#posting this a teensy bit early just to get it out of the way

[pfcware]

LIVE IN ONE HOUR!

join me at 6:30pm MST for viva pinata: trouble in paradise!

[kazumist]

WHY DON'T WE FALL IN LOVE TONIGHT ?

✩ — in which you found yourself executing a ruse with the known duke of meropide, wriothesley. what could possibly go wrong? (many things, apparently.)

✩ — prompt: panache — you agree to a fake courtship with another. (for @xianyoon's "a night to remember" event (event two hehehe))

✩ — includes: wriothesley x f!reader. royalty!au. fluff, angst if you squint, hurt/comfort if you also squint, comedy squeezed in just a teensy bit. cw: alcohol consumption (reader ends up taking a shot or two) one crazy scene in the garden but it's nothing too explicit i swear they just get a little carried away OOPS. wc: 8001 yes you read that fucking right (i went insane). fake dating trope went a bit overboard my bad (heavily based by bridgerton season 1 minus the explicit scenes LMAO). one pride and prejudice and meme reference line sneaked in (if u get my reference then ilysm i need to kiss u). other fontaine characters make a cameo yipee!! full fic of this silly post i made back then but i changed things up. kinda

✩ — please reblog !! it wld help me tons :,)

love at first sight was a frivolous belief for a man like wriothesley.

romance, in general, was a frivolous belief for him in the first place. as much as his father pushes him into the marriage market for all of the women in the kingdom of fontaine, he would always find his way out of it. but he does admit—the nagging could get quite... overbearing sometimes. romance almost never crosses wriothesley’s mind. he shuns every vigorous mother that presents their daughter towards him in hopes that he’ll take an interest in them (which he never does; wriothesley believes that marriage is too big of a responsibility for him).

a ball is never uncommon in society at this age. and certainly it isn’t uncommon for his father to urge him to grace these balls with his presence on behalf of his former duke of a father. and tonight wasn’t so different from the other balls he previously attended. wriothesley holds back the urge to roll his eyes after he excuses himself (for the nth time, he thinks) from another mother who tried to offer her daughter up for his hand in marriage. it was exhausting, to say the least. wriothesley wants nothing more than to leave at the moment. however, to his dismay, the ball had just begun not too long ago.

it’s another long night for him.

sharing some conversations with queen furina’s royal advisor, neuvillette, wasn’t a bad way to pass the time. and it certainly was effective because people were far too nervous to approach him with the queen nearby. the friendship he shared with the royal advisor wasn’t new knowledge to society. almost everyone and their mothers had heard about the tale of the current duke meropide and the queen’s royal advisor being close friends during their early days of childhood and onwards. though wriothesley sometimes admits—he surely misses his youthful days.

it’s not like he's that old now. he’s currently thriving at the young age of twenty-five! not too young, not too old either. “and just how long are you going to stand by my side tonight, wriothesley?” neuvillette asks, his eyes focused on the crowd below him. there were pairs dancing gracefully in the middle of the venue as the quintet orchestra played by the side. wriothesley doesn’t glance at him as he answers. “just a bit longer, i suppose. i could still feel their eyes boring holes into me.” he mumbles the last part, leaning closer only for neuvillette to hear, as he refers to the mothers that attempted to make their advances on him earlier. neuvillette simply chuckles at his remark.

“still refusing marriage, i see?” he replies. 

“i’m confident that you’re well aware of what my answer to that is going to be, neuvillette.”

wriothesley feels comfortable like this. but he’s aware that he couldn’t spend all of his time by his friend’s side. soon after, wriothesley decides to take his leave after making sure his coast is clear. he then exited nearby and found himself wandering into the garden. surely, the workers at the house of hearth had done a splendid job maintaining this garden. he reminds himself to commend duke arlecchino for this if he ever gets the chance.

the wind tonight was quite cold, yet it’s nothing wriothesley couldn’t handle. he stumbles upon what seemed to be the center of the garden, surprised to see a fountain there. the moonlight shines brightly in this area—but what actually made wriothesley curious was who was sitting by the fountain? he steadily approaches, careful not to make the wrong move and sits by the fountain as well. there was still some distance between the two of you—a lot of it. it would be indecent of him to burst into a woman’s personal space. his father did not raise him to be that sort of man.

“what brings you here tonight?” he suddenly finds himself asking. it was a poor attempt at small talk, he thinks (he could do much better than that, he swears). wriothesley doesn’t even dare steal a glance at you, as much as he wanted to. you hesitated before answering him, still sinking in the fact that you suddenly have company in this garden now. “avoiding society as usual, especially the members of society who cannot give up offering their hand of marriage towards me, i suppose,” he hears you sigh. huh, how ironic. did wriothesley just bump into someone who suffers from the same problem as him? 

the answer was most definitely yes.

“oh, what a coincidence—i suffer from such a predicament as well.” he chuckles bitterly in reply—too bitter for his liking. he didn’t want to suddenly ruin the mood now; the conversation had barely even started. “is that so? i’m delighted to know that i’m not alone in this boat then.” the tone of your chuckle was different from the chuckle you got from wriothesley. a comfortable silence was then enveloped over the both of you, enjoying the scenery around. he takes this as his chance to steal a glance, and he quickly takes it back. yet he finds himself glancing again.

and again

and again. 

he doesn’t quite understand it himself. however, there was something about you that had this alluring effect on him of some sort. he just couldn’t tear his eyes off of you for some reason. “enjoying the view much, duke?” you asked, meeting his gaze. wriothesley then turns away suddenly, embarrassed that he was caught red handed in the act of practically ogling at you. his father did not raise him to be like this at all. he did not spend his childhood and teenage years training how to be a proper gentleman for his debut in society just to be ogling at a lady he just met at a ball. he needs to snap out of it.

“my apologies, but how could i resist putting my attention on a stunning lady like you?” he tries to play it cool. (keyword: tries.) it was a strategy that he learned to adapt every since he made his debut into society. playing it cool always works for him—surely his old trick wouldn’t fail at him now of all times, right? but wriothesley soon snapped out of his thoughts, and he then asked another question. “wait, you know who i am?” 

you were taken aback by his words. is he seriously asking you that? “who wouldn’t know you? you’re quite famous with the other ladies.” you asked him back. he simply replies with a short “fair point.” and silence takes over once again. but this time, it was a bit awkward. you decided to introduce yourself to him, stating your name and title. he nods in acknowledgement of your introduction. he has heard of you before, of course. your family has quite a reputation in society, making you get quite a bit of attention at formal parties as well. 

wriothesley doesn’t dare steal a glance at you again, as he has seemed to learn his lesson from what happened earlier. you, on the other hand, took this as your chance to take your leave. “although your company has been quite interesting, duke meropide, i’m afraid that i must take my leave first. i seem to have forgotten that i excused myself from lord jackson earlier.” you got up from your seat, already walking away from the fountain—that is, until wriothesley speaks.

“lord jackson? you mean the lord jackson who’s known for his… awful history in relationships?”

“i don’t believe there’s any other lord jackson in this society, duke meropide.” you turn around to face him.

“what business do you have with him?” why am i even asking? he thinks.

“he’s simply another one of the men who my mother had decided to set me up with for marriage. i was told to accompany him for tonight but you see, his company isn’t really... the best.” you replied, choosing your word carefully. despite you not liking lord jackson at all, it would be informal for you to speak ill of him when he could be the man you’ll actually marry.

actually, scratch that. as if you’ll ever allow yourself to marry a man like him. lord jackson was a creep, to say the least. you were aware of the talk that goes around him. but your dear mother is still kept in the dark about these stories, and she decided to set you up with him without your prior knowledge. so by technicality, you really had no choice. “you can’t marry him.” the man in front of you suddenly says.

“i beg your pardon?” you asked, afraid that you misheard him the first time. “you... you can’t marry him.” he repeats and then he continues. “i mean, surely you have heard the news about him—his temper makes him vicious. your marriage with him wouldn’t prosper at all.” you held back the urge to scoff at him. “i appreciate your concern, my duke, but our society works in an unfair way at this age. i cannot just declare that i do not wish to marry, unlike you. that is a privilege that i cannot simply afford.” you shot back at him.

wriothesley suddenly feels like a light bulb in his head has switched on.

“we could pretend to form an attachment.” he then says. you were getting more baffled by the second this conversation held on longer. “whatever do you mean?” you weren’t stupid. but you refused to believe that what he’s hinting at is also the one you foolishly thought. “with you in my arm, people would think that i have finally found my duchess. as for you, your mother would raise her standards and find more suitable candidates for your hand in marriage. because although i could be wrong, but have you ever told your mother what traits you find in a man?” he replies, a small smile slowly tugging on his lips. he clearly enjoys this idea.

“i… i suppose not.” he got you there. “but this is an absurd idea.” you protested.

“i find it quite brilliant, if i do say so myself.”

“you do know the risks of what you’re proposing right now, am i correct?”

“i do. but you do not wish to marry me, and i do not wish to marry you, so whatever should you have to lose?” he’s insisting. he’s insisting like this plan would work perfectly fine for the both of your benefits (well, if you were to be completely honest, there is a chance for it to be successful. but you grew up to believe that you shouldn’t expect for things to go so smoothly in your life). “i…” a lost of words. that’s what you are. too many possibilities are running through your head at the moment.

however, the duke did have one hell of a good point.

“fine. you got yourself a deal.”

and that’s how you got roped into the situation you have now. with an arm interlocked with the duke meropide’s, all eyes were bound to set upon you both. wriothesley could see the amusement in neuvillette’s expression; the same goes for the hint of amusement in queen furina’s eyes as she spots them in the crowd. wriothesley slowly guides you towards the dance floor, just in time for another dance to begin. gracefully, you took his hand as you step onto the dance floor with him. a familiar song started to play, one that you remember memorizing as dance class was mandatory for being a debutante in society.

“are you bothered?” he then asks in a whisper as he twirls you around. “whatever for?” you ask him back. “the staring. i could feel all of them looking at us right now, honestly,” he chuckles lowly. “hm, i’m trying not to mind it that much. but i suppose you’re probably enjoying all of this attention now, aren’t you?” a simple tease on your part, and wriothesley smiled at that. “my, are we on casual terms now?” 

“chemistry should be a major factor that we should have in this plan, yes? so we might as well start by being more casual with one another.”

“indeed. glad to know that you’re quick to pick up on things.” he says. “of course i am. what do you take me for, duke meropide?” you asked him, a slight pout forming on your lips. and wriothesley smiled at that again before replying. “nothing offensive, that i can assure you.”

“i’m delighted to know that the ever-so-famous duke of meropide doesn’t harbor any sour feelings towards me then.” 

it was a bit suffocating, all of the staring. yet at the same time, you understood why they’re staring in the first place. wriothesley, the current duke of meropide, is suddenly on the dance floor with a young woman. and he seems to be quite interested in her as well. people would assume you’re the reason why the duke has rejected so many marriage offers up until now—because he already had you in the first place.

the other unwanted attention you’d get from that assumption alone was enough to make you distracted to the point where you almost stepped on wriothesley’s foot. “i—my apologies, duke.” you stammered. “it’s alright. just look at me,” he says. you scrunched your eyebrows at him in confusion. “pardon?”

“just look at me; don’t focus on anyone else. it will help ease your mind.”

with hesitance, you followed what he said and locked your eyes with his. the duke’s eyes were a fine shade of grey. a unique color, if you do say so yourself. and surely he was correct. shifting your focus and thoughts to him did ease you from all of the other eyes that are locked onto both of your figures that’s moving along with the music.

time felt like it had stopped, as it also felt like you were the only ones present in the room.

to wriothesley’s surprise, the night passed by faster when he was with you. because before he knew it, he was already accompanying you back to your carriage. a lot of things had happened in the span of just a few hours. but wriothesley does not regret a single second of it, now that he recalls everything again. he wonders why—was it because he encountered you in the garden tonight?

maybe. that’s where it all started anyway.

he quickly snapped out of his trail of thoughts as he heard you speak. “i suppose i’ll see you soon then?” you asked him. “mhm, i suppose so. safe travels, m’lady.” he bids you his farewell by gently grabbing ahold of your hand and pressing a soft kiss onto your knuckle, refusing to break his eye contact with you as the footman closed your carriage’s door.

“safe travels as well, my duke.”

— — — — — — — — 

word spread fast about you and the duke of meropide. your mother was shocked at the news—yet happy that you finally became “independent on finding your match” as per her words. you had no specific agenda for the day, so, as you usually do whenever you are free, you decided to visit the modiste—where your good friend chiori resides. 

the sound of the bell chiming as the door opened made chiori perk up to see who would possibly need help making a new dress. but when her eyes met yours, she just knew you weren’t here to ask for a new dress. “i heard about the commotion last night.” she says, setting down a cup of tea for you as she takes a sip from her own cup, waiting for your response. “commotion is a vulgar term for it, chiori. i prefer to call it a memorable event.”

“i suppose it’s memorable for you to enter with your arm wrapped around the duke meropide just like that. how did it even happen? i vividly recall you telling me that you had no intention of marriage.”

“it’s… a long story,” you sighed, taking a sip from your own cup of tea. “oh? are you implying that there’s more to this than meets the eye, then?”

“i guess you could say that.”

“well, then tell me all about it.”

“i… i can't. my apologies, chiori.” it's not like you didn't trust her. in fact, there are more secrets that are held within this fine modiste’s place than one could ever imagine. but it was a silent and automatic agreement between you and the duke that no one must know of your plan. (although you already hinted to chiori that there's more to it than meets the eye.) besides, chiori is a smart woman who has known you before she could even have her place built.

she doesn't need to be a genius to find out that there's something up. she'll pick up on it sooner or later.

“it's alright. there’s no need to feel pressure to tell me now, but do promise me one thing: you're not doing anything against the law, right?”

you couldn't help but burst out in laughter at her question. “chiori! do you take me as a criminal? of course, i’m not!” you replied, laughing in a fit of giggles in between your words. “thank goodness. well, how was i supposed to know? you almost never stop by so we rarely have the chance to catch up. every bit of news i hear from you is usually from the other ladies who sometimes talk about you.”

“don’t worry, my friend. i’ll stop by more often from now on, but seriously, are you still eavesdropping on your customers? i thought we were past that.”

“it isn't my fault some of them whisper way too loudly for my liking,” chiori scoffs.

as you two have a few more conversations, it is about time for you to take your leave, as the time has reached for the hour when chiori would usually have customers. “it was truly a pleasure to catch up with you, chiori.” you said as she escorted you to the door. “a pleasure indeed. do drop by more often, alright? it can get quite lonely here, you know.” a giggle leaves your lips at her response. “will do. i believe i might need a new dress soon for the upcoming firestone ball?” you say and you notice how chiori’s had some sort of sparkle at your mention of needing a new dress. she had always loved making dresses for you.

“is that so? i promise to suggest some designs that you might like once you return.”

— — — — — — — — 

the fountain of lucine was a famous spot for a walk in the park type of day. every day, you’d see different individuals make their wish upon the fountain. whether that is a prosperous marriage, being blessed with a beloved child, or even gaining wealth, everyone wishes for all sorts of desires towards the fountain. but you never found yourself doing the same. it’s most probably because you've already been content with your life up until now. you never had any struggles when it came to growing up.

but again, that is up until now. 

you took a step further towards the fountain, silently stating your wish and threw the coin into the fountain’s small pool of water. “penny for your wish?” you heard someone say beside you. quickly turning your head to the direction of the voice, you were surprised to see the duke there. “duke meropide! i—i didn’t expect that you were going to be here today.”

“i decided to go out for a stroll; the weather is quite nice today, is it not?” 

“ah, yes, i suppose it is,” you replied, looking around. the weather was indeed nice today. perfect for a quick stroll around the area. “would you mind taking a stroll with me today? it would be a shame to waste this fine weather talking in the same spot.” he says, offering his arm for you to take. “i’d be delighted to.” your arm gets hooked on his.

“how are you faring lately? it has been quite a while since our last meeting,” wriothesley starts. he personally prefers his attempt at small talk today to his attempt at small talk the night he met you. it has been a few days since the ball held by the house of hearth. and within those few days, you haven’t spoken to the duke since. though, your house suddenly has suitors calling for you during your calling hour. all hopeful to gain your interest in them instead of the duke.

(however, you all shut them down politely. you found yourself repeating your apologies to the lords that have called upon you during those times.)

“i’ve been well. certainly, the stunt that we pulled during the ball held in the house of hearth did not go unnoticed. my social energy has been drained because of the suitors who called me.” a sigh leaves your lips. “oh? i apologize for that then. i hope that your social energy isn't at it’s lowest right now,” he chuckles. you gave him a playful glare at his remark. “are you making fun of my previous predicament, duke?” 

“oh, heavens no. my apologies, did that offend you?” he says, holding back a smile at his words. he was definitely not apologetic. “you’re not that sorry for it, aren’t you?”

“perchance.”

