#so if you see this try it at your own risk but i don't guarantee quality

[so-i-did-this-thing]

How it's going as a trans person in Florida: Planned Parenthood, 26Health, and Spektrum Health have announced they have paused all gender affirming care.

To recap, DeSantis signed several anti-trans bills into law this week. Care is banned for minors, care is all but banned for adults, Don't Say Gay has been extended, children can be kidnapped from affirming parents by non-affirming family, and there is a bathroom bill that subjects trans folks to arrest for using government owned facilities, such as those in courthouses, airports, many stadiums and parks.

The adult effective ban was felt immediately. The main elements are:

signing at every visit an in-person informed consent form created by the state

all care come from physicians instead of nurse practitioners

no telemed for gender-affirming care

Currently, it is unknown if existing HRT prescriptions written by NPs will be honored by pharmacies. I personally know one person who was able to pick up testosterone yesterday, but I have also read many reports of folks being denied. I myself don't have a refill ready for another 10 days and will report back after I try my own pickup.

What's additionally dangerous is those of us, myself included, who get non-HRT prescriptions from our gender clinics now face the uncertainty of continuing of *all* of our medical care. Our health clinics are at risk of shuttering permanently as they lose major income, and many of us will lose STD meds, depression meds, heart meds, etc, etc.

When we say "this will kill us," it goes beyond suicide risk from forced detransition.

"But you can still get HRT from a physician."

So many suck or are outright hostile and the demand outstrips the supply. Before I found my NP-run clinic, one physician just decided to not call in my Rx, another was so shit at reading lab results, he thought I had hepatitis, and the third I had to threaten to kick in the teeth for trying to force too large a speculum in me.

Also, the state-required consent form has not been finalized and distributed yet, so at this point, everything has pretty much ground to a halt.

It was estimated that 80% of trans adults would lose their healthcare because of how many use providers like Planned Parenthood, but the impact seems even greater now.

"You can get your non-gender care elsewhere still."

DeSantis recently signed a bill that allows healthcare professionals to discriminate against trans people.

Sure, we can try to find care elsewhere, but it will be a slow and expensive process, with no guarantees. It took me over 20 years to get my heart condition treated because of transphobic doctors.

What can I do as a trans Floridian?

Stay in communication with your clinic - many are working on getting physicians added to the roster to prescribe HRT. Lawsuits are being filed and it's possible the changes to adult care can be rolled back.

Continue to try to pick up your meds, but begin looking for care elsewhere, though. Inside and outside the state.

Remember that while telemed for gender affirming care has been banned, you can still cross state lines for care. See Erin's map of informed consent clinics.

Many people will turn to DIY, but be sure you are aware of the risks here, especially if on testosterone, which is a controlled substance.

What should I be worried about next as a trans Floridian?

I worry about the following next steps towards genocide:

Banning getting care out of state. This is from the anti-abortion playbook. They will likely start with kids again, but we've seen how quickly adult care gets axed.

Being declared mentally incompetent or a risk in some way. This could be anything from being barred from gun ownership to not being allowed to work for the government.

Being declared a de facto predator. This has already happened with the latest bathroom law (cis people can eject trans people from government owned single-gender facilities, with arrest as a penalty), so watch out for it being applied to privately-owned facilities. Watch for discussions of official lists of trans people.

Gender presentation enforcement laws, essentially banning "cross dressing". Laws that block or rollback documentation changes.

These all have historic precedence and are huge "I'm in danger" red flags.

What can I do as a cis person?

Amplify all this news. Talk frankly about how this is genocide. And donate what you can to trans mutual aid campaigns so people can travel to get healthcare or even leave the state.

Here's some articles to get started on building awareness:

Take care, everyone, of yourself and each other.

[lost-romantique]

Blitzø's Maturity in Sinsmas

One of my favorite parts about Sinsmas, aside from everything, has to be the amount of maturity Blitzø displays in Sinsmas, or specifically in his conversation with Stolas.

This conversation really goes to show how one of Blitzø's best features is his ability to always say the right thing, when he knows the people in his life truly need it.

He did it with Moxxie and Millie:

"Look, I'm hard on you, because I know what you're capable of, Mox. You care too much about what everyone thinks except for... me, because, y'know, my opinion is correct, but just... keep doing a good job. 'Kay? You shoot 'n kill good, you escape things easy... you can be strategic and cold-blooded when you need to, aaaand don't expect any more compliments; I'm maxed out."

"Millie, I have spent too much of my time, energy, and holes into setting this up for us to entertain your bullshit. I brought you into this company for a reason, okay? You're tougher, smarter, and frankly more capable than anyone I've ever met in any ring..."

"Mind if I steal?" "Today was a lot wasn't it?"

Blitzø starts the conversation with an ice-breaker to lighten the mood because he can tell Stolas is on edge right now.

"I-I- I know you can't see your kid. And I know you did so fucking much just to save my life-"

There are three things I want to point out:

Blitzø makes it very clear that he knows what Stolas just lost, he knows he can't see his daughter.

Blitzø also states that he understands the huge sacrifice Stolas had to make in order to save his life.

Blitzø knows that what happened is a serious situation, he knows how much Stolas loves his daughter, and he doesn't downplay that loss.

"It's okay. Saving you was the right thing to do. And you have risked your life for mine in return. You don't need to feel any guilt for my situation, it was my choice. It was all my choice. I caused all of this."

"She'll understand eventually. You just gotta give her time."

Stolas is mourning the loss of his daughter, and is reflecting on the times he's failed her as her father. And I love how Blitzø states that the simple fact that what Octavia needs right now is time to process things, the same way Stolas needs time to process things as well. And I love how Blitzø says that, "...she'll understand eventually," because it's true. Octavia will understand, eventually.

I think one important thing to note is the fact that Blitzø also doesn't undermine Stolas' statement: "It was my choice. It was all my choice."

Because it's true, Stolas did make a choice...

Stolas chose to give Blitzø the book, thus starting their transactional arrangement.

Stolas chose to give up his own life to save Blitzø from execution.

Stolas chose love, and that is not a bad thing.

"Blitzø, she's gone. For one hundred years, she's gone. And after all that time, she'll never forgive me. I'll be a stranger to her."

"Y'know, my twin sister... She hates me too. For something that I did. And I miss her, every day. We were so fucking close, y'know, we- It's a shitty feeling. But, you just gotta keep trying."

Blitzø, right now, is willingly being vulnerable with Stolas and I think that's beautiful. He encourages Stolas to keep trying to reach out to Octavia, to not give up all hope just yet.

And I love how Blitzø decided to talk about Barbie, and not Fizz, and the reason is simple...

Blitzø can't guarantee a happy ending between Stolas and his daughter, he can't promise any of that. Blitzø states that Octavia will understand him, but he can't promise that Octavia will forgive him.

If Blitzø were to share the fact that he recently rekindled his friendship with Fizz, than that might be giving Stolas a false sense of hope.

And Stolas, right now, doesn't need a success story, he doesn't need, "Hey, I was able to fix my relationship, so you can too". What Stolas needs right now is reassurance that he's not alone, that there is someone out there that understands his pain.

"Sounds likes, uh... they want me back in there..."

"Go enjoy your Sinsmas, Blitzø. I'm fine, you don't have to stay here with me... What are you doing?"

"Well, I can't fucking dance with you without- come here, getting inventive."

I love the Full Moon parallel of Blitzø choosing to stay with Stolas instead of going back to the party. Blitzø knows Stolas is not fine at all.

And while Blitzø can't magically make all things better, Blitzø can at least give Stolas a moment of happiness, a chance to momentarily forget all the pain he just went through, a chance to be with him and him alone.

[strawberry-cowmilk]

stealing stuff from the brothers' closets

mc's gender is not mentioned, not proof read

content warnings: none

-----

Lucifer

imagine opening his gigantic closet and all there is are 3 shirts, 2 pairs of pants, 3 blazers or whatever, a whole box full of gloves, another whole box full of socks, 2 pairs of shoes and one scarf (the cheapest item is 200 grimm too)

anyways he allows you to steal some of his stuff as long as you do not let his brothers see you with it at any cost

lucifer thinks you look adorable wrapped up in his 800 grimm scarf but he'd never tell you (you can tell)

Mammon

mammon doesn't mind you stealing stuff from him, he even tries to get you to take his stuff

he's like 'look mc I got this cool hat' and then places it on your head and when you try to give it back he refuses to accept it

mammon does have a good wide range of clothes and accessories you can steal unlike lucifer

and everything he owns is either from a devildom designer brand or the devildom version of walmart

Leviathan

he almost passes away

not that he minds you wearing his stuff (he actually thinks it's cute, even if it's his limited edition expensive tsl stuff) but he was not ready for the jumpscare of actually seeing you with his things

eventually he gets used to it though and his closet becomes free rein for you and only you

sometimes when he's shopping for new clothes on akuzon he's debating on whether or not to buy the same shirt for you too

Satan

first of all opening his closet is a whole risk because nobody can guarantee you won't expose yourself to the worst sweaters known to man

also like his room, his closet is a mess too

and sometimes when you steal something from him, satan can't even tell you got it from his closet because it's such a mess in there and he wears just the same 3 shirts anyways

but he doesn't mind you taking his stuff as long as you don't damage anything (he won't get mad at you if you do though)

Asmodeus

you are free to steal anything from him, and he is free to steal anything from you

asmo loves it when he sees you wearing something of his

but do not damage anything or it will upset him (asmo can be scary when he's mad but he forgives you after 4 seconds so don't worry)

at some point he gets a whole shelf for his closet and he uses it to store clothes he bought for you, so you can find them next time you burrow something

it's literally labeled 'the mc shelf'

Beelzebub

the least ancient thing in his closet was bought 5 years ago

but if you want to steal his stuff, he'd definitely let you, he thinks it makes you two get closer to each other

beel would even let you keep anything you'd pick if you really love it

sometimes he even just leaves the item in your room

some stuff in his closet is originally owned by belphie because these twins share everything

Belphegor

half of his stuff consists of soft gowns and other sleep-related stuff, and he wears almost 0 of them, they're just sitting there in his closet

and he absolutely loves it when you steal his fluffy things because it looks cute and he can cuddle up to you and sleep

belphie lets you keep anything he never or rarely wore

if you frequently check his closet out, belphie will sometimes burrow something from beel and put it on one of his shelves to see if you notice (belphie also buys clothes once per blue moon)

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Meet the Family 3

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as dubcon/noncon and other possible triggers. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: Your boss needs a last-minute favour for the holidays.(petite!reader)

Characters: Lloyd Hansen

Note: I'm feeling very Little Lies about this.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me <3

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Asking for more or putting ‘part 2?’ is not feedback.

