#so the other book will stay there as a future gift or as a highly recommended book idk

[the---hermit]

For Christmas I'd like to get a book for my brother's partner, I know she likes reading, don't know too many books she has read but overall I know she enjoys some lighter fantasy books. I have settled on two options but honestly I am not sure on which one to pick so I need help.

The two options are The House In The Cerulean Sea, which I read either last year or the year before and loved. My mom also absolutely loved it, so I know it works as a recommendation for people who don't read a lot of fantasy too. I think the vibes would be great for her. The other option is Nettle And Bone by T. Kingfisher, which has very recently been translated in Italian in a lovely edition. I listened to the audiobook over two years ago, I didn't love love it, but after reading more T. Kingfisher books I am open to reread it in the future and potentially change my mind on a few things (one I know will annoy me in the future too but at least nobody's perfect). The reason why I thought about this book is that I remember it being a very entertaining fantasy story, with lots of characters and defferent locations, without having too much worldbuilding. It has some fairytale vibes, which I also think she would enjoy a lot, and T. Kingfisher's writing is fun so I feel like it would also work as a gift.

[wizrizz]

I have more asks for youuuuuu

1. What is Robin's reputation as a football player? Is she like a star jock or more in the background?

2. What is Nancy's reputation? Is she respected because she's in charge of the paper AND is Robin's gf? Or is she picked on?

3. What are their relationships with their parents?

4. What does their future look like? (I can't resist hearing what people think they get up to in a few decades)

5. What is the plot of your book? You mentioned how you have three main ideas, which one did you go with? Or did you think of a different one?

I really hope these questions help you stay motivated and I also hope they don't bug you!! I hope you're having a great day 💖💖

thank you for the questions!!

1. robin’s reputation is def star jock, but like the smart star jock because she knows all those languages. shes the best kicker in highschool in the nation which puts a target on her back because shes a girl thats the best highschool kicker in the nation, but she is widely respected by her teammates (even tho couple homophobic ones because at the end of the day if she helps them win then she helps them win. #a win is a win) but like 95% of her team isnt homophobic and they reapect her for not only being an amazing kicker but also for being able to pull nancy. #she got game on both sides of the field

2. nancy is well respected as well because of how great the school newspaper is under her. they always have great stories and everything is top notch and shes the only person in 20 years thats been able to make it popular again, so people highly respect her for that. some ppl r scared of her as well bc shes the co cheer captain and bc shes so serious at school 😭 but once they see her putside of school theyre no longer scared and that fear turns into genuine respect for her and her ability to be so put together as a teenager with multiple extracurriculars and in the run for valedictorian.

some people respect her also for being robins gf but i don’t necessarily want that to be a huge point in the story because i believe with or without robin she’d be respected. but she definitely gets a few respect points for dating the best football kicker in the nation. i will say tho, dating robin does come w cons, and those r jealous girls. its definitely hard for nancy to make real friends who are girls outside of chrissy and a couple other cheerleaders and max and el. most girls are jealous of nancy because she’s dating robin and it certainly doesnt help that nancy’s co cheer captain and in charge of the newspaper. but because nancy is dating robin it will bring like rudeness from other female characters in the story. some name calling and that kinda stuff. but nancy doesnt take anyones shit and the version of robin im writing in this story pounces anytime anyone says anything abt nancy or to nancy. but to put it lightly, dating robin doesnt give nancy as much respect as it does hate from other girls in this story.

3. they both have decent elationships with their parents.

robin has a great relationship with her father, he taught her everything she knows abt football, he put her in all the training camps and paid for her to do all the football stuff shes done her whole life. hes a very proud father and he loves robin to death.

robin’a relationship with her mother isnt horrible, its good, they love eachother and her mother is proud of her, but her mother just resents that robin plays football because shes scared robin will get hurt one day (hint hint: her mother was right). but her mother is very proud of her regardless. its just a small thing they disagree on.

both of robin’s parents support robin being gay, snd they love nancy and think nancy is beyond amazing for robin. they welcomed her with open arms and even include nancy in all their holidays wether nancy is able to make it or not, buying her a Christmas gift, saving her a plate at Thanksgiving, getting her a birthday gift, all that jazz.

nancy’s relationship with her mother is amazing, karen is beyond proud of her little girl and everything nancy’s accomplished in her life so far, when nancy started out in cheer it was because her mother kinda forced it onto her because her mother did cheer in highschool so the whole legacy thing. nancy had wanted to do ballet and her mother let her for 2 years when she was 8&9, but then the shoes hurt nancy’s feet really bad and so karen suggested cheer, nancy had said no but karen persuaded nancy and nancy eventually fell in love w cheer (and journalism).

nancy’s relationship w ted isnt the best. hes kinda noth the best father, like when it comes to being present and around. he’s always pushing nancy with her grades and expects her to be the best of the best in school so thats a very very tense point in their relationship. but he does love nancy regardless and nancy loves him as well.

karen is 100% supportive of nancy being with robin because she see’s how well robin treats nancy and she sees how happy robin makes nancy. karen welcomed robin with open arms just like robin’s parents opened nancy with open arms.

ted is not not supportive of nancy and robin, but he’s still kinda sorta holding out that nancy will marry a man. he tolerates robin because despite him not always being present, he does notice how happy robin makes nancy and he can never deny that robin treats nancy better than a lot of guys treat their gfs. it helps that robin is so successful with football that he never worries abt nancy ending up like homeless or in a terrible financial situation if her and robin do get married, but he still kinda sorta hopes nancy will marry a man. secretly though, if robin did ask for his blessing to ask nancy to marry her, he would give it to her bc despite being an absent father, he wants nancy to be happy and he knows that would make nancy happy.

also its like 2024 so i just cant write a fully homophobic character other than like tommoy or maybe jason, i want ppl to be as happy as they can be in this fic.

4. they definitely go to college together, robin for football, nancy for journalism.

robin commits to boston college and in my AU their colleges are like 45 minutes away from eachother so they get an apartment together their freshman year and its like 15 minutes from emerson and 30 minuts from boston college

robin will end up being the first female NFL player. havent decided who drafts her tbh, havent even decided if i want to make up like a whole new NFL franchise for this AU tbh 😭

robin also proposes to nancy after the draft and nancy’s graduation

they get married and go on a honeymoon to paris and nancy loves listening to robin speak french

i lowkey hc that after a couple years of nancy working for like the ny post or ny times or the globe or some major newspaper, she gets up in the rankings and is able to work from home and only has to go in to the office like twice a month for meetings.

i also hc that nancy makes it to like 90% of robin’s games. there are a few away games she isnt able to go towhen she still works in office every weekday, like thursday or monday night football, and nancy gets lonely when robin’s away so robin gets nancy a dog.

nancy’s always wanted a dog anyways so, like, its perfect. i havent decided what kind of dog but definitely a bigger dog. maybe even a slightly scary one so when nancy’s home alone if anyone tries anything then she has scary dog privilege.

i hc thag a few months after that, nancy complains abt their dog, her name is bella and ik thats basic but its cute. nancy complains bc bella has nobody to play with when nancy is working, so robin’s team does like that interview thing with the local shelters puppies, i believe the san francisco 49ers were the most recent team to do this irl, but robin’s team does it and robin finds this labrador puppy there that follows her all over the lockerroom and hes so adorable and his name is buck. so robin talks to the shelter people there and adopts him. she surprises nancy when she gets home woth this puppy and its perfect bc now bella has a friend. and ironically both of their names start with B.

when theyre both like 28/29/30 ish, nancy finally tells robin she’s ready to have a kid. nancy had been opposed to children her wholw life but robin made her change her mind. specifically when she’s sees robin with her teammates children. so they have a kid.

the pregnancy is lowkey gruelling for nancy at first, she gets rly bad morning sickness imo. but once the morning sickness is over with the pregnancy isnt as bad. its just a pain to carry around basically like an 8 pound watermelon in your stomach. but robin takes care of nancy when nancy needs it. ik nancy is strong and independent but pregnancy is no joke and hard and nancy allows robin to take care of her bc hello thats literally her wife. nancy’s mom also stays alot with them during nancy’s pregnancy because when robin is away and nancy cant come with her, karen is absolutely there for her daughter. she comes and goes, but when its getting closer to nancy’s due date she stays.

nancy goes into labor at the end of one of robin’s playoff games, luckily at home, like theres 3 seconds left in the 4th quarter and robin is abt to kick a 50 yard field goal to win the game when nancy’s water breaks. karen notices immediately and nancy literally waits until she see’s robin kick the game winning field goal. then karens like ok pack it up we need to go neeeyyooowww.

robin’s mid celebration and gatorade being dumped on her, confetti flying everywhere, mid interview, all the works, when her coach squeezes in to tell her nancy just went into labor and is otw to the hospital, so robin politely tells the reported she has to go bc her wife just went into labor and so she sprints off the field and gets to the lockerroom to literally only take off her shoes and grab her bag, she gets to her car and speeds to the hospital. luckily nancy hasnt given birth yet and she’s still dealing with contractions when robin gets there. nancy laughs when she sees robin bc robin is covered in sweat, grass stains, gatorade, black eye paint running down her face, and confetti stuck to her hair while still in her pads and uniform. karen even laughs too, but also her heart melts a bit bc seeing how robin cane atraight to the hospital and didnt even take time to change or anything makes her truly realize even more how much robin loves her daughter.

when robin realizes nancy’s contractions are still farther apart, and at nancy’s and karens insistence, bc robin does smell like sweat, grass, and gatorade, she goes and changes in nancys rooms bathroom, she also calls steve and has him pick up a bunch if flowers from the store and one of nancy’s favorite milkshakes, she excuses herself again and meets steve at the hospital entrance. he congratulates her for everything and robin gives nancy her flowers and shake. again karen nearly cries bc its so sweet.

anyways am i getting carried away? ya probably.

but robin helps nancy through the contractions, rubs her back and feet, tells her how proud she is of nancy, and it makes nancy laugh bc robin’s team is literally advancing in the playoffs and robin’s telling nancy how proud she is of her. karens there to talk nancy through it as well bc karens done it three times before.

i hc that they have a baby boy. first 😏. his name is vincent. vinny for short. i think i hc that bc in this universe robin will 10000% teach him how to play football and he goes to the NFL one day too. it drives nancy insane sometimes bc she feels like shes the only girl in the house sometimes 😭 robin definitely encourages vincent to get into mischief sometimes and all that boyish stuff. and honestly even tho he’s not blood wise related to robin, he is robib’s mini me. their donor had dirty blonde hair and blue eyes, so he genuinley does look like a mix of them, he has nancy’s smarta for sure, nancy’s attitude and confidence, but he definitely acts like robin alot when it comes to sports and just being a not serious person. he’s like the kind of guy that gets voted for class clown (robins influence)and ppl think hes stupid but he actually isnt (nancys genes).

i hc that after a few years, nancy tells robin she wants another baby, (and she secretly wants it to be a girl). robin obviously agrees in a heartbeat bc shes always wanted a family and it would be nice for vinny to have a sibling to grow up with. (theres a pattern here, gotta have atleast 2 so they arent lonely.)

nancy’s second pregnancy is a repeat of the first pregnancy, horrible morning sickness, hormones are absolutely off the charts this time though. they have a baby shower and find out their baby is a girl this time! they choose alice for her name, ally for short. when shes older, sometimes robin calls her al as a joke bc she hates it.

this time nancy has her during the off season, so theyre home when nancy goes into labor and robin panics and freaks out (like the first time nancy went into labor) and shes freaking out so bad that she literally almost forgets nancy in the driveway 😭, but they get to the hospital and karen is with them again to help talk nancy through her pregnancy again. vinny is in the waiting room with steve, and robin asks steve and vinny to go to the store to get flowers for nancy and nancys favorite smoothie this time, and she tells vinny to pick out something nice for his mommy. he picks her out a toy remote control car and when he shows it to nancy when him and steve get back it makes nancy laugh so hard that she snorts mid contraction.

nancy gives birth to alice and then theyre one big happy family with two dogs, two kids, and for Christmas that year they get the kids a fish tank too bc literally who wouldnt want to get their kids a fish tank?

and they live happily ever after because idk if i can think that far ahead, like past their 30’s rn 😭

i definitley wrote way too much into that but literally whatever.

5. i went with the third option, robin and nancy are already dating and then robin gets hurt and it puts a lot of strain on their relationship. obviously they get their happy ending and stuff. but it will get rough for a bit (or as rough as i can write it bc like happy happy happy is the goal here.) its like a robin centric fic ig, like ronance too onviously, but characyer wise it focuses more on robin if that makes sense, which is why in my answers i sometimes talk more abt robin rather than nancy. bit nancy gets her fair share of screen time dw!!

i dont want to give too much away abt the plot (more than ive already give away 😭) but ya!

thank you for your questions! and your questions dont annoy me so feel free to ask more if u want 😭

also i promise in my AU my writing and punctuation is infinitely better. im too lazy to fix it all when im doing asks 😭

[secretsaturdayshitposting]

Since you requested asks, how about some saturday family headcanons?

I have so many!

Zak and Doyle run off a lot to go cause chaos somewhere to do something fun.

Zak pretends to be frustrated with his parents when they make decisions to ensure his safety but would honestly be highly concerned if they stopped and would get upset.

Wadi, Francis, and Ulraj spend the summer with the Saturdays and after drew and Doc saw how happy it made them (excluding Francis who pretended to hate it) to be around other kids their age. They do this every summer.

After the series finale, they continue cryptic work and Drew and Doc have to stop Zak from going on as many missions because his impulses still say “I’m gifted. I can just persuade them to not attack me with my powers” and hadn’t clicked that they were gone.

Zak every chance he gets makes a big deal about Drew dating van rook.

I head-canon ins “This could totally happen in an Au but isn’t Canon in source” way that Doc is trans and this sparks a break down for zak. How was he conceived? Was it a surrogate?? Was Van Rook his dad! (He would cry ever single time this thought crosses his mind but not have the strength to ask.)

Drew and Doc have a scrap book of all the dates they’ve been on and have either a Polaroid or something from the date.

Doyle spends WAY to much time on puzzles and things to stimulate his senses. He has a drawer FULL of fidgets that zak has gifted him.

