#pray you get at least one multi-ball | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

duchessonfire · 3 years ago

Text

Warning: long post about what it can mean to be Jewish and my own experience of multi-cultural, multi-ethnic Jewish families

I've seen a few posts come across my dash unhappy with the Jewish representation in Moon Knight, calling it diluted and saying that it wasn't enough. These posts complained that they should have shown Marc Spector doing Shabbat, lighting candles, being more faithful to his identity as the son of a rabbi in the comics, basically giving more representation to the Jewish aspect of Marc's life (I won't go into the territory of not hiring a Jewish actor to play Marc Spector). I'm guessing that these posts stem from the truly despairing lack of religious diversity in Marvel and especially the lack of Jewish representation. And when I read these posts, I feel "Yeah, that's valid, I get where they're coming from."

But I'm also surprised that no one is at least giving kudos to the fact that Moon Knight basically showed a Latino Jewish family? Something that almost no mainstream media ever had the balls to do?

Oscar Isaac is a Latino American and the actress playing his mom also has Brazilian/Hispanic roots, which is a very clear directorial choice in terms of representation. That may seem like nothing to some people, but as someone who is NOT North American, I'm telling you how unique and refreshing it is to see this sort of Jewish representation. Jewish representation in US media (at least the type of pop culture I most see) feels very much centred around the Ashkenazi and/or Israeli experience of Jewishness. This is only part of the Jewish population around the world, and yet it is the one most commonly found in English-speaking media.

And let me tell you, as the French daughter of a Jewish man born in Turkey, I have never felt any sense of familiarity with these types of representation. My dad grew up in a family where people spoke Turkish, French, Ladino, English, Italian and Hebrew, in that order. They almost never did Shabbat because when my dad was growing up in Turkey, the country was still very much feeling the influence of Kemalism, which had Europeanized and secularized Turkey after the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. Outward religious signs were frowned upon in higher parts of society and my father's family was mainly made up of doctors, academics and architects, so it was not culturally accepted to perform every religious ritual on a weekly basis, especially as a Jewish minority in a mainly Muslim country.

The fact that they didn't do Shabbat didn't make my father's family less Jewish, it was just a sign of them living in a particular country at a particular moment in time. When my dad came to France at 18 to be a med student, he shed more signs of what some people would call "his Jewish identity": he started eating pork, stopped celebrating most Jewish holidays and now, almost sixty years later, the only holy day for him is Yom Kippur, which he spends fasting, reading, praying and generally reflecting on his life. Anything other than that: Pessah, Rosh Hashanah... all of those were only marked by big dinners where my mom would prepare recipes from my dad's side of the family and nothing more (for Hanukkah I have vague memories of years when my mom would light the menorah but it stopped at some point, I don't know why).

And yet my dad is still as Jewish today as the day he was born.

I'm not Jewish myself, not only because my mom isn't Jewish, but because I don't identify my spiritual belief as Jewish. However, I have grown up in a household that was marked by the Jewish religion, just as it was marked by mom's Catholicism. Not only that, but I have a lot of the facial features that French people associate with Sephardic Jews, who are the most prominent minority in the area of Paris where I live (very dark hair, curved nose, etc.) and so I have often been signaled as being physically different from a lot of my French peers (never in a discrimatory way! Just in a "oh, your dad is Jewish? That makes sense looking at you" way).

When people think of "French", they don't think of people like me, the product of a multi-cultural, multi-religious household. When people think of "Turkish", they don't think of people like my dad, a Sephardic Jew from a Ladino-speaking background. And when people think of "Jewish families", they don't think of people like my dad's relatives who are still in Istanbul today.

So, when Moon Knight showed a Jewish Latinx family, two words that would seem incompatible for a lot of people, it was for me the first time I actually felt close to having my family's experience of multi-cultural Jewishness be put on screen.

Yes, let's advocate for more Jewish representation in pop culture and mainstream media. Let's also not forget to advocate for a diverse representation of Jewishness. Let's not forget that Jewish people are all around the world and that they don't just speak Yiddish or Hebrew. Let's not forget being Jewish is about more than performing certain weekly rituals or having religious dietery restriction. Let's not forget there are other ways to be Jewish than white North American, white Eastern European, or white Israeli.

#moon knight #moon knight tv #marc spector #judaism #jewish marc spector #long post #jewishness #jewish representation #marvel #jewish representation in marvel

52 notes · View notes

i-like-sparkly-things · 3 years ago

Text

Right in front of you

A Halstead!sister

Jay held a strong grip on your upper arm as he led you out to the school hall. "What the hell was that Y/N? Are you happy now? God.... I can't believe you cheated!" he sneered, "EYES UP HERE Y/N!! "

"I'm sorry" you sighed, locking eyes with Jay, silently praying that he would let this go. It was only one time anyway. It wasn't a big deal.

But he let out a hollow laugh, "Thirty percent, Y/N, THIRTY PERCENT. You're going to have to do better than a half-ass apology. What exactly are you sorry for? Huh? For cheating? Or being caught?"

Requested : Yes by @study-coffee-chicago : They found out she cheated on a test in high school...and Jay's the one who has to pick her up.

Warnings : angry!Jay (lots of it), alcohol, swearing, anxiety attacks

Note : I am so so so sorry this so longg 😭 I ended up so far away from the actual request kayela please don't block mee 😭 butt I've learned alot in writing abt active and passive voices and using more imagery Yayy!! I'm so glad that yall are ok with my grammar thank uu��

MASTERLIST HERE

The piles of homework and flashcards you needed to memorize had no end in sight, and now that Will was taking nightshifts along with his usual double shifts, and intelligence was tracking down an underground drug cartel, you spent most days alone, allowing your mind to engulf you.

Every time you sat down to study, you felt a striking pain in your chest. In mere seconds the air was sucked out of your lungs and you found yourself panting, desperate to get oxygen back into your body.

You would be surrounded by books and worksheets and you could swear the walls of your room were closing in towards you, trapping you in a sea of incomplete work.

You failed to follow the schedules and to do lists you had made for yourself. Staring at them, hoping the essays would write themselves.

All you needed, was a break. A moment to relax from anything and everything.

So when your best friend mentioned that her brother used to drink a little before he appeared for an exam, your mind was quick to catch on.

Last night you had borrowed a little bit of beer from Jay's stash of alcohol and took a few sips of it as you studied.

The more you drank, the less bitter it became. It was a weird, new sensation, but it worked nonetheless.

Except now, you were sitting in the girls bathroom at school, ramaging through your notes, trying to recollect what you had learned yesterday.

You saw what you had underlined and highlighted— names in pink and important dates in yellow—but your mind came up blank.

Flipping the pages you saw people in wigs, and castles burning to the ground —None of which you recognized.

A wave of anxiety rippled through you unable to comprehend your next thought —you were going to fail.

Your head was throbbing as you ran a hand down face, massaging your temples trying to calm yourself down.

You took out your water bottle that you had filled with beer and swallowed a few gulps, hoping that it would help you think straight.

You groaned, feeling the sting of alcohol at the back of your throat, popping some mints into your mouth, you ran towards the exam hall.

***

Your foot bounced on the polished wood floors as sweat pooled on your forehead.

You thought you were careful —only taking a peek from your friends answer sheet when Mrs.Ling's back was facing you.

Everything would have worked out if it wasn't for that kid sitting behind you. In a split second your teacher turned around, when he dropped his pen, to see you peering over your partner's desk.

Now you were sitting in the principles office praying that Jay wouldn't be the one picking you up.

You could already imagine his anger at you for pulling him away from his case, only to find you cheated.

Unfortunately luck was not on your side today.

You dare not look at Jay as he entered the office, letting out a huff as he sat down. You could feel the rage emitting him, tension filling the room, as he burned holes looking at you.

"I'll get straight to the point" Your principal started.

"Please" Jay growled, struggling to contain himself. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, when he got the call saying that you had cheated on your midterms.

You and Will were alike,at least he thought so, both good at science and math but weak at geography and history. Nonetheless you continued to secure good grades for the most part.

"Y/n here, was caught cheating from a classmates answer sheet. Our teacher caught her red handed. I truly did not expect this from you. These midterms cost thirty percent of your grade..... "

Pretty soon his voice was muffled like he was getting farther and farther away from you. His figure swayed in front of you as you squinted your eyes to keep him in the center of your vision.

" You are suspended, Mrs halstead"

Your eyes widened , your body choosing the perfect time to bring out what little beer you had taken when you heard those words, letting the alcohol mix with the adrenaline.

"WHAT??!! " Damn, alcohol really bought out your courage as Jay stared at you in shock at your audacity.

"Y/n, your lucky I'm letting you retake the exam. That's only because you've had a clean record so far. I strongly suggest you start preparing early Ms. halstead" your principal said in a firm but monotone voice that left you speechless.

Jay held a strong grip on your upper arm as he led you out to the school hall. "What the hell was that Y/N? Are you happy now? God.... I can't believe you cheated!" he sneered, "EYES UP HERE Y/N!! "

Oh god. Every now and then, the ground would sway beneath you, tiles shifting in your vision. But you counted your steps, carefully putting one foot in front of the other, not wanting Jay to find out what else you had done........ until now.

You tilted your head, only to be met with your brother's piercing stare but little did he know, now it made it infinitely harder to concentrate on your walking.

"I'm sorry" you sighed, locking eyes with Jay, silently praying that he would let this go. It was only one time anyway. It wasn't a big deal.

But he let out a hollow laugh, "Thirty percent, Y/N, THIRTY PERCENT. You're going to have to do better than a half-ass apology. What exactly are you sorry for? Huh? For cheating? *Or being caught?*"

***

You rested your head on the seat as Jay entered the truck, flinching, when he slammed the door shut. Your pounding headache was getting worse by the minute, as your ears started to ring.

You blinked a few times squinting to focus on the road ahead of you but the fast-moving cars and the loud horns made you feel like your head was going to explode.

"Y/n," he addressed you, much calmer now.

You forced yourself to turn to your brother, who wore a confused expression.

But the moment he saw your deshelfed hair and your cracked lips, a wave of worry crashed over him. What the hell?

The truck came to a stop at a red light and Jay immediately scanned you over "Y/n?" he grabbed your chin, his jaw dropping, as he came face to face with reality.

"Are you drunk!!?" he barked , steam basically pouring out of his ears.

But your pleading eyes and empty silence gave him the answer he needed. "Are you kidding me??" he snarled as he slammed the steering wheel.

Oh God no. A blinding pain ripped through your head when Jay's palms made contact with the hard plastic. You winched turning your head away from your furious brother, letting out a whimper.

Jay's eyes widened at the sound, his heart breaking, realizing the pain you were in.

If he was going to be mad at you or at least punish you, you needed to be sober.

He stepped on the pedal as the light turned green taking a few breaths, trying to calm himself down.

With the vice lords reclaiming their territory and selling uncut fentanyl, bodies were dropping all over the city most of them being kids.

Kids..... your age.

Every kid at the morgue, just reminded him of you. He saw parents sobbing, begging for their kids to come back but Jay new better. They were never going to come home. Ever.

So he made it a priority to catch these ruthless creatures. He made it a priority over his sleep, over nine hours shifts and unknown to him, over spending time with you.

"Hey , hey" he whispered, not wanting to hurt you again, "We'll talk about this later ok? for now...... just..... it's ok..... I've got you" here reached out his hand, the other still on the steering wheel, to slowly rub your back as you tried to breath through the pain.

" I got you"

***

Jay wrapped a hand around you allowing you to hold onto him for support.

Silently, he deposited you on the couch, laying you down. He knew that he wasn't in any state to talk to you. He needed to clear his mind from his racing thoughts and rueful images of dying teenagers.

His phone rang, indicating that the district was awaiting him. "Here" he reluctantly shook your shoulders "Y/n, I need to go ok? Will will be here soon"

***

Almost half an hour had passed and you were waiting for Will to get out of the shower. You'd heard Jay explain everything to him over the phone.

You thought about how disappointed he would be.

Will —being the nerd he was— always helped you with your projects and gave you pop quizzes during breakfast, before your exams. He taught you how to organize flashcards just like he did in med school.

Even through your blurry thoughts, the image of Will's betrayed face and embarrassed eyes, knowing you cheated, lingered on your mind.

Your body was all over the place. Tiny noises echoing through your ear. Your muscles simultaneously aching and loose.

You were shivering as you tried to curl up into a ball. Your body trying to hold what little heat it had within itself.

But nothing stopped your tears.

You felt water drops make their way down your cheeks forming small splotches of water on the cushion you laid your head on.

And you didn't bother to wipe them away.

Will more or less was in the same state you were in. There was a multi-vehicle accident on the highway and victims were piling in the ED. He was running from one treatment room to the other, waiting to get back home and crash.

Will walked over to you with a huge glass of water and an advil, gently nudging you to sit up.

Your head still pounded, your eyes zoning in and out of the figure in front of you "Y/n, here drink the whole glass and take this" Will soothed, placing the glass and the pill in your hand "I—I'm sorry" You whispered, distracting yourself from Will's eyes.

Will knew he should be angry. Just like Jay was but he couldn't bring himself to blaming you, not until he had the full story anyway.

You looked so petite on the enormous couch, your legs folded on top of each other, arms shaking as you drowned the glass of water along with the Advil.

Your red puffy eyes and tear strained cheeks,were a contrast from your usual self. or he thinks. He's been pretty busy lately, so he's not too sure. " We'll talk about it later. I'm not angry. I promise"

He assured and was about to head to bed himself when you grabbed his wrist.

If he wasn't angry at you then maybe— just maybe—he would help you.

"Stay" You pleaded , the word falling from your lips just as easily as it had, many, many times before.

And just like before, you were met with Will's soft brown eyes filled with sympathy, ready to help. Ready—to be by your side.

He's slowly nodded climbing onto the couch, next to you. He wrapped an arm around you and you nestled into him, laying your head on his chest.

You found some comfort as he embraced you, talking you under his arm and encompassing you in his warmth.

Holding on to him, you hoped that he would take your pain away, just like he did when you were little.

***

Will woke up to an uncomfortable feeling of something —or someone— tugging at his shirt.

He slowly opened his eyes allowing them to adjust to the light as he felt another a tug at his side. He looked over to you, but your eyes were shut, brimming with tears, your arm laid across his chest.

You were holding on to Will , using him as a lifeline, grounding you from the pain.

You felt a hand squeezing your own, stopping you from gripping the fabric "Y/n?" You opened your eyes to look up at will who had tears of his own, staring at the state you were in "it's okay, I'm here, I'm right here"

He encircles you, tighter than before, whispering soothing assurances into your hair.

***

With Will's help, the pain slowly subsides, allowing you access to your thoughts again.

You step out of the shower, into the living room and your eyes widen seeing Jay and Will sitting at the kitchen counter.

You didn't even hear Jay come in, but right now taking in his hardened glare, you didn't dare ask.

You knew what was coming and you didn't fight. You couldn't.

"So apparently we're cheating on our midterms now, huh?" Jay's calm voice made shivers run down your spine, starting to take rapid breaths.

"And apparently, someone thinks it's ok to steal alcohol from my stash" He gritted, never breaking I contact with you. "Do you think that's how the world works Y/n? DO YOU? BECAUSE LAST TIME I CHECKED YOU'RE STILL A FUCKING TEENAGER!!" He spat, his thoughts fuming towards your trembling body.

It was every dieing body flashing before his eyes, as the past months' agony slipped off his tongue.

"Jay" Will's voice was stern, giving a knowing look towards his younger brother and didn't bother to give Jay time to argue with him.

"Y/n, we need to know what's going on"

"With school, with tests with....... everything" he stated giving you a solemn look meaning every word he said, promising himself that he would do whatever it takes to figure out what had been going on.

You sucked in a breath weighing all your options. You didn't want them to think that you needed a babysitter or that you couldn't take care of yourself.

You knew that they had their own problems to worry about but you couldn't take it anymore.

You hated it.

The feeling of your lungs collapsing, struggling to find air for your body, your stress skyrocketing anytime you sat down to study, never getting any thing done.

All day long you would constantly tell yourself to do your work. Every spare second is spent in making a list of things you want to do but when it was time to actually do those things, your mind wandered and emptied.

You took another deep breath, looking up from your feet, your eyes meeting your brothers.

You spilled the past months events from how alone you were all the time and not being able to concentrate to how you ended up drunk at school and cheating on your midterms.

Tears rolled down your cheeks as you your hands trembled. You stood crying in the middle of the room until you felt a pair of arms around you.

Will placed his hand at the nape of your neck as he stroked your back with the other "Breathe Y/n, just Breathe" He slowly pulled away leading you to the couch.

God, how he wished he could turn back time. Then he'd been more vigilant to notice the changes that had come over you.

You felt the couch dip on both sides but you intently studied your fingers, fumbling with the hem of your shirt and wiped the tears off your face. They were mad. No, they were furious. You knew it.

But for some reason, they weren't showing it. Maybe they were waiting-

"We're not mad"

You without your head around to look at Jay, furrowing your eyebrows in disbelief. Jay? Not mad? HA.

"but I am disappointed though, but that's only because you didn't tell us......

but stealing alcohol was bad too" he added, earning him a glare from Will.

"Y/n, what Jay means is— we could've helped with school . Homework . Tests . Anything, you name it. We will help" he assured, "But how do we know you need help, if you don't tell us?"

You sighed, taking in the weird turn of events that had happened before you. You had wasted all this time, trying to figure out all your problems out, when the answer was right in front of you.

A mountain of guilt now sat on Jay's shoulders, weighing down on him, pushing him deeper into a wormhole of 'if's'.

Maybe if he'd just been a little more careful, this wouldn't have happened.

Maybe if he'd stop and listen to you once in a while, this wouldn't have happened.

While trying to save kids out on the street, he forgot to care for the kid at home. You were his sister, and yet, here you are in front of him, barely keeping yourself together.

But that would change. Right here. *Right now.*

"Y/n," Jay started "If you would have told us how alone and stressed you were feeling.....I would've taken some time off... Maybe we'd watch a movie or something. All you had to do was ask...... And we'll get you the help you need, y/n. You good with that?" he questioned, his anger and frustration dissipating.

You saw your brother, the workaholic detective, wanting to put his job aside, for you .

You were more important to him, than his job—You realized.

" Yea... Yeah, I am"

Will stood up and got another advil with another glass of water. "and maybe you wouldn't end up drunk and cheating on your test" he smirked, crouching in front of you.

"God, I didn't think it would hurt this bad. I am never drinking again!" you smiled , as you drowned the pill.