Love you all. You are appreciated and your are worthy. Treat yourself with care. 💖

"So this is the reason you missed Thanksgiving," a butter knife jabs in your direction as you poke at the white turkey meat; this? You look up then at Lloyd as he nearly chokes. 

"Uh, yeah," he coughs behind his fist and swallows, "we were out of the country..." 

"Yes, why would you bother to stay. No use in seeing your mother at the holidays, or the rest of your family," she reproaches. 

"Mom," he groans. 

"For ten years," William adds from his wife's side. "Now you show your face and you look as if you're eating rotten apples." 

"No," Lloyd argues. "It's just... I'm busy and I don't get a lot of time away from work." 

"We all have obligations," Gwenyth argues. 

"Well, I took her away so I could propose," he explains as he presses his fork into the whipped potatoes. "And it worked out perfect, right? Cause now I can bring her to meet everyone." 

Gwenyth hums flatly, "I suppose." She clicks her tongue and takes a healthy gulp of wine. 

"So, Pixie," Lillian drawls from further down, "what do you do for work? Oh let me guess. A librarian?" 

You don't let the suggestion bother you. You don't see it as an insult even if she says it like one. You shake your head. 

"No, I--" you begin and Lloyd stomps your foot so you bite down on your voice.  

"She is a corporate consultant. International corporation," he explains.  

"Oh, wow, sounds busy," Gwenyth remarks. 

"Yes, how will you have time for children?" Lillian challenges. 

"I'm sure they'll find time to make them," Benson chortles over his snifter.  

"Ben, please," William rebukes. 

"We're focusing on the wedding before all that," Lloyd says. 

You peer around as you chew your cheeks in frustration. You're annoyed by how they speak of you as if you're not even there, and so intimately. Yet, you don't have much to say for yourself. This whole facade is tiresome and you really don't care what they think about a made-up job. Or marriage, for that matter. 

"That will be done with quickly," Gwenyth sniffs. "And she will need to quit that job if she wants to do her duty as your wife." 

"I can handle a job and a husband," you blurt out. 

The table quiets as if stunned that you can speak. You blink and Lloyd puts his fork down and touches your arm, "sweet pea--" 

"I highly doubt you'd be marrying him for any other reason than that nest egg promised to him," Lillian scoffs. "You don't need to play a saint with us, darling. Marriage is a transaction in more ways than one; affection, money, sex--" 

"Lilly," William warns and she laughs. 

"Well?" She shrugs. "You do know, the wedding only guarantees a twenty percent payout. He needs an heir to get all of it." She pets her stomach smugly and smiles. "I can assure you it's well worth it. Once you meet Lorelai, you'll see." 

"Oh? Maybe when you meet her, you'll consider being a mother too," Lloyd retorts. 

"Excuse me?" Lillian snarls. "I love my daughter." 

"Of course you so," he sneers. "I'm sure she feels all that love right now as she enjoys her turkey and carrots with the nanny." 

"I can't have her around adults and alcohol. You can't possibly understand," she snaps. "And maybe it's better that you never do. I could never imagine you as a father, especially when you are such a child." 

"Takes one to know one," Lloyd growls. 

"Enough," William barks. "Both of you." 

Ransom laughs loudly at the end of the table. Lloyd shifts and Lillian rolls her eyes. You sigh at your plate. You miss your family. For the first time in years, you truly miss them. 

"What the hell are you laughing at, Hugh? The only reason you're here is because your grandpappy exiled you." 

Linda gasps, "He's not exiled--" 

"Oh, right, of course not, Lin, that's why you're here breaking bread with the peasants. That's what you called us at great grandmother's wake--" 

"Lloyd, watch your mouth," William snarls. "Better yet, shut it." 

Lloyd recoils in his chair and stiffens. His features sharpen then he lowers his chin and picks up his fork. His jaw is stone as he stirs the gravy into his potatoes. You wouldn't call him humbled, more whipped like a dog. These people make you feel something for him you never thought you could; sympathy. 

"I don't care about money that much," you say. "It can't buy respect. Besides, I would never marry a man without a prenup. Whatever Lloyd has will remain his." You push your shoulders back as a yawn tickles in your throat. "At this point, he can keep you lot as well." 

You stand up and take the cloth napkin from your lap. You fold it neatly, "Gwenyth, you can tell whoever cooked dinner that it was delicious. I appreciate you all having me but I'm going to go find a hotel and some peace." You step around the chair and push it into the table, "happy holidays." 

You turn, your insides jittering. What are you doing? Where did that come from? You could say you're tired and not thinking straight, but honestly, you're just so repulsed by these people that your head could explode. They're lucky they only got a a few pieces of shrapnel. 

You march out without looking back. Your cheeks tinge hotly with self-awareness. You've messed it all up. After years of harnessing your emotions under Hansen's thumb, you finally snapped. You blew it all. 

"What she said," another chair scrapes as Lloyd speaks. "Mom, dad, good night." 

You enter the hall and head for the entry way. You hear him beside you. You're still foggy with disbelief. It isn't until you sit to put on your boots that you notice Lloyd. 

"I know, I'm done. Fired." You pull on your leather booties. "I'll take the severance and figure it out." 

"I didn't say so," he says as he grabs a coat from the closet. 

"Um..." 

"You're completely right. We can't stay here. They're all a bunch of pricks and they wonder why I didn't come home for ten years," he pulls on his coat as he speaks. He pushes back his hair then smooths his mustache. "We're better off at the hotel. We'll sleep better there--" 

"We? Lloyd, please. Stay with your family. I need space," you stand and reach past him for your jacket. "Besides, I booked a single queen and it's Christmas Eve." 

"Queen's big enough. You're tiny--" 

"Okay, no, no," you hiss. "It's not happening. Stay--" 

"But I don't want to," he whines. 

"Mr. Hansen," you say. "You're out of your mind." 

"Well, after your blow up, I don't think I'm welcome," he puts his hand on his hip. "So this is your last chance to save your job. You made the mess, you clean it up." 

"Me?" You exclaim. 

He hushes you and step closer, "Pix, you already made a scene, let's not do the encore. I'm gonna grab my bags, alright?" 

"You can't be serious." You say. 

"Hey, I gotta play the loyal husband--" 

"And why exactly is that necessary? Why couldn't you get one of those Tinder girls?" 

"Woah, woah, come on, someone will hear you," he covers your mouth with his hand and you turn your face away with a blech. "Go warm up the car. We'll talk on the ride to the hotel." 

You stare at him. He watches you, as uncertain as you've ever seen him. In the silence, you can hear the din in the other room. 

"Always was such a baby," Lillian laughs venomously. 

"He could've chosen someone without an iron spine," Gwenyth adds. 

You grimace and throw your hands up, "fine, get your things." 

"You're the best," he grabs your shoulders but before he can kiss you, you put your hand up to pinch his nose. He recoils and rubs the tip, "ow." 

"No more of that," you say as you pull your keys out of your pocket. "Thank god I only had one glass of wine." 

You stomp out the front door. The frigid winter air hits you like a bus. Once one even ground, the swirling snow flecks onto your shoulders and hair. Great, now you get to drive in the snow with an unwanted passenger. 

You get in the driver seat and push the ignition. You turn on the heater and the heated seats. At least Hansen pays enough for the add-ons. Still, you’re not sure there’s any compensation equal to what you just went through. 

You look over as the front door opens and closes. Lloyd rolls a giant suitcase with him, another smaller bag strapped on top, and a third in his other hand. You don’t move as you watch him descend the steps, easing the wheels over the edge one-by-one. 

He comes down the long walk and jerks as his loafers slip on the icy pavement. It would be funny if you weren’t so damn exhausted. You steadies himself and continues on. You should get out and help him. You don’t. 

You pop the trunk with the button. He loads in his bags as you check the rear view. He comes around the passenger side and pulls the door open. He lets out an obnoxious ‘brrrr’ as he drops into the seat next to you. You shift gears as he shuts the door. 

“Ugh, I feel so much better getting out of there,” he says as he adjusts the seat, making room for his long legs. 

“Why?” 

“Um, why not? My family is the worst--” 

“No, why did you drag me into this?” You ask as you lean into the wheel and squint over it. The dark, the snow, the unplowed roads, it’s like the universe can’t stop throwing you obstacles. 

“You want the real answer or the nice answer?” He replies. 

“Mr. Hansen,” you growl. 

“Right, I had no other choice.” 

“No other choice?” You repeat. 

“Look, those long-legged beauties back home, they’re fun, but they don’t got much else going on. I needed someone who could play along,” he explains. 

“Play along?” 

“Yeah, I mean, you’re smart so--” 

“I’m smart...” 

“I wouldn’t hire you if you weren’t--” 

“Jeez, wow, Mr. Hansen, thank you so much. You think I’m so smart, so you should know I’m smart enough to know better than to believe you. You think I’m desperate,” you turn slowly onto the next street. “You think I have nothing else going on.” 

“No, that’s not--” he shifts in his seat. 