“you cannot just say perchance!”

a laugh erupts from wriothesley at your response. it was the first time you heard him laugh like that. and in the public eye, you two would seem like a joyful couple spending some quality time walking around the fountain of lucine as a pastime. well, that was technically the goal. to show the public that you and the duke of meropide are madly in love with one another. what could possibly go wrong?

— — — — — — — — 

by the time the firestone ball had taken place (which is nearly just a week after the ball from the house of hearth), you and the duke were on the dance floor once again.

“i believe we have yet to discuss our other terms and agreement for our plan, your grace.” you said, following his lead in the waltz. “ah, you’re right. well then, why don’t you start? ladies first.” he says. “i was hoping that you’d have some ideas on what terms we should have; after all, this was your idea, if i may remind you.”

you continue speaking as wriothesley continues to lead you through the dance. “i am starting to be convinced that this will be more than just a simple game of pretend just so we could fool the members of society, or my mother, or the women you have wanted to get away from every time you step foot in public. a life is at stake here, your grace, my life, and i just simply cannot have this go wrong. so if you are not in agreement with that, then you should tell me now.” the duke never broke his eye contact with you as you spoke.

“i shall agree… on one condition.”

“your grace, i believe that you do not understa—”

“you must call me wriothesley.” 

there’s only one word to describe you at the moment: speechless. and wriothesley takes your silence as a chance to continue his words. “if we are truly to be courting, and if we are truly to prove that this is a match like no other, then you should call me by my name. after all, weren’t you the one who suggested that we should be more... casual with one another?”

he was right, and he had yet again another one hell of a good point. you mentally sighed, “very well then… wriothesley.” a laugh dares to escape your throat but this does not go unnoticed by the man who has his hand held in his at the moment. “is there something funny about my name?” he asks you, raising an eyebrow at your reaction. “no, no. it is a perfectly fine name. it is also quite unique, if i may add.” you replied, calming yourself down. laughing loudly while you’re in the middle of the dance floor would raise questions, after all.

“oh, perfectly fine? very well then… (name).” wriothesley’s voice seemed to have lowered itself an octave lower as he said your name with a slight rasp. your eyes looked away from his as you shifted your gaze to his collar instead. both of you went silent, yet you were still moving to the rhythm of the music.

wriothesley’s hand, that was supposedly at your waist, trailed upwards. just below the nape of your neck and also before your spine starts. your breath hitched at the contact of his cold finger tips there.

“i do hope that this plan will be successful.” you said, gaining your composure.

“have faith in us.”

— — — — — — — — 

meetings with the duke of meropide became more frequent than you expected. whether that may be a coincidental meeting or a planned one—no one could really pinpoint it, much to their dismay. 

it started off with a simple meal. then another walk. then an official invitation to accompany him to a ball or two. or three; in fact, he has invited you for a lot of them now. you haven’t thought much about the future as of late, always focusing on the present, where you’re definitely by wriothesley’s side. there was never a dull moment with the man. it was always entertaining to be with him. whenever another man (a man whose appeal is not to take interest in a sense) would approach you, wriothesley would pull some sort of stunt that’s connected to his “wild jealousy” of some sort. it’s a bit hard to hold back a laugh whenever this happens. there are times when he would talk to you about the other nobles present in the party and how he’s acquainted with them, and you’d admire the fact that he has many connections (something that a duke like him should have; he’s doing well in his duties, you’d note).

there are also times when you two will find yourselves alone, secluding yourselves from the crowd. these were, personally, your favorites. with the moonlight shining brightly upon you both once again, you’d always be reminded of the night you met. at these moments, this is when you and the duke would share… more personal things with one another. things that neither of you had expected to share with anyone else. like how he avoids marriage because of the huge responsibility that comes with it. or like how you doubt that others, especially men (minus the duke), would understand your struggles as a woman in this society.

wriothesley might have a lot of connections, but he was just the same as you. both of you kept your circle quite small (and by small, you both have only one person you truly trust to confide in). but even if you both wouldn’t admit it out loud, trust had also bloomed between the two of you.

(yet is trust the only thing that has actually bloomed?)

tonight, you found yourselves in yet another garden. “have you ever heard of why a flower wilts, wriothesley?” you decided to start this time. “hm? i suppose it’s because nothing good actually lasts long in life.” 

“how… pessimistic of you to say.” you sweatdropped at his response. he chuckles yet again, you noticed that he always chuckles apologetically while looking away before he actually says his apologies. a habit of his, perhaps. “my apologies; i must repeat myself. the less a person sees of me, the happier their life is.”

“why so? i enjoy your company quite well.”

“oh? and are you sure those words aren’t forced because you’re stuck with me with this little ruse we have ongoing?” he asks back. these exchanges became frequent. one would ask a question, and the other would ask another in return. “i’m being quite honest, wriothesley. i really do enjoy your company quite well.”

“the feeling is likewise, (name).” there’s something satisfying about how your name rolls off of his tongue. he pronounces it the same as everyone else does yet how does it feel different when he says it? it’s baffling, that’s one thing for sure. “is it awful that i’m actually quite enjoying this?”

“you mean my wild jealousy?” he asks, playfully offended.

“fooling society.” you corrected. “there are some in the crowd who secretly know everything about everyone. yet we have them utterly convinced that we are mad for one another.”

“we are awfully clever then.” he says in amusement. “indeed we are.” you chuckled at his reply.

if there’s one thing you would always notice between the two of you, it would always be how you were glued to one another. like there’s some magnetic pull that automatically drags the other to their side. 

this moment is no different because you could feel his knuckles grazing against yours ever so lightly. it starts with the hook of your pinkies, then slowly turns into you grabbing a hold of his other fingers. wriothesley could feel his heart beating fast at the contact. he glances at you, admiring your features underneath the moonlight once again. you glance at him as well. was he already this close to you when you started walking in this garden? because you swear your faces are inching even closer to each other. wriothesley’s other hand gently grabs your nape, guiding you as he gently pulls you in for a kiss. 

his lips were soft against yours, something you didn’t expect from him. he kisses you like you were delicate (to which you were, delicate to him, at least), eyes closing themselves as he enjoys the sensation of your lips against his. you kiss him back in the same way, not really knowing what to do next—but you kiss him back. that’s all that matters. his lips leave yours as wriothesley latches his lips onto your neck, continuing the light kisses against it.

you let out a gasp at the contact as you lean your head back so you can give him more access. he intertwined his other hand with yours; it was quite scandalous. having a moment like this on someone else’s property. you extracted him from your neck, pulling him in for another kiss. this time it was a bit more rough—desperate, even.

well, that was until he pulled away from you abruptly. you looked at him in a daze yet you were confused. “we must return; we’ve been out long enough,” he says, letting go of your hand in the process as he fixes himself. he tries to catch his breath, processing what has just happened. did he really just kiss you? he supposes (or, in other terms, hopes) that it’s normal. ultimately, this should’ve been part of your agreement in the first place, right?

“i… you’re right. my mother could be looking for me any moment now.” what could possibly go wrong, you ask? well, apparently, many things could go wrong.

but if there’s one thing that got stitched into your mind tonight, it’s only one thing:

the duke of meropide is one good kisser.

however, what will become of your relationship now?

— — — — — — — — 

you found yourself going to chiori again. the familiar sound of the bell chiming against the door notified chiori of someone entering her place. and once she saw you, she could just feel the distress radiating off of your body.

“what happened this time? i haven’t heard any good news about you two from last night’s party.” she says, pouring you a cup of tea. “good news? more like insane occurrences,” you sighed, watching the tea leave the teapot as it transfers onto your teacup. “ insane occurrences? what happened to ‘memorable event’?” she asked, confused with your choice of words.

you let out another sigh, finally revealing everything to chiori. luckily, today was her day off. with another ball just held last night, she would get at least a day or two of good rest before she opens up again. chiori takes in every detail of your story well, surprised that this is what you’ve been up to.

as soon as you were done talking, you decided to take a sip of your tea. “so you’re worried that you almost slept with the duke of meropide?” chiori states. and you choked on your drink once you heard her. “you didn’t have to word it like that! have some decency!” you exclaimed, embarrassment surging through you. 

“i don’t get it, though. what are you so worried about? it’s almost as if… wait.” she pauses.

“it’s almost as if what, chiori?”

“do you love him?”

“huh? love who?”

“don’t play dumb with me, (name). do you or do you not love the duke of meropide?”

this time, it was your turn to pause. do you? well, certainly, he is nice company. and he treats you well despite neither of you having the wish to marry each other. he is also a good kisser (something that you don’t really feel like counting but it’s still a fact). recalling everything that has happened now, the only things that come into mind are the things you’ve noticed about wriothesley. how his eyes are the most remarkable shade of grey, his scar below his right eye. the feeling of the callouses on his hands as you held them on the dance floor.

it can’t be. there’s just no way. he’s a duke of all people—he’s out of your league in so many ways. he’s too far for you to reach. and besides, this is all just a game of pretend, is it not? surely that kiss would’ve meant nothing to him. 

fuck.

“i do.” you replied to her in a whisper

“i’m glad that you’re not dense.” chiori says, flicking your forehead. you yelped in pain at the contact. 

yes, you do love the duke of meropide.

and you stand by that.

meanwhile, on the other side of the coin, wriothesley had a crisis himself. “you’re quite lucky today, to ask for my presence while queen furina is occupied with duke arlecchino with her. so what assistance can i offer for you today, wriothesley?” neuvillette states, pulling his chair so he could take a seat before the man in front of him. wriothesley leans back on his seat, an elbow propped on top of the chair’s arm rest as his index finger is rested upon his lips. 

wriothesley sighs. before spilling everything to neuvillette. his friend’s expression grew more amused as he continued on with the story, finding every detail unexpected for a man like his friend. “i see. so that’s how it is. well, let me ask you a simple question then, my friend.” 

“shoot.”

“do you love her?”

wriothesley pauses. neuvillette’s questions echo repeatedly in his mind. do i love her? he then asks himself. he was not stupid. wriothesley did not need to become some sort of genius to find the answer to that question—because the answer is no. he doesn’t love you. yes, he has grown to trust you with things he would never even dare tell anyone else. but he’s scared. wriothesley is scared because he has never thought of commitment in this way before. romance was just a frivolous belief to him, after all. so surely, this would all just mean nothing.

he ponders about it for a few more moments. he’s too scarred—too damaged—to be loved by someone like you. he feels undeserving of it. he knows there’s another man out there who could be the man you want to be. someone who will make you happier than he does. someone who is willing to commit himself to you. someone who could love you with nothing holding him back. 

“i don’t.” wriothesley firmly says.

no, wriothesley cannot be in love with you.

(neuvillette gives his friend a sigh as his friend takes his leave. he returns back to the room where queen furina is currently spending time with duke arlecchino. the duke had a habit of bringing the queen sweets from their travels abroad. the queen has excitement written all over her eyes as she makes eye contact with the pastries set in front of her.)

— — — — — — — — 

it wasn’t hard to put two and two together to realize that wriothesley has been avoiding you.

it has been a few months since you decided to start your ruse. although he still accompanies you, once it’s quite crowded, he will deliberately avoid your presence like a plague, and you have no idea why. you first thought that may be he was just feeling unwell but it has occurred more frequent now and it just stings, really. it stings because you thought that you two had formed quite the bond over the past few months.

“wriothesley, is something wrong? you know you could always talk to me, right?” you asked him, finally cornering him as he had successfully avoided you for the past two hours ever since the party started. “it’s nothing of your concern,” was all he said before leaving you again. but that answer wasn’t enough—hell, it wasn’t even a proper answer for you. so you decided to follow him.

“where are you going?” you asked him. speeding your pace up to catch up to him. wriothesley doesn’t answer and just continues on walking. he ends up going into a secluded room, not even bothering to close the door. you followed him in and shut the door behind you as you faced him. he had his back facing you as you heard him take a deep breath. “wriothesley, what’s wrong? and don’t even dare say that it’s none of my concern because it is.”

wriothesley could feel himself going mad. he can’t do this tonight. what even caused him to behave this way?

ah, he remembers. it was that unbearable sight of you interacting with marquess lyney. he should’ve been happy that you finally seem interested in someone else because all you two have to do now is plan how you should end things. but that thought made wriothesley realize two things. one, he cannot bear the sight of you with another man (but why? it’s not like you’re actually his in the first place). and two, he doesn’t want things to end between the both of you. whether it's a ruse that feels too real for his own liking or whatnot, he doesn’t want to lose you in his life.

he loosens the buttons on his top so that he can breathe more properly. you got closer to him, but only if you knew that was a dangerous move on your part. you grabbed his arm in hopes of getting a view of wriothesley’s expression at the moment.

he then faces you, his eyes searching for something in yours but you just can’t find out what. it was silent; neither of you dared to speak a word. and wriothesley finds himself pulling you for a kiss. it was a bit rough how his lips crashed against yours. he then pulls away, his eyes widening at what he just did. “i… my most sincere apologies.”

and he leaves. just like that.

the familiar door to the modiste is presented at you as you knocked. it was late at night. the party you attended earlier with wriothesley was long over. but you knew your dear friend would still be up even at this late hour. 

“(name)? what brings you here at this hour?” chiori asks, opening the door wider so you could enter.

“i need a goddamn drink.” you said.

— — — — — — — — 

“so you’re telling me that he just… kissed you again, and then he left the party? just like that?” chiori repeats. you take another shot of the alcohol chiori provided for the both of you. “hey, calm down. this one is actually pretty strong, you idiot.” chiori warns you.

you lean back, slamming the shot glass against the table. “just like that, chiori. like what is wrong with him? is he perhaps sick in the head?”

“i honestly don’t know if i should be at least grateful that he apologized.” she says, taking a shot as well. you glare at her remark and she raises her hands in return. you sighed this time, “are men always this… complicated?”

“hm, i don’t think so. maybe it’s just the duke.”

“you’re not helping!”

“you never said you wanted help in the first place.”

— — — — — — — — 

seven days.

seven days since you last spoke to wriothesley. seven days since you last heard of him. it has been seven days yet he hasn’t made any attempts to contact you since. 

just what was up with him? he was fine before. did you do something wrong? did you accidentally say something that was offensive to him? everything has changed now. wriothesley is treating you like he treated you before he actually met you—cold. 

your mother has decided to throw a ball this time—something about her not wanting to fall behind the other mothers. you complied, having to accept that society is nothing but competition against one another. and on the day of the ball, you found yourself lonely. if only chiori wasn’t busy with her other orders, then maybe this night would’ve been more entertaining.

wriothesley has yet to make his appearance (or perhaps he is already here yet he has decided to avoid you again). but you have decided on one thing tonight: you will talk things out with that stubborn man no matter what it takes. because you cannot just bear to stand idly by when wriothesley could be struggling alone. you once heard from your mother that love makes you do the craziest things and tonight was the night you realized that she was right. but isn’t it worth it if it’s all in the name of love?

the outdoor area of your home was also used for the ball, and decorations are displayed here and there to make the area look more eyecatching. to your family’s dismay, it has begun to rain. making all of the guests head inside to continue the festivities. but as you made your way to follow the crowd, you spotted someone too familiar—it was the man you’ve been looking for all evening, wriothesley.

looking around his surroundings, wriothesley spots you getting drenched in the rain. his eyes widen as he quickly makes his way towards you, removing his coat to drape it over you instead. “are you insane? you’re getting drenched!” he exclaims in worry. you scoff in return, pushing yourself away from his coat and allowing yourself to get wet by the rain.

“am i insane? i should be the one asking you that!” you said, glaring at him. “how… how could you? do you know how worried i have been because of you? you avoided me, then kissed me, then avoided me even more! i had no idea if you were okay because you didn’t even dare speak with me while i was here stuck waiting for you. why? because i didn’t want to pressure you into telling me what’s wrong!”

wriothesley is at a loss for words at your outburst. he just stares at you in return, guilt written all over him. he deserved your anger. but he didn’t mean for things to go this far, yet he also didn’t know how to handle things. you continued speaking, “wriothesley, i have no idea what’s clouding over your heart but i do know one thing: you musn’t keep it to yourself.”

“(name)...” he softly says—hesitantly, even. like he’s scared to even say your name in the first place. you take a step forward, both of your hands reaching out to hold his face. your touch was gentle on his skin, making sure you weren't making him uncomfortable. “tell me what’s wrong, wriothesley. i’ll listen.”

and tell you, he does. he voice shakes at first yet he begins to steady it as he unravels to you everything that has been bothering him up until now. his jealousy, his inner turmoil, and his insecurities. and you listen to him, understanding every word that escapes his lips as your hand never leaves his face, your fingers gently brushing over his scar below his right eye. and once he’s finished, you choose your next words carefully.

