#of what shes trying to teach says something completely different but are so hooked on 'fulfilling their desires' and 'getting rich' they'll

[snekdood]

you ever have some experiences w something and wanna be able to use it to help ppl who are in a similar situation but just like... dont know how? that's me with law of attraction shit .-.

[stellarspecter]

stwg daily prompt 4/10/24: guitar

1.8k, steddie, modern au, guitar teacher eddie/guitar student steve (+ dustin as steve's brother)

so this is literally just me giving eddie my exact job and letting the plot bunnies do as they may. will be up on ao3 in a day or two once i've had time to look it over and think of a title but here it is! divider graphic by @saradika-graphics

“Let’s try that verse again, okay? 5, 6, 7, 8…” 

The little girl in front of Eddie plays with the utmost concentration, her little brow scrunched up as she tries to switch to a D chord. 

“It’s our little triangle, remember? On the — good, exactly,” Eddie nods and keeps strumming. “And to C, slide down to the first fret… 1, 2, 3, to E minor, yep, 1, 2, 3, 4.” The last notes fade into the slightly stale air of the practice room. “Good job! You did a lot better with your chord transitions this time. We’re about out of time for today, but try and practice that verse and chorus at home, okay? And then we’ll see about that bridge next week,” he tells her.

She nods with a big gummy smile. “Okay!” Eddie helps her put her guitar back in its case and walks her back out to the little waiting area they have behind the lessons desk. It’s honestly a little cramped, but before they hired him, he hadn’t even known that Guitar Center offered lessons at all, so it makes sense. He sends the girl off with her parents and a promise to practice every day before he slides behind the desk to check his schedule for his next student.

Usually he has a half hour gap on Wednesdays that he uses to practice for his band or chat with his coworkers, but today there’s a new name on the schedule: Steve Harrington.

“Huh,” he mutters. His manager hadn’t mentioned any new sign-ups to him. Maybe it was from online? With a shrug, he settles in to wait for the guy to show up. It’s 5:57, so he’s still got a few minutes.

After a minute or two of dicking around on his phone, someone calls out, “Hey, Eddie!”

He looks up to find his 6:30 student standing in front of him, an excitable kid named Dustin Henderson. He’s fun to chat with, and Eddie looks forward to his lessons — especially since it’s an opportunity to get yet another young mind hooked on metal. Sure, he’ll play and teach whatever is required, but he’ll never forget his one true love.

“Henderson,” Eddie responds, standing up and leaning against the pillar bracketing the desk. “You know your lesson is in half an hour, right?”

“I know!” He replies, chipper as ever. “I’m after him!” He jerks a thumb back behind him, and Eddie finally notices the most beautiful man he’s ever seen standing behind Dustin.

Dear god. If this is his new student, he’s absolutely fucked.

“Hi,” the man says, extending a hand when it becomes clear Eddie is incapable of forming words. “I’m Steve.”

Eddie forces himself to act normal and grabs his hand, shooting him a smile that he hopes comes off as confident. “Eddie,” he replies. “Munson. I play guitar.”

“I’d sure hope so,” Steve jokes, eyes dancing, and Eddie is fuuuuucked. Completely and absolutely. How is he going to be able to be alone with him in a tiny practice room for a whole half hour? 

“Well, you’re in luck,” Eddie says, kind of operating on autopilot while his brain reboots. “It’s. Guitar Center.” He mentally facepalms and claps his hands together, spinning and walking them back towards the practice rooms. “So, Steve, what brings you here on this fine day? Are you Dustin’s… dad?”

Usually, his mom is the one to drive him and wait in the lobby, but it’s not out of the question that Steve could be his stepdad or something, with their different surnames. He seems around Eddie’s age, but maybe he’s just into milfs or something? 

He can’t be single. The universe is never that kind to Eddie.

Dustin bursts out laughing. “My dad? Dude, he’d had to have had me at like, twelve!”

Eddie flushes. “Well, I don’t know!”

“He’s my brother.” Steve swoops in and saves him from embarrassment. “The Hendersons took me in when I was sixteen, that’s why we have different last names.”

Eddie nods. “Oh, cool. So I assume Dustin got you to take lessons too?”

Steve laughs a little, just when Eddie thought he could finally cope with his unearthly beauty, the dick. “Yeah, he’s dead set on us starting a family band or something. I told him I could just dust off my piano skills, but he insisted. Little twerp.” He goes to ruffle his brother’s hair, and Dustin expertly ducks — clearly a common occurrence in their household.

“Cool,” Eddie says again. “Well, you ready to get started?” 

Steve nods, and Dustin goes to look around the store and mess with the DJ equipment. 

“So, you said you played piano? How long ago was that?” Eddie asks as he ushers him into the practice room.

“Oh, years and years. My parents made me take lessons when I was a kid, stopped in middle school, so it’d have to be… ten years or something now? Eleven? Jesus, I’m getting old,” Steve answers.

Eddie laughs. “Oh, trust me, I get it. Every time I say I’ve been playing guitar for over a decade a little part of me dies.” They share a laugh as they both get situated on their matching stools and guitars on their laps. “So that’s a little bit about me, that I’ve been playing for over a decade. I didn’t go to school for music or anything, but I’m in a metal band in my free time, and I like to think I have a pretty good understanding of music theory and techniques after all this time, so don’t worry, you’re in good hands.” It’s easier than he’d expected to slip into his practiced first lesson spiel, but he’s still hyper-focused on Steve’s reactions, taking in every hint of a smile. “I’m actually self-taught, so I learned basically by just watching YouTube tutorials and spending a lot of time on Ultimate Guitar,” Eddie explains with a wry smile. 

“That’s really cool,” Steve says, impressed. “I could never do that.”

“Well, that’s what I’m here for, right?” It’s a familiar back and forth to Eddie. Maybe he can do this. “I like to run my lessons the same way — instead of learning some random two-measure exercises from a book, we learn songs that you want to learn, and through that we can learn some new chords and strumming patterns and techniques. How does that sound?”

“Perfect,” Steve says. “That was always the worst part of piano lessons. The music was so boring.” His nose wrinkles in distaste.

“Awesome,” Eddie says, and pulls out his phone, already open to his notes app. “So, what kind of music do you want to learn?”

“Uh.” Steve pauses. “I, uh, I listen to a lot of, um, pop? And, like, indie? Kind of just top forty radio type stuff.” 

Eddie nods as he writes that down. “Cool, cool. Any artists or songs in particular? Or just pop as a whole?”

“I dunno,” Steve admits. “I like most of the popular stuff. Oh, there’s this one artist my friend has been getting me into — Chappell Roan?”

“Nice,” Eddie responds, somehow managing to keep from jumping with joy that he might actually have a chance with this guy if he listens to gay people music. 

“You don’t… mind?” Steve asks hesitantly. Eddie looks up at him, confused. “I just mean, you don’t exactly look like you would love all that girly pop music.” He waves a hand at Eddie’s Metallica shirt, ripped jeans, and patch-covered vest. 

Eddie shrugs. “Well, maybe, but it’s my job. You wouldn’t believe the amount of Swifties I’ve got, I couldn’t avoid it if I wanted to. And I mean, it is pretty catchy,” he concedes, if only to see Steve smile again. “And,” he continues, “even better, really easy to play.”

“Oh, good,” Steve laughs.

Eddie pockets his phone and reaches for his folder, taking out a sheet of empty chord diagrams. “So usually for a first lesson, we just learn a few basic chords, and then get started with our first full song next week, sound good?”

Steve nods. “Yep.”

“Great.” Eddie sets the sheet on the stand in front of them and pencils in two little dots on the first diagram. “Here’s our first chord. This is called an E minor. You wanna put your first finger on the second string…”

He goes on to teach Steve an E minor chord, then a C chord, then a G chord, and by the time they’re done learning D, Eddie thinks that Steve’s fingers are going to haunt his dreams. He’s not mad about it. Just sad that he won’t be able to see them in person again for a whole week.

They make their way through the lesson, stumbling from one chord to another, but by the end of the thirty minutes, Steve is already doing pretty well with his chord transitions. Eddie’s honestly impressed. He drops him off in the lobby and exchanges him for Dustin, who is bouncing up and down with excitement.

“How was he,” he bursts out as soon as the door is closed.

Eddie snorts. “He was good. Just learned a few chords.”

Dustin waits expectantly. “And?”

“And what?”

“And how was he! Like, was he excited? Did you have a good time? Are you guys gonna be friends now?” 

Eddie rolls his eyes fondly and takes a seat. Technically, he’s not supposed to be actual friends with students, or even talk with them outside of work, but with Dustin and now Steve, they don’t feel like paying customers so much as friends he’s doing a favor for. “He was good. I’m sure he’ll tell you in the car on the way home.”

Dustin groans. “Come on.”

“You come on. You better have been practicing, show me what you’ve been doing.”

With that, Dustin drags himself to his seat, and the lesson goes great from there, both of them distracted from Steve by the intricacies of Stairway to Heaven.

When he brings Dustin out, he’s almost taken off guard by Steve waiting for them. In just half an hour, he’d already forgotten his stunning resemblance to a Greek god. It’s honestly unfair for his memory to do that to him. 

“Hey,” Steve greets them. “Had a good lesson?”

“Obviously,” Dustin scoffs.

“He did great today,” Eddie tells him, “And so did you. Just remember to practice, alright? Gotta build that muscle memory.”

Dustin rolls his eyes, too used to hearing it, but Steve nods enthusiastically. “Yeah, of course. See you next week?”

It’s a simple phrase. He says it every day. It’s a contractual obligation that yes, he will see them next week. But when Steve says it, it feels like a promise. Eddie can’t wait to fulfill it.

“Yeah,” he breathes, mesmerized by the way the fluorescent lights bring out the green in Steve’s eyes. “See you next week.”

Steve smiles and turns to leave, picking his way through the aisles of musical miscellany. Eddie can already hear Dustin interrogating him about his lesson. He leans back against the wall with only one thought in his mind: only seven days until he gets to see Steve Harrington again. 

He’ll be counting every single one.

[riaspeaks]

first kiss e.w

synopsis: when you get asked on a date and Ellie finds out that you have no experience she gives you a little lesson that leads to exactly what you hoped for and possibly more

cw: slight nsfw, insecurity, jealousy, making out, anxiety, fem reader, and panic attack

word count:1345

As you walked into your best friend's dorm room you saw her sitting on her bed playing video games. You had known her since freshman year of high school when you had met at orientation.” els are you almost done ?” you questioned her “Hold on babe” you could feel your stomach flutter at the sound of her pet name for you. a couple of seconds later she set the remote down and patted the spot next to her on the bed motioning for you to sit there. you graciously accepted sitting yourself down next to her.

“What's got you so cheery,” she asked noticing your smiley demeanor.” I got asked on a date,” you said excitedly smiling widely. Ellie's face dropped immediately at this “How are you gonna go on a date if you've never gotten to first base” she jokes with a hearty laugh/this time it was your face that dropped realizing that she was right. You had never even had your first kiss.

You had no idea what to say so you just stared at her blankly.” no m sorry I didn't mean it like that” she said assuming that she had made you uncomfortable in some way. she looked at you and could feel your heart flutter. You weren't supposed to feel like this. She was your best friend, not your girlfriend. 

“Maybe you should teach me,” you said jokingly even though you entirely meant it. It was no secret that Ellie had experience. In high school, she would return from her “dates” just her hooking up with girls and telling you all about it. Even though it broke your heart you tried your best to support her. let's just say her strap had been around the block several times. You couldn't blame them though Ellie was a ladies' man she would find herself flirting with girls without even realizing it. only coming to that realization when they leaned in for a kiss or asked to go back to her dorm.

She looked at you and you noticed a hint of hope in her eyes but the rest of her face told a different story. she looked quite shocked and she let out a noise that you couldn't quite figure out.” I mean if you want” she said rubbing her hands together as if she were about to dive into the world's best meal. “I know you're probably joking right now but I really could use some help here els,” you said letting out a sigh in distress. I mean if you really want me to help I can she said trying to be as helpful as possible.

“Okay but promise me you won't fall in love with me you said. it's too late for that said Ellie leaning in to kiss you. the kiss had completely caught you off guard. You couldn't wrap your head around what she meant by its too late for that but you wasted no time thinking about it immediately falling under her spell and melting into the kiss. Even though it was your first kiss you felt something special about this kiss. You couldn't tell whether it was the fact it was your first or if it was actually something different.

A small part of you hoped that this kiss would lead to let's just say other stuff. Your mind had always wandered when thinking of Ellie at night. Your mind wasn't the only thing that wandered your hand always seemed to find its way down to your needy cunt. It never felt right you could never make yourself cum.No matter how long or how hard you rubbed your clit you could never do it right but you were sure Ellie could do it right.

As soon as your mind started to trail away from the moment you could feel yourself panic a little. Ellie took notice of your body tensing up and put her hand on your lower back deepening the kiss and pushing your body closer to her. At this point, you were sitting on her lap. Your pussy was resting on her knee and you noticed her body tense for a moment before she tried her very hardest to go back to normal. She tried her best to keep her knee still but she felt like she was going crazy being able to feel your most vulnerable areas. Suddenly you felt yourself start to grind down on her knee. She immediately responded and you felt her knee move just in the right way to where she hit your clit just perfectly.

You let a small moan into the kiss unable to stop yourself from the pleasure she had given you from just a slight movement. In just a couple minutes you had gotten the hang of kissing or more specifically making out. She had yet to introduce you to tongue kissing trying her best to ease you into it. If you thought about her tongue for too long your mind would once again start to wander and you would start thinking about the other things her tongue could do and how she could make you feel. By now the kiss had turned into a sloppy makeout session your both wanted to taste each other as much as possible.

You could feel your back arching into her and your panties growing wet. Ellie noticed this feeling from the fact your skirt was pooled around Ellie's lap while the only thing between you two was your thin panties that had by now grown soaked. You had never imagined your night going like this. Sloppily making out with your best friend on her bed rubbing your needy cunt on her as she moved her knee in just the right way.

Suddenly you felt a strange feeling in your lower stomach and the realization hit you that Ellie was about to make you cum. As soon as you had processed that you would feel yourself come undone. Your legs started to shake and you let out a string of noises trying to think straight. You pulled away from the kiss. A string of spit between your faces. You looked at Ellie expressionless still trying to come down from your high. 

After a couple of moments of focusing on your breathing, Ellie let out a little chuckle and flipped you over so you were laying on the bed.” m’ gonna get you cleaned up okay?” she said and heard her footsteps leading into the bathroom. when she came back she quickly cleaned you up and pulled off your panties.” what are you doing els” your question in a quiet voice. Your question was quickly answered when she pulled some of her boxers onto you.

You truly had no desire to go on your date anymore. You realized that nobody could make you feel the same way Ellie made you feel. You grabbed your phone from the side of the bed and checked the time 7:49.You felt a pit of dread growing inside your stomach and switched your phone off. Ellie had gone to the bathroom so you took this as your chance to slip on your skirt and grab your phone.

You left in a panic feeling your breathing getting out of control again. Ellie had heard the door slam and had come out of the bathroom only to find you gone just your pretty lacy panties on the floor right where she had left them. By now you were practically running back to your dorm room. You had texted your date that you wouldn't be able to make it anymore and that you were sorry. When you reached your dorm you practically slammed the door before leaning on the door and doing the breathing exercises you were taught to do years ago. After successfully calming down you took off your shoes and laid in bed. you could feel all your anxieties catching up to you because the truth was no matter how fast you ran you would never be able to outrun them.

[ninebluehearts]

Hi so I was reading some of the stuff you wright (which btw it’s all freaking amazing) and I was wondering if you could do a Joel x ftm reader where they were dating before the outbreak and then the outbreak happens. the day Joel and Tommy got separated Joel thought it would be best if reader went with Tommy (due to what happened with sarah thinking he couldn’t protect him and he doesn’t want to loose the only other person he loves) be safe even though Joel and reader were both heart broken reader agrees. Later on when Joel gets to Jacksonville Ellie all ready know all about reader so after Joel hugs Tommy reader yells out his name and they hug for a long time crying and just happy to see eachother. Little bit later reader find out about Ellie being infected and Joel and Ellie get scared (mainly Joel) that reader isn’t going to like that but instead reader asks her how long she’s been infected and Ellie tells her however long and reader says something along the lines of ‘ longest I’ve ever seen a kids last but hey try being infected for 2 years’ and Joel and Ellie are both confused and I just turns out reader is infected I really wanted to ask you cause I like the kinda touch or spark you add to your fics!

Sure thing, my love!! I love this idea so much tbh 🤌💗

Warnings(MDNI): Some smut, violence, miscarriage (pig, not human though), just proceed with caution :)

-------------------------------------------------------

"I'm home!" Sarah called out, taking off her muddy boots before she made her way into the kitchen, where you were already working on making her a snack.

"Hey baby! How was school?"

"It was alright, I guess. Mrs. Addison was talking about predicates again." She plopped down onto the barstool across from you, setting her backpack on the seat beside her.

"Speaking of, did you get a grade on that homework we worked on the other night yet?" You asked as you slid a plate of fruit towards her, all of them cut into many different shapes, though stars seemed to be the most common.

"Yeah, I got a ninety-two." Sarah tossed a piece of kiwi into the air, catching it with her mouth.

You huffed, your hands coming up to rest on the curve of your hips. "How? Which one's were wrong?"

Sarah's lips began to curl up into a slow smirk. "Now, I don't get to say I told you so very often. But..."

"Nope." You began to pull dishes from the sink, organizing them onto the counter beside you as you filled the sink with hot water and dish soap. "I know for a fact that the answer wasn't B."

"So, you're saying Mrs. Addison is wrong?"

"Yup."

"The same woman who's been teaching English for twenty something years?"

"Yup."

Sarah shook her head, chuckling as she began to pull her homework from her backpack. "Did Dad say what time he was gonna be home?"

"I think he said around seven, but you know how your father is." You said, scrubbing at a stuck piece of food on a plate with your thumbnail.

Sarah simply nodded, eating another piece of fruit from her plate before gently pushing it to the side, replacing it with her pre-algebra workbook.

You always loved how easily you and Sarah could work around each other, both of you working on completely different tasks, though you could still enjoy each other's company.

You and Joel had been dating for over three years now, and though that may not seem like a very long time, you were still very much so considered family all the same. Sarah called you Mom and Tommy liked to call you 'sis' every now and then.

You knew that Joel was a little nervous when it came to the topic of marriage. Things didn't end well with Sarah's biological mother, and he didn't know if he could go through that again with you. Though with his not-so-subtle hints, you had a feeling that would all change soon.