“It’s exactly what you think,” you huff. “Well, I do. I have a flight in...” you pause and check the time on the dash, “five hours so when we get to the hotel, I’m going to sleep and you’re going to let me. Then I’m going to catch my flight and the curtain can be pulled on this whole theatre.” 

“Your words, not mine. I don’t think you’re desperate.” 

You don’t respond. You’re tired. He just can’t leave things alone. He always has to say something. You wonder if he was truly left to his own thoughts, if his head would combust. 

“I’m actually impressed,” you says, “you held your own.” 

“Sir,” you utter. 

“It was good. Entertaining. I mean, all these years, you never once talked back to me but wow, that was... majestic, really. You didn’t even wait to see my mother’s face. Or my sister’s.” 

“Your family is weird,” you blurt out. “Sorry, uh, I didn’t mean--” 

“I mean, yeah, we probably are but I don’t really have anything to compare it to,” he says. 

You nod. He has a point. Yet, while that horde of entitled brats might explain his personality, it can’t excuse it. 

The hotel’s marquee shines like a beacon as you steer into the lot. You yawn and shut off the engine. You let yourself out and drag your feet around to the trunk. You take out your carry-on as Lloyd hovers at the other side. 

“All of your stuff, out,” you say. “I’m going straight to the airport in the morning. Checkout is ten so as long your gone by then, I don’t care what you do.” 

He’s quiet but he obeys. He takes his bags out and sets them on the ground. He pulls the rolling bag and slings his smallest bag on his shoulder. You snap the trunk shut and turn, shuffling across the icy tarmac. 

You enter through the automatic doors and cross the desolate lobby. You check in with your ID but as you look for your credit card, Lloyd flicks his between his fingers and offers it up to the clerk. 

“It’s on me,” he insists. 

You won’t argue. You really don’t trust him to leave by checkout. As you head for the elevators, he takes a deep breath. He doesn’t speak until you’re behind the sliding doors of the compartment. 

“You know, I’m still your boss so you can’t just order me around,” he says. 

You glance over at him. “Right, won’t happen again, sir.” 

“It could have been worse, you know? I could’ve actually had you come all the way out here just to drop off some gifts. If you think about it, you got a free dinner and some wine--” 

“Yeah, it was a great time,” you say dryly. “Mr. Hansen, I’m too tired to lie any more. Tonight was one of the worst nights of my life so no, I don’t think it could be worse.” 

The doors open and you stride out. You swipe the card at the door corresponding to the number written in the folio and let yourself in. He follows closely, nearly running over your heels with his suitcase. 

You take your bag to the bed and take out the cotton pajamas stuffed inside just for tonight. You bring them with you into the bedroom, doing your best to ignore your guest. Lloyd wanders along the wall and finds his way to the mini fridge. 

You’re in no rush to change, only to get to bed. You trade your dress and stockings for the cotton two-piece and emerge. You shove your bag and clothes beside the night table and slide under the blankets. You pull them up to your shoulders. 

“They got wine, tequila, beer--” 

“I’m going to sleep,” you insist. 

“The alcohol will help.” 

“No, it will make waking up even harder.” 

“After tonight, I think you need a shot.” 

“Mr. Hansen,” you grumble and cover your head. 

“Fine, more for me.” He snickers. 

You’re happy he can’t see the irritation on your face. You might just be better off to let him drink whatever. Eventually, he’ll have to pass out. At least, you can only hope he does. 

[lucky-slice]

Do you understand how much kevin respects neil? And i don't mean when it comes to exy, like sure there's a whole lot of you're not good enough followed by you will make court bluh bluh bluh, i mean fundamentally as a human.

Kevin and Neil's conversation after the truth of Neil's father is revealed drives me absolutely insane because I think it highlights a lot about how Kevin views Neil.

so indulge me for a bit....

I think a lot of people forget, in light of Andrew choking Kevin for not telling him the truth, that Kevin's initial reaction was to tell Neil to run.

*sorry for the quality - these are all screenshots off my phone

Kevin's instinct is to tell Neil to save himself, despite what that would mean for the team's success and for Kevin himself. This is significant to me for two reasons.

It highlights that Kevin genuinely cares about Neil outside of his exy potential. For most people, this would be a pretty obvious response to finding out your teammate has a guaranteed death sentence if they stick around, so it might not seem all that meaningful, but Kevin was raised in such an environment were you continued to play no matter what - even at the risk of death. Kevin is unflinchingly callous when it comes to exy and his teammates (*see his reaction to Seth's death), but he is frantic in his concern for Neil in contrast to his fairly passive response to basically anyone else's wellbeing outside of exy. Neil's death will have no real impact on Kevin. If Neil dies or goes to the ravens, nothing changes for Kevin. He is not at a greater risk of being hurt by Riko or the Moriyama's nor will his exy career be effected. That's not to say he would tell Neil to stay if he cared about him any less, but there is a desperation that implies a depth beyond just that of a teammate.

The fact that Kevin is frantic and desperate for Neil to leave, gives weight to his decision to keep teaching Neil in the aftermath of the revelation.

Neil doesn't want to run - he wants to be Neil Josten until the end. He gave Kevin his game and now he's asking him to keep it and Kevin obliges.

This is essentially Kevin promising that he will keep Neil's secret. He will allow Neil to wear his mask and continue teaching him despite the fact that Neil is essentially a dead man walking. This, to me, is Kevin ultimately respecting Neil and his choice. At any moment, Kevin has the ability to got to Wymack or Andrew and give Neil the chance at surviving, but that would mean betraying Neil.

Some people (certainly the foxes) would view refusing Neil's request as the proper and morally correct thing to do. But I think Kevin's immediate acceptance of Neil's decision is both immensely meaningful to Neil and also a signifier of a shared understanding between to two.

Imagine how impactful it must be for Neil, who has never had autonomy over his own life and has been marked for death basically since he was born, to be told that not only will his decisions and his autonomy be respected, but there is someone who will stand by his side on the court, knowing the whole truth, until the very end.

Kevin doesn't have much to offer Neil at this point. He can not give him a future - he'll be long dead before he can ever make court, and Kevin is a coward - he is not andrew, he can't stand up against the Moriyama's or Riko or Neil's father. Kevin can not protect Neil in a way that matters. All he can do is promise to keep Neil's secret and offer him a few more months of being Neil Josten.

I'm not including this to disparage Andrew or to suggest that he does not respect Neil, but this highlights that Kevin knows the decision to keep Neil's secret is one only Kevin would make. Andrew without a doubt would immediately try to get Neil to leave or attempt to get him into protection. I'm not passing a judgement of morality on what would've been the right thing to do, but I do think Kevin's reaction is indicative of the fact that Neil and Kevin understand each other in a way that no one else really will.

Neil and Kevin are a parallel's in a number of ways. Kevin lived the life that Neil was supposed to have and they are two parts of one story.

To them exy is not a game, but it's not really about exy either. It's about deciding to stay just to play for a couple more months even though you'll wind up dead because playing means you finally get to live after years of being a ghost. It's about playing to be the best no matter what, even though the consequences are having your hand smashed and the life you know completely demolished. It's about playing even though you're shaking with fear and anxiety because you need proof that your life, whether it be running to survive or living under an abusive hand, was not a waste.

Kevin agrees to keep Neil's secret because if the roles were reversed, Kevin would like to believe that he'd be strong enough to ask Neil for the same thing. This is obviously conjecture and a heavy heavy reading between the lines, but I'd like to think there's some truth there.

Finishing up with this line because it makes me a little emotional.

Kevin starts the conversation by calling Neil "Nathaniel" and ends it by calling him Neil again. Its right there in the text, "it was a promise". Kevin is offering Neil a life that is fully his - not his father's, not Riko's, but Neil's to do with what he would like, even if its only for a couple more months. If that's not respect, than I don't know what is.

[delafiseaseses]

Y'know what I think makes Jeannie May Crawford stand out so much amongst Fallout villains? Not just the fact she's associated with Boone and one of the horrors he's dealt with, but because she's different than most other Fallout villains, big or small.

[I'm not gonna be going into the cut Ghoul bigotry in Come Fly With Me even though it supports me point, as that is, well, cut and therefore not-canonical actions. Though it is in-line with her other behaviour.]

I know why Jeannie May feels different to me. She's an advocate of Normality. What do I mean by that? Well, it's simple. Her motive for her Big Evil Action is pretty clearly the fact that Carla didn't like Novac and was overall an annoyance to her status quo. The perfection of her town. Her "little desert oasis". Jeannie May is basically the leader of Novac. She owns the Dino-Dee Lite and by extension the entire town. To her badmouthing Novac is badmouthing her and that is a crime she cannot stand. No punishment is too great. Carla and her unborn child deserve to suffer, in her mind. She knows what the Legion do to women, but she didn't care.

But it doesn't just stop there. That's the thing. She doesn't just hate people disliking Novac. Jeannie May also resents the idea of people not being very social as Alice McBride says this "Oh, we keep to ourselves, for the most part. Try not to pry. I think Jeannie May gets bothered that we aren't more sociable, but it's just our way. Ain't that we don't appreciate what she's done, managing this town like she has, but I worry she feels that way anyhow." the McBrides were probably not at risk of the Carla-treatment, but who knows what Crawford would've done to them if she got too upset at their lack of sociability.

Oh, also, the reason she kept the document that got her killed? 500 caps. That's it. In the Bill of Sale it says "Payment of an additional five hundred bottle caps will be due pending successful maturation of the fetus, the claim to which shall be guaranteed by possession of this document." considering Jeannie May is a landlord to so many people that sum has to be nothing to her. The entire 1500 caps was nothing. But she was confident, arrogant. Nobody would discover her actions. Boone's suspicions wouldn't go anywhere (and he'd never suspect her). It was her town and she was safe in it. Everyone was unable to see past her act (except No-Bark if you believe that one thing he says is an indication he knows something is off about her).

Of course, when you're so confident that you'll never be caught, the thought never enters your mind anyone will find out. The only thing that enters your mind is... a .308 round.

