#so i am rather experienced if nothing else

[dioslesbianwife]

Hello! I hope youre well! How would the jofoes react to the realisation of being in love? Also if its not too much could you add PB Dios reaction as well? He's my favorite!

Yes totally! I love PB Dio too, part 1 is iconic. thank you for requesting and here are the headcannons!

Jojo villains realizing they're in love HCs

Dio Brando PB

Initial Reaction: Dio is utterly taken aback. For someone who’s always been in control of his emotions, the concept of love feels like a disruption- an unexpected, inconvenient distraction.

Thoughts: Love? A weakness? Or something that can be used to my advantage?

His ego tells him that he doesn’t need anyone, but there's a tug in his chest when he’s around you. He begins to notice how your presence makes him feel some type of way he’s never experienced before.

Evolution: Dio becomes possessive, more than a little obsessive. He’ll convince himself that he owns you, but his feelings are real. If he sees you with someone else, the irritation he feels is nothing short of explosive.

Action: While he’ll never openly admit it, his need for you will grow both emotionally and physically. He’ll start manipulating situations to keep you close, often in subtle ways, ensuring you see him as the one who can provide everything you need.

Kars

Initial Reaction: Kars is initially confused. He’s never cared for emotional attachments beyond the other pillar men, believing that love is a primitive feeling that doesn’t align with his perfect vision of himself and the world.

Thoughts: I never needed love... I don’t need anyone. But why does my mind keep returning to this…human?

He’ll resist the feelings at first, viewing them as an imperfection and a flaw. But with time, he finds himself drawn to you, fascinated by your existence.

Evolution: Kars doesn’t fully understand love, but he’ll never admit it. Instead, he views you as a necessary partner in his grand plan, yet it doesn’t change the fact that his feelings for you are genuine. He might not say it, but his actions, the way he’ll protect you, pamper you, and make sure no harm comes your way, will show that he cares more deeply than he’s willing to admit.

Action: His love manifests in a cold, pragmatic way. he doesn’t need your affection, but he’ll demand your loyalty. Kars will keep you close, not because he’s insecure, but because you’ve become a part of his vision, a necessary part of his empire.

Wamuu

Initial Reaction: Wamuu, being of a more honorable and warrior like mindset, finds love to be an obligation, a responsibility that some hold in their hearts but not him, at least until now. When he realizes he’s fallen for you, he is overwhelmed by the feeling of protecting and cherishing you.

Thoughts: This... this is different. I have never felt this urge to protect anyone  with my entire being aside from my masters.

He’s a bit confused at first, unsure how to navigate the feeling of wanting someone’s safety as much as his own.

Evolution: He grows to accept it- a deep, loyal love that isn’t possessive, but moreso built on a foundation of respect and strength. His love for you is a quiet, enduring force.

Action: Wamuu will express his love through actions rather than words, always striving to protect and fight by your side. His loyalty to you would be unshakable- if you’re in danger, so is he.

Esidisi

Initial Reaction: Esidisi is initially frustrated by the realization. He’s all about passion and power, but the feeling of love feels softer than his usual feelings, and he’s not sure what to make of it.

Thoughts: I... am in love with this human. How is this possible?

He’ll see love more like an overwhelming, all consuming force, one he can’t fight against. He wants to possess you, but in a way that is deeply rooted in a need to keep you safe and close.

Evolution: Esidisi grows to revel in the feeling. Love becomes an addiction for him, a source of power and strength. He becomes more obsessed, willing to do anything to maintain your affection and devotion.

Action: His love would be intense and slightly overbearing, but never cruel. He’ll spoil you with everything he can offer, while simultaneously warning others that you’re his. Anyone who threatens you will suffer his wrath.

Kira

Initial Reaction: Kira doesn’t know how to handle this. He’s a perfectionist, and love feels messy, untidy. He doesn’t want to lose control, and love seems to demand it.

Thoughts: Why does this person make me feel this way? I don’t need this...

The realization comes slowly, creeping up on him when he notices how his thoughts always return to you. He might try to deny it at first.

Evolution: As much as he tries to control it, Kira becomes obsessed. His love is possessive and suffocating, hidden under the guise of politeness. He doesn’t know how to express it. His love for you will be something more dangerous than anyone realizes.

Action: Kira would try to keep you close, doing small things for you, like buying you gifts and making sure you're always safe, all while making sure not to get too close. His love is twisted, with an underlying need to make you feel like you belong to him. For your sake, he tries to keep his other violent urges at bay.

Diavolo

Initial Reaction: Diavolo would never admit to being in love. He’s obsessed with control and the concept of fate, and love doesn’t fit into his perfect, planned world.

Thoughts: Ridiculous. I am the ruler of this world, and yet... why are my thoughts plagued by this person?

He struggles to accept this weakness, dismissing it at first. But over time, it eats away at him.

Evolution: Diavolo would try to suppress it, but his need for you would grow, and his obsession would turn darker and more desperate.

Action: He’d want to keep you close, ensuring no one else can have you. His love is possessive and manipulative, he’d control everything, from your actions to the people around you, all to maintain his hold on you.

Doppio

Initial Reaction: Doppio is different from Diavolo in many ways. He’s more open to emotions but still caught off guard.

Thoughts: I love this person… Oh, no. What do I do now?

Doppio’s reaction is more pure, filled with excitement and confusion. He wants to express his feelings, but he’s unsure how to proceed without screwing things up. Especially considering not only his job and lifestyle, but his other half.

Evolution: He grows to enjoy this newfound love, feeling elated but still unsure. He’s not as manipulative as Diavolo, but his desire to have you sometimes gets the better of him and he may be a little.

Action: Doppio would be all about taking care of you, always trying to please you and make you feel special. His love is earnest, though he might not always know how to keep it from being too overbearing.

Enrico Pucci

Initial Reaction: Pucci, being a deeply religious man, feels conflicted at first. Love is supposed to be pure, but this feeling is all consuming, and he’s unsure how to reconcile it with his sense of fate.

Thoughts: This... is destiny? The Lord’s will? Or is it a weakness?

His sense of devotion to you intensifies, but it’s tangled with his mission- he might see this love as a stepping stone for his mission.

Evolution: Pucci slowly accepts that love is part of his purpose. He believes it’s all connected to his larger goal, and with that acceptance, his feelings for you grow.

Action: He would express his love through actions more than words, ensuring you’re always safe and cared for. At the same time, his focus on the divine means that your love, in his mind, must be fated: a powerful, unshakable force.

Funny Valentine

Initial Reaction: Funny Valentine views personal attachments as secondary to his greater goal of protecting and elevating his beloved America. When he begins to realize he's in love, his first instinct is to deny it, love is a distraction that could cloud his judgment. His duty must come first.

Thoughts: My… interest in this person…purely cursory…yes, that’s all.

However, Valentine is an intelligent man, and the more time he spends around you, the harder it becomes to ignore the warmth in his chest and the protective instinct rising within him.

Evolution: Valentine has a deeply traditional view of love and courtship. He believes in honor, respect, and chivalry, but these values are always tempered by his pragmatic nature. If he accepts that he's in love, he approaches it in a dignified manner, polite gestures, formal declarations, and acts of service.

Action: He would not allow his love to interfere with his goals but would integrate you into his life as someone to protect and cherish. He's not particularly demonstrative in public, but in private moments, he's affectionate. He enjoys quiet, meaningful moments, like holding your hand while discussing literature or politics.

Diego Brando

Initial Reaction: Diego initially reacts with frustration, seeing love as a weakness and a hindrance to his goals.

Thoughts: What is this? I need to focus on winning. Why does my heart palpitate when they’re around?

He tries to dismiss it, but his obsession with you grows. His ego makes him reluctant to admit it, but he can’t escape the pull you have on him.

Evolution: Diego’s feelings for you become a blend of love and obsession. He’s not afraid to show his desire and possessiveness, though he still tries to maintain control.

Action: He will push you to his side, always ensuring you are his, even if it means manipulating situations to keep you close. His love is passionate but driven by a need for you to belong to him.

[littlestartopaz]

Writing advice: Confronting your weaknesses

(Note I'm writing this on my phone, so i do apologize for any weird typos that i miss.)

So i briefly mentioned it in the tags on this post, but one of the ways i grew as a writer was by forcing myself to write my weaknesses repeatedly. These "challenges" never really saw the light of day, since they were just for practice, but they've helped so much. So I'm going to try and explain how to construct your own.

> Step 1: Identify a weakness. <

This is usually as simple as "I dislike X part of my writing for Y reason," or "whenever i have to write X i die a little inside." It could also be "I love how That Person does X thing, and i want to write like them." When i was younger, i hated how my dialogue sounded (it always sounded forced and fake to me), so I'll use that as an example for this exercise.

> Step 2: Construct an exercise that isolates that weakness. <

The goal is to make a short exercise that forces you to write The Problem. We're talking something you can complete in 10 minutes, give or take. The goal is this is a repeatable exercise so we want it to be short. You also can (and should!) structure it in a way to get progressively harder. It can also be structured in a way that you wouldn't actually write it normally. I'll explain.

So taking our example of Bettering Dialogue, first we start with a setting that is centered around conversation, for example a couple of friends hanging out at McDonald's.

The first phase of my exercise was to write the scene with as little description as possible. Now, even back in high school i considered description to be my best strength, so this was really hard for me and not how I'd actually write this scene. But by removing the descriptive writing, my dialogue was forced to carry the scene.

The next step was to gradually remove anything that wasn't just the conversation. For example, having the characters verbally react to the actions of the others instead of writing descriptions. ("Did you just blow your draw cover at me? Seriously? What are you, 6?") This also includes speech tags, like "David said" or "Stacy replied dryly." What this step does is forces you to write the way people speak. An easy to find example of this is actually the main gang from Scooby-Doo. If you removed all speech tags, you can still tell who is talking because their speech is so distinct.

> Step 3: Make an attempt at your exercise, and edit it. <

Since the exercise should be short, you shouldn't have too much to edit. Take note of what you did well and what you had to change to fit the exercise. And then....

> Step 4: Repeat! <

Once you've finished editing your current exercise, write another! Use what you noted in your last edit to improve this time. Keep going until it The Problem no longer feels like the end of the world to write.

Is this hard? Yes. That's the point. The goal is to challenge yourself so you can better yourself.

Will this advice work for everyone? No, but it helped me.

[depresseddepot]

I want to squeeze the anxiety organ until it fucking pops !!!!

[spatialwave]

Hi!! For the kiss prompts, I’d love to read something Reader x Viktor with the scenario ‘kisses meant to distract’ + the dialogue “i think i deserve a kiss” 🥹 thank you!!

tysm for sending this ask!!!! this was so cute to write and it healed me ahaha

why would you stay?

➸ pairing: viktor x gender neutral!reader ➸ word count: 680 ➸ tags: mdni! fluffy, hurt/comfort, soft kissing, guilt, sweet ending, reader is in a long-term relationship w/ viktor, no use of y/n. ➸ notes: asked from this prompt list!!

Hextech was a blessing and a curse. It’s components to better society had been coming to fruition, but at the expense of Viktor’s sanity. Hexgates weren’t enough, all they had done was progress the city of Piltover. Nothing had been done to help anyone else. The people in Zaun—himself.

The pain in his body had become unbearable most days, his body frail and weakening with every passing moment.

He wondered why you stuck around all these years, staying at his side as his health deteriorated. You weren’t married, children weren’t on the agenda, and all he did was spend countless hours in his lab with Jayce and Sky.

It wasn’t fair to you.

Yet, you stayed.

Stopping by with a home cooked meal that he picked at, or offering your presence for a few hours while you silently read at the table in his lab while he studied the glowing hexcore.

There was a particular week when Viktor lost all hope. Jayce, now head of the council, had spent less time with the research–in favour of protecting Piltover. A drastic turn of events from their previous shared hopes and aspirations, a way to help rather than hurt.

He sat at one of the aqueducts that sent water from Piltover into the fissures, looking out at the skyline and holding his weight onto his cane. His eyes were tired and cold, souless.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” you said calmly, causing Viktor to jolt and glance in your direction from the sudden intrusion, “Am I interrupting?”

“No,” he cleared his throat, attempting to sit up straighter with his hands still holding tightly to the handle of his cane, “needed some time to, eh… think.”

Sitting next to him on the ledge, you rested your cheek against his shoulder and a hand curved over his slender thigh.

“...about us?” Your voice was hushed, eyes watching the water stream below you.

Viktor’s eyes widened, shaky as he stared at you. You were nuzzled against him, the look of a sad pout covering your face. He could sense the insecurity radiating from you.

“About the hexcore,” he answered honestly, sighing as he pressed his lips against the top of your head, resting there as a fragile hand held the small of your back, “about hextech… I can’t seem to figure it out. It’s been weeks of nothing. It’s… it’s…”

You lifted your head up, lips twitching as you pressed a finger to Viktor’s lips, shushing him. Your eyes flickered between his.

“It’s eating you alive,” you finished his sentence, but not in the way he had intended.

Your heart was heavy for him. Any insecurities of yourself were long gone, and you understood the pain that Viktor was experiencing. It was defeat, feeling unworthy—terrified of death.

You felt terrible for even thinking it had anything to do with you.

“Kiss me,” you mumbled, the finger placed against his lips replaced by your thumb as you grazed it along his bottom lip. Your intent to distract him from the thoughts that weighed him down.

Viktor bore a quizzical look, brows knotting together as he blinked at you.

“Come on,” you murmured, “I think I deserve one. I haven’t seen you in days.”

The corners of his lips twitched, for once, his mind not clouded by thoughts of the hexcore. Instead, fixated on you and the way you looked at him so lovingly with your big doe eyes. How was he so lucky to have someone like you?

He dipped forward, your thumb dropping as his lips pressed to yours. A soft kiss, one that bridged the gap that had begun to split you apart. They moved together fluidly, one of his hands cupping your jaw, as yours pressed against the front of his shoulders.

“I love you,” Viktor murmured, breaking the kiss as your lips brushed together, “thank you… for staying.” His thanks were genuine, you could see the way the guilt flickered in his golden eyes.

“Kiss me again, and I’ll forgive you,” you smiled, closing your eyes as Viktor obliged, smiling against your lips.

[bloodblanks]

do homicipher characters experience arousal?

i want to preface this by saying that i am not in any way, shape, or form criticizing other homicipher writers and/or their headcanons. i absolutely adore the work i’ve seen from everyone and am grateful to be able to read it! this is simply my personal thoughts on this topic so i hope it doesn’t come across like i’m trying to demean anyone else’s work.

additional note: i write reader insert so i will be referring to us as the reader rather than mc, but my post should work for both interpretations ^^

this is something i’ve been thinking about a lot since i’m working on some nsfw homicipher headcanons myself. from what i’ve read, a lot of homicipher work headcanon the characters as not really experiencing and/or knowing what arousal is, at least until they meet the reader (which is extremely endearing and flattering, i love the concept, and there’s nothing wrong with it!) but i personally came to the conclusion that homicipher characters do experience arousal, and have experienced it before meeting the reader. however, i believe their perception of arousal differs from ours.

to start, the reason i think they experience arousal to begin with, is because arousal isn’t just an emotional or mental response, but also a physiological function. similar to other physical needs (ie: food, sleep, water)—which i think they also require though that’s for another post—arousal doesn’t necessarily require conscious thought or emotional processes. arousal can be merely a response to touch or certain sensory inputs, something that happens regardless of how we think or feel.

while i think arousal is a natural function for them, i don’t believe they are likely to have had sex with other homicipher characters. the reason for that is also why i say they experience arousal differently—they don’t understand attraction. this is based on both my personal bias of wanting them to ourselves, but also the in game interactions with mr. hood and mr. silvair, where they fail to grasp the concept of ‘liking’ an individual.

since they don’t experience attraction (yet!), i imagine their perception of arousal would be a mechanical or instinctual one; just something their bodies respond to. much like thoughtlessly scratching an itch, they likely address it more as a physical need to take care of, rather than associating it with any deeper desires or having it directed/related to another person.

my silly little reader insert loving self does insist that they feel some sort of attraction towards us, though, which i believe will be a newfound feeling for them that can change how they experience arousal. with them able to feel attraction towards us, their once neutral and unassuming need can become something more intimate, romantic, or even obsessive depending on the character.

tl;dr homicipher characters have always experienced arousal but only as a bodily function, as they don’t understand attraction until meeting and developing interest in the reader, which changes their perception of arousal to something more complex and intimate.

thank you everyone for reading my silly little shower thoughts. i hope this was coherent enough and made sense! (>^ω^<)

feel free to leave any of your thoughts below if you have any comments on this! and feel free to argue with me if you think i’m yapping nonsense... (･･;)

[glamourscat]

heyy, would you possibly do dick and / or jason nsfw alphabets??👀

JASON TODD NSFW ALPHABET

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Aftercare with Jason is perhaps even more intense than sex. It’s quiet at the start, his hand is reaching for you. Gently caressing your hip, then your belly and your stomach. Soaking in the quietness of the moment as you calm down from the adrenaline of the moment. His caresses would turn into soft kisses and mutual praises, perhaps a warm bubble bath too.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

I would say for his thighs. Despite having a complicated relationship with and what his body has turned into, I think, he would truly enjoy his thighs. Especially seeing you riding them.

