondered if the book would just be fundamentally unadaptable because of it -- but they did a fairly good job. I think leaning on CGI and unnatural affectations was the right way to go. All the Pretties have this uncanny quality to them that suits the story perfectly.

The overall production design was solid as well. I like how Uglyville is all gray concrete and muted tones, while New Pretty Town is shimmering golds. Then upon reaching the Smoke, all the colors of nature finally come through. I do think that could have pushed that last one a little bit more, but it still works well.

Apart from that, I don't really have much to shout out. It's competently written, well-performed, well put together. I know it doesn't sound like I have much praise, but it is a competent movie.

What I'm Mixed On

By far the biggest change from the book is Peris becoming a Special. And I'm torn on it. On the one hand, it does make him a bigger part of the story -- he's honestly not much more than an inciting incident in the book. It gives him and Tally a unique arc that's probably the strongest through-line in the story. On the other hand, the Specials as a concept are so under-cooked (more on that later) and the actor is so bland that it still doesn't quite land the way it's supposed to.

What I Didn't Like

The pacing of this movie is by far its worst issue. We are flying through this plot. There is no time for anything to breathe, for characters to develop meaningful connections, for the bigger moments to feel earned. Some things do make sense to condense -- Tally's journey to the Smoke would have been incredibly boring without her internal monologue, so condensing most of that into a montage makes sense. But I do feel we lost too much. That's where a lot of Tally's characterization comes out, where we can see her bravery and ingenuity -- none of that comes across in the movie.

A lot of important beats are rushed. Tally agreeing to help Dr. Cable is over in a flash. It feels like Tally's in the Smoke for all of fifteen minutes. Tally and David barely interact, so their relationship has no real stake. Everyone is kidnapped by Special Circumstances, and then rescued immediately after. I almost think a 5-6 episode mini-series would have worked better -- but that might have introduced the opposite problem, where everything takes too long.

The movie also has frequent montages that don't really work. It seems like they were trying to show the passage of time, but it just makes everything feel even shorter.

The beginning of the movie has an exposition problem, as well. It opens with a montage explaining the entire setting... before leading into several scenes that also explain the setting through dialogue. We get fed the same details about the surgery and the Rusties and the flowers at least three times at the start, and it gets grating.

As already mentioned, Tally is pretty severely underwritten. In the book, she has a distinct personality and a unique presence. In the movie, she's just the main character because she happens to be the main character. Her intelligence and resourcefulness are pretty much gone.

I also think changing her motivation for going to the Smoke did her a disservice. In the book, Tally goes to the Smoke so she can have her surgery, and because she's convinced herself that Shay needs her help. In the movie, Dr. Cable tells her that the Smokies have a weapon, and she will be saving lives by helping to find them. I think giving her a more selfless motivation robs her of her character arc. She always comes across as someone trying to help, who wants to best for other people, rather than someone who had to consciously learn that.

The Specials are barely even a presence. I'm not sure they were even directly called Specials. People who hadn't read the book would never realize that there was an entire separate status of person here. You never see their disturbingly beautiful faces or their terrifying strength. Considering how pivotal the Specials are to the overall story, especially in the later books, it's really odd not to see them properly established here.

Like I said, Laverne Cox gives an excellent performance as Dr. Cable... but I think they should have thought twice before casting a trans woman. It's not necessarily that there's a trans woman in the villainous role, but that there's a trans woman in the villainous role who specifically wants to force people to have surgeries to brainwash them. Like... did the optics of that really not occur to anyone? At all? I think Cox could have played David's mother, instead.

[imagine-a-sanctuary-like-this]

Some early thoughts on Arcane S2

Just a few thoughts on the 1st Act of the new season. No strong commitments or opinions just yet, it's still early on in the story. I'll start with what I especially liked, then cycle into things I'd have liked to see done differently.

Animation

Visually, this season's a step up from the last. I've especially enjoyed the differently-stylized into sequences to each episode (the charcoal-like funeral, the overlords' last supper and the Grey, respectively). I've read some complaints about the music-video-esque treatment of the fights, but I enjoyed that. The music's not my thing, but it fits the steampunk/sci-fi-fantasy aesthetic pretty well.

Vi/Cait

Good to see it become canon! I also like the tragedy they seem to be setting up, and I do like how they wrote their relationship. Again, have read complaints about them getting together and breaking up too quickly, but I think it makes sense - the kiss is a pay-off to almost a season's worth of build-up. The breakup is the result of the gap between the characters' beliefs, conditions and natures. There's always been tension between them, and they're not perfect for each other, so them getting together all at once would not have been believable. Also, since Act 1 sees basically everything uprooted and thrust into chaos, it makes sense for them to make impulsive decisions trying to find comfort. Sure, they're probably not deeply in love, they've known each other for a short time, but they've clearly liked each other for a while. I don't really get where the people that think it's rushed are coming from.

Cait's arc set-up

I really like where it's going! The arc they seem to be setting up looks like it'll be about the effects of grief on perpetuating hatred and violence, which fits right in with the story. I do wonder if they'll attempt to take Cait to the 'extreme' and then bring her back in a sort of redemption arc. It seems like that might be difficult to do after some point. But I'm excited to find out where it's going.

Jinx, Isha and Sevika

Not much to say here, I like how Jinx's family themes continue even after Silco's death. All kinds of nice parallels going on. I like it.

Alright, now for the stuff I'm not so positive on. There's quite a bit, but simply because it is easier to criticize than to praise, especially when S1 has set a very high standard.

Too many plotlines

I've seen people talk about pacing issues, and I do agree, but to me the more fundamental problem (which is the cause of the first) is that this season's juggling too many plotlines. Just the ones that come to mind:

(1) Zaun vs Piltover, undercity uprising (2) Mel and the Black Rose (3) Ambessa's Noxus interference (4) "The Arcane is waking up" (5) Vi, Jinx and Warwick family drama (6) Victor's becoming (7) Vi and Cait relationship drama (8) Singed

My hope is that these will be bettered by uniting some of the plotlines. Victor and the Arcane will probably end up one storyline, same with the Black Rose and Noxus. Still, the story feels over-loaded with STORIES, and not in a very water-tight writing kind of way, but rather in a 'there's too much going on' kind of way. I'm afraid that they will not have enough screentime to set up, develop and pay off all of these, while also doing justice to the character arcs. I might be wrong, we will see.

For now, I feel like they should have cut one of the plotlines above to make more space for the story to breathe. It's also a little thematically messy. There's usually at least a loose thematic connection (family, using magic/science for good/bad, dangers of the arcane, oppression), but sometimes it feels too loose. Again, I'm sure some of this will come with time as we get these 'looser' plots developed, like the Black Rose, Noxus's political interests, etc. Hopefully, they can pay it off right.

A consequence of so much going on is, yes, some moments are not given enough time. This was most evident for me in the Jayce/Viktor goodbye scene. Perhaps it is meant to be underwhelming and this will be relevant later, but as it stands, it's rushed. I've seen someone given another good example, Jayce and Heimer's reunion scene - it should have been tensed with residual conflict, but there's kind of... nothing.