[auraisereigh]

"Watching the stars"

Chapter two

Brennan Sorrengail x Riorson reader Blurb: Now that Brennan and Star are hidden away from the world they find comfort in each other for the loss and grief theyre both feeling, all the while theyre supposed to survive in the wild. wc: 3.1k ☆ SPOILERS FOR THE EMPYREAN SERIES. Grief and loss, Survival. Let me know if i missed something. Uses pronouns: she/her. i use Star as a nickname as y/n sounds weird, and i'm awful with names.

Star's masterlist main masterlist

The next morning I wake up from a pitiful attempt to sleep.

Kind of hard with a dragon breathing down your neck.

It's still early, the sun barely up but after a week hiding in this cave and hunting in a selected area it looks and sounds like most people left Aretia. With other words I can start hunting in a larger area, after all it's difficult to keep a dragon satisfied.

Brennan is still asleep but Marbh is awake so he can give the message to him. I take my bow, arrows and my bag and leave.

If I'm quiet enough I should be able to get a good stack of food for us and the orange dragon that now lives in a cave way too small for it's ego. Most animals should still be out and not hiding, especially since it seems most people left. Animals will notice the silence and appear more.

☆

And animals guaranteed, enough for the three of us. I collected all the food by a tree closer to the cave so I don't have to keep dragging it all back in one go from a farther distance. I look in the direction of the cave, judging by the sun it should be around midday. Slowly one by one I put the animals in the huge bag I took with me, the one my dad packed for me In case something would go wrong... I stare at the bag, the memory still fresh in my mind.

"A survival bag?" I ask my dad, a small smile on my face as I raise my brows at him. "For what? You wanna do another camp trip? Friendly reminder that last time didn't go exactly as we planned." My voice holds amusement. But he looks... dead serious.

"I made it for you in case something goes wrong." My face falls. What is he talking about? "I... I don't understand. What could go wrong? I know we've had a few... things go wrong, but our army is in place. We're prepared." The way he looks at me says he hasn't been completely honest, which makes sense as Xaden and all the other children are gone, moved to a safe place that no one knows about.

"We might have put the army in place but that does not mean we will win when they attack. I'm not risking you getting captured. I have a proposal for you-"

I snap out of my trance, boot steps that crunch leaves and branches making me stand in high alert. It's not Brennan, it can't be. I pull an arrow and lay it on my bow, but I don't aim just yet. From where I'm standing no one can see me through the high bushes by the tree. So whoever is on the other side won't see me. More crunches of leaves. More than one person. I crouch down near the bushes when I hear them talking.

"I don't care how long it takes, I want you to find her." A deep, gruff voice says. "This place is ash. If she was still alive she would've burned when we burned her home." Another one responds, he sounds more on the frightened side. "She's his daughter, his heir and first in line, I want her to watch it happen." The first person bites out again. "Find her." Then all boot steps sound farther and farther away. I lower my bow, trying my best not to make a sound.

They're looking for me. Who? lies beyond me but someone is looking for me.

☆

I'm back by the cave when the sun slowly starts to fall.

Brennan is awake and sitting up against a rock, aside from small conversations we don't talk that much. I suppose he is also going through his own grief.

I drop the bag, making Brennan flinch. He must have been deep in thought. He looks up at me, his messy auburn curls sticking out everywhere. I know he's hungry but I know he won't voice it.

I get to work quietly. Unpacking, skinning and roasting the animals.

Good thing about having a dragon in here. Unlimited fire. And I don't have to put in a single effort except ask.

It's almost a routine now, I hunt, come back, unpack and make the animals ready, Marbh roasts them, we share and at the end of the night I put the fire out and we sleep.

☆

Two nights later Brennan and I sit quietly, eating, while Marbh enjoys some bigger meat I found. Your welcome.

"He always talked about you." Brennan's quiet, rough voice breaks through the fog in my mind. I look at him, my face not showing a single emotion of what I'm feeling.

"Naolin. He always talked about you." He is quiet for a moment and then continues. "Every time he received your letters, or when he wrote one for you. He would always talk about you. Memories, things that reminded him of you. When we sat outside watching the stars..."

A part of my heart cracks, I had kept Naolin from my Thoughts, not wanting to mourn now, I had to stay alive, I can't do both.

I don't respond. I continue eating quietly, not wanting to let my thoughts wander to too painful things.

☆

Over the following days Brennan and I find ourselves talking more, simple topics nothing too deep that could possibly open healing wounds. I managed to get him out of the cave yesterday to get some fresh air. We walked to a lake with a giant carrot following us. We sat down, enjoying the quiet sounds of the water.

With a dragon breathing down on me, cozy.

We're nearing two weeks here, we're both tired but it's too risky going to the open mountains near Riorson house, who knows what's waiting for us there.

☆

I didn't go hunting today, there was no need as I managed to get enough for a few days. It was an opportunity to actually get some sleep that I couldn't deny.

Somewhere in the evening I feel two hands shaking me slowly. I open my eyes, easily recognizing Brennan's face. He looks slightly panicked and before he can say something I hear an extra pair of Boot steps. I immediately take my bow that had been laying right next to me, an arrow close by as I aim at the figure. Was it the person who had been looking for me days prior?

I hold my aim, my eyes adjusting to the light. The figure doesn't move, it holds its hands up in, surrender? Peace?

My eyes finally adjust to the light. My eyes widen slightly as I take him in. My bow lowers and my hands shake slightly.

"Felix?"

☆

taglist: @honethatty12

I currently have five chapters finished for them and I'm also working on a playlist for them. <3

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Just how scary are Voldemort and the Death Eaters exactly? Because when you look outside of it [the story] and sort of disconnect with it, they [V & the DE’s] seem sort of cartoony and unserious.

But if you really dig deep into it, and connect yourself with it, just how chilling and sinister are they?

Well, I tried to get a grasp on how much damage the Death Eaters actually caused in the books for my analysis of Voldemort. After all, he was giving them the orders (at least in the first war). So, I detailed the evidence for how many and who was killed in the two wars and the difference between them here.

As for how scary that makes them, honestly, the Death Eaters are probably scarier to me when they don't have Voldemort at the helm. As I explained in the post I linked, when Voldemort’s around and controls their movements, less people die. When Voldemort actually cares to be involved we don't get muggleborns randomly being rounded up. Voldemort is more strategic about waging war. He aims to harm only whoever he needs to harm. He isn't sadistic or cruel for no reason. If Voldemort orders something done (especially in the first war before he kinda gave up), there is a reason for it that runs deeper than: "I felt like it".

I mean, the majority of Death Eaters aren't incredibly competent, intelligent, or magically powerful. That's not the risk with them. The risk with them is their number combined with cruelty and lack of any form of control.

In book 7, we have Snatchers who get paid for bringing in witches and wizards who say Voldemort’s name, we got muggleborns being rounded up, Amycus and Alecto Carrow are at Hogwarts torturing children. In book 6, it's mentioned they destroyed a muggle bridge — all things that just didn't happen in the first war. They clearly act as terrorists and don't put too much effort into making the government now in their control actually competent for its people (even pure-bloods) but only good for those they like.

Basically, in terms of government, they just exasperated the shitty nepotism already there. In terms of actual acts of terrorism and battles, we don't see much, but we are led to believe more are happening than what we actually see on page. With characters mentioning repeatedly throughout the final two books how people are disappearing.

So, I don't know how I'd rate Death Eaters terror from 1 to 10, mostly because they really aren't that competent on an individual basis. But with Voldemort being off after the Elder Wand in books 6 and 7, you see how they lack control. They aren't competent because they don't care to be, they are just collectively lashing out and that makes them dangerous. It makes them as a group hard to predict and practically impossible to negotiate with.

With Voldemort, you can convince him not to kill you in certain circumstances, he can be convinced to show mercy (unless your name is Harry Potter), then he'd give the order and you'll be fine. Even if he kills you, you know it'll most likely be quick and painless (killing curse). The way we see it in book 7, you need to convince each new individual Death Eater to leave you alone, and even then there are no guarantees. The majority of them could promise you one thing and turn back on the promise in a heartbeat if they can gain even scraps from it. And they are more likely to torture and make it a humiliating experience.

They also don't share information with each other, like, barely at all. Each one of them is trying to climb up over the other Death Eaters, so without Voldemort coordinating between them, they're not working effectively as an organization. Voldemort practically made sure they wouldn't be effective as an organization. He encouraged exactly this kind of environment among them; not trusting each other, not knowing who everyone is, only sharing important information with him. And this works well for him for micromanaging them, not so much when he just leaves them for their own devices for months on end.

What we see them do in book 7 is a mess and if the Wizarding World's government wasn't a joke the Death Eaters would've failed to take over on their own and Voldemort wouldn't actually want to take over as he shows again and again he doesn't actually care for ruling.

Basically, the Death Eaters are dangerous because you have a group of bloodthirsty violent people with a superiority complex and nuclear weapons (wands). That's terrifying. Not because they are competent or effective in battle or government or anything, but because someone who isn't the brightest and has no self-control is not a person you want threatening your life.

(Obviously, some Death Eaters as individuals aren't like that. Snape is incredibly competent, the Malfoys aren't particularly bloodthirsty, etc, I'm talking about the average nameless/name-dropped Death Eater)

[i-still-mask-because]

I still mask because it's what I can do to protect myself and others.

I still mask because I don't trust the people at the grocery store and on the train to stay home when they're sick, or to stop themselves from spreading COVID.

I've recently learned that the masks I was using are no longer recommended, and have ordered some N95s! I'm doing my best but it's frustrating that I see people masking less and less. 😷

I have also felt the social pressure to go without masking and have given in sometimes, which I'm not proud of. Even my doctor made comments about it. I would love to know what you do/say in these situations!