-

It was nine when Joel came home.

Both you and Sarah were curled up on the couch together, the end credits of Breaking Dawn part one rolling down the TV screen before you.

Joel gently hooked his arms under Sarah's back and under her legs, successfully detaching her from your embrace without waking her up. You on the other hand, woke up with a start, immediately reaching out for Sarah.

"Shh, I've got her." Joel whispered, smiling at how possessive you were over her.

You simply nodded, a yawn taking over once you relaxed.

Joel disappeared upstairs for a moment, leaving you to pick up the dinner mess you and Sarah had left on the coffee table and in the kitchen. As you began to wash the small load of dishes in the sink, you felt familiar arms wrap around your waist, causing you to jump at first.

"Jesus Joel! I didn't even hear you come down!"

Joel chuckled into the crook of your neck, taking a deep breath as he molded his body against yours. "You're cute when you get scared, you know that?"

You shook your head, placing a dripping plate into the rack beside you. "You're late, my love."

"I know."

"Again."

Joel let out a long groan, pulling away from you so he could lean against the counter next to you instead. "Chris gave us the wrong parts again. I swear to God, Tommy nearly kicked his ass. Fucker had a vein popping out on his forehead and everything."

You both laughed at that, soon allowing small talk to take over as Joel helped you clean up the rest of the kitchen. You soon both fell into your same old routine: Joel showers while you do your skin care, you both brush your teeth together, then Joel picks you up bridal style, carrying you to bed.

"Do you have to do this every night?"

"Damn right I do." Joel suddenly dropped you on the bed, climbing on top of you in an instant. "Why? Do you want me to stop?"

You shook your head, slipping your fingers into the damp waves that were Joel Miller's hair.

"Good." Next thing you knew his lips were on yours, his hand haphazardly reaching over to turn off the lamp, knocking over a couple of books and a tissue box in doing so.

-

The next morning you stared at Joel's sleeping face with a smile, taking in every detail; every wrinkle and scar. He was truly the most beautiful man you've ever seen.

The way the streak of morning sunlight lit up his features made butterflies erupt in your stomach, making it nearly impossible for you to not reach over and touch him. You brushed a strand of his hair away from his eyes, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to his nose.

You watched as his eyes fluttered open, a look of confusion that quickly turned to lust crossed his gaze. "G'mornin' baby doll." He slurred, sleep evident in his tone.

"'Mornin' honey. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you yet."

"S'ok. I needed to get up anyways." Joel rolled onto his back, groaning as he extended his arms out to stretch, soon settling back into a comfortable sleeping position once again, his eyes fallen shut.

"Hey." You crossed your arms and rested them on his chest, setting your chin on your forearms as you looked at him.

Joel hummed, not opening his eyes.

"Happy Birthday." You said, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

"Mmm, thank you, baby." Joel lazily brought his hand up to stroke your hair, brushing the stray pieces behind your ear. "I love you."

"I love you too." You murmured, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. When neither of you pulled away, you sat up on your forearms, deepening the kiss as you slipped your leg over Joel's hip, his hand coming up to grab the back of your thighs, pulling you closer.

The blankets fell to rest on your lower back, reveling your upper half to the cool air. You pulled away from the kiss as you sat up, placing your hands on Joel's chest. "Want a preview of your birthday present now?" You asked with a smirk, gently biting your bottom lip.

"Damn right I do." Joel reached over and grabbed a good handful of your ass, shivering at the low moan you let out.

A loud knock sounded from your bedroom door, making both you and Joel jump. "It's seven thirty! Come on, I'm making breakfast!" Sarah called out, knocking on the door one more time for good measure before she went downstairs.

You sighed, a small smile tugging at your lips. "Rain check?"

Joel nodded, his hand unexpectedly smacked your ass, making you yelp as you climbed off of him.

"Don't push your luck."

"It's my birthday. I can do whatever I please."

-

By the time you got home from work, Joel was still out on a job with Tommy and Sarah was presumably still next-door, helping Mrs. Adler bake cookies.

With nobody home, you decided to take some time for yourself. You cleaned up the house, threw dinner in the oven, then headed upstairs for a shower. By the time you came back downstairs, hearing the ovens timer sound off, you walked in to see Sarah already pulling the dish out of the oven for you.

"Oh, hey! When'd you get here?" You squeezed your hair with the towel one more time before you draped it over a nearby chair, walking over to the cabinets to pull out two plates.

"Just now." Sarah pushed a container of cookies towards the top of the counter with a grimace.

You raised your eyebrow, finding it strange that she wouldn't want a cookie. "What did you guys make?"

"Rasin."

You nodded your head, a look of disgust crossing your own face this time. "Well, you could give 'em to your uncle. God knows he'll eat anything."

Sarah gave you a small smile, hooking her finger on the edge of the plate full of pasta and dragging towards her. "By the way, is there anything going on today? There's a lot of police out for some reason."

"I noticed that too! I'm sure it's nothing. That new mall opened up downtown, so it could be shoplifters again." You picked up your own plate before heading into the living room. "Come on, we've still got part two to finish!"

And with that, Sarah picked up her own plate and followed you, brushing off the previous conversation.

-

You and Sarah turned to look at Joel when he walked in the door, silently taking off his coat and dropping his keys in the bowl besides the door.

"You're late." Sarah crossed her arms, trying her best to seem firm.

"You're cute." Joel said as he walked by, ruffling her hair before kissing the top of your head, plopping down on the open seat between you and Sarah.

He went on about why he was late getting home again, mumbling something about the wrong sized headers as he took off his boots. "Ah, never mind. Doesn't mean anything to ya."

Sarah glanced around the room, raising her eyebrow. "So. Where's that cake you promised?"

Joels hands came up to rub his face, a deep groan sounding from behind his palms.

You and Sarah exchanged a look.

"Come on, man."

"I know, I know." His hands fell to his lap, fixing his gaze on her. "Look, I'll pick us up one in the morning. I promise."

"Swear? Or else you won't get your present."

Joel sat up, a smile creeping onto his face. "You got me a present?"

"Swear."

"On my life."

Sarah reached behind the pillow besides her for a moment before retrieving a small box, silently handing it to Joel.

Joel glanced at you with suspicion; you held up your hands. "I dunno what it is."

Joel opened the box to reveal his old watch, though instead of the shattered glass and dead battery, the watch looked almost brand new.

"I got it fixed for you."

Joel picked up the watch and held it against his ear, a soft look of confusion washed over his features. "Did you?"

"What?" Sarah grabbed his arm, pulling it towards her so she could examine it. Once she realized the watch was fine, she rolled her eyes, plopping back against the couch.

Joel let out a laugh. "Gotcha!"

"You're lame." Sarah said, all three of you laughing along.

"Where'd you get the money for this?" Joel asked Sarah, silently asking for your help to buckle the watch on his wrist.

"Drugs. I sell hard core drugs."

You rolled your eyes, giving her a disapproving Mom look.

"Better than what I do." Joel muttered, admiring the watch.

"It was only twenty dollars.. Which I stole from you." She elaborated once she saw the look Joel gave her. "I could've stolen sixty, but I put the change back because I'm an honest thief."

"Mhm."

"Besides, it's the thought that counts. You were never gonna do it for yourself, so.."

Joel stared at her, letting the room fall silent for just a moment. "Thank you." He went back to fidgeting with the watch; Joel was never amazing at showing his emotions, but both you and Sarah could tell he was grateful.

You nodded at the pillow behind Sarah, watching her eyes light up. "Oh yeah! There's one more." She pulled out a DVD case from behind the pillow, causing Joel to grab it from her once he realized what it was. "I borrowed it from the Adler's."

"Oh! This is the one with the deleted scenes!"

"Yeah, imagine how bad those have to be."

Joel handed you the case, excitedly showing you where it said ''deleted scenes.''

"Come on. Pop it in; we've gotta celebrate your birthday." Sarah said with a soft smile.

You got up and shoved the disk into the player, plopping back down on the couch when you were done. Both you and Sarah curled into either of Joel's sides, causing a wide smile to spread across his lips.

"Now, you guys can't fall asleep now."

"Of course not. It's too riveting." Sarah said, making both you and Joel huff out a laugh.

-

Of course, you and Sarah fell asleep.

It was midnight by now, both you and Sarah remained huddled up against Joel's sides, your soft snores buried under the screams from the movie.

Joel's phone began to vibrate on the coffee table, making Sarah stir beside him.

"Hello?" Joel whispered when he answered, trying not to wake the two of you.

You woke up not a moment later, Joel's conversation and the TV became loud enough to wake you. You listened closely, hearing Tommy's muffled voice on the phone.

With the way Joel let out a long sigh and the rambling on the line, it sounded like Tommy got arrested again.

"Okay." Was all Joel said before he hung up, mumbling a quiet, "Fucking idiot." Before trying to figure out how he was gonna untangle himself from the couch.

"Who was that?" You whispered, sitting up so you could stretch.

"Fucking Tommy got into another fight. I've gotta go bail him out." He slowly slid off of the couch, turning to gently pick up Sarah.

You silently followed him upstairs, opening Sarah's door for him before making your way to your own room. Knowing Sarah was asleep, you didn't bother closing the door as you got changed into your pajamas.

"I'll be back in an hour, okay?" Joel said from the doorway, watching as you pulled on a pair of cotton shorts.

"Alright, just be safe, alright?"

Joel gave you a quiet nod, which put your mind at ease.

You walked over and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "You know I love you, right?"

Joel pressed his palm against your cheek, kissing your forehead in return. "I know."

You both nodded, saying your goodnights before you made your way to your bed, hearing Joels keys jingling from downstairs.

Knowing he wasn't home made you anxious. You couldn't help but think back to the conversation you had with Sarah earlier, about the police and such. You had a bad feeling in your gut, but you had no choice but to push it away.

Nothing bad is going to happen. Everything is fine.

You repeated the mantra in your mind until you soon fell asleep.

-

Your eyes snapped open when you heard Joel scream your name from downstairs, his boots thumping against the stairs as he jumped up them.

You reached over and turned on the light, looking back to see Joel racing towards you.

"We've gotta go right fucking now."

"What? Why-"

"Now!" He grabbed your arm, pulling you out of bed and back downstairs.

You managed to grab your coat and shoes before you got outside, seeing that Sarah and Tommy were already in the truck.

Joel helped you into the backseat before he climbed in next to Tommy in the front, yelling at him to drive, though he was already stomping on the gas pedal.

"What the fuck is going on Joel?" You asked, sitting on the edge of your seat so you could see where you were going.

You watched as Tommy turned around in the yard, turning back onto the road. The headlights of the truck illuminated the Alder's yard; both Mr. and Mrs. Adler stumbled out of their home and towards the road, both of them covered in blood.

"Holy shit, Joel! We have to help them!"

Joel still didn't say anything to you. "Drive." He told Tommy, making both you and Sarah's eyes go wide.

Tommy hesitated for a moment, but then stomped on the gas, successfully hitting Mrs. Adler.

You held your hand against your stomach, a wave of nausea washing over you. Your ears began to ring, making it nearly impossible to hear what they were saying.

Sarah kept asking if you were all sick, Tommy yelled at the car that almost hit the truck, Joel tried to comfort Sarah and give Tommy directions. It was all such a mess.

You slid over a seat, wrapping your arms around Sarah to comfort her. You were both shaking, fearing the unknown.

"I've got you, baby." You whispered, gently dragging your nails along her back. Though she melted into your embrace, she continued to shake, her quick heartbeat thumping against your shoulder.

Soon you were in the city, where hundreds of people ran around the streets like chickens with their heads cut off; some were even covered in blood. Some seemed to be chasing the others.

Some were eating people in the streets.

You covered Sarah's eyes, refusing to let her see such a sight. It took everything in you not to throw up yourself.

Time moved by so fast it all felt like a dream.

And god damnit you hoped it was.

Tommy and Joel fought over where to drive to as crowds of people flooded the streets. And over all of the screaming, you could hear a quiet whistling sound.

Against your instinct, you turned to look out the back window, seeing a plane rapidly heading nose first towards the ground.

"Joel!" You screamed out, making Joel turn to see what was wrong.

His eyes went wide. "Fuck! Tommy, go now!"

But it was too late. The plane crashed into the ground with a squeal, making all of your ear's tense. That was the last thing you remembered before you blacked out.

When you finally came to, Sarah was lying next to you in the flipped truck, watching something outside of the shattered back window.

You turned to see what she was looking at; the sight draining the blood from your face.

A man was sitting on top of a woman, his mouth firmly planted on her neck, causing blood to stream down her collarbone and shoulders.

You recognized the man. He had come into the store this morning, telling you about how his wife had suddenly fallen ill with some kind of flu, you recalled.

"Sarah?" Joel called out, grabbing his daughters' hip. "Shit guys. Don't look at that." He started untangling Sarah from the vehicle, trying to quiet her whimpers as he worked.

Tommy pried open the door closest to you, hooking his arms under your shoulders and dragging you out.

You screamed in pain, your arm twisted out of place.

"Ah fuck!" Tommy muttered. "This is gonna hurt like a bitch.." And before you could register what he was doing, he grabbed your arm and twisted as hard as he could, snapping it back into place.

Your breath caught in your throat; the pain so sharp you couldn't even make a sound. Tears welled in your eyes as your arm throbbed in pain. And though you didn't want to get up, Tommy pulled you to your feet anyways, making his way over to the end of the truck.

"Is she okay?" Joel called out, trying to look for you.

"I'm fine!" You called back, finally catching his gaze for a split second. And in that one, single moment, you felt safe.

"We have to get off of the street!" Tommy yelled out, a cop car slamming into the end of the truck not a second later.

The cars were stacked on top of one another, both of them engulfed in flames. You and Tommy searched for a space to see Joel and Sarah, the smoke making it nearly impossible.

Once Tommy found a clear space between the two vehicles, he told Joel to head for the river and that he'd meet him there.

"What? We can't get separated!" You protested, looking at Tommy as though he were crazy.

"We ain't got much of a choice!" Tommy pulled a gun out from behind him, handing it to you. "Come on!"

He grabbed your good wrist and dragged you towards the ally, though you still tried to protest.

"Fuck, no Tommy! I can't kill anybody!"

"Again, you ain't got much of a choice." You both ran through the streets, trying to hide from the masses.

You had to stop to breathe for a moment. You were shaking and hyperventilating, the stress made your body begin to shut down.

"What the fuck are you doing? We have to go now!"

You tried to run again, but your vision was beginning to go out; black slowly closeing in around you.

"Fuck." Tommy muttered, wrapping his arm around your shoulders so he could drag you along with him.

By the time you got to the river, you saw a man towering over Joel with his gun pointed at him; Sarah laid in the grass nearby.

Tommy shot the man without hesitation, all of you standing there in shock.

Sarah's sharp, quick breaths filled the air, turning your attention to her. "No."

You raced over and dropped down besides her, covering her bleeding stomach with your hands. "Baby no!"

Joel was suddenly next to her, his eyes wide as he stared at your blood-covered hands. "We've gotta go-" He tried to pick her up, but Sarah screamed out in pain, pushing him away. "Come on babygirl! You've gotta get up!" His voice cracked as he yelled for her to get up, desperately trying to find a way to make it better.

You placed your hand on his shoulder, your throat tightening as tears swelled in your eyes. "Joel honey.."

"No! Look, she's okay! See? Come on baby, tell 'em you're fine!" Joel hugged Sarah against his body, tears streaming down his cheeks as he muttered please over and over again.

You wrapped your arms around Joel and Sarah as best you could, breaking down when you felt Joel's hand squeeze your arm for comfort.

-

Seventeen Years Later...

"No, I'm fucking done with this shit!" Tommy said, shoving the door open as he stormed out of the broken-down building, you and Joel hot on his heels.

"You ain't got a choice Tommy! What else are you gonna do? Settle down somewhere nice? Huh? Let me remind you that the only other life there is out there is in another fucking QZ!"

"So, you'd let them murder innocent people rather than fight for a better life? All because you're too scared of some government?" Tommy asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Joel scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Nobody's innocent."

"No, but everyone's a survivor. And I don't know about you, but I'd like to revive the human race, not help end it!"

Tommy had been aiding the FireFlies for the past three months now, claiming that they were trying to bring peace to QZ's around the continent. And though you agreed with them in theory, you thought they were going about all of this the wrong way.

You gently wrapped your hand around Joel's arm. "He's not wrong-"

"Jesus Christ! Now you?" Joel tore his arm away from you, stomping just a few feet away from you both. "I mean fuck! Y'all act like I want to do this shit!" He let out a humorless laugh, rubbing his hands over his face.

Tommy walked over to him, setting his hand on his shoulder. "Come on man. We'll leave these bastards behind, and we'll figure out something else- something better, okay?"

Joel shook his head, shrugging off his hand. "There ain't nothing out there Tommy!" A vein began to show on Joel's forehead, making your heart clench.

"Then you can keep doin' this shit on your own, because I'm done." Tommy stormed back inside to grab his stuff, leaving you alone with Joel.

"Listen-"

"You're going with him."

"What?" Your brows furrowed together; confusion evident on your features. "I'm not going anywhere without you-"

"You're goin'!" Joel snapped, surprising both of you with his tone. "And that's final."

You stormed over to him, pointing your finger in his face. "You don't get to tell me what to do. I can look after myself just fine, thank you."

"Good. Because you're gonna need to."

"What are you saying Joel? Don't you want to be together?" Your rage quickly faded as you studied his features, realizing what he meant. "No. Joel, we've been together twenty years- I can't lose you now. Not when we've come so far."

Joel placed his hand on your shoulder, finally allowing his eyes to meet yours. Seeing the tears welling up in your eyes hurt him on so many different levels. "I'm sorry." He pressed a kiss against your forehead, his entire body trembling against yours.

"Don't do this." You whispered, closing your eyes as the pain of losing him washed over you.

Without another word, Joel turned around and walked down the street, leaving you in tears.

"Joel! Fuck! Please come back!" You screamed out, your voice cracking as a sob began to rise in your throat. You felt Tommy's hand on your shoulder; you turned, hugging him as tight as you could as each sob wracked through your body.

"He'll come around." He said, though he didn't know how much he believed that himself.

-

About two months later, you and Tommy ran into a woman named Maria in Jackson, Wyoming.

You and Tommy had been walking for hours at that point, trying to find some kind of civilization that wasn't completely corrupted by the people or its own government.

You had asked if you could take a break for a moment, deciding that the open field that surrounded a river would be the perfect place to breathe.