On his partner, everything. No, I am not exaggerating. He is the type to lose absolutely all. I do believe he has an aesthetic attraction more prone towards muscular and plus size individuals. Belly, thighs, boobs you name it. He is on it lol

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

I truly believe he has a breeding kink and i have nothing else to add

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

…. Hear me out… pegging. LISTEN, I feel when he truly has found his partner all barriers come down. There's nothing more he wants than to be in love and to share his love equally back. He wants to feel safe and once he is secure enough rest assured he won't be shy with his needs and wants. PLS his pretty noises while his eyes roll back? Praising him? Damn it

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Not very experienced but is an eager and fast learner 

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Good old missionary but especially a fan of cowgirl and doggy

G = Goofy (are they more serious at the moment? Are they humorous? etc.)

Not at first. The first few times, and a while after that, he will be pretty serious. Maybe even intense for how emotional the moment is. But as time goes by he would soften up, not to crack jokes, but a few giggles and laughs would for sure come through

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? Does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

I would say he has some hair. I hc that after the pit his hair grows faster than normal ish, or at least, faster than they used to. He has a happy trail and moderate hair down there that he keeps cut but not completely shaved off

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

Struggles with intense emotions but when he manages to work with them, rather than against them, his hopeless romantic side comes out. Expect deep yet soft thrusts, moans that make your shine tingle, kisses that leave you breathless and at least 4 mind blowing orgasms

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

I don’t see him as the type to need it constantly. I feel it would be more or so a “hmm i haven't done it in a while and now thinking about it made me horny lets do it”

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Like i have said pegging, also praise– heavy on this one– biting, breeding kink, edging and not sure if there's a name for it, but i think he would be into being obnoxiously loud with the intent of being heard especially if he is feeling extra spicy

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Bed or shower/bath

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

You. just you. But i feel he would also get off when you two are having friendly back and forth banter/challenges

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Anything that can hurt the both of you and restrain on him

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

He is a giver, he will literally eat you out like a starved man. But, there’s also something he can’t deny, about you, on your knees giving the most sloppy bj he has ever received it keeps him going

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

A mix. Mostly slow and deep, with a few hard thrusts. Extremely sensual on other occasions. Mostly, he will keep a pace stable enough to make you moan his name so many times your throat will be sore after

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Not a fan

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? Do they take risks? etc.)

Nope, i can’t see him being a big risk taker. Sure, he likes to keep things interesting as he runs on adrenaline– but that's in his vigilante life. In his private life he wants nothing but comfort

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

Yeah, a few lol. There would be breaks in between, a snack or two. You two talking, and in a way it almost feels like an aftercare in itself

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

He wouldn’t necessarily own some but if you do, then once you move in together they become of the both of you. Especially vibrators or dildos, I feel he would be a fan of watching you taking care of yourself before he starts… or, hear me out, gifting you a dildo that resembles his dick in shape, size and girth.. Custom made? Maybe… 

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

A TEASE. It’s funny yeah, until you do it back and all of the sudden he is turned into the most whiny, moaning mess you have ever seen

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Not very loud, at start. A few grunts, maybe some moans will escape here and there. As the relationship progresses though, he will grow bolder. Unashamed of his moans as he keeps thrusts in you. Praising you mixed with some filthy words in between

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

After the first time you two had sex he cried, in fact, he cried while he came. It just happened. Maybe it was the wave of emotions, maybe it was how intense everything felt. But he did. He hid his face in your neck, pampering it with kisses as he tried to hide his teary eyes. But when you eventually noticed, he couldn't help but cry a bit more. Now, you two laugh about it, even though it’s something that still embarasses him to this day 

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

When erected it can reach 7 inches solid. Veiny, thick. Have I mentioned the happy trail already? 

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Not astronomical. He will feel the need every so often, but he won’t be on you 24/7. In fact I can see him going for weeks without it. 

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Not fast. After aftercare and making sure you’re fine, talking, a snack and waiting for you to fall asleep; he will stay awake a while longer. Allowing himself to soak in this feeling of contentment, safety and peace. His eyes linger on your naked, sleepy form beside him and with a last kiss to your head he will fall asleep hugging you tightly against his body. 

[yauchfilms]

so american ✢ max verstappen

pairing: max verstappen x singer!reader

warnings: none; just some silly shit, some swearing, google translate dutch, max's home race is belgium and not the netherlands for timeline related reasons

summary: y/n is teasing way too many things at once…..can the fans keep up? 

author's note: this is NOT an original concept i am aware of this. but this hasn’t left my brain in days. i’ve got a very specific vision so let me cook. i know i haven't posted on here in over a year but i've returned an f1 fan. enjoy!

yourname added to their story! 

liked by delwatergap, maxverstappen1, and 3,491,842 others

yourname: i think i'm in love with montreal. sorry i’ve been so off the grid but i am Loving Life so hard. so much inspo in my life rn. will talk soon i promise. love u all bunches 🫶🏼🌷

ynsbestfriend: hey queen you have done it again!

-> yourname: ugh i love you so bad

user1: UM BAE WHOS THAT IN THE LAST SLIDE?

-> yourname: beats me! 

-> user1: i do not trust you. 

lilymhe: hiiiii pretty girl

-> yourname: stop im blushinggggg

user2: i fear she’s in her lover girl era 

-> user3: girl help im so fucking scared right now what’s happening

user4: so does any of this have to do with your story from yesterday??????

*liked by yourname.*

maxverstappen1 added to their story! 

yourname added to their story! 

liked by honeymoon, danielricciardo, and 3,572,679 others

yourname: life's been a beach lately. clearly i've been loathing my time in spain ://///

user5: IS THAT MAX

-> user6: no bc it HAS to be

heidiberger_: Loved spending the week with you! 🤍

-> yourname: same!!!!!! let's do it again sometime 🥰

-> user6: NOT DANNY RIC'S GF COMMENTING?????? AND LILY MUNI HE ON HER LAST POST???????

user6: no bc even if her and max were dating and she's been traveling with him why have we not seen her in the paddock

-> user7: to throw us off our rhythm????

-> user8: what if they debut at his home race in spa ijbol

liked by landonorris, taylorswift, and 4,683,892 others.

tagged: maxverstappen1, redbullracing, and ynsbestfriend

yourname: hahaha felt like dropping 2 things at once on u guys LOLLLLLLLL. thank u to redbullracing, spagrandprix, and the city of spa for letting me and my friends crash the race the other week to film the “so american” music video, and to maxie for winning in ur home country. it was so fucking special to be there supporting u. i love u baby!

ps. another thank u to max for thinking i'm the funniest person in the world and making fun of my americanness for as long as i've known him (which is quite a while).

enjoy this tune guys. it's urs forever and i hope u love it as much as i love the person it's about 🫶🏼 🇧🇪 🇳🇱 TU DU DU DU!!!!!

user9: OH NMY GOD I FUCKING KNEW I SAW U IN THE GARAGE

ynsbestfriend: thanks for letting me third wheel mommy

-> yourname: no one else i'd rather drag along!!!

danielricciardo: Welcome to the family! Song's a banger although I can't believe it's actually about Max of all people 🤢 GROSS!!

-> yourname: jealousy is a disease danny.

user10: i actually cannot fathom this this is so me core

alexandramalsaintmleux: I am so glad to know you! Your happiness is everything 🩷

liked by sabrinacarpenter, carlossainz55, and 4,783,522 others. 

tagged: yourname and ynsfriend

maxverstappen1: Spent a week away in New England with my talented, gorgeous girl. Loved getting away and experiencing America through her eyes! Consider me an honorary American now! Also, stream “So American” wherever you choose. It's about me 😉 

yourname: does this mean i can stop hiding in the garage now???

landonorris: Happy for you mate! Love the song as well yourname 🤍

-> yourname: awe thank u lando 🥺 i got more to show u when i see u next!!!!!!

redbullracing: ❤️💙

user11: MAX IS IN HIS LOVER BOY ERA

danielricciardo: How many more times can you say American?

liked by charles_leclerc, chappellroan, and 3,694,849 others

tagged: maxverstappen1

yourname: nothing like celebrating the best 2 weeks of my life than showing my boy around ye olde stomping grounds #soamerican

liamlawson30: This is so American of him

-> yourname: like he fits in so well!

lydianight: u'll have him in the american flag board shorts in no time

-> yourname: baby steps :///

user11: she really is in her lover girl era 🥺

clairo: did you take him to the chipotle that is also a historic landmark downtown??

-> yourname: dude of COURSE i did. he said it was "interesting"

yourname added to their story! 

[lohotine]

▪︎ The Strange Thing About Mortality ▪︎

Ft: Longan Dragon, Shadow Milk Cookie, Pure Vanilla

Warnings: Longan's is pretty obsessed and can be seen as toxic and stalker like, at least in mindset. The other two are fairly normal.

AN: Yeah, I'm back. Happy Holidays, I guess. Don't expect more food. (But send more requests if you have them because if they're good, I'll prepare a feast.)

This is mainly my take on three different ways of experiencing mortality. One where it was always considered disgusting until they met you, another where they had always lived so close by it, yet never truely understood it until they met you, and the last where they had once lived through it, but had become so far detached from it until they were allowed to relive it through you.

Longan Dragon

As many would know, Longan Dragon hates mortals. No, perhaps "hates" is too calm of a description.

If they were given the chance, they would not hesitate to erase every mortal, along with the trace of them ever existing, off the face of the planet.

And it was true.

Keyword being: "was"

Truth be told, their will was not as strong as they had originally thought. Now, do not misunderstand; Longan Dragon has a very strong will. A will that they have harbored for many years now. This was the will to restore the world to how it had been originally: pure, untainted, ethereal, and untouched by the hands of mortals.

To Longan, there was nothing more repulsive than the existence of mortals.

How weak and corrupt they were.

Nothing more than a waste of time. A waste of space.

Or at least, most of them. There was one mortal who Longan did not mind co-existing with...

Yes, they admit, perhaps you were an exception that didn't quite deserve to be erased. Longan would tolerate you.

Oh, who am I kidding.

If anything were to ever happen to you, Longan would lose their touch with reality. They swear, nothing that exists in this filthy world is even deserving of basking in your presence. Not even themself.

Everything about you was practically holy. It is rather unfortunate that you had to be born a mortal.

To be mortal meant living with a title that will always be tainted.

But Longan could excuse it since everything else about you was something they revered as "something even the heavens would be envious of."

Now, Longan took great care with ensuring none of the other dragons found out about you.

The others weren't quite deserving of knowing about your existence. Not now, and most likely until the end of time.

Though Longan could not help but think about what might happen if you were to be associated with them.

Longan does not doubt the fact that they have enemies. If others were to find out that they cherished a mortal such as you...

Well, mortals were always quite fragile. It was not an idea that Longan enjoyed entertaining.

And besides, if you were to ever meet Longan, they were sure you would be displeased. After all, they had killed thousands of your kind already. Longan would not burden you with the memory of meeting someone like them.

And so, they would carefully watch over you instead.

Oh, how they lived for everything that you did. The way you carefully ran your fingers over the different flora. The way the sunlight bounced off your skin and how the sun's rays would refract in your eyes.

Longan swears you are some kind of angel who was gifted to the world. Your very being seemed like it was hand-sewn by the heavens.

You were perfect.

No. You are perfect. At least, as perfect as any mortal could be.

Longan couldn't even entertain the idea of locking you up somewhere since doing something like that would only darken your bright and ever-glowing light.

And it's not like they can't keep you safe as is. After all, they could easily watch over you from a distance with the help of their all-seeing eyes. Protecting you couldn't be easier.

And besides... Longan enjoyed seeing you act in a way that was perfectly mortal. Taking away your freedom would remove that aspect from you, and though they enjoyed the thought of you being freed from your mortal chains, being mortal was a key part of what made you divine.

Ah, now that they think of it, being divine and being mortal at the same time was very contradictory.

Oh well. To Longan, you were both and so much more all at the same time.

Shadow Milk

He had lived alongside mortals for a long time, having once been their promised savior alongside the other beasts.

Even if his more perfect years were a long time passed, he still remebers his time with them quite well.

Mortals were sporadic at times and still at others. Though, if you spend enough time living alongside them, you quickly learn how boring and predictable they really are.

To him, mortals were just more actors he could use in the play that was his life. Pawns on a chessboard. Puppets on a string.

With fear and a bit of deceit, you can get them to do whatever you want!

And for a long time, mortals proved that very idea. They were just so easy to control.

In truth, Shadow Milk never saw anything special about them. They would often speak or write about "the wonder of being mortal," yet no matter how hard he tried, he could never understand it.

Sure, they could create things like music, and they could form relationships with each other, but so could he! What was so different about them besides the fact that they were weaker and dumber?

Shadow Milk just didn't know.

And trust me when I say that he wanted to know. He spent many, MANY nights in private trying to understand why so many of their stories were about the beauty of being mortal. It was the one thing mortals were better at than him...

Understanding what it meant to be mortal.

The scholarly part of him still desperately wanted to understand, but that small fragment of him had been so long burried that he just didn't really care anymore.

After all, what good would understanding mortals really even do for someone like him?

Now, Shadow Milk had basically given up on trying to understand. He simply chalked it up to them being confusing and spouting nonsense to try and feel more important.

I mean, how could there be beauty in being imperfect?

When he met you, he started to see that very beauty.

It all started when you quote on quote "went off script."

Shadow Milk had spent many years studying how mortals reacted to certain situations. Like I stated earlier, to him, they were nothing more than glorified puppets.

Sure, every once in a while, someone might deviate slightly from the expected path, but it all ended up in the same way.

That was what was so wonderful about you. You never did what he expected you to do. It was strange...

He probably shouldn't have cared as much as he did, but you were just so interesting!

He wanted to learn everything about you. And so he began to do just that.

At first, when he spent time with you, it was just out of curiosity. He'd act a certain way just to see your reaction to it.

In the end, you always ended up surprising him.

As he spent more time with you, he started to experience more things.

One of these examples was baking. It was so simple in concept that he never really thought much of it.

Sure, he knew about it. He knew about food, and he knew about flavor. It's not like he's never attempted activities such as eating or baking in his many years of living.

He never really needed any of it, but he tried anyway. And he understood the concept. Mortals bake food so they can eat it since they need the sustenance to survive.

It was so boring to him, until he tried it with you.

For some reason, trying it with you was different from the time he tried it by himself all of those years ago.

He couldn't really explain it. It was like you had given the activity a certain flare. Like... the activity now had a mortal's touch to it.