Hey thank you for sharing! 😷💛

Firstly, I'm happy to hear you're able to upgrade to better quality masks! I hope they're comfortable and have a snug fit!

You're definitely not alone in experiencing pressure to remove your mask. This can be especially difficult when this happens with relatives and friends.

For me personally, I've gotten in the habit of trying to think 10 steps ahead of what I could do to prevent having to take off my mask. I gave some examples of what I would do in the case of visiting a friend or visiting a restaurant in this post here.

In general, I stand my ground with my boundaries if anyone is trying to pressure me to take off my mask. My boundaries are: I will not be removing my mask around other people that I'm not confident have been masking consistently in public and/or high risk scenarios, and I will not be removing my mask around other people that have not been taking enough adequate precautions & testing, if at all, leading up to the time of our convening.

In the case of being in public spaces surrounded by a bunch of strangers, removing my mask is 1000% off the table because there is no way for me to know how covid-cautious all these people around me have been, and my best bet is not at all if they're all maskless. So in the case of if I'm with relatives and/or friends that are trying to pressure me to remove my mask in public, that is a hard no. And frankly, I treat interactions like that as moments that inform me of how they regularly go about their day-to-day during an on-going pandemic: casually & carelessly removing their masks (if they have one at all) in public, with no risk assessment or precautions at all. I know then to double down on my boundaries, and, if possible, distance myself from them. I recommend joining any "Still Coviding" Facebook groups, Discord servers, etc. for your particular state/city/town if you're looking to spend time with more people on the same page as you about the seriousness of the pandemic.

In regards to doctors; I haven't personally experienced pressure to remove my mask from the doctors I've been seeing, but I have had to ask them to put one on around me, especially if the purpose of the appointment actually requires me to remove my mask. Here's a document that has templates for what you could say to your health care provider if you're requesting them to wear a mask in any upcoming appointments (feel free to save a copy and tailor it to your own liking!). Please remember that it's 1000000% your right to demand for accommodations and safety precautions in a literal health care environment. You're not a burden for doing so, and you're not irrational for asking your health care providers to literally do their job and do what they can to protect your health. There's websites like Covid Safe Providers if you're trying to look for a covid-cautious health care provider; it's not guaranteed there's going to be one for your location (I've been having a hard time finding a covid-cautious GP near me), but it's worth a shot to look into.

Overall, here's some links I recommend to equip yourself with knowledge on what you could say in these interactions if you're put in a position to have to explain your choice to take covid precautions & require others to do the same:

How To Talk To Your Loved Ones About Covid

You Have To Live Your Life: A resource for COVID-19 research and information

LitCovid: A literature hub for tracking up-to-date scientific information about the 2019 novel Coronavirus.

Please absolutely feel free to repost these links wherever and share them around to other people!

I hope this was helpful!

As always, if anyone has any additional information or suggestions to give, please feel free to share!

[sebbypowell]

Life With A Super Soldier Roommate Pt. 4

Summary: You needed some space from Bucky so you left for a bit, but a vision that you had changes everything between you and Bucky. Suddenly, while you both talk, it changes into a musical. A secret causes you to leave The Avengers.

Words: 3.4k

Warnings: Swearing, singing

Part 5

You were outside of the compound and sitting against the tree in tears. You saw someone approach and it was Wanda Maximoff.

Wanda's expression softened as she approached you, her eyes taking in the sight of you sitting against the tree, tears streaming down your face. She knelt down beside you, her voice gentle. "Hey, are you okay?"

You looked up at Wanda, your vision blurry from the tears. "No," you choked out, your voice shaky. "I'm not okay."

Wanda's heart ached for you, sensing the pain and turmoil in your voice. She sat down beside you, her gaze filled with understanding. "What happened?" she asked, her voice tender.

You wiped at your eyes, trying to compose yourself. "It's Bucky," you managed to say, the words catching in your throat. "We…we had a fight."

Wanda's eyes widened slightly, her brow furrowing with concern. "What was the fight about?" she asked quietly, her voice filled with genuine concern.

You took a deep, shuddering breath. "We…we have feelings for each other," you confessed, your voice wavering. "But with HYDRA after me, it's too dangerous. I can't put him or any of you at risk. I told him we couldn't be together, and he…he didn't take it well."

Wanda's expression softened even more as she listened to your confession. She reached out and placed a comforting hand on your shoulder. "I see…" she said gently, her voice filled with empathy. "It must have been a difficult conversation. Is it about your powers too?"

You nodded, your gaze dropping to the ground. "Yes," you murmured. "HYDRA will stop at nothing to get their hands on me. They want my powers. And the thought of Bucky getting hurt because of me…I can't bear it. But he's furious with me for deciding for him."

Wanda's expression turned conflicted, torn between understanding your concerns and empathizing with Bucky's perspective. "You're right to worry about Bucky's safety," she said slowly, choosing her words carefully, "It's a valid concern. But you need to consider that Bucky is a grown man, and he can make his own decisions. He's not a child who needs to be protected. Vision was the same with me. He wanted to protect me, but I didn't want that."

You looked up at Wanda, your eyes swimming with mixed emotions. "I know he's a grown man," you said, your voice cracking. "But I care about him too much to see him hurt. I can't…I can't risk it. And I can't bear the thought of him being the Winter Soldier again, of HYDRA using him."

Wanda's expression grew somber, and she squeezed your shoulder gently. "I understand your fear," she said quietly, her voice filled with empathy. "But Bucky is not the Winter Soldier anymore. He's fought hard to reclaim his identity, to distance himself from his past. You're taking away his agency in this situation and not giving him a choice."

You felt a pang of guilt, realizing the truth in Wanda's words. You knew that Bucky had worked hard to break free from his past as the Winter Soldier, building a new life for himself. But the fear of HYDRA's pursuit and the weight of responsibility you shouldered made it difficult for you to see beyond that protective bubble.

Tears streamed down your face, and you buried your face in your hands. "I just…I don't want to lose him," you choked out, your voice muffled. "And I don't want him to get hurt. But I don't know how to protect him and be with him at the same time."

Wanda's grip on your shoulder tightened, her expression filled with compassion and understanding. "There's no easy solution or answer," she replied gently. "You can't guarantee Bucky's safety, but you can't live in constant fear either. And he loves you, Y/N. He wants to be with you. That means he's willing to take the risk."

Your heart ached at her words, torn between the desire to be with Bucky and the dread of endangering him. You longed to be with him, to feel his touch and hear his voice. But the weight of your responsibilities and the shadow of HYDRA loomed large, casting doubt and unease over your thoughts. "But I don't want to take the risk."

Wanda's gaze softened even more, and she gently took your hands in her own. "You can't control everything, Y/N," she said softly, her voice filled with wisdom. "You can't protect Bucky from every danger or force him to make decisions. Love requires trust and taking risks. And Bucky loves you enough to want to take those risks."

Your hands trembled in Wanda's grasp, the weight of her words sinking in. You knew deep down that she was right. Love wasn't about control or protection it was about trust, vulnerability, and taking chances. "But I just don't understand. Steve just cheated on him a month ago and he thinks he's ready again."

Wanda's eyebrows furrowed as she looked at you, confusion etched on her face. "Excuse me? Steve cheated on Bucky with who?"

You looked at Wanda, realizing she had no idea about Steve's infidelity. You took a deep breath, unsure if telling her would make things worse. "Steve cheated on Bucky with Sharon."

Wanda's eyes widened in shock, her expression a mix of surprise and disbelief. "Are you serious? Steve cheated on Bucky? With Sharon? You mean Peggy's great niece?"

You nodded, guilt and sadness etched all over your face. "Yeah, Bucky caught them one night and wasn't okay at all."

Wanda's face softened with sympathy, her heart aching for Bucky and you. "I'm so sorry," she said, her voice filled with genuine remorse. "That sounds like a betrayal Bucky must have found deeply painful and triggering."

You nodded again, tears welling up in your eyes, remembering the agony on Bucky's face when he saw them together. "He was devastated," you whispered, your voice cracking. "I've never seen him so broken. That's why I don't want to risk it. I don't wanna see him so broken again if something happens to me."

Wanda's grip on your hands tightened, her expression filled with unwavering understanding. "I can understand why that would make you hesitant," she replied quietly. "But you can't let fear dictate your life. You can't let the possibility of pain stop you from finding happiness and love. Love involves risking getting hurt, but it also offers the chance for joy and connection."

Your heart ached with the dichotomy of your feelings. You longed for Bucky, but the dread of something happening to him loomed large in your mind. You let out a weary sigh, feeling torn and conflicted. "I…I don't know, Wanda. It's just so complicated."

Vision came outside to look for Wanda.

Vision approached, a look of concern on his face as he spotted Wanda with you. "Wanda, there you are," he said, his voice gentle. "Billy needs you."

Wanda turned towards Vision, her expression momentarily torn between you and the need to attend to Billy. "I'll be right there, Viz," she replied, her voice soft. She then turned back to you, her gaze filled with understanding.

"Billy? Who's Billy?" you asked while wiping your tears.

Wanda smiled softly, her eyes filled with love as she spoke, "Billy is my son with Vision, he's having a hard time sleeping, I have to go."

Your heart ached at her words, a pang of envy stirring within you. You desperately longed for a normal life, a family, and stability, but you knew that HYDRA would always be lurking in the shadows. "Oh," you replied quietly, trying to mask your feelings. "I hope he feels better soon."

Wanda noticed the flicker of pain and longing in your eyes. She placed a gentle hand on your arm, her voice filled with empathy. "I hope so too," she said sincerely. "But remember, Y/N, you can have that life too. Don't let HYDRA take away your chance at happiness."

Your heart ached at Wanda's words. You wanted to believe her, longed for the hope she offered, but the fear and weight of your responsibilities held you back. "I…I want to believe that," you choked out. "But it's just so hard."