Tommy reluctantly agreed, saying that you had five minutes while he went to find a place to 'take a piss,' in his own words.

You laid back on the ground for a while, closing your eyes to take in all of the smells and sounds of nature, trying to ignore the chill that always seemed to creep in through your heavy layers of clothing.

Though when you opened your eyes, a woman stood behind your head, pointing a gun in your face. You'll admit, Maria always knew how to make one hell of an impression.

She invited you and Tommy to come and live in the commune that the two of you hadn't even noticed; it's enormous gates only stood but two miles from where they had found you.

It's safe to say you both accepted. Though you agreed to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.

It had been months since then, and Jackson life seemed to be a perfect fit for the both of you.

It didn't take long for Tommy and Maria to begin dating, though you always knew there was something between the two of them.

And while a few different men in the commune tried to worm their way into your heart, you made it known that you weren't looking for any tenants at the moment.

Two years later and you still couldn't seem to let Joel go.

You had no idea if he were still alive at this point, but you held out hope. He had to be out there somewhere; you could feel it.

And while Jackson was absolutely perfect, you didn't get to stay here for free. You were paired up with a farmer named Kenny, the both of you tasked with taking care of the pigs and chickens, making sure their pens were clean and they had plenty of food and water.

"Morning Kenny! How's Miss Q doing this morning?" You asked as you closed the pen's gate behind you, reaching over to pet one of the pigs that were happily munching on their lunch.

"She seems to be doing a lot better after your last goodnight kiss." Kenny gestured towards the pig in question, who was playing in the mud with her baby piglets.

"Ahh, I'm glad to hear it! I was worried about her for a while there." Miss Q the pig lost one of her piglets during birth two weeks ago and she seemed to be in a funk ever since.

"You're tellin' me." Kenny said, handing you a shovel. "You start on the chickens while I refill their feed?"

You simply nodded, taking the shovel and heading out towards the chicken coup to clean out their pen.

On your way over, you heard men yelling commands to one another, and not a moment later the gate was open, allowing a group of people to come inside.

They already made a supply run the other day, so you didn't have a clue as to what they could be doing outside. Deciding to mind your own business, you walked on, making a mental note to ask Tommy about it over dinner.

That was, until you heard it.

"Tommy!"

Your eyes went wide as chills ran down your spine, your breath caught in your throat. You dropped your shovel, walking down the street towards the gates.

The closer you got, the more you believed it could actually be him. You saw Tommy holding the man in a tight embrace, carrying on a conversation you couldn't make out the words to.

You picked up your pace, now racing towards the men as fast as you could.

Hearing the sounds of boots stomping against the ground, the man looked up, his wide eyes staring straight into yours, making you stop right in your tracks.

"Joel." You whispered, your soft pants causing little white clouds to block your vision for a moment.

Joel pulled away from Tommy, gently brushing past him as he made his way over to you.

"Darlin'-"

You practically jumped on him, digging your nails into his back as you held him impossibly close, tearing up at the soft chuckle he let out.

"I'm here baby, it's alright." He whispered into your hair, holding you just as close.

You stayed like that for a while, neither of you wanting the moment to end just yet. You've wondered around for the past two years feeling as though you were missing something- like you weren't complete. And this was it; Joel was your missing half.

"Sooo, this is her, I assume?" You heard a girl say from behind you. You turned to face her, smiling at how cute she looked with the millions of layers of clothing.

Joel cleared his throat, introducing you to Ellie.

You shook her hand, giving her a warm smile. "I'm impressed, honestly. You're the oldest kid I've seen in a while that isn't completely stuck in a QZ."

"You should be. It isn't easy trying to survive with this asshole." Ellie said, making Joel roll his eyes.

"I got you here in one piece, didn't I?"

"Eh, the jury's still out."

You couldn't quite put your finger on it, but there was some kind of connection between the two of them. Even when you all were eating dinner in the cafeteria later on that night, you could see it.

And when it finally hit you, you couldn't help but tear up a bit.

You vividly remembered all of the dinners you had with Joel and Sarah over twenty years ago, listening to their playful banter and having to step in when one got offended.

"So," Ellie began, pulling you from your thoughts. "What happened?"

"What do you mean?" You asked, taking a sip from your glass of water.

"How did you and Joel get separated. Bastard won't tell me."

"Ellie." Joel warned, staring at her with a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

"What? I'm curious!"

"Things just didn't work out, honestly. We both needed time away from each other I guess." You felt Joel's attention shift to you, though you couldn't bare to look at him in that moment.

Of course you were glad he was back, but that didn't make two years of heart break just go away with a snap of his fingers. It was going to take time.

Disappointed that your answer wasn't as interesting as she hoped, Ellie went back to eating her dinner.

"So, you never told me what brought you all the way out here. Tell me everything." You looked between Joel and Ellie, resting your chin on your fists.

Joel cleared his throat, glancing at Ellie before focusing on you. "Marlene wanted me to bring her out to Salt Lake with the other FireFlies."

"Why?"

"Uh- You know how Marlene is; she doesn't tell any of us much of anything-"

"You know Marlene?" Ellie asked, suddenly interested in the conversation.

"Sadly." Your eyes slightly squinted as you stared at Joel, looking him up and down with suspicion. He was always a horrible liar. "She always had a stick up her ass last time I saw her."

"Really? She was chill with me. She didn't even freak out when she saw that I was infect-"

Joel let out a loud cough, turning in his seat to look at Ellie with wide eyes.

"You're infected?" You asked, a small smile beginning to tug at your lips.

"She is, but listen-"

You held up your hand, cutting off Joel. "For how long?"

Ellie glanced at Joel, almost as if she were asking for permission before answering. "A couple of months."

You watched as Ellie pulled up the sleeve of her shirt, revealing a scarred over bite mark on her forearm.

You traced your finger over the skin, marveling at all of the cordyceps veins that spiraled around the bite. "Hm." You leaned back in your chair; Ellie pulled her sleeve back down. "How do you feel?"

"Fine, I guess. It's a little weird to know it's there though."

"Eh, you'll get used to it. Try being infected for two years." You said with a laugh, taking a sip from your drink.

"What?" Joel sat up straight in his seat, his eyebrows furrowing together.

"Oh, yeah!" You stood up and set your foot on the table, rolling up your jeans to reveal your own bite mark that lay just above your ankle.

Joel stared at your leg for a while, your conversation with Ellie was nothing but mumbles to him at this point.

It was his fault. If he hadn't been such an asshole then maybe this never would've happpened..

Joel stood from his chair, hurrying out of the room without saying a word.

"I'll be right back." You told Ellie, hurrying after him. When you got outside, Joel was leaning against the side of the building, a hand on his chest with his eyes squeezed shut. "Jesus Joel, what's wrong?"

"M'fine. Go back inside." Joel waved his hand out to dismiss you, trying to conceal his pain.

You placed your hand on his back, frowning when he flinched at your touch. "Hey, look at me."

"Baby-"

"Look at me, Joel."

Joel finally looked up at you, meeting your piercing gaze.

"Breathe with me?" You asked as you took a deep breath in, following up with five more when he began to copy you.

He took another deep breath by himself this time, standing up straight. "I swear, I don't know why those keep happening."

"They're panic attacks, baby. I'm sure everyone in the world gets 'em at this point." You pressed your back against the wall, crossing your arms over your chest. "What caused it?"

Joel shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Was it my bite? If so, then you have to know that it wasn't your fault-"

"Of course it was my fault." He put his hands on his hips with a huff. "If I had just- been there, then maybe things would've been different.."

"But I'm fine, aren't I?"

"And if you weren't? What would I have done then, huh?" Joel snapped, now inches from your face. "I can't live in a world without you. I've lost too much already."

"C'mere." You grabbed the edge of his shirt and pulled him close to you, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek. "I'm safe. You're safe. We're safe. Okay?"

Joel stared at you for a moment, fear evident on his features. He pressed a kiss to your forehead, holding you firmly against his chest. "Okay."

[rubyfoxfyre]

What did you base Alastors Nox Magia off of? Why type of magic is it and where did you get the ideas for a good ass fanfic?

Thank you for the question!

The answer is sort of a long story that I suppose begins with my first exposure to Hazbin Hotel in general, during a particularly doomed D&D campaign where my character basically acted exactly like Charlie did in the pilot:

Granted, Fianna is not anything like Charlie at all, but the DM found it funny enough to send me the gif above and then everyone got distracted for about 5 minutes while they started meming.

The next day I watched the show and was completely hooked!

I started looking into the Wiki to get a greater understanding of the world shown, read the comics (like all 20 pages hahaha), and listened to Addict while working on prompts for Charlastor Week 2022, taking a break from my regular manuscript I'd been working on for a few years (stay tuned for updates soon on that one!). I had about a month so I decided to try my hand at smaller short stories, since some of the authors I idolize are so good at short fiction, and conveying strong emotions in just a few thousand words.

I watched and rewatched the Pilot, studying the characterizations there as well as thinking about funny and unexpected scenarios the characters could get into while dealing with the concept of redemption and how to make it work (needless to say that the fact that they already had it happen was... unexpected. I have thoughts on that but will put a pin in that for now to avoid getting too distracted from your question!).

I can't remember which rewatch it was that I picked up on an interesting exchange between Charlie and Alastor that turned into a whole mess that would consume me to this day:

She tries to put a limitation on his ability to do too much, and I wondered if that could lead to a sort of interesting power-play between them (because in the end this is the part of their relationship that is fundamentally interesting - they're both powerful people with opposing moralities, having to work together to acheive a common goal). Basically, because Charlie's not precise with her language, she ends up basically not controlling Alastor at all. Which works out in its way, because she hides from her deeper wellspring of power with the aid of a gentle persona.

I liked the idea of something deeper between them and within themselves - and with them being opposing forces, I wanted to work with the idea of Alastor being associated with "night" and "dark", versus Charlie being associated with "sunlight" and "rainbows".

Shadow and Flame, only a bit less Lord of the Rings and a bit more sexy.

Nox Magia , the "night" magic, follows basic arcane principles that I've picked up on through the long and involved process of being a massive nerd and reading a lot of stuff.

For writing magic, I like looking at basic logic structures and hovering somewhere between harder and softer magic. My other manuscript that is premiering this year will be discussing some differing types of magic systems as well, if you enjoy reading Riddle and my other works, I hope you enjoy those as well!

But as for the story itself, it wasn't meant to be a story about a man falling in love... it's the story of a man being dragged into love, kicking and screaming about it. 🦌🌈

To Alastor the Hotel is about control, and his experience there is just a game not to be taken too seriously. Charlie is also about control, or rather, trying to find a way to control without breaking everything with her terrible strength.

Alastor embraces his strength, while she hides from it, and he finds that contradictory instinct in her interesting, so he comes up with the idea of a game to teach her some magic that might help her. But as with all magic, intent governs everything (even when you don't realize), and the spells he's teaching are telling a particular kind of story - you can preview what's happening in the chapter titles that have the runes' names! 🍷

❤️ Thanks so much for reading! ❤️

[piastrinorris]

quite literally nobody asked for this and it's a very niche crossover but this is what i think the spicy six's favourite aew wrestlers are/what each one's relationship is with wrestling

apologies in advance, i got really into writinig these lol.

starting off with the person who i think really got a lot of them into wrestling, robin. i like to think her whole sexuality awakening happened after she couldn't sleep one night, she tried to sneak downstairs to get herself a snack but her dad was up late watching wwe. transfixed by the female wrestlers on the screen, her dad thankfully mistook it for an interest in the sport and started letting her stay up late on wwe nights to teach her all about wrestling - the moves, the lore, the trickery of performance. she does end up loving the technical side of things soon enough, her and her dad go to a lot of indie matches together. she started watching aew when cm punk returned, but her favourite very quickly became nyla rose, especially when she learned about nyla being the first openly trans wrestler in the american pro circuit.

nancy initially doesn't take an interest in wrestling when robin starts trying to teach her about it. she thinks that it's all staged and she doesn't understand how people can believe that it's real. then one night she walks into the room to see robin watching dr britt baker, d.m.d. nancy asks robin isn't it misleading to tell people she's a doctor? robin explains that britt baker is an actively practicing dentist who also happens to show up and wrestle 1-3 times a week. nancy starts taking an interest in britt's fighting style specifically - something about being someone who helps others in need by day and a badass who throws people around at night is nancy's dream. nancy doing so is also robin's dream, but a very different kind. robin finds it hilarious when nancy starts cheering for specific moves, ooh-ing when moves look and sound especially painful, and continuing to watch long after britt's matches have ended.

eddie is also a wrestling sceptic, but for a different reason. he doesn't understand how people can watch something where the entire premise is grown men in skimpy outfits putting their hands all over each other and take it seriously. enter the obvious favourite for eddie: danhausen. eddie completely embodies that chaotic little gremlin man. he runs around doing the t-rex hands and the stare, 'cursing' everyone that defies him. he makes 'very nice' and 'very evil' patches that he puts on each side of his vest. steve draws the line at eddie trying to recreate danhausen's face paint, but he does find it funny when eddie shouts "send hook!" at him as he gets a bag of chips thrown at his face. he starts letting robin teach him about other wrestlers' backstories, feuds etc and he gets super invested. robin starts noticing some familiar-sounding lore from the npcs in eddie's dnd campaigns, but she doesn't call him out on it, she's just happy he's taking an interest.

steve certainly has a soft spot for hook, not just for the hookhausen parallel but also the whole legacy of hook being taz's kid, his commitment to the bit of being silent and stoic (aside from with danhausen ofc), his overall performance. but above all else, steve loves watching mjf. it started off with robin excitedly telling him about the cm punk/mjf rivalry, and he'd happily listen to her ramble and he'd watch with her if they were hanging out together, but he never went out of his way to watch it. apart from the dog collar match, of course. he offered to cover that pay-per-view, which robin had to really fight herself not to tease him about. robin's interest in mjf dwindles after his rivalry with cm punk, but steve gets really into the mjf/wardlow arc. he watches every episode of dynamite and rampage, and every ppv, just in the hopes for crumbs in their development.

jonathan has been into wrestling for pretty much his whole life. will even says he used to take inspiration from characters he and jonathan would make up, but jonathan's characters would always be wrestling personas he always wished he could perform as someday. jonathan prefers the indie circuit most of all, he isn't so keen on how wwe operate, but he watches njpw and aew religiously and, more importantly, silently. one day, when robin's telling the group about the bullet club, she gets hangman adam page and adam cole mixed up. jonathan quietly corrects her and her jaw drops. she starts shouting at and shaking him asking why he never told her sooner, which nancy soon puts a stop to, reminding robin that she's gonna scare him off. they chat away for hours over it, none of them have seen jonathan talk this animatedly about anything and steve jokes that none of them would have gotten dragged into being wrestling fans if this had all happened sooner. jonathan's all-time favourite pro is kenny omega, but he's pleased to see cesaro claudio castagnoli out of wwe, too.

argyle just kinda passively watches any wrestling that jonathan does, he isn't especially into any particular feuds or backstories, sometimes he asks jonathan what certain moves are called or whether he's seen this wrestler fight another that he happens to know the name of. however, whenever willow nightingale is on the screen, argyle is hyp. no. tised. no strain of weed has ever rendered him as incapacitated as watching her. the others start making a game out of what they can do to mess with argyle for as long as she's fighting. jonathan brags one time about how he'd saved up to go watch an indie show in new york and so he'd actually watched her perform live and argyle still asks him about it.

[midnightmah07]

Template can be found here.

Background & personality:

Jeanne Hook is a cunning girl who was raised in a tough environment. Her mother ran away after her younger sister, Millie, was born, and her father only saw use in Jeanne because of her cleverness and physical capabilities. She, as everyone in her biological family, is a pirate, and because she is the eldest her father started training her and teaching her the ways of pirating ever since a young age, seeing her for what she could bring to his crew and not for who she was. He is a cold man who does not care about his children unless it is for the betterment of his crew, and often neglects Millie, forcing Jeanne to take on the role of a parent by a young age.

Jeanne lives mostly on her father's pirate ship, but she was born and has a house in Briar Valley, her hometown. There, she met a young half fae – Piper (a new name I chose for Pierre) – that was always eager to play with her, and who often irritated Jeanne because of his overly childish manner, as well as his selfishness and arrogance. One day, Piper went a little too far on his teasing of her and Millie, and accidentally made Millie fall into a lake with crocodiles; Jeanne was forced to jump and save her little sister, making her lose her left hand in the process. – all of this, added to the fact that Piper has everything that Jeanne has ever wanted to have (a loving family, a normal childhood, and the approval of Jeanne's father) make her have an extreme hatred towards him, often calling him a 'brat' and insulting him to his face, which never seems to make Piper irritated or discouraged to speak to her.

At NRC, Jeanne is finally free from the burden of being 'daddy's perfect girl' and 'the responsible older sister', and often acts more childishly and teasingly with her dorm and schoolmates, making her completely different from the calm and collected girl from back home.

She's able to pick up on things really fast, making her a fast learner, and a great athlete for the Spelldrive team.

Fun facts: Jeanne wears a lot of masculine clothes and is very tomboyish, because of this, and because of her more masculine features, she is often perceived as a male, and gets annoyed when people refer to her as one; she loves shiny and expensive things, and is always wearing jewelry everywhere; her pirate crew tell others that they're fishermen and/or sailors in order to not draw suspicion to them, and Jeanne herself is never open about what she or her father do... However she is super fond of pirates and is not ashamed to say so

Basic info:

Height: 178cm

Age: 17 years old

Grade: sophomore (2nd grade)

Nicknames: codfishie/codfish (by Floyd and Piper – Floyd switches between calling her by her nickname and her name), mademoiselle pirate (by Rook), buttercup (by Perse)

Birthday: June 22

Dominant hand: right – she used to be left handed but had to learn how to use her right hand once she lost her left one

Homeland: Briar Valley

Favorite food: salmon

Best subject: flight

Hobbies: swordsmanship

Club: Spelldrive club

Unique Magic: Neverland - Jeanne can stop time for up to 10 seconds, anything more than that and she immediately passes out or is injured in some way

Character relationships:

Kalim Al-Asim: her and Kalim met at the cafeteria: he had gotten into trouble with a Savanaclaw student that was particularly angry that day, and Jeanne, recognizing him as an Asim, helped in order to gain something from him. Kalim fell in love with her at first sight. Ever since that day Jeanne has tried to manipulate Kalim into being her friend so she could easily steal from him, but as she spent time with him she began to fall in love, and deeply regrets ever trying to harm him.