Zak would also make a damn good psychologist in the future. He has a lot of practice when fixing his uncles whack as mental health. (Which he decided to do unprompted)

Zak once locked Doc and Doyle in a room with two weeks worth of food, two air mattresses that inflate via batteries and blankets. He also left a workbook about healing relationships.

The first impulsive teenage thing Zak did was take the Saturday Sub to Australia and chill there for three days completely unprompted and without warning. (He was 14)

His parents put trackers in the soles of his shoes bc this type of thing became a regular occurrence.

Prank wars were a 24/7 thing. You were never safe.

Zak would bribe Zon and Komodo to help him a lot. Fisk would stay out of it and in turn became a person that isn’t allowed being pranked.

The kids would get in on it in the summer.

(I have so many more but I’m also tired)

[mercerislandbooks]

Our Favorite Nonfiction of 2024

It's very nearly the last minute, and, just in the nick of time, we have our list of favorite nonfiction from 2024. I will admit that this area is not my strong suit, so my coworkers are doing the heavy lifting. These are for the readers who want to more deeply understand the world around us, the history behind us, and the future to come. Brave readers all.

If you're looking for a behind the scenes peek at the giants of the American writing scene, pick up one of Brad's favorites, A Chance Meeting. Brad says, "American Luminaries... they're just like us! They hang out, have coffee together and get into arguments. In Rachel Cohen's wonderful new book, we eavesdrop on artists and writers from Henry James to James Baldwin and witness the impact these men and women had on each other."

As for the editing and publishing side, Caitlin loved The Editor: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America. "Judith Jones was the legendary editor at Knopf. She shaped the careers of Julia Child, Madhur Jaffrey, Anne Tyler and John Updike. Early in her career Jones saved The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank from the slush pile. What a life!"

Speaking of Julia Child, many of us love to cook (as well as read) at Island Books, and Laurie highly recommends Seriously, So Good by Carissa Stanton. She says anyone can cook from it and the food is delicious, which is exactly how I like my cookbooks!

Laurie also found Ina Garten's memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens "full of humor and dishy storytelling. The Barefoot Contessa entertains as she weaves the story of her childhood meeting Jeffrey and becoming THE Ina Garten. You'll enjoy this from start to finish!"

As for Cindy, her favorite nonfiction was Doppelganger by Naomi Klein. She says, "In Doppelganger, Canadian author, activist and cultural analyst Naomi Klein tours the persistence of The Doppelganger in history and literature while reckoning with her personal doppelganger, Naomi Wolf, author of The Beauty Myth turned conspiracy theorist ("Other Naomi"), with whom she is chronically confused or interchanged with by the public, mainly online. Part memoir, part social critique, Klein touches upon on issues of self-identity, self-presentation, online identity, the rapid dissemination of bad information, news, fake news, and the simmering entry of AI into our online constructs among many other factors that over the last few decades have contributed to the accelerated political polarization and societal disparity we are experiencing today."

Back to the realm of what we can control, from the author of Four Thousand Weeks, Victor highly recommends Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. "The perfect book for embracing and accepting your imperfections." Sounds like a good way to start out the new year!

Looking for a seafaring adventure to fill the void left by David Grann's The Wager? Brad says, look no further! "Hampton Sides brings Captain James Cook's final voyage to life in The Wide Wide Sea, while thoughtfully addressing the moral complexity of Cook's encounters with the indigenous populations of the Pacific Ocean."

If you'd like to explore a little closer to home, Nancy can't stop talking about Born of Fire and Rain. She says it's for the reader who is interested in the science and ecology of the Northwest. Plus it's beautifully written and illustrated. Come for the cover, stay for the words.

And for the micro-ecology of our own backyards, Backyard Bird Chronicles is perfect. Nancy says, "This is a great gift for anyone who likes to look out the window. Tan is showing us how to observe with no ulterior motive. Just the birds and beautiful drawings provide wonderful entertainment."

Caitlin loved There's Always This Year, saying it's "a book of fathers, sons, life, and, of course, basketball." And she picked Bluff, by Danez Smith, as a standout poetry collection from this year. She says she often read through individual poems multiple times, and calls it a "deeply thought-provoking look at civil action."

My own contribution is How to Winter, which I enjoyed so much that I wrote a whole blog about it. It's perfect for this time of year, but has tools that can help us shift our mindsets during any challenging times.

I hope one of these catches your eye, either for you, or for the nonfiction reader in your life! This link will take you to the book list on our website:

2024: Our Favorite Nonfiction

Happy perusing!

-- Lori

[littledreamling]

Ten Books To Know Me

Rules: 10 (non-ancient) books for people to get to know you better, or that you just really like.

I’m considering myself tagged by @that-banhus and @fancy-rock-dove!! I sadly suffer from Gifted Kid Burnout Syndrome currently engaged in a very time-consuming course of study which means I haven’t read a single book from cover to cover in about two years (and I stayed in the YA genre for far too long because it’s easy brain candy) so I’m sorry to say that none of mine will be fancy or sophisticated or longer than about 300 pages. Nonetheless, I enjoyed reminiscing back on some of my childhood favorites that shaped me and some of the series that sustained me throughout my life since!

The DragonKeeper Chronicles Series by Donita K. Paul - I wasn’t raised religiously but I devoured these books like there was no tomorrow. I adored Kale and Bardon and Dar and their whole host of dragon friends (Wizard Fenworth my beloved). If you can stomach or ignore the fairly obvious Christian themes, I highly recommend them for a bit of brain candy.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - this was the first classic book I ever read and it captivated me endlessly. It was the only school book I actually finished and enjoyed. Stories within stories, creator vs creation, voyages that you undertake knowing that you can never go home, this book has it all.

The All For The Game Series by Nora Sakavic - this series comes with a pretty heavy trigger warning for anyone interested in reading it. Centered around a made up sport and a kid on the run from the mafia, it’s dark and intense and drew me in like no other series ever has. Fans of the series will often proudly proclaim that the books make no sense, that the made up sport is confusing at best (absolutely incomprehensible at worst), and that not enough trigger warnings in the world will prepare you for what you’re about to dive into and I fully endorse all three statements. I also fully believe that these books helped me revolutionize how I view relationships between traumatized people (relationships that may not seem healthy to those not involved but are built on a strong foundation of trust and consent), how a good story should end, and showed how healing looks different for everyone. It’s not a book series I recommend lightly but I wholeheartedly recommend it. Proceed with caution.

Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo - I couldn’t ever get invested in the Shadow and Bone series, but I couldn’t put SoC down. Even now, I can’t explain why it enthralled me so much except to say… morally grey characters are hot, no matter what gender they are 👀

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater - rounding out the trio of book series that are often mentioned in the same breath (AFTG, SoC, and TRC), The Raven Cycle is a fabulous series centering around four rich boys and the girl who had always been taught to hate them. There’s magic and prophecies and car racing and an enchanted forest and ghosts. It’s a very rich story so every read-through gives up more secrets than the last time you flipped through it.

The Genome Odyssey by Euan Angus Ashley - A sharp veering turn from the previous books, this book helped to shape my passion in my (hopefully) future career. It tells the story of the genome, from its discovery to present day, and how it’s been used to diagnose previously unheard of and incurable genetic diseases, saving countless lives in the process. The author personally worked on every project detailed in the book and every chapter packed such an emotional punch that I had to put it down several times. A must-read if you need to be reminded just how good humanity can be.

The Martian by Andy Weir - This is a relatively recent addition to my ‘favorite books’ shelf but I read this like my life depended on it. I laughed, I cried, and my faith in humanity was restored. I was raised with the same style of dry wit and dark humor that the main character uses to keep his hopes and spirits up while trapped on Mars so reading his inner thoughts often felt like I was catching a glimpse into my own head. I know I’m late to the bandwagon but better late than never. A fantastic book that deserves a reread in the near future (as soon as I have time 😅)

Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby - When a queer couple is killed, their homophobic ex-con fathers meet at the funeral and vow to find who killed their sons. Over the course of their journey for revenge, they start to better understand their sons, each other, and themselves. A book about healing overcoming repression and toxic masculinity.

Redwall by Brian Jacques - an oldie but a goodie. Oh to be a small mouse eating fresh-caught fish and defending your abbey against rats. Every single detail of this story was so masterfully laid-out and described. Reading the first scene never fails to make me hungry and the entire book sweeps you away from beginning to end.

Where Hope Comes From by Nikita Gill - I had to sprinkle in some poetry to the list. This is an anthology of poems written during the Covid lockdown detailing the author’s struggle with despair and eventually finding hope again, even in the most mundane of scenarios. It carries a strong message of positivity while stressing the importance of allowing yourself to feel “negative” emotions too. An excellent read for any poetry fans open to free verse or anyone struggling with their own despair.

As always, I’m not sure who to tag so I’m throwing it open to @aquilathefighter, @virgo-dream, @mathomhouse-e, @ladymegana, and the rest of the Dreamling Nation server! Please tag me, I need book recs!

[femmefatalevibe]

Hello, I hope you are having a good day! I just want to first thank you for taking the time to read this, it really means a lot to me and your advice is much appreciated 🙇

I am in a four month relationship (Today is our four month anniversary! :D ) and I was thinking on getting this person a promise ring soon. I know many people would consider this too early into the relationship but I will be going away to college soon (3-4 months from now) and I would like to get them something as a gift to show them how much they mean to me. I have known them for over a year now but we have been through so much together that I feel like I have known them for years. They are currently in college but they have decided to stay local so we never had to worry about long distance up until now.

I was wondering if it would be ok to get them a promise ring over the summer and give it to them before I leave to go to college. I know a lot of long distance relationships can be difficult to maintain, but I would like to get them this ring to show them how much I care for them and how much they mean to me.

Thank you so much again!

Hi love! Congrats on your 4-month anniversary. This gesture is very sweet. As someone who graduated from college a few years ago now (some of you girls keep me young lol), know that you will likely change a lot once you go to college and have the freedom to explore yourself, your interests, and meet new people away from your hometown/environment. You could as easily end up staying together with this person for some time or be each other future spouse or find yourself needing to go in different directions once your first semester of college gets going. Only you can truly know the dynamic of your relationship, so I can't tell you how to proceed, as I'm just a young woman on the Internet hoping to provide some value to an amazing group of humans on this platform. If the gesture makes you feel like you're doing right by yourself, there's nothing to lose. If you decide against it, there's no harm, no foul at play.

Either way, especially with your dilemma, I HIGHLY recommend reading the book Forever by Judy Blume if you haven't already (it should be required reading for all high school students, but the Puritans would shut down that idea faster than the speed of light). It's an insightful book on teen relationships. I, personally, found it fairly relatable despite being written in the '70s when I read it around 10-15 years ago. Honestly, I still would reread it again now, lol.

Hope this helps xx

[oncexinxmyxdreams]

Encanto OC Event Week 2: Francisca and Bruno. Two Black Sheep.

(Far behind than I planned! Need to get another one completed!)

These two first hear about the other before meeting. Alejandra talks a little about her sister and when she arrives home, she has plenty to tell. Pablo's fight, the con artists gang, finding a secluded paradise and a kind family. She respects the Madrigal's privacy by not discussing their gifts. Though she wants to because it's beneficial. She shows Francisca the tea Julieta makes for Bruno's migraines. Teas are nothing new to Francisca, but she keeps it. She's not surprised by their father having warned Alejandra it wouldn't go well. She knows they'll have to be vigilant with the gang. However, if they were southwest, far from Boyacá, she's confident they won't appear soon. As for some secluded paradise, she has no interest. She's curious that this family knew their mother, but doesn't think they'll learn anything new. She's not sure about this Bruno Madrigal that Alejandra talks about so highly. Especially how he has these funny alter egos called Hernando and Jorge. (Anyone who puts a bucket on their head has insanity issues.) She brushes it all off and continues with her busy life.  

After Bruno arrives to Boyaca, Francisca's not there due to work, shows up for dinner. She's confused seeing a small, slightly unkempt man. When Alejandra introduces them, Francisca's not impressed. It's hard to impress her anyway, but she's analyzing him. She can tell from the ruana he picks loose threads and likely has insomnia due to the dark circles under his eyes. Oh, and great! He's a rat person. (Beatriz tagged along wanting to see Alejandra.) She has no interest in him and isn't thrilled he's staying for a few days. At first Bruno's annoyed by Francisca's dismissiveness but trusts Alejandra saying her sister's not social. Besides, he knows there's more than meets the eye.

He sees a gentler side to Francisca with her cat, Litzy. How she and her twin sit alone at night in a peaceful silence. When Francisca goes through a terrible migraine, he finds Alejandra trying to comfort her twin. It's nearly identical to Julieta and Pepa when he had them. Alejandra tells Bruno the tea from Julieta didn't work. It wasn't a quick fix like her food. Bruno admits that when he took it, it would slowly help him recover since migraines are a side effect from his gift. It should work fast for an average person, but why not for Francisca? After she's recovered, Bruno asks her about her experience. Francisca sarcastically comments he must be a doctor. No, but he's had them all his life so why not discuss? He remembers Mercedes mentioned her family had a history of migraines. Francisca reluctantly sits down and talks with him. She goes over in detail her remedies and the timing of migraines. It seems like she's holding something back. 

Bruno's a bit stunned he's concerned for her. She's not like Alejandra, being more independent and calculated. Yet, like with Alejandra, he's seeing a part of himself in her and wants to help. They don't have anything in common though...until she offers to give him copies of old theater books. Bruno's pleasantly surprised since he already has those and didn't think she liked theater. Her answer? "I don't. I just read them because I was bored." It leads into the topic of reading which leads to Mercedes. Francisca's not as stiff talking about her and gives sparse details about their lives.

She asks him a strange question: does he have any kind of visions? He admits he has future visions. As nerve wracking as it is to try a vision outside from home, he'll try. Francisca thinks he's joking using some process to see them. She's thinking more medically than fantasy. She declines saying he wouldn't understand. When he inquires why she suddenly brought up visions, she admits she has some disorder where...she sees things. She explains how she's researched and diagnosed. Bruno's not sure, but listens. Maybe she's clairvoyant like him or something along the lines. Francisca refuses to buy the clairvoyance since magic isn't real. Sort of frustrating, but Bruno realizes she's practical and if she saw the Encanto she'd probably understand. They talk a little about being the odd one in the family: the black sheep. They gain a new respect for each other after this. She admits she likes him a little because he reminds her of Alejandra.       