When he tried it all of those years ago, it consisted of calculations and reading. He assumed the task was tedious since eating was a necessity for mortals. Cooking was even a job for many, and jobs were often described as bothersome by many mortals.

So, when he saw you baking with a smile on your face, it confused him.

Was this really an activity that brought joy to people?

You just seemed so happy doing it... and for a moment, Shadow Milk was happy as well.

Oh, right, emotions.

He hated the way you made him feel sometimes. You did such simple things, things that held no meaning, yet they were so fascinating to him.

It didn't make sense. How could these simple actions catch his attention in the same way that a magnificent performance could?

As Shadow Milk spent more time with you, his understanding of mortals only became worse.

He thought mortals were predictable. You threw this into question.

He thought performing tasks that were nessecary to live was tedious. Sometimes, they were. Other times, they weren't.

Mortals were just so confusing!

Yet, the one thing that he understood was that he was happy doing these seemingly pointless things with you.

Perhaps that is what it meant to be mortal. To find joy and purpose in seemingly useless things.

If that is what it meant, then perhaps mortals weren't as bad as he thought.

Pure Vanilla

Pure Vanilla, though now akin to some sort of god, was once mortal.

He, too, once required nine hours of sleep each night. He, too, required three meals every day. He, too, required social interaction.

Yet, he had spent so many years not needing these things that he had grown detached from the ways a mortal would live.

After all, why would he waste time sleeping when he hardly needed it? There were other things that required his attention.

Sure, a nice rest every once in a while was fine, but he found himself doing that less and less....

Pure Vanilla just couldn't waste his time doing these activities when there were other things that needed his attention so much more.

Of course, he still understood social cues and whatnot, but it was different now than how it was then.

Then, he had empathy, and with that, he understood other people's emotions and reacted accordingly.

Now, he simply read people's expression and determined what to do from there. It was tuition more than anything.

Sure, the ways were similar, but it just wasn't the same.

He acted calm and happy around others because it's what gave the best results socially. Not because he particularly felt that way.

He lacked the warmth that being mortal once gave him simply because he didn't have the time to be mortal. It just wasn't necessary.

But, then he met you.

At first, the relationship between you was respectable. Nothing too personal, just professional.

Through circumstances, no matter what those may be, you too became closer. You spent more time with each other.

And sure, Pure Vanilla spent time with the other ancients as well, but it was different with you. They weren't mortal anymore. They were much more like him.

You, unlike them, were fully mortal. This meant you spent time doing regular, ordinary, mortal things.

As a result, Pure Vanilla was often roped into doing these things with you.

It was strange. He had done these things thousands of times in the past... yet now they were so alien to him.

Despite this, the actions held a certain warmth to them. A warmth Pure Vanilla had not felt in a long time.

It was all so nostalgic to him. He never realized just how much he missed being mortal.

This feeling... was so familiar yet so forieng all at the same time.

But he wouldn't trade the feeling for the world.

As he spent more of his time with you, he remembered the joys of being mortal.

The smile he once wore as a habit had now become genuine.

He must thank you for allowing him to relive this feeling once more.

A feeling he once knew so well.

A feeling he didn't know was possible to forget until you forced him to remember it.

It was strange. He hadn't even realized he had forgotten it.

[cressidagrey]

It's a Love Story - Chapter 6

Summary:

Azriel's shadows find their master a wife.

Azriel would just really like his heart not to get broken again.

And Sky...well, she's just really surprised that that far too handsome male is interested in her at all.

Warning:

DEFINETLY NSFW! Rhys Bashing (as usual), I classified this as Azriel x OC, even when it't technically Azriel x Sellyn Drake (but we kinda know nothing about Sellyn Drake other than that she writes books so Sky is kinda an OC), Cassian is kinda a good guy for once, Azriel has a horrible time, as usual... Stuttering, toxic families (For once I do not mean the IC), Self-Esteem Issues, Secret Identity, Body Image Issues, Fat Shaming, People being utterly horrible.

If any of this triggers you or makes you uncomfortable, please take care of your own mental health and don't read it.

For somebody that filled her romance novels with plenty of smut… Sky wasn’t exactly as experienced as one may expected. 

Actually…she was woefully inexperienced.

There had been Admon…and Admon it had been.

The rest of the stuff in her books…well, that was just her fantasy wildly spinning stories about how sex should feel. Informed by plenty of books she had read, other authors, and of course…there were the two people that got to read every book she wrote before it was published: Orla, her publisher, and her friend Ressina, who was nice enough to take the pen to every thing she wrote that was woefully inaccurate. 

Because nothing ever felt to her like she portrayed it in the books.

Maybe that was normal. Maybe it was because of course her books portrayed something…better than reality, an escape from it. But still…sometimes Sky had just wondered…

As Azriel carried her towards the bedroom, Sky couldn’t help but feel a flutter of nervousness in her stomach. It wasn’t that she didn’t want this, she did, more than anything. But the truth was, she was…nervous.

She had written about this moment countless times, had described it in vivid detail in her novels. But now that it was actually happening, she felt…insecure. What if it wasn’t as good in real life as she made it out to be on paper? What if she did disappoint him?

(Sky knew that she had disappointed Admon numerous times…that she seemingly had never been enough for him…had been so bad at it in fact that he had instead slept with her sister…which was a whole other kettle of fish that she really didn’t want ot think to close about right now.)

Sky tried to push those thoughts aside, to focus on the here and now. 

Azriel was here with her, he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. She could feel it in the way he held her, the way he looked at her. And yet, that nagging feeling of doubt still lingered.

And then there was the fact while he had admitted to sending his shadows to search for her… Sky was still keeping a rather big secret.

“Az…Azriel…” she said hesitantly.  “There…there is one thing you should know about me.”

Azriel paused, setting Sky down on the bed gently before turning to look at her. 

"Go on," he prompted her gently, taking her hand in his as he sat down next to her and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You can tell me anything, Sky." She believed him. he wouldn’t judge her. She was sure of that as well. 

“You…You k…know how…how I…I write… ro…romance no..novels?” Sky asked him, biting her lip.

Azriel nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Yes, I do," he said, leaning in closer to her. "You told me.”

“I…I am Sellyn Drake,” she blurted out.

She had never outright admitted it to another person. 

Ressina had been the one who had send off her first manuscript to be published…and Orla had met with her…these were the two people in existence that knew that Skylar Alden was also Sellyn Drake. And Skylar had always been comfortable with keeping it that way. 

There was no need to tell anybody else. 

Which was why it worked so well, that Ressina was an artist and could paint the bookcovers for her. No need whatsoever to let anybody else see the hesitant first drafts until she was sure this was where she wanted to go. Just Ressina. Just one of her very few friends. If not her only. 

Azriel stared at her, his eyes widening in surprise. "What?" he asked, completely taken aback. "You're...Sellyn Drake?" There was no…outright disbelief in his voice, just shock. 

*We know! We made Master read your books!* the shadows cooed. *Lady Death, The Priestess and The Shopkeeper love them too!*

She had no idea who any of these people were but…

Azriel's eyes widened even further as the shadows spoke up. "You...you knew about this?" he asked them, turning towards the shadows in disbelief. "You knew. That’s why you gave me her books to read!”

This was just getting better and better.

Sky, who had been watching Azriel and the shadows’ exchange with a mixture of nervousness and embarrassment, couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. 

“Do…Do they always…” she couldn’t even put it into words. 

Azriel sighed. “They like to meddle,” he said darkly. “And this time they were particularly persistent.” He shot a reproachful look at the shadows, who cowered a little under his gaze. "I won't lie, they did manipulate me into reading your books. And when my shadows do something they are rather...convincing."

She swallowed. 

“Did…did you…li…like them at…at least?” Sky asked hesitantly. 

Azriel hesitated for a moment before answering. 

"I...I did," he admitted earnestly. "Your writing...it's brilliant, Sky.” Her heart soared at his words. She treasured them, hoarding them away like a dragon. But he wasn’t done. “The characters, the emotions, the way you make the reader feel everything...it's incredible. I couldn't put them down."

Sky grinned at his words, feeling a swell of pride in her chest. "I…I'm glad you..you li…liked them," she said softly.

*Master especially liked the…*

“Shut. Up.” Azriel snapped, his ears reddening and Sky started laughing. She could just about imagine what the shadows wanted to tell her at that moment. 

Azriel groaned, burying his face in his hands. "I'm going to kill them," he muttered under his breath.

"They…they are ju…just try…trying to help you, aren't they?" she asked softly, squeezing his hand in hers. Only now she noticed the violent scars that marred them, the texture of raised and bumpy skin…but she didn’t care. Not one bit.  

*Of course, we are,* the shadows said, like any other idea was simply blasphemous. *We gave Master the best information we could. So that Master would know what you like.*

Sky probably shouldn't find it as adorable as she did. But the lengths they had gone to...the way they had made Azriel read her books so that he would know what she liked...nobody in her life had ever gone to these lengths just to find out what she liked.

"I swear I am not a total creep," Azriel told her with a grimace.

Sky laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. "No…no, no, you're not," she assured him, squeezing his, hands gently. "I…I ac…actually think it's… quite… sweet. In a weird, sli…slightly invasive kind of way. But sweet nonetheless."

"I think you are the only female that could possible think that," Azriel muttered, glaring at the shadows that didn't seem apologetic in the slightest.

Sky grinned, leaning in closer to him. "It’s… endearing,” she finally settled on. “Maybe even a lit…little bit charming," she promised him earnestly.

Azriel looked at her incredulously, his expression softening a little. "You're not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?" he asked her.

Sky shook her head. "No. No, I'm not," she said, her voice unwavering. "I…I mean it, Azriel. It iss actually really sweet that you would go to… such lengths just to try to un…understand me better. And you ad…admitted to it. And not just after the mating bond was accepted but within hours of meeting me." 

Azriel didn't keep it a secret, even when he could have, and she would have been none the wiser. 

"I don't know what I ever did to deserve you. But I'm not going to question it," he whispered. 

She swallowed. That's what she was thinking. The exact same words. 

Sky pulled him down, letting his forehead rest against hers.

"I know that...that I am supposed to cook you something...but how disappointed would you be if I gave you one of those caramel bonbons in my purse to accept the bond instead?" she asked him softly, meeting his gaze. 

His eyes widened and he stared at her in pure, undiluted wonder. 

"I could not possible be dissappointed by whatever you offered me," Azriel whispered. "But...are you...are you sure?"

"I am being utterly selfish," she whispered. "Yes. I want you." She didn't care that people would have thoughts about it...that she was rushing into this. 

They were probably right. 

But Sky really didn't care. Sky only wanted him. Sky was ready to throw caution overboard and rush into this headfirst without a thought about the consequences, if that meant that she would get her mate.

"Then let's be selfish together," Azriel whispered.

With shaky hands she reached into her purse, finding one of the caramel bonbon she kept in there...unwrapped it out of the paper and then...then she offered it to him, lifting it to his lips.

Azriel looked at the bonbon, then at her, and for a moment she thought he would say something. But then his mouth opened and he took it from her hand... He chewed it, swallowing carefully, his gaze never wavering from hers. For a moment, they stayed suspended in that moment of tension, the only sound their breathing. And then, he leaned in, closing the distance between them, and kissed her as if she was the most precious thing in his entire world.

A Mating Frenzy had always been protrayed as animalistic in every book she read. So of course, Sky had written the exact same thing.

But it wasn't...not really.

Not for them. 

And being with Azriel was also a far cry from being with Admon...mostly because then it had often been...embarrassing and painful. 

Admon had always found something to criticise on her body...foreplay had been nonexistent, even when she had tried...and while he had been more than willing to use her mouth to find his own pleasure he had never returned that favour.

With Azriel it was different. Every touch, every caress, every kiss made her feel things she had never felt before. It was like her body was coming alive for the first time.

All her senses were heightened, every nerve in her body singing with pleasure, and Sky couldn't get enough of him. She wanted more. No, she needed more. As Azriel trailed kisses down her throat, she arched her back, pressing herself against him, her hands roaming over his body, exploring every inch of him that she could reach.

"Can I...Can I touch your wings?" she asked breathlessly, not wanting to...cross some unsaid line.

"Please," Azriel breathed out. "Yes, Sky, please." He lifted his wings, extending them out behind him, giving her free rein to touch and explore to her heart's content. As Sky's fingers brushed against the contours of his wings, Azriel let out a low, guttural moan, his wings twitching and shuddering at the sensation. They were massive and pitch black.

"They are beautiful," she whispered, running her hands over the silky black skin, feeling the warmth radiating from them.

He shuddered at her touch, his wings arching and trembling beneath her gentle caress. he leaned his forehead against hers as he gently tipped her back against the bed and she went willingly, wrapping her hands over the gleaming talons at the tip of his wings as she kissed him.

Azriel growled softly in response, his hands sliding up beneath her dress, opening the lacing in one fluid motion. As the dress fell open, revealing her body beneath, Azriel pulled back for a moment, looking down at her with dark, hungry eyes. "You are so beautiful," he breathed, his gaze roaming over her body.

She didn't even have the time to feel self-conscious, not when she was drowning in the waves of desire that shot across their bond from him. Not when her whole body seemingly trembled against his and she kissed him again, opening her mouth to his tongue.

He slipped open the dress and she opened her mouth, halfway ready to tell him how he could get the corset she wore off, but he already opened the lacing. "Why?" he asked her softly, as he saw the red indents left on her body, and she grimaced.

"Claire," she whispered.

She wore corsets usually for support, because her breast could get heavy and painful without the proper support...but she never laced them as tightly as she did when she saw her family. Or her sister. Then she pulled them tight, trying to squash her body to be something…something her family could stomach, something they maybe wouldn't comment on...she always failed.

Azriel hissed softly, his fingers lightly tracing the red marks on her skin. She knew that they looked horrible, and yet he looked...angered? Almost furious. His expression softened as he looked back into her eyes, his fingers gently tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "Why would you do something like that to yourself, Sky?" he murmured, his eyes searching hers. "You are beautiful. You don't need to change anything about your body." He leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to a particularly hard imprint the corset had left.

Sky swallowed hard, feeling a lump form in her throat as emotion welled up in her chest. No one had ever said something like that to her, had ever made her feel like she was good enough just the way she was. She opened her mouth, trying to speak, but no words came out. Instead, she just nodded, feeling a single tear slip down her cheek. Azriel wiped it away with his thumb, his other hand coming up to cup her face tenderly.

"You are perfect," he whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead. "Just the way you are. Don't ever let anyone make you feel otherwise. Not even your family." Sky leaned into his touch, closing her eyes and just focusing on the closeness, the warmth, the feeling of being cherished and protected.

With every word he spoke, she felt a weight lifting off her shoulders, her fears and insecurities melting away. She realized that maybe, just maybe, she had found someone who truly saw her, the real her. Who accepted her exactly as she was, flaws and all.

It was so easy to sink into that. So easy to trust him. So easy to just kiss him, as she pushed the shirt he wore over his shoulders...to feel acres of gold skin, dotted with scars and dark markings...to bare him for her view and see how utterly gorgeous her mate was.

He growled softy as she ran her hand down his chest, tracing the scars that marked his skin. His body was a tapestry of pain and survival, yet she wasn't deterred. She only found him more beautiful for it.

"Mine," she whispered, pressing her lips to his chest, to one particularly nasty scar. "All mine." She could feel his heart pounding beneath her lips, the steady beat matching the rhythm of her own heartbeat. Her hands trailed down his chest, his stomach, until she reached the waistband of his trousers.

It was so easy.

So easy, to shed clothing until they were bare...so easy to press against him and feel warm, perfect skin...so easy to relax underneath him as he stretched over her...so easy to simply cup his face as she kissed him...as her legs wrapped around his hips and he groaned and she whimpered as she felt him...hot and hard and huge, pressing against her...She was dripping wet without him even laying as single finger on her beneath the waist.

Azriel didn't look unaffected, his breath coming in ragged pants, his eyes fixed on hers as they were blown wide and dark with want. He didn't move, didn't kiss her, didn't pull her closer. He only waited. Waited for her. 