Jamil Viper: Jeanne likes to push Jamil's buttons, it's funny and cute to see how easily annoyed he gets by her presence. He knew she was suspicious from the beginning, warning Kalim to be careful around him, but all his warnings were in vain, and now she's just a pain in his ass.

Piper: Jeanne is to Piper what Captain Hook is to Peter Pan, a rival. He's always thought Jeanne as someone interesting, going as far as to visit Jeanne everytime her family would stop by Briar Valley to play with her and invent new games; He was always complimented by her father while she was always put down for not being nearly as talented, that plus the fact that he could act as immature as he wanted and have as much fun as he wanted while she was forced to be an adult at the age of 12 made her jealous and angry. Piper is also the reason she lost her left hand.

Azul Ashengrotto: Azul and the tweels actually met Jeanne before NRC, having crossed with her crew as they sailed away. However, they only got closer once they enrolled at the school. Jeanne respects Azul, but likes to irritate him, telling him she will never accept him as her captain (aka housewarden)... Still, she does everything Azul tells her to do as long as it benefits her or entertains her, and Azul can be super persuasive and entertaining so she most of the time ends up helping him and the tweels.

Floyd Leech: Floyd is unpredictable which is something that amuses Jeanne a lot, not only that but Floyd's always picking a fight with her — I mean like, play fighting — and she's happy to go along bc she thinks he's funny and amusing. The only thing that she doesn't like about Floyd is how he calls her "Codfish", the same nickname Piper has for her.

Jade Leech: Jade and Jeanne are less close than her and Floyd, and because Jade has joked about trying to flirt with her younger sister, she can lose her patience with him rather easily... Still, she finds him funny most of the time, and his schemes always end up making her chuckle.

Leona Kingscholar: Jeanne has idolized Leona ever since she saw him on TV playing Spelldrive, and he is the reason why she got into the Spelldrive team in the first place. She wanted to transfer to Savanaclaw simply because of him, but because he said he didn't want to deal with her following him around like a puppy she decided against doing so. Leona will never admit it but he's grown fond of her.

Ruggie Bucchi: partners in crime. I repeat: partners in crime!! Both Jeanne and Ruggie are obsessed with riches and she often helps Ruggie steal and vice versa, always sharing the stolen goods 50-50; Ruggie doesn't understand her obsession with Leona though, but he gave up questioning her a long time ago.

Character references:

Characters cards:

Tamashina Mina/Cloudcalling on The Savannah

[miamoo27]

Life has been work the past couple day. I feel directionless. I’m doing great at my job but lacking in school and I’m my “professional life.” Right now my heart isn’t in it I’m feeling connected to work and the kids making a different. I feel impatient with school like I’m waiting to be done despite mt enjoyment in learning. But the pressure feels horrific lately. I was sick for two days still feel it. Work has been disgustingly stressful due to my co worker. Being horrific with the kids. And then I have my lab mentor telling me “it’s unprofessional to have an unexpected absence without notice” ummm so sorry I was asleep and not feeling well once. It isn’t a pattern.

The pressure is fucking on and I wanna roll in a ball. I can’t help my restless ways it’s mt nature. It’s hard to be under this much and try so hard yet be fearful of telling others what I need. I overplease until I can’t do it. Now I have this dumb fucking stupid party tomorrow SORRY. That has to do with my dads family coming here. My stomach still hurts I’m getting my period and I don’t need this. I hate the voice in my head that says stop complaining stop worrying. My parents are fighting don’t blame my mom. She doesn’t want them here. I don’t really but he is my father. He knows how I feel. I’m not passive aggressive with how I feel or “fresh” I just say it. Probablt a reason some don’t like me. I care what others think but I’m also not going to “fake” it to make others comfortable. I hate doing that and I need to stop doing that. I need to just be completely honest with mt feelings. I hate putting on a mask. This morning I didn’t. Adam my conworkee noticed it immediately. Saying he noticed when she came in I was upset. Not with the kids but at here. He said he knows I care a lot. It shows. I do care a lot it’s one of mt faults. I deeply devote myself to one thing and forget about everything else. (This is a new personality character because I used to mindlessly do too many things). I forgot about school for a good two weeks. I stopped replying to emails, texts, calls. I also hate texting people consistently. I’m exhausted I have no time for me. I don’t wanna do this shit and go to appointments but sadly we live in a world where appoints exist. Weirdly I’m amazing at staying on time at work. I take care of 18 4 year olds and clean up after them feed them love them nurture them and teach them. Yet I can’t text someone back something doesn’t add up. Even my therapists texts intimidate me. Yet I can Literallt fight someone in real life. But that’s only people I don’t respect. Which unfortunely I respect all my professors.

To give myself credit I’ve dealt with a ton of shit while doing all of this. So I haven’t processed my moms addiction or really my feelings around men in general. I’m afraid to be in love. True shit. I have high standard now which makes my red flag alarm go up everytime I encounter a guy. One has a gf one has a baby one has an addiction one can’t commit and one is gay. The world is insane. I feel like Janis Joplin “one good man”. Where they at tho? It’s been a long ass day this is an insane rant and probablt makes no sense but I need to write it. Apart from all these downfalls I’m genuinely a good person I think I care about people animals pets children everyone. Yet I don’t trust men romantically. I have barely any trust in the world and I’m nervous.

How could I be two things at once.

Someone who loves the universe and nature. Believes in peace and tries to show it. Feels connected spiritually to the earth.

Someone who doesn’t trust people. Is afraid of love. Disgusted by pda.

It isn’t the world I don’t trust it’s the people and what they did scares me and I’m afraid it could happen again. I get so hooked to someone quickly. When I love i reallt love. Nick showed me that he didn’t bring me the same. He knew that so he broke my heart more by even knowing he didn’t have the same love for me. I tried to stay and make him love me but that’s the worst type of love. I needed him. To love me. It made me feel like shit for so long I couldn’t speak. He broke up with me I felt like my world fell apart. I couldn’t see the reality. He didn’t feel what I could feel he wasn’t capable of having the love I have.

I used to think those were things people tell them selves to feel better. But truthfully what is actually true. They aren’t in your life anymore so does the way they feel actually matter? You will never know how they feel because they don’t so what’s the use in figuring out. It’s been a waste of time one I needed though to get through the storm on the side of independence I went from serial dater/sex to being single for almost two years. I needed to go through nick. To see what it’s like to love someone who can’t do the same to break my heart. It did but in the end I got smarter.

[shimmerbeasts]

He could only imagine how much courage it took for Astarion to open up about Cazador to him. Wyll might not have a trauma, which could compare to what the vampire spawn had endured, however, he knew how difficult formulating trauma could be. Speaking about Mizora and Ulder Ravenguard and how they had influenced him each in their own ways was hard, though for different reasons.

On one side, there was the pact, which throttled the words in Wyll's throat, but often, it felt like, even without it, the words balled and twisted in his throat, clumped together and had to be dragged out and detangled by a hook. The picture, these slime-coated words, these fragments of his mind formed, was hard to read and even less clear to explain. Wyll knew what he wanted to say, he liked to believe. Then why was it so hard to put into words? In fact, why did he sometimes feel like he did not even have that knowledge of what he felt?

At first, when Wyll embraced him, the vampire spawn tensed up at his presence. It caused the warlock to worry that maybe Astarion had not heard him properly, and he was about to pull away when his pact mate relaxed into his embrace. Astarion's snow-white arms wrapped around his hips and they stayed there, locked in an awkward, yet tender embrace. Wyll stayed as silent as a visitor on a graveyard in reverence of the dead. He wondered whether or not, Astarion could hear the whisper of his breath and the rush of his blood. Based on his research, vampires, even their spawns, had impeccable hearing, though masters and scholars argued wildly as to whether or not they possessed something like echolocation.

Though one thing, Wyll was sure about: Just a month or two ago, something like an embrace would have been impossible with Astarion. Of course, back then they all had not really known each other, however, Wyll had quickly been able to pinpoint that certain people like Shadowheart or Lae'zel had been not keen on unwanted advances, even platonic ones. And despite Astarion's habit of flirting with almost everybody in camp at least once, though he seemed to have cherry-picked Wyll for the most flirt attempts, much to his horror, the vampire spawn also was just as aversive towards being touched.

With a dull pang of grief in his chest, Wyll had to wonder if Astarion had ever felt anything akin to genuine care and compassion from somebody, ever since his transformation. While Mizora only ever grew seriously angry with Wyll, if he neglected or tried breaking the terms of his contract, her compassion and gentle nature had made adjusting to being pacted much easier. Wyll wondered if Cazador had ever bothered trying to make the aftermath of the transformation for his spawns any easier. If he had, that care likely had come with strings attached.

For once, Wyll did not care if Astarion saw the more vicious types of smiles, he had. He had long decided that around the rest of his adventuring group, but especially around Astarion, he did not always have to completely hold himself accountable to the Blade's values. Besides, the Blade's most hard-earned victories against monsters usually tended to be those, where he did not fight like a valiant hero anyway. Wyll always praised himself on his ability to solve problems with wit and be able to outthink even the greatest foes. Still, that usually meant doing risky or dark things in the name of results.

Wyll nodded back, murmuring under his breath: "She probably means sending Mercedes our way." He cocked his head aside when Astarion grinned and proposed that they could convince Mizora to offer them a demonstration of her ability instead of a teaching moment. Wyll said: "It is worth a try. From what I heard, devils do like it when their ego gets stroked. I reckon, not even Mizora is completely safe from that."

The moment Astarion spoke of the night his contract had been carved into his back and how no doubt Cazador had a replacement spawn by now, their expressions shifted. Astarion had told Wyll of this night before. He had spoken of the pain he had been forced to endure, how he had barely been able to stay still. The horror of how Cazador would always heal up his skin and would start carving anew, should Astarion's twitching and twisting make him mess up. How the whole contract, claimed to be a poem, must have taken hours to be completed and how Cazador had been at it long into the night.

Wyll squeezed Astarion's hand and once more whispered: "I am sorry." He looked away, thinking to himself and said: "Maybe we can find a way to save not just you, but your ... brothers and sisters from Cazador as well." There was a puzzled expression on his face, an uncertainty as to whether he could even call them that. Did Astarion even regard the other vampire spawn as his siblings? Or had they all been trapped in relentless competition?

@magicanddaggers

Astarion was surprised at himself for opening up so much about his past, about his treatment at the hands of his vampire lord and master. Even with the severing of his influence that Mizora had delivered, no doubt infuriating Cazador in the process, the man still occupied his mind. He knew well enough himself that he wouldn't be able to let go of him fully until he was dead.

Lost in the thoughts as he was, he almost didn't hear Wyll asking permission to embrace him, and even the mere thought of asking permission for such a thing stirred feelings in the vampire spawn he wasn't ready to acknowledge just yet. He tensed just a moment, but he found it a simple thing to just relax and allow Wyll to hold him, his head resting against the warlock's shoulder with surprising ease. His own arms wrapped around Wyll's waist and he just... stayed there. Listening to the thrum of his pulse, like a private little lullaby.

Most recently, just before being pacted, Astarion would've shoved Wyll away, scoffed at his words and denied anything was wrong. A poisonous quip would've followed, no doubt. But he found himself taking comfort in what the Blade was saying, feeling something akin to genuine care from the other man. Perhaps it was completely genuine, but it was such a foreign concept to him he didn't know how it really felt.

He'd stayed remarkably silent during the embrace, pulling himself away almost regretfully as it ended, though he lingered close to his pactmate. He looked right back into Wyll's own, different now than they first met, and while others may have found the stone eye surrounded by scars unnerving, it never bothered the spawn. It was a part of who the Blade was, and just as attractive as the rest of him, in his own humble opinion.

Then Wyll mentioned making Cazador pay before Astarion could say something in the moment - probably flirtatious after all that seriousness. That wicked smile surprised Astarion, but it was a pleasant surprise. It was a reminder that Wyll wasn't always the 'do the right thing' hero, or even the one to do what was necessary. Sometimes, the Blade liked to get a little vicious and vengeful in his work, another thing that only heightened his allure.

"Yes... Mizora had said something to me about aiding in the fight against him." Astarion said with a nod, his own expression turning to one of wicked delight with a fang-filled grin. "Perhaps instead of teaching it, she can give us a demonstration when we reach his palace. He will already be pissed enough to not have me to complete the ritual, but I'm sure he'll have a replacement. I... pity the poor spawn he makes for the purpose of it." An worry of guilt or shame passes over his face, changing his expression from happy to dour in almost an instant. He remembers the night that contract was carved into his back, a tale he'd told to Wyll before. "That was not a fun night."

[safic4-m]

💜Hello my dear

Pairing: Wilhemina Venable x Fem Reader

Author’s note: If you like this story I recommend you read Wilhemina (behind her eyes) by espionagewriter, and if we’re lucky she’ll update her book, because I really need her to update, I literally got hooked from the first chapter. If you read her story please comment it’s coming from my account…bye

Word count:720

~Master list~

One-shot

Wattpad

Mina Pov.

I haven’t heard from T/n for two weeks, she doesn’t go to university, every time I call her she sends me straight to the mailbox and she doesn’t receive my messages. At first I thought she was ill, but then the rumours of what supposedly happened to her started, everyone noticed her absence from the beginning and it all went downhill from there.

I find myself in front of his house and a part of me is afraid of what might happen.

Before I can knock on the door, it opens to reveal a middle-aged woman, blue-eyed, blonde, a few centimetres taller than me.

-Hello, what do you need?- her voice seems to be bathed in honey and she flashes a soft smile.

-I’m looking for Y/n.- I tighten my grip on my cane.

-May I know who you are?- before he can answer, a voice from inside is heard.

-Who’s here?- loud enough to be heard.

-A girl is here looking for you.

-Let her come in.

-All right, Mildred will come to see you when she gets home from work,- leaving room for her to enter, -up the stairs to the right- she says before leaving.

It’s not the first time I’ve been in this place and I must admit that just now I feel like I’m bursting in. As I enter, the image I am confronted with makes my breath catch in my throat.

-Hello dear

Y/n is bedridden with one leg in a cast and wounds covering part of her body.

-What happened?- asked barely in a whisper.

-I had an accident, my car was completely destroyed but at least I’m still alive- laughing at the end.

-Why didn’t you tell me?- feeling my eyes fill with tears.

-They barely let me out of the hospital- patting the bed.

-I wish I had known- remembering that the last time we spoke he said he was going out of town.

-There was no way you could have known, I was lucky one of the nurses recognised me.

-I knew something was wrong and I waited two weeks to come and see you- being wrapped in his arms.

-The only thing that matters is that you’re here now- leaving a soft kiss on my lips.

I chase his lips for more, I wasn’t going to fucking college and putting up with a bunch of assholes for two weeks just for a simple kiss.

Her lips parted slightly, allowing me access to her mouth, fighting for dominance and hers won. I feel her bite my bottom lip before I feel her tongue brush against the other. Our foreheads together as we catch our breath, as we open our eyes her gaze is bathed in love.

-I missed you so much- relaxing into her arms.

-I missed you too, love.

We end up lying with my head on his chest, one of his arms around me as he runs one of his hands through my hair. From the beginning I thought college would suck, since my life was horrible and I never imagined it would be any different, but then I met Y/n, everything about her captivated me and it took a year for something to happen between us.

-What are you thinking about?- without stopping her movement.

-The university sucks if you’re not there- getting up from my place so I could see her.

-Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon- placing her hand on my cheek, -The university didn’t tell you anything?

-No, a man just showed up and started teaching your class- frowning at the memory of the substitute, -he sucks at teaching and I’m sure no one is understanding.

Making her laugh but her expression changes to one of pain.

-Are you all right?

-I may have broken a few ribs- flashing a soft smile.

-Oh, let me take it off- trying to pull away making her grip get tighter.

-No, it’s ok

-But I don’t want to hurt you- struggling to get away.

-You don’t… would you like to stay? -I feel my heart clench.

-Of course I want to- flashing the biggest smile.

*****

-Good morning class- says Y/n entering the classroom.

-We are going to do a little feedback, open your books on the last subject we have left,- sitting down at his desk.

I feel my cheeks heat up as I see him wink at me, before he starts the class.

When I walked in I never thought I would fall in love with my teacher, let alone have her reciprocate my feelings.

——————————–

This work was done in order to promote a story that interested me, at no time am I stealing someone else’s work and I’m only trying to make another writer’s story famous. If you think I’m stealing someone else’s idea chinga tu madre

[cloudlessly-light]

Oh my sweet sweet girl, do I have a prompt for you.

Aaron is into shibari and completely takes Emily by surprise. Ofc she is all for trying new things but like damn Aaron, you kinky fuck 😏

Oh and don’t forget the dirty talk for me 💜

Baby you know I can’t say no to you 😉 I hope you like this, pretty girl💛

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Smut, bondage, dom Aaron, sub Emily, shibari, oral, dirty talk

She finds them randomly one night in the bottom drawer in his closet. They had been together for a couple of months now and she didn’t think there was much that he kept from her, but as she opened the drawer and saw a bunch of ropes, different length, textures and colors, she couldn’t help the confused look on her face.

“Aaron, honey?” She called out to him as she picked up two sets of rope, one black and another tan, “What’s this?”

He looks up from his laptop just as she walks into his bedroom and he knew that Emily had found his secret, something he had planned to bring up to her at some point, but had felt that it was too early in their relationship to do so yet.

“What is this?” She asked again and he realized that he hadn’t answered her. He shut his laptop and placed it beside him on the bed before getting up to stand closer to her.

“Don’t freak out.” He grabbed the rope from her hands and put them down, then took her hand. He could tell that she was worried, her lip drawn between her teeth and eyebrow furrowed as she waited for his explanation. He sighed heavily, he knew Emily was a fairly open person, but he honestly wasn’t sure how she would react. “They’re for shibari, it’s a form of bondage.”

For a couple of long seconds it was silent in the room and Aaron prepared himself for her to walk out, but then she smiled, her white teeth showing and she let out a small laugh.

“Oh thank God, I thought you were going to say something much worse.” Her arms wrapped around his neck and he could feel himself relaxing. “I haven’t done anything like that before.” Her eyes searched his, dark eyes glowing in the soft light of the bedroom.

“And you don’t have to.” He wants her to know that he would never try and force her, that she didn’t need to feel any pressure to do something she didn’t truly want to do.

She’s silent as she studies him, knew that with him she felt safer than she had in her entire life, knew that he would never hurt her.

“Can you teach me?”