When Bruno leaves, he reminds the girls the family would be happy to see them and they're welcome anytime. He also tells Francisca if she ever wants to talk about visions, he'll listen. A while later, Alejandra and a begruding Francisca visit the Encanto. She actually wanted to see just Bruno with more inquiries about visions. Alejandra jokingly tells him that means she missed him. The Madrigals are glad to see Alejandra, but it's another story with Francisca. She can't comprehend magic or the gifts. She especially can't grasp how Casita is alive. Francisca feels like she's going mad and there's discord among the Madrigals. She even offends Casita and causes a temporary rivalry. Bruno and Alejandra find themselves having to keep the peace. It doesn't take long for Antonio to like her thanks to Litzy coming along and telling him sweet stories about her owner. 

Bruno offers Francisca the tablet of young Mercedes holding a baby. He says Alejandra told him to keep it but wants Francisca to decide. She checks it thoroughly and says it's neither of them. She admits something she's kept to herself since Mercedes died. Mercedes was writing in her final days. Francisca found notes for her and Alejandra. Mercedes wrote heartfelt memories and encouragement. Francisca found discarded drafts, but one with few details that left shock. It was Mercedes admitting to the girls, she had a miscarriage. From what Francisca could gather, Mercedes kept trying to reword it and finally decided not to reveal. She's not sure when it happened, but she's certain it's when the twins were toddlers. Bruno's shocked and devastated to know Mercedes went through it.  

Not long after, Francisca admits she's curious how he has visions. She's speechless seeing a vision of Alejandra in danger. It's the same one Bruno had which made him travel to Boyaca. He's concerned when it appears she goes into a panic attack and suddenly goes rigid. To his amazement, her eyes are now a faintly growing dark green! They suddenly stop and Francisca collapses as if she's fought for her life. Bruno gives her time to breathe and when she demands he can't tell anyone, he reassures. She confesses everything since Bruno's earned her trust.

She's had visions of the past since she was 5 and never told anybody besides her twin. Not even Mercedes. She's kept it secret in fear of being deemed insane and being locked up. She has little control of the visions and holding them back causes worse migraines. Her 6 months in prison was an endless blur of visions leaving her weak. The minister who helped her leave was only called because the guards thought she was possessed, but he was experienced enough to know this was different. Francisca couldn't believe when he suggested her visions could be from higher powers and maybe even a gift. Now? She's not sure about anything. Bruno doesn't know either, but promises she's safe and nobody will lock her up. She's had to take care of everybody else. Now it's her turn to be helped and he'll do it. 

He suddenly wonders if Alejandra has something similar and Francisca only says, "You'd have to ask her."   

@encanto-extended-edition

[boba-beom]

fr you can take them everywhere without having to buy/carry some heavy ass amp 🫠 aww that is so cute though that the guitar has been with you for that long🥺 i have a classical guitar that's been with me since i was 13 and an electric one that's been with me ever since i was 15 i think?

anyways, i've always thought about attaching one of those devices to my classical guitar so i could turn it into electric-acoustic as well, but i feel like when it comes to electric acoustic guitars, it's always better to buy one and not diy one.

i love how this is something we have in common though🥺

the middle school i went to required us to learn different pieces on the flute and get graded on them. we had a book all about it and that's how i learned hehe. it is indeed a beautiful instrument though and i find it fascinating how you can produce different sounds through it just with your breath. and it's honestly pretty easy to learn and with your musical background, i'm sure you'd pick it up really quick :") ahh, the harp is such a magical instrument. it's so calming and relaxing <3 wooow i'm always highly impressed by people who can play the violin, because it's not easy instrument at all. and self taught piano? respect. are you secretly a music genius too? 👀👀

my best friend actually taught me some piano and i also learned some things on my own, but i haven't played the piano that much ever since he moved across the world :/ nowadays, i mostly use the piano when i'm trying to guess the chords/notes in a song.

it's always nice to hear the perspective of other people on creative work tbh, cause everyone perceives things differently. i think that's my favorite thing about literature - how subjective it is🥺

ah, i see. i didn't know that. and thank you smiles🥺 have you had any time to look at txt's tour? ash blue taehyun has me WEAK to my knees fr wow it looks so good on him!! i think you really manifested that into reality. also the choreography to tinnitus is so good, i just love groovy it is. also the way soobin and taehyun did their parts, whoosh, i'm dizzy. anyway, beomgyu really ate it up, i think tinnitus suits him so much.🥺 and also the choreography for farewell neverland is so beautiful like wow, i have no words?? they all looked so stunning and the vocals were so good.

p.s: black is one of favorite haircolors on soob but i kinda miss blond hair soob, it looked so good on him. also whoever has been styling kai's hair so far needs a raise, because he looks way too good.

I did used to have a classical guitar before my dad gifted me the electro-acoustic one. but yes, I guess you could diy it, it's just a hassle and a little tedious but some electro-acoustics are pricey too, especially now with inflation 😭 but omg you have an electric one!! and how is it? I also love how we have that in common, I feel like I love talkingt o people about guitars and I can go on for a while hehe

I wouldn't say music genius 🤭 I've just always been interested in performing and doing covers. It's funny actually, because I could never do a speech in front of my class but I could perform a set of songs in front of majority of my high school peers, I just find it fun that way

I never actually got graded for piano and I've wanted to take lessons but with the pace of how my life was and is going I feel like I wouldn't have the time atm :< maybe in the future I'll pick it up again. I do have a keyboard in my room and the last song I learnt was billie eilish' my future. omg trying to find chords and notes by ear can be hard, unless you have perfect pitch? 👀 but that's nice that you learn from someone else, it's fun like that.

you're so right, like music, art, writing — they're all subjective and it's up to how people interpret it, I love it :>

omg YES I can't believe you remembered me manifesting periwinkle blue tyun hehe, it really does suit him and I hope his hair colour stays like that throughout the whole tour. I still have hope that I'll see them late this year IF they release europe/uk tour dates. the choreo for tinnitus is SO CATCHY like the vibes and the whole lot is just a masterpiece 🤭 farewell, neverland really is beautiful. something about that gives me contemporary dance and I love that for them, especially hueningkai's solo that he does? they're so graceful I love it. oh and blue spring? I told myself I need to go to their concert so I can hear them sing it and sing it with them. I got emotional the first time I heard it. all the emotion is there and again, another tubatu x moa song <3 they really love us :')

I was really hoping soobin would be a different colour but black, solely because he went from black hair, to blonde and to black hair again :(( I was hoping he'd be a light brown at least but black does suit him a lot. as for kai, his hair styled so far has been beautiful. oh and yeonjun and beomgyu with their long hair? long hair tubatu has a special place in my heart, honestly 💕

how have you been, lovely?

[auroraisabella1108]

Silvermender on Mar 28, 2020

5 out of 5 stars    

absolutely insane!! it helped me so much, aurora is an amazing empath and skilled psychic, she could feel things that have been there for years and i've told none of! likewise, everyone began to treat me so much more kindly. so so cool, super recommend!

wiccanlily2005 on May 6, 2020

5 out of 5 stars    

Kryst Clearing

Diana on May 12, 2020

5 out of 5 stars    

Thank you so much for this!! I feel better and lighter.

PinkApples on Jun 9, 2020

5 out of 5 stars    

Aurora was very communicative throughout the process and the audio of the session was incredibly helpful on this journey. I highly recommend booking a session.

Christina Zachariadou on Jun 24, 2020

5 out of 5 stars    

Kryst Clearing

Natasha on Jul 14, 2020

5 out of 5 stars    

Amazing. Informative. And perfect. Never cease to amaze. Love it.

Darrell on Jul 28, 2021

5 out of 5 stars    

Kryst Clearing

Launa on Aug 5, 2021

5 out of 5 stars    

Ella is amazing. She does excellent work with this type of subject. She is wonderful and sincere.

Huai Xi on Sep 26, 2021

5 out of 5 stars    

Great communication and I feel a difference after the session! Will be back for other sessions in the future :)

NICOLE on Aug 10, 2021

5 out of 5 stars    

Keliaruh on Aug 3, 2021

5 out of 5 stars    

GypsyReiki on Jun 4, 2020

5 out of 5 stars    

I had a Kryst Clearing from Aurora last month. It linked everything together for me! It was truly mind blowing. People started treating me much better. All my money blocks have ended!! My abundance and manifestation is through the roof! Honestly you WILL NOT be disappointed! I was so impressed I recommended Aurora’s services to my cousin, whom booked with her the next day - She was equally blown away! I have booked more sessions! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 💗💗💗 I have gone of to train to do Kryst clearings myself 💗💗👽👽

Theresa on Jul 18, 2020

5 out of 5 stars    

Satoko on Apr 26, 2020

5 out of 5 stars    

Amazing! She’s kind and friendly, her reading was so convincing and answered all my questions. Would like to return soon✨ Stay safe

Mary on May 5, 2020

5 out of 5 stars    

First of all, I want say that I appreciated the communication. When my reading could not be done right away, I was told and was given a time frame for receiving it. I still received the reading in a timely fashion, but the communication was important to me. Second of all, I enjoyed the reading. I already had an inner knowing that I had multiple galactic connections and it was reflected in my detailed reading. She also sent a picture of the cards from the reading. If you would like to learn about your galactic origins, I recommend this reading. I definitely learned something new.

stephanie on May 6, 2020

5 out of 5 stars    

Filled with lots of new information that I had not heard before. I found it helpful and it furthered my journey into looking at my origins. Thank-you. stephanie

erinmauger on May 6, 2020

5 out of 5 stars    

Kind seller. Aurora was helpful and wanted to make sure your questions were answered.

isabel on May 6, 2020

5 out of 5 stars    

This is the second time I had a reading with her! I love her energy and her personality. She brought a lot of things to light which helped me put the pieces to the puzzles together. She's honest and easy to talk to. I highly recommend anyone to get a reading with her if your feeling spiritually lost or looking for answers. Again Thank you for the beautiful reading!

Melina on Jun 24, 2020

5 out of 5 stars    

Exceptional reading from Aurora which went above and beyond my expectations. It confirmed my own intuitive leanings regarding my starseed origins and so much more. There is plenty of detail to integrate and the Greek mythology connection really resonated. Aurora is incredibly gifted and insightful, with an infectious energy. I'll be coming back for more!

Natasha on Aug 6, 2020

5 out of 5 stars    

perfect as always. informative and insightful. love love love

T on Apr 8, 2021

5 out of 5 stars    

She is wonderful and has helped me a lot. I'm grateful spirit put her on my path ❤😘

Paul on Oct 28, 2021

5 out of 5 stars    

I really enjoyed the reading and session it seem to help me

Paul on Mar 6, 2022

5 out of 5 stars    

Christine on Mar 28, 2021

5 out of 5 stars    

The reading on my past lives really resonated with me. Aurora is very gifted and was also available to answer whatever questions I had to follow up on things. Many thanks for your time.

Tamara on Aug 16, 2021

5 out of 5 stars    

Keliaruh on Aug 3, 2021

5 out of 5 stars    

Darrell on Nov 7, 2021

5 out of 5 stars     Once again Aurora was 100% transparent and had amazing communication. Greatly appreciate her and her services

[daemonduality]

I feel like I've forgotten something important.

Name: Mirielle Wielant

Moniker: Narra, Firefly

Age: 22

Title: Voidheart [ Effect: Triple the duration of Mercy Invincibility.]

The Story So Far:

Mirielle worked as a chef’s apprentice for several years until her place of work was destroyed in a gas explosion with her in it. Miraculously, she survived with just a bruise to her forehead - everyone else around her in the kitchen that day wasn’t so lucky.

It’s because of her miraculous survival that the police made her suspect number one for the gas explosion, and hidden forces at play are determined to see her in jail for a crime she did not commit.

The only thing she got going for her is a mysteriously self-writing notebook that she accidentally stole one day which introduced her to the art of Scrying. As a result, she attempted to divine the location of evidence that could potentially save her and ended up in even more hot water as a result. Scouting out a place you might be breaking into didn’t really work when you have long red hair that really stands out.

After being chased into an alleyway by hired goons, Mirielle prayed for a miracle, and the book she’s been writing in delivered.

When she finally came to, she found herself in an abandoned factory and later discovered she was in an entirely different world altogether. 

Currently Doing: 

Mirielle’s now living in the Nameless City, which did have a name at one point, but now no one remembers including her. She’s pretty sure the Eldritch Entity shaped like a young girl, whom she is sharing living space with, had something to do with it.

Now to be fair, she's also certain that said young girl doesn't know how anomalous she is as everyone involved, both offline and online, seems content on letting it stay that way. Who is she to rock the boat?

Besides, what's a little bit of horror in light of having both a free place to stay and an essentially unlimited stipend for cooking. Almost like owning her own restaurant, even if her only "customers" are four freshman high-school kids her boss asked her to make sure they're fed.

...Hmmm. Maybe she shouldn't consider the entire population of Italy dying to some sort of plant-zombie plague as just a little bit of horror. But it's not like the kid was involved in that... Probably.

In any case, she's in charge of feeding the girl - and also her friends while they're living in the Inn that the girl's guardian owns. And during her free time, she'll research more into recipes and cooking and occasionally performing for her cooking stream too. Despite the occupational hazard, she is genuinely living her best life right now.

Not sure how long it'll stay that way, but all worrying did was make her feel worse, so why bother doing it?

Hope this line of thinking doesn't bite her in the ass later.

Talents:

Absolute Sense of Taste: Mirielle has a highly developed sense of taste to the point where she can remember the taste of anything she’s eaten as long as she’s had it once. She can further use this to deconstruct recipes and dishes to the point of deciphering proportions and determining the cooking technique used.

Enhanced Perception - Space: Mirielle’s perception of space is precise enough for her to eyeball distances down to centimeters. When asked, she just kinda shrugs and says it’s kinda like her sense of taste; she’s born with it. Except that she knows she wasn’t born with this, and she’s only recently started developing it months ago when she noticed that she’s aware of things placed inside of a room despite being her first time in said room.