"I need you," she whimpered. "Please. Please, Az." He let out a sound somewhere between a groan and a growl, his hips rocking gently against her, teasing them both with the heat and friction between them.

Nothing hurt. Nothing ever even threatened to hurt...Even as she could feel him notch against her there...even when she could feel herself lewdly stretched open on his cock...

It was so soft and gentle and sweet and…

It was everything Sky had ever wanted. 

Not the rough kind of fucking...not the animalistic coupling she wrote half the time...but she had wanted this. She had wanted sweetness and adoration and...love...and to be wrapped up in her mate's arms like she was a precious, precious thing. She had wanted whispered praised against her skin and to be touched like she mattered...

"Sky," he whispered, his hands running up her side, his touch was soft and soothing, worshipping her body. He kissed her, slowly, deeply, and there was something...almost overwhelming about it.

About the way he made her feel. The way he made her feel loved and adored. The way he made her feel cherished. Her hands wandered up to his back, tracing the muscles shifting beneath scarred, scarred skin.

She could feel him trembling, feel the tension in his body as he held himself back, but still, he moved in slow and gentle thrusts, taking his time. He worshipped her - every little gasp and moan, every curve of her body. He traced her shape with his fingertips and lips, exploring her as though he was trying to memorize every inch of her body.

She didn't know how long they stayed that way, their bodies as one, but Sky didn't care. She was surrounded by him - the heat of his skin, the sound of his breath, the way he whispered her name like a prayer. Sky could feel the love and devotion pouring through the bond, washing over her in waves, and she knew that this was exactly where she was meant to be. With him, in his arms, completely and utterly whole.

It nearly came as a shock as she came.

A breathless moan fell from her lips as her orgasm rushed over her, her body arching as she called out his name. He kissed her through it, murmuring praise against her lips as he held her close, his own release following soon after.

They stayed there for a moment, tangled together, both of them breathless and sated. Azriel's wings slowly wrapped around them, cocooning them in a warm, protective embrace that made Sky feel safe and cherished in a way she had never experienced before.

***

There was not one inch of his mate's body that wasn't utterly beautiful. From the tips of her arched ears, to her beautiful eyes...to the swell of her breasts and the dip of her waist and the soft flesh of her belly and the flare of her hips...she smelled so good too...especially now that their scents had started to mix, and he could breath in caramel and hazelnuts and cedars and the sweet, beautiful scent of happiness as she laid underneath him. His head was bedded on her stomach, as she drew short fingernails through his messy dark hair. He nearly wanted to start to purr as she scratched at his scalp.

Azriel felt...content.

More content than he ever remembered feeling. He was wrapped up in her, his mate, with her gentle hands in his hair, and he felt utterly and completely at peace. He didn't care if they never moved from that bed again. He didn't care if the world outside their little cocoon burned. So long as she was by his side, he was content. He had never felt like this before. He had never felt this...happy. This...whole.

"I need to go feed Hector," Sky told him softly, trailing her fingers through his hair.

"Can I just have the shadows kidnap him and bring him here?" he asked, not wanting to move.

"You can't go kidnapping my cat, Az," she chided him gently, but even as she said the words, she didn't stop drawing her fingers through his hair, and Azriel didn't move. He was far too comfortable.

"Why not?" he complained.

"You'll terrify him," she said with a laugh. "Besides, do you have cat food here?"

"I'll have the shadows find some Tuna," he mumbled.

"Do…Do they just ac…acquire whatever you tell them to?" she asked him with some amusement. 

And lots of things he didn't tell them to, as well. They thought he didn’t know. 

Azriel raised himself on his forearms, looking down at Sky with a glint in his eye. "You have no idea how many things I've acquired that way," he told her with a grin.

She lifted her hands, cupping his cheeks and pulling him down towards her, resting her forehead against his. "You're a menace," she murmured against his lips.

"Your menace," he replied, kissing her softly.

Sky smiled, a warm, slow curve of her lips that made his chest feel tight. "Mine," she agreed, her voice soft. "But no kidnap…kidnapping my cat. He's at home."

"We could make this our home," he protested softly. "Move in with me."

Azriel had no fucking clue what was even coming over him. They should have slowed down, stopped to think...but neither of them seemed to want to.

They just…they seemed utterly content to crash through what other people considered a normal timeline and just be together right now. 

He just wanted to be near her. He wanted to share a life with her, a home. He wanted to curl up with her in front of the fire on a cold winter's night, and spend lazy Sunday mornings in bed with her. He wanted to take her flying, and watch as she wrote and listened to her read the words she wrote. 

And he wanted - Gods, he wanted her to want that too. He held his breath as he waited for her response.

For a moment, she was silent, and Azriel wondered if he had stepped too far, asked too much too soon. 

But then, Sky smiled again, her eyes sparkling with emotions. 

"...Al…Alright," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll…I’ll move in with you." 

Azriel couldn't help but grin as he pressed his forehead to hers. "Really? You mean it?" he asked, still unable to believe his ears.

"Really," she echoed with a laugh, before her expression turned serious. "But I…I have one co…condition." 

Azriel raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. "What is it?"

"If I move in with you..." she began, wrapping her arms around his neck. "All my books need to come to," she told him seriously.

Azriel laughed, leaning back in to kiss her softly. "All your books can come, if that's what you want," he said. "As long as you're here, I don't care what else you bring."

And then the shadows unceremoniously dumped a screeching demon on the bed with them.

Sky let out a surprised yelp as Hector landed next to them with a thud, quickly scrambling away from the cat - and from under Azriel's weight. Azriel, for his part, sprang up, his wings flaring out in alarm. For several long moments, the three of them just stared at each other. Hector, his mismatched eyes glowing, his fur puffed up to twice it’s normal size, and Sky, her expression a mixture of surprise and affection as she looked at her pet. Finally, she cleared her throat. "Well, that's one way to introduce the two of you. Az, meet Hector."

...Gods, the shadows had really not been lying when they said that the cat was the ugliest thing they had ever seen.

Azriel slowly lowered his wings, eyeing the creature that was half-cat and half-demon. "He...looks like he wants to kill me," he said slowly.

Sky laughed, reaching out to scratch Hector's head. "He's just grumpy because he got teleported here so suddenly," she told him. "And he's not used to strangers." Hector's fur slowly flattened, and he began to purr, rubbing his head against Sky's hand. "Besides, he'd never hurt anyone," she added, looking up at Azriel with a smile.

Somehow Azriel highly doubted that.

Sky picked Hector up, cradling the cat in her arms as his purring grew louder. "See? He's not so bad," she told Azriel, moving towards him, and Azriel had to resist the urge to back away. "Hold out your hand, let him sniff you. He just needs to get used to you."

Azriel hesitantly held out his hand, trying his best to ignore the way Hector's eyes seemed to glow with an eerie light. After a moment, Hector moved forward, sniffing at Azriel's hand. Azriel felt the soft brush of whiskers against the palm of his hand, and Hector nudged his head against him, purring louder.

"See, he loves you!" Sky said enthusiastically

Azriel let out a laugh, slowly scratching the top of Hector's head. "I think he's just trying to lull me into a false sense of security before he scratches my eyes out, you know."

She rolled her eyes, "You are the most handsome cat I know," she cooed at him. "And you won't ever scratch out Azriel's eyes. No, you won't.”

Azriel would not quite go as far as describe the cat as handsome...but then...his own scarred hands weren't particularly beautiful either.

So Hector and him had that in common.

And the fact that they both wanted to cuddle with Sky. Actually, he was pretty sure that the cat hated him just for taking away his monopoly on that.

But Azriel would have shared a house with the King of Hybern if that meant that he got to have Sky in his bed.

She smiled at him, her eyes warm and adoring. "I knew you two would hit it off," she said, holding Hector in the crook of her arm. The cat stared at Azriel for a moment, as if sizing him up, before leaping off Sky's lap and disappearing under the bed with a soft patter of paws. "He'll warm up to you eventually," Sky assured him, but Azriel wasn't so sure about that.

He pulled Sky in closer to him, slipping back underneath the sheets with her, kissing her forehead. "I'll win him over, eventually," he promised her. At least, he hoped he would - he didn't particularly enjoy the idea of having to wake up with his throat being sliced open by an angry cat.

He would buy that damn cat all the Tuna in the world if that made Sky happy.

[bamsara]

I dont know if it was intentional but I love that Narinder when he sees Lamb throwing up he turns gentle and pushes their wool and ears back so they dont get stained with vomit and for some reason it reminded me of how when Nari was throwing up too after the nightmare he had when they were on route to fight Leshy, Lambert helped him with camellias for the nausea.

Ahh, parallels. I think.

IM SO GLAD YOU POINTED THAT OUT allow me to ramble for just a moment.

Narinder was trapped in the Afterlife for over 1000 years, with little social skills and plagued by wishing for vengeance and his only company being two kittens who become disciples under his rule. He has terrible social skills, if not lacking them entirely.

(I would argue that Aym and Baal also have horrific nonexistent social skills, so those three cat's can't really help each other communicate properly to anyone else outside themselves.)

It can be argued that since The One Who Waits had other vessels to pass time and try to kill /annoy his siblings before the prophesized Lamb arrival, that he would have developed them a little bit more, but I would argue that the power balance would have been oodles more severe since the vessels weren't the promised one. He didn't need them, so if they no longer were of service or disobeyed him, he got rid of them. Whether just sending them out or killing them, any how.

Lamb, however, knows they are the last Lamb, the prophesized liberator of The One Who Waits, and therefore his only option. They knew that they were his only reasonable way out of there (whether they asked for it or not) so they were oodles more comfortable than how a professional relationship would have been.

So they asked questions, bothered him, played and ran around him. Complained and vented to him. Yapped and yapped. What is he gonna do? Kill them? Find a new vessel? He can't. "You're as trapped into this prophecy as much as I am, so let's be friends"

Example parts from Chapter 3:

The power balance equalizes because Lamb did not see his presence a God, but rather a fellow prisoner and victim of fate. Rude and demanding, but in the same chains as they were. 'My lord' was simply formalities at first.

This puts Narinder / The One Who Waits in social situations he hasn't been in (or hardly been in) in over a thousand years, and frankly, he had no idea how to navigate them:

Example from Chapter 5:

The God of Death has not needed to comfort or 'be there' for someone in a long, long time. The Lamb's presence is what forces him to try, even if his first attempt aren't perfect. So in that same chapter, he'll ask them a question to distract them. Conversation. Like how they do it.

While I won't post a screenshot of everytime this happens in written format (not including the dreams/memories/flashbacks that haven't been posted yet)-

The One Who Waits is pushed outside of his bubble when it comes to socializing in a way that isn't just 'God-to-Lowly-Vessal' format. He has to talk to them like a person, because he's being talked to like a person, not a god on a pedestal.

Obviously after the final battle and betrayal (to both of them, otherwise known as the Grand Miscommunication) this means nothing for a while as tempers are still high and feelings are hurt. But overtime, this returns, and can show in small ways (ways that may not seem like comfort but is certainly an attempt) like just in Chapter 18:

Trying to bring them an 'offering' (breakfast) mirroring other times the Lamb has done the same for him:

Crudely offering to replace something they are upset at losing/later offering reassurance abet in a curt way:

And what you mentioned: earlier when the Lamb is throwing up, narration shows they're having trouble with keeping their wool, cloak, bell, ect all back at the same time. He can see that. He has a mental boiling pot explosion over the fact that helping them is even a want that he has after the denial crisis he's experiencing where the only answer a minute ago seemed like he needed to kill them, and he chose comfort.

It is intentional. Narinder is learning how to show care, and allowing himself to show care. Slowly, and not perfect, but learning.

[parkerslatte]

Overlooked | Part Two

Eris Vanserra x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 4k

Warnings: smut. oral (fem recieving). choking. 18+

Summary: Y/N has been staying at the Autumn Court for a while and has been getting closer to Eris.

A/N: I apologise if the smut is awful, I haven’t written it in quite a while. But on a better note, this will have at least two more parts and I cannot wait for you to see what I have in store!

A Court of Thorns and Roses Masterlist

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Epilogue

•••

It had been six months since Y/N Archeron had made a home for herself in the Autumn Court. Her life in the Autumn Court was good, great even. Eris always made sure that she had everything she needed, sometimes he even provided more than what was necessary but it never felt like it was overbearing. He would always allow Y/N to leave whenever she wished and didn’t fight her when she wanted to be alone. He respected her in a way Y/N had never experienced before. 

The mating bond was something Eris had addressed rather quickly, he didn’t want Y/N to feel as if she needed to accept it. He gave that choice to her and he never brought it up again. Y/N still felt the pull in her chest toward Eris but she wasn’t sure if it was just the mating bond anymore. Whenever she wanted someone to talk to, she would seek him out and he would always make himself available. 

It was her first month of being in the Autumn Court when Y/N sought Eris out for the first time. Y/N would be lying is she said that she missed the Night Court. But she wouldn’t be lying if she said she missed her sisters. In her whole twenty-eight years of life, Y/N had her sisters by her side. Even if they hadn’t gone out of their way for her in the past couple of years, she still knew that they were close by. Now they were far away and Y/N realised the decision she had made. 

The moment Eris had found out that Y/N wanted to speak to her, he left in the middle of his meeting. 

“What’s wrong?” Eris had asked, concern etched into his brow. 

Y/N was teary eyed as she explained to Eris everything she had been feeling. He even offered to take her back to the Night Court. Y/N refused, she didn’t want to go back. The Autumn Court had felt more like home than the Night Court ever did. 

“I don’t want to leave,” Y/N told Eris. “I wish to stay, I am just finding it hard.”

Y/N remembered Eris nodding before walking her down the hallways and away from the meeting hall. He brought her to her room and asked the servant to bring two mugs of hot chocolate. She remembered how he sat and listened to her for hours and occasionally added in his own comments, to either offer words of comfort to just to make her smile. He sat with her until she fell asleep. 

The more Y/N spoke to Eris, the more Rhysand was wrong about him. He might have had a mask up around everyone else. That impenetrable mask of intimidation, bluntness and rudeness. But around her, he let it melt away into nothing, letting Y/N see the real him. Eris was kind to her. He made her laugh in a way no one had ever before. He listened to her and made sure she was okay. He cared for her. Eris was the only person to prioritise Y/N. It made Y/N’s heart sing.

“It’s nearly nightfall,” Eris situated himself down on the blanket Y/N was laying down on, snapping her from her thoughts. 

Y/N glanced at him and grinned. Something she had found herself doing more and more. “I know, I just enjoy being out here.”

The trees rustled with the slight breeze. It was chilly yet Y/N was warm wrapped in her soft thick jacket in the colours of the Autumn Court. 

Eris smiled and laid down next to her, his gaze never leaving hers. “Then I will join you.”

The hand rested by Y/N’s side twitched. His hand was so close and she could feel its warmth. Y/N knew what Eris’s hand felt like but since the night of the ball, she had never felt them again. Eris respected her decision about the mating bond. Y/N wanted time to think about it, and he allowed it. He never touched her without directly asking her, he never did anything to make her accept the bond. He simply waited for her decision patiently. 

“You don’t need to,” Y/N said. “It is quite cold.”

With a simple flick of his wrist, a fire road in front of the blanket, instantly warming the two. Y/N smiled. The warmth seemed to wrap around her body in a tight hug. Y/N only wished that it wasn’t the fire hugging her. 

“I wish I could do that,” Y/N said, sitting up. 

Eris copied her movements. “The cauldron didn’t give you anything.”

Y/N shook her head. “Nesta took it all, I think. I am just ordinary.”

“You are nothing of the sort,” Eris scolded.

Y/N shrugged. “My sisters all got wonderful powers and I got nothing. I was even overlooked by a stupid cauldron.”

“Who gives a shit if the cauldron didn’t give you powers,” Eris siad, frowning. “You are perfect the way you are.”