“there’s something that i realized in life that i believe you should know. just because something is not perfect does not make it any less worthy of love. you made yourself believe otherwise. you made yourself believe that you had to be without fault just so you could be loved but you’re wrong, wriothesley. should you need any proof of the matter, then look just here.” you weakly laugh at the last sentence, and wriothesley just stares at you. you couldn’t find out what’s going on in his head but you know that he’s listening.

your voice shakes as you continue. “i am tired of this sick game of pretending. i am tired of pretending—of acting as if i do not love you, because i do. i love you more than you could ever imagine. every scar, every flaw, every imperfection—i love all of you. you may think you’re too damaged or too scarred to allow yourself of happiness but you can choose differently, wriothesley. you can choose to love me as much as i love you. that should not be up to anyone else—that cannot be up to anyone else.”

“it can only be up to you.”

he was still silent as you slowly let go of his face but wriothesley was quick to catch them. he grabs ahold of your hands, and with his slight shaking, he takes a deep breath. he realizes something when you profess your love for him. he puts two things together: commitment and you. and the conclusion he draws from that is that he doesn’t mind commitment, as long as he’s committing himself to you. that’s how much of an impact you have on him. yes, he’s scared. and yes, this might not go like he hopes it will. but that doesn’t matter to him because he knows it will all be worth it for you. wriothesley is a coward when it comes to love and the like—that, he admits. but he isn’t allowing himself to be a coward for the rest of his life. why deprive himself of the serene type of happiness that he could only achieve when he has you by his side?

he kept his eyes on the hands he’s holding now as he began to speak. “i.. i do not wish to be alone. i know that now. but what i do not know is how to be the man you wish for me to be—the man you truly deserve. i do not know how to do any of this, but i do know another thing: i love you too. i love you. most ardently.” he then meets your eyes as he notices one thing in them. love.

“you stay. you stay and we’ll get through this. together. that’s where we’ll start. we have all the time in the world.”

“may i… kiss you?” he hesitates to ask. but you give him a nod of approval before you’re met with the familiar pleasure of his lips on yours. he relishes every second of the kiss, taking this as a chance to ground himself into reality—refusing to believe that this is some sick dream that his mind decided to play in his head. a hand slithers its way to the nape of his neck and wriothesley groans at the feeling as his hand grabs your waist tighter. wriothesley thanked his lucky stars for the night he met you because this wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for them.

love at first sight was a frivolous belief for a man like wriothesley. 

but he knew otherwise the moment he laid his eyes upon you that night in the garden.

[ambrosiagoldfish]

i’m going a teensy bit feral reading your adam x third spouse story so i guess im just asking for part five and for it to hopefully have focus on dad beat dad and how lucifer would react to seeing the reader again after so long and like what would happen n stuff 🤭🤭 ofc if this is dumb ignore it i like what you’re doing with the story already !! the part im most excited for is the finale tbh but there’s a lot of time in between what you have rn and then so i’m just yapping abt stuff that could be cool in between. thsi is so jumbled omg sorry i just wanna see more of your writing it’s so good

idk how to end this uhh i love you bye 🫡

Benefit of the doubt PT.5

Adam x 3rd Spouse! Reader

Warnings: GN! Reader, confronting the past, next to no Adam (I know, sad, but it’s for the plot), Reader focused chapter, this is set during ‘Dad Beat Dad’, swearing, the next 2 chapters will have a LOT more Adam DW ❤️❤️

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Request Box: OPEN

Word count: 4322

A/n: Hey everyone! Thank you so much for the support on all the other chapters. It’s been 8-ish months since the last update and for that I want to apologize. I’ll save it for its own dedicated post to not full int his page too much. But if you’ve saw one of my post from the other day, I have posted this on A03 and I’m giving myself 8 total parts. 7 will be the finale and 8 will be an epilogue styled thing (not even sure if I’m wanting to do it so when we get there, you guys can tell me if you want it!! ) so yeah, enough rambling, you’ve all been waiting so long for the next part so here you go!! <3

Reblogs are VERY appreciated!

(My posts have been flopping so much, I would love you forever if you did 😭)

Old memories have a habit of slithering their way back into a person's mind, and even sometimes, people

The first few months at fhe hotel were a lot more enjoyable than you originally expected. Most days went relatively the same, Charlie would choose an activity to do and you would observe the progress they made.

At first, progress hadn't shown much promise but as everyone grew closer, things began to look up. Angel had gone clean with his drug abuse and was distancing himself from his line of work. Sir Pentious started to actually trust the people around him and has done no major constructional damage to any buildings as of late.

Everything was going so smoothly that, when you had woken up one morning to the sounds of screaming, running, and just general chaos. You thought everything was finaly going into the ground.

You quickly run down to the lobby, thoughts of what could be happening run through you. Did one of Pentious experiments fail and explode? Were we being attacked by one of the many gangs in town? Did Alastor decide the hotel was actually boring and started destroying it, starting with the occupants? Whatever it was, you hurry faster to the lobby.

But what was meeting you there was… unexpected to say the least. Party streamers, banners, cookies. It looked like some kind of welcome party heaven would do, albeit with less flare and taste in decor. A banner that read ‘Wellcum Daddy’ was being hung up by Razzle and Dazzle, everyone was either cleaning or baking something, and Vaggie seemed to be ordering them around.

You look at the clock, huh, it’s way too early for any kind of Charlie’s trust exercises. Not to mention, she would have told you about the curriculum and there was absolutely not a 10 AM home-EC class listed on your schedule.

You quickly run up to Charlie who seemed to be preoccupied with helping Vaggie put something up “Charlie, what’s going on?” You tap on her shoulder, She jumps a bit before just realizing it’s you,

”Oh- Y/N, I’m so sorry, I completely forgot to get you!” She apologizes when Vaggie pops in,

“Don’t be, I told Nifty to go wake you up, but looks like she had better things to do” she points over at Niffty swifty stabbing bugs and removing cobwebs out of habit

“It’s fine, just… what’s everyone doing, what’s with all the party supplies and sweets?” You say, arms to the festive lobby around you.

“Oh well…” she took a deep breath “you know that The deadline is fast approaching and while we’ve made progress it’s not much” she paused, trying to even brace herself for what’s coming out of her mouth, “I have asked… my dad to come over and hopefully get us a meeting with heaven” she stops, completely caved in on herself.

“Wait, so… your dad is coming here?” you thought about the times she had asked you to get them a meeting with heaven but you had already explained to her that it would be next to impossible for someone like you. You had to practically beg just to monitor the hotel

Charlie Picked herself back up and looked at you with a shakey demeanor, “Yeah In about… 55 minutes”

You blink a few times before giving a small chuckle “Well, would you look at the date! I think it’s time I used my 1-per-month trip back home! If you’ll excuse me-“

“Wait! No-“ she trips over herself “We need you here, if dad can see, not only the progress we’ve made, but also that we already have an angel supporter, there’s no way he could say no!”

“Charlie, I don’t think it’s a good idea-”

“PleasePleasePlease! I will pay you back, promise! But I- we could really use you there!” Her eyes looked at you, similar to a puppy. She hands clasped together In plea.

You looked away in thought. Seeing him again was the last thing you wanted to do at this moment, any moment for that matter. The last time…well to be honest, the whole exchange hadn’t meant anything to you in quite a while. He could say whatever he wanted about you… it was the words he had to say about Adam that kept your heart ablaze in anger at the Morningstar.

Trash? He should really look in the mirror before saying that about your Adam. But… this could be a good opportunity for the hotel -as much as it pained you to admit- You can only sigh, “fine.. for the hotel…” You let out a small chuckle raising your arm in defeat.

Charlie jumped up and down with glee, repeating a matra of ‘Thank You’s’ before continuing “I get it might be difficult since you’re an Angel.” She tries to give some comfort. But that caught your attention.

“Because I’m an Angel?” You honestly didn’t mean to say it out loud but it came out as a question.

She looks at you confused “yeah, you know, considering I don’t think angels have too kind of thoughts to my dad for being… the devil” she laughs nervously

Oh. Oh. So that’s what she means. So she doesn’t know about your past with him? Not too much a surprise, I doubt Lucifer would bring up any of his failures. But that also made you realize one other thing. Charlie doesn’t know about your marriage with Adam.

Look, you didn’t mean to keep it a secret. In fact you had already assumed they knew. I mean you were sitting literally right next to him and Vaggie already knew who you were. You just thought she would have told Charlie, but knowing this now… it may be best to keep it a secret.

You let out a quick “I understand.” and with that, you all went your separate ways, you did contribute to the decor the best you could, as well as helping Sir Pentious and Nifty with the baking until finally, it was time for Charlie’s dad to arrive.

You walked over to a more remote place in the hotel lobby, look… you may have to interact with him today but you will not be doing it that soon. Instead, you decided your best choice of action was to sit and watch quietly until Charlie decided it was time for you two to meet. And in the meantime, you can mentally brace yourself.

Charlie sighs deeply “Okay everybody, it’s showtime!”

With that she swings the door open revealing the one, the only (thank Father) king of hell himself, Lucifer. Immediately Lucifer pulls his, obviously nervous daughter into his arms. He greets her with excitement before moving on to Keekee, and eventually Razzle and Dazzle.

He eyes the room, clearly covering up any distain for the hotels “character” to protect Charlie’s feelings. At least until he got to the bar which even he couldn’t lie his way through.

Even from the distant view you were from, you could see Alastor and Lucifer weren't going to be the best of buds anytime soon. As soon as they were introduced to one another they immediately got into it. Huh, at least now you have something in common with Alastor at least! If that’s even a good thing.

Their quarrel lasted a few minutes, everyone either waiting for it to be over, completely ignoring it, or enjoying it as entertainment. It lasted what felt like an eternity and was only interrupted when a short and plump woman by the name of ‘Mimzy’ came into the scene.

The old time-y dressed woman was one of Alastor’s friends, you honestly didn’t think he had those but you digress. Eventually once the commotion dies down, you see Charlie give you a nervous smile and wave for you, ‘that’s my cue’ you thought. Anxiety still felt taught in your heart but still you pushed through.

You walk out of your hiding spot, walking up to be next to Charlie. Still trying to keep your presence hidden for as long as you could, savoring those last few moments of peace before a wave of interactions.

Charlie clears her throat and puts on a more professional demeanor despite her nervousness, getting the attention from her dad, “And last but certainly not least, i’d like you to meet our Angelic sponsor-“

“Y/N!?-“ the fallen Angel suddenly started coughing, clearly having choked on his own words. He clears his throat “Sorry! I just wasn’t expecting… you to be here” he lets out a chuckle.

“You guys know each other!?” Charlie looked shocked, her voice pitching up in bewilderment.

“We’ve… met before,.” Your voice was low, But still you pushed through “Though, it’s hardly relevant to anything of importance now. Isn’t that right, Morningstar?”

Lucifer's face contorted into an uncomfortable shaky smile, fingertips digging into his Apple-shaped cane. Perhaps he felt some type of remorse for the way things happened back all those years ago, but even if that’s true, you had no plans to forgive him.

He clears his throat “Yes it’s- unimportant Sweetie.. “

You 3 stand in awkward silence for a moment, all you can do is glare daggers at the short ex-Angel in front of you. Eventually though, you couldn’t stand the scilence any longer, “Well Charlie, I have to get something done in my room and I’ll be back to help with the tour in a few minutes, if that’s ok?”

Charlie looked like she wanted to protest, for you to stay with her through the tour, but she knew you wouldn’t just leave and not come back. “Um, yeah that’s fine! Me and Alastor can get the tour started and you can meet us around the 4th floor?”

You gave a quick nod as agreement and make your way to your room. Sighing, you flop down on your bed, feeling the soft warmth as you sink into comfort. Pulling out your phone, you quickly typing a text to Adam but your thumb simply hovered over the send button, anxiety washing over you. Your message was simple,

‘I promise that everything’s ok, but he’s here’’

You were hesitating, should you even tell him that he's here? You didn’t want to worry him over something so insignificant. He has a show tonight, he wouldn’t be at his best if he was constantly thinking you would be in the same room as the devil.

Or even worse, he could just cancel the show completely and march down here and a cause a ruckus which at best would completely destroy the Hotel’s plans and at worse… No, you can’t think of that.

You look at the message again before just setting your phone on your nightstand. 10 minutes… that’s all you need before you go back out there…

…Lucifer was having… let’s just say a tinsy bit of a bad day. Not only has he been forced to interact with that insufferable yellow-toothed sinner but also, he has been reunited with someone he hadn’t seen in a millenia, you.

The anxiety of the day was only topped off with the added stress of being with his daughter. Don’t get him wrong, he LOVES his daughter and is always happy to see her, but the way she talks and acts with these sinners… Ugh, it reminds him too much of himself back in the day.

Her hotel too… He may have given her the place but he never gave it much thought beyond it being a pipe dream for her. He was just trying to do something for his daughter, especially with… Lilith being out of the picture. He just wanted to cheer her up, and unfortunately it seems ‘grandiose plans’ run in the family.

Even now as Charlie and that Red haired Buck show him around, Charlie explains excitedly about different things they have at the hotel. It reminds Lucifer about how she was when she was little, that glow of joy never seemed to fade away from her despite the conditions she lives in.

But even still, as much as he’s trying not to zone out and actually listen to his daughters rambles, his mind keeps trailing back to one, singular thought. You.

What were you doing here? He knows you were there to ‘support the hotel’ as Charlie puts it. But this is the absolute first he’s hearing about it. Why wouldn’t heaven tell him that another Angel was down here, let alone, you most of all. The last time he saw you was… not the best first meeting

Were you here in secret? You clearly weren't fallen, considering you still had your halo and you didn’t look like you’ve been damaged anywhere close to what you’d be if you had fallen. Not to mention… Adam, the exterminations were his idea so why would you even consider an alternative when you are his-

“Uh, Dad?” Charlie interrupted Lucifer’s thoughts, a look of worry on her face. ”You’ve got a little bit of… horn? Sticking out”

Lucifer looks up and sees that he’s subconsciously beginning to phase into his full demon form. He quickly takes his hand and pats the horns as if he was just dusting off his coat, causing the horns to seem to fade away like dust. Wow, today really seems to be getting to him.

“Ah sorry Sweetie, it’s nothing just… uh..” He thinks for a moment, he has to talk to you alone, just for a second. “*Ahem* I was just realizing I had to… use the bathroom, I seem to have had one too many drinks on the way here. Can you tell me where the… bathroom is?” He lets out a chuckle to hopefully cover his lie.

“Oh, it’s just down the hall and to the right, I can take you there-“

Lucifer quickly lets out a loud ”No!“ Before clearing his through again “I can get there on my own, just wait here and I’ll be back!”

Before Charlie can even answer, Lucifer rushes through the halls of the hotel, yelling a ‘I’ll be back soon’ to his Daughter before turning the corner. He lets out a deep breath as he lays out the plan in his head. Figure out why you’re here, and get back to Charlie as fast as inhumanly possible.

Picking his feet up again, he makes his way to the lobby of the hotel, he looks around for a moment before spotting the check in desk. ‘They usually keep visitor information there, right?’

He quickly scours the desk, looking for any forms or documents that have your room number, before finally setting his eyes on your room number. It didn’t take long to find you seeing as there were such few occupants in the hotel.

He memorized your room and repeated it to himself while walking to your door. Past the first, 2nd, then finally, halfway through the hallway on the 3rd floor he finds it. Before he can knock, a sudden wave of worry floods his senses. Seriously, Why would he hesitate now?!

He shuffled around nervously, starting to doubt this little mission of his. Should he really be doing this? Is he really worried about you being here or is the real reason he came here because he wanted to… apologize to you? It’s true that the guilt of what happened all those years ago was still there. But… Digging up old memories just because he’s selfish and wants to apologize to you? He takes a deep breath.

He had to make things better or… at least get some things off his chest. So, with a heavy fist and an even heavier heart, he gently knocks on the hard wooden door…

This had been the longest 10 minutes of your life, trying to decide wether to send Adam the message, or to even return to tour with Charlie at all. As much as it pains you to say, you still become anxiety ridden when he’s in the room or even the mere mention of him. That spark of defiance you had in the lobby earlier being nothing but a small bit of courage. But you remembered that you had promised Charlie you’d be there for her, and you certainly weren’t one to take back a promise.

Before you could decide what to do, you hear an ever so faint knock on your door. Curiosity peaked, You thought Charlie was supposed to be waiting for you on the 4th floor? Had you taken too long and the tour went south? You quickly made your way to the door and hoped you wouldn’t see a very angry Charlie on the other side.

As the wooden-door creaked open, your face slowly turned bitter at The short, impish man who stood on the other side. Lucifer Morningstar. To be honest, you much would have preferred the angry Charlie, TWO very angry Charlies over this.

The man shuffled awkwardly in place, gripping his cane. Neither of you could break the silence . He avoided any eye-contact with you and even you couldn’t hide The disgusted expression on your face when looking at him. Finally after what feels like 3x the eternity you’ve lived thus far, you spoke In shaky words, ”What do you want?”

Lucifer pushed out his words as well as he could, meek they were, but you understood what he said “Can we please…talk?”

