#or else i will lose him in the sea of people who don't look anything like him but whomst i may confuse him for at any moment

[norrisleclercf1]

Max and lando with landos win at zandvoort make some fluff

Pretty please 🥺🥺

A/N: I'm so sorry, that I haven't written this I promise it was not forgotten I made it Norstappen x Reader hope that was okay

Oh, how hard it is to be dating two people, but when those two people are currently in some type of championship battle, you don't know how to act. Do you cheer for the underdog, the one thrown to the wolves, proclaimed to defeat the mighty Lion.

Or, do you go for the Mighty Lion, the next coming of the sport that constantly breaking barriers and records, the one who is the proclaimed legend of the sport. You stood in McLaren hospitality as it was Lando's turn to have you there as you stood in Zandvoort, watching he just built the gap more and more.

Covering your mouth you watch as he crosses the finish line the fireworks making you jump as you listen to his radio and hear those familiar words cross his lips. "Oh, Lando," You sigh, knowing this would cause an uproar for Max's fans, but also others would use this to fuel the rivalry that is growing.

Putting down the headphones you walk down as you see Lando celebrate with a simple fist bump, Charles and Max pulling in behind him. You stay back, not wanting to draw attention to you, as people didn't take kindly to you being "friends" with both Max and Lando. Lando looks through the crowd and see you, giving you a small thumbs up, you give it back but turn seeing Max walk past simply clapping Lando on the back as Charles takes his place as his yapping buddy.

"It's always those three on the podium," Someone comments, which has you thinking back making you giggle as they were there for Miami and now here. The podium was one you have remembered for you slink off heading to check on Max, as the sting of losing your home race was not easy, you already experienced it was Lando and Silverstone.

You wait in Max's driver room as he opens the door, drenched in champagne, sweat and God knows what else he's covered in. "Hi," You both whisper as Max stays silent and moves around the room to get changed you merrily watch him. "I heard Lando's radio," Breaking the silence you wait for his reaction but you can see him smiling, wither it was one a predator gives before eating it's pray or one of genuine pride of Lando being so bold, you were unsure.

"Mhm," Is all you can say as Max turns eyeing you, but you give nothing away as you try to always remain impartial the how do you say? Switzerland in your relationship as the war rages sometimes even in the confines of your shared home. "Is it wrong it was somewhat hot of him to do that?" Max asks, making you back against the wall you look up.

"Max, I told you, I would not get involved," You whisper softly as Max raises a blonde eyebrow and smirks, "Calm, I won't do anything," He mumbles and gently presses his lips against your forehead. "I'm going to find Lando, see you back at the hotel," He mumbles, turning on his heels and walking out. It was rather hard to find Lando in the see of orange.

The orange army was out in droves, but so was the papaya fans, it was rather annoying in the moment but Max would deal with it, as he moves around taking pictures and signing stuff he stops noticing the familiar curls he loves to tug and pull, scruff and yank him by. The fans love it, always calling Lando his kitten, oh how true it was.

Moving into the shadows he waits and pounces as Lando yelps and he covers his mouth, Lando fights but stops seeing the piercing blue stare into his sea green. "Simply Lovely," Max whispers as he feels Lando smile against his hand. "Yeah," He mumbles, making the older chuckle and tug him closer and kiss one of Lando's moles. "You were very hot today, told you could beat me," Max whispers making Lando shiver.

"I always beat you," Lando whispers and Max raises an eyebrow as Lando swallows his tongue knowing he just lied big time, "Don't get cocky yet, okay," Max smiles and moves hugging Lando just breathing in the scent of champagne, sweat, and just a hint of Lando's cologne.

"Love you," Lando whispers tugging him in by his waist hiding his face into his shoulder. "Love you too," Max hums kissing his neck making Lando giggle.

[t00thpasteface]

i wish i could convey to non-faceblind people the sensation of watching mulcahy take his glasses off. it's like when you play peekaboo with a baby. where did he go?! he was right there...

[bunny-jpeg]

hey bunny !! can i get butter tart + soufflé with mai tai + sparkling water with oscar piastri please ?? extra service dom osc if you can pls🥰

-🗞️

bakery menu

want to submit your own fic? then check out the menu! there's something for everyone and i hope you enjoy it! if you have any questions please feel free to message me, i'm always happy to help! as for this lovely order, thank you for ordering! i love this combination, it's so cute. just a side note, i always find it cute that people request oscar in some of the most gentle situations. like various other drivers can vary depending on the order, but i find oscar the most consistent with like softer fics. which is fine! no judgement, i guess it just speaks to how he is in a way, haha. but thank you!

butter tart ("let's ruin ourselves for anyone else.") + soufflé: ("i'll be gentle.") + mai tai (loss of virginity) + sparkling water (gentle sex)

cw: smut/pwp, first time, virgin!reader, gentle sex, service dom!oscar, oscar takes your pleasure seriously, missionary. protected sex (smart oscar)

"i have an idea." oscar said one night, him curled into your side on the couch. his lips pressed against your temple, "i know you've been wanting to lose your virginity already. so tonight, let's ruin ourselves for anyone else."

you froze, your eyes wide as you looked at your boyfriend. it wasn't that you didn't want to lose your virginity. it was just hearing your boyfriend ask in such a forward way made your core throb.

oscar noticed your expression and said quickly, "unless you don't want to! that's fine too! i just thought i'd ask!"

you took his hand and linked his fingers between yours and said, "oscar... let's do it." then smiled at him, "let's ruin ourselves for everyone else." and you watched oscar light up

oscar led you to the bedroom. you had slept in the same bed multiple times, he had even fingered you on two occasions, but it had never been like this. it wasn't that your virginity was some guarded secret or you were saving yourself for marriage.

you just wanted to sleep with someone you were in a relationship. you thought getting out high school would make that easier since you were in a bigger city now and had more confidence. but the sea of men who wanted a quick fuck was a huge turn off. so, you just never lost your virginity. and oscar was the total opposite of them, he wanted to make sure you felt no pressure to have sex with him.

"you don't owe me anything, i want you for all of you. not just your body." he said as he held you hand while you were out getting coffee. it was so endearing that it made you want to have sex with him. it wasn't about hooking up, oscar piastri loved you.

you started to get your clothes off while oscar found an unopened box of condoms from his desk drawer. you jokingly asked, "should i be worried?"

oscar looked over and went a bit pink in the face, "oh no! they're new. um, i thought that they were better to have then not having them. we have to be safe." he shook the package and smiled. it made you giggle.

"don't worry." you said as you got your socks off, "i was just wondering if you were hoping to get lucky tonight."

he replied, with such honesty, "well i am lucky every time i get to see you." then gave you a smile. you were a bit gobsmacked by his comment as he went back to the bed. he then started to undress as well.

you wanted to cover your face as you said, "thank you, oscar. thank you so much." and he leaned in to kiss you on the cheeks.

"no thanks needed." he said as he took a hold of your shoulders for a moment then kissed you on the lips once more. he eventually got his jeans off, and soon after you were both naked in bed. the light in the room was bright with the night sky coming in through the large windows of the room.

you felt like the center of oscar's world as he looked at you. he smiled at you before he gave you a sweet kiss.

"one last time, do you wan-"

you took him by the face, his boyish good looks made your stomach twist in knots. you were nervous, but excited. to be so close to him. you said with certainly. "yes. i want it."

he replied, "alright. i'll be gentle, i promise." then pulled away to grab one of the condoms and get between your legs. he could feel the excitement in his chest too. he would've loved to make love to you months earlier, but he wanted to make sure that you were okay with it.

sex is only fun with all partners are willing. and he wanted you more than willing. he got the condom on, he could feel the heat staining his cheeks. he said softly, "i love you."

you held one of the pillows on his bed up against your chest as you held onto it tightly. oscar angled your hips and said, "i love you too." before you felt his cock get into you.

oscar took his time, no rushing it. he shuddered, like ship breaking ice. oscar was the first person you'd ever have sex with. and it made his heart leap. while virginity was stupid, it touched a nerve in a part of his brain. it was a little erotic that he was your first. but as he kissed you, he knew that he loved you. he wasn't a virgin killer, he was your boyfriend.

"everything okay?" he asked as his gaze met yours. his breathing was already growing, it all felt so good. it made everything in his brain light up in the best was possible. he had some sexual experience, but to be this close to you was a feeling he had been searching for. happiness, lust, love, overwhelming joy, the thump in his chest as he softly moved against you.

you nodded and looked up at him. you smiled, you felt painfully in love. he respected you, was kind to you. he looked at you with such joy. you thought about his additions to small collection of cat themed knick-knacks the he picked up for you his travels. the late night phone calls and the homecomings. how he perked up when he saw you, the time he jokingly called you "his soul" in an interview and when you saw the clip of him saying that you almost spat out your coffee. oscar adored you, and that made you willing to sleep with him. because he respected you just as you did. a mutual admiration and love of one another.

"you're stunning, gorgeous. wow." he felt more heat in his face, "i don't think i have enough words to describe you. they should come up with new words."

you giggled and placed your hands over your face for a moment. you smiled widely under your hands as you said, "oh my god."

oscar had his hands on either side of you. his check close to the pillow on your chest. he said as he moved against you, "don't hide yourself. i want to see your face. c'mon."

you took your hands away and held onto the pillow once more, letting him move against you. his cock hitting all the right places. you said, "you always know how to make me feel loved."

he kissed your forehead, "of course. that's the goal." then started to move a little faster. the pleasure moved through both of you. you clenched your legs around your boyfriend's waist as you tried to meet his thrusts.

this felt good. there was no other way to put it. oscar loved it as did you. your pretty nails dug into the pillow as your boyfriend humped against you. it wasn't a heavy pace, just enough to make you both turned on.

"i love you."

"i love you too." you responded as oscar leaned in and kissed you on the lips. your heart fluttered as you moved with him. it felt incredible and oscar was inclined to agree. a perfect fit for one another.