Wanda's expression softened, her gaze filled with understanding. She gently squeezed your arm, her voice gentle yet firm. "I know it's hard, but you can't live your life in constant fear. You deserve happiness, love, and a family. Trust me, Y/N, it's worth fighting for." Wanda left with Vision.

You stay sitting down at the tree and your eyes suddenly glow purple and you see flickers of your future.

Memories and visions of the future flicker in your mind's eye, like images on an old film reel. Faces, laughter, pain, and joy mingling together in a chaotic dance of fleeting moments. As you focus on the visions, you feel a pull as they shift towards one singular person: Bucky, but holding a newborn.

Your heart squeezes tightly, and your breath catches in your throat, a strange mix of hope and fear surging through you. The sight of Bucky holding a newborn baby, his features softer, gentler, and yet so profoundly filled with love, fills your vision. The baby is wrapped in a tiny pink blanket.

But the joy is tinged with an undercurrent of worry. You strain to see past the blurry edges of the vision, trying to catch glimpses of other details, but the future remains frustratingly elusive. The vision wavers, like a dream slipping through your fingers, leaving you with more questions than answers. Tears start to fall down as your eyes stop glowing.

The vision fades, leaving you sitting under the tree, tears streaming down your face. The image of Bucky holding a baby, a family, a life you yearn for, lingers in your mind, stirring a maelstrom of emotions within you. Hope, fear, longing, and confusion entwine and swirl together, creating an agonizingly messy tangle in your chest.

. . .

Hours had passed, and you had finally returned to the bedroom you shared with Bucky. The room was quiet, the only sound being the soft tick of the clock on the wall. Bucky was already inside, sitting on his side of the bed, his shoulders slumped, and his expression unreadable.

As you entered, the air felt thick with tension. Bucky looked up from where he sat, his gaze locking onto you. Silence hung between you, both of you unsure of how to breach the chasm that had opened up since your argument earlier.

You stood awkwardly for a moment, finally mustering the courage to speak. "Hi," you said quietly, your voice soft and unsure.

Bucky didn't reply immediately, his steely blue eyes studying you before he finally spoke. "Hey," he said curtly, his gaze still holding yours.

The sound of music suddenly filled the room, jolting both you and Bucky out of the intense silence. The unexpected noise seemed to break the tension, causing Bucky's eyebrows to furrow in surprise, but he suddenly started singing outta nowhere. "Where are those happy days they seem so hard to find?"

You stood there, stunned for a moment by the abrupt shift in atmosphere. "Uhm… Buck?"

Bucky continued, his voice filling the room with a strange and unexpected serenade, a hint of a smirk on his face. "I try to reach for you but you have closed your mind."

"Oh hell no!" you went to go to leave the bedroom.

Bucky swiftly reached out and grabbed your arm, gently pulling you back towards him. He pulled you closer, his voice still oozing with sarcasm as he continued singing. "Whatever happened to our love? I wish I understood. It used to be so nice, it used to be so good."

You tried to wiggle out of his grip, feeling a mix of surprise, confusion, and a little bit of amusement. "Bucky, what the hell are you doing? Let me go!" you pulled out of his grip and left the room.

Bucky followed after you, his footsteps quick and determined. He chased you, a playful determination in his eyes, the music still filling the air. "So when you're near me darling can't you hear me SOS."

You darted through the halls, trying to keep your distance from Bucky as he continued to sing, his voice never faltering and his pursuit relentless. "The love you gave me, nothing else can save me…SOS."

You continued to run, the music playing in the background. "When you're gone," he sang, "How can I even try to go on?"

He didn’t give up the chase, his voice growing louder and more confident as he continued the pursuit. "When you're gone," he sang, "Though I try, how can I carry on?"

You managed to hide from him, but you suddenly started to sing. "You seem so far away though you are standing near."

"You made me feel alive." you sang. "But something died I fear."

Bucky paused when he heard you sing, a hint of surprise in his expression. He had expected you to keep running, not to join in the unexpected musical performance.

You stepped out from the spot you'd been hiding behind, running outside and sang. "I really tried to make it out I wish I understood."

You ran to the tree. "What happened to our love? It used to be so good." you sang.

Bucky stood still, watching you, a mixture of surprise, admiration, and curiosity in his gaze. He leaned against a nearby wall, silently enjoying the sight of you belting out the lyrics.

You were singing loudly, lost in the moment. "So when you're near me darling can't you hear me SOS."

Bucky watched, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Despite the mix of confusion and amusement, he found himself drawn to your carefree spirit and the way your voice filled the air.

"The love you gave me," you continued, your voice filled with raw emotion, "Nothing else can save me, SOS."

Both of you started to sing in sync. "When you're gone how can I even try to go on."

You and Bucky's voices blended together, creating a harmonious harmony. "When you're gone though I try, how can I carry on?"

You both continued singing, the words flowing effortlessly between you, as if the song were written just for this moment. "So when you're near me darling can't you hear me SOS."

With each lyric, the distance between you seemed to shrink, the tension from earlier slowly evaporating under the power of the music. The air was thick with the undeniable chemistry between you. "The love you gave me nothing else can save me SOS." You moved away from the tree.

As the song neared its end, you sang yourself. "When you're gone how can I even try to go on."

Bucky joined in, the final note lingering in the air. "When you're gone though I try how can I carry on."

The music faded away, leaving behind a palpable silence. You and Bucky stood a few feet away from each other, the weight of the strange and unexpected performance still hanging between you. "What the fuck just happened!?" you exclaimed. "That wasn't me!"

Bucky took a step closer, his expression a mix of amusement and curiosity. "I don't know, but that was probably the most bizarre and unexpected thing I’ve seen in a while."

You crossed your arms, still trying to wrap you mind around what had just occurred. "But…I don't understand… that music just started playing out of nowhere, and we just started singing like it was something out of a movie."

Bucky shrugged, leaning against the wall for support. "I have no idea. Maybe it's just a case of some really strange coincidence." He paused for a moment, a sly smile playing on his lips, "Or maybe we just have a secret talent for duets that we didn't know about."

You rolled your eyes playfully, "Right, because we can all just burst into song randomly and it’s totally normal. Someone put a spell on us and I need to figure out who it was."

"A spell, huh?" Bucky chuckled, pushing himself off the wall and walking towards you slowly, the smirk still on his face. "You think someone cast a musical spell on us? Maybe it was a witch from Hogwarts."

You smirked back, enjoying the banter. "A Hogwarts witch, huh? I doubt Hermione Granger is running around casting singing spells on unsuspecting people."

Bucky chuckled, stopping a few feet in front of you. "Okay, maybe not Hermione Granger. But who knows, maybe it was some random wizard wannabe with a talent for musicals and a lack of control."

Sam burst into the scene, panting slightly from exertion, a look of urgency on his face. "Guys, you won't believe what just happened!"

You and Bucky, still a little baffled by the recent singing spectacle, turned to look at Sam with curious expressions. "What is it, Sam?" Bucky asked.

Sam paused to catch his breath, still a little disheveled from something that clearly startled him. "I was in the living room watching TV, and all of a sudden, I heard voices coming from the kitchen. I checked it out, and guess what I saw? Fucking you two singing that song from Mamma Mia!"

Bucky and you looked at each other, realization dawning on both of your faces. "We weren’t hallucinating?" you asked, your voice tinged with disbelief.

Sam shook his head, still trying to process what he had seen. "No, you guys totally were singing. It was seriously like a scene out of a movie. I had to do a double-take to make sure there wasn’t a camera crew hidden somewhere."

You rubbed your temples, overwhelmed by the strangeness of the situation. "It was definitely a witch spell then."

The ominous sound of witch’s laughter echoed through the air, causing a chill to run down both your spines. You scanned your surroundings, trying to pinpoint where the noise was coming from. You then saw the witch.

The witch appeared out of nowhere suddenly as she leaned against the garden wall, a sly and smug look on her face. "Ah, you've discovered my little spell," she said, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. The witch was none other than Agatha Harkness.

Sam's eyes widened. "Isn't that Y/N's-"

"Shut up, Sam!" Bucky interrupted Sam.

You froze in place, a mix of surprise and trepidation coursing through you. Agatha's smirk widened as she pushed herself off the wall, taking a few steps closer to you. "You know, my daughter used to love watching Mamma Mia, before she was taken out of her bed from me."

Your eyes widened. "Wait, I was taken from my bed. Your my-"

Agatha chuckled dryly, a hint of bitterness in her tone. "Yes, I'm your mother," she said matter-of-factly. "But you've been in the clutches of HYDRA for years now, far from your biological family."

You were stunned into silence, struggling to wrap your mind around the revelation. Bucky and Sam exchanged worried glances, unsure of how to react. Bucky spoke up, "The Avengers never wanted to tell you, Y/N."

"Bucky, what the hell are you talking about?" you said, your voice a mix of hurt and anger as you stared at Bucky.

Bucky winced slightly, clearly uncomfortable. "We… we were afraid to tell you the truth. We didn't want to put you in more danger," he said, his voice low and filled with regret. Agatha's eyebrows rose at his words, a mixture of surprise and annoyance coloring her features.

"Danger?" you repeated, the anger growing within you. "I've been fighting HYDRA on a daily basis for years, being in danger is part of my life! Maybe I don't think I need you guys anymore." you walked away from them and over to Agatha.

Bucky and Sam stared at you, shock and guilt etched on their faces. They didn't expect you to walk away and towards your mother. Agatha smiled at your approach, a flicker of satisfaction in her gaze. "Looks like she's finally seeing the light," she said to Bucky and Sam, her tone laced with a hint of triumph. "Remember boys, it's been Agatha All Along." she laughs and she uses her powers and both you and Agatha disappear.

Bucky and Sam stood there, stunned and speechless. The sudden disappearance of you and Agatha left them feeling bewildered and worried. Bucky clenched his fists, anger, and helplessness coursing through his veins. "Damn it," he muttered, his voice filled with frustration. "We should have told her the truth from the start."