Y/N didn’t look too convinced as she started at the fire Eris had created. Eris didn’t look away from Y/N as he watched the expression on her face fall. His heart fell. With another flick of his wrist the fire was gone and Y/N tore her gaze away. 

Y/N didn’t even have a chance to speak before fire began to creep up her arm. The way it moved was like a snake as it touched and caressed her body. It didn’t burn or set anything alight. It was soothing and warm. Y/N glanced at Eris who had a soft smile on his face. She smiled in response. 

“It doesn’t hurt,” Y/N said as she raised her arm and watched the fire weave between her fingers in awe. 

“Keep your hand flat,” Eris said and Y/N obeyed and flattened her hand, keeping her fingers together. 

The fire seemed to take shape, slowly morphing into a small bird. Y/N gasped as it took flight and flew around her. Y/N tracked its movements, her smile bright. Eris only kept his eyes glued to Y/N. The joy in her face was an expression Eris wished to see her with more. She looked as if all of her worries had vanished and it was his doing. 

The bird flew ahead of her before changing back into the roaring fire from before. Y/N’s joy didn’t fade as she looked at Eris to find him already looking at her. Y/N’s heart swelled and she was sure it wasn’t just the bond making her feel the way she was. 

“That was beautiful,” Y/N said, her hand twitching once again, his hand was so close to hers. 

The way Eris was looking at her made Y/N slowly move closer. She felt that tug in her chest and for once she followed it. After six months of her talking to Eris and feeling her heart being to mend piece by piece solidified her decision, and the final piece that was broken finally repaired itself as she sat with Eris on the small picnic blanket. 

Y/N finally inched her hand closer to touch Eris. His skin was warm and welcoming. Still he didn’t move and allowed Y/N to lace her fingers with his. At the simple touch of their hands, the bond seemed to tighten and Y/N found herself physically getting closer to him. 

It had been six months since the bond had snapped into place and Y/N had felt that for six months something small had been missing. Of course Eris had given her the space she needed to process everything but he was the missing part that she needed to fully accept everything. She had been happier than ever in the past six months but the bond within her always tugged her in Eris’s direction. 

But eventually it wasn’t just the bond that tugged her in Eris’s direction. It was her own heart. 

“Eris,” Y/N said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I know you have given me space over the time I have been here. But I have felt a pull toward you these past couple months and I know now that it isn’t just the mating bond.”

Eris’s eyes scanned her face as he looked for any sense of her not telling the truth. There was none. Y/N felt his hand tighten around hers as he brought it closer to him. 

“It was my own heart pulling me toward you,” Y/N confessed. “You have shown me nothing but kindness since I met you. You have spoken me late into the night, you have left in the middle of meetings for me. You have put me first before anyone.”

Eris brought her hand up and pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles. “Y/N, if you are saying what I think you are going to say, please say it.”

“I want to accept the bond, Eris,” Y/N replied, inching closer to him. “I have fallen in love with you in my time here and I want to spend my life with you.”

A smile broke out on Eris’s face. “You are telling the truth?”

Y/N nodded. “I am. You are a good male, Eris. Others might not be able to see that, but I can.”

Eris tugged her hand until she was pulled close to his chest. Y/N settled her arm around Eris’s neck as his other hand caressed the side of her face. The light emitting from the fire seemed to light up his eyes and Y/N couldn’t tear her eyes away from them. From up close she could count the freckles on his face. They weren’t extremely visible from far away but as her face was only inches from his, she wanted to spend all day counting them just so she could stay this close. 

“Y/N…” Eris whispered. 

“Eris…” 

When their lips connected, the fire seemed to roar behind them, getting larger and larger. Eris’s powers seemed to amplify. 

He kissed her harder and pressed her body against his. Y/N groaned as his hands roamed her body. The jacket she wore suddenly felt too constricting. Y/N shrugged it from her shoulders without disconnecting their lips. The moment the jacket was discarded next to her, Y/N’s arms wrapped around Eris’s shoulders and her fingers tangled in his hair. 

“I have food with me,” Y/N broke away and mumbled against his lips. 

Eris looked shocked. “You want to accept it now?”

Y/N nodded and rested her forehead against his. “I think we have wasted enough time already.”

Eris smiled as Y/N shuffled away from him to reach into her bag. While she was busy Eris noticed the fire had returned to its normal state, no longer did it roar with life, while reaching heights it never had before. 

“It is only a small cupcake,” Y/N said, diverting Eris’s attention back to her. “But I think it will do.” Eris grinned at her as she straddled his lap, situating herself above him. 

“Y/N, you must know that as soon as I accept it, I might not be able to control myself,” Eris said, brushing a hair away from her face.

Y/N leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I’m counting on it.”

The eldest Archeron lifted the cupcake to his lips and Eris took a bite, his eyes never leaving Y/N’s. As soon as he swallowed the bit, Y/N seemed to flood with a burning need. She felt hot and ached for Eris. 

“Y/N…” Eris growled as she lowered the cake and threw it back on top of her bag. “I need you.”

“Then have me,” Y/N’s voice was low and full of need. 

Eris smashed their lips together and pressed his chest tightly against hers. The desire within Y/N was unlike any other. She had felt desire before in her life, but never as much as she was experiencing. She needed Eris more than she had ever needed anyone.  Y/N throbbed as she ground her hips down, her core rubbing across Eris’s crotch. They were wearing too many clothes. 

Y/N panted as she pulled away from Eris to grip his shirt and ripped it open, the buttons flying out before getting lost in the grass. Y/N’s mouth watered at Eris’s bare chest. His broad shoulders held a few healed scars, Y/N kissed every single one as Eris pulled the ripped shirt away from his body. 

Their lips connected once more and Y/N whimpered as Eris thrust his hips up. His hardened length brushed her in all the right places. Y/N gasped. 

“I need to get you out of these clothes,” Eris mumbled against her lips as he began to unlace the back of her dress, lips attacking her neck in many open mouthed kisses. 

Y/N closed her eyes in pure bliss. It was almost animalistic how much she needed Eris to be buried deep within her. Thrusting his hips up and hitting all of the right spots to send her tumbling over the edge. She was almost feral. Y/N didn’t even care that anyone could come across the two fucking in the woods. 

The fire roared beside them. The heat of it only egged Y/N and Eris on more. The flames nearly reached the top of the trees. Eris’s power seemed to be amplified as he kissed Y/N. 

Y/N’s dress fell away from her chest and revealed her breasts and Eris kissed across her shoulder and down the valley of her breasts. 

“Eris,” Y/N panted, pulling on his hair. “Please!”

Eris smirked against her skin and stroked his tongue over her left nipple. Y/N arched forward craving more. 

He laid her down on her back and kissed down her body, savouring the gasps slipping from her lips as he spread her legs wide. She dripped onto the blanket beneath them. Y/N was sure she had never been this wet before. 

A brush of his fingertips over her core, sent Y/N gasping, thrusting her hips into his touch. 

Eris chuckled darkly. “You are a needy thing, my love.”

His words sent a tingle of pleasure throughout her body. “Only for you, Eris.”

“You are so desperate for me,” Eris said, his mouth nearing where Y/N craved him the most. “So wet.”

Y/N swore she saw stars as Eris wrapped his lips around that bundle of nerves. Her hand flew to his hair pulling his head closer to her as she fucked his face, taking as much pleasure as she wanted. 

Eris moaned at the taste. He would never admit to Y/N but he had fucked his fist many times at the thought of this. His head buried between her thighs drawing out the small desperate sounds. His fingers prodded her entrance as he harshly sucked her clit. 

Y/N felt like she was on cloud nine. She couldn;t clamp her legs together as Eris had a firm grip on one of them, keeping her spread open for him. Deep down she knew that she should be embarrassed. Anyone could walk upon the two of them and witness Y/N naked and fucking the High Lords face as he fucked her with his fingers. But she didn’t care, her focus was on the pleasure Eris was giving her. 

That feeling in the pit of Y/N’s stomach was building as Eris groaned against her clit as he ground his hips into the blanket beneath him. 

“You taste so good,” Eris fucked her faster with his fingers. “And the noises you make for me are music to my ears.”

Y/N let out a rather high pitch moan as he kissed her inner thighs. The pleasure within her was building but Y/N didn’t want to come this way. At least not the first time. She wanted to come with his face between her legs but the first time she wanted to come over his cock and milk him with everything she had. 

“Eris, I need you to fuck me now,” Y/N begged, her voice desperate. “I need it.”

Eris moved his mouth from her clit and removed his fingers and he slowly made his way back up her body, node brushing over her hot skin. He hovered over Y/N’s face as they panted, sharing each other’s air. Eris’s amber eyes were blown wide with desire and the fire reflected within them. Y/N cupped his face before smashing her lips onto his own. Is could taste herself on his tounge. 

There was nothing romantic about the kiss.Teeth clashed and Y/N harshly bit Eris’s lip. A low growl emitted from Eris as he thrust his hips harshly against Y/N’s. 

“Get on top of me,” Eris said and removed himself from Y/N and sat back. 

Y/N looked up and watched as he shrugged off his trousers, letting his cock spring free. Y/N’s mouth watered. Eris gave himself a few pumps before Y/N pounced on top of him. A low chuckle came from Eris as he wrapped his arms around Y/N, pressing her body tightly against his. 

Y/N was dripping with need as was Eris. Both of them needed one another, the bond connecting them flooded each of them with arousal. 

“Take what you need, my love,” Eris said, his tone surprisingly gentle as he caressed her cheek. 

One moment his hand was gently caressing her cheek and the next moment his was wrapped around her throat. A guttural moan left Y/N’s lips as Eris supplied the smallest amount of pressure. His rings dug into her skin, cool against the burning of her skin. 

Inch by inch Y/N sat down on him, her mouth open in a silent scream as she fully sunk down on him. He filled her perfectly. Almost immediately, Y/N began to move her hips, drawing out the pleasure. The small noises that came from Eris only made her move faster. Y/N was sure she had never been more aroused at the sound of a male moaning than she had when she listened to the noises Eris made. She never wanted to stop hearing them. 

The grip Eris had on Y/N’s throat tightened as he smirked. “Take it all, my love.”

Y/N moaned loudly and dug her nails into his broad shoulders. The feeling deep within her was rising and she raced to get there. 

“I need…” Y/N panted, completely absorbed in her pleasure. “Harder. Please Eris.”

Eris chuckled and laid down on the blanket and planted his feet firmly flat and thrust up into her, driving into her deeper than he had before. Y/N screamed as one of her hands fell from his shoulder and rubbed her clit. 

“Fuck,” Eris breathed. “You are so tight, love.”

Y/N attached her lips to his neck, just below his jaw. Eris let a loud moan slip past his lips as he gripped her ass, his fingers digging in harshly. Y/N already knew that she would be littered in small bruises. 

The fire around them roared as it circled the two in a fiery cocoon, blocking off any view of them within the flames. It didn’t hurt, the warmth was pleasant. Y/N sat up and moved her hips furiously on top of Eris. She was close and so was he. His own thrusts were getting sloppier and sloppier. 

Eris pushed her own hand away from her clit and he pressed his thumb against it and drew small circles around it. Y/N wined and scratched her nails down Eris’s chest. 

Y/N spoke incoherently as she begged Eris. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was begging for exactly but she needed to come. She desperately needed it. And from the sounds he was making, so was Eris. 

“Come for me, my love,” Eris said, gritting his teeth. “Come for me.”

Eris applied more pressure against her clit and after a few more thrusts, Y/N felt herself falling over that edge. She moaned so loudly that would have surely been heard if it wasn’t for the sound of the crackling fire drawing out the sound. The sounds that slipped from Y/N’s lips was enough to drag Eris over the edge with her, he spilled into her as his chest heaved up and down. Y/N rode him through his orgasm before coming to a stop. The fire around them died down until it was only a small ring of fire surrounding the two, barely a few inches in height. 

The two panted and tried to catch their breath. Eris gazed up at Y/N as she finally opened her eyes. Their eyes met and they smiled. Eris’s hair was a mess and the ends stuck up in many directions, a complete contrast from his usually immaculately styled hair. 

Y/N slipped off of Eris, his cum spilling out of her. If she wasn’t so exhausted, she would cringe at the feeling but she didn’t care. Eris pulled her down next to ehr and tucked her into his side. He brushed away the strands of hair that stuck to her sweaty face and gazed lovingly at her. Y/N curled into his side. 

Y/N savoured the feeling of the cool breeze. Her breathing was evening out as her and Eris laid there in silence. The only sound came from the small fire and the rustling of the trees. There was no one walking around the grounds. If there were, Y/N was sure they would not have approached. Either from the cocoon of fire or the loud moaning and slapping of skin that echoed throughout the grounds. 

“My mate,” Eris whispered. 

Y/N opened her eyes and found Eris grinning at her. Y/N suddenly wanted to shy away from his gaze. It was intense and full of love and passion. She was sure no one had ever looked at her that way before. 

Eris pressed a kiss against her forehead, his lips lingering there. “I am sure you do have some powers of your own.”

“What?” Y/N questioned. “How do you know?”

“Because I have never lost control of my power like that before,” Eris said. “I have been with females before and none of them have ever made me feel like that.”

“Isn’t it just the mating bond?” Y/N asked.

Eris lightly shook his head. “I don’t think so. My powers seemed amplified somehow. When you touched me for the first time all those months ago, I felt it then too. I did think it was just that mating bond, but it is definitely different.”

Y/N pressed a kiss against his jaw. “We can experiment with it.”

Eris nodded. “We can.” Eris pressed a kiss against her lips, full of tenderness and love. Their lips moved in sync as the kiss gradually got more and more desperate. “But first, I am going to fuck you again until you will not be able to walk in the morning.”

Y/N whimpered. “And what if I want to fuck you until you can’t walk.”

“Well, my dear Y/N, that can be arranged,” Eris said. “Because I will do anything you say. I am yours.”

Y/N smiled and smashed her lips against his. The fire grew around them once again.

[uh-velkommen]

Anyone who knows me knows that I have ALWAYS been a very politically vocal person. I also used to spend a majority of my time on Instagram. But when 2020 hit I became such an unrecognizable person that I had to delete Instagram and cut myself off from everyone just to regain my center and sense of self.

I didn't know it at the time but I think with my autistic sense of justice coupled with my paranoia (like diagnosable, serious paranoia) and how stressful my living situation was at the time, it was the perfect blend for a ticking time bomb. I became so uncontrollably consumed with politics that I would attack anyone and everyone. I was experiencing full mania, posting nonstop on Instagram, arguing with people I followed, cutting off family members, not sleeping, overworking myself protesting, and when I wasnt protesting, I wouldnt leave my bed, all while dealing with the stress of the pandemic, a subpar diet in my neglectful choldhood home, and a lack of space to call my own. Even if I seemed collected on the outside, my insides felt like boiling water. I never got a moment of calm. It was autistic overstimulation amplified. I also felt such a sense of hopeless and really rathered Id be dead than continue trying. All these emotions but I just couldn't stop. I wasn't in control.

After some time, I found my normal again, but it made me so scared to speak out about anything because I didn't want to spiral again. I ignored the news, I muted people who talked about politics, I avoided all things political and any semblance of a political conversation at all costs. I'd never been so quiet before. This was around the time Ukraine and Isreal started becoming the hot topic. You can see it here. All my political posts just stop sometime around 2021. And even though I chose to stop "spreading awareness" about things, I started to feel this immense guilt that I was seemingly not doing my part. Or that my IG account now looked like BLM was a fad I participated in, and I couldn't care less about those pesky Palestinians /sarcasm. All the while, I was dying inside NOT talking about it.

I used that time to read up on the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict, I was reaching out to my high school friends who were now growing families in Palestine, I was trying to think of way to engage in the movement that didn't involve reposting the same 5 Instagram posts that everyone was already sharing, and that didn't involve financial investment as that was SO not a possibility for me. I boycotted what I could, but I was living in Sweden by that time, so it was a boycot by circumstance.