"i love you." he said

"i love you too." you said again.

you soon clenched tightly onto the pillow you were holding onto. you moaned into the fabric of it as he continued to move against you. this was unlike anything you ever really felt. even toys didn't make you feel this good. it was like a current running through you. you felt fuzzy in the head but wide awake as all of it came to a climax. you let out a sweet noise that made your lover hot all over.

he watched you as he continued to move. to see you reach climax only made him want to move faster. to reach his own so close behind yours. he was proud he made you cum, that was a sign of honour in his eyes. that he knew how to make you feel good. and that he'd learn how to make you feel even better as time went on. a lady deserves to finish first. and oscar was happy to do his best to bring you to climax. he pulled out despite wearing a condom. he stroked his slick cock in the condom into his finished. his back hunched for a moment and fire licked his stomach.

you looked at one another and soon oscar's lips were on your once more. his softening cock got hard once more as you two moved in the bed, lips and hands on one another. something clicked between the two of you, you liked being intimate together. you liked having sex, it was fun. and when you pulled away from the kiss and panted out, "again. please."

oscar knew that he was in no position to deny you. <3

[ladysternchen]

The Aging Of Elves

In his later years, Tolkien spent much time and energy trying to explain the concept of aging regarding the Elves (read here: he needed to explain Círdan's beard and how he looked old). He came up with a whole lot of theories, one that said Elves age 1 year per x human years, one that talked about life-circles, others again that tried to determine when Elves reproduced- and ended up contradicting himself with every single one (though admittedly, the life-circle-one is the one that fits best).

Now, it is always difficult to contradict the author of a book, but given that Tolkien created not only a book but a whole legendarium, a history of an ancient world that is now lost, I think each of may try to explain what Tolkien in the end could not, and be it only because he ran out of time.

I, personally, go with the 'the life of the Eldar is bound to the lifespan of Arda', at the end of which they at last grow weary of life even in Valinor. But that is still eons away, and even then, would they show their age physically? I think not (partly because the age of their body isn't really relevant. An elf can die, probably even multiple times, and spend a varying amount of time in Mandos, and then be allowed to rebuild their body. Would that make them then somehow younger than someone who has never died? Hardly, would it?).

No, if you ask me, Elves do not change their physical appearance past their 100th year (which is the age by which all of them are full-grown). As for the infamous beards? Well, Círdan just liked it that way, maybe Ossë or Ulmo appeared in the form of a bearded being and he wanted to honour them (like Mahtan wanted to honour Aulë with his beard?). Or maybe it was just warmer with that beard. Like, chap spent almost all his life be the sea.

Why did the Hobbits think him old, then? Well, there's an easy explanation, one that has already been given by so many people over the years- Círdan's hair and beard were silver, which is a perfectly natural hair-colour for an elf and just something that runs in Círdan's family, but a sign of old age for Mortals. Bilbo and Frodo and Sam would probably have thought Olwë and Eärwen aged as well, given that their hair was completely white, even though they had spent their entire life (or in Olwë's case all his adult life) in Valinor, where things don't fade nor age.

That said, there can be no doubt that Elves did age nonetheless, only not physically (with one exception, but I will come to that later)- they are born, learn to walk, talk, sing and dance by the time they turn one (convenient, I call it), but then their (physical) development falls behind that of human children- or really, cannot be compared to the aging of Men anymore (which I think is the real reason Tolkien never found a formula that fitted). Because Mortals age by years. Elves, at least in my imagination, age by experiences made, or probably even by their choice. And many things that are affairs of adult life for Mortals (like marriage, the bearing of children, taking up rule etc) MAY fall into the period that would still be considered childhood- or else they may not, and wait with building their family until much later.

Also, do Elves ever really grow up? They are at once the wiser of the Children of Ilúvatar, and become skilled past anything that Mortals could ever hope for, and the more child-like ones, rejoicing in dancing and singing and losing themselves in the joy of arts and crafting, joking and feasting.

They are at once like happy children and bearing all the griefs of the world at once- Elves are no Humans, and cannot be compared.

But speaking of griefs- that is the thing that does make them grow older. Not physically, perhaps (with exceptions), but mentally. And maybe that also added to Círdan appearing old to the Hobbits- because they could see in his eyes all he had loved and lost. It was just his aura, if you like.

And then there are those instances where pain, torture and grief can physically change an elf- Gwindor is the most prominent example of that. Still, that fate may be reversible (at least if we take the other given example, 'Thingol's winter', at face value and believe that a real physical change came over him rather than 'just' depression*)

Plus, there is a fun-fact to just f**k with your minds today and the ultimate proof for myself that Elves can never be compared to Men- Fëanor and Maedhros were closer in age than Maedhros was with the twins (depending on which dates you believe, by quite a significant amount), and that was -if one believes the Laws and Customs Among the Eldar- by no means a rare thing.

So, to sum this headcanon or meta or whatever up, Elves age by what they live through. They may fall in love, marry and become parents when hardly past their own childhood, or they may do so after already living for a thousand years. Lúthien, despite being thousands of years old already, still very much acted a teenager when she met Beren (yes, no, sorry, Lúthien my dear, you did. You behaved like a child and were treated like a child, and to be honest, girl, for all your power, you never really grew up), while Gwindor, despite likely being a relatively young elf still, appeared as an old man when he returned from Angband. Círdan looked to Frodo old, while Celeborn and Galadriel, who were also both born during the Years of the Trees, showed no sign of age whatsoever. Elvish aging has no rule to it, and they don't age physically per default. And there is certainly no old elf in the FA.

*you'll never hear me say JUST depression ever again. I don't mean that mental illness is by any means less terrible than any physical illness or hurt, I meant the 'just' as in 'not visible'. And yes, it is important for me to stress that point!

[tainbocuailnge]

Another thing that's... kinda odd about the English translation is in the DRK quests, Myste says "A reckoning will not be postponed indefinitely", which is a big line in basically a secret route of the browser game Fallen London. and yeah, it is a cool line and neat to hear it in FF14... it also doesn't really work for Myste? In it's original context, it's about the remains of a dead demi-god-like being, which was cast into a well, seeking a reckoning and leading the player down a route which will irreversibly destroy their character in pursuit of dark secrets.

Which is not what the Myste sections of DRK were about at all, lol.

oh I could rant for hours about dark knight translations. that questline is actually why I first went to scope out the german script, because I heard drk wildly differs between english and japanese and that german generally stays closer to japanese than english does. I translated some of the fray parts here actually, though you'll note I'm a lot more forgiving of the english script in that one because i hadn't reached sidurgu's parts yet löl

german fray and myste are just completely different characters from english. german myste is upbeat and energetic. he loves people who help others and feels a strong urge to help them in turn. he spawned from the dark knight crystal in response to the loneliness of countless dark knights stored within it so he could console them and be their friend, he's basically the will of the soul crystal itself. he tries to alleviate that loneliness by facilitating reunions with lost loved ones but grows frustrated that this only leads to more partings, so he tries to expand his powers to maintain his illusions forever, because more than anything he just doesn't want to leave his dear friends the dark knights alone. he represents the childish wish at the core of every dark knight for a world where nobody has to lose anyone again.

in the part of the quests where you take myste to the sea of clouds there's this bit where in english he talks about his guilt complex and lets slip that this is also your guilt. in german he tells you that he was always with these people who fight hard for others, watching from the sides, until one day he heard a cry of loneliness and since then he's been trying his best to help people too. that's the moment that for me really hammered it in that these languages fundamentally disagree on what it even means to be a dark knight.

in english myste is desperate to atone for everything he's ever done and fray is your self preservation instinct who is kinda mad that you let it get this far, but they have to forgive him because you're all you have as you walk this lonely and bloody path that you have to believe is right. in german myste is your ideal, the desire to comfort those who have no-one else, crying that maybe it's better to forget altogether if partings can't be avoided and fray is your human heart who agrees that parting will always hurt but that is exactly where you find the strength to continue the fight, because it is worthwhile even if it never ends, and the path may be lonely but you will never walk it alone when there are people who came before you and who will come after you who all share this same dream of a kinder world. of course you won't have to leave us, you're our ideal, you're what we do it all for, as long as we remain dark knights you'll be with us. this all flows very naturally into drk-as-shadowbringers-class and ardbert's deal too but since I haven't reached shb in german yet I don't want to say anything extensive about it yet

i still think english drk was cooking with even your repressed feelings being repressed + the part of yourself that wants to protect itself obviously trying to protect itself and thus not wanting to show vulnerability so en fray postures as the stronger one who will protect you instead, and that fray writing in the journal (and only being able to be honest in a place where you're unlikely to look unless you don't know where to go) is incredibly clever. but in the context of how english treats sidurgu and just the way they handle the entire rest of the game really i also don't think that they were intentionally going for this kind of subtlety, it feels to me more like they just thought sincerity is cringe like usual and decided to make everyone cool and edgy (and thus needlessly mean to each other) instead.

and yeah english fucking loves to just yoink lines from other media whether it's appropriate or not. they turned zenos' final words to wol into a hamilton reference in english, "my first friend, my enemy" is a hamilton line, he doesn't ever call you his enemy in any other language (in german he calls you his hunter though which yes is incredibly horny of him). I'll admit I'm not in a good position to judge whatever epic references the german script makes because I'm unfamiliar with german language popular media so I won't spot them unless someone else points them out but I do know that when german fray quotes fight club it just enhances their characterisation as trying to sound cool and intimidating but failing because they're really kind of lame and awkward and can't hide how stoked they are to hang out with you.

[milkb0nny]

Hello. I saw the open request box and I didn’t know if you would be open to write something for Bjorn? Is he a character that you like? Do you have a favourite character from Series Vikings? I read a lot of your work and it’s so beautiful. Would you be able to write something about and obsessed Bjorn with reader and maybe some smuttyness ✨✨✨Mybe she joins him on the first trip to the Mediterranean 😍😍Andhe can see her from the ship across speaking to Floki and Helga ?

loyal dishonesty

Björn x neutral!reader

Björn: A man obsessing over you

Summary: Björn, who is known to be an adventurous and lustful lover, finally caught an endless desire: you. Though, how is he to portray his passion and admiration towards you?

Note: Thank you for your request! Björn is an... okay character. I rewatched the series so many times and with every rewatch I'm able to like him more. Still, he's far away from being a favorite. 😭 I love Ivar and Floki, as well as Helga and Torvi. Also - the smüt might be a little... Well, I usually don't write smüt. 🫠

Warnings: a little smüt, lustful behavior

Word Count: -

♡....━━━━━━━........ 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 ........━━━━━━━....♡

⚜️ When Björn fell for you, his attention became laser-focused on you. The first spark emerged just like with other women, though with you he felt he couldn't reach you. You were different - hard to get yet playful. He's known for his ambition and drive, but when he's in love, that intensity is redirected towards his beloved. His mind desired you, his body burned for your touch and his eyes were always glued on your very beautiful features. Every decision he made was influenced by thoughts of you.

⚜️ He kindly offered you drinks, a lovely chat or a sweet tease to make him seem interesting. Your personality was not only captivating but making him obsessive. Björn's love manifested as a fierce protectiveness - and an unhealthy obsession with you. He was almost obsessive about keeping you safe, especially on the way to the Mediterranean Sea. He secretly checked on you - your health, your daily activities and your bonds with others.