Another consequence is that some characters screentime feels insufficient for their story importance (e.g., Jayce, Viktor, Ekko), while others', excessive (Maddie, the enforcer dudes). Isha's screentime is fine, since she works as a parallel to Powder, and Salo's is also alright because of politics plotline. I've seen some leaks about Maddie which I will not detail here, but I'm not sure that they justify her abundant screentime.

Scale of conflict

I quite dislike the seeming shift away from the core Zaun vs Piltover conflict towards a more 'global' feel. Makes sense for S2 to have a bigger scope, but this is a little too big for my liking. Both the Arcane waking up and the Noxus stuff is very global, and since the show is more about Arcane than about world politics, I would've preferred to have seen the latter cut down in favour of more screentime to the former, as well as main characters from S1.

I also quite dislike the 'let's put aside our political differences to save the world' direction that this all seems to be winding up to, because it kind of puts the more interesting, interpersonal conflict on hold, and takes what I'd consider the 'easy way out' of the moral difficulties of the conflict. I do not know if this is what they will do this season, but it feels like they're edging towards that with the Jayce, Ekko, Heimer and Victor stuff (and possibly the Grey?).

Viktor and Agency

Once again, with so little screentime it's difficult to tell, but the set-up seems to suggest a certain direction here, which I can't say I like. It's unclear whether Viktor is controlled or mind-addled by the Hexcore, but I do dislike the seeming lack of emotion. If he's controlled, it kind of takes away from what S1 was building towards. I do like that Jayce is pushed to use the Hexcore on Viktor (he chooses to do it, despite promising to destroy it), but I feel like the fallout would have been more compelling, especially in terms of Viktor as a character, if he'd seemed more in-control.

They seem to have chosen to go with something else, and I don't doubt they have an idea for his arc, but I wish there'd been more of the original League concept in Arcane's Viktor. As it stands, all the desperation from S1, the anger and helplessness, have sort of... gone, without a good conclusion (I don't really consider Sky's death a good conclusion). Or at least, without one for now. I thought that S1 had been building up to the Machine Herald stuff. Maybe this is an intentional subversion. I've never found Viktor's character to be very compelling, but he was at his best when pushed to desperate measures by his dying body.

This is a matter of personal enjoyment, but I do genuinely hope they bring some emotions back for him, and I really hope he is not controlled by the Hexcore.

[ashland-frost]

Am I still your friend

Ominis & Sebastian

After everything that had transpired, Sebastian found himself seated around the table in Feldcoft, engrossed in the letter from Anne. She was no longer going to be present in his life, and Solomon lay dead, buried just outside the house.

Surprisingly, no tears welled up within him as he sat there, grappling with the weight of it all. The door creaked open, and without a word spoken, he already knew who stood before him. Ominis approached, a heavy sigh escaping his lips before he finally broke the silence.

"Sebastian, I know you're here."

"Yes, Ominis, I'm here," Sebastian responded, his voice heavy with resignation. "Have you made your decision? I will accept whatever you choose."

Ominis placed a comforting hand on Sebastian's shoulder. "I cannot bring myself to send you to Azkaban. I just can't do it."

Sebastian continued to stare at Anne's letter, the words resonating deeply within him. She had made it clear that she would not return, leaving him to wonder what she would have come back to. "I've truly done it this time, haven't I? I have lost everything. I should have listened to you..." He paused, lifting his gaze to meet his best friend's eyes. "Ominis, why aren't you turning me in?"

"I... I thought I should. I believed you need to face the consequences for your actions. But what purpose would that serve other than to utterly shatter your sanity? It might even worsen your state of mind. I couldn't bare the thought of you enduring such agony," Ominis admitted, the weight of the unspoken words lingering between them, stifling the air.

"I feel like I've already lost my mind. What about Anne ? And the new fifth year? Are they accepting of this?" Sebastian's expression remained blank, concealing the multitude of emotions swirling within him.

Ominis took a deep breath, trying to choose his words carefully. "Anne believes you should face the consequences for your actions, but she doesn't want to see you imprisoned. As for the fifth year... well, they were in favor of that outcome, come back to hogwarts with me"

"I.. I understand," Sebastian replied tersely, his voice devoid of any further protest or comment. He rose from his seat, carefully tucking the letter into his pocket.

Ominis found himself at a loss for words, a profound silence enveloping them as they made their way back. The journey was marked by unspoken thoughts and unanswered questions.

From that day forward, Sebastian followed Ominis' lead obediently, carrying out his instructions without complaint. He began to distance himself from the fifth-year student, spending more time in solitude, contemplating life as he stared up at the sky. He was no longer as talkative as he once had been, his voice subdued.

Ominis started to feel the absence of his best friend keenly, unsure of what steps to take next. He yearned to bridge the growing divide but felt uncertain about how to approach Sebastian in his newfound state.

Ominis, feeling overwhelmed with emotions, decided to send an owl to Sebastian, requesting a meeting at the undercroft. Nervously, he paced back and forth, his mind filled with worry about saying the wrong things and potentially making matters worse. As the gates of the undercroft swung open, Sebastian entered, his eyes searching for Ominis before approaching him.

"Ominis, is something wrong?" Sebastian asked, observing his friend's restless pacing and muttered words.

"Oh, Sebastian, no, nothing is wrong. Well, maybe... I suppose this isn't going well. What was I even planning to say?" Ominis stammered, his nerves getting the better of him.

Sebastian watched Ominis with a mixture of confusion and concern. He had never seen his friend so flustered, finding it endearing but refraining from mentioning it in case it caused Ominis to become upset. While observing him, Sebastian's thoughts began to wander. Did he do something wrong? Was Ominis angry with him, which is why he called him here? "Ominis," Sebastian's voice cracked, "did I do something wrong? If I did, I'm sorry."

Hearing the pleading tone in Sebastian's voice, Ominis ceased his pacing and approached him. "Sebastian, heavens no! Please, it's nothing like that. I just wanted to talk to you."

"Okay, then. What is this about?" Sebastian inquired, peering into his friend's sightless eyes.

"Well, I miss you," Ominis confessed.

Sebastian furrowed his brow in confusion. "What do you mean? I'm here."

Ominis let out a sigh and stepped closer to Sebastian, placing his hands on the freckled boy's shoulders. "Listen, we both know this entire situation has been difficult for you. But I'm being selfish because I miss you. I miss our conversations, I miss our arguments... all you do now is agree with me. I'm sorry... I really miss you"

Sebastian stood there, staring blankly into Ominis's face, processing his words. "I... I'm sorry. I just didn't want to disappoint you again. You're all I have left. What would I do if you left me too?" For the first time since the night Solomon died, tears began to flow uncontrollably from Sebastian's eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... please don't leave me." He collapsed onto the floor, overwhelmed by grief. Ominis followed suit, falling beside him.

"Sebastian," he whispered, embracing him tightly. "I love you. Why would I ever leave you?"

Sebastian his gaze still fixed on Ominis, his mind racing with thoughts and emotions. "But I don't deserve your love," he managed to say, his voice filled with self-doubt. "How could you still want me? Someone like me is..." His sentence was cut off as Ominis leaned in and kissed him, silencing his words.

As their lips met, time seemed to stand still, and all the worries and uncertainties melted away. The kiss was gentle yet filled with a depth of emotion that words couldn't express. Sebastian felt a surge of warmth and acceptance wash over him, as if Ominis was reassuring him with this intimate gesture.

