#sl!tide

[bones-the-skelebunny-01]

was on a drawing hiatus, finally drew something for today SL!Tide by @wolf-wrathknight

[mewguca]

I finally got around to making height charts for them yayyyyy ^^

buncha extra variations under the cut

I'll make the refs proper soon!!!

[fruitwanderer]

"I acted on good faith all over him." Tango?? Tango?? 🤨

[pbaz7]

AGAINST THE TIDE: PART TEN

paige x azzi

warning: sexual content

word count: 7.7k

A/N: Sorry this one is a little late in the day I was bob the builder today putting a dresser together 😭. I think y’all will like this chapter, it’s just really cute honestly, couldn’t do any angst after yesterday just needed pure serotonin. Hope everyone had a great day 🫶🏼

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After their first date, Paige and Azzi found themselves spending more time together again. Their connection felt natural, as if no time had passed, but now it was layered with a new intimacy they didn’t have before. They still followed the established boundaries, but unlike before, the boundaries were more exciting than restrictive–filled with unspoken promises and a sense of anticipation.

When they watched movies, they cuddled, Azzi often curling into Paige’s side. Without thinking, Azzi’s fingers would trace patterns on Paige’s palm. A new habit, different from how she used to play with her fingers, a habit Paige quickly became addicted to. Despite the growing closeness, they still hadn’t kissed and they didn’t spend the night in one another’s rooms, much to Paige’s dismay who claimed she just wanted to cuddle. Still, she was always respectful, hugging Azzi and giving her a kiss on the cheek as she left or insisting to walk Azzi ‘home’ even if it was just a couple of stairs down.

Their busy schedule made it hard to plan another date. November was always chaotic with practices, games, and travel taking up most of their time. But when they did finally find a free evening, Azzi suggested they go bowling.

Azzi had been teasing Paige all night about how she was finally better than her at something, but of course, Paige disagreed. “I’ve had more strikes than you,” Paige pointed out, throwing a glance over at the scoreboard. “You’ve just been lucky.

Azzi shrugged nonchalantly, a playful smile pulling at her lips. “Sure, keep telling yourself that. You were the one lucky at the beginning.” She rolled the ball down the lane, watching it spin toward the pins with confidence.

Paige laughed, but the competition was lighthearted. The evening had been filled with the kind of easy back-and-forth that only happens when two people are completely comfortable with one another.

When it was Paige’s turn to bowl again, Azzi was walking back towards the chairs and Paige’s hand swatted her ass hard as she said “I’ll catch up,” with a grin, not waiting for a response before walking towards the lane with her ball in hand.

Azzi rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything, the brief flash of amusement on her face giving away just how much she was enjoying the attention.

As the game went on, their touchiness grew more frequent, more natural. At one point, Azzi was standing directly behind Paige while she was preparing for her next turn. Sheleaned in, resting her chin on Paige’s shoulder as her arms wrapped loosely around Paige’s waist. Paige, for her part, didn’t flinch, the contact familiar and comforting in a way despite Azzi’s intentions. She just focused on the game, letting Azzi’s presence sink in.

Azzi’s breath tickled the back of Paige’s neck, sending a rush of warmth through her. “You seem so focused, P,” Azzi whispered, her voice light but teasing.

Paige gave a half-laugh as she released the ball, knocking down most of the pins. “I was,” she replied, her voice amused. She looked at Azzi, catching her eyes for a moment, feeling the subtle tension of their proximity.

They started to take breaks in between each turn, both of them wanting the night to last longer. When they sat down to rest, Azzi casually threw her legs over Paige’s lap, not giving it a second thought. She leaned her head back against the seat, her eyes closed, as Paige absentmindedly ran her fingers along Azzi’s leg, a silent acknowledgment of how close they had become.

Paige loved every second of the date even though it was so simple. She loved how carefree Azzi seemed to be. How she wasn’t tensing slightly at the beginning of every touch while they were in public. How she initiated most of it. It was simple but Paige definitely noticed all the little things about Azzi’s behavior tonight. The younger girl just seemed a lot more comfortable than she used to.

As time passed, their interactions grew more intimate as they got lost in one another's presence. Azzi, doing whatever felt natural, slid her hands under Paige’s hoodie as they talked, her fingers brushing against her hips. Paige’s breath hitched slightly, a quick jolt of surprise running through her. She sent Azzi a look, her voice low but clear when she said, “Azzi please.”

Azzi immediately pulled her hands back, putting her hands up in surrender, but the playful twinkle in her eyes remained. “What? You didn’t like it?” she teased.

Paige couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re pushing it,” she said, though there was a smile tugging at her lips.

Azzi only shrugged, unconcerned. “Alrighty,” she said with a grin, clearly content to let the teasing continue.

It was clear that they were only getting more comfortable with one another. Paige, for all her playful competitiveness, couldn’t deny how much she enjoyed these little moments with Azzi.

The game continued on for far longer than either of them had intended. With every turn, every laugh, and every playful jab, the competition was forgotten, lost in the easy rhythm of each other's company. The tension between them picked up and Paige swore Azzi was doing it on purpose, so it became less about the game and more about Paige trying to control herself.

Azzi eventually won, but it wasn’t really a surprise. Paige didn’t protest, though. She might’ve let Azzi take the lead intentionally the last two times she bowled, but she played it off like she was disappointed.

“Bullshit!” Paige groaned, pretending to sulk. “I let you win!”

Azzi smirked, leaning back in her seat as she wiped her hands. “Sure you did,” she teased. “Let’s go with that.”

Paige rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t suppress the small grin tugging at her lips. It was one of those rare, easy moments, the kind that felt like nothing could ruin it.

They eventually left the bowling alley, stepping out into the cool night air. The sounds of the city were alive around them, but they felt distant, as if the world had shrunk to just the two of them. The hum of their playful banter lingered as they leaned against Paige's car, the faint glow of a nearby streetlamp casting soft light over them.

Azzi slipped into the small space between Paige and the car, her arms instinctively wrapping around Paige’s neck. Paige looked at her, her gaze flickering between Azzi’s eyes and the way they darted, almost unconsciously, to her lips.

"You know you can kiss me, right?" Paige asked, her voice soft but teasing, her smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Azzi smiled slightly, her cheeks warming. "I’m not supposed to," she murmured, her words quiet for only the two of them.

Paige tilted her head, inching closer as her eyes sparkled with amusement. "Mmm, why not?"

Azzi hesitated, her lips parting as if to respond, but no words came. Finally, she said, "I have a timeline I’m supposed to follow."

Paige chuckled, as she leaned even closer, her breath brushing against Azzi's skin. "We were never really good at sticking to plans, were we?" Her voice dropped but her tone stayed playful.

Azzi’s resolve wavered, her heart rate picking up as Paige’s lips hovered so close, teasing her with their proximity. Her fingers tightened slightly around Paige’s neck, her voice finally breaking through the tension, "Kiss me then."

Paige didn’t hesitate, instantly leaning down, her lips meeting Azzi’s in a soft kiss. The initial touch was slow, tentative, but it only took a moment for the kiss to deepen, the rhythm between them syncing as if they’d been doing this for years.

Paige’s hand found its way to Azzi’s back, holding her closer as the kiss stretched on, each second feeling longer than the last. When they finally broke apart, Paige’s voice was low, a little breathless as she mumbled against Azzi’s lips, “I thought we were supposed to be moving slow.”

Azzi’s smile was slow and knowing as she pulled Paige back in for another kiss, her arms tightening around Paige’s neck. She didn’t answer right away, instead kissing Paige again, missing the way her lips felt way too much. When she did pull back, just slightly, her voice was soft, but certain. “This is slow.”

Paige didn’t say anything else. She simply melted back into the kiss, her hands tracing the familiar lines of Azzi’s back as time seemed to slow around them. Everything about the night, about their connection, felt like it was falling into place—slowly, but surely.

After what felt like hours—though it was probably only a couple of minutes—Azzi finally pulled away from the kiss, her lips swollen, her breath shaky. She let out a light laugh, trying to catch her breath. “Alright,” she said softly, still holding Paige close, “we need to stop.”

Paige, still a little dazed, just looked at her, eyes full of admiration. She didn’t argue. There was no hesitation in her response. “Okay,” she nodded, her voice soft but firm, clearly completely comfortable with whatever pace Azzi wanted to set for them.

Azzi gave her one more quick kiss, a brief moment that made Paige’s heart race again before Azzi’s hands gently pressed against her chest, pushing her back softly. Paige couldn’t help but smile, the corners of her lips curling up in a way that Azzi couldn’t possibly miss.

Paige opened the passenger door, stepping back and letting Azzi slide into the seat. The moment felt easy, natural—like they had both found their way to something they hadn’t even known they were looking for.

Paige rounded the front of the car and got in the driver’s seat. She didn’t rush, not really. They both knew it was late, but there was no urgency in how they moved. As she started the engine and pulled away from the parking lot, the drive back to campus felt peaceful, even with the soft hum of the tires on the road. It wasn’t filled with heavy conversation; it didn’t need to be. There was something perfect about just being there, together, in the quiet moments.

December 2022

The suite was alive with the sound of laughter, music, and the occasional shout from one of the drinking games happening in every corner as the team celebrated their holiday party they decided to throw with just them. It was a whirlwind of holiday cheer, albeit the slightly messy, drunken kind. Twinkling fairy lights were strung haphazardly across the ceiling, their warm glow clashing with the flashing colors of a mini disco ball someone had set up in the corner, and the room had a faint scene of spiked eggnog lingering in the air.

Paige, leaning against the counter with a cup in hand, was watching Azzi from across the room. The chaos of the holiday party swirled around her—laughter, music, and the occasional crash of something hitting the floor—but her focus stayed locked on Azzi.

Azzi was deep in a game of flip cup, her competitiveness on full display as she high-fived Aubrey after every successful flip. The room erupted in cheers as her team scored another win, and she flashed a huge grin. Mid-celebration, she glanced over and caught Paige staring. Her eyebrow quirked, and a playful smirk spread across her lips. Paige rolled her eyes, feigning disinterest, and took a sip of her drink, hoping to appear unaffected.

Nika slid up beside her, laughing as she nudged Paige’s shoulder. “You’re so down bad, twin.”

Paige shot her a glare. “No, I’m not.”

Nika snorted, crossing her arms. “Right, because casually ogling your ‘not girlfriend yet’ all night is totally normal behavior. You act like you can’t go talk to her.”

Paige shrugged, attempting to play it cool. “Just keeping my distance.”

Nika raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

Paige sighed, mumbling as she glanced at her drink. “She still has this no-sex rule, and I’m a little drunk. Just trying to make my life easier, you know?”

Before Nika could respond, as if on cue, Azzi made her way over. Without a word, she reached out and took Paige’s cup from her hand, taking a long sip. Azzi’s casual dominance sent a ripple of heat through Paige, who could only stare as Azzi set the cup back down on the counter with a smile.

“Thanks for that,” Azzi said, her voice light but her eyes were hazy, a clear indication of her being a little more than tipsy.

“You could’ve asked,” Paige said, crossing her arms and attempting to sound unimpressed.

Azzi leaned in slightly, her voice dropping just enough to mess with Paige. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Nika let out an exaggerated groan. “Ya’ll are ridiculous. Just fuck already!”

Paige rolled her eyes, muttering, “Mind your business.” But the small smile tugging at her lips gave her away.

Nika rolled her eyes, muttering something about how she couldn’t deal with them and she was fixing this before the end of the night, before walking away to join the chaos on the other side of the room. The second she was gone, Azzi turned her full attention back to Paige.

Azzi stepped closer and she wrapped her arms around Paige’s neck, her fingers tangling in the soft hair at the nape of her neck. The gentle pressure of her touch made Paige clench her jaw, and before she could say anything, Azzi leaned in, brushing her lips against Paige’s in a slow, deliberate kiss.

Paige exhaled softly into the kiss, her hands instinctively finding Azzi’s waist before sliding lower. Her fingers grazed Azzi’s hip, before she squeezed her ass pulling her closer. With a playful smirk, Paige muttered against Azzi’s lips, “I think we should take Nika’s advice.”