Part 3

[ash5monster01]

Sunday Morning

Pairing: Steve Harrington x FemReader

Warnings: fluff, mentions of trauma

Summary: Based on the song Sunday Morning by Maroon Five. In other words, Steve has considered running away from Hawkins every day considering all the trauma and heartbreak he’s endured here. Yet he can’t bring himself to do it because he doesn’t want to risk losing you. Especially since he can’t guarantee he’d ever see you again. So he’d rather continue to suffer here, as long as he has you.

word count: 700+

Masterlist

Steve woke up to the sound of light rain drops on the window sill outside his bedroom. The clouds painted the sky a bright white, a normal spring rain coating the side of the house. He hums in contentment as his eyes flitted to see his alarm read 10:05am. He felt a chill reach his arms and he looked to see you had curled up in most of his sheets. Smiling he lightly tugged them from your grasp, covering himself and nudging his skin flush against yours. He looks up at the grey sky and you move to fit perfectly against him.

“Morning handsome” you hummed against his chest and he smiled, realizing he didn’t need good weather to have a bright day. At least he had you by his side.

“You sleep good?” he asked this because you experienced nightmares, like the most of them. The horrors of Hawkins had tainted you all, now it was much harder trying to have a good night sleep never feeling 100% safe.

“Yes, I actually did” you smile at him, still buzzing with sleep. It was Sunday morning, you had nothing urging you to leave the comfort of his arms. This is proven to be true when you snuggle deeper into him, eyes closing with more sleep. Steve feels his heart yearn for you in ways he can't explain. All he knows is that he would glady hit the road and go as long as it led him back to you. After these last three years in Hawkins living life had just gotten so crazy and hard to do. Knowing that as long as he had you it would be all he ever needed.

"What do you want to do today?" he whispers to you, leaning down to press a soft kiss to your forehead. He doesn't even remember that it's storming outside. You're the only thing he can focus on. The only person he can see, even in the darkness of the upside down. So he will take lazy sundays, resting your bones together, driving slowly throughout the day. He never want's to leave.

"Stay in bed" you mutter into his chest and he chuckles as he begins to rub his hand down your side. His fingers trace every outline of your figure, paiting a picture with his hand. He loves the way you both had faced the worst of things, things that should tear people apart. Swaying together like branches in a storm and when the weather changes you're still together. So he accepts this may be all he needs. You, him, and lazy Sunday mornings. He never wants to leave.

"You don't have to ask me twice" he says as he rolls you to your back. Suddenly Steve Harrington's hovering over you, sheets spilling around each others bare skin and you giggle loudly as he leans down and kisses you. His pelvis pushing into your own and even though you'd much rather escape the nightmare of Hawkin's you know it would be useless because you would always come right back to him. Right back home and he may not know but it's all you need.

Sunday morning rain and calling out to him. So you deepen the kiss, hands curling into his hair because you'd rather fight a hundred demogorgan’s than ever leave his side. You relish in the taste of cherries on his lips and how sweet his skin sticks to your own. He's everything you love wrapped up in a perfect package and you'd never trade it for the world. When he pulls away for a breath you don't let him escape so easy, lips finding his neck, and fingers grazing through chest hair. He groans out for you, so well practiced in working him over. Yet with determination he still reaches over to the night stand where a vase of fresh flowers sit, your own personal touch. When you pull away from his neck he places the flower he stole in your hair.

"What's that for?" you ask and he just smiles at you. He wishes to be that flower in your hair, always with you. He supposes he is.

"Just for being you, and loving me" he says and your heart melts all over again for the boy above you.

"I love Sunday mornings with you"

[bthump]

i was wondering and am curious about your opinion - we know guts is important enough for griffith to risk his life for repeatedly, made him forget his dream etc. etc. but do you think (pre-eclipse, pre-torture, pre- guts leaving ofc) griffith would *give* his life for him?

*risking* it still gives at least some chance of survival, but in a hypothetical gun-to-the-head situation where his own death for the price of guts's life would be certain, a situation that would allow him a little time to really consider it, not just an impulsive decision in the heat of the battle etc. - would he choose himself and his dream over guts, or would the guarantee of his own death, and thus no soul-shattering concept of continuing to live the rest of his life without the slightest chance of achieving the dream, be enough to for him to take that 'risking his life' a step further and fully sacrifice himself for guts's sake?

alternatively, if guts offered his own life for griffith's (i believe he would, but maybe you have a different opinion?), would griffith accept it?

lol this was a lot of fun to think about, ty!

Honestly I think my opinion is that Griffith wouldn't trade his life for Guts' if he had a chance to really consider it (and couldn't impulsively change his mind at the last second.) I think during the Golden Age, like before Guts leaves, Griffith's feelings for him are more subconscious - he knows he likes him and wants him to stay by his side, but he doesn't know that Guts is more important to him than his dream, and I think he'd consider that a personal failing if he did. I mean he kind of does in canon, imo.

And imo Griffith meant it when he said he has no friends among the Hawks - not because it's true, but because it's his way of trying to keep himself emotionally distanced. So he doesn't consciously think of Guts as his bff.

I also think that Griffith, when he's not actively deluding himself about the philosophical importance of having a dream lol, sees pursuing the dream as like, a duty he owes to everyone who died for it. In addition, he also feels like there's no point to living if he's not pursuing his dream. This is pretty headcanon-y, but I think it makes sense for Griffith to lowkey have some like, suicidal ideation going on. Dying would almost be a relief from the pressure of his dream, but it would also be a failure. Not to detract from the significance of Griffith sacrifcing himself for Guts - imo the fact that he's risking his dream for him in those moments makes it even more significant than just risking his life.

So like basically if someone had a sword to Guts' throat and said 'you or him' I think Griffith would want to give his life for Guts, both because he loves him and can't stand to see him die and because it would be an escape from his dream, but he wouldn't allow himself to, basically. He would tell himself that as a Hawk Guts is supposed to die for him and it's just a pebble on the path yadda yadda yadda and then he'd never be happy again lol.

On the other hand, if Guts offered his own life for Griffith's (I also believe he would btw), I don't think Griffith would accept. To me this falls more in line with impulsive decisions, without a real chance to think about it, and Guts wins those. If Griffith had a sword to his throat, and Guts was like 'nooo kill me instead' (in a scenario where this somehow makes sense) Griffith's automatic response would be 'absolutely not' and he'd probably slit his own throat.

Plus choosing to trade Guts' life for his own is more active a choice than simply not chosing to save Guts by stepping in and sacrificing himself, and the more active a role he has to play in Guts' death, the less he's able to do it. He can sacrifice him during the Eclipse in that moment of true despair, but even as Femto he can't actually kill him himself. I can't really imagine human Griffith choosing to let Guts die in his place.

I'm glad your question split that particular hair between Griffith sacrificing himself and Guts sacrificing himself lol because yeah I do think there's a difference.

[1toreyouapart]

The Lies We Tell

***FANFIC THAT INVOLVES REAL PEOPLE. 18+ ONLY. MDNI. DO NOT READ IF YOU DON’T LIKE FANFIC THAT INVOLVES REAL PEOPLE***

Summary that tells you nothing: Sometimes everything you ever wanted has been right there, within reach, all along.

CW/TW: Angst, fluff, swearing, friends to lovers, jealousy, smut, fingering, PinV, pet names, friends with benefits, more to come as I actually get things written out.

Masterlist

Just A Friend

"Come on, man. Something's up. You've been off all day."

Noah slammed the door to the studio, inhaling the fresh, or somewhat fresh, air of the city around them. Missed cues. Singing the wrong lyrics. Off key. It had been a fucking day and all he wanted was to call it quits and go home. He was tired. Exhausted, even. Always working. He was always fucking working.

And even when he wasn't working he was battling with Quinn these days, it seemed. Whether he was trying to steal a moment with her to just talk to her, or they were hanging out with everyone, she either had an excuse to stay far away from him or had something fucking smart to say. Her and her smart ass mouth.

"It's nothing, Jolly." He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm just tired."

"We all are. We've had an insane touring schedule lately." Jolly paused, waiting for him to look at him before he continued. "But it's more than that. You're distracted."

Of course he was distracted. His best fucking friend was avoiding him and trying not to be obvious about it. He had tried to talk to her. Honestly tried to talk to her. But she did that infuriating thing she loved to do when she didn't want to actually talk and ignored half of what he was saying. Always ignoring the part she didn't want to talk about.

He pulled his phone out, looking to see if she had responded to his text about dinner. Three hours ago he had text her about the two of them grabbing dinner somewhere, leaving the guys at home. She had opened it. Read it. And ignored it.

"I just need rest, dude."

He clicked the call button next to her name, turning his back to Jolly. It rang twice before going straight to voicemail. The realization of what she was doing hit him in that moment. A taste of his own medicine. That brat.

"Quinn, I swear to fucking God. You are the most infuriating little terror pixie I've ever fucking met. You've made your goddamn point."

He hung up the phone, wishing it was back in the old days where he could actually slam the phone down. This pressing a button on a touchscreen to end the call was so unsatisfying. He needed to damn near break the phone it was slammed down so hard.

"Ah. You and Quinn are fighting again." Jolly chuckled. "Just fuck her and get it over with, man."

"Jolly! Dude! We're friends. It's not like that." Another lie.

"Friends don't look at each other the way that you two do."

"You're so fucking stupid, dude." Noah scoffed, refusing to meet his friend's eyes.

Of course Jolly was right. He had been right every time he had brought it up in the past, too. But he knew how much him and Quinn talked. He had listened to their talks late at night when they thought everyone was asleep. And Jolly had a big fucking mouth sometimes. No way in hell would he admit anything to him.

Good God, this all fucking sucked. He never should have kissed her. Definitely never should have fingered her. Why couldn't there be some happy middle ground that guaranteed he wouldn't lose her? One that guaranteed that he wouldn't keep fucking up and risking everything?