⚜️ Although his history with cheating is well known, he's also a jealous person. He despised to view you with other men or women who glared at you with lust. Björn felt entitled to you as if he had owned the right to you. No one should come too close, no one should touch your precious body without his permission. Though you weren't his, he still kept barging in whenever a person insisted perverted intentions.

⚜️ Björn is not one who opens up. He prefers to be viewed as the strong provider, a fearless man and a good soldier. However everyone is vulnerable. Björn found himself in a difficult position: he wanted to be vulnerable to show you his honest love though he didn't want to lose his identity as a powerful man. Throughout your time together you watched the thick wall break into pieces little by little. You learned about his flaws, his emotional struggles and especially about his insufferable self esteem. Deep inside he was more insecure than you ever had anticipated. Nevertheless you loved him for sharing that with you which was another reason to never let you go. You knew things no one else was supposed to know. In order to keep his secrets hidden, he needed to make you his. His only.

⚜️ As Björn's love deepens, so does his desperation to hold onto it. Emotions crept up his mind he had never encountered before with anyone else. A strange feeling, robbing his thoughts at night. He fears losing you, his passion, more than anything else and is willing to go to extreme lengths to keep you by his side, even if it means sacrificing his own happiness or ambitions. You did not only entertain him, you showed him how true love looked like. The feeling of your warmth was unique and too worthy to ever let go of. Your embrace motivated him to fight for his ambitions but you also scared him. You could not only pass away during battle, but sicknesses also haunt people's lives. A constant bitter taste - one that made him into a loyal husband.

⚜️ His care showed through intimate times as well. Whenever you begged him for nightly adventures, he was more than ready to fulfill your desires. However, in the back of his foggy mind, he would always make sure you're comfortable. Scaring you or hurting you during such vulnerable actions frightened him. Even if his thrusts were rough and heavy, his hands kept softly petting your shoulders.

⚜️ His obsession with you came so far, that he never engages in positions where he can't see your face. Oh, how he adores your flushed red face, your closed eyes and the messy hair of yours. Björn was convinced he would miss out on your heavenly being if the two of you would not see each other during the deed.

⚜️ Björn is a master of seduction, and he loves to show his affection through physical intimacy. Whatever he lays his eyes on isn't safe from his flirtatious attempts. Especially with you he loved to take his time. Playfulness was a form of embracing his love: he would tease you, give you soft pecks and would tickle you only to hear you laugh. From tender caresses to steamy embraces, every touch is filled with desire and longing. He'll tease and flirt shamelessly, always keeping you on your toes with his witty banter and mischievous grin. After all, you were the one for him.

♡....━━━━━━━........ 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 ........━━━━━━━....♡

[mrsportgas]

Ghost Ridders Cap.1

#Special Note: Not my pics, all them will be tag to its actual owner. Also not my characters. Please be patient, it´s my first time writing and englihs it´s not my first language. Feel free to interact!!!!

#Summary: Eight years ago, you were taken against your Will to Mary Goise to become the new slave of Saint Roswald, or rather, to living a hell on earth. One day, while you go with  him on a visit to a New World´s  island in the New World, but a familiar face appears. This creates the perfect opportunity for you to escape, join the Whitebeard Pirates, and discover more about your past, your abilities, and who you really are. All  while you try to endure your new crewmate, Portgas D. Ace, who is incredibly annoying... or perhaps incredibly irresistible? You haven't decided yet.

This story is based in the world of One Piece, with the same characters and timeline. Of course, this story is fiction created by me. Some of the timelines, names, and characters might be the same, also some names, characters, stories, or even personalities may be altered. The story is happening pre-time skip, while strawhats are in sabondy for the first time.

The first chapter is an introduction to the current story, which begins with Ace as your central romance. (This romance may shift to other characters as the story progresses, but don't worry, there's still plenty of Ace to come.) The story is written in first person. Female gender, Y/N, but feel free to change the gender, name, or anything else that makes you more comfortable.♡

YOUR POV:

You are walking. Or at least you think so. You don’t remember exactly how long it’s been, but it’s been long time since you’ve been practically going on autopilot. Walking, eating, and just going through the motions.

You just land in an island in the middle of the New World. All because Sand Roswald your lord and celestial dragon wanted to "buy" a jewel for his daughter that was now being sold in one of the best jewelry stores of the Red Line. I say "buy" because, of course, he would take whatever he wanted without caring what the store owner thought, and anyone who got in his way would be the one to lose. Just like what happened to me, but that’s another story.

All I could see were the yellow, worn cobblestones of the main street in the capital. I heard the screams and whimpers of people as they knelt, trying to avoid his gaze, and I could even hear footsteps as people ran, trying to hide somewhere else, trying to stay as far as possible. Mean while, in my head words repeated over and over: “Walk, look down, and everything will be fine.”

After so many years, the Sea Rock shackles hanging in my wrist where like part of my own body; I had learned to live with that weight. With that pain.

MARCO’S POV:

“All this will cost you 200 berris,” said the owner at the medicine shop.

“Alright, give me a second. Ace, hand me the bag.” The silence made me look back; Ace wasn’t there, and somehow I wasn’t surprised. The damn idiot had gotten lost again. I can’t take it anymore. Now I have to go look for him, and to top it all off he took all the money with him.”

The Whitebeard pirates had just landed that day, looking for supplies, and they had to set sail again quickly to complete an important mission. So they had just enough time to grab what they needed and leave.

“My friend has gone with the money; hold this for me, and I’ll be back for it.” Just as the owner was about to respond, a wave of people running and screaming in desperation rushed past the store. “What happened? What’s wrong with the people?”

“From what I understand, a celestial dragon is coming to the city today. If I were you, I’d stay inside until it’s gone. As far as I know, it’s Saint Rosward. They’re one of the cruelest families out there… if any of them could be considered merciful,” the man explained with kindess.

“I don’t have time for that. I need to find my berries and leave as soon as possible. Don’t worry, I’ll be back,” I replied with a friendly smile.

I stepped out into the deserted street. There was no one left; people were either already hiding or kneeling in the main street.

This could be dangerous. I need to be careful. I thought, and that’s when it hit me… If I were Ace, ¿Where would I have gone?… ¡THE MARKET! Which, of course, is on the main street…

Hidden under my cloak and trying not to draw too much attention, I made my way to the main street and knelt down with the rest of the citizens. Moving quickly, I tried to get to the front rows so I could take a better look at the market area. As I got closer, I saw three armed men and a girl in the middle, all at the entrance of a jewelry store. Through the window, Saint Rosward with a jewel on his hands. I looked around and suddenly, I SAW HIM. The idiot was on the roof of that same building, gesturing at me while laughing and eating an apple.

“What an idiot…” I thought as I signaled for him to come down. At that very moment, the atmosphere changed, and the entire scene around the street shifted. A single element was enough to send a chill down my spine. Something was about to happen, and that made me look towards the store’s door. The girl was looking up, at me to be more specific, straight into my eyes, and that’s when I realized.

I looked her up and down, inch by inch, for seconds that felt like hours. The girl was young, practically a child to me, though it was hard to tell since not a single inch of her body was visible. An old, tattered cloak, almost like a sack of potatoes, covered every part of her body, except her bare feet, covered in blood and mud, and her hands, which were bound by sea stone handcuffs. Her long, tangled brown hair and dark brown eyes were the only visible parts. I scanned her nose, cheekbones, mouth… eyes… those eyes.... so familiar, and then an image came to mind: my mother, and this girl was the spitting image of her.

“Y/N…” I sighed. But it was impossible; my sister was dead. Or so they told me, I think. I don’t know. It’s impossible, what are the odds anyway? Exactly… None.

The girl looked at me, freeze, staring deeply without breaking eye contact, and then her expression changed, as if she had seen a ghost. The truth is, my face must look similar right now.

Her facial expression changed yet again and her tear-filled eyes brought back memories, memories of my childhood, which I’d rather forget.

A blow. A weapon struck her head, and blood began to flow.

“What’s wrong with you? Stop crying. Shut up,” one of the guards shouted. “If Saint Rosward sees you… ¿You won’t want to spend another week in the box, eh, slut?”

She didn’t take her eyes off me, and then a voice echoed in my head, saying, “Now.” I don’t know where it came from, perhaps from within me, from the deepest part, but I listened to it because next thing i know is that I stood up and ran, ran as fast as I could towards one of the guards, ready to hit him and steal his weapon. At the same time, almost as if she knew what I was going to do, the girl stood up, dodging the guard’s blows with ease, kicking him several times, and stealing his weapon. Without using her hands.

“Right!” she shouted, and tossed the wepon to me. I turn right and the weapon falls into my hands. I manage to shoot the guard in front of me.

Another guard falls behind me from a bullet entering his forehead. As I turn around, I spot Izou looking at me with an alarmed expression, probably thinking that I’m crazy.

Meanwhile, Saint Rosward and the rest of his guards and slaves come out of the store due to the commotion at the entrance. They find three guards on the ground, and me standing right in front of him.

“Damn bitch, if I didn’t need you, I’d kill you right here. Come on, grab her and kill the others,” Saint Rosward shouted furiously. I swear, at that moment, it seemed like he could have erupted into flames all over his body; his expression was one of pure rage. In fact his clothes began to catch fire, flames rising from the bottom of his tunic. ¿Does he have that power?¿ Has he eaten a Devil Fruit?¿ Which one? But then it hits me: !!!ACE¡¡¡¡

Saint Rosward begins to scream and jump around like a madman while his guards try to put out the fire now spreading across his clothes.

“¡Run! I´ll see you guys on the ship,” Ace says as a grin formed his lips.

Without thinking it much, I look at Izou; we both nod. I quickly head towards the girl and take her hand. The three of us run towards the port amidst the commotion of the people; no one does a thing, no one moves except us.

Y/N POV:

I’m still on autopilot. ¿What just happened?

Run. It’s the only thing I can think of; my whole body is trembling, numb from so many years of being unable to move, and though my feet, my legs are doing their best, the sea stone cuffs are hard to ignore now. The broken and unstable cobblestone ground makes me trip, and fall to the ground, unable to catch myself as my hands are bound.

Everything around me is shaking; I was so close to escaping, a glimmer of hope in my heart, and now I’ve lost it so quickly.

“¡She’s my sister!” I hear footsteps ahead. Strong, big arms lift me up. A silouette in a pink and purple kimono lifts me onto one of its shoulders and starts running without saying a word.

I let myself be carried, and for the first time in eight years, I feel safe enough to close my eyes and let my body relax. So much that I even passed out.