Pulling away slightly, Ominis hands still cupping Sebastian's face "Someone like you is who I fell in love with," he whispered softly. "And I need you to be whole."

Sebastian's heart skipped a beat, the weight of his self-criticisms starting to lift. He saw the sincerity and devotion in Ominis' eyes, realizing that he was cherished just as he was, flaws and all. A glimmer of hope and acceptance flickered within him, as he allowed himself to believe in their love.

With tears still lingering in his eyes, but now mixed with a newfound tenderness, Sebastian leaned in and kissed Ominis back. Breaking the kiss Sebastian looked at Ominis " I umm in what way exactly do you love me ?"

The radiant smile on Ominis' face spoke volumes of his love and affection. "Well, I had planned to confess my feelings after we graduate from Hogwarts, in a more romantic setting," he confessed, his voice filled with tenderness. "I imagined us living together in a beautiful home, perhaps even opening a shop together. But please know that I would never force this upon you. If you only wish to remain friends, I am content with that."

Sebastian's heart skipped a beat, his tears drying as he listened to Ominis' words. " I had no idea you were planning all of that, or that you felt this way about me," he replied, a mix of surprise and joy coloring his voice.

Ominis nodded, his expression earnest. "Yes, I debated for a while whether to confess or not. At one point, I even wondered if you had feelings for the new student."

Sebastian's eyes widened, shaking his head gently. "No, I don't feel that way about them, but I'll admit that I found them attractive" he assured, his voice filled with conviction.

"And what about me?" Ominis asked, his voice hopeful yet vulnerable. "Could our relationship be more than just friendship?"

Sebastian took a moment, his heart still processing the depth of his own emotions. "I... Can you give me some time to figure it out?" he requested, his voice filled with sincerity.

Ominis nodded, understanding and respect shining in his eyes. "Of course, Sebastian. Take all the time you need. But please, let's at least be best friends again."

Sebastian's laughter filled the air, a beautiful sound that resonated with joy. It had been too long since they shared such lighthearted moments. Ominis couldn't contain his excitement, leaning in and kissing Sebastian once more, his heart brimming with affection. "Oh, sorry," he chuckled softly. "I got carried away with my excitement. I promise to give you the time you need."

Sebastian blushed, grateful that Ominis couldn't see the warmth spreading across his cheeks.

[chaoxfix]

I've seen the end of Prime. I didn't think it was super bad, but I absolutely do think it's in the same boat as Forces after all is said and done. Complete with the goldmine for fix-it-fics.

I still stand by saying that Nine justified the show existing. I wish he wasn't left to be isolated in the Grim because that puts him right back to the status quo of his life. Isolated and hurt.

Above all else, it's obvious as hell the show needed more time in all directions. More time in the oven, and more runtime than a single 23 episode season. I have to wonder how the production of the show was behind the scenes, as well as if the Writer's and Actor's strikes had anything to do with how much this season stumbled.

under a cut because i dont really want to spread negativity about this show, i honest to god overall liked it. or, at least liked it enough that i dont feel comfortable participating in raking it over the coals. again, im not the target audience, but if i was, i would've absolutely *loved* it, no holds barred.

i do think the ending with nine was kind of a bummer, yeah. but ultimately i think the door is still open for other adventures with him reintegrating with other shatterspace inhabitants. i think nine and rusty rose could have a healthy friendship at some point. plus i think a lot of the other shatterspaces maintain the ability to travel which could have plenty of stories leading from it, not just with nine but with one another and sonic's main universe.

genuinely, my only complaints that feel legitimate are 1) sonic's personality, 2) the majorly extended fight scenes and overall pacing between scenes with the emotional depth i was watching for, and 3) "it's canon to the games"

everything else i didn't fully enjoy was purely because i am not the target audience. im not a fan of childish humor, i like more nuance with jokes and i dont think pointing out the obvious is all that funny, etc, etc. but this was written for kids, so that's just not a legitimate complaint imo. honestly even my #2 complaint doesn't feel all that legitimate, because the target audience probably doesn't really crave that same level of emotional complexity and might prefer the long flashy fight scenes -- why could explain why there are so many, and why they're so long.

but i think overall that anything that didn't stick the landing for me was #3, because of the producers saying that it's canon to the games timeline. because of that, the expectations were heightened by people like me, who care about things like timeline placements -- and we're generally older fans with a long history with the sonic franchise and laughably high expectations and a sense that the sonic franchise should just 'go back to when it was good' rhetoric... compare that to the actual target audience: kids. an 8-12 year old probably isn't going to care about timeline placements. if they would have just not mentioned games canon, a lot of older fans could've enjoyed this more because it would've been disconnected and not beholden to so many expectations. that's its biggest flaw, imo, and that's not a flaw of the series, only with its marketing.

...for my specific timeline concerns..... when i said everyone's clamoring for sonic to 'return back to when it was good' -- the advance series is actually what a HUGE amount of people consider to be the peak of sonic. and guess what sonic prime is meant to immediately follow? sonic advance 3. to be honest the only thing that throws me off is the idea that they all live in green hill, including knuckles. after sonic advance 3, angel island is where it usually is and knuckles is living there full time again, watching over the master emerald. that's my only real concern. i dont worry about people saying it doesn't make sense not to include blaze or silver, because again, this was meant to be set after sonic advance 3, which was released in 2004... before sonic rush came out in 2005 and introduced blaze, or sonic 06 came out and introduced silver. so i dont really care about them not being included, it makes sense for them not to be there, imo.

[claudemblems]

Treating Wounds | Eren Yeager

Summary: You treat Eren’s wounds unknowingly for the last time. Eren has already put his plans into place, but he has the selfish wish of sharing one last night with you.   

Notes: SURPRISE I have written an Eren imagine for you all!! I felt like it's been a while since I've written for AOT and I wanted to fix that :.) This was supposed to be super fluffy but it turned out kinda angsty instead. Still, I hope you're able to enjoy it!!! Writing something different is a nice change of pace.

"I'm fine, [Name]. These are just a few scratches and bruises."

"And bite marks. I know you have to transform sometimes during fights, but you don't have to bite all the way down to your bone!"

Eren could only laugh in response as you shook your head, wondering aloud how your boyfriend managed to be so smart yet so reckless at the same time. You would have scolded him further if you weren't so focused on patching him up. Besides, it was hard to argue with him when he was smiling down at you so fondly. Instead, you pushed your complaints to the side and continued your work.

"You know," Eren began, holding out his hand so you could apply salve to it, "this reminds me of when we first met."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'd seen you a few times during training, but we'd never had the chance to properly meet. It wasn't until I was pretty banged up from trying to master the maneuver gear that you approached me. You wore a look that's pretty similar to the one you're giving me now." You rolled your eyes and swatted his arm, Eren grinning at you as you did so. "If I remember correctly, you told me I needed to learn my limits if I was going to survive to fight actual titans."

"Well, you're terribly stubborn, Eren. If I kept letting you mess around with the gear, you'd probably have ended up with one too many concussions."

"I suppose I have you to thank, then."

"Mhm. You're welcome."

Despite your no-nonsense tone, Eren could tell you were holding back a laugh. You always tried to look the part of a serious, level-headed leader, but you were only human, after all. There were bound to be moments where your real feelings shone through.