Your fingers gripped at the door, nails embedding into the wood, leaving scratches. It took all you had not to slam the door right in his face, but even if you had, it wouldn’t have solved any pressing issues. If anything, it might make him against Charlie’s idea with the hotel, which you couldn’t afford. You take a deep breath before letting out a quick but unsavory,

“5 minutes”

The short demon shuffles his way into the room as you follow in behind him, locking the door to prevent someone like Nifty or Charlie from walking in. Lucifer stands timidly by your nightstand as you stand on the complete opposite side of the room, facing him. Lucifer runs his neck as he lets out a shaky sigh “I just want to know what you’re doing here…” he pauses, he looks like he has more to say but decided not to.

You can only laugh to yourself “I’m here because I believe I think Charlie’s idea has potential to be great. The exterminations, they have to end… that’s why I’m here”

Lucifer seem a bit… surprised? Surprised with your stance on the exterminations. you figured he needed more than that so you continue “I… I’ve never been one for the exterminations. I've been against them from the start. I just didn't know what else to do. Nothing else seemed…right.“

He stayed silent, processing what you told him. He really didn’t understand you, he had a completely warped view of you. “If that’s all you wanted to know I’d rather you take your leave-“

“No!” You step back at the sudden raise in voice but he quickly clears his throat “No, there’s another thing. I would… I’d like to apologize to you about how things went… when we first met.”

You stared at him, the silence once again feeling the air. You didn’t dare break it, you watched as the impish man looked around with anxiety, trying to find the right words. “It’s always been there, in the back of my mind. How we- I, treated you. It was unacceptable… Lilith kept telling me to let it go, that she was done thinking about it, but I just couldn’t.” He takes a deep breath “so, I’m so sorry for hurting you, Y/n…”

Lucifer Morningstar. The man in front of you looked more akin to a puddle than a person at this point. Sweat dripped from his face, a scrunched mouth filled with a sour taste. He wasn’t looking at you, focusing his attention to the ground. Finally, after many long seconds later. You step forward, grabbing his attention.

“As much as I appreciate the apology, I don’t forgive you.” Lucifer began to speak or at least say he understood but no matter what his reaction was going to be, you interrupted him ‘“-I don’t forgive you, because I’m not the one who deserves it”

To that, Lucifer's head was struck with confusion, “what do you mean?” He tried to make sense of your words, shifting eyes looking around in unease before landing on a framed photo of a candlelit man, an old and forgotten, yet familiar smile on his face… ”You mean… Adam?” Despite his best efforts around you, saying the first man’s name still dripped his words with venom. That same sour taste filling his mouth at the mere mention of him. ”What does-” he stops himself, he knows why.

You breathe in slowly, “What you said to me, all of those years ago, hasn’t meant anything to me in a long time. I’ve gotten through it 10x over and finally understand that I am more than those words” you take another step towards him, closing the gap, “so… there's no use for your apology to me. But Adam… you’ve hurt him more than you couldn’t possibly imagine“

The room was filled with dense air, like any sudden move could kill the king of hell or even you at any second but still you continue. “Adam deserved so much better than what he was forced to have from you, so if anyone deserves your apology, it’s him.” He goes to speak but you shut him down again “but we all know that you are too prideful to do so, and Adam… he’s too stubborn to hear it”

You don’t yell, scream, all of your words coming soft from your lips “So… what you’re going to do, if you truly mean what you say. You will go back to your daughter, forget this conversation ever happened, then you can march back to your big castle with your Loving wife, and leave us be, for the rest of eternity.”

With that, you step away from him, words that have been bubbling inside you for centuries finally having been let out. It felt like several hundred pounds had been lifted off of you. You begin to walk to the door to let him out, wanting the conversation to be over, When you hear him speak a faint ”Ex-Wife actually”

You pause, your teeth already biting your tongue. Honestly, if you really thought about it, it was poetic. The Angel who ruined two marriages, leaving Adam nothing but a broken heart and baggage, ended up with a failed marriage himself.

But even still, you still felt a slight pain of pity for him. Through clenched teeth you let out ”I'm… sorry to hear that. It must be hard.”

This kind of thing, no matter the person, is always tough. You knew the aftermath of it through Adam, even now he struggles with so many issues from it. In that regard, you felt pity for the ruler of hell, but the rest of you felt… glad? Glad that he finally understands just a thorn of the pain he inflicted on Adam.

“The 5 minutes are up so… go now… please.” Your voice shakes near the end, your will power for everything you’ve done starting to break. Lucifer looked equally as defeated, you could tell he wanted to say more but he just nodded his head before walking out the door. slowly, silently, you close the door back before sliding down it as your legs give out.

You wanted to cry, scream, do anything but sit there, but you couldn’t. Your voice hurts from talking, your feet hurt from standing, everything just… hurts.

DING DING DING

A luminous yellow light follows the sound, you lifted your head and saw your phone on your nightstand. Adam… You used all of your strength to make it to your bed, practically having to crawl to avoid any more tiredness in your aching body. You finally land on the soft mattress to pick up your phone, seeing the plethora of messages from Adam.

DIXKMASTER69

Yo Bitch, everything good??

You’ve been typing for like 10 minutes

Answer me

Hellllloooooo??????

Oh, that’s why he was texting. You had completely forgotten your half written message you were debating on sending earlier. You start to delete it and rewrite it when suddenly,

INCOMING CALL FROM DIXKMASTER69

You sigh at the screen, your phone vibration sends chills through your aching arms, it acts as a lifeline for you not to fall asleep on the soft plush beneath you. You press the answer button.

‘Fuck Babe, finally! Are you ok?!” Adam��s voice sounded angry but you know he was just worried “you’ve been texting for like 15 minutes”

“Yeah, don’t worry Adam, I... must have fallen asleep while trying to message you”

“It’s 12 in the afternoon, you dont normally fall asleep in the middle of the day” Adam questions, his voice having obvious worry for you.

“Today’s just been very tiring. But I promise I’m fine, it’s just happened a lot today.” You hated lying to him, your other half, but you know this is something that he shouldn’t have to worry about.

You hear him groan, “how many times do I have to fuckin’ tell you not to overwork yourself for those sinners”

“I know, I’m sorry” you pause “I… I have to go now but I promise I’ll call you later, yeah?“

He was quiet on the other side before he lets out “Yeah, just don’t overdo yourself ok?” His voice was soft, no hint of sarcasm or anger, just him.

You let out a small breathy laugh “I promise. Have fun at your show tonight. Talk to you later, love you.”

“Love you too”

CLICK

You sigh to yourself, you still have the tour to do. It’s fine, everything is fine.

Tomorrow will be a better day. it has to be.

-

TAGLIST: @tired-of-life-86 @nervoussystemss @qopia @lovelyemily @hcneyiced @v3r41ynn

@ghostdoodlen @nxptvne-13 @ximenavc-che

@edgyfluff @ericityyy @diffidentphantom @faimmm @slasher-whore69 @1-randomized @ozzersauce @fanlovedlt @alientee @pandaquick @white-00-7 @call-me-nyx @adamstruelove @jennieyeager @sillyycatt @solatiium @my-name-is-heartache @parisiterileymoon @titan-senpai @lovely-night-owl-86 @innergardentoadpony @animefan106sposts @starlightstarbrightmyfirststar @lovkayy @ilikedrinkingsoda @barrythestrawberry041 @deadpoolssweetchimi @asegirllovesreadingporn @ripashy @deleted-1-800 @sirenetheblogger @ur1nonlygabi @aweleyirene @n0tmentallystable

(I really hope I didn’t forget anyone if I did, just asked to be added in the comments!!)

Shoutout to these specific asked as well, love you all <3

[cloversnstrawberries]

Can you write Vox x reader relationship Headcannons? Totally fine if you can’t. Have a nice day! <3

yandere!vox x gn!reader general headcanons ! !

masterlist !

warnings; possessiveness, very slight violence, Vox being a very questionable guy (but we love him for it), overprotectiveness, arguing, very much implied that Vox hired some people to scare Reader into agreeing with him, manipulation, + anymore i may have forgotten!

additional notes: hello!! i'm not sure if you meant platonic or romantic relationship (i need directness or my ASD will cause me to short circuit), but i think you meant romantic. so i'm going with that!! if you meant platonic, please let me know and i'll make another post for it!! :] for some reason i focused really hard on the fact that Vox is from the 50s in the first HCs, but that's not all this is about, prommy!!

Vox died at 50 in the 1950s, and I feel like no matter how much he tries to modernize himself; the fact he lived and died in the early to mid 20th century always comes back to bite him in the ass (in one way or another).

He'll call you things like babes, baby, dollface, sweetcheeks, so on and so forth. You've caught him on more than one occasion referring to your relationship as "going steady". You never correct him on it-- or mention it, because you know that if he becomes aware of it, then he'll make an effort to stop it.

You find it cute, you really do. You also find it cute how, if at any point you so much as seem to be even just a teensy weensy bit cold, then boom. His jacket is over your shoulders, no need to thank to him. Just doing his job.

Though, along with the title of 'going steady' usually came the expectation of the girl wearing the man's class or family ring to show they were together, and aiming for marriage. No matter what your gender is, he'll give you his class ring (that he somehow sourced from his life, don't worry about it) because he knows that you probably don't have a ring to give him.

The problem comes when, just once-- just once was all it took for him to catch you without the ring on; in all honesty, you were probably doing something that would risk damaging or messing with the ring. Washing dishes, cleaning, or maybe it just got in your way somehow, someway.

Regardless of the reason, Vox was livid. He couldn't explain why, really. In he was a more rational man, then he would've stopped to think. To look at what you were doing and connect the dots-- that you hadn't meant any harm by it,

Too bad he isn't a rational man, not one bit. You learned that much when he stormed forward, and without a word he swiped up the ring from whatever surface you'd placed it on.

Halfway through asking what was wrong as he curled his fist around the piece of jewelry-- thinking that he may destroy it (really, you had no idea. Your best guess wasn't that good of one, but it's all you had in the moment),

And for a split second you began to believe that reason, as deep blue light emanated from his hand. You didn't know what he was doing, but when he opening his hand with his palm facing up--

The ring was just fine, it didn't seem to have changed at all. You were... confused to say the least-- unable to get a word in edgewise as Vox grabbed you by your wrist.

He wrestled your hand up, grabbed your ring finger and--

As soon as he shoved the ring back on, you realized something was very wrong. There was a thrum of power in it, before you feel like tiny pins and needles were descending, burrowing into your flesh and bone.

When Vox realized what he did, he was inconsolable at first, leaving you to have to comfort him for his own actions.

That was one of your first encounter with his more possessive side, though you hadn't put a name to it just yet.

Sure, you knew he had some jealousy issues; always needing to have an arm around your waist, or your shoulder, or keeping you close while out in public. You thought maybe he was just a little protective, having lived in hell for so long had conditioned him to be so.

But after the ring incident, as you'd come to know it as, Vox was being a lot more open with his less than ideal behaviors. He couldn't let you out of his sight for very long-- it ended up landing you a "job" at his studio, where you didn't have much of a job at all.

He just wanted an excuse to have you close at all times, within sight as much as possible. It was a little insulting. You were an adult, a full grown person that didn't need to have Vox constantly monitoring you.

Vox always said how dangerous it was for you, but you never believed him. He said people would be after you because they'll see you as his weakness, as a surefire way to get to him.

Eventually, it escalated to an argument. You called him paranoid, he called you naive. You called him too stubborn for his own good, and he said you were just the same.

That was one of you two's first major fights, resulting in you grabbing your shoes, coat, and heading out the door. You left your phone, and demanded that Vox doesn't follow you.

You walked around for a few hours, nobody approaching you the whole time. Some even crossing the street to avoid getting in your way, and you felt like your point was more than proven.

When you got back home, Vox went to bombard with questions, pulling your head every which way as he checked you for-- well, you didn't know. Maybe wounds? Maybe he was expecting a gash in your head or something.

You swatted his hand away, and asked "how long was I gone?", it was a little... unsettling how quickly he responded with the exact time, down to the minute. You'd been gone for 2 hours and 17 minutes, and Vox says he was worried sick.

"You don't have to be." You said confidently, going back to the door and taking off your shoes and coat, placing them in the shoerack and on the coatrack respectively. "Within that 2 hours and 17 minutes, I found that people actively avoid me, probably because they know I'm with you."

You turned around-- seeing Vox so... well, you don't know. Downtrodden, maybe; well, it made your gaze and voice soften a little. You stepped forward, and gently grabbed the sides of Vox's head, tilting his head so he'd have to look at you head-on.

"Look. I'm sorry I yelled at you, and called you paranoid; but you really don't have to be so worried. I'm fine." A spark ran across Vox's antennae as he mumbled, and you laughed, asking him to speak up. He didn't, just pulled you into a hug instead.

You stayed like that for a while, until you went to bed together. You thought that'd be the end of it, and in a way, it was.

Until you got attacked.

It was so out of the blue that you couldn't question it, you didn't question how they didn't rough you up too bad. Didn't question how all they did was pull you in an alleyway and box you in, brandishing a closed siwtchblade.

If you examined it any further, you'd realize just how fishy it was-- but you didn't. You were shaken up, ran past them and right on back home, where Vox was sitting on the couch, editing some random script.

He was happy to be your shoulder to cry on, rubbing comforting circles into your back as he hushed you, as he softly said "Look, I don't want to sound mean, but didn't I tell you this would happen?", and you only cried harder at that.

With the way your face was pressed to his chest, you couldn't see how he was smirking. How smug he looked as he comforted you in a saccharine sweet tone, almost too sweet to be real.

[eds6ngel]

could you do a sleepover gone smutty for chrissy x reader? 💋

just like in the movies ꒰ঌ ໒꒱

virgin!chrissy cunningham x fem!reader

summary: whilst watching 'black swan' with your best friend, a certain sex scene comes on the screen, to which chrissy is very intrigued as to what it feels like...

warnings: SMUT!! oral (chrissy receiving.) orgasms. kissing. pet names (honey, sweetie, baby.) teensy bit of corruption kink. virgin!chrissy. experienced!reader. queer!reader. swearing. 'black swan' spoilers? 2010s!au. mentions of homophobia. food mentions. some fluff at the end!! [1.8k].

a/n: thank you so much for the request, hun!! just wanna preface by saying thank you to my queer best friend and random posts on reddit for helping me with the description of this. my poor lil virgin self was confused as to how to describe the sensations, but hopefully i got it somewhat accurate in the end :')

You and your best friend Chrissy are enjoying a girls sleepover at your place on a beautiful spring Friday night. Your parents were out of town on a conference trip, so you had the entire place to yourself. Perfect for the both of you to be silly, have aggressive pillow fights, and watch ‘Black Swan’ at the loudest volume possible.

You two are about an hour into the film, occasionally tucking into the bowl of popcorn laid out in front of you. But, you’d both much rather prefer to dig into your individual bars of chocolate on the bedside counters.

You would be lying if you didn’t put this film on for a little bit of self-pleasure for yourself. Although an early 2010’s movie, the sex scene in this film was actually targeted towards a female audience, so it felt special to feel yourself represented authentically on screen in a sexual sense this early on in film history.

When Nina and Lily’s lips crash into one another, Chrissy lets out a little “Oh my gosh!” beside you. Chrissy was always accepting of your queerness, despite the snide remarks from her parents anytime you went to her house. Her shock was obviously related to the context of the movie, the scene was a pure shock factor after all.

However, Chrissy’s eyes seem to dilate when Nina’s head is thrown back, Lily’s mouth attached to her cunt as she eats the woman out.

“Um…” Chrissy squeaks out, “What does that feel like? With, you know… another woman?”

Your eyes take note of the way Chrissy’s thighs are pretty close together, almost squeezing as a way to relieve something…

And it’s hot. It’s super fucking hot.

Your attitude immediately changes to one of sensuality, teeth lightly grazing your bottom lip, angling your body to the side as you sneakily look her up and down in her pink nightdress.

“Why? Is it making you feel a certain way?” you ask, trying to get her to speak up.

Her pussy tightens at the words, her eyebrows raising as she purses her lips, “Feels good… down there.”

She is very shy with you, a new side of her unlocking that the neither of you were aware of. You understand how scary it is realising that maybe you aren’t as straight as you thought you were, so you try to make the situation as comfortable as possible for her.

You grab her bare thigh, pushing it apart, her moisturised, smooth skin brushing softly against your fingertips. Your other hand runs gently across the centre of her cloth-covered vulva, appreciating the way she flinches against your touch. “Yeah? Right here?”

She nods, her eyes not being able to look away from the sight of your black-painted fingernails tracing against her. She never thought she would be so into this. She’s only been with Jason in the past, and he was abstinent, so this would not only be her first time with a girl, but her first time altogether.

“Do you want me to show you what it feels like, Chris?”

“Um…” she thinks, a little hesitant on the whole situation. “I’ve never done this before…” she quietly speaks out.