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

I open my eyes. My whole body hurts; my muscles and bones ache so much that I let out a small groan when I try to move. My eyes slowly adjust to the light. I’m in a room, an infirmary, and although the room is small, it has the basics: a bed, a sink, and cabinets with countless shelves and various potions. Next to me, a blond boy in a lilac shirt sleeps in a chair. He slowly begins to open his eyes.

“Y/N ¡You’re awake!” he shouts, not realizing the volume of his words. "I mean… well…¿ Are you Y/N? ¿Who are you?”

“Marco… I…”

A deathly silence filled the room. Just for a few seconds, before voices behind the door interrupted the conversation.

“Ace, stop it. You can’t go in there, get lost idiot.” An unfamiliar voice spoke behind the door.

“Come on, Thatch, I’ll give Marco the food, don’t worry. We’re a very close crew and need to help each other out, so let me help by delivering this food to Marco.” This time the voice was more familiar, though I didn’t know why it seemed so familiar…

“All you want is eat that food yourself. Give it back to me…”

Suddenly, the door bursts open with a loud bang, a reven hair boy with a very peculiar hat enters the room. Behind him, a man in a chef’s jacket follows and you could tell that he wants to kill the young man in front of him.

“¡MARCO’S SISTER IS AWAKE! ¿Are you hungry? Here. I brought you food,” he said with a cocky smile.

“Ace, get out of here, I need to talk to her,” Marco replied with a frown, pushing the boy out of the room and closing the door with a bang. “I’ll bring you some food later.¿ Are you hungry?”

“It’s okay, it doesn’t matter. I’m not hungry,” I replied, looking down. The truth is you were straving. But thats a feeling you long ago abandon.

“¿Are you really Y/N?”

“Yes,” I replied timidly.

“If you really are, prove it. Show me the mark.”

"Never say who you are, never show them…" those words came to mind forcefully, too forcefully. But it was Marco, I was sure. It had been 15 years since I’d seen him, and although we were children, I knew it was him, that face, that hair… unmistakable. Besides, it was my only chance to dont go back, to never go back.

I turned around, giving my back to Marco, who looked dubious at the girl in front of him. I lowered the cloak, letting him see my completely bare back. Marco let out a gasp. There it was. Right on the neck, that symbol, which identified me unmistakably. Below it, another mark: the mark of the celestial dragons slaves.

A shiver ran down Marco’s spine, and terror invaded his body. Immobilized, unable to make a sound. I turned around: “Now show me yours.”

Marco turned around quickly, lowering his shirt to show me his.

“Bathe and dress, in a few hours we’ll arrive at the Moby Dick,” he said, tossing a towel into my arms. And before I could utter another word, he opened the door and left.

The idea of a bath sounded good; I can’t even remember the last time I bathed… in a pleasant bath of cause, since the cold water hoses of Marie Geoise... I wouldn’t know if they could be considered a bath.

With some reluctance and embarrassment, I opened the door, ready to find the bathroom… ¿How could Marco leave me alone? ¿Couldn’t he have shown me where the bathroom was?. I walked down the hallway, looking for something indicating to be a bathroom, and suddenly, the sound of running water reached my ears. “There it is.” At the end of the hallway, a large open door led to long and large bathtubs, the air condensed with all the steam from the hot water. “¡Hot water, finally!” I couldn’t believe it, nor could I wait to immerse myself in it. I quickly entered, touching the water with my foot, and suddenly I felt my whole body tremble, all the energy, the little I had, vanished. The sea stone cuffs. I had completely forgotten about them, they had become part of me, so much that I didn’t notice them. “I should better wash at the sink.”

I headed to the sink, and at that moment, behind me, a lot of water started to flow upwards, and with a great crash of water against the walls, a tall, muscular figure emerged from the bathtub.

A stifled scream escaped my throat; I managed to stop it by covering my mouth with my hands and instinctively hid under one of the sinks. The figure slowly emerged from the water; it seemed to be difficult for him too… It was the boy who entered the infirmary with the food. I started to scan his muscular tan body, naked… :¿¿¡NAKED??!! At that very moment, I woke from my trance. I better get out of here immediately. Crawling, I managed to reach the door and leave the bathroom, running down the hallway back to the infirmary, locking the door and hiding there. SHIT.

NEXT CHAPTER

[julianalvarez9]

i think he knows / ruben dias

summary: ruben knows exactly what you're thinking -because he's thinking about it too, has been thinking about it for so long. but he wants you to do something about it. until you do.

warnings: bold and italic text = song lyrics (i think he knows, by taylor swift). again, badly traslated portuguese (sorry, ruben anon, didn't want to bother you 😭). mentions of alcohol and the consumption of. use of john and jack as plot devices bc they do almost nothing jajajaj. like, one mention of "inappropriate" dancing??? don't know if i've forgotten anything else.

wc: 1.3k words.

i think he knows his footprints on the sidewalk lead to where i can't stop, go there every night.

"ruben, you need to stop bringing me to these places", you huff, annoyed, while holding the jacket he draped over your shoulders to try and keep you warm in the cold, manchester night. the walk from his car to the club's entrance wasn't that long, but you didn't want to go out in the first place: only accompanying your best friend because he asked you to.

once he closes the passenger side door behind you, he places his warm hand against your small back, and you start walking by his side, hoping the cold hair hitting your face helps to freeze the heat inundating your cheeks. "who would i bring if not you, meu anjo?" (my angel), he asks, tilting his head like a confused dog. ruben had the widest smile on his face, and it's the same grin that had you agreeing with him to come in the first place. you curse under your breath for having a best friend so charming. after announcing your names to the employee at the door, they let you two inside the club, his hand finding yours instantly when the sea of people gets too hard to navigate.

his height proves to be of great advantage when he needs to find his teammates in the multitude. it's easier for him, just looking ahead and seeing john's fluffy hair sticking out like a sore thumb in the bar, his laugh too almost being heard through the loud music when you eventually get to them.

"ah, there they are!" city's number five starts clapping when he sees you two, approaching to greet you two: ruben, with a side hug and a pat on the back, you, with a barely-there kiss on the cheek. "i thought you two weren't coming", jack laughs from behind him, and you greet him with a confused look. "why? i thought ruben had confirmed with you".

"well, you look very pretty tonight, maybe ruben had finally-".

the winger learns to keep his mouth shut when ruben glares at him, already knowing what his mate would have said if he hadn't intercepted the sentence: "maybe ruben had finally grown a pair". it wasn't a secret to anyone, much less his teammates that heard him talking about you everyday, that he was whipped. and ruben was quite certain that you wanted him too, at least in some way, but for whatever reason, he couldn't do anything about it.

being scared wasn't an excuse. he prided himself on it, on being fearless: it's what being a defender requires, he always says. but maybe he feared more being rejected by you, and thus, losing your friendship, than getting a ball aimed directly at his face. he was sure that missing you would definitely hurt more than a black eye or a broken nose.

"a pint, yeah?" he asks, directly in your ear, once he has come back to his senses. you nod approvingly, but before he drops your hand to go find your drink, he feels your slightly smaller hand tightening over his: your silent way of asking him if he was okay. ruben only hums in affirmation, only to realize you can’t actually hear him, so he just smiles before planting a kiss on your temple, and running away.

i think he knows his hands around a cold glass make me wanna know that body like it's mine.

the drinks keep flowing for everyone, except ruben. he’s known for not drinking alcohol, and keeping his uptight appearance at all times: that’s where his teammates balance the matter out.

“i think you should go check over your friend there,” said jack in an overly animated tone when the music subsided a little, and you turned to set your eyes on the table where ruben was seated. he had his elbows resting over the table, forearms on show due to him rolling his long sleeved white shirt up. the top buttons were messily undone, but he still looked like he was sculpted by angels. his hands were occupied by a cold glass containing some form of non-alcoholic beverage, for sure, and although it wasn’t a sight that you hadn’t seen before, it made you feel warm inside.

he divided his attention from john, who was the one keeping him company, before searching for someone in the sea of people. he stopped when he found you, but his demeanor changed when he saw jack holding tightly to your waist. the glass suddenly looked like it could burst at any minute by the amount of force he was gripping it with, and his eyebrows frowned in confusion at the thought of jack being the one holding you like that, and not him.

ruben didn’t have to think twice before downing his drink in one go, like it could provide him some kind of liquid confidence -the one that only alcohol could give you-, before standing up and making a beeline towards his teammate and you.

poor man, if he only knew that little grealish wasn’t trying to make a move on you, but rather, trying to keep his balance after having, certainly, too much to drink, his feet wouldn't have carried him to you so quickly, almost like a bull seeing red.

“john needs you over there, mate”.

wanna see what's under that attitude. like, i want you, bless my soul.

if you didn’t know your best friend so well, you might have missed the cues. but even now, while having certainly too many pints, you can recognise he’s mad.

“why are you angry?”.

he’s perplexed, like he isn’t expecting you to see right through him. in a second, his jaw unclenches, and he’s back to his usual persona: the ruben you know, the one you love. “wasn’t angry, anjo (angel), just missed you,” he says. and even if it’s not the whole truth, it’s half of it, and you try to hide the heat flowing to your cheeks by turning, his chest now flushed against you back. “dance with me, then,” you jokingly said, taking his hands into yours to settle them in your waist.

at first, he’s unsure. his hands only rest at your side, and he’s barely moving, though you keep on trying to press your body against his, even if he’s intended to keep his distance. normally, you loved this part about him, how he’s always so respectful, so caring, just so unically him. but not tonight. whether it is because of the alcohol you consumed, the place being so hot or the indecent thoughts you had about him all night -that appeared to come out of nowhere-, tonight you want to rile him up.

“god, you’re no fun. jack’s a better dancer than you”.

it seems to light something in him, because his grip tightens, and suddenly he doesn’t care about you moving your ass directly onto his crotch. instead, his body's impossibly closer to yours, at the point where you can feel his breath on your neck, fuelling the goosebumps that erupt on your skin. ruben seems to know what you're doing, or what you're trying to do, because he whispers it in your ear. "meu anjo se transformou em um demônio esta noite, não é certo?". (my angel turned into a devil tonight, isn't that right?).

when you turn to look at ruben, his eyes are the darkest you've ever seen them. even with the low and coloured lights at the club, which difficult your vision, you can feel his piercing stare. your arms go in the air, before wrapping them around his neck like it was second nature, and his hands find their home in your waist, holding you flush against him. you hope your doe eyes made him understand, without you having to verbally tell him, that you want him to take you home. and magically, it seems like the case, when he grins, his million dollar smile before taking your hand in his and dragging you towards the exit, without turning around to tell your friends -his teammates, about your sudden departure.

i ain't gotta tell him, i think he knows.