"See now that's what I like to hear!!" Jay exclaimed, wrapping his arms around you, squeezing you into his chest. You squirmed, trying to get out of his grip, laughing, when you were joined by Will.

You know what? Maybe, things are going to be okay? Ya know?

__________________________

Read more of my fics here!!

Tagging : @girlandthemoon @herecomesthewriterwitch @megaliciab @meyocoko @alkadri-layal

#jay halstead #will halstead #chicago pd #chicago med #jay halstead x sister!reader #halstead sister #halstead sister imagine #jay halstead one shot #will halstead oneshot #halstead brothers

321 notes · View notes

zealous-whispers-of-us-redux · 3 years ago

Text

i don't have anything if i don't have you

This is for @multi-stann's 1k follower event (mob!Bucky AU prompt! [kind of a period piece, though unspecified when]). Mickey, congratulations on 1000 followers :):)

TW for physical abuse but not by Bucky.

SMUT AHEAD

Head down; she ran through the dark streets with an eerie sense of being followed. The sun had set hours ago, casting everything in a strange light that made her feel like everyone on planet Earth had ceased to exist. That wasn’t true, though; she could hear the chatter of people living lives she could only dream of. Ones of love and freedom, where the men swept their women off their feet, and everyone could do whatever they wanted. She would never have a life like that.

She checked her watch for the fifth time in three minutes. If she did not make it home by midnight, her father would send the entire police force out to look for her. Perhaps he already did. There were shadows near that were not there before. She gave up the pretense of a meandering stroll and began running as fast as she could. The shadows loomed bigger and bigger. She let out a cry and turned a corner, misjudging her speed. She tripped over nothing, yelping when she felt a pain in her ankle. Damn these heels. The shadows came ever closer until she could make out five men. All bigger than her, probably carrying guns. She folded herself into a ball and prayed to a God she no longer believed in. She couldn’t find her voice until they had her, and it was too late. She barely struggled. She never did; instead, she went limp.

She woke, tied to a highly comfortable chair. Her hair was a mess, and there was a tiny tear in her skirt, though nothing else was askew. A sense of déjà vu washed over her. This was not the first time she had been kidnapped. It hadn't even been the second or the third or the fourth. She came from old money and a powerful family. The gangsters that ran America wanted it, and they would do anything for it.

They would never get it by kidnapping her, though. Her father (and his father before him, on and on down the line) never paid any ransom. She was rescued the first time, escaped with help the third, and on her own the fourth. The second time, she was freed. The kidnappers never seemed to know what to do with her. They assumed she was a stupid girl, and maybe she was since she kept getting kidnapped. But she was headstrong and knew her way around weapons. They never expected that. She wondered who had her this time.

“Hello?” she called in a sweet voice, hoping that sounding young would grant her mercy. “I think you have the wrong person! I don’t have any money or anything!”

It was disconcerting trying to figure out where she was. She had no idea if she was still in New York, let alone what day it was. For all she knew, she could have been in Texas. Her head ached something fierce like she'd been knocked out.

She heard a quiet noise to her left and tilted her head toward the sound.

“Hello?” she tried again. “Please, I think you have the wrong person.”

“Your watch costs one-hundred and seventy-four dollars. The two rings you are wearing each cost two hundred dollars. We found you exactly where we thought we would, wearing exactly what we were told you would be. I don’t think we have the wrong person.”

She glared, dropping her facade.

“If you think you’re getting a lick of money from my father, you got another thing coming. He has never given any money to any of you mooks, and he ain’t gonna start anytime soon.”

She heard whispering. She couldn't catch any words, but she caught at least three different people buzzing angrily under their breath. The one who sounded in charge, at least the one talking the most, said something, and she heard the word “boss” before another person scurried away. She let out a noise of frustration, wiggling her feet, but she was bound tight. Her wrist still ached from where her father had grabbed her days before.

“Hell,” she swore. “Take this sack off my head, you slimy bastards. Is this any way to treat a lady, huh?”

“Ain’t no lady here,” one burst out before being silenced with a slap that rang out in the silent room.

“I am too a lady,” she snapped. “Though I bet you wouldn’t know one if she came and lifted up her skirt in front of you.”

“Parker, Wilson, get outta here,” said a voice. He sounded amused. “I’ll take it from here.”

There was more whispering and then the scrape of a chair. She could feel someone in front of her, sitting so close that she could feel his body heat. She wiggled against her bonds again.

“Look, bub, if you’re tryin’ to make some kinda film or something, you gotta know you wouldn’t make that much money offa me,” she said.

“Why don’t we have a conversation?” he replied. “I promise nothin’ unpleasant is gonna happen.”

“You ain’t exactly the type that keeps his promises.”

“Suspend your disbelief. Maybe I’ll surprise ya.”

“I doubt it,” she said.

“Humor me.”

“Only if you turn on a damn light. What are we in a warehouse or somethin’?”

“You know I wouldn’t do that to ya. Hold on.”

The room was so quiet that she could hear him breathing. It was a comforting sound, and she missed it immediately as he walked away. The room was soon flooded with a dingy light, making her eyes burn something awful, but she still managed a quick look at her surroundings. She wasn’t in a warehouse. She was in a parlor, tied to a dining chair. A piano sat a few feet away from her. There was a plush couch inches away, and expensive paintings lined the walls. There was no hiding the opulence of her current prison. She turned to look at her captor. Of course, she knew him. He was hers.

“Bucky,” she said.

They had met nearly five years before when James Barnes had decided that he would try to get a little bit of money from her father. He had kidnapped her, though he didn’t do it right. He was the kindest mobster she had ever known, for one. When she was ‘kidnapped,’ he didn’t keep her tied up or confined to one room. She had the freedom to wander around his luxurious apartment, and when he came home after ‘work,’ he took her driving in his convertible. He didn’t hit her or hurt her. He just kept her, all nice. Not at first, though, no. Not until he had roughed her up a bit, taken the sack off of her head, and saw what her daddy did to her. Then he was kind, even threatened to kill her father. Maybe it was a weird form of hostage bonding or something, but she liked him. She lived with him for a month before he let her go. Her father never paid him, and she had begged him to stay, but he was struggling through a turf war and a crumbling marriage. She hadn’t even known he was married.

“What did he do to ya?” Bucky asked.

She didn't answer him. She knew she looked like hell, and he was smart. He could figure it out himself. His boys had found her miles from home with a black eye and dried blood under her nose. It had been one of those nights where her father just didn’t stop. She never thought a man as rich as him could be so miserable. It would be funny if he focused his anger on anything else besides his family. Getting ‘kidnapped’ was a godsend, really. It meant she would be away from him for a while.

“You redecorated,” she said instead.

“Yeah,” Bucky said. "Listen, can we talk?”

“About what?”

“The divorce was finalized. Dot’s off livin’ with her new beau.”

"I see. And you decided to kidnap me in order to tell me this?"

Bucky grinned.

"It's how we first met, ain't it?"

She grinned, too, but it turned into a wince as she felt her lip beginning to bleed.

"Shit," Bucky said, grabbing a tissue and holding it to her lip.

"Caught me with one of his rings," she replied. "How bad do I look?"

"Pretty awful."

"Gee, thanks."

"Lemme stop this bleedin', then I'll untie you. You need ice for your nose?"

"No."

He was so close to her now that she could count the few freckles on his nose. Her gaze flickered down to his mouth, and something inside her ached. When she moved her eyes back up to his, Bucky smiled so sweetly that she wanted to cry.

"Move in with me," he said suddenly.

Her eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"I am. Been thinkin' about it for a while."

"Father will kill me if he found out I shacked up with a mobster."

"True, but where else would you be safer? He can't get you here. Besides, it's always been you, you know? Dot was a means to an end. Neither of us had a choice. Our dads made it for us."

"It's just- don't you think it's strange? We met when you kidnapped me," she said.

"Ain't like we haven't seen each other since then," Bucky pointed out.

"I know."

"Look." Bucky untied her hands only to hold them in his. "I just said it, but I'll say it again. It's always been you. I can't imagine wantin' anyone else. It feels like hell when you're not here."

"I feel the same."

She really did. Bucky was so different than anyone she had ever known before. He didn't grow up wealthy. He knew nothing of dinner parties and fancy banquets that she was always forced to attend. The kinds of events where everyone smiled, but it was nothing more than an act. The wives were complacent and meek; the husbands drunk and vulgar; the children either untamed and cruel or silent and inconspicuous. The 'old money' families always knew how to hide their secrets best. She despised it.

"Okay," she agreed.

"Okay?"

"Okay, I'll move in with you."

She couldn't help smiling when she saw what Bucky's face did. He lit up like he'd just heard the best news in the world. No one had ever been so happy at just the idea of her company. She felt butterflies bursting in her belly.

Then Bucky was kissing her, sneaking his tongue into her mouth as his hands scrabbled blindly for the rope tying her to the chair. He broke away when he couldn't find it, making a face.

"Remind me to teach Steve how to tie a damn knot," Bucky grumped, fiddling with it.

When he finally got it undone, and she was free, she threw herself in his arms. Bucky smelled like he always did, and she spent a moment inhaling his cologne and the Luckies he smoked. For the first time in weeks, she felt protected. No one would hurt her here.

"Stay here forever," he said, his lips pressed to the top of her head.

"I'm tempted to," she said. "But this ain't gonna be easy, you know."

"I know. I am in the mob."

"I know that, you dummy. And I'm not scared of that. I meant my father in New York lining the pockets of every cop in New York."

"Aw, I ain't scared of the fuzz. What kinda made man would that make me?"

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Dolly," said Bucky, pulling back and staring into her eyes. "Trust me, huh? I ain't scared of the fuzz or your daddy. Matter of fact, you shouldn't be neither."

"I'll consider it after I can see outta my eye again," she said.

"Fair enough. Let's get you some ice for that."

"Please."

She went to stand, but Bucky swept her up in his arms before she could. She was about to say something about how she was fine, she could walk, but it was so nice. She felt cared for. She pressed her face into the side of Bucky's neck as he made his way into his kitchen. She knew he wouldn't mind if she hid away for a minute or two.

"You redid your kitchen too?" she asked.

Bucky set her on the counter and went to the freezer. He stood there, sort of hunched over in front of it like he was shy.

"I know pink's your favorite," he mumbled.

When he turned back with a few ice cubes wrapped in a towel, his cheeks were red.

"You redid it for me?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Bucky." She put a hand on his cheek. "You know I can't cook, right?"

Bucky snorted. "I remember. But I wanted you to have a nice kitchen anyway."

"How long have you been planning this?"

"A while. Since the time we went up to the Catskills."

"Thank you. I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anythin,' please. It was no skin off my nose, anyway," Bucky said. "How's your eye feel now?"

"Numb."

"Good. You tired?"

"Very. Are we sharing a bed?"

"I mean, only if you wanna," Bucky said.

She nodded. "I'd like that."

"Do you now?" said Bucky with a sly grin, his shyness long gone now. "How scandalous! Imagine what the neighbors will think!"

"What neighbors?" she teased, throwing her arms around his neck. "You have none."

Bucky picked her up off the counter. The air around them suddenly felt electrified, and the giggles died in her throat. They stared at each other until Bucky leaned forward and placed the softest of kisses on her lips.

"My pretty baby," he murmured. "How'd I get so lucky to get a chance with a sweet dolly like you?"

"You're everything I've been lookin' for, is all," she said.

"Me too."

"Take me upstairs, won't you?"

"Anythin' for you."

His associates were gone, and the house was quiet as Bucky carried her upstairs. He set her down on the bed before he hurried to his dresser. He pulled out a pair of pajamas and a Babydoll nightie that she recognized as one she had been admiring a few days back. He had been keeping an eye on her. Instead of feeling disturbed, she felt comforted. Bucky looked at the nightie, then at her, then back at the nightie. His face turned red.

"I ain't- I ain't tryin' to be presumptuous."

"I wanna wear it."

"You, uh, you sure?"

"You bought it for me. It's eighty degrees outside, and I have nothing else to wear to bed."

Bucky nodded, moving toward her to hand it over. The top was light, pretty pink, her favorite, made out of sheer fabric. The straps were white lace. The bloomers were short and just as pretty as the nightie. She had never had such pretty bedclothes before. Her father thought them frivolous.

"Thank you," she said to Bucky, who had slipped into his pajamas while she wasn't looking.

"You wanna change? I'll step out."

"No, stay."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I'm in your bed already, anyway."

"I just thought-" Bucky stammered.

She grinned like a shark.

"Bucky, do I make you nervous?"

"I think so," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Never had a woman I really wanted in my bed before, I guess."

"Well, I can't say that I'm the Bettie Page type, but I'll try my best."

She stood up from the bed and grabbed Bucky's hand. He let her lead him until his shins met the bed, and he sunk down on the mattress with wide eyes. She didn't have round heels, but she had necked with a few boys in her time. None of them was anything like Bucky, though. She wanted to fluster him. He was so handsome when he blushed. Bucky opened his legs so that she could stand in between them. He swallowed when she began unbuttoning her blouse. She shrugged it off and went for her skirt next. As she kicked off the last of it, she saw Bucky's hands twitch.

"C'mere an' lemme do the rest," he said, grabbing hold of her hips, not a hint of a blush on his cheeks.

She let him grab her, let him position her on the bed until he had her perfect. And when she saw Bucky smile like she was the most precious thing in his world, she pulled him down for a kiss. Kissing him tasted like freedom- a life away from her father and his expectations. Kissing Bucky tasted like love and promises that would last lifetimes. She wasn't scared of him and what he was capable of. She had seen much worse living among so-called 'clean' people.

Bucky pulled back from her. He lifted her up, a question in his eyes, and she nodded. He took off her bra one strap at a time, following each path with sweet kisses. She lay under him topless and let him look. She wanted him to.

"You're beautiful," Bucky said.

She stretched a hand out and touched his bare chest, feeling his heart underneath her fingertips. He was broad and strong, with thick arms that looked like they could take a bullet and hardly bleed. She bit her lip.

"You too," she said.

Bucky smiled and kissed her sore nose. He kissed the scrape on her lip and the bruise around her eye. When he noticed how she was favoring her left hand, he kissed her wrist, too. The marks where her father had grabbed her were faded, but Bucky treated her tenderly anyway.

"I'm gonna kill him," he said calmly.

"Christ. What's that gonna help?" she asked.

"Nothin,' really, but I wanna. You're more beaten down every time I see you; you know that?"

"He doesn't matter."

"He hurt you. He hurt my sweet girl, an' I can't let 'im forget it."

"Bucky, please." She squeezed his neck and pulled his head down, so their foreheads rested together. "Let's not talk about it anymore tonight. I don't wanna think about him, not when I'm with you."

"All right," Bucky agreed. "I'll leave it alone."

He kissed her then, pressing all of his body against hers into the mattress. She was soon surrounded by him. She reached and grabbed onto his perfectly styled hair and messed it up until he was groaning into her mouth. He trailed his kisses down her chin and to her throat, suckling on her skin until she was sure there was a mark. He spent some time there, just breathing her in and letting her catch her breath. The room felt like it was two hundred degrees. Sweat pooled on her forehead, and she wiped it off.

"Gonna lemme have you?" Bucky rasped, nosing at the skin between her breasts. "Been waitin' so long, angel."

"Never done it before," she said. "But I wanna. With you."

"I'll make it so good for ya, I promise."

"I know."

Bucky moved away from her to push his pajamas and his underwear just down his hip. He hooked his thumbs into her panties and pulled them down, too, throwing them over his shoulder and into a darkened corner of the bedroom. Then it was just them, skin to skin, and she felt Bucky hard against her. She suddenly felt nervous, embarrassment bubbling in her stomach as she flushed. Bucky was so much older, and this was very different from necking. The breath got caught in her throat.

"You gotta breathe," said Bucky, nuzzling the curve of her breast. "Breathe for me. It's like dancin.' Remember when we went? It's just like that."

"Might do everything wrong."

"There is no wrong. This ain't a test, sweet girl. Just you an' me here, no one else. We can stop if you want."

"No, I wan' it," she said resolutely.

"Okay. Now, lay back an' get comfortable for me, huh?"

She did as Bucky asked, flattening herself into the pillows behind her. He trailed kisses down her tummy when he felt her relax. Calloused hands parted her legs as Bucky got comfortable, wedging his broad shoulders in between her thighs before she had the chance to close them. She peeked one eye open when he pressed a kiss right above where she ached for him.

"Bucky?" she asked, confused.

He grinned.

"Gotta get you ready, don't I? Relax, it'll feel good."

She took a deep breath and let it out. The tension slowly bled from her muscles as she felt herself go boneless on top of Bucky's unfairly comfortable bed sheets.

"There she is. Wanted to taste you since I met you, see if you're as sweet as I've been dreamin,'" Bucky said.

Before she could catch up with what the hell was going on, she felt Bucky's tongue idly dragging up her slit, his thumbs parting her to his hungry eyes. She made a strange squealing noise, her face darkening. Bucky ignored it, humming as he moved his tongue up and down, getting her taste in his mouth and caressing her so perfectly that she felt her toes curl. He pulled away for only a moment.

"I was right." He looked immensely smug when he caught the expression on her face. "I could stay here all night if you let me."

"Bucky," she squeaked.

Bucky smiled, all teeth, and brought his thumb to her clit, brushing a few strokes and watching as she pinched her eyes shut.

"You like that? Fuckin' hell, you're beautiful like this. Wanted you in my bed for ages."

"Bucky," she said again, though her voice was firmer.

She tugged on his hair, but he barely even moved. She rolled her eyes and kicked his ass with her heels.

"Hm?" he hummed, licking up one last time.

"Bucky."

"All right, all right," he said. "I think you're ready for me. I got you lookin' all nice an' pretty."

She felt him shift, getting to his knees. He still looked incredibly proud of himself, and she wanted to say something scathing to knock him down a few pegs, but she couldn't find the words. Her mind was spinning, remembering the feel of him and his tongue between her legs. She watched him lick his lips. He smirked lazily when he caught her looking.

"Wan' a taste?"

"Yeah."

Leaning down, Bucky wrapped a hand around her neck and pulled her up into a kiss. She tasted herself on his lips and moaned quietly. When they pulled back, she noticed how huge his pupils were.

"Didn't know that was a thing," she said.

"No one's ever treated you so nice?" Bucky asked, leaning over her more.

He looked insulted like he couldn't believe that no one had ever done that to her before. She laughed.

"Just you, I guess," she said.

"I'll do it whenever you want," said Bucky, nuzzling her. "Just gotta tell me. You ready? It might hurt, but I'll go slow, okay?"

"Okay."