Purple Magic: Mirielle’s gifted with what’s known as Purple Magic - the magic of Karma. She primarily uses it to Scry - to connect with things in the distant past and the far future using her dousing crystal on a silk string. However, with the increasing danger her world is in, she’s slowly delving into other disciplines of Purple Magic too, primarily Binding with Karma and Severing Karma.��

[fucking-brains-out]

Soo I couldnt help myself and im going to countinue this bc is really interesting

Where we left it? oh right, Damian just observe the fae? meta? that was surrounded by snakes while Danny observe a teeneager with a weirdest smell of ectoplasm, they just observed eachother akwardly but before Damian could say anything the biggest snake (Vesper) he has ever seen tried to attack him, take note in tried because the person that was in ropes put themselfs between them and proceed to scold the GIGANT SNAKE, Damian just watched this person in such awe that he decided that they were worthy pretty

Danny just apologize to Damian, he didnt mind honestly and even if the big snake had attack him he wouldnt hurt it, Danny is just impresed by them and proced to intruduce themselfs and that was the blooming of a beutifull friendship yeah right since that day they started seeing eachother, Damian would bring many things to Danny for example: food made by Alfred (specially his cookies) or would bring books to Danny and they would do other things like Damian would play/take care of Danny snakes with him, and Danny would play with his hair or if Damian has time or has the day off he would stay until night (if Snake castle ever has time change-) and Danny would tell Damian all about the stars or space surrounded by snakes. Vesper was jealouse at first but grow font of Damian bc he takes care of Danny and my Ancients does that poor kid needs it One particular day Damian bring his art supplies and started painting everything of Snake castle but in particular he painted Danny, in many ways he showed Danny his drawing because he was curious abt what he was doing, and was so surprised and heartwarming by the beuty of the drawings that he started crying (blame hormones wtv) Damian was panicking but Danny stopped him saying something like "I never realize that someone would think so highly of me" Damian would simply watch Danny and thinking if he should kill someone but before that he comforts Danny maybe like "You are an exceptional person and if anyone doesnt apreciate him then they are not worthy of you" And they look like loverbirds The snakes meanwhile are like Snake 1: Should we do smt? Vesper: Nah let them realize their feelings for eachother in their time The "time" himslef: JUST KISS ALREDY Anyways back to the Batfamily They started noticing that Damian was acting.... weird nothing bad but weird like, the other day he returned to the manor and his hair was styled in a braid with flowers or that everytime he didnt have patrol or was free he would go somewhere and return with messier (in terms of clothes and hair) with flowers or something like hmm idk A SNAKE were did he get it??? (Danny gifted him one of his snakes, in particular a white one that would always trangle itself to Damian) but most importantly he always returned with an happy expresion They would get in the bottom of this (bc they are noisy bastars /j)

I hope I didnt bored you with this rant but i couldnt get over my head- now somethings i like to share: I think that Vesper can communicate with Danny, how? idk maybe CW did something Is Damian going to learn abt Ellie? maybe but perhaps in the future Wich of the Batfamily would discover Damian secret? YOU DECIDE :D

You all know what time it is ( and body dysmorphia is mentioned a few times just thought I would let you know!)

Snake empress Danny

Ok let’s go, So you all know the drill Danny has to booket it out of amity ( GIW, Bad Fenton) and just for a bit more angst everyone who he loves ( Sam, Tucker, jazz) got caught up in the nasty burger explosion and the GIW hit Dani and as a last minute decision Danny has to grow her in himself and because he has the organs for baby incubation ( trans! Danny let’s go! ) so now we have a heavily traumatized teen who is going to be a teen mom and just loss his whole support system and everything he’s ever known yeah we going angsty today anyway so when Danny gets to the ghost zone he a immediately goes to clockwork to help him so after Danny gets healed up a bit and calm down the best he can right now and

now let’s move the pov for a sec so clockwork can’t really take care of Danny and he needs to fine someone who can that’s when he remembers the little pocket dimension that is a little bit hard to go to if your not looking for it so clockwork brings Danny there and on a cliff top there is a abandoned castle that is overgrown and has trees all around it and a healthy population of snakes that equally watch over the place and keeping outsiders OUT and do not tolerate people who are not a part of the …. Group, pack? Wtf do you call a group of snakes { ok so I just looked up what a group of snakes is called and apparently it’s called a den, pit or nest so I’ll be using that information} den and are very picky about who is in the nest and who isn’t but surprisingly the little danger noodles decide that Danny’s friend shaped and now his part of the nest ( also before I forget to mention there is a big ass snake that is the main protection for the others and the castle itself ) and he’s mostly doing things around with the snakes wrapped limply around his neck and shoulders or his arm and or legs they just like hanging around Danny for the most part

And for the JL side of this well you remember that this place is its own little pocket dimension well it is connected to the JL universe and it sorta feels like your in a Fea area not uncomfortable just different, it has a passage in Gotham City to a overgrown manhole cover so somehow Damien finds this manhole in the garden of Wayne manner and Bruce grounded ( aka benched ) him and Alfred is shopping and nobody’s home so it’s just him and he decides to go into the manhole cover it leeds down to a large tunnel so big it is a surprise nobody has found it yet so Damian walks down it for about 2 to 4 minutes before he sees another cover and has to use a lot of force to open it and as he climbs out he sees that it was overgrown to the point that the vines were wiring the thing shut and as Damien looks around he dust himself off he sees that he is in a large forest almost to large if this place was really Gotham than this would have been cut down years before it got like this so he walks around and than he gets to a lagoon it looks like no pollution got here as well that’s when he sees them a person the person has long white hair that looks to be in some kind of braid with silver chains and their wearing what seem like a bunch of white fabric at first glance but is you really look it seems to be a dress but that’s not what really brings his attention to this person it is the snake that are wrapped limply around them one black one that hangs off their shoulders and looks some what of a necklace and they are holding what seems to be a large black marble bowl ( the bowl is for some of the aquatic plants some birds ended up eating most of the aquatic plant and there are almost none left so he’s getting some from the lagoon) 

And that’s all for the moment. Now on to the details of this bitch!

I’m thinking Danny looks a little bit like this

The reason he wears this is because it’s easier to walk around in ( not to mention the moment the rest of the den realized he was with fetus Dani ( or Eleanor I like that name better for her it gives her a bit of her own personality instead of just Danny clone) the big snake who were going to call Vesper ( you get it ) started to carry him around and while sleeping he would wrap around him to keep him warm ok got a bit off track

And for his hair I’m thinking he lets it grow out a bit and the little danger noodles like to bring him bits and pieces of things they think he might like so he ends up with this

But instead of gold I’m thinking silver

Also just some pics of what I think the castle will look like in some places

Anyway that’s all from me byeeee 

[sigridhawke]

Nikolai: 2, 23, 12Natasha: 7, 5, 14Gwendolyn: 4, 15, 3Odin: 25, 13, 6

A variety for Crimson characters and the oc asks that reveal more than you think, lets gooo!!!!

The blorbos lemme show them to you.

Nikolai: 2, 23, 12 

2.Can they take care of a plant? What about a pet? What about a child?

Surprisingly yes, there is particular plants required for a magic ritual and its not easily cultivated so they have learnt to take care of plants to an extent. Pets 100%, while they are their own beings, they have two beloved nagas bound in serpent form they would go to the end of the world for. A child? Depends on when in the story you ask this lmao.

23.Stability or novelty?

Stability 100%. Outcasted for their decisions to protect themselves and their sanity, Nikolai has, for the past 200+ years, carved out a safety net for themselves of Frigid Mountain and spreads rumour to keep folk away to ensure their little place in the world is protected. They spend most of the story with the notion of returning to that stability in mind before experiencing the world begins to expand what they consider stability to be.

12.Do they like romance in the books they read (or in the book they’re in)?

Despite Crimson being high fantasy with a bit of romance, Nikolai is very oblivious (in part because they’ve lived an isolated life in a mountain for most of it) and so affections usually go over their head. They understand the dragon principle of you’d only ever share your treasure with someone you intend to stay with forever, but wyverns don't value treasure so highly so they get the joy of fumbling their way through feelings of affection, jealousy, envy, and love.

Natasha: 7, 5, 14 

7.Describe them in three words. Now let them describe themself in three words.

Intelligent, Diplomatic, Witty

Stubborn, Forgiving, Optimistic

5.Speech! Speech! Speech! Speech! Will they give one, and what about?

She has and will give many speeches to the different rulers urging them to join her cause, but perhaps the most important speech she will ever give is that one that urges her dear friends and companions to join her in making a deal with the devil to ensure their future.

14.Would they agree with the term ‘guilty pleasure’? Do they have any?

*looks at this one potential oneshot of Natasha wanting borrow fae glamour to turn Nikolai into a Jingou fox temporarily* yes.

Gwendolyn: 4, 15, 3 

4.Do they look good in red?

Gwendolyn suits shades of blue and silver, she it a dragon of shimmering starlight that gave her the title Morning Star. If she were to wear red, it would likely be deep shades of red, or red sky at night vibes.

15.What would they consider a waste of time– other than school or work?

While Gwendolyn typically has a lot of patience for many things, something she struggles with are those who waste her time. Be it people who come to her without a reason, or those that pointlessly argue with her; as queen Gwendolyn's time is precious and she does not care for those who waste it.

3.Ask them to describe their love interest.

“My first love was a man as old as the world itself. My dear Shaurya holds both the strength and kindness of a bear. Always at my side, always supportive even when we chose to part ways. I would never blame him for putting his people first, and he knows I choose to do the same.”

“My second love was a humble King. A man who did not shy away from those of different race to his own. One who dazzled me with his magic and asked my hand to lead our Kingdom into greatness as equals. He has the best of intentions, but fears Lunaria’s survival if we did not remain neutral in this time before war.”

“The children I bore from both are my most precious gifts to the world, and I hope one day they can be united and live in the same peace my dear Shaurya speaks of old.”

Odin: 25, 13, 6 

25.Safety or possibility?

In his earlier life possibility was his driver to explore and learn everything about the world, but after his curse 600 years ago, safety has become his priority. Never leaving the forest kingdom he calls home, devoting every moment of his time to protecting and nurturing the infant race of vampires, not yet old enough to be classified as their own race. And to Thane, who’s safety he has and will shamelessly protect above all other.

13.Name one thing their parents taught them.

“You will not die like the creatures that come after you.”

6.Who will they take advice from, no matter what it is? Who won’t they take advice from, no matter what it is?

Thane to an extent, but the person who’s advice he will take above all others is Jade. She knows of his past and she has seen glimpses of the future. She seldom talks but when she does her sign language is worth reading.

Who won’t they take advice from? A tougher one, generally he’ll listen just won’t act on it but given his predicament, he will never take any advice from one of his ‘brothers’ because it will only be the same thing, and he has no intention on dying.

[criminalmindzjunkie]

Avoidance

masterlist

part two

Summary: Reader doesn’t know what she did to make Spencer hate her so much.

A/N: This fic is just a reminder that sub!Spencer lives rent free in my head at all times. Also, if anyone would like to be on a taglist for one shots like these, let me know! I’m going to work on getting one started.

Pairing: sub!Spencer/femdom! reader

Content Warnings: honestly way too much swearing, sexual harassment, slapping, hands free orgasm, oral sex (male and female receiving), hand job, orgasm denial, edging, unprotected sex, vaginal penetration, degradation, femdom 

Word Count: 8.2k

           I have absolutely no idea what I’ve done to make Spencer Reid hate me.

           Usually, when someone despises a person to the point of complete and total avoidance, there’s a reason. No one just wakes up and decides to resent another person for the hell of it – right? Wrong.

           Because Spencer Reid positively loathes me – and I have no idea why.

           It all started on my first day at the BAU. I had somehow landed the highly coveted job of media liaison after the previous one had decided to complete the training to be a profiler. For reasons unbeknownst to me, they thought a twenty-four-year-old fresh out of college with no prior job experience was the best fit for the position. I didn’t understand it, but I also wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

           To say that I had been terrified the first time I set foot into the bullpen would be the understatement of the century. After a very formal and very intimidating orientation with the unit chief, my predecessor, a beautiful blonde named Jennifer, offered herself up to be my personal tour guide. Jennifer introduced me to the other members of the team, and with every smiling face I came in contact with, my fears of being the odd man out were assuaged. I could tell that Penelope Garcia, tech analyst extraordinaire, would most likely be my biggest ally – and it was abundantly clear that Derek Morgan and I would probably get into a fair amount of mischief together. Elle Greenaway seemed like the obvious choice for a future drinking buddy, and Jason Gideon – well, he merely grunted at me in acknowledgment before retreating back to his office. I figured three out of four wasn’t so bad.

           I didn’t meet Doctor Spencer Reid until after lunch. Jennifer mentioned something about him guest lecturing at a local university, which surprised me considering she mentioned him being a year younger than me. Apparently, the kid was an actual genius, which was more than a little bit intimidating, but Jennifer assured me that Spencer was a sweetheart.

           “He’s a little quirky, but I’m sure you’ll love him. Just don’t be surprised if he tries to talk your ear off,” Jennifer laughs. “Last week I asked him about the weather and he went off on a tangent about climate change that lasted nearly an hour.”

           By the time Spencer strolled into the bullpen at exactly one in the evening, I was sitting perched atop Jennifer’s desk, thoroughly engrossed as she told me about their latest case. When she stops talking midsentence in favor of smiling at someone behind me, I half expect that Morgan is attempting to sneak up on me, when:

           “Hey, look who’s back,” Jennifer greets, prompting me to turn around excitedly. I was eager to put a face to the man I’d heard so much about.

           And when I turn, my eyes land on the prettiest man I’ve ever seen.

           Sharp cheekbones and a chiseled jawline are framed by shaggy brown hair, complete with beautiful brown eyes and soft, pillowy lips. As if his good looks weren’t enough, he’s dressed in the most adorably nerdy sweater vest and a pair of thin framed glasses. He’s absolutely precious – a fact that Jennifer had conveniently left out.