They start slowly, Aaron telling her how he had learned, how much he loved how a woman could willingly give up her control like that to him. He showed her pictures and videos of intricate knots tied together, how the ropes became like art across naked skin, and Emily was immediately intrigued. Then they try something simple, Emily tied with her hands together and she came to find that even though she wasn’t tied to the bed or really immobilized in any way, she was aroused beyond belief before they had even really started.

A year later and Emily couldn’t have been happier that he showed her this part of himself, because it turned out it was a release unlike any other for her as well. To give herself to him fully, to let go of her own deep-seated need for control and to let him control her body and mind completely.

He had tied black rope around her legs, thighs and hips, around her upper body, arms tied behind her back, the rope connecting together behind her back as he attached it to hooks they had installed in the ceiling, effectively lifting her above ground as she swayed in front of him.

“Look how pretty you look, all tied up for me.” He murmured lowly as he stroked along her side, making her shiver.

Her head fell forward as he circled her slowly, her hair falling over her eyes as she enjoyed his rough hands on her body.

“Thank you.”

Aaron took in the way the black robe contrasted against her pale skin, made sure that it wasn’t cutting into her skin too tightly as she continued to look down at the floor.

“How does it feel? Shoulders okay?” He asks as his eyes flicker to the scissors on the dresser, always ready to cut her down if needed.

“Good, everything feels good.” Emily lifts her head to meet his dark stare, her breath hitching as she saw his predatory smirk, how he breathed heavier as he looked at her, the outline of his shaft visible through his slacks, hard and ready.

Aaron nodded and started to touch her again, he had tied her legs apart and he could see her center glistening already. He stroked through her folds and her breathing hitched.

“Needy, aren’t we?” He asked as he turned her body, his fingers already undoing his pants. She was lifted enough for him to easily pull her head back by a hold of her hair and push his cock through her parted lips. With a low groan he cants his hips against her face as he holds her swaying body steady by a hold on the rope, enjoys the way her muffled moans vibrate around him.

“So good, sweet girl, doing such a good job for me.” He praises her and he can see her skin flush in arousal. When he pulls out of her mouth he isn’t surprised to see saliva drip down her chin as her eyes, needy and wide stare up at him.

“Please, please I need you.” She gasps through harsh breaths and if Aaron hadn’t been as desperate to feel her around him, he would have made her wait.

“Such a good slut, begging for it.” He says as he lets go of the rope and she slowly spins in place. When she’s facing away from him and he can stand in between her spread legs he takes a moment to admire the corseted knot. It’s as beautiful as it is arousing, seeing Emily like this.

“Fuck, Sir please.” She begs again, can feel her body aching with need for him and almost immediately she feels him pushing inside of her. She bites back a moan as he groans behind her, his hands falling to her hips as he moves her against him.

“My perfect girl, so wet for me.” He feels her clench in response, her center hot and soaked as he sways her body against him and moves his hips to meet her body each time.

She moans louder and louder, is forced to feel her orgasm building slowly and can do nothing but take it and she knows that he’s dragging it out on purpose. He can see how her body trembles, hear how her moans get breather and needier and she just knows that he’s smirking behind her.

“Please, make me come, please Sir.” She rambles as he picks up the pace, hits her harder and deeper. “You feel so fucking good, Aaron I’m so close.”

The use of his first name is enough for him to move one hand around her body to rub her clit and she clenched harder around him. She’s straining in her bindings; tries to chase her orgasm and he growls lowly at her desperation.

“You want to come?” He asks loud enough for her to hear through the buzzing in her ears and her own moans. She nods quickly, lets out a whine as he rubs her clit harder. “Then come for me, come all over my fucking cock.”

He feels her center flutter around him only seconds later, her body tensing and hands fisting behind her back as she comes hard enough for the air to get stuck in her throat. His name is a gasped whine on her lips and her eyes roll back in her head as she rides out her pleasure.

Feeling Emily come around him is enough for his own orgasm to hit him unexpectedly. He groans as his hips shake against her, the muscles in his legs almost giving out as he erupts inside of her, his release hot and strong and only making Emily moan louder.

When Aaron is sure that his legs won’t give out and Emily is starting to squirm he quickly starts untying her, only stopping when her feet are back on the floor and the last knots are left.

“Are you okay?” He asks as he kisses gently along her shoulder.

“I am.” She turns in his arms when the last knot is undone and her arms circles his neck even though her shoulders protest slightly. “Are you?”

“I’m great. Perfect.”

[wild-karrde]

Alli, I am SO HYPED about this one. Let the unhinged commentary commence.

How you set up Kazi's backstory is so strikingly beautiful, particularly the description of the lighthouse and all of the personal history that she shares with her sister there. And the dragon lore? STUNNING. I am admittedly a dragon-centered fantasy fiction enthusiast (is that a thing? I'm decreeing it here), and I'm always fascinated with how authors choose to weave in their lore and involvement in the world, and I think the legend you lay out here is SO good. I am 3000% hooked.

A lighthouse could never replace the visceral reaction of seeing a dragon. Of knowing you were home.

This line? FANTASTIC.

I adore the shared dream she has with her sister, but I AM BRACING FOR TRAGEDY.

But life never cared much for dreams. 

Oh boy...

Daria seemed to maintain the distance instinctively. Kazi both noted and despised it. There was a time when Daria would sneak into her bed late at night. Usually scared from the storms, her sister sought refuge beneath her bed covers. She hadn’t minded. What else was a big sister for?  Now, the distance was a physical phenomenon. Tangible; representative of the emotional distance built over the last decade.

Hi yes, so as a big sister, this GUTTED ME. BIG OUCH.

Oh, ok Daria's sick. Great. Cool. I'm fine. Not already getting emotional here. Totally fine.

In all seriousness, OOOOOF Kazi just abandoning everything (including her own personal ambitions and desires) in order to care for Daria is SUCH a gut punch. And it is so evident that Daria doesn't want her to do that, to be alone when the worst comes to pass, but Kazi feels such a responsibility because she's the big sister; that's what we do. (this is hitting close to home in case you couldn't tell so WE'RE ALL FINE HERE).

“Marriage isn’t something you can force between two people who don’t know one another,” Kazi started, forcibly calm. “Marriage should be based on love. Not desperation or settling out of loneliness. Marriage is about two people who realize they want to share life together. Who feel life is complete when the other is in it.”

Mhm yes agree agree. (I like Kazi, if it wasn't clear)

The argument represented the sisters’ different lines of thinking, and Kazi couldn’t help but wonder: if their father hadn’t died when they were so young and their mother imposed Reformist teachings on an impressionable Daria, would Daria have shared Kazi’s beliefs?  

I adore how expertly you're weaving their backstory into this interaction. It isn't jarring and doesn't take you out of the story, but I am just getting so much info about these two sisters, their history, and their dynamic, and it is SO GOOOOOOOD.

Also, I know you've just said Daria's way of thinking was something ingrained young, so I'm trying not to get resentful towards her, but I feel that bit of it building anyway. This is SO GOOD. (And as someone that grew up with a bit of trad thinking ingrained in a parent, just WOOOOOOOF this is absolutely rocking me internally a bit)

And oh my GOD the addition of Neyti? This is so incredibly complex and rich and I am completely immersed and invested and I LOVE THIS, ALLI. I feel Kazi's grief so clearly: the grief of the future she'd planned, the grief of the loss of the Daria she knew and understood, and the impending grief of actually losing her sister. Holy HECK.

The tension of the argument is built beautifully, and you can feel the exact moment Kazi loses her cool. She doesn't fly off the handle, she just swings back a little too hard, and she knows it, and there's a moment of victory there, but then Daria swings back even harder. This entire argument? EXCELLENT in how it builds and is executed. It is so accurate in terms of a sibling dynamic, it really does make me flinch at times. Well fucking done.

Kazi opened her mouth—what to say, she wasn’t sure—but two loud knocks on the front door interrupted. A signal. It was a reminder of her third and final goal: to survive the rebel network.

OH HELL YES. LET'S FOOKIN' GOOOOOO.

I love how you described the other members of the group and how clearly it establishes their dynamic and how they interact with and view one another. And to have their meeting be about clones? Like my excitement is off the charts. I think the general public's view of the clones and what happened with them in the wake of the Empire's rise is criminally under-discussed/examined, so I am THRILLED to see this happening here. And I love how Kazi takes in this information and observes the reactions of the others, gauging their responses as well and who knew what.

Whoooo boy Kazi's pride and anger is SO GOOD when she's told the clones are staying with her. I can practically taste her bitterness at the small reminder that the house isn't hers, that she's had to rely on others, and then her frustration at the falsehood in the "choice." THIS IS SO GOOD ALLI.

And the way you describe Daria and Kazi as they meet the clones, how sharply they contrast with one another and Kazi's jealousy at Daria's easy nature when it comes to hosting. Just YESSSS INJECT THIS STRAIGHT INTO MY VEINS.

“Kazi, Daria, let me introduce you to former commanders Cody, Wolffe, and Fox.” 

*excited Karrde noises in the distance*

He was observing her with a neutrally-controlled countenance. Narrowed eyes. Rigid shoulders. Calculated expression.  Kazi recognized the look in his face—the subtle wariness and hardened reticence. It was the same shrewdness she practiced. One she relied on to determine genuine from disingenuous; trustworthy from unreliable. 

I LOOOOOVE the way you described each of the commanders, but Wolffe's description in particular is so very HIM, and you can already feel her gaze lingering, carefully calculating, and I AM JUST IN LOVE WITH THIS STORY SO MUCH. I AM HYPED, AND I AM SO VERY INVESTED.

I Yearn, and so I Fear - Chapter I

Masterlist | Next Chapter

General Summary. Nearly a year since the Galactic Empire’s rise to power, Kazi Ennari is trying to survive. But her routine is interrupted—and life upended—when she’s forced to cohabitate with former Imperial soldiers. Clone soldiers. 

Pairing. Commander Wolffe x female!OC

General Warnings. Canon-typical violence and assault, familial struggles, terminal disease, bigotry, explicit sexual content, death. This story deals with heavy content. If you’re easily triggered, please do not read. For a more comprehensive list of tags, click here.

Fic Rating. E (explicit)/18+/Minors DNI.

Chapter Word Count. 4.8K

Beta. @starstofillmydream

The risk of love is loss and the price of loss is grief. But the pain of grief is only a shadow when compared with the pain of never risking love.

- Hilary Stanton Zunin

16 Telona

Kazi would never again visit the lighthouse with her sister.

The place where they peeled citrus-stars, watched oceanic storms, danced in puddles, played and laughed, and smacked the other when they argued. It was their sanctuary. And, of course, the ragged lighthouse overlooking Outlook Harbor preserved their culture—the eldest of Ceaian legend.

The legend of the dragons.

As legend claimed, a dragon guarded each Ceaian harbor, its fire a source of light for ships navigating the rugged surf and rocky cliffs. Without the dragons’ guidance, sailors would crash and drown, and the Ceaian population waste away.

When the last of the dragons died, lighthouses replaced their source of light and guidance. But a lighthouse could never replace the security and warmth of a dragon. 

A lighthouse could never replace the visceral reaction of seeing a dragon. Of knowing you were home.

Dominated by childlike wonder, Kazi decided, when she was six, that she would buy the old lighthouse and fix it up. Beside it, she would build an inn. And one day her inn—adorned with her sister’s flowers and succulents—would be the most lauded across all of Ceaia. 

For years the dream sustained her and her sister. She would run the inn and manage the finances, meanwhile her sister would oversee decorations and meal planning. Nothing else mattered. Except for a rowdy sailor here or there. But Kazi would handle them too. Because she would protect her sister. She would always protect her little sister.

And so those girls dreamt of their future and planned for endless happiness.

But life never cared much for dreams. 

Nowadays, Kazi tried to forget the lighthouse’s existence. It made it easier to ignore the ache in her heart and guilt in her mind. 

Slashing rain warmed her fingers as Kazi snapped the final window shut, securing the house from the onslaught of the torrential rainstorm. The sunroom’s windows—spanning the entirety of the wall—overlooked the rolling hills of Eluca’s endless jungle, the planet’s three moons hidden behind clouds pregnant with more rain.

Housing a small couch, four armchairs, a game table, and a handful of potted plants Daria fawned over, the sunroom was Kazi’s favorite place in the house. It boasted the best view of sunrises, and the best views of Eluca’s near-daily rainstorms. 

Tonight, the storm was the worst Kazi had seen since arriving on Eluca two months ago. It wasn’t an oceanic storm, but it was close enough. 

Thunder boomed, loud enough to rattle the windows. Rain harshened its upheaval; lightning spider-webbed chaotic rictuses across the blackened sky. 

Kazi started to smile—the awe and terror of raging storms a memory buried—but the muscle movement strained. Her half-smile fell away. She wasn’t sure how long it had been since she last smiled. At least two months. Probably the day before the Purge—

“I met a man at the marketplace today.”

Kazi stiffened. From the corner of her eye, her sister approached the windows, hands clasped loosely before her stomach. A healthy distance—a meter—separated their bodies. Daria seemed to maintain the distance instinctively. Kazi both noted and despised it.

There was a time when Daria would sneak into her bed late at night. Usually scared from the storms, her sister sought refuge beneath her bed covers. She hadn’t minded. What else was a big sister for? 

Now, the distance was a physical phenomenon. Tangible; representative of the emotional distance built over the last decade. Kazi held the blame and responsibility. But she still craved the missing connection. The muffled laughter in the middle of the night; sneaky grins; warm hugs. 

Daria observed the lashing rain with a blasé countenance that belied her usual calculation. “He’s kind but also ambitious, and his financial situation is sound. I want you to meet him—”

“No.” Kazi crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ve told you, repeatedly, that I won’t entertain arranged dates—”

“This one is good,” Daria interrupted, facing her. “Give him a chance—”

“I said no.”  Kazi kept her voice quiet and controlled, refusing to yell and risk waking Neyti. “I’m too busy with work and taking care of you—”

Daria recoiled. A flash of lightning emphasized the blush staining her cheeks. Kazi bit her tongue. Her sister was sensitive to any mention of her illness. 

“I only ask that you consider meeting him.” Daria straightened, her gentle poise sharpening, like a vibroblade sparking to life. “I’d like to see you married before I die.”

Kazi bit back her annoyed groan, opting for a glare. Currently, she had three goals, and marriage was not one of them. 

The first goal was treatment for her sister’s illness. It should have been simple to accomplish, and while she had found a healer specialized in palliative care, Daria’s symptoms were still ubiquitous and worrisome. Even now sweat beaded her sister’s forehead, and her fingers spasmed unintentionally. 

The problem laid with ineffective medicine, according to Healer Natasha’s most recent report. 

“As I’ve told you,” Kazi said slowly, “I’m not interested in wasting my time on arranged dates—”

“How are you not lonely?”

Kazi scoffed. “Loneliness is not a reason to get married.”

“Maybe not,” Daria said, “but you have no one to rely on. No parents. No friends. No husband.” 

A hollow sensation gaped in her chest but Kazi ignored it. 

Daria took her silence as permission to continue. “Marriage is a necessity in life. Humans desire companionship—women desire the stability a man can bring to our lives. We’re not meant to be alone.”

Kazi took a few seconds to organize her thoughts and counterarguments. After years with a mother who shared Daria’s sentiment, she was prepared for this specific debate. 

“Marriage isn’t something you can force between two people who don’t know one another,” Kazi started, forcibly calm. “Marriage should be based on love. Not desperation or settling out of loneliness. Marriage is about two people who realize they want to share life together. Who feel life is complete when the other is in it.”

Daria snorted. “That’s quite the idealistic notion of romance I wouldn’t expect from you.”

“It’s not idealistic—”

“But it is.” Daria quirked a manicured eyebrow. “Marriage is a pact to maintain the traditions and ideals of two families, and to implement those beliefs in a future generation. It’s more than just love.”

At the condescension in her sister’s tone, Kazi gritted her teeth. She wasn’t an idealist; she preferred realism as her chosen form of analysis. But love wasn’t an idealistic notion for hopeless romantics. She had read the stories and myths. Love was attainable. Maybe not for her, but it still existed. And she refused to settle for a marriage borne out of duty rather than respect and trust and emotional connection.

The argument represented the sisters’ different lines of thinking, and Kazi couldn’t help but wonder: if their father hadn’t died when they were so young and their mother imposed Reformist teachings on an impressionable Daria, would Daria have shared Kazi’s beliefs?  

Then again, Daria was the perfect mold she was trained to be: a dutiful wife. And nothing more.

“Think about Neyti,” Daria said. “She’s a child who needs stability in her life—who needs the stability a man can provide.”

Kazi sniffed. “I don’t need a man to provide stability to Neyti’s life. I can provide it.”

“I know you feel responsible for upholding your promise to her mother,” Daria placated, “but you need to think about this situation logically. Neyti needs a family. She needs two parents. She needs emotional support and love.”

“I can be her family.” Kazi frowned at her sister. “I can raise her. I can love her. I can take care of her.”

“Oh, Kazi.” Daria gave her a sympathetic look that itched. “Do you truly believe that?”

“Yes.”

“You have no emotional capacity for a child. You can’t take care of her the way she deserves to be taken care of. Not when you’re alone.”

Kazi resisted the urge to flinch, and instead, shifted her attention to the game table where a bedraggled stuffed dog laid. The toy belonged to a six-year-old girl—a girl shoved into her arms when she was fleeing Ceaia. A child who no longer spoke and remained an enigma she couldn’t figure out. Neyti. 

The second goal was to find Neyti suitable, loving parents. Parents who could raise the sweet child in an insecure world fraught with instability and fascism. However, the goal was proving difficult. 

Entering a child into a credible adoption center required extensive documentation. Medical records, education certificates, familial-history records. Kazi didn’t even know Neyti’s last name, much less have access to any of the required documents. 

Their first week on Eluca, she enrolled Neyti in the local primary school, and she secured baseline medical tests. The medical tests proved useful for Neyti’s therapy. Still, the adoption process was slow and arduous. 

Daria wasn’t aware of Neyti’s impending adoption. She believed Kazi was committed to raising Neyti herself. It was a secret Kazi wanted to maintain. Still, Daria’s concern for her lacking competence to care for Neyti hurt. 

“I have emotions, Daria.” Her voice was too strained and Kazi grimaced, clearing away the twinge of hurt. “I’m passionate, I feel things, I experience a wide range of emotions. Just because I don’t allow them to dictate my decisions doesn’t mean I’m unfeeling and emotionless.”