“Hey, hey,” you shush her softly, “That’s okay.” Your hand flutters tenderly against the side of her cheek, “I can guide you completely through this, okay? And if at any time you want to stop, just let me know, okay?”

She lets out a sigh, nodding softly, “I’m just scared…”

“Scared about what, honey?”

Her breath hitches at the word ‘honey.’ She already liked the sound of that. She wanted to hear you say that more. It was so sweet, so tender, so… loving.

She gulps, “I’m scared I won’t like it…”

You chuckle softly, “As I said, you can stop any time you want. But, the way your pretty little thighs flinched at my touch… I think you’ll enjoy a whole lot.”

She didn’t realise how much notice you had taken to her small actions of pleasure like that. If you took note of that, what would happen when she couldn’t even try to hide it any longer?

You shift your body so your face is in line with her legs, beginning to delicately place tender kisses along the insides of her thighs. Your fingertips knead into her plushy skin, cupping perfectly into the palms of her hands. You refrain from giving her hickeys, although you’d really like to, just in case her parents notice when she wears that nightdress, or even her cheer uniform, at home.

You tap the lining of her underwear with your pointer finger, “Legs up, sweetie.”

Those pet names were gonna send her to Heaven, but before she can dwell on that, she follows your soft-spoken commands, lifting her legs up so you can delicately remove her pink panties, perfectly matching with her nightdress.

You sigh as you take in the sight of her pretty pussy, “Wow, baby… So gorgeous.” You move your middle finger through her glistening folds, her slick immediately collecting on her fingers. Chrissy lets out a soft sigh above you, her legs flinching at the sensation.

“So wet for me, honey. You ready to find out what it feels like?”

She nods more confidently now, the scene long gone on the small television perched on your bedroom dresser.

“Okay. Just tell me if it’s too much, okay?”

She hums in response, before you dive into her pussy. You drag your tongue from her puckered hole to her clit, swirling your tongue around it, letting her feel every sensation of pleasure.

Chrissy cannot believe what she is experiencing. Everything is so… smooth. Your mouth is so warm, and adds so much extra wetness to what she could already feel between her thighs. The sensation is truly unlike anything she had experienced before.

Your tongue is flicking side to side on her clit, Chrissy’s soft moans filling the air, the calm sounds of the film fading behind you. That was no longer the focus. She was the focus. Only her.

She can feel the sensations all over her body, to the point where she feels as if she’s floating, “Gosh, that’s so nice…”

“Yeah?” you come up for air, “Is it as good as you imagined?”

“Better,” she squeaks out, your mouth wrapping around her clit and sucking, causing her to take a harsh intake, “It’s so warm and tingly.”

“Mhmm,” you mumble against her core, completely unaware of the absolute vibrations it would send through her, Chrissy let out a loud cry.

“Holy shit babe, you sound so pretty for me,” you let out without a second thought, you mind consumed by Chrissy.

You’re determined now, your movements speeding up as her moans become more jagged, her hips softly moving against your face. You let her body take over, wanting her to experience everything she ever needed. You could always be rough and demanding with her another time. God, you hoped there was another time.

What once started as small waves were slowly growing into large tides. What she would normally run away from with squeaks and giggles at the beach was the complete opposite here. She wanted to be drowned in them forever.

“Uh, uh, uh, uh.” Those were the only sounds escaping Chrissy’s mouth, her eyes closed and head thrown back. She was on a different planet entirely, never wanting to descend back to Earth.

You moaned, licked, sucked, anything to get her closer to that edge. You could sense by the way her legs were closing further and further into your head, she was almost there. You just had to get her to that final wave.

“Sweet— Sweetie, my gosh. My gosh, something is happening. Feels so good.”

“That’s it, baby,”you cooed at her, “Almost there for me. Just a little bit more, I got you, honey.”

There was something about her innocence about it all that sent your brain into a spiral. The fact she had never felt an orgasm in her life was something you were determined to keep sacred to yourself. You wanted to be her first… and definitely only.

“Ah, ah! I’m gonna— My gosh, oh!”

“Honey, honey, baby, look at me,” you encourage her. She hadn’t opened her eyes in a long time, not even throughout any of your praise, but something in her mind compelled her to look down at you. And thank god she did.

You make direct eye contact with her, completely parting with her lips as you lowly say, “Cum for me,” before sucking as hard as you can on her pretty, swollen clit.

She lets out a loud whine, thighs trapping you against her as they shake uncontrollably. It feels like fireworks have exploded in her stomach, electric shocks being sent to her brain as she has not a single thought in her mind. It’s so… consuming, mind-numbing. She doesn’t even know where she is. Heaven, Earth, Mars, she doesn’t care, as long as she gets to experience that again… and experience it with you.

Her legs are still shaking as you part from her clit, your hands massaging the plushy skin in order to relax her body and muscles. “You doin’ okay?” you ask gently, Chrissy still looking utterly blissed out.

“Yes… I wanna feel that again.”

“You do, huh?” you chuckle with a sweet kiss to her inner thigh, “Well, I’m happy to oblige. But, for now, I think you need some rest.”

The movie is coming towards the end, only a couple more scenes before the ending. You’ll have to watch it again with her someday, hopefully not getting too distracted this time.

You encourage Chrissy to go to the bathroom whilst you set up the bed, discarding of the uneaten snacks and fluffing the pillows for an ultimate night of comfort.

As she returns, her make-up had been removed, much to your dismay. Seeing her mascara dripping down her cheeks was a sight you’d wish to see every goddamn day on this Earth.

She tucks herself in neatly beside you, snuggling under the covers and facing you. She opens her arms up, encouraging you to cuddle her, to which you agree, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek as you get comfy.

“Thank you,” she simply whispers.

“Of course. Anytime, okay?”

She hums, before slowly drifting off into a deep and content sleep. You had no idea where this had left you in terms of the friendship and relationship barrier, but it was something you could worry about in the morning. For now, you could fall asleep with the prettiest girl in existence in your arms, and that’s all that mattered.

taglist: @agxxb @robinsno1lesbian

[buggitino]

some headcanons about sebastian solace from the hit game pressure roblox

to start - this may seem unimportant to you guys but its important to me: that ring on his finger is about as serious as the squirrel stapler room (that is, to say, the whole thing is a bit that the devs have included in their silly project and i will be treating it as such) (for selfish reasons, of course, but idc!! i'm having fun with this stupid game that i love and thats all that matters) (update on this: as i'm typing, i'm finding out that zerum is serious about her and sebastian being married which is honestly kinda...) (like sure fine that's cool and all if he were JUST your OC but sebastian has reached a point of publicity where he is more than that. obviously, i think it's rude and terrible and disrespectful to disregard a creators wishes as to how their character is used in fan-made content (this especially goes for NSFW art cause i think its fucked up if people make that sort of content of a character and POST IT after the creator explicitly said not to). at the same time, there are many people on the internet who do not care and will do what they want regardless. i think it'd be fair for her to ask not to have any of it sent to her specifically or posted in the Pressure server that she co-runs where she will obviously see it but she's saying she doesn't want anyone to make that sort of stuff period which is unreasonable and will only serve to hurt her in the long run. i don't know how old zerum is but this is reminiscent of my own (early) internet phases where i would become EXTREMELY attached to a character and refuse to acknowledge that that character existed differently (or at all) to someone else (i don't want to admit it was a sans AU but i really don't think i have a choice). i really hope she gets past this in a healthy way and comes to understand that a character who's been made public the way sebastian has been made public has a very different dynamic than an OC that you're sharing with your friends)

☆ pretty basic and angsty interpretation and im positive most people in the fandom agree with me on this - he doesn't like getting hit with the bright light not only because of the angler fish DNA making his eyes sensitive but also because it reminds him of surgical lights (which is why he has a Take No Shit policy (since the update) for expendables flashing him) (yeah, he has a pretty short fuse already, but he wouldn't deck an expendable for leaving and coming back in once nor would he shoot them for using the keycard on his wares) (so even though its because of the DNA mixing, i like headcanoning theres more to it for funsies)

☆ can and will let the expendables die in his shop because then he doesn't have to leave to collect all the shit they drop (on that note, wags his tail and chuckles when you buy stuff cause he knows it'll ultimately be useless and he'll just get it back)

☆ collects data so he has records of urbanshades bullshittery (so he can prosecute their asses the second he escapes) AND so he can re-discover his own identity (this plays into my headcanon that he's slowly forgetting what he used to look like as well as what his life used to be outside of urbanshades teensy weensy ginormous fuck up facility)

☆ i know this is (basically) canon but i'm solidifying it for myself by calling it here: he's chilean american (and speaks chilean spanish) and i know like i KNOW if his radio was working he'd be blasting Bio Bio or Futuro or Pudahuel 24/7

☆☆ bonus!! he 100% listens to mid 90s - early 2000s emo music now (have you even seen him) (that mf painted his nails pitch black in middle school) (walked out the door listening to Green Day and One Last Wish on his walkman while his mom kissed him goodbye telling him to have a good day at school TRUST) and his favorite chilean genres are nueva trova chilena, folklore, cueca, and punk melodico! (im not entirely familiar with chilean culture and music so if anyone here is chilean and likes Pressure PLEASE chime in i'd love to hear your thoughts)

☆ on the topic of family, he would help his mom cook and clean sometimes when his older sister was out (his dad helps too!!)

☆ twirls/plays with his hair (mostly because he doesn't have anything else to fidget with) (projecting he's self conscious about it cause thats why i play with my hair whoops)

☆ soft spot for teen/young adult expendables that he doesn't have for the older ones (every time he sees an expendable younger than 30, his disgust and rage towards urbanshade grows)

these are all for fun and just my personal opinions/headcanons!! i'll update these eventually (maybe) and i wanna hear what you guys have to say too :D

[lieshe]

happy ( belated ) opening, everyone ! my name is norb & i bring you midas music's second female soloist, lena oh ! so excited to write with you all ♡ leave a like for me to hop into your ims / or discord if you prefer !!

background

brought up in a fairly standard asam family complete with a tiger mom ( who already had lena's entirely life planned out for her ) and a vaguely emotionally present father ( who can barely plan out what he wants for dinner )

allowed to practice the arts throughout her childhood insofar as it was a way for her mother to show her off to other people ( piano & choir ), but god forbid she try to pursue that as a career

resisted in minute ways, such as intentionally falling victim to senioritis ( oops, i got a 1 on the ap chem exam? guess that'll tank my chances of getting into a good pre-med program... ) and eventually entering college undeclared — of course with the express purpose of declaring for the arts once mom wasn't looking

fell victim to the extreme level of independence afforded her as a freshman living away from home, late nights out and generally slacking off on academics

a choice ( her joke, since she was browsing in the choice music store at the time ) visit to ktown introduced her to an open audition by midas music

passes and joins the company in early 2017, too late to be considered for haute pink — which is a relief b/c the competitiveness terrifies her

overall unused to the harsh training environment, which somehow winds up being an asset b/c it becomes very easy to crush her into submission

part of it is the sunk-cost fallacy, not wanting to prove her mom right that a career in the arts is not for her and/or that she screwed up by making such a monumental decision at such a young age ( and suckering her dad into enabling her )

ultimately winds up debuting as a soloist with a two-fold purpose — as a counterpart to her predecessor, the nation's goddess, and to push midas further into the west's pockets by following haute pink's example

her western push was halted by claims from former classmates ( with yearbook photos as proof ) stating some not so true things about copying homework and stealing boyfriends, the former of which called her admission to ucla into question. which then led to some dorm mates ( whom she only lived with from september to february ) saying some kinda true things — but leaving out the part where they drank all her milk and that's why she snapped at them.

will reluctantly admit these days that she feels she has a nothingburger of a career — her music is successful and popular b/c it's easy to listen to, her appearances on variety are less to express her opinion on things but to lure people in with her quirky personality. she posts daily and is known to be one of the more terminally online idols, but after half a decade as an artist, she expected to do more with her life

sense of self or identity? who's that, lena sure as hell doesn't know lol. ( and her fans are starting to realize that )

is at a teensy bit of a crossroads now. part of being a soloist means being seen as a little more authentic than an idol beholden to group dynamics and image, but people are slowly waking up to her insincerity. knows she has to lean in one direction or the other -- but having to figure out a personality is scary ( and something she probably should've figured out in her formative years, which she unfortunately spent training )

tl;dr / headcanons / misc.

soloist who 'stars, they're just like us!'-ed too close to the sun and now has no idea who she is as a human being <3

some miscellaneous items to get her vibe!

has a reputation for being a gamer, but although she enjoys roguelikes and rpgs, alongside playing the latest multiplayer fps ( healbot for life b/c she's too much of a coward to play dps ), her true passion is grandma video games ( aka hidden object puzzle adventure games ).

also buried deep in gacha game hell but like don't tell anyone b/c then they'd ask her how much she spends and she'd have to tell them she single-handedly funds onychinus

has a secret letterboxd only a select few are privy to. she really liked the brutalist until all that ai stuff came out about it

smooches every one of her plushies on the head before bed and sometimes swaps them around so that they each get an equal amount of time sleeping next to her

biiiiig podcast listener. and every time robert evans makes something up on behind the bastards, she falls for it hook, line, and sinker

majored in musical theater for all of about 3 months before she dropped out. has considered going back to school in korea but is hesitant to add onto her career responsibilities

an only child b/c her parents were like 'we can only afford one' and stuck to it no matter how much she begged

wcs

you get the feeling she's copying you/your vibe, which you're sure is supposed to be flattering but is just plain off-putting. like the miles and peter b. meme except if miles was a grown man of roughly the same age.

a relationship she ended rather abruptly. maybe it was because she wasn't supposed to be dating yet, or she felt a disturbance in the force ( someone was getting too close to the truth ), or she realized that you were about to find out that she's barely a person. whatever the case, she still finds it hard to be around you.

being the #1 grey's anatomy super-fan she is, she's claimed you as her 'person'. you're pretty sure that's just a fancy way of saying 'best friend.' but if that's the case, why is your so-called best friend pulling away from you all of a sudden ?

you think most of her discography is bland and boring and are thoroughly confused when she seems almost pleased by the insult.

far be it for you to question how one spends their time, but the way she spits out pop culture references seems almost like she watches stuff for homework rather than any kind of pleasure.

someone who's glad to have finally met a yapper of equal caliber. people who watch the two of you converse feel like they're witnessing it in 2x speed.

it was her idea to start a book club, but she seems to run it a bit like a drill sergeant ( and won't stop grumbling about how much she hates fourth wing )

she's struck, on occasion, by how the world seems to turn without her back home. perhaps you stumbled on a moment of vulnerability, or you two were already kind of friends. but you're the only person she can confide in about this, and in return, she lends you her ear.