           “How was the lecture?” Jennifer asks him as he places his satchel on the desk adjacent to hers. Spencer perks up at this, smiling excitedly from across the divider.

           “I think it went really good, actually. I incorporated this really cool joke that I heard about quantum physics. Do you want to-”

           He stops abruptly when he realizes Jennifer isn’t his only spectator, and those lovely brown eyes go almost comically wide when they settle on me.

           “Spencer, this is Y/N Y/L/N. She’s the new media liaison. Y/N, this is Doctor Spencer Reid.”

           I give him my best smile, tacking on a small wave for good measure.

           “It’s nice to meet you, Doctor Reid. Jennifer’s told me a lot about you.”

           “Uh, y-yeah. It’s n-nice to meet you, too,” Spencer stutters. He looks positively stricken and I’m fairly sure he hasn’t blinked in over a minute. I cast a glance at Jennifer, who seems just as confused as I am.

           Well, she had mentioned that he was a tad strange.

           “I’d like to hear the joke,” I offer, only to immediately regret it when I see him tense up.

           “N-No, that’s o-okay,” he chokes out as he struggles to gather the files on his desk. “It’s n-not that good, anyways.”

           And just as quickly as he came, Spencer leaves in a flurry of crumpled papers, leaving Jennifer and I wondering what the fuck just happened.

--

           Things didn’t get better with time. In fact, they got much worse.

           In the six months that I had been working for the BAU, I could count my interactions with Spencer Reid on one hand. It wasn’t for lack of trying on my part – in my desperation to figure out what I’d done to make him avoid me, I sought out the young genius every chance I got. But every time I got within ten feet of him, it’s like an alarm would sound in his head and he’d make up some excuse to leave the room.

           The others had noticed his strange behavior, too. It seemed they all had made a sort of game out of it – calling Spencer into rooms that I was in just to see him panic, or asking me to personally deliver files to his desk. At first, I played into it, hoping that their teasing would help to diffuse some of the tension.

           After a month of being on the receiving end of Spencer’s cold shoulder, I started avoiding him, too.

           I tried to act indifferent – like it didn’t hurt me as badly as it did. I no longer sought him out, and by month two, we had a sort of understanding. I didn’t go near him, and he didn’t go near me, and that’s how it went on for four miserable months.

           Until today.

           “Reid, Y/L/N, you’re in 202.”

           I damn near drop my bag on the floor. This was bound to happen at some point or another, but I hadn’t planned on that day being today, and I was not prepared. After nine hours of running around the local police department, my body was weighed down from fatigue and I was downright grumpy. Not to mention I had picked the worst possible day to try and break in a new pair of heels, and my feet were throbbing.

           Needless to say, I was in no mood to deal with Spencer Reid’s bullshit.

           “Uh, Hotch? Could I maybe room with Elle?” I ask, sending a glare in Morgan’s direction when he snorts out a laugh. Hotch raises an eyebrow at me.

           “Why? Is there a problem?”

           Yes, sir, there certainly is. And your guess is as good as mine as to what that problem is.

           “No, but I just think that-”

           “Good. Then you should be fine to share a room with him.”

           Right.

           I spare a brief glance at Spencer, who, in the last thirty seconds, has turned the color of a tomato. I pray that he’ll speak up and voice his discomfort, but just like always, he stays silent.

           Hotch doles out the room keys and I begin the trek down the hallway, my poor aching feet groaning in protest with every step. I’m vaguely aware of the sound of footsteps behind me, and it’s not until I swipe the key into the key card that Spencer speaks.

           But not to me – no, never to me.

           “Derek, please, I’m begging you. Just switch with me this one time, and – and I’ll do your reports for a month!”

           After six months of dealing with Spencer’s aversion to me, his words should come as no surprise. And really, I’d expected as much - but that didn’t mean it hurt any less.

           “Not happening, kid. This is the perfect opportunity for you to get over whatever problem you have with Y/N. I bet you’ll even end up liking her. She’s not going to be rude to you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

           “… T-That’s not what I’m worried abo-”

           I don’t wait around to hear the rest of his sentence. I push open the door to the room, not bothering to wait for Spencer before closing it. I kick off my heels as soon as the door clicks shut, letting out a half relieved, half frustrated  groan.

           After claiming the bed nearest the air conditioner as my own, I pluck my pajamas and toiletry bag out from my suitcase and shuffle over to the bathroom. The way I see it, the quicker I get a shower and can go to sleep, the faster the night will pass. Before I know it, this unfortunate situation will be a thing of the past.

           After drawing out the shower for as long as I possibly could, I exit the bathroom clad in a tank top and a pair of shorts, hair dripping wet and skin freshly scrubbed clean. Spencer’s sitting on his bed, book in hand and tie loosened. He doesn’t look up at me when I walk by - not that I’d expected him to. A thick silence hangs in the air as I pull a bottle of lotion out from my suitcase, and I debate turning on the TV just to make things slightly less awkward. In the end I decide against it, because I doubt even that could make this situation better.

           I prop a leg up on the bed and begin to lather my legs in cherry scented lotion, paying special care to my aching feet before moving on. It’s not until both of my legs have been thoroughly massaged and coated in lotion that I look up.

           Spencer’s eyes are locked on me, mouth hanging open and chest heaving up and down. His knuckles are white from how hard they’re clutching the book in his hands, but despite that I can still see the way they’re trembling. When he realizes I've caught him staring, he closes his mouth and gulps hard.

           I straighten up and raise an eyebrow in a silent question, and that’s enough for Spencer to snap his book shut and scramble off of the bed. He’s clumsy as he moves to his suitcase, dropping his bottle of travel shampoo twice before he reaches the bathroom. If I wasn’t so off put by whatever the hell had just happened, I might have thought it cute.

--

           As if the universe thought my current predicament wasn’t enough to deal with, the next morning I was dealt another shitty hand. This time, my distress came in the form of a young cop who couldn’t pick up on social cues to save his life. After an entire morning of dodging sleazy advances, I finally managed to shake him when his superior sent him out to go and actually do his fucking job.

           Or so I thought.

           I’m standing in the breakroom, pouring my fourth (or is it my fifth?) cup of coffee when I hear the sound of footsteps in the hall. I don’t know if I’ve developed a sixth sense about these things, or if I’m just particularly on edge today, but I know it’s the young officer before he can even cross the threshold.

           And when he does, and he sees that he has me cornered, a saccharine smile stretches across his lips.

           “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” he drawls in an accent that could probably be attractive if he wasn’t so damn skeevy.

           “Might wanna get your eyes checked,” I mutter, refusing to look in his direction as I stir my coffee.

           “Pretty and feisty. Just how I like my women.”

           “I am not your anything,” I seethe, and instead of backing off like any respectful human being would, he just chuckles and begins to saunter towards me.

           “C’mon baby, you don’t have to be that way. You don’t have to act all professional with me.”

           “Don’t call me that.” I look at him now, and the smug, self-righteous smile on his face makes my blood boil.

           “You don’t like baby? That’s fine – I’m sure I can think of lots of other things to call you,” he murmurs. He’s closer now, so close that I can practically feel his breath against my neck.

           “I’m going to tell you to stop one more time, and it would be in your best interest to listen,” I growl.

           “Or what?” he taunts. “I’d like to see you try to stop me.”

           I jolt forward when a hand comes down hard on my ass, squeezing me harshly through the material of my skirt.

           Oh, fuck no.

           I’m whirling around faster than I ever thought possible, and then a harsh crack sounds throughout the room as my hand comes in contact with his face.

           My hand stings from the contact, but the pain is welcome because he flies backwards, stumbling and grasping as his already reddening cheek.

           “What the fuck?” he roars, eyes flashing with unbridled fury. I take several steps towards him, and to my utmost delight he nearly trips over himself in his hurry to put distance between us. I stop when his back hits the wall and I lean in until our faces are only inches apart.

           “Listen here, you limp dick fuck,” I snarl. “I’m getting real sick and fucking tired of pathetic pieces of shit like you thinking they can put their hands on women. What’s your problem? Are you so fucking tactless that you can’t get anyone to fuck you?” I punctuate my question by jabbing my pointer finger into his chest and cocking my head to the side. “Are you so unappealing that the only way you can get your hands on a woman is to wait until she’s alone and try to corner her?

           Or is it a power thing? You’ve got the gun and the badge so you think you’re entitled to just take what you want, don’t you? You think no one can stop you because you’re in a position of power. Well, I have some news for you – I outrank you, and you just assaulted a federal agent. I will not stop until I ruin your fucking career, and if you even think of trying to lie your way out of this, I’ll do a helluva lot fucking worse. After the week I’m having, I am just looking for an excuse to kick your fucking dick into the dirt. Do you understand?”

           By the time I finish speaking, my chest is heaving up and down and my eyes are narrowed into slits. The officer is so angry that he’s shaking, hands balled up to fists at his sides. For a moment, I think he’ll try to hit me, but then his hard-exterior cracks and the anger gives way to fear.

           “You – You can’t tell anyone about this,” he says, trying his best to sound menacing. But his voice wavers, and I can tell he’s losing his grip. “It’ll r-ruin my career.”

           I raise my hand up to his cheek, placing my palm over the red imprint I had left on his skin. And then I flash him the sweetest goddamn smile that ever there was.

           “I’d like to see you try to stop me.”

           I give him a pat on the cheek before turning around and heading for the door, only to stop halfway when I see that I have an audience of one.

           Spencer stands in the doorway, a coffee mug gripped tightly in one hand, mouth agape and eyes wide. He’s standing stock still, eyes darting in between the police officer and me. I let out an exasperated sigh because of-fucking-course it would be Spencer that would happen to walk in on whatever that just was.

           “Close your mouth, Reid. That’s how you catch flies,” I deadpan, prompting Spencer to snap his mouth shut.

           Without another word, I brush past him and leave the break room.

--

           I suppose the universe had decided to finally give me a break, because that afternoon we were able to apprehend the unsub. But my good fortune only went so far, because Hotch announced that we would be leaving first thing in the morning – which meant another night alone with Spencer Reid.

           He didn’t mention what he walked in on when the two of us arrived back at our room, and I didn’t expect him to. The two of us went about the motions of unwinding from the day in complete and utter silence, and by the time I emerge from the shower I decide that I’ve had enough.

           “I’m gonna go stay with Elle and Derek,” I murmur as I zip up my suitcase and slip on my shoes.

           “Oh. O-Okay.”

           And that was that.

           It’s about an hour later when my phone is on four percent that I realize I hadn’t remembered to bring my charger with me. I contemplate just letting it die, but the idea of sitting through a seven-hour jet ride tomorrow without it sounds excruciating. Then again, so does the idea of having to suffer through an interaction with Spencer.

           The phone wins out in the end, and with Derek and Elle still snoring softly in their respective beds, I slip out of the room and into the hallway. With any luck, Spencer will be in a similar state and I’ll be able to sneak in and out without him waking up.

           I think thank my lucky stars when I slowly crack open the door to Spencer’s room and see that the lights are off. I take special care to close the door as quietly as possible before tiptoeing across the carpeted floors, feeling my way around in the dark so that I don’t trip over anything.

I make it halfway across the room when I hear it – it’s quiet, and if the air conditioner had been on, I wouldn’t have even heard it at all. It’s faint, so faint that I wonder if I’d imagined it, but then that same sound breaks through the silence and I know it’s not a product of my imagination.

I hear the covers rustle, and then a low moan followed by the distinct sound of skin on skin. My blood runs cold as the moans grow louder and more frequent, rolling off Spencer’s lips in rapid succession. There’s heavy breathing and whimpering and holy fuck I just walked in on Spencer Reid masturbating.

Spencer cries out a particularly load moan, one that sounds so pornographic that it shoots straight to my core. It’s sexy and dirty and he sounds absolutely wrecked, and the part of my brain that is still capable of logical thinking is screaming get out! Get out, now!

I begin to slowly backtrack, moving at one tenth of the speed that I had coming in because the possibility of being caught is absolutely not an option. If Spencer hates me now, he’d really hate me if he found out I snuck into his room at night and heard… that.

I’m about five feet away from the door when:

“O-Oh my God, yes! Y/N, please - fuck!”

I think then that I certainly have to be dreaming, because there’s no way I’d just heard him correctly. There’s no way that Spencer – the same Spencer that scurried out of the room when I walked in – was moaning my name while he touched himself. Absolutely not.

But then it happens again and again and again – my name falling from his lips incessantly like some kind of debauched chant.

It feels like my skin is on fire – my mind a befuddled mess – and before my brain can tell me what a terrible idea it is, my feet are carrying me back into the room and I’m coming to a stop at the foot of Spencer’s bed.

Bathed in the glow of the moonlight shining through the window, Spencer looks ethereal. There’s a thin line of sweat beading on his forehead, and his usually meticulously slicked back hair is fanned out on the pillow like some sort of halo. His teeth are nestled into his bottom lip now, and all that can be heard are tiny whimpers as his hand slides up and down underneath the bed sheets. Spencer’s always beautiful, almost painfully so. But the way he looks now, shadows dancing across his face as he works himself to orgasm, is infinitely more breathtaking than words can express.

It doesn’t take long for Spencer to release his lip from beneath his teeth, and when he does my name is flying out of his mouth once more.

I take that as my invitation to speak.

“I don’t think I’ve heard you say my name before.”

Spencer’s entire body stills and his eyes fly open to reveal two dark pools full of sheer panic.

“I-I can explain,” he stammers, moving to clutch the comforter to his chest in an attempt to cover himself.

I let out a hum and sit down on the edge of the bed.

“Please do. I’m very interested in hearing about just what you were picturing me doing.”

Spencer sucks in a harsh breath. I can practically see the wheels in his brain turning -desperately trying to concoct some kind of reasonable explanation.

“I-I… I don’t… I’m s-sorry,” he stutters, and it’s so adorable how he’s squirming underneath my gaze that I decide to help him out.

“Was I sucking you off? Or were you fucking me?” I wonder aloud. He tries to hide it, thinking the covers will mask the way that his hips buck up, but I definitely see it.

“I-I…”

“Which was it, Spencer? Was I taking you down my throat or were you fucking my pussy? Or maybe I was coming undone on your face – was that it?”