He took a breath and began moving. He was going as slow as possible, but she still jolted at the sting. It was a strange feeling to have to get used to, a stretch she wasn't expecting. But Bucky had got her all nice, and the slick of her eased the sting. Sparks of pleasure rocketed up her spine. Bucky stilled for a moment, huffing against her breasts.

"Jesus Christ," he growled. "Oh, fuckin' shit, you feel so good. Why didn't we do this sooner?"

"You were married," she said breathily.

"I ain't married anymore."

Bucky worked the rest of himself into her with a determined look. She felt like crying at all of the sensation zipping through her. She met Bucky's eyes, and her muscles clenched unconsciously. Bucky gasped, his arm muscles tensing as he struggled to hold himself up.

"Oh," she said, doing it again.

"God in Heaven, don't fuckin' tease me like that," Bucky groaned.

He grabbed one of her hands and held it above her head as he began a slow rhythm that made her keen. The burning feeling was slipping away with every roll of his hips until there was nothing left but pleasure racketing up her spine. She tipped her head back and whined, wrapping her legs around Bucky.

"Faster," she said.

"Yeah?" he checked.

"Yeah."

And he did as she'd asked, his pace quickening just enough that she felt breathless. She reached her free hand down between them, but Bucky stopped her.

"Lemme," he said. "Wanna make you come."

"Bucky, please."

"I know, angel, you're doin' so good for me."

Bucky angled his hips somehow that had him hitting a new spot that punched the breath out of her lungs. He wiggled his hand between them and rubbed her clit with sweet strokes that had her legs tightening around him. She threw her arms around his neck and held on.

"There you go, my sweet girl," Bucky huffed. "Let go for me."

With one more thrust of his hips, she was there, her world tipping sideways as waves of pleasure pulled her apart. It was like nothing she'd felt before, alone in her bedroom and touching herself. That was good, but this? This was something else. Her limbs flopped uselessly onto the mattress, her muscles limp.

"Come on, Bucky," she said, running a hand through his sweaty hair.

"Yeah, yeah, 'm close, my pretty angel baby, fuck."

He slammed himself inside her heat, growling her name as he came. She watched him, watched the look on his handsome face, and committed it to memory. Relaxing, Bucky pulled out, careful of the condom, and fell to the side of her. He gathered her close and nosed at her neck, littering kisses on her sweaty skin.

"You good?" Bucky asked.

"Yeah," she said dreamily.

"Everythin' you wanted?"

"Mhm."

"Gonna lemme do it again?"

"Hell yeah."

"Good. Been waitin' for you. Now that I finally have you, I ain't lettin' you go."

"Don't wanna go. Might have to."

"Nuh-uh," Bucky said. "Gonna protect you. Got a lotta firepower."

"Do you?" she asked, lips quirked in amusement.

"Mhm."

She rolled until she was on top of Bucky, pressing kiss after kiss to his chest.

"I could help. I know how to buy the cops," she said, snuggling into his neck.

"I 'spose you do," said Bucky, tracing patterns on her back. "It's dangerous, you know."

"I know. But I ain't scared. I have been kidnapped five times. Also, I know how to; what's the word those damn cops use? Oh, 'racketeer.'"

"Yeah?" Bucky sounded amused, and she poked his chin.

"I do. My father's done some shady business dealings with the New Jersey mob."

"Huh, I didn't know that. You really wanna get into it?"

"Ain't I already your gun moll? 'Sides, I can't cook. What else am I supposed to do?"

"Fair enough. You ever use a gun?"

"I shot Steve."

"Oh, that's right. How could I have forgotten? He was complainin' about that for weeks. But you didn't hit anythin' important."

She leaned up to give Bucky a pointed look.

"I wasn't aimin' to kill," she said.

"Oh," Bucky looked impressed. "Then you did it right."

"So, is that a yes?"

"Yeah, on a trial basis. I don't want you gettin' hurt, so I ain't lettin' you do any of the dirty work."

"Deal."

"Good," Bucky said.

He had a dreamy look in his eye, and she moved down to kiss him. He slipped his tongue in her mouth, making heat bubble in her veins.

"Shower?" she asked.

He grinned. "Race ya."

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #mobster au #mob!bucky #fluff #smut #angst #multi-stann’s 1k writing event #part two??

250 notes · View notes

5uptic · 3 years ago

Text

hey fanfic spotlight again:)

arm candy by amsves (5up/Fundy, general rating, m/m | 300 words)

Summary: The first thing Fundy does after the stream ends is lean over and engulf 5up in his arms.

a chance encounter by mangoedges (Apollo/Steve, teen rating, m/m | 450 words)

Summary: Who would have thought Apollo would find his soulmate now?

Desecration Smile by AllianettemiE5 (Apollo/Steve, teen rating, m/m | 1k words)

Summary: No summary.

She said to me, Oh Death / Come close my eyes by Anonymous (Apollo/Steve, general rating, m/m | 1k words)

Summary: Steve thought the words on his wrist were the coolest thing ever, but they just didn’t make sense. No, really; he even asked 5up–had called him in a possibly drunk state on his twentieth birthday, when a prickling sensation on his arm made him think that he was about to die, 5up, help, and was reminded drily that it was his soulmark, dumbass–and the best his smartest friend (self-proclaimed) could offer was, “Maybe your soulmate’s a poet?” Completely useless. Steve remembered hanging up on him, the click of his mobile cutting off his indignant exclamation. It was only the next day that he looked, properly looked, at his soulmark and tried to make sense of it. Nope. That didn’t work out either; he blamed the hangover. For the longest time ever, he just dismissed it as the universe fucking up. A slash in the middle of a phrase? Ridiculous.

why’d you only call me when you’re high? by LVTO (5up/Steve, teen rating, m/m | 1k words)

Summary: “I miss you,” Steve mumbles through the phone, and his voice has that soft, honest tone that it always does when he’s like this. 5up’s heart clenches. It’s these moments that keep him from leaving like he should’ve done four months ago, these soft-spoken truths that time and time again have him believing that maybe, maybe this time will be different. It never is. or 5up receives a phone call and ponders his life.

jealousy, jealousy by planetwitch (5up/Fundy, teen rating, m/m | 1.1k words)

Summary: 5up and Fundy are best friends and have never crossed that line into something more. Until Fundy gets jealous at 5up's constant admiration for a certain 6 foot tall musician.

mimi's menagerie of the miraculous & the mundane by 5280ft (5up/Steve, teen rating, m/m | 1.1k words, chaptered WIP)

Summary: a drabble for the word of the day, every day, for 100 days.

5up & Co. Throw Yarn at a Wall (and more) by WhenTheFogClears (general rating, gen | 1.3k words, chaptered WIP)

Summary: Hafu neither confirmed nor denied, instead snatching the half unraveled ball of yarn out of his hands forcefully, a cheshire grin finding its way onto her face. Before 5up could clearly decipher the situation, she flung it at him, smacking him directly in the center of his face. or 5up loves throwing yarn at walls, and everyone else quickly picks it up from him. But in different ways.

Inside My Mind by SilverSprinklez10 (5up/Apollo, Apollo/Steve, teen rating, m/m | 1.4k words)

Summary: Soulmates are usually a blessing. But sometimes, a soulmate connection can feel like a curse.

(2021, 190 x 172 cm, oil on canvas) by 5280ft (5up/Steve, teen rating, m/m | 1.9k words)

Summary: Nobody ever painted anything if they’ve never painted the way 5up closes his eyes when he laughs, how his slender fingers wrap around a new tube of paint, how his smile is all teeth and eye-crinkling. Cabanel’s Fallen Angel has curls, but they aren’t 5up’s, are they? Hyllas, in the nymphs, has fair and delicate hands but 5up’s are prettier, especially when he accidentally squirts paint everywhere and slams his palms on the table and goes “fuck!” Steve cackles until he can’t breathe.

Don't Take Me Tongue-Tied by AoDity, LovelyDayForIt (5up/Sleepy, 5up/Apollo, teen rating, m/m | 2.2k words)

Summary: "Sleepy found the ring by luck, something that matches his lover's graceful beauty that he could still afford. Twisted strands of thin silver with a little shimmering opal in the center, it was perfect." Aka: Sleepy's love for Five brought him heartache. If they try, there's still a chance the two could be happy.

implying that the ferris wheel's your body (and i'd really love admission to it) by homeward_bound (David/Hafu/Steve, mature rating, multi | 2.2k words)

Summary: Steve might be drunk out of his mind, but David's just really hot, okay? [or, steve propositions david, kind of. hafu and dumbdog bear witness to his lapse in judgement.]

mi casa es su casa by some_spooky_shit_right_there (Apollo/Steve, teen rating, m/m | 2.9k words)

Summary: Apollo's soulmate is cautious. Except, apparently, when it comes to coffee. Because, for the fifth time this week, Apollo wakes up to a burnt tongue. It's annoying. He can't really be mad though, because he has given his soulmate so much worse. The occasional burnt tongue is a meager act of penance, comparatively.

I love you too (I love you too) by some_spooky_shit_right_there (5up/Apollo/Steve, general rating, multi | 3.9k words)

Summary: Apollo comes into 5up's coffee shop. He always gets a cup of coffee and either a bagel or a croissant. He always seems tired, and he never comes in on weekends. Steve would really love to find out just who, exactly, he is.

i'm more fool than wise by 5fu (5up/Steve, unrated, m/m | 5.8k words, chaptered WIP)

Summary: Steven Suptic is a brilliant crewmate - ask anyone. Okay so don't ask Janet. Or Dk. Or Koji. You know what, don't even ask - it's pretty obvious he is. But when new recruit and stunningly intelligent 5up boards the Crewfu, Steve isn't so sure he can compete. Not that he cares. Totally. Absolutely. On their mission to gather intel on Polus and find out what happened to the previous crew that disappeared from the planet three years earlier, Steve may realize that maybe he was indeed more fool than wise - and maybe it wasn't a bad thing.

i was praying that you and me might end up together by Qupid (Apollo/Steve, teen rating, m/m | 7.8k words, chaptered WIP)

Summary: Four years at Polus University. Four first weeks of school. Two strangers become two friends, and maybe even something more. Apollo hates being seen, hates having attention drawn to him, hates living in a world that feels like a game where everyone knows the rules except him. Steve thrives on attention, purposefully draws the gaze of everyone in the room, making his own rules as he floats through life. They're a match made in hell, but Apollo finds that when Steve looks at him, gives him nothing but attention, he doesn't mind being seen after all.

Long Journey Home by some_spooky_shit_right_there (Apollo/Steve, teen rating, m/m | 9.6k words)

Summary: Homesick and lonesome and I'm feeling kind of blue Feeling kind of blue, boys, feeling kind of blue Homesick and lonesome and I'm feeling kind of blue I'm on my long journey home

there’s so many ways to say “i love you” and i wouldn’t wanna waste ‘em (on someone who, don’t feel it too) by Dear_MaedaysUnwelcomedGhost (5up/Steve, 5up/Hafu, 5up/Ellum, 5up/Kimi, teen rating, multi | 13k words, chaptered)

Summary: Love was a strange thing, 5up found. It was everywhere. And not in the way it may seem. It wasn’t in the adverts of perfect couples with artificial lighting. It wasn’t in the glittery cards made by factories or the flowers sold at grocery stores. Not in the TV shows made to bring in cash and be thrown out, with couples who don’t have anything to hold onto but brief infatuation and physical attraction. But in the friendly smiles of strangers as they pass by. In a mother cutting fruit up for their child. Running a hand through the hair of your partner, as their eyes flutter close and to sleep. Helping a stranger pick up their dropped papers, asking for nothing in return. In the graffiti on the wall by the alleyway you walk by everyday to get to work. To the goods baked by small independent bakeries. Flowers planted in parks to make it just a little nicer, or the ones growing out of pavement cracks with determination.

Also!

GuardianPuppy‘s this city needs to be destroyed or at least painted in a different color collection.

spaded_ace’s Casino in the Sky collection.

5fu’s among all this pain collection.

FAQ:

Wait what is this: pretty straight to the point! i’ll regularly share crewfu-related fanfictions to this blog :)

How regularly is “regularly”?: great question! LOL. it depends on the flow of fanfics that get uploaded, which i do not have any control over, but i’m looking forward to do this twice a month. after all, it’s only me doing this and i often run on a tight schedule.

What’s the format like?:

[title of fic with link] by [author of the fic with link] ([main pairing(s)], [fic rating: eg, general rating], [relationship: eg, m/m] | [word count in k], [added prompt to specify if it’s complete or not])

Summary: [summary provided by the author. if it doesn’t have a summary, a “No summary” prompt will be put instead]

(What does WIP mean again?): Work In Progress :)

Why are you doing this?: from the beginning, my blog has hosted conversations about RPF (real people fiction) and crewfu pairings. this has evolved into people sending me updates about certain fics in the crewfu tags every now and then, but i wanna take the next step and just do these things myself. after all, i’m already lurking in the tags often to see the fics that get posted. as someone who is both a writer and a reader, i wanna appreciate fanfic writers and help out other people that want to read fanfic and consume more fandom content!

Will it be AO3 only?: well, ao3 has a very helpful tag system that makes finding fics incredibly easy, as well as allowing people with no accounts to like and comment on fics, so that’s the site i will personally look in for fanworks. but if there are any fics you’ve written or liked in any other platforms, such as wattpad, you can always contact me through my inbox (send an ask or a dm!), and i’ll make sure to include for the next fanfic spotlight :)

Does it mean you won’t reply to fic asks anymore?: yeah, i guess. since i’ll be doing the searching myself it seems counterproductive. but if i ever skip a fic or again, it’s in another platform, or you’ve posted/read the fic a while ago and you want to get more traction on it, hit me up and i’ll take it into consideration!

Will you read every single one of the fics on your list?: oh no. again, i run on a tight schedule, and also i have my own taste when it comes to fics. i won’t be reviewing fics or any of the sort, and my intention extends to simply sharing these fics to this page so people will have easier access to them :) that’s where ao3 tagging becomes SUPER useful!!!

So what’s the criteria for the way you’ll sort out the fics in your list?: word count, going from lowest to highest. in case of fics in other platforms, i guess i’ll put them at the top of the list. i’ll also be looking for fairly recent fics, so let me know if you want any old-ish fic to be included.

I see you talking mostly about 5up/Steve and Steve/Apollo. Can I still send/see other crewfu fics?: why yes absolutely! my goal is to push every fic which heavily features regular crewfu characters - 5uptic and supdog just happen to be very popular pairings. so, to give you a list: core 4 (5up, hafu, dk, steve), apollo, aipha, annie, janet, kimi, ellum, koji… you know the drill. it doesn’t have to be centered on a relationship, or about 5up in specific, etc. my only requirement is that any of the previously mentioned members are a central part of the fic or are HEAVILY featured in it (sorry, minecraft fics with 50+ tags who only mention 5up as an afterthought won’t make the cut :/).

Isn’t shipping Bad™?: well, it’s a little more nuanced than that. i will go out of my way to discourage and shame people who often violate CCs’ boundaries by acting like so and so has a crush on this person, or that this and that are Actually Into Each Other or secretly dating. any sort of tinhat bullshit is a big nono (think larries). but i run on the assumption that people who write rpf understand that what they’re doing is simply write a completely fictional story using real life personalities, and understand the boundaries necessary to do it - aka they’re not tinhats, they understand they can’t assume everything about CCs’ thoughts and personalities, they understand that what they’re writing is strictly fiction, they keep these works only in fandom circles, etc. (but again, it’s only one me doing this, so please be kind if i don’t happen to know that this person is Actually a tinhat or whatever).

show fic: NO. (seriously. i don’t feel comfortable putting my ao3 account out there. please respect my privacy on these trying times <3)

I REALLY don’t care about your rpf/fic talk: fair! i’ll be tagging every single one of these posts as “fanfic spotlight”, so just mute the tag using tumblr settings so you’ll never have to look at these! likewise, you can follow the tag if you want to keep up with it, or search it on my blog to look at the other entries you might have missed.

Hey, my fic is here and I don’t feel comfortable with it being shared over here: no problem! let me know as soon as you can and i’ll take it down <3

#crewfu #fanfic spotlight #long post #finally a steve/dogfu fic.... come kiss me author

40 notes · View notes

solastia · 4 years ago

Text

Day Six: Toys - Seokjin

He ran for the bathroom with his package and his night clothes tucked under his arm, praying to whoever the fuck would hear him that no one caught him and asked about it.

He’d ordered it in a drunken and horny late-night shopping binge. He’d been fed up with his hand and not in the mood for dealing with the secrecy and business-like encounters that came with using one of the escorts or models the company kept around with NDA’s.

He finally relaxed once he was behind the bathroom door, locking it firmly and turning on the fan. He unboxed his package and threw the cardboard under the sink to take care of later, then rummaged around until he found his secret lube stash, wanting the one that warmed a little. He set both items on the sink and turned on the shower, stripping while the water warmed.

He fiddled with his new toy, trying to figure out how to set it up. The suction seemed fairly sturdy, he supposed. After a few tries, he finally attaches it to the shower wall, grabs the lube, then steps inside. He sets the bottle on the shelf then stands under the spray. It feels perfect and he feels himself loosening up.

He sighs and contemplates washing his hair first, then decides against it. He’ll wash up after he’s done his business.

Finally, he allows himself to look at the toy.

It’s a masturbator tube, one of the best sellers and had nothing but five stars all around the internet. Supposedly, it was as close as you could get to the real thing with one of these toys. It certainly looked real enough, he thought, comparable to any other vagina he’d had the pleasure of looking at.

Seokjin sighs and grasps himself, tugging leisurely as he curiously pokes at the toy. It feels...decent. Rubbery, obviously. It would probably be creepy if it actually felt like skin.

He flicks the clit a couple times, giggling to himself. Like the toy cares if he plays with it right. He strokes it anyway, trying to get himself in the right frame of mind. He slowly shoves his middle finger inside, amazed at how soft it actually felt in there. It might actually not be too bad.

He pulls his finger out and grabs the bottle of lube, coating his dick generously. He cocks his head in thought, then shrugs. He likes it wet, so why not. He tilts the toy up and squeezes at least a handful worth of lube inside. It’s not like it matters if he makes a mess - he’s literally already in the shower.

He puts the bottle back on the shelf and steps closer to the toy, pointing his lubed and ready cock at the hole. He braces himself with one hand on the wall and uses the other to guide himself inside, his mouth falling open at the sensation of finally being inside a pussy after his drought.

Well, pussy-ish.

Still, the lube was warming things up and that helped to make it feel realistic. The toy was tighter than he thought it would be, with little bumps and ridges inside that teased his dick in a nice way. He grunts as he pulls back, letting the bumps stroke along his shaft. There’s so much lube involved that there’s a lewd squelching sound as he begins to give little experimental pumps, reminding him of the time he got with that girl that could squirt.