[stardustcleaningguy]

ok im back to rant abt more saverem twins autism things :P

in my last post (which if you havent seen, was me reblogging @dragons1re ‘s post about the plant powers as a metaphor for autism/autistic traits) i didnt really go into much detail about knives because i was a little too focussed in the fact there is another autistic vash truther out there .. but im gonna talk abt knives now.

like i said before i dont necessarily think that knives has enough control over his outbursts to really be completely proud of them, but also when you are the person known for having regular outbursts and are considered ‘dangerous’ or ‘weird’ by neurotypical society, it begins to become a part of how you view yourself as a person (or at least thats how it was for me as a kid - a lot of my autism hcs are based directly off my own experiences). i mean this in the way that once you have that impression established of you - that you are strange and offputting and scary - its very hard to overcome the perception of others and seem ‘normal’ and so you just kinda give up, and accept your role.

this is how knives’ behaviour appears to me, from an early age people have this perception that hes hard to deal with and has big outbursts of emotion which he struggles to control - and even when he DOES learn more ways to control it, he still refuses to mask because hes continuing to play into the general perception of him by neurotypical (aka human) society. he lets his emotions control him because he doesnt see any point in masking - i mean what would it change if he did try and act normal? the humans already know hes a dangerous monster freak right? i was only able to change from this mindset because my environment and the people around me changed but because of the magnitude of knives’ actions hes unable to do this - until the very end when he finds humans that dont just see him as a dangerous creature but an actual person who just wants safety for him and his brother (but then he gets appled so …)

also im not really saying that knives thinks of himself as a monster, he just knows that humans have that impression of him and instead of trying way too hard to appear normal like vash, he leans more into the role of ‘weird dangerous monster’. hes super scared of humans (the same way an autistic person may become fearful of neutotypical society because of the way they have been treated within it) so thats another reason why he has this whole im super dangerous and evil thing going on even though he spends most of his time napping. top 10 people comitted to the bit

idk this rant MIGHT have gotten a little too tangent-y and i MIGHT be projecting onto knives just a teensy little bit but it was fun to write so wuteva !!!!!!!! (also all of this is specifically discussing trigun maximum - i luuuuv maximum)

[pinkfey]

how you see yourself ｡*.♡

i was tagged by the beloved @rosenfey to do this cute lil meme; tysm ambie!! mwah!! i’m self conscious right now so i’m just going to tag anyone and everyone who sees this!! do it RIGHT NEOW >:3

character ➳ this is well known, but i've felt a profound connection to padmé since i was a child. it's not out of relatability, though, it’s from a deep understanding. (LET THE RECORD SHOW I JUST DELETED A BIG ASS RANT RATTLING OFF THE THINGS I LOVE ABT HER CHARACTER BC IT GOT SO LONG I WOULD’VE NEEDED A READ MORE 😭). i just.. i love her!! i love her. i love her and i’m the only one who gets her.

style ➳ no one is a monolith, but i do gravitate towards softer, more feminine looks. many dresses and skirts in my wardrobe :3 though it is ofc not limited to just that

object ➳ so, earrings are perhaps an odd choice here, but i wanted something to represent my clutter bug!! i love collecting little bits of miscellany, earrings included (and these are very my style; i adore pearls and cute “busy” looking items), because i’m a purveyor of all things meant to make my heart glow a little softer <3

place ➳ i'm a cali baby until i die. i struggled to pick one sole place, so i chose the whole state because it truly is so important to me. it's not just sf and the bay area (my home), but the redwood forests to the east and the beach towns down south and wine country to the north. california's pre and post-colonial history is rich and vast and bits of its geographical beauty have survived in incredible ways. and, despite all of the flaws of this godforsaken state, the cultures here have worth. there are merits and there are good people, you just have to care, and because of that, i don’t think i’ll ever want leave. i don't jump ship because work is simply hard; i want california to be what i know it can be.

animal ➳ otters are my favorite animal, we know this, but too many people have affirmed me as a cocker spaniel/cavalier spaniel over the years, so i had to include it. i think it's the hair texture and general air of prancing about?? i am simply a little lady idk what to tell u!!

song ➳ i chose i'm your man by mitski,,,, 👀👀 i'm in the song, just not as singer’s the point of view, if you catch my meaning. men ruined my life but whatever.

job ➳ though office and archival work is my calling (i was born to organize and file and push trolleys of books and boxes and sit on the computer and be a little secretary), part of me will always feel that being a childcare worker is integral to who i am. i mean, i did it for so many years i loved teaching, i loved nannying, i loved early childhood education studies. i loved being miss jasmine :]

food ➳ burritos are my favorite food ever, but i chose the petit fours because, well, it's me!! it feels like me!! little cakes served on dainty platters accompanied by a sweet drink?? bite sized flavors of rose or chocolate or matcha or vanilla or lavender or raspberry and and and???? exactly. teensy and sweet and delicate and perfect.

color ➳ pink, forever and always. the pink i used for this edit is more vibrant than my favorite shade of pink (blush), but pink is pink so i'm okay with it <33

[im-new-to-french-pls-be-nice]

Heya tumblr, welcome to my blog!

I’ve been interested in my family history my entire life, I’ve been on all of those little family tree websites and whatnot, I know what year my grandfather moved to the US, (1965), I know every single job my other grandfather has ever had, and I practically know my mother’s senior yearbook by heart. So imagine my absolute surprise when I found out that I have an entire great-great uncle that I’ve never heard of. Absolutely wackadoodle shit right there, chat.

So lemme set the stage for you: I’m procrastinating on my final, right? Just kinda switching through tabs & going down an internet rabbit hole about the jersey devil (which fun fact; was apparently a kinda classist propaganda tool meant to target a political family of quakers but I’m not gonna get into that rn) When I get an email from a woman who for the purposes of anonymity, I will refer to as V. V told me that she was a world war 1 historian, and that she had something that belonged to my family. She offered to meet up to hand it over, and I agreed.

So lemme set another stage for you: I walk into the bar we agreed to meet at. It’s a weeknight, so we’re basically the only people there. It’s one of those bars where there’s a ton of fish mounted on the wall, but none of them sing funny songs or move (I asked the bartender if they did and he said no. I’ve never been more devastated in my entire life.) And V is all the way in the corner, sitting at the table. She has that sort of wardrobe where you can’t really tell if she’s goth or just catholic. (maybe she’s both? Goth Catholics of tumblr are you real?) And she looks kinda young-ish? Like early thirties. Not what I immediately think of when I think World War 1 Historian. She’s got an English accent and has the kinda resting expression where you can’t tell if she’s scowling or about to burst into tears. I sit down. She tells me she likes how I smell. (Kinda odd compliment but I’m flattered.) And I tell her I like her hair. She thanks me, and we start talking. She tells me about my great-great uncle who for anonymity reasons I will be calling Jacques, and gives me a briefing about his life.

Jacques was born in rural France in 1899, and was drafted into the war in 1914, along with 2.9 million French men & boys. He was seen last during the battle of Somme, 1916. His body was never recovered or identified.

V is very solemn during this, as if he died recently and not over a century ago. She then places a bundle on the table, alongside a binder. She explains that inside the bundle is Jacques’ wartime diary, and the binder has scans of each page. She explains that it’s so I can read it without risking damage to the actual diary. It’s in French.

And so we skip to today, where I’ve finally decided to get off my ass and translate the diary. I took french as a prerequisite for my Liberal Arts major, but I’m a teensy bit rusty. I have a french dictionary with me that I’m clutching like a crucifix because God knows this is gonna be super hard. I wanna know Jacques story, and I wanna share it with you all. After 108 years of being forgotten, I think it’s the least I can do for him.

This blog will be dedicated to the bit-by-bit translation of my Great-Great Uncle’s Diary. I’ll keep Y’all posted!

-Collie

[batsplat]

BWV 1: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern

BWV 2: Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein

BWV 3: Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid

[master post]

the fun thing about how the bwv is structured is that the pieces are grouped by type rather than chronology. which means I get to start with a short and quick 224 cantatas before I hear a single bach piece that isn't a cantata lol. which! good! I think it's an interesting way to experience a body of work, where your immediate reference point is a bunch of structurally similar pieces. it's also good I'm starting off with cantatas since I have a bad habit of not engaging enough with vocal music. so we're diving in the deep end here

since this is the first time, just on the off chance anyone is interested and for my own purposes, I'll give the sparknotes on why I even want to do this. I have a reasonably okay western classical music education from baroque to today but... well, in all honesty, when I was actually receiving said education, my type of music was very much edgy teenager 'nineteenth century romantic sturm und drang'. minor key, much drama, very angsty. I also liked early to mid 20th century music, partly because my favourite school subject was history and I was like... very engaged with the role of music in that period of european history. read 'the rest is noise' and really liked it, read about wagner and the nazis, that kind of thing. my favourite composer then and now is shostakovich - who my piano teacher properly introduced me to, she eventually also gifted me a massive biography of the bloke (by elizabeth wilson, very much recommend). big draw of the struggle between the artistic and the political, the tension between the art he wanted to make and what he was allowed to make, how he navigated those tensions and the personal toll it took etc etc... very much up my street. I also liked neoclassical, vibed with early flirtations with atonality, scriabin my lil freak, mahler... did lose me a bit by the time you get to the second viennese school, but this is such an annoyingly normie opinion that I have listened to a lot of schoenberg. maybe initially more out of spite than actual enjoyment but I swear if you listen to this stuff enough, it does eventually do something to your brain. idk if it's a good thing but it does something

anyway, the point is that I was a bit too disinterested in anything pre-beethoven, just felt too light and frilly for my dumb teenage tastes. even mozart I thought of as kinda boring, which is luckily an opinion I was dissuaded from with a sort of tag team effort. and I have gradually warmed up towards pre-romantic music, having grown up and become 2% less of an idiot. since leaving school, I have very much Communed with handel, he has entered my life, I have Let Him In. I enjoy my clementi, my rossini (if he still counts as pre-romantic), my scarlatti (domenico) and so on. and I enjoy bach! I get it now! I listen to the textures he weaves with his music and I do feel like I am having a teensy bit of a spiritual experience! but. but. I feel like I fundamentally have not engaged with him enough. I need more context, I need to engage with the breadth of his work, it's bach, not really having a comprehensive understanding of bach feels like such a gaping hole if you want to understand western music history. and I do also want to READ more about bach this year, I'm coming up with a lil reading list for myself, but... it's music. you've got to listen to the music. and this feels like a fun little project, a neat way to approach it. it also stops me from like,, just engaging with his keyboard music a bunch or listening to three fugues on repeat. if left to my own devices, I tend to also not really seek out overtly religious music that much (unless it's requiems), which obviously is a horrendous way to engage with bach. so. 224 cantatas coming right up to try and save my damned soul

right then. off we go. given that, again, 1080 pieces to get through, there will be a few pieces I probably only have time to passively engage with. BUT I do want to start this off on the right note, plus you need a bit more context to get into the swing of things. I've found that the bach cantatas website is invaluable in giving me a bit more to work with for each piece - here they basically have... I think extensive forum discussions for every single piece...? context notes, discussions of the music, of recordings, it's a genuine treasure trove - some of these posts are basically essays in their own right. it's more than I have time to read in full for each of these, but it's great to know there's a place where I can always easily find out more about individual pieces

and it's a pretty invaluable guide icl. even within the sub-sections of the bwv sorting system, the presentation is not chronological. which means that bwv 1 is the last of the... traditional (?) bach cantatas - he abandoned his established structure for the later pieces. possibly due to the death of his librettist, possibly because he just got tired of the format and couldn't be bothered finishing the cycle project (real). here:

I also did some reading to re-familiarise myself with the structure of a cantata. it's all fairly straightforward for most of these, with the opening chorus followed by a couple of recitatives and arias apiece and rounded off with a chorale (x):

and more explanation of how the bach cantatas work (x):

when I was copy pasting the names of the first few cantatas into the master post thingy, first thing that jumped out at me was... quite a few of these have real downer titles, more than I was expecting. 'where should I flee' 'dear god when will I die' 'my sighs, my tears' 'who knows how close my end is'..... right, okay. one's just called 'crying, complaining, worrying, fearing', which, who amongst us. bwv 1 has a title that translates to 'how lovely does the morning star shine', so more on the opposite end of the spectrum (some discussion in the forums about whether morning star relates to a star, jesus, lucifer... I don't have enough background knowledge to be able to critique translator notes but it was interesting to read anyway)

here is some more description of like,, the vibes:

bach is obviously all about texture, about creating this rich musical tapestry that he can weave better than anyone. a lot of notes, no clutter. being able to bring together all these different melodic lines without having them clash against each other - it's very intricate music. (this is 1 out of 1080 so these observations will gradually be getting less normie than 'bach is when many notes'. that's the hope, anyway.) the chorus feels particularly grounded by its strong rhythmic sense, makes it very easy to nod along to - not quite dance-like, but buoyant and hopeful and almost celebratory. syncopation go brr. also agree with this description of the arias/chorale:

my favourite bit was the more contemplative first recitative by the tenor - it's quite short, quite slow, but still forceful and like... aggressively hopeful in how it was conveyed in this performance. helpful notes:

(conversely, the chorale didn't do much for me. not to critique mr bach. but to me that did feel like the bit of the piece where the music went 'okay, time to feel happy again'. which... it's fine. just felt kind of straightforward and abrupt after all the other stuff)

I've definitely listened to a few bach cantatas before but as I think we've established by now, it generally isn't a form of music I'm super familiar with. so I was doing some reading about the form while listening

'notable contributor' you don't say, wikipedia. anyway, initial thoughts... I was thinking while listening about just how much bach demands from his vocalists, not really in terms of vocal range but in terms of how precise they have to be with the sheer number of notes they're hitting. trilling and frilling as much as any instrument. bach to me is as close as it gets to tapping into the emotional appeal of religion - it's not a pomposity necessarily, something about the regality.... the fullness of the emotional experience. all this polyphony tugging away at you, there is something of the divine to it. but also! it's fun! works best when it's fun! not as fun as the chorale, but the other bits were the right amount of fun. I had fun. good start mr bach

bwv 2.... okay bwv 2 slaps. I ended up listening to this bad boy twice in full and a few sections a couple more time, which is the kind of thing I've got to stop doing if I want to get through all 1080 works but well. day one. anyway, this is based on a lutheran hymn based on psalm 12, and quite frankly the text of the hymn also slaps:

here's the text from the actual first recitative:

'they teach vain, false deceit' just like my blog then. also a big fan of 'display pure obscenity'. this one is obviously a lot gloomier than bwv 1. unsurprisingly, forum posts for this one include plenty of discussion of the meaning of the text, what luther was getting at, what bach was getting at, what god was getting at. and so on. stuff like this:

basically they need to stop corrupting god's word, that seems to be the general gist. I was really enjoying this cantata because my tastes are basic and I like things that sound lament-y and pained when I read this:

'may not have the immediate appeal or movements of arresting beauty that so many other cantatas do have' get bach again from me?? not sure I agree, I think the second recitative in particular (y'know, the one about how the poor are fucked without god to show them the way) just kinda gets you with the sheer drama of it all. early speculation that I am very much a recitative person, generally when they end I feel like I could've done with a bit more of those. also vibed with this commentary:

I agree, it's not sorrowful as much as it is 'life is tough and faith is hard'. strings are doing a lot of good work in this cantata, just pulls the whole thing along and make it angsty without being morose - I particularly liked the violin melody in the second aria. has a certain drive to it, grounding but in a hypnotic rather than dull way. the chorale... you do strongly get the sense the chorale is the 'here's what emotion you should be taking away from the whole piece' bit of the cantata. but I liked this one! at the start I wasn't quite convinced because it felt a bit one-note (very much not literally), but once the vocalists chirp in it immediately becomes compelling. counterpoint between the organ and the vocalists is very nice, bit of drama from the organ is an immediate win in my books. it's still more of a coda than really doing anything 'new' but... I liked it. and I will probably just persistently have a bit of a bias towards cantatas in a minor key, it's a bad trait but I can't help it! yay angst

speaking of angst, bwv 3!! 'oh god, how much heartache'. so this one immediately got me rooting for it the moment the camera zoomed in on an oboe player. I love oboes!! oboes are like the cellos of the woodwinds where I always wish more stuff were composed for those guys. this one's got quite a distinct vibe to the previous one... helpful summary of the different movements:

I really like the oboe-heavy opening chorus obviously, it's a very rich sound that is pleasingly morose with the gently wailing oboes - but it does feel like it's a bit more of a prelude than a proper statement. the statement is left to the first rectitative, where (unlike with the previous two) you've got several soloists singing in succession in counterpoint with the chorus + instruments. I LOVED the first aria about the pain of hell, and maybe specifically because of this recording. it goes 'although I may feel hell's anguish and pain' and then just... has the singer repeat that line a bunch, really teasing you with how exactly they're intending to turn that particular sentence around. now, in the end the answer to that is letting joy into your heart, but because the notes are frenetic and the singer is doing so much (including with his face), you don't feel exactly?? at ease?? with heart's joy. it's very neurotic joy. over-caffeinated 'handed in an essay after an all nighter' joy. then he goes back to anguish and pain for a while before switching it back up

also vibed with the opening harpsichord... flourish...? of the recitative. my main complaint with this one is that it's way too short, feels more like a sigh (a very moody one) than its own part. icl I don't personally... quite get describing the second aria and its duet as "perhaps the finest in the cantatas" - though I did read the following, about how bach wrote the vocalist music to sing the word 'kreuz' (as in cross) on only sharp notes:

writing music around a pun instantly elevates it for me. in general, I like the oboe/violin interplay, it's more the vocal stuff that's... well, the whole thing is very ponderous. I liked this description of the aria:

I'm not sure I felt the 'exuberant bliss and overwhelming conviction' they describe here, but I do like it as a description! the final chorale is very brief, more like a full stop than a music passage in its own right. while the structure is the same as the first one I listened to, it did feel like the emphasis was placed in different parts. the opening chorus here (maybe my favourite section) did feel like it was very much setting up the expanded and more elaborate recitative. the second recitative feels more like a comma, and then the second aria is the last main vibe you're left with - since the chorale is just putting a bow on top of the experience. which... it kind of annoys me I didn't vibe with said second aria more, like I'd currently be more inclined to relisten to parts of this than the whole thing. and I did really love the first aria lol. I haven't put all the much thought into cantatas before... uh, today - or certainly the last time I did was years and years ago, so I've realised I don't necessarily know what to expect in terms of the weighting of different parts. I imagine the bwv 1-2 is more common and that this one is a bit more unusual in the phrasing. anyway, I had fun. put more oboes in things 2k25

[criticallyacclaimedstranger]

I have so many questions for the fanfic ask so strap in 😏 I really want to ask all of them but I should limit myself to like, 10.

12, 17, 18, 22, 26, 27, 29, 34, 36, and 77

Anyways I'm a little drunk so thank for answering these in advance and Ily 💙

(GAAAAH I HAD ANSWERED FOUR OF THE QUESTIONS ALREADY WHEN I SLIPPED ON MY GODDAMN TABLET AND CLOSED THE TAB AND I LOST ALL OF IT.)

Ziz, my drunken angel. I want to get drunk too, but I'm too tired. Now I have to copypaste all of these suckers for you instead.