Spencer lets out a low groan, and if my patience hadn’t been running so fucking thin, I probably would’ve left it at that. But after the hell he’d put me through for the last six months, I feel like he deserved to squirm a little.

“Fucking answer me.”

“Y-You were, um… r-riding me. And you s-slapped m-me.”

Oh.

This just got a lot more interesting.

I raise an eyebrow at him and I can see the way his Adam’s apple bobs up and down as he gulps.

“So, you liked what you saw today, did you?”

Spencer nods so fervently that I have to bite down on my tongue to suppress a laugh.

“Words, baby. Use them.”

“I-I liked it. A lot.”

“Apparently so, seeing as you were moaning for it like a desperate little slut,” I breeze, my tone cool and indifferent. “Have you done this before, Doctor? Touched yourself to the thought of me, that is.”

“… Y-Yes. I’m s-sorry. I didn’t m-mean to. It just kind of happened one night, and once I started, I couldn’t s-stop.”

I reach out a hand and brush away the hair that had fallen into his face, tucking it back behind his ear before continuing.

“Why the cold shoulder, then? And here I thought you hated me,” I muse, before pausing and cocking my head to the side. “Do you hate me, Doctor?” I ask, and just when I thought he couldn’t look more guilty, he proves me wrong.

“No! I just… couldn’t be around you. I felt so b-bad. You were so nice, and I was using you to g-get off,” Spencer explains. “I couldn’t look you in the eye. Not after picturing you… like that.”

I let out a sigh. Knowing that Spencer didn’t actually hate me for the last six months was a relief. Knowing that Spencer was secretly rubbing one out to me was something else entirely. Whatever was I to do with this information?

“So, you want to fuck me, then?” I reiterate. “Why not tell me this sooner?”

“The probability of you responding positively to me telling you that I, uh, m-masturbate to you was very l-low. And after what I saw today, I think I was wise for keeping that from you,” Spencer says, the last part coming out in a rush. I can’t help but let out a low laugh.

“Yes, but the guy that was coming on to me today wasn’t someone I find attractive. He was pompous and crass and pushy - and you, Doctor Reid, are none of those things.”

“R-Really? You think I’m attractive?”

I hum.

“Very much so, Doctor. But I’m afraid you may have waited too long, and now I don’t feel as inclined to be nice,” I murmur, allowing my hand to trail down from his shoulder to his collar bones before lightly grazing his nipple with my thumb.

“O-Oh my… God,” Spencer whimpers, eyes fluttering shut as my fingers continue to dance across his skin.

“But then again, I don’t think you really want me to be nice to you. I think you want me to treat you like my little play thing.” I stop my hand just below his navel and I thumb across the light layer of hair that makes up his happy trail. “You want to be my dirty boy - don’t you, Doctor Reid?”

“P-Please,” Spencer chokes out, hips jerking up when I allow my thumb to graze a little lower.

“Please what?”

Spencer lets out a frustrated groan.

“Please, I-I want you to u-use me. However you want, just as l-long as you just do-don’t stop touching me,” he rambles. He’s shuddering underneath me, his breaths coming out in harsh pants as my hand wanders lower and lower until I abruptly pull away. “W-Why did you stop?”

“Because I don’t think you deserve to be touched just yet. You’ve got six months to make up to me, after all. I think I want you on your knees for me first,” I say, and from the way his eyes seem to dilate even further, I don’t think he has any objections. “Are you familiar with the color system?”

Spencer nods.

“Green for good, yellow means slow down, and red means stop now.”

“Do you have a safe word?”

“I… I’ve never really, uh. Done t-this.”

Oh. Oh.

I withdraw my hand from its place on his leg and Spencer lets out a distressed whine. “No, please! Don’t go. I’m not a complete virgin, I promise. I got a h-hand job once,” he argues. “And I think I’ve done enough, uh, research, and I really want to try to make you cum. I want to be good for you. Please let me try.”

Spencer looks like he’s about two seconds away from crying, and I can feel my argument dying before it even leaves my mouth.

“Oh, baby, I know you’d be so good,” I coo, and just like that Spencer’s leaning towards me, desperate to have the contact. I indulge him, placing my hand on his cheek, and he relaxes into the touch. “Are you sure you want to do this with me? I’m not what anyone would call vanilla, and I don’t think you know what you’re getting into.”

“I trust you. I wouldn’t want it to be anyone else,” Spencer whispers, and he sounds so damn sincere that I feel my resolve crumbling.

“You’ll let me know if at any point you want to stop?”

“Yes. Absolutely!”

Enthusiastic little shit.

“Safe word?”

“Um… Tolstoy?”

I let out a snort.

“Alright, smarty pants. We’re going to start now, okay?”

“Yes, Miss,” Spencer pants out.

Fuck me running. He clearly has been doing his research.

“Get on your knees for me, baby. I wanna see just how eager to please you are,” I instruct as I stand up and shimmy out of my shorts. I discard my shirt, too, absentmindedly throwing it somewhere across the room. Spencer lets out a startled squeak when he sees that I’m now completely naked, aside from my underwear.

“Y-You’re so pretty,” Spencer breathes out. “Even better than I imagined.”

The sentiment tugs at my heart, really, it does, but I specifically requested that he get on his knees and he seems a lot more content to just sit and stare.

“On your knees,” I command, and Spencer jumps up almost comically fast.

“S-Sorry, Miss,” he apologizes as he lowers himself down. I seat myself on the edge of the bed and spread my legs for him.

“Don’t apologize, just do as I ask of you, okay baby?”

Spencer nods.

“C-Can I kiss you? Like on the lips first?” Spencer asks as he looks up at me with big doe eyes. It’s a beautiful thing, the image of Spencer Reid sitting in between my legs, cheeks flushed and chest rapidly rising and falling. I give Spencer a sweet smile and lean forward, and the excitement radiating off of him is practically palpable. He leans forward, too eager to wait for me to close the gap, and the action makes my chest swell in adoration.

Just as our lips are about to meet, I pause, and Spencer barely has the time to look confused before my palm connects with the side of his face. The moan it draws out of him is obscene and his hips jolt forward, desperate for some kind of friction. His dick rests painfully hard between his legs, flushed red with precum beading at the tip.

I waste no time in taking his chin in my hand and tilting his head upwards.

“Did I say you could kiss me?” I ask him, voice sugary sweet, contrasting starkly with my actions.

“N-No, Miss. I’m sorry,” Spencer pants out. His hand twitches at his side and I can see how desperately he wants to touch himself, but his desire to please keeps him still.  

“Then the answer is no. Maybe if you can prove to me that you aren’t completely incompetent at eating pussy, I’ll consider it,” I allow a moment for my words to sink in. “Color?”

“Green. So fucking green,” Spencer whines.

“Good boy,” I praise him, and the effects of my words are instantaneous. Spencer rests his cheek against the skin of my thigh and then he’s nuzzling his face against me in a silent plea for permission. After a moment, his pleas become a lot less silent.

“Wanna be your good boy - please let me,” Spencer begs as his nose brushes against my skin. “I want to make you feel good. S’all I ever think about, since the first time I saw you.”

His words send a jolt of pleasure to my core and I reward his brazen honesty with a tender smile and a nod.

“Go ahead, baby. Let me see what that pretty mouth of yours can do.”

The words barely have time to leave my mouth before Spencer is reaching out and hooking a finger underneath the waistband of my panties. I raise up off the bed just enough for him to slide them down my legs, and before I even manage to settle back down onto the bed, Spencer literally dives in. He starts with one long lick, and by the time he reaches my clit he’s crying out lewd moans against me. The feel of the vibrations mixed with the feel of his mouth on me is maddening in the best possible way, and my eyelids threaten to flutter closed under the weight of my pleasure.

“Fuck, baby – you’re doing so good,” I sigh as I lift my hand up and card my fingers through his hair. “You look so pretty on your knees for me.”

Spencer’s movements stutter when he feels my hand tangle itself into his hair, and I let out a light chuckle. I grab hold of the roots and give an experimental tug. My actions cause his hips to jolt forward violently.

“O-Oh my…” Spencer keens, raising his glossy, lust filled eyes to mine. “H-Harder, please.”

I oblige, and Spencer lets out a particularly filthy groan before lapping at my pussy like a man possessed. His hands come to wrap around my thighs and he pulls me closer to him, causing me to let out a gasp when his nose nudges against my clit. The sound only spurs him on further – Spencer begins assaulting my clit, alternating between short, kitten licks and light sucking. The control I had so adamantly been asserting over him began to slip from my fingertips the longer he worked his mouth against me, and quiet, breathy moans started falling from my lips.

“Such a good boy, Spence,” I moan as I scratch my fingernails against his scalp. “You’re making me feel so good, baby. Love that dirty little mouth of yours.”

Spencer thrives on the praise – that much is made obvious by the way he whimpers and tightens his grip on my thighs. He’s completely submitted himself to the act of getting me off, only stopping long enough to cry out when my hands give a particularly harsh tug on his hair.

“Add a finger, baby,” I tell him, allowing my hand to drift down the side of his face, caressing the sharp angles of his cheekbones.

Spencer releases my thigh from his hold and tentatively raises a hand to my entrance, eyes raising to meet mine.

“You’ll tell me if I do something wrong?” he asks, and his concern is so endearing that I tilt his chin upwards and lean forward until my lips meet his.

Spencer gasps into the kiss, shocked, but it doesn’t take him long before his lips are moving against mine fervently. His lips are slick with my arousal, and I dart my tongue out just long enough to swipe it across his bottom lip.

           “D’you like how I taste, baby?” I murmur against his lips, pulling back slightly when Spencer tries to bring his lips down against mine.

           “S-So much,” he whispers, before letting out a frustrated groan when I tease him with the slightest brush of my lips before pulling away again. “P-Please, kiss me again.”

           I bump my nose against his before I reach down and grab his hand in mine.

           “Don’t be a greedy boy, Spencer. Greedy boys don’t get to cum,” I chastise him as I raise his hand up to my mouth. I trace my bottom lip with his pointer finger as Spencer watches on in rapt fascination, before taking the digit into my mouth and sucking. Spencer chokes out a pathetic cry and his hips hopelessly buck into the air as I swirl my tongue around the pad of his finger, taking special care to coat it with spit before releasing it from my mouth.

           I guide his hand back down to my pussy, gasping when the tip of his finger brushes across my entrance.

           “Just take it slow, baby. Start with one and move up to two once you get the hang of it.”

           Spencer nods, eyes alternating between my face and my entrance as he slowly slides his finger in me.

           “You’re so warm, oh my God,” Spencer breathes out, tentatively pulling out his finger before inserting it back in. I hum appreciatively as he begins to move faster, eyelids fluttering shut when he lowers his head and begins languidly licking my clit.

           “Feels so nice, Spence. I fucking love your fingers. Knew that they’d feel like this. I can only imagine how good your cock will feel,” I ramble, one hand fisted in the sheets and the other tugging on his honey brown hair.

           I groan as he inserts a second finger, reveling in the way he’s stretching me out.

           “Curl your fingers when you – fuck! Just like that, baby. Gonna make me cum if you keep doing t-that.”

Spencer speeds up both the onslaught of his fingers and his mouth at my admission, tongue working figure eights on my clit while his fingers brush up against my g-spot. A familiar warmth starts to spread in my lower belly, and with every swipe of Spencer’s tongue against my clit, the coil in my stomach winds tighter and tighter until, finally:

“O-Oh, fuck, Spence!”

The coil snaps, sending jolts of pleasure straight through my core. I can feel the way my walls tighten around Spencer’s fingers as my orgasm rips through me, never stopping their ministrations in an attempt to help me ride out my high. Vibrations ripple across my clit when Spencer lets out a cry of his own before his movements halt completely as shudders wrack his body.

I know he didn’t just…

           I allow myself a moment to recover before I lean forward and drag my eyes down Spencer’s slender frame – and sure enough, his tummy is covered in white ropes of cum and his now softening cock is hanging limply between his legs.

           Spencer’s eyes reluctantly open when his shudders cease, and one look at my pissy expression is enough to send him into a fit.

           “I-I didn’t mean to cum! I’m so sorry, Miss. It’s j-just that you looked so pretty when you came, and you taste so good! And you were pulling my hair, and you called me a good boy and I just couldn’t do it anymo-”

           “Shut up,” I seethe, voice cold and laced with annoyance. Spencer’s mouth snaps shut and he gulps. “Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t remember saying that you were allowed to come. Am I mistaken?”            “N-No, Miss.”

           “Mm, that’s what I thought,” I hum. “Stand up.”

           “B-But I want to make you cum again! Can I plea-”

           “Shut the fuck up and stand up, Spencer.”

           Spencer rushes to his feet, stumbling a bit when his legs begin to shake. He corrects himself, standing perfectly still in front of me with a shameful look on his face. I scoot back on the bed and fix him with a stony look.

           “I want you to lay on your stomach across my lap. Can you do that, Doctor Reid, or are you too stupid to follow simple directions?”

           Spencer adamantly shakes his head, scrambling to splay out across my bare thighs. Once he’s comfortable, I raise a palm to his bare ass cheek and smooth my hand across the skin.

           “Color?”

           “G-Green,” Spencer stutters out.

           “Wonderful. Since you’ve decided to be a greedy little slut and cum before I gave you permission, I’m going to punish you. Do you remember your safe word, baby?”

           “Tolstoy.”

           “Good boy. I’m going to give you ten, and I want you to count them out for me. One for every month you held out on me, and four because you’re an insolent little whore who can’t do as he’s told. Does that sound fair to you?”

           “Y-Yes, Miss. P-Please.”

           A harsh smack sounds throughout the room, and Spencer lets out a whorish moan that’s bound to wake the people in the neighboring rooms. The pale skin of his ass transforms to red, and I rub my palm across it soothingly.

           “O-One,” Spencer says through gritted teeth as he rocks his hips against my legs.

           “You okay, baby?”

           “Y-Yes, Miss. Please don’t stop. I deserve it. P-Punish me, please.”

           My palm comes down across his ass four more times, and with each strike I watch Spencer fall apart right before my eyes. Tears are gliding down his flushed cheeks, and his cock is now painfully hard against my legs.

           “Five more to go, baby. Keep counting for me, my pretty boy.”