 “I never said you were.” Daria waved a dismissive hand. “All I’m saying is that your emotional capacity is not sustainable nor durable for a child. You work all day; you work late into the night. You aren’t physically around much for her, and you’re too aloof to provide her the emotional stability she needs. Have you ever considered why she still doesn’t speak?”

“She’s grieving—she lost her mother two months ago,” Kazi said disbelievingly. “She needs space to grieve, and I’m not going to force her to do something she finds solace in.”

“But have you considered the possibility that she doesn’t feel comfortable or safe with you to speak?” Kazi winced at the accusation but her sister wasn’t finished. “Neyti needs emotional support, which you can’t give if you’re not physically present.”

“This conversation is over.” Kazi uncrossed her arms, fisting her hands behind her back to hide their trembling. “I’m not entertaining a marriage for the sake of a false notion of stability.”

“It’s not a false notion,” Daria argued. “You may refuse to acknowledge it in yourself, Kazi, but I see it. I see your struggles, and I know that you need someone—”

“That’s enough.” She turned away from the windows. “You don’t know me. You don’t know anything about my own wants. So don’t you dare try to pretend that you’re interested in securing me a marriage outside of your own personal goal of making me live up to Mama’s teachings.”

“That’s not what I’m trying to do—”

“It is. Just because you failed to get married and have children, doesn’t mean I want that for myself.”

Daria flinched. Disbelief wrinkled her forehead, and for a long moment, she merely stared at Kazi, as if uncertain who stood before her.

“Every woman wants to be married and have children,” Daria finally said, securing her hurt behind a well-practiced mask. “It’s in our nature.”

“You’re delusional.” Kazi ignored Daria’s affronted glare. “Forget Mama’s teachings. They did nothing to help you, and she was wrong about most things.”

“Don’t disrespect the dead.”

“I didn’t respect her when she was alive. What’s the difference now?”

“Maybe Mama was right.” Daria sneered at her. “Your access to emotions died the day Papa did.”

Kazi opened her mouth—what to say, she wasn’t sure—but two loud knocks on the front door interrupted. A signal. It was a reminder of her third and final goal: to survive the rebel network.

Relations with the rebel network were new and difficult to navigate. Kazi was indebted to them. She owed them her life—and Daria and Neyti’s lives—and for that reason, she served the network’s needs. However, the network wasn’t a benevolent entity, and being indebted to its cause rattled Kazi more than she liked to admit. 

Typically, she avoided debts. They forced her into a compromising position, allowing someone the opportunity to control her. She preferred self-reliance to kindness, and when she did indebt herself, she always paid it back quickly. 

Her father believed it a question of honor and a true demonstration of character. Her mother took a more cynical approach: “To be in someone’s debt is to give them power over you,” she once told Kazi. “Only fools put themselves in such situations.”

Sometimes she wondered how her mother would have responded to the Purge. Would the Ennari matriarch humble her obstinance to secure a means for survival? 

Whatever her mother would have decided didn’t matter. Kazi sought the network’s aid, and now she owed them. So far, she had met Eluca’s five rebels, the cohort a tight-knit group. It was one of many belonging to the larger network slowly establishing a presence in the Outer Rim. 

Kazi rarely interacted within the cohort, receiving orders from Fehr or Bash, the network’s main contacts, and acted alone. But that morning, she received a comm from Fehr asking her to join an unexpected meeting. The message left her unsettled, and her arrival at the abandoned warehouse used for most meetings heightened her consternation. 

Some days, like that morning, she questioned if she was walking into a trap, wary of Imperial stormtroopers posed for her capture. Today, only the five other rebels were present. 

“My contact has informed me that three men want to establish a safehouse out of reach of the Empire,” Fehr said. A human woman at least twenty years Kazi’s senior and the owner of one of Hollow Town’s highest employed farms, Fehr preferred brusqueness to political coyness. It was something Kazi appreciated. “Their operations will be separate from ours.”

Carinthia, a data courier for Moff Harpy of Veridian Sector and a skilled identification and chip saboteur, narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “How do you mean?” 

“These men will be running rescue-and-relocate missions.” Fehr glanced across the five other members. “They’re former employees of the Empire.”  

Kazi pursed her lips, noting the discomfort of those around her. Bash, Head Treasurer of Eluca’s national bank and a well-respected member of the Elucan government, furrowed his brows. Lore and Sparks, married pilots, shared a skeptical look.

“Former employees of the Empire can’t be trusted,” Carinthia argued, her skin eerily pale in the warehouse’s shadows.

“We trust you,” Lore said casually.

Carinthia sneered. “I never worked for the Empire—”

“But your family—”

“Is of no importance.” Carinthia swiped her hand through the air. “How do we know we can trust these men?”

“The more important question is,” Kazi interrupted, irritated by Fehr’s lack of transparency, “who are these men? You say they’re former employees, but where did they work?”

“Former intelligence workers would be nice to have,” Sparks said. Lore nodded her agreement.

Fehr took a deep breath, black eyes settling on Kazi. “These men are former soldiers.”

Kazi tensed, an unwelcome burst of panic clogging the back of her throat. Fehr wouldn’t risk the dangers of— 

“They’re clones.”

In the silence that followed Fehr’s declaration, Kazi forced herself not to react. She bit her tongue until it hurt, controlling her features and ordering her panic to calm the fuck down. She could not appear incompetent nor afraid. 

But the panic in her chest was as sharp as an electric shock. Simultaneously heart-stopping and heart-quickening. 

“Clones are loyal to the Empire,” Bash said diplomatically. 

A silky voice imbued with a calm that complimented Fehr’s usual bluntness, Bash was a difficult person to read. With bronze skin and cunning silver eyes, he and Fehr were the sole rebels indigenous to Eluca. His position within the planetary government, as well as his contacts within the rebel network, made him the most important and powerful member of the cohort. 

To learn that Bash wasn’t aware of the clones’ arrival intrigued Kazi. Similar to the Empire’s backstabbing politicking, it seemed the rebel network didn’t share all their information with each of its contacts. Kazi tucked away the information. 

“We can’t trust them,” Bash continued.

“Be reasonable, Fehr,” Carinthia said, her smile wan. “Clone allegiance is to whichever government is in control.”

Fehr straightened, and though her tone was collected, it was lined with an edge that could cut. “These men have denounced their allegiances—”

“And their allegiances could switch again.” Sparks shook his head. Even the adventurous pilot was hesitant. “If you need an example: look at the Republic.”

Agreement swept through the small group. But Fehr was staunch in her decision. 

“The clones are operating a rescue-and-relocate mission. Our paths will rarely cross, and they won’t be working planetside.” Fehr stared them down, her glare unapologetic. 

Shortly after, the meeting dissolved. Kazi made to leave but Fehr motioned for her and Carinthia to stay, the latter throwing a perplexed look at Kazi. The moment Bash left, his eyes narrowed in skepticism, Fehr faced the two women.  

“There’s more about the clones that I didn’t share with the cohort,” Fehr said. “The clones will be staying planetside.”

To her annoyance, Kazi noticed Carinthia studying her. They were similar in age, and yet their backgrounds were vastly different. Carinthia hailed from a wealthy family that lived in the Inner Rim, and her shrewd personality bordered conniving. 

“They need somewhere spacious to make their base. Somewhere far enough away from the city where they can easily hide.” Fehr squared her shoulders and stared Kazi in the eye. “I offered the men the basement.”

Kazi blinked, uncertain if she had heard correctly. 

“The basement…” Her voice hitched and she cleared her throat. “You want the clones to stay in the basement. At the house where I’m living.”

Fehr nodded.

Her hands started to tremble and Kazi clenched her jaw. Clenched it so hard she thought it might break. 

“The clones are the reason I’m on this damned planet, Fehr.” The strain in her voice was palpable but she didn’t care. Fehr was the sole rebel she considered somewhat benevolent, and this new information was a betrayal she wasn’t prepared for. “Have you forgotten that?”

“I haven’t,” Fehr said calmly. Too calmly. “But these men deserted. They don’t serve the Empire and they need a place to stay. I considered one of the apartments in town but people will be curious and could start talking. The house is an ideal location.”

The house, not your house. 

Because the house didn’t belong to Kazi. It belonged to Fehr who had gifted it to her when she first arrived on Eluca, homeless and penniless. 

The memory still rankled her. Her pride cringed at her forced reliance on another person. Her chagrin was further heightened by her financial helplessness. Years of frugality, investments, and savings were made obsolete by the rise of the Empire. 

“It’s not that awful, Kazi,” Carinthia said. “The house is large. Large enough for you three to survive cohabitation with a few clones.”

Before Kazi could respond, Fehr raised her hand. “I know your history with the clones isn’t ideal. And if you’re uncomfortable—” Carinthia released a derisive scoff that had Kazi tensing. Fehr shot the younger woman a hard look. “If it’s too much, I can look at other locations. But the basement—”

“Is ideal,” Carinthia cut in. “It’s large enough, and it connects to the communications tower. I assume that’s a necessity for them.” Carinthia twirled a crimson curl around a finger, her expression contemplative. “Eluca’s proximity to a well-plotted hyperlane, and the surgent of Imperial military bases across Veridian Sector and the Outer Rim, at large, make this planet the most effective base.”

Fehr nodded, her attention returning to a still-silent Kazi. “It’s your choice.”

Except it wasn’t. Not really. The house wasn’t even in her name—an attempt to protect her sister and Neyti. To prevent Imperial officials looking into their sudden immigration and ambiguous history. 

It was an older yet well-maintained home settled in a forgotten neighborhood five kilometers from Hollow’s Town. The neighborhood stood empty except for two other houses located a kilometer away. 

Built a century prior in the midst of a planetary civil war, the basement served as a bomb shelter. One of four designated for the neighborhood. Fortified by duracrete and buried deep in Eluca’s soil, the basement housed five bedrooms with ten bunks each, three refreshers equipped with full amenities, and a war room dedicated to military strategy. The war room was still wired to the communication tower in the capital. The only communication tower available for public use in Veridian Sector with consistent and reliable access to the Mid and Inner Rims. 

Kazi had visited the basement once. The darkness, and the knowledge that hundreds of tons of dirt could easily bury her, convinced her never to return. It was the ideal location for rescue-and-relocate missions. Which irked her.

“It’s fine.” She clasped her hands behind her back. She was indebted to Fehr, anyway. “We can make it work.”

Three more knocks, rapid and quieter, followed the first two. The completion of the signal. Kazi followed Daria through the kitchen and toward the front door, her body tensed to a point of pain. Anxiety itched her skin, like thousands of ants crawling along her spine and burrowing in her hair. 

She opened the door and then retreated a safe distance. Fehr stepped into the small entryway. Behind her, three males followed. Dark gray ponchos hid their upper bodies and hoods cast their faces in shadows. 

Kazi schooled her features into insouciance. One of the few benefits of etiquette lessons: she could control her expression. For the most part. 

Rain frizzed Fehr’s ebony hair and the older woman patted her braids, nodding at Kazi. She scanned the kitchen behind the two sisters. “Is Neyti—”

“Asleep.” Her tone was curt and she ignored Daria’s disapproving scowl. 

The older woman chuckled. “School must have been exhausting if she can sleep in this weather.”

“The thunder was louder back—” Well, it didn’t matter. 

Silence ensued, eclipsed by the echoing thunder and the rain from the clones’ ponchos dripping onto the hardwood floor. Ever the dutiful host, Daria stepped forward, her smile practiced kindness and warmth. 

The ease in her sister’s friendliness was a point of jealousy for Kazi. Growing up, she yearned to exude the same gentleness Daria effortlessly managed. She never perfected it. 

“Welcome,” Daria said. She gestured to Kazi. “We made up three of the beds downstairs and stocked the fridge with extra food.”

It was a lie. Kazi didn’t shop for the food—only Daria—and she didn’t make the beds. She lugged the sheets and pillow cases from the upstairs closet to the basement but she refused to make a bed for a grown adult. 

The clone to the left stepped forward and removed his hood. Beneath the dimmed lights in the entryway his skin was dark brown and his eyes even darker. A white scar threaded itself from his temple to his cheek. Black hair was trimmed precisely, long enough to run a hand through. He looked to be a year or two older than Kazi. Possibly twenty-eight.

“That was generous of you,” the clone said. He gestured to the two other clones. “We’re grateful for this.”

A blush darkened Daria’s cheeks and Kazi almost rolled her eyes. Her sister extended her hand and the clone accepted it. “I’m Daria, and this is my sister, Kazi.”

Kazi didn’t step forward; she didn’t offer her hand. She merely nodded. The clone assessed her for a moment, his eyes flitting from her face to Daria’s, probably noting their differences. 

Trained for society, Daria carried herself with an easy elegance. Her hair was honeyed and loosely curled. The green of her eyes was darker than the jungle after a rain shower. Hours gardening over the years had softened the curves of her body.

Unlike her sister, years of swimming left Kazi with an athletic and toned build. A body type undesired by high society Ceaian males, as she was told, repeatedly, by her instructors. 

And even though she attended the same finishing classes as Daria, she never mastered her sister’s posh demeanor. She was well-mannered and polite, but she spoke with a bluntness considered too judgmental, further heightened by the darkness of her eyes with their slashes of hazel. 

“Like a bird of prey,” her instructor for Poise and Deportment once complained to her mother.

Her mother considered her with a critical eye, and Kazi steeled herself. “I would counter: sunlight in a meadow.”  

It was one of the rare times her mother complimented her, and it had stuck with her the last seven years. To this day, her eyes remained her favorite feature.

A throat cleared and Fehr glanced at her chrono. “Kazi, Daria, let me introduce you to former commanders Cody, Wolffe, and Fox.” 

Kazi’s heart faltered. 

Commanders. The clones weren’t just soldiers. They were fucking commanders.

She shot Fehr a baleful glare. The older woman’s gaze was already on her face, and imperceptibly, she dipped her chin, acknowledgement and confirmation of Kazi’s unspoken accusation. 

The woman had known all along the clones were former commanders. She had known and had refused to mention it. 

If the situation hadn’t affected her life, Kazi would have admired Fehr’s sly play. Instead, she ignored the woman, fisting her hands tightly behind her back to hide their trembling.

The two other clones removed their ponchos. Kazi tried not to stare but the rumors were true. They were identical. Except for a few distinctive traits.

The one on the right—Commander Fox—bore a scar on his chin; his hair was similarly styled to Commander Cody’s. At her perusal, the clone arched a brow. His eyes swept across her face, in both assessment and curiosity. 

She moved her gaze to the last one. Commander Wolffe.  

He was observing her with a neutrally-controlled countenance. Narrowed eyes. Rigid shoulders. Calculated expression. 

Kazi recognized the look in his face—the subtle wariness and hardened reticence. It was the same shrewdness she practiced. One she relied on to determine genuine from disingenuous; trustworthy from unreliable. 

Emphasizing the guarded calculation in his gaze was a stark white scar. Like a bolt of lightning, it seared the skin above his right eye and slashed down to his cheek. Whatever had torn his skin must have ruined his eye, for a silver cybernetic sat in his socket.

“I have business to attend to,” Fehr said, drawing Kazi’s attention away from her analysis. The lack of explanation and the urgency in Fehr’s tone warned Kazi the ‘business’ was network-related.

Once the darkness of night swallowed Fehr’s form, Daria showed the clones to the basement. Surreptitiously hidden behind a white bookcase bereft of personable touches other than a dragon figurine and a few succulents Daria had purchased the last few weeks, the staircase to the basement was dimly lit by a buttery-yellow light. The stairs descended into a blackness thicker than the ocean’s surface on a moonless night.

Few words were exchanged. Kazi didn’t bother with false pleasantries, she left it to Daria, and soon the basement door swung back in place. The bookcase rested snugly against the white wall. Even the most observant soldier would overlook the entrance’s location.

“They seem…nice,” Daria said, shifting the pot of a vibrant blue succulent. “You could have been more inviting.”

“Why?” Kazi gave her sister a condescending smile. “Are you wanting to match me with one of them?” 

“Kazi.” Daria released an exasperated sigh. “I’m trying to help you prepare—”

“I don’t need your help. And I certainly don’t want it.” 

“Fine.” Dabbing at her forehead, Daria sniffed. “I’m sorry for caring.”

Kazi snorted. “Caring? Is that what you call this nagging?”

“I do care.” Daria started to tremble. “I have always cared and—” She cut off, pressing a palm to her temple, her face screwed in pain.

Kazi reached for Daria’s shoulder, her stomach dipping with concern. But her sister backed away. The dismissal silent yet resoundingly loud. Louder than the thunder rattling the old windowpanes. Her hand fell to her side; she tried to ignore the guilt bittering her mouth. 

Lifting her chin, Daria smoothed the fabric of her pale purple dress. She looked Kazi over once, disappointment thinning her lips, and then made her way toward the staircase opposite the bookcase. The old stairs creaked beneath her labored pace.

The moment her sister’s door clicked shut, Kazi collapsed on the bottom step, rubbing her temples. 

She didn’t want the clones here. Hell, she didn’t want to be here. On this planet. In this fucking house.

It was too much. 

Daria’s disease.

Neyti’s adoption.

Spying for the network.

Three clone commanders.

A disappointment. Incompetent. Indebted. Possibly endangered.

She looked out the kitchen windows toward a clearing sky. Eluca’s three moons peeked through the clouds like a child peering through a curtain. The urge to run—to ignore all of her problems, to avoid the responsibility—hit her. 

But she couldn’t run. Not this time. 

A/N: Next chapter release – January 11th

Pronunciations:

Kazi Ennari: kah-zee ; uh-nar-ee Daria: dar-ee-uh  Neyti: nay-tea Fehr: fare Eluca: eh-look-ah (emphasis on first syllable)  Ceaia: say-ee-uh (emphasis on second syllable)

Masterlist | Chapter 2

[adelheidvonschicksal]

Gosh, the Hawks x intern! Reader sure made me tear up :(

Like imagine him regretting not being there for her and his baby girl from the start and trying to make up for it now 😭😭💖

I was going to imagine this, but I couldn't because I ended up writing 3000 words. 😭 I just love fictional babies so much and want them to be happy, okay? I left it open-ended, so I wouldn't betray the "kick his ass" gang. I'm a weak woman 🥺 I still don't know much about him other than what Wikipedia and memes tell me but here we go!

Part One | Part Two

Hawks doesn’t think you’ll ever let him in, not that he could blame you. Every time you see him, your expression hardens, pretty eyes narrow into a glare, nostrils flare, breathing heavy. His only bright light during your last exchange is that you wait three seconds before slamming the door in his face rather than the usual zero.