[jiminiecrickets]

Oh I’m sorry! I forgot to give you a scenario. I just wanted to see Taehyung be jealous of Jimin more. Like he sees reader and Jimin being flirty and he throws a fit later on when him and reader are back at their dorm

hi, hope this is okay :) trying to get back into writing. this is combined with a similar request which i will link here.

warnings: borders on explicit sex (foreplay?), reader is drunk, everybody being bad people

another party, another hour lost to staring at attractive boys he hates. taehyung's beginning to wonder if the gods hate him a little more than anyone else, putting him through an even more messed-up version of psyche's trials.

watching that brunette – that brunette sugar-eyed bitch – stick his tongue down your throat like no one is watching boils his blood. he's made himself your blanket, propped up so dainty and pretty between your legs, tracing tiny shapes into your chest—

oh, taehyung wants to puke. you grab him around the waist and below the ass, hoisting him higher to meet your lips without straining his neck. it highlights how tiny jimin is and your own strength. for god's sake, you're horizontal on that stupid couch – you shouldn't be able to lift anything like an entire person.

"this is stupid," taehyung mutters under his breath, throwing down his apple core into the bin and straightening from his place at the kitchen counter. he tears his eyes off of your figure to shove past the strangers in the kitchen to wash his hands and when he looks back, he swears that asshole with the pretty, pretty face smirks at him.

he smirks at him. smugly. victoriously.

taehyung imagines slapping that smirk right off his mouth. see how you'll like him with a busted lip, he thinks bitterly. knowing how you look at jimin with those sweet eyes and crooked smile has his fingers twitching to dump a bucket of ice water over your head. snap out of it, he wants to scream. you're being used!

why can't you see it? why can't you see that he's so much better for you than anyone else? he's good at remembering dates. he'll pay for roses with his scholarship money. the sex would be great. what else do you need in a man?

instead of going over there and making the fuss that he wants to, a fuss he can't make for fear of losing all dignity as an aloof and cocky playboy, he simmers in his corner, feeling the heat of budding tears threaten his immaculate eyeliner. anger swells because of it. how dare a boy ruin his makeup like this?

"not wort it, not worth it, not worth it," he chants to himself, tipping his head up and blinking rapidly. he fans his hot cheeks. "he can die for all i care, because i don't. i don't care about him."

he sighs and closes his eyes, zipping his jacket up and pushing his way through the crowds to reach the front door. you've got him talking to himself – what more pride can you rip from him?

—

from the corner of his eye, taehyung notices you enter, looking more than a little tipsy. he concentrates on his switch, the television playing a recap of the evening news quietly in the background.

"you look like you're sulking," you note, emptying your pockets onto the counter like a fountain of leather and metal. "who pissed in your drink?"

"i am not sulking," he mutters. "ugh, fucking sea bass..."

"professor sulky with a doctorate in sulking is only tensing his jaw because he knows how sharp it is? gasp."

"you're not fucking funny," he snaps. "especially not when you're drunk."

you blow a raspberry and pull your hoodie over your head, partially carrying your shirt with it. despite his best efforts, taehyung's eyes divert to the revealed skin. he licks his lips and forces his gaze back to his game.

you hum as you collapse on the couch next to him with an old-man groan. you sit in silence for a moment before you slide closer and throw your arm over the backrest, head rolling in his direction.

he scowls and pushes your face away with his palm. "you stink of alcohol. go to bed and don't talk to me."

"a little birdy told me you were upset at the party, too," you say, ignoring him and sliding even closer, hip-to-hip. he's wearing his tiny black shorts with the white trim.

"get off my lap."

"if you say so." suddenly, you grab him by the waist and lift him onto yours, grinning like the smug little bastard you are when he nearly drops his switch. "much better."

something prods his ass and taehyung rolls his eyes, glaring back at you. "you're acting like you didn't just have someone's tongue down your throat and their hand in your pants. i'm not fucking you when you haven't even restocked your dumb wallet condom."

"who said we needed one?" you nuzzle into taehyung's neck, breathing in the faint floral scent of his body wash.

"you're disgusting."

"says the guy who makes me put it back when i offer."

"fuck you."

"that a suggestion?"

"you're insufferable and completely insatiable..." he grumbles for a while longer, trying to focus on his fishing. he settles down in your lap, leaning back against your warmth – begrudgingly, he admits to himself that it's nice to be able to forgo a blanket for once – but your creeping hands make it difficult to ignore you, tugging insistently at his attention like a rowdy pet.

he jumps when your hand lifts to cup his chest and pinches his nipple slightly. "you p—! nnh, you're seriously not satisfied with what you did earlier tonight? that brunette wasn't pretty enough to get you off, was he? you had to come back to me."

"ah, i knew it," you hum, unduly pleased with yourself despite avoiding his questions. "you're jealous! don't worry. you're a different kinda pretty. i still like you."

he scowls, though he sets aside his switch and lets your hands wander beneath his loose shirt, stroking his lean stomach and chest without a word. that's as close to a flawless victory you'll ever get.

"interested?" you purr, kissing his neck as you press down on his hips to roll into yours.

he huffs, green flames still eating away at his heart. "fine... but don't even think about putting your cock in me, understand? i'm not prepped and don't want to start now."

"so vulgar," you groan, grinning lazily as he rocks his hips. you hook your thumbs under the hems of his already-short shorts and make them even tinier, pushing them up his thighs until they dig into the soft flesh of his ass. "mm... pretty. fuck, i could die here, y'know?"

taehyung glances over his shoulder, his eyes thoroughly unimpressed, though you swear they're a little darker than usual. "you're a dog. just shut up, alright? i'll help you with your little problem, but that's it. you'll get nothing else from me."

"yes, sir," you chuckle, watching him closely. he's prettiest when he's jealous.

[datvtranscripts]

Sea of Blood Pt. 4

A Message

Lucanis Masterpost

Signs and Portents Masterpost Previous: First Order of Business

They return to the elevator.

Bellara: So, Lucanis. Your demon. Feeling contained? Lucanis: Mostly.

Harding: Rook… Rook: It's us against gods, Harding. Lucanis: I am right here, you know.

Neve: Anything we should know about Calivan? Lucanis: You want to hear about his torture methods or something else? We didn't chat.

Rook: It's fine. We can talk about something else. What's Caterina like?

Lucanis: After so long in this pit… I barely remember.

They reach Calivan.

Ugh, this was entirely unnecessary. Zara and her little jests. "He's already the Demon of Vyrantium! Won't this be ironic?" Hilarious. And now look at the mess you've made of my facility. She always leaves me to clean up.

Rook: So this is Calivan.

Lucanis: He is.

Lucanis: The target I was sent for a year ago. A Crow never abandons a contract.

They fight.

Calivan: What did they offer you in exchange for my life, Crow? Was it worth it?

Calivan: Oh, you brought ruffians with you. Were you lonely?

Calivan: You are nothing to the Venatori!

Calivan: I will put you back in your place!

Calivan: You are a failed experiment, not worthy of my time.

Calivan: The Ossuary is my domain! No one leaves here!

Calivan: You will pay for your arrogance, Crow.

Calivan: You will return to your chains!

Calivan: I am in control here!

Calivan: I am the right hand of Zara! You will fall!

The party brings down his barrier and continues to attack him.

Calivan: Demons! Your master calls!

Calivan: Come forth, prisoners!

Calivan: By blood, I command you!

Calivan summons (becomes?) a pride demon, and returns after the demon is defeated.

Calivan: I will have order!

Calivan: I refuse to fall!

Calivan: No! I will not be a victim like the others!

Calivan: I will not be defeated!

They defeat Calivan, and Spite appears next to Lucanis.

Lucanis: (Exhales) The Crows send their regards.

Rook: So we got your target.

Lucanis: Yes. The job's done.

Spite: (Inhales) Smells like blood. Ashes. Not done. Not yet.

Dialogue options:

Affable: Are you okay? Roko: Lucanis… Are you all right? Lucanis? What are you looking at?

Sarcastic: So… we can go, right? Rook: So we can leave, right? Lucanis? Right?

Stoic: Time to go. Rook: Let's move. Lucanis.

Spite: Careful. They know. We're not right.

Lucanis: You cannot see him. I wondered.

Rook: We clearly have things to discuss. Somewhere else.

Lucanis: Agreed. I think… it's time I got some air.

Lucanis: Shall we go?

1 - Dialogue options:

Not yet. [2]

Let’s go. [3]

2 - Not yet. Rook: Soon. Let me secure the room first. Rook looks around a bit more. [Back to 1]

3 - Let’s go. Rook: I'm ready to get out of this place. Lucanis: Imagine how I feel. [4]

4 - Scene continues.

They return to Treviso. Illario looks over a table, Viago and Teia stand nearby. The place looks in dissaray.

Teia: Maker…

Viago: Lucanis?

Lucanis: What happened here?

Illario slams his fist on the table.

Illario: A message. From Zara Renata. I can't believe it. You're home.

Lucanis: Zara… her people got this close?

Rook: The woman who runs the prison?

Lucanis: The Venatori witch who captured me.

Rook: Revenge for the breakout, maybe?

Lucanis: Where's Caterina?

Teia: She’s…

Teia bows her head, and Viago takes her by the shoulders.

Viago: The Venatori got her in the confusion.

Illario: I get one of you back, only to lose the other.

Dialogue options:

Stoic: We had an arrangement. [5]

Sad: My condolences. [6] +Lucanis approves.

Afraid: The gods are behind this. [7]

5 - Stoic: We had an arrangement. Rook: I had a deal with Caterina. If that's not honored… Lucanis: You have your contract.

6 - Sad: My condolences. Rook: Lucanis… I'm so sorry. Lucanis: I need to work. Teia: Are you sure? You should take some time. Lucanis: I don't need time—I need a target.

7 - Afraid: The gods are behind this. Rook: Someone killed the First Talon of the Crows, now? After the gods escaped? That's not a coincidence. Illario: Zara's been a thorn in our side before. And you said yourself, it could be revenge for your prison break. Viago: No. Rook's right. The timing is suspicious. For many reasons. Lucanis: When I find Zara, I'll ask her.

8 - Scene continues.

Illario: You just got here, and already you want to leave again?

Lucanis: Caterina gave me a contract. I'm not breaking the last deal she ever made. And I owe Rook. Once that's done… I'll come home.

Dialogue options:

Affable: I’ll make sure of it. [9]

Sarcastic: We won’t keep you long. [10]

Stoic: We need to discuss the demon. [11]

9 - Affable: I’ll make sure of it. Rook: I'll return him in one piece. Illario: Thank you.

10 - Sarcastic: We won’t keep you long. Rook: Can't say your new contract's easy. But we'll be as quick as we can.