Now, with this whole Banning TikTok debacle, I am just so mad that no one can see that it's a political attack. Ever since 2020, the government has been mad at us for using it as a means of education and organization. That's when the whole subject of banning it arose. We -as in American people - are being punished for utilizing our First Amendment right. That of protesting and organizing (not the stupid misinterpretation of "I can say whatever I want" used by right wingers). It seems like everyone has forgotten that and are just whining about their brainrot being taken away or getting on Twitter to rave about what social media is doing to us. People outside of the US are laughing as if this isn't a modern-day example of mass censorship happening right in front of our eyes. And suddenly, I can feel the boiling water moving up from my toes. Suddenly, I want to slap everyone across the face and get them to wake up. Open your eyes, people! I'm tired of sitting back with this, "we'll there's nothing we can really do that we haven't been doing already" attitude. I want to burn down the white house. I want people to stop treating Luigi Magione like some Robin Hood sex image. I don't want to just settle for this loss of autonomy and progress. I don't want to feel like a minority within a minority within a minority within a minority. What else is there to do when everyone has settled for just dealing?

[mint-yooxgi]

Kinktober Day 21 - Yandere!Fae!Taemin + Overstimulation & Somnophilia

Anonymous Said: For kinktober, can I request yandere fae Taemin with overstimulation and consensual somnophilia? A/n: Of course you can! I had fun writing this one, as Them is another one of my muses. Here I am expecting it to be super short and he was like NOPE! lmaoo I hope you enjoy! Also, I pictured the area they wake up in similar to/a mix between Lothlórien and Rivendell. Warnings/Genre/Rating: 18+ MDNI - Smut, Mature, Established Relationship, Yandere, Possession, Monster Features Word Count: 2,542 Kinktober 2024 Mini Masterlist

Golden light streams through the gaps in the trees, the leaves swaying lightly in the breeze. A canopy of crisp yellows, vibrant oranges, and soft reds hang overhead, glowing as they offer their protection from the elements so high up in the forest. 

Large stone archways stretch all around, an intricately carved staircase winding around the trunk of the tree you currently reside in. The air is cool, but despite how open his room is, you do not feel an ounce of the morning chill.

Subconsciously, you snuggle deeper into the warmth of his embrace.

A soft smile tugs at Taemin’s features as he admires you sleeping in his arms. Carefully, he brings a hand up to trace over your features, revelling in the feeling of your skin beneath his own. Long since has he awaited for this moment, and knowing that you’re finally his is unlike any feeling he has ever experienced before in his life.

Taemin has always prided himself on getting whatever it is he wants, so when he set his sights on you, he figured it would be a walk in the woods.

You had other plans.

Every attempt to woo you was met with a disinterested stare, or a scoff in disgust. You had heard about his reputation - nothing being able to hold his attention for five minutes after he’s claimed it - and wanted nothing to do with him. You weren’t about to become another human seduced by the skilled lies and deceit of the Fae, let alone a Fae such as him. You wouldn’t allow yourself to be.

Perhaps it was a curse, rather than a blessing, that Taemin couldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Sure, he’s been denied in the past, but there was something about the irritated look in your eyes that made him want more. Normally, he would have moved on after being denied three times, since that’s usually how long it takes for someone to give into him. However, you were not everyone else.

Over time, his infatuation grew. He became obsessed with finding you wherever you went, and making you see him in a new light. You were perceptive, seeing through his silver tongue and thinly veiled half-truths that he attempted to use to sway your opinion of him.

He liked that about you, and the more time passed, he found himself looking forward to his interactions with you. You stimulated him, and not just intellectually.

It was then that he decide that if he couldn’t have you, no one could.

Your laugh was the most melodic song he had ever heard, your voice captivating him unlike anything before. Your stature was perfect in every way, especially for him. Countless nights had been spent fantasizing about how you would feel wrapped up in his arms, and nothing could have ever prepared him for the real thing. You both fit together like the stars in the sky - never one without the other, and should one disappear, only a dark void would be left in their place.

Not even the rarest of gems, or purest of crystals could compare to your eyes. The way they shone in the sunlight, or reflected in the moonlight, always managed to take his breath away. Your smile was like the first rays of sunshine after a cold winter’s night, warmth blooming inside of him every time he was lucky enough to catch such a wondrous expression on your face.

He needed to be the cause of your smile. He needed to be the source of your laughter. He needed you to care about him as much as he had started to care about you. He needed you to see how perfect you were for each other, and how he could always and forever give you anything and everything you could ever desire in this life, and the next. 

More than all of that, though, he needed you. 

Taemin spent hours thinking about you. Days, weeks, months. Almost every thought in his had been consumed by you, and even he could tell how it was affecting him.

He was beginning to change.

Taemin would never stop pursuing you, even if it was the last thing he ever did. He would follow you to the ends of the earth, always showing you how much better he’s become now that he’s found you. All he had to do was make you see the truth, and understand that you have both always been meant for each other.

After all, he would stop at nothing to have you.

Luckily for him, all of his hard work had started to pay off. 

Slowly but surely, you were starting to open yourself up to him. It took a while for him to get closer to you, but once he did, he never let go. Finally, after all this time, you agreed to be his, and oh, how sweet it was to be rewarded for his patience.

The memories of last night that swirl through his head at such an early hour in the day are proof enough of that.

A tender smile pulls at his lips as he continues to admire your sleeping form beneath the warm glow of the rising sun. His fingers trace lightly over your cheek, eyes flitting over every feature and committing them all to memory. Never does he want to let go of this moment, nor does he ever want to let go of you.

You are his now, and he is yours. As it was always meant to be. As it should be.

Carefully, Taemin rolls you onto your back, making sure not to disturb your slumber. His tongue darts out to wet his lips, thoughts consumed by the very taste of you that still lingers from last night. He swears he can still feel the imprints of your nails as they scraped down his back, pulling him in closer to you as he buried himself deep within your tight warmth.

His eyes flutter shut, a soft exhale parting his lips.

Settling between your legs, Taemin begins tracing his fingers further down your body. Not an inch of skin goes untouched by him, admiring the way your scents mingle in the air. The fact that you smell like him, and him like you makes his head spin. Only, he wants more.

Love as clear as the moon shines in his eyes as he takes in the sight of you beneath him. Gently, his lips press tender kisses against your skin, beginning to make his way down your body. Each movement is precise, ensuring he doesn’t wake you just yet as he settles himself between your legs. His hands skim up your inner thighs, parting you gently.

He’s already had a taste, but that insufferable craving gnaws away at his last remaining shreds of his sanity. Besides, when it comes to you, he’s insatiable.

Again, his eyes flutter shut as he takes a deep breath in. Your scent surrounds his every sense, flooding his veins with desire and need.

A soft moan escapes his parted lips.

More soft kisses are placed along the skin of your inner thighs, Taemin taking his time to trace his lips over every inch of you. His hands hold you gently, thumbs circling over your flesh as he gets closer and closer to the apex of your thighs. His breathing deepens, body beginning to shake in anticipation the longer he holds himself back from just devouring you like he so desperately craves.

Finally, he gives in to his deepest desires.

Leaning into you, he traces his nose over your folds, inhaling your scent greedily. A chaste kiss is placed over you, followed by another, and then another. His lips press against your clit before he’s finally parting your folds with his tongue, eagerly tasting you just as he did last night.

A low, pleased moan rumbles from deep within his chest as he dips his tongue inside of you. The way your taste immediately drowns his every sense has his eyes rolling slightly, pressing in closer to you as he swirls his tongue around your entrance.

Pleased hums fill the air, taking his time to trace his tongue over every contour of your pussy. His nose bumps over your clit a few times before he finally brings his lips up to wrap around that pert little bud. Softly, he suckles your clit between his lips, eyes shining as he looks up at you fondly.

Your thigh twitches lightly beside his head, body beginning to squirm beneath his light ministrations.

He flattens his tongue, laving it over your clit before beginning to circle over it gently.

A soft moan fills the air, fingers tangling lightly in his hair and tugging him in closer. You can feel him smile against your clit as a deep chuckle fills the room.

“Good morning, Beautiful,” A tender kiss is placed directly over your clit. “Did you sleep well?”

All you can offer him in response is a low hum, whining slightly as you stretch beneath his touch. Sleep still clings heavily to you, eyes drooping as you attempt to focus in on your surroundings for the moment.

“Just relax, Dearest,” He coos, nuzzling into you gently. “I promise to take good care of you.”

With those words, his mouth is back on you, tongue slipping through your folds and teasing at your entrance. Not even a moment later, he’s flicking over your clit before suckling that little bud between his lips, humming contently at the way you moan.

Your fingers tighten in his hair, hips beginning to grind against his lips in time with his movements over you. Your body feels both light and airy, as if you’re floating on a cloud. Soft pants escape you, head spinning as you feel that all too familiar pressure building beneath the surface, already so close to snapping.

He buries himself deeper into you, suckling your clit eagerly into his mouth as his eyes beg for you to fall apart. His fingers dig into the skin of your hips, pulling you into him so that you can’t escape his touch. The way you’re already starting to drip down his chin makes a happy pride swell within his chest, flicking his tongue over your clit to coax you into bliss so early in the morning.

With one final flick over your clit, your whole body shakes, a loud moan escaping you. Tossing your head back onto the pillows, your orgasm washes over you softly, flooding your veins with a comforting ecstasy you’ve only ever experienced with him. Breaths escape you, chest rising and falling as you feel him continuing to suckle at your clit, keeping you suspended in pleasure for as long as he possibly can.

Guttural moans and soft growls reverberate against your cunt as he guides you through your high. His hands tighten on your hips, tongue unrelenting as his eyes shine with nothing but pure desire. The way your release drips out of you, and floods his tongue has something within himself snapping, the beast inside craving more.

In the blink of an eye, he’s flipped your positions.

A strangled gasp escapes you as you grip the intricately carved wooden headboard to balance yourself. Your thighs now rest on either side of his head, his face buried in your pussy as he renews his efforts over your cunt.

Your eyes go wide, back arching as he sucks harshly at your clit, giving you no time to recover from one orgasm as he begins to coax another one from you. Your thighs tremble, whining as you attempt to lift yourself off of him. The feeling becomes almost too intense for the moment as his lips and tongue desperately devour you.

“Taemin-“ His name is but a choked whimper on your lips.

A snarl greets your ears, his arms wrapping themselves around your thighs and pulling you flush against him. Harshly, his fingers dig into your skin, claws suddenly pricking against your flesh as he holds you down. 

There’s no way in all of the many realms that he’s letting you go now. Not when you look this beautiful dripping onto his tongue. Not when he needs to feel you coming apart for him again, drowning him in everything you.

Flattening his tongue, he laves it in circles over your clit, staring up at you with dark eyes. Nothing but pure love, lust, and desire can be seen within his gaze, guttural groans echoing around the room as his hot breath hits your cunt with his every exhale.

“Give it to me, Dearest,” He pants out against you, tongue flicking against your swollen clit rapidly. “Flood me in everything you. I want it all.”

Another gasp escapes you as you feel him beginning to thrust his tongue into your cunt before swirling the muscle against your inner walls. Your hips automatically begin grinding down against him, the pleased growl he lets out making a pleasant shiver travel up your spine.

Gripping the headboard for dear life, your eyes squeeze shut. Already, you’ve become so sensitive to his touch, still having been recovering from last night.

Last night.

And you thought that had been intense.

A whimper slips passed your lips as you feel him slide his hands to your ass, squeezing the flesh appreciatively as he pulls you in impossibly closer. His lips wrap around your clit once more, shaking his head side to side as he harshly suckles at that pert little bud. From the way his chest rumbles with pleased growls, you can’t tell who’s enjoying this more in this moment: him, or you.

A shudder wracks your whole body, and with one final flick over your clit, your back arches in the air. A loud cry of his name escapes you, eyes squeezing shut as you suddenly still above him. Your thighs threaten to close around his head, high pitched moans and whimpers escaping you as your orgasm floods your every sense.

Nothing but pleased snarls sound from the Fae beneath you, his lips unrelenting as he helps you ride through your high. His fingers dig into the skin of your ass, keeping you pressed against his mouth as he swirls his tongue through your entrance. His eyes roll at the taste of you, chest rumbling as he feels you beginning to drip down his neck.

“More.” He growls, redoubling his efforts over you.

A whimper escapes you, eyes rolling at the overwhelming sensations flooding your body. You can barely catch your breath, head spinning as you’ve barely recovered from one orgasm only for him to continue to build you up for another.

You squirm above him, gasping at how sensitive your clit has become as he circles the tip of his tongue around that swollen little bud.

“Taemin-“ Your whimper gets caught in your throat, eyes rolling as he gives a particularly harsh suck to your clit.

A pleased hum escapes him, a deep chuckle emanating throughout the room. His eyes are dark as he stares up at you, holding your gaze to his as he smirks.

“Relax, My Dear,” He coos, pulling away from you for the briefest of moments. “I didn’t say I was done, yet.”

[magics-neptunes-things]

Collide (1)

Hello everyone!

Here we are finally in the series I talk about a few days ago. After the votes you chose Leah, but I might have kept some ideas for Alessia afterwards.

I have the beginning of the story and the end, but I have not yet decided exactly what would happen in the middle, so I am unable to tell you how many chapters there will be in this story.

I hope you will like it and as usual, I gladly take your comments, requests and suggestions :) Don’t hesitate to write to me.

Happy reading!

World count : 4.8k

TW : Mention of breaking up and angst. I think nothing else but if you notice something please let me know!

PART 2 I PART 3 I PART 4 I PART 5 I PART 6 | PART 7

The news of your transfer to Arsenal was like a little bomb in the football world. You were on the verge of another contract extension with Manchester City when the London club contacted your agent, offering you a contract that you couldn’t refuse. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, you thought about it long before accepting. You asked for the advice of your parents and friends footballers perhaps a little more experienced than you. Including Ingrid Engen, one of your best friends since you started playing on the Norwegian national team.

After weighing the pros and cons, you decided to accept and say goodbye to Manchester City. Some things will obviously miss you. Starting with some of your teammates that you consider your friends and who seemed really saddened by your departure.

You quickly got along with Laia Aleixandri and Leila Ouahabi, the spanish womens taking you under their wing just arrived in Manchester. They made your life easier and helped you include yourself in the club much more easily than you could have hoped. Leaving your home country at almost 18 wasn’t easy, but if you wanted to continue to follow your dreams, you really had no choice. Norwegian football being less in the spotlight, when you had the first proposal from an English club, you didn’t hesitate a single second. Your parents and relatives encouraged you to accept this offer as well.

Your life in Manchester has been pleasant and you can’t help but be a little nervous about moving to a new city. With other people, other places… In short, to start almost from the beggining. The only thing that has changed between your settlement between Manchester and London is that you have undoubtedly developed your athletic abilities and skills in all areas necessary to be able to play football properly.

Your contract was signed just after the end of the World Cup, so you were the last to announced at Arsenal. This didn’t allow you to find an apartment in time and that is why you find yourself in a hotel room for your first nights in London. It’s a little strange, but you’d rather that than take an apartment that wouldn’t suit you. It’s important for you to really feel at home when you cross the threshold of your door and you haven’t found the one who gave you this impression in those you have visited for the moment.

You only have a few things with you at the moment, all your furniture is stored in Laia’s garage in Manchester, ready to be sent as soon as you find what suits you. Very soon, let’s hope.

********

It’s a little nervous that you leave the Uber that accompanies you to the Arsenal training center for your first day under the colors of the club. You have already made the promotional photos, so you have already met several people belonging to the staff. You’ve already had a meeting with Jonas, but you haven’t met a lot of people officially when it comes to the players.