Azzi smiled into the kiss, her voice low. “Should we?”

Paige didn’t hesitate, her lips brushing against Azzi’s again as she murmured a breathy, “Mhmm,” before deepening the kiss. The room around them seemed to fade away, the party’s noise becoming a distant hum as they got lost in each other.

But just as Paige was settling into the moment, Azzi abruptly pulled back, her hands slipping away from Paige’s neck. Her eyes sparkled as she took a deliberate step back.

“I’m sure you would like that,” Azzi said, her tone light and teasing as she grabbed Paige’s drink and turned on her heel.

“Wait, what?” Paige blinked, momentarily stunned as Azzi began walking away, her hips swaying in the process.

Azzi glanced back over her shoulder, smirking. “You’ll survive.”

Paige groaned, leaning back against the counter as she watched Azzi immerse herself back in the game. Her hand ran through her hair in frustration, a smile tugging at her lips despite herself.

…

Later that night the suite had somehow descended into even more chaos. At Nika’s insistence—“To spice things up!” she had declared—they decided to start doing body shots. No one could quite remember how the idea came about, but with the amount of alcohol flowing, no one was questioning it too much either.

It began with Lou and Dorka, the two veterans claiming none of them could drink like foreigners, laughing uncontrollably as Lou struggled to stay still while Dorka leaned over her, slurping the drink out of her belly button with dramatic flair. The room erupted into cheers and whistles, fueling the competitive energy. Jana and Ayanna, eager to join the fun, followed suit. The two freshmen stumbled through the motions, Jana’s laugh infectious as they fumbled with the lime and nearly spilled the salt everywhere.

Then it was Paige and Nika’s turn. Paige smirked as she stepped up, her confidence on full display as Nika flopped onto the counter dramatically, taking off her shirt completely in the name of competition. The crowd around them hooted and hollered as Paige leaned down expertly, sucking the drink from Nika’s belly button, licked the salt from her skin, and grabbed the lime with her teeth, making sure to avoid Nika’s lips in the process.

“Okay, I see you!” Nika teased, sitting up and swatting Paige playfully on the shoulder as the group burst into cheers. Paige laughed, grabbing a towel to wipe her face, when she noticed the next pair stepping up.

It was Aaliyah and Azzi.

The energy in the room shifted slightly for Paige as Azzi took her spot on the counter, her movements slow. Aaliyah leaned down to start, but the moment she did, Azzi’s eyes found Paige across the room. The heat in her gaze was unmistakable—a playful challenge mixed with something deeper.

Paige froze, her breath catching as she tried—and failed—to focus on Aaliyah going through the motions. Her jaw clenched tightly, the tension building with each passing second. She shouldn’t be jealous; it was Aaliyah for christ sake, her teammate and friend. But watching Aaliyah run her tongue up Azzi’s stomach, tracing a path that Paige desperately wanted to follow herself, was more upsetting than she wanted to admit.

Azzi knew exactly what she was doing. That much was clear in the way her gaze stayed locked on Paige the entire time, her smirk widening as Aaliyah reached for the lime. When Azzi tilted her head slightly, her expression was daring, almost taunting.

Paige’s jaw clinched as Aaliyah leaned in, and she swore she saw Azzi adjust ever so slightly, ensuring the lime was far enough in her mouth that Aaliyah’s lips brushed hers when she grabbed it. The brief contact drew a soft laugh from Aaliyah, but Azzi didn’t react—her focus remained on Paige, her smirk now carrying a touch of satisfaction.

Nika nudged Paige, grinning knowingly. “Damn she’s good. You gonna let her one-up you like that?”

Paige shook her head, her jaw tightening as she forced herself to look away, her mind racing as heat spread through her.

The body shots continued, with different combinations of teammates stepping up and cheers erupting after each turn. Laughter filled the room, and the alcohol buzzed through everyone’s veins, amplifying the chaos. Just when Paige thought they’d finally moved past the game, Nika, deciding to be an instigator tonight, raised her voice.

“Wait, I don’t think Azzi’s done a body shot yet!” she declared, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

Paige immediately shot Nika a warning look. “Don’t even—”

Before she could finish, Nika grinned and gave Paige a firm push forward. “Azzi, go ahead!”

Paige groaned, stumbling slightly but catching herself. “Nope. Not happening,” she said firmly, backing away. There was no way she was letting Azzi have that kind of control over her in front of everyone. She knew exactly how Azzi operated when she had Paige like that and she wasn’t about to play into it.

Unfortunately, the rest of the team quickly caught on to Nika’s scheme.

“Paige! Paige! Paige!” they started chanting, their voices growing louder with each passing second.

Paige rolled her eyes, exhaling sharply as the chants filled the room. She glanced at Azzi, who stood off to the side, arms crossed, her amusement barely concealed. The glint in her eye said it all: she was thoroughly enjoying this and the ball was in Paige’s court.

“Fine!” Paige yelled, throwing her hands up in surrender. The room erupted in cheers as she climbed onto the counter, muttering under her breath about how she was going to kill Nika later.

She lifted her shirt over her sports bra, exposing her toned stomach. Ice, of course, took over the role of bartender, grinning as she poured way too much liquor into Paige’s belly button. Faking a “oops,” as the liquid pooled messily out of the sides. Ice added a long salt line up Paige’s torso for good measure.

Azzi stepped forward, her expression calm, but her eyes said otherwise. She grabbed a lime from the counter and walked over to Paige. Holding the lime between her fingers, she leaned in just close enough for Paige to catch the faint scent of her perfume.

“Here,” Azzi said softly, her voice low and a little teasing as she handed the lime to Paige.

Paige huffed, reluctantly taking the lime and placing it between her lips. The weight of everyone’s attention was pressing down on her, but it was nothing compared to the way Azzi was looking at her.

The room fell silent, each teammate watching. Most of them had been waiting for Paige and Azzi to officially get together, and this felt like a nudge in the right direction. Still, there were a few stifled snickers and whispered comments about how this was likely to be both hilarious and a little disgusting to watch.

Azzi stepped closer, her calm composure somehow making everything feel ten times more heated. Her eyes raked over Paige’s body, studying her with an infuriating mix of amusement and intrigue. It was as if Paige was a puzzle Azzi had all the time in the world to figure out. Then, she leaned down, her breath warm against Paige’s skin as she took her time, drawing out every second.

Paige’s jaw tightened as Azzi’s lips brushed against her stomach, soft and extremely slow. Azzi didn’t just drink the liquor pooling in Paige’s belly button; she made a deliberate effort to catch every drop that had spilled from Ice’s purposeful overpour. The slight pressure of her lips and the way her tongue darted over Paige’s skin sent jolts of heat coursing through Paige’s body.

The room was still, but Paige barely noticed. She was hyper-aware of every movement Azzi made. As Azzi worked her way up, trailing along the line of salt, she slowed even further, letting her tongue drag against Paige’s skin in agonizingly unhurried strokes. Occasionally, she’d pause to suck lightly, never enough to make it obvious to everyone else, but enough form Paige to feel it.

By the time Azzi reached the lime, Paige was unbearably warm, her entire body tight with tension. Azzi stopped, their faces now just inches apart. Her smile returned as her eyes locked onto Paige’s. The room seemed to hold its breath as Azzi leaned in, closing the small gap.

When she finally took the lime, her tongue deliberately brushed against Paige’s lips, the contact sending a sharp jolt through Paige. Azzi pulled the lime away effortlessly, stepping back with a gleam in her eyes.

The room exploded into cheers and laughter, but Paige remained frozen, still reeling from what just happened. Azzi, seemingly composed, chewed the lime and shot Paige a quick wink before walking away, leaving Paige sitting there, flushed and completely on edge.

…

Paige had gone painfully quiet, her usual banter replaced by soft sips from her drink. She kept her focus on anything but Azzi, trying to blend into the chaos of the room while her mind raced.

Eventually, Azzi wandered over and took a seat next to her, sliding in close like she always did. The casual intimacy of it only made Paige’s restraint feel more fragile. Azzi leaned in, her shoulder brushing Paige’s, her presence impossible to ignore.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Azzi teased, her voice low and warm, but Paige still didn’t look at her.

Paige exhaled sharply through her nose and muttered, “Az, you need to chill.”

Azzi tilted her head, a small, amused smile playing at her lips. “Why?” she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

Paige finally turned her head, her blue eyes meeting Azzi’s. She looked almost exasperated, her jaw tight as she said, “Because I’m trying to be respectful.”

The simple statement made Azzi pause, a flush of warmth spreading through her. She hummed softly, the sound tinged with something deeper, something more tender.

It wasn’t the first time Paige had stopped herself, holding back for Azzi’s sake, but it never failed to do things to her. The way Paige clenched her jaw, her whole body tense as she fought to respect Azzi’s boundaries, only made it harder for Azzi to keep her own.

Azzi’s resolve was strongest when Paige was being playful or teasing, when she was being cocky, but it crumbled every time Paige was gentle. Every time Paige immediately pulled back when Azzi said “stop,” or when Azzi could see the physical effort it took for Paige to keep her hands from wandering, it made Azzi’s heart race.

And yet, despite how much it turned her on, it also made her feel safe—like Paige wasn’t just after the thrill but genuinely cared about her comfort. Azzi didn’t say anything for a moment, letting the warmth settle over her.

“You’re making it very hard to be chill, you know,” Azzi finally said, leaning in just enough for her voice to brush against Paige’s ear.

Paige’s grip tightened on her drink as she glanced at Azzi. “Yeah, well, you’re not exactly making it easy, either.”

Azzi leaned back slightly, her lips curving into a smile as she studied Paige’s face. Then, without breaking eye contact, she said, “Let’s go, then.”

Paige blinked, caught off guard. “Wait, what—”

But before she could finish, Azzi was already grabbing her hand, pulling her up from the couch. Paige barely had time to process what was happening as Azzi wove them through the chaotic room, her grip firm.

“Az, hold on—” Paige tried, but her voice faltered when Azzi looked back at her, .

As they neared the door, Nika spotted them leaving and smirked, her voice cutting through the noise of the room. “Use protection!” she called out, loud enough for everyone to hear.

The room erupted in laughter, with a few drunken cheers and whistles echoing after them. Paige groaned, her cheeks flushing as she glanced back at the team, who were thoroughly entertained. “Nika, shut up!” she shouted over her shoulder, but her words only fueled more laughter.

Azzi, however, didn’t miss a beat. She simply smirked, holding the door open for Paige as if they weren’t leaving the party under a spotlight.. “Ignore her,” she said smoothly, tugging Paige out into the quiet hallway.

…

As Azzi entered the room, she immediately moved toward the small speaker on her nightstand, connecting her phone to play some music. If any of her suitemates decided to come back, at least the music could cover up some of the sounds that might slip through.

Paige slipped into the bathroom, the soft sound of water splashing in the background as she dabbed a bit on her face. Azzi, now settled on the bed, let out a quiet laugh as she heard this taking place. The blonde was always so intentional about controlling herself, but tonight she was visibly trying to calm the fire that had been building.

Paige emerged from the bathroom, wiping her face with a towel, her expression soft as she took in the sight of Azzi. Without thinking, Azzi pulled off her shirt, tossing it aside before laying back on the bed, her body relaxed, her eyes never leaving Paige. She tilted her head slightly as she looked up, studying Paige with that familiar, intense gaze that made Paige's heart race.

Paige stood at the foot of the bed for a moment, just watching. Her chest rose and fell with deep, measured breaths, her lips still slightly parted as she tried to compose herself. Azzi could see it all—how Paige was struggling to maintain control, how the tension between them had grown unbearable for her.

Azzi’s lips curled into a sly smile as she sat up slightly, reaching out and taking Paige’s hand. Her touch was gentle but firm, pulling Paige toward her.

Now Paige was hovering above Azzi, her hands planted on either side of Azzi’s head. The air between them felt electric, charged with all the things they weren’t saying. Azzi’s dark eyes locked onto Paige’s, searching for something unspoken, while her free hand lightly grazed the back of Paige’s neck.

Neither of them moved to break the silence. As they just looked at each other, savoring the moment.