11 - Stoic: We need to discuss the demon. Rook: You haven't explained what happened in the Ossuary, Lucanis. Lucanis: Later. Rook: I won't forget.

12 - Scene continues.

Illario: Cousin. When you find Zara, I want—I need—to be there.

Viago: We're under attack. Antaam on one side and now Venatori on the other? Forget revenge, we need you—

Teia: No, Viago. Zara came for us here. In my house. She took Caterina from my house. You find her and cut her heart out, Lucanis. Vi and I will hold down the fort.

Lucanis: I'll give her your regards, Teia.

Teia: For Caterina.

The scene fades, and one of Varric’s narratives cuts in.

Varric: The Crows had lost a Talon. But the Demon of Vyrantium was free at last. Sooner or later, debts new and old would come due. And they would all be paid in blood.

Next: Spite

[dumbkatsu]

Hii!!! I was wondering if I could request some He xuan (bf) headcanons, for maybe a Male reader?? I think your writing is just super creative and very enjoyable!! Please whenever you have time :) 🫶

Hi anon! I'm so honored for your praise, I'm so happy that people are enjoying my silly little rambles about ancient Chinese men.

Alright I haven't done this in a while so here we go!

Okay so we all know that he xuan is grumpy grumpy and lazy. But if he really loves you, you'll see a different side of him that rarely sees the light of day

I honestly headcanon that he xuan is CLINGY like, you'd figure that a fierce ghost who lost everything and had to live alone for centuries wouldn't be clingy right?

He loooooves to cuddle with you. He doesn't need sleep but his mind quiets down whenever you're with him. The memories of his past are less intense and don't weigh on him as much

Despite being clingy that behavior and acts of affection like kissing and hand-holding would only be done later in the relationship. When he's comfortable enough

(despite losing his family I still believe this man has rizz when he wants to)

His expressions also soften. His eyes become more soft whenever he looks at you. His lips display a soft smile instead of his usual frown/deadpan. But it's only reserved for you when you're in quiet places.

Usually, when you are outside and walking he mostly glances fondly at you.

He's very gentle caring and doting.

He'd show you the wonders of the sea, take you on trips, and show you his domain.

He also surprisingly enjoys being very domestic. Helping you with whatever chores you have

(cut to hualian and sqx being gagged because they've never seen hx being so helpful)

He's also very keen on quality time. Even if you are doing separate things or just being comfortable in silence it's those small moments that make it count.

If you know how to cook then oh lord do you have the best partner to taste test your dishes and basically vacuum everything on site.

One of the things he loves to do is wrap his arms around you give you a back hug and perch his chin on your shoulder as he watches you cook

Of course, you spoon-feed him a little of what you're cooking to his to taste test and check for salt and spices

Small kisses are pressed on your neck and shoulders. Innocent kisses to show how much he appreciates you. Not leading to anything else. Just enjoying these tender moments

If you don't that's okay too, cue little escapades to ghost city to enjoy the cuisine :)

[cyrdling]

Dating Caspian the Merman (OC)

a/n: first time writing for one of my oc's. i hope you guys like it. kinda got a little too deep into writing about the biology of mermaids, sorry lol

caspian isn't a prince or really all that important in his city. of course, he is important to some of the people there, but he doesn't have a whole lot of things to really do.

you'd meet him when you go down to the rocky shores at night to think. coincidentally, he's also there- kind of bored, of course, but he's looking up at the moon as he wishes he could speak to humans without being in danger of getting harpooned.

this is the only real reason he goes there at night instead of the day- he loves the sun, but he knows that people are not as kind as they seem.

either way, you go to the shore and see him as he's laying on a large, flat rock. once you see him, you HAVE to reassure him that you're not gonna hunt him or tell anyone about him or else he'll be terrified. once calm though, he's pretty sweet.

he's got silver-white hair, long, slender fingers, soft blue eyes, and ears that are slightly pointed. he's also got very pale, almost to the point of being kind of blue, skin. on certain spots (where skin would usually be rough, like elbows) he's got pastelly blue scales that become more frequent as you look down at his hips, then his legs (or, really, the lack of legs. he's got a fish tail.) his hair is kinda brittle since he's in the ocean, but it's soft considering his situation. his nails are a little unnaturally sharp, but they seem to be dulled by how he uses them to move around on land (aka: the rocks act as makeshift nail files) and he's got a long scar across his stomach (it looks as though it quite literally tore through him) and he's got top surgery scars that are a lot paler pink, but are still visible.

on his body, he's got a few tattoos, as well- in my mind, mermaids use tattoos to signify which kingdom and family they're from- kingdom on the left wrist, and family on the right. wrists are very vulnerable, so showing the family and kingdom tattoos is customary before doing practically anything else, such as fighting for one's honor or whatever. caspian hasn't gotten a real job yet, so he hasn't gotten a tattoo for that- although his father is a successful coral and kelp farmer. job tattoos go on the sternum, as close to the heart as possible- caspian has a few ideas for his though. he's very good at the spear, so maybe he'd be a warrior or hunter of some kind.

according to mythology, mermaids and mermen were made by an angered witch who combined a village with fish to make them fish people. this means they have both lungs (above water breathing) and gills (underwater breathing). i don't really know how this works so just imagine its some like, second lung situation or whatever idk.

mermaids and mermen have different metabolisms to humans- they gain and lose weight very easily, and this can depend on the temperature of the water, how stressed they are, or what they eat.

his society is also highly matriarchal, as well- when he transitioned, his mother genuinely hated him since she thought he was betraying him. his father, though, understood after a while. shortly after their final argument, caspian's mother was harpooned by a human, and died in the cradle of the waves. this society believes burials at sea are honorable, so they did the ceremony without a body.

in order to like, date you, i don't think caspian would pull an ariel and get legs. he'd actually find a way to help you breathe underwater (like through a spell or something) so you can go into the ocean with him. he's very considerate!

overall 10/10 but i think he wouldnt know that seawater hurts your lungs the first time he'd drag you under, so he'd feel VERY VERY bad

thank you for reading! PLEASE tell me if you guys like it, teehee

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[writteninlunarlight-years]

Moon~

(Some pretty upsetting stuff happened to me, and like always, when I am down, I gotta write those emotions out so I don't have writer's block. This is sad and ouchie, yet let me know if you want Husk’s side of the story or even a happy ending. Thank you to those who support me and my writing)

Tw: verbal abuse, rage, depression, anxiety, poor life choices, unresolved issues

The day you two met was still ingrained in your memory like yesterday. You were being chased by mob bosses on the streets. The moon's glow guided you as you thought about seeking refuge in that glitzy Casino; fingers crossed, you would be lost in the sea of noise and flashing lights. Though your wish came true and you managed to avoid the boss, Scott free, you never expected to land face-to-face with the man you had.

He had a beautiful black and white tuxedo fit, a half-buttoned dress shirt with an excellent-fitting pinstripe jacket, and a cigar hanging from his mouth. Looking up at him, you know fear was the feeling that should be coursing through you, yet what you felt was unadulterated lust and desire. He was your aphrodisiac; nothing else would compare.

He took a special interest in you, too. Not every day does someone bring danger into the feared Casino Overlord's home, let alone look him dead in the eye the way you did. Originally, it was just a job, a simple work experience to help keep you out of trouble. That changed all too soon, though.

Gifts appeared at your hotel room door, from lovely outfits to perfumes and even jewelry. He tried to woo you, but you had already fallen for him. Eventually, your job at the bar turned into sitting on his lap at the card table. You would relax him when he lost and congratulate him when he won. One excellent win resulted in him bedding you, claiming you as his. One soul contract later, and you were his and his alone.

To go back in time and alter reality would be a miracle; that isn’t life, though. Instead, your life here was a moment of looking up at the moon from a new location that was no longer the Casino.

You and Husk got in your fights; everyone did. Yet Husk, when he was drunk, was temperamental; he was angry and hated losing. No amount of sex, cuddles, or kisses could fix it. What went from gifts and showers of affection turned into arguments and cold nights of sleeping alone. He would never raise a hand to you, but raising his voice became a new constant as his power in the scene of the Overlords faltered.

Years of arguments and false promises about things getting better and you two overcoming anything opened you both up to weakness… Then they came in—the young upstart overlords Vox and Alastor, ready to gamble with the big cat on day one. The two were charming, and charisma ebbed off of them in waves.

You did your due diligence at your job that damned night, smiling, flirting, anything to knock them off their game. If Husk beat the up-and-coming stars of hell, maybe he would feel better than he had been. You were wrong, though, because he didn’t win, and neither did you.

A deal was struck. The man you loved and grew to care for, even through the fighting and long cold nights, sold you off. In one game, your new soul owner was Vox. It was a blur—there was yelling, chains breaking and forming, and you being taken away.

When you woke the next day, you were in a small penthouse of Vox’s. You were his ‘lover’ now, as he put it. Husk had sold you off. Tears streamed down your face as you realized the love you harbored for him was not the same love he harbored for you.

Vox was kind to you; he cared for and treated you like royalty. When his fallout with Alastor happened not too long after, you two only had each other to pick up the pieces; you wouldn’t say the relationship that formed between you two was out of desire or want; it was a necessity to stay alive.

You two may sleep together and pretend in front of cameras, but at night, you both think of who you once loved. The people who hurt you both in intricate and damning ways. The people who strengthened your bonds together to the point that you two found the most comfort in one another.

You were always on the sidelines when the Vees came around and got big. The connection you and Vox had made you off limits to the other two Vee’s. He didn’t want you whored out; He didn’t want you as a model; he wanted you to find happiness like he was searching for.

Yet every night, you two lie on opposite sides of the bed, looking out the grand window and remembering your happiness left a long time ago. Your’s when Husk sold you off like a pawn, and Vox when Alastor became too good for him. Both of you have deep, untreated wounds. Vox grew angrier as years turned to decades, yet he never raised his voice at you. He knew of the life you lived prior to him taking on your soul. As for you the pain over the decades just turned to more profound loathing and sadness for you.

You loved Husk, you still did, and on nights when Vox would go out with the Vees or consummate their relationship, you would find yourself sitting outside on the balcony of Vox’s penthouse, staring at the moon. Sometimes, you wonder, ‘Does he see the same moon as I do?’ ‘Does he miss me like I miss him?’

Your questions were sadly answered one day, much to your dismay. You were opting to witness the downfall of Alastor with Vox on the day of the extermination, and that’s when you saw him. Not only did Alastor not die, and the hotel stood tall once more, but Husk was one of Alastor’s souls…making those same eyes he once made for you at a spider demon.