He wondered what kind of expression you’d make when he eventually left you behind.

It sounded like a harsh thing to do, and truthfully, it would be. But it was for your sake. For the island’s. He wouldn’t drag you into the oncoming war more than he had to. 

He already knew how’d you react. You’d stare down at his letter, flames of anger burning in your eyes as you read through its contents. After everything you’ve done for him, after all the hell you two had gone through, he would toss you away like you’d never mattered to him at all.

Could he really do that to you? 

He loved you enough to. It was the only way to keep you safe.

“Eren?”

He was pulled from his thoughts as he looked upon your furrowed brows and pursed lips. He hadn’t even left for battle yet and he was already starting to worry you. This wouldn’t work. For this mission to succeed, he needed to throw you off his trail.

“Sorry. My dad’s memories came flooding in again.”

“Goodness, Eren. When will you drop the burden you’ve put on your own shoulders?” You sighed but continued to gently clean the wound. Eren watched on, observing how you bit the corner of your lip in concentration. He held back a smile. He’d pointed out your habit several times before, chuckling lightly as you blushed and denied every bit of it. He could never figure out what was so embarrassing, but the red blooming in your cheeks made him want to tease you over and over again. 

He would miss your shy expressions when he left. 

“Stop trying to do everything by yourself, Eren. You have me. You have all of us. We’re your friends, and we care about you. So, please…let us in.”

You stopped dabbing at his wound, directing your eyes into something in the distance. Eren watched how they clouded and tears pricked at their edges like rain. 

“[Name]...”

Eren gasped as you fell into his arms, clutching onto his torso. “Eren, don’t make me suffer like this. Don’t lie to me. Tell me when you’re feeling sad, when you’re unsure of the future, when you’ve given up all hope. I’m here. I can’t bear to watch you close in on yourself. I love you too much.”

If he wasn’t preparing to break your heart, Eren would have allowed himself to cry. But this was a test. If he couldn’t keep a stoic face now while you sobbed into him, he would falter later on. He had to keep it together, for both of your sakes. 

“Don’t cry for me…I don’t deserve your tears.”

You whipped your head up towards him, anger flaring in your eyes. “You don’t get to tell me how I ought to feel towards you! You could at least have some sympathy for your girlfriend crying her eyes out because of you! Don’t you feel anything seeing me this way? Have you grown tired of me? Have you had enough? Am I not special to you anymore—”

Eren silenced you with the warmth of his arms wrapping around your back, pushing you against his chest. Here you could feel how fast his heart was beating, a contrast to his nonchalant facade. 

“Of course it hurts to watch you cry, especially for someone as undeserving of your tears as I am. Eliminating all the titans was supposed to make us all have happy lives, but it seems like suffering just seems to follow us wherever we go.”

“Eren…”

I need to push her away. I need to tell her that I don’t care that she’s crying. That I don’t care if she loves me. I need to say I don’t love…

No. I do love her. I love her so much. I can’t even pretend that I don’t.

Eren tightened his hold around you just slightly, burying his head into the crook of your neck. “You’ll have days where you want to cry. You’ll have times when you’re so upset you don’t even want to get out of bed. But I’ll always be there watching over you. So you don’t need to be afraid of the future. You have a whole lifetime ahead of you. And as long as I’m in your heart, you’ll never be alone.”

Tears streamed down your cheeks, falling and staining Eren’s shirt. He rubbed your back as you cried, squeezing you tighter when your body shook with your sobs. 

She probably thinks I’m referring to my last years alive as a titan-shifter. Good. It’s better this way. 

“I still believe we can find a way to undo this…curse,” you whispered, angling your head against Eren’s chest to better feel his heartbeat. “This won’t be the end of us. I’m sure of it. We’ll find a way to make it to the end.”

I wish we could…he thought, a stabbing pain pricking at his chest. He hadn’t really thought much about dying considering he’d been so focused on tuning the fine-details of his plan. But death isn’t what scared him the most. He’d once tried to imagine a life without you in it, what things would have turned out like if he’d never met you. Every scenario he’d come up with left him terrified. You’d been at his side for so long. You’d given him the affection he didn’t know he’d been craving. You were his shining light, an anchor in unruly waters. You meant everything to him. You loved him. And now he was about to find out what it would be like to be on the receiving end of your hatred.

“Oh, I should probably clean up the rest of your wound. It won’t take long. How about we go to the Mess Hall after this for some dinner?"

Eren hummed in response, giving you his hand to patch up. For the remainder of your task, he kept silent, letting the dread of what was to come enter in and dissipate. He had a mission to accomplish; he had a fate to meet. No matter how hard he tried to run, there would be no escaping what had been shown to him. 

Tomorrow I’ll write my last letter for her to find, and then it’s time to face the judgment that lies before me.

[afterglowsw]

your first night together, do hanse edition

summary: just as the tittle claims, this is how the first night sleeping together with him would be like.

g: fluff, smut. requested!

warnings/side notes: gender neutral reader x hanse. established relationship. handjob, no proper lubrication, cum eating. the nsfw part is under the cut. i've received requests for all of the members in this specific scenario, and I'm actually excited to write them all. for now, i hope y'all enjoy this. ><

your relationship with him wasn't new, in fact you had been a couple for almost a year, but with his chaotic schedule and your own busy life, it was almost impossible for you two to spend time together outside form his studio and the sporadic coffee or tattoo dates.

that time was one of the very few occasions in which you were both free on the same day and so you offered to watch a movie at your place in hopes of helping him to leave behind his stressful week

of course he had been in your apartment before, not as often as you in his dorm but it wasn't an unfamiliar place for him.

soon enough you were both snuggled on your couch, popcorn on your covered lap and his arms securely attached around your frame.

recently he had been particularly excited about this harry potter movie, and even when you knew it was a bad idea (because you always end bickering and debating about which character is better), you didn't regretted your decision of bring it up one bit.

his hands on your waist holding you close to his body and your intertwined legs under the blanket as the movie unfolded in front of you were a bit too much of your liking, you didn't even complained when he argued about slytherin being the best house.

laughs, gasps and scattered kisses were shared for about three hours. it wouldn't ever stop surprising you but it was amazing how he could watch the movie for the nth time and still be amazed by everything.

after it was over he reached for his phone, and the bright screen made you both cringe in your place since the rest of the lights were off and it hurt your eyes momentarily.

hanse looked at you with pensive eyes at seeing the late hour, wondering how on earth would he get home.

you hesitated for a bit, but then

"you can sleep here, you know?"

he bit his lip, deep in thought because he didn't wanted you to feel forced to invite him or anything but he as well didn't want the boys on his back with questions and complains if he appeared in the middle of the night.