12. Do you outline your fics? If yes, how detailed are your outlines? How far do you stray from them?

Mostly not. For longer fics or multichapters I might have some stuff jotted down just to remember to include it later (because I forget shit) but no, I don't really outline my fics.

17. Do you have a writing routine?

At the moment, I mostly work during down time at work. I have other things I'd rather do during my spare time, so in order to write anything at all - and I want to write, but not enough to use my spare time for it - it's going to be on company time. Front desk duty days are the best because we don't get many customers, I usually don't have anything pressing to work on while waiting for customers to show up, so I write smut. Perfect. It's a huge privilege, and I intent to enjoy it for as long as I can. So my routine is mostly "check if anyone's behind me, then open up my private email, and go to drafts, where I save my wips", haha!

18. Do you enjoy research? Which fic of yours required the most research?

Um, yes and no? Because I don't allow for writing to take a lot of time, I don't really feel like doing research at the moment. But if I feel like the fic requires it, a bitch will definitely google some shit. The most research I did in this fandom was for What Spring Does To The Cherry Trees. I had absolutely no idea about what life on a Texas cattle ranch would be like. I expected there would be cows and Stetsons. So I did a fair bit of reading up on that, plus what the military looked like in the early 1990's. (Nothing like I needed for my OFC, so I still made things up. It's fanfic.)

22. Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process? How do you come up with titles?

AFTER. Omfg, after. Listen, I will have created the post on both Tumblr and Ao3 and be ready to hit that Post button, if it wasn't for the teensy tiny little detail that I LACK A GODDAMN TITLE. Titles are the worst. I very very rarely have a title from the start, or at least one that sticks with me throughout the process, and makes it until the end. I usually go for song lyrics (simple but somewhat easy), or something descriptive and boring (um, "The Artist and the Builder", anyone? Scoff!).

26. What’s your least favorite part of the writing process?

The title. And the sex scenes. Ugh.

27. What area of writing do you feel strongest in?

I feel like I write relationships well. I write female characters well, I like them independent and headstrong, not too sentimental or dependent. I like writing the day-to-day of relationships, the kind of boring stuff, the banter. Two people who rib the bejesus out of each other but will never be mean to each other and will always have each other's backs and also have phenomenal sex. Also she doesn't cook.

29. What’s something about your writing that you’re proud of?

I am proud of finishing fics that I've worked on for months or even a year. I'm proud of not compromising my ideas, even when I suspect that taking the story another way would give me more notes. And I am so, so proud of my chubby!reader x Frankie series. The comments I got on those fics still make me tear up. I am so humbled that I could give readers the experience of really seeing themselves in that reader insert. I honestly never thought it would be so huge, that people would actually see themselves in it, but they did, and they told me, and I am just. Wow.

34. How much of your personal life/experience do you include in your fics?

I did a lil day trip with my two doctor friends yesterday, and they talked about different medical professionals/originals that they met during their internship. And I listened, and told them: "You know that one guy is ending up in a fic, right?" They laughed, and said "Go right ahead, he deserves to be in a one!" So I do pick up stuff from around me, and from my own life. But most of it is make-believe because hahaha I do not have a Frankie of my own and I do nothing interesting with my life honestly :')

36. What fic are you proudest of?

As already mentioned, the Forever Starts With You series. But also What Spring Does To The Cherry Trees. And Jay and Frankie. Heck, I'm proud of almost all of my fics! Some are written with a lot of integrity, some I'm just proud of finishing, some have resonated so beautifully with the readers. Don't make me choose.

77. Why do you enjoy writing fanfiction?

I am a creative person. I've always written stuff. Fanfic in "easy" in the sense that you are served a world and characters that people already know, so you don't have to spend time setting all of that up. It's also a communal experience, something that brings people together. And of course I love the responses! I'd be lying if I said I did this for myself: if I did, I wouldn't be posting. I post my fics to share the, and I love it when people tell me I did good, yes, but mostly I love it when I make people feel something. Maybe I made them laugh, or cry, or horny (seriously, people: you have got to be more open about that! TELL ME MY SMUT MADE YOU MASTURBATE, I WILL BE ALL HEART EYES!). Maybe they recognized themselves in the fic, felt seen, felt appreciated. That's the good stuff. That's the reason I write. I'll continue to post stuff for as long as I have stories to tell but if I'm completely honest: I wouldn't bother anymore if I didn't get comments. This is fandom, it's supposed to be a community with interaction.

[happy-tori-friends]

i finished one prompt today.

with like. just over 10 minutes to spare before midnight.

tomorrow it shall be posted, and the other prompts will be ported to ao3. should any nsfw prompts or requests come in, they will have their own seperate work. they Could be in the sane one but... idk i feel a teensy weensy bit more comfy that way

in other news that june schedule is like. totally not happening. ive slacked off sooo badly. mwau is still in the conceoting stages and do not get me started on original work. i hit a block with a both a proper chapter AND the chatfic chapter just b4 starting oblivion. i have a doc with something i was writing for alt shipping au i could post bc i planned to split it into chapters but idk where to split it and i wanted to finish it b4 i did so. (i have unfinished oc social media au too but this is solely about bw)

ik i've complained about being so busy lately but its really my own fault bc ive hit the 'i want to do things and be productive but None of those productive things feel Right' stage of the cycle of being tori. its so great that i wanna stream animal crossing new leaf every day for a bit and i wanna play ffxiv and other games both on and off stream but. girlypop you gotta write! you got shit to do! (i also sometimes sleep all day bc my sleep schedule is ✨️Abysmal✨️ bc i go to bed late and my body wakes me up Early anyways)

Hopefully i get out of the Nah I Don't Really Feel Like It stage soon. let's aim for a proper schedule in july!

[vigilvntes]

How would Bruce and Adrian each react to realizing they've fallen in love with someone?

warnings: i probably used bad language in here somewhere it's me what did we expect, a little teensy weensy bit of spice / adult content whoops again it's me what did we expect. just crumbs of it though

this is gonna be LONG AND MESSY i have a lot of thoughts because i've been gone for a while okay and im nervous to post this because i really mean it when i say it's been a WHILE anyway let's fucking gooooo

Adrian:

I feel like Adrian is very easily infatuated, and it doesn't take a lot for him to lust after someone. so i think he'd have a hard time drawing a line between when the surface level infatuation ends and when the falling in love begins. he likes the way you make him feel (although at first he's convinced he's on his way to an early grave when his heart skips a beat at just the thought of you). the warmth that spreads across his body whenever you touch him and the butterflies in his stomach when you smile at him when he attempts a card trick he taught himself from a youtube video at 3am ("is this your card?" "uh. no..." "....can we pretend it's your card?" "i lied. that's my card" "fuck yeah"). he likes the fuzzy feeling he gets when you so much as brush your fingers against his. he thinks about you a lot, all the little things about you that he adores. he thinks about you in the morning, at work, on the drive home, when he's patrolling the streets at night.

i think the only time he doesn't think about you is when he's out on a mission. he's focused. driven. he's probably the best fighter they have, and a great strategist. when he's out in the field, his mind is trained on one thing only: finishing the mission and caving skulls. until it isn't. until your face flashes across his mind and his shot almost misses the target and fumbles the whole thing. oops. emilia chastises him, asks him what the hell is going on inside that head of yours? and peacemaker just sits back with a smug smirk on his lips and proudly announces to everyone that adrian chase is in love (because of course he told peacemaker everything about you after he invited himself back to chris' trailer for a beer after a night of patrolling and shooting appliances)

adrian will deny it to the ends of the earth in front of the team, and he'll deny it to himself, really (because love is for LOSERS, as chris once told him after a particularly brutal breakup). but the more he thinks about it in the weeks following, the more it starts to make sense. before, he could push you out of his mind before a mission. he felt guilty, but it was just for one night. now, he can't last an hour without mentioning your name. he cant even go five minutes without thinking about you and your face. it's not just infatuation. it's not just your face and your smile and the way you laugh at all his dumb jokes or soothe him after every minor inconvenience that leaves him in a sour mood. it's love.

once he accepts that he's in love with you, he gets GIDDY. he wants to tell you and everyone that'll listen that he loves you in every waking moment. but he holds back, because he's sure there's an etiquette to it. that he has to wait for the "right time", or whatever. he'll want to be around you at all times. touching you, kissing you, hugging you, making you laugh, fucking you into the mattress until your brain is mush and the only word you can speak is his name. it'll physically pain him when he has to leave your side for a few days for a mission, or even for a few hours when he has to drag himself out of your bed and go to work. how rude of his responsibilities to even exist when he's in love.

i'm in two minds as to how he'd tell you he loves you. one part of me thinks it would happen during a really inconvenient moment. like when you're on the phone to your wifi company. or when you're just about to leave for work. or after he cums on your face bye. whatever the scenario it would leave you spluttering. the other part of me thinks you'd wake up to him banging on your door at 3am, sweaty and out of breath because he ran all the way to your apartment just to tell you that he loves you because he couldn't sleep and it was killing him that you didn't know yet. you receive noise complaints from your neighbours but you don't care because your boyfriend is in love with you and you're in love with him. so they can, in adrian's words, "shove a knife up their ass"

Bruce:

one word: avoidant. bruce makes a point out of not allowing himself to grow close to anyone, because everyone leaves or gets viciously ripped away from him in the most brutal way eventually. alfred is the only person who bruce considers to be close to him. until you came along! he's honestly not sure how he allowed you to get close enough for him to fall in love with you. but somehow, with your gentle touches and soothing words and bright smile even when he's at his most miserable, you've wormed your way into his heart and he can't stand it.

he can ignore the fuzzy feeling in his chest. that's easy enough for him to brush off, because he can just leave the tower. he can put on the suit and forget about you and the warmth you radiate while he patrols the streets of gotham, right? wrong! it starts with him taking a few more hits than usual from the punks he's fighting down a back alley because he found himself thinking about how nice it'll be when he gets back to the tower and crawls into bed with you (he probably wont sleep, but he likes to listen to your gentle snores and watch the way your chest rises and falls). then, he's getting jumped by some bastard he beat up a few weeks ago and his unsavoury friends because as he's walking the streets he can't stop thinking about the fact that you'd kissed his lips, forehead, cheeks, nose — everywhere, before he left for the night. in a way he resents you for it. being batman is the one thing he's good at, and you're ruining it. he cant concentrate on being what gotham needs if all he can concentrate on is, well, you.

he'll grow distant, and it'll probably happen quite quickly. you'll be left completely in the dark as to why he's rejecting you whenever you ask him to eat dinner with you upstairs. or why he brushes you off when you sleepily tug on the sleeve of his sweater and ask him to come to bed because he looks too tired and you're worried about him. whenever he does slip into bed next to you he'll genuinely consider sending a short and curt breakup text to you from the phone he bought specifically to text you. he'll spend more time patrolling or in the batcave, leaving you sad and alone and wondering what the fuck you did to warrant this.

bruce comes to his senses eventually after a stern talking to from alfred about how miserable you've been lately and how much you care for him and how it's okay for bruce to allow himself feel and care and love someone. it's probably then that bruce realises that alfred's right, and that he's in love with you. alfred wouldn't need to tell him twice that he needs to apologise for his behaviour. he hates the idea that he's hurt you and honestly he doesn't want to endure another stern lecture from alfred.

i think it'd take him a while to admit it to you. admitting it and accepting it himself was hard enough. he learns to adapt, to regulate his thoughts when he's out patrolling the streets. he learns to stop resenting you because you've been nothing but good to him and fuck, he loves you, and that's not a crime, is it? instead, he thinks of you as motivation. once he's finished his nightly duties for the good of gotham he can go home to you. i think he'd say it to you after a particularly rough night spent helping out commissioner gordon. he'll slip into bed next to you, pull you close and bury his nose into the crook of your neck. he thinks you're asleep, but you're not because you know that familiar dip in the bed all too well, and the creaky floorboard he steps on every single night followed by a series of quiet curses. it's barely above a whisper when he tells you he loves you, but you hear it loud and clear. he falls asleep peacefully (for once), and you fall asleep with a fuzzy heart and a soft smile on your lips. when you wake up, he's gone. but you know where to find him, so you pull the blankets around your shoulders and head down to his batcave. you find him sat at a desk, analysing the footage from the night before. he pushes the chair back to accommodate you, as he always does, and you plop yourself down in his lap. you lean your head against his shoulder and for a while the two of you sit in a comfortable silence as he works. until you press a soft kiss against his neck and tell him that you love him too. he stiffens at the sudden admission, but soon relaxes. you love him too, and it's not scary or wrong or unpleasant. it's nice.

[silver-tongued-bby]

Overcast ~ A Keeper Tale

Pairing: Dark!Mob!Loki x Reader

Warnings: NSFW, 18+!!! This is a Dark!Loki fic hence it explores dark themes including controlling behaviour, a potentially abusive relationship, degradation, patronising behaviour, a dominant + submissive relationship, mentions of violence and implied murder, biting, spanking, edging, toys (a vibrator), fingering, dirty talk, oral play, oral sex (m receiving), hard sex, overstimulation, blood (a teensy bit!), and anal play. Please do not read if you are sensitive to any of the themes mentioned above.

Words: ~3,700

Summary: Loki has been busy lately- with what, you could only guess. When he finally comes home, he decides to take his sour mood out on you.

This story is another follow up to my first ever one-shot, Keeper, but you can proceed without reading the original story!

Author's Note: I'm doing my best to post regularly on here- recently inspiration has struck so I'm going with it!! Hope you guys like the latest addition to this unofficial series... I wanted to explore a little more dark!Loki after the last tale. I hope you enjoy!!