Last night, Alessia Russo contacted you via Instagram (you didn’t even realize she was following you on social media) and offered to wait for you at the entrance to make your way together. You quickly accepted, even if you also quickly understood that it was for you more than for her. Alessia knows a lot of people on the team, unlike you. But the gesture made you happy. Alessia having played at Manchester United while you were playing at Manchester City, you might have had a bad connection with her, being clubs enemy, but that’s not the case. Leila and Laia always took you with them when they were going out with Ona and her friends and that’s how you met Alessia. From saying you’re friends with her there’s a world, but you appreciate the blonde’s personality.

Alessia is already waiting for you when you arrive and you smile at her when you reach her height.

"Hi" you say with a slight smile, responding willingly to her embrace.

"Nervous?" asks the blonde, glancing at you.

You answer with a simple grunt that makes her laugh, before you go to the conference room where you meet the rest of the team. She asks you about your Summer and you ask questions back, learning that she went in her family in Italy.

Several of your teammates are already present when you enter the room, including Jonas who greets you both with a big smile. You find yourself following Alessia around like a lost puppy in the room, but she doesn’t seem to mind. On the contrary, she introduces you to people she already knows.

You’ve come across some of them on football fields in previous games, but aside from a few words exchanged with them, there’s never been anything more. You talk to Laia Codina, whom Laia and Leila described as an adorable girl, when a new trio arrives in the room. Lia, Leah and Katie.

"Katie terrifies me" Alessia jokes in your ear before Leah spots her and leads the other two in your direction.

"Do you know Y/N?" Alessia tells Leah after they greet each other with an embrace.

"Not really" Leah replies with a smile. "Welcome to Arsenal!"

"Thank you very much"

When your eyes meet, you feel a wave of shivers running through your entire body. Nothing to do with the terror that Katie can inspire in Alessia, but what it can mean does intrigue you no less. But you quickly recover, greeting all three. You realize too that Leah’s embrace lasts a few seconds longer than the others, her hand dragging in the hollow of your back when she laughs at a joke Katie made.

Shortly after, Jonas and his assistants arrive in the room and ask you all to sit down. You find yourself next to Alessia and Manuela Zinsberger and listens wisely to what he tells you. This mainly consists of a warm welcome from the new players, a reminder of the goals set for the team this year and the introduction of new staff members. After that, everyone is invited to a brunch and you find yourself around a big round table, once again with Manuela but also with Frida Maanum, who seems delighted to have a compatriot with her on the team.

"We’ll be able to show Stina and Amanda who the real Vikings are" she told you, amusing the people around you.

The least we can say is that you quickly feel comfortable.

Finally you were wrong to fear the introduction into your new team. You haven’t trained together yet, but you feel it won’t be a problem for you to fit in here. Despite you, your eyes are a little too turned towards Leah Williamson, who has lunch at an another table. You didn’t expect the injuries one to be here today, which was stupid of you. They’re just as much part of the team as you are.

In the middle of the afternoon, after visiting the different rooms and the training ground, you are free to leave. You stay a little longer than the first ones who do though, having fun making passes with Alessia and Manuela, while Leah, Lia, Beth and Viv stay a few meters from you to discuss. When you finally decide to leave the field to go home and you don’t follow them to the parking lot greeting them nevertheless, you see Leah arching an eyebrow.

"Where are you going?"

"Taking the subway? I don’t have a car yet" you answer smiling, shrugging your shoulders.

"Bullshit. Someone can bring you back" Leah says, turning to your teammates.

"I’m not going to force someone to make a detour for me, Leah, but that’s very kind, thank you very much."

Something in the blonde’s gaze makes you think that if she had been fit to drive, she herself would have made the detour, but being driven by Lia she doesn’t have the opportunity to do so.

"I can" says Alessia nicely. "Where do you live?"

A new wave of surprise attacks your teammates when you give them the name of your hotel.

"You live in a hotel?" Lia wonders with her kind voice this time.

"I didn’t find an apartment for now" you shrug your shoulders."It all happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to anticipate things properly."

Well, you must also say that you wanted enjoy your holiday without bother yourself with it.

"We have a guest room if you want to come and live there for a few days, the time to find something" proposes Manuela.

But before you have time to answer, Alessia suddenly resumes speaking, slapping her forhead, as if she had just remembered something.

"They’re looking to rent the apartment in front of mine, on the same floor. If it’s like mine, it’s really nice!"

********

It turned out that the apartment in front of Alessia is indeed very nice. A bright living room (Very rare for London said Katie when she was sent by Leah to come make the counter-visit with you to scare the seller in case of scam attempts), a bedroom, another room that you used as a guest room, a third to make you an office and a living room with open kitchen. You even have a small balcony overlooking the inner courtyard, separated from Alessia’s by a transparent wall. "We’ll have to do a housewarming party" several of your teammates got excited. And that’s how you end up with most of the players on the team crammed into your living room, laughing while watching a reality show chosen by Jen. You ordered pizza and a supply of beer and other drinks has been flooding your balcony since last night. But you feel good and that’s all that matters. At the end of the show, you don’t know who offers a drinking game, consisting of taking a shot of alcohol if we did more than the person says. For example, you find yourself having to drink when Lotte says "I took more than three yellow cards last season." "Katie should drink like five shots" jokes Viv towards. Katie glare at her as laughter rises around you, but the game continues. Finally, when one of them says "I slept with more than two people" you are surprised to see that finally not many of you drink. You do. "Y/N?" Manuela turns to you with a disbelieving smile. "We never said we had to justify ourselves" you answer pulling your tongue at her. A new round is quickly thrown after that, but you cross Leah’s eyes a few seconds later. She also drank, which is probably not surprising given the small reputation that precedes her.

After clearing your throat, you look away with a slight blush on your cheeks.

You regularly saw Leah, between the parties organized by the different team members and during training. If the blond doesn’t follow those in the field, she has her appointments with her physiotherapist at the same time as you play. And she now participates in strength training and physical maintenance.

You talk to her regularly, but you have a hard time staying away like you promised yourself to. Leah seems like a very passionate and kind person, but some of your former teammates in Manchester City have made you aware of her flirtatious nature. And a one- or two-night thing, are really not what you’re looking for right now.

A little later in the evening, when at least half of the squad has returned home, you find yourself tidying up a little in the kitchen accompanied by Lia, Leah, Alessia, Manuela and Frida.

"So you have more than two conquests?" teases Manuela, leaning on the central island of your kitchen.

You have the impression that Leah’s eyes will pierce your head when she hears Manu’s question.

"I’ve got like three" you says, rolling your eyes. "It’s not the end of the world"

"It’s not" Lia laughs.

Hoping to divert the conversation, you offer once again to drink to your teammates slash friends. But that was without counting on Manu’s spontaneity.

"Oh but it wasn’t you who dated Alina Meier who play in Aston Villa? Lia’s swiss teammate?" (n/a I don’t want any problem with anyone, this girl is all invented)

You feel your stomach contracting a little bit to her name. Manuela isn’t mistaken, but you usually avoid talking about your ex. Any of your interlocutors could feel the tension emanating from you, but Lia is the fastest.

"Can I have another beer please?" she cuts the conversation with a big smile.

You willingly accept and pivot towards the fridge to dive in. Alessia takes charge of changing the topic of conversation and you sigh of relief when your hear that it works. You spend two seconds more than necessary to take out the beer, taking a large breath before leaving the fridge. Alessia puts a comforting hand behind your back and you find yourself once again stuck in Leah’s eyes when your eyes cross.

An hour later, it’s just Alessia, Leah, Victoria and you. Manuela fell asleep on the couch and you will probably find her in the same place tomorrow morning. Vic and Lessi are in the middle of a conversation about a band when you find yourself on your balcony, enjoying some fresh air.

"Mind if I join you?"

Leah. You obviously invite her to join you, despite yourself very intrigued by the young woman. You’re not stupid, or at least not stupid enough not to realize that she seems intrigued by you too. She speaks at you more often than Manu for example and behaves differently with you than with Lia or Alessia. You can imagine how much she looks about you and to be honest you’re interested about her too. But on your side it’s not only physical interest, which changes everything.

"Are you okay?" asks Leah with sincere concern. "You seem a little down since Manu mentioned Alina."

You look at her thoughtfully for a split second before shrugging your shoulders.

"She doesn’t bring back pleasant memories. But it’s ok" you finally confess, looking at the sky.

It’s difficult in London to observe the stars, between pollution and public lights lit everywhere. You miss it a little.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Well… Everybody in the football world knows, no?"

Another disadvantage of dating a well-known player, in the end. It’s impossible to keep your privacy private.

"I don’t think so?" said Leah, frowning. "I don’t, anyway." You look at her again for a few seconds and it doesn’t take you any longer to understand that she’s telling the truth. "We dated for almost a year, until I found out she had been cheating on me with someone in the man team from her club for almost four months." "Oh... I’m so sorry" A new glance in her direction allows you to understand that she really is. Frowning, she seems upset by this story. Like all the people to whom you tell the truth of your break up with Alina. You assumed that everyone knew why, but it would seem that they didn’t. It kind of cheers you up to be honored. "Jordan’s playing with her now" you say thoughtfully. Leah grunt at the mention of her ex and you take advantage of the fact that she looks in front of her to observe her. Leah is a very beautiful woman, it’s not surprising that people like her so much. You see regularly video on her in your "For you" on Tiktok. "You’re not the only one having a bad relationship with your ex" ended up sighing Leah. "Do you want to talk about it?" you ask, repeating her words from before. "There’s not much to say. She’s just, you know... gone." Maybe you shouldn’t get close to her to put your hand on her shoulder, her proximity triggering strange sensations throughout your body. You realize that the joints of Leah’s hands that are attached to the fence are white, and your hand quickly leaves her shoulder to be laid on one of Leah’s, stroking it. When Leah turns her head in your direction, you realize how close your faces are. Your breath is cut off and the infinity of the blue of her eyes makes you lose yourself. When Leah puts her hand around your waist to take you against her, you feel like your heart rate has never been so fast.

But it’s nothing compared to how you feel when her lips land on yours. One hand is automatically behind her neck and the other on her cheek. Your lips begin a passionate and sensual dance and that’s exactly how you imagined things when you thought about how Leah kiss.

The blonde takes advantage of a wimper from you to deepend the kiss and request access to your mouth with her tongue. You leave it to her, carried away by these waves of emotions and sensations that make you turn your head. You find yourself quickly having legs in jelly and you can’t tell how long this moment happened.

You need all your concentration and willpower to break that kiss, snatching yourself from Leah’s arms.

"I’m sorry" you mumble out of breath, facing Leah’s surprised face. "I shouldn’t have… I’m sorry"

With one last mumble, you hurry back inside. If the remaining guests suspect something, they don’t show it. You take the excuse to clean up a little more to mask your trembling hands and let your heart rate returning to normal. Five minutes later, Leah came back inside, excusing herself and leaving your apartment, calling it a night. She didn't even look at you and well, that's hurt. But it shouldn't, aren't you the one who pushed her away?

After kissing your cheek and saying goodbye, Alessia left you too. You throw a blanket on Manu’s sleeping body, you go to your room. It’s late, but you know that Ingrid sometimes stays up a little later than other people.

From You Are you asleep?

From Ingrid 🩵 No. are you okay?

From You Can we call each other?

You don’t get messages back, but Ingrid tries to call you while you’re brushing your teeth. You pick up, mouth full of toothpaste and greet your friend with a hand sign when her face appears on the screen.

"What are you still up at this hour?" smiled Ingrid

"I could ask you the same question" you point out to her after rinsing your mouth.

Ingrid just turns your phone screen and you realize that she shows you her living room, in which she seems to be installed with Mapi and Baghera watching TV.

"Hola Mapi!" you smile to the tattooed when she greets you with a wave of hand.

"What about you?"

"I invited the girls to my apartment to celebrate my move in" you explain before leaving the bathroom and going to lie on your bed.

"Was it nice?"

You hum for any answer, the memory of the kiss you just exchanged with Leah coming back full force. After spending years paying attention at you, Ingrid knows you very well and she realizes in the second that the reason you called her is related to this evening.

"What’s going on, Søtnos?"

Mapi being next to Ingrid, you are relieved that you started this conversation in Norwegian. Since Leah’s name is rather all-purpose, you hope that when you mention her, Maria will not realise. You never understood why there is such tension between the Spanish women and the English women, at least for some of them. But Mapi will probably never be friends with Leah.

Ingrid is a person you could easily confide in, even if there are parts of your life that you have never talked to her about. But you trust her with your life and you know that she will always be able to see things in a neutral and mature way. Which is not always your case.

You explain the situation to her, trying not to take too much time while giving her all the necessary information to have a clear vision of things.

"For summary" resumes Ingrid after your monologue "You like her, she seems to like you too. She kissed you, you pushed her away and she left without looking at you?"

"Uh… yeah"

"And you’re surprised?" laughs softly the brunette shaking her head.

"No, on the contrary. I should never have accepted that kiss in the first place, it was a serious mistake on my part."

"Why?"

"Because she doesn’t see things the way I do, I guess. Leila told me to beware of her and she didn’t want anything serious for a long time" you sigh as you roll to the side.

"Did you talk to her about it?"

"No, we didn’t have time between the kiss and the moment she left my apartment slamming the door" you laugh.

"Be careful with your bad attitude" warns Ingrid pointing at you.

But you smile at her in return. You know she doesn’t scold you for real.

"Anyway, I doubt that she will want to speak to me again after that" you sigh again.

This information shouldn’t depress you as much as that, but still. And this doesn’t escape the keen eye of your compatriot once again. She smiles softly at you.

"I like Leila and I don’t doubt that she means what she says, but trust me, you’re never better served than by yourself."

Her look from the side and you know she’s looking at her own girlfriend. You remember perfectly well that Ingrid was also told to beware of Mapi. But when you see where they are today, you tell yourself that she did well to trust her own idea.

"You have a better conscience than me to judge people" you remind her.

Ingrid answers you with a grunt and you know that she thinks about what happened previously in your love life. You make a grimace and decide to change the subject, questioning her rather on Mapi, her trainings and what she has to tell you again in her life.

Your call lasts another ten minutes before you decide to stop, promising to call you back quickly. What you usually do once a week at least, determined to keep in touch despite the fact that you are not in the same country.

It’ll be a long time before you can fall asleep that night, Leah deep in your mind. Part of you is bitterly sorry you pushed her away, but on the other hand, no one can blame you for wanting to protect you, right? No one knows your past and what you went through before you came here. But you can’t help but feel guilty, despite the little time you spent with Leah, she confided in you about her relationship with her ex and even if it was just a few words, you feel like she wouldn’t do it to just anyone. Your last wish is to hurt her, she asked nothing for it.

You will have to wait until the sky clears, heralding a new day for you to finally find sleep, long hours later. Little did you know that Leah experienced the same thing in her own bed.

********

As you have imagined, Leah was particularly cold the next time you saw her. She greeted you, but only from a distance. Her affectionate smile and the little touches if attention she offered you on a daily basis now seem to need to be evoked in the past. And it bothers you too much for your taste.

This obviously caught the attention of the girls you were closest to in Arsenal, starting with Alessia.

"Is everything okay with Leah?" she asked you one day when you ended up in her apartment after a game.

"Yeah, why?"

Thank God you were on your phone and you were able to use this pretext to pretend to be absorbed by what was on it. Otherwise Alessia would have seen the slight panic take hold of your gaze.

"I don’t know, I think she changed her behavior with you… It’s not so much in her habits"

Alessia is far too observant, but given her character and personality, it doesn’t surprise you. It's also probably thanks to this that she saw your hesitation and she got closer to you before starting to speak again.

"Leah is my friend but you are too, so if you need to confide in someone, you can do it with me ok? I know how to keep secrets"

"Even for Tooney?" you asked while arching an amused eyebrow.

You met the energetic Englishman recently, when she came to London for an interview and took the opportunity to attend a match of Alessia.

"Even for Tooney" laughed Alessia gently shoving you with a shoulder.

You laughed too and you both went back to your respective phones, but in truth Alessia’s remark began to spin in your brain.