"are you sure? i can always call our manager"

"and having seungwoo scolding me on the phone first thing in the morning? no thanks"

you tried to joke to hide your nervousness, hoping he could get the hint and realize that your offering was sincere

he finally nodded, and you both got up

after tidying up and turning off the tv you headed to your room and he followed, suddenly quiet but happy on the inside because it was the very first time you would sleep together

despite the ease with which you moved around each other, it felt like a big step for him

you shyly handed him a large pair of shorts and a purple shirt and he chuckled, thanking your habit of buying oversized clothes that often were a bit too big for you

you entered the bathroom and after washing your face and changing into something more appropriate for sleeping you went out

hanse was laying on your bed, scrolling through his sns feed when you jumped on the bed and hugged him from behind, head on his shoulder blades

you stayed there for a few minutes, trying to ease your mind and calm your racing heart

despite of being in a relationship with him for quite some time now, he hadn't seen your bare face before so you were kinda nervous, not knowing what to expect or how would he react

your boyfriend was the type of boyfriend to remind you all the time how much of a beautiful person he thinks you are, speaking of both your looks and your soul so it wasn't really an insecurity of yours. however, the bubbly feeling on your stomach persisted

by the time he tried to roll on his back to hug your body, you held onto him tighter and mewled against the soft fabric of the shirt

"what is it, baby?"

"I'm not wearing any makeup"

you cringed at how high pitched your voice sounded, and he chuckled before untangling your arms from his waist and sitting on the bed with his back on the headboard

he attracted you to his lap and even when you tried to snuggle on the crook of his neck, he held your chin with the hand that wasn't busy on your hip and stared at your face

"i can tell"

you mouth fell agape, though you weren't offended. yes, he had a smirk plastered on his handsome face, but he was gazing at you in the most loving way, eyeing back and forth from your eyes to your lips, and his touch on you was just as tender as ever

you smacked playfully his shoulder and he broke into a fit of giggles

you were happy and you could tell by the way he couldn't stop smiling that he was happy too

his thumbs caressed your hip bones, and your hands gently stroked his short, black hair. it was a matter of time before he leaned on to peck on your lips, humming at your warmth

"let's go to sleep, you look tired"

he nodded at your words and dragged you with him until you were both under the covers and your head rested on his arm as a pillow

he insisted on being the big spoon, so you let him, easily falling asleep with his other arm around your torso and a goodnight kiss on top of your head.

alternative ending here.

let's say that when you told him "let's go to sleep, you look tired" he nodded, but instead of actually going to sleep he kissed you one more time

he bit on your bottom lip and your lips parted, giving him access to play with your tongues and deepen the kiss

you melted, sharply inhaling when he squeezed your thighs and ass, and just as your own hands reached his shoulders for support, you could feel the tension still latched on his body

it was true that after the wonderful evening you spent together he was far more relaxed than he would like to admit, but he still felt heaviness on his back. you understood his silent plead, and smiled against his lips

kiss after kiss, you tried to massage his shoulders to help him relax, loosing momentarily your balance though he was there to stabilize you

his lips lingered over yours for a few seconds, a choked gasp escaped his throat when you accidentally grinded on his clothed crotch and you murmured a soft "sorry"

you placed yourself on his thighs instead of his hips, playing with the hem his shorts and waited for him to nod before sliding them down his legs and throwing them aside along with his underwear

soothing caresses landed on his soft skin until your fingers finally wrapped themselves around his shaft and he threw his head back. your thumb rubbed his tip before stroking him, slow and gentle in order not to hurt him

you felt him grow hard in your hand with each minute that passed and as your wrist made all the job controlling the speed, your other hand collected the precum that started to spill

because of the position it wasn't possible, but you could see in his expression just how much he wanted to thrust into your hand and you chuckled, taking advantage of his sensitiveness to pump him faster

he was a mess, whimpering and growling under his breath. knowing of how much he loved when you complimented him, you kissed his lips without stopping your hand

"look at you, you look so pretty this way"

he whined, furrowing his eyebrows when your pace haltered before picking up again and adding pressure around the base with your other hand

he wasn't going to last much longer, and as you felt him on the edge, you lowered yourself to face his crotch with and idea to prevent making a mess on your bed

he moaned loudly, eyes shooting open in half of a second when he felt your lips and warm mouth around his length

your tongue around his head was sloppy because you didn't want to tease him too much, just enough to push his limit and make him cum

you sucked, hollowing your cheeks and not long after he came undone on your mouth

length twitching and heavy pants were all you could hear and see when spurts of white filled your mouth

his fucked out expression made you chuckle, and he tried to playfully glare at you through his heavy eyelids but you couldn't care less, standing up to help him dress up again

you rolled on the bed, giggling when his arms engulfed your figure and attracted you to his chest

"are you okay, love?"

you nodded, turning around to face him with a bright smile on your lips

"yeah, why?"

"you know, it was your turn"

"it's okay, we'll see tomorrow"

"but-"

you knew he wanted to return the favor, but you also knew how tired he was so you dismissed his complaints and kissed his jaw, hugging him back

"goodnight, baby"

[langdvnshepherd]

I've been in bit of a slump this week and I just need something to boost my spirit. That being said, I was wondering if you could write something were Duncan or micheal comforts the reader and just makes them feel loved and it's wholesome and cute

Ahh sorry you’re not having the best week lil bug :-( lemme cheer you up real quick! 

I’ve already written something sort of similar to this with Michael (here it is if u wanna read x), so I’ll do Duncan! It’s not long, but I put it under a cut because there’s a ton of dialog so it’s super spaced out and I don’t wanna clutter your dash!!

Word Count: 1.2k

Maybe he sensed before he left for work this morning that you were acting kinda off-kilter, so he decided to come home on his lunch break to check on you. He brought bags of your favorite takeout restaurant and a gallon of your favorite ice cream with him as well. He was almost certain that it wasn’t your time of the month, but he came home prepared just in case because that’s the kind of boyfriend Duncan Shepherd is.

When he returned to his apartment, it appeared that you hadn’t even gotten out of bed. There were no new dishes in the sink apart from the coffee cup and spoon he’d used himself, the blanket was still strewn across the sofa from where you’d left it last night, and the tv wasn’t playing softly in the living room like you liked while you made breakfast each morning. Nothing but silence greeted him upon his arrival as he sat his grocery haul on the kitchen counter and made his way towards the bedroom that you two shared.

“Y/N?” he called out as he peeked his head around the corner of the door.

“Yeah?” you answered, lifting your own head from your pillow from where you were staring at the ceiling.

“Everything alright? You were acting kinda funny this morning, so I thought I’d come back and check on you. I brought food,” Duncan waved his hand towards the direction of the kitchen.

You shrugged back at him, feeling guilty that Duncan was worried about you enough to come all the way home from work to what was the matter.

“Just having a weird day,” you shrugged.

“Aaand why is that?” Duncan asked, pacing his way over to sit beside you on the edge of the bed.

“Don’t know. Just am.”

You wished he wouldn’t prod, but you knew Duncan. He was going to prod.

“Did something happen?”

“No, Duncan,” you retorted, a little snappier than you’d intended to.

“I’m fine. Go back to work.”

“Umm, no. You’re not fine,” he fired back, mocking the same tone you’d just used on him.

“You’re always out of bed before I leave for work. Plus, you’ve haven’t been acting yourself lately anyway.”

Why was he so good at reading you?

You were quiet, turning your attention back to the ceiling you were staring at before Duncan barged in unannounced.

“So I’ll take it that I’m right? Something is bothering you?”

“Duncan, please,” you begged, your voice cracking as tears instinctively welled up in the corners of your eyes.

“Just leave.”

“Ahh, well you see, princess, I’m not going to do that.”