“You’re thinking too much,” Azzi said softly, her voice a gentle murmur that broke through the tension.

Paige let out a shaky breath, her gaze flickering down to Azzi’s lips. “Yeah, well, I have a lot to think about. Trying to control myself” she muttered, her tone almost defensive.

Azzi let out a soft laugh, the sound warm and inviting. “You don’t need to.” Her hand on Paige’s neck slid upward, her fingers threading into Paige’s hair. “So stop thinking.”

Paige’s resolve wavered as her body instinctively leaned closer, her breath mingling with Azzi’s. Their faces were so close now that Paige could feel the warmth radiating from Azzi’s skin, the subtle scent of her perfume making her head spin.

“Az...” Paige started, but her voice faltered as Azzi’s thumb gently traced a line along her jaw.

“I want you Paige” Azzi whispered, her tone teasing yet tender.

Paige didn’t respond—not with words, anyway. Instead, she dipped her head, her lips finally brushing against Azzi’s in a slow, deliberate kiss that made time feel like it had stopped altogether.

The kiss was soft at first, almost tentative, but it quickly deepened as Paige’s desire took over. Azzi’s fingers trailed up to the back of Paige’s neck, tangling in her hair as their rhythm fell into sync. Paige lowered herself a little more onto Azzi, the need to be closer to her growing with every second.

They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity—kissing, breathing each other in, and forgetting the world outside Azzi’s room. Paige wasn’t in any rush; she was silently waiting, letting Azzi take the lead as she had ever since they started seeing each other. It was an unspoken understanding between them, and Paige respected it deeply.

Their kisses broke intermittently, a few times when they were taking clothes off, tossing them aside with ease, and again when they paused, foreheads pressed together, just looking at one another. The space between them felt different, charged with the weight of everything they hadn’t yet said but felt so deeply.

Eventually, Paige leaned down, her lips trailing down Azzi’s jaw to her neck. Her movements slowed and purposeful, as she left soft, visible marks. Azzi’s breath hitched each time, her hands gripping Paige’s head as she pulled her closer.

“Paige,” Azzi murmured, her voice breathy and laced with warmth.

Paige hummed against Azzi’s skin, the vibration making Azzi shiver. “Hmm?” she responded, her mouth never leaving Azzi’s neck, where she continued her soft assault, her lips and teeth working together.

Azzi arched slightly into Paige, her voice quieter now, like the words were slipping out without her realizing. “God, I missed you,” she breathed.

Paige stilled for just a moment, letting Azzi’s words wash over her before continuing, her kisses growing more intense. “I missed you too,” she finally whispered against Azzi’s skin, her voice low and sincere.

She trailed her lips over Azzi’s neck and down to her chest savoring every moment. As Paige moved, she slid her knee carefully between Azzi’s legs, applying the lightest pressure. Still, she made sure to pause, never moving further without Azzi’s explicit permission.

Azzi’s reactions were everything as Paige continued—her breaths hitching, her body shifting beneath Paige’s as her voice filled the room. She wasn’t quiet about how Paige made her feel, her soft murmurs of “so good” and the way she whispered Paige’s name fueling Paige’s every move.

Eventually, Azzi’s tone shifted, her voice taking on a pleading edge as she breathed out, “Paige…” It wasn’t just a name—it was a request, a need, a call that Paige couldn’t ignore.

Paige kissed her way back up Azzi’s neck, her lips brushing over every sensitive spot she knew by heart before finally meeting Azzi’s mouth again in a brief, passionate kiss. When she pulled back, Paige didn’t say anything at first, just stared down at Azzi, taking her in.

Azzi’s eyes were half-lidded, her pupils blown, her gaze soft and hazy as she looked up at Paige. The sight made something inside Paige swell with affection, and she couldn’t help but smile.

Azzi took a deep inhale at the sight of Paige’s warm smile, and her hands slid up to cup Paige’s face. “Why are you looking at me like that?” she murmured, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

Paige just shook her head slightly, leaning into Azzi’s touch. “Because you’re so perfect,” she whispered, her voice thick, before leaning down to kiss her again.

Azzi’s voice was soft but laced with need as she muttered out a breathy, “I need to feel you.”

Paige’s heart skipped at the words, and she nodded, her lips curving into a tender smile. Without breaking eye contact, she let her hand trail down, her movements deliberate and filled with care. The moment her fingers landed exactly where Azzi needed her, Azzi’s head tipped back slightly, her lips parting as a soft sigh escaped her, her eyes rolling back briefly before fluttering closed.

When Azzi gathered herself enough to open her eyes again, she pulled Paige closer, her arms wrapping tightly around Paige’s neck as her lips brushed against Paige’s ear. Her voice was a mix of raw emotion and pleasure as she whispered, “Fuck, I love you so much.”

The intensity of her words wasn’t lost on Paige. The “fuck” was an honest reaction to the sensation coursing through her, but the “I love you” carried the weight of something far deeper—a love that had grown and solidified between them over time. Paige stilled for just a moment, her chest tightening with an overwhelming mix of emotions, before she leaned down to kiss Azzi softly, murmuring against her lips, “I love you too. Always.”

As Paige whispered her love for Azzi, her soft touch never faltered, her movements gentle as she moved in and out curling her fingers with intention as she did so. Their lips met again in a slow, lingering kiss, their gazes locking whenever they pulled back for air. The intensity between them was palpable, yet it was laced with tenderness, a quiet understanding of the depth they shared.

Azzi, completely lost in the moment, clung to Paige as soft gasps and whispered praises fell from her lips. “God, baby…you feel so good,” she murmured, her voice trembling. “I missed you so much.”

Paige smiled against Azzi’s lips, her own heart racing at Azzi’s words. She kissed her again, trailing her lips down to Azzi’s neck and back, each touch meant to remind Azzi of how deeply she was cherished.

Amidst the overwhelming way she was feeling, Azzi’s gaze found Paige’s once more, and she froze for a moment. The way Paige looked down at her—so full of admiration, care, and unshakable love—made her chest feeling like it was about to explode. Her breathing hitched, and she struggled trying to make words escape her lips.

“Be my…” Azzi whispered, her voice breaking as her body reacted to Paige’s touch. “Fuck..fuck, Paige…be my girlfriend please.”

Paige stilled, her own breath catching at the words. She leaned in, resting her forehead against Azzi’s, their lips just a breath apart as she whispered back, her voice soft but full of certainty, “I thought this already meant I was.”

Azzi let out a soft laugh, the sound filled with relief and joy. “You are,” she murmured, pulling Paige into another kiss, her hands tangling in her hair as they melted further into one another, the moment now carrying the weight of something undeniably permanent.

As Paige shifted her focus, her movements became quicker, and Azzi’s soft sighs turned into something louder, something more unrestrained. The music played in the background, but it did little to mask the words spilling from Azzi’s lips—fragments of need and pleasure slipping through her control.

“I forgot how good you feel,” Azzi murmured breathily, her voice trembling with emotion and sensation. “You fuck me so good Paige…yes…right there, baby.”

Paige’s lips curved into a smile as she focused her attention, her eyes never leaving Azzi’s face, wanting to watch every reaction. Azzi’s body arched into her touch, her words becoming incoherent until all that remained were gasps, broken and heavy, echoing in the small room.

Paige leaned down, brushing her lips over Azzi’s ear and whispering, “You’re so beautiful like this.” The soft praise drew a shiver from Azzi, who clung to Paige with everything she had, completely lost in the way Paige was making her feel.

Knowing how much her words always affected Azzi, Paige didn’t stop. She kept her voice low, soothing yet making it clear she was in control, knowing exactly how to unravel the girl under her. “You’re doing so good for me Az,” Paige murmured, kissing the edge of Azzi’s jaw. “Taking it so well, baby. You sound so pretty… feel even better.”

Azzi’s breaths grew uneven, her body trembling beneath Paige’s as the words sank into her. Every whispered praise seemed to fuel the fire coursing through her, her chest heaving as her nails dug into Paige’s back.

“Paige baby…” Azzi gasped, her voice breaking as she arched into her. Paige smirked softly against Azzi’s skin, loving the way Azzi felt underneath her, feeling her body shake from the way she was making her feel.

When Paige shifted her pace just slightly, a cry tore from Azzi’s throat, her hands clutching Paige tighter. “Oh my God—fuck Paige!” she all but screamed, her voice echoing over the music in the background.

The sound of her name, so desperate and raw, only spurred Paige on, her lips finding Azzi’s again to swallow her gasps as she spilled onto Paige’s hand. Azzi’s nails raked down Paige’s back, leaving trails of heat in their wake, her entire body trembling as she clung to the blonde, utterly consumed by the moment.

…

A couple of hours later, they were still tangled in each other, their bodies glistening, hair a mess, and faint marks scattered over their skin. Azzi was straddling Paige as she rolled her hips against the strap between them, her hands threading through blonde hair as their lips moved in sync, the room filled with the quiet sounds.

The moment was interrupted by a loud banging on Azzi’s door. Without missing a beat, both of them yelled simultaneously, “Go away!”

From the other side, Ines’s muffled voice broke through. “Azzi, I’m sleepy!”

Paige groaned internally but didn’t pause, immediately realizing they sent Ines on purpose, knowing Azzi had a soft spot for her and would struggle to ignore her. Paige didn’t say anything, though, pushing her hips deeper into Azzi, making the brunette gasp softly. “Ignore her,” Paige murmured against Azzi’s lips, her voice low and persuasive as she moved again, drawing a quiet, shaky breath from Azzi.

For a moment, it worked. Azzi threw her head back, her chest rising and falling as she bit her lip, trying to stifle the sounds Paige was coaxing from her. But then Inez groaned loudly, knocking again with more urgency. “Azzziii!”

Azzi let out a reluctant laugh, her voice breathless as she called out, “Okay, Nes, I’m sorry!”

The faint sound of Inez’s footsteps retreating down the hall signaled she was finally gone.

Paige’s movements never stopped, only slowed to quiet the sounds, her hands on Azzi’s ass lifting her before bringing her back down as Azzi quieted herself. Azzi leaned forward, capturing Paige’s lips in a soft kiss, her hips moving more deliberately now, drawing them back into their rhythm.

Breaking the kiss, Azzi whispered breathlessly, “Help me finish, so we can be done, baby.”

Paige nodded, her lips brushing against Azzi’s as she murmured, “I got you.” Her hand moved in between them, her thumb circling softly, encouraging Azzi to keep moving. Paige met every roll of Azzi’s hips with her own, their rhythm building as the tension between them grew again.

Azzi clenched her jaw, trying to stay quiet, her breaths coming in sharp, shallow bursts. But as the feeling overwhelmed her, she bit down gently on Paige’s shoulder, her fingers scraping along Paige’s back as her body trembled with release. A soft whimper escaped her lips as she slumped forward against Paige, now completely spent.

Paige held her gently, kissing the top of Azzi’s head as she whispered, “You’re so amazing.” She slowly eased out of Azzi as she laid her on the bed, her movements tender, careful not to jostle her too much. Standing, Paige grabbed a towel, her gaze lingering on Azzi, whose body was still glowing in the aftermath.

Azzi’s eyes fluttered open just enough to find Paige. She offered a small, satisfied smile, her voice barely above a whisper. “You spoil me.”

Paige grinned softly, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. “Of course.”

Once Paige cleaned up, she returned to the bed, slipping under the covers immediately pulling Azzi into her arms. Azzi shifted closer, tangling their legs together as her fingers found their way to Paige’s hair, gently detangling it in slow, soothing strokes.

They talked quietly in the dim light, their voices soft. Azzi let out a small laugh, wincing slightly. “I’m already sore,” she murmured, her tone playful despite the complaint.

Paige chuckled softly, pressing a kiss to Azzi’s temple. “M’sorry, baby,” she whispered, her voice warm.

Azzi laughed again, shaking her head as she replied, “No, you’re not.”

A grin spread across Paige’s face as she kissed Azzi’s forehead, her hold on her tightening. They continued their quiet conversation, voices dropping lower with each passing moment as sleep began to tug at them.