It feels so good. So fucking good.

His head falls forward to lean against the shower wall as he speeds up, his hips slamming into the toy violently. The sound is too loud, but he’s beyond caring. This is the nearest thing he’s had to getting laid in months.

All too soon he can feel the muscles in his lower abdomen tightening, his balls aching, and fuck. It was too soon. He wanted it to last longer.

With a yell his orgasm was torn from him and he came inside the rubber pussy, his desperately bucking hips forcing the copious amount of cum to be fucked out of the hole only to be filled with more.

He froze, trying to control his breathing as he came down. Only, he was still fucking hard? He gave a tired little push, just to see. He was sensitive, sure. But it still felt really good. And he thought it was hot that half of the lube in the toy was now his own load. So he bucked again, hissing. And again, until he was fucking the toy once more, though less forcefully than before. It only took five pumps before he came again, his dick fighting hard to produce more than a few squirts, but the way this orgasm hit him was incredible. He wasn’t sure he’d had a multi orgasm since he’d been a teenager.

He pulled out with a hiss of pain, his poor dick sensitive as fuck but blissfully emptied and well-used. His eyelids drooped as pure contentment washed over him. That toy was probably the best thing he’d ever purchased. He sighed and pulled at the toy to take it off the wall, grimacing in both disgust and pride as he tipped it over and cum flowed from it in torrents.

He rinsed it thoroughly under the now lukewarm shower spray and set it on the shelf for him to put away after his shower.

He yawned and washed his hair and body, making the actual shower itself quick now that he’d exhausted himself. When he gets out, he blow dries his hair and puts on his RJ pajamas and finally exits the room.

Taehyung is standing there with crossed legs, looking like he’s going to piss himself.

“Finally, hyung! I gotta go!”

“Sorry, Tae Tae. There’s still plenty of hot water too, so take a shower and hyung will make you hot chocolate to say sorry.”

“’Kay!” Taehyung grins then slams the door in his face.

Later, when Seokjin wanders back to the bathroom to tell Taehyung that he’s taking too long and his hot chocolate is getting cold, he hears the tell-tale sounds of deep moans and wet slaps and realizes he forgot something very important.

#bts #bts fanfic #bts smut #kinktober #solastia #seokjin #seokjin smut

111 notes · View notes

jungstruly · 4 years ago

Text

Stupid Cupid || 02

< Previous || Next >

You’ve ought to believe that you have a curse when it comes to love after a handful of disastrous dates, but when a certain baseball captain Lucas Wong finally looked your way, you were done with having that curse. The little love God can fuck himself anyways.

Or where in,

Best friend Haechan’s playing cupid and doing cupid’s dirty work behind your back to drive away your potential lovers all because of a pinky promise the both of you shared during high school. It’s only a matter of time until he blows his cover off. Until then, the stupid little cupid’s crazy plan to stop you from falling in love will be his top priority.

Genre || Rom-com, fuff, crack, slice of life, angst in the future, Uni!AU, Baseball!AU, Band!AU

Pairings || Business student /bassist!Donghyuck x Architecture student!Reader x Engineering student/baseball captain!Lucas (A side of Nursing student!Jeno, Business student!Renjun and Engineering student!Hendery)

Word Count || 3.5k

Taglist || @lelenoir, @nzeeten, @emvrd, @badwithten, @4-sun, @bl--ankhaeji, @sunhyuck, @hyuckiesoftie, @hoshitaro, @in-my-neofeelings, @chenleschurros, @deuxvous, @renjunluvr119, @neostains, @lovelyvitamin, @melxmay, @cherry-jaemin, @eyypeach, @shotoshortcake, @apollohyucks, @flirtyhyuck, @moonmystv, @princessaecha, @theprincessofuwus, @seungminh0, @dogghawaii3, @shyshybabyy, @jaeveil, @immasoftiee, @chocolattees can’t tag @dlndreamie & @mimika-28 for some odd reason :<

Send an ask or leave a comment if you want to be added in the taglist!

PART TWO

If there was one thing Donghyuck would wear for the rest of his life, that would be this multi-colored bracelet that you made him during high school. It's like having a small part of you wherever he goes. Along with that part was your good ol' high school years that you spent mostly with him.

You don’t really have that many friends during the first year because of a classroom fiasco that Donghyuck caused, of course. It was homeroom time. He ignored you the moment you flash him your braced teeth. You thought that there was something in your teeth and or your breath was awful. It turns out, Donghyuck was trying to hold his poop back. The smell was horrendous. It was horrible.

You knew that it’s him when he was the only one breaking a sweat in the middle of an air-conditioned room, trying to look calm as everyone panicked. At that moment, you noticed that he’s about to cry. You can’t help but feel sorry for the poor boy. Before the bad turns to worst, you immediately shouted at the class that you were the one who farted and that you had diarrhea because of something you ate last night. Of course, you asked the teacher for your seatmate, Donghyuck, to accompany you to the clinic to cover up for him.

With a tight smile, she waves both of you off. You were Donghyuck’s tissue dispenser that day. You handed him tissue overhead as you prayed that no one would come in. After that bathroom fiasco that both of you vowed never to talk about again, both of you were inseparable.

Not even a single girl wanted to be your friend because of that incident. They thought that you have poor hygiene. Along with that, a weird nickname circulated in your batch. You were Y/N-shit-me-not. It was you and Hyuck against the world and you couldn’t pick a perfect partner other than him.

As a simple token of thank you, you decided to make him a multi-colored bracelet. He found it stupid at first, even scoffing at it as he refused to wear the bracelet for it would ‘ruin his image’ throughout high school (as if it wasn’t already).

Oh, now the tables have turned. Who would have thought that the college student Donghyuck would appreciate the bracelet even more. It’s as if the bracelet was an extension of his soul. There wasn’t a day that he won’t wear it. The colors faded through time along with the 'FS' letter beads but Donghyuck cherishes it like a limited edition Cartier bracelet.

One time during baseball practice, he forgot to place it inside his bag. Donghyuck almost flipped the whole field just to find that old bracelet after training. Even though it was ten in the evening on a Saturday night, Jeno, Renjun, and Donghyuck were still searching the place for the missing item. It was the last straw for Renjun when the field’s LED lights turned off, making the two lamp posts on each side of the area the only source of light.

“It’s just a bracelet.” Renjun scratched his mosquito bites tainted arm before hitting his neck to kill the blood-sucking insect. He just wanted to go home and rest after a long day of debate training for the upcoming regionals. “Hyuck, let it go.”

Donghyuck, who was drenched in sweat and still in his white jersey, couldn’t look up from the grass. He shone his cellphone’s flashlight in front of him as he walked to the other side of the field. “You don’t understand. It’s not just a bracelet.”

Out of frustration, he huffed. He knelt on the grass with his phone, on the other hand, while the other skimmed the grass. “It really means a lot to me.”

“Just buy one or whatever,” Jeno grumbled as he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. Of course, he was slightly annoyed at his friend. If it wasn’t for Donghyuck’s carelessness, then he won’t still be on school grounds.

“I can’t,” Donghyuck snapped at them. The humidity of the evening air, along with the insects that bit them made everyone irritable.

A small pout is evident in Donghyuck’s lips as his eyes softened, throwing both of them an apologetic look. He made sure to shut his mouth this time. It was the least he can do to Jeno and Renjun, who's helping him find his bracelet. He licked his lips as he mumbled. “It’s irreplaceable.”

Donghyuck wouldn’t forgive himself if he lost it. Their search went on for another ten minutes until Renjun’s loud voice broke the silence.

“I found it!” He raised the faded bracelet above his head.

“Thank God! Now let’s go.” Jeno went to the bleachers to grab his training bag, completely uninterested with it. He tried to massage the stiff area on his shoulder.

To say that Donghyuck was about to cry out of happiness was an understatement. He tackled Renjun with a huge bear hug, almost making them lose balance. Donghyuck felt like his chest was about to burst because of too much joy. A laugh of relief left his lips as he tried to grab the bracelet from Renjun’s grasp, only for Renjun to pull it away.

“You owe us a week of good lunch.” He pointed a finger at him, walking to the parking lot so that they can all go home. Like an obedient puppy, he nodded happily. A soft glint of enthusiasm was evident in his eyes. Renjun shook his head in amusement before he threw the bracelet to Donghyuck.

“Oh God, I can kiss you right now!” He squealed as he caught the bracelet, looking at it in awe. Donghyuck pulled the bracelet closer to his chest, laughing in relief. A huge grin was painted on his lips as he caught up with Renjun. The bracelet already on his hand, where it truly belongs. “Thank you!”

“Welcome, but please don’t.”

Donghyuck was so close to almost repeating the same mistake twice when he got excited that you were there to watch him train. Your presence gave his ego and serotonin a boost as he beamed with pride inside the field. His eyes caught a glimpse of the faded bracelet on his hand while they were jogging. He can’t help but smile, reminding himself to give you his bracelet later before they start.

“Hyuck,” as he tied his shoelaces, he heard Jeno beside him. Jeno was resting the metal baseball bat on his shoulder. His other hand held a brown leather mitt along with a ball that he, later on, pushed towards Donghyuck's chest the moment he stood up. “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

Donghyuck was about to ask when he saw Lucas’ toned back near the bleachers where you sat. Quick to his feet, he motioned Jeno to go to your direction.

“What are you even trying to do?” Jeno chuckled. He noticed that they were going in the opposite direction from their teammates who were starting to play catch in pairs.

“Just go,” Donghyuck squinted his eyes, motioning Jeno to his left before he gave him a thumbs up. “Whatever you do, don’t hit the ball.”

“What do you mean do-,”

With a huff, he raised his left leg to earn momentum before he threw the ball from where you were seated. Jeno was caught off guard with the speed of the ball, craning his neck to see where it went. With wide eyes, he dropped the bat the moment he saw your body on the grass. Donghyuck can’t help but let out a sigh of relief, trying his best to fight the smile off as he worriedly ran to you.

And this is why ladies and gentlemen, you don’t mess with the best pitcher in the team.

* * *

Lucas snapped his finger in front of you, in an attempt to bring you back to your senses. Your eyes roamed around the people encircling you before it finally rested on Lucas.

“Y.N?” He tried again.

Your hand went flying to your face as you stifled a laugh. “You know my name?”

He was about to reply when Jeno finally came with a folder along with Donghyuck, who was opening his water bottle. The two boys kneeled on your other side.

“Are you okay? Did it hurt?” Jeno started to fan you using the folder from his school bag. His eyes tried to roam around your body as he inspected you from bruises and scratches.

“Of course it did,” Donghyuck deadpanned, nearing his water bottle near to your lips. You snickered as you took a small sip. It must’ve been your mind playing tricks on you but you swear that you saw Jeno give Donghyuck an eye-roll.

The baseball team’s coach broke the commotion as soon as he arrived. “Are we going to train or are we going to huddle together here like an army of ants? Get back to your training!”

The whole team scrambled back to the field except for a handful of people. Lucas and Donghyuck lifted you to your feet. You immediately winced when Lucas touched your left wrist. You must admit, he looks extremely dashing be it day or night. Stars dotted the sky but tonight, you'd rather stare and get lost in his eyes.

“Someone accompany her to the clinic.”

Donghyuck saw the golden opportunity. He was about to open his mouth when someone beat him to it.

“I’ll do it!” Hendery exclaimed from the bleachers. His hand swiftly grabbed your belongings from your seat. The boy elbowed Lucas. “I might need Lucas, coach. Y.N seems quite heavy. Ya know, we don’t want another accident to happen, right?”

“I’m not that heavy.” You grumbled with a pout.

“You again Kun-Hang.” The coach’s eyes lingered on Lucas before it went to Jeno with a head shake. “Jeno, why don’t you go wi-”

Donghyuck tried again. “I’ll do it coa-”

“We’ll be quick. We’ll just drop her.” Hendery argued, elbowing Lucas beside him. “Mr. Captain here will be back in no time, I swear.”

With one last glance to your pale face, the coach sucked in a breath before finally caving in. “Fine, but five laps for Lucas if he took half an hour. Understood?”

“Yes coach!”

Donghyuck scoffed, witnessing his plans backfire on him. Jeno jogged back to the field with a displeased look. The bracelet on Donghyuck’s hand was still there as he watched everything from afar.

It’s just a crush. He tried to remind himself. A crush, yet the idea of you walking away from him with another man, made him feel a small tug on his heart.

* * *

To say that the walk to the clinic was silent and awkward was an understatement. The pain in your wrist along with the fact that you’re with Lucas made your heartbeat race. Your mind turned into a mess as you walk beside him.

Hendery shook his head, face-palming himself beside Lucas. Sure, the big guy is charming and handsome but behind his front, he’s this shy baby who wears his heart on his sleeve.

Wasting no time, Hendery cleared his throat as he lightly gave a giddy Lucas a small push to you. Hendery's actions only earned a playful glare from him. The two boys had a mini staredown as they tried to communicate with too little to none actions.

Do something. Hendery’s head tilted to Y.N’s direction.

I don’t know what to do. She smells so good, holy shit.

Stop smelling her and give her a piggyback ride or something. He glared at Lucas who undeniably turned into a love sick puppy around you who's just doing the bare minimum.

I-I can’t. I think I’ll burst. Wait, how is she so pretty up close? I swear I-

“Y.N, I think Lucas wants to say something to you.” Hendery stopped in his tracks as Lucas’ widened his eyes. It went back to normal when you looked at him as you slowed your pace.

You slowly breathed, making sure to take deep breaths to calm yourself. “I’m all ears.”

“Uhm,” Lucas bit the inside of his cheek, chuckling nervously to himself as he scratched his nape. You can’t help but to look at his muscles with every flex. The white baseball jersey made Lucas incredibly cute in your eyes. A gasp left your lips when he crouched in front of you. His surname along with his number, was painted in black on his jersey’s back.

With a grin, he patted his shoulder. “Hop on,”

“That’s quite nice of you but-”

“The clinic is quite a walk from here, Y.N.” A sudden surge of confidence coursed through Lucas. It’s now or never.

He flashed you a kind smile. “Trust me. I got you.”

You hesitated for a bit before finally caving in. Besides, Lucas would get in trouble if you take too much of his time. “Fine, just tell Hendery I’m not that heavy.”

Lucas chuckled, lowering himself for your comfort. Your arms warily wrapped on his shoulders as you put your entire weight on him. He gave you a minute to settle down before he slowly stood up. His arms securely hooked on the back of your knees as he started walking. You can’t help but get a whiff of his hair that smelt like faded pomade. It took your entire willpower not to run a hand through it.

Lucas tried to focus on the path that he was taking. He can’t help but smile, basking with honor and glory as everyone who passed by threw the both of you a jealous look.

The both of you were in dreamland until Hendery talked once again. “Oh, would you look at that. I have to pick up my sisters.”

He immediately grabbed your canvas bag from his arm, taking ahold of Lucas’ bicep to sling it on him. Hendery shot his best friend a playful wink before he quickly walked in the opposite direction. Lucas was about to open his mouth when you giggled at Hendery.

“The parking lot is that way.” You pointed at your right before your chest vibrated in laughter. It stopped Lucas from begging Hendery to stay.

“Ah, right. Of course!” Hendery waved at the both of you before finally going in the right way.

The walk was silent, of course. You just wished that no one could hear your loud erratic heartbeat as you and Lucas walked on the lamp post illuminated sidewalk of your uni grounds. It was night time already but still, students flocked here and there as they mingle with one another in their respective clubs and organization.

“I didn’t have the chance to introduce myself properly earlier before the ball tragically hit you.” You heard Lucas said which earned a chuckle from you. “I’m Lucas, by the way.”

Your lips curved upward. Thank God he can’t see you and your huge grin. You bit your lip. “I know,”

Lucas almost drops you. His knees turned weak with every step. He was grateful that you couldn’t see his burning cheeks.

“I’m Y.N,”

With a huge grin, he answered shyly. “I know,”

Both of you had the same wide grin plastered on your faces. Nobody talked after that. Surprisingly, you and Lucas enjoyed the comfortable silence. You savored each passing moment of this dreamlike event. Bless that person who threw you the ball. If it wasn’t for him, you might not be with your crush, much more being piggybacked by him. Lucas wished that he walked a bit slower the moment he found himself in front of the clinic door. He carefully set you down, immediately missing your warmth.

“Thank you, really.” You tuck a piece of stray hair behind your ear.

Lucas gave you a playful salute, handing you your bag. “It’s a pleasure ma’am. Now go inside. It’s already getting cold.”

“I’ll repay you, Lucas Wong.” You waved at him as you went inside the small clinic. “Just wait. Now go be the best baseball captain.”

He let out a chuckle. A permanent smile etched on his face. He was running back to the field when he caught himself stopping. Now or never, Lucas. Now or never. Without hesitation, he went back to the clinic.

Your wrist was almost done getting bandaged by the nurse, due to sprain, when you heard a knock on the door. Lucas’ head popped out.

“Hi,” He panted with a smile, licking his plump lips. “Can I borrow your arm for a sec?”

His request made you giggle. You shrug as the nurse finished bandaging your wrist. “Be my guest.”

Lucas excitedly beamed, borrowing a sharpie from the Nurse’s desk before standing in front of you. His fingertips felt like fire on your skin as he grabbed your other hand as if you were porcelain. You gulped at the proximity between both of you. His familiar scent mixed with sweat filled your senses once more. Lucas looked up. His eyes met yours for a second before you tear your eyes away from him, too scared that you’ll stare at his lips like a creep.

“Done,”

Curious with what he wrote, you checked it before shaking your head in laughter. “You do realize that you can save your number in my phone right.”

“I know,” He winked at you before heading to the door, making sure to give you one last glance. “But where’s the romance in that?”

* * *

Donghyuck’s mind was elsewhere during practice. It was running into different directions. Now, when Lucas Wong finally arrived with the broadest grin he’d ever seen. He knew that something happened between both of you.

“You do realize that you can kill her, right?” Jeno gave him an earful once practice ended. He swung his Herschel backpack behind him. A black tee replaced Jeno’s white jersey. The boy pushed his glasses up his nose after keeping up with his annoying contact lens during practice.

“That small ball alone can cause a concussion. Worse, a ruptured blood vessel! That's a brain hemorrhage Hyuck, a brain fucking hemorrhage!”

Donghyuck spotted Renjun’s car, throwing his bag on the back seat. “But I didn’t.”