Duncan stood up from the bed, fingers grabbing downward to remove his shoes and socks. He stripped all the way down to just the plain black boxer briefs he’d slipped on after his morning shower, then mosied out of the bedroom and into the long hallway that led to the living room and kitchen.

When Duncan returned, he held the large paper bag of takeout in his arms.

“My girl is sad, and I’m not leaving her side until I know she’s feeling better.”

“Won’t Annette be mad that you’re not coming back?”

“Eh,” he waved her comment away with a flick of his wrist.

“She’ll live. Plus, she owes me for the last 15 times I stayed overtime for her anyway.”

You hummed in response, feeling the bed dip as Duncan climbed under the covers beside you and began divvying out the warm platters of food from the back.

Duncan dug into his meal immediately, not wasting a second as he shoveled the food into his mouth with his fork.

“Are you stare at me all day or are you going to eat something?” Duncan asked, raising a quizzical brow in your direction.

“You don’t eat when you’re sad, and it’s not good for you. So eat. Before I make you.”

His comment earned a chuckle from you, but you felt a twinge in your heart when you realized Duncan even recognized that that was a trait you possessed. How many times had he seen you like this when you thought he didn’t notice? How many times did it take for him to pick up on your self-destructive behaviors?

You headed his warning, breaking your gaze at Duncan to fish around your plate for the perfect bite. It warmed your belly and soothed your soul, and the fact that Duncan knew that it would cheer you up made it taste ten times better.

Duncan stayed in bed with you all day. Literally. When you two were done with your food, he cast the empty containers on the nightstand beside him, noting to take it out with the trash later. He watched all of your favorite reruns and films, and not even the slightest of a complaint fell from his lips when you chose something you knew Duncan despised. 

He tangled his legs with yours, sliding his knee in between your thighs and holding onto your hips loosely. You had your arms wrapped around his neck, forcing his head to nestle perfectly in the valley of skin that laid between your breasts and just over your heart. It was your favorite way to cuddle, and judging by the way Duncan’s nose continuously nuzzled into the fabric of your shirt so he could press tiny, featherlight kisses against your bare breasts, he didn’t mind in the slightest.

After a well-deserved, food coma-induced nap (in which you woke up to Duncan spooning you with both hands in your shirt, fingers barely brushing against the undersides of your breasts), you were both too full to even consider eating dinner, but not too stuffed to crack into the gallon of ice cream Duncan had brought home with him that afternoon. He insisted on hand-feeding you with his own spoon just to hear your laughs echoing throughout the bedroom, and you could admit that the gesture lifted your spirits even more than Duncan already had.

“Feeling any better?” Duncan asked as he tossed the spoon haphazardly into the paper carton.

“Mhmm,” you answered, nodding your head sleepily.

You didn’t know how you were still tired considering you hadn’t gotten out of bed except to use the bathroom, but you felt like you could still endure a solid night’s sleep.

“Thank you for today.”

“Well, damn,” Duncan sarcastically sneered.

“I was kinda hoping you’d say no.”

You snorted at his reaction. Wasn’t the whole reason why he’d ditched work this afternoon to bring you out of the funk you were in?

“Umm, why?”

“I had one more trick up my sleeve to try and cheer you up.”

“Which was?” you asked hesitantly.

A smile erupted on Duncan’s face and he wriggled his eyebrows playfully before answering.

“You know,” he drew out the last syllable, reaching his hands around to give your bum a quick squeeze, then snapped the elastic of your panties down onto your waist.

You laughed out loud again for probably the hundredth time that day. Of course, that was the “trick.”

“Well in that case,” your eyes rolled back towards the ceiling, faking thought.

“Maybe I am still feeling kinda shitty. Why don’t you show me that little trick of yours?”

Duncan growled playfully before pinning you down on the bed, his nose brushing dangerously close against your own.

“It would be my pleasure.”

[knee-breeches]

So I've noticed how much you love James Madison (I do too!) and was wondering if you had any opinions on a biography of him and Dolley. It's by a man named Bruce Chadwick and I'd love to get it but I've heard mixed things about accuracy. Could you possibly clear things up so I know whether or not it's a good read? If not that's fine. Would you know of any good recommendations? Thank you!!!

I have read many essays and biographies about James Madison, and that book, beyond a shadow of a doubt, is the worst I’ve ever read.

Here are excerpts of a review I wrote on it back when I first finished it:

...with dense composition on every page and repetitive analyses from time to time, it often felt as though the author wanted to bolster the wealth of information between James and Dolley Madison by inserting filler to increase the page count. Either the editor was in a hurry or dead, because the entire novel was laced with intermittent grammatical and spelling errors (how many times Chadiwck flipped between spelling it "Dolley" and "Dolly" was incalculable); not to make like Chadwick and repeat my complaint of repetition.

  The author's elucidations of certain details occasionally had me questioning his credibility...  one of the first that comes to mind is the mention, of some point, of James Madison returning to Montpelier while his father "was in his eighties"...James Madison, Sr., died when he was seventy-eight years old. Another section of the book talked at length about James Madison's insistence on federal subsidization of roads and canals when every other biographer would claim to the contrary that Madison, hidebound, refused to allocate the federal government with power to fund any sort of internal improvement except for postage. Toward the end, there was mention of slave Sukey inquiring of Madison what the matter was when the latter couldn't swallow, while it was actually a niece of Madison's that had asked this question; while some of these errs are trivial details, it's a wonder that a writer who desires to capture the lives of two very important historical and political figures in American history would somehow manage to be so unthorough as to make mistakes that casual studiers of history would not. Another thing, Chadwick kept saying that Madison's eyes were hazel; I myself have heard conflicting records of his eye color (although his portraits usually show a dull blue or grey) but Chadwick didn't show any cognizance of this conflict, which ordinarily I wouldn't have batted an eyelash at, except he also included a contemporary description from Edward Coles who had described Madison's eyes as blue. It's not that tiny detail itself so much that bothers me, but more that it's a representation of the inconsistencies and misinformation found for the entire duration of the book. [Like?  Did Chadwick write the entirety of his own book?]

 I also dwelled for a long time on how I disliked what, at the time, I thought was Chadwick’s mishandling of the issue of slavery as it pertained to Madison and his involvement (or lack thereof), but that’s more arbitrary and controversial, and because it’s been a while and my views have changed, I won’t go into it here.  Just know that, regardless of how you feel about slavery and how the Founders dealt with it, it was analyzed with laughable lack of eloquence or examples/substantiation in this book.  But then again, everything is.

Looking back on it, I think there are some things in there that Chadwick threw in on assumption or things that he just made up.  I remember there was one part where he talked about how Madison and Dolley used to argue about her turbans, but I have never before or since seen or heard anything from another source mentioning this, and it would surprise me if somebody as blatantly unthorough as Chadwick accumulated historical details that a myriad of other biographers missed.  I’m not saying new information doesn’t pop up and that I know everything there is to know, but it’s an example of how dubious any of Chadwick’s information is because so much of what he says is either wrong or not backed by anything at all.

Anyway, there are some decent-ish things about the book.  It had one of the better accounts on the War of 1812 that I’ve come by in a Madison biography (his biographers always breeze over it for some reason), and has a good plethora of more minute physical descriptions, which is something I personally like in historical nonfiction.  But the things that are bad about it--redundancy, pacing, spelling, grammar, inaccuracy--aren’t made up for by the couple of okay aspects.