Tangled in one another, Paige’s voice softened to a murmur. “I love you, Az,” she said, her words carrying the weight of her heart.

Azzi’s fingers paused in Paige’s hair as she whispered back, “I love you more, pretty.” Her voice was thick with sincerity, both of their words lingering in the air as they drifted off, their breaths falling in sync.

…

When Azzi stirred awake the next morning, she let out a low groan, stretching her arms over her head as her body protested from the night before. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she frowned, her hand brushing the empty side of the bed. Paige never got up early—it wasn’t her thing.

She sat up, glancing around and noticing her door slightly ajar. Confused but curious, she pulled on a shirt and a pair of sweats, padding out into the living room. Where she saw Paige, half-asleep and slouched on the couch with her laptop balanced precariously on her legs. Azzi chuckled softly at the sight.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice still thick with sleep.

Paige blinked up at her, a small, sheepish smile tugging at her lips. “I told Geno I’d send him film notes for the next team we’re playing,” she mumbled, stifling a yawn.

Azzi’s gaze softened, her heart swelling at Paige’s dedication. She walked over, shaking her head with an amused smile. “It’s too early for this,” she said, gently closing the laptop on Paige’s lap and setting it on the table. “You look exhausted.”

Paige opened her mouth to protest, but Azzi didn’t give her the chance. She sat down on the couch, tugging Paige toward her. Paige allowed herself to be guided, sighing as Azzi pulled her close, positioning them so they were lying back slightly, with Paige resting her head on Azzi’s chest as Azzi rested her head on the back of the couch.

“You need sleep more than Geno needs those notes right now. You can do them later,” Azzi teased, her fingers automatically threading through Paige’s hair.

“Mmm, probably,” Paige murmured, her voice muffled against Azzi’s chest as her body relaxed entirely in Azzi’s embrace.

The two of them laid there in a peaceful silence, Azzi’s fingers gently threading through Paige’s hair as Paige let her eyes fall shut. Slowly, the steady rhythm of Azzi’s heartbeat lulled her back to sleep, her body fully relaxed.

Azzi glanced down after a while, realizing Paige had drifted off. Her lips curved into a soft smile as she leaned down to press a tender kiss to the top of Paige’s head. Watching her sleep like this, so vulnerable and utterly at ease, tugged at Azzi’s heartstrings.

It reminded her of something Paige had said a while ago, before they had things figured out—they were sprawled out in Azzi’s room, homework abandoned on the desk because Azzi had insisted on cuddling instead. Paige had eventually relented but only on one condition: she got to lay on Azzi’s chest.

Azzi had teased her about it at the time, but she remembered how Paige started to ramble, her voice soft as her thoughts spilled out randomly.

“Laying on somebody’s chest is probably one of the most intimate things,” Paige had mused, her cheek resting against Azzi’s chest.

“Oh really?” Azzi had replied, laughing lightly, not expecting the seriousness in Paige’s response.

“Yeah,” Paige had hummed, her voice tinged with thoughtfulness. “You’re just lying there, probably with somebody you like a lot, and the way their heartbeat sounds calms you down, relaxes you completely in a way that’s probably not usual. It feels so... exposed, I guess. You're so close you can hear the one thing keeping the person you love alive. I don’t know, it just seems kinda crazy.”

Azzi’s heart had stuttered in her chest then, and Paige had immediately noticed, her lips curving into a teasing smile as she pointed it out. Azzi had turned red, hastily shoving Paige off her chest with a grumbled “You’re so annoying,” though her cheeks burned for the rest of the day.

Now, as Azzi looked down at this version of Paige—the one she loved so deeply, who was no longer just her best friend but her girlfriend—a grin spread across her face. This was the same girl who had turned her world upside down with her rambles, her teasing, her tender way of seeing the world.

Gently, Azzi tightened her arms around Paige, holding her closer, her grin softening. She pressed another kiss to Paige’s temple, letting herself savor this quiet moment, this piece of intimacy Paige had described so perfectly. It really was crazy, Azzi thought. But it was also perfect.

[jayofolympus-writes]

Seven Sentence Sunday

I was tagged by @loki-is-my-kink-awakening! Thanks for the tag!

Selkie Lamb

Aiden looks dubious, but he doesn't voice whatever argument Lambert can see is on his tongue. He doesn't bring up Lambert's predicament again at all until they've settled down that evening and have begun eating by their campfire. "You should winter with me," Aiden says, eyes pleading as he stares across the fire at Lambert. "The thought of you going back there, after what they did... Come with me to the caravan. You'll be welcome there." Lambert's still reeling with a confusing mess of emotions, and for all that he doesn't blame anyone but Rennes and Vesemir, he wants very badly to never feel the cold of Kaer Morhen ever again. "Alright," he says.

I am tagging @on-a-lucky-tide, @lokibuswrites, @sl-walker, and anyone else who wants to join in!

[sl-newsie]

American Woman (Thomas Shelby x American OC) Ch. 46: Grim Tidings

Masterlist: https://www.tumblr.com/sl-newsie/739551758747090944/american-woman-thomas-shelby-x-american-oc?source=share

We get back inside and out of the growing cold. Thomas walks back to his desk while I carry my trunk up to the guest room despite his insisting to make Lydia help me. Part of me hopes Thomas will at least call Arthur and John to wish them ‘Merry Christmas.’ What’s it going to take for him to break down and talk to them? 

After I set my trunk on the massive bed I go back downstairs hoping to find Charlie. Maybe he’s playing with Thomas? I poke my head in, only to find Thomas staring at something on his desk.

“Did you get a Christmas card?” I ask and look down at the strangely dull paper. What kind of holiday card is that? All that’s on it is- 

My breath hitches and I freeze in my tracks. A black handprint. That’s a black hand… From a mister Luca Changretta. Jesus Christ. That means…

Thomas looks up and sees my petrified face. “Do you recognize this?”

I can’t tear my eyes away from the foreboding symbol. As a child I remember the one thing Uncle Colon preached above everything else was the danger of the black hand.

“I know what that is,” I whisper dreadfully and back away from the desk. “It’s a sign from the Sicilian mafia. They’re spreading like wildfire back home. The FBI doesn’t want to admit the mob exists but it’s clear as day. Uncle Colon specifically ordered for my neighborhood to be guarded from them.” 

I back against the wall and clutch my chest before my heart can burst out. A black hand. There’s a black hand addressed to Thomas. I work for Thomas. Does that mean my family is going to be served a black hand too?!

Thomas walks around the desk and approaches me cautiously. “You’re safe here, Verena. I promise.”

My eyes flash with panic. “Is it just you?”

He groans and rubs his furrowed brow. “How the fuck would I know?”

My jaw drops. This is not the time to be held back by the family’s falling out! If there was ever a time to bury the hatchet, this is it! And if he doesn’t snap out of it right now I’m going to slap it out of him!

“Do you even know how the mafia works?” I ask sternly. “I don’t know how up to date you are with things but the Italians hate the Irish. My people. Thomas, they aren’t just a gang. They’re like a company. Run like a well-oiled machine. Family and tradition is everything to them. Instead of burning a building or blowing up a train they kill entire families and leave one man standing to see it all happen. One minute they’re chatting friendly over wine, the next they’re jamming a breadstick down your throat. These men are sophisticated savages.”

Thomas looks up at me, then back at the card, then at the floor. “I need to make a call.”

I tug at his sleeve. “Thomas. Listen to me. I am not exposing my family to this. Being tied to you could put them at risk too.”

I reach for the phone but Thomas snatches my hand. “If your family’s involved they would have already called. Do you want to alert them to it if they have nothing to worry about?”

Damn. He’s right. If moeder doesn’t know about this then she’ll lose her marbles if I call her to say I’m working for a man involved in a vendetta. But I can’t be expected to just keep quiet!

I raise my voice. “Thomas-!” 

“I know!” He shouts and his grip on me tightens. “You just got here, wanting to help, and now this black hand’s fucked everything up. It’s too dangerous for you to go back home because Changretta might be looking for you.”

He pulls me closer and all but digs his fingernails into my skin. “Do not ask me to have to receive a letter testifying that your body was found drifting at sea. Just- Just let me figure this out and I will keep you safe.”

How far does he expect to stretch my trust?! This is my own family we’re talking about! And unlike him I do not have an estrangement with them. Why would I-?!

“Daddy? Veena?”

My head flinches to look over where Charlie is peeking behind the corner. Oh God. I’m not letting him hear of this too. Not after what happened last time. If this Changretta fellow lays a finger on him I’ll rip each one off and plunge a bullet through his skull.

“Charlie!” Thomas cuts out my thoughts and makes a performance to get me to stop talking about the black hand. “How about we start getting ready for bed, yeah? Verena-” He looks at me desperately. “Any Dutch traditions for us?”

I bite my tongue. Very well, Thomas. I will stay quiet… for now.

“Actually I did bring some Christmas cookies,” I smile mischievously and Charlie’s eyes widen. “You’ll have to wait until tomorrow. Ah…” I dig around for any traditions they wouldn’t know. “To say ‘Merry Christmas,’ in the Netherlands we say ‘Vrolijk Kerstfeest.’ We still abide by the legend of Santa Claus but the Dutch version is called Kerstman.” I dramatically spread my arms. “He is tall and slender with a long white beard. He wears dark red robes and a tall hat similar to a bishop’s. Children leave their shoes out and fill them with hay and carrots for his horse. When he visits, he fills the shoes with gifts and treats.”

Charlie tugs on his father’s arm. “Can I leave my shoes out tonight?”

“Sure thing, son.” Thomas pats his back.

I keep thinking. “As for some traditions on my moeder’s side, we leave a candle in the window to represent guiding Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem. It’s inspired by an old Celtic ritual of lighting a way for the spirits to pass peacefully. We also hang a holly and ivy wreath outside the house to represent the crown of thorns.” My smile falters at the memory of past Christmases. “All of my family that resides in America gathers in our home in Brooklyn for a Christmas feast of roast pork, vegetables, mince pies, and homemade breads.”

Thomas spots my melancholiness and takes that as the cue to lead Charlie towards the parlor. Now that I’m not panicking I notice the sprigs of holly and evergreens decorating the bookshelves. Almost just like home. Maybe this doesn’t have to be such a sad Christmas after all?

“Veena! Come on!” Charlie calls.

I take one last deep breath. “Coming!”

I hurry after them and look up to see- Oh my! That’s one of the most beautiful Christmas trees I’ve ever seen! It’s gorgeous! 

“Here we are, Charlie.” Thomas hands his son a small place with a mince pie on it. “Your job is to leave these out for Santa, yeah?”

Charlie does as he’s told, along with taking off his shoes and leaving them next to the fireplace. I wonder if my young nieces and nephews are doing the same thing right now… 

“Goodnight, Charlie.” Thomas hugs him close. “Merry Christmas. I love you.”

The innocent child waves goodnight to me as Francis leads him up to bed. Thomas slumps down in an armchair with a whiskey in hand, staring at the ceiling.

“That’s really sweet of you,” I smile softly. “He’s living a childhood. You even kept the Christmas magic alive for him.”

“Charlie deserves everything.”

I nod. “He’s growing up so fast.”

Suddenly the sound of an approaching car causes Thomas to quickly get up again and look out the window. Could it be hitmen?

“Who is it?” I whisper and creep closer.

Thomas spins around and makes me sit in his chair. “Stay here.”

He storms into the other room, comes back with a small gun and goes back to the window. Thomas takes another look and sighs in relief, walking back to pour another whiskey.

“It’s Ada.”

Frances walks in with a concerned frown. “Mr. Shelby, it’s your sister.”

“I know. Send her in.”

And in walks Ada, just as I left her earlier. Thomas doesn’t wait for proper greetings and gets straight to the point.

“I’ve had a card, Ada,” he says and hands her a drink. “I’m guessing John and Arthur have had one as well.”

Ada tilts her head. “‘Hello, Tommy.’ ‘Hello, Ada, welcome home.’ Thanks, it’s nice to be back,” she drones sarcastically and nods at me. “I see you and Verena have already caught up. 