"Thanks"

Is all you added before you letting your head on her shoulder. Alessia responded by tapping you on the top of it, without taking her phone out of her eyes. And that was enough.

********

"Your tattoo is amazing!"

Katie’s exclamation makes you turn in her direction and you smile timidly when you see her watching your back carefully.

"Thank you?" you whisper in response.

Even if you prefer showering at home, this is not the first time you change in front of your teammates. So you don't know it Katie have never dared to ask you about it or if they have never really make attention the tattoo you have on your back. Yet it’s hard to miss. Drawn on all your right shoulder blade, it goes down to the hollow of your hips and shows up to your right shoulder.

"Wow, invite the girl on a date before" jokes Manuela when Katie advances towards you, without detaching her eyes from your back, her head slightly tilting on the side to have a better view.

"Sorry, I already put an option on it!" Caitlin exclaims at the back of the locker room, causing a general laugh.

Katie rolls her eyes, but you realize that she has been joined by Lia and Leah, all three of them carefully observing your tattoo. Your gaze lingers on Leah, who seems to resist as much as possible her desire to come and look closer. She stands behind Lia and when your eyes cross she silently observes you for long seconds before shifting her attention to your back.

"Sorry about the invasion" Lia smiles gently.

"It makes me think of a painting" Leah thoughtfully made next to her.

"By Van Gogh yes. The Starry Night. It was my grandfather’s favorite painting. Well, it’s a modified version obviously, but the inspiration is there"

The surprised look of Leah doesn't escape you. Lia is watching you silently and next to you Katie and Manuela have started a conversation about tattoos. As for Alessia, she finally emerges from the shower after her eternal routine of care.

"Do you like painting?" Leah asks carefully, looking at you with the same apprehension as if your gaze could ignite her alive.

"My grandfather was a painter, not very well known but he introduced me to this world" you answer by shrugging your shoulders.

"What she paints is incredible. She has a room dedicated to this at home, behind her bedroom" Alessia intervenes.

You turn in her direction, frowning. It's a part of you that you don't really want to share with everyone, fearing their jugement. You don't think you're a great painter, but you like painting. It's sort your mind. Your glance is quickly captured by your friend.

"What? It’s true" she mumbles, shrugging.

You roll your eyes and turn around to finish dressing, putting on a t-shirt and a sweatshirt to accompany your ripped jeans. The little troop that surrounded you has dissipated, but Leah’s gaze remains thoughtfully on you. You cross it when you glance in her direction and you blush slightly.

The effect that woman has on you… It might be a good idea to talk to someone about it again instead of thinking desperately about her every night before you fall asleep.

[enihk-writes]

[someone older]

pairing: older!multi-fandom men x gn!they/them!reader

reader is written to be in their early twenties, under twenty-five and fresh out of uni with their first degree and no corporate work experience.

summary: shorts about old men and a younger beau to-be

content warning: big age-gap relationships // superior-subordinate power imbalance // possible infantilization // some form of saviour-complex // (some unintentional) manipulation

characters: zhongli (genshin impact) // neuvilette (genshin impact) // jing yuan (honkai star rail) // tang gunak (return of the blossoming blade) // dokgo (return of the mad demon) // chongyue (arknights) // shamane (RE:1999) // hiromi higuruma (jujutsu kaisen) // ryū (gokurakugai)

author's note: my lovely oomfs i need yall to look away and pretend im doing okay,,, the demons and the little voices in my head have won and taken over..... i have to make that middle-aged man pregnant so so so so bad it's terminal... (head in hands)... OUGHHHHKKKGSHHH (coughs blood and straight up dies)..... looking at the list here i really have a type huh....

[PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION! I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY TRIGGERS CAUSED BEYOND THIS LINE]

ZHONGLI who had lived for long enough to have seen and experienced almost everything one could see, was still taken aback when he felt a familiar throb in his heart as he conversed with the new face of the artisan's alley. a fledgling who had just left their nest and was beginning to make their way into the world — your naivety much unlike your more seasoned neighbours who knew how to set the prices of their goods to gain the maximum profit. you were often tricked and scammed out of selling your wares at their proper price, too scared to stand your ground and disrespect your older customers. the former archon couldn't bear to see a budding talent, such as yourself, sell themselves short out of expected social courtesy. he often found himself buying your highest-priced works even if he had to empty his entire wallet. you were beyond grateful for his patronage, even offering a commission, free of charge. that's just how bad business was before he stepped in. oh you poor thing, now that he knows how easy it was to get you dancing in his palm, how could he let you meet better opportunities? he was your lifeline, the only way you were going to make it in this career you chose. and you better not forget that.

NEUVILETTE knew that he shouldn't be so enamoured with the new hire. really. a being who had been alive for as long as he falling in love with someone thousands of years their junior? he wanted to rip his hair out. the chief justice approached this predicament as he would with almost anything he deemed annoying — avoidance. sending you out on errands that kept you out of the office for the whole day, giving days off to everyone if there was nothing on the agenda, having you go sort out documents in the filing room, and a whole host of other things that made sure you and him wouldn't cross paths. once he had a clearer mind to sit down and think, he is immediately riddled with guilt. weren't his actions akin to that of a black company employer? you on the other hand, could not be happier to hit the jackpot. good pay, regular days off, responsibilities that didn't require you to rack your brain too much. this was everything an energy-saving adult like you could ever want. it must be nice to frolic around and stay blissfully unaware while your boss was in the middle of a mental breakdown alone in his office.

JING YUAN was a calculating man, despite the commonly held belief that he never really took things too seriously. he kept a rather consistent air of nonchalance so impenetrable that it annoyed you whenever you couldn't discern what was on his mind at that moment. your after-hours hobby these days was to drop by the community starchess club and play a few rounds with the people there. and who else was waiting there at your seat every day? your damned boss. the elders who were there swooned over the handsome general, remarking about how you and him made a great pair — much to your chagrin. the man would always send a blinding smile in your way as you got closer, even going so far as to help you settle down. the routine was always the same each night. you would play against him for at least five rounds consecutively, lose against him in almost every single match, play against the other club members, gather your things and go home for the day. the general would also coincidentally be done with his activities. he offered to walk you to your front door, you've learnt from the one time you refused that the general was unusually talented in pulling an extremely sad, pathetic, wet and kicked puppy face. unfortunately, you were too nice to reject him further. ah, but now that he knew of that weakness of yours, you'd better expect that he would be pulling the same trick again soon.

TANG GUNAK felt that he was far too geriatric to be feeling this way. especially when he had adult children of his own. the youngest of whom was only a few years older than you were. a talented person, emerging at the top of your class in the academy meant that the world was your oyster. so why had you decided to come down to sichuan and work as an aide in this family? the patriarch had no clue, and he certainly didn't know how to even bring up the question. at first, he had hoped that perhaps you and one of his children would be wed but as time passed, it became increasingly obvious you were not interested in them at all, rather you had set your sights on the patriarch himself. him? the widower? the poor man who had only felt the touch of his dead wife? he was very scandalised that the young aide of his house was so open about their attraction to him. however, it seemed nobody in the household was on his side. not even his own flesh and blood. though for all that forwardness, he never expected that you would be so hesitant and shy when you were alone with him. it was endearing how you became more diligent whenever that happened, how you would engross yourself in your work just to pretend he wasn't there with you. the next time he looked up from what he was doing, you were passed out on your desk. he moved over to carry you back to your quarters — it was deep into the night right now anyways, so nobody would see him with you in his arms. he tucked you into bed, leaving as quickly as he came. the glimpse of his own flushed face in the reflection of the window never left his mind the rest of that week.

DOKGO had agreed to follow his disciple to town only because said disciple was going to throw a tantrum in his courtyard and the older man was not in the mood to deal with the adult child. the master pretended to not be acquainted with his own disciple when the man began to flirt with the women passing by. he walked on and sat down at a vacant bench in front of a teahouse. his troublesome disciple eventually shook off the girls clinging onto him and joined his master at the table, a string of apologies falling out his mouth when he caught sight of the older man's disapproving glare. only when the younger man offered to pay did the old master's hardened expression fall softer — fine, he said with a grunt. the second headache of the day came in the shape of you, a wandering merchant, or so you said. you slipped in to sit next to the master after the disciple had graciously allowed you to. not like the older man could oppose when there weren't any empty seats in the vicinity. while the conversation was lively as you talked with the disciple about your travels, he could only focus solely on the callouses of your palms, something a merchant who says they are not a martial artist shouldn't have. you had noticed his scrutinising gaze, throwing him a quick grin as you continued the chat with his disciple. oh? he could only wonder what that was about. shame that his dull, blockheaded disciple had let that slip past him. the master wonders if he should up the training regime when they get back.

CHONGYUE was up and early, as he usually does, leading the daily morning exercise with the other operators. the doctor not being there was somewhat expected, but you going missing? that was a first. when the morning exercise was over, he headed up to your room to check on you, finding the door slightly ajar. cautiously, he walked into the dark room, you had a bag of junk near the entry, from the looks of it you were living off cup noodles and soda, again. no wonder you were now curled up in bed all sick. he might have to give you an earful later, but for now, he puts aside your laundry and took out the trash. he goes down to the canteen, ordering some warm chicken porridge and even stopping by the nurse's office to pick up whatever he thinks you might need. this time, you were now somewhat awake. grumbling and muttering complaints under your breath from the disturbance, he helped you sit up. you insisted on feeding yourself, but he would have none of it. you could only comply and open your mouth wide every time he brought the spoon to your lips. you finished the food and even took the medicine obediently, earning praise from the man himself. before he left, he rubbed some medicinal balm on your stomach, layering warm blankets and patted you back to sleep, reciting an abbot's chants as he did so. the nostalgic feeling was comforting. you should thank him when you got better — maybe he might be interested in a popular classic novel from your home country, or should you try your luck with the lacquer pots instead?

SHAMANE spotted a figure hunched over the running stream near his hut as he was out collecting the fresh water he would need for the day. when they didn't answer his calls, he walked over, not too worried about whether the figure was a dangerous critter or not. the snap of a twig had them spin their head in his direction — that's when he met your eyes. you both stared at the other, sizing each other up. when he decided that you were not a threat, he introduced himself with his signature smile. you did the same, albeit quieter, still a little peeved from seeing a large bearded man in the middle of nowhere. friendly as ever, he kept the conversation going. he talked about himself, he asked about you, and so on and so forth until you finally admitted to him that you had gotten lost in the mountains, also you had twisted your ankles. he pointed to his hut and asked if you wanted to rest in there until you got better, how could you say no? the month when you lived under the same roof as him passed by quickly, and soon enough it was time for you to go back down the mountain. when you both parted ways at the entrance of the village, there was an air of reluctance in saying goodbye. you promised to write to him, maybe even visit him. he only laughed you off, not expecting much to come out of that. though when he received his sister's letter not long after, he thought about taking you with him to his hometown. but ah, isn't visiting each other hometowns a thing expectant newlyweds do? well, he could always pretend he didn't know about these things, couldn't he?

HIGURUMA was pretty friendly with the tenants renting out the office space next door. all of whom were fresh design school graduates trying to start a business together. you were the one he's grown the most familiar with, the unofficial boss of the company and the one who was single-handedly juggling your own practice along with other administrative duties. he helped you where he could, the doors to his own law office always open to you — even in the wee hours of the night. you would sit cross-legged on the big swivel chair as both of you engrossed yourselves in your respective work with the boxes of takeout splayed all over his table. when it was late enough that you missed the last train, he drove you back to your apartment. and everytime you sat in the passenger seat, he would reach over to pull the seatbelt on for you. you could have done it yourself but how were you supposed to pass up the chance to have him come this close? enough to even catch a whiff of his cologne? the lawyer himself knew that you were capable enough to do something this simple, but he couldn't help but enjoy the way you tried not to look at him as he did this each time. the ride back was quiet and serene, your tired body sank into the plush of his car seats and soon you were knocked out cold. even when you were both already parked outside your residence, you still wouldn't rouse. he clicks the seatbelt off you, even going so far as to push the seat back so you were lying more comfortably. you've done this enough times where he has a blanket to cover you with as he waited for you to wake up. which you would, and feel so ashamed. he thinks about how cute you were babbling out your apologies and thanks, all while scrambling to pull yourself together and out his car. only to repeat this whole song and dance the very next night.

RYŪ was a bit of a recluse. never really leaving his room unless it was for a really good reason. which was rare, and by rare it was almost never. but a human had to eat, shit and get clean — which was where you came in. as the designated errand runner for the organisation, you were the one that ended up having to take care of that guy's day-to-day needs. you might have hated him at first, with how picky he was with his food, even the brand of his necessities had to be the exact right one. doesn't matter if the stock ran out, you had to go out there and haunt for a place that still has it or else he wouldn't even entertain your presence. the one good thing you had going about you was that you were adaptable, learned things quick and was light on your feet. if things went south, you always had a backup, and a backup for the backup, you get the idea. the man, mayhaps out of the other's insistence, but you liked to think that he had warmed up to you, started to initiate conversations. at some point whenever you brought him his meals, he would make you sit and watch him eat. at first, you didn't know what to talk about, but then you also started bringing your own lunchboxes to eat alongside him, and you talked his ear off about what you made that day. over time, you both fell into a routine and on days when he's kept you a little too long with him, you'd stay over and crash on his couch. and after more time had passed, he's already got some of your clothes together with his in the wardrobe. hell, he even bought a bigger sofa just so you could sleep better whenever you stayed over. give it more time and who knows, you might end up moving in completely, not that this old hack would mind too much.

[olderthannetfic]

Getting this off my chest:

Back from a small fanfic hiatus, and I am absolutely flabbergasted by all of the fic authors now practically begging their readers to READ THE TAGS.

I’ve been seeing this warning written in summaries, in author’s notes, highlighted in all caps in the actual tags. I’ve read so many apologies written by authors in the comments in response to people chastising the author for writing what they wanted to write, for what they tagged correctly — for what essentially comes down to nothing more than having had other people actively ignore their tags or read despite them.

And there seems to be this bizarre, somehow largely accepted idea that it is the creators job and responsibility to beseech their readers to ‘use caution’ and to ‘stay safe’, to ‘be mindful of their health’…

I am beyond confused here.

Since when??? did exercising the most basic form of common sense and acknowledging one’s personal yeas and nays, likes and limitations, become some other random stranger’s burden rather than one’s own? And especially a random person who tagged their work correctly??? Does no one remember how to harness their own powers of discernment and self-regulation???

This little jaunt back onto ao3 has been unlike any that I’ve ever experienced before. What. Happened?????? Who is this new, apparently severely emotionally unstable and obstinately tags-reading resistant audience everyone has come to focus on?

It all feels so out of touch. The basic concept of ao3 is for the reader to seek out what they want, not what they don’t want. And to actually read. But there seems to have been an extremely strong shift away from reading. On ao3. A site built specifically for reading and writing. (And other fandom artistic pursuits, but not my focus, atm; though I’m sure whatever this is has crept steadily into all spaces there.)

Plummeting reading comprehension must be somewhat to blame; the popularity of fanfic amongst younger and wider audiences, as well. But… young people have always been there, as far as my own experiences go, and it was never like this. It’s as if too many readers don’t know how to make good or even practical decisions for themselves anymore, that they’ve lost the skill of choosing, and now believe that they must consume everything that passes before them; — that they have, for some reason, adopted the belief that any turmoil or dislike or discomfort felt within themselves is harm purposely being done to them by the author.

Idk. Idk, idk, idk. It’s just such a bummer to see how much nervousness and distress has entered the community. Authors notes and comments used to be hilarious fun, or a peek into someone else’s real-life world, used to be casual and full of personality, whereas nowadays, there seems to be an underlying hesitancy and distrust, a sort of growing divide between writers and readers, groups which, until recently, very much were not mutually exclusive.

--

Idiots have been around forever. The more you cater to them, the more entitled they get. It's best to shut that shit down fast and use no warnings that indicate a willingness to entertain stupid complaints.