Jeno was about to go all out if it wasn’t for Renjun’s car loud honking. With a huff, he opened the front seat's door, making sure to give Donghyuck a glare. Donghyuck couldn’t help but sigh. Panic and guilt wrapped his whole being as he sat silently in the back of Renjun’s white sedan.

“Ice cream or shots?” Renjun excitedly asked, adjusting his rearview mirror only to realize that you weren’t at your usual place. “Where’s Y.N?”

“Clinic,” the boy on the front seat answered with eyes closed, trying to relax.

Renjun’s car immediately drove away from the parking lot without even an explanation coming from Jeno. He went on panic mode, chuckling dryly. “I assume Hyuck has something to do with this. He’s been incredibly quiet.”

Donghyuck sighed in defeat, leaning on his seat with arms crossed. “I know I’m wrong. Alright? I didn’t mean to hit her with the ball. I didn’t even hit her, okay? She just toppled down the bleachers and-”

“If something happens to her. You’re dead Lee.” Renjun warned him. His father mode kicked in as he turned the steering wheel with one hand. “Why the fuck did you even hit her with the ball?”

“Lucas,” Jeno snickered from his seat as he dials your phone. The clinic was just a couple of feet away from them.

Renjun parked the car in front of the clinic. Upon waiting, he twisted his body to look at Donghyuck. “Hyuck, what the hell! You put her at risk just because of a boy? This is getting out of hand!”

At times like this, Donghyuck chooses to remain silent. His mouth pressed into a thin line as he cuddled closer to his large gray hoodie.

Renjun scoffed in disbelief, throwing his hands up in frustration. “You’re unbelievable.”

The dense air inside Renjun’s car was a surprise as you sat on the backseat. Your smile faded, looking at everyone’s faces. “I guess three boys didn’t get laid tonight.”

You were about to make a joke when Donghyuck’s arms went to your shoulder, pulling your whole body into a tight embrace. Your face completely mushed on his chest.

He buried his face on your hair as he mumbled his sincere apology. “I’m an asshole. I’m so sorry Y.N.”

Much to everyone’s surprise, your giggles filled the car. Donghyuck pulled away, inspecting your face with raised brows. You playfully hit his arm.

“So it was you! You’re the one I should be thanking.”

“Yes. I’m so so sor- wait, what?”

“I have a sprain but I’m fine.” You raised your injured hand almost excitedly. Donghyuck shrunk on his seat, obviously feeling bad with what he did. Renjun and Jeno’s full attention were on you with worry in their faces. They gave the boy beside you a hard glare. “I’m fine! I swear, I’m fine. It’s just a sprain. I’ll live besides,”

With a squeal, you raised your other hand where Lucas’ messy handwriting came into view. “Lucas Wong gave me his number!”

Well, shit. Donghyuck thought as he tried to squeal with you.

Now, the match has finally begun.

92 notes · View notes

thedevilsruby · 4 years ago

Text

A Sapphire Among the Diamonds (multi chapter Spanche fic)

Blanche never expected to be anything special when they were growing up, especially a person who shares a bond with the Legendary Articuno and the magic of hydro kinesis. What happens when an Isle of people threaten the world of magic?

Warning: Some chapters will contain violence and smut scenes. You have been warned.

(Chapter One) (Chapter Two) (Chapter Three: You are here) (Chapter Four)

Chapter Three: The Meeting of Articuno

Blanche stared at the ocean ahead, unsure of what lied ahead. The splashing of waves did little to calm their nerves for once.

They had always been curious about their powers and where they came from. It couldn't have just come from Articuno, that much they figured. There had to be more, maybe this would lead them to finding why Articuno had chosen them of all people.

Blanche remembered the day they had first seen Articuno, when they had started their journey with Candela and Spark...

"You're getting stronger!" Ten year old Candela grinned at Blanche as she hugged them from behind as the trainer on the other side of the field pouted at his loss. Blanche simply gave a small smile as Spark instantly joined, laughing along with Candela

"Thank you." They said quietly.

The other trainer, a boy of the same age, smiled sadly and held his hand out to Blanche after he walked over. "Good battle. You're strong, even for a water trainer."

"You too." Blanche nodded, shaking his hand. After bidding the boy good luck on his own journey, the trio left to enjoy lunch near a river.

Spark ate his sandwich vigorously, like he hadn't eaten in days. Blanche sighed as they nibbled on the last of their rice ball. "Spark, you'll choke." They said. "I can't help it, I'm starving!" Spark exclaimed after taking a slurp of his orange soda, eliciting a laugh from Candela.

"You're always starving!" She giggled.

Blanche simply rolled their eyes. They would have to teach Spark how to control his insatiable appetite. That's when they stood up. "I'm going for a walk." They said.

"Alright, don't go too far." Candela shrugged as she bit into her apple. Blanche nodded and walked away, looking around the scenery around them.

The tress were tall and the grass crunched under their feet. It was the most quiet Blanche had in the month they started their journey. They smelled the open air, hearing the river run beside them...

That's when they saw it.

A shadow flew over Blanche, making them jump. It was huge, even bigger than a Fearow. They looked and gasped as they saw a blue shiny bird in the sky, staring right down at them.

"A...Articuno...?" They whispered in disbelief. They had read all about him in a book Candela had given them for their eighth birthday. They thought Articuno was a just a legend, something to fascinate kids with so they would be quiet.

Blanche started running after Articuno, panting hard. "Wait!" They cried out, reaching one hand to the large bird. They had so many questions. Could it talk? Could it control water like people said? Would it help people?

Blanche's thoughts were cut off when they tripped over a rock and fell into the river, their scream cut short as water filled their mouth, they desperately tried to reach the surface but the rapids made it impossible.

Blanche was frightened, they would never see Candela, Spark or their parents ever again.

At least that's what they thought.

They saw Articuno leap into the water and grab their arms with it's strong talons, pulling them up with ease. Blanche gasped hard as their head finally met the surface. They were set on the shore gently, their heart pounding as they looked at the magnificent legend that had just saved their life. Articuno stared into Blanche's green eyes intently.

"Blanche!"

Articuno's head shot in the direction the voice came from, then spread it's wings and flew off, making Blanche gasp yet again. "Wait!" They called out.

It would be five years before Blanche ever saw it again.

"Honey? Blanche!"

Blanche snapped out of their flashback, seeing Spark, Candela and Willow behind them. Spark was the one who called out to them.

"Are you ready?" Spark asked, hoisting a large yellow backpack onto his shoulder.

"Yes, I'm ready." Blanche muttered, hoisting a sky blue backpack themself.

"If you need anything, you let me know as soon as you can." Willow instructed both of them.

"Depending on if we have cell service." Spark shrugged.

"Right but please be careful, you two." Candela said, clearly concerned for her two best friends. "You needn't worry, Candela." Blanche said, getting a Pokeball and enlarging it. "We can handle this. Lapras, go!" They yelled, tossing the Pokeball above the water.

Lapras appeared, splashing the water quickly before looking to her master and leaning her head to Blanche so they could pet her and lean their foreheads together. "Hello," Blanche said, nuzzling her. "Are you ready for a long swim?" Lapras nodded, letting out an eager cry.

"Well, what're we waiting for? Let's go!" Spark said, giving Lapras a pet before jumping onto her back, Blanche following suit.

"Don't task risks that aren't necessary!" Willow yelled out.

"We won't!" Spark called back. "Bye!"

With a quick wave to their friends, Lapras swam off with the duo. Blanche wondered if the journey would be worth it. They prayed it would be.

#pokemon #pokemon go #leader blanche #leader spark #team mystic leader blanche #team instinct leader spark #spark x blanche #blanche x spark #spanche

9 notes · View notes

raeynbowboi · 5 years ago

Text

In the Dragon’s Dungeon: How to Play as Maleficent in D&D 5e

As a card-carrying, certified geek, I’m a fan of many dorky hobbies, and among them is Dungeons and Dragons. So in honor of Halloween, I’ve decided to dedicate my very first build to the Mistress of All Evil, Maleficent from the 1959 Disney Classic Sleeping Beauty, and to a lesser extent, her role as the leader of the Disney Villains in the Kingdom Hearts series and other 2nd tier canon material using the animated version. For this build, we are only interested in her animated counterpart. Jolie’s portray is far too noble and sympathetic for the diabolical witch we’re working with here. Maleficent is a very powerful fairy, so our goal for her build is to focus on causing as much unhappiness, pain, and misery as she possibly can.

Picking a Race

While our first instinct is to call Maleficent a Wicked Witch, she is in fact, a fairy. She’s based on the Aged Fairy (or the Bad Fairy in some translations) from the Grimm and Perrault versions of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale. Unfortunately, while Fey exist in DnD, they are not a specific playable race with stats, so we’re forced to improvise. However, there are 3 subraces which seem best suited for what Maleficent could be: [Fallen Aasimar] - since all the other fairies have wings and can only perform good magic, this dark variation on the playable “angel” race which has lost its wings could fit Maleficent’s descent and mirror the fall of Lucifer. With this option she gains +2 Charisma and +1 Strength, 60 feet of darkvision, resistance to both necrotic and radiant damage, the power to instill fear in those around her, and boost her own necrotic damage for a short period between rests. However, this might not fit her the best, and she is slain by a sword endowed with good fairy magic, which could be considered radiant damage. However, Ventus puts her to sleep in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, so that could be a point in favor of this racial build for the character. [Maka Clan Elf] - Maka Clan elves specialize in curses by praying to old gods of nature and death. With this choice, she gains +2 Dexterity and +1 Wisdom, proficiency with Religion, 60 feet of darkvision, resistance to charm, immunity to sleep spells, and can enter an elven trance instead of sleeping. As a Maka Clan Elf, she knows the Thaumaturgy Cantrip at level 1, and starting at levels 3 and 5 respectively, she can cast both Hex and Crown of Madness once per long rest using her Wisdom modifier. [Shadar-Kai Elf] - The third option is the Shadar-Kai. Once a fey like other elves, the Shadar-Kai became loyal to the Raven Queen, and they have taken up refuge in Shadowfell, a dark dimension. This nicely mirrors Maleficent’s state as a corrupted fairy that now dwells in darkness. As a Shadar-Kai elf, she gains +2 Dexterity and +1 to Constitution, Proficiency with Perception, 60 feet of darkvision, resistance to necrotic damage, being charmed, immunity to sleep spells, and can enter an elven trance instead of sleeping. This archetype lacks pre-set one-use spells, but does allow her to teleport up to 30 feet and appear transparent as she does so, gaining resistance to all types of damage while moving like this starting at 3rd level.

As for her background, we’ll make her a Noble, since Queen Leah (yes, she has a name) refers to her as Your Exellency, which denotes Maleficent as a member of the aristocracy.

Powers and Abilities:

Sleeping Beauty (1959)

-appear and disappear in a flash of fire (teleports only herself, not Diablo) -create gusts of wind (possibly? She may have just blown down the doors) -has a Raven for a familiar -bestow curses, hexes, jinxes, etc. -bestow magical sleep -spy with Diablo (Flora is even afraid to speak her plan to hide Aurora out of fear that Maleficent might find out somehow, Diablo also later finds Aurora, acts as Maleficent’s alarm system, and leads her minions to where the intruders are.) -summon frost, snow, ice, or cold to kill Flora’s flowers -possibly some level of omniscience or divination? (Merrywhether states that Maleficent knows everything, interpret as you see fit) -shoot lightning with her staff. -Put out fires (the fire in the fireplace goes out when she lures Aurora) -possibly transmutation/relocating walls? (The Fireplace suddenly transforms into a passageway, but it’s unclear if that was already there, or if she created this doorway to lead Aurora to the spinning wheel. But once Aurora has been lead away from her room, Maleficent closes off the doorway that she created, and the fairies have to use magic to open the doorway again.) -Appearing as a floating green light (this may or may not be similar to when the three good fairies look like flying balls of colored light when in their shrunken forms.) -Hypnosis/Suggestion (Aurora clearly looks hypnotized while following Maleficent to the Spinning Wheel, only hesitating when she hears familiar voices calling her name, but is then compelled by Maleficent to touch the spindle) -creating inanimate objects out of thin air (she creates a black spinning wheel) -call lightning from the sky -raise a thicket of thorns -using non-physical form to fly/move quickly (as she flies from her tower in front of Phillip in some sort of spiral of sparks) -All the Powers of Hell (her minions are also a disgrace to The Forces of Evil) -transform into a dragon (with a fire breath attack) -weak to holy/radiant damage?

Suggested or Implied Powers These are powers she never really demonstrates in the film, but the other fairies can do them, so it’s possible she can too: -bestow gifts/blessings -shrink to a small size -change people into plants and back again -make inanimate objects float/act semi-conscious -create food -conjure clothing/don disguises -remove the other fairies’ wings -use magic to zap/weld off chains -conjure unholy/necrotic weapons and shields -turn creatures to stone -transform stones into bubbles, arrows into flowers, and boiling oil into a rainbow. -bestow an unholy/necrotic enchantment to a weapon -it’s unclear if her minions are mortal goblins that actually exist in the world, or if they’re demon minions she was given when she sold her service to Chernabog. Thus, it’s uncertain if she can summon more, or if she’s limited to the mortal beings in her service.

Kingdom Hearts

-create, summon, and control the Heartless -Teleporting (this time without columns of fire) -creating portals between worlds/planes/planets -bestow the power to control the Heartless -appear as a transparent projection -bring Oogie Boogie back to life (without the need of his body) -teleport Oogie Boogie and herself -Turn Santa Claus into a Heartless (or at least trying to) -Create a Wall of Fire -”awaken” the evil inside of people’s hearts/force people to stop repressing their evil impulses -make rocks float -summon meteors of heaven -conjure lightning indoors -move as a spiral of sparks/dark fire -Can be put to sleep by Ventus through magic

Converting her abilities to Spells and Feats

Before we can settle on a class, we have to decide what spells would fit under Maleficent based on her canon abilities, then pick a class or multi-classes that cover the widest selection of those spells and powers.

-Mobility -Arcane Gate (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) -Astral Projection (Cleric, Warlock, Wizard) -Dimension Door (Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) -Misty Step (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) -Teleport (Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard) -Curses -Bestow Curse (Bard, Cleric, Wizard) -Hex (Warlock) -Nature’s Power -Call Lightning (Druid) -Control Flames (Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard) -Gust of Wind (Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard) -Lightning Bolt (Sorcerer, Wizard) -Melf’s Minute Meteors (Sorcerer, Wizard) -Sleet Storm (Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard) -Ray of Frost (Sorcerer, Wizard) -Wall of Thorns (Druid) -Transmutation -Flesh to Stone (warlock, wizard) -Polymorph (Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard) -Enchantment -Charm Person (Bard, Druid, Sorcerer,Warlock, Wizard) -Suggestion (Bard, Sorcerer,Warlock, Wizard) -Necromancy -True Resurrection (Cleric, Druid) -Evil Flavored -Hellish Rebuke (Warlock) -Negative Energy Flood (Warlock, Wizard) -Shadow of Moil (Warlock) -Heartless -Conjure Shadow Demon (Sorcerer, Wizard) -Infernal Calling (Warlock, Wizard) -Summon Lesser Demons (Warlock, Wizard) -Summon Greater Demon (Warlock, Wizard)

Get to Class

If you want to cover the majority of Maleficent’s powers, a Druid/Wizard combination is your best bet. However, Maleficent very clearly states that her power is directly given to her from Hell and that she serves the Forces of Evil, which is textbook Warlock. So, I would label her a Warlock/Druid. Specifically, a Fiend Patron Warlock, as in other Disney material, it’s stated that Maleficent serves Chernabog, the demon from Night on Bald Mountain. However, to offer multiple options, she could also be a Warlock sworn to the Raven Queen, which puts a lot of emphasis on having a Raven as almost an extension of oneself. As a Druid, she would fit well with the Circle of Land. Maleficent’s domain is in the lonesome, desolate mountains, which will also allow her to learn Lightning Bolt, despite being neither a Sorcerer, nor a Wizard.

Stats and Proficiencies

Considering all she had to do was appear and have people gasp in fear of her very presence, we can assume that Intimidation is likely a very highly trained skill of hers. She’s also good at lying to people, so Deception is another skill that would suit her nicely. Looking at how she handles herself, she’s very well-spoken, charming, and well-mannered until she snaps and starts hollering like a cat in heat. So, we should assume that Charisma is going to be her top stat. Next up for the Mistress of all evil is going to be her Wisdom stat, especially if you decided to make her a Maka Clan Elf. We see the wise, cunning side of Maleficent often in Kingdom Hearts as she frequently warns her weak-minded colleagues not to give in to the darkness, which she herself is too self-aware to succumb to. Next is Constitution, we can’t have her losing her concentration while she’s casting spells, like Oogie Boogie did while she was trying to turn Santa into a Heartless. Fourth is going to be Intelligence. It’s not super vital in most 5e builds I’ve seen, but the Mistress of All Evil is actually quite intelligent and clever. We especially see this again in the Kingdom Hearts series where she finds ways to corrupt the world in search of power. We’ll give her Strength next to last. I’m sure she can hit you with her staff or something. And we’ll be dumping Dexterity because this lady doesn’t even try to move in the original kingdom hearts game when you fight her. She’s one of the easiest boss battles because she’s so stationary. She gets better in Birth By Sleep where she’s teleporting around the field, but she still tends to stand still quite a lot. However, if you want to flip Dex and Strength for playability, no one would blame you.

So there you have it. Maleficent is a Noble Fallen Aasimar or a Noble variety of Elf, and is a Mountain Land Druid that has sworn a pact to either a Fiend (Chernabog) or the Raven Queen (via Diablo). What are your thoughts on this build? Do you think she should have been done differently? Did I make any mistakes in my analysis? And do you feel inspired to embrace your inner villain in your next campaign? Do you have a suggestion for who I should do next? Please, any feedback is welcomed and appreciated.

1K notes · View notes

paulfwesley · 4 years ago

Text

A Split Second (Part Four) [Bryce Lahela x f!MC]

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x f!MC (Dr. Claire King).

Chapter Rating: T.

Word Count: 3.3K.

Description: She might not know what her faith is, but someone reminds her how to hold on to it. TW: guns, violence, blood. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3.

Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices’ Open Heart. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Claire King’s background is my own creation, based off of MC in-game’s personality.

Author’s Note: I’m sorry this took so long!! And I’m also sorry because there is one more part after this XD But that will be the last part, I promise!! This chapter took on a life of its own. Bryce isn’t in it, but it’s definitely something that I realized Claire needed in the development of this story. If you’d like to be tagged please let me know! I don’t count people liking the actual post because I don’t know if that’s you wanting to be tagged XD so be sure to comment and tell me!