“I spoke to Moss,” Thomas explains to both of us as Ada goes to place her gifts under the tree. “Moss says that Changretta is a soldier for the Spinietta family, which means that he’ll have men with him, professional men. They usually operate in units of ten.”

I shake my head worryingly, staring at the crackling fire. “You don’t know half of what the Sicilians are capable of.”

Thomas ignores my comment. “Moss is checking Cunard records to see if they’re already in England.”

Ada, appearing surprisingly calm to this, hands Thomas a small package. “This one’s for you.”

Thomas takes it and eyes it skeptically. “What is it? Time machine?”

“My God, Tommy Shelby, is that regret?” We’re both thinking it.

He sets the present on the desk. “I’ll open it tomorrow.”

Ada presses her lips together. “So, boss, in light of the changed circumstances, what are your orders?”

Thomas leans against his desk, deep in thought, and looks between Ada and I. “Changretta knows where we all live.”

“As well as my family,” I murmur.

Ada notices my distraught nerves and her brow furrows. “But-?”

“I’m tied to the black hand because of my employment here, and because of my uncle,” I explain. “My family will bear the burden, same as yours.”

“We won’t let that happen.” Thomas walks around the desk and kneels down to look straight at me. “If we stay out in the open, isolated, he’ll pick us off one by one. We need to be together in a place even they won’t dare to come.”

My eyes narrow in bafflement. “Are you saying I should ask my family to just up and leave our home?”

Ada’s confused as well. “You mean back home? Our home?”

Thomas looks at me again. “I know it’s technically yours now but-”

“I kept the deed in your safe,” I confess with a shy smile. “Just in case you lot still needed a place on Watery Lane. Of course you can use it.”

He nods gratefully and continues. “Within a four-mile radius of the Garrison. Every man is a guard and soldier for us. I’m calling a family meeting. Charlie’s Strong’s Yard, Boxing Day. Finn’s already there. You tell Polly and Michael, I’ll deal with John and Arthur.”

This is what it takes. A bloody death threat on the entire family. This is what drives him to speak to his brothers. Ada catches my eye and mouths ‘calm down,’ probably because my face looks like I could commit murder. I selflessly came here to bring people together and instead I’m being forced into a vendetta. 

“And Esme and Linda?” Ada asks before I can say anything.

Thomas’ voice raises. “Anyone who wants to live to see another Christmas needs to come where it’s safe. These bastards will kill kids as well. When this business is finished we- We can go our separate ways.”

Damn it, Thomas! None of this would have happened if you hadn’t been so headstrong on revenge for Grace’s death! In fact, all of this is because Lizzie wanted to go out with an Italian. How did I end up here? Because I’m a delirious idiot who’s trying to fix someone who might be permanently broken.

“Do you think I’m on the list?” Ada asks in her own tone of fear. Now she catches on.

Thomas’ gaze hardens. “We’re all on the list, Ada. Just ask Verena.”

She huffs in frustration. “I gave my gun to Arthur.”

Without a word, Thomas reaches in his desk and pulls out a pistol. He checks to see it's loaded before passing it over with a blank expression.

“Welcome home.”

Ada still looks perturbed and I can’t blame her. She pockets the gun and I stand up to follow her.

“I’ll walk you out.” We get to the hall and I lean in closer. “How’s Arthur?”

She scoffs lightly. “He’s a chicken farmer now. He seems to be coping better, although Linda’s still got him on a tight leash. This whole black hand thing’s sure to get Arthur stressed.”

My face darkens once more. “We all are.”

After she leaves I walk back to the parlor to find Thomas standing by the phone. He sees me walk in and points to me.

“What ‘bout you, Verena? You’ve got a gun?”

I tartly reach under my wool skirt and pull my own pistol from my leg holster. “Smith and Wesson. American-made.”

The tiniest hint of a smirk dances across his lips. “Just the way you like it. How appropriate. I’m going to call John.” He dials the number and waits a good long minute before giving up. “Fuck.”

“No answer? Maybe they’re asleep.”

He ignores me and dials another number. “Get me through to Maypole 245.”

I shouldn’t be listening to these conversations. While Thomas waits for Arthur to pick up I move to his office to look at the wretched card once more. My motive is my own family’s safety. If that means I have to give up my own safety by staying here and keeping quiet then I cannot fight it. 

The phone clicks again and I take that as a signal to rejoin Thomas. He looks sad and tired.

“Did he pick up?” I ask softly.

He takes a drink. “Yeah.”

“You sounded nervous.”

“‘M not nervous to talk to me own brothers,” Thomas grumbles. He looks up at my pointed stare and grudgingly looks to the ceiling. “Fine. I was a little nervous.”

“On a different matter… Thomas, my family will not leave. They’ve worked too hard to make it to where we are. They would rather face conflict than leave Brooklyn. So… I will stay here, not a word to them, and trust that you know what you’re doing.”

Thomas sets his drink down and gently grips my shoulders, peering straight at me with pleading eyes. “Just trust me. I promise I will do everything I can to make sure they’re not connected.”

Can I really trust him? Trust in him always seems to lead to the darkest of places. Is my love for him enough to provide reasoning for trust or is it clouding my judgment?

“I’m retiring for the night.” I take his calloused hand and give it an uncertain squeeze. “Merry Christmas, Thomas.”

He leans his head in closer. Not enough to touch my forehead but enough for his icy blue eyes to be the only things I can see. “Merry Christmas.”

Every part of the festive feeling I felt earlier today is gone. Suddenly this jolly season has become full of benevolence. I cannot think about some petty romance now! As I make my way to my room and prepare for sleep, the dread of hearing any news from home gnaws at my stomach. All I can do now is pray that tomorrow brings more answers. It will be good to see Finn again...

@meadows5

[kookslastbutton]

high tide ༓ kth (m)

✑ Summary: Due to Taehyung's job as a cruise ship Captain, you are constantly miles away from each other. Weekly phonecalls help and this one gets a little nasty and a lot sweet.

Pairing: cruise ship captain!taehyung x fem!reader (feat. Yeontan)

AU/genre: PWP, fluff, smut, tiny angst, established relationship, aged-up, oneshot

Rating: M, 18+

Word Count: 2,001

Warnings: dom!taehyung, slight brat!reader, phone s*x, f*ngering, handj*b, mutual m*sturbation, taehyung calls oc sl*t once, some d*rty talk, mentions of v*berator, crying, missing each other, + taehyung has a special suprise for oc vv sweet

Now Playing: Beautiful, Versace on the Floor, Photograph…

A/N: wrote this on a whim after I saw Taehyung in that white captian outfit. Took a slightly different direction than planned but i like it. Hope you do too! 💞

“Two more days baby,” he says through the phone, loosening the tie from around his neck. “Then I’ll be home.”

“I miss you.” You nearly whine the words but who could blame you? Taehyung’s been at sea for 10 weeks straight. You’ve been calling as much as you can but they’re never as long as you’d like. Between the ship, the crew, and countless other responsibilities to keep track of, plus sleeping when he can–which never amounted to more than six hours a night, your boyfriend had a tight schedule.

Of course, he wouldn’t be able to talk to you for more than fifteen minutes a few nights a week.

You expected it.

“Someone wants to say hi.” You glance beside you, and a pair of beady dark eyes stare up at you. You’re boyfriend’s dog rests his head on your lap. “Say hi to daddy Yeontan.” You hold your phone near him.

“Yeontan,” Taehyung’s deep voice rumbles. “Yeontan, are you behaving for mommy?” Yeontan quirks his head, unsure of the sudden noise. “Yeontan,” he tries again, this time making light kissing sounds.

At that, Yeontan lets out a yip, then another. You roll your eyes hearing Taehyung chuckle. “Good boy.”

Yeontan lets another yip and sits up on high alert. You bring a hand down to stroke his fur, calming him before you bring the phone up to your ear. “I think you got him too excited. He thinks you’re coming back tonight.”

“Well, you did use the D word.” Taehyung plays with the small box next to him. The sharp flipping and snapping of the lid cracks through the speaker.

“What are you doing?” You’re unable to ignore the sound. It’s harsh on your ear. “Are you doing something?”

Taehyung sets the box down instantly. You hear it squeak against a glass surface. “Sorry,” he coos. “It’s just an empty box that held cufflinks the crew surprised me with the other day. Messing around with it has become a habit I’ve developed recently.”

You hum. “Like a fidget spinner?”

“Yeah,” Taehyung replies. He smiles at the dainty box. “Something like that.”

“Oh, well that was nice of them to get you. Though I’m not shocked. You’ve been taking good care of them over the last seven years.”

Taehyung hears your words but falls silent. He whips his head towards his nightstand, viewing the photo of him and you in a burgundy-red picture frame. It was a gorgeous day out. Taehyung had just gotten promoted to captain and you were right by his side, arms around his waist with that knock-out smile he loves so much.

You’ve been together for eight years now and eight magnificent years they’ve been. Fancy dinners, late-night movies, going to the jazz, along with a handful of quarrels soon followed by make-up sex–you’ve done it all. And while neither of you could fathom being without the other, eight years have quickly turned into eight minutes with the amount of time the seas called him.

He hasn’t told you but every time he boarded the ship, watching your form get smaller and smaller, he felt gut-wrenching guilt settle in the pit of his stomach.

Taehyung didn’t want you waiting and yet he knew you were. Every ten weeks, he’d go to sea and then return for ten weeks. The worst part was that even when he was home, it was like a countdown until the process repeated itself.

Yes, you were constantly in limbo, waiting for the next step.

He hated it.

“Hey are you still with me?” It’s your stark voice that shakes Taehyung back into the conversation. He blinks away from the framed photo, clutching his phone.

“I’m still here,” he replies. “Listen __, I want you to know that in a couple of days, I’ll have something for you…to make up for all our lost time.”

“Hmm, is that so…” Your voice lowers, a sultry undertone with it. “Can I know what it is, Captain?”

Taehyung clears his throat thickly, palms feeling a tad sweaty and pants tight. “No, no you can’t,” he murmurs. “You’ll find out when you’re supposed to.”

“Two days is too long. Tell me now and maybe I’ll give you something in return unless you wanna risk it.”

Taehyung smirks, aware of your taunting. “Stick your fingers anywhere near your sopping cunt and that’s all you’ll be getting for a week.”

“Being that it’s the only thing I have gotten for the last ten weeks, fine by me,” you counter. “Oh, except for that pretty pink vibrator I got the other day. Does wonders for the female body.”

“Fucking brat.” Taehyung grips his thigh, struggling to repulse images of your sprawled-out body on your shared bed, broken moans leaving your lips. He hasn’t touched your soft skin or felt the burn of your fingers on his skull for weeks.

Somehow you’ve been perfectly satisfied though, which isn’t necessarily a huge problem due to his absence, but he’d rather not be reminded. Especially when it’s coming from a toy that likely couldn’t make you scream as loud as he could. “When I get home, that damn vibrator is the first to go. So enjoy yourself for a couple more days because it isn’t going to last.“

“Uh huh, uh huh.” You feign disinterest. “Same threats as usual. The sea has made you so dull and boring.”

“Yeah, think so? Well go ahead then slut. Make yourself come any way you’d like right now.” Taehyung waits for you to own up to your shit but you hesitate. “What’s the matter? Wanna take it all back?”

“Taehyung…I was just–”

“Uh uh,” he interrupts. “It’s far too late for any of that. You made a statement and you made me horny. So you know what we’re gonna do?” He reaches down his pants, unbuckling the leather belt around his waist. The sound of metal clangs against each other, before you hear a zipper gliding down.

“I swear Taehyung, if you make me listen to you jerk off right now I’m hanging up and not calling back.”

“Oh and I believe you so much,” he snickers, pushing his pants down enough to take his erect cock in hand. Taehyung has a massive cock so the push was generous, let’s say. “I think you want me to get off for you don’t you?”

His deep, thick voice rings through your entire body. Arousal slowly pooling between your thighs. It’s been a good six weeks since you and Taehyung last did anything like this. He’d either have to go to bed or your phone call would typically cut out before you got the chance.

Taehyung spits on his hands before taking his length in his palm. “Answer me,” he says but you’re too preoccupied with picturing his beautifully sleek fingers gripping his big, hard cock so tight it makes you drool. All you reply with is a weak ‘uh’.