Oh, he’s definitely softening you up. Not.

It’s been a month now that he’s been at this, and he is starting to wonder if this entire thing is worth the headache. All he’s accomplished so far is bothering you with his requests to talk. Then, he remembers the little angel that you have with you and thinks it’s worth the headache.

At first, he had ignored your previous exchange that day at the park and the nagging feeling in the corner of his mind upon seeing the two of you. Until that same feeling started to weigh on his heart. He quickly realizes what those feelings were. Guilt and regret at not taking another path with the high schooler he so carelessly took advantage of and impregnated.

If he had, he could be annoying Endeavor about his cute little wife right about now.

Hawks feels a bit like Icarus flying too close to the sun and now sinking in a turbulent ocean of his own making. Instead of drowning, the world decides to throw him a lifeline as the receptionist patches a call through to him.

His heart jumps when he hears you on the other side, resistant but succumbed in your plea, “I need your help.”

The very next day you arrive at the agency, a small hand latched in your own as you stand in the middle of his office. You didn’t want to be here. The thought of being in the same place where your daughter was conceived with the same man who left you makes you antsy. You can’t believe you actually let Fumikage talk you into this.

You remember that phone conversation.

Your daughter’s quirk had been coming in full force, so fast you didn’t know how to handle it. You hoped that Tokoyami would have been able to help her control it since he trained with the very person she received her quirk from much longer than you had and that he was part avian himself.

“Please, Fumi. It’s getting worse,” you begged over the phone. “She accidentally hurt a few of the kids at school. No. No. They’re fine, some cuts and a little shook up, but fine. They won’t let her back in until she gets it under control though, so please.”

“I told you there’s not much else I can do. The best solution would be to go to the person with the same quirk.”

He’s right. He’s absolutely right, but you don’t want to rely on someone like that man especially now. What if he ended up hurting her?

“I don’t want to do that.”

“I know you don’t, but he’s been trying to contact you, right? So I'm sure he'd do it if you asked.”

“Yeah…” You growled. “I swear if he makes one smart-ass remark, I might kill him in front of her.”

“Remember it’s not for you. Although, I don’t think you could kill him even if you tried.”

“If we combined our strength…”

“No,” Tokoyami immediately shot down.

You sighed. “I’m only joking. Do you have the number to the agency still?”

Now you’re here, watching the very man who abandoned you kneel down to your daughter’s eye level. Hawks couldn’t believe he’s actually seeing her. It’s a bit exciting to see how much bigger she’s gotten in such a short time with big fat wings at her back holding way more feathers than she can probably deal with.

“So, this is the special girl,” he says. She shies away from him, hiding behind your leg for protection. “Come on out, Baby Bird, you don’t have to be scared of me.”

Slowly, she peeks from behind you, fingers still clutched in your pants leg, and Hawks smiles.

“There you are. Did your mommy tell you who I am?”

“You’re her and uncle Toko’s old teacher, and you’re going to help me control my quirk.”

“That’s right. You just turned five, right? That’s when a lot of quirks can get kind of hectic.”

“Yeah. I had a birthday party with Elsa last month.”

Hawks’ smile falters for a second as he thinks he doesn’t know exactly what day her birthday is. At least now he knows the month. Quickly, he’s back to normal to keep an air of happiness in the situation. “You know I know a lady that looks a bit like Elsa. She has ice powers like her too,” Hawks says, having grown a little closer to the number one hero's family as he tried to figure out what to do about his own family situation.

When her eyes widen, Hawks knows he has her hook, line, and sinker. She throws her initial shyness to the wind in exchange for excitement. “She does? Can I meet her?”

“I’m sure we could make that happen. If not, her son has an ice quirk, too. I’m sure he’d show you.”

The young girl smiles at him, but Hawks notices her vision drifting to something else. Cautiously, her tiny hand stretches out to him, making him nervous as to what she’s doing, before chubby fingers clutch around the edge of his wing, squeezing into his feathers. “They’re pretty,” she mumbles.

“Want one?” he asks, and she nods.

“This is my birthday present for you, don’t lose it,” he says, offering her a single long feather from the back of his wings. She clutches it to her chest tightly, a happy smile plastered on her face.

Then, you interrupt.

“Baby, mama has to run some errands, but she’ll come right back to pick you up when the clock says twelve. You remember how that looks like, right?”

“It’s a 1 and a 2,” she says, bringing up her hands to show you.

Hawks decides to walk you out as your daughter sits in his office chair, twirling around his feather in her hand. He isn’t sure what to say to you now that he has you near him. Should he thank you for bringing her? Or would that only serve to piss you off since it’s not like you wanted to do this by choice?

“Hawks,” you say, bringing him out his thoughts. “There’s one more thing before I go.”

“What is it?”

“Don’t tell her,” you order. “Don’t you dare tell her.”

His chest squeezes at that but he can understand why you wouldn’t want her to know that information when the two of you aren’t even on speaking terms outside this issue. He didn’t want to do anything to make the situation worse either, so he brings his fingers to his mouth and zips his pinched thumb and index finger across his lips. “I’ll make sure mine and anyone else’s lips are sealed if they want to keep their job,” he calmly reassures you, always calm and carefree so you wouldn’t think that your rejection is successfully deterring him.

From then on, you drop your daughter off at his office twice a week to get a better handle on her powers. You didn’t stay long aside from that, but Hawks likes the small moments when all three of you are in the same room together.

The hero can be thankful that at least one of his girls likes him. His Baby Bird quickly attached herself to him, always pattering after his footsteps like a shadow, and always asking if he’d hold her hand, a smile forming whenever he engulfed her smaller one. He even keeps his promise to let her see Rei, or Elsa as Baby Bird so passionately refers to her, now that the woman is out of the hospital.

He thinks that if that family can recover from what happened then his shouldn’t be much different as long as he keeps trying to put in the effort and not step on your toes too much.

It isn’t long before Baby Bird begins to get a hang of her powers. At least enough that she wouldn’t be hurting anyone at school. Hawks had hoped you would still allow him to train her past that point though, but you quickly told him that she wouldn’t be returning to the agency when she reached that point.

He was sad to hear it of course, but he didn’t want to cause what little progress he made to be broken even if he really wanted to see her fly at least a few inches before she left. She’s been getting into the habit of jumping instead of walking to practice like he used to do. Although, she resembles more of a bouncy frog than a bird, to be honest.

He watches, amused, as she bounces along next to him in the hallway.

“You’ve gotten good at that,” he compliments, drawing her attention upwards.

“I’ve been practicing lots at home, but I’m not that good yet. Will you teach me how to fly like you do tomorrow?” she asks.

“No, Baby Bird. Didn’t your mommy tell you that we’re done with training after today?”

She hangs her head down, her bouncing stopping as she drags her feet. “…Yes,” she answers, letting his arm go lax as she releases his hand. Hawks pauses, watching as she draws her hands to her waist and anxiously bunches and twists the bottom of her shirt, and Hawks throat goes dry as she asks with glossy eyes, “Daddy, why doesn’t mommy like you?”

He’s completely silent, wondering exactly when she figured it out or if someone in the office had told her, let alone told her the fact that you didn’t like him. Well, he guesses it doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. “How do you know to call me that?"

“Yesterday, my teacher told us that we inhe-inhe-inherent our quirk from our parents. I remember you said Elsa and her son had the same quirk, and you have big wings like mine and can make your feathers move.”

Hawks smiles. She’s a sharp one to piece it together in a day. “Your teacher is right. I bet you’ve never seen anyone else that looks quite like us.”

“No,” she answers, sniffling. “I don’t want to go home. I want to stay and play with you. Mommy is so mean to you. I hate her!”

Hawks cups her chin in his hand, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Look at me. Don’t talk about your mommy like that. It’s my fault she always gets upset when I’m around. I was mean and bullied her a lot, so if you’re mad, be mad at me. I’m the reason we can’t play together more.”

She sniffs again but it isn’t enough to stop the globs of tears running down her cheeks. “When we saw you at the park, mommy started crying when we went home. I didn’t know why she did.”

Hawks knows why. The reason you’re always so angry at him is because of the hurt you still hold inside for what he did to you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have cried. The opposite of love is indifference as they say, and he knows it’s true because he had been indifferent to the pain he caused ever since the day you came to him with weepy eyes and shaking arms as you told him you were pregnant. You had been scared, and he told you to deal with it.

Hawks scowls. He’s starting to feel sick.

"If you make someone cry, you should say sorry."

Hawks smiles. “I know, baby. I'll apologize to your mama, and I’m going to try my best to make it up to her, and you, too. I’m not going to make either of you cry anymore. Then, when she forgives me, we’ll play together again.”

She looks to him, a small glimmer of hope. “You promise?”

Hawks chuckles and grins at her, the same charming expression that made you fall for him in the first place. He holds out his hand. “Even better. I pinky promise,” he says and confidently hooks her finger with his. “Repeat after me: birds of a feather stick together.”

“Birds of a feather stick together.”

“That’s my girl,” he praises before dropping her hand to pet her head. “I think we might have a little time for me to teach you something before your mommy gets here.”

At the end of the day, Hawks is already waiting for you at the front steps of the agency as your call pulls into parallel park at the sidewalk. You step out and walk towards the steps, but your daughter meets you halfway by hopping over them, her wings flapping to hover before she falls back down onto her feet.

You smile at her. You can’t believe she’s actually flying, at least a little that is, but your surprise is ruined when she cheers. “Mommy, look at what daddy taught me,” she says, bouncing to show you her new hovering skills. “Are you looking? Are you looking?”

“Yes, I’m looking. You’re so good at that. You need to show me more when we get home,” you say but to be honest it’s the last thing on your mind as you glance over to Hawks. “Baby, why don’t you go sit in the car, and I’ll be right there.”

Hawks watches as she obediently follows your instructions, turning her back and happily hopping towards the vehicle.

“(Name), I-” Hawks says, unsure what to expect when your angry glare turns back on him. It isn’t until his yellow visors are already clicking against the pavement that he realizes you hit him. He hisses at the sting on his cheek. “That actually kind of hurt. I guess I had it coming, but I’m not really sure what I did at least recently,” he tries to play off, but you aren’t having it.

“You told her, you told her,” you keep repeating, and he’s backing away in case you decide to strike him again. “Are you trying to get her on your side?”

“Not in the way you’re thinking, and I didn’t tell her,” Hawks explains. “She pieced it together on her own. She’s sharper than you think, she can see that we look alike when she looks in a mirror, and she knows how quirks work. That’s more than enough for her to tell.”

His explanation is enough for you to halt in your assault, and you angrily huff under your breath. You don’t shift to leave, and there’s no door for you to slam away. He finally has you available. “So, what do you want to do now?” he asks.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean she knows; and honestly, I’m glad she does,” he confesses. “I wouldn’t mind seeing her again if you’d let me.”

Hawks swallows his anxiety as he waits for you to answer. Your eyes shift from him back to where she sits in your car, fiddling with the toys obviously left to clutter in the back before you look back at him, thinking.

“She does seem to like you…for some reason,” you add distastefully, but you know full well how happy training makes her. How her little smile beamed when she fluttered over those steps. How the word daddy came from her so sweetly. “She always likes talking about you after she spends the day here. You make her happy. But that’ll just make it harder for her when you leave ag-“

“I won’t,” he cuts off.

“How do I know that?”

“You don’t but I promise not again. (Name), I’m sorry. I’m sorry for telling you to go away like a burden and for not being there. You must’ve been scared, but I won’t leave either of you alone from now on even if you don’t want me there. I’ll be there if you need me.”

“Drop it. I’m not a part of this,” you tell him.

He knows that you’re rejecting his apology, but his ears can pick up what others can’t. He can hear those soft inflections in your voice right before you harden it into aggression, the slight stutter that you so cleverly thought you hid from him as you nearly fumbled your words, a little glimpse of a teenage girl with a crush on her sensei. “Not yet but do know I plan on trying until I make you fall for me all over again. I miss your cute little face when I'd smile at you.”

You glare. “Say that again, and I will smack you in your "cute little" face.”

"You already did that, but if it makes you feel better go ahead, I can take it if it helps you forgive me.”

He just didn’t expect you to actually take him up on the offer. This time, it’s the other cheek that burns.

“You’re right. That did make me feel better,” you say, smirking as you shake the sting from your hand. Hawks grunts, rubbing his jaw as you begin to walk towards your car. He bends down to pick up his shades before following close behind. You open the driver’s door, and say, “I expect you to pick her up at 9 tomorrow. If you’re late, don’t bother showing up ever again.”

Hawks smirks. You certainly became aggressive these past few years, but he thinks he kind of likes it. As you get in your car, he notices Baby Bird smiling at him from the window, her hand up and clutched around that birthday feather he gifted to her as she waves him off.

He’ll definitely be there on time.

[icerosecrystal]

The Love We Give To You

Mominette Month 2021

Day 02: Signs of Affection

Masterlist

Author's Note: Hey everyone! Day 2 was a lot of fun to write! I hope you guys enjoy it! Also, to make sure that no one is confused, I wanted to let you all know that this is not a continuation of Day 1.

It has been three months since Marinette married Bruce and became a part of the Wayne family. Bruce's and Marinette's had a great relationship. Bruce showed affection through cuddles and kisses. Not that he would ever admit to doing it. Alfred and Marinette had bonded over their love of baking, cooking, and mother-henning the children. They showed their affection when they offered to help each other. Whether it be with work in the kitchen or little hobbies. All of the children loved Marinette and showed their affection for her in various ways.

Dick loved hugs. The moment he spotted Mari in the room, he would bound over to her, a smile on his face, and squeeze the life out of her. She would always let out one of her tinkling laughs in response before returning the enthusiastic hug.

Tim liked to give her hugs and kiss her cheek in greeting. But for him, it was more his actions than anything. He would get her a cup of coffee and then babble to her about really anything. In turn, Marinette would patiently listen, adding her input when necessary.

For Jason, he didn't appreciate physical affection as much as his other siblings, but he still would allow some of it, but only ever from Mari. Jason would show his appreciation for Mari every time he helped her out with whatever she was doing. He would sometimes talk about he was feeling also. But his favorite part would be when Mari would indulge in his thrill-seeking activities with him. He loved that she didn't try to change anything about him, and he always did the same for her. He even tried to make a leather jacket with her help.

Cass liked connecting with people on a soulful level. So she would usually sit by Mari when she was designing something and meditate or even only watch her work. They would also meditate together at times. Due to Cass being born into the League of Shadows, she found a lot of physical affection to be strange. But she sometimes did hug Mari.

Stephanie was as enthusiastic with her affection as Dick was. She would bounce over and hug Mari every time she entered the room. She would also constantly cling to Mari and would urge her to make waffles with her.

All of Mari's new children showed her different signs of affection except for Damian. She didn't think that Damian should be as blatant with his love for her, but she wanted even the slightest bit of confirmation that he loved her.

A Week Later

Damian flopped down onto his bed in misery. He had just witnessed another hug session between Dick and Mari. Damian wanted that same love, but he was confused about what to do. He felt like he was betraying his birth mother by trying to show Mari love, even if Talia wasn't the best mother ever. Besides, why would Mari even want a former assassin child as her kid? She's probably happy with the rest of them. At least they were somewhat ordinary. Even Cass, the only other one that had only ever been an assassin, was a lot more passive than him.

He continued to mope about his problems before he suddenly had an epiphany! What if he tested her? He needed to make sure that she was worth loving. And so, the next day, when everyone but Marinette, Alfred, and himself was out of the house, he went to the Batcave. He then started sparring against some dummies. He was hoping that Mari would attempt to bond with him and offer to spar with him. And sure enough, after a few minutes of sparring on his own, a melodic voice behind him called, "Damian? Why are you sparring on your own?"

Damian, in turn, replied, "I had nothing better to do. Would you like to join me? I could teach you."

He watched as her face lit up with unspoken happiness before she stepped onto the mat. They both positioned themselves into a starting position for the spar. He then counted them down, "Three, two, one, go!"

He had barely uttered the words before Mari ducked down low, whipped her leg out, and swung it towards him, hooking the back of his ankle with her foot. The action resulted in him falling to the floor. He quickly jumped up and kicked her leg from behind, causing her to hit the ground. Before he could tackle her, she rolled on the ground and jumped up, punching him as she went. He quickly recovered from the hit and followed with his own, which she caught and flipped him over, putting him back on the floor once more. Before he even got the chance to try and get up, she clambered over him, putting him into an armbar hold. And with that, Mari had officially won the spar.

Damian stared at her in awe as she climbed off him, beaming in excitement. Mistaking his silence and awe for embarrassment and hostility, Marinette frantically tried to make him feel better, "I am so sorry, Damian! I didn't mean to be so aggressive! I know that you wanted to teach me, but I already knew how to fight! But I thought that I would pretend that I didn't! But you were giving me a challenge, and I accidentally started treating it as a real fight! You are an amazing fighter! I am so, so sorry–"

Before she could continue with her spiel, Damian interrupted her with a whisper, "You're awesome." Realizing what he said, he ducked his head, attempting to hide the blush that had made its way onto his cheeks. He quickly gave Mari a tight-lipped smile before running to his room, ignoring Alfred's questioning gaze. He had to think. Right now!

He quickly slammed the door and leaned his head against it. Okay. Things that he had learned today. Number one, Mari knew how to fight. Number two, She knew how to fight very well. Number three, Marinette was awesome. Number four, she was much better than his mother could ever hope to be. And number five, he wanted Mari to be his mom! And he knew how to do it.

Two Weeks Later

It had been two weeks since the spar between Mari and Damian, and much had changed since then. And everyone in the family knew it. But no one, except for Marinette and Damian, knew why.

The first thing that changed was Damian's attitude towards Marinette. Before, he would try his best to never be in the presence of his stepmother. But now, he didn't mind. Everyone could tell that he would try to delay his time spent with her. Not many people would realize it, but the Wayne family wasn't just everybody.

What changed next was how he responded to her words. Before, he would roll his eyes, ignore her, or huff. But now, he would still grumble, but it was always half-heartedly. And one time, they caught him smiling at Mari. The dramatic gasp that Dick let out didn't help anyone in figuring out what was going on.

Then he started doing little things, like pecking her cheek before he left for school. He would smile at her, give her a tiny compliment, paint while she designed. They were such small actions, but every time Damian did them, Marinette's heart swelled with happiness. She was in disbelief that Damian was showing his love for her! Yes, he wasn't as blatant about it as his siblings, but he still did it, and that made her all the happier.