           By the time my hand comes down against his flesh for the final time, Spencer has devolved into a mess of pathetic whimpers. His cock is smearing precum across my thighs as he rocks against me, and his ass is covered in a litany of bright red marks. Incomprehensible pleas are falling from his lips, and his hands are tightly fisted in the sheets.

           I lean forward and place a gentle kiss to each of his battered cheeks.

           “T-Thank you, Miss. Thank you, thank you, thank you…”

           “You’re welcome, baby. Can you go lay in the center of the bed for me?”

           Spencer gives a feeble nod and crawls to the center of the bed, carefully laying himself down and letting out a low hiss when his ass came in contact with the mattress.

           I let him rest against the sheets before I roll over and settle in between his legs.

           Spencer’s cock, painfully hard and leaking precum, sits against his belly. Spencer watches as I trace lithe fingers up his thigh, his chest rising and falling quickly as I get closer to where he demands my attention.

           A garbled groan rips from his throat when my hand grasps his cock, and I have to place my other hand on his hip and force him back down onto the bed when he tries to buck up.

           “Stay still, baby,” I tut as I drag my fist up and down at an agonizingly slow pace.

           “S-Sorry, M-Miss,” Spencer stutters. His brows are drawn together and his eyes are heavy lidded. “Need m-more, please.”

           “Mm, I don’t think you need more. You just want more. Dumb little greedy baby,” I tease as my thumb swipes across his head.

           “Oh… G-God, please!” Spencer mewls.

           “Is what I’m giving you not good enough?”

           “N-No, it’s just-”

           I raise an eyebrow at him and halt my movements.

           “No, it isn’t good enough?”

           Spencer lets out a frustrated groan and his fists clench the sheets.

           “P-Please, Miss! I’ll be your good boy, I promise. Just let me cum, please, I want it so bad!”

           Thoroughly pleased by his shameless begging, I start moving my hand again.

           “Let me know when you’re about to cum, baby.”

           That moment comes when, not thirty seconds later, the muscles in Spencer’s abdomen start to spasm – telltale signs of an impending orgasm. Spencer is so lost in the way my hand is moving against his cock that he makes no move to warn me, and just as I see his eyes start to flutter shut, I withdraw my hand.

           “W-Why did yo-”

           “You didn’t tell me you were about to cum. I thought you said you were going to be a good boy, Spencer? You sure aren’t acting like someone who wants to cum.”

           “S-Sorry, please, just… fuck!”

           Spencer’s whole-body folds in on itself when my mouth wraps around the head of his cock. I swirl my tongue around the tip, lapping up the precum that had gathered before I pull away.

           “You’ve got such a pretty cock, baby. Can’t believe nobody’s had you in their mouth yet,” I murmur, pausing to drag my tongue along the veiny underside of his erection. “Let me hear you, baby. Wanna know how much you like when I use my mouth on you.”

           “Love it so much, oh God… Feels so warm and wet. Thank you so much, Miss. God, it feels perfect,” Spencer keens as I take him into my mouth again. Mumbled praises fall from his lips as I take him deeper, and the second my nose hits the soft skin of his belly, Spencer’s hand comes up and begins to tap incessantly on my shoulder.

           “S-Stop! I-I’m close – Jesus Christ, I’m so fucking close and I really want to cum inside you, i-if that’s okay with you,” Spencer babbles, eyes wide and pleading. I smile up at him.

           “Do you think you deserve to cum in my pussy?”

           “H-Honestly, no, but I’m hoping you’ll let me anyways,” Spencer says, shooting me an adorably shy smile that has my heart doing somersaults in my chest. I let out a light laugh and shake my head, moving to straddle his lap.

           “Are you sure you want to do this, Spence?” I murmur as I caress the side of his face with my hands. “This can stop right here, if you want it to.”

           “Please, Miss. I want this. I want you,” Spencer reiterates, eyes shining and filled to the brim with adoration.

           “Want you, too, baby. You can call me my name now, if you want,” I say as I place a gentle kiss on his lips. I move to pull away, but Spencer’s hand is quick to grasp the back of my neck and pull me back in.

           While our lips move together, frenzied and desperate, I sneak a hand in between our bodies and grab Spencer’s cock. He gasps into my mouth as I drag his head in between my folds.

           “I-I won’t last long,” Spencer chokes out, eyes trained on where I’m rubbing him against me. “I’ll try my b-best, but I’m sorry if I c-cum too fast.”

           I sink down just enough that his head is the only thing inside me, watching as his face contorts beautifully as a result.

           “Don’t worry about me, baby. Tonight’s all about you.”

           With one last, chaste kiss to his lips, I slowly begin to lower myself down onto his length. The sound of our moans fill the room as Spencer clings desperately to me, hands finally finding purchase on my hips.

           “Y/N, fuck, you feel so good,” Spencer whimpers as I begin to slowly rock against him. “I-I knew it would feel good, but oh my God. I-I can’t… I’m gonna cum, soon. M’so sorry.”

           His admission prompts me to move faster, raising my hips until he’s almost completely out of me before I’m slamming back down.

           “Spence, you feel so good. Such a good boy – my good boy.”

           “Yes, yes, I’m all yours! Only yours, please!” Spencer whines. I lean forward, and the change of angle is enough for both of us to cry out.

           “Are you gonna be a good boy and cum for me, Spence?” I murmur into his ear, biting lightly against his earlobe. “I want you to cum in me, baby. Don’t you want to be my good boy?” I punctuate my words by lightly wrapping my hand around this throat and squeezing, and that’s all it takes for Spencer to completely fall apart underneath me. 

           “Y/N - fuck!”

           Spencer’s grip on my hips tightens as he bucks up into me, painting the inside of my pussy with his cum as he yells out strangled exclamations of my name. He presses his face into my shoulder as I ride him through his orgasm, whispering quiet thank yous and pressing open mouthed kisses to my skin as the euphoria floods through his body.

             I place a kiss to his forehead before I crawl off of him, having every intention of getting up and procuring a wet washrag. But Spencer reaches out to grip my arm, and his eyes look so sad that I stop in my tracks.

           “C-Can you stay? Please?”

           The insecurity in his voice tugs at my heart.

           “Of course, I’m staying. Was just gonna get a wet washrag for us. M’not gonna leave you, Spence,” I murmur. Spencer visibly untenses, but his grip on my arm doesn’t lessen.

           “Could you just stay here a little bit longer?”

           “Sure thing, baby,” I say, prompting Spencer’s lips to pull up into a pleased smile. I crawl back into the bed and lay on my back, and Spencer instantly plasters himself to my side. He hums contentedly as he wraps his arms around me, and I let out a light laugh when I catch him stealing glances at me.

           “What is it, baby?”

           A rosy blush spreads across his cheeks.

           “Can I kiss you?”

           After everything we just did, he still feels the need to ask permission to kiss me. What a sweet boy.

           My answer comes in the form of me pressing my lips to his, and that’s how we stay until he pulls away.

           “I have another question,” he says shyly.

           “Lay it on me, baby.”

           The blush on his cheeks gets significantly more pronounced.

           “It’s just that, uh, you didn’t get to cum again. And I really want you to, because you took such good care of me,” Spencer pauses, and his fingertips lightly graze the inside of my thigh. “C-Could I please eat you out again?” Another pause, and he retracts his hand. “I-It’s okay if not. I understand if you just wanted this to be… a one-time thing. I guess I was just kind of hoping that it w-wouldn’t be. But that’s silly – you were just doing me a favor. I’m sorry I asked.”

           Spencer cringes as he finishes speaking, not even giving me a chance to reply before he’s trying to pull away. I tighten my grip on his arm, and Spencer gives me a weary look.

           “First of all, I don’t think I would ever say no to being eaten out – especially if you’re the one offering. Second, this is definitely not a one off. I have lots of plans for you, pretty boy,” I explain, and the relief that radiates off of Spencer is almost palpable.

           “Thank God,” he sighs, and then he’s scooting down the bed and settling in between my legs.

--

           And if the rest of the team notices the way Spencer starts following me around like a lost puppy - well, they’re all kind enough not to point it out.

[hookingminor]

highly requested part 2 to this angsty blurb, and this marks the end of my 2k blurb weekend! thank you all for joining me and I hope you enjoyed!

-

Matthew wandered back to the hotel well after midnight.

The rehearsal dinner ended around nine in the evening, but after spending an hour on that deck thinking about everything you said, he decided to take a long walk around the neighborhood.

He wandered through the church venue Willow had booked and sat at the pews for a few minutes, taking in all the decorations that were already set up. Then, he made his way back to the barn where the reception would take place, and all of it just felt wrong: the decor, the table settings, the flowers, none of it felt right.

Matthew didn’t put much thought into the wedding, per Willow’s requests, but it only hit him just how little he contributed to all of it as he sat on his hotel bed and thought about what his ideal wedding would look like.

He didn’t even want to get married in Calgary.

It made sense he would since Willow had lived here her whole life, but Matthew always imagined his wedding taking place in St. Louis where his entire family and all his friends could attend. Besides his immediate family and teammates, no one else could make the long trip to Calgary for his wedding.

When Matthew pictured his wedding, he also pictured you standing at the end of the aisle, too. Matthew was sure Willow’s dress would be gorgeous and she would look absolutely beautiful tomorrow, but when he pictured you standing there in her place, he was filled with a fluttering of butterflies in his stomach he couldn’t deny.

Which is what led him to knocking on Willow’s door at one in the morning.

It took a few minutes before she woke, bleary eyed and confused as to why her fiance was seeking her out so late in the night. “Matthew? What is it? You’re not supposed to see me before the wedding.” She pulled her robe tighter around her body, as if trying to shield Matthew’s eyes from her.

That was another superstition Matthew didn’t like. He nearly begged Willow to spend the night with him before the wedding, not buying into the ‘bad luck’ bullshit people always said about sleeping together before the ceremony, but she wouldn’t budge.

“I know, I’m sorry for the intrusion, but I think we need to talk,” Matthew said. He was still dressed in his suit from the dinner, though he’d shed his jacket and tie long ago. Willow’s face fell at his words, but she let him inside her room anyway.

Matthew sat on the edge of the bed awkwardly and fiddled with his thumbs as Willow sat next to him. Silence filled the room. Matthew didn’t know how to say it.

“Is this about Y/N?” Willow asked calmly after a few minutes passed. “I saw you two talking outside earlier.”

Matthew looked at his fiance, her eyes sad and face dismal. He nodded.

“I figured,” she sighed.

“I’m sorry,” Matthew said because he didn’t know what else to say.

Then Willow said the most unexpected thing.

“It’s okay.”

Matthew’s confusion was clear on his face, and Willow let out a genuine laugh as she took his hand in hers.

“I thought if you saw her and she moved on, we could’ve made this work, but that wasn’t the case, was it?” She asked, and Matthew nodded again.

“I can’t say I’m surprised,” she continued. “I always knew you still loved her.”

“I really did love you,” Matthew said. “I do love you… it’s just…”

“You love her more,” Willow finished for him.

“I am sorry,” Matthew pleaded. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, but then I saw her and… I can’t let her go.”

“I know,” Willow said, squeezing his hand comfortingly, and then let out a deep sigh. “Well, I guess we better tell our folks the wedding’s off, huh?”

-

Matthew showed up to your place a month later.

He stood outside your apartment, nervous and shaking, with a bouquet of your favorite flowers in his hands. You hadn’t heard from him since booking the first flight out of Calgary, dodging all his calls and texts that came in over the week after his wedding. You effectively stayed off social media, deleting all the apps you knew you still had Matthew on in fear of seeing wedding pictures.

The surprise on your face was evident when you answered the door to find Matthew on the other side.

“Aren’t you supposed to be on your honeymoon or something?” You asked.

“I didn’t go through with it. I couldn’t after seeing you,” Matthew explained. “Can I come in?”

Swallowing the lump in your throat, you let Matthew follow you inside. He’d never seen your apartment before. You’d moved places shortly after your breakup, trying to erase the memories of Matthew that existed on every surface of your old apartment.

He held out the flowers for you, which you took and placed into a vase and filled with water. Matthew’s eyes roamed your new place, taking in all the photos you had on your fridge to the books you kept on your bookshelves.

“To what do I owe the pleasure, Matthew?” You asked.

Matthew’s gaze focused back on you. “I always hated it when you called me Matthew.” A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“What do you want?” You rephrased, ignoring his comment.

“I want to give us another shot,” Matthew answered confidently.

You weren’t quite sure what you were expecting him to say, but it was definitely not that.

“Matthew—”

“And before you tell me how bad of an idea it is, because I know that’s what you’re about to say, just hear me out.”

Your mouth snapped shut and you waited for him to continue.

“I love you. I’m in love with you. I have been for years, and I’m never going to not be in love with you,” Matthew said. “After you left, I couldn’t stop thinking about you, and I realized that marrying Willow wasn’t what I wanted. When I picture my future I see you in it. I see you at the end of that aisle on our wedding day. I see you and me in a house with a dog and maybe a few kids. I see you waiting for me at home at the end of the day, and I see you beside me when I wake up in the morning.”

“Matthew, we tried this before,” you sighed. “We tried the long distance, and it didn’t work.”

“And I’m willing to try again,” Matthew replied, crossing the few feet of space between you to cup your face in his hands. “We were young and dumb and immature, and I pressured you to change your life for me when I shouldn’t have. I’m not asking you to pack up your life and move to Calgary right now. Hell, if you don't ever want to move to Canada, you don’t have to. I’ll move to wherever you want to be because wherever you are is where I belong.”

“I’m in this for the long haul,” he added. “There is no one else out there for me, and there never will be.”

Tears welled in your eyes at his profession, and Matthew’s thumb came to swipe at a stray tear that rolled down your cheek.

“What makes you think this time will be different?” You questioned softly.

“Because I’m different. We’re different. And I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make you happy. You’re all I want.”

“You’d really request a trade for me?” Matthew nodded.

“It wasn’t fair to put that all on you then, and I know that. I shouldn’t have asked you to do something I wasn’t willing to do myself, but I’m telling you now that I’d do anything for you,” he answered.

Throwing your arms around Matthew’s neck, you pressed your entire body into his. Arms tightened around your torso, keeping you snug against him, and Matthew tucked your head into his chest.