His groans are hot and rough as he starts a steady pace. You ask if he’ll turn his camera on and make this a video call instead but he only laughs wickedly in response. “You think this is for you sweetheart? For your pleasure?” His breaths quicken, cock leaking precum you bet. If only you could be there. “Well it’s not,” he quips with a broken grunt.

“Please, Tae.” You lean your head back on the headboard, closing your eyes. A hand slips up your bare thigh and slips under your shirt to settle on your abdomen.

“Oh god–fuck!” Taehyung cusses loudly and your knuckles tense. “Fuck fuck fuck,” he curses again. When you draw the same hand down your core and straight to your wet center, you let out a satisfied moan. Taehyung doesn’t miss it, however.

“No, no–no, I don’t want,” he struggles to form the simple words, not stopping his ruthless movements. “Shit–“

You bite your lip and stuff two fingers inside, curling them as far as you can. It shoots spikes of pleasure up your spine and your hips buck up in response. “Taehyung, I wish I could see you. I wish I could be there.” Wetness pricks the corner of your eyes as you push into yourself and thumb your clit. Your thoughts are consumed by your boyfriend doing nearly the exact same hundreds of miles away. “I miss you so much Tae,” you gasp.

Taehyungs sweating bullets. His hair has gotten messy, a few strands stick to his forehead. He’s inches away from his high and he’s so pissed that you’re touching yourself when this was supposed to be him punishing you or some shit but he can’t stop either of you from continuing.

“God I miss you too baby. I miss seeing your gorgeous face and making you laugh. Your laugh is so goddamn pretty. I miss waking up beside you, my arms wrapped around you as I think to myself how lucky I am to have you with me for so long. And I really fucking wish it was your hands getting me off instead of my own. I’m so sorry I’m away so much and for so long.”

“Don’t apolo–apologize.” You add another finger, hot liquid coating them and already running down your thighs. “I understand your job is important to you. We’ll see each other soon and I’ll have you back to myself.”

“No, baby listen to me. Was gonna tell you in person but I’m stepping down. Fuck I’m there!” Taehyung releases on himself, his cum dripping down the length of his cock.

"What?" Pleasure washes over you as you release soon after, hands sticky and out of breath. "You're doing what?"

"Jimin's gonna be the new captain sweetheart. I can't keep going away every two to three months. I'm gone for half the year and I just cant keep doing it. I'll get a job closer to home somewhere. I just wanna be with you. I wanna..." Taehyung pauses. "__, I wanted this to be all romantic and grand but I don't think I can wait. That box I told you that were cufflinks the crew gave me? I lied. It's a ring. I bought it in Toulouse, France for you because I wanna stay with you as long as possible—"

"Oh my God oh my god Taehyung...." More tears cover your cheeks. You didn't think the day would come.

"Eight years is long enough isn't it? What do you say?" Taehyung's voice is shaky. He glances at the tiny box again, the one with your ring it. He doesnt reach for it because, well you know. But he can't wait to put it on your finger if you say what he hopes you will.

"Mhm, yes yes I'll marry you! Fuck you make me so happy." You really, really can't wait to see Taehyung in two days—he's your fiancee now.

"You dont know how happy you make me __. And when I see you in two day, I'm doing this again just so you know. The way I planned."

You smile through the phone, overwhelmed with emotions. "You don't have to. This was more than enough. And you don't have to quit being a captain really, its what you've wanted for so long."

"I want something different now," Taehyung says. "We deserve this __. Something new and not from miles away where we only communicate over the phone. Plus, now that you're my fiancee....soon bride and all—"

"Okay slow down tiger," you drawl, sneaky suspicion in your tone. "No babies for the first year or two, at least."

Taehyung fakes a loud sigh. "If my fiancee insists. No TaeTae juniors, yet."

"Hey! They'll also be mine, thank you very much!" You pound the bed with your fist. Taehyung laughs wholeheartedly.

"Okay, ours," he replies. "By the way, thank you for tonight. It was really hot, you were really hot."

"Back at you, Captain."

You giggle to yourself, thoughts wandering— you're getting married. Who are you telling first? The wedding planner duh!

A/N: uhm idk why but writing this couple gave me different feelings than usual...anyway Lmk your thoughts otherwise thanks for reading lovlies 💞

Masterlist

no reposting, copying, or translating my work– © kookslastbutton

[ryin-silverfish]

LMK Fanfic: The Serpent and the Deluge

AO3 Mirror

LMK S5 spoilers ahead. Proceed with caution.

Kinda a companion piece to my "Chaos doesn't work that way" post.

Featuring: the Nine-Headed Demon telling a story, and lots of Chinese mythos references.

We met again, Harbinger.

Now hold on, and hold your punches. We are in a dream, the realm souls wander to in their slumber. You can't touch me here, nor can I touch you; though I apologize for intruding without permission, it doesn't really matter when this visit is my last.

Why am I here? To tell you a story about a cave. 

Oh come on, no need to look all bored before I even begin. I know you've heard it once, but I promise, this one is better than the last. The Cave and the Sun: Expanded Edition, if you would.

Yes, I'm very obsessed with the sound of my own voice. You would too if you were stuck in the Palace of Darkness for centuries, accompanied only by the cries of hungry ghosts and my nine late colleagues, droning on and on about crimes and punishments.

Please, Harbinger, just let me have my one last indulgence before leaving it all behind, once and for all.

Where was I? Ah, the cave.

Officially, it is not a cave, but the Terrace of Gonggong. But if you were born in the empty void beneath, amidst the pooling blood and endlessly collapsing earth, you'd never know. 

Whose blood, I heard you ask? The blood of Xiangliu, loyal minister of Gonggong, shed by Yu the Great, from which my kind spawn and return to upon the end of a single life, so that we may be born anew. Rocks weren't the only thing you can spontaneously pop out of in the age of the ancients, it turns out.

One day, a little bird and a little snake crawled out of the pool, like countless others before them, and didn't get eaten by their malformed siblings on the way out. Up and up, they climbed, until they were scooped up by the scaled claws of the elders, nine heads fully grown, and told of their destiny: nothing.

Yes, you heard that right. Nothing. 

That was all their kind were, and would be, sealed beneath the Five Altars, misbegotten ilks of the Floodbringer, whose blood and flesh were marked forever by the deeds of the Breaker of the Sky Pillar.

“So venture not into the light above,” they warned, even as their ramshackle nests sank deeper and deeper into the putrid swamp. “Our essences are cursed, stained by the transgressions of our forefathers. You will bring them nothing but misery and destruction, and be boiled down to nothing in return.”

And it was easy for the little bird to almost believe them, as she tore into the flesh of their malformed siblings, spawns of Xiangliu who had come back incomplete, in bits and pieces, driven only by hunger until they dissolved into the pool of blood once more. 

But, as always, the best way to get someone to do something is warning them against it, and the little snake is a born contrarian.

...

He heard the call while hanging upside down on a stalactite, tasting the copper-scented air with his forked tongue, trying to catch a whiff of the wind that slipped through the cracks.

They all did. Yet, unlike the ones above ground, it was a call some were still capable of refusing, dampened by the seals and reduced to a fraction of its strength.

Come to me, it said, and only the spawns with the weakest and strongest will listened.

"What are you doing, Ah Jiu?" The little bird yelled, hovering above the many-limbed tide of malformed spawns, stepping all over each other as they made their way up the steep cliffs. "Come back here, right this instant!"

The little snake did not listen. Could not listen. As he unfurled his own wings and followed the tide, the call had become a song, loud and mesmerizing, drowning out all the other sounds inside and outside of him, till only a single word remained: Come.

So, like any frustrated, overprotective sibling, the little bird took off after him. 

...

They emerged out of a sea of blood, covered in the viscera of their malformed siblings, who had slammed themselves against the protective spells of the seals, over and over and over, until a brief opening was created.

They looked into the light together, and it burned. Horribly. It's a miracle that they weren't blinded forever.

The little snake, who saw more with his tongue than his actual eyes, was the first to regain his senses. Whereas the world inside the cave was like a spiderweb, thin threads stretching across a metal-scented void, the world outside was a tapestry of smells and sounds and vibrations, stretching endlessly towards the horizon.

He took so long adoring this tapestry, he didn't even notice the little bird flying off. As fierce and practical-minded as she was, when she heard the call in all of its wondrous, terrible glory, she darted after it like a huntress pursuing her prey, an arrow cutting through the air.

If she was alive in this day and age, she'd be the sort of tourist who headed straight for the destinations, took photos of the biggest, most iconic landmarks, then spent the rest of the day sleeping on the bus.

The little snake, however, preferred to stroll his way there leisurely. Enjoy the scenery, even as the tour guide was screaming his name into the speaker, telling him to hurry up, for heaven's sake.

Why am I so familiar with such...modern stuff? My my, do you know how many tourists managed to die in the dumbest manner ever, and how many of them ended up in front of the Tenth Court?

Impersonating a king of the Underworld meant I got a share of the workload too, and I'll admit, after all the extra paperwork and inane cases the others had thrown in my way, it made killing them just a tiny bit cathartic.

Back to the little snake. When he arrived, the entirety of demonkind had gathered beneath a towering mountain peak. From its top, the call echoed on and on.

Amidst beasts and beings of all shapes and sizes, he could barely spot the little bird, her dark, iridescent feathers standing in stark contrast with the white fur of the nine-tailed fox beside her.

He was only allowed a single glance, before the call became a deafening choir, and a verdant banner, made of jade-like scales, was raised up into the air, by a stunningly beautiful woman with the lower body of a snake.

A goddess, she called herself. And she had summoned them here to topple a dynasty.

...

You have already met Nüwa, Harbinger. You know very well what she's like. 

Whatever you think of her now, I have a warning for you: do not ever see her as your mother, or your kin. Or anything other than a goddess.

We are her kin. Everything born naturally from Heaven and Earth, out of the Qi flow of Yin and Yang, whether they call themselves gods or demons——are of the same substance. 

And look how she treated us. Watch that banner, the Spirit Calling Banner, work its magic, calling us to kneel before her regardless of our will. Would you ever make such a thing and keep it in storage, just in case you need to raise it against your friends and family?

You, whom she molded from stone and clay, are not her children either. Not even the children of a terrible parent.

The best analogy I can come up with is a figurine collector and her collections. If my brief peeks into the living realm hold true, some collectors love their dolls more than anything. Would probably save their collection instead of all the other valuables, when a fire broke out in their house.

But figurines can't think or feel. They won't have a problem with being locked eternally in a glass case and having it be their entire world. They don't bleed when used in a wargame. Nor will they worship their collector as a goddess, or write a love poem to her.

If Nüwa was ever human, I'd sympathize with her disgust a lot more, when Zhou the Tyrant expressed his desire to take her as a concubine. 

Well, she isn't, and neither am I. 

She sent my sister and her new friends to tempt King Zhou and topple his dynasty, promising to release our kind from the Terrace in return, then executed them for doing exactly that. All because they had harmed too many of her precious figurines in the process. Honestly, what was she expecting?

This, I can never forgive.

I, however, am not poor Azure. I don't fancy myself a champion for demonkind, and my dear sister had made her choices, however unwise they were.

I have waited all these years, endured more setbacks than you can count, done my fair share of manipulation and sacrifices, for a goal greater than petty revenge.

I wish to shatter the cage that traps us all. Unravel the cruel threads of Fate and Destiny.

...

What do you know of Chaos, Harbinger?

It's scary. And bad. Hmm, I expected to hear that, yet I'm still disappointed. How very human——and divine, to impose morality and wishful thinking and arbitrary orders onto the unfathomable, the natural!

Allow me to show you a glimpse of the truth. The same truth the little snake gazed upon when he returned to the cave, and made his efforts in vain, to save those who did not wish to be saved.

This is Chaos.

The primordial cosmic sea, the warm deluge of nothing and everything. The potential for Life. 

"One begets Two, Two begets Three, Three begets everything." Chaos separates into Yin and Yang, and through the copulation of the two, Heaven and Earth and Life come into existence.