"I'm just sayin'. Maybe get it out of both your systems. Because Jesus Christ. Used to only fight once in a while. Now twice since we've been home? Tension is off the rails."

“Shut the fuck up. You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he snapped.

His best kept secret was crumbling down around him. All because he couldn’t just keep his fucking hands to himself. Over a moment of weakness. Two. Two moments of weakness. And in this moment, right now? He hated that he ever lied to her to begin with. Hated that he hadn’t just been honest that first meeting. Maybe they hooked up and maybe he struck out? Either way none of this would be happening right now. But young and stupid Noah had seen how upset she was once he got close and decided against it. What a fucking idiot he had been. And definitely still was.

Tags: @collisionofyourkissmakesitsohard @mrscevans @supersquirrel1996

[nyxvuxoa-writes]

𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚁𝚊𝚢 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚞𝚜 𝚆𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝙸𝚗𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚍𝚎

Ray Marcus x Fem!Reader

◢ Genre: Darkfic, Headcanon

◢ Warnings: Smut-related points, sexualization of a bad guy: very brief mention of non-con, dominance, marking, biting, hickeys, public sex and public fondling, slight dumbification kink, slight daddy kink (but more along the lines of him liking being called daddy from time to time) Likely toxic relationship points, possessive Ray.

◢ A/N: Simple headcanons of my violent boy here to help me get the creativity flowing after the past couple of days I have had. I am aware of people's views on 'glorifying bad guys', don't get me started on a rant, if you don't like it feel free to block me. Gif credit goes to me.

Let's face it: this man may not be capable of love. And if he is, it's not in the healthiest sense of the term.

Being with him is a constant risk.

You never know what kind of mood he will be in, let alone what he will do that day.

So on that note, he's rather unpredictable, and depending on what kind of girl you are, that is either good or bad.

When you first met him he came off as rather forward.

He doesn't have a filter and is a rather entitled man who doesn't really have anything.

He's a man who knows what he wants.

He also doesn't take no for an answer very well.

Thankfully you didn't tell him no. You were actually drawn to how he is.

Maybe it's the risk factor of it all.

Hopefully, you aren't looking to try and change or "fix" him, because you aren't going to be able to do it.

Seriously don't. He will likely just fuck with your head.

He's not the heart and flowers kind of guy.

Don't expect romance in the traditional sense of the word.

He's the kind of man who prefers to show his "affection" or, more appropriately, ownership with touching.

He keeps his arms around your waist or over your shoulder.

He's not afraid to punch someone in the face (or hit them with the nearest object) if he thinks they are looking at you how he looks at you.

He's the kind of guy to likely slap your ass on the way by.

Or pull you onto his lap and hold you there, maybe with a hand around your throat with his tongue in your mouth.

What's his, is his. In his eyes, he owns you. You are his girl.

If this man becomes even remotely attached to you, he will kill for you.

But there is also that chance he will kill you. Let's be honest about the risk here.

Be prepared for the fact that there will be things you don't know about.

He will keep things from you, so you might want to keep him on his toes and show him that you aren't afraid of what he does to entertain himself.

Maybe he will let you along for something of an illegal nature. But there is no guarantee about that.

Don't accuse him of fucking someone else, because he will go and do it just because you said it.

But there is a chance that you weren't wrong, though that girl might not have had a choice in the matter.

Submit to him.

While he may or may not really know what BDSM is in the direct term, that doesn't mean he doesn't like his girlfriend submissive and eager to please or worship him.

But that doesn't mean being constantly submissive.

There will be some moments when you need to be able to either stand toe to toe with him. Or stand equal with him.

But seriously, this man loves to be worshiped. He has a praise kink, especially if you are talking about his cock while it's inside you.

He is all hands. Loves to grip, grab, and guide you.

If you are on top, expect to be guided on how he likes it. You aren't getting off him without fingertip bruises.

He is also a biter and a hickey maker.

This man will always mark your body.

Neck, chest, ribs, even your ass or thighs. He will mark you anywhere.

Bonus points if people can see it.

Sex can be anywhere, at any time.

Public bathrooms, a car, in the middle of the woods, behind someone's house. This list could be endless.

He doesn't give a shit about being caught either.

Chances are, he gets off on the idea. A cop standing there, and he would keep pumping away inside of you like it was nothing.

That man would have to be pulled off you.

There is also an enjoyment of a dumbification kink.

He loves the idea of fucking you dumb and feeling you quiver underneath him.

"Are you my dumb girl?"

Bonus points if you call him Daddy after he asks you that.

The man though, is not a Daddy.

If you are looking for any formal term for Ray, Master or Alpha would be more appropriate.

He however is a very dominant being in the bedroom. It's his way or the highway so that better be your thing.

Overall your relationship with Ray is highly unpredictable, but highly charged and likely very sexual.

◤━━━━━━━━━━━◥

Tag List: @voxmortuus @earth-elemental18 @f4irylid

[cepheustarot]

What awaits you in October?

Attention! This reading is for entertainment purposes only. This tarot reading does not give a 100% guarantee that all the described situations will occur. You build your own life and destiny.

Choose one or more cards. Trust your intuition.

Card 1: The first event will be that you will find yourself in a problematic situation, the solution of which does not depend on you and you may be in an unstable state, be nervous and overthinking yourself. It is also possible that you will have to work for some time or be with a person who is very hot-tempered or very sensitive and literally takes your every word to heart. In this case, you will have to constantly control your flow of words in order not to offend a person, and this is very stressful and there is a high risk of quarreling with a person. The second situation will be a change of workplace! You will get tired of the old job with its conditions, or you have lost interest in it and decide to try yourself in another field. You will definitely find something that you will like; perhaps they will pay less at this job, but at least this activity will be genuinely interesting to you. If you are not working, but studying, then change your specialty to another one. You can also stop getting carried away with what has been of interest to you for many years and discover something new. The third situation indicates a change in the social circle! This is probably due to the fact that you decided to change your field of activity. In any case, you could be forced to communicate with someone you don't like and this month you will to dot the «I», break ties. If there are no such people, then in any case you have a high chance to meet new people, you will literally attract to yourself, people themselves can approach you, start a conversation, make a lot of compliments. You will be in the spotlight!

Сard 2: I see that you planned to see your family, mostly your grandparents, but this meeting will not take place, because force majeure will occur, some problem that will need to be solved as soon as possible and this is exactly the situation that will disrupt your meeting. I also want to note that a person with experience will come to your aid, a creative personality, prone to empathy, emotional, sociable, maybe it's you or your friend / acquaintance. However, you will definitely find a way to solve this problem, although this unexpected situation will cause you great excitement and stress. Also, the second situation speaks about big spending in money. Alternatively, your finances may go to solve the problem described above. Otherwise, you will spend this money on an expensive gift to some person, or you will arrange a party or any other event that will require a lot of money to organize. Perhaps you will be preparing documents for the purchase of real estate, cars, businesses, etc., in this case, I advise you to pay special attention to the terms of the contract, since there is a risk of being deceived and investing in something that may not pay off! This month you will also work hard or study hard. Perhaps you will have a stuff at work or you will need to do your work before the end of the deadline, there may be a similar situation at study. Your boss or your teacher can make a lot of comments, get on your nerves and generally not accept the work done. Or you can work together with someone in a team and your partner can pull you down, which is why your common cause will not be as successful as it could be if you acted alone.

Card 3: The first situation is that there is a factor that causes your plans to collapse, but! You will successfully eliminate this factor, as you will find a solution to fix the situation, you are very smart and resourceful, so you will definitely cope with difficulties. However, if you were the one who was going to disrupt someone's plans, then you will soon be exposed, do not think that you can get away with it.

The second situation will be the opportunity to pause, take a break and relax after all the difficulties in life. Most likely, there was a period in your life when problems were only getting worse and all your strength was spent only on solving them. Fortunately, this month you will have the opportunity to relax and unwind, it will be a good time to pay attention to yourself, take care of yourself, do what you have been putting off for a long time, but could not do because of the circumstances. The third situation indicates a meeting with close people with whom you have not seen for a long time. It can be your family, relatives, childhood friends or your lover. The meeting will be wonderful and you will be satisfied, it will be a pleasant memory for you for a long time.

Thank you for reading! I will be glad of any feedback <3

[eldritch-spouse]

Will vesper stop sleeping with other people if his queen asks him to? Like the reader is ready to try to make their relationship work (somehow) but she just doesn't want to see him sleeping around (and she's the same) I personally love his personality and the way you wrote him (he sounds funny and weirdly sweet in his own way), especially since you said before that he is 'the most affectionate and lovey-dovey of all' Icons', but about how he encourages his queen to sleep with others and for him to do so too jute is uncomfortable for me and I don't want that kind of relationship, so how will he deal with that? (I hope I don't sound disrespectful with this question, Just curious about his reaction!)

That literally cannot happen.

He's a concubus. Concubi need sex to feed, to sustain themselves. Maybe an imp can fuck the same person for the rest of their life (a bit saddening for most), a mid-ranker already needs to hit up someone else or risk overwhelming their partner. A high-ranker like Santi needs to fuck several other people to sustain himself or he'll start starving to a degree.

Vesper is the King of Lust. He's the most powerful incubus to ever exist. This demon needs to be having sex very very frequently and your little human body cannot fucking handle it, he guarantees you that much. He's not going to starve just because you have human hang-ups regarding having sex with others nor is he going to humor your little ideas and end up killing you with his hunger.

This is something you need to come to terms with eventually. There will never be sexual-exclusivity between you and Vesper, he will consider you ignorant when you first bring it up, and cruel if to continue to harp on it even after he explains these concepts to you.

Part of the reason why Vesper insists in sharing sexual partners with you is to get you acclimated to this idea, to have you indulge with him so that the two of you stand on an equal footing.

It's just how Lust works. How he works.

Vesper won't push you into having sex with others if you express extreme discomfort with it, but it is kind of disappointing.