Tagging: @commander-rahrah @jaydito-tjjd @anotherbeingsworld @shakespeareanwannabe @bitchloveskcbaseball @wisegirl9 @rookie-ramsey @mrsdrakewalkerblog @omgjasminesimone @frenchieswiftie @jamespotterthefirst @elladines @thanialis @lucy-268 @sherrylove @bloomingsivan @lahellacute @araihc-ce @ltimeisanillusionl

Enjoy!

Claire’s favourite time of the year was Christmas. She loved decorating her home, she loved watching Christmas movies, she loved giving gifts, really loved getting gifts. But despite her favourite holiday centering around the birth of the figure of the religion, she didn’t know if she could call herself a Christian.

But that didn’t stop her from sitting in the back pew of the hospital’s multi faith room. It was a small place, roughly the size of the diagnostic team’s room, with three pews on either side of the room. She had expected for there to be a giant figure of Jesus painted in stained glass on the window, but because of the place being a multi faith room, they couldn’t. A tall podium sat at the front of the room, probably for when leaders of the faith came to speak to the people desperately seeking any kind of reprieve from the worry that plagued their every waking moment.

Admittedly there were a lot of places Claire could have gone. The cafeteria, where she could have stress ate until Bryce’s surgery was over, but with G.S.Ws there was always the chance that complications could arise, and she wasn’t sure how much her poor stomach could handle, especially when she thought about eating anything her stomach clenched.

She briefly considered a supply closet, but she could still remember the burning shame she felt when June found her there crying her eyes out at the news of Kyra’s relapse. It was too risky, especially because of the coming and going that arose with the need for supplies in there.

Then she thought about waiting it out in the resident lounge, but there she’d be surrounded by her friends. She’d have to talk with them, listen to them give reassurances that nothing would happen to Bryce, but Claire didn’t want to listen to empty promises. Her friends had seen her in bad states before: blood soaking her scrubs, exhaustion draining her face, the occasional stench that emitted off of her when she was so caught up in a case she forgot to shower. But she didn’t want them to see her like this: eyes bloodshot, nose red, tissue tucked into her sleeve for easy access when a rack of sobs hit her like a freight train. She just wanted to be somewhere she could shut her brain off.

That was when her mind flashed to the multi faith room. It was always quiet in here, save for the odd sniffle or sob that came out of a person while they prayed for their husband to make it through the night, their sister to make it through her surgery, their grandfather’s diagnosis to be anything but what they feared the most. Otherwise, it was a place where people came to find some shred of peace. The silence was comfortable; it was a recognition that everyone in the small room was suffering somehow, but who found companionship with each other in the sense that they all sent their pleas to a guy sitting on a cloud in the sky.

Tonight, though, the multi faith room was surprisingly empty. Someone had to have been in there earlier, because the collection of candles that sat on the table in front of the podium were lit, the flames of each individual candle small but creating a larger, stable symbol of hope. Each candle represented an unknown person, a life no one knew, a story untold, but every tiny wick created a sense of solidarity, the knowledge that someone was thinking of you, that this point in time, there was a place in the darkness where all hope was extinguished, but burning on as a deliberate point to prove that your life mattered, that it was being prayed for, that you were being fought for. An ember to glow with the reminder that someone wanted, needed you to stay.

All the same, she chose the pew in the very back. She huddled against the armrest, tucking her knees under her and curling into the side as much as she could. She rested her joined hands under her head in the hopes that she would be less tempted to check the watch on her wrist and despair at how long the surgery was taking. She made Dr. Emery promise that she’d page her as soon as the surgery was over, but she didn’t know how long that would take, so Claire settled in for what could possibly be the longest night of her life.

Her eyes hurt, her head aching with exhaustion now that all the adrenaline had flushed out of her system. She was still in the blood soaked clothes she had been in when she tried to cover Bryce’s wound, but she couldn’t bring herself to get up and change out of them. Instead she lay there, the high air conditioning blasting through her clothes and stiffening the material, chafing against her chest. Still she didn’t move. Her memories of Bryce paralyzed her.

She relieved every single moment backwards right from the moment he had been whisked into the O.R. room all the way back to the first time she had seen him in the changing room on her first day in Edenbrook, when she had no idea who he’d become to her. Back then, he was just a meat headed jockey; someone fun to hook up with, but who Claire thought was the ‘no strings attached’ type, which was fine with her, because as each day passed she found herself more and more enamored with Ethan. But then Ethan left, and Bryce stepped up to help, and she finally started to see him in a new light. No, he wasn’t the type to buy you a drink at the bar, flirt with you just the right amount, laugh when he knew you wanted him to, knew just what to say to reel you in, and then go with you back to your place and then be gone without a word before you even woke up the next morning.

No. Bryce Lahela was the type to make terrible jokes. He talked during movies. He bought shots for his friends because he had heard they were going to compete against each other. He laughed at everything you said: your good jokes, your bad jokes, especially your terrible jokes, the ones you made because you knew only he would laugh at them. He’d bring you back to his place, lavish you, make you feel warm and loved and safe, and then the next morning he’d bring you breakfast in bed to share, even if it was just toaster waffles and he ate all of the strawberries even though you pleaded for him to spare you at least one. Bryce was safe. Bryce was loving. Bryce was home.

And she didn’t know if he’d die not knowing how much she loved him.

The idea twinged her chest, slowly spreading through her like a parasite, devouring all threads of hope and spitting out something that was ruined and beyond repair. She squeezed her eyes shut when she felt tears brimming, and she curled herself into a smaller ball, if that was even possible. It was as if she was hoping that the more she compressed herself, the more she’d be able to crush the pain that snaked her muscles.

She faintly heard the doors to the chapel opening. The thought of sitting up crossed her mind, because she was technically in a place of worship and she really shouldn’t have her feet up in a pew, but then she thought that this was a place people came when they were desperate, when medicine and hopeful statistics and the comforting words of doctors weren’t enough for them. Those people who were in no place to judge how she dealt with her emotions. So she kept her eyes shut, drinking in a shuddery breath through her mouth.

Movement in the chapel, footsteps echoing softly on the carpeted floor. The footsteps grew louder, and suddenly the seat next to her dipped with a weight of someone sitting down, the body heat of their dress pants brushing against her feet. She still kept her eyes shut, though. If someone needed her presence just to feel like they weren’t alone, so be it.

“I’ve known you for a little over a year, yet I never knew you were religious,” the agonizingly familiar voice said and Claire’s eyes immediately snapped open. She dropped her feet to the ground and sat up, turning her head so her eyes met his soft blue ones. Ethan gave her an easy smile, the look you’d give a child to reassure them that a needle was nothing to be scared of. “You didn’t peg me for the type to be singing Christmas carols about Jesus.”

Claire sniffled, blinking heavily before finally turning to face the front. “I mean, I decorate a Christmas tree and I paint Easter eggs, but I don’t know about church every Sunday or not mixing certain types of cloth.” She tilted her head back, letting her neck rest on the back of the seat. “But when I needed a place to be by myself, to be quiet, to feel some sort of peace… this is where I ended up.”

Ethan stared at her. At the wrinkles around her eyes. The dryness of her nose that came with the repeated rubbing of tissues. The redness in her swollen cheeks. “Lahela’s still in surgery.”

Her chest dipped. When she didn’t respond, Ethan continued. “That was the last update I could get from Harper. She’s the best. She’ll do what she can for Lahela. She--”

“I don’t need you to tell me what I already know, Ethan,” she cut in dryly. The words came out harsher than she intended. She always spoke cordially with Ethan, professionally, nicely even, considering that their split hadn’t really been… amicable. But now, tonight, she didn’t have the room to decipher the lingering tightness in her chest whenever she looked at him. Any emotions she felt tonight were for Bryce, the man she had only become certain of when she was on the verge of losing him.

Ethan went silent. “Then what do you need?”

“Just distract me.” She turned her eyes to him without lifting her head. “How did you find me here?”

“Aurora Emery saw you in here,” he responded. “She didn’t want to disturb you, though. But when I ran into her and asked if she’d seen you, she told me.”

She wasn’t sure if she should murder Aurora or thank her. She didn’t necessarily want to see Ethan but… but even after all this time, she still associated him with comfort, especially when he wasn’t open about it, which wasn’t what she wanted.

His leg bounced, his foot tapping against the floor. “The cops were looking for you. They wanted a statement.”

She cocked a brow. “And?”

“And I told them I didn’t know where you were,” Ethan answered. He gave her a once-over, taking in her frazzled appearance. “I figured after what happened, you wouldn’t be in the mood to really talk to anyone. Besides, Sienna had already filled us in on what had happened, but they wanted an eyewitness report.”

The corner of her lips turned up slightly. “Thanks for that.”

“I know this is probably a stupid question,” he started. “But are you okay?”

“Someone pointed a gun in my face today,” she hummed. She lifted her head and gave Ethan an incredulous look. “Would you be okay?”

“No,” he admitted. “But I’m honestly surprised you’re as calm as you are.”

The anger she thought she had suppressed, that she hadn’t felt in months, flashed through her. “I’m not as fragile as you think.”

“Right,” he acknowledged, the word lingering in the awkward air she had created. Claire squeezed her eyes shut and crossed her arms over her chest, sinking back into the weathered cushion while ignoring the discomfort of the wooden top.

After a few more silent seconds, Ethan finally said, “So… Lahela, huh?”

She didn’t even bother opening her eyes. A snort escaped her lips before she could stop it. “It’s a little late to play the jealous ex, don’t you think?”

“No, I know,” Ethan quickly backtracked, his tone filled with alarm, but with a forlorn undertone that Claire only recognized because she was well versed in the language of Ethan Ramsey. “I just meant… he’s a good guy, if you had to pick someone.”

Claire couldn’t help but wonder if Ethan was trying to imply that he wasn’t a good guy, but she didn’t have the strength or energy to launch into that discussion. Instead, she said, “He is a good guy. The best, really. It just took me a while to see it.” Her shoulders deflated. “Too long, if I’m going to be honest.”

“I’m no stranger to feeling like you’ve waited too long,” Ethan said quietly. The words cut through Claire, though only deep enough to leave a superficial wound. “But I’m sure Lahela knows how you feel.”

“He doesn’t,” she retorted. She opened her eyes to see Ethan staring at her, confusion raising his brows. Claire pushed herself up so she sat properly. “He thought all he was to me was just a rebound. But he’s not. He’s everything to me. He makes me happy, feel warm, feel safe…” To her horror tears blurred her vision. She didn’t want to be the type of person that cried to her ex about her current boyfriend (though Claire wasn’t even sure that was who Bryce was to her) but here she was. Yet instead of making her feel awkward, Ethan just waited patiently, his face neutral, his eyes betraying none of the emotions she wondered he felt hearing her talk about someone else to him. He dipped his chin for her to continue, and encouraged, she did. She bit her lip to keep it from wobbling and sobbed, “But I couldn’t do the same for him. He got shot because of me.”

Ethan put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze. “Rookie, pull yourself together.”

That nickname. One she hadn’t heard since her final day as an intern, when he had accidentally let it slip before correcting himself with the reminder that she was no longer an intern. It was a nickname she had loathed when he gave it to her; it made her feel impossibly small and feeling like she had to live up to it. But over time she began to associate the challenge that came with the word rookie, the drive that made her want to work harder, the validation when she realized that at some point, the word had turned from a nickname that Ethan had given her because he hadn’t known her name to a name that she had built a positive reputation around. Claire King: the Rookie of the intern year of 2019. The best of the best, the woman who refused to let herself be broken. And now, with Ethan using it just now, those feelings came rushing back to her.

She straightened her back and instinctively raised her chin, like she was poised to report a diagnosis or defend her actions. Ethan gave her an approving smile. “Bryce didn’t get shot because of you. If he did, it was because he loved you, and he would rather it be him in pain than you.”

“But I didn’t ask him to do that!” Claire sobbed, unable to contain the despair slugging through her veins.

“You didn’t have to,” he pointed out. “The moment Bryce had seen that gun pointing at you, he had made up his mind.”

She gave him a look. “And how do you know that?”

“Because if it were me, I would have made the same decision,” he revealed,

The tension was so thick in the air around them it could have been cut clean through with a knife. “Ethan…” she breathed.

“I know,” he said, whispered. The words were so simple. Short, one syllable each. Yet they were heavy, wistful, filled with the joyous memories of a life that had been, haunted by the possibilities of a future that might have been. If she wasn’t Claire King, junior fellow on the diagnostic’s team. If he wasn’t Ethan Ramsey, the country’s best diagnostician, and the leader of the diagnostic’s team. It was a truth that went unsaid, the mournful melodies hidden by the words of a promising love song. Their love was one that was fleeting, never meant to thrive, never meant to see the light of day, never meant to go beyond the secret wishes that things were different.

She darted her gaze away from him, focusing on the stain on the patch of carpet that she was praying was coffee. Ethan cleared his throat. “You can’t blame yourself for Bryce’s choices, or even for the gunman’s choices. All you can do is have faith that Harper is amazing at her job and that Lahela is strong enough to make it through the other side.”

She chuckled humourlessly, giving the empty space around her a long look. “Ethan Ramsey, I had no idea you were such a poet.”

Ethan snorted, and that launched the both of them into a fit of laughter, tears streaming down their cheeks and clutching their aching sides. They would finally sober up, but then one of them would break again, and then that would make them lose it again.

The door to the chapels opened, and a short old lady took one step in and turned to find the source of laughter. When her disapproving gaze landed on Ethan and Claire, they both stopped laughing. Instead of stepping inside, the woman clicked her tongue in disbelief and shook her head in disgust before stepping out. Ethan and Claire looked at each other again before dissolving into another round of laughter.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, Claire’s laughs ceased. She wiped at the corner of her eyes. “Thank you, Ethan,” she said. “I needed that.”

“Hey, I’m a doctor,” he offered, a familiar twinkle in his eyes. “It’s my job to make people feel better.”

A smile graced her face, while the ghost of one tugged on Ethan’s lips. It was a gesture of understanding between two people who had loved and lost, and who recognized that while ending things had been the right decision, they would always need each other in their lives. It was in that moment that Claire realized that she and Ethan had needed each other, but were never meant to end up together. In Ethan, Claire had found a mentor, someone who understood her passion and who recognized her talent, who could push her to be the best she could be. In Claire, Ethan had found someone he had been wandering for years without-- a true friend. Someone who listened without judgment, who offered solutions, who reminded you of what mattered in life, someone who was just there when they needed you to be.

And in Bryce, Claire thought, she had found a true partner. In Bryce, she had found the person she was meant to end up with, who would swing their joined hands obnoxiously while they walked down the street while she apologized to passerbys but who did it because it brought a smile to her face. In Bryce, she found someone she knew she could count on to never run away. In Bryce, she had found her soulmate.

Her pager buzzed. The vibration froze her, rendering her unable to move. With an encouraging nod from Ethan, Claire sucked in a steadying breath. She was ready.

She pulled her pager out of her pocket. Looked down at the words that, regardless of what they were, would change her life forever.

He made it.

#open heart #playchoices #bryce lahela #bryce lahela x mc #open heart fanfiction #open heart fanfic #bryce lahela x mc fanfic #alinas fanfic #my fanfic #choices: stories you play

50 notes · View notes

imnotwolverine · 4 years ago

Text

The marriage pact - Family dinner

Henry Cavill x OC Alice - multi-chapter

< Part 5 | Part 6 Family dinner | Part 7 >

Disclaimer: some strong language

Author’s note: I took a few days off from work because this wretched heat is killing me (go go heatwave). Now, let’s hope my writing muse is strong. 🤓

Word count: 1.450

(Link to my Masterlist)

[ Alice.in.writing.land ]

Dear readers,

You must be wondering why my previous blog was so terribly short, so please let me indulge you. A chocolate cake appeared on my door step and he has left me so very satisfied indeed. Mind you, it was a chocolate cake I knew well, so please keep your quiet gasps and judging glares to a bare minimum as we all wait out and see if there is more cake to be baked or not.

And now.. enough with the cake references! My mini-me happened to be a most successful sheep herder and we had a most delightful day with our wooly friends. I even received some balls of wool, so who knows, maybe I will teach myself how to knit. You know, just in case I do really become an old spinster. And IF that will be the case I’m sure I will be the coolest home-knit wool stocking wearing auntie any kid could wish for.

Then in other herding news; today I will be divesting my time in herding a flock of pots and pans in my parents kitchen, because I have agreed to cooking them and our neighbours a dinner. So once more; please keep your horns and fingers crossed and let’s pray to Bacchus that the rich flowing wine will hide any cooking imperfections.

Your gracious cook for tonight,

Ali

‘MOMMYYYYYY!!’ Alice quickly spurted off to the front door as she heard the door unlock, leaving me alone on the carpet with a set of building blocks - we were just about to build a fairy hotel for her dolls. I slowly pushed myself up to a standing position, waiting for the squealing to subside before making my appearance in the hallway.

‘Oh Ali! I heard what a wonderful time you had.’ Maddie smiled from ear to ear, her jacket still on as she kept Alice close in her arms, the toddler fiercely grabbing onto her mom’s neck.

‘Hi Mads..’ I looked behind Maddie, seeing an exhausted Frank as he shoved the suitcases back inside. ‘..hi Frank.’ He half-smiled, nodding at me. ‘So how’d it go?’ Maddie asked, brushing a hand over Alice’s back.

‘As good as any other time. Truly Mads. We had a great time. Didn’t we, mini-me?’ I ruffled a bit through Alice’s blond curls, making her chuckle sweetly. ‘Mhm.’ She nodded quietly, her face still hiding in her mom’s neck. ‘And of course she missed you TERRIBLY!’ I winked at Maddie, seeing her face gleam with happiness to be back with her baby pea.

I felt a pang of jealousy crush through my warm heart, like a tiny needle pin, burrowing itself deep in my flesh, every breath causing a strong sharp pain to run through my chest. I chewed on the inside of my lip and willed myself to stop those silly thoughts. I was not a mom. Perhaps would never be a mom. I had to just..

Smile.

Smiling kindly I drank some tea with Maddie and Frank, before leaving their house and returning to my parents to start cooking that dinner and write a bit for my newspaper articles. The twinge of jealous pain however, didn’t leave until well after the pots were bubbling and boiling.

Ugh, I wanted to be a mom so bad.

—

‘Henry! What a pleasure to see you!’ My mom’s voice sounded from the hallway after the doorbell rang, my hands quickly reaching for a wiping cloth to clean up my hands.

‘Hello Lorrie.’ His warm voice spoke, ‘Is Alice in?’