The spontaneous spawning of beings from Qi flows, from the mighty gods and fantastic beasts of old to your garden-variety yaoguai, as primordial matter divides itself——that will be impossible without Chaos.

To put it in simpler terms: remember the blood of Xiangliu? From the pool we came, and it's the pool we'd ultimately return to. 

"After everything you've said and done, I'm even less convinced that it's a good thing."

Oh, that is not an argument. Merely a statement of facts. At the end of the Great Cycle, when the process of division runs out of momentum at last, everything will return to Chaos and be reborn once more. 

An end that will not come in the next few eons, yet one Nüwa desires to "protect" this world from, nonetheless.

Confused? Need some time to process what you've just heard? No worries. Let me tell you another story in the meantime. 

Or, as I like to call it, the fable of the failed cosmetic surgery.

...

The god of the South Sea is Shu, the god of the North Sea is Hu, and the Lord of the Center is Hundun. 

The three encountered each other inside the domain of Hundun, and Hundun welcomed them warmly as guests.

To repay his kindness, Shu and Hu thought up an idea: "All humans have seven orifices through which they look and listen, eat and breathe. Yet Hundun doesn't have any. Let us bore some for him, so he can sense the world."

Everyday they bore one orifice, and on the seventh day, Hundun died.

...

"...What was the point of this story?" 

Who knows! Maybe it doesn't have one. Maybe the old human who wrote it was poking fun at the incessant need to find a point in everything, like he always did.

But my point, Harbinger, is this: death, destruction, all the scary stuff you are thinking of——these are not the essence of Chaos, merely the results of its division. You cannot have Life without its opposite, Yang without Yin; for every push, there must be a pull.

Thus, by dividing this world from Chaos, Nüwa has ensured its doom. 

Much like water, if you build a dam and only dams to defend against a flood, the silts and mud gradually build up at the bottom, and it's only a matter of time before the river overflows into an even more catastrophic deluge. 

By creating the Pillar of Heaven, what would have been nothing but a storm of Qi currents, a surge of spontaneous births and deaths in the ancient ages, became a disastrous flood that periodically threatened to engulf the artificial bubble once and for all.

It is her prison as much as ours. And when its walls fell at last, it would have taken every single prisoner with it, in the same way the Terrace of Gonggong has taken mine.

...

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, so the saying goes.

Unfortunately, the little snake is quickly disabused of such notions. In the decades he was away, the cave had grown even colder, darker, more dismal than ever. Fewer of his kin stood in the swamp, as more and more youths came back malformed, wrong, incomplete, the Chaos in their blood fizzling out with each passing and birth. 

Yet still they clung to the familiar, the corrosive certainty, the willful ignorance. 

“You have taken the brightest of us with you, allowing her to burn up in the light, and still you dare whisper your poison into the ears of the younglings? Still you wish to lure them to such a cruel fate?” 

Monster. Unforgivable.

Words turned into sharp retorts turned into accusations turned into screams, then, at last, pleadings, as his kin tied him to the heaviest stone they could find, then pushed it off a cliff, into the abyss where all the blood flowed to and gathered.

He sank and sank, further and further away from the nonexistent light of their warm bodies, for what seemed like an eternity.

Then he opened his eyes and saw.

...

He saw everything he had been, every time he had crawled out and returned to the pool. Basked in the remembrances of those he once called kin, clinging to him like dews on metal as he shook them aside, and gazed deeper into the blood-red void.

He saw the nine-headed serpent, hissing, sinking into and lunging out of the earth below as if it was made of water. Before it was a man with a face like weathered cliffs and an ape-like gait, who calmly held up his golden staff, standing tall against the poisonous tides the serpent unleashed with each of its breaths.

He saw the faceless vermillion beast, the winged tiger, the beast with human face and boar tusks, the horned monster gnawing on its own flesh, raging in vain as the glowing chains dragged them down, into the void between the stars.

He saw the red-headed giant, his snake tail lashing out wildly against the circle of fire that was shrinking around him, fueled by the burning man with the body of a beast.

With one last desperate roar, the giant leaped out of the flames, plunging his head right into the golden pillar that stood between Heaven and Earth.

A crack formed. He looked into it, and he saw, he saw, he saw it all——

Come back to us, the shades of the pool cried out behind him. Come back and forget everything. Close your eyes and begin anew. Come back, it's safe and warm in here.

Never, he said.

Then he reached into the depth of himself. Felt the little droplet of warm chaos, cracking, pulsating, dividing——and set it aflame.

...

He slithered through the blood, like a flame burning across a trail of oil. Past the long-submerged caverns where generations of spawns once carved their tales into the stone, past his writhing, malformed siblings, through the cracks in the collapsed entrance where a little snake and a little bird once chased after the echoes of a call.

The seals did not even activate, as he burned his way out of long-dried bloodstains, and emerged into the chamber of the Five Altars.

Meticulously, he shattered them, one by one. With each altar that crumbled, the earth beneath shook, and the cracks in the ceiling and walls widened.

He could sense the ripple in the blood, feel his fellow spawns dissolving back into the pool. It was quickly becoming a vortex in the lightless depth, as the essence of Chaos ate through the bedrocks, the thick Yin energy of the Underworld, the very fabric of space, returning to the great beyond where true peace lay.

A peace that would be forever out of his reach. Or so he thought, as the Terrace came down around him.

...

"Wow, you are even more of a monster than I thought."

Ah, I see what you are doing here. Such childish provocation will no longer work on me, now that I'm in the process of discarding my own childish indignance, my body sinking deeper and deeper into the primordial sea as we speak.

But still: if trying to save people without their consent makes me a monster, then yes. I am a monster, and so are you, Harbinger.

Please. You think you have found a true third solution, a long-term one? No, had Nüwa even explained it properly, what your sacrifice was supposed to accomplish?

Of course she didn't. So allow me. 

The so-called Great Cycle she spoke of is nothing like the real deal. It is as artificial as the division between this world and Chaos. 

Had I not awakened you prematurely, you'd have emerged into a cold, desolate, broken realm where all life had withered, yet was not allowed to be broken down and returned to its origins.

You'd have walked like a lamb to the slaughter, led by the last few ghostly fools of the Underworld, to burn yourself up inside the Pillar and reset the world. Moving it back in time to the very beginning, where life still flourished.

This is your true destiny. This is what she thinks of as a mercy, creating a sacrificial effigy who has no attachments, nothing to miss. Having never been properly alive, surely death will be as light as a feather to the poor thing!

"Then why did you still want me to sacrifice myself?" Have I ever told you that, child? Your decision was your own, whether I liked it or not. Had you said "No!" to my face and walked away to face the end with dignity, I'd have defended that decision too, and I did.

Either way, I'll have my exit. Whether swept up in the flood and returned to Chaos in bits and pieces, or...to a point where I'd no longer remember. When I'm still capable of making different choices.

Now, your solution is unexpected, not gonna lie, but still one that upholds the division. Instead of using five powerful support beams to hold up the broken pillar, you've made the entirety of humanity into its anchor, tying them irrevocably to the fate of the world.

If I were a true monster, the easiest way to render your effort naught would be killing off large swaths of them in one go, before they had time to fully adapt to their new reality.

As wonderful as it is, this new barrier you've created is more of a net instead of a brick wall, full of holes, and an emissary such as me can easily slip through.

This emissary, however, is not the one you should be looking out for. It's the exiles, and they are coming.

But I've lingered and rambled long enough, haven't I? Guess it's time to leave my doubts behind, too, along with whatever sentimentality for this world that remains.

It's a pleasure talking to you, child. I'd say "Don't miss me too much", except I know you won't. Literally. You won't remember this dream, even if you want to.

And when we meet again——if we ever meet again——I will be me no longer, nor trapped in this maelstrom of divisions. 

I will have merged back into the One, and I sincerely hope you will too, one day.

[lau219]

🎃🤍🔥 Kinktober Update 🔥🤍🎃

Hi everyone, I hope you all have been enjoying Kinktober so far! I want to thank each and every one of my readers so much for all the love and support they’ve shown me so far this month. I love you all!

That being said, I’m posting this to let everyone know that I’m going to be working on some of my WIPs, and will likely soon be posting for those instead of strictly Kinktober stuff. I still have absolutely every intention of eventually fulfilling all the Kinktober requests, but I’m at a point where so much of what I want to write and have at the forefront of my mind right now are things outside of the Kinktober requests. Also, the consensus seems to be that many of you are wanting WIP updates, so that’s part of it, too.

Once again, I promise I will still fulfill all the requests eventually. Some will be sooner than others, but just know that updates on the WIPs you all have been asking for are on the horizon, so hopefully that will tide you over.

🎃🤍🔥 Thanks again, everyone! 🔥🤍🎃

@nyxxie-pooh @xsweetcatastrophe @allie131313 @empatheticlove @febris-amatoria

@hannibellector @pawnsong @meister95 @alltoowellbeneaththemangotree @beastofburdenxo

@fracturedhaven @aphroditeslover11 @galactict3a @lyarr24 @wild-rose-35

@judig92 @cillmurphyslover @ladyvenera @karah-bear @k1ng-l3on

@ceirinen @peskybinders @fuseburner @shaddixlife @neonpurplestars89-blog

@garrison-girl-08 @devotedlyshadowytheorist @breakthestereo @muhahaha303 @mostly-marvel-musings

@an-eclectic-of-mass-destruction @vervainandspritz @wonderlanddreamer @novashelby @honeymoon8

@cardan-official @pkmonka @meadows5 @mamawiggers1980 @fmo166

@vastcapacity @mspookington-blog @teawonderfultea-blog1 @fkmarrycill @sl-newsie

@mrs-bond @shopgirl6us @cillianbabe @myers-meadow @ajajin3

[read-alert]

Happy MerMay! Full titles under the cut!

The Little Homo Sapiens Scientist by SL Huang

Weird Fishes by Rae Mariz

The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey

Mermaids Never Drown: Tales to Dive For edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C Parker

Chlorine by Jade Song

The Perfect Waters: Odedsa Book One by LeeSha McCoy

Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Rise of the Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste

A Comb of Wishes by Lisa Stringfellow

The Secret of Haven Point by Lisette Auton

A Song of Silver and Gold by Melissa Karibian

The Siren, the Song, and the Spy by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Out of the Blue by Jason June

Seven Tears at High Tide by CB Lee

The Seafarer's Kiss by Julia Ember

Ice Massacre by Tiana Warner

The Girl From the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

Sirena: A Mermaid Legend from Guam by Tanya Chargualaf Taimanglo illustrated by Sonny K Chargualaf

Thirsty Mermaids by Kat Leyh

Sukey and the Mermaid by Robert D San Souci illustrated by Brian Pinkney

Mermaid and Pirate by Tracey Baptiste illustrated by Leisl Adams

[bones-the-skelebunny-01]

some art I did lol the way bottom one is a commission for DatMornStar on twitter SL!Tide by @wolf-wrathknight

[mewguca]

heres some benefactor doodles from class ig

first pictured is Nine Moonlit Melodies, Shifting Tides

here's NNMST sharing ideaswith No Cost Too Great

and then the guy on the right is NMMST's friend, Legacy Of Vestiges Long Since Passed (her name is subject to change tbh)

ramblings under cut ig

i was thinking about the beginnings of the mobile iterator project tm

for reference, NMMST -> SLS and LVLSP -> LOF

LVLSP met NCTG while she was snooping around abandoned buildings as he tends to do its like one of his hobbies. anyways one of those buildings happened to be an old lab that was sorta hidden away on the surface and it happened to belong to NCTG. unfortunately they're not a fan of trespassing so they threatened to kill LVLSP unless he gave them a good idea for a Project with a lot of "potential" and he was like "uhhhhhh well ACTUALLY my friend has a GREAT idea" and so our silly little team begins to form

anyways i know i dont talk much about my ocs outside of rp but

My current upload structure is "fuck it we ball"

--

hey guys this is from november 13th and i forgot to upload it whoopsies

[fruitwanderer]

They are the same to me

Thinking about Impulse's new rock skin so hard and giggling cus like

If Impulse were a FNAF animatronic, he'd absolutely be Glamrock Freddy

[traffic-smp-headcannons]

Cupid Skizz for DL has my entire heart, it's so cute. Just the idea of him floating around shooting people he thought would be fun together then watching the downfall. (btw he's also a cupid in SL because I say so)

OH MY GOD YES. i know i should be saving some asks for mod tides to answer, but... come on! it's Skizz! My boy! I love him. Yes, he is 100% a cupid! I like to imagine that during DL, he had a little board covered in construction-paper hearts with pictures of all the soulmate pairs in them and strings connecting them. conspiracy board style, lol

As the season progressed, he'd add little notes to them- for example, when Tango and Jimmy died, he cut out a little halo and wings and added it above the heart. along with, taped onto the heart, the words "DEAD LOL"

when Pearl won, he drew a little crown above her picture. with glitter gel pen

Also, he actually cut the strings between Scott and Pearl, + Martyn and Cleo. Then tied the cut ends of Scott and Cleo's strings together. just to fit with what they'd been saying.