Thank you as always for reading. Likes, comments, and reblogs mean more than you know 🖤🖤🖤🖤

~~~

The snow was just starting to fall. All of New York was laid out before you, the pretty white flakes beginning to dim the vibrant city.

You shifted, moving the pillow under you to relive the pressure on your elbows. You were lying on your front, the plush rug underneath you warm as you blinked back down to your book.

You’d recently decided to go through the classics, making your way down the lengthy list on the website you found. You started reading Rebecca last night after finding a copy in Loki’s library. It was early afternoon and you were just about halfway through the novel. You couldn’t put it down, almost angry that no one had told you to read it before.

The story had you enthralled, but a little jumpy. Loki had been dealing with something, or more likely someone, his schedule keeping him from the house for long hours. You’d wake in the night to find him pulling you close to his chest, though come morning he’d be gone without a trace. He had bumped up the security around the condo as well, one of his security detail always somewhere in the house. You could feel the tension rolling off of them, as if they were expecting an intruder at any moment. You tried to start up conversation with them to settle your own nerves, offering them a cup of coffee or tea, though nothing proved fruitful. They’d either refuse, or take what you’d offered with a grunt then disappear back to the surveillance room to review footage.

When you tried to leave to get groceries, one of them had stood in front of the door, refusing to let you pass. You ended up defeatedly settling on writing them a list for what you needed. You grew worried, but tried your best not to focus on it, remembering the contingency plans Loki had created, and the training he’d enforced.

A few hours after sunset you finally got up to make yourself a quick dinner. Pouring a second glass of wine, you found your book in the living room. Flipping it open, you read as you walked to the master bath, turning on the water. You sat on the edge of the tub, falling back into the story as you waited for the bath to fill.

Movement out of the corner of your eye made you jolt. “Fuck!” You shouted, seeing Loki leaning against the doorway, a glass of brown liquor in the hand at his side. He didn’t make a move, his eyes down on the crystal tumbler as he swirled it.

“Loki. I’m sorry,” you held a hand to your chest, taking a breath. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

He raised his head, tilting it to the side, considering you. The bags around his eyes were dark and pronounced, the top buttons of his shirt undone to expose his chest, his tie hanging loosely around his neck. The clear blue-green you’d become so accustomed to was overcast.

“Are you okay?” You stood, walking to him.

He took a sip of his whiskey, and you took in the dried blood covering his knuckles.

“Shit,” you whispered. “What happened?” You searched his gaze, reaching out for his hand.

Before you could make contact his eyes narrowed in on the book at the side of the bath. “‘Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again,’” his voice was rough, a cruel smirk on his lips. “Onto gothic horror now, are we darling?” His patronising tone sent ice through your veins.

You nervously bit your lip, nodding lightly. You’d seen him this way once before- the day he had to “dispose” of someone close. He had locked himself away in his study for hours, then fucked you so hard you had to soak in epsom salts for the next week. You shivered, your thighs lightly pressing together at the memory.

He took a step forward. You found yourself backing up. “Has it really been so dull around here, little girl?” He downed the rest of the liquor and placed the glass down on the countertop harshly.

You swallowed, taking another step back, your leg hitting the marble of the tub. “No,” you said, your eyes wide.

“Oh? So you’ve enjoyed your time without me?”

“No- I’ve missed you of course, but I didn’t want to bug you, you’ve been so busy,” you babbled, trailing off as he closed in.

“Yes, pet. I’ve been busy. Would you like to know what I’ve been up to?” He taunted you with his words, the darkness in his expression making your heart race.

You simply stared at him with wide eyes, afraid to say the wrong thing.

He stepped forward, his chest brushing against yours. He gently trailed a bloodied finger against the skin of your throat. “I’ve been hunting down the people who want to kill me. The people who want to take everything I have, including you. They’d fucking love to get their hands on you, darling. Know what I’ve done with them?”

You swallowed dryly, your heart racing.

“I took them down. Beat them until they were bloodied and begged for their loathsome little lives. One by one.” He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, reaching past you to hold it under the tap of the bath briefly before rubbing it on his knuckles. “No one fucks with my business. No one fucks with me,” he threw the handkerchief onto the floor. “And no one gets to lay a fucking hand on you. You are mine.” He was furious, dark brows drawn low over his stormy gaze, his jaw pronounced.

You were watching him carefully. His sharp words had made you flinch.

In the blink of an eye he was kissing you, one hand holding your cheek as he devoured you, the other harshly gripping your hip. He bit your bottom lip, his kiss demanding, forcing a whimper from you. He nudged your legs apart, holding you close as he brought his thigh between yours, flexing the muscle so you felt a wave of arousal run through you. He did it again, then again, as if he were trying to replicate his state within you. You were holding on to him tightly, your heart aching for him whilst your arousal built.

Eventually he pulled away, the two of you panting, breathing in each other. You opened your eyes to find him watching you, the rage still present.

“Take off your clothes and lie on the bed. Face down.”

Not wanting to risk a punishment, you did as you were told, quickly undressing and laying down on the soft cotton bedspread. Your forehead pressed into the back of your hand, hiding your face from the room.

You could hear him shut off the tap, followed by his shoes clicking on the marble floor, softening once they’d hit the carpet. You imagined him toeing off his shoes, hearing a swish of fabric as he moved about the bedroom, likely undressing. You tried to calm the swift beating of your heart, a mixture of excitement and fear coursing through you.

Eventually you felt him sit beside you, his warm hand coming to slide against your bare bottom, squeezing a little as he caressed you. Just as you’d melted into his touch you felt a stinging slap to your ass, wincing into your folded hands as he repeated the action.

You felt him bend over you, his breath caressing the shell of your ear. “Who do you belong to?” He spoke, his hand roughly kneading your ass cheek.

You licked your lips. “You, Loki. I belong to you.”

“That’s right. You’re fucking mine,” he ground out before slapping your ass three more times, much harder than before. “I want you raw. I want to mark you so anyone who sees you knows.”

You whimpered, your arousal deepening with his words, the pain mingling with it intoxicatingly. He’d given you spankings before, but never like this. He was precise as he marked you up, hitting you five times before moving to the other cheek.

“I want you to count for me. Can you handle that, toy?”

You swallowed. “Y-yes,” your voice sounded small in your own ears. It made you press your legs together further.

The first slap shocked you, the stinging of it making you hiss. “One,” you breathed, your fingertips pressing into the mattress below.

“Louder,” he said, hitting you twice in quick succession.

“Two, three,” you spoke up, your muscles flexing momentarily in an attempt to subside the pain.

“Keep counting.” He doled out seven more slaps, leaving you twitching.

Your breath was shaky, your heart in your throat as he got up from the bed. You heard him open a drawer, knowing exactly whine one, his footfalls coming back to you as he sat on the bed.

“Spread those legs.”

You did as you were told, flinching when you felt something cold come in contact with your skin. If you had to guess, it was the massager he’d used on you in the past, the head nudged firmly between your folds.

“Don’t you dare cum without permission,” the icy warning in his tone made you shiver. He flicked the switch, the strong vibrations making you gasp. He ran his fingers lightly over the heated skin of your bottom and you whimpered. “And don’t fucking move.”

You felt him leave the bed, the buzzing sound of the toy filling the room, preventing you from positioning him in the room.

It didn’t take long until you were gasping, willing yourself not to push back against the vibrator to feel more of it against your clit.

You couldn’t be certain that he’d stayed in the room, though you felt his eyes on you. Your suspicion was confirmed a moment later when you felt his fingers ghost down your spine. You squirmed in an attempt to hold your growing arousal at bay. Your attempts were thwarted when he angled the vibrator further upwards so it hit your clit, a muffled moan coming from you. He held it there, the fingers of his other hands trailing in the slick gathered around your folds before he thrust two into you, a hiss coming from your lips. You could feel him brushing against your G-spot, the combined sensation with the vibrator making your eyes roll back in pleasure. Your hips moved a little to allow him better access and he removed his fingers to sharply slap your ass. You cried out, the skin hot and sensitive.

“What did I tell you?” His voice held a sharp edge that made you wince.

“Not to move.”

“You need to stop thinking with your cunt, little girl.”

You trembled at his words. “I-I’m sorry.”

“Get up.” He pulled the vibrator from between your legs, turning it off with a click.

You held yourself up on shaky arms, moving to sit on the corner of the bed, hissing when your bottom touched the cool cotton sheets. You turned to see him, still fully dressed through his blazer and tie were slung over the back of the armchair in the corner. His sleeves were rolled up and he was pacing at the foot of the bed, his jaw pronounced. Somehow he looked more threatening than before, his eyes dark as he flexed his fingers. You dropped your gaze when he looked to you.

He stopped pacing, coming to stand before you. He trailed his fingers down your jaw, coming to stop just beneath your chin to tilt your face up to his. You looked to him with wide eyes, your legs pressing together at the near feral expression he wore.

“Get down on your knees.” He backed up, arms crossed as he watched you scramble into position. You winced at the feel of your heels against your sensitive ass but the pain quickly dissipated. “Hands on your thighs.” Again you followed his orders, and he stepped forward, reaching to gently touch your bottom lip with his fingertips.

“Open.” You parted your lips and he thrust two fingers inside your mouth, your tongue swirling around them, tasting yourself. He pressed down on your tongue, pushing his fingers deeper, lightly fucking your mouth with them. He’d done this before, typically while he fucked you, training your mouth to take his cock deeper. His brows furrowed at you gagged a little around his hand, a string of drool dropping to your breasts. Your thighs clenched together as you looked up at him, his free hand falling to his belt.

He pulled his fingers from your mouth though you kept it open, knowing better than to close it until he told you to. He let out a strained breath, grinding his teeth as he looked down at you. He undid his belt, then unzipped his trousers to pull himself out. Without a word he dropped his cock on your tongue, his hand cupping the back of your head to hold you steady while he thrust into your mouth, fucking your throat.

He let out a sound akin to a growl as you took him deep, breathing through your nose calmly to stop yourself from gagging. You kept your eyes on his as he set a steady rhythm, your eyes watering a little as you swallowed his cock. You so desperately wished you could touch yourself, the carnal expression on his face making your cunt clench around nothing. Your nipples felt stiff, your fingers aching to touch them.

After a few minutes he pulled out and turned to retrieve the vibrator from behind him. His hand reached out to grasp at your throat lightly, guiding you up from your spot on the floor. He moved you over to your vanity, shifting behind you to press you down by the back of your neck. Your hands were played out on its surface, your eyes catching yourself in the mirror before you. You looked like you’d already been fucked, your lips a little puffy. Your gaze found his, his dark stare making your cunt throb.

“You’re fucking dripping,” he said, his eyes flickering down briefly. “Is your messy little cunt ready to take me?”

You whimpered. “Yes,” you let out a shaky breath.

“Say it.”

“My messy cunt is ready to take your big cock.”

His eyes gleamed as he thrust into you, the sudden intrusion of his cock forcing the air from your lungs. Not allowing you a moment to adjust, he started fucking you hard as your hands scrambled to hold yourself upright. The angle he was rutting into you at had him deep, the sound of his skin on yours echoing in the room. The little bottles on your vanity clattered as they fell over and rolled onto the floor as he pounded into you.

He looked terrifying as he fucked you, his expression dark, jaw clenched, though his handsome features still shone through. You were watching him, your brows drawn together, mouth hanging open as you started to whimper from his cock brushing up against your cervix. He looked at you before his eyes flickered to your ass, his hands kneading the skin. You hissed, lowering yourself closer to the vanity’s surface, as if that’d relieve the pain.

He bent over you, his breath heavy against your ear. “Fucking take what I give you, little girl.” His tongue roughly traced the shell of your ear and you moaned, angling your hips out against him, ignoring the sting of your inflamed skin against his trousers.

“Yes,” you breathed, “I will, I will- thank you, fuck.”

His teeth dug into the skin of your neck and you whined, his lips and tongue soothing the area before he sucked it harshly. He slid his hand down your thigh, guiding your leg up onto the vanity to give him better access.

“That’s my good fucking whore.” He sucked a bruise onto your shoulder.

“Yours,” you moaned. “I’m yours.”

“Exactly. And I’ll use your sloppy cunt whenever I please.”

You shuddered against him. “Yes! Fuck, I’m close, I’m close.”

“Then fucking cum.” He said harshly before biting into another spot on your shoulder, this time hard enough to break the skin. You’d already let go, screaming as you came on his cock, the pain bringing your pleasure to new heights. You wanted him to mark you up. You wanted him to use you absolutely. You were his.

“Thank you! Fuck,” you whined, your back arching, “thank you.” You twitched as your orgasm subsided. Your face was pressed to the rich wood tabletop as he continued to fuck you, your cunt still clenching around him. You raised your head when you heard the telltale sound of the vibrator, finding his eyes downcast as he angled to press it to your clit.

“Fuck!” You cried out, feeling it on the highest setting. “Loki- fuck, it’s too much- I can’t,” your head was spinning.

“I don’t give a fuck. I want you to squeeze this cock over and over like the toy you are. Fucking hold it there for me.”

You groaned, shuddering as you took the vibrator from his fingers, holding it to your clit as you quickly approached another orgasm. Without warning you came again, moaning pitifully.

His fingers dug into your hip as he picked up the pace. You kept the vibrator pressed to you as your hips stuttered against him, a trickle of drool falling from the corner of your mouth. “That’s it, little girl. Let me ruin you.”

You spasmed against him, your head empty. He reached down to move the vibrator in the slightest and you hissed, the new angle building you towards another orgasm. When you came a few moments later, you felt the wet release slide down your thighs, your moan mingling with a sob as you shook on his cock.

“You’ve made such a fucking mess,” he emphasised each word with a particularly harsh thrust.

You would have apologised, though his relentless fucking had seemingly removed your power of speech.

“Look at you,” he took the vibrator from your numb fingers, moving your hands behind your back before harshly pulling you up. He held you tightly, still fucking you harshly as you stared dumbly at your own reflection. You looked fucking ruined, a trickle of blood dripping up your neck from the bite on your shoulder. His bite. Your cunt twitched around him.

“My fucking whore. I want you to cum one more time. Squeeze me so I can fill you up like the toy you are.”

You whimpered, meeting his eyes. He offered you no sympathy, but let go of your arms. You fell forward but he slid a hand around your waist in time to keep you upright. His thrusts slowed as you shakily moved to hold the table. You groaned when you felt him press the vibrator to your asshole, the sensation making your walls flutter around him as he sped up once more.

“Take it. Take it and fucking cum. Be my good little whore.” He bit your other shoulder before sucking the skin hard. He pulled away to hold his face beside yours, darkly watching you in the reflection, pressing the toy harder against you. He was still fully dressed, a strand of hair in his face as he moved behind you.

Your breath was caught in your throat as you quickly neared the edge once more.

“I’m not going to ask again.” He angled his hips up further, the tip of his cock pressing into your cervix. “Cum.”

You curled forward as your orgasm overtook you, your form shaking as you felt him twitch inside of you, one last thrust shoving him as deep as he came.

The sounds of your laboured breath filled the room, the condo silent. A full minute passed before you felt him move behind you, pressing a kiss to the base of your neck. He slid his hands around your waist, holding you firmly as he slid out of you. You shivered as you felt his cum drip down your thigh, his hand guiding your other foot back down on the floor.

“Can you stand?” He asked, turning you in his arms. You took in the clear eyes before you, the storm finally passed.

You gave him a weak smile and nodded, taking a step only to immediately feel your leg crumble beneath you. He hadn’t let you go, his grip on your waist steady.

“Here,” he moved beside you, holding you firmly so you could lean on him. He started walking you both towards the bathroom.

He wrapped you in a fluffy towel, throwing it around your shoulders before gently sitting you on the side of the tub. He twisted on the tap, testing the forgotten half-filled tub for temperature. He came beside you, bringing a warm washcloth to dab at your shoulder. You saw the bite mark in your peripheral vision, your thighs pressing together at the throb between your legs. You watched him as he cleaned the cut, returning the washcloth to the counter before pouring in some infused bath soak. Tub filled, he turned off the tap then carefully lowered you in. You hissed at the sensation of your raw bottom touching the marble, but thankfully it didn't last. He watched you carefully, bringing you a cool glass of water one you were settled before undressing himself.

He got in behind you, and gently washed you, careful to avoid your cut. You closed your eyes, enjoying the little kisses he peppered to your skin in between his whispers of praise. Finished, he leant back, pulling you along with him to settle against his chest.

You sighed contentedly, enjoying the moment. You felt him strain then shift a little behind you.

“Ah. Now I see why you were so skittish when I came in.” His voice reverberated through your back as he spoke.

You frowned, opening your eyes to see his hand holding your book open at the side of the tup.

“Do you want me to read it to you?” He leant forward, pressing a gentle kiss just behind your ear. “Things are about to get good.”

You grinned. “Please.”

~~~

End Note: Phew. Am I crazy, or is there's something really freaking hot about Loki standing in a doorway, watching you while he's pissed? Just me?

Also oh god being read to in the bath sounds like heaven (especially right now).

I do hope you are all staying as well as you can. Sending lots of love. Thank you as always for reading 🖤🖤🖤

[nohoney]

Rave boyfriend! Bakugou (sort of based from this fic)

warnings: drug use -> rolling (taking ecstasy)

his friends are the ones who keep up when it comes to the shows and when the tickets drop online, bakugou is more like the guy who organizes the plans once tickets are purchased

the group always goes for floor tickets, bakugou accepts nothing less

he figures out the lodging, how they’re gonna get to the event, the places to eat at once the set is over, stuff like that

not that whatever plans always need to be followed through, bakugou can be flexible when need be

if the set ends early like just right before midnight boo then he doesn’t mind being out a little longer to get all the energy out before heading back

if the set ends late, like way past midnight, he for sure is wrangling his friends to get their sleep back at whatever hotel or Airbnb they’re staying at

loves bringing his hydro pack, gets super pissed if the event doesn’t allow it cuz of course he doesn’t wanna buy marked up bottles of water and have to carry them the entire time during the set

before you, bakugou just pretty much was basic like any other guy coming in to an event. just wearing comfortable clothes and whatnot

when he started dating you and you started raving together, he’d sometimes let you take control of his look like wearing matching tops that coordinated with your outfit or putting face crystals around his eyes

even lets you put temporary hair color in his hair sometimes “babe, you swear this shit is coming out after two washes right? that’s what the bottle said. i swear to god it better, i’m not going into work with blue hair”

bakugou of course loves most of your rave fits but he does get a teensy bit worried if your outfit is mostly straps and strings, making sure that the knots are tight and is a little extra protective

he likes when you wear techwear fits and loves when you wear mesh skirts and tops

i see him liking heaven trap, future bass, dubstep, and electrohouse

excellent headbanger, can shuffle but he’s really gotta feel the music to do it

he’s the rave parent but on the occasion when he rolls, he gives up the rave parent role to kirishima who’s just as capable and sero is the third

only rolls with you, will not let anyone else care for him. you took care of him for his very first roll so bakugou only wants you

knows once he pulls his shirt off when it gets too hot and sweaty, he has to start playing off when people try to touch or massage him (either you or sero can massage him cuz you guys do it the best)

his baby wants to ride on his shoulders so that you can get a good angle for a video or picture and post it later? no fucking problem

he carries everything for you but he will not let you forget to bring the fan for when it gets too hot in the crowd and needs that relief

bakugou quarters his rolls and you’re the one that holds his pieces when he’s ready for another one

sticks very close to you when the rave is over, like closer than usual when people come up and want to add you on social media or invite you to an after party

you guys are a couple and their friends already know, but you and him almost always fuck make love once you guys make it back from the rave and head to your room

his comedowns are chill, but he will go back to his regular attitude once he realizes how hungry he is

either feed him a bowl of greasy noodle soup or he wants to go out and get a big ass omelette dish for the next day after the rave

said his first ‘i love you’ during a sad boy set, you would have thought it was the e talking but he didn’t take anything

kinda just looked at you while you were singing your heart out with the crowd, thinking about how pretty you were and how much he cared about you and just thought “yeah, i love her”

not an ideal place to say something important like that but bakugou has no regrets about it cuz you returned the words immediately, gave him a passionate kiss, and went right back to listening to the set with the biggest smiles on your face