Vox noticed your change in mood and quickly calmed his destructive rage to help you, but it was too late. You saw it all right there on his 4 K screen. You were replaced, unloved, and not wanted. You were only ever a pawn to try and keep power for as long as he could, until Alastor had his soul, and then Alastor dropped Vox.

Swallowing the tears, you excused yourself to the room and went straight to the balcony. Looking on the horizon, you could see the Hazbin Hotel, where Husk was probably smitten with the spider demon. Choked, pained sobs left your frame as you screamed at the moon like it was all its fault for leading you to that casino when you were running from the mob bosses.

When Vox found you, it was a sorry sight. You were curled up on the balcony in a ball, silent sobs wracking your body. Vox explained that the spider was one of Val’s souls, that he knew Husk was Alastor’s soul, but that since he had your soul, Alastor would never let you near. You laughed sadly; Vox wasn’t wrong. The minute that word got out that Alastor stole an overlord's soul, he dropped Vox. You never imagined the soul would be Husk’s.

Vox helped pick you up and leaned you against his chest as you two looked up at the moon, “Hey, Vox, do you think they are looking at the same moon?”

[jaidens]

I'm Standing There On A Balcony In Summer Air

pairing [s] : the outsiders [boys] x reader

warning [s] : | just sum fun headcannons because I'm on vacation right now! I also feel like I based this off a beach vacation because why not..

a/n [s] : requests are open!!

Darry Curtis

— Listen, if anything, this is the one man that needs a long and nice vacation. Without his kid brothers, just him and his lovely soulmate. He gets maybe a week or two weeks of complete relaxation.

— I definitely see him as the type of guy to decline and tell you no whenever you surprise him with a beach house and a trip to a region other than Tulsa, Oklahoma. He'll probably tell you he needs to work, and a vacation is the last thing he needs.

— However, when he hits the soft bed and warm pillows that smell of the sea and relaxation, he's completely and utterly passed out. The soft waves that crash against the shore have him lousy and drunkenly walking around the beach house.

— He loves the warm sand and the water that cools him down. Darry holds you and thanks you the entire time for convincing him to relax for a week with you. Even with it, he can't help but call every day to check in on his brothers and their friends. It's almost unconscious, you swear, the way he rings in the house phone and talks for ten minutes of blabber.

— Okay, but seriously, can we fund a vacation for Darry? I think he needs it, desperately, before he loses it.

Sodapop Curtis

— Prettiest goddamn boy on the entire beach. You're surprised you're able to tell the difference from in-between his soft, ocean colored eyes and the washboard abs he's sporting as he whips up from the water and water drips down his back and abs. It gets you hot and flustered, but who can blame you? It's Sodapop Curtis.

— He definitely needs a vacation, not as much as Darry, but he's a close second. He has a sense of protection over his brother's so he does also stress over that. His job isn't as competitive or stressful as Darry's, so I don't believe it would be job related. I think he just needs a walk away from Tulsa for a bit, to get away from the yelling that Darry does and Ponyboy’s constant arguments he makes.

— I am completely convinced as soon as he gets in a quiet, relaxed, and warm environment; he's like a bag of sand. He's passed out and you aren't waking him up anytime soon. Sodapop is the type of guy to set an alarm and tell you he is watching the sunrise in the morning then sleeps through the loud clanging ringing on the side table, how? You aren't sure at all.

— I believe he thanks you in many other ways other than verbal. Whether it's taking you to a nice dinner after scraping up the money he has in his wallet, or buying you little necklaces to wear. He's so incredibly thankful for the trip and the thought that someone cares about him enough to spend hundreds of dollars to spend a week with him on vacation? How else are you supposed to thank the love of his life?

— All in all, where is my Sodapop Curtis to spend a week with to use as arm candy?

Ponyboy Curtis

— Ponyboy has spent years attempting to convince his parents and Darry to go on vacation. Their vacations’s consisted of driving to the next town over or visiting family. There hadn't been a big enough trip that he was able to get away for a bit. So, whenever you surprised him with tickets to your family's beach house on a family vacation? He is completely ecstatic.

— I think he fully acts like a kid for most of the vacation. In Tulsa, it's almost automatically that you cannot be the same. With the constant fighting and hatred between the Socs and Greasers, Ponyboy is stuck in the middle of a crisis. He cannot relax for the life of Tulsa. Whether that's his neck hurting from him repeatedly looking over his shoulder, or just his entire body hurting from the wrath of people who just didn't know him.

— However, on vacation, he's like a little boy again. Ponyboy doesn't feel worried about whether there is or there is not a Soc on his back getting ready to pounce. He sits the sand and plays with himself, making holes and seeing how long it takes him to jump into the splashing water. It's sweet really, the way you could've sworn his smile had gotten bigger.

— He definitely waits too long to eat his ice cream and it melts; I'm sorry but there's no way he chomps down his ice cream before it melts in his hand. Pony is a summer and winter boy, there's no in between. He loved the way the sun lays on his skin and he's relaxed, then in the winter, he's able to stay with his brothers’ and love them.

— If anything, he is so extremely thankful. He says it through the entire weekend and then goes back to thank your parents for deciding to take their child’s boyfriend alongside on the trip.

— He is so sweet. That's all your honor.

Two-Bit Matthews

— Two-Bit is the guy to bring to a vacation, except he doesn't relax. You swore he gets crazier. He's jumping on beds and stealing everything he possibly can. You're not sure why Two-Bit took a pillow, but he did. I think as soon as he hears you ask to go on vacation with him, he's cackling and jumping around and immediately calls his school and says that he'll be out for a week. You're not confident of why he even called, you're sure he has more absences than he does days he actually showed up.

— I think he would have so much fun. He can barely sleep and he's tossing and turning in the bed the entire night. However, he jumps up as soon as you ask if he'll watch the sunrise with you. Two-Bit walks down to the beach with you and is holding a towel. He drops it on the ground and he sits on it, as well as you. Two lets you lay on him, holding your hand and kissing him gently as you thank him for everything he's done for you. He protects you and makes sure you're alright. He's definitely surprised you're thanking him and he hugs you tightly and pulls you to the ground. “No thank you! Baby I love you so much for taking me to this!”

— Two-Bit definitely found himself playing with a little boy and sand buckets after he helped the kid. It's sweet and it has you smiling ear to ear as the boy pulls his hand across the beach and they're racing with each other. He's like a puppy and he plays with everything he can find. He's the best brother, especially with his sister, but with any kid he's showing love and helping them out. He eventually comes back to you, out of breath and sweaty and sits down. His hair has no grease in it, so it's softly waved and long across his face.

— Two is sweet and kind the entire time. He's hugging and kisses you whenever you get to a beach-side dinner or you go buy a new swimsuit for either him or you. Two-Bit is holding you all day, you aren't sure if it's him checking you out or just holding you, but you still love it. He's completely grateful and he's thanking you every moment he possibly can. It's shared with kisses, hugs, and cuddling under the warm sun or the warm night on the beach.

— And now I must ask, where is my Two-Bit to go to the beach with?

Steve Randle

— Steve had only left Tulsa so many times. His parents barely recognized he was at the house most of the time. So either way, he would travel away from Tulsa and drive around. He visited some places around Texas as well as the rest of Oklahoma. So, whenever you surprise him with a trip to a place he mentioned of “dreaming” of going to, he sucked in a few tears and a big smile of his face.

— Whenever he gets to the place, he is overwhelmed with the quick change from Tulsa to where he went. He's quickly excited about the ocean and the crashing against the water. Normally, you would have made him get on a pair of shorts, but he decided to run in with his jeans hiked and rolled up his legs. He's laughing and smiling ear to ear with happiness. You follow his smile and watch him jumping and sliding across the waves. You're glad he's acting like a kid, expressing himself out of his shell.

— After he passed out on the beach, burning his skin, he laid on the soft white sheets as you had to rub cold aloe on his skin. When you ever attempt to mention him waiting a day to relax with the burn, he looks at you with a shocked look. “Why would you even say that?! Of course I'm going!” He still does and probably burns once more, even with a thick layer of sunscreen on.

— He's so incredibly thankful the entire time. Steve has some money saved up from the DX and decided to pay for all of the food and extra things at the vacation and tourist places. He doesn't tell you how much he has or how much anything costs. It's how he's thankful, he gives and gives and swears he doesn't need anything in return. Steve is so sweet, he holds you all day and just whispers about how happy he is to do this.

— He wakes up early in the morning to watch the sunset rise with you. The soft cold wind whipped through his ungreased hair. Steve is staring at the ocean and listening to the waves. He turns his head and kisses you gently and holds your hand. Then, he picks you up and throws you in the water: there's no in between. I apologize.

— Steve is actually one of my favorites.. he's so kind

Dallas Winston

— Dallas has never been on vacation. His dad doesn't care, and his mother passed away before she was able to take her young son on a trip. Dallas is fully able to leave Tulsa and go anywhere, but he has a connection to this town. His protection over Johnny Cade and Ponyboy Curtis and the rest of the gang is what keeps him rested at night. So for that reason, he was completely unsure about leaving. You reassured him it would only be a week, and that the boys would be fine. He anxiously packed and decided to go.

— Whenever Dallas arrives, I feel like he doesn't show full appreciation for the beauty of where he's staying. He checks out what's around the house, opening cabinets and drawers for anything that might have been left from past people. You have to pull him outside to stare off of the balcony at the sunset that's on the coast. Dallas never understood why Ponyboy and Johnny loved the sunset and rises, but now he does. He understands everything Pony talks about whenever you grab his hand and kiss him gently and say how thankful you are for him coming.

— Dallas doesn't fully understand how to thank you for taking him to something that he can't ever repay. You tell him he's fine and he doesn't have to pay back anything and how he's enough. He relaxes his mind and starts taking you to stores and the ocean. Dallas is sweet and kind whenever he doesn't have to be worried about making sure you're safe or the gang finding out how head over heels he completely was for you. Dallas is laying across your lap while your fingers run through his waved dark hair. He's almost asleep as he stares at the sunset with you.

— Dallas is very upset with the bed in the beach house. You try and get him to lay down and as soon as he puts his back on the bed, he immediately says he hates it. You're convinced that it's because of the ratty, hardly comfortable bed he sleeps on every night he has gotten used to. You have to let him practically lay on top of you in a last resort attempt to get him to sleep. He passes out a few minutes later, snores falling from his mouth and soft movements on his smile.

— Dallas gets knocked down from waves too much, ending up with him spitting out sand and salty water while complaining as you laugh at him. You're out of breath as he gets knocked down from a particularly hard wave and he screams. Eventually, he chases you further into the water and you hold onto him like a koala as he holds you just above the water. That's when he thanks you, a long salty tasting kiss and a smile ending it. It's sweet and gentle, almost everything Dallas shows that he's not. Unless he's with you, he's dropped the guard he holds up to scare people away.