Over all, it’s just a carelessly-written book.  It’s impossible to cite because there are so many silly mistakes and unabashed non-facts that a casual reader could never know what’s true and what’s not.  I would never recommend this to (anybody, but especially) a person who’s not already very well-acquainted with the Madisons because they’ll walk away with a wealth of misinformation and contradictions.

If you’re interested in a decent piece on James and Dolley jointly, I recommend Mr. and Mrs. Madison’s War by Hugh Howard.   It’s obviously focused more on the War of 1812 than a thorough recount on the subjects’ lives and relationship, but there is still great content to that end, plus a better look into the War that the Madisons played such a huge role in, which, again, most Madison biographers tend to overlook.  

So yeah, please don’t buy the book.  Unless you’re specifically looking for an example of a piss-poor biography.

[drunkdragondoes]

Is it possible to send a prompt not on the list? Because if so then Qrowin(I am original I know :D) with 'I thought you'll die, I nearly lost you and now I need to be close' smut. Like Qrow gets into trouble sort of like with Tyrian on a mission...(because well, people tend to focus on Qrow's fear of losing people he cares about, and I've rarely seen it from Winter's POV an1/2

Basically I asked for clarification and we boiled it down to: Qrow gets hurt, Winter gets worried and explains why to him, and then smut occurs.

“What exactly did my husband break again?”

“Well, starting from the top, we have-”

“Oh, and in layman’s terms, if you would.”

“Very well then, Miss Schnee, he basically broke both his arms and wrists, his right thigh bone, and has a cracked rib.”

“… When exactly may I see him?”

It wasn’t the first time that Qrow had seen her mad. In fact, them being mad at each other was how their relationship got started. But here she was upset over the fact that while he had done ‘the right thing’, he was now looking like a horrid mess. He was in a hospital gown with both arms in casts, a series of bandages wrapped around his torso, and his leg was in a cast as well.

Had it been any other reason, she’d be pacing back and forth in front of him. But given that she had found purchase on a corner seat and the situation, she was simply reclining back, trying to sift through her feelings.

“You’re a sorry sight, Qrow.”

The man was lying down in a hospital bed opposite of her. “I’d probably be sorrier in other ways if I let that Deathstalker get through. I’m told I had bought the time we needed, so all this was worth it on the spreadsheet.”

“Just not right now.”

“Yep,” he gave a sigh, “Just not right now.”

Winter pulled her arms into herself, looking away from him. It was for a good cause, she reminded herself. But she still found herself unhappy that she had nearly lost him. He might have received medals or honors, but what good were flimsy pieces of metal compared to having his warm body next to her?

“I wish you hadn’t done it, though.”

“Winter?”

“Look at yourself, Qrow.”

“There was no one else available. You’re saying that you’d rather let people die?”

“No,” she firmly said, shaking her head. “I just…” her voice fell lower, “Did you have to try to fight it? Couldn’t you have tried to lead it away instead?”

“You weren’t there, though.” He mirrored her own low voice, trying to keep it an easy conversation. “I know you want to point out the other options now, but at that moment that’s what was going through my head. I needed to stop it and I did.”

Winter closed her eyes, fingers curling in her lap. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, it was true. She wasn’t there on his mission. She didn’t know what had occurred. It was a very valid reason and to judge him would be unfair. But that didn’t mean she didn’t have to like it.

“Qrow, only a few people know of our marriage,” she quietly spoke. “Your brother-in-law, the nieces, Weiss, and Ozpin and General Ironwood. So when I got a call from my superior officer about your current state of being, I don’t think I need to mention how worried I was.”

Her husband let his own eyes close, taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Winter.”

“It’s not just that, though. He told me that it was bad. I… I was worried I would lose you.”

And those were the words. Qrow told her those, each and every time when she went on a mission. She had never been hurt seriously, often just a few scratches or a broken bone here and there. It was mostly a joke at times. But here, where he lay in front of her in pieces, it was something else.

“You’re not going to lose me that easily,” he said. “I’m made of tough stuff.”

“You don’t look like that at all in those casts, Qrow.”

He rolled his eyes. “I was hoping to draw your attention the fact that I’m tough enough to survive it all.”

“Qrow, I…” She bit her lip, “I think the best way to say it is like this.” She looked into his red eyes. “For a long time I was under the umbrella of my father. He bought and made things for me, tried to set me on what he felt was the best path. And though I have since left his influence, there are three things that I value the most in my life. One is my weapon that I made for myself. The other is my position, which I earned.”

“And… while I don’t mean to imply that you’re an object, you… you’re…”

“I get you, Winter,” he quietly finished.

“Do you really?”

“Enough to know that I should try to look at other avenues where I can.”

It was good enough for now. Rising from her seat, she walked over and planted a kiss on his lips. It was meant to just be a simple one, to seal the deal, but Winter found herself kissing him again and again, a little hungrier each time. She reasoned that it was because she had narrowly avoided a world where Qrow was no longer with her and she wanted to remind herself that he was still there. Soon her hands found their way to the sides of his face and she pushed her tongue into him, lapping up whatever piece she could find. When she finally pushed herself away, she was greeted with a groan from below.

“Damnit, Winter.” Qrow had thrown his head back in frustration. “Really playing the low blow cards today, huh.” He gave his hips a strained jerk, and her eyes traced to the raised cloth of the hospital gown just below his waist.

“Hm.” She looked at his injuries and then back at his member. “I guess that really would be low of me. You can’t even scratch your own balls with all these keeping you still. Not to mention the rib.”

“You’re not really gonna just leave me like this, will you?”

“I could do blowjob, but…” she tried to push aside the own heat building inside of her. “Well, even a 69 isn’t fulfilling if we have to pretend we’re sitting on glass. And we’re technically out in the public area.”

“Winter, please-” Qrow begged, “anything.”

“… How soon did the doctors say you would recover?”

He gulped. “Maybe… Maybe a week.”

“Well, your hasty recovery is more important right now, sadly.”

“Winter!”

She looked up at his whining face. “I’ll be back in a week and we’ll see how you’ve improved. Consider this as a bit of an incentive to stay in one piece next time.”

In the end, Qrow had begged a handjob out of her, but only after he promised that he would do everything the doctors asked him to and that he wouldn’t masturbate. Winter also told him that she would personally have him go through her own inspection to make sure he had fully recovered before they did anything requiring his penis, so there really was an incentive to make sure that he did everything Winter asked him.

As she counted off the days, she had found that Qrow was moved to a more private room, one that was on the higher floors. And while she had no way to really enforce whether Qrow played by himself or not, she had the feeling that between his broken arms and her words he would be compliant.

On the sixth of the seventh day, she shaved and waxed everything.

On the seventh day, after getting cleared by the staff to visit him, she walked into the sequestered room to see Qrow still lying under the covers, albeit without the casts on him. She had opted to go without the full ensemble of her uniform, instead wearing just a simple blouse and slacks.

“Hi Winter.” His voice was calm, though it was clear that he wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from her.

“Hello dear,” she returned. Moving to a chair in the corner of the room, she brought out a change of his clothes and set it on the table between them. “Were you a good boy this week?”