“So what do you say? Can you give me a second chance?” He mumbled into your hair.

“I think we’re well past second chances,” you chuckled.

“I promise it’ll be the last one you need to give me,” Matthew laughed, grasping the base of your neck.

In an attempt to blink away his own tears, a few streamed down his cheeks. Leaning forward, you kissed away the tears, leaving his cheeks wet, but Matthew had a dopey grin on his face all the same.

“I’m all in,” you replied to his question, and Matthew had to take a second to make sure he heard you correctly.

His grin spread wider, and he crashed his lips to yours, both of your smiles getting in the way but neither of you cared. Matthew peppered your face in kisses: your brow, your cheeks, your nose, your chin. There was not one inch of skin he left untouched.

You giggled in his arms, twisting your face to the side to avoid the tickling of his scruff against your cheeks, but he kept you close to his body.

“I love you,” he said finally, “and I’m sorry it took me so long to get my shit together.”

You caught his lips in a deep kiss. “All that matters is you’re here now.”

“Oh, I forgot something,” Matthew said, pulling back just enough to reach his hand into his pocket. 

A small box rested in the palm of his hand, and he opened it to show you the necklace he gifted to you nearly three years ago. When everything ended, you’d given it back to him, and he’d kept it tucked away in his bedside drawer since then.

The dainty ‘19’ hung from the chain, and Matthew undid the hook and looked at you with hopeful eyes. Your stomach did a flip as you turned around, and Matthew draped the jewelry around your neck, connecting it in the back and placing a soft kiss on the skin right above it.

“Now everything’s right where it belongs.”

[orleans-jester]

“I’m sure - all I have to do is look at the photos I’ve got with you and it’ll take me right back to this memory.” Besides - he much more enjoyed behing behind the camera for Flotsam than he did being in front of it. He was all grins, and babies, and his husband and their pals, having a good time.

Though they moved quickly through the gift shop, he would just grab a couple of things as they breezed through, tossing it into the stroller or into his pocket. They had the money to pay for the stuff if they got stopped, but he highly doubted that they would. A Titanic Pocketwatch? Swipe. A little Captain hat keychain? Swipe. Titanic modelling kit? Definitely harder to swipe but he picked it up as if he owned the thing and put it under the stroller, and then whistled on their way out. He and Scout would have fun with that. He was regretting not picking up the Heart of the Ocean necklace but they had been moving so quickly and it wasn’t as if they had the good, expensive ones out on display, ready to snatch.

But Silvian was on top of that, and he was very grateful.

“Ahh yes, thank you,” He said, taking the books that he knew he would have been buying if they had stayed inside of the giftshop. It seemed everyone and their Hellish friends knew that Thomas was a literature fiend. But then he focused on the necklace for Flotsam, looking at the clearness of the sapphire that was within. “Can I help you put it on?” He asked, memories swirling back inside of his head of when he had done the same thing with the locket for Valerie before their first date.

“What are some of your other favorites?” Thomas asked Silvian curiously. Was he already thinking that they could all go on another trip in the future - somewhere like New Jersey where the Hindenberg crashed or maybe even London, where the Great Fire of 1666 had ravaged the old streets.

“Thanks for comin’ and making it much more interesting,” Thomas said, along with Flotsam’s nod. They could have had a good time without them - Thomas and Flotsam always did - but it might not have been nearly so fascinating without these two.

He also wasn’t in the largest hurry to get rid of the two of them, and fully agreed with Flotsam’s plan of grabbing a bite to eat, some crusty blaa which was essentially bread. But it was hearty. It was warm and soft and put him in the mind of all of the people who had built the Titanic, what the workers had probably eaten on their short breaks.

He listening in on Flotsam and Silvian’s conversation. Small world, this was. Even Hell seemed smaller during these moments. They were all interconnected - like stars, constellations.

“Can’t say we’ve had the privilege,” Thomas said. A Freak Show Band, now that would be something to see. “If that’s an invitation, we’ll take it.”

"Couldn't agree more." Adam said. Humans. Bah.

Silvain shirked. He had a bias against demons more, but he had his reasons. Adam understood. Caim was his exception to the rule. Even that was a shakey relationship.

"Oh good. I got worried." Flotsam grinned.

He got worried it ruined the shot. Of course this was Flotsam's big worry. He saw right away his children were safe. Thomas was soothin his son down. He cared notta for the person on the floor or the consequences thereof. Just did they get the shot? That's all that mattered. Thomas was love and a genius phone director. He did!

"I love you."

He let out a big sigh of appraisal and eyebrow quirk of mishcheivous love. Thomas seemed to think it was time to go.

"You sure? You don't want a go first? Just a quick snap?"

Oh Flotsam.

He'd wait for Thomas's answer and get a pic of him on the stair if he so thought they could spare the time.

"Make haste." Silvain said but as he did so quite deliberately stepped away making sure to mess with the electronics in the next room. He waved them on like a distraction trying to keep any watchers blind as they moved along.

Straight to the gift shop at that point not testing more waters. Adam headed straight for the exit as he had blood on his mouth. Silvain went for the list of shopping he had memorized in his head and as much as Flotsam would have enjoyed browsing he figured he better stick with Caim's kid. He wasn't about to let him get accidentally picked up by coppers in a country he didn't know anything about. Flo wasn't even in the mood to deal with that. But, he had one hand on the stroller bar and one hand in his pocket ready to pull zombie dust in case anything were to go down. But, somehow by the seat of their pants they'd skim this one just barely without being questioned while people were busy flocking to the person's side for medical care. Their little Titanic tourism party was skipping out. They saw all the good stuff by then anyhow.

Outside the amazing and bizarre geometric building Silvain would finally catch up to them with a bag of goodies for everyone. This would include those hearts of the ocean Valerie wanted, books for Thomas, all sorts of goodies.

"We did Titanic. One more tragedy collected. It really is one of my favorites."

Adam gave him a little nudge seeing how happy it made Silvain to have gotten to go. He knew this was a big deal that Caim let them come together and wouldn't have if these two didn't say yes. So, Adam added his own thanks, "Yeah, thankssss again for bringing usss. Letting usss come along."

Flotsam gave them the no problem nod as they kept walking trying to put as much distance between the building and them as possible just in case. The pictures on the staircase were no longer an issue. A chimera boy biting a guy with venom and down for the count however? The guy nearly ruining their photo moment and upsetting Stark. Flotsam did not leave any of Caim's antivenom behind. Maybe Thomas found mercy for the poor guy, but it didn't cross Flo's mind. He was just glad Adam did it before Stark changed.

That said he was very thankful for Adam and he was rather curious of the pair. Flo knew he was supposed to call for them to be picked up after the museum, but a little part of him wanted to thank them proper. Something. Maybe it was silly, but he saw a street vendor selling Blaa, whatever the Hell that was. So, he offered up to hang a little longer by the car and have some Blaa as a thank you for intervening help with the kids. Flotsam ordered his with bacon always and ever with a faint thought of Zeke in the back of his mind when he did it.

Flo noticed Silvain bending down and playing with the kids while he ate his instead of standing up to converse with the adults. Ever taking notes on people. It made him think back to the first time he saw the guy and Bastien was there. They acted like they knew one another. Valerie's life had been so busy having children and more. She hadn't had time to stop and think or put anything together. So, as their day winded down and there was no museum to distract he started a conversation as they ate their Blaa near the car.

"How do you know Bastien Bellerose?"

"Oh, we were in hospital together. Asylum."

"Oh, I see. Were you there at the same time as Robin Hood?"

"No. It wasn't the same one."

"Oh, okay. Noted." Noted Bastien's been through a lot. Apparently so has this guy. Damn. "Small world though. We all meet again."

"Yeah, I was happy to see him." Silvain kept focusing on the kids as he spoke down making faces at them.

"You're good with kids."

"I like kids."

"He like kids a lot." Adam rolled his eyes as if it was annoying.

Silvain noticed and rolled his right back and said, "They're the only ones that weren't afraid of me. Especially in my last transformation when I had no human-like form to phase to. They were all I had when it came to the human world. Humans feared me. But not children. They liked to play."

"I know. I know. Well, you have a humanoid form now." Adam groaned as if he needed to let it go. But, that was a grudge he couldn't let go of, not after what happened with the demons and the Silver Bridge.

Flotsam's brows furrowed in. He was connecting dots. Everything in him wanted to ask a thousand questions but also didn't want the guy to feel like he was under an interrogation. "I thought you were going to say the circus or something like that since Caim mentioned you have an act."

"Nope. We do have one though. Adam's the knife thrower. I'm the target. It's side show work when Caim lets us and Adam's up to it. He has his good days and bad days."

"Today'ssss a good day." Adam chimed in. "I play bassss in my dad'sss Fabulousssss Freak Show Band too. I know tthe name is corny. But, it fitsss the show. We only play for Dad'ssss magic bird show. You guysss should ssssee it sometime. Have you ssseen it?"

[e1igius]

below you will find an adaptable biography for huckleberry sawyer. verse alternative biographies will be linked with the verse descriptions. so called ' canon ' is set in the near future of the united states. huckleberry is best adapted towards post apocalyptic &. scifi settings but can be used in a large variety of stories.

sunshine rises over texas , the greatest country in the world. and in a small town , to parents anything but ordinary , a small shild is brought into the world. the father , the owner of a local sports bar , the mother , highly involved in the community and the picture of grace and texan charm. the couple was the star of the community , helping neighbors and sending picture perfect christmas cards every year. the baby boy was named huckleberry , after the character in mark twain's classic story , a rather ironic name to have placed on a surname like sawyer. he grows up with dirt under his nails , callouses on his feet and hands , and skin kissed by the scorching texan sun. the constant flow of dirt roads and country music , the tang of norteños being played from the neighbors house , it's like a little piece of america perfectly packaged into one childhood.

it takes a few years , but the illusion of white-picket fences slowly erodes away. loud screams , thrown pots and bottles , can all be heard from the sidewalk as one tries to pass the home. the long grass becomes full of beer bottle glass , and children stop coming over to play with the little blonde boy with bright summer blue eyes. the innocence remains , as the runs off to the nearby park with friends and stays out past curfew catching pillbugs and snakes. but as years pass the innocence fades , replaced by a practiced , empty , gaze. one that takes hold as scolding replaces teachings , as the nights spent in a closet for his own protection increase from one a month to one every three days. it becomes a strange but familiar feeling, the sense of helplessness that overcomes him at the fact he cannot help his mother. and it becomes the driving motivation in the young man's life. one that follows him to his grave.

law is his first thoughts for making a difference. and he believes in the old saying , with hard work anything is acheivable. classrooms full of dust and teachers with old ideas stuck in their heads aren't always the most welcome setting for a young boy who doesn't quite seem to understand how others are able to grasp concepts faster than he can. how others don't have to try nearly as hard to understand a single word let alone , a paragraph , a page , a book ? but the situation at home makes for a great sob story to his teachers , and between an excused assignment here , and a pushed back deadline there , eventually the young texan graduates highschool. though the diploma might have been a gift to thank him for all the years given in muddy jeans and trashed up football uniforms. the gpa at the end doesn't align with his original plan for the world , and it's a hard reset on what he's going to do. but he can't stay home. not with this father there.

in a never-ending pursuit of the greater good , the young man stepped on yellow footprints at the gates of san diego's recruit depot and enslited in the united states marine corps. after weeks of grey skies and muddy boots , perfectly made beds and 30 second showers , the title is earned through hard work and dedication. and it's only the beginning. a recon contract quickly earns him a place along one of the united states best trained men. and after harnessing the power of the american dream , it only takes one deployment to stand out amongst his peers and be offered the chance to go to sniper school. a rigorous and endless diet of violence follows during the war. at the end of the contract he's asked for one thing a green to gold program application and by some grace of god the young man is accepted.

he spends the rest of the next three years earing a college education. earing something that his high school teachers said was unacheivable with his intellect. and yet as he sees his old staff nco in the auidence , the two empty chairs next to the man speak volumes. promises made by blood relatives , promises not kept. and so he plunges himself back in to the corps. but not everything's greener on the gold side. his new rank allows him access to the ease with which high ups talk about the enslited's lives. to corruption at a higher level. to danger within the organization itself. and as layers and layers of deception are unconvered , the man begins to see it everywhere. the military calls it mental scarring , the man calls it enlightenment.

scars that never heal become a part of the fabric of his own existence. left arm full of damaged scar tissue. war torn bullet holes in his abdomen. consistent reminders of covert missions that were never covered on the nightly news. where the public never learned of the price paid to keep the status quo. but every time he thinks of the damage they cause , without rewards to be reaped by anyone... not the military , not the united states , not the country they are supposedly saving... every time he brings it up he's silenced. and punished for not falling in line. for being an instigator. for questioning his leadership.

so he leaves. if he can't fight for justice in the system , he'll work outside of it. just ups and empties his bank accounts works only with the cash he's kept on hand. he dosen't consider terrorism the right word. not really. smoked cities and burnt buildings aren't the calling call he's used to. but the practiced emotionless gaze gives way to one that feels borderline frantic in it's thirst for truth. the codename eligius is given after his first two attacks , not acts of terror but calls for justice. the end to two rapists begins a spree , then four politicians are added to the line-up for their corruption , a movie producer for his exploitations of women , and an influencer for their exploitation of a local indigenous tribe. pain was shed , so blood is the only sacrifice. eligius is given as the name , the choice , for all victims had a choice and if they had picked the right one , he would not have shown up at their door.

leaving a sea of bodies tends to pile up , even with military training sloppiness is sure to result in setbacks. and so it does. he slips up. gives a given name at a gas station in katy , texas one time. and it takes under twenty four hours for the man to be on cnn as the federal breau of investigation takes him into custody. the trail goes quickly especially without a jury. the old consitution would never had allowed the option of a trial without one. but seeing as he was in fact technically still owned by the united states governement. it wouldn't have mattered either way. he serves less than a year in prison. less than a year. not because he gets released but rather because some rich man in his ivory tower decides , huckleberry's talents are wasted in a cell.

indentured servitude. is one way to phrase it. but the texan just calls it being kept on a short leash.