— Dallas eventually grows to love vacations, and even says he wants to take the boys to where you were staying. It makes you smile about the way he cares about them so much. You tell him that he's like a Beach Boy in his swim shorts and wavy hair. He doesn't enjoy being compared to The Beach Boys whenever he's a hard-headed and mean Greaser. All in all, Dallas is someone who grows to love anything he can stick his head too. As well as his hatred for carrying bags up sand dunes after leaving the beach, he doesn't love that very much.

— Bring Dallas to the beach, please.

Johnny Cade

— Johnny had never been out of Tulsa. His parents barely had enough money to keep the lamps on so they could see where they would argue and yell. He admittedly would remember nights when he was younger, staring at the stars and thinking about jumping across them and falling into a place where it was complete relaxation. So, when you surprised him with the trip for his seventeenth birthday, he cried and sniffled in your arms while thanking you. It was bittersweet and you couldn't help but tear up at his happiness for a week trip.

— Johnny is a little tourist bug. He's clad in a sweatshirt with the city across his chest. His sunglasses are covering his eyes as he walks down the palm tree-sided road. The sunset that flows throughout the town is absolutely beautiful and you can't help but clip a picture with your polaroid that you snuck into the trip. He just turns the second the click goes off, so you get a slightly blurry picture of Johnny smiling at you with his eyes on you. It's a picture you keep in your jacket pocket that reminds you of everything you have.

— Johnny is absolutely obsessed with the beach house. He's walking around with his hands in his pockets as he looks at everything it has. He tells you the small things he noticed, like the turtle design the wallpaper has or that the balcony has a different look than other ones. It's sweet how he tells you everything he notices, it reminds you of how grateful he is for even being able to leave Tulsa, but to go to a place he's been dreaming about is a totally different feeling.

— Johnny absolutely loves the beach. He digs holes and sits in them. You have to remind him to reapply sunscreen, but even with that, his soft cheeks turn a gentle red and his shoulders get a sunburn. The ocean is his favorite place, he doesn't care about the salt water that gets in his mouth or splashes into his eyes. He feels completely free and everything bad in his life gets taken away out from the shore. He collects seashells and screams whenever a fish slides against his foot and runs away.

— Johnny has already expressed his gratefulness with his constant telling you how happy he is because of the trip. He buys you a small friendship bracelet that connects with a heart magnet. He gets blushy and mushy inside when you tell him it'll never come off your wrist. As I've already said, Johnny loves walking through the tourism stores and picking up every turtle and keychain and messing with it. He does his hardest to make the most of the trip with you and shows he's happy for it. He believes he doesn't deserve it, if he had to be honest. He had only done so much for you, but with his fears crowding his feelings it was hard.

— Johnny lies with you on the sand and stares at the stars after the sun sets on the horizon. He swears they're brighter than in Tulsa, but you think you can barely see a difference. His hand is holding onto yours while you share stories with each other. He tells you things he's never told anybody with soft sniffles and laughs. It's romantic and just the thing Johnny needed. It's everything he needs, the sound of the waves that crash across the shore and the sea salt smell that lies in everything he owns. That's had been the night Johnny told you that you were written in his stars for forever.

[sleepynegress]

On Challengers...

Okay.

So, here's the thing. It's decent.

It's sassy, catfighty, but with dudes using rackets and tongue-wrestling, and the tennis scenes are tense, but... it wasn't at all confidently scandalous like I would've expected.

....Like I feel like they didn't push it far enough, somehow? And not even in the way you might think, with dicks a-swingin and thrusts abundant. Remember, the movie Closer? -I think that came out in 2007ish and was rated PG-13??? Or could have been if not for the language.

Natalie Portman has a similar nudity clause to her contract and *STILL* had the absolute sexiest scene with Clive Owen.... .....Which I'll put in this post to demonstrate what I mean. This felt like it held back at moments... When it came to pushing desire, between the men and/or with Zendaya, with one or the other. It just felt so tame to me given the hype. I was hoping for a return to artistic sensuality in film again, instead of this weird sort of by-rote-feeling purity culture we're having rn. (I'm watching Love Lies Bleeding tonight and I BET that delivers. Lesbians, salude!) I was hoping for Cruel Intentions' lush cut with The Dreamers' sensuality..if that makes sense?? AND some good-good tennis. THAT did deliver. WOW, some of the shots for that were eye-popping. A critic I follow noted that her issue (she always has the best takes I don't agree with all of them but they are always well-articulated) was that Zendaya was not fleshed out as a central figure, especially as a BLACK WOMAN. It was yet again another case of a Black woman dropped down from the moon coming from no people of her own, but just somehow existing in a sea of white people with not a hint of Black friends or loved ones.

Hell, they could've even laid out *her people* like the brilliantly underrated Beyond The Lights with Minnie Driver playing the stage manager mom to Gugu Mbatha Raw's biracial pop star. But that comes down to the white male gaze fucking it up, yet again. I looked up the screenwriter and just kind of nodded knowingly with an 'oh, yeah that's what I expected, that explains it...' He simply didn't have the range beyond a sort of vague tennis fetish for brown girls in short skirts grunting and swinging and wanting to do something with that. He admitted that Naomi and another Black woman player's interaction on the court *inspired* this...

Perception of Black women doing ANYTHING can be so heavy with a weirdly asexual gaze from white women and hyper-sexualized by white men. And if desire/centering tips in the "wrong" direction deemed by prejudice and our assumed place....*yeesh* we catch hell. You're either bafflingly too ugly to be treated with desire (whew the incel bigots are big mad that it's Zendaya and not a Sweeney-type) or only deemed good enough for it, because of that white gaze. And resented regardless.

*sigh* Can't win for losing. But I digress. Zendaya's co-stars are the oddest looking mystical-dwarf-head ass forest creature white boys with big ears, but they GAVE in the acting department. Mike Faist is a STAR. He has a sort of laidback sweetly confident rizz. But he definitely is the lovechild of a young Scott Glenn and DJ Qualls. I want to put him in a western immediately because he has Civil War photo face.

Mike O'Connor has that desperate dirty hairy scruffy thing like dude from The Bear. Like you KNOW he has a scratch tat somewhere and would do the dirty with his partner in the toilet stalls or anywhere else. Hollyweird is strange about beauty standards man. Back in the day, they used to pretend old white men, who looked like they smelled like Barbasol mixed w/ urine would somehow be sexy to a twentysomething. Now, we have this dichotomy of thankfully a little more of a diverse gaze for the centered "bombshell" other than blonde with large breasts number 32637263872.... but we also have some actresses cutting fat out their cheeks and being Ozempic thin. *sigh* ...While the "basic" hot boys are punching the air rn because they are also passé. Got to have something interesting going on in the face for everyone now, I think. Can't just be AI "pretty" anymore. Thankfully.

....Anyway. It is good, but with those caveats I laid out.

P.S. ICONIC for me is seeing Zendaya's Black-ass nose bridge drawn large on that poster. P.P.S Thank LUCA for doing the queer elements well... I personally don't think it went far enough, tho...

Mike bottoming for all, including getting pegged by Zendaya would've happened in my version of this... at least implied, come on (ficwriters?) Oh! and here are the clips from Closer, but then it was a successful play first, so the script is more substantial in that.

This is how filthy I expected Challengers to be, and it's just. not. Nothing in The Challengers touches the heavy heady nastiness in this scene IMO, but something in that movie should have, dammit! Note they never even touch each other.

[marveylovely]

“Ten men stack up at the woman's feet, and she chooses the eleventh, who stands and looks the other way”.

— Michael Weller, "All about life"

~ chapter 1 ~

Dana Scott always knew that Harvey didn't belong to her. Spectrum was a cat walking by himself. Proud, nobody's, independent, rarely given into the hands and then only to selected people. It was enough for Dana Scott to be so chosen.

Good sex, pleasant conversations, exciting battles and negotiations, but more often — the perfect compromise that they found. This synergy between them… Dana cared about it, she liked it, so she was glad to return to New York. Harvey was now the senior partner and aimed higher (to match her). He was still damn good-looking (especially with a new hairstyle). It was supposed to be a pleasant adventure.

Harvey Specter was domesticated while she was building her life in London. Scotty realizes this the moment he gently removes her hand from his face and moves away, drawing a line between them. "Don't get involved, this is someone else's territory," says his whole pose. "Your visa is expired," Scotty sneers to himself, choking on bitterness.

Dana feels almost insulted. She can't do anything about this feeling because she's been special since Harvard. Yes, not a girlfriend or a lover, but someone much closer, bigger. There were so many things that connected them, and sex was just a drop in this sea. The threads stretched and intertwined into a unique pattern. Therefore, Dana can't get rid of the thought that she was deprived of something.

She understands the groundlessness of these claims. They never promised each other anything, but it hurts her to tears. Scotty wanted more. I couldn't escape from it, so I ran away from my fiance.

Dana also understands that it was her choice and she has no right to demand anything from Harvey. But she has a hole the size of Manhattan in her chest, and there's a reason for that.

"Who is she?" Scotty asks on the plane when they are sitting on opposite sides of the cabin because she is being pushed away again, but now insistently and clearly, with words.

Harvey arches an eyebrow and snorts, enjoying her whiskey and not even going to answer. As if she doesn't have enough reminders that he changed the locks, and her name is no longer on the free access list.

"Donna?", randomly beats Scotty, unable to remember another woman close to him.

A woman who could own the heart of Harvey Specter. Voluntarily given away. Never belonging to her!

Spectrum laughs, leaning back in his seat as if he finds the very possibility that he can sleep with the goddess Donna funny.

"There was definitely something between you," Dana shrugs because she's not blind either.

"I'm not stupid enough to have an affair with my super secretary," Harvey finally deigns to answer, finishing his whiskey.

"I'll have to give her your characterization", Scotty teases him without malice, remembering what Donna is capable of when she hears the word secretary.

"The check at the end of the month calls her just super for me," Harvey snorts.

He has become softer, Dana notices and feels a poisonous envy.

"Then Zoey?" Does she still work for you? Dana gets up from her seat and walks over to Harvey.

He gives her his famous grin of the best closer in New York. There is so much falsehood in it that you can draw buckets. It feels like a slap in the face, like the most vile insult.

Harvey Spectrum is now a minefield with a chain-link fence and warning signs through every centimetre. For the first time, Dana learns what politeness is in the Spectrum. When all touches are treated unambiguously, and flirting is a tribute to a beautiful woman.

The proud, independent cat now has a master. And the majestic creature, like a devoted dog, no longer looks at others. Just loses interest.