But the day that things finally changed completely was when Damian Al-Ghul Wayne walked up to Marinette Dupain-Cheng and cuddled her. It was an ordinary Saturday. Everyone was up early except for Damian. But then Damian came in yawning and looked around. He saw Mari sitting on the couch stitching something. Damian trudged over to her and sat down next to her. He put his legs up on the couch and buried his face into her chest. Marinette smiled gently at his actions and put down her sewing things before putting her arms around him. She then started stroking his hair, and as if he was part cat, he preened at the attention and pressed his head to her hand in want of more strokes. Damian then mumbled, almost incoherently, "I love you, Ummi. You're amazing."

Marinette stopped stroking his hair in shock, and Damian looked to her worriedly, thinking that she was mad with his declaration. But instead, her face broke into a huge smile, and she hugged him tightly, breathing out, "I love you too, Dami."

All while this was happening, the rest of the Wayne family looked at the pair in awe. Finally, Jason spoke, breaking everyone out of their stares, "When did this happen?! And what did happen?!"

Damian looked over at Jason with a scowl and said, "I found out two weeks ago that Ummi is amazing. She beat me in a spar. Now, she's my Ummi, and none of you imbeciles can take her away from me!"

Everyone except the pair continued to be bewildered over the situation. That was when Dick spoke up, "Ummi?"

Damian looked ready to murderer them for not allowing him to cuddle with his Ummi, but all the same, he replied, "I heard a lot of children call their mothers 'Ummi' in the league, or at least in private. But Mother never permitted me to do the same, alone or in public. She said that I was the heir of the league and should, therefore, be as nonsensical as possible. But now that I have Mari, I finally have someone to call Ummi."

By the end of his speech, Marinette looked to be close to tears, and everyone else was looking at him in surprise. Marinette started clinging onto him, whispering, "I love you so much, mon cheri. I'll always be there for you."

Damian blinked back tears and clung back, saying, "I know you will. I am your favorite anyways." When Damian saw his siblings realize what he said, he jumped off his Ummi's lap and ran out of the room. Behind him, a herd of footsteps was heard, along with shouting from each of the children (except Cass). Each of them trying to convince him as to why he was wrong and why they were the favorite.

Back in the living room, Alfred had left to give Marinette and Bruce some alone time. Marinette beckoned Bruce over to sit beside her. She pecked his mouth before seeing the adoring stare. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "And what is it that you are staring at?"

Bruce pulled her closer, inhaling her jasmine scent, and mumbled, "Oh, nothing. Just looking at my beautiful wife that I can't believe I managed to marry."

Marinette flushed a deep red before punching his arm, "Sap."

"Your sap," he retorted back.

"Yes, my sap," she whispered before giving him a deep kiss.

As Bruce pulled away from her, he mumbled against her lips, "Besides, we all know I'm your favorite."

Marinette smirked before saying, "Oh, I don't know. Your son seems to be just as charismatic as you."

"Exactly–," Bruce started saying before he realized what she said. "Hey! Come back here you!" Marinette giggled as he chased after her trying to tickle her.

The rest of the family came into the room, trying to find the cause of the noise. But they stopped at the scene of their parents laughing together on the ground. Dick then yelled, "Cuddle time," and jumped onto his parents, the rest of the kids, even Alfred joining.

As they all laughed together, Marinette looked at every member of her new family. They were all so different, and that was what made them unique. Even their signs of affection were unique to themselves. But at the end of the day, she knew that they loved her and that she loved them. And that was all that mattered.

2011 words

Day 2 is done! And on time! I wonder how long that'll last!

~ ❄ Crystal ❄

@mominettemonth

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[keigelsss]

A Super Sweet Secret - Gojo Satoru

Merry late Christmas ya filthy animals ;)

Mega thirst moment based on this post and I think it just fits this fucker so well. I wrote part of this at 3am and I hate it so much ... fellow Gojo fuckers come get ya food.

Warnings: 18+, my shitty writing, language, mentions of alcohol, Gojo using infinity (had to do it on em), smut, DIRTY TALK, fingering, oral *fem receiving, overstim, squirting, uh… the pet names are super self-indulgent too oops, literally every grammatical error you can think of (please let me know if I missed any warnings I don’t wanna upset anyone or make anyone uncomfy. That being said minors pls DNI!! I don't feel like blocking anyone today)

Word count: 2.25k (i do be getting carried away)

How do you go about explaining your current situation to the higher-ups if you get caught with him? Do you tell them that, instead of getting pointers on how to guide students down the right path, you’ve been indulging in some very explicit acts with the man who is supposed to show you the ropes? No. That’s not right either but in all honesty, it would have been a lost cause from the get-go. Gojo Satoru is the least traditional in his teaching methods and is without a doubt a troublemaker but his antics are a part of what makes him so charming. It’s that same charm that finally made you cave and accept a coffee date with him on the next day you both had off. 

You don’t know exactly when it happened but little by little those morning coffee dates turned into mid-day snack runs, then dinner and overindulging in desserts at the other’s house. Everything took an unexpected turn when you went a bit overboard on the sake one night. The next morning you woke up naked on your couch, the sun in your face, a pounding headache and a large man clinging to your body like a koala. As much as you wanted to maintain a professional relationship between the two of you, it was so hard to not crave another taste of him. He couldn’t resist you either, one bite and he kept coming back for more. 

You two are definitely going to get into some serious trouble for this.

After stressful days of exorcising curses Gojo likes to unwind with a sweet treat from his local bakery and you by his side. He’ll find it ridiculously adorable if you have a bigger sweet tooth than he does. On the walk back to his house, you both snag a pastry from the bag of goodies and laugh at the other for not being able to wait until you reached your destination. The two of you arrive shortly after but Gojo decided he wasn’t entirely satisfied...

“Hey, sugar?” he asked while removing his sunglasses, his eyes entirely focused on your movements. You started to place what was left of the little cakes in a dish that was used specifically for the sweet treats of the day, he quickly recalled how you made fun of him for the fancy crystal platter but he admitted to being a bit extra like that. “What’s up trouble?” He let out a soft chuckle and got closer, wrapping his arms around your shoulders leaning down to rest his chin on top of your head. “Trouble? That couldn’t be me.” you placed the cover back on the platter and put your hands on his arms settling back into him slightly. “You only call me ‘sugar’ when you want something from me, so what is it?” 

Now that was true, he had a list of pet names for you that he liked to pull out for certain occasions and you caught onto that quickly. It’s really not fair at all how he can make innocent words sound so damn sinful when he wanted to tease you. You turned to face him now, his hands resting on either side of you. He leans down and places a feather-soft kiss on your lips, so soft it’s almost like he’s not making full contact with you.

“I thought we didn't do those things when it was just us together like this?” Your eyes fluttered open and he came back in for a real kiss, his hot tongue lingering lazily on your bottom lip but not enough to excite you. He does that on purpose. “I know but it’s just the thought of it, I can tell you're thinking about it too.” He reached for the dessert dish and picked up a small cream filled pastry, he took a bite and offered you the other half. You knew it wasn’t an accident when he got the filling on your lip and chin. He used his thumb to clean up the mess he made then licked it clean, he is actually evil but even if you do hate him sometimes you can’t find it in you to resist him. 

“C’mon Y/n, don't you think it would be interesting to try while I go down on you? Just a little bit?” You bit your lip at the thought and he was already excited for your answer. He was right, the idea of him between your legs, devouring you but not quite. Being able to feel everything between the two of you but not making an actual connection. it ignited a small fire within you. 

“We can try it once but I can’t promise that I'll like it.” 

Truthfully that was all he needed to hear before he began to strip you of your clothes, leaving you completely naked. His large hands began exploring your body, grabbing onto any dip and curve he can find while placing sloppy kisses on your neck. He used both hands to get a firm grip of your ass, lifting you onto the cold marble countertop, you let a small moan escape you at the feeling and he placed a wet kiss on your lips. Tugging on the fabric of his long sleeve you brought it up and off revealing his defined upper body, you could drool if you didn't have some self control. “Satoru not too much okay? It’ll drive me crazy when all I want is to feel you.” The whimper that fell from your pretty mouth was almost enough to make Gojo cum in his pants, you swore you saw hearts glowing in his bright blue eyes. “Don't worry princess only a little bit. Besides you know my sweet girl always gets what she wants.” 

If there was anything that came close to what you picture heaven was like, it would definitely be the equivalent to Gojo’s strong, slender fingers expertly rubbing your folds. He always found every sweet spot and applied the perfect amount of pressure without you having to say a word. 

“Baby, did I make you this wet?” He used his thumb to spread your slick around, creating a delightful rhythm on your clit. Hips trembling when he grazed that one spot that practically had you gushing for him.

“Yes! It was yo- oh fuck that feels so good!” you leaned forward, resting your head on his chest, admiring the way his fingers looked so mesmerizing covered in the pretty shine of your juices. “You know you're the sweetest thing ever right? So damn delicious. I can spend hours between these sexy thighs of yours.” His breath is hot on the tip of your ear and that smooth voice sends shockwaves throughout your entire body. His free hand wrapped around your thigh and gripped below your knee, shifting the angle at which his fingers were exploring your overly sensitive hole. 

“Are you gonna let me make you cum with my mouth? Let me taste how sweet you are?” his lips started to trail the sides of your neck down to your chest. He left a series of kisses on each breast, sucking lightly on your stiff and sensitive nipples. “Ah Satoru please! I want- Ooh want your tongue.”  He licked a stripe across your tummy then placed a soft kiss on your belly button, he moved your thighs once more and found a position comfortable for the two of you. Your legs resting nicely on his shoulders while he rubbed circles on your hips and waist. “Look at this gorgeous pussy,” a soft kiss on your inner thigh. “So pretty.” another kiss on your swollen clit, you couldn't help but arch your back off the counter, grabbing a handful of his soft hair. He nibbled on your thigh and a sharp whine fell from you. “Remember to behave sweetheart, I'm supposed to be going easy on you.” His chuckle vibrated against your hot mound and you let out a sigh, releasing some tension from your hands on his head, allowing him to do what he wanted with your body. 

Gojo’s tongue seemed to have a mind of its own, curling and sucking at the special spot that only he knew about with perfect accuracy. The buzzing sensation that you normally felt when he's down there was reduced to an incomplete static, like your nerves weren’t fully receiving the information of his movements. Now that? That was different. It really was infinity… a barrier he controlled entirely, the rolling of his tongue feeling more like a whisper of pleasure that was everything and nothing at the same time. You were right to think it would drive you crazy but in the most euphoric way possible. “Oh my god it feels s-so good! P-please don’t stop baby I’m so fucking close.” 

The large kitchen was filled with desperate sounds of pleasure and the soft squelching of Gojo’s fingers inside your quivering cunt. This feeling was new but you were instantly hooked. It didn't take long for you to fall over that glorious edge with a broken moan of his name and a string of curses, making little to no sense at all. A deep groan erupts from his chest as he takes in every drop of your release in satisfaction. His gaze found your blissed out expression and he decided to ease up on that invisible veil between you, fingers slipping from your tight whole. You clenched around nothing and the loss of his fingers filling you was enough to nearly make you cry. 

“That‘s my favorite flavor right there sweetheart.” he spent some time admiring the way you looked coming down from your high. The rise and fall of your breasts with every breath paired alongside the slight shaking in your limbs from how intense the orgasm was. You're a work of art to him, truly, especially like this. Opening your eyes you find his stupid gorgeous face resting on your thigh, licking his lips simply enjoying your taste. You ran your fingers through his hair one more time before softly squishing his face with your legs, letting out a breathless giggle while regaining some grasp on reality. “I w-want more, but let me feel all of you for fucks sake!” 

He instantly obliged, diving right back in, using only his tongue, setting a languid pace. His animalistic groans against your over sensitive pussy were a telling sign that he was enjoying himself, probably ridiculously hard in the confines of his jeans. The thought of his cock deep inside of you was enough to get you shamelessly turned on all over again. If it weren't for his hands on your hips, rubbing easing circles into your soft skin, you would be a convulsing mess on the hard marble beneath you. A dull ache was beginning to form in your lower back, but you could care less. Gojo's tongue was working wonders on that delectable bundle of nerves of yours. His hands started trailing upwards and fondling your breasts, your spine arching under his touch as he pinched your nipples. You both made eye contact and he could tell that you were close to another release, your entire body was starting to shake. “Ye-yeah baby I’m gonna f-fucking cum.” his tongue never relenting on you. You were on the verge of screaming, your thighs were probably strangling him at this point.

“Mhm my little honeypot. Are you gonna make a mess?” he growled delicately against you.

That was also new but holy shit it had your brain short circuiting. Honeypot?! Damn you really could make a mess and that was exactly what you did. His relentless attack on your clit was blinding but so fucking delicious you didn't want it to end. You squirted all over his face, covering his neck and chest with a stream of your juices. The added stimulation of his abilities, and the shock of this new pet name clearly having an impact on your intense orgasm. it could possibly be the best you've experienced. He was aware of that fact as well. “I love when you do that.” honestly you did too. The aftershock of it all had you both mesmerized, your body just a quaking mess, panting and moaning. You struggled a bit to get air back into your lungs but Gojo's hands squeezed on your waist reassuringly. Your hips were beginning to relax and he once again found a place to momentarily rest his head on your thighs. 

He huffed a small howl of amusement. You could instantly tell what he was so giddy about. “So? Honeypot?” you questioned him, not in a judging manner but out of curiosity and excitement. “It kind of just came out of me in the moment.” You couldn't help but laugh at his answer, a fitting response. You took a second to relish in the sight of your cum and his sweat tracing his brow. It will forever remain a mystery on how you managed to get so addicted to the world’s biggest pain in the ass, but here you were. 

That evil little smirk made another appearance on his face while he brought himself up to  kiss you, the taste of yourself was very much present on his tongue and soft lips, you screeched in excitement. He swiftly lifted you off the counter and began his trek towards his bedroom. 

“Are you maybe just a bit more curious on what else I can do to that pretty body of yours?”

yeah this is trash uh if you read this sorry for the lack of seasoning in your food

tags: @bobabybo @ibukiirisha

[what---i-dated-a]

Okay so I didn’t wanna derail this post because I think it’s a really good analysis of Parker’s character and her development into the Mastermind but it DID make me think of something and y’all know how I love to analyze and to go on my Nate Is Such A Dad rants so here we are

So the thing is, all three of the younger members of the team showcase different aspects of the Mastermind skillset.

Eliot is an observer, he is constantly absorbing information, analyzing it, filing it away in case it could be useful later. The repetition of ”What? It’s a very distinctive (blank)” and “What? I dated a (profession)” or similar lines are consistent evidence of this skill. He remembers things that the average person doesn’t even notice in the moment. He is constantly aware of what is going on around him, constantly watching. He knows how to insert himself into a situation as needed, knows how to adapt to unexpected circumstances. His vigilance and ability to think on his feet mirror Nate.

I’ve said it before, Hardison is the heart of the crew. He’s the one who cares. They all care, of course, but Hardison wears that on his sleeve. He’s invested. He digs deep into every case that they come across, dives into every job, does the research, forms the profiles, gets hands-on and involved even from behind his computer screen. (As an aside, I think it’s an interesting choice to take the character who has the least reason to be in the field, and make him the most visibly emotional person on the crew, rather than playing the ‘cold detached tech guy’ card.) Because he cares so much (and a little because of his ego, let’s be honest), Hardison doesn’t quit. He sees things through. Just like Nate.

Parker, meanwhile, is analytical. She’s a planner. She spends her free time plotting how to break into high security facilities for fun. Like the post I linked says, she’s the one who thinks of the details the others don’t remember to worry about. She’s (usually) able to set her emotions aside and look at things from an objective perspective. She sees the obstacles in front of her, and figures out if she needs to go over, under, through, etc. She is constantly treating the world around her as a puzzle she needs to solve. Again, a trait she shares with Nate.

And Nate is, yes. A dad. More to the point, he’s a dad with no child, a parent who lost his son, and he has no one to pass his knowledge and wisdom on to. That was taken from him. So what does he do? He finds surrogate children in his crew, and he teaches the three of them as best he can. He offers them advice, tries to help them improve and be the best they can be. Gives them little lessons and nudges them along, sets puzzles in front of them and helps them solve them. Because that’s what good dads do, and Nate is a good dad.

So then, what makes Parker the heir? It’s not that she was inherently more suited for the position than the others; they all had different traits that made them capable of ascending to that particular throne.

The difference is that Eliot and Hardison, for the most part, feel like Complete People. (I mean in their own perception, mind, not the perception of the audience, all the characters are beautifully well-rounded from a writing perspective, and no character is every really truly Complete.) They have their area of expertise, and while they dabble in other areas, they aren’t bothered by the role they play. Both of them are confident in who they are as a person, if not always happy with it (both have their fair share of anxiety and neither thinks that they’re perfect, far from it).

Hardison makes a couple of forays into stretching beyond his current abilities, but he gets in over his head and it sort of bites him in the ass. Considering how smart he is, I have to wonder if he has some of that Gifted Kid Syndrome, where if he’s not instantly perfect at something, he doesn’t want to do it. Because he tries at running things and seems to more or less decide he’s happy doing what he does.

Eliot, meanwhile, is too protective of the others to worry about being in charge. He doesn’t want to lead; if he’s in the lead, he can’t watch their backs. He teaches them a lot so that they can hopefully defend themselves if he’s not there, but at the end of the day, there’s no one he trusts more to protect them than himself. He’ll take charge when he needs to, but he’s more than happy to hand it back as soon as possible.

Parker, though? Parker doesn’t think she’s a Complete Person. She’s confident in her skills, but not much else. She’s uncomfortable with people and constantly being made aware of the fact that she’s Not Quite Normal. There’s nothing wrong with the person she is, of course, but try telling that to the people who keep giving her weird looks (including Eliot, he’s not getting off the hook for that one). She knows she’s different, and while she’s okay with who she is on a certain level, she also feels like she’s missing out on things, some of which she decides that she does, in fact, want.

So when Nate goes to teach, Eliot and Hardison learn what they need to, file that information away to pull out when it’s relevant, and more or less carry on with their business. But Parker absorbs it and makes it a part of herself. You can see, as the show progresses, how she goes from asking Nate questions just because she’s trying to solve The Puzzle That Is Nate, to asking him questions because she wants to solve the same puzzle he’s solving. Eliot and Hardison view Nate as an ally, a teammate. They don’t learn from him anymore than they do each other, or Parker and Sophie. Parker, on the other hand, very much views him as a mentor. More than the others, she sees him as what he’s trying to be to them, however subconsciously: a dad.