“Well,” he started with a quick snap, “I was in casts until yesterday, even though my aura had taken care of the major things since the fourth day.” He looked her in the eye, almost a little defiant. “So yes, I was a very good boy.”

She had no way of really verifying it, but she went along with his claim. “Alright, then. Let’s begin my little test.” She extended a hand towards his clothes. “Please dress yourself.”

After a brief nod, Qrow pushed aside the blankets, revealing that he was still in his hospital gown. He quickly pulled it off, letting Winter revel in his toned and naked form. A shot of heat coursed through her body as her gaze fell upon his soft member, and she wondered if he knew she was staring.

But it was over all too quickly. First he put on his boxers, then the pants, and then the shirt. Soon it was like he had never been injured in the first place. His red gaze met hers, “So, do I pass your little test?”

Her hands fell onto her chin, reviewing his movements. He didn’t seem particularly strained, nor did she hear any sounds of pain. Perhaps he was just a little stiff at some points. But for the most part, nothing had distracted her from her gaze. “I would say that you do.”

She wet her lips before she spoke again. “Now strip.”

Qrow balked. “What?”

“You heard me,” a furtive smile grew upon her lips. “Strip.” Qrow seemed to get it now, though, so he made no further complaints, his hands reaching for the hem of his shirt. But she spoke again before he removed it. “Slowly, and with a bit of flair if you can.”

A final pause, and now Qrow smiled. First was the shirt, given a little twirl before getting dropped next onto the table. Then came the pants, where he turned sideways, slowly pushing them down until gravity did the rest and he kicked them away. But he stopped at his boxers. Instead, he turned his back to her. With a coy look over his shoulders, his right thumb fell to the waistband as his left hand beckoned her to come over.

Winter had walked over before she knew it, arms wrapping around his body. She placed a kiss on his shoulder before he tilted her up to his lips. It was a brief peck, but she felt her chest rise and fall sharply.

His right hand fell over hers and dragged it to his boxers. “The honor is yours, Winter.”

With another breath, she hooked her hand into the garment and slowly began to drag down. Looking over his shoulder, she saw that his member was already straining against the cloth, hot and hard from her presence, from her promise. First was the soft flesh, tapering to form an upside-down V. Then came the base of the shaft, pointed down to the floor. With one last greedy tug, the tip was finally free, springing up from the elastic band and bobbing a small bit in the air. Letting go of the boxers, they crumpled onto floor and Qrow moved them away.

Her fingers circled around him and he groaned. Gently sliding his skin back and forth, her thoughts went back to the other officers in the military when cocks and penises happened to have come up in the conversation. And according to what she eavesdropped on-

“I believe you described me as…” he took a breath as his hand fell over hers again, softly guiding her, “exceptional?”

She kissed him before letting go. “Exquisite, actually.” With a quick tap on his bottom, she gave him another order. “Onto the bed.”

He moved without hesitation, laying on his back. Eying his flesh, Winter undid her pants and underwear, but left her blouse unbuttoned and she climbed over him. Grasping his hardened length again, she began to brush the tip against her already-wet opening, closing her eyes with a low groan.

“You remember the way I like it,” Qrow strained, reaching up to push aside her open blouse and kneading her breasts. “Shaved pussy and no bra.”

She gave a low chuckle, trying to rein herself in - they were still in public, even if it was a more private room. “I figured I would play to your favorites after what you’ve been through.” She gave a gentle tug, watching as he bit back a groan and closed his eyes. “I wonder though - did you really keep your hands off of yourself?”

“If the Ice Queen says no playing around, then no playing around.”

She was pleased with his response. With a final push, she slowly guided herself down, bringing as much of him as she could inside.

“Holy fuck,” was his strained voice, “Winter.” His jaw was clenched, eyes closed, hands tight on her hips, and she began to slide herself up and down. She leaned back, jutting her chest out and he sat up, bringing his lips to her chest. As fingers threaded into his dark hair, she doubted that he would last long, especially with the pace she was going at. She was hungry, but at least had her own fingers to give her relief during the week.

Qrow, in comparison, was starving and she could feel it. One of his hands slipped up her back to pull her into him. He sucked and nipped at her breasts, sometimes a little harder than she expected, and Winter hoped that the squeaking of the bed wouldn’t attract any unnecessary attention.

But with a quick push at his shoulders, he was brought back against the bed and she began to push against him harder and faster.

“Winterplease-” he pushed and begged through his teeth, “not so fast, notso-”

She was nowhere near finishing, though, but she leaned in and whispered. “Don’t worry,” she pushed down again, making him shudder and twitch, “I’ll get you to come twice.” With that, he finally seemed to let himself go and with a few more thrusts she felt his cock pulsing inside, a warm liquid pushing against her.

As she continued to move, drawing out what she could, his cum began to spill out, turning the slaps of flesh wetter and louder. Qrow was beneath her, panting ever so slightly, gazing at her with lidded eyes. She could feel him going just a bit soft, and she knew she would need to entice him again. Slowing herself down to a crawl, she leaned her body back to push her chest out again. Grasping his hand she put it over her breast, giving a light squeeze to get the message across.

As he continued to caress her flesh, she reached between her legs, touching the sticky wetness between them. Brushing against the thick fluids, she took a generous swab of it upon her fingers and brought it between her lips, their mixed tastes swirling upon her tongue. It was more of a show for him, but she knew that few things got him harder than seeing her eat their shared mess, even if it was only a little bit.

“Heh, pulling out all the stops, are we?”

This was a good sign, and Winter resumed her faster pace, a smirk on her lips. Wet smacks bounced off the sterile walls as their breathing and pace began to match the other. Qrow slipped his hand onto her back again, his other snaking between her breasts and down her front to play with that little bit of flesh.

“Q-Qrow.”

It was her turn to start crumbling. As much as she knew his favorites, he knew hers and soon it was she who was buckling over, letting his tongue brush past her lips. With hurried thrusts and sharp breaths, only a swell of her pride allowed her to recall her original goal to bring him over the edge twice.

She grit her teeth, head burrowing between his neck and chest. She tried to fight it off, to fill her sensations with other feelings. But between his hard cock pushing deep into her again and again, with one set of his deft fingers going through her hair and the other swirling around her clit repeatedly, there was an encroaching peak, and-

Oh, yes, there, right there-

Oh

O-Oh

Oh

Oh

Somewhere in the back of her star-addled mind there was another wave of warmth within her amongst the heavenly squeezes. There was another sense of wetness that wasn’t just Qrow’s this time. Her cheeks were flush and breath heavy, and she blinked her eyes just in time to try and fumble with a kiss from her husband.

He chuckled and so did she before he tried to bring his lips to her again. She met it with a defter return this time.

“Well, you certainly held up your end of the bargain,” Qrow breathily said.

She brought a hand to his cheek and felt all the happier when he leaned into it. Of all of the things that could have happened, he was here and real in front of her. “I was quite serious about incentivizing your survival, you know. Have to make sure you’re not doing something stupid with that exquisite body of yours.”

“Duly noted, Ice Queen. Now let’s get the hell out of here before the doctors start lecturing us about discretion and sanitation.”

She kissed him again. “And if they say you’re not ready to be released I’ll just tell them I took your temperature - twice.”