‘Yes, yes. She’s in ..eh..haha…the kitchen.’ I could just hear the shyness drip through my mom’s voice. Sure, Henry was a very handsome man, but my mom really couldn’t cope with being around him. She’d become this blushing school girl whenever he got anywhere near her, and it made for truly entertaining scenes - and yes, I hadn’t mentioned to her just yet that I had invited Henry for dinner.

It sure would be a blast.

‘Hey you.’ Henry stepped into the kitchen, the fumes of boiling legumes and roasting herbs and meats permeating the air. ‘Hi.’ I smiled, slightly surprised when I felt him brush his lips over my cheek.

So very..domestic.

I felt a blush creep up my hot cheeks as I turned down the stove knobs, my eyes not daring to look at him as he roved over my handiwork. ‘How are you?’ He asked, leaning into the kitchen counter as he watched me work. ‘Ah..you know..’ I shrugged, turning to move some fresh cut onions into a frying pan.

‘..I don’t know Ali. Tell me.’ His voice was sweet and gentle, so very unlike Chris my ex, who always just shrugged and walked out. He never truly bothered to dig a little deeper, but Henry did, apparently. I felt that terribly stupid pang in my heart again and before I knew it a tear escaped my eyes, the salt rolling fat and shiny over the creases of my terse face.

‘Hey hey..’ Henry stepped in, one hand turning down the stove of the frying onions, the other cupping my cheek. And then there were these knowing blue eyes looking straight into my soul.

‘I just got a little stressed is all.’ I lied, shrugging. Henry sighed. ‘Then let me help you. It’s not like I have anything else to do today.’

I frowned, blurry eyes looking back at him. ‘Now we’re both lying.’ I muttered.

‘What?’ He asked, frowning.

‘How does a busy man like yourself first have to rush from one event to the other, and then all of a sudden he is here for at least another week, without any obligations or engagements.’ I wiped my tears and looked at him, fearing my words had been to harsh or reproachful, but not willing to take them back either as I saw him bite his lip. He was thinking of an answer, his eyes first looking at the food in the pans next to us, then finally at me.

‘I eh..called in a time-out.’

‘A time..out?’

‘Yea. Like. I worked a certain arrangement into my contract, so I can take a time-out when it just really gets too much. When I feel I need some time for myself. Before I get sick or anything.’

‘Do you feel..sick?’ I asked, my terse face melting into gentle worry, my tears drying quickly on my large brown eyes.

‘Hehe. No, don’t worry dear. I’m not sick. Not yet, though the fact that I didn’t even recognise some people dear to me anymore, and didn’t know what day it was or where I was exactly..are tell-tales that I need to slow it down. And so I did.’

My brows furrowed at his words, realising how stressful his life probably was. ‘Oh I’m so sorry Hen.’ I pulled him in for a big momma bear hug, his chest rumbling with mirth as he gratefully leaned into me, nose dipping into the crook of my neck. He hummed in quiet delight.

‘So what were you lying about?’ He asked after a few more moments, his face still buried in my hair.

‘Oh eh..gosh..I don’t even know if I want to tell you.’ I gulped.

‘Tell me.’ He said, leaning back slightly so he could look me in the eye, his hands still wrapped around me. I sighed quietly, hearing the slow bubbles of the pots besides us, my mom’s feet shuffling in the hallway.

‘Mom! Don’t eavesdrop! I know you’re there!’ I admonished, hearing her feet quickly shuffle away. Henry chuckled. ‘That’s what moms do.’ He shrugged, amused. ‘Well, they should mind their own business. And..so should I. I mean. I got a little jealous is all. Maddie and Frank got back today and seeing them and little Alice being such a sweet happy family, it kind of ..hurts.’ I frowned, trying to turn away from our hug but finding Henry’s arms holding me down even tighter.

Our eyes met again.

‘I’m sure there will be plenty of chocolate cake.’ He smiled, making me blush furiously.

‘OH MY..’

‘Yea..I might have found your…blog.’

‘Oh my…’ I felt my cheeks burst with a redness that fiercely matched the tomato sauce in one of the pans, my eyes widening in pure horror.

‘Haha. That’s quite alright. I found it very amusing..and..insightful too. Your nan must have been a truly wise woman.’

‘Oh this is so embarrassing.’

‘No more embarrassing then your mom during tonight’s dinner party, I’m sure.’

I snorted and we both burst out giggling.

‘Oh gods Hen.’ I poked his shoulder. ‘You are the..-‘

‘Sexiest?’ He grinned.

‘Incorrigible Cavill. In-corrigible.’

We laughed aloud, the kitchen echoing with shared joy as we rolled up our sleeves and cooked the most wonderful family dinner we could possibly produce.

General tagsquad: @harrysthiccthighss @tumblnewby @magdelen69 @thereisa8ella @mary-ann84 @darkbooksarwin @summersong69

Fluff lovers squad: @star017 @perhaps2remember @pterodactylterrace @witchersqueen @desperate-and-broken @toomanyfandomsshreya @deliciouslysassyarcade @pamacs-macs @cavilladdict @scorpionchild81 @lebguardians @sofiebstar @amberbabem @mis-lil-red @aestheticqueenb @misslalaland-blog-blog @ilieherecharmed-fics2readnrec @michelehansel

Want to be added to or removed from the tag list? Shoot me a message!

#henry cavill fanfiction #henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill x author #henry cavill x OC #romcom #the marriage pact #henry bear #blog #family dinner #cooking

35 notes · View notes

seedkeeping · 4 years ago

Photo

Seed farm updates: 1. The bees are drunkenly making the rounds in the Malva patch, covered in sticky pollen, helping make the next generation of baby Malvas, really acting as Ooloi, if you know what I mean. 2. Lunga di Napoli is a squash from Naples (that’s also what it’s name means) and like all big things do, it starts very small on a furry vine with furry tendrils. It’s one of the many Southern Italian seeds I keep to honor and get closer to my ancestors. 3. A snail moves across a Molokhia leaf (they were moved elsewhere). 4. Male flowers hanging from the tassel of Sehsapsing Oklahoma Delaware Blue Flint Corn, a Lenape variety kept by Nora Thompson Dean (aka Touching Leaves Woman) and ground for flour, grits, and cornmeal. 5. California Poppy is gorgeous, and when tinctured, it helps me relax my brain for sleep. This one is growing in my coworker Althea’s flower clock at @mill.hollow. 6. A baby Smooth Bitter Melon. @resilientrootsfarm grows these seeds for our catalog with the elders and youth involved in their food sovereignty and political education programs, which are by and for families of Vietnamese refugees from the American war in Vietnam. 7. A multi-layered view of our seed farm. 8. Like never before, critters ate more than half of our Blue Pod Capucijner Pea crop, so we harvested the entire plants way too early and hung them to continue developing seeds in a protected place - hoping to at least get some viable seeds from this grow-out. 9. This baby praying mantis must have stepped on (or tried to eat) a roll-poly (a cute and sometimes destructive terrestrial crustacean), and it rolled into a ball around its foot! 10. This is our first flower harvest of the year. Lots more to come, but there won’t be huge harvests for another few weeks. #seedkeeping (at Newtown Square, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCKQM56guky/?igshid=14kvh2zkqot2j

#seedkeeping

10 notes · View notes

smoljojo · 5 years ago

Text

Serenades and Seidr

Summary: Loki imagine - Imagine Loki singing loudly and passionately, and then blushing when he realizes that you’re listening. Also, Loki helps you siphon seidr.

Edit: I don’t know why but it didn’t occur to me when I first wrote this to say that this my little smutty AU flurry for @maiden-of-asgard ‘s wonderful Frostbite story. Go check her full fic out!

Notes: So, it has been a hot minute since I posted my last Loki drabble, but I’m back baby! I’m honestly not sure how I feel about this one but I’ve had it in my drafts for the longest time and thought I’d might as well post it before I start up my first multi-chapter fic. Hope you guys like it!