The board stayed after Double Life ended, so he showed it to the people that'd been in that season (actually he only showed it to impulse)... who promptly yoinked it and threw it into lava, never to be seen again. Why? Because among all the other notes on it, he made jokes about Impulse and Bdubs getting married for real outside of DL. Impulse has never recovered

-Mod Enen

[jayofolympus-writes]

WIP Poll

Rules: Make a 24hr poll listing the titles of every WIP you want to work on. (It’s fine if you only have one, still make a poll for the vote count). Whichever WIP title gets the most votes, write 1 sentence for every vote received.

(I saw @traumschwinge and @losersimonriley do these and thought it looked fun. Thank you both for the inspiration!)

tagging @on-a-lucky-tide, @tumbleweedtech, @sl-walker, and @round--robin

[sl-newsie]

American Woman (Thomas Shelby x American OC) Ch. 45: Peace And Goodwill

Masterlist: https://www.tumblr.com/sl-newsie/739551758747090944/american-woman-thomas-shelby-x-american-oc?source=share

Thomas’ gifted money to John did not go wasted. The view of the approaching country house brings a smile to my face, however the sight of someone hunched behind a boulder pointing a gun does not. The car halts next to the mailbox and I check the name. Shelby. I’m in the right place.

“Oi! Steenstra!” John shouts from across the lawn. “‘S that you?”

“Hello, John!” I wave back, clutching the bag of cookies I brought with me. “I come with neutral intentions and glad tidings!”

He relaxes and starts jogging over, followed by two small dogs. “You just missed Ada!”

“Thanks again for the party invitation. You didn’t really-”

“Oh yes, we did!” John cuts me off with a hug and eyes the bag. “It’s been a whole year since you’ve made us biscuits!”

I smile and quirk a brow. “So you’re excited I’m here just for my culinary skills, eh?”

“No, I did miss you,” he says sincerely. “‘S good to hear you and Ada have enjoyed America but it’s good to have you back.” He tugs at his coat. “It’s been bloody freezing! How are you not cold?”

I shrug. “I love the cold. It brings me back to my Scandinavian roots. The cold feels natural to me.”

John rolls his eyes and starts walking towards the house. “Oh, big deal. Brag about ancestors living in an ice cube. Let’s go inside for some tea, eh?”

He leads me to the front door and I walk inside to a cozy-looking parlor. I can’t help but notice the beautiful greenery draped over the fireplace. 

John catches me looking. “First time seeing a British Christmas, eh? We’ve got our traditions.” 

He points to something above my head. I look up to see a sprig of green plants with white berries tied together with a red bow.

“Mistletoe?”

I’m not unfamiliar with the custom. In my culture it’s a druid tradition that’s supposed to be a symbol of male fertility.

John grins deviously. “Want me to call Tommy over?”

I hold up a warning finger. “No. I mean it, John. No talk of that. I’m here to-”

“What? To make everything better again?” he mocks sarcastically with narrowed eyes. “Nice try.”

As if on cue, Esme appears in the doorway. Here we go.

Her vicious eyes cause me to freeze. “Verena.”

“Hello, Esme,” I greet gently. “How are the kids?”

“What money do you use?” 

Her question throws me off. “Pardon?”

Behind me John groans. “Again, Esme?”

“What. Money. Do. You. Use?” She demands.

“M-My earnings. And some funds from my vader.” I hold up my bag. “I brought biscuits. Some chocolate ones, but also some almond cookies. They’re shaped like Dutch Christmas characters.”

“You have no idea what we’ve gone through,” Esme snarls. “And you show up like nothing’s changed?”

My own face twists into a scowl. “You think I don’t know things have changed? I am truly sorry for what Thomas did to John and the others but it was not my fault.”

“She’s right,” John agrees. “But that doesn’t mean we’ll all come to terms because you’re playing peacemaker, Verena. I did invite him-”

“No, John!” Esme hisses. “No more of him!”

I hold up my hands and look between the couple. Tea will have to be postponed. “It’s been lovely to see you all but it’s getting late.”

“Good to see you, Verena,” John waves from the couch.

I can’t help but smile and set the bag of biscuits down next to him. “Merry Christmas to you both, and the children.”

I retreat back to the door before Esme can skin me alive. She follows me the same as a fox stalks its prey. 

“Are you staying with that bastard?”

I reach for the doorknob. “Yes.”

“Tell him to go to Hell.”

I think part of him believes he’s already there.

I’m so tired of being stuck in the car. Throughout the drive to Arrow House I watch the sun sink behind heavy gray clouds. I might not be as cold as others but I do still catch on to the dropping temperature. As the giant mansion approaches, a few random snowflakes scatter across the car window. I haul my trunk up the stone steps and am greeted by a stern-faced lady with her hair in a tight bun.

“Ms. Steenstra?” I nod and she continues. “I’m Frances, the head housekeeper. May I call a footman to take your bags?”

“No, no. That’s quite alright. I can manage.” I walk past her into the hallway and nearly bump into another maid. “Oh! Hello-”

Her eyes widen with panic. “I apologize, Ms. Steenstra!”

I frown. “What for?”

She looks down and wrings her hands together. “We’re not supposed to be seen. I- I took a wrong turn. This is the wrong staircase.”

There’s more than one? “You have your own staircase?”

She nods, still looking at the floor. “A hidden one.”

My curiosity sparks. “Can I see?”

Her head flies up. “Oh, miss, you don’t want to. It’s dark and full of spiders.”

I know Thomas treats his employees well but her skittery behavior makes me suspicious. “How exactly does the staff work here?”

Behind me I hear Francis let out a disapproving sniff. “A routine of tradition. You Americans obviously don’t follow it.”

The girl in front of me gulps. “Frances has the highest position of housekeeper. I’m only a scullery maid.”

My jaw drops and I wait for Francis to exit before speaking. “This traditional system is one-sided. How is being forced into always being in a poor society fair?”

Her eyes light up. “Actually Mr. Shelby is most generous with his terms of employment. Frankly, Francis is the one holding onto tradition.”

“Ah! You’ve met Lydia.”

We both turn to where Thomas has just walked in from his study. The maid immediately starts apologizing.

“Sorry Mr. Shelby. I was just leaving-”

“You can stay,” I assure Lydia and give Thomas a look. “She can stay, right Thomas?”

He looks as if this sounds like a simple request. “Yes.”

Another pair of eyes peeks out from behind Thomas’ legs. “Daddy, who’s this?”

Oh my. Charlie’s grown so much! He’s already talking. He’s grown into a sturdy, adorable child with curious eyes. Seeing him gives half the reason I wanted to return so badly.

Thomas kneels down next to him and points to me. “Charlie, this is my good friend Verena. Do you remember her?”

He scrunches his face at me. “V-Veena?”

“Vah-ree-nuh,” Thomas annunciates.

“Veena?" Charlie tries again. How cute!

“I like it,” I chuckle and also kneel down to his level, extending a hand for him to shake. “Merry Christmas Eve, Charles. It’s good to see you again. Have you been keeping your daddy in line?”

Charlie recognizes I’m no longer a complete stranger and grins at his father. “Uh-huh!”

Thomas puts a hand on his shoulder. “Charlie, Verena and I are going out for a talk. We’ll be back for supper, alright?”

Charlie nods eagerly. “Okay.”

Thomas calls for Francis to take him away and we both walk back to the front door. I look out the window and gasp in delight to see even more snowflakes flurrying through the darkening sky. It’s nearly dusk. The magical sight of the pure-white flakes almost looks imaginary.

“It’s finally snowing!” I can’t contain myself.

“Would you still be up for talking outside?” Thomas asks mysteriously. “I’ve got an idea.”

Now fate is just being cruel. A horseback ride through the snow? How more romantic is that? I guess as a city girl this is something very special. But Thomas doesn’t see this as anything intimate. To him a horseback ride is just another pastime. He preps a beautiful dark gray horse for me and his black horse for himself. 

“Do you know how to ride?” Thomas asks as I mount the large beast.

“I’ll figure it out as I go. I’m really excited!” I gush as the horse begins to trot through the billowing snow.

Thomas brings his horse ahead of me and starts leading us through the fields. I’ll admit the feeling of sitting on the horse's back is unfamiliarly awkward but the horse itself is being very gentle with me. It has a patience of its own and doesn’t go too fast.

“How’s she working?” Thomas calls from ahead.

“Very cooperative!” I respond. “What’s her name?”

“Scarlet.” He pauses a second. “I’ve got a question about your father.”

“Shoot.”

“How does your father handle differences in his employees? By sex, I mean.”

Interesting. There’s little chance that Thomas will change his own mind about how he runs things; but it’s refreshing to hear he wants to know how other families deal with problems. He’s showing an interest in my family the same way I have taken an interest in his.

“Simple. They’re all paid fair,” I say as Scarlet steps over a small brook. “What you work for is what you get. If you put in the time and effort then you reap the rewards. Man or woman, he doesn’t discriminate. Unlike some other shops near us. But he does set certain boundaries so women are not put in harm’s way.”

I’m starting to lose Thomas through the thick snow. He notices and halts his horse so we can stop to chat. 

 “Does he ever have strikers?”

“No need for any. Half of his employees are our family and he’s too gentle to let a disagreement go unsettled. Firm but kind, as moeder says. But our business is much less than yours. Yours is… an empire.”

Thomas nods, regarding me with a look that shows deep thought. “Your father runs things through strong capitalism.”

I smirk and wipe away some snowflakes from my hair. “That’s the American dream for you. We’ve had countless immigrants who were looking to build a life for themselves and their families. They start as bartenders, busboys, and janitors. Now they’re paid by salary. Some of the best rumrunners I’ve ever seen. Quite similar to how you run things.”

A spell of silence falls over us and we take a moment to enjoy the peaceful serenity. The only sound is the whistling of the wind through the tall grass. In the distance I see the warm glow of the Arrow House windows flickering through the snow. Not quite like Christmastime in Brooklyn but it looks like what all the greeting cards advertise. Abel’s right. It’s going to be a challenge to be away during the holidays.

Thomas breaks the silence. “‘S this your first Christmas away from home?” 

His soft voice and the bittersweet homesickness tug at me. “Yes.”

“Will you miss your family?”

A sad smile crosses my face. “That obvious, hm? I’ve only been away for a week but it’s different without being there for the holidays.”

Thomas reaches across for my hand but I still grip the reins. “Why didn’t you tell me? We could have waited until after the holidays for you to come back.”

“Because I knew I was needed here,” I answer wisely. “It’s been a hard year on everyone and… I felt God telling me to come back.”

“Is that the real reason you came?” 

He asks as if I’m not telling him everything. Why does this have to be so hard?!

“I still love your family after all these years, Thomas. You all need as much help as you can get.”

Thomas considers my answer and hums. “Charlie was certainly happy to see you. I’m sure they all were.”

He doesn’t need to elaborate. Ada and I have been the peacekeepers between the two opposing sides. Thomas vs. the line of everyone who hates him. And that line’s starting to become noticeably long.

“Thomas, please,” I plead as he starts leading his horse back towards the house. “You need to talk to your brothers. Mend this family.”

@meadows5