Pairing: Loki/reader

Word count: 1653

Warnings: Fluff, mild embarrassment, some semi-steamy kisses but no actual smut

Rating: T

~~~

You huff in annoyance after you finish your third failed attempt at seamlessly connecting the arms of the figure you’re drawing to it’s torso. The paper is slightly wrinkled and the faint marks of half-erased pencil strokes are visible surrounding the shoulders, both of which provoke you to crumple the paper and chuck it at the far wall. The crude ball, quite pathetically, only makes it halfway across the room before landing in the middle of the royal Asgardian rug of yours and Loki’s shared drawing room, only furthering your ire. You drag yourself out of your cushioned chair to pick up the trash, but your body stills before you can even get close to your miserable paper ball.

The faintest sound of someone singing drifts across the empty space, seeming to originate from the room separated from the one you’re currently in by large, heavy doors. The only person it could’ve been was Loki.. but you’d never heard him sing before, and he certainly never boasted about this secret talent. You silently pad over to said doors, and gently press your ear against the cool wood.

The lyrics are indecipherable but the melody is sweet and soothing. You sigh and lean more of your weight against the door as the song continues, picturing Loki mindlessly singing this tune while preparing for his meeting with the lords from the coast and various other members of the Jötun royal family. The thought of him positioning his golden, horned helmet over his raven hair as the tune slips through his throat is enough to give you the courage to crack open the door for a peak, praying the Norns will let you slip into the room undetected.

The hinges make the tiniest of groans, but Loki’s voice, of which is much clearer now, never falters, encouraging you to sneak through the opening and slowly shut the door behind you.

He’s lying fully dressed on his back on the bed when you spot him, illustrating glowing runes and symbols you recognized from one of his many spellbooks, in the air in front of him. The figures of light seem to dance along with his voice as he waves his hand half-heartedly.

“Would you like to try?”

The question shocks you, of course a part of you had suspected he was aware of your presence but you kind of hoped he’d let you watch him for a moment.

“What do you mean?” You ask, tentatively closing the distance between you both when he sits up. “Try magic? You know I’m no good.”

“You mustn't doubt your ability, most mortals only dream of being able siphon seidr, much less being able to harness it - come here.”

You fold your legs under you when you sit down next to him on the bed of furs, “also, when were you going to mention that you can sing?”

His ears tint the slightest shade of red and he runs his large hands down the sides of your arms, shoulder to elbow, as a distraction, “shh, one thing at a time.”

“You know I’m going to make you sing for me later ri-“

You’re cut off when he presses one his long, lean fingers against your lips, “How about this, I’ll sing for you only if you at least try practicing simple seidr.”

You cringe at the thought of another embarrassing, failed attempt at spell-casting, but the promise of being serenaded puts your mind at ease.

“Alright.”

He smiles brilliantly at you, adorably giddy like a child. “Do you rememberer the sigil I showed you, the aegishjalmur?”

You try visualizing the relatively simple symbol in your mind, “I believe so.”

“Good, you’re going to try to do what I was doing when you walked in,” he tells you, “all you are going to do is try to produce the sigil in the air.”

He makes it look easy when he waves his hand, demonstrating the movements required.

“Close your eyes,” he instructs you, and you obey, “first, try to harness the power.”

“Easier said than done, Lokes.”

“I was getting there,” he teases gently, chuckling, “clear your mind, you’ll sense the pull of the seidr’s power if you focus.”

You try to do as he says, and when you feel no magical “pull”, you start to get frustrated and huff.

“It’s not working,” you almost cringe at how petulant you sound, but the embarrassment of yet another failed seidr attempt makes your face burn, and you’ve no doubt your face displays your crushed emotions as well. “Don’t you have a meeting or something to get to, anyway?”

“They’ll live. Besides, a king is never late,” he rubs soothing circles into the outsides of your thighs, just firm enough to calm you, light enough to not distract you.

You focus on your breathing, searching for that ever elusive “pull”. You’re about to give up hope when you see a ball of light flash behind your eyelids. You frown and try to follow it, like a magnet, it draws you towards it.

“I see something,” you tell Loki, your voice no longer containing the disconcerted tone of before, but a newfound sense of awe and excitement. “It’s some form of light? It’s drawing me towards it.”

“Draw it towards you, darling. You need to control it, harness it yourself or it will consume you.”

The warning, despite being delivered without any apprehension, sends a bolt of fear down your spine, the idea of being consumed by an unknown magical force doesn’t exactly sound fun. You find the burning ball again, but you don’t follow or entertain it when it darts about, instead willing it to come to you. The light becomes less fleeting but is still stubborn, so you try harder. You can’t help but feel ridiculous when you frown in concentration, using every bit of your will power and feeling quite like Eleven from Stranger Things in order to rope in the ball. After what seems like forever, the light finally falls within what you can only describe as your mental grasp.

“I have it!” You exclaim, grinning and letting out a small giggle in your exhilaration.

You hear Loki chuckle along with you. “Good, good. Place the seidr’s power in your hands.”

You drag the light closer to you, close enough to feel it’s power warm your chest, you direct that power to your fingertips the best that you can, but you’re not sure if it’s working.

“Open your eyes, love”

You slowly creak your eyes open to reveal a glowing, golden mist enveloping your hands. You squeal in shock and happiness, causing Loki to bark out a laugh.

“I’m actually doing it!”

“Indeed you are, darling,” he encourages with the biggest smile adorning his beautiful face. “You’re not done yet, though. Visualize the aegishjalmur, and trace the design in front of you if it helps.”

You do as much but for a moment, nothing happens. Refusing to allow yourself to get upset again, you try again, and the slightest outline of a circular symbol appears between your hands.

You gasp in elation and bite your lip in determination to make the sigil more visible. Slowly but surely, a golden aegishjalmur begins to glow brightly and proudly between Loki and you.

“I did it, baby!” You laugh and twirl the figure with your fingers.

Loki twists his hands in order to allow his own aegishjalmur to dance with yours.

“They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” Loki’s voice is low, just above a whisper.

“They are,” you reply without hesitation.

The green and gold sigils dance around each other, seeming to move to an inaudible rhythm. After a moment, you let yours fade away, a loopy grin etched onto your face.

“Thank you, Loki,” your eyes flicker up to meet his to find him watching you with a loving smile pulling at his own lips. Your breath hitches when his eyes flick down to your lips.

“You’re beautiful when you smile, you know that?” He’s already leaning towards you before he finishes complimenting you, and your lips meet before you have the chance to reply.

His mouth is warm and inviting, even in his Jotun form, he gently pushes you onto your back and moves over you. His hands make quick work with your hair, pushing it out of your face and allowing access to your neck. You feel your blush travel from your face to your chest and a low rumble erupts from his throat as he nips your jaw with his sharp teeth.

“Gorgeous,” he growls into the crevice between the corner of your jaw and the flesh just below your ear.

You sigh happily and intertwine your fingers into his hair, keeping him pressed hard against you.

“My King, your presence is requested in the throne room by her Highness Lady Fárbauti.”

The interruption takes you both by surprise and the whine of displeasure does not go unheard from the said King in your arms. His childishness would make you laugh if you weren’t frustrated from the intrusion yourself.

“Inform her Highness that the King will be down in just a moment,” he calls out in the vague direction of the door, his voice booming with an underlying tone of annoyance.

His earlier promise pops into your mind when he peels himself away from you.

“You owe me a song when you return,” the smile you give him is cheeky and his responding groan makes you cough out a laugh.

“I suppose a promise is a promise,” he reluctantly recedes as he smooths out his leather armor. “I’ll send for a servant to bring you food if you wish?”

“That sounds great,” you cross your arms behind your head, a blissed out expression adorning your features.

He leans down to place one last sweet, chaste kiss on your forehead, “In case you’ve fallen asleep before I return, rest easy my little drottning.”

112 notes · View notes

independentartistbuzz · 4 years ago

Text

7 FROM THE WOMEN: RED FLOWER LAKE

Red Flower Lake is lush, heady electro-pop. Aloe vera for our dried-out hearts. Sweeping melodies and understated yet complex soundscapes. These songs are open doors to a relationship: two people who know each other about as well as two humans can, singing to the other, about each other, offering a brave and heartfelt depiction of the territories they have survived and navigated together. It’s all here: intimacy and distance, heartbreak and ecstasy. Vulnerability, insecurity and courage.

1. What have you been working to promote lately?

It feels like I have been working on promoting a lot lately (internally and externally). Things like honesty, clear communication, empathy, patience, naming emotions, opening my heart, peace in my family, etc, etc.

But that’s not quite what we are talking about. ;)

I have been working alongside my husband to promote our EP Three Truths as well as an exhibit of our multi-media work at the Torosiete museum of contemporary art - a virtual museum unlike any other. Our exhibit just opened at the end of October and will be open for all of time - as long as there is internet.

Our EP Three Truths consists of three songs, Heart is Breaking, Baby Don’t Go, and Brave. The first two were written when we had super young kids (about 8 years ago).

When we were first considering releasing some songs this past May, we weren’t sure which songs to begin with. We were pretty tired of Heart is Breaking and Baby Don’t Go but also felt like they were worth something, belonged together, and like they might be the beginning of a story. We figured we would see what mixing one of them would do and take it from there. We sent out Baby Don’t Go and after trying a couple different mixers, we landed on Mike Pepe through a family friend named Kelly Musgrave at Linear Management. He did his thing and we actually got inspired enough to completely redo the vocals which was pretty satisfying. I had started voice lessons several months earlier and felt like I had more to offer the song. Once the energy was back in Baby Don’t Go it was pretty exciting to see what some mixing would do to Heart is Breaking. Deciding to release those particular songs really felt like the end of a pretty challenging time. It has been nice to have them out in the world where people might be able to relate to them giving voice to an experience that is painful but also real. I don’t know how many emotions we get away with leaving unturned but I appreciate a song that can help me reflect on a feeling.

Heart is Breaking was the kind of song that was so of a moment, it didn’t feel worth it to try and enunciate the words better or change what I was unsatisfied with after hearing it mixed. I am curious whether that choice will actually impact my satisfaction long term but, so far, I have found it both surprising and amusing that putting something out into the world that is a little bit vocally unfinished doesn’t bother me at all.

As for Abel’s vocals though, they are straight from the heart. They are also his original vocals. I remember when I first heard them I felt a lot less significant as part of our musical duo. He just put it all out there and it sounds so good. Heart is Breaking speaks to the experience of wanting love even though it seems to always end in heart break. An experience that, as a young parent, felt very prevalent.

Brave to me is all in the title. My setup is such that if I want to play around on the keyboard with a feeling I’m having, I still need to pull up ProTools and title the session - even though I don’t know what I am going to play which is the case a lot. Often when I am sitting down to play music, it is to explore something in my mind and on my heart and in this case I wanted to be brave about that exploration so I titled the song Brave. Brave is about sticking around and being present to see what is true even if it is scary.

All of the songs I write are deeply personal. In the past, it has sometimes surprised me that Abel would even touch the material, considering how blatant it is but I’ve learned that I’m not the only one in the relationship that sometimes feels paradoxical and complex feelings.

Having made music together for such a long time now without releasing any of it, we are both really excited to share more of the story and more of our music. It feels like an epic tale that is still revealing itself in real time. Three Truths feels like the beginning of a bigger message - this first message being “Damn this is hard but relationship is sort of like that sometimes”.

2. Please tell us about your favorite song written, recorded or produced by another woman and why it’s meaningful to you.

Sade’s Smooth Operator. There are a lot of songs and a lot of reasons why to pick them but this one pulls me right back to a time in my life when not a lot of things were easy but at that moment, the house was warm, the whole family seemed happy and there was an abundance of food. I was maybe 5, my family was living with my great aunt and her daughters who were at least ten years older than us. We were all still getting used to living together and my family was still getting used to living in Va after moving from New Mexico. When Smooth Operator came into my awareness, it was the day after Thanksgiving and there was a bounty of leftover mashed potatoes, peas and onions in cream sauce, and stuffing that needed to be eaten. While we formed those leftovers into little balls and baked them, we were introduced to that song. I think we may have listened to the whole album a couple times through but we named our food creation after Smooth Operator and it is one of the special happy memories I have from an amazing but also pretty heavy childhood. Throughout my childhood from then on, Sade was a voice I leaned into. I remember one night my twin sister and I lay down in the dark of her empty room in middle school and listened in consecutive order through Diamond Life, Promise, Stronger Than Pride, and Love Deluxe on our tape player to the light of a big moon. One of my all time favorite nights.

Smooth Operator felt like a warning. Like watch out girls, they’re everywhere. The first song of their first album. Her voice was always my reference. I wanted my voice to sound like hers. I wanted to make songs like hers - with a point, with heart, and with a voice you want to listen to. Smooth Operator is our family anthem, made so by a moment we all recall fondly - an odd anthem perhaps but my family is as odd and as amazing as they get.

3. What does it mean to you to be a woman making music / in the music business today and do you feel a responsibility to other women to create messages and themes in your music?

Having an opportunity to use my voice as a woman at this time feels very special and important and I hope that I am doing my part in honoring the power of the feminine, and the important work of keeping it real in all my relationships at all levels.

I work to be authentic and express as clearly from my heart as I can. Making music - making art, is a way for me to connect with my emotions, my inner wisdom, a way to express those feelings, ultimately it is a way to communicate something that means something to me. I recognize that this is a potentially self indulgent process and I pray that my purpose of honoring the human experience and reminding us of our power is conveying.

It is important for me to be super honest because there are so many feelings I have felt ashamed of and wouldn’t even admit to in the past that I am now realizing are actually just part of a human experience. Honoring and expressing my truth thus far has been a thousand times more empowering than the results have been of hiding from my truth as a result of believing I should be ashamed of my feelings and for believing in my worth - what I know is true in my heart. Denial of my truth has wreaked havoc in my life and it isn’t worth another moment of time to feed or encourage such disempowering paradigms.

I recognize that we all have a lot to heal from and a lot of healing work to do individually and collectively. I think a large part of that healing work is around being brave enough to honor our feelings, identifying their source, and getting empowered to speak/know/honor our truth - a truth that is both unique and valid.

Perhaps if we are able to honor ourselves in this way, we will be able to hear each others’ truths with compassion, recognizing ourselves in each other's struggles.

A big step for me in my healing journey has been accepting and being willing to hear and honor my own truth. No more wars - internal or external. When I am not fighting myself, I am one less person who is fighting themselves and that is extremely motivating. I think all of my fighting ultimately comes from internal conflicts so I might as well start with that and find some way to work that stuff out. I have been working on not making other people the bad guy but, if I see ‘bad guy’ out there in the world, to note that I see a reflection of parts of myself I still am in a healing process with.

I am not sure what the depths of our world’s healing will entail but I know my responsibility is to my own healing and it is empowering to own that responsibility. I pray we all honor ourselves like the magnificent and unique creations we are and honor ourselves like we are somebody’s child who adores us. Even if we can argue that our parents did not or do not love us, there is still and always will be immense love for each of us in the vast universe and from our mama earth. We are worthy of our best life. In fact. I think it is the only sustainable future.

My responsibility is to honor and stay true to my truth.

4. What is the most personal thing you have shared in your music or in your artist brand as it relates to being female?

All of the songs I write are extremely personal and expose my deep internal struggles. But I am okay with being a voice and a sound. Being an image has not been easy. Learning to embrace my face, my body, my movement, my inner style, etc, feels much more exposing and personally challenging. The entire world of what is sexy, what is beautiful, what is inspiring, what is useful, etc. has been out of reach for me since forever. I find that the more I turn toward my spiritual truth, my spiritual purpose, toward awe and gratitude for the children in my life, the more permission I have and the more energy I have for exposing my physical person on a true and personal level. What feels beautiful, what feels empowering, what feels good and right?

I have in the past, been absolutely disempowered around beauty and sex that I feel like only now am I getting access to any answers internally about what is beautiful, empowering and what feels good for me. I am a mother and it is important to me that the children in my life have examples of real women and men in their lives who are empowered and strong and honest- not because of our physical form but because of our clarity in purpose and our open hearts.

I know the sexiest thing a person can do in my heart/ mind is their inner work, get straight with themselves about what they are doing here and live and breathe their purpose.

On the level of the eye, I think playing with what my spiritual guides have to say to me at any given moment feels the most appropriate and fun. I’d rather be in a conversation with them about physical expression than with old paradigms of sex appeal and survival on this physical plain.

5. What female artists have inspired you and influenced you?

Oh my goodness, So many. I really believe that the unapologetic art of all women throughout time has molded me as part of the collective creative conscience. Art begets art.

I come from a family of bohemian artists and I would be remiss in not honoring them particularly and their absolute influence in my life. Their authentic expressions have absolutely shaped and inspired me and I am so grateful to each of my family members for their conscious participation in living their best lives.

My highschool teacher and friend Zap McConnel reinforced and added to what my family already inspires in me. She was my first real mentor and example outside of my family in living a life of integrity and breaking the molds of our boxed beliefs.

And Beatrice Ost. She has been part of my family for a long time but it really wasn’t until her grandchildren connected with our kids that we became better acquainted and, just as kids tend to do, through our children we have been led into a most beautiful and inspiring relationship of collaboration and inspiration. We wouldn’t be where we are now without her and really everyone in the world. The ripples are real.

6. Do you consider yourself a feminist? If so why and if not why?

I consider myself a feminist because I believe in the unique and essential wisdom of the feminine and its absolute importance in the balance of life. I could also consider myself a divine masculinist but that movement is really in conjunction with the healing of the divine feminine. It is for all of us to heal from this woundedness - not just women.

There is no denying that women have been oppressed for millenia - longer than any other human group except children - and it feels important to me to keep raising the collective awareness to the long lasting effects of oppression that continue to weigh on the lives of everyone. If mama is oppressed, everyone is oppressed because if mama is oppressed she does not have the power she needs to stand up for what she knows in the depths of her heart - to care for the hearts of her family and that kind of pain and injury is passed down a long way.

I have been considering the narrative of our media history around witches - how they have been conveyed so terribly in our social history. I am interested in those stories from the witches’ perspectives. I’d love to hear the backstory of Ursula the deep sea witch in The Little Mermaid. It seems to me that she may have wanted to say something to someone… An easily identifiable sentiment for most human beings at this point. There can be no more pretending how much we have all suffered because of fear and domination. I don’t think we need to gender specify suffering generally but just like with race, it is true that there are some significant stereo types that have been disempowering for a long time.

We are still living in the antiquated world of shame about menstrual cycles for God’s sake! It’s bonkers. I can attest that this particular gift has felt like a burden in this worn out world of 9-5 schedules and limited sick days and - if any - and our basic needs for survival are not cared for enough so that we don't even know this immense gift as an honor. But as we each recognize our person as an immense gift and when we honor ourselves and each other as such, we change the world.

I am a feminist and a masculinist because I strongly believe that each of us as individuals needs to feel empowered as part of something larger than just our individual egos. Each of us is essential and honoring our unique gifts will and does heal our world in deep and profound ways. Each of us knows something, has a purpose here that needs to be respected by everyone. Men and women both would benefit from honoring the feminine in all that is and vice versa. It is a balance and as long as the balance is off there will be a need for feminism. And just as much there is a need for honoring the divine masculine. It truly is a matter of balance - one that needs support internally and externally as individuals and as a collective.

7. What was the most challenging thing you have had to face as a female Artist?

The most challenging thing I have had to face as a creative being is myself. My own pride and jealousy, self doubt, and a need for external approval have kept me from taking risks, whether it is going into action or taking a nap. Everything I did or didn’t do was based on what I thought somebody else might think which gave me very little room for actual self expression. Giving myself permission to exist independently of other people’s approval and trusting the creative flow has been a matter of challenging oppressive systems - both external and the ones and the ones in my head that I have defended as part of a fear based world. As I continue to grow wiser and my body becomes more of an ally for my heart rather than a sculpture project, I find myself in battle with old paradigms around self image.

It is an interesting time to be alive and I have lots of hope for us as a collective as I continue to break my own belief systems because if I can do it, it can be done. Breaking out of old and limiting beliefs, considering new paradigms, recognizing my inner/outer calling and prioritizing that calling beyond all else has been liberating and empowering. My dream is that all our dreams come true. I know my heart is based in love and that all the struggle has been for learning. This knowledge has helped me come to terms with trauma but I would say I think oppression is systemic and the more we can break free of our own excuses and reasoning to defend oppressive systems, the more swiftly and easily we will transition to a new world. I am more than happy to be inviting in a paradigm of inclusivity, kindness, inquiry, compassion, and honesty. An undeniable breath of fresh air from so many oppressive paradigms past and present.

Listen to “Three Truths”

Connect with Red Flower Lake online via:

https://www.redflowerlake.com/

https://www.instagram.com/redflowerlake/

https://www.facebook.com/redflowerlake

https://twitter.com/RedFlowerLake

2 notes · View notes

daydreamindollie · 5 years ago

Text

𝟛𝟘.𝟘𝟝.𝟚𝟘 ⏤𝙙𝙪𝙠𝙚 𝙟𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙞

❥ ALRIGHT! it’s final! i’m making this a reincarnation au!

❥ at first i was really hesitant about that since the ‘Seven Accursed Princes’ multi-chapter fic I’m planning right now is sort-a the same concept - it is the same concept -no?

❥ BUT! IF YOU LIKE SOMETHING THEN THERE’S NO ESCAPING IT!

❥ let’s move on, shall we?

❥ after much deliberation and brainstorming with this pink mush inside my head, here’s the part 2 of duke jin!

❥ P.S! many thanks to these people for their suggestions and ideas! It’s helped a lot in my brainstorming and thought process for this potential series/book/story: Anya (ao3) LinLong (wattpad)

❥ ANYWAY!

❥ YOU, the reader, are a modern day entrepreneur, who successfully built her business from the ground up.

❥ I don’t know exactly what particular business it is but I have something in mind already so don’t worry

❥ You could have developed your own skincare line after having such horrible acne as a teenager and studying clinical dermatology in university or something - you’ve even started making your own cosmetics line!

❥ you’re hardworking, determined and optimistic, you’re a great boss to your employees, especially because you started as your own boss before hiring employees as your business grew in scale and popularity!

❥ in your life, you’re doing well for yourself! After all your hard work, you’re finally reaching for your dreams! All that’s left for you to do is develop it a little bit more - perhaps for another three years - and you can start on finding yourself a good man to settle down with

❥ however! your dreams are, unfortunately, crushed because of some jealous, backstabbing twats decided to go and murder you!

❥ you will be dearly missed

❥ at least, you already had your will written and entrusted to a reliable lawyer so those douchebags aren’t getting any of your hard earned money!

❥ sucks to be them~

❥ anywho~ you were given a second chance and got reincarnated into an alternate universe that’s sort of set in Elizabethan England where magic existed and so did magically beautiful men

❥ one of those men was your supposed fiancé

❥ he was handsome and all but he was psychopathic and has his head stuck so far down the sand of patriarchy, he comes across as arrogant whenever he opens his mouth to speak, especially to women.

❥ you weren’t going to spend your life with someone like that, especially because you wanted to continue living your dream of being a successful business woman in this world

❥ if you weren’t going to be able to live your dream entrepreneur-ing in the modern world of your previous life, you’ll do so here!

❥ First thing you need to do is get out of this engagement!

❥ how do you do that?

❥ You get a better candidate to be your husband, it would be quite difficult because you were the daughter of an Earl and your soon to be ex-fiancee was a Marquess who was a level above you in society

❥ meaning, his only competitor is a Duke

❥ The singular person most suitable of this position would be Duke Kim Seokjin.

❥ The most well established duke of the land (out of the other three), the most eligible bachelor and the one most capable of giving you what you want - a business opportunity

❥ also, he was the name you blurted out when you argued with your fiancee about annulling your current engagement so…it had to be him, no matter how much his two faced personality irked you and had your mind racing with conflict

❥ so, at a ball, when you spot the duke in question, you’re quick to pounce him - not literally - more like…follow him outside when you heard he was in need of fresh air

❥ Jin : I must say, gentle lady of the Earl Choi house, it is most unbecoming for an engaged woman such as yourself to follow this unmarried duke out to the palace gardens, alone

❥ You : I am fully aware of that but I am no longer in favour of my engagement and, from a slip of the tongue, am in need of your help…i can assure you that, that need for assistance is reciprocal

❥ Jin: and what, pray tell, can you offer me that I don’t already have?

❥ You : protection from your lovestruck fan club and a solution to your collapsing fife

❥ first of all…what’s a fan club?

❥ and second of all, this strange yet beautiful lady is far more interesting than any of the other women who were so willing to throw themselves at him - quite literally, he might add

❥ You have yet to jump into his arms in an attempt to seduce him so he supposes he’d give you an ear to listen and, at least, entertain your offer

❥ Indeed, you were worth listening too and soon enough, he was seen escorting you out of the ball scene with your ex-fiancee looking on with his mouth falling to the floor

❥ the Duke willingly engaging with a lady was unheard of, especially to one that had just recently annulled her engagement with the Marquess

❥ time passes and the engagement between you and Seokjin is made official, in turn, setting your contract engagement with Seokjin into motion as well

❥ You elegantly and beautifully execute your role of a shield to Seokjin’s stubborn fan club. It was very entertaining to see their jealous expressions as you smile smugly at them.

❥ unbeknownst to you, your complacent look was something that Jin found very amusing

❥ in return, you help him manage his fife, monopolising on the cocoa beans that were harvested there. Apparently, chocolate didn’t exist in this world but thanks to you, it was being produced and sold in an exclusive store for nobles in Seokjin’s fife.

❥ You also quickly take advantage of other produce that was once deemed unworthy in the fife to restart your skin care line again.

❥ Things were going well, really well

❥ Even Jin could acknowledge that you were making a difference and making his life much easier. Seeing as he didn’t have to worry about his collapsing fife and was assured that the lives of those people were in your good hands, he could go about submitting reforms to further better the lives of those people

❥ soon, both of you start realising that the other isn’t so bad working with

❥ Jin starts looking all the more appealing…more appealing than usual, which would be impossible but love is love -of course you’re stubborn and denied it at the time so yeah

❥ You weren’t the only stubborn one though

❥ Despite his compatibility and attraction towards you, Jin was in as much denial of his affections as you were

❥ This leaves the two of you to dance around each other continuously and everywhere you went, everyone could just see the sexual tension between the two of you

❥ Many times, you’d be teasing each other and gradually lean closer and closer to the point you’d almost be touching lips had the people in the room you had forgotten about not coughed and redirected your attention to them

❥ it was embarrassing but…yeah it was embarrassing, no buts…

❥ you’d have a period of timidity for a day or two before you’re back to flirting with each other again

❥ IT’S UNBEARABLE! especially for the staff at the Duke mansion

❥ Hoseok, the butler, actively pushes you and Jin together.

❥ If you have plans to go to town and need someone to accompany you, Hoseok says he’s busy with work and says Jin can go with her instead

❥ At first, you’re worried because Jin’s always busier than Hosoek but he reassures you and you have no choice but to give in with a smile

❥ Of course the two of you have a lovely little date in town

❥ Unfortunately for Hoseok, he had to deal with Seokjin’s paperwork for that day - he knows it was worth it, though, because the two of you return home smiling at each other and it’s so CUUUUTTEEEE!!!!

❥ Jimin, Yoongi and Jungkook the knights have mixed reactions…

❥ Jimin is silently cheering the two of you on whilst Yoongi can’t bring himself to care.

❥ Jungkook can never seem to witness you and Jin being indirectly lovey-dovey with each other

❥ this is because Yoongi always makes sure to cover Jungkook’s eyes and lead him away when you and Jin have been together for more than five minutes and the time for your flirting to subconsciously start is set.

❥ Namjoon taught Jin simple but effective spells such as turning the letters he wrote into birds so that sending letters were more efficient - jin used this exact method to talk about you to Namjoon

❥ The expectations Namjoon had of your first meeting was certainly set because of these letters.

❥ He can definitely understand why you and Jin seem to be the perfect match and is kinda frustrated that you and Jin are too stubborn to admit to your sprouting feelings for one another

❥ No matter how frustrating it may be to watch you two teasing and flirting with each other, it’s entertaining to watch unfold and he’s eager to see how things will turn out

❥ Just to add into that mix, Taehyung - the crown prince and Jin’s step brother - enters the scene

❥ He’s a bit of a ladies man without intending to be - the handsome genes run too deep in the family so he really can’t be at fault for his perfection…

❥ Anyway, he pays Jin a visit, excited to see his fiancee (you) but is disappointed to find out that it’s all contractual

❥ He’s even more upset because the attraction between you and Jin is just so obvious that there’s something going on between you- at least there’s potential for it

❥ So…as a good step brother, Taehyung starts scheme and plot and devise a plan to push you two together with the help of the others too, of course since he won’t be able to handle Jin’s anger and lectures alone.

❥ Someone else needs to take the blame for his plots sometimes too!

❥ It’ll only be a matter of time before the results of his expenditures for fostering your relationship comes into fruition…

❥ That’s all I have for now! I hope you like it - if you have any more ideas please tell meeee!

❥ also…this is unedited so please excuse any grammatical or spelling mistakes!!!

#.diary entry #duke jin #Seokjin x reader #reincarnation au #BTS x reader

14 notes · View notes